Back To School Apps & Tech

As the kids go back to school this year, be sure to check out some of the great Apps and Tech available for students. Mary Cantwell shares this great inforgraphic with us.

Mary is a DEEP design thinker in the K12 Arena. Homebase Atlanta, GA Thankful playing field, Mount Vernon Presbyterian School Creator of DEEPdt methodology, Discover. Empathize. Experiment. Produce. Center 4 Design Thinking: a thinker, a doer, a dreamer, a maker, a tinker, a rough around the edges learner @scitechyedu

To interact with each of the icons go to https://magic.piktochart.com/output/2624459-back-to-school-apps

zBoost METRO featured on Wake Up Wisconsin!

The zBoost METRO was recently featured on Wake Up Wisconsin as part of Gift ideas for your student with Lindsay Roberts, founder of The Gift Insider.

Lindsay is a gift expert from http://www.thegiftinsider.com and is showing some cool back -to-school gift ideas for students of all ages. The zBoost METRO appears on the video at 1 minute and 44 seconds.

Check out this video!

Google+ Boom

As a Senior at Kennesaw State University I am always looking at the new technology especially social media.  I am always looking for ways to integrate my social media with my studies.  Whether it be adding new friends from classes, getting homework, or even just answers to general questions from classmates when professors are unavailable.  I’m proud to say that I think I have discovered the best way for me as a student to integrate my social media and university requirements.  I have been exploring and learning about Google+. It seems to have taken the best of all social media’s and combined them into one. There are two aspects of Google+ that I use the most for University. They are Google+ Hangouts and Huddles. The hangouts are used through Google+ on your computer creating video conferencing/chat rooms and the Google+ Huddles are used through the mobile app creating group texting / chat rooms.

Google+ Hangouts make virtual video conference and chat accessible for all. Every Google+ member is able to enter the Hangout even if their computer or laptop is not equipped with video or microphones. The members of the Hangout that do not have video or microphone can still see and hear the hangout and are able to participate by typing in the chat section of the hangout. This option has changed the need for group meetings. Every student understands the difficulty of finding a time that every member of your team or group can meet. Some student’s work, some don’t, someone may have class during a time no one else does, well the Google+ Hangouts make finding that time easier. It eliminates the need for everyone to drive to a location to meet. With the Hangouts we can all jump online from home or any other location.

The Google+ Huddles also help ease the difficulty with group meetings/projects. The user on the mobile app is able to create a group like “school project” and invite the specific users into the Huddle. Whenever a new message is created all other members get a notification to their cell phones, similar to a SMS text, keeping all members current on the conversation involving the projects.
I currently use a zBoost to guarantee that I always have signal for my phone and computer. The zBoost makes sure that I am always connected on my DroidX and my laptop aircard to participate in the Huddles. Because of the zBoost I know I will always be able to participate and complete my work.

Mommy Blog: Back to School

Did you know that American consumers will spend an estimated $2.6 billion for back-to-school supplies this fall.  The list of back to school must haves is becoming more and more technology focused.  I can only imagine what will be on my kids lists when they start school in a few years – Carter recently told me he needed a real laptop and a small one like Daddy’s not a big one like Mommy’s. ReadWriteWeb, a  popular technology blogs in the world known for offering insightful analysis about each day’s Internet industry news, recently survey educators to find the one new tech tool they are most looking forward to taking into the classroom with them this fall. Following are the top five:

1.    iPad
2.    Twitter
3.    Google Apps for Education
4.    Blogs
5.    Sharing and Collaboration Tools: 21st Century Teaching and Learning

 Check out the full article here:
http://www.yotify.com/a/v2.aspx?r=185879497&s=feed&k=nO7gyuvxppleV2gTqaAAQ

Good to know that at 3 1/2 and 10 months, Carter and Reese are already in the top five with their blogs!

 Hope all of the students, teachers and staff have a great start to their school year!

Phone Signal In College

There once was was a college student that lived in a shoe. She had no cell signal, and didn’t know what to do.

Well not an actual shoe but it has been called a shoe-box. I just moved into my new loft apartment. One of the perks of this new residence is the location. It is a prime location, downtown and right next to campus. However one of the drawbacks is that my room is only 5 feet high and 5 by 14 feet. And since it is a concrete and brick building and my room lacks windows it also lacks cell phone signal.

I was uncertain on what to do about this predicament since any time I go up to my room I would be shut off from the digital world, and to me that feels like being lost in a deep, dark forest.  Luckily as an intern at Wi-Ex I’m familiar with the zBoost products and was so happy that the zBoost-METRO was being released. My family already has a zBoost Dual Band for home and office but it needs horizontal separation, which would not have worked in my apartment. The zBoost-METRO is perfect for my small loft though because it doesn’t need the horizontal separation and can give me signal!

Landline Losers Turn to zBoost to Stay Connected

As Generation Y leads the trend of dropping landline phones in favor of cell phones, a strong cell phone signal becomes much more of a necessity rather than a luxury.  According to the zBoost State of the Cell Signal survey, commissioned by Wi-Ex and conducted by Harris Interactive, more than 70 percent of cell phone owners experience problems with their in-door cell phone service and with landlines becoming a thing of the past on today’s college campus the zBoost line of cell phone signal boosters are quickly becoming a back-to-college essential.

The zBoost line of products creates Cell Zones™ for the home, office, car, personal space and travel.  zBoost reduces dropped calls and improves cell phone signal indoors, as well as increases signal and speed of aircards, EDGE and 3G technology.

 This fall, relieve your (affectionately named) Landline Loser loved ones of unnecessary costs by giving them the gift of reliable cell phone signal.

 zBoost-ONE PCS – $249

• One-of-a-kind: Industry’s first one piece cell phone signal booster
• Boost 3G: Easy solution to maximize their 3G high-speed data and video, instant messaging, pictures and more
• Easy set-up: Place the unit in the window, plug it in and enjoy all of the voice and data functionality on a PCS phone up to 1200 square feet.
• PCS Boost: The zBoost-ONE works with all phones using the 1900Mhz frequency, more commonly called PCS.

 zBoost Dual Band YX510- $399

• Living 3G: Increase signal and speed of voice and data transmission, as well as, aircards, EDGE and 3G
• Extends CellZones: Perfect for a fraternity/sorority house, first- time home owners or your family home with coverage up to 2500 sq ft-
• Life of the party: Supports multiples users and carriers simultaneously