Hardware Archive

South Korea Plans to Digitize Learning

James Ruben, Horace Mann School, NY| 5:47 am, July 8, 2011 | Hardware, Mobile, School , , , ,

Attention students: hate carrying around textbooks? Love using technology to learn? Well, think about moving to South Korea! South Korea, ranked 8th out of 176 on the United Nation’s 2008 Education Index (for a comparison: the United States ranks 20th), wants to create an environment in which students can study anywhere and anytime while using better and more interactive content. South Korea’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced that it would invest 2.2 Trillion Korean Won (about 2 billion US Dollars) by 2015 in an effort to develop digital textbooks for all subjects and all schools. The Ministry has stated that these proposed digital textbooks will contain all of the information of the printed textbooks and will also include helpful multimedia and reference sources that would enhance the learning process for all students in South Korea. The South Korean government, perhaps taking a page out of Apple’s, Google’s, Amazon’s, Microsoft’s or any other major technology corporation’s playbook(s), also wants to create a cloud computing system so that students can access these digital textbooks from any computer at any time. Moreover, the Ministry plans to provide students of low-income families with Tablet PCs in addition to setting up wifi networks in all schools. The Ministry also plans to have these textbooks accessible by computer, tablet, and smartphone. Of course, all components of this proposed plan would require a huge server, but South Korea already seems to have plans to accommodate such a device.

In my opinion, these changes sound very cool. Students these days are becoming more and more accustomed to using technology to enhance their working and learning. Obviously there are many down-sides of this plan. Textbooks don’t run on batteries. Computers do. Textbooks are much easier than computers to replace when lost or stolen. The list goes on. Personally, I feel that having to use a Tablet PC for your work can actually be less productive than using a textbook because Tablet PCs have other features that may distract the user (such as internet and games). For this plan to work, students is South Korea would also have to become more computer literate. Textbooks are very simple to use and there is a “realness” aspect of them: writing in a textbook feels like writing; highlighting feels like highlighting. Computers/Tablet PCs on the other hand are not as innately understood. In any case, South Korea’s dedication to the development to digital textbooks is just another chapter in our “Information Age”, and I, for one, am excited to see how this plan evolves.

What do you think about this topic? Leave your questions, comments, and/or thoughts below!

iPhone 4′s Finally Arrive in Botswana!

Darren Fine, Maru-a-Pula High School, NY| 9:55 am, July 3, 2011 | Hardware, Mobile , , ,

Hello GadgetHigh readers! My name is Darren Fine. I live in Botswana (the country just north of South Africa), and this is my first post on GadgetHigh. For many of you Americans, the iPhone 4 is nothing new. In fact, an entire year has passed since you have been able to lay your hands on one. But for me, and for all Batswana, the iPhone 4 is new. Apple says that the iPhone 4 is the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone. But does it live up to the hype? How much better is it than its predecessor? A lot better. It’s much thinner (though slightly heavier), lasts longer on a charge (thanks to Apple’s A4 chip), and will offer two-way FaceTime video chat. You also get HD video recording and an all-new three-axis gyroscope that should make gameplay even more immersive. What’s more, the new iPhone is also now offered by Verizon and AT&T in the United States. Here in Botswana, our two main service providers are Orange and Mascom. Orange just recently begun to sell the iPhone 4 starting at P8000 (for those of you who are not familiar with the Botswana Pula, P8000 is about $1,220). In America, Verizon and AT&T are selling iPhone 4’s starting at just $199! What a deal! Mascom and Organge also sell 8GB iPhone 3GS for about P4500, or about $690 dollars. In America, it would cost you as little as $49 when bought from AT&T!  So, is the switch worth it? I certainly think so. If I haven’t convinced you, see the chart below for more information. Thanks for reading!

Have you made the switch? Surprised by the high price increase in Botswana relative to America? Leave any questions, comments, or thoughts below!

