Monthly Archives December 2014

Podcast 1452 12/27/14: Teri Takai, Gift Card Granny and 2014 in Review

December 27, 2014 | Comments Off

Show Notes!

Teri Takai 2014 and Beyond

We are honored to have one of Michigan’s outstanding technologists, Teri Takai, in our studio once again. Teri, a U of M grad, has held numerous leadership roles as the CIO of Michigan, CTO of the State of California and until recently as CIO for the US Defense Department. Teri has returned home to take the CTO job at Meridian Health Care.

Click here to listen to Teri Takai Interview

The Best and Worst of 2014

What title would you give 2014? Our staff will take a look at 2014 to see what stage has been set for the coming year. The Year of the Hacker?

Click here to listen to 2014 Review

Cash in Your Gift Cards

Not all gifts are created equal; some may be like Ralphie’s pink bunny pajamas in the Christmas Story movie. That’s true of gift cards too. So why let them collect dust when you can collect money for them? Kendall Perez from Gift Card Granny joins us to talk about how you can get money for those gift cards you will never use.

Click here to listen to GiftCardGranny

MiTechNews Headlines

Mike Brennan…

Microsoft Taking Help Line Scammers to Court

December 20, 2014 | Comments Off

PC World Loek Essers@loekessers Dec 19, 2014 6:09 AM

Microsoft is finally cracking down on scammers who offer to fix non-existent computer problems for hundreds of dollars. In a first strike, Microsoft sued several U.S. companies it said are involved in fake tech support scams.

For years, people have been receiving calls from companies pretending to be official Microsoft tech support staff, who try to convince the victim that their computer is infected with a virus. The scammers often offer to deal with it for a fee.

Full Article …

FBI Blames North Korea for Sony Hack

December 20, 2014 | Comments Off

CNET by Seth Rosenblatt @sethr December 19, 2014 9:22 AM PST

It’s definitive. North Korea was behind the cyberattack on Sony Pictures, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday.

“As a result of our investigation, and in close collaboration with other US Government departments and agencies, the FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions,” the FBI said Friday in a statement.

Full Article …

Podcast 1451: Dec. 20, 2014: Ford's New Voice, Skype Translator & Xfinity Hotspots

December 20, 2014 | Comments Off

Happy Holidays 2014

The Internet Advisor Crew from our house to yours!

Today’s program has been preempted on WJR Radio Detroit by MSU basketball. However you can still hear our 2 hour show by downloading or listening to our podcast on our homepage beginning Sun. 12/21 around 10PM.

Show Notes

Hour 1

Sync 3: The New Face of Ford In-Car

Paul Eisenstein, publisher of The Detroit Bureau, The Voice of Automotive World, tells the story of Ford’s switch to QNX based Sync 3 as their new in-car communications system. After a long and painful relationship with Microsoft under the name of Ford Sync, there’s a new voice in your Ford in 2015.

Click Here to Listen to Ford Sync 3

Skype Translator: Simultaneous Translation

Mark King, Cloud Architect at the Microsoft Technology Center shares the story of Skype Translator a remarkable breakthrough in communication. Now your friend in Bogota, Colombia can talk to you in their native language, Spanish, and after a short delay…you HEAR the translation. Then you get to talk back in English…without one day of Berlitz or Rosetta Stone (No se puede creer…Verdad?!) This is just the beginning. (Transcoders, Star Trekkies?!?!)

Click

Ford Ditches Microsoft For QNX

December 20, 2014 | Comments Off

Ford today took the wraps off Sync 3, its next-generation, in-car technology package that is, as you’d expect, faster, sleeker and much improved over the old one. It’s also more intuitive and easier on the eyes, and integrates smartphone apps better. But the biggest change is under the hood: Sync 3 is powered by QNX instead of Microsoft Auto.

When Ford first launched the Sync prior to the recession, it was novel in the infotainment space. The platform announced today, several years after version 2.0, is Ford’s third go at infotainment, and from my limited experience with the Sync 3, it’s dramatically better than its predecess.

Full Article …

Recommended Smart Toy Lists by Age

December 15, 2014 | Comments Off

On the Dec. 13, 2014 program Sheri Kam, PR Specialist and involved mom and Sean McCarroll, social studies and technology teacher at Grosse Pointe North High School in suburban Detroit discussed “Smart Toys”. The follow list shows the smart toys they recommend for each age group listed.

