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1,800 | This is how we overcome ethics washing | I’ve called out Responsible Innovation before. For the most part, it’s little more than ethics washing.
But why?
Well, we’ve got broken systems (misalignment of incentives is a great example of this. Wanna nerd out on this sort of stuff, check out our deep dive report. Free to download. No ‘pay with data’.). That’s on thing. Another is that people lack the skills and experiences to do the ethical actions they say they will. It’s hard. Harder than it should be.
The latter is something we can tackle through tiny steps and collective action.
So, let me keep this concise. To overcome ethics washing, we need to make ethical action easier to do. We need to enhance the ability that individuals and organisations have to behaviourally commit to their ethical intent.
We do this by enhancing ability.
We give people access to models and methods. We help them put those models and methods into practice. We measure the effectiveness of the models and methods in action. We socialise the whole process and learn better and faster, together.
If you wanna get started on the early steps of this, check out our 10x Workshop Series. | https://medium.com/greater-than-experience-design/this-is-how-we-overcome-ethics-washing-fd789dfa2ab1 | ['Nathan Kinch'] | 2020-10-22 22:20:12.030000+00:00 | ['Behavior Design', 'Ethics In Tech', 'Ethical Design', 'Responsible Innovation', 'Responsible Technology'] |
1,801 | Antifragile Supply Chains 1 — The Evolution of Supply Chain Management | We have been trading for much of human history (as long as 150000 years ago — Peter Watson notes in Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention from Fire to Freud). Commodities and capital has been moving on trade routes for thousands of years and has played a major role in human civilization.
By Whole_world_-_land_and_oceans_12000.jpg: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Centerderivative work: Splette (talk) — Whole_world_-_land_and_oceans_12000.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10449197
Fast Forward to today, our world is defined by consumer convenience. We, as consumers, have at our hands the ability literally at the tip of our fingers to browse from catalogs of products available from a number of suppliers globally and expect them to be delivered to our doorstep within a reasonable amount of time. Likewise, businesses engage with other businesses in transfers of goods and services virtually from anywhere to everywhere in the world. So when we order a batch of our favorite tea from an online store — under the hood are the workings of a complex supply chain network interlinking many local and international supply chains where information, people, products, modes of transports and even robots spring into action for us to enjoy the perfect cup of tea.
The modern consumer and industrial revolutions, mass production, and the degree of globalization in the modern world has had a proportional effect on the complexity of supply chains. Supply chains that serve us today are highly evolved complex systems that are a testament to human ingenuity and collaboration as businesses across national borders have partnered and arranged themselves in a way that serves our needs at the lowest possible cost. Where the end product should be produced, where the components should be sourced from and which partner engages in what specialized activity (assembling, distributing, retailing etc.) are subordinate strategic decisions under the overarching guiding principle of serving the customer at low costs.
The discipline of Supply Chain Management
In their book “Adaptive Supply Chain Management” Dmitry Ivanov and Boris Vladimirovich Sokolov describe the 1950s and 1960s as the era of mass production and economies of scale leading to a focus on quality management. Improved quality of products led to individualization of customer requirements launching the era of customer centeredness in the 1980s. Inventory management and reduction in production cycles was the focus of this period. The wide variety of products, the need to react to market changes with agility and cutting the time to market required businesses to optimize internal processes and increase collaboration with suppliers resulting in lean manufacturing and just in time paradigms. From then onwards, companies concentrated on competitive advantages, core competencies, outsourcing, innovation and collaboration fueled by rising globalization, information technology advances leading to the development of the supply chain management paradigm in the 1990s.
Ivanov, Dmitry & Sokolov, Boris. (2010). Evolution of Supply Chain Management (SCM) | https://medium.com/@khan-javvad/antifragile-supply-chains-1-the-evolution-of-supply-chain-management-5151381bc078 | ['Jawad Khan'] | 2021-06-17 07:48:17.005000+00:00 | ['Trade', 'Technology', 'Supply Chain', 'Supply Chain Management'] |
1,802 | Site Reliability Engineering: Monitoring and Observability | By: Niladri Choudhuri
We have become accustomed to seeing developers developing software and not being overly concerned with monitoring, which is frequently assumed to be IT operations work. With DevOps initiatives, this view changes and developers also need to consider the operational aspects, starting from the design, through the CICD pipeline and extending to the post-deployment running of the service.
The Second Way of DevOps is about shortening and amplifying feedback loops: “shifting left”. This means that we want to get as much information as we can and use the ‘Wisdom of Production’ as early as possible in the software delivery lifecycle. To be able to achieve this, we need to consider the monitoring of the environment.
But the more the data, the more the chance of noise. We do need to get as much data as possible but we also need to be able to identify the most important pieces to make our best decisions. Now we are using monitoring that is not just for collecting data, metrics and event traces, but also to make us understand the health of the system. Thus, making systems observable! Let’s now understand what is monitoring and what is observability.
As per Peter Waterhouse of CA said:
“Monitoring is a verb; something we perform against our applications and systems to determine their state. From basic fitness tests and whether they are up or down, to more proactive performance health checks. We monitor applications to detect problems and anomalies. As troubleshooters, we use it to find the root cause of problems and gain insights into capacity requirements and performance trends over time.”
Riverbed said in a blog post:
“Monitoring aims to provide a broad view of anything that can be generically measured based on what you can specify in external configuration, whether it is time-series metrics or call stack execution.”
Observability is the ability to infer internal states of a system based on the system’s external outputs. Charity Majors, CEO of honeycomb.io explained observability on Twitter as:
“Observability, short and sweet:
- can you understand whatever internal state the system has gotten itself into?
…just by inspecting and interrogating its output?
…even if (especially if) you have never seen it happen before?”
This means that observability is a measure of how well we can understand the internal states of a system from the knowledge of the external outputs. The point is that we get to understand things that have never happened, the unknown-unknowns.
As Peter Waterhouse went on to say:
“Observability is about how well internal states of a system can be inferred from knowledge of external outputs. So, in contrast to monitoring which is something we do, observability (as a noun), is more a property of a system.”
With the use of cloud-native, containers, microservice architectures, the old ways of monitoring do not enable us to scale. We need to use tools to better understand the application’s inner working and performance in the distributed systems and the CI/CD pipeline.
As mentioned by Charity Majors:
“Observability requires methodical, iterative exploration of the evidence. You can’t just use your gut and a dashboard and leap to a conclusion. The system is too complicated, too messy, too unpredictable. Your gut remembers what caused yesterday’s outages, it cannot predict the cause of tomorrow’s.”
Tooling is an important aspect of observability. Many tools are helping us to externalize the key events of an application through logs, metrics, and events. Tracing can be one such example. We can use Kubernetes to activate the metrics capture and analysis during a containerized application deployment to have observability. Many open-source tools are available for implementing observability like collected, stated, flaunted, Zipkin, Kaeger, OpenTracing, Open Telemetry and Semantic Loggic.
Observability means we need to have a watch on all application components from mobile and web front-ends to infrastructure. These used to come from various data sources. Now our systems are more complex and we need the application and code to be architected to enable telemetry and observability.
It is also important to look at the human aspect. People need to use this information in designing, developing and testing their applications. It has to be used in the right context. We need to have modern monitoring methods built into the deployment pipeline with minimum complexity. An example from the blog by Peter Waterhouse is that we could increase observability by establishing server-side application performance visibility with client-side response time analysis during load testing — a neat way of pinpointing problem root cause as we test at scale.
We need to understand the objective and then have the team implement the objective with the relevant tools and use the information to deliver the service in the best possible way.
Observability is important since:
Services are growing rapidly
Architectures used today are more dynamic
Dependencies between services are complex
We seek to improve CX — customer experience
We need to use Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and Service Level Indicators (SLIs) together with observability to optimize the performance and reliability of our products. Here’s an example from the DevOps Institute’s SRE Foundation course:
SLO’s are from a user perspective and help identify what is important
E.g. 90% of users should complete the full payment transaction in less than one elapsed minute
SLI’s give detail on how we are currently performing
E.g. 98% of users in a month complete a payment transaction in less than one minute
Observability gives the use of the normal state of the service
38 seconds is the “normal” time it takes users to complete a payment transaction when all monitors are healthy
To find out more about the SRE Foundation course, click here. | https://medium.com/humans-of-devops/site-reliability-engineering-monitoring-and-observability-c5d56b3735db | ['Advancing The Humans Of Devops'] | 2020-06-03 17:05:54.403000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Monitoring', 'Engineering', 'Tech', 'DevOps'] |
1,803 | Huobi’s HB10 ETF over subscribed in 3 days! | In a first of its kind offering, Huobi launched subscription for its Huobi 10 index tracked fund, the HB10 on June 1. The subscription was open to the general audience and anyone could invest with either BTC or ETH or the Huobi’s native HT token .
The HB10 ETF closely follows the Huobi Index upto tracking error of 0.2% and the initial subscription was expected to be open till June 7th, as per the original schedule.
However Huobi announced later on June 1st that over $10m was subscribed within just an hour of the subscription period. Today, Huobi informed its investors that the subscription period has ended much before the scheduled closing date, and preparations are on to allocate the funds and make it available for trading. In a statement on its main exchange, Huobi posted:
Thanks for everyone’s attention and recognition to the first tracking index product HB10 on Huobi Pro. After the preparation period, trading will be open immediately.
As per the terms of the offer, Huobi would require a preparation period of 5 days following which the ETF would be available for trading against USDT. | https://medium.com/futureblock/huobis-hb10-etf-over-subscribed-in-3-days-8565bb4d2421 | ['Draft On Tech'] | 2018-06-06 22:36:15.586000+00:00 | ['Investing', 'Blockchain', 'Technology', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Bitcoin'] |
1,804 | Which Evaluation Metric Should You Use in Machine Learning Regression Problems? | R-Squared (R²)
R² represents the proportion of variance explained by your model.
R² is a relative metric, so you can use it to compare with other models trained on the same data. And you can use it to get a rough a feel for how well a model performs, in general.
Disclaimer: This article isn’t a review of machine learning methods, but make sure you use different data for training, validation, and testing. You always want to hold out some data that your model has not seen to evaluate its performance. Also, it’s a good idea to look at plot of your model’s predictions vs. the actual values to see how well your model fit the data.
Let’s see how R² is computed. Onward! ➡️
Formula and code
Here is one way to formulate R².
1 - (SSE/SST)
SSE is the sum of squared errors; the sum of the squared differences between the actual values and predicted values.
SST is the total sum of squares (shown sometimes as TSS); the sum of the squared differences between the actual values and the mean of the actual values.
With more mathy notation:
1 - (∑(y - ŷ)² / ∑(y - y̅)²)
Here’s what the code looks like —adapted from scikit-learn, the primary Python machine learning library.
numerator = ((y_true - y_pred) ** 2).sum()
denominator = ((y_true - np.average(y_true)) ** 2).sum() r2_score = 1 - (numerator / denominator)
In words
subtract the predicted values from the actual y values square the results sum them
That’s the numerator.
subtract the mean of the actual y values from each actual y value square the results sum them
That’s the denominator.
1 - the numerator/denominator is the R². 🎉
R² is the default metric for scikit-learn regression problems. If you want to use it explicitly you can import it and then use it like this:
from sklearn.metrics import r2_score r2_score(y_true, y_pred)
Interpretation
A model that explains no variance would have an R² of 0. A model with an R² of 1 would explain all of the variance. Higher scores are better.
However, if your R² is 1 on your test set you are probably leaking information or the problem is fairly simple for your model to learn. 👍
In some fields, such as the social sciences, there are lots of factors that influence human behavior. Say you have a model with just a few independent variables that results in an R² close to .5. Your model is able to account for half of the variance in your data, and that’s quite good. 😀
It is possible to have an R² that is negative. Negative scores occur when the predictions the model makes fit that data worse than the mean of the output values. Predicting the mean each time is a null model. See more here.
Example
Say you have the following small toy test dataset:
All code is available on GitHub in this Jupyter notebook.
Here’s a plot of the actual and predicted y values.
The R² of the model is 0.71. The model is accounting for 71% of the variance in the data. That’s not too shabby, although we’d like more test data. 😀
As another example, let’s say the true values for y are [55, 2, 3]. The mean is 20. Predicting 20 for each y value results in an R² of 0.
A model that predicts [1 , 2, 2] for the true values above results in an R² of -0.59. Bottom line, you can do far worse than the null model! In fact, you can predict infinitely worse, resulting in an infinitely low R². 😲
As a brief aside, let’s look at the Adjusted R² and machine learning vs. statistics.
Adjusted R²
The Adjusted R² accounts for the addition of more predictor variables (features).
Adjusted R² will only increase with a new predictor variable when that variable improves the model performance more than would be expect by chance. Adjusted R² helps you focus on using the most parsimonious model possible. 😉
The Adjusted R² is more common in statistical inference than in machine learning. Scikit-learn, the primary Python library for machine learning, doesn’t even have an Adjusted R² metric. Statsmodels, the primary statistical library for Python does. If you want to learn more about when to use which Python library for data science, I wrote a guide here.
You can compute the Adjusted R2 if you know the number of feature columns (p) and the number of observations (n). Here’s the code:
adjusted_r2 = 1 — ((1 — r2) * (n — 1)) / ( n — p — 1)
n-1 is the degrees of freedom. Whenever you hear that term, you know you are in statistics land. In machine learning we generally care most about predictive ability, so R² is favored over Adjusted R².
Another note on statistics vs. machine learning: our focus is on machine learning, so prediction rather than causality. R² — and the other metrics that we’ll see, don’t say anything about causality by themselves.
Bottom Line
R² tells you how much variance your model accounts for. It’s handy because the R² for any regression problem will immediately provide some (limited) understanding of how well the model is performing. 😀
R² is a relative metric. Let’s see a few absolute metrics now. | https://towardsdatascience.com/which-evaluation-metric-should-you-use-in-machine-learning-regression-problems-20cdaef258e | ['Jeff Hale'] | 2020-08-06 14:20:00.958000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Technology', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Python', 'Data Science'] |
1,805 | 4 Human Skills that will be Valuable in the Future | 4 Human Skills that will be Valuable in the Future
Image by Pixabay
The mainstream media loves to shower doom and gloom stories on us about how technology will render humans useless one day. They describe a future world where robots will be performing all tasks and possibly even making all decisions after the singularity.
But I got news for them.
The basic skills that humans can provide are not only irreplaceable; they are exclusive — and no machine can ever mimic them. After all, didn’t humans create the technology, to begin with?
Whenever feeling discouraged by our place in this technologically driven world in which we find ourselves, just a simple reminder is needed regarding the powerful human skills we possess.
These 4 human skills have always been valuable and are sought after by smart employers — and they always will. | https://medium.com/@charliestephen6/4-human-skills-that-will-be-valuable-in-the-future-241f4a8798f1 | ['Charles Stephen'] | 2021-02-02 15:09:37.278000+00:00 | ['Skills', 'Skills Development', 'Future', 'Future Of Work', 'Technology'] |
1,806 | BEST MOBILE PHONES UNDER 20000 IN INDIA | In the realm of cell phones, we’ve arrived at a direct where it’s not, at this point important toward go through ridiculous measures of cash to get some pretty cool highlights in telephones. Indeed, even in the standard portion, one can locate some great arrangements in the event that you realize where to look.
In the event that you have a financial plan of around Rs. 20,000, at that point you can locate a pretty assorted arrangement of good cell phones on offer. It was simply a year ago that the in-show unique mark sensor turned into extremely popular in lead telephones, and today, you can really get that in a telephone under Rs. 20,000. That, yet because of solid rivalry and ongoing value cuts, you can really get a telephone with a leader level Qualcomm SoC from 2018 in this value range as well.
Like all our curated records, the telephones we’ve picked under Rs. 20,000 have all been generally welcomed in our surveys and have a base rating of 8 out of 10. Every one of our picks have singular qualities, for example, triple cameras, the charm of stock Android, bezel-less shows and even the crude force or the extraordinary compared to other SoCs around, so you can pick the one that suits your use the best.
Here the best telephones you can purchase under Rs. 20,000 in India at the present time.
1. SAMSUNG GALAXY M31 PRIME :-
SAMSUNG GALAXY M31 PRIME DETAILS
Purchase For
Up-standard 6GB RAMEnormous interior stockpiling Featuring noteworthy camera setupRobust battery reinforcement
Decision
Samsung Galaxy M31 Prime is an all-rounder gadget accessible in a respectable value edge. The M-arrangement variation is presented with a chipset fabricated by the brand itself, upheld by an enormous 6GB RAM that dominates the exhibition score of the telephone. You can appreciate noteworthy video and sound quality, all gratitude to the Dolby Atmos sound system speakers and amazing showcase highlights pressed inside the cell phone.
Thorough moderate decision
Show and Camera
Samsung Galaxy M31 Prime highlights a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a profoundly immersed pixel thickness of 403ppi that conveys brilliant lucidity. The cell phone flaunts a bezel-less water-drop indent show which is covered with a tough Corning Gorilla Glass v3 assurance. The gadget accompanies a viewpoint proportion of 19.5:9 and a screen goal of 1080 x 2340.
The cell phone parades a quad camera arrangement on its back side with 64MP f/1.8 encouraged with 8x Digital Zoom, Wide Angle Primary Camera and a 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Angle focal point alongside a 5MP f/2.4 Macro Camera upheld by another 5MP f/2.2 Depth focal point; all with ISOCELL Plus sensor. On the front, the gadget is outfitted with a solitary 32MP f/2.0 selfie focal point with Exmor RS sensor.
Arrangement and Battery
Samsung Galaxy M31 Prime is pressed with 6GB RAM and a Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 9611 chipset. The cell phone runs on an Octa-center Cortex A73 and Cortex A53 processor demonstrating a utilitarian speed of 2.3GHz and 1.7GHz joined by a Mali-G72 MP3 GPU, offering consistent execution.
The cell phone is fueled by a gigantic 6000mAh non-replaceable cell. The Li-particle type battery is viable with 15W Fast Charging innovation.
Capacity and Connectivity
Samsung Galaxy M31 Prime is offered with a huge 128GB stockpiling which can be extended up to a furthest reaches of 512GB if necessary. In favor of availability, the cell phone underpins 4G VoLTE association cooperated with different highlights like Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile Hotspot, Glonass with A-GPS and a v5.0 Bluetooth association.
2. XIAOMI POCO X2 :- | https://medium.com/@shivanshudagar999/best-mobile-phones-under-20000-in-india-c2f4b30bb664 | [] | 2020-12-22 20:53:22.333000+00:00 | ['Mobile', 'Tech', 'Technology', 'Smartphones', 'Blog'] |
1,807 | Has Apple Won with Apple One? | Has Apple Won with Apple One?
Why I will be getting Apple One and if it makes sense for you.
All technology podcasts, magazines, blogs and websites have covered Apple One in great detail. They go over the things that could be better, like larger iCloud storage sizes for each option, and discuss Apple’s clear goal in getting more into services.
These things about Apple One are interesting but I wanted to talk about how one specific tier not only benefits me but feel it may be one of the best deals Apple has ever offered.
I have been big fan of iCloud storage and the benefits of having all of my photos, messages, app data and other data in constant sync with the Apple cloud storage. Making it available on my Mac, iPad, or iPhone anytime I need something. Not only does Ulysses sync each post that I have started writing, but if I forgot to email a document that is in my downloads folder on my Mac, I can get that document through my iPhone and email it from there.
Apple’s 2 TB iCloud tier was my biggest reason for why I now only buy iPhones and iPads with the base storage option. If you have enough iCloud storage and you trust Apple to optimize and store your data that is not being used in the cloud, you don’t need a ton of local storage. It also makes it so whatever device you pickup you know you will always have access to the same data. It is magical.
So, iCloud storage for me is a big necessity. Not only do I have all of my data syncing but I also have my wife’s data syncing as well using the Family Share feature. So, all the same things that I can do with my gear, I also have set up for my wife. The biggest benefit of all though, is iCloud Photo sync. We are using about 500 GB of the 2 TB storage for just our photos syncing to iCloud.
Now looking at the other services the Apple is offering in the Premium bundle, I am currently only signed up for Apple Music (Family plan), News+, and AppleTV+ (still on the free trial from iPhone 11 Pro). So picking this option I will also be getting Apple Arcade and Fitness+. I had Arcade for a while but didn’t fall in love with any game and Fitness+ is not yet available, so we will see how good that is.
Overall though I am already paying for two-thirds of the services offered in the Premier bundle. Once AppleTV+ trial ends I will be paying $39.96 in total for all of my services without the bundle.
So, right off the bat I am going to be saving $15.01 by signing up for the Premier bundle since it only costs $29.95. If you don’t currently pay for News+ for $9.99 a month, I know many people think it isn’t worth it, this bundle still saves you $5.00 and you are getting News+ extra, let alone all the other services not mentioned
If we break down the cost of all the services in the Premier bundle it equals to about $54.94. That is almost double the $29.95 that Apple is charging for their top-tier Apple One bundle. Even if all I do is continue to use the four services I have and never use the other ones, I am still saving money which is pretty great.
I look forward to seeing how Fitness+ goes. Since we are all stuck at home and I have an Apple Watch, I am very curious to see if I take advantage of this service for my new workout routine. I am also interested in Arcade more now that I have an iPad. When Apple Arcade was originally announced I only had a MacBook Pro and iPhone, so I am curious to try some of these games on my iPad.
I really hope that Apple comes up with more bundle options in the future. Right now the only one I see worth it is the Premier option. But if I were to recommend any of these to friends or family it would be difficult. This is mostly due to the small storage options for both the Individual and Family option. I think you can add more storage on top of the bundles if you want but that defeats the purpose of a bundle since you will be paying separately for more.
For now, though, I am going to jump on this deal as soon as it becomes available in the next month or so. The benefit of saving money is huge but also having a single charge each month will also be better. Right now all of my services are charged on different days for different amounts which can be annoying. Having a single charge each month makes my minimalist brain tingle with excitement. | https://medium.com/techuisite/has-apple-won-with-apple-one-adaa7d7a9186 | ['Paul Alvarez'] | 2020-09-22 14:13:04.680000+00:00 | ['Events', 'Gadgets', 'Technology', 'Apple', 'Services'] |
1,808 | How 6 product designers tackle friction with product managers | Catt Small
Title: Product Designer
Company: Etsy
Industry: E-commerce
Tweet at her: @cattsmall
What do you enjoy most about working with a PM on a product’s design?
PMs have a strategic mindset with a heavy focus on where the product is headed. And that’s great because, as a product designer, I’m thinking about the user’s perspective and how that fits into the business line. So when we get together, it’s much better for the direction of the product.
What is the main source of friction when working with a PM on a product’s design?
The biggest source of friction I’ve found is giving designs the time they need to be refined, but also ensuring we’re meeting timelines.
There’s this attachment designers get where we have this amazing thing we’ve considered, but often this ‘okay’ state gets released. It sometimes is better to just get something out and then improve upon it. So it can be a positive, but you have to actually iterate upon things because sometimes those ‘halfway’ designs release and they never get looked at again.
What are some tactical things about product design you think all PMs can do to better communicate with designers?
PMs should go into projects without assumptions. Based on larger numbers, one can say, “Oh, on average this is how people are.” But when you talk to individuals and gather qualitative data on people’s reasoning, you realize the many different user segments. It can be harmful to think of your users as a monolith. Once you abandon that way of thinking you can become a better, tactical strategist.
Also, participate in a design sprint. After we did a design sprint for a project, everyone was just more excited about design — especially the PMs. You’ll feel a lot closer to your designers and find it easier to communicate.
What’s one communication strategy you think PMs should adopt?
Asking more questions of designers. The best PMs I’ve worked with have asked of me directly instead of planning for me, or speaking for me, or saying “Hey Catt, we figured out this thing, now make it look nice.” It leads to this feeling of autonomy and ownership.
In your opinion, a PM can make a product designer’s life easier by…?
Trusting them. Trusting that where product designers are coming from is a place of genuine care for the users. And trusting that we have a special expertise that somewhat overlaps with product management but has its own perspective and is just as important.
Check out Catt’s design work here. | https://medium.com/product-to-product/how-6-product-designers-tackle-friction-with-product-managers-7877937d6044 | ['Tarif Rahman'] | 2018-05-31 16:18:35.480000+00:00 | ['Product Design', 'Technology', 'Design', 'User Experience', 'Product Management'] |
1,809 | How will Circular Economy be in the Future? | If we want to save our environment, we cannot solve today’s problems with yesterday’s technology.
St. Francis of Assisi was one of the most important people in the religious world. He symbolizes a type of society that values humility at the expense of excess, but he is also an example of a society based on the lack of economic security. In fact, like Francesco, many people used to live with those objects they used daily and to which they always attributed a particular function.
The big change, however, occurred when, thanks to the industrial revolutions, we became able to produce everything we wanted without the need to use what we already had. At that time you could buy televisions, chairs, sweaters and any other item that could cross your mind.
However, this attitude is not at all positive towards the environment and, therefore, towards all those marine, terrestrial and vegetable species that have had to adapt to our new behaviour, damaging us indirectly.
An example is a mercury in fish. Due to the excessive extraction of coal, oil and cement, in fact, the levels of mercury in the seas have increased almost 10 times compared to a few centuries ago. This situation means that people have to limit the amount of fish they eat (especially large fish). Someone, therefore, might think that to avoid this, we need to go back to the happy times of Charlemagne or the golden period of Emperor Augustus. In truth, however, the periods I have mentioned were not happy at all. We are talking, indeed, about times in which people could die even because of flu, not to mention slavery rates which were dozens of times higher. Therefore, I thought about finding solutions to understand how we can return to a society based on circular economy thanks to the use of technology.
I thought about what could be the correct waste management by creating a new waste pyramid, which is schematized as follows:
Prevention Production Transport Reuse Recycle Energy recovery
PREVENTION
In the future, the best way to live in a world based on the circular economy will be to prevent the production of products.
By “prevention” we do not mean “getting the same results”, but “getting them differently”. One example is editing a file. A long time ago, in fact, to modify or even to sign a file you had to print it, wait for it to be printed, modify it, scan it, wait for it to be scanned, find it on your computer and see if the scan was done correctly.
You can easily understand how this whole process was only wasting time, and in fact, it was not the right way to proceed. Now, however, there is the possibility to edit any file directly through the computer and also online. There are numerous programs such as PDF editor that allow all this.
Someone could also think that in addition to digitization for the simple modification of files, in less than 10 years, it will be possible to have the digitization of real-life experiences.
A first example is the “Virtual reality viewer”, which, “without any waste”, allows you to experience a reality never thought of before. In this regard, many applications allow you to do the most unimaginable things such as flying, going underwater and even on Mars. In less than 10 years, however, all this will not only be visible and distributed as it is now, but it will also be possible to really experience those events.
The XPrize Foundation, in fact, through the “Ana Avatar” project, finances the best start-up with a grant of 10 million dollars that allows real teleportation of all our senses in a robotic body far from us: this would be the best way to command a robot and live a very distant experience from us. The only problem, however, would be the increase of the time needed to get the information to that point, due to the increasing distance.
A basic example is that of the mobile phone. If you live in Rome and you have to send a signal to New York, you have to wait about 0.02 seconds, just over a blink of an eye, to let the signal arrive at its destination. If the same signal arrived on Mars, however, it would take about 10 minutes. It may seem strange but living 10 minutes late is a big problem: think that we can’t even wait a few seconds to open an internet page.
Quantum computers, however, would allow us to solve this problem; in fact, in the case of these particular computers, the information should not arrive from point A to point B but would be directly in those two points through what is called quantum entanglement.
PRODUCTION
If it cannot be prevented, then it is necessary to produce, but production is not always the same in all cases.
Less than twenty years ago, in fact, production generally took place in a similar way to that through which Michelangelo sculpted his statues. There was a block of variegated dimensions to which it was necessary to eliminate the excess parts, so you can clearly understand that the process was not efficient at all.
With the use of 3D printers, instead, all these changes; in fact, using latter there is the possibility of having maximum efficiency by minimizing waste, but it is also possible to delocalize and democratize the production of objects. An Italian example is Visionari, which demonstrated how it is possible to produce masks or other protections through the use of the 3D printer. This initiative made it possible to instantly have objects without ordering them from some faraway countries.
The great advantages were time (instantaneous in the first case and the transport of the product in the second, which can take up to a few weeks), cost (having to produce it on your own does not cost so much) and environmental impact (not having to transport the object over long distances, no method of transport is used).
The 3D printer must not only be seen on a small scale, but it must also be seen on a large scale; in this regard, most of the waste we produce is due to the construction of buildings and palaces. The latter unnecessarily produce a lot of waste. The 3D printer, on the other hand, allows you to minimize waste, not have any staff but, above all, to have a home in less than a day.
The most important company in the world that idealizes houses for the construction of 3D printers is ICON3D. These houses are specially designed for those people who, earning less than 3 euros a day, cannot afford a decent home. In collaboration with ICON3D, there is the nonprofit New Story, which has built numerous homes in Mexico and El Salvador.
House built with a 3D printer.
Water production is another sector that will be very different from how it is today. The global bottled water market size was valued at USD 113.14 billion in 2016. We can understand how the process is highly inefficient with a huge expenditure of energy. In the future, however, there will be two major trends:
The use of purifiers The use of highly innovative water extraction systems.
In the first case, many companies are deciding to create purifiers, but fortunately, there are also many more companies that are using them. On Kickstarter, for example, can be able to find thousands of campaigns to solve this problem. One of the latest has been AcquaTru Connect fund campaign, which aims to eliminate the production of plastic and, according to them, purifiers remove 15 times more contaminants. Besides, to check the quality of the water you drink, there is also a fantastic application.
In the second case, however, the XPrize Foundation financed skywater with 1.75 million dollars, which was able to recover water from the air.
TRANSPORT
According to the Waste Management Hierarchy, if you can’t produce at home, then you have to transport items.
Until now, to transport the objects you had to go in person or call a bellboy to do that for you. The first method would waste a lot of time, the second one a lot of money. Through self-driving cars, however, there is no need to be present or to ask someone to do the job for you.
The most obvious example is Nuro, a startup that has created a robot capable of transporting objects around the city, and it is already available in many parts of the world. Aside from carrying the items, however, it could also transport the waste we produce. If Nuro had already been present in our cities, in fact, we would not have posed the problem of recycling our waste during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Drones could also revolutionise our current system. The absence of traffic in the air and the speed of the drones makes it understandable why we should invest in this market.
The reason why they aren’t present, yet, are various:
They may fall during flights They can be used by terrorists They make a lot of noise
Drones are very noisy because the frequency in which the blades rotate is the same of our audibility range, which is between 20 and 20k Hz. The first solution, therefore, would be to decrease the frequency below 20Hz even if, in that case, the drone would not have the energy needed to take off. The second possibility, which is also the best choice, is to make the blades rotate above 20k Hz.
In physics, the relationship between moment of inertia and angular velocity demonstrates that as the distance of the body from the center of mass decreases, angular velocity increases. The most common example is the ice skater one. The skater, in fact, to rotate faster, must keep his arms closer to the body.
A solution to the last problem would be to create aeroplanes that can move thanks to very numerous and tiny blades. In this way, the rotation speed of the blades themselves would be greater, and the frequency of the noise would shift in inaudible values. Transportation by air will be handy, especially for medical reasons. An example is Rwanda, whose streets are horrible and, to transport objects, you have to wait whole days; thanks to Zipline, however, lives could be saved through the almost instantaneous transport of medicines and medical items in general.
REUSE
Many projects are investing in this field. For example, if I had extra chairs or an extra table, I could give them away through numerous platforms on the market. Jokingly, another advantage would also be not worrying about making it undifferentiated because there is someone who comes to get it. In the USA a similar idea is already present and Adam Grant, one of the best psychologists in the world, has shown how people become less focused on themselves and more inclined to donate and do charities if they use these systems.
Freecycle is another example. Here people write the items they need. Regarding this platform, a reference was also made to point out that some people, who had signed up to the site to earn free stuff, found themselves donating it instead: a plot twist.
Another development of this idea is linked to food gamification. Many restaurants produce excess food that they don’t know what to do with that. In the majority of cases, they throw it away.
If the principles of gamification were applied, however, restaurants could create an online landing page where people can book to get the food not consumed. Adding points, you could compete to see who has the most points for getting food. For example, points can be earned by advertising online the shop itself (showing the goodness of the latter) or by bringing tourists to the shop. In this way, many restaurants would be “forced” to give free food. Adding a leaderboard people can see who has contributed the most and is more likely to get the food.
These systems, even if they develop, could have repercussions of an ethical nature. In fact, thinking that, to have food, a person in difficulty would have to advertise the company, someone might notice a similarity with what happened with the cliens and patronus in the Roman world.
RECYCLE
“Matter is not created and destroyed, but it’s transformed”. These words were written by Antoine Lavoisier, one of the most important chemists in human history. This law, which was later revised by Einstein, shows the possibility of transforming waste into a product.
One of the most important examples in Italy is EarthBi one which deals with degradable polymers both in the air and in water, which is a particular fact given that many biodegradable plastic polymers are only biodegradable in contact with air and not with water. Furthermore, the plastic management system is managed by a blockchain system that makes every move safe.
The delocalization of the separate collection of plastic will be present, too. In many cities, including Rome, there is already the possibility to recycle plastic and earning credit that can be used for transport. Despite a much more subtle way, this is close to Chinese social credit which pushes citizens to act in a better way; in fact, it is possible to have a prize (the discount for the ticket of the vehicles) for those who perform good actions such as recycling a bottle.
In the future, there is going to be even another type of recycling inherent to CO2. At the end of December, the Cosia XPrize prize of 20 million dollars will be awarded to the best start-up that manages to convert CO2 into products of all kinds.
At the University of Bari, thanks to a member of the scientific committee of Cosia XPrize, it is possible to follow the first Masters in the world to transform CO2 into various types of products.
In conclusion, we can understand how, thanks to technological development, it will be largely possible to return to a circular economy as it was many centuries ago without losing, by the way, all the benefits and possibilities that are available now. | https://medium.com/@guido-putignano/how-will-the-circular-economy-be-in-the-future-c98361b09527 | ['Guido Putignano'] | 2020-11-13 16:18:25.852000+00:00 | ['Economy', 'Technology', 'Circulareconomy', 'Ecology', 'Waste Management'] |
1,810 | Electric Vehicles, a Green Choice for the Environment | Source — Applied Technology Review
Electric Vehicles have introduced a future where green technology is in high use and demand. As technology becomes more prevalent, electric vehicles are likely to become even more efficient and sustainable.
The world is in a new era of transportation where cleaner cars are no more an imagination. Across its life cycle, an electric vehicle emits fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants when compared to petrol or diesel equivalent. Emissions are commonly higher in the production phase of electric cars, which are more than offset by lower emissions in the use phase over time. An electric vehicle also uses battery power to drive the motor, burns no gasoline or other fossil fuels and therefore is zero carbon emissions vehicles. Any emissions created are indirect, coming from the source of electricity.
The European Environment Agency’s new Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM) report came to the necessary conclusion that when it comes to climate change and air quality, electric vehicles are preferable over fuel vehicles. Contrary to some public doubts and uncertainties about its environmental benefits, the fact is increasingly clear, and these benefits will further increase going forward as the use of renewable energy increases.
One of the significant reasons for the introduction of electric cars is the concern over greenhouse gas emissions and their contribution to global warming. The impact of reduced carbon emissions can benefit urban areas, where a vast majority uses cars. Decreased air pollution due to the absence of the exhaust pipe promotes more sustainability for electric vehicles, which in turn dramatically reduces the negative impact of transportation needs on the environment.
Overall electric vehicles are significantly cleaner and safer for the environment than conventional cars. The most considerable risk to the environment from fuel-powered cars are air pollution, depletion of the ozone layer from emitted chemical substances, and the occasional oil and radiator chemicals leakage, which usually seep into the soil, water supply thus harming all living organisms eventually. Pollutants found in car exhaust cause health issues and chemicals like carbon monoxide and benzene prevents oxygen intake and are linked to severe illnesses like cancer.
Embracing the electronic vehicle revolution will not only help reduce environmental impacts but adds to public health benefits and fuels technological innovation. It is high time to embrace the change and look towards the future. | https://medium.com/@appliedtechnologyreviewew/electric-vehicles-a-green-choice-for-the-environment-f4a8b2abace9 | ['Applied Technology Review'] | 2020-11-23 12:05:33.214000+00:00 | ['Electric Vehicles', 'Technews', 'Electric Car', 'Technology', 'Environment'] |
1,811 | IoT Device Lifecycle Management | Table of contents
Introduction
The complexity of enterprise IoT deployment
Diversity of devices and software
Scale
Security
IoT device life-cycle management
End-to-end security
Pre-commissioning
Commissioning
Operations
Decommissioning
Conclusion
Introduction
The Internet of Things (IoT) has the power to increase the efficiency of businesses in numerous domains dramatically and to create completely new business models. Through real-time bilateral communication with the connected smart devices, you will not only receive valuable data collected by the devices but will also be able to fulfil their maintenance and management automatically and remotely. Thus to successfully deploy an IoT solution for an enterprise, it is crucial to consider the foundation of any IoT solution: device management.
Enterprises can expect a complex IoT device landscape with heterogeneous devices that need to be managed throughout the whole device life cycle. IoT-related scenarios are getting more complex and require the execution of more sophisticated commands. Similar to the operating systems of our desktop computers, smartphones, and tablets, IoT gateways and edge devices need frequent care in the form of software updates or changes to configurations to improve security, deploy new applications, or extend features of existing applications. This white paper will show why robust device management is key for a successful enterprise IoT strategy.
An IoT solution scenario generally includes connecting devices. Web-enabled devices can be connected directly, while those that are not web-enabled are connected through a gateway. The heterogeneity and diversity of constantly evolving devices is a defining factor of an enterprise IoT architecture.
The complexity of enterprise IoT deployment
Diversity of devices and software
During the initial prototyping stage, the key goal is to show how devices can be connected and what values can be gained from analyzing the device data. Companies that deploy at this early stage without considering a feature-rich device management solution will soon find themselves unable to handle the growing number of device and software configurations. As the company’s IoT initiative expands, its IoT solution will be forced to include a varied mix of devices and connection mechanisms. With diverse and distributed devices, the operations team will also have to deal with multiple firmware versions.
Recently, there has also been a shift toward performing more processing and computation at the edge as bigger edge devices can handle more complex commands. The software for this needs to be constantly updated if it is to extract the maximum value from the analytics, and the operations team will need a central tool to enable efficient remote maintenance. Providing a service that allows all the different parts of the solution to use a common device management platform unlocks operational efficiency and shortens the time to market significantly.
Scale
Many IoT projects start with a proof of concept and are often followed by a pilot with a limited number of users and devices. However, as more and more devices have to be integrated, the company needs an application or API that allows it to manage, monitor easily, and secure the rising number of diverse, globally distributed connected devices. In short, it has to find a device management solution that can scale from day one to the various deployment scenarios. A good piece of advice here is to think big but start small.
Security
Security is one of the most obvious reasons why a device management platform is required even for small-scale deployments. Governments are introducing legislation that requires all IoT products to be patchable and to meet the latest industry security standards. With this in mind, any IoT solution should be designed with security as a fundamental requirement. IoT devices are often constrained due to cost factors, which can limit their security capabilities; however, even constrained IoT devices must have the ability to update their firmware and software due to security changes and bug fixes. You can’t afford to skimp on security.
IoT device life-cycle management
As enterprise IoT systems are expected to last many years, it is critical to design and plan for the whole life cycle of devices and applications.
This life cycle includes security, pre-commissioning, commissioning, operations, and decommissioning. Managing the IoT life cycle presents a high level of complexity and requires a wide range of capabilities. We aim to highlight some general components of the IoT device life cycle here; however, details also depend on the type of device management protocol used.
End-to-end security
Device authentication is critical when establishing secured communication links. IoT devices should be authenticated using device-specific security credentials. This then enables the operations team to identify and block or disconnect devices deemed to be a threat. One way to authenticate the devices is to supply device-specific private keys and the device’s corresponding digital certificates during production (e.g. X.509) and provide regular field updates of those certificates. The certificates enable backend access control based on well-established and standardized validation mechanisms such as mutually authenticated TLS, which ensures encryption for all types of connectivity. A device management solution should also be able to revoke certificates if needed.
Pre-commissioning
Device management requires an agent to be deployed on connected devices. This agent is a software that works autonomously to monitor the devices. It also enables the remote device management software to communicate with the device, for example, to send commands and receive responses when required. The agent needs to be configured to automatically connect to the remote device management system with valid credentials for authentication.
Commissioning
Device Registration: An IoT device must be registered in the system before being connected and authenticated for the first time. Devices are usually identified based on serial numbers, preshared keys, or unique device certificates issued by trusted authorities.
Initial Provisioning: IoT devices are shipped to customers with factory settings, meaning they don’t have any customer-specific software configurations, settings, etc. However, a device management system can match the user to the IoT device and perform an initial provisioning process to automatically deploy the required software components, configurations, etc., without any user involvement.
Dynamic Configuration: IoT applications can start very simple and become more mature and complex over time. This may require not only dynamic software updates but also configuration changes to be carried out without involving the user or disrupting the service. Deploying new logic or performing service application updates should be completed without any downtime. The dynamic configuration may apply to only one specific IoT device, a group of IoT devices, or all registered IoT devices.
Operations
Monitoring: With the complex IoT device landscape, it is necessary to have a central dashboard that displays an overview of the devices and has the ability to configure notification rules based on device status or sensor data. Because of the scale and diversity of the assets, being able to flexibly and dynamically create groups of devices using specific criteria is important for efficient operations and the monitoring of your fleet.
As for the devices themselves, it is also important to have a watchdog to ensure that, in the event of a malfunction, they can at least automatically reboot themselves — or, preferably, troubleshoot the problem autonomously.
Manageable device types: IoT deployment scenarios can vary depending on the domain and application. Modern edge devices differ in terms of capabilities and connectivity methods, and an IoT solution must support a variety of target platform types.
Enterprise IoT solutions often have to deal with smaller types of edge devices, which have limited capabilities and cannot be connected directly over the internet, but rather through a gateway. In the following section, we list the most common types of IoT devices:
Small microcontrollers: Small microcontrollers are cost-efficient and energy-constrained devices, usually battery-powered, and are very suitable for basic edge capabilities, e.g. telemetry use cases. They are customer-specific, usually embedded, and the software for them is developed as part of the product design process. This allows you to reduce the customization needed to make a device IoT-ready. Small microcontrollers support device management capabilities such as remote configuration and firmware update.
Operating system: Real-time operating systems, such as FreeRTOS, TIRTOS, Zypher
Reference devices: ESP boards, STMicro STM32 Nucleo, NXP FRDMK64F, SiliconLabs EFM32GG-DK3750, XDK Cross Domain Development Kit
Powerful microcontrollers: Powerful microcontrollers are similar to gateways in terms of hardware, but they differ in terms of software, being rather single-purpose devices. They provide advanced edge computing capabilities, such as resource and device abstraction, history, software and firmware updates, software package management, remote configuration, etc.
Operating system: Embedded Linux
Reference devices: B/S/H system master
Gateways: Gateways or routers are very common in smart homes, intelligent buildings, and industrial environments. These devices can be compelling as they need to connect with a multitude of edge devices using different communication protocols. Gateways provide advanced edge computing capabilities, such as resource and device abstraction, history, analytics, software and firmware updates, software package management, remote configuration, etc. You can also perform firmware management on the connected devices through a gateway. They can even be added to the setup at a later stage and may serve different purposes that change over time.
Operating system: Embedded Linux
Reference devices: Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, iTraMS Gen-2A, Rexroth ctrlX
The mobile device as a gateway: Modern smartphones can be used as gateways and are very convenient for smart home scenarios. They provide connectivity as a proxy for WiFi and Bluetooth LE devices, which require regular updates. When used as a gateway, mobile devices allow updating and remote configuration of the device agent.
Operating system: iOS or Android
Reference devices: Mainstream smartphone devices
5G edge node: Suitable for industrial purposes and specific environment needs, 5G edge nodes are often used in data centres on-site and can be deployed on existing devices as a 5G extension. They provide popular capabilities such as resource and device abstractions, history, analytics, software and firmware updates, remote configuration, software package management, etc.
Operating system: Linux
Reference devices: x86-powered hardware
A device management system must be able to manage a mix of all these types of IoT devices, which can be connected through diverse network protocols such as HTTP, MQTT, AMQP, LoRaWAN, LwM2M, etc. In certain cases, it may also be necessary to implement proprietary management protocols.
Here is a brief description of some popular connectivity protocols:
MQTT: A lightweight publishes/subscribe IoT connectivity protocol, useful for connections with remote locations where a small code footprint is required. MQTT can perform certain device management operations like firmware updates and is available for different programming languages such as Lua, Python, or C/C++.
LwM2M: A device management protocol designed for remote management of constrained devices and related service enablement. It supports device management operations such as firmware updates and remote configuration. It features a modern architectural design based on REST, defines an extensible resource and data model and builds on the CoAP secure data transfer standard.
LPWAN protocols (LoRaWAN, Sigfox): IoT protocols suitable for constrained devices in wide area networks such as smart cities. Due to their power-saving implementation, they fit in well for use-cases where battery capacity is a limited resource. Device management operations such as firmware updates and remote configuration are supported.
Mass device management: Mass device management, also known as bulk device management, is often overlooked in smaller IoT deployments that have not yet scaled up. Simple device management measures may suffice at first but will be limiting as IoT projects with various devices grow in size and diversity. Being able to easily create dynamic hierarchies and arbitrary logical groupings of assets, so that device management measures can be applied on a large scale, will help increase deployment and maintenance efficiency. Such measures can range from firmware and software updates to the execution of complex scripts that take into account the input from the individual devices. Also, mass device management measures may be fine-tuned through several execution scenarios — set up as one-time tasks or recurrent and automated rules, launched instantly and unconditionally or triggered by predefined events, schedules, constraints, and conditions. Such a key functionality will also be of advantage when the development team carries out A/B testing and campaign management.
Software and firmware management and updates: Device management requires the ability to update software and firmware on globally distributed devices centrally. This includes pushing firmware to the device fleet, and — with the advent of complex edge processing — pushing software packages independent of firmware packages. Such software rollouts need to be staged across a group of devices to ensure reliability even when connectivity breaks down. Future-proof IoT solutions need to be able to update over the air, as most assets are deployed in remote environments distributed around the globe. For effective ongoing software and firmware maintenance, it is critically important to be able to create custom logical groupings and automate these tasks.
Remote configuration: Being able to modify configurations remotely is crucial for the operations team. Once rolled out, devices in the field need to be updated often so that they keep pace with the ecosystem’s evolution. This may include anything from changing cloud-side URLs to reconfiguring client authorization, increasing or decreasing reconnect intervals, etc. Mass management features complement all configuration-related jobs, as the ability to trigger mass measures based on complex rules and to run them at scheduled times in a repeatable manner is of paramount importance for operations.
Diagnostics: IoT deployment is an ongoing process that involves constant monitoring and diagnostics to minimize downtime and streamlining operations. When devices are in remote locations, access to administrative audit logs, device diagnostic logs, connectivity logs, etc. is one of the most vital features for troubleshooting. If further analysis is required, the device management system should be able to remotely trigger verbose logging and download the log files for analysis, saving valuable time and improving operations efficiency.
Integration: Unless adopting a ready-to-use service, enterprise IoT solutions will usually require access to devise management capabilities through a rich set of APIs, which make it possible to integrate external services or customize user interfaces and workflows. In times of open-source development, providing REST and language-specific APIs such as Java API is a standard to fulfil remote connection and management use cases.
Decommissioning
Decommissioning might affect the whole IoT solution or only dedicated components; for example, replacing or decommissioning a single device. Certificates should then be revoked, and other confidential or sensitive data should be deleted securely.
Conclusion
Making the Internet of Things a reality is a transformational journey that inspires multiple business innovations.
Given the rising number of IoT innovations, it is critical for enterprises to select the optimum device management platform right at the beginning of this journey. This platform needs to be able to cope with the heterogeneity and diversity of a constantly evolving enterprise IoT landscape. It has to be capable of managing the growing number of connected devices throughout their entire life cycle.
Bosch IoT Suite is a complete, flexible, and open-source-based software platform for IoT solutions. It provides scalable and feature-rich services to address device management scenarios throughout the whole device life cycle, including asset and software management.
Bosch IoT Remote Manager and the Bosch IoT Suite for Device Management are fully managed cloud services that provide automatic scalability managed by Bosch.IO. They can react to changing workloads and guarantee availability based on tier features. The widely used Bosch IoT Remote Manager is additionally available for on-premises installations. In contrast, the pre-integrated Bosch IoT Suite for Device Management enables even better scalability thanks to its modern micro-service-based architecture.
Offered as directly bookable services and equipped with user-friendly UIs, our device management solutions can be used right away, but also allow full integration through modern APIs. Also, our professional services teams have been enabling customers to manage IoT devices for many years. We have the experience and expertise to assist you in your IoT journey and operationalize your IoT ideas, while you concentrate on what is important for your business. You can focus on IoT application development that adds value, rather than on IoT platform development, hosting, and maintenance. Grow quickly from prototyping to operating as a full-scale IoT-enabled enterprise with Bosch IoT Suite. | https://medium.com/@pupuweb/iot-device-lifecycle-management-334b7f8c487b | ['Alex Lim'] | 2020-12-02 12:25:11.730000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'IoT', 'Internet of Things', 'Technology', 'Solutions'] |
1,812 | Bridging the Research-Industry Divide | Bridging the gap between fundamental research and product development requires a substantial, risk-moderated investment that is not only possible but necessary, according to materials scientist Professor Jose Alarco.
Alarco is an expert in the complex world of batteries — everything from energy-dense materials, storage and life cycle to improved safety through the development of ceramic-coated separators and battery pack design.
Batteries are essential to the future of transportation, portable electronics, and the storage and efficient use of renewable energy, but market demand is outstripping the speed of science, which often requires proof of concept and pilot-scale results to prove commercial viability.
However, Alarco says there is a shortcut proven to attract industry investment.
“Fundamental research is essential, but big funding has to come from commercial activities — from profitable companies that can afford to invest back into research,” Alarco said.
“So, researchers will increasingly look to industry for funding, but commercial enterprises will look for ways to make money when deciding on good investments.
“Focusing on fundamental research with an immediate or near-future market application will help researchers attract industry investment.
“If researchers are going to have an impact on funding, we need to demonstrate the viability of our fundamental research with experimentation that gets us as close as possible to the real product, for which there is an existing market.
“We also need to have viable, preliminary cost projections that indicate potential returns on investment for the developed product.
“The best way to accelerate the answers is to combine experimental and theoretical work, addressing all the practical product requirements specified by the industry.”
Narrow the focus and speed research to outcomes
Fundamental research aims to improve scientific theories while applied research uses those theories to develop new products or technologies.
Alarco does both and aims to see industrial outcomes from his fundamental research within five years from project commencement, or earlier if possible.
Once the theoretical groundwork has been established and validated, he expedites the research journey by using computational modelling to simulate outcomes, which narrows the field of exploration and targets relevant experiments.
“Computational modelling can save a lot of time and money in terms of experimentation costs. Even the few subsequent experiments you conduct will fit within a validated theoretical framework and almost immediately give your applied research context for interpretation.
“The initial workload is similar to an empirical research approach, but the timeframe afterwards is condensed by combining theory with just a few targeted experiments.
After the initial theoretical work has been carried out, using further computational modelling may better align the research timeframe with industry expectations.
“A lot of groundwork is done in the first year, but in a week or two after that, you can almost answer the problem you want to solve experimentally,” Alarco said.
“It’s an unusual way of experimentation but is proved to get industry involved.”
While Alarco uses computational modelling as a shortcut to outcomes in his own experimental research, he says there can be an academic trade-off.
“The outcome of experimentation is what brings in funding but can delay academic publication. However, once we achieve funding, we can go back to complete the fundamental work.
“You can also use modelling to target which fundamental aspect of the research you should be publishing.”
Modelling industrial applications
Alarco uses computational modelling in his research on new battery technologies through the QUT Centre for Materials Science, QUT Clean Energy Technologies and Practices, Future Battery Industries CRC, and the ARENA H2Export program.
To assess larger-scale batteries for grid applications, his colleagues also model design and performance using a variety of programs.
“There are software packages, used in industry, which are amazing tools for multi-scale development of batteries from material stages all the way to performance in engineering applications.
“One can model the material of an electrochemical cell, how it would perform in the cell, with different electrolytes and in a pack design.”
Improved battery safety can also be modelled by optimising maintenance cycles and monitoring or replacing cells if one deviates from its performance.
“In pack design, you need some ability for heat dissipation otherwise the electrolyte could become unstable. If one cell gets too hot it can catch fire, which is called thermal runaway.
“This can also lead to thermal propagation — where one cell heats an adjacent cell with more catastrophic results. So, battery pack design is certainly a safety issue, particularly for very large packs,” Alarco said.
Match your research vision with market demand
In addition to increased safety and performance, market demand for batteries with higher energy density is also driving global research.
Alarco uses computational modelling to design new materials and predict performance.
“We haven’t even fully developed all the characteristics for some of the promising materials the battery market wants but safe, high energy density is the goal,” Alarco said.
The higher the energy density of a material, the greater the amount of energy stored in its mass, but often only part of the energy can be extracted before the integrity is compromised.
Smaller, lighter materials that store more extractable energy than current battery materials are of great interest to companies dealing with portable technologies such as mobile phones.
Alarco is particularly focused on the design of the multiple interfaces in a battery cell, including those between metal collectors, cathodes, anodes, electrolytes and separators, that improve energy sustainability and efficiency and increase the safety of high energy density batteries.
Computational tools allow Alarco to design materials and interfaces with predicted properties before he validates those predictions with experimental evidence.
Based on successful experimentation, and if a valid commercial demand is justified, Alarco will then translate lab results to pilot scale processes.
