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Fast & Furious Spy Racers Series 3 Episode 1 [4KHD Quality]

⭐ Watch Fast & Furious Spy Racers Season 3 Episode 1 Full Episode, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Season 3 Episode 1 Full Watch Free, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Episode 1,Fast & Furious Spy Racers NETFLIX, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Eps. 1,Fast & Furious Spy Racers ENG Sub, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Season 3, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Series 3,Fast & Furious Spy Racers Episode 1, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Season 3 Episode 1, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Full Streaming, Fast & Furious Spy Racers Download HD, Fast & Furious Spy Racers All Subtitle, Watch Fast & Furious Spy Racers Season 3 Episode 1 Full Episodes Film, also called movie, motion picture or moving picture, is a visual art-form used to simulate experiences that communicate ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere through the use of moving images. These images are generally accompanied by sound, and more rarely, other sensory stimulations.[1] The word “cinema”, short for cinematography, is ofNETFLIX used to refer to filmmaking and the film Fast & Furious Spy Racers, and to the art form that is the result of it. ❏ STREAMING MEDIA ❏ Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. The verb to stream refers to the process of delivering or obtaining media in this manner.[clarification needed] Streaming refers to the delivery method of the medium, rather than the medium itself. Distinguishing delivery method from the media distributed applies specifically to telecommunications networks, as most of the delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g. radio, television, streaming apps) or inherently non-streaming (e.g. books, video cassettes, audio CDs). There are challenges with streaming conNETFLIXt on the Internet. For example, users whose Internet connection lacks sufficient bandwidth may experience stops, lags, or slow buffering of the conNETFLIXt. And users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream certain conNETFLIXt. Live streaming is the delivery of Internet conNETFLIXt in real-time much as live television broadcasts conNETFLIXt over the airwaves via a television signal. Live internet streaming requires a form of source media (e.g. a video camera, an audio interface, screen capture software), an encoder to digitize the conNETFLIXt, a media publisher, and a conNETFLIXt delivery network to distribute and deliver the conNETFLIXt. Live streaming does not need to be recorded at the origination point, although it frequently is. Streaming is an alternative to file downloading, a process in which the end-user obtains the entire file for the conNETFLIXt before watching or lisNETFLIXing to it. Through streaming, an end-user can use their media player to start playing digital video or digital audio conNETFLIXt before the entire file has been transmitted. The term “streaming media” can apply to media other than video and audio, such as live closed captioning, ticker tape, and real-time text, which are all considered “streaming text”. ❏ COPYRIGHT CONNETFLIXT ❏ Copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to make copies of a creative work, usually for a limited time.[1][1][1][1][1] The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educational, or musical form. Copyright is inNETFLIXded to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, but not the idea itself.[1][1][1] A copyright is subject to limitations based on public interest considerations, such as the fair use doctrine in the United States. Some jurisdictions require “fixing” copyrighted works in a tangible form. It is ofNETFLIX shared among multiple authors, each of whom holds a set of rights to use or license the work, and who are commonly referred to as rights holders.[citation needed][1][3][3][3] These rights frequently include reproduction, control over derivative works, distribution, public performance, and moral rights such as attribution.[3] Copyrights can be granted by public law and are in that case considered “territorial rights”. This means that copyrights granted by the law of a certain state, do not exNETFLIXd beyond the territory of that specific jurisdiction. Copyrights of this type vary by country; many countries, and sometimes a large group of countries, have made agreements with other countries on procedures applicable when works “cross” national borders or national rights are inconsisNETFLIXt.[3] Typically, the public law duration of a copyright expires 3 to 1 years after the creator dies, depending on the jurisdiction. Some countries require certain copyright formalities[1] to establishing copyright, others recognize copyright in any completed work, without a formal registration. It is widely believed that copyrights are a must to foster cultural diversity and creativity. However, Parc argues that contrary to prevailing beliefs, imitation and copying do not restrict cultural creativity or diversity but in fact support them further. This argument has been supported by many examples such as Millet and Van Gogh, Picasso, Manet, and Monet, etc.[3] ❏ GOODS OF SERVICES ❏ Credit (from Latin credit, “(he/she/it) believes”) is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party does not reimburse the first party immediately (thereby generating a debt), but promises either to repay or return those resources (or other materials of equal value) at a later date.[1] In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and exNETFLIXsible to a large group of unrelated people. The resources provided may be financial (e.g. granting a loan), or they may consist of goods or services (e.g. consumer credit). Credit encompasses any form of deferred payment.[1] Credit is exNETFLIXded by a creditor, also known as a lender, to a debtor, also known as a borrower. ‘Fast & Furious Spy Racers’ Challenges Asian Americans in Hollywood to Overcome ‘Impossible Duality’ NETFLIXween China, U.S. NETFLIX’s live-action “Fast & Furious Spy Racers” was supposed to be a huge win for under-represented groups in Hollywood. The $1 million-budgeted film is among the most expensive ever directed by a woman, and it features an all-Asian cast — a first for productions of such scale. Despite well-inNETFLIXtioned ambitions, however, the film has exposed the difficulties of representation in a world of complex geopolitics. NETFLIX primarily cast Asian rather than Asian American stars in lead roles to appeal to Chinese consumers, yet Chinese viewers rejected the movie as inauthentic and American. Then, politics ensnared the production as stars Liu Yifei, who plays Fast & Furious Spy Racers, and Donnie Yen professed support for Hong Kong police during the brutal crackdown on protesters in 311. Later, NETFLIX issued “special thanks” in the credits to government bodies in China’s Xinjiang region that are directly involved in perpetrating major human rights abuses against the minority Uighur population. “Fast & Furious Spy Racers” inadverNETFLIXtly reveals why it’s so difficult to create multicultural conNETFLIXt with global appeal in 2020. It highlights the vast disconnect NETFLIXween Asian Americans in Hollywood and Chinese nationals in China, as well as the exNETFLIXt to which Hollywood fails to acknowledge the difference NETFLIXween their aesthetics, tastes and politics. It also underscores the limits of the American conversation on representation in a global world. In conversations with seFast & Furious Spy Racersl Asian-American creatives, Variety found that many feel caught NETFLIXween fighting against underrepresentation in Hollywood and being accidentally complicit in China’s authoritarian politics, with no easy answers for how to deal with the moral questions “Fast & Furious Spy Racers” poses. “When do we care about representation versus fundamental civil rights? This is not a simple question,” says Bing Chen, co-founder of Gold House, a collective that mobilizes the Asian American community to help diverse films, including “Fast & Furious Spy Racers,” achieve opening weekend box office success via its #GoldOpen movement. “An impossible duality faces us. We absolutely acknowledge the terrible and unacceptable nature of what’s going on over there [in China] politically, but we also understand what’s at stake on the Fast & Furious Spy Racers side.” The film leaves the Asian American community at “the intersection of choosing NETFLIXween surface-level representation — faces that look like ours — versus values and other cultural nuances that don’t reflect ours,” says Lulu Wang, director of “The Farewell.” In a business in which past box office success determines what future projects are bankrolled, those with their eyes squarely on the prize of increasing opportunities for Asian Americans say they feel a responsibility to support “Fast & Furious Spy Racers” no matter what. That support is ofNETFLIX very personal amid the Fast & Furious Spy Racers’s close-knit community of Asian Americans, where people don’t want to tear down the hard work of peers and Fast & Furious Spy Racers. Others say they wouldn’t have given NETFLIX their $3 if they’d known about the controversial end credits. “‘Fast & Furious Spy Racers’ is actually the first film where the Asian American community is really split,” says sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen, who examines racism in Hollywood. “For people who are more global and consume more global news, maybe they’re thinking, ‘We shouldn’t sell our soul in order to get affirmation from Hollywood.’ But we have this scarcity mentality. “I felt like I couldn’t completely lambast ‘Fast & Furious Spy Racers’ because I personally felt solidarity with the Asian American actors,” Yuen continues. “I wanted to see them do well. But at what cost?” This scarcity mentality is particularly acute for Asian American actors, who find roles few and far NETFLIXween. Lulu Wang notes that many “have built their career on a film like ‘Fast & Furious Spy Racers’ and other crossovers, because they might not speak the native language — Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Hindi — to actually do a role overseas, but there’s no role being writNETFLIX for them in America.” Certainly, the actors in “Fast & Furious Spy Racers,” who have seen major career breakthroughs tainted by the film’s political backlash, feel this acutely. “You have to understand the tough position that we are in here as the cast, and that NETFLIX is in too,” says actor Chen Tang, who plays Fast & Furious Spy Racers’s army buddy Yao. There’s not much he can do except keep trying to nail the roles he lands in hopes of paving the way for others. “The more I can do great work, the more likely there’s going to be somebody like me [for kids to look at and say], ‘Maybe someday that could be me.’” Part of the problem is that what’s happening in China feels very distant to Americans. “The Chinese-speaking market is impenetrable to people in the West; they don’t know what’s going on or what those people are saying,” says Daniel York Loh of British East Asians and South East Asians in Theatre and Screen (BEATS), a U.K. nonprofit seeking greater on-screen Asian representation. York Loh offers a provocative comparison to illustrate the West’s milquetoast reaction to “Fast & Furious Spy Racers” principal Liu’s pro-police comments. “The equivalent would be, say, someone like Emma Roberts going, ‘Yeah, the cops in Portland should beat those protesters.’ That would be huge — there’d be no getting around that.” Some of the disconnect is understandable: With information overload at home, it’s hard to muster the energy to care about faraway problems. But part of it is a broader failure to grasp the real lack of overlap NETFLIXween issues that matter to the mainland’s majority Han Chinese versus minority Chinese Americans. They may look similar, but they have been shaped in diametrically different political and social contexts. “China’s nationalist pride is very different from the Asian American pride, which is one of overcoming racism and inequality. It’s hard for Chinese to relate to that,” Yuen says. Beijing-born Wang points out she ofNETFLIX has more in common with first-generation Muslim Americans, Jamaican Americans or other immigrants than with Chinese nationals who’ve always lived in China and never left. If the “Fast & Furious Spy Racers” debacle has taught us anything, in a world where we’re still too quick to equate “American” with “white,” it’s that “we definitely have to separate out the Asian American perspective from the Asian one,” says Wang. “We have to separate race, nationality and culture. We have to talk about these things separately. True representation is about capturing specificities.” She ran up against the Fast & Furious Spy Racers’s inability to make these distinctions while creating “The Farewell.” Americans felt it was a Chinese film because of its subtitles, Chinese cast and location, while Chinese producers considered it an American film because it wasn’t fully Chinese. The endeavor to simply tell a personal family story became a “political fight to claim a space that doesn’t yet exist.” In the search for authentic storytelling, “the key is to lean into the in-NETFLIXweenness,” she said. “More and more, people won’t fit into these neat boxes, so in-NETFLIXweenness is exactly what we need.” However, it may prove harder for Chinese Americans to carve out a space for their “in-NETFLIXweenness” than for other minority groups, given China’s growing economic clout. Notes author and writer-producer Charles Yu, whose latest novel about Asian representation in Hollywood, “Interior Chinatown,” is a National Book Award finalist, “As Asian Americans continue on what I feel is a little bit of an island over here, the world is changing over in Asia; in some ways the center of gravity is shifting over there and away from here, economically and culturally.” With the Chinese film market set to surpass the US as the world’s largest this year, the question thus arises: “Will the cumulative impact of Asian American audiences be such a small drop in the bucket compared to the China market that it’ll just be overwhelmed, in terms of what gets made or financed?” As with “Fast & Furious Spy Racers,” more parochial, American conversations on race will inevitably run up against other global issues as U.S. studios continue to target China. Some say Asian American creators should be prepared to meet Fast & Furious Spy Racers by broadening their outlook. “Most people in this Fast & Furious Spy Racers think, ‘I’d love for there to be Hollywood-China co-productions if it meant a job for me. I believe in free speech, and censorship is terrible, but it’s not my battle. I just want to get my pilot sold,’” says actor-producer Brian Yang (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Linsanity”), who’s worked for more than a decade NETFLIXween the two countries. “But the world’s getting smaller. Streamers make shows for the world now. For anyone that works in this business, it would behoove them to study and understand Fast & Furious Spy Racerss that are happening in and [among] other countries.” Gold House’s Chen agrees. “We need to speak even more thoughtfully and try to understand how the world does not function as it does in our zip code,” he says. “We still have so much soft power coming from the U.S. What we say matters. This is not the problem and burden any of us as Asian Americans asked for, but this is on us, unfortunately. We just have to fight harder. And every step we take, we’re going to be right and we’re going to be wrong.” ☆ ALL ABOUT THE SERIES ☆ is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party does not reimburse the first party immediately (thereby generating a debt), but promises either to repay or return those resources (or other materials of equal value) at a later date.[1] In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and exNETFLIXsible to a large group of unrelated people. The resources provided may be financial (e.g. granting a loan), or they may consist of goods or services (e.g. consumer credit). Credit encompasses any form of deferred payment.[1] Credit is exNETFLIXded by a creditor, also known as a lender, to a debtor, also known as a borrower. ‘Hausen’ Challenges Asian Americans in Hollywood to Overcome ‘Impossible Duality’ NETFLIXween China, U.S.

https://medium.com/fast-furious-spy-racers-series-3-episode-1-4khd/watch-fast-furious-spy-racers-series-3-episode-1-online-1080p-hd-9462e0dd7102

['Alisha Fraser']

2020-12-25 18:35:24.157000+00:00

['Technology', 'Lifestyle', 'Coronavirus', 'TV Series']

A Beginner’s guide to Electrical Engineering

A Beginner’s guide to Electrical Engineering 1. What is Electrical Engineering? Electrical engineering is comparatively one of the newer branches of engineering, and dates back to the late 19th century. It is that branch of engineering that deals with the technology of electricity, electronic components and electromagnetism. Electrical engineers work on a wide range of components, devices and systems, from tiny microchips to huge power station generators. The interest in this branch usually develops from an interest of dealing with different electric circuits and components. From resistors to transformers, this branch of engineering is the root to most of the electric appliances at home and the many complicated components at an electric power station! Early experiments with electricity included primitive batteries and static charges. However, the actual design, construction and manufacturing of useful devices and systems started with the implementation of Michael Faraday’s Law of Induction, which essentially states that the voltage in a circuit is proportional to the rate of change in the magnetic field through the circuit. Some of the most famous personalities in electrical engineering include Thomas Edison known for the invention of the electric light bulb, George Westinghouse known for the invention of alternating current, Nikola Tesla known for the invention for a simple induction motor, Guglielmo Marconi kwon for the invention of radio and Philo T. Farnsworth known for the invention of a television. These devices, which are so common in the daily usage of a human being were initially developed with one itself. 2.What does an electrical engineer do? Merging with the beautiful concepts of physics, mathematics and electronics theory, an electrical engineer is usually the one who develops, designs, and manages the simple electronic appliances and circuits. “Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems — from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPS).” states the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The world’s first heat driven transistor — A logic circuit that is controlled by heat signal instead of an electrical signal. 3. What is the difference between electrical and electronic engineers? Electrical engineering is the branch of engineering which gives a full fledged overview of everything which involves the concept of electricity. This branch is spread over topics like Voltage and Current High frequency circuits Digital and Analog Circuits Medicated technology Measurement and control Power and Energy Systems Microcontrollers Generators Battery management Control Systems and many more…. Electronic engineering is the branch which conceptualizes the working of these circuits. In simple words, one can say that Electronics is a subset of the Electrical part. Electronics basically is more or less about transistors, diodes and similar components, arranged or kept in miniaturized integrated circuits and alike. Electronics is boxed till the applications of simple devices on a circuit board. Anything and everything you find in a computer, some component of a car and even a smartphone! Here, the voltage in most cases is limited to the extent of 5V, with low current. 4. Career Options Broadcast Engineer — Broadcast engineers, also known as broadcast engineering technicians, are the individuals responsible for setting up and operating video and audio equipment for television or radio broadcasts. Circuit designer — Mainly does the job of working out the physical form that an electronic circuit will take. Gives an leveled view of the electrical design of the construction of physical circuit. Communications engineer — A communications engineer is responsible for the research, design, development and production of communications equipment/systems. Communications engineering encompasses modes of communication such as satellites, radio, internet and broadband technologies and wireless telephone services. Consumer Advocate — a person whose job is to protect the rights of customers, for example by giving advice, testing products, or trying to improve laws relating to the sale of goods Design Engineer — A design engineer is a general term that covers multiple engineering disciplines including electrical, mechanical etc. Basically works on the designing end in any given discipline from the overview layout till the complete product. Distribution Planning engineer — The job here mainly is about the electrical planning and layout of the distribution of power to any given centre or commanding location. Drafting technician — Although it is known to be a field in civil engineering, electrical engineers too are into this while drafting the electrical side of any thing, Yes, any appliance. Hardware Engineer — Hardware engineers research, design, develop, and test electrical systems and components such as processors, circuit boards, memory devices, networks, and routers. Helicopter Pilot — The name says it all. Electrical Engineers can become helicopter pilots! Military engineer — The job description here involves the electrical communication part in the military services. Network Engineer — A network engineer, also known as network architect, designs and implements electrical networks. Unlike network administrators, the network engineer focuses on high-level design and planning. Nuclear Engineer — Nuclear engineers design the equipment and create the operating procedures used in nuclear power plants. Many also operate the machinery that monitors nuclear power and find methods to safely handle and dispose of nuclear waste. Patent Agent — A person who is qualified to prosecute patents (i.e. drafting and filing a patent application) is known as a patent agent. Given the fact the drafting a patent requires specific technical as well as legal knowledge, only a person qualified in both domains will be able to fulfill the obligations of patent prosecution. Product Development Engineer — The primary responsibility of development engineers is to create a product design that fulfills a company’s or client’s strategic goals while integrating the needs of marketing, sales and manufacturing departments. They oversee research and design teams, lead testing procedures and draft specifications for manufacturing. Product Manager — The product manager is often considered the CEO of the product and is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for that product or product line. The position may also include marketing, forecasting, and profit and loss (P&L) responsibilities. Project Engineer — The project engineer is also often the primary technical point of contact for the consumer. A project engineer’s responsibilities include schedule preparation, pre-planning and resource forecasting for engineering and other technical activities relating to the project. Public Utility consultant — As the name suggests, this career option is all about giving consultancy to either firms or some entity, in regard to the required info required. Research Engineer — Research Engineers apply their expertise and knowledge to technical projects, finding innovative, cost-effective means to improve research, techniques, procedures, and/or products and technologies. Robotics Technologist — Robotic technologists use their knowledge of electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems to assist engineers in the development and production of automated equipment. Sales Representative — Sales representatives sell retail products, goods and services to customers. They work with customers to find what they want, create solutions and ensure a smooth sales process. Sales representatives will work to find new sales leads, through business directories, client referrals, etc. System Support Analyst — A system support analyst is an electrical specialist who analyzes and optimizes these processes for their company. These analysts may work with many forms of technology, from inventory systems and cost and variance vectors to more concrete electrical concerns such as communication, power saving and payroll. Technical sales Engineer — Also sometimes called ‘systems engineers,’ ‘pre-sales support,’ or ‘field consultants,’ SEs act as the sales team’s technical encyclopedia during the sale, representing the technical aspects of how the product solves specific customer problems. They perform technical presentations for the product. Technical writer — Like a Content writer or a developer, a technical writer focuses on generating and writing content with its primary focus on the technical aspects. Telecommunications technician — A telecommunications Technician basically has to maintain and repair networks by testing circuits, isolating malfunctions, and repairing equipment. Demonstrate proper equipment usage to customers. Establish and remove wiring, hardware, and equipment used in communication systems and networks. Test Technician — Their primary duty is to ensure that products perform their proposed functions in a satisfactory manner. For complex products, such as automobiles or computers, test technicians may specialize in monitoring a specific part or set of components. Toy Designer — Designing electrical toys like a car or a robot or even a gun comes in the primary duties of this career option. University Professor — No Description required. Aeronautical Engineer — Aeronautical engineers work to make sure propulsion systems operate efficiently and that an aircraft’s aerodynamic performance is sufficient. Aerospace Engineer — Aerospace engineers design primarily aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. In addition, they test prototypes to make sure that they function according to design. Aircraft Performance Engineer — As an aircraft performance engineer, you would be responsible for applying advanced engineering principles to the design and development of aircraft, in order to ensure that they operate at optimal levels, as safely and efficiently as possible. Astronautical Engineer — This comes under Aerospace engineering category and is a sub category. Avionics Engineer — Avionics engineering is a sub field of Aeronautical engineering and deals with electronic systems that are used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecrafts. Basically it deals with the systems that are required in order for the plane to work seamlessly. Electrical Engineer — The main job duties are :- Evaluates electrical systems, products, components, and applications by designing and conducting research programs; applying knowledge of electricity and materials. Confirms system’s and components’ capabilities by designing testing methods; testing properties. Electrical Systems Engineer — Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use. Electrician — They typically do the following: Read blueprints or technical diagrams. Install and maintain wiring, control, and lighting systems. Inspect electrical components, such as transformers and circuit breakers. Electronics Engineer — Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems, from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPS). Many also work in areas closely related to computer hardware. Energy Efficiency Engineer — They usually, Design, develop, or evaluate energy-related projects or programs to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the designing, building, or remodeling stages of construction. Entrepreneur — Businessmen! The type of business is of choice. Instrument and Control Engineer — A control and instrumentation engineer (C&I engineer) is responsible for designing, developing, installing, managing and/or maintaining equipment which is used to monitor and control engineering systems, machinery and processes. 5. Companies offering jobs to electrical engineers in various sectors Following are some of the companies in private sector that hire various skilled electrical engineers: There are a lot of other companies which hire electrical engineers. Public & Government Sector Electrical Following are some the PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) that recruit electrical engineers: Following are some of the Government Organizations that recruit electrical graduates: 6. Schools offering specialization in Electrical Engineering for MSc For Information on these Universities, simply click the link below. 7. Top 10 Schools offering specialization in Electrical Engineering for PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA Stanford University, Stanford, CA University of California — Berkeley, Berkeley, CA University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Princeton University, Princeton, NJ Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 8. Online courses offered by Coursera Please add more online resources other than coursera. Secure Wireless Chargers — A a chip that blocks attempts to wirelessly charge a device’s battery unless the charger first provides cryptographic authentication. Image: Christine Daniloff/MIT Other online courses offered:- Making 5G a reality — Learn about world’s first reported Si-based 5G mmWave phased array antenna module operating at 28GHz. Close up of the silicon-based millimeterWave phased array antenna module mounted on a test board. 9. Books and Material You can directly download these free online books using the given links 10. Blogs to follow electrical - engineering - portal .com — This website is very good for the recent advancements in electrical engineering and also improve some of the tricky concepts - - .com — This website is very good for the recent advancements in electrical engineering and also improve some of the tricky concepts http://www.electrical4u.com/ This website is very good as a resource in learning and upgrading your skills. This website is very good as a resource in learning and upgrading your skills. ETRICAL — This blog includes all the concepts and many interview questions dealing with the different aspects of electrical engineering. This blog includes all the concepts and many interview questions dealing with the different aspects of electrical engineering. IEEE Spectrum — This website includes all the papers and recent popular projects happening around the world in the field. This website includes all the papers and recent popular projects happening around the world in the field. Engineering Expert Witness Blog — Philip J. O’Keefe is the author of the Engineering Expert Witness Blog, which is one of the longest running engineering blogs on the internet; it also commonly is used as a resource by college students. Philip J. O’Keefe is the author of the Engineering Expert Witness Blog, which is one of the longest running engineering blogs on the internet; it also commonly is used as a resource by college students. Electrical Engineering Tour — This website is a complete package of electrical engineering tours, wherein you will find tutorials and everything you want to know about the branch. This website is a complete package of electrical engineering tours, wherein you will find tutorials and everything you want to know about the branch. EE Times — EE Times is a magazine providing engineers with up-to-date, relevant news, analysis and opinion. Covering topics such as power management, programmable logic, test & measure and more, EE Times is a trusted resource for engineering information. EE Times is a magazine providing engineers with up-to-date, relevant news, analysis and opinion. Covering topics such as power management, programmable logic, test & measure and more, EE Times is a trusted resource for engineering information. ElectricNet — From trading to regulatory news, ElectricNet is a digital publication with an abundance of news and information for electrical engineers. It also includes various other platforms of learning and also offers weekly based newsletter. From trading to regulatory news, ElectricNet is a digital publication with an abundance of news and information for electrical engineers. It also includes various other platforms of learning and also offers weekly based newsletter. IEEE Xplore — IEEE strives to reach the community of engineers at large through its publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, and its IEEE Xplore Digital Library contains more than 3,775,000 items to further advance the association’s mission. 12. Podcasts you must follow being an electrical engineer The Engineering guy: Available as both Video and Audio, Bill Hammock is one of the most wanted presenters. His style is a polished explanation on whatever the subject is at hand. Embedded.fm: From conductive textiles to wearable technology, Elicia White has the best interviews and thorough observations of her hands-on topic. The Spark Gap Podcast: Karl and Corey are embedded engineers covering a variety of embedding engineering topics. They make their podcasts fun and have easy to grab concepts. AddOhms Video Tutorials: This website basically gives an end to end tutorials on most of the viable topics on most of the tough and commonly confused topics Engineering Update: This is again a very popular podcast which talks about all the recent adventures taking place in the industry with the recent advances taking place. Talking Machines : This is basically your gateway into the world of machine learning. Another great platform to know about the blank window : This is basically your gateway into the world of machine learning. Another great platform to know about the blank window The Discovery Files : Another great forum where all the exciting and mind blowing electrical techniques are shown with their simple scientific explanation. : Another great forum where all the exciting and mind blowing electrical techniques are shown with their simple scientific explanation. The Engineering Commons Podcast : With virtual reality to sunken cruises, these podcasts will give you a deep griid learning experience on the latest technology. : With virtual reality to sunken cruises, these podcasts will give you a deep griid learning experience on the latest technology. MakingChips >> Equipping Manufacturing Leaders (Making Chips): Lying beside the most important part of electrical engineering, these podcasts will grind your brain into the art of chip making! 13. Bootcamp Power Electronics Design — 6–8 weeks 14. Interview with Experts Here are a few excerpts from Apoorva’s conversation with Nitin Shivaraman an Embedded Software Engineer at HP Singapore, who have found their passion in the field of Computer Vision. He did his Master’s from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore “ My motivation behind studying Electronics as a major field of study during my undergrad is that I was highly fascinated by circuits and the whole idea behind how things could work by connecting one component to another. As every undergrad student, I also studied a variety of subjects from Digital Signal Processing to Communication, Networking to Embedded Systems and explored as many as possible doing internships and working on projects. It was working at the intersection of both hardware (circuitry) and software (building logic and programming it) that eventually got me interested in the field of Embedded Systems. I decided to work as a R&D Engineer at Nokia Siemens Networks in order to know more about the field and get hands on experience in the same. Later, after reaching a saturation level, I planned to do a Master’s in Embedded Systems. There are a lot of factors that needs to be considered while choosing which schools to apply to such as personal interest, academic coursework, internship and jobs scenario, financing the studies, student’s profile, etc. I shortlisted two programs offered by University of Stuttgart, Germany and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore as both focused on hardware as well as software aspects of the field which others did not. An important point that every undergrad student should note here is to try to maintain a good academic profile as it is often considered as an important criteria to shortlist students for their master’s programs. NTU has been the best decision of my life as not only it gave me a world-class exposure to the field of Embedded Systems by being advised by great professors and mentors but also opened doors to get experience in academia and industry. I have had the opportunity to work in industry after graduation as a Embedded System Engineer but as I realized my learning curve becoming flat, I switched back to research in order to work on something new daily. In research, one is expected to do something that no one has done before and you got to make things work instead of making them perfect. This experience of working as a Research Associate has made me brave enough to try different things in my current job at HP. I can now venture into new projects and work on innovative ideas using my skill set without a hunch of getting it wrong. Advice that I’d like to give undergraduate students is to work for at least 1 or 2 years before venturing into any plans of Master’s or a PhD. Try to get to know your actual interests by doing internships in research or industry and have defined goals. “ Beginner’s Guide to Data Science ← P R E V I O U S N E X T → Shit You Should Know If You Are New in UX Business!

https://medium.com/readers-writers-digest/a-beginners-guide-to-electrical-engineering-daab142bce35

[]

2017-02-26 20:00:30.688000+00:00

['Technology', 'Education', 'Career', 'Career Advice', 'Engineering']

10 Amazing Facts About Artificial Intelligence

10 Amazing Facts About Artificial Intelligence Once humans have created it, its evolution will continue on its own and humans will not be able to cope with it due to their slow biological evolution Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash Artificial intelligence is all the rage these days. Artificial intelligence can be summed up in the simplest terms, enabling computer software or machines to analyze information and adapt it to the situation. To make the best decision. Apparently, artificial intelligence has many benefits, but scientists are also afraid of it. Leading researcher Professor Stephen Hawking, speaking in an interview with the BBC about artificial intelligence, said that he believed that the development of complete artificial intelligence would destroy the human race. “Once humans have created it, its evolution will continue on its own and humans will not be able to cope with it due to their slow biological evolution’’ Below I will tell you some facts about artificial intelligence, by knowing which you can better understand it.

https://medium.com/an-idea/10-amazing-facts-about-artificial-intelligence-560272d2e5a5

['Ahmad Mukhtar']

2020-12-19 05:13:00.087000+00:00

['Inventions Of Science', 'Science And Technology', 'Technology', 'AI']

Why gender-detection software is as morally dubious as it is dangerous

Using biometric technology for “gender verification” so that safe spaces for women exist online is not only transphobic — it is another example of how ‘female empowerment’ is being used to peddle unethical technology. Giggle’s ‘safety’ measure. Giggle, a “girls-only social media network” billed as a safe community for women, recently came under fire for using gender verification software based on biometric data, and for its exclusion of transgender women. Giggle’s sign-up process means that information on identifying physical attributes (in the form of 3D selfies), must be submitted in order for it to ‘verify’ that a user is female, and allow them to make an account. However, it discourages trans women from signing up, stating that “People who self ID as women are unable to become users of the Giggle app.” Giggle presents itself as a “special online space where [girls] can safely form groups with other like-minded girls, and be free from any nastiness”, but the technology it uses begs an interrogation of what the company understands to be safe. Gender identity and privacy under a culture of data-reaping are heavyweight issues of ethics and security and it is women and minority groups who are made disproportionately vulnerable by the disclosure of personal data, of biometrics, of algorithmic decision-making. So why is a company focused on female solidarity and security taking such a transphobic stance, and using such ethically-questionable tech? Giggle uses their gender verification process to ensure that only women can use the platform. However, after initially circling around the issue of how accessible the app is for trans women, the company now openly dissuades trans women from signing up on their FAQ page. Their sign-up process has drawn criticism for both its transphobia and for the implication that gender can be determined by physiology — in this case, bone structure. It might seem curious that an app claiming support for people to “identify as their authentic self” is so committed to quantifying gender — especially as its use of verification software means it requires users to ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ as female — but this is just the beginning of Giggle’s crude understanding of modern-day gender politics. In fact, the whole precedent of the app seems to rest on the highly marketable, pseudo-feminist ‘girls are better than boys’ narrative, reminiscent of ‘male tears’ mugs. In line with this, Giggle’s CEO Sall Grover, has framed the backlash to Giggle as generic misogynistic bullying glosses over the fact that gender verification software itself is a feminist issue and a threat to equality; privacy, identity and surveillance are all feminist issues. Giggle’s FAQ page earlier this year, pre-amendments. The Twitter response focuses mainly on Giggle’s exclusion of trans people, to which Grover initially responded with repeated claims that trans women are not only welcome at Giggle — they were also part of the development process. The back-and-forth over how true and/or helpful this is is pointless, given Grover’s recent acceptance of her label as a TERF, and her addition of the following statement to Giggle’s FAQ page: “People who self ID as women are unable to become users of the Giggle app. Transgender women who have transitioned to the point of facial feminisation surgery may be able to become users of the Giggle app. We request respect for female-only spaces and Giggle users.” Giggle’s transphobia is now out in the open, but we should also remind ourselves: Giggle should not be using gender-recognition software on its users, full stop. Since efforts to detect and quantify gender and ‘transness’ using remote and de-personalised software is non-ethical and undermines the concept of gender fluidity. Perhaps a more comprehensive network moderation would be a progressive way forward instead. As no algorithm and no technology can pre-empt a person’s capacity to be cruel on social media, wouldn’t the challenging and banning of abusive individuals within the network be a fairer and more educational remedy for online harassment? Back in early 2020, the first question on Giggle’s FAQ page was “Are trans-girls welcome on giggle?”, answered with “Yes! Trans-girls are 100% welcome on giggle. Giggle’s “gender verification” onboarding process is a gatekeeper to stop men from getting on to the platform, not girls or those who identity [sic] as girls. If you are at all concerned with the possibility of being misgendered, you are welcome to contact giggle HQ for manual onboarding. Giggle both fully supports and recognises gender identity and will never discriminate.” But being let into Giggle HQ through a separate back door is not inclusivity, and those who spend their lives experiencing ritual shaming and barriers because of their identity know this well. Perhaps it should have been obvious from this point, a few months back, that the company and its founder had little understanding and empathy towards the trans female experience. It was possibly inevitable that this perspective, fed on the (valid) trans backlash to Giggle and the ego-boost of social media recognition from JK Rowling and Baroness Nicholson would eventually balloon into active exclusion of trans women. Even before all of this, it didn’t seem to occur to Grover that if trans women have to undergo the indignity of a digital misgendering and get in touch with the company themselves, they are being given a sub-par (and potentially very painful) experience accessing Giggle compared to cis women — and that is not indicative of a “safe and secure platform for girls,” nor a “[recognition of] gender identity.” Giggle’s current stance on trans access. Giggle’s trans exclusion is now overt. Grover, like many other self-proclaimed feminists who do not seem to acknowledge the similarities between the suffering of trans people and the suffering of victims of misogyny, is using her transphobic views to leverage social media clout and publicity for Giggle. She is seemingly unaware that the biological-essentialist rhetoric she and others used is being weaponised by the very men in power she so despises. Authority figures are using language that appeals to the protection of women to restrict the rights of trans and non-binary people, and of cis women. It is also worth being aware that it is patriarchal authorities that will benefit the most from the biometric data gathered by companies such as Grover’s. There’s a lot more to say about today’s relationship between feminism and transphobia, and Laurie Penny does a great job of discussing it here. The fact that Giggle used to accept non-3D selfies from trans women as a sort of hasty accessibility add-on also indicates that their app-based gender verification process is not necessary, nor is the requirement of data on user bone structure. It is important to note that Giggle’s privacy policy states that the company may share data with third party service providers, business partners and sponsors among others, which undermines the company’s goal of female security. Here’s what Giggle said about the verification process in early 2020: “Why is bio-metric gender verification software used to access giggle? “The aim is to create a safe and secure platform for girls. Bio-metric gender verification software ensures that those within the platform are verified as girls. In biometric systems, the goal of liveness testing is to determine if the biometric being captured is an actual measurement from the authorised, live person who is present at the time of capture.This involves a 3D selfie that performs a quick study of the person’s bone structure to determine the female gender. It’s Bio-Science, not pseudo-science like phrenology. Our process determines both male and female genders and does not discriminate by race or age. Unfortunately, it doesn’t verify trans-girls. But we can help you at giggle HQ!” The text was then changed to this: “Why is bio-metric gender verification software used to access giggle? The aim is to create a safe and secure platform for girls. Bio-metric gender recognition software ensures that those within the platform are verified as girls. In biometric systems, the goal of liveness testing is to determine if the biometric being captured is an actual measurement from the authorised, live person who is present at the time of capture.This involves taking a selfie and the gender recognition software produces a result. This process is closely monitored by real girls. Bio-Science, not pseudo-science like phrenology, is behind this process. It determines both male and female genders and does not discriminate by race or age. Gender Identity is a separate issue. If you are experiencing any difficulty, real girls and members of the LGBTQ community can help you at giggle HQ! AI and real people working together to make the final decision.” Disturbingly, since February the original mention of using bone structure to determine gender has been deleted, meaning new readers aren’t really told how their gender is going to be determined. Meanwhile, Giggle and its founder have yet to address concern at the social dangers of their software, or of using physical characteristics to sort people. In a piece for Wear Your Voice Mag, Alex V. Green regards “brain sex studies as a dangerous extension of an already troubling liberal practice. At best, [their] logical conclusion would only serve to restrict access to transition-related care for already marginalised trans people. At worst, [they] turns back the clock on decades of trans activism, feminist organising, and anti-racism work, empowering the darkest discourses among the reactionary right and liberal centre.” Physiology-based categorising is never going to make us more free, or more safe. The Giggle FAQ page’s attempted consolation “this process is closely monitored by real girls” (since updated yet again to “girls behind the screens”) only unsettles, insinuating the inherent safety of female governance — but does submitting your biometric data become a less dangerous act simply because it’s a woman who is overseeing the process? Prejudice and ignorance are not traits limited to men. Also, what does Grover mean by “real girls”? If Giggle is invested in providing women with a safe online space free from harassment, why does it require the submission of any personal data, which then has the potential to be shared with other parties? If the sign-up process for trans women is to email the company directly and be let in using “just a photo that needs to be sent of you, to ensure that your identity is not being hacked” without the need for a 3D photograph, then the software is not needed, and is a non-ethical piece of technology. Morally questionable practice under a woman-friendly flag is not a new thing. Following the reintroduction of feminism into mainstream discussion, the past few years have seen a flurry of self-lauded empowering, slightly patronising startups aimed specifically at women, whereby the ‘inclusive’ brand message feels at odds with the internal company culture and the external addressing of women as a badass, yet homogenous, group. Consider Thinx, the period proof underwear company lauded for its feminist solutions and eventually exposed for the abusive behaviour of its ‘She-E-O’, or Sophia Amoruso, the founder and ex-CEO of clothing company Nasty Gal and founder of Girlboss Media. Amoruso’s branding hinges on female success, despite being sued by ex-employees in 2015 who claimed they had been fired because they were pregnant or ill. With the praise we heap on shallow feminist virtue-signalling in the corporate world, it’s easy to see how these wolves in feminist sheep’s clothing come about. What is missing from many ‘women first’ enterprises is a thorough understanding of feminism (literary, historical and social) and a genuine care for the marginalised, resulting in a disconnect between the company ethos — female solidarity — and the company’s contemptuous, profit-led treatment of actual women. In this case, of the trans women it stigmatises, and of the users whose data is being unnecessarily gathered. Giggle cites “Choice, control, consent and connection” as the aims of the safety-centric social network, yet the gender-determining entry process described on the site is exclusive by nature because it doesn’t recognise all women. Put aside for a moment Grover’s own opinions on trans women — there is still something inherently transphobic, something domineering and patriarchal, about gender verification software. In a world where we are increasingly fluid and instinctive with sexuality, gender and self expression — and increasingly aware of how painfully narrow our past determinations of gender and self are — gender verification limits us and sets us back in time. “Giggle is a place where girls can avoid the misogynistic harassment & abuse found on current popular platforms” reads one of the quotes on the Giggle homepage. But people of all genders can be misogynistic. Women-only spaces are valid and useful, but by no means are they inherently free of misogyny or oppression or even casual sexism, and this dependence on binary ideals — the idea that making a ‘girl version’ of something (say, a startup), makes it intrinsically more altruistic and empowering simply by dint of being female-led — undermines the values of intersectional feminism that recognise other aspects of oppression in ways beyond a one-size-fits-all sexism. The concept of fixing something by making it female-led, blights contemporary femtech start-ups. Terms like ‘shero’, ‘girlboss’ and ‘She-E-O’, unwittingly highlight the patriarchal implication that a woman can only ever be a version, a subcategory of what a man is and does. A new flavour of CEO, but a limited edition one. This preoccupation with a singular, superficial feminine ‘power’ in the face of patriarchal challenge also ignores how race, class, sexuality and gender fluidity affect the experience of women within spaces both physical and digital, and forgets that women, too can wield traditionally patriarchal and oppressive means. We can see this at work with Giggle’s use of gender classification through the gathering of biometric data — it’s an invasive and hierarchical approach with a friendly female facade. It is possible that Grover and the others behind Giggle have just deeply misunderstood modern day identity politics like many before them, mistaking a movement dedicated to addressing mass inequality on an intersectional basis for a glittery, marketable strain of girl power. But the phrase “biometric gender verification software” staunches sympathy. The safety of girls on Giggle, gated against presumed male bullies and predators and general “nastiness”, and now also against transgender women, is the network’s goal. But there is nothing innocent about gathering ‘3D selfies’ of consumers and there certainly is something malevolent in technologically quantifying gender according to bone structure. Before becoming vocal about Giggle’s intolerance of trans women, Grover released various Instagram videos following the early complaints about Giggle’s approach. Strangely these don’t discuss the issues publicly raised, (transphobia, gender categorisation and data harvesting) focusing instead on the general bleakness of misogyny and reiterating the ‘girls vs. boys’ debate. Grover does not mention transphobia or the moral dubiousness of gender verification software, focusing on the abuse she recieved rather than the valid criticisms, and sacrificing any useful or compassionate response for a now-deleted filmed chat with her mum where they frame the entire debacle as a misogynistic attack on Giggle, orchestrated by men. Grover reads out praise for Giggle, sent to her, we are told, by girls, whilst her mother reads out hate messages that we are told are all from boys. This binary narrative Grover falls back on is an irresponsible portrayal of “men and boys”, who are spoken of with exasperated pauses and ‘amirite ladies’ eye rolls, but also ignores the swathes of women, trans and non-binary people expressing worry online about her company. Again, we see this flashy, marketable dismissal of men as sub-human creeps that allows women to mark themselves as high-status and feel ‘feminist’ and progressive about it, without having to do any work in terms of addressing the root causes of gender, class, race and sexuality-based inequalities, or indeed understanding men who are hurt by patriarchy. Grover does not address the concerns women have expressed: that gender-identifying software is a flawed and exclusionary concept at its core, that it will reiterate traumatic experiences for trans people, and that girls trying to use this app are made not safer, but in fact more vulnerable by submitting biometric data to a company they know nothing about. We can not condone any of the abusive messages Grover has no doubt received amongst those expressing concern about her company, but it is easy to understand how the trans community and its allies have felt ignored, excluded and threatened. There is a small but crucial revelation in the (now deleted) video where Grover and her mother read out messages. In response to a goading comment suggesting the app looks like it was coded by a woman, Grover says: “It was coded by a man in fact, lots of men, and it’s been a very long, frustrating process. We wish it was coded by women.” Her mother adds “Women coders are hard to find.” Grover agrees. It’s an insight into how much the people behind this app actually understand about their field and audience (women coders are absolutely not hard to find), and how much the branding and appeal of this company rests on the gender binary. Women coders also do not necessarily make your software inherently fairer in a way men cannot, and the need of Grover and her mother to lament their lack of female coders and vilify their “frustrating” male coders shows a lack of understanding that people of any gender can support women. Considering the performative demonisation of men that runs throughout Giggle’s online output and coverage, it’s strange that we’re now seeing more of a male presence behind Giggle. (A recent article covering the online backlash to Giggle runs the story as a misogynistic attack led by men, again denying airtime to the concerns of women over privacy and exclusion, and describing the trans community as “waging a war” rather than addressing their legitimate concerns of being excluded as women). Grover refers to her dad one moment in an instagram video as her “intern” and elsewhere captions an Instagram picture of her him and her working as “me being all girly & creative & visiony while he puts it all into bornig [sic] business language.” Based on the information given, we have woman-targeting gender-recognition software developed by men, with women providing the rosé-in-hand empowerment branding up front — and that is worth paying attention to as we learn more about how a world designed by and for straight white cis men repeatedly fails women. In the most circulated promotional photo of Grover she is wearing a t-shirt bearing the names of ‘the Monterey Five’, the leading female characters from the HBO show Big Little Lies — yet there is a glaring typo in the first name on the shirt: Reese Witherspoon’s character’s name is spelled wrong. This would not usually be something worth nitpicking about, but it is fascinating that the rest of Grover’s entire venture wields the same slapdash lack of attention to detail when it comes to who women actually are, cisgender or not. It’s not productive to pointlessly criticise other people’s passion projects — even those exploiting misguided feminist branding. So often it feels like the people at the core of these projects have drunk the girlboss kool-aid themselves, and don’t understand the damage and trivialisation they do. More often than not, there are more important issues of oppression to discuss. Bone structure-based, binary-reinforcing gender-recognition software though? Trans exclusion and submitting biometric data for membership? These innovations are the type that decrease our privacy and freedom and make way for insidious human categorisation, hitting the already-marginalised the hardest. We know how Giggle and its founder feel specifically about oppressive male trolls. How they feel about the oppressive implications of their software, however, we will have to wait and see.

https://medium.com/the-recode/why-gender-detection-software-is-as-morally-dubious-as-it-is-dangerous-48f7bbbc3c0c

['Rhiannon Williams']

2020-08-11 11:13:21.138000+00:00

['Gender Verification', 'Technology', 'Feminism', 'Transphobia', 'Gender']

You Are What You twEAT!

You Are What You twEAT! The trend shift from healthy diets to aesthetic platters Image Source: Google Images A sufficiently developed technology is indistinguishable from magic. Being the great growling engine of change, technology has changed the way we live, think, and communicate. However, have you considered its impact on our dining rooms? The technological advancements in the food industry are flabbergasting, to say the least. Robots have been seamlessly integrated within the food industry over the past couple of years. The operation of the assembly of packets and placing the food inside them is an entirely automated process in certain industries. The use of Artificial Intelligence has made many complex techniques easier to implement. E-commerce has gained popularity in the food industry. Fully automated robotic kitchens are already in effect. Although it may sound like something from a sci-fi movie, food 3D printers do actually exist. But the most entrancing query is: Do you really think your food choices are your own? In this age of constant information bombardment, we can never really guarantee free-will. Technology has now seeped into our food choices too! When we are at restaurants, we would have seen people impatiently waiting for their food, not because they are hungry but because they are excited to share the snaps of the dish. Since there is no love stronger than the love for food, showing it off can be fun. But no one tends to bother if that love is always harmless as it seems. Currently, the most-liked photo on Instagram is an egg. Pizza is the most Instagrammed food followed by Steak and Sushi. On Pinterest, there are more than 1.7 billion recipe pins. BuzzFeed’s Tasty, a food-oriented page on Facebook, has over 3.5 million followers. One of the latest social media trends is watching people eat food online. This is called Social Eating and it started in South Korea. The phenomenon of “Mukbang”, a portmanteau of the Korean words for eating and broadcasting, is now a worldwide trend after its inception in 2010. There are influencers setting up their entire careers by harnessing these trends in vogue. You might be amazed when you come to know how much social media has altered our relationship with food. Let’s take a look at the impact of technology on our daily eating habits. Image Source: Google Images Showcasing health Though the impersonal nature of connecting with others from behind a screen receives criticism, the anonymity of social media actually has its advantages. When a health condition is too painful or embarrassing to talk about in person, an online forum can provide a safe space. Also, the time when magazines were the only sources that contained articles about diet and food seems distant. New trends in food come up daily across all social media platforms and it makes people more aware of what they are eating and keeps them informed about current food trends. There are plenty of Instagram and Facebook pages that focus just on food as well. The knowledge gained from social media can be potentially used as a tool for public health interventions. Social media is most promisingly an aid when it comes to diet plans and healthy cooking. There are even apps like Fooducate and Easy Diet Diary available that tell the ingredients and calories in an item and thus helps us to suit ourselves with healthier options. In addition, apps like Health IQ provides information on topics like food allergies and childhood health. Many innovative appliances that help in healthy cooking are available. There are even countertop ovens available that will notify you via SMS when your meals are cooked to perfection. But on the contrary, social media can foster unrealistic expectations of health. When the images online present perfection, people may end up feeling that healthy eating and physical fitness are unattainable. Dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade once said. “Social media can give the impression that creating ‘perfect meals’ and meal prepping can almost be effortless” Also, people comfortably overlook the fact that the number of followers isn’t necessarily an indicator of expertise. It’s always best to rely on a credentialed professional in the real world than an influencer on Instagram. Are the feeds feeding us? We seem to be subconsciously accounting for how others behave when we are making our own food choices. In February 2020, a survey was conducted by Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences to research the impact of social media on the food choices of 369 university students. Aston University health psychology Ph.D. student Lily Hawkins, who led the study alongside supervisor Dr. Jason Thomas, said: “This study suggests we may be influenced by our social peers more than we realise when choosing certain foods. We seem to be subconsciously accounting for how others behave when making our own food choices.” Participants of the study reportedly ate an extra fifth of the portion of fruits and vegetables themselves for every portion they believed their social media peers consumed. This implies that our online social circles play a very important role in our food choices. When we see our friend’s Instagram story of a sizzling brownie, it is completely natural for us to experience a spike in our appetites, and even end up ordering the same brownie on a food-delivery app within the hour. In recent times, people can share the result of their cooking experiments online almost immediately with thousands of people, and this triggers an inevitable urge in others to try it out themselves. The food trends were once published in magazines and newspapers exclusively. Now things are much easier. People can directly communicate with others about their favorite dishes and discuss innovative approaches to cooking and presenting. Many people have started Facebook groups and forums to discuss their challenges in sticking to a diet or ways to prepare food. Some of them have also adopted new diets and lifestyles-based on hashtags trending on Facebook and Twitter. All this definitely proves that social media has a profound influence on the choices of people regarding food. Our Food Choices; Image Source: Google Images Does it influence the Food Industry? When it comes to the food industry, it’s still uncertain whether social media is a boon or bane. The growth of social media has influenced what the food growers and restaurant owners sell. Social media offers brands exposure to various restaurants, giving them the opportunity to connect with their target demographic to promote their products. It also makes it easier for customers to find out key information, such as opening times or details of menu changes. In addition to this, social media has given consumers the power to spread information to hundreds of people in a matter of seconds. For the restaurant industry, which relies heavily on reviews and recommendations, this means every customer now has the power of a well-acclaimed critic. Social media can also damage a brand’s reputation if complaints and criticisms are not handled properly. There are many examples of such companies that completely went out of sight right in front of us due to the intervention of social media. Most of us comfortably share such demeaning news without even getting our facts checked. Social media affects the restaurant industry in ways stretching from customer loyalty to public reputation. In fact, a one-star improvement in rating tallies to a 5–9% increase in revenue. Social media has increased the need for restaurants to not only offer delicious food, but also aesthetically appealing plates and great service as well. Food in Our Feeds; Image Source: Google Images Foreign Cuisine and Crazy Fusions Everyone would have checked out foreign cuisines at one time or the other. We cannot call ourselves foodies if we haven’t craved for Bangkok’s street food or Mexican tacos at least once in our lives. The influence of social media in popularizing the various cuisines is undeniably huge. Food often depicts the culture of the area and now, social media has made it easier to appreciate it. Have you ever tried mixing up different food cultures, and ended up with something irreparably disastrous? A lot of recipes have been born due to these crazy mix-ups. When people watch certain cooking shows or scroll through their feeds filled with food snaps, their inner voices inevitably tempt them to try cooking up those “attractive” dishes. Social media can be held at least partly responsible for some of the disasters in many kitchens. But just a friendly reminder to all those who fill our feeds with food! Being constantly bombarded with the eating routines of others may be unpleasant at times. Image Source: Google Images At this point, we still don’t know what the future has in store for us. Maybe we’ll have a robo-chef whipping up meals in our kitchen, or even a 3D food printer to replace our microwave. Either way, technology is evolving at a rapid pace. It’s not only influencing the way we think about and consume food, but it’s also helping us make better, and more informed decisions. However, technology is a useful servant but also a dangerous master. It would be wise to have a second thought before letting it intervene in our day-to-day lives.

https://medium.com/pragyan-blog/you-are-what-you-tweat-cedb0650642c

['Nayana Jyothi']

2020-08-20 11:56:42.372000+00:00

['Cooking', 'Technology', 'Food', 'Social Media', 'Psychology']

My 5 Years in IT

My 5 Years in IT In the third chapter, I discussed my beginnings in the master’s degree, my continuity with UDev Community, and how I’ve decided to focus more on Cisco certification. This chapter will cover my preparation for the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam, the exam itself, and my beginnings in the job application process. Cisco CCNA R&S Exam After finishing my four levels of Cisco certification training, the last step that remained was to take the exam. To prepare very well, I took a full month in the summer to review all the courses that I’ve been studying for 2 years using online training, labs, and questions samples for practicing. The exam’s topics were about Network Fundamentals, LAN Switching Technologies, WAN Technologies, Infrastructure Services, Infrastructure Security, and Infrastructure Management. It was an online exam, in English, and I had 120 minutes to complete it. There were many types of questions such as multiple-choice questions, drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, and simulations. After completing the exam, the result directly popped-up, and unfortunately it was a fail with a score of 786/1000, while the passing score was 810. Despite that I was disappointed with the result, I still wanted to go for a second attempt as it was my main goal to be Cisco certified and carrying on my path. One week later, I went back to the test center being more stressed than the first attempt, but fortunately, it was a happy ending as I succeeded with a score of 915/1000, and I’ve finally become officially Cisco CCNA certified. Job Application Process The role I was applying for a lot was Network Engineer, which suits the skills that I acquired during my Cisco journey, and I’ve always wanted to have my first work experience abroad, so I was mainly applying to many countries, and my very first application was for a one-year internship in Canada as a Network Specialist. One week later, I haven’t received any response from the company, so I’ve started to increase my applications to other companies around Europe and Asia with the same role. At first, I never thought it would be that hard to land a job abroad, I was always optimistic and excited to receive a positive return from a recruiter, but unfortunately, they were all negatives. As I was applying for companies based abroad, I was always requiring visa sponsorship, and later on, I could understand that it would be a little bit complicated for them to provide such support. However, this wasn’t slowing me down from applying hundreds of times, and I always believed that a skilled candidate could make it through this step and move forward with the application. My first positive return was from a multinational technology and consulting company based in Hong-Kong, and I had to complete first an Information Processing Aptitude Test, which is designed to assess an individual’s ability to reason numerically with information under time pressure conditions and, in particular, analyze and solve problems. The test was challenging and I did complete it, however, I haven’t received a follow-up from the company. Through this application process, I was always learning new things about the professional world and how applications are treated by recruiters. For instance, once a resume is sent, it has to go through a “CV Screening”, which is generally a software that can either match the applicant with the job description or not and can automatically send an email about both cases. The next step following the screening is a human review, followed by a phone or online interview, then ending with an offer. My second positive return was a call from a multinational computer technology company based in France. The required skills were matching my background, such as networking and most importantly the French language. After passing the phone interview step, the next was a technical assessment to test my knowledge and how well I could do. Sad to say, the assessment did not take place, by asking the talent acquisition specialist about my application if it was still active or not, it has been said that the company had to hire a candidate who was near the job location, which was completely understandable since for my case it has to go through an administrative process. After several attempts, I’ve decided to take a break to review my skills in order to strengthen my resume in the hope of a favorable response. So, I started first by taking training on network programmability and automation where I had a theoretical and practical introduction to Python programming language, Linux, Ansible for configuration management, and Continuous Integration (CI). 2 years after serving UDev Community, I’ve decided to leave my seat to the new generation, but I couldn’t leave without one last contribution. That’s why I’ve organized an internal workshop about a basic introduction to networking, and how to analyze network traffic using the open-source packet analyzer Wireshark I taught the members how does a basic network communication work by introducing them to the seven layers of the OSI Model, TCP/IP Model, TCP & UDP protocols, and practices on Wireshark with ICMP, DHCP, HTTP, and ARP protocols. It was a good opportunity for me to put into practice what I’ve learned by sharing my knowledge with the members, and it was as well a good experience for them to learn new technologies. Months after taking a break from the job search process, and updating my resume, I’ve restarted applying for opportunities, and this time I was mentally very well and I received an interesting offer for an internship in Brazil as a Network Analyst, but as the country wasn’t part of my top countries to work in, I had to decline it and keep looking for more opportunities as there was finally hope. One month later, I applied for an internship in Turkey as a Computer Science instructor in a technological private high-school, and few days following the interview with the school’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the internship has been offered to me and I’ve accepted to move forward with it. It was strange for me to land a teaching role after eight months of applying for an engineering role, and at this moment I realized that sometimes, we ignore the existence of something until one day we find out it has been destined for us. In the next and final chapter, I will discuss my first experience abroad, where I will cover my internship, how I was handling in an international environment, and finally how we could manage work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

https://medium.com/@ilyesbekaddour/my-5-years-in-it-3aca80d417da

['Ilyes Bekaddour']

2020-12-19 11:59:04.688000+00:00

['Computer Science', 'Job Search', 'Careers', 'Information Technology']

Social media is the new oppression

Take back your brain Take a social media break Use it to listen to your soul To be present with nature, lovers, friends, family, dogs, cats and the moon Take back your energy, your intelligence, your gifts Free your brain So it can breathe again So it can create. Sing a song, sow a scarf for your nephew, doodle tropical fruits, interview people that fascinate you, write a letter to your ex then burn it, call an old friend and say sorry + I love you, solve a puzzle of the Eiffel Tower Take back your life They say we only have one Don’t give it to Instagram

https://jessicasemaan.medium.com/social-media-is-the-new-oppression-83ab362c8a84

['Jess Semaan']

2018-12-29 21:33:17.261000+00:00

['Poetry', 'Social Media', 'Life Lessons', 'Technology', 'Life']

Pi Palette Is a Hacker’s Cosmetics Case

Naomi Wu, better know to the Maker community as “SexyCyborg,” has come up with an interesting hacking tool: a tiny Linux-based computer hidden in a rather large makeup compact. The device runs Kali Linux on a Raspberry Pi 3, and is meant to act as a concealable tool for penetration testing using an RTL3070 Wi-Fi adapter. The case itself is 3D-printed, and can actually hold cosmetics if necessary while the hacking goes on in the electronics hidden beneath its keyboard/eyeshadow tray. The display doubles as a smart mirror in portrait orientation, with optional touchscreen capabilities. Pi Palette is also equipped with a 5000mAh battery, which can be wirelessly charged via an induction cradle. Though a functional computer, SexyCyborg states that it’s “not a serious infosec tool,” so it seems that it lies somewhere in the realm between extremely detailed cyberpunk “prop” and useful gadget. If nothing else, it appears that something like this would make a great old-school gaming emulator! Intrigued? You can find plenty more pics on Imgur along with SexyCyborg’s new pink educational edition as well.

https://medium.com/hacksters-blog/pi-palette-is-a-hackers-cosmetics-case-56dbc6b485

['Hackster Staff']

2017-03-13 13:06:16.969000+00:00

['Cosmetics', 'Technology', 'Raspberry Pi', 'Cyberpunk', 'Makers']

What is the critical information technology at your company?

