Understanding the Benefits of Wireless Charging Technology

Whether you're at home, on the go, or at the airport, everyone has experienced that feeling of sitting awkwardly on the floor, tethered to a wall outlet while waiting for your mobile device to charge. It's a helpless feeling, and with the wealth of technology already within our reach, it's an outdated practice which no one should have to endure.

With so much important information sitting in our pockets and on our wrists, it's ridiculous that our devices have such limited battery life and our options for charging those devices on the go are so limited. As the IoT (Internet of Things) revolution comes to fruition, wireless charging is shifting from a luxury to a necessity. Modern devices revolve around user mobility, so our charging solutions should too. Wireless charging will give us freedom to no longer worry about carrying around charging cables and hoping that our devices will keep running until we reach the next power outlet.

In addition, wireless charging will make a huge difference for medical patients with technological devices embedded in their bodies. Currently, patients with implanted devices have to endure frequent and invasive surgeries since their devices have short battery lifespans. Wireless charging will allow medical patients to charge their devices without surgery, improving the patients' wellbeing and also saving them time and money.

Wireless charging capabilities also need to be built into the infrastructure of cities. Imagine if every workplace, school, and coffee house had wireless charging; finally you would be able to ditch power cords and use your devices without worrying about the batteries dying. IoT and wireless charging will make a huge impact on a variety of industries.

Today's electric cars or many other vehicles charge by the charging pads. It does not require any diesel or petrol, which can greatly help in making the environment clean and pollution-free. In the future, you do not have to stop or park your car to charge it. In England, lanes on the road sends electrical charges to electric-powered cars, which means it won't run out of battery. This can be a huge technological breakthrough should other countries implement the same.

Clearly, there's a lot of promising technology here, but there's still one big question to be asked of wireless technology: why should consumers choose it over the convenience of a bedside USB cable? Honestly, it's a tough one to answer, but ease of use and ubiquitous gadget support and charging stations will probably be required.

Despite being around for a number of years already, wireless charging still hasn't become critically important technology in the gadget market. Perhaps some of the improvements and new product ideas that are in development will push wireless charging into the mainstream.

Exciting New Technologies that Could be Hitting the World in 2017

Now that 2016 is finally behind us, there’s the saying, “out with the old and in with the new.” However, technology in the second decade of the 21^st century can be a bit confusing since what was about to come out in 2016 could spill over in 2017 or a product can suddenly have a big upgrade.

Regardless, we’re not here to see what products are looming ahead in the next year, or if your hoverboard won’t explode since you bought a ‘made in China’ brand. We’re here to see what exciting new technology in general may hit with an impact in 2017.

Jet Pack International H202

Jet Pack International is making great strides with its H202 and H202-Z jetpacks. As the name suggests, both the H202 and H202-Z are hydrogen peroxide-fueled jetpacks that allow users to fly up to 77 miles per hour at a maximum height of 250 feet. However, the higher-capacity H202-Z is only capable of a maximum flight length of 33 seconds and a maximum travel distance of 3,300 feet. Admittedly, it’s a start and since when was technology successful overnight, anyway?

Aerofex Aero-X

If you’re a Star Wars fan, the Aerofex Aero-X, a real-life equivalent of the Star Wars speeder bike, is definitely something you’ll want to keep your eyes on. The Aero-X is the result of more than 15 years of research and development. It is powered by a water-cooled 240 HP engine and two large rotors. The Aero-X can hover at an altitude of 12 feet and at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. It can even carry up to 310 pounds. Also, as a result of this extended research and development period, Aerofex claims to have overcome the dangerous coupling effect that can arise due to using two rotors, ensuring that the Aero-X will be safe and easy to control.

Prosthetics with a sense of touch

As far back as 2013, Denis Aabo Sorensen had the privilege of testing a new type of prosthetic hand, created by a group of European engineers and scientists. Unlike conventional prosthetics, the new prosthetic hand connects directly to the remaining nerves in Denis’ upper arm. This means that the prosthetic hand has a sense of touch and is actually controllable. Blindfolded tests showed that Denis was indeed able to differentiate between different items such as a bottle, a baseball and a mandarin orange. It could also exert different levels of pressure to touch, hold or grab something.

