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Building Instacart Pickup | Building Instacart Pickup
By: Kevin Henrikson
I’m driving with my family from San Mateo to Juniper Lake for a camping trip. I need to stock up my cooler on the way, but I want to make sure we get to our campsite before it gets dark — it’s a long drive. I don’t have the time to shop at my regular grocery store, so I open up my Instacart app to see if any store along my route is offering curbside pickup with the new Instacart Pickup product. I pick my store of choice along Interstate 80, fill up my cart, and follow the in-app prompts to my designated pickup parking spot.
The experience is powered by a ton of new features we packed into the app including:
“Pick Your Pickup” UX that lets customers easily view and select the pickup location most convenient to their route.
that lets customers easily view and select the pickup location most convenient to their route. Smart Storefronts that adapt to location-specific store inventories.
that adapt to location-specific store inventories. Opt-in, location-based alerts that allow customers to let the shopper know when they’re on the way and getting close.
that allow customers to let the shopper know when they’re on the way and getting close. Customized navigation and prompts which sends customers to the mapping app of their choice, automatically directing drivers from their current location to the store. As a customer nears a store, we send them prompts in real-time to guide them to the handoff location.
which sends customers to the mapping app of their choice, automatically directing drivers from their current location to the store. As a customer nears a store, we send them prompts in real-time to guide them to the handoff location. Send a Friend or Family Member which lets customers share their order details with friends and family to delegate pickup to another driver. Place the order and send a friend to pick it up!
While Pickup and Delivery products share a lot of the same technological DNA, Pickup flips the script of the typical delivery service model, folding the customer into the fulfillment chain’s last mile. When you involve the customer in the fulfillment flow, it presents a bunch of really interesting technical challenges for engineering and product teams.
Building a dynamic storefront
In our Delivery product, we identify a store location to deliver from based on the items a customer puts in their cart. With Pickup, customers choose their exact store — not just the actual retailer but the exact physical location of the store they want to pick up from. This prompted us to build a storefront that changes from location-to-location to reflect store-specific inventories.
When a pickup customer selects a store along their route, they’ll see location-specific inventories as they fill up their cart.
Our Item Availability model underpins this dynamic storefront. It relies on a combination of historical found/not-found rates, inventory data, and other inputs to predict whether the customer’s preferred items are in stock at any given store location along the customer’s route.
Sticking the landing
In contrast to the passive, one- and two-hour delivery windows available in our Delivery Product, with Pickup, customers participate in a choreographed curbside handoff. Even the smallest hitches and delays are magnified if you’re on the road with a kid in the car seat behind you, trying to get to a campsite before dark. We rely on a host of machine learning models, geolocation technologies, and in-app prompts to nail the second-by-second hand-off.
In-app prompts guide customers to designated curbside pickup areas.
Once a customer selects their store of choice and completes their order, our Drive Time model looks at historical transit times to estimate how long it will take a customer to arrive at the store. We’ve traced rings of geofences around each pickup-eligible store. If a customer with location-based alerts enabled crosses the fence, we’ll adjust the minute-to-minute arrival time.
We rely on historical fulfillment data to calculate just how long it can take someone to get in and out of store parking lots — we like to call this the “Parking Model”. This is especially useful for pickup customers in crowded urban centers vs. customers in suburban or rural stores with wide-open parking lots. From the data, we can see it takes longer to get through a parking lot on a crowded Sunday in downtown Los Angeles than it does in suburban Orange County, CA.
Even though Pickup and Delivery are two different products and experiences, the orders are being fulfilled by the same set of shoppers, and we’ve built an Order Prioritization model to choreograph the hand-off. The model organizes incoming orders in a shopper’s queue based on historical fulfillment data.
If a customer crosses a geofence, we will bump the pickup order to the top of a shopper’s queue, alerting the shopper that it’s time to make the handoff. | https://tech.instacart.com/building-instacart-pickup-705a406b6350 | [] | 2020-01-14 18:41:34.207000+00:00 | ['On Demand', 'Mobile App Development', 'Technology News', 'Machine Learning', 'Fulfillment'] |
BitBox 07.2020 Lidernen update | BitBoxApp 4.20.0 with BitBox02 firmware 9.0.0
Download our latest update from shiftcrypto.ch/download to get all new features and improvements.
Lidernen, what?
As a Swiss company, we live the traditional values of self-reliance and independence. We love the outdoors, especially hiking in the beautiful Alps. So we’re going to give each of our updates the name of a mountain hut of the Swiss Alpine Club we personally like.
We start off with the Lidernenhütte, located in the heart of Switzerland at 1727 meters a.s.l. in the little-known Riemenstaldner valley. It is easy to reach and great for climbing, hiking and ski mountaineering.
So, this is the Lidernen update. Let’s dive into the features.
Unified accounts
Minimalism is one of our core values. In our quest to make Bitcoin easy to use, the technicalities of different Bitcoin script types and address formats always bugged us. Having to deal with terms like legacy, wrapped or backwards-compatible Segwit, or native bech32 Segwit is not fun. And why should you have to learn all of that?
With unified accounts, you no longer need to care about all these technicalities.
Receive Bitcoin in a unified account
This update combines all supported Bitcoin address and script types into one:
Your Bitcoin account now automatically includes all supported script types. So you’ll no longer need to care about all the underlying technicalities. Simply use it.
You no longer need to use a separate “legacy” account just because some services don’t yet support newer address formats. The BitBoxApp gives you an all-in-one solution.
You’ll always use the most efficient address format (currently bech32), with the option to use an older format if the sender does not support it yet.
The unified accounts feature makes using and securing Bitcoin simpler. Hopefully it also allows people who are not familiar with all the engineery talk to feel more at home.
If you have already created separate Bitcoin accounts for different purposes and don’t want to mix your coins now, you can continue using separate accounts (see “Settings > Expert settings”).
Enable “separate accounts” if needed
Next on our roadmap, we plan to support multiple accounts. Once this feature is available, we will deprecate the “separate accounts by address type” option and you can just use multiple accounts to keep your coins separate. Also note that as an advanced user, our coin control feature still gives you very granular control over what coins you select when spending.
Electrum 4.0 integration
The Electrum wallet is a powerful Bitcoin power-user wallet for Windows, Mac and Linux. After almost a year, the project released a monster update that includes our own contribution to add full BitBox02 support.
BitBox02 secures your keys when using the Electrum power-user wallet
When using standard single-signature wallets, Electrum offers you many advanced features. For users familiar with Electrum, it’s straight-forward to create a wallet using the BitBox02, and for everybody else we will publish a detailed tutorial in the coming days. As always, the BitBox02 keeps your private keys safe as they will never leave the hardware wallet.
Our Electrum support also includes multi-signature wallets. The BitBox02 has first-rate multisig support, as it solves many issues that still exist when using other hardware wallets (see our technical article The pitfalls of multisig when using hardware wallets):
Verify the extended public keys (xpub) of the BitBox02 directly on the device, and show all other xpubs as well. Store the checksum of the multisig setup, including the relevant information of all co-signers, directly on the BitBox02 in a named multisig account. The BitBox02 can automatically verify all important parameters, making sending and receiving funds easy and secure.
We plan to publish a three-part Electrum tutorial for the BitBox02. Sign up to our BitBox news to get notified.
More improvements
French and Hebrew translation
A nod to our French-speaking and Hebrew-speaking friends:
BitBoxApp est maintenant disponible en français. Et voilà!
!זמינה כעת בעברית. תהנו BitBoxAppאפליקציית ה
Australian dollar & paybtc.com.au
And as a hat tip to our Aussie friends, you can now set the Australian dollar (AUD) as fiat currency in the BitBoxApp. We have also listed the awesome paybtc service in our Buy & Sell section.
macOS notarization
Since macOS Catalina was released, Apple requires developers to notarize their apps, in addition to signing them. This process gives users more confidence that the app has been checked by Apple for malicious components. If an app is not notarized, users are greeted with a scary warning when installing it. Of course, we don’t want your first contact with our BitBox02 to feel unsafe, so notarization was of high importance to us. That required further macOS-specific hardening of the executable binaries and explicit whitelisting of resources usage (e.g. the webcam and the usb port). And now: no scary warnings any more!
How can I stay up-to-date?
Download our latest update from shiftcrypto.ch/download to get all new features and improvements.
We encourage you to sign up to the BitBox news to stay up to date with our latest news, including release notes and bug fixes. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Thank you for your continued support.
Shift Team | https://medium.com/shiftcrypto/bitbox-07-2020-lidernen-update-493f670860aa | ['Shift Crypto'] | 2020-07-15 13:16:46.667000+00:00 | ['Hardware', 'Security', 'Electrum', 'Wallet', 'Bitcoin'] |
The Encasing that is Addiction | The Encasing that is Addiction
What is your poison?
Photo Credit: cottonbro for Pexels.
We all know that addiction is addictive, hence the word. Despite this knowledge, I am sure that no one who eventually becomes an addict, set out to be one in the first place.
Having an addictive personality myself, I set boundaries and try to recognise if I am becoming too consumed with the subject of my interest. Whether it be chocolate or people, setting limits is essential to combating thoughts spiralling out of control.
Despite all of this, it can still be a struggle. Occasionally this frenzy of a feeling can slip through the cracks into reality. | https://medium.com/an-idea/the-encasing-that-is-addiction-77044f3a8a96 | ['Lexus Ndiwe'] | 2020-12-28 05:30:35.234000+00:00 | ['Mental Health', 'Addiction', 'Advice', 'Growth', 'Self Reflection'] |
Trumpism: Letting Go Gracefully | Trumpism: Letting Go Gracefully
Trumpism: The condition experienced by humanity just before letting go of its dogma.
11 days until the election the red headline screamed from the television screen, like a threat. Trump’s hate-filled, fear-mongering voice hit my brain this morning like well-aimed buck shot. I’d awoken late — 11:30 — my attention instantly pulled to the MSNBC headline, “Trump in Colorado.” Damn. I’d slept through the morning, and stayed up late tinkering with start-upey things per normal.
Trump was proclaiming one of the bravest and most capable women in the world to be a criminal, and my country and democracy that I love and value to be nothing more than a failed experiment of treachery defined by fear. F$@! me, I said aloud, to the dogs, to the universe, to myself. Another day of verbal assaults. Happy Saturday.
I was instantly angered by the bitter sound of his vile vitriol in my ears.
That it was to be the first feeling, the first thought of the first few moments of my precious Saturday morning otherwise shaded by the dawning cheeks of Fall and a light rain falling outside my window was salt to the injury. Then resentment settled in at how this man and the people who follow him seem to be controlling the quality of my life.
I know rationally a void was left in their wake, a void that progress created when it left them behind without a transition plan or a hug. They are afraid, afraid of letting go, of what may come when they do. I know this is what history asks us to endure to get to the next, better phase of human experience. But, it doesn’t make living through their assaults any easier.
I shook the nettles of irritation from my mind and ambled to the kitchen, where my husband had made bacon. Bacon makes everything better. We hugged silently at the kitchen sink, peering beyond the window at the rain-soaked yard behind our cozy home. Hope began to creep back into my bones, as I leaned against his always-strong back, waiting for Pete’s French Roast to brew. I suddenly remembered how fortunate I was, how much positive there was in the world, and Trump’s words began to fade.
Abraham Lincoln (HBO)
Like in a dream of happy we found ourselves strewn across our red couch in front of the big screen to watch last weekend’s CBS This Morning as we always do over breakfast, when instead we found a documentary on HBO we had not seen, Living With Lincoln by filmmaker Peter Kunhardt.
Peter is both the grandson of Dorothy Kunhardt, the world famous children’s author and the great-grandson of Frederick Hill Meserve, who began a life-long obsession of curating Abraham Lincoln’s life after meeting him on a battlefield. Meserve first met Lincoln in the Revolutionary War, a moment captured in one of the very first photographs ever taken. I began to weep just ten minutes into the film, then steadily did until the end of the film 80 minutes later.
Here’s why. (Watch the HBO clip of Living With Lincoln.)
This film is everything that Trump is not, a reminder that triumph lives on the other side of fear.
Trump’s brand of Hitleresque psychology catalyzing the end of one kind of politics stands in stark compliment to images of bleeding children emerging from the rubble of terror on the other. These are the words and images that occupy my mind. Yet, Living With Lincoln reminds us of another possibility for democracy and human decency, a story that is of course about Abraham Lincoln, and how five generations of a family amassed and documented the single largest collection of artifacts of Lincoln’s life. But, really it is about how Lincoln’s life is the backdrop to all our stories of triumph over fear. It’s also a story about letting go of fear and that we have an obligation to each other to help the next generation learn how to let go.
If you listen closely, you’ll also hear the story of Dorothy Kunhardt, who I shall forever see as the character study of every woman. 2016 will be remembered as the Year of the Woman, the year when we moved from a patriarchal culture marred by fear, control and hatred, to a world carved out of courage, collaboration and hope. Dorothy’s life story was like a mirror of my own.
Living With Lincoln reminded me that women uniquely have the capacity to propagate hope even when we’re afraid, because as opposed to men who when abandoned respond by lashing out at those who create their fear, women take a different tack. We’ve been surviving what it means to be abandoned, disappointed, and abused by a world that has always wanted to control us all of our lives. We forgive, we endure, we aspire because we don’t want our lives to be defined by fear.
Women aspire to something else. Fear is our fuel to overcome not fight. When we move past it, as we must do, it is often seen as graceful, as if we have a special grace that gives us the ability to easily dispense with fear, when point of fact, it takes great strength and a steel spine to let go of fear and be open to what may come next.
You should experience this film not because it is a remark on how families pass on the worst of themselves generation to generation, but on how humanity can pass along the best of ourselves to each other by confronting the truth of who we are, and by letting go of the past that would define us, by courageously letting go of what we fear the most; losing control and being left alone.
Abraham Lincoln’s entire existence was about making sure no one was left behind, unequal, or alone. His was a life filled with loss, sickness, hardship and disappointment, and yet he was among the few people in our human history who pushed past the fear to find compassion and hope in its place, and he used both as tools to chart a different course not just for Americans, but for the whole of the human race.
It occurred to me this morning as I listened to Dorothy’s voice tell her own tale that I feel sick and afraid. I am afraid of what a Trump-like existence would mean because he represents my freedoms being threatened. This same fear is expressed in the pained eyes of Trump’s victims of verbal and sexual abuse, and in the eyes of children we see daily crossing borders without their families, and in the faces of the unabashed and unapologetic mostly white males, faces filled with fear and rage for women, for people of color, and for anyone of different religions who dare to suggest a different path, to whom they place the blame for threatening to take away their jobs, their sense of control over their own lives, a way of life they believe is their’s and their’s alone.
That they have lost something they perceive to be their’s and seek to blame the closest, obvious source for this loss is human nature. No one wants to let go gracefully.
Perhaps Trumpism will be the condition that history will define as what happens when men have to let go of their control over others, as the condition just before one looks past their fear, the moment before we find the better angels of our nature. Perhaps the fearful eyes of Trumpists will be remembered as what it looked like to rail against the changing times that asked them to let loose their grip on unworkable institutions, just as Lincoln did.
Trump may well become one of the great teachers of history: what it looks like when we allow fear to overtake us. We lose sight of our humanity, we forget who we are, and we start fighting against a mythical enemy, when really that enemy is us. It is our warning signal to act with compassion. | https://medium.com/@TKSaville/trumpism-letting-go-gracefully-848997e445f4 | ['Tracy Saville'] | 2016-10-31 00:21:22.496000+00:00 | ['Hillary Clinton', 'Politics', 'Donald Trump', 'Women', 'Election 2016'] |
基礎知識-稅與手續費 | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/%E5%8F%B0%E8%82%A1etf%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99%E7%A7%91%E5%AD%B8/%E5%9F%BA%E7%A4%8E%E7%9F%A5%E8%AD%98-%E7%A8%85%E8%88%87%E6%89%8B%E7%BA%8C%E8%B2%BB-4bb67a44c1cc | [] | 2018-11-27 17:18:56.343000+00:00 | ['Investing', 'Etf', 'Finance', 'Stock Market'] |
Dissecting Dynamic Programming — Recurrence Relation | From the previous blog (Top Down & Bottom Up), we learned the essence of solving Dynamic Programming problems is to derive the recurrence relation, and then use either the top-down or bottom-up approach to translate it to code. Therefore it is important to master the problem analysis and the techniques to derive a recurrence relation. This blog and the future ones will focus on sharing the insights to help with this.
This blog will use a simple (level 1) Dynamic Programming problem called Climbing Stairs to illustrate the problem analysis and the techniques at arriving at a recurrence relation.
Here is the problem statement:
You are climbing a staircase. It takes n steps to reach the top. Each time you can either climb 1 or 2 steps. In how many distinct ways can you climb to the top? Example 1: Input: n = 2
Output: 2
Explanation: There are two ways to climb to the top.
1. 1 step + 1 step
2. 2 steps Example 2: Input: n = 3
Output: 3
Explanation: There are three ways to climb to the top.
1. 1 step + 1 step + 1 step
2. 1 step + 2 steps
3. 2 steps + 1 step
Problem Analysis:
This problem has only 1 input, which represents the number of steps a staircase has
There are only two choices (ways) to climb the staircase — 1 or 2 steps at a time
(ways) to climb the staircase — 1 or 2 steps at a time What does “distinct ways to climb to the stop” means? If we analyze the examples closely, a distinct way to climb to the top of a staircase means the combination of climbing either 1 or 2 steps from the bottom to the top of the staircase. In other words, when the sum of the steps in each combination equals to the number of steps the staircase has. There are many different combinations and each one is counted as 1 distinct way. The final answer is the sum of all the different combinations.
Where do the combinations come from? They come from taking a series choices repeatedly while climbing to the top of the staircase (See Figure #1). In other words, each combination consists of a series choices (1 or 2 steps). As a climber lands on a particular step, at that point, the climber has to choices to go from there, either take 1 step or 2 steps. In order to count the total number of distinct ways, the climber will try both.
Figure #1 — choices of climbing a staircase
We start with n steps in a staircase, as we repeatedly climb using either 1 or 2 steps, how does the problem gets smaller? If we climb 1 step then the problem becomes 1 step (n-1) smaller, and if we climb 2 steps then the problem becomes 2 steps (n-2) smaller. In other words, as we climb more steps, the problem (remaining steps to climb) becomes smaller and smaller until until there are no more steps to climb (reaching the top of the staircase)
steps in a staircase, as we repeatedly climb using either 1 or 2 steps, how does the problem gets smaller? If we climb 1 step then the problem becomes 1 step (n-1) smaller, and if we climb 2 steps then the problem becomes 2 steps (n-2) smaller. In other words, as we climb more steps, the problem (remaining steps to climb) becomes smaller and smaller until until there are no more steps to climb (reaching the top of the staircase) How do we know when to stop climbing? Either when there are no more steps to climb (n=0, we are at the top of the staircase), or the remaining steps is smaller than the number of steps that we are planning to take.
Problem Breakdown Tree:
Another way to visualize the problem analysis described above is to use Figure #2. Let’s say our staircase has 4 steps. As we climb it by taking 1 or 2 steps, the number of remaining steps is getting smaller. At each point, we have two choices (1 step or 2 steps) to climb and that is represented by the branching out of each node. Starting from the top node (root), each path goes all the way down to a node with a value of 0 represents a distinct way of climbing to the top. For a staircase of 4 steps, there are 5 distinct ways of climbing to the top.
Figure #2 — visualization of problem breakdown tree
Formalize Recurrence Relation:
Figure #3 depicts how the total number of distinct ways to climb a staircase is computed. For example, when a staircase has 4 steps, the total number of distinct ways to climb to the top is 5, which is the sum of the total number of distinct ways to climb a staircase that has 3 steps and total number of distinct ways to climb a staircase that has 2 steps.
If we use function f(4) to represent the total number of distinct ways to climb a staircase, then it would be f(4) = f(3) + f(2). Each part of the right side of the function represents a particular choice specified in the problem statement above.
To generalize the recurrence relation a bit, we just need to substitute the value 4 with a variable called n, then f(n) = f(n-1) + f(n-2). To complete the recurrence relation, we need to figure out the base case(s). Looking at the leaf nodes in Figure #3, that should give us sufficient info. to determine the base case is f(0) = 1.
Recurrence relation: f(n) = f(n-1) + f(n-2) and f(0) = 1
Figure #3 — visualization of recurrence relation
Wrapping Up:
The recurrence relation for the climbing stairs problem is extremely similar to the one for Fibonacci sequence. There is one small difference, which is the base case.
Given the similarity, I will leave it as an exercise for the readers to translate the recurrence relation above to code. Feel free to refer the previous blog “Top Down & Bottom Up” for the code and the complexity and runtime analysis.
Summary:
Coming up with a recurrence relation requires:
A rigorous analysis of the problem statement, a thorough understanding the given choices to explore the subproblems
Work through the examples of smaller problem size to formalize the problem understanding
Draw up the problem breakdown tree to visualize the subproblems, their relationship and to verify they meet the Dynamic Programming properties (Optimal Substructure and Overlapping subproblems)
Formalize the recurrence relation for a specific small problem size, then generalize it and finally identify the base case(s)
As a challenge for the readers, go and apply the learning from this blog to solve a very similar Dynamic Programming problem called “Unique Paths”.
Future blogs will dissect more challenging Dynamic Problems.
It will be a fun exercise to build up a table of Dynamic Programming problems and the associated recurrence relations.
Have fun and do let me know if there are Dynamic Problems that you would me to dissect in the future blogs.
Previous Blogs:
Resources: | https://medium.com/swlh/dissecting-dynamic-programming-climbing-stairs-20fb7c548023 | ['Hien Luu'] | 2021-01-02 23:43:31.676000+00:00 | ['Dynamic Programming', 'Interview Questions', 'Problem Solving', 'Computer Science'] |
What is Your Weakness? | What is behind the question, ways to answer this dreaded question, and my 3 weaknesses
Photo by Daniel Mingook Kim on Unsplash
I am sure we have all been there. Sitting in an interview room thinking that the interview is actually going relatively well and feeling pretty good about the whole thing. Then they drop the dreaded question, “so tell me what is your weakness?”
You answer something like I am a perfectionist, thinking, that has got to be the right answer. They pause, then ask, “no really, what is your greatest weakness?”
Your mind goes blank. And you think to yourself, interviewing is your greatest weakness! It has got to be!
I hate the weakness question as much as anyone else. Why do managers ask about weaknesses? What I have learned is they are not really asking about your weakness.
What most people are interested in when they ask questions about weaknesses in an interview are the following:
1. Are you prepared?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions in an interview. If the candidate draws a blank, they are either overly nervous or not prepared. Be prepared and have answers.
2. Do you give something truthful?
This question is a good judge of character. Perfectionist, workaholic, and overly high standards are probably the way most people would answer. If these are your actual weaknesses, you need to be able to back it up. Give examples to make it your own. If these are not, please do not choose them just to have an answer. Sitting there staring blankly at your interviewers is better than lying.
3. What are you doing to improve upon it?
Do not just give your weakness, talk about what you are doing to improve upon your weakness. The manager is looking for someone who self reflects then does something about it.
Here are tips to answer the weaknesses question:
1. Pick something that is not pertinent to the role itself.
If the job is an accountant, you cannot be bad with numbers. If the job is Java developer, you cannot be bad at Java development.
Outside of that, you can really pick anything. In fact, you can even pick something that is part of the job description but a nice to have, and if you do not have as much experience in it, use that as a weakness.
Simply say, I do not have as much experience in [blank] but this is what I am doing to improve upon it…
2. Be honest
It has to be your weaknesses, not something that sounds good. An interview is really a time where your potential future employer is trying to get to know you, so allow them to get to know you.
3. Talk about what you are doing to improve upon it.
All managers are looking for employees who are looking to constantly improve. So take the opportunity to let this aspect of you shine through, but letting your audience know that you do know what your weaknesses are and how you are working on them.
This is also a way you can minimize your weakness or turn it into a positive. Just do not go overboard with the positive or you will come across as not authentic.
4. Prepare 3 weaknesses.
Just in case, you want to look like you are prepared, and you want to have a choice in the interview.
Lastly, here are my 3 weaknesses to give you an example:
1. Small talk
I am terrible at small talk so networking events are one of my least favorite things in the world. I would rather try to kill myself with a butter knife level of dislike! If you want to go deep on a subject, I am all ears. I run out of small talk after weather and how was your drive…
Unfortunately, it is part of my job. Knowing this, I target networking events that I know something about and am learning to ask enough questions to my audience so I can turn small talk into actual conversations.
And I stay away from all sharp objects at those events just in case…
2. Recovering from setbacks
One of my clients develops software to access personalities, they use it to see if the person would be a good fit for their company and for their clients.
I was asked to take this test so I can see the user experience and I think they were trying to figure out if they want to work with me. I scored high on all areas except this one, the ability to recover form setbacks.
I took this test over 10 years ago and I still am recovering! This is definitely one of my weaknesses.
Knowing that, I have learned to not react in the moment when I get any criticism and I continuously look at areas I can improve to avoid setbacks.
3. Writing
English is not my first language and all throughout High School I did not finish a single assigned novel. I still do not know what happened in Odyssey.
I know my writing is one of my weaknesses. My plan is to write more, every day in fact in hopes that by the end of a year, I will have improved.
I hope this helps you answer the very dreaded weaknesses question in your next interview. Good luck!!! | https://medium.com/@junecoffey/what-is-your-weakness-f84c1f17938f | ['June Coffey'] | 2020-11-17 02:58:55.013000+00:00 | ['Interviewing', 'Interview Preparation', 'Interview Tips', 'Recruitment', 'Interview'] |
Apple iCar: Specs and Rumors | The news that Apple made cars has become a hot topic in the industry. The CNBC said that Apple has never admitted to making a car plan, but Cook acknowledged that Apple is developing an “Autonomous system” that can be used for self-driving cars or other purposes.
The DigiTimes predicts that Apple cars will be unveiled from 2024 to 2025. According to Bloomberg News, Apple has also handed over the autonomous driving department of its “Titan” to John Giannandrea, the senior director of the artificial intelligence department.
The main task is to develop an autonomous driving system that can eventually be used in Apple’s electric cars
Taiwan’s Economic Daily News further pointed out that Apple has recently put forward stocking requirements to Taiwan’s auto parts manufacturers such as Heda, BizLink, Heqin, and Tomita.
Apple is expected to announce Apple Cars in September next year and also call its prototype cars. It has been tested on the road in California, USA.
Judging from the signs revealed by the media, Apple’s building a car is already a certainty.
At the moment, Apple has handed over the autonomous driving department of its “Titan” to John Giannandrea, the senior director of the artificial intelligence department.
The main task is to develop an autonomous driving system that can eventually be used in Apple’s electric cars.
Why does Apple build cars?
As early as 2016, Musk said: “Tesla’s biggest competitor is not Google, but Apple.”
Apple’s stock price has been hovering between US$100 and US$120 for a long time, and its market value can basically stand at US$2 trillion.
However, if you want a breakthrough in market value in the future, it is difficult to build on the existing track. Obviously, with iPhone hardware sales reaching the ceiling, Apple’s service business has fallen into an antitrust controversy again.
Apple urgently needs to find a new business to open the situation
The automotive industry is ushering in a stage of rapid growth, and it is a good time for Apple to enter the market at this time.
From January to November this year, 17.79 million passenger vehicles were sold in the Chinese market, and electric vehicles accounted for 5.4%. The industry predicts that sales of electric vehicles will exceed 1.5 million next year.
According to economic principles, when a new product category enters the market and the market share can rise to about 10%, it is often an inflection point of explosive growth.
This law has been verified in the smartphone industry
In the electric vehicle market this year, products such as model 3 have attracted huge attention, and the inflection point will faintly come.
Photo by zhang kaiyv on Unsplash
Apple’s main products are mainly consumer electronics products represented by the iPhone, Mac, and iPad
At present, everything Apple has laid out in the industrial chain is to form a complete supply chain system around these consumer electronics products. But in the automotive field.
Apple is still a novice
But Apple has been planning for a long time in the automotive field. Since the establishment of the Apple project code-named “Titan” in 2014, Apple’s patent application on automobiles has not been interrupted.
In January 2016, Titan ushered in its first major adjustment. According to employees who did not want to be named at the time, Apple is still a few years away from developing “a truly differentiated electric vehicle.”
Due to the lack of a clear goal, the Titan project encountered some challenges
But despite this, Apple’s investment in the automotive field has not stopped. According to incomplete statistics, Apple has applied for nearly 100 automotive patents since 2017, covering charging, autonomous driving, AR navigation, biometrics, and smart hardware.
And the Car External interactive electric vehicles on-board systems, body structure optimization, safety assurance, etc., can be said to cover the core areas of car manufacturing.
In 2018, Apple obtained several patents related to lidar. According to Apple insiders, the core of Apple’s car strategy is a new battery design.
The design reduces the number of modules for storing battery materials and frees up space inside the battery pack, thereby enabling the car to have a stronger endurance.
From the perspective of patent reserves
In 2020, Apple has obtained at least 10 autonomous-driving patents, which involve the three major areas of autonomous driving sensors, communication, and control.
It is worth mentioning that the patent for autonomous driving sensors involves the linkage between sensors and data sharing.
Different sensors correct each other in the process of calculating data, making the decision-making process of autonomous driving more accurate; the other is called the “Charging station with an automatic alignment device” patent.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Besides, Apple has also applied for lidar obstacle detection, hidden lidar, recognition of traffic police gestures, and scene recognition under severe weather conditions.
We have seen that Lidar has been used on the iPhone 12, and Apple can still observe passengers, The psychological changes adjust the vehicle driving mode and other related patents.
Apple’s patents in the smart cockpit include voice and gesture operation of the car
Cars use gestures (AR recognition) or eye movements (eye-tracking technology) to determine the driver’s intention to perform related operations.
This technology is further upgraded and may be extended to passenger interaction.
The current mainstream model of new energy vehicles is to first develop a set of highly integrated chassis that includes power systems, battery systems, vehicle controllers, and automatic driving execution, such as braking and steering, which is called “Skateboard”.
For this part of the work, Apple’s current accumulation and layout in the automotive field should not be a big problem
It can be seen from these patent applications that Apple’s performance in the field of central control car machines and autonomous driving is worth looking forward to.
Whether it is an operating system or a chip, Apple’s technical depth and human-computer interaction understanding should exceed that of traditional car companies.
Apple’s patent accumulation in smart cockpits is even more exciting
Although some patents have been applied in some car companies, Apple’s ability to integrate technology and products is worth looking forward to.
In general, Apple wants to build a self-driving electric car with a high degree of intelligence, connectivity, and integration of software and hardware.
If the car is launched, it can be expected that it will surpass the existing car interactive experience and innovate user experience
The experience in the car scene is a high probability event.
It can be found from Apple’s patents that Apple still has more thoughts on the future of intelligent electric vehicles.
On the whole, it is based on the perspective of future user experience. It aims at various pain points in-vehicle use and future autonomous driving and The evolution trend of related technologies combined with AR.
Can Apple make cars?
Before the iPhone came out in the past, Apple was also a novice in the mobile phone industry. However, mobile phones and PCs are actually products that are closely related to each other.
The iPhone made by Apple is not considered a cross-border, but a homeopathic extension based on past technological accumulation and industrial chain.
Mobile phones and cars are actually two complete products.
In different product fields, the complexity and difficulty of the automotive field are also greater
For Apple, the capital investment is large, the production line and component suppliers have to start planning from the beginning, and the talents for carmakers need to be accumulated.
Therefore, it is more difficult for Apple to bring subversive changes and breakthroughs in the automotive field than to make a subversive mobile phone.
Judging from the current car manufacturing by new forces, various OEMs are focusing on car-machine systems and smart cockpits, focusing on intelligent networking, human-computer interaction, and a more networked user experience.
This is actually Apple’s home field
Advantages, Apple’s iOS-based software ecosystem has been unable to make progress in the automotive field in the past. It can build cars on its own.
Based on iOS, it can cut into the Internet of Vehicles and open up the seamless connection between mobile phones and smart cockpits in the car. This will undoubtedly allow other new power cars. Advantages envied by enterprises.
Building a car is a matter of burning money
At present, Tesla, the most successful car company in the field of new energy vehicles, has been losing money almost every year during its 17 years of establishment and has burned more than 5 billion US dollars in accumulated money.
Despite the huge investment in building a car, Apple is not bad for the money.
In 2019, Apple has 1.5 trillion in cash reserves. All of Tesla’s losses in 17 years are less than a fraction of Apple’s cash reserves.
If Apple wants to burn money to compete with Tesla, then Tesla is not a dimension and magnitude at all
In general, after the entry of new forces such as Apple and Tesla, the importance of core technologies in the automotive industry will become more and more prominent.
The competitors of traditional car companies are not limited to Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volkswagen, but Tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Tesla.
According to Goldman Sachs, Apple can use cars as a hardware platform to support its services. However, the low level of profit in the auto industry may mean that investors can see a limited contribution to profitability from this move.
But in fact, it is speculated from the focus of Apple’s patents that Apple is rushing to control the technological commanding heights of autonomous driving.
It does not pay attention to all the details of the vehicle but focuses on the most profitable intelligent driving and intelligent cockpit system links.
The other parts can actually be outsourced
If Apple has the ability to control some parts, it is not difficult to make a car that surpasses the standard of traditional car companies, and Apple’s model is still to hold the majority of profits in its own hands.
This is actually a continuation of Apple’s consistent style and model
In the mobile phone field, Apple only controls the core of the chip and operating system. Other parts are handed over to a group of suppliers, and OEMs are handed over to Foxconn, Wistron, and Luxshare Precision, etc.
In the automotive industry, Apple also wants to control only the parts that represent high technological manufacturing and high profits in the future.
After all, the industrial chain of the automotive industry is much more complicated than that of the mobile phone and PC industries.
A car has 30,000 parts and components, and the extremely large industrial chain places extremely high requirements on Apple’s integration capabilities.
According to Taiwan media sources, Apple has put forward stocking requirements to Taiwan’s auto parts manufacturers such as Heda, BizLink, Heqin, and Tomita.
From the perspective of the industrial chain
The current auto industry’s parts supply operation model has been relatively mature, auto market companies are highly dispersed, and the years of development of traditional auto companies have built their own community of interests.
Suppliers are also highly dispersed, and Apple is involved
It is basically impossible to achieve control of the mobile phone field in a short time.
From the experience of Tesla and other traditional automakers, it is very difficult to have a global electric vehicle or car production network.
Therefore, based on Apple’s inherent model to build cars, the integration capability of the supply chain is one of Apple’s biggest difficulties facing the auto market.
Besides, another big problem for Apple to make cars is that the early adopters are difficult to reproduce. The automobile category and the mobile phone category are two different user groups.
Photo by Romain Tordo on Unsplash
In the past, the launch of new products such as AirPods and Apple Watch first attracted the early adopters of the original fruit powder group and then popularized it among the mass consumer groups.
This made Apple’s new products a very smooth transition to the initial cold start stage of sales.
But in the automotive industry, this fan effect may no longer be useful. It is basically impossible for users in the mobile phone market and PC market to transfer to the car market.
On the one hand, mobile phones and cars are completely different products, with different product attributes, user needs, and interests, and there is no continuity and continuity at the demand level.
Secondly, cars are consumer category that focuses on decision-making. Apple cars are on the market and the price is not cheap.
Ordinary consumers can afford Apple mobile phones, but they need to buy Apple cars is based on a certain economic foundation
Apple’s inherent fan base The proportion of China Energy’s affordable consumption is not large.
Besides, it also needs to establish market trust. For automotive products, especially self-driving smart cars, safety is the most important.
It will take some time to verify the safety and handling experience. After all, a novice will end up making Consumers may be more willing to take a look at the car first.
Consumers may have a long wait-and-see period in the early stage of Apple’s introduction to the market
Although Apple is not bad for the money, it is difficult for Apple to tolerate long-term losses based on catering to the capital market’s expectations of investment returns.
From the analyst’s point of view: “If fully autonomous driving becomes the mainstream, then the time the driver spends on the road will again become the focus of competition for technology giants.”
In this regard, Apple’s full-scene ecosystem based on iOS services has given automotive hardware to it, and it will grow into a new service business.
