AMA recently published a research study titled“Global Social Emotional Learning Market 2023,” which offers comprehensive insights into the business

Social Emotional Learning Market Next Big Thing | Major Giants- BASE Education , Peekapak, Nearpod Themarketpublicist

In a world where education has increasingly shifted to virtual and remote environments, the need for innovative solutions to engage and empower students has never been greater. Nearpod Join emerges as a transformative tool,

Nearpod Join: Transforming Remote Learning into an Interactive Adventure

One such tool that has caught my attention is Nearpod, which recently unveiled a revamped design featuring a promising Lesson Builder. I embarked on a delightful journey through its enhanced ...

Navigating the New: A Journey Through Nearpod’s Enhanced Lesson Builder

With PlanBoard, educators have access to analytical tools as well, helping to track student progression and performance. Nearpod can be used in different classes and lessons, especially for teachers with younger students who require intuitive lesson planning.

10 EdTech Tools That's Enhancing The Digital Classroom

While newer software tools and digital resources have witnessed broader appeal within private industries, other sectors with less digital involvement and inadequate financial investment have seen slower levels of technological adoption,

In recent years, all levels of Trade Unions in Dai Tu district have effectively implemented the emulation movement "Good workers, creative workers, completing assigned tasks well", thereby, helping to

Spread the movement "Good workers, creative workers"

Sadie Dagistino, a rising senior at Livingston High School (LHS), recently won Nearpod’s Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Contest 2023 with an informational script she wrote honoring Anna May Wong,

Livingston Senior Shares Details About Winning APPI Heritage Video Script

As I reflect on my years as a fourth-grade teacher and the remarkable journey I embarked upon, one tool stands out like a beacon of innovation and empowerment: Nearpod. This incredible platform ...

Empowering Learning: Unleashing Student Creativity with Nearpod

The three learning tools that were presented in class were Nearpod, Kumospace, and Slido. The two learning methods were the Socratic method and mind mapping. Lastly, the class was broken into ...

Reflecting on Nearpod, Kumospace, Mind Mapping, Socratic Method, Slido, and Award-Winning L&D Companies

Children in Alexander City this week enjoyed recognition after they completed a lofty summer goal. For the second year, area kids participated in the summer HYPE (Helping Young Pe

ACS awards children for summer goals

Nearpod

nearpod

This article is part of my ↗️ where I share insights on building things. Join me :)‍ Note: resource newsletters 👋 I’m , a product builder. I’ve built & launched multiple apps using the method: , , , , , , +more Zoe Chew rapid MVP sneaker app personal FAQ meal kit app virtual event app SaaS tracker food delivery content app Lately, I’m on a personal quest to understand the and how we can improve other people’s lives through product creation. future of the Internet ’s quote on his blog led me to think about how I want to spend my time & energy as a builder: James Currier It’s just as hard to build a mediocre company as a transformative one. Both will take 100% of your time . So you might as well work on a bigger idea. Therefore, I’m starting , tech analysis to help first-time and second-time founders to identify new with revenue potential — analyzing at the intersection of Internet culture, consumer tech, and platform economy. VentureScale tech startup opportunities Part of it is helping myself to the next project for my product studio. The other part is helping myself to through writing. figure out think clearly It also costs time to “build quickly and iterate” if it doesn’t work, so why not take the time to about a market, before committing your time to build so that less or is required. research deeply pivot back to square one In this venture report, I break down 3 market opportunities: Helping people to hang out with their peers (Future of social networks) Helping others to curate (Curation economy) Unbundling Zoom (EdTech) Below is the PREVIEW of the report with research-based tech trends , product frameworks, revenue models to help you make better decisions on building the next thing. Trend #1: Verticalization of social networks “Niche” social products are created to connect users with , audiences, or use cases. specific interests For example: is a social network for online forums; is like Instagram but focusing on short-form video content; is like TikTok but for podcasts with audio clips sharing and social interaction. Reddit TikTok Shuffle New social networking platforms will focus on , invite-only, curated discovery, shared activities, and unique social experiences. enables creators/influencers to build communities with their fans and monetize their tribe. community-first Vibely 🚀 Takeaway Help others to hang out with their peers. (📥 Full version) See Startup Opportunity #1. Trend #2: Curation is becoming the new business model In the pre-Internet era, information and content were scarce. Today, people are overloaded by new information that pops up every other second on their devices. It becomes to choose, prioritize, and filter . harder which content to consume Deciding is becoming an what to read, listen, watch, and learn outsourceable task. People are now paying money to access good quality curation and resources from curators. For example, charges to get access to curated Spotify playlists. charges $5/month to access outstanding stories from the Internet. Flow State $8/month TheBrowser 🚀 Takeaway Curators are becoming the new creators. Help others to curate resources and make money. (📥 Full version) See Startup Opportunity #2. will be a totally immersive experience Trend #3: The future of classroom COVID-19 has accelerated the mass adoption of online education and remote learning. Unfortunately, for educators. Teachers are juggling too many tasks during online lecturing: taking attendance, providing 1:1 assistance when a student asks a question, presenting lessons, and switching screen share back-and-forth. Zoom is not the solution Therefore, new companies like , , are created to help educators who are struggling to manage online interaction, lectures, and engagement with students. More solutions are needed in this space to imitate the “real classroom” experiences. Outschool Top Hat Nearpod 🚀 Takeaway Create tools to help teachers facilitate effective online teaching and enhance the learning experience of students. (📥 Full version) See Startup Opportunity #3. 👉 Full version of this report Startup Opportunity #1: Find a workout buddy A community-based workout app for finding a virtual workout buddy. Train together, stay committed, keep each other accountable and crush your fitness goals. Think but for fitness. GetMotivatedBuddies For Who People who struggle with with their exercise habits. staying consistent Problem It’s easy to break an when you are doing it alone. exercise habit Solution Able to find virtual fitness buddies, set up exercise sessions, select availability on a calendar to meet their accountability partner via 1:1 or group-based sessions. Accountability partner. Group-based workout events hosted by the users. Built-in event tool to host your own fitness events and build your fitness community. Community events. (📥 Full version) 4 more solutions and feature examples in detail. Revenue Model Charge users to access the full features of the platform, I.e. Subscription, $14/month. (📥 Full version) 6 features you can charge money for (📥 Full version) 3 more revenue streams to add to your pricing strategy. Venture Scale Consumer Social, Fitness, SaaS (1) Industries: Subscription, Freemium (2) Business model: ◼️◼️◻️◻️◻️ Lower because (1) virtual gym is due to COVID and people are more likely to adopt at-home fitness. (📥 Full version) 2 more research evidence to prove the validity of the market (3) Market risk: becoming more familiar ◼️◼️◼️◻️◻️ Medium because it requires the (1) ability to onboard, match users, and schedule 1:1 calls, which can be done through (see below) (2) Can you execute a product to truly differentiate? Since online fitness is a , therefore, higher competition risks in the same category with big players. The solution can be playing in another segment. For example, instead of competing with on-demand fitness class streaming, i.e. , , focus on becoming a “community workout app”. (4) Execution risk: large market ClassPass FitnessOnDemand (📥 Full version) 3 tools for initial-stage product development to gain traction (1) Create an unfair advantage by “online fitness” or “fitness app”, through (5) Moat: owning the phrases (📥 Full version) 3 examples to own a phrase (📥 Full version) 1 more way to create a business moat Want more? Get the full version of this single report: 🔑 Breakdown of (Helping others to start their own community, future of social networks) Startup Opportunity #1 🔑 Breakdown of (Make money by helping others to curate, curation economy) Startup Opportunity #2 🔑 Breakdown of (Unbundling Zoom, EdTech) Startup Opportunity #3 All 3 ideas combined, you will unlock: 🔑 3 startup opportunities breakdown in 1 report 🔑 7 target audience definitions 🔑 10 problem definition examples 🔑 13 solutions and feature examples in detail 🔑 10 revenue streams you can create to monetize your startup ideas 🔑 20 in-depth evaluations on each startup idea and how to prove market potential and create competitive advantages 👉 Full version of this report [1] Find me on Personal Site / Twitter / LinkedIn 🔥 [2] Get teardown insights to your inbox — Click here to join my newsletter 💌

