Search results for 'app:weblogs' matching tag 'Around the Globe'

Dell Mini 3i Smartphone Now Available Through China Mobile

Lionel_Menchaca — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

China Mobile today becomes the first carrier in the world to offer Dell's Mini 3i smartphone. In the near term, the Mini 3i will be available through China Mobile's authorized stores by the end of the month. We'll offer the Mini 3i in two color options for customers in China: Red Passion and Oiled Bronze.

L ike I mentioned in my earlier post, it's based on Google's Android OS. The Mini 3i runs on China Mobile's flexible OPhone open source platform that can handle things like e-mail, messaging via IM, MMS and SMS, photo, video and music playback and more.

The Mini 3i is also built to take advantage of China Mobile's Mobile Market. Through it customers can access games and entertainment, customization options like wallpapers, ringtones and widgets or productivity tools for those more interested in business use.

Note: Click on either of these pictures to see a larger version. To see more photos, click through to this set on Flickr.

Regarding hardware, Dell is about flexibility. We’ll continue to look at new technology that is important to customers. As we expand hardware and create new carrier partnerships, feature sets may vary depending on the needs of mobile operators. Don’t expect all Dell smartphones to have the same spec and feature list. Design and technical specs will vary based on the needs of carriers, regional considerations, and what customers want.

That said, here are the specs of the new Dell Mini 3i OPhone:

Display: 3.5" 640x360 widescreen display
Bands/Modes: Quadband GSM/EDGE
Bluetooth
Built-in GPS
Camera: 3 megapixel camera with zoom, auto-focus, flash, video capture and photo-editing capabilities.
Micro SD (up to 32GB)
Connector: MiniUSB
Dimensions: 58.35 x 122 x 11.7
Weight: <105g grams

Hello… Dell’s Getting into the Smartphone Business

Lionel_Menchaca — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Today, I get to put the all the rumors to rest—Dell confirmed that we’re entering the smartphone business. These initial Mini 3 smartphones will roll out first in China and Brazil through partnerships with two of the world’s largest mobile operators: China Mobile and Claro.

So, why are we starting in China and Brazil? Besides size (China Mobile has over 500 million subscribers, and Claro serves more than 42 million), we have existing telecom partnerships with them. Back in April, we were the first to embed China Mobile’s technology into our Mini 10 netbook. And if you’ve been watching, you know Dell has agreements with lots of other providers like Vodafone in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. We’ve partnered with AT&T and Verizon in the United States to offer mobile broadband on different products, and we have agreements with other carriers in Asia.

Here's a picture of Michael Dell and João Cox, President of Claro, showing off the Mini 3 smartphone:

Our entry into the smartphone market is a way to extend the power of the Internet beyond netbooks, laptops and desktops into smaller products. Lots of options there.

The other thing can confirm is that the Mini 3 smartphones run Google’s Android platform. I’m pumped like a lot of others out there about where Android is heading. With Android, we’re designing these initial Mini 3 phones to provide power, flexibility and customization to both our customers and to carriers around the world.

I’ll let others blog about the details of the upcoming Mini 3 smartphones and Dell’s broader mobile strategy here on Direct2Dell soon. To see the first official pictures, take a look at the Mini 3 set on our Flickr page.

Dell's Inspiron Zino HD: The Little Box That Could

Lionel_Menchaca — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Those of you who read Direct2Dell pretty regularly know that I love to use PCs for their multimedia capabilities. Advancements in hardware performance and on the OS side have made it possible to enjoy HD-quality stuff throughout the house. Now, we're bringing that capability to customers worldwide into a small form factor with the Inspiron Zino HD. Next to the Studio Hybrid, it's the smallest PC form factor we've introduced in our history. It also brings a lot of the power efficiency of the Studio Hybrid and offers better performance.

Small form factors themselves are nothing new. But with the Inspiron Zino HD, we've worked to make a desktop that balances performance, size and price. In my view, this is the closest we've come to balancing all three in my 15 years here at Dell.