Apple’s product ecosystem will achieve a closed-loop of overall travel from home, mobile travel to the company, and realize a unified lifestyle. Station-style “smart service”.
Therefore, in this sense, it depends on whether Apple is willing to sacrifice short-term returns and profits and use it as a core long track in the future for continuous investment.
Because it is too easy for Apple to make money, it may have underestimated the fierce competition and profitability of making cars and is unwilling to do long-term money-burning projects.
From the point of view of its revealed strategic purpose, Apple may make cars different from Tesla. Apple is more for profit, and Tesla still has the idea of changing the auto industry.
However, if Apple is determined to make a difference in the auto market, Tesla’s market value may be cut by half if there is a small success in a few years. | https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/apple-icar-specs-and-rumors-299a41cfdedb | ['Arslan Mirza'] | 2020-12-28 13:14:20.721000+00:00 | ['Apple', 'Electric Car', 'Technology', 'Self Driving Cars', 'Tesla'] |
AYS Daily Digest 16/04/2021 — European Officials Made Deals With Libyan Coast Guard Knowing People Would Be Left to Die | AYS Daily Digest 16/04/2021 — European Officials Made Deals With Libyan Coast Guard Knowing People Would Be Left to Die Are You Syrious? Follow Apr 17 · 9 min read
Greek Migration Ministry Boasts of Decreasing Migration Numbers, Doesn’t Say Why//BVMN Report for March//More Arrivals in Romania
Are You Syrious?
Apr 17 · 9 min read
FEATURE
Leaked recordings show Italian officials aware of Libyan Coast Guard’s indifference, cooperated anyway
For several years, people on the move and advocates have been sounding the alarm about cooperation with Libya. Despite evidence of torture in Libyan camps, despite evidence of brutality on the part of the so-called coast guard, EU governments continue to send people back to Libya and share resources with local authorities. Ever since the Italy-Libya deal in 2017, which ceded responsibility for rescues in the Mediterranean Sea to the Libyan authorities, countless people have died as a result of the Libyan Coast Guard’s brutality and indifference.
New leaked recordings show that the Italian authorities were aware of the indifferent attitude their Libyan counterparts had towards rescues. In one phone call, coastguard Col Massoud Abdalsamad responds to information that ten boats are in distress in Libyan waters by saying, “It’s a day off.”
It’s a day off. It’s a holiday here. But I can try to help. Perhaps we can be there tomorrow.
In the spring of 2017 alone, several hundred people died at sea because Libyan authorities would not answer distress calls, even when Italian authorities themselves made the call.The EU has officially known about the Libyan authorities’ inability to conduct rescues since 2018, according to an internal report, but the deals continued.
One of the sad ironies of this story is that these conversations were only recorded because Sicilian prosecutors were looking for evidence to pin bogus charges on NGOs for smuggling. Instead, they uncovered evidence of their own government’s complicity in hundreds of deaths in the Mediterranean. Despite the Italian government knowing that Libyan authorities would not or could not rescue people in distress at sea, making NGOs the only actors preventing people from drowning, they chose to go after the rescuers.
Just ten days ago, new PM Draghi made his first visit abroad of his term to Libya, where he praised the government’s efforts in rescues at sea. Of course, truth or humanity has never succeeded in blocking the wheels of politics before, and it will not stop them now.
The Guardian broke the news of the transcripts the same day that a shipwreck killed at least 40 people off the coast of Tunisia. Although this incident happened in Tunisia, not Libya, it still highlights the failure of the European response to the situation in the Mediterranean. Since the 2017 deal with Libya, European authorities have virtually ceased their own search-and-rescue activities, happy to cede that responsibility to the Libyan Coast Guard, knowing that rescues would not happen. They also simultaneously lay the rest of the responsibility on NGOs while severely limiting the scope of their operations and criminalizing them.
Perhaps if there was a robust mechanism for search-and-rescue in the Mediterranean, the 40 people who died would still be alive today. Instead, European governments are knowingly funding institutions that leave people to die. Instead, 40 families will now spend their days grieving. | https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-daily-digest-16-04-2021-european-officials-made-deals-with-libyan-coast-guard-knowing-people-ceb3d4d5ce75 | ['Are You Syrious'] | 2021-04-17 11:56:35.788000+00:00 | ['Italy', 'Digest', 'Libya', 'Migrants', 'Refugees'] |
What is HYBSE? | What is HYBSE?
HYBSE is short for Hybrid Stock Exchange and is a part of the DIM ECOSYSTEM.
HYBSE was programmed by financial and software specialists formerly employed at the well known Xetra ( Frankfurt stock market). So it can be fairly concluded that this platform is very professional programmed and designed by people with high knowledge about the trading environment.
What can you trade on HYBSE? Almost everything, here take a look:
Cryptonized shares
Cryptonized currencies
Commodities
Index
Forex
ETC (Exchange-traded commodities)
ETF (Exchange-traded fund)
ETN (exchange-traded note)
Furthermore small and medium businesses can use HYBSE to seek capital and go public through an IPO.
What are the advantages of using HYBSE?
The normal trading platform is too expensive, over-regulated and takes ages to clear simple trades. With HYBSE the whole trading environment changes! HYBSE is a low-cost operational trading platform that offers fast clearing, transparency, very user-friendly interface and most important of all, it’s highly secure.
The normal procedure when trading different financial instruments where the investor (you) must trade through your broker -> then the broker must clear the transaction with a clearing house -> then the custodian must confirm the transaction -> and finally the transaction is put in the ledger.
When trading on HYBSE is only a small tree step procedure
Companies/issuer -> HYBSE -> investor (you). Fast, cheap and very secure.
When is HYBSE ready?
HYBSE will be ready September 2018. According to this update from the DIM team, the programming is 40% done. You can see the announcement here. The best news is that HYBSE is in negotiation with over 25 companies to be listed on HYBSE!
The DIM team will release snapshots of the development of HYBSE a long the way. You can follow the development on their Telegram channel here.
Earn money with the fees on HYBSE
The trading fees on HYBSE is 0,1% of the volume on each transaction. 30% of that fee will be transferred as a dividend to the TOKENS holders with more than 50+ DIM TOKENS. You can passively earn money just by holding DIM TOKENS in your DEPOTWALLET. You can read more about DIM TOKENS here.
You can also earn a lot of money by helping companies listing on HYBSE. You will be rewarded with 0,1% of the company’s listing market value. This can turn out to be some serious money. | https://medium.com/dim-univers/what-is-hybse-275cc914d26 | ['Morten Madsen'] | 2018-10-31 18:58:00.500000+00:00 | ['Trading', 'Passive Income', 'Stock Market', 'Crypto', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
Lessons in Death | Death bewilders me. Perhaps it is the uncertainty of the experience. The loneliness, the fear, the departing of a soul. Or maybe it is the abandonment of loved ones, and of life itself. Mostly, I think it the realization that one day my own life will come to an end.
I am thinking of death lately, after losing an aunt and uncle within three weeks of each other. They were married, my aunt went first. My uncle never grieved, at least not outwardly. But I think his heart was broken. I think that’s what killed him.
We each grieve differently. Some follow rituals, claw at the earth, or toss yellow roses on the newly deceased’s bed. Some are silent, serene, distant. Others mourn in unconventional ways, self-imposed rules created for themselves. I would find this out at the first funeral I attended.
It was July, 1973. My uncle had just died of a heart attack. I never knew him. He lived in Georgia, far from our Minnesota home. But I remember the funeral well. The air was thick, a dense paste that plastered my long dark hair against my neck. Gnats swarmed, and snakes slithered across wide dirt roads.
Friends and family gathered around the casket, wiping tears off dewy cheeks. The vault was open, the casket fell, people jumped. My aunt sighed loudly. For a moment, the world stood still. Even the birds were silenced.
Then it was over. Death had won. Grievers walked away, heads hanging, as if to raise them would be arrogant. Only my aunt remained, staring at the casket holding her husband’s shell. He left her, alone with two children.
My cousins and I walked quietly to the station wagon. Their round cheeks, touched deeply by the Southern sun, were neither happy nor sad. As we drove away, the dismal scene of their mother faded from view. I expected them to weep uncontrollably and grasp each other’s hands, but they never did.
Instead, a soft tune emitted from the boy’s lips. His sister joined and their voices grew, spreading melodic strains of “Delta Dawn” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane” throughout the car. As their youthful voices sang, my heart ached for a man I never knew, and for children who didn’t know how to mourn.
A few months later my family experienced another loss when my mom’s mom left the earth. Her five children, spouses, and grandchildren wept uncontrollably, wrapping their arms fiercely around one another. My grandma’s death lingered for years, in the lefse at Christmas, and the black onyx strung around my neck.
Just a few years later, death arrived again, this time removing my last grandparent. My dad’s family never cried. Melancholy, stoic, a silent day of reverence, a day of unspoken memories.
Soon after, an icy river took my uncle. Once again, my mom’s family didn’t pretend, they clung and grasped each other, as if they wondered who would be next.
In 1991, my father passed away. Friends and family assembled at the cemetery, a blistery December day two days before Christmas. A flag covered the casket, red and blue, a sharp contrast to the glittery snow. Thousands of marbled stones were lined as rigid as the soldiers beneath our feet. Red flowers held tight to green wreaths, a somber reminder of uncelebrated Christmases. Sobs and sniffles, feet shuffled on icy ground, throats cleared, and tissues met eyes. Wool jackets pulled tight to chilled bodies. My jacket lay limp, heat warming my veins.
A call to arms was given, a military salute, a rifle shot through the air. Bugles sounded their cry. The pastor spoke with words I could not hear nor understand. The flag was folded, placed in my brother’s open arms. His large body heaved forward, shaking as he wept. I shed no tears.
The funeral ended. People approached, recounting anecdotes of a father’s quirky wit. Some wept, all looking to me for reassurance. I said he was happy, dancing the golden streets above.
Grieving has a three-fold purpose, for the sake of others who expect a display; for the life itself, be it short or long, it is always unfinished; mostly, I think grieving is for those who are still alive, the selfishness of having a life stolen, long before we are ready to release it.
As I stood that day, seeing some with chins held high and others with arms wrapped tight around another, I was reminded I was not there to console, to grieve or support, but to say goodbye to a man I held in my heart.
I knew I would grieve one day, that the tears would stop and never end. I would mourn for moments lost, memories no longer made, and for times that would become distant and foggy. That day as I listened to others sob, I would remember my first lesson in death, and I would celebrate, not of a life lost, but a life lived. | https://medium.com/@vhnelson030/lessons-in-death-21401727bf23 | ['Vicki Nelson'] | 2019-01-23 23:14:54.778000+00:00 | ['Death', 'Grief And Loss', 'Life Lessons', 'Family'] |
Bioluminescent fungi unlock new toolkit for plant research | Many animals have evolved the capacity to produce light from chemical reactions. For example, an enzyme known as luciferase in fireflies produces light by acting on a molecule called luciferin.
Scientists have identified the enzymes that drive several of these systems and used them to build reporters that can study the activity of genes in the tissues of plants and other lifeforms over space and time. However, these reporters often require chemicals to be added to the tissues to produce light. These chemicals tend to be expensive and may not penetrate evenly into the tissues of interest, limiting the potential applications of the reporters in research studies.
Recently, it has been discovered that fungi have a bioluminescence pathway that converts a molecule known as caffeic acid into luciferin. Caffeic acid is a common molecule in plants, therefore, it is possible the fungal bioluminescence pathway could be used to build reporters that produce light without needing the addition of chemicals.
Now, Khakhar et al. have inserted the genes that encode the enzymes of the fungal bioluminescence pathway into tobacco plants. The experiments found that this was sufficient to turn caffeic acid into molecules of luciferin which are able to produce light. Inserting the same genes into several other plant species, including tomatoes and dahlias, produced similar results. Further experiments showed that the fungal bioluminescence pathway can be used to build reporters that monitor the activity of plant genes throughout living tissues and over a period of several days as well as examine the response to plant hormones.
Alongside studying the activities of genes in plants, Khakhar et al. propose that the toolkit developed in this work could be used to generate plants with luminescence that can be switched on or off as desired. This could have many uses including helping plants attract insects to pollinate flowers and building plant biosensors that emit light in response to environmental signals. | https://medium.com/roots-and-shoots/bioluminescent-fungi-unlock-new-toolkit-for-plant-research-42e37770ef40 | [] | 2020-05-02 09:06:00.796000+00:00 | ['Biology', 'Science', 'Plants', 'Bioluminescence', 'Fungi'] |
Elder Scrolls Online [ESO] — first impressions | Disclaimer: I’m an older gamer whose main interests are crafting, exploration, lore, game design and aesthetics. If you want to know if ESO has the best dungeons or the most exciting PVP, you’ve come to the wrong place.
So…first impressions:
“God, the characters are ugly.”
“Help! The camera is awful!”
“Bloody hell, how do you move around in this game?”
But then there came a moment when I saw my first ‘mansion’…
A mansion near the starter area of ESO
…and the graphics whore in me kicked in. Jaw agape, I wandered through this empty mansion and was transported back to my favourite game of all time - Vagrant Story. Created by Square Enix, Vagrant Story was probably the most beautiful game ever developed for the first PlayStation console, and the graphics had the same effect on me.
But this article isn’t about Vagrant Story, it’s about ESO, and the reason I bring the comparison up so early in the piece is because this was the moment when all my other first impressions faded into insignificance. I still hated the appearance of my character [and all the npcs]. I still found moving around difficult, and battling excruciatingly hit or miss, but…the beauty of the ‘world’ had me hooked.
The following are some more views of the world:
Watery vista just to the north of Balmora
A close-up view of the texture of a wall in Balmora. The dark shapes are shadows from a tree.
Before playing ESO, I honestly thought Final Fantasy XIV [FFXIV] was the most beautiful MMORPG currently available. I still think FFXIV is beautiful in that distinctly Asian, manga-esque way, but I no longer think it’s the best out there. ESO is.
The grass and bushes in ESO are thicker, richer, more real looking. The textures are a million times better, and the abundance of fauna, both large and small, make the environment feel alive. Plus the whole landscape is full of things to find, but more on that later. Time now for some negatives.
I began this article by saying that ESO characters are ugly. I stand by that. Nevertheless, I do acknowledge that my aesthetic may not appeal to everyone. I have played Western MMOs [WoW, GW2 and a couple of forgettables], but the bulk of my playing time has been on Japanese or Korean MMOs. Bear that in mind as you look at the following screenshots:
A Dark Elf male and a Nord female
I love character customisation, but I found it next to impossible to create attractive characters in ESO. The faces shown above are two of the most attractive ones, but I don’t think either is that attractive.
Two characters from Asian MMOs
The two characters above are from Asian MMOs. The character on the left is from my brief foray into Blade and Soul. Loved the aesthetic of the characters, hated the game. The character on the right is from FFXIV. Both are gorgeous, and as a female player I make no apology for prefering them to the ESO offering.
I’m not impressed with the ESO body aesthetic either:
Three races from ESO
To me, the legs in ESO look too short for the bodies, but that could just be me. The monotony of the faces, however, is not my imagination. It is possible to create some differences between races, but within races, all the faces come out looking almost identical. As for the Cat and Lizard races…rolls eyes. Really? Stick an unmodified cat head on a human body and that’s it? Instant Cat race? The less said about those two races the better.
And now to the camera and movement settings in ESO. Having the camera locked to the head of the character may work in first person shooters, but for those of us who prefer a 3rd person perspective — i.e. seeing our characters from behind as they move about — the camera is nauseating, literally. You can’t just point to some ‘object’ with the mouse and look at it. You have to move the character until the cross hairs at head level pan over the object you want to check out.
The camera setting also means that the character has to be pointed at and looking at any enemy it needs to fight. Getting that ‘head camera angle’ just right in 3rd person view is tricky, very tricky. Again, I imagine that the camera setting would make fighting in PVP easier as you wouldn’t have to worry about lining up the crosshair, it would just be ‘there’. Pity I don’t do PVP.
You can change the key bindings for actions and weapon skills, but after much effort I finally gave up and learned to use the default setup, more or less. These settings include:
left mouse button for ‘Attack’ [with your weapon]
right mouse button for block, and
left & right mouse buttons together to interrupt
Actual weapon skills are handled by the number keys, 1–5. This means you can only ever have five of the total available weapon skills active at the one time. [I haven’t reached the level at which I get weapon swap which will effectively give me another 5 weapon skills to work with and I’m ignoring Ultimates for now].
Do I enjoy the battling? Not particularly, but I’m now able to hold my own. In time I may actually become reasonably proficient at fighting. -sigh-
Still on the subject of fighting, I have to say that the solo ‘dungeons’ [delves?] are fast becoming my favourite parts of the game. Most of these instanced, solo events are part of a quest chain and occur underground, or in some dungeon-like area.
This is the map of the Vassir-Didanat Mine dungeon:
These instanced dungeons can be completed on your own or by casually joining other players who are in the same place at the same time. No need to join a party, just tag along helping each other as needed. Great fun.
Returning to the camera settings, another problem is that you can’t just sweep the mouse over the environment when you’re looking for something. This can make gathering tricky as collectables aren’t marked in any way. You have to get up close and personal, and touch the object with the crosshair before you can see its label.
Circled in red is a maple log
If you love gathering and crafting, you will eventually learn to recognize the appearance of collectables from a distance, but as you can see from the above screenshot, collectables don’t exactly leap out of the environment at you. Yet despite this, or perhaps because of it, each rune, flower, or lump of wood I discover feels like an achievement.
This sense of accomplishment is in stark contrast to FFXIV where gathering is ‘easy’ but horribly boring. Sadly, crafting in ESO is the exact reverse. You rock up to a crafting station, choose the item you want to craft and hit a button. If you have the required materials, the item is crafted without any further input from the crafter. Boring….
Elements of crafting in ESO
By contrast, crafting in FFXIV is a mini-game and actually requires both strategy and skill.
In an attempt to make crafting in ESO a little more substantial, higher levels require ‘traits’ that must be researched. Researching a trait involves the destruction of an ‘item’ [weapon, gear, whatever] in order to learn the trait it contains. Researching a trait takes 6 hours and again, requires no further input from the crafter.
There are other bits and pieces involved in crafting, but at this point I haven’t discovered anything in ESO that makes my heart go pitter pat. I’m still at a very low level though so I’ll reserve my final judgement until I learn more.
Before I finish this preliminary overview of ESO, there are two further positives I really have to point out. Despite the fact that my character is only level 12, the quest lines have already given me a mount and a room at the inn which I can furnish as I wish.
None of the MMOs I’ve played have ever been this generous to a newbie player. It’s almost as if ESO believes players should be enjoying themselves right from the beginning instead of having to level up for weeks before being rewarded with something ‘nice’. I’m not saying ESO is perfect, far from it, but I will say that I’ve never enjoyed these low levels in an MMO before. That has to mean something. Oh, and it’s free to play. That means something too.
cheers
acflory | https://medium.com/tikh-tokh/elder-scrolls-online-eso-first-impressions-272e7217e11 | ['A.C. Flory'] | 2018-03-10 12:45:30.495000+00:00 | ['The Elder Scrolls Online', 'Gaming', 'Eso', 'Comparison', 'Ffxiv'] |
Man Shot While Reaching For DNA Test to Prove He Was White | 36-year-old Shaun Jones was shot twice by police officers during a routine traffic stop while attempting to reach for a DNA test from his center console. Jones was unarmed, and was trying to reach for his 23andMe DNA test to show the officers that he is actually white. Police stated that the official reason for stopping in the first place was that they considered Jones to be a black man, and therefore assumed that he was a suspect in a crime.
A lawyer for one of the officers involved in the shooting stated that “had Jones not appeared to be so black, police never would have pulled him over in the first place.” Jones, who is in now in stable condition, claims that he did say to the officers that he was white, and told them that he was reaching for the DNA test in the center console to prove it. “I just got the test back a week ago, and it shows I’m 52% European,” Jones said from his hospital bed. Jones further said, “this means that I’m a white man, and that the police shouldn’t shoot me or take me to jail!”
The officers involved are saying that Jones never did inform them that he was white. “The officers on the scene honestly thought he was black, otherwise they wouldn’t have shot him,” A spokesman for the police department stated. During a press conference following the incident, the Chief of Police said that “we are investigating this matter fully, however at the moment we are considering this a justified shooting because both police officers truly believed that Jones was a black male.”
Other officers who arrived at the scene after the shooting echoed the sentiments of the police department. “I also thought he was black,” said one officer, “and the woman that was with him was definitely black, and usually black people travel together.” Another officer stated that “it was an old beat-up car, which is usually indicative of black people, so it’s not surprising that the officers on the scene believed that they needed to use force.”
Initially taken to a minority hospital located in a black neighborhood, Jones was quickly moved to a white hospital to have the bullets removed from his right shoulder. After his surgery, Jones said that he does understand the actions of the police, but believed that they needed to give him more time to show them that he was white. “Look, I understand that I look black, but I’m as white as a banker, and I should have been entitled to the safety and privileges thereof.”
Jones further stated that “Bottom line, I told the officers that I was white and that I was reaching for my DNA test, but clearly, they didn’t believe me.” The passenger that was in the vehicle with Jones has corroborated Jones statement and said to reporters that she did, in fact, hear Jones say to officers that he was white. The passenger went on to say that she will now break up with Jones since she doesn’t date white people.
Leader of the White Preservation Group (WPG), Bill Duke, stated to reporters that “while there are many instances where it’s safe to shoot before asking questions because it’s so obvious that someone is black, in the case of Mr. Jones, police should have waited to see the DNA test.” Duke, who has been leading an initiative to make it illegal for police to accidentally shoot white people, questioned why the officers didn’t fire more shots if they truly believed that Jones was black.“ I have to wonder if the officers had doubt as to the racial status of Mr. Jones,” Ross said, “only being shot twice in the shoulder seems like granted white privilege me, not something that they would normally do for a black male.”
Jones is scheduled to be released from the hospital before the end of the week, at which point he has stated that he will file a lawsuit against the police department for failing to recognize that he was white. | https://medium.com/the-haven/man-shot-while-reaching-for-dna-test-to-prove-he-was-white-c8fb3978a389 | ['Joshua Dopkowski'] | 2020-11-02 23:10:46.356000+00:00 | ['Humor', 'Political Satire', 'Blm', 'Racism', 'Satire'] |
journal notes | To say that the last few months have been a lot is an understatement. Digesting all of this as a Black Muslimah means reliving experiences I have encountered in my day to day life. My escape from reality lies within the four walls of my bedroom but even then the urge to rise at dawn is damning. Every morning I read the daily paper aka my twitter timeline, and take my dose of negativity. A gravely grouding reminder that the world we reside in still does not hold space for people like me. While I am granted the gift of life every waking hour, I’m reminded that people live in scraps and I question and ponder. How have my ancestors lived on, facing colonizers that reaped their land and tyrants among them that were willing to spare them to be enslaved. how have they lived on, and still found the capacity to love and be loved, raise families and build for their own. How? I wake up greeted by prarie skies in a land that sees me as a foreigner.
Every morning this is what I am reminded of, no matter what you do or achieve you’re just another handout taking Black Muslimah. Yet I still prostrate to my Maker, praying for the protection of my kinfolk. While my escape is bordered by my bedroom on my twin bed, supplication is my only constant. It’s crazy that chaos breeds this need for faith intervention, but has become my only resort. The stillness of my body while I converse with my Creator has become the only place I feel no burden. Yet as I ponder, I realize that my urge to push through my day is the resilience placed in me by the Creator I seek refuge to… | https://medium.com/@arwaei/journal-notes-c0ae5ab79ee9 | [] | 2020-11-26 05:06:50.996000+00:00 | ['Resilience', 'Black Muslim', 'Muslim', 'Faith', 'Islam'] |
Calls and Connections | “Ring ring” “ring ring,” the phone blared.
‘Who could that be,’ I thought to myself. ‘Another well wisher?’ I didn’t want any of that. T’was supposed to be a day to make merry and be glad, for it was my birthday. But the day had started rather bleak and had only gotten worse since the break of dawn.
“Ring ring” “ring ring,” continued the phone. I reached out to grab the phone to see who was calling. ‘Oh good, an unsaved number, isn’t this just lovely.’
“Hello!” chirped from the other end of the line. ‘Not just an unknown number but also a voice I didn’t recognize.’ I thought, forgetting to say Hello back.
“Hello!” again, the voice getting firmer. ‘Hi,’ I replied weakly.
Prior to that phone call, my day had turned from one of hopefulness to one where all I could do was cling unto slipping hope. Allow me to explain further. It was the second of November, my birthday, so I had a lot planned out. I wouldn’t say that I put in any effort celebrating my birthday, but this year was different. It was a significant birthday for me, my silver jubilee (It sounds bonkers, I know), so I had wanted to do something. Also, we all know how “good and just amazing” the year 2020 had been. There were hangouts planned, friends and family calling. Heck! I had even planned to go shopping. Not something I do regularly or even like to do, but this was a special day.
I had gotten up early in the morn, answered a few calls, and replied to some messages. The influx of calls and messages were not at all what I had expected. Not much came after the first few, but then I had received most of the messages much earlier in the day, around midnight. I was picking out clothes to wear when I noticed it. He was awake, but his eyes were drooping. I called out to him, and he could barely hear me, and when he did, his response was way off from what we were discussing. “Dad, we are going to the hospital,” I said, masking my fears and concerns.
We got to the hospital, and everything was routine. The doctors saw him, said their usual mumbo jumbo incantations when describing a patient’s case, knowing fully that we, normal human beings, can’t understand higher beings’ language. Bottom-line, he was to be admitted and kept under observation. Their fears were mine; he was experiencing a stroke.
“Thank God you guys came in when you did. his case is still in the early stages, and we can take care of it,” the doctor said. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”
I stepped out of his office, walked towards the car, and said a prayer: ‘I will not lose my father on the day I turn 25. Lord save him.’ Soon after, the words ceased, and tears streamed down my cheeks. I wiped them off, adjusted, adjusted my posture, and proceeded back to the ward they had put him in.
‘Hi,’ my reply was weak. It couldn’t have been past seven in the evening, but in my eyes, the day had had a dark cloud over it, and the darkness was gradually extending past my horizon.
“My name is ***** from the gathering you attended yesterday. I was going through the form and saw that it was your birthday, so I decided to call and wish you a happy birthday.”
‘Thank you for calling. I am fine, how about you (in my usual monotone voice).
“Are you alright? It’s your birthday; you should be happy and all that.”
‘I am fine; it has been a long day.’ I replied.
“Ok, can I sing for you? It is your birthday, maybe it would cheer you up. Although I must say, I can’t sing to save my life.”
(Why then would she suggest it, lol.) The thought made me chuckle. This seemingly uninteresting call from a complete stranger had, for a second, had me smile, reminding me that it was my birthday.
‘Can I call you back?’ I asked.
“Sure, you can. Looking forward to hearing from you when you’re in a better mood. And please, whatever you’re going through, smile, ok? It will be alright,” was her reply.
Amidst all I had gone through, this stranger had for a second reminded me what that day was all about, and almost like it was God sent, the doctors came in with some even better news.
“He is out of the woods, and you can rest easy.”
By 10pm that day, we battled to keep his BP and pulse under cause it had risen to the roof.
That phone call that parted the clouds a bit was now a thing of the past. All I could think of was my father surviving each minute until his vitals returned to normal. I didn’t sleep that up until 5am the next morning. The prayers and doctors trooping in and out of the ward occupied my present, and even my dreams. So it was a real wonder how I even remembered that call.
‘I will call that stranger tomorrow,’ I thought while I drifted into the shortest sleep I have ever had, knowing full well that another battle awaited me when my eyes opened. | https://medium.com/@rabin-jack/calls-and-connections-872fa98d9b0e | ['Rabin Jack'] | 2020-12-11 11:54:14.963000+00:00 | ['Hope', 'Challenges In Life', 'Friends'] |
Product Metrics — How to measure a product | I recently watched this video by YC where Suhail Doshi (Co-founder of Mixpanel) talks on how to discover important facts about products.
Since the lecture’s transcript and slides links are broken,
I have listed down my takeaways here for a quick 2 minutes read.
While defining metrics of any product, we should be able to answer 3 broad-level questions
about the product
1. Is the product easy to understand?
Users visiting an app or website can be acquired only when they are able to make sense of the product and find it relevant.
Key metrics can be helpful in tracking this:
- No. of Visitors & No. of Signups — This metric helps in iterating on landing pages design and in figuring out optimum design to make this step as easy as possible
- The ratio of Single page visits to multiple pages engagement — Are users just visiting single pages and leaving or are they exploring more than that
In a B2B product > No. of visits to pricing page — Shows intent and interest of users
2. Is the product easy to get started?
Users should be able to get the value proposition of the product easily.
Key metrics can be helpful in tracking this:
- No. of users doing a valuable activity — Basically defining what “active” is in Daily active users”. This can be as simple as doing a search
- Time is taken to do a valuable activity on the app/website — How easy/difficult it is for the users to finish a valuable task
Additionally:
- Measure funnel of the entire experience — from landing page to a valuable activity — Helps in identifying gaps and opportunities in the user journey
- Don’t try to optimize for bad/fake actors.
- Try to make this step easier by reducing steps in starting with the product e.g Google never asks for signing up / logging in before googling
3. Are people coming back to use the product?
No matter how many new users a product is able to acquire, it is the returning users that play a key role in defining long term success of a product.
Key metrics can be helpful in tracking this:
- % of new users coming back in 1 week / 30 days — Helps in understanding how valuable the product is for the users
- More focus on DAU than MAU — MAU can be just another vanity metrics and may not give a clear picture of the stickiness of the product | https://productcoalition.com/product-metrics-how-to-measure-a-product-ab5296ef2a62 | ['Rashmi Shukla'] | 2020-03-23 14:05:07.156000+00:00 | ['Metrics', 'Product Management', 'Product', 'Product Design'] |
Why cooperation is essential and how to give and get cooperation? | “Even the blessed ones who receive various necessities of life from Gods enjoy these without sharing it with the other creatures are certainly a thief.” Bhagavad Gita verse 3.12
Movements fail if it does not get support from the community.
Businesses fail if it does not get cooperation from employees and stakeholders.
Governments fail if it does not get cooperation from citizens.
Sports teams fail to win the match if they do not get cooperation from every player.
You fail if you do not receive cooperation from your family, society, employers, colleagues, and friends.
You cannot achieve anything worthwhile without cooperation and help from others. It is the curbed and selfish passion that stops you from cooperating between people, organizations, and the nation. For the world to evolve, it’s time we pursue and push for cooperation in our endeavor.
How do you define cooperation?
The action or process of working together to the same end.
How do you see yourself, your family, society, or the organization become better if you achieve cooperation from everyone involved?
I can instantly remember the story of a householder whose three sons were fighting all the time. Frustrated with their fighting, the farmer thought of an idea that will help him stop it. One day, he called his sons and presented a thick wood stick to them and tasked them to break it individually.
They all tried it one by one and failed to break it. The sons felt sad and disappointed as they were unable to break the wood stick. The householder asked all of them to put their efforts together. Together, they broke the wood stick instantly. Sons learned that to win, they need to cooperate instead of fighting.
What types of cooperation do you need?
It would be best if you had social cooperation to support your initiatives from your social group. You would have observed how an artist or sports team performs better when their fans and communities support them. Religious cooperation is needed to get out of the daily routines of life and unite to pray, celebrate, and enjoy the festivity. Different individuals with similar motives and interests come together to financially support the business or cause. Financial cooperation helps for starting a business, setting up establishments, and running businesses. It would help if you had community cooperation to get your voice heard. If the government fails to deliver it’s promises or indulges in malpractices, you need the community support to fight against it. People around you have a better understanding of your assets, aspirations, and market realities. You need cooperation from people to improve your chances of success if you are part of a circle of influence.
How will you measure whether you are cooperating well with others who matter for your plan ahead?
It would be best if you worked together with people as their ally. Always be helping. Efforts together to improve collaboration among the members. Teamwork and collaboration must be a central theme of your behavior to foster cooperation. Use modern tools such as WhatsApp Groups, Community management tools, and other relevant mediums to connect, collaborate, and share resources to benefit the community. Participate in social events such as weddings, celebrations, events, etc., to expand your connection, communicate your ideas, and build trust to make people feel comfortable cooperating with you. Resolve conflicts and confusion by providing accurate information, clear goals, and roles of the team members. Review and reward the unique talents, capabilities, and efforts of members. It helps people stay motivated to achieve common goods while keeping their eyes on the prize.
How will you know when you’re not cooperating?
People avoid meetings, people are not responding to requests, people are not engaging, and people are not attentive to achieving the set goals. Members of the team do not respond on a timely basis or fulfill their assigned role commitments. Your team members start competing with each other instead of cooperating. When people start playing games instead of getting things done.
And while conducting yourself in daily life, remember, you are here for a short visit, not knowing how you will sail through the uncertain yet challenging terrain of life. Whatever happiness, success, or peace you have today there because of other people’s labor, how earnestly you must exert yourself to give in return as much as you receive so that living becomes happier, fearless, and free of sufferings.
If you wish to win, you must prime your values, behaviors, and actions focused on mutual respect. | https://medium.com/@ishwarjha/why-cooperation-is-essential-and-how-to-give-and-get-cooperation-251269a88d6f | ['Grow Remarkably With Ishwar Jha'] | 2020-12-12 03:52:38.930000+00:00 | ['Cooperation', 'Leadership', 'Collaboration', 'Startup', 'Team'] |
An Honest Review of “The Game Changers” | “Have you noticed anything change physically since you went vegan? I’m realizing we never really talked about it, not fully. It’s six months ago now.”
“Well, like they were talking about in the movie, my recovery time got shorter, definitely. I also noticed I was building muscle more easily, like they talked about too. I had more energy to go the gym. I’d go work out and drive home, and then feel like I could go again, which was different.”
I nod, chowing down after Game Changers on a BimBap bowl (sauces on the side, please) at Luanne’s Wild Ginger in Fort Greene. Gael eats scallion pancakes and Udon noodles doused in all the delicious oils.
“Did the IBS stuff go away? I assume it did since you haven’t mentioned it.”
“Ya, pretty much a couple weeks after I went vegan. They called me for a follow-up referral and I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t need that anymore.’”
“Were you worried when you switched that you’d lose weight?” I ask, munching on some broccoli.
“Definitely. But I seem to stay at more or less the same weight no matter what I do or eat.”
“Must be nice.”
“Mostly the difference is also emotional, feeling good about what I’m doing. I noticed maybe my relationship with the cats in the house changed, too. Like they were more comfortable around me — but I think that’s more about my changing how I relate to them. Like I’m letting them be themselves and not trying to be like, I want to pet you and you better like it.”
“Ya, the same thing happened to me. You start respecting animals’ bodies and their consent more.”
“Oh, by the way — I saw you laughed in the movie at what they said gladiators used to be called. I wanted to ask, what was it?” Gael is fluent in English, but sometimes he’ll still miss a phrase.
“They said their nickname translated to ‘Bean and Barley Munchers,’ since they were mostly vegetarians.”
“Ah, OK.”
“And then I laughed because I thought how you and I are both bean and barley munchers and carpet munchers.’” I love his humble dimples, and my drink is making me feel armchair-philosophical. “I mean, that’s the thing with this movie. Like, on the one hand, I’m glad they’re telling people gladiators were vegetarian, but on the other hand — ”
“People being made to be gladiators was terrible and violent and they were often slaves.”
“Exactly! And I felt that sort of conflict the whole way through. Like, I want us to eliminate the most suffering possible, and this is an emergency for the animals and the planet, and so a part of me is like, whatever gets people there is great. And this movie is sleeker than any vegan doc I’ve seen. So I’m really, really glad it exists.”
“But then the other part of you?”
“The other part is wondering, what other oppressive systems are we reinforcing here — showing ‘the world’s strongest man’ throw a car over his head as proof you can still ‘be a man’ and be vegan? Like, what if that car could have helped someone!? And why does being a man equal being strong and in some way aggressive — or sexual? Like the scene proving men have more frequent and harder erections after eating just one vegan meal — what did you think of that?”
“I thought it was funny.”
