Microsoft last week announced Bing in the classroom, an ad-free search engine that teachers have the power to control in order to create a safer, more private online environment for students. Sounds nice, but is it for real? Computerworld digs into some of the corporate history of the project. The Techlicious blog takes note of the convenient timing with Google’s announced pro-privacy changes to its apps for education service: “We know that trust is earned through protecting their privacy and providing the best security measures,” writes Bram Bout, Director, Google for Education. If nothing else, these recent campaigns show an understanding by the IT big boys that, much like soda machines and TV channels in the classroom, parents hate having their kids marketed while in the classroom. —Kevin Hogan, Editorial Director
