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Annasha

Annasha Dey is an NIT student, who apart from studying engineering is also a content writer. She has a great interest in photography, writing, reading novels, and travelling as well. She is a foodie who loves socializing and hanging out with her friends. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and a big fashion enthusiast. Dey also loves watching TV series, which includes F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and Big Bang Theory. To be a better writer she prefers to read more

TeamViwer

TeamViewer – A German start-up to make significant progress in the Internet of Things (IoT)

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The demand for IoT will not have a flat curve for any time as soon as progress in digital communication is expanding. With the advent of the internet followed by the massive revolution by digitalization, the entire idea and system of communication have transformed. Today, transferring data is the most important procedure for carrying out any kind of communication. And, that is where the concept of IoT marches in. Internet of Things (IoT) is a broad system that connects any kind of device with internet access. From a computer to a smartphone, from a smartwatch to a virtual assistant, everything is part of IoT. In a simpler word, it is a network like TeamViewer that doesn’t need human interaction to transfer signals or messages (data more precisely).

What is TeamViewer?

TeamViewer, a German-based start-up founded in 2005 has built proprietary software for carrying out tasks like remote controlling, desktop sharing, file transferring between two devices, etc. With the help of a web browser, one can have access to any equipment that is running the TeamViewer software. Tilo Rossmanith is the developer of the software.

The software is available for Chrome, iOS, Android, Windows RT, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Blackberry operating systems, etc. TeamViewer provides encryption mainly based on 2048-bit RSA private/public key exchange and AES 256-bit session encryption. The software also includes two-factor authentication, enforced password reset in case of any unfamiliar activities, etc.

About Tilo Rossmanith 

Back in 2005, Tilo Rossmanith built the software for his personal purpose. But, by the end of 2019, TeamViewer was installed in more than 2 billion computers. The software received a huge response from around the world and somewhere enlightened the face of the nation. Tilo became famous after building TeamViewer and he is currently on the Board of Directors at TeamViewer GmbH.

TeamViewer and IoT

When the internet was invented it was expensive and out of reach for common people. The same rule applies to computers and smartphones as well. But, many companies are trying to manufacture smart devices that are affordable for the entire world. Eventually, the price for such fancy things has come down and today almost everybody owns a computer, a smartphone, etc. For example, you can find a desktop in supermarkets for the ease of billing more efficiently. This contributes to IoT and with such progress, the demand for TeamViewer increased significantly.

By the end of 2017, out of the billions of IoT devices around 37 million were connected through the network of TeamViewer. It was in 2010 that TeamViewer stepped out of Germany and went international with subsidiaries in Australia and the U.S. In 2015, Permira invested around $1 billion in the company, and eventually, it became a part of the uniform club. There are very few companies in Germany whose total worth exceeds a billion.

TeamViewer’s software is also used in space especially by the Space Station medical team. The communication is encrypted between the linked devices and ensures safety. The company says that ensuring security is the most important purpose of the company which also provides real-time status alerts, early insights, etc. Apart from remote operations, the software also provides remote assistance to solve an issue without the need for a technician. And, remote alarming helps the clients receive alert notifications given that one sets up predefined conditions.

Other products and solutions of TeamViewer

The remote support provided by TeamViewer is enhanced with augmented reality called TeamViewer Pilot. The product helps the customers to fix bugs beyond the screen at the right time. You can contact any TeamViewer expert with the help of TeamViewer Pilot and show the problem with the help of your camera.

Another great product of the company is TeamViewer Tensor which is of great advantage for big enterprises. It helps to connect more than 2 billion devices globally around the globe and provide real-time support. It is a cloud-based connectivity platform that has remote access and device control SaaS solutions. Apart from these it also provides a platform for online meetings, support for mobile devices, etc.

TeamViewer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the service and product of TeamViewer both ensure fast connectivity and security, the demand for its products escalated amongst the pandemic. In February 2020, when the pandemic started spreading its root, the demand especially increased in China. The company expects that the profit would increase by a third at the end of this year.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy- An organization to provide worldwide free education

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Online education is reaching out to more students in need with every passing day. Millions of students around the world have benefited from the concept of e-learning. The best part about online education is you can learn around the clock and play the role of both student and a teacher. There are so many short-term courses that are launched due to the ease of e-learning on the e-learning platforms like Khan Academy. So, even if you are an educator, here you can play the part of the student as well.

