Las nuevas tecnologías, las TIC, mejoran la integración educativa de niños con ceguera o discapacidad visual y así lo han querido demostrar la Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE) junto a la empresa HP, a través del desarrollo de una experiencia educativa basada en Tablet PC o cuadernos digitales y en las aplicaciones educativas adaptadas para los alumnos con alguna discapacidad.

Esta iniciativa quiere analizar la viabilidad del uso del Tablet PC por estos escolares, incorporándolo como una herramienta de trabajo habitual que les permita realizar tareas que les ayuden a mejorar su aprendizaje. Al mismo tiempo, les proporciona motivación para el estudio. El pilar fundamental de este proyecto es un informe, llevado a cabo por Accedo (Grupo de Accesibilidad en Contenidos Educativos de la ONCE). De él se desprende como principal conclusión las posibilidades de adaptación del Tablet PC en la enseñanza de niños con discapacidad visual, por las amplias capacidades de configuración que tiene amoldándose a cada niño según su edad, curso escolar y grado de discapacidad visual. El trabajo de campo se realizó con una muestra de 19 niños de diferentes edades y con distintos grados de discapacidad visual. A todos ellos se les dio un Tablet PC de HP y se les propusieron diferentes tareas, según el curso escolar al que pertenecen. El fin era comprobar las ventajas que les proporciona el uso de este dispositivo y su reacción ante él.

Fuente: “Magisnet”, 26/11/09

Fighting the flu last weekend has really hit me hard. I’m feeling better today but my stamina is shot.

I am working in the easy chair at home, and using the Tablet PC makes it more comfortable.

I have to admit it, but I  love Top 10 Lists. Today, I found a Top 8  list – which is only a little  less appealing than 10! So, here is Donovan Lange’s Top 8 list of Reasons to use OneNote.

Let’s see if we can make it a Top 20 list (much better than 10 even) – so share your reasons in the comments section.

1. OneNote allows me to put all of my little bits of information into a single place, organize them how I like, and always be able to find them instantly.

• There’s a ton of information that doesn’t naturally have a good home otherwise.  Like the URLs I find when researching a topic, or the notes that I take during meetings.  Sure, I could use text files and notepad or post-it notes; but I’d have to create my own method for filing them into folders, navigate to the correct file to open them when I want to read them again, make sure I remember to hit Save (and give it a filename) before my laptop battery runs out and I lose my content, etc.  It really doesn’t scale when you have a lot of data.

2. It’s page surface allows me to outline, brainstorm, and collect rich forms of data better than any other tool out there.

• Specifically, the ability to click anywhere on the page and just drag-drop any line of text to anywhere else on the page means that I can use this for random brainstorming and when writing out document outlines/drafts.  Things that don’t have linear or well-known structures.
• Plus, there’s a million features built into the application that allows me to embed non-textual forms of information.  So I can use screen clippings (via the Windows + S key) to take a picture of something currently on my screen, or embed a full document via the included OneNote Printer or the Insert Menu, and then annotate on top of that information.  And I can find it again, since we’ll OCR the text within the pictures.
• Even without a tablet PC, the drawing shapes and click anywhere to type means that I can create simple diagrams without having to load up Visio.  With a tablet, I can draw directly on a page, and use a pen when I’m in a meeting where typing may be viewed as distracting.
• It works with audio as well.  We record the audio for all of our spec reviews using the built-in laptop microphone.  Any notes typed during the meeting will be synchronized into the audio timeline for later review.  And OneNote will search the speech in the audio file as well.

3. It’s really good at capturing information quickly.

• Sometimes I need to get information written down as quickly as possible.  I don’t want to worry about making space in my word document, I can just click anywhere on the page and type.
• Ditto for inserting tables.  Just hit tab!
• I can launch a side-note window (which is a lot like a post-it note) from the system tray and grab down that phone number that someone just spouted off while I’m on the phone.
• I can paste web content from a web page and it automatically includes the URL the content came from.  Huge time-saver.
• I can apply metadata (flags) to my information or create Outlook Task items “in situ” along with the rest of the context that gives that task meaning.
• I’m no longer restricted to keeping a single task list in Outlook.  When I’m in a meeting, or estimating a feature in OneNote I can tag a line as an Outlook Task, and it’ll create an Outlook Task for me, which is automatically kept in sync as I mark it completed, etc.  As a result, all of my ToDo items can live in the place where they’re most appropriate (like in the middle of my meeting notes, or in my shared notebook with you on a page of house projects) and yet have them rolled up appropriately in either OneNote or Outlook.

