Something of value for your family can be produced through LegacyBuilder

 

[caption id="attachment_4330" align="alignleft" width="300"] Obama family at food pantry[/caption]

Leanne Jenkins---Here's a way to preserve family memories and just in time for the holidays, with Legacy Builder, a platform that allows photos and files to be arranged in a fashion to be preserved attractively. 

People can create their stories and use an intuitive digital photo and video management tool selection to document those special moments through timelines, photos, videos, personal messages and documents. It's an online platform with a unique technology that allows people to create what are called digital time capsules to store various messages, videos and photos that can be unlocked by family members on a specific date, special occasion or a particular event.

The online site allows users to quickly sync and organize entire folders of items from their personal collection of photos and videos to create a comprehensive digital family legacy. Pages can remain private and visible only to a select group of people or shared across social networks.

LegacyBuilder comes from the notion that every family's story matters and should be preserved for future generations. Like Grandma's old photo album becomes a treat for the young people in a family, an entire collection put together by various family members can mean a lot in recording family history that can make a difference in years to come.

This YouTube video offers more information about how this works.

Test scores show greater adult skill proficiencies in Norway, The Netherlands and Sweden

[caption id="attachment_5825" align="alignleft" width="300"] Some get tech training, as costs escalate[/caption]

Gordon Matilla---While it is usual to examine test scores of children to examine educational outcomes, a new research project looks at the achievement of adults with respect to basic literacy, and the results are surprising, as some countries that one would expect to do well lag behind in important areas of literacy and numeracy.

According to the OECD report and outlook,  in most countries, there are significant proportions of adults who score at lower levels of proficiency on the literacy.  Researchers found between 4.9% and 27.7% of adults are proficient only at the lowest levels of the scales used, and there are in many countries large proportions of the population with no experience with or lacking the basic skills.

The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden show the better skills relative to other countries in that less than 7% of 16-65 year-olds are in this lower group with 23% or higher in Italy, Korea, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Spain.

Even among adults with computer skills, most scored at the lowest level of the problem solving in technology-rich environments, with women scoring lower than men.

Research was conducted on adults of working age, as it was found adults who are in the workforce retain many of the skills necessary for everyday living and achievement than those who are not.

Researchers tell us that the variation among the different countries in levels of achievement suggests the differences in learning cultures, learning opportunities that are available at work and adult education.

The goal of the research was to look at the need for adults to continue learning past school age, through work and stimulating environments, with an eye to examining those who best achieve and those who do not, in order to exchange information relative to improvements for those needing basic literacy and numeracy skills.

How solar panels can keep the planet healthy

Max Johnson — Solar panels are being used more and more by businesses, schools and other organizations for a number of reasons: they're green, clean, and can have a hugely positive impact on energy expenditure for nearly everybody. Solar panels are being tipped as a 'clean technology’ (as well as a technology perfect for keeping the planet healthy) so they might be an investment worth thinking about. They can be deployed in locations across the world in order to generate massive amounts of electricity, or just installed to supplement existing energy supplies and reduce greenhouse emissions. Green energy is an industry that has been taking the world by storm over the past decade, and wholesale solar panels are a prime example of a green energy technology that can save the planet AND save people money. Let's look at how.

The Science

Solar panels work very similarly to the leaves on a plant. Solar panels use a method called photovoltaics, they absorb light energy from the sun (or other light source) and convert it into electrical energy. This electrical energy, in the form of a current, can then provide power to appliances and devices, potentially cooking food, charging mobile phones, or even powering electric vehicles. Alternatively, energy from solar panels can be stored in batteries or capacitors – ideal for remote locations where constant power isn't always reliable. In some locations, solar panels are actually installed in order to provide energy BACK to the national grid, to be used elsewhere.

When solar panels generate energy, unlike other means of energy generation using fossil fuels, no fumes or emissions are given off: light energy is simply absorbed, and electricity is generated. It's as simple as that. In fact, solar panels can continue to do this for years without interference, as long as they're kept happy with a plentiful source of light, such as sunlight.

