Windows 7 is just around the corner from general release and so is the updated rfid Learning Table to go with it. :) We have taken this opportunity to not only make Learning Table compatible with the 32bit version of Windows 7, but for the first time rfid Learning Table now runs on 64bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Windows XP continues to also be supported.

Features include a faster interface, easier to use options panel and full screen video playback.

This new version of rfid Learning Table will ship from Wednesday 23rd of September with all new orders and existing customers will be able to download the updates free from the web site by the end of this month.

Here is a screenshot of the new release running on the 64bit version of Windows 7.

Do you use the Windows Maker application? If so, you might be interested in this site, where a developer has made Movie Maker completely portable and able to run off a USB key. It runs on Windows XP, Vista and the soon to be released Windows 7.

http://devrexster.googlepages.com/mmk

What do you think the chances are that Learning Table will support touch in the future. Pretty good I would think. :)  In the meantime enjoy the preview of the soon to be released Asus Eee PC Touch Tablet.

Last week I had the opportunity to do a couple of workshops on Learning Table and have a stand at the eLearning08 conference at the University of NSW. It was great to catchup with some existing customers and colleagues as well as have the opportunity to introduce rfid Learning Table to lots of people for the first time. The workshops were well patronised and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello and thank you to the organisers for the invitation to attend. I certainly hope to do another eLearning Conference in the future!

 
I managed to snap one photo in the morning while some early arrivals were settling in for the first of two workshops on rfid Learning Table.

Verona McMahon a teacher of Foundation Studies at Riverina TAFE and a member of the excellent Learning Technology Mentors program that Institute is running. She recently sent me a copy of a video she shot of her work with rfid Learning Table.

Here is what Verona said about the video  and her use of rfid Learning Table: 

I ran a course which was a joint venture between: Riverina Institute of TAFE NSW, Coomealla Campus; Coomealla High School, NSW DET; Schools in Partnership; and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG), Dareton.

Our students were years 7 to 10 students from Coomealla High School. Students worked on their own raps to express their experiences of living in their particular communities at their age and to relate their stories round this. Each student recorded a rap. When the AECG had a barbecue at Coomealla TAFE I showcased the students' raps outdoors by using the laptop and both the speakers and RFID scanner powered by the laptop battery. Each student's rap was tagged to a plastic card RFID tag.

This tag was inserted into a plastic sleeve which also held a photo of the student and the rap title. People in attendance at the BBQ were free to come up to the laptop and receive simple instructions on how to listen to the individual raps via your Learning Table Player. Enjoy the outback ambience as you view this video.

Thanks Verona, for sharing this and well done on a innovative and interesting use for Learning Table.

Dan

You can find out more at the web site here.

http://sites.google.com/site/botanicalpartnerships/

Adrian Laws from Riverina TAFE has written up a fantastic entry about what he is doing with rfid Learning Table and also built his own Kiosk to house his Learning Table System. Awesome stuff and well worth a click to read about!

www.learningkiosk.com

Dan

In August I had a workshop for rifd Learning Table at Riverina Institute of TAFE. A group of ten teachers spent the day learning about RFID and Learning Table, before taking the Learning Table kits Riverina has purchased and putting them to use various teaching sections. It was a great day and a fantastic group of teachers. I noticed today that some pictures from the day are now posted here:

http://ltmentors.riverinainstitute.wikispaces.net/Workshop+20th+&+21st+August+2008

Thanks to my hosts Jacqueline Bates and Bronwyn Collins and to the wonderful staff of Riverina who attended the workshop. :)

I hope to have more news about the outcomes from this workshop soon.

rifd Learning Table gets a mention on the web again. Developing a program to introduce an ICT product which helps people with disabilities engage with learning and training. This project is being conducted in Tasmania.

One of our customers had a requirement for a more portable version of rfid Learning Table. While they went about procuring a suitable UMPC for running the Learning Table software, Alex Bell who is a NECS technician and myself tried to work out what was the best way to make a suitable slimline enclosure.

Now while I say “we” it’s really a case of me “imagining’ what such a case might look like and Alex actually having the skills to make one.

We are fortunate to have Alex as he always seems to have the tools and not inconsiderable skills needed to make pretty much any electrical or hardware component we need. In this case Alex went into a CAD application and designed us a new slimline case. Here is an early CAD drawing of it.

This is the first batch being cut on the mill.

And here is the final product.

It includes a modified circuit board that lowers the height of the final unit even more and a special shortened USB plug, that features an L shaped plug, to make it easier to tuck the cable around the back of the UMPC.

Of course this design will work just as well for Tablets, Laptops or the new Asus EeePC's as well.

Here is a side profile. The reader is approximately 6mm in height.

Thanks Alex and job well done!

We are currently working out final costings for these units, but expect these to be made available in our catalogue in the next month or so. If you have any questions about these, please feel free to drop me an email.