Voices/Vozes

2011-08-09T15:32:00.001+01:00

Ok, after thinking for a while about the usefulness of both my G+ account and my blog, I decided to use the first for all the communication with the world. So, don't expect updates on this blog. I you want to read some interesting things (if you're lucky you might!), join me on G+. :)

Rating agencies, Markets and Psychology

2011-08-09T15:20:00.000+01:00

If the rating agencies merely state an opinion about the financial health of a company or a country, why is that investors credit their decisions so vehemently?

1- the rating agencies do not emit merely opinions; and/or

2- their decisions are only opinions when they lower ratings or when the ratings are proved to be inaccurate; and/or

3- investors don't trust other sources of information; and/or

4- investors assume an opinion as a short term determination rather than an information provided to understand a larger picture; and/or

5- self fulfilling prophecies are fed by opinions, not by facts; and/or

6- the so rational financial markets are incredibly permeable to group dynamics and structural psychological processes of decision-making deviation.

I still believe that Psychologists and Sociologists should play an important role in the big financial houses of investment, as well as in the rating agencies. They would provide alternative frameworks of understanding, much more solid and sensitive to the full range of psychological and social dynamics that are formed in the society in a particular context.

Efficiency and chaos

2011-08-06T03:51:00.004+01:00

Is efficiency directly linked to a durable and wide loss of jobs across every sector of society? Where is the point where you leave "good" efficiency and get "extremely harmful" efficiency? Will this "bad" efficiency lead to the equation efficiency=social void=unhappiness=social unrest?

Uma frase daquelas

2011-07-31T12:14:00.001+01:00

O socialismo é um clientelismo de Estado!

Manuel Villaverde Cabral numa entrevista ao i

Dyslexia: the phonological impairment

2011-07-30T11:03:00.001+01:00

Some excerpts:

Individuals with dyslexia have trouble recognizing (...) phonetic differences, whether a person is speaking a familiar language or a foreign one.

Individuals with dyslexia were significantly worse at being able to consistently recognize the voices of the English speakers.

It is remarkable that individuals with dyslexia are no better able to identify voices speaking a familiar language than a foreign one.

The result reaffirms the theory that the underlying deficit in dyslexia isn't about the act of reading per se, but instead involves difficulty with how sounds of spoken language are heard and processed in the dyslexic brain.

What theories of dyslexia have not been able to convincingly explain, say the researchers, is why there is no evident difficulty in the ability to perceive and produce speech among people with dyslexia. This is especially curious if the ability to recognize phonological sounds is impaired.

The results suggest that the source of a phonological deficit might be in dyslexic individuals' difficulties learning the consistent properties of speech sounds as spoken by an individual talker.

"Lots of research has shown that individuals with dyslexia have more trouble understanding speech when there is noise in the background," says Perrachione. "These results suggest that trouble following a specific voice might be part of the cause. Teachers and other educators can be sensitive to this during classroom instruction where noise from other classmates might make it disproportionately difficult for children with dyslexia to follow what is going on in a lesson."

Here.

A sensibilidade, a hipocrisia e a coerência

2011-07-27T10:03:00.003+01:00

É enternecedor verificar como tantas pessoas se preocupam com aquilo que se está a passar na Somália e, no entanto, não colocam a mesma intensidade na preocupação que têm pelos seus familiares mais próximos ou amigos. Vivem como viveram sempre, agarrados a clichés espampanantes, sedutores da distracção mais singela, criadores dos floreados mais impressionantes.

É impressionante verificar como tantas pessoas não possuem o mesmo grau de magnanimidade relativamente àqueles que têm o mesmo sangue a correr nas suas veias e chocam-se com qualquer acontecimento trágico. São as mesmas pessoas que nos dias dos funerais estarão sempre presentes, a chorar a morte de alguém, apesar de o amor em vida nunca ter sido uma opção.

Não há nada como uma grande catástrofe para as pessoas se sensibilizarem com os comportamentos do homem e a função de Deus. Mas esquecem-se sempre do essencial. O meu Deus está em cada uma das pessoas, por isso não julgo necessário apelar a uma ordem superior para tornar a realidade algo inefável.

Existe, de facto, uma grande fome no Mundo, e não querendo soar moralista mas apenas crítico da moralidade pérfida partilhada por tantos e à qual é fácil ceder, afirmo que a pior é aquela que manipula a realidade até ao último tutano, baralhando corações e confundindo a (ir)racionalidade.

Que fique claro, sinto uma grande tristeza relativamente ao que se está a passar no corno de África e não apenas na Somália. Mas deixemos-nos de tretas baratas que só servem para alimentar o manto de hipocrisia que adere tão bem a este Mundo cheio de glamour.

Faça-se aquilo que é devido e por quem tem essa responsabilidade, i.e., governos dos países afectado, governos africanos e de todo o Mundo, organizações internacionais de intervenção rápida, fundações, empresas, etc. Encaminhem-se os recursos necessários para ajudar quem precisa, não só na alimentação e saúde em casos grosseiros como estes, mas principalmente para colaborar no desenvolvimento das comunidades locais. Como costumam referir, a questão está em reunir os utensílios e conhecimentos para pescar e não oferecê-los.

Se não houver coerência não existe credibilidade. Podem impressionar-se com as grandes catástrofes mas não verão as micro catástrofes locais e a irrealidade da sua insensibilidade, ficando completamente seduzidos pela sua própria grandiosidade na forma como distribuem um pseudo Amor por tudo o que se mexe.

O Mundo, perdão, as pessoas são, sem dúvida, um lugar estranho em que se passam coisas muito estranhas.

Vic Gundotra and Bradley Horowitz talk about Google+

2011-07-22T10:38:00.001+01:00

Video streaming by Ustream

Nokia N9 first look

2011-07-19T23:22:00.001+01:00

Stanford experiment: 40 years later

2011-07-18T09:51:00.001+01:00

For all the Psychologists out there, give it a look. Impressive report!

New Android Market

2011-07-18T09:38:00.001+01:00

Para os meus pais

2011-07-15T14:16:00.001+01:00

Não devemos agradecer àqueles que amamos apenas quando o calendário bate à porta em determinado dia ou quando as prendas fluem para as nossas mãos; não nos devemos vergar à vulgaridade materialista e inócua das relações, afirmando amor, paz, amizade e tudo mais em toneladas quando aquilo que nos articula é completamente difuso e contrário.

