The Gadget Blog - New Gadgets & Tech Talk » Gadgets in General

Digital learning tools drive student success

Jennifer — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:00:54 +0000

(ARA) – Across the country, colleges and universities are embracing innovative, digital technologies and customized learning platforms to drive academic achievement. While print textbooks remain the foundation of higher education course materials, publishers are creating new digital applications that enable institutions and faculty to become more effective, and engage digital learners to enhance their academic achievement and succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy.

Educational publishers recognize the power of today’s technology and devices like the iPod and Amazon Kindle to adapt to how students learn. They’re studying how students interact with these tools and process information, and how instructors teach, to design new ways to make learning a more effective, efficient, and personalized experience for students.

“By observing thousands of students and their learning styles, we’ve ascertained a great deal about their work habits, study plans, and other learning preferences. This information is being used by today’s publishers to create digital tools to connect students to content on a new level and empower them to succeed,” says Ed Stanford, president of McGraw-Hill Higher Education. “A transformation is occurring on campuses across the country as students embrace technology in every aspect of learning.”

McGraw-Hill’s Connect for example, is a powerful, web-based assessment and learning platform that assists both instructor and student. One feature of Connect can assess a student’s knowledge by delivering appropriate questions at the right time to help them master course content. It’s one more major development in educational technology that is helping students learn more efficiently and achieve greater success academically.

Students studying for midterms and finals now have online tools to test themselves, share notes, and listen online to key concepts from lectures. Digital assessment tools are also becoming mainstream. At some schools, introductory math fail rates are as high as 50 percent due mainly to inaccurate course placement. Today, students who once failed are now succeeding, thanks to an innovative Web-based software system that ensures accurate course placement and can even provide individualized learning plans.

Artificial intelligence now provides the power behind new tutoring software for accounting courses that is proven to increase test scores by at least a full letter grade. Then there’s GradeGuru.com, an online note-sharing Web site for students, which operates as an online study group to help students engage in their coursework.

College courses, departments, and in a few cases entire campuses are experimenting with going digital by replacing print textbooks with eBook versions of course content. EBooks are digital resources that allow students to search, highlight and print content, share notes and create personal study guides directly on their computers, iPods or digital reading devices. Available through online marketplaces like CourseSmart, eBooks truly engage students, making it easier for them to learn and offering cost-savings of almost half the price of print textbooks.

To test this concept, in 2008, more than 500 students at Northwest Missouri State University participated in an eBook trial to investigate the usefulness and efficacy of eBooks compared to traditional print textbooks. Once students learned how to use eBooks and work the technology behind them, they found tremendous value in the convenience and accessibility of digital course content.

Today’s educators and publishers are working together to craft the best learning solutions for colleges and universities. Innovative digital tools are being developed to not only make learning easier and more effective, but most importantly to better prepare students for the world that awaits.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

5 Cool Gadgets For Gadget Lovers

Jennifer — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:05:55 +0000

Clocky Alarm Clock

We can find all kinds of gadgets in on/offline stores or some gadget websites. Some are very useful and make gadget lovers happy about it. Most gadgets that we usually call “cool!” make our life easier. I will show you some interesting and cool gadgets that you can use for outdoor activities and parties or even in the morning.

Segway X2 – Enjoy the road less traveled with the Segway x2. It’s rugged, tough, and designed to take you places. With the x2, you can chart your own course. Its innovative design moves you over a variety of terrain, be it the grass in your backyard or the gravel and dirt in your favorite off road spot. Deeply treaded tires, scratch resistant fenders and higher ground clearance give you a smooth, stable ride, and the durability you’ve come to expect. It weighs about 120lb and max. speed is 12.5mph(20Km/h). Cool gadget for outdoor activity lovers.

Digital Photo Frame – An all-in-one multimedia device for those who like the traditional look but expect more features. This digital photo frame offers more capabilities than competitors on the market, without too much complexity. Photo image, mp3 music player, movie player, mobile TV, RSS, Clock & Calendar and even e-book are all included in this device. In addition, it allows you to use Wi-Fi(802.11b/g) feature with touch key and IR remote control.

