Intel Malaysia and Malaysia's Ministry of Education (MOE) today unveiled the findings of the MOE-Intel School Adoption Project Phase One Evaluation Report at SMK Seri Permaisuri in Cheras. "The Project Evaluation Report indicates an overall positive response to the introduction of the 1:1 eLearning model in the schools. More than 85% of teachers involved in Phase One found that the Intel-based classmate PC helped them create an innovative and collaborative eLearning environment within their classrooms," said Navin Shenoy, General Manager, Intel Asia Pacific.

The Project Evaluation Report was commissioned to evaluate the implementation of Phase One of the 1:1 e-learning model which was introduced in selected Malaysian classrooms in April 2007. Under this ICT for Education initiative, Intel provided 460 units of the Intel-powered classmate PCs to 10 public schools across Malaysia.  Each teacher and student in these schools was equipped with a dedicated Intel-powered classmate PCs that had access to the Internet, a wide range of software and other digital resources for teaching and learning.    

"Learning with technology as opposed to learning about technology, can empower teachers and students to make learning fun. These findings reveal important lessons that will help the government fine-tune the National Education Blueprint and accelerate the transformation of Malaysia's current education system," said Y.Bhg Tan Sri Dr. Zulkurnain Bin Haji Awang, Secretary General, Ministry of Education Malaysia.

FTEC today launched their first netbook PC in Malaysia, the FTEC Smart Book. Unveiled at FTEC’s TecAsia,the FTEC Smart Book is targeted at children from all ages as young as those in pre-schools as an educational tool and aims to provide them with access to mainstream technology.

The FTEC Smart Book is highly portable and includes a set of unique features that cater to the needs of young children who will be entering kindergarten and the primary grades. The ruggedized netbook is equipped with a water-resistant keyboard and an advanced theft-control feature using a network-issued digital ID certificate, and is capable of running many applications including educational software. It is ideal for Internet-centric usage models, such as Web-browsing, email, instant messaging, social networking, online video viewing, photo viewing, VoIP, and playing basic online games.

“We believe that early access to computers help children learn and we hope to see a positive impact of using computers in the building of the child’s critical thinking skills, communication and digital literacy. Through exploring computer experiences, these children build memory skills and learn how to seek out information,” said Mr. Tang Boon Koon, Managing Director of FTEC, at the launch.  

The FTEC SmartBook is available in two prices RM1,299 and RM1,199 based on their different specifications. Read on for more info. 

No, Kingston's not having a modelling contest or what not. Well not really. Kingston has actually announced the launch of HyperX Girl Design Contest, a contest for both amateur and professional character designers to create the prefect spokesperson for HyperX memory modules. From March 17 to April 30, the contestants can submit their works to compete with the designers from all over APAC region.

“Kingston’s HyperX memory modules are specially designed for serious gamers and overclockers who want nothing but the best for their computers.” said WeiWei Yin, Marketing Director of APAC Region, Kingston. “The aim of the contest is to find an original, vivid and creative character representing Kingston’s HyperX series products.” 

Kingston is calling for all character designers out there to get their magic wands out and create a fun and cool original “HyperX Girl”. To reward the talented designers, Kingston provides a huge amount of prizes worth almost USD 20,000 to be won and all candidates will stand a chance of displaying their artwork at Computex 2008.  Spicing up the contest, Kingston gets everyone involved in decision making. Simply go to www.hyperxgirl.com from May 5 to May 20 and vote for your favorite HyperX girl design. Every voter has a chance to win the fantastic Kingston products. Come and join the contest.

For more information on the HyperX Girl Design Contest, please visit http://www.hyperxgirl.com.

Asus has released the ROG Striker II Extreme series of motherboards. Supporting NVIDIA’s nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset for exceptional overclocking speeds, this powerful series of motherboards is also equipped with innovative technologies for enhanced graphical and thermal performance, versatile overclocking options; as well as a vast array of features that include device protection.

The Fusion Block System utilizes a Pin-Fin heatsink design that combines the ROG's renowned heatpipe design with the additional ability to connect to a water cooling system. By taking the entire integrated solution into design considerations, the user can enjoy 50% cooler thermal performance to the north bridge, south bridge, and even VRM with a single connection – providing them with a versatile, efficient, and advanced thermal system for better overclocking results. 

 The ROG Striker II Extreme series is currently available and retails at a whopping RM2,069. Read on for more info and specs.

Ricoh has launched the Aficio MP C6000 and MP C7500, two full-featured colour multifunction devices (MFDs) that boast a range of advanced capabilities including copy, print, scan and fax with built-in intelligent security functionalities. The all-in-one devices deliver impressive speeds with benchmark output quality and superb media flexibility.

Modular and upgradeable, the new Aficio series is ideal for large organizations that operate on a limited budget but need to produce fast, high quality colour printing. The new MFP device boasts a user-friendly interface which combines flexible finishing, large paper capacity and wide media versatility with advanced security features. Optimum productivity is guaranteed as the Aficio MP C7500 prints at a speed of 70 pages per minute (ppm) in full colour and 75 ppm in black-and-white, while the MP C6000 prints 55 ppm in full colour and 60 ppm in black-and-white. Both of these systems also provide standard duplexing at equally high speeds.  