Devemos (sim, estou a exigir) ser autênticos e respeitosos na vida que construímos; devemos respeitar quem nos soprou a vida e exigir-lhes a educação que deram ou que deveriam ter dado; exigir-lhes serem melhores se não o tiverem feito connosco, assim como nos exigimos a sempre mais. Mas deveremos mais. Temos que assinalar o privilégio de quem nos criou, quem nos apoia incondicionalmente, nos ama sem limites mesmo quando a sua humanidade tropeça nas idiossincrasias pessoais. Os pais são da nossa carne, as suas vidas únicas não diferem muito dos nossos mundos interiores. Os problemas surgem, as soluções tardam, a vida prossegue.

Hoje, sem datas de parabéns, sem respostas a prendas, mas por tudo, reconheço humildemente o amor dos meus pais. Porque ainda estão vivos, porque os amo, porque estão sempre presentes mesmo quando não estou perto. Porque são um exemplo, cada um à sua maneira.

Únicos, especiais e eternos.

The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011

2011-07-14T12:05:00.004+01:00

I'm almost certain that I've posted about this report previously but these two articles made me consider it again.

I don't really understand this argument e esta notícia. Sorry about the mix of languages.

Just scratching the surface...If you dive into this report you'll find that Portugal ranks 117 on Labor Market Efficiency (p. 21). Need I say more?

Greece nº 83;

Portugal nº 46;

Ireland nº 29;

Canada nº 10;

Finland nº 7; and

USA nº 4.

Full report here.

Printing photovoltaic cells on paper or fabric

2011-07-13T19:52:00.000+01:00

I hope MIT can bring this to market.

Why Italy is not the next Greece

2011-07-13T11:52:00.000+01:00

Interesting article about Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Key Early Skills for Later Math Learning Discovered

2011-07-13T11:28:00.000+01:00

This study reinforces the idea that math knowledge is incremental, and without a good foundation, a student won't do well because the math gets more complex..

The researchers also found that first graders who understood the number line and how to place numbers on the line and who knew some basic facts showed faster growth in math skills than their counterparts over the next five years. However, the researchers found that these early math skills had no impact on future reading ability.

Here.

You

2011-07-09T22:10:00.002+01:00

Are

Sozinha

2011-07-09T21:51:00.003+01:00

Pedes a minha voz para falar,
os meus abraços para abraçar,
a minha vida para viver. Exiges.
Peço-te a solidão de quem ama,
um caminho para percorrer. Aguardas.
Pedes a minha saudade engolida,
O meu olhar para capturar, um silêncio
para implodir.
Pedes-me a tua vida num olhar tépido,
Uma renovação barulhenta, um agudo
sem agravo. Uma sinfonia previsível,
para explodir.
Pedes-me cachos de vida numa palavra,
Uma exigência sem norma, dolorosa inclinação.

Concha do nada

2011-07-09T21:40:00.002+01:00

..que se passa aqui jaz,
sozinha. Nada daquilo que se exprime,
resiste. Tudo o que floresce,
permanece. Sozinha no pátio,
ilumina-te. Doce como um caramelo,
infinito. Nos sonhos aquilo que vês,
remoto. A morte das pétalas,
desaparece. Aconchegada aqui,
esconde-te. Olhar caído, lágrima
pesada. Num abraço liberta-te,
vida. Num rasgo,
esgar de amor.

The unimaginative relation of an I and a Me

2011-07-08T14:25:00.002+01:00

We are eminently set up to relate. Naturally equipped with the relational tools to engage with different people and different selves in our inner audience. Automagically predisposed to build bridges of mutual agreed meaning. But something is utterly overwhelming in how we relate with ourselves: I is vague and Me is deeply unimaginative. This leads to violent spin in our axis of diversified personal positions. Our different Me's battle with our different views of an I that lives in complete solitude.

When you think of yourself you realize that not only you think of yourself but also about all the mixture of different views and meanings of I's and Me's. This eventually creates a spectrum of unintelligible movements towards personal meaning. I is not an I when the Me's are chosen to replace an I. This means that the views of oneself, either by our distinctive personal perspective or by other's perceptions of oneself, are glued in our consideration of personal intelligibility. Full of different and concurrently perspectives of being, one tend to fall in pieces, having no ability to clean what belongs to the I and what doesn't. This is particularly acute with people that have a tremendous difficulty reading the entire scope of their feelings. The complete confusion of space, time and self leads to an undisputed battle ring. One decision comes out as a superlative form of adaptation to chaos, leaving all the polyphony with a lowered volume and significance.

We struggle to make sense of our lives; we battle to make our decisions meaningful; we strive to persist. But we don't fully understand what the I includes and what relations it has. We don't fully understand the origins or justifications of your personal movements of meaning construction because we are constantly redefining our coordinates.

Circuito da Boavista 2011 - some vídeos

2011-07-08T11:58:00.004+01:00

Check some videos that I made last weekend at the 2011 Circuito da Boavista. Honestly, the videos suck but those engines roar! :)

PS: I just realized that the videos have "hiccups". Sorry for that. There were just as bad as possible and now they have an abrupt influx of air in their lungs. lol At least you have the strident engines sound. :P

Moody's mood backed by 2 major assumptions

2011-07-07T16:34:00.000+01:00

1. The growing risk that Portugal will require a second round of official financing before it can return to the private market, and the increasing possibility that private sector creditor participation will be required as a pre-condition.

2. Heightened concerns that Portugal will not be able to fully achieve the deficit reduction and debt stabilisation targets set out in its loan agreement with the European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the formidable challenges the country is facing in reducing spending, increasing tax compliance, achieving economic growth and supporting the banking system.

Read it here.

Segue o teu destino

2011-07-04T17:23:00.000+01:00

Segue o teu destino,
Rega as tuas plantas,
Ama as tuas rosas.
O resto é a sombra
De árvores alheias.

A realidade
Sempre é mais ou menos
Do que nós queremos.
Só nós somos sempre
Iguais a nós-próprios.

Suave é viver só.
Grande e nobre é sempre
Viver simplesmente.
Deixa a dor nas aras
Como ex-voto aos deuses.

Vê de longe a vida.
Nunca a interrogues.
Ela nada pode
Dizer-te. A resposta
Está além dos deuses.

Mas serenamente
Imita o Olimpo
No teu coração.
Os deuses são deuses
Porque não se pensam.

Ricardo Reis

Dyslexia Linked to Difficulties in Perceiving Rhythmic Patterns in Music

2011-07-01T12:51:00.000+01:00

Here.

Windows Phone 7 and Android 2.3: a quick note

2011-06-29T14:25:00.000+01:00

Microsoft has done a tremendously good job with WP7. The UI is very pleasant and fluid, something rather contrasting with Google's Android 2.3 UI. Microsoft has done it right. Google set the right features but neglected the design details and the aesthetics of the whole platform.