Monetizing the Curation Economy, Social Communities and Online Learning

‘No sweat’ said my EarPods, just before they drowned

Now that we all spend so much time in video conferencing either for work or life, it is critical to make yourself look and sound the best to your colleagues, family and friends. It is not only about self image, but also about having the “real” you projecting the maximum presence remotely. In this article, I would like to introduce a few simple steps to improve your look and sound in video conferencing tools. Why should you trust me? I’m the co-founder of a small but global company, and over the last two years I have spent more than 1,000 hours on Zoom video conferences, webinars, video AMA (Ask Me Anything), YouTube interviews, and more. What I have learned can potentially save you money, time, and headaches. Main Areas for improvement Before we jump into the practical details of improving your look and sound, let’s first examine the main areas for improvement. Light Regardless what kind of webcam you have, they all crave for better lighting so each pixel can show its best. The general recommendation here is more light and softer light. And avoid strong backlight! Sound According to a study on youtube, viewers will be more likely to stop watching a video clip because of poor sound than poor video quality. To improve your sound, the key is to get the microphone as close to your mouth as possible. In addition, find ways to reduce the ambient noise. Software, Gear, and other considerations Today’s video conferencing tools are quite powerful and often have advanced settings that can improve your video and sound quality. And the key is to find them and configure them properly. A few clicks can make a world of difference, and for free. Gears do matter, but not as much as you might think. There are webcams, video lights and microphones at different budget levels that can boost your video conference quality to the next level. $100 microphone will sound dramatically better than a $5 headset, but beyond that there will be diminishing returns. In addition, think about how to improve your surroundings to make it less cluttered and more inviting. After all, better work and living space will make us happier and more productive, with and without the video conferencing. Simplest solution that cost next to nothing To achieve a much better look and sound, it does not have to cost a fortune and a computer engineer to set up. Here are the recommended simple solutions that do not require buying new equipment. Solution for light: Natural light: During the day, try to find a north facing window or a large window without direct sunlight. Try to avoid strong light in your back, which will result in “witness protection” type of image with a very dark face. Artificial light: use a desk lamp or an accent light to add more light to your face. A dimmable light will be ideal, but you can also move the light to and away from you to adjust the amount of light. Use diffusion: use household white fabric to soften the main light you have. Some examples are: semi-transparent window curtain, shower curtain, a large white shirt, parchment paper, white bed sheets. But always be careful about safety and don’t catch fire by draping paper on hot bulbs! Bonus: add some fill light on the other side of your main light, to brighten up the shadows of your face. The fill light should be less bright than the main light. Solution for sound: Use any headset that has a microphone boom that is as close to your mouth as possible. Options are: A wired or wireless headphone with a boom microphone are the best choiceEarbuds with microphone are second best, for example, your inexpensive iPhone earpods with remote and mic.Airpod and wireless earbuds, although very convenient, offers lesser audio qualityYour microphone on your laptop is probably the worst, and should be used as the last resort. Solution for software, gear and other considerations Software: Enable HD and image enhancements in your video conference settings. For example, below is where you find the settings for Zoom. Position your camera: in general, a higher camera angle compliments your look. When you work on your laptop, your camera often looks “up” which might present a double-chin effect. This can be easily rectified by: Adding a stack of books under your laptopUse one of the laptop stands like the Rain Design mStand or cheaper foldable alternatives Gear: Your webcam on your laptop might be quite good already, for example the HD camera on most Macbook Pros. But a dedicated webcam, e.g. Logitech C920/C920S can certainly improve video quality further. You can also convert your existing dSLR, mirrorless camera, or even your older smartphone into a webcam. Intermediate solution: $500 budget If you do a lot of video conferencing and your professional appearance is critical for your business, investing $500 is really a sweet spot in terms of how much quality improvement you can get in proportion to your investment. Solution for light $100 Add a bright light: 18-19” LED ring light with diffuser, light stand and camera mountOptional: use a reflector or a second smaller light for fill light or hair light Solution for sound $100 Add a USB microphone: Audio Technica AT2005USB; Samson Q2U, which will dramatically improve your sound quality especially if your house is quite noisy (e.g. kids running and screaming anyone?) or quite echoish.If you prefer a bit more mobility and your room is reasonably quiet, a USB speakerphone such as a Jabra 410 can make your bedroom sound like a boardroom. Solution for software, gear and others: $200 Better webcam: you might want to invest in a good HD webcam such as the hugely popular Logitech C920S, as well as other alternatives.Connect your dSLR or mirrorless camera (assume you already own one): via USB and software, or via HDMI capture card (Elgato Cam Link 4K) Advanced solution To get a YouTube studio quality setup, you might need to invest a bit more but the return on investment will be diminishing. Since there are so many options out there, I only list a few equipment I have used while adding a few recommended YouTube channels if you want to learn more. Solution for light: Kit 1: $300 LED panel light: Aputure Amaran HR726Reflective or white shine through umbrella like this: White umbrella Kit 2: $1000 Hard main light: Aputure LS120D IILight dome and grid: Aputure Light Dome II In addition, you can experiment with colorful flood lights as well as interesting accent lights (screensavers, Philips Hue lights, lava lamps, NEON