MacNN | education News

Turkey's Erdogan visits Microsoft, Apple, Google

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:28:00 GMT

The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/285960==http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-visits-silicon-valley.aspx?pageID=238&nID=47138&NewsCatID=338" rel='nofollow'>touring Silicon Valley companies</a> this week, on the heels of a similar tour by Turkish <a href="ht...

Briefly: Vine gets front camera support, Wharton iPad initiative

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:52:00 GMT

Vine, the six-second <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/vine-make-a-scene/id592447445">video sharing service</a> from Twitter, has undergone its first major upgrade and now offers support for the iPhone's front-facing camera and Twitter mentions in posts and comments. Vine's launch in January was <a href="http://www.macnn.com/articles/13/01/24/t...

Maine MLTI school program awards PC contract to HP, snubs Apple

Wed, 01 May 2013 01:07:00 GMT

Hewlett Packard announced today that it was awarded a four-year hardware and services contract by the Maine Department of Education. The <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284650==http://maine.gov/mlti/index.shtml" rel='nofollow'>Maine Learning Technology Initiative</a> (MLTI) award effectively ends the state's <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/284651==http:/...

Tim Cook makes weekend appearance at Duke University

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:24:00 GMT

Apple CEO Tim Cook spent both Friday and Saturday this weekend at Duke University, accounts note. The executive sat down to talk as part of a "Real Conversations with Real Leaders" session at the Fuqua School of Business. Cook is <a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/04/27/apple-ceo-tim-cook-talks-at-duke-university-in-honor-of-his-25-year-reunion/#more-269819">said&...

Briefly: Lennon tour bus, Twitterific update, iOS dev changes

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:29:00 GMT

Apple is now sponsoring the long-running <a href="http://www.lennonbus.org/about_the_bus/sponsors">"John Lennon Educational Tour Bus,"</a> a mobile audio and video studio on wheels that tours educational institutions, encouraging students to explore and produce their own music with free songwriting, recording and multimedia production workshops. Usin...

Dell introduces Latitude 3330 notebook, notebook storage

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:14:00 GMT

<a href="http://macnn.com/rd/283495==http://www.dell.com" rel='nofollow'>Dell</a> has introduced a new budget notebook aimed at students and businesses, as well as a storage system for the education market. The Latitude 3330 is a lightweight notebook with a 13.3-inch, 1,366x768-resolution display, while the new Mobile Computing Cart can be used to securely sto...

Briefly: Adobe refocuses MAX conference, WWDC Checker iOS app

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:29:00 GMT

Adobe has announced a new focus for its upcoming <a href="http://max.adobe.com/">MAX Creativity Conference</a>, which will now look to explore the ideas,inspirations, and technologies that push the boundaries of creative thinking. Scheduled from May 4 through 8 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Nokia Theatre, the conference will feature a lineup of keyn...

Illinois town buys 600 MacBook Airs for high school students

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:00:00 GMT

The small suburban village of Barrington IL, just northwest of Chicago, has <a href="http://barrington.suntimes.com/news/18857740-418/barrington-high-school-seeks-laptop-infusion.html">approved a plan</a> to equip all of its high school students with MacBook Air models over the course of the next school year. After researching other options, a committee of tea...

Microsoft offers access to Office365 to college students

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:50:00 GMT

Microsoft is offering students in US colleges access to the educational version of <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/280771==http://www.electronista.com/articles/11/06/28/office.365.service.now.available.in.40.markets/" rel='nofollow'>Office 365</a> at no charge. The free three months of access <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/280772==http://www.electronist...

Apple now offering educational version of 21.5-inch iMac

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:55:00 GMT

Apple, which has only just this week seen its ability to supply new iMac models <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/280385==http://www.macnn.com/articles/13/03/05/includes.previously.hard.to.get.27.inch.models/" rel='nofollow'>match</a> its ability to produce them, is now offering an <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/280386==https://ecommerce.apple.com/asb2b/c...

iTunes U downloads crack 1 billion mark [u]

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:03:00 GMT

(Updated with Apple quote on iPad sales) Over 1 billion downloads have been made through iTunes U, Apple has announced. The service, a subset of iTunes, includes books, coursework, and podcasts, many of which are free to the public. Apple says that it has over 1,200 universities and colleges participating, and about the same number of K-12 institution...

Briefly: Office for Mac training, Route1 security products

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:49:00 GMT

MacTech has announced that it will now be offering a new <a href="http://www.mactech.com/bootcamp/microsoft-office-accreditation">Microsoft Office for Mac accreditation program</a>. The half day course will be offered the day before each MacTech BootCamp II in 2013 and includes information on both Microsoft Office for Mac and Microsoft Office 365. At the end o...