This is really striking when you compare, for example, the WP7 Twitter app and the Android's version. Note the detail of the fonts and the beautiful transitions. They created an amazing experience.

Two random pictures of both OS's:

Windows Phone 7

Android 2.3

But Google isn't sleeping over its success. A new design or aesthetics paradigm is showing up in their work. Take the example of the new look of Google Maps:

This is good! This very good! I think it's part of the new and whole transformation of Google's positioning as a company. You can take the example of the new Google Plus. It's not just a shift in design; it's probably a core change in the way they will approach their product development.

Nokia N9 - features, gallery, specs and availability

2011-06-26T03:14:00.000+01:00

Explore the Nokia N9 and check its features, specs and availability on your country.

and...

SWIPE!

Nokia N9 UI demo - cool stuff

2011-06-26T02:30:00.003+01:00

Windows Phone Mango overview

2011-06-24T19:40:00.000+01:00

Entrevista de Passos Coelho ao Financial Times

2011-06-16T09:51:00.001+01:00

Portugal is warned of two ‘terrible years’

By Peter Wise and Jonathan Ford in Lisbon
Published: June 15 2011 18:17 | Last updated: June 15 2011 18:17

Pedro Passos Coelho has no plans to leave his modest fifth-floor flat in an unfashionable dormitory suburb of Lisbon for the plush official residence he is entitled to use after he is sworn in next week as Portugal’s new prime minister.

Noted for his thrift, the 46-year-old leader of the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD) is temperamentally well prepared for the formidable task of implementing the tough €78bn rescue programme the country has agreed with the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

Portugal faces two “terrible years” of deep recession and record unemployment, he acknowledged in an interview with the Financial Times, before the country can return to growth and regain the confidence of international investors.

This will involve “a very rigorous programme of austerity and structural reforms” covering everything from slashing public deficits and extensive privatisations to shake-ups of justice and education.

“There is no alternative,” he says, the adjustment programme “cannot fail”. Failure, he says, would prevent Portugal from returning to the financial markets in 2013 and leave it in a similar predicament to Greece, which has had to ask for a second bail-out. The Portuguese economy would be trapped in a recessionary spiral after a projected 2 per cent contraction both this year and next.

After winning a decisive election victory on June 5, Mr Passos Coelho will take office at the head of a majority government coalition between the PSD and the smaller conservative Popular party (CDS-PP). He has inherited a daunting programme, agreed with the EU and the IMF, that requires his government to cut the budget deficit from 9 per cent of gross domestic product last year to 3 per cent in 2013 and to implement structural reforms that no previous government has attempted.

Not content with this challenge, he aims to go beyond the requirements of the rescue agreement, promising, for example, to accelerate and expand the privatisation programme. The state-owned broadcasting media is to be sold off, leaving only one non-commercial public service channel. He will also privatise up to 49 per cent of water utilities.

Privatisation is not just a question of raising revenue, Mr Passos Coelho says. Portugal needs foreign investment to support growth, which will have to be led by the export sector. The government will throw open the doors to non-Portuguese investors.

“We will be absolutely transparent and rigorous,” he says. “There will be no hidden agenda.”

He would also like to meet deficit-reduction targets ahead of schedule, although he fears the previous Socialist government may have left some “surprises” on the books.

Economists do not doubt Mr Passos Coelho’s commitment to spending cuts, but worry austerity will choke off growth. While structural reforms in areas such as education, labour legislation and justice should ultimately bear fruit, this will take time to ripen. Mr Passos Coelho has less than three years to turn the economy round.

Mr Passos Coelho is staking his hopes for growth on a sharp “fiscal devaluation” — a sharp cut in company contributions to employees’ social security payments — which should cut labour costs and make exporters more competitive. But he says it is too early to determine the scale of the cut, which will have to be revenue-neutral because of the country’s deficit.

There is no doubt that Mr Passos Coelho believes in what he is doing. He sees the rescue programme as a unique opportunity to implement essential reforms that previous governments have avoided for the past 30 years. He is convinced that he is the right man to do the job. The “serious difference” between his party and the Socialists of José Sócrates, the outgoing prime minister, he says, is that the PSD “believes in the changes we have to make”.

Mr Sócrates, on the other hand, was forced into a rescue package with the EU, IMF and European Central Bank “because there was no other way to get the money”.

Mr Sócrates has accused Mr Passos Coelho of using the EU-IMF agreement as a pretext for “the most radical rightwing programme ever proposed in Portugal”.

But Mr Passos Coelho says 80 per cent of voters backed the three parties who signed up to rescue agreement — the PSD, the CDS-PP and the Socialists. This, he says, is an important difference between Portugal and Greece, where larger sections of society are strongly opposed to the bail-out package.

One of his first initiatives will be a new agency to monitor public accounts. This will be “completely independent of the government and parliament” and include at least two foreign experts. His finance minister will also be an independent with no party affiliations.

JOURNEY TO THE TOP
Born in 1964; son of a doctor. Childhood spent in former Portuguese colony of Angola.
Politics: Joined the Social Democrats aged 16. Has served as an MP and mayor. Became party leader in March 2010.
Education: Degree in economics.
Business experience: consultant, chief executive.
Family: Married to a physiotherapist from Guinea-Bissau, they have a four-year-old daughter. Has two daughters by his first wife.

Financial Times

Google Docs improvements

2011-06-14T16:53:00.000+01:00

- A much better Android app with native editing - great! This is great news given that it doesn't make any sense that you can't currently fully edit google docs on your Honeycomb browser. At last!
- Offline support - as expected!
- Cloud Print - also expected!
- A better version of the Cloud Connect plug-in - not important to me. Next.
- Preview of .txt files.

Via BusinessInsider

A lei de Portugal

2011-06-14T12:37:00.000+01:00

Apenas um detalhe. A lei em Portugal é compreendida por uma grande parte da população como algo que tem uma interpretação singular, quase sempre entendida à luz dos caprichos de cada um.

A PSP e a GNR dizem que o imposto único de circulação deve acompanhar os carros? Não, vários vendedores de automóveis dizem que não. E dizem que não porque eles é que sabem. A lei, essa coisa em putrefacção, é apenas lama no tapete. Tira-se a lama, surge o brilho da verdade individual.

É visceralmente frustrante perceber que os mitos desejados são muito piores que os mitos da ignorância ou da cultura popular. A sensação de muitos indivíduos, cientes da sua sapiência infinita, é usurpadora de qualquer racionalidade.

O Português típico é chico esperto e tem uma forte inclinação para a aldrabice e para a má educação. E isto não melhora com o crescimento da economia.

