Are e-book readers ready for university life?

Walk around any university or college campus in Canada and you will see students carrying a variety of electronics – laptops, netbooks, MP3 players, and smartphones to name a few.  

Are the newest gadgets on the scene – eBook readers and tablets like the Apple iPad going to be the next big thing? 

 Will we see bulky textbooks and heavy backpacks replaced by tablets loaded with digital textbooks?

The answer is “not yet”, according to technology editor Andrew Lau at RedFlagDeals.com, Canada’s largest shopping information website.  

“We devote a lot of coverage to computers and electronics offers and to deals for students, but at present, eBook readers and tablet computers don’t offer a sufficiently polished experience for educational use.”

Simple functions like flipping between pages quickly, bookmarking, highlighting, and taking notes in margins are anywhere from cumbersome to impossible on eBook readers.  

“Some of the functions are there, but simple things like having a few books open at once or having sticky notes on important pages aren’t things you can do with a digital copy and eBook reader”, explains Lau.  

“And perhaps most importantly, most textbooks are not readily available in digital formats yet.”

For the time being, you’re probably better off with an affordable ultraportable laptop and looking for deals on used textbooks.

-www.newscanada.com

Read Full Post »

Grass Eaters – Ask A Veterinarian

Q: Why does my dog eat grass?

A: Speculations abound as to why dogs eat grass. 

One common theory is my pet must be sick and needs to vomit. In a study of 1,500 dogs that had eaten grass at least 10 times in the past year, only nine per cent were reported as being ill before grass consumption.

The truth is that we have no idea why dogs eat grass. It would appear that grass-eating is a normal behaviour for some dogs. According to a survey of over 1,000 dogs, 68 per cent were reported to consume plants on a weekly basis – grass being the most common at 79 per cent of plant material consumed. 

This survey found no relationship between sex, breed, diet, fiber content in the diet, nor the frequency or type of plant eaten. However, the survey did reveal that younger dogs more often consume plants than older dogs.

Q: Is it normal for my dog to vomit after eating grass?

A: Yes. This survey found that one in every four dogs vomited after eating plant material. If your dog doesn’t vomit, then depending on the amount consumed, the grass may irritate the colon causing a soft, mucous- and grass-filled stool. Their stool will return to normal once all grass has been passed.

Dr. Jeffrey Person practices at the Delton Veterinary Hospital and co-hosts the listener call-in show Pet Talk, heard every Sunday morning at 7 a.m. on AM630 CHED.

Read Full Post »