Sal Khan
Image Source: Wikipedia

A non-profitable organization – Khan Academy

Most of the organizations maintain two plans, one for everyone and the other package for the paid users. It can either be a type of subscription process or a fixed amount that varies from course to course. But, none of the online e-learning platforms gives every course package for free because they are the most profitable organizations.

But, Khan Academy is doing an exceptionally good job with an aim for educating the mass. Khan Academy is a non-profit American educational organization created by Sal Khan. He created the organization in 2008 with a passion to create world-class education for everyone. One can visit the website of Khan Academy and start watching videos for any course they like from school to graduation level.

About the Founder

Salman Khan, famous as Sal Khan, is the founder of the Khan Academy. Born on 11th October 1976, Salman belongs to a Bengali family. Born and brought up in the United States, Salman went to Grace King High School followed by The University of New Orleans.

For higher studies, he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics as well. Salman completed his master’s in Computer Science and went to Harvard Business School and acquired an MBA. After completing his studies, Salman joined Connective Capital Management as a hedge fund analyst.

How Khan Academy was founded?

A lot of successful businesses emerged as a solution to a critical situation. Similarly, Salman didn’t have any plan to create a free educational organization at an international level when he worked as an analyst.

It was back in 2003 when Salman started tutoring his cousin as she was facing trouble with Mathematics. Salman used Yahoo’s Doodle notepad to teach her and eventually, more family members joined it. The demand started rising as he was doing it for free until one of his friends suggested to record the tutorials and upload them on YouTube. By doing this anyone can have free access to the tutorials at any time from anywhere in the world. So, in 2009, Salman quit his analyst job and devoted towards creating his YouTube channel, Khan Academy. While doing so Salman received funding from Ann Doerr, wife of the famous American investor, John Doerr.

When Salman started Khan Academy, he added courses from multiple aspects of higher education such as arts, computer science, etc. But, the main focus of the website was to create high secondary mathematics videos coupled with online exercise to test yourself. The videos ranged from very basic mathematical operations to complex algebraic problems.

Expansion of the organization

After Salman started at a full pace, everyone kept asking about the business model. But, Salman says there is no business model. He started it as a hobby and now he has the passion to deliver education to anyone and everyone around the world for free. Yes, you heard me right, “for FREE”. Khan Academy, even after a decade of its establishment remains a non-profit organization trying to educate the mass.

Khan Academy became more famous when Bill Gates at the Aspen Ideas Festival mentioned that he was using the videos of Khan Academy to teach his child. After a few days, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contacted him and provided massive support.

Within 2013, Khan Academy’s website witnessed around 6 million monthly active users and more than 10 million views. The website had more than 4,000 online tutorials that were useful for both the students and the teachers and the parents as well. Khan’s videos were limited to a 10-minute span which kept it crisp and not monotonous at the same time.

Funding

Since Khan Academy is a non-profit organization, the company runs from the funding received from donations, especially philanthropic organizations. Google donated $2 million in 2010, AT&T donated $2.25 million in 2015, and Carlos Slim donated to the institution for making Spanish version of the videos.

Critics

Despite doing a commendable job and service for the society that is in sheer need of education, many people pointed out that the videos lack the skill of professionalism. Some experts pointed out technical errors as well. But, the valuable content that Khan Academy is providing is huge compared to some of the glitch or inaccuracy

The Hut Group

Matt Moulding and John Gallemore’s The Hut Group become a billion-dollar company

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Based on Manchester, UK, The Hut Group is an e-commerce platform famous around the globe for selling Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). FMCG are those products that are easily available at a low-cost and are sold very quickly. They are the products we use in our day-to-day lives like food packets, toiletries, etc. Matt Moulding and John Gallemore founded the company in 2004. Since then the company has sold a variety of products including games, electronics, and currently beauty and wellness products. The company always focused on a white label approach thus building its brand and technology. Initially, the entertainment products of THG didn’t turn out to be profitable until it acquired Zavvi and became very famous.