4. Outlook Integration, Outlook Integration, Outlook Integration.

• In addition to task sync’ing, I find that there’s a ton of information that gets sent to me in email, which should live in OneNote instead.  (As email is more of a dynamic source of changing data, vs. an authored knowledge base.)  I can send an email to OneNote directly from Outlook 2007 via a single toolbar button click.  For someone who tries to keep their inbox nearly empty, being able to store messages like “how to access the internal newsgroups” (for instance) in a Notebook feels much cleaner than keeping them in my inbox
• In addition, I can also take notes about meetings (and have it find my previous meeting notes for a recurring meeting) or keep information about people from my Contact List / GAL in OneNote directly from the Outlook meeting and contact windows.  The link between the two stays present regardless of how that gets filed in my Notebooks.

5. My stuff is available everywhere.

• I can’t emphasize how much this rocks.  My OneNote notebook is available at work, at home, on my phone (using OneNote mobile) and on my laptop.  All I did was point OneNote at a file share or Sharepoint Site, and OneNote takes care of the rest.  Plus, it synchronizes embedded documents as well, so I don’t have to use Sharepoint to upload a document or email it to myself.  I just drag-drop it right onto the OneNote page, and voila it’s everywhere I need it!  No sync’ing, no file locking, nothing.  It just works.
• Moreover, it works when I’m offline.  Even those embedded documents… when I pick up my laptop and go to a conference room in another building, I can still keep typing, regardless of whether or not I’ve got wireless.  Go on vacation to the beach, and make changes to my notebook.  Whenever it comes online, it all merges back in without any user interaction.

6. It allows me to collaborate with others.

• Word track-changes?  Sharepoint edit locks?  Yuck.  OneNote is a breeze by comparison.  Think of it like a Wiki on crack.  Everyone just opens up the same Notebook (or Section or page) and just types away.  It’s magic.
• For those without OneNote, I can create PDFs of my pages, or send a page as an email with a single click.  The person on the other end of that email doesn’t even need OneNote to view my stuff.

7. I can store sensitive information and password protect it.

• I generally use this for my personal notebook, but I find it invaluable to store my Credit Card numbers, Bank Account Information, Website Passwords, Frequent Flyer accounts, etc. all in a section that I then password protect.  Because the bits stored on disk are encrypted, I can access that file from a server and not worry about the security of the server, across the network, etc.

8. I can automate repetitive things.

• I keep a work journal, and find that it’s really convenient to create a stationary (templates) page which is applied automatically to all new pages created in my Journal section.  It’s such a simple idea, but saves me a ton of time.
• Not to mention all the cool add-ins that power-users have created that extends the functionality of OneNote.

I happened upon an overview of how the OneNote team uses OneNote for collaboration (thanks to the ever informative Daniel Escapa)  which I thought you’d all enjoy.

_____________________________________________

The question is how does the OneNote team use OneNote for collaboration and in particular spec reviews? As a PM it is our job to come up with the feature specifications for a given feature and create a document outlining what the feature will look like, behave like, what scenarios the feature will fulfill and what goals we are going to accomplish.  To start the spec we use a template, in Office we have a standard Word template we use for all Office specs.  This template has sections pre-populated and also has custom fields which tie into SharePoint which is pretty slick.  I start by creating a new spec in SharePoint which launches Word and enter all of the metadata in Word and then I go and write my spec.

Once I have completed the spec I will save it back up to the spec library and send an email to the team saying that the spec is ready for review.  This email is a call to arms for people on the team to read the spec and give me feedback.  This is where OneNote comes into play!  We have a team shared notebook stored up on SharePoint and we have a section called “Spec Discussion” and in this section we have a page for each spec/feature we are working on.  We have organized this section by using subpages; the top-level pages are titled with the name of a PM and under that page we create a subpage for each spec/feature written by that PM.

Each page uses a template that we use for feedback, the template pretty much looks like this:

Then each individual will go in there and enter their comments and questions, usually we add a new table row for each comment even if it is by the same person.  I have also seen people print the spec to OneNote, write their comments with their Tablet pen and then copy the page to the shared notebook; but 90% of the time people just write their comments in this table.  This way we have a running list of what comments people have and it isn’t in email or just hallway conversations.