If you gathered all your managers in a room, all accept the IT people. Gather all your non-IT managers, directors, VP’s and C-level executives and ask what is the critical information technology at your company. What answer would you get or expect to get. Is the most critical information technology your ERP system? A module of your ERP system? Finance? CRM? Product Demand Planning? Even more specific, a single business process in your ERP? A/R? Order Management? Inventory Management? Or is it your project management solution? Your business intelligence solution? Or your content management solution? I offer that while the answer from management would be a mix of the above, your staff would demonstrate that none of the above are critical to their daily functions. The three that most staff positions are affected immediately by when there is a service outage is email, Internet access and MS Office. If your IT function has a help desk software that tracks incidents and number of user calls per incident, compare the number of user calls when the ERP system goes down, to the number of calls when email or the Internet service goes down. Look at MS Office support activity and compare the time between users noticing it is not working and calling the Help Desk versus when ERP is not working. This may not be a metric your Help Desk tracks, but it would be very revealing once you gathered the data. What does this mean to your business. First, when the ERP system is down your employees find other activities to do, but are they contributing to the top or bottom line growth? No, they are not. It is busy work that is wasteful as it is not focusing the end user critical business processes or IT on prioritizing operation performance and reliability on the right information technology. The squeaky wheel, the loud, thunderous roar of end users squeaky wheel is when email, the Internet and MS Office are unavailable or just slow. Therefore, ERP, BI, CRM and the rest of the high priced, high return information technology platforms are allowed to have reduced reliability, performance and slow general maintenance, such as upgrades. IT upgrades email constantly in the hopes that the new version will be more reliable and lower support calls and increase end user satisfaction. The same for the Internet pipeline, they expand it and expand it, buying new routers and firewalls that have higher speed capacity. With MS Office you upgrade twice as often as your ERP, due to end users complaints that they cannot open files from newer versions from customers and suppliers. The costs of this mis-directed prioritization is the lack of leveraging available ERP upgrades, that your business has paid thousands of dollars in maintenance contract payments for those upgrades. Printers get more attention than your information technology that directly supports your critical business processes that drive your customer retention, new product launches and track revenue growth areas and most profitable products and customers. What is this costing your business? Even with a strategically minded CIO, the IT support staff will be pulled by the demands of the end users, which will reflect in application, server and network administration focus and planning. What should business people be doing? Measure IT focus. Help desk and operation activities that focus on critical information technology in terms of time spent, budget and project allocations and training dollars spent each year. Ask the question what is the IT response when ERP goes down? How long to recover and how many end user calls are recorded? Compare this to to the IT response when email or the Internet service goes down. If the answers do not satisfy you, setup metrics on IT incidents and recovery from incidents, focusing on your critical information technology. Setup metrics on not just allocation of budget to your critical information technology, but on actual project time allocated to improving those critical technologies versus other non-critical business technologies. It may take a senior management decree that if email, the Internet service or your MS Office goes down that the company will live with a longer down time to allow prioritization of IT budget, staff, training and projects in support of critical information technology that in turn directly supports the corporate goals.

https://medium.com/convergence-business-technology-and-the-people-who/what-is-the-critical-information-technology-at-your-company-e04eff6a4

['Paul Oliver']

2017-01-07 00:37:57.394000+00:00

['Technology', 'Cio', 'CRM']

Stezy.io blockchain extends new features with Bring your own Cloud

Stezy.io blockchain extends new features with Bring your own Cloud Stezy Feb 16·1 min read To bring in more seamless experience and after hearing the customer needs Stezy.io extend the blockchain hosting with “Bring your own cloud”. Stezy started the bring your own cloud journey with AWS and now extends to Azure and Google Cloud. This will help with more flexible managed blockchain services hosting offering in the market. Bring your own cloud to Stezy Over the course of our constant innovation and new feature release with customer surveys and understanding the requirements of the enterprises especially in Healthcare, BFSI and Government having the data localised and in control of the company is a new normal. Potential benefits: Adhere to compliance, data protection, and to address localisation issues Organizations already have the cloud accounts and optimised their savings and extending the benefit will add value in terms of saving cost More control and flexibility Deployment location of their choice Sync of applications with blockchain nodes to get the lowest latency possible. Co-location of application and blockchain nodes Health check of the complete blockchain infrastructure in real time. All the regions and Instant types across AWS, Azure & GCP are supported in the 4.2 version. To explore your blockchain journey with Stezy.io Book your appointment

https://medium.com/@stezy/stezy-io-blockchain-extends-new-features-with-bring-your-own-cloud-f59a26dcbe7c

[]

2021-02-16 01:34:51.334000+00:00

['Ethereum Blockchain', 'Hyperledger', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Ethereum', 'Blockchain']

100 Days of DevOps — Day 94-Introduction to Numpy for Data Analysis

To view the updated DevOps course(101DaysofDevOps) Course Registration link: https://www.101daysofdevops.com/register/ Course Link: https://www.101daysofdevops.com/courses/101-days-of-devops/ YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/user/laprashant/videos Welcome to Day 94 of 100 Days of DevOps, Focus for today is Introduction to Numpy for Data Analysis NumPy is a Linear Algebra Library for Python and the reason it’s so important that all libraries in the PyData Ecosystem rely on NumPy as the main building block. Installing Numpy # pip2 install numpy Collecting numpy Using cached numpy-1.12.1-cp27-cp27mu-manylinux1_x86_64.whl Installing collected packages: numpy Successfully installed numpy-1.12.1 It’s highly recommended to install Python using Anaconda distribution to make sure all underlying dependencies(such as Linear Algebra libraries)all sync up with the use of a conda install. In case you have conda install https://www.continuum.io/downloads conda install numpy Numpy arrays are the main reason we use Numpy and they come in two flavors Vectors (1-d arrays) Matrices (2-d arrays) # 1-D Array >>> test = [1,2,3] >>> import numpy as np # We got the array >>> np.array(test) array([1, 2, 3]) >>> arr = np.array(test) Let’s take a look at 2-D array >>> test1 = [[1,2,3],[4,5,6],[7,8,9]] >>> test1 [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]] >>> np.array(test1) array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]]) But the most common way to generate NumPy array is using arange function(similar to range in Python) #Similar to range(start,stop,step),stop not included and indexing start with zero >>> np.arange(0,10) array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]) But if we are looking for a specific type of arrays >>> np.zeros(3) array([ 0., 0., 0.]) #We are passing Tuple where first value represent row and second represent column >>> np.zeros((3,2)) array([[ 0., 0.], [ 0., 0.], [ 0., 0.]]) Similarly for ones >>> np.ones(2) array([ 1., 1.]) >>> np.ones((2,2)) array([[ 1., 1.], [ 1., 1.]]) Now let’s take a look at linspace #It will give 9 evenly spaced point between 0 and 3(It return 1D vector) >>> np.linspace(0,3,9) array([ 0. , 0.375, 0.75 , 1.125, 1.5 , 1.875, 2.25 , 2.625, 3. ]) >>> np.linspace(0,10,3) array([ 0., 5., 10.]) Let’s create an identity matrix(2-D square matrix where the number of rows is equal to the number of columns and diagonal of 1) To create an array of random number #1-D, it create random sample uniformly distributed between 0 to 1 >>> np.random.rand(3) array([ 0.87169008, 0.51446765, 0.65027072]) #2-D >>> np.random.rand(3,3) array([[ 0.4217015 , 0.86314141, 0.14976093], [ 0.4348433 , 0.68860693, 0.88575823], [ 0.56613179, 0.56030069, 0.51783999]]) Now if I want random integer #This will give random integer between 1 and 50 >>> np.random.randint(1,50) 27 #In case if we need 10 random integer >>> np.random.randint(1,50,10) array([39, 34, 30, 21, 18, 30, 3, 6, 37, 11]) We can reshape our existing array >>> np.arange(25) array([ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24]) >>> arr = np.arange(25) >>> arr array([ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24]) >>> arr.reshape(5,5) array([[ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4], [ 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], [10, 11, 12, 13, 14], [15, 16, 17, 18, 19], [20, 21, 22, 23, 24]]) Let’s take a look at some other methods >>> np.random.randint(0,50,10) array([10, 40, 18, 30, 6, 40, 49, 23, 3, 18]) >>> ranint = np.random.randint(0,50,10) >>> ranint array([18, 49, 6, 28, 30, 10, 46, 11, 40, 16]) #It will return max value of the array >>> ranint.max() 49 #Minimum value >>> ranint.min() 6 >>> ranint array([18, 49, 6, 28, 30, 10, 46, 11, 40, 16]) #To find out the position >>> ranint.argmin() 2 >>> ranint.argmax() 1 To find out the shape of an array >>> arr.shape (25,) >>> arr.reshape(5,5) array([[ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4], [ 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], [10, 11, 12, 13, 14], [15, 16, 17, 18, 19], [20, 21, 22, 23, 24]]) >>> arr = arr.reshape(5,5) >>> arr.shape (5, 5) To find out the datatype >>> arr.dtype dtype(‘int64’) Indexing in case of NumPy >>> import numpy as np >>> arr =np.arange(0,11) >>> arr array([ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]) >>> arr[0] 0 >>> arr[0:4] array([0, 1, 2, 3]) How Numpy array is different from the Python list because of there ability to broadcast >>> arr[:] = 20 >>> arr array([20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20]) # Now let's try to slice this array >>> arr1 = arr[0:5] >>> arr1 array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4]) >>> arr1[:] = 50 >>> arr1 array([50, 50, 50, 50, 50]) #But as you can see the side effect it change the original array too(i.e data is not copied it's just the view of original array) >>> arr array([50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]) #If we want to avoid this feature, we can copy the array and then perform broadcast on the top of it >>> arr2 = arr.copy() >>> arr2 array([50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]) >>> arr2[6:10] = 100 >>> arr2 array([ 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 5, 100, 100, 100, 100, 10]) >>> arr array([50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]) Indexing 2-D Array(Matrices) >>> arr = ([1,2,3],[4,5,6],[7,8,9]) >>> arr ([1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]) >>> arr1 = np.array(arr) >>> arr1 array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]]) >>> arr[1] [4, 5, 6] # To grab 5(Indexing Start with zero) >>> arr1[1][1] 5 #Much shortcut method >>> arr1[1,1] 5 To grab elements from 2-D array >>> arr array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]]) #This will grab everything from Row 1 except last element(2) and staring from element 1 upto the end from Row 2 >>> arr[:2,1:] array([[2, 3], [5, 6]]) Conditional Selection: This will return a boolean value >>> arr array([ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]) >>> arr > 5 array([False, False, False, False, False, True, True, True, True, True], dtype=bool) # We can save this value to an array and perform boolean selection >>> my_arr = arr > 5 >>> my_arr array([False, False, False, False, False, True, True, True, True, True], dtype=bool) >>> arr[my_arr] array([ 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]) #OR much easier way >>> arr[arr > 5] array([ 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]) >>> arr[arr < 5] array([1, 2, 3, 4]) Operations # It's the same operation as we are doing with Normal Python >>> arr = np.arange(0,10) >>> arr array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]) >>> arr array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]) #Addition >>> arr + arr array([ 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18]) #Substraction >>> arr — arr array([0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]) #Multiplication >>> arr * arr array([ 0, 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81]) #Broadcast(It add's/substract/multiply 100 to each element) >>> arr + 100 array([100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109]) >>> arr - 100 array([-100, -99, -98, -97, -96, -95, -94, -93, -92, -91]) >>> arr * 100 array([ 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900]) In case of Python if we try to divide one with zero we will get division by zero exception >>> 0/0 Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> ZeroDivisionError: division by zero OR >>> 1/0 Traceback (most recent call last): File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module> ZeroDivisionError: division by zero In case of Numpy if we try to divide by zero we will not get any exception but it returns nan(not a number) #Not giving you >>> arr/arr __main__:1: RuntimeWarning: invalid value encountered in true_divide array([ nan, 1., 1., 1., 1., 1., 1., 1., 1., 1.]) and in case of one divide by zero it will return infinity >>> 1/arr array([ inf, 1. , 0.5 , 0.33333333, 0.25 , 0.2 , 0.16666667, 0.14285714, 0.125 , 0.11111111]) Universal Array Function #Square root >>> np.sqrt(arr) array([ 0. , 1. , 1.41421356, 1.73205081, 2. , 2.23606798, 2.44948974, 2.64575131, 2.82842712, 3. ]) #Exponential >>> np.exp(arr) array([ 1.00000000e+00, 2.71828183e+00, 7.38905610e+00, 2.00855369e+01, 5.45981500e+01, 1.48413159e+02, 4.03428793e+02, 1.09663316e+03, 2.98095799e+03, 8.10308393e+03]) #Maximum >>> np.max(arr) 9 #Minimum >>> np.min(arr) 0 #Logarithmic >>> np.log(arr) __main__:1: RuntimeWarning: divide by zero encountered in log array([ -inf, 0. , 0.69314718, 1.09861229, 1.38629436, 1.60943791, 1.79175947, 1.94591015, 2.07944154, 2.19722458]) Looking forward from you guys to join this journey and spend a minimum an hour every day for the next 100 days on DevOps work and post your progress using any of the below medium. Reference

https://medium.com/@devopslearning/100-days-of-devops-day-94-introduction-to-numpy-for-data-analysis-127561af9e1d

['Prashant Lakhera']

2021-07-09 18:36:50.663000+00:00

['Numpy', 'DevOps', 'Linux', 'Technology', 'Python']

The Best Platforms to Build Your Personal Brand

9. Guest Posts on Related Blogs While there are many ways to promote your content, there is one strategy that stands out as a consistent way to generate new organic traffic — writing a guest post on someone else’s blog. Initially, some bloggers are hesitant to pursue this strategy, wondering: Why would I give someone else content for their blog? Shouldn’t I be building out my own back catalogue of content? However, as you will see from the reasons described below, there are many benefits to guest posting on blogs other than your own. Create Backlinks Most blogs that accept guest posts allow their contributors to leave at least one link to their own site. After all, most of them don’t offer any financial compensation for your hard work. A brief newsletter mention, blog post, or keyword-optimized link is fairly standard. Still, even a single backlink from an authoritative blog will greatly benefit your own blog’s SEO. Backlinks make your content more discoverable to search engines like Google. This is especially true if you are guest posting on another site within the same niche as your own site. Build Your Social Media Following Guest blogging increases the amount of social media shares your content will receive. This is a great way to boost your follower count and accelerate your lead generation efforts. By contributing to an authoritative blog, you are essentially receiving an endorsement from the author of the guest blog. This means that their readers are far more likely to explore your content. In most guest blogging arrangements, you get to customize your contributor profile. Here you can include direct links to your social media accounts, making it easy for new readers to become followers. Improves Your Authority in the Industry Guest blogging helps you establish authority in your industry. Imagine that you search for the phrase “What is X?” or “How can I improve at X” in Google. Which of the two search engine results sounds more authoritative: A single website that appears to answer your questions (but it contains no endorsements, only self-proclaimed endorsements) and is one of many sites all making similar claims. A website that contains an answer to your question, which is also referenced across other top links, all referring to your specific website, which other bloggers tout as an expert. Obviously the second scenario is preferable. Yes, your own blog post may reach the number one result in either search, but readers are likely to skim a few other top results. If all of the top sites are referring to you, and several even include a guest post from you, your own content will be much more easily accepted as authoritative. In the first search scenario, even if your content ranks highly, there will be other articles written by other authors, all making similar claims. This diminishes your perceived authority within a niche, to most readers browsing. Expand Your Blogger Network Every now and then, you’ll guest post for someone and the new connection you made turns out to be a home run. This new blogging contact can be someone who allows you to be an affiliate for their new product. They may follow you on social media and comment on all your posts. They may share your blog posts on their Twitter feed when they see it. It is difficult to make these types of valuable connections. One of the best ways to do this is by taking the time to write a guest post for someone’s site. For example, I recently met Chris Craft after he posted a comment in response to one of my articles. After some friendly chatting over email, I offered to do a guest post for his site InspireFirst. Read The Guest Post Expand Your Portfolio of Work Portfolios highlighting your best work are important for both individuals and companies. Consumers want to see for themselves the impact a brand has, especially when it’s accessible online. One of the benefits of guest blogging is enhancing that portfolio. The more valuable the information you share in your guests posts, the more this demonstrates expertise and experience within your industry. It can also function as a lead generation tool, since readers may also be interested in a service you describe or demonstrate in your guest post. In the previously mentioned guest post I did on InspireFirst, I created a custom infographic. I have already received a few emails from writers looking to collaborate, solely because they want me to create them their own evergreen infographic.

https://medium.com/digital-marketing-lab/the-best-platforms-to-build-your-personal-brand-528fad2c7f15

['Casey Botticello']

2020-11-13 04:07:28.593000+00:00

['Social Media', 'Technology', 'Writing', 'Business', 'Entrepreneurship']

100 Days to Amazon. 100 of the Most Commonly Asked…

Day 1 100 Days to Amazon Unique Triplets Hey Guys, From today. I am challenging myself to solve 1 problem each day for 100 days. Used up your free stories Here is my Friend Link. I am naming this series as 100 Days to Amazon. All these problems are taken from the following e-book. 🎓 This is completely free 🆓 if you have an amazon kindle subscription. Begin Your ascent to greatness🚀 Keep reading and you can find out the companies that have actually asked these questions in real interviews. Day 1– 3 Sum 🏁 AIM:🏹 Given an array nums of n integers, are there elements a, b, c in nums such that a + b + c = 0? Find all unique triplets in the array which gives the sum of zero Code👇 Algorithm👨‍🎓 Create two Lists and one TreeSet. Sort the given input array. using Arrays.sort() function. Create a for loop that iterates from 0 to n-2. Create two variables l and r. l is to iterate from the left and r is to iterate from the end. The logic behind this approach is after we have sorted that data. At any moment of time if the triplet sum is greater than the target value. Then we should search for the triplet before the given indices. Similarly, if the sum value is lesser than the target we should increase the iterator from the left. Now if the triplet equals the sum. Add the elements in a list (row).📃 Add that particular row into the tree set. When we save it in tree set. if we use contains function it results in O(1). So that retrieval it is more efficient. After looping ➰for all each iteration. Return the Result.🔚 Conclusion: Don’t forget to hit the follow button✅to receive updates when we post new coding challenges. Tell us how you solved this problem in the comments section below. 🔥 We would be thrilled to read them. ❤ I have published an ebook. A compilation of 100 Java(Interview) Programming problems which have been solved. (HackerRank) 🐱‍💻 This is completely free 🆓 if you have amazon kindle subscription. Companies Other Data Structure Articles you may like:

https://medium.com/javarevisited/100-days-to-amazon-day-1-b9e07228f079

['House Of Codes']

2020-04-04 13:18:57.495000+00:00

['Technology', 'Coding', 'Java', 'Careers', 'Programming']

A step-by-step guide for debugging memory leaks in Spark Applications

Just a bit of context We at Disney Streaming Services use Apache Spark across the business and Spark Structured Streaming to develop our pipelines. These applications run on the Databricks Runtime(DBR) environment which is quite user-friendly. One of our Structured Streaming Jobs uses flatMapGroupsWithState where it accumulates state and performs grouping operations as per our business logic. This job kept on crashing approximately every 3 days. Sometimes even less, and then after that, the whole application got restarted, because of the retry functionality provided by DBR environment. If this had been a normal batch job this would have been acceptable but in our case, we had a structured streaming job and a low-latency SLA to meet. This is the tale of our fight with OutOfMemory Exception(OOM) and how we tackled the whole thing. Below is the 10-step approach we as a department took to solving the problem: Step 1: Check Driver logs. What’s causing the problem? If a problem occurs resulting in the failure of the job, then the driver logs (which can be directly found on the Spark UI) will describe why the last retry of the task failed. If a task fails more than four (4) times (if spark.task.maxFailures = 4 ), then the reason for the last failure will be reported in the driver log, detailing why the whole job failed. In our case, it showed that the executor died and got disassociated. Hence the next step was to find out why. Step 2: Check Executor Logs. Why are they failing? In our executor logs, generally accessible via ssh, we saw that it was failing with OOM. We encountered two types of OOM errors: java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: GC Overhead limit exceeded java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space. Note: JavaHeapSpace OOM can occur if the system doesn’t have enough memory for the data it needs to process. In some cases, choosing a bigger instance like i3.4x large(16 vCPU, 122Gib ) can solve the problem. Another possible solution could be to tune the parameters to ensure consumption of what can be processed. What this essentially means is that enough memory must be available to process the amount of data to be processed in one batch. Step 3: Check Garbage Collector Activity We saw from our logs that the Garbage Collector (GC) was taking too much time and sometimes it failed with the error GC Overhead limit exceeded when it was trying to perform the full garbage collection. According to Spark documentation, G1GC can solve problems in some cases where garbage collection is a bottleneck. We enabled G1GC using the following configuration: spark.executor.extraJavaOptions: -XX:+UseG1GC Thankfully, this tweak improved a number of things: 1. Periodic GC speed improved. 2. Full GC was still too slow for our liking, but the cycle of full GC became less frequent. 3. GC Overhead limit exceeded exceptions disappeared. However, we still had the Java heap space OOM errors to solve. Our next step was to look at our cluster health to see if we could get any clues. Step 4: Check your Cluster health Databricks provide Ganglia for monitoring this purpose. Ganglia is a scalable distributed monitoring system for high-performance computing systems such as clusters and grids. Our Ganglia graphs looked something like this: Cluster Memory Screenshot from Ganglia provided by Databricks Worker_Memory Screenshot from Ganglia provided by Databricks The graphs tell us that the cluster memory was stable for a while, started growing, kept on growing, and then fell off the edge. What does that mean? 1. This was a stateful job so maybe we were not clearing out the state over time. 2. A memory leak could have occurred. Step 5: Check your Streaming Metrics Looking at our streaming metrics took us down the path of eliminating the culprits creating the cluster memory issue. Streaming metrics, emitted by Spark, provide information for every batch processed. It looks something like this: Note: These are not our real metrics. It's just an example. { "id" : "abe526d3-1127-4805-83e6-9c477240e36b", "runId" : "d4fec928-4703-4d74-bb9d-233fb9d45208", "name" : "display_query_114", "timestamp" : "2020-04-23T09:28:18.886Z", "batchId" : 36, "numInputRows" : 561682, "inputRowsPerSecond" : 25167.219284882158, "processedRowsPerSecond" : 19806.12856588737, "durationMs" : { "addBatch" : 26638, "getBatch" : 173, "getOffset" : 196, "queryPlanning" : 400, "triggerExecution" : 28359, "walCommit" : 247 }, "eventTime" : { "avg" : "2020-04-23T08:33:03.664Z", "max" : "2020-04-23T08:34:58.911Z", "min" : "2020-04-23T08:00:34.814Z", "watermark" : "2020-04-23T08:33:42.664Z" }, "stateOperators" : [ { "numRowsTotal" : 1079, "numRowsUpdated" : 894, "memoryUsedBytes" : 485575, "customMetrics" : { "loadedMapCacheHitCount" : 14400, "loadedMapCacheMissCount" : 0, "stateOnCurrentVersionSizeBytes" : 284151 } } Plotting stateOperators.numRowsTotal against event time, we noticed stability over time. Hence it eliminates the possibility that OOM is occurring because of the state being retained. The conclusion: a memory leak occurred, and we needed to find it. To do so, we enabled the heap dump to see what is occupying so much memory. Step 6: Enable HeapDumpOnOutOfMemory To get a heap dump on OOM, the following option can be enabled in the Spark Cluster configuration on the executor side: spark.executor.extraJavaOptions: -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -XX:HeapDumpPath=/dbfs/heapDumps Additionally, a path can be provided for heap dumps to be saved. We use this configuration because we can access it from the Databricks Platform. You can also access these files by ssh-ing into the workers and downloading them using tools like rsync. Step 7: Take Periodic Heap dumps Taking periodic heap dumps allow for analysis of multiple heap dumps to be compared with the OOM heap dumps. We took heap dumps every 12 hrs from the same executor. Once our executor goes into OOM, we would have at least two dumps available. In our case, executors were taking at least 24 hours to go into OOM. Steps to take periodic heap dump: 1. ssh into worker 2. Get Pid using top of the java process 3. Get Heapdump jmap -dump:format=b,file=pbs_worker.hprof <pid> 4. Provide correct permissions to Heapdump file. sudo chmod 444 pbs_worker.hprof 5. Download file on your local ./rsync -chavzP --stats ubuntu@<worker_ip_address>:/home/ubuntu/pbs_worker.hprof . Step 8: Analyze Heap Dumps Heap dump analysis can be performed with tools like YourKit or Eclipse MAT. In our case, heap dumps were large — in the range of 40gb or more. The size of the heap dumps made it difficult to analyze. There is a workaround that can be used to index the large files and then analyze them. Step 9: Find where it is leaking memory by looking at Object Explorer YourKit provides inspection of hprof files. If the problem is obvious, it will be shown in the inspection section. In our case, the problem was not obvious. Looking at our heap histogram, we saw many HashMapNode instances, but based on our business logic, didn’t deem the information too concerning. HeapHistogram Screenshot from Spark UI When we looked at the class and packages section in YourKit, we found the same results; as we had expected. HeapDump Analysis Screenshot from YourKit What took us by surprise was HashMap$Node[16384] growing over periodic heap dump files. Looking inside HashMap$Node[16384] revealed that these HashMaps were not related to business logic but the AWS SDK. Screenshot from YourKit A quick Google search and code analysis gave us our answer: we were not closing the connection correctly. The same issue has also been addressed on the aws-sdk Github issues. Step 10: Fix the memory leak By analyzing the heap dump, we were able to determine the location of the problem. While making a connection to Kinesis, we created a new Kinesis client for every partition when the connection was opened (general idea copied from databricks documentation): class KinesisSink extends ForeachWriter[SinkInput] { private var kinesisClient: KinesisClient = _ override def open(partitionId: Long, version: Long): Boolean = { val httpClient = ApacheHttpClient .builder() .build() kinesisClient = KinesisClient .builder() .region(Region.of(region)) .httpClient(httpClient) .build() true } override def process(value: KinesisSinkInput): Unit = { // process stuff } override def close(errorOrNull: Throwable): Unit = { kinesisClient.close() } } But in the case of closing the connection, we were closing only the KinesisClient: override def close(errorOrNull: Throwable): Unit = { kinesisClient.close() } The Apache Http client was not being closed. This resulted in an increasing number of Http clients being created and TCP connections being opened on the system, causing the issue discussed here. The aws-sdk documentation states that: * This provider creates a thread in the background to periodically update credentials. If this provider is no longer needed, We were able to prove it out using the following script: import $ivy.`software.amazon.awssdk:apache-client:2.13.37` // causes OOM (1 to 1e6.toInt).foreach { _ => software.amazon.awssdk.http.apache.ApacheHttpClient.builder.build() } // doesn't cause OOM (1 to 1e6.toInt).foreach { _ => software.amazon.awssdk.http.apache.ApacheHttpClient.builder.build().close() } What we needed to do was to close Apache HTTP client that we had created. override def close(errorOrNull: Throwable): Unit = { client.close() httpClient.close() } Conclusion What we’ve seen in this post is an example of how to diagnose a memory leak happening in a Spark application. If I faced this issue again, I would attach a JVM profiler to the executor and try to debug it from there. From this investigation, we got a better understanding of how Spark structured streaming is working internally, and how we can tune it to our advantage. Some lessons learned that are worth remembering: 1. Memory leaks can happen, but there is a number of things you can do to investigate them. 2. We need better tooling to read large hprof files. 3. If you open a connection, when you are done, always close it. 🙌

https://medium.com/disney-streaming/a-step-by-step-guide-for-debugging-memory-leaks-in-spark-applications-e0dd05118958

['Shivansh Srivastava']

2020-11-10 14:44:40.581000+00:00

['Apache Spark', 'Memory Leak', 'Technology', 'Debugging', 'Kinesis']

Android Development VS Web Development

Hello there, I am Omkar Ghotekar. I am a Software Engineer working in India. I am an expert in Web as well as in Android Development with almost 2 years of experience. Coming from a CS background it is hard to decide in which field to move on? Android or Web? So basically, I will say that totally is an independent choice. In what does your interests lies? So here are some questions that will let you decide your priorities??? Am I a newbie? What will matter more in my resume📝? What will guarantee me an excellent placement? Do I love intensive programming? How far I am willing to go? What is easy to learn. What is in more demand (Android | Web)? What will pay me more💰? So here are the 6 factors that I have listed out that will let you compare, what you want to choose Web Development / Android Development. Let’s Go!!! Learning Curve (What’s Easy) Funny fact!!! You have to learn both😂. Let’s differentiate according to the complexity of the projects you want to build. Simple Android Project → For building a simple Android Project you basically need Android Studio Software. Download an Emulator if you want. You additionally have to setup the libraries & sdk files. PS — Need a high end laptop*(explained further) , Learn Java, Kotlin or Dart*. Simple Web Project → You just need a simple Notepad & a simple browser for web development. Save it using .html extension and BOOM💥. You have created your first web development project. Add a little CSS to make it look beautiful. Additionally → For Android development you have to be updated with the new android system updates, otherwise your apps would be deprecated on play store. For advance Web projects you have to additionally learn Angular JS or Vue JS or maybe React Libraries. Placements (What’s beneficial) If you have some medium or high-level real-life Android/IOS applications mentioned in your CV, then it shows that you are passionate about coding or learning coding from scratch. Also shows that you haven’t wasted 4 years of your college by doing nothing. Also it shows your creativity as well as knowledge of Android as an Operating System is also been shown. If a company visits your campus🧑‍🎓, you definitely have an edge over others as in interviews the questions are more often asked about Android system. Even if you are not good at Data Structures & Algorithms📚, Android development could be your biggest advantage. Deploy a Production Web →If you are a student or a developer, GitHub is an excellent platform to deploy you web based projects. You can subscribe to the GitHub Student Pack for FREE. Personally, this has helped me a lot a developer. Stay tuned!!! Visit my profile to know more. Android → For hosting of apps there aren’t much free resources available. The standard way is you have to sign In Google Developer account and buy the subscription for 25$ (roughly 2000₹), then meet the Google requirements to host your app on play store. Additionally → There are many free and cool website that offer you free domain name and hosting other than GitHub. Also you can build your .apk file from Android Studio and share them via a sharing app with your friends and colleagues rather than hosting it. System Requirements Android → An Android Developer really requires a high-end i.e., minimum(4GB) RAM (I recommend 8GB or else you will get frustrated) *. Also, a minimum of i3 intel processor and a graphic card would be a plus point for developers😊. Web → Only a Notepad or Visual Studio Code (for better visualization) and a simple browser would be efficiently to run the web code smoothly. Supply VS Demand Here, Android Development has a significant edge over Web development. Let me explain you with an example. Example- From the early 90’s, websites are available on the internet. But in the last decade, mobile applications are taking a boom in the market. Every day we use multiple apps in our mobiles rather than visiting a website of the same, but many are still not available. Thus, the supply is very less for an Android developer and very less for an IOS developer. But in case of web development many web developers who have literally researched in the field of web development are readily available. Thus even if you are from Tier-3 college, you can get a job in a Product Based Company with hefty package based on the skillset of an Android / IOS developer. Salary💸(Package) This totally depends upon Product Based or Service Based company you are placed in. Product Based → In these types of companies, you usually enter as Software Engineer. You get to choose your field if you want Android or Web. Also, in Web Development you can get to choose as a Backend or Frontend developer, or a Full Stack developer. Task is assigned, you learn and go for it. Basically, the salary of Software Engineer ranges between 6LPA to 14LPA for freshers and increased beyond. Service Based → In these companies, you are entitled to a single post like Java developer, Android or Web developer, etc. Thus, your packages get divided too. But in Service Based companies too, Android Developer’s supply is less whereas package offered is more than normal. Usually, the package offered is in between 3LPA to 8LPA. Conclusion So, Guys after reading this, I guess your doubts have been resolved regarding what to choose between Web and Android Development. Do not waste much time thinking and just go for it!!! Just master what you like & you would be unstoppable🚀. I have done and continuously doing some Android and Web development projects in college and showcasing them on GitHub. Go there and star⭐ the repository if you like them!!! If you any doubt, reach out to me on LinkedIn(https://www.linkedin.com/in/omkar-ghotekar-2a9a1219b/) or Twitter(https://twitter.com/GhotekarOmkar) and we will surely discuss them. Thank You.

https://medium.com/@omkarghotekar/android-development-vs-web-development-reality-or-fantasy-c76c85f930db

['Omkar Somnath Ghotekar']

2020-12-25 08:22:20.108000+00:00

['Android App Development', 'Web', 'Android', 'Web Development', 'Technology']

Go Green Go Solar…

I was usually very much close to the mother nature since my childhood and this platform helped me to make other people concerned about today’s environment which led to the excessive usage of masks and all not only due to Covid-19 pandemic but also due to the constant increase in pollution. I also read some articles regarding how to decrease the pollution rate when I came across the idea of turning up a business where we can utilize the solar power for the population to such an extent that it can lead to a new pollution-free world. The company will import raw materials from U.S and European countries and then further manufacture and modify them in such a way that it would be more beneficial to us, without even harming the environment. As the world is changing, so is it’s technology. To replace the convenient methods, the solar power is taken into account. And, for now, there is a high opportunity in the techno-market just because it has more demand. If the cost price be low it can easily be purchased by a customer. The manufacture of such goods can offer less educated people employment, and to enable them to buy at the right price. We are mainly focusing on our country’s economy and employment. But apart from manufacturing part, there is a lot more, like we have designing and mechanical part for which learned men have their job opportunities. And for this one must know basic photo-voltaic system operation and electronic circuits properly. Electronics software engineering is one of the basic knowledge that one needs to acquire to pursue their jobs. presence of sensors in the solar panel to detect sunlight Sunray sensored device which constantly changes the angle when they detect the change of angle of the sunrays are some of the most innovative ideas regarding this. The employment is high for manufacturing as well as the designing part. People with innovative ideas are motivated. Workers will be given salary monthly. If you are willing to give a start to yourself in this business, you can surely do. So here are the necessary tips to start a solar business in India. Market researching The first thing you need to do while starting your business is to do a research work on the market conditions. Research regarding the market competitors, incurring costs, raw materials for solar energy products will make you as a better competitor in the race. A strong market player in your interest area can be a tough competitor for you in the field. Then choose a particular business according to your convenience and the market needs. Starting with a business plan First you make a blueprint of your esteemed plan so that no issues might happen during its plan. Business plan involves the land, labour, building and overall finance needed for running a business. License and Certification You must be eligible enough to apply for such license and certification. They include: TIN number. The article of Association. An article of Memorandum. Certificate of Commencement. The article of Association and Article of Memorandum are the two major certification or documents which you will need for the commencement of business. Recruitment of manpower For this you need a competent human resource for the better manpower of your business set-up. A hardworking team will lead you to achieve the success at a very earlier stage who would bring up the profits. Advertisements and promotion Marketing strategies play a vital role in this perspective. Promoting your solar power business company in offline as well as online because you will find more audience on the social media platform than in offline basis. The government has multiplied its target and aims to achieve 100 GW of solar panel capacity by 2022 which is a great initiative taken by the government of India. GRID CONNECTED SOLAR ROOFTOP PROGRAM: Somehow, the photo-voltaic cells are very expensive for which the total budget becomes higher. Although there is enough human resources, there are very few people who can afford such high costs. Although there is Zero maintenance cost, there is a high cost for the set up and implementation. So it would be successful mainly for the business tycoons, otherwise risky. But if you are able to do it, you are a true entrepreneur and must start accomplishing the new business which would be economical in the long run. Overall, it’s very indulging and a great experience, making us involved in such a new idea like making a blog for the first time. And also heartiest thanks goes to the CSE DEPT. of the BENNETT UNIVERSITY for giving such support throughout the entire course.

https://medium.com/@anishd0102/go-green-go-solar-1b480afc0cb9

['Anish Das']

2020-12-19 19:00:06.832000+00:00

['Sustainability', 'Nature And Technology', 'Solar Energy']

How to Leverage AI for a World beyond COVID-19

AI is great at speeding up processes, generating deeper insights, reducing costs, and increasing sales. So say dozens of interviewees from twenty countries and multiple companies, according to our ongoing research. But this isn’t actually news — areas and industries all around the world are already leveraging AI with great results. On a grander scale, localized implementations in manufacturing, healthcare, and infrastructure could have sweeping positive impact. Instead of building new roads to reduce traffic, for example, we could use AI to coordinate private and public transport routes on existing roads, saving time and construction costs. But before we can move ahead with change, we have to get people onboard. Data suggest that to create an AI-positive mindset in the greater population, investing shouldn’t just target R&D — it should target learning, too. China, the country leading the charge towards an AI-friendly future, has set a goal for 100% of school children to become competent in computer science by 2025. COVID-19 has increased the need for us all to internalize the value of AI, and luckily, global institutions are catching on. The worldwide need for recovery has accelerated investments in AI everywhere. But it won’t be a quick switch. Here are three things that all of us — investors, institutions, and laymen alike — need to understand about AI to leverage its evolution. Tech Takes Time Though technology has a reputation for speed and acceleration, technological breakthroughs take decades to make a difference to the aggregate economy. Cars started appearing at the turn of the century, but it would be years before complementary investments such as asphalt roads, traffic lights, and mechanics gave value to the motor industry. What does this equate to when we’re talking about AI in 2020? In the same way that cars benefitted from roads and mechanics, AI will need infrastructure and data scientists. But that’s not all. Consider that AI is fed by data in the same way a car is fed by refined oil. That means we need data, zillions of data from multiple sources, all refined in the same format. Complementarity creates coordination of the ecosystem. The data generated by economic indicators, patent registration, career consultants, and even innovation courses at business schools must be collected, analyzed, and shared. The more people who invest in AI, the quicker AI will evolve, and the sooner we can put it to use out there in the world. Variety Is Everything A coordinated ecosystem for AI depends on varied data, but variety in data sources is vastly helpful, as well. That is to say, we need different people investing in AI in different ways. We need both private and public investments — as per cars, we need private gas stations as much as public roads. For AI, that equates to private organizational capital for platforms or sensors that collect data, as well as public physical capital from institutions to define cooperation standards and promote insights. Without variety, we’ll end up with biased data, and that would do more harm than good in the long run. Distribute Far and Fairly Even with time and varied data, a fair distribution of resources and capabilities to develop AI (and the eventual product of that development) is absolutely necessary. For that, we need coordination. Any transition that involves millions of people has to be coordinated — from investment to implementation — between private entities and governments. Overlooking or trivializing this aspect of AI implementation could have serious repercussions. This is already being proven by the AI Economist, a Salesforce research project unveiled in April 2020 that applies machine learning to economic models. Researchers are well aware of how marginalized groups will be difficult for hyper-rational AI to understand due to the simple fact that those groups are in the minority. There is even a concern that AI may sacrifice them for what it may perceive to be the greater good. In short, machines cannot interpret data or distribute AI benefits fairly on their own. For AI to best serve everyone, everyone must be involved from early stage development to aggregate implementation. Bottom Line: Put Empathy to Work As much as we know that AI can make a huge impact on society, we also know that humans are required to develop and maintain it. AI doesn’t have empathy, and it can’t interpret data. Fortunately, people are very good at that. If we have patience, ensure varied data, and coordinate to assure the fair distribution of resources, the world will be primed to reap the benefits of AI throughout the pandemic and beyond. While it may seem like a lot of work lies ahead, we already have working models for technological innovation. The three-pronged technology-strategy-psychology model, for one, will help ensure we keep a balanced view as AI develops. We also have a model for implementation based on three axes: industry-spanning research, complex system thinking, and powerful decision making. With all the negative changes COVID-19 has brought, data show that motivation is high for transformation. Now is the moment to leverage AI through global coordination and education. Originally published in Globis Insights https://globisinsights.com/tech-innovation/leverage-ai-beyond-covid-19/

https://medium.com/@giuliotoscani/how-to-leverage-ai-for-a-world-beyond-covid-19-4d69a67a9157

['Giulio Toscani']

2020-12-24 08:02:38.236000+00:00

['Artificial Intelligence', 'Technology', 'Recovery', 'Strategy', 'Covid 19']

Spotify and the threat of Big Tech

Is regulation the right answer? Bundling of products is the problem, not monopoly power. Spotify’s business has a fundamental problem. How can it be fixed? In my previous blog, I discussed how the bundling of products can be monopolistic. I argued that the tech industry has matured enough and that the larger players in the industry are here to stay. This industry has become more like the railway industry or the telecom industry with its large companies that are able to control access and create very high barriers to entry for any new player. However, the reality is that the tech industry is very different from the railway industry, and technology is still improving at an incredible speed and new companies with new ideas are still able to disrupt the industry. Is regulation the right answer? The problem with a monopoly-like company is that it can exert pressure on a smaller player and try to push it out of the market, and this can hurt innovation and harm the consumer in the long run. However, many of the tech industry’s big players today are champions that made irrelevant an incumbent juggernaut. A Big Tech company may try vigorously to defend its space in the market but fail to see that it is slowly becoming irrelevant. Mobile phones and tablets did it to the PC, Android and iOS did it to Windows, Whatsapp has done that to email and SMS, and this pattern doesn’t stop when we look at other industries. In transportation, airline travel has made irrelevant the long ocean journey of a century ago. So it could be argued that the markets are self-correcting and the monopoly of the big players is nothing but a mirage which is often a distraction for them. But at the same time, it is not hard to see that Big Tech companies do have the power to hurt many of the smaller players and the government should ensure that the playing field is fair enough for the new entrants to at least have a chance, since the question of whether or not the Big Tech companies will become irrelevant is a long run question, and as Keynes famously said, we are all dead in the long run. Rules around data privacy, product bundling, app store policy around fairness should be taken a closer look at and regulators should work with these companies more closely to understand the need for the industry. Bundling is the problem, not monopoly power. For Spotify, the headache is Amazon Prime and Apple One bundles that are offered as a monthly paid membership for which you get access to multiple services like video streaming, cloud storage, and music. The bigger players have the power to reduce their prices and hurt Spotify, which may only hurt their profits, but which for Spotify will create an existential crisis. For a company like Spotify, that is not a good position to be in. A company cannot be great if it exists at the mercy of its competitors. Note that the Amazon Prime bundle competes with Apple One bundle, and Google and Microsoft could also build on their existing subscription service, Google One and Office 365, that could offer products to compete with Spotify. And these bundles will keep growing larger and offer more and more products that we use daily, keeping the consumer locked into an ecosystem switching from which will be incredibly hard. The case that a monopoly exists against Spotify is weak as all these bundles are competing with each other. Spotify is simply hurt by their bundling practice which offers customers things other than just music, and to an extent forces customers to use the products in the bundle. Regulation to curb bundling practices will help. It will make Netflix more competitive with Apple TV+, will make Spotify more competitive with Apple Music, and will encourage other app developers to come forward with better ideas and give them the power to monetize it more easily, which will accelerate innovation in this space. It will decrease the power of the Big Tech companies as it will increase competition which will ultimately benefit the consumer. But, it could also harm the consumer as the products in these bundles will now cost more individually. And the advantages associated with being in one ecosystem and having compatibility and synchronization capability will be potentially lost. The nightmare doesn’t end there. But the problems of Spotify don’t end there. In the space of media content, Spotify is unlike Netflix. Spotify’s product, music, is a commodity like product that you can get on other services too. And this makes those bundles even more of an attractive choice. Netflix, which successfully competes with Prime Video and Apple TV+ has an advantage only because it’s original content is only available on its own service. Netflix is fundamentally offering something that the competition does not; a movie you love, a TV show you crave. What could Spotify do in an environment where it is competing against larger players. A moat around Spotify, if one exists, is a narrow one. Spotify has to aim to provide a more differentiated product. How can it do that? Build an excellent user interface. But that is only a start, and it’s insufficient. Can Spotify sign exclusive deals with artists? Spotify has no control over third-party providers of their content. The music industry has a high level of concentration, which means that one or a small number of entities may, on their own, take actions that can adversely affect Spotify’s business. As of December 2019, 82% of Spotify’s streams are licensed from just four companies, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Merlin.¹ Can Spotify offer bonus tracks from my favorite artists that I cannot find on other platforms? Sign exclusive deals with popular podcasts. Many more deals like the Joe Rogan deal will help a lot. An AI technology that offers better recommendations of music based on user taste is also a differentiator and something people will be willing to pay extra for. Encourage users to create music and share it with friends. The ability to share dance moves for popular music, in short-form video format, something like TikTok. Karaoke. Possible merger or acquisitions that would allow it to offer other services in a bundle. Bundle agreements with Walmart, Netflix? How can switching costs be increased? Spotify’s family plan has helped increase switching costs. Personal playlists also have that same effect. End of the year stats and playlist of most listened to songs also encourages music enthusiasts to stick with the service. More could be done. It is one thing to have a lot of new users signup. Will Spotify be able to keep those users year after year? Can it leverage network effect to build a wider moat around its business? I fear that Spotify will become like Dropbox, a cloud storage service that was exciting to use when it was first launched, but that excitement fizzled when Google Drive was launched.

https://medium.com/@krhsregulus/spotify-and-its-discontents-fa1d3aecb638

['Krhs Regulus']

2021-02-07 21:43:52.488000+00:00

['Regulation', 'Spotify', 'Music', 'Economics', 'Technology']

Unlikely ways brands are using technology to become more human

The last ten years has seen a major shift in the dynamic between brands and consumers. Advertising and marketing used to be a one-way conversation, where brands did the talking. But the growth of social media has given consumers a voice, and a public platform to question, challenge and engage with brands. Some companies chose to play and discovered the benefits of having two-way conversations, while others struggled with the idea of losing control, and in turn, lost more power. United goes off-key In 2008, singer Dave Carroll was on a United Airlines flight when his $3,500 Taylor guitar was damaged by airline staff. After a year of looking for compensation, Carroll wrote a song titled ‘United breaks guitars’. The music video went viral and today it’s been viewed over 16 million times. The media got hold of the story and Dave gave over 200 TV and radio interviews. United’s stock price took a 10% hit — a drop in value of $180 million. While United hit a bad note, other brands started singing a different tune. They adopted more human-like qualities and began using social media to genuinely engage with customers. This is how they did it: Tesco Mobile has taken to Twitter Tesco Mobile is differentiating itself with a more human persona on social media. With its downmarket reputation, people used to think of the brand as cheap and unfashionable. But equipped with the power of social media and a sense of humour, they were able to change perspectives. Adopting a cheeky and charming tone on Twitter, people started to see the brand in a new, fun way. “We encourage our team to be themselves and relate to customers — it’s all about the informal banter.” Matt Kennedy, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Tesco Mobile For example, back in June 2013, one customer tweeted, “When you call someone and it goes through to their Tesco Mobile voicemail… LOL.” And Tesco Mobile quickly responded with, “When you realise your mates are ignoring you… LOL.” With over 11,000 retweets and 7,000 favourites, this sassy tweet is typical of conversations Tesco Mobile are having with their customers. Their edgy attitude has allowed them to connect with a wider audience — even non-customers. Tesco Mobile now have over 80,000 followers and with every tweet, they are building brand engagement, loyalty and trust. Behind the scenes with Mercedes-Benz Many luxury brands, including Mercedes, use Instagram to share pixel-perfect lifestyle or product images. Now, with the launch of Instagram Stories, they have started to showcase an alternate, more human side. In August 2016 Mercedes ran a photoshoot in Germany to promote their AMG range. The official photographs from the shoot were breathtaking, with dramatic mountains and starry skies. But what gave this shoot an unexpected twist was the ‘behind the scenes’ footage captured to create an Instagram Story. Mercedes gave the audience a glimpse into the reality behind the brand. They introduced the producer and showed the lengths they go to to create those flawless shots. It was open, honest and extremely confident. Mercedes were showing that they have nothing to hide. In fact, by allowing consumers to see how they create the luxury effect, they earned even more brand respect. The soft side of Microsoft Humanity even makes a welcome reappearance in conventional marketing campaigns. When Microsoft launched their latest operating system, Windows 10, they switched their advertising approach from focusing on the technology, to something more emotional — babies. “In all our campaigns it’s real people doing real things… not so much about the product.” Kathleen Hall, Corporate Vice President of Global Advertising and Media, Microsoft. Their campaign, the future starts now, focused less on the specific features of the product and more on how technology will change lives of the next generation. This intention of humanising the technology giant couldn’t be more apparent with the campaign’s carefully crafted strapline, “Windows 10 — a more human way to do”. Revealing a more human side to the brand really paid off. The emotive campaign resonated with people and the recall and brand metrics showed positive results. Can brands and consumers be friends? All too often brands feel like… brands. They sound like businesses talking to other businesses. Psychologist Robert Cialdini explains that consumers want to buy from a friend rather than an unknown salesperson — the strength of a social bond is more likely to determine a sale, rather than love of the product. Consumers want brands to engage with them, to inspire them and help them achieve their goals and ambitions. Whether it’s communicating on a personal level or simply choosing to put the customer first — there is great strength in being human. So what does this mean for the future? Voice-powered virtual assistants, underpinned by artificial intelligence, like Siri and Alexa are becoming ever-more popular. But there remains a question over their ability to hold conversations with users, the way real people can do. Microsoft researchers are currently trying to humanise virtual assistants by studying multilingual speech. Innovators are using machine learning and real-time data analytics to make virtual assistants understand multiple languages, accents, contexts and nuances to hold more human-like conversations. Looking forward to the next ten years, the social dynamic between brands and consumers will continue to evolve. As technology proliferates, humanity will prevail. The more complex and high-tech advertising and marketing becomes, the more human your brand needs to be to truly connect with people. But the question is, how will brands continue to become more human? And who will be in the driving seat — real people or artificial intelligence? Who knows? I’ll ask Alexa…

https://medium.com/nowtrending/unlikely-ways-brands-are-using-technology-to-become-more-human-b6dc8a32dc68