signs, home-made light fixtures, holiday lights, and more). Solution for sound: A better microphone ($100-400): Rode Pod Mic, Rode VideoMic NTG, Shure SM7BA USB audio interface and/or recorder ($100-600): Motu M2, Tascam DR-60D MkII,  Rode Rodecaster ProBetter mic stand or scissor arm ($100): Rode PSA-1, Tripod Mic Stand Solution for software, gear and others Invest in a new mirrorless camera that works well for streaming ($350-2000), like Canon M50 or Nikon Z6. They are versatile for digital photos, on-location video, as well as video conferencing. You might also want to invest in a brighter lens, which will create that sharp face with dreamy blurry background effects.HDMI capture card like Elgato cam link 4K, or a video switcher like Blackmagic Atem Mini if you have multiple video cameras for different angles.A sturdy tripod or desktop mounting systemLearn to use software like OBS that can enhance your video feeds Summary By the end of this pandemic, we might all grow a bit more facial hair and sound a bit tired. By following some of the simple steps in this article, you might project a better presence for yourself, your friends, family and colleagues. Stay safe! For more information To learn more, I recommend the following YouTube videos: Best CAMERAS for LIVE Streaming on Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Twitch Sound for YouTube - Getting StartedHow To Make A $300 Camera Look Pro! As well follow some of these channels: https://www.youtube.com/user/dslrvideoshooter https://www.youtube.com/user/curtisjudd https://www.youtube.com/user/THiNKmediaTV Now that we all spend so much time in video conferencing either for work or life, it is critical to make yourself look and sound the best to your colleagues, family and friends. It is not only about self image, but also about having the “real” you projecting the maximum presence remotely. In this article, I would like to introduce a few simple steps to improve your look and sound in video conferencing tools. Why should you trust me? I’m the co-founder of a small but global company, and over the last two years I have spent more than 1,000 hours on Zoom video conferences, webinars, video AMA (Ask Me Anything), YouTube interviews, and more. What I have learned can potentially save you money, time, and headaches. Main Areas for improvement Before we jump into the practical details of improving your look and sound, let’s first examine the main areas for improvement. Light Regardless what kind of webcam you have, they all crave for better lighting so each pixel can show its best. The general recommendation here is more light and softer light. And avoid strong backlight! Sound According to a study on youtube, viewers will be more likely to stop watching a video clip because of poor sound than poor video quality. To improve your sound, the key is to get the microphone as close to your mouth as possible. In addition, find ways to reduce the ambient noise. Software, Gear, and other considerations Today’s video conferencing tools are quite powerful and often have advanced settings that can improve your video and sound quality. And the key is to find them and configure them properly. A few clicks can make a world of difference, and for free. Gears do matter, but not as much as you might think. There are webcams, video lights and microphones at different budget levels that can boost your video conference quality to the next level. $100 microphone will sound dramatically better than a $5 headset, but beyond that there will be diminishing returns. In addition, think about how to improve your surroundings to make it less cluttered and more inviting. After all, better work and living space will make us happier and more productive, with and without the video conferencing. Simplest solution that cost next to nothing To achieve a much better look and sound, it does not have to cost a fortune and a computer engineer to set up. Here are the recommended simple solutions that do not require buying new equipment. Solution for light: Natural light : During the day, try to find a north facing window or a large window without direct sunlight. Try to avoid strong light in your back, which will result in “witness protection” type of image with a very dark face. Natural light Artificial light : use a desk lamp or an accent light to add more light to your face. A dimmable light will be ideal, but you can also move the light to and away from you to adjust the amount of light. Artificial light Use diffusion : use household white fabric to soften the main light you have. Some examples are: semi-transparent window curtain, shower curtain, a large white shirt, parchment paper, white bed sheets. But always be careful about safety and don’t catch fire by draping paper on hot bulbs! Use diffusion Bonus : add some fill light on the other side of your main light, to brighten up the shadows of your face. The fill light should be less bright than the main light. Bonus Solution for sound: Use any headset that has a microphone boom that is as close to your mouth as possible. Options are: A wired or wireless headphone with a boom microphone are the best choice Earbuds with microphone are second best, for example, your inexpensive iPhone earpods with remote and mic. Airpod and wireless earbuds, although very convenient, offers lesser audio quality Your microphone on your laptop is probably the worst, and should be used as the last resort. A wired or wireless headphone with a boom microphone are the best choice wired wireless Earbuds with microphone are second best, for example, your inexpensive iPhone earpods with remote and mic . iPhone earpods with remote and mic Airpod and wireless earbuds, although very convenient, offers lesser audio quality Your microphone on your laptop is probably the worst, and should be used as the last resort. Solution for software, gear and other considerations Software : Enable HD and image enhancements in your video conference settings. For example, below is where you find the settings for Zoom. Software Position your camera : in general, a higher camera angle compliments your look. When you work on your laptop, your camera often looks “up” which might present a double-chin effect. This can be easily rectified by: Position your camera Adding a stack of books under your laptop Use one of the laptop stands like the Rain Design mStand or cheaper foldable alternatives Adding a stack of books under your laptop Use one of the laptop stands like the Rain Design mStand or cheaper foldable alternatives Rain Design mStand cheaper foldable alternatives Gear : Your