Matt Moulding and John Gallemore
Image Source: fasttrack.co.uk

A brief history

In 2004, the two founders, Matt Moulding and John Gallemore invested £500,000 to open their new business, The Hut Group. Some of the early investors who were associated with THG from the beginning include Stuart Rose, former Chairman, and CEO of Marks & Spencer, and Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco.

When the company was founded, the gaming products were suppressed by giant competitors like Play.com and Amazon. Both Matt and John realized that creating their brand and scaling up might be hard in a market crawling with tech giants. It will only be possible if they bring big partners in the house and they did so.

The company signed a deal with more than 15 partners who include Asda, Tesco, Dixons, etc. This strategy helped the company have a significant online presence when retailers weren’t operating on the web. The duo also says that they were inspired by Play.com and interviewed some of their employees. This cleared their perspective about what they should do and how to make more money.

About the Founders Matt and John

Matt Moulding comes from an economics background as he went to the University of Nottingham to study industrial economics. After graduating, he went for further studies and became a chartered accountant. After completing his education, he started working as the finance director at the Caudwell Group. After entering the professional world, he was intrigued by selling products online. And, this is when he decided to open his own business in 2004.

John Gallemore went to the University of Manchester to study economics. In 1990, he joined Deloitte as a chartered accountant and worked there for three years. Before co-founding THG, John was the Head of Finance (International Trading Business) at the Caudwell Group. He served as both the COO and CFO of THG. Currently, John is the CEO of THG Ingenuity.

Moving out from entertainment

When they started the company, digitalization was a new transformation in the world. So, in the beginning, they made a good amount of money. Within four years, THG made 35 million pounds in sales and it is pretty impressive. But, with every new technology hitting the market, the profit started dropping. So, Matt started thinking of an alternate category that can be as good as entertainment products.

So, the next best choice for him was nutrition, beauty, and fitness products. And, they went for it without giving a second thought. Initially, they targeted small brands, and eventually, they started expanding in the industry.

Business strategies 

Matt knew very well that at the beginning big companies like L’Oreal will never give them dealership. So, he specifically targeted the smaller ones that had a good relationship with the ones dominating the market. So, in 2010, the company acquired Lookfantastic.com from the Crown family.

Apart from selling beauty products, the company also had beauty salons across the UK. The main reason to buy the company was they had a dealership of L’Oreal. So, it was like a friend of my friend is my friend. After a few months, the company entered the wellness sector by acquiring Myprotein for £60 million.

THG Ingenuity

THG Ingenuity is THG’s operating platform built solely by them. They have end-to-end technology that has led the company towards scaling up its direct-to-consumer brands on a global level. The platform of THG Ingenuity helps many small and big retailers to make their brands bigger and have an international position in the market. For example, after acquiring Myprotein the company has grown 25-folds.

Acquisitions

After acquiring Myprotein in 2011, the company has made several acquisitions. In 2013, THG acquired Coggles, a luxury fashion retailer followed by Active Nutrition International next year. In 2016, the company bought SkinStore which is one of the leading beauty retailers in the USA and Australia. Last year, the company acquired Christophe Robin, a French hair-care brand.

THG is not only helping the brands grow through an online brand presence but also acquiring hotels and spa to have significant offline branding. Last year, the company bought the Eclectic Hotel Group with hotels in Manchester.

The founders of THG are expanding their business to leisure properties as well.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 to launch online next month due to COVID-19 crisis

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On Tuesday, Samsung hosted a live online event to announce the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series next month. Due to the horrific consequences of the novel coronavirus, many companies are forced to delay their product launches. But, Samsung has decided to launch the next series of Galaxy Note 20 on 5th August via a digital platform.

This virtual unpacking of new products will include Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and Galaxy Z Flip (5G version). The product launch will be different from the events hosted before by the company especially when it is exclusively online. So, gear up, and let’s wait for the big moment to see what Samsung has got for its users this time.

Apart from Samsung other companies are also planning to take their events online. We also witnessed the shifting of WWDC20 hosted by Apple from offline to online mode this year. This might become the new normal for us amidst the pandemic.

Where and how the launch will take place?

