Netgear have sent over a Nighthawk AC1900 Modem router for testing and this thing looks the biz. Over a series of articles on Tracy And Matt we will be taking a look at the router and the functions of it as there is far to many to feature in an unboxing video.
Here have a look as the packaging and contents alongside how to put the good looking communication device together.
Technological advances in the realm of education have presented both students and educators alike with a slew of new ways to approach learning. You may have already heard of providers like Blue Jeans, who make it possible for today’s video conferencing equipment to be used in increasingly creative ways, resulting in innovations in the classroom and beyond.
According to Statista, 80 percent of teenagers reported that they expected to use mobile apps at work in 2015. With the use of such apps–including mobile video conferencing– in the workplace, it’s no small wonder that their popularity would begin to grow in schools as well. As the Huffington Post recently noted, the prominence of video conferencing apps on smartphones and other devices is making it easier, and almost commonplace, to connect with others all over the globe with merely a finger to your touchscreen, which, as a result, is changing the landscape of work and education. On a related note, The Telegraph recently reported on the rise of “digital nomads”, or employees who choose to work remotely in relaxing destinations via completely digital means.
With the rise of digital power in the workforce, it’s no small wonder that teenagers and students alike would be accustomed to–and expecting–the use of mobile technology at work and school. Learning business administration and management skills early one with this technology too, in today’s connected world, you need all the advantages you can get. The benefits of this technology in the classroom, then, is truly a great exposure to how video conferencing can change the approach to education. Read on for six reasons why this spread of video conferencing can really make a whole new world of difference for both students and teachers alike in the classroom.
1. Virtual Guests, Presentations, and Trips
By far, one of the most amazing powers of video conferencing is the ability to connect with anyone at any time, all over the world. With this ability, the creative possibilities you may experience in the classroom are endless. You can have a guest lecturer from another country, a virtual field trip through a foreign landmark or an expedition through a rainforest, or just connect with other students across the globe. By seeking out the myriad of opportunities to connect with other educational institutions, educators like Google’s Kamau Bobb, and social and cultural institutions around the world, lectures and classes can be supplemented in ways you may have never thought possible.
2. Recordable Lessons
Another handy benefit of video conferencing is that you can record lessons for later access. Students can access the lessons again at any time, and thanks to the power of cloud computing, they can also access supplemental handouts and readings that are made available, even on their mobile devices.
3. A Greater Course Selection
The use of video conferencing in the classroom allows the broadcasting of classes so that they are accessible online to remote students. Additionally, classes may be available at other facilities and schools, and video conferencing makes it easy to access additional classes as part of an extended or supplemental curriculum.
4. Virtual Office Hours
Video conferencing allows greater opportunity for teacher-student interaction, even if in-person office hours aren’t on the schedule. Hosting virtual office hours allows you to meet at any time, and also promotes greater communication between student and teacher. As a teacher, it’s important to be available to your students, and having a more personal connection as opposed to email or phone can help facilitate a greater engagement in learning. As a student, it’s comforting and supportive to know that your teacher is invested in you and thus available to you when they may have been previously unreachable.
5. Encourage Collaboration Between Students near and Far
By connecting with other educational institutions, you’ll find it’s possible for students in remote locations to collaborate with one another. In keeping with some of the benefits mentioned in point number one, collaboration across countries and time zones allows students to experience a whole new way of learning, as well as an exposure to new cultures and lines of thought. You can imagine how exciting it must be to connect with another classroom across the globe in order to learn a new language, take a guided tour of a cultural institution, or follow a current event in real time.
6. Hold a Class Online
Gone are the days when classes need to be missed just because you are sick– whether you’re the teacher or the student, there’s still a way for you to effectively connect. Teachers can also offer classes for institutions abroad, so that foreign students can dial in to your class and participate.
