In a blog post, Microsoft said that its recently announced service, Windows 365, provides a new hybrid personal computing category called Cloud PC, which uses both the cloud’s power and the device’s capabilities to provide a full, customized Windows experience. Users can stream all of their apps, tools, data, and settings from the cloud across any device with the instant-on boot to their personal Cloud PC. The whole PC experience is available in the cloud with Windows 365. The cloud also offers flexibility in terms of processing power and storage, allowing IT to scale up or down depending on their requirements. With an option of Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Features of Windows 365
Microsoft’s goal with Windows 365 is to provide an experience that looks, feels, and functions as a regular Windows PC but can be accessed via a native app or a Web browser. It allows users to access full Windows 10 (or Windows 11 when it becomes released) from an app or a web browser. Users will be able to access their apps, tools, data, and settings as well.
Windows 365 is now available.
Windows 365 is a new way to enjoy virtual cloud-based PCs running Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating systems, according to Microsoft.
Similar to its cloud-based game service, the subscription-based service allows customers to stream a Windows PC from anywhere.With Windows 365, you can securely stream the whole Windows experience—including all your apps, data, and settings—to your personal or corporate devices.
This strategy establishes a whole new personal computer category, tailored to the hybrid world:
PC in the Cloud
The Redmond-based software behemoth claims that it is Windows 365 service that allows customers to save apps, files, and documents and access them from any device, including tablets and Apple Macs, using a native Remote Desktop application or web browser, at any time.
On August 2,2021 the service, which makes use of Azure Virtual Desktop, will be available.
Microsoft world 365
Beginning August 2, Microsoft announced that Windows 365 would be available to businesses of all sizes. Any device, including a Mac, iPad, Linux, and even an Android phone, will be able to access it. Windows 365 Business and Windows 365 Enterprise will be the two cloud PC configurations available. However, no pricing information has been released.
Windows 365 also includes the Endpoint Insights dashboard, which provides analytics and access to network-wide Internet connection status. There’s also a new Watchdog Service that allows IT professionals to execute diagnostics.
In addition to remote access, Windows 365 is said to be built using a Zero Trust architecture to address some of today’s security issues. Using a connection with Microsoft Azure Active Directory, the service includes multi-factor authentication (MFA) to verify login or access attempts to the cloud PC. Specific permissions, such as licensing, can also be delegated.
Windows 365 offers an instant-on boot experience that allows users to stream all of their personalized apps, tools, data, and settings from the cloud to any device, including a Mac, iPad, Linux device, or Android smartphone.
Regardless of the device, the Windows experience is consistent.
The service supports business apps, Microsoft 365 apps, and any other Windows app that can be installed on a standard PC that is needed in the company.
The business intends to provide several sizes of Windows 365 Cloud PCs, with monthly prices based on the number of users.
Windows 365 Business and Windows 365 Enterprise will be the two editions available.
Microsoft’s Windows 365 service is billed as a “new personal computing experience.”
Not on my watch. A perfect line by Nestor Carbonell creates an impact to ensure that the story of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises starts on a high note. The same line can make many hinging points when you are beginning your graduation. If you need a laptop that can cater to your requirements and resolve your budgetary constraints, this article is perfect for you. Why? Because this Exhibit blog will provide a comprehensive list of affordable laptops for students. Let’s begin.
#1 Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook
A brand like Lenovo can make you LEANOver your thoughts due to the sophisticated specifications it brings through their wide range of laptops. This laptop can serve your needs properly by letting you use it during the lectures when your professor is taking the session. It is because this laptop has the capability to switch to tablet mode. Hence, you also get a stylus when you want to use it as your laptop. Apart from this, you get this laptop in two variants – ice blue and iron-grey. The RAM may bring hiccups to you as it is merely 4 GB, along with 128 GB internal memory, but care about the price too. You can order this laptop at INR 26999/-.
#2 ASUS VivoBook 14
They claim it as the world’s smallest colorful 14 inches UltraBook. You have never seen color variants for sure. Okay, if the color doesn’t matter to you, check out the processor – i5 Core. If it’s about play, track the graphics card – NVIDIA. You name it, and you will get it for sure. Even for memory ASUS VivoBook 14 can provide a dual storage system. What about ergonomics? Ahh, now you hit the bull’s eye. With this laptop, you get a better typing position due to the 2-degree keyboard tilt. But wait! considering such damn fantastic features can stop you due to its price. Order it at INR 30999/-!
#3 HP 245 G8
The Stones of Venice writer John Ruskin was right about quality. He rightly said that quality could never be an accident but a constant intelligent effort. And, with HP, you get that intelligent effort and quality as well. Why? Because the newly launched HP 245 G8 has everything that you need. A Ryzen 3 processor, 1 TB hard disk, AMD Radeon, 7 hours of standard battery life, etc., can definitely save your day when it comes to work or play. If the weight of an HP laptop is what concerns you, think again! This 1.7 kg chap is available at INR 31,490/- and is an essential contender in the list of affordable laptops for students.
