Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

FEMA Continues Foibles with Fake Press Conference

The folks at FEMA just can't do a "heck of a job." Just when it looked like they might actually get some good press out of their response to the devastating California fires, comes word that FEMA employees faked a press conference. They used FEMA press office employees to pepper a FEMA rep with questions when none of the honchos and none of the media was available for a live feed. How could they think they'd pass this off?

Of course, FEMA is apologizing for their "error in judgement" but, give me a break. Who thinks up this crap on my tax dollars?

Via Reuters

Technorati Tags: FEMA

Tablet PCs And Kids A Natural: I'm Betting UMPCs Too

Dave Ciccone, one of those MobileTech Rounderuppers, has a neat post, The Power of Tablet PCs, about his kids and a Lenovo X41Thinkpad Tablet PC he's reviewing.

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Its a fantastic technology when your two boys ages 5 and 2 are hovering around an IBM X41 Thinkpad drawing for hours and hours

I've said it a million times if I've said it once. Tablet PCs and kids are a natural. They take to using the pen like a duck to water. Watch what happens when UMPCs finally get in the hands of children. I wish the marketing mavens would realize this. They keep missing this boat big time.

Check out Dave's post here.

UMPC (Origami) An Educator's Perspective

David Whyley takes a look at the Ultra-Mobile PC (Origami) from an educator’s perspective. His hands on expereiences with the devices at CeBIT offer some interesting info, and intriguing commentary, and a very cool video of the program launcher app in action. He also has pictures of three devices from the OEM, Amitek, that I don’t recall reading much about before. I agree the colors of these Amitek UMPCs are indeed funky.

Check out the video and more here.

Via UMPC Buzz.

Podcast: Neek Talk And Tablet PCs In Education

Those Neek Talking ladies, Sarah and Elizabeth Heiny, are back with another Neek Talk podcast. This time they are talking Tablet PCs and education. Give it a listen here. By the way they have moved their podcast blog over to Tablet PC Blogs. Seems only fitting that they join the rest of the First Family of Tablet PCs empire there.

Late Night Reading

Robert Heniy's commentary on state of the art technologies in education. He raises some very interesting questions.

David Berlind's commentary on why even an open standrad for DRM won't prevent the DRM trainwreck that's bound to happen.

And speaking of a DRM nightmare, it seems Disney has a patent on a digital device that would be used in venues such as McDonald's to provide entertainment (and advertising) with your meal. Makes me wonder if anyone at Disney has ever eaten at McDonald's or if they've come up with some new way of getting that special sauce from getting all over everything. Not only will the device get messy but if I buy a Digital Happy Meal and my lunch partner doesn't can he/she be entertained as well? What about the folks at the next table? I'm just asking.

The Coolness Factor Of Wireless Computing Tools In The Classroom

We talk a lot about Tablet PCs (and by extension other wireless devices) and how they can improve the educational experience on so many levels. Mark "Sumocat" Sumimoto links to an AP story detailing some great examples and teacher and student comments about how students can interact with each other and their teachers. Is the "coolness factor" a big part of it all and does it improve learning?

I'm also wondering what the potential disruptive effects of wireless technology could be in a classroom. Haven't seen much written about that yet, but I'm sure we will one day.

New Academic Tablet PC Wiki On Channel 9

There is a new Academic Wiki On Channel 9 in addition to the regular Tablet PC Wiki.

Do you work with tablets in academia/research? Add yourself to the list here. Have any good conference papers? Add a link. Wrote any good software for tablets? Click 'edit' (on the left) now, and add yourself.

Check it out here.

Via Lora.

The Tablet PC Project Podcast

Dean Shareski of Saskatchewan, Canada has a neat podcast featuring Tablet PCs and education. In episode #11 he takes on The Tablet PC Project. The Tablet PC Project features Evelyn Sillers, a 5th/6th grade teacher and they talk about how she integrates the Tablet PC into her teaching.

Check out the info and podcast here.

Isn't it interesting that in a number of recent Tablet PC videos (here and here)and now this podcast the Tablet PCs we see students using are from the HP1000 series that is now discontinued?

Why One User Thinks Tablet PCs Will Be The Future Standard

This will sound familiar. Tim Mintner put his Tablet PCs in the hands of his 10 year old niece at a holiday gathering. She took to it intuitively like a duck takes to water. Tim believes that children's lack of fear about learning new interfaces and dropping price points will only help the future get here sooner. I think he's right.

First High School To Offer Students Thinkpad Tablet PCs

St. Mary's School in Raleigh, NC is the first school to deploy Lenovo X41 Thinkpad Tablet PCs to its students and faculty.

"Our teachers and students are raving about the ThinkPad Tablets from Lenovo in their classrooms," said Theo Wilkes Coonrod, Head of Saint Mary’s School. "Classroom instruction and student learning have been revolutionized with this one cool machine. I am impressed with the increased level of interaction and enthusiasm this technology has created. Security and self-service features of the ThinkPad Tablets also help protect the investment we have made in this new technology and in our ATLAS program."

The school is aiming for a one-to-one Tablet to student ratio by 2007.

Via WebWire