Kaspersky Finds that 32% of UAE Employees Enjoy Working Outdoors People working from home during the pandemic have discovered some novelties that they would now like to keep, according to new global research commissioned by Kaspersky, which studied the behaviors of 8,000 SMB workers. Novelties favored by employees in the United Arab Emirates include weekday lie-ins (35%), binge-watching Netflix (33%) and working outside in the garden or on a balcony (32%). As our working environment during the global pandemic shifted from secure offices to kitchen tables, we met many difficulties balancing work and private lives. According to the World Economic Forum, employees working remotely this year faced mental health and wellbeing challenges, such as childcare pressures and digital connectivity. Nevertheless, some office staff who switched to working remotely savored this experience and discovered some habits they now want to retain. The majority of respondents benefitted from simply working in comfortable clothes: 48% got used to this lifestyle and would like to make it the norm in the future. Saying goodbye to long commutes also made employees happier as they could wake up shortly before work started, while many also enjoyed taking a nap during the day (32%). Continuing to discover the perks of the new normal, 32% of people enjoy working outside in the garden or on a balcony, and 33% even manage to binge-watch Netflix at work. Other treats favoured by employees include more time for video games(21%) and takeaway lunches (29%). Marina Titova, Head of Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky, said: “This lockdown turned out to be a two-way street for people whose job allows them to work from home. On the one hand, employees finally got a chance to forget about the downsides of big-city life and start working in a more comfortable atmosphere. On the other hand, they faced many challenges when struggling to remain productive, reorganizing their workspace and developing new habits. When you work from home your privacy is put at greater risk, making it vital that you remember to take care of your digital security.”
BenQ’s Latest Blended Education Solutions Ensure Quality and Healthy Learning BenQ has recently announced its K-12 Blended Education Solution that helps teachers, in-class students, and remote students to share the continuity of the education environment without worrying about loss of progression. The solution integrates three of BenQ’s advanced offerings – ClassroomCare Interactive Flat Panel, Smart Projector, and Eye-Care Monitor. With COVID-19 having impacted education systems dramatically, returning to school safely, prioritizing local health conditions, and building a capacity for hybrid learning approaches are now essential school reopening measures. Whilst some education institutes started to implement blended learning methods to reduce the number of face-to-face students, there seemed to be a growing inefficiency amongst teachers to track students’ learning progress and maintain teaching equality when children are learning from home. “Teachers have undergone rapid transformation and learning in the past few months. Even though the demand for digitalization has amplified, teachers have been facing challenges in ensuring that remote students receive a quality education and are able to interact with in-class classmates, and also in taking care of online and in-class students simultaneously,” said Manish Bakshi, of BenQ Middle East. “BenQ’s latest solution for blended learning combines our flagship three offerings, Interactive Flat Panel, Smart Projector, Eye-Care Monitor along with video conferencing, and cloud collaboration tools. These products
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have been designed keeping in mind the health, collaborations, and education equality to facilitate teachers and remote students. They help to make learning more interactive in real-time, enhancing the quality of remote learning considerably,” he added. The Blended Education solution comprises of BenQ’s future-proofed display combinations adaptable to different types of classrooms, which include: •
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Dual screen classrooms: With a webcam connected, the classroom places BenQ’s ClassroomCare Interactive Flat Panel as the main display for teaching, and a Smart Projector as the second display for online teacher and students’ interactions with remote classmates. Educators are able to share and collaborate materials with the in-class interactive whiteboard solution “EZWrite Live” and web-based whiteboarding app through video conferencing. Small-sized classrooms: Select the world’s first Smart Projector for Classroom and connect with a webcam. It has built-in internet connectivity and a web browser, enabling videoconferencing and wireless sharing of teaching materials from their mobile devices, tablets, or notebooks. Eye-Care Monitors for Remote Students: For remote students learning from home, the Eye-Care Monitor with auto light detection and height-adjustable stand ensures students learn in a healthy viewing experience.