webcam on your laptop might be quite good already, for example the HD camera on most Macbook Pros. But a dedicated webcam, e.g. Logitech C920/C920S can certainly improve video quality further. You can also convert your existing dSLR, mirrorless camera , or even your older smartphone into a webcam. Gear Logitech C920/C920S existing dSLR, mirrorless camera smartphone Intermediate solution: $500 budget If you do a lot of video conferencing and your professional appearance is critical for your business, investing $500 is really a sweet spot in terms of how much quality improvement you can get in proportion to your investment. Solution for light $100 Add a bright light: 18-19” LED ring light with diffuser, light stand and camera mount Optional: use a reflector or a second smaller light for fill light or hair light Add a bright light: 18-19” LED ring light with diffuser, light stand and camera mount 18-19” LED ring light with diffuser, light stand and camera mount Optional: use a reflector or a second smaller light for fill light or hair light Solution for sound $100 Add a USB microphone: Audio Technica AT2005USB; Samson Q2U, which will dramatically improve your sound quality especially if your house is quite noisy (e.g. kids running and screaming anyone?) or quite echoish. If you prefer a bit more mobility and your room is reasonably quiet, a USB speakerphone such as a Jabra 410 can make your bedroom sound like a boardroom. Add a USB microphone: Audio Technica AT2005USB ; Samson Q2U , which will dramatically improve your sound quality especially if your house is quite noisy (e.g. kids running and screaming anyone?) or quite echoish. Audio Technica AT2005USB Samson Q2U If you prefer a bit more mobility and your room is reasonably quiet, a USB speakerphone such as a Jabra 410 can make your bedroom sound like a boardroom. Jabra 410 Solution for software, gear and others: $200 Better webcam: you might want to invest in a good HD webcam such as the hugely popular Logitech C920S, as well as other alternatives. Connect your dSLR or mirrorless camera (assume you already own one): via USB and software, or via HDMI capture card (Elgato Cam Link 4K) Better webcam: you might want to invest in a good HD webcam such as the hugely popular Logitech C920S, as well as other alternatives . Logitech C920S, as well as other alternatives Connect your dSLR or mirrorless camera (assume you already own one): via USB and software, or via HDMI capture card ( Elgato Cam Link 4K ) dSLR or mirrorless camera Elgato Cam Link 4K Advanced solution To get a YouTube studio quality setup, you might need to invest a bit more but the return on investment will be diminishing. Since there are so many options out there, I only list a few equipment I have used while adding a few recommended YouTube channels if you want to learn more. Solution for light: Kit 1: $300 LED panel light: Aputure Amaran HR726 Reflective or white shine through umbrella like this: White umbrella LED panel light: Aputure Amaran HR726 Aputure Amaran HR726 Reflective or white shine through umbrella like this: White umbrella White umbrella Kit 2: $1000 Hard main light: Aputure LS120D II Light dome and grid: Aputure Light Dome II Hard main light: Aputure LS120D II Aputure LS120D II Light dome and grid: Aputure Light Dome II Aputure Light Dome II In addition, you can experiment with colorful flood lights as well as interesting accent lights (screensavers, Philips Hue lights, lava lamps, NEON signs, home-made light fixtures, holiday lights, and more). Solution for sound: A better microphone ($100-400): Rode Pod Mic, Rode VideoMic NTG, Shure SM7B A USB audio interface and/or recorder ($100-600): Motu M2, Tascam DR-60D MkII,  Rode Rodecaster Pro Better mic stand or scissor arm ($100): Rode PSA-1, Tripod Mic Stand A better microphone ($100-400): Rode Pod Mic , Rode VideoMic NTG , Shure SM7B Rode Pod Mic Rode VideoMic NTG Shure SM7B A USB audio interface and/or recorder ($100-600): Motu M2 , Tascam DR-60D MkII , Rode Rodecaster Pro Motu M2 Tascam DR-60D MkII Rode Rodecaster Pro Better mic stand or scissor arm ($100): Rode PSA-1 , Tripod Mic Stand Rode PSA-1 Tripod Mic Stand Solution for software, gear and others Invest in a new mirrorless camera that works well for streaming ($350-2000), like Canon M50 or Nikon Z6. They are versatile for digital photos, on-location video, as well as video conferencing. You might also want to invest in a brighter lens, which will create that sharp face with dreamy blurry background effects. HDMI capture card like Elgato cam link 4K, or a video switcher like Blackmagic Atem Mini if you have multiple video cameras for different angles. A sturdy tripod or desktop mounting system Learn to use software like OBS that can enhance your video feeds Invest in a new mirrorless camera that works well for streaming ($350-2000), like Canon M50 or Nikon Z6 . They are versatile for digital photos, on-location video, as well as video conferencing. You might also want to invest in a brighter lens, which will create that sharp face with dreamy blurry background effects. Canon M50 Nikon Z6 HDMI capture card like Elgato cam link 4K , or a video switcher like Blackmagic Atem Mini if you have multiple video cameras for different angles. Elgato cam link 4K Blackmagic Atem Mini A sturdy tripod or desktop mounting system A sturdy tripod desktop mounting system Learn to use software like OBS that can enhance your video feeds OBS Summary By the end of this pandemic, we might all grow a bit more facial hair and sound a bit tired. By following some of the simple steps in this article, you might project a better presence for yourself, your friends, family and colleagues. Stay safe! For more information To learn more, I recommend the following YouTube videos: Best CAMERAS for LIVE Streaming on Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Twitch Best CAMERAS for LIVE Streaming on Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Twitch Sound for YouTube - Getting Started How To Make A $300 Camera Look Pro! Sound for YouTube - Getting Started Sound for YouTube - Getting Started How To Make A $300 Camera Look Pro! How To Make A $300 Camera Look Pro! As well follow some of these channels: https://www.youtube.com/user/dslrvideoshooter https://www.youtube.com/user/curtisjudd https://www.youtube.com/user/THiNKmediaTV https://www.youtube.com/user/dslrvideoshooter https://www.youtube.com/user/dslrvideoshooter https://www.youtube.com/user/curtisjudd https://www.youtube.com/user/curtisjudd https://www.youtube.com/user/THiNKmediaTV https://www.youtube.com/user/THiNKmediaTV

