How I Work – 151 – Khan Academy

Whatever our age, our learning never stops. New thoughts, ideas and aspirations keep us on our toes and on the threshold of new vistas. In fact, our learning is limited only by our imagination! This is where KhanAcademy.org steps in.

KhanAcademy believes that You Can Learn Anything. Our brain is like a muscle, the more you use it and struggle, the more it grows. Starting from basic learning skills as a 3-year-old, to the most complex of learnings, KhanAcademy guides you all the way. Maths, Science, Economics, Arts, Humanities, Computing – you choose and KhanAcademy will help you learn. The learning is audio-visual in many cases which helps absorption and retention over a period of time. Test Preparations for competitive exams like IIT-JEE and learnings from the world of music and art are also available. There is an ocean of learning out there and you will need lots of time and patience to explore.

Recently they have come up with an Android App which replicates much of the original website which is used by over 30 million students – young and old – worldwide. Remember, as long as you are alive, you are always learning!

How I Work – 150 – Speedtest.net

Speedtest.net (by Ookla) is one of the best, free, speed testing solutions for your computer and mobile phone. Very often, we are promised very high speeds by our service provider, when in actual fact, the speeds are not so great. A lay person, therefore, finds it very difficult to justify his claims of low speed.
Speedtest.net is a website which you can visit and test your Internet speed, for free. Just proceed to the website, and click on Begin Test. The site will quickly test your Internet Connection speed and give you the results online. It will identify the nearest server and then check all the parameters which need to be checked. You can share the results with your Internet Service Provider to update them on the actual speed you are getting. Please run the test multiple times, at different times of the day, to come to a reasonably accurate conclusion.
Speedtest.net also has an app which you can download on your Android Mobile phone to check the speed of the Mobile Data or your Wi-Fi, depending on how you are connected.
Now you know how to check your speed, without depending on any techie !

How I Work – 149 – Beep’nGo

Beep’nGo is an interesting app, which captures all your loyalty, membership and gift cards into your phone. You do not need to carry all your cards with you, whenever you go and shop. You can also store and carry digital versions of all your coupons, boarding passes, movie tickets, event passes and more in one convenient and secure location. No more carrying of plastic cards or paper !

What you need to do is just scan / photograph your card with the Bar-Code or 3D code on it. With select Samsung Galaxy range of phones, you can then beam the bar-code for scanning at any of the stores. Simply show the bar-code or the QR Code on your device screen to the red-laser scanner.

Besides, you can get latest offers / coupons when you visit an affiliated store of your choice and the app remembers which card to flash when you are actually in the store !

A very good tool to reduce the weight in your pocket ! Just Beep n Go !!

How I Work – 148 – HealthVault.com

HealthVault.com from Microsoft helps one to gather, store, use and share health information for you and your family. The idea is to store all health records in one place, securely. You can retrieve the records on demand from your computer, laptop, tablet or phone, instantly. No searching and looking for data all over, especially the reports and details of past illnesses.
HealthVault also helps one to be better prepared for Doctor visits and emergencies. All your important data is at the tip of your fingertips and can be accessed during emergencies with just a tap on your phone.
Besides, HealthVault also helps you achieve your fitness goals with a weight management dashboard that tracks your weight, activity, diet and fitness parameters.
So, wherever you are in the world, HealthVault allows you to keep track of your Health Data instantaneously.

How I Work – 147 – XE Currency

XE Currency is one of the most popular Currency conversion tools available online. With over 5 million downloads, and access to more than 30,000 Currency Charts, it is probably most used.

It converts every world currency with rates and charts. Most of the conversions can also be stored offline, so that the conversions work even without an Internet Connection. Live rates of precious metals are also thrown in for added utility.

You can customize your experience by storing your favorites on top and also get a widget for your most often used currency on your Home Screen. A cool feature is that if you want to reset the most recent conversions, you just shake your phone and presto ! There you are !!

If you are in the Travel Industry or even if you are a casual or heavy traveler, this is a must have tool to carry. Don’t leave home without it !