#4 Acer Aspire 3 Athlon
Wimbledon 2021 has witnessed one of the finest games. The Serbian and global star Novak Djokovic showcased how to win a match in 46 seconds. 46 seconds? But how? ACES. And, Acer must be having the same ideology to deliver aces of laptops which is true for Acer Aspire 3 Athlon. This INR 25863/- laptop may feel deserted as it may not have those specifications. But that’s not the case at all. Why? The 1.9 kg laptop has an AMD Radeon graphics processor with an Athlon Dual Core processor. Security is the major top-notch slot in this slot due to the Firmware Trusted Platform Module. Think again if you feel that a hard disk drive won’t be big at such a price – 1 TB.
#5 HP Chromebook x360
Portable. Versatile. Compact and stylish design. This laptop has ChromeOS in it. The Intel Celeron processor provides a speed of 1.1 GHz. Even if you are not charging it, you can use it for at least 9 hours. This laptop allows you to go for multiple logins. If the screen size of 12 inches is worrying, consider the price again – INR 29,9990/-.
Affordable Laptops for Students
Get ready to combat your college days with the laptops that bring affordability, durability, and quality. One of these laptops will surely create wonders for you.
The world is shrinking with every passing year. With Internet penetrating every corner of the globe, people are now more connected than ever. To praise a product, service or brand or to vent out a negative experience, social media has now become the default go to medium for the masses.
Brands do utilize social media to not only gain leads and track their mentions, but also to derive strategic insights that will help with more conversions. While a steady growth and lead acquisition is always paramount for the growth of a business, the thing that hurts brand the most is the delay in grievance redressal. Complaints, debates and controversial mentions about them are often viral-prone. Monitoring them on the social network is one thing, segregating them from the social posts into categories like language, geography, priority type, tenure of complaints, urgency etc. to provide a timely and professional empathetic resolution, is another.
Businesses may have the optimum resources to resolve complains, that too within the stipulated deadline, but in the infinitely seeming Internet world, becoming aware of the customer’s problems within the socially accepted time frame can be more challenging than it seems to be. Empathetic customer care is about letting a customer know that his query/ her query, complaint is acknowledged followed by a speedy delivery of solution within the allocated time frame.
So how do we achieve that?
Social Care Implementation is a proactive approach to address consumer’s engagement, responses, feedbacks with a timely response, followed with an appropriate action and keeping a follow up to exceed the satisfaction benchmark of the consumer. Social listening may appear to resemble Social Care implementation but the intent and therefore, the impact of the two are different. Social listening certainly plays a crucial role in the whole process. On the other hand, social media monitoring is largely concerned about tracking the brand and competitor mentions, hashtags and industry trends etc. over a period.
Sorting of social posts into complaints, feedbacks, and reviews is not only laborious but error prone. A silo structure of social listening, data processing and CRM software is a major hindrance too. The absence of a holistic view of customer’s case history with official complaints with respective answers from other customer-care agents is an obstacle that restricts efficient resolving of the problem. In today’s ultra-competitive business environment, providing a seamless customer care experience is not important. It is Imperative. As imperative as customer acquisition and retention. Therefore, speedy addressal to concerns is the need of the hour.
ATCS’ innovative social care implementation method is highly customer-centric, tailored for specific industry with leading-edge automation, requiring human intervention at the escalation level where it is indeed needed. By fully integrating the social listening tool like Salesforce Social Studio, data processing and CRM capabilities, a highly efficient route can be road mapped which addresses the concern of the consumer within the set timeframe, thereby delivering an experience that increases the probability of retention, acquisition, positive brand mentions and effective management of crisis through PR. The process also yields insights that helps to keep an edge over the competitors.
The age-old mantra of “Customer is the king” holds true across every business sector and steering the controversies of the brand to prevent further damage is important for brand loyalty. With innovation and cutting-edge technology, social care implementation can fuel a business’s growth to a whole new level.
Since the arrival of modern technology, humans are thrilled with the performance of new-age devices, whether it’s a super smart TV or a super-fast car, we want the best of the tools in our quiver. We’ve tested more than 40 TVs and 60 cars in the last few months, but when it comes to the situation where we wanted to choose the 2 best machines for our co review, we decided to pick one of the best eye turners of the market, the LG GX OLED TV, and Porsche 718 Boxster.
Porsche 718 Boxster is purely a matter of personal kick, whether you’re mapping to go on a trip to Goa along with your special one or you’re an appreciator of the two-seater convertible that goes like a sports car. Meanwhile, LG GX OLED TV does the same job, with advanced technology, it makes you think twice before you walk away from the couch. These two devices certainly know how to win hearts in every possible way, and to know them better, let’s hit it one by one.
My first encounter with a Porsche 718 Boxster was in 2016, at the Geneva Motor Show. At first glance, the car looked promising to me, it had everything a car enthusiast wanted to have, and since then, I have waited for a couple of years to go behind the wheels. The 718 models were made for their sport, with one goal to take every day out of every day. All Porsche 718 Boxster models come with the intelligent Porsche Dynamic Light System with bi-xenon headlights and LED running lights.