The Aficio MP C6000 / MP C7500 series ensures an uninterrupted workflow with 3,400-sheet standard paper capacity. To optimize paper capacity, there is an optional 2,000-sheet and 4,000-sheet Large Capacity Tray (LCT). The standard 100-sheet Auto Reverse Document Feeder (ARDF) facilitates feeding of larger documents while the A4 tandem tray automatically replenishes paper during print and copy processes. With its intelligent business fax feature, the MP C6000 / MP C7500 automatically distribute all incoming faxes to a recipient’s email or folder. 

Read on for more info. 

For those of you who are into financial software tools, you might want to check out the Asia Trader & Investor Convention, ATIC happening from the 22 to 23 March at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. NextVIEW the organiser of the event will also be showcasing their NextVIEW Advisor software.

NextVIEW's flagship information product, NextVIEW Advisor, is a streaming real-time terminal designed for retail investors or professional traders. NextVIEW Advisor provides real time financial market information and content such as stocks/futures quotes and news from multiple exchanges and sources via the Internet or leased line connection. NextVIEW Advisor offers a wide range of tools like watchlists, market track, technical analysis charts, portfolio, alerts, and market screening filters

"iPhone arriving soon!" screams the headlines of some rumour mongers in a small island south of us. One can only look in awe as some of us in"Bolehland" wouldn't be much too bothered by it with the rampant use of the iPhone here in our country. So far rumours have it that SingTel will be bringing it in to Singapore and launching it in September and the estimated price is at S$690.

Not too bad a country which has an estimated 10,000 rogue iPhones running about, brought in through "different avenues". But will rumours just remain rumours or should some of the folks down south look forward to newer models such as  3G variant of the iPhone?

The big question is, will our "kiasu" neighbours opt for Apple's profit sharing plan which it already has with certain carries in the US and in Europe? 

Perhaps this is a question we should ask our own mobile carriers.  

Acer Malaysia and Microsoft Malaysia has announced the launch of their digital lifestyle showroom in Malaysia. Dubbed the "Acer-Microsoft Digital LifeStyle and WorkStyle Centre", the 2,100 square feet centre situated in Low Yat Plaza is the largest of its kind in the world. The centre features a cohesive blend of technology tools from both Acer and Microsoft.

Specific to these environments, the center showcases the newest Acer personal computers (PCs) and notebooks built to complement Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system. Some of which include the: Acer Aspire Gemstone notebook line, Acer TravelMate ProFile, the PC Aspire L320 and Aspire L3600 notebooks Multimedia PC, as well as the Quad-Core PC built for gamers and advanced users, all of which are available for visiting customers to demo-use with the assistance of on-site technical and service consultants.  

The Acer-Microsoft Digital LifeStyle and WorkStyle Centre is situated on Level One at Low Yat Plaza.  Read on for more info.

Norton has recently announced its 2.0 version of its Norton 360 solution. The newest version of Norton 360 now includes Symantec’s Browser Protection technology, which defends against drive-by downloads and other new or unknown threats that exploit vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer.

Also, now included in Norton 360 is Norton Identity Safe, which stores passwords and other personal information securely. Norton Identity Safe also offers convenient automatic form-filling capabilities and one-click log-in to trusted sites, and it works with Norton 360’s identity protection technology to safeguard against phishing sites. 

Norton 360 version 2.0 is also available in the following packages: Norton 360 version 2.0 Upgrade (Online ONLY) – MYR249.00, Norton 360 version 2.0 Premier Edition – MYR359.00 ,Norton 360 version 2.0 Premier Edition AP Upgrade (Online ONLY) – MYR319.00, Norton 360 version 2.0 Small Business Edition 5 User Pack (Retail ONLY) – MYR489.00, and Norton 360 version 2.0 Small Business Edition 10 User Pack (Retail ONLY) – MYR909.00. 

Read on for more details. 

Lenovo has announced their ThinkCentre M57/M57P “Eco” ultra small desktop PC, which is what they claim to be the first desktop PC from any manufacturer to receive GREENGUARD certification, and Lenovo’s most environmentally responsible desktop PC to date. The ThinkCentre M57/M57P is EPEAT Gold rated, Energy Star 4.0 rated, and the first ThinkCentre with recycled material from consumer plastics.

The ThinkCentre M57/M57P family is comprised of the quietest running ThinkCentre offerings ever. With acoustic levels measured at 4.0 bels or lower in all modes of operation, the M57/M57P provides a consistently quiet operation.  It also features Lenovo’s full suite of ThinkVantage Technologies. With the touch of a single button the user can recover from viruses, update the system, clean up the hard drive and find help. The ThinkCentre M57/M57P also comes with Intel vPro technology. The ThinkCentre M57/M57P “Eco” also features the latest Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security chip, which uses hardware to encrypt keys, passwords and digital certificates.

Lenovo also announced additional ThinkCentre models: The M57e, a high-performance, value desktop PC for large businesses; and the A57 PC, a rock solid desktop designed for small and medium businesses. Both include some of the latest technologies, including Intel 45nm processors, Intel Quad Core technology and Direct X10 graphic cards. 

The ThinkCentre M57 “Eco” ultra small desktop PC is priced starting at RM2,999. The base price for the A57 is RM1,349. The Vertical PC Stand is priced at RM299. Monitors are sold separately.  Read on for more info.