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Cute & Funny USB Drives (Perfect Gifts!)

September 21, 2026 by admin Leave a Comment

USB drives have come a long way from the plain, boring sticks we used a decade ago. Today, they’re faster, smarter, more stylish — and in many cases, downright adorable. Whether you’re looking for a high‑speed portable SSD for work, a fun novelty USB for gifting, or a cute accessory that doubles as storage, Amazon Australia has an incredible range to choose from.

These novelty USB drives are best‑sellers because they’re fun, affordable, and make great gifts for teachers, students, coworkers, and kids.

Looking for a reliable USB drive or a fun, quirky one that makes the perfect gift? Whether you need fast storage for work, a portable SSD for your phone, or a novelty USB stick that makes everyone smile, this curated list brings together the best USB drives available on Amazon Australia right now.

Top USB Drives to Buy on Amazon Australia

Turtle‑Shaped 32GB USB Flash Drive

Adorable, durable, and guaranteed to get compliments.

👉 https://link.amazon/B0gJKLaFS

The Best Cute, Funny & High‑Speed USB Drives in Australia (2026 Buyer’s Guide)

From high‑performance 1TB SSDs to adorable turtle‑shaped flash drives, this guide covers the top picks for students, teachers, creators, office workers, and anyone who loves practical tech with personality.

Whether you want serious performance or serious cuteness, there’s something here for every personality and purpose. If you need high‑speed, high‑capacity storage, choose the OSCOO 1TB Portable SSD.

If you want fun, memorable gifts, choose any of the cute novelty USB drives — they’re affordable, adorable, and guaranteed to spark joy.

2. LED Light Bulb USB Flash Drive (8GB)

A clever design with a glowing LED — great for creatives and tech lovers.

👉 https://link.amazon/B05LbknM8

3. Cartoon Skeleton 32GB USB Flash Drive

A quirky, funny design that stands out on any desk.

👉 https://link.amazon/B0b330CGh

4. Pink Coffee Cup USB Flash Drive (32GB)

Perfect for teachers, students, and coffee lovers.

👉 https://link.amazon/B0igNpFiu

5. PU Leather Bracelet USB Flash Drive (64GB)

A stylish wearable USB — practical and fashionable.

👉 https://link.amazon/B0e0qXFxk

6.Funny Thumb‑Shaped USB Flash Drive (64GB)

A hilarious gag gift that’s surprisingly useful.

👉 https://link.amazon/B0i3COoge

7. Retractable Plastic USB Flash Drive (32GB)

Cute, compact, and great for everyday use.

👉 https://link.amazon/B05wjRwG8

8. Chocolate Popsicle USB Flash Drive (64GB)

Looks delicious — works brilliantly.

👉 https://link.amazon/B07uUgbyK

9. Cartoon Cat USB Flash Drive (32GB)

A favourite among students and cat lovers.

👉 https://link.amazon/B097be0EB

10. Cute Rabbit USB Flash Drive (64GB)

Soft pastel colours and a sweet design.

👉 https://link.amazon/B04JKi3Sy

11. Pink Piggy USB Flash Drive (64GB)

A lovely gift for kids and friends.

👉 https://link.amazon/B01YEdfwl

12. Clown Fish USB Flash Drive (2GB)

Small, cute, and perfect for light storage.

👉 https://link.amazon/B0gtLm2ME

13. SANDISK Crayola USB‑C Flash Drive (128GB)

A reliable brand + a fun crayon design.

Fast 300MB/s read speeds and USB‑C compatibility make this ideal for modern devices.

👉 https://link.amazon/B0dVUza3s

OSCOO 1TB Portable SSD – Ultra‑Fast Storage for Work, Travel & Creators

If you need speed + massive storage, this is the standout pick.

