it4L

Andy from ConnectED demonstrated an impressive little gadget that allows media from a variety of sources including vhs players to be easily converted to mpeg format.  The gadget is the ‘Pinnacle video transfer’  and what is even more impressive is that the gadget can then save directly to usb memory pens.  Hopefully this is another step in allowing us to be more creative, discerning and flexible in our use of media in the classroom.  And the cost…only £99!  Click here to see the details on ConnectED’s website.

Last nights Panorma programme has certainly caused a stir, Becta have put an update on their website:

Following last night’s Panorama programme Becta has this morning been in contact with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) - the government agency responsible for health and safety - to obtain the latest guidance on any health issues relating to wireless technology.

Despite the claims made in last night’s programme, the HPAs guidance remains the same. The latest advice on their website reads:

“On the basis of current scientific information WiFi equipment satisfies international guidelines. There is no consistent evidence of health effects from RF exposures below guideline levels and therefore no reason why schools and others should not use WiFi equipment.”

Based on this guidance, and expert safety advice, Becta believes that there is no need to change its current guidance: while secure wireless networks can complement an institution’s wired network, they should not replace it.

Further information on WiFi safety is available on the Health Protection Agency website.

The slow-running computers at the Shrewsbury Centre have just been tidied up (Thanks Steve) and are now running a lot more smoothly. Question is, how many more slow-running PCs are out there? I found this article on things you can do quickly and easily to make even the most clapped-out PC run faster.
Top tips are:

• Delete any programs that you never use (Check first!!)
• Turn off your desktop background image (right click the Desktop, choose Properties, Desktop, and looking under Background)
• Delete temporary internet files
• Defragment your hard drive (My Computer, right-click your C: hard drive, choose Properties, Tools, Defragment Now) – and leave it to run – it’ll take an hour or so!
• Empty the Recycle bin!

More at http://www.tweak3d.net/tweak-guides/windows-xp/15-minute-xp-tune-up

I must admit I am a bit of a Harry Potter fan and liked the dynamic nature of the “Daily Prophet” - well it seems we don’t have long to wait - see details of the flexible e-Readers including the time line for developments at Plastic Logic Clearly the scope for these developments to impact on education is enormous, and I’m particularly interested in the potential that this technology has to meet the seeming “human need” to have a “paper” analogue (witness the limited success of the e-book on pda type platforms) - could this technology give the edge to gain social acceptance like the mobile phone - indeed could it piggy back on the mobile phone?

Windows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps you stay productive by protecting your computer against pop-ups, slow performance and security threats caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software.

Windows Defender (Beta 2) is the final name for Microsoft’s antispyware solution. Current Windows AntiSpyware (Beta 1) customers will be notified automatically to upgrade
Read the rest of this entry »

RFC 1149 (RFC1149) is a rare Internet Request For Comment from 1990 concerning the use of organic networks for the transmission of internet protocols. The document is heavily technical but still worth a read, although I suspect there were too many difficulties facing its development, not least the “ballistic interference” referred to in one reply, and the problems with after-dark transmission.

Interesting to see that there are still people willing to push the bounds of technology just to prove a point. Their ping log between two machines using the CPIP is awesome and set records for this seldom-used protocol.

Whenever I send an email I think of the “electronic pigeon” carrying it; now it seems that the analogy was not so far-fetched. Roll on the day when organic life forms part of the matrix.

Sometime ago I came across references to developments in wired and wireless broadband in the Giga bits per second range. Apart from being of interest to some colleagues, it occurred to me that it was a useful leading edge development for students at A-level and possibly KS4 to know about or do further research on. On this basis you or they may like to find other references to the project and create a comprehensive picture e.g starting with:

http://www.physorg.com/news7976.html
http://www.ist-gandalf.org/

Of course this type of work offers a rich experience in “filtering” - which bits are germane? appropriate? require further explanation? or further research? etc. I don’t think it would be any bad thing to take something like one of the public documents in the last reference and set as a comprehension excercise - or to create a glossary for the lay reader from - or to get students to prepare a briefing to peers on etc.
Now would that be in the syllabus/programme of study? would it be ICT? would it be learning? or would it be just being a NERD? ;D

The vulnerability, in Flash Player version 7.0.19.0 and earlier, could allow a hacker to compromise a user’s PC.

Further details can be found on the Macromedia website or go straight to the download.

Just to see if it works, I’m blogging this from the wilds ot Shropshire via pda and gprs phone.No problem so far. More news later.

There are many schools out there that still don’t have all their machines running on a server supported network. For those machines this software might be the answer.