TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 123, December 2013 | Page 34

ADVERTORIAL Parrot Flower Power Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Power Edition Parrot Flower Power takes having a green thumb to the next level. The product, which entails planting a small sensor close to the flora, then enables users to monitor plants’ health according to factors including soil moisture, fertilizer, ambient temperature and light intensity all from their iOS device. The Power Edition of the well-known Parrot AR Drone 2.0 includes two 1 500 mAh lithium polymer batteries for 36 minutes of flying time and four sets of various coloured propellers. The drone, which is wirelessly controlled via tablet or smartphone, sports a HD 720p camera and all footage can be recorded for later playback. R800 from www.thegadgetshop.co.za. R4 900 from www.thegadgetshop.co.za. iOn Block Rocker Bluetooth Block Rocker Bluetooth enables users to quite literally take their party with them – the portable speaker connects wirelessly to any Bluetooth capable mobile device, such as tablets and smartphones, and pumps out music for up to 50 hours. It also sports an integrated AM/FM radio and a power cord is also included. R3 700 from www.thegadgetshop.co.za. Learnfast: SMBs need enhanced skills Electronics FG LED Breadboard Projects for Kids Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) continue to be haunted by the costs related to not only the recruitment, but also the retention of reliable and effective staff. In many cases, companies need to tap the best from the employees, hence the multiple ‘caps’ expected to be worn by team members. It is required of staff to give more of themselves and have knowledge outside of their immediate areas of expertise. During this Festive period, what can be seen as the gift for kids that keeps on giving? Yet another toy definitely not, for kids with an interest in electronics it is definitely the LED Breadboard Projects for Kids for R347. Therefore companies need to take responsibility for people development as if their livelihoods depended on it. This means not only focusing on tangible computer skills, but also the development of the emotional quotient of team members. After-all, it is one thing for someone to know what they are supposed to do by when, but how do they cope when they are faced with too many tasks all to be done now? Short-course impact training is a key solution for SMBs, since investing in employees will make them feel valued, enhance core business skills, and aid in the retention of key staff members. For more information on the short-courses on offer at Learnfast, visit www.learnfast.co.za or contact 011-262-2054. This new kit assumes that the constructor has little or no knowledge of electronics. This start-from-scratch approach teaches kids the basics, while the use of a breadboard for construction means that no soldering or special tools are necessary. This kit comprises of a set of ten different fun projects that are aimed at children (seven years upwards) and is an ideal way of introducing them to the exciting world of electronics. Everything is included, the breadboard, all components, detailed instructions and an alkaline 9V battery. Projects include: • • • • • Knight Rider Police Lights Roulette Wheel Traffic Lights LED Dice (touch sensitive) For more of these types of projects, call ElectronicsFG (www.electronicsfg.co.za) on 012-3488-492, or visit them at the Atterbury Boulevard Shopping Centre. 32 December 2013 | TechSmart