“Totally, but then I wondered how someone who has erectile dysfunction would feel when that doctor said what makes a real ‘manly-man’ is sexual virility and fertility.” Gael shrugs in that way someone who’s resigned to a certain expectation about their gender shrugs. “Like, I enjoyed seeing James Wilks realize he’s fitter than ever after going vegan — but not so much watching him train US military to fight on a plant-based diet.”
“Or what about The Miami Dolphins team they showed that made it to the playoffs for the first time in years after they went plant-based? That was cool, but also it’s really easy for them because one of the player’s wives is a chef who cooks vegan meals for them every day,” Gael adds to our list of vegan nitpicking.
“Exactly! I kept thinking, what about the people who don’t have a personal chef/gorgeous and cool wife, or a background in vegan nutrition, let alone access to fresh produce? How will those people go vegan? Not that one film can get at all these things in time, but it felt like class wasn’t really touched. We should actually watch The Invisible Vegan on Vimeo — it’s good and gets into all that and more.”
“I was thinking about that too, about my family in Peru. It’s not so easy for everyone.” But for us, right now, it is. Gael and I take bites of our desserts: a raw Yuzu cheesecake and a decadent brownie topped with coconut milk ice cream. Deprived we certainly are not. I sigh tipsily, filled with that familiar cocktail of hope, guilt, and despair.
“I just want to see a world where we all leave each other’s bodies alone. Where no one has to train the military to fight, and we all just agree to be stewards of the environment and animals instead of trying to dominate the planet and each other. A passifict return to Eden but sex positive and all-inclusive, basically.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.”
“But that doesn’t seem to be human nature,” I say, taking another bite of cake. “It’s like how bonobos and chimps are our two closest genetic relatives — equally so. Bonobos are matriarchal, bisexual, mostly peaceful hedonists; chimps are patriarchal, fight, commit infanticide and rape. And you see in humans that pull, I think. Those two sides of our instincts always at war.”
“Which side do you think will win?”
“What do you think?”
I don’t eat as much of the dessert as I would if I were Gael. A certain voice in my head still warns me not to. You should keep your desire in check if you want to maintain your lovability, it whispers. The rules are different for you than for him. I talk back to the voice when I can, try to at least recognize its vacuity.
Either way, I don’t wait for a prince to save me anymore. But sometimes I summon one anyway. This one, perhaps the most tender yet, has magic hands. His palms are lightly calloused from healing strangers’ wounds, not making them. To me, this is awesome strength. Recognizing it as such, also a game-changer. | https://medium.com/tenderlymag/an-honest-review-of-the-game-changers-34f7f2397657 | ['Rachel Krantz'] | 2019-10-17 17:29:40.216000+00:00 | ['The Game Changers', 'Fitness', 'Film', 'Personal Essay', 'Vegan'] |
Seven instances where ES6 makes your programming life easier | Seven instances where ES6 makes your programming life easier
ES6 isn’t new. In fact, since its inception in 2015, at least five other new versions have been released and with those, we have got a whole lot of cool new features at our disposal. But what makes ES6 still stand out among the rest of the versions is it changed the course of scripting language by introducing some of the path breaking features in scripting history.
The features include let and const, arrow functions, default parameters, rest and spread operators, classes, modules, promises, template literals, destructuring and much more.
But in this article, we will try to explore just seven instances where ES6 features come in handy and make your programming life easier.
let vs var:
In my opinion, developers with a C#/Java background hesitated a lot to pick up JavaScript just because of its outright weirdness. The scoping of var along with its most confusing hoisting problems made new learners to think JavaScript is extremely daunting. ES6 solved these issues in one shot with the introduction of let and const.
The main difference is var has functional level scope while let has block level scope and cannot be used before declaration, which essentially eliminates the hoisting problem. Let’s see why block scoping is important with the help of an example.
for (var i = 1; i < 5; i++) { console.log(i); setTimeout(function () { console.log(i); }, 1000) };
If you run the above code, you’ll end up with the most bizarre output with ‘i’ getting printed as ‘5’ four times in the console like how it is shown below.
Why? Well, the keyword var is the culprit here. Since var is function scoped and ‘i’ gets incremented to 4 even before the setTimeout runs, we get this weird output. Could it get any more confusing?
Okay, how to solve this then? Well, although defining a separate function for the setTimeout is enough do the job, there is a much better elegant solution which is to simply use block-scoped let. Using let, this is what we get as the output, which is what we intended in the first place.
So, when you declare variables, always prefer let over var wherever possible because it only makes the code less confusing and more friendly.
Template Literals:
Let’s be honest. Haven’t we ever felt annoyed when we try to handle strings in JavaScript, especially with multiple lines? What about your experience when you try to create HTML elements through JavaScript? Annoying at times, isn’t it? Let’s see why.
const name = “Raj”; const age = 23; const city = “Chennai”; // Traditional way const str = name + “,” + age + “lives in” + city;
Now, let’s try the same with template literals. To do this, ES6 provides you an option to enclose strings with backticks (`) and within that, you can gain access to usual JavaScript variables/properties using ${}.
// with backticks const str = `${name},${age} lives in ${city}`;
You see how simple is that? That’s how elegant template literal makes your code. Template literal is particularly powerful when you have to use multiple string or create HTML elements like below.
const div = document.createElement(‘div’); const list = `<ul> <li>one</li> <li>two</li> <li>three</li> <li>four</li> </ul>` div.innerHTML = list; document.body.append(div);
Get it? It’s as if you are using normal English. All you need is your backticks to make this magic work.
Arrow functions:
Arrow function is my favorite of the bunch. It is the one of the most important features of ES6 that enables us to create functions without the function keyword. Not just that, it also reduces the keyword return in some cases, making the code more concise and clearer. Let’s look at an example to see the striking difference.
let numbers = [1,2,3]; // Traditional way let squareNum = numbers.map(function(num){ return num*num; }); // ES6 way with Arrow function let squareNum = numbers.map(num => num*num);
In the above snippet, you can clearly see how concise the code is when you use the fat arrow function. The keyword function is gone, the explicit return is gone too, along with the parenthesis for the argument, thus promising a shorter syntax than the traditional way. Cool, isn’t it? But keep in mind, you still need to use the return keyword when you have multiple lines of code in your code block. Also, in case it is multiple argument function, you must use the parenthesis around the arguments.
Before you get too excited and start using arrow functions, there is one more thing to be aware of. Arrow functions do not bind their own this. Rather, they inherit it from the parent scope, which is what we call lexical scoping. To understand this, we must first need to know what this means in JavaScript.
The this in JavaScript is a unique keyword whose value changes depending on how it is called. For instance, when this is outside of a function, this refers to the Window object. When the same this is inside an object method, it refers to the Object itself.
function simpleFnc () { console.log(this); } simpleFnc() // Window let simpleObj = { simpleFnc: function() { console.log(this); } } simpleObj.simpleFnc() // simpleObj
But in arrow function, this will always be the same this value as its surrounding code. Let’s tweak the above example with an arrow function and see what we get.
let simpleObj = { simpleFnc: function() { console.log(this); } } simpleObj.simpleFnc() // simpleObj let simpleObj = { simpleFnc: () => { console.log(this); } } simpleObj.simpleFnc() // window
The above example clearly tells how arrow functions don’t bind their own scope but inherit from the parent, which in this case is Window object.
Arrow functions may seem a little hard to use at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll see a massive difference in your coding style.
Default parameters
As the name says, default parameters in ES6 allows us to provide default values to the parameters. Let’s straight away dive into an example to understand what exactly it means. Let’s say we have a function to display the project name to which the employee is currently assigned, like the following.
function getEmployeeStatus (name, project) { console.log(name + “, “ + project ); } getEmployeeStatus(“Vish”,”KLA”); //Vish, KLA
The above code works fine, sure. But what if an employee is not assigned to any project? In that case, the project becomes undefined, and if the argument project is undefined, how can the above code snippet handle the situation? It simply displays undefined in place of project, which is the last thing we want in such situation. To handle this in ES5, we can do the following.
function getEmployeeStatus (name, project) { if(project == undefined) { project = “Unassigned”; } console.log(name + “, “ + project ); } getEmployeeStatus(“Vish”); //Vish, Unassigned
Although we can pass unassigned as project, the better way to handle the situation is to check if the project is undefined. Problem solved, yes, but this is where ES6 gives an elegant solution. With default parameters, all we need to do is to assign a default value to the parameter and with that, JavaScript automatically assigns the default value whenever the parameter is undefined.
function getEmployeeStatus (name, project = “Unassigned”) { console.log(name + “, “ + project ); } getEmployeeStatus(“Vish”); //Vish, Unassigned
Rest and Spread Operators
If you happen to see a code with triple dots (…), it’s nothing but ES6 Rest and Spread operators. They look the same, i.e., tripe dots (…), but they differ a bit depending on what you use that for. Let’s take a look at Rest operators first. Consider the below example.
let title = “List of messages.”; let displayMessages = function() { console.log(title); for(let i in arguments) { console.log(arguments[i]); } } displayMessages(title,”Hi”,”Hello”,”How are you?”); // List of messages. // List of messages. // Hi // Hello // How are you?
Let’s say we have a function displayMessages that takes title as one argument and then a set of unknown number of arguments. To display the unknown arguments, we have to use arguments object to figure out the actual arguments. But there is a problem with this approach. In the above example, we want to display the title only once and the rest of the messages to be printed below it. But since the title is also a part of the arguments object, the title gets displayed again along with the rest of the arguments. Here’s where rest operator comes in handy. Let’s see how.
let title = “List of messages.”; let displayMessages = function(title, …msgs) { console.log(title); msgs.forEach(ele=>{console.log(ele)}); } displayMessages(title,”Hi”,”Hello”,”How are you?”); // List of messages. // Hi // Hello // How are you?
See how the rest operator packs the rest of the arguments into an array and displays it how we expected. That’s exactly the use of rest operator. Now, let’s move on to spread operator.
Spread operator does the opposite. While the rest operator packs everything into an array, the spread operator takes an array and spreads it into comma separated items. An example could explain it easily.
let array = [‘hi’, ‘hello’]; console.log(…array); // hi hello
See, that’s it. So simple and yet so useful in certain scenarios like array concatenation. In ES 5, if you have to concatenate arrays, you might have to use Array.concat method like below.
let array1 = [“One”,”Two”]; let array2 = [“Three”,”Four”]; let resultArray = array1.concat(array2); console.log(resultArray); // [“One”,”Two”,”Three”,”Four”]
But with spread operator all you have to do is this.
let resultArray = […array1, …array2]; console.log(resultArray); // [“One”,”Two”,”Three”,”Four”]
Destructuring
Destructuring is a handy feature that allows us to extract values out of arrays and objects. We’ll see one by one with appropriate examples and dig deep into them.
With Objects:
let person = { fname: “Vish”, lname: “S” } let fname = person.fname; //Vish let lname = person.lname //S
Let’s say we have an object person. In ES5, to get the value out of it and assign them to different variables, we do something like in the example, which is alright. But with destructuring, we can do the same in a single line, thus making the code much simpler.
let person = { fname: “Vish”, lname: “S” } let {fname, lname} = person; console.log(fname); //Vish console.log(lname); //S
But keep in mind you can’t declare a variable with the name already used. It will throw out an error. To handle this problem, we can always rename variables using a colon, like below.
let {fname, lname: surname} = person; console.log(fname); //Vish console.log(surname); //S
One last thing to address before we move on to destructuring arrays. If you try to destructure a variable that’s not in an object, it will only return undefined. But fortunately, we have a solution to handle this situation as well by leveraging default parameters feature.
let person = { fname: “Vish” } let {fname, lname: surname = “S”} = person; console.log(fname); //Vish console.log(surname); //S
With Array:
Destructuring Arrays is pretty much the same, only that it pulls apart the elements of the Array instead of an Object. Also, here, we use square brackets to destructure the arrays instead of curly brackets. Let’s look at an example.
let person = [“Male”,”Vish”,”S”]; let [gender,fname,lname] = person; console.log(gender); // Male console.log(fname); // Vish console.log(lname); // S
By using destructuring in the above code, the variables gender, fname and lname get mapped to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd elements of the array respectively with ease, thus saving us from writing considerable lines of code. Also, keep in mind, if an extra variable is present that can’t get mapped to any element in the array, it simply becomes undefined.
let person = [“Male”,”Vish”]; let [gender,fname,lname] = person; console.log(gender); // Male console.log(fname); // Vish console.log(lname); // undefined
In addition to that, it’s not always necessary to map every element to the array. To skip, however, the commas are necessary.
let person = [“Male”,”Vish”,”S”]; let [,,lname] = person; console.log(lname); // S
This is cool, isn’t it? But the best part is, just like in Destructuring objects, we can leverage features like default parameters and rest operator here in destructuring arrays.
// using default parameters let person = [“Male”,”Vish”]; let [gender,fname,lname=”S”] = person; console.log(gender); // Male console.log(fname); // Vish console.log(lname); // S // using rest operator let person = [“Male”,”Vish”,”S”]; let [gender,…name] = person; console.log(gender); // Male console.log(name); // [“Vish”,”S”]
Promise
Promise is one of the major and important features that came out as part of ES6. Why is it so? And what exactly is it? A promise is an object that may produce a single value in the future. Up until ES5, to handle asynchronous operations in JavaScript, you need to rely only on callback functions which is okay, but when it comes to nested calls, it is a pain to code. That’s where Promise comes in and saves us. Before we get to know why, we need to know how a Promise works. All you need to know is this. When the promise resolves, we consider the call as success and do something with the data that comes back with .then(). And when the promise rejects, we do the error handling with .catch().
Now, to the example. Let’s assume we have three asynchronous tasks in hand to be done in order. With plain callback functions, this is what we’ll end up.
doTask1((err, success) => { if (err) throw err doTask2((err, document) => { if (err) throw err doTask3(customer, (err, result) => { if (err) throw err console.log(‘All Tasks Done’); }) }) })
Now, with Promises, we can eliminate all these nested code and do something like below.
doTask1() .then(_ => doTask2()) .then(_ => doTask3()) .then(console.log(All tasks Done’)) .catch(err => console.log(err))
See how easy and clean to write asynchronous operations with Promises. It not only reduces the amount of nested code, but it also helps us to visualize the code flow and lets you handle all errors at the end of the chain in one shot.
Wrapping up
Okay, focusing just seven features out of a lot is cruel, I know, but my intention is not to introduce the new features that came out as part of ES6. After all, it came out way back in 2015 and you can find online a ton lot of other blog posts and articles which explain every single feature of ES6 in detail. Rather, my intention is to stress — yet again — how important ES6 was to JavaScript world when it came out and how this version stood out and made our lives easier.
These features are what make ES6 different from the other versions. They not only make the language easier for the developer to work, but also help to create a cleaner and concise codebase. So, if you haven’t used these features yet, consider checking them all out and I am sure you’ll find the difference in your everyday coding life. | https://medium.com/@myLordVish/seven-instances-where-es6-makes-your-programming-life-easier-1f2b29777217 | [] | 2020-11-16 08:24:12.188000+00:00 | ['ES6'] |
Skinny Actresses Always Eating Muffins and Ice Cream | The latest way that media is making women feel inadequate
Photo by Harry Cunningham on Unsplash
Actresses are under constant pressure to be skinny and a lot of them severely under-eat in order to meet expectations. Why then are some of them now playing women who eat in ways that are completely out of alignment with how they actually look? It’s just the latest way to make women feel inadequate by telling them that they should both look that thin and still be able to indulge in high-carb/high-calorie foods all the time.
I first started noticing this when my mom was living with us and we watched shows that she liked — ones that we might not have ordinarily picked for ourselves like The Good Witch and Madame Secretary. They appealed to her because there wasn’t too much violence or sex, and the stories were pretty interesting. After she died, we were so invested in Madame Secretary that we just kept watching. My husband and I both really enjoy it still, but we routinely comment on how much pastry, ice cream out of the tub, and other junk food Tea Leoni’s character downs on an ongoing basis. The same was true for The Good Witch actresses, including lead, Catherine Bell.
All the women are super slim and svelt, and yet their characters seem to consume muffins, special candy recipes, and other high calorie treats on a pretty much daily basis. Meanwhile, it’s an open secret in Hollywood that actresses just don’t eat. When they’re filming, they are starving themselves in order to look that thin for the camera. “‘I’ve worked with a lot of big female film stars and the thing that I notice more than anything is that they’re starving. It’s just expected,” Dominic West told The Daily Telegraph in a 2018 interview.
Stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Thompson have spoken out about the pressure they’ve felt and witnessed to be unnaturally thin. Anorexia and other eating disorders are very common in Hollywood.
“It’s evil what’s happening and what’s going on there [in Hollywood], and it’s getting worse,’ Thompson has said.
‘There’s so many kids, girls and boys now, and actresses who are very, very thin into their 30s, who simply don’t eat,’ she continued.
But besides the problem of holding up starving ultra-thin actresses as role models for how women should look, depicting them having pastries for breakfast every morning and Chinese food (the really greasy kind, as Tea Leoni’s character Elizabeth once said) for dinner sends the message that there is something wrong with you if you can’t be both incredibly thin and still eat this way.
The Good Witch and her female friends and relatives were always bonding over indulgent food, making cookies together, or sharing muffin recipes. The male characters rarely had their lives so focused on chocolate and late-night snacks, but the women were supposed to do that (apparently) and then they were supposed to maintain ultra-slim bodies in spite of it.
A couple of years ago a similar unrealistic message was sent to the women of America about their faces — one that said that you shouldn’t wear make-up or at least not look as if you are wearing any, but that you should also look flawless at the same time. According to one article, “Mastering this look is all about the skin — perfecting your base, achieving a healthy glow and natural flush, and also using premium skincare.”
Women who could afford the high-end skincare and make-up to achieve this look were few and far between, but it was sending the same message. As a woman, you should look perfect, but you shouldn’t have to try to achieve it. Any woman who needs make-up to look better or who needs to watch what she eats in order to stay slim is some type of lesser woman.
This type of messaging is not only ridiculous, but it’s also cruel and further teaches young girls to hate themselves for not maintaining a beauty ideal that almost no-one can achieve without lots of money and sacrifice to their health. Telling females how to hate themselves drives a lot of consumer culture because each new product offers the promise of that look you’ve been longing for. But this new messaging on TV, in particular, is just taking things to an absurd extreme without even hawking a specific product. It’s just saying that cool, admirable, women ought to be able to pull this off.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have them depict women eating, and not always depriving themselves, but it’s still a weird message to show them constantly eating foods that probably should be eaten in moderation and still looking incredibly thin. In Season 3 of Madame Secretary, Elizabeth is finally shown doing some exercise, but even so, no one who looks like Tea Leoni eats chocolate croissants every morning no matter how much she works out.
It’s also weird to depict this as a female bonding thing, or a standard way that women cope with stress. As I said before, in neither of these shows do the men obsess about scones or deal with pressure by eating ice cream out of the tub with their friends. I think this is a part of a larger issue with not knowing how to portray women as three-dimensional people. This weird food thing is just another badly conceived short cut trying to make female characters look human, but instead, it just makes them look even less realistic.
The “strong, capable, woman” character is often a female with a lot of male characteristics. I wonder if some of these writers are trying to humanize and feminize their strong women characters by putting a tub of ice cream in their hands? Both the lead female characters in these shows were already a pretty good blend of masculine and feminine traits though, so again, what’s with the food obsession?
Yes, it’s great to show women eating something other than salad, but when you are simultaneously obsessed with female thinness, it’s a strange mixed message to have them always baking and eating cookies too. Tea Leoni’s Elizabeth sometimes has salad and french fries for lunch, but since the actress is herself 54 I’m kinda doubting that one either.
Yes, some people have amazing metabolisms or the genes to remain slim without having to work too hard at it, but most people don’t fit into that category, especially when they are the age where their hormones are changing. And most of the people I know in that category don’t have to be super careful, but they’re also not pigging out on carbs and sugar all the time either.
Holding this up as a normal way to eat while at the same time staying Hollywood thin is just another unattainable goal being held up for women and girls to aspire to. It’s another way to make them feel bad about themselves for being inadequate, and it’s also lazy writing. Can’t we do any better than this?
There’s a lot to like about both of those shows if you take away the food obsessions of the female characters. It really doesn’t add anything to the show and who knows how many other shows are doing the same thing. We usually watch things like Sherlock and The Umbrella Academy so I haven’t had a chance to find out, but since both of these shows that have a large female fan-base had this dynamic so strongly, I do worry about the message that it’s sending to women and girls about who they are supposed to be and providing them with yet another unattainable ideal.
© Copyright Elle Beau 2020
Elle Beau writes on Medium about sex, life, relationships, society, anthropology, spirituality, and love. If this story is appearing anywhere other than Medium.com, it appears without my consent and has been stolen. | https://medium.com/inside-of-elle-beau/skinny-actresses-always-eating-muffins-and-ice-cream-5d8a1168abe9 | ['Elle Beau'] | 2020-10-18 00:40:07.589000+00:00 | ['Feminism', 'Society', 'Life', 'Culture', 'Essay'] |
A COMPLETE GUIDE OF STELLAR BLOCKCHAIN | At Current scenario, Stellar is among the top 10 popular blockchain platforms. Stellar Lumens (XLM) are one of the leading cryptocurrencies with steadily rising acceptance and adoption in the market.
Stellar blockchain facilitates cross-border payments and digital asset exchanges faster and secure. banking tools, payments systems and mobile wallets with Stellar Blockchain.
Now We know, What is the stellar blockchain?
Stellar is a payment protocol based on blockchain technology. It permits quick, cross-border agreement between any set of assets. In many ways, it is similar to other blockchain-based cryptocurrencies.
Stellar blockchain “is a platform that connects banks, payment systems, and people” and is intended to “move money quickly, reliably, and at almost no cost.” Stellar Lumen (XLM), the native digital money of Stellar, has the entire span of functioning on the blockchain network. At the inception of the Stellar network, 100 billion XLM/Stellar Lumens were created.The only other appliance for the design of XML is inflation. There is a fixed 1% once-a-year inflation on the Lumen design rate to account for economic growth and lost Lumens. The newly created Lumens are generated every week and delivered via a direct voting method.
Why choose Stellar?
Stellar blockchain assist cross-border payments and digital asset exchanges faster and securely. Stellar Blockchain is a feature behinds of banking tools, payment systems and mobile wallets.
Some of the major reasons of choosing the stellar blockchain:
Scalability
A transaction on the network comprises more than two operations like payments and offers.
Transaction Fees
Formal fees related with each operation in a transaction is currently set to .00001 XLM.(Xen Loadable Module)
Resolve Debate Transactions
Transactions can be back on the Stellar network, freezing the outfit assets is feasible.
Secure
Stellar Blockchain provides reliability at its best.
Multi-Currency Transactions on Stellar
One of the main key structures of Stellar is multi-currency transactions. For example, you can send money in USD to your friend residing in the USA. This seamless decentralized overseas exchange is an individual characteristic of Stellar. Transactions can occur in one of the backing ways (for ease of reference, we will consider USD/EUR as an example):
Direct Exchange
The Stellar network can look up the USD/EUR trade to recognize anyone who wants to buy EUR for USD. If it finds a buyer, the transaction happens instantaneously.
Indirect Exchange
The Stellar network can also look for people who are willing to get USD in exchange for XLM, as it can attach that person to someone glance for XML in exchange for Euros and make the transaction victorious.
Conversion Chain
Eventually, if none of these conversions are obtainable, the network can go through a conversions chain. For example, USD/EUR, EUR/BTC, BTC/XLM, XLM/EUR.
As we discussed above why choose stellar blockchain.and, now we let’s see the business application of stellar blockchain.
Here list of major business applications:
Anchors in additional currencies
Mobile and trading clients
Application programming interfaces
Merchant plugin
Small Savings account for school, health, insurance
Mini insurance
Peer to peer lending
Contingent cash transfers
Contribution systems for nonprofits
Loyalty points programs
Group currencies
Clock banks
Volunteer hour tracking
Anywhere ATM or human ATM mobile apps
Let’s discuss about how does stellar blockchain work
Like any other blockchain platform, transactions on the Stellar network are attached to a shared and distributed public ledger. Stellar uses an agreement algorithm based on the Federated Byzantine Agreement (FBA), called the “Stellar Consensus Protocol” (SCP).
SCP assists quick transactions at under costs, with everyone on the network reaching an accord about a transaction’s validity within a few seconds. Each contributor (called a node) that helps add transactions to the worldwide ledger selects his/her mini-network of other trusted contributors. These small networks are called Quorum pieces. The large Stellar network can reach agreement on valid transactions and add the similar to the ledger fast as long as Quorum Slices overlap.
As we discussed above, the full guide of stellar blockchain.If you want stellar blockchain in your business. It is the right choice at the right time.you can start with your block chain journey with us.
We,brugu, a leading blockchain technology development company, provides the best stellar blockchain into your business.For more queries visit the page. | https://medium.com/@brugusoftwaresolutions/a-complete-guide-of-stellar-blockchain-a2567a4738cc | ['Brugu Software Solutions'] | 2020-11-19 18:00:47.114000+00:00 | ['Stellar Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Blockchain Development', 'Blockchain Startup'] |
Shortcomings of A Publisher | via Makematic
When I decided to start my personal blog, A Rebel’s Diary (it’s my Insta handle too) it was more about vent outs! I had a lot of opinions about my life. As an introvert person, I was never comfortable with the idea of sharing my stories on the social media walls. Back then, I thought Linkedin was just a job searching platform! My profile existed, but I had no idea how Linkedin worked! I shared my blogs relentlessly on my personal circle. I wanted feedback and reactions, but I wanted some sensible audience or readers to think about how they treat people.
I started experimenting with a handful of readers and creating contents. Sometimes, the contents were written explicitly for them. Well, I think old habits don’t die after all! We used to write notes, poems and songs for each other during our middle school days to communicate and connect deeply with each other. Many of my blogs were tributes to the people who helped me fill the pages of my diary with happy and sad memories!
When my writing got better, I moved to larger platforms and connected with lots of bloggers. I transformed faster. This was just what I needed- fellow bloggers, like-minded people! My stories resonated with most of my readers. Sometimes I shared them with the junior writers who worked for me. I figured out my niche and my target audience!
Then I encouraged the junior writers, and they started writing and sharing too, but just with me! They were too afraid of sharing them with the world! Fortunately, I never had this dilemma as a writer.
So, I decided to start my publishing platform, when I felt I had a solid network of writers, who deserved a platform. They were not confident about starting their blogs or creating their brands. It amazes me, how I connected with these amateur writers, who were beginning their journeys. I started sharing my lessons and exchanged a lot of feedback, and we got more confident.
Within a short span, they turned into incredible storytellers. But, they had to be proofreaders, copywriters and editors too! A versatile writer needs all those hats! But, it’s not always easy for every writer to adapt so fast. As a writer, I felt their pain. So, I tried to help them a bit with my experiences. Guess what?
They all became great authors over time, and most of them remained a part of my team of contributors.
They always had a choice because I never knew how to pressurize a creative person. I wanted to be that one person, who inspired them to write; and they never abandoned me completely, because they know we are a family-a larger one! We are the writers! The most underpaid, underrated and overworked group of people, and we must stick together and help each other with our knowledge and ideas exchange.
I wanted to open the platform for more people. Well, we have at least ten different ideas or opinions in a three girls team! And most of them make sense (in most cases, except when we take our Moon trips by setting up unrealistic goals and start daydreaming). So, I wanted to have many opinions on various subjects, but I decided on the categories.
As a publisher, this has been my shortfall that I have been focusing primarily on my readers or target audience! I completely forgot that if I am inviting ten writers to contribute to my publication, they all have different audiences. Why did I restrict them from connecting with their readers by setting up rules that mostly apply to my target audience? I learned from my mistake, and I opened up more categories after discussion, and I asked them to pitch their ideas!
via Freepik
Now, we are in this together, and we have a broader target audience!
#protip: If you are a budding writer or a newbie, you should definitely try to leverage Linkedin, because it’s more than a job searching platform! You will quickly get sensible readers who care about your stories and become a part of your lifelong journey!
If you want to contribute in our publication or be a part of our amazing creative network, shoot an email at [email protected]. | https://medium.com/@arunima-basu7/shortcomings-of-a-publisher-92e0f650c0a8 | ['Arunima Basu'] | 2020-12-24 07:17:04.735000+00:00 | ['Publishing', 'Blog', 'Growth', 'Authors', 'Writer'] |
Minimalism and Mental Clarity | I was wandering through the internet and was exploring what people think about minimalism. I came across Joshua Becker’s blog, “Becoming Minimalist.” He is one of the evangelists of minimalism, like Courtney Carver, Joshua Fields Millburn, or Ryan Nicodemus. I read a few articles, and one of them had the best explanation of minimalism I have ever seen. It is the article “Minimalism is Maximalism.” If you do not feel like reading the whole piece, here is the brief summary:
By minimizing my possessions, I maximize my life. Through minimalism, you can maximize all the things that matter most. — Joshua Becker
In 2020, a group of British psychologists conducted the research. The research was on the relation between minimalism and well-being. The results showed that people who identified themselves as minimalists felt more well-being benefits. All the participants stated that they feel more autonomy, less anxiety, more mindfulness, and joy.
There is plenty of information about how minimalism maximizes productivity, wealth, happiness. Much fewer articles and videos are about the relation of minimalism to mental clarity. They have fewer views, as you may see below. I think people do not watch it because of the term “mental clarity.” It is not as catchy as “productivity” or “happiness.” In my opinion, all the positive benefits of minimalism are results of mental clarity, not minimalism itself. Still, I would say that minimalism may be a great tool to beat mental fog.
Screenshots by the author
What Is Mental Clarity?
Vague and complex topics need definitions before we start talking about them. Everyone defines minimalism or mental clarity in their own words. Authors give the definitions at the beginning to avoid miscommunication between writer and reader. I have already shared with you what minimalism is for me, but what is mental clarity? For me, it is an absence of mental clutter that allows you to think clearly.
Why Is Mental Clarity Important?
Not thinking clearly may lead to overthinking and anxiety. If you are not thinking clearly, then you can not focus on one thing. As a consequence, you are distracted and can not manage the simplest tasks. This even may lead to chronic stress.
T his (chronic) stress also leads to decreased concentration and memory, confusion, loss of sense of humor, anger, irritability, and fear — Kelly Miller, Positive Psychology Coach.
You never have enough time, and the guilt of procrastination does not let to rest. It is like driving a car at high rpm — you will kill an engine very soon. A lack of mental clarity may have dreadful consequences.
Disclaimer: Hey, before you proceed with reading, I want to warn you that I am not psychiatric. I am not saying that this is 100% going to work for you. There are no simple solutions to complex problems. My medium is about sharing my personal experience with something that helped me. It may help you too. If you tried it and it worked — great, I delivered a little bit of value to someone’s life. It also may not help. If it did not help — it’s okay. We all are different. You should not stop exploring and searching for the answers.
The Most Important Question.
How minimalism may increase mental clarity? Usually, a journey to minimalism starts with physical decluttering. After letting go of material stuff, you realize that you also have a lot of non-material things. And you should get rid of them too — toxic relationships, social media that take you time, work that you only do for a paycheck.
I can say, from my experience and experience of fellow-minimalists, who I follow, like the Minimalists or Joshua Becker, that letting go of mental or social clutter is much harder than letting go of something materialistic. Nonetheless, it is worth it. It feels like taking out the log out of your own eye.
Photo by K8 from Unsplash
No Hurry and No Feeling Behind.
A year ago, I had many ambitious goals. I wanted to study like 3 languages, read a book a week, be the best student in the country, meditate for an hour, drink green smoothies every single day, and sleep for 9 hours. I wanted to achieve it in a year because I felt so much behind everyone. I needed to catch up, and it required me to work for 15 hours a day. I tried to get closer to my goals every day, and I failed after two or three days. I did nothing out of what I wanted. It demotivated me to do anything about my life.
As I discovered minimalism, I realized that I can not be behind because no one is beyond you. It is an imagined category to make someone look better. Social media make us feel like you are not enough. “Influencers” keep writing how they made their millions in a few days, how they learned a language in a week. They say that they share it to inspire you, but you end up comparing yourself to them. You compare your inside to their outside. This is wrong on so many levels. I do not say it is explicitly bad to compare yourself to others — in some way, it can be inspiring. Still, it brings more harm than meaning or joy.
Pursuing What Is Meaningful and Maximizing Experiences.
Everything I wanted to achieve was not what I wanted or needed. I know it sounds silly, but I was pressured to chase something I did not even want. It took me a few days to realize that I have always loved writing. I always wanted to write something that brings value to people. I have known it but ignored this goal because, at first, I need to learn Japanese and run a marathon to have some foundation for my further achievements. I feel embarrassed for thinking that way right now.
I am not late for my life anymore, and I stopped pursuing something I do not need. I can follow what I love at a comfortable pace. I still have goals, and I set deadlines, but I love the process more than the result. I have no expectations anymore — I just write. I love the process of writing an article or short story. I wake up, and sometimes my first thought is something like: yeah, I am awake, and finally can write.
I do less than I did before. Despite that, everything I do is way better than before. I have full 8–9 hours of sleep every day. All my meals are not in a hurry. That allows me to cook deliciously. I have more time to write. Meetings with my friends are way better. I dive more into conversations and experiences.
Fewer Choices Mean Less Anxiety.
Everyone who tries to achieve something has anxiety attacks. I used to have them too. I still have anxiety sometimes, but much less. Most of my anxiety attacks were caused by the number of wrong choices I could make during a day. Indeed, having many options is much better than having no choice at all. But it is anxiety-provoking. Considering the number of choices we make every day, I am impressed that most people are still sane. Or at least not tipping their hands.
Minimalism helps to lower the number of choices. So, it reduces the possibility of anxiety to erupt — for example, your wardrobe. When you have plenty of clothes — the choice stresses you out. You are afraid that you can wear something uncomfortable or that your shoes do not fit your t-shirt.
When you have fewer clothes, but you love each one piece, and it is comfortable — you will not make a wrong choice. It is impossible. Minimalism may prevent your mind from superfluous thoughts. It may apply to each aspect of your life — your social relationships, your social media usage, your time, money spending. The quality is always better than quantity.
Conclusions.
Minimalism may lower your anxiety. It may help to realize your values and make you pursue what is meaningful. It also may lower your expectations and may help to take control of your life. It also may not. There are no simple answers to complicated questions. Despite that, I am sure that minimalism clears the way for mental clarity. When your mind is not cluttered — it is possible to see what is meaningful to you.
Mental clarity, as well as minimalism, is something unachievable. It is like the horizon. I do not think that any person can become indestructible, always focus on one thing, and never have anxiety. It is built into us. A journey to mental clarity is not about the end goal. It is more about mindset and lifestyle. It is the mountain that you are climbing, but the summit is impossible to reach. Still, the higher you get — the better are landscapes. And the landscapes are worth the effort. | https://medium.com/betterism/minimalism-and-mental-clarity-8aac64840ee6 | ['Yaroslav Bedriy'] | 2020-12-13 12:03:34.099000+00:00 | ['Minimalism', 'Lessons In Life', 'Happiness', 'Philosophy Of Life', 'Mental Clarity'] |
婚禮視覺插畫設計 — 牽手：無所畏懼共度每一刻 | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://medium.com/%E8%97%9D%E8%B7%AF151%E8%99%9F/%E5%A9%9A%E7%A6%AE%E8%A6%96%E8%A6%BA%E6%8F%92%E7%95%AB%E8%A8%AD%E8%A8%88-%E7%89%BD%E6%89%8B-%E7%84%A1%E6%89%80%E7%95%8F%E6%87%BC%E5%85%B1%E5%BA%A6%E6%AF%8F%E4%B8%80%E5%88%BB-de88c6b0984d | ['Melody Cheng'] | 2020-12-17 09:49:09.948000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Marry', 'Illustration'] |
A Letter To My Brother | I wonder if the words you tossed at me
when suicide had its grip upon my soul
muddled around in your mind
as you sat there, shotgun in hand —
Just don’t do it here
I don’t want to clean up that mess
I would have gone quietly
from too many pills and vodka —
a deadly cocktail before endless sleep
But not you, with your fiery personality
no, you had to go out with a bang!
You didn’t even think of your children
or the matter a shotgun blast would leave
Once I would have envied you —
How brave to make it to the end goal!
