Also of note, the PC features a spill-proof keyboard (whew) and an LED light that indicates when the PC is networked, so the teacher can see it from a distance with ease. The PC also includes a Wi-Fi certified WLAN modem and a dial-up one for students in a remote areas where there isn’t Wi-Fi available.

The device weighs 3.19 lbs, has a 10.1” screen and is cased in a plastic shell that has a built-in handle for portability. Inside, there’s  a 1.66GHz single-core Atom N455 processor, 1GB of RAM and the choice of either a 160GB hard disk or 16GB solid-state drive (SSD).

Besides the grand prize, the top winners from four age groups (ages 5-10, 11-13, 14-17 and 18+) will also win a trip to Microsoft where they get to participate in a Bing editorial meeting where they pick future homepage images. All winners will also receive equipment from HP and Canon. Specifically, HP will be providing the winners with HP Pavilion desktops and a monitor.

In addition to the contest participants, those voting on the images can win, too. From April 13th to the 19th, Bing will give a $5.00 GivingCard for DonorsChoose.org to the first 20,000 people who vote each day. This money can be spent on classroom projects (like math, science, art, reading) at local schools. In total, Bing will donate up to $100,000 a day to help schools across the U.S.

You can find out more about the contest, its requirements, and the submission information here: http://earthdayphotocontest.com.

The Eduify service also addresses the need for students to have tools that more accurately reflect their modern, online lifestyles. In Eduify, for example, students can pull in online research from around the web and then prepare their paper in a web-based workspace that’s accessible from a computer or mobile phone.  There are some great features in Eduify, too,  like its ability to automatically create a bibliography. Later on, the company will add a paid document editing/proofreading service as well. Even further down the road, there are plans to integrate Windows Live Messenger and Live Mesh technologies in the service.

At the moment, Eduify is in beta, which makes sense as Windows Azure itself is still a CTP (Community Technical Preview). The company gained access to the Azure Platform after joining the Microsoft BizSpark program, a program which aims to help startups get off the ground by providing them with free tools and services for a set period of time. This allows them the breathing room they need to build a scalable and sustainable business without having to worry about those traditional startup costs.

Anyone interested in participating in the beta can sign up for an invite here from the Eduify homepage.

In this episode of "The Geek Stories", I return to my old High School, and interview fellow old-scholar Kevin on the current stage of technology in learning, and the impact of connectedness on teachers and students.

Kevin is well respected in his field, with many successful international projects pioneering fields including music technology in schools, and has not slowed down in thinking nor experience as headmaster of Immanuel.

His passion for his students and teachers in infectious; and finding his geek story enlightening.

This interview will form the basis of my journey in Social networking in K-12 learning.