Applikasi Scan & Shop memudahkan proses pembelian di Tesco.

Para pengguna yang baisa membeli belah barangan keperluan daripada Pasaraya Tesco kini boleh menjimatkan masa dengan menggunakan aplikasi Scan & Shop yang didatangkan untuk kedua-dua peranti utama telefon bimbit iaitu IOS dan Android.

Penggunaan aplikasi ini bukan sahaja menjimatkan masa para pengguna semasa membuat bayaran, malah para pengguna sendiri dapat memantau jumlah perbelanjaan di sepanjang masa membuat proses pembelian. Harga barangan juga dapat diketahui dengan lebih cepat - berbanding dahulunya di mana pera pengguna perlu mengimbas barangan di stesyen-stesyen pengimbas harga yang ada kalanya tidak berfungsi dengan baik.

Bagaimana menggunakan Aplikasi Scan & Shop?

Terlebih dahulu, para pengguna perlulah memuat turun aplikasi tersebut samada bagi peranti yang menggunakan sistem operasi iOS ataupun Android. Pastikan aplikasi ini telahpun dimuat turun dengan sempurna.

Bagi mengelakkan sebarang kesulitan. Pastikan anda terlebih dahulu membuat imbasan lokasi melalui aplikasi MySejahtera dan membuat imbasan suhu badan sebelum memasuki premis. Sekiranya anda telah selesai membuat persiapan memasuki premis barulah kita membuat persiapan untuk membeli barangan pula.

Pengaktifan Aplikasi Scan & Shop

Aplikasi ini perlulah diaktifkan semasa memasuki premis. Terlebih dahulu anda perlulah mengimbas kad keahlian Tesco - sekiranya anda memiliki kad keahlian ini. Namun sekiranya tidak anda boleh terus ke langkah seterusnya iaitu - membuat pembelian tanpa kad keahlian.

Langkah seterusnya anda perlu mengimbas QR kod bagi cawangan Tesco yang anda lawati - QR code ini berada di pintu masuk. Jadi sebab itulah anda perlu bersedia semasa berada di punti masuk bagi memastikan segala proses berjalan dengan lancar dan mudah. Setiap cawangan Tesco mempunyai QR kod yang tersendiri. Tanpa mengimbas kod cawangan ini, anda tidak dapat menggunakan aplikasi ini untuk membuat pembelian.

Semasa Membuat Pembelian

Semasa membuat pembelian, apa yang anda perlu lakukan adalah mengimbas barcode setiap barangan yang anda beli sebelum memasukkannya ke dalam troli. Sekiranya anda lakukan proses ini dengan betul, barangan yang berada di dalam troli ini tidak perlu dirombak semula dan sedia dibayar sepertimana jumlah yang dipaparkan pada aplikasi.

Anda boleh menyemak dan membuat rombakan sekiranya ingin membuat perubahan kepada pembelian. Segalanya boleh dibuat sebelum anda melewati kaunter pembayaran - yang mungkin akan membuatkan keadaan sedikit huru-hara. Jadi pastikan anda menyemak pembelian anda apabila tamat membuat pembelian.

Proses Pembayaran 

Proses pembayaran jauh lebih pantas, walaupun anda membuat pembelian yang banyak. Apa yang anda perlu lakukan adalah memilih pilihan “Tamat Membeli” (Finish Shopping), yang seterusnya memberikan anda barcode pembayaran. Anda hanya perlu menunjukkan barcode pembayaran ini kepada juruwang untuk membuat pembayaran. Bagi yang menggunakan kaunter Layan Diri pula, anda hanya perlu mengimbas barcode ini sebelum membuat bayaran seperti biasa.

Aplikasi Scan & Shop daripada Tesco ini ternyata dapat menjimatkan masa para pembeli terutamanya untuk proses pembayaran. Selain memanfaatkan penggunaan telefon bimbit yang telahpun menjadi peralatan kegunaan harian, ia menggalakkan lagi masyarakat untuk menggunakan teknologi terkini dalam kehidupan harian.

