Thursday I was fortunate enough to attend a staff training session for Baltimore City’s Public School newest investment, The Promethean ActivBoard. This Activboard is basically a rojector screen which has touch sensing functions. In other words, if your display your computer using a projector on this Promethean board you can use the screen as your input device instead of a mouse. This capability is achieved by connecting the oversized touchpad to your pc or laptop via USB or Bluetooth. When you shine your projector to the screen the installedsoftwareruns a configuration diagnostic to adjust and regulate the height and positioning of the projector to the screen. Once this is completed you can Use your machine on the board with a projector without a mouse just a pen sized stylus. You still need a keyboard but this is specifically for presentation in the office or in this case schools. Of course this isnt new technology but rather innovative concept of efficient use with our current technology. Its still a little annoying as a device because you still need a keyboard and the bright light from the projector can get annoying but its nice. I rather see the Multi-Touch Interaction Experiment implemented among all systems, especially linux based pc’s. If you dont click the link to see for yourself this Project is taking the next evolutionary test to the Promethean Activboard. Hopefully the Staff in these elementary schools take advantage of it. Or else reasonably good and expenseive technology gone down the drain like the Mobile laptop basestations for the kids. The machine’s only as strog as the users ability to manipulate it.