Question by bleaufire: What is the name of the educational gadget (PEN) helps you with math?
I’ve seen a commercial for this where this pen actually helps you with math. What is the name if anyone knows?

Best answer:

Answer by tsacks
fly pen

What do you think? Answer below!

Gazing at the stars at night is pretty much impossible if you live in a crowded metropolitan area. So as an alternative to building and using a gigantic electromagnetic pinch to knock out the lighting in a big city, Bandai has created the Hyper Telescope, which provides a safer, virtual view of the night sky.

Once you specify your location on Earth, a built-in 3-axis accelerometer and magnetic orientation sensor shows you exactly what celestial objects and constellations you’d be seeing were you staring through a real telescope. And so the rest of your family doesn’t get jealous, it even has a TV-out connection for sharing. There’s also some educational crap and games mixed in too, so your $173 (￥16,182) investment at least guarantees a solid C+ on your kid’s next science report.

[ Bandai Hyper Telescope ] VIA [ ITmedia ]

When it was first announced last Fall, there wasn’t exactly a lot of enthusiasm for Openmoko’s WikiReader in the gadget blog community. I mean who needs to access an offline copy of Wikipedia on a bare-bones device with a monochrome display, when everything from smartphones to even Amazon’s Kindle can access the online version whenever you need to win a bet or a debate? And the whole purpose of Wikipedia itself is to serve as an always-up-to-date, comprehensive encyclopedia that’s perpetually being expanded. With the WikiReader you only get bi-annual updates to keep its database of over 3 million+ topics current.

But at CES earlier this year, when I actually had a chance to use the WikiReader in person, I have to admit I developed a soft spot for the device. The simplicity of its design and ease of use almost rivals Apple’s obsession with minimalism, and as someone who grew up relying on a shelf full of printed encyclopedias to get through grade school reports, holding the equivalent in the palm of your hand provides one of those ‘look how far we’ve come’ moments. But philosophical musings aside, while I can’t say the WikiReader is a must-have device for everyone, I do think it will appeal to some people. And if you think you might be one of them, please step inside for my full review.

I was pleasantly surprised at how small and basic the packaging for the WikiReader was when it arrived. It definitely mirrors Openmoko’s aim for simplicity. All you really get is the device itself and a brief instruction manual/getting started guide, which isn’t really necessary since the device is so easy to use.

The WikiReader sits easily in one hand, and I’d compare its size to a deck of playing cards, if they were wider and square in dimension. Every corner and angle is rounded so it’s very comfortable to hold, and I’d almost refer to its design as being ‘non-threatening.’

The housing is entirely made from plastic, including the display cover*, but it doesn’t feel cheap. Instead, it makes the WikiReader feel relatively light and simple. The only downside is that the plastic display cover is a lot easier to scratch than one made of glass, which can be problematic when you’re supposed to use it as a touchscreen. Fortunately I haven’t had any major nicks just yet, but I imagine if you were to toss it in a bag with other items it wouldn’t take long for it to get marred.

*Update: It turns out the screen cover is actually made from glass, which is probably why I haven’t suffered any scratches yet. So it should be considerably more durable than I originally thought.

Looking at it from the side, the WikiReader is a little thicker near the top, and this is pretty much due to the set of AAA batteries inside which should keep it running for at least a year. But the added thickness also has the added benefit of providing a slightly more usable reading angle when the WikiReader is sitting on a flat surface.

On the back of the WikiReader you’ll find a battery door where the aforementioned AAA’s are stashed, but nothing else. No warning labels, no technical info, not even a logo. Nice and clean.

Removing the battery door, and the batteries, also reveals where the WikiReader stashes all of those Wikipedia articles. A tiny 8GB microSD card holds the device’s 3 million+ topics, though at the moment it seems like the database only takes up about half of the card’s capacity.

As I mentioned earlier, since Wikipedia itself is constantly being updated, Openmoko is aiming to release updates to the WikiReader’s database twice a year. And so far they’re on track having just released a Spring 2010 update. It’s available for download from the company’s website for free, but since it weighs in at 4.7GB, it’s a hefty download. A torrent link is provided which make things a little easier, but for $29 there’s also the option of having the updates mailed to you on a new 8GB microSD card twice a year. (They don’t ask for the old ones back.)

I’ll be honest, it would be great if the WikiReader was updated on a monthly basis, or even on a more frequent schedule, but the lack of any kind of wireless or hardware connectivity on the device, and the size of the database itself, makes that understandably prohibitive. And the fact that they provide any updates at all still puts it well ahead of other handheld encyclopedias that were once on the market.

In keeping with the WikiReader’s simple design, the device only has 4 hardware buttons. On the top you’ll find the power button which works with a simple ‘push once to turn on’ or a ‘hold for 2 seconds to turn off’ methodology. And it’s got a semi-flush design so it can’t easily be accidentally turned on if the device is bumped.

And just below the display you’ll find the other 3 buttons which are round, rubberized and labeled with ’search, history & random.’

