Classroom of the future, from abacus to iPad!

Technology is constantly evolving and changing everyday life rapidly! Gone are the days of a chalk board at the front of the classroom so I am going to try and look at the developments that may occur to bring around the classroom of the future! 

When I was at school, to display a document to everyone the teacher had to photocopy it onto a transparent film and then use a huge, noisy overhead projector, that they had spent half an hour focusing so we could read the text. This used up valuable time and money  in the school day and the quality was often poor! These have gradually been replaced, with the more expensive but effective option of a smart board. This meant that the white board was ran through a computer so there was no ink or paper involved, just a blank document that the teacher could digitally draw or write on. This was a huge improvement but it still proved difficult to effectively share a document or item. This has now been further developed by the introduction of document camera such as the Ipevo Ziggi USB Document Camera. 

The Ziggi is proving to be increasingly popular with school and colleges around the country. It is a very simple to use plug and play device that requires no effort at all to set up. You plug it into your USB port on the teachers laptop or computer and position the camera stand so what you are trying to show is in view and it will focus itself. This can be used with an interactive smart board so you can highlight and label things. You can take screen shot or even video with this HD camera. The list of uses for these camera are huge, from showcasing the class pet to showing something on a smart phone. 

This is happening now so what will be the developments in the future? I believe one major addition to the classroom will be the iPad. Due to its versatility and constant iOS updates it seems the ideal replacement for pen and paper. This does raise some issues like cost, and the fact like a young child known to be walking home from school with a £400 gadget in their bag is an ideal target for a mugging, but there are ways around this. It isn't unheard of for a sixth form college to spend upwards of £200k on paper per year, so would the cost be much more to buy each student a tablet for their 2 year spell? Its not just pen and paper that the iPad would replace, because of the thousands of apps on the device you would no longer need a lot of things such as calculators, textbooks, calenders or homework diaries. The amount of accessories that can be used with the iPad just adds to the appeal. Things like the the Ipevo Perch Desktop Stand means that the iPad can be used like a monitor! All work can be completed and submitted electronically, minimising the risk of damage or loss of work. It essence a school child's school bag can all be replaced by a smallish interactive tablet. 

Over the past couple of years heavy snow fall has often disrupted the opening of schools and colleges which brings the work in progress to a stand still. However it was widely reported that one private high school near our office hosted lessons over the school network using the internet. If each student had their own tablet, it would mean they all had a connection to the schools network and intranet. This would mean in cases like the one I just mentioned, where the school has been shut because of weather conditions then lessons can still go ahead. This can apply to if a student is ill also, and would be most valuable in the build up to exams. 

Why Turtle Beach gaming headsets are a cut above the rest!

We recently put a range of Turtle Beach gaming headsets on our website and i am going to look at what makes them special!

Turtle Beach headsets have been the choice of professional gamers recently and I am interested to know why. I feel the best way to do this is to review 1 headset from each end of the market. The 3 headsets I have chosen are:

• XC1 Xbox 360 Headset - £16.99
• PX3 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset - £99.99
• PX5 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset - £199.99

As you can see from the above list the price range is pretty drastic which says to me that they have a model to suit everyone, as well as the different platforms that are available. Turtle Beach make headsets for PlayStation, Xbox and PC but a lot of their headsets can also be used with smart phones and music players such as MP3 players and iPod's, which adds to their appeal. 

The first headset i will look at is the cheapest that Turtle Beach do, the XC1 Xbox 360 Headset.

Although this is the cheapest headset, it still have great comfort and excellent audio quality. The chatting microphone allows you to communicate with friends and other plays to discuss strategy and tactics. The innovative slotted ear cup design means that the speaker is lifted off of the ear to allow for background noises in the game! This means you can hear the sound effects of the game whilst still chatting and hearing your comrades! The XC1 uses a 40mm speaker which doesn't have surround sound but you can buy a device that gives it added quality called a DSS2.


The next headset i am going to look at is the PX3 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset, which is in the middle of the price range.

If you are serious about  gaming, and I mean it is a major part of your life then this is a model you should consider and I say consider because the price tag is pretty steep! To start one of the main plus' of this model is its versatility as it can be used on PS3, Xbox 360 and the PC, as well as smart phones and music players! The 50mm speakers fitted into the cup like designed of the ear pad means that no noise is missed and extra sounds are picked up that conventional speakers wont catch, giving you the edge on your opponents! The PX3 comes with programmable EQ pre-sets so you can adjust your audio to what ever the scenario in your game! It also has re-chargeable batteries which will give you 10 hours of game time in one charge but can be re-charged whilst in use! This is an excellent value for money headset if gaming is a huge part of your life!