Portugal está em agonia porque o seu povo não é suficientemente capaz de assumir comportamentos/valores típicos de uma sociedade educada: trabalho intenso, rigor, respeito pelo bem público e pelo Outro, solidariedade sincera, civismo.

Portugal envergonha-se perante os portugueses. Nós, como um povo, como um grande grupo, não somos tão educados como eu gostaria. Não somos suficientemente bons para vencer. Ainda não.

Chrome OS Beginner's Guide

2011-06-13T17:11:00.000+01:00

Perter Mugi of Cloudhighclub.com released an interesting guide for those who want to learn more about Chrome OS. Grab it here!

Blackbird

2011-06-08T12:26:00.000+01:00

Válega, Ovar, Portugal.

Apple - Introducing OS X Lion

2011-06-08T12:11:00.000+01:00

Looks interesting and I would certainly buy a Macbook air with Osx Lion but as always with Apple, it's tremendously overrated. The issue here is that they take advantage of Microsoft's slowness in innovation and product release cycles. If you think for a minute, MS has been late to the game in last 10+ years (e.g., Windows Phone 7, Windows 7).

Apple has Osx Lion, Google has ChromeOS, Microsoft will have Windows 8 in 2012. Windows 8 looks promising but I have some doubts about that hybrid shell and windows traditional desktop. Yes, Apple also keeps the same traditional desktop but it has improved some features in the OS and also mouse gestures.

Samsung Chromebook Series 5

2011-06-08T11:43:00.003+01:00

Via 9to5google

O Pós-troika de Portugal

2011-06-08T10:27:00.000+01:00

Samsung Chromebook Serie 5 Video

2011-06-07T23:01:00.000+01:00

Check it out!

Via François Beaufort

Samsung and Acer Chromebooks: videos

2011-06-06T09:54:00.001+01:00

Via Chrome Story

Asus UX21 ultrathin laptop hands-on

2011-06-04T12:00:00.000+01:00

Now, Acer Chromebook, Macbook Air or Asus UX21?

Google crazy roll out of features

2011-06-03T09:35:00.000+01:00

One thing that pisses me off about Google is that the roll out of new features is random and, therefore, unpredictable.

I've seen a black menu bar in Gmail coming and going, the same with the blue bar in Docs and Reader and other services. Now, it's the people widget in Gmail that rolled out to only some accounts with unknown criteria and same is happening with the new Blogger interface.

I admit that the process is complicated but it would be great to have at least some kind of public roadmap to ensure that users know when they're getting improvements or new futures in their accounts.

Stephen Elop's Nokia Adventure

2011-06-02T23:10:00.000+01:00

Great article about Canadian Stephen Elop enormous challenge at Nokia.

Children of Divorce Fall Behind Peers in Math, Social Skills

2011-06-02T23:01:00.000+01:00

Conclusions:

- "Children of divorce experience setbacks in math test scores and show problems with interpersonal skills and internalizing behavior during the divorce period"

- No significant negative effects in children on pre-divorce period because "the results here support the idea that not all divorces are plagued by harmful parental conflict in the pre-divorce period"

Suggestion:

"If a teacher is aware of a student experiencing a divorce situation, it may be in the student's interest that the teachers intervene by adjusting as early as possible to prevent that student from falling behind"

Via Science Daily

Google Docs Product Ideas

2011-06-02T22:52:00.000+01:00

Share yours!

Global Competitiveness Index 2010–2011

2011-06-02T15:41:00.002+01:00

Country/Rank

Canada-10
Ireland-29

Portugal-46
Greece-83

Once again, Portugal and Greece fall behind Ireland. It's important to note that the current problems in Ireland are financial and not economical. And this is very important because the problems in Portugal and Greece are mostly structural, i.e., economy, justice, labor market.

Unfortunately, this makes believe that Portugal and Greece will have to make a substantial adjustment in the next decade or so.

Full report.

The Globe and Mail: Denmark is not the new Portugal

2011-06-02T15:28:00.000+01:00

We, Portuguese, already knew that.

A dose of schadenfreude (delight in the misfortune of others) may have brightened the mood in Portugal this week.

Really? Not at all!

Via The Globe And Mail

Lighter warm up, better sprint?

2011-06-02T15:10:00.000+01:00

I always had this doubt and a very good friend of mine who is a basketball coach and physical education teacher, told me exactly the same thing. I guess he's right. :)

Video.

Marc Andreessen on Apps vs Browsers

2011-06-02T09:55:00.000+01:00

Via AllThingsD

Building "Windows 8" - Video #1

2011-06-02T09:36:00.000+01:00

This is the first of some videos about the upcoming Windows 8. This one is particularly about user interface. And uouuuuuuuuuu! This is cool stuff!

It's great to see Microsoft betting their neck on something! This is a bold move! Innovation on the Windows interface! This will be a great change from the Windows 95 user interface that stands until today. We see Windows Phone 7 ideas all over the place and that's pretty cool because I think Microsoft did a great job overall with their latest mobile OS.

Let's wait and see which other features will be announced. Exciting times at Microsoft!

Kids who bully have greater tendency to show sleep problems

2011-06-01T22:54:00.017+01:00

"Our schools do push the importance of healthy eating and exercise, but this study highlights that good sleep is just as essential to a healthy lifestyle."

Sleep is always considered the weakest link when we think about kids' health. Most of the times kids have this bad habit and attitude of thinking about few hours of sleep as something cool and that one must be proud of. On the contrary, good sleep is mandatory.

I found that sleep (or the lack of sleep) is a very important issue among the kids that have behavioral problems here at the school where I work. Most of them have a terrible sleep hygiene, with few hours sleep, long hours of TV before going to sleep, etc.

Interesting piece. Here.

Weird bug on Chrome

2011-06-01T09:35:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I using Chrome, version 11.0.696.71, when it...puff! A bright blue page appeared and nothing more. Tried CTRL+ALT+DELETE and Windows 7 was also dead. I thought that it could be a Windows problem but I wasn't sure..

I hit the turn off button and then started the pc. Opened up Chrome and guess what happened? Chrome sync was gone! No sync! Disappeared! What happened? This was the first time in years that I've experienced something like this...

Have you experienced this weird bug?

Google Chrome Ad - Dear Hollie

2011-05-31T16:10:00.000+01:00

Windows 7 brings the worst about me

2011-05-31T12:54:00.000+01:00

Yes, it's true. It gets to my nerves when updates and service packs are equal to slowness!

Same financial crisis, another chapter

2011-05-30T22:50:00.000+01:00

“Are the derivatives regulated? No. Are you still getting growth in derivatives? Yes.”

Via Financial Post

Lightning strike hits CN Tower

2011-05-30T13:54:00.000+01:00

on May 29, 2011.

