XplanaZine

Here’s our take on news that matters for Monday, October 24. Today, we take a look at interesting news of the present and future.

• As Google Print’s battle over copyright issues continues, some publishers have decided to not wait around for the courts to settle things. The German association of book publishers has decided to form their own online book network.
  Keen to defend their copyrights as Internet search engines seek to put the world’s literature online, they aim to set up their own Web-based database allowing readers to browse, borrow or buy books.

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• Meanwhile the battle over distributed information on handheld devices is heating up again. Now, Cingular is pumping up its pumps up wireless, IM, e-mail services in an effort to make its cell phones the only devices consumers need to handle both business and pleasure.
• And what better way to start the week than to be greeted by a precipitous drop in gasoline prices? According to one survey,
  retail gas prices across the nation plunged an average of 25 cents in
  the past two weeks as refineries in the Gulf Coast steadily went back
  online.
• Finally, it may seem like just another piece of pop culture trivia, but Doom (the movie) lead the way at the box office last weekend. Significant about the movie’s haul is the fact that it attempted to capture on film the popular first-person style that drove the game. This same first-person approach is key for educational simulation programs and this movie, good or bad, should shed light on how to utilize the first-person approach in multiple media formats.

Now, here’s a recap of our favorite posts from the edublogging community from the past 48 hours.

• From Paul Chenoweth : Post on the silver tsunami and the changing demographics of Internet usage.
• From D’Arcy Norman : Post on advertising and marketing on personal blogs.
• From Anne Davis : Post on blogging as professional development.
• From Lanny Arvan : Post on digital repositories and faculty use of such.
• From Will Richardson: Post on valuable teaching and learning experiences and the importance of learning through experience and conversation.
• From Stephen Downes: Post on open source and commercial LMS platforms.