Apple designer Ive talks about design, naming, more

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:05:00 GMT

Sir Jonathan Ive, the head of design at Apple and the <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/279629==http://www.macnn.com/articles/13/02/15/childrens.show.award.relatively.rare/" rel='nofollow'>recent winner</a> of an honor from UK children's television institution Blue Peter gave the program a rare look inside his work area, along w...

Google grows, Apple reduces US lobbying cash in 2012

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:40:00 GMT

Google increased the amount it spent on lobbying the US government 90 percent year-over-year in 2012, according to data compiled by Fortune. The company ended up spending $18.22 million, easily beating out any other American technology firm. Microsoft, in fact, came in second place with $8.09 million, despite likewise increasing its spending. Other major tec...

Bribery concerns follow Apple meet with Russian officials

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:12:00 GMT

Apple could be guilty of trying to bribe Russian officials through a seminar in London, according to Russian news agency Regnum. The service says that Apple is organizing a week-long event during which Russian regional ministers of education and other officials, responsible for public purchases, will be familiarized with Apple products. People participating i...

Google donates 15,000 Raspberry Pi units to UK schools

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:26:00 GMT

Schools in the United Kingdom will be receiving free <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/278217==http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/07/16/rs.farnell.manufacturing.4000.raspberry.pis.per.day/" rel='nofollow'>Raspberry Pi</a> Model B boards, courtesy of Google. The grant from <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/278218==http://www.google.com/giving/" rel=...

Boston Globe uses iPad for Newspaper in Education program

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:22:00 GMT

The Boston Globe has announced plans to use iPads as part of its Newspaper in Education program. A pilot initiative will see $65,000 in vacation donation funds from Globe subscribers pay for 75 iPads, plus projectors. 50 tablets will go to Boston Public Schools, while the remaining 25 will be assigned to Stoneham High Scho...

Kutcher, Gad, Will.i.am to appear at MacWorld/iWorld 2013

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:43:00 GMT

Although Apple no longer attends the show, the annual <a href="http://www.macworldiworld.com">Macworld/iWorld</a> convention in San Francisco carries on, with lots of vendors hawking the latest wares, presentations and courses for attendees to take in, and more often than not some well-known names in the Mac and iOS communities. Macworld <a href="h...

Lenovo adds ThinkPad X131e Chromebook to education line

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:22:00 GMT

Lenovo has updated its ThinkPad line with a notebook running Chrome OS aimed at students and educational staff. The ThinkPad X131e Chromebook is effectively the same as the Windows-based version, except that the option for an AMD E-series processor is no longer available, instead replaced by an Intel-based counterpart....

Apple opens Australian, New Zealand Back to School promos

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:43:00 GMT

Apple has begun the Australian and New Zealand editions of its annual Back to School promotion. In Australia, students, school staff, and parents of students can get a $100 AU gift card with the purchase of a Mac, or a $50 AU card with an iPad with a Retina display. The New Zealand promotion is similar, simply adjusting the cards to $125 NZ and $65 NZ, respectively. The cards can only be used t...

Raspberry Pi ships over 500,000 units in last 10 months

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 23:35:00 GMT

The Raspberry Pi micro computer has sold at least 500,000 units since launch, and could have reached the million-unit mark, according to sales figures. Numbers released by Element 14 (Premier Farnell) has confirmed that the hobbyist and low-cost computer system has passed the half-million barrier, while previous figures from the other distributor, RS Components, suggest it may have already passed ...

Briefly: Belkin iPad speakers, Crayola iPad pens, G-Tech

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:48:00 GMT

Among the many goodies to be found at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Electronista spotted the Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater speaker stand ($200). It combines a folio-style iPad case with front-facing speakers and features a free app to help customize the sound to different kinds of media. The case will be available both in 30-pin and Lightning connector styles, with the la...

Google announces $99 Chromebooks for classrooms

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:32:00 GMT

Google announced a partnership today that will see the search giant working with DonorsChoose.org to provide Chromebooks at a special, discounted rate for teachers in budget-strapped classrooms. Under the new program, Google and DonorsChoose.org will be providing the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook for $99. That cost will include hardware, management, and support....

Apple unveils 2012 Holiday Gift Guide on website

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 01:30:00 GMT

Apple has added their annual Holiday Gift Guide to their website. The virtual catalog includes both Apple and non-Apple products, accessories built around the Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod ecosystems. Though prices are unchanged from normal retail, the listing serves as a showcase for new and interesting products that complement Apple's core devices. This year, a number of devices get promoted across...

Briefly: Virtual Human Body, ColorStrokes ready for iPhone 5

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:20:00 GMT

QA International has launched an update for its Virtual Human Body app that adds support for the iPhone and iPod touch. Originally released as an iPad app last December, version 1.4 has been optimized for use on the iPhone, including support for the iPhone 5's larger display. With the Virtual Human Body, users can navigate through the 11 systems and structures of the human body, such as the skelet...

