For the past few weeks, we have been working with Visual C++ Express and trying a variety of exercises. I have also created a twitter account for ICT12 purposes.

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Visual C++ Express Edition

Palestinian Children Get 5000 XO Laptops

The OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project as previously posted, has donated 5,000 XO laptops to Palestinian children in the Gaza strip. Most the children receiving these are attending UNRWA schools, which are schools provided by the United Nations Relif and Works Agency. Though this may be a very generous donation, the OLPC is currently not doing very well. The organization has suffered many setbacks and has been involved in internal disputes. But OLPC is still determined to do good and may very well deliver a next-generation product.

Speed Test

Speakeasy, a Speed Test program, measures the download and upload rate from a selected location and is able to accurately measure your current line throughput or internet connection speed. I tested this with my own computer and here are my results:

Download speed: 5284 kilobits/s (660.5KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload speed: 575 kilobits/s ((71.9KB/sec transfer rate)

Try it out yourself!

Samsung Omnia Smartphone

One of the most talked about smartphones today is the Samsung Omnia. Known for its simple, but yet astonishing look, it gives you a lot more than you would ask for in a phone. First of all, it runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional with a touch screen resolution of 3.2" (240x400pixel). Its network is run by HSDPA with 7.2Mbps. It is compatible with Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 and Wi-Fi. It also has built in GPS with FM Radio and can play mp3's, aac, acc+, wma, ogg and amr, and can also take pictures and videos with a 5.0 megapixel camera. The memory capacity on the Samsung Omnia can either be 8GB or 16GB. This phone also includes many other features such as Microsoft Office Suites, Push Email, TV-output, and much more. But with a great phone, comes along a great price. It is on the market for about $900 CA, but can go as low as $528 CA. For more information and reviews, check out these sites!

Samsung Omnia Review

Buy it now!

Automated Energy Conservation

Powersave, an automated energy conservation program, allows PC's to run when users need them, but also accurately determines when computers are inactive so they can be powered down. It is the only computer energy management solution that analyzes CPU, disk, keyboard, mouse and application activity before it takes action. Why is this important you ask? A typical desktop PC with a 17-inch LCD monitor requires about 100 watts. If left on for 24 hours, 7 days a week, this computer will consume 874 kilowatt hours of electricity --equivalent of driving 820 miles in the average car! This solution is availible for both Windows and Mac computers and saves you up to $25 per computer per year! Try it out and read more about it here.

Thankyou Mr. Vogel for this interesting article!