A place I am now thankful I never reached
It’s been a year since you pulled that trigger
How I wish you had heeded your advice to me
Not here — no one wants to clean that up
Instead, I’d prefer you to still be here
You — the beautiful mess I held so dear
© 2020 Lori Carlson. All Rights Reserved. | https://medium.com/illumination/a-letter-to-my-brother-e47e9051ada8 | ['Ravyne Hawke'] | 2020-12-18 16:05:08.723000+00:00 | ['Letters', 'Anniversary', 'Poetry', 'Suicide', 'Death'] |
EU Believes Vaccination Is Crucial For Saving European Tourism | EU Believes Vaccination Is Crucial For Saving European Tourism ModiHost Follow May 3 · 1 min read
“The pandemic has caused an unprecedented crisis in the tourism industry. Hotel room prices dropped 50% in 2020, and cross border tourism shrunk by about 70%. The crisis has affected millions of jobs, and obviously, the same number of families”, said Thierry Breton, an European Commissioner for Internal Market in Brussels.
Nonetheless, he has “hope as the vacation season is on the horizon”.
“First of all, it’s the EU’s vaccination strategy… I believe that 70% of EU adults will have access to the vaccine before mid-June”, he added, saying it will be the main factor for allowing travel.
He has also stressed that the EU green certificate will play an important part in rebuilding the travel industry, and might be introduced in June.
He has emphasized the need for everyone to comply with the existing health safety requirements and for the hospitality industry to be prepared for the coming season. | https://medium.com/modihost/eu-believes-vaccination-is-crucial-for-saving-european-tourism-e6db9b5198e | [] | 2021-05-03 11:38:54.927000+00:00 | ['Hospitality', 'Hms', 'Business', 'Tourism'] |
Reduce Solar Panel Installation Costs in California | How Solar Works | Source: EnergyGeeks
Suppose you live in California and don’t mind saving some money and increasing your investment. In that case, as a California Solar Panel Company, we suggest that you consider investing in a home solar energy system.
California Solar, we do this because there is good news here. The state offers several incentives to those who choose solar to help offset their out-of-pocket costs. Even if you’re not ready to make your solar purchase, believe it, these California solar energy discounts and incentives will reveal why solar is a smart move in the Land of the Best Oranges.
Mechanisms exist to help you calculate your solar potential in one way and understand the costs and incentives. Obtain solar panels for your home or business is one of the smartest decisions you can make in today’s age.
We warranty that you will be able to significantly reduce your own energy costs and even have the freedom to disconnect from the grid seamlessly. You will be able to say goodbye to all power outages and hello to constant power that will be entirely yours.
For making sense of this, the California program makes it easy for solar panel owners to sign a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to use solar energy. This is incredibly helpful for those who don’t have a lot of cash or equity in their home. With a PPA, it’s possible to get solar panels for a $ 0 down payment and see significant savings over 25 years.
For now, the cost of solar electricity generated by a 7.5 kW solar system is around $ 1000 per year, but the energy generated by the panels will save you $ 1,176 per year. That’s $ 176 you can put in your pocket this year, just by saying yes to solar!
In this solar panel solution, you don’t just have to look at energy saving. For helping you manage the cost, the state makes 3 options available to those who want to be a part of this boom so you can afford a large solar system for your home:
1. Payment plan of The Solar Company
Maximize your costs and consider financing when looking for the best solar companies in your industry. Companies capable of giving advice and guidance plus accompaniment to choose an accessory that maximizes the energy gain per hour to capture more sunlight early in the morning and later at night. So you can get a robust solar panel system with your solar batteries at prices that fit your budget.
Some solar companies in California will offer great deals, with zero down payment and an APR (Annual Percentage Rate) of 2.99% / 25 years. Make sure your backup batteries are guaranteed for 25 years; choose the brand you trust. Make sure the solar system has a warranty that covers this period, giving you peace of mind that you have invested in a quality solution that will save you money year after year.
2. The Federal Income Tax Credit (FITC)
Solar Tax Credit | Source: EnergySage
Electric companies in California now offer incentives like the Federal Income Tax Credit (FITC). This benefit gives taxpayers the power to access a 26% Federal Income Tax Credit (FITC) for qualified solar system expenses that provide electricity to their residence (taxpayer property).
By 2021, it is expected to lose 4%, and by 2022 (although it has not yet been confirmed), homeowners will be able to cut 10% of the cost of their solar panels. It is time to invest in your solar solution! Request a personalized assessment of the credits and rebates you may qualify for by going to the California Solar calculator. Sign up! There are more details that we want to share with you.
3. The Tax Credit for Solar Energy Residential Property
Each state has its own tax credits for solar power, impacting your state income tax deduction. In California, this tax credit reaches 25% of the cost of solar panels, up to $ 1,000, which you can then deduct from your income tax beginning the first year after the system is installed. Solar panel costs and increased property values are also tax-exempt in California.
Other sunny states have an advantage. California leads in incentives for solar solutions and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The “PACE” (Property Assessed Clean Energy Tax Credit) is of the country’s best credits. Further offers the financing program “HERO” (Home Energy Renovation Opportunity), making it easy for a solar landlord to pay for their equipment to the state with property taxes, rather than upfront.
California also has the net metering program, with which the state credits solar homeowners who deliver power to the electrical grid from their panels. For those income-eligible single-family homeowners who want to install solar panels, there is also the “DAC-SASH” (Disadvantaged Communities — Single-Family Solar Homes) project to help you with your financing.
With these options, you can generally reduce your cost substantially, typically $ 2.79 of watt out of incentives, up to $ 2.00 per watt with incentives. | https://medium.com/@sempersolarca/reduce-solar-panel-installation-costs-in-california-e13e74d65902 | ['Solar Power Information', 'Facts Semper Solaris'] | 2020-11-13 17:35:11.624000+00:00 | ['Solar', 'Solar Panel Installation', 'Solar Panel Company', 'Solar Power', 'Solar Energy'] |
How to Use iPad Pro and ProCreate Designs with Silhouette Studio | If you own an iPad you could be using it to create designs to cut or sketch with your Silhouette cutting machine! The key is the iPad app ProCreate!
I’m so excited to have the very talented Gina from Twinklefarts on the blog today to show us how to use ProCreate with Silhouette Studio
Hi there, Silhouette School readers! My name is Gina (or Twinklefarts, if you prefer) and I too am a Silhouette addict… just like you. Today I’m have the pleasure of teaching you how to utilize Procreate in your Silhouette Studio workflow! (You’ll want to stay to the end… I hear there might be some freebies involved ;)
Back when I got my Silhouette Cameo for Christmas, I had no idea the power that it held. I’m a web and graphic designer and all-around tech guru, so being able to use my everyday tools with my Silhouette has been a blessing! Today I’m going to teach you how to use something that I just recently added to my arsenal — an iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro comes with the ability to use pressure sensitivity for apps like the one I’ll show you today ( Procreate), but even older generations of iPads can use Procreate to create designs that you can later cut in Silhouette Studio.
The one true perk to an iPad Pro + an Apple Pencil is the variation in line weight (see below), but any iPad can do what I’m about to show you.
For the techniques in this tutorial, you’ll need the following:
iPad of any generation (a Pro is necessary for Apple Pencil use, but you can use a compatible stylus of your choice as well)
Procreate app (found here, $9.99 but well worth the investment if you’re doing this daily like I have been)
Apple Pencil (optional, but I love mine and would buy it over and over again)
A basic understanding of Procreate (YouTube is a great resource for learning the basics)
Once you have those tools, let’s get started! If you’re not comfortable with digital design just yet, feel free to sketch some ideas on pen and paper to get the creative juices flowing.
Spend some time getting to know Procreate and all its tools! Download some brushes, doodle a bit, and explore. Keep in mind that for this tutorial, you’ll want to use a solid dark colored brush. I love the “Fancy Finesse” brush, which you can find here.
Note: See the Calligraphy Crayon brush I have in my brush tray? That’s not a good choice for this technique. It’ll give too many holes and create a distressed disaster in Silhouette Studio.
Once you have created a design in ProCreate that you want to cut with your Silhouette, the first step is to turn off the background layer in Procreate. Tap the layers button to show all the layers and uncheck the checkmark next to the layer titled “Background color.”
Doing this will make the “background” of your document a dark grid, but don’t panic — when you export it as a .PNG later, that background will be transparent.
Once your background layer is turned off, it’s time to send your design to yourself so that you can cut it in Silhouette Studio. Tap the wrench in the top left corner and go to the “Share” button. In there, you’ll want to “Share Artwork” and use the options to move it to your computer.
The important part here is to make sure you select PNG for your export! This is the key to getting a frustration-free trace in Silhouette Studio.
For the next step, I use Airdrop because it makes things easy peasy between my iPad and Mac computer. You can also opt to email the file to yourself, or use Dropbox or a similar cloud-based drive.
Once you have your design on your computer, drag it into a new document in Silhouette Studio. If you did the PNG export successfully, you’ll notice that there’s no white background behind your design… yay! That’s what we want.
Go ahead and trace as you normally would, making sure to move the tracing box so that it covers all of your design.
Once you’ve traced your design, you can move around elements that aren’t touching. Select your traced design, right click, and click “Release Compound Path.” Then, drag a selection box around the elements you want to group together, right click, and “Make Compound Path.” This will also allow you to fill your designs with colors, gradients, or patterns.
I ended up opting for a rectangle and solid sans serif font instead of a hand-lettered “strong.” Since I didn’t overlap my two lines of letters, I was able to separate out “Orlando” from “strong” to achieve this effect!
Procreate has definitely upped my designing game with Silhouette Studio, and I no longer find myself hunting through SVGs and the Silhouette Design Store to find specific things — I just make them myself! I hope this tutorial helps you utilize your iPad Pro to its fullest potential with Silhouette Studio.
By the way, if you’ve made it this far I’ve got a treat for you. Be sure to download the free “Future Mrs.” cut file I designed exclusively for Silhouette School readers! It’s for personal use only. I hope you enjoy it, and until next time…
-Gina from Twinklefarts
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That’s what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!
Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly. | https://medium.com/@longonico/how-to-use-ipad-pro-and-procreate-designs-with-silhouette-studio-86b4184e5797 | ['Juxtapose Magazine'] | 2020-12-27 17:42:04.149000+00:00 | ['Procreate', 'iPad', 'Drawing', 'Digital', 'Illustration'] |
Getting Started with Lens Studio | We’ve all either come across or used apps that apply fun filters to our photos, whether we are creating our own, or viewing someone else’s feed. But how are these made? Yes, I understand how to use Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat/<insert trendy social app here>. What I really mean is: how do software developers create these amazing filter experiences for us to play with? In this tutorial, we’ll focus on a single filter platform called Lens Studio, created by Snapchat, Inc. You can download it here.
We’ll be making enhancements to an existing template provided by Lens Studio called Team Celebrate. Here is the end result:
My filter is UVA focused, but you’ll customize yours for your school and/or favorite sports team!
Setting up your project
Open Lens Studio, use the search bar to search for a template named Team Celebrate, and click to open it.
2. The lens will load, and you’ll instantly see it working on the right-hand side of the screen. You can try out different still images and video loops by using the drop-down menu in the middle, above the video loop. Feel free to experiment with different images and videos to see how the effect looks.
3. But you aren’t here to see the filter effect on other people! To try it out on yourself, click the Webcam Preview button (note that I experienced issues with external web cams, so try your built-in one first). Alternatively, you can send it to your own Snapchat account by clicking “Preview in Snapchat” in the top right-hand corner.
4. To customize the filter, click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser in the top left-hand corner. You can customize colors, effects, show/hide different effects, and even replace the logo and banner images! Go ahead and spend some time customizing it for your school colors.
5. Let’s take a moment to save your project. Click File->Save As and name it My Team Celebrate.
6. For Team Logo and Team Banner, you’ll need to obtain your own images from the web. Click here to jump to a Google Image search for .png images with transparent backgrounds. Replace the search for <your college> logo. Download the image, and rename it to something sensible (e.g. uva-logo.png). Rinse and repeat for a banner image - for this, feel free to find an alternate image that might represent your school’s mascot or motto. Drag these two images into the Resources browser under the Example Resources [REMOVE ME] folder.
7. Click your TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser and select your custom Team Logo and Team Banner (under Screen Banner) in the Inspector to update your Preview window.
8. You’ll notice that the team banner image I selected is way too big and there is no way to scale it down via the TeamCelebrateController properties (though you can scale the logo). We can fix that. In the Resources browser, click the Scripts->TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] to edit the file’s code. Add the following line to the Screen Banner widget group:
// @input float bannerSize = 0.3 {"showIf":"showBanner", "widget":"slider", "min":0.0, "max":1.0, "step":0.01}
9. Additionally in this file, find the configureScreenBanner() function, add the following lines to the end of the if {} block:
var size = new vec2(script.bannerSize, script.bannerSize).uniformScale(2.0); setRectSize(screenTransform.anchors, size);
Click File->Save.
Note: You may see the following error in the Logger at the bottom, but I’ve found it can be safely ignored and eventually goes away:
Argument 0: Value is not a number
The bannerSize property is now available to tweak in the Inspector when clicking TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser!
10. You’ll notice your eyes look a bit funky — the template we selected is applying some Face Effects. Feel free to disable these by deselecting the Face Effects under Camera->Effects->Face Effects in the Objects browser.
11. The goal of the rest of this tutorial is to customize this lens to add a few enhancements:
Upon tapping the screen, randomly cycle through the different Face Paint Types
Instead of confetti constantly dropping, modify the filter’s behavior to only show confetti when you open your mouth.
Add a virtual background from your school’s campus — this could be your favorite building, sports arena, or maybe even your dorm!
Tip: If you are ever missing the Object browser, Resources Browser, Inspector, etc.., you can always reset the layout by going to Window->Panels->Default Layout.
Pick a random face paint type upon tapping the screen
1. Click the Scripts->TeamCelebrateController in the Resources browser to edit its code.
2. Update the function signature of configureFacePaint() to look like this:
function configureFacePaint(isRandom) {
3. Modify this configureFacePaint() function’s code for loop that iterates through the facePaintTypes, add logic to that will pick a random or single selected facePaintType based on whether isRandom is passed into the function. Here is the code snippet to inject into that function:
script.facePaintType = isRandom ? Math.floor(Math.random() * script.properties.api.facePaintTypes.length) : script.facePaintType;
4. Next, add an additional function right above configureFacePaint(isRandom) which will allow us to access the function outside this file:
script.api.configureFacePaint = function(isRandom) { configureFacePaint(isRandom); }
Click File->Save.
5. In the Resources browser, click the + to add another new Script and rename it TapController. Move it into the Scripts folder, if it isn’t already there.
Add the following code:
//@input Component.ScriptComponent TeamCelebrateController script.TeamCelebrateController.api.configureFacePaint(true);
Click File->Save.
6. Click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser, and in the Inspector window, click Add Script and choose TapController
Map this script to the Tapped event.
7. You’ll now find a new property at the bottom of your TeamCelebrateController’s Inspector called Team Celebrate Controller. Set that to TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME].
8. Now try tapping the screen — you should see the face paint change each time to a random type!
Trigger confetti via the Mouth Opened facial gesture
1. Click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Resources browser to edit the file’s code.
2. Inside the init() function, remove the call to configureConfetti() and add this line
script.properties.api.confetti.enabled = false;
3. Modify the configureConfetti() function signature to look like this:
script.api.configureConfetti = function(on) {
4. Update the first line of this function to add a check for the on boolean in the if statement:
if (script.properties.api.confetti && on) {
5. Add an else clause to the end of the function — this will be directly after the closing of the if statement that starts on the first line of the configureConfetti() function.:
else { script.properties.api.confetti.enabled = false; }
6. In the Resources browser, click the + to add a new Script and rename it StartConfettiController. Move it into the Scripts folder if it isn’t already there.
Add the following code to your newly created StartConfettiController:
//@input Component.ScriptComponent TeamCelebrateController script.TeamCelebrateController.api.configureConfetti(true);
Click File->Save.
7. In the Resources browser, click the + to add another new Script and rename it StopConfettiController. Move it into the Scripts folder if it isn’t already there.
Add the following code to your newly created StopConfettiController:
//@input Component.ScriptComponent TeamCelebrateController script.TeamCelebrateController.api.configureConfetti(false);
Click File->Save.
8. In the Objects browser, click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] and review the Inspector. Click Add Script and choose your StartConfettiController.
Repeat for the StopConfettiController, and map them to the Mouth Opened and Mouth Closed events, respectively.
9. Test out your changes in the Preview window — opening your mouth should trigger confetti and closing your mouth should stop it.
Tip: If it doesn’t seem to be working, try clicking the Reset Lens button in the Preview pane:
Adding a virtual background
Find an image online (or use one that you’ve taken!) to use as your virtual background, and name it something sensible (e.g. uva-background.jpg). Drag it into the Example Resources [REMOVE_ME] folder in the Resources browser in the bottom left-hand corner. Also, in the Resources browser, click the + to add a Simple PBR Material. Make sure to drag this into the Materials folder, and rename it to virtual_background.
3. In the Inspector on the right-hand side:
update Base Texture->Texture to your virtual background image file
uncheck the Lighting checkbox
4. Next, in the Resources browser:
click the + to add a Segmentation Texture->Portrait Background
move this into the Textures folder.
5. Additionally in the Resources browser:
add a new Render Target by clicking +, and choosing Render Target
rename this to Virtual Background Render Target
move it under the Textures folder
6. In the Objects browser in the top left-hand corner:
click + to add another Camera
rename it to VirtualBackgroundCamera
7. With VirtualBackgroundCamera selected in the Objects Browser, let’s modify values in the Inspector:
set the Camera Type property to Orthographic
set the Mask Texture to Portrait Background Segmentation
set its Render Target property to Virtual Background Render Target.
click into the Layers box and choose Add New Layer, and create a new layer and rename it Virtual Background — *this should be the only layer selected*.
8. Still in the Objects browser, with VirtualBackgroundCamera selected:
click + to add an Image Object
9. Modify the Image Object’s properties in the Inspector:
set Material to your virtual_background material
set Stretch Mode to Fill.
set its Z position to -1.0
set its layer to Virtual Background
10. Click the Camera (not the Virtual Background Camera) in the Objects browser, and in the Inspector:
set its Clear Color Option to Texture
set its Input to Virtual Background Render Target
11. Back in the Resources browser under Textures:
find the existing Render Target
Render Target set its Texture->Clear Color property to None in the Inspector.
Tip: I’ve noticed different behavior in Lens Studio (different laptops) upon setting the Clear Color property to None vs Background. If None doesn’t work, try Background.
Voila, you should now have your image as the virtual background!
What’s Next?
I hope you enjoyed enhancing the team celebration template to make it more interesting and interactive! While I think it’d be neat to publish what you’ve made, please be mindful of any copyrights and/or trademarks of the imagery you’ve selected.
I encourage you to continue learning by following the numerous Lens Studio Guides published by Snapchat. Have fun! | https://medium.com/@jaredalexander/getting-started-with-lens-studio-1c84f5a58165 | ['Jared Alexander'] | 2021-01-04 04:21:23.550000+00:00 | ['Tutorial', 'Lens Studio', 'Augmented Reality'] |
Top List of Quick Pandas Methods | Let me begin by creating a dataset that I will edit in many different ways
df = [
['001', 101, 2000, 'red'],
['002', 99, 2080, 'blue'],
['003', 94, 1980, 'yellow'],
['004', 107, 2020, 'red'],
]
df import pandas as pd
df = pd.DataFrame(df)
df
Editing Column Headings
Unfortunately, the columns are simply stored as 0, 1, 2, 3. In order to edit the headings, I will use the following line of code:
df.columns = ['id', 'radius', 'weight', 'color']
I am passing the columns as a list to change the headings.
Adding index
By default, the DataFrame has a numerical index. However, you might want to change it according to your needs.
df.index = df['id']
df.pop('id')
df
One very common practical application where you might want to use indexes are time-series. When training LSTM neural networks, you have to drop the time stamp of the dataset. However, instead of dropping it, you can add it as an index.
Editing the entire Dataset
This is in absolute my favorite function. With an apply and lambda function, I can edit all the information in the dataset according to my instructions.
For example, I want to add twice the value of weights to the radius column.
df['radius'] = df['weight'].apply(lambda x : x+df['radius'])
df
Deleting n row
df = df.drop(df.index[[0]])
df
Transforming Series into DataFrame
What it may seem like an impractical use of Pandas its automatic setting of transforming one column into a Series.
row = df['radius']
row
Now, all the settings and methods I could have applied to a DataFrame are not valid, because it is essentially behaving like a NumPy Array.
row = pd.DataFrame(df['radius'])
row
As you can see, you can convert a single column (Series) back into a DataFrame.
Making a copy of the dataset
One wrong assumption you can make is that by defining another variable you can simply copy the dataset:
a = df
a
I will no modify an element of a:
a['color'][0] = 'black'
a
However, if we look at df, that WE HAVE NOT EDITED DIRECTLY:
df
We can see that both dataset have been modified. This is because Pandas works by assigning references to new variables.
To solve this problem:
a = df.copy()
If we perform the same experiment, you will see that only will be modified.
Only maintaining rows with a certain value
Let me now assume that I only want to conserve the rows which have a weight value higher than 2000. | https://medium.com/towards-artificial-intelligence/top-list-of-quick-pandas-methods-eef778a82bb1 | ['Michelangiolo Mazzeschi'] | 2020-06-28 18:01:01.073000+00:00 | ['Big Data', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Pandas', 'Data Science', 'Machine Learning'] |
Types of regularization and when to use them. | This article will explain 3 types of regularizations and where and how to use them using Scikit-Learn.
Why use regularization?
First we need to understand why we should regularization. Regularization is mainly used so that a model does not overfit the data. It is mainly used in a polynomial model as it may have higher degree features which can cause the model to overfit, what regularization does is reduces the number of polynomial degrees which makes the model not overfit the data.
Now the advantage of using regularization over the other methods such as reducing the number of features in the training data is that when removing the features we loose the valuable information while training. This is why regularization is better as it reduces the effect of the hypothesis parameters (θ).
Here I will be explaining 3 methods of regularization.
This is the dummy data that we will be working on. As we can see its pretty scattered and a polynomial model would be best for this data.
Figure-1: Dummy Data
Ridge Regression
Ridge Regression (also called Tikhonov regularization) is a regularized version of Linear Regression having a regularization term equal to:
Ridge Regression regularization term.
This term when added to the cost function forces the learning algorithm to mot only fit the data but also keep the model weights as small as possible.
This term should only be added to the cost function while training.
the hyperparameter α controls how much you want to regularize the model. Now if α = 0 the model is a normal Linear Regression model without any regularization. If α is very large then all the weights will end up being very close to 0 and the model would just be a straight line.
Ridge Regression cost function:
Ridge Regression cost function
Here MSE Refers to “Mean Squared Error”
If we define w as the vector of the feature weights. Then Ridged regression uses the l₂ norm of the vector w.
Closed for solution of Ridge Regression:
Closed form solution of Ridge Regression
Where A is the (n + 1) × (n + 1) identity matrix with a 0 in the top-left corner, corresponding to the bias term.
Implementing Ridge Regression using Scikit-Learn:
Now, let us see different Ridge models trained on some linear dummy data. On the left we, plain Ridge models are used leading to linear predictions. On the left we have data with expanded polynomial features then Ridge Regression is applied to the data.
Figure-2: Ridge Regression with different α values.
From Figure-2 we can se that increasing the α values lead to more flatter predictions, thus reducing the models variance and increasing the bias.
Lasso Regression
Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Regression is another regularized version of Linear Regression just like Ridge Regression it adds a regularization term to the cost function, but it uses l₁ norm of the weight vector w.
Lasso Regression cost function:
Lasso Regression cost function
Lasso Regression cost function:
Lets check out some Lasso models trained on dummy data:
Figure-3: Lasso Regression with different α values
An important characteristic of Lasso Regression is that it tends to eliminate the weights of the least important features for example we can se the right hand plot in Figure-3 where α = 1 the model has almost removed all features because the $\alpha$ value is too high and it looks more like a linear model than a polynomial one. As the α value decreases we see the model turn more polynomial and better fit the data but when α = 0 the model overfits the data so and no Lasso Regression is applied so the sweet spot seems to be α = 1e-07. In other words Lasso Regression automatically performs feature scaling and outputs a sparse model ( i.e., with few non-zero feature weights).
Elastic Net
Elastic Net is a middle ground between Ridge Regression and Lasso Regression. It is a mix between both Ridge and Lasso Regularization and you can control the mix of both using the mix ratio r. When r = 0, Elastic Net is equivalent to Ridge Regression, and when r = 1, it is equal to Lasso Regression.
Elastic Net cost function:
Elastic Net cost function
Implement Elastic Net using Scikit-Learn:
l1_ratio corresponds to the mix ratio r.
So when to use which?
It is almost always recommended to use some kind of regularization, so you should avoid plain Linear Regression most of the time. So which one should you use?
Ridge Regression is good if want to keep all the features and avoid the weights to blow up it is a good default. But if you think that only few features are useful it would be best to go with either Lasso Regression or Elastic Net as it sets the weights of features that are less useful to 0.
In general, Elastic Net is preferred over Lasso because it may behave erratically when the number of features is greater than number of training instances or when many features are strongly correlated.
Conclusion
In this short article we learnt three different types of regularization methods and how they are useful in preventing the model from overfitting and where each regularization type is useful.
So go ahead and try to implement them in your next model! | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/types-of-regularization-and-when-to-use-them-f0350ca651a7 | ['Saaransh Menon'] | 2021-01-02 09:18:40.030000+00:00 | ['Data', 'Scikit Learn', 'Data Science', 'Machine Learning'] |
Adding a New Microservice | Adding a New Microservice
Is it that simple? Oh wait, no!
Photo by revac film’s&photography from Pexels
Microservices are something that feels very natural when you have been working with monoliths in the past and are tired of the overheads and errors that arise in maintaining a monolith application.
My first microservice was a user service that would manage login/logout/auth for a user. We were adding more logins to our application because just one Google login wasn’t enough. I knew we’d be adding/removing more ways to log in users in the future. So I wanted to create a separate service to manage all this and not affect other parts of the application when we add/remove new login methods.
We agreed that a user service can take care of all this. After login, it would provide a token to the client that could then be used by the client to validate the user’s identity when calling other parts of our application (other services).
It was a success. We added more logins and configured the availability of different logins based on regions, and the microservice architecture helped a lot. We could independently deploy the user service without worrying about breaking something in some other part of our application. No matter what login method was used, the other services would always get an auth token to validate the user's identity.
It was all so elegant right from the beginning. All the operations related to managing a user can be handled by this service alone, and no part of my application needed to worry about it.
No doubt this is a very basic and simple use case for a microservice and might even be the status quo for an experienced microservice architect, but for me, it was a moment of joy. I had come up with a pattern to create a microservice on my own.
This decomposition of microservices (deciding if you need a microservice for something) can be so natural for such simple use cases that I was tricked into believing that microservices are easy and I somewhat had a handle on them. So naive!
A couple of other microservices later… | https://medium.com/better-programming/adding-a-new-microservice-be191e6451ac | ['Varun Bansal'] | 2020-09-09 21:26:29.764000+00:00 | ['Event Driven Architecture', 'Software Development', 'Microservices', 'DevOps', 'Programming'] |
Piper’s Choice — Escape. Part 2-Escape | They drove in silence, each lost in thought. Glancing over, she said, “I’m Piper? Thanks for your help back there.”
“Uh, I’m Tori.” The driver shrugged off the hood and ran long fingers through her tousled black curls.
“You’re, a… a girl? Are you kidding me! I thought you were a guy, coming to my rescue and all that.”
She flushed in embarrassment. “I mean, not that a girl couldn’t come to my rescue, but… you really tackled Rick hard.”
“Aw, it was a lucky break, I caught him off guard.”
“You could have fooled me; he dropped like a sack of potatoes! I’m glad that fucker hit his head.” | https://medium.com/illumination/pipers-choice-escape-b1d71fb1f809 | ['Tree Langdon'] | 2020-12-21 00:31:14.513000+00:00 | ['Relationships', 'Series', 'Self Improvement', 'Piper', 'Fiction'] |
What To Eat after a workout? | image by: Nathan Cowley
You may not feel hungry immediately after a workout, but the experts recommend that, although you may not feel like eating, you should eat after a workout. Mainly because during a workout, muscle protein declines and muscles begin to break down. Consequently, your body needs to refuel and repair the muscles, but in order to do this, your body needs nutrients and calories. To refuel the body after an exercise it is better to use whole food instead of supplements because they are digested more easily and contain essential nutrients that you need.
It is recommended that within 45 minutes after your workout is the optimal time to eat because carbohydrates and protein are absorbed more quickly 45 minutes after a workout. So, now that you know that you should eat after your workout and the time you should eat, let us look at what you should eat.
After a workout you should drink water to stay hydrated because your body loses water during your workouts. In Addition to water, you should eat a balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. However, stay away from high-glycemic carbohydrates such as bagels and donuts because these immediately are converted to sugar and are not a good source of energy.
Below is a list of foods that are ideal to repair and refuel your body after a workout: | https://medium.com/@kaylawalshpcs/what-to-eat-after-a-workout-1200ae87c0ab | ['Kayla Walsh'] | 2020-12-20 06:43:03.709000+00:00 | ['Health', 'Healing', 'Eating', 'Nutrition', 'Fitness'] |
Could Ethereum Be The World’s Reserve Currency? | So I was watching this YouTube video and then I got thinking. Could Ethereum be the next reserve currency.
OK, look. It’s no secret that since Covid hit governments the world over have been printing tons of money. And everyone is freaking out because of inflation. And I got this sense that the world would be needing another reserve currency.
So now we use the USD as the international currency. Planet Money has a good article on why. But with Covid as well as some particularly unpopular political moves perhaps that’s about to change.
So who or what to replace it with? I looked at crypto currencies? No, too volatile. Maybe the Chinese Yuan. Maybe.
I was so confident in the Yuan I bought a stake in CHNA.B. But I pulled out when I learned of some controversy with Didi.
Good thing too as there was a massive Chinese tech crackdown resulting in the Chinese stock market dropping 10% in a single day.
So that convinced me the Yuan is not going to be the next reserve currency. So what would be then?
Fast Forward To The London Fork
I heard about the London Fork. It’s like Ethereum’s version of the Bitcoin Halfening. Well, not exactly the same thing. In Bitcoin the entire system just gets less efficient (for the miners that is). In Ethereum they just ‘burn’ a bunch of the tokens.
Crazy. But the details of the London Fork are not that significant. What is more significant is that they managed to pull this off at all.
Half Your Cake And Eat It Too
It’s surprising because crypto currency is supposed to be decentralized. That means that you need 51% agreement on everything that goes on in the network. If you don’t have that what will happen is that the crypto currency basically will split into two. Two separate blockchains: one for the new version and one for the old version.
That did not happen here. Which is surprising because the London Fork is basically an OTA update. They changed the code of Ethereum right under the network’s noses. This is not supposed to happen in crypto currency. This is supposed to be impossible. But they did it.
This is like that time where Apple updated everyone from HFS+ to APFS with a software update. Wha- how?
What This Means For Ethereum
This is actually a little scary because it means Ethereum isn’t the beacon of rationality I thought it was. It can change. And is subject to mob rule- oh, I mean ‘democracy’.
But it also makes me optimistic about Ethereum. This means they can add things after the fact. They can make updates. Like the proposed update to make it proof of stake rather than proof of work.
Before the London Fork I was like, “Sure, whatever. Good luck.” But now I’m cautiously optimistic they may actually be able to pull this off.
This instantly makes Ethereum the most interesting crypto currency. More interesting than Bitcoin and lightyears more interesting than doge coin.
Why Ethereum Could Be The Next Reserve Currency
With the London Fork I am confident that Ethereum can patch any issue that appears. Now or the future. And with the upcoming proof of stake change we could be looking at the best crypto currency bar none.
And once that happens I see Ethereum having a shot of being the next reserve currency. Yeah, it’s still very volatile. But there will always be people willing to take the risk. | https://medium.com/@impure/could-ethereum-be-the-worlds-reserve-currency-f06915c92832 | ['Andrew Zuo'] | 2021-08-10 01:54:40.870000+00:00 | ['Ethereum Blockchain', 'Reserve Currency', 'Ethereum', 'Ether', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
How a 14-Year-Old’s Speech Captured the Art of Storytelling | This might sound a little cheesy, but the story was riveting coming from a 14-year-old girl who spoke in broken English, barely referring to her notes.
The content or message of Christie’s story was touching. The story was engaging and memorable — and although not extraordinary, in another sense, it was remarkable.
Firstly, it shows remarkable insight for a 14-year-old. You couldn’t accuse Christie of bullying, but she was teasing, and I imagine it didn’t make Nicole feel great. It is well known that bullies lack self-confidence. And Christie recognised that a lack of self-confidence was also behind her more light-hearted teasing.
At age 14, I could imagine reacting defensively to my mother, as Christie initially did. After all, the game wasn’t even Christie’s idea — it was Nicole’s mother’s idea! But I would not have moved beyond this to recognise a larger truth in the way that Christie did. Or if I had, I would not have admitted it!
Secondly, it showed that Christie understood the fundamentals of a good story. It was a simple, personal story, told well. Christie made herself vulnerable. And there was a life lesson for Christie that many of us could take on board.
Let’s look at each of these elements.
A simple personal story
Experiences are the material for stories. Older people have had more experience and more opportunity to process them. Yet Christie showed that even a small daily occurrence could be the basis for a story.
I still find it impressive that Christie recognised the value in her story. So many people think they have nothing important to say. Yet everyone has stories like Christie’s.
Being vulnerable
The story would not have been comfortable for Christie to share. I believe this incident had a big impact on her. She must have spent a lot of time thinking about it. And she was obviously upset about her mother’s reaction. She probably moved through several stages from “that was funny” to “that was harmless — just a bit of fun” to “perhaps I was not very nice.”
When we realise unpleasant truths about ourselves, it is one thing to change the behaviour. But rarely do we share our insights so that others can benefit.
A life lesson
My initial reaction was that her mother had been a little tough on Christie. It was just a game! Yet I could see Christie’s mother’s point. Light-hearted teasing is a step towards more serious bullying. Putting someone else down can make us feel good about ourselves at the expense of the other person. There was an important life lesson for Christie, but also her audience.
Christie could have emphasised the life lesson by directly articulating the connection between teasing and bullying. I am not sure that her classmates would have made that connection. It took me a while.
Her speech was also missing a call to action. She could have finished with something like, “Have you ever said something that made someone else feel bad? Even if you were only joking? Think about why you said it. Did it make you feel better about yourself? The next time you want to tease someone, try saying something nice instead. I bet that it will also make you feel better about yourself. And I bet the feeling will last longer.”
But Christie was only 14 years old. If she was able to tell this story at 14, I am excited to think about what she might achieve when she is older. | https://medium.com/curious/how-a-14-year-olds-speech-captured-the-art-of-storytelling-e25703102713 | ['Catherine Syme'] | 2020-10-30 00:53:29.291000+00:00 | ['Self-awareness', 'Life Lessons', 'Self Improvement', 'Self', 'Storytelling'] |
Review: Antop HD Smart Panel AT-800SBS — Thought for Your Penny | After a decade of cablecutting, I subscribed to Comcast for the past year just to remind myself what I was missing. These days, it’s unnecessary — with the wide variety of streaming services, smart TVs, and cable alternatives, there simply wasn’t a need. What I did do, however, was set up Antop’s latest HD Smart Panel antenna to feed into my Toshiba Fire TV.
This brought in over 65 OTA channels I could feed into my HDHomerun and Tablo devices to create watchable live streams and DVR content. Let’s walk through the antenna and how it works.
Check out the Ultimate Cable Cutter’s Guide
Antop sent us a free unit for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are my own. As always, I’m free to give my honest opinion, good or bad. Here’s what we found using the Antop HD Smart Panel AT-800SBS for the past month.
Under the Hood
Priced at $169.99, this antenna includes Antop’s Smart Boost System, can connect two devices, and has built-in 4G LTE filter to increase picture clarity. There’s also an integrated FM antenna and an adjustement dial for you to get the optimal reception without having to continuosly climb into the roof or attic.
