If you've ever been told off by your teacher for bringing your handheld gaming device to school, then you probably should try studying in the UK. RedHalo is a new company which offers a "free, ultra-secure, Personal Learning Space" that they can use for schoolwork on handhelds and home games consoles.

The new service was discussed during the recent Handheld Learning Conference in London. It basically allows access from any gaming devices capable of connecting to the 'Net such as Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and Sony PSP, or even smartphones, iPhones, PDAs, and UMPCs.

However, it isn't all fun and games. Neil Critchell, Technical Director for RedHalo, explains that this is an experimental type of learning through a controlled environment, monitored by teachers. Since just about every kid owns a handheld or a mobile device of some sort, accessibility won't be much of a problem when learning through this service.

The free, basic package included in the RedHalo Platform edition offers up to 1GB of Personal Learning Space and can be upgraded to 5GB on the Pro Edition for a small annual fee. It also provides additional security features and bundled software for either Windows Mobile, XP, or Vista-based devices.

Tim Chaney, former boss of Virgin Interactive and Director at RedHalo Ltd., had this to about the new project:

We are pleased to be at the leading edge of the learning while mobile movement and establish a standard that will help learners and educators, as well as publishers and developers who will build upon our platform. Our mission is to make learning personal and universally accessible; this announcement takes us a step closer.