Month: November 2010

iPad Options

Ah, the holiday break, a blizzard, and some time to write.

Back in April I generated a couple of posts about writing with the iPad. I liked the iPad a lot and I was particularly interested in ways to connect with Google docs which has been the way I have done most of my writing for the last year or so. I pay some attention to which of my blog posts get the most attention and that post has remained one of the most frequently viewed.

It is time to update my position. There have been some new developments that require that I make different recommendations.

Just use a browser

There is actually no need to use a specialized app to work on Google docs from the iPad. Google has made some internal modifications that allow writing using the Safari browser that comes with the iPad. So, the update here was a Google change and nothing that Apple did.

There are only a couple of differences from the use of docs on a desktop or laptop. First, you could always open Google docs on the iPad, but you could not edit or write. Now, when you open a document, you will notice the edit button in the upper right-hand corner. Tap this button and then tap where you want to enter text.

Google docs automatically saves, but you can also tap the “refresh” button.

Elements and DropBox

Before Google updated the docs tool, I found another way to write with the iPad and I still prefer this second option.

Elements is a writing product from Second Gear available for the iPhone or iPad. I don’t have an iPhone (I live in North Dakota which AT&T evidently does not understand has become a state) and really cannot imagine writing much with a device this small. I do take an occasional notes on my iPod Touch.

Elements on the iPad works great. It is pretty much a text editor – how much formatting do most of us do anyway?

The cool thing about Elements is that it automatically uploads files to a special folder in DropBox. This cross-platform tool creates a folder on each device and then links files between these devices. Elements files end up stored within a folder within the DropBox folder and end up being available on any device from which you make use of DropBox. So, I can write on my iPad and the files I create are available from my office computer. Pretty cool.

There is a free version of DropBox which everyone should have. It is a great replacement for a flash drive. Elements is $5.

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Four Years with LastFM

Today is the 4 year anniversary of my LastFM membership (I am a subscribe – $4 a month). LastFM has data on nearly 125,000 listens over this period of time. It is interesting to look at the history – what did I listen to last week, month, year, etc.

It might seem that LastFM would have little to do with any insights I might have for the use of “the cloud” or social sites for educational ends. This is not necessarily the case. I think there is always the opportunity to generate insights when you explore tool applications outside of your own area of expertise. Within your area of expertise, your models limit your perspective. There are opportunities to see new things when your models are not in play.

I am fascinated by the amount of time it would take to listen to 125,000 songs. At 3 minutes per song that is 6250 hours. What does 6250 hours exposure to anything, no matter the level of attention involved, do to you. I see that I have listened to “Sweet Child of Mine” (Guns N Roses) 93 times in the past four years. Why?

I enjoy exploring the music of my neighbours. The idea of finding common interests and then exploring the differences (what else I might explore) is a general idea with some carry. I must admit to limiting my social involvement – the idea of a 60+ matching with people in their 20s is a little freaky.

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It is called Firesheep

This is a follow up to my last post – I hope this scares you. At the time I made the previous past available, I was unwilling to reveal the name of the software I was describing for fear of encouraging the very behavior I was warning users about. However, the number of downloads of this software is approaching 750,000 at this moment and attempting to limit awareness seems pointless.

So, the software that concerns me is a Firefox extension named Firesheep. When used in a setting that provides open wifi, this software captures the cookies associated with certain types of social software and allows the individual capturing these cookies to login to the accounts of sites associated with these cookies. A couple of additional comments. First, this access does not apply when cookies involve https – your banking data appear to be safe. However, some services (e.g., Facebook) use https login, but then send cookies in the clear. So, you cannot be assured that because you see https you are safe. It is not possible to capture cookies sent by every online service, but this may change as the software is upgraded. Finally, firesheep is pretty much a common man’s tool providing the capabilities that hackers already have. That is the point of the developer and I guess each of us will decide what we think of the decision to make public a tool providing this capability to pretty much anyone. The motive is really to force change. Open wifi providers can do certain things (go to WPA protection and offer login info to users). The big online services can also go to https throughout.

