From Engadget: Comcast’s Internet Essentials program expanding as digital literacy project soars

Well, at least Comcast is doing one thing right!
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If everyone needs the internet, then poor kids need it more — since so much learning material is dependent on technology. Comcast teamed up with the FCC to produce Internet Essentials: a $10 a month broadband plan and $150 computers to get the nation’s poorest families online. Six months later, the program’s been a colossal success, leading to the company adding some sweeteners: eligibility is being relaxed to include any family who qualifies for discounted lunches (swelling the catchment group by a further 300,000). It’s also doubling the speed of the available connection: 3 Mbps down and 768 Kbps up and is allowing community groups to bulk-buy packages to directly supply the most impecunious households. It’s also pairing up with the “connect to compete” initiative to reduce computer costs, enrich digital literacy materials and connect those outside of Comcast’s core service areas. You can head on down to our source link to read the extended report and see how families are benefiting from a little corporate good deed.

 

from Engadget

From Business and financial news – CNNMoney.com: Federal student loan rate set to double

Uh oh… now we are REALLY in for trouble if this becomes a reality… it’s bad enough that the tuition rates have been climbing incredibly in recent years but to have the student loan rate DOUBLE?!  Are we really crazy and that stupid?!!

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Attention college students: The interest rate on federal student loans is scheduled to double this summer unless Congress acts soon.

from Business and financial news – CNNMoney.com

Kindle Textbook Rentals! Where were you when I needed you?!

So Amazon.com is moving to rent out textbooks.  Not the regular thick paper books, mind you. The electronic copies!  This will save students so much money since new books are way too overpriced and when you re-sell it, you get gypped!

I wish I had this back in the days… not to mention that e-textbooks will be sooo much lighter!!