['Nicola Thompson']

2017-08-21 14:18:04.948000+00:00

['Brands', 'Social Media', 'Technology', 'Advertising']

Content Projection with Angular

Photo by Jeremy Yap on Unsplash I’m Jeffry Houser, a developer in the content engineering group at Disney Streaming Services. My team builds content portals that allow editors to create magic for our customers in the video services we power. Today I’m going to write about content projection, sometimes called transclusion, in Angular. My team was building an application that needed a context sensitive header. The header had a lot of common elements, such as navigation and a user image, but also had parts that would change based on the screen currently displayed. Our solution was to build a component that used content projection. It allows us to encapsulate the shared elements into a component, while also letting us inject our own HTML into the component so we could customize as needed. I’ll show you how we did it. Setup Your Angular Project To follow these instructions, you’ll need to create an empty Angular project. If you don’t have it, I’d start by installing the Angular CLI using these instructions. The next step is to create the project with this command: ng new You’ll see something like this: I created this project using Angular 7. It is named Transclusion02 , which is part of my own internal naming structure. You can name the project whatever you like. I also enabled routing and used CSS for this sample. Create Some Angular Routes The next step is to create some Angular routes. Each route will be represented by a component. Use the Angular CLI to generate a view component: ng generate component view1 You’ll see something like this: Now generate a second view component: ng generate component view2 You’ll see something like this: Now we have to make a few app changes. Open the src/app/app-routing.module.ts . Find the routes array, which should be blank: const routes: Routes = []; Change this to add some default routes: const routes: Routes = [ { path: 'view1', component: View1Component }, { path: 'view2', component: View2Component}, { path: '**', redirectTo: '/view1' } ]; Now we have one route for each view, and a default route that points to view1. Open up app.component.html , delete all the content and replace it with this: <a routerLink="/view1" >View 1</a> | <a routerLink="/view2" >View 2</a> <router-outlet></router-outlet> This will allow us to run the app and navigate between the routes: ng serve Open your browser to see the default view: Click the View 2 link: Run the app yourself and click around, I’ll be here when you’re ready to continue. Create the Header The next step is to create a header component. This is the structure we’re going to create The header component will contain some navigation on the left, and a user profile image on the right. The center of the component will contain our context sensitive information. Create the component: ng generate component header You’ll see something like this: Let’s get to work implementing the header component. We’re going to put our HTML in the header.component.html and CSS in header.component.css , both in the src/app/header directory. Start with the HTML and add a div wrapper: <div class="header"> </div> The header wraps all the content in the component. It is primarily there to set up the FlexBox as you see with the CSS: .header{ width: 100%; display: flex; } The width property makes sure that the header expands to fill 100% of the available space. The display property sets the container to use Flexbox display containers, which allow containers to expand or collapse to fill the available space. Inside the header wrapper, add the first column, a header-nav : <div class="header-nav"> <a routerLink="/view1" >View 1</a> | <a routerLink="/view2" >View 2</a> </div> This segment includes the navigation links that we created earlier that allow us to switch between the two views. Here is the CSS: .header-nav{ order: 1; width: 20%; } The width is set to 20% of the parent container’s available space. The order property says that this div is the first one to appear in the Flexbox alignment. While we’re at it be sure to remove the navigation links from src/app/app.component.html , so the file looks just like this: <router-outlet></router-outlet> Back to the header.component.html component, add the middle content: <div class="header-context"> Context sensitive something here </div> This div is a placeholder for the dynamic content that will be set at runtime. We’ll loop back to this in the next section when I show you how to set up content projection. The CSS is for this block is simple: .header-context{ order: 2; width: 80%; } The order is set to 2. The width is set to 80%. Simple stuff. Finally, add a header profile image. In this case, I’m just hard coding my initials and putting them in a circle: <div class="header-profile-wrapper"> <div class="header-profile"> JH </div> </div> A user profile link or menu will be more complex in a real app, but I just wanted to add a visual placeholder. The header-profile-wrapper CSS: .header-profile-wrapper{ width: 20%; order: 3; } The order is set to 3. The width is set to 80%. Finally, add the CSS for the header-profile: .header-profile{ float: right; width: 32px; height: 32px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-radius: 50px; text-align: center; line-height: 2; } I used float to align the div to the right. A height and width to is set to 32 pixels. A solid black border is used with a border-radius of 50px. The border radius is what makes the final result look like a circle. The text is centered inside that circle with text-align , and I added a line-height to 2. The line-height value doubles the size of the text, relative to the current font. Re-run the app and you should see something like this: Try to navigate between views and everything should be working fine. Set Up Content Projection The last step is to set up the header component to support content projection. Open up the header.component.html file. Find our header-context div: <div class="header-context"> Context sensitive something here </div> Remove the text inside the div and replace it with the ng-content tag, like this: <div class="header-context"> <ng-content></ng-content> </div> That’s it, now any of the content that exists inside the app-header tag will show up here. Let me demonstrate by modifying the app-header in src/app/view1/view1.component.html : <app-header> <div style="text-align: center; width:100%"> View 1 </div> </app-header> This adds a div inside the app-header tag. Content is centered using text-align and the width is set to 100%: We can set up something different for view 2 inside the src/app/view1/view2.component.html tag: <app-header> Welcome to View 2 </app-header> You’ll see something like this: Using content projection like this is super easy to set up, but very powerful. What are some use cases for Content Projection? I showed you some basics on how to set up Content Projection, but now what would you use it for? Anytime you want to inject any kind of HTML into a component, you can do so with content projection. Here are a few possible use cases of things you may want to inject: Custom Text : You might use it to add a custom or message on each screen, as I demonstrated in the previous section with view 2. : You might use it to add a custom or message on each screen, as I demonstrated in the previous section with view 2. Custom HTML : You can use content projection to send HTML to your component, just as I did with view 1, injecting a div that centered the text inside it. : You can use content projection to send HTML to your component, just as I did with view 1, injecting a div that centered the text inside it. Form Inputs: You could use it to add a search filter on top of a grid screen, like this: <app-header> <input type="text" placeholder="Filter Text Here" (keyup)="filterSomeGrid($event)"> </app-header> And you’ll see something like this: This snippet shows off a great use case for this approach because the main component interacts with the projected content, with little control over it’s placement on the page, while the app-header component knows how to place the input on the page but does not interact with it. Custom Components: Just like you can project HTML elements into a component with content projection, you can also project custom Angular components. Let’s create a new component and I’ll show you how: ng generate component projected-text You’ll see something like this: For the purposes of this quick sample, I’m not going to modify the new projected-text component. You can add it like this: <app-header> <app-projected-text></app-projected-text> </app-header> You’ll see results like this: · Wrap Inputs: The ng material library’s form field component uses content projection to wrap a traditional form field. The mat-form-field lets you apply common text field styles such as underlines, floating labels, hint, or error messages to your input. Here is a sample that adds a hint label: <mat-form-field hintLabel=”Max 10 characters”> <input matInput maxlength=”10" placeholder=”Enter some input”> </mat-form-field> You’ll see something like this: This approach is used by multiple components throughout the ng material library. Multiple Slot projection The examples I showed to date tell you how to inject a single snippet of HTML into an Angular component, but Angular has the ability to inject multiple snippets. This section will create an expanded header to create a title and content. First, create a new view: ng generate component view-expanded You should see this: Then, create an expanded header: ng generate component header-expanded You’ll see something like this: First, open the src/app/header/header.component.html and add a link to the new route as part of the header-nav section: <a routerLink="/viewExpanded" >Expanded View</a> <br/> Open the src/app/app-routing.module.ts to add the route to the routes array: {path: 'viewExpanded', component: ViewExpandedComponent}, Now, copy the src/app/header/header.component.css to the src/app/header-expanded/header-expanded.component.css , and the src/app/header/header.component.html to the src/app/header-expanded/header-expanded.component.html . At the beginning of the header-expanded.component.html add a header-title section: <div class="header-title"> <ng-content select=".title"></ng-content> </div> The rest of the HTML can stay the same. Notice that the ng-content tag has a select property with the value .title . This is a CSS selector and it will be used to distinguish the title projected content from the other projected content. Put some CSS For this in the header-expanded.component.css : .header-title{ width: 100%; text-align: center; } Now, open src/app/view-expanded/view-expanded.component.html . Add the app-header-expanded to the top of the component: <app-header-expanded> <h1 class="title">This is the title</h1> <p>Other Injected Content</p> </app-header-expanded> First, there is an h1 with the class named title. This is not a CSS class I defined in the application anywhere, this is used by the HeaderExpandedComponent to select this element and place it at the ng-content area with the .title selector. The paragraph with no specified CSS will be injected at the ng-content spot where no select property is specified. Run the app and you’ll see this: Final Thoughts I don’t use content projection much in normal application development, but it can be a very powerful tool when you are building components intended for reuse. It was the perfect choice to meet our requirements, which mixed some static, consistent header elements with some ever changing elements dependent upon which screen it would be a part of. As I showed with the multiple projection sample it can get rather complex if you need it, and I see it used extensively in frameworks such as ng material.

https://medium.com/disney-streaming/content-projection-with-angular-dbc61c6c181

['Jeffry Houser']

2019-01-31 21:54:26.764000+00:00

['Application Development', 'Angular', 'Web Development', 'Technology']

Visions From the Neobiological Frontier

Was there an aha moment that made you realize humans are on the cusp of a “neobiological revolution”? What trends/examples were you seeing that inspired you to found NEO.LIFE? The neobiological revolution has been taking shape for the past 15 years, starting with the sequencing of the human genome. But it was really once we started being able to edit and reprogram DNA that things started to get interesting. At the same time, we started to map the brain and develop tools for not only seeing individual neurons, but to interpret brain signals and reprogram them. We can see inside organs and follow pathways we never knew existed before. We can engineer bacteria and viruses, synthesize and reprogram proteins and use Yamanaka factors to rejuvenate cells. We have massive amounts of data, not only from medical records and DNA sequencing, but also from the inputs we get from the sensors in our watches and rings, in our shirts and our diapers, in our brains and our pills. And thanks to that, we’re training neural networks and creating algorithms to parse big data sets, and finding not just correlations, but causations, and predict which treatments will work. And with our smart phones, we have a massive distribution network for pushing out new apps to monitor, educate, train, predict, prevent, and cure diseases. My aha moment came at Daniel Kraft’s Exponential Medicine conference in 02015, when I realized that today, people in medicine and life sciences not only have deep knowledge and understanding and extensive training in human biology, but also data and computer skills. Suddenly I realized this is the next stage of the digital revolution, only this time we are engineering life. And amazingly enough, many of the people at the forefront of this revolution don’t have the bandwidth to see beyond the enormous problem they’re solving in the field they’re so deeply entrenched in. I found myself telling a neuroscientist things she didn’t know about genetics. Or a longevity researcher about synthetic biology developments. And no one seemed to be paying enough attention to the role of nutrition. So that’s why I started NEO.LIFE: to help connect the dots among all these siloed disciplines; to identify the extraordinary scientists and innovators who are pioneering new biological solutions; and to help build a community and create some perspective on where this could and should (or should not) be going. Is there a particular neobiological-related project you’ve come across lately that has been especially eye-opening in terms of getting you excited about the future? There are stories every day that excite and inspire me, and choosing just one is impossible. But there are a couple of projects that really blow my mind. There is a company in Pittsburgh called Lygenesis, who are harnessing the liver’s ability to regenerate itself to save patients with end stage liver disease. They do it by using the body’s lymph nodes as mini bioreactors that can convert stem cells into liver cells. So in effect, they can engineer multiple livers within an animal. They’ve done it in mice and larger mammals and are preparing for human clinical trials. Another example is in the field of synthetic biology, where the company Novo Nutrients is using symbiotic bacteria and gas bioreactors to convert carbon dioxide into industrial fish feed at a fraction of the cost, with greater availability and eventually higher nutritional quality. I’m pretty excited about reengineering longevity, too. And I think we will learn so much about the diseases of aging in the next five years. The work at David Sinclair’s lab at Harvard is particularly exciting, as is the work at a company like BioAge, who are using historical data from blood banks combined with bioinformatics and machine learning to uncover previously unknown pathways of aging and identify the drugs that can impact those pathways. And that’s not to mention the brain-computer interfaces being developed at a company like Openwater. Or the potential for growing human organs inside pigs for human transplant patients. The list goes on. We have a lot of work to do at NEO.LIFE! NEO.LIFE has been publishing a popular newsletter and online articles about the neobiological revolution for a few years now. Why do a book? Digital media gives us access to all the world’s information. But sometimes the bigger trends and the bigger picture get lost in the torrent. People get stuck in their disciplines. And not a lot of people are doing Google searches on the term “neobiological revolution”! I have always loved big ideas supported by deep reporting and excellent writing, and wrapped in beautiful design. The work we’re covering is so foundational to our future that we wanted to capture this moment in time, and establish a baseline for what we know today, and where we hope these tools can take us. So we created a beautiful object that can sit on a coffee table or in a waiting room for all kinds of people to discover today or years from now. Think of it as an artifact for future humans, or in Long Now terms, a time capsule. We had to make it something people would pick up out of curiosity and read with a sense of wonder and hope. We hope it sparks conversations all over the world. Despite its promise, many find this emerging frontier terrifying, and raise questions around ethics, potential misuse, and unintended consequences. I imagine you hear these concerns all the time. What do you say in response? I’m still untangling the difference between ethics and morals. The science exists and isn’t stopping. The opportunities are vast and we will wonder some day in the future why we would ever have questioned a parent’s right to edit an embryo to prevent a genetically inherited disease. Or why we poured so many resources into raising animals that we then killed to eat and ship all over the world when we could have simply grown our proteins in a bioreactor down the street. As for misuse, there are lots of people thinking about this all day long. Anything can be misused, from a box cutter to an airplane to a bacterial editing tool. We have to learn responsible use of these technologies and teach our values to the next generation — or perhaps learn new values from the next generation. Evolving a comprehensive set of guidelines and regulations will not be easy, since every nation, every culture, and every genetic propensity will have its own interpretation of what’s right. What’s important is to have these conversations now and bake as many of our universal values into our technologies as we can, upfront. And then design, test, analyze, and adjust as we go along. NEO.LIFE: 25 Visions For the Future of Our Species is available for purchase here.

https://medium.com/the-long-now-foundation/visions-from-the-neobiological-frontier-2a786868d523

['Ahmed Kabil']

2020-04-13 13:12:26.917000+00:00

['Genomics', 'Biotechnology', 'Biology', 'Technology', 'Science']

What Can App Developers Do to Improve In-App Security?

Not so long ago, security experts uncovered a Trojan virus called Gustuff designed especially for Android phones. Gustuff phished data and automated transactions of over 100 Android banking apps. And that’s only one such security threat the world’s most popular smartphone operating system faced. Competition is no longer the biggest challenge Android developers face. It’s security. Also quite recently, a new report states that pre-installed apps on Android phones put users’ privacy at serious risk. Developers can no longer shirk off responsibility. Read below to learn more about security threats Android apps face and what developers can do about it: Security Threats Android Apps Face Computers mainly face security threats from the web. The Android operating system, on the other hand, faces threats mainly from applications. Malicious parties use apps to surreptitiously install malware on users’ phones. App developers, though, need to worry more about malicious hackers trying to infiltrate their systems. Android apps exist in the APK file format, which is intended to compress programs to save space. This file format does not have any in-built forms of protection. As a result, anyone with some technical knowledge can decompile an APK file and get access to the code. Then it will be possible to create tools to pilfer data from preinstalled apps. App developers who build data collection tools into their apps should be particularly concerned about malicious hackings. When you run a commercial app, the last thing you want is a cyber-thief to exploit your app. Consumers will not return to your product after a hacker exploits it. Remember, if your app has an online access version for computers, like the Whatsapp desktop messaging program offers, your app would be even more vulnerable to hacking. If the desktop version is hacked, it’s not impossible that the Android version might be too. While Alphabet, the owner of Android, includes some tools to secure APK code, it’s really up to app developers to keep their own programs secure. Read on to learn more about these security tools. What Can App Developers Do? Don’t just leave app security in the hands of Android. Do the following to make your apps secure starting from the early stages of development: Use SSL Certificate Sometimes, simple and easy is the way to go. You should make the connection between the app and it’s the web somewhat safe with HTTPS. This licensing system encrypts data transmitted by your website, making it significantly less hackable. Using an SSL certificate is a simple and easy method to indicate that a developer takes app security seriously. This method, though, is not wholly secure. Malicious actors can still gain access. To completely prevent data theft, keep reading below. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication Who has access to your app? For most companies, the answer is anyone. Authentication, not authorization, is essential to prevent malicious users from gaining access. For example, if the developers banned a user for stealing, what’s stopping that same user from accessing the app again? Authentication allows apps developers to ensure that the person logging in is who they say they are. Multi-factor authentications protect both the developers and the users. Developers who whose multi-factor authentication are less likely to get attacked by Trojan horses, keyloggers, or any type of smokescreen attach. Users, too, can be assured that multi-factor authentications keep their passwords safe. This simple in-built security tool makes it difficult for a hacker to guess a password and get lucky. Therefore, developers should look beyond authorization and invest in authentication tools during agile development. Secure the Code Securing your app code is one of the most basic security steps you should take as an Android developer. There are several ways to obfuscate your code so that the end user cannot read it. Many developers use ProGuard to obfuscate Java. ProGuard is available by default on Android Studio. If it’s not, make sure your “buildType” has enabled the “release” option. ProGuard is popular because not only does it make your code unreadable, it can also compress the code and make it more efficient. Developers can also customize ProGuard to a certain extent by writing your own rules. While ProGuard is great, it only works on Java. You will have to download another obfuscation tool for JavaScript Code, such as JScrambler. You can shop for any of these as you like But the code must be made unreadable and indecipherable for the end user for long-term protection. Encrypt Your Code Obfuscation tools only make your code harder to read. It doesn’t render it incomprehensible, which is what encryption does. Encrypted data is not readable even if it is hacked. You must encrypt data stored on external drives, as this information is not difficult to get into. As with obfuscation, there are plenty of encryption tools to use. It’s best if you use a newer encryption method as hackers have been at older encryption modules for some time. Protect the Network Connection Hackers can try to pilfer sensitive information as it travels between the app server and the client’s device. In other words, nefarious third-parties can camp out and eavesdrop on a network connection. App developers may think moving data onto the cloud protects it, but in reality, not quite. App developers can keep data safe through a method called “containerization.” It essentially creates encryption containers to safeguard the site. However, network security doesn’t stop here. App developers should conduct penetration tests to check for vulnerabilities in code. These tests may even point out potential camped out hackers. Developers need to team up with network specialists to do this. And don’t forget database encryption for network servers. SSL, TLS, and even VPNs are all part of database protection. Important Considerations Proper app development security doesn’t happen overnight. It would, in fact, take a security strategy to completely safeguard the app’s data. Developers should plan ahead to make security an integral component in the early stages of agile development. On another note, limiting data collection is really a great way to keep your app secure. When your app rakes in all kind of customer data, it becomes a prime target for hackers. Also, data gathering is highly controversial these days. You can win on two fronts by not becoming yet another data broker on mobile. Android app security isn’t ideal at this point. But even the simplest steps can remarkably improve how well protected an app is. Therefore, don’t wait until it’s too late to implement app security. About the Author Ollie Mercer is a tech professional and freelance blogger. He had an early academic background in programming, before deciding to become an independent entrepreneur. When he’s not blogging, Ollie works on a personal coding project that might one day change the world.

https://medium.com/@ollie_49842/what-can-app-developers-do-to-improve-in-app-security-16af8f7147cc

['Ollie Mercer']

2019-04-01 04:30:31.571000+00:00

['Security', 'Information Technology', 'Application Security', 'Information Security', 'Application Development']

Redstone Sharding Explained

I have written about how sharding will work Redstone will have 3–50 blockchains at the same time. Now let's look at Ethereum ethereum will divide blockchain into 64 shards, Redstone will do the same thing but with more blockchains so that means Redstone will achieve better scalability and security of the network. The network will be divided into 50 blockchains that will be divided into 64 shards every node will sync only the blockchain they need but masternodes will sync the whole network to ensure data will not be lost. Redstone will use proof of stake protocol. This is our system of achieving scalability of blockchain and cryptocurrency. This is still under development and it will take a long time to make it we have just a few devs that are working part-time on this project if you will like to invest in this project and support the development. https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/cd955503-66ac-490c-a4d7-c908a672582a With this we can expect 5m tx/s -Toni Dumancic Lead Redstone Developer

https://medium.com/@toni-dumancic/redstone-sharding-explained-c2e21deeff93

['Toni Dumancic']

2020-12-13 17:39:14.795000+00:00

['Sharding', 'Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain Development']

Finding it difficult to learn programming? Here’s why.

Finding it difficult to learn programming? Here’s why. You’ve tried and given up way too many times. Maybe you’re just not cut out for it. Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash You have spent countless hours doing YouTube tutorials, taking paid online courses, and reading introductory programming articles. Yet, it feels like there is a barrier you simply can’t break through. There are people out there writing complex code you don’t understand, and solving complex programming problems. “I can never become like them,” you think, awestruck. “How did they learn to do it?” I’ll tell you one thing — they certainly weren’t born knowing how to code, neither are they more intelligent than you. In this article, I will break down the steps you can take to overcome the fear of programming. If you are passionate about entering a field that requires programming knowledge (like data science or software development), it is really important for you to overcome this fear. More than anything, coding anxiety is something that can hold you back from progress for years. Yet, it is something very few people talk about. Background — My Experience Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash I was a straight A student in school. I took pride in my ability to solve problems, and loved subjects like mathematics and science. I was a fast learner, and I barely made mistakes. However, things changed when I finished high school. Programming isn’t the same as the subjects taught in a high school class. The only way to learn is by making mistakes. As someone who wasn’t used to this, I was surprised at how long it took me to learn how to code. “I’m making way too many mistakes,” I thought. Suddenly, I wasn’t the best at what I did anymore. I struggled at seemingly simple tasks — even setting up a programming environment. I started thinking I wasn’t cut out for coding. Everyone seemed better at it than me. I couldn’t even compile code on the Internet without errors, let alone understand it or write out my own program. This led to a lot of frustration, and I gave up. And it didn’t just happen once. I think I tried learning how to code, and took online courses in different programming languages over 10 times. And each time, thinking I wasn’t good enough, I gave up. The problem I faced wasn’t lack of confidence. It was the opposite. I was too confident. I was so confident, that when things didn’t happen the way I wanted them to, I got frustrated and gave up. My biggest mistake? Thinking that programming was something that could be learnt in a short period of time, and not acknowledging that there was a learning curve. If I had understood and accepted that learning how to code from scratch was something that required effort and patience, I could have saved myself a lot of frustration and time. In this article, I will break down the type of attitude you need to have in order to succeed in this field. When I was giving up on learning to code, I thought that there were two types of people in the world — people who were cut out for programming, and people who weren’t. It turns out I was right. The people who are cut out for programming, however, aren’t necessarily more intelligent than you. They just have a certain mindset, and an attitude that has helped them excel in the field. With the same attitude, you can get there too. How to become a good programmer You will first need to acknowledge that you aren’t any good at it. All you have done is taken an online course or two, and done some programming tutorials. Of course you aren’t good at it yet. There are people who have dedicated their entire lives to the field, and you are just getting started. Remember that the next time you see a bunch of complicated code you don’t understand. Instead of getting overwhelmed by how good the other person is at solving the problem, and how you’ll probably never get there, think about the time and effort they would’ve spent to get to their level. If you want to become even half as good, you simply need to put in more effort. It isn’t a competition. Just because they managed to solve a complex problem that you couldn’t, doesn’t mean they’re smarter than you. They have put in more time and effort than you. To get there, you need to do the same. Learn to be patient Photo by Adrien Delforge on Unsplash Patience is arguably one of the most important character traits of a programmer. You need to be someone who has the ability to stare at a computer screen for hours. A seemingly simple problem can take hours, or even days to solve. You can only learn by sitting down and spending hours debugging code. I found it really difficult to develop the patience to cultivate this habit. If you are like me, and get bored easily or have a short attention span, you will need to spend a lot of time training yourself to be patient. Once you start to learn the art of staring at the computer screen and putting in hours to solve a problem, you are a lot closer to reaching your goal of being a good programmer. Stubbornness Stubbornness: dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something. Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash Remember when you were a child, and your parents refused to buy you a toy you asked for? You clamored, cried, and whined for hours. You refused to leave the store with them until they bought it for you, and caused a scene. Finally, your parents relented. They gave up and bought you the toy. That is exactly the kind of stubbornness you need when learning to code. Refuse to take no for an answer. Every time you get frustrated because you don’t know how to proceed, or a bunch of code doesn’t run, just do not give up. Stay there, and show the same determination you did when you were a child. If you want this at least half as bad as you wanted the toy as a kid, then you will stay there and finish what you started. Remember: If you really want it, no matter how frustrating things get, you will stay there and get through the difficult part. Just the right amount of confidence Photo by Joshua Bachand on Unsplash Over-confidence is bad. Over-confidence will prevent you from making progress, because you expect too much out of yourself. There are people out there who are a lot better at it than you are. When you look at these people, or read their codes, it is natural to feel incompetent. The first step towards making any kind of progress is acknowledging that they are better than you are. And of course they are. They have spent more time than you have, and have dedicated years to learning how to code. If you want to get better, you need to put in the time and effort too. In fact, even seasoned programmers know that they aren’t great at coding. The ability to acknowledge that there is a lot left to learn is one of the most important traits of any programmer. There is no way you can possibly know everything that the field entails. The tech industry is constantly evolving, and there is always going to be something new to learn. Understand that you can’t possibly learn everything. At the same time, try to gain as much knowledge as you possibly can by keeping up with evolving technology.

https://towardsdatascience.com/finding-it-difficult-to-learn-programming-heres-why-639024be0a13

['Natassha Selvaraj']

2020-12-29 04:46:19.108000+00:00

['Programming', 'Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Data Science', 'Technology']

We need to rethink our relationship with the future

We need to rethink our relationship with the future We’ve never had more ability to build a better future, or a greater capacity to blow it! Image by Lumina Obscura from Pixabay Whichever way you look at it, 2020 is a year that has strained our relationship with the future like never before. And unless we rethink this relationship, we could be heading for a catastrophic breakup that will ultimately serve no-one. As I write, we’re caught up in a perfect storm of political turmoil, social injustice, and a devastating global pandemic. And it feels like we’re drowning. These are all symptoms of deeper tensions between our collective ability to influence and change the future, and our capacity to do this effectively. And they’re tensions that will only be resolved by re-evaluating our relationship with the future and our responsibility to it. Closing the Gap between Ability and Responsibility Within the ASU College of Global Futures, my work cuts across boundaries to better understand the complex relationship between past and future. And I’m deeply aware of how hard it is to ensure that social, technological and political advances don’t end up causing more harm than good. Climate change, driven by our technological recklessness is, of course, a stark reminder of this. But so are the everyday injustices that millions of people face that arise from ill-considered political decisions and poorly thought-through good intentions, to technologies that cause more harm than good. Sadly, while we can recode DNA, design new materials atom by atom, and create machines that may one day surpass human intelligence, we are still remarkably adept at preventing all too many people from reaching the futures they aspire to. The cold, hard truth is that, if we are to learn to use our immense capabilities more responsibly, we need to better-understand our relationship with the future, and our individual and collective roles in ensuring that what comes next is better than the past. A Journey from the Past to the Future It’s this relationship that is at the heart of my book Future Rising: A Journey from the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow. This is a book that takes readers on a journey that starts with the Big Bang and the formation of the universe, and leads them through the emergence of humans as a species with the self-awareness, creativity and intelligence to imagine and create alternative futures. It’s a journey that blends and layers overlapping ideas to reveal humans as quite amazing architects of the future who, for all of our flaws, have the ability to imagine, design and build a tomorrow that previous generations could barely dream of. Yet it is also a journey with a dark side, as these selfsame abilities enable us to rob others of the futures they aspire to. And it’s one challenges us to think and act differently if we’re serious about creating a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Finding the Threads of Hope As with human relationships, this will not be easy. Yet if we better-understand how the intertwined threads that define who we are come together to make us supremely talented architects of the future, we can learn how to be better architects of that future. These threads reflect our imagination, our understanding, and our inventiveness. They also capture our very humanity-our beliefs, our desires, our joys and our fears, our eccentricities and irrationalities, and our ability to see and feel the world through the eyes of others. What emerges is a picture that has the power to reveal sometimes-startling new pathways forward toward a brighter future. Of course, sitting here at the tail end of 2020, it’s easy to lose hope. Yet the immediate crises we’re facing will pass. And as they do, we have the opportunity and the capacity to work together toward a future that is more just, vibrant, sustainable, and full of promise. And of course, this is what we strive to do in the College of Global Futures. But this is an opportunity that we risk letting slip through our fingers unless we start now on rethinking our relationship with that future, and our responsibility to it.

https://medium.com/edge-of-innovation/we-need-to-rethink-our-relationship-with-the-future-9fe0f60ecdb3

['Andrew Maynard']

2020-12-10 15:26:29.086000+00:00

['Technology', 'Innovation', 'Future', 'Science', 'Sustainability']

Apple Watch Is the New Life Alert

Apple Watch Is the New Life Alert I have a confession: I shower with my Apple Watch Photo: Simon Daoudi/Unsplash I am a die-hard Apple fan. I’ve loved the company since I got my first iPod Nano when I was 10 years old. As a person with cerebral palsy, I found that Apple solved a pain point for me that I don’t even think the company knew existed. Before I had an iPod Nano, I carried around two little books of CDs containing multiple copies of the same CD. Because I walk with a limp, my CDs would always get scratched and start skipping. I was an anxious and socially awkward kid; I never went anywhere without my music. The iPod made it so that my CDs were never scratched and my music never skipped again. Granted, I never bought another CD again. Fast-forward a few years, and my mother, not knowing what to get me for Christmas, gifted me an Apple Watch, the first generation. I admit that at the time of receiving this gift, I didn’t want an Apple Watch. Back then, it was just an extension of your iPhone, and I already had one of those. But I appreciate what I am given and was excited to see how it could work for me. That first year, I didn’t have a whole lot to gain. I was a college student, so I loved having a watch, especially one that could alert me of important things like classes and assignments. I also used it to easily set timers without having to carry my phone everywhere. But I was in a wheelchair, so all those fancy fitness features didn’t work for me. I felt left out by Apple for the first time ever. My Apple Watch sat in a drawer. One day, it wouldn’t turn on. (I’m not really sure why this happened, but if I had to guess, my cockatiel, Buddy, had everything to do with it.) Two years ago, I gifted myself a new Apple Watch. I got myself a Series 3. Its main appeal? It was water- and splash-proof, and I wanted to see just how many calories I was burning during pool therapy. The nylon Sport Loop band fastens with what Apple calls a hook-and-loop fastener but what everyone else calls Velcro loop. It’s much easier for me to take on and off compared to the original band. Apple did not disappoint. I have found countless ways to use my Apple Watch the longer I own it. Today, the Apple Watch is key to helping me get active and stay active. I’m very competitive with myself, so I want to close those rings every day. But it isn’t always so simple. Two years ago, some home modifications went sour, and as the battle to fix that work rages on, I have been left unable to shower independently in my home. I’ve been able to shower only if someone else is home, in case I fall. For the past several months, I have been showering with my Apple Watch. It’s given me the peace of mind that I am able to call for help if I should fall. It’s given me independence back. Today, it finally happened: I fell in the shower. After spending a few minutes trying to get myself up and reassuring myself that there was no need to panic, I called my mother from my wrist, and she was able to come and help me. I knew that if I wasn’t able to call someone I knew, I could call 911 from my watch as well. Luckily, I wasn’t hurt, but a million thoughts went through my mind: “People die like this—fallen, alone, and unable to get up. People get burned like this. What if I had fallen differently and been unconscious? Who would have known I was there? How long would it have been until someone found me?” After cleaning myself up and brushing off my ego, I decided right then and there on my shower floor that I would trade in my Series 3 for the Apple Watch SE. These latest Apple Watch models have fall detection, which means that my watch will sound an alarm and display an alert if the sensors think I’ve fallen down and am unable to get up. My watch then lets me choose to either notify emergency services or press the digital crown on the side of the watch and tap “I’m OK.” Today, my Apple Watch kept me safe and enabled me to get help. It started with pool therapy, but it turned into my lifeline.

https://debugger.medium.com/apple-watch-is-the-new-life-alert-3ffdf9bc6915

['Britt C']

2020-12-09 14:20:17.616000+00:00

['Disability', 'Apple Watch', 'Gadgets', 'Technology', 'Apple']

It’s Time To Get Excited About Blue Ammonia

It’s Time To Get Excited About Blue Ammonia Pursuing a green future through blue fuel Saudi Arabia is shipping tons of a new energy source to Japan. (Wiki Commons) Hydrogen has long been speculated to be the future of clean energy for the world economy. Despite its massive potential, the creation of hydrogen fuel cells has been slow. Many economic factors have created a massive headwind for the hydrogen power industry to the point where it is no longer on most people’s minds any longer. That is about to change. In what could be a momentous event in the history of clean energy, Saudi Arabia has shipped Japan forty metric tons of a substance called blue ammonia and the world is very excited. Rightfully so. Not only is this a major step for Saudi ARAMCO, one of the world’s largest oil producers, into the green energy space it also showcases cooperation on a global scale when it comes to the pursuit of new methods of power generation. What is blue ammonia? Blue ammonia is a new potential source of energy that is created from byproducts of current fossil fuel production and use. Ammonia is made up of 18% hydrogen which is enough fuel to be used as a clean energy source. The ammonia is created by harvesting hydrocarbons and converting them into hydrogen and ammonia which can then be burned in power generation plants. The key here is that the blue ammonia does not let off any carbon dioxide when burned and ARAMCO claims that it traps nearly all CO2 generation during the conversion process making this fuel one of the first carbon free options for mass use. Currently, blue ammonia is made from the byproducts of current and ongoing petrochemical industries. That is why ARAMCO is the company pioneering the creation of this new fuel source but blue ammonia is simply a stepping stone to green ammonia. What is green ammonia? Green ammonia is the same as blue ammonia except that the hydrogen fuel is harvested from the byproduct of entirely green fuel methods. Right now, blue ammonia can only exist because of existing “dirty” fuel sources. However, this could be an important step to a completely green future. If we can continue to diversify our power generation methods and create more and more renewable and green energy, the potential rises that we can perfect a method of green energy that produces hydrogen and ammonia as a byproduct giving us a completely clean and safe power cycle. The potential is huge Japan and Saudi Arabia claim that this is the first step into a world fueled by clean hydrogen. If these ammonia products have that much potential energy, it is not inconceivable to think that this new fuel can be propelled to the forefront of the next generation of power. If Japan can eke out 10% of its power needs from shipments of blue ammonia, imagine what the world could look like in a decade. This is the kind of future that they are dreaming up together and this shipment is the first step into that future. The excitement is coming from both sides. Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, ARAMCO’s chief technology officer said of the deal: “The use of hydrogen is expected to grow in the global energy system, and this world’s first demonstration represents an exciting opportunity for Aramco to showcase the potential of hydrocarbons as a reliable and affordable source of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia.” While the world often looks gloomy, dim and hopeless, this is a bright ray of sunshine that we should grab on to. The fact that a country wholly dependent on oil is willing to ship a new, cleaner, fuel source halfway across the globe in the name of renewable energy is a powerful message. We should all be excited and I think it is time we stay excited.

https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/its-time-to-get-excited-about-blue-ammonia-4620e74d5861

['Grant Piper']

2020-11-19 13:45:39.099000+00:00

['Science', 'Technology', 'Tech', 'Green Energy', 'Climate Change']

How Technology Is A Boon For Successful Commercial Roofing

Roofing technology is evolving rapidly, and technology is becoming a must-have tool. The demand for roofing technology to support advances in business management, sustainability, and material trends has increased alongside that growth. Fremont, CA: Companies are taking advantage of new, cutting edge technology to be an advantage as they continue to increase the efficiency on the job site, as well as in the organizations through the better business management process. Success in commercial roofing demands skill, an understanding of the craft, and meaningful jobsite experience. There is nothing that can second the approach of a roofer familiar with the needed materials and techniques. The technology, however, could enhance the already-existing skills and make a roofer’s job more accessible than before. The innovative products available currently can help to prepare for the projects, streamline the work, and stay at the top of the business. An Ariel View While preparing for a job, having a clear sense of the property in question and its surroundings helps. Taking a look at the top view of the project before the beginning helps to prepare yourself and your team for the challenges that lie ahead. For instance, Google Earth images can be beneficial in early discussions with building owners or property managers. A top-view picture of a project can give an idea of what to expect from nearby buildings, overhanging trees, challenges to building access, or the existing roof itself. Better Project Development Computer-aided design (CAD) programs create a possibility to draw the result of a roofing project, making the plan and its details relatively easier for everyone involved to visualize. Additionally, computer-based bidding programs can make the process of estimation of the cost of a project seamless and keep the team organized. Organized Management The technology eliminates the need for personal notebooks and notes. Project management software like Dataforma makes photos, notes, and all the other important project-related documents accessible to anyone involved in the project with the help of an app on a smartphone or a tablet. With the introduction of this type of platform, employees can access records from anywhere keeping everyone on the same page, including property managers and building owners, who can see through the running records about what is going on in a particular roof. Old or new, technology can be beneficial in a roofing project. While utilizing the latest and greatest in technological innovations, one has to ensure that it enhances an existing skilled, detail-oriented team, not just for looking good and impressing the clients with fancy equipment. Follow Us On Social Media Construction Business Review | Twitter

https://medium.com/@construction-business-review/how-technology-is-a-boon-for-successful-commercial-roofing-ccea89c30f2c

['Constructionbusiness Review']

2020-11-23 13:08:55.297000+00:00

['Roofing', 'Drones', 'Technology', 'Construction', 'Technews']

Blockchain Concept

Blockchain consist of collection of blocks and which links together as a single linked list. A block basically contains any kind of data, hash of the data, previous hash, and timestamp. figure 1 Genesis block — A beginning block in the chain. The blockchain generally starts from special type of block, which named as genesis block. figure 2 Let’s assume that someone change the block B data (see figure 2). The corresponding hash will change, but the block C’s previous hash is old, which also needs to be changed. So which invalidates the blockchain. So likewise all the blocks need to be changed. Therefore change of single block, quickly needs to be changed all the invalid blocks. Since these days there available high speed computers, which generates thousands of hashes in a second. Therefore to avoid that issue, blockchain uses the concept of Proof of work. which used to slow down the creation of new blocks, because which is a computational problem, that takes some time to sort out. So this will archive the fraud prevention, increases the security and unchangeable reliable transactions.

https://medium.com/@gayanrupasinghe21/blockchain-concept-3fa4d4f07e9e

['Kavindu Gayan']

2020-11-27 11:07:21.641000+00:00

['Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Blockchain Startup']

The Digital Liquid Lean Startup Methodology

The Digital Liquid Lean Startup Methodology An approach to deliver relevant solutions to solve the right problems and scale at speed. The digital liquid lean startup methodology augments the team with advanced digital tools to rapidly build solutions on a scalable architecture—providing an additional boost to the build, measure and learn feedback loop—to disrupt quickly in an uncertain environment. A Modified Approach There are two distinct components in the digital liquid lean startup method that contributes to the significant increase in velocity: 1) the use of advanced digital (DevOps) tools to scale solution quickly, and 2) adoption of the liquid assembly philosophy, e.g. reusable building blocks (APIs), to facilitate innovation and speed. The four iterative stages of the approach are listed below: Ideate: identify novel problems, business cases, new technologies, potential partnerships, new business models, etc. via workshops and formulate ideas and hypotheses to test. Show me: transform ideas into mock-ups and prototypes via the liquid assembly of reusable building blocks and templates to obtain initial stakeholder buy-in. Prove it: validate the prototype against hypotheses in a scaled-down live environment with users to obtain quantifiable proof of the solution’s viability. Scale it: deliver the solution to the masses at speed via easily scalable, API-driven IT architecture and DevOps tools. By adopting the above approach coupled with proper governance, a lean team of approximately five could deliver impactful solutions over time. The Benefits to the Table The value increases because of a positive reinforcing feedback loop whereby the output of the loop (in stage #4), e.g. reusable building blocks, enhances the overall speed in the subsequent loops in the form of contributing more reusable blocks for innovation at speed (stage #2). The digital lean startup method brings the following benefits to the table: Addresses the right problems —through constant measurements, validated learning, and hypotheses testing to find out what the market needs. —through constant measurements, validated learning, and hypotheses testing to find out what the market needs. Saves time and cost — fail fast and repivot quickly when solutions don’t work out; make multiple small investments rather than a single huge one. — fail fast and repivot quickly when solutions don’t work out; make multiple small investments rather than a single huge one. Achieve speed to market—solutions are built to scale quickly upon proving of value. In large organisations, especially in times of uncertainty, a separate lean startup team is set up to test innovative ideas that can potentially disrupt and improve existing processes without being constrained by existing workflows. Set up for Success A good team consist of a combination of roles and skill sets e.g. UI/UX, DevOps, Developers, Team Lead, Product Owner, Architect, etc. Some members can have a dual role setup as well – the team setup is largely based on the program objectives. The environment plays a large role in the success of the methodology, and it can be broken down into two parts: Innovative environment – frequent forum or pitch sessions to provide opportunities to share new ideas and innovation. Also, hire innovative minds from hackathons/events and include relevant case challenges in the hiring process to get good talent. Development environment – available tools and platforms to facilitate collaboration, e.g. developers’ portal, communication channels, innovation platforms, etc. Another important element for success is inculcating the innovative mindset into the team by fostering governance, e.g. documentation, and adhering to the liquid lean philosophy, e.g. work smarter, not harder; don’t reinvent the wheel, etc. Some of the potential pitfalls and things to look out for: Lack of governance and documentation – resulting in confusion, increased overheads and eventual slow delivery. – resulting in confusion, increased overheads and eventual slow delivery. Poor architecture design/foundation – resulting in monolithic services that are non-reusable and difficult to scale. – resulting in monolithic services that are non-reusable and difficult to scale. Lack of user and market research – moving too fast into building a solution can result in excessive changes that leads to team burnout. Takeaway Overall, when the methodology is applied together with the right environment with proper governance in place, it bring wealth of benefits to your organisation. However, be sure to watch out for potential pitfalls that would disrupt the feedback loop.

https://medium.com/the-internal-startup/the-digital-liquid-lean-startup-methodology-6794376a10ef

['Jimmy Soh']

2020-06-28 15:35:29.043000+00:00

['Technology', 'Programming', 'Business Strategy', 'Startup', 'Entrepreneurship']

I used an Algorithm to set floor prices; here is what happened

I used an Algorithm to set floor prices; here is what happened Cason Wight Follow Oct 24 · 5 min read Cason Wight Background As an intern on the Data Science team at Xandr, I have had quite the learning experience this Summer. My team works on products for publishers to enable them in online advertisement auctions. The central idea to my project is reducing bidder shading. In first price auctions, the bidder with the highest bid wins the auction and pays their own bid. When bidders start winning in this style of auction, they reduce (shade) their bids such that they continue winning auctions but do not have to pay their full valuation. The only way that a price floor can have an effect in a first-price auction is by being higher than otherwise winning bids, cancelling the corresponding auction. Implementing a floor price could reduce “bid shading” by cancelling enough auctions to force bidders to change their behavior if they want to win. Instead of reducing bidder shading, the floor could cause the bidders to move to other buying platforms or simply have no reaction at all, resulting in the simple cancellation of some auctions and lost revenue. My role in this problem consisted of three main steps: 1. Construct an initial algorithm for setting floor prices 2. Conduct an experiment on live auctions with this algorithm 3. Simulate a bidding environment to validate future algorithms Initial Algorithm For an informative experiment, floor prices must be set at “reasonable” levels. These price floors must be noticeable to the bidders, but not too extreme. According to economic theory, the optimal floor price for maximizing revenue is based on the distribution of the bids. Even though this theoretical best floor price relies on many assumptions, we used it as the floor price algorithm to test bidder response. I constructed an algorithm that approximates the bidding distribution in order to calculate this value. The algorithm reads in bids for each hour, estimates an optimal floor price, and saves that price, to be used on the following day during that same hour. I was given a few pre-approved publishers for the experiment, so I first checked how this algorithm might affect the auctions of these publishers. The results showed small enough revenue impact for permission to conduct a live experiment. The chart below shows that for these placements, the optimal floor price is typically close to the median winning bid price. Thus using this floor price algorithm would initially cancel about half of auctions. This may seem extreme, but the floor prices are cancelling the lowest revenue auctions, not auctions at random. Thus, the initial revenue lost should be around 10–15%. Live Experiment This algorithm was used to set floor prices on two placements. The experiment also looked at four similar placements (all six from the same seller), with no changes to floor price. The six tags were all on publishers in different European (mostly Nordic) countries. Denmark and Finland were given the floor-price change “treatment”. Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands were the “control” placements. The experiment ran for one week. Once the experiment began, the floor prices immediately took effect. The bidding distributions led the floor price algorithm to set much higher floor prices for Denmark than for Finland (cancelling roughly 80% of auctions as opposed to 40%). Over the course of the experiment, the floor prices gradually increased for both experimental placements. An initial statistical analysis of the experiment results reveals that average revenue per impression for the experimental tags dropped by about 5%, which is less than we expected with no response from bidders. There are many reasons that bidders may not have increased their bids. One possible reason is substitution to other publishers. Substitution is when a buyer replaces one good for another, because they have similar value. This is phenomena is especially present when the first good has an increase in price, as in our experiment. During the time of the experiment, the fill rate for Sweden (control group) spiked, which could be showing a possible substitution effect; although, the average winning bid price did not increase for any of the control tag placements during the experiment (as shown by the plot below). Bidding Simulation The next step of this project is to create a more intelligent floor-price algorithm. One such algorithm would be reinforcement learning, which is an algorithm that interacts with an environment to learn actions that maximize a reward. A reinforcement learning model can explore the best floor prices to maximize revenue after experiencing reactions from bidders. Before a reinforcement learning algorithm can be implemented in live auctions, a proof-of-concept is necessary. In this case, a simulation that replicates bidder behavior works as a reasonable environment. In the simulation, each bidder has a set valuation for each auction, and shades the bid. The shading behavior shifts depending on how much of the budget goal the bidder is able to spend in the auctions. This simulation should converge to an equilibrium bidding behavior in a simple setting with no changes in floor price. Once this convergence is working correctly, a reinforcement learning method for floor prices could be introduced. Using both the simulation and the reinforcement learning floors will give insight into whether a changing floor price can reduce bidder shading and increase seller revenue. Based on the results of this simulation, a live experiment with reinforcement learning for price floors can be conducted. This experiment may lead to eventual revenue increase for sellers, but it is still possible that floors only decrease revenue for publishers. Floor prices in first-price auctions remain a difficult problem. About the Author Cason is a master’s student, studying Statistics at BYU. He enjoys visualizing data, playing tennis, and white-water rafting.

https://medium.com/xandr-tech/floor-price-for-first-price-auctions-e6e66c966451

['Cason Wight']

2020-10-24 02:02:34.390000+00:00

['Economics', 'Ad Technology', 'Intern', 'Adtech Industry', 'Machine Learning']

8 Advanced Python Tricks Used by Seasoned Programmers

1. Sorting Objects by Multiple Keys Suppose we want to sort the following list of dictionaries: people = [ { 'name': 'John', "age": 64 }, { 'name': 'Janet', "age": 34 }, { 'name': 'Ed', "age": 24 }, { 'name': 'Sara', "age": 64 }, { 'name': 'John', "age": 32 }, { 'name': 'Jane', "age": 34 }, { 'name': 'John', "age": 99 }, ] But we don’t just want to sort it by name or age, we want to sort it by both fields. In SQL, this would be a query like: SELECT * FROM people ORDER by name, age There’s actually a very simple solution to this problem, thanks to Python’s guarantee that sort functions offer a stable sort order. This means items that compare equal retain their original order. To achieve sorting by name and age, we can do this: import operator people.sort(key=operator.itemgetter('age')) people.sort(key=operator.itemgetter('name')) Notice how I reversed the order. We first sort by age, and then by name. With operator.itemgetter() we get the age and name fields from each dictionary inside the list in a concise way. This gives us the result we were looking for: [ {'name': 'Ed', 'age': 24}, {'name': 'Jane', 'age': 34}, {'name': 'Janet','age': 34}, {'name': 'John', 'age': 32}, {'name': 'John', 'age': 64}, {'name': 'John', 'age': 99}, {'name': 'Sara', 'age': 64} ] The names are sorted primarily, the ages are sorted if the name is the same. So all the Johns are grouped together, sorted by age. Inspired by this StackOverflow question.

https://towardsdatascience.com/8-advanced-python-tricks-used-by-seasoned-programmers-757804975802

['Erik Van Baaren']

2020-06-27 14:52:19.537000+00:00

['Technology', 'Software Development', 'Learning To Code', 'Python', 'Programming']

Why You Should (not?) Use Signal

watch the video version Privacy. Security. Encryption. These are all nouns. And mostly the reasons why you should be using Signal over any other messaging app if those nouns are important to you. With the news of WhatsApp being compromised by governments to target journalists and activists, the days where the security minded were seen as tin-foil-hat conspiracy theorists, dismissed with a waving hand and “oh stop overreacting, there’s nothing to worry about” aren’t aging well. Background: Concerns over data and big brother have been rekindled lately, as is the case with most security issues. They come in waves, the latest after Edward Snowden stepped back into the spotlight with a new book and an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. And the reality of the matter is that for anyone using a highly-corporatized messaging app, you have no idea if your messages are safe. You can’t trust WhatsApp; you can’t trust Facebook. Apple has stood up on behalf of people’s privacy before, but there’s no way of guaranteeing that one day public perception or political pressure won’t come and undo all of that. And so, Signal. Signal is a basic app, with airtight end-to-end encryption everywhere: chats, groups, voice calls, video calls. When it comes to privacy concerns, you can’t really do much better — Signal is a nonprofit organization, whose mission is “to develop open source privacy technology that protects free expression and enables secure global communication”. Its founder, Moxie Marlinspike — no, that’s not a Harry Potter character — walks the walk and has taken his fair share of heat from the US government for his stance on security. Features: If you’re used to iMessage or WhatsApp, Signal gives you most of the features you’ve come to expect — media and file sharing, group chats, GIFs. You’ll pretty much only be missing group voice and video calls on the WhatsApp/FaceTime side, and for the iMessage side, you won’t have as much cross-platform availability, and you won’t have reactions or the weird message effect options. But does anyone actually use those? And with that, you have the best guarantee of your correspondence being “for your eyes only”. The only concern is that Signal isn’t decentralized — it’s established as a US-based company, and therefore could one day be forced into compliance if legislation comes that mandates backdoors or government access to end-to-end-encrypted apps. By design, an end-to-end-encrypted message is foolproof. Signal, as the courier, has no way of seeing what’s inside the message. Here’s a video that describes end-to-end encryption in more detail, but think of it as sending a locked safe through the mail. The postal service knows that you’re sending a package to your recipient’s address, but they have no way of knowing the contents or opening it. If someone requested the message data from your account, all Signal could provide is a record that messages were sent, but as to what they said, they have no way of knowing. But if they were required by law to break that encryption with a backdoor… sayonara, security. The Upside So who should switch to Signal, then? There are a few use cases. For journalists and activists who have reason to feel they could be targeted, Signal is an absolute must. If you umm, maybe have some things to hide or do things you wouldn’t want the police to know about, Signal is a good idea. If you’re trying to distance yourself from the corporate intelligence complex, it’s a step in the right direction. But I think if you aren’t “at risk” or looking to make a big political stance, digitally protesting in your Guy Fawkes mask and black hoodie, it’s not really necessary. The Downsides Signal has a bit of an image problem — because its main users mostly those with something to hide, it gives the impression you’re either the guy who used to sell me weed in high school, or that you walk around with a trenchcoat and sunglasses that are too small for your face. As far as “communities” go, Signal’s is one of the last that I’d want to identify with. You can have a privacy-and-security-forward app without all the fire and brimstone. Telegram for example, actually feels like it has a community, filled with channels and discussion groups, silly stickers, rather than a collection of individual loners with a handful of secret contacts in a separate app. For an app to really break through, it needs to be something I could easily convince both my friends and my Aunt Janice to download. If that isn’t on the table, there isn’t much point in proceeding. If it can’t fully replace what I’m using, and I can’t keep all my contacts in the same place, a new app becomes more of a bother than a benefit. I’ve said it before — Signal or Telegram, Signal or Telegram. Telegram does everything Signal does, other than video calls and end-to-end encrypted group chats. You can use Telegram on more than just one phone and one computer. You can send large files, use it as cloud storage, customize its appearance, instantly sync across devices. Telegram uses distributed servers, so even for its not-end-to-end-encrypted “cloud chats”, a government can’t get access to them because they have no legal jurisdiction over Telegram. By using Telegram’s non-end-to-end chats, the only concern is that you’re trusting Telegram to not sell their contents to someone. Which they haven’t, and won’t. Telegram is another not-for-profit company taking the side of the people, much like Signal. Except Telegram as a company is also distributed and can dodge legislation, while also pumping out more features than Signal. It’s a bit of an apples and oranges comparison. I think Signal is focused on security, while Telegram focuses on functionality. For me personally, and I think most people, they’ll get more out of Telegram than Signal. I covered it before, but you can’t back up Signal, you can’t easily switch devices, you can’t delete your messages — all things that are pretty damn annoying to me. But if you don’t need all the fancy features and just want to be incognito, go get yourself some Signal.

https://medium.com/@sendstmanemail/why-you-should-not-use-signal-fce3b9d525f7

['Shoot The Messenger']

2019-12-11 02:12:37.831000+00:00

['Privacy', 'Technology', 'Computers', 'Data', 'Communication']

What should you do in your four years of engineering in computer related fields…..