It’s a multi-directional antenna that can handle HI-V, LO-V, and UHF signals with a 100dBuV maximum output level. Its scannable frequency range goes from 87.5–230MHz for FM radio and 470–700MHz for OTA TV signals. There’s 40 feet of cable included, and the gain can be adjusted from 7 to 22 decibles when pulling signals from an 8.5-mile range.
Measuring 10.83 x 6.5 by 22.44 inches and weighing in at nearly 10 pounds, this antenna is massive. It comes with a stand to setup indoors and a bracket to mount outdoors. There are also plenty of nuts, bolts, and cables to get everything setup easily out the box.
Setup and Usability
Setup is easy, regardless of how you decide to mount it. Because of my townhome’s location, I can easily receive a signal from the two major towers in Tucson, but I have to put this on top of my roof because of the architectural design. Its plastic design shields it from temperatures up to 140 degrees, according to the website, and we’ll certainly test its limits come July.
The Smart Boost really comes in handy, providing a notable difference from several other antennas we tested, like the Mohu Releaf, ChannelMaster SMARTenna+, and GE Pro Outdoor. While they all got roughly the same number of channels (sans the Releaf, which could only reach one or the other broadcast tower at any given time), the reception is much less grainy on my 55-inch TV.
There are 114 stations, with about 30% either HD or Spanish channels. In fact, PBS and Spanish-language channels are about the easiest signals to pick up in Tucson. It also gives me an opportunity to stream local radio and even a few Phoenix FM stations. It was easy enough to pull the signal through the Fire TV, although I didn’t have a standalone radio to see if it acted as a repeater.
Final Thoughts
Despite its bulky size and awkward plastic design, Antop’s AT 800SBS is a sharp and reliable antenna. It picks up a great signal for both TV and radio and makes a solid addition to your house. I wouldn’t mount it on an RV, but it could definitely be used inside of it or a van.
The only downsides are the aesthetics, size, and weight — if this power and reliability could be boiled into a smaller form-factor, it would be a solid A+, but it does the job well enough that its ugliness can be forgiven.
Final Grade: B+
Originally published at http://thoughtforyourpenny.com on March 7, 2020. | https://medium.com/@thought4yourpenny/review-antop-hd-smart-panel-at-800sbs-thought-for-your-penny-f00e834506ca | ['Brian Penny'] | 2020-03-07 18:42:27.567000+00:00 | ['Television', 'Cable', 'Video', 'Cablecutting', 'TV'] |
Odds Of Even | Odds Of Even
Photo by Jose Ibarra on Unsplash
A lovely curve
With endless happiness
That’s pure and divine
Spreads like sunshine
When she smiles.
It is that smile
That puts all my doubts
At rest, forever.
I wonder if I am a seaweed
Floating in a sea
Full of fantasy.
Her smile empties my soul
Each time when I get struck
In that heaven time.
Maybe I am in a deep time traveling
And all I need to whisper is
Your smile is my life. | https://medium.com/illumination/odds-of-even-6cc5f4e999b6 | ['Anupama A Prakash'] | 2020-12-27 17:53:04.375000+00:00 | ['Time', 'Poem', 'World', 'Life', 'Poetry'] |
5 ways to make a unstoppable business | a lot of people ask me at the conferences, what makes a unstoppable business? how do i keep businessing late into the night when my gums hurt and i’ve had enough business for the day??
as a leading thought leader, i have 5 secrets about business that will blow the lid off the whole damn thing
1. people
first off, what is a business? it’s people. think about it. it’s you and me, rubbing our hands together over data-sheets, igniting the sparks of a global econo-fire. that’s the blod and guts of the system okay?
that’s why diversity is so important, and why i constantly surround myself with all different kinds of men, tall men, fat men, men w/ confusing hats, etc. you want as many men in the boardroom as possible, so not a single man excluded
2. just graph it!
one mistake i notice many young founders make, is that they don’t measure things. this is why they always fail. measure everything. all aspects of my life are measured. even how much i’m measuring things. i know exactly how many things i have, and how many things i don’t have, at all times, forever. do you?
3. ideas, but more of them
you cant have a business without an idea. that’s why ideas are so rare, right?
WRONG. trick question. ideas are all around us. right now, you are inhaling 1,000,000s of potential ideas. ideas are just “electric words” and you need to monetize all of them, starting yesterday
4. take a breather somtimes, alright?
phew!
5. forget the handshake
handshakes are relics of the past (more on___t_this in a future post_s). so stop shaking hands already! you’re wasting time wagging another person’s fleshmeat when you could be businessing!
instead of shaking hands, look new clients directly in the eye and whisper, “i am now inside you”
5.5 push the limits to the max (…and beyond)
boundaries are artificial barriers that keep you from excelling. an empire can’t expand beyond the castle walls its build for its elf. that’s why i always “push the limits” to the MAX. example: you thought there were only going to be 5 secrets on this list, but count how many now.
you can’t get ahead unless you’re willing to go further, leave the limits behind in the star dust of the stratosphere ,,,,, b/c you deserve it
NEVER STOP >>
~Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever~ — gandhi
(this article originally appeared on linkedin) | https://medium.com/slackjaw/5-ways-to-make-a-unstoppable-business-b569a5320cba | ['Joe Veix'] | 2015-10-26 18:19:22.419000+00:00 | ['Entrepreneurship', 'Self Improvement', 'Business'] |
The 10 Best Immersive (AR/VR) Storytelling Experiences of 2020 | Studio Syro
We’re a new VR animation studio with a focus on using VR tools like Quill to change the way we work and tell exciting… | https://medium.com/@dmvrg/the-10-best-immersive-ar-vr-storytelling-experiences-of-2020-b680b1af2e6 | ['Adam Varga'] | 2020-12-21 08:17:31.237000+00:00 | ['Immersive', 'Storytelling', 'Virtual Reality', 'Augmented Reality', 'Mixed Reality'] |
How to Cook the 60 FPS RecyclerView? | Almost in every Android-based application there are item lists in one form or another. To display those lists on the screen developers use RecyclerView as the most fluent, friendly and resource non-intensive component. But, as it always happens, one and the same component in different use environments can behave absolutely differently. So, I propose that we outline the conditions we usually have to deal with and divide them into two groups:
Those we can influence:
Nesting level as relating to other Views. Number of Views on one screen. “Light” ViewHolder. Number of unique ViewHolders. Animation inside ViewHolder as well as outside RecyclerView. RecyclerView Settings.
Those we can not influence:
Hardware. Software (Android implementation). Utilised capacity of the device.
As follows from Group 1 above there is quite a lot of leverage we can use to reach the goal. But let’s expand on each of the items in more detail.
It’s worth starting with that to render the whole 60 FPS screen we have only 16 ms per frame. In fact, we have to use more than 90% of time to render the app a user sees, considering the recent trends of edge-to-edge screens.
Nesting level as relating to other Views
The lower the layout hierarchy of the View, the more time-consuming rendering and calculation of hierarchy boundaries will be. You should consider this fact laying out a screen.
Solution: RecyclerView should be in the very root of the hierarchy of your screen.
Number of Views on one screen
Due to the specific character of View implementation on Android — it’s a pretty ‘heavy’ framework element where there are calculation of View in the framework, GPU rendering, synchronisation, etc. It’s not Flutter where everything is ‘flat’ with the maximum of technical costs involved.
So if you place 50 Views on a screen which do not even render anything, we will definitely have to face a pretty good FPS decrease.
Solution: Do not design visually-heavy screens when you work with the item lists.
‘Light’ ViewHolders
Let’s give a closer look to how the time is usually spent from the very start you create a ViewHolder and up to rendering of the first frame.
Inflate and View creation. Caching and synchronisation of the created View and ViewHolder. Data binding and rendering.
I would like you to pay closer attention to items 1 and 3.
The most costly is item 1 — View creation out of xml-based layout.
Efficiency of item 3 depends on the availability of data ready for rendering. For example, if you want to show some text, the only thing you should do in bind is to assign values from the model. The rest of the calculations should be done outside ViewHolder.
textUserName.text = userItem.name
Types of Views used in ViewHolder(s) as well as heavy UI tools, such as PorterDuff and Shader subclasses, etc. also have a great deal of importance.
Solution: xml-based layout should be maximally flat and include a minimum of heavy elements to render.
A number of unique ViewHolder(s)
As was previously described the heavier the xml, the more time you need to process it. So, if a screen shows a number of heavy ViewHolder(s), even with the Diffutils used, lagging is inevitable.
Solution: keep balance of visible ViewHolder(s) on one screen depending on their ‘weight’. Or add 1 list item at a time using Diffutils or manually.
Animation inside ViewHolder and outside RecyclerView
Animation is ‘heavy’ in all respects. So, its use in ViewHolder should make a maximum sense and be optimised, since it consumes a hefty part of processing time.
Solution: start of animation should always correspond to the appearance of View on a screen whereas its end to its disappearance or to the time a user starts working with a list (scroll, data update).
RecyclerView settings
One of the interesting items of the list. RecyclerView lets you optimise the work with a list depending on the situation.
Solution-Task:
Diffutils. List data update. The utility will calculate the data diff as effective as possible and will render it with animation. setHasFixedSize(…). You should always use it when the size of RecyclerView doesn’t change. It allows to make use of the internal optimisations to render the list items. setItemViewCacheSize(…). Optimisation allows to set a quantity of View(s) outside the screen which might possibly be used in the recycledViewPool setRecycledViewPool(…). Optimisation allows to reuse similar View(s) between the nested RecyclerView(s).
And now let’s move to the list of factors which might spoil our efforts.
Gestures Speed
If you try to very very slowly scroll the list in the Debug GPU mode, you will see the item list jitter. The reason for it is a heavy process of gesture recognition as well as the I/O utilisation.
Software
Having tested lots of different item lists on flagship and very slow smartphone models with stock Android on board we can conclude that everything is not that demonstrably clear. For example, the simplest item lists work in a better way on Android 5 rather than on Android 9+. It seems like such a behaviour is there due to Garbage Collector ‘aggressiveness’ or specific implementation.
Hardware
Relying on comparison of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets there seems to be a direct correlation between their processing power and its generation. So, we can presume that obsolete hardware will hardly be conducive to item lists ‘agility’.
Utilised capacity of the device
The most unpleasant case of performance loss. With the I/O being overloaded all our efforts will prove useless and bring the performance to nought. Let’s have a closer look at the basic cases:
Intensive utilisation of the drive. CPU utilisation by some separate process. GPU utilisation (for example, rendering in background) GPS, 5G on Gesture recognition Notifications
All this can be ascribed to Android’s imperfection as a system if we compare similar cases with iOS where the app in the background is given the least priority.
Below is the result of testing of RecyclerView on different devices as well as the initial data in the HWUI mode. The test can not guarantee 100% true results, yet its results reflect my previous work experience as to using item lists and their peculiarities.
Samsung S10 Android 10
Simple List Item (Coloured Rectangular)
Custom List Item (Long text, Images, Inner RecyclerView, etc.)
Pixel 2 Android 11
Simple List Item (Coloured Rectangular)
Custom List Item (Long text, Images, Inner RecyclerView, etc.)
LG K7 Android 5
Simple List Item (Coloured Rectangular)
Custom List Item (Long text, Images, Inner RecyclerView, etc.)
As follows from the test results, the factors influencing the performance of RecyclerView depend heavily on the items described in group 2.
What is the bottomline?
No doubt, RecyclerView is the best solution to work with item lists bearing in mind that there are a whole lot of Android-based devices as well as customised Android versions which it can be used for. Nevertheless, as our experience shows a user has to sweat and toil to utilise this component to the max. You should follow the above recommendations and your item lists will work as fast as they possibly could.
Should you be interested in the topic as such, you can also check out one of my previous articles. Also, feel free to subscribe to my TG channel GMD. It’s all about mobile app development, my experiences, using different tools and devices. | https://medium.com/rosberryapps/how-to-cook-the-60-fps-recyclerview-3e7f3885a55 | [] | 2020-11-30 08:52:27.749000+00:00 | ['Android App Development', 'Android', 'AndroidDev', 'Recyclerview', 'Mobile App Development'] |
Energy Is Our Most Important Asset | Fuel That Is Not Food
Having enough energy does not mean that we just need to eat enough calories, however. There are also mental, psychological, and spiritual aspects to having enough energy.
Reflection
Having time to reflect is a great way to make sure our energy levels stay high. Reflection allows us to empty our minds from all of the urgencies and emergencies that so easily fill it. Many people do this by writing in a journal, going for walks or even runs, or by taking time for themselves. For me, I write in a journal in the morning and at night.
Purpose and Passion
“Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come to watch you burn.” — John Wesley
When a purpose burns deep within us, we can do the impossible. Often, a purpose can drive us farther than nearly any other motivation. A person with a purpose can outlast any group of people with just an interest.
More Seabiscuit
Sometimes it is not about having physical energy, but about having the right motivation. In the movie Seabiscuit, the horse needed to look another horse in the eye before starting to accelerate. Seabiscuit needed to be passed before being energized and before being able to pass everyone else. Sometimes we need the same thing. Our energy level and motivation can massively increase when we witness someone “pass” or “catch up to” us, especially someone whom we think should not be ahead of us. Sometimes we need to feel the pain of being behind to wake up and push forward. The motivation — and energy — that comes from feeling behind can propel us more than almost anything else.
Prove Something
“The basic difference between a warrior and an ordinary man is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as either a blessing or a curse.” — Don Juan, in the Tales of Power, by Carlos Castaneda
Life drains some people. It drives others to prove something. One of the best ways to have instant energy is to feel the urge to prove that you are right, that you are not wrong, that you have good ideas, and that you have worth. Anytime I feel like I have to prove something, I am energized.
Cash
I was just speaking with a friend of mine. It was painful, because he was depressed. He was figuring out what to do, and he asked for my advice. He was broke. He had no savings. He sounded defeated. He was a man drained of all energy because his financial predicament had invaded every area of his life. For me, I am energized when I have a certain amount of money sitting in a bank account. This allows me to ignore the day-to-day bumps that come up — whether it is an unexpected expense or an urgent need. If I know that I will be okay financially, then I can maintain a high level of energy. And if I know that I have a security blanket of funds, then I am not distracted by low-hanging fruit. Without some level of security, anxiety can drain our energy. Having our finances in order allows us to maintain positive energy.
Avoid Certain People
Have you ever asked someone how they are doing and then wished they hadn’t told you the truth? Just being around certain people can energize us, and being around others can completely drain us. Insane energy only happens when we avoid the people who steal our energy.
Hope
Hope is the most powerful source of energy that I have ever found. Every relationship requires hope to grow. And with hope, you can have almost unlimited energy. But as soon as there is no hope, nearly all energy disappears. In my relationship with my wife, I make sure that we always have something to look forward to: a trip, a date, something fun that we are doing together. And as soon as we are getting close to whatever that event is, I try to plan the next thing to look forward to. There is no substitute for hope in relationships — hope that life can get better. The same is true for anything else. Why do you need energy if life can’t get any better? You don’t. The more hope you have, the more energy you can and will have. Having hope is a requirement for having insane energy. | https://medium.com/the-post-grad-survival-guide/energy-is-our-most-important-asset-d62a0c98ef21 | ['John Mashni'] | 2019-10-14 12:01:02.711000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Personal Growth', 'Coaching Corner', 'Health', 'Leadership'] |
How to use arrays and loops in JavaScript | Arrays and loops is a new data structure that is used all the time within developers, they allow us to create collections of data in a much easier way than creating different variables.
For example, these are strings: 👇🏼
let name = “Sylvia”; let year= “2021”;
But the problem is that what if we need to have multiple names or multiple years or temperatures, what if we want an easy collection of data. That is why we use array []. The rule of using array[] 👇🏼
let countries = [“Germany”, “Iceland”, “Spain”];
How to read an specific item of an array, you will have to use a [], but see which is the first item, an array index always starts from 0. So if you want to access to “Iceland” than you write:
countries[1];
To know the length from your code you use the word .length
countries.length
if we want to replace an item inside an array,
cities[2] = “USA”;
so Spain becomes USA
Looping thru each country in the array, we need to use a new function forEach 👇🏼
cities.forEach(showCountry);
How to create an array with the all the days of the week and console log it:
now log Monday and Sunday:
Logging every day of the week in a sentence:
👇🏼 | https://medium.com/@sylviaantons/how-to-use-arrays-and-loops-in-javascript-46904f49c54f | ['Sylvia Antons'] | 2021-05-17 17:07:00.380000+00:00 | ['Arrays', 'JavaScript', 'Loops In Javascript'] |
All You Need to Know About Cryptocurrency Mining | Cryptocurrencies are one of the hottest topics being discussed on the Internet today. While many people are trying to make their way in the industry, others are working on earning cryptocurrencies using specialized equipment and mining farms built from a large number of video cards. In this way they aim to provide themselves with a permanent source of additional or even basic income.
In this article we will cover all you need to know about cryptocurrency mining, its role in blockchain networks and alternative ways of reaching an agreement and looking for new blocks. Mining is increasingly being criticized as useless work which wastes vast amounts of electricity and doesn’t give anything in return. We will try to figure out if this is the case.
The Role of Mining in Blockchain Networks
Cryptocurrency mining is not just a way of making money. Miners have an important function in blockchain networks. They solve mathematical problems, open new blocks and approve other users’ transactions in the net. Miners save blockchains from block fraud and hacker attacks and guarantee the network’s decentralization.
Cryptocurrency mining is essentially a form of output, specifically the issuing of new coins. But the main function of mining is different. The main function is to reach an agreement on the net on the basis of which transactions can be considered valid, so that none of the users can spend coins he or she has already spent in another transaction. That’s why receiving bitcoin is just a side effect of doing useful work, even though its usefulness is constantly being criticized by experts.
The scheme from https://www.fnz.com/ clearly illustrates the role of miners in every transaction inside the network
The Effectiveness of Mining
A home computer’s capacity used to be sufficient for cryptocurrency mining in the beginning stages of the cryptocurrency industry. However, today much more processing power is are required for mining. The number of Bitcoins that can be issued is limited to 21 million coins. This means that the more coins come into circulation, the harder it gets to mine them. This has a significant impact on computational complexity, energy consumption and mining effectiveness. The complexity of mining alternative cryptocurrencies, the issuing of which is unlimited, increases at a slower pace.
If you look at Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency mining equipment from the world’s leading suppliers you may notice the equipment getting more powerful every month. This is a direct consequence of the increasing complexity of mining. Competition in this market is similar to a real arms race.
ASIC-miners are the most effective devices for mining Bitcoin and a number of other popular cryptocurrencies. These devices have special chips designed to solve mathematical problems during the mining process.
There is a simple but significant story to illustrate the power of ASIC-miners in comparison with common farms built from video cards. Developers of Dash (a popular cryptocurrency) have gone so far as to create their own encryption algorithm. It is called X11, as It uses 11 hash-functions at once. According to its authors, the algorithm should protect the cryptocurrency from ever being mined using ASIC-miners. However, the ingenuity of equipment manufacturers has surpassed that of developers, and now Dash cryptocurrency can also be mined using ASIC-miners.
Thus, due to the constantly increasing complexity of calculations and growing number of miners, cryptocurrency mining is gradually turning from just a way to make money into a kind of competition, since only the first to solve a block on the network receives cryptocurrency as a reward. In order to reduce the chance factor and evenly distribute the reward in accordance with the computing power of equipment, miners create pools.
The increasing complexity of calculations makes it necessary to enhance equipment productivity with each subsequent block in order to create the same number of coins. This relationship can be seen in the graph below.
The constantly growing processing power of Bitcoin’s network, according to the website https://blockchain.info/charts/hash-rate
Some blockchain networks impose software restrictions in order to only permit mining from personal computers, thus making blockchain resistant to calculations made by ASIC-miners and ensuring that the network does not consume large amounts of electricity. These solutions have already been implemented and are used in such networks as PrimeCoin, Cuckoo Cycle, CryptoNight and Ethash, as well as in some less popular blockchains.
Problems in Mining and its Alternatives
Mining is based on the Proof-of-Work system, which allows for an agreement to be reached and transactions to be verified in a Blockchain network. The Proof-of-Work system was invented back in 1993, but received widely recognized application and popularity only in 2008 with the emergence of the first cryptocurrency — Bitcoin. The use of PoW at the core of the Bitcoin network provides reliable protection against 51% attack.
The major argument against the Proof-of-Work system is that the network wastes a huge amount of electricity, which is being consumed by miners to find new blocks. PoW is even quite eloquently called a monster, which devours electricity in pursuit of profitability from mining. This criticism became relevant when, in 2012, the Bitcoin network’s total capacity surpassed the performance of the most powerful supercomputer on the planet. Since then, computing power has been steadily increasing following the increasing complexity of mining.
These shortcomings lead to the emergence of the first alternative to the Proof-of-Work system — the Proof-of-Stake algorithm. According to the PoS approach, new blocks are not solved by miners, but are created by network participants with a probability that is dependent on their share of the cryptocurrency in the turnover. The more coins stored by a member of the network, the more likely they are to record a new block in the blockchain and receive a reward.
The Proof-of-Stake algorithm initially emerged as a basic principle of the PPCoin cryptocurrency blockchain, which is now called PeerCoin. The general idea of all variations of PoS is to completely replace external resources (electricity, as well as coal, oil and other energy sources from which electricity is extracted) with internal ones, i.e. the coins themselves.
In fact, PoS is the same lottery, so to speak, as PoW, with some qualitative differences. It does not require huge computing power to search for new blocks, since hash generation can be done within a defined space and does not call for specialized equipment; while the probability of finding a new block depends only on the amount of coins in a member’s account and on the current level of complexity in the network.
PoS has the following advantages over the PoW approach:
● Energy is saved;
● The arms race is curbed;
● The price of an attack is high — 51% — which makes the attack itself simply impractical.
Thus, in the PoS approach, the work of miners, which practically burns through physical resources in the form of oil and coal, is replaced with a virtual resource found within the ecosystem itself.
The Universa Solution
There are few alternatives to the Proof-of-Work mining method and algorithm for confirming transactions, with their advantages and disadvantages causing controversy and disagreement. Experts agree on one thing, which is the need to create unique solutions for solving the various tasks for which the network was created. These solutions must be fully tailored to the tasks at hand. Universa blockchain does this in its own efficient way.
In Universa, the only work that is done by machines is processing highly important data and performing smart contracts, which does not call for a massive amount of electricity, and does not require users to own heavy duty equipment like video card farms or ASIC-miners. Universa developers believe that mining is futile, consuming gigawatts of electricity per hour while giving nothing back to the network. Essentially the only thing it does is provide miners with cryptocurrency.
The philosophy behind Universa is to not let users’ important business data be stored recklessly in vulnerable and sometimes unknown places around the world. In Universa, all data is securely encrypted and regulated by strict security rules, which makes it possible for companies to entrust even the most important information and key business processes to blockchain. This results in a definite increase in the level of confidence in blockchain technology, and will stimulate its future development and expansion.
Instead of mining coins, the nodes in the Universa network check the status of the network and perform smart contracts. Instead of mining, which simply burns time cycles, Universa blockchain only grants the right to create new blocks to licensed nodes. This approach means that a status can be changed without having to wait for the new block to be created, and checked by a trusted member of the network, thus allowing an agreement to be reached in less than 10 milliseconds, even in a large-scale network. If we are to compare, the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains sometimes require way longer than 10 minutes to create a block and confirm changes in the network. | https://medium.com/universablockchain/all-you-need-to-know-about-cryptocurrency-mining-d501fcae546a | [] | 2018-03-26 09:54:37.380000+00:00 | ['Universa Education', 'Blockchain', 'Bitcoin'] |
Buying Eco-Friendly Is Not Always Sustainable | If you’re looking for a sign to purchase those items in your shopping cart, chances are, you don’t even need them. And by need, I mean, it is neither a necessity nor something you really really, really want.
Each passing day, a new product, an innovation, no matter how trivial, is out in the market and aims to provide relief to humans’ unending thirst for convenience and satisfaction. The capitalist industry feeds on this human instinct of purchasing what we feel is needed. And factors more than the environment suffer the consequences of the now reversed ideology of “necessity is the mother of invention” — necessity has become the child.
Despite the growing measures to combat the effects of our likewise increasing consumption, we may be — in fact, we already are, doing the opposite.
The Perfect Marketing Recipe…You Shouldn’t Fall For
Consider trends in buying sustainable products.
Most of the time, these are marketed to the public, guilting people into buying the products, facing them with how their previous practices hurt the environment. Add to this, the consumer’s urge to fit in with trends, and a business has got the perfect recipe to increase their sales.
However, as a responsible buyer, you should be reviewing and assessing how purchases could affect not only you but all other factors of the world you live in, such as the environment and society.
If you think buying that bamboo utensil set is a step towards sustainability, think again.
So, Should I Hop on the Minimalist Lifestyle Trend?
The true essence of sustainability is somehow synonymous with minimalism. Only get what you need. And get what would last you for as long as you need it.
Buying those wooden utensils is not a step towards an eco-friendlier life, especially if you already have utensils at home that you can pack for outside-home errands — and I highly doubt it if you claim not to have spoons and forks at home. Buying the set defeats its purpose of being sustainable because you never needed them in the first place.
If you weigh the benefits of consumerism against its many cons, well, you don’t even have to because the cons would easily outweigh the pros.
Consumerism does big things for a region’s economic growth — there’s no doubt in that. And what keeps the market growing is the innovative and creative minds of entrepreneurship. However, as individuals, being consumed by consumerism brings more damage to the singular than what it does good to the collective.
The Pursuit of Conscious Consumerism
This generation has been treading towards conscious consumerism, one step at a time. However, society and the market should respectively understand and inform how conscious consumerism is not synonymous with purchasing “environmental” products.
Instead, it should be focused on how both the consumers and the market can bring change to their previous and rather destructive practices by giving more attention to the impacts of buying and the behind-the-scenes in manufacturing consumer products.
Being a member of both ends of consumerism, I believe I have a big responsibility and power to give light to more sustainable practices that should be well-disseminated to the bigger public.
How to be a Smart and Sustainable Consumer
As a consumer, you should be knowledgeable enough about how certain products came to be and what these have in store for you as a shopper.
In choosing from a wide array of selections, you should analyze first if the products can be used for long — and if it is even going to be used — before questioning yourself of its quality, cost, ingredients, and convenience. After all, what would examining these factors do if you will not even be maximizing the product’s purpose?
To specify this, take that pending “sustainable” utensil set purchase into account again. From what I can observe and conclude, buying such would be impractical now that we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Why? Well, for one, you will not be using it since we are mostly in a work-from-home situation.
Secondly, do you seriously not have utensils at home? You can just pack what you already have — make it portable for whenever you are prompted to leave the house.
Or lastly, but most probably, were you just enticed by how the packaging and marketing were presented? The same can be said when purchasing other merchandise. And since we’re on the topic anyway, I strongly urge you to start thrifting. If you want unique, thrift and vintage stores are a haven for the one-of-a-kind. | https://medium.com/climate-conscious/buying-eco-friendly-is-not-always-sustainable-82468bb0444 | ['Naddine Luci'] | 2020-12-21 14:03:07.080000+00:00 | ['Lifestyle', 'Sustainability', 'Minimalism', 'Activism', 'Environment'] |
How can Sleep Train Your Baby | Medically Reviewed by Marvin Resmovits, M.D. on April 2, 2020
Does your baby need to be rocked to sleep by you — or wake up in the middle of the night demanding a breast, bottle or cuddle before drifting back to sleep? If your little one is at least 4 months old, it may be time to start sleep training.
By that age, babies can and should be able to fall asleep or fall back to sleep on their own by self-soothing.
If you’re dreading sleep training (also called sleep teaching), know that it’s often accomplished faster than many parents imagine, and it doesn’t necessarily even have to involve lots of tears. Here’s how and when to start sleep training your baby to help everyone get a good night’s sleep.
What is sleep training?
Sleep training is teaching your baby to fall asleep without help from you. That means baby is put down for bed fully awake, and she drifts off without being rocked, swayed, cuddled, nursed or shushed.
What sleep training isn’t
First, sleep training and night weaning do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. You can still feed your baby once or even twice during the night, depending on age and stage. Talk to your pediatrician about when it’s appropriate to fully drop your baby’s nighttime feeds.
That’s one of many ways that sleep training is not as harsh as it sounds. It doesn’t necessarily involve shutting the nursery door and letting baby cry all night. In fact, you can adjust the amount of crying you let your baby do to your comfort level before you offer a soothing song or a comforting rub on the back.
While some parents worry that some methods might harm a baby’s health or create attachment-related issues down the line, research shows that sleep training doesn’t increase the risk of behavioral or emotional problems later in childhood.
Many experts say that sleep training is not only safe, it’s healthy and important for babies’ development. | https://medium.com/@bestonlineshoppershop/how-can-sleep-train-your-baby-35fea6fe05cd | ['Shailendra Soni'] | 2021-06-01 14:49:12.646000+00:00 | ['Baby Sleep Training', 'Baby', 'Baby Sleep'] |
A Detailed Guide for Selling Your Unused Gift Cards and Vouchers | There are many ways to sell unused gift vouchers but preferring the most reliable option is important. Around the year many gift cards are sent and received in the form of gifts during festivals and special occasions. It’s always exciting to receive gift cards from loved ones, as gift cards allow us to pick out the products and services that value most. The same goes for gift vouchers. On a day-to-day basis, we receive gift vouchers in the form of shopping rewards or scratch cards on various online platforms.
We usually forget about gift cards and vouchers we received, so they are left unused and wasted. There are many online platforms where you can sell unused gift vouchers.
Remember these things before selling your gift card
Before we go further and explain in detail about selling your unused gift cards there are few things to be kept in mind.
There is always a chance to get scammed when you’re trying to sell gift cards so be cautious.
Make sure that you received the payment before sending the card.
If it’s a physical gift card for any particular store, make sure you meet the person for who you are selling it at that store and verify whether the card is working or not before completing the transaction.
To sell unused gift vouchers similar precautions should be taken before.
If you are selling via third-party websites, make sure you read all terms and conditions (including buyer protection schemes) to avoid getting scammed.
To get the most value out of unused gift cards follow these steps
Read the customer reviews of the website in which you are planning to sell the gift cards
Selling gift cards to friends and relatives should be your priority.
While optimizing the rate of your gift card consider the expiration date.
Thoroughly verify the website by checking the terms and conditions mentioned.
Also, check whether the website is providing reliable payment options or not.
By following all the steps sell unused gift vouchers you can utilize and get the best deal out of your gift cards and vouchers.
Once after receiving the gift cards and vouchers, we may not find anything useful in that particular store, so we don’t use them and they get wasted. Or in other cases, we may end up buying something out of desperation and don’t use it. Finally, it ends up in the trash can. This doesn’t always have to be the case because with digital platforms like Cansell you can easily exchange your gift cards for cash.
Cansell is a marketplace that makes the buying and selling process simple and easy. The e-commerce platform connects buyers and sellers. As a buyer, you get to choose from a whole range of gift cards and vouchers from top brands, and as a seller, you can sell unused gift vouchers and cards and vouchers with safe and secure transactions. | https://medium.com/@gryphoninhouse/a-detailed-guide-for-selling-your-unused-gift-cards-and-vouchers-3f7b7be99797 | [] | 2020-12-21 11:57:05.748000+00:00 | ['Gift Cards', 'Flipkart', 'Amazon', 'Gifts', 'Uber'] |
Random statement | Title：Random statement
Artist: Albeswood
Project: Random statement
Creating Date: 2020
Medium: Mixed Media、
Materials: Light box、Video、Screen、Plastic material、
Size: 59×33×1.57in、150×84×4cm
Quantity: Unique（One of a kind piece, created by the artist.）
Signature: Hand-signed by artist, Signed on verso.
Photographer: Albeswood
Independent artist Albeswood believes that the human body are the most important part of daily life , Because I feel my own body , He has thought about “ why is I myself “ ，This series of works is based on such thinking . Even if the starting point is philosophical thinking , the artistic creation itself removes this kind of thinking and returns to everyday things , Let the audience feel the Zen in the quiet watching .
You can keep track of the artist’s work on instagram , And check out all the other works on his website .
Artist Website: https://albeswood.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albeswoodart
Email: [email protected]
All images © Albeswood | https://medium.com/@albeswood/random-statement-eee46327641b | [] | 2020-12-05 11:56:57.063000+00:00 | ['Minimalism', 'Artist', 'Artwork', 'Installation', 'Painting'] |
When LiveData and Kotlin don’t play well together | Playing well together
The idea of LiveData was an interesting one. Based on the idea of reactive streams, that was on the peak at that time with RxJava plus adding automatic lifecycle handling — a problem on Android. LiveData had bad timing though. It arrived just before Kotlin made its impact in the Android community and sometimes both don't play that nice together. Let’s explore why and what can happen!
The good and the bad
The idea of LiveData was pretty simple: a lifecycle-aware implementation of the Observable pattern. In addition, if you resubscribe, you will get the last emitted value again. It could be compared to a typed version of an EventBus with sticky messages.
This is one of the core features of LiveData . But very soon after developers, including the authors, figured, you don’t always want that behavior. Let’s say you have an error value. Then you probably don’t want to show that error value again after resubscribing, like after rotation of a device — for instance.
One way to solve this is SingleLiveEvent and it’s a good choice for one-off events like errors.
Both worlds
But what if you want a bit of both? You want to have the last value “sticky” plus not showing potential errors multiple times!
In that case, it would be good to remove our error value from LiveData after they have been consumed, right?
Let’s look at the implementation of LiveData :
The current value is saved on a field:
private volatile Object mData;
Initially, it is set to NOT_SET which.
static final Object NOT_SET = new Object();
Unfortunately, is not public otherwise, we could use it to reset the value.
What now?
If you search for this problem, one of the most suggested solutions is simply setting it to null .
Let’s explore this:
viewModel.results.observe(lifecycleOwner) { result ->
when (result) {
SomeResult.Error -> {
handleError()
viewModel.results.reset()
}
SomeResult.Result -> { handleResult(result) }
}
}
where the ViewModel’s implementation is:
class MyViewModel: ViewModel() {
private val mutableResults = MutableLiveData<SomeResult>()
val results: LiveData<SomeResult>
get() = mutableResults
fun reset() {
mutableResults.value = null
}
}
This works, right?
Congratulations! You just introduced a crash into your code!
But why?
You might not even notice and might roll it out. (If so, please add unit tests next time).
The issue here is that we declared LiveData as non-nullable to the compiler!
Your observer will get notified with this null value and then immediately crash once it gets a value with a KotlinNullPointerException under the hood. There is nothing you can do anymore! It’s part of how Kotlin works!
LiveData is written in Java. It does allow setting it’s value to null . So the authors could add @Nullable annotation as we have them on other Jetpack libraries, right? No, as then you always need to handle nullable types in getValue or the Observer although you clearly might have declared your LiveData as non-null. The Generic is runtime information (for Java), annotations are compile-time information, they can’t solve this for us. And Java simply does not have null in the type system.
It’s not a bug - it’s a feature!
How can you solve this?
An easy one would be to mark your LiveData nullable:
private val mutableResults = MutableLiveData<SomeResult?>()
val results: LiveData<SomeResult?>
get() = mutableResults
Now we can handle that in the observer and only react to non null values. And more important: the compiler forces us to!
Is there another way?
I said earlier that we couldn’t access the original NOT_SET value. It’s not totally true. We could expose it by setting something into the jetpack package:
package androidx.lifecycle
fun <T> LiveData<T>.reset(){
this.value = LiveData.NOT_SET as T?
}
It’s a bit dirty though.
But other than that, is this actually allowed?
It’s at least not forbidden! Even by the newer stricter rules about private APIs for apps on Google Play, it should be fine.
The actual problem is a different one, but most importantly, you rely on an implementation detail of LiveData that is not part of the public API and therefore could change anytime!
Ok, what now?
Another alternative is to wrap the results so you can have your own NOT_SET :
sealed class ViewModelResult {
data class Result(val result: SomeResult): ViewModelResult()
object NotSet: ViewModelResult()
}
We would use NotSet to clear of previous values and then could just ignore that in the Observer .
It’s not the most beautiful but probably the cleanest way of solving this.
This is also recommended by Jose Alcérreca in this article.
Anything else?