Key features:

Up to 1100MB/s transfer speeds
USB‑C + USB‑A dual ports
Works with iPhone 15/16, Android, Mac, Windows
Sleek push‑pull design
Perfect for photographers, videographers, students & professionals

👉 Check it out on Amazon AU: https://link.amazon/B0g9flzdI

Even with cloud storage everywhere, USB drives remain essential for, Fast offline file transfers, Secure backups without internet, sharing documents between devices, Storing photos, videos, and schoolwork and fun personalised gifts for kids, teachers, and coworkers

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which help support the blog at no extra cost to you.

The apps that got Melbourne through lockdown

November 29, 2020 by admin 1 Comment

To say that Melbourne went through a collective trauma is not an overstatement. Those eight long months of lockdown felt like an eternity, feeling even longer with the rest of the country coming out of isolation and moving on with their lives. There were brief reprieves and inspirations that caught our attention, like the quest to make the best banana bread and then trying to master a sourdough. Although, ultimately, it was the smart app developments that we spent too much time on that passed the months, each of them serving our needs in different ways and at different points of struggle.

Government App

The government has provided an app to keep you informed and safe during the Covid crisis in Australia. The COVIDSafe app is a tool that helps identify people exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19). This helps us support and protect you, your friends and family. Western Australia has come out with a new SafeWA app that small businesses can use to register visiting clients via a mobile phone app for contact tracing just in case of a breakout.

News apps

ABC’s rolling coverage of COVID-19 was in high rotation for many Victorians, especially when the restrictions were tightening or easing by the minute. Other than the ABC app, so many other news sources reported on the events unfolding bringing a varied dialogue in their own app form or part of the general News app. PedestrianTV covered the news with a millennial slant, Betoota Advocate provided the satire, as well as the stalwart outlets of The Age and the Australian. Given the mix of cultural, political and personal persuasions in Melbourne, choosing a ‘source of truth’ has been integral to all Victorians and was heavily relied on in times of uncertainty.

Mindfulness apps

If the need for mindfulness was a theory for some before lockdown, it was swiftly put into practice as isolating circumstances were not always conducive with a healthy mindset. Calm and Headspace are leading mindfulness apps in the marketplace offering guided meditation and playlists to support the goal of sleep, anxiety relief and affirmations. Other apps are designed to purely capture grateful moments or journaling prompts, and others encourage small activities that can bring some calm to lockdowns, such as visualisation or mindful walking. Checking in with yourself has always been an important priority, especially as the lockdown was testing the resilience of many.

Social network apps

TikTok wasn’t that new to the world at the start of 2020, but it really reached its stride in Australia at around the time lockdown took effect in March. The simple act of filming dance challenges and short videos provided a point of connection and purpose to the community who needed it. House Party was another popular app during the lockdown, which facilitated video calls and group games in the easy-to-use social platform.

Health-tracking apps

When exercise was permitted for one hour a day, this was a significant announcement to those who were used to spending more time outside exercising and commuting. The closure of gyms also encouraged many to download health-tracking apps to clock how many steps a day were taken and logging exercise as it happened. Given the nature of the virus that prompted the Melbourne lockdown, the community was more attuned with their health and became more aware of any changes or possible symptoms as they were occurring.

Podcast apps

Podcasts were growing in popularity even before the lockdown, but so many more were started in the Melbourne lockdown as a way of connecting with others and making use of the extended periods at home. Consuming news daily was a given, but hearing your trusted podcast hosts digesting that same news and discussing the state of play was a way of accepting the long lockdown that Melbourne found itself in. With podcasts now available on the Podcast app (on Apple), Spotify and Stitcher, it’s never been easier to tune in.

It was an incredible day when Melbourne came out of the eight-month-long lockdown, and it was a feat that none want to go through again. As parts of the world start their own second lockdown, apps and digital resources will no doubt assist in the long slog ahead.

Top 5 Business Productivity Apps

ZOOM

zoom to video chat

https://zoom.us/whatsnew

Zoom is best-known for being the go-to choice for businesses that need access to quick and convenient video for internal and external audio or video conferencing.

