How can you learn forÂeign lanÂguages online? Last week, The New York Times outÂlined a good numÂber of options for its readÂers. And, for days, the artiÂcle remained one of the most wideÂly read pieces on the NYT site. Today, the paper issued a folÂlowup post, highÂlightÂing yet more ways to learn lanÂguages digÂiÂtalÂly. And hapÂpiÂly our colÂlecÂtion, Learn LanÂguages for Free: SpanÂish, EngÂlish, ChiÂnese & 37 OthÂer LanÂguages, got a small menÂtion there. When takÂen togethÂer, these two pieces spell out the difÂferÂent eduÂcaÂtionÂal opporÂtuÂniÂties fairÂly well. Some of the sites menÂtioned include LiveMocha.com, BBC lanÂguages, and ManÂgo LanÂguages.
The Beautiful Math of Coral & Crochet
Our readÂer GarÂnet sets the stage for this video: “MathÂeÂmatiÂcians have long declared that geoÂmetÂriÂcal hyperÂbolÂic space could not be modÂeled in the real world. Now it’s been done, through croÂchet! Watch TED video sciÂence writer MarÂgaret Wertheim explain how the art of croÂchet emuÂlates sea slugs creÂatÂing coral strucÂtures in hyperÂbolÂic space, using art to bring attenÂtion to the disÂapÂpearÂance of coral through globÂal warmÂing.” You can get more inforÂmaÂtion about this preÂsenÂtaÂtion here. And, for more TED Talks, don’t forÂget to check out this handy online spreadÂsheet.
What Teachers Make
Great mesÂsage. Give it a minute to get going. PerÂformed by TayÂlor Mali at the BowÂery PoetÂry Club on NovemÂber 12, 2005. Thanks Thomas for sharÂing.
This clip is now added to our YouTube favorites.
An Open Invitation: Suggest & Contribute
SomeÂwhere durÂing your day, you spot a great video, an enrichÂing audio lecÂture, or an excelÂlent free ebook. And you think, that’s perÂfect for Open CulÂture. So you shoot us a quick note, and the next thing you know, your perÂsonÂal disÂcovÂery is live on the site, being shared with thouÂsands of like-mindÂed readÂers from across the globe — readÂers from LonÂdon to New York, from Tehran to BanÂgaÂlore, from SydÂney to Sao Paulo and beyond. And our globÂal vilÂlage is hapÂpy … and betÂter off for it. Sounds good, right? We think so.
So here’s what we ask: WhenÂevÂer you see a great piece of intelÂliÂgent media, please quickÂly send it our way. (We have a nice “SugÂgest a Link” butÂton on the upper right side of the site.) And, assumÂing it fits with Open CulÂture’s genÂerÂal misÂsion, we’ll share it with your felÂlow readÂers, give you full credÂit, and thank you warmÂly. Look forÂward to your sugÂgesÂtions, and, if you haven’t already, please join us on FaceÂbook and TwitÂter.
Top 10 Reasons Why iPad Marks Kindle’s Death
Caveat: If you missed it, yesterday’s post was 10 ReaÂsons iPad Will Not Kill KinÂdle. So take everyÂthing here with approÂpriÂate grains of salt.
10.) Books with graphÂics. Many books conÂtain phoÂtos, graphÂics and diaÂgrams that the KinÂdle does not hanÂdle well, if at all. When peoÂple realÂize that the iPad will do this flawÂlessÂly, they’ll head in that direcÂtion. ExamÂple: while readÂing the new CarvÂer biogÂraÂphy on my KinÂdle, an expeÂriÂence that I loved, I had to miss out on all of the picÂtures colÂlectÂed from Carver’s life. Once you take into account newsÂpaÂpers and magÂaÂzines, there’s even more weight on iPad’s side.
9.) Cost: SeriÂousÂly, AmaÂzon realÂly overÂstepped their boundÂaries when they set Kindle’s price at around $300, as they did. If they had made it $100 or less, they would have probÂaÂbly have sold 4 or 5 times the numÂber of devices, hookÂing more readÂers to their bookÂstore and their device. Look at Gillette as an examÂple: which costs more—the razor or the razor blades?
8.) “I love my KinÂdle!” – less than two milÂlion peoÂple have bought the AmaÂzon prodÂuct. By comÂparÂiÂson, over forty milÂlion iPhones and iPod TouchÂes have been sold. No one knows how many folks will rush out to buy an iPad, but if preÂviÂous iPhone sales and the buzz around the iPad are any indiÂcaÂtion, this is going to be anothÂer big win for Apple.
7.) iPad is a KinÂdle: just use that free KinÂdle app on your iPad and you’ve got the whole KinÂdle store wide open to you. You can even take your whole KinÂdle library right over to Apple’s iPad with the KinÂdle App.
6.) Cost, again: with iPad comÂing in at a low $499 for a device that’s much betÂter made and feaÂtures much more capaÂbilÂiÂty than the KinÂdle, with at least four times the memÂoÂry… well, you get the picÂture. Oh jeez… I just found out the KinÂdle DX goes for $489. Oh, Mr. Bezos… what are you thinkÂing?
5.) CapaÂbilÂiÂty. PeoÂple don’t want a dedÂiÂcatÂed readÂing device: if you can carÂry around a device the size of your e‑reader, but also use it to check email, surf the web, watch TV and movies, lisÂten to music, use office-type apps, etc. then that’s going to win in today’s econÂoÂmy.