As the company made it crystal clear that the unpacking will take place on a digital platform, Samsung will host a live event on YouTube. The streaming will take place on 5th August at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. P.T. Samsung’s official teaser has already been launched which gives us a few hints about the look of Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Apart from the Galaxy Note 20 series, the audience is expecting more from the unpacking event. The event might also include revealing tablets, that is, Galaxy Tab S lineup and so much more. It is expected that the company made suitable modifications to each of the models to be launched because last year the Galaxy Fold received criticism for its screen defects.

Galaxy note 20
Image Source: pocket-lint.com

What are the new features?

Last year, Samsung received a whole lot of negative feedback on the Galaxy Fold. After the company distributed a limited number of units to the reviewers, many problems were reported along with pointing out vast scope of improvement. So, Samsung delayed the launch to carry out thorough internal tests. Most of the issues were concerning the display and the hinge of the fold. The company has decided to unfold the second generation of the series next month. So, we expect better technology and durability this time which will balance the high price.

Some of the modifications that can be expected for the new Galaxy Fold are a glass display instead of a plastic one and a bigger internal screen. Rumors have been spread that Samsung might launch a cheaper model of Galaxy Fold besides Galaxy Fold 2.

Rumors have also come upon the surface regarding the Galaxy Z Flip and this time with a 5G version. The model of the Galaxy Flip that was released a few months later this year was a 4G phone. The new model is expected to run on a 5G network along with a Snapdragon 865 Plus processor and a bigger battery.

Regarding the Note series, Samsung is maybe planning to launch three new models, namely, Note 20, Note 20 Plus, and Note 20 Ultra. These models might have a comparatively thinner body and all of them will be run on the 5G network.

Amongst the global pandemic

No matter how big a company is especially in the phone industry, the pandemic has planted doubted in every mind. The major smartphone brands are in a dilemma if the impact will be the same as the events are gradually shifting to a virtual model. Moreover, this year the phone companies were going to break records as 5G connectivity just started entering the market. But, with the globally pandemic pinning every business down, the craze for new models is questionable. And, even after the crisis is over, the businesses will still struggle to come up on the surface.

Samsung in particular has faced a decelerating market as its new series of Galaxy S20 was launched just a few weeks before the lockdown. So, the company is now trying to make more budget-friendly phones to approach new users as well.

After August 5th, Samsung is planning to host another virtual event in September 2020

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One web

UK government to invest $500 million on satellite company OneWeb

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Last Friday, the UK government announced that it will invest $500 million in OneWeb, a young satellite firm founded by Greg Wyler. The newly built company was facing finance troubled and hence filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US in March. UK government has responded to the company’s difficult times and demanded a significant equity share as well. Bharti Global, an Indian telecom company will also invest $500 million as a part of the same agreement.

OneWeb
Image Source: Forbs.com

Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

On 28th March 2020, the company released the news of using bankruptcy proceedings and shows an interest in the sale of the firm. With COVID-19 making a horrendous impact on every sector of the economy, OneWeb also became its victim. The company said that they were about to receive financing but the global pandemic is the reason it failed. So, they were left with no other choice than putting it up for sale.

OneWeb also started cutting off the workforce but didn’t mention any specific figure. The company needed to conclude at the earliest as one week before filing bankruptcy protection it launched 34 satellites from Kazakhstan. The company has big plans to provide high-speed internet from space for the usage of common people. So, it received a license from the Federal Communications Commission to launch a constellation of 650 low-lying satellites for the same purpose. One of its biggest plans is to provide internet coverage to the Arctic.

Internet coverage to the Arctic

Last year, the company declared that it is planning to provide “fiber-like internet” coverage at the Arctic region and high-speed internet to homes, boats, and even planes that are located above the 60th parallel north latitude. To achieve this goal, the company planned to launch a constellation of 650 satellites among which 74 are successfully launched. OneWeb also said that since the number of satellites is high, one satellite can cover a specific part of Earth 24/7.

The project of covering the maximum part of the Arctic is very challenging as its geographical strains make it harder for establishing conventional internet connectivity. But, OneWeb claims that it can provide high-speed internet coverage to 48% of the Arctic. And, this would further help in the overall development of the Arctic region. People in the Arctic appreciated the idea as it will open vast opportunities for them with growing connectivity. OneWeb launched their satellites on Soyuz rocket.