These are just a few of the benefits you may encounter in the classroom when video conferencing is involved. Many of these advantages were previously unfathomable, and as technology continues to evolve and educators get more and more creative, it’s likely that you’ll start seeing even more uses for video conferencing and other methods of digital education. Embracing the power of technology has truly opened up a whole new world of experience for students and teachers alike, and it’s likely that the future will only hold more and more of these unique features and benefits. By keeping abreast of advances in the realm of video conferencing, you’re sure to see even more amazing new things on the horizon.
Lets take a look and see what’s new on Netflix and Amazon Prime for the week the 23rd 29th November.
Picking an in-car satellite navigation system is a very difficult choice at the moment. What with mobile phones becoming so much more competent at being companions on the road. It seems a bit futile for you to spend money on a decent, dedicated GPS system. However this has not stopped Garmin from producing a high end unit that dwarfs older units from years gone by.
Looking around the device, on the top there is nothing but a large shutter button, allowing you to snap a quick and easy picture. Obviously not whilst driving as that would be dangerous, however if a moment were to present itself whilst you are parked then you can grab it quickly and easily.
The back features the power button, a grill for a speaker that is easily fit for purpose and inside a magnetic circle are some ports for connecting the charger and mount. One of the handiest features is the NuviCam’s ability to just pop onto it’s mount to start charging. No need for fiddling with MicroUSB connector or a proprietary connector every time. A powerful magnets guides you in and clamps the two together with a satisfying connection. This great mechanism eases the burden of having to remove the unit from view every time you leave the car.
On the bottom are three ports, one for a mircoUSB when connecting the unit to a computer or power source outside the car. There are two MicroSD card slots. The first is an expansion port for storage of maps whereas the second is dedicated storage for the dashboard camera. A simple and tidy solution. A 4GB card is included as standard for video recordings.
The Garmin is a massive device first and foremost. A 6 inch screen fills a huge unit however this size allows the NuviCam to capture so many desirable aspects of in-car equipment that you would not normally have access to. Not only does it tell you directions and find local services but it integrates with your phone via Bluetooth, it records your journey via camera, preserving important maneuvers to SD card for easy playback when required and barks orders at you to help or correct your driving.
The device is easy to set up, has a fantastic holder that connects to your dashboard with minimal effort, alongside a very simple to use interface. One thing I can’t sing praises about is the wiring, the power cable and microphone cable are incredibly difficult to conceal. Whilst one is a double width cable that you cannot easily conceal in dashboard seams. The other is so fine it slips out with a simple knock or shudder. However you can forgive this because the rest of the unit works so darn well and there might also be cars out there that have particular troughs that can accommodate. Here is, rather crude, video to illustrate the nuisance wiring.
Whilst we are on the topic of video here are some examples of the in built camera:
As you can see from the footage in the video above the picture quality on the inbuilt DVR is exceptional. A wide angle lens captures everything you could need on the road right down to the fine detail and most importantly number plate information from a considerable distance. Videos are recorded at full HD 1920 by 1080 resolution at 8mb per second. The quality is perfect level of detail and you should hopefully only ever have to use the footage in the instance of any car accidents. Click here to know when do you need a car crash report. A already mentioned it is pretty handy to be able to hit the button to allow you capture a still image along the way in case of something interesting ahead of you. I can’t imagine too many instances that you would need to grab a still image, however it a nice feature to throw in. The 4gb card in included and this is great for about an hours worth of footage, if you were to upgrade to a larger card, say for example 64 gigabytes you can get almost 18 hours of storage.
The screen is excellent, on paper a 6” screen sounds pretty hefty for a portable device however it makes sense when in use as it really has to rival the screens built into the dash of modern cars. One criticism is that modern day smartphones tend to use swipes and gestures to navigate around the menus and the user may find that they are swiping unnecessarily as a Garmin does not support swipe-like movements.
Whilst driving with a camera I noticed that there were a number of warnings as I’d progressed through my journey. There were things like Lane departure notifications, speed limit warnings, proximity collision alarms and whilst these are very handy they become a little annoying from time to time and distracting whilst driving. They were easy enough to turn off and on again whilst parked however I was unable to find a way to vocally interact with these warnings perhaps including the voice command “shut up” may have be a good idea.