TALOS “Iron Man” Suit

TALOS stands for Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, a combat suit that the US Army hopes will become a reality within the next year. The TALOS provides ballistic, shock, and fire protection for Special Operations soldiers. The aim is to provide these soldiers with better, more mobile and more versatile protection than what currently exists. The development of the TALOS suit will be a collaborative effort between universities, government agencies, and corporations.

The Difference Between OEM and Retail Versions of Windows Operating System

We’re betting our Christmas dinners that not many people aren’t aware that there’s such a thing as an OEM version of Windows OS and Retail version of the same Windows OS, let alone the difference between the two.

So, what is the difference?

OEM is short for Original Equipment Manufacturer. This is the Windows operating system with its license referring to the installed Windows OS on pre-built and manufactured computers, laptops, and some tablets for sale to consumers in stores or online. For this reason, it’s very likely that the Windows you’re using right now is OEM. The primary limitation for this version is that you cannot install this same system and its same license key on another computer, even if you uninstall it from the original computer first.

Many people find this very impractical, and may even feel that it’s very restrictive, but the manufacturer saves money on a bulk number of licenses by accepting that restriction and passed their savings on to you. And this works out for most people most of the time. It’s rare that someone would benefit from the ability to transfer their Windows installation given that a new computer purchase usually comes with a new OEM license.

The Retail version of Windows operating system is a retail license for the need for installation on multiple computers. It’s usually sold as a single installer that can be installed on some 3 or 4 or more computers. It’s only available as a standalone purchase so if you’ve bought a copy of Windows on its own, separately from a computer, then you have this version. To be clear, though, the OS can still only be installed on one computer at any given time. This means that, for instance, if you decide to upgrade, you can buy a computer with no OS, uninstall your retail version of Windows from the old box, and install it on the new one. It’s a way to save money if you know that you’ll be sticking with Windows long term. Another advantage of the retail version is that if you have different devices, say a PC, a laptop, and a PC, all you need to buy is a single Windows OS installer to install Windows in all three. You don’t need to buy three separate installers.

Another difference between the two is that OEM copies do not come with any support from Microsoft. If you need to call Microsoft, you must pay a fee to do so. Retail copies come with a phone support. To be clear, the free upgrade to Windows 10 is for lower versions starting with Windows 7, regardless of whether the OS is OEM or retail. However, the free upgrades were only until last July.

When you're your own boss, or when you're rushing on a report that's due tomorrow, distraction can be your worst enemy. These distractions may involve replying to text messages or social media IMs, and emails moments after they're sent, checking your Facebook news feed, or simply just chatting with your colleague about a trending showbiz personality, keeping your mind focused on your work can be very challenging.

There are lots of productivity apps you can find on the Web that can help you boost your productivity at work; however, they tend to be locked to specific operating systems, which makes it annoying to find the right tools. Online websites, however, works on a wide variety of computers, making them highly useful regardless of the device you are using.

Below are five websites that will help you get rid of those distractions and to help you achieve your task goals on time.

Magic Work Cycle

The concept of the Magic Work Cycle is this simple -- people work better and more efficiently if they go for thirty minutes of work followed by thirty minutes of play. This means you work for half and hour solid without allowing non-critical distractions to stop you, then spend another half hour doing zero work or whatsoever. This gives you more time to respond to emails and texts, check your social media accounts, or even fit in a small game.

The Magic Work Cycle website lets you time these thirty-minutes bursts automatically. When one cycle is over, a sound plays, and the next cycle begins immediately afterward. This is a great way to prevent you from getting burnouts because of working on straight hours. However, if you disagree with the idea of a 30-30 cycle, or if it doesn't fit your workflow, you can always change the times for each cycle by adjusting the appropriate sliders, between one minute to two hours.

Coffitivity

Coffitivity is a brilliant app that plays that ambient coffee shop noise to get your creative juices flowing. Several studies have shown that "coffee shop buzz is good for your creativity and productivity," thanks to providing "just the right amount" of background noise.

It's a pretty realistic recreation of a coffee shop's vibe, complete with clinking cups and background chatter. The website comes with three long audio tracks recorded from within a cafe; a softer morning tone, a more bustling lunchtime rush, and the "scholarly sounds" of a University campus cafe. You'll get all of that coffee shop buzz without having to fight for a seat or buy lattes all day.

