Category: News

Wharton’s (Half of a) MBA Giveaway

Wharton to give away MBA classes

This week, Wharton announced it would start making half of its core MBA classes available for free online.

The series of pre-recorded lectures and interactive exercises last for six to ten weeks, and are meant to replicate the first year of an MBA student’s time at the school.

This seems like a great opportunity for someone to pick up a few advanced skills without the need to drop $100k on a single year of classes.

With the rising costs of education, increased popularity of MBA programs, and the prevalence of free online learning options, this is an interesting move by what is likely the most respected name in the MBA game. It’s not as if the school needs to convince people of the quality of their classes, and I’m guessing that giving away these select courses won’t dissuade many applicants from paying to attend the program. After all, students choose Wharton for more than just the time spent sitting in front of a teacher. These online classes don’t provide any sort of degree, certification, transferable credit, alumni networking or career support.

But I’m guessing that won’t stop a few people from adding it to their LinkedIn profile anyway.

Chromecast: Making streaming to your TV simple

Google is expanding its hardware suite with the launch of Chromecast — a small $35 dongle that essentially turns any TV into a smart TV that can stream videos from a phone, tablet or computer:

This ability isn’t new, obviously. AppleTV, Roku, Boxee, various gaming systems, and any computer with a HDMI output has allowed users to do this for years. What makes Chromecast interesting is that you can finally do this without adding yet another box with more wires to your entertainment system. By plugging the keychain-sized device into the back of your TV, you can start streaming videos on the big screen seamlessly, even while you continue browsing on your computer.

The Chromecast smartly comes with a free 3-month subscription to Netflix. This is the perfect complementary product for users who have been vaguely interested in switching from high cable bills to the more personalized viewing options available on Netflix, easily solving how to avoid watching ‘Sharknado‘ on your 9-inch iPad screen.