Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We got to play around with a SMART Table in a classroom full of lucky kids at Haines Elementary School in Chicago this morning, and we came away impressed with how much they loved it. The multitouch table is built on the same basic idea and hardware as Microsoft Surface — Vista PC, XGA projector, infrared camera — but it’s a custom patented SMART design, not Surface lite or anything like that. That said, the multitouch system isn’t quite as responsive as Surface, and the kid-proof plastic screen felt a little weird, but it certainly works well enough — the Table recognizes up to 40 touches (enough for six kids to play comfortably, we were told) and we saw some interesting demos, ranging from the standard rotate / zoom photo app to painting and puzzle games. Teachers get admin access with a special USB key that enables them to manage apps, and there’s an SDK in the works, so hopefully there’ll be quite a few to manage. SMART says the Table should start shipping next spring for somewhere between $7,000 to $8,000 each — obviously the company will be targeting school systems with its extensive SMART Board sales network, but well-off parents will be able to score one for their hopelessly spoiled darling children as well. Check a few vids of the table in action after the break.

Continue reading Kids-on with the SMART Table

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Filed under: Displays

Determined to make us jealous that our kids’ childhood experiences are more marvelous than ours, SMART Technologies will tomorrow unveil the SMART Table, a primary education “interactive learning center” (we’d rather call it Surface Jr.). It’ll be available Spring of next year, and will work out of the box with learning applications that can be operated by any number of kids and all their fingers. Other classroom multitouch devices are on the horizon, but most of them are a little further from market than this Canadian contraption, which includes custom lesson plans, gesture support and a (touted but unspecified) wide viewing angle. At $8,000 we’re not sure it’s an option for public schools whose budgets only have room for essentials, but if you work at a school that’s totally loaded with cash and think the kiddos would dig this, feel free to look at SMART’s short promotional vid after the break.

Continue reading SMART pulls the cloth off multitouch table for school kids

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Filed under: Handhelds

Alright kids, it’s time for honesty. Here’s a tidbit your 3rd-grade teacher isn’t about to admit, but he / she and everyone else in the world crams for tests. Sorry, we know you totally believed that each and every noble student dutifully set aside hours per day to prepare for that big final, but in reality, every kid in your classroom just got on the study train a few hours ago. To that end, LeapFrog has concocted a perfectly named study aid dubbed the Crammer ($59.99; available now), which enables kids to “quickly navigate more than 16,000 mathematics, social studies and science quiz questions based on leading school textbooks.” Additionally, students can create customized digital flash cards for on-the-go cramming, and the built-in Spanish translator even gives you an edge in the foreign language department. Seriously, where was this at when we were using abacuses and carving English reports into stone tablets?

[Via PopGadget]

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Filed under: Announcements

Last year Engadget — and its good looking, smart, talented readers — took a break from the PC and Mac wars and endless discussion of which Linux distro rules the roost to put some cash towards a good cause: DonorsChoose, a fund-raising group dedicated to making kids’ education needs a reality.

Here’s how it works — we’ve picked a handful of technology related causes that all need funding to get off the ground. You simply decide how much you want to give and which charity appeals to you, and the money goes directly to one or more programs that will impact high-need public schools. Still feel the desire for a little healthy competition? You can track our progress against other like-minded sites on the Blogger Challenge leaderboard, so you get to do something good for kids and shout “PWNED!”

You have until October 31st to make a donation — either by clicking here, using the widget after the break, or by following the Read link — and we sincerely hope that you’ll consider helping out these projects that really do have a chance of giving kids a better future. Also, “PWNED!”

P.S. If you see a project that seems perfect for Engadget and our readers but isn’t in our list, let us know in comments!

Read - Donate!
Read - Blogger Challenge leaderboard
Read - Opening news story on the Blogger Challenge
Read - About DonorsChoose.org

Continue reading Help Engadget Energize Education in the 2008 DonorsChoose Blogger Challenge

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Filed under: Displays

Researchers at Durham University in the UK are working hard to ensure that the academic sector isn’t left out of the multi-touch craze. The still-unnamed “interactive multi-touch desk” is a major part of the SynergyNet framework, an interactive classroom environment they’re building based on a gaming engine called jMonkey. There’s no word on how soon SynergyNet will change the world, but when it does the software will be open source — allowing anyone to get into the code and tweak it to their liking. In the meantime, schools looking for a “high tech initiative” of their own will have to be content with throwing laptops at their students. Stunning video demonstration after the break!