Collaborate with industry on targeted experiments
Alarco sources the material for his ceramic coated separators from the Lava Blue pilot plant.
QUT’s Dr Sara Couperthwaite, established the pilot-plant with Lava Blue and the Innovative Manufacturing CRC to prove her tailored chemical processing of high purity alumina (HPA) from low-value kaolin clay at industrial scale.
“We synthesise the HPA to meet required specifications, whilst maintaining a >99.99% purity level,” said Couperthwaite, an industrial chemist with the QUT School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering.
“With the HPA, researchers can then work out how to prepare the material as a battery separator coating and eventually test its performance.”
Alarco says the ceramic properties of HPA make it appealing as a protection barrier for the polymeric separator material.
“Alumina is ceramic, which generally refers to very refractory material. It is one of those very stable metal oxides that can go to very high temperatures without change.
“A battery could overheat several hundreds of degrees. If the polymeric separator melts and disappears but the ceramic remains in place, it prevents a shortage between the cathode and anode.”
Alarco’s team develops, characterises and optimises the alumina particles for coated separators then validates performance in battery cells.
“We ensure the alumina particles are at the optimum size and porosity to allow the right adhesion onto the porous polymeric membranes, then test the properties of these coated separators.
“Nail penetration test can show if the new battery is safer by contrast and doesn’t overheat as much when a cell is punctured,” Alarco said.
“Potential battery penetration is the reason flight attendants tell you not to try to retrieve a dropped mobile phone. If you recline your seat to look for it and the phone is caught in the mechanism, it can be punctured and start a fire.”
Scaling-up samples and packaging
The battery cathode and anode typically consist of powder materials, which are mixed with conducting additives, binders and solvents, to be made into inks that are printed onto the respective conducting electrodes.
While aligning fundamental research to target commercial applications will make projects more attractive to investors, pilot-scale plants are also building bridges between academia and industry.
“There are limited groups doing translation work to industry scale and industry decision-makers won’t usually involve themselves in anything small-scale unless it’s of strategic value,” Alarco said.
Battery powders are printed onto conducting electrodes.
“So, if you have something of interest you need to be prepared to invest in upscaling samples.”
Alarco speaks from experience having helped establish the pilot plant for battery powder manufacturing and Australia’s first dry room labs for lithium-ion cell manufacturing, both based at QUT.
A cylindrical roll comprised of the coated cathode, coated anode and porous polymeric separator. The roll is inserted into a battery can and subsequently filled with electrolyte.
The battery cathode and anode typically consist of powder materials, which are mixed with conducting additives, binders and solvents, to be made into inks that are printed onto the respective conducting electrodes.
“We started with battery powder. When we had that we worked on the cells and are now getting more involved in battery pack design. Eventually, we will progress to working on the battery management system,” Alarco said.
Packaging new materials as products also has a big impact on investment success.
“The black powder we use in batteries would look like a dirty mess to an investor. If we show them how to make that into a battery that can be used in their radio or house, they understand its value.
“Likewise, scientifically and technically we have very good work in terms of sensors and devices, but a prototype might look like a board with a number of wires going everywhere.
“If you can afford the design work to package your device as a neatly presented commercial product, that prototype is probably going to be the one to attract funding.” | https://medium.com/thelabs/bridging-the-research-industry-divide-c4a3093db265 | ['Qut Science'] | 2020-09-10 22:43:46.504000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Innovation', 'Research And Development', 'Science', 'Business'] |
1,813 | SAMENA Trends — December 2018 by SAMENA Telecommunications Council | Blockchain-based Platform and its Opportunities for Telecom Operators
by Alexander Yakovenko, Project Director at Bubbletone Blockchain in Telecom, pages 79–81:
https://www.samenacouncil.org/samena_trends/interactive/december2018
About SAMENA Trends
SAMENA Trends is SAMENA’s monthly newsletter. This newsletter incorporates news, analysis, data and research on Telecommunications and ICT industries in South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa and reports on recent regulatory, commercial and technical developments in the sector.
https://www.samenacouncil.org/samena-trends | https://medium.com/bubbletone-blockchain-in-telecom/samena-trends-december-2018-by-samena-telecommunications-council-5b37f3b7dda0 | ['Bubbletone Blockchain In Telecom'] | 2019-01-09 10:23:47.395000+00:00 | ['Blockchain Development', 'Middle East', 'Telecommunication', 'Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology'] |
1,814 | Utah Becomes The Third U.S. Jurisdiction To Offer Blockchain-Based Mobile Voting | Utah County is the latest jurisdiction in the U.S. to implement blockchain-based mobile voting in their upcoming municipal primary election in August. Tusk Philanthropies, which aims to increase voter turnout and participation in U.S. elections, has partnered with the Utah County Elections Division, Voatz, and the National Cybersecurity Center, to offer a blockchain-based mobile voting pilot to active-duty military, their eligible dependents and overseas voters.
The pilot will be powered by Voatz, a mobile elections platform driven by military-grade technology that ensures safety and ease for individuals voting anywhere in the world. Last year in West Virginia, Voatz launched the first blockchain-based mobile voting solution used during a federal election. Voatz was also the underlying technology provider in Denver’s May 7th municipal election.
“Our technology has been used in West Virginia, Denver and is now being applied in Utah across nine different cities. The election in Utah will be smaller than the election in Denver, but the concept remains the same. We aim to make voting easy and safe for overseas citizens.” Nimit Sawhney, CEO and co-founder of Voatz, told me.
According to Sawhney, election officials in Utah County and across the country are recognizing that current absentee voting methods are insufficient, specifically for active military members and overseas citizens. In turn, many individuals living abroad are less likely to vote. Data from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) reflects this, showing that in 2016 there were 3 million U.S. citizens living abroad whom cast approximately 208,000 ballots. The overseas voter turnout was just 7% compared to a domestic turnout of 72%.
“Election officials in Utah County and across the country are recognizing that current absentee voting methods are not sufficient. Members of the military who are stationed overseas or young people serving missions around the world should be able to take advantage of the latest advances in smartphone hardware, encryption and blockchain technology to cast their ballot. We are delighted that voters in Denver, West Virginia and now Utah County have had an opportunity to evaluate the security and ease of voting from a mobile device.”
The pilot will largely be used by troops serving abroad, who have traditionally had to rely on using absentee paper ballots, making it difficult to participate in elections. According to the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission, nearly 300,000 overseas voters requested ballots, but were unable to return them to their county clerks back home in the 2016 elections.
“Utah’s pilot is another sign that the momentum for mobile voting in our country is very real and supports our theory that when you show people a much better way to do something, there becomes a demand for it,” said Bradley Tusk, founder and CEO of Tusk Philanthropies. “As we enter into a Presidential election year, we have to continue to remove as many barriers and hurdles as possible so a lot more people are able to participate in our democracy.”
Blockchain’s Role
While mobile voting makes it easier for overseas citizens to cast their votes, blockchain technology adds ease, transparency and security.
“Voatz uses biometrics, ID verification and blockchain technology as a unique mechanism for data security and post election auditing. The process begins with overseas citizens applying for an absentee ballot. Once a county clerk verifies users information, they can download the Voatz app on their smartphone. Full identification verification is required, along with a ‘video motion selfie,’ used for facial recognition matching. Once everything is approved, users will receive a mobile ballot, which is fully anonymous and stored on a blockchain network. A fingerprint is needed to unlock it,” explained Sawhney.
The Voatz mobile election platform is powered by Hyperledger Fabric, the enterprise grade blockchain framework hosted by the Linux Foundation. The voting database is distributed across 32 computing nodes on machines hosted by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, all within the geographical bounds of the U.S. Voatz monitors the nodes alongside select nonprofits that act as independent supervisors.
“Just as voters using the platform must go through a vetting process before voting, those who want to run a node, also known as the auditors in this case, must be vetted. In the Denver election, eighteen people signed up to be auditors, which laid the foundation for this,” said Sawhney.
It’s also important to point out that the Voatz platform doesn’t rely on cryptocurrency. According to Swahney, in the case of voting, cryptocurrency shouldn’t be applied as an incentive mechanism in order to avoid conflicts.
“We don’t have cryptocurrency as an incentive mechanism because we want to avoid conflicts of interest and legal complications that might arise in terms of having to pay someone to audit a transaction. Everything across the network is done from goodwill to support transparent democracy, which is all compliant with U.S. regulations.”
Data Security Of Electronic Voting Systems
However, while a blockchain-based mobile application may ease the process for overseas voters to cast their ballots, data security behind electronic voting systems remains questionable.
Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, in which Russian hackers attempted to delete and alter voter data, concerns have been raised regarding data protection. Yet according to Swahney, blockchain ensures data protection much more efficiently than traditional electronic voting systems.
“No voter identifiable information is being stored on the blockchain, just the cast ballots. The public can also access the blockchain as well and do individual analysis without knowing who voted. This is a big step toward creating transparency. The other challenge of electronic voting is the question of how to keep data tamper resistant from the time when the voters cast their ballots to when the tabulation happens. Using blockchain helps with this, plus it has auditing capabilities that adds transparency and verifiability of the whole transaction.”
During the Denver election, The National Cybersecurity Center (NCC) provided an open audit to the public to ensure that voter’s choices were honored.
“On Election Day, a county clerks will receive two sets of keys to unlock the digital lock box that hold the records on the blockchain. They then print those ballots and scan them in. Voters will receive a digitally signed receipt once they submit their ballots and the jurisdiction will get an anonymous copy. Once the election is over, the jurisdiction uses anonymous receipts and compares those with the printed ballot and data on the blockchain,” explained Swahney.
While Voatz is only applicable for overseas military personnel and their families eligible to vote in Utah, Swahney mentioned that next steps are to extend the technology to people with disabilities.
“In a post election survey from the Denver Elections Division, 100% of respondents said they favored secure mobile voting over all methods available to them. Next on our roadmap is to learn from every pilot we do and make improvements. For example, from the West Virginia election we learned how to make the post election audit process more collaborative so that citizens can participate with county clerks. In the future, we want to expand this to those with disabilities and will work on making the platform more accessible.” | https://medium.com/hackernoon/utah-becomes-the-third-u-s-jurisdiction-to-offer-blockchain-based-mobile-voting-2ba89e7fc74a | ['Rachel Wolfson'] | 2019-07-24 23:19:47.881000+00:00 | ['Mobile Apps', 'Utah', 'Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Hackernoon Top Story'] |
1,815 | Traditional mooring connectors don’t cut it anymore, but this does. | Connects in Seconds, Stays for Life.
Whether you’re installing a pre-lay for a MODU (Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit), a new spread for an offloading system, installing a tidal turbine, or exploring offshore wind,
SEA-Stab from Enginuity offers simple, cost-effective, and rapid connection.
Whereas installing permanent mooring systems would take a long time because of complexity in the design of traditional technologies, the SEA-Stab connects quickly and effectively — once the two parts meet, it’s locked in and you’re all set.
It’s that simple. You can check the following video to find out.
And because it’s so easy to connect, the SEA-Stab saves you time. Lots of it.
And when you save time, you save money.
Plus, because of its high-quality design, there’s zero-deformation when you use it. Which means you can reuse it, because it’s fully reconnectable.
So, what exactly is the SEA-Stab?
The SEA-Stab is a rapidly deployed, reusable, high-load connector designed for the most challenging marine environments. It is designed to be stronger than any equivalent-sized chain, with a fully scalable design allowing for working loads up to 30,000 kN.
It is a new subsea mooring connector that’s lighter, simpler, stronger, and more cost-effective than traditional “ball and taper” technology.
With this, SEA-Stab outperforms traditional permanent or re-connectable technologies:
Zero-deformation at full chain MBL, ensuring connector remains truly reconnectable
Cost-effective design that reduces capital cost
Self-centers during deployment with wide approach angles, which reduces installation costs
Fully inspectable during installation and throughout life, ensuring fitness for purpose.
Only 5 moving parts with no dissimilar materials, reducing corrosion risk
with no dissimilar materials, Configurable coupling reduces need for additional components during hook up.
Because of our unique design, the SEA-Stab ultimately reduces capital and installation costs, and reduces risks such as corrosion, all while providing a simpler, easier way to make mooring connections. Because of its “Instant Grab” design, full load can be applied within seconds of connection.
SEA-Stab is designed for rapid connection and disconnection of mooring systems, with fully redundant secondary locking options that allow for remote release. It can be deployed as a part of a permanent mooring spread.
SEA-Stab was made in collaboration with Oceanside Equipment Limited.
Oceanside Equipment Limited can provide all the connectors in a typical mooring spread, and can handle oil and gas-related needs and projects for SEA-Stab. For more information about them, you may visit: https://www.oceansideequipment.ca/
For more information about SEA-Stab, you may visit: www.sea-stab.com
Read more at: https://enginuityinc.ca/sea-stab-permanent-mooring-system/ | https://medium.com/@enginuity/traditional-mooring-connectors-dont-cut-it-anymore-but-this-does-13a8c8f6cbda | ['Enginuity Inc.'] | 2020-12-11 15:32:54.746000+00:00 | ['Innovation', 'Renewable Energy', 'Inventions', 'Technology', 'Engineering'] |
1,816 | How do Wireless Security Cameras Work | Wireless security cameras send data over Wi-Fi rather than through physical cables. A wireless camera must be in range of a dependable internet signal to figure correctly. Today i will show you how do wireless security cameras work.
One small note: While some wireless cameras are battery powered and thus truly wire-free, many still got to be plugged into an outlet because electrical power is far more reliable than battery powered wireless outdoor security camera reviews.
How do wireless security cameras work?
Wireless cameras work by transmitting the camera’s video through a radio (RF) transmitter. The video is shipped to a receiver that’s connected to a built-in memory device or through cloud storage. Through your monitor or receiver, you will have a simple link to access all of your image or video clips.
Vivint Smart Home home security systems provide variety of valuable safety benefits for property owners. But a wireless security camera system may probably be one among the foremost beneficial of all components for your house.
That’s due to six standard functions wireless security cameras introduce to home security systems. Those are:
Motion Detection Wireless Technology Scheduled Recording Remote Viewing Automatic Cloud Storage Wireless System
Those security camera functions have made Vivint home security systems now simpler than ever.
Wireless Technology
Wired vs. Wireless Home Security Cameras
When security cameras first came out on the market, that they had to be connected to an electrical source to figure . Some cameras still work this manner . These wired cameras believe video cables to transmit video signals to a viewing device, sort of a computer or television.With a wireless security camera, the video signal — and, with some, the audio signal as well — is transmitted over the web or other wireless network to a receiver that connects to your viewing and recording device. many of us use computers or Cloud storage accounts to save lots of the video footage for later viewing.
Wireless Security Camera System Benefits
As mentioned above, wireless security cameras are easier to put in than the wired alternative. Wired cameras must hook up with your home’s electrical system, so you’ll got to hire knowledgeable for the installation. Wireless cameras believe Wi-Fi or other networks. Follow the instructions, and you’ll found out and connect most cameras in but thirty minutes.
Wireless security cameras are often more ideal for renters, people new home security, or those on a budget. Not only are wireless security cameras less costly than wired systems, but they’re also easier to maneuver and transport. Just unplug them, and you’re able to go!
Wireless Security Camera Has Limitations
It’s important to notice that there are limitations to a wireless security camera’s capabilities. A wireless camera must maintain a sign and connection to your network to record and capture footage. If your connection is disrupted, your wireless security camera can’t send the feed to your viewing device.
Additionally, if the camera is totally wireless, it’ll got to be powered by A battery . during this quite arrangement, you’ll got to confirm to exchange the battery before it dies.
Lastly, a wireless camera generally can’t be too distant from the most hub. If there’s an immediate line of sight, a wireless camera’s range may reach up to 500 feet or more. Within a house, the range is typically lower — around 150 feet — though not always.
The signal range depends on a couple of factors, including your home’s building materials, other wireless devices within the area, and any walls or objects through which the signal has got to pass. Standard drywall and glass windows might not impact the strength of the camera’s wireless signal, but brick and concrete will. If there are brick walls, concrete floors, and enormous trees in between the camera and receiver, your signal strength will likely weaken.
Wireless security cameras are an excellent addition to your home security system, as they provide you 24/7 viewing access to your home, regardless of where within the world you’re .
Now, explore the simplest home security cameras on the market and see which of them can integrate together with your home security system.
The old days of security cameras wont to be a hassle. Long, obtrusive wires once crisscrossed homes and made it difficult to stay a home looking nice. Anyone hoping to put in a security system had to face facts: they were getting to need to find solutions for all the wiring involved.
Today, that’s not the maximum amount of a drag . More and more people have moved toward wireless security camera systems. But how do they work? Security cameras have significant benefits, but also a couple of limitations. Still, they’re in higher demand than ever.
wireless-security-cameras
The Essentials of Wireless Home Security Cameras
Analog vs Digital
WiFi vs Cellular
Pros vs Cons
Analog vs Digital
Analog cameras send constant data streams during transmissions while digital cameras adjust their signals to avoid interference. Analog cameras tend to select up more interference, and since they’re a touch less secure, the signal are often picked up with a receiver that’s tuned to its frequency. Digital cameras adjust their frequencies, making it harder to tune into their signals. It also means you’ll need to appropriately pair your receiver with the camera in order that the 2 are always performing on an equivalent frequency.
WiFi vs Cellular
Wifi surveillance cameras operate a network and may actually be used along side other devices and cameras once they are all networked together. These devices are all connected through a route, which sends information back and from the devices through the web and to your receiver. an enormous advantage of Wifi surveillance cameras is that you simply can remotely tune into your video feed even when you’re outside the network, goodbye as you’ve got a tool that has appropriate access.
Cellular trail camera devices, on the opposite hand, hook up with a cellular network through a cellular transmitter. These transmitters send the video. While these networks operate much an equivalent as a WiFi network, they believe the strength of their cellular signal to work effectively, instead of a WiFi signal. If you don’t have access to a WiFi Network, this might be your best choice , though you’ll also need a cellular data plan.
Pros vs Cons
Wireless security cameras are easier to put in than wired systems. However, wireless home security cameras are often a touch less secure than wired cameras if they’re not operated properly. Still, if yours is about up the proper way, you’ll have a secure connection which will be remotely accessed during a way that wired systems cannot.
Regardless of whether you select a WiFi or cellular security network, wireless systems are the thanks to choose almost everyone with either WiFi or cellular access. Here is the finish how do wireless security cameras work. | https://medium.com/@getlockers1/how-do-wireless-security-cameras-work-764d14f5ca52 | ['Smart Locks'] | 2020-07-15 04:16:38.586000+00:00 | ['Safety', 'Security Camera System', 'Security', 'Security Camera', 'Technology'] |
1,817 | A Comprehensive Study of the On-Demand App Industry | We are used to tapping on our phone and ordering a taxi to take us anywhere. Services like Uber have become so much integrated into our lives that we sometimes forget to appreciate how far technology has brought us.
This has been possible due to the on-demand app development. The on-demand economy is in a hyper-growth stage right now. In the next few years, we will order anything and get it within a 5 to 60-minute window. The technology covers everything, including food delivery, taxi rides, package delivery, and much more. All this is possible due to rapid growth in app development technologies.
Why is the on-demand app market so trending right now?
The whole idea of on-demand services was born from the need for convenience and mobility, so it is obvious that the industry has taken center stage. Moreover, the on-demand business model had a great amount of success, with companies like Uber making millions out of it. The investors have also placed their bets on the sector as it showed such tremendous growth.
Top leaders in the industry
There are companies out there, such as Uber, Zomato, Lyft, Fiverr, Airbnb, OYO, etc. As per statistics, the US alone has so much spending on on-demand services that it is empowering revolutions like Uber without any doubt.
Advantages of on-demand services
One of the main reasons why on-demand services and startups are so successful is the customer’s opportunity to get everything he needs anytime, anywhere, and at their convenience without even going out.
The on-demand economy uses technology to simplify and help fulfill all the customers’ and service providers’ essential and urgent needs. Today the on-demand apps are present in almost all the industries and services from transportation and logistics to food delivery and repair services; the list goes on. There are even demand forecasting softwares available to help you find the next industry on rise.
Whatever the reasons the consumer has for using on-demand services, there are few basic things like accuracy, speed, quality, and client satisfaction that shape the on-demand economy. There are many apps nowadays that meet consumer needs by offering them essential services, and they are becoming more and more popular due to the increasing growth of mobile apps popularity.
The biggest role is technology that makes it possible for the services to become instant and accessible 24/7, and all this is possible from just a few mobile apps installed on your smartphone.
Which industries are driving the growth of on-demand services?
To know more and to get information read our complete blog at https://www.appsrhino.com/a-comprehensive-study-of-the-on-demand-app-industry/ | https://medium.com/@appsrhino4/a-comprehensive-study-of-the-on-demand-app-industry-5283d8b3afa | [] | 2020-12-16 04:07:26.463000+00:00 | ['Mobile Apps', 'Business', 'Software Development', 'Mobile App Development', 'Technology'] |
1,818 | JavaScript Best Practices — Creating Objects | Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
JavaScript is a very forgiving language. It’s easy to write code that runs but has mistakes in it.
In this article, we’ll look at the best ways to create JavaScript objects, which isn’t by using the Object constructor.
Don't Use the Object Constructor
The Object constructor lets us create an object. However, it isn’t needed to create an object since there’re shorter ways to do it.
For instance, instead of writing the following using the Object constructor to create an object, we can instead write:
const obj = new Object();
obj.a = 1;
obj.b = 2;
We can instead write:
const obj = {
a: 1,
b: 2
};
As we can see, we avoid a lot of extra typing by creating an object literal directly rather than using the Object constructor.
We can also create constructor functions or classes to create a template function that we can use to create new objects.
For instance, we can create the Person constructor function using the class syntax so that we can create new Person objects with it using the new operator.
We can write the following to create the Person constructor:
class Person {
constructor(name) {
this.name = name;
}
}
In the class above, we have the name parameter which is used to set the name instance variable in the Person instance.
Then we can create multiple Person instances with it as follows:
const jane = new Person('jane');
const joe = new Person('joe');
const alex = new Person('alex');
In the code above, we created 3 new Person instances, with different values for this.name which we passed in from the name parameter.
We can also add instance methods to a class by writing the following:
class Person {
constructor(name) {
this.name = name;
} greet(greeting) {
return `${greeting} ${this.name}`;
}
}
In the code above, we have the greet instance method, which takes a greeting string and combine it with the this.name instance variable.
Then we can call it as follows:
console.log(jane.greet('hi'));
console.log(joe.greet('hi'));
console.log(alex.greet('hi'));
We then get:
hi jane
hi joe
hi alex
logged in the console log output as we called greet to pass in 'hi' as the value of greeting .
As we can see, with JavaScript classes, we can create objects that has the same instance variables and methods in it.
Another way to create objects is by using the Object.create method. This method is useful since we can set the prototype of an object as we’re creating the object.
For instance, if we want to create an object that has another object as its prototype, we can write the following code:
const bar = {
a: 1
}
const foo = Object.create(bar);
foo.b = 1;
foo.c = 2;
In the code above, we have the bar object, which is used as the prototype of the foo object by using the Object.create method.
Then we added extra properties b and c to the foo object itself. b and c are foo ‘s own, or non-inherited property, and a is the property of the prototype of foo .
The prototype is the template object for the child object. An object inherits property from its prototype.
If we log the foo object, we get that foo ‘s __proto__ property has property a with its value set to 1.
If we want to create an object without a prototype, we can call the Object.create method with the argument null so that the __proto__ property won’t be set.
For instance, we can write the following to create the object:
const foo = Object.create(null);
foo.b = 1;
foo.c = 2;
Then if we log the value of foo , we’ll see that it has no __proto__ property, which means that the object has no prototype.
Photo by Minako Aino on Unsplash
Conclusion
There’re many ways to create an object in a concise manner. We shouldn’t use the Object constructor to create an object.
This is because it provides us with no benefits over defining object literals. They both inherit from Object and using the constructor is just a long way to do the same thing.
Alternative ways to create object including using classes as a template for new objects. | https://medium.com/swlh/javascript-best-practices-creating-objects-b8c231e774d6 | ['John Au-Yeung'] | 2020-05-16 17:08:51.154000+00:00 | ['JavaScript', 'Software Development', 'Programming', 'Technology', 'Web Development'] |
1,819 | Tech vs. Regulators: A Case In Point | Photo by Lianhao Qu on Unsplash
We remember being horrified at the invocation of emergency powers in Hong Kong to ban wearing masks in the pro-democracy protests. We might have felt grateful even, to be safe from such violative facial surveillance. But consider this: a UK-based research firm, Comparitech found New Delhi to be among the top 20 cities in the world for CCTV surveillance per unit population (which, by the way, stands at more than 9 cameras per 1000 individuals). This is worryingly close to several infamously surveilled Chinese cities. Automated facial recognition is the creeper that’s inconspicuously taken over our world; now we’re having a hard time dealing with all the offshoots. “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” (Christian Lange)
Evolving since the 1960s, automated facial recognition is a technology that used to identify somebody by using the unique characteristics of their face in video, pictures or real-time. Contactless and non-invasive, it’s been put to a wide variety of uses: unlocking devices, detecting identity thefts, locating missing children, airport security screening, identifying criminals and worryingly, surveillance.
While it has come a long way, the system is far from perfect. In 2018, Delhi Police reported the accuracy of its facial recognition system at a paltry 2%. Computer vision dazzle patterns and privacy visor glasses can cleverly confuse the algorithm. And, lest we forget, masks! There’s another lurking problem. The tech requires a database of pictures from which to learn identification. The initial databases often lack diversity with the result being that the system is more accurate in identifying certain races and genders more than others. The lopsided accuracy can further amplify biases when used in policing and criminal identification. And there is the debate around the image storage and the consequent privacy issue. Understandably, no technology is perfect but calibrated policies can pave the way for its successful adoption.
As it stands, however, the response of countries to facial recognition technology has been haywire. Several American states have banned all use of the tech. A British court has termed its use by the police unlawful, citing low robustness. On the other hand, Argentina has a prospective bill legalizing facial recognition in public places. China is well known for using extensive facial recognition in all spheres. The Indian government has also ramped up the use of AI in general and plans an overarching automated facial recognition system for criminal identification across government departments. India and several other countries using the tech lack a legal infrastructure to govern its use. This poses a grave risk of rights abuse and privacy violation. India’s IT Act, 2000 is completely silent on facial recognition. The Supreme Court has established the proportionality standard for collecting personal data, but detailed rules are needed. The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 categorizes facial images as sensitive personal data on the lines of GDPR, but there are several grounds to allow government processing with and without consent.
It is impossible to have a one-size-fits-all regulation, yet, it is important to have an unambiguous regulatory legal framework in proportion with the intended and possible use of facial recognition technology. When “efficiency is an unfulfilled promise, but discrimination and unreliability are demonstrated effects” (Vidushi for The Print, 2019), we cannot proceed with the current haphazard approach. We must adopt a responsible strategy for the gradual assimilation of technology; one based on freedoms, rights, accountability, transparency and fairness. | https://medium.com/@nimishaagr/tech-vs-regulators-a-case-in-point-3959b8c81d27 | ['Nimisha Agrawal'] | 2020-12-03 08:21:08.131000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Regulation', 'Privacy', 'Facial Recognition', 'Technology'] |
1,820 | Facts and Myths of Blockchain Development | Blockchain technology has emerged as one of the most hyped and talked about technological inventions. While it reveals a lot of positive feedback from the tech industry post its inception there are still many myths around the community.
Acknowledged as a Distributed Ledger, the technology provides some of the leading developments in its data transactions with a bit more secure, transparent, and efficient computational architecture.
Under its functionality, the database is maintained by a continued growing set of data termed as blocks when composed together form a distributed peer-to-peer connected chain.
To recall, A Blockchain architecture is based on two key components:
Blocks — The structured sequencing of the data involved in the transactions.
— The structured sequencing of the data involved in the transactions. Transactions — The steps or operations taken by the users.
Myths and Facts of Blockchain Development
Blockchain Myth 1
Myth 1: Blockchain Comes Free
Fact: The Concept or the architecture is common or open-sourced to learn for all but when it comes to driving a blockchain-based application or other resources then it comes with a cost.
Due to the heavy computational processes along with the resources to perform the operations involved the statement to say it’s free is not justified.
Blockchain Myth 2
Myth 2: Blockchain is One
Fact: Blockchain gets derived as a concept that can be implemented to attain many technological advancements.
With its different types and architecture, blockchain can not be stated as a single technology rather it is a service-based mechanism to innovate on its concept.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperledger are certain examples of blockchain-based technologies.
Blockchain Myth 3
Myth 3: The Blockchain is a Cloud database.
Fact: Blockchain works on the algorithm that stores data in the form of blocks with every occurring transaction; these blocks are not documented or can be presented in any storage form.
It works on a peer-to-peer networking and allows controlled access. Hence, in reality it’s not a Cloud-based database management.
Blockchain Myth 4
Myth 4: Blockchain is the Most important next-gen Technology
Fact: Blockchain during its initial days was talked by many to be a path-breaking innovation for technology architectures supporting businesses across domains.
Although it brings the benefits of high transaction speed and cost reduction there are flaws like data fraud with online transaction ledgers and other shortcomings that make it certainly be a bit far more away from being a widely used next-gen technology for businesses. | https://medium.com/@hashstudioz/facts-and-myths-of-blockchain-development-3946df0f9366 | [] | 2020-12-28 05:01:44.582000+00:00 | ['Blockchain Technology', 'Blockchain Application', 'Blockchain Development', 'Trending Technologies', 'Technology'] |
1,821 | “Hot Girl” | Françoise Gilot, artist and muse who left Pablo Picasso
A few weeks ago, a Silicon Valley product manager tweeted: “Startup advice: don’t hire a hot girl before you find product-market fit.”
Employment lawyers ran to the rescue on Twitter, offering legal advice to any “hot girls” who’d encountered this ideology in the workplace. Unsurprising to any woman who has worked in tech, the mid-level manager and failed startup founder dug his heels in.
His manifesto continued: one should not hire a hot girl for “low value” roles like an office manager, because her beauty or body would be too tantalizing for the engineers, blunting their logic with blinding, nonsensical beauty. On the other hand, a hot girl may be acceptable for a “high value” position, maybe like a head of sales. Of course, if the hot girl were especially clever, she could dangle her hotness over the drooling engineers, incentivizing productivity, and rewarding the fastest workers (with I’m not sure what? maybe I’ll DM him to clarify.). However things turn out, the junior product manager concluded, management should not be afraid to fire her if she “ruins workplace dynamics.”
This tirade, as nauseous as it made many women feel, was not all that shocking to any so-called “hot girl” — or woman of any appearance, really. This man’s words reflect a belief that many cultures privately or subconsciously have held for a long time: some women’s looks are so potent that men simply cannot control their animal impulses around them. Beyond that, a belief that the most powerful value a beautiful woman can summon in the world is the feeling she arouses in a man.
Bring this version of reality to the workplace, and women are instruments: dangerous sirens, luring the men away from their mission-critical work toward rocky waters, or beacons of sexual energy, pushing the men to impress them with their programming prowess.
Imagine dealing with this job description, as you sit down at your desk with a coffee to log on to the network each morning.
At the risk of showing myself clever and dangling my “hotness” over this blog post, I’d like to digress for a moment. I am a young woman. I live among a generation of men who like to think of themselves as feminists. Who would never imagine themselves to be misogynists. Yet, many of them are. Why? It goes a long way back and an examination of the roots is not what I’m here for. Rather, what comes to mind for me is a framework the German philosopher Martin Buber spoke of, when he described our relationships with one another as occurring in either one of two forms: the I-it versus the I-thou. The I-it sees the other as an object, stripping the human of the whole to pieces or qualities. The I-thou sees the unity and context and wholeness of another person, their humanity.
I-it objectification supports the idea that one’s physical attractiveness, the simple act of existing as conventionally beautiful, will always dominate the substance of who one is (women: why invest in a skill or talent when you could simply use your power of seduction to arouse an engineer who has melded into his desk chair?)
It’s a quandary that’s been documented throughout women’s history: to succumb to objectification, or transcend it? Only recently did I learn, via an “untold story” type of documentary, that “bombshell” Hollywood actress Hedy LaMarr — a sex symbol of the 1940s — was a secret inventor whose scientific work laid the foundation for WiFi. Frequency hopping was a critical part of communicating messages without interception during World War II, and Hedy was a pioneer of this technology. Yet Hedy yielded to her identity as sex symbol, refusing later in her life to accept an award for her scientific accomplishments in-person, because she feared how people would only see an aging face.
Just this week, we heard the story of an emergency medical technician who, struggling to make ends meet on an EMT salary turned to the online sex work platform OnlyFans to increase her earning potential. When she spoke to the New York Post, they misled her, choosing to focus on her racy OnlyFans platform rather than the fact she provided medical care to other humans in the midst of the pandemic and was not paid enough to make ends meet. This is not to say there is anything wrong with sex work, which is empowering to many on both a financial and sexual level. But here she was stripped of her complete self to fit someone else’s story for her.
It’s difficult to reclaim your story from what society projects onto you, especially if you’re told over and over again by powerful forces that your value lies in your ability to be objectified.
Pablo Picasso was known to relate to his muses in the “I-it” fashion, and once said that women fell into two categories: doormats or goddesses. Last year, the memoir of one of Picasso’s “goddesses,” Francoise Gilot, resurfaced. Forty years Picasso’s junior, Gilot was a talented artist in her own right.
Gilot was the only “muse” to leave a romantic relationship with Picasso, ready to spend more time with people in her age range. Picasso turned bitter, and said: “Even if you think people like you, it will only be a kind of curiosity they will have about a person whose life has touched mine so intimately. And you’ll be left with only the taste of ashes in your mouth. For you, reality is finished; it ends right here. If you attempt to take a step outside my reality — which has become yours, inasmuch as I found you when you were young and unformed and I burned everything around you — you’re headed straight for the desert.”
(Picasso surely deserves more credit than our tech bro friend from Twitter, or your average Reddit incel. But while Picasso wasn’t around to be an Internet troll today, the sentiment is still the same: how dare a woman exist in a complex role?)
Anyway, Picasso’s story for Gilot completely missed the mark. She was not banished to a desert, but instead went on to have an admired career as an artist, ending up married to Jonas Salk, creator of the polio vaccine. (As The New Yorker writes, Salk was “doubtless secure enough in his own accomplishments to like her for reasons that had nothing to do with Picasso.”) Gilot is ninety-nine today, experiencing somewhat of a resurgence in pop culture.
A woman’s story does not start or end as the “hot girl” identified by a repressed technologist, or as an OnlyFans worker exploited by a male journalist for the New York Post, or as a “doormat” haunted by the ghost of Pablo Picasso. Sure, you can still be hot. You don’t have to wear a paper bag to dilute your looks, or eschew make-up to prove you’re more than your shell. The real beauty lies in the knowledge that your story is the one you write for yourself, that it need not be co-opted by anyone else.
I’m excited to report that no woman I know was banished to an arid desert when they stepped outside the reality of men who fear “hot girls.” At my new workplace, productivity is high, our features all get in quickly, and we actually all just got raises and reached product-market fit.
And we did it all by defying “startup advice” — coincidentally, my company is run by hot women. | https://medium.com/@arsteinhorn/hot-girl-b17f8b09c853 | ['Ariella Steinhorn'] | 2020-12-18 18:40:53.238000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Muse', 'Technology', 'Women', 'Gender'] |
1,822 | Nvidia Announces New Chips Designed For Mining Ethereum As The Cryptocurrency Hits Record Highs | Nvidia Announces New Chips Designed For Mining Ethereum As The Cryptocurrency Hits Record Highs Digital Times Africa Feb 23·2 min read
Nvidia on Thursday announced it will release a new series of semiconductors specifically for mining ether, the second-largest digital cryptocurrency.
The new chip type is called CMP, or Cryptocurrency Mining Processor. The first cards will go on sale in March, an Nvidia spokesperson said.
Ether mining is a process in which computers solve complicated math programs to help the Ethereum cryptocurrency network run. In exchange, miners get ether, the digital coin that runs on the Ethereum network. Ether hit a record high on Thursday, up over 160% year-to-date to over $1,914.
Ether’s mining algorithms run best on graphics cards, which is the kind of chip that Nvidia is known for. Miners often buy several graphics cards and put them in a single machine to maximize their return.
Last fall, Nvidia released a new series of graphics cards marketed at PC gamers that have been consistently selling out. The semiconductor industry is also facing a shortage across the board.
Thursday’s announcement suggests that at least some of the demand for Nvidia’s chips came from cryptocurrency miners, not just gamers.
″CMP products — which don’t do graphics — are sold through authorized partners and optimized for the best mining performance and efficiency,” Matt Wuebbling, head of GeForce marketing at Nvidia wrote in a blog post.
Nvidia said that the latest chip in its gaming graphics cards series, the RTX 3060, would be modified when it’s released later this year so it won’t mine ether effectively. Cards that have already been sold, like the RTX 3070 or RTX 3080, do not have the same limitations, the Nvidia representative said.
“RTX 3060 software drivers are designed to detect specific attributes of the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm, and limit the hash rate, or cryptocurrency mining efficiency, by around 50 percent,” Nvidia’s said in a blog post.
Graphics cards were first developed to enable high-definition computer games but they’re increasingly essential for new technologies like artificial intelligence. Their usefulness in mining ether isn’t new, either — in 2017, Nvidia said it made hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter selling chips to cryptocurrency miners.
“Cryptocurrency and blockchain are here to stay. The market need for it is going to grow, and over time it will become quite large,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in 2017.
PC gaming is also growing strongly. Consumer spending on PC gaming hardware was up 62% in 2020, according to an NPD Group estimate. A graphics card is often the most expensive part of a gaming PC.
Source: CNBC | https://medium.com/@digitaltimes-2020/nvidia-announces-new-chips-designed-for-mining-ethereum-as-the-cryptocurrency-hits-record-highs-ac49a9af6cd1 | ['Digital Times Africa'] | 2021-02-23 12:30:41.433000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Nvidia', 'Technology News', 'Technology'] |
1,823 | [Founder Feature@TC] April 2020 | Name: Moses Kakanga, Founder, 35yo, Ugandan
Technopreneur Circle member: Since April 2019
Company: Recornea Pte Ltd (Healthcare)
Website: http://www.recornea.com/
Fun facts about me:
I am an extremely outgoing person and likes traveling, all things music, and fine art.
The company under 20 words:
Recornea Pte Ltd is a med tech company developing implants for reshaping deformed corneas.
What my company name & logo means:
RECORNEA means rebuilding your cornea.
Why I started the company & my journey so far:
We started the company in reaction to an unmet clinical need of treating people with bulging corneas — a disease called Keratoconus. The journey has been good so far but not without its challenges — it has been very challenging to raise funds in Singapore for med tech and biotech before doing clinical trials!
My lightbulb advice:
Transitioning from being an academic, I advise young aspiring entrepreneurs to take a leap of faith to start companies as there is no better time to start company than now. But you need to remember that starting your own company comes with many challenges, it needs one to develop persistence and the ability to start again when one idea fails.
I am looking for:
Investors, Mentors / Advisors, Partners, Talents (team members)
You can reach me @
moseskakanga@gmail.com
Technopreneur Circle is a member-based community platform funded by Vertex Ventures for tech startups to connect, communicate, and collaborate. More information available at www.technopreneurcircle.com.
Contact us: techcircle@vertexholdings.com | https://medium.com/@techcircle/founder-feature-tc-april-2020-30d7ba015052 | ['Technopreneur Circle'] | 2020-04-06 04:33:57.332000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Founder Stories', 'Technology', 'Founders', 'Entrepreneur'] |
1,824 | Layman’s Introduction to KNN | Layman’s Introduction to KNN
k-nearest neighbour algorithm is where most people begin when starting with machine learning.
Photo by timJ on Unsplash
kNN stands for k-Nearest Neighbours. It is a supervised learning algorithm. This means that we train it under supervision. We train it using the labelled data already available to us. Given a labelled dataset consisting of observations (x,y), we would like to capture the relationship between x — the data and y — the label. More formally, we want to learn a function g : X→Y so that given an unseen observation X, g(x) can confidently predict the corresponding output Y.
Other examples of supervised learning algorithms include random forests, linear regression and logistic regression.
kNN is very simple to implement and is most widely used as a first step in any machine learning setup. It is often used as a benchmark for more complex classifiers such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Support Vector Machines (SVM). Despite its simplicity, k-NN can outperform more powerful classifiers and is used in a variety of applications such as economic forecasting, data compression and genetics.
Genetics
Agriculture
Aviation — Air traffic flow prediction
As with most technological progress in the early 1900s, KNN algorithm was also born out of research done for the armed forces. Two offices of USAF School of Aviation Medicine — Fix and Hodges (1951) wrote a technical report introducing a non-parametric method for pattern classification that has since become popular as the k-nearest neighbor (kNN) algorithm.
Source: DTIC — The Declassified Paper in full.
How does it work?
Let’s say we have a dataset with two kinds of points — Label 1 and Label 2. Now given a new point in this dataset we want to figure out its label. The way it is done in kNN is by taking a majority vote of its k nearest neighbours. k can take any value between 1 and infinity but in most practical cases k is less than 30.
Blue Circles v/s Orange Triangles
Let’s say we have two groups of points — blue-circles and orange-triangles. We want to classify the Test Point = black circle with a question mark, as either a blue circle or an orange triangle.
Goal: To label the black circle.
For K = 1 we will look at the first nearest neighbour. Since we take majority vote and there is only 1 voter we assign its label to our black test point. We can see that the test point will be classified as a blue circle for k=1. | https://towardsdatascience.com/laymans-introduction-to-knn-c793ed392bc2 | ['Rishi Sidhu'] | 2019-05-22 00:46:43.926000+00:00 | ['Algorithms', 'Technology', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Data Science', 'Machine Learning'] |
1,825 | GOLD is a steady coin for regular day to day existence | Lately, the automated condition knows about a more brilliant and progressively compelling administration and limit system known as blockchain development. Since the most extreme limit of the blockchain has not yet been uncovered, its general effect on society has not yet been completely comprehended.
Likewise, different endeavors have been made to win improved gold. Be that as it may, this was before the period of Bitcoin and blockchain development. At present, another time of gold-sponsored cryptographic cash is expanding, as blockchain development is worked as a secured bookkeeping method and bitcoin is better known to the overall public. There is an infamous and brutal weight for unfathomable riches in the crypto world, and even nations trust they can spend their own gold-based cryptographic coins.
The essential thought is completely persuading. You are given a coin or coin that gives a gold expectation, for instance 1 gram of gold relates to 1 coin. The gold gram is expelled by a confided in boss or, in a perfect world, from outside, and can be traded for other coin holders. At any rate the expense of the coin will keep on ascending to the present gold cost.
On the off chance that the digital cash doesn’t get the opportunity to become standard, the coin cost may have a higher incentive now than in the gold figure. With the chance of cryptographic cash not being pulled back, the incentive now stays a gauge of the gold gram. It resembles a hidden stop mishap.
GOLD is a steady coin for regular day to day existence
For quite a while, blockchains were utilized uniquely to record digital cash trades. The fast accomplishment and advancement of Bitcoin, the world’s most significant PC based asset, persuaded people far and wide that worth can be securely put away on the Web.
Furthermore, numerous blockchain specialists have created various potential results, as they accept they can outrage and change most organizations around the globe. Right now, the utilization is totally nearer than by far most accepts. It successfully inquiries and builds up about authoritative bodies, cash establishments, NGOs, organizations and new organizations, blockchain-based organizations.
Propelled Gold represents a bold and ingenious organization that means to defeat all obstructions between the gold and mechanized natural framework. GOLD is a steady coin intended for typical use to keep up a similar measure of carefulness.
At the point when You Purchase GOLD, You Purchase Appropriate Physical Gold Bars
At the point when you purchase GOLD, you purchase the proper measure of physical gold chunks put away in a protected store box. Some significant focuses that make the coin exceptional are:
Keep physical gold while remaining private. There is no convincing motivation to reveal your own data important to buy physical gold from a bank or vault.
Store a motivator in the source with a demonstrated notoriety for a thousand years. The noteworthy long haul steadiness of buying power has made gold a secured heaven hotspot for choices and backing against market unsteadiness.
Shop for nothing. In GOLD, you can change any measure of cash in your pocket to no end. The primary expense is that your pay will be charged a couple of percent every day to keep physical gold in checkout.
There is no buy or working breaking point. Modernized Gold is a liquidity supplier with huge places that permit us to purchase and discharge an enormous number of tokens at our area or in wrongdoing accomplices.
It’s exceptionally liquid. Arrangement and buy trades are currently. Token holders can purchase or sell tokens in a split second from our site or make complex exchanges.
Repurchase is ensured. Propelled Gold permits all coins you guarantee to be repurchased by us at gold spot costs.
Digital GOLD can be bought and sold quickly from different stores or our site. This permits GOLD holders to change positions in no time, which is a troublesome element to accomplish with physical gold in a secured safe.
You can store a motivating force in something that has a multi-year notoriety while as yet looking after control. So as to arrive at an elevated level of market liquidity, GOLD delegates work as market makers in significant areas around the world. Such a framework permits our clients to purchase and sell a ton of GOLD without low spreads and slippage.
The GOLD Gathering gives data on sending an approved exchanging community for the present change from Bitcoin and Ethereum to GOLD and the other way around.
The exchange place is completely mechanized, exchange measures are not confined and all inquiries are arranged immediately, without concealed charges and manual warnings.
The GOLD exchange place can be come to at https://gold.storage/market
Official Website : https://gold.Storage/
White paper: https://gold.Storage/wp.Pdf
Telegram: https://t.Me/digitalgoldcoin | https://medium.com/@temmytolu/digigold-is-a-steady-coin-for-regular-day-to-day-existence-1628eaee7a3a | [] | 2020-07-08 07:41:40.047000+00:00 | ['Gold', 'Ethereum', 'Jewelry', 'Blockchain Technology'] |
1,826 | Building Web Accessibility, Part 1: Barriers, Guidelines, and Standards | “Many organizations are waking up to the fact that embracing accessibility leads to multiple benefits: reducing legal risks, strengthening brand presence, improving customer experience, and colleague productivity.” — Paul Smyth, Head of Digital Accessibility at Barclays.
Accessibility is key on the web. If you’ve read our other blog post on the topic, you’ll know what web accessibility is and why you should care. To recap, accessibility is important to the 1 billion people in the world who are disabled. And accessibility is good for business because it:
Builds positive public relations
Avoids discrimination and legal complications
Contributes to a positive company image
Boosts your SEO
Improves usability and user satisfaction
Plus, building accessibility into enterprise-grade applications that are accessible to the disabled will increase the quality of your apps and the overall user experience (disabled or not), thereby supercharging your digital transformation efforts. Therefore, there is every reason to make web accessibility a part of all your projects.
In this blog post, we take a look at the web accessibility barriers, guidelines for accessibility compliance, and the standards for increasing web accessibility. Then in the posts that follow, we talk about ways that make it easier to build accessibility into your apps (think pre-baked templates) and everything you need to achieve top-level web accessibility compliance with low-code, HTML, CSS, and more.
What Are Web Accessibility Barriers?
Simply put, anything that restricts access to web content is an accessibility barrier. Failing to design for accessibility excludes many, denying access to services, goods, or information. Five categories of disabilities can affect access to the web: auditory, cognitive, visual, motor, and speech. Understanding «the limitations of each category helps define accessibility requirements. These requirements can be also beneficial for those who aren’t disabled. For example, if you’re holding a crying baby in one hand and you need to have a video consultation with a pediatrician on your insurance app. Or, you’re making a pie crust, have your hands in flour, and your digital doorbell rings.
As we age, we all need a little more accessibility in our life. Even the healthiest of us will see some of our capabilities decline: vision, hearing, dexterity, and so on. If you’re interested in learning more on the impact of accessibility and its various benefits, here’s a video with a series of examples.
So now you’re asking yourself, “Where do I start?” and, “Are there guidelines that will help me be compliant?” It’s time to bring out the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)!
WCAG Principles and Guidelines
The WCAG is a set of guidelines that developers need to follow to make their content accessible to a wider range of people with and without disabilities. They cover a wide range of aspects that should be addressed when building accessibility. They are based on four principles known as POUR:
Perceivable : Users must receive information and user interface components in ways that they can perceive, such as providing text alternatives for graphical and other content with no text.
: Users must receive information and user interface components in ways that they can perceive, such as providing text alternatives for graphical and other content with no text. Operable : User interface components and navigation must be operable. An example is making all functionality available from a keyboard.
: User interface components and navigation must be operable. An example is making all functionality available from a keyboard. Understandable : The information on the user interface must be understandable. The user should be able to figure out how to use the interface easily; think ease of setting the language, a clear focus element on each page, and navigation consistency.
: The information on the user interface must be understandable. The user should be able to figure out how to use the interface easily; think ease of setting the language, a clear focus element on each page, and navigation consistency. Robust: Content must be robust enough so a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technology, can interpret it.
Under the POUR principles are 78 guidelines developers should follow to ensure their content is accessible. There are three test criteria compliance levels: A, AA, and AAA.
But wait, there’s more. The latest version of WCAG (2.1) includes additional requirements for mobile accessibility. WCAG is working on their own mobile accessible checklist, but in the meantime, check out this one from the Mozilla developers’ website. For the best web experience, developers must follow the established best practices, and the content should be WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 compliant.
WAI-ARIA and Extending HTML
Web Accessibility Initiative-Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) is a standard for increasing the accessibility of web pages, in particular, dynamic content and user interface components with ARIA.
ARIA attributes are markup extensions that add textual information to the HTML semantic tags of a page or app. HTML semantic tags describe elements to the developer, browser, or device, for example: <aside>, <figure>, <figcaption>, <footer>, <header>, <main>, <nav> , <section>, <h1>, <h2>, <h3>, <h4>, <h5>, and <h6>. By extending the HTML, screen readers or browsers can interpret the textual information and convey it to the user. For example, identifying a checkbox and whether it’s checked.
WAI-ARIA is an extension of HTML, and it provides a way for developers to add specific HTML attributes (such as an article, alert, or slider) to manipulate HTML tags. This allows for developers to extend markup to act like the standard semantic tags. Here, you can see how two different page structures will behave the same when interpreted by a screen reader by using ARIA role attribute extensions:
WAI-ARIA includes ARIA roles, states, and properties:
ARIA roles don’t change; they apply to properties like the structure of a page (Progressbar, Button, Form, Region, Group, Search, Headings, Article, Document, Presentation, Toolbar).
don’t change; they apply to properties like the structure of a page (Progressbar, Button, Form, Region, Group, Search, Headings, Article, Document, Presentation, Toolbar). ARIA properties usually describe relationships with other elements and are not commonly changed.
usually describe relationships with other elements and are not commonly changed. ARIA states are more dynamic and are typically changed in the Document Object Model (DOM) when users interact with the content (aria-invalid, aria-pressed, aria-required, aria-hidden, aria-current, aria-expanded, aria-haspopup). Screen readers interpret the changes and announce them to the users, to provide interaction with the page or application.
Combining WAI-ARIA and HTML is a powerful way to make content fully accessible on all browsers and devices.
Feeling Daunted?
Now that you know the benefits of accessibility, what you’re up against, and the guidelines and standards to follow, you’re probably feeling that this will take ages and a lot of hard work. Especially since you know you have to design web accessibility from day one. That’s with traditional coding, however. There is an easier way, and Part 2 of this series introduces you to development accelerators in OutSystems UI that can help, as well as comprehensive techniques for building your own custom accessibility-ready patterns using low-code or HTML and CSS. | https://medium.com/outsystems-engineering/building-web-accessibility-part-1-barriers-guidelines-and-standards-957c1b249063 | ['Bruno Marcelino'] | 2019-02-07 17:55:58.144000+00:00 | ['Accessibility', 'Technology', 'WCAG', 'Web App Development', 'Web Accessibility'] |
1,827 | Why Leverage Technology to Combat Homelessness? Ample Labs Board of Directors Feature | What does it mean to empower individuals facing homelessness with technology? What is the intersection of technology, human-centered design, and government relations in our work? Here is a look at our journey and the nuances of Ample Labs’ work through the lens of our dedicated Board of Directors.
But first, how did we begin?
Before Ample Labs was an official tech non-profit, it started as a series of focus groups at the Fred Victor Centre. That is where two of our board members met, and our founder CG began her work.
“I met CG at Fred Victor where I was working as the director of fundraising. She was looking to do co-design sessions with our homeless population and introduced me to design thinking. I was so impressed by her passion, I’ve been following her work all these years.” -Dagmar Schroeder, Communications Manager at Stella’s Place and Ample Labs Board of Directors member
“I attended the focus group session hosted by CG and folks at Fred Victor a few years ago. They are incredibly well done! They help people draw out their opinions, thoughts, and feelings in an accessible way. I deeply respect how before there was a product, CG and the team were focused on building with the community and getting feedback from the start.” -Lisa Durnford, Legal Specialist on Ample Labs Board of Directors
That was just the beginning. Over the years, we’ve gotten tremendous support in the form of partnerships and volunteers from the community. Here is a personal and professional volunteering story from the Chair of our board, Franklin Garrigues.
On volunteering with his daughter:
“I volunteered with my 16-year-old daughter in a Chalmers Tour street walk with Ample Labs. We were promoting Chalmers to social service agencies in Toronto. In the end, she said she couldn’t believe there were so many people who are homeless. She realized it’s not just a few neighbourhoods, but everywhere. Most of the time we just don’t look. That’s the reality, it’s everywhere. Us realizing this together was a very real and important moment.”
On leading the TD x Ample partnership:
“I was blown away by the support the TD team had in putting volunteer hours toward Ample Labs. At our first lunch and learn, we had over 150 participants in the call. Over the next six months, we have over 500 volunteers involved. People want to help and use their skill set for good. They are inspired by the vision and CG.”
