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If you are sceptic about run-of-the-mill online courses or can’t decode the learning materials on your own, it’s time to go for the best of both worlds. How about <keyword id="1928389" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="WizIQ">WizIQ</keyword>, a <keyword id="406113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Virtual-classroom">virtual classroom</keyword> that can be accessed from anywhere, from any device, while teachers handhold students just like they do in a physical institution? But there’s more to it. Even premier institutions such as IIT-Delhi, Vellore Institute of Technology and <keyword id="59489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-School-of-Mines">Indian School of Mines</keyword> (Dhanbad) are tying up with this Mohali-headquartered firm for certificate courses and distance learning programmes. Overseas organisations using the solution include <keyword id="1928396" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Atlantic-University-in-Virginia-Beach">Atlantic University in Virginia Beach</keyword> and Des Moines Area Community Colleges in Iowa, among others. The SaaS-based (<keyword id="753967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="software-as-a-service">Software-as-a-Service</keyword>) education platform is hosted on the Cloud and successfully operates a marketplace where teachers can sell their courses to its 3-million-strong student community. 
 WizIQ offers a collaborative and flexible platform for delivering and enhancing any online course – be it high school maths, hybrid courses for university students or employee training programmes. What sets it apart from other <keyword id="1928409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="edu-tech">edu-tech</keyword> companies is its focus on teacher-and-learner-centred methods instead of just providing gigabytes and gigabytes of content. It is also an excellent interface for conducting <keyword id="1071995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Massive-Open-Online-Courses">Massive Open Online Courses</keyword> (<keyword id="1539483" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="MOOCs">MOOCs</keyword>). Best of all, WizIQ’s Virtual Classroom software works cross-platform – on PCs, <keyword id="75489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="IOS">iOS</keyword> and <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="android">Android</keyword> devices. It can also be integrated with <keyword id="1928395" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="learning-management-systems">learning management systems</keyword> like Moodle or Blackboard or with an organisation’s own website. 
 True to its global stature, the platform has a multilingual interface and supports 19 languages. The company also opened an office in Bangalore yesterday in a bid to expand further. WizIQ has other offices in Hyderabad and North Carolina as well. Here is a snapshot that captures the vision and viability of the <keyword id="13178" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mohali">Mohali</keyword> start-up gone global. 
 
Who runs WizIQ: The venture was started by <keyword id="222685" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Harman-Singh">Harman Singh</keyword> (CEO) in 2007. The parent company is <keyword id="1696366" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Authorgen-Technologies">authorGEN Technologies</keyword>, which was founded in 2002 by Harman and late Harbir Khurana. Harman holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from <keyword id="283601" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="North-Carolina-State-University">North Carolina State University</keyword>. Prior to WizIQ, he had also founded authorSTREAM, an online PowerPoint sharing platform. 
 
What inspired the venture: The concept of making quality education accessible to all at reasonable charges. Harman came up with the idea during his graduation years and the goal was to make teaching and learning easier for everyone. 
 
What’s the pitch: Do more than stand and deliver – engage your students. Content might be the king but at WizIQ, teachers are back where they belong and replicates the classroom experience online. That creates a distinctive style and ensures a great engagement model. 
 
How it works: WizIQ enables teachers and trainers to hold ‘live’ classes and share tutorials in all possible formats – PowerPoint presentation, PDF, Word document, virtual whiteboards, voice and video. Learners only need an Internet connection to ‘attend’ those classes and don’t require to download anything or pre-install cumbersome client software. An integrated chat is there as well to make each session interactive. 
 
Technology: The platform leverages Microsoft technologies. For real-time communication between students and teachers, it uses Flash Media Server (FMS) and Flex at front-end. Amazon S3 is used for data storage and wherever heavy computation power is needed, Amazon EC2 service is used. To optimise the ‘live class’ experience, servers are placed at multiple locations like the US, Singapore, Sao Paulo and Ireland. 
 
Claim to fame: Traction and awards. WizIQ claims that over 250,000 teachers and 3 million learners are using the platform across 100-plus countries. The company also says it has the largest collection of paid courses created by educators on the Internet and hosts more than 2,500 live classes daily via WizIQ Virtual Classroom. Teachers and organisations are also using WizIQ to conduct successful MOOCs. 
 