Young:

No Coding

Tobbles Neo (0-2 Logic) or anything stacking
Duplo
K’nex Jr.
Little Bits
Snap Circuits

Ages 5-8:

Modicum Understanding of Coding and Circuits

Thames and Kosmos
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks
Marble Runs
Legos
More Little Bits
Goldie Blox and the Movie Maker

Tweens Into Teens:

Coding, Sensors, Logic Streams, Fluid and Creative Thnking

Fluxx Card Game (come in a variety of themes)
Top Trumps Card Game (comes in a variety of themes)
Ollie (App controlled robot) – a tube with treads
Sphero (App controlled robot) – a fast moving orb
Marble Runs (some have elevators and lifts)
Lego Mindstorms
Thames and Kosmos
Arduino (controller)
Raspberry Pi (microcomputer)
Lily Twinkle and ProtoSnap LilyPad Development Board
Gamer Kits for Arduino
3D Printer
App Gift Card (Just be aware that there are some In-app purchase possibilities)
- Foldify (Design 3D Designs – can be sent to conventional printer or 3D printer)
- Minecraft
- Electopocalypse

Podcast 1450 12/13/14: Smart Toys for Smart Girls and Boys

December 13, 2014 | Comments Off

Show Notes:

Gift Giving for a New Generation of Tech Savvy Children

Welcome back Sheri Kam, PR Specialist, Social Media Expert and mother of two teenage daughters. Sheri not only knows her way around technology but has a mother’s eye for holiday presents that will teach as well as entertain children who are interested in technology…without breaking the bank

Click to Listen to Smart Toys Segment with Sheri Kam and Sean McCarroll

Recommended Toy List: Sheri Kam and Sean McCarrell

Rec0mmended Smart Toy Lists

Top educational gifts for kids Click on Detroit TV Segment

9 High-Tech Toys & Gadgets Designed For Kids

Consumer Reports: 8 best tech toys for kids

Watch Asia Newson’s Story on ABC’s 20/20

Creating an Innovation Lab in High School

Sean McCarroll is a social studies and technology teacher at Grosse Pointe North High School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Sean worked with fellow teacher Gary Abud to design, collect funding for, and implement the GP North Innovation Lab, a modern learning space equipped with the technological tools needed for learning in the 21^st Century. It was designed to promote creative and innovative thinking, group collaboration, and better access …

Podcast 1449 Dec. 6, 2014: Shop Till You Drop…Locally & Web Design Winners

December 6, 2014 | Comments Off

Show Notes:

How to Shop Instantly on Instagram and Shop Locally on Etsy

Our social media maven, Emily Hay, founder of Hay There Social Media has some timely tips for your holiday gift shopping.

Contrary to popular belief, Instagram isn’t just for selfies and snapshots of your lunch. Sure, users don’t hold back on posting photos of their most picturesque provisions but that’s not the only thing we’re all doing on the app.

Everyone knows how important shopping local is, right? It impacts your state/city/region by keeping money and jobs in your community. But did you know that you can use the Internet to shop locally? You can. It’s easy. Enter Etsy.

Click Here to Listen to Emily Hay Shopping Segment

And the Winners Are…Student Web Designers Awarded for Their Budding Skills

The Michigan Council of Women in Technology is dedicated to inspiring young women to achieve great things in technology. One of the ways they accomplish this is through the 9th Annual Website Design Competition for high school girls. We are delighted to have one of the budding designers in studio with us:

Likitha Nimmagadda from Farmington Harrison HS (See her site)

Christina …

Monthly Archives December 2014

Show Notes!

Teri Takai 2014 and Beyond

The Best and Worst of 2014

Cash in Your Gift Cards

MiTechNews Headlines

Happy Holidays 2014

Show Notes

Hour 1

Sync 3: The New Face of Ford In-Car

Skype Translator: Simultaneous Translation

On the Dec. 13, 2014 program Sheri Kam, PR Specialist and involved mom and Sean McCarroll, social studies and technology teacher at Grosse Pointe North High School in suburban Detroit discussed “Smart Toys”. The follow list shows the smart toys they recommend for each age group listed.

Young:

No Coding

Ages 5-8:

Modicum Understanding of Coding and Circuits

Tweens Into Teens:

Coding, Sensors, Logic Streams, Fluid and Creative Thnking

Show Notes:

Gift Giving for a New Generation of Tech Savvy Children

Click to Listen to Smart Toys Segment with Sheri Kam and Sean McCarroll

Rec0mmended Smart Toy Lists

Creating an Innovation Lab in High School

Show Notes:

How to Shop Instantly on Instagram and Shop Locally on Etsy

And the Winners Are…Student Web Designers Awarded for Their Budding Skills

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