Category Archives: stuff

stuff

Intel Classmate now available in the UK

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Intel’s cheap and cheerful (and in my opinion quite ugly) low end cheap laptop is now available in the UK.

Intel Classmate now available in the UK

The Register reports on the £239 computer.

Dubbed the JumPC, the Small, Cheap Computer is based on a 900MHz Intel Celeron Mobile processor and the chip giant’s 915GMS chipset. It has 512MB of DDR 2 memory on board and 2GB of Flash storage – though you can select a 30GB HDD instead.

The unit has an Eee PC-style 7in, 800 x 480 display; two USB ports; 10/100Mb/s Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. There’s a webcam too.

Oh it comes with a handle too!

It comes with Windows XP and is another entrant in the micro-laptop UMPC market which is having an impact on the UK educational IT scene.

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Opera Mobile 9.5 beta released

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Engadget reports on the release of Opera Mobile 9.5.

Today, it’s out for a beta 1 launch. In other words, it’ll be buggy but likely far more useful than the browser already installed on your touchscreen-based (PocketPC) WinMo professional phone. The initial release includes support for double-tap zoom, landscape flip, off-line page save, tab-like browsing, auto-URL complete, and a Google-search bar to name just a few of the 9.5 features.

Looking good. Opera Mobile 9.5 beta released

stuff

Wordle – a new way to look at tags

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If you look to the right of this blog post you will see my tag cloud, which is basically a list, with the “importance” of tags (by number of times used) illustrated by the size of the font.

Wordle does something similar but looks very different.

Wordle - a new way to look at tags

Now unlike the tags on the right, the sizes here are not based on my blog, but some other indicator on the web; this is why windows is so large and molenet is so small compared to my own tag cloud.

However Wordle can use your del.icio.us tags, so the size of the tags is relevant to the number of bookmarks you have saved and the tags you have used.

Wordle - a new way to look at tags

It’s all just a bit of fun really, it really needs to be able to use other sites other than del.icio.us and the words need to be links.

Click either Wordle picture for a bigger version, create your own here. Thanks to Helen.

stuff

Adobe launches Acrobat.com

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Though I mentioned Adobe’s ConnectNow earlier today, it is just one part of a larger community release based at Acrobat.com.

The BBC reports:

Adobe has made a move into online document sharing with the launch of the Acrobat.com community site.

It allows people to create, store and share documents online, and hold web conferences to discuss changes.

Whilst there is a nice review of all the services on the ReadWriteWeb blog:

Acrobat.com is the new entry point to Adobe’s suite of online services. Available now as a public beta, from here you can utilize the Adobe web office tools all from one cohesive and integrated suite that allows for anywhere access and online collaboration. At Acrobat.com, you have access to the following web office tools: Buzzword, ConnectNow, Share, My Files, and Create PDF.

This is another version of the online document collaboration services which have been springing up around the web.

Great for learners who want to work on documents at home, in college and/or at work.

Great for learners who want to work in groups of a group assignment.

Great for anyone who doesn’t own a computer, and wants to write stuff.

stuff

When is an UMPC not an UMPC?

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When is an UMPC not an UMPC?

When it’s a 10″ UMPC.

When is an UMPC not an UMPC?

Okay before I mentioned how Asus were releasing a new 9″ version of their EeePC, well according to Engadget they are going to release a 10″ version!

As if it weren’t official enough already, the subnote war is on. According to a Computex invitation from ASUS, the outfit is planning to not only showcase the Eee PC 901, but also a brand new variant that will likely go mano a mano with the 10-inch MSI Wind. We quote: “[ASUS] would also like to specially extend an invitation to you to attend the official global launch of the new Eee PC 901 and 1000 series.” There’s no details beyond that right there, but it’s plenty to whet our appetites on the heels of the 10.6-inch Eee PC 1001 evidence we’ve already collected

So would you count this machine as an UMPC? Well strictly no.

Is it a mobile device? In a way yes!

Will people buy it? Most certainly.

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Web worlds ‘useful’ for children

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BBC reports on research into virtual worlds for children.

Virtual worlds can be valuable places where children rehearse what they will do in real life, reveals research.

They are also a “powerful and engaging” alternative to more passive pursuits such as watching TV, said the BBC-sponsored study.

Makes you think about how we can use virtual worlds in FE for learning.

Web worlds \'useful\' for children

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Microsoft is cutting the cost of putting Windows XP on low cost laptops

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BBC reports on how Microsoft is making it easier and cheaper for manufacturers to put Windows XP on the current plethora of micro low cost laptops (such as the Asus EeePC) that are currently very popular.

The price cuts will only be available for ultra-portable laptops that meet a strict set of specifications.

The move is widely seen as an attempt by Microsoft to bolster its market share in one of the PC industry sectors showing growth.

Low-powered laptops, such as the Asus Eee PC, are proving hugely popular in developed nations and in projects trying to bridge the digital divide.

I am sure that (depsite the ease of use) the fact that many of these cheap laptops run Linux have put off many a purchaser (as does Mac OS X put off potential purchasers of the Mac) the fact that you will soon be able to have Windows XP on the laptop without a huge increase in the cost of the device will make these low cost laptops even more popular.

Microsoft is cutting the cost of putting Windows XP on low cost laptops

Regardless of whether we think these are good or bad devices, I have certainly seen quite a few now in the college, including one a student was using (with Windows XP on it) and a Three 3G dongle for access to the internet.

I think more and more of our learners will start to buy these. One of the main attractions other that price is the portability, the small size means it is very easy to carry on the bus or in a bag as you move around college. Before if you wanted a small micro laptop, the only real choice was from Sony and these cost a lot, five or six times the current price of the Asus EeePC.

Expect to see more of these devices in your college.

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Linux Ultra-Portables

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Engadget has a nice feature on the growth of Linux based UMPCs.Linux Ultra-Portables

ASUS set the pace with Xandros on the Eee PC, and HP has tapped Novel SuSE Linux for the 2133 Mini-Note, but whereas the Eee’s positioning has been somewhat of a loose hybrid between an adult OLPC and the Nintendo Wii’s culture of global inclusion, the HP Mini-Note has been strongly focused on reckless, immature students while acknowledging potential for senior executives that have been known to share their temperament.

It’s interesting to see how this product niche has almost appeared from nowhere and is growing rapidly.

It seems to be a product that appeals to people who already own a computer, but want a laptop (and a small laptop at that) to complement it. The advantage of these little Linux laptops as well as the small size is the small price.

I have already seen quite a few of these laptops in college, brought in by learners, so I am expecting to see more of them.