Okay. We appreciate the irony of a site on mobility being static for AGES! It’s true that we’ve been in hibernation for a long time — at least here. But we’ve been busy elsewhere, so we’re heading off in a couple of new directions. We’d like to invite you to join us on two new sites:

For news, discussion, and information about what’s going on at ACU, dial in to our Connected Blog.

For a global discussion community focused on research (and also on best practices) in mobile learning, check out the site for the Consortium on Innovation and Research in Converged Learning (CIRCL).

Thanks to everyone who has read us over the years, and we hope these two active sites will give a much richer experience than we were ever able to muster here at iThinkEd.

Here at iThinkEd HQ (deep in the bowels of an undisclosed academic library, hidden in the unanimity of the bound periodicals section), we’re pretty excited about the new iPhone OS Apple premiered the other day. Boasting over a thousand new APIs, we think this is going to be big–especially for a device that’s already captured more than 33% of worldwide smartphone traffic (and almost 50% of US traffic). Here are a few features we think are going to rock higher ed and here’s why:

Incremental Purchase: Okay. This may seem irrelevant at first, but we think that allowing people to buy additional content from within an app is going to unlock text production for the iPhone and iPod touch in a big way. Apple already offers media content in a remarkably convenient format, and we think this will make printed material just as convenient. While people may quibble with the iPhone as an eBook reader, many people are already consuming their eBooks on the device, and making it easy to add new content is going to drive that even further.

Cut/Copy/Paste/Find: People have been clamoring for these features since before the iPhone or iPod touch even went on the market, so it’s not surprising that we’re pleased to see these features finally appear in 3.0. For educational use, this means these devices can finally move from being a platform primarily for consumption of information to a platform for production and collaboration. Now I can have my students go out, find a few URLs and send them to a class blog, or I can have them edit and organize information more readily on these devices. While there were work-arounds before, building in these basic features is going to give me a new way to leverage these devices for learning.

Peer-to-peer: The new built-in BlueTooth auto-detection feature means not only that iPhones can now recognize one another and make ad-hoc networks, but also that I can now use those networks for teaching and learning. Want a quick way to form workgroups or teams? Have students go stand near each other. Voila. What could be easier? And with the new file sharing capabilities, students in those groups could now share documents for collaboration and interactions. If the iPhone and iPod touch were compelling before, this feature makes them even moreso, and we can’t wait to see what developers will end up doing with this one…

We were awfully pleased to hear about Apple’s new Developer University Program for the iPhone and iPod touch. Targeted at university developers interested in creating native apps for Apple’s devices, the program is open to colleges and universities in the US only at this time.

To apply for membership (yep, you gotta apply),  you’ll need an Apple ID (either an existing iPhone developer ID, an ADC ID, or even your iTunes ID) and you’ll need to be able to link your request to a specific course. Applications developed under the program can be distributed either at Apple’s app store or on-site at the university via Apple’s “ad hoc” distribution model. Of course, the program also “allows students within the same development team to share their applications with each other through email, or by posting them to a private website for presentation and grading purposes,” which should make teachers’ and students’ lives a bit easier.

We’re looking forward to seeing a whole new crop of educational applications show up in the apps store, and we hope they’ll get beyond the unquestionably handy but fairly tame collection of memory and language apps that currently make up the majority of educational apps…. A cool interactive chemistry app that triggers the “vibrate” function for haptic feedback to denote an explosion if you mix the wrong chemicals? A grammar app that uses the accelerometer to let students shake to diagram a sentence? Man, oh man… The options are endless!

Information access software provider ClassLink recently announced a partnership with HP focusing on the utilization of both thin-client and virtualization solutions for education. ClassLink provides unlimited—anytime, anywhere—access to instructional software and files for students and teachers.

“Our interests are aligned,” said ClassLink CEO Berj Akian, in a prepared statement. “ClassLink provides a unique, award winning technology solution for delivering educational software 24/7 using application servers and virtualization. HP, with its continuing dedication to thin clients, blade servers, virtualization, UMPC’s, etc., makes this partnership a great fit for the education market. Together we can help students and teachers access their instructional software on a platform that’s affordable, reliable and available 24/7.”