Future planning

Currently, with 74 satellites orbiting the Earth, OneWeb plans to move its satellite production from Florida in the US to the UK if the government supports. The UK was planning for a long time to make a big move in the aerospace sector, especially after the nation lost access to the European Union’s Galileo Satellite System in 2018. Since then, the plan of the UK has come to a halt especially for economic concerns. After the UK government agreed with OneWeb last Friday, it gives a 20 percent stake of the company. This deal will allow OneWeb to complete the construction of the planned satellite constellation.

Alok Sharma, UK Secretary of State for Business, said that this a big opportunity for the UK to set up a wide production base for spacecraft. If this mission becomes successful, the UK will become one of the global leaders in the aerospace business. OneWeb will be back in production at the earliest.

Criticism

But, OneWeb is not the only private company in the world trying to make global connectivity stronger. SpaceX is also a very big competitor of OneWeb given that OneWeb was only founded a couple of years ago. Moreover, the agreement between the UK government and OneWeb has caught the attention of many space policy experts.

Dr. Bleddyn Bowen from the University of Leicester said that for starters the UK has bought the wrong satellites. The idea that OneWeb is working on resembles the idea of Starlink by SpaceX. According to this space policy expert, OneWeb is trying to put together technology and a design that is not made for each other. So, there are high chances that the execution of this mega constellation will fail. Giles Throne, a research analyst at Jeffries also made the same accusation about the deal.

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video App is now available for Windows 10 devices

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After a long wait, the Windows users can finally download their favorite videos from the Amazon Prime Video App. Yesterday, the company announced the launch of this prime video app exclusively for Windows 10 users. One can download the app on their desktop or any other Windows 10 devices from the Microsoft Store. The app went live yesterday and it is available now for the Indian customers as well.

Previously, before the app was launched, Windows users were still able to stream prime video content from browsers like Chrome. But, they still faced the disadvantage of not able to download and watch any video offline. So, this new Amazon Prime Video App will permit you to download the prime video content and watch it offline.

Watch Party feature for the US

Apart from launching a new app for the Windows customers, Amazon Prime Video also introduced a new feature called Watch Party last week. Currently, this new feature is only available for prime users in the US which will eventually expand its user base. The new Watch Party feature allows prime members to watch videos together with friends from a different location.

So, through this new feature Amazon prime video allows a maximum of 100 viewers in a group. But, each viewer must have a US-based Prime subscription otherwise they won’t get access to this feature. And, after joining a group, one can choose any TV show or movie both from licensed and original category. Watch Party doesn’t allow to stream TV shows or movies that are available either for rent or purchase. Moreover, this feature is only available for desktop users. The company didn’t make any announcement regarding a similar feature for smartphones.

Strong competition for Netflix and Hulu

Amazon Prime Video has always been a strong rival of Netflix and Hulu. But, with the service launching new features and getting new content might get things heated up. Amazon Prime video now has originals like Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jack Ryan, The Big Sick, The Boys, Homecoming, etc.

The demand for Amazon Prime Video is not going flat anytime soon especially after the introduction of the Watch Party feature. Apart from video streaming and watching it with friends and family, it also comes with a chat feature. So, anyone in the group can talk to all the other viewers in the group. To include viewers in the group the host needs to share a private link. So, the working process is similar to today’s video conferencing apps like Zoom, Cisco Webex, etc.

After Amazon Prime video launched the feature of Watch Party, Netflix along with Disney and WarnerMedia is trying to pull off something similar.

Payment for the new app

The Prime video is already free for the Amazon Prime subscribers as they pay $119 annually. For Windows users, they can download the Amazon Prime Video app for free from the Microsoft store. But, a monthly subscription fee of $8.99 is required for getting access to Amazon Prime Video.

Video quality

It is found that the new Prime Video app for the Windows 10 users doesn’t allow video streaming above 720p resolution. The same goes for the prime video app for the iPad as well. If the Windows users use browsers like Chrome, they can stream videos at 1080p.

But, the app claims to stream and download videos at a maximum of 1080p. When the user will try to download any video, he or she will be offered three quality choices, Good, Better, and Best. Higher quality will occupy more space and consume more data.