Tag Archives: university

CourseSmart On-Line eTextBooks



CourseSmart logoCourseSmart is a higher education content delivery system that delivers e-textbooks to over 2.5 million students and faculty members. Sean Devine, CEO of CourseSmart talks to Jeffrey and Andy about the system.

CourseSmart brings together content producers and content consumers, typically publishers, lecturers and students in over 7,000 universities and colleges. The organisation is owned by a group of publishers but it distributes content from a wider range of content producers. Over 30,000 original textbooks and other products are on-line at their website and the publications can be integrated into the college’s electronic learning environment.

As with most things digital it’s not possible to buy or sell e-textbooks secondhand and the book is really just rented. The CourseSmart books are typically 60% cheaper than a new paper book and naturally they’re always in stock. For today’s mobile student the books are delivered through multiple devices – web browser, web app, iPad, iPhone and Android apps.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Andy Smith of Geocaching World.

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Ford Joins with ZipCar, Adds Focus, Escape to Lineup



Ford
Ford

This is a great announcement for all you College students that only need a car for a few hours a week. Ford has announced a tw0-year alliance with Zipcar to add Escape and Focus cars to their line-up of over 250 university campuses. The 2012 models will start arriving on campus starting this week.

Zipcar is an alternative to car rental. You join the club and you will get a Zipcar card. Reserve your car for a date and time, then on that day walk up to the car, hold the card near and the car unlocks. Drive the car, return to the same spot and you are good to go.

Zipcar is in several cities across North America and the UK. There is an annual fee (depending on city you live in) upon registration and you would pay per hour, or day, depending on what you need. Gas and insurance is not needed – they take care of that for you.

Zipcar
Zipcar

“Today’s students are thinking differently about driving and transportation than they have in the past,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “This program enables today’s new drivers to experience our latest fuel-efficient vehicles, while helping them reduce their cost of living and help relieve congestion on campus. We’re looking forward to making Ford a staple of their college experience.”

For those who don’t need a car, this seems to be a decent alternative. The cost is low and the car choices are pretty good. Now you can Ford vehicles to the mix, which contain excellent fuel economy and technological advances. So you don’t need to take that old beater to school and fight parking fees and tickets. Just Zipcar and go!


Without an Education, Will Techies Go Far Enough?



For this article, I am standing firmly on a soap box.

The Associated Press reported, today, on a few information technologist that are doing well in their young careers, so well, in fact, that they each hope to retire before reaching middle age, and they attained their success without a formal higher education. This article struck a raw chord with me, because I emphasize the value of formal education to all of the students whom I teach, including those seeking a B.S. in information technology (IT) and those pursuing a M.B.A. with a further concentration in IT.

Continue reading Without an Education, Will Techies Go Far Enough?