The Wall Street Journal is reporting that major textbook publishers are in the process of inking deals with software company ScrollMotion Inc. to transfer their textbooks into an e-reader form that can make it compatible with digital devices like Apple’s iPad. The publishers are tapping the know-how of ScrollMotion Inc. to develop textbook applications and test-prep and study guides for the iPad (WSJ). The publishers on board, include Kaplan Inc., which is best know for its test prep guides and the education unit of McGraw Hill and Cos.

So far, the Journal reports, college kids have been slow to adapt to digital e-textbooks, partly because of mobility problems- the desktops and laptops and netbooks were too large to lug around. But with the iPad’s portability–that issue could be addressed. So now college kids can download their e-textbooks and school kids could “enhance” their learning by taking notes online, recording lectures and taking tests online.

The iPad also will be helped by the interest that schools have always had in tablet-form computers. Science teachers, for example, could use them for taking lab notes, which often use a combination of sentences, charts and mathematical equations, while others could use them on field trips. “This is the beginning of handheld education,” said John Lema, chief executive of ScrollMotion (WSJ).

BARF! Try getting kids to pay attention when they have access to video online–it’s hard enough already to get them to get their digits off their cell-phones, you think they’re going to pay attention when they have a shiny iPad? And didn’t we all buy into that study that said that multi-tasking actually makes the kids more ADD? What are we doing to our kids?!

I know. We’re developing a breed of attention-resistant, multi-tasking brats, who won’t know how to use a pen or remember what they learnt two minutes after exiting class. And I should know- I read on the internet all the time to never retain information and my hand-writing sucks. There- game, set, match! Over.

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The iPad is Finally Here

Yes, You are hired! Now, can you do headstands?

Yes, the economy! Still tanking, still reeling under the economic crisis, still sucking! So if you are out there still looking for a job, The Wall Street Journal has some ideas on how not to suck at an interview.

Tips include the famous

- Don’t arrive late

-Don’t dress sloppily

-Don’t act over familiar

-No typos in resume

-Don’t talk about salary or benefits off the bat

-Don’t be fidgety, keep a pen and notepad handy, and always take a copy of your resume with you

- A follow up thank-you email is enough, no need for cards and balloons.

But more than these tips, I found this survey- of 500 HR managers of the Society for Human Resource Management- insightful.

• 30% of hiring managers will decide whether to hire you within 15 minutes (Aha! So need to babble about thinking out of the box, or being a team player, post 15 minute mark, methinks!)
• 40% of hiring managers say a cellphone ringing in the middle of an interview is a “deal breaker” (Duh!)
• 70% prefer job candidates to have unpaid internship experience directly related to their companies’ work versus paid employment in an unrelated field (Yes, so please slave away at an unpaid internship, denying yourself the chance to make any real money, to keep your head above water, in a sinking city; so that when you meet said HR manager, you can show them how serious you are about finding a job in the field you are applying for.)
• 39% say “chemistry” with a job applicant accounts for half of their hiring decision

• Choose your application round carefully. Most schools have several windows in which applicants can apply. The deadlines start in November and can go as late as April. The key is to zero in on your top choice and work on that application before the others, says Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, which coaches individuals during the M.B.A. admissions process. But don’t wait until the third round to apply to a school you’re serious about. By that time, schools are looking for very specific types of people to round out the rest of the class, says Jennifer Hayes, senior associate director of admissions at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

• Break the news to your employer. Applicants with letters of recommendation from a current employer are much stronger than those without. Ideally, you have discussed your long-term goals with your employer, so this won’t come as a surprise. Ms. Blackman recommends telling your supervisor about your ambitions two years before you apply. However, if you feel as if sharing your goal will endanger your employment, include an additional letter addressed to the admissions committee explaining your concerns.

• Work harder in the office. Truth is, not every applicant will get into their dream school. Scott Shrum, director of M.B.A. admissions research of Veritas Prep, an admissions firm in Malibu, Calif., suggests finding ways to make your candidacy even stronger while waiting for a final answer. If there’s a new workplace project that needs a leader, volunteer. It will give you more to talk about if you make it to the personal interview at your choice schools, says Mr. Shrum.

Read the rest of the piece here.