CT Solutions
Eco-Friendly Notebook
Toshiba’s new Satellite A55-S1064 notebook is the company’s first US retail notebook
to be compatible with the European Parliament’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances,
a directive going into effect July 1 that restricts the use of heavy metals
and other hazardous materials in new electronic equipment. Also designed to meet
the EPA’s Energy Star requirements, the Satellite A55-S1064 is equipped with a 1.6GHz Intel
Celeron M Processor 380, 512MB DDR2 memory, 40GB hard drive, 15-inch TruBrite-enhanced display,
CD-RW/DVD-ROM optical drive, and built-in Atheros 802.11 b/g wireless LAN. Price: $697.
Audio to Go
Software developer Horizon Wimba has unveiled Wimba Voice Tools 5.0.
Geared toward language learning, Horizon Wimba’s Web-based voice tools
facilitate vocal instruction, collaboration, coaching, and assessment, and allow
faculty to easily embed vocal interactions in an online learning environment.
With the upgrade, users can now import and export common audio formats (WAV and MP3), and take their audio files “to
go” on an iPod or other MP3 player. In addition, a new voice presentation tool allows instructors to create online presentations,
combining Web-based content with accompanying text and their own vocal messages, while students can post their
own audio comments. Wimba Voice Tools is sold as an annual subscription license based on a school’s full-time enrollment;
a typical annual license starts at $6,500.
Going Wide
Mitsubishi has introduced the HD4000U, its first high-definition
projector designed for wide-format laptops and imaging applications
requiring the 16:9 aspect ratio. The projector boasts Texas Instruments’
DDP3020 Digital Light Processing, TueVision Image Processing with BrilliantColor color-enhancing
technology, and a contrast ratio of 2500:1 for greater detail in dark images. The HD4000U weighs just 6.5 pounds and is
available for a MSRP of $2,995.