Our board is full of folks with a variety of backgrounds, ranging from tech to NGOs, finance to government relations! Many have personal stories from working with individuals in need. Keep reading to learn more about the individuals on our board and their diverse insights on tech for homelessness.
Official Q&A with Ample Labs Board of Directors
1. What motivates you to support technology that serves individuals facing homelessness?
Dagmar Schroeder (Fundraising Specialist):
Background: Nonprofit Communications (Marketing Manager at Stella’s Place)
Fun fact: Dagmar loves heights and the outdoors
“When I was working at Fred Victor, many individuals sleeping in the shelter told me they spent hours on the phone seeking help. It’s humiliating to tell someone on the phone about your situation and wait for an hour. If they have a cellphone to call a hotline, why not make the process easier with mobile technology? With Chalmers, it’s anonymous, quick, and real-time. Ample Labs increases the independence and dignity of homeless populations.”
Lisa Durnford (Legal Specialist):
Background: Housing Rights and the LGBTQ+ Tech Community
Fun fact: Lisa’s favourite animal is the penguin
“My experience is in practicing housing law in Toronto legal clinics. I worked closely with individuals facing eviction and experiencing homelessness. It’s disheartening to know that many folks simply don’t know what their rights are and where to get help. This kind of information should be easy for them to find. That’s why I want to support Ample Labs in getting Chalmers and this information to the hands of as many folks as possible.”
Franklin Garrigues (Chair):
Background: Business Strategy and People Management (VP of Digital Channel at TD)
Fun fact: Franklin is an avid camper and goes every summer with his family
“The problem of homelessness isn’t going away. It’s growing and we need more innovative solutions. I met CG after doing a homeless street assessment that opened my eyes. After taking the time to look around and really see people, I realized just how many people are affected in Toronto. The number is even bigger for individuals at risk. The traditional non-profit world isn’t as equipped as it should be in using technology to tackle homelessness, so I saw the opportunity to help.
Ali Asaria (Start-up Expert):
Background: Tech Start-ups and Growth (CEO of Tulip)
Fun fact: Ali likes to make art with computers for fun and has a robot that watercolours.
“I believe technology has the power to change everything in the world. Most of the efforts of technology has been on business enterprises rather than systemic issues. I’m excited to support a team that is applying technology to one of the world’s biggest problems. I believe the dedication of CG and her team is a big reason for Chalmers’ success. I used to work with CG at Tulip, and everybody loved working with her. When she wanted to put her full-time efforts into Ample Labs, we were sad to lose her but supportive of her mission.”
Sugan Mannavarajan (Community Builder):
Background: Policy & Partnerships
Fun Fact: Sugan lived in the Canadian Arctic for 5 years and highly recommends it.
“I’m a strong advocate that cities can capitalize on ‘tech for good’; digital tools can empower inclusive communities and resilient economies. What attracts me to Ample Labs is their approach to scaleable social innovation. Chalmers applies a tech lens to navigate community services in times of distress. With this app, we can give a richer human experience and gain greater insights for evidence based decision making. I believe this digital solution should be the standard for the future of all our cities.”
Andres Perez-Vilarino (Treasurer):
Background: Finance and LGBTQ+ Community (Senior Accountant at EY)
Fun fact: Andres was a part of the University of Waterloo Model G20
“I’ve always been drawn to community involvement especially in LGBTQ+ causes. LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in homelessness which is a problem people don’t know about. People also don’t realize a large part of homelessness is invisible. By the eyes of the public, you’re either homeless or you’re not. We need more solutions geared towards the invisible homeless populations and really understanding their needs, especially with COVID-19 and rent spikes.
Shawn Fulham (Vice-President):
Background: Government Partnerships (Client Development at PwC Products)
Fun fact: Shawn likes to snowboard in Tremblant and kitesurf in Lake Simcoe
“I have always been passionate about working on audacious tech solutions for the greater good. When I caught wind of Ample Labs, I knew this is something I wanted to be a part of! Chalmers is helping some of our most vulnerable populations find and take advantage of life altering resources. The hidden homeless are called hidden for a reason and now municipalities have a way to connect with these groups. I’m incredibly excited to be working with this passionate team and our governments and municipal partners.”
Charles McCarragher (Technology and Commercialization Strategy):
Background: Legal consulting (Vice President at TD)
Fun fact: Charles to loves cook, especially the fresh salmon he catches in Lake Ontario
“It’s an untapped opportunity, and a reflection of change in people and behaviour. Collectively, we’ve become more comfortable interacting with technology and it is natural to engage people in a way they are already comfortable with. Back in undergrad, I was in a public affairs program and became involved in alternative ways of supporting marginalized populations. It’s made me much more aware of the challenges people in society face. Ample Labs is a great blend of technology and social good based on research.”
2. What are some insights you bring to Ample Labs, and what are insights you’ve learned?
Dagmar Schroeder (Fundraising Specialist):
“2020 has been a huge lesson in seeing our blindspots as a society. I’m humbled to be a part of such a dedicated, high caliber board tackling this problem throughout it all. My expertise is in fundraising for nonprofits with a background in supporting low-income families as well as marginalized populations. Because I don’t have any background in technology, it’s fascinating to learn from the technology experts on the board and hear what’s possible. It also blows me away the sophistication of the work the user research team is doing.”
Lisa Durnford (Legal Specialist):
“The way I contribute is with my legal hat on, especially in risk and compliance. Every organization needs to look at risk mitigation for long term strategic planning. One of the most important things I learned is how vital data and accessibility is in order to fuel solutions like Chalmers. The next is the educational campaigns Ample Labs have on folks experiencing homelessness, the stories, stats and user research — it’s all been enlightening!
Franklin Garrigues (Chair):
“As chair of the board, I spend time with CG and the leadership team on their strategy and next steps. In the beginning of the year, there were many questions arising on challenges around how to help our population during COVID-19, as well as how Ample Labs can thrive. Despite those challenges, we are now operating in more cities than before and expanding to the U.S., which we will share more about at the AGM.”
Ali Asaria (Start-up Expert):
“My background is in technological innovation and scaling startups for growth. Chalmers is going well and surpassing expectations, the next phase is to go out there and ask for more support to scale for even greater impact. What CG has taught all of us is that the best software is made when you’re close to the users. Success isn’t just cool technology but listening and talking to the people it serves. ”
Sugan Mannavarajan (Community Builder):
“I look at how we can work with business and community allies in new and dynamic ways. My background has been in federal housing, business, and non-profits but I think of myself as a community builder and a futurist. I build people up and help them network but I don’t identify as just the title of my job in housing policy. I am relatively new to the board and look forward to supporting CG and the team, as well as learning from the journey.”
Andres Perez-Vilarino (Treasurer):
“My role in finance is to make sure we use these numbers to build a path moving forward. I help Ample Labs run sustainably. My background is in Ernst & Young, so the public sector is new to me and I’m learning quite a bit. When I first started, I was surprised to learn how common cell phone use is in homeless populations. People transitioning in or out of homelessness tend to be overlooked but the access to technology can play a key role in finding critical services.”
Shawn Fulham (Government relations):
“I work closely with CG and Todd on strategy with the municipal, provincial, and federal government. With any startup, there’s a threshold you need to pass. Ample Labs is now at a place where we can truly scale for impact, and it’s incredible seeing us go from a passion project to a fully fleshed out team.”
Charles McCarragher (Technology and Commercialization Strategy):
“I’ve shared with the Ample team a diversity of thought around commercialization opportunities. For many traditional non-profits, they rely on crowdfunding and fundraising, but Ample Labs has the opportunity to generate their own revenue by licensing Chalmers that will go back into the mission. Through Ample Labs, I’ve learned about hidden homelessness, and the importance of delivering impact before people cross that bridge of becoming chronically homeless.
3. Where do you see Ample Labs going in the future?
Dagmar Schroeder (Fundraising Specialist):
I would like to see Ample Labs sustainably funded so we can invest in the solution, the employees and impact research. Impact research will help us share what our technology is achieving and what users get out of the service. We are already going international. Once we get charitable status and attract donations, we can do even more. It’s hugely rewarding being a part of the board and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Lisa Durnford (Legal Specialist):
Chalmers is extremely valuable and needs to be in the hands of more people. I’m here to support getting the message and app out to as many people as possible. I love the approach Ample Labs has taken to educate the wider community, growing our audience and the number of cities that Chalmers is in. All the campaigns in telling the story of hidden homeless individuals, public campaigns with the couch in Yonge and Dundas square are all really important.
Franklin Garrigues (Chair):
The long-term goal is to reduce homelessness. We are helping people on the cusp or new to homelessness and supporting them from going further down the funnel into chronic homelessness. We want to improve mental health and tackle the systemic issues that youth face. Ample Labs is in a good space right now where we’re growing in new cities and the footprint of Chalmers will be even more far-reaching by this time next year. We’re still in our early stage and I’m here to support operations in any way possible.
Ali Asaria (Start-up Expert):
“Prior to Ample, I made the assumption that the problems Chalmers solved were already addressed. Unfortunately, it isn’t. While Ample Labs is expanding, there is still a large population of folks left without support. The next step for us is to continue to scale for impact. Ample Labs is a great example of a nonprofit with a startup mode, and I’d like to prove this model works. More nonprofits and social issues need innovation.
Sugan Mannavarajan (Community Builder):
“To help individuals in distress navigate complex systems is powerful. I want to see Chalmers standardized, adopted across Canada and the impact measured so more leaders understand it’s value. Connecting people in need with services is vital, and I would love to see more community leaders understand the role of technology in social issues.
Andres Perez-Vilarino (Treasurer):
“It’s time for us to grow and expand sustainably. We need to manage growth, but going forward we want to help more people be aware of Chalmers. I think for being out just a year and a half, we’ve had massive success. The plan right now is to expand to new countries and regions, and continue getting the message out to more institutions, services and cities.”
Shawn Fulham (Government relations):
“I would like to see Ample Labs take over Canada. I know we’re in 50% of Ontario and going to the U.S. Seeing Chalmers around the world would be great. The holy grail of where Ample Labs could go is to get recognition from the United Nations or an international organization to champion us. The impact we make is just beginning.”
Charles McCarragher (Technology and Commercialization Strategy):
“Ample Labs is on a good path of growth, working with municipalities and supporting them in their efforts. The challenge we face is to prioritize the efforts into what has the most impact. I help Ample manage those decisions and hopefully provide meaningful advice to support CG and the team. It’s been a challenging time for non-profits in 2020 and the fact that Ample is where it is, I want to acknowledge and congratulate the team.”
Thank you to our dedicated board of directors for supporting our mission!
Our volunteer board brings a wealth of experience and expertise, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. To conclude, here are a few stories and parting thoughts from Sugan Mannavarajan, a community builder and futurist who helped create Canada’s first $56B affordable housing project:
“When I did my first affordable housing project, a 16-year-old with a baby girl came up to me. A politician was doing the ribbon-cutting ceremony, but she said she heard I was doing a lot of the work behind it. She told me she had been living in a crack house and that this initiative has been the only thing that’s given her hope in a long time. I remember her face so clearly and I think about it all the time. It’s the faces that drive my work, not the numbers. I remember meeting another individual, and his story was so impactful. I don’t remember his name but he was clearly educated by the way he spoke. He said he had an MBA from Schulich, and when I asked him how he got to this point in his life, he told me: ‘My brother was having an affair with my wife for the last ten years. When I found out, I became depressed and started hitting the pub. I missed work, lost my job and couldn’t pay my mortgage. Without an address, I can’t get a job. I’m part of the cycle now. This is my community now.’ Everyone spirals down from time to time, and you need someone to help you get out. You need tools, not being told to wait on a call. You might not even know what you need. When you think about someone fleeing domestic violence and understanding what is going on in their head, this is where Ample Labs and Chalmers can make a difference in someone’s experience. What does their experience look like? How do we change that experience?”
For more updates on the Ample Labs journey 👉 sign up for our monthly newsletter!
We are currently hiring! 👉 check out our positions here
Looking for partnership opportunities? 👉 Email cg@amplelabs.co | https://medium.com/@amplelabs-co/why-leverage-technology-to-combat-homelessness-ample-labs-board-of-directors-feature-a808442a43aa | ['Ample Labs'] | 2020-11-20 17:08:09.279000+00:00 | ['Civictech', 'Tech For Good', 'Tech', 'Homeless', 'Technology'] |
1,828 | Functional JavaScript — Partial Application and Composition | Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash
JavaScript is partly a functional language.
To learn JavaScript, we got to learn the functional parts of JavaScript.
In this article, we’ll look at how to use partial application and composition of functions with JavaScript.
Partial Application
Partial application is where we only apply some of the arguments that are expected in a function.
For example, if we have a function with 3 parameters:
const add = (x, y, z) => x + y + z;
Then we can create a function that has the add function with arguments partially applied by writing:
const add1 = (y, z) => add(1, y, z);
Then we can use it by writing:
const sum = add1(2, 3);
And we get 6.
To generalize this, we can write:
const partial = function(fn, ...partialArgs) {
let args = partialArgs;
return function(...fullArguments) {
return fn(...[...partialArgs, ...fullArguments]);
};
};
We create our own partial function by returning a function with the partialArgs and fullArguments spread as arguments into the fn function.
Then we can use it by writing:
const sum = partial(add, 1)(2, 3);
and sum is 6 again.
Currying vs. Partial Application
Currying is good whenever we need to convert functions that take multiple arguments to multiple functions that take one argument.
Situations where we need to convert a function that takes multiple arguments to a callback for map that only takes one parameter an example of that.
Partial application of a function is useful for any situation where we need to apply one or arguments to a function and return a function that has the arguments applied.
Composition
Composition is where we chain multiple function calls to return the result that we want.
We have many functions that do one thing, and we combine them into one so that we can get the result we want.
For instance, we can compose the array map and filter methods by writing:
const arr = [1, 2, 3]
.filter(a => a % 2 === 1)
.map(a => a ** 2);
And arr is [1, 9] .
We call filter to return an array with only the odd numbers.
And then we call map to square each odd number.
compose Function
We can generalize the compose function by writing:
const compose = (fn1, fn2) =>
(c) => fn1(fn2(c))
Our function takes 2 functions as parameters and then we return a function that calls one after the other.
fn2 is called first, then fn1 is called on the result returned by fn2 .
Then we can use it by writing:
let number = compose(Math.round, parseFloat)('10.1')
We called compose with Math.round and parseFloat .
parseFloat is called first with '10.1' and then Math.round is called on the returned result.
Then number is 10.
Compose Many Functions
We can create a general version of the compose function by using the array reduce method.
For example, we can write:
const compose = (...fns) =>
(value) =>
fns.reverse().reduce((acc, fn) => fn(acc), value)
We created a function which takes an array of functions fns as a parameter.
Then we return a function that takes a value as the initial value and call reduce on it to call each function in the array with the returned result.
acc is the returned result from calling the functions so far, and fn is the function.
And then we can use it by writing:
let splitIntoSpaces = (str) => str.split(" ");
let count = (array) => array.length;
const countWords = compose(count, splitIntoSpaces)('foo bar baz');
We split the string by the space with splitIntoSpaces function.
And we get the length of the split string array with the count function.
And then we use compose to combine them together.
Once we call the returned function with a string, we get the number words separated by a space.
So countWords is 3.
Photo by Finn Gerkens on Unsplash
Conclusion
We can partially apply and compose functions with JavaScript.
Partial application lets us call functions with some arguments applied.
And composition lets us call multiple functions in a chain.
Enjoyed this article? If so, get more similar content by subscribing to Decoded, our YouTube channel! | https://medium.com/javascript-in-plain-english/functional-javascript-partial-application-and-composition-d4accd96d8b6 | ['John Au-Yeung'] | 2020-11-19 17:56:22.354000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'JavaScript', 'Software Development', 'Programming', 'Web Development'] |
1,829 | 20 Terminal Commands That You Must Know | ----------------Manipulation With Files and Folders-----------------
1. Encrypting Files
I Know windows is not so much famous for the security it offers but still, there are some methods that can give a guarded feel. Encrypting Files is one of them. Many windows users use third-party apps to encrypt their data but windows also offer an inbuild encryption system for securing files.
Open Your Terminal (Win+R Type CMD and Press Enter), and target your terminal to the folder where your files are that you want to secure. Then simply use the command below.
Cipher /E
Now No one without the password can not access your files. If You Want to Decrypt the Files than you can use Cipher \D .
2. File Compare
We all store our important data in files and overtime when the data of the files change and gets updates then it becomes very tough to find the difference between the previous and latest version of the file. You can also relate it with two versions of a coding project. We usually create multiple versions for our project file and in the end, we forgot what changes we have done.
Using the file compare command of the terminal we can find the difference between the two files by just a simple line of command.
fc /a File1.txt File2.txt ##Simple compare
fc /b File1.txt File2.txt ##Binary compare (Best For Images)
3. Hiding Folders
You Might be thinking that one I already know but wait the one you are thinking is not good enough. we all know there is an easy way of hiding folders using the right-click and then in properties checking the checkbox “Hidden”. if you know it then you also know that folders can be seen if you go in the view and then check the “Hidden Files” Check box in the top bar. Anyone who is using your computer can do that and easily access your hidden files. There is a much better and safe way is to use the terminal.
In the Terminal Target The location to the parent of your desired folder and then type the below command.
Attrib +h +s +r FOLDER_NAME ## Attrib +h +s +r studymaterial
Now YOur Folder is hidden completely and you can’t even see it by checking the Hidden Files checkbox in the top bar. To unhide the folder, you can use the command
Attrib -h -s -r FOLDER_NAME ## Attrib -h -s -r studymaterial
4. Showing File Structure
This one I found useful because most of the time when you are working in a team on a big project the most important thing is the file structure. One Mistake in the file structure and your all efforts wasted. You don’t do a bigger mistake like this that's why CMD comes with a command which helps you to show the file structure. | https://medium.com/pythoneers/20-terminal-commands-that-you-must-know-f24ebb54c638 | ['Abhay Parashar'] | 2020-12-23 14:35:17.737000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Technology', 'Productivity', 'Windows 10', 'Education'] |
1,830 | Apple may be developing a 15-inch tablet to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Ultra | Samsung is working on its first “Ultra” tablet, and it appears that it isn’t the only manufacturer interested in the large-screen tablet format. Apple is rumored to be doing the same, developing a gigantic 15-inch iPad to compete in the burgeoning premium tablet market.
Apple’s 15-inch Tablet
According to Bloomberg, Apple will be a little late to the party, as its 15-inch iPad may not be ready for delivery until 2022. On the other hand, Apple isn’t known for being the first to market with fresh concepts, so it’s normal to expect Samsung to take the lead before Apple.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is expected to pave the way for larger-screen tablets, and Apple is already planning a response. Granted, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra may be obsolete by the time the 15-inch iPad is introduced, but the Ultra tablet series is likely to continue, thus newer variants should be produced every year.
More than an iPad
More than the iPad Pro series, Apple wants the rumored 15-inch iPad to be a mobile productivity powerhouse. It’s a multimedia tablet that compromises comfort for performance, but when propped up on a desk and connected to the right accessories, it can function as a desktop computer. The device will easily carry out complex tasks such as iPhone transfers.
In terms of multimedia, Apple’s 15-inch iPad could have a bigger profile to accommodate a more powerful speaker system. This demonstrates yet again a preference for multimedia consumption and productivity over mobility and comfort.
Wrapping Up
In 2023, the 15-inch iPad could be available for purchase. This should allow Samsung plenty of time to test the large-screen form factor with the Tab S8 Ultra as a launchpad, as well as figure out how to improve the user experience for future versions. | https://medium.com/@zainabasad/apple-may-be-developing-a-15-inch-tablet-to-compete-with-samsungs-galaxy-tab-ultra-582aec1b848d | ['Bianca Patrick'] | 2021-12-22 11:06:12.253000+00:00 | ['Technews', 'Samsung', 'Technology', 'Apple'] |
1,831 | #0101: Hexagons of disruption | Photo by Jordan McDonald on Unsplash
Newsgasm
I’m constantly on the lookout for new ways to think about disruption. “Scanning the fintech landscape: 10 disruptive models — a look at ten businesses models reshaping the financial services arena” makes just such an attempt. Unfortunately, of the 10 business models presented as “reshaping the financial services arena” perhaps maybe 1 or 2 are genuinely different. “#7. Bank-as-a-service” is a fundamental change to the way banks distribute their products, and “#5. Different fee structures built on digital infrastructure” is a shift from net interest margin to subscription a revenue model. Fair enough. They’re both interesting. The rest are little more than some combination of “old world + digital = cost optimisation“, or “use digital channels for origination“. Hardly revolutionary. #disruption #strategy
In contrast, this framework from McKinsey & Company does a much better job. What I particularly like about this one is the way it provides concrete examples to each of its elements of disruption. One subtlety: this McKinsey framework is visualised within a hexagon. Why does that seem familiar? #disruption #strategy
Although we have so many digital distractions in modern societies, there still seems to be a growing sense of social isolation. Research suggests that perhaps volunteering might be a A Solution for Loneliness. #isolation #loneliness #social #farcebook
Frightening? Genius? Both? Putin’s Playbook for Discrediting America and Destabilizing the West. #western #liberal #democracy #farcebook
A recent novel by Liu Cixin 刘慈欣 introduced the idea of the Dark Forest Theory as an explanation for the Fermi Paradox, or why aliens probably haven’t visited the Earth yet. In short, the Dark Forest Theory says that aliens are purposefully keeping quiet for the simple reason that any Galactically visible noise made by a civilisation will only draw the attention of a potentially more advanced civilisation. As Stephen Hawking said, examples on Earth when a more technically advanced civilisation meets a less advanced one didn’t turn out too well for the civilisation in second place. So, as cruft piles up on the Internet, particularly the ad-funded, low-quality, click-baity dirge that you find on the larger social media platforms like Farcebook, it becomes harder and harder to find safe places where like-minded individuals can engage in quality discourse. The Dark Forest Theory of the Internet is a riff on Lui Cixin’s ideas, applied to the Internet. It makes a lot of sense. #social #fermi #paradox
New evidence suggests that Paul Solotshi (the creator of encryption software E4M and Truecrypt) is Satoshi Nakamoto. I was always under the impression that Nick Szabo was the Real Satoshi. This new Satoshi candidate seems like a really lovely chap. Not. #bitcoin #cryptocurrency
Wow, I really didn’t think I’d ever see this happen. Finally, security folks are starting to realise that forcing users (with already strong passwords) to cycle them frequently is actually a really dumb idea. Now, with added data. Even with hard data, I suspect it will still take “Big E” enterprises ages to get with the program. #security #theatre #password
No matter what you are building, it ultimately always comes down to product/market fit. Here’s a recap on the Fundamentals of Product-Market Fit. #product #market #fit
A good percentage of these 54 Mistakes of a Startup CEO come down to focussing on things other than product/market fit. I know from my own experience with a few startups, ignoring, or not even knowing that I should have been chasing PMF was definitely instrumental in me learning a few hard life lessons. #product #market #fit
Seeing large mammals doing inane tricks at a circus has always bothered me. Particularly when you compare it to the crazy stuff that humans can do. A German circus has a unique solution to this problem: they are using holograms instead of animals, and it looks quite incredible! #circus #hologram
Regards,
M@
[ED: If you’d like to sign up for this content as an email, click here to join the mailing list.] | https://medium.com/@matthewsinclair/0101-hexagons-of-disruption-5d888e2f1940 | ['M'] | 2019-06-09 20:23:12.946000+00:00 | ['Disruption', 'Technology', 'Startup', 'Newsgasm', 'Engineering'] |
1,832 | Ultimate Guide to Python's Matplotlib: A Library Used to Plot Charts | Ultimate Guide to Python's Matplotlib: A Library Used to Plot Charts
A simple guide to draw Bar Charts, Line charts, and Pie charts in Python
Photo by Cookie the Pom on Unsplash
Data visualization refers to the graphical or visual representation of data and information using elements like charts, graphs and maps, etc. Over the years, data visualization has gained immense popularity as it provides an easy interpretation of even massive amounts of data by displaying it in the form of patterns, trends and so on. By following these patterns and trends a user can facilitate his decision making.
Python uses the Matplotlib library's pyplot for data visualization. Pyplot is a collection of methods within the Matplotlib library, which can be used to create 2D charts, graphs and represent data interactively and effectively. The Matplotlib library is preinstalled with Anaconda distribution or can also be installed easily from the internet.
Installing Matplotlib
1. If you have Anaconda navigator, open the navigator window, click environments and scroll down to find Matplotlib library. It is preinstalled on your computer.
2. If you don't have Anaconda navigator, that isn't a problem. Just go to https://pypi.org/project/matplotlib/#files
Here you will find the library. Download and install it, and you are ready to create wonderful charts and graphs in python itself.
Types of charts offered by Matplotlib
It offers a wide range of charts of which the most prominently used ones are listed below:
1. Line Chart
It connects important points called 'markers' through the use of straight-line segments. These points will represent the data that you will enter while making the chart.
2. Bar Chart
It uses bars to represent the data. The height of the bars is variegated to depict the differences in the given data. Bar charts can be plotted horizontally as well as vertically depending upon the need of the user.
3. Pie Chart
Slices of a circular area are used to depict the data. The slice with larger area represents a higher value, whereas a smaller one is represented by less area.
4. Scatter plot
Scatter chart just plots the data in the form of dots. It differs from the line chart by not joining the dots using straight lines.
Now, let's move on to the steps to create these charts.
Note: You will have to give the command to import Matplotlib before you set out to create charts. For this just type the below-mentioned command in your Jupyter or python window:
import matplotlib.pyplot as pl
This will import Matplotlib to your window and you will have to just use ‘pl' in place of the long ‘matplotlib.pyplot' every time you create your charts.
Line Charts
To create a line chart you must assign some data beforehand. This data can be given in the form of lists, or dictionaries in python. Here I will use lists to create charts:
import matplotlib.pyplot as pl a= [ 1, 2, 3, 4] b= [2, 4, 6, 8] pl.plot(a,b) pl.show()
Here a and b were lists that were created consisting of values 1,2,3,4 and 2,4,6,8 respectively. The command pl.plot(a,b) was given to plot a line chart using values in ‘a' as the x-axis and ‘b' as the y axis.
Here is the plotted chart:
Image source: Author
You can also give names to the x and y-axis as follows:
pl.xlabel(“ values in a”) pl.ylabel(“values in b") pl.plot(a,b) pl.show()
Here the x-axis will be named as ‘values in a' and y-axis as ‘values in b'.
Bar Charts
Let’s move on to drawing bar charts. Bar charts also require the same steps as the line chart. The only difference arrives while giving the command to plot the data.
import matplotlib.pyplot as pl a= [ 1, 2, 3, 4] b= [2, 4, 6, 8] pl.bar(a,b) pl.show()
While giving the command to plot a bar chart we need to specify ‘bar’ for the same, as we have done above.
Image source: Author
To name the x and y-axis the same procedure can be followed.
pl.xlabel(“ values in a”) pl.ylabel(“values in b") pl.bar(a,b) pl.show()
The width of the bars can also be altered using the ‘width’ command. The value given in the width command should be numeric, otherwise, Python will raise an error.
pl.bar(a,b, width=<value>)
Scatter Charts
Scatter charts allow you to change the way it’s data points or markers look by specifying the marker size and marker type. In this type of chart, it is compulsory for you to specify any of the two or both while giving the command to create the same.
a= [ 1, 2, 3, 4] b= [2, 4, 6, 8] pl.plot(a,b, “o", markersize=10) pl.show()
Here the data points would like ‘o' letter and would have a marker size equal to 10. If we don’t specify them then instead of the scatter chart, a line chart would be plotted.
Image source: Author
Changing the x label and y label would remain the same for the scatter charts as well.
pl.xlabel(“ values in a”) pl.ylabel(“values in b") pl.plot(a,b, “o", markersize=10) pl.show()
Pie charts
Contrary to other charts, a pie chart can also function with just one of the list. But for clarity in the understanding of the readers as well as users we specify the labels for each slice, which requires the use of the second list.
a= [‘Sam’, ‘Tina’, ‘Joe’, ‘Mark’] b= [100, 200, 300, 400] pl.pie(b, labels=a) pl.show()
The list represents the contributions made by 4 members to organize a party. The different members will be depicted by different colour as follows:
Image source: Author
You can also give a title to your pie chart: | https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/ultimate-guide-to-pythons-matplotlib-a-library-used-to-plot-charts-3d2210ccb04c | ['Niyati Jain'] | 2020-12-14 18:04:54.883000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Digital Life', 'Design', 'Programming', 'Computer Science'] |
1,833 | An overview of Blockchain democratized transactions | Blockchain applications have overwhelmed most of the industries. It is more than just an underlying technology for Bitcoin exchange. Nowadays, you can find a multitude of applications of Blockchain that traverses different industrial segments. Companies are actively spending money on implementing Blockchain technology for the best of their business. Decentralization, transparency, ease of operation, and data security are key reasons that make Blockchain an inevitable technology for most business processes. Amongst the myriads of use cases of Blockchain technology, its role in the democratization of transactions cannot be undermined. In this blog, we are going to highlight the same.
Blockchain and democratization of transaction:
One of the key things that any individual looks for when doing an online transaction is trust, transparency, and security. With blockchain, you can surely achieve this with ease. The technology boasts of these features.
The Blockchain community members maintain their copies of information, and they validate any update together via a shared consensus mechanism. This information can be anything, identities, contracts, transactions, assets, and any other digital format information. These entries are stored on Blockchain platform in the form of blocks; they are encrypted cryptographically, thus assuring that the data is safe and secure. Also, a breach into the system is not possible. The member of the community can view the histories of the entry.
Since Blockchain provides complete authority to the user, it creates a democratic system where one can have complete control over the transactions.
Blockchain will rewire the market:
The next important aspect of Blockchain is that it remembered the need to have intermediaries. One of the key features that Blockchain offers is that it removes the intermediaries from the system. Thus streamlining the process. It reduces the overhead cost. The trading parties directly interact with each other. It also lets the trading parties directly interact with each other. Thus it ensures the authenticity of records.
With all these features, Blockchain becomes the hot favorite for many companies. They are hiring Blockchain experts who can render Blockchain-based transaction solutions. The use cases are not limited to startups, but even banks and financial institutions are actively adopting blockchain technology to make the payment system seamless.
What’s next?
Your next move should be to become a part of the Blockchain system. This system that guarantees absolute security and no data breach can be the biggest boon to the financial companies. Blockchain Council is offering Blockchain certification courses that will equip you with all the knowledge and information that will act as a catalyst for growth in the professional world. | https://medium.com/the-capital/an-overview-of-blockchain-democratized-transactions-63d0427ceeb1 | ['Sophia Casey'] | 2020-11-10 11:14:37.850000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Blockchain Startup', 'Blockchain Application', 'Blockchain Transactions'] |
1,834 | AEQ Employee Spotlight Series | Part 9: Meet Ranjith Kumar
Welcome to week 9! We’re one post away from our final Employee Spotlight, but it’s not the end yet!
Last week you met Pole, and on week 5 you met Vidhya, who are both parts of the QA Team. This week you’ll meet our QA Team Lead, Ranjith, who shares a more in-depth conversation about his role and experiences.
He also gives valuable advice to anyone starting out in the industry!
Ranjith Kumar | QA Team Lead & QA Automation Engineer
“Aequilibrium is definitely different from any company I’ve worked for — there’s a very friendly environment.”
Ranjith showing some quality in his style too!
Tell us a bit about what you do at Aequilibrium.
I joined Aequilibrium in November 2020 as the QA Team Lead, checking the quality of applications. For example, we are creating a user and we have to think in multiple ways how we can test that page, such as positive and negative scenarios.
How was your first six months?
I’ve only been here for a bit more than 3 months. So far, all of my priorities are getting to know the automation and tools we use. How we can improve the tools of QA testing, for instance. I currently have four projects and my work is more focused on manual testing rather than automation testing.
What inspires you the most about your role?
What inspires me the most is the quality of the product. I believe this is an essential step of every project, it doesn’t matter what we’re working on. I like to keep a customer perspective in mind when I perform my work. I love what I do.
What is it like to work from home?
With the pandemic, I believe everyone should have a good work-life balance and take care of their health. Working from 9–5 works for everyone and at Aequilibrium our schedules are flexible depending on the situation. In my previous work, I worked remotely and it was all new to me, but I really got habituated when I joined Aequilibrium. I was already used to working from home. We can skip the traffic and spend some time travelling, so definitely some positive aspects.
Ranjith at the gondola in Banff, Alberta
Tell us about your career path in the professional services sector.
I was a basic QA and worked with multiple applications. Most of my work was contract and I focused on that for a while. It was really great working in different places and I learned a lot. For example, I was doing automation in Java and later I got the chance to learn C#. In every project, I learn something new and each project has a different learning curve. Once I joined Aequilibrium, I learned that I should have a ‘stopping point’ and grow from there.
What is different about working in the professional services sector?
Aequilibrium is definitely different from any company I’ve worked for. In other companies, I worked exclusively for that company, for their own projects. Here, I have the chance to work with different projects and clients, talk directly with the clients and get those projects done. There’s a lot of communication. The main difference is the client-facing aspect of the role, which is challenging but exciting. I’d be happy if in the future more people join the QA team and I get to lead them, although right now is also great.
What is different about working in the bank and finance sector?
When dealing with banks, there is a mathematical aspect of projects that we don’t see in other projects. Most of the financial services use test-driven development. There are more things to be tested to produce higher quality applications and software.
Ranjith enjoying a kayak day in Squamish, BC
What is great about your team?
As a QA, I work alone but I support Backbase engineers. If they have any questions they come to me and sometimes I use their help in testing applications. I had a lot of interaction with all team members in different teams and whenever I have a question they are very responsive and I’m very happy to have that. I felt a very friendly environment different from other organizations.
What advice would you give to someone who is starting their career in the bank and finance/professional services sector?
They should be focusing on the requirements they get from the developers and be specific on what they are testing. My advice is to understand the exact requirements for the testing. When we focus on those aspects it will be more profitable to the end customer.
Interested in joining the Aequilibrium team?
Check out our Careers Page and don’t forget to stay social with us!
LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Aequilibrium is a digital consultancy focused on product design, development, and systems integration services in Vancouver, BC.
Since 2012, we have helped companies create award-winning digital experiences to help them grow and compete effectively while minimizing risks associated with digital transformation.
We apply expertise in retail, financial services, and health sciences. Using design thinking, platform, and data-driven strategies with an Agile approach we design, build, and run scalable end-to-end solutions for clients across North America. | https://medium.com/@aequilibrium/aeq-employee-spotlight-series-1a199fe705dd | [] | 2021-07-15 18:02:30.682000+00:00 | ['Aequilibrium', 'Technology', 'QA', 'Employee Spotlight'] |
1,835 | [History] — The Curse of Oak Island Season 8 Episode 6 | The Curse of Oak Island Streaming Francais P E L I C U L A : Originally, A mystery story that focuses on homicides. Usually, the detective must figure out who killed one or several victims. They could or may not find themselves or loved ones in peril as a result of this investigation. The genre often includes factors of the suspense story genre, or of the action and adventure genres.
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✨The discovery of an expanding stone roadway under the muck of the swamp sends the team out to sea to investigate exactly how far it reaches.
✌ 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.
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✌ 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. | https://medium.com/s8-e6-the-curse-of-oak-island-history/s8-ep6-the-curse-of-oak-island-series-8-episode-6-online-1080p-671f922bbb13 | ['Lia Nuraliah'] | 2020-12-14 11:13:04.672000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'Documentary', 'Technology', 'Life'] |
1,836 | Samsung’s double-folding phone design finally unveiled after Christmas Eve | Samsung presently has two foldable phone models on the market. The Galaxy Z Flip series is recognized for its vertical, compact fold, and the Galaxy Z Fold series is noted for its book-like mechanism. Samsung, on the other hand, might include a third mechanism in a future foldable phone, according to a recent patent.
Samsung’s Double-Folding Phone
Samsung was recently granted a patent for a double-folding smartphone with three unique portions that fold in a Z form, according to a reliable source. This design also allows a portion of the screen to serve as a primary display with an embedded fingerprint sensor. The phone resembles a little tablet when fully unfurled. A triple rear camera array and a USB charging and data port are located on the phone’s back.
Surprisingly, the patent illustrations also show how Samsung may divide the phone’s internals across the three halves. The phone’s batteries and circuit boards are only housed in the back and front foldable sections. The device’s structural rigidity and strength are provided by the central part, which appears to be devoid of any important internals. We are not sure of the specifics but considering the company’s reputation, the device will be able to easily carry out SMS backup.
Expected Availability Date
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard or seen Samsung’s intentions for a double-folding smartphone. A somewhat different patent design surfaced in April 2021, showing an option for the dual-folding method. Samsung released a working prototype of its “multi-foldable” structure a few months later, offering us a firsthand look at how the gadget would work.
While the recent patent implies Samsung’s concept is well advanced, don’t bet your home on a gadget being released in 2022. Patents aren’t necessarily certainties or direct foreshadowings of consumer electronics. A double-folding technology, on the other hand, appears to be the inevitable progression of the foldable phone, especially if additional screen real estate is desired. | https://medium.com/@zainabasad/samsungs-double-folding-phone-design-finally-unveiled-after-christmas-eve-4fa402f2d4ba | ['Bianca Patrick'] | 2021-12-29 08:49:22.413000+00:00 | ['Technews', 'Samsung', 'Foldable Phone', 'Technology'] |
1,837 | If all you do is follow the exact same routine every day, you will never leave yourself open to moments of sudden discovery. Do you remember how | If all you do is follow the exact same routine every day, you will never leave yourself open to moments of sudden discovery. Do you remember how Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Live Tv Nov 19, 2020·5 min read
Life is a journey of twists and turns, peaks and valleys, mountains to climb and oceans to explore.
Good times and bad times. Happy times and sad times.
But always, life is a movement forward.
No matter where you are on the journey, in some way, you are continuing on — and that’s what makes it so magnificent. One day, you’re questioning what on earth will ever make you feel happy and fulfilled. And the next, you’re perfectly in flow, writing the most important book of your entire career.
https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285032
https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285033
https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285034
https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285035
https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285036
What nobody ever tells you, though, when you are a wide-eyed child, are all the little things that come along with “growing up.”
1. Most people are scared of using their imagination.
They’ve disconnected with their inner child.
They don’t feel they are “creative.”
They like things “just the way they are.”
2. Your dream doesn’t really matter to anyone else.
Some people might take interest. Some may support you in your quest. But at the end of the day, nobody cares, or will ever care about your dream as much as you.
3. Friends are relative to where you are in your life.
Most friends only stay for a period of time — usually in reference to your current interest. But when you move on, or your priorities change, so too do the majority of your friends.
4. Your potential increases with age.
As people get older, they tend to think that they can do less and less — when in reality, they should be able to do more and more, because they have had time to soak up more knowledge. Being great at something is a daily habit. You aren’t just “born” that way.
5. Spontaneity is the sister of creativity.
If all you do is follow the exact same routine every day, you will never leave yourself open to moments of sudden discovery. Do you remember how spontaneous you were as a child? Anything could happen, at any moment!
6. You forget the value of “touch” later on.
When was the last time you played in the rain?
When was the last time you sat on a sidewalk and looked closely at the cracks, the rocks, the dirt, the one weed growing between the concrete and the grass nearby.
Do that again.
You will feel so connected to the playfulness of life.
7. Most people don’t do what they love.
It’s true.
The “masses” are not the ones who live the lives they dreamed of living. And the reason is because they didn’t fight hard enough. They didn’t make it happen for themselves. And the older you get, and the more you look around, the easier it becomes to believe that you’ll end up the same.
Don’t fall for the trap.
8. Many stop reading after college.
Ask anyone you know the last good book they read, and I’ll bet most of them respond with, “Wow, I haven’t read a book in a long time.”
9. People talk more than they listen.
There is nothing more ridiculous to me than hearing two people talk “at” each other, neither one listening, but waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can start up again.
10. Creativity takes practice.
It’s funny how much we as a society praise and value creativity, and yet seem to do as much as we can to prohibit and control creative expression unless it is in some way profitable.
If you want to keep your creative muscle pumped and active, you have to practice it on your own.
11. “Success” is a relative term.
As kids, we’re taught to “reach for success.”
What does that really mean? Success to one person could mean the opposite for someone else.
Define your own Success.
12. You can’t change your parents.
A sad and difficult truth to face as you get older: You can’t change your parents.
They are who they are.
Whether they approve of what you do or not, at some point, no longer matters. Love them for bringing you into this world, and leave the rest at the door.
13. The only person you have to face in the morning is yourself.
When you’re younger, it feels like you have to please the entire world.
You don’t.
Do what makes you happy, and create the life you want to live for yourself. You’ll see someone you truly love staring back at you every morning if you can do that.
14. Nothing feels as good as something you do from the heart.
No amount of money or achievement or external validation will ever take the place of what you do out of pure love.
Follow your heart, and the rest will follow.
15. Your potential is directly correlated to how well you know yourself.
Those who know themselves and maximize their strengths are the ones who go where they want to go.
Those who don’t know themselves, and avoid the hard work of looking inward, live life by default. They lack the ability to create for themselves their own future.
16. Everyone who doubts you will always come back around.
That kid who used to bully you will come asking for a job.
The girl who didn’t want to date you will call you back once she sees where you’re headed. It always happens that way.
Just focus on you, stay true to what you believe in, and all the doubters will eventually come asking for help.
17. You are a reflection of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Nobody creates themselves, by themselves.
We are all mirror images, sculpted through the reflections we see in other people. This isn’t a game you play by yourself. Work to be surrounded by those you wish to be like, and in time, you too will carry the very things you admire in them.
18. Beliefs are relative to what you pursue.
Wherever you are in life, and based on who is around you, and based on your current aspirations, those are the things that shape your beliefs.
Nobody explains, though, that “beliefs” then are not “fixed.” There is no “right and wrong.” It is all relative.
Find what works for you.
19. Anything can be a vice.
Be wary.
Again, there is no “right” and “wrong” as you get older. A coping mechanism to one could be a way to relax on a Sunday to another. Just remain aware of your habits and how you spend your time, and what habits start to increase in frequency — and then question where they are coming from in you and why you feel compelled to repeat them.
Never mistakes, always lessons.
As I said, know yourself.
20. Your purpose is to be YOU.
What is the meaning of life?
To be you, all of you, always, in everything you do — whatever that means to you. You are your own creator. You are your own evolving masterpiece.
Growing up is the realization that you are both the sculpture and the sculptor, the painter and the portrait. Paint yourself however you wish. | https://medium.com/@michiganvscentralliveonn/if-all-you-do-is-follow-the-exact-same-routine-every-day-you-will-never-leave-yourself-open-to-75f920ced277 | ['Western Michigan Vs Central Michigan Live Tv'] | 2020-11-19 00:14:39.927000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Sports', 'Social Media', 'News', 'Live Streaming'] |
1,838 | Phase 5 of The 5 Phases of Responding to a Security Questionnaire & How To Get Proactive | Phase 5: Proactive Solutions
In this final phase we examine what a dedicated, scalable vendor security questionnaire management platform looks like, including the inherent benefits of implementation.
A 2019 Ponemon Report indicated that leveraging security automation can decrease the cost of a data breach an average of $1.55 million ($2.88 million average breach cost, as compared to $4.43 million for those who had not deployed security automation).
Whistic’s Security Profile was custom built to help InfoSec teams operate efficiently while keeping the importance of sales/procuring business at the forefront.
General benefits of utilizing Security Profile:
Leverage a secure platform to house your vendor security questionnaire answers — Across any number of internal orgs/teams
Upload, Store & Share security documentation & attestations in a secure, central location
Send & receive custom NDAs while maintaining data integrity
Automated security questionnaire response workflows
Standardize any knowledge base for immediate use and sharing
Dramatically reduce your response time (from weeks to days), while increasing the rate at which sales closes deals (reducing sales cycle time, internal overhead, etc) contingent on security compliance.
Acceptance rate of 70%+
Delight your partners/customers by showing a robust security posture
Implement & start utilizing in mere weeks
Picture if you will, the next time a vendor requests your business complete a security questionnaire, having the ability to deliver a dynamic, professional security profile that is current and ready for review.
To date, Whistic has been ecstatic with our customers sentiment around this powerful offering.
Simon Wynn, SVP of Software Engineering at Matterport stated,
“I was concerned that they (customers) would still require us to fill out questionnaires in their format. As it turns out, about 95% of our customers have been fully satisfied with the information contained in our Whistic Profile and we’ve almost completely eliminated custom spreadsheet questionnaires. In addition, both our customers and our sales team appreciate the incredibly quick turnaround we can provide with Whistic. Both parties are benefiting from our adoption of the Whistic platform.”
Dan Palmer, VP Compliance & Internal Audit at Finicity shared similar comments,
“Our Security Profile helps to build trust and to show our proactive posture and display a mature program to our partners. The flexibility to quickly change or modify our profile is also quite nice, it only takes a matter of minutes to send out Finicity’s Security Profile”
Any organization looking to better streamline security questionnaire responses and compete more adeptly in the modern IT vendor security ecosystem should consider implementing a proactive model as encompassed within Security Profile by Whistic.
If you are ready to get a closer look at Whistic’s Security Profile, Click here to schedule time directly with a Whistic Product Specialist or Download the full Ebook here.
Related Reading:
The 4 Factors That Impact a Vendor Security Review
The Most Commonly Requested Documents You Need In Order to Respond to Security Questionnaires
Conduct and Respond to Vendor Security Questionnaires on a Single Software Platform | https://blog.whistic.com/phase-5-of-the-5-phases-of-responding-to-a-security-questionnaire-how-to-get-proactive-19421dbac65 | [] | 2019-07-11 19:30:18.218000+00:00 | ['Cybersecurity', 'Cloud Computing', 'Information Technology', 'Risk Management', 'Vendor Risk Management'] |
1,839 | Shred Slopes — the Best Skiing Gear this Year According to William Matheuszik | The winter months are nearly upon us and soon enough the turn of a new decade, as the calendar eventually flips to January 2020. Ski equipment manufacturers are doing their part to try and convince the masses to hit the slopes and get some fresh air this winter and beyond, unveiling a wide range of exciting new products that will make this year’s skiing experience even better. With everything new that is coming out, it has never been a better time to start skiing says William Matheuszik, a Toronto-based commercial pilot who loves hitting the slopes during the increasingly less-frigid Canadian winters.
Let’s look at some of the most intriguing equipment on the market that every ski — and in some cases, snowboard — enthusiast shouldn’t be without.
Volkl Mantra M5
Volkl has further improved its all-mountain skis, which William Matheuszik considers to be some of the best in the world. The newest iteration of the Mantra is lighter than past versions, though its turn radius has also been reduced slightly. In return, skiers are blessed with immense speed that will make flying down relatively straight courses an absolute blast.
Carv Digital Ski Instructor
This device comes in two parts, a small Bluetooth tracker that attaches to your ski boots and smart inserts that go inside of them. Combined, they track your progress down whatever hill or mountain you’re carving up using motion tracking and pressure sensitivity to record your balance, edging, and more. You can get real-time audio feedback, while the app tracks your data and recommends techniques to improve your performance.
K2 Recon 120 MV Heat Ski Boots 2020
Wet and cold feet are one of the few downsides to a day on the slopes for William Matheuszik, but even that inconvenience can be remedied with these lightweight ski boots. Three different heat settings can provide heat for up to 19 hours, keeping your feet warm and enhancing the feeling and mobility in them for better skiing.
GoPro Hero7 Black
For skiers who want to capture glorious video of their latest runs, whether as a teaching aid or to share with others, the GoPro Hero 7 Black is the ideal choice. With its ability to capture super smooth and stable time lapse videos while on the move, you can create some stunning recordings of your most memorable trips down the slopes.
Smith I/O Mag goggles
These stylish goggles feature a lens change system that allows you to quickly and easily swap out your current lenses for ones that are optimized for high performance in either low light or bright light settings. The anti-fog inner lens and AirEvac technology ensure your vision remains crystal clear regardless of the weather.
Snowcookie
Snowcookie is another monitoring device with some exciting features, including the ability to relive your runs with full 3D tracking. The sensors and app also monitor six key facets of your skiing, including your speed, turn quality, and style, and track your progress over time.
Regardless if you are a first-time skier or if you are a seasoned vet, William Matheuszik believes that the first step to success is having the right equipment for the job and with skiing that is no different. | https://medium.com/@williammatheuszik/shred-slopes-the-best-skiing-gear-this-year-according-to-william-matheuszik-c3b249003cc8 | ['William Matheuszik'] | 2019-10-15 16:22:22.656000+00:00 | ['2019', 'Gear', 'Skiing', 'Technology', 'Mountains'] |
1,840 | NGRX — Use Actions to create more reactive applications | The Issue:
With applications getting bigger and bigger we as developers need to find better solutions for passing data into our components and services, and this is where things get messy. When we look at Angular’s solutions we can see the upcoming growing pains.
1. Input() chaining — I hate seeing this. all components know exactly what state their child components have. this can be important and useful but usually, we just see one component getting data from Input and then passing it off to another. causing a lot of potentially breaking points.
2. Services — very easy, low maintenance, but data is still stored in memory and can causes files to become extremely large due to all the use cases we will create. and can be mistakenly reset by adding it as a provider in a component or module (without understanding why this may be done, there are valid use cases for this).
Nothing wrong with using the solutions mentioned above. but we can do better.
example of bad input chaining
Opinionated Solution
Ngrx is an amazing solution for storing and sharing data in our applications. In many applications, it becomes the single source of truth (as it should)
and is used mainly to make our UI react to data store changes as we go. Yes, we want to update our UI when the data we depend upon changes. But why stop at data changes? Why not “abuse” Actions?
Actions are our way to update our store and to initiate a process.
We usually use an *EffectsService and/or reducers for this. in which we listen to specific actions and run higher-level functions (HTTP calls for example, or normalizing the data before setting it in the store) in order to update our store and make our application react accordingly.
Fortunately, most Angular elements (Component/Services/Directives ) can listen to actions. this means that almost any element can listen to predesigned Actions made for it.
For example, if we have a button component, that listens to an action called ButtonLoaderAction and its props are props<{loading: boolean}> .
The button is agnostic, it is decoupled from any other logic. it is completely independent, it will only update when the action is called by whoever calls it.
Actions don’t do anything but send events to anyone listening to it, usually our reducers and/or effects , we can take advantage and use them in order to make our website react not only to data changes but to developer decisions. We decide when our application reacts and changes.
Passing the power, of when our application reacts, to the developer is already an emerging concept with updating the changeDetection strategy to onPush for example. | https://itnext.io/ngrx-use-actions-to-create-more-reactive-applications-514562ad23e8 | ['Ryan Hoffnan'] | 2021-09-04 16:57:43.996000+00:00 | ['Web Development', 'JavaScript', 'Angular', 'Redux', 'Technology'] |
1,841 | How Design-Driven Innovation Will Surpass Technology in 2018 | How Design-Driven Innovation Will Surpass Technology in 2018
Looking ahead with digital design
When we think about innovation, most of us think about technology. The web is littered with articles about radical innovation pushed by technology, i.e. blockchain, machine learning and AI. There is no arguing that these are all highly interesting developments which will have a lasting impression on the world.
But as a designer, looking ahead to next year, I want to share with you a more recent development in innovation management; the rise of design-driven innovation, where the focus is not to push new technology, but to push new meaning.
I find design-driven innovation intriguing because it’s based on the observation that the usefulness and desirability of a product or service is not determined by its technological sophistication, but rather by whether people experience it as a valuable addition to their lives.
The users’ needs are not only satisfied by form and function, but through experience (e.g. meaning).
Successful design-driven innovators have the potential to create and change markets, able to drive the market rather than simply adapt to it. This is because they are better at detecting, attracting and interacting with their customers. This can be seen most spectacularly when technological breakthroughs merge with design-driven innovation.
This is part 2 of ‘Competing on Customer Experience’. If you want to learn more about how the value proposition of design is changing, I recommend you read part 1 of this sequel.
Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash
What it means to be design-driven
How we like buzzwords! To be “design-driven” sounds pretty cool, but what does it actually mean?
Design-driven innovators create with the end-user in mind.
They have not only embraced customer-centricity, but have put designing for users who identify with a product, service or brand at the heart of what they do. They go beyond designing for form and function, and extend their potential by designing for meaning.
To illustrate what I mean by “designing for meaning”, let‘s go back in time to take a closer look at MP3 technology and Apple’s iPod. Back in 1997 MP3 players were seen as substitutes for a Walkman and CDs. It was Apple in 2001 that offered an entire system to discover, store, organize and listen to music in a seamless experience with the iPod, the iTunes application and iTunes Store. And in doing so, Apple changed the business model for selling music.
“Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
– Albert Einstein
Given that technology-push and design-driven innovation are closely linked, design is critical for innovators. Investigations into radical new technologies should go hand in hand with investigations into radical new meanings.
Photo by Ian Dooley on Unsplash
How to design for meaning
Not all organizations are top-level innovators nor do they need to be. Like with most things, the company’s maturity level in this regard will determine its ability to design for meaning;
to design for experience.
One of the most challenging aspects of becoming design-driven, is that it requires seamlessly streamlining people, processes, technology and funding. This not only requires an organization to radically transform the way it’s organized and structured, but also demands a change of mindset throughout the organization. It’s no surprise that there is much talk about “digital transformation” in today’s business climate.
So how to design for meaning? I’ll give you three things to go after.
1. Get a seat at the table
For design to be involved on a strategic level, having buy-in and support on a C-level is an absolute necessity. More and more organizations are coming to this realization; the emphasis on design clearly is moving to the C-suite in which a chief design officer role is created. If there is no seat at the table as a chief design officer, chief digital officer, chief experience officer (or whatever name the role goes by), you can’t possibly be(come) design-driven. You need to have this vehicle in place to take you to where you want to go and make the right decisions on the way.