Offers high-quality HD video and audio.
Simple and easy to use platform
Offers collaboration facilities such as text chat and screen sharing
You do not sign up for the app to join a Zoom meeting (hopefully this doesn’t change)
To host a video conference, you need to create an account
Can sign up using existing Facebook and Google accounts
Works with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
Desktop users can also begin a local recording
There is extra functionality with plugins like integration with outlook , google chrome, Firefox to make using the app from within these software easier

Zoom app is offered in both free and paid versions. The paid version has some additional features like you can add up to 1000 participants, record calls, and much more.

WEBEX by cisco

webex australia

https://www.webex.com/pricing/index.html

WebEx is a flexible conferencing solution designed for businesses of any sizes you can think. Cisco owns the WebEx brand and has been around for a while with a high degree of reliability.

High quality web and HD video meeting software
It has Integrated application/file sharing(screen sharing)
Integrated with Outlook – add WebEx to a meeting in my calendar and all invitees will have the information
Cross platform – works with Windows, Mac, iPad and support mobile meetings for iPhones, Blackberries, Androids.
With WebEx meetings you can also chat using your phone or home line and watching the video/ video conference or meeting using your internet connection.
Supports immediate playback of multi-media content like flash and windows media player
Great customer service

Webex makes a good reliable software/app for video and audio conferencing for business needs and integrates well with their most browsers and their other products like jabber.

Microsoft Teams by Microsoft

teams by microsoft

https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/

Microsoft Teams is a new player in the market that has rapidly taken over market share from webex and zoom.

With the competition heating up for video conferencing platforms like Google Meet and many other free video conferencing platforms, Microsoft has made it free to collaborate with your colleagues with some limitations.

Multi-Platform support -You can use Microsoft Teams on most platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Schedule video/audio meetings with one person or a team or make a call directly to your teammates.
Features includes screen sharing and call recording, background blur and chat.
Just share a link with your team to join the call or a meeting.
Easy to use – The interface is clean and simple to understand. You can initiate an online meeting or can schedule one as per your requirement.
Host a webinar or meeting with up to 10,000 participants.
App is integrated with Microsoft 365
If the other person is unable to answer, you can leave a voicemail-like message.
With Microsoft Teams integrations with Outlook, you can schedule a video call in advance and you get an alert before it begins.
The free account offers 10 GB of team file storage and 2 GB of personal file storage per person
It supports most Microsoft software. Teams let you collaborate in real-time with MS Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Let your teammates access, share, and edit Word docs, PowerPoint, and Excel files in real-time
You can communicate and collaborate with teams up to 500K users
Microsoft keeps your data secure by using Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) technology for video and audio data encryption.

How to set up Microsoft Teams:

You can download the app directly from the app store or Microsoft website and use your email account to log in. It can also be accessed via a web browser.

If you remember skype owned by Microsoft and still use it, MT has been built using some features “Skype for Business” that has been rolled into Teams. Teams support VoIP calling features where you can call anyone with a phone using Microsoft’s cloud-based PBX.

Microsoft Teams is ideal for businesses who already use or are familiar with Microsoft products and for others it could be an expensive option. It is however a perfect solution to collaborate with your team with plenty of features and third-party app integration options, which is not available with competitors.

How to use and set up Zoom Meeting:

First, you need to get the Zoom app on your device.

You will need the code and password for the meeting you wish to join.

At the time of the meeting, enter your Zoom app and type in the meeting code. After a short while, you will be prompted to put in the password. Type it on the password line. You will get a message telling you to wait to be invited into the meeting by the host.

Once you get the invitation, you will see the host (or some meeting participants) on your screen. If you want them to be able to see and hear you during the meeting, tap the video and audio icons at the bottom of the screen to join the meeting with visual and audio.

You can also press “mute” any time you want to remain silent to the host or other participants. Just remember to press “unmute” if you want to be heard again. [ These zoom instructions can be quite similar to use for most other video conferencing apps too ]

Most of these apps work by creating a meeting id or a URL that you can share with people to join your meeting or video chat.

Companies or organisations will have to take into account – companies licensing agreements, hardware, budget, communication needs before signing up with such providers.