The operation is very simple: just insert your SD, MMC, MS or XD card, turn it on and you already have everything you need for a slideshow, movie, mp3 music and more!

Personal Alcohol Tester – This portable Breathalyzer clues you in on the exact blood alcohol level in your system. Keeping track of your own inebriation level and that of the folks around you can be the difference between a fun night out and complete disaster. This professional grade breathalyzer gives you results in seconds with the range of 0.00 – 0.19% for blood alcohol content. Simply blow into the front of the device to get a reading. You don’t need to touch your mouth to the device, eliminating bacterial contamination between uses. Friend claiming they’re not drunk? Now you can know for sure exactly how intoxicated they really are.

Vibro Max Speaker – This cool portable speaker makes any flat surface a speaker! Designed to go beyond conventional speaker technology, this portable speaker uses an advance patented electro acoustic technology, projecting audio vibrations on to solid surface to produce sound. Crystal clear sound is produced through hard surface like wood, plastic or glass.

Just simply place this speaker on a desk, plug in an mp3 player and sound will literally emanate from the surface as if it were a giant speaker. It’s every gadget lover’s dream, and audio quality is surprisingly good, particularly now that bass, treble and loudness can be adjusted for different environments. It comes with a handy slim remote control with adjustable bass, treble and volume. Great item for gadget lovers.

Clocky Alarm Clock – Do you have the trouble of waking up on time? This naughty, modern, and lovely alarm clock helps. When it beeps, it will run away and hide till you switch it off. You will find that you are out of bed by that time. Funny and Interesting! When it beeps, the light flashes, and run into different direction: forward, backward, turn-a-round, clockwise, and find a place to hide after 30 sec. And also it keeps on beeping about 9 min or being switched off. This naughty clock will jump from table, desk, or bed onto the floor. So, don’t put it higher than 3 Feet even it is really tough enough.

* To see the pictures of each gadget, click here

*This article has been written by Steve W. Kim of EC21, one of the world’s leading B2B e-marketplace, offers over a million of Global Buyers DB, buying and selling offers in over 4,000 product categories with featured services to global buyers and suppliers.

Various Ways To Use Twitter On Your iPhone

Author — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:23:39 +0000

Perhaps one of the main reasons so many people buy the iPhone is for the fact that it allows you to stay connected to the world in so many dynamic ways. Instead of simply using the phone to connect with your friends, you can do so through text messaging and even e-mail. However, one of the best ways to keep your online life moving, even when you’re on the move, is by using social networking sites.

Many of the popular social networking sites allow you to access their site through your cell phone, however, the quality of service that you will get through your cell phone isn’t always desirable. One of the best social networking sites that you can control when you are on the move is Twitter.

Twitter is based off of a basic concept to keep friends and family connected, without having to use extensive steps to communicate with them. When you own an iPhone, there are several tips that you can follow to keep your use of Twitter as seamless as possible. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to stay connected with Twitter through your iPhone is through your SMS system, or through text messaging. This is a very convenient way to keep updates about what you’re doing to all of your friends and family, and all it takes is typing a short message through your SMS screen and sending it to a specific number. It is very easy to set this up on your iPhone, all you have to do is make sure you verify your phone number on Twitter’s website, and then you can start sending updates to the people who matter, no matter where you are.

Another great way to keep your Twitter site updated is through visiting their mobile website. When you have an iPhone, you are probably going to be on the Internet more than you could possibly imagine. Whether you are in a waiting room, sitting in class or on a bus, you will be checking your e-mail and other popular sites. Of course, if you have a Twitter account, than you will want to update your status while killing time.

You can do this in a special website that was specifically designed to be used on your cell phone. You will be able to update your account, view your friends account and do everything else that you normally would, but now, it’s on your cell phone.

