Tech Talk Roundtable 80 | Are VPN’s Healthy?

Chris, Jamie and Michael discuss their personal learnings and articles of the week.

Articles of the Week

1. Netflix Cracks Down on VPN and Proxy “Pirates” | TorrentFreak torrentfreak.com
   Netflix is starting to block subscribers who access its service using VPN services and other tools that bypass geolocation restrictions. The changes, which may also affect legitimate users, have been requested by the movie studios who want full control over what people can see in their respective countries.
2. How technology is making us healthier | TechCentral techcentral.co.za
   With the explosion in wearable technologies such as fitness trackers and smart watches, is it time to get on the bandwagon and “quantify” yourself?
3. Can tech make us healthier? – CNET cnet.com
   SAN LEANDRO, Calif.–While it’s unlikely that we can tweet our way out of the obesity epidemic, social media does offer some opportunities to shift some of the factors that have led to our society’s expanding waistlines. Already there are plenty of services aimed at creating online communities for dieters or for people to post their workout successes online. And it’s clear that Twitter and Facebook offer opportunities for positive reinforcement, online community and peer pressure to encourage healthier choices. But, despite a lot of innovation, just how to best harness social media is still a tricky challenge.
4. Why Kids Won’t Quit Technology – The Atlantic theatlantic.com

   Smartphones, iPads, TVs, computers, videogames. Technology is omnipresent, especially for young students. They just can’t get enough; one 2013 study found that college students check their digital devices for non-class purposes 11 times per day on average, and 80 percent of them admitted that the technology was distracting them from class. This has some educators and scientists concerned: Are students distracted because their brains are hard-wired for it after a lifetime of screens? Is there a cultural or behavioral element to the fixation that has infiltrated the classroom?

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