Officially launched yesterday shortly after their ‘Back to Mac’ release keynote, Apple has launched a beta release of FaceTime for Mac computers (Snow Leopard or higher).  The popular FaceTime video chat protocol was previously available for iPhone 4 and new iPod touch users with the inception of the front facing camera on the device.  FaceTime has been a heavily marketed and hyped feature of the new iPhone that Apple hopes will be just as popular on the desktop and is promised to be the easiest “one click video chat” tool.

FaceTime for Mac is in beta so there may still be bugs or minor issues that pop up while using the software.  However, it will be interesting to see if users will flock to FaceTime.  Do you plan on using the service to chat with other Mac or iTouch/iPhone 4 users?

Announced yesterday afternoon, Facebook is adding location check-in to the mobile platform through the use of a new feature known as Places.  Those with iPhones and mobile browsers that support HTML 5 will be able to share the geographic location with Facebook.  Places will allow users to add locations, check in to those locations, and tag friends that may be with them.  The service is similar to many other location aware social networks, and Facebook is even opening up the service to allow users of Foursquare, Gowalla, Booyah, and Yelp to push their location information to Places.  Places is currently available on the iPhone app, and for smart phones via touch.facebook.com.

With these new features come new security options to turn on or off depending on what information you wish to share with your friends or even the world.  From Lifehacker comes an easy to follow video that covers the details of security preferences that you may want to disable in order to keep your Places check-ins private.

With the emergence of Apple’s iPad, many have been wondering if there was still a place in the world for the Amazon Kindle or similar least robust or less featured e-readers.  Well, it turns out there is.  In 2010 Kindle books have been outpacing Hardcover books in sales from Amazon, and the actual e-readers have been selling like hotcakes.

“Over the past month, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 180 Kindle books… We’ve reached a tipping point with the new price of Kindle—the growth rate of Kindle device unit sales has tripled since we lowered the price from $259 to $189…” – Amazon

Amazon’s Kindle software e-reader hits almost every major platform from desktop to all major mobile device platforms like the iOS, Android, and Blackberry.  Have you been buying more kindle books than paper ones this year?

Just in from Cupertino and Apple Headquarters, the much hyped iPad will be available for purchase stateside on April 3rd.  However, if you are feeling anxious, and don’t want to wait in lines at the nearest Apple Store, feel free to pre-order your iPad next week on March 12th.

“The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world’s largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®” – Apple News Release

Pricing for the models will depend on the size, and the addition of 3G or not.  Basic WiFi Models will be $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB.  3G + WiFi will cost $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB.

Keep in mind, the only version of the iPad that will be hitting shelves on April 3rd will be the WiFi models.  If you are waiting for iPads with 3G coverage, you will still have to wait until the end of April to have one in your hands.

Recently Abilene Christian University finished a pilot program where 1000 freshmen received either a free iPhone or iPod Touch to use in their classes. The initial goal was to explore how a mobile device like the iPhone might change the classroom experience. They developed web apps for turning in homework, watching lecture podcasts, checking class schedules, and grades. For classroom participation, there is even an app utilized for students to digitally raise their hand.

Instructors at Abilene have redesigned many of their classes to take advantage of the mobile devices. Students are instructed to use their iPhones to look up relevant information on the fly and discuss the information they find through dialogues led by the faculty. Another way that Abilene instructors have incorporated the iPhone into their curriculum is by projecting discussion questions onscreen and then having the students use polling software to answer the questions anonymously. The software is able to quickly quiz students to gauge whether there is lesson comprehension or not.

However, implementing the iPhone program at Abilene did have some challenges. Besides having to write custom web apps for the iPhone, the university had to optimize its campus-wide Wi-Fi to support all of the mobile devices.  Additionally there was a cost increase at the university to support the program, but the university discontinued other programs like in-dorm computer labs to help offset overall costs. Students who opted for iPhones instead of the iPod Touch are responsible for paying their own monthly plans with AT&T.

Though innovative, and I believe something that would definitely get students more in tune with their classes, I am not sure if a program such as this would work at Purdue. With such a large student body, the size of it would most likely bring the campus network to a halt. This of course could be addressed, but would ensue a significant amount of money to overhaul and update the university wireless system. Additionally, the university would not need to give out free phones, but by doing so they would be able to control what platform to design apps for and save development time and cost. However I do think the redesign of courses is something that needs to happen at Purdue, not only to help with retention but to also improve the 4-year graduation rate. Integrating technology in innovative ways like they are doing at Abilene is a good solution, but is Purdue really able to meet the challenge?

Related Links:

• How the iPhone Could Reboot Education
• Have Instructional Plans Using iPhone Apps?
• Apple Launches iPhone University Program

Recently there was an article in the Art and Design section of the New York Times that presented a great way to utilize an iPod in an art museum. The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York received on loan from Apple 100 specially programmed iPod Touches to be utilized with its Design USA: Contemporary Innovation show. The device provides to the viewers a wealth of information about each exhibit as well as interviews, slide shows, and videos of performances. Many of those who have viewed the free enhanced tour of the Design USA show have thought that the device really added to their experience. In some cases  it seemed that several of the exhibits could only really function in the show successfully by utilizing the additional information provided by the iPod Touch. Utilizing the iPod Touch in this fashion has taken the traditional audio tour experience to the next level.

The Portland Art Museum is also utilizing something very similar, buy providing their self-produced “Conversations about Art” video podcasts. The museum adds content to their tour daily by using ToursApp’s online editor; they post daily events and special announcements quickly. The tour makes use of a location-awareness platform that communicates with a TourApp enabled mobile device.

For me it is exciting to see utilization of mobile technology in these types of environments especially in such a quick fashion. Typically the traditional art world is very resistant to change, and implementation of new devices tends to take 10 to 20 yrs. to be utilized and accepted. I can’t wait to see how galleries and museums embrace Apple’s new iPad.

Related links:

• A Guided tour in the Plam of Your Hand
• iFlop??
• Apple’s iPad Unleashes New Mobile Learning Content Delivery Innovation