Apple makes the iPad, the iPad 2, and will soon (as in sometime this year) will release another iPad unit, be it an iPad 3 or an iPad 2S, containing a software upgrade not unlike the update made to the iPhone 4 with the 4S. What will happen then is the price model will be adjusted yet again to the point where the least powerful iPad, the original iPad, will be nearly free. It wont be free to all customers though, it’ll be subsidized, as it always should have been, to school classrooms across the United States and perhaps across the world.

If Apple wants to start a real revolution in the world of Education, they need to make a move that will actually change the way we work with computers, something as big as the release of the iPad or the iPhone itself. Price is key at this point, not specifications, and Apple has the power to make the classroom a place of the future while at the same time building themselves up as the Education-focused group they’ve said they were since their inception.

At the moment, the robots won’t be placed in complete charge of the class (yet?), but will take on supplementary tasks such as reciting original stories, and connecting to parents for message exchange and progress reports for their children.

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology believes that they may be an international market beyond their own country for the robotic education system, and are already talking plans with developing nations.  There’s always been propositions (bordering on the extremes of feasibility) of robots educating our future generations, but this is the first tangible manifestation of that particular concept.  I guess when Korean children have finished classes taught by robots, they can go to Robot land for fun and games, provided by the same kin.

[etnews via Engadget]

That light – which signals any 2100 that’s using its internet connectivity – can also be accessed by educational software developers, who could use it in their programs.  One suggestion was an “I’m finished” indicator, telling the teacher that the student has completed their task.  The keyboard, meanwhile, can have an optional $20 antimicrobial coating, but whether treated or not it’s reportedly comfortable and spacious, as is the trackpad.

The 10-inch 1024 x 576 display has decent viewing angles – useful if more than one student is trying to use the Latitude 2100 at the same time - and the touchscreen option is a mere $30.  As for performance, the non-standard 1.5GB of RAM (only 1GB or 2GB will be available) meant PCMark05 benchmarking ranked the 2100 higher than rival machines.  Battery life from the 6-cell battery clocked in at 4hs 47 minutes, less than rivals can achieve from the same sized pack.

Overall, though, the market-specific tweaks and sturdy build make the Dell Latitude 2100 a sensible option for the schoolroom.  Private buyers may find it expensive ($499 upwards) and heavy, but rival netbooks from ASUS or MSI might have trouble holding up to regular use by careless children.

Video demo after the cut

OS is either Vista, XP or Ubuntu 8.10, and there’s a three-in-one media card reader.  The standard battery is a 3-cell pack (6-cell optional) with which the Latitude 2100 weighs 2.91lb (1.32kg); there are no vents on the underside, so as to avoid any spilled liquids, and a VGA ports allows the netbook to be hooked up to a larger external display. 

Dell are also offering the Dell Mobile Computing Station docking cart, which stores 24 Latitude 2100 netbooks and can be used to adminstrate them with a single ethernet and power cable.  The Dell Latitude 2100 goes on sale today, priced from $369, though there’s no word on how much the docking cart costs.  More photos here.

Press Release:

DELL DELIVERS INDUSTRY FIRSTS WITH 10.1-INCH NETBOOK DESIGNED FOR EDUCATION

• Dell believes every child should have access to the world of knowledge beyond the classroom
• The new Latitude2100 is influenced by the needs of K-12 students – ‘student rugged’ design offered in five colors with wireless connectivity that can be monitored by educators with a network activity light
• Optional touchscreen is a first for education netbooks
• Custom-built Mobile Computing Station equips classrooms with a cart to store, manage and network up to 24 netbooks with one Ethernet and power cord
• The Latitude 2100 will also appeal to other public-sector and enterprise customers looking for a netbook for uses from employee training to order fulfillment, or wanting secondary systems for their workforces
• Backed by Dell’s award-winning business-class service and support – including optional onsite services

ROUND ROCK, Texas, May 19, 2009 – Dell believes every child should have the opportunity and tools to learn the skills necessary to succeed in the digital world. Critical to this is the availability of technology designed for the unique needs of K-12 students, teachers and school administrators. Today, Dell set a new standard in education technology with the launch of a netbook influenced by the needs of K-12 students, the Latitude™ 2100. The Latitude 2100 is also ideal for any business or public institution that needs affordable, durable, Internet-ready devices for email and collaboration.

