Since the introduction of smartphones, the pieces of technology have been in our hands more and more often. Nearly 75% of Americans have a laptop or a home computer, but the number of people with mobile devices is a great deal higher. Leaving us virtually inseparable, the increased attachment to our devices has caused more than a fair share of mishaps. Now with these devices no longer being simple phones, but the tools we use for games, communication, and even research, like 91% of consumers who read an online review before making any purchase, The loss of a phone can be devastating.

It doesn’t matter how careful you may think you are, you’ve likely felt the stomach sinking feeling of dropping your phone on the ground. Then the anticipatory 50/50 anxiety of wondering, hoping with fingers crossed, that your screen isn’t smashed to shards. For some of us more butterfingered folks, this feeling is unfortunately commonplace.

About 35% of iPhones suffer some form of damage in a given year, thus the clumsier cohort usually takes a few protective measures to ensure their phone fumbles don’t result in excessive damage. Heavy-duty cases and device replacement insurance from wireless service providers are the most common precautions.

Erica Bennett was with her family on a riverboat tour in South Carolina back in 2018 when her phone fell over the side into the river. When 26 million people are taking public transportation in some facet or another on a daily basis, you can imagine the swelling coffers of lost-and-founds nationwide. This time, however, lost was really lost. During the tour, they reported not even noticing her phone was gone until they went to collect their things after the tour. Fortunately, the phone was in a waterproof case when it fell. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find it in the murky depths on the Edisto River. Even more unfortunate was that the phone contained text messages from Erica’s deceased father, something irreplaceable comparatively.

YouTuber Michael Bennett (no relation to Erica and her family) was river diving for his YouTube channel Nugget Noggin. On his channel, he dives in search of little nuggets of randomness that the waters have claimed. Fifteen months after Erica lost her phone, Michael Bennett came upon a rare find during a dive in Edisto River.

“I came across something that looked kind of like a rope maybe attached to car keys, and when I pulled it up, I saw a phone inside of a waterproof case, and I’m like no way this is unbelievable,” Michael Bennett said.

To his surprise, when he put the phone on a charger, it worked but was passcode locked. He got crafty, removed the SIM card from the device and put it in another device where he was able to determine the owner’s contact information and sent her the device.

Overjoyed by its discovery, Erica said it was emotional and utterly shocking to find the device working after spending that much time in a river. Even the self-charging phone case with the phone was still functional.

Now that she has recovered her device, she reported being in the process of transferring the device’s data. We’re also hoping she starts using cloud storage.

As technology advances at a more rapid pace than ever, we’re faced with a unique and dynamic set of both challenges and opportunities. YouTube videos reach more 18 to 34 and 18 to 49 year-olds compared to any other cable network in the United States. Unfortunately, a large portion of recent technology coverage has focused on the more malicious side things while eclipsing the encouraging amount of positive developments modern tech has facilitated. In fact, two-thirds of parents worry that their child spends too much time on electronic devices.

News in technology is more prone to highlight the dissemination of misinformation from fake social media accounts or the gross misuse of sensitive user data across widely used platforms. While these are important issues to bring accountability to the tech industry, they’re missing the innumerable positive influences these technologies have brought to education. What needs more time in the spotlight is educational technology and the leaps these advancements have spurred in the realms of online education, tech-based classroom design, and evolving digital learning mediums.

The best part about education technology is that students are often a part of the development process. Currently, about 25% of all U.S. schools are private schools — approximately 33,619 private schools — filled with some of the most gifted children in the country. Most schools have various technologies meant to modernize and streamline the education process, but, as we know about any new development in tech, things can start off a little clunky. Which is exactly what one 10th grader thought. What he didn’t think was that his curiosity about a certain software would later land him a job at the very software company his school was using.

In 2016, Australian student Dean Levinson was a 10th grader at the Melbourne-local King David School. As Levinson’s school got away from the all-too-familiar tangle of wires that was often part-and-parcel with classroom technologies, they adopted the budding wireless screen sharing and video streaming technology Vivi.

As we mentioned earlier, the earliest implementation of the technology was convenient, but with it came a few bugs. Or, rather, things that could be improved upon. Typically, these issues are solved by professional software engineers with extensive experience and education. But, rather than Vivi’s employees making a change, Levinson had an idea.

