If you work in any type of academic environment, there's a huge chance that you might be using Blackboard for your CMS (Course Management System). Blackboard is a system that is prevalent across many college campuses and is even used by some high schools to manage course work, grades, assignments, and more.

In this found footage, Northwest College of Agriculture captured a video demo at ConnectED of the upcoming Blackboard application for iPhone and iPod touch. The application will allow you to connect to your schools Blackboard server and get important information from your account. I personally can't wait for this application to ship, and I'm sure many college students and professors are eager to use it. According to the representative in the video, the application will be free when it launches. If you didn't catch the application layout, you can see it on Flickr.

Thanks, Micah!

With Macs growing more popular on college campuses, why not get the college student in your life something they'll actually use? This gift guide is filled with things that any Apple-loving college student should want/need.

For the dorm
If your dorms are like most, then you might be sharing a room with up to four others. With limited space, you shouldn't have to sacrifice with limited computing/entertainment. The Griffin Simplifi is a great place to start. The Simplifi does tripple duty as an iPhone/iPod dock, USB hub, and media card reader. With the Simplifi, you can have one USB cable to plug into your Mac (or PC) and get instant access to iPhone/iPod syncing, downloading pictures from your media cards (it supports SD, Media Stick/Pro, SDHC, xD, and CF).

If you like rocking out in your dorm, then look no further than the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 speakers. These speakers have a great sound and look. They also don't take a ton of space, come with a portable case, and they have a remote control. The speakers are compatible with all iPods/iPhone with the 30-pin dock connector on the bottom.

For the walks between classes
You can easily brighten the long walks in between classes with an iPod nano (or any of the other numerous iPod/iPhone devices). Sure, you could use the plain old earbuds that come with the iPod/iPhone, but you might also want to take a look at the Coosh headset for iPhone/iPod. This headset is perfect for the walkers/runners in your life, because the loop on the headset keeps the earbuds from popping out of your ear and breaking. You also get good sound, without sacrificing the fashionable white earbuds. If you're look for some good, cheaper sound-isolating in-ear headphones for iPhone, look no further than the Radtech ProCable headset.


Other goodies that college students love:

• We can't express how great iTunes Gift Cards are. You can pick them up almost anywhere (including online), and they can be used to purchase music, movies, TV shows, and iPhone/iPod touch applications and games.
• If you are regularly missing your favorite TV shows, then it might be worth it to invest in an Apple TV and hack your Apple TV with Boxee. You can also install Boxee on your Mac and save a few hundred dollars.

If you are a high school or college student, then you can now register a team for Apple's 2008 Insomnia Film Festival. The idea behind the festival is simple. Apple will post a list of elements you can use in your film, you pick three of them, and then take 24 hours to make a 3 minute movie.

If you are the lucky grand prize winner, your team will receive: 5 MacBook Pro notebook computers, 5 Final Cut Studio 2 box sets, 5 copies of Shake, 5 Logic Studio box sets, and 5 One to One personal training cards. That sure is a nice set up!

If you want to get in on the action, check out Apple's Insomnia Film Festival website, and register your team today! All the fun will start on November 15th at 9:00 a.m. EST. And if you like the Insomnia logo, Apple has posted wallpaper for both Mac and iPhone/iPod touch on the site.

"Hi, I'm a Mac. And I'm a PC." -- You've probably heard those words more than a few times. Apple has been airing the "Get a Mac" commercials for a few years, and from the looks of it, the ads have been fairly successful. But has it really helped spread the word that Mac is better?

iPhone Savior recently surveyed seven college women at a school in British Columbia (Canada) and found that almost half of them said they preferred a Mac over a PC. They note that their research on the subject was ended early due to "several unfriendly encounters with campus security."

Numbers don't lie ... and Apple has the numbers (quite literally) on their side. Recently, Apple's market share jumped to almost 8.2% for notebook users. That's just amazing (especially for such difficult economical times).

Please note: The iPhone Savior survey is very limited in statistical terms of population, and because of this, the data is probably skewed slightly. We should also note that before you take a poll on a college campus, make sure you're a student or have clearance from the proper school officials. That being said, feel free to take part in our own poll on this issue.

TUAW's going Back to School! We'll be bringing you tips and reviews for students, parents and teachers right up until the bell rings in September. Read on for high school & college-level help.