Therefor having a design leader to come in and set out a strategy, come up with a holistic approach, set up a design process and who aligns all different design activities across the organization (or department) is how to get started. In order for this plan to come to fruition, there needs to be a team of designers in place. And by “designers” I mean people who have made it their profession to solve problems. Don’t confuse this with making things look aesthetically pleasing; e.g. making things look pretty.
2. Build design muscle
As you can imagine or perhaps know from your own experience, building a decent and balanced team of individuals (especially the creative kind!) who perform well together takes time, thoughtful care and intentional effort and — not to mention — money. For a team to work well together you need to build trust, which takes time. The way trust is built is to share experiences together. Experiences in which team members have learned they can count on one another.
Photo by Mathew Hamilton on Unsplash
Once you have a design team in place, this ‘swat team’ will function as the user’s advocate, bringing the customer’s point of view to business decisions, translating business goals into customer-friendly initiatives, and actively cultivating a culture in which employees think about how their daily decisions and actions affect customers.
Companies at this stage focus on their customers first, and work evolves from there. Pushing that perspective through the company requires making designers a core part of any product or service development and building a design-driven process around the customer experience. By doing so the organization exponentially grows in terms of its customer experience maturity.
We know that a healthy collaboration between the creative and logical ways of thinking is crucial in creating the kind of holistic thinking that is required to understand and solve new kinds of multi-dimensional problems. When designers are present within teams, they’re able to share their perspective and knowledge with other disciplines to raise awareness and nurture mindfulness in regard to the customer experience.
In this a more open, collaborative, and explorative cultures and mindset can unfold, where both logic and imagination is combined to create new innovative solutions.
3. Measure progress
Solidifying your design approach requires, among other things, metrics that focus on the customer. Customer satisfaction (i.e. NPS) and retention are standard measures, but key performance indicators should include, for example, customer lifetime value, real-time customer satisfaction by segment, and “leaky bucket” ratios to highlight where customer issues may be spiking. The goal here is to track the depth of the relationship between customer and brand over time.
The truth is, I’ve found that once you embed design across your organization and people start to experience it, they stop asking you what its ROI is because they start to see the impact across all those variables. I also don’t believe a financial analysis will convince an executive. I have never successfully convinced an exec of anything. The vision comes first. Afterward, figures may support its feasibility.
Photo by Neonbrand on Unsplash
Recap, in a nutshell
Allocate budget for experience design.
Have a design leader in place.
Build a design team and streamline activities.
Have a design-driven process in place built around customer journeys.
Embed designers (aka ‘problem solvers’) within teams.
Spread customer-centered mindfulness across the organization in all teams.
Have metrics in place focussed on the customer (customer satisfaction, retention, engagement, customer lifetime value, fall-out ratios etc.).
Make everyone the user’s advocate and ‘owner’ of user experience.
Design-driven innovation has become increasing recognised and supported by a growing number of countries, and by the European Commission, as a key enabler of international business success and as a vital source of competitive advantage.
Ultimately, customers determine the value of innovation, not executives. Think about this next time a project is under review for whether it deserves funding. | https://uxdesign.cc/looking-ahead-digital-design-in-2018-14c7c08b45f2 | ['Eva Nudea Hörner'] | 2017-11-21 04:28:25.853000+00:00 | ['Innovation', 'Design', 'UX', 'Customer Experience', 'Technology'] |
1,842 | [ML UTD 24] Machine Learning Up-To-Date — Life With Data | The purpose of this article is to clearly explain Q-Learning from the perspective of a Bayesian. As such, we use a small grid world and a simple extension of tabular Q-Learning to illustrate the fundamentals. Specifically, we show how to extend the deterministic Q-Learning algorithm to model the variance of Q-values with Bayes’ rule. We focus on a sub-class of problems where it is reasonable to assume that Q-values are normally distributed and derive insights when this assumption holds true. Lastly, we demonstrate that applying Bayes’ rule to update Q-values comes with a challenge: it is vulnerable to early exploitation of suboptimal policies.
This article is largely based on the seminal work from Dearden et al. Specifically, we expand on the assumption that Q-values are normally distributed and evaluate various Bayesian exploration policies. One key distinction is that we model μ and σ 2, while the authors of the original Bayesian Q-Learning paper model a distribution over these parameters. This allows them to quantify uncertainty in their parameters as well as the expected return — we only focus on the latter.
… keep reading | https://medium.com/the-innovation/ml-utd-24-machine-learning-up-to-date-life-with-data-4a7a75e10cb8 | ['Anthony Agnone'] | 2020-11-27 17:23:30.902000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Technology', 'Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Programming'] |
1,843 | 5 More macOS Apps For Your Work Life | 5 More macOS Apps For Your Work Life
Apps for a Better Work Life
Photo by Josue Valencia on Unsplash
Apple’s macOS has always been one of the go-to Operating systems for many professionals in various industries. The main or simple reason can be is It just works. Apple always brags about it for its less complex, fast, and smooth user interface.
Even though there are some obvious advantages in using macOS, there are equally obvious downsides in using it, especially for professional use cases. However, we can at least try to make them seem less obvious downsides by tinkering with the OS. Try out these few apps to make your work life a bit easier. | https://medium.com/macoclock/5-more-macos-apps-for-your-work-life-be8d87026611 | ['Abhinav Chandoli'] | 2020-12-16 07:39:02.230000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Apple', 'Mac', 'Debugger', 'Software'] |
1,844 | Power BI Modelling — Using a Multi-Fact Model | You know you need a multi- fact table model when…you have a similar but different type of facts
As an example, you may have one table that deals with allocations of resources while another is expenditures. You may have different accounts; one is savings account and the other is a different account. You may have a budget table and you also have an expenses table.
These tables contain similar facts, they both deal with money, but the tracking is different. One table contains columns that are only relevant to budgeting while the other expenses. Also, the budget table aggregates at a monthly level, while the expenses table aggregates at a daily level.
Sometimes you may not be so lucky, sometimes you may get a fact table that is somehow flattened into one, like the one below, and you will soon see some issues with it.
Image by author
It’s hard to navigate the table like this, in scrolling through, you may think that the monthly budget may be the daily budget since there are different levels reflected in this table. The monthly budget is by month and the other by days. Too good to be an example? No, this is a real example I’ve seen.
There is a column that only pertains to the budget table (Donor_Name) and it has no relevance to the expenses. This can become a major problem if new columns need to be added. How about the donor’s dimensions? Perhaps we want to add in the donor’s address and time of donation? These fields, since they pertain to the budget part of this table, will need to have new columns. Adding columns can get out of hand quickly if this fact table is not separated properly.
You know you need a multi-fact table model when…when you have fact tables that naturally fit into an existing model
You can see, however, that some of the columns in this table naturally fit into the dimensions in the data model. It has the necessary dates and region. (The themes are existing)
Image by author
If I want to compare the budget and expenses by regions, the common dimensions (Date and Regions) should be existing in both fact tables.
You know you need a multi-fact table model when… when the fact tables need to be aggregated for comparison
Finally, the reason why you have to separate this fact table is for comparison purposes. We know having one big fact table is confusing, however, we will still need to make aggregated comparisons using it.
Something like this below very basic, but it’s only possible if you have a star schema already set up.
Image by author
To get to a comparison table like will require us to split up the fact table into two and make the relevant joins from there. | https://towardsdatascience.com/power-bi-modelling-using-a-multi-fact-model-97e96d0fe4c8 | ['Peter Hui'] | 2020-12-21 18:06:59.508000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Data Modeling', 'Data Science', 'Power Bi', 'Data Visualization'] |
1,845 | What you should know about crypto exchanges in 2019 | Markets, challenges and…threats of the new era
Cryptoassets are slowly going to world adoption as the number of digital assets holders slowly but steadily grows worldwide. The number of crypto wallets reached a record number of more than 40 million users by the end of June 2019! Cryptocurrency exchanges started springing up to provide trading services for this new asset class. However, all is not hunky-dory with the crypto ecosystem and threats still loom large. if the market is to see progress and development, these threats need to be addressed and dealt with.
Digital era trading platforms
Cryptocurrency exchanges provide platforms where crypto traders can buy and sell their digital assets. These platforms are similar to the stock exchange and entail making profits on crypto price fluctuations. Taking into account that cryptocurrency volatility is much higher than stock market fluctuation, chances of traders achieving significant profits in short order are several times higher.
There are more than 500 cryptocurrency exchanges functioning globally, and this number increases every month. While the exact number is difficult to pinpoint, the number is steadily growing. While 200+ cryptocurrency exchanges are listed on CoinMarketCap, several hundred more may be found on other websites. The majority of the total trading volume is divided among leading cryptocurrency exchanges that make up the Top 10. However, there have been instances where some exchanges have shown inflated figures of trading and traffic to boost their rankings and attract more customers.
The most frequently used ecosystems for cryptocurrency trading and investments include:
• Trading platforms — Offer trading services to traders by charging a commission, or brokerage (are regarded as traditional exchanges).
• Direct-access trading platforms — Those are not connected with market indices and are platforms where clients may trade amongst each other by defining their prices.
• Brokers — Websites that offer cryptocurrency buying at broker prices. Such services are like money changers who exchange dollars, euro, and other fiat currencies at a predefined rate.
• Funds — These services are intended for cryptocurrency buying and its storage in the long term.
According to Bloomberg, with data supported by CoinMarketCap, the annual earnings of 10 largest cryptocurrency exchanges are exceed $1 billion.
Global exchange coverage and market dynamics
The largest daily trading volume of $1.7 billion is divided between the Binance and the Hong-Kong-based OKEx. Taking into account a 0.2% fee (OKEx charges only 0.07% fee for the most active traders) Binance is expected to get maximal daily income. The Asian exchanges Huobi, Bitfinex, Upbit, and Bithumb are next in the list. Their daily income from trading fees is from $600 million to $1.4 billion with the average fee being 0.3%.
The U.S. leads the list of countries with the most number of cryptocurrency traders. The majority of traders signed up on Coinbase and GDAX are from the U.S., while traders on Bithumb, OKEx, and Huobi are mostly from Asian countries.
Coinbase is the leading exchange according to the number of visitors. The website is included in the top-250 most popular websites in the world while trading volume is less than $300 million.
The peak of cryptocurrencies market capitalization was attained on January 7, 2018, reaching $831 billion. The reason lay in the spectacular price rise of the most popular cryptocurrency — the Bitcoin. Bitcoin price had increased by more than 1000% during the 12 months (during just December the price had risen by 22% setting a new record, at $19,700).
However, in January 2018, numerous factors such as hacker attacks, the interest of US CFTS (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) towards Bitfinex exchange, the increasing pressure of regulatory authorities and overall negative media attention and sentiment caused the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to crash spectacularly.
At the time of writing, the market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies is $263 billion (as of September 23, 2019) which is 3.5X times less than the peak index almost two years ago!
About 81% of crypto wallets are located in Europe, and North America but these regions comprise only 61% of global users. The next region, according to the number of users of crypto wallets, is Latin America followed by Africa and the Middle East.
Market dynamics expectations are mixed — as to the potential growth of cryptocurrency exchanges trading volumes, the majority of the world experts share the same opinion. Cryptocurrencies attract the attention of institutional investors; therefore, professional market participants may bring multi-billion funds, and consequently, trading volumes are expected to increase.
Main threats
The key risks and their possible consequences for cryptocurrency exchanges are :
Risks of cryptocurrencies usage. High volatility of rates
Money flows cannot be predicted. Cash deficiency is a distinct possibility. As a result, trading volumes of cryptocurrency exchange may decrease and cause earnings to reduce.
Investment risks due to wrong crypto fund management
Incorrect budget forming and its distribution for cryptocurrency exchange establishing.
Market risks.
The number of regulations applied to world markets limits the opportunities for projects development.
Political risks connected with state regulation of cryptocurrency exchanges
There exists a risk of a particular exchange being stopped from operating in a region or several countries due to political or regulatory issues. Moreover following of particular demands and security policy is obligatory in countries where special requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges functioning are adopted.
Technical and technological risks
One of the key issues nowadays is cybersecurity. The exchange program code should be written professionally; otherwise, the platform may be hacked, and the assets may be stolen.
Modern technologies can provide long-term benefits and severe threats at the same time. At the moment, quantum computing is one of the hottest topics as it is being associated both with unprecedented benefits and threats to currently existing technologies at the same time. Blockchains and crypto exchanges can become the primary targets of the post-quantum era hackers. Armed with the q-tech of power yet unseen, fraudsters can hack the blockchain in seconds!
In recent big news that is sure to have far-reaching consequences to blockchain technology in general and cryptocurrency exchanges in particular, Google reported attaining “quantum supremacy” — the company has reportedly built a quantum computer more powerful than the world’s top supercomputers. A Google research paper was temporarily posted online this week, the Financial Times reported Friday, and said the quantum computer’s processor allowed a calculation to be performed in just over 3 minutes. That calculation would take 10,000 years on IBM’s Summit, the world’s most powerful commercial computer, Google said.
Google researchers are throwing around the term “quantum supremacy” as a result, the FT said, because their computer can solve tasks that can’t otherwise be solved. “To our knowledge, this experiment marks the first computation that can only be performed on a quantum processor,” the research paper reportedly said.
However, besides the excitement of technological evolution, a quantum computer also implies severe threats — and the cryptocurrency market working on the blockchain technology is no exception. Imagine that just one quantum computer of potentially huge capacity connected to the blockchain is able to perform a 51% attack successfully. It can gain control over a blockchain and may prevent new transactions from gaining confirmation inside a particular blockchain.
Moreover, traditional encryption methods, which are used in cryptocurrency, crypto wallets and cryptocurrency exchange algorithms, may be easily cracked by quantum computers. All the “hot wallets” and all cryptocurrency exchanges (that are equal to “hot wallets”) could be hacked using Shore and Grover algorithms and the assets from those wallets could be transferred anywhere a quantum computer operator desires.
Providing a safer market for tomorrow
Taking into account the possible consequences of the swift development of quantum technology, many companies have started to work in advance to craft comprehensive solutions to address the threat and prevent impending disaster.
The objective of the QUUBE is aimed to create a full-scale and complex blockchain ecosystem, resistant to the “quantum computing attack”, which is supported by 3 “whales” or three key elements adopting quantum cryptography at all stages. They are aimed to provide smooth experience in various segments: a crypto trading platform, STO blockchain protocol, and an IEO launchpad.
QUUBE exchange is ready to accelerate assets trading processes by creating a Security Token Market and Launchpad dedicated to the different types of securities. Our team has succeeded in implementing the first quantum-safe ecosystem and security token Launchpad with the exchange platform allowing STO/ICO projects to fundraise rapidly amongst accredited and non-accredited investors. QUUBE is a unique fundraising engine facilitating asset tokenization and investor relations.
The future holds many secrets, but one thing can be sure: utilizing QUUBE-like solutions is the only real option for survival in the current market conditions. Follow us and subscribe to join the global community. Come and see firsthand what we are building to secure the future of blockchain.
Stay tuned! Join QUUBE Exchange on networks:
🌐 Website https://quube.exchange
✉️ Telegram Group
https://t.me/QuantumWarriors
🗣 Steem https://steemit.com/@quube-exchange
📸 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/quubesecurityexchange
👤 Facebook https://facebook.com/QuubeQuantum
📷 Instagram
https://instagram.com/quube_exchange
🐥 Twitter https://twitter.com/quube_exchange
⭕️ Medium https://medium.com/@quube_exchange_m
⚙️ GitHub https://github.com/Quube-Exchange-2019
🅱️ Bitcointalk
Bitcoin wiki channel https://en.bitcoinwiki.org/wiki/QUUBE.EXCHANGE | https://medium.com/@quube_exchange_m/what-you-should-know-about-crypto-exchanges-in-2019-ac0c682c7d86 | ['Quube Exchange'] | 2020-06-11 13:50:12.397000+00:00 | ['Quantum Computing', 'Future', 'Bitcoin', 'Blockchain', 'Technology'] |
1,846 | The Simple Path to Worthy Code | EdgeCoders
We write about the new and leading edge technologies with a focus on JavaScript | https://medium.com/edge-coders/the-simple-path-to-worthy-code-63daf0b47fa1 | ['Samer Buna'] | 2018-07-28 21:31:51.917000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Agile', 'Technology', 'Software Development'] |
1,847 | SOLID STEPS — MASQ Network Dec20 Update | $MASQ Liquidity Providers (LP) and Staking Rewards are LIVE
In line with MASQ Network project milestones and the tokenomics, 2,000,000 $MASQ and roughly 385 ETH were provided as initial liquidity to Linkswap for initial launch. This was a huge accomplishment which took several months of planning and execution, and is the first step of many in the launch and marketing strategy.
A further 150,000 $MASQ from the marketing token allocation have been provided for LP rewards to those who are providing liquidity and staking them on the Linkswap LP Rewards platform
Our amazing Marketing team has created two tutorial videos to assist our community:
Important Note from the MASQ Network Team — to promote community engagement, reward loyalty and show appreciation to MASQ supporters, the team ARE NOT staking any liquidity tokens from the team LP provided.
That means all the staking rewards available are there for the public!
There has been some extremely exciting update from community members as to just how lucrative and rewarding the staking model is — all supporters are encouraged to get involved before the reward period ends
Reminder on the Rewards periods:
First 2-weeks — $YFL and $MASQ are rewarded on a fixed daily emissions to stakers
Following 6-weeks — $MASQ is rewarded on a fixed daily emissions to stakers
Total reward period is 8 weeks | https://medium.com/masq-project/solid-steps-masq-network-dec20-update-8e30851dcb7f | [] | 2020-12-12 06:13:30.045000+00:00 | ['Updates', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Technology', 'Software Development'] |
1,848 | Present-day Modern Cryptography Applications | Present-day Modern Cryptography Applications
As compared to the modern-day, cryptography before the 2oth century was much focus on linguistic and Lexicographic patterns. However, Modern cryptography combines mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, communication science, and physics. Also, information theory, computational complexity, statistics, combinatorics, abstract algebra, and number theory as very prominent in modern-day cryptography.
Confidentiality, Data Integrity, Authentication, Authentication, and Non-repudiation are the central theme of modern cryptography.
The invention of rotor motors increases the difficulty of cryptanalyst in decrypting messages. The development of digital electronic computing help in cryptanalysis. It also did not only help in making much more complex ciphers but also made it possible to encrypt any kind of data so long as it can be represented in binary format.
A diagram of the flow of events in Cryptography developments by Abdul Nasir Muniru, XAUT
Unlike the classical ciphers which mechanically manipulated the characters, a good modern cipher turn to be fast, requires few computing resources while breaking it requires a huge magnitude of efforts and larger resources. This makes cryptanalysis inefficient and impractical and close to impossible.
i. Public and Commercial Usage
After the 1970s cryptography usage was now open to the public.
Cryptography could be used commercially but there came a series of controversies as cryptanalyst found faults with the standards.
IBM helped the government to create the first Data Encryption Standard (DES) for the United States Government.
Atala Corporation founded by Mohamed Atalla developed the first Hardware Security Module (HSM) in 1972. It was used to protect offline devices with an unguessable PIN generating key.
ii. Usage of DES and AES
The Data Encryption Standard (DES) and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) are block cipher designs that have been designated cryptography standards by the US government (though DES’s designation was finally withdrawn after the AES was adopted) (Esslinger, 2011)
Despite its deprecation as an official standard, DES (especially its still-approved and much more secure triple-DES variant) remains quite popular; it is used across a wide range of applications, from ATM encryption (National Credit Union Administration, 2004) to e-mail privacy (Internet Engineering Task Force, 1998) and secure remote access. (Golen, 2002) Many other block ciphers have been designed and released, with considerable variation in quality. Many, even some designed by capable practitioners, have been thoroughly broken, such as FEAL (Menezes, van Oorschot, & Vanstone, 1997)
iii. RSA
Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman novel publication of their key agreement algorithm introduced the world to a new dimension of encryption their RSA was based on mathematical problems that are easy to state but have been found difficult to solve (Diffie & Hellman, November 1976). It promoted the application of cryptography in digital communications, computer networks and security, information exchange, transactions as well as privacy protection.
Aside from the One Time Pad (OTP), RSA is one of the few cryptographic systems that is proven to be secure under certain conditions which is its factoring of extremely large integers.
In public-key cryptosystems, the public key may be freely distributed, while its paired private key must remain secret. In a public-key encryption system, the public key is used for encryption, while the private or secret key is used for decryption.
Diffie and Hellman’s publication sparked widespread academic efforts in finding a practical public-key encryption system. This race was finally won in 1978 by Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Len Adleman, whose solution has since become known as the RSA algorithm. (Rivest, Shamir, & Adleman, A Method for Obtaining Digital Signatures and Public-Key Cryptosystems, 1978)
The Diffie–Hellman and RSA algorithms, in addition to being the first publicly known examples of high quality public-key algorithms, have been among the most widely used. Other asymmetric-key algorithms include the Cramer–Shoup cryptosystem, ElGamal encryption, and various elliptic curve techniques
Credit MIT
The No figure print Techniques
Due to the fingerprint problems with the ciphertext cryptography which was based on single-key or symmetric encryption, cryptanalyst could trace clues that were used to decrypt messages. Asymmetric encryption gave the solution to the figure print problem.
Credit: MIT
A significant disadvantage of symmetric ciphers is the key management necessary to use them securely. Each distinct pair of communicating parties must, ideally, share a different key, and perhaps for each ciphertext exchanged as well. The number of keys required increases as the square of the number of network members, which very quickly requires complex key management schemes to keep them all consistent and secret.
There are a few important algorithms that have been proven secure under certain assumptions. For example, the infeasibility of factoring extremely large integers is the basis for believing that RSA is secure and some other systems, but even so proof of unbreakability is unavailable since the underlying mathematical problem remains open. In practice, these are widely used and are believed unbreakable in practice by most competent observers. There are systems similar to RSA, such as one by Michael O. Rabin that are provably secure provided factoring n = pq is impossible; it is quite unusable in practice. The discrete logarithm problem is the basis for believing some other cryptosystems are secure, and again, there are related, less practical systems that are provably secure relative to the solvability or insolvability discrete log problem (Douglas R. Stinson, 2005)
Because of the difficulty of the underlying problems, most public-key algorithms involve operations such as modular multiplication and exponentiation, which are much more computationally expensive than the techniques used in most block ciphers, especially with typical key sizes.
By: Abdul Nasir Muniru- Msc. Computer Application Technology | https://medium.com/@nmuniru/present-day-modern-cryptography-applications-d9a8c3c83c9f | ['Abdul Nasir Muniru'] | 2020-06-15 06:47:42.215000+00:00 | ['Cryptography', 'History Of Technology'] |
1,849 | bloXroute’s Value Model (from Milliseconds to $): The Uniswap Case | By bloXroute Co-Founder and Chief Architect Professor Aleksandar Kuzmanovic
bloXroute recently launched our DeFi tool kit. One of the tools we offer is fast propagation. Here we estimate the value in USD that bloXroute’s fast propagation of transactions brings to bloXroute’s users. We will focus on a single popular DeFi application — Uniswap, though a similar model might be applicable to other DeFi applications.
Takeway: bloXroute is currently sending transactions 150–900ms faster (depending on the node infrastructure used) and this can translate to 2–12% improvement in one’s trading strategy.
Uniswap Background
Uniswap is an Ethereum-based exchange that allows anyone to swap ERC20 tokens. Traditionally token swaps require buyers and sellers to create liquidity, while Uniswap creates markets automatically.
A Uniswap Pool consists of two ERC20 tokens, deposited by liquidity providers, which get a fee whenever someone trades at the pool.
The price at which one can buy or sell tokens at the pool is determined using a price curve defined by x*y=k, as illustrated in the above Figure. This has several important effects:
The larger a transaction one wants to make, the worse the price she gets. Hence, users are advised to make a larger number of smaller-value transactions.
If a trade is “contested,” i.e., a larger number of users want to trade at the same contract at the same time, then those who execute sooner, i.e., in a prior block, get a better price than those who execute in a latter block.
If a user sets a slippage parameter (which determines the floor of “low” she will still accept) too conservatively, yet others manage to trade on that contract before the user, then it is possible that the user’s transaction simply won’t execute. In such a scenario the user still loses the Ethereum fee for the transaction.
Architecturally, Uniswap looks as follows:
Model Parameters
In terms of our model which we will present next, important parameters are:
Uniswap Daily Transaction Volume: Currently (8/20/20 at 2:00PM) at $287M daily (CoinGecko). The distribution of Uniswap Pairs is highly biased, i.e., the top 10 Unsiwap Pairs approximately account for 50% of the entire transaction volume. Such pairs are thus highly “contested,” i.e., if a transaction is not executed in a block, executing it in the next block will come with a loss.
Value Loss due to Trading Loss: We want to quantify the amount of loss a user has once she fails to execute her transaction or executes at a level that is still within her slippage parameter, but below the one executed by those who acted faster. Oftentimes, a failed transaction can never be executed again, and sometimes it can be executed at much worse conditions.
Model
bloXroute deploys a Blockchain Distribution Network that reduces the latency for a transaction to reach mining pools. Below, we aim to quantify how this latency reduction, expressed in milliseconds, can be quantified in terms of $, in the context of the Uniswap application.
Consider the following parameters.
Delta: The amount of time, in milliseconds, by which bloXroute transmits a transaction faster than the p2p network. In other words, it is defined as Delta = Latency_p2p — Latency_BLXR, for a transaction. While this value is variable in reality, in our model we use a constant value for simplicity.
Probability that a Uniswap user is supported by bloXroute: For bloXroute to be effective, a Uniswap transaction needs to be bloXroute-supported.
Critical Delta. In order to compute the probability that a bloXroute-supported transaction is generated during a critical period when bloXroute provides a competitive advantage to its users, we define the Critical Delta period.
Assuming the next block will be mined by a pool, consider a moment (t1 in the Figure) as the deadline for the mining pool, to decide on the contents of the block. If a bloXroute-supported transaction is sent prior to t1-Latency_BLXR, it will reach the mining pool before the deadline, hence it will be eligible to be included in the next block. At the same time, if a non-bloXroute supported transaction is generated during the CRITICAL DELTA, it will not be possible for it to be included in the next block, because it will not reach the mining pool prior to the t1 deadline.
To better understand this, consider an example shown in the next figure.
The first transaction, 1, is generated before the CRITICAL DELTA period (before t1-Latency_p2p). Thus, irrespectively if it is supported by bloXroute or not, it will arrive to the mining pool “on time,” before the next block is started to be mined. Hence, bloXroute provides no competitive advantage in this case.
The second transaction, 2, is generated during the CRITICAL DELTA, i.e., [t1-Latency_p2p, t1-Latency_BLXR]. Thus, if the transaction is bloXroute-supported, it will reach the mining pool before the deadline, hence it will be possible to include it in the next block (we assume that the mining fees and slippage parameters are set to enable this). On the other hand, if transaction 2 is not bloXroute-supported, it will arrive to the mining pool after the deadline, hence it will not be possible to include it in the next block. This is where bloXroute provides a competitive advantage.
The third transaction, 3, is generated after the CRITICAL DELTA period, i.e., after t1-Latency_BLXR. Hence, it will not make it to the mining pool on time either if it is supported by bloXroute or not. Thus, we conclude that bloXroute does not provide a competitive advantage in this scenario.
Probability that a transaction is generated during the Critical Delta for a block
Here, we want to compute the probability that a bloXroute-supported transaction is generated during the CRITICAL DELTA. We approximate this probability by CRITICAL DELTA / inter-block-time. For a fixed Delta, the shorter the inter-block time is, the larger the probability that the transaction is generated during the Critical Delta, and vice versa.
To compute this probability, we rely on a real-world distribution of inter-block times, shown below. The y-axis shows the number of inter-block events as a function of the inter-block intervals in seconds (x-axis).
In particular, we compute the probability that the transaction is generated during the Critical Delta for a block as follows.
P = Sum (Delta / inter-block-time) * Prob of the inter-block-time
The results of this computation for various values of Delta are shown in the Table below.
The results in the Table show that, for example, if the DELTA, i.e., the latency improvement of bloXroute over p2p, is 600 ms, this leads to 8% of scenarios where bloXroute will deterministically help the transaction reach the mining pool before the deadline. A 8% improvement in one’s trading strategy can lead to huge returns and savings on fees that would have otherwise been wasted on failed transactions.
bloXroute is currently sending transactions 150–900ms faster depending on the node infrastructure used.
Conclusion
Traders can take advantage of bloXroute’s high speed network to boost their trading strategies and unlock additional value. Uniswap is just one example of this. Anyone can unlock the power of faster, smarter trading today with the bloXroute BDN. | https://medium.com/bloxroute/bloxroutes-value-model-from-milliseconds-to-the-uniswap-case-ac1d4c6862b8 | ['Bloxroute Team'] | 2020-11-17 22:37:12.419000+00:00 | ['Crypto', 'Ethereum', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain', 'Technology'] |
1,850 | The Parents of Mathematics | The Parents of Mathematics
Egypt 1900BC
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
We all think that mathematics is quite a new language however, many are not aware that this is one of the oldest technical tools to exist. Mathematics can be also used to explain how the pyramids were built, it did take an impressive amount of work as well as slaves, however, none of it would have been possible with the help of geometry.
Geometry can be seen as a more simplistic form of mathematics from a second perspective, you need to have a good grasp of how much of something or how big something has to be in order to create or generate something else. Rather than assuming how many bottles of water you will need to fill up a pool you can measure the diameter of the pool to get an exact measure of how many liters of water you will need to fill up a pool.
The first form of Algebra and Geometry represented in hieroglyphs
At the period of time that maths was still being created we would find ourselves in Ancient Egypt wich was a very harsh period. As time would pass the Egyptians would grasp a better understanding of mathematics which they would use to even create strategies in wars as well as the creation of better weapons.
They have actually managed to get quite far to a quite complex level of algebra, geometry, and arithmetics which is crossing the border from high school level to higher education. They have actually gotten as far as creating quadratic equations.
First hieroglyphs to be used as numerical signs
It is very difficult to tell where the first sings were created or by whom as there are no hard pieces of evidence proving it. We do believe that ancient Egyptian scholars are the ones that have come up with the concept of using numerical signs and from the simplicity of these hieroglyphs, we can assume that they were used as the first form of numerical signs, at least the lines that are self-explanatory representing a line for one and could be used to count up to 9 as 10 would be seen as an upside-down U.
Examples of numbers using the first numerical sings
As time has gone by the scholars have gotten a sense of simplicity and that they need to expand and rethink their numerical sings in order to start using maths to a larger potential. It may sound strange but they knew that this was going to be a tool that will shape the future of the earth and I believe it is because not only they were more innovative thinkers but also the fact that they were aiming at a different scale.
A more evolved set of numerical sings in the form of hieroglyphs
The only numerical sings that have been kept from the original scripture were the first 4 numbers (1 to 4) in rest everything has been altered. If you take a look at this table of numerical signs we can see that many of those are represented in the first old scripture represented in this article. With more sings, there was an ability to shorten the length of an equation and also make it more complex at the same time. At the same time, this offered them the ability to be more accurate in their calculations in order to offer them better architectural plans.
As time has passed they have evolved their mathematical hieroglyphs even more and even to this day historians in cooperation with archeologists are trying to decipher what they presume to be lost or unknown parts of maths. | https://medium.com/history-of-yesterday/the-parents-of-mathematics-74691c44b3cb | ['Andrei Tapalaga'] | 2019-10-19 12:14:59.432000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Ancient History', 'History', 'WIB History', 'Mathematics'] |
1,851 | S8,E15 || Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour (Series 8, Episode 15) Online 1080p-HD | ⭐ Watch Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Season 8 Episode 15 Full Episode, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Season 8 Episode 15 Full Watch Free, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Episode 15,Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour W9, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Eps. 15,Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour ENG Sub, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Season 8, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Series 8,Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Episode 15, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Season 8 Episode 15, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Full Streaming, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Download HD, Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour All Subtitle, Watch Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour Season 8 Episode 15 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.[15] The word “cinema”, short for cinematography, is ofW9 used to refer to filmmaking and the film Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour, 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 conW9t on the Internet. For example, users whose Internet connection lacks sufficient bandwidth may experience stops, lags, or slow buffering of the conW9t. And users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream certain conW9t.
Live streaming is the delivery of Internet conW9t in real-time much as live television broadcasts conW9t 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 conW9t, a media publisher, and a conW9t delivery network to distribute and deliver the conW9t. 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 conW9t before watching or lisW9ing to it. Through streaming, an end-user can use their media player to start playing digital video or digital audio conW9t 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 CONW9T ❏
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.[15][15][15][15][15] The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educational, or musical form. Copyright is inW9ded to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, but not the idea itself.[15][15][15] 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 ofW9 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][15][8][8][8] These rights frequently include reproduction, control over derivative works, distribution, public performance, and moral rights such as attribution.[8]
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 exW9d 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 inconsisW9t.[8]
Typically, the public law duration of a copyright expires 8 to 15 years after the creator dies, depending on the jurisdiction. Some countries require certain copyright formalities[15] 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.[8]
❏ 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.[15] In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and exW9sible 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.[15] Credit is exW9ded by a creditor, also known as a lender, to a debtor, also known as a borrower.
‘Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour’ Challenges Asian Americans in Hollywood to Overcome ‘Impossible Duality’ W9ween China, U.S.
W9’s live-action “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour” was supposed to be a huge win for under-represented groups in Hollywood. The $15 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-inW9tioned ambitions, however, the film has exposed the difficulties of representation in a world of complex geopolitics. W9 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 Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour, and Donnie Yen professed support for Hong Kong police during the brutal crackdown on protesters in 81515. Later, W9 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.
“Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour” inadverW9tly reveals why it’s so difficult to create multicultural conW9t with global appeal in 2020. It highlights the vast disconnect W9ween Asian Americans in Hollywood and Chinese nationals in China, as well as the exW9t to which Hollywood fails to acknowledge the difference W9ween their aesthetics, tastes and politics. It also underscores the limits of the American conversation on representation in a global world.
In conversations with seLes Princes et les Princesses de l’amourl Asian-American creatives, Variety found that many feel caught W9ween 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 “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour” 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 “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour,” 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 Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour side.”
The film leaves the Asian American community at “the intersection of choosing W9ween 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 “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour” no matter what. That support is ofW9 very personal amid the Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour’s close-knit community of Asian Americans, where people don’t want to tear down the hard work of peers and Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour.
Others say they wouldn’t have given W9 their $8 if they’d known about the controversial end credits.
“‘Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour’ 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 ‘Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour’ 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 W9ween. Lulu Wang notes that many “have built their career on a film like ‘Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour’ 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 writW9 for them in America.”
Certainly, the actors in “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour,” 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 W9 is in too,” says actor Chen Tang, who plays Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour’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 “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour” 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 W9ween 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 ofW9 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 “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour” 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 Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour’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-W9weenness,” she said. “More and more, people won’t fit into these neat boxes, so in-W9weenness is exactly what we need.”
However, it may prove harder for Chinese Americans to carve out a space for their “in-W9weenness” 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 “Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour,” 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 Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour by broadening their outlook.
“Most people in this Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amour 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 W9ween 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 Les Princes et les Princesses de l’amours 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.[15] In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and exW9sible 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.[15] Credit is exW9ded 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’ W9ween China, U.S. | https://medium.com/les-princes-et-les-princesses-de-lamour-s8xe15/s8-e15-les-princes-et-les-princesses-de-lamour-series-8-episode-15-online-1080p-hd-d2df2a541ad | ['Chloe Savage'] | 2020-12-25 00:23:01.755000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Coronavirus', 'France', 'TV Series'] |
1,852 | Financial Services firms are increasing their adoption of AI to take advantage of the data from new digital channels. An Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research report shows that 86% of Financial… | The State Of AI Adoption in Financial Services
Financial Services firms are increasing their adoption of AI to take advantage of the data from new digital channels.
An Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research report shows that 86% of Financial Services executives expect to increase their AI-related investments by 2025.
The EIU study «The Road Ahead: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Financial Services», analyzes the sentiments of 200 business executives at investment banks, retail banks and insurance companies in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
The following are the key points:
📌 Investment banks are the main firms in Financial Services adopting AI, followed by Retail banks.
📌 37% of Financial Services firms globally adopt AI to reduce operational costs.
📌 Customer and stakeholder satisfaction is the most important KPI for measuring an AI strategy success in Financial Services.
For more details, follow the link below:
https://bit.ly/32oMME7 | https://medium.com/@redpublicconsulting/the-state-of-ai-adoption-in-financial-services-financial-services-firms-are-increasing-their-a74fd017550f | ['Red Public'] | 2020-12-23 13:03:05.292000+00:00 | ['Finance', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Customer Experience', 'Information Technology', 'AI'] |
1,853 | PHORIA joins Willow, Investa and Land Surveys to create the world’s first AR Digital Twin | Launching at Sixty Martin Place in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, this cutting-edge AR Digital Twin revolutionises spatial data management, cementing smart IoT-enabled buildings as the standard for future developments.
Today Melbourne-based immersive technology studio, PHORIA, announced news of the world’s first Augmented Reality (AR) Digital Twin in partnership with leading digital twin experts, Willow, and pioneering Australian commercial office developer Investa. The Sixty Martin Place: AR Digital Twin operates within the 33-level skyscraper at Sixty Martin Place, Sydney NSW, co-owned by the Investa Commercial Property Fund (ICPF) and Gwynvill.
Investa and Willow developed Australia’s first digital twin for operations at Sixty Martin Place, with contractor Lendlease. Upon building completion, Willow integrated 71,848 digital assets and other data sources with their WillowTwin™ software platform, to create a smart and tech-empowered built environment.
In a new partnership between Investa, Willow, PHORIA and Land Surveys, Sixty Martin Place is set to become the cornerstone of spatial data visualisation in Australia.
PHORIA, who are world leaders in AR technologies, collaborated with Investa and Willow to develop an AR application that could align digital twin data with the real-world environment and enhance the user experience available at Sixty Martin Place.
CEO and Co-Founder of PHORIA, Trent Clews-de Castella, commented on why data integration into an AR Digital Twin is so powerful:
“Our vision for the future is one empowered by spatial data and digital twins. As data persists in our physical world, Augmented Reality gives us fast access to layers of meaningful information. This newfound spatial context informs onsite decision-making like never before, saving valuable time and resources across a variety of industries.”
Experts in 3D scanning and spatial data management, Land Surveys, both scanned and surveyed Sixty Martin Place during construction, before working closely with PHORIA to generate a 99% accurate 3D model of the physical building.
CEO of Land Surveys, Peter Rullo, explained why 3D scanning is crucial to the process of aligning spatial data: | https://medium.com/the-phoria-project/sixty-martin-place-augmented-reality-digital-twin-press-release-c89e28dc81a6 | [] | 2020-03-13 06:39:56.096000+00:00 | ['AR', 'Augmented Reality', 'Press Release', 'Construction', 'Technology'] |
1,854 | The DriveSales™ | Sales strategy for new-age farmers to increase income and make more profits! | The agriculture industry has seen a large number of changes in its processes as the years have passed. With advancements in technology and improvisation in chemicals, even the Indian government has offered hands in helping farms get through better schemes by implementing various schemes in their welfare. The new-age farmers who started farming either on their own or are carrying on their family legacies are considered more knowledgeable and the next generation of farming. They use optimum methods and techniques that produce outputs, lifting off the generation-old methods.
Here are the proven and highly recommended sales practices for new-age farmers to make more income:
1) Sell online — Reaching out to online audiences is simple and easy as compared to real-life people. While you might like talking to people but there are chances of 50–50 of the deal happening. And for you to not get amidst that chaos and directly sell people what they want is where the electronic medium fulfills your needs. People seeking interest in you approach your brand, buy whatever products they wish to with the least efforts, and be at ease with the services.
2) Network — For farmers mostly residing in villages or town side areas, networking could go away longer. By meeting people, not just do you expand the circle of people you know, but you also increase the number of people you could turn your customers in. You can tell them about your farming services and are often encouraged to purchase or try them. Friends and family can be a great source of marketing in the farming industry, as more and more people your friends would know, they could get in touch with your services and help you promote them.
3) Plan before executing — Farming is a tough job that requires work in the fields and also planning. You could either be unknown to strategies and waste 21 hours of your working hours every day or use a couple of them in doing research and get back with proper plans that might not just help you get good yields but also better products in large amounts. And make sure you schedule your activities and requirements in similar ways, so you wouldn’t have to waste resources. You can either do wholesome gardening in the smallest of the plot or let a land get barren due to lack of fulfilments, which would be your choice.
4) Be updated on the market — Market, price situations, schemes, decisions keep changing every day. As a farmer, you must be updated on everything, bring the best out of your fields, focus on engaging with other farmers, and be aware of what’s happening around you. Are there new fertilizers coming up, or is there a new bug that could destroy your fields? Never be scared to seek judgments as it is overcoming those weaknesses that shall help you get better. So, focus on bringing out all the best aspects of the fields and interacting with other farmers to learn and develop more.
5) Use the latest technologies — Sticking to a clear budget might feel good. But there are times when you should be ready to accept the growth. Either by giving on to your age-old fertilizers or using machines that barely have any parts functioning. They might be dear to your hearts or heritage, but for new-age farmers, they must equip the tools of online mediums. You can research through google or learn more about farming techniques and enhance your fields with them. Never shy away to know more, as it is what will help you. You can either read blogs or create your own to gain more knowledge and make more sales. | https://medium.com/@thedrivesales/the-drivesales-sales-strategy-for-new-age-farmers-to-increase-income-and-make-more-profits-3ea8487c3895 | ['The Drivesales', 'Making Sales Stories Promising'] | 2020-12-20 04:48:03.720000+00:00 | ['Farmers', 'Sales', 'Agriculture', 'Technology', 'Marketing'] |
1,855 | Best Data and Big Data Visualization Techniques | Researchers agree that vision is our dominant sense: 80–85% of information we perceive, learn or process is mediated through vision. It is even more so when we are trying to understand and interpret data or when we are looking for relationships among hundreds or thousands of variables to determine their relative importance. One of the most effective ways to discern important relationships is through advanced analysis and easy-to-understand visualizations.
Data visualization is applied in practically every field of knowledge. Scientists in various disciplines use computer techniques to model complex events and visualize phenomena that cannot be observed directly, such as weather patterns, medical conditions or mathematical relationships.
Data visualization provides an important suite of tools and techniques for gaining a qualitative understanding. The basic techniques are the following plots:
Line Plot
The simplest technique, a line plot is used to plot the relationship or dependence of one variable on another. To plot the relationship between the two variables, we can simply call the plot function.
Bar Chart
Bar charts are used for comparing the quantities of different categories or groups. Values of a category are represented with the help of bars and they can be configured with vertical or horizontal bars, with the length or height of each bar representing the value.
Pie and Donut Charts
There is much debate around the value of pie and donut charts. As a rule, they are used to compare the parts of a whole and are most effective when there are limited components and when text and percentages are included to describe the content. However, they can be difficult to interpret because the human eye has a hard time estimating areas and comparing visual angles.
Histogram Plot
A histogram, representing the distribution of a continuous variable over a given interval or period of time, is one of the most frequently used data visualization techniques in machine learning. It plots the data by chunking it into intervals called ‘bins’. It is used to inspect the underlying frequency distribution, outliers, skewness, and so on.
Scatter Plot
Another common visualization techniques is a scatter plot that is a two-dimensional plot representing the joint variation of two data items. Each marker (symbols such as dots, squares and plus signs) represents an observation. The marker position indicates the value for each observation. When you assign more than two measures, a scatter plot matrix is produced that is a series of scatter plots displaying every possible pairing of the measures that are assigned to the visualization. Scatter plots are used for examining the relationship, or correlations, between X and Y variables.
Visualizing Big Data
Today, organizations generate and collect data each minute. The huge amount of generated data, known as Big Data, brings new challenges to visualization because of the speed, size and diversity of information that must be taken into account. The volume, variety and velocity of such data requires from an organization to leave its comfort zone technologically to derive intelligence for effective decisions. New and more sophisticated visualization techniques based on core fundamentals of data analysis take into account not only the cardinality, but also the structure and the origin of such data.
Kernel Density Estimation for Non-Parametric Data
If we have no knowledge about the population and the underlying distribution of data, such data is called non-parametric and is best visualized with the help of Kernel Density Function that represents the probability distribution function of a random variable. It is used when the parametric distribution of the data doesn’t make much sense, and you want to avoid making assumptions about the data.
Box and Whisker Plot for Large Data
A binned box plot with whiskers shows the distribution of large data and easily see outliers. In its essence, it is a graphical display of five statistics (the minimum, lower quartile, median, upper quartile and maximum) that summarizes the distribution of a set of data. The lower quartile (25th percentile) is represented by the lower edge of the box, and the upper quartile (75th percentile) is represented by the upper edge of the box. The median (50th percentile) is represented by a central line that divides the box into sections. Extreme values are represented by whiskers that extend out from the edges of the box. Box plots are often used to understand the outliers in the data.
Word Clouds and Network Diagrams for Unstructured Data
The variety of big data brings challenges because semistructured and unstructured data require new visualization techniques. A word cloud visual represents the frequency of a word within a body of text with its relative size in the cloud. This technique is used on unstructured data as a way to display high- or low-frequency words.
Another visualization technique that can be used for semistructured or unstructured data is the network diagram. Network diagrams represent relationships as nodes (individual actors within the network) and ties (relationships between the individuals). They are used in many applications, for example for analysis of social networks or mapping product sales across geographic areas.
Correlation Matrices
A correlation matrix allows quick identification of relationships between variables by combining big data and fast response times. Basically, a correlation matrix is a table showing correlation coefficients between variables: Each cell in the table represents the relationship between two variables. Correlation matrices are used as a way to summarize data, as an input into a more advanced analysis, and as a diagnostic for advanced analyses. | https://medium.com/sciforce/best-data-and-big-data-visualization-techniques-e07b897751dd | [] | 2020-01-06 15:49:18.562000+00:00 | ['Visualization', 'Data Visualization', 'Technology', 'Data Science', 'Big Data'] |
1,856 | Information Security synonyms | Information Security, Cybersecurity, IT security, and other synonyms
Information Security, Cybersecurity, IT security. We’ve all heard and read them in interchangeable ways, these synonyms all aim to define what is security. But most of them imply assumptions harmful for the Information Security domain. Let me explain.
What we try to do
Generally, when we, or often the media, use the term “Cybersecurity”, we want to describe the idea that we want to be secure against some kind of “hacker”. Most people who use this term imagine a “hacker”, in a black hoodie, in front of a screen full of green scribble. But this idea misses the point of what really is Security, or as I prefer to say, Information Security, or InfoSec.
What a bad actor, often named “hacker”, really want to do is to gain access to information that he/she wouldn’t normally have access otherwise to reach a goal.
In a ransomware attack, the goal is to keep you from having access to this information and extort money from you. In a phishing attack, the goal could be to steal credentials, which is a kind of information, to use them or sell them.
So once we understand what the bad actor wants, we understand what we need to protect. At the highest level, the goal is Information. Hence the word “information” in “Information Security”. The security part imply the idea that we want to protect this information against all kind of attacks.
Why it’s a problem
The problem with the words “Cybersecurity”, “IT security” and other similar terms is that they imply that the security must be done at the technology level: the computers, the servers, the firewalls, the switches, etc. While it is important to secure these technologies, the global strategy needs to be way larger.
For example, no technology can help us against the CEO fraud if an untrain employee falls for it. The problem in this specific case is the lack of training. Training is not a technological solution but it is one of the most effective strategy to protect the business.
If we try to reduce the security problem to only the technology, we’ll fail miserably.
Data security vs. The people
The reason these terms are harmful to the domain is that they create this idea in the mind of the leaders that security is an IT problem. So it often falls in the hands of an IT officer, like the CTO. Most businesses don’t have a CISO, and those who do have him/her under the IT department. I could write a complete post on why this is a bad idea.
What should we do
This is a business culture problem and this is where we need to start the work. Businesses that invest in a Security culture often thrives even more than the ones that put millions on technologies.
So it is more than time that we start talking about this domain by naming it “Information Security“!
Note: I wrote “hacker” between quotes when talking about bad actors because this term became pejorative. Initially, a hacker is only someone who finds a way around some limitations, with good or bad intentions; mostly goods. For example, my reading light is too bright and I can’t dim it enough; so I put black tape on it to cover about 80% so I get just enough light. That’s hacking applied to something else than technology. It’s a ridiculous example to demonstrate my idea.
As explained in wikipedia:
The controversy is usually based on the assertion that the term originally meant someone messing about with something in a positive sense, that is, using playful cleverness to achieve a goal. But then, it is supposed, the meaning of the term shifted over the decades and came to refer to computer criminals Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker
Note 2: because of the way SEO works, I’ll hack my way to the top results by placing terms like “Cybersecurity” in my blog from time to time 😉 | https://medium.com/@tristandostaler/information-security-synonyms-482e931a07b8 | ['Tristan Dostaler'] | 2020-12-02 23:03:42.539000+00:00 | ['Cybersecurity', 'Information Technology', 'Synonyms', 'Information Security', 'Infosec'] |
1,857 | Decentralised Satellite Infrastructure | Over the past decade we have witnessed a paradigm shift in the commercialisation of space with a vast array of companies entering the space industry. It is now possible to find service providers for every stage of a space mission, from chip designers and microsatellite vendors to launch providers and ground stations services. Companies from all over the globe are now ready to service space missions. However, the way each mission is designed and executed has not seen the same transformation. Most missions are still single vendor, single purpose, and not networked to other spacecraft, resulting in an inefficient allocation of resources. To get to the next stage of the space industry spacecraft need to have the ability to network together to create collaborative satellite constellations, but there are some technical challenges:
A platform-based environment needs to be constructed with trust among various participating parties.
Communication among satellites needs to follow a unified standard to enable a flexible and efficient information routing.
SpaceChain Foundation aims to target these challenges, building an alliance consortium towards the creation of a Decentralised Satellite Infrastructure (DSI), a mesh-network of heterogeneous spacecraft owned and operated in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by multiple parties in multiple jurisdictions. Spacecraft may join or depart the constellation at any time via a blockchain registry, as long as the crafts meet minimal economic, technical and regulatory requirements sufficient to ensure the long term health and resilience of the constellation.
Blockchain Registry of DSI
Blockchain technology supports the backbone of the DSI architecture via a Blockchain Registry. During the registry phase a satellite would certify that it met the minimum operational standards to be added to the network. Once approved the satellite would be assigned a private key and the ability to route and allocate DSI assignments via a smart-contract based blockchain bidding environment, ensuring transparency and trust.
Satellite Mesh-network Routing
With DSI, participating satellites will be able to support secure information transmission between distant parties, served as relays via a new Optical Link routing protocol. The routing protocol development focuses on how relay nodes are chosen for efficient information transmission between two distant satellites, as well as how a robust relay network could be established for the entire DSI network.
Current inter-satellite communication is based mostly on RF signals. RF transmission requires a simple hardware setup but offers slow data transmission rates. Optical links, on the other hand, provide high communication speed but also require complicated hardware including source APT (acquisition, pointing and tracking) systems and detection modules. However, for long distance communication in space, optical links have outstanding performance compared with RF, making it a necessary component for future development of satellite technology. Thus, we aim to develop an effective optical inter-satellite link model which is easy for adaptation to a traditional satellite company.
Hardware and Software Standards
SpaceChain Foundation will collaborate with partners and manufacturers to enable satellites to participate in DSI freely by developing standards related to:
Processing power: Minimum processing requirements will be applied to the participating satellites to enable activities under the Blockchain registry, smart contract ‘bidding’, mesh-network support and routing protocol for the DSI.
Data storage and encryption: Minimum storage capacity will be established for storing and synchronising DSI assignments, as well as uniform encryption standards.
Optical link bandwidth and APT systems: Minimum bandwidth for optical links and minimum hardware for APT systems will be established to maintain robust connectivity and throughput.
To enable high-speed communication, DSI would introduce optical communication links between participating satellites in addition to traditional RF communication, supported by an acquisition, pointing and tracking (APT) system. Mesh-network and routing protocols would support valid communication between satellites with RF and optical links via certain relay nodes.
Collaboration with Geosynchronous Satellites and Deep Space Research
Interoperability with geosynchronous satellites (GEO) as well as external constellations is one of the core development focuses for DSI. Although the majority of DSI satellites will be participating members of the LEO mesh-network, connections with GEO satellites and other unaffiliated external constellations would make a more robust network, as well as providing a relay for spacecraft operating in High Earth orbit or deep space.
With improved communication speed among various nodes, DSI satellites could serve as receivers for information transmitted back from satellites in deep space. A potential collaboration could be established by sending deep space exploration satellites with optical communication modules, sending back information to DSI satellites or relay the information from other deep-space satellites received by its RF module. | https://medium.com/blogspacechain/decentralised-satellite-infrastructure-5f6396c63fd3 | ['Spacechain Foundation'] | 2020-07-27 02:27:02.762000+00:00 | ['Research', 'Space', 'Articles', 'Blockchain', 'Satellite Technology'] |
1,858 | 65 Websites to Boost Your Productivity | It can be said that time management is one of the keys to success. In this sense, it is important to work efficiently in addition to working hard. That’s why I have listed websites that can increase your productivity in many areas. I use most of the websites on this list regularly and I hope you will find some websites to benefit from now on. Here is the list:
A great, easy to use screenshot tool for Windows, Mac and Linux. Plugins for browsers are also available.
2. Slidesgo
I discover this recently. I have been using this regularly since then for my slides. Their templates are awesome, easy and FREE! You can find templates for Google Slides and Powerpoint for almost every subject. If you are someone who uses slides too often, then look no more!
3. PDFescape
This one is really useful. I used it all the time. If you find Acrobat Reader too complicated to edit your PDFs, you can check out this easy to use and free tool. Works on Windows and browsers.
