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Tag archives for Technology

University of Southern Mississippi Assigns Honors Program Galaxy Tablets

2
Aug
posted by Mike               filed under Education, Pop Culture, Technology

Students at the University of Southern Mississippi just took a giant leap forward when it comes to learning in the digital age. The University announced plans to provide Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to students in the Honors program this fall.

A groundbreaking initiative for the Honors program, this project fits in line with some of the fundamental values of university leadership.  Along with active learning courses designed to put into practice theory and experience, Honors College students are part of smaller classes which emphasize more interaction with professors. By providing tablets and sharing the same operating system, students and educators can easily share video, audio and other content that can take education beyond the classroom.

The tablets are pre-loaded with Blackboard Mobile which contains course syllabi, references, schedules, contact information, class message boards, e-textbooks and more. These tablets provide the tools necessary to having a centralized platform where ideas can be shared and students can gather all the information needed to not only complete the course, but excel in it as well.

University President Dr. Martha D. Saunders took office in 2007 and stresses creating a climate for academic success. By launching this initiative in the Honors program, Southern Miss is leading the way in implementing a learning model using the latest technology to engage students to learn more efficiently.

Not only is Saunders a forward-thinking president, but she has experience to back it up with a 30-year career in higher education. She is a role model for students and is a campus leader for her use of social media with an active blog and Twitter (@MarthaSaunders).  Additionally, Saunders is considered a leader among women university presidents and is recognized for her expertise in public relations and branding and is an APR (Accredited Public Relations) professional.

The new millennium generation is seemingly born with social media and computing as an inherent trait. There’s no doubt that arming them with cloud computing through a versatile tablet will create and sustain a culture more perceptive to critical thinking and lifelong learning. This initiative is a great first step for this campus and is a wonderful model for other campuses to follow.

 

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Tech-Savvy Travel Tips for This Year’s Summer Travel Season

27
Jun
posted by Mike               filed under Software, Technology, Travel

If you’re like the millions of Americans who are planning to go on vacation this summer, you’ll want to have the latest available information before you go. Here are some helpful tech travel tips to consider before you leave that can prepare you to get the most fun out of your getaway or avoid the unexpected hiccups during your trip.

Helpful Smartphone Apps – Americans are successfully integrating smartphones with their everyday lives and the travel industry is no different. If you know where to look there are some great mobile applications available that can make life a little bit easier for travelers.

FlightTrack Pro for the iPhone provides everything a user needs to track the status of their flights in real-time. This app is the most comprehensive flight tracker and allows users to synchronize their itineraries with other apps. Our favorite feature of this app is the layout of over 5,000 airports and flight delay alerts.

When it comes to weather, knowing precisely how the weather is going to be in a particular region can mean the difference between a good time and a bummer trip. Weather.com is always a favorite, and WeatherBug for Android, iPhone and Blackberry users provide current conditions, radar as well as the forecast for your particular destination. What makes this app great is its full integration with mobile operating systems and its precise weather conditions for GPS locations.

Traveling overseas? Don’t leave the U.S. borders without the World Customs & Cultures app. This iPhone app provides a quick snapshot of laws such as legal drinking age or smoking laws of the country you are visiting.

Many destinations in the U.S. or abroad have their own app to clue in guests and travelers of events happening in the area. For example, Florida Beach Resort Sandestin, offers vacationers their own Apple iPhone and Android app, Explore Sandestin. This 2,400-acre white-sand beach resort offers multiple bay-front properties, four championship golf courses, 19 swimming pools, various water sports and engaging children’s activities that benefit from this app’s role as a guide to local events. In fact many resorts are active participants in the world of social media through photo-sharing and networking activities for the whole family.

Tablets – If you’re considering traveling for an extended period of time, ditch your phone for a tablet instead. This convenient hybrid between a smartphone and a laptop makes for the perfect travel companion for e-reading and computing.

Reviews, Blogs and Social Media – Travelers in 2011 have a great asset available to them when it comes to traveling: social media. It’s important that when you are researching hotels, restaurants or attractions you should collectively get an idea of what the majority of people are saying about that particular establishment and not just focus on individual reviews. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, TripAdvisor and Concierge can help you get a better idea of your destination before your arrival.

AAA Fuel Cost Calculator – If you’re planning to drive to your destination, you can save a little money and get accurate gas costs through this great tool from the Auto Club.

Suspend Home Subscriptions – In the past we put a vacation hold on all incoming mail or suspended newspaper subscriptions while we were on vacation. But did you know that Internet retailers such as Netflix and Hulu Plus allow subscribers to temporarily suspend their services?

And lastly, according to Ian Hamilton, a technology reporter for The Orange County Register, the No. 1 tech travel tip is to download everything you can to your mobile devices before you leave the house.

Whether it’s traveling to the beach, the mountains or overseas, Hamilton emphasizes that travelers can save on their data plans and be armed with the latest information while on the road.  It’s also good to have a sure bet, because sometimes you can’t depend on Wi-Fi or cellular coverage. Hamilton said that savvy travelers should download apps, games, books, documents or maps at home before the trip, and that lots of mobile apps offer offline access to their content if you are stuck in a dead zone.


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Intel Boasts Record Earnings Up 875%

18
Jan
posted by Mr.404               filed under Finance, Hardware, Technology

The world’s largest chipmaker shot Intel Building and logopast the earning estimates from Wall Steet last week. The publicly-traded company reported a net income of $2.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, up an amazing 875 percent from its $234 million earnings in the fourth quarter of 2008. This more than beat Wall Street expectations.

Since we are not stock brokers or investment bankers, we won’t go into details about the financial numbers, but we do want to point out a few key facts:

- Revenues in Q4 2009 rose to $10.6 billion, a climb of 28 percent from $8.3 billion last year.

- However, if you look at the big picture, Intel had a better 2008 than 2009. 2009 revenues were $35.1 billion, while 2008 revenues reached $37.6 billion. That’s a 7 percent difference

- Intel predicts revenues of approximately $9.7 billion in Q1 2010, above Wall Street estimates.

Intel’s Q4 report is one of the first to come out this year, but it won’t be the last. If Intel’s numbers are any indication though, we’re nearing the light at the end of the tunnel.

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