At any level of schooling, you eventually have to do a little research. There are probably those who caution against doing any of that research on the web, but if you're aware that faulty (and downright false) information exists and take the extra steps to ensure that what you're citing is verifiable, the net can be a treasure trove of information.

Hyperlinks and full-text search of a massive amount of information make the electronic frontier an ideal research tool. But you've heard all of that before, so read on as we look at some research tools specifically for Mac users (and we'll try to stay within a typical student's budget).

Ars Technica is reporting that Apple has considered plans to sell the iPhone 3G directly on US college campuses. Some campuses do already sell Apple products in their on-campus stores; however, this varies by university.

If Apple marketed the phone directly to the students, this could definitely move Apple closer to the 18 million goal for 2008. Ars Technica also notes that a recent AppleInsider post speculates that a Best Buy deal could be in the works after the "old" iPhone's "grey-markets" put a hold on those plans. However, we know of one college that Apple probably won't be waiting in line to market their iPhone 3G to.

[via Ars Technica]

Abilene Christian University is announcing a pilot program to provide an iPhone or iPod touch to every new student. At first glance, I found myself wondering: if some colleges are providing MacBooks with tuition, doesn't an iPhone seem like a less-expensive attempt to lure new blood? Upon further consideration, I think there are some distinct advantages to a pocket-sized device in a learning environment. From constant connectivity to ultra-portability, it could provide a means for every student to access learning materials any time, from any place.

ACU has obviously considered this, and then some. With apparently well-coordinated plans to take advantage of the devices – including podcasts, mobile-accessible class materials, active-learning strategies and a re-focusing of the campus media – they're preparing to take maximum advantage of the iPhone/iPod touch possibilities. If it's a gimmick, it sure seems like a useful, well-thought-out one. For more information, case studies and future plans, take a peek at the ACU Mobile Learning page.

School is a lot of work as it is without having to worry about how you're going to remember that you have an essay due next Monday for your Sub-Aquatic Fiber Arts class. Some people swear by the tried-and-true paper notebook, while others can't cope without their fancy PDA. While there are a few software options for those hardcore geeks (like me) who take their computers everywhere with them (including class), Schoolhouse is far-and-away my personal favorite. In addition to an almost totally redesigned interface, version 2 introduces some really handy new features including the ability to attach files to assignments, sub-tasks for multi-step assignments such as research papers, and a way to store all your class notes directly inside Schoolhouse. Schoolhouse is available as a free download– all the developer asks is if you enjoy and use the software, that you consider donating (unfortunately, the donate link is currently down).

[via Lifehacker]

I've always thought keeping track of school-related courses, assignments and projects was a little clunky with apps like iCal and Entourage, and apparently Logan Rockmore agrees, so he created assignment planner. Answering the call of students everywhere, assignment planner brings a number of classroom-focused abilities to the time management table, including:

* filtering assignments by completion status and type
* course and textbook tracking
* color-coding assignments based on your criteria
* Dashboard widget to quickly monitor assignments

Naturally, a demo is available, but assignment planner's price is just right: $5 scores you a license for this Universal Binary app.

Thanks Ronald

Just in time for a new fall semester, the iTMS has introduced a Back to School (iTMS link) section, offering playlists based on the many cultures, cliques and stereotypes that (love it or hate it) exist and collide on so many college campuses across our great planet. Groups like Hipsters, Hippies, Greeks, the Honor Roll, Club Kids, The Faithful and even Cowboys (and more) all are represented, with playlists ranging in price from around $25-$45 USD.

If you ever needed a stereotyping microscope to peer into what these hooligan cliques are into these days, or if you're looking for a way into said cliques, these Back to School lists might just be the ticket.

Willie Morris has put together a list of Mac software that he calls 'Crucial Mac Software: College Edition.' The list has lots of great software on it (including the fantastic Quicksilver), but I have one problem with that list. What makes it college specific? Other than including Microsoft Office (and not even the student edition) I don't see any applications that would be uniquely useful for college students.

Perhaps I'm an old so and so and I just don't 'get' the kids anymore. College students (and I know are some of you out there reading TUAW) let me know what applications you can't live without in the comments.

[via Digg]