Tidings August'23
Monthly newsletter by IEEE SB GCEK - August 2023 edition
IEEE SB GCEK is always in the quest for discovering talents, directing programs and achieving new feats each time. Spare a few minutes and check out how this month has been for us!
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What’s Cooking🍽️
Freshly served content coming right your way!🍵 Take a look at the events and achievements this month.
Vaishak Suresh, Chairperson, IEEE SB GCEK is setting up high goals out there with his latest achievement proving his competence and proficiency time and again. Vaishak, IEEE Xtreme 17.0 Kerala Section Lead has been selected as one among the best Section Leads globally of the IEEE Xtreme Programming competition 17.0. Wishing him all the very best in his future endeavors.🎊
IEEE PELS SBC GCEK emerged as the Winner of PELS Day Photo Contest 2023 in the ‘Popular Vote Category’ taking on the victory twice in a row all thanks to your priceless votes and overwhelming enthusiasm. ☺️
AB INITIO 3.0 is the third version of the AB INITIO series, an initiative of IEEE SB GCEK. The program was a cluster of five competitions exclusively for the first year students where volunteers where chosen among themselves. The initiative is aimed at bringing a sense of unity and integrity among the freshers. 👥The competitions included:
PICTORIA: picture quiz
ENTREVISTA: Interview writing
Listen Up!: Debate
TALKSPIRE: JAM
Spelling Bee
The competition involved a series of picture quiz to showcase their pictorial cognitive ability. The game was played as teams of maximum of two members.
Advaith M V & Ameen C H of S2 EEE emerged as the winners. Congrats!!🎉
ENTREVISTA was an interview writing contest where participants were required to frame interview questions along with their answers in offline mode.
Among the multiple entries, Shyamjith P V, S2 EEE emerged as the winner. Congrats!🎉
LISTEN UP! was a thrilling debate competition. The event was conducted to demonstrate the participants’ mastery in communication as well as the ability to speak up with confidence.
Team KNR 3641 emerged as the winners. The team members are :
1. Yadunand Arun Nambiar, S2 EEE
2. Vaisagh C Prasad, S2 EEE
3. Yadhu Krishna, S2 EEE
Congrats!🎉
TALKSPIRE was a JAM( Just A Minute) contest where participants were required to speak on a topic that was given on the spot for a duration of about one minute. The competition was aimed to enhance their thinking skills, their spontaneity and knowledge on various technical topics.
Ashwini V S, S2 ME emerged as the winner. Congrats!🎉
SPELLING BEE tested the spelling knowledge of the contestants as vocabulary and language plays a crucial role in a person’s professional career.
Yadunand Arun Nambiar, S2 EEE emerged as the winner of SPELLING BEE. Congrats!🎉
Read the August 2023 edition of IEEE Spectrum here
Catch the Drift🍃
Drift with the pace of technology so you don’t lag behind!🏃
Last time we looked at how AR can significantly transform our lives. A close yet a distinct rival is what you’d have already heard - ‘VR’. This and the coming edition will witness the many aspects of VR.
“Virtual Reality is the next step in human evolution” - Jaron Lanier
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows users to experience a simulated environment in a way that feels real. VR headsets are worn on the head and provide users with a 360-degree view of the virtual world. Users can interact with the virtual world by moving their heads and bodies, and by using controllers. VR is still in its early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with entertainment and education. VR headsets can be used to play games, watch movies, and even attend concerts and sporting events. VR can also be used for educational purposes, such as simulating surgery or providing hands-on training.
Let’s talk about some new emerging technologies where VR is being used:
● Eye tracking: Eye tracking allows VR headsets to track the user’s eye movements. This can be used to improve the immersion of VR experiences by automatically adjusting the focus and rendering of objects based on where the user is looking. Eye tracking can also be used to control VR experiences by simply looking at objects or menus.
● Passthrough AR: Passthrough AR is a technology that allows users to see the real world through their VR headset. This can be useful for tasks such as navigation and interacting with physical objects. Passthrough AR can also be used to create mixed reality experiences, where virtual objects are overlaid on the real world.
● Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs): BCIs are devices that can read and interpret brain signals. This could be used to control VR experiences directly with the user’s thoughts. BCIs could also be used to monitor the user’s mental state and provide feedback or interventions in VR experiences.
Currently Smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S23, Google Pixel 7,One Plus 10, Sony Xperia 5 III offers many features required for a great VR experience.
Overall, the future of VR is very promising. VR technology is evolving rapidly, and there are many exciting applications for VR in the years to come. VR is poised to change the way we interact with the world around us, and it has the potential to revolutionize many industries.
Rendezvous 🤝
Behind every successful individual is an inspiring story of continuous hard work and commitment.
This month we have Roopak A Nelliat, CS graduate 2009 batch of GCEK to share with us his remarkable journey.
Could you give us a brief description about yourself ?
My name is Roopak A Nelliat. I am a CS graduate of 2009 batch. I worked as software research engineer which is into advertising industry, then I started my own company called Voxi-labs which I had to close after 6 months of startup. Then I worked as an Engineering lead at Airspace in Corporate. Currently I am working as a Cofounder and Engineering lead of Tiqr labs, a startup which we just started few months ago.
Could you tell us more about startups ?
Generally, when we think of a startups like Facebook ,Zomato ,etc. we only share about fancy startup but reality is far different. Startup is actually a journey not a destination and it is very difficult and fun also. Not every startup has to come on success, if you can apply your engineering value very well and you are also making money then it’s a successful journey.
Could you tell us about developing technologies and and a message to the juniors pursuing Btech?
Technologies keep changing so rapidly. First you have to evaluate, then stay updated. The ways in which it affects us are always shifting. With the passage of time, the new technologies replace the older ones based on the existing concept of knowledge and ideas. Modern technologies are the new innovation in the old technologies. So stay updated with industry relevant technologies like web3 technologies, generative AI, etc. Also utilize your startup supports from college itself and it is the best time to start and work on your ideas. And also make use of Mizone near college, it has specific incubators and separate rooms but it was not yet used, So utilize such opportunities during college itself.One memorable experience while in college?
After a long time our batch were the ones who conducted a technical event at that time like Explore , Ezperanza-Tech fest, workshops, etc. Memorable among them was an event conducted by IEEE which was not much active at that time where we created a light lamp and made it ecofriendly and reusable. Even if we were from CS background, it was fun and we finally got something working but not great.How do various clubs in college play a vital role in modelling us ?
Even if it is any club in your college, group works are always helpful. Industry relevant skills which was not in our engineering subjects can be experienced during club activities .An updated community is always looking to study latest technologies. Also helpful for future for event managing , working as a team with different people. Also helps to convince others how to follow your ideas, even if it is technological or non-technological.What about your placement journey ?
I was one of the placement coordinator at that time and Sooraj sir was the in charge for placements. I had one back paper also at that time. So, I was more tensed during placement day. And we had very less option for campus placements ,either you get only TCS, or you get Wipro and Infosys, but we chose TCS, as they select as a bulk. Then I attended aptitude test and training sessions. That was great! Then I got placed into TCS. But I didn’t join as I was preparing for civil service at that time.Does CGPA really matter for placements ?
It depends on the company actually. Enterprise level companies like TCS have many applications, so to filter CGPA is really important for them. But actually for a company, aptitude is more important than CGPA. So CGPA is only important for initial application. After that it depends on your extra skills.How has your Btech life transitioned you?
Firstly, I am from a CBSE School so, I wasn’t very much into extra curriculums and I did not have value for money. But when I came to GCEK , I got to explore all kinds of people and things. Then I realized to think of everyone which changed my view. I also learned to manage and consider events.
Epistemology 🧑💻
Here is your guide to ‘Surfshark’ 🦈 for a secure gaming, browsing and streaming experience.
Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for India that provides you a fast, secure, and private Internet access. This software offers secure tunneling protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2. It makes your physical location private and keeps your sensitive data secure. It is one of the best India VPNs that allows apps and websites to bypass the VPN blocks. You can protect your identity by hiding your real IP address. It does not log your IP, WebRTC, and provides DNS leak protection.
Surfshark is a VPN that allows P2P connection via VPN on certain servers. This is one of the best VPN services in India that can block unwanted websites without any hassle. It enables you to share your IP address with other people on the same server. This fast-speed India VPN also enables you to bookmark your favorite locations for future use.
Pros
* Offers secure and anonymous browsing.
* Supports a wide range of apps.
*This India VPN has good customer support.
* Offers ideal server connection speed.
* Enables you to keep your data private using the 256-bit AES
encryption technique.
* This VPN works well to bypass your location without detecting
Proxy.
Cons
* It does not offer access to the TOR browser via VPN.
* This software has a complicated setup process.
* Weak social media presence.
In a world where hackers try every method to access your personal data online, Surfshark VPN acts like a shield to your cyberspace. It uses high-grade encryption protocols between your devices connected online and virtual servers that hides your local IP from predators who target your personal, financial, health, and other records. It makes it a lot more difficult for them to track your online activities.
From our Coterie 🏫
Our SB is always in the look out for unique ideas and contents. Here, we bring you the finest works ‘From our Coterie’ .🎓
Here is an article on the importance of acquiring ‘Soft skills’ by Radhika, S5 ECE.
In present days rapidly changing and interconnected world, AI and machines had overtook the human kind. The rise of AI and machines in almost every industry had made the work much easier. The repetitive tasks are done effortlessly with the algorithms enabling the employees to focus on interpersonal skills.
Even though the advancement in technology always leave a question of unemployement, everything is replaced with machines, there are certain fields which can’t be dominated by them.
The soft skills also known as people skills or interpersonal skills enable effective communication, collaboration, adaptability and leadership. Technical skills help one to excel in his or her profession whereas soft skills help you build strong connections in workforce.
While most people are hired for their technical skills, their soft skills give them “career durability”, says Alexandra Levit, a workforce futurist and author of Humanity Works: Merging Technologies and People for the workforce of the Future. She defines that term as the ability to acquire the skills, mindset and knowledge needed to be an engaged and productive member of the team. “For someone to be successful for 10 years down the road, they need to be resilient and be able to reinvent themselves in different learning environments”, she adds.
The beauty of soft skills is that they are highly transferable. Creativity, responsibility and excellent communication skills can be applied to any job.
The bottom line of every successful interaction is effective communication. The ability to communicate with clarity and empathy in everyday conversations whether it be in a team or with a client is a passport to building strong soft skills.
Emotional intelligence facilitates healthy relationships and helps to avoid unwanted misunderstandings. This skill involves recognizing, understanding and managing one’s own emotions along with being in someone else shoes. Teamwork and collaborations are a necessity of the present world. Working in a team helps to come up with innovative solutions and improved productivity than working alone. The skillset of active listening , openness to different perspectives and compromising for collective benefits can be achieved through. In a constantly evolving universe one should be able to adapt to changes, learn quickly and compete with the rest.
Problem solving and creativity holds a critical role in soft skills. This leads to fresh viewpoints and come up with novel resolutions.
Conflict is inevitable in diverse environments, people with strong soft skills stand out by utilizing opportunities and changing obstacles into potential chances for growth.
Developing soft skills is a lifelong journey. It demands practice, perseverance and willingness to learn. Seeking feedback from mentors, peers and well-wishers is the best way to improve oneself.
Looking onto the present scenario, where technology has evolved to its peak and robots replacing humans, only thing which makes human unique is having great interpersonal skills.
The power of soft skills build meaningful connections, adapt to changes and solve complex real life problems with much ease. How well you interact and treat others is crucial for career success. Trust develops through positive interactions and relationships, and productivity increases in environments where soft skills flourish.
Hope you enjoyed Tidings!
Your comments are valuable. Tell us how we can improve and deliver timely content. Till then, see you next month!