How to Look and Sound Better in Video Conference

With the early release of Oculus Quest’s Hand tracking, there are bound to be some questions and curiosity. What’s new? It was already possible using Leap Motion? Is it better? Let’s review and find out. Oculus Quest has officially become the with . first-ever VR headset built-in Hand tracking Past of Leap Motion in VR Leap Motion even though almost being a decade old technology still gives one of the most reliable hands tracking to date. It consists of two cameras and three infrared LEDs and maps up to 2 feet above the controller which was expanded later on with Orion beta software to 2.6 feet. The interaction area is 2 feet wide (150°), 2 feet deep (120°) and 2 feet tall. The Hardware was originally designed for PC and Mac which was launched back in 2012 and later found its a use case with the rise of VR technology. It was a breakthrough at the time, it was an amazing experience to see and interact with your hands inside VR. Surprisingly the hardware made for PC’s almost seamlessly blended with VR devices like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive or so we thought until now. Welcome, Oculus Quest! In 2019, we all underwent a big transition towards going wireless. We all saw the big trend of wireless Earpods and witnessed the launch of the successor of Oculus Go. Oculus Go was already pushing boundaries of going wireless on a cheap price point of 199$ but Oculus Quest pushed the possibilities even further in terms of performance upgrade with 4 GB ram, 835 snapdragon chipset and most of all the inside out room-scale tracking and the wireless Hand tracking. Oculus Quest Oculus Quest Hand Tracking Illustration The whole origin of and even how they brand themselves as an device, it has all been aiming at empowering us with power without PC and freedom of movement in VR without wires, and now they have gone one step further in achieving by replacing controllers with our own hands. Oculus Quest All-In-One VR True Freedom in VR Hand tracking: Oculus Quest Vs Leap Motion With Leap Motion earlier it was a very tedious process of setting up hand tracking in your VR environment with running along VR headset wires. Oculus Quest has made this tiring process and truly wireless. bundles of wires extremely easy Being enabled with 4 cameras on the sides, Oculus Quest can track your hands even in your . While Leap Motion can only detect in a in front of you. peripheral vision conical vision But having a lot of cameras has it’s downsides as well. As of now at the end of 2019, Oculus Quest is incapable of having , overlapping of hands and even loses tracking when both hands are in a certain proximity to each other. The use of multiple cameras is bound to result in some sort of in between, although it does a decent enough job of stitching together the feed. It still isn’t good enough as there is a fine line right in the center where the hands lose their tracking. combined gestures seam Such wasn’t ever a problem with Leap Motion, although completely overlapping of hands might result in finicky motion due to obvious limitation of the viewpoint of the camera. Although keeping in mind this is an early release of Oculus Quest’s Hand tracking and there is a lot of scope of improvements that can be done in terms of software upgrades. Been made from the ground up to support hand tracking Oculus Quest has an edge in every term over Leap Motion except one, and that’s . Leap Motion can be backed by a and can support huge applications with a robust graphics card whereas Oculus Quest is currently running an chipset. performance powerful CPU 835 snapdragon Future of Leap Motion in VR? The Big Update of Oculus Quest with Hand Tracking will not immediately wipe Leap Motion out of existence. But will rather create a unique market segment ie., . It’s fair to say Oculus Quest has established its place in the Mobile VR market which is growing stronger and powerful every day alongside mobile devices. Wireless and Wired hand tracking The hand tracking in Oculus Quest is still not as stable as Leap Motion but from looking at what they are offering in this early release the future with wireless VR looks promising and capable of replacing the wired options completely in not so distant future. In Conclusion There is a lot of refinement to be done, but what we are seeing right now is no small feat. The feeling of being Hand’s free in VR, looking down and finding your hands right where you expect them is pretty amazing. Being priced at 399$, Oculus Quest is able to reach masses whether it be consumers or developers. Hand tracking will be a big trend to watch for in 2020 as it improves and reach a wider audience it is safe to say there will be a larger shift towards this technology. ➾Take a look into, A Day in the Life of VR Developer

Oculus Quest Vs. Leap Motion: Hand Tracking Review and the Future of Leap Motion in VR