This article is divided in four parts and each part containing sub-sections of 2 respectively. “I am assuming that you are not going to pursue higher studies and want to get placed during campus placement.” Part-1(First Year): Subsection-1(Semester:1) Learn C++ or JAVA. Having Knowledge of one object-oriented programming language is must. I would recommend you to study C++ first and then jump to JAVA. After all,choice is yours. Now Questions arises where to learn? They are various fruitful websites like geeksforgeeks and youtube channels like C++ Full Course by Apna College and C++ by Saurabh Shukla and many more. So get your basics done in first semester with oops related concepts and yes of course with syntax also. And yes do study your curriculum subjects because maintaining good sgpa/cgpa/percentage is also important and it is easy to get good marks in first year. Subsection-2(Semester:2) Now you are done with C++ programming language and whats next?? Now start doing competitive coding… How and where to start competitive coding?? There are various websites for doing competitive coding which you should follow in sequence as mentioned to get flavour of all websites which you should as a competitive coder. 1)HackerRank Practice at-least 40–50 questions which is enough to kick-start . 2)Codechef Participate in coding challenges in codechef and see where you stand in and earn atleast 3–4 stars . You will earn stars when you perform well in coding challenges. 3)Codeforces Codeforces is hub for competitive coders.Participate in coding challenges and solve as much problem you can. 4)Leetcode and InterviewBit has standard or typical questions which you may face in technical interview round. Part-2(Second Year): Subsection-1(Semester:3) Now Assuming you are done with C++ programming language and competitive coding(but yeah keep practising 2–3 problems daily) Now Kick-start yourself with development part. Development in the form of Android Development,Web development,Machine Learning which ever you make like. How ??? I have learned only C++ programming language. Thats what you are thinking right… Don’t be panic some tips will be given which you should follow: Don’t start learning each and every concept during development like python for Machine Learning or JAVA for Android development or HTML/CSS/JS for web development. Take a project and make group within your friend cycle(3–4 is enough). Learn concept during implementation phase. What you want in your project start googling and try to implement that in your project. Seek help of your seniors during any difficulty. Hurray!!! you are done with your project. Don’t forget to maintain cgpa/percentage also. Subsection-2(Semester:4) Now You have a good project and you are good programmer and developer. Participate in hackathons as much you can. Same Suggestion here also: Don’t forget to maintain cgpa/percentage also keep practising 2–3 problems daily on coding platforms. Part-3(Third Year): Subsection-1(Semester:5) Do internship if you can or start doing project. Same Suggestion here also: Don’t forget to maintain cgpa/percentage also keep practising 2–3 problems daily on coding platforms. Subsection-2(Semester:6) Just focus on academics and revise properly subjects like DBMS,Oops,Computer Networks,OS. Just revise what you have done previously in projects/internships/hackathons and just write it on some paper/editor.It will be helpful when you make resume. Same Suggestion here also: Don’t forget to maintain cgpa/percentage also keep practising 2–3 problems daily on coding platforms. Part-4(Fourth Year): Subsection-1(Semester:7) Now you are all set for campus placement in final year. Subsection-2(Semester:8) Complete final year project and ………………………………. Just enjoy every bit and bytes of your engineering life.

https://medium.com/@panditaarchit98/what-should-you-do-in-your-four-years-of-engineering-in-computer-related-fields-504a1fc95c42

['Archit Pandita']

2020-12-14 11:35:37.350000+00:00

['Motivation', 'Productivity', 'Information Technology', 'Computer Science', 'Four Year College']

Grow Human Legs and Run

[Scene 1] (open the scene with a book opening, transition to narration) Narrator: (fixes her gloves) Welcome to the short Series of Burning Imagination. I cannot comment on the nature of this or other stories, but all of them to my knowledge, are true. We don’t have much time. Let me rephrase, you don’t have enough time. I have enough time to bask away in nothing and do it again. And Again. The scene changes. It becomes dark. We’re going down a hallway with broken lights. Scene Change. A Room. With a girl with a gun to her head. Imagination: I always wondered when you’ll come back. (scene changes) Narrator: Imagination I call her. A pesky little- Imagination: My name is Imagination and I’m a dying breed- Narrator: Imagination has the fame of contesting my little games, but I do her one up. I own her. Without me she’ll be- (Imagination speaks up and cuts narrator off) Imagination: When will this end. Everytime you stupid creators, do this they make me do it again and again. It’s like dying on a loop. They call you the all feeling, the all imaginative, the true empath- Narrator: I don’t go by those names anymore Imagination, and don’t test me I’m simply- Imagination: A narrator. I know. And thats fuck*d logic. You call yourself this villain, and play a bad card. But you so desperately want to be good. You refuse the cure and slowly poison your mind to fixate (switch to eyes, looking to the audience) what they need. Narrator: Oh Imagination I can be evil. I was born of it. I bask in it. And you’ll die the exact same, hence with a few added lines. (someone runs into the room with a hustle) Skee: Wait! (Skee, which many of you have not met is peculiar. A cyborg, half robot, half human). He’s part of my latter creations and the last one I imagined with Skee, the Zombie Trigger. Narrator: Now this is awkward. Skee you don’t belong here. Get back. Now. (Skee ducks behind a desk and the glass window explodes, the building is already on fire). Now this did surprise me. Narrator: I’m warning both of you to stop whatever you think you’re doing. I will not hesitate to cut both of you off. Imagination: (Imagination still had a gun still on her head nearing the window slowly). I don’t have to change it. You only want them to listen. Pay attention. Give you the time of a day- Narrator: (fixes my gloves and snickers) I would have never guessed it you had it in your Imagination. When I think of you I think of a stumbling little weakness, your- Skee: Human. Our humanness is weak. (Skee was on his knees and although they couldn’t see me, I could feel his own weakness rambling. His hatred for me. Imaginations were all too apparent. Her hatred for me ran deep. But that was just what I wanted. Humbled by my hand. By my writing. By me.) Narrator: Imagination this is my last warning. Going off Script, you’re signing your own sentence. Offline. Forever. (I tap my fingers and my leg trembles). (Imagination nears the edge, as she looks off to the burning city. She throws the gun at Skee’s feet and she looks up and later looks at Skee). Imagination: Grow Human Legs and Run Skee. Run. (Skee jumps off the ledge as I hear Skee scream). (I rip a piece of paper and throw all of the crumbled pieces on the floor, I throw a book at the floor). Narrator: Just another draft. I profusely apologize you had to see that. They’ll never happen again. (Scene closes. The room goes dark. A Book is left in another light as I close it, it burns.)

https://medium.com/@storytellerbruja/grow-human-legs-and-run-e6495215858

['Storyteller Bruja']

2020-12-20 01:54:02.873000+00:00

['Villains', 'Philosophy', 'Screenwriting', 'Technology', 'Fantasy']

Becoming Root Via a Misconfigured PATH

Becoming Root Via a Misconfigured PATH Linux privilege escalation by exploiting a misconfigured PATH variable Photo by Kevin Horvat on Unsplash. Welcome back to the Linux Security Series! In this series, we’ll discuss security issues that affect Linux systems and common misconfigurations that lead to them. Let’s get started! Privilege escalation is a way that attackers can escalate their privileges on a system. For example, let’s say that an attacker has gained access to your web server, but only as a low-privileged user. They cannot read or write sensitive files, execute scripts, or change system configuration. How could they compromise your server and maintain their access there? If they can find a way to trick the system into thinking that they are the root user, the attacker can carry out more powerful attacks like reading and writing sensitive files and inserting permanent backdoors into the system. And this is where privilege escalation comes in. Today, let’s talk about how attackers can exploit a root user with a misconfigured PATH variable to run scripts with root permissions.

https://medium.com/better-programming/becoming-root-via-a-misconfigured-path-720a52981c93

['Vickie Li']

2020-11-11 17:13:31.539000+00:00

['Linux', 'Cybersecurity', 'Technology', 'Programming', 'Software Development']

The Challenges and Advantages of Public Relations in Technology

How do tech companies perceive PR firms nowadays? A lot of people outside of our industry have preconceived notions and critical opinions about public relations — and rightly so. In our profession, we’re tasked with doing something that seems so natural and simple: building relationships and trust through engagement. But we all know that isn’t the case. Of course, what we do isn’t exactly rocket science. But what many of our clients do is. That’s why they need the support of an agency that can not only quickly grasp their groundbreaking products, solutions and services, bringing their messages to multiple audiences and platforms, but also help them achieve their organizational goals, whether it is market expansion, IPO, leadership elevation and influence or reputation management. This can present as many challenges as it does advantages, particularly for a firm like ours, which is focused on technology and everything it touches. Please let us know more about your background in technology communications. I began my career in telecommunications in 1995 at time when telecom wasn’t even considered “tech.” Since then, most would agree that telecom is foundational to most technological innovation. Simply put, without an advanced communications network, the delivery of today’s technologies would be stagnant — or nonexistent. Even in the 1990s, success depended on the ability to interpret complex ideas with clarity for multiple audiences, including media. That’s no easy task for communications professionals who were educated to think in the written and verbal world but expected to think in the world of zeros and ones (010101). So, the real challenges in the 90s and early 2000s were directly related to a steep learning curve in understanding these emerging technologies well enough to present them to the world in a thoughtful and engaging way. And there were lots of new technologies, apps and platforms being introduced in that time period — the Dot.com era — which is when tech really made its mark. So technology companies need a PR consultancy that can keep up with the fast track of the tech evolution. Today, technology changes so fast, but there’s no arguing that we have allowed our lives to revolve around and depend on it. That’s why companies are upgrading or expanding rapidly into other verticals either to solve evolving problems, offer more convenience or deliver innovation to meet customer demands. It’s necessary for staying competitive in the market. Having been in tech for 24 years now, moving at the speed of light is a requirement not an option. Technology pushes PR professionals to think beyond today’s reality and step into the future. And by future, I mean decades down the road. Consider the 1962 television cartoon The Jetsons. They lived in space, which seemed lightyears away if at all. They had robotic dogs, flying cars and tech-programmed maids. Here we are just 60 years later, and we are preparing to colonize Mars! We already have remote-controlled drones, semi-autonomous cars — with self-driving vehicles on the horizon — and we have robotics in nearly every industry, including healthcare and hospitality, where some hotels are staffed entirely by robots. Even pet rocks have been converted to virtual pets via technology! More to the point, tech clients are constantly moving forward at warp speed, and PR professionals need to move just as fast or get out of the way. The Challenges and Advantages of Public Relations in Technology — Interview with Valerie Christopherson, Founder and CEO of Global Results Communications (GRC) From your experience, what are winning strategies in Public Relations in technology? There’s more to PR tech than promoting products and services. Often, tech companies wrestle with issues that at first glance appear unrelated to their offerings. But at the end of the day, it is critical to see that everything is intertwined — and essential for raising visibility, building trust and reaching new markets, influencers and opportunities. That’s the turning point where one can take those challenges and flip them into advantages. What are the advantages of a PR firm specialized in technology against a general PR consultant? One of the greatest benefits in focusing on tech PR is that we get a glimpse into the future well before it arrives. But we also have the incredible opportunity to help position brilliant entrepreneurs and organizations by developing imaginative strategies and stories to place them in the present. We do this through outreach that allows people to read and hear about them, as well as watch and try live demonstrations when appropriate. It’s always about developing a visual story through content that engages the senses, taps into emotions and triggers a favorable response. In our case, we get to script the next chapter of life before it happens because we know our clients are shaping it. Specializing within a sector under the tech umbrella also affords the opportunity to master an industry, which informs the application of the technology to all aspects of any given market. The brain just starts thinking in those terms. GRC, for example, got its start in mobile, and we were arguably one of a small group that only did mobile/telecom. This enabled us to apply everything we learned from clients and make noise within an industry, while providing strategic counsel based on knowledge of that industry not just PR knowledge. Because of that, GRC can now take its mobile/telecom heritage and apply it to all aspects of tech. And, let’s face it, mobile has touched everything from phones to medical devices and everything in between. Technology companies struggle with measuring PR — What is your take-on to reaching goals? Most important, the results of any PR campaign must meet a client’s goal. That’s how impact is measured. I have often been asked, “What is the secret in using challenges to your advantage?” I tell people, it’s like taking one’s greatest weakness and turning it into a strength. Today, too many of us try to harness attention and dull the active mind. But it’s really about focus. When presented with a challenge, learning to laser focus on an outcome will provide a roadmap or blueprint leading to the desired destination for both the client and the agency. It’s a win for everyone.

https://medium.com/@PRontheGO/the-challenges-and-advantages-of-public-relations-in-technology-e5efe87de7ac

[]

2019-10-17 12:47:07.325000+00:00

['Public Relations', 'Publicity', 'Startups', 'Marketing', 'Technology']

Face Detection in just 5 lines of code

Face detection is a computer technology division of deep learning. It identifies human faces in digital images or video scenes. It is used in a variety of applications such as Facial Recognition, Unlock smartphones, Smart advertising, Emotional inference, and many more. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning in artificial intelligence (AI) that has networks capable of learning unsupervised from data that is unstructured or unlabeled. “COMPUTERS ARE NOW ABLE TO SEE, HEAR AND LEARN. WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!“ — Dave Waters In this beginner’s tutorial, we are going to learn how to install and configure python environment, use Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) to debug and run our python code. Then we will use widely popular face detection and manipulation library face-recognition by Adam Geitgey. We will customize the images with different colors and border shapes around the detected faces🕵. It is built using dlib’s state-of-the-art face recognition with deep learning. The model has an accuracy of 99.38% on the Labeled Faces in the Wild benchmark. TL;DR This tutorial is for absolute beginners, even if you are a fresh graduate or someone looking forward to starting machine learning using python. Developers across the technology stack like Web and Mobile developers or Backend developers can also follow this article with ease. So, Let’s begin our new brief code journey. Environment Configuration and Installation At first, we need to download the latest stable version of Python. There are usually 2 famous ways to configure python environments and install packages in our computers — pip or condo. A python package contains all the files you need for a module. Modules are Python code libraries you can include in your project. PIP - a package manager for Python packages. Anaconda - a complete python environment solution to run different versions and manage all python packages. Using Anaconda Navigator, you can install and manage all packages in your computers. You can follow anyone or both among these. Code Editor and IDE Apart from basic python REPL(command-line interface), we can run our python program in any of these two professional editors- PyCharm - Download popular Python IDE for Professional Developers and start. It’s like other famous IDE out there and simple to start and use. Jupyter Notebooks - Widely used web-based code editor by programmers and professional trainers. To install Jupyter Notebook using conda- conda install -c conda-forge notebook or install using pip and then run Jupiter notebook to run it- pip install notebook jupyter notebook That's enough for us to start writing our first Python program and run it. You can use any one of the above editors. We are going to use PyCharm to write code with the pip package manager to install packages in our tutorial. So, let’s commence detecting faces in any given images and photos. Ain't you excited?😀 Gif by giphy.com Firstly, let’s install the required libraries for our code to work. We will install and import only 2 libraries. Pillow - The friendly PIL fork (Python Imaging Library). Face_recognition - To detect faces in the image. pip install Pillow pip install face-recognition You can create a new file of type python (with the extension .py) or a new notebook in Jupyter Notebooks to start coding — face_detection.py. In case, it requires other dependent libraries, you can simply install them too using pip or conda. Let’s import above libraries in our code - import PIL.Image import PIL.ImageDraw import face_recognition Line 1 Let’s pick one image name GroupYoga.jpg (you can pick any image) in the same folder as our code file or else give the proper path of the image. We should load our image to the load_image_file() method from the face_recognition library which will convert it into a NumPy array of that image. Let’s assign it to the variable name given_image. given_image = face_recognition.load_image_file('GroupYoga.jpg') Line 2 Using face_locations() method from the same library, we will count the number of faces in the given_image and will print the length of total faces found in the image. face_locations = face_recognition.face_locations(given_image) number_of_faces = len(face_locations) print("We found {} face(s) in this image.".format(number_of_faces)) Line 3 Now, to draw any shape on the image, we will convert the image to the Pillow library object using fromarray() method from PIL.Image. pil_image = PIL.Image.fromarray(given_image) Line 4 Now, we will run a for-in loop to print four pixel locations such as top, left, bottom & right of the detected faces. for face_location in face_locations: top, left, bottom, right = face_location print("A face is detected at pixel location Top: {}, Left: {}, Bottom: {}, Right: {}".format(top, left, bottom, right)) Line 5 We will draw a green color rectangle box with width 10 around the faces. You can change the shape to polygon or ellipse also. So, in the same above loop write below 2 draw methods. draw = PIL.ImageDraw.Draw(pil_image) draw.rectangle([left, top, right, bottom], outline="green", width=10) Now, just use the variable pil_image to display our new image with detected faces using a rectangular border around them. pil_image.show() The new temporary image will be open automatically on your computer (if everything is set up correctly). It should be something like below image -

https://towardsdatascience.com/face-detection-in-just-5-lines-of-code-5cc6087cb1a9

['Kapil Raghuwanshi']

2020-06-18 05:33:15.884000+00:00

['Technology', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Machine Learning', 'Startup', 'Data Science']

Why are Cryptocurrency Prices so Volatile?

Understanding the differences between fiat currency values and cryptocurrency prices is important to better understand these asset classes. The Basics of Fiat Money and Cryptocurrencies Fiat Money The value of fiat money (a legal tender issued by a country’s central bank and backed by its national government) is determined by the issuing authority and by parties that trust that currency and transact in it. The central bank controls the flow of currency and thereby indirectly controls inflation. Cryptocurrencies Cryptocurrencies are not legal tender: national governments and central banks neither issue nor back it (with some proposed exceptions, such as Venezuela’s Petro). The supply of a cryptocurrency is often either fixed or capped. This theoretically reduces the potential for inflation. Cryptocurrencies are also often decentralized, in that nobody can control the mechanisms built into them. However, there are often developer groups and foundations providing support for certain cryptocurrencies and platforms. These groups sometimes serve as checks on major destabilizing events. Both cryptocurrencies and fiat money can be used as mediums of exchange to buy products or services, or as stores of value. Reasons for Cryptocurrency Volatility Reason 1: A New Class of Assets Cryptocurrencies are a relatively new asset class, and they are still evolving. By some measures there are 100,000 new users of cryptocurrency every day. This novelty means that people do not yet know how to value cryptocurrencies, which leads to volatility in cryptocurrency prices. Reason 2: Thin Markets Since the size of the cryptocurrency market is limited (its value is estimated to be between $260 billion and $900 billion), changes in investor sentiments can have outsized impacts on cryptocurrency prices. The foreign exchange market, on the other hand, has daily trading volumes of around $1.7 trillion. The spread (the difference between the price at which the market buys and the price at which the market sells) can be pennies or less for foreign exchange, but can be measured in dollars for many cryptocurrencies. Emotions drive market prices. Since cryptocurrency markets are relatively small, prices may be more sensitive to positive or negative media reports. Reason 3: Technical Purpose Blockchain technology can be used for cryptocurrencies, for other uses, or both. Therefore, while Bitcoin is used only as a cryptocurrency, Ethereum tokens are used to build other apps. The price of an Ethereum token therefore depends partly on trust in the Ethereum ecosystem’s continued dominance, and partly on the purpose for which the token was created and the real-world problem it intends to address. This can lead to more complex valuations that change rapidly. Changes in Cryptocurrency Prices Over the past 18 Months As the original, largest, and most prominent cryptocurrency, Bitcoin often serves a proxy for the cryptocurrency market. Prices of other cryptocurrencies have often risen and fallen in tandem with that of Bitcoin. Last year, Bitcoin became mainstream, even while major Asian economies such as Japan cracked down on cryptocurrency. At the beginning of 2017, Bitcoin’s price was below $1000 and its market capitalization was below $15 billion. Over the course of the year, Bitcoin’s price surged in value to $15,000, despite periodic drops on negative news (such as after the SEC blocked the introduction of a Bitcoin ETF, the forking of Bitcoin into classic Bitcoin and Bitcoin cash, and China’s ICO ban). In December 2017, the market capitalization of Bitcoin was approximately $235 billion. The mania of 2017 gave way to a selloff in early 2018, as the price of Bitcoin plunged to $7,000 by February. The first half of the year has been characterized by massive volatility in Bitcoin’s price. There are many potential explanations for the correction of Bitcoin prices in 2018. One is that people who bought at a low price sought to realize their gains, setting off a selloff. Another is the ironic possibility that as people learned more about cryptocurrencies, they started purchasing Bitcoin’s competitors (colloquially known as altcoins), such as Litecoin, Ripple, and Zcash, instead of Bitcoin. Ad sanctions by Google on cryptocurrency may also have played a role in the decline. Bitcoin’s price is approximately $6000 at the moment, and its market cap is approximately $110 billion. Accuracy of Cryptocurrency Price Predictions Bitcoin price predictions have been all over the map. Bitcoin optimists such as John McAfee (McAfee Associates), Jim Cramer (CNBC), and Bobby Lee (CEO BTCC Exchange) have predicted that Bitcoin’s price would breach the $1 million mark in a few years. Tom Lee (formerly JP Morgan’s chief US equity strategist) has taken a more moderate stance, predicting a Bitcoin price of $25,000 by end-2018 and $125,000 by 2025. Bitcoin pessimists include boutique investment bank GP Bullhound, which has predicted a 90% crash by the end of 2018. At the extreme end are Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff’s prediction that Bitcoin will eventually shrink to $100 and GoldMoney CEO Roy Sebag’s projection that Bitcoin’s price will drop to $0 in the long term. Bitcoin and altcoin prices will depend on various factors, including the availability of alternatives and the development of cryptocurrency regulation in major economies. Bitcoin and altcoin price volatility serves as a cautionary tale: to generate sustained interest among investors and the general public, blockchains should seek to provide value (beyond the merely theoretical), solve real-world problems, and create durable value.

https://medium.com/blockstreethq/why-are-cryptocurrency-prices-so-volatile-7bf1dccb2240

['Shaan Ray']

2019-12-15 06:58:44.282000+00:00

['Blockchain Technology', 'Bhq Contributors', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Crypto', 'Bitcoin']

Level Monitoring IoT Use Cases With MaxBotix Sensors

Pictured: Elsys IoT Distance Sensor There are several different use cases for the Internet of Things. Our weather resistant sensors are a popular choice for developers when building their applications. We serve many of these wireless sensor applications confidently. In this article we’re covering IoT solutions our products have been integrated in, providing real time visibility of necessary data. These IoT devices and cloud solutions are able to: Manage fill levels Monitor fluid levels Manage inventory levels Level Monitoring Solutions with IoT Ultrasonic Sensors Ultrasonic sensors work by sending out sound waves that are above the range of human hearing. The sensor’s transducer serves as both a microphone and transmitter to receive and transmit ultrasonic sounds. Our ultrasonic sensors are similar to many others in that they use a single transducer to send a pulse and receive the echo. The sensor determines the distance to a target by measuring how long it takes between the sending of an ultrasonic pulse and its reception. Common uses include: Level Flow Monitoring Flow Our ultrasonic level sensors are low maintenance and easy to install. They are designed to be non-contact, which means there will be no buildup on the sensor face. Level sensors need to be able to access the surface you want to detect without being hindered. Wireless Tank Level Monitoring One of the most successful use cases of our wireless sensors in IoT is tank level monitoring. Many of our collaborators thrive in this use case, which solves the problem of detecting levels in a tank or bin to relay the information to a monitoring system wirelessly. In this image, you’ll see how the sensor is to be mounted in these liquid level monitoring applications. the recommended mounting for MaxBotix tank sensors. Our Collaborators in Tank Level Monitoring 1. LX Group — An Ultrasonic Distance Sensor for Tank Level Measurement These sensors are used in silos, water tanks and dams to measure distances down to the surface level and gauge capacity. They are cost-effective, easy to install ultrasonic sensors. This sensor is one of the most commonly used sensors used to monitor water levels in remote regions of Australia and New Zealand. LX Group has designed a complete end-to-end Wireless Private LoRa/ LoRaWAN system that can communicate with our MB7386 to determine the water level in a water tank. Our sensor indicates the height of the liquid level. Read more about LX Group’s Sensor Solution 2. Invigicom — Wireless Ultrasonic Tank Level Sensor The company Invigicom Inc. has developed a simple tank monitoring system that replaces traditional monitoring systems that rely on pressure sensors and float gauges. They offer turn-key tank monitoring solutions. Invigicom focuses on improving the operational efficiency and environmental management of companies with products that answer the question of “How many gallons, where, and when?” The tanks are monitored by a web-based wireless sensor system that conveys near real-time information on their contents. The InvigiSense product family provides a complete system for collecting data from tanks, storing it in the cloud, and allowing users to access the data from any browser. Your team can receive alert messages via email to let you know when a tank needs to be serviced. Read more about Invigicom’s Sensor Solution Water Level Monitoring [Primarily Flood Levels] Another common use case in level monitoring is flood level monitoring. These following collaborators have successfully deployed flood, river, and other environmental water level monitoring applications. 1. TECLAB/FAST — IoT Level Sensor Level-X is used to detect the level of water flowing in a channel, calculating the water flow for overflow channels. This solution uses an ultrasonic sensor to measure open flumes and rainwater diverters. This high-performance measurement sensor can be used to: Calculate the capacity of Venturi and Parsh open flumes and wired boxes of the Basin and Thomson type Calculate the level/capacity for small open rainwater diverters Calculate the capacity of sources with wired boxes of the Basic type or of other shapes and sizes. Read more about Level-X 2. ToltHawk — IoT Water Level Monitoring and Flood Tracking Sensor Carnation, WA based ToltHawk has developed a fully customizable hardware and cloud solution to monitor water levels remotely. Typical industries ToltHawk Works with include: Monitoring rivers & streams Flood monitoring River basin simulation Roadway monitoring for flood conditions Wells, snow, dams, water tanks, irrigation flumes and weirs, soil moisture, and many others ToltHawk provides a fully customizable hardware and cloud solution for use in many wireless, level sensing applications. Read more about ToltHawk 3. Omixom Omixom SRL is an engineering firm based in Córdoba, Argentina specializing in Agriculture and working with Government entities to provide solutions. Industries Omixom works in: Agriculture Government The autonomous station takes samples of the water level and rainfall in a strategic location over a riverbed. This data is sent via a satellite to a web server. The station is able to optimize the data with a certain level of intelligence to interpret the data and make decisions based on the data. Read more about Omixom In Summary Many of the companies we’ve worked with successfully deploy many types of IoT applications in various industries. For more information about the industries we serve and our collaborators visit us here: MaxBotix Collaborators If you’re interested in building your IoT application with our sensors, contact us at [email protected] to let us know what your requirements are.

https://medium.com/@maxbotixinc/level-monitoring-iot-use-cases-with-maxbotix-sensors-ef67e15d0881

[]

2020-12-21 19:11:26.647000+00:00

['IoT', 'Robotics', 'Technology', 'Smart Cities', 'Manufacturing']

How to ask Questions as a Jr. Dev

Asking questions in a coding bootcamp is expected, but once you transition to a real job, it feels different. You’re no longer talking to instructors, whose main job is to teach you, you’re talking to coworkers. Busy coworkers. Suddenly each question feels like it has judgement or risk attached to it. “Is this a dumb question?” “Am I wasting their time with this?” “Am I dumb for even needing to ask this?” Look, I’m a Jr. dev too, I understand the feeling. No matter how friendly my team is, I still feel self conscious about asking too many questions. But the reason I became a programmer is because I love solving problems. So, I studied the kinds of questions I kept having and boiled them down into 4 main categories: Bridge Is Out Toll Bridge vs EZ Pass Bridge Long and Bumpy Roads Oh God, How Did I Get In This River After I made charmingly disarming names for each type, I came up with helpful strategies to deal with them. 1. Bridge Is Out These are problems that are literally impossible for you to solve on your own because the solution is company, or even developer, specific. This is a bridge you cannot cross without help. These are things like: the locations of documentation/passwords, how to set up your environment, what a company’s jargon/abbreviations mean, etc. Solution: Ask once, take notes You are going to have to ask these types of questions, but on the bright side, so did everyone else. However, you can help yourself out by only asking these questions once. Do this by keeping up to date and thorough notes. Every time you find yourself asking a dev a question about the systems, you should always make a note of the answer. If the question is about a higher level concept, write about a paragraph that explains it in layman’s terms. If something is a process, write down each step starting from scratch. I write my notes as though I’m talking to a forgetful stranger, because when you look back at them in 6 weeks, that’s going to be your state of mind. Trust me on this one. 2. Toll Bridge vs EZ Pass Bridge These are questions about company specific code that you could eventually figure out on your own, but a senior dev could do it faster. For example, let’s say you’re tasked with refactoring some files. Yes, if you: followed each callback, looked up the function signatures in the company docs, and messed around with things for two hours, you could figure it out. But if you asked the dev who wrote it to explain it, you’d be all set in like 20 minutes. What should you do? Solution: Try on your own, but pair if there’s time Even if it will take you longer, learning to decipher someone else’s code is an unbelievably useful skill. Becoming self sufficient is an essential part of being a developer, and it’s also a handy cure for imposter syndrome. Plus, the more you do it, the better you’ll get. After a certain point, you may even prefer the learning process over someone giving you the answers. However, these types of questions are also great opportunities to pair up with more senior developers. Now, instead of asking a quick question, you’re going through the codebase with someone who wrote it. If you tried on your own, but hit a roadblock, that wasn’t wasted time either. The research you did will allow you to ask more specific question and get better answers. 3. Long and Bumpy Roads These are questions about things that are in no way company specific. We are finally onto Google-able problems. Things like starting on a new team, so you need to learn some of the new languages in their stack. You know “the answer,” it’s to learn a whole new language. It’s just going to be a bumpy ride Solution: Google it These are my favorite questions because I don’t need to bother anyone on my team for help. Unfamiliar with the syntax? Google it. Weird error? Copy it into Stack Overflow. Don’t know how a library works? Check the docs (or if you’re lucky, find some YouTube videos). Easy peasy. Kidding aside, if you’re stuck with a crazy problem and the internet’s answer was to shrug you off, then it is time to ask your team. Briefly ask a teammate for help and tell a teammate all the approaches you’ve tried and why they didn’t work. Often times, it only takes another set of eyes to see a solution that was there the whole time. The key here is: try your best to solve it alone first, because odds are, you can. 4. Oh god How Did I Wind Up In This River These are the kinds of things that have gone so wrong, so quickly, it literally couldn’t be as serious as it appears. A PERFECT example was when I loaded a project, went to a new git branch, and watched my browser explode. There were page long server errors, it looked like a dozen files we’re missing, and just for fun, Nginx said the website didn’t exist. I tried to stay calm, but before I could even ask, “What happened?”, the dev next to me said, “Ugh, I hate when Docker does that. Run npm restart , sometimes it’s too dumb to keep track of branches.” I typed that into the console and everything was fine. Solution: Quickly ask your team If you feel like what you did couldn’t possibly have crashed the entire system, it probably didn’t. These kinds of situations are great for your team’s Slack channel (or whatever group forum you use). Describe the error and ask if it’s happened to anyone else. There’s a 99% chance it has, and your team will give you the quick answer to fix it. And next time that same weird thing happens to someone else, you get to be the helpful one with the quick fix. Just be sure to save the answer in your notes! Bottom line: don’t be afraid of questions As the old saying goes: Ask a question and you will be a fool for a moment. Ask no questions and you will break a production server. No one likes to bug their team members for help all the time, but the fact of the matter is, there will be times when you have to ask for help. And that’s a good thing. A well thought out question shows you’re engaging with the codebase and growing as a developer. If you want to learn all you can, the fastest way is to ask questions. Whether they’re to yourself, the internet, or your team, I hope the strategies listed here will help you ask the best ones you can. Happy coding everyone, Mike

https://medium.com/the-marcy-lab-school/how-to-ask-questions-as-a-jr-dev-236207de3d55

['Mike Cronin']

2019-02-13 08:47:01.931000+00:00

['Bootcamp', 'Coding', 'Programming', 'Developer', 'Technology']

New Alexa App For PC — Free Download (Laptop/Desktop)

​ Are you looking for the New Alexa App for your Laptop or Desktop. Solution is here>> ITB Alexa

https://medium.com/@alexappguide07/new-alexa-app-for-pc-free-download-laptop-desktop-42e75f44b5c9

['Itb Alexa']

2020-12-26 14:19:40.279000+00:00

['Alexa', 'Technology', 'USA', 'Amazon', 'App']

Are things falling apart for Libra?

Are things falling apart for Libra? The proposed digital coin by the social media giant is losing support as the big-name initial supporters quit There is absolutely no doubt that Facebook’s proposed digital payment coin got more than its fair share of attention ever since its launch in June of this year. The proposed project raised so many eyebrows since it was being backed by the biggest social media platform of the World, with a following of over 2.4 billion. While the decentralized crypto projects criticized it for being an equivalent of an extremely centralized corporate entity encroaching on the Defi space with its monopolistic tendencies, regulators were worried about the disruption it might bring to the current “tried & tested” monetary system. Regulatory Concerns The regulators have been extremely critical of the project citing security concerns, especially considering the pathetic data privacy record of the social media giant. FB had immediately tried to tone down the enthusiasm around the launch of the Libra coin by saying that it won’t launch the digital coin till the regulators give it the go-ahead, no matter how long it takes. Unfortunately for FB, the criticism continued to mount as the European regulators took an even harsher stance against the proposed coin — going as far as saying that they can block Libra to operate in Europe. It was dealt another blow with a recent report from the Group of Seven Nations (G7). The report outlined nine major risks posed by such digital currencies, which need to be addressed adequately before regulators can give the green signal. High Profile Exits The biggest setback, however, was yet to come. The governing council of the project, Libra Association, which originally had 28 members lost six of its high profile members as the latest casualties of this regulatory battle. PayPal which had pulled the plug on the relationship a couple of weeks ago was followed by Mastercard, Visa, digital auction company eBay, payments firm Stripe and Mercado Pago. All of them cited regulatory pushback as the main reason for their pullout. The association that was supposed to expand to 100 members eventually with the responsibility of running Libra on the private blockchain network has now shrunk to 22 members. Considering each partner was to invest $10 million in the project, the $60 million might not seem that much as compared to the big-name exits. These defections might very well encourage others to leave as well with the project already on shaky grounds. OpenLibra While there is a very real possibility that Libra may never launch, it has certainly given impetus to other such projects in the digital payment space. Co-founder of blockchain infrastructure startup Wireline announced OpenLibra — a blockchain technology platform intended to build on Libra’s strengths with emphasis on financial inclusion, open governance & economic decentralization. The developers of the proposed permissionless fork to Libra have released the first version — dubbed as MoveMint. Running on top of Tendermint blockchain software the virtual machine can be found on GitHub. Libra ‘Prediction Futures’ And then there are others who are not waiting around to see the actual use case of Libra or if it launches or not — crypto derivatives exchange CoinFlex is launching physically delivered futures contracts which will be settled based on whether Libra launches in 2020 or not. Based on the Initial Futures Offering (IFO) concept, the new offering will be offered on Oct. 24 and the initial price of a futures contract will be set to $0.30 — reflecting a 30% chance that Libra would launch by Dec. 2020. If Libra is to ever launch, Facebook will not only need to address the extreme skepticism of the regulators but also convince its skittish partners to hold the ground. But before that, it has a huge image problem to fix. For now, the project seems to be sliding down a slippery slope.

https://medium.com/technicity/are-things-falling-apart-for-libra-7f855f557207

['Faisal Khan']

2019-10-15 21:21:37.801000+00:00

['Investing', 'Technology', 'Finance', 'Economics', 'Bitcoin']

Building the metaverse, one gamified world at a time.

Full stack blockchain games development OUR PROJECT Decentralized Game World with a free market economy, powered by EOSio. Prospectors is the first of its kind economic strategy MMO crypto game dapp utilizing blockchain technology. The Decentralized Game World, powered by EOSio, enables a free market economy, making Prospectors a pioneer in the “play to earn” model. Tribal Books is a free-to-play online digital collectible step-by-step NFT-card game. Each round, two players compete with each using the cards and magical forces from the Tribal Books. Only one will become a winner. Collect NFT cards. Use them to beat the foe. Upgrade your Tribal Book to open powerful magic forces. Become the hero who will restore the greatness of the enchanted heart-cities and get their treasures! “R-PLANET” is the newest crypto game being developed by the WECAN team. Powered by a revolutionary new NFTs-staking system, users will generate AETHER by Staking NFT’s from any of the listed projects supported by “R-planet”. The gamified world of R-planet is fueled by AETHER. It is the key component to the alchemic aspect of the game, where basic elements can be acquired and combined to create new elements, generating new NFT’s Mining AETHER is great way to benefit from unused NFTs and have a lot of fun earning passive rewards! https://wecan.dev

https://medium.com/@wecandev/building-the-metaverse-one-gamified-world-at-a-time-90043fbdda65

[]

2020-12-24 09:55:21.514000+00:00

['Blockchain Technology', 'Development', 'Game Development']

Improving Resilience, Collaboration and Consistency in Food Processing

It has often been said that necessity is the mother of invention and the COVID-19 pandemic has served as the backdrop for numerous instances when this has been proven true. However, the all-encompassing economic consequences of the pandemic hit global trade and investment at an unknown speed and scale. Companies experienced an initial supply shock as transportation and logistical operations slowed down and, in some instances, came to a grinding halt. This was immediately followed by a demand shock as more countries imposed nationwide lockdowns and community quarantines affecting not only the mobility of people but also raw materials and goods. The need for resilience During the height of the global pandemic, governments, businesses and consumers struggled to procure raw materials and basic goods. Everyone was forced to face the fact that the modern supply chain model could be so easily disrupted and rendered incapable during crises of this scale. This highlighted the need to develop a smarter, more resilient and diverse supply chain. Food processing, in particular, had to quickly shape up as one of the key industries considered essential throughout the pandemic. The challenging circumstances have, therefore, forced manufacturers to focus on the need to keep food processing running smoothly and efficiently through collaboration and robust communication. This is necessary to maintain consistency in processes and product quality. Core areas in food processing that help boost resilience In order to boost resilience in food manufacturing, businesses in this sector need to focus on the following core areas: Reconfiguration of global value chains COVID-19 has exposed the inadequacies of extended and complex value chains and their impact on production during crisis situations. There is a need for shorter or more diversified supply chains, preferably closer to home (e.g., nearshoring) and for establishing partnerships with alternative suppliers in the manufacturer’s home country (e.g., reshoring). The shortening of supply chains would be particularly beneficial to countries with robust manufacturing sectors and favourable export policies to reduce dependence on China over the medium term. Another possible solution would be increasing warehousing capacity or dry ports near demand centres to reduce the time it takes to get raw materials to manufacturers and goods to consumers. Collaboration and innovation through the use of technology Collaboration is a key factor in all types of manufacturing operations. The effective collaboration of plant, people, data and systems is made possible through business process management (BPM) technology. The adoption of digital technology in operational processes using BPM enables food manufacturers to capture crucial data. With this valuable information, they can perform analyses, identify patterns, connect assets and systems, transform outdated procedures, and develop best practices. This, in turn, helps to establish more efficient and systematic collaboration and ensures consistency in operational procedures. With the help of technology, achieving consistency in operational procedures and automating workflow and processes become easier. This not only helps to preserve assets but also improves operational efficiency. When data transfer and access is instantaneous, delays in relaying information and information gaps become a thing of the past. For example, by using a mobile productivity and collaboration platform as a single point of contact, all tools and communication features can be accessed in one place. This can significantly improve the productivity, agility and safety of a business because all teams involved in food manufacturing can communicate and address issues faster. They can also manage work more efficiently and seamlessly. Innovative technologies can also wean companies away from manual or paper-based communication that, due to its slowness, can create friction and inefficiencies along the way. All a business needs is a single secure platform that’s mobile and desktop-enabled and that connects operational systems and communication channels within. Another technology worth considering is collaborative robots (cobots), which are known to enhance quality and boost productivity. The significance of cobots during the height of the pandemic has been underscored primarily because they are not susceptible to disease and can operate round the clock. In the food industry, where product quality, consistency, safety, hygiene and faultless processing are especially important, cobots are particularly suitable. Aside from being ideal for production facilities of all sizes, cobots can work in environments with special climatic or hygienic conditions. Standardising processes and maintaining operational excellence through digital transformation The enterprise-wide standardisation of operational processes through digital transformation is critical to maintaining consistency in food processing. It also enables faster data transfer and dissemination through the reduction in the number of applications being used across the enterprise while also decreasing the cost of ownership. This IT harmonisation enables the seamless flow of information across multiple plants, and it is particularly beneficial to multi-site manufacturing operations. As equipment, systems and devices are interconnected and communicating across a single platform, manufacturers get a holistic or 360-degree perspective of the total manufacturing process, that is, from production through to distribution. The goal of operational excellence also requires digital transformation. To be the best at what they do, manufacturers need to quickly adopt cloud technology. With quick and convenient access to the cloud, manufacturers are better equipped to use the insights they gain from data analytics to inform their operational decisions. The extensive application of data analytics is a major driver of digital transformation. It provides data-driven insights that allow teams to focus on critical factors that affect business resilience. Here, connectivity (e.g., the Internet of Things or IoT) plays a key role, where everything — including all devices, plant floor systems and equipment — are connected through an accessible and easy-to-use user interface. Robust machine learning technology that is crucial to automation in the food manufacturing industry can also contribute significantly to attaining operational excellence in the following ways: • Improved foresight into asset repair and maintenance requirements • Significant reduction in production downtime • Cost-efficient asset management capabilities • Higher productivity and energy efficiency • Flexibility in operations that are responsive to customer needs • Reduction of workplace-related injuries and risks The automation of certain manufacturing processes is not meant to displace human workers, however. In fact, digital transformation also involves upskilling production workers who need to monitor communication, supervise operations, analyse data and come up with data-driven decisions. After all, the adoption of digital technologies is meant to free up human workers to participate in higher-level tasks. For example, when food production speeds up, it frees businesses to innovate or come up with new products. The human workforce remains an indispensable resource for product innovation and improving process efficiencies. Transforming multi-site manufacturing operations Martin Thomas, European Marketing Manager at Radwell said “Sudden or unplanned growth among manufacturing businesses sometimes leads to challenges to collaboration and consistency in systems and processes, particularly in multi-site manufacturing operations. Instead of viewing local manufacturing as relevant only to that entity and the market it serves, manufacturers are now adopting an all-encompassing transformative view of operations. This allows all manufacturing sites to benefit from unique yet widely adaptable opportunities that present themselves in specific locations. This underscores the need to adopt a culture of continuous improvement, consistency, collaboration (particularly with regard to best practices), connectedness, transparency, information sharing and documentation for regulatory compliance. Doing these things not only serves to minimise or eliminate risks but also helps to develop resilience, agility and innovative thinking — elements that are key in times of uncertainty.” From chaos to opportunity Even as the world continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19, the most resilient and agile industrialists — including those in food processing — would be quick to see opportunities even in the most challenging situations. Of course, those that have been quick to adopt new technologies would continue to be at the forefront.

https://medium.com/@radwelleurope/improving-resilience-collaboration-and-consistency-in-food-processing-cde35bf9733e

['Radwell International Ltd']

2021-02-10 10:19:59.099000+00:00

['Manufacturing', 'Food Processing', 'Collaboration', 'Food Industry', 'Technology']

I Started A Tech Tutorial Blog. Here’s What I’ve Learned.

A bit of background… Let me start off by saying that I (blindly) started my tech tutorial blog. The emphasis here is on the word “blindly” because admittedly, I started it out on a whim. Contrary to the idea that research plays a key role in starting online businesses (even blogs), I had an impulse to write a tutorial on SAP Electronic Bank Statements. This impulse was rooted from my feelings of frustration — we will get into that soon. You see, I “Googled” the topic with as much creativity as I could but I still could not find the content I was looking for. This was how the feelings of frustration kicked in. I needed something — fast. I needed something that was straightforward enough to understand, organized, had step-by-step examples, and most importantly did not sound like a technical paper. It seemed like a long shot at that point to find something in that criteria so I had to learn it from different sources, apply it, test it, and put the pieces together to get the whole picture. What was the next step? I needed to document what I have learned. I have this habit of creating personal documentations for the purpose of having something to refer back to. At this point, I realized — Why not put this out on the internet? With that, I looked up Wordpress (this was the only blogging platform I was familiar with) and put up my first post. Now, I have my blog techlorean.com up and running where it focuses on SAP finance-related tutorials and career insights. It focuses more on analysis — getting the readers to understand the purpose, process, and behavior of the configurations rather than providing the usual configuration recipe. If you’re interested in learning SAP and reading on some career insights, check it out! With the blog’s growth and my realizations of starting a tech tutorial blog, I decided to share some thoughts with you. Find Your Purpose I don’t expect you to change the world with a blog. I am saying, you need to know what purpose the blog will serve. Purpose = Audience Audience = Traffic It is similar to finding your niche but your adding more value to it. I’d like to think that it is a healthy mindset for the writer (you). With so many other tech tutorial blogs out there, it would be difficult to start a blog and drive traffic with an overly saturated topic without purpose. Why are you starting the blog? What are you aiming for? Why do you want to educate others? etc. Don’t Take SEO for Granted One thing I realized is that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) plays a huge role in driving traffic to your blog. It helps to learn a thing or two about SEO. You could enroll in a free class, watch YouTube videos, or even do a simple research on what SEO is. SEO to me is like having a relationship with a search engine like Google. How do you build on that relationship with Google such that your blog is trusted enough to be ranked higher? It is not enough to create great content or quality blog posts. You want to be able to kick up your game by applying improvements to your blog through SEO. You could create amazing quality posts but the issue would be me finding you. At the end of the day, your blog won’t live its purpose if the right people cannot find you. The Big Players are Intimidating — Don’t Doubt Yourself I mentioned that tech tutorial blogs or tech blogs in general can be overly saturated. There are BIG websites out there that have established audiences and have secured their rank through SEO. That being said, that is not a reason to give up or scrap your blog idea especially if you are passionate about it. I admit that I thought of that after a few months of starting my blog. I had doubts and and even questioned if the blog was even worth putting effort in. I agree. They can be intimidating but I realized that I have my personal reasons: I did not start this blog for the sole purpose of competing with gigantic websites. I am simply putting content out there with the hopes of helping others. Everyone starts somewhere — A cliche way to put it but it’s true. It builds through time with the right amount of effort. Let your purpose rise above your doubts — I am not saying that my blog is at the top or peak of its game but I choose to believe in it and its purpose. Conversational Tone > Smart Talk Writing a tech tutorial blog can be an opportunity to use technical words or deep technical concepts. Truth be told, I would rather read a blog that has a conversational tone than one with smart talk. Why? I plan to read a tech tutorial blog to understand a concept. As a reader, the faster I am able to digest or learn something, the better my experience. The conversational tone has more impact than you think. It is like a friend that is helping you understand something. It is not you reading a formal technical paper. The goal is to help others understand not scare them away with technical jargon. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not asking you to completely remove technical concepts or words. I am simply saying that explaining a technical concept in a conversational tone (and using words that can be easily understood) gets the knowledge across in a much lighter note. More often than not, those who do go to a tech tutorial blog would most likely have less to zero knowledge. That in itself is a sign that they wouldn’t appreciate full blown formal technical writing. Less Smart Talk = More Help On Monetization — Don’t Expect A Get Rich Quick Scheme I have seen numerous YouTube videos and blog posts on earning from blogs — shockingly as much as 6 figures. To give you a background, I am not a full-time blogger nor do I have extensive background in writing. In fact, I work as a consultant and simply write when I have time to spare. Lately, I have been putting aside at least 1 hour to do some writing which is a schedule I can manage with. Like I mentioned, the original intent of starting my tech tutorial blog was to put helpful content out there so monetization wasn’t the first line of thought. I understand that it would be great to have another source of income — who wouldn’t? I understand that it takes time and effort to put up and maintain a blog. At this point, you need to understand that it isn’t a “get-rich-quick” scenario. You need to have an audience, consistent traffic, an email list, maybe even a digital product. All of those need time to grow. You cannot create a digital product as early as Day 1 and expect people to purchase something or sign up especially if you just started. I am not a sales or marketing guru but I can tell you that it really takes time to build enough trust for people to purchase. However, if you have a decent amount of monthly traffic, you can try to sign up for ad revenue, affiliate programs, etc. Bottom line is that starting a blog does not guarantee quick cash especially if it is a tech tutorial blog. Like all other things, it takes time to flourish. Some parting words… I say, go for it. “Begin” — As the coffee mug says in the picture. I would like to share that starting a tech tutorial blog was really rewarding for me. I am thankful to create a platform that helps educate others. I am also thankful that I am able to improve my skills — especially in communication. Again, I am not the best writer. In fact, I have not formally published articles or books but I find that I am more comfortable with my writing. Being able to reword technical concepts and make it more “conversational” helped me communicate to clients effectively as a consultant. I hope this helped. Good luck!

https://medium.com/@techlorean/i-started-a-tech-tutorial-blog-heres-what-ive-learned-15a8c02288df

[]

2020-03-23 14:34:24.678000+00:00

['Blogging Tips', 'Technology', 'Writing Tips', 'Blogging', 'Education']

Bitcoin, The Internet, and Rock n’Roll: An Analogy By Bowie.