Also, try to re-think if you need LiveData in the first place. With StateFlow and ShareFlow Kotlin provides a great alternative.
If you want to stick with LiveData, think if there is a way you can either have sticky or non sticky events instead of a mix?
In that case, think about updating your Linter to add a custom Lint check where our non-nullable live data cannot be set to null and the compiler in that case would cause an error.
Stay alert! This is not a LiveData issue, it could happen with other libraries too. We got very used to the Kotlin compiler warning us. But if it can’t, it might bring you into troubles you won’t even have without it. | https://medium.com/google-developer-experts/when-livedata-and-kotlin-dont-play-hand-in-hand-30149aa794ec | ['Danny Preussler'] | 2020-12-21 15:00:41.277000+00:00 | ['Android App Development', 'Jetpack', 'Livedata', 'AndroidDev', 'Kotlin'] |
3Amp Volta 2.0 Right Angle Magnetic Cable — The Right Way To Go! | Customers or product, which should be paid more attention to? This seems like a complex question, right? Well, it definitely is but at Volta, we understand that customers and products are two mutually inclusive properties and as such, no one is standalone. We do not brag about knowing everything a person would need. However, we listen to the comments and feedback from our customers so that we identify what to design to serve you better. You can check our Insider group on Facebook to see for yourself. We are thrilled for this culture we have imbibed at Volta because our customers have called for it and we have answered by bringing the widely anticipated 3AMP Volta 2.0 Right Angle Magnetic Cable.
The 3AMP Volta 2.0 Right Angle Magnetic Cable is a specially built cable for devices with lower amperage and those less compatible with the 5AMP Volta 2.0 Cable. Sleekly designed, it has a standard USB A on one end and a reversible open magnetic end for secure magnetic connection with all of our tips (USB C, Micro USB, and Lightning Tips).
Everything Volta 2.0 and more
The Volta 2.0 was a 5A super-fast charging magnetic cable. However, the Volta 2.0 Right Angle magnetic cable is a 3A super-fast charging magnetic cable that has the ability to charge even more devices than its predecessor.
Same as Always — One Touch, Instant Charge
The Volta 2.0 Right Angle Magnetic Cable still features the upgraded connection slot design, but this time in a right-angle position, which provides you with a sturdy magnetic connection and instant charge with just one touch. The cable additionally has strong neodymium magnets to improve the quality of the connection it provides and an amazing Snagsafe feature.
Amazing Deals on Tips
The Volta 2.0 Right Angle Magnetic Cable comes with a separate package for tips. Our customers now enjoy the freedom to choose any two tips of their choice. We would rather not push tips that you don’t need to you. Your tips are you in your hands, make your choice.
Compatibility and Speed
One of the limitations on the Volta 2.0 Magnetic Cable was its incompatibility with some devices. However, on the Volta 2.0 Right Angle Magnetic Cable, you can now charge your Samsung S8+, S9/S9+, S10, Note8/9/10 and many other devices.
Guarantee you can Trust
No one likes to be stressed over anything and we also wouldn’t want you to feel cheated for supporting our operations with your purchase. Every purchase has a 30 Days Money Back Guarantee as well as a 24 Months Warranty on the 3A Volta 2.0 Right Angle Magnetic Cable. Check our Warranty and Returns page for more info.
Experience the easiest and securest way to charge multiple devices by supporting our campaign for the 3.0AMP Volta 2.0 Right Angle Cable on Indiegogo as we launch on September 5, 2019, by 9:00 am AEST. Go to our blog and fill in your details in the form below the blog so you don’t miss out https://voltacharger.com/blogs/news/3amp-volta-2-0-right-angled-magnetic-cable-the-right-way-to-go. | https://medium.com/@voltacharger/3amp-volta-2-0-right-angle-magnetic-cable-the-right-way-to-go-b32c9afe62f2 | ['Volta Charger'] | 2019-09-02 10:18:57.034000+00:00 | ['Samsung', 'Technology', 'Apple', 'Charger', 'Technews'] |
5 Best Budget Gaming Laptops Under $500 | 5 Best Budget Gaming Laptops Under $500
Extensive features and a multitude of uses has led to gaming laptops being preferred over consoles in today’s gaming world. But as the demand for gaming laptops rose, so did their prices.
To help solve this issue, we scoured the web for affordable laptops with decent specs and could run some of the best games on the market.
A List of the Best Gaming Laptops Under $500
Not all of us can justify or afford that extra price tag for enhanced gaming capabilities, but none of us want to compromise on the best gaming experience either. Luckily, with the laptops on this list, you don’t have to break the bank.
The laptops we picked are:
The Asus Vivobook 15 comes with a modern and minimalist design and excellent port selection encompassing both USB type-A and type-C, microSD reader, headphone jack, and HDMI output.
It also comes with a fingerprint reader that allows you to login within a second using Windows Hello.
But the best part is its 15.6” NanoEdge bezel display that gives you a stunning 88% screen-to-body ratio. Couple that with the Radeon Vega 8 GPU, and you’re getting one of the best screens and GPUs for gaming laptops under 500!
The 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, and quad-core Ryzen 5 CPU are just what you need to give you a seamless gaming experience on almost all games short of the demanding triple-A titles!
With a sleek and stylish design, the V14 packs gaming and professionalism into a lightweight package. It boasts:
a 14” screen
8GB DDR4 RAM
256GB SSD storage
6 core Ryzen 5 processor at 2.3 GHz
Radeon Graphics
Not only does the considerable RAM size and higher core count make your games perform better, but the SSD also considerably reduces your load times and gives you an excellent experience.
The Radeon Graphics is the cherry on top, which can give you those smooth edges and excellent FPS in titles such as CS:GO in mid to low settings, and give you that competitive edge!
This shiny model comes in a unique steel blue color with grey keys that are sure to stand out, while still retaining a professional look suitable for school and/or work. It has a hinge that bends 180 degrees and it comes with Dolby Audio, giving you pristine sound quality and greater flexibility.
Its specifications are similar to the VivoBook, in that it has:
a 14” screen
8GB DDR4 RAM
256GB SSD
Ryzen 5 3500U Processor
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is almost half a kilogram lighter than the VivoBook. Please note that its CPU base a base clock of 2.1 GHz which can make the FPS drop a touch in CPU-intense games such as Call of Duty. However, the AMD site lists the Ryzen 5 3500U’s Max Boost Clock at up to 3.7GHz.
This laptop is currently a little over our budget and is listed on Amazon at $519.99 USD. However, for this laptop, the extra $20 might be worth it.
What makes the Aspire 5 unique is its IPS display that gives a wider viewing angle with excellent color accuracy at a full HD quality.
This one also gives you a backlit keyboard and up to 7.5 hours of battery life, which makes it one of the most long-lasting gaming laptops under 500 dollars.
With a Ryzen 5 3500U quad-core CPU and Vega 8 Graphics, it does the trick for most games, but its silver plastic appearance may seem less than appealing to some gamers.
With its clean and modern appearance, the HP 14 gives a premium feel to a low price gaming laptop.
At a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, the HP 14 is the first touchscreen contender to this list, with a highly color-accurate BrightView 14” touchscreen panel.
It also rocks a dual-core AMD Ryzen 3 processor, which — although relatively constrained — can make most less-demanding titles work with excellent FPS at mid to low settings.
Similar to the Aspire 5, the HP 14 gives approximately 8 hours of battery life on regular use which allows you to roll an entire work/school day without your charger, and get back home to the games you’re dying to play! HP’s Fast Charge technology is another petal in the rose.
Perhaps the only limitation to this device is its 8 DDR3 RAM, while most other laptops in a similar price bracket do offer DDR4.
However, it makes up for that with an ultrafast 256GB SSD and an excellent 78% screen-to-body ratio, making it a fast and attractive device you’ll surely love!
Bonus: The $600 Acer Nitro 5
With a design that screams “gaming beast”, the Acer Nitro 5 is one of the best budget gaming laptops out there, coming in at just $100 over our $500 budget. However, the extra $100 might very well be worth it.
With red backlights and an edgy, bulky design, it surely gives you that gamer’s vibe.
Moreover, unlike the gaming laptops under 500, this one comes with:
Intel Core i5–9300H Processor (Up to 4.1 GHz)
256 GB NVMe SSD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
15.6” full HD display
Built-in Alexa that makes it a robust and powerful gaming machine
To keep this beast cool, the machine comes with Acer CoolBoost technology comprising two fans and dual exhaust ports.
Its input ports include 3 USB Type-A, a USB Type-C, Ethernet, headphone jack, and HDMI!
Important Note:
The items on this list were the best laptops we could find available on the market that could work for gaming under $500 USD. With that said, it is possible that these items might not be able to run the games you want to play.
Before making any purchase, always compare the specs of the laptop to the minimum PC requirements of your desired games. For example, here is the Steam page for the recently popular Among Us:
Among Us Steam PC Requirements
Rest assured, all of the laptops above should be able to run games like Among Us or even slightly older games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (see requirements below).
However, if you are looking to run beefier games like Call of Duty Warzone or are looking for VR-ready systems, you’re going to have to save up for a more expensive PC.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, the best gaming laptops under 500 dollars. All with great specs and decent performance for the price.
While they aren’t all killer gaming rigs (except the Nitro 5), they still promise excellent FPS and can run many games in low to medium settings with outstanding execution.
If you’ve liked our post or have an add-on to our list, let us know in community.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the items above include affiliate links to their product pages.
Originally published on: https://hackernoon.com/5-best-budget-gaming-laptops-under-dollar500-pb233zqr | https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/5-best-budget-gaming-laptops-under-500-c277dba92c9e | ['Limarc Ambalina'] | 2021-01-21 13:54:45.745000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Laptop', 'Videogames', 'Consumer Electronics', 'Gaming'] |
Time Series Benchmark Comparison with GridDB and InfluxDB | Time series benchmark comparison: GridDB and InfluxDB
Fixstars recently performed benchmarks that compared timeseries databases GridDB and InfluxDB using one AWS instance with a CentOS 6.9 image. The tests were done using YCSB-TS framework, a fork of YCSB benchmarking tool meant for testing TimeSeries databases. The tests were ran with two datasets: one which could be held primarily in-memory (100M records) and one that would require performing disk I/O (400M records).
Benchmark Results
Yahoo! Cloud Serving Benchmark for Time Series DB: Insert Throughput Results
GridDB’s in-memory oriented architecture outperformed InfluxDB by a noticeable margin. The results provide strong evidence of GridDB being the stronger TimeSeries database. GridDB provided superior performance in both in-memory and out-of-memory operations. Results are shown below.
GridDB proved to be much more scalable than InfluxDB when the size of the database rose from 100M to 400M records. GridDB was able to maintain the same relative LOAD throughput through this increase. As the size of the database grew, GridDB’s LOAD throughput was also over 6 times higher than InfluxDB. GridDB’s read throughput dropped by around 74% while InfluxDB’s throughput dropped by over 81%. When comparing scan performance, GridDB’s throughput dropped by 60% while InfluxDB’s throughput dropped by over 75%.
It is also important to note that on average GridDB used less CPU resources than InfluxDB while still managing to provide higher throughput and lower latencies in query (read and scan queries) operations.
Read Performance
The read phase of our testing on YCSB-TS performed a series of read queries that would search for rows with a specific TIMESTAMP key. These timestamp keys would be generated by YCSB-TS.
Yahoo! Cloud Serving Benchmark for Time Series DB: Read Throughput Results
When comparing read operations using the 100M record dataset, GridDB had over 8 times the throughput than that InfluxDB. For the 400M record dataset, GridDB had up to 10 times the throughput of InfluxDB.
It should also be noted that GridDB had around 10–11% the latency of InfluxDB for read operations.
Scan Performance
The scan workload would perform a series of general Scan queries or aggregation queries such as AVERAGE, SUM, and COUNT. All scan operations would use a random time-range generated by YCSB-TS.
Yahoo! Cloud Serving Benchmark for Time Series DB: Scan Throughput Results
YCSB-TS measured the throughput for all scan operations (SCAN, COUNT, AVERAGE, SUM) during testing. On the 100 million record dataset, GridDB had around 5 times the throughput of InfluxDB. With a dataset of 400 million records, GridDB maintained 4 times the throughput of InfluxDB.
For general SCAN operations (not an aggregation operation), GridDB had only 13%-26% the latency of InfluxDB. In the case of aggregation operations, GridDB had 15%-26% the latency of InfluxDB.
Testing Process
A single C4.2xLarge AWS instance was used to run both YCSB-TS and the database that was being tested. Benchmarks began by loading a database of either 100 or 400 million 50 byte records into both GridDB and InfluxDB. Once the load phase completed, YCSB-TS would perform a series of read or scan operations. The data would be distributed amongst 8 containers using 128 threads.
Reference | https://medium.com/griddb/timeseries-benchmark-comparison-with-griddb-and-influxdb-d733a5ae0dee | ['Israel Imru'] | 2019-06-14 05:06:28.440000+00:00 | ['Time Series Database', 'NoSQL', 'Influxdb', 'Benchmarks', 'Database'] |
Training a Custom Object Detection Model With Yolo-V5 | Object Detection is a task in computer vision that focuses on detecting objects in images/videos.
There are various object detection algorithms out there like YOLO (You Only Look Once,) Single Shot Detector (SSD), Faster R-CNN, Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG), etc.
In this article, we are going to use Yolo-V5 to train our custom object detection model. YOLO is one of the most famous object detection models.
Version 1.0 of YOLO-V5 got released on 27 May 2020 by Glenn Jocher who is the founder & CEO of Utralytics. It’s written in PyTorch and it’s available in Github.
Prerequisites
It’s good to have a basic knowledge of deep learning computer vision. And how to work in a Google Colab environment.
Steps Covered in this Tutorial
To train our own custom object detector these are the steps to follow
Preparing the dataset
Environment Setup: Install YOLOv5 dependencies
Setup the data and the directories
Setup the YAML files for training
Training the model
Evaluate the model
Visualize the training data
Running inference on test images
Export the weight files for later use
Preparing the dataset
We are going to use the Aquarium Dataset which is available in Roboflow Public Object Detection datasets. You can check out more datasets that are there.
The aquarium dataset consists of 638 images. The images were already labeled by the Roboflow team. It has 7 classes such as fish, jellyfish, penguins, sharks, puffins, stingrays, and starfish, and most images contain multiple bounding boxes.
To download the dataset you need to create a roboflow account first. It’s very simple and easy.
If you want to use your own images you can use annotation tools such as LabelImg, CVAT or you can try any large-scale solutions like Scale or AWS Ground Truth.
When you are annotating yourself make sure to follow the best practices. Check this link out for more details.
After the dataset is prepared then we are all set to set up the environment and train the dataset.
Environment Setup
Here’s the link to my Notebook: Google Colab
You need a google account to use Google Colab. You can either use my notebook to train or you can create your own notebook and follow along.
In Google Colab, you will receive a free GPU for 12 hours. If you use a new notebook in Colab change the runtime session to GPU.
If you are planning to use my notebook then make sure to File → save a copy in your drive. Then you will be able to edit the code.
Installation of the dependencies
!git clone https://github.com/ultralytics/yolov5 # clone repo!pip install -U -r yolov5/requirements.txt # install dependencies
Somehow the PyTorch version didn’t get compatible with the GPU so I installed another version of PyTorch by
#installing for google colab GPU use
!pip install torch==1.6.0+cu101 torchvision==0.7.0+cu101 -f https://download.pytorch.org/whl/torch_stable.html
.
%cd /content/yolov5
!ls
We can import and take a look at our GPU Specification provided by Google Colab.
import torch from IPython.display import Image # for displaying images from utils.google_utils import gdrive_download # for downloading models/datasets print('Using torch %s %s' % (torch.__version__, torch.cuda.get_device_properties(0) if torch.cuda.is_available() else 'CPU'))
Here’s what I got
Using torch 1.6.0+cu101 _CudaDeviceProperties(name='Tesla T4', major=7, minor=5, total_memory=15079MB, multi_processor_count=40)
Google Colab comes preinstalled with Cuda and Torch and some other dependencies. If you are planning to train locally then you will have to setup Cuda and the dependencies on your own. I will surely make a tutorial about it later on.
Setup the data and the directories
After the environment set up is done. We can import the dataset into colab. As I am using the Roboflow dataset I will be downloading, if you plan to use your own you can import it using Google Drive.
# You need to sign up in roboflow to get the key and then you can use the dataset !curl -L “https://public.roboflow.com/ds/PUT YOUR OWN KEY HERE” > roboflow.zip; unzip roboflow.zip; rm roboflow.zip
This will download the data, unzip and save it inside the yolov5 directory.
Project Folder structure
Setup the YAML files for training
To train a YOLO-V5 model, we need to have two YAML files.
The first YAML to specify:
where our training and validation data is
the number of classes that we want to detect
and the names corresponding to those classes
This YAML of ours looks like this:
train: ./train/images
val: ./valid/images nc: 7
names: ['fish', 'jellyfish', 'penguin', 'puffin', 'shark', 'starfish', 'stingray']
The second YAML is to specify the whole model configuration. You can change the network architecture in this step if you want but we will go with the default one.
The YAML which we term custom_yolov5s.yaml :
We can put the YAML file anywhere we want because we can reference the file path later on. But it’s a good idea to put it inside the YoloV5 directory.
Training the model
After the configuration is done we can begin our training.
There are multiple hyperparameters that we can specify which are:
img: define input image size
define input image size batch: determine batch size
determine batch size epochs: define the number of training epochs.
define the number of training epochs. data: set the path to our YAML file
set the path to our YAML file cfg: specify our model configuration
specify our model configuration weights: specify a custom path to weights
specify a custom path to weights name: result names
result names nosave: only save the final checkpoint
only save the final checkpoint cache: cache images for faster training
We need to specify the path of both YAML files which we created above. | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/training-a-custom-object-detection-model-with-yolo-v5-aa9974c07088 | ['Prabhat Kumar Sahu'] | 2021-01-03 16:53:23.486000+00:00 | ['Yolo', 'Computer Vision', 'Yolov5', 'Object Detection'] |
The Bataan Death March | The Bataan Death March
World War II propaganda poster featuring the Bataan Death March (1943), Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Deadly, cruel, and indiscriminate — all words that describe the Japanese World War II campaigns in the pacific. With a distorted sense of nationalism, Japan’s armies went around Asia in order to “liberate” countries from Western influence. However, what occurred was quite the opposite.
Their army raped, pillaged, and looted billions worth of civilian property. There was no mercy for women, children, or even prisoners of war.
One of the more iconic incidents of abuse known in history is called the “Bataan Death March.” It was a torturous trip that took many lives, an event that was primarily caused by the bruised ego of Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma.
Failure
The Japanese invaded the Philippines on December 22, 1941. The imperial army tasked with disposing of the American and Filipino forces around the archipelago was led by General Masaharu Homma.
General Douglas MacArthur, head of the American forces in the archipelago, assigned his troops widely. This initiative led to the thinning of any particular unit around the country’s nine major islands. It allowed Homma and his troops to land and launch their attack quickly.
Homma needed to break through the stronghold of the Bataan peninsula to make significant advances around the country. Hence, the battle between the armies mainly took place there.
Unfortunately for MacArthur, his distribution of forces led to an undersupply of rations, forcing his men to eat just the bare minimum to survive.
However, despite that, the undersupplied American-Filipino forces held off Homma’s 20,000 advancing troops. After just two months, Homma was left with only one-tenth of his army, forcing him to pull back.
Homma was humiliated by the commanders in Tokyo. His squandering of precious Japanese manpower forced headquarters to cede control of the Philippine operations to General Yamashita.
Still, they sent Homma back for a renewed offensive on April 3, 1942 — this time with tanks, air support, and heavy artillery.
Revenge
Fallen soldiers from the death march (1942), Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
This time, the Japanese assault was too overwhelming for the tired and hungry defending forces.
The impending defeat forced Major General Edward King to surrender Bataan to Yamashita and Homma, turning soldiers into prisoners of war to avoid an all-out massacre.
The “mercy” given by the vengeful Homma was superficial at best. The proud Japanese general still had his humiliating defeat fresh in his mind and thus thought of a creative way to punish his prisoners.
Hence, Homma decided to transfer all the prisoners to Camp O’Donnell, a base about 161km away from where they were — but on foot.
General King pleaded with Homma. His troops had been on half rations since the start of the year, and many of them were sick and starving. Unfortunately, his request fell on deaf ears, and thus began the long and agonizing march to hell.
The Japanese forces first conducted an aggressive search on the prisoners. If they discovered them with any souvenirs or equipment, the prisoner was shot on the spot. They then set off from the base on April 10 and continued to their destination for seven straight days. Japanese soldiers beat the starving and sick captives for fun along the way.
Americans or Filipinos who requested a drink were fired at, and those who collapsed from the heat were killed then and there unless a comrade carried them forward. The prisoners were given a few cups of contaminated rice as food, and at night they rested in tight enclosures that prevented even the slightest bit of movement.
As they advanced, the line of prisoners became thinner, and the trail of bodies grew longer.
Casualties
Kilometer zero of the Bataan Death March (2013), by Ramon Velasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
By the end of the week, 650 American prisoners and about 7,500 Filipino soldiers had been killed due to the march. The invading force was significantly more cruel to Filipinos as they despised them for wounding their pride in seeking American aid.
As World War II continued in the Pacific, the Japanese held about 20,000 American troops in captivity. They murdered almost half of those men through starvation, sickness, and torture.
After Japan’s eventual defeat, prosecutors charged General Homma as a war criminal for the Bataan Death March and his treatment of prisoners in the Philippines. The tribunal found him guilty, and authorities executed the general for his crimes in 1946. | https://historyofyesterday.com/the-bataan-death-march-49e0d6f91712 | ['Ben Kageyama'] | 2020-11-22 15:03:05.486000+00:00 | ['Philippines', 'History', 'World War II', 'Nonfiction', 'Japan'] |
TOP 5 BIRTHDAY PARTY PLANNERS IN AMRITSAR | Looking to celebrate birthday, anniversary or any other occasion in Amritsar. Here is the name of top 5 Birthday Party Planners in Amritsar.
7eventzz is one of the top Companies of Birthday Party Planner in Amritsar.Organizing and managing an event yourself can be tedious and, not to mention, time consuming.7eventzz understands the vitality of time, cooperation, and every other aspect that surrounds the planning of an event.With a fresh team of skilled, creative and motivated professionals, 7eventzz offers the coolest event planning services in more than 200+ Cities in India they bring to you a blend of innovation and style that’s simply new. Their primary goal is “to help you create amazing memories to cherish for a lifetime". Services which are provided by them are Birthday Surprise at home /office/ cafes, Candle Light Dinner, Room +Decorations, Kid theme Decorations, Corporate Decoration Package and complete wedding planning services.
They have been rate as 5 out of 5 star in Google with a good reviews about their work, decorations, professionalism and arrangements. Need top event management company to organise events for you ? Go for 7eventzz without any complaints
Call or Watsapp us on 7450960060
https://www.7eventzz.com/amritsar
www.7eventzz.com
2) PARTY PERFECTION
Party Perfection is widely recognized as one of the best Event Organizing and Event Service Provider company in Amritsar (Punjab) with a team of young, creative, dynamic and dedicated professionals. Party Perfection is the collective effort of a Committed And Multidisciplinary Group of young energetic professionals with lots of Expertise and Innovative Ideas. With a strong team of professionals and vast experience in event organizing, they are confident to handle all kind of projects and of any magnitude, with most hi-tech arrangements and qualified technicians also they ensure the best quality event for client’s. Party Perfection manage all kind of events from corporate to weddings. Here is the list of the their expertise Lies in Wedding Celebrations, Corporate Events, Birthday Party Decoration, Balloon Decorations etc.
They have been rate as 5out of 5 star in Google with good reviews about the professionalism and their clean work .They have their saying I.e.“At Party Perfection, Our prior Aim is to be the Satisfaction of Our Clients. We are "One Stop Shop" for all the Event Services that are Client Centered". Birthday, Anniversary whatever the event is there don’t forget to book them.
3) LEMON LEAF EVENTS & PROMOS
Lemon Leaf Events & Promos was founded in Punjab in 2006 to give their customers a stimulating experience through a dynamic participation event. They are now one of the India’s most highly regarded organisations in this sector delivering over 100 events each year throughout the India and beyond.
They organise events keeping in mind the taste and the budget of customers and believe in detailed planning, research while organising an event, which helps them to manage an event without compromising on the quality of the services. Team of dynamic professionals coupled with wide experience have made their event company one of the most trustworthy and reliable event management company in the market.They carefully plan your events with high service standards and save you from evey hassles. The services which are provided by them are Promotional Activities, Private and Corporate Parties, Wedding plans, Road shows and Celebrity Services. They have been rated 4.7 out of 5 in Google about their work and behaviours. Need a Planner ? Go for Lemon leaf & Promos.
4) BALLOONS AND RIBBONS
Balloons N Ribbons is "everything store" for decoration and event management.They provide complete package services which is an added advantage when one plans their special moments.They have everything you need for any of your special occasion, be it birthdays or anniversary or bachelor party.They are committed for Quality, Professionally and timely service.A company that gives you reasons to celebrate every moments. Services included are Theme Party, Birthday Party Decoration, Welcome Baby and many other events. They have been rate 4.7 out of 5 on Google so you guyss know whom to book for events.
5) GOOD LUCK EVENT MANAGEMENT
Good Luck Event Management has a wide range of products and services to the varied requirement of their customers. The staff at this establishment are courteous and prompt at providing services. The company belief that “ customer satisfaction is as important as their products and services" .
Good Luck Event Management provides top services in Event Organiser, Balloon Decorator, Birthday Party Organisers and Wedding Planners. They have less reviews still they have been rate 5 out of 5 because of their work delivery and smooth Management. | https://medium.com/@jalanmuskaan1/top-5-birthday-planners-in-amritsar-56caa4c895e0 | ['Muskaan Jalan'] | 2021-05-03 11:38:31.426000+00:00 | ['Birthday Party', 'Birthday', 'Balloon Decoration', 'Surprise Planner', 'Balloon Decorator'] |
Simply Curious | A British baby wonders, where does water come from?
All her short life water shows up.
She drinks, bathes, cools, and plays in it.
Plus, a critical ingredient of her beloved tea.
Eventually, she learns water surrounds the land.
In disbelief, she sets out to see for herself.
Travelling to the land’s edge and seeing her loved water,
she starts walking along the coast.
Figuring, if water really surrounds her land,
returning to this spot will be inevitable.
And so, her education began.
With water in her view and a constant companion, it sustained her.
She splashed in it, laughing and crying, and ate from it.
Water consumed her thoughts as a friend or lover could.
She started learning its properties and cycles, strengths and desires.
Mimicking water, she became fluid in her thinking,
Fiercely observing what she experienced and saw,
she started sharing her excitement for water with others.
Arriving at a university town, a professor overheard her expounding about her life’s companion.
It was revealed that her awareness of waves and their effect on land, sky, temperature, psyche -
was singular, unique and radical.
Encouraged to speak and write about her observations,
she sparked scientists to rigorously test her thoughts.
Tide, the word, was conceived and coined; coming from her joy and curiosity of water.
Her simple remarkable desire propelled humans to understand oceans and tides.
Ultimately, she returned to her starting spot.
Realizing water surrounded the land, her life, and incited this journey,
she lived poised to curiosities while reluctant to disbelief. | https://medium.com/wordsmith-library/simply-curious-d45505059296 | ['Dan Gellert'] | 2020-12-18 14:46:49.302000+00:00 | ['Poem', 'Poetry', 'Water', 'Creative Writing'] |
Donald Trump and his war | Trump is waging a war “against the media, but a war he has no interest in ending,” says researcher Alexis Pichard a few days before the US presidential election.
Since his election, he has been obsessed by the novel (“Trump and the media, the illusion of a war”) of his presidency, “the one that will be forever recorded in the history books, which he wishes in his image, all in grandeur”.
In order to ensure the dissemination of this story, this preciser launched a war on the media. However, Trump has no interest in stopping it because it allowed him to build his image as a businessman and then as president.
Donald Trump and his story
He is someone who has a taste for storytelling and is very narcissistic. He got into real estate in the 1970s and has built up a story of a “self-made-man”, a self-taught man to whom everything succeeds because he is smarter than the others, because he is stronger. And he has always denied the fact that he was largely helped by his father. He gained a lot of visibility thanks to the New York Times, which took an interest in him around 1975, dedicating some very laudatory portraits to him.
For Trump, it was blessed bread because it was free publicity and he is the kind of person who doesn’t pay for any publicity.
This president and his character.
When he doesn’t like the articles, he doesn’t hesitate to let it be known or even to sue. There are elements of his virility, of his masculinity, which he does not like to be touched. He doesn’t care if you touch his family or him.
His wealth and his bankruptcy have been shaping moments in his history. In the early 1990s, he went bankrupt and his marriage to Ivana Trump fell apart. He will again use the media and especially the most popular fiction of the time, sitcoms, to rebuild himself.
Was Fox News involved in building the Trump myth?
She participated in its credibility, notably in the column of “Fox & Friends” which is a successful morning edition. He was interviewed by a trio of very pro-Trump animators. They allowed him to build his program around Hispanic immigration because Fox News realized that it was something that galvanized his voters.
His candidacy for the presidential elections
The idea that he will not be elected, all commentators say so. When he is in Barack Obama’s office just after his election, he looks lost because he was only thinking of spreading chaos but not of winning. He only ran for financial gain.
He saw that when he attacked the media, Americans liked it, so he attacked the institutions, the untouchables. The polls never went down; on the contrary, they jumped up and down with his insulting words.
Fascination between the media and Trump
This makes for a great audience because he has kept in mind how reality TV works and that sense of entertainment, anger and buzz to brave the taboos he hates.
Donald Trump’s trap
The media understands this but takes advantage of it, which is why they remain in this “profit zone”. The boss of NBC said that ratings have never been as good as they are today. It’s an incentive to comment on everything Trump does. However, they noticed that they had given Donald too much space to express himself, which gave him too much power.
Mr. Donald’s strategies
They consider that the media are not private but belong to the state, whose only mission is to peddle his story, which he also posts on Twitter. Even if these are often false assertions, people believe them thanks to the relays of major media such as Fox News. They are in a circuit of self-references that legitimize each other. But as soon as Fox News will deal from a neutral angle in relation to the Democrats, it is the bomb of insults from Donald.
As for the progressive media, Trumps calls them the enemies of the people. In the country’s moments, he will once again brave the taboos in order to reinvigorate the support of his voters.
What does he blame the progressive media for?
They are unpatriotic, because they never support the president’s actions and seek to harm him by broadcasting fake news in order to approach his presidency. He sees in the media a desire for anarchy because they attack the presidential institution.
How did the media react?
It has revived investigative journalism. The problem is that since business is almost daily, these long articles are fading away.
These media have thrived on the image of the rebellion because they have put forward this side “We are the opposition, so subscribe”.
Donald Trump’s Fake News
What he said about the antifa as a terrorist organization only served to frighten and anger his electorate, while the antifa are less numerous than the right-wing paramilitary militias.
The Fake News that struck me the most is the fact that it is in denial of its proximity to the paramilitary militias or QAnon, which is a conspiracy movement of the extreme right that is against the democrats.
In my opinion, those are dangerous fake news that are a form of call for violence. Like the time when he said that the postal vote would be the cause of massive fraud, it pushes his electorate to be on their guard and this could even trigger a civil war (there have been shootings).
How does Donald Trump manage to break down reality?
For me, these are more practices that we see in totalitarian regimes, in dictatorships, because this construction of a propaganda narrative is flawless and to the glory of a president.
He does this via Twitter, his spokespersons but also his very active followers on the internet.
Thank you for reading this story and I hope we’ll meet again for a better article. | https://medium.com/@dfyou-info/donald-trump-and-his-war-c4f9689aa280 | [] | 2020-11-21 20:34:42.080000+00:00 | ['Trump', 'President', 'President Trump', 'War', 'Fake News'] |
Crypto Deal Flow: September 2–3 | Radar of cryptocurrency deals for September 2 and 3.
Crypto Deal Flow: September 2–3
RioDeFi| undisclosed sum| Moonrock Capital| private sale
The RioDeFi project received funds from Moonrock Capital. RioDeFi develops blockchain on the Substrate framework in the Polkadot ecosystem. The main mission is to connect traditional finance and cryptocurrencies. The investment amount has not been disclosed.
Source: https://medium.com/@moonrockcapital/we-are-proud-to-announce-riodefi-rfuel-as-an-addition-to-our-portfolio-678a6f1a25c6
RioDeFi: https://riodefi.com/
2. Attestiv| undisclosed sum| Borderless Capital| private sale
Attestiv has raised funds from Borderless Capital. The investment amount has not been disclosed. Attestiv uses the Algorand blockchain to capture hashes of digital documents (text, photo, video, audio). The Algorand blockchain is beginning to be used not only to issue security tokens, but also to fight with digital piracy.
Source: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/525393949/attestiv-inc-receives-investment-from-borderless-capital
Attestiv: https://attestiv.com/
3. Centrapay| undisclosed sum| Amatil| seed
Centrapay received funds from Amatil, Coca-Cola’s venture capital arm. Centrapay is a payment service that has become famous in the cryptocurrency space for organizing payment for drinks via cryptocurrencies in Australia and New Zealand.
Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/coca-cola-amatil-invests-in-centrapay-s-seed-funding-round
Centrapay: https://centrapay.com/
4. Cozy Finance| $2m| Electric Capital and others| private round
Cozy Finance raised $2m from lead investor Electric Capital and investors Variant Fund, Dragonfly Capital, Robot Ventures, Slow Ventures, Volt Capital and individuals. Cozy Finance will develop a risk management tool for the DeFi space.
Source: https://www.coindesk.com/defi-risk-management-startup-cozy-finance-debuts-with-2m-funding-round
Cozy Finance: https://cozy.finance/
5. Zero Hash| $4.75m| Tastyworks and others| round series C
Zero Hash raised $4.75m in round C from Tastyworks, Dough and Small Exchange, previously featuring Bain Capital, broker TradeStation, CMT Digital and Monday Capital. Zero Hash provides a settlement infrastructure for platforms, such as app-based brokerages, to offer cryptocurrency trading for their users. The company was previously known under the brand name Seed CX and was engaged in a derivatives platform.
Source: https://www.coindesk.com/retail-trading-bitcoin-settlememt-seed-cx-zero-hash
Zero Hash: https://www.zerohash.com/
6. Bitmain| $23m| Marathon Patent Group| mining deal
Bitmain signed a $23m deal with Marathon Patent Group to supply 10,500 Antminer S19 Pro miners. Marathon Patent Group is listed on the Nasdaq with a capitalization of $65m.
Source: https://blog.bitmain.com/en/bitmain-signs-23-million-antminer-s19-pro-contract-with-marathon-patent-group/
Bitmain: https://www.bitmain.com/
7. Cashaa| $5m| 01ex| strategic round
Cashaa, a crypto-friendly neo-bank, raised $5m from Dubai investment firm 01ex. Cashaa was previously hacked for $3m in cryptocurrencies. The bank has its own Cashaa Coin, and it also works with a number of cryptocurrencies: bitcoin, Ethereum, USDt. There are plans to add Litecoin and Ripple in the future. The bank is focused on the Indian market and also plans to expand to the African and Caribbean regions.
Source: https://www.coindesk.com/crypto-banking-firm-cashaa-eyes-india-expansion-after-5m-raise
Cashaa: https://cashaa.com/
8. Stacks Open Internet Foundation| grants
The Stacks Open Internet Foundation has announced the launch of a grant system for teams that will develop their projects on the Blockstack Stacks blockchain. Projects can get up to $5000.
Source: https://decrypt.co/40826/stacks-foundation-funds-blockstacks-blockchain-expansion
Stacks Open Internet Foundation: https://stacks.org/
Do you like my content? You can thank me, just register using one of the links below:
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Trezor (hardware wallets for crypto) | https://medium.com/@cryptoved/crypto-deal-flow-september-2-3-623174e0a468 | ['Aleksandr Cryptoved'] | 2020-09-04 14:41:54.429000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Investment', 'Defi', 'Deal', 'Mining'] |
“Rebel Talent” (book review) | In “Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life”, Harvard Business School Professor Francesca Gino doesn’t write about sabotaging your company or product. If you feel like being disobedient or contrarian just for the sake of it, then Gino’s book isn’t really going to add much value. If, however, you’re looking to challenge conventions or battle inertia to come up with new ideas and innovate, than you should definitely pick up “Rebel Talent”.