Then as the PM it is my job to go through those comments and see what questions people have.  At this point I will typically look through the list and see if I need to update the spec and I also will reply with my own comments.  I write my comments inline and the resulting page looks like this:

Then I typically email the people who gave me comments and let them know that I replied, just so they can see that I listened to them and their feedback was incorporated into the spec.  Then we do the final review where the PM (and the Dev & Tester) present the spec to the managers of the team to make sure this is a good plan and get approval before coding begins.  Also during the review someone will take notes in this same spec discussion page so the notes from the meeting are recorded and stored in the same place.  It also gives the PM a good place to go when they are done with the review and they want to look through all of the feedback and update the spec for coding begins.

We have also learned to insert links to the spec discussion page to the Word doc (the spec) so you can always get the right place.  This system has worked well and allowed me to review spec offline and when I come back they all sync up, no write locks and everything is in one place and everyone on the team can see the feedback and the PM’s comments back to the commenter.

The leaves are starting to turn here in Seattle, which means it’s time for students to gear up for the new school year.  Clearly taking notes is a HUGE  part of being a student – so, I thought it may be time for a little note-taking 101 – OneNote-style.

Here are four ways you can improve your note-taking with OneNote:

Jotting phone numbers on scrap paper, writing addresses on sticky notes… These strategies may help in the moment, but what about when you need that information later? Or how about trying to decipher the notes that you scribbled in your binder during class? Imagine being able to grab all of your daily thoughts and sketches, keep them within reach at all times, and share them with others. You are well on your way to a clearer head when you open Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 on your Tablet PC and follow these four strategies: capture, organize, share, and enhance. With OneNote, you can capture almost anything: record an entire lecture for later review; create a diagram for your landscaper or teacher. And you can organize your thoughts and plans. Nothing gets lost—everything that you write is automatically and continuously saved.

Using OneNote to draw a landscape diagram

OneNote is not just about organizing. Share any of your notes during your busy day, with coworkers, friends, family. Enhance the presentation of your thoughts and ideas: put them into action with pictures, sound, and video. Format them with professional style. And because of the auto save feature you should never lose a scribble! This article tells you how.

Capturing ideas

When OneNote is running, you can resize the OneNote window and place it anywhere you want on the screen. Just open a new page in OneNote and you’re ready to go. Your note pages can include text, pictures, graphics, sound, video, screen shots, documents, links, and web content.

• Type text with the keyboard. Click anywhere on the note page and begin to type notes using the keyboard.
• Enter text by using a tablet pen. Some people are scribblers, and prefer the freedom of jotting down notes. Need to write down a phone number? Just open OneNote and write it down freehand by using a pen. You can then change fonts, and format your text in whatever way you like.
• Create diagrams. OneNote is perfect for doodlers, too. Illustrate your notes by using your pen to draw diagrams directly on the page. You can easily resize the diagrams, move them around on the page, and paste them in other notes or documents.
• Add pictures. It’s easy to add pictures to your notes. You can copy pictures from the web, from other documents, or from your hard disk, and paste them anywhere on your note page. Here’s how to insert a picture:

1. Place your cursor where you want the picture to appear on the page. If you are using a Tablet PC, make sure the selection cursor for your tablet pen is active by clicking the Type Text or Select Objects icon on the toolbar.
2. On the Insert menu, point to Pictures, and then click From Files.
3. Click the picture you want to insert, and then click Insert.

You can easily move the picture on the page or resize the picture by dragging it from any corner.

Using OneNote to organize research for a report

• Include audio. With OneNote, you can record or import audio to store, edit, and include in your notes. You can record audio by using the built-in microphone on newer computers or by attaching an external microphone or other audio input device. Here’s how to record audio:
  • On the Insert menu, click Audio Recording.

• Add video. Want to insert video into your notes? Just attach a video camera or a webcam to your computer to include moving footage and the sounds of any subject in your notes. You can play back a video that you made for class or record one to edit later. Here’s how to record video:
  • On the Insert menu, click Video Recording.

• Import Excel lists. OneNote helps you keep track of numbers, too: you can import formatted lists from your Microsoft Office Excel files. Just copy columns, rows, and cells from any Excel spreadsheet and then paste them in your note page.

Organizing your thoughts

OneNote not only helps you organize your thoughts, it helps you rearrange them. Critical information, random ideas, diagrams, videos—you can place any information wherever you think it can help you express yourself better. Whether you’re a power user or a newcomer, OneNote makes use of multiple media to help you organize, plan, and simplify your daily life.