How I Work – 146 – Call Writer

Call writer is a simple but elegant app which helps you take notes during an incoming or outgoing call.

Simply download the app and install it. Once installed, whenever you receive a call, a floating icon will come up on your screen. Just put your phone on Speaker mode, tap the icon and you can start taking notes, right on your phone ! The notes can be taken in your Notepad or Paint or both.

What’s more, the note will be automatically be saved when the call ends. Once the note is saved, you can edit the note and then, you can even share it with your family / friends using Whatsapp, Gmail, Hangouts, etc.

A very cool app, immensely useful when you are on the go !

How I Work – 145 – Medindia.net

Medindia.net is one of the most comprehensive health websites, not only for Indians, but for health information seekers from over 230 countries. Medindia’s content covers a broad spectrum of health topics  – health articles, news, in-depth special reports, interactive health calculators, polls, quizzes, animations, slides and videos. Other topics cover areas such as lifestyle and wellness, diet and nutrition, as well as Yoga and Alternative Medicine. In addition, they have a plethora of home remedies for every conceivable ailment.Medindia also has one of the most comprehensive databases of information on Indian drugs and pricing including data on both brand names and generic equivalents. It also has one of the largest collections of healthcare directories containing names, addresses and other details of doctors, hospitals, chemists, medical colleges, pharmaceutical companies, ambulance services, blood banks, eye banks and NGOs. All information is presented in a user friendly and easily searchable format. Interesting information, presented in a lucid style on multiple platforms. A great resource for quick reference.

How I Work – 144 – Google Keep

Google Keep is one of the best tools to keep yourself uptodate. Take notes of whatever you need, wherever you need and recall any time, any where !

Notes could be text, pictures or lists with check boxes. They may be for personal or official use. You could type them from your phone, or computer. You can also take pics or take voice memos from your phone and store them as notes. The notes can be color coded in eight different colors for easy visual access. You can also share your notes with whomsoever you desire.

And, of course, you can set reminders. The reminders could be based on date and time and also on where you are !! Imagine going to the market and up pops a reminder about the numerous things you need to buy. Or visiting a particular client and you have a list of pending issues coming up on your phone !

Keep is a wonderful tool which you can use from your phone, computer, laptop or tablet. Available on Android, iPhone and Computers. Start using Keep and you will Keep using it forever !

How I Work – 143 – NorthSouth.org

North South North South Foundation (NSF) is a volunteer driven non-profit organization established in 1989. Their main goal is to provide disadvantaged children living in India, having high academic talent, with college scholarships. Scholarships are provided to undergraduate students entering into engineering, medicine or 3-year polytechnic (diploma in engineering) based on merit and financial need. They have distributed more than 12,000 scholarships to students who need financial support to pursue their quest for knowledge in their chosen fields.
NSF raises funds by holding educational competitions made up of participants of Indian background in the United States. Popular competitions like Spelling Bee, Math Bee, Science Bee, etc., are held on a regular basis. All profits from the contests go to the scholarship program.
If you are eligible or if you know someone who is eligible, head to http://www.NorthSouth.org and change a life !

 

How I Work – 142 – Fare IT

With all the conversion to digital, Taxi and Auto Meters are also now electronic. But this does not prevent our innovative Mumbai Taxi and Auto Drivers from manipulating their meters.

Fare IT is a unique app developed by a couple of IIT techies. Start the app and click on Start Journey when you commence and click on End Journey when you reach your destination. The distance and waiting charges are all computed and you will get your correct fare. Most of the time the fare is accurate unless you have GPS interruptions. The fares are computed for Autos, Taxis and Cool Cabs. There is also an option to find the shortest route.

If you feel cheated, the nearest RTO telephone nos. are also available in the app. Just call the RTO helpline and log your complaint on the spot ! The app consumes minimal battery and can run in the background for the duration of the trip, so you can make and receive calls and messages while the “meter” is on !

Bad news for dishonest drivers and music to the ears for the honest customer !