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January 13, 2015

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The biggest technological extravaganza of the world, Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) wrapped up recently, being held from January 6th- January 9th, 2015 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas,Nevada, USA. Like every year, thousands of new products were unveiled and hundreds of new technologies were introduced.

Last year we told you about the weird gadgets introduced in CES 2014. ( See here.) This year we are back with some weirder ones! Let’s dive in:

1. iSet Watch :Tennis Statistic Watch

Wearables are the new fad, however not all of them are productive. This smart tennis watch helps you keep a score while playing tennis – you win a point, you tap & it shows 1-0. The watch helps you track your score & works best if both players are wearing the gadget. But the question is, why?

iset
iSet Tennis Watch | Image Courtesy: www.01net.com

2. SleepPhones

There’s not much to write about this one. It’s a pair of wireless headphones inside a headband made specifically for those who can’t sleep without listening to music, priced at $28.95.

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Sleep Phones | Image Courtesy: www.huffingtonpost.com

3. Baby GlGl: a bottle that tracks milk

It’s not easy to raise a baby, especially the younger ones. Introducing, Baby Glgl (pronounced Glug), the most useful gadget ever. It is equipped with an inclinometer which calculates the best angle for tilting a baby bottle to reduce air bubbles. And that’s pretty much it.

bottle
Baby GlGl bottle | Image Courtesy: www.ibnlive.in

4. E-Tape

An inch tape is a highly productive tool, but why not push the lines? The E-tape is an inch tape with a screen which displays accurate measurements and converts them into feet, inches, millimetre, etc. It also sends this data to your phone. Though not useless, it’s definitely bizarre!

 

5. Sony Walkman ZX2

Beautifully designed and exceptional acoustics, this is a smart Walkman, which is also equipped with Android OS for enhancing multimedia experience. It can surely put any mobile device to shame in terms of looks and sound quality. But why would one buy a Walkman in 2015? Why would anyone use a 4 inch screen with poor resolution?

 

Sony Walkman XZ2 | Image Courtesy: www.theverge.com

Also, the walkman runs on android JellyBean which is now 3 years old & is equipped with a low resolution (480p) 4inch screen . The biggest shocker is the price – $1,119.99 (INR 70,0000+) for a Walkman seems bizarre! However stunning it may be, it’s still just a music player.

6. Rollkers

Everyone’s in a hurry in this fast-paced life, but some companies have taken it way too seriously. A French company showcased a prototype of Rollkers; automatic skates which attach to the sole of your shoes and claim to increase your walking speed upto 7 miles per hour! You can’t help but laugh, imagining how everyone will look with wheels beneath.

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Rollkers | Image Courtesy: www.techtimes.com

 

 

University Grants Commission (UGC) has sent out a notification to all the universities across India to adopt semestrisation of courses and espouse grading system for results by dropping the numerical system of marking. The change will be administered from the academic year 2015-16. Direction by UGC also includes introduction of Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and Credit Framework for Skill Development (CFSD).

The amendment has come out as result of a meeting that was held between the Human Resources and Development Minister Smriti Irani and state education ministers earlier this week.

Delhi University which is already following the system of semester education will now introduce grading system. After getting rid of the Four Year Undergraduate Programme, Delhi University will now gear up for another major shakeup in the college level education.

Grades

Under CBCS, the students will be able to pursue three types of courses – foundation, elective and core. It will be mandatory for students to pursue core subjects every semester and choices will be available to pick electives from a pool of subjects unrelated to their disciplines.

The news of grading system is acquiring mixed response from the University students. A part of the crowd feels that the reform is favourable for the students, as it will provide a pool of subjects to choose as an elective apart from their core subject. The reforms will not only provide wider options of subjects across disciplines to the students but also help them acquire more credits. Coherent mobility across all the institutions will also be ensured.

A professor from Delhi University says, “This is a recipe of disaster for Delhi University. Essentially CBCS is the new form of FYUP, probably in the three year format. As per the UGC diktat this is supposed to start from next academic year which is nearly six months from now. So the time is even less than what was there for FYUP with the administration.”

The UGC will also set up a facilitation cell to extend necessary assistance to the universities in their transition process.

Iresh Gupta [email protected]

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