Inspired by close cooperation with hundreds of students, teachers, parents and administrators, Dell designers created a purpose-built education netbook that focuses on what’s most important – learning. The Latitude 2100 is part of Dell’s connected classroom ― innovative technology products, services, software and training that make learning in the digital age a reality. With the Latitude 2100, students can access enhanced learning resources and digital content on a school network or via the Internet. As a result, the Latitude 2100 blends into student life, from lesson plans to homework, increasing time spent learning versus managing technology.

The Latitude 2100 has unique features for schools like bright primary colors and a more rugged, ‘rubberized’ design that is easier for children to carry and use safely. It also offers wireless connectivity that can be monitored by the teacher with a Network Activity Light on the netbook lid. An optional touchscreen is a first for an education netbook and makes the Latitude 2100 a perfect choice for enhanced student interaction, assessment, and for special education teaching. The Latitude 2100 also offers administrators a range of services making it easier to deploy and manage.

Additional options include: a keyboard featuring antimicrobial protection (U.S. only), solid-state drives, quick-connect handles and shoulder straps for carrying, and a webcam. The Latitude 2100 is backed by Dell’s award-winning business service and support.

The Latitude 2100 extends Dell’s Latitude range and joins the Latitude XT tablet and fully rugged Latitude E6400 XFR as systems designed to meet the exacting needs of customers across a range of private and public-sector organizations with specific mobile computing requirements. Enterprises and public-sector customers looking for a business-class netbook will be attracted to the Latitude 2100 for activities ranging from employee training to order fulfillment or when a secondary system is required by their workforce.

The News:
• The “student-rugged” Latitude 2100 is designed to absorb the daily bumps and bruises of a crowded playground or backpack. Offered in five colors – School Bus Gold, Chalkboard Black, Ball Field Green, Blue Ribbon and Schoolhouse Red– the Latitude 2100 comes with a 10.1-inch screen and a unique “four-square-ball-style” rubber casing, making it easy for little hands to grip the netbook.

• The system is available with a personalized window on the back of the battery pack where the school logo or name can be displayed, allowing schools to personalize or easily identify systems.

• Equipped with a wireless communication suite and optional webcam, the Latitude 2100 enables productive days filled with collaboration, exploration and easy uploading of assignments. A Network Activity Light on the lid helps teachers monitor network use and identify students who may be surfing the Internet.

• The Latitude 2100 also includes:
o Choice of XP Home, Vista Home Basic and Linux Ubuntu
o Intel Atom processor N270
o 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity coupled with a full suite of wireless communication options
o 2.91lb* (1.32kg) starting at weight with 3-cell battery
o Hard or solid state drives for increased durability
o Three-cell or six-cell battery
o Three-in-one Media Card Reader
o Optional External DVD+/-RW via USB
o VGA port
o Clean bottom is vent-free to avoid any intrusion from spills
o Options: webcam and a keyboard featuring antimicrobial protection (U.S. only)

• Key management features can allow IT administrators to lower overall ownership cost and speed up deployment:
o More durable design that means a longer product life
o Remote management for easier administration
o Dell ImageDirect where systems can be delivered with pre-installed software and the school’s specific network image (U.S. only).
o Hardware Customization helps reduce deployment time by configuring software straight from the factory (U.S. only). This reduces the need for the administrator to physically touch the system and speeds up getting it in the hands of the students.

• Coming soon in the U.S., the Latitude 2100 is available with a Mobile Computing Station that equips classrooms with a cart to store securely, manage and network up to 24 netbooks with one Ethernet and power cord.

• The system is available today, and starts at $369. More information is available at www.dell.com/latitude.

Literacy Bridge envisage the Talking Book Devices serving dual purposes: initially, they will disseminate essential, accurate information via device-to-device sharing, which in the pilot study will include disease prevention techniques and farming best practices.  Over longer periods, particularly when paired with textbooks, learners can engage in comprehension and pronunciation activities, play back lessons at various speeds, skip ahead or backwards, define vocabulary words, engage in multiple-choice style question-and-answer sessions, and access other interactive activities.

The pilot is taking place in Ghana, with an unspecified number of Talking Book Devices being distributed among school children, children who are unable to attend school, and adults looking for literacy training and applicable information on disease prevention and agriculture.  More details here.

