Another Google Trade Mark case

After Gogglebay http://www.mondaq.com/australia/article.asp?articleid=71198 not sure the Groggle team should have too surprised to have copped a letter.

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/groggle-boggled-by-google-mean-spirit-20100428-trq5.html

Facebook's Search Potential

http://searchenginewatch.com/3640162

$9.3 M fine in WA air conditioning cartel

Report in The Australian

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/air-con-cartel-hit-with-93m-penalty-tyco/story-e6frg8zx-1225856616888

ACCC press release

http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/924637

penalties for dummy / shill bidders on eBay in UK

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/19/ebay_scam/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/11/ebay_auction_settlement/

YouTube parodies and Copyright

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/downfall-of-hitlers-youtube-parody-20100421-stw2.html?autostart=1

Send an email - have it appear on Twitter

I'm convinced that email is the ultimate web tool. Well, search is up there too of course.

Anyway, here are a couple of options for getting updates to Twitter, just by sending an email.

http://www.labnol.org/internet/email/send-twitter-updates-email-mobile-phone-without-sms/2955/

I love being able to post to my blog by simply sending an email - Blogger offers this functionality.

Very practical for sending quick updates from mobiles etc.

Your favourite teacher

Most of us have one, and chances are that special person has no idea how important he or she really was.

Tonight on Insight, find out what makes a great teacher, and hear Julia Gillard and Shaun Micallef talk about theirs.

SBS
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Repeated Friday 23 April, 1:30pm and Monday 26 April, 3:30pm

http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/

Thanks Mathews Thomas for the heads up.

Creating an RSS feed for posts with a particular tag

Does that heading make sense?

Here's the example, my blog contains posts on a number of topics, primarily links to current events relevant to my teaching areas, these posts are made with students in mind.

I also post tips,links and opinions relevant to and intended for other academics - typically around the use of technology in teaching.

Being able to offer separate RSS feeds, based on the tags I apply to posts would be useful, so any subscribers to RSS feeds from the blog would not receive feeds for subjects not of interest.

After a bit searching and reviewing web resources, the link below was the most straightforward and very simple. This information relates to Blogger, the specifics of how to do this with other blog providers will no doubt be lurking elsewhere online.

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/08/offer-rss-feeds-for-blogger-search.html

So if anyone wants a feed only from my blog only containing 'Teaching & Learning' posts, here it is:

feed://markbender.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default/-/Teaching%20and%20Learning

Second Life in Education

Some of my VLE colleagues might be interested in Melissa De Zwart's work with Second Life.

A podcast here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-metaverse-journal-virtual/id276946889 (Episode 5)

A presentation here: http://www.slideshare.net/jimbbq/law-students-and-the-online-environment-teaching-and-researching-in-virtual-worlds

Melissa was formerly at Monash and is now at Uni SA.

She blogs at: http://bramspyre.blogspot.com/

Google employees receive suspended prison terms in Italy

as a result of decision over the profit the company made from bullying video:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/7586464/Italian-Google-bully-video-verdict-was-about-online-profit.html

Happy Birthday Copyright

http://www.copyright.org.au/news/news_items/announcements-news/2010/copyright-turns-300

Research considering first year approaches including use of 'podcasts'

The report from this research, conducted by the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne is available for download here:

http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/research/FYE_Report_1994_to_2009.pdf

This research makes a very meaningful contribution, as it is:

- Australian
- Current
- Empirically sound

The findings probably generally align with the anecdotal observations of many lecturers.

It was interesting to note that the survey found, as have I, that international students tended to make more use of online resources and lecture recordings etc.

One of my colleagues was mentioned in an article in The Age today as being one opposed to the audio recording of lectures:

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/podcasts-and-wikis-turn-cafes-into-lecture-halls-20100410-rzye.html

Monash's move to introduce integrated audio and video recording facilities was also mentioned. I do not lecture in any rooms where this equipment has been installed, but have seem a demo of the technology and it seems to function well and create file sizes that are not too much larger than audio only lecture recordings.

It remains to be seen whether students prefer integrated audio/video (the 'video' is typically lecture slides rather than the 'talking head' of the lecturer) that requires dedicated involvement, or whether the flexibility offered by audio only is preferred, as it enables students to listen as they travel, exercise etc.

The other point to be made is that the distinction between 'podcasts' and complete audio recordings of lectures is often not clearly made - but this is very important distinction.

Comprehensive guide to podcasting for academics

From the University of Wisconsin

http://engage.wisc.edu/podcasting/

One particular aspect that this site mentions is the need to plan how to integrate podcasts into course content and learning activities and outcome. They suggest that if podcasts are merely an optional extra resource, most students will not listen to them.

From my observations, it is generally students that fit one of two profiles that make more use of podcasts (and probably most other 'additional' resources that academics put extra time and energy into), these students tend to be those that might be struggling (often international students overcoming the challenge of learning in a non-native tongue) and committed, engaged students.

Upon reflection, with my podcasts, I probably do not do enough to make my podcasts part of a required learning activity instead of an ancillary content resource.

More thought and development in this area would hopefully lead to more students 'fitting under the main body of the bell curve' using these and other resources.

Nutrientwater passing off / s 52 case

I recall this passing off/s52 case may have been discussed in the Marketing Law lecture recently.

The judgement is available here:

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/FCA/2010/2.html

A brief summary from Mallesons, here:

http://blogs.mallesons.com/ipwhiteboard/to-drink-or-not-to-drink

A good overview introduction to Del.icio.us

http://bloggerfordummies.blogspot.com/2006/04/introduction-to-delicious.html

If anyone primarily uses a blog to keep their link collection together online - this might be an option.

Strange bedfellows...

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/griffith-university-law-faculty-to-be-downgraded/story-e6freoof-1225848233397

Not sure about the merits of Law, Education, Languages, Music etc being grouped together into a 'super faculty'

Details of the changes to the Trade Practices Act just passed by Parliament

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:%22legislation%2Fbillhome%2Fr4154%22

There are some other good materials for business on the ACCC website:

http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/920435

and as usual with significant legislative change, many commercial law firms make very useful summaries / overviews freely available on their website, eg:

http://www.minterellison.com/public/connect/Internet/Home/Legal+Insights/Alerts/NA-New+consumer+protection+laws