Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 07/30/2013
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How to Supercharge All Your Favorite Webapps with ifttt
This is an excellent overview of how to use ifttt.For example, you can have ifttt put your Facebook photos in a Dropbox folder or Google Drive. There are many different things that ifttt.com can do for you. This lifehacker guide is one of the best for getting started.
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Phillip's hue is a lighting automation system. I was perusing ifttt.com and noticed some cool things like using hue to match instagram images (not sure why I'd want to do that.) I would, however, be interested in changing lighting in my room depending upon what we're doing. I do think color has a lot of impact as does smell and other environmental factors. What impact would it have -I don't know - but it is something that is now possible.
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Google Chromecast: Does It Deserve a Place In Your Living Room?
The new $35 Chromecast USB looks to be a great option for those of you who haven't purchased a Roku or Apple TV yet - even if you have, you might still want to get one - especially if you watch a bit of YouTube. Take a look at the setup information about how to do this.
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The Science Behind the Perfect Workspace
This lifehacker article shares some of the research that has to do with productivity. This is one I wish all schools understood "when office workers get to arrange their space, productivity is increased." Some teachers I know have no ability to determine where they put their desks or the desks of their students. At my school, we are allowed a lot of freedom with arranging our rooms and it shows. The article also points out that office plans lower stress levels. Some interesting color research as well.
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What Is Markdown, and Why Is It Better for My To-Do Lists and Notes?
Markdown is a simple way to format text and is being used in many notetaking and to-do apps. I'm learning about markdown and came across this excellent article so you could learn more too.