4.) Book pricÂing. It looks like Apple, the diaÂbolÂiÂcal pricers of all songs at $.99, might wind up being the pubÂlishÂers’ darÂling in the e‑book marÂket by pricÂing their titles highÂer than AmaÂzon has been. So far it looks like ibooks will be closÂer to the $14.99 price point that pubÂlishÂers like. Right now, as evinced by this past weekend’s squabÂble between AmaÂzon and MacmilÂlan, pubÂlishÂers appear to be fed up with Amazon’s pricÂing stratÂeÂgy. Apple may just become pubÂlishÂers’ white knight. (more…)
Virginia Woolf: Her Voice Recaptured
LisÂten up. The clip above feaÂtures the only surÂvivÂing recordÂing of VirÂginia Woolf’s voice. It comes from a 1937 BBC radio broadÂcast. The talk, entiÂtled “CraftsÂmanÂship,” was part of a series called “Words Fail Me.” You can find a tranÂscript of the recordÂed porÂtion here. Thanks Kirstin for helpÂing get this nugget out there.
via mhpÂbooks
10 Reasons iPad Will Not Kill Kindle
Caveat: before half of you get your shorts in a bunch, tomorÂrow’s post will be: Top 10 ReaÂsons Why iPad Means KinÂdle Is Dead. With that said, have at it!
10.) TakÂing readÂing from a simÂple printÂed page to an e‑book enviÂronÂment such as the KinÂdle is a great step forÂward. Its ease of use, portaÂbilÂiÂty and storÂage are ideÂal for readÂers. No more innoÂvaÂtions needÂed!
9.) The enjoyÂment of readÂing has always takÂen place withÂin a reader’s mind. This is both why readÂing is great and why the words on the page don’t need to be in flashy colÂors or feaÂture fanÂcy graphÂics.
8.) Added cost of iPad and $30/month fee for 3G from AT&T (the realÂisÂtic cost) make KinÂdle a betÂter deal. Enough said.
7.) EveryÂone hates AT&T, their 3G serÂvice is spotÂty at best, and NO ONE who’s buyÂing a 3G iPad will use less than 250MB a month, so the $14.95 price point for 3G is useÂless!
6.) Glare/e‑ink. You can always read durÂing the dayÂtime with your KinÂdle. Take it to the beach, read in broad dayÂlight. e‑ink is simÂply easÂiÂer on readÂers’ eyes than back-lit pixÂels.
5.) There’s no need for a device that fits between lapÂtop and smart phone. Both are extremeÂly portable and serve difÂferÂent purÂposÂes. If I want to curl up in bed with a movie or the web, I can use my lapÂtop for that already. If I want to curl up in bed and read, I can use my KinÂdle!
4.) Apps! That’s right: The new openÂing up of Amazon’s KinÂdle forÂmat to app develÂopÂers will mean a lot more verÂsaÂtilÂiÂty on the device. Once a few folks come along and develÂop email clients or web browsers for the KinÂdle, KinÂdle will become even more useÂful as a potenÂtial smart phone substitute—the niche that iPad seems intent on fillÂing.
3.) The new price-sharÂing announceÂment (70% publisher/30% AmaÂzon) for AmaÂzon’s DigÂiÂtal Text PlatÂform (DTP) makes KinÂdle more attracÂtive once again to all the powÂers that be in pubÂlishÂing. If they can get this pesky text-to-speech batÂtle cleared up, things will be even betÂter.
2.) Big pubÂlishÂing is curÂrentÂly doing so much of their sales through AmaÂzon, that they might be afraid to carÂry busiÂness over to Apple. Sure, they will sell books there, but keep in mind that Apple might have to keep prices in the iBook store highÂer than at AmaÂzon.
1.) “I love my KinÂdle!” –SeriÂousÂly, a lot of readÂers are devotÂed to these devices, includÂing me. I’ve found a nice covÂer that makes the KinÂdle easy to hold. I realÂly like the ease of buying/storing books on it. And I just want a plain, simÂple device to use for readÂing.
The opinÂions expressed above are not necÂesÂsarÂiÂly those of Open CulÂture or the author.
Up next (tomorÂrow): Top 10 ReaÂsons Why iPad Means KinÂdle is Dead
Seth HarÂwood is a voraÂcious readÂer, subÂverÂsive pubÂlishÂing maven and crime novÂelÂist. His next book Young Junius will be availÂable from Tyrus Books this fall. He’s sure to have some crazy proÂmoÂtions going at his site this spring as well.
Bertrand Russell on the Existence of God & the Afterlife (1959)
Bertrand RusÂsell, the Nobel Prize-winÂning philosoÂpher, mathÂeÂmatiÂcian and peace activist, died 40 years ago today. And so, above, we rewind the video tape to 1959, to RusÂsell explainÂing why he doesÂn’t believe in God. This was a viewÂpoint that he othÂerÂwise elabÂoÂratÂed upon in his well-known lecture/essay, Why I Am Not a ChrisÂtÂian. To be sure, some readÂers won’t share RusÂselÂl’s views on reliÂgion. But don’t take umbrage. Just rememÂber, we offer media from across the divide too.
Update: AnothÂer readÂer sent us a nice addiÂtion to the video above. Here, you can lisÂten to a famous 1948 debate between Bertrand RusÂsell and Father FredÂerÂick C. CopleÂston, Jesuit Catholic priest and proÂfesÂsor of phiÂlosÂoÂphy. It was origÂiÂnalÂly aired on the BBC.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
How Bertrand RusÂsell Turned The BeaÂtÂles Against the VietÂnam War
Bertrand RusÂsell & OthÂer Big Thinkers in BBC LecÂture Series (Free)
Bertrand RusÂsell Sends a MesÂsage to the Future
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Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
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