THE Journal — Hardware
Groups Refurbish Hundreds of Computers for Underprivileged Schools
This month at the 2008 LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, two groups--Untangle and the Alameda County Computer Resource Center--pulled together volunteers to refurbish computers that will be given to underprivileged schools. The effort--the second such green/open source event, dubbed "Installfest for Schools"--resulted in hundreds of refurbished units loaded up with free and open source software.
(8/14/2008)
IBM To Team with Linux Vendors on 'Microsoft-Free' PCs
IBM and name-brand Linux operating system distributors Red Hat, Novell, and Canonical/Ubuntu have disclosed their intentions to join forces with their hardware partners to create what they are calling "Microsoft-free personal computing choices."
(8/7/2008)
NEC Debuts Mobile DLP Projectors
NEC this week introduced two new single-chip DLP projectors that it will ship in the fall. The NP41 and NP61 are both mobile models, weighing in at 3.5 pounds, but offering brightness ratings of up to 3,000 ANSI lumens.
(8/6/2008)
Saugus USD To Launch Student Writing Collaboration Project
Saugus Union School District in Santa Clarita, CA is launching a new writing program for its fourth-grade students that couples writing and science using ultra-mobile devices and collaborative learning software, among other technologies. According to information supplied to us by the district, the initiative is being funded through a $1.4 million EETT competitive grant the district recently won.
(8/5/2008)
Green Survey: Are Schools Geared Up for Energy Reduction?
Information technology leaders in K-12 schools are more concerned about energy issues than their counterparts in every other sector--corporate, state/local, federal, and higher education. But they also feel least equipped to effect measures that would reduce energy consumption and energy costs, according to a new survey released Monday by CDW Government (CDW-G).
(8/4/2008)
GoKnow Customizes Mobile Learning Environment For Companion PC
M&A Technology has partnered with educational software provider GoKnow. Under the agreement, GoKnow will release a version of its Mobile Learning Environment (MLE), customized for use on the Companion PC--a ruggedized laptop based on the Intel-powered Classmate PC.
(7/15/2008)
Going Green or Hoarding Green?
Organizations have the desire to reduce their impact on the environment but lack the will to pay a premium for cleaner operations, according to a cross-sector survey released recently by IT hosting solutions provider Rackspace.
(7/14/2008)
Stanford, IFL Introducing $50 Handheld to Mexico Students
Stanford University School of Education and Innovations for Learning, a Chicago-based nonprofit, have entered into a social entrepreneurship collaboration to bring the $50 Teachermate Handheld Computer to extremely underserved children in Latin America.
(7/7/2008)
ClassLink, HP Offer Access to Learning Tools Through Thin Client, Virtualization Solutions
Information access software provider ClassLink has announced a partnership with HP focusing on the utilization of both thin-client and virtualization solutions for education.
(6/25/2008)
IBM Launches 'Carbon Strategy' Service in Project Big Green
How green are your feet? That's the question IBM wants to answer as it launches a new consulting service to determine the carbon footprint of IT organizations and help those organizations plan for greener operations throughout and beyond the enterprise.
(6/18/2008)
HP Debuts Mobile Calculating Lab
HP has announced HP Mobile Calculating Lab (MCL) solutions, designed to allow middle and high school students to capture real-world information in real time, translate that information into numerical data, and then analyze that data with the familiar graphing calculator functions.
(6/17/2008)
Are Underprivileged Students Better Off Without Computers?
We take it for granted that computers have tremendous potential to transform education. But this potential isn't always going to be realized, especially where support for improving outcomes through technology is lacking. But can access to computers actually hinder education? According to new research that focused on computer adoption among the poor in one Eastern European country, computers at home can actually help to lower the grade point averages of students, distract students from homework, and potentially contribute to behavioral issues.
(6/12/2008)
Smart Wireless Classroom Audio System Set for August Release
Smart Technologies this week introduced a new classroom audio system. Dubbed "Smart Audio," the system provides wireless audio (using both microphones and third-party audio devices, such as MP3/4 players), along with integration with Smart interactive whiteboard systems.
