TechBytes: Online Education vs. College

Plants vs. Zombies invades Xbox, Try before you buys apps.

ByABC News
August 9, 2010, 10:52 AM

Aug. 9, 2010— -- Bill Gates says the best college education could soon be available online and for free. At a tech conference, the Microsoft founder said that in five years the best lectures in the world will be available for free on the web. And he thinks that will make the Internet "better than any single university." Gates also thinks there needs to be a way to get credit for what you learn, no matter where you learn it.

The popular online game Plants vs. Zombies is invading the Xbox. The game is pretty much the same as the original released last year, with you trying to protect your house from the undead. But the Xbox Live version will offer something new. You'll be able to team up with your friends, or go head-to-head with one of you playing as the zombies. The game will be available on Xbox Live Arcade for $15 on Sept. 8.

Apple is now letting iPhone owners test drive some apps before buying them. It has launched a "try before you buy" section in its app store. The section is only offering a limit number of apps for now, and they're just the stripped down or ad-supported version. But it could help you decide if a program is really worth owning. You can find the new section by clicking on "Free on the app store" in iTunes.

Most young people these days will probably tell you they can't live without the Internet. For one 20 year old, that's taking on a whole new meaning. Dan Brown is putting his life in the internet's hands for the next year. Dan 3.0 is a new web show that allows viewers to decide everything he does. Suggest tasks and vote on them and each day he'll do the most popular one. You can follow Dan on revision3.com/dan30.