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It's not unusual for schools to ban mobile devices during class, but it's a different story at Nan Chiau Primary School in Singapore. Here, 350 third-graders gaze and poke at Windows phones while their science teacher elaborates on their assignments for the day. The students are free to shoot photos and videos using their Nokia Lumia 710 smartphones to help them remember what they've learned.

Using an app called myDesk -- developed by undergraduates at the University of Michigan -- the students make diagrams and concept maps, as well as append text and photos to their assignments. Teachers are also able to use the app to review the work submitted and leave feedback. … Read more

With all of the 10 hottest years on record having come since 1998, it's hard to deny that things are getting hotter. And as the temperature rises, so too does society's power usage.

With that in mind, Nest, the maker of the Learning Thermostat, has just issued its latest software update aimed at increasing people's comfort, while at the same time reducing their energy bills.

Last week, the company unveiled Nest Energy Services, a set of initiatives available to customers of certain utility companies that has a similar goal. But the new software update works for anyone … Read more

If your child can't put down your smartphone or tablet, it's good to have an array of fun but educational games on retainer. Kids Learn n Play (Free) is designed to help them learn their ABCs, but it's not as deep or polished as other learning games on Android and there are a few other issues that detract from its ability to help your kids learn the alphabet or spelling.

There might be an initial moment of confusion because the app shows up as "English Alphabet" in your phone's app launcher. It has two … Read more

After succeeding at the once inconceivable task of making thermostats sexy, Nest is now out to change peoples' relationships with their utility companies, and make the energy industry more efficient in the process.

Today, Nest, the company founded by Tony Fadell -- the "godfather" of the iPod and fellow former top Apple employee Matt Rogers -- rolled out its next big effort.

While many had speculated that the company's follow-up to its Learning Thermostat would be another smart home appliance, the company instead unveiled Nest Energy Services, a broad initiative aimed at attacking the problems of general … Read more

Learning to type is one thing, but typing well is another. Typing Trainer by TypingMaster helps you brush up on your typing skills with quick exercises and games, but it also studies your typing techniques to make specific recommendations to help you improve them. With games, tests, and reviews, Typing Trainer has plenty of features to offer even as your speed and skills improve. You can configure Typing Trainer for a huge range of languages and different keyboard styles, too. Typing Trainer 8.0 is freeware that is ready for Windows 8.

Typing Trainer opens with a full-screen user interface. … Read more

Who needs cards or puzzles when you have a smartphone to help your child learn? Baby Learns Pairs 1kids will help your child learn matching, colors, and other vital skills. The games, however, are repetitive, annoying, and overly cute. That means you're bound to hate it, but it could very easily become your child's favorite game.

As the name implies, this game is designed for young children. That means it's chock-full of simple games and cute characters. More often than not, the characters are almost too cute. They make goofy noises and do silly gestures as repetitive … Read more

Fetch for iOS is a touch adventure game that plays like an animated movie, letting you explore a strange world as a young boy in search of his lost dog.

Made for children, but fun for adults, too, Fetch combines a great-looking artistic style, rich sounds, and mysterious environments with tons of touch-screen interaction as you set off on your adventure. The story revolves around the disappearance of a little boy's dog named Bear and the lengths he must go through to get him back. Quickly, he finds out that dogs are being stolen around the world, and he … Read more

Research has shown that frequent use of a computer mouse may contribute to repetitive motion injuries. KeyCue for Mac claims to teach users how to replace the mouse with keyboard shortcuts, but its limited functionality and its price make it less useful than it could have been.

A 30-day free trial version of KeyCue for Mac is available, but it costs $29.99 for the full version. The program downloads quickly but despite having its own installer, proved difficult to set up. We had to try the installation several times due to the program claiming it could not install while … Read more

Learning Tech, we have learned, is a holistic bilingual program for kids and is based in Singapore. The Learning Tech app is a mobile version of the Web site that brings the program's many tools right to your fingertips. While we can't comment on the program's actual products, we can at least comment on the app's functionality.

The app opens with a large sliding picture and five different menu options at the bottom of the screen. The sliding pictures at the top are very distracting and they take up most of the screen, which is really … Read more