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President Obama Announces New Energy and Tech Initiatives

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February 15, 2013

In his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, President Obama proclaimed, “now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race.” Obama is pushing a variety of new energy and technology initiatives, including a network of high-tech manufacturing hubs and a new Energy Security Trust designed to redirect oil and gas revenue to fund tech research that will address our dependency on oil. Continue reading President Obama Announces New Energy and Tech Initiatives

New Generation of Tablets for Kids Prepare for Battle this Holiday Season

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September 25, 2012
  • This upcoming holiday season will see more tablets for the “older-than-toddlers but not-quite-teenagers” demographic. The market was formally dominated by learning-based tablets aimed at toddlers.
  • Tablets like Lexibook, Kurio and Meep “are educational and entertainment devices, and they are targeting the 6-to-12-year-old demographic,” writes Forbes.
  • But will these youngsters want these tablets, or would they rather just have the real thing, like an iPad?
  • According to a Forrester Research survey of 4,750 U.S. adults, “29 percent of tablet users say they let their children older than six use their tablet.”
  • While Apple indisputably dominates the tablet market, the Toys”R”Us strategy is based on differentiating itself by being kid-specific. Toys”R”Us will sell a number of $149 Android tablets featuring seven-inch screens and wireless access — including its own Tabeo (pictured here).
  • “In the Forrester survey, 26 percent of parents said they’re concerned about their children accessing inappropriate content on their tablet,” explains the article. “On all of the kids’ tablets, however, parents can control the content children can access with a one-time setup and set limits on how long they can use it, something they can’t do on the iPad or Kindle.”
  • The kids’ tablets are also less delicate, built to withstand damage. But as Forbes points out, that won’t mean much unless the kids want them.

CodeNow Aims to Promote Innovation and Train the Next Pioneers

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November 1, 2011
  • CodeNow is a non-profit initiative for early technology education, launched in February 2011 by social entrepreneur Ryan Seashore.
  • According to the organization: “CodeNow works with underrepresented youth to develop the next pioneers in technology by teaching foundational skills in computer science and programming to narrow the digital divide. Creating a fluency in this language spurs innovation and opens doors for our youth, while creating a pipeline of talent for American companies.”
  • “Coding is the language of the future. If we want our youth to be competitive globally we need to teach them be tinkerers and look under the hood of technology,” explains Seashore. “Though we are a non-profit we function more like a start-up. We take a ‘lean’ approach to our work and are in constant beta. It’s been an amazing experience.”
  • The organization earned some government recognition when director of the Office of Public Engagement Jon Carson recently discussed CodeNow on the White House blog: “Ryan got me thinking about ways that we could engage non-profits around the country and the ways we could share their incredible stories. I am happy to announce a new weekly blog series highlighting non-profits dedicated to improving their communities. It felt appropriate to have CodeNow inaugurate the series.”

Are there Other Media Applications for Military VR and 3D Tech?

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October 20, 2011
  • Quantum 3D has created virtual reality technology for soldiers to train for battle wearing 3D glasses equipped with screens.
  • “Trainees are 100 percent immersed in the battlefield, while actually prowling around the conference room, gymnasium, or parking lot,” reports KNTV/NBC (includes video).
  • This opens some interesting possibilities for general training, education, and theme park applications.
  • In related news, IEE Inc. has integrated its 4.8-inch 800×400 military data display with 3M’s autostereoscopic film for a glasses-free 3D display that allows running of custom apps (terrain mapping, remote robotics control, enhanced video feeds, and training environments).
  • Key design elements include its small size, high resolution and LED backlight technology. The new display “decreases off-axis image reversals and color distortions, a common concern in the use of 3D technologies, and can easily be switched to 2D with imagery comparable to modern day smart phones,” according to the press release.

Researchers Convert the iPhone into Affordable Medical Microscope

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October 10, 2011
  • UC Davis researchers have determined how to transform the iPhone camera into a microscope with details up to 1.5 microns using a 1mm ball lens that offers 5x magnification.
  • The team “has one-upped the competition by making the iPhone into a 350x microscope for very little money,” reports TechCrunch. “Now you’ll be able to send people Instagrams of your blood cells.”
  • “The field of view is very small and there’s distortion to deal with, but by combining the in-focus areas of several pictures you can get a clear enough image to identify cell types, make counts, or even take spectroscopic readings,” comments the article on the image capturing process.
  • The post includes compelling side-by-side images comparing a commercial microscope with the iPhone camera set-up. There is also a link to the UC Davis paper, “Cell-Phone-Based Platform for Biomedical Device Development and Education Applications.”
  • “It may not be a mobile clinic, but in areas where money and electricity are hard to come by, an iPhone could be a valuable diagnostic tool,” suggests TechCrunch.

