from Technology & Learning
Get up to speed on the latest product releases in the education market.
Hardware
Dell, Inc. has released Latitude XFR D630, a new fully rugged laptop, which features seamless integration into existing infrastructure. The new computer features an outdoor readable screen at 500 nits, shock-isolated mounting, dual locking butterfly mechanisms, and a sealed keyboard designed to withstand driving rain and dust.
Panasonic's new plasma bundle solutions are designed to fit a school's mobile presentation needs. Incorporating new 10-Series 50-inch and 58-inch plasma displays, the bundles are available in a variety of configurations. A durable mobile cart secures the plasma in place for easy transport and versatility, allowing educators to move plasma displays between classrooms. Models come equipped with three interchangeable slots to connect to audiovisual equipment, and a wireless presentation option is also available.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions, a provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies, unveiled its new bizhub PRO 2500P, the first in a series of printers that addresses heavy-production print requirements. The new printing system features singlepass duplexing technology in the commercial printing markets, allowing for monthly duty cycles up to 8 million impressions. The system can support up to 13,800 sheets including letter- and legal-size and custom-size material.
Sony has unveiled a new line of Walkman video MP3 models that support noise-canceling and Bluetooth technologies. The new players offer 13.5mm drivers that block out as much as 75 percent of ambient noise. The video players include an LCD screen that displays video at 30 frames per second, feature (depending on model) as much as 36 hours' worth of battery life, and can store as many as 3,800 songs on the 16GB model. The compact and lightweight players have from a 1.8-inch to 2.4-inch screen, and include an FM tuner with 30 station presets.
Fujitsu Limited has released a new series of MHZ2 BT 2.5-inch disk drives with up to 500GB of memory. The new drives are part of Fujitsu's new Green Policy Innovation program, unveiled December 2007, to promote energy-efficient products. The disk drives, which can be used externally, are for use in personal computers and include a DVR and Set Top Boxes. They use only 1.8 watts for read and write options.
iRex Technologies' new iLiad, an 13.7-ounce electronic paper display, reads just about anything from newspapers to charts and features easy-to-use navigation so you can zoom while reading in portrait and landscape orientation. The 8.1-inch reader is also stylusenabled, comes with 64MB of RAM, 128MB of internal memory, and built-in speakers and rechargeable Lithium Ion battery.
Software
Identity Finder is software that protects against peer-to-peer file sharing, which is a major cause of confidential data leakage among school kids. By automatically searching for confidential information such as social security numbers or credit card numbers inside documents, e-mails, and Web browsers, Identity Finder will securely delete the data or protect the information with encryption.
HDGUARD protects PCs from permanent data loss and reduces downtime and maintenance overhead. Providing schools with a cost-effective software solution, HDGUARD will return the PC to its original pre-configured setting after each reboot, thus eliminating any unauthorized changes.
AdventNet has released ManageEngine DeviceExpert 5, a new version of its enterprise IT management and security software that further enables IT administrators to manage network configurations of switches, routers, and firewalls through a single, central GUI. The latest version helps track configurations in real time, preventing unauthorized changes. Users can also generate security audit reports to help identify and depict security-related issues.
Weidenhammer's alio enables school administrators to easily budget, monitor, and control their school's finances. With alio, information is electronically transferred to the general ledger, minimizing data entry requirements and human error. Built on Oracle technology, alio runs on Windows, Linux, and Unix and can be accessed via Web or client server systems.
Dynamic Literacy has two new additions to its WordBuild Vocabulary Development System, Foundation and Elements. Foundation contains two years of vocabulary instruction for grades 3-5, but is available for interve ntion for grades 6 and up. The series is based on "morphology," or the study of the units of meaning in words and is designed to boost classroom performance by improving student skills in vocabulary, language, and reading comprehension. Elements is for students, grades 5-9, but available for interve ntion in grades 10 and up, and contains three years of morphics-based instruction.
Online
The launch of a free Web content filtering for schools, provided by OpenDNS, gives districts increased Internet security, reliability, and performance. A direct extension of its OpenDNS product already being used by small and large online businesses, this online filtering solution blocks students from accessing inappropriate Web sites and it has enabled phishing site blocking, allowing educators and administrators more Internet control.
RTI Needs Analysis, launched by Spectrum K12 School Solutions, Inc., is a comprehensive Response to Intervention solution designed to help schools optimize their data, improve performance, and spur student achievement. Features include professional development training, analysis of a district's current academic interventions for at-risk students, and a debriefing session to help districts plan for effective classroom instruction and school improvement.
The new Vernier Software & Technology Web site provides activities for engineering and STEM education. Using the company's SensorDAQTM data-acquisition interface with National Instruments' LabVIEW software, the site features 10 experiments that focus on introductory concepts from the major engineering disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical, and biomedical.
HP and Microsoft's Teacher Experience Exchange is a new Web site aimed to help educators, administrators, and students benefit from a 21stcentury learning environment. Features include tutorials for teaching technology in the classroom; teacher-generated content and sharing; teaching forums to discuss, share, and learn with other educators; message boards for keeping in touch with the community; and Vista, XP, and Office 2003/2007 support. Educators can preview this Web site now; full site will be up later this spring.
Discovery Education Science for Elementary is a new digital service aimed at engaging elementary students' minds with science while reinforcing literacy and math skills. Organized into four areas—Learn, Explore, Demonstrat e, and Extend—the service helps teachers find appropriate resources to guide student learning. Students and teachers can work together like real scientists through a number of virtual labs and inquiry-based topic exploration.
Courses
Microchip Technology, Inc. has created a new academic partner program called Microchip Academic Partner. The program's goal is to improve engineering education by integrating microcontroller architecture and other technologies into the educational curriculum. Free local training is available to educators via Microchip's Regional Training Center.
McAfee, Inc. has announced a new course as part of its Foundstone Professional Services division. "Certified Ethical Hacking" will be offered starting in April at sites across the U.S. and is designed to teach professionals how to detect systems vulnerabilities. The new certified training course is offered with accredited training partner, the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants. IT professionals who complete the course will receive certification in penetration testing and risk mitigation.
