Press Protection

We all know that early and disabled learners love using their fingers on iPads and other touch tablets, but all too often accidentally touch the Home button, requiring the teacher to restart the app. No more, with Paperclip Robot’s BubCap, a button cover that prevents inadvertent actions. It’s a simple idea that is very effective at helping streamline a classroom’s activities. The cap is latex free and the Home button can still be activated with the firm press of an adult finger. There are three different sizes, depending on what sort of student will use it. BubCaps cost about $1.50 each.

 

Clean as a Whistle

What’s the most tedious and onerous task a school IT department has to perform on a regular basis? If it’s up to me, I vote for cleaning a used hard drive to sweep it clean of data, potentially private material and any loose malware. CRU-DatasPort’s eRazer Ultra can wipe clean any 2.5- or 3.5-inch hard drive, regardless of whether it is an SATA or older IDE device. Rather than manually deleting files, which leaves remnants of the underlying data, eRazer Ultra writes over the entire drive with 10 different methods. When done, nothing is left. The device has a two line display, has a parallel printer port for creating a verification label for the drive and costs $250.

 

Handy Keyboard

If you liked Lenovo’s Mini Wireless Keyboard, you’ll flip over its replacement. The Enhanced Multimedia Remote still easily fits in the hand of the smaleset child, weighs a few ounces and has a full keyboard composed of Chicklet keys. On the other hand, the new keypad is backlit for use while giving a projector-based lesson and adds a key for starting up Internet Explorer. The bad news: while the original keypad cost $40, the new one will go for at least $10 more.

 

 

Keyboard for Small Fingers

Need a mini-keyboard for small hands? AVS’s Zippy BT-500 can connect with as many as six different devices, from an Android or iPad to a PC or Mac computer via its built-in Bluetooth radio. Like other Bluetooth devices, it has a range of about 30-feet, but unlike other keyboards, this one comes with a 3-year warranty.

 

 

Shooting on a Budget

If you get one camera for a school, it should be JVC’s Picsio GC-FM2 because it does so much for so little. At $90, Picsio can take 5-megapixel photos, high definition videos and even detailed time-lapse sequences showing the progress of a science experiment. At less than 4-ounces, it fits comfortably into little hands and comes in blue, black or green.

 

 

 

Framed!

Unlike some other tablets, the iPad lacks a kickstand that turns the system into a desktop computer or classroom video conference center. ZeroChroma’s Vario SC lets the pad stand on its own, but only works with the second generation hardware; there’s a similar stand for the original iPad. The stand comes in white and black, it can be set up in portrait or landscape mode and has thoughtful design touches, like the ability to set it up with 11 different angles and soft plastic corners. It adds less than 5 ounces to the tablet and costs $50.

 

 

One AC Adapter to Rule Them All

If you’re tired of having a separate AC adapter for your notebook and tablet or smartphone, Innergie’s mCube Slim 95 can do double duty by charging many, but not all, of your classroom devices. 

The mCube Slim 95 is tiny compared to what the notebook maker provides and uses less power. At 2.4 by 4.3 by 0.7-inches and weighing 6.3 ounces it is 50 percent smaller and lighter than the typical power converter.

White, with a gray beltline, the mCube Slim 95 has a blue LED light to show that it’s connected. It gets its power from a 5-foot AC cord and a two-prong plug, which for many will be a big step up from the clunky three-prong plug that many off-the-shelf notebook AC adapters require.

At the other end is a plug for the power cord that sends electricity to your computer. The kit comes with 9 power tips that work with hundreds of computer models from Acer to Toshiba. There are also tips for less popular notebooks that cost $20 each, but Innergie will give you the first one for free. The mCube adapter comes with a nice zippered bag, so you won’t lose any of the parts.

There’s a big bonus for tablet and smart phone users. The mCube also has a USB power outlet that puts out up to 10 watts. It is enough to power an iPad and can be used on its own or when the notebook is charging.

All told, it can dole out 95 watts of power continuously or as much as 110 watts for brief periods. It works with notebooks that require between 15 and 21 volts, so it should work with most recent systems. If it is overloaded or shorted out, the AC adapter has been designed to automatically shut itself down.

Over the course of three weeks, I used the mCube adapter with 8 different notebooks, two tablets, a smartphone and a mobile hotspot without a problem. If it worked with every computer, getting the mCube would be a no-brainer, but it doesn’t work with Apple notebooks, Toshiba Qosmio systems and several other notebooks.

It’s been designed and manufactured for the long run. While all but a few computers (and their AC adapters) come with a 1-year warranty, Innergie’s mCube has a 3-year warranty.

The next time you need a new power adapter, why get a big, clunky device that costs too much. At $95, Innergie’s mCube Slim 95 is cheaper, smaller, lighter and can work with hundreds of notebooks. Sounds like a winner to me.

 A-

 $95

+ Small and light adapter

+ Auxiliary USB power outlet

+ 2 prong power plug

+ 3-year warranty

+ Compatibility with hundreds of notebooks

 

- Doesn’t work with some notebooks

 

 

 

Label Me

There’s nothing that screams classroom organization more than neatly made labels for boxed items or what’s in drawers or cabinets. Epson’s LabelWorks LW-400 can put your choice of 14 fonts, 10 styles and a library of over 300 symbols, including bar codes, on a tape that’s 0.7-inches wide. It works in 7 different languages and can print on a variety of specialty tapes.

