Wonderland Reviews

Integrating Technology Use in Class Rooms

wonderland101 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:51 +0000

Sciencedaily.com recently reported a new study regarding the use of technological tools in teaching High School Geometry. The said study was said to show students being empowered to learn and discover more geometric relationship.

Co writer of the said study, Gloria Gonzales who is a professor of the said curriculum in the College of Education at Illinois explained what she and Patricio G. Herbst, her co-writer from the University of Michigan, about the findings during the four day instructional activity in a high school geometry class. The first two days were given for the static type in instructions. This type simply used the traditional way of giving lessons to students. The next two used the dynamic process which involves Dynamic Geometry Software. The result shows a big difference regarding how easily students understands the dynamic process as they are able to visual more and get a better logical explanation regarding solving figuring out the drawn figure. Further findings in the study show how combining these two ways brings more effectiveness in students on how they process the lesson, especially the ease in lesson planning.

Static type of teaching geometry includes a paper laid diagram using tools such as compasses and protractor. For someone who has taken up Engineering Drawing this can be more understood as drawing line per line using devices such as triangular scales and T-squares, showing the figure in its orthographic and isotopic states. Doing this, plus using geometry instructional software like CAD, gives students a clear visualization on how the dynamic geometrical representation came about.

Teachers have gained lots of benefits in using this system: The lesson plan is easily met in giving out instructions to students, making the said lesson plan is done at a lesser time, and making diagrams (showing each side representation of a said object) is faster with lesser effort (example is making 20 diagram representation from a single drawing.

At present schools are being encouraged to take on technology not as a course but as a means of helping in incorporating lessons in classrooms. It gives a refreshing intake for students who are at times completely bored of text books, blackboards and instructors voicing out explanations. Some of the most effective and attention catching technology tools are the internet (websites and games), power point and excel, word processors, televisions and video players, radio and many more. Museums have also recognized such advantage by providing insightful innovations which are usually used by kids to help them in their discovery.

The study regarding a geometry class in high school and their use of technology as an instructional material concludes a more successful solution in discovering mathematical ideas. This can all be read in the recent published issue of International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning.

Nexus One: Google’s Super Phone

wonderland101 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:49:07 +0000

Google introduced last Tuesday, their very own version of an Android Phone-Nexus One. The said debut is said to be “anticlamatic” after they have revealed the phone’s details unlike their top competitor in the mobile space, Apple, whose management exercise in messaging seems to bring the audience’s interest through leaving them hanging in the air before their devices release.

The said phone is the affirmation that mobile computing is the next thing to tech industry. This reason is why Google raises their competitive energy as they ready in taking this feat.

Nexus One is presently not hard to find as Telegraph reviews are shooting their way. Presently being compared to Apple iPhone, this device is given a positive remark in reviews saying that it is indeed a powerful tool to include. However, as smart as it is as iPhone, the latter one gives more comfort in using its application. Other reviews also include comparisons not just with the top competitor’s phone but also with other Adroid mobiles as well. So far so good the Nexus One is the latest and perfect addition with its user friendly applications that allow multitasking.

Nexus One runs Android 2.1 on a 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU from Qualcom. This processor will be available as an open source in the next few days. Other features of the phone include the following:

- 512MB of ROM

- 512MB of RAM

- 3.7 inch AMOLED 480 x 800 touch screen

- 11.5 mm thick

- weighs 130 grams with an LED flash

- stereo bluetooth supports

- 3.5 mm headphone jack and two microphones for active noise cancellation.

According to Google’s VP of product management, Mario Queiroz, the nexus belongs in the emerging category of super phones. It is available for $179 through T-Mobile USA with a two year contract and $529 unlocked. Meanwhile Adroid phones from Verizon in the US and Vodafone in Europe will be available via Google’s Web Store during the spring.

Recent surveys confirmed the recent reports on how people wanted to have android phones because of their useful features that enable a person to go multitasking. Google’s Nexus One is in fact the best Android phone up to date.

Sony PlayStation 3

wonderland101 — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:51:56 +0000

Weighing about 11 pounds and measuring 12.8 inches wide by 3.86 inches high by 10.89 inches long, the PlayStation 3 is larger than the PlayStation 2, the diminutive Nintendo Wii, or the Microsoft Xbox 360. Like those consoles, it can be oriented vertically or horizontally. Either way, the PS3’s striking design looks right at home in the living room (admittedly, however, its polished top surface is prone to finger marks). The PS3 runs more quietly than the Xbox 360 but is a bit louder than the almost silent Wii. Though the unit itself doesn’t get too toasty, the air around it tends to feel warm after a few hours of continuous play.