The 718 Boxster roadster shares a wide nose that also channels the discontinued 918 hypercar. Wheel sizing for Boxster starts at 18 inches but can increase to 20 inches. Its broadside intake vents support the mid-mounted engine from the exterior, while the rear features a sleek and straightforward belt with a faux diffuser and an adaptive rear wing sporting a Porsche text in its centre.
LG OLED TVs have always been good, and with their stellar picture quality and a gorgeous super-slim design, they’re improving their customer’s TV experience. LG GX OLED TV has the best appearance, surprisingly, and it just looks like a personalized wallpaper. The TV is incredibly thin and brings a breathtaking flush fit wall-mount design that makes it a complete work of art and, for every new visitor, a quick puzzle to guess whether it is a TV or a photo frame. If you’re looking at it from a distance, then you need a binocular to map the TV from the wall, thanks to LG’s advanced engineering.
In a world of booming OTT platforms, everyone must need to have a suitable device like LG OLED TVs for better showtime. These TVs are the best in the market and have individual self-lit pixels that create infinite contrast and Perfect Black that lets you see every colour, detail, and texture, even in dark battle scenes. Furthermore, with the arrival of the LG OLED TV and its eye comfort display, we can easily binge-watch our favourite shows and movies as the TV comes with a highly engaging cinematic performance, which gives an excellent treatment and deserving justice to your movies and TV shows.
Porsche makes every 718 with the utmost care, providing the interiors with high-quality, well-assembled materials. Only two people can assemble in the Boxster cabin, the standard seats are only two-way adjustable yet give peculiar support and excellent comfort. If you want more control over your seating position, 14-way power seats and 18-way adaptive seats are available, which are enough to choose from.
Whatever the seats you may fancy, the cabin is pretty hospitable for even the tallest individuals. Both occupants will be comfortable, thanks to a variety of well-contoured sport seats. Also, with the wide range of smart choices, buyers can personalize many interior facades. The 718 Boxster has small but surprisingly useful trunks at both ends. As standard, the Boxster features a hill start assist, automatic stop/start, adaptive rear wing, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, parking sensors, and cruise control.
There are loads of wow-factors when it comes to the LG GX OLED TV, it isn’t just made for movies and TV shows. Now, with the arrival of PS5 and Xbox Series X, we’ve entered an era of next-gen gaming devices, and to enjoy these games thoroughly, LG GX OLED TV is one of the best gaming TVs you can buy, especially if you want a luxurious perspective. It is the first TV to offer NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible support in the industry.
Also, this TV has dependable streaming quality, and to get wholesome entertainment, it is worthwhile to buy a 4K Blu-ray player, which offers more fine and superior image quality. The latest version of LG’s processor α9 Gen 3 AI Processor 4K promises various improvements over past repetitions, with graces to picture enhancement. In addition to speaker hardware, the α9 Gen 3 AI Processor 4K also provides advanced level sound capabilities.
The Porsche 718 Boxster is just majestic when you drive around corners. It’s hard to have more fun behind the wheel than in a 718 Boxster. There’s a splendid sense of connection with the car through the steering, pedals, and paddles. The tiny new engine Porsche sounds routine but kicks a perfect 10 when you drive a Boxster as a Boxster. It has a fantastic grip, ready power, and quick steering. It’s fast in its base form, and it gets faster like the petrol prices of our country. The 718 Boxster is over half a second quicker than the 981 S; it just takes 4.9 seconds to reach the 0-100 kmph mark. The ex-showroom price of Boxster is ₹90 lacs, and there isn’t another drop-top sports car in competition in this price range that handles as crisply and predictably as the Boxster.
LG GX has this futuristic feature that notifies you about the ongoing sports match before, during, and after games with its advanced processor. Also, if you want to enjoy surround sound effects, then just connect two Bluetooth devices and enjoy the big loud sound; this futuristic OLED TV comes in two sizes of 165.1(65) cm & 195.58(77) cm with prices starting from ₹3,99,990 onwards, and it’s worth every dime of this price.
There must be hardly anyone unfamiliar with TVS motorcycles. Not just in India, but these motorcycles have caused uproar even in international markets. Built with quality, endurance, and performance in mind, TVS motorcycles have been used by Indian commuters for generations. But how did it reach its current standards? What went behind creating one of the best Indian two-wheeler manufacturers? Here’s a look back at some of the highlights of TVS’s journey:
Beginning:
TVS stands for Thirukkurungudi Vengaram Sundaram. T.V. Sundaram Iyengar established the company as a bus service in Delhi. Called Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Limited, it was the first bus service provider in Delhi. The year 1962 saw the inception of Sundaram Clayton. This company was invented by the collaboration of Sundaram company and Clayton Dewandre Holdings of the United Kingdom. They manufactured spares such as bike brakes, compressors, and other automotive products. In 1978, they set up their first automobile manufacturing plant at Hosur Tamil Nadu. In 1980, they launched India’s first two-seater model named TVS 50. 1982 was when Sundaram Clayton Ltd collaborated with the Suzuki Motor Corporation and thus began the era of TVS-Suzuki.
