Reporters notebook: Auburn's iPad2 story makes Jay Leno

Auburn's iPad 2 story not only made top news in Maine and the nation, it was featured on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Recently, Leno said he read that "kids in Maine are going high tech. Kids in kindergarten are being given iPads. Some of these kids are so tech savvy."

He played a CNN report that featured Maine's WGME video of Auburn's Washburn Elementary School kindergartners playing with iPads.

"I drew a kitty cat," one girl said. "I'm trying to make words," a boy said. It then showed a girl in a pink shirt saying: "I did it. I hacked into the Pentagon," she said, showing her iPad screen that said, "Pentagon access granted."

As she touched yes on "Upload to WikiLeaks," the girl said, "I'm sending it to WikiLeaks."

The audience laughed and applauded, Leno said, "Wow. Tech-savvy kids."

Washburn Principal Holly Couturier said Friday the the girl in the pink top is not a Washburn student, her appearance was the creation of the show. Couturier thought the episode was cute and funny.

"We made Jay Leno's monologue, that's impressive!" she said. "It was a spoof, but in a positive light."

— Bonnie Washuk

To watch:?

http://www.slashcontrol.com/free-tv-shows/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno/2415726686-kindergarten-ipads

School boss now a taxpayer

On the night that the Lewiston School Committee passed a school budget (the budget does not increase property taxes), Superintendent Bill Webster made a personal announcement.

He closed on his home that day. "I'm a Lewiston taxpayer," he said with a grin.

What timing.

The School Committee did not make it a job requirement that he live in Lewiston. He and his wife, Molly, took time to get to know Lewiston "before deciding this was indeed the place we wanted to live," Webster said.? Both were impressed with the city's vitality. Webster has joined the Androscoggin Chorale.

Webster said he, his wife and daughters are excited about their new, one-level? Lewiston home, "but I have a very long 'honey-do' list from Molly," he said. That list includes finishing the basement, putting in a garden, building an outdoor fireplace.

Webster became Lewiston superintendent Jan. 1 after serving as school superintendent in Ellsworth. He still owns a home in Ellsworth. "Want to buy it?" he asked.?

— Bonnie Washuk

View the original article here

The Notebook [VHS]

When you consider that old-fashioned tearjerkers are an endangered species in Hollywood, a movie like The Notebook can be embraced without apology. Yes, it's syrupy sweet and clogged with cliches, and one can only marvel at the irony of Nick Cassavetes directing a weeper that his late father John--whose own films were devoid of saccharine sentiment--would have sneered at. Still, this touchingly impassioned and great-looking adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel has much to recommend, including appealing young costars (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) and appealing old costars (James Garner and Gena Rowlands, the director's mother) playing the same loving couple in (respectively) early 1940s and present-day North Carolina. He was poor, she was rich, and you can guess the rest; decades later, he's unabashedly devoted, and she's drifting into the memory-loss of senile dementia. How their love endured is the story preserved in the titular notebook that he reads to her in their twilight years. The movie's open to ridicule, but as a delicate tearjerker it works just fine. Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember were also based on Sparks novels, suggesting a triple-feature that hopeless romantics will cherish. --Jeff Shannon

Price: $58.97

Click here to buy from Amazon

Notebook, Address Book and Pen Gift Set

BLUE'S CLUES:BLUE'S BIGGEST STORIES - DVD Movie

Price:

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The Notebook

When you consider that old-fashioned tearjerkers are an endangered species in Hollywood, a movie like The Notebook can be embraced without apology. Yes, it's syrupy sweet and clogged with cliches, and one can only marvel at the irony of Nick Cassavetes directing a weeper that his late father John--whose own films were devoid of saccharine sentiment--would have sneered at. Still, this touchingly impassioned and great-looking adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel has much to recommend, including appealing young costars (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) and appealing old costars (James Garner and Gena Rowlands, the director's mother) playing the same loving couple in (respectively) early 1940s and present-day North Carolina. He was poor, she was rich, and you can guess the rest; decades later, he's unabashedly devoted, and she's drifting into the memory-loss of senile dementia. How their love endured is the story preserved in the titular notebook that he reads to her in their twilight years. The movie's open to ridicule, but as a delicate tearjerker it works just fine. Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember were also based on Sparks novels, suggesting a triple-feature that hopeless romantics will cherish. --Jeff Shannon

Price: $14.98

Click here to buy from Amazon

Targus 15.4" Rolling Notebook Backpack (Black)

Targus' first Rolling Notebook Backpack combines the best of both worlds in that it is a stylish, durable backpack with plenty of features and it is also a roller.

Price: $74.99

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K-Cliffs Laptop Computer Backpack - Notebook Computer Backpack - School Backpack

This polyester backpack carries your laptop/ notebook computer, as well as all of your books and stationery. The adjustable curved padded shoulder straps, padded back panel and adjustable waist belt are all designed to balance the heavy load and make it comfortable on your shoulder.

Price:

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Apple MacBook Air - Guide For The New Notebook User

The MacBook Air is the latest star to be released from the Apple stable. Confident of it's own special qualities, it has already gained a head start in the notebook race thanks to the latest unique features. If you are on the look-out for a notebook to help keep your business under control, will the Apple MacBook Air fit the bill? Here is my guide to help the new notebook user.

Since notebooks are aimed at travelling business professionals, Apple scores right off the mark with it's featherweight product. Weighing in at just 2.3 pounds (1.06kg), it overcomes all the difficulties of dragging heavy laptops around. The superslim shape measures just over 11 inches and is 1.7cm at the widest point. The LED backlight gives more text on the screen and adjustable stereo sound is provided from left and right speakers via the keyboard.

These achievements are without work-base compromise. The keyboard is full sized, which is essential if you need a notebook to actually work on (as well as play). A larger than usual battery gives 5 hours of use on one charge and the MacBook comes with the ability to stay in standby mode for up to 30 days. Closing the lid will suspend all function and pop-back opening allows instant use.

Flash storage fuels this ability. A first for notebooks, it was previously only used in iPods, iPhones and iPads. Apple was quick to realize the advantage it would provide in the ultra-thin Macbook Air, since it needs only around 20% of traditional hard drive power and can read over a hundred times faster. It is also very cost effective.

The multi-touch track pad (minus the buttons) allows the user to click and operate anywhere in the zone. The finger swipe is perfected to an art with its 'click, tap and scroll feature'. Allowing you to adjust, swipe, rotate, pinch, zoom in and out or flick to scroll the pages, watch out for the 'two finger scroll, three finger drag and four finger swipe' instructions.

Guide prices start at ?849 for the 11 inch notebook and comes with all the usual features for leisure time activities. Web-browsing, video watching and photo-editing are standard, but another first for Apple is the FaceTime Camera. Smaller than the iPhone 4 camera, it's hardly noticeable and you may call (even in low light), any other iPhone 4, iPod touch or Mac user using Wi-Fi without compromise of video quality.

The 2 GB of memory, allows you to send emails, print documents and download music. Tutorials are available for expert advice on all aspects of MacBook Air use, as well as a few tricks and tips. Check out Apple.com.

How spoilt have we become with this life-transforming technology? But don't stop there! If you want your own business and be your own boss - do it. Don't just dream about working from home, crank up the juice and make it happen. See what you can achieve by clicking on the following link now. http://www.earnyourwealth.co.uk New technology is paving the way for new homebased work options, so go check it out. This is my Apple MacBook Air guide for the new notebook user - enjoy.

Olive Bush is an online marketer teaching people from around the world to make money online and how to build their home based business. To learn more about Olive and her business please visit http://www.earnyourwealth.co.uk