Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Jobs resigns as Apple CEO; educators ponder his ed-tech legacy

Jobs' presentations became famous as he rolled out Apple's newest mobile technology.

Though Steve Jobs wasn’t at Apple’s helm during the twelve years the company established itself as the leader in educational technology in the 1980s and 90s, it was his vision that brought computing into the education mainstream, ed-tech leaders say.

“For those of us who began our careers in education in the mid-70s, Steve Jobs, along with Steve Wozniak, brought to life the first glimpses of what would become educational technology,” said Jim Hirsch, associate superintendent for academic and technology services at the Plano, Texas, Independent School District. “From the first Apple IIs that came with 4K of memory and stored programs on cassette tapes, the promise of what could be illuminated the glimmer of our teachers’ imagination.”

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Apple again turns to Cook in CEO Jobs’ absence

If the past is any indication, Tim Cook’s mastery of inventory management and his high expectations of employees should leave Apple Inc. in good hands while its charismatic leader, Steve Jobs, takes a medical leave of absence, the Associated Press reports. Apple said Monday that Cook, the chief operating officer, will take charge of the iPhone and iPad maker as Jobs focuses on his health. Unlike Jobs’ half-year medical leave in 2009, during which he specified he’d return to work at the end of June and stuck to it, Apple did not say when, if ever, Jobs would return as CEO. That means Cook, 50, considered a logical eventual successor to Jobs, 55, could be in charge for a long time, perhaps permanently…

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Rumors point to dual-core processors, improved graphics for new iPad, iPhone

Even as the tech world came to grips with the troubling news Monday that Steve Jobs will take his second leave of absence in just two years, the iOS rumor mill continues to grind, with new, dual-core versions of the iPhone and iPad still expected to arrive in the coming months, Yahoo News reports. The latest word has it that new versions of the iPhone and the iPad are in line for a souped-up, dual-core version of Apple’s A4 system-on-a-chip, with AppleInsider reporting that the new chipset will boast far more processing and graphics power than the original — perfect, it would seem, for powering a new 2048-by-1536 iPad display (as per MacRumors), not to mention 1080p video and HDMI support for the iPad and iPhone, and perhaps even for a third-generation Apple TV…

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Next iPhone has clearer screen, video chat capability

The next iPhone comes out June 24 and will have a higher-resolution screen, longer battery life, and thinner design, as well as a camera on the front that can be used for video conferencing, reports the Associated Press. CEO Steve Jobs opened Apple Inc.’s annual conference for software developers June 7 by revealing the iPhone 4, which will cost $199 or $299 in the U.S. with a two-year AT&T contract, depending on the capacity. The iPhone 3GS, which debuted last year, will still be available, for $99. The iPhone 4 is about three-eighths of an inch thick; the previous iPhone was nearly half an inch. It is getting a camera on the front that could be used for video conferencing, in addition to a five-megapixel camera and a flash on the back. It can shoot high-definition video, catching up to some other smart phones. The display on the new iPhone remains 3.5 inches diagonally, but Jobs said it can show four times as many pixels—the individual colored dots that make up an image—as the previous screen…

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Educator takes tech prowess from business to the Ivy Tower

Christopher will launch a 3-D imaging processing course in the fall 2011 semester.
Christopher will launch a 3-D imaging processing course in the fall 2011 semester.

After a private-sector career capped off with induction in the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame, Lauren Christopher is working with college students and developing what she sees as the future of television: 3-D displays that don’t require glasses.

Officials announced May 20 that Christopher, an associate professor at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis since 2008, would join technology trailblazers such as Apple CEO Steve Jobs and famed television pioneer Vladimir Zworykin in the CE Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at the Consumer Electronics Association’s Industry Forum Oct. 17-20 in San Francisco.…Read More

iPad App Store has wide selection of education options

Some educational iPad applications are availabe at no cost in the Apple store.
Some educational iPad applications are available at no cost in the Apple store.

Technology experts say Apple’s latest gizmo, the iPad, won’t replace students’ laptops, but a menu of applications will help teach the periodic table, a range of languages, and a host of other K-12 and higher-education subjects.

More than 300,000 iPads were sold April 3 in Apple Stores and through pre-orders, Apple announced April 5, and education technology enthusiasts finally got to experiment with the device that Apple CEO Steve Jobs describes as a “game changer.”

The iPad App Store is stocked with more than 150,000 downloadable programs, including some that might catch educators’ attention.…Read More

Educators intrigued by Apple’s iPad

The Apple iPad will start at $499.
The web-enabled Apple iPad starts at $499.

Apple’s new tablet computer, the iPad, could push other companies to bring more color-capable eReaders to the market in a move that could make digital books more commonplace on school campuses, educators said after the long-awaited release of the technology giant’s latest product.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad Jan. 27, calling it a new third category of mobile device that is neither smart phone nor laptop, but something in between.

The iPad, which is Wi-Fi enabled, has 10 hours of battery life, features a 9.7-inch screen, weighs 1.5 lbs, and will use the iPhone operating system, meaning education companies that have made iPhone apps can make their technology available for iPad users.…Read More

Can Apple’s tablet spark a textbook revolution?

Educators expect the Apple tablet screen to be much larger than the iPhone display.
Educators expect the Apple tablet screen to be much larger than the iPhone display.

Can the release of Apple’s eReader tablet do for textbooks what the iPod did for music: combine an online store for purchasing books with sleek hardware that holds every text a student needs?

That’s the question many educators are asking as anticipation of Apple’s new tablet mounts.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is widely expected to unveil his company’s eReader Jan. 27 in San Francisco, and industry insiders expect the product to have a large touch screen that is smaller than a laptop screen but larger than an iPhone.…Read More