TVS-Suzuki Era:
TVS launched most of the products under the name of Suzuki to have a better position in the market. Suzuki Supra, Suzuki Samurai, Suzuki Shogun, and Suzuki Shaolin were some of the models launched by the joint venture of TVS Suzuki. This collaboration took the market by storm for about 19 years, when it ended in 2001. The end of the partnership of these two giants significantly impacted the country’s automobile market. It turned out to be a wild attack on the market as this end of the collaboration resulted in the departure of Suzuki Ltd from the Indian market for about 30 months.
As per the agreement, Suzuki could not enter the Indian market for the next 30 months in any form if it is a collaboration or a self-producing company. After the end of the partnership, this company got its present title TVS Motors. This title also turned out to be a good sign for the company. After that, all the models launched by the company ruled the market for a long time. The company brought its hands significantly impacted all kinds of automobiles, including mileage specific bikes, sports bikes, scooters, and three-wheelers.
Solo standings:
This company also holds the title of “first” in many things in the Indian automobile industry. It gave us the first indigenous scooter, the TVS Scooty. It also gave us the first motorcycle with Digital Ignition technology, the TVS Champ. Victor, which is India’s first fully indigenous motorcycle, is also a model of this company. The first motorcycle in India with ABS was Apache RTR, and the first scooter with Body Balance technology was TVS Wego.
Early 2015 was when the company achieved new heights. Its racing division, aptly named TVS Racing, became the first Indian factory team to participate in the Dakar Rally, the world’s longest and most dangerous rally. It partnered with French motorcycle manufacturer Sherco to form Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team. The Indian racing team has also won accolades in the Raid-de-Himalaya and the FOX Hill Super Cross rallies in Sri Lanka. In the thirty years of its racing history, TVS Racing has won over 90 per cent of the races it has participated in.
On 17th April 2020, the company officially announced that it had acquired Britain’s most iconic sporting motorcycle, “Norton”, in an all-cash deal of GBP16 million (roughly Rs 165 crores). This unlocked new heights for TVS, which has since become deeply rooted in the international automobile scene.
In recent times, TVS has collaborated with BMW to launch its trifecta of motorcycles. These include the TVS Apache RR310, the BMW G310R and the BMW G310GS. All these motorcycles share many similarities, the most significant being a common engine.
As the worldwide grip of Covid loosens, the citizens of Earth breathe a sigh of relief. However, the situation is yet to die down in India, where the cases are on an ever-rising curve. Even with all doctors running on full steam and state-of-the-art medical equipment, the sheer number of cases has become overwhelming.
Luckily, India has a bright silver lining behind this dark cloud. Global technology giants are coming together to do their bit for the recovery and stability of our motherland. Be it Google or Ethereum, these companies contribute massive amounts of money to help India get out of Covid’s web. Here are some of the feats that they have achieved so far.
Swiss computer accessory expert Logitech recently announced its contribution to India. In a press statement, the company confirmed that it was the largest one-time donation in its history, of two million dollars (roughly Rs 14 crores), supporting Oxygen for India. Oxygen for India is working with the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy (CDDEP), United Airlines, Tech Mahindra, and others to provide oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators to help those in need.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has also stepped in to help India in its crisis. In a tweet, he announced Rs 135 crore in funding for medical supplies, organisations supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information. Yet another American tech giant is Microsoft, whose CEO Satya Nadella also announced in a tweet that the company would support the country by using its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts and help purchase critical oxygen concentration devices.
Apple, too, has announced its support for India. Its CEO Tim Cook confirmed on Twitter that the American tech giant would be donating to support and relief efforts on the ground. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has also confirmed that the company is working with UNICEF to raise ten million dollars (roughly Rs 73 crores) towards India’s emergency response efforts. Samsung has pledged USD 5 million (INR 37 Crores) to contribute to India’s fight against the current surge of Covid-19, providing donations to central and state governments and boosting the healthcare sector with essential medical equipment for hospitals as part of its citizenship initiatives. Samsung will donate USD 3 million to the Centre and the states of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Samsung has pledged USD 5 million (INR 37 Crores) to contribute to India’s fight against the current surge of Covid-19, providing donations to central and state governments and boosting the healthcare sector with essential medical equipment for hospitals as part of its citizenship initiatives.
Yet another smartphone giant, Oppo, has also stepped in. It has pledged to donate 1000 oxygenators and 500 breathing machines worth Rs 4.3 crore to the Indian Red Cross Society and the Government of Uttar Pradesh to help in the fight against Covid. They are also donating 5000 units of OPPO Band Style worth INR 1.5 Crore to front-line warriors of the Delhi Police and Greater Noida Authority to help them monitor their health as they serve others.