The self-taught coder and technological tinkerer had already shown aptitude in, and fascination with, computer programming. He saw an issue with Vivi’s platform that he thought should be addressed.

The initial version of Vivi could share videos from approved services like YouTube. It had problems, however, with playing DVDs and sharing videos from smartphones, tablets, and the like. With 80% of smartphone users having their devices within reach 22 hours per day, Levinson saw this as an opportunity to make Vivi more accessible to those users. With permission from his school, he set to work.

His final product was a way for his teachers to take videos from DVDs, their phones, tablets, wherever, upload them to his app, then the app would convert those videos into links easily playable on Vivi’s platform. He coded it in a month and it worked delightfully. In fact, it became something his teachers used regularly.

After that, as one does toward the end of primary school, he began applying to work experience programs. He put applications in everywhere, including one to the software development company that produced Vivi. They forwarded Levinson’s application to Vivi who then reached out to Levinson’s teacher. That’s when the technical director at Vivi found out that Levinson had successfully shipped a hack that improved their software. They one-upped an internship offer and hired Levinson, who worked at Vivi headquarters a few hours per week while he finished school.

Upon Levinson’s graduation, they promoted him to a full stack software engineer and continue to tap his insight into how students and educators use Vivi in the classroom. This brings a developmental aspect that’s been crucial in improving their education technology as a whole. At 18 years old, Levinson is the youngest employee at the company and has no intentions of stopping his growth in the field he’s so passionate about.

When it comes to recycling, everyone knows the saying: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Some people, however, are taking this philosophy to new heights by using recycled and reused materials in construction. One of the biggest trends in repurposed construction materials: shipping containers. These sturdy steel structures have an average 25-year lifespan, making them ideal for a wide variety of building projects.

You’ve heard of steel shipping containers being used to build tiny homes and sustainable housing, but that’s just one way to put these containers to use. Container housing can be extremely affordable. Studies show that the average amount it takes to sell a house in the U.S. is $15,200 — but you could purchase a container home for much less.Here’s how creative builders are giving shipping containers a second life.

• Restaurants: Combining the food truck trend with an environmental twist, restaurant-owners and chefs are setting up shop in repurposed shipping containers everywhere. Their easily portable nature makes them a great fit for someone looking to take their business on the road without having it on wheels 24/7.
• Pools: Above-ground pools can often be unsightly on a lawn or yard and can even reduce property value. However, these fashionable pools styled from repurposed shipping containers can be a stylish addition to your home. The size of these containers makes them perfect for a family pool without being too intrusive a presence on your yard. The water-tight containers only need some small adjustments to become a perfect pool for those hot summer days.
• Schools: The size of most shipping containers makes them perfect for a small classroom. Several education non-profits have been converting shipping containers into classrooms for under-developed areas of the world, helping young children everywhere access education. Additionally, there are even larger schools that are making use of this interesting resource; several shipping containers stacked together makes for a fascinating and eco-friendly learning environment.
• Emergency Health Clinics: Shipping containers can be fitted with a wide variety of equipment, including medical. They can be turned into the perfect temporary hospitals and clinics in crisis situations; they’re certainly an improvement in many ways on the standard ambulance.

Shipping containers can be reused in a wide variety of ways, with some people even fashioning them into homes. Regardless of how they’re reused, these sturdy containers are perfect for many different types of structures, and reusing them is great for the environment.

The company has launched a new range of telecare solutions under its easyfone brand to suit the different needs, budgets and style requirements for seniors. The new range comprising of easyfone-grand, easyfone Royale and easyfone elite leverages the best of the first easyfone model which has over 20 senior friendly features and builds upon it by adding some very unique and innovative features & services that have not been seen in India before.

The easyfone Grand is India’s first and only phone which comes with unique technology that amplifies sound – whether it is phone conversations or even while watching TV etc. This will be a great solution for seniors who need hearing assistance, but do not feel the need to wear hearing aids.

The product is available for Rs 3999/- on Seniorworld.com, Flipkart & Amazon 

Highlights of the Phone ( EASYFONE GRAND)​

Special Technology with special Earphhones that amplify sound not just on calls but also while watching TV or talking to people face to face.