Press Release:

Literacy Bridge Launches Pilot Program in Ghana

New technology provides children and adults with access to critical information such as farming best practices and disease prevention techniques, while helping to boost literacy skills

Seattle, WA, February 11, 2009 — After 18 months of research and development, Literacy Bridge, a non-profit organization that provides children and adults with tools for knowledge sharing and literacy learning, today announced the launch of the organization’s Talking Book pilot program in northern Ghana. Literacy Bridge’s Talking Book Device is a sub-$10 audio computer designed to improve literacy skills and facilitate access to information for rural people living with poverty and disease.

Through the pilot, dozens of Talking Book Devices are being tested by Ghanaian school children, children who are unable to attend school, and adults looking for literacy training and applicable information on disease prevention and agriculture. The pilot project allows Literacy Bridge volunteers, including undergraduate interns from MIT, to collect invaluable information regarding the device’s usability, impact, and potential scalability. Specific objectives include:

1. Usability feedback through community discussions, interviews, and focus groups.

2. Observation of how content is shared, what content is most popular, and what content is created by users.

3. Collaboration with local health and agriculture officers, including representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Ghana Education Services (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on development and dissemination of crucial information.

4. Collaboration with local school systems to build lesson plans that maximize the device’s impact in the classroom.

Talking Book Devices are designed with both short-term and long-term goals in mind. They immediately serve as mechanisms for the rapid and free distribution of essential, accurate information via device-to-device sharing. Disease prevention techniques and farming best practices are available during the pilot, and Literacy Bridge continues to partner with representatives from rural MOFA agricultural field offices and GHS clinics, as well as other government and non-governmental organizations, to develop additional content.

“With the Talking Book Device, my staff can help even more farming families,” said Allhasah M. Kuzie, director of the Jirapa district office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. “Our talks on improving their agricultural productivity can be recorded and later made available to people who could not attend or who have forgotten some of the details. We are excited to partner with Literacy Bridge, and we believe that together we will help many people improve their lives.”

Talking Book Devices also facilitate literacy learning over time, with cumulative benefits. When paired with textbooks, learners can engage in comprehension and pronunciation activities, play back lessons at various speeds, skip ahead or backwards, define vocabulary words, engage in multiple-choice style question-and-answer sessions, and other interactive activities. The Talking Book Devices enable students and parents to practice reading skills in the absence of an educator or as a complement to formal education.

“The success and introduction of this project in the Jirapa district of the Ghana Education Service will go a long way to enhance effective lesson delivery and learning objectives,” said Martin Bayor, district director of education in Ghana. “It will bring about high productivity and will help to reduce illiteracy.”

Call for Donations

Literacy Bridge is staffed entirely by volunteers. All of the organization’s efforts, including research and development for the Talking Book Device, have been funded through private donations. The organization is seeking additional donors, partners, and foundation funding. Further information is available online at http://literacybridge.org/donate.

About Literacy Bridge

Literacy Bridge is a nonprofit organization which empowers children and adults with affordable tools for knowledge sharing and literacy learning as an effective means towards advancing education, health, economic development, democracy and human rights. To meet these objectives, the organization has developed the Talking Book Device, a low cost digital audio player and recorder for people in the developing world to gain access to information. Literacy Bridge collaborates with local governments and NGOs to develop locally relevant content. For more information please visit http://literacybridge.org/

Video demo of the Ideum MT2 Table after the cut

Ideum have partnered with Swedish firm Natural User Interface (NUI) for the MT2 Table’s software.  In its most basic form it comes with the Snowflake Software gesture recognition multi-touch environment, together with a media viewer (for images and video), basic drawing app and a 3D model viewer, plus a multitouch-enabled version of Google Earth.  However Snowflake also allows developers to create their own applications with Flash, C/C++/C#, Java, Python, and other programming languages.

The first MT2 Tables to be installed will be at The Don Harrington Discovery Center in Amarillo, Texas and Vulcan Park and Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, with Ideum working on custom apps for each.  No word on pricing, though I’m sure if you ask nicely enough they’ll build you one for your lounge.

Press Release:

Ideum Releases Ruggedized High-Resolution Multi-touch Table For Museums

CORRALES, New Mexico (February 4, 2009) Ideum, an exhibit and media design firm, has announced the release of the first ruggedized multi-touch, multi-user table built specifically for museums.

The MT Table supports multi-touch and multi-user interactions. It has a bright 50″ (diagonal) surface with a high-resolution (1280 x 720) display which is higher than Microsoft’s Surface multi-touch table. The large display also makes it easier to facilitate multiple simultaneous visitors interacting with computer programs through the use of multi-touch gestures. Visitors can use hand gestures to manipulate images or media or to interact with computer-based programs.