Historically with these apps none has been truly web-based, as they require a download, only work on certain devices, and don’t always work on all browsers. But this has changed now with most of these being able to be used with web browsers using plugins as alternatives and some even in stand- alone browsers.

Zoom vs WebEx

Zoom is the hot new web conferencing toy in the industry, but is proving itself to be well received in the workplace due to its ease of use and nice video interface. Cisco is a bit pricier when compared to others, but Zoom costs can add on with charges for add-on charges for extra features.

Other Business Video conferencing & Productivity APPS

Below are some apps that have been used for business as well as popular with personal use for video chat and audio calling features

GoToMeeting (popular with business use)

go to meeting business app

Go TO Meeting has been popular as a video conferencing app prior to the launch of these new popular apps who have grabbed user share. With GoToMeeting, you can schedule conferences for any time or place you choose. Additionally, attendees can join from a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Google Meet (popular with personal use)

video by google meet

If you have heard of google hangouts, this had evolved into google meet. You can plan a video meeting in the Google calendar, Gmail, or Meet by signing in to the G Suite account. Enter https://meet.google.com in a web browser

It has features like real-time captions and support for up to 250 participants and 100,000 live stream viewers

Facebook Messenger & What’s app (popular with personal use)

whatsapp videochat

Both are owned by Facebook.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular chats on the planet. It counts over 1 billion active users. It offers you voice calls, video calls, and many other features.

Slack (business and personal use)

Slack is a useful chat or conferencing app where you can create chats with different users, mention users via @ and view all team members files at one place. Slack allows you to make voice and video calls and show your work, you can share your screen just like in Skype.

Viber for Business (popular with personal use)

viber of business chat

Viber for Business completes the Skype for Business alternatives when looking for a collaboration or team chat environment.

Pricing:

Most providers have different type of plans like Pro, Business or Enterprise which are quoted according to your needs. Pricing can also be calculated on per participant per meeting prices or then flat licensing deals. The typical lowest starting price is from $12/month to $15/ a month , however price can vary according to your business needs.

Conclusion:

You can’t run a company without meetings and you cant video chat with friends without a video chat app. Video conferencing services make communicating with your entire team or your group of friends and family easy. Today its possible to video chat or conference with large number of people depending on which platform you are using.

Which video conferencing apps do you use? Let us know in the comments below!

A-Z Guide on Removing Unwanted Ads and Apps from Your Mac

September 1, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Using a Mac has always been associated with advanced security and intactness to viruses, all kinds of malware, and cyber-crime. But times change, and Mac users increasingly face a variety of malicious threats and data theft cases. Nobody is immune to cyber-crime in the 21^st century, with hackers preying on your sensitive data and funds. Thus, it is imperative for every computer user to know more about malware, to learn how to scan their devices for viruses, and to find out how to remove ads on Mac (as they can also contain malicious code). Here we present an A-Z guide for everyone wishing to advance their Mac security. Read on to get the cutting-edge knowledge and skills for securing your devices and data.

Why Is Your Computer Showing Too Many Ads?

We live in the era of pop-up ads that attack mobile phone and desktop users alike. These notifications can take the form of commercials, special offers, alerts, notifications of winning a prize or lottery, etc. Many of them are phishing attacks on your browser organized by third-party ad providers, while some ads are a healthy response of your browser to your search preferences. So, when does getting ads become too much or too annoying?

· You visited too many shopping websites and clicked “Allow” on the bar asking for sending you pop-up notifications.

· You have some unwanted software or adware installed on the browser.

In the first case, you need to go to Settings and block the pop-up notifications from merchants. In the second case, your browser has been hijacked, and you need to take action to restore its healthy functioning.

Blocking Adware in Safari

Once you realize that the ads are getting too annoying, it’s high time to install an ad blocker. It is a program removing most types of ads from your browser and blocking dubious pop-up notices. To choose an ad blocker suiting your goals, consider either standalone software covering all ads on your computer or a customized add-on to your computer browser. Besides, there is a built-in ad blocker function in the Safari browser on Macs. Let’s consider each of the options in more detail.

