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Lenovo Unveils Chromebook for K-12, Maybe Next for Biz By Barry Levine January 17, 2013 11:27AM     Given the brutal wear and tear of a K-12 environment, Lenovo has added features to its ThinkPad X131e Chromebook to protect the unit in case it is dropped, such as a rubber bumper around the top cover and stronger corners. The Lenovo Chromebook's hinges and hinge brackets are built to last more than 50,000 open/close cycles at school.   Related Topics Lenovo Chromebook Google Cloud Chrome OS Schools Top Tech News Latest News Reality TV's New Stars: Small Biz Soundbars Up the Ante on TV Sound Google Glass Raises Privacy Concerns Pentagon Gives iOS 6 Security OK Should Enterprises Skip Windows 8? Can Google's cloud -based Chromebook find a bigger foothold in schools? Lenovo is going to find out, with its announcement Thursday of the ThinkPad X131e rugged Chromebook designed for K-12 education. And there are reports that the company is about to release Chromebooks for companies. Some school administrators will likely find the Chrome OS-based Chromebook concept appealing, with fast boot times, simplified software and security management through one dashboard, the lack of viruses, automatic updating and backups, and the ability to readily share devices between students. Chromebooks are entirely Web-based, with applications and data stored in the cloud. In its announcement, Lenovo cited an IDC report that Chromebooks require 69 percent less labor to deploy and 92 percent less to support. Rubber Bumper Given the brutal wear and tear of a K-12 environment, Lenovo has added features intended to protect the unit in case it is accidentally dropped, such as a rubber bumper around the top cover and stronger corners. The company also said that the hinges and hinge brackets are designed and built to last more than 50,000 open/close cycles. Jerry Paradise, executive director of product marketing for the ThinkPad Product Group, said in a statement that the company's testing has shown the X131e to be "very successful in education environments," and the ruggedness has led to "reduced failure rates in the field." The company has indicated that the devices are available only through volume bids, beginning late next month. The model, which weighs under 4 pounds, offers Google Apps for Education and thousands of apps in the Chrome Web Store. It offers an unspecified Intel processor, an 11.6-inch 1366x768 HD LED anti-glare screen, a low-light webcam for such activities as video conversations with students in other schools, and has Wi-Fi as well as HDMI, VGA and three USB ports. Lenovo Chromebooks for Enterprises? To increase its appeal to schools, the model has several customizable options, such as custom colors, device tagging to keep track of the units, and school logo etching. Caesar Sengupta, director of product management for Chrome OS at Google, said Chromebooks are being used by more than a thousand K-12 schools. In December, Google offered the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook, originally with a $430 list price, to schools for $100 each through DonorsChoose.org, an online charity. The offer, good only through Dec. 21, included the device, management, and support. Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said schools "are one place where Chromebooks make sense" because of the "zero setup and maintenance and the ability to allow any student to use any unit." According to a report earlier this week on financial journal The Street, Lenovo will offer laptops and desktops this year for corporate markets that are based on Google's Chrome OS. The report said that it is hearing from enterprises that they are ready to try Chromebooks on as many as 20 percent of their employees. With its strong brand name in companies, Lenovo's release of Chromebooks for the corporate market could change the dynamics of this thin-client offering.   Based on your interest in this article, here's something that may be of interest to you also: (Why?) This article relates to the following term(s) that also match our recommendation: Google. (Close) Recommended Reading: Search & Destroy: Why You Can't Trust Google Inc. Synopsis: This is the other side of the Google story. In Search & Destroy, Google expert Scott Cleland, shows that the world's most powerful company is not who it pretends to be. Google pretends to be a harmless lamb, but chose a full-size model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex as its mascot. Beware the T-Rex in sheep's clothing. Tell Us What You Think Comment: Name: Also Visit: iPad Info Center Billions of Bytes Mobile Device Now Apple Info Center TopTechWire.com Panasonic Toughbook® mobile computers are engineered to withstand drops, spills, dust and grime, and to perform in the harshest environments. Rugged reliability, low cost of ownership and accolades from reviewers are just a few of the reasons why Toughbook computers keep winning over the world's toughest users. Click here to learn more.  Cloud & Virtualization 1.   Cloud Computing Gains Another Rival 2.   Investors Funding Cyberwarfare 3.   HP Boosts Data Center IT Automation 4.   Involuntary IT Managers Cost a Bundle 5.   Hospitals Lose $8.3B Using Old Tech SAP Tools Gave 49ers' Scouting Edge Big tech trends get applied to sports. Average Rating: Cloud Computing Gains Another Rival Google's Compute Engine opened to all. Average Rating: Investors Funding Cyberwarfare As demand for tech security grows. Average Rating:

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Network Security Spotlight

Syrian Electronic Army Hacks Financial Times The Financial Times is the latest victim of the Syrian Electronic Army, a group that supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The U.K.-based newspaper said a blog and its Twitter accounts were hacked.   Patch Tuesday Hyper Focuses on IE 8 Microsoft on Tuesday issued 10 security bulletins that fix 33 vulnerabilities. These updates include MS13-038, which will address the Internet Explorer 8 issue described in Security Advisory 2847140.   Surge of Venture Capital Buoys Tech Security Sector With companies and governments spending billions to repel cyberthreats, a surge of venture capital is pouring into companies developing cybersecurity technologies, the front line of the conflict.

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

U.S. Defense Department Gives iOS 6 Security OK In a vote of confidence for Apple's iOS devices, the Defense Department has given the all-clear for employees to use iPads and iPhones for work. But only those running iOS 6, and only if issued by the government.   Cisco Surges After Profit Exceeds Analysts' Estimates Networking equipment giant Cisco's net income jumped 14 percent in the latest quarter as revenue at all four of its divisions rose for the first time in a year and a half, as tech spending increases.   HP and SAP Team To Advance HANA Database Technology The two tech leaders are working on a system that SAP says could fundamentally change the database market. HANA is SAP's technology that keeps data in-memory, for super fast processing.

Mobile Enterprise Spotlight

Google Glass Raises Congressional Privacy Concerns The buzz around Google Glass continues, but it's not all good. Some in Congress have questions. "We are curious whether this new technology could infringe on the privacy of average Americans," their letter to Google says.   Windows Phone Now No. 3 in Market, BlackBerry No. 4 Has Microsoft Phone moved into a coveted though distant third place for smartphone platforms behind Google's Android and Apple's iOS? A new report says yes, while BlackBerry has slipped to No. 4.   Intel Going Mobile with Its New CEO In his first speech as Intel's CEO, Brian Krzanich said he plans to focus on beefing up Intel's presence in mobility. The next step: a world tour showing mobile devices based on Intel chips, from PCs to phones and tablets.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

HP and SAP Team To Advance HANA Database Technology The two tech leaders are working on a system that SAP says could fundamentally change the database market. HANA is SAP's technology that keeps data in-memory, for super fast processing.   Cloud Computing Gains Another Competitor with Google Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure now have a full-on rival in Google, with its I/O announcement that it is opening its hosted Compute Engine environment for virtual machines to all comers.   Hackers' New Tool of Choice: Smartphones Smartphones are increasingly popular not only with consumers, but with thieves who see the devices as another way to tap into bank accounts and other sensitive information, experts say.

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