“We’ve been working with museums for a decade and we wanted to create a platform where visitors could interact with museum content, programs and one another in new and meaningful ways,” said Jim Spadaccini, Director of Ideum. “The intuitive nature of multi-touch interaction, the large surface and low table height: all of these factors contribute to the visitors experience. The table is both a physical and social platform, it does what the traditional computer kiosk cannot do.”

The table, which stands 31″ tall with heavy duty locking casters, is wheel-chair accessible and meets standard ADA requirements for height; an important consideration for museums. The table is automated and can safely shut itself down when the museum closes for the day.

The MT is also incredibly durable with a frame built of aircraft-grade aluminum and a surface of thick, tempered glass. All of the components of the MT Table are industrial grade and built to withstand the demands of busy museums, including hands-on science centers.

Ideum has partnered with Natural User Interface (NUI), a Swedish technology company specializing in multi-touch solutions to provide the base software package. Each table comes with NUI’s Snowflake Software a fast and reliable gesture recognition multi-touch software package. This software allows developers to create their own applications with Flash, C/C++/C#, Java, Python, and other programming languages.

Snowflake also comes with a set of basic applications: Viewer (media viewer with support for image and video media types), Draw (basic drawing application), 3D model viewer (.3ds and .obj file format support) and others. The MT table also includes TouchEarth (Google Earth with a multitouch interface).

Ideum is currently developing custom software for The Don Harrington Discovery Center in Amarillo, Texas and Vulcan Park and Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. These museums will have the first two tables, with installations scheduled for March. The installation for Vulcan Park and Museum will include two multi-touch kiosks making it one of the first permanent exhibits in the world to use multi-touch technology throughout the gallery space.

Ideum develops computer-based exhibits and installations for museums across North America. Since the firm was founded in 1999, it has worked on over 70 projects that have explored a variety of science, history, art, and cultural topics. Ideum-developed exhibits and Websites have won numerous awards over the years including; the American Association of Museums’ MUSE Awards, the Webby Awards, the Pirelli International Multimedia Awards, the Museums and the Web Conference “Best of the Web,” and other industry awards. To learn more, visit: www.ideum.com

What still isn’t entirely clear is how costs can be brought down to such an extent.  Currently the price is working out to around double the budget per machine – still an impressive feat by itself – but a secretary for education in the Indian government believes that will change once it enters production: “At this stage, the price is working out to be $20 but with mass production it is bound to come down.”

India rejected the OLPC XO-1 notebook claiming that the total cost per unit of $200 was simply too expensive to consider a full-scale roll-out.  Instead, the government invested in e-classroom technologies – including four mainstream textbook publishers, around 5-percent of whose content will be offered free - and is considering a plan to subsidize internet connections for every school.

[via Slashdot]

Star Guitarist works with your PC or Mac, and comes with a six-string Washburn guitar.  The cool thing about this guitar is that each string has a different color, making it easier for first-time guitar players to learn the instrument.

No word yet on when Disney’s Star Guitarist will be released, but expect it to cost you around $200+.  That’s a small price to pay to start your career as a rock star.

[via T3]

Part of the problem is the underwhelming hardware and software.  While Intel’s Atom may not be the most speedy of CPUs, it’s still enough to run standard Windows apps if the mood takes you.  The Elonex processor falls short, as much open-source software won’t even work with it.  Meanwhile that software pre-loaded is clunky and less than satisfactory, with the Flash player being too old to cope with YouTube and a complete absence of security on the netbook.

Most concerning, though, is the Elonex’s inability to play nice with educational setups.  Plugged In Blog tried to use the netbook with a Microsoft Sharepoint-based school network used in Leeds, UK, but the One T would not play ball.  Add that to the limited onboard memory (even the more advanced One T+ only has 2GB of storage) and the software incompatibilities, and Elonex’s offering looks to be a few cost-cuts too far.

Japan’s education system let schools to decide teaching and learning tools as they see fit – The Tokyo Joshi Gakuen school chooses to adapt to interactive learning by using Nintendo DS. However concern arises when the school starting its trial phase that student would use the console to play games in school rather than using it as an education tools.

The school vice principal said the school will be enforcing “no game play” rule and collects the console once English class is over. If the result of this trial is fruitful, it might be implemented into everyday use.

[via reghardware]