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Internet

Apple Launches 2TB iCloud Storage Plan Ahead of iPhone 7 Event

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Apple Launches 2TB iCloud Storage Plan Ahead of iPhone 7 Event

Apple has introduced a new tier in its iCloud storage plans. Alongside the 1TB plan, the Cupertino giant has now introduced a 2TB plan for $19.99 per month as well. For Indian users, the new plan costs Rs. 1,300 per month.

This move comes just a week before the iPhone 7 launch event on September 7. Apple is heavily rumoured to unveil the new 256GB storage variant, and upping the iCloud storage plan seems certainly seems to be an associated strategic move.

Expanding to 2TB would follow the current iCloud storage pattern, as 9to5Mac notes. The former largest tier, 1TB, was roughly eight times as large as the top storage model – 128GB. With the bump up to 2TB of iCloud storage available to users, Apple appears to want to maintain the same ratio for the anticipated 256GB storage variant.

For users who are unaware, when you first sign up for iCloud storage, the first 5GB is free. After that, Apple offers plans for 50GB, 200GB, 1TB, and now 2TB as well. In the US, these plans cost $0.99, $2.99, $9.99, and $19.99 per month respectively. In India, these plans cost Rs. 65, Rs. 190, Rs. 650, and Rs. 1,300 per month respectively. For other countries.In any case, Apple is going to unveil the iPhone 7 with its new storage options next week. This year, Apple is sticking with minor changes and looks to break its tick-tock cycle. The camera on the 4.7-inch variant is pegged to get OIS, while the 5.5-inch variant is said to sport a new dual camera module. The company is ditching the 16GB base storage variant, in favour of 32GB. There’s also a Space Black variant that is expected to be introduced.

[Source:- gadgets.ndtv]

 

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Education

Aycliffe school head Jeremy Gargan quits over academies plan

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Nicky Morgan

Jeremy Gargan, head teacher at Aycliffe Village Primary School in County Durham,wrote to parents criticising changes to school funding.

He attacked the National Funding Formula announced by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan.

The government says the current funding system is “outdated and unfair”.

Mr Gargan told BBC Tees: “I believe that the enforced route of converting everybody to an academy won’t actually raise standards.

‘Calling the shots’

“I believe that we run our school effectively here ourselves, and if we were forced into a multi-academy trust, there’s a likelihood that another school would actually be calling the shots and telling us how we should be running our own school.”

In Mr Gargan’s letter, which has been shared widely on social media, he said expectations on pupils would “turn [them] off from what should be an exciting time in their lives”.

He wrote: “I believe that the standards set for our pupils to achieve this year, in Year Two and in Year Six, have been raised to a point where the pupils are being set up to fail, with Year Two pupils tackling work that has been found in Year Three and Year Four, and now with Year Six pupils tackling grammar work that GCSE pupils would struggle with.”

‘Wonderful teacher’

Mr Gargan’s letter was apparently posted to Twitter by parent Melissa Wilson, 36, who messaged the education secretary saying: “This is my children’s school. He was a wonderful teacher. YOU did this.”

In a resignation letter to the school’s governors, Mr Gargan wrote: “The government appears to be very blinkered in its approach.

“If the route to raising standards was through academisation, why have only 2,500, out of nearly 17,000 schools, chosen to become academies?”

Nicky Morgan has defended the academies programme by saying that schools are more likely to produce better results if turned into academies as they use expertise to improve bad performing institutions.

[Source:- Bbc]

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Education

New plan to drive up learner participation in science

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

A new plan to improve the learning and teaching of STEM subjects in Wales and drive up the number of learners studying them is being launched today by Deputy Minister for Skills, Julie James.

The skills gained through the study of STEM subjects are widely recognised as essential to the development of a prosperous and sustainable knowledge economy.

Ahead of British Science week the Welsh Government is launching its ‘STEM in Education and Training – a delivery plan’ to set out the actions it will take to support STEM related subjects for 3 to 19-year-olds in the years ahead.

Deputy Minister for Skills Julie James said:

“I would like to see a major shift in the perception of STEM subjects. Attitudes towards STEM are often based in deep-rooted societal stereotypes and this delivery plan is about breaking down those stereo types.

“This plan also sets out how we will continue our efforts to support and promote  the wider study of STEM subjects, how we will encourage greater numbers of girls to study STEM subjects and how we will work with schools and colleges  to drive up standards and increase attainment levels in STEM subjects across the board.”

