Tech-Camp

    No.6 Devon Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong a technology day camp for students 12-17  

About Tech-Camp       

Tech-Camp is a day camp with a focus on computers and electronics technology. We offer 2-week summer programmes for students of 12 to 17 years of age. We have a computer lab with the latest and fastest equipment, an electronics lab, and a video production studio. Our staff are special, too. They are experts in computers and electronics, of course, but they are also people who care about children and enjoy working with them.

The benefits of Tech-Camp        

    In all of our programmes, we show students how to work in teams and how to solve problems by themselves. We encourage them to think creatively.       

What students will do at Tech-Camp       

    Each day Tech-camp is filled with useful, interesting and challenging activities. For example, in the Computer Programme, students learn the basic computer programming, and how to use the Internet. In the Tech-Camp Programme, they make radio-controlled model cars and produce their own short videos.       

Programme Session 1 Session 2 Session 3

Computer Programme 15 June-26 June 15 June-26 June 15 June-26 June

High-tech Programme 29 June-10 July 27 July-7 August 15 June-26 June

Fee: HK $2,000 per student       

(10% discount available for groups of 10 or more students.)       

For more information about Tech-Camp, please contact Director of Summer Programmes, Ms     Julia Brown, by phone, fax or e-mail.       

Telephone: 26548898           

Fax: 26948850       

E-mail: juliab@techcamp.com.hk       

    Disposing (处理) of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities，the waste disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult.

    During the eighteenth century，it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site. People would transport household rubbish，rotted wood and old possessions to the site. Regularly some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by. Factories and some other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often just poured the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.

    Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps(垃圾场)， are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable. Farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere，cheap land in major city areas to dispose wastes is nonexistent(不存在的). Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers，ground water，land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste，however， continues to grow.

    Recycling efforts have become commonplace，and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recycling programs，however，can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city's reusable waste，so more people should be involved in recycling programs.

    Whether rich or poor, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans.

    For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, the study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as the difference between having parents who are barely literate (有文化的) and having parents who have a university education.

    Being a sociologist, Evans was particularly interested to find that children of lesser-educated parents benefit the most from having books in the home. What kinds of investments should we make to help these kids get ahead? The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed. Evans said, "Even a little bit goes a long way. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on motivating a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater benefit the children get.”

    The researchers were struck by the strong effect having books in the home had on children's educational attainment even above and beyond such factors as education level of the parents, the father's occupation or the economic level of the country.

    Having books in the home is twice as important as the father's education level, and more important than whether a child was brought up in a developing country or a developed country. Surprisingly, the difference in educational attainment for children born in developed country and children born in developing country was just 2 years, less than two-thirds of the effect that having 500 or more books in the home had on children.

    One afternoon I toured an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was looking forward to a quiet view of the art works.

    A young couple viewing the paintings ahead of me chatted nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided the wife was doing all the talking. I admired his patience for putting up with her continuous talk. Distracted by their noise, I moved on.

    I met with them several times as I moved through the different rooms of art. Each time I heard her constant burst of words, I moved away quickly.

    I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop making a purchase when the couple came near to the exit. Before they left, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He extended it into a long stick and then tapped his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket.

    "He's a brave man.," the clerk at the counter said, "Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise that his life wouldn't change. So, as before, he and his wife come in whenever there's a new art show."

    "But what does he get out of the art?" I asked. "He can't see."

    "Can't see? You're wrong. He sees a lot. More than you or I do," the clerk said. "His wife describes each painting so he can see it in his head."

    I learned something about patience, courage and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without sight and the courage of a husband who would not allow blindness to change his life. And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away.

    Over the past few years, smart home tech has become more and more accessible and it's increasingly easy to find that you've bought a product that includes smart home features. So what does a modern smart home look like, and how can you start building one? You could get to start making your home smarter by the following gadgets.

    Ecobee 4

    *Measuring both occupancy and temperature, its sensors signal your Ecobee to automatically switch to the right mode.

    It only takes about 30 minutes, thanks to an easy-to-follow installation guide and an in-app step-by-step walkthrough.

    Easily adjust temperature using your voice with built-in Alexa or from wherever you are using your mobile devices.

    Amazon Smart Plug

    Amazon Smart Plug works with Alexa to add voice control.

    Schedule lights, fans, and appliances to turn on and off automatically, or control them remotely when you're away.

    It's simple to set up and use. Plug in, open Alexa app, and start using your voice.

    The Philips Hue White Smart Bulb

    It works with Amazon Alexa to support dimming through voice control.

    Schedule your own custom lighting scenes. Set the smart bulbs to turn on and off at a pre-set time.

    To install, simply screw(拧) the smart bulbs into your desired light location.

    Control smart-bulb-equipped lamps and overhead lights via the Philips Hue App.

    August Smart Lock Pro

    It works with Alexa for voice control(Alexa device sold separately).

    Control keyless access. It locks automatically behind you, and unlocks as you approach.

    Install in about 10 minutes with just a screwdriver(螺丝刀).

    Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on the brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all those amazing powers of music.

    A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr. Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta, Canada, found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.

    Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.

    Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician, even in a noisy environment.

    Besides, music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love, but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.