The White House today unveiled plans for a research center that aims to infuse more digital learning -- including video games -- into the nation's classrooms.
The effort, dubbed Digital Promise, will aid the rapid development of new learning software, educational games and other technologies, in part through helping educators vet what works and what doesn't.It includes a few interesting ideas. Among them: a "League of Innovative Schools" that will test-drive promising technologies and use its collective purchasing power to drive down costs.
A large group of high-tech business and non-profit organizations is supporting the effort, which is being overseen by the U.S. Department of Education. Perhaps the most unusual partner: Valve Software, developer of the popular Half-Life and Portal video game franchises.
Valve will host a competition for middle- and high-school students and teachers that allows them to create new levels of Portal for classroom use. The game is finding a second life in classrooms as teachers modify it to teach physics.
TORONTO – BlackBerry maker Research In Motion reported a sharp drop in net income and revenue on Thursday and said it sold far fewer tablet computers than it expected. Shares plummeted more than 19 percent as the crisis at the once high-flying tech company intensified.
The results show continued struggle to compete with the iPhone and smartphones running Google's Android system and raise the pressure for the company's long-promised new phone software to be a hit.
RIM said Thursday that its net income was 419 million, or 80 cents per share, in the three months ended Aug. 27. That's down from $796.7 million, or $1.46 per share, a year ago. Analysts expected 90 cents per share, according to a survey by FactSet.
The company, based in Waterloo, Ontario, said revenue fell 15 percent to $4.2 billion.
Shares hit a fresh new five-year low, falling $5.74, or 19.4 percent, to $23.80 in after-hours trading. RIM's stock has lost more than half its value this year.
Although BlackBerrys have dominated the corporate smartphone market, their popularity in the consumer market has been short-lived. U.S. consumers have moved on to phones with big touchscreens like Apple Inc.'s iPhone and various models that run Google Inc.'s Android operating system.
"They are just not selling. They are not competitive," said Peter Misek, an analyst at Jefferies & Co. in New York. "They are getting really hit hard by Android phones."
Misek said RIM's future depends on it releasing new BlackBerrys with the company's new QNX operating system, designed to compete with iPhones and Android phones. RIM has previously vowed to release phones with that software in early 2012.
"They need them out as soon as possible. They need to be good, and they need to be well received by consumers," he said. "If they are not, they will be in a lot of trouble. It will be very difficult to envision a turnaround if they do not get those out as soon as possible."
RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis joined the analysts' conference calling following the release, the second time in as many quarters that he has participated after not doing so in recent memory. He said the company won't rush the QNX phones. He added that prototype phones will be out in the not-too-distant future and said RIM plans announcements about the phones at a conference in October.
He expects the higher-end QNX phones will be selling a year from now but said they won't represent the majority of the phones the company sells because the cheaper BlackBerry 7 models will still be selling globally.
"We understand that the past few quarters have been challenging," Lazaridis said. "We are confident that we are on track to return to growth in Q3 and beyond."
RIM Co-CEO Jim Balsillie said the company shipped fewer BlackBerrys than expected in the quarter because people awaited the launch of the new BlackBerry 7 smartphones, which didn't come out until the end of the quarter. The company said shipments of the BlackBerry 7 were "near the high end of our expectations" in three weeks on the market but didn't offer specifics.
The BlackBerry 7 devices don't have the QNX software.
The Playbook tablet computer was a major disappointment. RIM said it sold about 200,000 of them in the quarter. That was far short of what analysts had expected.
Lazaridis acknowledged it was "well below where we would like it to be" but said ultimately it will be a success in a market that is in its infancy and rapidly growing.
"We're planning to launch a major software upgrade for PlayBook which will deliver highly anticipated new capabilities and applications which we expect to reinvigorate sales," Balsillie said.
RIM's tablet, like many others, remains in the shadow of Apple's iPad.
"Apple sells more iPads in two days than RIM sells in a whole quarter," BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said.
Gillis said RIM is too busy talking about their next generation phones when they should be trying to sell their current models. He said the gap is widening between RIM and their competitors and said it might be time to find new management.
"There is just so much that seems so haphazard about the company right now," Gillis said.
RIM said in July it would cut 10 percent of its work force, about 2,000 jobs.
The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE USB modem, made by Novatel Wireless, which the company states is “the smallest LTE USB modem available today”, will be available in Verizon stores and online this Thursday, March 31st. According to Verizon, the device is up to fifty percent smaller than competing products.
The USB551L has download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps, and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps. The modem supports Windows XP 32-bit, Vista 32/64-bit (SP2), Windows 7 32/64-bit, and Mac 10.4 or higher.
It will be $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, and that price comes with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan, which start at $50 a month for 5GB.
Corporate quote: “The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a
compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and reliability.”
