Author Archive: Matt

What is the Best eReader?

In 2007, we all found out about eReaders that grabbed our attention. We saw the invention of the first major eBooks that was sold to the masses across the US and internationally markets.

7 years on, there is a wide variety of different types of eReaders available on the market, from a variety of brands on a variety of platforms. Originally, the benefits of the eReader included the ability to store thousands of books digitally, without the need to have a large space in your home, or in your suitcase, to store or transport a variety of books. Now, however, with the variety of different models and brands available, the features and benefits of each eReader continues to dazzle us. But how do you choose which eReader is best?

Here, we will look at the different features, their benefits and finally the problem or need they solve, to empower you to choose the best eReader for you.

Kindle

• Major features

The Kindle is the original popular eReader and is the cheapest on this list. Developed by Amazon, the Kindle provides you with the ability to store thousands of books available from the Amazon eBook collections. It is light at 5.98 oz. meaning the Kindle is a good, no-nonsense, and economical reader.

• Benefits and Drawbacks

As we have said, the Kindle is the cheapest available on this list, and so its major benefit is its simplicity and price. However, it is not possible to do a lot more other than read, and the appearance is basic. You can’t use this Kindle in the dark, particularly on the go.

• Problem Solved

Bookworms no longer have to carry around heavy paper books, and books are sold at a much cheaper price in electronic form on Amazon than they are as hardbacks or paperbacks.

Kindle PaperWhite

• Features

The majorly different feature of the Kindle PaperWhite is in the screen. Mainly, the lightness, and paper-like white screen that you read the words on, as the name suggests, could be considered by many as an improvement in appearance and functionality.

• Benefits and Drawback

The main reason why the Kindle PaperWhite gets a mention on this list is it addresses the issue of reading in the dark and on the go that its older brother the 5^th generation original Kindle model doesn’t. As a result, however, the price increases, and there is little more to do with the eReader other than shop for and read a library of books. However, you’ll need to be able to logon to Wi-Fi, as 3G is not possible with this model.

• Problem Solved

For loyal Kindle users, who already have a wide collection of Amazon eBooks and still want to access them will find the PaperWhite helps to solve the issue of usability in the dark. It may also be more attractive for many readers, depending on taste.

Nook SimpleTouch

• Features

The eReader from Barnes and Noble is most affordable to read, ultra-light as well as comfortable to hold. It’s battery lasts over 2 months and you can access over 3 million books. You can also have access to free Wi-Fi if you purchase at a B&N Store, which you can use to buy new books, access Free Sample Books, and borrow and lend books to and from others.

• Benefits and Drawbacks

For the bookworm, or just book lovers of all kinds, looking to focus on the pure enjoyment of reading, rather than having an all-singing gadget. Its lower price also makes it the best value option on this list for reading thousands of books. Much like the Kindle, it does not offer any light, so it can be tricky to read this in the dark and on the go during long travel.

• Problem Solved

Simplicity is the key, allowing any type of reader to get access to the wonderful world of books at the cheapest price. If you are happy to venture from Amazon, this is a fantastic option.

Nook GlowLight

• Features

The Nook GlowLight provides readers with a truly unique feature – its innovative lit-screen feature. Unlike the Kindle PaperWhite, you have the option to adjust the level of brightness the screen emits. Along with the variety of features available with all of the above eReaders, it is the added feature that makes the Nook GlowLight stand out.

• Benefits and Drawbacks

For nighttime reading, this is a fantastic option. With the versatility of the light brightness, and the power of the reader to change this according to their needs, it is a convenient and pleasurable option for nighttime and travelling readers.

• Problem Solved

The Mayo Clinic suggests reading as an optimal evening activity to promote a good night’s sleep. They suggest being wary of using bright screens, however, as this can trigger your mind to wake up and be out of sync with your body clock. This feature therefore makes your evening time reading practical and healthier. At an expected higher price, it’s for reader’s to see for themselves the illuminating value of this eReader.

