All posts by James Clay

e-book, kindle, sony

Sony eBook Reader – First Impressions

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Though I would have preferred a Kindle, in the end (as the Kindle is not available in the UK) we ordered some Sony eBook readers for assesment and evaluation at the college to see if they would be of any use for our learners. We got the Sony PRS 505 eBook Reader model.

Sony eBook Reader - First Impressions

So what are my first impressions then?

I did like the size and weight and the fact that it came with a leather case. It felt right and looked good.

Then I was initially disappointed that there was no native Mac support. Sony eBook Library is not officially supported on Mac OS X or Linux based systems, although when the device is connected it grants access to its internal flash memory as though it were a USB Mass Storage device allowing the user to transfer files directly. There are some third party applications and I have found (but not yet tried) Docudesk PRS Browser for the Mac.

So once I had access to a Windows PC, I installed the software, though I had to charge the device first. The device is charged by USB, though it has a 5V charging socket, it does not come with a charger (but the PSP one fits and works fine, not sure if I should recommend that).

After configuring I installed the “free” hundred classic books which come with the device and at this point not worry about buying any eBooks. I have been recommended to use WHSmith over Waterstones as WHSmith is “cheaper”.

The process of reading a book is quite simple and the screen is easy to read. I haven’t had a chance to read a whole book, but initial impressions was that the screen was not going to be too hard on the eyes. The controls are relatively simple, but there is no touchscreen (and as I am use to PDAs and the iPod touch) it was difficult not to touch or swipe the screen.

The Sony Reader can also show pictures (admittedly in greyscale) and play audio files.

So why would you want to use an eBook reader?

Well though you can use eBooks on a regular computer or laptop, the battery life on eBook readers is a lot longer and therefore will probably last the week unlike a laptop which would probably only last the morning.

It should also be possible (with SD Card and Memory Stick slots) to “give” students all their learning materials, assignments, etc as eBooks so there would be no need to download stuff from the institutional VLE.

Why would you use this over a laptop?

Personally I wouldn’t. I would more likely use it in conjunction with a laptop, using the Reader to read source material and the laptop to write it. I also think this would stop or deter the learner from potentially plagiarising a source by copying and pasting.

Overall my first impressions are very positive and I think it is a great device. Whether I will use it and use it extensively has yet to be seen.

stuff

Engadget does not like Windows Mobile 6.5

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Engadget, the gadget blog really doesn’t like Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

Still, some of us at Engadget (well, one of us, at least), feel like the folks in Redmond missed the mark by a longshot. Instead of demonstrating its technical prowess and vast resources, Microsoft limped out a half-hearted rehash of an OS we’ve seen all too much of, and managed to blind most onlookers with a storm of big time partnerships and bloated PR.

They go on to give ten reasons why Windows Mobile 6.5 misses the mark!

Read the article in full.

I will say that I am not a great fan of Windows Mobile, for many years I used an iPaq as a PDA, but recently (an Acer c530 for GPS and Satnav aside) I have been using either my Nokia phone or an iPod touch as my personal organiser.

apple

What do you use your computer for?

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Last week Apple released a new version of their Mac Pro with the eight core model available from £2,499 which if you add a few options as I did can be as expensive as £8,259!!! This would be one fast machine, with 16GB of RAM, 4TB of raw storage and two 30″ screens!

So if you were going to buy one what would you use it for? Such a beasty would be perfect for graphic manipulation, video editing, video encoding.

Hold on.

How often do you do that?

Not that often?

Wouldn’t an iMac be a better choice? You can get a 20″ iMac for £949.

Wait.

Do you do any video or audio editing? Do you manipulate images much on your computer?

What do you use your computer for?

A bit of word processing, checking e-mail, Twitter, Facebook and Jaiku…

A simple netbook would probably be the answer, spending £199 rather than £8000!

Of course I am not alone thinking like this, Wired has a wonderful article on the rise of the netbook.

The Wired article reminds us:

When Asustek launched the Eee PC in fall 2007, it sold out the entire 350,000-unit inventory in a few months. Eee PCs weren’t bought by people in poor countries but by middle-class consumers in western Europe and the US, people who wanted a second laptop to carry in a handbag for peeking at YouTube or Facebook wherever they were. Soon the major PC brands—Dell, HP, Lenovo—were scrambling to catch up.

The article goes on…

Most of the time, we do almost nothing. Our most common tasks—email, Web surfing, watching streamed videos—require very little processing power. Only a few people, like graphic designers and hardcore gamers, actually need heavy-duty hardware.

At the end of the day most of us, most of our learners do not need a powerful computer, we need something that allows us to do word processing (or blogging), e-mail, social networking, watching a web video, and general web surfing.

