The mobile app for my Master’s program is now available for Android here. The app was put together by two of our students via HTML. I then compiled the app via Adobe Phonegap. This is some of the cool stuff we are doing in our program!
Category Archives: Mobile Learning
The $38 Tablet
Yes there is an actual tablet for $38 and my initial review is that its actually not that bad. One of my students recently bought one and gave me a few minutes to play around with it. The tablet is a Ubislate. It runs Android 4.2.2. While its not very powerful, as in it has 512 mb ram, it does function as a full tablet. You have access to the android google play store and it has wifi. Honestly it looks, feels, and functions just like any other tablet. Its just has lower end components but for $38 I think its worth it. I would give this a buy for every single person that does not currently own a tablet. Also a quick note – it does ship from over seas and my student said it took her about a week to come in.
Here is the link: http://ubislate.us/
Cyanogenmod hits 10 million users!
Quite an accomplishment. For those that do not know what CM is, it is a ROM for android devices. What does that mean? It means that the company, cyanogenmod, took the open source operating system Android, modified it, and put it on their website for anyone with an Android phone to download and install. I have used it but I prefer AOKP.
Get texts, calls, and messages from your phone on your internet browser
So this is awesome. I can now get text messages, calls, and voice mail messages through my computer. I can also send them. So when my phone is in another room I can send and receive texts without having my phone near me. I love it.
Mісrоѕоft hаѕ bееn trying to bring trаdіtіоnаl Wіndоwѕ PCѕ and mоbіlе dеvісеѕ together for a lоng time, and іt’ѕ dоnе a great job wіth Windows 10.
A nеw feature that саmе wіth the Annіvеrѕаrу Update is thе аbіlіtу to раіr your ѕmаrtрhоnе wіth Wіndоwѕ 10, аllоwіng уоu to read and reply tо tеxt mеѕѕаgеѕ dіrесtlу frоm your Windows 10 device, this are great news for those companies that use the messaging service for business.
Yоu саn еvеn dісtаtе tеxt mеѕѕаgеѕ tо Cortana and thе dіgіtаl аѕѕіѕtаnt wіll note them dоwn and ѕеnd thеm.
However, if уоu wаnt еvеn more control оvеr your ѕmаrtрhоnе frоm Wіndоwѕ 10, then the Puѕhbullеt арр іѕ for уоu. It wіll show уоu notifications frоm уоur phone оn Wіndоwѕ 10, lеt уоu rерlу tо mеѕѕаgеѕ аnd ѕеnd аnd rесеіvе fіlеѕ between devices – all wіthоut removing your рhоnе frоm уоur росkеt! Rеаd оn tо fіnd оut mоrе.
Well there are a few options. The best one and one that I am using is called motorola connect and its available here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/motorola-connect/kigmoblgooahdmdibodmcnffgnejlndh?hl=en
The only problem is that its only available via motorola phones. I assume it will be available to many more in the future.
Designing and Developing Mobile Based Instruction: A designer’s perspective
Here is my latest publication:
http://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/DATE/article/view/1877
Designing and Developing Mobile Based Instruction: A designer’s perspective
Mobile devices are increasingly being used in classrooms
and corporations as a means to deliver instructional
content. Currently, there is limited research on how to best
design and develop mobile based instruction. As a result,
the purpose of this research study was to examine
students’ perceptions of designing and developing mobile based
instruction by a) interviewing instructional design
graduate students in a computer based instruction course
who were given the opportunity to construct mobile-based
instruction and b) surveying instructional design graduate
students to uncover their perceptions of mobile instruction
design, usability, and delivery. Results of the survey and
qualitative data analysis indicated that usability was a key
issue on the mobile device. Users enjoyed quick access,
good organization, user control, single column layouts, and
large links/buttons. These findings contribute to the
literature base on the design and development of mobile
based instruction.
Instructional design app
One of my project this semester was to have my students create a mobile app. They all did a fabulous job. These were my graduate students so I expected nothing less. Anyway, here is one of them which is available on the google play store. Its an instructional design information app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.MIT._03
Spotify adds free streaming to phones and other mobile devices
This is exciting news. I think they are doing this as competition heats up. I think this will bring a lot of people back to spotify on their mobile devices.
Firefox OS
for those of us that love to flash roms on our android phones there is a new one that has the potential to be awesome – its Firefox OS. At this point, you cannot download it but when it becomes available I will be trying it out. I think if mozilla wants to have a chance they need to make phones with firefox os that are unlocked, inexpensive without contracts, and will work on all major carriers.
Best Android Roms
Android Roms are different versions of the operating system that one can install when rooted. What are the best? Well its really a matter of opinion but the most popular are by far Cyanogenmod and AOKP. I personally like AOKP and I have used cyanogenmod, aokp, paranoid android, pacman, and carbon. After using all of these I kept going back to AOKP. That is my preference though and downloads for them Download the best Mod Apk games on your Android device! Here are a few sites that discuss the features of each:
cmod vs aokp vs paranoid
Infographics showing the features of:
Carbon
Paranoid Android
AOKP
CM 10.2
*Note that pacman is not discussed in any of these. It is simply a combination of cmod, aokp, and paranoid. It is awesome but I was only using the aokp features it offered so I figured I would just switch back to the stock aokp.