Another industry giant that is helping India as much as it can is Amazon US. Joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Task Force, Amazon US is working with NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). As part of this, critical life-saving equipment, including 82 anaesthesia ventilators, 1238 BiPAP machines and 60 ventilators, have already reached India. Amazon US will distribute medical equipment to its on-the-ground community partners such as the American India Foundation, ACT Grants and Swasth, who will distribute it to verified hospitals and nonprofit organisations across the country to ensure it reaches the communities it needs most.
Twitter India reminded its users of many features such as Twitter Advanced Search, Twitter Near You and the Latest Tweet to direct people’s searches towards Covid related information in India. LinkedIn has partnered with GiveIndia to raise funds for critical medical supplies.
Among the leading global financial services, Mastercard announced ten million dollars to cover all vaccine-related costs for its India-based employees and immediate family members. It also confirmed that it would allocate funds for additional shipments of 1,000 oxygen generators as part of its CSR effort.
Pledging its support towards India’s fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Canon India has provided essential food and sanitation items across the villages. Canon employees PAN India are enthusiastically coming together and contributing to the PM CARES Fund as well. As part of the support, Canon India is providing 3000 food packets in its adopted villages. In addition to this, to provide sanitation support to children of SOS Children’s Villages of Faridabad, Hyderabad, Canon India has distributed essential items such as sanitisers, liquid soap, cotton masks, etc. other home cleaning products.
Pledging its support towards India’s fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Canon India has provided essential food and sanitation items across the villages.
Mi India has also pledged to donate over Rs 3 crore to procure thousands of oxygen concentrators. They also confirmed they have partnered with GiveIndia to raise Rs 1 crore to support frontline Covid fighters across the country. Amazon India has also collaborated with multiple organisations to import more than eight thousand oxygen concentrators and five hundred bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines from Singapore.
OnePlus is also doing its bit to help the country. In a recent blog post, its CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the smartphone giant would donate 400 oxygenators to India to help meet the immediate need for oxygen in several parts. The company also promised to add up to Rs 1 crore to public donations towards the Covid battle.
India’s tech giant and one of the worldwide leaders, Infosys, installed Covid-19 care centres in Pune and Bengaluru for its employees and their families. It will also educate children, expand bed capacity in hospitals, and assist the government in spreading awareness. Tech Mahindra has also announced its Covid-19 vaccination drive for its associates and dependent family members. It confirmed that it would cover all the incurred expenses. Similarly, TCS also announced that it would provide the Covid-19 vaccine to all its employees and family members, starting from May 1, 2021.
IBM India called out to its employees to come together in this crisis. Its chairman and CEO, Arvind Krishna, wrote to his employees to support the cause. This resulted in the donation of funds for 2500 oxygen cylinders and is continuing to grow.
Paytm, a popular digital payment platform, successfully raised Rs 1 crore through public donations and added the same amount from its end, which doubled the donations to source oxygen concentrators. Now, the company aims to raise Rs 10 crore! CRED founder Kunal Shah tweeted about the company’s plans to raise funds for procuring one billion litres of oxygen. It also encourages CRED users to donate the CRED coins that are present in their accounts.
Zomato’s founder Deepinder Goyal confirmed that the company’s not-for-profit organisation, Zomato Feeding India, has kickstarted the “Help Save My India” project in collaboration with Delhivery. It aims to raise Rs 50 crore to source oxygen concentrators and related supplies to help hospitals and families in India.
Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin also confirmed via Twitter his donation of Rs 4.5 crore. Naturally, he donated 100 ETH and 100 MKR, whose proof he shared on Twitter. The co-founder of Sun Microsystem, Vinod Khosla, also announced his wish to fund hospitals in India for importing oxygen and other supplies in India. Following that, he received many requests from non-profit organisations, non-government organisations, and private initiatives such as Manjinder Singh Sirsa (President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee), the Cancer Aid Society, and Hemkunt Foundation to fund hospitals needing medical supplies to fight Covid, which he gladly received.
Apart from the significant organisations and global tech leaders, there are also many Indian companies working hard to save the country. Among such is Oxicare, which aims to help as many blue collared technicians as possible. The company hires technicians who can repair oxygen concentrators. The efforts were further emphasised on LinkedIn by Rajesh Bansal, who stated that they were on a mission to train 1000 technicians across India.
These companies have proven that despite being divided by the market, they are united by a single cause; the cause of saving lives!
Lego is a brand synonymous with an almost infinite array of toys and an extensive range of collectables spanning multiple generations. While the Danish toymaker has lots of accolades to its name, it did not succeed overnight. Today, it is known for its wide variety of toys and the immeasurable pain caused if one is unlucky enough to step on a Lego brick! So how did it go from a Danish carpenter’s dream to a global phenomenon?
