XplanaZine

Here’s our take on news that matters for Wednesday, February 8. Today’s theme is strange combinations, and here are a some links to headlines about technology that is changing the way we live and learn.

• Gaming — This is an example of the blurring of lines in the gaming industry. Yesterday we got the announcement that RealNetworks is buying Dutch game company.

• Blogging, Podcasting, and Vodcasting — And, if you think podcasting is just an isolated thing, check out this story about podcasts being used in Peruvian villages to provide important regional and agricultural information.

• Handhelds – Occasionally, I like to point out a new product. Take a look at the Sony Ericsson M600. This is a Blackberry killer (it can use, among other options, Blackberry e-mail), has a slim but useful design, and boasts an extremely flexible Symbian framework. Take a look at the future.
• Social Networks – We’ve talked a bit about MySpace in this forum. Well, you might also check out TagWorld . This is a similar social networking site with some nice twists and the addition of tagging and folksonomies.

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

• From Alan Levine : Post and podcast about his podcasting presentation.
• From Gardner Campbell: Post on podcast by David Orr from Oberlin College.
• From Albert Ip : Post on information, knowledge, language, and connectedness.
• From Chris Lehman : Post on blogging, participation, and the possibility of change in education.
• From Bud Hunt : Podcast on Moodle and Wikibooks.
• From Doug Johnson: Post on the school librarian’s role in ubiquitous computing.
• From Dave Warlick: Post on cultivating a classroom learning engine through information economics.
• From Anne Davis: Post on second graders using blogging comments.