I was encouraged by the announcement today that Vodafone is going to support the Apple iPhone in New Zealand! I have watched enviously as my friend Jedd plays with his when he visits our office, but have resisted the urge to splurge until I could see the network provision sorted. According to the Herald article, it is unclear whether the phone will be available in its current version, or the next-generation ‘3G’ model, rumoured to be nearing release in the United States (I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for news of this when I’m over there next week:-)
Thinking of the impact the iPhone may have in NZ when it is released, I was interested to read Jane’s latest post regarding what is available educationally for the iPhone and iTouch at the moment. She has listed her Top Web Apps for the iPod Touch and the iPhone – which reveals a growing list of applications (including optimized sites) for the iPod Touch and the iPhone that are useful for learning, performance support or productivity purposes. There’s everything here from Facebook to BBC programmes – and my favourite, an iPhone version of NetVibes – my RSS aggregator of choice.
The future’s looking rosy for Mobile technologies 🙂 Mind you – I have to wonder when the following message was sent via a list I belong to (a serious question on an academic research list):
Can researchers point out how to stop students/pupils using hand-held devices in the classroom ? Recent THES article on texting while there’s a lecturer speaking point to this being perceived as “mildly rude” – Even on a one-to-one situation nobody seems to have any problems with ring-tones, etc. Is there a pro-educator device, like the mosquito, that we can switch on to block cell phones/blackberries/iphones ?
Very well written post. If you need to listen to BBC Radio on the iPhone – I strongly recommend BBC Streams – it is easily the most convenient way to listen to BBC Radio on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and it’s free at BBCStreams.com.