Technology

Intel invests on education to bridge digital divide

by Surekha Galagoda

[email protected]
 

Intel has been focusing on investing in education during the past few years as we at Intel believe that it is the fastest way of bridging the digital divide, said Vice President Sales and Marketing Group General Manager Channel Platforms Group, Thomas Rampone.

This was the reason we launched the first generation classmate PC and it has changed the lives of children. They simply love technology and therefore it attracts them to schools.

He said that children in Nigeria scored 35% better than children who didn’t use classmate PCs. It is affordable and is designed for rugged use. Rampone said that they have already trained five mln students while plans are under way to train another nine mln students. He said their target is one billion students.

Rampone said that Intel is moving to tap general consumers as well with the classmate PC.

Launching the second generation classmate PC early this month at the Intel Developer forum in Shanghai, China, he said that they hope to focus on emerging markets and education as well.

Intel Vice President, Corporate Technology Group and director of Intel Research Andrew Chien said that the second-generation Intel-powered classmate PC is an affordable, fully functional, rugged Internet-centric computer platform.

These simple-to-use PCs have wireless capability, longer battery life, water resistant keyboards and are more shock resistant if dropped. Intel calls this category of PCs “netbooks.”

The Intel designed computer offers different choices to manufacturers so that each can tailor laptop models for a variety of educational needs. The new classmate PC blueprint is the latest innovation and educational tool for parents and teachers to use technology, computers and Internet access to better educate students around the world.

“Only 5 per cent of the world’s children today have access to a PC or to the Internet,” Chien said. “Education is one of the best examples of how technology improves our lives. We have seen how technology helps teachers create fun learning experiences more efficiently.

We have also been touched by children’s excitement when they are inspired by technology. The Intel-powered classmate PC is one of the ways we support the IT industry in spreading the benefits of technology in education for children around the world.”

The second-generation classmate PCs are built on Intel(r) Celeron(r) M processor with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and mesh network capabilities. The top range of these netbooks includes a nine-inch LCD screen, six-cell battery life, 512 MB memory, a 30 GB HDD (hard disk drive) storage and an integrated webcam. An Intel powered classmate PC supports Microsoft Windows XP and variants of the Linux operating environment.

When pre-installed with the education software stack, these netbooks are ideal for classroom-learning environment. Software and content will be available in more than eight languages.

More than 80 software and hardware vendors, content providers, educational services providers and local OEMs have been working with Intel to develop a complete infrastructure that supports the Intel-powered classmate PC.

Chien also said future Intel-powered classmate PCs will be built with the Intel(r) Atom processor. It is an energy-efficient, low-cost computer chip designed to provide wireless capability to small mobile computing devices such as netbooks.

The updated child-sized computer will continue to be deployed as part of the Intel World Ahead Program, a global initiative aimed at spreading digital accessibility and educational opportunities. He said that the second-generation classmate PC is proof of the digital transformation he believes is under way today.

He highlighted several more digital advances including the use of a cascaded silicon Raman laser as a low-cost Methane gas detector and talked about a novel “holistic” platform power management technology to significantly improve the energy efficiency of a wide range of platforms.

He addressed emerging digital consumer applications such as personal robotics and computational photography as fronts where this transformation is taking place by demonstrating “Fuwa,” a personal robot from the Fudan University and ReFocus Imaging’s light field camera.

Intel architecture is also transforming with the multi-core movement in mainstream, parallel computing. This will require new programming techniques and languages at the heart of Intel’s tera-scale computing research program.

Chien said that Intel’s research is poised to tackle both the opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead with the Digital Transformation

Eureka Technologies Partners to promote green computing

Eureka Technologies Partners, a leader in IT infrastructure management and web development will start operations in the Middle East, US, Europe and in the Indian sub continent shortly.

The company set up in 1996 is today one of Sri Lanka’s IT pioneers. Eureka is a Managed Services Provider (MSP) with a transnational business footprint.