We offer a slew of color and design options: Flamingo Pink, Formula Red, Tangerine Orange, Plum Purple, True Blue, and Spring Green and Piano Black. Beyond that, we'll also offer Dell Design Studio-inspired designs as well. Take a look at this set on Dell's Flickr page if you want to see more.

The Inspiron Zino HD kicks things into high gear by adding more powerful processor and graphic card options. It comes standard with an integrated version of AMD's Radeon HD 3200 solution, but customers who want the best HD experience should opt for upgrading to the discrete version of the ATI Mobility Radeon 4330.

The Zino HD also offers more expandability options--including DDR3 RAM up to 8GB, an internal hard drive options up to 1TB. It also adds more external expandability through two E-SATA ports. Inspiron Zino HD customers can opt for an internal Blu-ray drive and can output it directly to an HDTV in the living room or elsewhere through HDMI. The Zinio HD can be ordered with two internal Wi-Fi network card options: the Dell 1397 card for 802.11b/g or the Dell 1520 card for 802.11b/g, and dual-band 802.11n. A 4-in-1 media card reader and integrated Gigabit Ethernet are both standard. Click on the image below to see a better view on the ports on the Inspiron Zino HD.

When outfitted with an upgraded processor the discrete graphics card option. the Zino HD is built for HD streaming. Streaming Netflix? Check. Watching Blu-ray movies in 1080p? Check. Besides that, this little box makes an awesome Windows 7 Media Center hub. We offer the Inspiron Zino HD with Vista Home Basic as the base operating system. But for anyone looking to use it as a Media Center Hub, I highly recommend upgrading to Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate. If you watched video of Microsoft's Windows 7 launch event in New York might have caught the demo. Windows 7 is a media streaming beast.

Bottom line, if you're needing a small PC that can handle everything from the basics up through some pretty sophisticated HTPC kind of stuff, the I think the Inspiron Zino and the Zino HD are definitely worth a look.

Keep Your Photos Coming!

DELL-Bri B — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

It’s been two weeks since we launched the Where Do You Like to Learn student photography competition. We have already received some absolutely stunning photos and I invite you to check out the Flickr set of the entries so far.

As you can see from the pictures below, students enjoy learning in places that inspire them, and sometimes that is outside the classroom walls.

LeighV

C-DS

JovanaS

Show us where you like to learn! There are two weeks lefts to enter the competition for the student’s chance to win a Latitude 2100 netbook and a tablet PC and projector for their classroom.

Don’t forget to check back on November 20, 2009, when we will announce the top 10 finalists and you to vote for your favorite. (By the way, you’ll be entered to win a Latitude 2100 just for stopping by and voting.)

Authored by Jan Demedts: Maximize on the Power of Peer Training

DELL-Bri B — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Jan Demedts

IT Cosultant and System Administrator

Don Bosco Onderwijscentrum, Belgium

Maximize on the Power of Peer Training

On training pioneer teachers in IT skills so that they can act as IT role models and influence colleagues through peer to peer training (from a K-12 perspective)

A demanding job

Teaching is a multi-layered and demanding job. The educational landscape is constantly changing, with new generations of students entering the classrooms every year, bringing in new words, fashions, skills, likes and dislikes. Teachers are challenged on a daily basis to prove themselves as educator, instructor, administrator, manager, psychologist, coach, companion, even standup comedian. Successful teachers need to draw from a broad range of social, educational and collaboration skills while they are working with students, colleagues and other partners outside of the school.

With the invasion of audiovisual equipment, computers and other electronic devices into everyday school life, teachers are also challenged to prove themselves as able technologists, not just during moments of preparation, but also on the class battlefield with up to 30 IT-savvy youngsters watching, commenting, assessing. Lots of things can go wrong: the projector doesn't show the pc image, there's no sound from the speakers, the webserver or even the school's internet access is down. Arghhh!