Formerly little-seen documentary on Jobs posted to YouTube

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:16:00 GMT

A little-seen documentary focusing on Steve Jobs in the mid-80s, after his departure from Apple and during the period when he was building NeXT, has been posted to YouTube by the original filmmaker. The film (called Steve Jobs: Keeper of the Vision) covers the areas of building the company that Jobs thought important, including the creation of the NeXT logo, mission statement and how the company w...

Apple takes iBookstore live in South America, New Zealand

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:56:00 GMT

Late on Monday and ahead of its media event tomorrow that is said to include updates to iBooks and possibly iBooks Author, Apple has opened the iBookstore in a slew of new countries, almost entirely in Central and South America (along with New Zealand). The media event, expected to introduce the "iPad mini" and perhaps other new products, has been rumored to include an update to the comp...

Rumor: iPad mini event to highlight educational uses

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:01:00 GMT

When Apple's smaller iPad debuts tomorrow, the Cupertino-based company will make a special point of focusing on the device's potential for educational use. Apple is hoping to use the lower-cost iPads to make a big push in the education sector and thereby grow its already existing lead in the tablet market. In preparation for the focus on education, Apple is reportedly readying an update to its iBo...

Reports: iTunes 11, iBooks 3 to also get October release

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Rumormongers and pundits continue to pile a long list of things they "expect" to see at Apple's scheduled October 23 press event, which was originally (and may still be) more-or-less exclusively about the so-called "iPad mini." Among the items now also rumored to arrive at or around the event itself are updated Mac minis and iMacs, a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, a "tweaked&...

Amazon to push for Kindles in schools

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:30:00 GMT

On Wednesday, Amazon announced it was pushing to get its Kindle e-readers and tablet computers into the education sector, a move that will bring it into even stiffer competition with Apple, which has seen some successes in getting schools to look to its iPad as an educational tool. Amazon has been testing Kindles in kindergarten through 12th grade programs across the United States, and the company...

Briefly: Smartphone Panoramic Car Kit, Master Your Mac

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:37:00 GMT

Route 66 has released a new line of Panoramic Car Kits designed for some of the most popular smartphones. Instead of creating a universally mount, the Panoramic Car Kit is available in specific models designed for the iPhone 3GS and 4S, the HTC One X, and the Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note. Each mount has a dual car charger and is designed to be mounted on both the win...

Some schools in Australia now requiring iPads for students

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

A church-based private school, along with several other private educational institutions in Sydney, Australia are now informing parents that most students will be required to own an iPad beginning in the next school year. The move to tablets has become compulsory at the schools because educators believe they are significantly more effective as learning tools than notebook, and eliminates the need ...

Briefly: FileMaker Training Sampler, XEffects 3D Transitions

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:37:00 GMT

FileMaker Technical Network members can now access a new Training Series Sampler Kit that features three self-paced training modules. The modules include Working with Layouts, FileMaker Go, and FileMaker Server, each featuring its own exercises, demo files, and videos. Working With Layouts teaches techniques for creating a variety of layouts, while FileMaker Go includes tips on building mobile app...

Apple joins consortium backing Open Web Platform doc site

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:29:00 GMT

Apple has joined forces with most of the other big industry players (HP, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Facebook and others) in supporting Web Platform Docs, a new site dedicated to documentation, reference and tutorials for the various components that make up the Open Web Platform. OWP is a community-driven project that aims to unify documentation on current and future web technologies from HTML5 to...

Briefly: MacTech Conference registration, Movius supports iO

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:18:00 GMT

Organizers of the 2012 MacTech Conference have released new details regarding the upcoming event. Scheduled for October 17th through 19th in Los Angeles, the conference offers two separate tracks; one dedicated to programming and development, while the other focuses on IT and consulting. A number of post-event activities for both tracks have been organized, including a special Hopper presentation ...

Memphis City Schools to get Note 10.1 pilot program

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:49:00 GMT

Samsung announced today a new partnership with Memphis City Schools that will see the company's Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet placed in classrooms to engender a more interactive learning experience. The partnership is the first deployment of the Samsung Smart School Solution at a US school, and Samsung hopes it will demonstrate the educational potential of its new stylus-driven tablet. The pilot program...

Laurene Powell Jobs elected to Stanford Board of Trustees

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 02:27:00 GMT

Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple CEO Steve Jobs and chair of the Emerson Collective as well as president of the board of College Track , has been elected to the Board of Trustees for Stanford University. Powell Jobs has been a strong advocate for education reform throughout her career, and sits on the boards of several organizations that promote opportunities for underprivileged youth, encourag...

