Blue Tooth Enabled slate

[saha]

For the longest time I have been frustrated with activslate with its rechargable battery and difficulty in writing with the pen, not to mention that it cant be used while an activote session is in progress.

Recently I picked up a bluetooth enabled wacom tablet that no one was using at my school. Connected the bluetooth dongle to the usb drive of the laptop. Now I can sit at the back of the class or with my students, hand them the slate and do anything I want to do without having to touch the activboard...even during activote session. It is very easy to write on these wacom tablets...both for students and teacher...also comes with conventional AA batteries to power the slate.

Now that I hear about the bluetooth funtionlity for activboard..that will help all users with a bluetooth tablet.

[airskeeter]

Saha,

the bluetoothe functionality with the ACTIVboard will not allow for a bluetoothe slate to connect to the board. It is designed as a way to wirelessly attach the board to the computer. That said, there is no one true bluietooth standard right now, so there will be some hiccups.

Your bluetooth slate connects to the computer which contols the board.

I'm perplexed on your issues with the slate? I used mine flawlessly in my classroom for almost 2 years.

the slate that I use for demos has not been charged since November and is runnng strong. Have you tried to address it through techniocal support??

[saha]

my activslate works well for remote control of the board.
however it is hard to write on it using activ2pen.
I understand that activ3pen was supposed to make it easier to write on activslate, but I have not experienced that.

It is indeed so much easier to write on the generic tablets like wacom's.

Yes currently my bluetooth tablet controls my computer which it turn controls the board. So it is a perfect solution. The activotes are controlled by RF with the board. So no conflicts..in fact better..since I can remotely control the board via the laptop even when a activote is in session.

I think Promethean's vision for enabling bluetooth functionality on activboard is to be able to communicate with a variety of blue tooth devices...like blue tooth enabled cell phones....so one day...a blue tooth student cell phone could be used an activote device.

[airskeeter]

Interesting on the cell phone, they are prohibited by law in the classrooms in La.

Please PM me about the Pen 3 and Pen 2.

Bill

[Mark Ellis]

While mobile phones are not actually banned, we operate a don't ask - don't tell policy :eek: I suppose. But it had crossed our mind that we might get interference of an unwanted kind, perhaps? Long way off for us though.

[saha]

Hello Mark,

Interference from a non-authorized blue tooth devices with a blue tooth enabled activboard is highly unlikely.

Just like a LAN, a a blue tooth network has a range of visible devices. Additionally for a visible device to interact with the laptop ( which controls the activboard), the visible device has to be added/authorized on the blue tooth network .

[Mark Ellis]

Thanks Saha,

Hadn't really gone into it but, as I say, it had crossed our minds that there might be a problem. You straightened that out though. +wave+

[Bmsci]

about Bluetooth-enabled / connection ACTIVboards , are they in the market by now or what ?
all i see is wired (USB or serial) !

this is impressive, i need one by now [clap]

ok, while it is wireless, i think more than one computer can detect the same board !
is it possible to control it from more than one machine ? !!:o

[saha]

here is the announcement about blue tooth activboards on the Promethean USA site:

Promethean Extends ACTIVboard Standard Connectivity Options
ATLANTA, Ga. – Feb. 1, 2006 - Promethean, a global leader in interactive learning technology, announced today it has extended the standard connectivity options for the ACTIVboard interactive whiteboard to include Bluetooth.

In addition to integrated Bluetooth connectivity, Promethean’s ACTIVboard, a component of Promethean’s ACTIVclassroom, offers the industry’s only integrated radio frequency (RF) connectivity to student peripherals for student interaction and whole group formative assessment.

“Educators tell us that the addition of Bluetooth connectivity will help districts extend their technology investment without compromising whole group instructional needs. Whether the teacher’s computer has USB, Serial or Bluetooth connections, the ACTIVboard will have the connectivity they need right out of the box,” said Promethean U.S.A. President Mark Elliott.

[airskeeter]

BMSCI,

"ok, while it is wireless, i think more than one computer can detect the same board !
is it possible to control it from more than one machine ? !!"

Yes, conceptually it is possible. But you would have to switch video sources as well.

The boards that are shipping in the US now have bluetooth functionality. I recently obtained a new board and it had the bluetooth sticker on the top right corner.

You will also notice in the menu of the new software update , when connected to a BT board, a menu item for managing the connection .

In my mind though, if I can't get a BT signal to work from my phone to my headset 100% of the time, I will wait for the BT standard to be established.

I have been eyeballing the Linksys wireless video router....it still is a way out from being perfected, especially with video and it's latency. Imagine, no wires....

[saha]

Bill,
detecting a device in the blue tooth wireless range is quite different from authorizing it and allowing it to be controlled.
Just like a wireless network, you can view and detect your neighbours router, but you may not be able to access it and send and receive data if your neighbour does not allow you to.

I am not aware of linksys making a wireless video router???

data is data...regardless if it is video, data or just zeros and ones.

Why would you want to use a wireless video/audio router in this scenario???

There is a company that makes a special PCMIA card for wireless audio and video connectivity from the laptop to a LCD/data projector. It costs about $1000. This is useful only when you can afford it and only when it is not possible to run a HDMI or VGA cable from laptop/computer to data projector.