Specs  

iPhone 3GS

  

iPhone 4
Operating System iPhone OS 3 (Upgrade to iOS 4.3 and soon to upgrade to iOS 5) iOS 4.3 (soon to have iOS 5)
Size (inches) 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.48 4.5 x 2.3 x 0.37
Weight (ounces) 4.76  ounces 4.8 ounces
Processor 600-MHz ARM Cortex A8 Apple A4 processor
Display 3.5 inches  (480 x 320 pixels, 163 ppi) 3.5 inches (960 x 640 pixels, 326 ppi)
Camera 3-MP 5-MP with LED flash, VGA front camera
Video Recording VGA @ 30fps 720p @ 30fps
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g 802.11n
Sensors Accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light 3-axis gyro, Accelerometer, proximity, ambient light
Internal Memory (max) 8GB 16GB, 32GB
Talk / Standby Time up to 5 hours (3G)/12.5 days 7 hours (3G)/12.5 days
Internet Use (3G/Wi-Fi) 5 hours/9 hours 6 hours/10 hours
Video/Audio Playback Up to 10 hours/30 hours Up to 10 hours/40 hours

 

 

In Theaters: Wimbledon In a New Dimension

James Ruben, Horace Mann School, NY| 12:45 pm, July 2, 2011 | Hardware, Movies/TV , ,

The Wimbledon Championships, for those of you who are not tennis fans, is one of the four major tennis tournaments throughout the year. The two weeks of excellent tennis at Wimbledon in Great Britain comes to an end this weekend with the women’s singles finals on Saturday and the gentlemen’s singles finals on Sunday. 3D sports has been on the rise. ESPN3D has been out on DirecTV for over a year now, and major sporting events have been broadcasted in glorious 3D to those willing to dish out some more money for a 3DTV and wear those funky glasses. Wimbledon has been no exception in the trend toward 3D broadcast of sporting events. ESPN3D has shown the matches in 3D in the United States and, more than three years after testing their first 3D broadcast (it was of some rugby match) BBC will show its first 3D broadcasts.

Now, 3D Wimbledon is becoming much more accessible to the public. For the first time, select movie theaters around the world will be showing the gentlemen’s semi-final matches, the women’s finals matches, and the men’s finals matches in glorious 3D. In Ritchie, chief executive of the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club) describes the reason for the change: “We are always looking for ways to improve the presentation of the Championships by successfully blending that tradition with innovation.’” So, if you haven’t already enjoyed Wimbledon in 3D either by actually going to Wimbledon or heading over to a participating cinema and watching Djokovic take down Tsonga, Nadal power his way past Murray, and/or witness the match termed “Battle of the Babes”in which Kvitova grunted her way passed Sharapova early today in the women’s finals, I recommend that you try to get your hands on some tickets to see the Nadal vs. Djokovic final in 3D. If you still think 3D sports is a joke or a waste of money, at least go for the huge screen. I won’t choose sides in this match, but let’s just say I’d like the new World’s #1 (as of the coming Monday) to prove himself on the grass of Wimbeldon. Enjoy!

Google Takes Over Your Wallet

James Ruben, Horace Mann School, NY| 8:08 pm, May 27, 2011 | Hardware, Mobile , ,

Google, a company whose reach now expands far beyond its humble beginnings as a search engine, recently announced two new services: Google Wallet and Google Offers. Yes, it seems as if Google wants to play a role in every part of your life, whether it be researching for a paper, finding anything you want on the internet, sending emails, finding your way around, creating the software on your cell phone…the list goes on and on. And now, Google has entered the realm of payment. With Google Wallet, Google promises to “make your phone your wallet.” So how does it work? Why is it cool? What’s Google Offers and why do I think Google Offers is a much more promising service as this point? Read on to find out.