Safari Ad Blocker

To block all incoming ads in your Safari browser, go to the “Security” settings in the section of “Safari preferences.” There, you should indicate that you want to block pop-ups and fraud warnings. Mac security settings allow getting alerts of visiting fraudulent websites, locking pop-up windows, and specifying the plug-in installation preferences. Another option is to double-check the “Extensions” section where the illicit adware may reside.

Standalone Software

If you’re using a third-party ad blocker program, first install it on your Mac and run it on the computer. By following the app’s instructions, you can customize the ad blocking preferences, indicating which ads you would like to receive, and which should be blocked.

Are Ads only Bothersome or Really Dangerous?

Internet commercials have long been considered the “necessary evil” as they help web resource creators sustain a regular revenue stream from advertisers, thus allowing them to provide valuable content to users for free. You can also enjoy some free resources online by only watching several ads, so is that bad?

Overall, there is nothing criminal about ads as such; the problem may be suspected if you see too many pop-up ads that worsen your browsing experience and distract you from the critical browser use goals. Besides, the red flag of something going wrong is seeing much irrelevant, even obscene advertising content, such as adult toys, dubious websites, etc. In such cases, you should suspect having some malicious adware on your Mac, which requires action.

Ad Blockers: A New Word in Mac Security?

There is no unanimous opinion about whether using an ad blocker to achieve complete blocking of ads is a good decision. On the one hand, you can avoid viewing distractive commercials, which speeds up and improves the browsing experience, at the same time securing you from the accidental installation of viruses and malware hiding in malicious ads. On the other hand, with so much shopping conducted online these days, you deprive yourself of an opportunity to receive customized suggestions based on intelligent analysis of your purchase intentions and preferences.

Besides, seeing no ads on free websites minimizes your support for website creators who earn from ads to deliver content to users for free. A tendency to block ads may soon transform into paid, subscription-based content access. Thus, it’s up to you to decide whether to spend a couple of minutes watching a short ad or paying for online content in other ways.

10 Tips To Get Ready Working From Home Successfully

July 4, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Not many people realised that they would be working from home this year, No thanks to the Bl**dy virus that has turned the world upside down. The covid virus has got hundred and thousands of people sick and has changed our lives in so many ways.

People now have turned to working from home in large numbers due to this calamity. People are self-isolating out of fear and safety. A lot many have learnt to manage their lives remotely through video conferencing and virtual meetings. It is essential for you to have a plan if you are going to work from home. In this post, we are going to look at what you need to start working from home ( more like a checklist)

A few things to sort out before you begin to work from home.

Make sure you have a proper table and chair that follow appropriate safe, ergonomic standards
Get a sit stand up desk if needed
Take regular breaks
Screen size of your laptop/desktop
Lighting in the room
Good NBN OR Internet connectivity

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A proper table and chair set up is very essential if you are going to be working from home. The long hours (5 to 8 hours a day or more) sitting down can be tiresome, and you need to get your posture right, or you can damage your back or neck. Luckily when you are in office, this is all taken care off by the workplace, so it is wise to take extra care with this while working from home. This video here might give you a few tips.

A sit stand up desk

Sitting down in front of a laptop for long hours can result in cramped shoulders or back. Why not invest in a sit stand up desk. This should allow you to do work while sitting and also do work while standing half the time. This method does wonders for many.

Take Regular breaks

Take breaks as if you would do so at your office. If you took a morning break and an afternoon break with a walk around your block while at the office – do the same when you work from home.

Exercise keeps you healthy and more productive. Don’t forget when in office you do take some time to have a chat with fellow colleagues as well, so make sure you break up your continuous work time.

Getting Ready to Work from home

Gadgets, Settings and Adjustments you will need to make.

Work Monitors/ Docking stations

WORK MONITORS: Turn your laptop into a Desktop. Your workplace monitors may be huge or dual monitors, so it enables you to see screens easily for long hours. Make sure you get a laptop which is easy to do work for long hours without strain on your eyes. Eye health is important too.