The STEM plan builds on the Enterprise and Business Committee’s wide ranging inquiry into STEM skills that was conducted in 2014. It sets out six key priorities for the future. These are to:

  • improve the analysis and reporting of progress on STEM subjects against key indicators
  • ensure the learning and teaching of STEM subjects in schools, colleges and universities evolves and keeps pace with the best in the world
  • develop STEM-related qualifications that are comparable with the rest of the UK and the best in the world.
  • promote the long-term, self-sustaining and system wide development of an education workforce that delivers a new and challenging STEM curriculum
  • increase interest and participation in STEM learning, particularly among girls
  • equip young people with career management skills and knowledge of the options available to them within the STEM sector.

The Welsh Government’s progress against these six actions will be monitored by the Chief Scientific Adviser  for Wales, Professor Julie Williams. Speaking about the plan, she said:

“We know that STEM subjects are essential to the technological, social and economic future of Wales. On a more personal level it is really important that we get the message through to our young people that the study of STEM subjects can make a genuinely positive impact on their futures, and can help them build careers that are rewarding, fulfilling and well paid.”

[Source:- Ukeducationnews]

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Education

Pupils face home quizzes under SNP state guardian plan

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Primary school pupils are facing questions about their home lives

Scottish schoolchildren are to be questioned about their private lives in “Orwellian” psychological tests introduced as part of the SNP’s state guardian scheme, it has been alleged.

The No to the Named Person Campaign claimed that councils were using the questions to “squeeze confidential information” out of pupils that would be stored on local authority databases.

The results would be analysed so councils can identify which youngsters are potentially at risk at home. Among the methods identified is a prompt card system developed by Angus Council and adopted by other local authorities.

It urges named persons to ask pupils a series of questions about their domestic lives to assess whether they are at risk, such as whether their homes are “cosy”, details of their diets and who chooses what they wear.

The cards even question where pupils’ families go to buy their food and clothes, what their bedrooms look like and whether they have ever been in a dangerous situation.

Under the legislation, passed last year, the NHS will appoint a health worker to act as the named person for every child until the age of five. The responsibility will then pass to councils until the age of 18, with a teachers expected to adopt the role.

Ministers argue the measure is needed so that potential cases of abuse are spotted early but it is being challenged in the courts by campaigners arguing it breaches parents’ human rights.

Damian Green said a new computer database, being built with government backing, will attempt to speed up the way police can investigate the online images of child abuse.Campaigners have warned pupils’ responses will be added to a computer database  

Simon Calvert, of the No to Named Person campaign, said: “Psychologically manipulating youngsters so you can squeeze confidential information out of them is fundamentally wrong, but to store all this information on a giant council database is foolhardy.

“It really is beyond time that the Scottish Government called a halt to this whole charade before they do any more damage. It’s Orwellian, it’s immoral and it has to stop.”

Teachers across the country are being trained how to assess pupils, with some using a tool called “What I Think” designed for children up to the age of eight, including those at nursery. Information can come from a variety of sources such as conversations, drawings, photographs and recordings.

Named Persons are advised to obtain the data in a “natural” way so that youngsters do not suspect they are being targeted, for example discovering who prepares a child’s meal at home using a casual conversation at snack time.

The system also provides a number of sample scenarios that suggest a child could be at risk, such as them not missing their mother when they stayed overnight elsewhere or them being shouted at by their father after having an accident when playing alone in a park.

However, Maggie Mellon, vice-chairman of the British Association of Social Workers and a former director of the charity Children 1st, told the Mail on Sunday: “The fact that these actually very biased and partial anecdotes will be going on a national database is extremely worrying and should make everyone sit up and say ‘no’.

“Overall, this is a crude tool with no validity – but it will be used and the information interpreted as evidence of child abuse or neglect.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Councils are responsible for producing their own materials to aid discussions with young people and parents to ensure they are happy, well and healthy.

“If a health visitor or senior teacher, acting as a child’s named person, identifies any concerns about well-being they would be expected to offer advice and support, depending on the specific circumstances.”

Angus Council was yesterday unavailable for comment but told the Mail on Sunday the prompt cards were meant to “support” families rather than “assess” them.