Adalah diharap, penggunaan aplikasi seperti ini dapat dipertingkatkan dalam menjimatkan masa proses pembelian barangan yang kebiasaannya tertumpu kepada proses pembayaran. Kebiasaannya para pelanggan perlu berbaris panjang, selain jumlah kaunter bayaran yang perlu dibuka pada waktu-waktu puncak juga adalah jauh lebih banyak. Pembangunan aplikasi seperti ini perlu dicontohi oleh pasaraya-pasaraya yang lain juga.

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Cara Mendapatkan Password Atau Berkongsi Kata Laluan Untuk WiFi Melalui Pengesan QR

Terdapat banyak cara untuk anda mendapatkan sambungan internet melalui talian WiFi. Cara yang paling biasa ialah dengan memasukkan kata laluan. Cara lain pula ialah dengan menggunakan fungsi butang WPS pada router di mana anda hanya perlu hidupkan fungsi WPS pada komputer atau telefon pintar anda, dan kemudian tekan butang WPS pada router untuk mendapatkan sambungan WiFi secara terus.

Bagaimana pula jika anda telah pun mempunyai sambungan WiFi tetapi anda tidak tahu kata laluan WiFi tersebut untuk dikongsi dengan rakan atau keluarga anda? 

Kini terdapat fungsi terbaru di mana anda boleh mendapatkan sambungan WiFi dari router dengan hanya mengesan kod QR pada peranti anda. Fungsi ini hanya boleh didapati pada telefon pintar Android 10 ke atas. Jika anda ingin berkongsi kata laluan WiFi dengan rakan-rakan atau keluarga anda, cara mengesan kod QR adalah cara yang terbaik.

Perlu diingatkan bahawa untuk mengesan kod QR ini, telefon anda dan rakan atau keluarga anda perlu menggunakan telefon Android 10 ke atas. Jika anda ingin berkongsi kata laluan WiFi kepada rakan atau keluarga anda, sambungan WiFi mestilah telah disambungkan kepada telefon anda terlebih dahulu. Selepas itu barulah anda boleh menggunakan cara ini.

CARA-CARA

1. Pergi kepada Settings / Tetapan dan pilih WiFi.

*Pilihan Settings / Tetapan adalah bergantung kepada jenama telefon Android. Tetapi kebanyakannya adalah sama.

2. Tekan pada talian WiFi yang anda ingin kongsi bersama rakan atau keluarga anda. Imej kod QR akan dipaparkan selepas itu.

3. Selepas itu rakan atau keluarga anda boleh menggunakan mana-mana aplikasi pengesan kod QR dan mula mengesan kod QR tadi.

Anda juga boleh menyimpan imej kod QR tadi dan menghantar terus kepada rakan atau keluarga anda. Mereka boleh menggunakan aplikasi pengesan kod QR yang mampu mengesan kod melalui imej. Dengan cara ini, anda masih boleh berkongsi walaupun rakan atau keluarga anda tidak berada di tempat yang sama.

Sesetengah aplikasi pengesan kod QR mampu memberikan maklumat terperinci mengenai talian WiFi tersebut termasuk nama dan kata laluan. Jadi, anda boleh mendapatkan kata laluan atau menghantar terus imej kod QR kepada rakan atau keluarga anda.

 

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Adakah memiliki lebih Ingatan RAM memberikan kelebihan kepada telefon pintar?

Adakah memiliki lebih Ingatan Capaian Rawak (RAM) memberikan lebih kelebihan pada telefon pintar? Ini adalah persoalan biasa muncul di fikiran semua terutamanya mereka yang ingin membeli telefon pintar baru.

Sebelum itu, apa itu RAM? RAM adalah singkatan kepada "Random Access Memory" atau di dalam bahasa Melayu bermaksud 'Ingatan Capaian Rawak'. RAM berfungsi sebagai tempat simpanan data sementara. Boleh dikatakan hampir kesemua peralatan elektronik menggunakan RAM kerana data daripada RAM dapat dibaca dengan cepat dan pantas. Fungsi RAM pada telefon pintar ketika boleh dikatakan hampir sama dengan fungsi RAM pada komputer.