Here are some examples of how OneNote can help you organize your thoughts.

• Drag text and pictures anywhere on the screen.
• Move text and pictures to other notes and documents.
• Capture your thoughts in bulleted lists.
• Create folders for projects, classes, and personal files.
• Jot down a numbered to-do list.
• Sort and flag lecture notes to prepare for an exam.
• Keep all of your meeting notes for a project in a single location.
• Search through all of your notes, even the handwritten ones, to find that phone number you jotted down between appointments.
• Create marginal notes about a document, to save and move later.
• Plan your meals and grocery shopping.
• Track your travel and expenses for your next vacation.
• Draw and finalize the seating chart for your wedding.
• Move a picture to another note, and then send it in an e-mail message to your grandmother.

Enhancing your notes

After you capture your notes, give them a professional polish with the text and picture formatting features of OneNote. OneNote also includes Spelling and AutoCorrect commands to help you create neat, accurate notes.

OneNote files are easy to share… and share again. Send your notes to other people, or open up notes for group feedback and input.

• Share in real time. With OneNote you can collaborate with others, gathering their input for instant feedback. Here’s how to initiate a live session:
  • On the Share menu, point to Live Sharing Session, and then click Start Sharing Current Section.

You can choose to begin a new session or join one that is already in progress.

• Send your notes in an e-mail message. Using Microsoft Office Outlook, you can send a page of your notes to others in an e-mail message.

You can also send your notes and recordings instantly to a Pocket PC or smartphone.

• Export your notes. Convert your notes to a Microsoft Office Word document by using the Save As command, or publish your notes as a Portable Document Format (PDF) or XML Paper Specification (XPS) so you can share your notes without them being easily changed. Here’s how to do it:

• On the File menu, click Publish as PDF or XPS.

No more crumpled sticky notes, messy notebooks, or lost doodles. Use OneNote for everything you can think of.

Schlechte Nachrichten für Apple-Fanboys und -girls aus den Gerüchteküchen Asiens: Angeblich wird der für März geplante Launch des Tablet PC auf einen unbestimmten Zeitpunkt in der zweiten Jahreshälfte 2010 verschoben.

DEr Grund: Auf den letzten Drücker habe man sich für den Austausch einiger Komponenten entschieden, und es soll ein weiters Modell mit einem 9,7-Zoll-OLED-Bildschirm von LG Display geben.

Insgesamt drei Hersteller (Foxconn, Quanta, und Pegatron) sollen zwei verschiedene Versionen des Tablet PC produzieren – neben der bereits erwähnten 9,7-Zoll-Variante wird es auch eine mit 10,6-Zoll-TFT-Display geben.

Auf Basis dieser Informationen haben die weisen Seher in Asien auch schon mal beschlossen, Preiseinschätzungen abzugeben (allerdings nur auf heutigem Stand): Das OLED-Tablet würde danach derzeit in der Herstellung zwischen 1.500 und 1.700 Dollar kosten, angesichts fallender Preis Ende 2010 aber eher bei 1.200 bis 1.500 Dollar liegen und von Apple wohl knapp unter 2.000 Dollar angeboten werden. Beim 10,6-Zoll-Gerät erwartet man ein Preisschild von 800 bis 1.000 Dollar. Aber das ist ja alles nooch weithin, und was da nicht noch passieren kann … [dieter]

[via DigiTimes]

Perhaps you’re already running Windows 7 on your Fujitsu (Siemens) P1610 or P1620 Tablet PC. I for example have succesfully installed the x64-Bit version, but as RAM is limited to 2 GB, I see no value it that and will go back to x86 (32 bit) version these days as I want to reinstall to get a clean system ready for next Beta of Office 2010.

While looking for new drivers I found this document (PDF, 149 KB) which lists all the models Fujitsu is going to support if you install Windows 7 on it.

Good news: Following Tablet PCs are “supported”:

P1610, P1620, T4220.

Following Tablets are “fully supported”:

T1010, T5010, STYLISTIC ST6012

Being supported means, no yellow banged out devices with inbox drivers, drivers from Windows Update or drivers for Vista from Fujitsu website. Windows 7 x64 is “unsupported”, but it works, too. Even Sierra Wireless 3G on P1620. But using it with less than 4 GB of RAM makes no sense.