According to our friends at T.H.E. Journal, the benefits of these technologies include cost-effective computing, increased reliability, and application stability. ClassLink and HP will showcase their “vision for the future of instructional technology” in San Antonio, TX, next week at the 29th annual National Educational Computing Conference.

Yesterday, iPhone Atlas posted an interesting article about the possibility of discounted corporate and business voice and data rate plans for the iPhone 3G. And, of course, any discussion of group plans for the iPhone is particularly appealing to those of us seeking to utilize the device on our campuses.

As you may know, AT&T generally offers special employee discounts for corporate rate plans, including reduced device pricing, reduced plan pricing, and free trials. Some business plans are subject to specific calling plans, calling features, phones or accessories. Companies have the option of sharing these discounts with their employees through a sponsorship program. Employees are occasionally able to get substantial discounts through these programs; discounts of between 15% and 25% are available on devices, services, etc. Some devices may even be free with a minimum two year contract and other incentives.

However—as iPhone Atlas suggests—whether or not such discounts apply to the iPhone is still unclear. According to AT&T spokesman, Mark A. Siegel, who spoke with iPhone Atlas earlier this week, business discounts are handled on a case-by-case basis per the agreement between AT&T and your business. Currently, there is no definitive answer as to whether or not the iPhone will be eligible for this program. Siegel indicated that as the July 11th launch date draws near, both this issue and other matters related to the AT&T plan pricing will likely become more clear.

Of course, the first version of the iPhone was not eligible because of the agreement with Apple regarding revenue sharing, etc. However, iPhone Atlas suggests that now that the iPhone is being sold in a subsidized fashion like other phones, the doors may be more open.

Yesterday, Dian Schaffhauser of Campus Technology posted an interesting article discussing the recent findings of a new study conducted by ABI Research. According to the research the firm, next-gen WiFi is expected to be in 99% of North American campuses by 2013. Currently the wireless standard 802.11 is found in less than 3 percent of North American universities. Stan Schatt, vice president and research director of ABI states: “ABI Research believes that wi-fi access point and controller equipment revenue in the global higher education market will skyrocket from $137 million in 2007 to $837 million in 2013.”

Of course, motivations for deploying WiFi in schools and colleges vary widely. As Schaffhauser points out, greater security is in demand, especially video surveillance. K-12 schools are embracing an “anytime-anywhere learning” philosophy, and they are placing emphasis on providing networked computers to as many students as possible. Universities, clearly the leading early adopters, are finding that WiFi connectivity is a recruitment requirement for many students.

For more information, be sure to check out Schaffhauser’s full article in Campus Technology.

In a very interesting Chronicle blog post yesterday, Mark McVay—design director of the architecture firm SmithGroup—explores the way in which culture affects the public space of a campus. He discusses the challenges of designing university spaces that not only stand the test of time and remain permanent parts of a campus fabric, but that are also adaptable to changing technologies, curricula, pedagogy, and enrollment.

McVay asserts that the current “Millennial” generation is introducing new ways of interacting in and using space and is challenging decades-old planning standards. “The Millennials’ seamless embrace of technology is driving some of the biggest changes. Digital teaching tools are now commonplace. Distance learning now links students and faculty members around the globe. But maybe the most serious consequence of the digital revolution is that it is redefining the social aspect of learning. Millennials take digital technologies and improvements for granted. Chatting, texting, and network-gaming environments create global interaction.”

The impact of these changes on learning spaces is subtle, but significant. Whereas previous generations generally use electronics in solitude, Millennials see them as opportunities for dynamic social interaction. Clusters of students huddle around a computer sharing ideas—approaching full immersion. McVay suggests that the key is simultaneity of input. He writes, “Designing for this generation means providing wireless Internet access and readily accessible power. It means keeping in mind wire management and ergonomics. And it means encouraging changes in behavior that maximize interaction at both the local and universal scales.”

Ultimately, as McVay asserts, these developments give us opportunities to increase the experiential component of learning—and we’ve only begun to scratch the surface.

Be sure to visit the Chronicle of Higher Education for the full article.

Last week Gartner released a report delineating 10 key predictions of events and developments that will affect IT and business (and, consequently, Higher Education) in 2008 and beyond. Introducing these predictions, Daryl Plummer—managing vice president and Gartner Fellow—writes, “the trends and topics [addressed] this year indicate a strong focus on individuals, the environment, and alternative ways of buying and selling IT services and technologies.”