Garmin have included a Digital Traffic via DAB radio service. This has a DAB radio receiver built into the unit that allows the device to update itself with traffic information every minute. I found this to be somewhat accurate during rush hour. The Digital Traffic lifetime subscription is included with the new Nuvicam however this does not stretch to all countries around Europe, instead a handful including Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany. For other countries you receive standard RDS-TMC updates which aren’t quite as luxurious and only update every 15 minutes.
One handy extra feature is the integration of Foursquare point-of-interest locations that appear on the map. This is a nice use of relevant social networking to keep the Garmin system as an up to date platform.
When it comes to the voice commands I found it to be fairly accurate. I do not have a particularly broad Northern Irish accent and I did not have to make a much of an affort to “bend” my accent to help the system pick up certain phrases or words. Once you learn how it works you find it to be quite confident at picking up local requests. I did have an issue trying to find the nearest Smyths Toy Shop at one stage and it recommended Smiths Tours or some such over 300 miles away. Changing it to Smyths-Toy-Shop-Belfast sorted that out on the first try.
Comparing this to a smartphone app like Google Maps the Garmin is a very choice satellite navigation system. The differences are phenomenal. Having used Google Maps to navigate for the last few months I have found it I have made several errors whereas the Garmin has always kept me right I have not had to question its logic or lane placement when leaving a motorway. The roads around Dublin tend to be quite difficult for new drivers to understand and mistakes are often made along the way, the Garmin helped me navigate them very easily and in a sensible fashion that I was able to understand whilst not distracting me from my driving.
Certainly the Garmin is more expensive than using your smartphone on the road. There is no doubt it is really for the road warrior as opposed to the casual driver. Having something like this in your car will require forward thinking as this is such a large, bulky device you will likely need to take it with you when leaving your car in a city centre for fear that it may be spotted and removed. It wipes the floor with smartphone and inbuilt car navigation. There is also the factor it does not impact on your phone’s battery life or data allowance and can be used across Europe without fear of extra charges and will actually serve as a bit of a talking piece for passengers in the car.
The Garmin Nuvicam will make you realise just how half baked the other options are and it is with a heavy heart I have to hand this back to Garmin.
With USB-C and USB 3.1, ROMA combines two of the latest high-speed connectors in one flash drive, encased in a highly robust and elegant gold or space grey aluminium body. This way, up to 64 GB of data can be easily shared between the latest MacBook and other devices.
Following its award-winning Lightning and USB 3.0 flash drive iKlips for iOS devices, Adam Elements now presents a new dual connector storage innovation for MacBook. ROMA comes with both a USB-C connector and a standard USB 3.1 plug, which can be easily swivelled around. This way, users can easily store up to 64 GB of data from e.g. the latest USB-C-only MacBook models. The files can then be shared with other USB-C devices, including the latest Chromebook Pixel, other new notebooks or even selected smartphone models. But also data sharing with older USB compatible computers is possible, thanks to the standard USB 3.1 connector.
USB-C for the latest MacBook, USB 3.1 for a variety of USB devices:
the 64 GB dual-connector flash drive ROMA by Adam Elements
High-end connectors for fast data transfer
ROMA’s USB-C plug works either way up, so users will never need a second attempt when trying to connect it to their MacBook, smartphone or other compatible device. Whenever data needs to be moved to another computer with a standard USB socket only, the connector can simply be swivelled around, and a full-sized USB 3.1 plug is ready to go. On both ends, ROMA boasts high-end transfer speeds of up to 130 MB/s.
Dual-connectivity:
the USB-C and standard USB 3.1 plugs can be easily swivelled around
A perfect match for the MacBook
ROMA’s advanced connector technology comes encased in a both classy and robust design crafted from high quality materials. The flash drive’s casing is forged using a premium zinc-aluminium alloy. It is not only shock-resistant and dustproof, making it ideal for day-to-day use and transport. The two gold and space grey colour options give all enthusiasts a perfect match for the latest MacBook models. In order to make transport easier and add to the flash drive’s elegant design, ROMA comes with a brown handmade genuine leather strap, which fastens neatly onto bags and clothes. This way, ROMA serves as both a convenient storage solution and a stylish accessory.