Being “fully supported” means systems are WHQL certified for Windows 7 and a complete set of drivers for Windows 7 is available.

Fujitsu promises BIOS updates for P1610, P1620 and T4220 for end of November. Stay tuned.

Yesterday found me in a place where none of us like to be, the car repair shop. My old car was in need of some repairs, and I spent a few hours sitting in one of those comfortable car shop waiting room chairs. I knew I would have plenty of time on my hands so I brought two pieces of gear in my kit, the ThinkPad x200 Tablet PC and the Verizon MiFi.

I brought the x200 because of the flexibility it provides for working extended periods. It is thin and light, and the ability to rotate that screen around into a slate form insures it can be used comfortably, no matter the environment. That flexibility was the call of the day, so the x200 went into the bag.

When I settled into the waiting room I pulled the MiFi out of the bag and tapped the power button. That’s the beauty of using a MiFi — one tap for an instant hotspot. It connected to the 3G network in just a few seconds, and created a Wi-Fi hotspot just for me. The ThinkPad came out of the bag, and with another button push it resumed instantly from sleep and connected to my personal hotspot. I was online, up and running in seconds.

I used the x200 in slate mode, and I am still impressed with how much value the touchscreen adds to the slate experience. Tapping things on the screen and sliding the window around as needed is a natural way to work with a slate. When I needed to enter some text I popped the pen out of the silo and the x200 went into full tablet ink mode as soon as the pen got near the screen. This turns the touch off so there were no inadvertent events triggered while holding the pen to the screen.

Microsoft has done a stellar job with the inking improvements of Windows 7. I found it natural to ink into the Tablet Input Panel (TIP), and recognition accuracy was very good in spite of my horrible handwriting. When it incorrectly interpreted my scrawl it was easily fixed given the improved editing mode of the TIP. Tapping on a word in the TIP expanded it for correction, and I just wrote over the letters in error. Microsoft has put intelligent text prediction in this editing mode, and usually after correcting just one letter, the TIP would change the whole misinterpreted word into the new correct one. I found I could fly through the editing as never before.

I was doing a lot of research for an article, and the MiFi supplied fast 3G like a champ. I forgot I was on 3G and not regular broadband, the mark of good technology at work. I was jumping all over the web in Firefox, using touch to move around at will. The entire process was so natural that after a while I realized I was just doing my work, and not thinking about the tools in use at all. That is absolutely liberating, and the way things should work.

I’ll have another chance to work here on Friday, unfortunately. The repair shop had to order some parts for my old Volvo, so I’ll be back here working for the repairs to be finalized. I’ll be happily inking away in my personal hotspot, so aside from the less than comfortable chairs, it will be business as usual. Well done Microsoft, Lenovo and Verizon.

While everyone is expecting a tablet PC from Apple called “Slate”, in reality Apple has been working in total secrecy on a sleigh, called “Sleigh”. Here is an artist’s impression of a leaked pre-release version of Apple Sleigh.

The dogs aren’t real dogs, but robot-powered iDogs.

This drawing is made to support the sale of the collected trade comic book of PC Weenies, a webcomic by Krishna Sadasivam for Geeks and people who can tolerate them.

Krishna grows a beard in response to a challenge from his fellow comics creators, while he doesn’t like a beard. Read more about it, and how you can support the artist in this post on his blog. For each copy of the trade comic book “Rebootus Maximus” sold through the website Krishna won’t shave for a day. Let him look like a hobo and freak out his wife, who is on family visit for a few months in India.

That is all.

Dell Latitude XT2 XFR
Il futuro dei libri digitali passerà attraverso i tablet pc? Inutile guardare al mercato di altri apparecchi stravaganti?
2.500 € per un apparecchio resistente alla caduta, fino a 10mt, consigliato anche per le forze armate, schermo da 12.1″, display multy-touch. Memoria DDR3 fino a 5 GB da 1066 MHz. Unità a stato solido (SSD) da 64 GB.

Per ora il giocattolo sembra abbordabile solo per un docente universitario dallo stipendio paffuto.
Ma si sa che la tecnologia tende a deprezzarsi velocemente.
Nel 2010 potrebbe scendere a 2000 € e tra 5 anni potremmo trovarlo a 200€. Sarà anche a prova di adolescente?

