I don’t know if it’s the changing economy or merely the next iteration of Web 2.0, but it seems like the number of “free” services turning subscription is, well, no longer free. 

For those who were nervous about podcasting, I used to recommend Gcast.com.  Pick up the phone, type in your ID numbers, and record a voice mail that auto-converted to a podcast.  Free!

As of mid-April, this service now costs $99.

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From The Guardian, UK, on Feb. 24:

Social network sites risk infantilising the mid-21st century mind, leaving it characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity, according to a leading neuroscientist.

The startling warning from Lady Greenfield, professor of synaptic pharmacology at Lincoln college, Oxford, and director of the Royal Institution, has led members of the government to admit their work on internet regulation has not extended to broader issues, such as the psychological impact on children.

Both the article and the comments are fascinating.  Notice how many comments leap straight into condemnation of Lady Greenfield … is that “inability to empathize” or merely disagreement?   Of course, the challenge is whether or not you can read the article in its entirety without falling victim to a “short attention span” …

E.D. Hirsch expounds on improved standardized testing in The New York Times.