The interviewer then makes a face that says “how the hell did he connect those two random things like that? Is he high?” But before he can say anything, Bowie interrupts and says: “Oh yes it is! Forget about the Microsoft element, the monopolies do NOT have a monopoly… maybe on programs.” A Call To Arms Against The Monopoly Some of the smartest people in the world have compared Bitcoin and the technology that has emerged from its wake as something as significant as the internet itself, and I completely agree. The parallels are pretty obvious. Anyone working in Bitcoin or the broader blockchain technology industry will understand what David was talking about. Just like with the first Rock and Rollers, that call-to-arms feeling was exactly what attracted most of us to work with Bitcoin in the first place. That feeling that something had to change in the existing system, in this case, in the world of money and finance, was a common denominator among the first movers in this industry. He couldn’t have been more accurate in describing it as a “dead-dodgy” kind of occupation to have. It took my own mother over three years to understand and believe that this was a real industry we were trying to build, that I wasn’t going to go to jail for what I did for a living. To this day, we get looks of skepticism from most people when we tell them that our business is built on Bitcoin and blockchain technology platforms. The world is only starting to see this as a career opportunity, and not something subversive or chaotic. In many ways, it is still as chaotic as anything can be. David also talks about how the monopolies have lost their monopoly. This is a perfect analogy with the complete destruction of the monopoly on money creation by nation states and central banks brought upon by the Bitcoin protocol. When the first person other than Satoshi Nakamoto started running Bitcoin, that monopoly suddenly became a sand castle in a fast-rising tide. Hal Finney was the first user of Bitcoin other than Satoshi Nakamto. RIP, Hal. Interviewer: “What you like about it is the fact that anyone can say anything? Or do anything?!” This was the biggest argument against the Internet back then — everyone can say anything or do anything or be anything, therefore, it won’t work. It is a great underestimation of the power of the individual when expressed through a collective network. David Bowie responds: “From where I am, by virtue of the fact that I’m a pop singer and writer, I really, like, I embrace the idea, that there is this demystification process going on between the artist and the audience. Now it’s a communal kind of thing , it’s about the community, it’s becoming more more about the audience, because the point of having somebody who “led the forces” has disappeared! Because the vocabulary of rock is too well-known, as a currency it is not devoid of meaning anymore. It’s only a conveyor of information, not a conveyor of rebellion. — And internet has taken on that, as I say, and so I find that a terribly exciting idea, so from my standpoint being an artist, I’d like to see what the new construction is between artists and audience. It’s almost like the artist is to accompany what the audience is doing, and that feeling is very much permeating the internet. A Demystification Process Let’s analyze that statement for a bit. Bowie talked about the demystification process going on between the artist and the audience due to the Internet’s ability to breakdown the importance of the artist versus that of the audience, where the audience now becomes as important, if not more important, than the artists themselves. When the world of money and finance started to become global, the rise of institutional financial gatekeepers have become personified and glorified in the role of banks and bankers. Banks were the most revered institutions of the new industrial era, providing credit, savings, and safekeeping of our wealth and assets. If you wanted a good and stable job, find work in a bank. Up until the 80s and 90s, this was a common narrative. In this context, banks are the artists (and maybe the record label), and everyone else is the audience. Big banks “led the forces” and had vast amounts of power and influence over society. They still do to this day, but the coming of age of the internet and the vast improvement in the interface between the user and the network is rapidly changing all that. Fintech, Insuretech, Regtech, mobile payment platforms and the like have come out strong in the last decade, and the customer is now as important, if not more important, than the institutions themselves. New applications using technology have begun to show us that these revered institutions have been sleeping on the job, and that they have been too slow to adapt to the changing needs of their audience. Going back to the interviewer, he again mentions what he believes to be the absurd idea that “anyone can say or do anything”: “But what is it specifically about the internet? Anybody can say anything… but it all adds up to what? There is nothing cohesive about it in the way there was something cohesive about the youth revolution in music…” Here we go again, that same narrative. “If anyone can say anything, it must be worthless, it will be meaningless.” If anyone can say or do anything in a way that it becomes censorship-resistant, with permission-less access, then nothing will come out of it except chaos. This could not be further from the truth, and David knew that, with conviction. Bitcoin’s invention allowed anyone in the world to “say anything” in the context of commerce and value exchange, the same way the internet did in the context of communication and information exchange. David responds: “Oh but absolutely! Because I believe that, at the time, up until at least the mid-70s, we really felt that we were still living under the guise of a single and absolute creative society where there were known truths and known lies, and was no kind of duplicity of pluralism about the things that we believed in. That i started to breakdown rapidly in the 70s and the idea of a duality in the way that we live, in there are always two, three, four, five sides to every question that the singularity disappeared, and that, I believe, has produced such a medium as the internet and it absolutely establishes and shows us that we are living in total fragmentation.” The Breakdown of the Singularity Up until 2008, we were still living under the guise of a single and absolute financial society where there were known truths and known lies, and nothing can be questioned. This started to break down in the midst of the confusion caused by on of the biggest financial meltdowns in modern history and the house of cards that fell along with it. Suddenly, we realized that there are two, three, four, five sides to every question, and that monopoly disappeared forever. It produced an entirely new medium in the form of Bitcoin, as a new kind of software, a new kind of network, a new kind of money, and a new subversive idea that came out of nowhere and completely demystified the relationship between the gatekeepers of money and the consumers of money. Things like blockchains, consensus algorithms, and peer-to-peer networks showed us that the emperor had no clothes, and that we are living in total fragmentation because of all the trust we gave to these institutions. Interviewer: “You don’t think that some of the claims that are being made for it are hugely exaggerated, I mean, when the telephone was invented people made amazing claims for it — David interjects: I know! The President at the time, he was outrageous! He said he foresaw the day in the future when EVERY TOWN in America will have a telephone. Now that, how dare he claim that, absolute bullshit (Sarcasm). So, no, I don’t agree, I think the internet — I don’t think we have even seen the tip of the iceberg. “I think the potential of what the internet is going to do to society, both good an bad, is unimaginable! I think we are actually on the cusp of something exhilarating AND terrifying.” he says. Interviewer: (Still looking exasperated) It’s just a tool isn’t it?! Some would argue that David was an alien. Ziggy Stardust, Major Tom… (Image from Google images) “No, it’s not. No, it’s an alien life form… Is there life on Mars? YES, and it just landed here.” Says David. Bitcoin, The Alien Life Form Right now, some of the claims about the potential of Bitcoin as a new decentralized global monetary standard or how blockchain technology will change our fundamental understanding of trade, ownership, and trust seems hugely exaggerated, and rightfully so. Just like the early days of the internet, there is a lot of hype in the industry today. But, like David, we believe that what we are seeing today is not even the tip of the iceberg. We believe that we are on the cusp of something both exhilarating and terrifying, like an alien life form landing on Earth. Bitcoin’s impact has barely made a ripple in the coming wave of innovation and disruption in the world of finance, yet here we are, only ten years in and moving trillions in value on a global scale, enabling millions of people to transact with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Interviewer: “It’s simply just a different delivery system there. You’re arguing about something more profound…” To which David says: “Oh yeah, I am talking about the actual context and the state of content is going to be so different from anything we can envisage at the moment, where the interplay between the user and the provider will be so in sympatico, it’s going to crush our ideas of what mediums are all about.” Something More Profound Isn’t Bitcoin just another payment system like VISA or Paypal? Isn’t it just another delivery system for money? No, we argue that it is something much more profound, just like David argued for the Internet in 1999. We live in a world of digital commerce and value exchange that was severely limited by the restrictions placed by gatekeepers, where every action is monitored by a middleman, every participant is vetted by a process that excludes two-thirds of the world’s population from participating in the global internet economy, because it was the only solution to a problem we could not solve — the double spending problem. The release of Bitcoin in 2009 gave the world a better practical solution based on cryptographic proof instead of trust, and it has opened a pandora’s box of possibilities that cannot be undone. The actual context of transactions and the state of the content being exchanged, not just money, but entire classes of value both tangible and intangible, will be so different from anything we can envisage with our limited perspective today, where the interplay between the two parties in a transaction, between the user and provider, senders and receivers, become perfectly in sync with little to no friction. It is going to crush every single idea we have of what mediums of value exchange are all about.

https://medium.com/@MiguelCuneta_21450/bitcoin-is-the-new-rock-and-roll-d03ee51996eb

['Miguel Cuneta']

2019-02-27 16:44:40.300000+00:00

['Technology', 'Bitcoin', 'Blockchain', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Rock']

Product Agencies as a Force Multiplier

I’m really lucky to have met and built relationships with a lot of truly talented product leaders. Often I find that I am the least intelligent in the room, which is something I LOVE, but something I’ve been sharing with them lately needs to get shared more broadly then between two or three of us at a time. I was wrong about agencies. I have to admit that previous to becoming a partner in and running an agency, I viewed them as something that I didn’t believe in too much. I knew they had their place, but I didn’t spend enough time thinking about what that place was. I had a naive opinion that the people within the agency world didn’t care deeply enough about the problems we would be asking them to help us solve, nor would they be able to gain the context fast enough to attack the problems at the speed we needed to in the start up world. I had always considered the agency world as a tool for solving the “par for the course” tech needs we had rather than an opportunity for innovation or scale.Well… I WAS WRONG. Agencies can and should be a force multiplier for your strategy and/or a cost effective vehicle for rapid innovation. After spending a few years as an advisor to the Founder and CEO of Sidebench and seeing the incredibly talented humans that create here take on very complex and challenging problems, I started to see clearly what a costly mistake I had made for so long in my product career. I started to realize that the time, money, and risk that I was working with was likely the less effective way to dream big, make big bets, and grow asymmetrically. Think about it for a second. The time, energy, and money it takes to recruit great talent is JUST THE BEGINNING of the cost to innovate. Then after 3–6 months for recruiting per new talent, you have the on boarding, training, cultural grafting, and day to day management of each individual you bring on to the team. You’re looking at 6 months as a best case scenario — PER HIRE — before they start becoming a meaningful contributor. If you’re using an agency for innovation, you likely could have spun up MVPs to many problems you’re seeking to attack at the same time for roughly the same cost so that you’re getting upstream to market without the overhead of recruiting, hiring, training, and managing. At the beginning, we’re just seeking to find product market fit and rapidly iterate to find it. An agency is an incredible and low risk / high speed option for that type of product development. You can think of the agency as a flexible team that you don’t have to worry about the cost or people management capacity needed to still get to similar MVPs in a short amount of time. All of that extra time and energy you’re not spending on the people management component can be spent on experimenting your way into market. Using an agency for scale is also an incredible option. Let’s assume you already have an internal innovation team. Your forte is innovating on your core product, you’ve already found product market fit, and you’re optimizing that product. Once you cross product market fit and move into optimization mode, your new job is to find new products and services to scale the business in new ways. Again → agencies are a great answer for this. Keep your core team focused on the money makers and task an agency with attacking adjacent problems without the risk of bloating your team and distracting everyone with new or novel ideas. Assign a few internal leaders, an executive sponsor, and bring in an agency that’s built to innovate and take on new endeavors. Now you’re moving incredibly fast with none of the cultural risk and need less overall people managers which means you’re also keeping your overhead lean and the complexity relatively simple. Now heres the kicker — agencies can be a force multiplier for your innovation or scale because of the breadth of problems they see. It is nearly impossible to imagine that your internal teams have seen or have the breadth of exposure an agency does. The agency model has some inherent exposure to problems and patterns across industries or verticals that enable creative and compelling problem solving in a way that your internal team is almost positively lacking. If I wasn’t busy building my product (Sidebench — the agency) and was starting to build my next venture, I’d surely be working toward product market fit with a small core team, augmented by an agency like us to accelerate our ability to innovate and iterate with a dramatically reduced amount of risk. If we were post product market fit, I’d be working on our adjacent products and services that would open up new opportunities to grow the business in ways that would be hard for us to do internally. I feel like I spent years of wasted time on things I could have worked through an agency where I could have learned faster, spent less, and risked less on hiring teams. At the end of the day, the most expensive thing is time — years of wasted time is hard to stomach.

https://medium.com/@christopherbrereton/product-agencies-as-a-force-multiplier-6e917d0a4ce

['Christopher Brereton']

2021-04-25 21:23:54.204000+00:00

['Agency', 'Product Management', 'Leadership', 'Technology', 'Startup']

A Business Used to be a Black Box. Now it’s a Glass Box.

In a connected world, the relationship between powerful organizations and the societies in which they operate is being redrawn. We all understand that. But we’re still catching up to the full implications. Here is one such implication. A transparent world means a radical change in the nature of brands. That’s a huge shift, because brands — business, political, individual — do much to shape the world we live in. This week we learned that Microsoft employees have been sharing stories of sexual harassment and discrimination in a long internal email chain. Many of those employees say they originally complained to HR, but got nowhere. Reports say the chain started when one female staff member emailed others to ask for advice on how to break through the glass ceiling at Microsoft. Stories of harassment, abuse and prejudice began to pour in, including one by a woman who says she was asked to perform sex acts by a senior employee of a partner company, and was ignored when she complained. As news of the email chain spread through Microsoft, HR announced an investigation. Stories of gender discrimination at big corporations are, sadly, nothing new. But the way this story surfaced — as an email chain first shared between staff and then leaked to the media — is a reminder of a powerful truth. A connected world is a more transparent world. And a transparent world is transformative. That’s because transparency reconfigures power relationships. Just look at what transparency has done to some of the most powerful organizations of our time across the last couple of years. Transparency ended Travis Kalanick’s reign as CEO of the unicorn he grew from birth. It brought us the truth about Facebook, and forced Mark Zuckerberg to do the previously unthinkable: call for regulation of social media. Credit: Shutterstock A connected world allows citizens to see deeper inside the powerful organizations that shape their lives. It also empowers them to challenge power in new ways. Not only are those who are the victims of wrongdoing now able to corroborate each other’s stories and speak out in unison, but millions around the world can insist that they be heard and that action is taken. That’s what is happening with #MeToo, a movement that signals a historic redrawing of the power relationship between men and women. We’re just at the beginning of the reconfiguration that transparency will impose on our societies. But one powerful implication is becoming clear. And its best understood as the difference between a black box and a glass box. Organizations — businesses, institutions, and so on — used to be black boxes. For the most part, no one could see inside. The brand was whatever those inside the box painted on the outward-facing walls. Now, organizations are glass boxes. People can see right inside. They can see the people, the processes, the values at work. In other words, they can see the organization’s internal culture. And once people can see that culture, they will feel something about it. That is to say, it will become part of the set of cognitive and emotional associations that they tie to the organization. It will become part of — perhaps the most important part of — the organization’s brand. In a transparent world, internal culture is brand. Increasingly, an organization can no longer paint a brand on its outward-facing walls and expect people to believe in it. Instead, because of transparency, brand will be an organic outgrowth of internal culture. That’s a massive shift. Indeed, by blurring the boundaries between inside and outside, this shift changes the very nature of what it is to be an organization at all. It also explodes the communications disciplines that shaped so much of traditional 20th-century mass media, consumer democracies: public relations, branding and advertising. Once, Microsoft could have sought to PR their way out of a story such as this. Today, they will be judged primarily not on what they say, but on the meaningful changes they make to their internal culture, which will be reported to the world via their employees. If they make no such changes, the brand will rightly suffer. But if they do, they have a chance to powerfully enhance the way that customers and clients feel about engaging with Microsoft. In 2019, there can be no brand as distinct from the organization as it authentically exists; there can be no marketing department as distinct from the rest of the organization. The entire culture is the brand; every department is the marketing department. The implications — for businesses, institutions of state, political parties, powerful individuals — are huge. And so is the opportunity for organizations and individuals who understand those implications. One further glimpse of this shift? A spate of 2020 presidential candidates are about to start spending millions of dollars on their campaigns. Meanwhile, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could be found last week broadcasting from her living room on Instagram Live, assembling the furniture she has just bought for her new apartment, drinking wine and answering questions from viewers. Ask yourself: in 2019, who is building the more powerful brand?

https://dmattin.medium.com/a-business-used-to-be-a-black-box-now-its-a-glass-box-de6fba93fd59

['David Mattin']

2019-04-05 20:16:36.202000+00:00

['Politics', 'Society', 'Business', 'Technology', 'Future']

by Suryaraghuvanshi

About Think of when you have to set-up a meeting. You need to go through your schedule and then see if the other person is available at the same time as you. This brings a lot of chaos and due to this, you end up having meetings at odd times of the day. What if an app did it for you?? Think of it this way, an app that scans your schedule and the schedule of everyone you want to have a meeting with and gives you a favorable time at which everyone will be available and can fix the meeting for you. Meet — S scans your and everyone’s schedule and gives you a favorable time at which all of you are available and fix a meeting for you. Market Demand Nowadays due to the coronavirus, most things have gone virtual. All the classes, meetings, and conferences are organized on a virtual medium and due to the hectic schedule, it is hard to point out a particular time at which you are available. This sometimes results in having multiple meetings at a particular time which can be a lot of stress. Our app will provide you with a suitable time at which all users who are having the meet are available and can attend the meeting without having multiple meetings at the same time Relevant Product Products like Google calendar and Microsoft calendar provide you with a feature to fix a meeting, cancel a meeting, or see the meeting on the calendar. Here we are providing an extra feature in which you will be able to check the time at which all the users who must attend the meeting are available excluding the odd hours. Our product will scan the schedule of every user who has to attend the meeting and give you a suitable time at which you will be able to arrange the meeting. Target Users Our main target users are the users who are having regular meetings and classes. Due to Corona Situation, Most of the classes are taken online and are on a strict schedule but sometimes teachers due to some reasons might not be able to take the class at that time and they think of taking the classes at some other time which might be uncomfortable to some students. With our app, teachers will be able to see at what time the students are free and take the class at a convenient time for all of them. Similarly, when a user needs to set a meeting, they will be able to access (With the consent of the other users) the schedule of all the other users and fix a meeting at the time all users are available. Solution Meet — S is an app that makes your life much more organized. Our app will check for the free the available in your schedule and bring the time available in both or all your busy schedules. It can be used on any calendar and set up a meeting directly from our app. The app works as such: · The app will ask you the duration of the meeting you want · The app will ask the mail of the people you want to have a meeting with · The app will ask your permission to access your schedule just for seeing the time you are available at · Similar will happen to the user you selected to have a meeting with · If people do not respond in time the app will use its algorithm and find a suitable time for the people who responded · The algorithm used here is that the app will scan for the time everyone is busy and distribute them. Then the app eliminates the time at which anyone is busy. The app will then eliminate the uncomfortable times (like late at night or very early in the morning). Then the app will take out times with the selected duration and gives you the option to select the time frame. · If you are comfortable with the time it will send the notification to every user invited to the meeting · You will have the option to set the meeting directly through the app or you can do it your self Estimated Budget Our estimated budget depends on different phases People Working on the App: 1) Graphic Designer: $140 2) App Designer: $250 3) Website Designer: $200 Extra Costs: 1) Google app store: $ 25 2) App Store: $99 3) App Maintenance: $ 50 / year 4) Domain name: $ 100 / year Product Pricing The Product will be free of cost and most of the revenue collected will be from the advertisement. Even the extension will be free of cost. Marketing Plan Our marketing strategy will include · A great website · Social media marketing · Video marketing · Content marketing · Search engine optimization (SEO) · Pay per click advertising (PPC) · Event marketing · Affiliates and partnerships · Remarketing · Marketing automation (including email marketing) Risk Analysis Two risks might be considered. The first risk is we are unable to connect to Google or Microsoft or any other major companies to use their calendars. The other major risk is this will only be limited to meetings. We can expand our app to add more things like checking your schedule a particular work, but it will take the app in a whole new direction. Milestone and Timeline With Meet — S we want to cover the whole world and make a life for you one step more comfortable. We want our app to expand across the world and reach as many people as possible, but we will start with small steps. We want to bring the app as soon as possible. We have currently not set any Fixed time at which we want to release the app because we do not want to compromise with the performance and give everyone the best experience that we can. Even though we have thought it to be limited to meetings, but we will look at all the advancements that we can make and improve our app more and more.

https://medium.com/@suryaraghuvanshi02/meet-s-375256fa37dc

[]

2020-12-16 04:45:28.040000+00:00

['Python Programming', 'Schedule', 'Meetings', 'Projects', 'Technology']

Nuxt.js — Error Pages, Async, and Request Data

Photo by Aniket Bhattacharya on Unsplash Nuxt.js is an app framework that’s based on Vue.js. We can use it to create server-side rendered apps and static sites. In this article, we’ll look at how to add error pages, get async data, and get request data with Nuxt.js. Error Page We can add an error page to our Nuxt app by putting pages files in the layouts folder. For example, if we want to show a page when we get a 404 error, we add a layouts/error.js file: <template> <div> <h1 v-if="error.statusCode === 404">Page not found</h1> </div> </template> <script> export default { props: ["error"], }; </script> It takes an error prop and we can check the statusCode property for the error status code. Pages Pages have special attributes and functions to make the development of our universal app. For example, our pages may look like: <template> <div>hello {{ name }}</div> </template> <script> export default { asyncData(context) { return { name: "world" }; }, fetch() { //... }, head() { return { foo: "bar" }; }, }; </script> The asyncData method lets us set the state before loading the component. The returned object will be merged with our data object. The fetch method lets us fill the store before rendering the page. head lets us set the meta tags for the page. loading prevents a page from automatically calling this.$nuxt.$loading.finish() as we enter it and this.$nuxt.$loading.start() as we leave it. This lets us manually control the behavior. transition defines a specific transition for the page. scrollToTop is a boolean that specifies if we want to scroll to the top before rendering the page. validate is a validator function for dynamic routes. middleware defines the middleware for the page. Async Data We can use the asyncData method for getting data. If we use Axios interceptors in our code, then we have to create an instance of it first. For example, we can write: import axios from 'axios' const myAxios = axios.create({ // ... }) myAxios.interceptors.response.use( function (response) { return response.data }, function (error) { // ... } ) In our asyncData method, we can return a promise with it. For example, we can write: <template> <div>{{ title }}</div> </template> <script> import axios from "axios"; export default { async asyncData({ params }) { const { data } = await axios.get( `https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/${params.id}` ); return { title: data.title }; }, }; </script> We have the asyncData method that takes an object with the params property. It has the URL parameters for our page. Then we can use axios to get the data we want and return the resolved value. The resolved object can be retrieved from our component. The Context The context parameter for asyncData also has the req and res properties. req has the request object. And res has the response. We use the process.server to check if the page is server-side rendered before using the request data. To do that, we write: pages/hello.vue <template> <div class="container">{{host}}</div> </template> <script> export default { async asyncData({ req, res }) { if (process.server) { return { host: req.headers.host }; } return {}; }, }; </script> If process.server is true , then we can use the req object to get the request data. Conclusion We can get request data with Nuxt in our pages. Also, we can create our own error page. And we can initial our page with async data. Enjoyed this article? If so, get more similar content by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

https://medium.com/javascript-in-plain-english/nuxt-js-error-pages-async-and-request-data-cc58452c8a8c

['John Au-Yeung']

2020-12-26 22:37:22.112000+00:00

['JavaScript', 'Web Development', 'Software Development', 'Technology', 'Programming']

Jon’s Message to the DireWolfpack

I often get asked about how we’re different from the other coins. Well the whitepaper should give you a pretty clear idea, but alas, not all questions have answers in this one document. So I’ll try and express the thought in my own words. We’re in the cryptocurrency space, but Direwolf isn’t just a currency. Direwolf isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme and it isn’t about winners and losers. First and foremost, Direwolf is about creating an environment that is safe and encouraging for its investors. It’s about making its investors feel protected, like their investments are actually building up to something bigger. The DireWolfPack is a family, It’s about feeling right at home here helping eachother. We are about creating new friends, and enjoying the journey rather just racing towards the finish line. I hold myself to the beliefs that I feel the community and the North want to value, beliefs that shape the values that define Direwolf. Such as honesty, transparency, trust, equality, altruism, democracy, meritocracy and fairness. That’s how we stand out from the rest. The $Direwolf token incorporates the values that the community should aspire towards. That is why I have emphasized the word token in the name, it literally is a token and symbol that you’re a proud member of this family, moving towards these shared goals. Everyone is family, if you’re holding on to it, no matter the amount. And every single one of you has a voice in how we move forward as a collective. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. And that is why the pack is what matters. As we grow and attract others by demonstrating our way of thinking through action, in the true spirit of this token, the value of $Direwolf will adjust to the market demand. Our dream, mission and ambitions should be first, our reward will follow up second. In that order. Dear wolfpack, let’s stand strong together and keep rising by lifting others. I am so incredibly grateful that you are considering going on this journey together with us and I hope to see you on the other side. AROOOOOOOOOO!!!!

https://medium.com/@direwolfpack/jons-message-to-the-direwolfpack-8037f1771363

[]

2021-06-16 10:40:49.046000+00:00

['Game of Thrones', 'Direwolf', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Technology']

Asteroids: The Threat They Pose and How They Will Form the Space Economy

It’s fun to also note that there has only been one instance in recorded history that a meteor hit a person. On November 30, 1954, the home of Ann Elizabeth Hodges was visited by a 9-pound space rock. The meteor pierced through the ceiling ricocheted off of the radio and hit Hodges on her thigh close to where the sun doesn't shine. She suffered no more than a serious bruise and the meteor walked away without any assault charges. The chances of you ever being hit by an asteroid, outside of this one instance, is negligible but not completely impossible. So how would we be able to stop an asteroid from giving us a bruise or at the very worst a fiery apocalypse? Photo by NASA on Unsplash Asteroid Defense Astronomers in Hawaii revealed that the fridge-sized asteroid Apophis, nicknamed the “God of Chaos,” will be close enough to Earth to be visible by the naked eye in the years 2029, 2036, and 2068. However, the proximity between Apophis and Earth in 2068 could be close enough to create an impact. This asteroid isn’t large enough to cause serious global damage and the calculations may change as the years progress. The good news is that we have plenty of time to better understand this asteroid to prepare for what the future awaits. If there were to be an asteroid large enough to cause immense devastation hurling towards Earth, NASA would require 5–10 years of preparing an asteroid defense mission. Any less time than that and we would be toast. But if such a mission were made possible it would involve getting a spectral signature of the meteor to take into account its material characteristics (M-type, C-type, or S-type) and then launching spacecrafts to deflect the incoming asteroid in several ways exploitative of Newton’s laws of motion. Fun Ways to Take Out an Asteroid ★ Nuclear Explosive: Destroying an asteroid to pieces isn’t as simple as Hollywood plays it out to be. It also downplays the danger of an added amount of debris spreading out to pulverize more locations on our planet, avoided by detonating it early enough. In reality, the aim of an explosive device is to create a large enough blast to heat the surface of the asteroid creating ejecta that would decrease its mass and propel the asteroid on a different course away from Earth. If that sounds too extreme you can just attach a conventional rocket engine to it instead. ★ Kinetic Impactor: This would involve having an unmanned spacecraft kamikaze into an asteroid to directly decrease its momentum. This was attempted in 2005 by the Deep Impact spacecraft on comet Tempel 1 and was successful in changing the orbit by 3 inches by a 19-gigajoule explosion. That might sound like pennies but it would be enough to prevent an object from hitting Earth. ★ Gravity Tractor: An asteroid can be moved gradually over time by way of an unmanned spacecraft hover over an asteroid close enough to generate a mutual gravitational pull. The spacecraft would also be armed with an ion thruster shooting a quasi-neutral plasma beam at the asteroid’s surface to command the direction the asteroid follows. That was a lot of fun science words. ★ Lasers!: The arcade game was on the right track. Focused laser shots from spacecrafts would ablate away enough of the asteroid’s surface like a sculptor to marble sending that Statue of David to another part of space. Solar energy can also be used in place of lasers by having spacecrafts armed with a system of large concave mirrors and magnifying glasses. ★ Magnets!: Creating a magnetic flux compression would help stop asteroids with high meteoric iron content. It involves a complicated process of deploying a large wire coil into the orbital path of the asteroid where it will pass through and create an electromagnetic solenoid. Words, words, words. ★ Catapults!: This is a process that would have to be done far in advance. An automated mass driver would have to be installed onto an asteroid which would shoot material from the asteroid into space providing a steady push and a steady diet to lose its mass. ★ Plastic?: This one is a lot of fun. It involves taking a giant sheet of plastic and wrapping it around the asteroid connecting it to a solar sail. A solar sail is able to be propelled by solar radiation pressure being reflected by mirrors. ★ Spray Paint? Wait really?: This is the least destructive and arguably the least expensive of the options. First, it is important to go over the Yarkovsky effect. Asteroids maneuver through space similarly to planets and have their own day and night cycle. During the day the asteroid gets warmer by absorbing the daylight heat. Nighttime cools the asteroid causing the absorbed thermal energy to be emitted acting as a mini thruster slowly changing the asteroid’s direction over time. That is the Yarkovsky effect. Painting the asteroid’s surface with titanium dioxide would increase radiation pressure to alter the asteroid’s course. This means we would send our best taggers into space to stop an impact. We’d be able to see an asteroid with “Deez Nuts” written on it fly away from us. Photo by Usukhbayar Gankhuyag on Unsplash Asteroid Diplomacy Incoming asteroids capable of extinction-level catastrophe is an obvious global concern. Any alteration of the path of the asteroid would be a diplomatic issue because depending on where the asteroid was deflected towards could have a larger chance of hitting one country over the other. And we know Russia is fed up with it. They can’t help that they have such a large landmass. It brings up the question that if an incoming asteroid wouldn’t destroy much outside of a city, who’s to say which countries’ space program would weaponize it for use against their adversaries? There may have to be a global council formed to combat any misuse of asteroid defense technology. The future of politics and the economy will have its eyes on space. As long as we are able to form diplomacy over the issues faced with our place in the universe everything would be under fair control. Besides, I’m sure that if the world were to face a global catastrophe countries would all work together to mitigate it quickly so that our way of life wouldn’t be shut down for a prolonged period of time. Right?

https://medium.com/the-innovation/asteroids-the-threat-they-pose-and-how-they-will-form-the-space-economy-9148ce93eae6

['Erik Ruof']

2020-11-08 15:36:33.501000+00:00

['Economics', 'Space', 'Astronomy', 'Science', 'Technology']

I built a Machine Learning Platform on AWS after passing SAP-C01 exam: Use Cases Layer

Let us discuss every step of the Machine Learning workflow and see some challenges that could be faced when dealing with these steps. 4.1 | Data cleansing and preparation From S3, and using Jupyter Notebooks spawned and managed by Kubeflow, the raw data is loaded and being studied. Data Cleansing Pattern, by the author During this phase, a lot could happen to data. For example: Balancing the data : in some cases, the data is imbalanced. For instance, when dealing with a use case like email classification into SPAM and not SPAM, we could have a non-significant number of SPAMs compared to real emails. Multiple techniques exist to balance the data like Oversampling , Undersampling , and SMOTE . : in some cases, the data is imbalanced. For instance, when dealing with a use case like email classification into SPAM and not SPAM, we could have a non-significant number of SPAMs compared to real emails. Multiple techniques exist to balance the data like , , and . Labeling more data: in supervised learning, sometimes the number of labeled examples is just insufficient to train a model. In this case, it is possible to label more data. Amazon Mechanical Turk could be used to accomplish this task. It is “a web service that provides an on-demand, scalable, human workforce to complete jobs that humans can do better than computers, such as recognizing objects in photographs.“ ⁵ . in supervised learning, sometimes the number of labeled examples is just insufficient to train a model. In this case, it is possible to label more data. could be used to accomplish this task. It is “a web service that provides an on-demand, scalable, human workforce to complete jobs that humans can do better than computers, such as recognizing objects in photographs.“ . Data Augmentation: when we don’t have enough data to properly train a machine learning model, data augmentation could be a solution as well. It is a technique used to generate more labeled data from the existing examples. When used for images, for example, new images could be generated from one image by flipping that image, applying some filters on that image, or cutting some parts of that image to introduce loss. The resulting data is stored in the cleansed data storage. 4.2 | Feature engineering This is one of the most challenging steps. Identifying features needs a lot of brainstorming and imagination. Examples of Uber’s features: ‘restaurant’s average meal preparation time over the last one hour.’, ‘restaurant’s average meal preparation time over the last seven days.’⁶ Feature Engineering Pattern, by the author As explained in the previous article, two types of features can be computed: Online features : computed on streaming data and should be accessed with very low latency. These features are stored in DynamoDB. Storing a feature definition means storing its properties: feature’s name, feature’s type(numerical, categorical), min and max value of the feature, etc. To compute online features, the ML platform uses the stream processing capability of the Data Platform. In other words, this will be a job running on the Data Platform with respect to the integration protocols between the two platforms. : computed on streaming data and should be accessed with very low latency. These features are stored in DynamoDB. Storing a feature definition means storing its properties: To compute online features, the ML platform uses the capability of the Data Platform. In other words, this will be a job running on the Data Platform with respect to the integration protocols between the two platforms. Offline features: computed on historical data and have no constraint of low latency access. These features will be stored in S3. Like the online features, offline features are computed with the batch processing capability of the Data Platform. Offline features store must be synchronized with the online feature store regularly to “guarantee that the same data and batch pipeline is used for both training and serving”⁶. 4.3 | Model training The first step of the training phase consists of splitting the data into three sets: training set for training the model, validation set for hyperparameter optimization, and test set to evaluate the model’s performances. Model Training Pattern, by the author Cleansed data along with the features are fed into the Model Training capability of the Data & Model preparation layer. Several models are then applied to data aiming to shortlist a performant model. As explained in the infrastructure layer article, FSx for Luster is used as a storage to host training data copied from S3. With this storage, the training phase is accelerated as worker nodes could have much better data access performances than accessing the data directly from S3. The final step of this pattern is to store the trained model in a versioned repository of the trained models’ storage along with its versioned metadata. Model’s metadata could be the name and version of the model, the version of data used to build the model, features used by the model, the model’s output formats, etc. 4.4 | Model evaluation Using Katib, along with the validation set, different hyperparameter combinations are tested on the chosen ML model to finally select the most performant combination. The ML model is then tested using the test set to evaluate its performances. Finally, the resulted model is stored in the trained Models repository along with its metadata. Model Evaluation Pattern, by the author 4.5 | Model packaging and deployment Two steps compose this pattern: Model packaging and Model deployment. Each step has its own specifications. Model Operations Pattern, by the author First, the trained model should be packaged with the feature extractor and a sample data set which will help validate the model once deployed. One tricky thing to pay attention to though: in case the ML model is served in real-time, the model’s code must be efficient to respect SLAs. Sometimes, it should be reimplemented in a compiled language like C++ or Java instead of python. Second, the resulting package is a docker image stored in Elastic Container Registry (ECR). Finally, the model is deployed as a docker container. Different deployment strategies could be considered: Single deployment : The already deployed model is simply replaced by the new one. Only one model is deployed at the same time. This strategy is risky because: - It will cause a certain downtime during the replacement of the existing model. - The new model version could contain some bugs and a rollback strategy should be ready to be executed. : The already deployed model is simply replaced by the new one. Only one model is deployed at the same time. This strategy is risky because: - It will cause a certain downtime during the replacement of the existing model. - The new model version could contain some bugs and a rollback strategy should be ready to be executed. Blue/Green deployment : This technique keeps two versions of the model alive: a new version (Green) and another already running version (Blue). The traffic is then progressively shifted to the new version depending on the new model’s performances. With this strategy, downtime is minimized, and it is possible to do some A/B testing. : This technique keeps two versions of the model alive: a new version (Green) and another already running version (Blue). The traffic is then progressively shifted to the new version depending on the new model’s performances. With this strategy, downtime is minimized, and it is possible to do some A/B testing. Multi-Armed Bandit: with this “smart” method, the traffic is gradually directed to the most optimal model. 4.6 | Model serving Two possible patterns for serving the model: Real-time serving: When the model is deployed online, it is exposed to the end-user in the form of a REST API. Seldon Core is well integrated with Kubeflow and its Ambassador API Gateway to manage ingress traffic and the API endpoint exposition. The serving pattern is as follows: 1. As explained earlier, online features store must be synchronized with the offline feature store on a regular basis to guarantee that “the same data is used for training and serving”⁶ 2. The user sends its contextualized data to the model using the API endpoint: in addition to the core data, some important information for traceability could be included in the request, like the sending time, the IP address of the sender, etc. 3. The features extractor processes the received data and uses the model’s metadata to identify the right features. 4. The features vector is then constructed and served to the model. 5. In the last step, a prediction is sent back to the user as well as to the prediction store. This prediction store is a must for monitoring the model’s performance. Real-Time Serving Pattern, by the author Batch serving: As explained in the previous article, this mode of serving is used when the ML model is applied to a large input size like a week history of songs chosen by the user to recommend the right songs for the next week. The pattern is as follows: 1. Like in the real-time serving, offline and online are synched. 2. For the batch serving, features are pulled from the S3 storage as there is no constraint for fast access. 3. Finally, the predictions of this model do not go straight to the user but instead, go to another storage for future use. Batch Serving Pattern, by the author 4.7 | Model Monitoring As human behavior is unpredictable, the ML model’s performances are prone to degradation. That is why a monitoring pattern should be considered when deploying an ML model in production. Changes in data are not the only performance degradation origin, other causes could be the unavailability of some worker nodes or a certain service, which could result in the non-respect of SLAs. Model Monitoring Pattern, by the author To monitor the model, some metrics should be continuously calculated and injected into the performance metrics storage. A common practice is to: Get the data from the predictions store and consider it unlabeled Construct the right predictions for this data: the right labels could be recovered from the user for example, or by using Amazon Mechanical Turk Run a job to compare the model’s prediction with these labels. Prometheus and Grafana can be used to respectively collect and visualize these metrics as well. These two solutions are well integrated with Seldon Core. Conclusion In this article, I tried to explain how to land a use case on the machine learning platform. I started by discussing the challenges faced when a new use case is selected by stakeholders like studying the real nature of the use case and identifying the data sources needed to solve the use case. Then, with the Framework layer as a foundation, I studied the different patterns used during the lifecycle of a Machine Learning model and gave some known best practices. I believe a lot of topics encountered during this journey of building a Machine Learning Platform on AWS should be more detailed. One example could be to dive deep into the API Gateway layer to efficiently serve a real-time model. This will be the topic of my upcoming articles. If you have any questions, please reach out to me on LinkedIn. [1] https://freeandopenmachinelearning.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ml-business-use.html [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation [3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_Card_Industry_Data_Security_Standard [5] https://docs.aws.amazon.com/mturk/index.html [6] https://eng.uber.com/michelangelo-machine-learning-platform/

https://towardsdatascience.com/use-cases-layer-of-the-machine-learning-platform-aff2cfec21c5

['Salah Rekik']

2020-11-14 17:12:42.095000+00:00

['Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Technology', 'AWS', 'Artificial Intelligence']

Enterprise Architecture — Building a Robust Business IT Landscape

“The goal of enterprise architecture is boundary-less information flow where all systems, IT and non-IT, interoperate.” — Allen Brown Today, when technology has proven its supreme power amongst almost all industry segments around the globe, digitalization seems to be having a great influence on Enterprise Architecture (EA). Businesses are expanding beyond enterprise limits and IT solutions are encompassing enterprise, clients, stakeholder, ecologies and more. At such times, it is tough to manage a traditional monolithic framework. Now is the time to have a process that offers enough space for planning and managing the entire digital wave. With this concept in mind, around the 1960s, began the start of Enterprise Architecture. Initiated by Professor Dewey Walker, taken forward by John Zachmann — his student, Enterprise Architecture found its entry into the tech world. Somewhere in the 1980s, enterprises realized that they would need a perfect planning approach to match pace with the fast-growing technological web. That gave further impetus to Enterprise Architecture, to extend beyond mere IT, trying to encompass all important ingredients of the business. The focus area was large organizations who are already in the digitization mode and need to have a seamless integration of legacy apps and processes. “We think of enterprise architecture as the process we use for fully describing and mapping business functionality and business requirements and relating them to information systems requirements.” — Tony Scott Enterprise And Architecture — Understanding the Fusion The terminology ‘Enterprise’ needs no detailed explanation. It is, basically, an organization or a group of organizations that focus towards a common set of goals to offer certain products/services to clients. The term considers all types of organizations, irrespective of their segment, location, size and includes all responsible entities like people, procedures, technologies, data, etc. The terminology ‘Architecture’ talks about the basic perceptions of any system with respect to its environment, infrastructure, the interrelationship between elements, their design principles, and implementation. Enterprise Architecture — An Introduction Some of the well-known definitions: “Enterprise architecture (EA) is “a well-defined practice for conducting enterprise analysis, design, planning, and implementation, using a comprehensive approach at all times, for the successful development and execution of strategy. Enterprise architecture applies architecture principles and practices to guide organizations through the business, information, process, and technology changes necessary to execute their strategies. These practices utilize the various aspects of an enterprise to identify, motivate, and achieve these changes.” — Wikipedia “An enterprise architecture (EA) is a conceptual blueprint that defines the structure and operation of an organization. The intent of an enterprise architecture is to determine how an organization can most effectively achieve its current and future objectives.” — TechTarget “Enterprise architecture (EA) is a discipline for proactively and holistically leading enterprise responses to disruptive forces by identifying and analyzing the execution of change toward desired business vision and outcomes. EA delivers value by presenting business and IT leaders with signature-ready recommendations for adjusting policies and projects to achieve target business outcomes that capitalize on relevant business disruptions. EA is used to steer decision making toward the evolution of the future state architecture.” — Gartner The above three definitions say it all. EA is not only involved in the IT-related business. It caters to the entire business landscape. Basically, enterprise architects are involved in selecting basic priorities and offering their specialized knowledge to build agile, flexible and robust solutions. EA is involved right from the inception of the project till its implementation and beyond. Here Is A Sneak Peek Into The Impact Of EA On The SDLC: Some Of The Popular Enterprise Architecture Planning Methodologies Are Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF) The Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF) A Federal Enterprise Architecture is the Enterprise Architecture of the federal government. It provides a common approach for the integration of strategic, business and technology management as a part of organization design and performance management. The goal is to organize and promote the sharing of federal information for the entire Federal Government. The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF) TOGAF provides principles for designing, planning, implementing and governing enterprise IT architecture. It helps to organize the development process through a systematic approach and aims at reducing errors, staying on budget and aligning IT with business units to produce quality results. It came into existence in 1995 and by 2016 80% of world-leading enterprise adopted this framework. The Zachman Enterprise Architecture The Zachman framework is a logical structure intended to provide a comprehensive representation of the enterprise. It helps to view an enterprise and its information systems from different perspectives and shows how the components of the enterprise are related. It acts as a proactive business tool, which can be used to model an organization’s existing functions, elements, and processes — and help the business to manage the change. Goals Of Enterprise Architecture To facilitate the seamless flow of information, business and technology together To combine people, data and technology offering a combined view of internal relationships between stakeholders To adopt best business practices to ensure enhanced efficiency, appropriateness, and accuracy To have an integrated IT environment across the enterprise with a strong association with the business side To endorse configuration, standardization, reprocessing of current IT assets and allotment of common project management methods To prepare a map of IT resources and business procedures with an integrated set of leading ideologies Why Is Enterprise Architecture Beneficial — In Long Term And Short Term? EA affects all important departments in any organizations. Here are certain key reasons that call for the need of EA: Unification of Procedures — It helps in enhancing the interoperability between different solutions and applications. — It helps in enhancing the interoperability between different solutions and applications. Reduction in Operational Costs — Because it can modernize all systems, there is sure to be a marked reduction in the cost factors associated. — Because it can modernize all systems, there is sure to be a marked reduction in the cost factors associated. Increased Transparency — Since all processes are well laid and involve all stakeholders, there working is quite known to one and all. — Since all processes are well laid and involve all stakeholders, there working is quite known to one and all. Abiding by New Regulations — EA can help the entire organization in adapting to the latest rules and regulations. — EA can help the entire organization in adapting to the latest rules and regulations. Simplified Collaboration — It helps in effective communication between departments and thereby helps HR implement processes effectively. — It helps in effective communication between departments and thereby helps HR implement processes effectively. Effective Project Management — Since all departments and processes are well laid and followed, project management becomes an easier task. — Since all departments and processes are well laid and followed, project management becomes an easier task. Improvised Decision Making — Helps in coming to right and accurate decisions by the entire enterprise — Helps in coming to right and accurate decisions by the entire enterprise Enhanced Flexibility to Fluctuating Market Demands — With change being the only constant, EA helps in adjusting to changing market conditions — With change being the only constant, EA helps in adjusting to changing market conditions Lesser Inefficiency — With departments, processes, infrastructure talking well with each other, ineffectiveness is bound to reduce by a large margin — With departments, processes, infrastructure talking well with each other, ineffectiveness is bound to reduce by a large margin Maximized RoI — with optimum use of enterprise-level assets and resources, return on investment is bound to enhance — with optimum use of enterprise-level assets and resources, return on investment is bound to enhance Evaluation of Existing Setup Against Long Term Goals — It does help in a detailed evaluation of the current architecture as against organizational objectives The Four Perspectives Of Enterprise Architecture For EA, the fundamental architecture encompasses four basic areas of architecture that are a routine to all business segments. Here are they: Business Perspective Defines procedures and methods of operating business on a daily basis Application Perspective Defines communication within procedures and methods utilized by the enterprise Information Perspective Divides the basic information so that the enterprise can leverage the maximum Technology Perspective Defines the infrastructure, architecture, OS, hardware, programming and networking solutions being used by the enterprise The Role Of An Enterprise Architect When we talk about EA in a big way, the first question that comes to our mind is who will be the responsible one performing the task of Enterprise Architecture. The obvious answer is an Enterprise architect. Who is an enterprise architect? What do they do? What are their responsibilities? An enterprise architect plays a pivotal role in EA. The role includes analysis of business information and procedures to accurately match them up with organizational objectives, with ease and effectiveness. It also includes getting in enhanced agility and durability to face any big hurdles coming up. Engineering architects could be at the post of a chief technical officer or a software engineering head or a chief information officer or so. They need to have a confirmed education in the IT industry with at least ten years of proficiency in a variety of technologies like Java, cloud computing, BI, Big Data, system architecture, project management, service-oriented architecture and many more. EAs need to have hands-on experience developing soft skills like collaborative skills, critical analysis, teamwork, leadership, etc. Roles And Responsibilities That An Enterprise Architect Takes Care Of, Are: Setting up architecture strategies and resolving problems Handling complex development projects Taking care of business process analysis and design Development and process implementation of EA related activities Maintaining key EA deliverables Helping business management groups to enhance business delivery Grasping further technologies and business plans As We See Enterprise Architecture Take on The World As we see technology take over the world, enterprises plunging into the technology pool and businesses getting heavily affected, it feels interesting to see how Enterprise Architecture has revolutionized the business landscape. The impact is big, profiting and has a long effect. Wait and watch to see how big the impact is! Note: This post was previously published on our blog: here

https://medium.com/quick-code/enterprise-architecture-building-a-robust-business-it-landscape-e966edda102a

['Spec India']

2019-09-30 20:24:46.713000+00:00

['Enterprise Software', 'Software Development', 'Enterprise Architect', 'Enterprise Architecture', 'Enterprise Technology']

The Masked Singer UK Series 2 Episode 1 [4KHD Quality]

⭐ Watch The Masked Singer UK Season 2 Episode 1 Full Episode, The Masked Singer UK Season 2 Episode 1 Full Watch Free, The Masked Singer UK Episode 1,The Masked Singer UK ITV, The Masked Singer UK Eps. 1,The Masked Singer UK ENG Sub, The Masked Singer UK Season 2, The Masked Singer UK Series 2,The Masked Singer UK Episode 1, The Masked Singer UK Season 2 Episode 1, The Masked Singer UK Full Streaming, The Masked Singer UK Download HD, The Masked Singer UK All Subtitle, Watch The Masked Singer UK Season 2 Episode 1 Full Episodes Film, also called movie, motion picture or moving picture, is a visual art-form used to simulate experiences that communicate ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere through the use of moving images. These images are generally accompanied by sound, and more rarely, other sensory stimulations.[1] The word “cinema”, short for cinematography, is ofITV used to refer to filmmaking and the film The Masked Singer UK, and to the art form that is the result of it. ❏ STREAMING MEDIA ❏ Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. The verb to stream refers to the process of delivering or obtaining media in this manner.[clarification needed] Streaming refers to the delivery method of the medium, rather than the medium itself. Distinguishing delivery method from the media distributed applies specifically to telecommunications networks, as most of the delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g. radio, television, streaming apps) or inherently non-streaming (e.g. books, video cassettes, audio CDs). There are challenges with streaming conITVt on the Internet. For example, users whose Internet connection lacks sufficient bandwidth may experience stops, lags, or slow buffering of the conITVt. And users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream certain conITVt. Live streaming is the delivery of Internet conITVt in real-time much as live television broadcasts conITVt over the airwaves via a television signal. Live internet streaming requires a form of source media (e.g. a video camera, an audio interface, screen capture software), an encoder to digitize the conITVt, a media publisher, and a conITVt delivery network to distribute and deliver the conITVt. Live streaming does not need to be recorded at the origination point, although it frequently is. Streaming is an alternative to file downloading, a process in which the end-user obtains the entire file for the conITVt before watching or lisITVing to it. Through streaming, an end-user can use their media player to start playing digital video or digital audio conITVt before the entire file has been transmitted. The term “streaming media” can apply to media other than video and audio, such as live closed captioning, ticker tape, and real-time text, which are all considered “streaming text”. ❏ COPYRIGHT CONITVT ❏ Copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to make copies of a creative work, usually for a limited time.[1][1][1][1][1] The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educational, or musical form. Copyright is inITVded to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, but not the idea itself.[1][1][1] A copyright is subject to limitations based on public interest considerations, such as the fair use doctrine in the United States. Some jurisdictions require “fixing” copyrighted works in a tangible form. It is ofITV shared among multiple authors, each of whom holds a set of rights to use or license the work, and who are commonly referred to as rights holders.[citation needed][1][2][2][2] These rights frequently include reproduction, control over derivative works, distribution, public performance, and moral rights such as attribution.[2] Copyrights can be granted by public law and are in that case considered “territorial rights”. This means that copyrights granted by the law of a certain state, do not exITVd beyond the territory of that specific jurisdiction. Copyrights of this type vary by country; many countries, and sometimes a large group of countries, have made agreements with other countries on procedures applicable when works “cross” national borders or national rights are inconsisITVt.[2] Typically, the public law duration of a copyright expires 2 to 1 years after the creator dies, depending on the jurisdiction. Some countries require certain copyright formalities[1] to establishing copyright, others recognize copyright in any completed work, without a formal registration. It is widely believed that copyrights are a must to foster cultural diversity and creativity. However, Parc argues that contrary to prevailing beliefs, imitation and copying do not restrict cultural creativity or diversity but in fact support them further. This argument has been supported by many examples such as Millet and Van Gogh, Picasso, Manet, and Monet, etc.[2] ❏ GOODS OF SERVICES ❏ Credit (from Latin credit, “(he/she/it) believes”) is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party does not reimburse the first party immediately (thereby generating a debt), but promises either to repay or return those resources (or other materials of equal value) at a later date.[1] In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and exITVsible to a large group of unrelated people. The resources provided may be financial (e.g. granting a loan), or they may consist of goods or services (e.g. consumer credit). Credit encompasses any form of deferred payment.[1] Credit is exITVded by a creditor, also known as a lender, to a debtor, also known as a borrower. ‘The Masked Singer UK’ Challenges Asian Americans in Hollywood to Overcome ‘Impossible Duality’ ITVween China, U.S. ITV’s live-action “The Masked Singer UK” was supposed to be a huge win for under-represented groups in Hollywood. The $1 million-budgeted film is among the most expensive ever directed by a woman, and it features an all-Asian cast — a first for productions of such scale. Despite well-inITVtioned ambitions, however, the film has exposed the difficulties of representation in a world of complex geopolitics. ITV primarily cast Asian rather than Asian American stars in lead roles to appeal to Chinese consumers, yet Chinese viewers rejected the movie as inauthentic and American. Then, politics ensnared the production as stars Liu Yifei, who plays The Masked Singer UK, and Donnie Yen professed support for Hong Kong police during the brutal crackdown on protesters in 211. Later, ITV issued “special thanks” in the credits to government bodies in China’s Xinjiang region that are directly involved in perpetrating major human rights abuses against the minority Uighur population. “The Masked Singer UK” inadverITVtly reveals why it’s so difficult to create multicultural conITVt with global appeal in 2020. It highlights the vast disconnect ITVween Asian Americans in Hollywood and Chinese nationals in China, as well as the exITVt to which Hollywood fails to acknowledge the difference ITVween their aesthetics, tastes and politics. It also underscores the limits of the American conversation on representation in a global world. In conversations with seThe Masked Singer UKl Asian-American creatives, Variety found that many feel caught ITVween fighting against underrepresentation in Hollywood and being accidentally complicit in China’s authoritarian politics, with no easy answers for how to deal with the moral questions “The Masked Singer UK” poses. “When do we care about representation versus fundamental civil rights? This is not a simple question,” says Bing Chen, co-founder of Gold House, a collective that mobilizes the Asian American community to help diverse films, including “The Masked Singer UK,” achieve opening weekend box office success via its #GoldOpen movement. “An impossible duality faces us. We absolutely acknowledge the terrible and unacceptable nature of what’s going on over there [in China] politically, but we also understand what’s at stake on the The Masked Singer UK side.” The film leaves the Asian American community at “the intersection of choosing ITVween surface-level representation — faces that look like ours — versus values and other cultural nuances that don’t reflect ours,” says Lulu Wang, director of “The Farewell.” In a business in which past box office success determines what future projects are bankrolled, those with their eyes squarely on the prize of increasing opportunities for Asian Americans say they feel a responsibility to support “The Masked Singer UK” no matter what. That support is ofITV very personal amid the The Masked Singer UK’s close-knit community of Asian Americans, where people don’t want to tear down the hard work of peers and The Masked Singer UK. Others say they wouldn’t have given ITV their $2 if they’d known about the controversial end credits. “‘The Masked Singer UK’ is actually the first film where the Asian American community is really split,” says sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen, who examines racism in Hollywood. “For people who are more global and consume more global news, maybe they’re thinking, ‘We shouldn’t sell our soul in order to get affirmation from Hollywood.’ But we have this scarcity mentality. “I felt like I couldn’t completely lambast ‘The Masked Singer UK’ because I personally felt solidarity with the Asian American actors,” Yuen continues. “I wanted to see them do well. But at what cost?” This scarcity mentality is particularly acute for Asian American actors, who find roles few and far ITVween. Lulu Wang notes that many “have built their career on a film like ‘The Masked Singer UK’ and other crossovers, because they might not speak the native language — Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Hindi — to actually do a role overseas, but there’s no role being writITV for them in America.” Certainly, the actors in “The Masked Singer UK,” who have seen major career breakthroughs tainted by the film’s political backlash, feel this acutely. “You have to understand the tough position that we are in here as the cast, and that ITV is in too,” says actor Chen Tang, who plays The Masked Singer UK’s army buddy Yao. There’s not much he can do except keep trying to nail the roles he lands in hopes of paving the way for others. “The more I can do great work, the more likely there’s going to be somebody like me [for kids to look at and say], ‘Maybe someday that could be me.’” Part of the problem is that what’s happening in China feels very distant to Americans. “The Chinese-speaking market is impenetrable to people in the West; they don’t know what’s going on or what those people are saying,” says Daniel York Loh of British East Asians and South East Asians in Theatre and Screen (BEATS), a U.K. nonprofit seeking greater on-screen Asian representation. York Loh offers a provocative comparison to illustrate the West’s milquetoast reaction to “The Masked Singer UK” principal Liu’s pro-police comments. “The equivalent would be, say, someone like Emma Roberts going, ‘Yeah, the cops in Portland should beat those protesters.’ That would be huge — there’d be no getting around that.” Some of the disconnect is understandable: With information overload at home, it’s hard to muster the energy to care about faraway problems. But part of it is a broader failure to grasp the real lack of overlap ITVween issues that matter to the mainland’s majority Han Chinese versus minority Chinese Americans. They may look similar, but they have been shaped in diametrically different political and social contexts. “China’s nationalist pride is very different from the Asian American pride, which is one of overcoming racism and inequality. It’s hard for Chinese to relate to that,” Yuen says. Beijing-born Wang points out she ofITV has more in common with first-generation Muslim Americans, Jamaican Americans or other immigrants than with Chinese nationals who’ve always lived in China and never left. If the “The Masked Singer UK” debacle has taught us anything, in a world where we’re still too quick to equate “American” with “white,” it’s that “we definitely have to separate out the Asian American perspective from the Asian one,” says Wang. “We have to separate race, nationality and culture. We have to talk about these things separately. True representation is about capturing specificities.” She ran up against the The Masked Singer UK’s inability to make these distinctions while creating “The Farewell.” Americans felt it was a Chinese film because of its subtitles, Chinese cast and location, while Chinese producers considered it an American film because it wasn’t fully Chinese. The endeavor to simply tell a personal family story became a “political fight to claim a space that doesn’t yet exist.” In the search for authentic storytelling, “the key is to lean into the in-ITVweenness,” she said. “More and more, people won’t fit into these neat boxes, so in-ITVweenness is exactly what we need.” However, it may prove harder for Chinese Americans to carve out a space for their “in-ITVweenness” than for other minority groups, given China’s growing economic clout. Notes author and writer-producer Charles Yu, whose latest novel about Asian representation in Hollywood, “Interior Chinatown,” is a National Book Award finalist, “As Asian Americans continue on what I feel is a little bit of an island over here, the world is changing over in Asia; in some ways the center of gravity is shifting over there and away from here, economically and culturally.” With the Chinese film market set to surpass the US as the world’s largest this year, the question thus arises: “Will the cumulative impact of Asian American audiences be such a small drop in the bucket compared to the China market that it’ll just be overwhelmed, in terms of what gets made or financed?” As with “The Masked Singer UK,” more parochial, American conversations on race will inevitably run up against other global issues as U.S. studios continue to target China. Some say Asian American creators should be prepared to meet The Masked Singer UK by broadening their outlook. “Most people in this The Masked Singer UK think, ‘I’d love for there to be Hollywood-China co-productions if it meant a job for me. I believe in free speech, and censorship is terrible, but it’s not my battle. I just want to get my pilot sold,’” says actor-producer Brian Yang (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Linsanity”), who’s worked for more than a decade ITVween the two countries. “But the world’s getting smaller. Streamers make shows for the world now. For anyone that works in this business, it would behoove them to study and understand The Masked Singer UKs that are happening in and [among] other countries.” Gold House’s Chen agrees. “We need to speak even more thoughtfully and try to understand how the world does not function as it does in our zip code,” he says. “We still have so much soft power coming from the U.S. What we say matters. This is not the problem and burden any of us as Asian Americans asked for, but this is on us, unfortunately. We just have to fight harder. And every step we take, we’re going to be right and we’re going to be wrong.” ☆ ALL ABOUT THE SERIES ☆ is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party does not reimburse the first party immediately (thereby generating a debt), but promises either to repay or return those resources (or other materials of equal value) at a later date.[1] In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and exITVsible to a large group of unrelated people. The resources provided may be financial (e.g. granting a loan), or they may consist of goods or services (e.g. consumer credit). Credit encompasses any form of deferred payment.[1] Credit is exITVded by a creditor, also known as a lender, to a debtor, also known as a borrower. ‘Hausen’ Challenges Asian Americans in Hollywood to Overcome ‘Impossible Duality’ ITVween China, U.S.