Escondido, CA – GoPaperless Solutions today released version 2.8 of Real Estate Dashboard. Bundled with this exciting new release, is eSignOnline, the new and easy way to get electronic signatures on the web. eSignOnline is available both as a standalone product as well as inside Real Estate Dashboard for existing customers, making Real Estate Dashboard and all-in-one solution. An automatic update is available to help ensure that all clients get the latest version 2.8 release of Real Estate Dashboard.

eSignOnline uses a simple easy to use interface for navigation and a wizard interface to send documents out for signatures. With 6 simple steps, you can setup and create a new signing session, invite multiple signers to the session, upload multiple documents, drop signature, initial, date, form fields, and checkbox zones on contracts, preview the contract, and send out for signatures. All parties are notified immediately once a contract has been fully executed. With eSignOnline and Real Estate Dashboard, customers have best of both worlds. Biometric signatures inside Real Estate Dashboard when you are face to face with your clients and digital signatures via the web (click to sign) when you can’t meet your clients. Get contracts signed quickly by using eSignOnline to capture signatures of clients who are across town, out of town, out of state, out of the country, or just simply anywhere! To learn more about eSignOnline, click here.

GoPaperless Solutions is your one source for paper-free hardware/software mobile computing solutions. Our team of IT professionals and industry experts will show you how to save time and money by utilizing technology to help manage your transaction documents and contracts without paper and without being bound to the office.

Order Here:

http://www.gopaperless.com/EsignOnline-Signup.aspx

Now that Windows 7 is here, ASUS is updating its convertible notebook with multitouch display to match, Liliputing says. The original T91 is in stock for $484.99 at Amazon (s amzn), but the new T91MT gets a few upgrades, not to mention a pre-order price bump to $549.99. What do you get in the updated model?

• More storage capacity — a 32GB SSD and 500GB of Eee storage in lieu of the original 16GB SSD, free 16GB SD card plus 20GB of free Eee storage online on the T91
• Newer operating system with native multitouch support — Microsoft (s msft) Windows 7 Home Premium instead of Microsoft Windows XP Home Premium, which offers a far better touch and ink experience.

Aside from those key differences, the T91MT looks much like its predecessor — 1.33 GHz Intel Atom Z520, 1GB of RAM (with support up to 2GB), 8.9″ display at 1024 x 600 resolution and integrated battery. ASUS still claims up to five hours on that battery, but I’d love to test it with the newer operating system. So far, my own testing — still in progress — is showing less battery life on Windows 7; at least on one particular model and in one specific test case.

Wahrscheinlich ist es nicht gerade ein Zufall, dass dieser Tablet PC namens Qooq (zunächst) nur in Frankreich auf den Markt kommt: Das Gerät widmet sich nämlich einzig und allein der Kocherei.

Der 10,2-Zoll-Rechner mit Touchscreen und Bildschirmtastatur wird mit einer Kollektion von 500 bereits gespeicherten Rezepten ausgeliefert und ist gleichzeitig Zugang zu einem Abo-Dienst.

Qooq läuft auf einer Oberfläche, die spezille für das Gerät geschneidert wurde – ein Tablet PC, den man auch für andere Zwecke verwenden könnte, ist es also nicht.

Die Internet-Verbindung per WiFi z.B. dient allein dem Update der Rezepte und Kochlektionen, ein Browser ist nicht installiert (allerdings hat bekommt man Zugang zu Internet-Radiosendern, damit man beim Schnipseln ein fröhliches Liedchen mitpfeifen kann).

Mit den vorinstallierten Anwendungen lassen sich Hoch- und Einkaufspläne erstellen, und wenn man mal nicht weiter weißt, lässt man sich die Einzelschritte als Video zeigen.

Kosten wird Qooq 349 Dollar, und das Abo schlägt mit monatlich 12,95 Euro zu Buche.[dieter]

[via Red Ferret]

     The computer. In today’s society, it’s practically a necessity. Some can’t live without surfing the net at home—bills can be paid and goods can be bought online. Others carry around computers—conduct business and write last-minute documents.

     To this day, the computer has been revolutionary. It evolved in the development of data storage, portability and so on. But, most overlook the fact that its success didn’t emerge overnight—the computer was heavily planned out long before it became a big hit in 1990s with the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web.

     The 1930s brought the first electrical programmable computers and the first PC sprung in the 1970s. Fast forward to today where supercomputers, netbooks and mobile broadband are an everyday thing. And pretty soon, so will the tablet PC.

