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Kindergarten Students Get iPads

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Apple head honcho Steve Jobs called (calls?) it magical. Countless people seem to agree. Some say what’s magical is that people pay hundreds of dollars for such a device. Price notwithstanding, the iPad has proven to be a very versatile device, and sales figures support the fact that people find it useful.

Now, even the education sector is lending the iPad its support. In Auburn, Maine, kindergarten students will soon be treated to their own iPads – to be used for educational purposes. The Auburn school department is blazing a new trail by making iPads available to each of the kindergarten students enrolled in the district. Just last week, a $200,000 budget was approved. The money is to be used to purchase 285 iPads that will be issued to teachers and students.

While the district seems to be the first to make such a move, the use of iPads for education is not that novel. In the past year, we have heard of countless stories of people getting the iPad for their children. The device has even been picked out for special education, with the iPad’s features being highlighted as very helpful in developing fine motor skills. With the iPad taking interactivity to a new level, children will also have a better learning experience. The goal of the project is to boost literacy rates up to 90 percent within two years. See the iPad’s use in education in action in the video below.

I can see how some people might say that this move can be excessive. Personally, I think that if the money is available, there is no reason not to make the iPad accessible to children. As long as they are indeed used mainly for educational purposes, then the kids can only benefit from this. What do you think?

Be Your Own Souvenir

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Toy People
Calling all narcissists, or those with narcissistic tendencies! Here is the ultimate device for you guys: an installation that can scan you – or whatever you want to be – and then create a mini you. This installation was made by blablabLAB ((blablabLAB)) with the goal of “connecting street users, art, and science.”

And how is this achieved by playing on the love of self of people? Imagine this. You have always wanted to be a great guitarist immortalized through your music. The sad thing is that it doesn’t seem like the guitar responds to your fingers tender manipulations. Is there any way you can ever realize your dream? If you were to pose holding a guitar, acting as if you were playing in the biggest concert of you life, you just might be able to capture that memory via the Be Your Own Souvenir installation.

Using 3 scanners – no less than the Microsoft Kinect, a 3D image of yourself will be created. This image is then translated into a more tangible object via 3D printing, and before you know it, you will have yourself as a souvenir to take home!

The installation was tested in Barcelona on the first month of this year, and it seems that it was a huge hit. Locals and tourists alike stopped by to watch it at work, and not a few indulged themselves as struck whatever pose they fancied. See for yourself.

Be Your Own Souvenir! from blablabLAB on Vimeo.

I think this is brilliant, despite the joke about narcissism earlier. ((Or maybe my narcissistic subconscious is making itself felt.)) If anything, you can create toy figures of the people in your life.

Eye-Controlled Laptops Can Help Disabled Users

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Stephen Hawking has his custom-made computer setup that the “normal” person may only dream of creating, but thanks to Tobii Technology, ordinary people who have physical disabilities will have the chance to control their own computers using their eyes. Tobii is a big player in the realm of eye tracking and eye control technology and is based in Stockholm. The company has partnered up with Lenovo, which is the world’s fourth largest personal computer manufacturer, to come up with laptops that can be controlled using eye movements.

Stop and think for a minute. When you use your laptop, don’t you use your eyes before you even move that cursor with your mouse or trackpad? This is the premise of eye control – it is intuitive and everyone does it! Now, for the average person, having to use the mouse or trackpad may not be a big deal. But for someone who does not have full use of his hands, for example, being able to use his eyes to point, select, and scroll makes a world of difference!

According to Henrik Eskilsson, CEO of Tobii Technology, ((Tobii)) “…the Tobii laptop prototype is proof that our eye tracking technology is mature enough to be used in standard computer interfaces. To reach a state where the technology is part of the average computer, we need to make it smaller and cheaper. We believe that this can be realized in a couple of years by partnering with the right manufacturer.”