In the book, Gino touches on a number of critical aspects of breaking the rules in a way to move you forward. She explains how “rebels are engaged; they have abundant energy and mental resilience, they invest in their work and personal relationships, persist even when the roads get tough.” There are five core ‘rebel traits’ which all are paths to engagement:
Novelty — The talent for novelty allows us to fight the boredom that comes with routines and traditions.
Curiosity — The talent for curiosity allows us to combat the tendency to stick with the status quo.
Perspective — The talent for perspective allows us to rebel against our narrow focus when we approach problems or decisions, which usually includes only one view — our own.
Diversity — The talent for diversity allows us to defy the stereotypes that are so ingrained in human nature.
Authenticity — The talent for authenticity allows us to be honest about our preferences, emotions and beliefs.
https://trsmag.com/rebel-talent-review/
Novelty
Citing management scholar James March, Gino distinguishes between exploitation and exploration, and the trade-offs this distinction introduces. Exploitation involves improving and refining existing products and processes. This typically happens through a focus on efficiency and execution. In contrast, the focus of exploration is on on identifying new ideas and ways of doing things. This involves things like risk taking and experimentation.
Curiosity
When it comes to changing things at work or in life, curiosity pays: “When we open ourselves to curiosity, we are more apt to reframe situations in a positive way” Gino writes. She argues that curiosity that makes us much more likely to view a tough problem at work as an interesting challenge to take on.” At the same time, there seems to be a natural inclination to ask questions — both at work and in life as we get older. Simple ways to foster curiosity is to be open in saying “I don’t know but let’s find out” or encouraging people to ask “What if …?”
Perspective
In the book, Gino talks about “counterfactual thinking”, forgetting what you know and considering a situation from a fresh perspective. This way of thinking is also referred to as “the beginners mindset” or “unlearning”. In the words of the late Zen Buddhist monk Shunryu Suzuki: “If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” In other words, rebel talent will always try to broaden their perspective and thus mitigate the “curse of knowledge” where we overestimate the amount of knowledge that we or others have.
Diversity
“Rebels know that to effectively leverage differences, their organisations should work beyond race and gender” is how Gino describes the role and importance of diversity. “In the rebel mind, all differences matter” she argues, stressing that diversity isn’t a quota system but a long-range vision for growth.” I really like how Gino zooms in on “cognitive diversity” which occurs when different perspectives and problem solving approaches come together.
Authenticity
Authenticity is the only aspect of “Rebel Talent” that I struggle to fully grasp and convey, as I feel that to be authentic means so many different things to different people. However, I like how Gino mentions that people being able to express themselves honestly is a core aspect of authenticity.
People being able to be their ‘true selves’ at work, and throwing this into the mix when tackling tough challenges or coming up with new ideas. This doesn’t mean that one’s ability to be authentic can be abused to behave like an asshole or to disrespect other people’s authentic selves. Instead, the value of authenticity and humour comes particularly in times of changes, where it can help people thrive.
Psychological Safety
Being rebellious isn’t a solo act! In the book, Gino refers to the importance of a ‘psychologically safe’ environment for rebel talent to thrive in. She covers the research done by Harvard management professor Amy Edmondson on the topic of psychological safety. For instance, members of psychologically safe teams aren’t afraid of admitting to errors and discussing these openly nor would you fear being embarrassed about asking unorthodox questions, ideas or doubts.
Continuous Learning
Avoid succumbing to routine is a vital prerequisite for any rebel talent. Or in the words of author Seth Godin: “don’t become a hack!” For the book, Gino interviewed retired pilot Chesley Sullenberger — yes, the one who landed his plane safely on the Hudson River — who views expertise as a life long exercise: “expertise isn’t something to achieve, but a process that must be kept alive.” To be able to question, challenge and innovate, we need to constantly frame our work around learning goals. These learning goals can cover us developing our competence, acquiring new skills or mastering new situations.
Main learning point: It pays to break the rules and be a rebel! And you can even do so without becoming an anarchist or alienating all the people that you work or live with! | https://medium.com/@maa1/rebel-talent-book-review-52878cc7db16 | [] | 2020-12-08 08:10:30.835000+00:00 | ['Personal Growth', 'Management', 'Management And Leadership', 'Personal Development'] |
Neural Network Machine Learning Algorithm From Scratch in Python | Neural Network Machine Learning Algorithm From Scratch in Python
Demystifying the so-called Black Box of Neural Network
Neural Network From Scratch in Python
Introduction:
Do you really think that a neural network is a block box? I believe, a neuron inside the human brain may be very complex, but a neuron in a neural network is certainly not that complex.
It does not matter, what software you are developing right now, if you are not getting up to speed on machine learning…you lose. We are going to an era where one software will create another software and perhaps automate itself.
In this article, we are going to discuss how to implement a neural network Machine Learning Algorithm from scratch in Python. This means we are not going to use deep learning libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, etc.
Note that this is one of the posts in the series Machine Learning from Scratch. You may like to read other similar posts like Gradient Descent From Scratch, Linear Regression from Scratch, Logistic Regression from Scratch, Decision Tree from Scratch.
You may like to watch a video version of this article for a more detailed explanation…
General Terms:
Let us first discuss a few statistical concepts used in this post.
Dot Product of Matrix: Dot product of two matrices is one of the most important operations in deep learning. In mathematics, the dot product is a mathematical operation that takes as input, two equal-length sequences of numbers, and outputs a single number.
Not all matrices are eligible for multiplication. To carry out the dot product of two matrices, The number of columns of the 1st matrix must equal the number of rows of the 2nd. Therefore, If we multiply an m×n matrix by an n×p matrix, then the result is an m×p matrix. Here the first dimension represents rows and the second dimension represents columns in a matrix. Note that the number of columns in the first matrix should be the same as the number of rows in the second matrix. This is represented by the letter n here.
Dot Product of Matrix
Sigmoid: A sigmoid function is an activation function. For any given input number n, the sigmoid function maps that number to output between 0 and 1.
When the value of n gets larger, the value of the output gets closer to 1 and when n gets smaller, the value of the output gets closer to 0.
Sigmoid Function
Sigmoid Function used in Machine Learning Classification
Sigmoid Derivative: the derivative of the sigmoid function, is the sigmoid multiplied by one minus the sigmoid.
The derivative of the Sigmoid Function
Implementation:
Import Libraries:
We are going to import NumPy and the pandas library.
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
Load Data:
We will be using pandas to load the CSV data to a pandas data frame.
df = pd.read_csv('Data.csv')
df.head()
Classification Data for Neural Network from Scratch
To proceed further we need to separate the features and labels.
x = df[['Glucose','BloodPressure']]
y = df['Diabetes']
After that let us define the sigmoid function.
def sigmoid(input):
output = 1 / (1 + np.exp(-input))
return output
There is one more function that we are going to use. It is related to sigmoid and called the sigmoid derivative function.
# Define the sigmoid derivative function
def sigmoid_derivative(input):
return sigmoid(input) * (1.0 - sigmoid(input))
Then we need to define the network training function as below.
def train_network(features,label,weights,bias,learning_rate,epochs): for epoch in range(epochs):
dot_prod = np.dot(features, weights) + bias
# using sigmoid
preds = sigmoid(dot_prod)
# Error
errors = preds - label
deriva_cost_funct = errors
deriva_preds = sigmoid_derivative(pred)
deriva_product = deriva_cost_funct * deriva_pred
#update the weights
weights = weights - np.dot(featurest, deriva_product) * learning_rate
loss = errors.sum()
print(loss)
for i in deriva_product:
bias = bias - i * learning_rate
After that let us initialize the required parameters
np.random.seed(10)
features = x
label = y.values.reshape(1000,1)
weights = np.random.rand(1,2)
bias = np.random.rand(1)
learning_rate = 0.0004
epochs = 100
We are ready to train the network now:
Training Neural Network from Scratch in Python
End Notes:
In this article, we discussed, how to implement a Neural Network model from scratch without using a deep learning library. However, if you will compare it with the implementations using the libraries, it will give nearly the same result.
The code is uploaded to Github here.
Happy Coding !! | https://medium.com/swlh/neural-network-from-scratch-in-python-fcd6faef9f35 | ['Dhiraj K'] | 2020-12-01 09:11:05.389000+00:00 | ['Neural Networks', 'Python', 'Machine Learning', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Sigmoid'] |
Information & Photos - womenlotusstyle - Medium | About
Fitness model and personal trainer who reached international stardom with the emergence of the internet, primarily the social media networks MySpace and Facebook, and later Instagram. Her Facebook page would become one of the most visited of all fitness stars’ pages.
https://womenlotusstyle.blogspot.com/2020/12/victoria-lomba-episode-1-information.html
Before Fame
She committed herself to the gym around the turn of the century and moved to the United States soon after garnering her initial success.
Trivia
She has been featured in FHM and the French edition of Playboy, among numerous other publications. She became the face of the body building products Team Revtech Power Nutrition and Team Hidetada Yamagishi.
Family Life
Born in Spain, she also has Brazilian origins.
BIRTHDAY
February 22, 1979
BIRTHPLACE
Spain
AGE
41 years old
BIRTH SIGN
Pisces | https://medium.com/@womenlotusstyle/victoria-lomba-episode-1-information-photos-178aa3cc0deb | [] | 2020-12-09 16:28:43.505000+00:00 | ['Women', 'Womens Health', 'Womens Rights', 'Women In Tech', 'Women In Business'] |
Not All Abuse Is Physical, and the Legal System Should Better Reflect That | How Do We Change?
Change is possible. As a society, we must keep on talking, keep on trying to solve problems. Much the same as the Black Lives Matters movement has brought back to the forefront the inequalities still faced by the Black Community, much the same as how equality movements have brought about change to bring equal right no matter who you choose to love or identify as, and much the same as how the #MeToo movement brought to life the inequalities faced by women. All are fighting for equal opportunities, equal treatment, equal pay, the equal value in society.
As much as any group is willing to grow, evolve, and accept, there are always counter groups who refuse to move the needle. But there are also groups willing to accept and talk, willing to fight to bridge the gaps. But what about fathers? What about men? When will more people fight for them? Not all of them are bad people out to abuse and harm. So, why can’t men fight for their rights as good fathers but must face persecution as abusers just because someone says so on the basis they don’t want to share their child?
I might lose my children completely because of posting this, but there lies the injustice. I will be labeled as a bad parent by simply fighting for my rights as a father against the very person who keeps falsely labeling me as an abuser or unfit parent. Layers are expensive. I can barely afford them. And on top of that, the COVID pandemic makes this an even more drawn-out process. But, someday my children can read about their father’s fight to have them in his life and ask their mother why she took the path she did. For certain, she has no pictures, and neither do I of any physical abuse. It’s these cases that have no visual proof — only a bunch of wounded people using their children as a rope in a game of tug-o-war. But the one losing the game is the parent without any access, the one wrongly accused, and the child is frayed from the abuse by the winning parent. | https://medium.com/@barlonmrando/not-all-abuse-is-physical-and-the-legal-system-should-better-reflect-that-e75b1e489ecf | ['Barlon Mrando'] | 2020-12-23 02:32:04.345000+00:00 | ['Child Abuse', 'Child Custody', 'Abuse', 'Divorce', 'Parental Alienation'] |
Untamed | Untamed
A celebration of powerful women
Photo by Luke Jones on Unsplash
When you stop and look at me,
Tell me, please, what do you see?
A well-worn face? An aging mom?
My forty years lived and gone?
Do you see my subtle grays?
My aching heart, my hectic days?
My clever mind, my loving soul?
Someone trying to be whole?
Or do you see me as a pawn?
A thing to use and then move on?
Am I more than just the clothes I wear
Around my curves so you can stare?
My pay is less. My worth is not.
I won’t let you take away my shot.
My sisters fought so I could choose
And that’s a right I will not lose.
So make your jokes and play your games.
This power I wield can’t be contained.
A nasty woman? I’ll take the blame.
I’ll always live my life untamed. | https://medium.com/resistance-poetry/untamed-fc88010e4caf | ['Jen Kleinknecht'] | 2020-09-04 09:08:11.932000+00:00 | ['Resistance', 'Resistance Poetry', 'Women', 'Feminism', 'Poetry'] |
Después de 11 años y unos 24.000 tweets, he decidido borrar los más antiguos de 3 meses | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://ilogeek.es/despues-de-11-anos-y-unos-24-000-tweets-he-decidido-borrar-los-mas-antiguos-de-3-meses-39d9c08a9072 | ['Jorge Sánchez'] | 2020-10-07 18:41:01.617000+00:00 | ['Español', 'Twitter', 'Tweetdelete'] |
The Challenges of a Diaspora | The Challenges of a Diaspora
Photo credit: The blow up, Unsplash
Life as a diaspora is a whirlwind, to say the least; I am British, born and raised in London; however, my parents are Congolese born and raised and moved to London in their 20s. Two years after their arrival, I was born.
I have to be honest, for a long time, I assumed that was classified as a first-generation diaspora as it made more sense being the first new generation of the Congolese culture and within the family (most Congolese migrants arrived in the early ’90s) but discovered otherwise through some research to make sure that I was providing correct statements for this article.
Being a Black British is not like Being an African American
I feel it is necessary to make this clear as the African American descendants’ lineage goes back multiple generations in the US to the point where some may not necessarily know where and what country their heritage starts. (but thanks to the new DNA heritage results companies, it is now possible) Unlike African American, Black British Diaspora’s from African and Caribbean descendants, predominantly our family tree history doesn’t stretch as far, and most likely, it is as early as the Windrush. These are people who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean Countries are labeled as the Windrush Generation.
Culture Clash
Every Diaspora is different depending on the country of your ethnic background, how much you resonate with your heritage, and the impacts it has on your everyday lifestyle. As a Congolese British / Britsh Congolese (I will explain why I alternate between with two later on in this piece), the culture clash stems deeper than some people I know who come from other neighboring African countries due to their countries British influence from colonisations, etc. Belgium colonized Congo and therefore speak French.
I think communicating with my parents is quite unique, who speak the national language Lingala and French, and English is not their strongest vocations for apparent reasons. Despite my Parents giving their best efforts to allow me to be multilingual, growing up, I naturally swayed towards English, and french became a second-hand language due to my everyday influences of friends, school, media, and just living in London. This has meant that my parents will predominantly speak French to me, and I will reply in English as I find English to be my fluent language and requires less thought in speaking, which is the same for my parents with French.
I am entirely aware of how strange it is for many people who don’t experience or have yet seen this, and I can imagine for all of my diaspora descendants reading this can relate and nod to this.
This has meant a lot of explaining goes behind communicating. I am fully conscious not to use complicated or difficult phrases in English. By that, I mean the way I would speak to fluent English speaking person — friends, professors, etc., but this has gotten better with time because whilst living in France during my university days, my French, reading, speaking, and writing (I learned to write at uni) has improved significantly. Of course, my parent’s English improves with time too.
Despite the efforts that go behind communicating, I wouldn’t want it any differently; I like the uniqueness.
Lackadaisicalness In Our Lineage From 2nd Generation Family Line.
My younger sister is eight years my junior, and you would think of meeting us that we have more in more than 1 generation apart because of the way our Congolese Culture impacts her life compared to mine. She has an elementary level of understanding of our Parents’ languages and also shies away from speaking it because she thinks her accent will be terrible. She has very little interest in learning Congolese culture and history in general. (hopefully, with age, it will come)
Baring in mind young people around my sister’s age range or ( Generation x) unlike myself as a millennial, some of their parents from African countries have actually grown up in Britain and moved here at a very young age and not as adults like my parents; therefore, the root of their ethnic culture fades, and it intertwines with current culture climate they are living in.
As the years go by, this has taught me that children of the 2nd generation will have different experiences despite growing up in the same household.
Identity Crises.
Going back to why I alternate between British Congolese / Congolese British. It’s because It depends on who I am talking to and how I am referred. Congolese natives who are born and raised in Congo don’t see me as a complete Congolese person. As much as it is frustrating, I can understand them, as they say, this as I haven’t lived or experienced the livelihood and status quo that they have.
Similarly, due to discrimination and prejudice, I am reminded of my blackness in Britain and that I am not equal to my white British “English” counterparts.
So as a diaspora, I have had to learn this and accept the middle ground and, to an extent, to prove myself to be eligible to both. However, I should make it clear that I feel much more Congolese than I do British. I always say I am Congolese first and British Second, despite yet returning to my motherland.
Gratitude Towards 1st Generations.
Whenever I experience life predicaments in my adult years, I tend to reflect on how Parents or other 1st generations have experienced this plus the challenges of being in a completely different culture and coping with the people’s mindsets as it was very different than for many reasons… they have had to graft, work through barriers as well as they learn a new language and raise a young family at the age I am currently at, which is so hard to fathom their experience sometimes but instead become appreciative.
For the first time in my life, I will visit Congo in the summer of 2021. (The plan was for 2020 but Covid) I am incredibly excited to learn so much and crazily be in a country whereby everyone looks like me, and I cannot wait to write a follow up of my experience and compare this article to my next as I know I will learn so much. | https://medium.com/@cathyassoba/the-challenges-of-a-diaspora-ecf66f086372 | ['Cathy Assoba'] | 2021-01-09 05:20:30.663000+00:00 | ['Cathysculturecontent', 'Culture', 'Diaspora', 'Black Women', 'Diaspora Africa'] |
4月の詩 | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/kotoba/4%E6%9C%88%E3%81%AE%E8%A9%A9-8e6beb7a602c | [] | 2018-03-19 10:54:06.030000+00:00 | ['日本語', 'Japanese', 'Poetry', '日本', 'Japan'] |
I must live in the open | Photo by Andrés Gómez on Unsplash
I can’t find a job right now 😑
It’s because I don’t have enough stuff in the open. I have worked on closed source software, and my freelance work consists of a highly specific app, my website, my wife’s, and uncompleted projects. It’s almost like I have been living in the dark for the past 5 years of my life.
I don’t blame people for not hiring me. I only have one year out of college so I am in this weird not a new grad and not a senior engineer spot.
What really sucks is I live in the dark. No one follows me on Twitter, no one sees what I am creating, and my tribe is extremely small. So even though my friends have been super helpful I am still in this rut.
I am going to change that. To have an internet tribe I will be
Posting thoughts and how-tos here on Medium and over on Dev.to
Showcasing my work on Codepen.io for simple things and CodeSandbox.io for complex things
Sharing my work on Twitter
If you made it this far. I am impressed. I bet this article sucks but my verbal communication is something else I am going to be working on. So hang tight brother.
This week I will be making working on
Creating an article about Vercel serverless functions
Creating 3 Codepens (1 redesign, 1 Lottie animation, and 1 random)
Mark my words. I will be editing this article with what I create below.
For a better future,
Josh
Update 1:
Here are the resulting codepens, planning to continue learning more about animation on codepen.
https://codepen.io/joshuawootonn/pen/xxOqebL
https://codepen.io/joshuawootonn/pen/mdEpYYj
https://codepen.io/joshuawootonn/pen/wvWmvWN
https://codepen.io/joshuawootonn/pen/gOMNdzZ
Update 2: I got a job. Get ready for some follow up on what I learned and the details | https://medium.com/@joshuawootonn/i-must-live-in-the-open-6e08dcf4b715 | ['Joshua Wootonn'] | 2020-12-21 16:57:04.911000+00:00 | ['Looking For A Job', 'Epiphany', 'Social Media', 'Resolutions'] |
Week 6 — Clustering. In data mining, this will be one of the… | In data mining, this will be one of the method of data mining. Data mining tools’ capabilities and ease of use are essential (Web, Parallel processing, etc). Beside we learned about association, prediction, time-series relationship, we will now learn more about cluster, which is part of segmentation.
Different type of data
Type of clustering:
K-means (PartitionING method)
Basically, this is assuming that a fixed number of clusters, ‘k’ and create as much as compact clusters. What I understand from k-means algorithm, we can get different numbers from randomly initialize clusters and assign data points to nearest clusters.
But, how many clusters could we create?
We can use elbow method. The idea of the elbow method is to run k- means clustering on the data set where ‘k’ is the number of clusters
Within the sum of squares (WSS), it is defined as the sum of the squared distance between each member of the cluster and its centroid.
After studying the behavior of a population, you have identified four specific individual types that are valuable to your study. You would like to find all users who are most similar to each individual type. This study will be be the most appropriate for this algorithm.
2. Hierarchical (Agglomerative method — Dendrogram, Tree, sub-clusters)
It is divided into 2: Divisive (top-down) and Agglomerative (Bottom-up)
Meaning all items is in one cluster or the other way around. Each item is in its own cluster.
The Graph is generally known as Elbow Curve.
• Red circled a point in above graph i.e. Number of Cluster =6 is the point after which you don’t see
any decrement in WSS.
• This point is known as the bending point and taken as K in K — Means.
This is the widely used approach but few data scientists also use Hierarchical clustering first to create dendrograms and identify the distinct groups from there.3. Nearest neighbor clustering
Discrete random variables
Discrete and continuous random variablesDensity-based
in R, it is an unsupervised learning, groups are not pre-define.
Hard vs fuzzy (soft) vs biclustering
Distance or similarity measures
Distance = inverse of similarity
Gender is symmetric attributes:
Distance between Jack and Mary
Distance (similarity) threshold
Graph representation
Studies on machine learning algorithms can be used for inputting missing values of both categorical and continuous variables. K-means clustering, linear regression, K-nearest neighbor, and decision trees. | https://medium.com/@noviaayup/week-6-clustering-aaeab6486809 | ['Curiosity To Data Analytics', 'Career Journey'] | 2020-05-09 02:51:20.694000+00:00 | ['Data Science Marketer', 'Data Science', 'Dendrogram', 'Clustering', 'K Means'] |
All Hail NewConstitution | Thou shalt not commit adultery unless thou art a celebrity, in which case, they let thee do anything.
Article 1
I am the Lord your POTUS. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me until 2024 at the latest. And if I can get the deal Xi got in China, maybe longer still.
Article 2
No false idols. No graven images. No piñatas. No collusion.
Article 3
Thou shalt not tweet the name of the Lord thy POTUS in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain, and will ruin his failing business.
Article 4
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work without union representation, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy POTUS, and all shall golf at Mar-a-Lago. No exceptions.
Article 5
Honor thy POTUS and thy FLOTUS, for verily they love all children of the world, regardless of any messaging on the back of their jackets.
Article 6
Thou shalt not murder (potential exceptions for rage against immigrants, gays, Muslims, Mexicans, Children of Ham, headscarves, those who don’t conform to gender norms, anyone inside a Planned Parenthood).
Article 7
Thou shalt not commit adultery unless thou art a celebrity, in which case, they let thee do anything. In any case, thy followers shall maintain that thou hast repented.
Article 8
Thou shalt not steal (elections, sweetheart deals for POTUS family members, and Supreme Court appointments excluded).
Article 9
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor (POTUS and staff excluded). Thou mayst, however, conveniently forget the content of meetings with the representatives of foreign governments under oath when necessary for the protection of POTUS. Thou mayst also “ad lib” without any consideration of veracity of statements made during meetings with heads of state of neighboring countries.
Article 10
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s. Thou shalt make a deal to acquire such items at a value agreed upon by both parties. If the parties cannot agree on a price, the richest of the two taketh all.
Article 11
The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, of whatever kind, in whatever amount, and for whatever purpose, shall not be infringed (exception: Children of Ham pack at their own risk).
Hear, then, and abide by the NewConstitution.
And may POTUS bless NewAmerica! | https://medium.com/the-establishment/all-hail-newconstitution-a772be337519 | ['The Establishment'] | 2018-07-26 08:51:02.085000+00:00 | ['Donald Trump', 'Life Lessons', 'Humor'] |
University is over | This week I was reviewing my pull requests to fix them and finally 4 out of 5 were merged and I am happy about that.
University is over
At the end of my last semester at school, it is inevitable to remember everything that my university gave me. Excellent friends, incredible experiences, a learning process that I liked and unforgettable academic trips.
With so many activities and work to do sometimes I forget what I am trying to achieve. I have learned to be more grateful because I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to go to university and be working as a developer.
Under the hook on the Java language
I have been learning about how to get private dependencies in a maven project, but from a private repository. There are two ways to do it, indicate it in the project’s pom.xml or in the settings.xml (usually located in /home/user/.m2/settings.xml). I modified the settings.xml where I added the URL and credentials of the private repository in Nexus.
This week I took up the Spring Boot Microservices with Spring Cloud course, where I was learning how to document the parameters and fields with which the endpoints interact from the tests. It is interesting how the class org.springframework.restdocs.mockmvc.MockMvcRestDocumentation generates an adoc document with the information that was given to the mock.
Results
The satisfactory result of the week is that as I already mentioned, 4 of the 5 pull requests that I have were merged and I am proud to be a contributor to Open-Source projects.
Also, I set the goal of solving an issue that uses the spring framework and that is not a good first issue. I have been working on it, and although right now I am waiting for more information on the project data model, I am very excited about this issue.
The unpleasant experience is the same as last week, I have struggled a lot finding an issue on my secondary stack (JavaScript). I talked with my mentors about it and they gave me material to deal with this problem and to prepare myself for the things that follow in my process as an internal software developer.
Fun fact
There are not Three Wise Men, there are four. Melchor, Gaspar, Baltasar and Artabán. | https://medium.com/@omorales71/university-is-over-b23292c747d4 | ['Omar Morales'] | 2020-12-21 00:03:31.652000+00:00 | ['Java', 'University', 'Programming', 'Prom'] |
Getting Unstuck in the Middle of NaNoWriMo | Dear November Novelists,
It’s after 2pm and I’ve done everything but add to my novel’s word count. I did my morning pages, made a lavish breakfast, talked to friends, walked my dog, cleaned the kitchen, watched Netflix (I’m watching Episodes with Matt LeBlanc, you?), walked the dog again…all the while guilt accumulated with each word I didn’t add to my novel.
As seen on my dog walk. Do fairies and sprites live here?
I forgot that in middle of NaNoWriMo, my motivation and creativity usually diminish to the equivalent of a wrung-out kitchen sponge.
Then I read Grant Faulkner’s post on this well-known phenomenon. A nightlight in the hallway of my imagination ignited, casting a faint glow on possibility.
Do I need to write 1,667 words today? Not really. It’s not like the world will stop spinning. Except I made a promise to myself. It’s the same promise I’ve made every November for the past 9. This month, writing comes first.
I’ll argue the promises we make to ourselves are the most ones to keep. So when I finish penning this newsletter and share some of the fantastic posts this week, I’ll start typing. | https://medium.com/nanowrimo/getting-unstuck-in-the-middle-of-nanowrimo-8e391a1c4f73 | ['Julie Russell'] | 2020-11-15 16:40:52.804000+00:00 | ['Fiction', 'NaNoWriMo', 'Nonprofit', 'Writing'] |
Flutter & Firebase Full Course: Special Launch Offer | After nearly one year of intense work, my full Flutter course is finally ready and publicly available!
Over the last few months, many students have enrolled and gave it great praise, making it one of the highest-rated courses on Udemy.
For that, I’m immensely grateful!
And now, the course is complete with 23 hours of content.
Special Launch Promo Codes
Enroll now with these links to take advantage of my launch sale:
$9.99 — LAUNCH10 (first 50 students) [SOLD OUT]
$11.99 — LAUNCH12 (next 50 students) [SOLD OUT]
$14.99 — CUSTOM-DDCA (available until November 10th)
Note: this is offered with a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
Who is this course for?
This is a beginner & intermediate-level course. It is ideal for:
Beginners who are getting started with Flutter & Firebase.
Developers who already understand the basics, and want to build production-ready Flutter apps following best practices.
Developers who want to write apps on iOS and Android with a single code-base.
What’s in the course?
All the basics are covered, so that you can start with Dart, Flutter & Firebase from scratch.
But there is a lot more.
You will learn how to build a complete, production-ready app for iOS & Android, following a practical, hands-on approach.
Important concepts are explained with clear diagrams. You will always learn what you will be building and why, and then how to do it.
The following topics are covered:
Introduction to Dart
Setup instructions for macOS & Windows
Building Layouts
Navigation
Firebase Authentication (including Google & Facebook auth)
State Management (stateless and stateful widgets)
Streams & reactive apps
Forms, input handling and validation
Material, Cupertino and platform-aware widgets
InheritedWidget and Provider
BLoCs
State Management with Provider
Databases and Cloud Firestore
Forms, ListViews, Date & Time pickers
Advanced stream operations with RxDart
Unit & Widget tests with mockito
Course Structure
The course has a linear structure:
Each lesson builds on top of the previous one.
Each section covers a different topic.
So you can follow the course from beginning to end, or choose the topics you’re most interested in.
In any case, the course contains a wealth of practical advice, along with tips and techniques that I have battle-tested in my work.
Great Reviews Already!
The course has an exceptional rating of 4.8 stars, which is one of the highest for Flutter (and Udemy overall).
Here are some reviews from students that have taken it:
“Clear explanations, a useful practical application that demonstrates all the core things essential to building an app ready for release into the wild. Every step taken is clearly and thoroughly explained, plus downloadable code for every section of this course. A fantastic current course and is proving invaluable for strategies for building ideas for my own app. Cannot praise this course and Andrea’s presentation highly enough.” — Cheryl Kirsten
“I can’t recommend this course highly enough, as a professional developer looking for a fast track into Flutter development Andrea’s course has paid for itself many times over, the state management section alone is worth the price of admission.. the entire course is perfectly paced and provides a wealth of practical advice and just enough code to kickstart your own Flutter projects. Just excellent.” — Bruce Rees
“There are a lot of courses on Udemy that claim to be a “complete course on Flutter”, but this TRULY is a complete course on Flutter. Andrea teaches you how to write production ready code that can easily be scaled, and teaches you concepts that go far beyond just “making it work”. He’s very response to message, and is constantly improving the content. Amazing course! “ — Zeeshan Syed
“I’ve taken several Flutter courses online and have found them very useful in their own right. This course, however, has done the BEST job in covering and explaining (a) best practices (specifically around modularizing your code and structuring your project accordingly) and (b) the always controversial Flutter state management. Andrea provides examples of the varying state management concepts and it’s easy to grasp the advantages and shortcomings of each. I highly recommend this course if you’re looking for a deeper-dive into building a much more complete and production-ready app.” — J Mendoza
“Not only does the instructor provide syntax to use for a flutter/dart implementation for this app, but he also takes the viewer through progression of implementations to help explain various ways to implement and why. This is very rare to see and so much more effective. One of the best of the courses or tutorials I’ve seen on Udemy, lynda, or YouTube for programming languages. Certainly the best of the Flutter tutorials so far. Definitely, above expectations!” — Gadgetologist
Do you want to become a competent Flutter developer?
If you want to fast-track your Flutter learning.
If you want to support my work.
This is the time to buy my course at an incredibly discounted price.
And recommend it to your friends as well.
Enroll Today — starting at only $9.99
$9.99 — LAUNCH10 (first 50 students) [SOLD OUT]
$11.99 — LAUNCH12 (next 50 students) [SOLD OUT]
$14.99 — CUSTOM-DDCA (available until November 10th)
NOTE: Courses are often on sale on Udemy, and this one is no different. However, buying the course with an instructor coupon is the best way to support my work. And by using the links above you can get it at a great price.
I hope that you will join other students that are learning Flutter with my course.
Happy coding!
For more articles and video tutorials, check out Code With Andrea.
I’m @biz84 on Twitter. You can also see my GitHub page. Did you like this article? Then smash that clap 👏 button! It makes me feel awesome so I can write more about Flutter. 😎 | https://medium.com/coding-with-flutter/flutter-firebase-full-course-special-launch-offer-45c3c7e3d5d7 | ['Andrea Bizzotto'] | 2020-01-16 16:47:34.796000+00:00 | ['iOS', 'Flutter', 'Android', 'Mobile App Development', 'Dart'] |
Why Was the 20th Century So Bloody? | It ought to send a shiver down our spines that one of the world’s most murderous centuries lurks so closely in the rear-view mirror.
How to make sense of it all? How, even, to feel the pressing weight of 120-some million dead? Perhaps because of these eye-watering quantities, such a figure fails to imprint us with the magnitude of such a loss, existing instead as a floating, abstract statistic.
Along with two world wars — the first devastating spectacles of international conflict of its kind to go down in history — and a multitude of bloody ethnic feuds — the century’s dictatorial regimes fanned the flames of mass death, managing to double the body count. Of those gunned down on smoky battlefields, just as many were starved to death, worked to death, or otherwise dragged down the road to death by countless other gruesomely creative means.
Decisively removed from this century by two decades, we’re apt to regard it as a bad dream of the past, a developmental period that — thank God, we’re through with. But we cannot really wash our hands clean from such a memory.
This is because history is not something that happens to us. Instead, it is something we actively fashion into existence; the grievous events that constituted the 20th century were both perpetrated by and perpetuated by humans.
And the irony of it all: Who could have foresaw the back-flip into the abyss of mass killing? Surely those basking in the glow of the Enlightenment as it passed over the Western world would have pointed towards a promising forecast for humanity on the horizon.
Out of the growth of intellectual reason famously blossomed a new faith in the merits of democracy in addition to a well-rooted conviction in the sacredness of the individual. The Enlightenment was a celebration of the convergence between the scientific and the humane.
But contrary to the optimism of this age, the future that lay ahead would not gamely solider on with this (admittedly somewhat delicate) experiment, but would start running amok with things, wreaking havoc — even reversing course, one could say. How else could you frame the chilling disposability of human life during the 20th century? And the sheer scale of it all, for that matter?
The Enlightenment wasn’t able to transcend the muck. Instead, in a cruel twist of fate, it provided some of the actual fodder that made the 20th century’s bloody achievements possible.
Marxism
Despite failing to live long enough to cross into the 20th century himself, the theories of class struggle that Karl Marx so militantly belabored during his existence gained a mighty foothold posthumously, first among Russian radicals, and later mutating and spreading to their Asian neighbors to the south.
The politics of Marxism diverged from those espoused by the genteel thinkers of the Enlightenment. Instead, Marxism called for revolution as opposed to peace, strength as opposed to cooperation, cold-blooded will as opposed to diplomacy.
Marxism was built on the class struggle and predicated on the notion of righteous overthrow. Claiming philosophical loyalty to the notion of the ends justify the means, the soup of Marxist thought had several other awfully revealing ingredients. One of which was a requirement for perpetual conflict, another of which was a spirit of absolutism — manifested in a dogmatic vision of what needed to be done just as much as the moral certainty with which these objectives were painted.
The way the Marxist narrative was supposed to function, the proletariat would stage an angry uprising against the bourgeois fueled by righteous revenge. But this isn’t necessarily how things played out: An organic rebellion of Marxist proportions didn’t materialize, in part because it wasn’t simply a means to harness resentment bottom-up but instead, was a top-down theory.
Marxism came wrapped up in all this theoretical gravitas, in the clunky language of socioeconomic analysis and dialectical materialism. Lenin, for example, Russia’s premier communist agitator, churned out volume upon volume of Marxist rhetoric over his lifetime.
What resulted from Lenin’s pen (and many others) was a long, dark corridor of Russian history filled with bodies. Intellectual thought had given rise to a theory so destructive that the human powers of rationality and reason had succeeded in blotting out human minds themselves. Again — the irony, the excess.
What’s significant about a lot of the 20th century was the amount of death associated with ideas, with theories. Perhaps humans had grown out of dueling each other, utilizing the sword to take care of some petty crime and exact some sweet revenge, but if it was thought that we were removed from the primitivity of senseless death, we were horribly mistaken. In reality, the 20th century mastered the art of efficient mass killing.
Now, war and death resulting from territorial squabbles or religious ideology had frequently blighted the historical calendar. But here Marxism lay claim to millions dead in the service of what was really a highly abstract idea — communist utopia. Its scale blotted out any weird misgivings about the human sacrifice it entailed. Its intellectual texts (that did so much to advance the ideology) could be conceived as a dangerous hyperextension of rationality.