These predictions, selected from more than 100 predictions that Gartner presents and reviews every year, focus on general technology areas rather than on specific industries or roles. Here are some of this year’s most interesting predictions (These are especially enjoyable if you read them with Conan O’Brian’s “In the Year 2000” skit in mind):

By 2011, Apple will double its U.S. and Western Europe unit market share in computers. Apple is challenging its competitors with software integration that provides ease of use and flexibility; continuous and more frequent innovation in hardware and software; and an ecosystem that focuses on interoperability across multiple devices.

By 2012, 50 per cent of traveling workers will leave their notebooks at home in favour of other devices. New classes of Internet-centric pocketable devices at the sub-$400 level and server and Web-based applications that can be accessed from anywhere will be ubiquitous.

By 2012, 80 per cent of all commercial software will include elements of open-source technology. Many open-source technologies are mature, stable and well supported and provide significant opportunities for vendors and users to lower their total cost of ownership and increase returns on investment.

By 2011, early technology adopters will forgo capital expenditures and instead purchase 40 per cent of their IT infrastructure as a service.

By 2011, suppliers to large global enterprises will need to prove their green credentials via an audited process to retain preferred supplier status.

By 2010, end-user preferences will decide as much as half of all software, hardware and services acquisitions made by IT.

Click here for an extensive report of Gartner’s predictions.

Our friends at iPhone Atlas recently posted an interesting article about the iPhone’s 802.1x hole, which prevents the device from connecting to wireless networks offered by a number of universities and corporations.

802.1x is utilized to secure wireless networks and restrict access, and because the iPhone does not have the capability to act as an 802.1x supplicant, it cannot join networks that make use of the protocol. Consequently, college students are often unable to make use of their schools’ WiFi networks.

iPhone Atlas reports that an online petition for Apple to implement support for the standard currently has over 1090 signatures, most coming from universities in the United States and UK. Comments from the petition include:
• “Many college students need this!”
• “Please update the ipod touch to be 802.1x compatible, it really inconvenience many people who were looking forward to using the WiFi on campuses”
• “For me the iPhone/iPod Touch are useless without it.”
• “This feature should have been standard from the word go”
• “This seemingly small feature is a huge factor in usability that could easily be solved via a software update.”

Apple has supported 802.1x in the desktop versions of Mac OS X since Mac OS X 10.3.x (Panther).

In a recent eWeek.com article, Stan Gibson suggests that although the corporate world is generally keeping the iPhone at arm’s length, “with a few tweaks—some major—the iPhone could be a very serious contender for corporate personal device of choice.” This article provides a handy follow-up to our post yesterday concerning the growing pressure placed on corporate and university IT departments by the unslaught of converged mobile devices. As in yesterday’s post, many of Gibson’s observations of and predictions for the corporate world concerning the widespread implementation of the iPhone are just as applicable in Higher Education.

Citing Forrester Research analyst Ben Gray, Gibson suggests that corporations are keeping the iPhone at bay for a number of reasons. Among them:

• The iPhone doesn’t natively support push e-mail or over-the-air calendar synchronization.
• There is a dearth of third-party applications for the iPhone.
• The iPhone does not support file or disk encryption.
• IT administrators cannot set password policies.
• Should it be lost or stolen, the iPhone cannot be remotely locked or wiped.
• The iPhone’s battery is not removable. A dead battery calls for a new—and expensive—iPhone.
• The touch-screen user interface means slower typing than with a tactile keypad.

Of course, these concerns are just as relevant to those of us interested in employing the device to enhance social and academic exchange in the academy. As discussed in yesterday’s post, the development of corporate applications for the iPhone will be a critical factor in determining the device’s success or failure in the enterprise. Fortunately, Apple is preparing for an SDK (software development kit) release in February.

Gibson goes on to highlight other iPhone developments that could change the corporate equation. “AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has said publicly that an iPhone with features that can be exploited by third-generation wireless networks will roll out this year. 3G capabilities include higher speeds, advanced multimedia support and global roaming.”And despite extensively cataloguing its deficiencies, Forrester’s Gray asserts, “It’s only a matter of time before the iPhone filters down the corporate pyramid, and IT should have a strategy to handle these requests.” Certainly the same is true for Higher Ed.