Wednesday
Dec052007
491 - Kindle, Learning Mergers and Africa Trip
December 5, 2007
Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec. 5, 2007.
#491 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,059 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning Systems '08 - April 10 & 11 - Las Vegas, NV.
1. Kindle Reader from Amazon - Perspectives.
2. Learning Gives Back - Africa Trip.
3. Learning Mergers Update.
1. Kindle Reader from Amazon - Perspectives: We have been testing the new Kindle Reader device recently released by Amazon. This is the latest in a series of e-book readers that we have seen and reviewed at The MASIE Center. While the new device has some flaws and usability challenges (including the absence of a touch screen), it is an important "baby step" towards the dream of more accessible digital content. Just as Apple's iPod and the iTunes site popularized the concept of buying and downloading a song for a dollar, Kindle is aimed at doing the same for books. Our Learning CONSORTIUM will be doing a series of experiments with the Kindle and other e-Readers to see how they could best be integrated into corporate learning. You can take a peek at our work by going to http://www.masieweb.com/kindle
2. Learning Gives Back - Africa Trip: In just four days, we will be heading over to Mali for an exciting trip/mission with the Malaria No More group. As you may know, the Learning field raised over $50,000 for mosquito nets that can be used to protect children and families from Malaria-carrying mosquitoes. This is a powerful way to prevent Malaria, which kills over 3,000 people a day.
On our trip to Mali, we will be representing the global learning field and will be joined by a small group of delegates, including Admiral Ziemer (President's Malaria Initiative), Ilyasah Shabazz (the daughter of Malcolm X) and other religious and government leaders. In addition to the donations for Malaria prevention, we will also be meeting with regional leaders on the key learning issues that are facing North Africa, ranging from employment to micro-finances to AIDS education. We'll send TRENDS readers a special link to follow and participate in this Learning Gives Back trip. You can support this effort with a donation of as little as $10 which will buy a "net". Go to http://www.malarianomore.org/learning2007
3. Learning Mergers Update: Over the recent weeks, there have been a number of important mergers in the Learning field. Here are two that you might not have heard about:
* Interwise Bought by AT&T: Interwise, one of the web conferencing companies in our space, was purchased by AT&T for $121 million. This continues the trends of consolidation and alignment in this collaboration segment, following Cisco's purchase of WebEx. You can get details about the Interwise/AT&T merger at http://www.interwise.com
* Mzinga, Formed from Knowledge Planet & Shared Insights: Knowledge Planet, one of the early LMS players in our field, recently merged with Shared Insights, which hosts corporate and customer on-line communities. The new company is called Mzinga and will focus on the combination of learning, content and communities in a software-as-service modality. Details about this merger are viewable at: http://www.mzinga.com/
Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
- Performance Support LAB & Seminar: Jan. 30 - Feb 1, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Leaders Academy: March 10 - 12, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems '08 Conference: April 10 and 11, Las Vegas, NV.
- Learning 2008: Oct. 26-29, Orlando, Florida.
- Membership in the Learning CONSORTIUM - 252 Organizations Collaborating Together!
Information and Registration: http://www.masie.com
#491 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,059 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning Systems '08 - April 10 & 11 - Las Vegas, NV.
1. Kindle Reader from Amazon - Perspectives.
2. Learning Gives Back - Africa Trip.
3. Learning Mergers Update.
1. Kindle Reader from Amazon - Perspectives: We have been testing the new Kindle Reader device recently released by Amazon. This is the latest in a series of e-book readers that we have seen and reviewed at The MASIE Center. While the new device has some flaws and usability challenges (including the absence of a touch screen), it is an important "baby step" towards the dream of more accessible digital content. Just as Apple's iPod and the iTunes site popularized the concept of buying and downloading a song for a dollar, Kindle is aimed at doing the same for books. Our Learning CONSORTIUM will be doing a series of experiments with the Kindle and other e-Readers to see how they could best be integrated into corporate learning. You can take a peek at our work by going to http://www.masieweb.com/kindle
2. Learning Gives Back - Africa Trip: In just four days, we will be heading over to Mali for an exciting trip/mission with the Malaria No More group. As you may know, the Learning field raised over $50,000 for mosquito nets that can be used to protect children and families from Malaria-carrying mosquitoes. This is a powerful way to prevent Malaria, which kills over 3,000 people a day.
On our trip to Mali, we will be representing the global learning field and will be joined by a small group of delegates, including Admiral Ziemer (President's Malaria Initiative), Ilyasah Shabazz (the daughter of Malcolm X) and other religious and government leaders. In addition to the donations for Malaria prevention, we will also be meeting with regional leaders on the key learning issues that are facing North Africa, ranging from employment to micro-finances to AIDS education. We'll send TRENDS readers a special link to follow and participate in this Learning Gives Back trip. You can support this effort with a donation of as little as $10 which will buy a "net". Go to http://www.malarianomore.org/learning2007
3. Learning Mergers Update: Over the recent weeks, there have been a number of important mergers in the Learning field. Here are two that you might not have heard about:
* Interwise Bought by AT&T: Interwise, one of the web conferencing companies in our space, was purchased by AT&T for $121 million. This continues the trends of consolidation and alignment in this collaboration segment, following Cisco's purchase of WebEx. You can get details about the Interwise/AT&T merger at http://www.interwise.com
* Mzinga, Formed from Knowledge Planet & Shared Insights: Knowledge Planet, one of the early LMS players in our field, recently merged with Shared Insights, which hosts corporate and customer on-line communities. The new company is called Mzinga and will focus on the combination of learning, content and communities in a software-as-service modality. Details about this merger are viewable at: http://www.mzinga.com/
Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
- Performance Support LAB & Seminar: Jan. 30 - Feb 1, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Leaders Academy: March 10 - 12, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems '08 Conference: April 10 and 11, Las Vegas, NV.
- Learning 2008: Oct. 26-29, Orlando, Florida.
- Membership in the Learning CONSORTIUM - 252 Organizations Collaborating Together!
Information and Registration: http://www.masie.com
Reader Comments