Given the fast growing MOOC phenomenon (read our article on MOOCs), Google launched an online video university recently.

Google Helpouts is an online service providing a platform for users to collaborate, share expertise and assist other users by means of live, real-time video streaming.

To use this service, you have to be a member of Google+. You will be able to access Helpouts either through your computer or tablet or by downloading the Android app for your cellphone.

Within seconds you can have a personal instructor at your disposal or when it suits you. No limits on time or location exist – you can have access to expert advice any time of day or night.

Helpout schedules a session when it suits you best and outomatically adds it to your Google calendar. An option to be reminded via sms or e-mail also exists to ensure you don’t forget your session.

Thousands of providers have already joined Helpouts and teach in a wide range of specialist fields. Experts or, as Google refers to them, “providers” can be small, medium or large companies, but also individuals.

Even you can host your popular origami class on Helpouts. Just remember, experts have to be approved by Google and need to list their qualifications, prices and schedules.

Unlike MOOCs, Google’s new service comes at a cost.

Clients pay per minute or session for a live video conversation with an expert who gives Google 20% of his fee as payment. Free sessions are also available for some companies as part of their marketing strategy

Payment is made via Google Wallet, which holds your credit card details, and you can pay per session or per minute. If you’re not satisfied with the service, Helpout  will provide you with a full refund – if you request one within 72 hours.

Do you suddenly feel the urge to learn to play guitar? Matt Gibson is waiting for you at Google Helpouts …

[SOURCE: www.iol.co.za en www.wikpedia.org]

TED has been inspiring millions around the world and most of the time he only has 18 minutes to do it! Quite the motivational speaker, isn’t he?

Good thing TED isn’t just one person otherwise he would’ve been exhausted after almost 30 years of talking.

TED talks began as a simple attempt to share what happens at various TED conferences around the world. It started off way back in 1984 when people from three different worlds – Technology, Entertainment and Design – came together at a conference to share ideas. They realized that some of these ideas might actually be cool and worth sharing with other people. And so TED talks was born.

In spite of it’s popularity TED remains a nonprofit organization and has grown exponentially over the years.  Along with two annual conferences, the TED Conference and TEDGlobal, TED includes the award-winning TED Talks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

But the most popular of all these seem to be TED talks. As talks were given at conferences around the world, they were released online and quickly attracted a global audience who liked what they heard. Since June 2006, they have been offered for free viewing online, under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons license, through TED.com.

In January 2009 the then amount of videos had been viewed 50 million times. In June 2011 the amount of views totaled 500 million, and on 13 November 2012, TED reached its billionth video view.

Initially speakers came from the three fields of Technology, Entertainment and Design, but over the years they have included scientists, philosophers, musicians, religious leaders, philanthropists and many others. Previous presenters include Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Malcolm Gladwell, Al Gore, Gordon Brown, Richard Dawkins, Bill Gates, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and many Nobel Prize winners. Since speakers are given only 18 minutes, their ideas have to be conveyed in the most innovative and interesting way to capture their audience and often also though storytelling.

As of May 2013, over 1,500 talks are available free online. Every week 5-7 new talks are being published. Topics range from a talk on why bees are disappearing to how to make stress your friend and everything in between. Whether you’re looking for something informative, inspiring, ingenious or just plain jaw-dropping, you’ll find it here.

So what are you waiting for? Get some inspiration at http://www.ted.com/talks

 [SOURCE: www.wikipedia.org & http://www.ted.com/]