In today’s world it seems that we are busier than ever before, thus making the need to stay connected to those you care about extremely important. One way to keep in touch with your friends and family is through having a great cell phone, such as the iPhone. However, also being apart of an online social networking community, like Twitter, you will be able to keep your friends and family in-the-know, without having to worry about spending unnecessary amounts of time on the phone.

The greatest aspect of the iPhone is the fact that it streamlines all forms of communication, whether it be through text messaging or with checking your e-mail, the iPhone will take any hassle out of communicating with the world around you.

You Can Make Your Own Ringtone With the iPhone Ringtone Maker

Author — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:51:49 +0000

For many years now the idea of selling a song as a ringtone has been extremely popular. The ringtone business has been a huge part of music sales for many years now, and many songs have been catapulted to hit status based solely on their success as a ringtone. People would gladly pay for a ringtone as the music used on the ringtone was copyrighted so a fee had to be paid.

Artists started to create entire marketing campaigns around making their music ringtone friendly and trying to get on as many cellular phones as possible. Ringtones have evolved into their own genre almost as they have their own music chart, based solely on sales of course, and it has become standard practice now for artists to release their newest songs not only on an album format, and in a single for radio, but also as a ringtone to an audience that will probably never listen to the entire album.

It has gotten to the point where the artist now not only has to choose the best song of their new album to release as a single but now they have to choose the best 10 seconds of that song to release as a ringtone! Leave it to Apple to change all of that.

With the release of the iPhone Apple also released the iPhone Ringtone Maker. The idea behind the iPhone Ringtone Maker was that people could take the music they have created and use the iPhone Ringtone Maker to make it into a ringtone that they could give to other people.

It is almost like getting on the radio for new artists, the more cellular phones using your ringtone the better your chances of becoming well known. With the iPhone Ringtone Maker any new artist can easily create a ringtone that can be given to anyone that has an iPhone and since the iPhone is becoming more and more popular the iPhone Ringtone Maker can give any new artist a lot of exposure.

Shifting Back to the Phone

I remember not too long ago someone had mentioned that the internet was going to eliminate the need for telephones in the future and everyone would communicate with the internet in some form. The funny thing is that while that may be true the vehicle being used to communicate through the internet is the telephone!

So it has all come full circle and with the iPhone Ringtone Maker you can make sure that all of the communicating starts with your ringtone. Use the iPhone Ringtone Maker to get your newest song out to people and see who comes back for more. It is a 10 second commercial to try and sell your new album.

Apple continues to innovate for the iPhone and we all know that we have not seen the end of the innovation by a long shot. A big part of that innovation is personalization and that is what the iPhone Ringtone Maker is all about.

News and the Video Podcasting Revolution

Author — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:02:27 +0000

Does anyone remember a time when getting the news of the day consisted of waiting until 6pm to watch the local news and then 630pm to watch the national news? For that matter, does anyone one remember the days when the only means of watching the news was through a television set? Yes, even though those days seem like a million years ago the reality of the situation is that these Stone Age days occurred slightly less than 15 years ago! Now, in the modern era, news is often delivered in the form of video podcasting, a means of streaming video/audio signals and broadcasting the stream over the internet.

The Way the Industry Changes

Video podcasting has a way of completely revolutionizing the way the news is broadcast. Actually, the revolution is putting the final nail in the coffin of broadcasting because there is no actual broadcast involved as video podcasting does not utilize a broadcast signal. Instead, it utilizes the internet to send its message across the entire world for what is essentially an extremely low cost method of transmitting video.

To consider how radical video podcasting is, at one time local, limited broadcast transmission signals were required to relay audio/video signals. This would cost literally million of dollars in technology and had a limited broadcast range. Today, for virtual pennies, one can upload video on a podcast and launch the signal world wide!

The Cable Media Gets It

The cable news media has jumped on the video podcasting bandwagon by providing podcast streams on their websites and blogs. Often, these podcasts are not original or exclusive information, but rather they reproduce broadcasts that appeared on the station earlier in the day or evening. (Of course, there are instances of original podcasts as well)

This is a smart idea on the part of these broadcasters mainly because it helps promote their channel in a cheap and effective manner. If people skimming the internet come across a podcast that they enjoy, they may turn around and start watching the cable channel. Again, this is another example of how video podcasting is revolutionizing the news business.