The third headset and the most technologically advanced headset on the market is the PX5 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset.

This headset is for the people who are lucky enough to be professional gamers out there! The simple matter of the fact is that there isn't a headset on the market that will outshine this one. Not only can it be used on all 3 platforms but the signals for chat, game and microphone can all be independently customised using the programmable digital signalling processor. This combined with the pre-set EQ settings stored in the headset means you can tailor the audio to fit any game scenario perfectly, from picking up footsteps to hearing the click of a reloading gun, giving you a noticeable edge on your opponents. You can even programme the headset to disguise your voice or highlight others within a game.

The headset incorporates a dual-radio system, one for chat and one for the Dolby digital surround sound audio. These are delivered using Bluetooth which also supports stereo audio streaming so you can listen to your own music whilst playing, but it also lets you answer a phone call in the middle of the game!

Although it has been developed for gaming, the PX5 is still more than suitable for listening to music or watching films. Comfort is never an issue as it has large, deep, fabric cushions combined a soft but sturdy headband. The ear cups also twist for when you are wearing it around your neck they sit on your shoulder comfortable. The PX5 truly is the secret weapon for professional on-line gamers!

VoIP and IP explained!

What is VoIP?

Well it stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and this just means it is a way of making cheap or even free phone calls using the internet. This can be free as you can make a call without using a phone set!

Advantages

There are many advantages to switching your phone over to VoIP but the main reason why people and businesses are doing it is the reduced cost. It is known as being the cheaper option but VoIP is often being used for free. All you need is a computer that has a camera, a microphone and a good broadband connection and you can make calls for nothing! In come cases you can also do this with home and mobile phones. It is said to be cheaper and not free though because if you turn to VoIP you have to replace your PSTN network and so depending on where and how often you are calling depends on how much you end up paying. This also depends on the service provider you are using. It will still be cheaper though especially when you using international phone calls, in fact I have heard cases of people saving up to 90% on their phone bill when using VoIP for international calls. 

Disadvantages

VoIP is a relatively new technology and despite its obvious pro's, it still has some downsides. 

• Voice quality
• bandwidth dependency
• power dependency
• emergency calls
• security

Although it isn't much it could be enough to put you off, and we feel if you know what problems to expect, you will be better prepared to use VoIP. 

The voice quality you get from this form of telephony has a number of different factors. These will include your hardware, broadband connection, location, software and service provided by your provider. These factors can also cause a delay in sound and mysterious sounds appear to be in the background that have just been picked up along the way. 

Overall

VoIP is a very good method and i do believe that technology will rapidly develop to make the quality of it just as good as a traditional phone line, but as we have seen a lower cost. I feel big businesses and companies will start adopting VoIP as to keep to down their costs and keep up with trending technology!

How will climate change effect Telecommunications?

So global warming is a huge subject in today’s society weather you believe in it or not. I think its safe to say that the majority of us think that it happening and that we do need to look at the implications but there is people who believe it is all a myth and something we have either caused or can help.

Weather you believe in global warming or not we can safely say that the climate is changing and I am going to look at how these changes will effect telecoms and telecommunications; an idea that is rarely talked about in the grand scale of the global warming theory.

What is climate change?

So what exactly is climate change? According to Wikipedia it is ‘Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average (e.g., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region or may occur across the whole Earth’. From reports I have read in various sources such as The Guardian and The Met Office that this means we should expect more extreme weathers and storms which is the major factor that will effect our telecoms products!

How will weather effect telecoms?!

How will the weather effect telecoms I can hear you saying already? Well although more heat may seem like a good thing at first it could have an adverse effect on our telecoms products. Well metal things such as large wires and pylons expand in the heat which can cause them to buckle and break, just like a train track. A sudden break in a system could be disastrous depending on where it is and would also to be costly to fix!  These lines can also be damaged in the extreme cold, except lines then shrink and break which would be just as pricey to fix!

Another extreme weather case in which telecoms can be effected, especially when it will be relied on is in flood cases or high winds. In the case of high winds such as a hurricane or major flood in which people are stuck at home and need to contact friends, family or emergency services communication telecoms will be relied on heavily. However if we do not adapt and expect these situations then we may be without communication when we vitally need it!

A third instance of weather conditions effecting our communication is electrical storms, such as thunder and lightening. These can knock out telecom pylons in a flash, literally! Not only can this cause damage and knock out telecoms systems but it can also cause injury and death! If this happened again it would be very expensive to fix.