It's not just being able to handle the hardware and do some basic troubleshooting. To maximize learning and educational opportunities and to facilitate school administration, teachers are required to manage their subjects/class groups in learning platforms and student management systems, be proficient with online assessment/grading tools and collaboration tools like Google Docs. Frequent changes in software and platforms (upgrades, new functionality, change of provider) mean that there's always something new to be learned. Also teachers have tried out many web 2.0 applications and put them to good educational usage, with You Tube as one of the better known examples.

Teachers must also know about the potentially unwanted aspects of information technology. They need to know about the darker sides of the internet (as many students already do), about the pros and cons of social networking (Netlog, Facebook …) and should be able to advise their students on how to deal with privacy and cyberbullying.

The picture will be clear now: to get through the daily routine of 21^st century school life, teachers need a broad range of IT skills combined with flexibility, creativity and … stamina.

Training the teachers and dealing with resistance

Taking all this into account, a major question arises: how to provide efficient IT training that makes teachers adopt the required IT skills and make them feel proficient, happy and confident in their daily routine?

This is no easy matter: not all teachers welcome the new IT techniques and some teachers even openly question IT at school and resist IT decisions made by the school management.

It is important to understand why. Many teachers have a strong individualistic side to their personality since they are used to managing class groups on their own and behind closed doors. At the same time they are intellectuals, critical of decisions taken at higher levels and wary of yet another change. Many times they have good reason: over the last decades K-12 schools have been swept by waves of pedagogic reform and an increase of control and administrative requirements.

A second reason why some teachers resist IT is the stress that comes with IT: some people are good with computers and others simply are not. Some teachers jump at new software and will readily put new IT techniques to the test in the classroom, while others dread having to take a class to a computer room and will postpone this as long as they can. They feel clumsy in front of their students and oppressed by the new curricula that want teachers to use computers in their classes to improve the students' interest, activity and learning efficiency.

Especially the fact that teachers have to use IT in front of large groups of IT-savvy and highly critical (pre-) adolescents should not be underestimated. Being able to work a computer at home or in an office does not equal being able to work a computer publicly in a classroom with the projector magnifying the demonstration of the teacher's IT skills.

It certainly does not equal managing a group of 25 students, each working on a computer of their own, and being able to teach well in the subject that is being taught: IT is only the method, improved learning is the real aim.

A good IT training strategy

A good IT training strategy should accept this resistance against IT/change and should try to work around it. The school management should not simply try to force new IT skills down the teachers' throats. The motto for school leaders is: be respectful to your human capital, motivate your decisions and set up well-devised change implementation schemes!

Good support facilities at school are very important in this respect: teachers should be able to get help and advice from school-based IT coordinators whenever they need it. Teachers also have every right to a dependable infrastructure: enough high quality hardware, a stable computer network and server infrastructure, good backup facilities, a trustworthy internet connection ... so ample IT funding for schools by the government and education boards is vital.

There should also be regular training opportunities. However, sending all the teachers on a regular basis to IT training sessions during (paid) work hours, is not feasible. That would be too disruptive for school life: the lessons must always go on for most of the students. Sending all teachers to IT training sessions after work hours (in their private time) is also something a school cannot easily do. Although widely underestimated, teachers have loads of school work after school hours ...

On the job IT-training to evangelize new IT-based methods

What then is the best way to train teachers in IT skills?

Let's start with the input. Teacher training schools have an important responsibility in procuring freshly trained teachers that are fully proficient and motivated to implement the K-12 schools' IT strategies. But once on the job and through the years, both young and older teachers will need IT-training to keep up with change in school IT.

A major question then is who should give the IT training sessions. Every school has one or more IT administrators: are they the best IT trainers? For many teachers they aren't since the IT-guys are perceived as being too savvy and too fast with IT ("IT is easy for them"), which to many teachers is intimidating and causes stress.