This past year, I have lived in . All this while working a full time job, remotely. 6 continents, 17 countries, 7 time zones and 21 cities Work is my primary goal. Work is what enables me to live this life. So obviously, being connected is the center of my focus. Additionally, I am part of the Infrastructure team at BuzzFeed, which means, I have to be oncall for a week every month and be generally available 24/7, at other times. So, what do I carry around? To be honest, what I carry around changes a lot! Anything that goes into my backpack has to earn its place there and needs to be used at least once a week for it to keep its place. For the first part in this series, I will attempt to break down . what tech is usually in my backpack Preface: None of this would be possible without my trusted powerhorse, my Apple iPhone 7 Plus . Honestly, its the driver of my existence. Takes photos that aren’t too shabby ( instagram.com/sricola ), lives up to battery life expectations and the large screen means I can read, write or watch anything on the go. — this is my go to device when I want something larger than my iPhone but don’t want to pull out my laptop — to check my email, read, watch videos or pretty much anything else. With T-Mobile’s data service on it, I get high speed internet while in the US, Canada and Mexico — and manageable, albeit slower speeds outside the North American continent. iPad Pro 9.7 (4G LTE) with Smart Keyboard ( ) — keeps my devices charged and the gigantic 20,100 mah battery means there is plenty to go around. It also has a USB-C charge port which means I can also with it! That in itself is a huge selling point to me. Anker PowerCore+ external battery link charge my MacBook Pro ( , we both get $20 if you sign up)— this is my secondary phone. I use it to get high speed internet while roaming at the not-so-great-but-also-not-so-terrible price of $10/GB. Savior when you need that bit of fast , no matter where you are — Bali to Tokyo to Santiago — wherever you go. The phone is also unlocked meaning I can pop in a local SIM if needed. LG Nexus 5x with Google Project Fi link internet ( ) — I mean, all these devices are finger print magnets and nobody wants a dirty screen. What can I say? I am obsessed with clean screens. MicroFiber Cloth link ( ) — I love and hate this little laptop. Battery life is hit or miss, glitchy af on graphics, overheats BUT it’s light, and can be charged using the aforementioned battery pack. I have come to love the lower profile keyboard. MacBook Pro, Non Touch Bar link ( ) — Bose makes solid acoustic devices. They aren’t my ideal sounding pair, but the bluetooth functionality and noise cancelling makes this a god send on flights or in a noisy environment. Battery life gets me through 8 hour flights with ease. Bose QC35 Noise Cancelling Headphones link — okay, this was a hard sell to me. They are also hard to find since can’t figure out the supply chain. Apple’s older wired EarPods never stayed in my ear, and I was skeptical about these. But, without the dangling wires of the old style, these actually stay in my ear! I wouldn’t dare to jaunt across the street with them in my ear, but they’re great for casual listening. They stow away easily and the battery life is decent. Apple AirPods Apple ( ) — this is the swiss army knife of my life’s power needs. Not only is it a multi port USB and USB-C charger, it also has a built in battery that charges itself. The in-built battery is on the smaller side, but its good enough to charge my iPhone 7 Plus up at least once. Anker PowerCore Fusion link Other Honorable Mentions US Power Strip — I have a mini 3 outlet power strip. Top Tip: With this, you only need one outlet and one convertor to plug in all your devices. Cables — I mean, there is no way around this. You end up with a tonne of cables. will

Digital Nomad Life: tech in my backpack

Do these look dumb? That’s one of my only concerns with new Bluetooth-driven, totally-wireless-even-from-each-other Air Pods. They finally arrived several months after their oft-delayed official release, and several many weeks after I ordered them. Following their pre-pre-introduction as the remedy for new headphone-port-less , I wrote a somewhat skeptical of the Air Pods, forced to fantasize and ponder whether a world and a life of “listening without wires” justified the $159. Apple’s iPhones “pre-review” Well, they are officially and a bit awkwardly in my ears now. They are a little overpriced and yes, make me feel like an idiot. It’s not anywhere near the Google Glass level of pretentiousness, but I am definitely channeling a little . The photo above looks like someone shoved a massive Q-Tip into my head and bent the end down to keep it in place … but I digress. They great in my ears, . They’re a marvelous system, and better and cooler that I thought they’d be. In the end, I think the price tag is mostly justified if you can avoid losing them — That’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see the cost of these tiny little things. Lobot feel for what it’s worth Some notes: Bluetooth pairing was touted as being super-simple, but I haven’t quite got the hang of it yet. I think I’m just not doing it right, and I do tend to connect them around from my MacBook to iPad to iPhone. (There’s my obligatory Apple Apologist statement that goes along with every Macophile’s review: It’s not the device, it must be me.) The sound quality is much better than I had expected, based on reviews and reports I’d read. Phone conversation voice clarity is crisp and clean. Music is just about perfect for listening in a work setting, and they provide a bit of noise-cancellation too. A test run included “Tom Sawyer” and I can report that the Air Pods do the Modern Day Warrior justice. In a workout setting, whether in a noisy gym or outdoors, you may opt for the PowerBeats or new BeatsX for louder, more powerful and noise-cancelling performance. I think you’d need to be a pretty strict workout-audiophile to make that distinction, however. I found the BeatsX to be just slightly better at noise cancellation and had more “bottom,” also with a bit more loudness. Not having any wires whatsoever is pretty liberating. Bluetooth headphones remove possibility of a snagged cord, but the versions with the buds wired to each other still have, well, the wire. The Air Pods are a step closer to just having the music piped directly into your brain, with no risk of ever snagging any wire on anything. As mentioned, a major concern was the possibility of losing the two little separate buds. They remain in my ears snugly with no issues, nor is there any sensation that they’re ever going to fall out, even when running. As far as keeping track of them when they’re not in use: The little dental-floss-like carrying case is helpful, but in the end you just gotta be disciplined and figure out an approach for carrying and storing them that fits your daily workflow. I try to keep the case “on” me or nearby so that when I’m not using the Air Pods they go right back into the case. Then I’m tasked with keeping track of the case and not two separate little buds. It helps that the case is charged using a lightning cable so every night they take turns with my iPod and iPhone, whichever needs the most juice. So all those devices are waiting, together, for me to grab in the morning. In other words, if you are always prone to losing our sunglasses, don’t buy a $159 pair of Oakleys. If you’re constantly misplacing your traditional earpods, don’t buy a $159 pair. Think of them as your prescription glasses or jewelry … be smart, you’ll be fine. (And let the countdown begin to when I inevitably lose mine.) So there you go, a few hundred words over and above what you really wanted to know about the Air Pods.