The PlayStation 3 comes in two versions. The $599 model (which I tested) has a 60GB hard disk; built-in 802.11b/g wireless networking; and MemoryStick, SD, and CompactFlash slots. The $499 unit omits Wi-Fi capability and the media card slots, and has a 20GB drive. You can replace the hard drive on either version, and the supplied manual explains how to swap in your own 2.5-inch, serial ATA drive. Our sibling publication GamePro has posted scans of these instructions (http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/86089/exposed-how-to-install-a-new-ps3-hard-drive/).

The differences between the two PlayStation versions end there; both provide a Blu-ray slot drive, HDMI-output, gigabit networking, four USB 2.0 ports, and built-in Bluetooth 2.0 support.

Pros

Integrated Blu-ray slot drive and HDMI 1.3 port

Stunning graphics and Blu-ray movie quality

Cons

Pricey if Blu-ray movie playback not needed

HDMI or component cables not included

Bottom Line

Game console system doubles as a great Blu-ray Disc player, too.

Five New Year’s resolutions for Google

wonderland101 — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:34:08 +0000

In general, most New Year’s resolutions tend to last as long as the NFL playoffs. But those who enter the year working for the world’s most ambitious technology company won’t have that luxury.

Google enters its 12th year as an information and financial powerhouse, holding claim to perhaps the most enviable position on the Internet and worming its way into all sorts of businesses that Internet companies have traditionally avoided. The company shows little sign of slowing down its innovation engine, but as a result of that pace faces competitive threats like never before from other giants of the technology and media worlds.

What should Google leaders Eric Schmidt, Sergey Brin, and Larry Page focus on in 2010? Here are five suggestions:

1. Don’t forget where you came from
Search remains Google’s cash machine. It ended the year with around 65 percent of the U.S. search market, according to ComScore, and does not appear to be losing any momentum. Microsoft’s well-received reinvention of its search efforts in the form of Bing seems to have the main effect of taking business away from Yahoo, its pending search partner, rather than denting Google’s advantage.

But the nature of search is changing as the nature of information produced for the Internet changes. Real-time results are now seen as important, and Google has much work to do in order to prove its real-time strategy unveiled in December will produce the same types of relevant results that its main search engine did in rising to the top. Social-networking sites are host to an enormous amount of relevant content that Google can’t necessarily find.

Google does not face as many competitive threats in search at the moment as its antitrust defense lawyers would like you to believe. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not vulnerable to the same sort of scrappy start-up that it once was, operating under the radar with a fresh take on the world. As Schmidt well knows, having imposed a strategy of focusing 70 percent of Google’s attention on search, keeping the gravy train running is job No. 1 at Google.

2. Get control of the engineers
This is undoubtedly a controversial notion inside of Google. But the tech history books are raft with giants that slowly grew arrogant and haughty with their success, from IBM to Microsoft. Google knows it needs to avoid traveling down a similar path while catering to an engineering culture that has almost never taken no for an answer.

Simply put, Google’s engineers do things because they can. And at some point, that’s no longer going to fly as Google enters more and more markets. That’s because while much of Google’s self-image revolves around avoiding evil, that mindset only applies to users of its products. It doesn’t apply to competitors or partners, who have the ability to cry foul if they believe they are the victims of unfair competition (regardless of whether or not it’s actually true).

If at some point the government deems Google to have a monopoly in search advertising, expect Google’s march into other markets to slow. Engineers may scoff at such restraints, truly believing in the quality and usefulness of their work. But regulators are not engineers, and those folks might arguably hold more power over Google in 2010 than any other force.

3. Get HTML5 standards finalized
Much of Google’s strategy for ushering computing into the 21st century revolves around the notion that the browser can be the dominant platform for applications. There are numerous benefits to this approach in theory; software can be much more lightweight and suitable to mobile devices if run over the Internet, malware can’t knock out a personal computer that doesn’t allow things to be installed locally, and, of course, users who spend their lives on the Internet are more likely to search for information.

But in order to make that vision happen without being labeled as a usurper, Google’s representatives on the W3C Working Group for HTML5 must make sure that the various components of the HTML5 technologies are approved in concert with the community of other browser vendors, so that Google is not seen as having a distinct advantage. The company appears to take this very seriously, and the sooner the process can be brought to fruition, the easier it will be for projects like Chrome OS to develop without being seen as an attempt to corner the personal computing market.

4. Live up to the promise of Google Books
Perhaps the biggest albatross around Google’s neck in 2009 was its settlement with authors and publishers over Google Book search, a process in which Google managed to turn lemonade into lemons. Its attempt to create a digital library for the ages was vehemently protested by authors, privacy advocates, and copyright experts angry over Google’s scan-first ask-later approach to building that database.

Few doubt the value of an open digital library that unlocks access to books stored on musty shelves at exclusive universities. But many are distrustful of Google’s intentions when it comes to Google Books, and putting their fears to bay could go a long way toward ending the acrimony over the settlement. A final hearing is scheduled for February, and while Google has already made concessions in response to criticism from the Department of Justice, lining up an independent partner to be a second source of this digital material would take the wind out of much of the opposition’s argument.