An elegant storage companion:
ROMA in gold and space grey colours with handmade genuine leather strap
ROMA can be ordered directly from the Taiwan-based Adam Store at www.adamelements.com/store/. Starting in early December 2015, it will also become available at selected European retailers. The MSRP is £39.99.
For more information about ROMA and detailed product specifications, please visit www.adamelements.com
MMD, the leading technology company and brand license partner for Philips Monitors, announces a new display with brilliant 4K UHD resolution. At 23.8 inches, the 241P6VPJKEB display completes the UltraClear 4K UHD line-up with a new, smaller model. This latest member of the family still packs the same dazzling performance as its larger siblings, with UltraClear 4K UHD, 1.074 billion colours, 99% SRGB colour standard, plus integrated webcam and microphone.
Sharpest, most brilliant picture ever
Despite its modest dimensions, the new monitor brings a real sense of space to users’ desktops owing to the sharpness and clarity of the 4K resolution. UHD delivers four times the resolution of Full HD, with 3,840 x 2,160 pixels – for detail like never before. This is extra screen space that people can enjoy however they like (such as with videos or gaming after hours), or use to be more productive at work. Finance wizards, for instance, can view more rows and columns of their spreadsheets without losing the sense of clarity or fatiguing their eyes; creatives working on high-res content can see more detail per inch of screen, and can zoom in for detail or scroll out for an overview perspective, even have four designs side-by-side for comparison and still maintain the vital detail; and geophysicists viewing scientific images can investigate finest details with greater precision than ever.
Albert Ulfman, Product Manager Philips monitors EMEA at MMD says, “The new Philips 241P6VPJKEB is one of the first 23.8-inch 4K monitors to arrive on the market. It offers amazing viewing clarity for every content, and is an excellent fit for the resolution-scaling capabilities of Windows 10. It’s part of the commitment of MMD to giving users a more enjoyable and productive viewing experience with the equipment on their desks.”
Colours and panel technology with performance to match
With 4K UHD technology under the hood, the other components in the display have some tough performance standards to live up to. But like the other 4K UHD displays in the portfolio, the latest family member is engineered to unleash the power of the 4K UHD viewing experience. Take colour, for example: this 10-bit display delivers rich colour depth with 1.074 billion colours for smooth, natural reproduction without gradations and banding effects. And with over 99% sRGB support, users can be confident that any and all of the one billion colours they see on the display are vivid and true to life, and that colours remain precisely the same across different applications. The technology of the panels themselves also measures up: the expansive, wide-angle view and super-high contrast abilities of advanced AH-IPS perfectly complement the sense of space of 4K UHD. AH-IPS is also ideal for applications demanding colour accuracy and high brightness at all times, like photo retouching and graphic design.
Connectivity features that matter
Apart from the power of 4K UHD, the new display is designed with features that matter to users in today’s ultra-connected and always-on world. The display supports MultiView, so people can connect and view images from two separate sources – a PC and TV feed, for example – at the same time. With MHL technology on board, users can enjoy mobile content from smartphones or other devices on the big screen, or use the USB 3.0 hub to hook up devices and recharge them fast. There’s also an integrated webcam and microphone to connect and collaborate more effectively.
The new Philips 241P6VPJKEB/00 display, with an MSRP of £369, will be available from November 2015.
More information on Philips monitors: www.philips.com/monitors
Let’s take a look and see whats new on Netflix for the fortnight 9th – 22nd November
Let’s take a look and see whats new on Amazon Prime for the fortnight 9th – 22nd November
A phone that gives you complete control is now a reality with thanks to London based company Wileyfox. This new company has launched with two devices the swift and the storm, today I will be reviewing the swift their cheaper phone but by no means does cheap mean basic. Don’t forget to check out the hands on video with Gareth to see the swift in action.
