Do you remember using those bulky headphones with tangly wires? In an age of wireless headphones, it’s hard to think of the old-age counterparts. We’re looking a timeline much before iTunes and iPods, and even before The Beatles. The answer to the question, “Who invented headphones?” will be a revelation to how wrapping your ears, away from the noise, has become an increasing necessity over time. Besides, you do enjoy being a good conversation starter, don’t you?

Who invented headphones? The Flashback

1. Circa late 1800s to early 1900s

Believe it or not, the first-ever headphones were not made for listening to music. Telephone operators in Britain around 1880 used them, where a single earpiece hung on their shoulders, much like boom boxes you know of. Then Ernest Jules Pierre Mercadier, a French electrical engineer patented the earbuds technology in 1891 to be used as telephone receivers.

Come 1910, it was Nathaniel Baldwin from the States who invented headphones at his home’s kitchen. Back then, private investors ignored the benefit. Thanks to the US Navy, which ordered around 100 pairs from him, headphones got popular.

Revolutionizing Baldwin’s concept was Beyerdynamic, a German audio equipment manufacturing company that developed dynamic headphones, none other than the historic, DT-48 model in 1937. There have been various upgrades done on this model until 2012.

During WWII, headphones were getting produced more for the public. Jumping on the bandwagon was Austrian audio manufacturing pioneer, AKG, who came up with the K-120 headphones that looked incredibly modish back in the day due to their sleek headband.

2. The Beatles and Flower Power

Headphones were still not able to dominate the market on both sides of the Pacific during WWII. It was around the late 1950s when avid Jazz artist from the US, John Koss, invented the Koss SP-3. These were the first stereo headphones, which he called ‘stereophones’. These were specifically marketed to audio engineers. So, when The Beatles were getting increasingly popular across the globe in the mid-60s, Koss produced the Beatlephones. These were sold out globally and yeah, celebrity endorsement at its best!

3. Enter the time that defined portability

Who can leave out Sony when talking about headphones! It was in 1979, when the iconic portable cassette stereo player, the Sony Walkman came to the fore. This player also included the cool MDR 3L2 headphones. The headband was so slim that renowned audio manufacturing brands, such as Philips and others started making the same. These headphones were simply stylish for another two decades. If you are going for the 1979 Sony Walkman for your retro vibe today, make sure both the pockets run deep.

4. What? Can’t hear anything even if someone is screaming his lungs out!

You guessed it perfectly. We are talking about noise cancelling technology – the unavoidable hype. But, did you know, this technology first featured in headphones back in the 1980s. Keeping aside the debates about whether Bose Corporation or Sennheiser incorporated it in headphones first, noise-cancelling headphones are now everyone’s go-to pair. One pair, which definitely made the mark in the noise-cancelling headphones market, is the Bose Quiet Comfort that came out in the year 2000.

5. Can’t become a DJ without that thump and swank!

It’s true. Every DJ gig is bass-heavy. Even while listening to your favourite DJ on playback must feel the same. This is what legendary DJ, producer and founder of V-MODA, Val Kalton also feel. Back in 2004, his brand specifically made headphones that had booming bass with high-quality materials. It was among the key players for the evolution of good deep bass in headphones. Also, the brand popularised stylish headphones, if you didn’t know. This was soon followed by many other brands, among which the more prominent names, you may know are the Beats headphones by Dr Dre and the head rattling headphones by Skullcandy.

6. Bolt from the Bluetooth

Bluetooth headphones have been a total game-changer in this decade. But they were introduced in 2004. Considering the needs of the modern-day individual, wireless headphones have made way into everybody’s life super-fast. There are about 5 versions of Bluetooth connectivity today and each update offers greater range and less consumption of energy.

More than ever, the competition among different brands offering superior Bluetooth headphones is on the rise. It is not just about wireless connectivity, you see.