Asus EeePC X101 with MeeGo netbook hands-on

2011-05-30T09:40:00.001+01:00

Will it be a competitor to ChromeOS and Chromebooks? It's slower than Chrome OS...well, to be honest, Chromebooks have better specs...

More about MeeGo here.

University of Alberta: dichloroacetate is effective in curing cancer

2011-05-28T16:52:00.000+01:00

Researchers at the University of Alberta believe Dichloroacetate may soon be used as an effective treatment for many forms of cancer.

Here.

Sócrates e a Escola Pública

2011-05-28T15:18:00.000+01:00

José Sócrates tem os dois filhos, Eduardo e José Miguel, em colégios privados de elite: Colégio Moderno e Colégio Alemão.

Pedro Passos Coelho, ao invés, tem as duas filhas, Joana e Catarina, em escolas públicas.

Fiquemos por aqui.

Spanish Ghost Towns

2011-05-27T22:10:00.000+01:00

Real estate collapse in Spain. Astonishing!

VALDELUZ: 700 people live in a town planned for 30,000

SESENA: 10,500 houses sit empty. Commercial real estate is bricked up

More here.

Better Life Index: a comparison between Canada, Portugal, Ireland and Greece

2011-05-27T09:35:00.004+01:00

Here's an interesting compilation of data of four countries. Canada topped the ranking, only behind Australia.

Remind yourself that Portugal, Ireland and Greece were intervened by IMF/ECB/EC with bailout programs and that these findings are based on data from 2008 or later. So, they don't account for the latest and very significant changes that occurred lately in these 3 countries.

Maybe this could help someone decide which country he or she would prefer to live in. Maybe not. Well, at least has some really interesting figures.

Note:

- Red is the worst, yellow the best.

Enjoy and discuss!

Full document here.

President Obama in British Parliament

2011-05-26T19:09:00.000+01:00

Violence and abuse: electronic library

2011-05-26T09:13:00.000+01:00

The mission of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) is to support research, education, and access to violence related resources.

Chromebook or Asus notebook with Windows

2011-05-25T10:36:00.000+01:00

Which one would you choose considering the following daily tasks:

- browse the web with Chrome (e.g., feeding the blog, posting to twitter, reading the news, etc);
- work with Google Apps (Gmail, Docs, Reader, Calendar, Picasa Web);

and

- occasional work with Libreoffice;
- occasional connection to Samsung Lcd to watch movies from external storage hard drive (I appreciate that "connect projector" option in Windows 7).

One important issue: I need a pc where I can have installed some vocational training windows only applications. If I buy the Chromebook I will have to ditch those apps to another computer. And I only want one notebook. ;)

I have my laptop with dual boot - Ubuntu 11.04 and Windows 7. But this isn't a decisive issue. I have both because I love Ubuntu and I need Windows 7 for the apps that were referred previously.

I have some pros and cons for each solution but which one would you choose considering all the aspects that were mentioned?

Asus Eee pc 1215b

499€

Specifications

Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
Display: 12.1" LED Backlight WXGA (1366x768) Screen
CPU: AMD Fusion APU E350 1.6GHz (dual core)/C30 1.2GHz (single core)/C50 1.0GHz (dual core) Processor
Graphic: AMD® Radeon HD 6250/AMD® Radeon HD 6310
Memory DDR3, 2 x SO-DIMM, 2GB/4GB
Storage: 2.5" 500GB HDD
Wireless Data Network: WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n@2.4GHz
Bluetooth V3.0+HS(Optional)
Camera: 0.3 M Pixel Camera
Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC
Stereo Speakers
High Quality Mic
1 x VGA Connector
3 x USB 2.0
1 x USB 3.0 *1
1 x LAN RJ-45
1 x HDMI
2 x Audio Jack (Headphone/Mic-In)
1 x Card Reader : SD/ SDHC/ SDXC/ MMC

Battery 8 hrs*, 6-Cell 56Wh Li-ion Battery

Or

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook Wi-Fi

Unknown price in euros and availability in Portugal. Probably the equivalent in dollars, i.e., 429€; availability: July? September? I could also try to buy the Chromebook in Spain on June 15.

Specifications

Processor: Intel® ATOM Processor N570 1.66Ghz Speed
Memory: 2GB Standard System Memory DDR3 Memory Type Onboard 2GB Maximum System Memory
Storage: 16GB SSD (mSATA)
Display: 12.1" Screen Size LED (WXGA) Display 1280x800 Resolution, Non-Gloss, 16:10 Aspect Ratio 300 nits Brightness
Design: Arctic White
Graphics: NM10 Graphics, Chipset Integrated Graphics, Shared Graphics Memory
Multimedia: Stereo Speakers ALC272 Integrated Audio Controller
1MP HD Webcam
Internal Mic
Communication:
802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN
I/O Ports
VGA via dongle adapter
Headphone/MIC combo
2 USB Ports
4-in-1 Memory Card Reader that supports
SD / SDHC / SDXC / MMC
Input
Touch Pad
Buttonless type, Gesture Support Touch Pad Function
Keyboard
74 Keys
Full-size (island style)
Google Chrome Keyboard
Power
40W AC Adapter
6 Cell
8280 mAh
61Watt Hours
Up to 8.5 hours (Google Chrome Battery Test)
Dimensions
Product Dimensions: 8.6" (W) x .08" (H) x 11.6" (D)

Google's Hamina Data Center

2011-05-25T09:32:00.000+01:00

Via 9to5Google

O Jornal de Notícias cheira a PS, sabe a PS

2011-05-25T09:29:00.000+01:00

"O povo não vai em debates". Curiosa afirmação. Será por o Passos Coelho ter tido um óptimo desempenho no debate com Sócrates e esta sondagem referir um aumento da votação no PS?

Até quando é que o Jornal de Notícias continuará a fazer a esta porcaria de jornalismo?

Este jornal começa a parecer uma qualquer publicação de propaganda socialista!

Um património jornalístico de tanta qualidade vilipendiado por afirmações dignas de um qualquer apoiante do PS...Vergonha.

Ria de Aveiro, Portugal

2011-05-24T22:45:00.000+01:00

Region: Ria de Aveiro

Ver mapa maior

The pictures speak for themselves.

Windows Phone 7: Mango Update

2011-05-24T22:35:00.001+01:00

I have to confess that I really appreciate the looks of Windows Phone 7. It's a lot more elegant than Android or iOS. They have truly made an excellent work around the OS although I don't like the deep integration of Facebook and some other minor things. Overall, looks great.

Here's a video about the new features in the Mango Update.