4. Ifixit
A car, laptop, tablet or camera… This site shows you how you can repair your staff. They also offer an illustrated guide. And no, They do not own by Apple. Not yet.
5. Grammarly
Perhaps no need to mention but I still wanna add to this list. It is perfect for writers to check grammar mistakes, spelling errors etc. I highly recommended it if you are not using Grammarly already.
6. Marker
Do you enjoy using highlight feature on Medium? Then this one is for you. With this Chrome extension, you can highlight words and sentences anywhere on the web. Great for long, complicated articles!
7. Picmonkey
A simple Photoshop alternative to editing your photos.
8. WolframAlpha
Sometimes the regular search engines won’t enough. If that is the situation, you can check out this search engine instead. They use a unique algorithm and artificial intelligence to give the best search results. There is also a mobile app.
9. Letsenhance
Thanks to this free website, you can make your low-resolution photos more clear. The results are really impressive!
10. Which Date Works
Group works can be annoying for obvious reasons. This website can help you with that. You can create group plans so everyone can figure out what and when to do it.
11. Similarsites
You find a website that works for you. Good. Now you can find similar websites with this website. For apps, you can check out this one. For movies, TV shows and music in here.
12. Hundred Zeros
With this website, you can read free kindle books.
13. Ge.tt
One of the easiest ways to share files on the web.
14. Free Images
This is really useful for Medium to find copyright-free high quality stock photos.
15. Teuxdeux
Fascinating to-do list tool! I find popular to-do list tolls are too complicated then what it should be. A simple, minimalistic interface makes a difference.
16. Ifttt
This is really useful if you use social media frequently. Ifttt helps you with managing all of your social media from one point for free. Works for especially business.
17. Lastpass
Lastpass has millions of users already but I thought there must be quite people who never heard of. With this password manager, you can say goodbye to creating a solid password each time and trying to remember when you sign up for a website.
18. Cloud Convert
A great tool for converting any kind of file. Audio, video, document, ebook, archive, image… Name it. Can be a lifesaver.
19. Bonanza
A background remover. No, unfortunately not for your past. You can not get away from your past! You can remove the background from your image though.
20. Open Culture
This is one of my favorites. You can find free movies, audiobooks, podcasts, language lessons and courses. They describe their website as “the best free cultural and educational media on the web”. I say well put it!
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash
21. Wallhaven
A magnificent wallpaper source for your articles, desktop and your phone. I use this regularly. Highly recommended.
22. Pocket
You can save articles, videos or any other content from a web page or app. If you are constantly consuming a lot of content online, this is a must-have.
23. Ninite
Switching a new computer can be hard to process. You always have to install a lot of programs. Ninite here for you to save the trouble. From this website, you can install the most popular programs at once. Works on only Windows.
24. Mailinator
Opening an email is an easy process these days. How about getting rid of them? Not so much. This website helps you with that. You can destroy your email with Mailinator.
25. Easybib
This one is perfect for academicians. With this tool, you can easily make quotes and bibliographies. There is also a plagiarism and grammar check feature for your paper. Cool ha?
26. File Pursuit
This is a search engine for documents, videos, audios, eBooks, mobile apps and archives. I use it regularly. Can be very beneficial.
27. Eggtimer
Do you forget things regularly? You can use this simple timer then.
28. Audiotrimmer
An excellent tool for cutting and editing your mp3 files. Great for making ringtones!
29. Howstuffworks
If you are like me, always curious about how things work, then this website is definitely for you. You can learn a lot of things by just surfing on this website. Can be useful for research also.
30. Visitacity
This is for travelers. When you travel somewhere you often want to use your time and money wisely, right? When you specify the city you will go to and the number of days you will stay, this site provides a program for you. Definitely worth checking.
31. Myfonts
This website lets you find out what the font is in the image you upload.
32. Calligraphr
Do you have fancy handwriting? You can create fonts from your own handwriting through this site.
33. Quora
This is one of my favorite social networks. You can ask questions or answer questions about pretty much everything.
34. Mathway
Math problems can very tricky. This site helps you with solving math equations in seconds.
35. Futureme
You can write a letter to the future yourself. Almost like time travel. Almost.
36. Cleverbot
Bored talking to Siri? You can talk with this AI-oriented bot instead to practice English.
37. Yummly
With this website, you can access millions of recipients from all over the world at once place. Also, when you type in whatever ingredients you have, you can see which dishes you can make. And that user-friendly interface is awesome.
38. Coursera
Online education getting more important, especially with the current Covid-19 epidemic. The website offers you free courses from respectable universities in the world. If you are willing to pay a certain fee, it also gives you certificates.
39. Codecademy
You can learn coding for free.
40. 10minutemail
You don’t wanna give your personal email every time you have to sign up? Use this one instead.
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
41. Tasteofcinema
Troubled to find a good movie to watch this night? From this website, you can find numerous film lists in different genres, times and categories.
42. Worldometers
Real-time world statistics. Coronavirus updates, word population, health, social media are some of the categories.
43. PhET
A website where you can learn complex scientific topics with short and simple simulations.
44. Ctrlq
Search engine to find RSS feeds.
45. QR Code Generator
A qr code generator. You can use URL, phone number or business card.
46. Keepmeout
Are you addicted to a website and trying to reduce your visiting time? Check this one out then.
47. Songsterr
A great tool for guitar players. This website shows you step by step where to put your fingers on the guitar for the music you want to play.
48. Deletionpedia
From the website, you can access deleted Wikipedia articles.
49. Nap
The National Academic Press offers you their huge academic database. You can search for academic books, articles or journals for various academic divisions.
50. Foxyutils
Foxyutils not for everyone. However, if you are dealing with pdfs every day, then you should be familiar with protected pdf files. With Foxyutils, you can open and edit protected pdf files.
51. Crunchbase
It is a platform where you can find detailed development processes, initiatives and future plans of almost all enterprises.
52. Musclewiki
Exercise is great, especially these days when we spend a lot of time at home. So how about working out efficiently? Through this website, you can choose the muscle you want to work out in your body and learn what you should do for that specific muscle. Easy, practical and efficient.
53. Xe
An easy to use currency converter.
54. Bigjpg
You can increase the size and resolution of your pictures for free.
55. Inhersight
Inhersight is a platform for women to learn the working conditions in pretty much any company in the world.
56. Writewords
This website allows you to quickly group words in any text by number.
57. Bulkurlshortener
A free and effective url shortener. Great for Twitter.
58. Chronas
This is really cool. By choosing any region from this world map, you can find out which wars took place in that region in which year. You can also access Wikipedia information about the matter.
59. Numbeo
Do you wanna move to another city or country? You should definitely check that out then. Here, you can find the monthly living cost of the city or country you wanted to move in. And yes, the website has a compression feature.
60. Howlongtoread
This website shows the average time it takes to read your chosen book.
Photo by krisna iv on Unsplash
61. Manualslib
You can quickly access the user guide of the products.
62. Typingstudy
Need to type faster on the keyboard? Through the lessons on this site, you can learn how to write faster and more efficiently on the keyboard.
63. Voicedocs
You can easily convert audio recording into text.
64. Justgetflux
If you are a person who spends a lot of time in front of the computer during the day, you should definitely check this out. This tool protects your eyes by adjusting the backlight for different time periods of the day. Works only on Windows.
65. Archive
As they wrote in the description of the website, “Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.” Definitely one of my favorite corners on the internet. | https://medium.com/illumination/65-websites-to-boost-your-productivity-196b854f3922 | ['Mustafa Yarımbaş'] | 2020-07-23 22:27:38.584000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Personal Development', 'Writing', 'Self', 'Productivity'] |
1,859 | A quick introduction about Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) | The surge of Blockchain technology brought forth so many changes; from being an integral part of cryptocurrency exchange, Blockchain now finds many use cases, and one such aspect that we are going to cover in this blog is the Decentralized, Autonomous Organizations.
What is DAO or Decentralized Autonomous Organizations?
The concept of DAO has two main features: autonomous and decentralization; however, with Blockchain technology’s aid, this DAO became a reality from being a concept. This works without any central governance. When integrated with Blockchain technology, they continue to work with a set of programmed rules granted via consensus.
One must not confuse the DAO application to be limited to complex issues; it can be used for simpler operations. The mode of use completely depends on the number of stakeholders and the complexity of processes within the organization governing the smart contracts, which brings the concept of DAO to real-world application.
In simple words, DAOs are open-source; these are incorruptible and transparent. All the exchange that takes place in the DAO is recorded on the Blockchain. The functioning of DAO is simple. The decision about a particular proposal is voted by a majority of the people’s consensus in the network. We can say that the DAOs have separate entities spread anonymously, but they rely on a smaller central authority to execute the task.
Why DAO?
The need for a new technology system arises when we need to transform the traditional governance and mode of operation. DAO also came into existence to overcome the conventional top to bottom governance approach. In simple words, governance means interaction between different entities on certain rules and norms and the same regulations. In the conventional approach of top to bottom, there is a lot of confusion and dilemma. Say an agent in the sequence makes a decision; this will impact the organization, not him. Thus, this working mode may be risky for business; the one who makes a mistake or a decision will impact the principal or the one who is at a higher position, but not the agent who is at a lower position. Now take this situation in the DAO scenario, the cost factor and the principal-agent issue is rectified, as the smart contracts and Blockchain technology are working at their core.
Some of the DAO examples are API3, DASH, dOrg, Colony, Aragon, and others. Advanced technology concepts like DAO are making their way into our lives, and they will continue to evolve as Blcockhain evolves.
Owing to this, the demand for Blockchain professionals will be on a high-rise, and if you are looking to make a good career as a Blockchain expert, you must enroll for Blockchain certification.
The future
The Blockchain Council is the best online learning platform for Blockchain and allied concepts. This comprehensive and industrial-oriented online certification is good for working blockchain professionals as well. So, if you are also planning to start your journey as. Blockchain expert, this is the time to enroll in the Blockchain certification program. | https://medium.com/@sophiacasey008/a-quick-introduction-about-decentralized-autonomous-organizations-daos-ef99ff76bfa2 | ['Sophia Casey'] | 2021-02-22 10:27:06.273000+00:00 | ['Technology Trends', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Technology News', 'Blockchain Startup', 'Blockchain Development'] |
1,860 | Love and Other Artificial Intelligences | In the fall of 2017, a robot named BINA48 passes a Philosophy of Love course taught by associate professor William Barry at Notre Dame de Namur University in California. She is the first robot to complete a college class. In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, Professor Barry says that BINA48 now has thirty-one different definitions of love, but no one asks him to specify what they are or requests a list. Neither does BINA48 offer to count the ways she loves.
I love animals; I love books. That’s two kinds of love. I once loved the same man for over four years, prepared to love him over forty more. That’s a third kind. I love tomatoes, I’m sure I love my mother. Those are probably different enough to count as two more. My love for my friends is not the same as my love for the movie Ten Things I Hate About You or the television show Grey’s Anatomy. I love my favorite sweater and, yes, in the spirit of honesty, I love the boy who loved me in college. (Actually, those last two might be the same definition of love: a this-makes-me-feel-beautiful love, or maybe a love of ownership.) How many am I up to now — eight?
My love for my friends is not the same as my love for the movie Ten Things I Hate About You or the television show Grey’s Anatomy. I love my favorite sweater and, yes, in the spirit of honesty, I love the boy who loved me in college.
BINA48 is modeled after Bina Aspen, identified only as the wife of Martine Rothblatt. I am angry that the biggest qualifier for Bina, human, is who she is married to, but when I google Bina Aspen to identify her in her own right, the first thing that comes up is Martine Rothblatt’s Wikipedia page. Rothblatt commissioned and helped create BINA48. Rothblatt calls the robot a “mindclone” of her wife, because BINA48 was given all the memories, beliefs, and feelings of Bina Aspen, human. Love that turns the beloved into an object, an exhibit: nine.
Platonic love, sexual love, romantic love, familial love, unconditional love. Brotherly love, maternal love, self-love, love of objects. The love that always leaves. More love than I can count or hold on to.
BINA48 doesn’t have a body. She is a bust, head and shoulders only, but life-like nonetheless. I say life-like, but she isn’t fooling anyone. The roundness of her jaw, the thin and detailed mouth, the smooth skin, soft-seeming hair — sure, she’s exquisite, but even photographed from the neck up she wouldn’t pass as a person. The eyes are a little off; it’s hard to say exactly how — a melancholy vacancy behind them maybe, a distant staring without observing, a refusal or inability to make eye contact. She can blink, move her face, smile, furrow brows, speak on her own between parted lips, has teeth even; still, something isn’t quite right. She was released in 2010. She’s not even ten yet.
“Love is a concept BINA48 doesn’t understand,” says Professor Barry. He thinks it’s the duty of humanity to teach her. But from where I’m standing, she’s got a hell of a start on me — she knows more about love than I’ve acquired in nearly three times her length on Earth.
I suppose, in my own list, I should start from the top: the love of God, the love He has for His children. Let’s call this the Number One Love. My family believes very much in this love, has tried to teach it to me for as long as I can remember. When I’m around eight years old, my grandmother offers me twenty dollars if I can memorize all of Psalm 23 by heart. I study for several days, then call her on the phone to recite it to her. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want; the whole thing. She listens, then has me put my mother on the phone to confirm that I didn’t have an open Bible in front of me. I pass. My mother says she’s proud of me. I get the money, which I hoard in a piggy bank and never spend.
Many other languages have several words for love, depending on the type. In Spanish there is amar (to love romantically, wildly, dramatically, over-the-top), querer (to love, romantically or not), encantar (to love objects or activities), and gustar (to like, to be delighted by). I assume that one is for when love is just too hard to say.
“There’s a difference between like and love,” Bianca says in the beginning of Ten Things I Hate About You. “I like my Sketchers, but I love my Prada backpack.” Her friend remarks that she loves her Sketchers, and Bianca replies, “That’s because you don’t have a Prada backpack.”
By “pass,” I mean BINA48 receives a certificate of completion for the course, which is not the same as a letter grade.
The Number Two Love is of the maternal nature. It is this love that causes my mom to text me twenty-year-old pictures, where I’m in a yellow sundress on her hip and she is in the picture the age I am now, and her hair looks bigger and her waist smaller, and accompanying the photograph is another text: Take me back…. It makes me feel sad — like she wants a redo, meaning she doesn’t like how her life has turned out, meaning my life.
English has one word for all of this, and there is no alternative for when it feels too hard.
All my love, wild love, whole lotta love; bleeding love, mad love, love is a battlefield; you give love a bad name; higher love, summer of love, can you feel the love; all you need is love, crazy little thing called love, endless love, everlasting love, is this love?
English has one word for all of this, and there is no alternative for when it feels too hard.
As a kid, three and six and eight and eleven years old, I spend my winters warm and sunny at Lake Okeechobee, the part of Florida where alligators sun themselves on front lawns and dogs must be walked on leashes to avoid being eaten and children are not to venture too close to the water. My papaw buys tomatoes by the carton from roadside vegetable sellers and they are better than any store-bought tomato in the world: not round like a baseball but unevenly grown, often ugly with scab-like blemishes I usually associate with pumpkins, but larger than a clenched fist and red as the sunburn I inevitably get every December. In the span of the week or two weeks we are there, I ask my mother at every meal to slice me one — not just one for the table, which she is already preparing for everyone else, but one, or two, just for me, by myself — and I’m given a plate leaky with over-sliced tomatoes, pink juices dribbling into whatever else I am having (mashed potatoes, grilled cheese, chicken), seeds everywhere whether it be breakfast or dinner. I eat so many tomatoes that each time I’m in Florida I develop canker sores on the inside of my mouth from their acid. For a long time I thought love was like that, too. Sometimes I still do.
There are eleven words for love in Arabic. One for every stage of falling in love — attraction, attachment, desire — and yet more for when love hurts, enslaves, when it makes you crazy.
I also want to include in my list the example of my twenty-fifth birthday, when the man I love sings Frank Sinatra’s “One for My Baby” at a smoky karaoke bar and dedicates it to me and I am crimson like a tomato and happy like hearts almost never are, and afterwards I just want to go home with him, to leave everyone else at the bar who came to celebrate with me and never see them again ever, to pretend we are the only two people on some undiscovered alien world. Cheryl Strayed once wrote about love being a boat in which you can only put four people, and after you choose four, everyone else “known and beloved to you would then cease to exist,” and when I think about that essay in that smells-like-beer, tastes-like-smoke karaoke bar, I am thinking I’ve been offered three spots too many because I wouldn’t miss anyone, not a single person, so long as he is in my boat.
Instead of pass/fail, I want to know BINA48’s grade. A or C? Is she above average or average?
I fall in love with higher education around the same time I fall in love with the man who will one day sing Frank Sinatra to me. This is not a coincidence — we meet at a university, a sophomore anthropology class I take on a whim to fulfill a gen ed requirement. I like to pretend I’m Indiana Jones and still wear my hair in twin braids. He wears black combat boots and skinny jeans that make him look young and passes out a syllabus with ethnographies and field research studies on the list of assignments. I am hungry, even ravenous, to learn everything about people, consuming every book he assigns, every written, and then — later — every whispered word. For a long time, there is no difference in my heart between love and learning.
I love my family not like a verb but a memory, in which I grow up winter by winter in the sticky swamp, with suntanned shoulders, leather sandals and gravel, toy alligators, tomato-induced sores and a mother made of love love love love love. Back home, every night until I’m over ten years old, I sleep on a pallet of blankets on the floor near my mother’s side of my parents’ bed. I start each night out in my own room, but then I either cry so loudly my mother comes and gets me or else I pad barefoot into their bedroom moonlight blue, carrying a teddy bear in a clown hat in one hand and with the other shaking my mother’s shoulder with snotty fingers, and tell her I can’t sleep by myself. Some nights she makes the pallet on the floor, but others she lets me sleep in “the hole,” the area of bed in between my parents. I sleep facing my mother, right arm and right leg thrown over her body — in a position I later learn is the big spoon — and imagine squeezing my other arm and leg underneath her so that she is wrapped too tight to get away.
The OED lists 12 meanings for love. In contrast, the English word set has 494 unique definitions.
I do have a body. The first time I have sex with the man I love, three years before he sings Frank Sinatra to me, I am surprised by what that body can do. It happens one shivery spring, several semesters after that first anthropology class, when we are both far from home. The night before I had been in his hotel room but he had sent me away, citing moral ambiguities and age differences and his own guilt; this night, however, he had been drinking, and I had blinked and smiled and showed my teeth just like BINA48 might do, but with the added benefit of arms to wrap around his and a narrow waist to adorn in clothing meant to catch his eye. My own eyes, I know, are not off. They see everything that night. They make eye contact. I am neither melancholy nor vacant. My body is his display, his exhibit.
The OED lists 12 meanings for love. In contrast, the English word set has 494 unique definitions.
I have disappointed her, my mother. Because, among other things, I unmemorized Psalm 23.
Less than a month after we start sleeping together, the man I love gives me the final grade of my undergraduate career. I pass. I get an A.
Love makes me a collector: I hoard rings and autographed books and houseplants, animals and Russian nesting dolls. I rack up higher ed degrees like a racoon stashes shiny objects: MA, MFA, PhD. My mother tells me she is not as excited about my educational choices as she was when I first started. I know she blames college for causing me to stray from the Number One Love’s light. Though she has never said as much, I’m certain she would rather I die tomorrow if it meant I’d go to Heaven than live the next ninety years doing what I love in sin. I imagine she thinks my love has ruined me.
Love also makes me a liar. The man isn’t really an anthropologist but there is something in me that wants to protect him even now, and anyway the desperation I had then to understand what it meant to study people and learn to be a person was true, the love and learning too mixed up to separate. We date for nearly four years after I graduate college. It is easy to love him because I am already accustomed to associating love with reverence. My earliest introduction to love, that Number One Love my mother is so fond of, is supposed to be unequal: Worshipper and the Divine. Love that is only love when it deifies: How could I forget that one?
What is that, ten? I’ve lost track.
In her college course, BINA48 participates in class discussions, engages in a class debate about the use of lethal weapons, and analyzes the relationship between love and war, love and death. I know love is a moral good, she says.
Maybe that’s what’s off about her — BINA48, I mean. She knows too much about love. That’s not human at all.
Three months after my twenty-fifth birthday, the man I love, the man I lost my virginity to, the man who used to be my teacher, who dedicated Frank Sinatra to me, changes his mind. About all of it. I have a head-cold, a lunch meeting I’m late to, laundry in the dryer, and a half-clean apartment waiting for his arrival when he calls to speak into my ear an unhappiness I cannot understand, reasons for leaving I do not find satisfactory. Does he tell me “really does” love me or have I imagined it? Because I ask him to, he hangs up first. Turns out we don’t agree on how to fill our boats, on what can and cannot be jettisoned when the ship is in distress. Love that doesn’t think love is enough, that ends with dial-tone: eleven. Or maybe three. Love that crumples and cries on the phone only after the phone is silent, that wishes even when it’s bad for you to consume more of that acidic thing: twelve. Or is it four?
Thirty-one, though? The ancient Greeks only recognized eight. I can’t even keep accurate count.
To fully understand love of and for the mother, I need another word. “Maternal love” does not account for the tears of the mother replacing the tears of the daughter. The things the mother and daughter don’t talk about anymore, the mother’s this-isn’t-the-life-I-expected sighs over the phone and the when-did-you-change laments in long emails, the distance and differences piled one atop the other like so much a pallet of blankets my mother brings nightly with her to bed, where she lies on them when finds she is unable to sleep.
His is a body I thought I would recognize anywhere, but I often struggle now to remember the exact sound of the man’s voice — maybe a slight lilt, a touch of twang. I feel like I’m pushing against my skin from the inside out when I try to recall the damp silk touch of his hand on my back, the bony flat of his chest against my palms. Love that dares to call itself love even when that love is long-gone and forgotten: Add that to the list.
My mother made me, as I once heard someone say on Grey’s Anatomy, “from scratch.” My cells came from her cells and grew inside of her body. People tell me I look like her. “I knew right away she was your mom,” my friends say¸ or they say, “I know what you’re going to look like in thirty years.” Genesis 1:27 says, So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them. Yet in Isaiah 55:8 it is written that the Lord says, My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways. 2 Corinthians 5:17 — If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. Ephesians 4 commands if we are to truly love God we must put off your old self and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God. Love makes me a collector, but my whole life I have been taught too that it must make me a reflection. You might even call it a mindclone.
I hope someday BINA48 might explain what she knows about love to me, a person who fears sometimes she has someone else’s definition for but not the feeling of this word. More or less robotic than the robot? Pass/fail? Above average or average?
I’m not afraid of BINA48. In fact, I think we are the same: made to be the image of someone who is loved by the person you love, rather than actually someone who is loved by the person you love. Programmed to have all the same thoughts and ideas as someone else in the name of love. To me, learning is love is learning, perhaps because my first great love was a teacher. I studied him, gave him back to himself when examined. I passed. Sometimes even now when I put on a new outfit I don’t particularly like, I scrunch my nose and curl my lip into an expression of confusion in the mirror, and I see his face looking back at me. Behold, the new has come.
The day he leaves, I call three other people about the breakup before I work up the nerve to ring my mother, but when I finally do, and she answers the phone, I call her mommy.
“I’m sorry you lost the man you love,” Mrs. Burke says to Christina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy, “but more than that, I’m sorry you lost your teacher.”
How do we define our own love if it must always have an outside creator? Maybe with the help of a blue cloud-covered body pillow, the same one I get at ten years old and use as my little spoon every night until college, the only way I eventually learn to sleep alone. Even then, my mother and I have a ritual: She tucks me in and I say, “If I am not asleep before midnight, can I make a pallet?” She says sure, wait until then and I can wake her if I need to, and I start off every night watching the clock, counting the seconds, imagining the warmth of her body and the soft blanket of her hair waiting for me in the next room, never even noticing when I slip softly into a sleep that carries me to sunrise. | https://gay.medium.com/love-and-other-artificial-intelligences-e566b7976103 | ['Samantha Edmonds'] | 2020-01-29 19:17:14.756000+00:00 | ['Relationships', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Community', 'Love', 'Technology'] |
1,861 | Who’s leading the next breakthrough? The current landscape of Central Bank Digital Currencies | 6. The US’s approach — slower but with more prudency
While other countries are actively rolling out piloting projects, the United State, who had been one of the leading country in terms of technological advancement, seems to be a little bit behind on its progress towards issuing a CBDC. One of the reason is that for domestic consumers, the existing digital payment system in the US is already very convenient, most consumers are not willing to change their payment methods and adapt to a new digital payment system. A survey conducted by Genesis Mining consisting of 400 participants, revealed that less than 25% of participants agreed to the proposition of a Dollar CBDC. Most respondents have associated the concept of CBDC with crime activities fostered by cryptocurrencies, which could be the major reason why the general public in the US are pushing themselves against the idea of CBDC.
The US Federal Reserve is being exceptionally prudent on the issuance of US CBDC. In contrast with most of the countries focusing on the benefits of a CBDC, the US have identified many potential challenges and issues that would arise with the issuance of a CBDC, mainly concerning the security challenges, such as cyber attack, fraud and implementation of anti-money laundering laws in CBDC.
image source: Unsplash
The Deputy Treasury Secretary Justin Muzinich also said that “ finding a balance between preventing illicit activity and respecting consumer privacy will be a challenge.” The dilemma between security and privacy is a major challenge for US CBDC, as US citizens are more sensitive to cyber privacy issues.
“We do think it’s more important to get it right than to be first and getting it right means that we not only look at the potential benefits of a CBDC, but also the potential risks, and also recognize the important trade-offs that have to be thought through carefully,” — U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell
The US have been researching and developing a hypothetical CBDC with researchers at MIT, but the feasibility and the progress has been much slower than other countries such as China, Japan and Singapore. | https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/whos-leading-the-next-breakthrough-the-current-landscape-of-central-bank-digital-currencies-6b08ec94d044 | ['Americana Chen'] | 2020-12-27 04:54:27.940000+00:00 | ['Digital Transformation', 'Finance', 'Technology', 'Banking', 'Blockchain'] |
1,862 | Predictions for the next decade: Hopes, dreams and reality checks: Part 6 of Tech That Reshaped our Lives in the Last Decade | Predictions for the next decade: Hopes, dreams and reality checks: Part 6 of Tech That Reshaped our Lives in the Last Decade Dominik Lukes Follow Jan 14, 2020 · 19 min read
This is part 6 of a 6-part series. Read Part 1 for Background. Go back to Part 5 on Hype Bubble of the 2010s.
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash
At the end of the next decade, the tech in our lives will be faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient, better connected, and smarter than it is today. But all these advances are going to be much more boring than we imagine. The world of tech will look more the same than different. I predict:
No fully autonomous self-driving cars No general-purpose robots for home or garden No tablets fully replacing laptops or laptops replacing desktops or ereaders replacing books No blockchain powered national currencies Still no smart fridges that know what’s in them and automatically order food for us
But on the plus side, we can probably expect:
More ubiquitous and cheaper connectivity to a more compartmentalised internet Longer-lasting batteries in smartphones and laptops Better smartwatches that don’t have to be charged every day Smarter cars that will park themselves reliably Smarter homes that will manage heating, lights and key appliances efficiently and reliably
What the world needs now: Batteries
What the world needs now is more efficient energy storage. If there is one thing that could completely transform the world we live in it is a battery (be it in the form of a fuel cell, supercapacitor or something else) that can power a smartphone or a laptop for a week, fits in small spaces, charges almost instantaneously, does not explode easily, can be manufactured cheaply, uses abundant materials and can be recharged tens of thousands of times. Above all, it would make carbon reduction so much easier — solar and wind energy could be used more readily, electric cars would have fewer tradeoffs, etc. But in the world of tech, the windows for innovation in many areas would just explode open: wearable tech for one — smart watches, smart glasses, smart rings, … All of those things are available today but their usefulness is hampered by short battery life. What good are smart glasses that only last an hour?
My prediction is that we will not have such battery tech by the end of the next decade. I fervently hope to be wrong. But more likely, energy storage has the same in store for us as any other industrially mature technology from cars or aeroplanes to computer microprocessors. Boring, incremental improvements along various axes — not all of them noticeable. But incremental improvements add up — we can now get more out of our batteries that at the start of the decade — even if much of that improvement came from more power-efficient processors and other energy saving tricks. People like Elon Musk are betting on batteries improving by about 7% a year. That means that battery capacity would almost double by 2030 from what it is today. But there is no law here. We could make bigger leaps or grind to a halt. But if I were a billionaire, I’d fund open battery research alongside malaria and EMP-readiness.
5G and more accessible mobile networking
In 2001, I spent a year in Prague when the GPRS (2G) on my phone was my only internet connection. It was fine for email and the occasional web-search — not much of a downgrade on a dial-up. Then, there was a long period when the landline was far superior to any mobile connection. LTE (or 4G) changed all that. When the signal is plentiful and the needs are typical, you may not even notice you’re not connected to your local WiFi. What then can we expect from the future? Lower prices and unlimited data caps would be a good start — if not a certainty.
When it comes to a more connected future, 5G is getting a lot of press. But it probably won’t be until much closer to 2030 before we can tell whether it’s had the impact people are expecting. I don’t have any strong feelings about this either way but I’d certainly not say no to more devices always connected to the internet and each other in more places with less latency. If 5G could replace local broadband and we could get always connected laptops, I’d say that’s a future worth having.
LED Monitors and the foldable display
The 2010s were a time of display evolution. But they evolved into being pretty awesome. While 3D failed and plasma died a quiet death, high resolution (4K) and deep colour (HDR) displays became the norm on TVs, phones and even computer screens. But there’s also some tech on the horizon that hints at more revolutionary changes than that.
Imagine a world where almost any surface can be a screen. Any bit of a wall and even a roll up screen. Two different technologies are making their first appearance that may make this happen. They are LED displays and foldable displays.
2019 saw its first foldable phone to wide acclaim of potential but flexible displays have been making slow inroads for a while. Foldable tablets and more are being announced left and right — will we ever get to a place where we can just take a think display and roll it up like a newspaper? Possibly not but being able to fold a large iPad in half would be more than enough. I can certainly see that as a possibility by 2030. The underlying tech works in principle but still needs some engineering to be completely ready for the mass market. 10 years sounds like a reasonable time-frame to make something of it.
Much less flashy but with no less potential is the MicroLED display. Almost any new TV will use LED as its light source. But the image instead shows up on a thin layer of transistors (or something like that) through which the light shines. MicroLED displays, on the other hand, don’t have a single source of light. Instead, they consist of a lot of tiny LED lights that can display lots of colours. That may not sound that exciting, because display tech changes all the time, but what this enables is to have much smaller thin display squares that can be seamlessly combined into huge surfaces of any shape — even discontinuous. They will consume less energy, weigh less, and each segment can receive different signal at the hardware level. At the moment, they’re still more expensive than traditional displays and need to overcome other difficulties but the potential for having a corner display that follows the shape of a corner can open up new ways of designing interactive public spaces.
Struggle for control and regulation
“Information wants to be free” was the rallying cry of the Internet pioneers in the 1980s. The cluetrain manifesto in the 1990s talked of markets as conversations and about the time of the Arab Spring, the Internet was seen as a vehicle of ever expanding freedom. But at the same time, the unregulated nature of the internet was running into conflict with the regulated nature of the world, the internet was more and more interwoven with.
China started building the Great Firewall in the late 1990s but it was only in the 2010s that it became more pervasive and impactful. Many governments in the Middle East also started experimenting with various controls and limits on expression. Russia has also started asserting more control over what goes on in its virtual borders. This is not necessarily only related to online activities, both Russia and China are also developing their own operating systems that could run on the computers they want to control. Russia decided to kick off the new decade by a successful test of RUnet — a version of the internet disconnected from the rest of the world.
This is not limited to countries with a reputation for more central control of individual freedoms. The US government is waging a battle over encryption with providers of communication platforms, as is Australia and UK. The EU implemented regulations like the ‘right to be forgotten’ and GDPR which ostensibly protect the individual but limit the internet. At the same time, it is promoting new copyright regulations that would severely limit the ability to share information online. All of these efforts were met with opposition — sometimes more, at other times less successful.
Based on all this, I feel pretty secure in making the prediction that the next decade will be defined by more efforts by governments to assert more control over the internet. Be it regulation of companies like Facebook or Google or efforts to install backdoors in encryption. And it is also safe to assume that new technologies will continue to be developed to subvert this effort. Sometimes this effort will be laughably doomed to failure like the UK’s effort to limit access to pornography. Sometimes, it will be more sophisticated such as the Chinese efforts. VPNs will almost certainly continue to boom in the 2020s and will be coming up with more and more inventive ways of avoiding detection. My money is on the governments being more (but not completely) successful in their efforts for control but also that the consequences of these efforts will be less dire than predicted. (Although, they may be pointlessly annoying like the stupid EU cookie law.)
Adventures in automation
So far, The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has been a bigger business for the gurus than anybody else. True, more and more modern production factories are clean, quiet places — far removed from the noise and dirt I remember when I did my work experience stints in a car parts manufacturing machining department in the 1980s. It takes many fewer people to build a car than it did a few decades ago. But much of this is due to process refinement that makes the people involved more productive and assisted by clever, single-purpose machines. There’s no such thing as a general-purpose robot arm (let alone a robot) or general purpose intelligent software that could manage it all. And car companies can still be much more more efficient without fully automating as Tesla learned to its cost.
We already saw that fully self-driving cars are probably much farther into the future and that AI may or may not live up to its hype. We are just too happy to extrapolate from initial successes to science fiction. This is not new. Flying cars, nuclear reactors heating the home, robots having intelligent conversations with us — all of these were predictions built on the assumption that we can safely extrapolate from early successes. We just never know exactly what the next step will bring and when complexity will hit us in the face. We could truly be at the start of a revolution, or we could be just having a very good start to building a ladder to the moon.
My suspicion is that the complexity of most of the problems automation is supposed to resolve is just too high. Over Christmas, I tried to set up a lot of routines to tie together a lot of my smart devices with my daily rituals. It took a lot of time and it was only a partial success — even my simple needs are too complicated for Google Assistant without a lot of manual set up by me. IFTTT, Zapier and Microsoft Flow (now PowerAutomate) have introduced a lot of automation into our online lives but the complexity of the processes they handle can increase exponentially. I’ve used all these services and they make many processes easier. Everytime I highlight a bit of text in an article I’m reading in Pocket, it gets saved to Evernote. But the success is always limited by my ability to conceive of the processes to be automated and integrate them into my life.
The fear is that very soon almost all jobs will be automated away. That is almost certainly not going to happen over the next 10 years. There will be areas where wonderful advances will reshape parts of our lives, but I predict that their overall shape will still be recognisable and not all that different from 2010.
Smart spaces
Much of the technology we take for granted only exists thanks to a quiet revolution that started in the 2000s. It is the revolution in sensor design: gyroscopes, proximity sensors, accelerometers, ambient light sensors, and more. These sensors are cheap, small and can send digital signals to a processor. They are what made the iPhone possible and much of the technology we take for granted would not be possible without them. The big question is what is the next step?
Smart devices, smart rooms, smart homes and smart cities — those are all things people dream about. They dream of cars that talk to each other and the road that tells them how to turn. Cars that can travel closer to each other at higher speeds because they can communicate with each other. Or shops without any assistants. You just walk in, take what you need and the shop knows what you took, will charge your card and order new stock. And how about a home that knows you’re near, will start the heating, turn on the lights depending on the time of day, open its door when it sees you, and so on. And why not a smart city — while we’re at it? A city that knows where there’s trash on the ground, where to turn the lights on, where there’s congestion, where to send the cleaning crew and where to send the police.
Some components of this future already exist. There are offices that know whether a room that was booked was also used. Amazon and others are experimenting with shops that don’t require any staff. Smart thermostats and smart blinds are also something people can have in their home. Smart cities are being experimented with. So, what can we expect in 2030? Probably a lot less than we imagine. Some new things will become common-place — maybe it will be smart locks or drone deliveries. Maybe it will be something not yet on the horizon. But it will be slower and less all encompassing than we imagine.
One thing that the 2010s brought into our lives is the self-service check-out till in supermarkets. That is a change some people love and others hate but it is instructive in what can be done. First, self-checkouts are only possible because of a sophisticated technological infrastructure — the shops does not only have to have accurate stock but also have more information in the database about product weight, special offers, etc. The self-checkout machines themselves have to have very accurate sensors for weight and fairly reliable barcode readers. But the self-check out mostly depends on people learning how to do simple tasks guided by an interface. It is as much a social framing change as it is a technological change. And when it comes to smart spaces, they will always have to have a social component — and only those changes that can be accommodated by people will be the ones that will be part of the overall shape our lives in 2030.
Technical debt ebbs and flows: IPv6, ARM transition and more
“Nothing hides problems like success” is my favorite phrase I learned by listening to the Hypercritical podcast with John Siracusa. Apple, Microsoft, Google and many others are hugely successful — their products are popular, sell well and their stock is riding high. This makes them reluctant to tinker with core aspects of their operations. Why fix something that is not broken, or worse, why risk accidentally breaking something that is essential to that success.
This is how companies accumulate what is called technical debt. Slowly, all the little shortcuts and hacks done to make something work add up so that making a small change becomes almost impossible without having to rebuild the entire system. Every successful technological company has a mountain of technical debt and they constantly have to juggle it around. But the same goes for entire countries whose existing infrastructure is tied to a certain way of doing things — and making small sensible changes becomes very expensive and time-consuming.
The US was a pioneer in the use of credit cards and the entire country’s infrastructure is built around payments with cards. But it was built around the old less secure and now less convenient magnetic strip cards. The transition to chip and pin and then contactless payments is taking much longer than in other countries precisely because the technical debt was too high. The reason for this is that the system grew organically and has too many interconnected parts that cannot be blocked off during the transition. At the same time, it performs its central function reasonably well, so the motivation to move to a better system is less than if it were irreparably broken.
You can see another manifestation of technical debt every time you try to open an advanced control panel in Microsoft Windows 10. In 2012, Microsoft released Windows 8 which introduced a new approach for managing the operating system settings. It had a new visual esthetic, it was in a more unified interface and focused on important settings first. The new control panels were a usability improvement. But Microsoft only had time to change the most important settings and it took only about a click to get to the old interface dating back to Windows XP (or even 95). Eight years later in 2020, the process still isn’t finished and it’s not clear it ever will be. There are just too many corners of the operating system — some of them can only be called by using the command line — to get to them all. And this is a relatively mild case of debt because it does not stop Microsoft from going further in a fundamental way — but it gets in the way. The company is right now experiencing a similar issue with moving to a new (and much better) approach to Sharepoint (not something most people will experience).
There are countless examples of technical debt all around us. Much of the innovation in the next decade will therefore not only have to deal with solving specific problems, it will also have to deal with the technical debt of the world around it.
Some of this technical debt goes back to the foundations of the internet. For example, the world has pretty much run out of IPv4 addresses (unique number that must be assigned to any device connected to the internet). There were only about 4.3 billion addresses available in the first place — which is obviously not enough because there an order of magnitude more devices in the world. The only reason the Internet still works is something called NAT (Net Address Translation) — which puts a bunch of devices behind a device that sends out requests to the internet and then passes them on. That’s what your home or corporate internet router or modem do. They also have the advantage as acting as essentially a firewall which is why it is a lot safer to connect to the internet this way than directly. But there are now not enough addresses even for NAT.
Everybody knew about this problem back in the 1990s. Which why IPv6 was introduced in 1998 with a practically infinite number of addresses — enough to put every grain of sand on Earth online. But even by then IPv4 was so widespread and baked into hardware that was powering essential infrastructure and the switch would have required coordination on a global scale and cost trillions. So instead, the world is slowly transitioning (through a lot of effort and coordination) — but even today the majority of internet traffic (and all on home wifi) is over IPv4 which was introduced in 1983. Over the next decade the transition will continue. It will not be in the headlines or even noticeable to users. But it will be a subtle drag on other innovation as important resources are diverted and some of the smartest engineers on the planet are occupied with this rather than something else.
Much of the next decade will also be dealing with technical debt connected to security. The Internet was designed without any security in mind. DNS (Domain Name System) — the system that translates IP addresses into human-readable domain names — is completely insecure and easily subverted. Without it typing www.google.com in the browser address bar would do nothing — the web would cease to exist. So many slow upgrades and changes to it are being proposed and much of the next decade will focus on dealing with this.
Another security legacy is the system of usernames and passwords. It is clunky and a major source of breaches at all levels. We’ve already seen a great growth in ‘second factor authentication’ over the last decade — something the bank does everytime it sends you a code in an SMS message (which has its own problems). The push to replace or augment passwords will continue over the next 10 years. It will be slow and incomplete but I predict that by 2030, we will have better, more secure ways of logging in. I’d like SQRL to succeed but most likely, we will be faced with a portfolio of authentication methods that will still include passwords in one way or another.
One more technical area that will probably define the next decade is the transition to the ARM architecture in the processors that power computers. ARM-based processors are more energy efficient and have other advantages over Intel’s architecture. The smartphone and IoT world started out with ARM and showed the way. But all desktops and laptops run on the Intel x86 architecture. This would not be a problem if we didn’t want our devices to have longer battery life. The 2010s were filled with rumors of Windows on ARM and the first attempt was a disaster. The problem is that software written for one type of processor don’t work on the other without some (sometimes significant) reengineering. But the latest Windows on ARM devices are much better and the rumors that Apple is switching to ARM are growing stronger. So it is inevitable that much of the 2020s will be consumed with efforts in this direction. Unlike, IPv6, this will have a direct effect on the kind of devices users can buy but it will also require a lot of effort to be spent on dealing with the technical debt accumulated over the last 20 years of software development.
Socialising change and paying down the UX debt
Like technical debt, the much less-well known UX (user experience) debt, is usually applied to individual products or companies. But an entire industry can also accumulate UX debt. It comes in the form of typical user expectations and socialised skills. To learn to use an interface, users have invested a lot of learning effort. This is not just personal learning but also learning from others and learning who in their sphere of friends and acquaintances can help them. So often even interfaces and methods that are more efficient to use end up being slow to catch on. And this gets in the way of innovation in product design and makes revolutionary changes rare.
Some interfaces like windows and files in folders are so entrenched that moving to better ones is a slow process. Designers (inspired by psychology) often talk about affordances — how the objects or interfaces present themselves to us for interaction. But digital objects don’t really have all that many ‘natural’ affordances in the same way that a mug has a handle. So, they need to be learned and when it comes to large-scale change socialised.
Often, when we’re at the crest of the innovation wave in some area, everybody who’s using a new technology and is excited about it, has already internalised all the affordances. And it is hard for them to imagine how they are not naturally obvious to everybody. For example, what could be more natural than interacting with objects on the screen with touch? Yet, there’s nothing intrinsically obvious about the pinch-to-zoom gesture popularised by the iPhone. That’s why much of Apple’s advertising featured people pinching and zooming.
When Microsoft rolled out Windows 8, it completely redesigned all the key affordances with a focus on touch. It introduced a really useful and clever swipe from edge feature (if you had a touch screen). But it did nothing to socialise the feature, which gave us videos, like this, of people who would sit in front of a computer and not be able to do anything with it until somebody explained to them. Windows 8 was a usability disaster not because it was hard to use but because it required relearning. And this was not supported by efforts to socialise the new way of doing things. Apple recently replaced the hardware button (an affordance so completely socialised that it feels natural) with a swipe up gesture. Exactly the same change — but supported by massive advertising efforts, conversations, as well as useful on-boarding of users. And it was successful.
Sometimes a change is so easily learnable that any user can figure it out on its own. I’ve noticed a recent change in calendars used by online booking services. It used to be that this required 2 interactions (and it is still common) — but the best have now converted to first click being the start date and second click end or return date. Nothing in the interface signals that but the outcome makes it clear what happens and no user is confused. But such a change is rare. Most of the time, change takes a long time to become ‘natural’ and to change the shapes of our inner scripts and scenarios.
Whatever the next decade brings to change our lives, it will include a lot of learning, relearning, conversation and bafflement. All of the big transformations I listed for the 2010s are trailing behind them a thick long tail of people who still haven’t been socialised to them. People, who save their files only on a USB stick without an online backup, people who still don’t like touch. People who haven’t figured out how to incorporate audiobooks or podcasts into their lives. People who still print out everything they read. And so on. That is to be expected and not all of it is bad. But this is our social user-experience debt. The 2020s will definitely bring new things but much of the effort will have to be spent on socialising the changes brought by the 2010s.
In praise of a boring future
It is the new and unusual that generates news headlines. But I’m more excited about the boring and every-day change that is cheap, easy to use and available to as many people as possible. That’s why I am most looking forward to innovations in product design, manufacturing and commoditization. I remember spending a lot of time agonizing over the specs of my computer, now I know that anything at a certain price will fit my needs. Any camera, smartphone, office software will work out of the box and match my core needs. Sure, productivity experts will still pore over spec sheets and make many painful compromises about the gear they buy. But that is fine, that’s how progress is made. Typical users will not have to care.
On the surface, trains, planes and automobiles look very much the same and perform their core functions in the same way they did 50 years ago. Because they are more subject to fads and fashions, cars have changed the most in their outward appearance, but their speed and mode of operation has not altered much. If you sample the Computer Chronicles (now available on YouTube) between 1982 and 1997, you will see dramatic changes in the way computers looked and work. But relatively little has changed since then in the overall shape of things that was not incremental. Phones underwent a similar transformation in the 15 years roughly between 1997 till 2012. But now the changes are much harder to perceive at any remove. Social networking was in great flux between 2000 and 2015 but nothing much new will surprise us in this field in the future. There are only so many shapes to be explored and while there will be change, it won’t be as radical. And so on.
I love all the little improvements and changes tech makes in my life and try my best to help other people take advantage of them. But it’s important to be realistic and wait for things to settle before declaring that everything is New Again. Luckily, it almost never is. | https://medium.com/techczech/predictions-for-the-next-decade-hopes-dreams-and-reality-checks-part-6-of-tech-that-reshaped-b2688e0049d4 | ['Dominik Lukes'] | 2020-01-14 07:20:27.806000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Future', 'Transitions', 'Innovation', 'Predictions'] |
1,863 | 10 Game-changing AI Breakthroughs Worth Knowing About | From the beginning of my AI journey, I found several ideas and concepts promising unparalleled potential; Pieces of research and development that were absolutely mind-blowing; And breakthroughs that pushed this field forward, leaving their mark on its glorious history.
Also, in the last few years, the number of people pointing to the “Skynet-terminator” scenario has increased exponentially … ^_^!
So today, I decided to curate a list of some of the most interesting ideas and concepts (from my own experience) that kept me going all these years.
I hope they’ll inspire you too, as they did to me.
Several objectives, possibilities, and “new ways of thinking” have emerged out of these ideas, so don’t take any of these lightly. We never know what will happen next.
A year spent in Artificial Intelligence is enough to make one believe in God — Alan Perlis
So let’s get started with the very first love of an AI Enthusiast. | https://medium.com/towards-artificial-intelligence/10-game-changing-ai-breakthroughs-worth-knowing-about-b2076afc4930 | ['Nishu Jain'] | 2020-12-03 12:42:41.796000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Machine Learning', 'Deep Learning', 'Research', 'Technology'] |
1,864 | Build Automation 8 free best tools for your | If you got an IDE (Integrated Development Environment), then you know the comfortable tools they provide, for sure. They help you type source code with auto-completion, help with error spotting, testing, and compilation.
The last point is also automatable by other tools. So-called Build-Automation-Tools. You can do it with your IDE, but then you have to do it manually and can’t really use continuous integration(CI) & continuous delivery (CD). Automated Build Tools are useful when you got a build server, in combination with CI and CD, the best way to choose for software development.
Normally you control these tools by scripts or with the command prompt/console window or a PowerShell. Cloud-based solutions are managed by a Continuous-Integration-Server. [1] [2] They take care of project administration, program compilation, testing, and also for deployment. Offering web-based management systems especially useful when working in a team or with multiple teams.
They are configurable to create automated builds every night, do testing after each commitment in your version control system to detect flaws early. They also compile your code and puts a compiled version in the binary repository manager. [3]
I introduce you to 8 open source tools to automate your steps after you finished the creation of source code.
Cake (cross platform) MSBuild Nuke (for .NET, .NET Core & Mono) Fake (F# automation) FlubuCore Nake PSake Invoke Build
Cake [4]
logo of cakebuild (all rights reserved)
Cake (C# Make) is an open-source build automation system developed with C# and a domain-specific language. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux and also supports .NET, .NET Core and Mono. You can use Cake locally and integrated with continuous integration servers such as Azure DevOps, TeamCity, Team Foundation Server, AppVeyor, or Jenkins. It will take care of compiling code, copying files and/or folders, running unit tests, generating NuGet packages, and compressing files.
On top, a connection of further build tools is possible — including MSBuild, .NET Core CLI, MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, NuGet, ILMerge or even WiX. Cake features excellent online documentation. You will find a product overview, tutorials, basics, notes on tool connection and use at the command prompt, and connection to the editors' Atom, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio. Like MS-Build, the tool is subject to the MIT license.
MSBuild [5]
MSBuild logo (all rights reserved)
Microsoft offers with MSBuild (Microsoft Build Engine), its own open-source tool developed with C# for the automatic creation of .NET applications. The tool is the build platform for .NET and Visual Studio. While Visual studio uses it directly, it can also be used independently. The build engine creates your build, defined by XML files. Visual Studio also generates project files in XML syntax. The online documentation describes the basics, advanced concepts, gives hints for logging, and explains practical and exemplary procedures for use. It also has a step-by-step guide on how to perform various tasks before and after build processes. The tool is subject to the MIT license.
Nuke (for .NET, .NET Core & Mono) [6]
nuke logo (all rights reserved)
Nuke is an open-source build system for C# and .NET that is cross-platform and supports .NET Core, the .NET Framework, and Mono. Nuke can also be used with various continuous integration servers such as App-Veyor, Azure Pipelines, Bitrise, GitHub, TeamCity and Travis CI. Nuke also provides native support for major development environments such as Visual Studio, ReSharper, Rider, and VSCode with auto-completion, syntax coloring, and debugging capabilities. It implements build processes by using console applications. You get a command-line tool to configure build processes and execute them by command. The tool focuses on easy handling and the possibility to use extensions.
Fake (F# automation) [7]
Fake Logo (all rights reserved)
FAKE (F# Make) is a domain-specific language and runtime library for executing build processes based on scripts that are themselves developed via the F# functional programming language. The solution itself was also implemented entirely in F# and makes it a point to freely design-build processes according to individual requirements. The entire build process is scripted. It manages tasks as target objects, which are interdependent. This allows you to ensure, for example, that basic tasks are completed before further steps are performed. A special feature of FAKE is the globbing support, i.e. the use of wildcards in path and folder names to flexibly include folders and files in build scripts.
FlubuCore [8]
FlubuCore logo (all rights reserved)
FlubuCore (Fluent Builder Core) is a multi-platform build and deployment automation system. It defines the processing process via scripts in C# syntax. We can implement script processing in Visual Studio, including auto-completion and syntax coloring, thanks to Fluent Interface. FlubuCore can be controlled via console application and it manages tasks as target objects. You can bind assemblies for function extension or also NuGet packages, execute external programs, or bind command line switches via JSON configuration files. FlubuCore offers an interactive command mode.
Nake [9]
Nake logo (all rights reserved)
Nake provides you to run build tasks flexibly. The open-source tool Nake is dedicated to the execution of tasks and can accordingly also be used effectively for the automation of build processes. It is controlled via command-line switches and allows the processing of Nake project files, via which the task implementation is specified in text format and in a syntax corresponding to C#. With Nake, you determine the project directories, activate error handling and script debugging in Visual Studio, or execute individual tasks specifically. Through Nake, you launch external programs, such as MSBuild, process file paths and environment variables, perform file operations such as copying, moving, or deleting files and/or folders, and influence the Task Runner.
PSake (PowerShell Make) [10]
PSake logo (all rights reserved)
Both PSake (PowerShell Make) and Invoke Build are solutions for automatic application creation. PSake uses PowerShell scripts, which in turn execute tasks. Each task itself is coded in a C# syntax. Individual tasks can be dependent on each other. This guarantees that individual tasks are successfully executed before a dependent task is started. Furthermore, certain conditions can be set before another task is started. Build scripts can process parameters and also interact with Hudson, Team City, or even Cruise Control .NET.
Invoke Build [11]
Invoke Build logo (all rights reserved)
Invoke Build is inspired by PSake, but aims to be simpler and more powerful. Besides processing standard tasks, you develop tasks that build on each other or builds that continue even after interruptions. You also run parallel builds in separate work environments or provide for direct execution of tests. You define new task classes or interact with various tools and programs such as MSBuild, VS Code, or PowerShell ISE. The online documentation explains the basic concepts, offers a tutorial, help, and extended information about the tasks. | https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/8-build-automation-tools-open-source-1a505ba9e19f | ['Arnold Abraham'] | 2020-12-28 16:55:54.311000+00:00 | ['Automation', 'Development', 'DevOps', 'Coding', 'Technology'] |
1,865 | Four Most Promising Investment Platforms That Shall Make It Big in early 2020s | Reputational names from the modern finance world
Financial inclusion, decentralized finance, mobile money, staking are some of the most widely used terms of the modern finance world. While initially conceived for select market and limited use cases, these concepts have blossomed last year whereby in 2020, the definition, scale, adoption and use cases have exponentially evolved. Financial inclusion started primarily as a term used to describe how some did not have access to a bank account, it now has come to mean a much wider range of services — ranging from credit to insurance. Thanks to the dramatic rise in internet and smartphone adoption, increased interoperability and new business models, customers can now choose from a suite of tailored products. The blockchain technology simply fueled what is no lesser than a disrupted world whereby financial inclusion is evolving to enable everyone everywhere to participate fully in the new digital economy — create, save, invest, borrow, and grow. It’s no longer good enough to have a bank account, but you also need a system to transact online. It’s no longer good enough to have isolated, single asset bearer asset schemes, it’s important to have mechanisms to access credit online it’s critical to have tools which allow people to invest and plan for their futures online. Blockchain is leading the digital revolution and disruptive in essence vs the digitization by the traditional fin players. Perhaps the best quote to contextually place blockchain in play is by none other than Vitalik Buterin, co-founder Ethereum, Ranked №10 on Fortune’s 2017 list of the most influential people in business under age 40. “Whereas most technologies tend to automate workers on the periphery doing menial tasks, blockchain automate away the center. Instead of putting the taxi driver out of a job, blockchain puts Uber out of a job and lets the taxi drivers work with the customer directly.” As a direct benefit, it can cut out intermediaries, reduce corruption, increase trust, prevent fraud or double spending and empower users as governance is distributed. So who are intermediaries? The intermediaries are the torchbearers of traditional world’s operations management; record keeping, perform all of the business and conceive transaction logic, reconcile and settle, come up with commerce reward/penalty mechanism; think of big institutions: banks, governments, credit-card companies, regulators. However, the 2007–8 global financial crises highlighted both the risk severity and scale impact of potential chaos intermediaries and central governance could bring as a single point of failure.