Protecting the Planet

In a national grid (where we get most of our power from: think energy companies) much of the energy comes from dirty, “carbon-rich”, polluting power stations such as coal-fired turbines. While these power stations are able to provide masses of electricity, they're not very environmental-friendly. Traditional power stations can pump out thousands of tons of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases each year, damaging the Earth's atmosphere and, according to scientists across the globe, eventually leading to global climate change.

Solar panels generate sustainable energy: something we need to adopt on a large scale in order to keep the planet healthy. Traditional fuel-burning methods (like coal, gas, and oil) provide a lot of waste products and toxic emissions, whereas solar panels can be installed and left to generate guilt-free energy without contributing to climate change nearly as much. Solar panels are so environmentally friendly because they use a renewable source of energy, one which can never be exhausted and provides lots of energy already: the sun.

As more energy is generated from solar panels, less energy needs to be generated by traditional power stations, meaning less emissions and less impact on the environment. Solar panels are a sustainable source of efficient energy, not just green energy. Even when compared to alternative renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels emerge as the least wasteful way of generating electricity. Solar panels are also virtually silent and take up much less space than wind turbines, ultimately meaning a lesser impact on the environment they're installed in. Quieter technology means happier wildlife!

Solar Panels Saves Pennies (Lots and Lots of Them)

Ultimately, very few of us can afford to make the switch to renewable energy just on environmental factors alone. Fortunately, however, solar panels are a viable investment for the vast majority of people. As they provide a virtually constant source of energy for their lifetime, solar panels are a good way of saving money on energy costs, particularly in environments where lots of electricity is used regularly. Depending on the kind of environment they're placed in and the amount of energy required, solar architecture can pay for itself with the money it saves in a couple of years – a long, long time before you need to worry about replacing panels. For this reason, even local councils in England have started to install solar panels on property as a medium-term investment: one which is only going to be more lucrative as energy prices continue to soar through the roof.

For large business, it's not uncommon for tax breaks and rewards to exist for carbon-friendly behavior. Solar panels are an ideal way of reducing your organization's overall carbon footprint as saving money on energy bills. Carbon-friendly businesses can get access to a number of different incentives and in some countries, unused solar energy can be 'sold' back to the national grid in order to generate extra revenue.

Whether they're used as a way of combating climate change or installed in order to avoid rising energy prices, it's a good idea to buy wholesale solar panels as an investment this January.



About the Author

This article was written by Max Johnson  Max is a student in London, studying climate and the atmosphere and he enjoys writing about renewable energy and technology.

Internet speeds expected to grow 100 times from Google's new network

[caption id="attachment_11461" align="alignleft" width="300"] Google[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — For those of you struggling with the growing traffic on the Internet, the stops and starts of a highway that gets clogged, help is on the way that is 100 times faster than we have today. Here's what is in your immediate future.

Google is beginning a fiber network with its first installment of a piece that is due to take off in other cities fairly soon. Kansas City is the site of the first of this fiber network.

Folks in the tech world remind us that Internet speed has hardly grown much in the past 16 years since the outset of broadband, but things are about to change, according to Google.

This is what Google has to say on its official blog:

With that in mind, we embarked on a journey to bring ultra-high speeds to Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. And today, we’re excited to announce Google Fiber. Google Fiber is 100 times faster than today’s average broadband. No more buffering. No more loading. No more waiting. Gigabit speeds will get rid of these pesky, archaic problems and open up new opportunities for the web. Imagine: instantaneous sharing; truly global education; medical appointments with 3D imaging; even new industries that we haven’t even dreamed of, powered by a gig.

In the meantime, folks in the outlying areas of Portland struggle to get Internet speeds that will allow transfer of data that is fast enough to get the job done with videos and pictures. Comcast, or "Infinity" as it is now called, does not have the infinite speeds touted, as it seems is occurring in other areas as well.

But Kansas City is the first to be cutting edge in the technology of Internet future. Let's hope the rest of the world benefits soon.