Analyst: iPads replacing PCs in schools, cannibalizing sales

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 03:39:00 GMT

Needham & Company analyst Charlie Wolf noted in a letter to investors that while PCs in the educational market continue to outsell iPads, the remarkable growth of the iPad in the most recent quarters shows definitively that it is cannibalizing PC sales in the sector, a trend that will likely continue further narrow the gap. PC shipments fell nearly 14 percent or 265,000 units compared to t...

Online 'Genius' program debuts at Apple's online store

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:15:00 GMT

Amid reports that Apple is looking at new ways to make the retail Apple Stores more profitable, the company has added a new "online training" feature to its store website, bringing "live chat" abilities along with a guided tour of the online store, Genius scheduling, or the ability to request a phone call from a product specialist. The program launched today in the UK, Germany,...

Breakthrough in DNA-based storage packs 700TB into 1 gram

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:10:00 GMT

Harvard geneticist and bioengineers George Church and Sriram Kosuri with the assistance of John Hopkins Yuan Gao have stored 5.5 petabits (700 terabytes) of data in a single gram of DNA. This accomplishment, published in Science, bests the previous DNA data storage record by more than 1000 times....

Samsung targets education with Galaxy Tab 2 bundle

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:50:00 GMT

The previously leaked back-to-school offer for Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has been officially announced. Samsung confirmed today that it will be offering its 7-inch tablet in a special Student Edition -- a white variant of the tablet with a keyboard dock and USB adapter in box -- for $250. Beginning August 19, consumers will be able to take advantage of the new offer, but it only runs until Septem...

US State Department cancels no-bid Kindle contract

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 22:54:00 GMT

Prior to payment and delivery, the US State Department has torpedoed its $16.5 million contract with Amazon, proposed in June, for Kindle e-book readers. The contract is headed to a normal Request for Information process, rather than the no-bid award that Amazon was initially selected to fulfill. The program was intended for use in overseas language programs, and any device chosen would have to su...

Speakers, sessions set for 2012 MacTech Conference

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Speakers and sessions have been announced for this year's MacTech Conference, which takes place October 17th through the 19th in Los Angeles. The sessions are divided into four categories: Sessions Chairs, Joint Sessions, the Developer Track, and the IT Track. Joint Sessions, notably, are designed to address both developer and IT audiences....

Apple updates entry-level IT certification for Mountain Lion

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 01:58:00 GMT

The first Mountain Lion training guide and IT certification for OSX 10.8 has been released by Apple. The Apple Certified Associate -- Mac Integration certification, first offered following the release of Lion, is available for free. The course does charge $65 to take the online exam, but one free retake is allowed. The guidebook for the courseware is only available as a PDF currently -- the Lion v...

Google uses Street View for Kennedy Space Center tour

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:45:00 GMT

Google has added a tour of the Kennedy Space Center to its Google Maps Street View Gallery collection. NASA worked with Google to show off the US launch site as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, for which the search giant has created its largest special collection of Street View imagery to date, creating approximately 6,000 panoramic views of the complex....

Neonode to bring multi-touch tech to OLPC's XO Touch

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:29:00 GMT

As expected, One Laptop Per Child's next ultra-affordable notebook will sport a multi-touch display, but it will be called the XO Touch and not XO-1.75. The technology will come thanks to a newly started partnership with Neonode. It will get a 7.5-inch display, according to SlashGear....

Apple updates Xcode, Remote Desktop, iTunes U

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:56:00 GMT

Continuing a spree of software updates, Apple has also posted new versions of Xcode and Remote Desktop for the Mac, and iTunes U for iOS devices. Xcode 4.4 incorporates upgrades such as Retina display support, new C++ and Objective-C features, and the ability to commit individually-selected changes during source control. By default, the software includes the latest SDKs for OS X Mountain Lion an...

Educational sales 'best ever' for Apple in Q3

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 23:16:00 GMT

During its latest financial conference call, Apple emphasized that the last quarter was its best ever for Mac sales in the education market, with K-12 and higher-education institutions accounting for a significant portion of overall shipments. Further boosting Apple's standing and sales numbers in education further, the company sold twice as many iPads to educational customers than Macs....

Wikimedia to start Wikipedia of travel guides?

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:09:00 GMT

Wikipedia may create its own travel guide that would compete with books such as Lonely Planet. According to Skift, the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees discussed the possibility of a publicly-edited free travel guide service, and will decide the proposal's fate in six weeks time after a public consultation, although some suggest it is effectively already decided....

Briefly: Annihilator updated, iTunesU on Twitter

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 07:05:00 GMT

A well-regarded duplicate image finder for iPhoto, Duplicate Annihilator, has reached version 4.0 -- a major release with a completely rewritten code base. The new version, which folds in its companion program Thumbnail Annihilator, is up to three times faster at detecting duplicates, missing or damaged thumbnails and missing images. The program is now compatible with the forthcoming Mountain Lion...