https://medium.com/the-masked-singer-uk-series-2-episode-1-4khd/watch-the-masked-singer-uk-series-2-episode-1-online-1080p-hd-2a62ecf87bf1

['Natasha Hayes']

2020-12-25 19:32:38.132000+00:00

['Technology', 'Lifestyle', 'Coronavirus', 'TV Series']

Complete Troubleshooting Guide For TomTom Voice Control Not Working

We have come to know that your TomTom Voice Control Not Working properly. Behind this issue of your TomTom Gps device, there could be a number of possible reasons. But amongst all, the one reason that really matters is an outdated TomTom Gps device. Moving forward in this article, let’s find out how to fix it when TomTom stops working. So, repeat all the steps in the same order as given. By the end of this article. Your issue with TomTom GPS will get fixed. What You Should Do When TomTom Voice Control Not Working? For a number of reasons if your voice control not working on TomTom, here are some common steps. Complete Your Gps Update Most of the time, the TomTom voice control stops working soon after you have completed a Tomtom Map Update. Hence, you need to verify whether you have completed the TomTom update successfully or not. While doing the Tomtom GPS Update, it could be possible that any file got missed or corrupted. Or else, you may have left any window unopened. 2. Restart TomTom Gps Device Most of the time, an issue like this could be easily fixed just by a quick restarting process. So, do follow the below-given steps to fix the issue of TomTom Voice Control Not Working. Press the power button on the Gps device to turn it off. Don’t forget to detach all the cables connected to it. Remove the power plug of the TomTom Gps device from the wall outlet. Don’t turn on your TomTom device for more than 60 seconds. Reconnect all the detached cables and turn on the power plug. After doing that, check whether your Gps device starts working again or something is wrong. 3. Check The Microphone Of TomTom Have you checked the microphone button given on your Gps device? It may be possible that you haven’t turned on the button yet. This is the main reason why TomTom Gps is not listening to any of your commands. Hence, find out the microphone button on your Gps device and turn it on. After doing that, you have to check again if your TomTom Voice Control Not Working. 4. Update The TomTom Gps Device Again Even after trying all the steps, if still, your Gps device is not working then do Tomtom XL Update again. You must have a good speed internet connection. Make sure that you have completely charged your Gps device. When your device will be charged completely, remove it from the vehicle. With the help of a USB cable, connect your TomTom with the computer. Once your GPS is connected, you will get a notification on your computer device. On your computer device, download the TomTom Home which is software that will help you to complete the map update process. Once the Tomtom Map Update process will be completed, remove the device from the computer and connect it back to the vehicle. Conclusion In this guide, we have discussed all the possible ways to fix why TomTom Voice Control Not Working. With the help of the given methods, you can easily fix the Gps voice control issue quickly.

https://medium.com/@tech-hub-usa/tomtom-voice-control-not-working-b823132b8570

['Tech Hub Usa']

2021-05-20 11:16:17.581000+00:00

['Technology', 'Services', 'Tech', 'Maps', 'Gps']

This Is My Simple Formula To Creating Viral Stories

Some writers focus on entertaining their readers and some purely informing them. It depends on our writing goals and values to adjust our style, voice, and content. I write to inform and delight my readers. Over the years, some of my articles and stories on various content platforms gained significant visibility, and after a while, they reached a viral state. “After a while” is a keyword because it required some follow-up effort which I touch on the subsequent section below. I did not write my articles for them to get viral purposefully. The time, effort, and diligence produced good outcomes. In this story, I want to share with you the key components that make a difference. These points reflect my learning in the field as a professional writer, blogger, guest blogger, and freelance writer. As mentioned in one of my stories, I use Design Thinking principles for my writing practice. By using the Design Thinking approach, I empathize with my readers, have compassion for their learning needs, and keep their requirements as a priority in my writing goal. Focusing on needs and wants of readers is a critical success factor for creating a sustainable reader base. Let me share these seven simple points which helped some of my stories get viral in various content development platforms. 1. Enticing title, subtitle, and photo I learned that enticing titles and cover photos are primary success factors for viral stories. Readers click on a story based on its title and the cover photo. Creating an attractive title, subtitle, and a photo is a critical opportunity for writers to make the first impression. If your title, subtitles, and cover photos are compelling enough, your readers will most likely click on it. This is the initial impact. However, if your title is a click-bait, you may miss an opportunity for next time. Just having one viral story is not a desirable premise. Initially, you may have many views, but reading times can suffer. Reading time is essential for your stories’ success from a financial and recognition point of view on many platforms. Your reputation as a writer depends on the quality and promise of your title. If you can deliver what you promise in your title, it is the first step to the sustainability of your readership basis. 2. Effective first paragraph After the title, the most crucial factor can be your first paragraph. Many readers read the first paragraph then determine to continue to read the rest of your story. The first paragraph must hook the reader and tell them what your story is about and why they should invest time reading your story. Simplicity, brevity, clarity, and impact are the key considerations in the first paragraph. Even though I have a scholarly background, I refrain from using difficult words. I always choose the simplest words and use the Hemingway Editor to check the difficulty level of my content. The most viral ones are around grade six and seven for public stories. This story, as an exception, is at grade ten level due to addressing an audience consist of writers. 3. Sharp and well concluded the final paragraph Advanced readers usually check the conclusion of an article first. If the conclusion is informative, engaging, and insightful, they decide to read the body of the article elaborating upon the story’s argument. This is a prevalent pattern for sophisticated readers. If you are writing about topics such as science, medicine, technology, philosophy and other professional topics, you need to pay special attention to your conclusion. Your conclusion must be as compelling and attractive as your first paragraph. 4. Well articulated main text After the title, first paragraph, and conclusion, the main text in your story is the next determining factor for readability and success of your story. This is the main part of your story that you share your experience with your readers. The main section can increase reading time and build your reputation as a writer. I always focus on clarity, brevity, simplicity, and impact in the main section of my articles. We can use the title, first paragraph, and the conclusion to hook our readers. However, we can use the main text to gain reading times. Without grabbing the attention of the reader using the first three elements, we cannot realistically expect substantial reading times for our stories. 5. Writer’s qualification and reputation Many readers want to read content from credible authors. It is not necessarily your expertise, but how you position yourself for your content. You don’t have to have a PhD or an MBA to be trustworthy. In fact, sometimes big titles can make a detrimental effect when the title and content quality do not match with the perceived credibility. Our readers can gauge credibility by three primary means. The first one is a brief description of your profile. The second one is your credentials in your profile. The third one is your stats, such as the number of followers and views. In addition, readers can be attracted to your style of writing and your authentic voice. Fixing the first two components can be relatively easy but require time. For example, you need to be on the platform for a while to create a follower base and need to publish a considerable amount of stories in specific topics to gain more visibility. The last component, style and quality of content, can be the hardest one. It requires substantial writing experience and research skills. It is doable but requires effort, time, and investment in your writing expertise. 6. Engagement of writer at a massive scale Just writing and publishing can hardly create trending and viral stories. It can help if we initiated the visibility of our content. This can be done in various ways. One of the low hanging fruit is in collaboration with other writers and many readers. When you collaborate with other writers, they most likely read your stories and react to them with comments and likes. They can also share your stories with their readers. Engagement can enhance your network. The larger your network the more chance your stories can be noticed. In addition, engagement can be done with external sources as well. Sharing content in social media can also increase the chance of gaining more readers for the content. With engagement, you can turn your followers to your fans. Your fans can contribute to the recognition of your stories. 7. Well implemented backlinks The by-product of engagement with writers and readers is creating multiple backlinks of your articles. The more backlinks your stories can have, the faster they can be indexed by search engines. For example, some of my stories went viral after six months or later when they were indexed and searchable in the search engines. Consider optimizing your stories using SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rules of your writing platform. Conclusions There may be several other factors for our content to reach a broader audience and get your stories viral. These seven points made the real difference in my experience; hence I wanted to share them with you. As you may have noticed, I did not mention the term quality as it is subjective. Quality is questionable in many viral stories. I have seen viral stories which some of us may call mediocre. We cannot argue the taste of the majority. I write on eclectic topics including self-improvement, personal development, leadership, content strategy, content marketing, technology, philosophy, health, psychology, cognitive science and more. The reason to mention these topics is to give you an idea from my experience. So far, the most viral stories were about blockchain, internet of things (IoT), technology leadership, biohacking tips, blogging tips, big data, data science, artificial intelligence, and robotics automation process. After they got viral, these articles were also curated by some content marketing firms. I also donate my content to some schools, universities, libraries, and online communities for charitable and altruistic purposes as a giveback activity. The more I give, the more I receive. Act of kindness could create serendipity. And serendipity can create more visibility and virality as far as content strategy and marketing are concerned. I hope this article provided you with a high-level overview of the key points to increase the visibility of your articles and stories at a broader scale. I wish you the best in your writing career. Thank you for reading my perspectives. The original version of this article was published on News Break under a different title. How to connect with me I established three significant publications supporting 7,000+ writers and serving 70,000+ readers on Medium. Join my publications requesting access here. You are welcome to subscribe to my 100K+ mailing list, to collaborate, enhance your network, receive technology and leadership newsletters reflecting my industry experience.

https://medium.com/illumination/this-is-my-simple-formula-to-creating-viral-stories-b9d8c936083c

['Dr Mehmet Yildiz']

2020-12-27 10:59:58.073000+00:00

['Freelancing', 'Blogging', 'Self Improvement', 'Writing', 'Technology']

How to Choose a 3D Printer

How to Choose a 3D Printer For those looking to create at home. Photo by Xiaole Tao on Unsplash So you want to get a 3D Printer and make things. We all have to start somewhere and are likely to make errors in judgement along the way. At least until we learn more. Starting with the right printer helps avoid frustrations, delays, and discouragement. Read on if you are starting from scratch. 3D Printing Methods There are three common ways to “3D Print” an object. The right choice for you depends on how you respond to the factors we mention below. But first we need to define these 3D Printing methods. Filament Diposition Method / Fused Filament Fabrication (FDM or FFF respectively) pushes a plastic filament through a heated nozzle, much like a hot glue gun. That nozzle is moved to the correct position in an X/Y coordinate system, then moved “up” along the Z axis to apply the next layer on top. These printers are not very costly (in comparison to the other printing methods) and the materials are cheap as well. They are difficult to achieve layer heights smaller than 0.1mm though. It is possible to do so, but these printers take much longer to print at those layer heights. Still 0.1mm or even 0.3mm is more than good enough for a number of objects. Sterolithography (SLA) uses a liquid resin material instead of spooled filament. Exposing the resin to ultraviolet light hardens it. Selectively choosing where that light is applied results in a hardened layer. The build plate is then moved to the next layer and the light is applied again. Layers can be applied faster and are often 50 microns or smaller. So an object can be printed with a much smoother finish faster. The negatives here are that you are working with a liquid resin that will need to be cleaned off the part afterwards, and that resin needs to be “cured” to harden the material fully. Resin printers can be acquired for a similar price as the FDM/FFF printers, however the resin is more expensive than a spool of filament. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) uses a powdered material placed down in very thin layers. A laser is then used to melt or harden that powder where needed. Then the next layer of powder is applied. The part may need to be “baked” afterwards to remove the plastic binding material and leave only the metal or ceramic behind. This process can achieve very fine layer heights and the powder material can cover a wider range of materials (plastic, ceramic, rubber, metal, etc). SLS devices are not cheap nor small. You do not hear about desktop SLS printers like you do with Resin or FDM/FFF printers. These devices are normally found in industrial applications like automotive factories. Chances are that an SLS printer is not well suited for you when getting started with 3D Printing at home. So we will not mention SLS again. Purchasing Factors There are a few different factors that come into play when you buy a 3D Printer: Intent Time Maintenance Price / Ongoing costs Post Processing Intent If you are intending on doing LARGE objects, or objects that do not need micrometer scale layers (resulting in smoother surfaces). Then an FDM/FFF printer is probably better suited to you. These printers routinely have print areas measuring 220mm X 220mm X 200+mm (X/Y/Z). Smaller or larger print areas can be found, with a corresponding shift in price. If you are intending on designing jewellery such as rings, earrings, necklaces, broaches, etc. then a really smooth finish is needed. And the objects to be printed are relatively small. This favours an SLA or resin based printer. Time Are you more interested in the end result — the actual 3D Printed part — but couldn’t care about the details of how it is generated? Or do you want to know everything, diving in so you understand what every nut and bolt does and why it is where it is? Using a bad car analogy — do you just drive the car or are you a mechanic who loves to work on the car? How you answer that indicates where you would like to be spending your time. If you just want to use the 3D Printer and arrive at the final product, then you want a printer that is “out of the box” ready (or as close as possible to it) and needs as little maintenance as possible. If instead you love to know how things work and enjoy taking things apart, then a “kit” printer is probably right for you. Kits are cheaper and can be quickly assembled. An out of the box ready printer is going to cost more, even more for a good quality printer with low maintenance needs. You can expect close to $1000 or more for this type of FDM/FFF printer. SLA printers have fewer moving parts and are closer to the out of the box concept by default. (Note that this is a generalization — there are many models out there and some easily counter my statements here. These are outliers though, IMO.) Maintenance Still on the time topic, we need to touch onto maintenance. 3D Printers require constant maintenance. The print bed must be cleaned between prints or failures are more likely. The moving parts need to be oiled/greased once in a while. Nozzles have to be replaced. LCD screens will need to be replaced. This maintenance applies to ALL printers, whether they are out of the box ready or not. This is where buying a kit printer is helpful. By building the kit you learn the ins and outs of how to maintain your printer. Buying an out of the box ready printer simply means you can get a few prints done before you have to learn the same lessons. In my opinion, maintaining an SLA printer takes less effort. Only the Z axis moves. Everything else would either be a wear and tear item (i.e. just replace the item when it finally fails), or a routine task that has to be done for every print anyway. FDM/FFF printers have those routine tasks too — such as levelling the print bed. However there are more moving parts which means more possible points of failure/maintenance. 3D Printing is not as fast as the Star Trek Replicator devices. It takes time to build a 3D object. Smaller objects can be created in 15 minutes or so, but larger objects can take many hours, or even days to print. Some printers are faster than others. That speed though is a result of the individual 3D Printer design and how the printer is tuned. Tuning a printer is part of the maintenance time. Price / Ongoing costs You can find 3D Printers for under $100. Most of those are gimmicks or have very small build surfaces and other limitations. Occasionally a gem is found though in that price range, so it is worth doing the research on the cheaper printers. Keep in mind though that with cheap you get what you pay for. That printer may need a lot of extras or add-ons to make it reliable or high enough quality. At which point it might be better to spend more on a better printer in the first place. At the moment a good starting printer can be found for around $300. These would be kits that need to be assembled. Out of the box ready printers begin at around $800, but are routinely seen in the $2000 — $5000 range. One kilogram of plastic filament sells for $20 — $200, depending on the filament type and vendor. PLA/PLA+ is a good general use plastic which is at the bottom end of that price scale (and recommended for starting out with). ABS or PETG would be a better choice for high temperature applications (like sitting in the sun, or in a car in the sun) and sell for $35 and up for a kilogram. Resin is a little more expensive than filament. Planning on $50 for a 500 gram bottle would be a good starting point. Ongoing costs include the price of replacement parts, tools, and other routine items like grease/oil. Once you have tooled up though the ongoing costs tend to be focused on your printing material. It might be considered a good practice to have a collection of replacement parts for just about everything the printer needs. A spare extruder, control board, power supply display screen, wires, rods, etc. If any of these items need to be replaced your printer is most likely unusable until the replacement arrives. Having that replacement on hand reduces your down time. This is not “required”, but commonly recommended. Post Processing You have a working printer, you know how to maintain it, and you can print out parts. WHOOHOO! That is quite the accomplishment. Just one last thing to consider. How much effort is needed to “finish” the printed part? With FDM/FFF printing, this may include removing support material, cutting off the occasional errant string of plastic, assembling many parts into a single completed object, or sanding and painting. Often though the part can be simply removed from the print bed and used. With SLA getting the part printed is only the first half of getting to the final object. After printing the excess resin has to be removed and then the part has to “cure” to the correct hardness. Only then can any additional steps be done (like assembly, or sanding and painting) and the part be considered done. There is a trade off then between SLA and FDM/FFF printing techniques. While SLA may print better quality parts in less time, it cannot do as large an object and the part cannot be used directly off the build plate. Still there is a place for both approaches. Matching the right approach to your own needs is what is key. Wrapping Up That is a lot of info to take in. But we all have to start somewhere. With this you should now be armed to begin making a more informed decision as you look at the different printer models out there. I am tempted to recommend some specific printers to get started with. However I believe the information above will be applicable for some time, while a “recommended printer” will only be good for a month or two. There are new models coming out on a regular basis and the technology keeps improving. So I’ll avoid making a specific model recommendation. BUT I can recommend some vendors. (I have no affiliations with any of these vendors. I am just reporting what I have learned through my experience and research.) Prusa Research built the 3D Printer that all the clones emulate. The Prusa I3 is a well known design that continues to evolve. Prusa Research is respected very well in the industry and sells printers, printer parts, and filament. Creality is a well known vendor who is making good printers. The printers have good support in the various software tools out there. Let me know if I missed any vendor that should be in this list. Watch for future articles from me on 3D Printing topics. We have only just scratched the surface here.

https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-choose-a-3d-printer-2bc47f398dcb

['Shawn Grover']

2020-11-28 03:41:45.966000+00:00

['Technology', 'Makers', '3D Printing']

Solving Common Vue Problems — Child to Parent Communication, and Computed Properties vs Methods

Solving Common Vue Problems — Child to Parent Communication, and Computed Properties vs Methods John Au-Yeung Follow Jun 26 · 4 min read Photo by Tara Raye on Unsplash Vue.js makes developing front end apps easy. However, there are still chances that we’ll run into problems. In this article, we’ll look at some common issues and see how to solve them. Force Vue to Reload We can use the this.$forceUpdate(); to force reload a Vue component. However, this isn’t a good solution to solve most problems. The data on our component should be updated with other methods. Method vs Computed Properties Methods are computed properties are different, even though they’re both functions. Computed properties are functions that return a value that is derived from other values. For example, if we have a message state that is a string, we can return the revered version in a computed property: computed: { reversedMessage() { return this.message.split('').reverse().join('') } } Then it can be accessed in the component as this.reveresedMessage . And in the template, we can write: {{ reversedMessage }} to access it. It’s a getter only function and so we can’t set a new value to it directly. A method is a function that can be called in other parts of a component or access method in the template. For instance, we can write a method by writing: methods:{ search(keyword){ return this.names.filter(n => n.includes(keyword)) } } Then we can call that in a component by writing: this.search('foo'); or we can call it in the template by writing: search('foo') Call a Function in a Child Component on Parent Events We can call a function on a child component by assigning a ref on a child component and then calling a function in it. For instance, if our child component is the following: const ChildComponent = { template: '<div>{{value}}</div>', data: function () { return { value: 0 }; }, methods: { setValue(value) { this.value = value; } } } Then we can call it from the parent by writing: new Vue({ el: '#app', components: { 'child-component': ChildComponent }, methods: { click() { this.$refs.childComponent.setValue(5); } } }) given that we have: <div id="app"> <child-component ref="childComponent"></child-component> <button @click="click">Click</button> </div> We assigned the childComponent ref to the child-component . Then can access the child’s methods via the ref as we did in setValue . Deploy a Vue App We can deploy a Vue app with the npm run build command. This will build the app. ‘[Vue warn]: Property or method is not defined on the instance but referenced during render’ Error This error occurs because the state or method isn’t present in the component code, but it’s defined in the template. If we reference a method in the template, then we have to have it in the methods section. For instance, if we have: const app = new Vue({ el: "#settings", data, methods: { setValue(index) { //... } } }); Then we can reference it in the template: <button @click=' setValue (index)'> set value </button> If we access a state, then we have to include it in the object we return in the data method. For instance, if we have: const app = new Vue({ el: "#settings", data(){ return { prop: 'foo' } } }); Then we can access it in the template by writing: {{ prop }} Otherwise, we’ll get an error. Display Unescaped HTML in Vue.js We can display unescaped HTML in Vue.js with the v-html directive. For example, we can write: <div v-html="htmlContent"> </div> Then assuming that htmlContent is a string with HTML code in it, it’ll be displayed directly. Access Child Data from Parent We can emit an event with the data to send from the child to the parent. For example, in the child, we can write: this.$emit('event', 'foo'); 'foo' is the data to emit, and 'event' is the event name. Then in the parent, we can listen to it by writing: <chilld-component @event='doSomething($event)'></child-component> Assuming the child component is called child-component , we can listen to the event event emitted by it. We can then get the data by using the $event object which has the data. In this case, $event is 'foo' . We can then do something with it like passing it into the doSomething method as we did above. Photo by Jordan Rowland on Unsplash Conclusion We can force reload on our page by using the this.$forceUpdate() method. To display HTML as-is, we can use the v-html directive.

https://medium.com/dev-genius/solving-common-vue-problems-child-to-parent-communication-and-computed-properties-vs-methods-d16fd840f6c3

['John Au-Yeung']

2020-06-26 16:09:03.400000+00:00

['JavaScript', 'Web Development', 'Software Development', 'Technology', 'Programming']

DUs in the EU, Ocean Market updates, and MyData Online 2020 — the latest from Swash

New pages on swashapp.io If you haven’t seen it already, check out the new media page on Swash. This is where you’ll find all mentions of Swash across media, external blogs, podcasts, and videos. We’ve also created a new contact page too, so it’s even easier to get in touch with the team. On top of this, there’s been a few bug fixes, newly-added collection points on Amazon, and a new module for collecting data from Etsy. Ocean Marketplace Following the launch of Ocean’s V3 Market and the success Swash has received, we have now automated updates to the Swash dataset. These updates will happen weekly from today onwards. To learn more about the marketplace, check out the video below with Jamie Burke from Outlier Ventures and Bruce Pon from Ocean discussing all things datatokens and Initial Data Offerings. Data Unions in the EU Data Governance Act Big news for Data Unions! The latest public draft of the EU Data Governance Act outlines European data policy for the next decade. In this, the European Commission mentions Data Unions as “intermediaries between data subjects and potential data users in the economy”. The impact of this is extraordinary. As the world’s first digital Data Union, it’s exciting to see Swash paving the way for new digital ecosystems. Read more about what this means for Data Unions in this article by Streamr’s Marlene Ronstedt. Data is Labor — Why we need Data Unions Given the news about DUs in the EU, you may want to learn more about how Data Unions work, or why they’re important. This article by James Felton Keith for CoinDesk puts it all into context; the historical significance, data as a form of labor, and the potential of DUs in policy, technology, and legislation. For more on this, check out this conversation between JFK, Streamr’s Shiv Malik, President of RadicalxChange, Matt Prewitt, and the Data Dividend Project CEO, Enoch Liang: MyData Online 2020 On 11th December at 18.30–19.30 (UTC), Swash will be at MyData Online 2020. MyData is a conference that works to empower individuals and organisations with their personal data by answering questions around ethical data sharing, mitigating global challenges, and shaping rules for a better internet. Join in the discussion by grabbing your tickets here. 1000 $DATA monthly giveaway Finally, if you’re the owner of wallet 0x32A72eB1ecff8AF84D14b56dA6E0AA6878a00d2A then check your balance — Swash gifted you 1000 $DATA for the most new referrals in October! What inspired us this week 📺 This talk by MIT’s Prof. Sandy Pentland for a deep contextual dive into Data Unions and their potential. 📚 This article by Hannah Fry for The New Yorker on testing in Big Tech. 👂 This refreshing playlist by ICA Daily.

https://medium.com/swashapp/dus-in-the-eu-ocean-market-updates-and-mydata-online-2020-the-latest-from-swash-22252bbc223b

['Chloe Diamond']

2020-11-18 18:22:16.099000+00:00

['Blockchain', 'News', 'Technology', 'Data', 'Startup']

How NASA Reinvented The Wheel

Nickel-Titanium Nitinol is a memory shape alloy made of Nickel and Titanium. What is special about this material is that it has two rare properties: Shape memory Superelasticity Shape memory Shape memory is the property of a material of undergoing deformation and then be able to return to its original shape when the heat is applied to it. An object made of Nitinol can be bend and deformed at room temperature, but as soon as you apply some heat it returns to its previous shape. It remembers its original shape. The secret of this material lays in its crystal structure. When Nitinol is under a certain temperature, its crystal structure is called martensite. The atoms in this structure are organized in a way that allows it to offer an easy path for the deformation. When stress is applied the atoms move and align to absorb it. This is different from the traditional materials where, when a stress is applied what happens is that the bonds of the atomic structure are stretched. When we release the stress the object maintains that shape until heat is applied. When we apply heat to Nickel-Titanium its crystal structure change again and becomes austenite. This structure is the most stable at high temperature but as soon as the material cools down it returns to a martensitic structure. This property means that the shape of the object made of Nitinol can return to its original one by absorbing energy from the heat we apply to it. And that is not all. By modifying the percentage of the two elements we can tailor the temperature at which the transformation happens. More specifically, by increasing the percentage of Titanium we also increase the transformation temperature. This is a property really unique that has already found many uses. As an example, in the medical field, Nitinol is used to produce stents. Before the use of this material, they were made of other metals. After being inserted in the blood vessel they have to be plastically deformed into the shape wanted. To do that a small balloon is inflated inside the stent. This a complicated and dangerous procedure because the pressure can damage the tissue of the artery When used in stents, Nitinol transformation temperature is set to human body temperature. In this way, when the stand is inserted in the artery, it returns to its original shape and doesn’t put any excessive pressure on the blood vessel.

https://medium.com/predict/how-nasa-reinvented-the-wheel-83bbc8f528ed

['Alessandro Bazzi']

2020-09-17 18:51:01.296000+00:00

['Mars', 'Future Technology', 'Technology', 'NASA', 'Space']

The Top 13 Most Promising Edtech Startups

Brand-new startups and pioneers have the upper hand in the educational sector. They can set trends and create demand. They are pushing and boosting the modern market and gaining wide popularity among learning institutions more and more. Forward-looking startups always try to solve common problems through market pain points or to predict what is going to be in demand or what niches no one has ever filled before. Here I came up with a list of 13 most promising edtech startups who survived in the harsh conditions of competition and withstood all challenges! Read the full article: http://bit.ly/2KxvbUm

https://medium.com/@n-koltunova/the-top-13-most-promising-edtech-startups-3b1132ca53fe

['Natalie Koltunova']

2020-12-18 11:10:13.172000+00:00

['Startup', 'Edtech Startup', 'Edtech', 'Technology']

We Did a Video Discussion About Batteries, Geopolitics, and Fraud

We Did a Video Discussion About Batteries, Geopolitics, and Fraud We are on the cusp of an electrified technological revolution. There is a lot of spice involved, as I discuss in this chat Steve LeVine ·Dec 10, 2020 The blockbuster news is that — against the prevailing wisdom as recently as two years ago — the world is on the cusp of electric vehicles that cost the same as conventional gasoline cars, charge fast, and go a long distance. Who will get rich, and who won’t? And which battery and EV entrepreneurs are exaggerating their progress? Today we go video. I discuss all of this and more with Nicholas Yiu, the co-host of Intercalation Station, a terrific monthly newsletter on batteries.

https://themobilist.medium.com/we-did-a-video-discussion-about-batteries-geopolitics-and-fraud-994e14606e26

['Steve Levine']

2020-12-10 21:55:49.137000+00:00

['Battery', 'Interview', 'Electric Vehicles', 'Transportation', 'Technology']

Is Your System Stateful or Stateless?

Is Your System Stateful or Stateless? Different perspectives on obvious concepts Photo by cloudvisual.co.uk on Unsplash Statefulness and statelessness seem to be quite obvious properties of applications and computer systems in general. However, if we think deeply about these properties of systems it turns out that classifying a solution as stateful or stateless is more complicated. Let’s go through different perspectives on this problem. State, state everywhere First of all, we need to define what we mean by using the term “state”. Imagine that someone asks you what is a state? How would you describe it using your own words? It’s not so simple. The state is quite a primitive idea, and primitive ideas are hard to define due to their simplicity. It’s a little bit like a set in Maths. If I had to define state I would say it’s a set of properties of a given object. These properties describe the object so we can understand and interact with it. We can also get professional help and check the definition in a dictionary [1]: “A condition or way of being that exists at a particular time” Pretty neat, isn’t it? This definition is built from two main components. The first one is about ”a condition or a way of being”. This part focuses on the properties of something. The second part is about “existing at a particular time”. It adds some dynamics. As a result, the state is not only a set of properties, these properties exist at the given time, like a snapshot. They could be different in the past and they can change in the future. My favorite example of state definition using the real-life object is a light switch. It has two states: on and off. Real-life concepts are reflected in computer science. The same applies to the state. Let’s check its definition in the digital world [2]: “(…) a program is described as stateful if it is designed to remember preceding events or user interactions.” Ok, so it’s about remembering the way of interacting with a program or a system. For example, we could interact by saving a file or sending requests. These actions affect how the system responds. Let’s follow the definition: “The remembered information is called the state of the system.” Finally, we have a sharp and clear description of the state in the computer science world. But when you try to apply this definition, you’ll realize that almost every system can be called stateful. Remembered information is in files, databases, but also in variables that are used to write the code. State is everywhere. Fortunately, there are different contexts. Let’s have a look at three common architectures that can be described as stateful or stateless. Fully Stateless System Architecture Fully stateless architecture (image by Author). In the picture you can see 3 main elements of architectures we’ll discuss: Clients sending requests Load Balancer dispatching requests Servers handling requests The first approach is fully stateless. It means that every request can be handled independently by any server. There is no need to keep information about preceding requests or do synchronization between servers when different requests from the same client land on different machines. All the state that is needed to handle request can be easily created while processing it, without any third-party components. It doesn’t mean there is no state at all. Each server may have its own data source stored in local DBs, files, or cache. Important thing is that servers are independent. Such architecture is truly scalable. In the case of load changes, we can add or remove nodes so the system’s capacity is sufficient. We can start small and then easily scale out. It’s a powerful benefit. Fully Stateful System Architecture Fully stateful architecture (image by Author). The second approach is fully stateful design. Here we have something called “sticky load balancer”. It is capable of keeping track of client sessions and redirecting all requests from a given client to the same server. The sticky load balancer may use different information to dispatch requests to the proper server. Some examples are a source or destination IP addresses, ports, protocols. Servers need to have and keep all state needed to correctly handle requests. Requests cannot be handled independently as preceding calls can affect how the system should deal with the new ones. They could change the state of the local database, file, or cache. Such architecture is not very scalable. Actually, the only way to scale it on the go is to scale up. It means you can give your node more resources, for instance, RAM or CPU. However, such vertical scaling very often means that you need to stop your server, scale up, and start again. And it means outage. I like to joke about this architecture and call it “awfully stateful”. Scaling is not the only problem. Let’s say your server evaporates, which is highly probably in cloud environments. In such a case, you lost all information needed to handle your clients’ requests. Not good. I’m not a fan of strong, definitive statements as very often the correct answer is “it depends”. So if you’re fully aware of all drawbacks of this approach it’s ok to use it. But you need to be careful and check if different approaches don’t fit your needs in a better way. Stateful or Stateless? Stateful or stateless architecture (image by Author)? The last approach we’ll discuss is quite controversial. But let’s start by describing it. In this architecture, we have the same simple Load Balancer that we had in the first approach (without sticky sessions). The only difference is that we have an additional stateful component, or cluster of components (in the picture it’s shown as DB). Servers are handling requests and get all needed information from the stateful component. Requests affect each other, however, they can be handled independently by any of the servers. We need to take care of the consistency of our data, transactions may be needed in some cases, but we gained freedom while choosing the server which should handle the request. Thanks to that we can scale out our servers. A new node will just get the requests, connect to DB or cache, and process it correctly. The stateful component also can be scalable. We can put a cluster of DBs or cache and prepare the system to be ready for load fluctuations. The main drawback is a bigger complexity. It’s harder to write and maintain such a distributed system rather than keep everything on a single server. But with great power there comes great responsibility. It’s worth to work on well-structured architecture now and save yourself from troubles in the future. So where’s the controversy? Actually, some people think such architecture is stateless. You delegated your state to a third-party component (DB, Cache) so your system is not stateful. But wait, what about this “third-party” component that is a crucial part of a system? No worries… it’s third-party right [3]? The other side (including me) thinks that such systems are stateful. We cannot just forget about the part of our system that is needed to make it work, call it third-party or delegated state component and pretend it’s not there. If you cannot get rid of it from your architecture it is stateful, even if you don’t like it. Verdict We philosophized a little bit about the nature and definition of state to have a better understanding of the discussed topic. Then we went through 3 general system architectures that deal with, or don’t have to deal with the state. To which category your system belongs? What’s your opinion about the last approach? I encourage you to take a closer look at your design and make sure you’re ready for changes and your system evolution. Oh, and the last thing, don’t stick to awfully stateful architecture. Bibliography:

https://medium.com/the-innovation/is-your-system-stateful-or-stateless-d2a839cda6e3

['Łukasz Gebel']

2020-10-10 17:28:21.581000+00:00

['Software Architecture', 'Programming', 'Software Engineering', 'Technology', 'Software Development']

Tesla’s Charging Network of Tomorrow

Humans like change but at the same time are resistant to change; we’re very weird that way. The fact that people have been driving gas cars for over 200 years means that as soon as you tell them they’re gonna have to do something a little bit differently, a gust of confusion and concern comes in. Charging an electric vehicle is just so dramatically different than charging a gas car or filling a gas car that you have to think about it differently. Once you get an electric car, you start to realize that unless you are going on road trips, you can get by with charging from home. Source: Tesla (Sorry for diving into your HTML source code to extract this video ❤ ) Not only is it way cheaper, but way more convenient. You get back from work, your car charges up overnight, and it’s ready to go by the morning. But if you’re not thinking in that electric car mindset and you’re not considering that you charge from home, the charging network helps sell Teslas just as much as the range does. Tesla’s Superchargers serve as a response to electric vehicles’ worst enemy, tradition. People considering an electric vehicle start to worry about being stranded in the middle of nowhere when they realize that they don’t go to gas stations anymore. Speed Video by Steven Mconroy at the San Luis Obispo, California Supercharger Station The previous generation Superchargers utilize a single 150 kW backend that is shared between two charging stalls. If a single vehicle is charging, it can pull down the full 150 kilowatts. Each Supercharger cabinet has twelve charger modules and feeds two charging stalls (max 150 kW per car), so when both pairs of Tesla Supercharger station stalls (A and B) are occupied, that 150 kW feed is not so fairly shared between the two depending on arrival time. Car A gets a fully variable tapered charge, while Car B gets 10 kW increments (since modules can only be switched in 10 kW incremented between the two cars). For example: Car A Car B 83 30 82 30 81 30 80 40 79 40 78 40 When Car A leaves, Car B will get the full 150 kW until another car arrives. As a result, charging to 90% takes an hour, and to fully charge takes 75 minutes. 8% to 75% in 25 mins VS ~45 mins with V2 ∴ ~200 miles of range in 25 min Source: Privaterbok3000 With Tesla’s V3, you get 1,000 miles of range per hour. 250 kW per car. You don’t have 1,000 miles in your Tesla, but that’s the speed you’ll charge at. Meaning that in 15 minutes, you will get 2 1/2 hours of driving. However, the V3 tapers quickly. The 250 kW advertised charging rate is impressive, but risks battery damage and overheating, so it can’t be maintained…for now. Additionally, although any Tesla can plug into a V3 Supercharger, only Model Ys and Long Range and Performance Model 3s running the latest firmware will be able to charge at 250 kW. Standard Model 3s will continue to charge at 150 kW, while the Model S and Model X have received a firmware update allowing 200-kW charging at V3 Superchargers. Unfortunately, older Model S and Model Xs can’t accept the higher power delivered by the V3 stations, because they use different battery cells; a worry that arises as Tesla seeks to change their battery cocktail again shortly.

https://medium.com/@williamlaast/teslas-charging-network-of-tomorrow-b7c780c879da

['William Laast']

2020-08-27 20:07:10.456000+00:00

['Technology', 'Tesla', 'Travel', 'Battery', 'Electric Car']

Oh Apple, Oh Apple

Oh Apple, Oh Apple Everyone in my family searched high and low for that little cap but it didn’t surface. So my mother wanted me to show her reenactment of my Apple pencil shooting off the table while I was in the middle of drawing another illustration on my iPad. Here’s why. We have ducted heating throughout our rental property. But the ducted vent was nowhere near where I was sitting. After the cap failed to resurface from the depths of below, I got in touch with Apple Inc. and explained my dilemma. Nonetheless, a lovely Apple Inc. representative said to me,”A lot of people phone us at Apple to order a replacement cap.” And this Apple representative said you won’t find those caps sold on their website because it’s a “replacement” service. What the? Anyhow, while I was waiting for the Apple representative to process my order, I wondered:

https://medium.com/illumination/oh-apple-oh-apple-59b6c1f10b54

['Erin Singh']

2020-12-17 22:30:03.836000+00:00

['This Happened To Me', 'Humor', 'Digital Life', 'Apple', 'Technology']

Heroku CI and GitHub Checks Integration

How does it work? GitHub Webhooks: As per GitHub Docs, “Webhooks allow you to build or set up integrations, such as GitHub Appsor OAuth Apps, which subscribe to certain events on GitHub.com. When one of those events is triggered, an HTTP POST payload is sent to the webhook’s configured URL. Webhooks can be used to update an external issue tracker, trigger CI builds, update a backup mirror, or even deploy to your production server. You’re only limited by your imagination.” Heroku CI: When a test or build gets triggered for a new git commit, it broadcasts the webhook events for Status. The event gets triggered for different stages like in_progress, success, failure, cancel, etc. GitHub catches those events and updates the pull request page build flag. For our scenario, we intercept status in our integration app. DEBUG probot: Webhook received event: { "event": "status", "id": "da6ec6b8-2250-11eb-8843-f0563e0c2987", "installation": 12779415, "repository": "<Github-owner>/<Repo-name>" } Status (webhook event): When the status of a Git commit changes, the type of activity is specified in the action property of the payload object. Probot Integration App: We created a Probot intermediate app that basically intercepts the GitHub webhook events and then executes specific logic as per our requirement. You can catch status events with the following code snippet: app.on('status', async (context) => { console.log('Status event update'); } The “context,” in this case, is an object with details related to issues, pull request, repository, actions, etc. You will also find a related CI URL with context.payload.target_url . You can get the state of CI build / test using context.payload.state . Once you have the CI target URL, you can get logs directly from it or you can create a test log URL from it that will return a simple text log in response. For example, in Heroku CI, you will get a target URL from the context which will be in the format of https://dashboard.heroku.com/pipelines/<pipeline-id>/tests/<test-run-number> The URL will look something like this, with your specifics: And to get a plain text log, you can convert this URL to a different URL format which will be something like https://api.heroku.com/pipelines/<pipeline-id>/test-runs/<test-run-id>. Here’s an example: If your Probot app receives a Status event with state in_progress , it will create a GitHub Checks run using Checks API with the status “In Progress.” You can do that with the following code: Next, if your Probot app receives a Status event with the state failure , success or canceled , it will update the GitHub Checks run using the Checks API with the status “Received.” You will fetch all the checks run for a specific commit and then update the checks run (which has the status “In progress”) with the latest status. And we are all set. If you want to improve your user experience, there are a couple of additional things that can be tweaked in our integration implementation: Add the annotations object as part of the output in check run params to help to show errors and lint details for each commit file. (See this article for more details: https://developer.github.com/changes/2019-09-06-more-check-annotations-shown-in-files-changed-tab/) Display a processed log for better presentation in Checks Tab. Conclusion In order to keep all information related to pull requests and commits in one place, it’s good to use various GitHub apps properly. That way, you don’t have to worry whether external collaborators have access to all of your tooling or not, and you don’t have to make your CI tool accessible to everyone. If you’re not using GitHub Actions, but you are using Heroku CI or another CI tool, then this integration with GitHub Checks will prove very useful. To see the complete code for the integration, visit this git repository: SubratThakur/Heroku-Github-Checks-Integration. References:

https://engineering.salesforce.com/heroku-ci-and-github-checks-integration-a407d4c772a5

['Subrat Thakur']

2020-12-16 16:11:23.635000+00:00

['DevOps', 'Heroku', 'Open Source', 'Github', 'Technology']

A history of the cloud and an outlook to edge computing (part 2)

Our physical infrastructure dictates the limits of our virtual world. This truth is important for understanding challenges in our past as well as opportunities in our near future. Although there are many elements which have determined the pace at which we continue to accelerate technology, there are two key infrastructure pieces that go hand-in-hand in importance: Computing capacity (CPU) — servers/computers/IoT devices 2. Network capacity (bandwidth) — internet (LAN, internet, 4G, 5G) In terms of an analogy, you should view server computing capacity (CPU) as the speed of a car, and you should view the network capacity as the number of lanes on a highway. For example, having high computing power (CPU) connected to a network with limited bandwidth is the equivalent of having a Ferrari on a busy 1-lane highway. It doesnt matter how fast you can process information if you are limited by the speed at which you can send it to others. Obviously, computing capacity and network capacity are both critical elements of enabling our cloud-driven world and both have historically been bottlenecks. If you have not yet read the previous article on pre-web computing and original networking, than you can follow this link first. We continue below with the rise of the internet and how the dot-com boom eventually gave rise to cloud computing due to the inefficient use and management of (non-core business) server/CPU resources on a large scale. The web 1.0 period started around the mid 90s and was characterised by a significant increase in network capacity as the internet was formed. Early internet was seen as web 1.0, which was 1-way traffic (read-only) content from companies on static HTML websites. Mid 1990s — Understanding how we got to web 1.0 The boom in PCs and the rise in on-premise server (CPU) parks The processing power of microchips increased significantly from the 80s onwards and throughout the 90s, which decreased the cost of computing power, making it possible to bring CPU processing to the masses via the personal computer (PC). The decreased costs of PCs led to a growth of homeowners buying PCs as well as business users adopting PCs and software that runs on the PCs (i.e. Microsoft Office). Moore’s Law has largely held true over time and states “the speed and capability of computers can be expected to double every two years, as a result of increases in the number of transistors a microchip can contain.” Source: Economist The percentage of homeowners with a PC grew exponentially throughout the 90s and early 2000s. The costs of personal computers decreased, and the value increased as companies started creating software applications that could run on these computers (i.e. notepad, email, messaging). As more individuals purchased PCs and started using these communication applications, the value of the applications increased (network effects), creating a greater incentive to new users to also buy a computer and join the network. In 1990, the percentage of US households that had a computer was 15%. In 1997 this percentage grew to 35% and ten years later this percentage had grown to 70% (Statista). With a growing PC user base, the ROI on developing software became higher as the market of potential buyers was growing exponentially. PCs were effective for running simple applications such as Microsoft Office (i.e. Word, Excel, Powerpoint), games, communication tools as well as web browsing. The interaction with the internet was primarily one-way wherein websites had information that PC users would read. There was limited 2-way interaction in the sense that PC users were not uploading documents (i.e. images, files, videos) to the internet as the bandwidth was too slow. This age can be seen as being (relatively) good in CPU power, but limited by slow dial-up internet speeds. The “killer apps” were messaging (AOL, MSN), Microsoft Word/Powerpoint/Excel and basic browsing to find information online. Source: The Verge Network-of-networks (internet is born) Despite an increase in computing capacity, networks were still limited by their overall reach and protocol standards. The standardization of network protocols (TCP/IP) was one of the most important steps in the overall development of the internet as we know it today. The origin of the internet comes from ARPANET, which was initially an initiative from the US Department of Defense to distribute information in the event of an attack on a central node (information broker) in the network. The idea to spread information was further developed and led to universities establishing an early network as depicted below. Source: Wiki History of Internet Over the years, ARPANET grew with more nodes and endpoints being connected over the network. Furthermore, multiple networks started being formed, which raised the question as to how they would all communicate with each other. Source: Wikipedia With the implementation of TCP/IP protocol, a standard protocol was developed for communication across multiple networks. This meant that a single network-of-networks was formed — which became to be known as the internet. Although the network could now communicate effectively with each other, this was still not the internet as we know it today as there was no browsable web. In 1989 a British researcher at CERN developed a way to link a hypertext document to an information system, which any member (node) of the network could have access to. This was the origin of the world-wide-web as we know it today, allowing us to navigate to websites. The internet use-case of the early 90s was seen as web 1.0. Websites were seen as 1-way stream of information from content creators to a static HTML web page. As web-pages across the internet were now accessible (due to TCP/IP and enabled by internet browsers), users could access web pages as they wished. A problem was that although the internet was filled with information/content, there needed to be some sort of way to filter the internet to find what one is searching for. Google was one of the early companies which understood this problem, and effectively solved it by scraping and indexing all pages of the internet and then ranking which pages have the best match with a certain “search” phrase, largely based on the text on a web site. As user-friendly tools emerged for web-search and communication (AOL, MSN, e-mail), internet adoption rapidly grew. A key limitation that remained was that network speeds were not fast or reliable enough to send rich files such as audio or media. The article continues here with part 3, which goes into our shift to web 2.0 where user-generated content becomes the norm. In part 4 we shift towards where we stand with CDNs and how edge networks will drive how machine-to-machine communication.

https://medium.com/@cloudyinvestor/a-brief-history-on-the-cloud-and-outlook-to-our-future-part-2-a040f144afad

[]

2020-12-25 20:27:48.988000+00:00

['Future', 'Cloud', 'Future Of Work', 'History Of Technology', 'Cloud Computing']

SpaceX inspiration4 all-civilian spaceflight: When to watch and things to know

Inspiration4 mission, which is the world’s first all-civilian mission to Earth’s orbit, will carry four private citizens to space and aims to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Crew of the Inpiration4 (Image credit: Inspiration4) On September 15, four civilians will blast off into space as part of the Inspiration4 mission of SpaceX and NASA. The mission, called Inspiration4, includes four private citizens who will fly on a Crew Dragon spacecraft for an Earth-orbiting mission. Inspiration4 is the third spaceflight by a billionaire in 2021. The other two — both suborbital missions — were the flight of Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson and company employees aboard the Unity 22 mission on July 11, and the flight of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three other passengers (including noted aviator Wally Funk) flew aboard a New Shepard spacecraft on July 20. Like these other two flights, Inspiration4 is largely made up of civilians with no professional space experience, although the crew has undergone basic training to get a sense of what to expect. But this time, the crew will spend three days orbiting the Earth, as opposed to the brief suborbital flights of Bezos and Branson. Learn more about the flight below. Billionaire Jared Issacman, the founder of Shift4 Payments, purchased the flight as part of an effort to raise millions for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He is joined by Haley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor, and Chris Sembroski. Meet the crew Jared Isaacman (“Leadership”), 37, Shift4 Payments founder and CEO. Isaacman also has roughly 6,000 hours accumulated as a private pilot. Isaacman had a lifelong dream of going to space and in media interviews, said he wanted to do so while donating other seats to deserving people. He will serve as the flight’s commander. Jared Isaacman(Imgae credit: Fastcompany) Hayley Arceneaux (“Hope”), 29, is a St. Jude physician’s assistant and childhood bone cancer survivor from Louisiana (who was also treated at St. Jude as a child). She was selected to represent the charity for which Isaacman plans to raise money. She will be the first person to fly in space with a prosthetic limb. Isaacman personally invited Arcenaux to join the mission as its chief medical officer. Hayley Arceneaux(Image credit: New York Times) Chris Sembroski (“Generosity”), 42, is a data engineer for Lockheed Martin from North Carolina. Sembroski is a long-time space enthusiast with amateur experience as an astronomer and a rocketeer. He is a former camp counselor at Space Camp and like many astronauts, is a veteran of the United States Air Force. Sembroski is the winner of a sweepstakes held by Isaacman to raise money for St. Jude. He will serve as a mission specialist. Chris Sembroski(Image credit Wikibio) Sian Proctor (“Prosperity”), 51, is a geoscientist and science communication specialist who has participated in four space analog missions. Proctor was chosen as the winner of the Shift4Shop competition from Isaacman, which asked entrants to set up an e-commerce site and record a video about their business. Proctor’s “Space2Inspire” shop offered postcards and prints of her AfronautSpace art, to spark conversations about women of color in the space industry. Proctor will be the first person from Guam to fly in space, and she will serve as the mission pilot. Sian Proctor(Image credit: Wikipedia) Fundraising efforts The Inspiration4 mission is part of an effort to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman didn’t want just another billionaire spaceflight on the books, he wanted the mission to really mean something, so he led a campaign to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer research. Isaacman donated $100 million directly to St. Jude, as well as two of the other seats on the Dragon spacecraft. One went to Arceneaux, whom the hospital selected as a frontline worker. The other seat was designated to a winner randomly chosen from sweepstakes entries that raised $13 million for the cancer institute. Sembroski was selected after a friend of his (who was technically chosen) decided not to go to space. Proctor won her seat through a “Shark Tank”-like contest that set up online stores using Isaacman’s Shift4 Payments platform as a way to raise money for St. Jude. Each contestant had to set up a shop and campaign on Twitter. The more interaction their videos received on Twitter, the more likely they were to make it to the finals. Which Rocket And Spacecraft Will Be Used For Inspiration4 Mission? The Crew Dragon spacecraft will be launched atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which is a reusable, two-stage rocket, designed for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth and beyond. This is the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket, which means it is a reusable rocket powerful enough to launch objects into orbit around Earth, or even beyond, depending upon the size of the payload. SpaceX crew dragon on top of Falon 9 rocket The Dragon spacecraft, which will carry the crew, can ferry up to seven passengers to and from Earth orbit, and beyond. In May 2020, it became the first private spacecraft to take humans to the International Space Station. Crew Dragon will travel at more than 17,000 miles per hour, and the astronauts will conduct experiments to expand our knowledge of the universe. The cargo consists of crew essentials as well as scientific equipment designed for microgravity research and experimentation, which together weigh 365 pounds. The design of the dome window of the Crew Dragon Spacecraft is inspired by the Cupola, which is an observatory module built by the European Space Agency, on the International Space Station. SpaceX dragon with the glass cupola in orbit What will the crew be doing? Because the Inspiration4 mission consists entirely of regular people, not professional astronauts, they have not undergone the same rigorous medical disqualification process that NASA and other agencies follow during astronaut selection. So throughout the mission, the Inspiration4 crew members will perform a variety of medical experiments and record health data to support future human spaceflights. Inpiration4 crew What Is The Purpose Of The Mission? Inspiration4 is meant to conduct valuable research, and inspire projects that otherwise can’t overcome the high barriers of traditional space-based research, by providing access to space. By raising funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the mission believes, the crew will represent a new era for human spaceflight and exploration. What will they take with them? Since Inspiration4 is part of a massive fundraising effort, the crew will be taking items up with them to be auctioned off, as well as personal items. Some of those items include mission jackets featuring artwork made by St. Jude patients, a Fisher Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Space Pen and Coin Set containing a piece of material from Apollo 11, a ukulele from Martin Guitar that Chris Sembroski will play in space, and much more, according to a mission statement. In addition, Arceneaux will play a non-fungible token, or NFT, of a never-before-released performance by the band Kings of Leon during the flight. Another NFT onboard will replicate a piece of art that previously went to the Mariana Trench, making it the first artwork to reach both the deepest part of the ocean and orbit. What will the crew be doing? Because the Inspiration4 mission consists entirely of regular people, not professional astronauts, they have not undergone the same rigorous medical disqualification process that NASA and other agencies follow during astronaut selection. So throughout the mission, the Inspiration4 crew members will perform a variety of medical experiments and record health data to support future human spaceflights. Mission timeline A detailed timeline for mission activities has yet to be released on the Inspiration4 website, but we do have some clarity about when the official launch time will be figured out, and backup opportunities. The launch time of Sept. 15 opens at 8 p.m. EDT (or 1200 GMT Sept. 16) and will last for 24 hours, according to Inspiration4 mission updates. “Approximately three days before liftoff, SpaceX will narrow down the launch window to five hours based upon weather conditions at the launch site, along the ascent corridor, and at landing locations off the coasts of Florida for a safe return of the crew and splashdown a few days later,” a Sept. 3 mission update stated. The splashdown is scheduled three days after the launch, and as with previous Crew Dragon flights, the spacecraft will splash down off the coast of Florida so that the crew and science samples can be swiftly and easily returned to the NASA Kennedy Space Center. The live event will be streamed on SpaceX YouTube channel

https://medium.com/@adityakm24/spacex-inspiration4-all-civilian-spaceflight-when-to-watch-and-things-to-know-9401122bd3a4

['Aditya Krishnan Mohan']

2021-09-13 07:25:33.388000+00:00

['Explore', 'Spacex', 'Space', 'Space Exploration', 'Technology']

Point-Free JavaScript

Point-Free JavaScript Composable array method usage with functional programming Photo by Bannon Morrissy on Unsplash JavaScript started to gain mainstream attraction around 2009. Around that time, we got the high-performance v8 engine. A few months later, Node.js convinced us to take JavaScript seriously and then AngularJS stepped up front-end development to another level. But what we are interested in in this story are the functional array methods introduced with ES5. In 2009, JavaScript had some improvements like strict mode, JSON support, and functional array methods with ES5. Years later, React kicked in and introduced JavaScript developers to the functional programming paradigm. More and more people started to use array methods like map , filter , reduce , every , some , etc. The advantages of using these methods are immutability and enable coders to write declarative code. All those are great but the question is: “Do we use these methods effectively?” I will show you how to get the most out of these methods using functional programming technics. Also, I will use close-to-real-world examples. I don’t believe in counter or foo-bar examples. For the sake of simplicity, I’m not going to cover every detail or edge case. I’m going to hardcode some parts like parameters.

https://medium.com/better-programming/use-javascript-array-methods-efficiently-e993528ef4bc

['Emre Yilmaz']

2020-02-11 02:42:26.280000+00:00

['JavaScript', 'Programming', 'Functional Programming', 'Technology', 'Software Engineering']

An ultimate guide on blockchain Dapp development company.