You can check out a newcomer in the market, the high-tech wireless headphones, PLAYGO BH70. Now, this newbie has updated features that other brands don’t even have yet. They have an AI-algorithm that can give you a far superior listening experience by detecting the frequencies you can’t hear. So much so, these are Active Noise Cancelling headphones with four different in-built mics to fathom and block any kind of noise.

The use of earphones with Bluetooth connectivity has increased ever since Apple introduced its AirPods and ditched the sockets. But they are so expensive! World of PLAY’s budget-friendly Bluetooth v5.0 neckband in-ear headphones gives you great sound quality at a very affordable price. The brand is proud and sure about the quality of its wireless audio devices. It’s worth a try, you’ll be surprised by the audio experience.

Catherine: Full Body is a puzzle video game created by Atlus. This game released in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Japan. This is a game about a man who gets worried about his life and gets stuck in supernatural nightmares. The director of the series is Katsura Hashino, the character designer is Shigenori Soejima and the music composer is Shoji Meguro. The game is for an adult audience. The reception of the game is positive as the critics praise the game for its gameplay and plot.

The character of Rin added in the game to make it more interesting from the original.  It got nominated for many awards also. To know more continue reading.

The Release date

Catherine: Full Body will release on September 3 in North America and Europe. There are many improvements to the game. It will release on PlayStation 4 only. It will get released on Switch on July 7.

Also read: Ghost of Tsushima Release Date, Characters and Gameplay

The Gameplay

In the game, the players have to control the actions of the main character Vincent Brooks. This man gets deadly nightmares because he talks with many women. The game has two parts one is daytime segments and another is nightmare segments. There are three modes in the game one is “Golden Playhouse” the second is “Babel” and the third is the “Colosseum”. The daytime events will showcase Brook talking with the girlfriends and other characters at Stray Sheep bar.

The players can control his dialogue and even the texts. The character has to climb on blocks and solve the puzzles on the main night play mode. The game has many ends according to the decisions the character takes.

The plot

Vincent Brooks is not ready to commit with his girlfriend Katherine. One day at the bar he meets a woman named Catherine and they start an affair. Then Vincent gets nightmares in the night where there are demons and if he fails in the dream he will die in real life. The double life breaks him emotionally so he ends his affair with Catherine. Then there is a violent encounter between Catherine, Katherine, and him and so Catherine gets seemingly killed.

However, this has only happened in the nightmare. During the morning Katherine forgets about the nightmare but knows about Vincent’s affair therefore she breaks up with him. There are many possible plot endings and the game will choose the ending according to the actions of the player.

Also read: The Last of Us Part 2 Release Date, Gameplay and All Details

The Cast details

• Vincent Brooks

He is a thirty-two-year-old man who works as a systems engineer. He is an unambitious man who does not want to commit to life.

• Catherine

She is a twenty-two-year-old who spends a night with Vincent after he meets her in the bar. The girl is actually a succubus trying to lure men.

• Katherine McBride

She is a thirty-two-year-old woman who is a long-time girlfriend of Vincent. She wishes Vincent to marry her but he is indecisive which makes her irritated.

• Rin

She is the new exclusive character. The girl is an amnesiac who plays the piano at the bar. She comes to comfort Vincent in his hard times.

Conclusion

The creators want to depict the journey of a man who is indecisive in life.  The endings of the story designed in a way for the player to choose between the life of excitement and a life of happiness.

Fleet management software is computer software that can help accomplish a series of tedious tasks in the management of a fleet of vehicles that are operated by a company, government, or any organization. The task of keeping track of all vehicles, their management, servicing, and GPS tracking can be tricky to maintain, and thus, requires the aid of technological software to facilitate ease of operations.

Pitching The Idea of Fleet Management Software

Though, it can be a daunting task to pitch the idea of a fleet management software to your team when they are used to the traditional ways and are not familiar with the technology and its wonders.

Here are enlisted some of the critical points that you can include in your pitch to make it sound convincing as-well-as more intuitive –

1. Define a clear plan of action

While briefing your employees on the benefits that fleet management software has to offer, you must be precise and cut-short on how the software can be useful.