Actual Review: AirPods

The new MacBook Pro is moving away from its core customers. I stood up from my chair, a new wooden office chair in the library discussion room with the smell of young Swiss pine, and walked toward the whiteboard on the wall to host the meeting for our marketing project. I made my way behind my teammates’ chairs in the tiny meeting room, and when I walked behind Eddie, a brilliant guy who talked really fast, I tripped the charger cable of his white MacBook. What will happened next just flash through in my head, his laptop will fell and break. I’m so sure of this because I just tripped the cable of my own Toshiba Portégé the week before. But magically, nothing happened. He picked up his cable and laughed at me “Don’t worry David, it’s magnetic!”. That’s the WOW time for me to know MacBook and I told myself I would definitely get one in the future. Unfortunately, the time to get a new laptop did not take too long to come. One year later, my Toshiba Portégé just kept showing me the blue screen and I know it’s time to say goodbye. I bought my first unibody aluminum 13-inch MacBook when it launched at 2008, and it stayed with me almost 8 years before I got my current 15-in retina MacBook Pro last year. Generally in the last 10 year, a MacBook Pro is more powerful and stable against other laptops using Windows as their operating system, especially when handling works such as and . Before my first MacBook, I never had a Windows-based laptop that can maintain the speed and performance for more than 1.5 years, so I was pretty amazed about how my 13-inch MacBook has performed. Therefore, I pay extra attention to MacBook updates every year, however, it’s been a while since last big updates for MacBook. design programming It took Apple 4 years, 4 months, and 16 days for Apple to introduce the new MacBook Pro on October 27, 2016. To be honest, the new MacBook Pro is a product of disappointment and simply is not a “Milestone” or “A big step forward” as Apple’s marketing head, Phil Schiller, claimed. Although I don’t feel any compulsory emotion as others who waited for years for a revolutionary MacBook Pro, as a gadget enthusiast and as early adopter, since there is no WOW moment for me toward the new MacBook Pro as I had before, I can safely say that you should probably skip the new MacBook Pro 2016 and maybe wait for another year. USB-C Taking away ports including USB-A and HDMI in the old MacBook Pro and shifting to USB-C only needs courage (not the one for iPhone 7 ), although a lot of people disagree with the move, I think it’s a necessary pain to move forward. headphone jack and EarPods USB-C is smaller and thinner than bulky USB-A, and can handle power, data, as well as video on a single cable. The entry-level MacBook Pro has two USB-C ports, and the high-end one has four ports. On the new MacBook Pro, USB-C ports will become he only way to hook up your chargers, memory card reader, external output, pretty much everything. Even you have a slimmer new MacBook Pro, you won’t find your life a lot more easier to carry it with you on daily basis since you need to bring a lot of dongles with you in the bag everyday, which add weight and size to your bag. This inconvenience can be alleviated if Apple really care about their customers and did it right, however, they did not. If you are a loyal iPhone users and just bought your iPhone 7, sorry, you need to buy another adapter in order to connect your iPhone with new MacBook Pro. Furthermore, there’s no power extension cable with the new MacBook Pro as they did with the old MacBook Pro, and you need to for $19. purchase it Adopting USB-C is a necessary pain. Although USB-C is an open standard and you can find other adapter and dongle online for price lower than Apple, as a early adopter of new MacBook Pro, there is no way to get rid of the dongle hell in the beginning. From the long term perspective, Apple’s move to USB-C is necessary and help to set the industry standard. Some one got to do it. Design There’s no doubt that the new MacBook Pro is still the most beautiful laptop in the world. It’s slim, sleek, beautiful and even feels great with every touch. But to be honest, and a bit unfair for sure, we’re used to it. We’re used to what Apple has offered in the recent years and the design of new MacBook is simply another “Apple Product” instead of something that turns the world around. The new MacBook is still the most beautiful laptop. The design, like iPhone 6 & 7, is just identical as competitors’ product, stylish and with better taste. In other words, the new MacBook Pro’s design does not set industry standard as iPhone 4 & 5 did in their launch date. Although I think the team of Jonathan Ive did a good job to design the new MacBook Pro a better looking one than its previous model, it is not revolutionary, and even the Surface Book surpass it in many forms, in an ugly way though. Performance The new MacBook Pro uses the Skylake architecture for their chip, instead of the Kaby Lake that has been adopted by handful of machines. It was a safe choice to launch the new MacBook Pro on time, which is a slap in the face with Phil Schiller’s “The calendar isn’t what drives any of the decisions” statement from the . interview with CNET OK, the chip is not impressive, how about RAM? Well, the new MacBook Pro has a maximum of 16 gigabytes of RAM, the same limit as the previous MacBook Pro. But these are not the worst. The new MacBook Pro has become the first MacBook that did not to receive . The test found out that the battery life of new MacBook Pro “varied dramatically from one trial to another”. Before the consumer report, there were a lot of complaints online regarding the poor battery life of the new MacBook Pro. Some customers claimed that their new MacBook Pro can only use for 3 to 4 hours instead of 10 hours as Apple advertised. To me, it’ s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back since battery life is crucial for laptops and previous MacBook has done a great job in this category. recommended ratings from Consumer Reports Touch Bar So, here comes the Touch Bar, the one that ignite so many discussions in this new MacBook Pro launch. A lot of people are really excited about it, however, I did not find it useful for current offering. For now, Touch bar looks more like a gimmick to me and I think the excitement behind it only stems from the lack of improvement in laptop business for way too long. It’s like a drop of water fall into the dry desert — saturated but will evaporate hastily. The Touch Bar is really eye-catching in the first appealing because those keys it has replaced are something outdated. And then Apple present the use case of Emoji. WOW! That’s a really impressive marketing out there. Use case of Touch Bar for native apps does not make much sense. Nevertheless, when I get a hand on it, I don’t find it helpful in simplifying workflow. For example, when I open the Notes app and start typing, Touch Bar will give you suggestions of words. Like I type “I” and it display suggestions like “will”, “am” for me to press. To be honest, this is rather silly when I can type 10 times faster on my keyboard. Also, when I open Safari, the Touch Bar will allow you to quickly select different browser tabs. In this case, I prefer using my usual keyboard shortcut of “cmd+number” or “cmd+option+left or right key”to jump from one tab to another, which are also faster than pressing on the Touch Bar. Other cases like Touch Bar with Photo app and Final Cut Pro, are rather bad UX comparing to what Apple has achieved in the last 10 years. Apple is a pioneer in user experience, but with Touch Bar, it proves that its pace has slowed down. That’s for the case of UX on Touch Bar so far, however, the future is still not defined. I am looking forward to more app integration with Touch Bar to offer a better experience than Apple did for its native apps. The key is, if you want users to lift their hands from keyboard and move to any specific button on Touch Bar, you need to offer them a stronger incentive. Right now, the incentive is weak. If Touch Bar can only offer users with tasks they can simply done on the keyboard, it will still be useless as the outdated keys it replaced. Will developers and designers switch to Surface? In the past, Apple successfully launched and ad campaign to attract frustrated Windows users to try Mac. It was a series of successful marking that bring Apple’s MacBook series one of the top choice for professional customers like designers, photographers, and developers. But now, it’s to ask consumers to “switch” to its Surface Book because of the new MacBook Pro launch. With Microsoft lurking behind, Apple really needs to think twice about who their customers really are and design the product for them. The new MacBook Pro has betrayed its core and most loyal customers, designers and developers, and while most of them are early adopters in this area, they can easily jump to other interesting product, such as Surface. Maybe this time, it will be Mac to be . “Switch” “Get a Mac” Microsoft’s turn disappointed Switched