Kemunculan model-model telefon pintar terbaru kini mempunyai RAM yang tinggi jika dibandingkan dengan model-model yang terdahulu. Malah, telefon pintar klon juga kini mempunyai RAM yang tinggi. Ini menunjukkan yang kapasiti RAM adalah amat penting untuk dunia telefon pintar sekarang.

Pada beberapa tahun lepas, 1GB RAM dikira sebagai cukup untuk menampung aplikasi-aplikasi ketika itu. Kemudian ia dinaikkan kepada 2GB dan seterusnya. Buat masa kini, mempunyai 2GB RAM adalah sekadar cukup-cukup makan. Walau bagaimanapun, ianya dikira masih tidak mencukupi kerana terdapat banyak aplikasi-aplikasi terbaru yang memerlukan RAM yang lebih.

Buat masa ini, mempunyai RAM sebesar 3GB adalah cukup untuk penggunaan aplikasi biasa seperti media sosial, mesej dan permainan yang bersaiz kecil. Tetapi RAM bersaiz 4GB adalah piawai terbaru untuk ketika ini di mana ianya dikira saiz yang sesuai untuk kegunaan umum.

Dari segi permainan mobil, RAM memainkan peranan penting kerana permainan mobil kini semakin banyak yang mempunyai saiz yang besar dan memerlukan kapasiti RAM yang tinggi. Malah, permainan kecil yang berkonsepkan teka-teki juga kini memerlukan RAM yang tinggi.

Tetapi prestasi permainan mobil masih lagi sangat bergantung kepada kekuatan cip pemproses grafik. Mempunyai RAM yang tinggi tetapi mempunyai cip grafik yang bertaraf rendah tidak semestinya mampu memberikan prestasi terbaik kepada sesetengah permainan mobil. 

Tugas utama RAM adalah untuk mempercepatkan proses aplikasi berfungsi. Lebih laju kelajuan, lebih cepat aplikasi dapat berfungsi. Tetapi kini ia dilihat lebih kepada berapa banyak aplikasi yang dapat dibuka dan berfungsi dalam satu masa.

Ini adalah benar kerana, data maklumat aplikasi yang dibuka disimpan di dalam RAM untuk kegunaan seterusnya tanpa perlu mengambil data maklumat dari storan. Ini membolehkan data dapat dibaca dengan pantas jika dibandingkan dengan data yang baru diambil dari storan. Proses ini hanya berlaku selagi aplikasi tidak ditutup sepenuhnya.

Kebanyakkan aplikasi popular ketika ini terutamanya aplikasi media sosial dan mesej masih lagi berjalan walaupun aplikasi ini telah ditutup. Salah satu sebab mengapa telefon mengambil banyak memori daripada RAM.

Kesimpulannya, mempunyai RAM yang mencukupi adalah amat penting dan kapasiti RAM yang tinggi mampu memberikan prestasi terbaik kepada telefon pintar.

 

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At last, the new launch date for long awaited James Webb Telescope.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be the largest space telescope. Photo: sciencemag.org

The new launch date was announced by NASA after the latest delayed of the James Webb Space Telescope that caused by the covid-19 pandemic. The last suspended was in March 2020 for the integration and testing. NASA, however, announced the new launch date will be on October 31, 2021 from French Guiana.

James Webb Space Telescope development started as early as 1996 with the original launch date planned for 2007. There were many delays before, in the development of this telescope for good that increased its original budget from USD500 millions, to USD 8.8 billions.

Preparing JWST for test is not an easy task. Photo: wired.com

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) works differently from the Hubble Space Telescope, in term of how it conducts its observation in the near ultraviolet, visible and near infrared. These capabilities will allow JWST to see more objects than its predecessor (Hubble Space Telescope) capable of. This is also one of the reasons, why there are many delays in the preparation of JWST during the development of this project.