5. Clarify your mobile strategy
We may get a sense of this one extremely soon, as Google is scheduled to host an Android event Tuesday that most believe will mark the debut of its first Android phone sold directly to the general public.

Google is walking a fine line at the moment, should it really intend to sell its own branded phone. One of the primary reasons that the iPhone took off was that Apple dictated the experience that iPhone users and developers would see, locking the hardware specs and controlling the distribution of software for the platform. Of course, that approach has all kinds of side effects, which appeared to be the primary motivation behind Android: a modern mobile software platform free of such restrictions and available to anyone who wants to make a phone.

However, Google’s partners–even if they knew about the Nexus One months ago–are likely to be perplexed by its decision to make its own phone. Will Google developers reserve key Android features for Google devices? Will they cut back on their promotional resources for Open Handset Alliance partners in order to promote their own phone? And why should they trust Google in the future, given that the company has said numerous times that it had no interest in making its own phone?

The beauty of the mobile computing market is that it is truly up for grabs, and that no one company appears ready to dominate in the same manner that Microsoft came to own the PC. But Google will have crossed a line if it really does plan to sell its own phone: it will have leaned on the efforts of others to create a viable market for Android only to swoop in once the software has grown popular with a device of its own.

That means other companies could think twice about partnering with Google in the future.

Posted by : Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom.

Original Post : http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10423524-265.html

Microsoft to give ballot selection of browsers available at EU

wonderland101 — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:27:27 +0000

It’s good news for those who wish to be more comfortable with their browsers. At present Microsoft has made an agreement with the Commission regarding the fair application of browser choice. This means that instead of having Internet Explorer as their main installed browser, users will be allowed to o choose the browser they wish to use and install.

The said settlement is actually an answer to the European Commission’s ongoing antitrust case against Microsoft. The Commission thus requires Microsoft to offer Windows user a selection of browsers and not just settle with just Internet Explorer so as to avoid bias.

The said system will go through a screen. This, however, is only offered to users who are part of the European Union and of neighboring countries. Instead of having the Internet explorer window, a screen is sent showing selection for the browsers needed. The ballot of browsers is made of twelve choices. These are arranged in according to the most popular choice and not in alphabetical order: Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera are but among the priority browsers in the list.

The said application is limited to only Windows XP, Windows vista and Windows 7 users. At first, Microsoft offered to completely strip off Internet Explorer from their systems to settle the complaint given to them by browser maker Opera Software with the European commission last December 2007. However the plan to have a ballot was still pushed through and is presently being delivered.

From time to time the Commission will do check-ups on Microsoft to see if they are doing their part of the bargain. In the case of negligence, Microsoft will be charged 10 percent of their global earning to be paid to the European Commission.

The arrangement to settle the complaints against Microsoft is an idea to have a non-biased deal since windows applications have always had Internet Explorer as part of their system instead of having separate software for it. With the said solution this will definitely increase advantages on other browser application plus the users who are vying for them.

Apple Tablet Computer: release date on March 2010

wonderland101 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:55:26 +0000

Rumors are going around that Apple is developing its magazine type gadget which includes features in e-reading, music, television and web browsing. Known as the Tablet computer, this innovation is said to be a one tech gadget for all. However confirmation whether it does exist or not is still in question.

Backgrond check on the Executives in Apple: they were always hushed when it comes to their products in work. However the rumors regarding their iTablet are something people seemed to want more assurance from.

For this techy innovation it was said that Steve Jobs himself is leading the team as he and his company designed it: a touch-screen, hand-held, all-in-one device that is half-iPhone, half-Macintosh computer. It was said that the debut release of this device was in a few weeks however changes were made and the release was moved to spring of next year, meaning either March or April. This was due to reason that with the popularity of OLED.

Whether it is a rumor or not it cannot be denied that all gadgets by Apple especially during the last quarter of the year, surely booms in the market. iTablet is the reinvention of every entertainment channel that is known to man.

Top Anti-Virus for PC Protection 2009

wonderland101 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:35:14 +0000

Since computers started coming into full view, anti malware has taken the responsibility to secure users that their PCs are well protected from the viruses that may disrupt and destroy stored data. At present there are many malwares that were developed that software are being designed to give further fighting power against it. Anti-viruses are becoming more in numbers and their versions totally exceeding the last. At first they would just guard the PC from viruses from stored files, this time around even from harmful elements from the internet are given. For the benefit of computer users, here are the top anti-viruses up to date as sited by toptenreviews.com.

BitDefender
Kaspersky Lab Anti-Virus
Webroot Anti-Virus with SpySweeper
Symantec Norton AntiVirus
ESET Nod32 Antivirus
AVG Anti-Virus
F-Secure Anti-Virus
G-DATA Anti-Virus
Avira AntiVir
Trend Micro

Bit Defender reigned supreme for the 2010 anti-virus review as it got excellent ratings from Scope Protection to its help and support features. It gives full additional protection including against identity thieves which are becoming common nowadays. However Spam is still a problem.