Get your laptop attached to your home desktop monitor or get your office laptop docking station to your home. Maybe get a laptop glare protector if you need one.

Proper lighting in room

LIGHTS: If there isn’t suitable or sufficient light in the room, it can lead to a strain on your eyes affecting your work, so it is essential to have enough light while working and lights that are not reflecting too much on your work area. Adjust as needed.

Hydrate

HYDRATION: If you don’t have a water bottle on your desk at work, you should get one. Office aircon are known to get the air dry around you, and you need to hydrate, so don’t forget to do the same when you are working from home. Get your regular dose of hydration.

Using your own mobile for work

COMMUNICATION: Enquire with your office how you would make calls to clients. If they provide an office mobile or if you can use your own mobile or home phone and claim deductions or claim expenses back from office.

If you use your own mobile, for Samsung mobile you can block caller id or hide your number for a single call by entering #31# before the number you wish to dial. If you are a iPhone user The quickest way to block your iPhone’s caller ID is to use the *67 trick, which is referred to as “star six seven”

Headset with mic

You might need a good headset or headphones with mic to take part in video conferencing and training from home or then listen to training packages, without disturbing people at home or keeping conversations confidential.

Most laptops have a built-in camera nowadays, but if your doesn’t then just get one from your office or a portable webcam from the tech shop or online.

Record Keeping of Expenses

Keep records of your expenses incurred due to working from home so that you can claim it from your office or then claim deductions if allowed. It is easy not to get all the expenses claimed back, which is due if you don’t keep detailed records and receipts.

Plan your lunch or brekky in advance

It is wise to plan your brekky and lunch in advance even though you are working from home to stop unnecessary interruptions at work, just like you would do so regularly. However, make sure you take your breaks.

Kids at home

Set the rules. If you have kids at home while working, it can be difficult. Have a sit-down conversation with your kids? Make them understand that you need minimal interruptions. Plan a daily routine for them as well, Learning time (online learning time), TV time and outdoor play time. Pre-plan activities for them to do.

Good Internet connection

A good stress-free work time can be achieved with good internet connections and good connectivity. Make sure you test your laptop if set up to work from home first from your office before you bring it to home.

To avoid disconnections and lag while working – your office will need good virtual network set up, and also you will need a good internet connection. A good idea would be for your kids to not watch Netflix, YouTube videos or stream audio via internet during when you work – if this is possible.

Work Start /End Timing

All companies or workplaces have different rules, though you can expect quite a few to be the same when it comes to work start and end times. You need to plan your start and finish times.

If you are working from home, you save the travel time. So, with that bonus, you could possibly start a bit early and finish early. Some offices don’t allow you to accrue flex time, and some do, so if its allowed maybe you can work an extra half hour every day and accumulate some flex with an early start. If its not allowed, then you can still start early and finish early and get more time to your day.

Psychology of working from home

Many people will jump at the idea of working from home, not knowing what it entails or how they will cope. Some will succeed it doing it well, and some will fail miserably and not get much done affecting their productivity.

It is essential to know hat kind of work person you are to succeed, if you can get along just fine without an office formal atmosphere and work in your pyjamas that’s okay. But if you will find it hard to work in a casual home setting, maybe you will still need to dress (formals) and act the part to work from home. It’s all about getting your mind into the right frame of work.

Conclusion:

Just finished counting the points, so in total there was “14 tips to get you started working from home successfully”

There are other things you might need – if you suddenly have had to start working from home like printers, printing paper, envelopes, office mobile, paper shredder, filing box or files, stationery and your help desk and support contact numbers ready.

Enquire with your office if they allow you to take equipment home for working from home- You might be surprised. Good luck and please do comment below if you have any additional tips you can add to my article.

tp link modem router

WAVLINK WiFi Range Extender AC1200 Wireless Router/AP Access Point/WiFi Extenders Signal Booster/Range Extender with Dual Band 5Ghz 2.4Ghz 1200Mbps Works Any Route

This is something you might need to get proper wifi coverage to get your work done at home. You will only need this if your modem/router is not good enough in distributing the wifi signal around your house.