The design of the Telescope also so unique to allow it to be fitted in the small Ariane 5 rocket for launch. As the result, the 6.5 meter diameter gold-coated reflector need to be folded in 18 separated panels. Other than that, it also equipped with a special sunshield made of silicon-coated and aluminium-coated Kapton to keep its instruments below 50 K (−220 °C; −370 °F).

The comparison in size between Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. Photo: scitechdaily.com

More details about this amazing telescope can be found here from few sources such as Wikipedia and NASA itself. We all can't wait to see this future telescope in action.

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Yackchal, an ancient refrigerator back in thousand years ago.

Some yackchal is bigger than the other, such as this one in Meybod, Iran. Photo: fieldstudyoftheworld.com

Refrigerator use a high amount of electrical energy in order to produce ice. Since the invention of modern refrigerator early 1800's, we never thought that people living in the past were able to have a similar invention in order to keep their food fresh longer.

It's depend on the climate of the area, people learn to preserve their foods in different ways. In the tropic regions, for example, foods are preserved by drying it with salt, or keep it in an acidic solution (turn it into a pickle).

Anyway, long time ago in, middle eastern region such as Persia, they have unique building that called Yackchal, (Persian: یخچال‎ "ice pit"; yakh meaning "ice" and chāl meaning "pit") that works same as refrigerator today. The wonderful thing about this building is, it's using the power of climate and water to trap the cold temperature and store it during the hot summer day.

Yackchal near Kerman, Iran. Photo: wikipedia

 

The interior of yackchal. Photo: thevintagenews.com

Even though there are different building that called ice house that used in some countries (Europe or ancient China). Yakhchāl, was built in the areas where the temperature can get really high that require active heat transfer to take place. Compared to modern invention that using a compressor and fan, yakhchāl manipulate the natural energy to produce similar effects.

The construction of yakhchāl was started as soon as 400 BCE. During that time, Persian engineers already able to build this unique building that able to trap the cold temperature during the winter season and retain it until the summer season. It's  not only the shape of the yakhchāl is important, but also the materials used in its construction help it to isolate the heat from get into it.

The wall of yakhchāl is built with unique water-resistant mortar called sarooj, composed of sand, clay, egg whites, lime, goat hair, and ash, that is resistant to heat and at the same time water-impenetrable. While the thickness of the wall will reach up to two meters thick at the base.

Faloodeh, traditional Iranian dessert. Photo: thevintagenews.com

 

The most common feature of yakhchāls, is they have access to qanat  (Iranian aqueduct), while sometimes they equipped with a system of bâdgirs (ancient design of windcatchers or wind towers). This additional design help further cool down the temperature to frigid levels during the summer days. So, there are some varieties in its architecture.

The usage of yakhchāls, will allow the ice created in it during the winter to be used throughout the summer. This will help people to keep their foods in it, but also prepare special dessert such as faloodeh, the traditional Persian ice cream.

By mimicking this special architecture, there are many applications can be used in today's world, especially in building more energy efficiency building. Most of our modern inventions relying too much on the usage of electrical energy - that also require to be generated by other sources (such as coals, hydroelectric, solar, wind, thermal and etc.). Imagine if yakhchāl's principal is used instead. How wonderful the future can be?

Beaver dam, why it is an essential for the thriving areas?

Beaver will keep on working on its dam mostly during the night. Photo: Twitter

Beaver is a nice cute creature with different functions in nature. While building its home, beaver's also creating a suitable environment for other creatures to flourish to form a complete ecosystem. Instead important to all of the animals, beaver dam also important for the environment, especially in drought control and also for the underground water supply.

Once, there are more than 60 millions of beaver in North American alone. Anyway, hunting for fur and the beaver glands make the number decreased to 6 to 12 million by 1988. There are long way to go to restore the number of beaver back to its original. While we can see the impact of drought, flooding, erosion,  and underground water shortage become more serious. This also decreasing the number's of plants and animals that thriving together with beaver dam.