Should We Be Thinking about 3D Devices and Services for the Classroom?

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September 12, 2011
  • Market research firm Pacific Media Associates estimates that approximately 185,000 3D-ready projectors will be sold to U.S. schools (grades K-12) this year, which would be more than double the number sold last year.
  • “Schools are trying to keep up with the multiplex, keen to find ways to engage students in an age of 3D movies and gadgets that make traditional classroom materials look dated,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “And the technology and equipment makers are eager to create a new market for their 3D products.”
  • Teachers who are 3D proponents find that introducing 3D experiences in the classroom are beneficial in explaining a wide range of topics from understanding what cartilage in a skeletal system looks like to how math works in real life. “You don’t want to turn away because you don’t want to miss anything,” said one middle school student of the approach.
  • It should came as no surprise that younger generations are drawn to 3D, the iPad and mobile devices, but despite new technologies interactive teaching techniques remain the key. This makes 3D technology different in the classroom than it is in the multiplex. “Anyone can watch 3D, but you need to interact with it to really learn,” says James Mayrose, associate professor at Buffalo State College and chief executive of Tactus Technologies Inc., a company that offers a 3D dissectible-frog program.
  • Early studies indicate 3D projection dramatically increases test scores, and it is interesting to note that, unlike TVs, many 3D-ready projectors typically cost the same as regular projectors ($600-800).
  • According to WSJ, some schools are evaluating budgets while some are “waiting for more 3D materials that are in compliance with testing and graduation standards.” The article also points out that “few if any of the leading academic publishers, including Pearson PLC and McGraw-Hill Cos., have created their own stereoscopic course material, but Texas Instruments’ DLP says it is currently in discussions with various publishers.”
  • ETCentric staffer Phil Lelyveld suggests this is a potentially huge market for monetization and marketing opportunities.

U.S. Schools Like the Interactivity and Visuals of the iPad

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September 7, 2011
  • Apple claims there are more than 600 U.S. school districts that have at least one classroom where each student is receiving an iPad to use throughout the school day.
  • The popular tablets feature interactive programs in math, note-taking apps, videos and tutorials on everything from history to foreign languages.
  • The tablets are reportedly very popular in special education and for those who learn visually.
  • Textbook publishers are racing to develop curriculum specifically for iPads. Moreover, digital programs are less costly than textbooks and have interactivity and videos as well.
  • “I don’t want to generalize because I don’t want to insult people who are working hard to make those resources,” says Burlington High (Massachusetts) principal Patrick Larkin of textbooks, “but they’re pretty much outdated the minute they’re printed and certainly by the time they’re delivered. The bottom line is that the iPads will give our kids a chance to use much more relevant materials.”

Game Developer Hopes to Reform Computer Education with $25 USB Stick PC

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May 9, 2011

Game Developer David Braben, founder of UK-based Frontier Developments, has been working on a project to facilitate computer programming curriculum in schools. Braben argues that computer education has shifted from programming toward basic computer use skills. Usage training is important, but its prevalence has resulted in a lack of knowledge regarding basic programming skills and an understanding of computer architecture and hardware.

To address this issue, Braben has developed a small $25 USB stick PC with a HDMI port on one end and USB port on the other. By plugging the HDMI socket into a TV or monitor and connecting a keyboard via USB, the stick provides a fully functional machine running Linux. The stick can handle web browsing, run applications, and much more. Braben hopes that such a device can be distributed to students for free so that computer courses can be developed around its use.

According to Geek.com: “The hardware being offered is no slouch either. It uses a 700MHz ARM11 processor coupled with 128MB of RAM and runs OpenGL ES 2.0 allowing for decent graphics performance with 1080p output confirmed. Storage is catered for by an SD card slot.” The photo above shows the Raspberry Pi device with an attached 12 megapixel camera module. (The Geek.com report also includes an interesting video interview with Braben.)

Braben’s USB stick PC plans to be distributed through a charitable foundation called the Raspberry Pi Foundation. He hopes to distribute the device within the next 12 months.

Based on its cost and portability, we could see a range of applications outside the classroom.

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