Photo Dialing

​ Key press for dialing favourite contacts

SOS (Emergency help) button – Single key press sets off calls, SMS & siren for immediate help

Seperate Side keys for volume, torch # locking/unlocking the phone

Stylish Cradle charger for extremely easy charging

Loud, clear & perfectly audible voice quality, even

on hands-free

Customizable menu with which you can minimize the phone menu to maximize ease

Prevent unwanted calls with Whitelist keypad

Manage phone settings remotely

Quad Band

Large font on screen

Reminder feature for medicines, gym etc

FM

Mr. Rahul Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, Seniorworld.com said, “Our new solutions are testimony of our commitment to bring world class innovative products and services that marry the best of simplicity and technology to enhance the quality of life of our beloved elders. We will be launching more such solutions and services in the coming year to cater to the different needs of our customers.

Portronics launches one the most intelligent home and office security solutions in the Indian market with, mBell – the smart re-chargeable doorbell which is connected to your smartphone all times.

Gone are the days of video doorbells where someone inside the home had to physically peek onto the door and watch hazy unclear video, pictures and crackling voice of the person on the other side of the door. This has been a great security risk especially when both of the parents are working and their children or the old parents are home alone, you wouldn’t know who was at the door.

With Portronics mBell – the smart re-chargeable doorbell which connects to the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network of your home. Once anyone presses the mBell smart door-bell, the members of the house will hear a nice chime and can see the person at the door on your smartphone with a720p HD video and can also speak to the person from your phone. You just need to install a free WeHome app on your Android or iOS device.

Portronics mBell gives you a bigger and clear view of outside your door with upto 180 degrees horizontal and over 100 degrees vertical view span. Even if the person at the doorstep is on sides of the mBell or at a lower trajectory, you’ll be able to clearly see him/her on your mobile just by moving the fingers on your mobile app screen in the WeHome mobile app.

One more key security feature of the Portronics mBell is that it allows you to remotely wake up the mBell to view the outside of your door at any time even if the doorbell is not pressed. Hence, allowing you to sleep peacefully when you are travelling without any worry about your family and valuables at home.

Even in the night, mBell allows you to have a clear view with the inbuilt IR Nightvision upto 9 feet. And in case if the outside, street-light or gate-lights are switched off, you’ll be able to clearly see the person on the door. There is also a motion-detection sensor in the mBell as well which allows you to see if there are any movements outside the door.

On the inner side of the door, the mBell has a USB charging port, On/Off Button, Reset Button and Alarm button to raise an alarm in-case of an emergency.

Portronics mBell also comes with IP67 water and dust proof rating which ensures that even in torrential rain lashing on your door or in a dust-storm, or if the temperature drops to -5C or raises to +50C, your mBell will keep working like the most faithful and always-awake watchdog.

mBell is also very tastefully designed to give great looks to your door. Since it works on WiFi and there are no wiring needs, your home will look smarter.

Even if you are out of your house for over 3-4 months, you can keep the watchful eye on your home since once fully re-charged; the inbuilt 4000mAh battery can work for upto 3-4 months without needing another recharge. Now going to visit your relatives abroad for summer months won’t be a pain anymore.

Pricing and Availability:

The mBell is priced at a very striking price-point of INR 10,999/- and is available at all online and leading retail stores across India.

For additional information please visit, https://www.portronics.com/innovative-products/mbell.html

• Best-in-class Budget Gaming Headset, Designed for console gaming Optimized for comfort and convenience– HyperX^®, the gaming division of Kingston Technology, today announced the launch of its HyperX Cloud Stinger Core gaming headset in India. This is an affordable headset, designed for console gamers looking for great sound at a value price. The HyperX Cloud Stinger Core headset features an adjustable steel slider and soft ear cushions for comfort along with a swiveling mic. The headset comes with directional 40mm drivers for an immersive in-game audio experience and is backed by a 2-year warranty and free tech support. The HyperX Cloud Stinger Core is now available in India with an MRP of INR 4,200 at leading retail and e-tail stores.