Needless to say, video podcasting has radically altered the way in which news is delivered. Because of this, news and information is transmitted quickly, cheaply and efficiently and in a manner that reaches large audiences on an “on demand” basis. This is an amazing achievement that has forever altered the way news is transmitted.

Digital Portrait Photography Suggestions And Tips

Author — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:40:29 +0000

Just like computers replaced typewriters, digital cameras are rapidly replacing 35 millimeter cameras. For people who know how to use them, digital cameras can often produce a much better finished product.

Digital portrait photography can offer the photographer on-screen editing of the picture which cannot be obtained by more conventional methods. You have more room for manipulation with digital portrait photography, especially if you have the right computer programs. Here we will look at some digital portrait photography tips that will help you produce a great looking portrait.

If the portrait is to contain more than two people you should make sure that everybody is standing, or sitting, tightly together. It is very important that you don’t cut off the top of somebody’s head or the side of their face. You should always make sure you can clearly see everybody in your view frame. You can always crop out additional items later.

If you see a chance to snap a great portrait but you don’t have your camera set correctly, you can relax and still get a great shot. Most digital cameras offer a portrait mode that will automatically focus to provide you with a great portrait, even if it is not considered to be top quality. Many times these chance snapshots bring out the best in the people being captured in the picture.

Digital Portrait Photography Tips For Children

Every parent wants a good portrait of their children but the children are not always willing to cooperate. They don’t want to sit still or they don’t want to smile. Fortunately with digital portrait photography you don’t have to ruin costly film while trying to get the right shot. You can simply delete the pictures from the camera without ever unloading them onto a computer.

Often children are uncomfortable with a stranger standing too close to them with a camera in hand. High quality digital cameras offer several various levels of zoom. This allows the photographer to stay back at a level that is comfortable for the children but yet they can still get a great close-up shot.

Often the best portraits of children are the ones where they are just being themselves. This may not be something that happens in a photography studio. They might be saying their prayers at night or simply playing on a playground. Getting them in their natural setting can provide a realistic quality to that treasured portrait.

Digital portrait photography is a great tool for getting those great looking portraits without having to pay the high prices that come with other types of cameras. You have the opportunity to see what the portrait looks like without having to put it on paper. This will help you make a better decision about which portraits you like most.

Portable 48-Second Water Purifier

2pixels — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:34:31 +0000

Have Your Water Germ-Free Anywhere, Anytime

Are you an adventurer at heart? Do you like to make expeditions to the deserts? Love to wander in the wilderness of the forests? Do the mountains lure you with their magnificent height and stubborn challenges? Do you dream about exploring the far off lands by cruising through the vast oceans?

Well then you could use a good water purification gadget – this will ensure the supply of clean drinking water wherever you are – in a desolate island, in the middle of the desert or simply in the middle of a backpacking trip when the bottles of mineral water ran out.

These don’t happen only in the movies – running out of safe drinking water can happen to any traveler and a portable water purification device makes sure you get safe water whenever you feel like drenching your throat.

Portable 48-Second Water Purifier has been designed for a traveler like you—or the purist, who is always suspicious about the purity of the water coming from the tap. Not only because it won the title of Time Magazines Inventions of the Year, we have got many other reasons to recommend it to you.

It is claimed to be the only device in its genre that uses ultraviolet light to purify the water.

It acts quite fast; to get a glass full of safe and clean drinking water you simply need to insert the device into 16 ounces of water, turn it on and wait for 48 seconds. To purify 32 oz. of water per use, it takes about 90 seconds.

With the use of ultraviolet light, the device claims to destroy microbes such as giardia and cryptosporidium, eliminates 99.99% of viruses such as hepatitis and poliovirus, and kills 99.9999% of bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. It meets with strict United States Environmental Protection Agency protocols for microbiological water purifiers.