(6/10/2008)
iPhone 3G, New Mobile Apps Debut at Apple WWDC 2008
During his keynote address at Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) Monday, CEO Steve Jobs debuted the company's new iPhone 3G, an update to the popular mobile phone and computing device set for delivery July 11. Developers also took the stage during the keynote to show off new technologies arriving for the platform.
(6/9/2008)
Library Self-Checkout System Shrinks
Library Automation Technologies has released what it's calling "the world's smallest self-check for libraries." FlashScan-MAXine measures 33" x 22" x 22" and allows libraries to let patrons check out their own materials. It's wireless, which makes it portable and can be upgraded for RFID; plus it supports front-gate security.
(6/6/2008)
OLPC To Roll Out Laptops to Colombia
According to information released by the non-profit group One Laptop per Child, Caldas, a state in Colombia, has ordered 65,000 XO laptops in an effort to get laptops in the hands of school-aged children.
(5/30/2008)
OLPC Lays Down Plans for XO-2 Laptop
One Laptop per Child (OLPC) this week spelled out plans for a second-generation XO laptop (XO-2), as well as an interim update to the systems. OLPC XO laptops are designed to provide students with low-cost access to technology. OLPC said the target price for the next-generation machines will be $75.
(5/21/2008)
JDCHS Streamlines Backup and Recovery for Mac Network
Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper, UT faced a problem with its hybrid tape/disk backup and recovery system: It didn't always work, and, when it did, it was slow. So the school recently replaced the system with a pure disk-based RAID to handle its more than 455 networked Macs, along with offsite archive drives for business continuity/disaster recovery.
(5/15/2008)
Turning Launches Computer-free Classroom Response System
Classroom technology developer Turning Technologies has launched a new classroom response system that doesn't require computers or projectors. The new ResponseCard AnyWhere is a wireless, handheld system designed for standalone use to capture data from interactive classroom polls and other types of feedback.
(4/30/2008)
FirmTek Intros eSATA Combo Hub
At the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas this week, FirmTek debuted a new combo hub designed to bring eSATA connectivity to laptops. The SeriTek/SpyderHUB includes USB and FireWire host connection options, along with hardware RAID and boot capabilities for Mac OS X systems.
(4/16/2008)
Renaissance To Roll Out Laptops to Africa
Education technology developer Renaissance Learning and non-profit Generation for Change and Growth will deploy some 5,000 refurbished AlphaSmart laptop computers in Northern Kenya in an effort to reach students in areas with high rates of illiteracy.
(4/15/2008)
HP Debuts Mini Notebooks for Schools
HP has launched a new line of mini notebooks designed specifically for schools. The new 2133 Mini-Note PCs, which were announced Tuesday, weigh in just above 2.5 pounds and start a hair below $500. They're aimed largely toward students for school and home use.
(4/8/2008)
Policy Server Integrated with 3Com Routers
LineSider Technologies, which publishes policy-based network infrastructure control and management software, has launched OverDrive, a policy server that integrates with 3Com Open Services Networking (3Com OSN) for MSR Series Multi-Service Routers. The OverDrive software lets users deploy and manage Internet protocol-based services across complex network environments.
(3/13/2008)
Open Source Computer Donation Program Aims To Go Nationwide
Ensuring that schools in low-income communities have access to the same technologies as wealthier schools isn't enough for James Burgett, executive director of the Alameda County Computer Resource Center in Northern California. He wants them to have better technology, and he wants them to have it for free. Burgett--along with several partners, contributors, volunteers, and staff--has been for years refurbishing computers, loading them up with open-source software, and deploying them in classrooms (and giving them to individuals) in the San Francisco Bay area. He's recently expanded that effort and is now looking to take it national.
(3/6/2008)
'Augmented' IT Supports Massive Infrastructure for Virginia District
Coordinator Tom VanDenburg's network and systems organization at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia manages about 3,900 Cisco switches, 240 routers, 7,500 wireless access points, and a multitude of servers running Windows 2003, Red Hat Linux, HP UX, and Sun Solaris for roughly 240 sites across the county. Each school in the district is wireless; operations run 24x7; and every day the network hosts around 12,000 concurrent users.
(3/3/2008)