Via Engadget

New Nook

2011-05-24T17:52:00.001+01:00

Here's the new Nook from Barnes & Noble.

It comes with Android 2.1. I'm wondering if we will see Honeycomb on this beauty... ;)

Microsoft says Chromebooks don't change the game

2011-05-24T12:05:00.001+01:00

Really? Having a new player with the name Google isn't important and doesn't change the game? Hum...Are you really sure? Aren't you afraid of losing your rings? Hum, Microsoft?

Chromebooks don’t change the game at all from a productivity standpoint. Excel is just a million years ahead of what Google Docs provides.

Do the majority of companies really need all the features of Excel? Could it be that Google Spreadsheets can get a great percentage of the work done? And remind yourself that Google is working hard on Google Apps...Evolution comes quickly here...

Exciting times, that's for sure. Chrome OS is just a v1.0.

Via 9to5Google

O relatório da UTAO a tal que o Governo quis calar

2011-05-24T11:54:00.000+01:00

Gamado sem pudor do Blasfémias.

A autora é a Helena Matos.

Hoje o “Diário Económico” escreve que o Governo adiou despesa pública durante o primeiro trimestre para melhorar o défice do Estado em mais de 200 milhões de euros.

«À conclusão da Direcção-geral do Orçamento de que a despesa efectiva do Estado diminuiu 3% no primeiro trimestre do ano, a UTAO contrapõe que “esta aparente melhor execução da despesa reflecte apenas uma baixa execução do pagamento de juros da dívida pública, que se encontram concentrados no segundo trimestre, bem como uma baixa execução da despesa de capital”.
“Caso os juros e outros encargos fossem pagos de forma regular (de montante idêntico ao longo do ano), a despesa efectiva registaria, em Março, uma taxa de variação homóloga acumulada nula”, lê-se no relatório da UTAO.

A conclusão decorre do mesmo relatório da UTAO: “A melhor execução na óptica de caixa beneficiou de um crescimento das dívidas dos Serviços Integrados [do Estado], cuja variação mais do que duplicou face ao período homólogo”, mediante “um acréscimo de 205,9 milhões de euros”.
“Administração Interna, Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros e Ministério das Obras Públicas, Transportes e Comunicações foram os principais responsáveis pelo aumento de dívidas neste subsector, sendo as despesas com pessoal, aquisição de bens e serviços e transferências correntes, os agrupamentos de despesa que mais contribuíram para o acréscimo de dívidas neste período”, acrescenta o relatório.
O “Diário Económico” avança, por seu turno, que em causa estarão atrasos nos descontos de IRS referentes aos funcionários da GNR e PSP, na tutela da Administração Interna, e também o adiamento do pagamento das contribuições e quotas devidas a instituições internacionais, cujo pagamento está a cargo dos Negócios Estrangeiros.»

Ah, maledicência de um raio!

Sócrates e o optimismo

2011-05-23T13:59:00.000+01:00

Optimism, unaccompanied by personal effort, is merely a state of mind and not fruitful.

Here

A Google Phone Not Based on Android?

2011-05-23T13:54:00.000+01:00

Anton Wahlman has the answer, i.e., Google will deliver in 2012 a Chrome OS optimized version for smartphones.

Feasible? Likely? Necessary? Wise? With Android ruling smartphones, would it be wise for its own creator to battle it? Where would Chrome OS for smartphones fit in? How would it emerge "against" Android? How would Google preserve Android and Chrome OS as competitors?

Well, Google's first goal is to have as many people as possible surfing the web, living the web. Only that goal will allow them to maximize their profits, by extending their audience for their clients' adds. They are still an advertising company and I don't see it changing in a foreseeable future. And I'm not sure if they want to control the entire process (software, hardware, selling, etc).

Interesting article but I'm still waiting for my Chromebook, Google. :)

Less clutter on Firefox interface: add-on

2011-05-21T14:15:00.000+01:00

Mozilla Labs have come out with an interesting approach to Firefox browsing experience and interface.

You can try it now with Firefox 4. All you have to do is download the Mozilla Labs: Prospector - LessChrome HD add-on.

Remember that the latest Chromium 13 build was heading the same way?

Well, the omnipresent url bar is coming to an end. I personally like what both Firefox and Google are doing. Less clutter, more web. Doesn't that sound familiar? Hum...ChromeOS, anyone?

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 - Video

2011-05-21T12:25:00.000+01:00

Via CrunchGear

32 ways to use Google Apps in the classroom

2011-05-21T10:40:00.000+01:00

The Matrix runs on Windows XP

2011-05-20T13:04:00.000+01:00

What about trying Ubuntu? Hear at the end... ;)

Via Omg!Ubuntu!

Google wants to be your personal financial adviser

2011-05-20T09:38:00.000+01:00

Google Advisor aim is to help make financial decisions. It also makes it easy to find financial offers from multiple providers, compare them side by side, and apply online.

Taxa de poupança bruta em Portugal

2011-05-20T09:32:00.000+01:00

Eis o valor bruto da taxa de poupança desde 1998. Reparem na vertiginosa diminuição. Em 12 anos desceu 11.7%! E em que contexto surge esta descida abrupta? Exactamente, a entrada em circulação do euro! E quem disse que com o euro o pessoal podia fazer FESTA? Ví...to..r....Cons....tân....cio. Pois é...

1998 20.1
1999 19.3
2000 17.4
2001 17.2
2002 17.1
2003 16.7
2004 15.5
2005 13.0
2006 12.2
2007 12.9
2008 10.7
2009 8.9
2010 8.4

Por comparação, acção do Governador do Banco do Canadá tem sido sempre muito mais realista. Bem sei que são tempos diferentes, mas a questão aqui é avaliar as repercussões das políticas actuais na futura situação financeira do país. Nesse aspecto, o Governador do Banco do Portugal falou e falhou muito, assim como o Estado e uma grande parte das famílias, iludidas por incentivos de riqueza fácil. O problema agora é iniciar um novo ciclo de poupança com uma economia a decrescer e o desemprego a aumentar. É bem mais difícil!

Via Desmitos

Sócrates e a má educação

2011-05-20T00:10:00.000+01:00

Hoje, na conferência do Diário Económico, José Sócrates revelou toda a sua podridão moral. Revelou todo o esplendor da sua decadência de princípios e a sua imensa arrogância. Ao ser interpelado por Peter Villax com a afirmação "Eu tenho um problema essencial consigo, os seus actos não reflectem as suas palavras", o mal educado José Sócrates disse "Não gostei do que disse. Eu faço o meu melhor para que as minhas palavras respondam sempre aos meus actos (...) não lhe reconheço nenhuma autoridade moral para me dizer que as suas palavras correspondem melhor aos seus actos do que as minhas".