How can we help prevent climate change?

Well you might be helping already without even realizing! When you host a conference using services like Skype, or phones that are VOIP or IP you are already reducing your carbon footprint! Instead of traveling, sometimes hundreds of miles for a half hour meeting, using a train or car, you are simply driving to the near by office or maybe even conferencing from home. This immediately cuts down your CO2 emissions almost completely as the amount of electricity used produces nowhere near the amount of harmful gases as traveling a long way.

Another way of helping with this huge issue is to use Eco friendly phones. Here at DST UK we sell eco friendly phones which you can have a look at here.

We would like to hear your views on this subject so feel free to leave a comment an we will get back to as soon as we can!

How to install your repeater and range extender!

A repeater is a fantastic addition to any DECT system. Essentially having one means that you can use your cordless DECT further away from the main  base that you usually could! 

A lot of people think that once their phone reaches its range limit that is it, well its actually not. Weather its just to reach the other side of the house, or to the garage or garden, a repeater is a great way to maximise usability of your DECT phone. 

NOTE: Not all DECT phones will be repeater compatible but most will. The simplest way to check is by going on your phones menu options and looking for the option to turn 'Repeater Mode', or any similar option, on or off. This will be suffice for most phones but is not a definite way and the manufacturer of the phone should be contacted if you are unsure. 

To use the repeater you have to install it, effectively just the same as adding an additional handset to the system. When going through this process, you need to have you repeater with you, with your main base close by. After you have set it up you can then unplug you repeater and move it to wherever it needs to be. When placing your device you should take into account that it will be more effective the higher up it is. 

1. You need to put your main base into registration mode. This is done by pressing the 'page' or 'find' button. On most Panasonic phones it is a button that has a circle and 3 semi circles on it. Hold this down for 3-5 seconds.  (More Info)
2. Plug in your repeater and hold down the registration button to put it into registration mode. (Please use your user guide for help with identifying what mode your device is in)
3. Once both devices are in registration mode it shouldn't be long until they connect with each other. This will be signified by some sort of flash or light on the repeater itself. 
4. Now you need to unplug the repeater and place it in the area where your handset starts to break up. 
5. You then need to turn on repeater mode in the settings on your cordless handset. If you have trouble finding this please refer to your user guide. You should now have the same range from the repeater as you did from the base station!

Although the repeater can extend the range of your main base, most of them cannot extend range from another repeater, this is known as daisy chaining. One repeater that can do this is the RTX 4002 Pro Link Repeater. 

I would just like to say that this is an approximate guide for installing repeaters. Some may differ but this will give you a good idea on the simplicity of setting up such a useful device. Please use the link below to see our range of repeaters. 

http://www.home-phones.co.uk/home-phones/range-extenders-and-repeaters/ 

How to register your DECT cordless phone

We get many phone calls a day from customers asking us to help them with registering there wireless headsets with the main base. It may seem complicated but in reality it is rather simple so I am going to give you a step by step guide on how to register your phone without us!



The first stage to registering your phone is to familiarize yourself with the buttons and menu options on both the handset and main base. No matter what manufacturer your handset is, the buttons and menu options are very similar and so you the buttons may be slightly different to what i explain but not by much.


How does it actually work? Well in a nutshell it works by putting both your main base, and your handset into registration mode. This means that the base unit is looking for a handset giving of this signal, and the handset is looking for a base giving of a signal and as you have probably guessed they find each other!


Before you do this you must first locate the 'Find' or 'Page' button on your base unit. This is why i said you have to first familiarize with the buttons. This is the button you would press to locate a handset when you can't find it, Panasonic use a small circle with 3 semi circles, it looks a bit like a speaker. Now you need to look through the menu on your base and handset to find 'Register Handset' or similar option, this is what you need to register your handset.


Step 1. First you have to put the base unit into registration mode and to do this you simply have to hold down the 'find' button for up to 5 seconds. When the base goes into registration mode there will be either a continual beeping or a continual flashing from the base unit only, not any of the additional handsets.


Step 2. You then need to go on the registration settings on the handset you are trying to register and it should come up with a message such as 'searching...'.


Step 3. For this step your handset should be asking you for a pin code. Unless someone before you has changed it, 99.9% of DECT phones have a pin code of 0000. Enter 0000 and the press confirm.





Step 4. If you have performed the previous steps correctly and the registration has worked then you should get a beep, flash or message on the handset to tell you your efforts have been successful.