Network extender mode boosts wireless signal to previously unreachable or hard-to-wire areas flawlessly Miniature size and wall-mounted design make it easy to deploy and move flexibly

Features

Eliminates Dead Spots and Extends the Existing Wireless-AC Coverage

1. Using the Wavlink 575A3 Range Extender, you can easily extend the range of your existing wireless router to create a strong Wi-Fi signal for all the devices in and around your home, including smartphones, tablets, ultra-books, and more.
2. Greater coverage allows you to enjoy fast Wi-Fi speeds on your laptop or tablet .
3. It can Creates Wi-Fi speeds that are up to three times faster than wireless-N. With this extra speed, you can stream HD-quality videos and play online games seamlessly without interruptions or lag.

pro plus 36 white desk sit stand up desk

Featured Pro plus 36 Varidesk model

The sit stand up desk is becoming a popular alternative today to improve more healthy computer use and prevent your body from bad posture health risks. It helps reduces incidents at the workplace.

Features:

· Best selling model

· Risk-free for 30 days

· Two-tier design: upper display surface, lower keyboard/mouse deck

· 5 year warranty

· Shipped fully assembled and best-in-class materials used

Prices and more over here

You can get a cheapo PC headset at officeworks for between $10 to $20 that will do the job for video and audio conferencing or then you can purchase a fancy noise cancelling headphones with mic that will do the job and allow you to listen to music at high quality.

This is the COWIN E7 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Bluetooth Headphones with Mic Deep Bass Wireless Headphones Over Ear with inbuilt mic. It has active noise cancelling technology

Link here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth-Comfortable-Cellphone/dp/B07RW8DT4S/

If you got a monitor or need to jack up the height of your laptop then you need this.

KENSINGTON(R) 52785 Monitor Stand, SMARTFIT Standard

Stand positions monitor in line with your eyes to help reduce eye strain.

Price:

$39.00 & FREE Delivery.

Check updated prices here

If this is not your thing, you might want to check laptop stand on Amazon.com.au.

Acer ET322QR 31.5" Curved Flat Panel Monitor

If you are game enough to get a fancy new curved monitor then this is the one you need to pick up from Harvey Norman. It’s the Acer ET322QR 31.5″ Curved Flat Panel Monitor.

This Curved Flat Panel Monitor delivers clear and vibrant images at ideal viewing angles, while also adding a stylish touch to your entertainment setup.

Key Features

The Acer ET322QR 31.5″ Curved Flat Panel Monitor has a 1920 x 1080 resolution (60Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time) for sharp and detailed visuals.
Made with an 1800R curvature, the ET322QR monitor’s screen has a wrapping effect at optimal viewing distances to provide an immersive viewing experience.
Integrating Acer Flicker-less, BlueLight Shield, and Low dimming technologies, the monitor’s visual output is easy on the viewer’s eyes.
This Acer curved monitor has one VGA port and two HDMI ports to suit a variety of input sources.
For added convenience, this curved flat panel monitor supports a 100 x 100mm VESA wall mount.

Price Range: From $300 to $450

https://www.harveynorman.com.au/acer-et322qr-31-5-curved-flat-panel-monitor.html

If you want something more cheap and traditional looking, this is what you need below from Jb hi fi

$HP 3WL44AA 21.5\" FHD IPS Monitor$

Price: $169 to $200

HP 3WL44AA 21.5″ FHD IPS Monitor

Key Features

21.5″ IPS LED Display

FHD (1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz)

1 HDMI 1.4 (with HDCP support); 1 VGA

Contrast ratio: 1000:1 static

14ms grey to grey response time

Anti-glare

On screen controls

Tilt: -5 to +20°

178° horizontal and vertical viewing angles

If you are going to work from a laptop then a docking station might come handy. A docking station allows you to connect to devices that you could not use in the past. Devices like flat-panel monitors and digital cameras are not always compatible with laptops. It provides a single connection point that allows a laptop to use a connected monitor, printer, keyboard, and mouse.