Bravo Sócrates!

Improved UI in Chrome OS

2011-05-19T12:01:00.000+01:00

Getting ready for Chrome OS v1.0. Things are looking good! :)

Credits to Dinu, Chrome Story blogger.

One simple proposal for the Chrome Team

2011-05-19T09:54:00.001+01:00

Please, consider the attribution of a number to each tab for the first 9 tabs. It would be great to know instantly what's the number of the tab without having to count the tabs in order to use the CTRL + number keyboard shortcut.

Google Chromebook Commercial - live from Google I/O

2011-05-18T23:09:00.000+01:00

Pretty funny commercial! Ehehehe

Some thoughts on grade retention

2011-05-18T23:04:00.000+01:00

Interesting reading on grade retention. Article published by the American National Association of School Psychologists.

Grade retention, also known as nonpromotion, flunking, failing, being held back, or the gift of time, refers to a child repeating his or her current grade level again the following year. Whether used to address low performance and/or behavior problems, research generally has not found favorable achievement or adjustment outcomes for students who are retained.
Nevertheless, retention rates have been rising. This trend appears to be heavily influenced by the recent “reform” movement emphasizing national or state-wide educational grade-level standards and accountability (the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) and the accompanying grade-level tests to determine which students are promoted to the next grade. Whatever the reason, if retention is suggested for your child, it is vital that you as a parent make sure you know what options are available and are involved in making decisions about his or her education. By working together, parents and educators can discuss and identify specific strategies to help ensure the educational success of your child.

The Retention Dilemma
Sometimes children are recommended for retention when their academic performance is low or if they fail to meet grade-level performance standards established by the district or state. Some children may be recommended for retention if they seem socially immature, display behavior problems, or are just beginning to learn English. Occasionally, students who have missed many school daysbecause they were ill or because of frequent moves are recommended for retention. Research indicates that neither grade retention nor social promotion (the practice of promoting students with their same age-peers although they have not mastered current grade level content) is likely to enhance a child’s learning. Research and common sense both indicate that simply having a child repeat a grade is unlikely to address the problems a child is experiencing. Likewise, simply promoting a student who is experiencing academic or behavioral problems to the next grade without additional support is not likely to be an
effective solution either.

When faced with a recommendation to retain a child, the real task is not to decide to retain or not to retain but, rather, to identify specific intervention strategies to enhance the cognitive and social development of the child and promote his or her learning and success at school. Given the evidence indicating that grade retention, when compared with social promotion of similar children, is an ineffective and possibly harmful intervention, “promotion plus” (i.e., combining grade promotion and effective, evidence-based interventions) is most likely to benefit children with low achievement or behavior problems. Too often, anecdotal evidence, clinical experience, and folklore overshadow the results of empirical research. But what does research show? Is retention effective? The following information, taken from research during the last 100 years, can help parents better understand the possible effects of retention on their child and advocate for effective intervention strategies.

Effects of grade retention. The body of research on retention indicates that:

• Initial academic improvements may occur during the year the student is retained. However, many research studies show that achievement gains decline within 2–3 years of retention. This means that over time, children who were retained either do not show higher achievement, or sometimes show lower achievement than similar groups of children who were not retained. Without specific interventions, most retained students do not catch up.

• In adolescence, retained students are more likely to experience problems such as poor interactions with peers, disliking school, behavior problems, and lower self-esteem.

• Students who were retained are 5–11 times more likely to drop out of school. The probability is even higher for students who are retained more than once. Actually, grade retention is one of the most powerful predictors of high school drop out.

• For most students, grade retention had a negative impact on all areas of achievement (e.g., reading, math, and oral and written language) and social and emotional adjustment (e.g., peer relationships, self-esteem, problem behaviors, and attendance).

• A study of sixth graders’ perceptions indicated that they consider retention as one of the most stressful life events.

• Retention may help students who have missed many days of school, but only if their attendance improves and if the child will not be considerably older than the other students. At this time, however, there are no specific indicators that predict which children could benefit from retention.

Alternative strategies. However, research does provide evidence that supports the effectiveness of other educational interventions. The following are evidence-based alternatives to grade retention and social promotion that better address academic and behavior problems:

• Parental involvement in children’s schools and education through frequent contact with teachers, supervision of homework, and ongoing communication about school activities.

• Age-appropriate and culturally sensitive instructional strategies to accelerate progress in all classrooms.

• Early developmental programs and preschool programs to enhance language and social skills.

• Systematic methods to monitor progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and identify the most effective methods of instruction.

• Early reading programs; that is, many low performing students have reading problems, and it has been found that developmentally appropriate, intensive, direct instruction strategies have been effective in promoting reading skills of at-risk students.

• School-based mental health programs to promote the social and emotional adjustment of children; for instance, addressing behavior problems has been found to be effective in improving academic performance.

• Student support teams with appropriate professionals to assess and identify specific learning or behavior problems, design interventions to address those problems, and evaluate the efficacy of those interventions.

• Behavior management and cognitive-behavior modification strategies to reduce classroom behavior problems that interfere with learning.

• Extended year, extended day, and summer school programs that focus on improving the development of academic skills.

• Tutoring and mentoring programs with peer, cross-age, or adult tutors who focus on promoting specific academic or social skills.

• Comprehensive school-wide programs to promote the social and academic skills of all students. Considering their diverse needs, there is no single intervention that will effectively address the specific needs oflow achieving students. Rather, systematic evidence-based interventions should be selected to facilitate the academic and socioemotional development of students at risk of school failure.

What Parents Can Do to Help

Parents know their children well and can provide much needed insight into their children’s learning. Therefore, it is important for parents, teachers, and other educational professionals to work together. Finding out about school problems early can help parents and teachers to collaborate to spare children the feelings of failure. Addressing problems early improves chances for success. Parents can help by:

• Discussing concerns as they arise with the teacher. It is important to know what assignments your child isexpected to do and what type of work is difficult for your child to understand and complete.

• Asking your child’s teacher what help is being provided to your child and what you can do at home to help him or her succeed.

• Helping your child with homework by asking to see his or her assignments and creating a quiet time and place tostudy.

• Making sure your child is rested and ready for school each day. It is important that your child gets plenty of sleep,eats a nutritious breakfast, comes to school on time, and receives appropriate medical care.

Via Christine Eagan

A minha crise internacional

2011-05-18T15:20:00.000+01:00

Dentro da minha vida populam várias dificuldades. Nada de especialmente relevante quando todos nós as temos. Particularmente significativa, no entanto, é a descoberta que eu fiz hoje.