Our story begins in a small carpentry workshop in Billund, Denmark. Ole Kirk Christiansen, a woodworker who had saved some money, purchased the Billund Woodworking and Carpentry Shop in 1916. The shop itself had been successfully running for a while, which Christiansen saw apt to take over. However, a massive fire burned down the shop and the family home in 1924, forcing Christiansen to a fresh start.
From the ashes, he built an even bigger workshop aimed at expanding his business even further. The American Great Depression acted as a catalyst to his business, as the lack of customers gave him time to diversify his business further. By the early 1930s, Christiansen shrunk his existing wooden furniture products and made miniature versions as design aids. This eventually led to his interest and venture into toy-making.
Courtesy: Lego
By 1932, the shop had begun manufacturing toys such as piggy banks, pull toys, cars and trucks, and houses. Christiansen also held a contest among his staff to decide the name of his budding company. In 1934, the company christened Lego, a self-made contraction from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning “play well.” Later the Lego Group discovered that “Lego” could be loosely interpreted as “I put together” or “I assemble” in Latin. Following that, the name Lego would be inscribed on all the company’s products.
By 1949 the LEGO Group had comfortably adopted plastic and began manufacturing various kinds of toys. This was also when Lego’s now-iconic plastic bricks were introduced that were marketed under the name Automatic Binding Bricks. Giving the toy an English name was a tribute to the Allied forces, which had liberated Europe and ended World War II in 1945. However, it contemporarily sold the bricks only in the Danish market.
The Lego Brick’s modern iteration can be indirectly credited to Hilary Fisher Page and his company Kiddicraft. As he was fondly known, Harry Page had invented the plastic bricks before Ole Kirk and his son Godtfred. However, in the late 1950s, when the LEGO Group contacted Kiddicraft to ask whether they objected to the Lego brick sale, they were utterly cooperative. On the contrary, they wished the company good luck with the bricks, as they have not enjoyed much success with their product.
Courtesy: Lego
As is the case with any new technology, The Lego Group faced severe challenges when marketing the new and hitherto unexplored plastic toy industry. Many customers preferred sticking to wooden or metal toys, which led to many shipments being returned due to poor sales. Nevertheless, when Godtfred Christiansen, the son of Ole, took the position of the junior managing director of the Group, he developed the idea of manufacturing a series of toys that were correlated.
This began a modern system of collections that has expanded across multiple topics and age groups. The first toy “system” marketed by Godtfred was the Town Plan, which immediately saw critical acclaim. By the late 20th century, the company had already grown sizeably and began manufacturing toys targeted at specific groups of children. For example, girls were offered mini houses and furniture, while the boys could play with ships and cars.
With the emergence of the internet and the beginning of the digital age, Lego Group found new ways to escalate its reach to a global audience. Launching its official website on March 22, 1996, the company was finally within reach of its founder’s dream. Soon after, the Lego brick was declared the “Toy of the Century”, which immediately made it a must-have in homes worldwide.
The turn of the century was also a turning point for Lego. The company built its factory in the Czech Republic, opened its first retail store in Germany, and humanised its figures by removing the yellow colour and adopting a more natural skin tone. This made its toys more engaging for their customers, adding to their ever-growing popularity. Within a decade, Lego had become a household name worldwide, and its popularity had snowballed to massive standards.
Courtesy: Lego
2014 was the year when The Lego Movie was launched, redefining the essence of playing with Lego. Lego Group has collaborated with numerous conglomerates and international favourites, including NASA, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Whatnot. In 2018, The Lego Brick celebrated its 60th anniversary, thereby confirming that Ole Kirk Christiansen’s dream of his small wooden shop was now a reality.
AMD today introduced the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card, providing exceptional performance, stunningly vivid visuals and advanced software features to redefine 1440p resolution gaming. Representing the cutting edge of engineering and design, the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics cards harness breakthrough AMD RDNA 2 gaming architecture, 96MB of high-performance AMD Infinity Cache, 12GB of high-speed GDDR6 memory, AMD Smart Access Memory and other advanced technologies to meet the ever-increasing demands of modern games. Delivering up to 2X higher gaming performance in select titles1 with unique new features compared to the current installed base of older-generation graphics cards and providing more than 165 FPS in select esports titles, the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card pushes the limits of gaming by enabling incredible, high-refresh 1440p performance and breathtaking visual fidelity. “Modern games are more demanding than ever, requiring increasing levels of computing horsepower to deliver the breathtaking, immersive experiences gamers expect,” said Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit at AMD. “The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card hits the sweet spot for 1440p gaming. For most gamers still playing on three-to-four-year-old graphics cards, it is the perfect upgrade solution designed to deliver incredible visuals and no-compromises, high-refresh 1440p gaming performance at maximum settings.” More than 40 system builders and OEMs are expected to launch high-performance desktop PCs powered by the new graphics card, taking advantage of this incredible performance. HP is expected to refresh two desktop gaming systems this Spring – the HP OMEN 25L and 30L – featuring AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics cards and AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Desktop Processors. “Gamers are routinely on the lookout for the latest cutting-edge technologies to excel and immerse themselves in their favourite games,” said Judy Johnson, gaming platform head, HP Inc. “We’re thrilled to add the new AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics cards to our OMEN 25 and 30L Desktops to help power epic adventures across the globe.” Exceptional 1440p Performance, Stunning Visuals and Unmatched Gaming Experiences The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card is built on 7nm process technology and AMD RDNA 2 gaming architecture, designed to deliver the optimal combination of performance and power efficiency. Additional features and capabilities include:
AMD Infinity Cache – 96MB of last-level data cache on the GPU die provides up to 2.5X higher bandwidth at the same power level as traditional architectures to provide higher gaming performance.
