Today, a momentous moment in educational technology has been reached. We are at a crossroads; a pivotal turning point that will be remembered by future generations of students to come. A moment which they will turn to look back and think, yes, we did something good. A moment which will be marked forever in history, as one of education's greatest revolutions. For today, we step into... The Future. Labels: TI-Touch
Today, the Mugalomaniacs present a special preview of things to come... the TI-Touch, a revolutionary step forward into what the future of education might look like. The following extract is courtesy of Texas Instruments.
Inspired by the iPhone and the iPod Touch, we created what is possibly the smallest and slimmest graphic calculator ever. How? Because the TI-Touch is just a screen. Uniting the buttons and display into one simple and easy to use touchscreen display, we have compressed the once large and unwieldy graphic calculator of the past into a sleek pocket-sized, easily portable tool.
The TI-Touch includes Wi-Fi capability, allowing you to go on-line to retrieve notes or visit your school website. The TI-Touch is locked to the Mug1 provider only, as part of our contract. The TI-Touch also has an option that automatically checks your school's website every few minutes anywhere you are for new updates or notes. Auto-roaming is a pre-enabled capability in your TI-Touch, so you can download new Chemistry notes while on holiday in Genting. Wi-Fi is not free in some places, so data charges may be incurred. These will be charged to your Mug1 account. Bluetooth is also included for students to trade notes and share ideas.
The TI-Touch has a revamped easy-to-use and simple menu screen that allows you to select from a variety of specialised functions, such as integration, matrices, and graphing. It has a high definition full colour widescreen format(when graphing) and graphs are finely detailed in a black on white background. No more finicky manipulation of blocky pixels, the lines are now smooth and much more pleasing and easy to work with.
We've included a simple one touch memory clear button, a step up from the previous TI-84 Plus Limited Edition: Meridian. We've also included a 4 digit code to enter when resetting the memory, a reflection of the new high-tech and luxurious feel of the TI-Touch, in addition to its larger memory. The TI-Touch also remembers basic details such as the name and class of its owner (lockable with a 4 digit pass code) to prevent theft and facilitate easy return in case of loss.
The bottom of the TI-Touch also includes a small text recognition scanner, like the highly popular iMug. Simply run the TI-Touch across your notes, and save the pages to the in-calculator memory (Available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB sizes). The TI-Touch is fully rechargeable, and this means no more troublesome switching of batteries and suddenly lack of power during exams. Simply charge your TI-Touch for 2 hours before the exam and you're ready to go. A quick-charger is also available at US$50 and recharges your calculator for 1 hour of non-stop usage in 15 minutes, handy for emergencies. The TI-Touch is tamper-proof and has a installed hardware destruction mechanism to prevent tampering. Any attempt to open the TI-Touch will result in permanent hard disk damage and void the warranty. This is to prevent any modification of the note storage function.
The TI-Touch contains a small antenna that receives a specific wavelength from an emitter. This will be made available to all institutions or educational organisations in bulk at a low price. They can have a range of 50 feet or 500 feet and their purpose is to broadcast a signal to jam the note storage function in all TI-Touches within range to prevent cheating. The signals used are certified safe by the American Wavelength Association, AWA. These signals also prevent the use of the mini-game, Bluetooth, and the Wi-i function. Yes, there is a chemistry based mini-game called R-attack installed, to signify the shift in trends toward education becoming cool and in vogue. We also include TI headphones, when plugged in, is detected by the calculator and turns on an optional clicking noise at each button press, designed to enhance user experience.
The TI-Touch will be released in Singapore in the first quarter of 2009i(imaginary year) to ride the flow of the first intake of students for 2009i. It will be released later in the US, Europe and the rest of Asia in the later quarters of 2009i. The tentative price for the TI-Touch is S$399.99 for the 1GB version, SS$599.99 for the 2GB version and S$799.99 for the 4GB version. Memory size indicates how much memory can be used for user storage of notes. Pre-orders are accepted from June 2008i onward.
Processor: 128MHz
RAM:512MB RAM, 256MB user available
Operating System:
Windows Vista™ Math Basic, Math Premium, Math Ultimate
Size and weight:
Height: 4.5 inches (115 mm)
Width: 2.7 inches (68 mm)
Depth: 0.6 inches (18 mm)
Weight: 5.1 ounces (145 grams)
Capacity:
1GB, 2GB, 4GB tamper-proof flash drive
Screen:
3.75-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
480-by-320-pixel resolution
Support for display of multiple characters and symbols simultaneously
Wireless technology:
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.0
Headphones:
Stereo earphones
Frequency response of 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Operating Conditions:
Temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Non-operating temperature: -50°F and below, 113° F and above (-10°C and below, 45° C and above)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
Output:
3.5mm stereo headphones
3.5V charging jack
Use time on built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery:
Up to 6 hours
Graph use (continuous): Up to 3.5 hours
NOTE:
The TI-Touch is not water-proof! Do not attempt to do your homework or ponder mathematical paradoxes in your local swimming pool! Water damage caused by user is not covered under warranty!
Your TI-Touch has been certified shock proof for moderate drops, but we do not guarantee zero external cover damage! Your TI-Touch can withstand a few extreme shocks, but not for a prolonged period of time!
[See video from our TI-Touch Product Testing Lab]
DISCLAIMER: TI and Texas Instruments are trademarks of Texas Instruments Inc. which does not sponsor, authorise, or endorse this site. The Mugalomaniacs do not claim ownership of any of the trademarks and the above fictional products are inspired by the iPhone but also not sponsored, authorised or endorsed by Apple Inc. Microsoft also does not sponsor, authorise, or endorse this site. The above product and all related information is purely for entertainment purposes only and merely the product of our imagination.
