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DJI's first educational robot is a $500 drone tank
Less than a month after launching its first-ever action camera, DJI is now introducing its first educational robot, The RoboMaster S1, which the company says has been in development for two years, was inspired by a robotics competition that DJI has sponsored and hosted for the past five years, called RoboMaster. DJI says that RoboMaster has been a passion project from founder and CEO Frank Wang, who figured the company could use its know-how in computer vision, artificial intelligence and camera technologies to create a robotics product that it could get "into the hands of everyone." The result of that, DJI says, is the new RoboMaster S1, or S1 for short.
A parent's guide to teaching internet common sense
Being a good digital citizen means being a responsible one: educating yourself and your kids about the digital world, participating in it in positive ways, questioning it and using technology as a tool to make the world a bit brighter (and not in some post-apocalyptic-neon-shroom-cloud way). So how do kids learn digital citizenship? The same way they learn how to be good citizens: They watch good role models, and they practice. READ ON: A parent's guide to raising a good digital citizen
Google's experimental Rivet app helps kids learn to read
Far too many kids struggle to read at an age-appropriate level, but Google is betting that technology could help them get up to speed. The company's experimental Area 120 unit has released Rivet, an app for Android and iOS that aims to make reading practice both accessible and rewarding. It offers more than 2,000 books ranked by difficulty, and uses speech technology to coach kids on their pronunciation. Rivet can read words or whole pages, highlighting words as it goes along, but it can also listen to a child's own reading and offer feedback on the words they didn't get right.
The best coding kits for kids
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Part of the reason I write about technology for a living is that I couldn't cut it as a coder. It's not that I regret my career choice (I definitely don't), but I do regret having never really learned the art of programming. And it's not because I want to build apps or games or anything. It's because you pick up a lot of peripheral skills. This is the primary reason I want my kid to learn to code. I don't necessarily want him to become an engineer (though I certainly wouldn't be upset if he did). Instead, I see coding as a great teaching tool. It's a way to teach cause and effect and problem-solving skills. And mastering the logic behind simple routines can even make your kid a better and more convincing communicator.
VW's eGon is a driveable, educational EV skeleton
How do you illustrate the inner workings of electric cars without resorting to plain cutaway images and videos? If you're VW, you make a rolling skeleton on wheels. The company has unveiled an eGon model that strips the e-Golf down to its inner workings, but remains driveable -- you wouldn't take it on the highway, but you could get a feel for how everything comes together when it's moving. You'll also find QR codes across the car to provide more information about individual components.
Pew: Twitter users are younger and more Democratic than most Americans
A recent report from the Pew Research Center says Twitter users are younger, more highly educated, have higher incomes and are more likely to identify as Democrats compared to the general public. They're also more likely to support immigration and see evidence of racial- and gender-based inequality in society. This might be surprising given how loud opposing views can appear on the platform.
Google made a learn-to-read app for schoolchildren in India
Google has kept its education initiatives, ranging from Chromebooks for schools to teaching software, within the confines of the classroom. But it's now branching out with a consumer-facing learning app in India. "Bolo" (Hindi for "speak") is essentially a reading assistant for elementary school children that harnesses Google's speech recognition and text-to-speech smarts.
Chromebook App Hub gives teachers ideas for class activities
Many schools use Chromebooks, but they might not always know how to make the most of those systems in the classroom -- and Google knows it. The firm is launching a Chromebook App Hub that will both help teachers find activity ideas and connect institutions with developers that might fit their needs. Educators can both create and look for "idea sparks" and apps based on the age range, subject, idea category and even specific learning goals.
Speak & Spell is B-A-C-K
If you're a techie of a certain age (cough), you probably have fond memories of the Speak & Spell. The Texas Instruments toy's quirky speech synthesis may be quaint by modern standards, but it sounded like magic at a time when getting any computer to talk was a big deal. You'll be glad to hear it's back, then. Basic Fun is introducing a revived Speak & Spell that includes all the familiar games, that simple segmented display (albeit one based on modern LCDs) and, of course, that signature orange-and-yellow design. However, there is one important change you'll have to consider: the voice.
Acer's latest Chromebooks for schools include models with AMD chips
Acer is hoping to shake up its school-ready Chromebooks in the same way it did with its everyday models. The company has introduced no less than six new Chromebooks for education, including two AMD-powered models. The 11.6-inch Chromebook Spin 311 R721T convertible (above) and the more conventional Chromebook 311 C721 both use AMD A4 processors with Radeon graphics that should deliver reasonably speedy visuals for students. Logically, they're also built to handle abuse with military-grade bodies, tamper-resistant keyboards and an antimicrobial touchscreen on the Spin.