The best way to test if your registration has worked is to simply make an attempt at a phone call on the newly registered handset and if you get a dial tone then it has worked.


I hope you have found this step by step guide helpful and you get the most out of your wireless DECT phone!

Is the TrueCall Screening and Blocking device worth it?

The TrueCall made its first appearance on the well known TV show, Dragons Den. Pete Jones has also been quoted to say the TrueCall is the best gadget he has seen in 6 series' of Dragons Den. In a sentence what this device does is block calls from people you don't want to speak to, but i will review each of the features and how useful they are.

The first feature i will look at is 'whisper'. This asks the caller to give you there name before your phone rings. The TrueCall then reads this out to you so you can then decide if you want to speak to them or not.  This is useful if you just don't want to speak to someone right at that moment but would any other time, maybe a partner or friend. A downside to this feature is that it doesn't take into account human nature and the fact that people can lie about who they are. 

Another feature is called 'Zap and Star'. This essentially is when you create a list of accepted and unaccepted callers, and the pre-determined unaccepted ones are automatically cut off. This is a good feature if there is someone, maybe an ex partner, or company such as debt collectors that you never want to answer the phone to. 

The feature is the TrueCall 'shield'. All this means is that the person who is phoning is asked to a press a number on the keypad before their call will connect. This is a good feature as it means that automated phone calls from companies are eliminated so you can be sure it is a real person you are answering the phone to. One problem this may cause is someone that is regularly phoning you may start to get frustrated as pressing a button every time they phone you may get tedious. 

A fourth useful feature on the TrueCall is an Anonymous Caller Reject. Simply all this means that any phone calls you may receive, where the caller is using a withheld number will automatically be rejected. This is a good feature if you have a shy personality but sometimes your friends may be calling from a withheld number and so may find it difficult to get hold of you. To try and counter-act this problem though you can set the device so that any calls from a unrecognised number can be sent straight to the answer phone instead of being rejected. The TrueCall does have an in-built answer machine in which the memory can be extended by the use of an extra memory card. 

The TrueCall Screening and Blocking device also has a number of advance features. I will now explain them and state good and bad points for each. 

For the first year you get a free Internet Control Panel. This means you can look at your call details and edit your settings using the internet. This is a good addition as it literally puts it in plain English your call patterns and provides a simple way to set up your TrueCall device. The only downside is that you will eventually have to pay for this but you don't have to worry about that for your first year, which by that point you will more than likely fell that this feature is well worth the small cost of £15 per year. 

You can also have personalized greetings on your device. This means you can record your own message that people who phone you will hear. This is good because it can inform people you want to speak to that they have the right number but if your trying to avoid someone such as the debt collectors, it then lets them know that they have the right contact number but you are just ignoring them.

Another security feature on the device is the code access. This means that anyone phoning you may have to enter a pre-determined number combination to connect to your phone. This is a good idea as it means you can limit who you want to call you but people may forget this code or not know in the first place

Overall the TrueCall screening and blocking device is an excellent product. It provides great value for money as you can see by the number of intuitive features that allow you to customise completely who you allow to phone you. Please use the link below to view the TrueCall on our website for a full specification and prices for the device itself and the added memory cards. 

TrueCall Screening and Blocking Device

Siemens Gigaset SL910 A Touchscreen Cordless Phone

We are about to be re-stocking the amazing Siemens Gigaset SL910 A Touch-screen Cordless Phone which is a very popular model and so you need to get your orders in quickly. I am going to take the time to explain to you why this handset has been so popular and why you should think about investing in one!

 

This state of the art phone mixes high end technology with interesting features. This model was the first handset that was a fully touch screen home phone on the market. Despite having a large 3.2 inch screen the SL910 doesn't feel fragile as it has a full metal handset from and charger. It has 3 different home screens with are easily navigated between with a flick of your finger. These 3 menus are separated cleverly into calling, messaging and customizing your handset. This makes for a state of the art yet easy to use home phone that will bring enjoyment to all the family. 

The SL910 offers a 55 minute recording time for answer machine which is easily accessed from any handset in the system. Each message is read out with date and time and if you miss any part of the message you can simply rewind and listen again! If your away from the base station there is no need to worry as each handset will alert you to new messages and you can then listen to them. There is also no need to risk dropping your phone by cradling it between your ear and shoulder whilst you right down details as there is a function on each handset that allows you to record the message. 

For more information on the Gigaset SL910 Touch screen Phone please use the link below!

Siemens Gigaset SL910 A Touchscreen Cordless Phone