1. Social media & workplace performance matrix – Harold Jarche takes Jane Hart’s case study resources and puts them in a matrix, made accessible to all through Google docs spreadsheet. Definitely worth a look to see who’s trying social learning in the workplace and the results they’re seeing.
1. Direct access to OpenGL ES 2.0 features On Android devices using Android Native Developer Kit (NDK) – The Android NDK can be used to target Android devices with 1.5 or higher, and includes a number of enhancements; however, what’s really exciting is that developers building apps for 2.0 or higher will get “direct access to OpenGL ES 2.0 features” like controlling the way graphics are rendered.
1. How to keep High Performers – Marshall Goldsmith in the Harvard Business Review Blog writes about steps that organizations can take to help them retain high-impact performers. He pointedly adds as the first point ‘show respect’ to your employees, it all starts there.
1. Games Change Brains – There have been many important findings on the benefits of video games in the last few months. This was a great post that put those in perspective.
• Video gaming improves visual perception, processing and attention.
• Internet use engages more neural circuitry than book reading in the digital generation.
• Sizes of three structures in the brain can predict a video gamer’s success.
• Learning environments of video games can educate children effectively.
• Building computer games promotes critical thinking and creative thinking skills.
1. Do Serious Games Work? Results from Three Studies
Some studies help
answer some of the questions now surrounding serious games-or games whose primary purpose is something other than entertainment, such as military training, education, physical therapy-and determine the relationship between the use of video games and learning as measured on standardized tests. More research is needed, but these findings provide some answers to both skeptics and supporters.
1. CopperLicht – fast WebGL JavaScript 3D Engine
CopperLicht is a JavaScript 3D engine for creating games and 3d applications in the webbrowser. It uses the WebGL canvas supported by modern browsers and is able to render hardware accelerated 3d graphics without any plugins.
2. Google Buzz
Google has announced Buzz a new social media service that would be integrated within Gmail. Using Buzz you can connect to the other social media services like Twitter, Picasa, Flickr and Google reader. More information on how we might use it in elearning can be found in this post on our blog.
1. ELIPS Studio 3
ELIPS Studio 3 is a cross-platform mobile application SDK based on Adobe’s Flex Builder. Now software developers and creative designers can quickly develop for rich, connected or non-connected applications for mobile devices and deploy them on any mobile platforms they want. ELIPS Studio 3 is based on native compilation. It will automatically generate, optimize and package your Flex applications as native code for industry-leading platforms, including iPhone, Android, Symbian, and Windows Mobile.
1. HipLogic
HipLogic is a new real-time, web-based platform intended as an alternative user interface for some mobile phones. This free download currently delivers applications like Facebook, news, and Twitter to both Windows Mobile and Symbian devices with plans to offer an Android version of their software sometime in the future.
1. Printliminator
The Printliminator is a bookmarklet with some simple tools you can use to makes websites print better. One click to activate, and then click to remove elements from the page, remove graphics, and apply better print styling.
2. Apple’s Tablet Interface
The design of interaction is often restricted by the user interface paradigms in current use. There is speculation that the Apple Tablet (if there is one) will push the envelope of UI design. This links to a post in Gizmodo – worth a read. Haptics and touch technology are already transforming the user experience, couple that with a sophisticated UI and it offers learning interaction designers new avenues to explore.
1. Kodu
“Microsoft Research released a community game cum programming environment for the Xbox 360 called Kodu. Unlike most other video games, Kodu would let players create their own video games for the Xbox without any prior knowledge of programming.
The initial version of Kodu required the Xbox 360 console but now Kodu is available as a free download for your Windows PC as well. This means you no longer need an Xbox to design games with Kodu and you can play them on just about any computer using a keyboard and mouse (or an Xbox game controller, if you have one).
