Information Technology, For Education and Society

Computers have just begun. It's such a young technology that our grandchildren will wonder how we got by with only 4 core Conroes to sustain us. We are witnessing the teething stage of the life of the computer, not it's middle-age. They will never go away and they will get better all the time. When you say they have nowhere to go except in their aesthetic appeal I personally think that you are missing something. The ultimate computers are the ones you won't even notice. They will be in your clothes, in your wallet, in your couch and someday they will be in your body and in that we the ITE exist to make our world better.

According to Lutz Ziob, general manager of Microsoft Learning, these trends can be explained in large part by the ever-changing nature of the tech industry “There is always a demand for the latest skills, and even during lean times companies have a hard time finding the right candidates to fill certain technical positions,” Ziob says.

The term ITE Information Technology, Education and Society is a new fully-refereed international journal which focuses on major and current issues in information technology and its relation to education and society. The journal provides a forum for original articles from throughout the world which analyse and explore sociological and educational issues related to new and changing technologies. Contributions include theoretical papers, research reports, essay reviews, and reports of innovation and practice in information technology in education in both schools and higher education. The importance of debate and discussion in this developing field is reflected in the journal's inclusion of response papers and essays. A special section Speculations is devoted to articles of reflection and opinion.

ITE is also experts in If there is an incident and it’s identified as an attack, there are several things that can be done. The worst of course is the “lets close our eyes and maybe it will go away.” This happens more often than not.  So with that said there are two ways to approach incident response: Reactive and Proactive. Either is better then nothing, but if you can set your organization up to incorporate both you have a plan that will carry you through the worst situations.A good reactive plan involves policies and training to identify what requires response, what should be done when an incident is identified, and the best course of action to take.  A good proactive plan puts in place all of the necessary components towards identifying or stopping  potential attacks before they are able to be completed.

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GADGETS

Computer / Tablet: AOC’s 8 Inch Breeze Tablet Breaks the Price Barrier

One of the things that’s keeping tablets in the hands of the elite instead of the grubby paws of the masses is the price tags on those things.  Why would you want something that offered a fraction of the functionality (albeit a large fraction) of a standard laptop for nearly half again as much money-wise?  Thankfully AOC has realized that they can make money selling tablets for less than a paycheck and their new 8 inch Breeze may just be the first machine under $200 worth buying.

The 8 inch touch screen features 800 X 600 resolution that’s not exactly photorealistic but it will get the job done.

Internally the machine runs on a Rockchip processor—not exactly awe-inspiring.  However, the other specs are solid if not impressive.  Android 2.1 does a good job of keeping everything in order even if it does show its age.  You’ll also get a USB 2.0 port for your money and a 3.5mm headphone jack to augment the built-in speaker system (which is tiny and tinny at best).

On the brighter side, there is 4GB of storage space internally and a microSD slot in the side for even more expansion.  (Funny how Apple missed the mark on something as simple as that. . .)  And battery life is quoted at 6 to 12 hours depending on usage which is about average.

Still, it’s the $200 price tag that is going to sell this thing.

If you’d like to know more, you’ll have to wait until the official reveal at CES.

iRobot Scooba Floor Washing Robot – New 230 model

You’ve all heard of the Roomba, iRobot’s solution to tidying up for folks who just don’t want to get off the couch.  Now the company has made our lives even easier with the tiny little Scooba 230!  This little robot doesn’t pick up debris on carpet and hard surface flooring like the Roomba does, it actually washes hard surface floors with cleaning solution.  In a sense, it’s an automatic mop but it’s really so much more than that.

The Scooba is, as you would expect from an iRobot contraption, fully programmable and features its open source software.  You can command it to clean the floor while you’re out, or asleep, or hack it and make it perform tricks for its human overlords.

However, what sets it apart from the crowd—in addition to its 6.5 x 3.5 inch dimensions—is the ingenious little dual-bladder system inside.  You fill one part up with water and your choice of cleaning solutions, the robot squirts that out on the floor, scrubs it about, and then sucks it back up with squeegee action into the other part of the bladder.

You can get your own autonomous little floor cleaner starting at $299 from iRobot.  Check out the official site for more details.

If you still don’t have a Roomba and want one of those, you’re in luck.  iRobot is releasing three new versions this year as well.

ProForm Trailrunner – an Android Powered Treadmill?

Who says all you can do on the treadmill is read those tired old magazines or watch television?  The ProFrom Trailrunner 4.0 treadmill takes exercising to the next generation by integrating a 10 inch Android tablet into its control station.  The tablet relies on WiFi for connectivity but is a fully capable device and allows web browsing, email checking, and social media fun like Twitter and Facebook.

If you like your workout a little more traditional, the tablet can also display the details of your workout such as distance travelled and calories burned but that’s too much like a real workout for most technophiles.  You can also sync your workout data with iFit Live to keep track of your transformation from chunky to hunky (or blobby to hottie if you’re a woman).

One of the coolest features though is a simple low-tech one:  built-in speakers!  That’s right, you don’t have to worry about running right out of your earbuds while bopping along to the beat.  Of course playing your music aloud might necessitate putting the Trailrunner in an infrequently used room or risk ticking your housemates off.

Unfortunately the price tag on this puppy is a little large.  At nearly $3,000 it feels like you should be getting more for your money—or at least be able to disconnect the tablet from the treadmill (you can’t so don’t try).  However, this is still one slick piece of high tech gym equipment.

For more info, full spec’s, and close-up pics, head over to the official ProForm website.

You’ve read about the Plantronics Voyager Pro UC Bluetooth headset by now (and if you haven’t, you should) but what can you use that lovely little clip-on for other than your cell phone?  How about pairing it with Plantronics’ new Calisto 800 speakerphone and creating one of the coolest conferencing devices to ever grace your offices?
This phone is really more than a phone.  Instead of being tied to the old jack-in-the-wall, the Plantronics Calisto 800 series phone can connect to a mobile phone via Bluetooth and to a PC (for VOIP calls) via USB.  It’s like getting three phones in one and eliminates the connectivity chokehold that keeps productivity low.

The actual hardware features include noise cancellation gear and an LCD with built-in caller ID.  There’s also a neat little wireless mic that detaches from the phone and can be placed in the middle of the table or right next to your steaming cup of coffee so your golden tones will flow over the lines in stunning high quality.
And it would be hard to review this phone without mentioning something about the form factor.  Usually style and grace don’t impress me much, however, the simplistic block-ish build of this phone and the bold color scheme (glossy blacks and bright primary reds and blues) really make this speakerphone eye-catching.  It’s kind of futuristic in an eighties sort of way that’s retro-cool yet somehow not outdated.
Whether you like the design or not, you can’t argue with the functionality

Gaming Mouses – Rude Gameware Fierce Laser Mouse – Fast and Responsive

Gaming gear has to perform.  No matter how cool it looks, if it doesn’t live up to a gamer’s high standards, it just won’t sell.  The folks at Rude Gameware know that.  They’ve been producing some of the best (as in good quality for good prices) equipment around for years.  Most recently, they’ve updated their Fierce Laser Mouse to a 2.0 version and though it’s far from revolutionary, it gets the job done well.