If you're particularly enjoying the sounds, Coffitivity also comes with a premium plan at $9 a year. This offers three more cafe audio scenes: Paris, Brazil, and Texas.

stickK

stickK works in a simple way -- first, you need to tell it what goal you would like to achieve. Then, you have the option of assigning a trusted referee, such as a friend or family member, to make sure you're on the right track in achieving your goal. If you even want to dare yourself, you can even instruct stickK to take money from your bank account and donate it to charity should you fail to reach your set goal. This can either go to a randomly assigned charity or a charity that supports a cause you're against, such as a rival political party. Most of the time, assigning a monetary penalty for failing a task increases its success rate by three times. So, if you're really desperate in achieving your goal, no but's and if's, then this might be what you need.

ZenPen

A word processor can also be a good tool in blocking out all other distractions on your computer screen. If this is what you need, then you can try ZenPen. It may look like a simple word processor at a glance, but when you click on the fullscreen button on the left, ZenPen will cover the entire screen with the page. This means you can type away without looking at browser tabs or apps calling for your attention.

Aside from blocking out other visual distractions, ZenPen also has other neat features for you. There's a word counter if you're trying to hit a goal, an option to invert the colors for a black page with white text, and the ability to save what you typed on it.

Habitica

Do you enjoy doing endless quests and jobs in video games, but once you need to get your real work done your video game productivity fails you? Maybe what you need is to turn the projects you have in the real world into a game. This is what Habitica (formerly known as HabitRPG) does, where performing real-world tasks and habits helps you earn in-game rewards.

All you need is to tell Habitica what you'd like to get accomplished. Perhaps it's something you'd like to do everyday, like a draw picture or something with a set deadline (finish an assignment due in two weeks). Habitica then keeps track of which tasks you've set for what timeframes. If you complete a challenge that you've set for yourself, you can log on and check the box to tell Habitica you accomplished it. Habitica then rewards you with money and experience to help you improve your character. If the deadline passes and you didn't check the box, your character takes damage.

Perhaps the best features of Habitica are the groups. Like-minded people with a common goal in mind can band together in a group. People can cheer one another, make friends and chat, and even set goals for the entire community to try to complete individually.

3 Simple Ways on how you Can Manage your Files Better in Dropbox

As a reliable cloud-based productivity tool, Dropbox provides offline storage and access to your stuff anywhere you can run on a browser. However, one of the visible problems with file dumping is that they can get cluttered or disorganized, if you are not very careful.

Below are some simple tips on how you can re-organize your Dropbox and transform it from a pile of stuff into an organized repository.

Resource vs. Clutter

There is big difference if you're going to compare a pile of stuff and a resource. For example, some people have piles of stuff on their desks and they would say they need it all because it contain important information in there somewhere.

Of course, this is considered inefficient and not ideal. A pile of stuff is not called a resource if you can't or don't have access to it. A simple analogy of this -- a library is a resource, while a pile of receipts, software manuals, transcripts, printouts, and cables scattered around your desk is considered a mess.

When it comes to the digital age, this is a major thing to deal with when clutter creeps into computers, as well as offline storage clouds.

Minimize Clutter

First thing you need to do is to free up space. Go through every file on your Dropbox and delete anything that's outdated, irrelevant, or duplicated. Well, this is pretty easy if you only have few files stored.

A quick method to do this is to sort the files in each folder by "Modified" by clicking on the column head. By doing this, it would be easier for you to identify which files or documents are relevant by noting how often you access them. If a file has been untouched for two years or more, then it's safe to say that you don't need them anymore.

You can also use a third-party management app like JoliCloud to help you get better access and make it easier for you to arrange your files. Simply log in with your Facebook account or use your Google ID for access.

Once you're logged in, you can add your other cloud storage accounts to make it an all-in-one solution for your cloud management.

Here's an expert tip when it comes to file management -- there is a hidden feature in Dropbox that stores the history or previous versions of your files. To access this, right-click on any file and there is an option for you to select Previous versions of that file. This option is useful especially if you accidentally overwrite a file copying it over a previous version while moving things around.