Show me the money: It is essentially a paid platform for teachers looking to conduct online classes. Fee starts at $19 per month (or $190 a year) and can go up to $69 per month (or $690 annually). WizIQ offers a freemium model and some features on this platform are free. For instance, teachers can hold 2 classes per month free of cost and there’s a 30-day free trial for those who want to try out its advanced features. Around 8,000 of the total 250,000 teachers are paid members, the company claims. 
 Unlike many other start-ups, this one has been well funded all along. Educomp, India’s largest <keyword id="255607" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="education-technology">education technology</keyword> company, invested an undisclosed amount in the very first year. In January 2013, WizIQ also raised a Series B round of $4 million from education-focused PE firm <keyword id="342246" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kaizen">Kaizen</keyword> and German media major Bertelsmann. 
 
Biggest challenge: Poor Internet penetration and stiff competition from those in the same space. But the toughest one is positioning. Web-enabled distance learning is definitely looking up in India, but it is yet to catch up with mainstream courses administered offline. Until that happens, scaling up will remain a major problem.

From IITs To Universities Abroad, This Virtual Classroom Is Going Places

Graphic drawing tablets offer better flexibility to designers and teachers, as they can just connect it to the computer and draw, sketch or edit things at will. It allows a natural flow of motion on the design board. Most of these <keyword id="9415850" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="graphic-tablet" source="Orion">graphic tablet</keyword>s come with a battery-free stylus that should deliver uninterrupted workflow. To help you buy a graphic tablet, here are the best options available on Amazon. <h2 style="margin-bottom: 8px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: LabGrotesque-Black, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; order: 3; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </h2><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="86554715" title="Best mic for podcasting in India" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><bulletContentEmbed name="B07Z4H41X8" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07Z4H41X8_head"> <div type="image" title="Editor’s Choice" msid="86585020" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07Z4H41X8</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07Z4H41X8_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07Z4H41X8_3578464604267097"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">VEIKK A15 PRO</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Veikk A15 Pro comes with a multi-functional dial and 12 customised express keys that help save time while drawing your designs. Its stylus offers battery-free operations with a smart chip that should deliver uninterrupted functionality. The graphic tablet is compatible with Mac, Linux and Windows. It works with major design software and Microsoft Office applications.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07Z4H41X8_9239859217375848"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Veikk A15 Pro graphic tablet has a 10x6 inch active drawing area and it is said to be lightweight weighing only 570g.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07SDC5D74" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07SDC5D74_head"> <div type="image" title="Recommended" msid="86585039" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07SDC5D74</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07SDC5D74_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07SDC5D74_3459084730996551"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">VEIKK A30 V2</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Veikk A30 V2 has a 10x6inch drawing area, and the tablet is said to be light enough to carry it around. It is compatible with Mac, Linux and Windows and works with major design software like Photoshop, Illustrator, Sai, Corel painter, Comic studio and others. The tablet claims to be ideal for online teaching and learning as it works with softwares like Microsoft Office, Idroo, Wiziq and others.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07SDC5D74_3792019449409357"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Veikk A30 V2 graphic tablet features four customisable shortcut keys and a battery-free passive pen.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B08GLTSGQ9" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B08GLTSGQ9_head"> <div type="image" title="Compact Design" msid="86585074" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B08GLTSGQ9</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B08GLTSGQ9_body"><bulletContentRow name="B08GLTSGQ9_3532506559901615"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">XP-PEN Deco Mini 7</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The XP-Pen Deco Mini 7 is a compact device having an active area of 7x4.37inch. It comes with a battery-free passive stylus P05D that should ensure uninterrupted workflow. The Deco Mini 7 is compatible with Windows 10/8/7, Mac OS X 10.10 and higher and Android 6.0 and higher. The tablet works with major design softwares and can also be used to teach with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft teams.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B08GLTSGQ9_6558427078125774"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The XP-Pen Deco Mini 7 features eight round customizable shortcut keys that should ensure optimised workflow.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B09774V4Q5" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B09774V4Q5_head"> <div type="image" title="Value for money" msid="86585170" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B09774V4Q5</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B09774V4Q5_body"><bulletContentRow name="B09774V4Q5_3191192456173826"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">CASE U Graphic Tablet</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Case U graphic tablet can be connected to the computer through a USB cable. The pressure sensing function should help it adapt to various design changes while working on compatible design softwares. You should be able to charge the pen easily with the USB cable. The pen features 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, allowing users to draw as per their requirements.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B09774V4Q5_2574238380675530"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Case U graphic tablet is compatible has a working area of 210x140mm, and it is compatible with Windows 7/8/10, Mac 10.12 or later version.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07P4MSJZ8" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07P4MSJZ8_head"> <div type="image" title="Alternative One" msid="86585198" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07P4MSJZ8</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07P4MSJZ8_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07P4MSJZ8_0577752085603822"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">HUION HS64</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Huion HS64 is compatible with Windows or Mac OS and also works with Android OS 6 or higher. It comes to switch a battery-free stylus that is said to allow drawing with precision and accuracy thanks to the 8192 pressure points. It features four customisable press keys that can be optimized as per your requirements.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07P4MSJZ8_7688297121531512"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Huion HS64 graphic tablet has a thin and compact design, weighing only 258g and offering an active area of 6.3x4inch.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B078HRR1XV" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B078HRR1XV_head"> <div type="image" title="Alternative Two" msid="86585219" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B078HRR1XV</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B078HRR1XV_body"><bulletContentRow name="B078HRR1XV_3204686215649548"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Wacom One by CTL-472/K0-CX</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Wacom One graphic tablet has pressure-sensitive battery-free pen technology. It is compatible with computers having Windows 7 or later and Mac OS X 10.10 or later. The pen should allow you to draw, sketch, paint or edit effortlessly. The device can be used by connecting the tablet to the computer using a USB cable.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B078HRR1XV_2944945350036858"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Wacom One has a compact design and comes at an affordable price.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