AMD Smart Access Memory – Unlocks higher performance when pairing AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics cards with AMD Ryzen 5000 or select Ryzen 3000 Series Desktop Processors and AMD 500-series motherboards. Providing AMD Ryzen processors with access to high-speed GDDR6 graphics memory can deliver a performance uplift of up to 16 per cent.
12GB High-Speed GDDR6 VRAM – Designed to handle the increasing texture loads and greater visual demands of today’s modern games at higher resolutions and max settings. The new graphics card with 12GB of GDDR6 memory allows gamers to efficiently power through today and tomorrow’s demanding AAA titles.
AMD FidelityFX – Integrated into more than 40 games and counting, AMD FidelityFX is an open-source toolkit of visual enhancement effects for game developers available at AMD GPUOpen. Optimised for AMD Radeon graphics, it includes a robust collection of rasterised lighting, shadow and reflection effects that the user can integrate into the latest games with minimal performance overhead.
Direct X Raytracing (DXR) – AMD RDNA 2 architecture-based graphics cards are optimised to deliver real-time lighting, shadow and reflection realism with DXR, providing a captivating gaming experience. When paired with AMD FidelityFX, developers can combine rasterised and ray-traced effects to offer an ideal balance of image quality and gaming performance.
AMD Radeon Anti-Lag – Now with support for the DirectX 12 API, AMD Radeon Anti-Lag decreases input-to-display response times, making games more responsive and offering competitive edge gameplay.
AMD Radeon Boost– Now with support for Variable Rate Shading, AMD Radeon Boost delivers up to a 27 per cent performance increase during fast-motion gaming scenarios by dynamically reducing image resolution or by varying shading rates for different regions of a frame, increasing framerates and fluidity, and bolstering responsiveness with virtually no perceptual impact on image quality.
“We’re excited to partner with AMD to bring the latest, much-anticipated entry in the Resident Evil franchise to PC gamers,” said Peter Fabiano, a producer at Capcom. “With the powerful Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics coupled with next-generation features and technologies, including AMD FidelityFX, raytracing and Variable Rate Shading, gamers can experience the ultimate fight for survival with visually stunning, insanely detailed characters and environments and high-performance gameplay.” Driving High-Octane Performance with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team AMD also announced a new collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team’s esports arm. Mercedes has selected the powerful combination of AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics cards, AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Desktop Processors and advanced AMD Radeon Software technologies to power their Esports gaming rigs, delivering the highest framerates, low-latency gameplay and the smoothest driving experience, unlocking the drivers’ full potential. AMD provides an unmatched competitive edge in virtual racing. Specifications, Pricing and Availability
Model
Compute Units
GDDR6
Game Clock (MHz)
Boost Clock (MHz)
Memory Interface
Infinity Cache
TBP
Price (USD SEP)
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
40
12GB
2424
Up to 2581
192 bit
96MB
230W
$479
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics cards are expected to be available from AMD.com, from AMD board partners including ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, SAPPHIRE and XFX, and from etailers/retailers on March 18, 2021, starting at $479 SEP. The refreshed HP OMEN 25L and 30L desktop gaming systems are expected to be available this Spring. Other pre-built systems from OEM and SI partners are expected to become available in the coming months.
If you want your business to thrive in the present digital world, you need to find unique ways to stand out. Whether you are an emerging entrepreneur or have an established business, building a robust digital identity that differentiates your brand from competition has become necessary in this new typical environment. With millions of companies suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better or more critical time to invest in a website for your business. With all the technological advancements to buy and sell goods and services, coupled with fast and secure payments via the internet, a website presents a wide variety of benefits for businesses financially. It helps create a deeper connection with the consumers. Your business website can help attract new customers and add credibility and trust with your existing partners.
As digital skilling becomes one of India’s biggest priorities, beginners can now participate in online training programs to successfully develop online skills to navigate the evolving digital world. For instance, GoDaddy has launched an online platform GoDaddy Academy in India. People with varying technical expertise can come and take certification courses to learn online business and technology skills. In fact, on the occasion of Digital Learning Day, GoDaddy Academy has launched a special offer to help India’s youth become part of the digital revolution and enroll in any one of the certifications or modular programs free of cost. Aspiring entrepreneurs can also participate in competitive digital training programs, like GoDaddy Web Build-A-Thon, a unique tech building program for students and faculty members to gain hands-on experience building websites.