You can also make folders and group your files according to type. If you already have existing folders in your Dropbox account, consider making new Main folders, and then drag and drop your existing folders into them. See to it that you keep all folders in a single screen, since scrolling up and down wastes time. As for videos, audios, graphics, etc., make sure you title the main folders appropriately.

If in case you have hundreds of files in many folders, it is best to use tools that will help you accomplish this task in a quicker and a more efficient manner.

Search for Duplicates

The Unclouded app for Android is a very good solution if you need to locate for duplicate files. The app allows you to log into your cloud space (and that's any cloud space, like Dropbox but also Google Drive, Onedrive, Box and Mega) and get a lot of stats and info that are unavailable to you as a standard Dropbox user, file sizes for instance.

Clearly one of the most important thing about reducing space usage is by searching for and removing duplicates. Windows and Mac users can use a desktop app called Easy Duplicate Finder (EDF) to find duplicate files. It allows you to log into your Dropbox account and select folders you wish to include and exclude. Using this app, you can let it search your folders, and it will give you a report of which files are duplicates.

Share and Unshare Alike

Disconnecting shared files is another method you can try to clean things up on your Dropbox. Though it may not look that obvious, but your file space on Dropbox is composed of both files you have personally uploaded and files in other people's spaces, which are shared with you. To check how much space you have tied up in shares, click on your Account Name (with your image), then go to Settings, and then click the Account tab. It will show you a list of how your files are arranged and how much you have shared.

To check the sharing properties of individual files, right-click on it, and then choose Sharing. Click the drop-down arrow next to your name, then click Remove my access to disconnect from the files, which will then free up your Dropbox some space.

You can also check the files you share (you might want to revoke access for security purposes) by clicking on the Sharing link and Links items on the left menu pane.

Neat iOS Apps That Can Give You More Content Streaming Ideas

There are those moments when you just want to curl up on your couch with your warm blanket and your favorite fall TV series, especially during the cold weather. If you're someone who can get addicted to streaming shows, music, and videos, then you will gladly appreciate using a few more apps than your regular Netflix and Hulu subscription. If you notice that you're running out of things to stream since 'tis the season of staying indoors, check out these apps to help you fill the gaps where your current subscriptions might be missing some of the content you're looking for.

1. Sling

Sling TV is a streaming service owned by DISH. This app allows you to watch live TV anytime and anywhere with a WiFi connection. The service has three options including Sling Orange, Sling Blue, and Sling Orange + Blue which provide different channels based on your interests. Service fees range from $20-$40 per month and include up to 50 channels. This is a great options for sports streamers as the Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue packages offer you access to live programming from ESPN.

2. HBO Go & HBO Now

There are various differences between HBO Go and HBO Now, the most important one being that HBO Now is available to customers who do not have access to HBO through another subscription. The key similarity is that both the HBO Go and HBO Now apps give you access to HBO's hit TV shows, movies, and original series. The two apps function similarly to Netflix, but also allow you to view new episodes as they are released on the regular HBO channel that is usually available only to TV service subscribers.

HBO Now is available without a television subscription for $14.99/month. HBO Go can be added to your regular service for a cost that varies depending on your current television service provider.

3. Amazon Movies, Music, and TV

Did you know that subscribing to Amazon Prime gives you movies, music, and TV for free? If you're not aware of this and you are a current Prime member, then you should probably go check out the free movies and TV series that you can avail with your membership. Most of these movies and shows available on the Amazon TV and Movie app will be free for Prime members, while some programs may cost no more than about $4.

Aside from Amazon Movies and TV, you also might want to check out Amazon Music as well. The service is $7.99 for Prime members (which is regularly $9.99 for non-Prime members), which could let you save up to two bucks each month depending on what you're currently paying for streaming with another service.

4. Crackle

Created by Sony, Crackle TV is a free streaming service that features popular TV series and movies. You can also download the app to stream from your iOS device. Similar tp Netflix, you will get recommendations for additional shows you might like based on the content you've streamed, the ability to save your favorite shows, and the ability to pause and resume content across multiple devices. You can also set up alerts to be notified when Crackle has network premieres. The selection seems to be a bit more limited than most streaming sites, but it's free, so you could really use it to get more sources for content that can be streamed, especially if you notice that you can't find a show or a movie that you like from those apps that you are currently paying for.

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