In my experience there is a better way to optimize the efficiency of K-12 schools IT training schemes:

send a small number of volunteering teachers during work hours to internal or external training sessions on specific IT subjects given by specialised trainers or by the school's own IT-administrators

for most teachers, target at on the job training in the school when the teachers aren't teaching (in between lessons, during noon breaks)
work with a peer training model: train volunteering/pioneering teachers to be IT evangelists/role models and let those teachers spread the news, the IT-skills and examples of concrete implementations into lesson plans
invite and reward these evangelists to give short IT training sessions in the schools on well-defined subjects and make sure the announcement/invitation to these sessions is worded in simple language so that it is clear to the target group
for these sessions, try to get some teachers of the target group to put their name on the attendee list: if the training session is meant for beginners, the IT skills of the teachers on the list should be rated by their colleagues as indeed beginners level ... otherwise real beginners will not put their names down for fear of losing face during the IT training session
stimulate the different departments (maths, modern languages, science, ...) to organise internal demos and share lessons material on the schools learning platform
do not rush things: let the IT evangelization spread at its own pace.

Latitude XT2 XFR: The World’s Thinnest Rugged, Convertible Tablet PC

DELL-Troy W — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

From the FCC to you, today, we introduced another product in our rugged line-up.

The Latitude XT2 XFR is the industry's smallest 12.1-inch rugged convertible tablet PC and is the first with a multi-touch display. It's designed for demanding environments and meets the needs of our customers in the military, police, border patrol, field service organizations, first responders and government field case workers.

How do we know it meets their needs? Earlier this year we made it a priority to work with customers across each vertical segment in our Global Public business to create purpose-built technology solutions. The XT2 XFR continues this commitment and is another example of an industry-first product that was developed based on customer feedback. It can be mounted into first-responder vehicles or easily carried by field-service and industrial-manufacturing workforces to perform in tough environments.

The Latitude XT2 XFR adds to Dell's Rugged Mobility Solution offering that includes the fully rugged Latitude E6400 XFR that Patrick blogged about earlier this year and the semi-rugged Latitude E6400 ATG laptops we brought to market in 2007. It is available with a range of accessories and services that include mobile rugged docking and mounting solutions with mobile broadband pass-through, as well as end-to-end services.

We understand that reducing total cost of ownership is a priority for larger organizations, that's why we are committed to providing our customers with long lifecycles, stable image, tools and service offerings to simplify IT management, so they can focus on their mission. The XT2 XFR continues this tradition.

To see more Latitude XT2 XFR images, click on this Flickr set. See below for an overview video and a short video that shows the kinds of tests we do on the Latitude XT2 XFR and all of our ruggedized products.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Dell and Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Erin Nelson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

As many of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Reminders of this important cause are showing up in a variety of venues, ranging from pink-ribbon wrapped airliners to pink cleats decorating the feet of one of the NFL's most prolific quarterbacks (whose wife is a breast cancer survivor). For many of us, the reminders are closer to home - like being recruited to participate in the local Race for the Cure, or, the closest of all, hearing that someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The facts are both scary and positive. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women ages 45 to 55, however with advancements in screenings, diagnosis and treatment, the death rate has declined 20 percent over the last 10 years. These advancements have been accelerated with the support of organizations like the Susan G Komen for the Cure, and Dell is proud to be a part of this effort.

Earlier this year, Dell teamed with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the fight against breast cancer, pledging a $5.00 donation with the purchase of any "Promise Pink" PC or Inspiron Mini, and a minimum donation of $250,000 for 2009. Pairing one of our most popular colors with a cause that people are passionate about has paid off. I am delighted to share that in eight months we have not only achieved our minimum donation goal, but have actually doubled it, generating more than $600,000.

Since our initial announcement in February, we have expanded the number of choices a customer can choose from - we now offer Promise Pink on 10 PCs including, the Inspiron Mini 10 and Mini 10v, Inspiron 11z, 14, 15 and 17 laptops, Studio 15 and 17 laptops, the Inspiron 537s and 546 desktops.Take a look at www.dell.com/pink to see all of them.

What's really inspiring is that this program resonates not only with Dell customers, but with Dell employees, like April Steinmetz based in Round Rock, Texas, who recently shared the following:

"Not only is this particular charity a huge hit for most companies and events to sponsor, but it also means a lot to me. Sadly, one of my family members has been affected by this disease and if I am not careful I could be too. Knowledge is power, and our company has the power to give to the cause and advertise its purpose while providing great products to customers."