  HyperX Cloud Stinger Core weighs just 215 grams and is multi-console compatible and has convenient audio controls directly on the cable. The lightweight headset includes 40mm directional drivers for an immersive in-game experience and its closed-cup design helps block out distractions and provide a more accurate in-game sound.

  “Building on the demand and acceptance of HyperX Cloud Stinger headset, we designed the new high-quality Cloud Stinger Core headset for the console gamers who are on a budget. The headset is made sturdy and durable and comes with steel sliders, so users can comfortably play for longer hours.”, said HyperX India.

  With optimal audio performance and sound quality, the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core headset ensures crisp and clear audio to help gamers quickly locate rivals for game play advantage across platforms. HyperX Cloud Stinger Core is designed for PS4 and is also compatible with Xbox One¹ and Nintendo Switch.

  For more information, please visit the HyperX home page.

  HyperX Cloud Stinger Key Features:

  • Designed for console gaming
  • Optimized for comfort and convenience
  • Immersive in-game audio
  • Two-year warranty and free tech support

  Additional HyperX Cloud Stinger Specifications:

  Headphone

  • Driver: Dynamic, 40mm with neodymium magnets
  • Type: Circumaural, Closed back
  • Frequency response: 20Hz–20,000Hz
  • Impedance: 16 Ω
  • Sound pressure level: 99dBSPL/mW at 1kHz
  • H.D.: < 2%
  • Weight: 215g
  • Cable length and type: Headset (1.3m)
  • Connection: Headset – 3.5mm plug (4 pole)

   Microphone

  • Element: Electret condenser microphone
  • Polar pattern: Noise-cancelling
  • Frequency response: 50Hz-18,000 Hz
  • Sensitivity: -41.5dBV (0dB=1V/Pa,1kHz)

  ¹ May require controller adapter (adapter sold separately).

  ² Compatible with devices with CTIA standard connectors.

  HyperX can be found on:

  YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/hyperx AND

  Facebook: http://facebook.com/hyperxindia

Portronics,

The ergonomic design reduces any discomfort in fingers and wrists caused by working for long hours. The FABRIK mouse is designed to operate at 2.4GHz technology for highly fast data transmission and super stable operations compared to the usual 27MHz mouse. Also, the working distance is upto 30m and the frequency range avoids the interference with any other electronic devices operating in the surroundings.

FABRIK is a plug and play mouse which can easily be connected to any PCs, laptops or Mac books using the nano receiver provided. FABRIK houses the nano receiver in its battery compartment whenever it’s not in use. The nano receiver can be inserted into any USB 2.0 port to act as a bridge between the host and FABRIK.

FABRIK auto shuts itself to save battery life and comes back to life with a single click of any button on it. It uses a single AAA battery for powering its operations as against two by other mice. FABRIK is compatible with all operating systems such as Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10, Mac OS and Linux. DPI selection can be done by simultaneously pressing left & right mouse keys for 10 seconds. FABRIK mouse has sensitivity settings upto 1600dpi for faster or slower pointer speed. This is helpful during the precise editing of the photos.

Pricing and Availability: 

Portronics FABRIK is available at a very affordable price-point of INR 599 and comes in three attractive colors – Orange, Grey and Blue in both online and offline stores. For additional information please visit, https://www.portronics.com/mouse/fabrik-wireless-mouse.html

To meet such requirements, Matrix offers COSEC ARC IO800, a compact Input-Output Controller that controls multiple third party devices performing multiple applications. It ensures ease in configuration of multiple devices. Furthermore, this device can also aid in Elevator Access Control.

Features:

• Eight Input Ports with Four State Supervised Inputs
• Eight Output Ports with Form C Dry Contact Relays
• Power over Ethernet (PoE)
• Ethernet and/or RS-485 Connectivity
• Elevator Access Control
• LED Indication for Device and Network Status Respectively

Eurotech Technologies, the Bangalore based leading technology solutions company, today announced the launch of BestNet HDMI to VGA Converter. BestNet HDMI to VGA Converter allows user to connect HDMI devices to VGA display devices, converting HDMI digital signals into analog VGA and R/L Audio Converter for CRT/LED monitor or projector, thus HDMI from PC, laptop, Ps3, XBOX360, Blue ray DVD, HD STB can be converted into VGA signal output to CRT/LED monitor, VGA-IN HD TV, VGA-IN projector.

