The On-Going Conversation

Breaking News: AT&T and T-Mobile Unite

AT&T reached an agreement with Deutsche Telekom to buy T-Mobile for $39 billion. If approved, AT&T will become the largest wireless provider in the US.

Read the full article on Mashable

The Success of Microsoft Kinect

Microsoft has sold 10 million Kinect systems for the Xbox 360, making it the fastest-selling consumer device according to Guinness.

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Bonnaroo: Mobile Live Music via Vevo

Consider watching Bonnaroo live this summer on your iPhone, iPad, Android device or Google TV, including Grammy-winning Arcade Fire.

Read the full article via Mashable

The Mobile Consumer World

We Live in a Digital World! 57% of Facebook and Twitter users have scanned a mobile bar bode at least one time within the year.

Read the full article via Fast Company

Mobile Cookies via the Girl Scouts

Eat up! Girl Scout Cookies can now be purchased with credit cards, thanks in part to mobile card processing technology and iPhones.

Read the full article via Fast Company

A Digital Educational Experience

Quick Cite, a 99-cent app for iPhones and Androids helps automate bibliographies, which is motivating me to consider college round two.  However this leads me to question if technology is making college too easy for those individuals that happen to be quite technologically savvy. It may also give students an advantage over opposing students who don't have access to iPhones and Android devices.

At the same time, I realize that students are required to complete a plethora of work and in the grand scheme of concurrent requirements, bibliographies aren't the most pertinent obligation. Students could be devoting their time and energy to other tasks that seem to be more important. If this particular application helps increase the percentage of students that get through college with stellar grades, then I am in full-support.

However, it might be difficult to decipher if this truly helps college students become more organized and proficient with their studies. It may come down to a personal preference and some students will always appreciate the tangible homework experience.

I also envision certain professors supporting the initiative and others feeling as though students are cutting corners. Regardless of your opinion on the technology, it is nearly impossible to not appreciate the advancement we are experiencing with smart phones and mobile devices. It will be interesting to see where mobile technology continues to go and time will be the only indication in the near term.

I am in full support of the incorporation of technology with education, but I also see the destruction of an even playing field. College students need to be taught the value of hard work, persistence and intellectual diligence. With tools to enable more productivity, are students truly experiencing the challenge of higher education?

Regardless, I am interested in trying out the application and seeing how helpful it can be for high school, college, graduate and PhD students alike. It may even motivate me to pursue a master's degree, which could provide lasting implications in a world of perpetually expanding technological capabilities. We live in a dynamic world and technology continues to advance. We can either choose to embrace it or be left behind in the traditional world.

What will you choose?

Read the full article via Fast Company

Social Languages via Twitter

Twitter has opened a Translation Center to locate volunteers to help translate its websites and mobile apps into more languages.

Read the full story via Mashable: Twitter Turns to Users to Translate Site Into More Languages

The Mobile Business

Square, a plug-in works with iPhones, iPads and Android phones; it reads credit cards and allows merchants to accept mobile payments.

Read the full article on Mashable: 4 Small Business Mobile Predictions for 2011

Apple’s Mobile Payment Venture

Apple is reportedly developing a mobile payment system for the next-generation iPhone and iPad via near field communication technology.

* Source: PC World

Social Politics in the Modern Age

Web: 21% of online adults used social networking sites in the months prior to the November 2010 elections to connect with a campaign.