The government releases data nearly every day and agencies such as the Census Bureau provide that data on their websites. While each agency publishes a schedule of releases, it’s not easy to keep track. Luckily, the Census has a free app that reports the most recent values for 16 key economic indicators the day they are released. Students can view the data on their iOS and Android devices and you can talk about them in class that day. Look here for the app.
First Published : June 7, 2013
The QWERTY keyboard is an often-cited example of technological lock-in–when prior use of a technology makes the adoption of subsequent technologies difficult. What is interesting is that technological lock-in can lead to establishing inefficient technology and even economic institutions. The emergence of thumb-typing on smartphones and tablets may be giving rise to a new, more efficient keyboard. Will technological lock-in prevail? When reading Chapter 26 (9e) of my Principles of Economics textbook, students may enjoy listening to the episode of NPR’s Here and Now. A more in-depth discussion of QWERTY including the more efficient, replacement for thumb-typing called KALQ can be found on the Smithsonian blog, Design Decoded.
First Published : June 4, 2013