Best graphic drawing tablets for the PC in India

He invented the first <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Pentium+Processor">Pentium Processor</a> that made <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Intel">Intel</a> the world’s biggest chip-maker. He then invented the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=AMD+K6">AMD K6</a>, popularly known as the ‘Pentium Killer’. 
 
He has the most cracking anecdotes about how <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Robert+Noyce">Robert Noyce</a> (Co-founder, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Intel">Intel</a>) once called him at his desk when he joined <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Intel">Intel</a> as a young engineer, and how he suggested <keyword id="3240418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Gordan-Moore">Gordan Moore</keyword> (Co-founder, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Intel">Intel</a>) to buy off Knight Ridder to get rid of his newspaper worries. 
 
Today he’s better known as the Executive MD of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IndoUS+Venture+Partners">IndoUS Venture Partners</a>, the VC that funded <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=snapdeal">Snapdeal</a> back in the days. <keyword id="175777" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinod-Dham">Vinod Dham</keyword>, 65 is nothing short of a legend. 
 
He believes Innovation is done by cheap labor, and never misses an opportunity to tell <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Narendra+Modi">Narendra Modi</a> to fund College Projects instead of government-driven research. “They haven’t done anything worthwhile after all”, he says! 
 
He ain’t a big supporter of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Ambani">Ambani</a>/Birla model where business is done through subsidies and upfront guarantee of being profitable. “That’s not business. They’re still not profitable”, he dismisses. 
 
He has li’l regard for MBAs, accepts that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Intel">Intel</a> missed the smartphone chip train and loves the thrill of startups. 
 
Business Insider sat down with this kickass inventor-cum-entrepreneur-cum-Venture Capitalist-cum…um, there’s a long list, and got chatting. 
 
The Father of the <keyword id="175778" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Pentium-Processor">Pentium Processor</keyword> was FORCED into Engineering? 
*Laughs* I ultimately followed my passion, and it paid off. You should really do what you want to do, because then work becomes play. 
 
I was forced to shift from Physics. My brother felt I won’t be able to earn enough money in my life. I don’t blame him for that. 
 
I ultimately ended doing my Masters in Solid State Physics, which is basically <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Semi-Conductors">Semi-Conductors</a>. 
 
It’s one of those things where you need to know Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Electronics, Circuit Design, Computer Science, Software, and even Fluid Mechanics. I found it intriguing. 
 
The ‘<keyword id="28115" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Intel">Intel</keyword> Inside’ Campaign catapulted the company into the limelight. Do breakthroughs like that just happen? 
It doesn’t happen overnight. It sometimes takes decades. 
 