How Google Wallet works:

Without getting too technical, let me explain the basics of Google Wallet. While the world around us has evolved and is rapidly evolving, the ways in which we pay for things has undergone few changes. Since the Lydian people first invented the concept of using coined money about 3000 years ago, payment has only progressed from coinage, to paper money, and to small plastic cards. Google claims that it is on “the brink of the next big shift.” So, is it? Google Wallet is an app that can be downloaded to your Android phone and is a way for you to pay for your purchases with your credit or debit card, using your phone. If you have been in a taxicab in New York City recently or in gas stations across the country, you have probably seen MasterCard’sPayPass. Well, Google Wallet works in a similar way. Using Near Field Communication (NFC), wireless technology that enables data transmission between two objects when they are brought very close together, Google Wallet allows you to tap your phone on the credit card reader instead of having to pull out your wallet and swipe your credit card. Google Wallet offers more protection than your average leather, velcro, or duct tape wallet. Before every payment, Google Wallet makes you enter a PIN, so it knows that the phone is still in the right hands. In the event that the phone is lost or stolen, Google makes it easy to cancel a credit card, a process that currently seems to be painstakingly difficult.

To a high schooler, like myself, Google Wallet sounds pretty cool. I use my phone for just about everything else, why don’t I just pay with it? The truth is, though, many high schoolers nationwide do not have credit cards, rendering Google Wallet pretty useless to our generation. You may be thinking, “but my parents will still use it, right?” As of right now, the answer is maybe. Granted, Google will most definitely expand Google Wallet, but, when Google Wallet is launched, it will ONLY be compatible with the Nexus S 4G from Sprint (not the most popular phone on the market…). Moreover, while Google will offer a Google Pre-paid card, Google Wallet will only work with Citi Mastercard and will not be offered in that many locations.

At this point, it may seem like I am dismissing Google Wallet as useless, but I am not. I do see the value of Google Wallet. At this point, you might as well just take out your credit card and swipe it. Google understands that, and, as a result, will continue to build on Google Wallet to make it more accessible and to expand it beyond credit cards. In essence, Google wants to securely replace everything in your wallet except your cash and your ID. And, seeing that Google knows a thing or two about success (not counting Google Wave), I think they have a good shot at it. But, again, the service that was most enticing to me was Google Offers. Here’s why:

 

How Google Offers works:

If you have ever seen or heard of the show Extreme Couponing or have seen the array of coupons in the newspaper, you can understand how crazy coupons can get. Google Offers seeks to simplify that craziness. So what is it, and how does it work? Technically, I have mislead you to this point. Google Offers actually incorporates Google Wallet, so it is not entirely a separate entity. It does, however, have many individual aspects that seem much more promising than Google Wallet’s credit card replacement.  Essentially, Google Offers is a new product to help you find great deals in their area and coupons through a daily email. Then you can use your Google Wallet application to use this coupons and discounts at the participating retailers. This process makes saving through coupons a much more pain-free process and would certainly save our friends on Extreme Couponing a whole lot of time.

 

Of course, these new services will also help businesses, and, in classic Google fashion, Google demonstrates this help through a cheery video (shown below):

 

Only time will tell how successful Google Wallet and Google Offers will be. I have a feeling Google will find a way, though.

On a completely separate note, since you have made it this far in the article, I wanted to welcome you back to GadgetHigh. There has been no writing on here since September because, well, school pretty much took up all of my time. I will start writing more often, and I am always looking for new writers. Make sure you make an account by clicking “Register” at the top of the page, and, if you would like to write, send an email or a written article to postings@gadgethigh.com

As always, leave any questions, comments, thoughts, or concerns below!