Hitting ’search’ brings up an on-screen keyboard and a list of possible entries you’re looking for that’s auto-filled as you type away. Now the limitations of the hardware, like the low refresh-rate of the display, and the fact that it probably isn’t using the latest multi-core processors from Intel, means that the WikiReader isn’t the most blazing piece of electronics I’ve ever used. But it’s still totally usable, and the occasional pause here and there when jumping to or between articles is never an inconvenience. In fact while the monochrome display might look a little dated, it’s still responsive to even the lightest touch, which makes the on-screen keyboard very usable. In fact, the recent Spring 2010 update to the Wikipedia database also came with a handful of improvements to the WikiReader’s UI, including the little pop-up letter you see every time you hit a key, just like on the iPhone.

And like I already mentioned, in the same way that Google creates and narrows down a list of suggestions as you type out your search query, the WikiReader will continually update a list of possible topics underneath your entry to save time if what you’re looking for happens to appear. And when you do find what you’re looking for, you simply have to tap that word to be taken to the specific article.

The articles themselves show up as simple text, with no anti-aliasing due to the WikiReader display’s limited resolution and grayscale capabilities. But while fans of Cleartype will complain that the display is hurting their eyes, no one else should find much to winge about. However, if you’re the type who can’t read a book or an article without pictures, the WikiReader probably won’t appeal to you since none of the images on Wikipedia are included. There is limited image support for displaying mathematical equations as of the Spring 2010 update, but that’s it.

Scrolling a long article is accomplished just as you’d expect it to be on a touchscreen device. You simply touch the display and then drag your finger up or down. Now due to the display’s limited refresh-rate it’s pretty much impossible to read anything while you’re scrolling, but it’s plenty responsive and a lot easier than having to use a set of on-screen scroll buttons.

While browsing an article you’ll also notice there are many words or phrases that are underlined. At one point in time you would have assumed these were phrases being emphasized, but these days an underlined word immediately makes you assume it’s a hyperlink of some sort, and your assumption would be right. And to visit a linked article all you have to do is click on the word to be taken there.

All those underlined words also means you can get lost pretty easily following a link trail on the WikiReader, so hitting the ‘history’ button brings up a complete list of every article you’ve visited, in chronological order. On one hand, quickly jumping back to the previous article isn’t as easy as just hitting a back button, but on the other hand it makes jumping to a specific article you’ve visited, not necessarily the most recent, quite a bit easier. And clearing the history is as easy as holding down the ‘history’ button until a ‘Clear History’ prompt appears, allowing you to choose ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’

Finally, there’s also a ‘random’ button which is probably the single reason I warmed up to the WikiReader in the first place. Hitting it simply brings up one of the 3 million+ articles at random, allowing you to easily fulfill the old ‘you learn something new every day’ adage. I can’t say it’s the single reason why everyone should run out and buy a WikiReader, but it does turn it into a pretty effective and readily available time killer if one was sitting on your desk.

Conclusions:

Now here’s where things get tricky. Overall I think Openmoko has done a really great job at creating a simple piece of hardware with the single intent of providing an easy way to browse Wikipedia’s vast database of articles. Even the most technophobic person should have no trouble figuring out how to use the device without even cracking the included manual, thanks to its simple set of hardware buttons and intuitive touchscreen interface. However, the basic design and minimal functionality that makes the WikiReader easy to use, also serve as its biggest downside. It makes it hard to justify the price.

In a world of highly capable smartphones, with their bright, colorful touchscreen displays, I still think there’s a place for a simple device like the WikiReader, even with its lack of hardware and wireless connectivity, and low-res monochrome display. But the $99 price tag makes it a very tough sell. Now if it was a device from a company like Encyclopedia Britannica which provided access to their private database of articles, I could maybe understand the price since they still charge for their content. But the fact of the matter is that Wikipedia is a ‘free’ resource to anyone with access to a device that can go online, so it’s not like you’re getting anything unique with the WikiReader in terms of content.

If it was priced around $50 (on the high-end) I would definitely be inclined to recommend the WikiReader to anyone who enjoys browsing Wikipedia. But at $99 I think its market is limited to people who’d consider it a last resort for accessing Wikipedia’s vast knowledge base because of a lack of a reliable internet connection.

Pros:
+ Rounded design, minimal buttons and easy-to-use touchscreen UI makes it ideal for technophobes.
+ Bi-annual database updates can also include software updates improving the UI.
+ Updates are provided free if you have the bandwidth to download them.
+ Will probably be the only way to access Wikipedia after the apocalypse.

Cons:
- It’s strictly a consumption-only device. No copying of text or sending article links to a friend.
- Monochrome display with its slow refresh-rate seems a bit dated, though it’s easily readable in daylight.
- Updates to the Wikipedia database are only available twice a year.
- Plastic screen cover will scratch easily.
- $99 is a bit expensive for accessing content you can already get for free online.

Links:
Openmoko WikiReader – $99

If you have any questions about the WikiReader you’d like answered, please feel free to leave them in the comments, and I’ll try to respond to them as best I can.