It is a compact device with the size of an electric toothbrush. Because of its slim shape, it is compatible with any type of water container ranging from a glass to water bottle, and a canteen.

This compact device easily fits into a standard size back pack, in a suitcase and even in your purse. You can keep it in the glove compartment of your RV, or can add to your emergency kit.

Ample power is supplied by AA batteries to treat up to 150 16 oz. containers of water before requiring a battery change.

No chemical interferes with the taste of the water.

Not the travelers alone, any body can be benefited by this wonderful wand in the midst of any emergency. It makes a great gift for the traveler in your life who is passionately in love with wilderness.

For more info: http://www.hammacher.com/publish/73009.asp?promo=personalcare

Enjoy the Outdoors in a True Blue Techy Way: Light up the Summer Evenings with an LED Picnic Blanket

2pixels — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:20:21 +0000

This is the time of the year, when we feel an irresistible urge for packing up the picnic basket with yummy sweetmeats and head off to the nearest park for having some outdoor fun. Picnic gives you the excuse to hobnob with the nature. This time make your tryst with nature even more interesting – go tech-savvy and enjoy your evening picnic on a LED- picnic blanket.

Let’s have a ball on the deck; make it chic with lighting When it comes to packing up for picnic, the primary things you can not do without are food, water and a blanket.The LED picnic blankets offer you just the right things that you may need to make an outdoor bash successful in every aspect – it is waterproof, it is portable, it is provided with a handy hard center to protect against any sort of spillage. And the LED picnic blanket provides you something more – a defused lighting scheme that is perfect for setting the right mood; it can illuminate a huge surface area without being ostentatious. Sounds interesting? Well, have a look on the image displayed on Craftzine; you will be bowled over by the soft glowing lighting design that is provided by this simple yet excellent innovation. It provides you a simple serving surface that illuminates soft lights with its own built-in light source. As such you will need no additional lighting to kill the ambience. The LED powered blanket will give you a soft candle like illumination that is sufficient for finding what you are sending inside your stomach. When you spread it over the grass, its hard center protects it from spillage and prevents any kind of mess from spoiling the mood.

Candle light dinner! Soaking in the summer breeze amidst the lush greenery with stars spreading out the gorgeous blanket overhead and with your loved one just beside you – sounds like the opening line of a Mills and Boons novel! But you can actually turn the fiction into reality – simply using a LED powered blanket.

Outdoor dating not your cup of your tea? Need more privacy? Then go for the good old fashioned way, have a romantic dinner indoor; only shun the candles and use LED blanket as your table top cover!This is no ordinary light – it will transport you to the unseen world of fairy tale! Just keep your rechargeable AA batteries handy and stay assured that the LED blanket will provide you with 4-6 hours of glowing ambience.

Just because nobody has so far applied for the patent, you can not buy it right now. But no need to get upset; check it out with either Craftzine or Gizmodo to get How-to instructions and get yourself another excuse to invite your special someone for a romantic dinner.

Send Your Hugs across the Continents: Wear a Hug Shirt

2pixels — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 23:47:38 +0000

Have you ever thought of your very old grandma who happens to live in the other coast of the continent? Don’t you sometime get nostalgic about the good old childhood days, when your vacations were never complete without the pampering of the old lady? Don’t you sometimes feel the irresistible urge of rushing right into her loving embrace like your childhood days? But the distance—it won’t allow you to fulfill your wishes so easily!

Or can you remember the face of your mother who bid you good bye on the day you started your solitary journey in quest for a larger world?

I can still remember my days in the university hostel, where despite the company of a gang of friends I used to miserably miss my mom! I used to hanker for her warm touches at the nights of distresses and used to imagine myself in her assuring embrace!

There are thousands of young girls and guys who yearn for the touches of their loved ones in their special moments of joy and sorrow. Why only the young? Human beings—cutting across the barrier of age, sex or society—-try to find solace or strive to share their joy in the embrace of their loved ones.