GadgetHigh Notes: BlackBerry PlayBook

Alex Adler, Horace Mann, NY| 9:47 pm, September 27, 2010 | Hardware ,

Honestly, I’m interested.  My dad recently bought an iPad.  I have been thoroughly entertained by the awesome apps in Apples app ecosystem, but I think that with a “slate” there can be more.  Thats not to say that the PlayBook contains everything that is lacking from the iPad, but there are some things the PlayBook can do that the iPad cannot.  For one, the ability to video chat.  This is a big selling point for me.  As a teenager with a Mac, video chatting occurs for me more than phone calls ever do.  VCs are part of my everyday life. The screen on the PlayBook is smaller than the iPads, but has a higher pixel density.  This means that text will look much crisper.  The PlayBook also supports OpenGL meaning very intense gaming.  Multitasking is also capable in the PlayBook.  Something that is lacking in the iPad.  The multitasking is similar to WebOS’s “cards” feature. The only true downside is the early 2011 release date.  At this point, Apple could release a new iPad with FaceTime features installed to compete with the PlayBook more directly.  If the PlayBook can function as well as it sounds on paper it is possible that we could have an iPad killer on our hands, but only time and field testing will tell. Check below for a video preview of the BlackBerry PlayBook.

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iPads Replacing Textbooks?

Jake Shelley, Horace Mann, NY| 10:35 pm, September 20, 2010 | Hardware, School , ,

The most aggravating part of the beginning of the school year is ordering textbooks. Each year, I navigate an unhelpful website and manage unpredictable shipping until my books finally arrive. Last year I thought they had found a solution when they had students come to school to buy their books. For me this worked out well as it allowed me to receive all my books quickly and in one place. This system did not work out for everyone, with some people not being able to make it to school in time to pick up their books, so it was scrapped. This annual aggravation makes me think of a way in which we could have the convenience of purchasing all books needed for the school year in one place combined with the accessibility to purchase the textbooks. What if the school could provide Ipads for its students, in place of textbooks?

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BlackBerry Torch (Bold 9800): Official Review

Alex Fetner, Hackley School, NY| 10:32 pm, September 20, 2010 | Hardware, Mobile , , ,

Upon receiving my new Blackberry Torch (Bold 9800) I was extremely excited and very optimistic. I had seen the teaser videos and heard all about the new Blackberry OS 6, which includes a completely new UI and a very highly hyped Webkit-powered browser. RIM for months had been pouring accolades upon their new phone and billing it as the phone to revamp the company. Read on to read my take on this new smartphone.

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Senator Schumer (D-NY) Writes Letter to Steve Jobs, New York Nerds Rejoice

James Ruben, Horace Mann School, NY| 7:37 pm, July 15, 2010 | Hardware , ,

No, this is not a joke. The Democratic Senator from my home state of New York, Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), urged the iPhone 4 maker, Apple, on Thursday to provide fresh answers about the source of the so-called “death grip” glitch that causes poor reception, and called for a fix to be identified and provided free of charge to existing customers. Schumer sites the recent Consumer Report finding of the problem. Researchers with Consumer Reports said they would not recommend the product for purchase. The magazine said it found that the antenna was in fact the culprit behind the drop-off in the phone’s reception. It said a design flaw was responsible for the glitch. Maybe Senator Schumer read my GadgetHigh article on the press conference (which can be found here) and felt so passionate about the issue that he decided to take it one step further and contact Jobs?

While I thank Senator Schumer for his support on the matter, I do believe he has better things to do in the United States Senate. As some of you may know, I have spent the last month working as a Senate Page on the Senate Floor in Washington (shout-out to my fellow pages). I will not spend my time talking about my experience, but I can tell you that Senator Schumer was my sponsoring senator and that the Senate Floor has a strict policy of no cell phones on the Senate Floor. To be more specific, I also happened to notice that Senator Schumer did not own an iPhone. He carried with him a Blackberry and a simple flip phone. It surprises me that a Senator would be so passionate about the  iPhone’s antenna problem when there are so many other, in my opinion, larger problems in the United States today. Nevertheless, part of a Senator’s job is to fight for the beliefs of his constituents, and there is no doubt in my mind that he has made many New York iPhone owners (including myself) very happy with this letter.

A copy of Schumer’s letter appears below.