The change may make a difference, so that the wonderful story, picture or moving picture might be at your Internet door in seconds, virtually as it happens, which could be the communication that will be necessary to keep up with the instant happenings throughout the world.

The joy of meeting people

[caption id="attachment_6836" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=""Dad" with traffic guard, Ground Zero"][/caption]






A Dad’s Point-of-View, by Bruce Sallan - Meeting people in real life, in person, is cool.  I write and speak a great deal about technology and social interaction.  It’s my belief that modern technology offers wondrous things but, as with just about everything, there is a down side.  That “down side” is that you can be lulled to believe that you can do everything you need to do from the comfort of your computer.  Yes, you can do much more than at any time in human history, but the value of direct people contact cannot be replaced by any new tech device, app, software, or web site.

This was dramatically demonstrated on a recent trip to New York, where I combined business and pleasure and found the pleasure of meeting people to be not only joyful but also informative and invaluable in ways I’d almost forgotten about, considering my attachment to technology.

I’m not bashful, to say the least, so I talk to everyone.  Literally.  I struck up conversations with every taxi driver whose cab I entered.  In the crowded subway, I met a young Danish girl of Vietnamese heritage and in the space of one stop I learned her incredible story.  Being “social” got my son and me into the airline lounge for free, when our plane was delayed, whereas sitting back would’ve stuck us in the main, loud, uncomfortable airport waiting areas for several hours.

We parents model the behavior we want from our children.  My son got a great lesson in assertiveness, through observing my regular interactions with various people we encountered. To him, however, it was also sprinkled with an equal amount of me embarrassing him (24, 25 times?) by just being “Me!.”

In the space of four and a half days, some of the things we experienced from this direct interaction with people and places were:

~~ We met a young girl, while smashed together on the subway, who was doing a world tour before beginning medical school in Holland. In the space of ONE stop, I learned that her parents were boat people after the fall of Saigon, that her father was rescued by a Norwegian ship while in his early teens, and that he attended high school in Holland, where he met his wife who was also a survivor of the horrid post-war times in Vietnam.  He became an engineer and they had five children, the youngest of which was next to me, telling me her wonderful, engaging story.  As you can see, this is who I am -- talking to everybody, loving it, learning, interacting -- and as you can also understand, it’s why I probably under-estimated the number of times I embarrassed my son.

~~ We hung out with my virtual friend Adam Cohen (@dadarocks) who took us to the most incredible restaurant for dessert, Max Brenners. Adam is one of those people I “knew” from Twitterl, but now got the pleasure of not only meeting but getting to really “know.” There is no doubt that 140 characters have their limits!  Adam was beyond gracious to me and David, and David got a taste of how a New Yorker handles things, since Adam was born and raised there, and has his own unique style of “getting it done.”  His style is persistent, direct, and explains his 76 Klout (a Twitter measure of influence) and other top-of-the-list statistics as a dad blogger/influencer.

~~ Ground Zero where I was moved and impacted in ways I hadn’t imagined.



~~ I met a taxi driver from a small town in Ghana, who knew Pastor Frank Bennin, who runs the girl’s school that I’ve been supporting through my writing and radio show. Pastor Bennin’s kids befriended me on Facebook - yet another marvel of the Internet that we’d connect this way.  But, what are the odds that I’d meet a man from Ghana, on a trip to New York, who happened to know the little township of Agona Swedru?



~~ I spoke at the #140conf*, a Social Media conference where I met dozens of people that I only knew “virtually.” We discussed, shared, and got to know each other in ways that non-verbal, non-direct communication just cannot do.  In many cases, we came up with business ideas and other things we might join forces on that never would have happened without the face-to-face time.