Preparing your digital legacy for when you’re gone

There can be no doubt that the internet has revolutionised our daily lives, making things like paying bills, shopping, as well as communications so much easier, and in many cases cheaper. This can be achieved with a simple click of a button and all without leaving the house. Yet, as many families of those who die are discovering, the internet can also make things more difficult.

Digital legacy

This is a relatively new development that has been created by the very things that were meant to – and indeed do – make our lives easier. Many people conduct all of their financial affairs online, whether filing their taxes, paying debts or managing their accounts, and any standing orders or direct debits continue to be paid until you take steps to stop them. People are rightly told by the different institutions and/or websites with which they hold accounts not to share sensitive information such as passwords and pin numbers with anyone else.

With this in mind, settling your affairs can be a big problem for your family members after your death, because they are unable to gain access to your accounts, and in the absence of paper documentation are unable to determine with whom these accounts are kept. Even things like closing down email accounts or social media profiles will be difficult in the absence of the correct log-in information.

The internet is great, but not yet that great

As stated in Saga Legal’s exhaustive Digital Legal Guide, the ‘internet is not yet intuitive enough’ to realise that someone has died and many surviving family members and friends will have experienced a heartbreaking reminder of this as Facebook implores them to wish the deceased a happy birthday. The same is true for online shopping sites until they are no longer able to debit a bank account that has been frozen upon the provision of a death certificate. 

Solution

The aforementioned Saga Digital Legal Guide advises that you should treat your digital legal in much the same way that you should treat your Will. Many do not pay digital information with the same heed because of the developing nature of the laws governing internet usage, but this is perhaps an even greater reason to ensure that your loved ones have access, as it will overcome such legal ambiguities. 

This can be achieved by creating a secure online directory, which gives details all of your active internet accounts along with how you wish for them to be dealt with.

How Online Education is Benefiting Teens

An educated populace is an advantage for almost all facets of a society. Hundreds of studies worldwide have shown that improved higher education results in higher income levels for individuals. While most agree that a good education is useful, students in some areas still have a hard time getting a diploma through traditional means. Educators and figures like Bobb, Kamau can affirm that an educated populace with a strong foundation in STEM can contribute significantly to a nation’s economic growth.

As per OpCentral, Online education fills this gap, giving students who might otherwise drop out a chance to stay in school and graduate.

Help for Schools

Economically depressed urban areas and remote areas with small populations both have the same problems in terms of schooling: there is not enough money to adequately provide a superior high school experience for their students. Whether school districts are too large or too small, resources will still get stretched trying to provide for the basic needs of the lowest common denominator. Enrichment or advanced placement classes are luxuries these districts can’t afford or justify. With the advent of online education programs, however, students have available hundreds of classes to round out their education. Instead of finding the money to hire and keep specialized teachers, school districts can help fund individual students’ classes online or assist them in finding scholarships and grants to cover their tuition.

Social Safety

According to a survey by Microsoft, 72 percent of children ages 8-17 have been bullied worldwide. While it is certainly preferable for students to stand up and work things out themselves, in some cases this is simply impossible. Students like Amanda Todd, who committed suicide after being bullied, are not unique anymore. In these extreme cases, it’s much better for students to leave the physical school environment and continue their education online. They can earn a high school diploma online and, if they attended accredited schools like Penn Foster, can even continue on to earn a degree without ever having to switch schools.

Job Security

There are many reasons why students drop out of high school and college, but online education like this Cambridge IGCSE chemistry tuition can address many of them. Students who have limited means for college can take classes at home, saving money on transportation and fitting classes in among job responsibilities. They can even work a full time job while going to school, moving on to a more lucrative position once they graduate. Online education opens up more opportunities to students than traditional high school and college courses, and allows more of them to take advantage of trade certificate programs that ensure a chance at a higher income in a shorter amount of time than in a traditional four year program.