[Via The Raw Feed]

Continue reading Classrooms of the future to have multitouch desks, probably a few Terminators

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Filed under: Displays, Handhelds

Just last month we heard that Amazon could be cooking up a new pair of Kindles for the future, and now we’re seeing another report that adds a bit of legitimacy to the claim. According to McAdams Wright Ragen analyst Tim Bueneman, “there are already several new, improved versions of the Kindle in the works,” and while an MP3 version (saywha?) isn’t in the cards, one with an “improved interface” is. Furthermore, Amazon could be aiming at least one of the new Kindle(s) at college students, though no details were given on what exactly that meant. Wait, do university attendees even read anymore?

[Via CNET]

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Looks like Intel’s clearing out all its Classmate inventory in preparation for that new model — it just inked a deal with Portugal for 500,000 of the chubby gray laptops. The Classmates will be manufactured in Portugal as part of the deal, and the final subsidized cost to students will vary based on each family’s income, with a max of €50 ($78). Kids should be getting their new machines at the start of the new school year, so it looks like things should be moving along quickly here.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

There was a time when the world was more innocent and Lincoln Logs in elementary classrooms were a given, but now that teachers are looking to squash every ounce of fun between 8AM and 3PM (okay, so maybe we just had a rough experience or two), LEGO’s taking the back door in. The WeDo robotics kit is marketed toward elementary schools and the younger kids within them, with each package containing 158 blocks, gears, levers, etc., a USB hub for connecting to your Mac / PC, OLPC XO or Intel Classmate, a motor, one motion sensor, one tilt sensor and a CD with a smattering of sure-to-be-riveting activities. Mum’s the word on pricing for now, but considering your tax dollars will be paying for ‘em, it’s not like you’ll really benefit from knowing.

[Via BoingBoing]

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Filed under: Handhelds

They aren’t quite ready to ship, but LeapFrog’s big-boy-and-girl gaming / learning handhelds are finally up for pre-order over on the outfit’s website. For those who missed the February introduction, the firm is hailing the web-connected Didj (pictured) as the “first completely customizable educational gaming platform,” and given that it is summertime here in the US of A, this is probably your only shot at getting your kiddo to do anything beneficial for their brain for the next two to three months. Get in line now for $89.99 (Didj) / $69.99 (Leapster 2).

[Via CNET]

Read - Didj order page
Read - Leapster 2 order page

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

The latest edu-gimmick to hit small-town America: Liberty, Missouri’s handing out a hundred and change media players — Zunes, to be specific — to local high school and middle school students for listening to lesson-supporting podcasts in the hopes of saving them “lost class time.” Surely this will raise test scores, right? Or at least improve the Zune’s cachet? Who knows — even the district superintendent said, “Is it the next great thing? I don’t know. Maybe. But it is another tool.” Maybe the Kindle might make a better tool, but either way, Microsoft apparently intends to release data on the case study later this year.

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Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment

We applaud the effort, we really do, but even $499 for a projector touting a lowly 800 x 600 native resolution, 2,000:1 contrast ratio and 2,200 lumens is a tad steep in our eyes. Then again, you’ll likely find ViewSonic’s 5-pound PJ513DB marginally cheaper on the street, and of course, it’s quite obvious the outfit was aiming this one at those deep-pocketed boardroom bigwigs and district superintendents. Nevertheless, this DLP PJ promises to toss up a visible image even in well-lit rooms, and you’ll find composite / S-Video / component inputs ’round back to go along with the VGA in / out ports and the audio input. Knock off another Benjamin or up that resolution a hair, and maybe then we’ll talk.

[Via Electronista]

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Pretty amazing what passes as a “business and education projector” these days, huh? The fairly well-spec’d WL6700U is somehow lumped into the aforementioned category, despite it packing a respectable WXGA (1,366 x 800) resolution, 5,000 ANSI lumens, 1,000:1 contrast ratio and a trio of 1.2-inch 3LCD inorganic panels. To be fair, Mitsu does concede that this beamer wouldn’t be too out of place in a home theater environment, and the included DVI port, RJ-45 connector (for online management and control) and built-in motion-sensitive anti-theft alarm certainly help prove that point. Unfortunately, such a versatile PJ will likely fit better on the company card than the personal — unless your Platinum piece isn’t fazed by the $9,995 sticker, that is.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Bug Labs announced in January that it’d be busting out a BUG+EDU program for getting units into the hands of impressionable youngsters, and now that they’ve sold out of the first crop of units they’re getting those educational discounts off the ground. Students (with relevant ID) can now purchase modules at a 10% discount, while K-12 schools and secondary education institutions can buy Bug for 25% off. K-12 schools can also participate in Bug giveaways, while undergrad and postgrad programs can develop coursework in conjunction with Bug — long story short, some kids out there are going to get themselves some fun edumicatin’.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/ACU_dishing_out_iPhone_iPod_touch_to_all_incoming_freshmen’; Never heard of Abilene Christian University? We’re guessing a wide majority of the general public hasn’t either, but the institution is definitely getting its name out there by promising each incoming freshman this fall an iPhone or iPod touch. Granted, these aren’t being explicitly marked as “free,” but similar to Duke’s efforts in years past, ACU plans on using these devices for educational enrichment. Reportedly, the handhelds will enable students to “receive homework alerts, answer in-class surveys and quizzes, get directions to their professors’ offices, and check their meal and account balances” — and that’s just for starters. Interestingly, we aren’t told whether or not the folks already enrolled will be left out — nor what determines which Apple you get — but we do know that the entity is hoping to “expand the program in the future.”

