My Science School

Typeracer

The word "race" has been synonymous with "speed" since time immemorial. Similarly, the objective of the game is to improve your typing speed with accuracy. A paragraph is given and you need to type it out. This para can be a random para or a quote from a book. Letters that are capitalised should be typed the same way. There are two ways to play the game – at your own pace or enter a race with people from around the world. Ready, set, go!

10 Fast Fingers

This game is similar to the Typeracer. Here, instead of a para or a quote, you are given random words to type in less than a minute. Unlike Typeracer, you do not have to type capital letters in capitals. You can take a test on your own or compete with your friends to see who is the fastest. You can also join competitions hosted by people from around the world and see who's the fastest.

Typing War Master

This game puts to the test not just your speed and accuracy at typing, but also your concentration. Words fall from the skies in a bubble and you need to type them out before they hit the ground. The number of words that fall increases gradually as you progress through the game. When you enter, it might look like a Super Mario game set-up, but maintain your focus and type the words as fast as you can.

Keyboard Ninja

This game by typing.com is fun and simple to play. It has various levels of difficulty and lets you choose the keys from the part of the keyboard you would want to master. For example, if you choose the 'bottom row of the keyboard, you will be thrown random letters that appear in the last row of the keyboard. As these letters appear, you need to type them out before they fall off the play area. You will be given three chances in each turn.

Typing Ninja

As the name suggests, this game helps you type as fast as a Ninja moves. In this simple game, you need to type out random letters of the alphabet that fall from above. You can choose the speed and gradually increase it as your typing improves. It gives you details about your hits and misses and your accuracy levels. It also mentions the letters you missed the most.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Instant Messengers (IMS) have been an integral part of the lives of children who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s. Before WhatsApp revolutionised the world of chatting, there was Yahoo Messenger and Gchat. IM lets users have conversations with people around the world through real-time tot transmission over the Internet.

While it started with just text, over the years service providers began offering different features such as sharing of files and emoticons. As the quality of the Internet improved, many service providers added audio and video calls to their features.

Today, however, the rise of messaging apps such as Whatsapp and WeChat due to availability of Internet on smartphones, has led to the decline of chat messengers. Though few remain today, the nostalgia of using chat messengers remains with users who were introduced to computers in the 1990s and early 2000s. Let's look at some popular IMs of the past, and some that remain popular even today.

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)

One of the leading chat messengers used in North America, AIM was one of the oldest IM services, which was launched in 1997. The messenger was used widely in India as well.

AIM offered features such as messaging to mobile numbers and real-time IM that let you see what someone was typing in real-time. AIM was shut down in December 2017.

Yahoo! Messenger

One of the most popular chat messenger services in India, the Yahoo! Messenger was launched in 1998. It provided free of charge communication services and could be used only if you had a Yahoo! email ID. Most users on Yahoo! used its chatroom feature, which let users chat with others sharing common interests. Yahoo! Messenger closed its doors in July 2018.

Skype

Specialising in one-to-one and group video calls, Skype is a popular messenger platform which was launched in 2003. The messenger service also allows users to dial mobile numbers around the world. It was acquired by Microsoft.

MSN Messenger

MSN Messenger was launched by Microsoft in 1999 and was later rebranded as Windows Live Messenger. While it initially offered services to users with a hotmail ID, it later worked with Yahoo! Messenger and Skype to allow users to chat across the two platforms. The messenger service was discontinued in 2013.

Gchat

Gchat now known as Google Hangouts, was launched in 2005. It allowed Google users to chat with each other. It is integrated with Gmail, meaning users could use it within the Gmail environment, and is available as a standalone messenger too. Over the years, Gchat became Google Hangouts and supported features such as audio and video calling and file sharing. Today, it also offers group video calls.

 

Picture Credit : Google

While your laptop is a single device that is capable of doing many things, it also gives you the option to connect external hardware for specific purposes. To enhance your music-listening experience, you can connect a speaker or headset to your laptop; to keep a hard copy of your precious memories, you can connect a printer. There are many possibilities and many devices that you can pair with your laptop. Here, we list a few.

USB

The Universal Serial Bus or USB is a connectivity port that is available on most devices, including your laptop and computer. You can connect pen drives or hard drives directly to the USB port, or you can use USB cables to connect your phone or any other device to your laptop. Most USB ports facilitate high speed data transmission. The most common USB ports one can find on laptops today are USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. USB 3.0 offers almost 10 times faster speed than USB 2.0 at about 4.8 GB per second.

HDMI

Like USB, HDMI or High Definition Multimedia Interface, is a port available on your laptop. Using a HDMI cable, you can connect your television or projector to your laptop. You can even connect a DVD or Blue Ray player to the television or laptop. As the name suggests, the output of a video or picture displayed using the HDMI port is completely in high definition (HD).

Wireless Connectivity

Wi-Fi is a common term today. Wi-Fi doesn't just let you connect to the Internet wirelessly, it also lets you connect devices to your laptop or computer to allow for data transfer. Apps like SHAREit use your Wi-Fi to connect your smartphone and computer, and transfer data. Alternatively, if you have a smart TV, connecting your television and laptop/ smartphone to the same wireless network also lets you cast whatever you see on your laptop/ smartphone to the TV.

Bluetooth

You would have heard of the word Bluetooth being mentioned in relation to your phone. But did you know your laptop also has Bluetooth connectivity? Yes, this feature lets you connect your laptop with your phone or any other Bluetooth device, like a speaker and share data or listen to music.

Aux Cable

Short for Auxiliary this port is the place where you plug in your headphones or earphones. Used mainly for audio transfer, you can also connect a speaker or a cars audio system to the laptop using the aux cable. Most devices with a 3.5mm jack can be inserted and connected to the laptop using the aux port.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Text Twist 2

This popular word game makes you think on your feet. The task is simple - a bunch of jumbled letters is given and you need to make as many words as possible within the stipulated time. You can shuffle the letters around if you get stuck or proceed to the next round if you have guessed the required number of words.

Merriam-Webster Games

You might have heard of Merriam-Webster dictionary, but did you know it has a site with games that can help hone your spelling and vocabulary skills? From crosswords to quizzes and other word puzzles. Merriam Webster offers a range of games that let you challenge yourself, and your peers. And, it’s free!

ESL Crossword Puzzles

Crossword puzzles are fun. They have appeared in newspapers since time immemorial. However, some of these can be difficult for students to solve. So, to brush up on your vocabulary grammar and spelling skills, attempt the crosswords on the ESL puzzle site. They address various levels of difficulty and focus on different aspects of the English language. And, like the other games, these are absolutely free to play.

Wild West Hangman

This is a Wild West-themed classic hangman game. Your goal is to save the man from being hanged by guessing a word. You can choose from different topics such as countries and movies, and guess the word by selecting letters that may or may not feature in the given word. If it fits, you are one step closer to victory. And, if it doesn't, the man is closer to being hanged. It's a fun and interesting game to test your vocabulary skills

Wordshake

One of the many games in the British Council's team English Kids website, Wordshake is a quick game Similar to the board game Boggle, in this game you have three minutes and a 16-tile 4x4 grid with letters of the alphabet. You need to connect the letters and form as many words as possible in the given three minutes to earn maximum points. You can also check the other games on the website to improve your language skills.

 

Picture Credit : Google