HP's latest school Chromebooks are built for exploring
It's the start of a new year, and that means new HP Chromebooks for schools -- this time, including an update to a long-in-the-tooth model. The centerpiece is the Chromebook x360 11 G2 Education Edition, (above) a refresh of the two-year-old G1 convertible tablet. The 11.6-inch system is still ready for less-than-gentle students and has options for both a Wacom pen as well as a signature 5-megapixel rear-facing camera for exploring the outside world. This time, though, there's a much newer 1.1GHz Celeron chip, up to 8GB of RAM (not so common in budget Chromebooks) and as much as 64GB of expandable storage. It'll be relatively future-proof for schools watching their budgets.
Sphero gets into app-enabled music gadgets with the Specdrums ring
Back in June 2018, Sphero acquired Specdrums, a startup that found Kickstarter success with music-making rings. As part of that deal, we knew Sphero would be working on its own version of the product, and today the company's making it official. The new but familiarly named Specdrums are app-supported rings that let you, or your kids, play music by tapping the wearable instruments on different colors and surfaces. There are hundreds of customizable sounds and loops, all of which are created by tapping the Specdrums rings on the included playpad and other colored items around you.
ASUS unveils its first Chrome OS tablet
ASUS has added four new devices to its Chrome OS lineup, including the brand's first tablet running the operating system. Like many other Chrome OS devices, all four are meant for use in the classroom, built with tough bodies and flexible hinges to be able to withstand abuse. The tablet (model CT100) was especially made for younger kids and has a thick rubberized chassis, as well as a 9.7-inch QXGA display that's covered in strong tempered glass. It also has 4GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard storage and is powered by Hexa-core OP1 processor made for Chromebooks.
Chinese schools keep tabs on kids with 'intelligent uniforms'
Even schoolkids can't escape China's increasing obsession with surveillance. Over 10 schools in the country's southwestern Guizhou province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have made students wear "intelligent uniforms" from Guanyu Technology in the name of improving attendance and safety. Each uniform has two chips that indicate when a student is entering or exiting school grounds, and automatically sends that data to both parents and teachers. Leave without permission and an automatic voice alarm will make it patently clear you're a truant.
One's Smart Piano helped me play, but not understand
As a kid, I was given a book about a famous doctor who may or may not have been Albert Schweitzer. The first chapter is how he, as a young boy, learned the value of practice from his music teacher. It was a lesson he learned early enough to become not only a virtuoso musician but also a physician and philosopher. I suspect I was given the tome as a way of encouraging me to practice the piano in the hope of becoming as good as ol' Albo. That didn't quite happen.
Microsoft adds dictation to Office web apps to help with dyslexia
Microsoft has made voice dictation available for desktop Office users for months. Now, though, it's making the feature available to web users in the name of aiding those with dyslexia. The browser versions of both Word and OneNote will enable dictation sometime in the "coming weeks" so that dyslexic students can write more effectively than they would by typing. This should also help for dysgraphia (a condition that makes it difficult to write coherently) and people with mobility issues, Microsoft added.
Instagram uses Snapchat-like tags to make adding friends easier
Instagram has yet another answer to Snapchat, but this time it's covering one of the basics: namely, adding friends. Months after it started testing, the social network has introduced "nametags" that make friend additions as simple as pointing your camera at a code, much like Snapcodes. Once you've created a nametag (complete with colors, emojis and selfies), your soon-to-be pal just has to launch the camera and hold down on the screen when the tag is in view. From there, they'll receive options to either follow straight away or view the profile. You can share nametags with others through text messages or other social platforms if you're trying to build as wide an audience as possible.
Apple Wallet now supports contact-free student ID cards
Apple has been promising support for contactless student ID cards ever since it unveiled iOS 12, and it's finally here a few weeks after the software itself. Students at Duke University, the University of Alabama and the University of Oklahoma can now add their ID cards to Apple Wallet and use their iPhones and Apple Watches to access facilities, or pay for must-haves like food and laundry. You might not have to dig through your wallet just to return to your dorm after a long night out.
Apple’s free ‘Everyone Can Create’ curriculum is available on Apple Books
In March, Apple unveiled its Everyone Can Create curriculum, a program aimed at helping educators integrate drawing, music, video and photo skills into their lessons and assignments. Now, the company has made that curriculum available for free through Apple Books. The program includes four guides, with projects that help students progressively build skills in a creative medium, as well as a teacher guide that comes with 300 lesson ideas.
Facebook and Sphero team up to offer coding robots to schools
Facebook has announced a new initiative that aims to teach coding skills to more school kids. Targeting primarily underrepresented student groups — such as Black, Latino/Hispanic, Native American and female demographics — CodeFWD will allow teachers to apply for a free set of 15 Sphero Bolt robots upon completion of a series of curricula.