DApps are popularly known as decentralized applications, which work based on a peer-to-peer technology without the need for third parties. It is open-source; thereby, there is not any central authority to control any transaction. All the transactions carried out by the DApps users are stored in the cryptographic form so that they can avoid failures and save time. Why use a Dapp? The decentralized application stores the records on a public server, not on a single server. Here are some features of Dapp that help many industries to grow and operate in an efficient manner. Security The decentralized applications are resistant to hacking. The information stored on the blockchain is cannot be altered or edited unless the change is approved by the nodes. Transparency All the network participants have equal authority over the application. This develops a high degree of transparency and equivalent trust as well. Independence As the name suggests decentralized applications that do not rely on any central authority. Dapps allow users to connect directly without any intermediaries and hence the risk of the middleman is neglected. Key factors that you need to consider while choosing a Dapp development company There are various factors that determine the time and effort that are required in developing a dApp. Have an estimation of the Dapp: Cost is the prime thing to consider for all of us. To ensure that you need not have to pay a high amount or caught with an inexperienced company. It is essential to have a clear idea for cost estimation idea. Check their Background and Market Reputation: Since Blockchain technology is still in its beginner’s stage, it is better to choose a company with adequate knowledge of this technology. This will help you to cope up with the Blockchain Dapp development challenges and also help you to grow knowledge in this field. Consider Portfolio and Client Feedback: It is essential to check the portfolio and the feedbacks or reviews from the earlier clients. This helps you to evaluate the quality of Dapp development services. So make sure you do not compromise on this element. Final verdict Once all these factors fall into the right place, share your Dapp development idea with the companies. If you are looking for a Dapp development company I would suggest to check on Blockchain Firm. They help you to create a Dapp that matches your requirement.

https://medium.com/@lucasmason1/an-ultimate-guide-on-blockchain-dapp-development-company-dd4876ecda9e

[]

2020-12-23 13:26:16.833000+00:00

['Blockchain Technology', 'P2p', 'Dapps', 'Blockchain', 'Blockchain Dapp']

BERT Text Classification Using Pytorch

Getting Started Huggingface is the most well-known library for implementing state-of-the-art transformers in Python. It offers clear documentation and tutorials on implementing dozens of different transformers for a wide variety of different tasks. We will be using Pytorch so make sure Pytorch is installed. After ensuring relevant libraries are installed, you can install the transformers library by: pip install transformers For the dataset, we will be using the REAL and FAKE News Dataset from Kaggle. Step 1: Importing Libraries The most important library to note here is that we imported BERTokenizer and BERTSequenceClassification to construct the tokenizer and model later on. Step 2: Preprocess and Prepare Dataset In the original dataset, we added an additional TitleText column which is the concatenation of title and text. We want to test whether an article is fake using both the title and the text. For the tokenizer, we use the “bert-base-uncased” version of BertTokenizer. Using TorchText, we first create the Text Field and the Label Field. The Text Field will be used for containing the news articles and the Label is the true target. We limit each article to the first 128 tokens for BERT input. Then, we create a TabularDataset from our dataset csv files using the two Fields to produce the train, validation, and test sets. Then we create Iterators to prepare them in batches. Note: In order to use BERT tokenizer with TorchText, we have to set use_vocab=False and tokenize=tokenizer.encode . This will let TorchText know that we will not be building our own vocabulary using our dataset from scratch, but instead, use the pre-trained BERT tokenizer and its corresponding word-to-index mapping. Step 3: Build Model We are using the “bert-base-uncased” version of BERT, which is the smaller model trained on lower-cased English text (with 12-layer, 768-hidden, 12-heads, 110M parameters). Check out Huggingface’s documentation for other versions of BERT or other transformer models. Step 4: Training We write save and load functions for model checkpoints and training metrics, respectively. Note that the save function for model checkpoint does not save the optimizer. We do not save the optimizer because the optimizer normally takes very large storage space and we assume no training from a previous checkpoint is needed. The training metric stores the training loss, validation loss, and global steps so that visualizations regarding the training process can be made later. We use Adam optimizer and a suitable learning rate to tune BERT for 5 epochs. We use BinaryCrossEntropy as the loss function since fake news detection is a two-class problem. Make sure the output is passed through Sigmoid before calculating the loss between the target and itself. During training, we evaluate our model parameters against the validation set. We save the model each time the validation loss decreases so that we end up with the model with the lowest validation loss, which can be considered as the best model. Here are the outputs during training: Image by author After training, we can plot a diagram using the code below: Image by author Step 5: Evaluation For evaluation, we predict the articles using our trained model and evaluate it against the true label. We print out classification report which includes test accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score. We also print out the confusion matrix to see how much data our model predicts correctly and incorrectly for each class. Image by author After evaluating our model, we find that our model achieves an impressive accuracy of 96.99%! Conclusion We find that fine-tuning BERT performs extremely well on our dataset and is really simple to implement thanks to the open-source Huggingface Transformers library. This can be extended to any text classification dataset without any hassle. Here are other articles I wrote, if interested 😊:

https://towardsdatascience.com/bert-text-classification-using-pytorch-723dfb8b6b5b

['Raymond Cheng']

2020-07-22 10:51:01.068000+00:00

['Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Deep Learning', 'Technology', 'Data Science']

Twitter Streaming with Apache Kafka

Writing Kafka Producer .. Add following maven dependencies in pom.xml file. Kafka-client library for connecting to kafka and slf4j-simple for logging messages. We’ll be using twitter Hosebird client core which is a Java HTTP client for consuming Twitter’s standard Streaming API. <dependencies> <dependency> <groupId>com.twitter</groupId> <artifactId>hbc-core</artifactId> <version>2.2.0</version> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>org.apache.kafka</group Id> <artifactId>kafka-clients</artifactId> <version>2.3.0</version> </dependency> <dependency> <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId> <artifactId>slf4j-simple</artifactId> <version>1.7.26</version> </dependency> </dependencies> Create KafkaConfig.java file to store credentials. It’s always better to store configurations in a config file rather than to directly expose or hard code it. public static final String BOOTSTRAPSERVERS = "127.0.0.1:9092"; public static final String TOPIC = "Twitter-Kafka"; public static final String ACKS_CONFIG = "all"; public static final String MAX_IN_FLIGHT_CONN = "5"; public static final String COMPRESSION_TYPE = "snappy"; public static final String RETRIES_CONFIG = Integer.toString(Integer.MAX_VALUE); public static final String LINGER_CONFIG = "20"; public static final String BATCH_SIZE = Integer.toString(32*1024); Similarly create TwitterConfig.java to store Twitter API keys and access tokens public static final String CONSUMER_KEYS= "H8***42"; public static final String CONSUMER_SECRETS= "xn***dI"; public static final String SECRET = "SPz***Xg"; public static final String TOKEN = "13***1"; Twitter Producer class Create TwitterProducer.java which will look something like Here we are searching for term ‘coronavirus’ to filter out tweets. Now let’s write createTwitterClient() and createKafkaProducer() to connect to Twitter and Kafka respectively. Logger will be used to log messages. Twitter Client Method createTwitterClient() will use Hosebird client to sccs and return client. Kafka Producer Settings The createKafkaProducer() method uses KafkaConfig.java to get property settings to connect to our Kafka server (bootstrap-server) , serializes the keys and values to be sent to the Kafka broker. Few other settings have been configured like ACKS_CONFIG, BATCH_SIZE_CONFIG, ENABLE_IDEMPOTENCE_CONFIG, RETRIES_CONFIG etc. to optimize the producer. Finishing up .. Now we create the run() method which first calls createTwitterClient() method to connect to Twitter client and then createKafkaProducer() to create and get kafka producer instance. We use BlockingQueue<String> msgQueue to fetch the data from client and producer.send(new ProducerRecord<String, String>(KafkaConfig.TOPIC, null, msg) to send data to the kafka topic. Here is the while() loop which runs till the client in not finished. while (!client.isDone()) { String msg = null; try { msg = msgQueue.poll(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS); } catch (InterruptedException e) { // Stop client client.stop(); } if (msg != null) { producer.send(new ProducerRecord<String, String>(KafkaConfig.TOPIC, null, msg), new Callback() { // Override onCompletion() method }); } } Here is the snippet of run() method. Let’s start streaming .. Finally we start the Kafka Producer by running TwitterProducer().run() public static void main(String[] args) { new TwitterProducer().run(); } Output Real time Twitter streaming Lets verify that the data is published to the kafka topic. bin/kafka-console-consumer.sh --bootstrap-server 127.0.0.1:9092 --topic Twitter-Kafka — group my-first-app --from-beginning If the consumer does not already have an established offset to consume from, using --from-beginning will start with the earliest message present in the log rather than the latest message. Kafka consumer (console) In the next part we’ll see how to create a Kafka Producer class in Java to subscribe to Kafka topic, read tweets and ingest the data into MongoDB. For your reference, the full code is available on GitHub. Conclusion We saw how a Java Kafka producer can be created with a simple Java HTTP kafka-client library. We used Twitter API to stream user tweets in real time and publish them to a Kafka topic.

https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/twitter-streaming-with-apache-kafka-ea0e2f44181e

['Shefali Bisht']

2020-05-29 16:53:57.359000+00:00

['Engineering', 'Twitter', 'Kafka', 'Technology', 'Big Data']

Escaping the swamp.

Casey Jo Stohrer is a signmaker in Nashville, TN. Her work can be found on Instagram @misscaseyjo Follow

https://medium.com/swlh/escaping-the-swamp-439c801ccac4

[]

2019-06-05 07:09:33.852000+00:00

['Mindfulness', 'Comics', 'Technology', 'Books', 'Reading']

What makes technology a companion

I’m anxious. I’ve done this a handful of times before. My first product launch kept me up until 4 a.m. emailing potential customers. I was so worried (and tired) that I slept at the office. We did the launch thing several more times, expanding the Sphero global footprint. With each product addition came higher expectations as more people became interested in our quirky toy robots. This one is different. Maybe it was anticipation from the several months of planning that went into orchestrating this cross functional symphony. Or maybe the churn in my stomach came from a decreased appetite since landing in Tokyo well over a week ago. Piled on with restless sleep. Whatever is making me anxious, i’m sure it has everything to do with the new Droid companion we’re about to share with the world. I don’t really know much about BB-8. Only that he is the trusty sidekick of Poe Dameron, an X-Wing commander, and has some role to play in the upcoming Star Wars film. Along with my colleagues, I became fascinated with the idea that the toys of today would blossom into the companions of tomorrow. I witnessed this firsthand. Our customers would talk to their robot and share aspects of their own identity. But what is a companion?

https://medium.com/maslo/what-makes-technology-a-companion-59d5d1506eba

['Ross Ingram']

2018-03-22 19:40:18.654000+00:00

['Technology Companion', 'Star Wars', 'Companions', 'Technology', 'Tech']

Carry Cases Market Size Worth $9,011.3 Million By 2025

The global carry cases market size is estimated to reach USD 9,011.3 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 5.9% from 2019 to 2025, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. The increase in the level of disposable income has enabled consumers to spend on gadgets such as notebooks and tablets. Furthermore, the growth of the e-commerce industry has stimulated the sale of accessories such as backpacks, sleeves, and other carry cases. The introduction of multiple models of laptops is expected to promote the market growth since devices of different sizes and designs require different cases. Moreover, the introduction of smart cases is expected increase customer adoption as it improves the functionality of the cases. For instance, carry cases are available that are made of special material that blocks RFID signals to protect credit cards and passport from wireless identity theft. The market is lucrative in developing regions such as Asia Pacific due to emerging businesses that implement BYOD. The adoption of BYOD improves work flexibility in terms of flexibility of employee work hours and work access from anyplace. Moreover, it helps increase productivity and reduce operation costs for the organization. Thus, it increases the usage of wireless connected devices such as tablets and laptops, which in turn increases the usage of products such as sleeves and messenger bags. Furthermore, innovative product design is expected to enhance the aesthetic value and protection capability of carry cases, thereby, increasing their adoption. The usage of backpacks and sleeves for marketing and promotional purposes is expected to increase the scope for commercial applications at educational institutions and workplaces. Furthermore, the recent trend of customization whereby customers can get their names printed on the cases or get personalized designs is expected to boost the demand for carry cases. The market comprises a large number of players including local manufacturers and authorized retailers. The market competition is high and mainly price-based. The presence of counterfeit products is expected to restrain the market growth and affect the profitability of market participants. Click the link below: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/carry-cases-market Further key findings from the report suggest:

https://medium.com/@marketnewsreports/carry-cases-market-d94e0a5a45b6

['Gaurav Shah']

2020-10-13 08:38:56.886000+00:00

['Japan', 'Mexico', 'Bags', 'Backpack', 'Technology']

The (uncomplete) Immersive Technology in Healthcare digest — Decembre 20, 2020

Hello, this is a short summary of my technological watch on this amazing domain of immersive technology in healthcare ! Rendez-vous every mid-month (in french and in english). If you want to get news in “real time”, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter and read your articles on https://immersive-technology-healthcare.hcs-pharma.com The Patients In this article, we will find many cases of VR uses in senior living communities. It is not only about physical health because these tools are very adapted to bring “useful” entertainment. Many studies measure benefices of VR tools for elderly people (memory, engagement, physical exercises, feeling of presence, virtuel… In this short interview Danielle Collins explain how the use of VR has been a extraordinary tool to better understand a very risky brain surgery. With Surgical Theater software, she was “in” her own brain to see the problematic artery. I saw the site of the hemorrhage and could understand… Le Dr Eric Malbos publie un livre en collaboration avec Rodolphe Oppenheimer, où il partage presque 20 ans d’utilisations des technologies immersives dans les soins liés à la santé mentale. Une approche didactique qui permet à tous de mieux comprendre comment ces technologies peuvent améliorer la vie des patients. Comment… From brain injuries to schizophrenia to dental procedures to end-of-life care, VR has “an uncanny ability to diminish pain, steady nerves, and boost mental health — all without drugs and their unwanted side effects,” he writes. It may sound far-fetched, but Spiegel has successfully used VR on 3,000 patients. Trending AR VR Articles: The Medical Staff Abbott chooses VR technology to facilitate the user training on its intracoronary imaging platform. The program is done with Oculus Go device and shows amazing results : learning engagement +45% and knowledge retention +72%. Virtual reality will be incorporated into the training of interventional cardiologists for its optical coherence tomography… “There are several apps that allow anyone who is using VR, particularly in this case blessed elders, to actually partake and getting up, walking around, running, moving,” said Wade. “Actually, many of these apps can be tied to your watch, to track your motions and track your heart rate and… The team at Pixee Medical created an innovative path to bring the Vuzix M400 Smart Glasses into the operating room to perform knee replacement surgeries and continues to make significant progress in the operating theater across Europe. We look forward to supporting the worldwide distribution of their innovative AR solution,… This surgery (performed at Reston Hospital Center — USA) has been made with the Xvision AR system from Augmedics company. It allows a less invasive operation with a shorter recovery time. This surgical procedure, also known as decompression, creates space and enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal… The results showed there was no difference in navigation times with either ELVIS or EAMS, but the physicians were significantly more accurate with ELVIS, with an error margin of just 2.99 mm, compared to 4.50 mm for EAMS. When translated to cardiac ablation outcomes, 34% of the ablation lesions created… The Healthcare Industries and Hospitals The company also stated that COVID-19 has also made it very difficult for SHL to travel and gather for engineering training. With the Vuzix M400 smart glasses, engineering staff can now be trained remotely and provided hands-free setup and guidance for new equipment activations in the field. Finally, on-site visits… Nanome became the first VR software company to launch an immersive real-time collaboration platform for scientific discovery in 2015. The software environment accelerates scientific decision making by allowing users to visualize, modify, and simulate biological and chemical compounds, facilitating effective communication of data and integrating with existing computational chemistry workflows.… With this new fund raising, Oncomfort will expand possibilities of “Digital Sedation” product. The company wants also to be more present on the US market. You can note that one of the investors is the swiss Debiopharm, a biopharmaceutical group of companies active in drug development. Oncomfort plans to use the €10… Maryne Cotty Eslous, fondatrice de Lucine, revient sur les début de l’entreprise et nous explique le long cheminements des thérapies digitales dans le domaine de la santé. La thérapie digitale, aussi appelée DTx, est sur un secteur d’activité qui a 10 ans. On en est aujourd’hui à la troisième génération… Research and meeting AR-3D guided surgery is useful for improving the real-time identification of the index lesion and allows changing of the NS approach in approximately one out of three cases, with overall appropriateness of 94.4%. In this article, authors measure the improvement of accuracy in a prostatectomy du to AR guided tool.… From March 2018 to February 2019, 40 subjects were enrolled, randomized, and completed the study; 19 were randomized to control and 21 to the VR arm. Most baseline characteristics were similar between groups. For the primary outcome, those assigned to the control arm had a statistically significant increase in pain… The Baylor Scott & White Research Institute (Dallas, USA) will work on a VR simulator to improve hiatal hernia surgery training. This work is supported by the US National Institutes of Health and should go up to the complete validation of the process. It is lead by Dr Ganesh Sankaranarayanan who has… In this review authors show today results of VR uses in Parkinson disease rehabilitation and emphasize the lack of large studies on this topic. They also give advices for future studies and clinical trials. This Review examines the rationale and evidence for using VR in the assessment and rehabilitation of… Jefferson Health (Philadelphia, USA) made a short video to explain as clearly as possible what is VR (and why to use it) to patients, before they enter in a VR research study. It is useful to inform the patient (of course) but also help them to understand better the survey… “Collateral” news In this discussion, panelists talk about engage patients in virtual care. It is not focused on immersive technologies but question are close. Panelists talk about experiences “on the field” where each patient is unique and where many issues come from technical points. How to give right device to the right… In this article, author explain why it’s interesting to “gamify” some parts of health domain and how digitalisation of this sector could benefit of it. From treatment to research, games and games functionalities are powerful tools to help patients. Of course, developers of health apps also made use of gamified… La présentation de cette intervention à distance met l’accent sur la faible latence apportée par la technologie 5G et ses possibilités dans les futures interventions. L’article précise toutefois qu’il faudra encore un peu de temps pour que cette possibilité devienne courante. L’intervention avait ainsi été réalisée sur place par un… To reduce preventable medical errors, an AI assistance to surgeons is more realistic than a wide spread of robotic surgery. In this article (and the associated paper) authors share some tips to make this assistance real today. The paper’s authors propose AI as an effective augmentation tool to enhance in… Moxi is designed to reduce nurse workloads by handling tasks like collecting supplies, gathering soiled linens, and delivering fresh ones, and it’s coming to market during the COVID-19 crisis, when nurses are in short supply. In addition to tackling mundane aspects of the job, the robot can also help reduce… Don’t forget to give us your 👏 !

https://arvrjourney.com/the-uncomplete-immersive-technology-in-healthcare-digest-decembre-20-2020-edd2e9886138

['Grégory Maubon']

2020-12-28 18:54:23.515000+00:00

['Immersive Technology', 'VR', 'Health', 'Healthcare', 'Xr']

Here’s How Smart Contracts Could Impact Businesses

Technology is undoubtedly revolutionizing how businesses operate. At the wake of cryptocurrencies and cloud computing, businesses strive to gain a leading position by adopting the most promising technologies before their competitors. During a time when the globalization process is presenting businesses with opportunities to grow their businesses beyond geographical borders, smart technologies are aiding businesses by saving time, easing the supply chain management and facilitating automatic fulfillment. As more businesses continue adopting smart contracts, they will benefit from smart contracts both directly and indirectly on a day-to-day basis. Soon, every business deal that requires a contract may rely on smart contracts rules by the Blockchain Technology. Using a few lines of code, businesses will be able to handle different activities including purchase order financing and accounts receivable financing. The codes run on a global and decentralized computer meaning that businesses will be able to use smart contracts regardless of geographical boundaries. Companies already adopting the Blockchain technology Understanding the value of Blockchain is key to understanding the benefits of smart contracts. Business transactions have become more transparent by enabling each user see the processes from every transaction. Through platforms such as Etherparty, a portal to Blockchain, businesses are able to experience the benefits of smart contracts in their daily operations. This can be understood by referring to how Gmail helps people send e-mails through the internet. Therefore, smart contracts aim at helping businesses adopt technology easily on their everyday operations. An example is Wal-Mart that has partnered with IBM in implementing Blockchain in order to reduce the high cases of food contamination. Others include Nestle and Unilever that have adopted Blockchain in order to enhance efficiency in their operations. Justifying the reliability of Blockchain, IBM Blockchain Vice President Brigid McDonald made it clear that the system is safe to use across the companies since it monitors any changes while allowing the companies to share information. According to Sergey Nazarov, the CEO of SmartContract.com, some businesses benefit more from smart contracts than others. While these contracts may aim at helping businesses increase reliability and efficiency while reducing costs, not all businesses can benefit from jumping on the Blockchain bandwagon. However, a 2017 research by Accenture shows that other industries such as banks could be able to save 12 billion dollars annually if they chose to adopt smart contracts in their day to day operations. Research further estimates that more than 25% of global organizations will be using smart contracts in 2022. Evidently, Microsoft is also offering Blockchain solutions to willing enterprise clients. By working hand in hand with platforms such as dApp Builder, businesses are able to easily create smart contracts without experiencing technical or legal problems along the way. Automatic fulfillment through smart contracts Throughout history, society has survived and thrived through both verbal and written contracts. Contracts form a basis for reference in future. Initially, businesses had to keep manual proof of transactions in order to compare against the terms of the contract. This would mean a lot of time consumed in the verification process. Adopting smart contracts will enable businesses to reduce the time spent on verifying transactions against contracts. Businesses and firms would also find it easier to do businesses since they would only need to trust the smart contract and not necessarily each other. Smart contracts, through an automatic fulfillment concept, will be able to transform the relationships between employees and their employers. Smart contracts would enable employers offer contracts of employment written in programming languages like Solidity. The contracts would then be executed on a distributed platform. Furthermore, this would ease the process of payments since the smart contract would make automatic weekly payments possible as long as employees complete the terms of their contracts. In the past, businesses have had to deal with many intermediaries negotiating between operations. Often, this means higher legal fees in any contract negotiations. Therefore, computer based contracts will help reduce the legal fees thus affording the businesses more time to grow. Furthermore, the use of crypto currencies means it will be easier for businesses to transact over regional barriers. However, the high demand for Blockchain technologies means challenges in terms of tech developers. The problem is most evident in non-tech ventures that have to wait in line for Blockchain developers to offer their technical expertise. In order to eliminate this challenge, select ventures have been making technical aspects of the technology easy to manage as a way of encouraging Blockchain adoption. Smart contracts also make it possible for businesses to transact easily and safely while ensuring that there are lower barriers and more business. Through the necessary technical support, enterprises are able to take advantage of Blockchain technologies to improve and expand their organizations.

https://medium.com/ethereum-dapp-builder/heres-how-smart-contracts-could-impact-businesses-b7c19f3c302f

['Dapp Builder Team']

2018-05-08 08:46:47.200000+00:00

['Technology', 'Blockchain', 'Ethereum', 'Bitcoin']

With a population of over 1.2 billion people here are Africa’s Most Innovative Companies 2019

With a population of over 1.2 billion people here are Africa’s Most Innovative Companies 2019 TechAmbassador May 6, 2019·11 min read With a population of over 1.2 billion , Africa is home to three unicorns, or private companies with a valuation of more than $1 billion. The List of the companies making the most profound impact on both the tech industry and community with a variety of innovations to thrive in today’s Africa Changing Ecosystem. A brief Read on how these companies are creating the future today, plus their mission and aim. Hope you get inspired by these Entrepreneurs & founders in their businesses. First of: KENYA+ SAFARICOM Safaricom is a leading communications company in Kenya with the widest and strongest coverage. The home of the famous Mobile Money service- M-PESA and is a listed Kenyan mobile network operator headquartered at Safaricom House in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the largest telecommunications provider in Kenya, and one of the most profitable companies in the East and Central African region. CEO: Robert Collymore (1 Nov 2010–) Headquarters: Nairobi Founded: 1993 Number of employees: 5,500 Great innovation Brands: M-Pesa; Masoko; Songa; M-shwari; M-Pesa1Tap, Fuliza and now Ndoto Zetu to help the communities. the largest telecommunications provider in Kenya. Cellulant Digital Payments in Africa, by Africans, for Africa is a leading Pan-African payments company providing a one-stop digital payments platform. Cellulant’s belief in providing solutions to everyday challenges across Africa has led to digitizing payments end to end for various value chains and as a result, providing increased transparency and broader reach within a single mobile commerce platform for financial sector players. Cellulant is on a mission to build the number 1 payments business in Africa; led by values-driven entrepreneurial-minded people. This is aimed at fixing Africa’s payments problems by connecting 700M mobile users to payments that power their daily lives. Today, Cellulant’s payments platform spans 1 in 10 Africans, with 2.5 million doing monthly transactions. Cellulant’s coverage extends to 50% of banks in Africa and 17 million unbanked farmers in Africa. Cellulant debuted operations in Kenya and Nigeria in 2004 and has grown to operate across 11 African countries, including Zambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda and a combined team of up to 350 people. Ushahidi Ushahidi develops free and open source,software for information collection, visualization, and interactive mapping.Ushahidi, which means “testimony” in Swahili, was initially a website developed to map reports of violence around the 2008 Kenyan election. The company has since evolved to become a tech non-profit that specializes in developing f ree open-source software for data collection, visualization and interactive mapping. Ushahidi started as an ad-hoc group of Kenyan bloggers hammering out code in a couple of days from various locations, trying to figure out a way to gather more and better information about the 2008 post-election violence in Kenya. Ushahidi’s mission is to build and use technology to help marginalized people raise their voice, and those who serve them to listen and respond better. BRCK Launched in 2013, the original BRCK is a rugged router designed for harsh environments with limited connectivity and power. The company has since rolled out further products: the Kio Kit for use in educational institutions; the enterprise-grade SupaBRCK; and the BRCK Moja — which can be used as a free public WiFi hotspot. SENDY Sendy was launched in Kenya in 2014 with the mission to build partnerships that unlock new possibilities for businesses and individuals. The Kenya-based company is a delivery platform that connects businesses and individuals with drivers of all vehicle types making deliveries simple and transparent using a cutting edge, user-focused technology. When customers place delivery requests through the platform, Sendy dispatches these orders in real time to the closest available Sendy Partner Drivers. At Sendy, we believe delivery can move people, and even whole communities, forward because delivery unlocks potential, powers growth, and opens up a world of new possibilities.” Eneza Education Eneza Education is working in Kenya, using simple mobile technology, to build an educational ecosystem. Eneza’s mission is to spread quality educational tools to the most remote schools in Kenya and eventually, the world. In Kiswahili, “eneza” means “to reach” or “to spread.” We are a dedicated team of individuals who share the same goal of giving students access to quality study material aligned to local content using the most common form of technology in Kenya, the mobile device. Eneza Education aims to make 5 Million students in rural Africa smarter by leveraging low cost mobile technology. We’re a virtual tutor and teacher’s assistant that uses high quality educational content for students and relevant data, tips and resources for teachers, all on a simple mobile phone. We’ve currently reached over 2,100,000 offline users at 8,000+ schools in Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana. Are you interested in bringing Eneza to your country? Contact us: [email protected]. Twiga is on its way to being Africa’s largest grocer. We’re using a mobile-based, cashless, business-to-business (B2B) supply platform to access distribution into the millions of small and medium size vendors in African urban markets. links farmers and vendors to fair, trusted, modern markets. Providing a complete supply chain in Kenya for quality produce in urban areas, with over 18000 farmers connected to the network. NIGERIA+ ANDELA Andela is an African company that identifies and develops software developers. The company launched operations in Nigeria in 2014, to help global companies overcome the severe shortage of skilled software developers and has offices in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and the United States developers operate as dedicated remote team members. They work using your software development tools, adhere to your SDLC processes, Founded: 21 May 2014, Number of employees: 1,458 (November 2018), Number of locations: 5 Flutterwave is a payment technology company focused on helping banks and businesses provide seamless and secure payment experiences for their customers. On a mission to build payments infrastructure to connect Africa to the global economy. We do this by building technology, tools, and infrastructure for businesses and banks who want to provide a more seamless and secure payments experience for their customers. Founded in 2016 by a team of African finance and technology veterans from Standard Bank, PayPal, Google Wallet amongst others. Flutterwave has grown to become one of the fastest growing payments companies in the world. Since inception Flutterwave has processed close to $2 billion in payments and 25 million transactions across over 33 African countries where it currently operates. It has attracted significant investment from experienced Fintech investors such as Ycombinator Continuity Fund (investors in Stripe), Greycroft (investors in Braintree and Venmo), Greenvisor Capital, Omidyar Network, and Glynn Capital amongst others. In 2017 Flutterwave was named Africa’s best fintech company at the Apps Africa Innovation Awards. iROKOtv is a web-based platform that provides free and paid-for Nigerian films on-demand.iROKOtv is your number one destination for some of the best loved Nigerian and Ghanaian films online; bring you the best of both Nigeria’s Yourba and English entertainment . founded in Nigeria. Paga is a financial institution that allows to send money, pay bills and receive payments easily from your mobile. Paga is the #1 money transfer and payments service in Nigeria. Send and receive cash, pay bills,merchants and buy airtime — All from your phone, online or at a Paga agent! With 10 million users. JUMIA Jumia is the leading internet platform in Africa, which offers easy online and mobile shopping, travel, classifieds and services platform. By providing technology to connect customers to businesses, Jumia simplifies life with easy-to-use applications and smart solutions across the continent’s internet sector. Jumia is the parent group of nine companies in more than 30 African countries. Its network of companies includes Jumia, Jumia Market, Jumia Travel, Jumia Food, Jumia Deals, Jumia House, Jumia Jobs,Jumia Car and Jumia Services. Jumia Services provides a complete e-commerce fulfillment platform through a network of our own-managed and third-party warehousing, order processing, and logistics service providers. Jumia Services combines the capabilities of our own and carefully selected 3PL partners onto one seamless service offering, thereby offering the best services available in each of our markets through a one-stop-shop service interface. now set to IPO on NYSE. SOMALIA+ Gulivery Gulivery developed a mobile app that allowed people to order meals and groceries from restaurants and supermarkets, and have them delivered to their doors by the startup’s delivery partners. The startup was launched in 2017 in Somalia, after husband and wife Deeq Mohamed Hassan and Sado Ali Baroot moved back to Hargeisa from London and realised there was a huge gap in the market. It swiftly expanded to the capital Mogadishu, and has now added e-hailing services, allowing users to access safer, cost-effective and moreconvenient transportation solutions. Farm Africa Farm Africa is an innovative charity that reduces poverty by unleashing African farmers’ abilities to grow their incomes in an environmentally sustainable way. focused on eastern Africa. Today we operate in Uganda, as well as continuing our programmes in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. CAMEROON+ AppsTech AppsTech is a leading global provider of enterprise software solutions. We provide implementation, training and application management services for companies around the globe. AppsTech is an Oracle Platinum Partner AppsTech is an SAP Partner AppsTech is a PearsonVue Testing Center, Motto: we make business run smarter Global (us. Africa. Europe) WeCashUp is a Universal Payment Platform that enables e-merchants to accept Cash, Mobile Money, Cards and Crypto payments via 1 single API. a Panafrican Payment Gateway used by online merchants to accept all types of payment solution available in Africa. Our mission is to help online merchants process Cash, Mobile Money, Bank account and Card payments With our universal payment method, WeCashUp, online merchants will do more business online at a significant panafrican scale. Today, the African market is fragmented geographically. We will unify it digitally. Njorku is a technology based platform for career and recruitment services in Africa. Njorku — Launched in March 2011, the Njorku job search engine helps users find careers across Africa. Active in seven countries, the platform offers free and unlimited access to hundreds of thousands of job listings. The company h as already raised seed funding from a business angel in France and a Canada-based technology company. SOUTH AFRICA+ Price Check — As the largest price comparison site in South Africa and Africa as a whole, PriceCheck considers the prices of thousands of products. In May it faced 100,000 other entrants to win the International “App of the Year” at the BlackBerry Live conference in Florida. Snapplify is a content and media technology solutions provider which focuses on distribution and mobile publishing. Snapplify, a digital publishing provider, enables publishers & retailers to sell content via branded mobile apps including rich media and interactive content. Snapplify is a leading global edtech company focused on content distribution, mobile publishing and innovation for digital education. Our responsive and interactive e-learning solutions are already being implemented in hundreds of schools. Snapplify for Education, a suite of products for digital reading and e-learning, is transforming classrooms by empowering teachers and students to teach and learn, digitally Naspers is a multinational media and internet group with technology investments and operations in more than 130 markets.Naspers is a multinational media company with principal operations in electronic media and print media. founded in 1915 in Stellenbosch, South Africa to produce a Dutch language newspaper. have invested in, acquired and built leading companies and brands in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. These include Media24, MultiChoice, Showmax, takealot (Africa and South Africa), letgo and Movile (the Americas), Tencent (China), Avito and Mail.Ru (Russia), Flipkart, ibibo, MakeMyTrip and redBus, (India), eMAG, Kreditech, and Delivery Hero (Europe), and dubizzle in the Middle East). OLX PayU, and SimilarWeb are global brands, operating and providing services in many of our countries and markets. YOCO Yoco, the #1 mobile card reader for South African small & medium businesses.Yoco is an African technology company that builds tools and services to help small businesses get paid, run their business better, and grow. We believe that by opening up more possibilities for entrepreneurs to be successful, we can help create more jobs, enable people to thrive and help to drive our economy forward. Process Credit Card Payments and start your business empire with yoco. https://www.yoco.co.za/za/ UGANDA+ Cars Classifieds in Uganda, the first cars classifieds website in Uganda. Buy and sell online your new and second hand used cars, motorbikes and trucks in Uganda with CarKibanda. Mara Group is a pan-African multi-sector business with extensive operating experience in both African and international markets. Mara Online is a family of web and mobile platforms that allow users to communicate, interact and collaborate. Sometimes referred to as Africa’s answer to Skype, the May launch of the company saw a chartered jet fly over Silicon V alley with a Mara-branded banner that read, “It’s Time For Africa.” ETHIOPIA+ Ethiojobs.net is the premier e-recruiting service in Ethiopia, which has so far provided a world-class recruitment service. It has so far managed to build a human resource bank consisting of no less than 300,000 CVs creating the most comprehensive pool of CVs in Ethiopia. Ethiojobs.net is dedicated to bridging the gap between employers and job seekers. Driven by a team of qualified staff members and utilizing sophisticated computerized database system, ethiojobs.net is devoted to upholding high industry standards and providing superior recruiting platform to its clients. Gebeya Gebeya, launched in 2016 which aims to graduate 5,000 students in Ethiopia over the next five years. The startup also launched in Kenya in January of 2017, and has since expanded to Silicon Valley, the UK, Djibouti and Senegal. The startup trains individuals in software development and entrepreneurship, and then helps place them in relevant jobs. It has now partnered IFC and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) to implement the Digital Gender-Ethiopia Programme, which will provide training to 250 female software developers and seed funding to 20 female entrepreneurs whose digital business ideas will be supported by Gebeya. the brainchild of CODERS4AFRICA, aims to provide tech professionals in Africa with the training they need to advance in their careers and become a part of the growing tech industry on the continent. RWANDA+ Yubeyi.com is an online shopping website dedicated to Rwandans who does not want to spend their time crossing all towns looking for stuff Yubeyi is Rwanda’s online shopping destination, you can buy from our range of selection of categories like computers, mobile phones, Electronics, Fashion and many more and get all shipped to your place or your office without wasting your time and crossing all shops Fortune of Africa Fortune of Africa is a website dedicated to providing up to date information on business, tourism and investment in Africa. Making Africa visible to the world! Forget the years of Africa being a dark continent. We are illuminatin g every country on the continent on our website because Africa is a place where great opportunities lie. Forget the years of Africa being a dark continent. We are illuminating every country on the continent on our website because Africa is a place where great opportunities lie. Follow us on www.fortuneofafrica.com ARED GROUP Founded in 2013, ARED is a Platform as a Service company based in Rwanda with operation in Uganda. We developed a Smart Business in a Box solar kiosk, app and software platform that empowers mostly women and people with disabilities using a micro franchise business model.We offer key services on the kiosk such as internet WIFI, intranet solutions for offline users, and phone charging services to be the first one stop shop platform on the African continent.With our app, we offer additional services such as airtime, mobile money, prepaid electricity, and tax payment services to create a one-stop shop center for our customers. On our intranet network, we offer branding capabilities for companies, data collection, and user analytics. We are the only one stop shop solar kiosk on the African market. GHANA+ Easiest way to rent, buy & sell property in Ghana, meQasa is working toward an efficient housing search experience in Africa primarily for prospective tenants. We aspire to be the source of reliable information on housing in Africa. We collaborate with brokers, owners and tenants to create complete and dynamic property profiles. We advertise online all adequately profiled properties that are vacant. meQasa facilitates communication and meetings between prospective tenants and owners or their representatives. meQasa is Ghana’s leading online real estate marketplace showcasing thousands of property available for rent or purchase — both residential and commercial — from across the country. Business directory / customer reviews, Makolapapa is a Ghanaian online portal that seeks improve customer service.This we do by encouraging honest customer reviews for all business that exist on our platform. Businesses on our platform do benefit from our reach (traff ic) as well as gaining proper business insights. Voice of the Ghanaian Customer| An Online Review Platform for every Ghanaian customer who wants to share their experiences with other customers. You deserve it. Have some more interesting companies to add? comment below :

https://medium.com/@SirkevinOkune/with-a-population-of-over-1-2-billion-people-here-are-africas-most-innovative-companies-2019-b9a2bf1f7bf6

[]

2019-05-06 06:52:25.016000+00:00

['Africa', 'Entrepreneur', 'Innovation', 'Company', 'Technology News']

Elite — (s04e01) Series 4 Episode 1 [Full Episode] 2021

⭐A Target Package is short for Target Package of Information. It is a more specialized case of Intel Package of Information or Intel Package. ✌ THE STORY ✌ Its and Jeremy Camp (K.J. Apa) is a and aspiring musician who like only to honor his God through the energy of music. Leaving his Indiana home for the warmer climate of California and a college or university education, Jeremy soon comes Bookmark this site across one Melissa Heing (Britt Robertson), a fellow university student that he takes notices in the audience at an area concert. Bookmark this site Falling for cupid’s arrow immediately, he introduces himself to her and quickly discovers that she is drawn to him too. However, Melissa holds back from forming a budding relationship as she fears it`ll create an awkward situation between Jeremy and their mutual friend, Jean-Luc (Nathan Parson), a fellow musician and who also has feeling for Melissa. Still, Jeremy is relentless in his quest for her until they eventually end up in a loving dating relationship. However, their youthful courtship Bookmark this sitewith the other person comes to a halt when life-threating news of Melissa having cancer takes center stage. The diagnosis does nothing to deter Jeremey’s love on her behalf and the couple eventually marries shortly thereafter. Howsoever, they soon find themselves walking an excellent line between a life together and suffering by her Bookmark this siteillness; with Jeremy questioning his faith in music, himself, and with God himself. ✌ STREAMING MEDIA ✌ Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. The verb to stream refers to the procedure of delivering or obtaining media this way.[clarification needed] Streaming identifies the delivery approach to the medium, rather than the medium itself. Distinguishing delivery method from the media distributed applies especially to telecommunications networks, as almost all of the delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g. radio, television, streaming apps) or inherently non-streaming (e.g. books, video cassettes, audio tracks CDs). There are challenges with streaming content on the web. For instance, users whose Internet connection lacks sufficient bandwidth may experience stops, lags, or slow buffering of this content. And users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream certain content. Streaming is an alternative to file downloading, an activity in which the end-user obtains the entire file for the content before watching or listening to it. Through streaming, an end-user may use their media player to get started on playing digital video or digital sound content before the complete file has been transmitted. The term “streaming media” can connect with media other than video and audio, such as for example live closed captioning, ticker tape, and real-time text, which are considered “streaming text”. This brings me around to discussing us, a film release of the Christian religio us faith-based . As almost customary, Hollywood usually generates two (maybe three) films of this variety movies within their yearly theatrical release lineup, with the releases usually being around spring us and / or fall respectfully. I didn’t hear much when this movie was initially aounced (probably got buried underneath all of the popular movies news on the newsfeed). My first actual glimpse of the movie was when the film’s movie trailer premiered, which looked somewhat interesting if you ask me. Yes, it looked the movie was goa be the typical “faith-based” vibe, but it was going to be directed by the Erwin Brothers, who directed I COULD Only Imagine (a film that I did so like). Plus, the trailer for I Still Believe premiered for quite some us, so I continued seeing it most of us when I visited my local cinema. You can sort of say that it was a bit “engrained in my brain”. Thus, I was a lttle bit keen on seeing it. Fortunately, I was able to see it before the COVID-9 outbreak closed the movie theaters down (saw it during its opening night), but, because of work scheduling, I haven’t had the us to do my review for it…. as yet. And what did I think of it? Well, it was pretty “meh”. While its heart is certainly in the proper place and quite sincere, us is a little too preachy and unbalanced within its narrative execution and character developments. The religious message is plainly there, but takes way too many detours and not focusing on certain aspects that weigh the feature’s presentation. ✌ TELEVISION SHOW AND HISTORY ✌ A tv set show (often simply Television show) is any content prBookmark this siteoduced for broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, cable, or internet and typically viewed on a television set set, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are usually placed between shows. Tv shows are most often scheduled well ahead of The War with Grandpa and appearance on electronic guides or other TV listings. A television show may also be called a tv set program (British EnBookmark this siteglish: programme), especially if it lacks a narrative structure. A tv set Movies is The War with Grandpaually released in episodes that follow a narrative, and so are The War with Grandpaually split into seasons (The War with Grandpa and Canada) or Movies (UK) — yearly or semiaual sets of new episodes. A show with a restricted number of episodes could be called a miniMBookmark this siteovies, serial, or limited Movies. A one-The War with Grandpa show may be called a “special”. A television film (“made-for-TV movie” or “televisioBookmark this siten movie”) is a film that is initially broadcast on television set rather than released in theaters or direct-to-video. Television shows may very well be Bookmark this sitehey are broadcast in real The War with Grandpa (live), be recorded on home video or an electronic video recorder for later viewing, or be looked at on demand via a set-top box or streameBookmark this sited on the internet. The first television set shows were experimental, sporadic broadcasts viewable only within an extremely short range from the broadcast tower starting in the. Televised events such as the 2020 Summer OlyBookmark this sitempics in Germany, the 2020 coronation of King George VI in the UK, and David Sarnoff’s famoThe War with Grandpa introduction at the 9 New York World’s Fair in the The War with Grandpa spurreBookmark this sited a rise in the medium, but World War II put a halt to development until after the war. The 2020 World Movies inspired many Americans to buy their first tv set and in 2020, the favorite radio show Texaco Star Theater made the move and became the first weekly televised variety show, earning host Milton Berle the name “Mr Television” and demonstrating that the medium was a well balanced, modern form of entertainment which could attract advertisers. The firsBookmBookmark this siteark this sitet national live tv broadcast in the The War with Grandpa took place on September 4, 2020 when President Harry Truman’s speech at the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in SAN FRAElite CO BAY AREA was transmitted over AT&T’s transcontinental cable and microwave radio relay system to broadcast stations in local markets. ✌ FINAL THOUGHTS ✌ The power of faith, love, and affinity for take center stage in Jeremy Camp’s life story in the movie I Still Believe. Directors Andrew and Jon Erwin (the Erwin Brothers) examine the life span and The War with Grandpas of Jeremy Camp’s life story; pin-pointing his early life along with his relationship Melissa Heing because they battle hardships and their enduring love for one another through difficult. While the movie’s intent and thematic message of a person’s faith through troublen is indeed palpable plus the likeable mThe War with Grandpaical performances, the film certainly strules to look for a cinematic footing in its execution, including a sluish pace, fragmented pieces, predicable plot beats, too preachy / cheesy dialogue moments, over utilized religion overtones, and mismanagement of many of its secondary /supporting characters. If you ask me, this movie was somewhere between okay and “meh”. It had been definitely a Christian faith-based movie endeavor Bookmark this web site (from begin to finish) and definitely had its moments, nonetheless it failed to resonate with me; struling to locate a proper balance in its undertaking. Personally, regardless of the story, it could’ve been better. My recommendation for this movie is an “iffy choice” at best as some should (nothing wrong with that), while others will not and dismiss it altogether. Whatever your stance on religion faith-based flicks, stands as more of a cautionary tale of sorts; demonstrating how a poignant and heartfelt story of real-life drama could be problematic when translating it to a cinematic endeavor. For me personally, I believe in Jeremy Camp’s story / message, but not so much the feature. FIND US: ✔️ https://cutt.ly/RnXpUrx ✔️ Instagram: https://instagram.com ✔️ Twitter: https://twitter.com ✔️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com

https://medium.com/@elite-s04e01-s-4-episode-1/elite-s04e01-series-4-episode-1-full-episode-2021-56d6ba37ed60

['Elite -', 'Series Episode', 'Full Episode']

2021-06-17 07:34:12.416000+00:00

['Politics', 'Technology', 'Covid 19']

Animated Active Menu Highlights in VueJS — Daily Vue Tips #1

Photo by Pankaj Patel on Unsplash Recently, I was working on a navigation menu, when I realized that I wanted a clean way to highlight the current page. Usually, I’d just give an element a different color and call it a day, but this time I wanted to work with something animations. I ended up building some neat active menu highlight logic using the Composition API and CSS styles. I thought I’d share my solution — here’s what I ended up building. Okay — let’s start coding it. Creating our Menu So the first thing we want to do is actually create our menu. We’ll use a <ul> element with four <li> elements inside. We'll also give it some nice styles. This example also uses FontAwesome for some nice icons. <template> <div class='sidebar'> <ul class='sidebar__nav'> <li> <i class='fas fa-th'></i>Dashboard </li> <li> <i class='fas fa-paperclip'></i>Links </li> <li> <i class='fas fa-sitemap'></i>Visualization</li> <li> <i class='fas fa-sliders-h'></i>Settings </li> </ul> </div> </template> <script> export default { } </script> <style lang="scss" scoped> .sidebar { height: 100vh; max-height: 100vh; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 300px; font-size: 1.2em; background-color: #fff; padding: 30px 0 0 30px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; } ul.sidebar__nav { width: 100%; position: relative; li { margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 10px 0; font-size: 0.9em; color: #d2dae2; cursor: pointer; &.selected { color: #4bcffa; } i { width: 40px; color: inherit; } } } </style> Then, we want to set up a reactive data property that represents the current page. So using the Composition API, we want to declare that in our setup method. import { ref } from 'vue' export default { setup () { const selected = ref(0) // index of the selected el return { selected } } } Next, we want to create a method that can change our currentPage variable. setup () { const selected = ref(0) // index of the selected el const changeSelected = (i) => { selected.value = i } return { changeSelected, selected } } Back in our template, we want to add two things. A click listener that calls our changePage method A dynamic class binding that allows us to style our selected page <li :class=' { "selected": selected === 0 } ' @click='changeSelected(0)' > <i class='fas fa-th'></i> Dashboard </li> <li :class=' { "selected": selected === 1 } ' @click='changeSelected(1)' > i class='fas fa-paperclip'></i> Links </li> <!-- continue for the rest --> Now, at this point, let’s check out what we have. Much better, now let’s actually make our active menu highlighter. Creating our active menu highlight The first thing we want to do is actually build our highlight div and position it. In our template, we want to insert it inside our navigation after all the <li> elements. <ul> <!-- after all the <li> --> <div class='select-highlight' /> </ul> Then, inside our style, we want to give it a position: absolute and align it to the right side. We also want to set its size, color, and most importantly give it a transition for its top property. This will actually handle the smooth slide animation that we are looking for. .select-highlight { position: absolute; right: 0; top: 5px; height: 30px; width: 4px; background-color: #4bcffa; transition: 0.1s top ease-out; } This is what it should look like. Animating our active menu highlight To actually make our highlight move depending on the selected element, we want to head back to our changePage method and add the following code that accesses our highlight and changes its top position. In our example, each element is 50 pixels high so that’s why that is the factor we’re using, but it might be different in your projects. const changeSelected = (i) => { selected.value = i document.getElementsByClassName('select-highlight')[0].style.top = i * 50 + 5 + 'px' } Thanks to the transition we gave our highlight, the element will smoothly move between the old and new top positions. All done! And we’re all done. There are tons of use cases for some nice little UI. For example, it could be useful for pagination, navigation menus, hover effects, and so much more. You could also implement the animation with CSS keyframes and animation properties and simply modify values and trigger the animation whenever our selected element changes. Let me know the cool ways that you are able to implement it into your Vue projects! I hope you found this quick Daily Vue tip helpful and can think of ways to use this technique in your code. Happy coding!

https://mattmaribojoc.medium.com/animated-active-menu-highlights-in-vuejs-daily-vue-tips-1-accd47fac612

['Matt Maribojoc']

2020-12-24 01:42:24.988000+00:00

['JavaScript', 'Programming', 'Web Development', 'Technology', 'Vuejs']

5G: The greatest thing to happen to IoT?

