Muis unveils four priorities in next three-year plan

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has released details of its fifth three-year plan, spanning 2016 to 2018.

In the next three years, Muis will focus on four key areas:

• Increasing pathways for Islamic education;
• Expanding the capabilities of religious teachers (asatizah)
• Enhancing madrasahs' value; and 
• Empowering the mosque sector.

Muis will also continue its development of existing platforms such as aLIVE and work with the Private Islamic Education Network (PIENet) to increase platforms and opportunities for Islamic education. aLIVE programmes aim to develop pious children with good characters who are knowledgeable in Islam, become practising Muslims, and show care and concern towards others.

Asatizah play a crucial role in providing knowledge and guidance to the Singapore Muslim community, especially in today's ever-changing landscape. With this in mind, it is therefore important for us to empower them and to nurture asatizah with the necessary skillsets and understanding of modern times.

Muis will also look into further strengthening madrasahs' curriculum and teaching.

Additionally the mosque fraternity will also be equipped with capabilities to better serve the Singapore Muslim community.

posted from Bloggeroid

Plantronics unveils premium Bluetooth stereo headset for UC and multimedia applications

Source: Plantronics.

Plantronics, a global player in audio communications, has unveiled the Voyager Focus UC, which it says is the industry's first wireless Bluetooth stereo headset with active-noise cancellation (ANC) technology.

A premium product for unified communications (UC) and multimedia applications, Voyager Focus UC was designed for enterprise workers in an open office or simply to reduce distraction. The headset provides all-day comfort and includes smart sensor technology, audio alerts, and wideband audio and hi-fi stereo sound. 

"No one can dispute the positive impact a great audio experience has on effective communications and collaboration," said Rich Costello, Senior Research Analyst, IDC. "But audio experiences are increasingly being challenged, especially as traditional office environments expand to include workers in more remote and non-traditional, open-office environments that introduce more external noise factors." 

The Voyager Focus UC headsets feature an immersive on-the-ear design to reduce high frequency noises like office sounds and background voices. Low frequency sounds, like noise from air conditioners, is reduced through ANC. In order to reduce the noise that is transmitted and overheard by others, three precisely-tuned microphones and noise-cancelling algorithms reduce noise caused by keyboard clatter, close-talkers, and movement, while optimising voice intelligibility. 

"We tried to think of every collaboration challenge and built a solution that solves for them. We created a premium design that will convey confidence and competence during a video call. We've used sensors and context to adapt the user experience to the wearing style and state so it just works as expected," said Bill Loewenthal, VP, enterprise solutions management, Plantronics. 

"But our real innovation is in the audio performance. We adapted our best-of-breed microphone technology with improved algorithms to ensure clarity of the user's voice, while suppressing background noises and tuning the audio listening profile to ensure that your favorite playlist sounds dynamic and impressive." 

Highlights include: 

• Class 1 Bluetooth with adaptive power to deliver up to 45m of wireless range while preserving battery life. 
• Dynamic Mute Alert technology - an industry first - senses speech and then alerts that the mute function is still active. Additionally, the headset will automatically mute when a user takes it off and unmute when it's put back on. 
• Leatherette ear cushions wrapped around pillow-soft memory foam deliver all-day comfort, while a cushioned metal headband provides durability and helps maintain a comfortable, secure fit. 
• On-board sensors create an intuitive user experience. Examples include answering a call by simply putting the headset on and pausing mobile audio when the headset is taken off, restarting it when replaced. 
• Rigorous testing of the Voyager Focus UC with the predominant collaboration solutions from Microsoft, Cisco, Avaya, and Huawei ensures the best possible experience when using these applications. 

Interested?

The Voyager Focus UC will be available in Singapore with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of S$499. Check retail locations in Asia