The full press release is below: THE VERIZON USB551L 4G LTE MODEM LANDS ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK MARCH31ST
Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless today announced that the Verizon USB551L made by Novatel Wireless will be available to order on March 31st in Verizon WirelessKey Features:
Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The USB551L
give customers expected download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of
2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage area in a portable device,
small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a
compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and
reliability. The USB551L modem is designed to provide connectivity to check
email, download rich multimedia content and stay connected to family,
friends and coworkers. Customers who travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage
area, will stay connected on the Verizon Wireless 3G network.
€ Compact and lightweight USB modem with advanced proprietary antenna
technologies to maximize data throughput and operating range.
€ Supports Windows ® XP 32-bit, Vista® 32/64-bit (SP2) and Windows® 7
32/64-bit, MAC: 10.4 or higherPricing and Data Plans
€ The Verizon USB551L will be available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in
rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.
€ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB.
Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt,
customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data
usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at
Source : www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.
I long ago stopped wearing a watch on my wrist when the iPhone became my go to timepiece. If you like your iPhone and want an old school pocket watch to boot, we have the case for you. This fancy case has what appears to be crocodile skin leather and a fancy watch on the back.
That pocket watch movement on the back of the case is certainly the big feature here. The watch is a De Bethune DB 1024 movement nestled on the on the back of the case. It’ looks pretty cool actually, but with the way my iPhone cases tend to get scratched I don’t even want to think what this case would look like in a few months.
I also don’t even want to think about what would happen to that fancy watch or my iPhone if I dropped the thing. There is no word on pricing, but considering the fancy nature and style I am betting it’s not cheap at all.
[via CrunchGear
Nintendo has said that the new 3DS handheld game system has set a day-one sales record. Specifically, the company said day one sales were “the highest of any Nintendo hand-held system in our history.” They have not provided specific sales figures at this time, saying they reveal first-week sales figures for the system on April 14th. The 3DS seems to be avoiding the shortages which occurred with the Wii, and there are plenty of 3DS handhelds in stock at Toys R Us, Target, and other retailers.
The company said they “worked hard to get as much product as possible to retailers on day one to meet demand, and we will continue with these efforts moving forward.” So even if you didn’t have the foresight to pre-order a 3DS, you can probably just pick one up at your local store with no problem. The glasses-free 3D system has a lineup of 3D games available now as well, and a Toys R Us representative said that Super Street Fighter IV, Pilotwings Resort, and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars were all selling well, especially with the retailer’s “buy one, get one half off” offer.
For more on the 3DS, be sure to check out our full review. Have you tried it out yet? What do you think?
[via Game Stop]
iMobot modular robots, developed by researchers at UC Davis, are small modules that link together like a chain to form larger robotic modules. The modules have two joints at the center which can rotate 180 degrees. The robots have four degrees of freedom, so they can stand themselves up, roll end over end, stack themselves, and inch along like a caterpillar. They can even carry cameras. And the researchers are looking to make them available commercially soon. Read more, and see a video of the iMobot in action after the break.
The researchers propose that the robot could be used for search and rescue operations, as well as robotics research. Another idea is a snake-like robot with a camera that could climb a tree for surveillance. The iMobots have rotating faceplates at each end, which turn continuously so that the robot can roll along like a truck. Creators Graham Ryland and Harry Cheng are planning further research exploring using clusters of iMobots which would work together in larger configurations. The two received a $150,000 National Science Foundation grant to start their company, Barobo Inc. They have applied for a patent, and plan to commercialize the iMobot.
If you think one of these might come in handy, you can find out about the Barobo Inc. early adopter program here. They hope to have the robots available by the end of the year. I know my two year old would love one of these, but it might be a bit out of our price range.
Yes, that’s right. According to a new IDC forecast for the smartphone market, Windows Phone 7, now the number 5 mobile OS and holding only a 5% marketshare, will shoot up to the number 2 spot just three years from now. The number one spot, according to the forecast, will be kept by Android. Forgive us if we’re a bit skeptical.
In such a fast growing and rapidly changing market, three years is an eternity. So it is very tough to put much credence in a long term prediction for the smartphone market, which is predicted to grow by 49% this year alone. The prediction is based, in part, on the fact that iOS has plateaued recently. But it is due for a facelift, likely coming soon. And Nokia’s WP7 devices aren’t even due out until 2012, so it is hard to say what the reaction to them will be. And there is also RIM and HP’s WebOS to reckon with.
According to the report: “Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team, “The new alliance brings together Nokia’s hardware capabilities and Windows Phone’s differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android.”
If the prediction is correct, it will probably be because enterprise widely decides to embrace WP7. And it will also depend on the type of handsets the OS is available on, and how the ongoing relationship with Nokia and Microsoft develops. We will be sure to keep you up to date on new developments, and if WP7 does rocket to the top, SlashGear will be here to report on it.
[via ZDNet]
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