     Many models of the tablet PC have already been manufactured. Nevertheless, even major manufacturers like Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Panasonic and Toshiba don’t expect sales to be through the roof yet. These touch-friendly, portable memory monsters are just starting to integrate with society who will need to get over the concept of banging keys and scrolling with a mouse if the tablet replaces the regular PC in every home.

     The development of the tablet has roots dating back to the 1950s. The first publicly-demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a computer dates to 1956. Yet, manufacturers are still licking their chops for the day the tablet PC supplants the regular PC for good.

     Apple may be the first on the road to success. The iPhone seems to paving the way for its tablet to burst onto the scene faster than society will be able to drool over it. With media starting to converge as well, it will be an all-important trinket for newspapers, book publishers, filmmakers and social networking sites. According to gawker.com, Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times, got the inside scoop from Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, Inc that the tablet is imminent. That could mean a year from now or five years from now. Maybe never. But why would it be in development for so many years not to come out?

     What we can conclude is that the tablet will be a huge factor in the migration of news consumers, heavy or light, to online.

I am a believer!

Look, tablets are here to stay. While it might take 2-5 years to hit the masses, early adaptors are starting to boast about how neat they really are! The writing is on the wall with Windows 7 getting of tons of press on this subject of tablets, the fact that every manufacturer has or is about to release a Tablet PC. And what about the whole spectacle of anticipation for what the apple camp is doing! Multi-touch features, the ability to write on the screen and move applications around with your finger, have created a cottage industry of companies developing real world applications for this new world of computing.

A lot of folks ask if tablets are moving towards basically a computer with iPhone-like functionality. This is open to a much bigger discussion, and let’s just see how it all plays out! In the meantime there are plenty of cool tablets to consider.

Fact of the matter is whether you are designer drawing complex drawings, a real estate agent craving ultimate mobility, a musician turning pages of music, a technician writing notes, or a doctor updating digital patient files, going paperless is simply a better way to do these things! Because these actions begin as a digital file, they are more dynamic; you can do more with them. Archive your files, and share them instantly through email, fax, and social platforms, or share them with your clients, partners or friends!

What about the ability to capture real biometric handwriting, where it can be translated and managed by a database. This throughput can automate simple tasks like ordering prescriptions if necessary, scheduling follow-up appointments, or sending notifications (email/text/voice/calendar) to help facilitate and manage transactional elements and timelines.

Hand writing recognition allows you to capture sketched ideas (with your stylus pen) which can be translated, converted, and shared amongst a team of designers, management, or the CEO in easily readable PDF files.

Microsoft has recognized the spectrum of applications that appeal to sales agents, designers, architects, lawyers, artists, musician… anyone, really.

So I welcome Windows 7!

I am a believer!

This platform will continue to bridge the gap between once dreamed about applications and real-world systems that help capture information in a more unique way while creating beneficial environmental impact, saving people time (and gas!), and giving anyone the ability to capture spontaneous ideas using a stylus pen and your fingertips… literally!

LC

[Billet non sponsorisé et garanti sans Organismes Gravement Marketés]

Une fois n’est pas coutume, je ne vais ni parler d’usages, ni de conneries, ni même de de trucs et de machins, je vais vous parler de jouets.

Le Community Manager donc, est une bestiole vaguement technophile, accrochée au net comme le bon parasite moyen. En tant que tel, il se doit de posséder tous les derniers jouets qui bipent, font de la musique moche, et surtout, ont une utilisation tellement ésotérique qu’on se demanderait presque pourquoi on s’arrache les cheveux dedans.

Au titre de ces jouets, voici ma panoplie habituelle, que j’emmène partout, vraiment partout.

La clef USB (Non, sans déconner, vous voulez une description ?) … Eh ben oui, volée à un client ou sur un salon, ce petit bidule reste encore indispensable dans plein de situations !

L’iPhone : On ne le présente plus, Apple ayant la mauvaise habitude de déclencher une révolution dès qu’ils sortent un produit. Ce jouet ne vaut plus très cher, et de plus en plus de non initiés se balladent avec le sésame vissé à l’oreille (alors que tout le monde sait que sans écouteur, la vie est vaine.). Pour les autres, les vrais, les “true”, les purs … l’iPhone sert de point de connexion avec le monde : mails, nouvelles, twitter, trucs, machins. Il y a une application pour à peu près tout comme la pub. Et surtout pour n’importe quoi faut avouer.