[Thanks, Byzil]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

It won’t give you the non-stop learning of something like LeapFrog’s handhelds, but ViewPlus seems to think its new and improved IVEO system has its share of knowledge to spread nonetheless, although all that learning doesn’t exactly come cheap. Coming in at just under $600 for the basic kit, the system is centered around the IVEO touchpad (available in two different sizes), which can accommodate special tactile templates or custom templates made with the IVEO Creator software (available at an added cost). Those, in turn, interact with the IVEO Viewer software, which pumps out sound clips and other information about the items the user touches. While the company obviously thinks that makes the system ideal for all students, they say its also particularly well-suited to those people with visual or learning disabilities, and it even includes an output for a Braille display. If that sounds like the tool for you, you can grab the whole bundle now for $1,300, with additional curriculum packs for biology, math, health and geography coming soon.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Before long, you won’t be bragging about how many inches your projector can throw out. Oh no, you’ll be boasting about how many LEGOs you can slide between the lens and the wall. Joining the quickly evolving short throw revolution is Epson’s latest duo (each requires 2.1-feet to throw 60-inches), which both feature a native 1,280 x 800 resolution, 500:1 contrast ratio, automatic 4:3 / 16:10 / 16:9 detection and resizing, a ten-watt built-in speaker, VGA (x2), S-Video and composite inputs and an Ethernet port to boot. From what we can gather, the only differences in the EMP-400We are the additional security features (those pesky kids…), a longer warranty and a bundled wall mounting bracket. All in all, we’d opt for the £999 ($1,956) EMP-400W — unless, of course, you’ve got a room / house full of mischievous youngsters, in which case we suppose it’s worth a few extra hundred pounds to rest easy protect your investment.

[Via AboutProjectors]

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Filed under: Laptops

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Watch your back, Kindle. According to reports, an Iranian inventor named Ramin Sedighi has created a “talking” e-book, which utilizes a stylus that can be moved across words and then pronounce them out loud. The system can also apparently “explain” pictures, though it’s unclear whether or not it uses image recognition or some type of embedded data. The device includes a USB port, audio out, the aforementioned stylus, 512MB of memory, and an SD card slot. The laptop-sized unit is aimed at educational applications for children 4 through 16, and will be available sometime in early 2008. No word on manufacturer or pricing.

[Via The Raw Feed]

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Filed under: Laptops

Students in California’s Fresno Unified school district have a little something to be excited about this week, as officials have just invested $650,000 in 1,000 Asus Eee PCs, set for classroom deployment over the next few weeks. The concept is to use the miniscule laptops alongside good, old-fashioned textbooks, with each student being given the chance to create a “digital portfolio” of essays, drawings, and whatever else they can get away with. The computers will remain in roughly 60 classrooms, and will be shared by students — but some worry they’ll hinder the learning process by distracting pupils. Says Stephen Lewis, a geology professor at California State University, Fresno, “Teaching and learning is a person-to-person business. Are we moving toward a remote-control classroom?” We’re not sure what he means by that… then again, we drifted off half-way through his statement to watch a video of that dog on a skateboard.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Wearables

Hungerhill School, a secondary school in Doncaster, South Yorkshire is running a trial that involves tagging the uniforms of pupils with RFID tags. The tags pull up data including academic performance, the child’s current location, and can even deny access to certain restricted areas — behind the bike shed, perhaps? The trial has raised the usual questions of privacy and human rights, although since the trial is voluntary and provides convenience by auto-registering pupils, the current iteration of the trial isn’t a particularly great violation. Call us when kids get tags from birth, then we’ll take to the streets: but probably only because ours missed out. We’ll take our tongue out of our cheek now.

[Via Picture Phoning]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!