~~ I met people of every ethnicity, stripe, color, and any other human distinction by visiting Times Square, day and night, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Macy’s (the largest department store in the world), The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and the “Top of the Rock,” Chinatown (for dim sum and boba), saw four musicals (“Spiderman” - front row seats, “Memphis,” “Mary Poppins,” and “Baby, It’s You”), visited FAO Schwartz where I did a Tom Hanks (from the movie, “Big”) and danced/played on their full-size walk and play on piano, Greenwich Village for pizza at the infamous “John’s Pizza” restaurant, The Apple Store, the gorgeous display of masks in front of The Plaza Hotel, did a video interview with my son in Times Square, watched the “Today” show being broadcast “live,” and visited the Harry Potter exhibit at the Discovery Museum. Plus, taxi, taxi, taxi, walk, walk, walk, subway, subway, subway.

So, do you think getting out and seeing the world, interacting with people, learning and doing it away from the comforts of home, is worth it? I sure do!

*Here’s a link to my travelogue article on the trip to New York which has a link to view my “talk:” http://bit.ly/140confNY

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bruce’s first book, A Dad’s Point-of-View: We ARE Half the Equation is available at Amazon and the store at BruceSallan.com: http://brucesallan.com/index.php/store. Bruce Sallan’s column, “A Dad’s Point-of-View,” is carried in over 100 newspapers and websites worldwide. Please listen to “The Bruce Sallan Show - A Dad’s Point-of-View,” his one-hour radio show, which is available anytime, via live stream, or to download for free on BruceSallan.com.  Everything about Bruce’s radio show, including which stations carry it “live,” and all of Bruce’s writing and other information, is accessible at: http://www.brucesallan.com. Bruce created and launched a website for those who would like Tech help, called BoomerTechTalk (http://www.BoomerTechTalk.com). Find Bruce on Facebook by joining his “A Dad’s Point-of-View” page: http://www.facebook.com/aDadsPointOfView. You can also follow Bruce at Twitter: http://twitter.com/BruceSallan.

Computer Addiction, Technology, and Me

[caption id="attachment_5433" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bruce Sallan and wife"][/caption]

A Dad’s Point-of-View, by Bruce Sallan -Technology has me in its grasp. It won’t let go. It’s got me by the proverbial -what do you call those things you juggle? Is this “Computer addiction?” I didn’t realize that I was its victim until I reflected on my growing use and, yes, dependence on “My Tech!” But, saying I’m its “victim” is a large exaggeration since I’m really its beneficiary and it has changed my life, mostly for the better. My second career is a total result of the opportunities that modern technology and “Social Media” provide.



My younger son recently said to me, simply and with no malice, “Dad, you’re completely addicted to your computer! See, it’s there in the back seat. You’re always on it.” Of course I protested that it’s my work and it isn’t “Always.” I replied that wasn’t that the same exaggeration I do when I accuse him of “always” watching too much television? He just gave me a look. His take on me, technology, and the fact that he’s a teen and I’m his dad, is reflected in his “It’s a Tech World After All” cartoons that he created for BoomerTechTalk.com.

On my recent trip to Southeast Asia, I bought a “package” of Internet time on the cruise ship. The speed was lousy and the cost was outrageous. I mean “Outrageous!” I complained as if this was a life-threatening issue. I got extra minutes. But, wait a minute, it isn’t a life-threatening issue and I was supposed to be on vacation!

So, what is the truth, the reality for technology and me? Well, let’s start with the fact that I love my second career as a writer, radio show host, first time book author, and website co-creator. I get up every morning, between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., no matter when I’ve gone to sleep, and can’t wait to check my e-mails, see what website comments have been posted, choose and post my twice-a-day musing on my “A Dad’s Point-of-View Facebook page, read any twitter mentions that may have been posted, schedule my round of tweets for the day, chat with a friend across the globe, and/or just begin writing something new. Yipes, I’m out of breath just writing and reading that last sentence!

I have a smart phone that I check every 10-15 seconds or so when I’m away from my laptop. While in Southeast Asia, I was as excited by the occasional free Wi-Fi we occasionally stumbled upon in some port as I was by the extraordinary sites and other experiences we had. I sat on ledges, in those ports, with my laptop in my lap, alongside the cruise crew who were doing the same thing and video chatting (via Skype, iChat, or another program) or regular text chatting with their friends and family.