This allows a laptop to function like a desktop computer.

UPTab USB-C Docking Station with Ethernet, DisplayPort 4K, HDMI 4K, VGA, 3 Port USB 3.0, USB C PD and SD/TF Card Reader

Pic above is from https://au.uptab.com/uptab-usb-c-docking-station/

UPTab

USB-C Docking Station

$192.62 $129.41

Some more docking station gadgets

StarTech Thunderbolt 3 Dual-4K Docking Station. …
Targus USB 3.0 Dual Video Docking Station with Power. …
AmazonBasics USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station. …
Kensington USB 3.0 Docking Station. …
Toshiba Dynadock V3. …
Microsoft Surface Dock. …
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Find out which employees can request flexible working arrangements, how to work..

Is Online Learning Part of a New Educational Evolution

June 30, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Inked feathers, pens, typewriters, computers, and now online learning. Each had its own place in the evolution of modern education. The COVID global lockdown spurred a new appreciation for studying at home rather than slogging down to a college or university. With that in mind, the question is, is online learning now a component of educational evolution.

I Had to Go to a Library

Here is a line from the great comedian Ron White, “Back when I was in school, if we wanted to know something, we had to go to a library, which was a building. We would walk down there seeking knowledge, and sometimes, they would tell us that the knowledge we seek isn’t there, and to come back next week.”

Most millennials have a vague recollection of those days of visiting a library and hoping the book you need is there. When you look back, it is frightening to think that we had to go through all of that just to learn whatever our teachers had set out. Yet, education evolved, and online learning is no doubt a component in the next step of education evolution.

I Filled My Head with Garbage

While quoting popular culture, here is a snippet from the Simpsons. A new teacher asks a question, Martin Prince answers, and the teacher says, “Why have you learned that fact off by heart when anybody with a smartphone can look it up in seconds, To which Martin replies dramatically, “I’ve crammed my head full of garbage.”

We are leaving the era where you have to memorise a bunch of facts and figures in order to pass a test. In fact, the few places where such learning is still relevant is chemistry and physics. Other than those two, we are seeing exams rely less and less on the regurgitation of facts and figures from memory. This ties in very well with online learning because it is almost devoid of such memorising. You may need to memorise concepts and/or scenarios, but the verbatim recital of facts and figures are not as heavily relied upon, which is in line with the current evolution of the education system.

More Sit-at-a-Computer Vocations

Perhaps online learning courses are becoming more popular because they are also becoming more relevant. For example, twenty years ago there were far fewer jobs that could be done at a computer, and even fewer that could be (or learned) from home. For example, you cannot learn how to change a tyre from home, but you can learn logistics, programming, digital marketing, graphic design, bookkeeping, video editing, audio editing, and so forth from home.

You can then go out and get a job working in an office using those skills, or perhaps get remote work using those skills. The COVID lockdown has perhaps proven that many in-classroom courses need not take place in a classroom, which spurs on the changes that make digital learning a larger part of the mainstream education system.

Will the Human Factor Change?

There are some people who learn better when they are told by a teacher rather than reading it from a screen. A teacher can adapt and change the lesson based on the comprehension of the group, and in-classroom learning creates a sense of urgency, whereas many online courses can be failed through simple procrastination or lack of the sort of motivation that a teacher gives.

Conclusion – Digital Learning Should be a Facet of Modern Education

One could argue that online digital learning (from home) just doesn’t work for some people, but the same can be said for classroom learning and on-the-job learning. Nobody is saying that digital learning should become the one and only method of learning. It should simply factor into what makes up the modern education system.

Perhaps modern learning should be more adaptive. There are some students who will never learn chemistry through reading alone, who will need practical lessons, teachers, and so forth. There are some people who will never learn engineering correctly without on-the-job learning, self-teaching, and so forth. With any hope, modern education will one day lean towards teaching students the way they learn the best, be that in classrooms, digitally, on the job, or some mixture that works for the student in hand.