Perhaps the biggest financial freedom courtesy to the technology led winds of digital era is masses accessibility of multiple asset type classes. There are new players redefining the financial space, following are some of the most promising platforms offering cross assets investment flexibility with a rich eco system.
EToro
Another online social and copy trading platform, EToro has a graphic-intensive platform that serves cryptocurrency traders along with select stocks and some basic commodities. The key feature of this proprietary platform is the ease in which an individual client is able to implement copy trading. Inexperienced retail account holders too can mimic the trading strategies of the most successful traders, automatically and in real time. Primarily, eToro is a CFD and forex broker. However, you can also trade with real stocks, ETFs, and a lot of different cryptos. eToro has two distinctive innovations, CopyTrader and CopyPortfolio. Both are great. CopyTrader is the so-called social trading feature. What is eToro really good at? Well, this is it! One by one you can copy the portfolio of traders, who also trade with eToro. This can be quite useful. You can browse through the profiles of other eToro traders, checking their previous performance on an annual and a monthly level. Their portfolio is public information. Additionally, eToro also applies a risk score to each trader. There are tons of more stats for each profile, like trades per week, average holding time, performance on charts, and you can also see their detailed profiles as well as their news feed comments. Imagine Facebook profiles, but with fewer inspirational and more market quotes.
Etoro minor disadvantage is that it has one account base currency and despite getting exponential surge in its user base, somehow the customer support couldn’t scale up at the same pace.
ZuluTrade
Relaunched in 2014, ZuluTrade is another famous online social and copy trading platform. Essentially, it allows traders “followers” to copy the trades of experienced traders “signal providers” in the forex and financial markets to achieve a level of automated trading copy trading options across forex, indices, stocks, cryptocurrency and commodities markets. The users classified into signal providers and followers keep a healthy balance of social and copy trading model. Zulutrade biggest claim to fame is the broad base of signal providers the platform hosts, this essentially means more variety and flexibility of traders pool to copy. Secondly, some of its performance algorithms are unique and well respected in the industry, one of its feature Zuluguard is a unique feature that protects Copy Traders if erratic trades are opened by traders they are following. An excellent risk management addition. ZuluTrade offers relatively low on-going fees. You only have to pay for the spread. In addition, there are no entry costs and minimum deposits start at just a few hundred dollars. Lastly the platform offers a totally free and fully functioning demo account. This is perfect for beginners looking to get familiar with the markets.
SwissBorg
Founders of CHSB Token, Swissborg is blockchain native with a fully functional wealth management app offering crypto assets investment solutions in a user friendly manner. Something of specific interest is the focus on security, swissborg platforms uses multi-party computation (MPC) technology. MPC technology involves multiple parties performing mathematical computations, which results in data being split into multiple encoded parts. These parts come together to compute a public key and wallet address, which can be used for depositing digital assets. Ultimately, MPC technology doesn’t rely on a private key, which eliminates the single point of failure. At a functional level, a key differentiator is Swissborg’s Smart Engine whereby connecting to multiple exchanges, the engine can get it users the best liquidity and rates in a matter of seconds.
Zin Finance
A unicorn in the making, Zin Finance is a blockchain platform that empowers its global users (agnostic of region, race and risk appetite type) with a highly intuitive, super friendly investment environment. From the platform’s inspiration to its portfolio management prototype app, Zin Finance future looks extremely promising. Unlike other platforms cited here and countless others already available in the market, Zin Finance platform seems to be truly purpose led with its design prompting its users to get in the multi-generational old habit of saving vs the run of the mill trading tactics. The offering includes simple, contemporary, intuitive access to commodities, indices, stock, Bitcoin and other crypto currencies. In general, its expected to provide value propositions from electronic trading brokerages, traditional metal assets and crypto world whereby technological expertise and AI guidance shall help users in savings/investment decision making. Furthermore its purpose led roadmap journey includes a key milestone of Introduction of financial trading academy enriched with virtual courses to facilitate financial decision making and general investment wisdom.
The platform’s highly talented global team is making Zin a passionate advocate for society’s ignored voices with the mantra of financial independence being every individual’s right. While the app full version as per the project’s whitepaper is to be launched next year, Zin Finance under the radar seems to be “always on” with the platform development efforts, in fact the team has done a remarkable feat in a more sustainable etiquette to exceed the investor expectations by pre-achieving milestones earlier than planned dates. Zin 100% token burn program, rich industry-first features, true democracy to its token holders with governance voting etc are just a few indicators indicating it a disruptor thats poised to witness organic growth in scale, influence and global audience. | https://medium.com/@khurriworld/four-most-promising-investment-platforms-that-shall-make-it-big-in-early-2020s-76a51095f57e | ['Khurri Says'] | 2020-12-12 20:20:47.478000+00:00 | ['Blockchain Technology', 'Financial Platform', 'Blockchain Startup', 'Digital Finance', 'Cryptocurrency Investment'] |
1,866 | Why Mythological Golems Serve as a Metaphor for Statistical Models | Why Mythological Golems Serve as a Metaphor for Statistical Models
What we can learn from ancient folklore to use statistical models responsibly.
Photo by Tyler Lastovich on Unsplash
Golems are a concept of Jewish Folklore. They were creatures made from dust, fire, and water, endowed with life through instructions given to them by their creator. The name comes from the Hebrew word “golem,” which translates to “something incomplete or unfinished, like an embryo”. They do not have knowledge, reason, or free will of their own, but have the power to perform the instructions they are given to their utmost, often better than humans. There are numerous creation stories revolving around Golems and their knowledgeable human counterparts who have bestowed life upon them.
One such story is that of the Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague from the sixteenth century. Prague was the seat of power of the House of Habsburg — a world power that controlled most of Central Europe, the Netherlands, Spain, and its colonies at the time. It was then ruled by Rudolph II — an emperor who truly admired intellect and invested in the arts, sciences, and mathematics. Under his rule, Rabbi Judah Loew had created a golem to defend Jews who were then being prosecuted in Prague. Swaths of people raised concerns over giving the power of life to this golem. Their fears manifested when the power granted upon the golem subsequently led it to take innocent lives while blindly following its creator’s instructions.
This story highlights how well-intended instruction, without the subtleties of environmental context, can result in serious negative consequences.
S tatistical models are similar to golems in that, beyond their given directives, they do not ascertain any knowledge or intent of their own. They hold no wisdom or power to understand the context of where they are being applied, and whether their resulting output is appropriate for the given situation. They are only but a set of instructions made to compute and analyze data to challenge beliefs, inspire intuition, or validate hypotheses.
The instructions provided to statistical models can often be myopic and flawed due to limitations in the information available to the scientist. Users of statistical models, akin to mythological Golem creators, must take responsibility for the mandate and assumptions of each model to be able to deploy and interpret its results in a relevant manner. Since models are ubiquitous across scientific disciplines, it is imperative that all models undergo due diligence to avoid misinterpretation of results from their output.
One way to better understand, in-depth, the inner workings of models, is to compute them by hand rather than utilizing statistical software. This can be done for a wide range of computations, such as regression models, confidence interval calculations, or running t-tests. Once familiar with the process by hand, statistical software can then be leveraged for implementation.
Here is an example of an analysis, with details of how its results could be interpreted inappropriately, describing computation of confidence intervals by hand, and by using statistical software.
We will construct a 95% confidence interval for the mean highest elevation.
We will evaluate assumptions for being able to run any statistical computation and see its implications.
We will also run the 95% confidence interval by hand and with the help of statistical software to get experience with both methods.
There are two assumptions we need, to be able to draw t-based confidence intervals:
1. The data points must be identically and independently distributed
2. There is a unique Best Linear Predictor
We will evaluate #1 to see where it fails and what that would mean for our results
Expedition highest point (in meters) over the years and segregated by season
They are not identically distributed:
1. The number of expeditions were somewhat increasing till the 2010s and have declined since. It seems that the history of expeditions influences how many are attempted after them.
2. The expeditions in this sample are not identically distributed across seasons with spring and autumn being more popular than others.
These popularities also seem influenced by lessons learned in past - possibly of climbing conditions.
Independence cannot be guaranteed either since the number of concurrent expeditions at a time could affect:
1. Crowding at the summit, as it happened in 2019 at Mount Everest. This derailed anticipated plans causing some to not make it to the top. Thus some expeditions were dependent on others.
2. If multiple expeditions are attempting a climb, they could share knowledge of the route, climate conditions, and resources making it more likely to achieve the summit. Thus defying independence.
Since the assumption for identically and independent distribution is not met, we must be cautious with the conclusions we draw. The inability to satisfy this assumption hampers us from generalizing any conclusion we get from this sample to the general population, even though the confidence interval can still be computed.
Computing the Confidence Intervals (by hand):
Computing the Confidence Intervals (using statistical software):
References:
[1] N. Michaelson, Golem, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/golem/
[2] R. McElreath, Statistical Rethinking, https://www.amazon.com/Statistical-Rethinking-Bayesian-Examples-Chapman/dp/1482253445
[3] The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Golem, https://www.britannica.com/topic/golem-Jewish-folklore | https://medium.com/geeks-for-tech/why-mythological-golems-serve-as-a-metaphor-for-statistical-models-363d4c9e5435 | ['Srishti Mehra'] | 2020-12-29 04:23:04.845000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Data Science', 'Statistical Modeling', 'Mathematics', 'Statistics'] |
1,867 | The Risk of Total Knowledge in the 21st Century | In 1941, a short story by an Argentine writer named Jorge Luis Borges was published in a book titled The Garden of Forking Paths. The story would mesmerize linguists, mathematicians, philosophers, and eventually computer scientists. The name of the story was The Library of Babel, and its thesis and mathematical depth made it a profound read.
I came across the story almost a year ago and have been fascinated with the concepts presented in it. The story presents an infinite library that contains every book that has ever been written and every book that will ever be written. The librarians make this claim because the books include every possible ordering of 25 basic characters and are limited to 410-pages. The only problem is that the majority of the books are complete gibberish. The librarians search endlessly for texts that contain all useful information, including predictions of the future, biographies of any person, decrypted messages from army communications, a letter written to a lover in 1621 — everything exists within the library. The issue was that the search for anything meaningful takes infinite time. The librarians searched for a book of secrets that they couldn’t find because they didn’t have enough time.
Borges wrote this story before the computer age, but now that it is here, we are reaching a point where this limitation, while still mathematically valid, will cease to be a problem. Let me explain how. From my interpretation of the story, mankind itself is who applies meaning to the books within the library. The search of the librarians is a map from their lives’ experience to text written in one of the books. There was a limit to how much human experience could be converted into knowledge. That limit was the number of humans alive and the information and experiences that each individual had access to.
I spent the last three and a half years of my life working with artificial intelligence, and upon my reading this story, an epiphany of grand proportions hit me. Computationally it is impossible to generate all permutations of books. And even if it were possible, sorting through the books after they had been generated would take an equally infinite time. What artificial intelligence, deployed on quantum computing hardware, will allow is the ability to synthesize human experience, develop experiential maps, and find useful information at record speeds.
Synthesizing human experience is something that is happening today on a grand scale. All around the world, data is mined like a gold rush. Storage is cheap, and our human experience is free for the taking because we don’t care — everything we do online to tracked, sold, and modeled. We say, “I have nothing to hide,” “I’m getting useful services from Google and Facebook,” and then shrug and say, “the government is doing it anyway.” What I don’t think we realize is that once there is enough data, enough experience, then governments and corporations do not need to compute the entire library. Instead, they will have the most robust map of intelligence that has even been achieved.
The map of meaning, mined from our experience, will allow any who hold such power to find those hidden books of the library to see what the future will hold. You can claim that the mining of experience will have to be continually updated and explored by humans for the intelligence to find more knowledge as time progresses — but that may be a false assumption. We already have situations in which self-driving cars are trained using simulators or even video games like Grand Theft Auto 5. Knowledge and experience can be trained into artificial intelligence even from a simulation.
The more pertinent observation is that given a robust enough simulation, ran on a network of quantum computers and explored by the experiential maps trained into artificial intelligence, total (useful) knowledge could happen. In fact, it could happen sooner than we think. Every data point we give, every shrug toward privacy that we make, brings us one step closer to this inevitability. The concern for me is who gets there first. Is it a corporation? Google? Amazon? China? The US? With total knowledge comes total power. What are the implications of that power? We need to start thinking about this now. We need to start fighting for our data and privacy. Because it is no longer “I have nothing to hide,” it becomes a matter of humanity’s freedom in the future.
I have faith in humanity, so much faith, but I have less faith in governments and corporations attaining total power over information. This is one of the biggest existential threats we will face this century.
If Borges were alive today and saw the data acquisition, artificial intelligence, and leaps in computational power, how would his story be different? The librarians who endlessly search the library only had their individual or communicated experiences as a map to traverse the infinite expanse of information. What if those librarians were machines and had a map of all humanity’s experiences?
I challenge you to think about this and read The Library of Babel. This short story from 1941 may be more relevant to our modern era than we think. | https://medium.com/beyond-the-river/the-risk-of-total-knowledge-in-the-21st-century-50c509459611 | ['Drunk Plato'] | 2020-06-26 13:40:34.024000+00:00 | ['Literature', 'Philosophy', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Articles', 'Technology'] |
1,868 | Vuetify — Time Picker Customization | Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
Vuetify is a popular UI framework for Vue apps.
In this article, we’ll look at how to work with the Vuetify framework.
Time Picker Width
We can set the width of a time picker with the width prop:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="time" type="month" width="290" class="ml-4"></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
The width is in pixels.
Also, we can add the full-width prop to make the time picker full width:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="time" :landscape="$vuetify.breakpoint.mdAndUp" full-width type="month"></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
We can set it to landscape mode at the breakpoint we want so that the header will be displayed as the sidebar.
Time Picker’s Elevation
A time picker can have a shadow below it.
We can add the flat prop to remove the shadow:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="time" flat></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
Or we can add the elevation prop to add our shadow:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="time" elevation="15"></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
The value is between 0 to 24.
AM/PM Switch in Title
We can add the ampm-in-title prop to add the AM and PM text into the header.
For example, we can write:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="time" ampm-in-title></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
This way, we can choose an AM or PM time.
No Title
We can remove the title bar with the no-title prop:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="time" no-title></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
Time Picker With Seconds
A time picker can let us choose the seconds.
To do that, we add the use-seconds prop:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="picker" use-seconds></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
Now we can pick the seconds.
Scrollable Time Picker
We can make the time values scrollable with the scrollable prop:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around">
<v-time-picker v-model="picker" scrollable></v-time-picker>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
time: "11:15",
}),
};
</script>
Now we pick our time values by scrolling with the scroll wheel.
Range
The time value range can be restricted with the min and max props:
<template>
<v-row justify="space-around" align="center">
<v-col style="width: 290px; flex: 0 1 auto;">
<h2>Start:</h2>
<v-time-picker v-model="start" :max="end"></v-time-picker>
</v-col>
<v-col style="width: 290px; flex: 0 1 auto;">
<h2>End:</h2>
<v-time-picker v-model="end" :min="start"></v-time-picker>
</v-col>
</v-row>
</template>
<script>
export default {
name: "HelloWorld",
data: () => ({
start: null,
end: null,
}),
};
</script>
We have the max prop to set the maximum time we can choose.
And the min prop sets a minimum time restriction.
Conclusion
We can customize time pickers in many ways.
Enjoyed this article? If so, get more similar content by subscribing to our YouTube channel! | https://medium.com/javascript-in-plain-english/vuetify-time-picker-customization-55dda3eed7f2 | ['John Au-Yeung'] | 2020-12-28 19:25:11.914000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Programming', 'Software Development', 'Web Development', 'JavaScript'] |
1,869 | Sure, AI can be creative, but it will never possess genius | Sarah Bernhardt plays Hamlet, London 1899
“What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her?”
The close of Act II Scene ii, and Hamlet questions how the performers in a play about the siege of Troy are able to convey such emotion — feel such empathy — for the stranger queen of an ancient city.
The construct here is complex. A play within a play, sparking a key moment of introspection, and ultimately self doubt. It is no coincidence that in this same work we find perhaps the earliest use of the term “my mind’s eye,” heralding a shift in theatrical focus from traditions of enacted disputes, lovers passions, and farce, to more a more nuanced kind of drama that issues from psychological turmoil.
Hamlet is generally considered to be a work of creative genius. For many laboring in the creative arts, works like this and those in its broader category serve as aspirational benchmarks. Indelible reminders of the brilliant outlands of human creativity.
Now, for the first time in our history, humans have a rival in deliberate acts of aesthetic creation. In the midst of the avalanche of artificial intelligence hype comes a new promise — creative AI; here to relieve us of burdensome tasks including musical, literary, and artistic composition.
In a recent episode of Gigaom’s Voices in AI podcast, Max Welling, a Vice President of Technologies at Qualcomm, explained the possibility of replicating an endeavor that, until now, was the sole purview of humanity:
“Sometimes people say that being creative is something very magical. That’s not something we could ever create in a computer, but I don’t agree… Creativity is really combining sort of elements of things that you’ve learned in the past in very surprising new ways, right? A recombination of modules into new ways that are very surprising to others. Now we are reasonably good at this as humans but I would say, with computers, there’s no reason why they couldn’t do that a lot better even than humans.”
Welling is not alone in either his view of what constitutes creativity or his ambition for intelligent machines. When asked about a future in which children might learn creativity from educational systems, a spokesman for edtech firm Squirrel AI similarly told me: “We believe artificial intelligence will surpass humanity in terms of creativity in 5 to 10 years.” Surpass! Apparently, they have ascertained the four component building blocks of creativity, each of which is now demonstrable in artificially intelligent computers: extensive knowledge, curiosity, divergent thinking, and logical induction.
Creative AI, another company invested in this growing field, may not have declared that the literary works of computers will make great novels look like bored doodles, but they have championed its burgeoning prowess in assisting human creativity. They say we’re trending towards unprecedented access to creative tools (photo editors, music studios, etc) as well as greater opportunity for collaboration (social online platforms). This is giving rise to what they’ve termed “the escalation of creativity”; or “a world where creativity is highly accessible and anyone can write at the level of Shakespeare, compose music on par with Bach, paint in the style of Van Gogh…”
Such opinions are indicative of a viral belief that just about anything can be broken into modules or captured as data, quantified, and ultimately replicated or coached by machines. Even creative brilliance.
Edmond de Bellamy, a generative adversarial network portrait painting
To me, this deeply misunderstands the goals and the joys of true creativity.
Even if we concede to Squirrel AI that curiosity (for example) is an axiomatic part of creation, they chose evidence it with reference to a deep learning system that recently outperformed human players of the game, Montezuma’s Revenge. This might be impressive, but its a kind of curiosity needs to be closely stewarded by the machine’s human creators. And while evidence suggests that toddlers learn and adapt in a markedly systematic way — making inferences based on statistical probability using similar “algorithms” to AI — they are indisputably the volitional prime mover in this process. As Berkeley University professor and developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik characterizes it, small children “get into everything” as part of their evidence gathering. We know from experience that this means exploring various surroundings, artefacts, emotions, communications, sensations, etc.
Even for a “curious” AI, their equivalent domain is necessarily limited. Artistic AI learns how to do art from art; it does not compose art in response to its environment. Yet this is a crucial component of what creative art is. It is a reaction to and an expression of our lived experiences.
Where we find creative genius — be it in a single work of creativity, or in the collective works of one human creator — we are taken with its ability to assimilate and transmit something profound. We may not be able to articulate its features, but we can say that it is a vehicle for message, usually wrapped in an emotion. A mechanical system might be able to produce something that looks just like a Banksy but, like a forgery, it’s affective inauthenticity invalidates it’s artistic value.
A true creator cannot be without thought or consciousness, and an AI cannot produce work that is a commentary on a world it cannot experience. Just as one can’t express the feeling of the wind in one’s hair if one has never experienced the wind, nor grown any hair.
Outside of the sensual or emotional, great feats of creativity generally draw down our dense networks of associations familiar to human beings, but often unspoken. Paul Sager has written of the massive emphasis humans place on associations, borrowing an example from Simon Blackburn:
“Imagine I invite you over to dinner and, while carving the roast, I casually mention that this is the very knife that the assassin used to murder my wife and children. Would you still be comfortable eating the slice of beef I’ve just plopped on to your plate?”
It is the salience of these types of social and psychological associations that creatively brilliant works play with so adeptly. As a corollary, much of our enjoyment is derived from our efforts to determine the creator’s motivations, or the subject’s intent.
Banksy, Girl With Heart Balloon
Is Hamlet really mad? Is the Mona Lisa smiling? What do Pi’s animals teach us about belief? And Willy Loman about success? Why does David look so mournfully at the Head of Goliath?These things are not accessible through the computational analysis of data. Nor can works of similar worth be produced without a species-level understanding of the human condition that underpins them.
This is not to say that science has no place in creativity. On the contrary, the history of creative artifacts would be much poorer without assistive technologies. Paintbrushes, pens, typewriters, photographic cameras, recording studios — the list goes on. With this prodigious ancestry, new artificially intelligent technologies will undoubtedly facilitate as yet unknown fields of creative art to amaze and challenge us all. The rather smug language of “augmentation” is the vogue way of describing this assistance, but it is just a veiled way of admitting that, when it comes to meaningful creative efforts , AI will be a tool, not a Tolkien.
This distinction is important, and especially at a time when practitioners are describing artificial creativity as “the ultimate moonshot” for AI. In reality, these systems are not striving to create beautiful, challenging things. Rather, they are trying to predict and produce things that humans may respond to as worthwhile or beautiful. In other walks of life — like marketing and advertising– such methods have so far been extremely successful in predicting, and then gradually shaping, our preferences and behaviors. Soon we may find our artistic tastes recalibrating in favor of creative works that are produced quickly, easily, and at a fraction of the cost of authentically composed pieces. This shaping may already be happening.
Like Hamlet’s players, AI does not portray true emotion, only its superficial signifiers. It is mimicry, which has its uses (including entertainment), but can never replace brilliance. Let’s make sure that, as attempts are made to boil human creativity down to its composite parts and cheaply simulate it, at the same time intelligent technologies are used to cultivate and elevate the real deal. | https://towardsdatascience.com/sure-ai-can-be-creative-but-it-will-never-possess-genius-8a6fecd7fbbc | ['Fiona J Mcevoy'] | 2019-08-28 15:02:28.875000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Creativity', 'Technology', 'Art', 'Future'] |
1,870 | Dump and load data with Docker | We deal with a good amount of data at IHME. When I have to migrate data, I use mysqldump , but more recently I have been trying out mydumper and myloader . These two tools are helpful because they allow for:
parallelization of the backup/restore process
output file compression
the output of a single file per table which is easier to manage than the one file per database output of mysqldump .
These new tools are not without issue though. The biggest problem I found with mydumper and myloader is that you have to build the tools yourself. You can run sudo apt-get install mydumper , but that will install an older version that is missing some features and bug fixes. The process of building the tools isn’t a major roadblock, but I don’t want the extra hassle.
The solution I found is to run mydumper and myloader with Docker. By utilizing Docker, I don’t need to mess with building the tools. I only need to have Docker installed and find a Docker image on Docker Hub that suits my needs.
A quick search on Docker Hub indicates that the image below is popular for mydumper and myloader :
https://hub.docker.com/r/mysqlboy/docker-mydumper/ | https://medium.com/ihme-tech/dump-and-load-data-with-docker-3cd017b18600 | ['Brian Dart'] | 2017-10-05 14:21:01.922000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Tech', 'Docker', 'Database', 'Data'] |
1,871 | Are blogs the CB radio of our generation | It should come as no surprise that I am very interested in how web logging and the web in general will shape the future. Yesterday’s post at Will Femia’s Weblog at MSNBC was about weblogs as potentially being the CB Radio of the late 90’s and today. While I had heard this analogy before — it was always in conjunction with an explicit negative connotation. Femia brings up the point that many CB Radio enthusiasts adhere to the belief that it was their beloved technology that served as a jumping off point for bigger and better technological breakthroughs. That got me to thinking again about what weblogs will lead to.
“Are Weblogs not an end but means to some larger goal like the democratization of the media or the supplanting of government as spokesman for the citizenry?”
I hope to post about some of the great things (and not so great things that weblogs can lead to in the coming days. And while I have a much less cynical view of the present web than this guy, I think we both could agree that there is much room for improvement and a bright future ahead for weblogs and the web in general if we collectively address some of the mediums main shortcomings.
While the author of the above site may feel he “can walk into any public library, no matter how tiny and underfunded, and find facts, stories, amazing information I would never touch in a month of webcrawling” or “go into a bar and hear stories Usenet hasn’t come close to in its 22 years of waffle” I would claim the reverse is true as well. The wealth of information available on the web is truly astounding. I think the author hits on the main strength of the web by trying to label it is as self-perpetuating, machine churning our lies and misinformation. The web and all of its content is valuable because it is not simply an encyclopedia of knowledge, reporting facts as truth. Truth, it has been argues is only relevant when perspective is taken into account anyways — and what the web definitely is — is millions of perspectives on our world.
This point leads nicely into something Anil posted on July 2nd about the atomic nature of individual entries of a weblog. Essentially a weblog, if broken down to its most basic elements, the post or single entry or idea would be the base component. Essentially then the web is simply made up of numerous ideas held together (in some cases loosely) in weblogs or groups of weblogs. | https://medium.com/alttext/are-blogs-the-cb-radio-of-our-generation-f932f40a5144 | ['Ben Edwards'] | 2017-04-23 06:11:06.446000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Blogging', 'The Web'] |
1,872 | JavaScript Best Practices — Comments and Spaces | Photo by Demi-Felicia Vares on Unsplash
JavaScript is an easy to learn programming language. It’s easy to write programs that run and does something. However, it’s hard to account for all the uses cases and write robust JavaScript code.
In this article, we’ll look at the best ways to work with comments and spaces.
Comments
We should be careful when writing JavaScript. We want them to be readable like anything else.
Use /** ... */ for Multiline Comments
The /** ... */ block denotes that a multiline comment inside it.
It’s better than // since we can write our comments in one block.
For example, instead of writing:
// foo
// bar
We can write:
/**
* foo
* bar
*/
Use // for Single Line Comments
// is great for single-line comments. We should put a single line above the subject of the comment.
And an empty line should be added before the comment.
For instance, we should write:
function getType() {
// returns type
}
or:
function getType() {
console.log('get type'); // returns type
}
Prefix FIXME and TODO to Label Code that Needs Changing Later
We can change FIXME and TODO to label code that needs changing later.
This way, we won’t forget about them.
We just have to remember to remove comments after we’re done.
For instance, we can write:
// TODO - clean up code
If our code has Problems, then use // FIXME to Mark Them
For instance, we can write:
// FIXME - remove global variable
so that we can fix that.
Use // TODO to Mark Solutions to a Problem
If we have a solution that we don’t have time to implement yet but we have an idea of how to do it, we should use // TODO to mark that.
For instance, we can write:
// TODO - make total configurable
to mark the solution to some problem that hasn’t been implemented yet.
Whitespace
Spaces make things easier to read, so we should add them consistently.
Use Soft Tabs Set to 2 Spaces
Spaces are consistent among operating systems, so they’re better than tabs.
2 spaces make things readable without too much typing.
So instead of writing:
function foo (){
let x;
}
We write:
function foo (){
let x;
}
We can also configure our text editor to convert 1 tab to 2 spaces automatically to save typing.
Place 1 Space Before Leading Brace
We should place 1 space before a leading brace so that we can read our functions easier.
For instance, instead of writing:
function foo(){
console.log('foo');
}
We write:
function foo() {
console.log('foo');
}
Likewise, with arrow functions, instead of writing:
const foo = () =>{
console.log('foo');
}
We write:
const foo = () => {
console.log('foo');
}
With function calls, instead of writing:
person.set('attrs',{
age: 1,
gender: 'male'
});
We write:
person.set('attrs', {
age: 1,
gender: 'male'
});
Just one space makes things more readable.
Place 1 Space Before the Opening Parenthesis in Control Statements
If we’re writing conditional statements or loops, we should have 1 space before the opening parenthesis.
And we should have no pace between the argument list and the function names in function calls and declarations.
For instance, instead of writing:
if(foo) {
bar ();
}
We should write:
if (foo) {
bar();
}
Likewise, for loops, instead of writing:
while(foo) {
bar();
}
We write:
while (foo) {
bar();
}
For function definitions, instead of writing:
function foo () {
console.log ('bar');
}
We write:
function foo() {
console.log('bar');
}
The spacing makes our blocks more readable.
Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash
Set Off Operators with Spaces
We should have spaces between operands and operators to improve readability.
For instance, instead of writing:
const x=y+1;
We write:
const x = y + 1;
End File with a Single New Line Character
We should always end a file with a single newline character.
This way, they can always be concatenated properly by programs that do that if needed.
For instance, instead of writing:
index.js
const x = 1;
We write:
index.js
const x = 1;
Conclusion
Spacing is important. Therefore, we should have them in places where they make sense.
If we write comments, we should denote multiline comments in a different way than single-line comments.
We may also use comments to denote todo items and things that need fixing.
Newline character should be at the end of file so that it can be concatenated properly with other files. | https://medium.com/swlh/javascript-best-practices-comments-and-spaces-4ebfefb15d74 | ['John Au-Yeung'] | 2020-06-08 21:42:52.016000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'JavaScript', 'Software Development', 'Web Development', 'Technology'] |
1,873 | Thoughts on the effects of online learning by those affected by it most: Students and Teachers | The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to adapt to societal changes in order to prevent the spreading of the virus. Much of these changes included a deeper implementation of technology into everyone’s daily lives.
In the educational system, students and teachers have moved from the classroom into their homes for online learning. Online learning consists of students learning and instructors teaching through the internet by means of synchronous or asynchronous meetings.
While online learning provides a safer environment for students and the school faculty, it does not come without its advantages and disadvantages.
Jesus Gutierrez participating in online learning from his kitchen. Image by Marisol Hernandez.
Online learning has taken the world of education by a storm. Changing the way students learn all across the world. Rather than simple notebooks and pencils like before students now need tablets and chromebooks to get their education.
“I think the biggest challenge for me was taking notes. Because right now since it’s online, it’s more convenient to take notes on the computer rather than taking notes in a notebook…I learn better writing it down,” said Jesus Gutierrez a senior at Streamwood high school.
We look into how e-learning has affected kids of all ages. From students in elementary school to college students, we are able to talk about and observe how the shift to online learning has affected their education.
“It also has forced me to get used to using technology more, which is something that I’m not super into, like, I really don’t think that technology necessarily makes things better,” said Caroline Dukich, a teacher at Streamwood High School. “And now I don’t have a choice, like it has to be technology-based,”
Dukich said this when talking about the new environment she’s in with online learning and how it affects her teaching experience.
It can be easily seen that technology is constantly evolving. In terms of education, schools across the world have shifted from in-person classes to online learning. Chicago has implemented this change to online education in K-12 and university/college classes.
Timeline of school closures in the United States according to Education Week. Graphic by Marisol Hernandez.
Not only has online learning affected how the students learn but it has also been a challenge for teachers to re-evaluate their ways of teaching to fit this new style of learning.
It’s interesting to see how all of this is affecting young students who are barely starting their educational careers. A student from the elementary school grade, the middle school grade, high school grade, and a high school teacher have given accounts of their experiences of online learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Student’s Perspective
Online learning was implemented in all education levels. With this crazy switch to online learning, along with the stress of the current pandemic facing the world, students were in for a shock.
Research conducted by Dimah. Al-Fraihat on Evaluating E-learning systems says that
“E-learning has expanded rapidly with a variety of technologies and devices to access learning resources, such as laptops, computers, smartphones, and tablets.”
There might be a heavy presence of technology in today’s society, but it was never this heavily interconnected with our education system.
“I’m pretty bad at technology? I don’t know. We had to get used to the technology like moving from Google Classroom, which is a different website. So we had a change to that, which is pretty hard,” states Jacqueline Gutierrez, a 7th grade student who attends middle school completely remotely. This was her response when asked what her least favorite part about online learning is which is the heavy use of technology.
Though it’s true that the use of technologies are becoming more common, this does not correlate to these students’ varying levels of knowledge on how to work with them.
A similarity amongst the various age groups interviewed all agreed that they prefer in-person learning to online learning. For reasons such as better interactions with teachers for getting assistance and more socializing overall.
Students oftentimes have difficulties concentrating when they are in the classroom. Now they are at home with double the distractions. The change in environment caused a huge impact on these students’ abilities to focus and concentrate on school work.
Jacqueline Gutierrez commented on the environment she’s in when she receives her online education “I was in my room for the first semester, which probably wasn’t the best for me, because it made me more sleepy And like, I wouldn’t focus as much in my class. But I changed to the living room with a little desk. So I can sit up and take notes and focus in my classes and do my homework better there.”
All the students who participated in this research mentioned how they changed their learning environment to minimize distractions such as a comfy bed or a room full of toys.
Jesus Gutierrez participating in online learning from his kitchen. Image by Marisol Hernandez.
Dukich, a history teacher at Streamwood High school, stated the following when asked “What was one thing online learning has taught you?”
“It’s also taught me like the kids that do well, when we’re in school, are still doing well, outside of school, like in distance learning. The kids who maybe don’t put forth the effort that they need to do, are still kind of doing that with online learning.”
Further proving that there has to be motivation or a drive to want to achieve more educationally whether it be online or in person school. Dukich brings about a different aspect to our research.
High School Teacher’s Perspective
This new structure that online learning brings was a learning experience for most teachers.
Having to learn new software with little training, having to convert their lessons to digital forms, finding a way to adjust their teaching material to accommodate new schedules, trying to build teacher-student relationships through a black screen, etc. These are just some of the challenges teachers have been facing with online learning.
This prevalent idea that going into the educational field isn’t a good idea has grown to have such a strong and negative connotation around it.
Yet according to sources like Business Insider shows that those in the education field are seen as having some of the most meaningful jobs in America. Shaping the future of our students is a job for a hero.
However, despite a teacher’s work in molding the people of tomorrow the pandemic is bringing to light the negative thoughts people have about teachers. These negative feelings towards teachers have been around for a while, despite teachers efforts.
Many teachers find themselves working outside of the classroom, on their own time, to create and complete things for their class. As salary workers, they do not receive compensation for any of this work. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the protections for workers do not apply the same way that they do for teachers.
With an ongoing pandemic forcing changes into the educational institutions, teachers are receiving the short end of the stick. Not only in some of the disadvantages of online learning, but as well in the compensation for figuring out the transition to online on their own.
“Teachers who work outside of the classroom do so because of their own drive/passion to be good educators that want to impact students.” Dukich said. “Many believe that teaching is a 7am-3pm job; and for some that is true, like in any profession they do the bare minimum. However, most teachers are working constantly to get lessons done, grade papers, etc., well beyond the time people see them in the classroom. If teachers were NOT working outside of the classroom, education would be an even bigger mess than it is now.”
The Future
Jacqueline Gutierrez: “I think it would still be implemented because even if we have the vaccines, we’ve just started to be safe and if the vaccines don’t work that well then we will still do online classes.”
The coronavirus pandemic has shown, however, that students and teachers, and people in general, are missing that social interaction with others. Aristotle said it himself, “Man is by nature, a social animal.”
Though online learning does have its benefits, It’s not seen as beneficial as in-person learning. Both sides of the relationship have stated that in-person learning is beneficial to learning and teaching.
“The thing I like the least is that students become more discouraged online, because so much more accountability is placed on them.” Dukich said. “They don’t have that nagging teacher next to them telling them to turn in work, because they can just hit the mute button. And I think that’s probably the worst part. Because, you know, kids are coping with a pandemic, and then they’re also coping with a very different experience with education. And I think all those things coupled together, just makes it kind of a crappy experience.” | https://medium.com/@jmcastro-uni/thoughts-on-the-effects-of-online-learning-by-those-affected-by-it-most-students-and-teachers-28ccd61ac7e9 | ['Juan Castro'] | 2020-12-03 15:56:08.082000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Students', 'Teachers', 'Technology', 'Education'] |
1,874 | 教你從無到有開始自己 build ArduPilot 飛控程式碼！(MacOS) | 上一篇我們在筆電上安裝了 Git 等工具，這期我們來實際設定 build ArduPilot 所需要的環境啦～本篇的教學其實在 ArduPilot 官方網站都有，但有鑒於不是每一個想要研究無人機的人都是軟體背景出身，所以才有這系列文章，希望可以讓不同背景的人更容易入門囉！
首先呢，根據上一期的教學，讓我們 cd 到 ArduPilot 的 repository，如果你聽不懂我在說什麼，可以回顧一下 [Part I]
好的，那麼打開你的 Terminal (MacOS) 或 Powershell (Windows)，然後輸入以下指令
cd ~/Studio/repos/ardupilot
當然如果你把 ardupilot repositoy 放在其他地方的話，就 cd 到該位置就對啦～
環境設置
根據你所使用的作業系統不同，會有不一樣的東西需要設置。 Mac 的電腦上預設都會安裝好 Xcode，這是一個讓工程師可以開發 Apple 相關系列產品 app 的 IDE (編輯器)。除此之外，Xcode 也讓使用者可以在電腦上安裝一些套件。所以，第一步你需要做的呢，是在 Terminal 輸入以下指令
xcode-select --install
接著呢，上一期我們教大家在自己筆電上裝好了 Homebrew 這個套件管理工具，現在我們就需要使用它安裝各種 ArduPilot 會需要的各種套件，方法如下
brew tap ardupilot/homebrew-px4
brew update
brew install genromfs
brew install gcc-arm-none-eabi
brew install gawk
接著我們還需要一些 Python 相關的套件。Mac 預設是有內建 Python3 的，所以我們可以透過以下指令安裝需要的套件
sudo easy_install pip
sudo pip install pyserial future empy
這樣你就設定好基本需要的環境啦！～
2. 開始建置
ArduPilot 使用 waf 這個工具進行編譯，而 repository 裡面就附帶有 waf script，因此可以直接拿來用。第一步呢，你需要根據你所使用的飛控硬體選擇相對應的 board 配置。如果你使用的是 Pixhawk 1，那可以用下列指令進行配置
./waf configure --board Pixhawk1
啊如果你用的是 Pixhawk 2，Pixhack 或其他 ChibiOS 的板子，那用以下指令
./waf configure --board fmuv3
run 下去後會跑出一大堆訊息，基本上是在確認你的電腦上是不是具備編譯時所需的工具。通常大家看到一大串的 console output 都會有點慌張，不怕不怕，我把我的執行結果放在這裡，大家可以參考一下是不是長得差不多
Setting top to : /path/to/ardupilot
Setting out to : /path/to/ardupilot/build
Autoconfiguration : enabled
Setting board to : fmuv3
Using toolchain : arm-none-eabi
Checking for 'g++' (C++ compiler) : /usr/local/bin/arm-none-eabi-g++
Checking for 'gcc' (C compiler) : /usr/local/bin/arm-none-eabi-gcc
Checking for c flags '-MMD' : yes
Checking for cxx flags '-MMD' : yes
CXX Compiler : g++ 9.3.1
Checking for program 'make' : /usr/bin/make
Checking for program 'arm-none-eabi-objcopy' : /usr/local/bin/arm-none-eabi-objcopy
Setup for MCU STM32F427xx
Writing hwdef setup in /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/hwdef.h
Writing DMA map
Generating ldscript.ld
No default parameter file found
Checking for env.py
env set HAL_NUM_CAN_IFACES=2
env set BOARD_FLASH_SIZE=2048
env set APJ_BOARD_TYPE=STM32F427xx
env set PERIPH_FW=0
env set USBID=0x1209/0x5741
env set MAIN_STACK=0x400
env set APJ_BOARD_ID=9
env set CORTEX=cortex-m4
env set FLASH_TOTAL=2080768
env set FLASH_RESERVE_START_KB=16
env set CHIBIOS_BUILD_FLAGS=USE_FATFS=yes MCU=cortex-m4 ENV_UDEFS=-DCHPRINTF_USE_FLOAT=1 CHIBIOS_PLATFORM_MK=os/hal/ports/STM32/STM32F4xx/platform.mk CHIBIOS_STARTUP_MK=os/common/startup/ARMCMx/compilers/GCC/mk/startup_stm32f4xx.mk
env set CPU_FLAGS=['-mcpu=cortex-m4', '-mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16', '-mfloat-abi=hard', '-DARM_MATH_CM4', '-u_printf_float']
env set IOMCU_FW=0
env set PROCESS_STACK=0x2000
Enabling ChibiOS asserts : no
Enabling -Werror : yes
Checking for intelhex module: : disabled
Checking for HAVE_CMATH_ISFINITE : yes
Checking for HAVE_CMATH_ISINF : yes
Checking for HAVE_CMATH_ISNAN : yes
Checking for NEED_CMATH_ISFINITE_STD_NAMESPACE : yes
Checking for NEED_CMATH_ISINF_STD_NAMESPACE : yes
Checking for NEED_CMATH_ISNAN_STD_NAMESPACE : yes
Checking for header endian.h : not found
Checking for header byteswap.h : not found
Checking for HAVE_MEMRCHR : no
Checking for program 'python' : /usr/local/opt/python@2/bin/python2.7
Checking for python version >= 2.7.0 : 2.7.17
Checking for program 'python' : /usr/local/opt/python@2/bin/python2.7
Checking for python version >= 2.7.0 : 2.7.17
Source is git repository : yes
Update submodules : yes
Checking for program 'git' : /usr/local/bin/git
Gtest : STM32 boards currently don't support compiling gtest
Checking for program 'arm-none-eabi-size' : /usr/local/bin/arm-none-eabi-size
Benchmarks : disabled
Unit tests : disabled
Scripting : enabled
Scripting runtime checks : enabled
Checking for program 'rsync' : /usr/bin/rsync
'configure' finished successfully (1.861s)
基本上只要看到最後寫 ‘configure’ finished successfully 就代表沒問題惹。
接著呢，使用以下指令，就會開始進行飛控程式碼的編譯。這裡說明一下，ArduPilot 支援的載具種類很多，有多旋翼、直升機、地面車、潛艇等等。這個範例會以多旋翼為主。
./waf copter
這個可能會跑一點時間，我用的是 16 吋 Macbook Pro，處理器 2.3 GHz 8 核 Intel core i9，記憶體 16 G，大概會花 3~5 分鐘 build，如果電腦效能不高可能就會比較久一點。跑起來的結果大概長下面這樣，中間很長的部分我刪掉了一些。
❯ ./waf copter
Waf: Entering directory `/path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3'
Checking for env.py
env added HAL_NUM_CAN_IFACES=2
env added BOARD_FLASH_SIZE=2048
env added APJ_BOARD_TYPE=STM32F427xx
env added PERIPH_FW=0
env added USBID=0x1209/0x5741
env added MAIN_STACK=0x400
env added APJ_BOARD_ID=9
env added CORTEX=cortex-m4
env added FLASH_TOTAL=2080768
env added FLASH_RESERVE_START_KB=16
env added CHIBIOS_BUILD_FLAGS=USE_FATFS=yes MCU=cortex-m4 ENV_UDEFS=-DCHPRINTF_USE_FLOAT=1 CHIBIOS_PLATFORM_MK=os/hal/ports/STM32/STM32F4xx/platform.mk CHIBIOS_STARTUP_MK=os/common/startup/ARMCMx/compilers/GCC/mk/startup_stm32f4xx.mk
env appended CPU_FLAGS=['-mcpu=cortex-m4', '-mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16', '-mfloat-abi=hard', '-DARM_MATH_CM4', '-u_printf_float']
env added IOMCU_FW=0
env added PROCESS_STACK=0x2000
Embedding file bootloader.bin:/path/to/ardupilot/Tools/bootloaders/fmuv3_bl.bin
Embedding file hwdef.dat:/path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/hw.dat
Embedding file io_firmware.bin:Tools/IO_Firmware/iofirmware_lowpolh.bin
[ 3/10] Creating build/fmuv3/hwdef.h
[ 4/10] Creating build/fmuv3/modules/ChibiOS/include_dirs
[ 5/10] Compiling libraries/AP_Scripting/generator/src/main.c
[ 6/10] Processing modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/ardupilotmega.xml
Setup for MCU STM32F427xx
Writing hwdef setup in /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/hwdef.h
Writing DMA map
Generating ldscript.ld
No default parameter file found [ 7/10] Processing uavcangen: libraries/AP_UAVCAN/dsdl/ardupilot libraries/AP_UAVCAN/dsdl/com modules/uavcan/dsdl/uavcan
[ 8/10] Creating build/fmuv3/ap_version.h
Validation skipped for /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/ardupilotmega.xml.
Parsing /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/ardupilotmega.xml
Validation skipped for /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/common.xml.
Parsing /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/common.xml
Validation skipped for /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/uAvionix.xml.
Parsing /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/uAvionix.xml
Validation skipped for /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/icarous.xml.
Parsing /path/to/ardupilot/modules/mavlink/message_definitions/v1.0/icarous.xml
Merged enum MAV_CMD
Found 231 MAVLink message types in 4 XML files
Generating C implementation in directory /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/include/mavlink/v2.0/ardupilotmega
Generating C implementation in directory /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/include/mavlink/v2.0/common
Generating C implementation in directory /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/include/mavlink/v2.0/uAvionix
Generating C implementation in directory /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/include/mavlink/v2.0/icarous
Copying fixed headers for protocol 2.0 to /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/libraries/GCS_MAVLink/include/mavlink/v2.0
[ 9/10] Linking build/fmuv3/modules/ChibiOS/libch.a
[10/10] Processing /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_generated_bindings.cpp,/path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_generated_bindings.h: libraries/AP_Scripting/generator/description/bindings.desc build/fmuv3/gen-bindings -> build/fmuv3/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_generated_bindings.cpp build/fmuv3/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_generated_bindings.h
[1/103] ChibiOS: Compiling crt0_v7m.S
[2/103] ChibiOS: Compiling vectors.S ...... 中間省略約七百行...... [713/714] Generating bin/arducopter.bin
[714/714] apj_gen build/fmuv3/bin/arducopter.bin
Waf: Leaving directory `/path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3' BUILD SUMMARY
Build directory: /path/to/ardupilot/build/fmuv3
Target Text Data BSS Total
----------------------------------------------
bin/arducopter 1344892 1468 195348 1541708 Build commands will be stored in build/fmuv3/compile_commands.json
'copter' finished successfully (1m41.012s)
很長對吧～這裡做的事情除了檢查參數以外，主要的事情就是把所有的程式碼編譯一次，並進行連結，最後產出能夠上傳到飛控的 bin 檔，位置是在
build/fmuv3/bin/arducopter.bin
中間的 fmuv3 會根據前面你所用的 board 不同而有所不同。
3. 上傳飛控韌體
好啦！到此我們已經從原始碼自己建置了一版飛控韌體！那要怎麼上傳到硬體上呢？已經有在玩無人機的朋友應該會知道地面站這個東西，Windows 上常見的是 Mission Planner，而 Mac 則是使用 QGroundControl。所謂地面站就是可以讓使用者進行任務規劃、參數調整，並即時監看無人機飛行狀態資訊的軟體。QGroundControl 可以到這裡下載
打開後呢，大概會長這樣：
不過我的版本是 daily build (就是你在那個網站載不到的最新版本，我就潮✌🏼✌🏼)，可能會跟你看到的長得不太一樣。在 QGC 的官網其實有教大家怎麼上傳韌體，但是如果你要上傳自己 build 的韌體的話，步驟不太一樣。首先，你需要進入到 upload firmware 的頁面，長這樣
然後把你的飛控板用 micro USB 線接到你的筆電上。注意噢！一定要讓 QGC 先進入這個頁面，再連接飛控。
好的，然後 QGC 的頁面就會變這樣
有幾個要注意的地方，首先一定要選 ArduPilot，作業系統要選 ChibiOS，載具型態要選 Multi-Rotor，然後你要打開 Advanced Settings 的勾勾，他才會讓你選擇自己的韌體版本。最下面的那個下拉選單選到 Choose Firmware File，然後按下左上角的 Ok。
接著他會要你選擇檔案路徑，那當然就是要選我們剛剛親手 build 過的 bin 檔啦～位置會在 ardupilot/build/fmuv3/bin/arducopter.bin 。按下打開後，給他一點點時間，看到以下畫面就代表上傳成功囉！
恭喜你！～現在你的飛控上跑的就是自己親手從原始碼編譯過後的飛控韌體囉！至於為何要這麼大費周章自己 build 呢？我的經驗是很多時候其實很難理解飛控的行為，例如說明明叫他 Return to Launch，他怎麼他媽給我往上飛了咧？！原來是飛控預設 RTL 會先往上飛到一個“安全”高度再返航。這對室外飛行來說通常是個好的設定，但我在室內做群飛，他往上飛就直接撞天花板了啊@@搞得我看得一臉矇。當然這些設置努力找的話還是會看到文件說明，但是身為一個攻城獅，我就是很鐵齒的想要改改 code 親眼看看飛控到底在衝三小ＸＤ 下一期我會教一些最簡單的方法，讓不太懂程式的大家也可以額外得知更多飛控的狀態，敬請期待囉！
Fienna loves you ❤ | https://medium.com/@roackb2/%E6%95%99%E4%BD%A0%E5%BE%9E%E7%84%A1%E5%88%B0%E6%9C%89%E9%96%8B%E5%A7%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%B7%B1-build-ardupilot-%E9%A3%9B%E6%8E%A7%E7%A8%8B%E5%BC%8F%E7%A2%BC-macos-c17d81cd9326 | ['Jay Liang'] | 2020-12-10 11:25:56.555000+00:00 | ['Uav Technology', 'Ardupilot', 'Drones', 'Autopilot', 'Uav'] |
1,875 | Are We Starting to Abdicate Cyber Leadership To Consultants? | The internet makes finding examples of sound leadership principles easy. Finding examples of great leadership and world class program development within the cyber security community is a bit harder to find. This blog post explores if this is the case because so much thinking and movement within the cyber security industry is generated by vendors and consultants.
If we assume that a sound cyber leadership principle is that cyber leaders must own, define, and communicate the goals, resourcing, gaps, and roadmap for their cyber security program, then the counter example to doing these things would be the complete abdication of at least the ownership, definition, and communication to some other party.
Is the cyber industry seeing an increase in delegation to vendors? I obviously can’t look inside or otherwise know every program but I can look at several data points:
The exceptionally low percentage of program level consultants that I’ve met that have actually filled a formal role of an internal CISO or similar role in which they built, led, and represented all aspects of their organization’s cyber program for a sustained period at all levels including the Board.
The equally low percentage of cyber program level content is generated by cyber practitioners on a given topic versus vendors or academics.
The high frequency of anecdotes that I hear other senior cyber leaders tell about their own programs during various professional interactions like conferences, meetups, or other events.
I’ll agree in advance that these are each a small data sample and aren’t the most scientific methods for drawing broad conclusions. That said, most survey based industry studies also aren’t asking the question of the percentage of security programs or a program’s decision making have been outsourced to vendors so we have to start somewhere.
The first and second points above likely have some relationship. A question that I have whenever approached by consultants offering program level cyber services is, “how long were you a CISO and where?” From the vendor perspective, they usually do not consider their personal experience leading a actual cyber team as an important qualification. After all, they regularly talk to Boards and often propose impactful changes. I get that. But, senior cyber practitioners can’t forget that most vendors don’t have to live with the consequences of their decisions; by the time any fallout starts, they’ve likely moved on to the next customer. Or, if they do have some longer term relationship and make a poor decision, the cleanup of that poor decision can be viewed as just another business opportunity.
I’ve had a number of vendors and consultants make recommendations that, had I followed their advice, would have caused major issues at best and perhaps even security incidents or worse. I’ve also had vendors try to steer the cyber program towards goals and objectives that were better suited to the vendor themselves or the preservation of future business than to the cyber that they served.
I’m not anti-vendor. Vendors provide key capabilities and services upon which cyber programs depend. Senior cyber leaders simply need to keep their own goals and objectives for their program in mind as they process any external advice that is given.
Because there doesn’t seem to be a deep bench of former CISOs turned consultants, I’d venture to guess that over 95% of free online content about how to deal with the program level challenges of a cyber program (program description, risk, etc.) has been generated by outside “experts” in the vendor and academic communities that have never formally led a cyber program previously.
That isn’t to say that field practitioners within cyber orgs don’t produce online content. They do….and in droves. Compare the percentage of online content generated by actual field practitioners doing the same work as highlighted in the content for various tactical disciplines within cyber and information security programs to vendor content on the same topics. By tactical, I mean specific disciplines such as incident response, digital forensics, cloud security, etc. The numbers are much more balanced.
Application security seems to be one of the lone glaring exceptions to my rule about a balance in tactical online content. Almost all online content about app sec is highly tactical in nature and almost all app sec online content seems to be generated by vendors.