July 15, 2010

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I write to express concern regarding the reception problem with the Apple iPhone 4. While I commend Apple’s innovative approach to mobile technology and appreciate its service to millions of iPhone users nationwide, I believe it is incumbent upon Apple to address this flaw in a transparent manner. According to Consumer Reports’ review, released Monday on its website, the iPhone 4′s signal-strength problem is a hardwire glitch triggered by gripping the device in a particular manner. This finding, according to Consumer Reports, “call[s] into question” Apple’s recent claim that the problem is “largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software.” Consumer Reports declined to recommend the iPhone 4 because of this hardware design flaw.

Given the discrepancy between Consumer Reports’ explanation of the reception problem and the explanation provided by Apple in its July 2 letter to customers, I am concerned that the nearly two million purchasers of the iPhone 4 may not have complete information about the quality of the product they have purchased. The burden for consumers caused by this glitch, combined with the confusion over its cause and how it will be fixed, has the potential to undermine the many benefits of this innovative device. To address this concern, I ask that Apple provide iPhone 4 customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the reception problem and make a public commitment to remedy it free-of-charge. The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called “death grip” malfunction-such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it-seem to be insufficient. These proposed solutions would unfairly place the burden on consumers for resolving a problem they were not aware of when they purchased their phones.

I also encourage Apple to keep its promise to provide free software updates so that bars displayed accurately reflect signal strength; I further urge Apple to issue a written explanation of the formula it uses to calculate bar strength, so that consumers can once again trust the product that they have invested in.

I look forward to Apple’s swift action on this matter, and once again laud Apple for its innovative efforts and service to millions of Americans.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer

Thanks Chuck. The press conference is tomorrow at 1PM Eastern. I will keep you updated if Jobs responds.

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Apple, “Stunned,” to Hold a Press Conference Friday

James Ruben, Horace Mann School, NY| 12:30 am, July 15, 2010 | Hardware, Mobile

In a letter released from Apple on July 2nd, Apple acknowledged the problem many, many people are finding with their iPhone 4′s antennas. Apple said they were “stunned.” Part of the statement is below:

We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising.

Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

Apple says that other phones, including Droid, Nokia, and RIM phones, experienced similar problems. Although, to my knowledge, only the iPhone 4 has had many widespread complaints. The easiest fix for the problem is buying a case, something that I did. I need a case anyway because I am very clumsy with my technology, but that is besides the point. The case Apple is selling, called a Bumper, is being sold for a ridiculous price of $29.99. These cases seem like another way for Apple to make easy money. There have been rumors that Apple is going to cut the price in half or even give them out for free, but let’s be honest. Apple doesn’t give anything for free (except for those Apple logo stickers that come with all the products).

And so, after all the drama, Apple has admitted that something is really wrong with the iPhone 4 reception. This friday, Apple will hold a press conference on the matter at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. No one really knows what will be announced at the conference, but I don’t get your hopes up for something too good. Check back after the conference for updates on the matter.  In addition to this conference, Apple has released new software (4.1 beta) to developers, but sadly, early reports have stated that the software update does not fix the signal problem. For those of you with iPhone 4′s, I suggest buying a case to not only fix the problem but also protect your awesome phone. I bought a Belkin case at BestBuy that works great.

Possibly the funniest part about this whole antenna situation is the fact that Steve Jobs was so thrilled and excited about the new antenna when he revealed the new iPhone 4 at WWDC. Steve describes the antenna as: “It’s never been done before and it’s really cool engineering.” Nevertheless, the problem has not really hindered iPhone sales. Was this antenna problem just an elaborate scheme plotted by Apple to see how many people they could get to buy a broken phone? If so, Kudos Apple. You got me and millions of others.

Until next time,

GadgetGuy

New iPhone 4s arrive TWO DAYS EARLY

Ross Isdaner, Detroit Country Day School, MI| 10:25 pm, June 22, 2010 | Hardware ,

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