 

See and Say

One of the problems with using a TV, monitor or projector in the classroom is that they rarely have built-in Web cams for carrying out videoconferences or distance learning projects. Enter HP’s Webcam HD 5210, a standalone USB camera and microphone ensemble that makes everything come in crystal clear.

The HD 5210 may be bigger than other Web cams, but it can outperform them in most areas. The typical cheap Web cam or one in a notebook can show 640 by 480 resolution, which makes faces look pixilated and turns a class of kids into a blur. By contrast, the HD 5210 can record videos at 1,920 by 1,080 and stream video at 1,280 by 768. It can capture sharp still images at 13 megapixels.

As a video camera, it works with Skype, AOL Instant Messenger, Google Video Chat, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and other programs. A big bonus is that on the top of the Web cam there are quick launch buttons for capturing a photo or video as well as connecting with an instant messaging system of your choice.

Plus, the camera comes with software for quickie uploads to FaceBook, YouTube and Flickr.There’s also a slew of ArcSoft editing software as well as an excellent control center for the camera. 

While most Web cams are either silent or have a single microphone that makes it sound like your classroom is in a cave, the HD 5210 has an advanced microphone array. Featuring a pair of microphones, the system has active noise cancellation to reduce hiss and background sounds, yet capture voices that are 20-feet away.

The best part is that the HD 5210 has one of the easiest installation routines around. It plugs into a PC with one USB cable for video and audio, and it comes with a CD that loads its software automatically. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with Macs or Linux computers. Expect it to take 3 minutes to install.

Using a Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 PC, the HD 5210 delivered clear and rich audio without any hum or static, while images were surprisingly sharp and clear with vivid colors. Thanks to built-in H.264 compression, its video output was smooth, without any dropped frames and in synch with the sound.  I found that it works best when you use the latest version of Skype.

The Web cam comes with a unique wrap-around bracket that lets the device be hung from the top of a notebook, monitor or just placed on a tabletop. Once it’s in place, the camera can be tilted, panned or aimed. It has a surprisingly wide 75-degree field of view so that it’s perfect for use in a large classroom, playground or auditorium.

Unfortunately, at a time when school budgets have been pared to the bone, $100 is a lot so spend on a Web cam, particularly if the school needs dozens of them. Still, if you can squeeze the HD 5210 into your budget, it’s the best Web cam on the market.

 A

 HP WebCam HD 5210

$100

 

+ Easy set up

+ Put anywhere bracket

+ Dual microphones

+ High resolution

+ Smooth video

 

- Expensive

- PCs only

 

 

 

Open and Shut Cases

A good case can turn an iPad into a notebook or a desktop computer while protecting it from the daily abuse that being deployed in a school entails. The best add a built-in keyboard, pull-out stand or just make it look better.

As is seen with the six cases here, to get the right case for the right task, you’ll have to shop carefully because there’s a multitude of designs and no two cases are alike.

For many schools the default decision is to get Apple’s Smart Cover. It covers the pad’s front and back, feels nice in the hand and looks sharp. It, however, only works with the newer iPad 2. It may not have a mechanical keyboard, but Smart Cover provides a comfy typing stand for the on-screen keyboard or sits up taller for video conferences. It comes in leather ($69) or polyurethane ($39) in your choice of 10 different colors and the iPad 2 wakes up when you open the case.  

Protection is what Otter’s iPad 2 Reflex Case is all about. Made of tough polycarbonate plastic with soft rubber bumpers, the Reflex case can prevent damage from drops and spills. Still, it weighs only 10 ounces and has a pull out leg for turning the case into a handy desktop stand. Happily, it can be set up at two different angles for typing and touch work, but only works with the iPad 2.

By contrast, Solid Line’s $99 RightShift case can be ordered for either iPad and includes a real mechanical keyboard. It measures 9.8 by 8.0 by 1.0 inches, can hold the pad up and has a Bluetooth keyboard inside that can run for 90 hours on its lithium battery. It’s available in black, white and red and the company can put your school’s logo or mascot on the case.

It might seem a tad speculative, but Kickstarter’s LillyPad solar case can turn an iPad into a green machine. The case has a solar cell on its back to help trickle charge the iPad’s battery as it is being used or when it’s just sitting around waiting for class to start. According to the company, most pads only need to be plugged in for charging every two weeks. The snag? Production of the case is only starting just now. 

M-Edge’s SuperShell is a minimalist case that is perfect for iPads that stay at school. It may lack the fold over cover, but its closed-cell foam construction can absorb the impact of being dropped. It weighs less than 10 ounces and its surface is textured to assure a good grip, but it’s for the newer iPad 2 model. SuperShell is a bargain at $30 and is only available in what the company calls atomic green.

Finally, August Accessories’ Recon Messenger bag fits the iPad like a glove, yet the screen is available for use by opening Recon’s outer flap. It works with both generations if iPad hardware and protects as well as providing ample space for books, pads and pencils. Made of washed canvas, the bag has a single over the shoulder strap for between class hallway sprints. The $80 bag comes in Khaki or charcoal material.