Product Specifications
Wileyfox use Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on android lollipop 5.1.1. The swift comes packed with a 13mp primary camera, 5mp front facing camera, a Quad core Snapdragon 410 8916, 16GB ROM, 2GB RAM, Expandable memory up to 32GB, Dual SIM functionality,4G LTE, 5″ HD Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 IPS Display. This all comes packaged with a very reasonable price of £129. So will this be enough for the average phone user to take a chance on the Wileyfox?
A hidden game when checking out the phones software. More annoying than fun.
The phone looks and feels like a high end device at a budget price. The rear cover with the Wileyfox embossed logo really makes the phone stand out. The phone has a plastic casing but has a nice non slip feel.
At top of the phone you have the 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone.
On the right hand side of the phone you have the volume rocker and power button.
At the bottom of the phone you have the usb charge point and two grills where lies the phones impressive speakers.
On the left hand side there is nothing but smooth plastic. Pop off the cover and you have the removable 2500mh battery, two slots for your sim cards and the micro sd card slot.
On the rear of the swift you have the 13 megapixel camera with led flash and below this the indented Wileyfox logo.
On the front of the phone you have the ear speaker at the top, with the LED notification light to the right of this. To the left you have the 5 megapixel front facing camera. There is no capacitive buttons at the bottom of the swift they are on screen.
Smart phones are increasing in size, the phone I currently use is 5.5inches making the Wiley fox’s decision to use the popular 5 inch size a downsizing of screen for me. However this was not a problem as the 5 inch screen is the perfect size screen for any user. Its bright vivid 720p display makes using the phone, watching video playback, capturing images with the camera a dream. Wileyfox also offer screen replacement cover for £9.99 per year, which is a fantastic option to have.
Cyanogen OS
The swift uses Cyanogen 12.1 with android 5.1.1 it looks and feels like android so don’t be alarmed that this is too 1much of a change when choosing this phone. It is close to almost naked android. In fact the Cyanogen OS allows consumers the chance to delete any or all the apps that are preloaded on the device and download only the apps that you need. This feature is great as some apps run tirelessly in the background of my current phone and if I could uninstall them I would free up some valuable space. From the main menu screen you can access the app drawer which is laid out in an alphabetical list format. The bottom of the screen there is an a-z list which you can fast track the letter you are looking for.
You have the option to have android or cyanogen themes on the phone.
The operating system runs smoothly with a 64-bit CPU at 1.2GHzsnapdragon processor although when running the performance test it scored quite low. When playing high spec games like Batman the dark knight rises on the swift there was a noticeable lag at times however gameplay was still enjoyable. Less graphic enduring games such as Minecraft and Jurassic World builder app played seamless.
Thankfully Wileyfox did not opt for the pitiful option of 4 gb or 8 gb on board storage. The swift comes with 16 gb on board storage. This is all powered by the 2500mh battery which does last 24 hours with general use. The battery for me lasted about 8 hours before I had it drained although I had used the swift to its full capacity. On my daily commute to work I could watch a 30min programme, listen to music when walking to work, general use during the working day, another 30 min programme on my way home as well as the occasional phone call.
The camera quality is average. The 13 megapixel camera performs well however the quality reduces in low light conditions. Below are a few examples of the 13mp camera and a short video for you to make up your own mind.
The video quality is fine, however when the digital zoom option is used the quality reduces dramatically.
The panorama option was my favorite option when using the camera.
There are plenty of options and filters to use within the camera app, so perhaps with extra time and tweaking the settings you can utilise the camera to its full potential.
The speakers are loud, with twin speakers located at the bottom of the phone. Built in to the swift there is an equalizer option which is always handy to have.