While it might look daunting, creating a website is not complicated anymore. GoDaddy presents a short beginner guide on creating a website from scratch to set up your business online successfully.
Make a user-friendly website.
Make sure the website interface is user-friendly and leaves a positive impression that drives results. Your website should use attractive graphics and easy-to-read fonts. Ensure that the pictures are compressed and don’t slow your website while loading. Search engines like Google will then degrade your website ranking. You should research your target audience and understand what they are looking for from your website. Make it easy for them to achieve. Always publish easily accessible contact information/ customer care details and incorporate call-to-actions like ‘buy now,’ ‘add to cart’ buttons for users’ easy access. You should also stay informed about how your competition(s) has designed and optimized their website(s).
Obtain a good domain name
A domain name is the entry point of anyone’s website. It must make a good impression for users and is equally essential for search engine optimization (SEO). Choosing a domain name is similar to selecting a company name; it requires a lot of thought and consideration. The first and foremost step is to choose a good hosting provider depending upon your business needs. A good hosting provider will guide you in selecting a perfect domain name. Choose a domain name that conveys your business’s meaning and purpose and try to keep it short and crisp. Using an appropriate domain name extension is also crucial. A good option is .in, as it helps describe where your business is located in India.
Digital security comes first.
A growing number of internet users have penetrated a market of sophisticated cyber-attacks across the world, making businesses vulnerable. Some common steps to control cyber-attacks include investing in vital cybersecurity training programs and security solutions for the employees and ensuring that any sensitive data collected from your business is being encrypted. Business owners can set up web application firewalls or consider using a third-party authentication to out-source their database protection. Companies performing online transactions should also consider an SSL Certificate for their websites to protect data transmitted to and from the website. In today’s digital world, it is essential to have a proactive approach to website security and not defensive.
Consistent content is key.
Be consistent with the content throughout your website to build a unique identity for your brand. Setting the suitable theme and tone of your content influences your customers’ and target audiences’ perceptions. Use an informal tone if you wish to position your brand as friendly and use formal language in corporate branding. Pro Tip – do not miss adding a column of customer testimonials and reviews, which can help create loyalty and trust.
Online Website Builder
Many companies have introduced a website builder for small businesses or entrepreneurs facing trouble launching and promoting their websites. With website builders, anyone can create a professional website easily and in no time and engage with new and existing customers through various other complimentary online tools. Website builders usually provide a tailor-made design, concept, and theme customized for individual sites.
By following the above basic steps, your business will have an excellent chance of succeeding in the online marketplace. However, once your business website is live, the journey has just started, and to be on top of your customers’ minds, you will always need to modify and change elements as your business grows.
HyperX recently sent us its premium live streaming microphone, the QuadCast. While it was an eyecatcher and served its purpose flawlessly, it was also rather bulky and complicated to use. Luckily, HyperX soon followed up with its more compact and user-friendly version, the SoloCast. While the SoloCast might seem minuscule compared to the bigger QuadCast, it packs a powerful punch nevertheless. Here is how my experience with SoloCast was:
First Impressions:
Right off the bat, the Cast, as I like to call it, makes its presence and its intention of being a streaming microphone quite clear. With a plain black body with the HyperX insignia embossed and a simple LED indicator at the front, the SoloCast is a pleasant and simple piece of equipment to look at. Nothing too fancy, nothing too gaudy. But that is where HyperX scores over the rest. Despite having minimalistic aesthetics, SoloCast is powerful and competent hardware and a considerable option for streamers looking to set up their streaming equipment on a tight budget.
Usage:
Since capturing voice and audio as clearly as possible is the goal, HyperX has kept that in focus. Akin to other HyperX aural devices such as headphones, the SoloCast takes the “sound over everything else” approach.” It utilises a single cardioid polar pattern as its name suggests (QuadCast uses four!). It also skips out on some fun parameters in the QuadCast, such as a headphone jack, gain control, shock mount, internal pop filter and complete RGB lighting inside. While the SoloCast does its job perfectly, the lack of these manual controls means you will have to fine-tune its settings using software like OBS or XSplit. If not, a simple plug-n-play also works perfectly well.
Standing almost half as tall as the QuadCast, the SoloCast has a rather compact and easy-going design. Apart from the stand it comes with, it also features a slot for a boom arm, should you wish to mount it so. For other connections, a USB Type-C connection does the job seamlessly. It also has a tap-to-mute sensor on top, allowing the user to quickly mute the microphone if the need arises. The aforementioned LED indicator also displays the status of the mic, so that it isn’t accidentally muted.
Verdict:
HyperX says that it has been certified by TeamSpeak and Discord and there is no doubt about it. The SoloCast is not only versatile, but it is also quite flexible and can be adjusted to fill any spot the user wishes. With a price tag of Rs 5,790, it might seem pricey but it is a pretty value for money deal. Well, that is if you are looking for simplicity and ease of use. It will go on sale on Amazon from January 28th.