Many might still be unaware or misinformed, they may even be clinging to misinformation and stereotypes. You must provide them with perspective and how the management software can ease up their manual field jobs.

Pinpoint the current problems faced by your team like idling, dangerous driving, inadequate route planning as-well-as maintenance backlogs.

By doing a risk assessment, your employees would be more acceptable for this new technology as a tool meant to help them.

2. Explain About the Ease-of-Access to Data

Compiling data for companies can be a challenge. Some companies perform billing manually, by viewing each vehicle listing individually, reviewing its history, and then creating a report.

Implementing a fleet software can help with a more accessible collection of data and access to it even more conveniently.

The data can then be easily presented to other departments, including Risk Management and Insurance, rather than manually preparing reports that can often carry errors.

Tell your team that you can save time and energy by switching to a fleet management software.

A fleet software can pull out relevant data in a short period. It can also help the team by showing the most crucial data points on the dashboard.

If your fleet is enormous and spread out, then it can be even easier for you to pitch the idea. A flight management software can integrate all units and branches, and give you a unified output.

3. Enlighten your employees about the perks

After outlining some issues with fleet management, the next course of action is to explain to the team how fleet management software can benefit the team directly.

If traffic jams are becoming an alarming issue for the drivers, explain how the new software can assist by providing real-time information about alternate routes and less busy roads.

Getting real-time information about the traffic and blockage up ahead can be managed by a dispatch software present in the package of the fleet management software.

The administrative team might be concerned that the new software could steal their jobs. Here, you need to enlighten your team on how the software would only assist the team and make their everyday tasks simpler.

You can run a blind trial, where employees would not be told that the new technology is up and running. This way, you would be able to collect data more efficiently to reinforce your case.

4. Better Data Accuracy

Pitch about the ability to track labor in real-time through the fleet management software. This can help gain the trust of the customers and ensure that no confusion happens across the hierarchy or the organization.

User departments are charged depending on labor hours. If an experienced technician is potent enough to finish an estimated 2-hour job in a mere 20 minutes, you could then track the labor in real-time, thus saving the customers from being overcharged.

Thus, the fleet management software can help gather more accurate data and squash all anomalies, ensuring that no objections arise.

5. Gather Interactive Intel

By implementing fleet tracking software, you are providing an excellent opportunity for your employees to fill up their feedback.

Thus, if they feel that they are being provided with unreliable routes, you can enforce changes.

Your customer service team might feel that they need to handle a large number of complaints or grievances regarding delivery times.

By receiving intricate feedback, you can conveniently calibrate the service provided by the fleet tracking software. While pitching the idea to upper management tiers, this feedback can act as a beneficial tool.

6. Keep Track of ROI By The Software

Keeping track of ROI (Return On Investment) is essential to convince your team to employ the software in their daily tasks. ROI analysis can strengthen your case and help you create a more compelling pitch.

Analyze carefully how fleet management software can reduce costs. A reduction in costs would make your employees feel more secure and stable in their jobs.

All the extra savings would be redirected into training and “employee reward schemes,” thus significantly enhancing job satisfaction.

7. Clearing Misconceptions

Your management team might have preconceived notions.

They would consider the cost of the software not to be worth it. Thus it becomes paramount that you explain to them why the software is an absolute value for money.

It is also essential to decimate past your team’s stereotypical attitude that the traditional ways are still applicable.

Guiding your team about the perks that digitization can offer to manage your fleet can go a long way in having them to accept the software.

You need to select a decent fleet management software that not only delivers quality but also is budget-friendly.

Final Words

You must implement a fleet administration software to handle your fleet better and ensure an efficient mode of operation.

Your team might initially be reluctant to accept something new in the system; thus, you can pitch them the idea by talking about all the points mentioned above.

You must pick a decent fleet software so that you can effectively handle both management and costs, and thus let your business thrive.