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• National Standards – not one test, not one day, not one classroom
  The new school year for 2010 brought with it the introduction of national standards for reading, writing and mathematics. All schools with students in Years 1-8 are now required to report on students’ progress and achievement against these standards. This article focuses on the use of evidence from student work in Technology to inform overall teacher judgments for National Standards. An article by Brenda Weal and Selena Hinchco was accepted for publication in an abridged form in the NZ Education Gazette.
  PDF download, 469kb
• New Pedmow a cut above
  Stuff.co.nz, 21 August
  John Wilson has upped the ante in the Waikato "Pedmow" scene, unveiling an impressive new model. Mr Wilson, part-time panelbeater of Tokoroa, created a stir earlier this year when his original Pedmow was auctioned on Trade Me. The first model featured an old push mower attached to the front of a woman's 10-speed bicycle, but coverage of the creation brought to light numerous other Pedmows around the region, some of them pre-dating Mr Wilson's model.
• Stanford's X-ray laser a world first
  Stuff.co.nz, 19 August
  Stanford University researchers said they've built the world's most powerful X-ray laser, which they hope will lead to new discoveries in drug development, energy production and computer science.
  The Linac Coherent Light Source has been up and running for several months at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. But it got its official dedication Monday with a visit from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
• Titanic to be explored like never before
  NZ Herald, 19 August
  A team of scientists are about to "virtually raise" the Titanic by using 3D techniques to map the entire wreckage site of the sunken transatlantic liner for the first time, Reuters reported today.
  The group of experts will use cutting-edge robots and high resolution 3D imaging to reconstruct a detailed picture of the remains of the ship and of the wreckage site on the floor of the North Atlantic, much of it never seen before.
• Facebook checks into location services
  NZ Herald, 19 August
  SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook has thrown the switch on a new feature that lets US members of the social networking service share their whereabouts with friends while on the move.
  Facebook Places marks the firm's hotly anticipated first step into "location-based" services that have been catching on with people who own smartphones equipped with satellite position tracking capabilities.
• Digital minimalists live on less
  Stuff.co.nz, 18 August
  The rise and rise of tech gadgets means most of us have more "stuff" than ever before, but these very gadgets are allowing a new breed of digital minimalists to get rid of most of what they own.
  Kelly Sutton, a 23-year-old from New York who works as a software engineer at video site blip.tv, set up CultofLess.com and used it to sell most of his worldly possessions.
• Coming of age drama for TV on the net
  NZ Herald, 18 August
  NEW YORK - Could you say, these days, where exactly is the line between the television and the internet?
  Even if you haven't worked out quite how to hook your computer to your television set yet, perhaps you have found yourself watching some of your favourite shows on the laptop.
• Who will save the world when the web goes down?
  NZ Herald, 18 August
  On a Thursday evening in December a remarkable attack by a shadowy group of hackers briefly paralysed Twitter. For two hours anyone who typed www.twitter.com into their Internet Explorer's address bar was re-routed to a simple black screen showing a green flag and the words: "This site has been hacked by the Iranian Cyber Army."
  Beneath the flag was a line of Persian poetry which read: "We shall strike if the leader orders, we shall lose our heads if the leader wishes."
• Top award for Kiwi-developed digital 'pet'
  NZ Herald, 17 August
  For those that remember their handheld plastic Tamagotchis fondly, digital pets are back - only this time they are more alive than ever.
  Victoria University's newly developed Tardigotchi, featuring a living microorganism inside a plastic spherical casing, has won first prize at an international festival.
• Oracle sues Google in Android stoush
  NZ Herald, 16 August
  US software specialist Oracle has launched a copyright and patent infringement lawsuit against Google, claiming that the search engine giant's mobile phone operating system uses elements of its technology.
  The software company alleges Google infringed seven patents that fell under Oracle's control after it acquired rival Sun Microsystems in January.
• Latest Android smartphones get voice control
  NZ Herald, 16 August
  SAN FRANCISCO - Google has rolled out an application that lets people use voice commands to have Android-based smartphones do tasks such as send email or fetch driving directions.
  The Voice Actions program will only work on handsets running on the latest Android 2.2 software, referred to as Froyo.
• NZ software will make Korean waterworks greener
  NZ Herald, 16 August
  New Zealand software firm Derceto has signed a $1.3 million contract to deliver cost-saving initiatives to South Korean utility company K Water.
  The software will first be implemented at K Water's Cheongju water system, and if successful, could be used across all the company's plants.
• Delta passengers to book through Facebook
  NZ Herald, 13 August
  ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. said Thursday it's launched a new "Ticket Window" on Facebook that will allow passengers to book directly on the social media site.
  It's the first time an airline has allowed customers to reserve flights on Facebook, although nearly all major US airlines use Facebook and Twitter to promote sales.
• 5-hour Europe flight step closer
  NZ Herald, 10 August
  A hypersonic passenger jet has entered its second phase of tests, bringing the dream of trips of less than five hours between Australasia and Europe closer to reality.
  The A2 is a 300-seat aircraft capable of non-stop flight to the other side of the planet at a cruising speed of Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, about 5600km/h.
• Kiwi emergency response technology goes global
  TVNZ Business News, 4 August
  A NZ research company is earning big plaudits in the United States for its mathematically based emergency response software.
  Discussion starters:
  • Software development
  • Commercialisation of university research