Though I suspect most e-learning people have a netbook as their second (or third) computer.

What do you use your computer for?

Thanks to Andy Black for blogging about the Wired article.

Last November we recorded a podcast on the impact of the Asus EeePC and other netbooks and you might want to listen to that.

Photo source.

iphone, ipod touch, podcast

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #016: One month later…

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On the 12th February 2009 David Sugden was given an iPhone for just one month. In a previous podcast he talked about his first impressions. Now a month later, is he still excited by the iPhone? Does he want to keep it? Will he be buying one for himself? Find out more in the e-Learning Stuff Podcast, “One month later…”

This is the sixteeth e-Learning Stuff Podcast, One month later…

Download the podcast in mp3 format: One month later…

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

James is joined by David Sugden.

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #016: One month later...

Shownotes

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presentation

Gadgetfest

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On Friday the 23rd January I gave a few online presentations (conferences) for the MoLeNET programme.

One was one which I had given the previous year on gadgets, entitled Gadgetfest. During the actual presentation I did talk about newer gadgets and new devices.

So what is out there? What devices are available? How are they been used? What can they do?

This presentation from the online conference explores the different devices available and their capabilities. Building on the experiences of year one of MoLeNET this will be an opportunity to learn how and what mobile devices can do to enhance, enrich and support your learners.

psp

GO!Explore for the PSP

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Back in October 2007 I blogged about GPS on the PSP.

The Playstation Portable (PSP) is as you may guess from the name usually used for playing games. However it has other tricks up its sleeve including so I read the possibility of GPS.

Today GO!Explore for the PSP arrived in my office. As well as a car cradle and charger, GO!Explore for the PSP consists of an UMD disk with maps and software and a GPS antenna which screws into the USB port on the top.

I have not had a chance to try out the GPS as I couldn’t be bothered to go out in the cold, so will probably have a go tomorrow. The software works well, but would (according to the software) work better from a memory stick. The 3D graphics are a nice touch and will be interesting to see how much of the UK is in 3D (I have expectations it is only London).

You can’t use the camera and GPS at the same time, but with limited ports on the PSP that was to be expected.

I am not sure if it is a cost effective solution, especially as some satnavs can now play audio and video files. However if you already have PSPs, then adding GPS via GO!Explore I think is a serious option to consider.

As I said in 2007, the ability to use GPS on your PSP opens up a range of learning scenarios involving maps, GPS and images.

GO!Explore for the PSP

stuff

Becta Next Generation Learning Conference 2009

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Today I am in London for the Becta Next Generation Learning Conference 2009.

Is this the Ferl Conference, well no.

Is this the Post-16 Practitioners Conference, well no.

Are all the usual suspects there, well yes!

The theme of this conference is much more strategic and aimed at senior management than previous conferences I have been too, which reflects the new strategic slant that Becta have had over the last few years.

It’s a typical ILT conference, even with voting units, it’s a very passive transmission of information experience, with keynotes (and even though they haven’t started) workshops which will consist more of presentation and five minutes for questions.

There is wireless, but this wasn’t announced to the audience, so it was down to rebels like me to find out what the code for it was.

So far we have had Siôn Simons, Stephen Crowne and currently listening to Jane Williams.

Becta Next Generation Learning Conference 2009

Should be a good day as conferences go, but I suspect I will get more from the people than the presentations.

psp

Using an iPod to improve performance in sports

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In my college we have been using PSPs with cameras and video cameras to analyse performance by learners in Sports Studies, it would appear that we’re not the only ones using mobile technologies to improve performance in sports, it would appeat that Ben Foster of Manchester United is doing the same.

ben-foster-001

From the Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Ben Foster as an England first-choice goalkeeper in waiting after the youngster’s fine penalty shoot-out save from Jamie O’Hara proved pivotal in Manchester United claiming the Carling Cup to complete the second leg of what would be an unprecedented haul of the three major domestic trophies, the Champions League and the World Club Championship.

Foster, who had spent the moments before the penalties watching footage of Tottenham Hotspur’s players taking recent penalties on an iPod…

The article continues…

“I did a bit of research for the penalties,” said the 25-year-old. “We tried to find out everything we could about Spurs beforehand and, just before the shoot-out, I was looking at a video on an iPod with Eric Steele, our goalkeeping coach, and Edwin. It’s a new innovation he’s brought in since coming to the club…

Via Andy Turner on the ILT Champions Mailing List.

flickr, google, iphone, ipod touch, nokia, presentation

Where am I?

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On Friday the 27th February I gave a few online presentations (conferences) for the MoLeNET programme.

One was on GPS and location based learning.

Presentation on on GPS and location based learning using mobile devices, it covered some of the GPS devices out there and how location based learning can be used.