Miscellaneous post of the week..... 10 July

South Korea plans to withdraw printed textbooks from schools by 2015

 

The South Korean ministry of education has announced a ground-breaking plan to digitize all textbooks which are in use in Korean schools and thus completely phase out printed materials by 2015. This opens a huge market for manufacturers of tablet PCs, laptops and smartphones as the Korean education ministry has revealed it will spend US$2.4 billion on buying appropriate devices and digitizing content for them.
The Korean government's "Smart Education" scheme will see the creation of a cloud computing network in order to allow students to access digital textbooks and store their homework so it can be accessed via any internet-connected device, including tablets, smartphones, PCs and smart TVs. The plan also includes introducing more online classes from 2013 so that students who are sick or unable to attend school due to weather conditions will be able to participate in virtual classes.
The ministry plans to digitize all primary school textbooks by 2014 and all mid and high school textbooks by the following year. Both, digital and printed textbooks, will be in use during the transition period and nationwide academic tests will also be held online. As part of the shift to digital, all schools will have wireless Internet access points set up by 2015 and the ministry will provide free tablet PCs to low-income families.
Korean officials quote the latest OECD report into digital literacy, that aimed to test how 15 year olds from different countries use computers and the internet to learn. The report found that Korean teenagers came out on top compared to students in 19 countries.
"That's why Korean students, who are already fully prepared for digital society, need a paradigm shift in education," the ministry official said in the JoongAng Daily newspaper.
Certainly, such a policy will provide a significant boost to the IT sector in South Korea and the ministry points out that digital textbooks will be cheaper than printed versions.
Source: JakartaGlobe

 

IT tip of the week.... 10 July

How to Create Cartoons and Avatars From Your Photos

 

Creating cartoons or avatars from one’s photos  is fun especially when you want to use them as profile pictures on various online services. Since adding effects to images is quite popular a number of websites providing this service have cropped up in recent times.

 Meez

Meez is an online community that combines a social virtual world with social networking, gaming, and multimedia sharing while being a part of Meez Nation – an immersive virtual world where users can interact and express themselves by creating unique avatars and Meez rooms.

 

Here is an avatar doing a wave dance.

OR

An avatar with customized hair style.

 
Create an avatar or Meez of your own and style it as you want using the elaborate styling options. Items can be selected for free or you can get them buy paying in Coinz, the currency for Meez’s virtual economy.
The avatars can be saved and exported to other social networks, virtual worlds, gaming sites, instant messaging platforms and mobile devices but you need to sign up to do so.

Meez 

Image of the week..... 10July

This photo was captured by me in Cholistan Desert,Pakistan.The fort name is Fort Mir Garh

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Artwork of the week... 10 July

Amazing artwork made of food cans

Quotation of the week.... 10 July

 

 "The greatest danger for most of us 

is not that our aim is too high and we miss it

but that it is too low 

and we reach it. "

(Michelangelo)

Miscellaneous sharing of the week...26 June

• IPhone Blood Pressure Cuff Gets FDA Approval

A blood pressure monitor, which plugs into an iPhone or iPad, recently received FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval, marking the expanding use of smart phones as health maintenance devices.

 

  

 

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo to arrive in Europe in July

  

   

   People were starting to wonder whatever happened to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo. The phone was announced back in February at the Mobile World Congress 2011 along with the Xperia Arc and the Xperia PLAY and although the other two started selling months back the Neo somehow seemed to have got lost on its way to the stores.

Article of the week .....26 June

Delicious and Healthy Fruit Smoothies - A Yummy Snack That's Perfect For Hot Summer Days
 by: Susanne Meyers

When it's hot outside, there's no better snack (or even breakfast) than a healthy fruit smoothie. Those yummy drinks are full of fruit and thus vitamins and they are a great way to cool down. Get out your blender and create your own favorite version. Smoothies can be made with just about any fruit. Try a few until you find some favorites that will become your summer snack of choice.

Kids will slurpo down these smoothies without even realizing that they are getting plenty of fresh fruit and milk. What's not to like about a "milkshake" to cool you down after playing outside.

The Basic Ingredients Of A Good Fruit Smoothie

A good basic fruit smoothie includes fruit, juice or milk and optionally some yogurt and ice. That's about it. Just put everything into a blender and blend until smooth. You can add more or less liquid (that's the juice or milk) to get the consistency you like best.


To Freeze Or Not To Freeze

I like my smoothies frozen and make them with frozen fruit most of the time. Frozen fruit can be found in your grocer's freezer aisle year around and you can also freeze your own when you find yourself with more fresh fruit than you can eat. Berries are usually best frozen whole, while bananas can be peeled and sliced before freezing. If you are using fresh fruit, you can add some ice to turn your smoothie into a frozen treat.

Using a combination of fresh and frozen fruit, or adding plenty of ice cold milk or juice will result in a cold instead of frozen smoothie. Just give both methods a try and see which one you like the best.

By the way, just about any smoothie made with fresh fruit can also be made with frozen fruit. You may just want to add a little more liquid if the smoothie is getting too thick for your blender to process.




Milk Or Juice? And What About Some Yogurt

We already established that we need plenty of fruit for a good smoothie. The other main ingredient is usually yogurt, juice or milk. Personally I like non-fat yogurt a lot in my smoothies. I use either vanilla or Greek yogurt along with a splash of any juice sitting in my fridge. If you are not a big yogurt fan, try using some milk instead or use your favorite fruit juice. Even if you are using yogurt you will need a splash of milk or juice to get the smoothie to a drinkable consistency.



Non-Dairy Versions


Of course you don't have to have dairy in your smoothies. You can blend just about any fresh or frozen fruit with your favorite juice. For that creamy smoothie consistency try adding some frozen banana slices to any smoothie.

Other great options are soy, rice or almond milk. Just blend your favorite fruit with one of those dairy free "milk" products. If you are trying to up the protein content of your smoothie and make it a little more filling, add some soft tofu to your smoothie. Just be sure to add a little splash of soy milk or juice to think it out to a drinkable consistency.


To Sweeten Or Not To Sweeten

Last but not least, let's talk about sweeteners. They are of course completely optional and whether or not you need them depends on how sweet the fruit you are using is. I also find that if I add vanilla yogurt or orange juice I don't usually need any added sweetener.

When I do add a sweetener it is usually stevia, a natural no-calorie sweetener. Other options are sugar, simple syrup or honey. Taste your smoothie before you add anything to sweeten it. If you feel it does need that little extra sweetness, add a little and blend it in for a few seconds.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/food_and_drink/article_3028.shtml