[Source:- Telegraph]

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Education

Elizabeth Warren’s education plan would massively increase funding and her wealth tax would pay for it

by Loknath Das
written by Loknath Das

GP: Presidential Candidate Elizabeth Warren Holds Town Hall In Norfolk, VA

Presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday released an education plan that aims to quadruple public education funding with a focus on allocating more resources to lower-income students and increasing teacher pay.

Warren’s plan, which her campaign says would be paid for by her proposed 2% wealth tax on people whose net worth is more than $50 million, focuses on desegregation, affordability and expansion into programs for students with special needs.

A $450 billion infusion into the system over the next decade will encourage schools to use it in part to pay teachers a higher salary and close the educator pay gap, according to her campaign. The funding can also go toward paying for supplies and resources so teachers don’t have to pay extra out-of-pocket costs.

In its entirety, her education proposal calls for $800 billion more in funding, which would account for the remaining balance of the revenue she says her wealth tax will raise, The Wall Street Journal reported. She has also envisioned using the wealth tax’s proceeds to pay for tuition-free public college education, abolishing student debt and a universal child-care program.

Warren’s campaign estimates her wealth tax, which rises to 3% on net worth of $1 billion and above, will raise $2.75 trillion over 10 years.

Warren said her administration would cover up to 40% of any additional costs for educating students with disabilities, the amount that Congress originally intended for coverage when it first proposed this policy in 1975.

Other proposals include:

  • “Excellence grants” of $100 billion that will go toward expanding resources and activities for students, with the goal of “25,000 public schools transition[ing] to the community school framework by 2030.”
  • A $50 billion investment into school infrastructure, but there’s no indication of whether the money will be spread out over a period of time or given in one lump sum.
  • Housing grants of $10 billion to build parks and schools if cities and states eliminate restrictive zoning laws.
  • A $25 billion fund for health-care access and expanding service at existing clinics.

Warren also took a shot at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for not having a background in public education. The candidate said her Education secretary would in fact have such a background.

The plan from the Massachusetts senator also takes aim at charter schools. She would end federal funding for the expansion of charter schools and ban for-profit charters.

Warren’s plan has received support from teachers union the National Education Association.

[“source=cnbc”]

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Internet

Comcast’s $10 internet plan opens up to all low-income and disabled Americans

by Loknath Das
written by Loknath Das

Closeup of colored computer network cables connected to a switch

Low-income families face the same issues the luckier among us do when it comes to getting broadband: few options and fewer still that are affordable. Comcast,  though simultaneously the source of many of these issues, has a good program for anyone facing financial hardship, and several new groups now qualify for $10 connectivity.

The “Internet Essentials” program has for several years now offered cheap internet to the economically disadvantaged and other groups who need a helping hand. It has connected some two million households so far and may connect plenty more under the new, expanded eligibility options the company just announced.

Essentially if you’re the beneficiary of any of a bunch of financial aid programs from the government, or are disabled, or a low-income household, you’re eligible. You can apply here for free.

Previously you were eligible under a dozen or so of those programs, but today Comcast announced that the following groups are newly able to take advantage of the program:

  • Persons with disabilities
  • Seniors on Medicaid
  • All low-income adults (defined as 38% above the poverty line in your area)

That last one probably makes a lot of people eligible who might not have participated in one of the other programs, like the National School Lunch Program or Section 8 housing. If you’re low income, get on in there.

In case you’re not quite sure of your exact income, you’re also welcome if you take part in any of the following assistance programs:

  • Medicaid
  • National School Lunch Program (NSLP, free and reduced-price lunch)
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps)
  • HUD housing assistance and Section 8
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare)
  • Supplemental Security Income (social security)
  • Head Start or Early Head Start
  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  • Tribal assistance (TTANF and FDPIR)
  • Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
  • VA pension

Any of these should qualify you for $10 (plus applicable taxes and fees — probably a couple bucks) broadband. You also can apply for a $150 computer, but I’m not sure I’d recommend whatever they’re selling. Cheap laptops are pretty easy to find, so ask around before you go in on Comcast’s house brand.

Just to make sure expectations are in line with reality here, this is a 5-megabit connection, meaning it doesn’t really even qualify as “broadband” under current definitions. But you’ll be able to stream music, play games, do most web stuff and watch YouTube perfectly fine. Just be ready to buffer a bit if you want to watch Netflix in HD. There’s also a 1-terabyte data cap, so 4K all day probably isn’t a good idea.