Obviously, the laptops are still in demo mode. There are only 20 units as of now, and they are being used to showcase what the technology can do. Still, this does seem to mean that we will be seeing these laptops in the market in the near future. Here’s a video showing the laptop in action.

Geek’s Dream Girl

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Geek's Dream Girl
It looks like the stereotype for the love-hungry geek is not about to disappear anytime soon. If websites and games are any indication, then people still do think that geeks can use all the help they can get when it comes to dating and relationships. There was Cupidtino – the dating site specifically for Apple geeks. Soon, there will be Cloud Girlfriend.

But have you heard of Geek’s Dream Girl? ((Geek’s Dream Girl)) Strictly speaking, this web site is not a dating site. The services that they offer do cater to geeks who are looking to online dating sites to find a partner: “Geek’s Dream Girl is a small business focusing on online dating profile writing for geeks, by geeks. We’re copywriters that know how to make geek guys shine and attract those ever-elusive girls!”

Basically, they’re geeks who are good at spinning words so that they can make you look good online. I guess they are assuming that geeks may not have the skills to come up with a profile that will get the attention of their dream partner. And once you have gotten her/his attention, it is up to you to make things work. Oh, they do profiles for girls, too.

Don’t get me wrong – I can see the value in the service they provide, but the premise might just be wrong. I do believe that there are “geeks” out there who can write kick-a#$ copy that will make any girl/guy drool. More so, if the “geek” is indeed challenged when it comes to communicating, how will he get further than the online profile? The site must be doing something right, though, as they have been in the business since 2008.

Has anyone tried Geek’s Dream Girl yet?

Have Your Book, and Eat It Too!

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Have you ever read a book that was so good that you wanted to actually eat it? Probably not, but if there are such things as edible underwear, why can’t we have edible books? I have no idea if that ever occurred to the founders of The International Edible Book Festival, but the event is held in various parts of the world – Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, United States of America, Romania, Russia, Singapore, and Sweden – on the first of April, or thereabouts.

Everyone may be busy thinking of April Fools’ jokes and hoaxes, but unbeknownst to many April 1 is also Edible Book Day. The idea was born to commemorate the birthday of French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), who became really famous for his book . The festival is attributed to Judith A. Hoffberg and Béatrice Coron, who thought of holding an event where books that can be – literally – eaten are made, displayed, and of course, devoured.

Anyone can hold his own Edible Book Festival, as long as the following rules are followed: ((Books2eat))

  1. The event must be held on April 1st (or close to that date)
  2. All edible books must be “bookish” through the integration of text, literary inspiration or, quite simply, the form.
  3. Organizations or individual participants must register with the festival’s organization (go to Registration) and see to it that the event is immortalized on the international festival website.

Check out these fun edible books that have been created in the past years.



If that isn’t enough to entice you to hold your own Edible Book Festival…

DIY Super Mario Coin Block

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Every person who has played Super Mario has probably dreamed about having real life versions of some of the items found in the game. What better item to have in real life than the coin block that spits out coins when hit from the bottom? I mean, come on, we could all use a few extra coins here and there.

An Instructables member, who goes by name brunoip, has created a do-it-yourself Super Mario coin block and by golly, it works!
Real-life-coin-block
At first glance, the box may seem unassuming. Indeed, the main material that was used to create it can be described as “blah”: cardboard. If you gut this thing, though, you’ll find some interesting things inside:

  • An mp3 player
  • A servo motor
  • A couple of circuit boards

The mp3 player gives you that oh-so-familiar sound that the box in the game makes when coins pop out. The other elements give you the possibility of gaining real coins when the box it tapped. Here is the block in action.

You’re probably reeking with envy now – wanting your very own coin block. If you have the time and the skill, you can actually make one for yourself. The brilliant Super Mario fan who is behind this project has provided all the information that is necessary to make a real life coin block. ((Instructables)) And if you’re just that good, then why not create more than one and give them away? I am pretty sure that this coin block can come in handy. You even get to choose what currency to use!