Archive for the ‘google’ Category

  • Is it illegally anticompetitive for Google to give schools Google Apps for free?

    Date: 2012.02.02 | Category: google, ICT, open source, Primary School, Primary School ICT | Response: 0

    Today a French court ruled that Google has broken the law by providing the Google Maps API for free. While this may seem like an extreme ruling it is based on the fact that Google used to offer the service for free then began charging once all of their competition had been beaten into submission. I wonder if Google are trying to do the same with schools and Google Apps?

    Microsoft and Google have been caught out doing predatory pricing on quite a few occasions in the past. Essentially predatory pricing is where you provide a service for free then after a period of time (Usually once all of your competitors have been destroyed) you start charging for this service. Companies accomplish this “scam” by providing propriety software, propriety software is basically software that can only be provided by one company. I am constantly warning the schools of the risks of investing in propriety standards and I’m sure that nearly all of my readers are tired of me beating on this drum… In this case I think the court actually got it wrong.

    Google Docs doesn’t thwart our ability to develop PrimaryPad, PrimaryBlogger or SchoolEmail further, it’s obviously that Google Docs does affect our bottom line but we develop PrimaryPad because we believe in our products and in we know that our contributions towards Etherpad and an open standard for collaborative writing on the web will ultimately be the winner of the war. Remember folks.. Good customer service and open standards always win.

  • The day I gave up on Google

    Date: 2011.12.15 | Category: google | Response: 0


    I can’t even give Google my money. I can’t contact them. I can’t report a bug. I can’t use their services and/or pay them to improve their services.

    Microsoft’s alternative to Google’s product is a joke, no surprise there…

    So I give up… Web Search via an API. You are broken, you need help, someone call a doctor.  Google, you need a better way of communicating with your customers, take a lesson from Amazon, you are great at learning so learn, evolve or die.

    RIP Google – 15/12/2011

    If you depend on Google for a service I can only recommend that you have a “Get out plan”.  Know about how to liberate your data and consider some alternative options.  Think about the important data you are going to lose when you liberate your data and how costly it will be to replace that data.  This is also a great opportunity for me to plug open source software and the freedoms that gives you.

  • Sesame Street youtube channel hacked

    Date: 2011.10.17 | Category: e safety, google, ICT, Primary School, Primary School ICT | Response: 0

    Sesame Streets Youtube channel and hundereds of partners that aggregated videos from the Sesame street Youtube channel today published indecent images and potentially extremely indecent video to children.

    The pornographic videos uploaded by a hacker spread quickly around the internet, way too quick for Google who took 20 minutes to respond to the e-safety issue.

    This is the first major instance where a major channel partner has been hacked and the target audience has been children. We can only assume that thousands of children have been affected.

    It is not yet clear how the hacker managed to gain access to the Youtube channel that is currently suspended and not available.  Today’s incident will lave Youtube and Google embarrassed especially after only 5 days ago Youtube released a “Youtube Channel for Teachers” and only a few months ago were promoting the sesame street brand on the Google Search home page.

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  • Sounds like Glow is on the right path #EduScotICT

    Date: 2011.09.08 | Category: #edchat, glow, google, ICT, Primary School, Primary School ICT, primary schools, primary technology | Response: 0

    Sounds like Glow and Primary Technology share a similar vision about open technologies.  It would be really sad if they say “Yes we want to use open technologies” then adopt Google Docs, let’s hope that doesn’t happen!  Please people, try to remember than Open is not the same as Free, open means you have the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want with that piece of software.

    I find it strange that so many Scottish schools that have access to the Glow blogs service still use PrimaryBlogger?  I assume it’s because PrimaryBlogger has a slightly more open feel and ability to be more creative.  I guess as Glow is part of a bigger service the government feel they need to attach certain policies and restrictions to it.  I don’t know the answer but it would be an interesting discussion to have if you are a Glow user and you use PrimaryBlogger.

    If I was to be skeptical about one thing it would be about RM’s ability to manage glow.  In my experience RM tend not to consult with other small business’ about best practice when implementing new technology and I haven’t seen much of a commitment from RM to open source.  Do you know of any?  If so, please prove me wrong!

    So I’m interested to see what Glow do, I wont be contributing to the date unless my presence is requested but I will be listening in and looking to see what exciting open-technologies are proposed!

    Just finally, I want to give credit to some of the people working in and around Glow from a teaching and learning perspective.  Ollie Bray, Derek Robertson, Margaret Vass, John Johnston to name but a few.  Keep up the good work one and all and kudos to you!

  • What Microsoft’s purchase of Skype means for Primary Schools

    Date: 2011.05.10 | Category: google, ICT, microsoft, primary, Primary School, Primary School ICT, primary schools, primary technology, review | Response: 0

    Microsoft’s $8.5bn purchase of Skype has raised a few eyebrows, but we don’t care about most peoples, what we care about is how this purchase will affect Primary Schools.  In this post I am going to try to summarize the real life impacts of such a purchase and how you should consider using Skype in the classroom.

    Things we can expect:

    • Skype will come bundled with Windows 8.
    • Open source & tech folks will stop using Skype and begin looking at alternatives.
    • Google will be panicking.
    • Windows Mobile 8 will have a big emphasis on VOIP connectivity
    • Microsoft will attempt to play a bigger part in mobile data connectivity
    • Skype and the VOIP stuff used for Xbox Live will be integrated
    • You will be able to Sign into Skype using your XBLA or Microsoft.com/Live.com account

    Microsoft will use Skypes deep telco contracts to leverage cheaper mobile communications.  With all these new connections and contracts it is conceivable Microsoft will partner with a manufacturer to provide a data connected laptop/netbook using the Amazon Kindle model of data.  The kindle model of data is basically a pay once, use forever but it has recently been announced this is likely to be subsidized by adverts appearing on your device.   You should seriously think about where you stand on Ads in the Primary School Classroom.  I think the potential use of these “light internet use netbook devices” could be perfect but basic net browsing however they won’t be suitable for 5+ pupils in the same classroom browsing ”rich-content”, whatever that is in 3-10 years time.

    If you are interested in e-Safety then I would say that now is a great time to have a really good think about the e-safety risks that Skype poses, especially if it is going to be installed natively on Microsoft Windows devices.  Skype has the same e-safety challenges of Facebook, it just gets less attention because it currently isn’t as widely adopted.

    You may be wondering if you should sign up for the Skype in the Classroom and I would say go ahead, it’s unlikely Microsoft will lose this battle in the same way they lost[/committed suicide] the MSN battle.  Skype was running at a loss and Microsoft has basically “bailed it out” and given it a long future.  At Primary Technology we use Skype as our main source of voice communication and we have no plan to leave it as it provides great value.  We will leave Skype is a good, open source source, distributed telco connected solution appears, I doubt that though.

    So to summarize..  We are one step closer to getting 4G connected Windows devices, we have an elevated e-safety issue to address, Microsoft own yet another part of your life.

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