The cost of college tuition is stunning. But you can get basic courses for $25 apiece.
Starting March 7, GoStudyHall.com will have online classes from America's top universities. The price is a far cry from the standard online tuition. According to EducationData.org, online tuition averages $38,496 for a bachelor's degree for in-state students, and $54,183 if you're out of state. Even one virtual class could cost around $1,000.
I went to GoStudyHall.com to check out the previews, clicking on a U.S. history course taught by Danielle Bainbridge. She's an assistant professor at Northwestern University who also lectures at PBS Origins. I found her entertaining. The site also offers English composition, College Math and "Human" Communication. Robots need not apply.
Speaking of applying, there's no application necessary, nor do you need a minimum grade point average. You just have to be 18 or older. Arizona State University provides the credits, but you don't have to finish your degree there. There are hundreds of colleges, both online and off, that accept Arizona State transfers.
If you're not sure you want to pay the $25, you can watch the courses on the free GoStudyHall YouTube channel first, then switch over when you're ready to earn credits. Besides academics, there are videos on how to get a student loan, how to earn money while you're in college and other practical topics.
Of course, since GoStudyHall is just starting out, there are not many courses yet. For more, consider Sophia.org ($99 for two courses in one month), edX ($50 to $300 per course), Study.com for $200 a month, or Udacity for $399 a month.
AI MARCHES ON
ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence search engine at chat.openai.com that teachers are moaning about, just passed medical, business and law exams this month. It did better than its human counterparts. The tests included a three-part U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, the final test of an MBA program from the Wharton Business School, and four different University of Minnesota Law School exams.
HELP FOR STROKE PATIENTS
Stroke patients who've forgotten how to walk naturally can get their gait back with a new exoskeleton from Atalante. It was just cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and is beginning to show up in clinics.
An exoskeleton is a robotic helper that forms around your body to bolster your legs and torso, giving you a powerful assist. It's self-balancing, battery-powered and adjustable. But it has to be used in a clinical setting with a therapist.
ADDING A PERSONAL NOTE
Calligrapher.ai is a great website for turning your typing into handwriting. Go to the bottom of the page and type anything. It might come out a bit messy because the default style is set to medium legibility. I moved the dial up to maximum legibility. Then I practiced writing various names and phrases in each of the nine different fonts. Unfortunately, it only takes short sentences, but it could be a great way to sign off on an email to your loved one. I used Windows Snipping Tool to screen capture it, then inserted it into the bottom of a Gmail. On my phone, I captured it by holding the lower-volume and power buttons, then sent it as a text.
DON'T BE LATE
Lyft just joined Uber in charging you if you're more than two minutes late for a pickup. The charge varies by location, but in an example cited by The Verge, the passenger was 58 seconds late and was charged 49 cents extra.
REMOVING WATERMARKS
It's illegal to use other people's art and photos for commercial purposes, but if you need to remove text from a photo for a private project, try the website PixelBin.io. In my tests, it did best on images with an uncomplicated background, such as grass. For example, it removed all of the Getty Images logo from a mushroom in the grass, but it smeared a table in another photo, rather than deal with the multiple objects on it. PixelBin.io gives you 45 image transformations free, no credit card required.
PYTHON FOR KIDS
According to LinkedIn, there are over 644,000 jobs for coders in the Python programming language. Over 34,000 of those jobs are new. To get on the bandwagon, check out the latest edition of "Python for Kids" by Jason Briggs, $35 on nostarch.com. Of course, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy tinkering with the book's sample programs for creating ravenous monsters, secret agents, thieving ravens and more. It's a fun way to learn.
"Python" is named after "Monty Python's Flying Circus," a British comedy show from the 1970s. You can still see their routines on YouTube, including the hilarious "Ministry of Silly Walks."
INTERNUTS
• "How to Get Wi-Fi On a Plane: Which Airlines Offer It Free." In that CNET article, you'll discover which airlines go beyond their free in-flight entertainment channels. American charges $10 for Wi-Fi. Delta offers it free for SkyMiles members. JetBlue Wi-Fi is totally free. Southwest charges $8 per device. United charges $8 for members, $10 for nonmembers.
• "The Machiavelli Microbe," from sciencehistory.org, is about toxoplasmosis, a scary bacterium that can turn mice into easy prey by making them enjoy the smell of cat urine. In humans, it can cause eye, lung and brain disease. Protect yourself by wearing gloves around the litter box.
Joy Schwabach can be reached by email at joy.schwabach@gmail.com.