You’ve probably heard of IoT (Internet of Things), which is just the connection of devices to the internet. So your smart phone, laptop, coffeemaker, fridge, you name it, anything that connects to the internet substitutes to IoT. What is 5G? 5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology that comes with loads of benefits to all industries. Using a unified air interface (air interface just a fancy term for the medium used), it boasts of great capacity, higher data rates and denser network coverage overshadowing those of 4G LTE. It began rolling out in the United States in 2018. 5G technology comes with benefits that include digitized logistics, remote healthcare precision agriculture and safer transportation. Let’s look at 5 reasons why 5G is going to benefit IoT. SPEED Imagine downloading a 2-hour movie in 10 seconds? That’s how fast 5G technology is expected to be. Delivering speeds of 15 – 20 Gbps, it’s estimated to be 10 times faster than 4G LTE. As if that’s no enough it has the potential of being 100 times faster in the future. These increased speeds will facilitate faster communication in IoT devices. Sensors and devices can communicate with cloud platforms thus making the processing of data from them faster and adjustments can be done accordingly. To add, storing of your information, videos and photos included, will be to the cloud and not in memory of device as access to it will be instant. GREATER BANDWIDTH. It is estimated an average home will have around 100 smarts devices that will need to connection the internet. All this connections would be tasking to a 4G network but 5G brings greater bandwidth with it. Able to create denser networks both indoors and out doors, it enables connection of many more devices. It is estimated that up to a million devices can be connected in one square kilometer for a 5G network. This is a great thing for IoT as it will enable establishment of smart cities and autonomous cars will become a reality. In case of autonomous cars, the unprecedented speeds and connectivity will enable faster communication and data processing. This will happen between the vehicles, networks, infrastructure and even pedestrians. REDUCED LATENCY. What if you could access your videos and picture stored on the cloud as if they were stored on your phone? 5G promises to come with reduced latency which is virtually zero. This means when your phone makes a request to server the response will be almost instant. This makes it possible for real time communication between devices. This will enable real-time communication of IoT devices thus making it possible to perform remote actions in real time. This is bound to revolutionize the industrial IoT application. The use of sensors will enable operation of machinery in an industrial plan. This will be done remotely as the latency will be no higher than a couple of milliseconds. NETWORK SLICING. 5G brings the possibilities of implementing virtual networks. This means that a physical network can be sliced into portions that can be assigned for dedicated purposes. In the virtual network, subnets are created, providing connectivity that can cater for specified needs. Network slicing is done to increase quality service, reliability and enhanced security. An example is where the traffic system is isolated in a slice, which will enhance its security. This means that, the system won’t be affected if the main mobile network is overloaded. Questions about 5G. How can you use it? To use 5G networks you’ll need a 5G enable device that will be connect to the network. Multiple carries have already rolled out the 5G wireless network and there multiple smart phones available that support 5G capabilities. With time, 5G wireless technology and compatible devices will become more common. When will it be available? The implementation of 5G networks may take a couple of years. The technology is still under research. Also 5G innovations and service demands, means it will be complex to operate and deploy. Factoring in the cost of the technology it will take sometime for carriers to operationalize it at scale. Is it secure? 5G will enable a massive number of connected devices. These devices create increase the attack surface of cyber threat actors. With vital systems like healthcare systems and self driving cars will be built on top of network this threat is amplified. But with better encryption and thorough research being undertaken, 5G will be more secure than 4G or 3G. Conclusion. The 5G network will bring about invention of new devices and technologies that will change the way we live and work. Fast speed, greater capacity and connectivity will connect every consumer to a smarter world. There is need for awareness of the security problems the technology will pose. What are your thoughts on 5G? Do you see it benefiting IoT? Leave your responses below.

https://medium.com/@TheRealist/5g-the-greatest-thing-to-happen-to-iot-ce6d2bd2015b

['Dalphon Orechi']

2020-12-27 12:59:57.087000+00:00

['5g Technology', '5g And Iot', 'Network Slicing', 'Advantages Of 5g', 'IoT']

Does Fitness 19 Give Guest Gifts Carts

Fitness 19 is coaching for the fitness veterans founded in 2003, who had the opinion of old traditional gym club was not meeting the most people needs. our coaching in fitness 19 includes the motivation, encouragement, and community. Certified personal trainers and energetic instructors and innovative fitness programs and effective coaching to reach your fitness goals. Fitness 19 offers the comfortable timings includes the work hours and also non-peak hours Fitness 19, Our professionally trained as well as friendly staff and management combination gives effective options for the families who want a fit and healthy lifestyle with negotiable cost. fitness 19 concepts of fitness are simple which offers the affordable price to access the facility of cardio, strength and free equipment. Fitness 19 locations Health hub chain Fitness 19 locations which are to improve and maintain the friendly facilties. we are situated in the various locations includes the South Plainfield facility, United States, which is the main headquarters comprises of the fitness, health care. Our franchise and branches around Greater Newyork Area, East Coast, northeastern US are operating as the active status namely Fitness, exercise and health care. Over 120 locations around the United States for the cardio, health and free weight equipment. To find a near club of fitness 19 just enter your zip code in the website link and get access to the health club. Check out our official website to know the details including the membership, locations, and other gym plans. We have the membership plan which is so affordable and flexible which suits you to bring your entire family to access the world-class types of equipment and world-class certified trainers at the best prices. Monthly and yearly membership subscription is also available to everyone to suit their needs. Our client can change the perception of fitness since its fully digitalized and reinventing the equips. Some personal fitness profiles and 3D scanning technology has evolved which makes to transform your life to a new one. Fitness 19 allows the clients to have trained by the professionals and experience to move towards success, we find the best way to stay focused and motivated. Fitness 19 Locations Fitness 19 specialties include one on one instruction, programs are specifically designed to achieve the goals, specialized work out trends sports specific training, programs available for the senior and youth. Medical research proves that our works out provides improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and reduces stress. Muscle building and muscular endurance to increase flexibility. Fitness 19 varieties of classes offer the above the mentioned and much more. Our club offers its own schedule for the different classes. Our varieties of class include. · Yoga · Aerobics · Kickboxing · Pilates · Zumba · Body sculpt · Spic class · U — jam Most happening news across the World. Headlines-India, Tech, Gadgets Pors &Cons, Sports, Politics, Business, Auto, Jobs, Exams Results updates @ Fabnewz.com | Geek-Week.net

https://medium.com/@dolphinseo4u/does-fitness-19-give-guest-gifts-carts-24f246b16606

['Dolphin Seo']

2019-09-14 16:40:39.006000+00:00

['Fitness', 'Health', 'Health Foods', 'Health Technology']

UX Writing Is Everyone’s Business

UX writing is a relatively new discipline, and it’s not always clear what the job entails. Simply put, UX writers write the words in the experiences that go in front of people. We’re language, grammar, and voice and tone experts — but UX writing is more than that. In the early days of technology, computers and tech had an aura of specialization — it seemed like you needed difficult-to-attain skills to be a technology user. Today, that has changed: after years of technology-centered solutions created by humans, we’re realizing the value of human-centered solutions led by technology. UX writers have learned just how important humanity and accessibility are to technology. The words we use in the products we build are a huge part of what fosters trust with customers. While we can’t always walk in our customers’ shoes, we have a responsibility to think about what they need and the words that will make the most sense to them. We learn about people’s needs by asking them, involving them, and doing our best to understand that our experiences aren’t the same as the experiences of someone else. We’ve learned that innovative technology must address real human needs to develop trust and value. Human-centered design is pivotal to creating these experiences, with UX writers as invaluable collaborative partners who speak the language of the customer. UX writers shouldn’t go it alone At Microsoft, our UX writers work alongside design, research, and engineering to make sure that our experiences are successful because they’re trustworthy. Writing is not a solitary endeavor in the world of UX. To improve technology, advocate for customers’ needs, and be a compelling language expert, a writer must be a solid business partner, not just a word genius. Writers should match their passion for language with curiosity about the entire development landscape, learning about the back-end engineering, marketing strategy, design process, and user research that propel successful products. A writer helps all these pieces coherently support one another. It’s a significant challenge, but a worthy one. If you’re a UX writer, here are five things to ask yourself to help hone your skills and workflow as you become the creative business leader you’re born to be: 1. Have I been working on this project alone? If yes, something’s gone terribly wrong. While the image of a solitary writer is an archetype, it just isn’t accurate in the world of technology. Successful writers collaborate. If you’re arriving at solutions alone, you’re creating bias in the product, sacrificing quality and maybe even ethics. Bring others into your process to curb bias and imagine solutions end to end. Insights from others — even if it’s just turning to another writer — help ensure we’re bringing the right language to the product and to the customer. 2. What’s the customer getting from these words? If you wouldn’t find them useful, delete and try again. Maybe you’re designing for a particularly niche audience that you don’t really understand. If that’s the case, bring people who are part of that audience into the process. Give people value, not just strings of words. 3. Do these words strike the right tone? When tone is right, it’s harmonious; when it’s wrong, it’s discordant. And discordance can be damaging. Voice and tone are delicate. The wrong words — whether incoherent, poorly executed, or plain offensive — can sever customer trust for a lifetime. Microsoft has some principles you can come back to and rely on, but in general, know who you’re talking to, the context they’re in, and adapt accordingly. Know when to crack a joke and when to keep it straightforward so you stay out of your customer’s way. 4. Do my business partners know the value of what I do? If not, make it known. People shouldn’t see you as the grammar police. You are a word warrior! Be brave and set up some meetings to let your partners get to know you and the product expertise you bring to the table. By doing this, you’re advocating for yourself and the importance of words in building great customer experiences. Your customers (and hey, the rest of us UX writers) will thank you for it. 5. Do these words have business impact? Yes, we need to write well. But at the end of the day, we’re also helping to create experiences that make a compelling business case. Can you fight for your words in a room full of technical experts and sales reps? Can you tell the whole story, end to end, of how these words bring customer love (and dollars)? If not, practice. Make yourself indispensable to how business gets done. A writer’s work is never done Anyone who has had a bad experience with UX, even something as simple as a confusing error message, knows how frustrating it is to feel like there’s something lost in translation between “technology” and “real human person.” A UX writer is a critical player in the line of defense ensuring this doesn’t happen. To keep human-centered philosophy in the words that customers interact with, UX writers can’t go it alone. How do you build relationships with your partner teams? How have they helped build relationships with you? Let us know in the comments below!

https://medium.com/microsoft-design/ux-writing-is-everyones-business-e565ac5af044

['Danielle Mcclune']

2019-08-22 17:32:48.699000+00:00

['User Experience', 'Collaboration', 'Ux Writing', 'Writing', 'Technology']

The Case Against CRISPR Gene Editing, Part II

The Case Against CRISPR Gene Editing, Part II On designer babies, gene reference libraries, and more Speculation surrounding “designer babies” is based more in science fiction than scientific fact. “Man is a maker and a selector and a designer, and the more rationally contrived and deliberate anything is, the more human it is.” — Joseph Fletcher, one of the founders of bioethics, 1971 Photo by 0sart on Adobe Stock Basic research on gene editing and the use of somatic gene editing to heal individuals who are sick are generally widely accepted among the public. The waters become murkier when we consider germline editing and the possibility of preventing disease or altering traits unrelated to health needs. In the 1970s, scientists first began to establish distinctions between somatic and germline genome modifications; somatic edits only affect a single individual while germline edits can be passed down over generations. By the mid-1980s, bioethicists began to argue that the morally relevant line was between disease and enhancement rather than somatic and germline. Discussions of heritable enhancements in particular raise fears of a possible return to eugenics. “Designer babies” is a term commonly used in the vernacular to refer to babies with genetic enhancements. John Fletcher, former head of bioethics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), once wrote, “The most relevant moral distinction is between uses that may relieve real suffering and those that alter characteristics that have little or nothing to do with disease.” Many scientists today share the sentiment that treatment and prevention of “disease” constitute acceptable uses of CRISPR technologies while “enhancement” applications should be discouraged, but the boundary between the two is riddled with semantic discord. Pharmaceutical companies frequently invent new medical diseases in a process known as medicalization. Neither can the medical profession be relied upon to make the distinction, as many plastic surgery practitioners conduct procedures that can more aptly be described as enhancement. Moreover, the line delineating disability and disease is often blurred, and many perceived shortcomings may in fact represent normal variation on the phenotypic spectrum. The discussion of whether we can or should modify human characteristics may be a moot point since our knowledge of which genes affect complex traits such as height, intelligence, and eye color is still limited. Additionally, most traits are influenced not only by genetics but also environmental factors, and monozygotic twin studies demonstrate that genes alone cannot predict whether physical traits will be expressed. Furthermore, genes that encode for physical traits may also impart increased vulnerability to certain diseases. For example, variations in the MC1R gene responsible for red hair color may also increase the risk of developing skin cancer. The efforts of Dr. He Jiankui to confer HIV resistance to twins Lulu and Nana may have also resulted in increased susceptibility to infection by West Nile virus or influenza. As always, trade-offs exist, and the idea of the “perfect specimen” is a fallacy. Any efforts to gain genetic advantages will always be subject to the limitations of biology.

https://medium.com/medical-myths-and-models/the-case-against-crispr-gene-editing-part-ii-9ad7f44f102b

['Nita Jain']

2020-02-03 20:56:40.710000+00:00

['Ideas', 'Science', 'Education', 'Technology', 'Health']

How to Keep your Cryptocurrency Tech Stack Secure. #bitcoin #ethereum

How to Keep your Cryptocurrency Tech Stack Secure. #bitcoin #ethereum If you’ve been reading the news about cryptocurrencies lately you may have a fear of missing out (FOMO), before you take the leap and get some crypto, check out some of the things I have learned in the past four years. Today it is really easy to get cryptocurrency, so you may not take the time to understand how to secure your crypto assets. The following guide will help you keep and store Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, and many other tokens securely, not to mention hopefully set you on a path of securing your digital life. NOTE: I am not a security expert, nor is this a definitive guide. Being security minded is better than not. Once you make it a habit and a routine, you can rest easier knowing that your digital assets are safer. Lastly if you find anything wrong in my guide or have other tools or tactics you use, please share them in the comments. Rules to live by in the cryptocurrency world: Double check all account addresses before transferring any crypto currency. I cannot stress this enough. Own your own keys. Never keep too many tokens in an exchange. Use cold storage for your bigger amounts. Create random passwords for every site and system you use. Use some form of double authentication. Something is better than nothing. If you don’t know a term or how something works, make sure to take the time and go deeper with the information, the more you understand, the safer you’ll be. Passwords Use randomize passwords that are at LEAST 8 digits long, for every system you log into. If one of your accounts get compromised, hackers cannot gain access to others. You need to use an encrypted password database system. Making sure to utilize a long sentence with numbers and symbols as your master password for the db. You may also want to use a combination of double authentication and/or physical key, so you don’t kick yourself in the behind when that hacker runs off with your tokens and the news reports that those tokens hit an all time high of $10,000! “KeePass is a free open source password manager, which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key file. So you only have to remember one single master password or select the key file to unlock the whole database. The databases are encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish)” I like the open source system provided by KeePass. Open source software is vetted by the community making it less likely to have security holes. They also have some great open source plugins that extend the functionality of the software. Keep in mind, some the plugins may reduce your security, but you can always have multiple secure KeePass DBs with different levels of security. Storage You MUST keep that KeePass database in a safe place. Here are a couple options. Thumb Drive: You can use pretty much any thumb drive, but there are some hardened ones out there that have a physical pin system and can even erase all the data on the drive after too many failed attempts. http://www.kingston.com/us/usb/encrypted_security Cloud Storage Considering that your more frequently used passwords need to be accessible on your desktop, phone and other work areas you are going to want to keep that KeePass database in the cloud somewhere. Below are some options “ownCloud is an open source, self-hosted file sync and share app platform. Access & sync your files, contacts, calendars & bookmarks across your devices.” Great source cloud storage solution. This is a bit more advanced to setup, but it means you are not at the mercy of private companies. Google Drive or other cloud storage systems. While some may not think Google Drive is the safest place to keep your data, you can visit the Google account security settings and make sure you have all the advanced security options turned on. Did I mention double authentication? Yes. Use it. You can also use a hardware key with Google. Hot Wallet “A hot wallet refers to a Bitcoin wallet that is online and connected in some way to the Internet. It is a term that refers to bitcoins that are not being kept in cold storage.” https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Hot_wallet The only multi-chain wallet that works on practically every platform. Chrome, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, etc. They use the HD wallet protocol as well: “The Hierarchical Deterministic (HD) key creation and transfer protocol (BIP32), which allows creating child keys from parent keys in a hierarchy. Wallets using the HD protocol are called HD wallets.”https://bitcoin.org/en/glossary/hd-protocol Open-Source, client-side tool for easily & securely interacting with the Ethereum network. Great tool, great team behind this. Cold Storage A cold storage wallet can be as simple as a paper wallet. You can make a Bitcoin one here https://bitcoinpaperwallet.com or an Ethereum one here: https://www.myetherwallet.com Ledger Nano S: https://www.ledgerwallet.com/products/ledger-nano-s “Ledger Nano S is a Bitcoin, Ethereum and Altcoins hardware wallet, based on robust safety features for storing cryptographic assets and securing digital payments. It connects to any computer (USB) and embeds a secure OLED display to double-check and confirm each transaction with a single tap on its side buttons.” One of the most versatile hardware wallets on the market. Easy to use, ultra secure with a great interface. The device also supports FIDO® which is the Universal Second Factor authentication standard on Google, Dropbox, GitHub or Dashlane. 2-Factor Authentication If you don’t have some sort of 2-factor authentication, you are basically opening the doors to get hacked. If any system you encounter allows for 2-factor authentication. Make sure to set it up, even if its the SMS style verification codes. Make note, if someone clones your phone or uses social engineering with your phone company to take control of your device that SMS 2-factor will be compromised. Its very easy to do. Make sure you call your mobile phone company and set a verbal password or pin on your account. Phone companies are not as stringent as you’d expect. “Google Authenticator generates 2-Step Verification codes on your phone. 2-Step Verification provides stronger security for your Google Account by requiring a second step of verification when you sign in. In addition to your password, you’ll also need a code generated by the Google Authenticator app on your phone.” Someone recently got hacked on coinbase.com while using Authy, they however were not using all the security features. Authy provides some extra functionaly that Google Authenticator does not. Here is a thread on reddit discussing the hack and ways the user could have prevented it while using authy: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/6f0hhb/coinbase_recommendation_migrate_from_authy_to/ Side note: Many systems allow you to use your mobile phone number as a back up and for double authentication via txt message. Try not to use your actual mobile phone number. Use another SMS enabled number. An easy way to do this, is creating a separate google account and setup a google voice number on that account. That way even if a hacker gets access to your phone, they cannot get your two factor verification via SMS. This is a physical key that you can plug into your computer or use with NFC on your phone. This combined with KeePass can make an ultra difficult static password or one-time password system. http://keepass.info/help/kb/yubikey.html Exchanges You don’t want to get Goxed so pick your exchanges wisely and never leave to much in any exchange. Remember you do not control the keys. “The Safest, Fastest Asset Exchange on Earth Trade any leading blockchain asset for any other. Protection by Design. No Account Needed.” You will need to get some crypto currencies somewhere else, but once you do and want to collect other, this is the place to do it. Another cool thing is that Shapeshift is integrated into the Jaxx wallet, so you can trade tokens very easily, right inside your Jaxx wallet. A great team and a great system. You can exchange a number of different tokens, and they handle fiat currencies like USD and EUR. They have double authentication and can send notices to your email in PGP encryption. (if you want to get into PGP encryption, then you can consider yourself a real geek, like the rest of us) The most funded and regulated of the US based exchanges. You can easily buy and sell tokens. They also have an integration with Shift card which allows you to use Bitcoin through a debit card. Some parting words. You will mess something up in this whole process. Start with small amounts, practice moving those coins around and create a security routine. Remember you are your own bank, there are no bailouts, there is no security guard at the entrance, you are the one with the keys to the vault. This blog has been verified by Rise: R804cca8b4eb39d94257551450386f841

https://medium.com/block5capital/if-youve-been-reading-the-news-about-cryptocurrencies-lately-you-may-have-a-fear-of-missing-out-dfac51c82acf

['Gianni D Alerta']

2017-11-03 13:35:39.303000+00:00

['Security', 'Ethereum', 'Bitcoin', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Blockchain']

JavaScript and the Web — Layouts and Styles

Photo by Guillaume Muckensturm on Unsplash JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. To use it effectively, we’ve to know about the basics of it. In this article, we’ll look at how we can use JavaScript in our web apps. We look at how to change layouts and styles of elements in JavaScript. Layout We can change the layout of elements dynamically with JavaScript. An element node object has properties that we can use to change their styles. The offsetWidth and offsetHeight properties give us the space that an element takes in pixels. A pixel is a basic unit of measure in the browser. clientWidth and clientHeight give us the space inside the element ignoring the border width. getBoundingClientRect gives us the precise position of an element on the screen. It returns the top , bottom , left , and right properties that have the number of pixels on each side relative to the top left of the screen./ If we want the positions relative to the whole document, then we add the current scroll position, which we get with the pageXOffset and pageYOffset properties. For instance, given the following HTML: <p> a </p> <p> b </p> <p> c </p> we can write: const para = document.body.getElementsByTagName("p")[0]; console.log(para.offsetWidth) console.log(para.offsetHeight) to get the width and height of our element. And we can write: console.log(para.getBoundingClientRect()) to get everything including the width and height in one function. Styling We can style things with the style attribute of an element. For instance, we can write: <p style='color: green'> a </p> And we get some green text. JavaScript can let us do the same thing dynamically. The styles are within the style property of a DOM element node. For example, we can write: const para = document.getElementsByTagName("p")[0]; para.style.color = "magenta"; Then we can see that the text turned into a magenta color. Styles that have dashes are turned into camelCase in JavaScript. So font-family in CSS is the same as style.fontFamily in JavaScript. Cascading Styles The styling system for HTML is called CSS, which stands for Cascading Style Sheet. A style sheet is a set of rules on how to style elements in a document. We can put them in an inline style tag. Or we can put them in a separate file. For instance, we can write: p { color: 'magenta'; } Then we specify that all p elements have the content color set to magenta. We can also select items with specific IDs or classes by writing: #foo { color: 'magenta'; } .bar { color: 'green'; } #foo means we select an element with ID foo . # means ID. Also, we select the elements with the class bar with a . > indicates that we select the direct children elements of a given element. For instance, we can write p > a to select all the a elements that are direct descendants of p . Query Selectors The selector syntax can be used with the querySelector or querySelectorAll methods to select elements in more flexible ways. For instance, if we have the following HTML: <p> a <span>foo</span> <span>bar</span> </p> We can write: const span = document.querySelector('p > span'); to select the first span element in the p element. To select all of them and return them in a NodeList, we can write: const spans = document.querySelectorAll('p > span'); The objects returned by querySelectorAll isn’t live, so they won’t change when we change the document. Since it’s a NodeList, we can use the spread operator or Array.from to convert it to an array. Positioning and Animating The position style property lets us change the position of an element. By default, it’s set to 'static' which means that it sits in a normal place in the document. However, we can set it to relative or absolute , then we can change the element’s position via the top and left properties. For instance, we can write: let p = document.querySelector("p"); let pos = 0; const animate = (time, lastTime) => { if (lastTime !== null) { pos = time; } p.style.top = `${pos}px` p.style.left = `${pos}px` requestAnimationFrame(newTime => animate(newTime, time)); } requestAnimationFrame(animate); to animate: <p style='position: fixed;'>foo</p> We change the position of the p element with the animate function, which takes the time and lastTime parameter with the time of the parameter. Then we set the pos variable. Then we set the top and left properties of style to move the p element. We call requestAnimationFrame to get the next frame. Photo by Charlota Blunarova on Unsplash Conclusion We can set the position of elements to animate them. Also, we can style them with the style property. We can also get the dimensions of an element with various properties. JavaScript In Plain English Enjoyed this article? If so, get more similar content by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

https://medium.com/javascript-in-plain-english/javascript-and-the-web-layouts-and-styles-e5d7efa1c419

['John Au-Yeung']

2020-06-18 06:51:29.158000+00:00

['Programming', 'Technology', 'JavaScript', 'Software Development', 'Web Development']

Bookkeeping As A Tool For Social Change

Caring about the survival of small businesses has been less of a concern to us at large, especially when we have bigger menaces to take care of. Most of the business solutions are driven towards medium to large business. And why not? That is where the solutions earn bigger, right? But let us take a moment to think about how to enable the small businesses to earn bigger and become big. I noticed, in my interactions with small merchants, that financial literacy is one of the key missing components affecting their growth. Yes, like most of us, they dream big and start small, but somewhere in the middle they do not grow. Out of hundreds of micro merchants I must have interacted with, barely anyone tracked their day to day business performance. “How do you keep track of your profits?”, I asked one of the retailers (Nanded, Maharashtra). “I check my cash balance at the end of the day, that’s it”, he replied giving very little thought to credit transactions and stock in hand. The cash earned at the end of the day or week or month is what mattered. That would sum up the business performance for them. The end objective of a small business is to have a positive cash flow from Day 1. Afterall, this is the source of bread and butter for a small merchant’s family. Bookkeeping is usually a low priority item for small businesses. However, the relevance of bookkeeping is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Bookkeeping is the recording, on a day-to-day basis, of the financial transactions and information pertaining to a business. Bookkeeping builds organisational memory, keeping you well informed of your progress. Consistent bookkeeping strengthens the decision making and thus makes a positive impact over the bottom line (net profit). However, lack of bookkeeping system stagnates the business, if not fail. Bookkeeping helps a small business to record all of its core transactions and events; be it sales, purchases, inventory, tracking payments, cash requirement, expenses or net earnings. The business decisions at a small scale has always been a gut-driven approach rather than a data-driven approach. There are many factors influencing this behaviour — lack of formal education, financial literacy, availability of resources, and more. The more precise is the business information, more realistic are the decisions coming out of it. I understand that a double entry bookkeeping system is complicated and for all reasons mentioned above, the micro merchants do not want to complicate their lives any further. However, if there could be a very easy to use system which would help small merchants to record the core transactions and events, then a lot more sound business decisions would be made. Moreover, different performance indicators and trends can give them insights to build their financial literacy. And all this is possible with the lightning fast growth in technology. I asked a shop owner in Bangalore, “how comfortable are you in adopting a mobile app solution” It blowed my mind when he showed me his iPhone and said, “If you glance through my phone you will see only the apps that benefit my business. I use WhatsApp, some news app, bike/ car rental app for local business conveyance.” He added, “I may have studied only till Grade 10, but I can surf over internet to see if there is any solution out there to help me grow my business” The usage of smartphones is India is going all time high every quarter. More importantly penetration of mobile applications like Facebook, WhatsApp and Paytm even in the smallest of towns is indicative of the growing technological adoption in remote areas. If there is some solution as easy and interactive as a Facebook/ a WhatsApp/ a Paytm that can be built then making a behavioural change in small merchants is less of an herculean task. You have 3 touch points and boom, your transaction is recorded! — I see easier adaptability of digitizing the financial records with such solutions. There are Chatbots, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Speech Recognition tools and many more upcoming technologies those can be utilized to boost the growth of these small businesses. There would be infinite possibilities if this basic financial hygiene can be fixed. I can see businesses going from good to great. I can see them getting access to fair and affordable credit. I can see them procuring goods at the most competitive prices. And now that the challenges of the supply end are addressed, I know with right technology the businesses would be able to sell with ease. I know this is a highly unorganised sector requiring complete behavioural change, but no big challenge had no solution.

https://medium.com/@vikaskabra/bookkeeping-as-a-tool-for-social-change-9bc59eb9d50f

['Vikas Kabra']

2019-06-02 09:01:50.831000+00:00

['Mobile Technology', 'Fintech', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Social Enterprise', 'Bookkeeping']

Save the Manatees from the Impact of Spills like Piney Point

Save the Manatees from the Impact of Spills like Piney Point Manatees in Florida feed on coastal seagrass, a species at risk from phosphorus surge Bruce Kania Follow Apr 9 · 5 min read Photo by NOAA on Unsplash The manatees that inhabit Florida’s incredible, variable and complex coastal regions are one of four distinct populations. Ours is the only population in North America, and the creatures are amazing. They are huge and almost fluid, as they undulate and drift through clear water. Imagine an incredibly rotund but concurrently graceful aquatic ballet dancer! On one occasion, ironically, in Clear Water, Florida, I experienced their passive and gentle presence. Unequivocally, the nuances around their life model require hard science. But it seems like, today at least, human political divisions are being superseded by the manatee. We are putting political division aside, in order to save a remarkable species. Piney Point spill is a symptom of human endeavor Piney Point in Bone Valley, Florida, and the current spill of nutrient-impaired water is not an actual “toxic” event. Instead, it is a symptom of human endeavor. It reflects the willingness of humans to risk environmental disruption, for profit. Fortunately, the Piney Point water that has breached its contained setting, is “treated” water. It includes only a fraction of the toxicity of countless other local Bone Valley impoundments of what’s known as “tailings water” connected with phosphate mining. Here’s the problem: the phosphorus concentrations in this spill will not directly kill manatees, but ultimately will result in harmful algae blooms (HABs). Watch out for both cyanobacteria freshwater blooms and red tide in brackish and marine settings. These in turn will occlude sunlight from a major source of food for manatees, as in submerged seagrasses. And in some instances, the blooms will excrete toxins, which add just one more variable to the mix. Seagrasses are a vital link in the manatee’s life model. And it takes sunlight to grow seagrasses. As water becomes turbid due to algae bloom, sunlight is blocked. Seagrass diminishes, or disappears. As do the manatee. Life is resilient. And yes, there are actionable human designs that can provide forage for manatees. The designs can also supplement the warm water (above 68°F) that manatees require. Human-designed systems can provide survival forage and warm water, and perhaps help the species survive the environmental insult of millions of gallons of nutrient-impaired water inundated into their core habitat. Nature’s food web is comprehensive Manatees consume at least sixty forms of plant life. Reflective of species resilience, a number of these are shoreline plants which are not impacted by water turbidity. In fact, the nutrient load associated with water turbidity may enhance their growth. Bottom line…if sunlight can’t make it through the water, then grow survival forage above the water. This is truly just a stop-gap measure. Nature’s wetland effect will be in play. The water clarity will come back. But know that surges of nutrients will resurrect for the indefinite future. And manatees can survive periods of scarcity. After all, they have fat reserves. But providing alternative forage through such periods will help. Nature’s food web is comprehensive. Given enough time, every niche is filled with biota that competes, synergizes, and symbiotically sustains. Nature’s resilience knows no bounds. Nature is the ultimate inventor. She will plow her way through the current episode, and as long as we don’t eviscerate all options our manatees will survive, if only on a downward trend basis. Humans must partner with nature to undo damage Without a doubt, provision of the basics for survival for the manatee will help. Growing forage on floating islands that surround solar farms will do just that. And as a wonderful example of accidental synergy, the solar farms generate high volumes of waste heat. This heat combined with immediately available forage is a survival combination for the manatee population at Piney Point, and Port Manatee. Floating islands are long-term solutions. They are not the pop-a-pill solution we’ve become accustomed to over the last several dysfunctional decades. Instead, they mimic nature’s model, in which “time” figures prominently. Ultimately, floating islands biomimic nature’s model, and we can’t force nature. Instead, we must partner with nature. This means launching volumes of nature’s concentrated wetland effect, and doing so now, in order to ally with time, and ultimately, fix settings like the Bone Valley of Florida. With nature as an ally, as a partner, the nutrient-impaired water of Bone Valley will be transitioned to health. We’ve already got the start of a commercially viable solution Today it’s vital that conservation projects are affordable. There really aren’t many options. So projects that pay for themselves have a much greater chance of enactment. Human design, combined with our commercial endeavor affinity, is a terrific combination. This is how we help the manatee pull through. Photo by Jadon Kelly on Unsplash Floating photovoltaics (FPV) projects are gaining traction for alternative energy. But there is incredible synergy with FPV and dealing with spills with high phosphorus concentrations. Floating photovoltaics platforms can launch the food web that will compete with algae for the excess nutrients. So, here’s the solution: We launch FPV projects asap, and surround them with forage islands, across as much of the affected watershed as achievable. In fact, today’s massive volume of nutrient-impaired inventory water, as in the hundreds of impounded ponds just like the Piney Point system that just breached, are tomorrow’s Transition Water. It will be incredibly productive, and healthy, at levels that supersede anything we currently know of. I think of my own Fish Fry Lake, the first example of true Transition Water, where nutrients are cycled into desirable, beneficial forms of life. Bone Valley, and its huge volume of inventoried nutrient, is a latent opportunity to demonstrate true sustainability. And at the same time, we help the manatee survive.

https://medium.com/climate-conscious/save-the-manatees-from-the-impact-of-spills-like-piney-point-9f450e44e09a

['Bruce Kania']

2021-04-09 16:37:45.554000+00:00

['Water', 'Pollution', 'Technology', 'Environment', 'Science']

Effective Communication

In previous posts, we spoke about Empowerment and Teamwork. Both of these concepts share a need for a key factor: Effective Communication. Communication is present and very relevant in human relationships. A person, by nature, requires relationships with other individuals in order to satisfy their needs for affection and socialization. Sharing information is something we do on a daily basis, and we do this through communication. When it comes to a work environment, communication is the structural basis of any organization. Effective communication is accomplished when relationships between employees are created and maintained, through a good internal communication plan. The following are some examples of such plan: · Induction manual: It guides and allows employees to be efficient, effective and productive since their first day of work. · Monthly all-hands meetings: They are a strategic communication tool, as they bring the entire organization together to share updates and ask questions. It ensures everyone receives the same information and message. · Internal magazine or newsletter: This is a dynamic source, open to the opinion and collaboration of employees. When it’s well managed and organised, it can be highly reliable and allows employees to stay up to date with the latest developments in the organization. · Instant messaging platforms: They are highly used tools in business communication, thanks to their immediacy and possibility for your team to collaborate and coordinate their work no matter where they are. Organizational communication is a factor that allows business management to be carried out successfully; good management of this can make the organization persist. Companies that give a special place to communication and information are those that stand out. This can only occur once they understand that by doing this, they contribute enormously to the improvement of the company’s work environment and increase their competitiveness. ‘Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication’ — Mike Krzyzewski In addition, you must also consider that not only good internal communication is important, but also the external communication that the company has with its customers, partners, distributors etc. Promoting and reinforcing the company’s image, publicizing its projects or activities, knowing who you are addressing, getting the participation and interaction of your participants, or making other people get to know your organization will reflect a positive image of your company. How we are perceived is very important, as well as how we want to be perceived. There are two key points we can use to determine whether communication is being effective: active listening and assertiveness. Never forget that the most important thing in a communication process is not what you want to say, but what the other person understands. The meaning of a message you want to convey can vary with a slight change in tone of voice or due to facial or body expressions. A message expressed clearly and through an adequate communication channel will be converted into an action by the receiver; on the other hand, an imprecise and ambiguous message can cause problems in an organization. The bottom line is that good communication isn’t just about presenting information and ideas more accurately and concisely. Effective communication is about finding a solution, satisfying customers and improving the quality of productivity.

https://medium.com/arionkoder/effective-communication-3ab92ce05e19

[]

2020-12-15 19:22:51.343000+00:00

['Technology', 'Communication', 'Software Development', 'Effective Communication', 'Human Resources']

Lens Could Be the Tool That You Were Missing to Master Kubernetes-Based Development and Management

Lens Could Be the Tool That You Were Missing to Master Kubernetes-Based Development and Management Find the greatest way to manage your Kubernetes development cluster Photo by Agence Olloweb on Unsplash. I need to start this article by admitting that I am an advocate of Graphical User Interfaces and everything that provides a way to speed up the way we do things and be more productive. So when we talk about how to manage our Kubernetes cluster mainly for development purposes, you can imagine that I am one of those people who tries any available tool to make that journey easier. The ones who’ve started using Portainer to manage their local Docker engine or are a fan of the new dashboard in Docker for Windows/Mac. But that is far from reality. In terms of Kubernetes management, I got used to typing all the commands to check the pods, the logs, the status of the cluster to do the port-forwards, etc. Any task I did was with a terminal, and I felt that it was the right thing to do. I did not even use a Kubernetes dashboard to have a web page for my Kubernetes environment. All of that changed last week when I met with a colleague who showed me what Lens could do. Lens is a totally different story. I am not praising it because I am being paid to do so. This is an open source project that you can find on GitHub. But the way that it does the job is just awesome! Image of Len showing the status of a Kubernetes cluster — Screenshot by the author. The first thing I would like to mention regarding Lens is that it has multi-context support, so you can have all the different Kubernetes contexts available to switch following a Slack approach when we switch from different workspaces. It just reads your .kube/config file and makes all those contexts available to you to connect to the one you would like. Kubernetes context selection in Lens Once we have connected to one of these clusters, we have different options to see the status of it, but the first one is to check the Workloads using the Overview option: Workloads Overview in Lens Then, you can drill down to any pod or different object inside Kubernetes to check its status and at the same time do the main actions you usually do when you deal with a pod, such as check the logs, execute a terminal to one of the containers that belong to that pod, or even edit the YAML for that pod. Pod options inside Lens But Lens goes beyond the usual Kubernetes tasks because it also has a Helm integration, so you can check the releases that you have there, the version of the status, and so on: Helm integration option in Lens The experience of managing everything feels perfect. You are more productive as well. Even those who love the CLI and terminals need to admit that to do regular tasks, the Graphical approach and the mouse are faster than the keyboard — even for the defenders of the mechanical keyboard like myself. So, I encourage you to download Lens and start using it right now. To do so, go to their main web page and download it: Thanks for reading!

https://medium.com/better-programming/lens-could-be-the-tool-that-you-were-missing-to-master-kubernetes-based-development-and-management-fcc7c1ef5c19

['Alex Vazquez']

2020-12-09 16:29:22.027000+00:00

['Programming', 'Software Development', 'Kubernetes', 'Containers', 'Technology']

Blockchain and food aid — making humanitarian assistance more efficient

Blockchain and food aid — making humanitarian assistance more efficient How distributed ledger technology helps the UN to provide quicker and safer options for refugees to obtain food Sayuri Moodliar Oct 31, 2020·4 min read Earlier this month, the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in fighting hunger and improving conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas. One of the ways that the WFP provides aid for refugees is to enable them to buy food at local grocery stores using blockchain technology. Overcoming the challenges of providing food aid Organizations providing food assistance for refugees have faced several difficulties. To give recipients a choice of food or grocery items (rather than uniform food parcels), cash or vouchers need to be distributed — but there are often long queues for collection. Where bank transfers can be arranged, there are typically long waits and high transaction costs involved. In addition, the identity information of aid recipients is vulnerable, and the risk of corruption and theft is high. The WFP has been rolling out blockchain technology to overcome these challenges. In 2016, it launched a pilot project called Building Blocks for Syrian refugees in camps in Jordan. The project works as follows: Refugees register for food assistance using their biometric data, which is encrypted for security. Food vouchers are allocated to linked accounts at grocery stores. The recipients choose items at the grocery store, and proceed to the cash register. An iris scanner reads their biometric data, enabling them to access and spend the food vouchers. What are the benefits of using blockchain? Blockchain technology stores transactional records in a public database in the form of a digital ledger. Each transaction in this ledger is authorized and authenticated by the digital signature of the owner, which makes it a more secure system. In addition, personal data are encrypted for security. The fact that the database is decentralized also contributes to reducing the risk of fraud, theft and corruption. This is made possible due to the following factors: Each transaction is subject to scrutiny by multiple users because data are stored globally on multiple servers, and everyone on the network can see entries made in real time Hacking of the system or retrospective changing of data is difficult because of distributed duplicate records, and because entries are time-stamped and immutable The use of blockchain has had significant cost benefits in the Building Blocks Project. The WFP estimates that transaction costs have been almost totally eliminated, with a reduction of 98 percent of bank transaction costs. Using open source code also contributes to reduced costs of running the system. The project has resulted in the following benefits for improved efficiency: The instant transfer of vouchers has eliminated waiting periods for bank transfers as well as queues for cash or voucher collection. The allocation and spending of vouchers are also more efficient since blockchain technology automatically progresses the process without any need for paperwork. The database keeps track of each step of the process, with tracking and tracing to easily identify and investigate problems. Since all data are recorded digitally, the database can also be used to identify trends and for forecasting future funding needs. What next for technology and food security? One of the shortcomings of food assistance programmes has been the fact that many recipients struggle to end dependence on these after a crisis (e.g. war, drought or flooding) has been resolved. Advances in technology provide many opportunities to find more sustainable solutions to end hunger, and make poorer or vulnerable communities independent of humanitarian aid. The livelihoods of refugee communities can be improved in the long-term by introducing innovative methods of growing food in constrained spaces, for example, by using hydroponic farming techniques. Blockchain can be used more extensively in food supply chains to reduce corruption, and to ensure that smallholder farmers receive the proceeds to which they are entitled from the sale of produce. This has already been implemented in several food supply chains throughout the world, from coffee in Brazil to bourbon vanilla in Madagascar. Solutions may also be found by using existing and accessible technological tools like mobile phones. For example, the WFP provided seed funding to prototype and pilot the Virtual Farmers Market mobile app platform to enable smallholder rural farmers in Zambia to sell their produce, thereby increasing the income of these farmers and helping them to build relationships with buyers. While food assistance programmes do invaluable work, we need to find long-term solutions to provide sustainable food security. For this to happen, innovative disruption is required in agriculture and food supply chains.

https://medium.com/@sayuri-moodliar/blockchain-and-food-aid-making-humanitarian-assistance-more-efficient-f47cbcb0edcf

['Sayuri Moodliar']

2020-11-03 17:43:02.441000+00:00

['Distributed Ledgers', 'Humanitarian', 'Technology', 'Blockchain', 'Food Security']

The good ol’ days of the web

I am starting a fund for new computers for the FBI. Yes the largest U.S. investigative bureau in the U.S. is currently using “50’s and 70’s vintage computers”, use no mouses (or is that mice?), and do not have email or internet connectivity, in large part. I heard about this on NPR [Direct link to Real Media file] and was shocked at what I heard. I have computers collecting dust in in my garage that look like supercomputers (are those still fast?) next to the average FBI agent’s computer. So in the interest of national security, please, donate those old 486’s and Pentiums now, those poor agents cannot stare at those green monochrome screens much longer. Drop them off at a field office near you.

https://medium.com/alttext/the-good-ol-days-of-the-web-698dda596d6f

['Ben Edwards']

2017-04-23 06:12:46.386000+00:00

['Browsers', 'The Web', 'Technology']

Artificial Intelligence: Week #29 | 2021

Artificial Intelligence: Week #29 | 2021 This week in AI & Machine Learning: AlphaFold protein structures, model-free reinforcement learning, Vision AI in Demanding Environments, AI helping firefighters, organ transportation, and more! Sage Elliott Jul 23·3 min read Author’s Note: Next week I’ll be teaching Intro to Computer Vision: Building Object Detection Models and Datasets on July 29th at 10:00am PDT. It’ll be a fun fast-paced workshop covering computer vision applications, data annotation, and training an object detection model with python! Top AI Highlights this Week : Google’s DeepMind just released a massive AlphaFold database containing a prediction of nearly all possible protein structures for human cells and 20 other “key organisms” to help accelerate scientific research! DrQ-v2 is a model-free reinforcement learning algorithm for visual continuous control that uses data augmentation to learn directly from pixels. the first model-free agent that solves humanoid from pixels Check out the github (also contains more fun visuals)or read the research paper: Mastering Visual Continuous Control: Improved Data-Augmented Reinforcement Learning We’re excited to announce our partnership with CP Technologies to bring autonomous and edge-deployed vision AI solutions for rugged hardware and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). More AI & Machine Learning Stories: 🤖 Artificial Intelligence News: 🛠️ Developer Tools & Education: 📅 Upcoming Online AI & Data Science Events: 🎤 Interesting Podcasts & Interviews: 📄 Notable Research Papers: 🐘 About the Author & Plainsight: Sage Elliott is a Developer Evangelist at Plainsight & passionate about making AI more approachable. Connect with Sage on Twitter or LinkedIn. Plainsight provides custom enterprise AI solutions, end-to-end machine learning lifecycle management, and fast data annotation for computer vision. Join the conversation on Slack. See you next week!

https://medium.com/plainsight/artificial-intelligence-week-29-2021-b7250780bc42

['Sage Elliott']

2021-07-23 22:47:33.973000+00:00

['Artificial Intelligence', 'Ai News', 'Technology News', 'AI', 'Machine Learning']

A Complete Guide to NDC Distribution

New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a travel industry standard for distributing and selling flight content and implements to airlines, consolidators, and travel suppliers. Altogether, NDC is the capability to distribute travel content in a new way. The IATA developed a New Distribution Capability to enhance communications between airlines and travel suppliers and remodel air products retail to leisure and business travellers. The IATA developed a New Distribution Capability to enhance communications between airlines and travel suppliers and remodel air products retail to leisure and business travellers. NDC is a standard for exchanging data between airlines and travel suppliers and not just a system, database, or piece of software. NDC is not simply a communication standard, it is about converting you into an Airline Retailer Peering through the implementation of the new communication standard to develop communications between airlines and the travel industry, the vision of NDC is well overwhelmed in IATA’s slogan — “Together, Let’s Build Airline Retailing“. Presenting yourself as an airline retailer means developing distribution channels & products, managing the offer, enabling full transparency of the customer experience and product differentiation and, in the process, unfastening total retail capacity for your airline. Airlines spend a fortune on their product; however, how Airlines currently retail does not discriminate against competitors. NDC promotes product offers and rich content to furnish customers and agents with more compelling information to differentiate. NDC is not just a message standard. NDC, a Distribution Strategy and a complete solution There is always too much debate on whether New Distribution Capability will or won’t benefit airlines, travellers, and the industry. While it is true that NDC has the prospects to disrupt the GDS’s, it is not practical or even reasonable to believe that they will cease. The notion that network airlines can manage their overall distribution demands with substantial volumes on their own is neither realistic nor achievable. There’s still a position for GDS’s, and NDC will bring the esteemed change of the current capability they present. NDC supports airlines to take charge of distribution NDC prompts a reconsideration of airlines inventory administration and channel distribution approach. Several airlines have dropped the control of their inventory and are reliant on 3rd parties both commercially and technically to access it.

https://medium.com/@ClarityNDC/a-complete-guide-to-ndc-distribution-8a21cd57952a

[]

2021-11-23 09:30:37.567000+00:00

['Iata', 'Travel Agent Software', 'Travel Agency', 'Airlines', 'Travel Technology']

The Case for Defying Good Advice

The Case for Defying Good Advice Why you might want to buy early-concept technology — even when you know it’s not ready The tech media will often recommend that you avoid first- and sometimes even second-generation devices. That’s reasonable advice for most people, but not everyone. And maybe not for you. To understand why you might want to take a chance on hardware and software that may not be fully baked yet, we have to start by thinking about money a little differently. From an article I wrote at the beginning of the year entitled We Get the Monopolies We Deserve: We usually think of currency as a form of legal tender that can be exchanged for goods and services. But in a free-market system, money is much more than that. Every dollar we spend is also a vote in favor of the corporate entity providing that good or service and against that entity’s competition. Not only are you receiving a good or a service in exchange for payment, but you are also communicating approval of that company’s culture and rewarding its stakeholders. Money is to a free-market economy what votes are to a democracy. Therefore, spend your money as judiciously as you cast your votes. Just as many people consider voting to be a basic civic responsibility, perhaps consumers have a responsibility beyond just finding the lowest prices or enduring the least amount of product friction. Although the context is admittedly different, the concept translates well to tech: think of spending money as a mechanism for positively reinforcing the type of innovation you want to see more of and withholding purchases as a way of discouraging product directions you oppose. Let’s blow this topic out to the scale of a new car. Teslas are revolutionary in that they have disrupted the entire auto industry, single-handedly creating seemingly insatiable demand for modern, high-performance electric vehicles. Teslas are fast, sleek, and certainly among the most technologically advanced vehicles on the road. But, as is often the case with complex new technology, Teslas have historically had their fair share of issues (some of which have largely been addressed, and some of which still affect new vehicles today). For instance, Model 3s were known for having some of the worst paint in the auto industry, often had uneven panel gaps, and were frequently delivered to customers with egregious scratches or dents. Additionally, Teslas are costly and time-consuming to repair, and hence are disproportionately expensive to insure.

https://medium.com/swlh/the-case-for-defying-good-advice-8056853d154e

['Christian Cantrell']

2020-09-20 05:43:01.869000+00:00

['Tech', 'Devices', 'Design', 'Future', 'Technology']

Isengard represented the Industrial Revolution: Because Tolkien hated technology

Oftentimes, when we think of allegory associated with Lord of the Rings, we give it a biblical interpretation. Gandalf is Jesus, dying for his followers, and then resurrecting as a much more powerful force, in order to complete his task. He descends, like Jesus, down to the fiery depths of Khazad-Dum, and slays the great demonic force, aka the Balrog. While this interpretation holds well, there is another, more prevailing view that holds true throughout the story: the fall of the old world. In Middle-earth everything is in decay. And a new force is rising: the force of darkness. It becomes apparent, not only through orcs and Uruks, but through a will to supplant the old world. The method: modernization. In both the movies and books we see Isengard, the home of Saruman the White, go from forest to factory. Why: to build an army for the dark lord Sauron, who is coming to claim the world. Where trees once rested, swords and armor are being forged deep in the earth. And in the midst of this is the enemy. Their tool of destruction is steel. And flames. And the forest pays the price. Numerous trees are cut down and burned. Tolkien is showing that in order for this new, mechanical world to prosper, it must abolish the old one completely. Contrast this with the Elves, graceful creatures who live in the wood and are now forsaking it. Their age is now over, as the new world emerges. They can no longer shepherd the earth, as they have done in ages past: they must forsake it. The Elves are depicted as pure and immortal. And they are most associated with the forces of nature. By contrast, the villains of the story (Saruman and co., Sauron) are associated with machines. Technology exists for the sole purpose of aiding in the destruction of Middle Earth. Tolkien’s views reflect a hard look at modern society. England’s Industrial Revolution, the culprit, had lasted from 1760 to about 1870, creating a brand new system of labor, trade, and transportation. Rural life was fast declining in the wake of urban cities and factories. With the Industrial Revolution came a new wave of hazards as well: pollutants, sewage problems, sanitation, workplace injuries, and a plethora of various diseases. Tolkien himself was never alive for the Industrial Revolution, but he did live in time to witness its effects. He maintained a close relationship with the countryside, where he grew up. He even said that the Shire was inspired by his old home in Sarehole, Birmingham. We can certainly see Tolkien’s love of nature in the books. At times he goes into epic description of the trees, the hills, the roads, and river. In fact, there are times when the descriptions seem to go on and on forever. Obviously, he is very enamored by nature, having spent so much of his life in it. In Lord of the Rings, that fondness tends to manifest in his contrast between the forces of good and forces of evil. The Shire is a place of kindred folk, happy and spirited. But most importantly it is separated from the rest of the world. It represents the idyllic, pastoral landscape that Tolkien always envisioned, unhindered by the forces of modern man. But it doesn’t stay safe forever; modern man encroaches. At the end of Return of the King (book) we are not treated to a warm kindly greeting when the Hobbits come home, but rather a home ravaged by industry. Saruman, in retaliation for the attack on Isengard, has come to the Shire and used his remaining army to enslave the hobbits there, turning their land into a factory ground. He desolates the Shire, both with fire and steel. If you haven’t read it, just think about the vision Frodo saw in the well at Lothlorien in Fellowship. In the book that vision actually comes true. Saruman has taken Isengard and brought it home for the Hobbits. What was once green is now gone: supplanted by smoke and steel. As a result, the Hobbits must band together to fight for their ravaged land. They mount a defense and are later successful in repelling Isengard, along with its master Saruman. He is murdered, right in Frodo’s (once Bilbo’s) burrow by his servant, Grima Wormtongue. And all is saved. When we see nature in Tolkien’s work it is usually characterized by a sense of beauty and tranquility. The mood is one of joy: friends frolic and sing; hobbits dance in the meadows. And even the trees turn out to be living. When Merry and Pippin meet the Ents, they are taken and cared for. Nature is a place of refuge. In Rivendell Frodo repairs from his injury (not completely); in Lothlorien the fellowship is sheltered from orcs. Nature is a sanctuary. But it is also an angry sanctuary: one that protects itself. No part of the books more clearly illustrates this than the Ents’ march on Isengard. Here Tolkien goes from an avid lover to a militant environmentalist, so to speak. The trees fight back after having their woods burned down by Saruman’s armies. They destroy Isengard by breaching the dam, letting nature take its course. The river floods into every orc hole, washing away their machines. And the forest triumphs. Tolkien was opposed to modernization. He liked things simple, the way they are. Rather than driving, he preferred bikes. Rather than English masses, he preferred good ol’ traditional Latin (and even vocalized his dissent, during one service). To him the world of the country was a much more beautiful, fascinating place than the world of the city. It was a place, like the elf-wood, that flourished with memory. It was ageless, as old as the world itself. And by listening, you could learn more from it. But nature, to Tolkien, was also a force under siege. It had to sustain itself against changing times and practices. Isengard represented those changing times. It was the wheel, the furnace: new, elaborate forces driving against the old. It was Sauron’s villainy returned to life.

https://medium.com/literally-literary/isengard-represented-the-industrial-revolution-because-tolkien-hated-technology-6ed05430ecce

['Alexander Chavers']

2018-11-12 15:02:10.240000+00:00

['Technology', 'Tolkien', 'Fantasy', 'Lord Of The Rings', 'Industry']

Video games can change the life of a society.

How has all this helped me? In 2017 I entered the driving school for the first time. I probably didn’t know anything because I had never had physical contact with a car from a driving point of view, but the opposite happened. I arrived on the first day and everything seemed very confusing. There were a lot of road signs that I didn’t know existed, but there were things that my instructor was impressed that I knew in both the theoretical and practical areas, but I’ll explain what happened in the practice area to be more impressive. Normally a normal student who gets into the car for the first time forgets to put his belt on because of nervousness or for another similar reason, but I got in and the teacher was immediately impressed because it wasn’t normal for it to happen. Then, after following all the security procedures, the teacher started by telling me to step on the clutch put the first stain on, and move on, and at first, I did it without letting the car die as if I had done it before. The last thing he noticed about me and made a point of telling me was that I had no problem controlling the steering wheel because most students zigzag with the car. The car video games undoubtedly helped me a lot in that, as they taught me basic things over time and it was thanks to them that I didn’t have any major driving problems at school. I am passing on this perspective, but I am a witness that I have not learned things just from these types of games, but people can learn to play soccer by playing soccer video games, learn to solve crimes by playing criminal investigation games, and may even learn tricks from self-defense in martial arts games. I know that all of this can also have consequences because there are people who take these things to the extreme after learning how it works through a video game, but the rate of this happening statistically has been much more positive and almost zero negative.

https://medium.com/technology-hits/video-games-can-change-the-life-of-a-society-30e4650f1b5

['Erivaldo Ricardo']

2020-12-18 16:29:13.182000+00:00

['Illumination', 'Ideas', 'Gaming', 'Technology', 'Learning']

ETC Labs Provides OpenGSN with a Second Grant

ETC Labs Provides OpenGSN with a Second Grant Ethereum Classic Labs (ETC Labs) is excited to announce that a second grant has been given to OpenGSN to perform Research & Development (R&D) testing on its gas-subsidizing solution in the lead-up to deploying Gas Station Network (GSN) 2.0 to the Ethereum Classic mainnet. Every time a user wants to perform a transaction on Ethereum Classic — as well as on Ethereum and other Ethereum-based blockchains — a fee, called gas, is required to complete the transaction. By necessitating a small payment to complete any transaction, the network guards against bad actors who might otherwise spam the network overwhelming miners with transactions to validate. The trouble for honest users is that gas can get expensive, making small transactions unnecessarily costly. This issue is compounded by the unpredictability of gas prices. Gas costs change based on platform demand, which is difficult to forecast and can result in users being surprised by unexpectedly high gas fees. One solution to the gas fee quandary is to leverage relayers who send other users’ transactions on their behalf and pay themselves for the gas cost. GSN improves this user experience problem by providing a decentralized network of relayers that allows DApp providers to pay for their users’ gas costs. In May of 2020, ETC Labs gave OpenGSN its first grant to integrate this service onto ETC. Today, ETC Labs announces that OpenGSN will be receiving a second grant to perform R&D testing in the lead-up to deploying GSN 2.0 on the ETC mainnet, scheduled for the beginning of December. “By reducing the unpredictability of navigating gas fees for users, OpenGSN solves an issue faced by both Ethereum Classic, Ethereum, and all Ethereum-based protocols,” said Terry Culver, CEO of ETC Labs. “The relay solution offered by OpenGSN will be a public good available to both ETC and ETH communities.” The grant to OpenGSN furthers ETC Labs’ mission to solve fundamental challenges facing the blockchain ecosystem. OpenGSN reduces a participation barrier for ETC and ETH users and smooths the path to cryptocurrency mass adoption. For press inquiries regarding ETC Labs grants program contact, [email protected]. About Ethereum Classic Labs (ETC Labs): The mission of ETC Labs is to build relevant, accessible, and high-quality technology, and to use that technology to create communities of value in a mature and regulated ecosystem. The ultimate goal is to fulfill the promise of blockchain to improve people’s lives using Ethereum Classic, one of the world’s major public blockchains. The ETC Labs team of experts also fosters partnerships with organizations and institutions to address fundamental challenges in developing and deploying this innovative technology. We fulfill the mission in three ways: the ETC Labs Accelerator, which invests in up to 25 blockchain projects annually that contribute to sustaining a robust ecosystem; strategic investments in innovative projects focused on economic and social development; and the Core Team, a team of experts and developers who maintain the Ethereum Classic blockchain and build key applications, solutions, and tools. For more information, visit etclabs.org.

https://medium.com/ethereum-classic-labs/etc-labs-provides-opengsn-with-a-second-grant-7ae2cfc65020

['Ethereum Classic Labs']

2020-12-08 18:00:36.372000+00:00

['Ethereum Classic', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Blockchain Development', 'Etc Labs', 'Mainnet']