Ora bem, hoje descobri que todos os meus problemas, menores por sinal, tem uma causa principal. A origem que congrega a energia que por sua vez causa toda disrupção na minha vida tem uma explicação.

A causa de todos os problemas é...a crise internacional. Nem mais. A crise internacional é o motivo pelo qual sinto um lastro de incomodidade relativamente: a esta sociedade ignorante, mesquinha e provinciana; aos políticos vendedores de ilusões; à falta de oportunidades para aqueles que se esforçam; a ausência de incentivos relevantes e duradouros que premeiem o esforço, a dedicação e a inovação; aos meus compatriotas que preferem ver o estado como uma vaca leiteira e não como um tesouro a respeitar e preservar; à demagogia do estado social; aos anacronismos regionais e nacionais, entre muitos outros problemas.

Aqui está. Finalmente percebi. Finalmente.

Comentários aos debates eleitorais

2011-05-18T09:20:00.001+01:00

Comentário X: "O candidato Y não falou da questão mais importante, que era..."

Comentário X1: "O candidato Z esteve sempre na defensiva..."

Comentário X2: "Não foram abordadas as questões relativas a..."

Comentário X3: "O candidato W utilizou uma linguagem muito fechada..."

Parece-me que os comentadores têm uma tendência analítica que não se desprende do acessório. Confudem o conteúdo com o contentor, o significado com o significante, o fulcral com o banal.

Percebemos todos que a acção do último governo e a vacuidade discursiva e tautológica de Sócrates tem uma razão credível no seio da mente colectiva portuguesa. Basta ouvir os comentários.

Pentelhos de ouro são frases de areia.

Bakhtin's on mind's innovate potential

2011-05-17T22:41:00.000+01:00

Bakhtin’s (1929/1973) dialogical approach states that in each individual speech act the real or imaginal presence of another person is reﬂected. It is on the interface between self and other, as opposite positions in a spatialized structure, that innovation emerges.

Dear 16-year-old Me

2011-05-17T10:46:00.000+01:00

Melanoma awareness.

Some Chromebook Screenshots

2011-05-17T09:39:00.000+01:00

As you might expect, there will not be many differences between Chromebooks in terms of software, since they will all run ChromeOS. I think that each vendor could probably choose a different color of the icons and install different web apps according to their preferences. I'm not expecting much more than that in terms of visual and software tweaks.
For instance, it wouldn't be unexpected that Samsung could install some sort of Android web app to manage their Android devices, like Galaxy S & S II. It's just an example and something that I would love to have on my future Chromebook.

Here are some screenshots of ChromeOS on the Samsung Series 5

Five Reasons why Google's Linux Chromebook is a Windows killer

2011-05-16T17:52:00.000+01:00

Attractive business packaging and pricing
Ease of use
Lots of Applications
Security
Google Brand Recognition

Full text here.

Why Windows security is awful

2011-05-16T17:48:00.000+01:00

A simple analysis done by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols.

Conclusion: it's flawed by design.

Here.

Samsung Chromebook Serie 5 Teaser

2011-05-16T14:22:00.000+01:00

Samsung Chromebook Series 5 Hands On

2011-05-16T13:12:00.000+01:00

Samsung News Release About the New Chromebook

2011-05-16T12:56:00.000+01:00

You can read it here.

Índice de protecção no mercado de trabalho - OCDE

2011-05-16T11:38:00.000+01:00

0 - menos protecção; 4.5 - mais protecção

Muito bem, agora reflictamos muito simplisticamente:

- será linear que o factor "direitos adquiridos" seja fundamental para o sucesso da economia e felicidade dos trabalhadores?

- será a maior protecçao no emprego o factor essencial para o sucesso da economia?

- será a maior protecção no emprego a garantia de um estado social com sucesso?

- será a maior protecção no emprego condição para reduzir o desemprego?

- será a maior protecção no emprego a garantia de mais oportunidades de emprego para todos?

- o que dizer da comparação com a Suiça, Canadá, Austrália, Nova Zelândia, Irlanda e Dinamarca, todos países mais desenvolvimentos que Portugal? O que dizer da Suécia?

- e qual será a relação com os recibos verdes?

As diferenças são abismais. Não se deve comer o pão bolorento que muitos partidos (Bloco de Esquerda e Partido Comunista, por exemplo) nos querem impingir.

Boas análises!

Via Desmitos

Yale Digital Commons

2011-05-16T10:11:00.000+01:00

As on their website,

...search across Yale's collections of art, natural history, books, and maps, as well as photos, audio, and video documenting people, places, and events that form part of Yale's institutional identity and contribution to scholarship.

Enjoy!

Google I/O 2011 Web Fonts are changing the Web

2011-05-15T12:36:00.000+01:00

Google I/O 2011 Chrome Fireside Chat

2011-05-15T12:33:00.000+01:00

Free movies on YouTube

2011-05-15T12:24:00.000+01:00

Google has now some interesting and free movies that you can watch or show to your family, friends or students, if you are a teacher.

All you have to do is click and watch it.

I would recommend Home, The End of Poverty and The Battle of Britain, all documentaries. Other genres are available as well.

Other movies are also available, some in others channels like OpenFlix´s channel.

Pérolas para porcos - As escolas do parque escolar

2011-05-14T22:26:00.000+01:00

Apreciem a megalomania bacoca e saloia do PM em funções. Não seria necessário ver este video, para ser sincero.

Parece que não aprenderam nada na Finlândia. Talvez esteja na altura da Finlândia fazer um pequeno video sobre a Educação e Gestão Financeira. Talvez isso ajudasse à auto estima dos Portugueses.

Autism and Technology

2011-05-14T10:42:00.000+01:00

Gregory Abowd on Computing & Autism

Interactive Teaching Methods Double Learning in Undergraduate Physics Class

2011-05-14T10:39:00.000+01:00

The study

It compared the amount of learning students experienced when taught -- in three hours over one week -- by traditional lecture and by using interactive activities based on research in cognitive psychology and physics education.

Methodology

In the study, two classes of an undergraduate physics course with approximately 270 students each were taught by highly-rated, professors with decades of experience. In the second-to-last week of the second semester, the instructor of one of the classes was replaced by Deslauriers and Ellen Schelew, a master's student in the Department of Physics at UBC. Deslauriers and Schelew had been trained by Wieman and other CWSEI researchers in interactive, evidence-based teaching methods but otherwise had little teaching experience beyond serving as teaching assistants.

Conclusions

The [interactive teaching methods] activities require more work from the students, but the students report that they feel they are learning more and are more vested in their own learning.

Here

Google I/O 2011: Keynote Day Two

2011-05-12T13:57:00.000+01:00