What can you do? Here are a few ideas I have picked up. I offer no guarantee. Clearly you could simply avoid public wifi.

I would suggest when using public wifi you consider using Firefox with the following extensions:

  • Blacksheep – this is an extension that supposedly reveals if someone in your vacinity is using firesheep
  • HTTPS Everywhere – this extension from the Electronic Frontier Foundation will attempt to force https – provider must have https as a possibility

When I and pretty much anyone else writes about copyright the post usually begins with the statement – I am not a lawyer (even lawyers seem to say this). I am adapting this CYA for this situation to indicate that I am not a hardcore hacker. I can use the tool I describe here to steal cookies, but so can you. I make no pretense of knowing how much I would rely on the suggestions I make. I have tried them using two computers in an open wifi setting and know that they do offer some protection.

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Open WIFI – I hope this scares you

I have been trying to decide how to present this without encouraging the behavior I describe here. I have decided not to name the product I describe. Many who follow this blog already know the name of the free download I am describing, but I think I can spread the alarm without adding to the problem.

Be aware that in any location with open wifi, others sitting in the same location can steal cookies sent by your computer to the Internet. Among the different functions a cookie serves, a cookie allows your computer to stay connected to a site that requires a name and password login. You do not have to login for each page you view. However, cookies are basically sent through “the air” and can be captured. I picked up the cookies in the image below in 5 minutes in the coffee shop across the street from my office.

I could click on one of these icons and I login as that person.

What to do?

1) I showed the manager.

2) Be aware of any wifi that does not require you to login. As I understand the situation (via Leo Laporte and This Week in Google), everyone can be given the login name and password for a protected wifi system and no one could do what I have just done. Use WPA encryption. In other words, the name and password can be given to everyone. Hence, Starbucks could use Starbuck and Starbuck and post this information prominently. It is not the password that provides the protection but the way the encryption works to isolate users. I hope this is correct because it would certainly be a practical solution – I listened to the Security Now podcast to verify, but I have also found a little different story online.

3) https is protected, but I would think the danger would be present for those who use the same name and password on other http and https accounts. I am guessing here, but this would seem to be possible.

I have viewed stories regarding measures that may thwart this security problem or at least alert you that someone is running the software within the vicinity. I cannot vouch for these measures. I may post again to reveal more later, but this is obviously a real danger for those of us who frequent coffee shops and other locations with open wifi.

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Bloglines Resuscitation

A month or so ago we were informed that Bloglines was going away. For many of us, Bloglines was the first rss tool  we used to follow bloggers and topics. For those of us assisting others make use of technology, it was likely the tool we taught. Free services face a certain reality no matter how useful the service. There must be some revenue from somewhere to maintain the service.

I did not know the history of Bloglines, but according to wikipedia it was sold to ask.com in 2005. Whatever Ask’s original idea, it decided to give up on the service and shut it down on Oct. 1. many of us moved on. Just a few days ago it was announced that Bloglines was available again.

I think the way this played out was not good. Because Bloglines was not available, I explored a bit and found a method for following feeds that was superior to my experience with Bloglines. I use an iPad app, Newsrack, to follow feeds from Google Reader. The big advantage of this arrangement is the opportunity to process information by sharing items I identify as useful to Instapaper, Delicious, or my email. At this point Bloglines is going to have to offer some new features to get me back.

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GeoDome – Science by immersion

Cindy presently facilitates the implementation of a grant focused on providing immersive educational experiences using a GeoDome. To imagine the structure of a geodome think in terms of the blow-up, large size, outdoor structures you sometimes see temporarily set up in parks during the summer to provide fun for kids repurposed as a mobile planetarium and more. The key to the immersive experience is a special 3-D projection system. The effect of being in the environment can be quite physical – if the sky suddenly begins to spin around you it is difficult to stand up.

The twin goals of the project, at least as I understand them, are to bring unique science experiences into area schools and to expand how pre-service teachers think about science education. The system is most fully developed as a planetarium, but is capable of offering other experiences. I took the following pictures at a DomeCast – a presentation on the geology of oil streamed to interested sites from Denver.

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