It’s not the biggest globe your money can buy, but the 6-inch City Lights Earth Globe makes up for it with some clever tricks. Once placed on its base the globe not only begins to rotate on its own, but it also lights up, providing a glowing view of our planet during the day, or at night. That’s right, at one time or another we’ve all had a poster or desktop wallpaper featuring that mesmerizing photo of our planet’s cities lit up at night, and now you can have a 3D representation of it sitting right on your desk. The product shot is a bit misleading since you can’t actually show both at the same time, it’s either day or night, but for $49.95 it’s a minor misrepresentation.

[ City Lights Earth Globe ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

The trickiest part of this Superplexus 36 inch spherical puzzle isn’t getting the 5/8 inch wooden marble through the immensely complex maze, it’s convincing myself that $30,000 isn’t too much to spend for an over-sized mindgame. The majority of the track is handmade from Finnish birch (it apparently takes over 400 hours to build just one) though some sections require you to navigate the ball on 1/16-inch stainless steel wire, and if laid out in a straight line the whole course would end up being about 31 feet longer than a football field.

The labyrinth is held inside a giant acrylic sphere mounted to a stainless steel gimbaled mount allowing you to tilt it in any direction, and successfully getting the marble from the start to the finish through obstacles like stairs, sprirals and hairpin turns requires at least 425 turns (or plane changes) and a good amount of creative swearing I imagine. You can order one from Hammacher Schlemmer of course, if you’ve got 30g’s burning a hole in your pocket.

[ The Superplexus ] VIA [ The Green Head ]

Today Openmoko announced the availability of the Spring 2010 software update for their WikiReader device. In addition to now including math equations which are rendered as crisp bitmap images, and updates to its database of 3+ million Wikipedia articles, the Spring 2010 update also improves the on-screen keyboard with animated key presses similar to the iPhone, fluid scrolling and a much needed, and much appreciated, back button for returning to previously searched articles. WikiReader owners can download the update for free, but if you’re less tech-savvy there’s a yearly subscription service which includes two pre-loaded microSD cards for $29.

And look for our review of the WikiReader, with the updated software, in the coming weeks.

[ Openmoko WikiReader ]

It’s time to retire your alphanumeric die as Hasbro prepares to bring Boggle into the 21st century. Sure, online and electronic versions of the game have been around for ages, but there’s always some appeal to playing with something tangible. And with Boggle Flash it’s five miniature monochrome LCD displays that each present a different random letter.

The object of the game is to spell out as many words as possible with those five letters by joining the displays together, and what’s particularly cool is that Boggle Flash will keep score for you, so you only have to concentrate on your spelling skills, not your math skills. And since the game was just revealed, there’s no pricing info or release date beyond “later this year.”

[ Pocket-lint - Boggle Flash takes word game high tech ]

Epson’s recently announced BrightLink 450Wi ultra-short throw projector is able to produce an image from 55 to 102-inches in size depending on how far it’s mounted from a wall, and whether it’s running WXGA or XGA resolutions. For example, at a distance of just 18 inches it’s able to project a respectable 60-inch diagonal image, but for compact spaces it can be mounted as close as 2.8 inches, though that will result in a considerably smaller image.

But that’s not the only trick it has up its sleeve. The BrightLink 450Wi is also an interactive projector, and includes a set of digital infrared pens allowing the presenter to doodle or annotate directly on the image being projected. The best feature though is that when the projector becomes available sometime in Spring 2010 it’s expected to sell for under $2,000.

[ PR - Epson Changes Interactive Whiteboard Game with Innovative, Cost-Effective Interactive Projection Solution ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

Any kind of building block toy is OK in my books since it encourages kids to use their imaginations. And if someone manages to find a way to make them educational at the same time, like these clever Water Blocks, well then more power to you! Made in Thailand from sustainable rubberwood, the blocks each feature a window filled with red, blue or yellow water. When held together the blocks appear to change color, providing a useful lesson in color mixing without ever having to break out, and subsequently clean up after, the finger paints. Sadly, like most educational toys, the Water Blocks aren’t cheap, and a set of just 6 blocks which can barely produce the front wall of a castle will set you back $39.99 from ThinkGeek.

[ Water Blocks ]

While I know they’re still used in educational institutions and offices around the world, the occasional graphing calculator I stumbled across at CES just seemed terribly out of place and dated. However, they have a come a long way from the model I remember using in high school. A few years ago we brought you Texas Instrument’s TI-Nspire Graphing Calculator which was ‘cutting edge’ at the time, but it’s taking another step forward with the TI-Nspire Navigator System which allows teachers to wirelessly snoop monitor their students progress with the devices.

The graphing calculators each require a slide-on sleeve and a central access point to give them wirelessly capabilities, but once that’s all up and running a teacher can call up any student’s display on their PC to see how they’re coming along with a math problem, or allow them to present a solution or answer to the rest of the class when using a projector. There’s also a clever little polling system that allows students to privately participate in multiple choice questions without the embarrassment of getting an answer wrong in front of the class. A 32 student kit which includes the wireless cradles and central access point (but not the calculators) is available now for ~$4,000.

[ TI-Nspire Navigator System ] VIA [ SlashGear ]