No, I’m not addicted. My Boomer Tech Talk partner's reaction to this notion was, "To me: addiction would be someone who is truly not working and is sitting on Farmville (note: Farmville is a popular online game)." It is my job. I'm in a start-up period with my first book just published (go to “the Store” at BruceSallan.com to get info and/or purchase “A Dad’s Point-of-View: We ARE Half the Equation”), my radio show growing, and the continued work on Boomer Tech Talk. It’s just temporary.

The fact that it’s been like this for over two years doesn't really matter, don’t you think? Hmmm. Hold on a sec, I’m getting a text.

I’m back. My wife is calling me down for dinner now. “Hang on, Honey, I need to finish this great column I’m writing.”

Point, set, match. I am attached, to use a kinder word. And, like every other addiction or obsession in life, we must find balance and boundaries. I love what technology is giving to me, and to my work. But, life is more than e-mails, texts, URLs, Twitter, and Facebook. Isn’t it?

Technology is an inescapable and wonderful part of modern life. It can help everyone with his or her work, to communicate better with friends and family, and to even be a better parent. Yet, life has a Ying/Yang balance that must not be ignored when one thing becomes too dominant in a daily routine or that someone really can’t do without it.

Isn’t that the real test? Can I do without “My Tech?” The answer is mixed. When I’m skiing, I’m in heaven and not thinking about the next article, e-mail, text, or Tweet. But, when I’m on the lifts, I’m checking my “smart phone” regularly.

I need to improve on that balance and put my technological toys and tools away more often when they’ve got me in their grip. I think I’m going to read a book now…(after
dinner)…”I’m coming, Honey…”

______________________________________________________________________
Bruce’s first book, A Dad’s Point-of-View: We ARE Half the Equation is available at
the new store at BruceSallan.com: http://brucesallan.com/index.php/store. Bruce
Sallan’s column, “A Dad’s Point-of-View,” is carried in over 100 newspapers and
websites worldwide. Please listen to “The Bruce Sallan Show - A Dad’s
Point-of-View,” his one-hour radio show, which is available anytime, via live
stream, or to download for free on BruceSallan.com. Everything about Bruce’s radio
show, including which stations carry it “live,” and all of Bruce’s writing and other
information, is accessible at: http://www.brucesallan.com. Bruce created and
launched a website for those who would like Tech help, called BoomerTechTalk
(http://www.BoomerTechTalk.com). Find Bruce on Facebook by joining his “A Dad’s
Point-of-View” page: http://www.facebook.com/aDadsPointOfView. You can also follow
Bruce at Twitter: http://twitter.com/BruceSallan.

Sallan has been a regular contributor to The Real Views and subsequently Green Heritage News and admired for his wise words and information from Dad's Point of View.

Techno world now major sector of Natchitoches life

Just six years ago a national broadcaster proclaimed Natchitoches Parish to have a town that just received telephone access.  Now the Parish is part of the technological boom in its own big way, according to Verizon folks, who are happy to see the burgeoning numbers pour through their store seven days a week.

The big purchasers and users are the youth, according to sales personnel.  The teens take the tactic of texting.  One user, according to the local Verizon folks, had 17,000 texts in a single month.    Smart phones are moving into the techno territory, still predominantly above the 20-somethings through those 40-somethings.  Seniors still want their gadgets simple, but have moved into the cell phone usage, particularly since the growing emphasis on Natchitoches as a retirement community.

Then there are the social media sites.  These days if you want to meet your local councilman, you are apt to find him or her on Facebook, where preliminary action can take place before any face to face pleasantries or debates.  In fact, it is a trend these days for social groups to assemble in social or political discussions on social media sites like Facebook.  For those in media or politics it has now become a serious "have to" to be part of the burgeoning brigade of social media users.

So join in the fun, folks and don't let age or stage stand in the way, the advance team in the techno world declare.  See you at the latest gadget store, picking out your favorite toy to join the fun with everyone else, local and across the world.