Should you join the Wileyfox revolution? In my opinion yes! If you are looking for a smart phone as a gift for Christmas or looking for a phone that can perform on a budget you cant go wrong with the swift. Take a chance on Wileyfox as I expect them to make a huge splash in the mobile phone arena. The swift packs a lot of hardware for its £129 price and with the additional 3 year phone replacement at £9.99 and screen protection at a further £9.99 per year this should make a killer selling point.
I do not want to renew my membership to the cracked screen club but for the protection at this price it makes the to join the Wileyfox revolution an easy choice. There are other smartphones available around this price with similar specs but if you want something a little different and a break from the norm they sign up with Wileyfox who in their own words provide unrivalled customisation, privacy and security and freedom.
“Unrivalled customisation: give your phone a look and personality that’s as unique as yours.
Unrivalled privacy and security: choose precisely the data you wish to share; protect apps with additional PINs; prevent spam with Truecaller Integrated Dialler.
Unrivalled freedom: curate your own suite of apps – delete any or all of the apps we preload to get you started and download the ones you need. Enriching your life, extending your battery life; keeping you connected everywhere, to everyone, for longer. “ https://www.wileyfox.com/
Display specialist AOC presents a new high-end monitor that brings 4K into a more compact format to fit on any desk at home or in offices. The AOC U2477PWQ’s space-saving 23.6″ (59.9 cm) 4K display provides the user with an impressive UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. Its PLS panel delivers the best colour uniformity at any viewing angle and exploits 100 % of the sRGB colour gamut. Ultra-fast HDMI 2.0 ensures a bandwidth up to 18 Gb/s, which allows a fluid playback of 4K videos, e.g. when connected to a 4K Blu-ray player, 4K camcorder or 4K gaming. The monitor comes in a premium timeless design: With its textured and transparent base, the monitor is an eye-catching companion for professional work and ambitious home users.
Impressive 4K resolution in a practical size
Many users have become accustomed to displays with high pixel densities, for example on their smartphones, so they do not want to forego this image quality on their monitor screens, too. However, most 4K displays pack the imposing 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels into large monitor sizes which do not necessarily fit into smaller offices. The new AOC U2477PWQ offers a compact solution for everyone: With its display size of 23.6″ the monitor is an ideal option for users who look for a 4K solution but do not have a big office or desk. What is more, with the new Windows 10 operating system, detecting and setting up 4K resolutions has become far more intuitive, making the use of 4K much easier with monitors of all sizes and formats. The combination of a 4K resolution with a compact screen size entails an extra high pixel density, which leads to ultra-sharp images and a crystal clear reproduction of photos and 4K videos. Users do not have to scroll or down scale their images anymore to see the whole picture and at the same time enjoy the smallest details.
Professional panel power
The PLS panel delivers a vivid as well as very precise colour reproduction and comes with wide viewing angles of 178°/178° – horizontal and vertical. PLS panels have an extremely good colour uniformity at any viewing angle. The 8-bit colour support and sRGB colour gamut rounds off the high performance of this display. This way, the U2477PWQ offers the user vibrant pictures, making it ideal for professional users like graphic designers, photographers and movie makers who prefer a smaller display size. Also, ambitious home users find a convincing solution for private photo and video editing. And even if those tasks require long-time work, the display offers a helpful technology to prevent the user from eye fatigue: Flicker FREE helps to reduce imperceptible, but eye-affecting flickering.
Timeless design, fully equipped
The stylish design of the monitor makes it a true eye-catcher in every workplace. With its textured finish and transparent stand, the display combines timelessness and modern understatement. Various ergonomic options complete the performance: Users can adjust the height, and use the tilt or pivot function to find the ideal setting for a healthy posture. And the monitor is very well equipped with advanced connectors, too. In addition to the ultra-fast HDMI 2.0 input that increases the bandwidth significantly up to 18 Gb/s and allows for 60 fps 4K video playback MHL 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.2 are also on board. MHL allows users to display content from a smartphone or tablet while charging it at the same time.
The AOC U2477PWQ will be available in November 2015. The MSRP will be £289. As with all of its displays, AOC offers a 3-year warranty with on-site exchange service.
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