This week, my take on the new Xbox One S hardware from Microsoft, some tech that’s great for back to school, and some apps to support learning.

Back to school technology

Primary school students in B.C. are getting a new curriculum this year, one that is focused on new ways of teaching and learning, one that leverages what decades of research has proven works best.

It’s still a broad curriculum that includes math and science, creative arts and social sciences, and new things like applied design.

These are things that can be supported by technology.

When it comes to tablets, Apple’s iPad is still the best option available. It comes in a range of sizes and configurations, and being able to use them with Bluetooth keyboards and styli, like the Apple Pencil, makes iPads even more usable.

Sometimes, though, you just need a computer. Lightweight, powerful laptops are good options for students, who have to carry the things around everywhere.

Microsoft’s Surface 4 is a tablet in form, but a computer in function. It comes with a keyboard cover and can also be used with a stylus.

Samsung also has a tablet that is more like a computer. The Galaxy TabPro S

Other slim options that run the Windows operating system include Dell’s XPS 13 and the delightful ZenBook UX360 from ASUS (which also comes in a flip design so you can use it as a tablet if you want).

Some students are able to get by without a computer at all using only a smartphone.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note7, with its oversize screen and built-in stylus, the S Pen, is the best Android option available.

Apple’s now got the oversize iPhone 6S Plus, but next week we’ll find out what the company has in store with the iPhone 7.

And while it’s difficult to justify a printer these days – everything is digtal – the HP Deskjet 3755 is a decent option. It’s only $50 (on sale from the usual $90), you connect to it wirelessly, and you can use it to print papers and photos.

Apps that can help kids learn to code

B.C. is a province of high tech thinkers and companies. There’s also the claim by Premier Clark that all students in kindergarten through Grade 12 will get a chance to learn how to code.

You don’t actually need a computer to learn basic coding skills. In fact, paper and pencils work great for that. And there are some fun board games designed for kids that also teach coding basics.

But when your kids are ready for actual coding, they can start with ScratchJr, which gives children as young as 5 a chance to program their own stories and games.

You might think that Minecraft is nothing more than a video game, but you’re mistaken. Minecraft is a vast suite of tools for engineering, construction, creativity and imagination.

When your kids are fluent in the Minecraft environment, they can start using Tynker to create their own skins and mods for their Minecraft worlds.

Both ScratchJr and Tynker exist for multiple platforms. Apple has adopted Swift Playgrounds to help kids learn to code on iPads. Apple will be releasing the app free this fall.

Two other good apps that support learning are Google Earth and WolframAlpha, both of which are available for computers, smartphones, and tablets. The former is an extraordinary way to explore our planet, while the latter is a browser-based computational system that gives students a way to explore everything about our planet.

Finally, The Elements is a visual presentation of the periodic table of the elements, based on the book by Popular Science magazine’s Theodore Gray. There’s a story for each element, and how the various elements are connected is presented visually.

Xbox One S a sleek, refined console

Nearly three years after Microsoft released the Xbox One next generation console, the company has refined the hardware with the Xbox One S.

Noticeably smaller than the original – 40 percent according to Microsoft – the ghost white S has shed the bulky, cumbersome, inconvenient power supply for an internal solution. That also means that the S is a more efficient machine.

When you set up a new S, it gives you the option of choosing a more energy efficient operating profile, although to do so you will sacrifice the instant-on feature of the console.

The launch edition Xbox One S comes with a 2 TB hard drive, which should be the bare minimum these days. It’s priced at $500. A Halo Collection bundle with a 1 TB hard drive is $450, and gives you all the Halo games, too.

A distressed red model with a 2 TB hard drive is being packaged with Gears of War 4 for $550. It will be released on October 7.

The S comes with the new and improved Xbox controller, which you can personalize using the Xbox Design Lab:“http://www.straight.com/blogra/729796/week-video-games-july-4-2016-xbox-design-lab-steelseries-lego-news”. It does not include the Kinect hands-free controller. If you’ve upgraded you can get an adapter for your Kinect for free directly from Microsoft.

The new console does much more than play games. Like the Xbox One, it streams media, acts as a TV tuner, and also plays DVDs and Blu-ray discs and supports high dynamic range video.

In fact, because the Xbox One S can play 4K UHD Blu-ray videos, it is actually among the cheapest such Blu-ray players on the market.

And you can play games on it, too.

The same games, in fact, that you may already be playing on the original Xbox One. And if you’ve already got that console, you probably don’t need the Xbox One S. While the S is a more powerful machine, you may not notice that power.