Intel had existed since 1969. It was only in 1993-94 that we realized <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Intel+chips">Intel chips</a> were going into 90% of the computers, but no one knew they come fitted with the same processor inside. People just asked for a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Compaq">Compaq</a> or <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IBM">IBM</a> PC. That made us very envious. 
 
It was then that we came up with the idea of the ‘Intel Inside’ sticker. We offered lower prices to consumers who let us stick those. Then Bill Gates got his, and so on and so forth. That’s how it started. 
 
You’re the go-to microprocessor guy. Is smartphone heating bad engineering or necessary evil? 
It’s a necessary evil. Physics creates the heat. 
 
The architecture has been scaled over the last 40 years to one billionth of the original. You’ve not scaled only one thing, and that’s the voltage or power supply. It was 12 Volts earlier, soon became 5 Volts, and finally 3.3 Volts. 
 
If you don’t scale everything, heat will be created as a byproduct. You’re at an atomic level. You can’t go beyond that. So you’ll have to live with the heat. 
 
Alternately, you can try chilling and other mechanisms that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Apple">Apple</a> is trying. 
 
India’s Smartphone Boom and the Microprocessors Industry 
It had to happen. It was just a matter of time. 
 
Today, if you want to buy the original Pentium machine I built in 1991, it will cost you $200,000. 
 
The only smartphones that are going to be made are the new ones. You can blame Moore’s Law for that. Amazing guy! 
 
Why doesn’t India have a global Software brand? 
The very fact that we are the ultimate destination for software services in the world is our weakness. In <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IT+Services">IT Services</a> the mindset is of service. We’re waiting to be told what to do. 
 
We have an entire generation of young engineers who’ll do anything you tell them to. They’re very smart kids, don’t get me wrong. However, in the process we’ve not allowed them to be creative. 
 
We need to get out of service mode, and get into problem solving mode. It’ll come. I already see <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Vishal+Sikka">Vishal Sikka</a> steering his big boat into product orientation. I’m sure <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Wipro">Wipro</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=TCS">TCS</a> will follow. 
 
Do you buy into the Startup Bubble Idea? 
There are no bubbles, only pockets. In the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=enterprise+software">enterprise software</a> industry in the US, there are 78 Unicorns. Everybody decided to go on funding them as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IPO">IPO</a> is very hard there. 
 
In the process, if 20-30% of them die, I don’t see a problem. If you want to call that a bubble, you may, but that’s a part of the natural evolution of any business. 
 
Valuation Bubbles 
Greed is human. You work between greed and fear. 
 
Investors are humans too, and they want money. Once everybody’s investing, you don’t want to be left behind, and so you invest. When everybody wants to invest for the same deal, valuations go up, and that’s what’s been going on. However, it has to self-correct. 
 
I won’t worry about it too much. It’s a good time to consolidate, sit back, review and those who can’t make it will go home. 
 
There will be a collective learning. Failures teach you something. You won’t make the same mistakes next time at least. That’s how you learn and grow, and I like it. 
 
VC-funded Startup Ecosystem 
We only get our money’s worth with the home run. 
 
We look at the thousand deals that come to us, and look at a hundred in all seriousness. Out of that we invest in ten, and ultimately invite one. 
 
When you go backwards, there is a very low probability of success in VCs. However, the ones who succeed bring all the goodness into the world. That’s why I’m such a believer. 
 
Big sectors other than E-Commerce 
Data Science, Artificial intelligence and Health Science. 
 
A lot of innovative and creative ideas are coming out of India. 
 
How do you foster innovation at a young age? 
Foster curiosity. 
 
There is a mindset in India that needs to change right from schooling. This change needs to take place significantly at a 6th, 8th and 12th grade level. 
 
We shouldn’t focus on rote learning. Nobody needs 2*2 tables; you have a calculator today for that. Just ask them to be curious and creative in their own way. 
 
Your vision for Mobile Computing 
It’ll become more intelligent. The question is what form it’ll take. 
 
The total computational power of a smartphone will far exceed that of the human brain. It’ll be able to do things that we can’t even imagine. 
 
Image Credit: WizIQ Edtech

Exclusive: The ‘Father of Pentium
Processor’ Vinod Dham talks about Startups and where India is headed

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