By Stacy Hinojosa
Agilix, a software development company in Orem, will be giving away a tablet computer in a raffle drawing at a lecture Monday at noon in room 121 of the Tanner Building.
In addition to the computer raffle, a free copy of Agilix'' new software, GoBinder will be given to the first 25 people in attendance.
The giveaway is part of a presentation by Chris Thomas, Chief Strategist from Intel, who is coming to BYU to speak about the growing advancements in mobilized computing and Intel''s efforts to pursue mobile technologies through applications such as Agilix'' GoBinder.
'It''s a combination of a planner, a filing cabinet, and a spiral notebook with an endless supply of paper,' said Brad Baldwin, vice-president of product marketing for Agilix.
GoBinder, which Baldwin defined as a mobilized course management application, is software specifically designed to meet the needs of technologically savvy college students.
It works with Blackboard to synchronize course outlines, assignments, and other important due dates so students have all the information they need without having to be connected to the Internet.
'Think of it as a three-ring binder that won''t get heavier as you add things to it,' Baldwin said.
The software also includes a calendar, task list, contact information and a journal feature. File folders can be customized, individualized and password-protected and the program uses keyword search recognition to help students find what they''re looking for fast.
'It''s your daily planner on an adrenaline rush,' said Shandon Gubler, an associate teaching professor in BYU''s Marriott School of Management. 'And it all started here at BYU.'
Gubler said the initial plans for GoBinder began with a constructive dialogue between BYU''s Center for Entrepreneurship and BYU''s Center for Instructional Design, which manages Blackboard.
Last winter, Agilix conducted their first focus groups with students here on campus.
'Now, the product is really taking off,' Gubler said.
Recently, Intel launched a nationwide college tour to take GoBinder and tablet PCs to students across the country. Halfway through the tour, Intel is returning to BYU.
While GoBinder can be used with any computer with Windows XP, it was specially designed for use with Tablet PCs, such as the HP Compaq model.
Baldwin said the combination of the two is most appealing because of their timesaving qualities and organizational abilities.
'Instead of spending the first week of class filling out a calendar with all your assignments, GoBinder does it for you in a minute,' Baldwin said. 'As soon as you enter something, it''s immediately saved, indexed and searchable.'