latest Android application developments

Our company is growing.

Every month we gain new centers,

teachers and students.

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We are always working to overcome the challenges we face.

We are constantly improving the content, services and interactivity of the educational materials.

And we strive to make them available for everyone,

even where there is no Internet.

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You may remember MeshNet.

This was our first attempt to provide a typical online experience in places without an internet connection.

It uses Wi-Fi Direct and enables communication via sockets and custom dynamic text/binary protocol.

It was simple but it served its purpose.

It enabled peer-to-peer communication and made sharing educational content and user data smoother.

?But as the number of devices grew and the content expanded,

it was time to improve our first attempt.

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Let us introduce you to classroom server.

It is our second, more refined attempt to enable a connection between devices without internet.

Unlike MeshNet, which uses passive data communication,

classroom server uses active communication.

This means the synchronization process does not rely on teacher-triggered actions,

but devices communicate actively and exchange data in real time.

This removes the need for scheduled synchronization, making classroom server easier to use and adapt into the daily classroom routine.

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The implementation is based on REST API and enables a device to impersonate our real backend.

It acts as a server and can provide all its locally stored data in the same format as the original REST API.

All other devices can discover this server, connect to it and work normally without recognizing any difference.?

Classroom server is enabled initially with QR code scanning to pair the devices.?

This step can be done before the lesson,

ensuring a smooth experience for the student.

Devices automatically reconnect and re-discover their classroom server and sync the content without student or teacher intervention.

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Classroom server relies on a stable local network.

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Since it cannot rely on the Wi-Fi Direct,

there are two supported methods.

Classroom server can enable Hotspot and act as an access point to establish a real Wi-Fi network.

The alternative is creating a Wi-Fi network from a dedicated device.

Our recommended device for this is Mikrotik hAp series.

This provides a stable and reliable solution for its range.

But there are cases in which classroom server is not good enough.

Either it’s too complicated or the setup is not suitable.

We offer a solution for environments in which no network can be set up.

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?The box, as we call it, is a small form factor PC,

with Debian currently installed.

It hosts an nginx http server with dhcp service

and serves the role of a local CDN.

The box can pair with a phone over the network cable and provides a fast way to preload the content onto a device.

Usually, all the content from one language is about five to ten gigabytes.

The complete content can be preloaded in?minutes.

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We are still investigating several options for the hardware,

as well as the software.

The most promising options so far are Raspberry Pi 4 and MinisForum with 2.5Ghz dual network adapters.

The former wins with its portability.

The latter with its raw power.

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And that's just the beginning.

These are the first steps toward the full-scale mobile education setup.

In other words - the Akelius Online Languages School.

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Investigations and prototypes are ongoing in several directions.

Meeting the needs of UNICEF is always our primary objective.

We will continue to focus our efforts on improving network environment and infrastructure, hardware for charging, storage and transportation of devices,

and providing more and, of course, better software solutions.

Or as we call it the big box.