Maybe this time, it will be Mac to be “Switched”

Is there such a thing as “too simple?” One of Albert Einstein’s most memorable quotes was “Make everything as simple as possible … but no simpler.” When new were announced, I at first believed that we‘d found a good example of he was meant by “no simpler.” Apple’s AirPods I’m not a technology editor or blogger at a major publication so I have not received a preview set of Apple’s new wireless, Bluetooth-driven AirPods (made more necessary now by Apple’s headphone jack-less iPhone 7's). My “review” here will be based on my first impressions of the product roll-out, how I feel about the unconnected, separate-earbud format; and my level of desire to drop $159 to obtain them. In doing a bit of research, I came across Conan O’Brien’s ad spoof video that I believe will save me several many keystrokes and words to describe that “first impression” in my head when I first saw the introductory Apple keynote. This is pretty funny and spot on… Now, have noted that the AirPods fit as well as the previous ear-bud-pod version, so the comedic theme of the ad is a little off-base. What I find interesting about the spoof is how odd and sort of dumb the buds look without the cord. The iconic original ads made the swaying, flopping cord a fun part of the kinetic images and footage. reviews actual Without the cord, the white wireless earbuds have been compared unfavorably to … well, any sort of white thingy sticking out of your ears or face … This is where I had my first thoughts of over-simplification. Did they take away too much? They should have kept the wire, just connect the two buds together directly. I like the way my PowerBeats™ fit and work, with the cord draped behind my neck and the ear “clips” holding the earpieces firmly in place. I’ve got volume and mute controls on the cord. Bluetooth pairing is relatively straightforward. The occasional charging process is fine. The sound is good. The tethering cord and the earclips make them easy to find and dig out of a gym bag. The “connected” AirPods would end up looking something like this product from Spigen creates … except you would still presumably have the play/pause and volume controls available on the cord. Look familiar? Looking at this promo image, I envisioned new Apple ads in the iconic “dancing silhouette” style, with the strap flapping behind the dancer’s neck but allowing them to flip and twist and perform other moves without fear of getting tangled in the cord between their ears and iPod. Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo And then … Wires and jacks happened When I started this post, I intended to end it there … to conclude that Apple had out-thought itself and over-simplified a product. They look silly, seem easy to lose and difficult to control when, for instance, someone approaches you and you’d like to pause or control the volume. But as I often do, I saved a draft until I had time to wrap it up. During that time, I used my PowerBeats … my iPhone 6 … my traditional, current-generation EarPods. Now knowing that AirPods are “out there,” suddenly … Every device with a headphone jack seemed outdated and obsolete. . Even though … just sayin’ The tethering cord on my PowerBeats started to rub on my neck a bit more while running. My PowerBeats earclips kind of started to pinch a little. Plugging in my PowerBeats to charge alongside my electric shaver seemed weird. The frustrating process of un-tangling an EarPod cord became slightly more blood pressure-inducing. I remembered how many times I’ve scrambled to find a set of headphones, even with the “findable” cord. The dental-floss charging case seems like something I could keep close to my keys and wallet (and … of course … my iPhone) to grab each morning before heading out. As opposed to stuffing a wad of headphone cord into my pocket. Elegant, but eminently lose-able? Maybe a world without any wires won’t be so bad. Perhaps in an effort to create a design that is as simple as possible, Apple has found a safe threshold of “no simpler.” The $159 verdict Alright … I will probably get a pair of these, with my ($199) PowerBeats as a backup for situations where I may need better sound and/or better in-ear security. Or I may have a pair of one of these to sell you on eBay someday. That’s over $350 in wireless freedom, so I had better make the most of it. Time to step up the workout routine, load up on podcasts and audiobooks, become a Siri-driven android (apologies for the reference) and join the masses of white-ear-thingy-wearers. I remain concerned about sound quality, lose-ability (or at best, forget-ability) paired with the expense of having a backup pair, and lack of controls. I’m sure once I have these in my hands, some of those concerns will go away. Kudos to Apple for keeping things simple. I thought I gotcha this time, proving that maybe this time you went beyond Einstein’s “no simpler.”

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