Equipped with host of functionalities & features the easy to install BestNet HDMI to VGA Converter comes enclosed in a compact and light weight chassis that supports 165MHz/1.65Gbps per channel (6.75Gbps all channel) bandwidth for HDMI input and completely converts HDMI into VGA video and R/L audio output and supports analogue video output up to UXGA and 1080p with 10-bit DAC. Ideal for corporate, educational and commercial settings, this simple unit helps users avoid costly and unnecessary upgrades of their VGA devices.

“The BestNet HDMI to VGA Converter comes with a play-and-plug design that makes the installation extremely easy & convenient at the same time stack a lot of utility, “said Mr. Anuj Jain, Managing Director, Eurotech Technologies Pvt Ltd. These converters enable organizations to achieve greater operational momentum and addresses a wide variety of needs across verticals, he added.

New Delhi, India, January 30, 2018 – Barco, a global leader in professional visualization and networking solutions, has launched wePresent WiPG-1600W, the latest iteration of its cutting-edge cross-platform BYOD presentation solution. Aimed at enabling a more seamless and interactive experience for classrooms, lecture halls, and huddle spaces, the wePresent WiPG-1600W builds on the best features of its preceding models with greater networking flexibility. The launch once again underlines Barco’s technological and market leadership in the collaboration and networking space, and highlights how it is redefining traditional meeting spaces with its cutting-edge solutions.

“In our increasingly digital-first world, adopting technological solutions to drive more effective, interactive, and efficient operations is no longer a luxury, but an urgent necessity,” said Ramya Chatterjee, Director – Sales (Visualization & Entertainment) Barco India. “Barco wePresent is aimed at empowering users to adapt their training and meeting spaces to the evolving requirements of their participants. The multiple access features on the WiPG-1600W allow for greater networking flexibility, while its BYOD-led approach enables a more interactive, seamless, and collaborative meeting environment which drives better outcomes and enhances productivity.”

A Gateway to Collaboration in the Classroom

wePresent WiPG-1600W enables users to intuitively write and draw on the interactive touch display connected to wePresent. It integrates with touchscreen displays and smartboards to allow wireless control of any user device. Interactive touch displays allow users to remotely access features such as On Screen Annotation. With interactive whiteboards becoming more available and widely used in different educational institutions, users can have control of wireless presentation which is a must-have requirement in today’s digital classrooms.

Cross-platform, cross-functional: Redefining learning spaces

Armed with multiple network access solutions such as wired LAN, wireless LAN, and wired LAN + wireless LAN, the wePresent WiPG-1600W allows users to switch between various networking solutions to meet the specific presentation requirements for different use-cases. It also comes equipped with several interactive features such as USB media/document player, on-board video player, on-screen annotation, and interactive whiteboard, which enable seamless sharing of information over a networked environment with just a few clicks.

The solution can also auto detect HDMI resolution and allows presenters to share content on a display with wePresent while viewing different content, making for a more personalized and seamless experience. Moreover, it has the capability to mirror Chromebooks as well as iOS devices through Apple AirPlay. The Power over Ethernet (POE) feature further allows the wePresent WiPG-1600W to ditch the power cord. This cross-functional approach makes the WiPG-1600W one of the most comprehensive, technologically-advanced, and customizable collaboration solution for learning spaces such as college lecture halls, keynote speeches, and student huddles.

Safe, secure, and seamless

The WiPG-1600W features a 64-user capacity with moderator control and advanced security, including enterprise-level encryption, gatekeeper settings, and 4-digit access codes. Multiuser queues allow moderators to manage how connected participants can share their content, while 1 to Many Distribution allows presentations to be displayed simultaneously to multiple network-connected wePresents in larger groups.

USB Guest Access allows guest presenters to quickly connect and display their device in as little as 5 seconds, while guest users can also download a simple executable file and connect straight to the specific wePresent, without installing the software on their device. This provides moderators complete control over their networked environments and allows them to keep it secure, focused, and productive.

For more information on the WiPG-1600W visit www.wePresentWiFi.com