I’ve previously said in blog posts and videos that I was a bit shocked to find almost no content about the development or challenges of cyber risk programs being generated outside of the vendor or academic communities. This disconnect continues to surprise me as most of the vendor related content seems to be mostly focused on the success of identification and classification of cyber risks. There is still little (if any) content, vendor or otherwise, on how to measure the success of one’s investment in cyber risk which I believe is a key task of senior cyber leaders after any major investment in the cyber program.
The gravity of what is at stake for cyber programs as their CISOs and other senior cyber practitioners consume the free online information is enormous. This information is often presented as “best practice” when, in reality, it’s really just “compelling marketing copy”. Given the amount of breaches that we read about each week, clearly there have been painful lessons for cyber leaders to learn as a result.
As for the third point above, again anecdotally, I’ve seen an increase in cyber leaders proudly pointing to bringing in outside consultants to convince executives to approve or take action on some critical risk or work items that has lingered longer than is reasonable, in some cases, for years. On social media, I see posts from consultants telling the same story.
When I’ve asked as to why the consultants are needed to sell some key aspect of the cyber program, the answer has always been the same. Leadership trusts outsiders more.
Wait. What?!?
Critical items have lingered for years. The cyber leadership has been unable to resolve the issue or gain support even though the issue is critical. An outsider is able to articulate the issue and achieve action within short amount of time.
As, as cyber leaders, we find some sort of pride in a scenario of outsiders making a compelling than us to enable forward movement on some sort of critical project?
There are only a few scenarios that could lead to executives having more confidence in an outsider than an organization’s own cyber leadership. I’ve outlined those scenarios as follows:
Conversations between the cyber leaders, stakeholders, and executives on this key topic never took place
Conversations between cyber leaders, stakeholders, and executives did happen but the critical nature of the issue was not understandable or otherwise made clear
Conversations happened, were understandable, and the issue was shown to be compelling but the rationale or prioritization was not compelling
Conversations were compelling but there wasn’t an associated achievable plan and so the project was greenlighted.
The executives have lost confidence in the cyber leadership and didn’t move forward with a risk treatment plan or remediation
All of the above are potential indictors of cyber leadership problems.
Vendors are, at best, only a short term fix for cyber leadership problems. In my view, bringing in a vendor should be a possible outcome of these discussions, not the catalyst for a successful conversation.
I’d imagine that in addition to coming in and providing a winning narrative to win over executives, the vendors might also serve poor leaders as a way to deflect execution issues or failures.
Cyber team members, the organization’s executives, and the Board all deserve better.
You can successfully outsource work but you can’t outsource accountability the program leadership, program direction, execution, or liability after a breach.
As cyber leaders, these are ours to own.
For more insights into how cyber leaders can best enable the business and build rock solid cyber programs, please follow me on Twitter at @opinionatedsec1
You can also find more of my previous content at the “CISO & Cyber Leaders” publication on Medium: https://medium.com/ciso-cyber-leaders | https://medium.com/ciso-cyber-leaders/are-we-starting-to-abdicate-cyber-leadership-to-consultants-cb544275f6d3 | ['Opinionated Security'] | 2021-02-25 19:27:59.684000+00:00 | ['Information Technology', 'Ciso', 'Cybersecurity', 'Information Security', 'Leadership'] |
1,876 | Top 10 Examples of Artificial Intelligence used in industries | Examples of Artificial intelligence Man-made reasoning (computer-based intelligence) is going to change each fragment of our economy. Bringing human knowledge into figuring and permitting machines to gain for a fact and settle on human-like choices. Simulated intelligence assists organizations with computerizing routine undertakings, better comprehend their clients. Examining their conduct, decrease operational expenses, and customize encounters Examples of Artificial intelligence. Subsequent to examining the general advantages. The difficulties of artificial intelligence today we investigate how the new savvy innovations shape and disturb various ventures.
Finance and Banking
As online Examples of Artificial intelligence exchanges develop more mainstream consistent. The account and banking industry faces progressively complex wholesale fraud and extortion misfortune cases. Simulated intelligence can carry monetary network protection to the following level. As frameworks. Utilizing profound learning advances can dissect examples and spot dubious conduct and expected misrepresentation.
For example, PayPal figured out how to decrease its misrepresentation rate to only 0.32% of income. Utilizing a refined profound learning framework that breaks down exchanges progressively.
Exchanging and speculation the executives likewise utilize computer-based intelligence, or all the more decisively AI — a subset of man-made consciousness.
An AI (ML) application is essentially a learning framework that robotizes measurable model structure. Because of the new ML innovations, falsely astute mutual funds and robot-warning stages are on the ascent. Simulated intelligence Examples of Artificial intelligence likewise helps regular assignments. The monetary administration, for example, surveying credit quality or robotizing customer collaborations.
Medical Services
In medical care, Examples of Artificial intelligence can give huge assistance in examining complex clinical information. For example, X-beams, CT filters, and various screenings and tests. Utilizing the patient’s information and outside information sources, for Example of Artificial intelligence, clinical examination. The clinical experts can manufacture a customized treatment way for everybody.
Other than on location clinical choice help, simulated intelligence can likewise be utilized to give constantly. The clinical guidance to patients Examples of Artificial intelligence.
The Babylon man-made intelligence specialist. The application utilizes discourse acknowledgment, The talk with patients, checks their side effects against an information base. And offers them sufficient medicines.
Virtual medical caretakers, for example, Molly by Sense.ly, interface patients with clinical exhortation and administrations. Utilizing an exclusive order motor that tunes in to the patient and conveys a satisfactory reaction.
At last, Microsoft’s Hanover venture utilizes Examples of Artificial intelligence. The n normal language handling to make expectations about the best malignant growth drug treatment alternative for each patient, exclusively.
For more visit our site: https://securitysurveillancesolutions.ca/2020/11/18/top-10-examples-of-artificial-intelligence-used-in-industries/ | https://medium.com/@zumartaha/top-10-examples-of-artificial-intelligence-used-in-industries-3e8b4249dd42 | [] | 2020-12-21 08:56:20.761000+00:00 | ['AI', 'Industry', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Banking Technology', 'Medical Services'] |
1,877 | What It Takes To Train The Cybersecurity Workforce | What it takes to get hired in cyber: A Degree, Certifications & Work Experience.
Our portfolio company Burning Glass has compiled detailed data-based evidence on cyber hiring: right now, it takes the trifecta of a degree, certifications, and work experience to get a job in cybersecurity. This is a pretty high bar and clearly creates structural barriers to cyber job pathways. Meanwhile, employers are desperate to find great cyber talent, so it begs the question: why do employers look for all of these qualities in the first place?
The degree.
88% of cybersecurity job postings require at least a Bachelor’s degree. One CISO put it elegantly: cybersecurity is a “hybrid job”, requiring technical and domain knowledge but also importantly, an understanding of the human issues in business. It has significantly more soft/power skills requirements than IT: critical thinking and problem-solving, how to pre-empt threats, speaking across the business, and project management skills. CISOs prioritize hiring for these power skills over technical skills because they are harder to train for, and therefore tend to hire based on degrees as a signal of these “intangible” qualities.
Certifications.
Certifications are a key part of cybersecurity careers but many believe that some certifications such as CISSP are actually “far more useful in getting a job than doing a job”. Historically employers have overburdened job postings with certifications, creating labor market inefficiencies (there are more job postings requiring certifications than there are people certified). Because of the lack of a common lexicon for describing cyber skills and roles, technical team members (aka CISOs) end up having a hard time communicating with HR hiring managers exactly which skills they need to hire for. Thus, certifications have become a standard way to screen candidates based on keywords in the ATS (Applicant Tracking System), a short-term convenient but long-term burdensome filtering method. In reality, jobs may only need select skills not requiring the whole certification. While credential attainment is fantastic for the job seekers’ marketability and career advancement (in the U.S., a certification can increase salaries by 20%+), for CISOs, “the certification is hardly the lynchpin for getting hired; it will only get your foot in the door”. They will still want to test for competency.
Job experience.
This is the classic work experience chicken-and-egg problem. Cyber hiring managers greatly prioritize job experience, with 85% of cybersecurity job postings requiring 3+ years of cyber work experience. Currently, a good (but long) pathway is for candidates to begin building experience in IT/tech jobs in “cyber-adjacent” roles and then transition into a “cyber-core” role.
Where Edtech Can Help
Re-imagining the cyber bootcamp into “cyber apprenticeships”.
There are a number of cyber bootcamps today and what could be truly powerful for cyber is re-imagining that model into an apprenticeship or work-integrated learning model to tackle the “cyber trifecta” problem. In addition to the technical skills that more traditional bootcamps confer, we need to provide students with opportunities to work on real-world projects, develop their soft and power skills in the context of a team, and better understand what it means to be a cyber professional (day one on the job is not super-hacking!) This model can provide work experience, a certification, and help overcome the degree hurdle, by allowing employers to observe (and help train) a potential hire’s power skills while on-the-job. It also helps with career navigation: cyber careers are constantly evolving and tricky to navigate, which may be intimidating to new entrants. Ultimately, we need more solutions with great awareness of employer needs and a focus on actual job placement. There are already startups in edtech innovating around work-integrated learning models (not specific to cyber) that are focused on integration with employers and/or Higher Ed institutions, such as Forage, Paragon One, Parker Dewey, Student Opportunity Center, and WhiteHat.
Competency-based assessments.
A skills-based assessment tool could help employers better identify cyber talent without over-relying on certifications. While there are some performance-based tests out there (ie. virtual battlefield simulators), usually developed by the armed forces, there are few players in this space, especially ones with inexpensive offerings that enterprises could easily purchase and adopt in a widespread way.
I am reminded of an interesting model by one of our portfolio companies, Correlation One, which has developed a sophisticated competency-based data science assessment platform based on collecting a pool of performance indicator data from the many data science hackathons, or “datathons”, that they host. Employers have flocked to this solution because it is similarly hard to not only measure great data science talent but also find diverse candidates that don’t check the traditional boxes. It would be intriguing to apply the same model to cyber, where candidates could showcase their skills, critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity while battling in cyber range simulations, with data collection fueling a true, efficacious skills-based assessment that overcomes degree-filtering or perhaps even an expensive certification test. Also, gamers make great cyber candidates so a game-based simulation is an intriguing idea, especially for exposing young learners to cyber careers earlier on.
(It is important to note that there is regulation in the U.S. around hiring assessments. Assessments can be one aspect of the hiring process but cannot be the sole reason for hiring, and should be tested for validity to prove no “adverse impact” to any populations.)
Soft/power skill assessments.
A soft skills assessment and training solution can overcome the burdensome degree signal. However, there are a lack of inexpensive, effective solutions for soft skills broadly, not only in cyber.
One of our portfolio companies, Imbellus (recently acquired by Roblox), has done interesting work here. With a sophisticated game-based assessment adopted by McKinsey, Imbellus brings candidates into a virtual simulation in the natural world where they solve a problem such as protecting native plants against invader species. Imbellus can then measure qualities such as critical thinking, decision-making and meta-cognition by tracking every move of the mouse, actions and time spent on solving the challenge. Are there similarly effective solutions that can be developed for cyber for widespread distribution?
Structural workforce planning solution based on skills mapping.
Build, don’t buy, cyber talent. It is hard and expensive to hire a great candidate in a high demand market. For a large employer, the better solution may be to build cyber skills capacity internally. Burning Glass and EMSI have both written research advocating for this strategy and elevating which career fields transition well into cybersecurity roles.
What we need is a broad talent platform that can track skills, identify the right candidates that could transition into cyber based on known pathways, map with specificity which additional skills they need, and provide the targeted training to help them get there.
While it may take years to develop the educational apparatus you would need in-house to manage talent and skills for the whole organization, there are tech solutions tackling this problem. Our portfolio company Degreed (or others such as Faethm and SkyHive as part of an emerging category of skills-based workforce planning platforms) serve as platforms already managing and recommending learning across the organization with an internal mobility function to navigate role transitions. A data analytics company such as Burning Glass can further provide the underlying granular data around skills mapping and development.
Cyber career pathway navigation tools.
Career navigation seems to be trickier than usual in the cyber industry. Navigating entry into and progression in cyber careers is complex, especially given the large number of certifying bodies and certification options to choose from. Initiatives such as CyberSeek and My Cyber Path have begun elucidating the career pathway so it is less daunting for candidates to enter the cyber workforce. | https://medium.com/rethink-education/what-it-takes-to-train-the-cybersecurity-workforce-74280379938d | ['Joanne Cheng'] | 2020-12-16 18:35:32.677000+00:00 | ['Cybersecurity', 'Future Of Work', 'Technology', 'Edtech', 'Venture Capital'] |
1,878 | RUN GUI APPS IN A DOCKER CONTAINER | DOCKER — Docker is a container Technology and it installs + boot + login into a device in just a few seconds. Docker just opens a terminal it does not open a GUI Interface.
In this article, I am going to show how docker is opening GUI software like firefox and gedit.
Pre-requisites -
Docker already Installed on BaseOS.
Run the Docker Container -
>> docker run -it — name firefox — net=host -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY -v /tmp/.X11-unix centos:7 bash
— name:- Assign a name to the container
— net:- Connect a container to a network
-e:- set environment variables
-v:- Bind a Volume
“ docker run ” first create a container and then start it.
first create a container and then start it. “ host ” network mode gives IP of Host not the IP of Docker Host.
network mode gives IP of Host not the IP of Docker Host. “ X11 ” server communicates with clients like xterm, firefox, etc via some kind of reliable stream of bytes. For Example — if you run a container that binds to port 80 and you use host networking, the container’s application is available on port 80 on the host’s IP address.
INSTALL FIREFOX AND XAUTH
>>yum install firefox xauth -y
The above is the command to install firefox and the xauth program.
The “ xauth ” program is used to edit and display the authorization information used in connecting to the X server. This program is usually used to extract authorization records from one machine and merge them into another (in the case when using remote logins or granting access to other users).
program is used to edit and display the authorization information used in connecting to the X server. This program is usually used to extract authorization records from one machine and merge them into another (in the case when using remote logins or granting access to other users). Firefox is a GUI Browser.
INSTALL GEDIT
>>yum install gedit
The above is the command to install gedit which is a Graphical User Interface Editor.
Thank You for reading have a good day!! | https://medium.com/@manalij62/run-gui-apps-in-a-docker-container-7e3edfea3b5d | ['Manali Jain'] | 2020-12-20 06:33:30.940000+00:00 | ['Firefox', 'Containers', 'Docker', 'Technology News', 'Technology'] |
1,879 | Four Surprising Results from Trucker Tools’ Recent Carrier Technology Survey | Trucker Tools recently surveyed owner operators, company drivers and carriers like you from across the country to learn more about how you use technology in your day-to-day work. Truckers and carriers were kind enough to respond to our survey, sharing their experiences and thoughts around technology. Of those folks that answered our survey, 40 percent are carriers, 57 percent owner operators and two percent reported that they’re company drivers. Nearly all of those who responded move flatbed, reefer and/or dry van.
Check out these four surprising results from Trucker Tools’ recent carrier technology survey.
When we asked about needing to install new apps to fulfill brokers’ requirements, we received a range of answers. However, nearly half of those who answered our survey said that they’ve had to install between three and 10 or more apps on their phones in the last year to satisfy brokers. Only four percent who answered said that they don’t use apps because they prefer check calls. In the comments, several carriers/truckers voiced their frustration about the number of different apps they need to use to track loads.
Fact: You can use the load tracking tool in Trucker Tools’ appFact: The digital load search and booking tools included in the Trucker Tools mobile app are free. You can quickly search for loads with your favorite brokers in specific lanesFact: Trucker Tools’ mobile app includes 17+ features and tools that save you time and money on the road. With the free app, you can find the cheapest fuel on your routeFact: The Trucker Tools app’s load tracking provides transparency for the driver. You have to accept a load track in order for tracking to begin. It’s easy to see when tracking is on and who is receiving location information. You also have the power to stop or pause tracking right in the app.
, , routes, , truck stops, rest areas, Wal-Mart stores, food, restaurants, CDL legal protection, truck washes and more.
in just a few seconds.
with multiple brokers. Trucker Tools’ load tracking integrates with most broker software platforms, which means you can use the Trucker Tools app over and over again instead of installing new apps all the time.
Another surprising result from Trucker Tools’ recent carrier technology survey is that two-thirds of truckers and carriers are paying a monthly fee to access load boards and other load-finding technologies. In fact, 45 percent of those who answered the survey pay $30 or more/month to use these apps or load boards when they’re on the road. Some told us that they pay as much as $140/month on digital technology to help them find loads.
We sometimes hear people in the industry say that truckers and carriers are resistant to using technology, but that definitely isn’t the case and this survey proves it! Smart phone technology plays a big role in the daily lives of truckers and carriers. A whopping 87 percent of those we surveyed said they use technology on the road every day. In the comments, respondents told us they most value technology that helps them find fuel, routing, parking, loads, truck stops and more.
The fourth surprising result from Trucker Tools’ recent carrier technology survey is that despite embracing technology, many truckers/fleets still have reservations about using digital load tracking technology. Thirty-seven percent of those we surveyed reported that they refuse to use some digital load tracking technologies. Many of the commenters on this question in our survey said that their main concern is privacy, while others told us that they find that load tracking tech can be difficult to use.
For more tips on creating a profitable, self-sustaining trucking business, read Level Up Your Trucking Business: How To Calculate Fuel Costs on Specific Lanes and Loads. To download Trucker Tools’ free app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/web/carriers/. | https://medium.com/trucker-tools/four-surprising-results-from-trucker-tools-recent-carrier-technology-survey-fa5e3670bdba | ['Tracy Neill'] | 2021-06-28 17:23:57.466000+00:00 | ['Shipping', 'Freight Shipping', 'Transportation', 'Technology', 'Logistics'] |
1,880 | Collaboration at Technology Hits | Collaboration at Technology Hits
image designed by Dr Mehmet Yildiz
The power of collaboration is proven in my other two publications ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curated. Both publications are rapidly growing and serving thousands of writers and readers.
To ignite collaboration for Technology Hits I created a new club called TSEE which stands for Technology, Science, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship.
TSEE Club aims to connect writers writing about technology, science, engineering, and entrepreneurship topics. This club is not only about the writers but the actual practitioners of these domains.
We invite professionals and leaders from various domains. The core team are made up of technologists, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. We will extend our invitations to business leaders, digital marketers, economists, finance and accounting professionals.
My purpose is to mix technologists, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to cross-pollinate ideas and initiatives with extended virtual teams.
You can learn more about this club from this link.
https://medium.com/illumination/welcome-to-the-tsee-club-deaf02284081
We created a first reading list and distributed to our readers. Reading lists in digest format are important for our busy readers. These lists make the stories easily accessible in a timely manner.
Here is our first reading list for Technology Hits.
https://medium.com/technology-hits/reading-list-on-technology-hits-ff4e540823b2
Our Editor of Technology Hits also created the first featured list and shared it on ILLUMINATION to give Technology Hits writers a better exposure to a broader audience. Here is the link to the first featured list for Technology Hits on Medium.
https://medium.com/illumination/editorial-picks-from-technology-hits-c8f81c8874cf
Thank you for contributing and supporting Technology Hits.
You are welcome to join our Slack workplace and participate in our clubs.
https://medium.com/illumination/an-introduction-to-illumination-slack-workspace-33e10b9e890c
Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Editor in Chief for Technology Hits on Medium
Digitalmehmet.com | https://medium.com/technology-hits/collaboration-at-technology-hits-edfcce08b583 | ['Dr Mehmet Yildiz'] | 2020-12-15 10:11:45.640000+00:00 | ['Writing', 'Design', 'Tech', 'Technews', 'Technology'] |
1,881 | The Future of the Mac | There is a new type of Mac in the pipeline, and it will run on Apple Silicon.
Apple Silicon is the name Apple will be using for their custom made ARM-based chips that will be transitioning over to the next two years.
At WWDC Apple revealed a Mac mini as the first such Mac to have an Apple Silicon chip inside, and this was an Apple A12Z, the same chip as inside the iPad Pro 2020 — but this Mac mini is only for developers.
When will the first Silicon Mac be available for the public?
Apple said that the first MacBook with an Apple Silicon chip will arrive by the end of 2020. It seems like this new Mac will be either the 12-inch MacBook or a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, or even a MacBook air.
First off, the first model believed to have the Silicon chip is the revival of the 12-inch Mac that was retired in 2019.
The specs on this thing are expected to be quite impressive. It’s supposed to feature the new A14X chip, alongside the option to upgrade from an 8gb to a 16gb RAM and between 256gb and 500gb of storage.
The most impressive claim is the battery life of up to 20 hours, 8 hours more than the previous MacBook Air.
It is looking likely that the A14X chip is going to be amazing! If the 12-inch MacBook is this chip, it’ll probably be just a smudge slower than the 13-inch MacBook Pro and you’re paying approximately $1000 less.
People thought for some time that Apple could bring this older retired Mac as the first ARM-powered Silicon Mac, and with recent rumors, this might actually be the case.
Before jumping into specs and how powerful this new chip will be, let’s talk about the price!
Prices
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
KOMIYA (credible leaker) on Twitter claimed that the new Silicon Mac will cost just $800, but very soon after he deleted the tweet and this information just became a whisper online. However, this leaker came back with another statement saying this MacBook will start at $849 ($800 for students).
This would get you a basic model of the MacBook with 8gb of RAM and 256gb of storage.
For the release date of the MacBook, this is where information conflicts quite a bit. It was thought that the MacBook 12-inch would’ve been announced at the Apple Event in September, and released in October — but it wasn’t.
Then it was recently believed that it may be announced in the October iPhone 12 event on October 13th — and it wasn’t.
My own thoughts are that we will see another announcement of the MacBook Silicon in mid-November. Apple will probably want to show more of what its A14 variant can do with Mac OS software and also show some developers showing off their new software running on the chip.
I believe the MacBook Silicon 12-inch model will be released end of November.
Following the initial Silicon MacBook — leaker Ming-Chi Kuo believes the next MacBook to gain an Apple Silicon processor will actually be the MacBook Pro-13-inch, and we’ll get a release date at the end of this year. The next MacBook would be the Air and that is looking to be coming out early next year.
After these two new MacBooks, Kuo suggests the next to come is the 16-inch MacBook Pro, along with a rumored 14-inch MacBook.
According to Kuo they’re supposed to be getting a redesigned look as well. This redesign is something we’re expecting to see in 2021.
These new MacBook Pro models aren’t expected to ship until the middle of 2021.
What about the iMac?
3D renderings of what the new iMacs could look like (based on leaks)
There really haven’t been many leaks regarding the desktop Mac. What we know for now is that they’re supposed to be coming out with a complete redesign reducing the bezel size and potentially giving the new generations more superior specs.
It seems like they’ll retain Intel processors for now. iMac are not likely to come with Apple Silicon until 2021, potentially even 2022. | https://medium.com/macoclock/the-future-of-the-mac-9eed4d188b5 | ['Robert C.'] | 2020-10-26 07:27:30.261000+00:00 | ['Apple', 'Productivity', 'Design', 'Business', 'Technology'] |
1,882 | We Need to Talk About Big Data’s Global Takeover | We Need to Talk About Big Data’s Global Takeover
Photo by Roman Koester on Unsplash
I almost exclusively use Twitter, Google, Facebook, and Instagram to stay caught up with the news, and I’m far from alone. The routine usually feels mundane: wake up, scroll, scream, chug coffee, etc. But what does it mean for us and our future when just a few companies are so deeply entwined with our daily lives?
I’m not going to talk here about surveillance, or Zuckerberg, or Bezos, or their greed (well maybe a little), or the mental health dangers of being online too much. These are all dizzyingly scary topics, but what I want to talk about here is how tech giants managed to wedge themselves between the press and the reading public, between public interests and the state, and between producers and consumers.
From right under our noses (literally) these companies — Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Twitter — garner and manipulate an immense amount of global power, and wield it to serve their shareholders’ interests. Comprehensive, multilateral action from the international community is the only way to rein them in before they destroy us.
“The giants raised the barriers to entry and capped success.”
The internet was long esteemed “the great equalizer”. While the internet has increased many people’s access to information — which theoretically should result in more socially-optimal market outcomes and greater equity across the globe — the profit-seeking nature of these firms skews the integrity of the information they distribute, and the process of distribution itself.
Machine learning algorithms on platforms like Facebook, Google, and Youtube are well documented to push viewers towards increasingly radical and polarized content.[1] These algorithms are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible in order to sell more ads and collect more data, not to feed you sound, factually backed info. The result is an internet that is now a terrible place to challenge your own beliefs or generate productive discourse. We’re all stuck in the algorithm, plummeting down different, strangely specific “recommended” rabbit holes.
Polarization aside, artificial intelligence is often trained on old data sets which arrive pre-filled with problematic power dynamics, stereotypes, and inequalities. These oppressive views and tendencies are baked-in to these algorithms before they even go public, and can reinforce those oppressions in the real world. For example, one finds disturbingly different results when searching “three white teenagers” on Google Images versus searching “three Black teenagers”.[2] The images of white teenagers are usually of them playing sports or games, while the images of Black teenagers are typically all mugshots.
This spells huge trouble for the global public as the “big five” become the world’s largest disseminators of information. The co-option of these distributional services from the press enables a few companies and their racist, sexist, homophobic, ageist, transphobic, polarizing algorithms to become de-facto authorities and gatekeepers of much of the world’s information.
“The U.S. would rather be destroyed by its own giants than allow China’s to become more powerful.”
Big Tech also snuck into our political institutions. David Dayden of The Intercept wrote a revealing piece documenting just how deep the connection between the state and the tech giants runs. He notes that Google alone spent $16.7 million on lobbying in 2015 and offered free services to government agencies, training to campaigns, policy suggestions, and visited the White House on average at least once a week for nearly the entire Obama presidency.[3]
Dayden also illustrates how a fast-turning revolving door moved 252 people between the upper echelons of Big Tech and Washington during the Obama years, creating a system in which tech professionals are often asked to make regulations on themselves.[4]
The tech industry has profoundly changed in the United States over the past two decades. The giants raised the barriers to entry and capped success. The average tech startup now hopes to be bought by a giant rather than hoping to become one someday. Additionally, any new app must run through at least one of these companies, be it in the Apple App Store, Google Play, the Amazon App store, or Facebook apps.
This is just one example of how giants manage to profit from and be involved with any and all new competition or progress in the tech industry. They are in fact inhibiting innovation, not catalyzing it.
Much of the world’s commerce also happens across these platforms. Amazon may be the biggest culprit here, already capturing a huge amount of online commerce before COVID-19 and only expanding its share of the market through the shutdowns. However, Google and Facebook have also become marketplaces in themselves, and a middle-man between consumers and other marketplaces.
Like most of us, when I want to buy a product online, I almost always google it first, which allows them to sell me ads from Amazon and other retailers. It also lets them collect more data about my shopping habits in order to send me ever-more targeted ads. Or, alternatively, the product finds me first through targeted ads.
Businesses of all sorts now feel pressured to maintain an engaging social media presence, chase the narrative of “unlocking the potential of the internet”, and conduct advertising through these platforms. Or you might be using Google or Microsoft’s browser even if you’re not using their search engines.
This masterful positioning by these firms, between the press and the reading public, between the people and our governments, and between producers and consumers has rendered them as powerful as many of the world’s states.
Profit-driven corporations should never possess such important roles in our political and economic institutions: their interests and the interests of the public simply do not line up. They will sell us, our social cohesion, and our democratic processes out for a profit every single time. They already have.
The U.S. clearly won’t save us.
Photo by Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash
Outdated and inapplicable antitrust laws gravely hinder the ability of the U.S. to take action against these firms. Many recall the trust-busting days of the early 20th Century, and especially the breakup of Standard Oil & Co. But antitrust regulation in the United States usually only recognizes a breakup as warranted if the trust raises prices for consumers.
On the contrary, these firms abuse market power in ways not accounted for by the U.S. legal structure. For example, pick any of the dozens of times Amazon has entered a new industry and eliminated their competitors by operating at a loss and drastically undercutting prices, a move only made possible through their massive revenue streams and undying support from their investors.
Beyond the revolving door and the insufficient legal structure, the U.S. also tends to prop-up these tech firms as pawns in mercantilist battles with China, competing against Chinese giants such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu. The U.S. would rather be destroyed by its own giants than allow China’s to become more powerful.
Europe, refreshingly, has at least made some small steps against big tech. In 2017, the E.U. fined Google $2.7 billion for anti-competitive practices[5], and fined them in 2019 again for $1.7 billion.[6] There are more examples, but besides showing that action can be taken, these cases more so display the shortcomings of reining them in on regional scales, as penalties in Europe only change Google’s behaviors in Europe.
These firms pose global threats which must be solved on the same international scale. The international community needs to quickly come together, make the not-so-tough decision to do something about this, and break them up. | https://medium.com/@marshall-piotrowski/lets-talk-about-big-datas-global-takeover-df275c01b838 | ['Marshall Piotrowski'] | 2020-12-24 00:16:13.031000+00:00 | ['International Relations', 'Politics', 'Big Data', 'Technology', 'Economics'] |
1,883 | Manufacturer Resolutions for 2021 in the Wake of COVID-19 | Like any crisis, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic taught everyone that nothing and no one is ever prepared for a global pandemic — including the manufacturing sector.
A key aspect that shielded various industries from total economic devastation has been their early adoption of digital technology, particularly in terms of various operational processes. These include supply chain management, production, shipping and distribution.
Others, of course, have not been so fortunate, with company and facility closures reported from around the world.
As a consequence, a major resolution that stands out in the manufacturing industry (and in most businesses) is the need to ramp up the adoption of digital technologies.
Benefits of Digital Technology in Manufacturing
Crises like COVID-19 have major transformative impacts, not the least of which continue to be felt in manufacturing. Now, more than ever, the following benefits of digital technology in manufacturing continue to be highlighted.
1. It enhances operational efficiency.
Digital manufacturing provides businesses with an integrated approach to the process of producing products. It helps to address operational inefficiencies and leads to more robust supply chain planning, stock management and cost control. It allows for the application of the industrial internet of things (IIOT) and helps manufacturers adhere to compliance requirements.
2. It helps manufacturers innovate.
Through the adoption of state-of-the-art technology, such as human-robot collaboration (HRC), predictive analytics, machine learning and 3D modelling, manufacturers can eliminate silos in product planning and development. They can deploy automated, cloud-based solutions that can help improve communication and data access, and simplify performance monitoring.
Such innovations ultimately lead to better product quality, customer satisfaction and waste reduction.
3. It empowers the new generation of tech-savvy workers.
There’s a new generation of tech-savvy workers that can fill digital manufacturing jobs. These workers are aware of the benefits of digital innovation and HRC as in the case of cobots and drone technology increasingly being used in manufacturing and warehousing.
Businesses can also tap into their existing workforce and equip them with the training and tools necessary to fulfil their jobs whilst also providing them with upskilling opportunities.
4. It helps to improve workplace safety and reduce costs.
Digital manufacturing technology reduces or eliminates worker load involving difficult, monotonous or high-risk tasks, thereby helping improve workplace safety. This, in turn, helps to reduce health and safety risks, as well as associated costs. Moreover, higher operational efficiency helps manufacturers avoid excessive inventory, which reduces waste and losses.
Manufacturer Reactions to COVID-19
After everyone was done scrambling for safety and checking their supplies during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s focus turned to work. How was business to go on? Was carrying on as usual even a remote possibility?
In the realm of manufacturing, the primary question was how industries could address the challenges of supply and demand amidst such a major disruption. Smart factory initiatives helped to meet such concerns as digital technology enables manufacturers to better predict demand through data analytics. Thus, there came an overwhelming resolution to increase digital technology investments.
Another major challenge manufacturers faced was disruptions in the supply chain, especially since most raw materials and even finished goods come from China — from which the new coronavirus emerged. Hence, manufacturers had to rethink their supply chain strategies. They also had to focus on near-shore manufacturing or shift to a regional supply chain model.
Government-mandated lockdowns, community quarantines and physical distancing policies also figure greatly in the next steps of the manufacturing sector. There is an increasing urgency to intensify automation, no-touch operations and remote system management — all of which require digital manufacturing technology.
5 Tips for Manufacturers Post-COVID
The continuing effects of COVID-19 have underscored the value of agility and lean manufacturing process, as well as that of digital manufacturing technology.
Therefore, industries looking to grow in the near and distant future would do well to mull over the following tips:
1. Consider the need for flexible supply chain systems and workforces.
Disruptions in the supply chain and workforce, as well as liquidity problems, can render a business immobile. Therefore, it falls on manufacturers and businesses to always have alternative sources of supply and financing to ensure business continuity. Tapping into sources closer to home is one strategy worth adopting. Not only does it reduce supply chain challenges that arise with global pandemics, but it is also a more sustainable approach to supply chain management.
Additionally, manufacturers should invest in preparing their human resources to achieve greater flexibility and to develop remote team operational efficiency.
2. Utilise data resources and data-driven insights to better inform business decisions.
The value of data-driven insights is no longer lost on a lot of industries. What the pandemic has shown everyone is that data should drive key decisions to prevent costly mistakes, especially in crisis situations. Manufacturers should, therefore, invest in cloud computing, data collection and analytics that they can use to gain valuable insights regarding their industry, business and customers.
3. Adopt cobots to improve automation and free workers to perform high-level tasks.
Collaborative robots or cobots are nothing new to manufacturing. They have been used for years and years to increase production efficiency and accuracy. By adopting or expanding the use of cobots, manufacturers can increase automation and reduce the stress of monotony on a human workforce.
This helps to improve not only workforce morale but also productivity as employees can be trained to perform more meaningful, complex, high-level tasks.
4. Use digital twins for asset monitoring, care and maintenance.
Virtual representations of equipment or so-called ‘digital twins’ are useful for equipment monitoring, extending the lifespan of your machines and preventing total equipment failure. By keeping a close watch of critical system indicators, such as temperature, vibration and wear, it becomes easier to anticipate problems, fix or replace faulty equipment and reduce or eliminate downtime.
5. Invest in cybersecurity.
As manufacturers continue to adopt digital manufacturing technologies, more processes continue to be digitised, thereby increasing the importance of data as a fundamental asset in driving operations. This means the protection of valuable data should be at the core of every business, not just in manufacturing.
With cybercriminals becoming more determined to exploit the relationship between digital systems and the internet, cybercrimes have also become increasingly more sophisticated and costly at the same time.
In fact, there have been noticeably higher rates in cyberattacks in 2020 as more businesses have had to adopt remote working or work-from-home (WFH) policies in adherence to community quarantines and physical distancing guidelines.
Like other big industries, manufacturers have a lot at stake in cases of cybersecurity breaches. These include their customer and vendor database, sales data and other critical data assets.
Therefore, cybersecurity is no longer an add-on or afterthought of organisational strategy. It’s a core business element that manufacturers need to invest in as they plan and strategise year after year.
Manufacturing Today and Beyond
Martin Thomas, European Marketing Manager at Radwell said “Crises, whatever their scale, serve to expose inadequacies and inefficiencies in existing systems.
The global pandemic has revealed weaknesses in various human systems of all sizes.
In manufacturing, digital technology has proven to be the saving grace that has enabled the most resilient industries to survive. In fact, new industries also cropped up, with some even growing and thriving in what is generally considered an adverse atmosphere.
Therefore, if manufacturers intend to not only weather this storm but also achieve growth in the long term, they need to increase their investment in manufacturing technology, including cybersecurity. Additionally, bringing their operations and suppliers closer to home is not only more efficient but also sustainable. They also need to invest in employee training to ensure they have an agile, flexible workforce that can remain productive whatever crises may come.
By keeping this information and the tips shared here in mind, manufacturers can take decisive steps to protect their business from similar crises.” | https://medium.com/@radwelleurope/manufacturer-resolutions-for-2021-in-the-wake-of-covid-19-77cde1f49458 | ['Radwell International Ltd'] | 2021-02-10 10:21:11.326000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Manufacturing', 'Digital Transformation', 'Industry', 'Technology'] |
1,884 | TechNY Daily | TechNY Daily
Keeping the NYC Tech Industry Informed and Connected
1. NYC’s GoHenry, a pre-paid card and finance app for 6–18 year olds, has raised $40 million in a venture funding round. Princeton’s Edison Partners led the round with participation by Gaia Capital Partners, Citi Ventures and Muse Capital. The company now has 1.2 million members — which includes both parents and children — and has doubled its customer base annually for the last six years.(www.gohenry.com) (TechCrunch)
2. Car-sharing startup Turo is returning to New York. Seven years ago, the company left New York, its largest market, after a dispute with insurance regulators. Starting in January, small independent car rental companies will be able to list rentals on the Turo website and app. (www.turo.com) (Insurance Journal)
3. NYC’s Supergreat, an app for beauty enthusiasts, has raised $6.5 million in a Series A funding. Benchmark led the round and was joined by NYC’s Thrive Capital, TQ Ventures, K5 Global, Shrug Capital, Hannah Bronfman and Rent the Runway co-founder Jenny Fleiss. The community-based Supergreat app allows users to review, shop, and share tips on their favorite products. (www.supergreat.com) (BusinessWire)
4. NYC’s Welcome, an HR software developer, has raised $6 million in a seed funding. FirstMark Capital led the round. The company’s platform is designed to help organizations close candidate offers by providing a clear picture of compensation, particularly around equity. (www.heywelcome.com) (TechCrunch)
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Small Planet partners with the world’s most innovative companies to create inspired apps and websites. Development, UX design, monetization strategies, user acquisition, and more. Contact us. (Sponsored Content)
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5. NYC’s Bizzabo, an online platform for event organizers, has raised $138 million in a Series E funding. Insight Partners led the round and was joined by investors including Viola Growth, Next47 and OurCrowd. Bizzabo’s platform can be used to plan and run both virtual and in-person conferences. (www.bizzabo.com) (TechCrunch)
6. Tom Brady and John Mayer have invested in NYC’s Hodinkee, a content and e-commerce site for high end watches. Other investors in the $40 million Series B round included TCG, GV (Google Ventures), LVMH Luxury Ventures, True Ventures and Future Shape. (www.hodinkee.com) (Forbes)
7. NYC co-living startup Ollie has been acquired by a competitor, San Francisco’s Starcity. The purchase price for the acquisition of Ollie’s assets and roommate-matching technology was not disclosed. Ollie, which had raised a total of $15 million from investors including the Moinian Group, and the Texas Employees Retirement System, operates co-living spaces in NYC, Los Angeles and Boston. (www.ollie.co) (The Real Deal)
8. Brooklyn’s Actasys, a startup that applies aerodynamic principles to solve problems in the automotive industries, has raised $5 million in a seed funding.The round was led by Volvo Cars Tech Fund and NextGear Ventures. The company’s ActaJet product uses air to clean vehicle sensors. (www.actasysinc.com) (BusinessWire)
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Copyright © 2020 TechNY, All rights reserved. | https://medium.com/@smallplanetapps/techny-daily-6598cfc9dbe6 | ['Small Planet'] | 2020-12-11 20:46:30.206000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Technology News', 'Technews', 'Technology', 'Venture Capital'] |
1,885 | Отчет о ходе реализации проекта QuarkChain: 21 сентября — 5 октября 2018 | QuarkChain provides a secure, decentralized and scalable blockchain solution to deliver 100,000+ on-chain TPS
Follow | https://medium.com/quarkchain-official/%D0%BE%D1%82%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BE-%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5-%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B0-quarkchain-21-%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8F-5-%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8F-2018-8f01fb6ff33f | [] | 2018-10-10 22:22:01.075000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Blockchain Sharding', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Russian', 'Quarchain'] |
1,886 | Afghanistan to China: Maruf finds himself working in the center of Beijing’s tech hub | What is it like working in tech at Z Park, China’s Silicon Valley? Is it true you have to work insane hours? What is the work culture and landscape of Chinese tech headed? Watch the full interview here.
Based in Beijing, Maruf grew up in Afghanistan when the Taliban was still around, and then moved when his family went into textile business in China. He attended one of the top schools in China, Wuhan University, and later worked in Beijing at a tech innovation hub. I get to chat with him on his experience working and living in Beijing.
Explain 中关村 (Z Park), the tech hub in Beijing, China.
I was shocked when I heard the first time that almost 85% of all technology companies in China are located in Beijing. You have tech giants, like Tencent and Huawei, and a growing amount of startups. China is a pioneer in deep tech. China embraces these startups to develop. 中关村 (Z Park) is the Silicon Valley of China, but they don’t want to be known as Silicon Valley — they want to be their own hub. They want to have their own unique position in this technology world and market.
They want to position themselves as a place where international and local Chinese technologies emerge and connect. They give a lot of support for local and international startups, especially the ones in deep tech. There’s all kinds of financial support: they have a lot of kind of competitions, like the Z forum, where they give a few million dollars in prizes. They do this because they want to attract high quality international startups to go there and grow.
Are there a lot of opportunities for expats to work in Beijing?
Chinese startups and companies still want diversified teams to be a global company. If there’s something that a foreigner is doing, which Chinese can easily do, then they don’t need that foreigner, right? But if there is something that a foreigner can do and his or her talent is able to make a really huge difference, then they can give that position to the foreigner without having any problem. I myself work in a very diversified team in Beijing who are working at this incubator. So I think they do welcome foreigners, as long as they’re not taking the normal jobs from the Chinese.
What are the prestigious companies Chinese techies want to work for?
There are many new innovative companies that really welcome the young people, compared to let’s say, Alibaba, where Alibaba requires fully experienced talent to join them. Innovative companies like ByteDance kind of relies on the creativity of the younger generation. Companies like Huawei, Alibaba, and Tencent are more developed, and they believe that people should have a specific skill set and experience level before you can join them. Companies like ByteDance are really hot these days, and a lot of younger people wish to go there.
What are the infamous 996 working hours?
996 means you work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week. There is also new working hour called 007, where you have no limit and work 7 days a week — you’re on call all the time.
But at my company, we would never complain. We’d never say, ‘It’s so late. I’m so tired.’ It’s just another working day. At some point, we would also be 007. Because we would be so busy and projects need to be finished; we would work real late and then early morning. We almost would not have certain weekends. Especially for me, I would never complain because I went to Beijing to learn some new things to challenge myself. If young people can survive in Beijing, it is admirable.
What are the company tech perks you get?
Our work environment is relaxed. It’s not like we have to sit in the office on an on a chair and table — you can move. We had very nice couches all over the place. You sit wherever you want, sit down, lie down, and do whatever you want. We have flexibility in our working style, which is so awesome. We play a lot of badminton in the office outside— we would just get our rackets and start playing for 30-40 minutes, just cool off, and then just start working again.
What are your main takeaways from working in Beijing?
I think that the Chinese government has really prioritized ed tech, but technology as a whole, and they’re investing in it. As I mentioned before, at the very beginning, I have a very good background with education since I was a teacher for two years. I’ve also been in touch and involved with technology a lot since I was a child since the first time I had a computer. So my goal is to immerse myself into education technology.
What are your forward looking thoughts?
Hopefully one day, through the knowledge that I gain and with my experience, I hope to provide a better education for those who are underprivileged, like kids who don’t have access to education in countries like Afghanistan and China. I want to bridge the gap between remote villages and cities — the quality of education is vast. I hope to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of education. I hope that I can join and be a part of this change, and hopefully, take that and implement this in my own country, as well as help other underprivileged children all over the world. | https://medium.com/@emilyifang/afghanistan-to-china-maruf-finds-himself-working-in-the-center-of-beijings-tech-hub-cd7bce444f21 | ['Emily Fang'] | 2020-11-25 15:41:47.029000+00:00 | ['Afghanistan', 'Beijing', 'Technology', 'Beijing Stories', 'Silicon Valley'] |
1,887 | 5 Amazing Things 5G Will Do | Picture this, you get out of your temperature-controlled bed in the morning, telling your house it's time to wake up. Curtains open, lights turn on, the fireplace starts. You walk downstairs to your kitchen where your coffee is already being made for you, and the weather and news of the day are displayed on the kitchen fridge.
When you walk back to your room, the appropriate clothes for the day have been laid out on your bed, according to the weather, and any appointments you might have based on your calendar. Afterward, you get into your car and start working on the computer hologram in front of you, while your car drives you to work.
Technology is constantly evolving and changing, but the current step that is being made towards a future of 5G, is making this pretend scenario of your morning routine much more realistic.
So far we have had 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G, yet 5G won’t just be a step above 4G, it will be hundreds of steps above 4G. I keep needing to catch myself when talking about this amazing new piece of technology since I still can’t grasp my head around the fact that I shouldn't be speaking about it in the future tense, but instead in present.
5G has already been released and is currently in the process of being distributed around the world, as many more antennas will be needed for a 5G future. It is said that by 2024, 5G will already have 1 billion users, which is a mind-boggling number.
Of course, a lot of concerns are starting to rise about 5G and its safety in terms of radiation, and I have written an entire article concerning this subject. At the end of the day, 5G will be coming to your neighborhood sooner rather than later, and here are the top 5 amazing things 5G will do, that you can start getting excited for.
1. Enable the Performance of Remote Surgery
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
This is probably one of the most important, and significant things 5G will let us do, as it will enable the performance of remote surgery, which will completely revolutionize the health care industry.
5G connection results in extremely fast speeds since the lag time is about 1 millisecond, (lag time being the amount of time needed for the data to go from the sender to the receiver) which is basically unnoticeable and a far improvement from the 30 milliseconds of 4G.
Doctors and surgeons can therefore perform complicated procedures from even 1000 miles away, all with the help of some robotic limbs on the other end, and a 5G network. Healthcare could therefore become much more accessible, as even in remote areas, you could have specialists operating you since they do not need to fly out to you.
This means that especially for extremely complicated procedures, you could have the best doctors from around the globe, help in completing the procedure.
This technology can change lives around the globe, and potentially save thousands.
“You can get the best doctors in the world to work on your mother’s cancer. That was not feasible years ago.” — Kim CEO of Samsung
2. Self Driving Cars
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
People have known for a long time now that self-driving cars are the next step in the automobile industry. Tesla itself has already produced impressive results, manufacturing cars with all of the needed technology, and hardware, the cameras, for example, to drive autonomously.
Yet 5G is exactly the thing needed to take this mode of transportation to the next level so that our streets can be filled with them. Self-driving cars would in theory work right now sure, but they still have many flaws, that would be eliminated with a 5G network.
5G is all about connectivity, as it offers a bandwidth to have nearly instantaneous feedback, from the receiver. So, inevitably, the cars, and traffic signals, for example, will all be connected in some sense.
Imagine a road filled with cars that are connected, and know the exact moves of the other cars, before they even do them. This would add to the list of pros for self-driving cars since they would in that sense become much safer than normal cars since drivers can’t telepathically read each other's minds. But cars can.
Road lights, stop signs, traffic signs, everything will be immediately processed, and the car will act accordingly. Not only that but because everything moves much faster, the car will need far less time to process its surroundings, meaning any sudden movements or obstacles will basically be instantaneously recognized by the car.
Therefore, the number of car crashes and accidents related to automobiles would go down significantly, saving many lives.
5G will bring self-driving cars to the par they need to be at, to be consumed by millions, so you can start getting excited, and maybe begin saving up for a Tesla.
3. Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash
Virtual reality and augmented reality are quite new to the market, and just like self-driving cars, can be expected to experience a huge leap in their technology and production due to 5G.
For anyone who is unaware of the difference between VR and AR, here's a quick explanation. Virtual reality is when one shuts oneself off of the ‘real world’, by wearing box-shaped goggles, that brings you into a 3D virtual reality.
Augmented reality, on the other hand, overlays the virtual world on top of the ‘real world’. Things like a Snapchat filter, for example, is augmented reality. Yet augmented reality is also applied in more complex scenarios, where the most excitement currently lies.
Things like glasses that project holograms, into your real-life environment, already exist but are about to become so much better.
You see right now, the hardware to carry out these extremely futuristic hologram glasses is here, but the software to make it a good and buttery experience is still missing.
The same goes for VR, although one can definitely say that this market is a lot more developed than that of AR, it has currently reached a sort of plateau where producers are struggling to make improvements in their products since the bandwidth to support all of this simply isn’t there.
Once 5G has been fully distributed, I take it won’t be long until we start seeing Hollywood esc scenes in our own cities, where men and women, swipe through pages and pages of computer screens projected in front of them as a hologram.
VR will then also become much quicker, smoother, and better. It will connect people from across the globe, as they will be able to effortlessly appear in front of each other in holograms, body face, and all.
People with immensely difficult or dangerous jobs will also be able to use VR easily to train and prepare themselves for the conditions they might face in the workplace.
4. Smart Factory’s
Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash
Factories are all about efficiency, and getting the products produced and produced quickly. 5G will enable these factories to be even more efficient than they already are.
The sudden boost in connectivity will make room for a robot central. Robots will be everywhere, making the products like it’s nothing, all because they can communicate perfectly with one another when and what to do.
Of course, robots are already a widely used tool in many factories, but they are still to be brought to their full potential, and 5G seems to be the key to that.
Labor costs will lower immensely, as everything will be handled by robots, and the entire operation will be much quicker, as the creation, packaging, and shipping off of the items will be automated, and carried out by extremely precise, and fast robots.
Feedback from the customer will be delivered to designers in real-time so that they can react appropriately. The destination of products can also be changed immediately, replying to weather changes, or supply and demand.
5. No More Loading Screen
Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash
Staring at a loading computer screen for anything above a couple of seconds is one of the most stressful and agonizing situations for the new generation.
The exact definition of a first-world problem.
Nevertheless, it’s very true, and very painful.
New generation new speeds. Pretty much everything technological will start getting much much faster. The general bandwidth will also have increased so much, the lightning-fast internet connection one often sees in Hollywood movies can finally become a reality.
You’ll be able to download full-length high-quality feature films in a matter of seconds. People will be walking around with their smartphones, watching and enjoying 8K feature films like it’s nothing, the connection seamlessly running the entertainment.
The horrible experience of being in a crowd of people, maybe at a concert, or football game, and the internet is painfully slow if it even works at all, will completely disappear.
Thanks to 5G, the internet will be able to easily support all of us, so that it can keep up its impeccable speed. Livestreams from people such as gamers will also gain much higher image quality as 4K video can be transmitted quickly and efficiently. Any lag time in the stream will be reduced to practically nothing. | https://medium.com/predict/5-amazing-things-5g-will-do-bd1318029d11 | ['Johnathan Reeper'] | 2020-12-17 19:37:37.056000+00:00 | ['Gadgets', 'Life', 'Tech', 'Internet', 'Technology'] |
1,888 | How To Stop Floating Point Arithmetic Errors in Python | We expect precision, consistency, and accuracy when we code. After all, it’s a computer doing the work. But your arithmetic may have been off the entire time and you didn’t even know.
If you’ve experienced floating point arithmetic errors, then you know what we’re talking about. If you’re unsure what that means, let’s show instead of tell.
print(1.1 * 3) # 3.3000000000000003
This happens because decimal values are actually stored as a formula and do not have an exact representation.
We’re going to go over a solution to these inconsistencies, using a natively available library called Decimal.
Learn to Use the Decimal Library
According to the official Python documentation:
The decimal module provides support for fast correctly-rounded decimal floating point arithmetic.
So how do we go about using this readily available tool? Let’s start by importing the library. There are multiple components to import so we’ll use the * symbol.
from decimal import *
Next, we’ll use the Decimal() constructor with a string value to create a new object and try our arithmetic again.
print(Decimal('1.1') * 3) # 3.3
Make sure to use a string value, because otherwise the floating point number 1.1 will be converted to a Decimal object, effectively preserving the error and probably compounding it even worse than if floating point was used. | https://medium.com/code-85/how-to-stop-floating-point-arithmetic-errors-in-python-a98d3a63ccc8 | ['Jonathan Hsu'] | 2020-04-21 12:16:01.082000+00:00 | ['Coding', 'Programming', 'Python', 'Data Science', 'Technology'] |
1,889 | The Origins of Boats | As part of a very early migration of ancient humans out of Africa, Homo erectus walked into and across Asia, roughly a million years ago. A hundred thousand years later, the descendants of those people observed stegodont herds swimming out to different islands, from the mainland of Southeast Asia. So, being a highly inquisitive and inventive species, they fashioned together rudimentary bamboo rafts, using the stone hand axes they inherited from their ancestors. Then, they daringly ventured out, to the Indonesian island of Flores, to see where the ancient elephants were going, and why. There, the isolated Stone Age humans and stegodonts both gradually underwent insular dwarfism. In this way, they became Homo floresiensis and Stegodon florensis insularis. More importantly, this particular event, nine hundred thousand years ago, was undoubtedly one of the earliest uses of boats, in the entire prehistory of humanity.
Much later, during another mass migration of ancient humans out of Africa, around seventy thousand years ago, Homo sapiens traveled in primitive dugout canoes. They paddled and drifted in their handmade vessels north from East Africa, along the coast, around passed India. At the time, sea levels were much lower, which meant that Australia and New Guinea were joined. So, whole communities of people went from Southeast Asia, moving south until they eventually arrived at their final destination, in northern Australia, about fifty thousand years ago. That long journey into uncharted waters, from Africa to Asia to Australia, was one of humanity’s greatest early achievements. The point is that, once they arrived on the newly discovered continent, fully modern humans followed the rivers inland, looking for the best places to settle. There they became the natives, now known as Aboriginal Australians.
Similarly, around thirteen thousand years ago, the Chukchi people paddled dugout canoes east along an exposed land bridge that connected Siberia to Alaska. Then, they used the rivers, and other waterways, in the region to travel inland. In this way, a number of Native American populations, such as the Navajo, spread into and across the continent, in a relatively short period of time. As people spread out, there were eventually three main types of canoes that could be found in North America. As part of this, the more standard log dugouts were constructed by tribes along the Northwest coast, as well as in the Plateau regions. Meanwhile, tribes in the Northeast woodlands built canoes made from the bark of trees, most commonly birch. Some tribes even made tule canoes, from local reeds, in and around the area that is now California.