I’ve tried the trial version of Kaspersky before and I must admit that it did impress me. Scanning was fast and was more complete compared to other anti-malware software. But just like that of Bit Defender, the only flaw would be that of Spam.

Webroot anti-virus is the only anti-virus in the group that secured the computer from spammer. However the optimum performance like the top two was not met.

Another Anti-virus I got to use would be the Nod 32. This one is still compatible with Windows 2000 compared to other software in the list. However it was only for a short time that I got to use this till I shifted back to Grisoft AVG.

I’ve used AVG Anti-virus for two years. This anti-virus has a downloadable file and can easily be navigated. Updating was not too hard as well.

Computers play an important role in how we do our activities presently. With regards to work to recreation they have helped man in getting things done easily. Whether you’d go for the top first in anti-virus software or not, maintenance is still a must. Updating it from the latest malwares and scanning the computer is the best recommended protection the PC can get.

Linux Mint vs Windows 7: which is better?

wonderland101 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:25:37 +0000

They both came out at the same time: Linux Mint and Windows 7. Which is better?

After the flops experienced with the Windows vista OS, Windows 7 is said to be the salvation Microsoft has been waiting for to redeem their glory in the market. If this work then it’s definitely a certified win situation for its developers.

For the past few weeks since it was first released Windows 7 has received great reviews starting off with the consumption in memory upon installation. Windows Vista actually consumes about 10G but with this new OS it took on lesser. Installation was faster too taking 15 minutes and three restarts.

The desktop background shows an excellent design that is pleasing to the eyes. Its icons are larger and with regards to the tabs, it can easily give visuals for the activity that it presently has (whether it’s browsing through the internet or making a document). However there are some documents done through open office that doesn’t open with Windows 7. You have to install the said application to be able to check it out. There are also some videos that didn’t go well with it also. This is because Windows 7 requires upgrading of other peripheral to get other apps working.

Linux Mint, on the other hand, consumes little memory space and gives faster installation. It has larger icons not to mention new features that give it that friendly user feel (like “suggestions”). The background to the Mint has also enhanced in terms of shade making it more eye friendly for those who hate having a glaring light feel. Icons are better enhanced as the GUI (graphics user interface) is given an extra boost. However the name given to the icons, even the directory, is confusing to users. It needs to be more descriptive to have it better understood. Other complaint regarding Linux Mint is its audio which is said by some users to suddenly stop.

It is pretty obvious how Linux Mint seems to be used more by computer lovers everywhere. For both Operating Systems however, their installers can be downloaded in the internet for free, however with a one year limit only. Windows 7 on the other hand also holds a promise for good system application that is it only needs additional upgrading of its hardware peripheral. You choose…which one do you think is better—go and give it try.

Getting light with Modu

wonderland101 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:49:26 +0000

The lightest phone is finally here. Modu mobile has recently given a wave of excitement not just for the techy lovers but also those who just want to get into the trend of having one light and great phone. Let’s admit, with its variety of jackets this is one thing that has given it an edge compared to other phones.

Why go for the modu?

If you’re looking for a bring-it-everywhere type of phone then this is your thing. The Modu has a size smaller than you’re regular credit card and only has 7 keys to the keypad. However it allows you to make it into a cellular phone we all use to make calls and send messages with.

Modu comes with these cool feautures:

- Its 40.1 grams in weight
- Dimensions are 72.1mm x 37.6mm x 7.8mm
- It has 7-keys keypad (4+1 way navigation keys, send & end keys)
- Runs with a 2GB internal flash memory
- Has a Bluetooth version 1.2
- Music player
- Picture gallery
- Allowed Talk time: 2.25h / Standby: 100h / Music playback: up to 8 hours

It’s a trendsetter; that I can say about the new Modu. But let’s admit that in as much as it has these features it’s functionality to be converted to any gadgetry, plus the way it has improvised from anything from a recorder to a player is worth something big. The functionality of the modu without the feeling of bulkiness is another prize for the person who gets to have it.

Jackets are sort of skins for the modu. It can be player, a camera and another type of gadgetry depending on the jacket. It can run from simple to something bigger. This is the cool thing about this new cellphone, it’s sort of like a hard drive for your “casing”.

It’s time to enjoy things light on the touch yet heavy on the features. It’s not just a latest trend but a comfort with a new modu phone.

Preamble

wonderland101 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:29:39 +0000

The Page tends to inform the viewers about the latest reviews for different trends. Trends comes from different classifications like, Computers and Gadgets. The objective of this blog is for everybody to be inform about the latest and many more….enjoy reading my blog.CHEERS!