Good on Comcast for offering this (and rare it is the company deserves kudos). It’s more comprehensive than other low-income connection options from AT&T, Cox and so on, though if they’re the monopoly in your area, you might not have a choice. At least the programs exist — there’s a pretty good list here. Be sure to ask your provider if they have one before you decide to pay full price.

[“source=techcrunch”]

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Education

WB rejects plan to bar college teachers from talking to media

by Loknath Das
written by Loknath Das

West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee. Several organizations of university teachers had said they would take legal action if the state government implemented the new terms and conditions. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee. Several organizations of university teachers had said they would take legal action if the state government implemented the new terms and conditions. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

Kolkata: The West Bengal government has rejected recommendations by a panel set up by its higher education department to determine the terms and conditions of employment of college teachers after it proposed that teachers be barred from talking to the media or express their views on public policy.

One of the panel’s key recommendations was that teachers would be barred from expressing their views on policies of both the state and central governments in the media. If accepted without modification, the proposals meant teachers would not be allowed to write in newspapers, share their views for being reported or appear on television shows.

But Partha Chatterjee, the state’s education minister, on Wednesday said on Twitter that the “allegation that the freedom of speech of university professors is being curbed… is a blatant lie”. He clarified that no such rule is to be implemented. The minister had earlier said that he had issues with several recommendations made by the panel.

Several organizations of university teachers had said they would take legal action if the state government implemented the new terms and conditions. Another of the panel’s key recommendations was to keep new recruits on probation for two years, which, according to some teachers, is too long. The panel had also recommended that teachers should be barred from offering private tuition or taking up part-time assignments.

Rules for attendance were proposed to be tightened with colleges being asked to create infrastructure for recording attendance through biometric devices. “Every college shall maintain a biometric system of attendance for recording the attendance and departure of all employees,” the panel had proposed. Also, the age of retirement for teachers was proposed to be set at 62.

The proposals of the panel are at variance with what the minister had expected, said a key official in the higher education department, who asked not to be named. The bar on talking to media got more attention than many other contentious proposals, he said, adding that these new rules are not to be implemented anytime soon.

[“Source-livemint”]

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Gadgets News

Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Available at Rs. 9,900 Down Payment With Airtel Rs. 2,499 Postpaid Plan

by Loknath Das
written by Loknath Das

Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Available at Rs. 9,900 Down Payment With Airtel Rs. 2,499 Postpaid Plan

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ went on sale for the first time in India on Friday. While the handsets are available across various channels, Airtel has also introduced the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ smartphones on its online store with down payment options along with bundled monthly plans. After Samsung unveiled its latest flagship smartphones at MWC 2018 last month, Airtel had opened pre-registrations for the handsets on its online store. Now, Airtel is offering customers the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ with down payment options starting at Rs. 9,999 under the new plan. On top of the down payment, Airtel requires customers to subscribe to its postpaid plans for 24 months to get their hands on the handsets.

Under the Airtel offer, the Samsung Galaxy S9 (64GB variant) is available on the online store at a down payment of Rs. 9,900 and 24 monthly instalments of Rs. 2,499. The Galaxy S9+ (64GB variant) is also available with a down payment of Rs. 9,900 but the buyer has to go for 24 monthly instalments of Rs. 2,799. To note, the monthly instalments comes with a postpaid plan that offers 80GB data (with rollover), unlimited calling, subscription to one-year of Amazon Prime membership, Airtel Secure, Airtel TV, and Wynk Music.

Similarly, the Galaxy S9 (256GB variant) is available on the Airtel online store at a down payment of Rs. 17,900 and 24 monthly instalments of Rs. 2,499. Further, The Galaxy S9+ (256GB variant) is available with a down payment of Rs. 17,900 and 24 monthly instalments of Rs. 2,799.

The Airtel Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ offer is open to both postpaid and prepaid subscribers, however, prepaid subscribers will need to “get a new Postpaid connection or shift their current Airtel Prepaid connection to Postpaid,” the terms and conditions specify.

Airtel is also offering a free handset protection plan with the purchase of Samsung Galaxy S9 series. It is worth noting that Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are also available to buy via Flipkart, Samsung Shop, and retail outlets in India.

[“source=gadgets.ndtv”]

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