Mais voilà, une terreur est en marche. La suprématie de l’iPhone sur les habitudes monomaniaques des geeks notoires serait-elle menacée ? Les ordinateurs toujours plus petits, et les téléphones toujours plus gros seraient ils sur le point de fusionner, nous amenant à des niveaux de supersayenitude webistique ?

C’est possible.

Enfin, pas encore, mais ça vient.

Ça vient même vite avec le petit dernier des français Archos. Ce nouveau jouet intégré rapidement à ma collection de bidules clignotant me plonge pour le moment dans un bonheur extatique dont je ne sors qu’à l’heure du café ou de l’apéro (fameuse pyramide de marlow, toujours …)

Pensez donc … Un physique d’ancienne console portable, un windows relativement fonctionnel (quoiqu’un peu lent si l’on prend les standards du PC de gamer notoire), un écran tout tactile (quand on a des doigts de fée … Pour le moment, je passe surtout pas mal de temps à vérifier que je n’écris pas trop de conneries), et des moyens de se connecter au net presque partout.

Presque, c’est là le mot important. Parce que la bestiole est vicelarde. Elle connait le WiFi et le bluetooth, pour le reste, walou !

Vous allez me dire qu’en Bluetooth on peut aller vampiriser tranquillement la connexion de l’iPhone pré-cité.

C’est vrai, mais ça vous donne pas une furieuse impression de Darwinisme technologique ?

Parce qu’à moi si. Et ça me fait bien rire

I’m a fan of e-lit.

Now, if you’ve spent any time in a university hallway in the English wing, you would know that this isn’t a very welcomed feeling. Critics and lit majors have a hard on for the physical body of books. It’s the lover they can never keep. While the writing majors/profs mostly see a changing economic landscape that could forever deprive them of any book deal that would be worth cashing at some place other than the corner liquor store.

alright, exaggerations (slight) but still largely true outside of the pop culture studies majors/profs who get off on technology and our evolving culture in general. But the point is that the only people who really get e-lit are the normal, every day people. They are the ones fueling the sale of e-readers and making publishers hold back electronic publication dates to christmas eve (or christmas day).  they’re the ones blowing around $200 and better for these things so they can tote four novels around with them wherever they go.

but lets go back here for a moment. $200. For something to read a novel with. Or a newspaper. or a magazine. All of which you also have to purchase (though at discounted rates from their pulp and binding twins).  and all these things do is allow you to read books and purchase more books. Granted, Nook-E looks appealing, but that’s still a pret price point to read Kafka on the Shore.

And then your ebook collection isn’t even safe. As Amazon has demonstrated, it appears to be very easy for an outsider to simply go in and erase books from your reading device.  While it may be arguable that their reasoning did have some basis, it is still an appalling invasion of an individual’s world. Can anyone imagine Barnes&Noble coming to their house and, for any reason, demanding to take back a book you bought from the? But they wouldn’t even demand it. They would just pry open a window one night, creep in, take it from the shelf and leave a few bucks on your night stand. That’s what Amazon did.

All of this has made me wonder about the popularity of such devices. They are expensive, they are limited in function and they appear to be some of the most un-secure devices you can own. What is the appeal? and why don’t more people simply use tablet PCs? For anyone who doesn’t know, a tablet PC is essentially a big ipod touch but with a ton more functions.  it’s a computer that you can interact with either through a stylus or through a conventional keyboard/mouse (depending on each particular make/model of your tablet PC).

People have argued that the size of such things are prohibitive. They’re too big. They’re too clunky. Etc. But most tablets I see are between 10 and 14 inches long and around four pounds. Slightly bigger than Kindle, nook-E and Reader but that also means the text can be bigger. And they are far, far more functional. I’ve also heard people talk about the screens and how the readers are easier on the eyes. Well, you’re reading this blog, ain’t ya? A normal, well-maintained monitor screen is fine for reading text.

Apparently, Steve Jobs has had similar thoughts. Apple is prepairing their own tablet PC that appears to be aimed at the Kindle crowd. And it looks pretty much like a really big I-Phone or I-Pod Touch. Granted, it’s going to be a good deal more expensive than the other e-readers (around $700-900) but I’m betting it will also be a LOT more functional. Given the massive following that overprice Apple gear has, maybe this will be the push that people need to move away from these e-readers and start doing what music lovers have been demanding for quite awhile now: less specialized gear, better price points and easier access – along with more consumer rights, despite publishers/record labels wanting to strip these rights to the bone.