There are 2 main types of beaver in the world.

The skulls of North American beaver and Eurasian beaver. Photo: wikipedia.

North American beaver (Castor canadensis) - this species can be found on the American continent. Where most of the beaver today are found in the North, mostly in Canada. That's where the largest beaver dam can be found today.  

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) - compared to their American cousin's, Eurasian beaver was hunted nearly to extinction in Europe. The beaver was totally extinct in Great Britain in the sixteenth century. It was said that the total number of Eurasia beaver was 100 million had fallen to 1000. With beaver protection in over 24 European countries the number of Eurasian beaver now estimated to reach to 639,000 in mainland Europe.

Beaver lodges

The diagram of beaver lodge and their areas. Photo: wikipedia.

Other than creating the dam, beaver will also build their homes that called lodges. This dome-like home was constructed using branches and mud. The lodges often will located in the middle of the ponds and the entrances will be underwater. This lodge can be home to several extended families of monogamous parents. Sometimes there can be more than one lodges in the same beaver dam.

In the lodge there are separate areas for the beaver to drying themselves when coming out of the water and the drying area where the family lives. The dens also provided with ventilation to allow the air flows properly. Usually there will be another alternative entrance into the dens.

Foods

Beaver only eating the tree barks, leaves, small branches, twigs, roots and aquatic plants. So, it will leave other animals live in their pond. The thriving creatures from aquatic plants and animals will increase in number as long as the dam is maintained by the beaver's family. Increasing numbers of fishes and other animals will also attract migrating birds and other animals for foods and water. The beaver dam will allow beavers to reach its food source without exposing it to predators such as coyote, wild cat, bear or any other enemies.

Beaver never goes to hibernate during the winter season. It will keep enough food supplies in its' dent, for the rest of the family. Beavers eat leaves, roots and bark from aspens, willows, maples and poplar trees. They also eat aquatic plants.

Even though the beaver dam will increase the water level. The changes made by the beaver will never reach to the scales that produce by human (by creating a dam). In other words, it's not damaging, but instead, it's enrich the environment.

Important of beaver to Ecosystem

The different on the surrounding areas of beaver dam. Photo: eurekalert.org

Beaver dam helps other animal to flourish and create its own ecosystem. Besides, its water catchment area keeps the area rich with life. It will also protect the area from becoming too dry during drought season - as this problem has become more serious lately, include the shortage amount of underground water.

Beaver dam slows down the flow of water that can cause an erosion. The sediment rich pond will promote growth of water plants that also become the sanctuary of small creatures, allowing bigger animals also thrive in the same area. This water catchment will avoid the nutrient in the soils from directly wash into the sea and clogged the river delta that can also cause flooding.

In the long term, the beaver dam will enrich the nearby areas as you can see it in the photos. With the increasing of vegetation, it's not only avoid further erosion, but also increase the numbers of floras and faunas in the areas. With continuous water supply provided by the beaver dam, it further prevents the desertification of the areas.  

Biggest beaver dam

One of the beaver dam area. Photo: argentinaexplorationjourneys.com

So far the biggest beaver dam known to human measured, 850 m long in Alberta, Canada, is the world's biggest and can be seen from space. Beavers have been building the dam since 1975. The dam was constructed by the family of beaver from fewer generations. The beaver was known to live in groups of families.

This dam was located deep in the Wood Buffalo National Park that only realized by satellite image by a researcher. Even the ranger of the park are not aware of it existent when contacted by the BBC film crew, when they learned about the beaver dam from the researcher's website.

Link for the largest beaver dam in Google Map

People keep destroying beaver dam.

There are still many people destroying beaver dams for taking part of their land. The collapse between human and beaver can only be avoided by understanding how these creatures work in enriching the ecosystem. Without understanding how's nature's works we might be not only destroying important creatures but also ourselves.