Here's a pretty cool thread that I saw on Google+ today, about how kids can learn how to code and in a fun way. I think that this project not only is interesting but also a great initiative.

Why not start young and see if "they got what it takes". Never know, right?

Francisco Perez23 hours ago

great initiative ...

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Mike Elgan originally shared:How your kids will learn to code.

+AllThingsD published a great piece about +Tynker, the Silicon Valley startup that aims to make software programming not only a normal part of every child's education, but also make it super fun for kids.

From the article: "Krishna Vedati doesn’t want your children to just watch Saturday morning cartoons. He wants them to make their own."

http://allthingsd.com/20130428/code-alert-tynker-wants-to-teach-you-child-to-tinker-with-tech/

(Full disclosure: My son, +Kevin Elgan, works for +Tynker.)

Circle Tynker here: https://plus.google.com/111189514752913165927/posts7    1 Powered by socialditto

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You have purchased an iPad model with 3G support and Cellular and you're wondering if you can make calls with it? Unfortunately the answer is no. Although you have inserted a SIM card into the tablet, you can only use the cellular data network to browse the Internet and not to call, but there is a solution to this problem.

There are many applications which allow you to call other users online or telephone numbers using the standard Internet connection. This means you can use them on models besides the latest iPad technology with 3G/Cellular support but also on the iPad that only supports Wi-Fi.

If you are looking for a solution on how to call with iPad, the first app that I would advise is undoubtedly Skype. Installing Skype on your iPad you can take advantage of the Wi-Fi network, 3G or LTE to make free calls to all users who have installed the software on their PC, smartphone or tablet and you can call via the Internet the real phone numbers consuming your credit. To call a Skype user from your iPad, all you have to do is download the app from the App Store, log in to the service and select the photo of the person to contact. At this point you have two options at your disposal. You can either initiate a phone call by pressing the green Call button or when possible start a video call using the Video button.

If you must make a call to an ordinary telephone number, you need to press the keyboard icon located at the top right, dial the number to call on the numeric keypad that appears on the screen and press the green button with the handset icon to start the call.

Another excellent solution for calling with iPad using the Internet connection is Imo.im. This is a free app dedicated to instant messaging and voice calls allowing you to connect to the accounts of various services such as Skype, Facebook, GoogleTalk, MSN, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Jabber, Steam and others. To use Imo.im all you have to do is download the app, launch it, pressing on the item or Sign in, located at the bottom right and select the service with which you want to log. Alternatively, you can also create an Imo.im account entering a phone number in the appropriate field but it requires verification via SMS on iPad which cannot be made.

Once connected to a particular service you can chat with your contacts who are connected to it while for making voice calls your friends must also be connected to Skype, Facebook, etc.. To start a voice call via Imo.im on iPad just select the contact person from the sidebar of the app, press the menu button located in the top right and select Voice call from the menu that pops up. You cannot call traditional phone numbers.

That's it! How about you? Do you have another way of making easy phone calls on your iPad?

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The laptop is now taking over and their sales are skyrocketing. So the prices are naturally lowered. But what are the best laptops? I will point out a number of technical features to consider when you decide to look through a huge range of powerful laptops .

Here are some tips for buying a laptop.

The best PC laptops must have the following characteristics

The brand - Here the choice is vast but the most popular brands are certainly ACER, HP, Toshiba, VAIO, DELL, SIEMENS, PHILIPS and many others. However I consider the brand relatively important if not only for the type of security they offer. In this case care must be taken and the advice is to take note that HP warranty and service offering are very good. But the components are what’s essential so let's see them.

Processor - The most powerful processors currently made by Intel and Athlon. A powerful processor is what makes a laptop powerful. It is its most important component. Of course every 6 months these processors are replaced by others because the world of computers is one way that goes super fast! The technology developed by Intel is exceptional. Anyone wishing to make another kind of choice could go on the Athlon models. The performances are quite similar.

Motherboard - Since most of the laptops parts are integrated on the motherboard it is probably the second most crucial component of the laptop. Asus, ASRock, Abit, Intel, Biostar go very well and are the most used. Each brand has its own model. Always ask before you buy.

Memory - There are various models. It is important that its amount is at least 4 Gb at the time of writing.


Graphics card and monitor - The graphics card must have a memory of at least 1Gb but we need to evaluate what kind of memory it is. The higher the DDR number the better the performance. NVIDIA and ATI are the best choices. For the monitor is preferable to go on the 15" and over but of course before we choose the handset according to the other basic elements and then see if the monitor satisfies us.

Hard disk - Should be at least 250 GB and I recommend you check over to the rotational speed the temperatures of overheating, the time to write and to read.
 
Sound Card - Creative, Trust TerraTec, Philips are excellent and provide almost cinematic environments today connecting the laptop to an external speaker system mixer should be able to to transmit sound at an excellent quality.

Reader Writer CD / DVD  - burning speed for a DVD should be at least 8x for a CD of at least 24x. LG is the top.

Battery - The first thing you should check on the supplied battery is what’s the least the charging could last. It's obvious that the charge of a battery varies according to the use we make of the laptop.

That’s it! Good luck when looking (or buying) your next laptop.

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