And Sarah Childree, a sales consultant based in Nashville:

"Dell's partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation is something I feel very passionate about. Dell donates $5 dollars to this foundation to fund continuing research for breast cancer every time someone buys the "Promise Pink" color on a system. I really enjoy helping others in general, and by selling the color "Promise Pink" we can do just that and maintain our impact on the fight against breast cancer."

Finally, I'd like take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of other Dell employees and to everyone outside the company for making a difference by giving their time, energy and donations to the upcoming Komen Austin Race for the Cure.

Remember, one person can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded by one sister making a promise to another sister. Dell is proud to be a part of this worthwhile effort! Our promise of a world without breast cancer does not just rest in the hands of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It is up to all of us, employees, customers, and the community of survivors and co-survivors, to stand united until the promise is fulfilled and the cures are found.

Student Photo Competition Open Now

DELL-Bri B — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

October 15 marked the launch of Dell's children's Where Do You Like to Learn photography competition.

Enter between now and November 15, 2009, for a student's chance to win a Latitude 2100 as well as a tablet PC and projector for the classroom.

For more information check out Kerry's post on Direct2Dell.

Happy photographing!

Dell Launches Student Photography Contest – Where do you like to learn?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Today, we’re kicking off a children’s photography competition, called “Where Do You Like to Learn”, that celebrates the digitally connected world we live in. Not only will the winning student’s school receive a Dell tablet PC and projector for the classroom, the child will receive a Latitude 2100 notebook.

[view:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvB2nV53WPQ]

Entering is as easy as 1-2-3

Visit this blog post on Edu4U for the full contest rules and email your photograph(s) to edu4u@dell.com. You may enter up to four photos in the contest.
You can follow progress of the contest online at;

-- Direc2Dell’s Education page;

-- Flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/delleducation; and

-- Twitter at www.twitter.com/edu4u.

On November 20, check back at Edu4U to see the top 10 finalists and vote! And every member of the Edu4U community can have one vote and be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a Dell Latitude 2100 netbook. Winners will be announced on December 5.

Please pass this on to your local school or any students who you feel would be interested in this contest. We want you to show us where you like to learn!

Where Do You Like to Learn?

DELL-Mark H — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Tell Us for Your Chance to Win A Netbook for You and a Tablet PC and Projector for Your Classroom!

Today, learning is no longer limited to the four walls of a classroom. Students around the globe, no matter how young or old are developing 21^st Century Skills and are increasingly comfortable with technology. You can look up the definition of a word, learn about current events happening hundreds of miles away and connect with people on other continents with one touch of a button. In this digital age, we are learning continuously.

Starting from October 15, we are bringing you the Where Do You Like to Learn photography competition. We are kicking-off the month-long contest, where we want you to show us where you like to learn!

Whether it’s in your favorite bookstore or on your living room floor; in your neighborhood park or your best friend’s backyard, we can all be a little more creative with where we choose to study. Learning can take place anywhere!

Entering is easy. And, the reward even bigger! Simply email your photograph(s) to edu4u@dell.com for the chance to win the competition. The winner nominates a school and student under the age of 18 to receive the grand prizes - a tablet PC for the classroom and Dell's new Latitude 2100 netbook for the student.

You can also follow us on Twitter @Edu4U and send us a link to your photo sharing site. Each contestant is allowed up to four photographs. You have until November 15, 2009 to enter. A group of judges will determine the top 5 finalists. And, starting November 17, 2009, you’ll have a chance to pick your favorite photo! The photo with the most votes at the end of the voting period will be our winner. The grand prize is a Latitude 2100 for the student and a tablet PC and projector for his or her classroom. Parents or teachers must enter for children under 18 years of age. Full contest rules, judging criteria and answers to frequently asked questions about the competition can be found here.

Let the photo sessions begin! Be sure to join the Edu4U community and check back to vote.

Follow @Edu4u on Twitter and use the official hashtag #dell.

Good luck!