Eureka added prestige to its name with two prominent investors led by Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, Vice Chair UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and CEO, Indian Angel Network Rajan Anandan buying a minority stake in the company recently.

CEO Eureka, Dilendra Wimalasekera said globally recognised investors give credibility to launch IT infrastructure management services in overseas markets.

Prof Munasinghe said combining skills and developing a consulting practice will help global companies to implement energy efficient IT infrastructure.

In addition to Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM), Eureka will undertake to make IT infrastructure more ecologically sound by using techniques which will help clients to achieve maximum efficiency in IT operations and reduce energy consumption.

Eureka will play a major role in promoting green computing which helps to use computing resources efficiently .IT is responsible for two per cent of the global carbon emission.

The market for green IT is growing rapidly at the enterprise computing level. Power and cooling costs are some of the biggest concerns addressed by green computing solutions enabling it to be cost effective and environment friendly. LF

Asus unveils U2E with 32GB Solid State Drive

EPSI Computers, authorised distributors for ASUS in Sri Lanka with a turnover exceeding two billion, dollars said that ASUS, a worldwide leader in component and notebook computer design and manufacturing have unveiled the long-anticipated 11-inch 2lb all-in-one notebook featuring a 32GB Solid State drive (SSD).

The integration of SSD allows the Asus U2E to be shock resistant and reliable. As a part of the effort to introduce eco-friendly notebook designs, the upcoming U2E is energy efficient thanks to both its SSD and the LED back-lit panel.

Group Product Manager, EPSI Computers Sankha Jayaratne, said, ASUS has always focused heaviliy on research and development and have a world-class R & D team. This in turn helps in providing its customers the best in innovation, Technology and reliability.

He said that in 2007 ASUS won 2568 awards. “That amounts to “ seven awards a day in 2007”. It was also ranked in Business Week’s “InfoTech 100” for the tenth straight year and named the “Number One in Quality and Services” by the Wall Street Journal Asia.

Jayaratne said the U2 is designed and crafted to deliver the highest level of luxury and presents itself as a bonafide lifestyle accessory that is infinitely useful and versatile.

The luxury extends to the notebook chassis, where its unity of form and function is showcased with the screen and keyboard designed to join seamlessly at the polished plated hinge - reminiscent of a cufflink-inspired design.

Silver circle to develop local digital print industry

Silver Circle PLC, specialists in large format digital printers, imaging and graphics as well as sign industry equipment in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with the largest customer-base in solvent printers, have installed over 100 Infiniti, DGI, Mimaki and Seiko printers islandwide.

The range of equipment handled by Silver Circle includes Digital Printers, Architectural Drawing Plotters, Sign Cutters/Plotters, Laser Engraver/Cutters, CNC Routers and Engravers, Laminating and Mounting machines, Portable Display stands, LED displays Boards. There are also used machines available at attractive rates, for which service support is available.

The company is the sole distributor of the export models of Infiniti solvent printers assembled in China, DGI printers from Korea and Mimaki and Seiko high-resolution photo quality solvent printers from Japan in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Silver Circle is the sole distributor of the world-renowned Xaar Print heads and ink and is the only OEM partner of Xaar in Sri Lanka. XaarJet Ltd., UK, manufacture print heads that are used in over 80% of all large and grand format printers and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Chairman, Silver Circle, Supem de Silva has been a pioneer in the industry having set up the first Digital Imaging Studio and the first large format printer at the Kent Group of Companies in 1994, through German training and technology, thus starting off the digital imaging and printing industry in Sri Lanka.

He has received training around the world over the years and has been also responsible for launching Adobe Software and training in 1998, and installing the first Solvent Digital Printer in 2001 in Sri Lanka.

It is with this background (extending to over 15 years) in the industry that de Silva started Silver Circle PLC and has been established it as the premier service provider in the digital printing industry.

The experienced service staff count over 15 years hands-on experience in most brands of large format printers and Digital Imaging.

The senior technical staff receive periodic training overseas, and also receive training from Factory Engineers who visit Sri Lanka quarterly to keep them updated on new equipment and software.