Probably the same feelings crossed the minds of the scientists in the CuteCircuit—-a wearable technology company—who imported the most innovative concept in the world of wearable technology. This unique innovation of CuteCircuit goes by the name of “hug shirt”.

So what the hype is all about “hug shirt”?

In a nutshell, the hug shirt will enable you to hug your loved ones even if they are thousands of miles away from you.

Have doubts? Well, you are not alone in this world of Doubting Thomases—few were convinced of the efficacy of this wonderful gadget before it won the Innovation of the year Award in 2006.

But it is pretty simple actually—it is at the core a bluetooth accessory for Java enabled mobile phones. You have to actually hug yourself after wearing the hug shirt—sensors in the shirt process the data and send them to the receiver’s shirt.

What types of data are sent? Data include the hugger’s blood pressure, skin temperature, heart rate, length of hug and a few more. The recipient’s shirt receives these data and the recipient gets to feel the same sensation that his loved one might have felt at the time of sending her hug from miles away! The entire system works through a mobile phone network and the data are recreated with the help of actuators embedded in the shirt.

If you are a student spending a campus life miles away from your family or a business busy body who has to stay cut off from family for months even years or just like others around you separated from the aging parents for some reason or the others—- your sleepless nights in separation from your near and dear ones have come to an end—technology has made it possible that you can feel the heartbeat of your near and dear ones under your own blood stream, even if geography doesn’t allow to meet them in person.

However for those who love the details, here are a couple of information about a hug shirt.

Made of lycra and cotton, hug shirt is soft and washable.
They are specially designed for both men and women and they can be put on by children and old alike.

No help for those who can not hold their patience for grabbing one of the specimens of this wonder-shirt! You have to wait till this years end. The market in the year end will be flooded with hug shirts in different colors and styles.

How To Send MMS Messages On iPhone

Where You Can Find WiFi Hotspots

Jennifer — Thu, 24 May 2007 22:20:15 +0000

WiFi seems to be one of the biggest things to hit computer technology since the Internet became popular. With the way it makes it easy for people to join computer networks, WiFi has made home networking cheap and popular. Because itâ€™s also an inexpensive technology, itâ€™s hard to find a laptop these days that isnâ€™t sold without some sort of built-in WiFi technology. Knowing this, many businesses have WiFi hotspots, which are locations that you can connect to their networks. But knowing where to find these WiFi hotspots will help you know where you can connect when youâ€™re out of the house.

The Library

The library is one place where WiFi hotspots are becoming popular, since having Internet access there can make the learning process as a whole more productive. Furthermore, itâ€™s a place where access to the WiFi hotspots is usually free to library members. Extending this even further, many college campuses are turning into WiFi hotspots, with wireless access reaching all classrooms and locations where students might study, allowing for instant Internet access no matter where they are.

Coffee Shops

Once the domain of Internet cafes, where wired networks at computers allowed access to broadband, getting a connection to the Internet while getting some coffee can be as easy as finding the nearest Starbucks. Many coffee shops and even some restaurants are adding WiFi hotspots in order to attract patronage from business customers, who use their Internet access to do work while grabbing a hot cup of coffee. These WiFi hotspots also attract people coming to socialize that want to stay hooked up to the Internet, even out of the house.

Hotels

More and more common are WiFi hot spots located in hotels, which allow travelers to enjoy broadband access speeds while theyâ€™re on the road. This is both to make people have a few more of the comforts of home and so business travelers can still conduct business while at the hotel. Whether in the lobby or in your hotel room, WiFi hotspots will be there when youâ€™re on the road.

Public Spots

An increasing number of cities is making WiFi hot spots available throughout their cities or in certain locations, designed to both attract business customers, who find it easier to get Internet access when out, about, and doing business, and to bring in money by charging a little money for the convenient access. The network of WiFi hotspots varies city by city, but itâ€™s a sure sign that WiFi has brought a big change in the way we connect.