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This blog is dedicated to the topics of Course materials, Innovation, and Technology in Education. it is intended as an information source for the college store industry, or anyone interested in how course materials are changing. Suggestions for discussion topics or news stories are welcome.

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Friday, May 21, 2010

Digital Happenings

While the blog highlights many of the digital happenings affecting our industry, there is often more going on than we have a chance to cover each week. Here are some interesting stories and links from the past few days.

  • An article from Campus Technology says that Abilene Christian University has received a grant to expand its mobile learning programs. This will include a mobile technology research program, an experimental lab, and a K-12 professional development initiative for teachers.
  • In recent weeks, rumors about a possible Blackberry tablet have begun circulating.
  • According to a posting on Mashable’s website, users can now create custom books from Wikipedia content.
  • According to the Bookseller.com, the Booksellers Association (BA) has entered into an agreement with Google to allow BA members to start selling books via Google Editions when it launches this summer.
  • Could the e-book revolution lead to a dramatic increase in hard cover prices? Daily Finance has an interesting article about this topic. Alberto Vitale, former chairman and chief executive of Random House, predicts the prices of hardcover books will increase by at least a third within the next five years while the prices of e-books could decline.

IPad news

  • This fall, the Illinois Institute of Technology will give first year students Apple iPads as part of a larger effort to integrate technology into learning. Seton Hill University, George Fox University and Rutgers University have also announced plans to experiment with iPads.
  • Apple announced that it sold one million iPads in less than a month. In a statement CEO Steve Jobs noted, “One million iPads in 28 days -- that's less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with iPhone."
  • A posting on Wired’s Gadget Lab discusses whether or not the iPad is driving e-book piracy.
  • An analyst from DigiTimes expects that Apple will release a 5 to 7 inch version of the iPad in the first quarter of next year.
  • According to Information Week, in an email response to a customer, Steve Jobs said that the iPad will eventually have print capabilities.