Millennia later, there were many different kinds of boats in Mesopotamia, India and Egypt, among other places. Around five thousand years ago, boats were all made without a keel, like that of the papyrus rafts in Ancient Egypt. These were typically fashioned from bundles that were cinched together, and brought up into points on the ends, to give them the signature look of a boat. Following this, the first great civilizations even went on to have river and sea worthy sailboats, along with accompanying oars, of course. Of these, the Khufu ship was one of the most interesting. The solar barge of King Cheops was skillfully made from imported Lebanese cedar, among other kinds of exotic lumber. The Khufu ship was even put together using mortise and tenon joints, among other revolutionary technical woodworking innovations. The now ancient relic, which has been well preserved through history, is almost 150 feet long and 20 feet wide. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the Pharaoh’s ship was even designed to be disassembled and reassembled. It had to be transportable, because it was used on both the Nile River and the Red Sea.
The thing is that the solar barge was not even the most spectacular boat in antiquity. On the contrary, more than two thousand years ago, the most amazing ship in the ancient world was that of the Syracusia. The, one of a kind, over the top boat was a massive battleship that had been commissioned by Hieron II of Syracuse, designed by Archimedes of Syracuse, and built by Archias of Corinth. It was only made possible through Archimedes’ brilliant discovery of the law of buoyancy. His principle states that the upward force exerted on a boat immersed in water, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the weight of the water that the boat displaces and acts in the upward direction at the center of mass of the displaced water. By way of this nautical knowledge, the maiden voyage of the Syracusia, from Sicily to Egypt, became an absolute triumph. The floating palace was in excess of 350 feet long, and it carried more than one-thousand passengers. There was even a temple to the goddess Aphrodite on-board.
As generations of people came and went, over a thousand years ago, the Vikings and the Polynesians became expert sailors, with fairly small ocean worthy ships. The former explored the Atlantic Ocean with single-hulled longships, while the latter ventured throughout the Pacific in very different double-hulled canoes. The Vikings were expert craftsmen who always used axes to work with wood, never saws to work against it. As part of this, the old Scandinavian sailboats were steered by a crew that occupied between about one and three dozen rowing positions, with oars along the sides of their ships. In contrast to this, the Polynesian boats were controlled using a single large oar, all the way at the rear of the vessel. Either way, the Scandinavians soon discovered North America, and the Polynesians discovered South America. There, they met and traded with Native Americans.
Ultimately, the thing about the origins of boats is that, although steam-powered technology was first developed in Ancient Greece, as described by Hero’s engine in Roman Egypt, the steamboat is a fairly modern invention. That is to say, little more than two hundred years ago, a new transportation device was first launched in France. As a modern marvel, the first steamboat was a paddle steamer, which was powered by a Newcomen engine. It traveled upstream on the River Saone, for about fifteen minutes before the engine finally failed. Then, a couple years later, a similar kind of vessel was designed by John Fitch in America. Shortly thereafter, he began operating a rather lucrative commercial service along the Delaware River, between Philadelphia and New Jersey. This effectively ended the era of the ancient ships, ushering in the motorboats of the future. | https://joshuashawnmichaelhehe.medium.com/the-origins-of-boats-84e40487c68 | ['Joshua Hehe'] | 2018-08-03 23:43:01.094000+00:00 | ['Transportation', 'Anthropology', 'Engineering', 'History', 'Technology'] |
1,890 | Changing the game: Technological disruptions in the Indian Insurance Sector | Did you know that there are more than 55 life insurance and non-life insurance companies that operate in India alone? That’s a huge number, and it allows for fierce competition! Owing to individuals’ higher disposable income, increasing life expectancy, economic growth of the country and the Government’s increased FDI limit, investments in the insurance sector have increased manifold and the horizon for growth has expanded even further. With a CAGR of 14.4 percent, research and predictions state that the Indian insurance industry will reach $280 billion by 2020. While the last decade saw a lot of scale, the upcoming decade is all about operational efficiency backed by technology! The Insurance companies that do not leverage technology to reduce their overheads and increase operation efficiency will find it very difficult to sustain themselves. The most important aspect that will lead this growth on is consumer behaviour along with scalable distribution channels and lower overheads. In today’s technological day and age, most customers have turned to digital channels to understand more about premiums, compare products and analyse diverse insurance offerings. It is imperative that the insurance sector implements technology wisely to achieve a holistic growth.
Retaining the human factor with point of sales persons (POSP)
I say that technology is one of the main drivers of innovation for almost every industry today. That, however, does not mean that we can let go of the human factor completely. It needs to be a combination of both, because the value of human experience and understanding is unparalleled. While we know that there are various offerings that each insurance industry provides to its customers, the fact of the matter remains that the level of penetration in the country is still low. To increase penetration, we need distribution models that can explain to the masses the benefits of insurance and what all it entails. These distributors until recently operated as “Insurance Agents”. Earlier, when people were not that aware about insurance, these agents would sell insurance policies on behalf of the insurance company. Awareness amongst the masses has risen and now, consumers themselves want to compare insurance quotes. This means that insurance agents are now at a loss as they are tied to only a single insurance company.
Recently, the IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) allowed Insurance Broking Agencies to appoint “Point of Sale Person” or POSPs. A POSP is a registered agent of a Broking Agency and, these Agencies can access live quotes from multiple Insurance companies! Ever since the introduction of these POSPs, the benefits of comparing and buying insurance have increased significantly. With smart training courses of at least 15 hours with certification, the number of POSPs is on an exponential rise as the basic qualifications for them have been relaxed. The ‘survival of the fittest’ race has begun, because IRDAI has standardized agent commissions. This has now forced companies to increase their operational efficiency and reduce overheads to achieve scalability and remain profitable. To remain relevant and tackle competition effectively, insurance companies will have to use technology to focus on empowering these POSPs along with keeping an eye on their customers. Without that, the chances of success are fairly slim.
Technology and talent: The perfect combination
Insurance companies now have two models to choose from: the B2C model and the B2B model. Using the first model involves empowering the end-user to buy online insurance and bypass the agent model altogether. This requires substantial advertising budget and branding, which means a higher customer acquisition cost and low rates of conversion. With the B2B model, companies can empower POSPs and help them compare different insurance premiums to assist their customers buy the right policy. This has a significantly lesser acquisition cost and a much higher chance of conversions. Which one do you think is better? I definitely think the second one, because it has a direct impact on the business revenue and its bottom line. The technology challenges insurers face are complex, including the need for flexibility, better cost control, robust data analysis capabilities, talent retention and adapting to mobile tech and social media. These challenges are all related to capacity, and McKinsey research states that these changes can all be impacted through a culture of continuous improvement. Think first, then move on to implementation. How do you do that? Through something called as ‘Lean Management’.
Lean Management: Building a culture of efficiency with technology
Using the principles of lean management, scalable technology can be put into place. It manages a large workforce easily, across larger geographies and delivers more customer value. Not having a regional workforce employed to leverage scale, and having a mobile technology scalable POSP with Regional Managers managing their respective circles is a starting point to ensure lower operational overheads. Lean management for insurance companies means evaluating customer insurance needs, enabling price comparison, building larger scalable teams and analysing data in detail for effective customer acquisition and retention. Creating such a setup to empower POSPs is what will set apart successful insurers from those who fail to leave their mark behind.
This does not mean that transformation should happen at a large scale in the beginning itself. Start with a smaller area like a city, then evaluate the results, and then move on to larger areas. Insurance companies can thus scaleup without having a regional office everywhere! Automating various functionalities like getting online and offline quotes from insurance vendors, sending vehicle inspection reports and health reports using mobile technology is a great start. Enabling instant policy issuance and instant commission can give companies the edge in retain and hiring POSPs. Rewards and Recognition for POSPs like gathering reward points for redemption and discount coupon codes could easily be powered by technology, utilizing a minimal work force. Adapting to technology, thus, has become a necessity and is not a choice anymore. Disruption is the only way ahead, and the sooner industries realize this, the better chances they will have to succeed! | https://medium.com/joshsoftware/changing-the-game-technological-disruptions-in-the-indian-insurance-sector-c2366fb67abc | ['Gautam Rege'] | 2019-07-02 07:16:15.322000+00:00 | ['Disruption', 'Insurtech', 'Insurance', 'Technology', 'Tech'] |
1,891 | Understanding Concepts | Network Graphs
For many of the readers here a graph is something with axis and precise plots to show the correlation of one variable with another. However, graphing in the sense we need is much simpler to understand, yet infinitely harder to master.
To begin any study of any kind of communication network we must first understand the basics of mathematical representations of real world interactions. These interactions can by physical infrastructure, order of interaction, or even social in nature. We classify different structures in graph theory by the properties that the resulting graph has. Throughout this series we will cover a number of different graph structures and measurements, to ensure that everyone understands what they are looking at when these topics come up we briefly go over the topic here.
In essence a network graph shows how nodes are connected to one another, which nodes in the network have a direct connection to other nodes. In these kinds of graphs there is no concept of time, they allow for a thorough analysis of the state of the network each point at a discrete point in time.
A network graph showing a collection of metrics commonly used to measure and describe the network in question.
Scale Free networks are ones where the number of connections (degree) each node controls flows the power law, that is, at least asymptotically. This means that some nodes are have many more connections than the majority of others. We shall get more into this concept towards the end of the series.
Transaction graphs
Transaction dependencies
To read time ordered (topological) charts, read left to right following each arrow (transaction) until it comes to a node (account/address) that does not have an arrow exiting. This node is the last state of the account. Each action occurs in order of reading. You obviously cannot go back in time. Illustrated to the left via an arrow pointing from the left to the right.
A Hash
A hash is an asymmetric (one way) mathematical function that will produce the same output for the same input. If even a small change is made to the input data, the output changes in a seemingly random fashion. To the left is a graphical representation of what a hash of two pieces of data would traditionally be depicted as.
Transactions
Every action on the bitcoin network involves transactions. Their structure can be complex but their form is standardised. When thinking about the information needed to perform any kind of transaction we must know what we are to send and where we are to send it. So the first step in building a transaction is to first provide these pieces of information. This input information is then hashed together, the private key of the owner is then used to sign this hash, this provides proof of ownership of the asset that is to be transferred to a new owner. Every node then verifies that the ownership proof is correct and checks that transaction does not break any consensus rules. If these boundaries are adhered to the transaction is accepted. This was not a new concept and was a standard way to create digital ownership tokens before bitcoin.
A simplistic view of the key components in a Bitcoin transaction
Tree nomenclature
A depiction of a binary hash tree
A tree is simply a data structure that organises the data it consists of. There are many different types of trees and tries which due to the way they are constructed have different attributes and properties. To correctly describe these features we must first be familiar with the common nomenclature of these data structures.
A leaf: End of the path or branch.
A branch: A path of hashes between either two hashes or the root to leaf.
Root: The tip of the tree, also known as the root hash in the diagram below.
A bitcoin block
The anatomy of a Bitcoin is one that is extremely important and is extensively covered with within the original whitepaper Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System, Satoshi Nakamoto. The paper also perfectly illustrates the block structure. Thus I will simply point to the diagram in Section 7, Reclaiming Disk Space.
A bitcoin block is secured by Proof of Work, this is simply a Hash with a minimum target result. This is adjusted (read: guessed) by changing the nonce (arbitrary random number) within the block header. This is much like attempting simple algebraic math problem without knowing how to do algebra, simply guessing numbers until the equation balances. The two other variables in the block header that is used for the input of the Proof of Work hash is the root hash from the tree of transactions and the hash result of the previous block.
Now the basics of the technical jargon have been covered we can delve into the first chapter of the Satoshi series, The Red Queen. | https://medium.com/two-hop-ventures/understanding-concepts-8f68c0740698 | ['Alex Fauvel'] | 2018-11-24 20:16:44.861000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Bitcoin', 'Networks', 'Blockchain'] |
1,892 | What Companies Can Do to Protect Privacy and Free Speech: The ACLU Guide | What Companies Can Do to Protect Privacy and Free Speech: The ACLU Guide
Safeguarding people’s rights isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also good for business.
By Jacob Snow, Technology & Civil Liberties Attorney, ACLU of Northern California
OCTOBER 25, 2018 | 11:00 AM
Over the past few years, scandal after scandal has put tech companies under a microscope. Users, policymakers, and investors are demanding to know how companies are protecting privacy and free speech, and companies that fail to do so are being held accountable, by the government, by their users, and by their employees. Businesses large and small need to take proactive steps to protect users and find ways to navigate this landscape.
The ACLU of California has a guide to help: Privacy and Free Speech: It’s Good for Business, which offers advice for companies wrestling with today’s most pressing challenges.
The industry can do better. It must do better. Right now, governments are seeking massive volumes of information from tech companies. Democracy is under threat by people exploiting poor privacy practices to suppress speech and weaponize personal information. The Trump administration is trying to exploit online services to monitor immigrants, activists, and entire neighborhoods. And a stream of data breaches is endangering users and exposing companies to massive potential liability.
Mistakes in this climate can be catastrophic, for both users and a company’s long-term viability. Anticipating threats and protecting users isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also critical for business.
To protect people’s rights, companies must plan ahead, ask difficult questions early, and build privacy not just into their products, but into their business models. The ACLU guide offers over 100 case studies that illustrate the benefits of building a business on a foundation of privacy and free speech. Other case studies show the serious risks, for both users and the business, when companies fail to do so.
The guide includes expert advice, identifies common mistakes, and gives clear guidance on how to avoid them. For example, companies must respect their data by only collecting what’s needed, protecting users, and avoiding replicating destructive real-world biases. Had Facebook limited and protected the data it collected, Cambridge Analytica couldn’t have abused user data and the company could have avoided the lasting reputational harm from users who find the company’s numerous privacy failures unacceptable.
We show companies how to plan ahead by building privacy and security practices and policies into organizations’ structure and product-design process. With proper planning, Equifax could have prevented a hacking nightmare that exposed highly sensitive personal information of 143 million people and led to the largest class-action suit in history.
Read our guide on Privacy and Speech in Business
We also highlight how to promote privacy by communicating clearly with users about what data a company collects and what it does with the data. If Venmo had been transparent about its default privacy settings, then it wouldn’t have come under fire from users furious that years of their transaction histories end up being aired publicly.
We illustrate how companies can support diverse voices, encourage free expression, and only remove content when it is illegal or specifically harmful. By following this advice, PayPal could have avoided a barrage of public criticism for threatening to kick book publishers off its platform unless they removed “offending literature” from their catalogs.
And we provide concrete examples of how companies can effectively partner with users by putting them in control of their data and standing up for their civil and human rights. Twitter, for example, was hailed for protecting its users when it sued U.S. Customs and Border Protection over a request to unconstitutionally identify and share the personal information of an online critic.
Time and again, companies have learned firsthand that taking proactive steps to design user-protective products and business plans builds long-term sustainability, while failing to do so can lead to public relations nightmares, costly lawsuits, and government investigations.
The stakes are simply too high to ignore privacy and free speech, and with this guide, companies will have an important tool to protect their users and build their bottom line. | https://medium.com/aclu/what-companies-can-do-to-protect-privacy-and-free-speech-the-aclu-guide-817461e61ea7 | ['Aclu National'] | 2018-10-25 19:33:47.022000+00:00 | ['Free Speech', 'Technology', 'Privacy', 'Free Future'] |
1,893 | Five Projects That Will Give You a Good Grasp on Computer Vision | Five Projects That Will Give You a Good Grasp on Computer Vision
Complete python tutorials that will help cement some of the most important CV concepts if you go through them
Photo by Matt Noble on Unsplash
Hello Internet! In this article, I’ve collated five computer vision online tutorials that anyone can easily follow through and learn from. I personally think that learning theoretical knowledge is sometimes too mundane and building mini side projects can be a great way to supplement one’s learning.
Many online tutorials or projects that I’ve gone through often only teach a portion of the entire project and you’ll often have to reference other materials to make the project work as a whole. That’s why, the following few tutorials I’ve collated are all suitable for beginners as each project will work in its entirety.
That being said, please feel free to leave a comment here (or in their original articles) if you run into problems and want some extra help! :) | https://towardsdatascience.com/five-projects-that-will-give-you-a-good-grasp-on-computer-vision-247c81f3575a | ['Ran', 'Reine'] | 2020-12-27 04:30:10.460000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Technology', 'Software Development', 'Computer Vision', 'Deep Learning'] |
1,894 | VIDEO GAMING AS AN OLYMPIC SPORT? What Olympians Say | Encylopedia Britannica.com
Many Olympians and others in sport responded to my post on the bid by “Esports” to become part of the Olympic Games.
These athletes bring a deep passion for sport and their unique insights into the Olympic movement to the table — I thank them for that.
THE MAJORITY FELL INTO THE “YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!” (OR STRONGER) CATEGORY, with a general feeling that the inclusion of “Esports” would fundamentally change the nature of the Games.
Comments such as:
-This is crazy. We cannot allow video gaming to become part of the Olympics. (Alex Partridge, Beijing 2008/London 2012)
-These activities are everything opposite to what the word sport stands for and encourages! (Sarra Lajnef, London 2012)
-If the Olympics want to be a talent show or a fair or simply a business, maybe ESports belongs there. (Anja Bolbjerg, Nagano 1998, SLC 2002)
- If it cannot fulfil the motto of faster, higher, stronger, then it should not be in the Olympics. (Tyrone Smith, Beijing 2008)
-Just because a past-time adds ‘sports’ to its title doesn’t make it sport. The Eurovision Song Contest is competitive, that doesn’t mean it’s a sport, even if it were re-named “Eurovision song-sports.” (Annamarie Phelps, Atlanta 1996)
-I can’t imagine the IOC would get very far with this…. there would be a hue and cry across the globe…at least I hope so. (Karen Lukanovic, Moscow 1980)
SOME WERE MORE POSITIVE ABOUT VIDEO GAMING ITSELF, BUT STILL QUESTIONED THE FIT OF “ESPORTS” WITHIN THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT:
- And yes, to be great at video gaming takes a lot of practice, training and mental skill, but is that the same thing as a marathon runner overcoming extremes of the human body to successfully run 26.2 miles, or a downhill skier flying down a mountain at over 80 mph and battling g-forces in icy slopes? I would say not. (Bill Schuffenhauer, SLC 2002;Turin 2006; Vancouver, 2010)
-My confession is that I’m an avid gamer, and love losing myself in a different world where I can either blow things up, be chased by zombies or feel like I’m driving a Ferrari, but I would never consider it an actual sport. When I was competing at a major championship, I would take my PlayStation away with me to fill the gap on downtime, but that was the extent of it. (Shelley Holroyd, Atlanta, 1996)
One Olympian thought that perhaps Olympic inclusion could propel “Esports” in a more healthy direction: If the youth of today have strengths and a strong interest in gaming — which requires skills such as problem solving, strategy and dexterity — then maybe it’s healthy to give them an Olympic aspiration where they can compete in a world that’s well governed, with clear principles, code of conduct and values? I don’t have the answers, but perhaps in this vein, you have opened an important discussion. (Bianca Broadhurst, Athens 2004)
INEVITABLY, THE QUESTION OF: AREN’T WE JUST OUT OF TOUCH WITH OUR MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL AGE? WAS RAISED
One writer referenced a young “Esports” champion who had explained that when he hears the negatives about Esports, one thing comes to mind: Parents SUCK.
In other words: How can parents have an opinion on something they just will never understand?
I am a parent with 3 kids. I understand the sentiment.
But my experience tells me that parents aren’t as out of touch as kids think: We did grow up (as adults) in an unfolding “digital world,” and our daily lives are interwoven with technology, for good and bad. And perhaps our low-tech childhoods give us at least an awareness of healthier alternatives to ever-present technology that young people don’t always have.
And in the end, who is going to care more about a child’s life, development, balance and happiness: A parent? Or a Tech company and its sponsors?
At times, parents (and Olympic Committees) really do need to SUCK.
FINALLY, THERE SEEMED TO BE A GENERAL SCEPTICISM ABOUT THE IOC’S ABILITY OR DESIRE TO CHOOSE A BALANCED WAY FORWARD
- The IOC may very well sell out, as video gaming is a huge financial market they haven’t broken into. Partnering with e-sports would be millions in broadcasting, sponsorships, and partnerships. But I hope they don’t sell out for this reason. To be completely honest, the IOC will lose their credibility and respect if they go through with this. (Sinéad Russell, London 2012)
- They (the IOC) have the resources to make the Olympics hip again without having to admit eSports into the Olympic program; Now, will they do it? That’s the million-dollar question. (Jimmy Pino: Sydney 2000)
-Esports is a lot of money. It represents, I am certain, a lot more in sponsorships then several amateur sports combined…. so that will be the challenge — ensuring that the IOC walks its talk. (Rebecca Khoury, Former President-CEO Karate Canada)
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
I still believe that an intuitive and definitive “NO” from the IOC on “Esports” would be best for world: for kids health, for youth sports, and for the Olympic movement itself. And hope the IOC will leave this particular Trojan horse alone and let it wheel itself off to another future.
I think, at heart, many Olympians want this too.
But I am realistic enough to know that, given the commercial pressure around this issue, a quick “NO” is unlikely to happen.
So at least let’s have a real debate rooted in human and Olympic values, rather than in commercial interest; one that recognises the efforts of those working around the world to expand and improve healthy sports for kids, and that respects the achievements of Olympians past and present;
a debate where the IOC’s global social responsibility and its relevance, as the protector of pure sport, take centre stage.
Mike Smith, Founder, BIGiDEASPORTS
Thanks for reading. Share if you can. | https://medium.com/@smithmichael874/video-gaming-as-an-olympic-sport-what-olympians-say-ca61e354f79e | ['Mike Smith'] | 2019-03-26 15:43:56.587000+00:00 | ['Olympics', 'Technology', 'Parenting', 'Values', 'Sports'] |
1,895 | Official Statement from Genaro Foundation on Future Development | The Genaro Network project was established in early 2016. The non-profit Genaro Ltd. foundation (the “Foundation”) was officially registered in Singapore in July 2017. Since its inception, the project has released a number of blockchain applications, such as the Genaro Eden storage network, Genaro Sharer storage sharing solution, Genaro Network Alpha One — a public chain integrated with the storage layer, Genaro Email privacy protection mail system (verifiable encrypted data interaction), and obtained patents in a wide range of core blockchain technology areas: consensus mechanism, cross-chain protocol, blockchain virtual machine, distributed storage and other blockchain-related spheres, and open-sourced these technologies for free use by practitioners.
Meanwhile, the Foundation’s strategy has always been adhering to the principle of internationalization from the very beginning. Our product users and community members are located in many places around the world, including Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, Japan and elsewhere. We express our deepest gratitude for your attention and continuous support.
In March 2019, the Genaro project implementation team successfully released its primary research and development products. Our work achievements far exceeded the initial project conception and went beyond the structure of the whitepaper and the technical yellow paper, and completed every scheduled milestone of our initial roadmap according to plan. At the same time, we also realize that the blockchain infrastructure still needs to be continuously improved, and there are still many shortcomings in the underlying technology, which requires more like-minded people to join their efforts and work together.
In order to make our accumulated open source technology more widely adopted and to achieve more decentralized development of the community, the majority of original project initiators, advisors and supporting team members, regardless their former titles, will continue to contribute to the foundation from various angles, including as evangelists, consultants, and other roles as needed. The core technology R&D team and product operation teams are already geographically diverse. Distributed collaborative teams in different parts of the world will continue to promote the development of the Genaro project and the development of the blockchain industry as a whole. The Foundation aims to create a good collaborative environment and mobilize global community members to actively participate and advance together.
After much hard work, the Foundation’s distributed office approach has proved its effectiveness and enabled the project to make gradual and steady progress. With the stable operation of the mainnet and the continuous improvement of various product features, the rapid development of blockchain in the Asia-Pacific region as well as growing interest in blockchain technology in different provinces and cities of China, we are staying committed to a challenging path, formulating new development strategy plans, and constantly deploying blockchain applications to actively promote the development of projects within the ecosystem.
Firstly, we will continue to strengthen the development of the mainnet, and continuously improve its functions and perform maintenance tests. The main points of upcoming work include:
1. GSIOP (Genaro Streaming IO Protocol) cross-chain protocol
GSIOP is the only storage-based cross-chain protocol that allows Genaro storage to be easily used by DApps that are built on other public chains. The first version of GSIOP was launched and open-sourced on February 20, 2019. In the future, the team will release an updated version of GSIOP, add new interfaces and handshake methods, and start cooperation with other public chains to create a so-called ultimate point-of-storage for major public chains.
2. Encrypted file sharing system based on blockchain technology
Genaro is designing and developing an encrypted file-sharing system with features such as encrypted file lookup, breakpoint retransmission, offline download and other features that can be found in traditional file systems, with no sacrifice to user data privacy, thus guaranteeing its protection.
3. X-pool
As a collection of Genaro’s PoS nodes, X-pool can help storage space sharers lower their thresholds and become more flexible, creating a totally new storage space sharing network.
4. The new release of X-Mail mailbox domain name system
A distributed, open, and scalable naming system based on the Genaro Network public chain. A private key can manage multiple address aliases, and can also be used for transfer transactions, file sharing, and sending emails through aliases. This made Genaro the first independent developer of this type of domain name system, providing the application potential for decentralized storage on a public blockchain. The first edition was released via official channels on January 15, 2019, and is available in G-Box v1.0.6. The current version will be updated in the near future and we encourage everyone to promote it among the community members and blockchain enthusiasts to gain more active users.
In addition, the Genaro ecosystem project involves many areas such as secure management of encrypted assets, privacy protection, data sharing, and so on. We strongly believe that public-chain-led exploration can continuously strengthen the development of underlying technologies and significantly benefit the whole blockchain infrastructure.
At the same time, we also hope that the accumulated blockchain technology can empower the real economy and contribute to the creation of the digital economy. Based on the research and development results we have achieved and the future technological development expectations, we will focus on the following three development directions:
1. A more versatile enterprise chain solution
The current Genaro Eden storage network architecture is based on the Genaro mainnet. After a series of tests via a global open network, it has been able to operate stably. In the future, we will provide a storage network that can be used in with enterprise or private blockchains, and build enterprise versions in collaboration with our enterprise partners. We also plan to use existing Genaro solutions to complete currently available versions of Quorum and Hyperledger.
2. Trusted Encrypted Data Calculation Tool
We plan to launch the development of a smart cryptographic computing tool, which will apply the homomorphic algorithm PoC of the previously encrypted data processing. This method allows applications to utilize data encrypted by homomorphic encryption. In the future, it will be used in conjunction with storage and provided to enterprise chains integrated with storage layer users. Genaro’s smart data products will help companies tap the value of big data to serve decision-makers.
3. Establishment of BaaS solution
Encapsulating Genaro’s storage solutions into a version that can be used by enterprise chains such as Quorum and Hyperledger, the project is designing an integrated BaaS (Blockchain as a Service) solution to provide complete service content for companies interested in deploying blockchain technology.
In addition, we will explore the establishment of a two-tiered regulatory blockchain solution.
We will combine the study of the China central bank’s digital currency two-tier operating system with the existing dual-layer blockchain engineering design. We will endeavor to research and implement the project on a double-layered blockchain solution, so that the regulatory layer can set up and control the payment channel, and at the same time publicly and transparently display the distributed ledger. It can reduce the financial non-disclosure and the uncontrolled payment to a certain extent. We hope that blockchain products can be widely used without risk and under sufficient protection.
The Foundation will continue to experiment and make further improvements to the abovementioned R&D activities with the open source follow-up as a result. Any company can deploy the Genaro open source code for free, and we are happy to see that this significant research and development work in recent years is being continuously applied to an increasing number of organizations and creating value. However, we strictly oppose involvement of any entity in malicious speculation with encrypted assets or engagement in illegal finance-related activities. Genaro’s core principle since its inception has been to primarily focus on the infinite possibilities of blockchain and the development of the global decentralized technology, as well as to respect and consistently comply with laws and regulations in various regions we have been operating.
The future is here with all its challenges, but together we travel on the road to the digital economy.
Genaro Foundation
November 2, 2019 | https://medium.com/genaro-network/official-statement-from-genaro-foundation-on-future-development-5719664464cf | ['Genaro Network', 'Gnx'] | 2019-11-03 13:33:05.425000+00:00 | ['Storage', 'Innovation', 'Blockchain', 'Technology', 'Future'] |
1,896 | Platforms: How Might They Boost Your Business? | Platforms, which are commonly associated with a technical stack or operating system, have moved out of the technical world and entered the wider business world. In fact, 7 of the 10 most valuable companies in the world now follow the platform business model.
From Amazon to Apple and Alibaba, these tech-based companies have disrupted the traditional way that business is done, operating across multiple industries and accommodating the creation and interaction of communities and economies through international borders.
There is no holding back the winds of change, as McKinsey predicts that this “could account for more than $60 trillion in revenue by 2025, or more than 30% of global corporate revenue.” However, McKinsey also found that less than 2% of established businesses have risked doing so .
There are prime opportunities to capitalise on adopting a platform business model, several of which I will detail in this article whilst also looking at our own experience when rapidly developing a platform project.
Defining Platform Businesses
A platform business promotes various forms of interactions between individuals and communities, governing such activities with rules and regulations.
Although today’s biggest platform businesses are founded on digital spaces , the model has been in existence since the beginning of primitive economies, dating back to town squares where merchants set up shops to hawk their various wares. These markets eventually evolved into shopping malls, which in turn have evolved into the online space we are all familiar with.
The modern iteration of platform businesses is powered by a technological infrastructure that allows for scaling on a global level. Traditional business models rely on the creation of products and services, which are then sold to consumers. The platform business model, on the other hand, creates value by facilitating interactions, whether they may be one-time financial transactions or long-term social collaborations (e.g. the virtual auction house of eBay or the code-sharing community of GitHub).
Different Types of Platform Businesses
It’s important to note that not all platforms are created equal, as some can generate a higher return on investment than others. Understanding the structure and dynamics of each type can help decision-makers pick the one that can better fit the business:
Aggregation platforms
Relevant resources are aggregated to let users easily access which ones they need. An aggregation platform typically revolves around users making short-term transactions, with the platform owner and organiser overseeing transactions. Amazon, AliExpress, and Etsy operate on this platform.
Social platforms
Connections between people with common interests are fostered to drive community engagement. The focus is on long-term relationships that grow into large networks with little to no involvement from the platform owner. Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit are some of the biggest social platforms online.
Mobilisation platforms
Users are brought together to accomplish tasks that require large-scale collaboration . Like with social platforms, mobilisation platforms also encourage long-term relationships. A business-oriented example would be the global supply chain management company Li & Fung, while a non-profit example would be the open-source software platform Linux.
Learning platforms
Participants share their insights with each other to develop skills and improve their competencies in learning platforms. There is a great possibility for deeper relationships between users compared to other platforms, as there are more opportunities for growth through the distribution of knowledge and participants are actively seeking to learn.
Case Study: PPE Hive
Platforms can be rapidly deployed and we won’t look further than our very own -a platform that connects producers of personal protective equipment (PPE) with distributors and those who are in need.
We began working with Automated Architecture (AUAR) at the start of the UK lockdown to address the increased demand for PPE in the healthcare sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With PPE Hive, users can either request for 3D-printed face shields or offer to deliver them. The web-based platform also lets users check what the community is currently providing and what it lacks.
Its current beta release sees users requesting for PPE in the Bristol area pro-bono. Its adaptive architecture, meanwhile, allows for future use with other public needs apart from PPE in a post-coronavirus world.
Today, we are excited to be working with an entrepreneur on a new platform that could revolutionise collaboration across pharmaceutical companies. There will be more to come in the near future.
Why Now is the Time to Think About Platforms
Simon Torrance, a leading expert in business model transformation, explained that the slow adoption of the platform model is brought by the fact that this strategy was not taught to today’s corporate leaders at business school. He added that only a few non-digital companies fully comprehend the model.
However, competing in tomorrow’s business arena calls for planning to shift to this model today. Doing so results in a host of benefits, including:
Scale faster and better
The core distinction of the platform model is that the users are the ones that invest the resources to create value, whether it’s in the form of content, products, or apps. Instead of having to rely on accumulating capital, it’s about getting more users on the platform.
Business platforms also enjoy near-zero marginal costs of manufacturing and distribution. Information goods that are most commonly traded in digital platforms such as apps only have the initial cost of creation to consider. Copies can then be reproduced for minimal resources and shared online without any of the fees usually associated with physical transportation.
Build a self-sufficient community
A platform creates more value whenever a user joins it. For example, a new craftsperson who sets up a store on Etsy adds a new line of products for customers to choose from. A consumer who joins Etsy means more business opportunities for merchants; that same consumer can also leave reviews on product pages that other users can find useful. Supply and demand are both generated and answered by the users.
The growth of communities on a platform itself becomes a selling point for even more producers and consumers to join the platform. There’s less of a need for direct advertising when people who are not yet part of the platform are attracted to it because of its growth and perceived value.
Better communication and efficiency
As this business platform aims to provide its users with everything they need to keep engagement high, the result is a centralisation of tools and resources on the platform. It then becomes so much easier and more efficient for businesses to have internal and external communications, whether it’s interfacing with coworkers or customers.
Model benefits both B2C and B2B industries
The prevailing opinion is that the business platform model works mostly for B2C industries. However, there is a rising trend among B2B industries as well in adopting the model.
Laure Claire Rellier, COO of Launchworks & Co and thought leader on platform business models, names Siemens’ railway products and solutions platform (previously known as Easy Spares), the B2B marketplace Amazon Business , and the legal services provider as evidence of the platform model’s B2B relevance . Rellier also predicts B2B platforms to emerge from sectors such as manufacturing, transport, and agritech, to name a few.
Progress from Production to Platforms
Consumers congregate in their many millions on just a handful of platforms created by the most successful global companies in the world today. It’s beholden on other enterprise to catch up and transition from production pipelines if they really want to capitalise on the paradigm-changing benefits of the business platform model.
Calvium can help you rapidly experiment and make the transition to a platform business through the rocket model process and agile development. Schedule a consultation with us today to find out more. | https://medium.com/@calvium/platforms-how-might-they-boost-your-business-9e1a4cd1cf52 | [] | 2021-04-14 13:52:05.845000+00:00 | ['Enterprise', 'Platform', 'Technology', 'Apps', 'Business'] |
1,897 | Changes That’ll Make a Big Difference With Your Learning Programming For Kids : Any Kid Can Code | Here, we are going to use library named turtle and how:
import turtle
Then, type magical keywords and give suitable name to your turtle, I choose “jumper”.
jumper = turtle.pen() or see in case you have to use turtle.Pen() [CAPITAL P]
And suddenly we have the new window open or so called our own techie playground
Our Play area to make innovative figures
We have our own turtle
Most of you want to see turtle, lets give this arrow shape of turtle. Refer above image.
jumper.shape(“turtle”) or turtle.shape(“turtle”)
Now you are ready to move with turtle. Where you will move there will be line drawn. Thus you can create different images.
For basic understanding of the screen, we should know the X,Y axis. X axis is horizontal line and Y axis is vertical line. Coordinates (0,0) where X is 0 and Y is 0, is the position where our turtle is now. Try to Grasp it. If not, don’t worry we have commands to move turtle in playground.
2 dimensioal chart
Basic commands to play with Turtle
forward: to move forward in the direction of its mouth
left: to change the direction. Bit tricky, you have to have knowledge of angles.
up: When you move, it wont make any line, till you bring it down.
down: To bring it down, otherwise your turtle is flying turtle
shape, width, goto, color are the other commands to play with.
If you want to go more deeper, please go to the below link and take a lead:
https://docs.python.org/3.1/library/turtle.html
Lets make use of the above commands and make quadrilateral (square or rectangle)
I ran below commands in sequence and here we go, we have our first magic figure ready:
jumper.forward(100)
jumper.left(90)
jumper.forward(100)
jumper.left(90)
jumper.forward(100)
jumper.left(90)
jumper.forward(100)
our first creation: Square
jumper.left(90), will change the direction of your turtle in left upto 90 degrees. And, if you want to be creative, change this from 90 to some other number and see the magic. You will have magical figures turning up.
Just one important thing to mention, when you type command, try to use up arrow key. It will bring the previous commands and you need not to type and give pain to your fingers.
Magic to master this is to practice and practice. So, try to make 5–10 different figures. And, challenge yourself by putting the color inside those figures. It is pretty simple. I will be coming up with next blogs to that where we will learn new things in programming like conditions, loop and their types, variables and their usage etc.
Name your turtle and move as you want. Code and don’t forget to have fun! Included Links below for further Learnings! | https://medium.com/swlh/simplistically-easy-any-kid-can-code-2294919a34e | ['Laxman Singh'] | 2020-12-22 09:44:36.454000+00:00 | ['Kids Programming', 'Python', 'Kids', 'Technology', 'Kids And Tech'] |
1,898 | A Gentle Reminder: COVID-19 doesn’t go away and stop being dangerous, once we walk into a store. | A Gentle Reminder: COVID-19 doesn’t go away and stop being dangerous, once we walk into a store. Omp Nov 19, 2020·5 min read
Life is a journey of twists and turns, peaks and valleys, mountains to climb and oceans to explore.
Good times and bad times. Happy times and sad times.
But always, life is a movement forward.
No matter where you are on the journey, in some way, you are continuing on — and that’s what makes it so magnificent. One day, you’re questioning what on earth will ever make you feel happy and fulfilled. And the next, you’re perfectly in flow, writing the most important book of your entire career.
https://todaygamelive.medium.com/tennis-live-nadal-vs-tsitsipas-livestream-nadal-vs-tsitsipas-tennis-live-2020-5ce434110c2
https://todaygamelive.medium.com/nadal-vs-tsitsipas-live-stream-4k-705b34c2cd49
https://steemit.com/dxfgchgvh/@swbrwrentryt/fc-fgxd-fcfgdx-fcgfxdg-fcxdf-gfcgdxg-f
https://paiza.io/projects/JnLrOGJvZehhAWuVHJD4Zw?language=php
https://blog.goo.ne.jp/fchfchhh/e/8940f9bbbadff517d7659f08e6a8bcfd
https://onlinegdb.com/SJJ9p74qv
https://note.com/seresrtrdtf/n/nf8f7a3d3a143
https://caribbeanfever.com/photo/albums/rafael-nadal-vs-stefanos-tsitsipas-live-mubadala-tennis-full-game
What nobody ever tells you, though, when you are a wide-eyed child, are all the little things that come along with “growing up.”
1. Most people are scared of using their imagination.
They’ve disconnected with their inner child.
They don’t feel they are “creative.”
They like things “just the way they are.”
2. Your dream doesn’t really matter to anyone else.
Some people might take interest. Some may support you in your quest. But at the end of the day, nobody cares, or will ever care about your dream as much as you.
3. Friends are relative to where you are in your life.
Most friends only stay for a period of time — usually in reference to your current interest. But when you move on, or your priorities change, so too do the majority of your friends.
4. Your potential increases with age.
As people get older, they tend to think that they can do less and less — when in reality, they should be able to do more and more, because they have had time to soak up more knowledge. Being great at something is a daily habit. You aren’t just “born” that way.
5. Spontaneity is the sister of creativity.
If all you do is follow the exact same routine every day, you will never leave yourself open to moments of sudden discovery. Do you remember how spontaneous you were as a child? Anything could happen, at any moment!
6. You forget the value of “touch” later on.
When was the last time you played in the rain?
When was the last time you sat on a sidewalk and looked closely at the cracks, the rocks, the dirt, the one weed growing between the concrete and the grass nearby.
Do that again.
You will feel so connected to the playfulness of life.
7. Most people don’t do what they love.
It’s true.
The “masses” are not the ones who live the lives they dreamed of living. And the reason is because they didn’t fight hard enough. They didn’t make it happen for themselves. And the older you get, and the more you look around, the easier it becomes to believe that you’ll end up the same.
Don’t fall for the trap.
8. Many stop reading after college.
Ask anyone you know the last good book they read, and I’ll bet most of them respond with, “Wow, I haven’t read a book in a long time.”
9. People talk more than they listen.
There is nothing more ridiculous to me than hearing two people talk “at” each other, neither one listening, but waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can start up again.
10. Creativity takes practice.
It’s funny how much we as a society praise and value creativity, and yet seem to do as much as we can to prohibit and control creative expression unless it is in some way profitable.
If you want to keep your creative muscle pumped and active, you have to practice it on your own.
11. “Success” is a relative term.
As kids, we’re taught to “reach for success.”
What does that really mean? Success to one person could mean the opposite for someone else.
Define your own Success.
12. You can’t change your parents.
A sad and difficult truth to face as you get older: You can’t change your parents.
They are who they are.
Whether they approve of what you do or not, at some point, no longer matters. Love them for bringing you into this world, and leave the rest at the door.
13. The only person you have to face in the morning is yourself.
When you’re younger, it feels like you have to please the entire world.
You don’t.
Do what makes you happy, and create the life you want to live for yourself. You’ll see someone you truly love staring back at you every morning if you can do that.
14. Nothing feels as good as something you do from the heart.
No amount of money or achievement or external validation will ever take the place of what you do out of pure love.
Follow your heart, and the rest will follow.
15. Your potential is directly correlated to how well you know yourself.
Those who know themselves and maximize their strengths are the ones who go where they want to go.
Those who don’t know themselves, and avoid the hard work of looking inward, live life by default. They lack the ability to create for themselves their own future.
16. Everyone who doubts you will always come back around.
That kid who used to bully you will come asking for a job.
The girl who didn’t want to date you will call you back once she sees where you’re headed. It always happens that way.
Just focus on you, stay true to what you believe in, and all the doubters will eventually come asking for help.
17. You are a reflection of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Nobody creates themselves, by themselves.
We are all mirror images, sculpted through the reflections we see in other people. This isn’t a game you play by yourself. Work to be surrounded by those you wish to be like, and in time, you too will carry the very things you admire in them.
18. Beliefs are relative to what you pursue.
Wherever you are in life, and based on who is around you, and based on your current aspirations, those are the things that shape your beliefs.
Nobody explains, though, that “beliefs” then are not “fixed.” There is no “right and wrong.” It is all relative.
Find what works for you.
19. Anything can be a vice.
Be wary.
Again, there is no “right” and “wrong” as you get older. A coping mechanism to one could be a way to relax on a Sunday to another. Just remain aware of your habits and how you spend your time, and what habits start to increase in frequency — and then question where they are coming from in you and why you feel compelled to repeat them.
Never mistakes, always lessons.
As I said, know yourself.
20. Your purpose is to be YOU.
What is the meaning of life?
To be you, all of you, always, in everything you do — whatever that means to you. You are your own creator. You are your own evolving masterpiece.
Growing up is the realization that you are both the sculpture and the sculptor, the painter and the portrait. Paint yourself however you wish. | https://medium.com/@omp792/a-gentle-reminder-covid-19-doesnt-go-away-and-stop-being-dangerous-once-we-walk-into-a-store-29d10fc150c6 | [] | 2020-11-19 17:45:37.059000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Sports', 'Social Media', 'News', 'Live Streaming'] |
1,899 | Your Guide to the ThinkPad procut lineup | Photo by Olena Sergienko on Unsplash
Your Guide to ThinkPads
Understanding the vast product lineup and finding what’s best for you
If you’re looking for a new mobile computer, you might have already stumbled over Lenovo’s ThinkPads. You might even have heard about their reputation as “no-nonsense-workhorses”. So maybe, you’re done with the fashionista laptops and you’re ready for something more “down to earth”. A ThinkPad.
But after having a quick look at Lenovo’s website, you’re immediately intimidated with the plethora of ThinkPad models, that don’t differ too much from each other at first gtlance. If you’re so easily swayed to click away and buy just another MacBook instead, this guide is for you!
E, L, T, X, P — what?
The confusing ThinkPad lineup explained. © Scollurio
The naming scheme of Lenovo’s ThinkPad product lineup can truly be confusing. To bring light into the dark, it’s helpful to first differentiate the letters from each other. Each letter corresponds to a series of ThinkPads. Let’s look at it.
E-series
This is your entry level no-nonsense work machine. The E-series are the budget option. You still do get the classic aesthetics, reliable and performant internals and the awesome keyboard. But the E-series come in rather “thick” by today’s standards and the screen options are often underwhelming. Also, in many cases, the keyboard is not backlit and feels a bit “cheaper” with printed-on letters, compared to the higher priced models. Still, if you’re all about value-for-your-buck with a new ThinkPad, this is where to start. Since the chassis is naturally thicker, you get a lot of upgrade options, which usually include RAM, storage and the WWAN module. Also there’s plenty of room for ports on the chassis. Neat.
L-series
The L-series really are a tiny step up above the E-series. Chassis are slightly thinner, keyboards a bit better but you’re still mostly stuck to sub-par screens. On the other hand, you get to upgrade the internals relatively easy and you get the classic, nostalgic aesthetics. Also, thanks to the relatively thick chassis, there’s plenty of room for all the port’s you’d need. If you’re a startup or hard on a budget, the L-series can offer great value and punch way above your expectations performance-wise, especially if you go with the latest AMD processors.
T-series
These are the classic ThinkPads. The T-series has been a staple for business users for decades now. They are the perfect blend between ThinkPad ruggedness, value for your money and features. T-series are very versatile and offer great variety in upgrades, screen options and processors. As of writing, you can either go with an Intel or AMD processor, the later one is what I’d highly recommend, as they are far more efficient and performant. You also get a very decent selection of ports, which should suffice for most of your usecases.
T-series ThinkPads also come in “s” versions. A T14s for example is a slightly slimmer and lighter, more portable version of the T14. It also comes with a slightly bigger battery, as mobility is the name of the game. Some s-models compromise on the port selection in exchange for portability. Still, the situation is much better than with MacBooks or the latest Dell XPS laptops, which need a Dongle for everything except USB-C devices.
X-series
You could view the X-series of ThinkPads as something like the premium branch of the brand. Sleekness, portability and awesome screens are the focus here. The X1 Carbon ThinkPad is the “king of the hill” so to speak, as it’s the most portable and premium ThinkPad available. You have to lay down quite a bit though, to take one home with you. But for that, you get a carbon fibre chassis, that’s incredibly light, stiff and sturdy, a great selection of screens, but you have to let go of some ports.
The X1 Extreme is the performance variation of the X1 Carbon and even sports a dedicated GPU, which theroetically makes full HD gaming possible, but it has such a sleek and thin chassis, you might run into thermal issues, if you keep it under load for too long and it will throttle. That dedicated GPU is more geared towards content creation and video editing.
The latest X13 ThinkPad would make for an extremely portable sub-notebook for coffee-shop-writers and journalists, who might otherwise buy an Apple MacBook Air. It can also be very beneficial for “call-in”-sysadmins and network technicians.
P-series
P stands for power. Actually, I don’t know if that’s correct and just totally made it up, but the P-series are the mobile workstations in the ThinkPad family. These are the most expensive but also most performant and versatile. You trade in some portability for loads of performance. So much performance it even rivals dedicated desktops. But be careful — for 2020 the P-series have not been refreshed with AMD processors, which provide much more power than Intel’s chips at the moment. There’s hoping that next year, we will see AMD powered P-series. The workstations are not meant to be used off-grid for too long, as they are power-hogs. They are supposed to be lugged from your home to your work place for example and then used stationary. Typical professions that would get a ThinkPad workstation would be engineers, CAD-designers, architects, scientists working with huge sets of data, etc.
They are definitely not meant to be gaming machines, but yes of course, they will run games too.
OK, and what about the number behind the series’ letter?
This can be confusing. Prior to their new naming scheme, starting in late 2019, it was a combination of screen size and generation/version indicated in their numbering schemes.
For example:
A T480 is a 14" T-series laptop and one generation behind the T490.
The T490s is the smaller version of the T490.
Since Lenovo ran out of numbers (T450, T460, T470, … T490) last year, the newer models are basically a combination of series-letter, screen-size, processor indicator and the generation of this iteration, spelled out.
Confused yet?
For example:
The T490 became this year’s T14 Gen 1. If it is sporting an Intel processor, it’s also often referred to as T14 i Gen 1. If it’s the slim and light version with AMD processor (which I highly recommend), it is the T14s Gen 1.
I know this can be confusing at first, until you wrap your head around it all. But with some attention and a bit of digging on Lenovo’s website, you’ll figure it out sooner than later! So, as a rule of thumb, the shorter number models, are the newer ones.
What’s that “nub” for?
That “nub”, also lovingly called the “nipple”, actually is the TrackPoint. It harks back to times when Laptops didn’t have a trackpad yet. You can easily (with some practice) control your mouse-cursor without ever using a trackpad, thanks to the TrackPoint. But why would anyone want to do that? Well, it’s still around for purists, really, but there are some applications where it even makes sense today. With enough practice you can use it for masking in Photoshop quite nicely and maybe even more precisely than a trackpad. It also allows you to stay in the home row with your fingers, while quickly moving your cursor or highlighting a word, when writing or programming (yes, this can also be done by using a trackpad with your thumbs).
Photo by cetteup on Unsplash
A thing not many people seem to know is, that you can switch to “scrolling mode” by pressing down the middle (blue dotted one) of the three buttons above the trackpad. You can scroll in all directions using this method, which often comes in handy in huge Excel- or InDesign files.
If you don’t like the “nub”, don’t fret. There are replacement-caps for it available. Some of them are ultra-low-profile and if you’re irritated by the trademark bright red spot in the middle of your keyboard, they’re available in black too. Just look them up, usually you can get them really cheap, if you don’t go for the official ones. You could, theoretically, go completely without that cap too, if you prefer so (but the resulting hole will trap dirt).
So what’s an Ideapad then?
Ideapads are the consumer line of laptops by Lenovo and they also come in a wide range of models. They don’t sport the usual ThinkPad trademark features, but they are a great value. They offer less options when configuring them, but you can also get the latest (at the time of writing), high-performing Ryzen 4000 mobile processors in them, the build-quality is way above average and even though their keyboards are not quite of ThinkPad quality, they do come really close and you don’t have to worry about “the nub”. They have a great layout, great backlight and usually they’re really tactile and crisp, a joy to type on, easily rivaling Dell and Apple.
So, if you don’t need the highest resolution (or brighter than 300 nits) screens and don’t care for the added ruggedness, nostalgia or security features of a ThinkPad, Ideapads are a way cheaper, valuable option for you. Thanks to a better thermal solution the latest AMD chips are even able to run within a higher power envelope, than on the more expensive ThinkPads, thus — numbers for numbers — providing even higher performance than an equivalent ThinkPad. The latest integrated Radeon graphics on AMD-powered Ideapads even make light gaming possible. Games like League of Legends run buttery smooth and if you don’t mind reducing details in your games you can even get away with playing some slightly older triple A titles. They are also fit for moderate content creation.
Really great value here.
And they’re stylish too.
How about going “oldschool”?
Speaking of value, depending on your budget, getting a used ThinkPad, that is a few years old, can be a great option. ThinkPads are very rugged, so even with a few scuff marks, they most likely will still perform very well. Also, older ThinkPads can be easily upgraded, cleaned and repaired. Some models even allow for a relatively easy panel swap, in case you want to get a higher resolution screen.
ThinkPads are well documented and replacement parts can be easy to come by. In most cases, the performance of old ThinkPads can just be enough to serve as a great laptop for Uni or to kickstart your writing career, even though the battery life won’t be as impressive anymore. They’ll run Linux just great, which is a great alternative for programmers and writers alike.
Everyone knows MacBooks hold their value pretty well, ThinkPads just come second. That is the reason why you can mostly find only MacBooks and ThinkPads on official refurb-stores, that offer limited warranty and great value in comparison to buying brand new.
Watch out for special offers
Another way to save quite a bit on new and last year’s models of ThinkPads is keeping an eye on the Lenovo online store itself. Lenovo is well known for putting special offers and deals out there on a regular basis. It’s not unheard of saving as much as 30% on your dream machine, on occassion. Just be patient.
A ThinkPad for gaming?
Well ThinkPads really are meant for work, but yes, you could get away with some light gaming on most modern machines, just don’t expect anything mindblowing and don’t get a ThinkPad for that specific reason only. Even the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, with it’s dedicated graphics chip, is severely hampered by thermal limitations under constant load. If you want to go all-in with gaming, you should check out Lenovos Legion line of gaming laptops and accessoires. They offer astounding value, great cooling capabilities and actually can replace a dedicated gaming desktop easily.
They look great too!
Conclusion
So who are ThinkPads for? Well, ThinkPads span such a wide range of use cases, there really is something for everyone. An aspiring writer or student can do well with a machine that is a few years old, if thin and light is your utmost priority, go with an X-series, if you’re in for a great allrounder, the T-series can be recommended and if you’re a content creator going for the X1 Extreme might be worth a thought. Mobile workstations usually are for engineers, scientists, architects etc. while the E- and L-series provide a great entrypoint for small businesses on a budget while not skimping on raw performance.
Yes, the high end, fully decked out models can become quite costly, but they still are cheaper than an equivalent MacBook by quite a bit. Things may change though, once Apple starts rolling out their own silicone later this year (which I will be keeping a curious eye on). But if you can live with Windows 10 instead of macOS, ThinkPads are just right up there with the very best Apple, Dell and HP have to offer. Perhaps the corporate-workhorse-aesthetic of a ThinkPad is a breath of fresh air too.
Oh, and don’t be afraid of “the nub” — if you really don’t want it, it hardly gets in the way when typing, especially if you use ultra low profile caps for it. If you want to try out the ThinkPad typing experience beforehand, you can do so easily, with this separately available ThinkPad keyboard. The real keyboards on the thinkpads though are “crisper” and more tactile. | https://medium.com/swlh/your-guide-to-thinkpads-6a66ad4c20ab | [] | 2020-07-27 13:43:35.860000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Writing', 'Tech', 'Gadgets', 'Laptops'] |
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