All this theory, all this soaking in abstract philosophy proved disastrous. The Enlightenment advanced civilization and celebrated the glorious contributions of the human mind, but here was blistering evidence of its runaway excesses. Rationality, when in the service of ideology, could be deadly; it could supersede a moral loyalty to the considerations of humanity. In this case, Marxism could trample over ethics with its neat-and-tidy utopian vision.
Marxism stands as historical evidence of the chilling toxicity of theory. Who could have imagined how enduringly it sustained the death toll?
When humans rationalize we aren’t always making something good. Instead, we’re constructing something that works. This distinction marks the capacity of the human mind as something that needs to be consistently governed by ethics. But these the Marxists gleefully cast off, heeding the siren call of power, efficiency, and hyperextended reason.
All of these creatures of destruction descendant of Marxist sentiment are imprinted on the 20th century’s worst crimes. Consider Stalin’s purges and appallingly bungled collectivization efforts, or Mao’s mass starvation, or even Hitler’s industrialized process of human extermination. Each dictator had a clear picture of their ideal state. Each fell slave to the idea of utopia in addition to a toxic theory. And each rationalized their process by means of these utopian visions and beloved theories.
In a less consciously evil category, the world wars were equally efficiently destructive. One of the elements that made the 20th century one of the deadliest was the not only the sheer industrialization of death, but the rationalization of it.
Nietzscheism
Another man who never really made it into the 1900s — in this case, just barely crossing the threshold of it — but whose ghosts lingered on was Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher who scoffed at the notion of morals, spearheaded the glorification of strength above all else, and famously declared that “God is dead. . .and we have killed him”, left a philosophic legacy that — who could have known — enchanted 20th century minds.
Hitler, for one, tore a page from Nietzsche’s musings and modeled his Nazi project on its precepts. Power and instinct gained dominance over virtue and bridled reason.
What mattered was a German nation with strength and vigorous obedience, unbound from the sticky web that was a moral conscience. Energy mattered, not wisdom. Results mattered, not means. Hardness and certainty were idolized, and sentimental thoughts and ethical unease were scolded as the mark of a weak person. And weak persons were anathema in the 20th century.
Nietzsche’s signature cynicism was behind his conviction that morals would gradually enter extinction. In his writings he invoked the Darwinian simplicity of the survival of the fittest — and had no problem condoning the use of violence to achieve certain ends.
He patterned human nature on the animal kingdom, an interesting “regression” for someone of the 19th century. Nietzsche turned philosophy back to earth, unveiling uncomfortable truths of psychological import in the process. He was smart but cynical, and dismayingly, served as chief inspiration for some of the century’s worst developments (which, it should be said, was not his intention).
The Nietzschean amoral stance accompanied by the dazzling ideal of supreme strength translated to people becoming very good at doing very bad things. The horrible efficiency of war and genocide in this era and the smoldering ruin it caused stands as a premier example. Again, we see the excesses of both industrialization and rationalization at work here.
Could it have been avoided?
Jonathan Glover, author of the book Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century admits to seeing the horrors of this era as somewhat inevitable, carefully putting forth the following:
“But the French Revolutionary guillotine and the republican baptisms — and the interest in the possibilities of gassing — all show how naturally inhumanity combines with technology. No doubt the facts of twentieth-century history would have been different if the assassination of the Archduke had not taken place, but inhumanity would still have been combined with modern technology. It is hard to see that there was much chance to escape some variant of the bloody twentieth century we know.”
His view is one that takes into account how just as humans are creative (innovating and discovering) we are still just as cruel. For example, developing better weapons made us better at a thing but importantly, not better people. And it can be very hard for creativity to resist being co-opted by cruelty.
The readiness of humans towards cruelty, revenge, or persuasion to succumbing to these dark forces fails to vanish as the centuries tick by. And the more we age as civilizations, the greater a threat we actually become to ourselves.
The 20th century turned out to be a devastatingly flammable brew of philosophy, politics, and technical advancements. In that fated century, experiments of political utopia and weapons of mass destruction came to pass.
What a strange, contradictory mixture of idealism and the death wish. What a nod to the shiver-inducing drive we humans have to push the envelope.
The heady industrialization of 20th century wars and political projects constituted technical progress while callous rationalizations were heralded as ever-more-sophisticated philosophy.
But progress, we should note, is not always good. We can encounter excess; we can trip ourselves up. Humans can become very good at doing very bad things. And the blood-spattered 20th century is all too willing to serve as a reminder of just the full strength of these very capacities. | https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/why-was-the-20th-century-so-bloody-1bd8b86f5ad6 | ['Lauren Reiff'] | 2020-03-12 03:59:06.825000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'History', 'Society', 'World', 'Philosophy'] |
How to advertise CBD correctly | Do you know how to advertise CBD?
Considering recent lawsuits filed against well-known CBD oil companies for falsely misrepresenting the contents that their products contain, anybody who is in the CBD business must realise the duty of care they have over customers to accurately represent the products that they sell. With the rise of CBD oil into a multi-billion-pound industry, it is no wonder that everyone from budding and successful entrepreneurs to people looking to make a quick pound are getting involved. But rules and regulations will apply to everyone. It is important to realise that if you are starting a CBD business and do misrepresent the product you sell, you could be liable for prosecution resulting in large fines or even prison. So, how do you ensure you are advertising your product correctly?
What do you need to check?
THC content
The common theme of media cases in which CBD oil has been mislabelled is in relation to the content of the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive constituent present within the cannabis plant and is what forms the basis of the legal status of THC within the UK. Therefore, cannabis is illegal due to the THC content. However, within CBD products there is a threshold amount of which THC can be present in which it isn’t psychoactive and is therefore legal. In the UK, this limit is less than 0.2% THC.
Read the full article by clicking the link below: | https://medium.com/@rajatrbbhardwaj/how-to-advertise-cbd-correctly-ab08a4faa99c | ['Rajat Bhardwaj'] | 2019-06-17 18:54:04.271000+00:00 | ['Marijuana Legalization', 'Hemp', 'Cbd', 'Hemp News', 'Cannabis'] |
My Freight Forwarder Is Requesting A Shipper’s Letter of Instruction, Now What? | My Freight Forwarder Is Requesting A Shipper’s Letter of Instruction, Now What?
Originally published on Customs and International Trade Law Blog
Clients who export often ask us for guidance on whether to complete a Shipper’s Letter of Instruction (SLI). It’s important for our readers to understand the benefits of correctly completing the SLI provided to you by your freight forwarder.
The main benefit of an SLI is federal regulatory compliance! Prior to your goods being exported, Foreign Trade Regulations require a freight forwarder to transmit certain information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on your behalf. To efficiently gather the required authorizations to act on your behalf and the information needed to be transmitted, the trade community developed a SLI.
What is a SLI?
A SLI is a ‘letter’ from the exporter instructing the freight forwarder on how and where to handle the export shipment. The exporter is granting permission to the freight forwarder to act as the authorized forwarding agent for U.S. export control and customs.
SLI is not a mandatory document or a legally binding document.
SLI is multi-purpose document to assist you in communicating information to the freight forwarder SLI is designed to avoid misunderstandings that can result in financial loss to the exporter — or to the freight forwarder so it is vitally important that this document be accurate.
A SLI is strictly used to gather information about your cargo to ensure your goods are exported in compliance with Foreign Trade Regulations.
What information and authorizations are obtained when you complete the SLI?
You provide data for your freight forwarder to report Electronic Export Information (“EEI”) when you instruct your freight forwarder to file EEI on your behalf.
You authorize your freight forwarder to transmit to the Automated Export System (“AES”).
You provide information and instructions for documentation and billing.
You provide transportation instructions your freight forwarder.
You provide your freight forwarder consent to screen when you instruct your freight forwarder to screen on your behalf.
Why do we require a SLI?
Consistently formatted information.
All instructions and data on a single document.
More efficient processing.
Freight Forwarders no longer need to search through numerous, challenging, multi-page commercial documents to find relevant data elements.
Allows for more accurate AES reporting Record keeping and provides back-up to the EEI filing.
Why should you complete a SLI?
Avoid misunderstandings between the exporter and the freight forwarder and other parties involved in the shipping transaction.
Secure method of providing the correct information to your freight forwarder.
Establishes a best practice for your firm.
You have a written record of who receives the shipping documents, who to contact for questions, who to contact for proof of export, and who issued the export control documentation that supports the decision to send your products to your foreign customer.
New to the export industry and need guidance on export requirements.
Unfamiliar with export control requirements.
Need guidance on completing the SLI?
The best way to comply with export requirements is to have an expert by your side. Diaz Trade Law specializes in compliance with Foreign Trade Regulations, CBP, and other regulatory government agencies. For information on SLIs, contact us at 305–456–3830 or via email at [email protected]. | https://medium.com/@info-56826/my-freight-forwarder-is-requesting-a-shippers-letter-of-instruction-now-what-2bd572813296 | ['Diaz Trade Law'] | 2020-10-30 14:06:11.188000+00:00 | ['Aes', 'Freight Forwarder', 'Export', 'Eei', 'Sli'] |
Your failures made you smarter and stronger | Your struggles, battles, setbacks, traumas, mess ups, failures.
They’ve all made you stronger and smarter.
They were just lessons to make you the amazing person you are today.
Be proud of how strong you are. | https://medium.com/@gratefulliving4/your-failures-made-you-smarter-and-stronger-5c613bf5b0e2 | ['Arnav Roy'] | 2020-12-12 23:31:58.665000+00:00 | ['Failure', 'Strength', 'Mental Health', 'Trauma', 'Coach'] |
Way late review: Haywire | Steven Soderbergh could have made the female Bourne movie. I’m afraid Joe Wright beat him to that with 2011’s Hanna. Granted, Hanna was an adolescent girl set in a bizarre modern day fairy tale. Haywire replaces the girl with a woman MMA fighter and trades the fairy tale for mostly mundane exposition.
Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is on the run. It’s not clear what for exactly in the opening moments of the film but we learn quickly that someone is not happy with her being out and about. There is something different about Mallory. Within minutes she is bashing in the head of Channing Tatum as she makes a run for it out of the rural diner. She forces a young man to get in his car and give her the keys. And away they go.
During the car ride Mallory explains her predicament. She’s a special agent for a private company that does work for various government agencies. It’s not the cleanest line of work and the reward for a job well done is being setup by her boss Kenneth (Ewan McGregor). Mallory escapes the trap with casualties trailing behind her. From that point forward the hunt is on for Mallory Kane.
What should be an action packed movie is mostly a lot of slowly paced scenes with plenty of dialogue to fill the gaps. A star studded cast fills the movie but is put to little use. Everyone seems subdued. And while some may blame Gina Carano for bringing the level of acting down several notches, she is not the problem. The entire cast is incapable of breaking free of the malaise that plagues them. Carano may be a bit of a gimmick, but no one can blame her for the lulls in the pacing, the generally out of place soundtrack, the dialogue heavy screenplay, and the ugly look of the film. Soderbergh’s style normally agrees with me. His penchant for using odd coloring is normally OK, but Haywire is flat out ugly. The colors distort an already flat looking picture. Rather than artistic, the look feels sloppy at best.
When there is action, it’s quite good. The fighting is not cut up with quick edits and annoying close ups that obscure the action. Fights are given the room to breathe, which is a rarity these days where special effects and hyperactive editing make a mess of far too many action sequences. Those scenes are entertaining and leave one wondering why there are five minutes of action followed up by three times as much filler. If only Soderbergh took his sense of fun and style with Ocean’s Eleven and mixed it with the energy of the fight scenes. Oh well.
[xrr rating=2.5/5 label=” “]
This post is part of my Way late reviews. Read more reviews here.
[youtube width=”640" height=”360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFV0Uvzpz0o[/youtube] | https://medium.com/joshuahoover/way-late-review-haywire-19fcd57b72bd | ['Joshua Hoover'] | 2018-03-21 18:35:21.392000+00:00 | ['Action', 'Entertainment', '2011', 'Movie Reviews', 'R'] |
HOW TO DO A REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH ON GOOGLE? | If you don’t know how to make a reverse image search on Google, then you are probably in the right place as today in this three-minute article we are going to teach you all about the use and the right use of reverse image search on Google! Google is one of the oldest and the most famous search engines, and it is only fair that you would want to know about the details of doing a reverse search on it because of its amazingly accurate results! Now you have to stay tuned till the very end as we are going to tell you about reverse image search on Google on both your desktop system and smartphones!
REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH TOOL
Before telling you about the best way to make a reverse image search, we want you to know about the results that you can get by using a reverse image search technique. Many people ask us about the need for doing a reverse image search, and so we thought of addressing this query of yours once and for all! So below are the few uses of the reverse image searches!
First, you should know that doing a reverse search can get you all the information about the image. You will easily get to know about the websites on which the image is being used and also about the information on an image. This information can be about a person, about some products, or even about places on an image!
With the help of doing a reverse image search, you should know that you will easily uncover plagiarism. Yes! You can easily know about the illegal use of images in different locations, and you can also know about the copyrights of an image so that if you want to use it on your site, then you can know the right way and channel of using it!
You can easily find similar and relative images with the help of doing a reverse image search. We want you guys to know that with the help of a reverse image search engine you can get images with different shapes, different sizes, and different dimensions!
There are many more uses of the image search mantra, but we will like you guys to know about them by experiencing the use of the technique and now let us move towards the details of the use of the tool without any delay!
HOW TO REVERSE SEARCH USING GOOGLE?
Now, first of all, let us clear one thing that reverse image search on a desktop system and your smartphones is almost the same when it comes to Google and its image search engine and so we will tell you about the generic use of the technique. Read the steps carefully so that you can do a reverse search for yourself like a pro!
Open the Google search engine and get on with the image extension. We want you guys to know that the image extension will be almost similar to the conventional home page but with one addition and that is of the image icon in the search bar. Now you just have to click on the camera icon, and you will get access to the image gallery of your device. From here, you can select the respective images that need to be reversed! Now when you are done with entering the images that you want to search for you just have to hit the enter button, and the tool will get you results relative to that very image!
Now everything would also remain the same on your android smartphone except for you have to simply enable the desktop version from the settings. Other than Google image search engines, some tools can also get you results from Google but in a more secure and filtered way!
REVERSE IMAGE SEARCH TOOL BY SEARCH ENGINE REPORTS!
You must have heard about search engine reports and its amazing tools! The reverse image search tool is one of them and is also one of the most appreciated and easy to use tools on the web and in this league of reverse search tools! We will like you guys to read the steps that we have mentioned below that can teach you all about the use of this tool and so that you can get rid of confusion if there is any!
https://searchenginereports.net/reverse-image-search this is the link that will take you to the tool! Now when you are in the interface of the tool, you will see a simple box with an upload icon in it, you have to use this icon to upload the images from your image gallery. You can also use keywords and image URLs to search by image using this tool! When you are done with the input of the images, you just have to click on the search button below the box.
The tool will give you detailed results about the image, and you can filter them to get the results that you want!
Source: https://www.onmypost.com/ | https://medium.com/@samstudios06/how-to-do-a-reverse-image-search-on-google-d50ea876c4e5 | ['Syed Ali Mujtaba Jaffary'] | 2020-04-26 09:16:04.939000+00:00 | ['Reverse', 'Google', 'Image', 'Reverse Image Search', 'Médium'] |
Bitcoin New ATH $25,000 Now Beats Visa by Mcap | In this episode we go through the markets today and the top headlines, which include:
Bitcoin’s New ATH $25 000 and Mcap $462 billion makes it bigger than Visa
XRP crashed by another 35% today after news of Bitstamp delisting
Binance enables Segwit Support for BTC deposits
2020 was the year of Chainlink
1Inch exchange launches its own token, price shoots up after Binance listing
References:
📄https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-hits-25-000-all-time-high-milestone-surpassing-visa-s-market-cap
📄https://www.coindesk.com/uk-crypto-exchange-exmo-says-4m-of-hacked-funds-was-through-poloniex
📄https://cointelegraph.com/news/binance-enables-segwit-support-for-bitcoin-deposits-as-adoption-grows
📄https://decrypt.co/51015/2020-has-been-chainlinks-year-heres-why?&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_source=coinmarketcap
📄https://coinmarketcap.com/headlines/news/xrp-tanks-10-0-30-bitstamp-suspends-trading/
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Medium: https://medium.com/@OPOLOCosmos | https://medium.com/crypto-corner/crypto-corner-episode-126-9a5ef67f313c | ['Oj Jordan'] | 2020-12-29 15:45:22.467000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency News', 'Ethereum', 'Xrp News Today', 'Crypto', 'Bitcoin'] |
#070 | Pure JavaScript To Replace Common jQuery Use Cases | I’ve used to always include the jQuery library for any project that I’m working on, but in recent years I’ve stopped doing so completely.
My two simple reasons for doing so. | https://medium.com/footprints-on-the-sand/070-pure-javascript-to-replace-common-jquery-use-cases-20dce4ef363a | ['Kelvin Zhao'] | 2020-03-09 23:11:01.021000+00:00 | ['Coding', 'Code', 'Jquery', 'Javascript Tips', 'JavaScript'] |
Trial by Data Season Two Debut: How Coronavirus is Impacting Clinical Trials | Each episode, we pull out some of the key themes of the conversation for our listeners.
Here are the highlights from our conversation with Lydia:
COVID has proven how quickly the pharma industry can mobilize. Considering how long vaccine timelines usually take, it has been fascinating to see how quickly most of the big pharma companies were able to get a vaccine project underway. Part of the reason for this is that the pandemic disease demanded a coordinated, massive response. Ebola and Zika did not spur such dramatic action because they did not impact nearly as many people as COVID now has. Additionally, this time around, most pharma already had a vaccine platform that had been tested and which they could leverage. However, the real question moving forward is whether pharma can keep up at this pace.
Referenced:
The one area we’re still slow in is virtual trials. As soon as the pandemic hit, telemedicine was ready. By the second week of March, patient appointments were basically all virtual and the larger healthcare system began adjusting to a new normal. However, in pharma, virtual trials have not seen the same quick adoption. The slow down here may be due to tradition — there is a culture around having people come into the clinic and collecting data directly from the patients. Some of this culture may be reinforced by fears that the FDA will deem data collected from virtual trials insufficient or inferior.
Referenced:
Humans tend to size cause and effect at a similar scale. This makes us more susceptible to conspiracy theories, as it means that when something big happens, we expect there to be a big explanation or a big cause. We’re seeing this play out in real time with the pandemic. The idea that something as big as COVID could have started in such a small way is actually much harder to wrap our minds around than if it were to have had a big cause.
Referenced:
The literacy of people around clinical trials is going to dramatically increase, which will have long-lasting effects on other parts of the industry. The vaccine race has raised awareness for how clinical trials work and what it means to be in a clinical trial. Whereas before the average person often thought of clinical trials as a tool of last resort, now people understand the importance of enrolling in trials to support science and drug development more broadly. This culture-shift gets us closer to the dream many share in the industry (including Litmus) that someday we will be able to capture all data from all patients at all times and make the whole world a clinical trial. | https://medium.com/litmus-health-blog/trial-by-data-season-two-debut-how-coronavirus-is-impacting-clinical-trials-ffa5f58c412c | ['Litmus Health'] | 2020-10-13 18:08:23.380000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Coronavirus', 'Clinical Trials', 'Trial By Data', 'Pharmaceutical'] |
Recruitment Chatbots: What is the Hype all About? | Recruitment chatbots have been quite a buzz lately! Companies are adapting to bot technology like never before, and it is slowly becoming a norm!
This might make you wonder whether the recruitment bots are worth it at all? Should you even invest in them, to begin with?
Well, we have put together a blog, that addresses this and several other questions that you may have regarding recruitment chatbots and their benefits. | https://medium.com/@akanksha-11/recruitment-chatbots-what-is-the-hype-all-about-167efe9416a5 | ['Akanksha Giradkar'] | 2020-12-21 11:11:34.474000+00:00 | ['Recruitment', 'Chatbot Platforms', 'Recruitment Marketing', 'Chatbots', 'Recruitment Software'] |
JUMP IN THE DEEP END……. | Here is where I am struggling. Video is my next venture, I haven’t ironed out the details yet, but that is where I want to go next. I made a video one day when I was doing my podcast. I did 23 episodes of audio and the 23rd one I also made it a video and it wasn’t good. That was ok, I think I needed to have something better to talk. Now I am in a situation where I am so nervous to put out content in a video format because it will be bad and that is the point. I need to jump, you jump in the pool and you swim or drown trying. Nobody ever gives you a hard time because you failed, you will do that to yourself. Now if you don’t try. That is what will eat you up, it eats me up. Get over the how I look, or what the set might look like. I don’t need a set. I keep thinking I do. The main thing is doing it. This is my 40th story or something like that and they are still rough, so just thinking about that it makes me say that I need to do 100–200 vidoes before they might even be good. You know what happens when you begin one thing, is that it slowly finds it way in to being what it was supposed to be in the first place. The “Joe Rogan Podcast” started as Joe and Brian smoking weed and answering ridiculous questions online, to what it is today. It slowly became what it is today out of the progress of evolution. All of the podcasts I listen to have come from someones living room to full fledge studios because they stuck with it and started. I have to start, and have to accept the fact that I cannot swim, yet.
When I am done here I will begin to revamp my webpage. I was going to go to bed early tonight but I will stay up a little longer just so I can get the baseline set for how I want my new page to look and the feel in which I want it to provide. Then tomorrow I will begin my evolution into the multi dimensioanl content creator that I want to be. As Eric Thomas says, “When you want it as bad as you want to breathe.” I have never once laughed at that quote because it is more true than you can believe.
This article is for those that think they want to do but for some reason think they can’t. Remember this, everyone who is doing something that you would like to do yourself came from nothing. They did not know what they were doing when they begin. Remember it takes at least 5 years to become an overnight success. | https://medium.com/@industriousguy/jump-in-the-deep-end-e4188c2ee97b | ['Tyler Zimmerman'] | 2020-12-20 02:10:55.013000+00:00 | ['Writer', 'Videos', 'Content', 'Start'] |
Week of 7.3–7.10 Presidential Social Intelligence Battleground Tracker | Daily Support Gained v. Lost
This week we examine day-by-day “Support Gain/Lost” by battleground state + the volume and topics of the discussion around each candidate.
The data is compiled via social intelligence systems monitoring each battleground state with our partner Eyesover Technologies.
The “Support Gain/Lost” metric is built by analyzing the language used in social posts about the presidential candidates. As battleground voters use language to indicate support for a candidate, our systems register “+1” in “Support Gained” for that date. A post expressing negative support is registered as “-1” in “Support Lost.”
There are 6 metrics we monitor on a daily basis across each state:
— Previous Non-Supporter to Neutral: (a post indicating a previous non-supporter has moved to a more neutral stance on a candidate)
— Suport Gained: (a post indicating support gained for Trump or Biden)
— Support Lost: (a post indicating support lost for Trump or Biden)
— Previous Supporter to Neutral: (a post indicating a previous supporter has moved to a more neutral stance on a candidate)
— Net Daily Gain/Lost: (the daily net of Support Gained v. Support Lost)
— Net Daily Neutral Shift: (the daily net of “Shifts to Neutral”) | https://medium.com/listening-for-secrets-searching-for-sounds/week-of-7-3-7-10-presidential-social-intelligence-battleground-tracker-829b9aa57e51 | ['Adam Meldrum'] | 2020-10-09 00:50:56.910000+00:00 | ['Social Intelligence', '2020 Presidential Race', 'Donald Trump', 'Joe Biden', 'Battleground States'] |
BubbleTone CEO Yury Morozov Shares his Outlook on Bitcoin | BubbleTone CEO Yury Morozov shares his outlook for bitcoin. What is your unique prediction for cryptocurrencies and crypto space? | https://medium.com/bubbletone-blockchain-in-telecom/bubbletone-ceo-yury-morozov-shares-his-outlook-for-bitcoin-a3bf39f95d3 | ['Bubbletone Blockchain In Telecom'] | 2018-07-09 12:18:09.665000+00:00 | ['Bitcoin', 'Blockchain'] |
How to inspire productive creativity in your team. [For team leaders] | Creativity shouldn’t be left solely to the ‘creative types.’ Creativity is an essential activity in all facets of the business, not just product design or marketing. Yes, creative people are generally drawn to those areas of the company, because there’s an obvious creative outlet, but that’s not to say that creativity shouldn’t be inspired and encouraged in other departments.
Creativity and problem-solving often times go hand-in-hand for successful companies. Your team doesn’t have to be directly responsible for creating new things to benefit from the power of creativity throughout the day.
Consider Play-Doh. It was originally created in the 1930s to help clean wallpaper. Then, the sister-in-law of a company employee saw it and ‘created’ a new use for it: a kid’s toy. The rest is history, and now Play-Doh is one of the world’s best-selling products.
Basic creativity is much more prevalent and productive than the creatively charged tasks of the company. Managers that desire to lead productive teams need to help their employees observe problems and connect the dots for new solutions.
In December 2018, Gallup published their findings from a research project they conducted with 16,500 employees regarding the power of creativity in the workplace.
Only 29% of workers strongly agree that they’re expected to be creative or think of new ways to do things at work. While we’re all capable of finding new ways to help our company succeed, we may not put in much effort, or feel welcome to, unless creativity is expressly required.
How to inspire productive creativity in your team.
Open-ended creativity can be a huge waste of time. As a team leader, it’s your job to make sure the proper guardrails are in place to help your team tap into their creativity in a way that produces results for the company. The ideas and tactics listed below are pulled from the research conducted by the team that built the Clarity assessment.
Managing a creative team
When your team values creative expression, you might notice that a majority of your team strongly desires to be creative. This plays out in their unique perspective and insight during discussions around product or service improvements. These people tend to embody the voice of your company’s brand. They’ll naturally envision your brand as a living, breathing entity and ascribe personality traits to help them consider the emotional response of your stakeholders. To ensure that your creatives are impacting the rest of your team in a productive fashion, keep them laser-focused on the “voice” of the customer.
In December 2017, Forbes published an article that featured 15 tips from their Coaches Council about how leaders can promote creativity in the workplace. It’s worth a read. Below is #11 from LaKesha Womack, Womack Consulting Group:
We often get consumed with the “how” and forget the “why.” There can be 20 ways to get from your home to your office, but because we have always traveled one route or everyone travels that route, we go in the same direction every day. If you provide your team with the endpoint and allow them to craft the route, you are more likely to receive creative solutions.
Complementing your creatives
There are two types of people that tend to work very well with creatives: people who keep the balance and people who manage plans.
People who keep the balance are going to connect your creatives to the reality of the business and the industry in which you operate. Put them on internal task forces to test the limits of the current business model against innovative models for future growth.
People who manage plans will be a great practical help to your creatives. Their ability to develop logical and effective strategies will put a strong business case behind the innovations that your creatives introduce to the business.
Attracting more creatives
For creatives, the thrill is in bringing an intangible vision to life in a tangible way. Consider making your application process a little different from the crowd by having applicants create (theoretically) the next amazing product or service offering for your company. This works for all departments that play a role in delivering, maintaining, or improving products/services to customers.
Along the lines of attracting more creative people, consider this advice from Alison Quirk, EVP at State Street, in her 2016 HuffPost article titled Fostering a Culture of Creativity in the Workplace: | https://medium.com/the-whether/how-to-inspire-productive-creativity-in-your-team-for-team-leaders-e7de4c6723c7 | ['Mike Cisar'] | 2019-02-21 19:26:49.204000+00:00 | ['Leadership', 'Team Building', 'Creativity', 'Productivity', 'Professional Development'] |
MUZIKA ARTISTS in REAL WORLD | JayM is one of many contracted music artists with talents and quality skills in music under MAPIA’s exclusive artists management, with the cultivation and further assistance of MAPIACOMPANY, he has reached a new horizon of his life and a new exciting journey of music in South Korea. JayM is one of many living proofs that MUZIKA is able to fulfill its vision and mission for making the music industry a better place for young and talented music artists to self-support themselves financially while realizing a dream of their passion and enthusiasm by following their hearts to do what they love and best at. | https://medium.com/muzika-official/muzika-artists-in-real-world-73aebaa768ec | [] | 2019-04-30 08:02:20.625000+00:00 | ['Music', 'Kpop', 'Crypto', 'Musicians', 'Blockchain'] |
Transparent electronic books and human-looking robots: the new field of ‘organic electronics’ | Transparent electronic books and human-looking robots: the new field of ‘organic electronics’
The emerging research area could improve consumer devices and healthcare.
by Richard Gray
Electronics made from carbon rather than silicon could lead to a new generation of medical devices, sensors and perhaps even robots, according to Professor Andreas Hirsch, chair of organic chemistry at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany.
Materials such as graphene could soon be appearing in electronic devices and could lead to entirely new forms of ‘chemical’ computing and information storage. We spoke to Prof. Hirsch about the emerging research field known as organic electronics.
What are organic electronics?
Traditional electronics are based on solid silicon which is used to create semiconductors. These are inorganic (meaning they don’t contain carbon). In contrast, organic electronics use carbon-based molecules — either small molecules or polymers, which are long chains of molecules. Almost all biological molecules are organic compounds, but so are substances made from hydrocarbons like petrochemicals, oils and plastics. A lot of people might think of polymers in particular as being non-conductive — for example plastic polymers are used to insulate copper wires. But some organic polymers and molecules can conduct electricity.
How do they differ from traditional silicon-based electronics?
Organic compounds have some advantages over inorganic compounds. They are lightweight, they can be flexible and transparent — all things that differ substantially from classical silicon technology. They can also be cheaper to produce.
Why is there so much excitement surrounding organic electronics?
There are so many organic compounds and a wide variety of functional groups (clusters of atoms with their own distinctive properties). It becomes very easy to tune their electronic properties by adding functional groups. Some functional groups are electron withdrawing and some that are electron donating, so by combining these we can tune the properties very precisely. You can tune fluorescence for light emitting diodes, for example. We can also control the light they absorb, so they can be used as components in solar cells, and tune their sensor properties, so they conduct electricity in the presence of something we want to detect. It is a really broad research field that has become very promising.
Where are they being used at the moment?
Probably the use that most people will encounter is in screen technology. Organic LEDs (OLEDs) are now quite common in mobile phones and you can buy televisions with them too. But even before that, liquid crystal devices (LCDs), which can be considered as a kind of organic electronics, have been used in many applications for years.
‘I’m convinced in 50 years or so you will see much more organic looking robots that can perform functions that metal based robots cannot do.’ Professor Andreas Hirsch, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
What other applications are there for organic electronics?
Their use in photovoltaic devices is an important issue. Silicon-based technology is superior in many ways, certainly where efficiency is concerned and their long term stability. But it is very expensive to generate single crystalline silicon and it is hard to control its morphology (shape and structure). It isn’t very flexible or transparent and cannot be made very thin. This is where organic photovoltaics start to have an edge — they can be made very thin, you can make devices that cover a large area with them and they are flexible, which is a big advantage in many applications, such as solar panels and large light emitting displays.
What about in sensors?
This is still an emerging field, but it is very promising. If you think of graphene — which is a two-dimensional layer of carbon one atom thick — it is highly conductive but also extremely sensitive. Just a single molecule of carbon monoxide, for example, has an influence on the conductance which can be measured. Again, it is flexible, can be made in large areas and is transparent.
How do you turn graphene into a sensor?
This is something my own group has been working on. One of our research projects — GRAPHENOCHEM — was really just looking at whether we could make graphene in larger quantities, as when we started (in 2010) it was being created by peeling Scotch tape off a piece of graphite. We wanted to know if we could use wet chemistry approaches (using liquids) to make it in larger quantities.
At the same time, we also started looking at the chemical functionality of graphene by attaching organic groups with covalent bonds (bonds between atoms where they share electrons) to modify the graphene properties. We started with simple molecules like alkyl groups, aromatic rings like benzene, but more recently have attached a receptor molecule that can bond with barbiturates, which are a type of drug. It is basic fundamental chemistry at this stage, but it could lead us towards new types of sensors for biologically active molecules like this.
How might these sensors be used in the future?
We haven’t done it yet, but it should be possible to bind biomolecules and proteins to graphene and induce biological responses (in humans, for example). It should be possible to recognise a biological system such as a virus or a DNA sequence which would then modify the electronic properties so you can measure the change in conductivity. This would give you very sensitive analytical devices (for diagnostics). For something like the coronavirus, this could be of huge importance.
How else has your work on graphene developed?
We have also shown we are able to control exactly where on a graphene sheet we want to put functional groups. We can create very specific patterns, such as stripes or circles, with combinations of different functionalities next to each other. It means we can modify the electronic properties in specific ways. And we found we can not only add these in patterns, but also remove them. It becomes a form of chemical information storage or memory. We can use a laser to ‘write’ molecules in patterns onto the graphene sheet, then with the right chemistry remove it again.
Organic electronics are unlikely to replace silicon technology but could be used in areas such as biosensing and robotics, according to Prof. Hirsch. Image credit — Andreas Hirsch
Do you think organic electronics might eventually replace silicon computers?
I think it is much more likely to be a complementary system. Our work is very prototype just now, so I don’t know whether we can really make an organic state computer that can work at the level of normal silicon-based computers. I doubt that a little bit. But if you think about biological systems where the response doesn’t have to be so fast, there could be an advantage there (because it is hard to get silicon to interact with biological molecules). We could see organic electronics being used in medical devices or biogenic robotics at the interface with the biological system.
What are the main challenges that need to be overcome?
In some instances, it is just being able to mass produce organic electronics. Just think about graphene and carbon nanotubes — they are still very hard to process in large quantities. The long-term stability of organic molecules is another issue. If you have them in a photovoltaic device on the roof of your house, being exposed to sunlight for 20 years, they are not going to be as stable as inorganic compounds. Their performance in solar cells is still lower too. It becomes obvious that we are talking more about complementary technology rather than trying to replace silicon. But with graphene we are seeing, for the first time, a material that is purely organic, highly conductive and completely stable. So, I think we really will start to see applications involving graphene very soon.
How do you see organic electronics being used in the future?
I think it will find many complementary applications where electronics are trying to fulfil specific combinations of demands. We already have them in many consumer devices but we could also start to think about transparent electronic newspapers or books.
In the long term, the interface between the electronic and the biological world in medical applications will certainly be very interesting.
In robotics too. There are conductive polymers that when you apply a voltage, they can change their shape. These behave like artificial muscles. So, we may end up with robots that look much more like a normal animal or human being. I’m convinced in 50 years or so you will see much more organic looking robots that can perform functions that metal based robots cannot do. Organic electronics will play an important role in those.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
The research in this article was funded by the EU’s European Research Council. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.
More info
GRAPHENOCHEM | https://horizonmageu.medium.com/transparent-electronic-books-and-human-looking-robots-the-new-field-of-organic-electronics-fef757e02f41 | [] | 2020-10-05 11:44:32.187000+00:00 | ['Organic Electronic', 'Robotics', 'Transparency', 'Electronics', 'Oct20'] |
A tökéletes írószerek | I'm noticing as hard as I can, beauty and meaning in life. Here, through writing. Endless.Consulting
Follow | https://medium.com/doransky/a-t%C3%B6k%C3%A9letes-%C3%ADr%C3%B3szerek-9dde63ff89a4 | [] | 2018-11-18 21:38:14.742000+00:00 | ['Stationery', 'Írószer'] |
Excel Maps Add In Capability | The outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of location, something which many businesses were already aware of but not quite addressing. The value of “where” is of utmost importance in understanding buyer behaviour, especially in the context of device mobility. Whilst many companies might exploit the core capability of an Excel add in for data analysis, there has been much less use of maps in Excel.
Geospatial data analytics has traditionally been addressed by domain experts often referred to as data scientists. However, the ability to put geospatial analytics in the hands of everyday business users who are making decisions “on the fly” would seem to be nirvana. Those users often use standard desktop applications such as Excel. The nirvana point is the immediate insight Mapcite’s geospatial data visualizations can provide that isn’t readily apparent from any other Excel add on for data analysis.
Take the example images below using the Mapcite Excel map add-in which can be downloaded free from the Microsoft App Store.
The first image shows the ability to take a list of stores and addresses in Excel and add them into a map just by clicking Add to Map.
The second image below shows the resultant map at the Australia-wide level. From this point you can begin using your Excel add in for data analysis by drilling down into the map or by using the tools available within the Mapcite map, all while remaining within Excel!
Finally, the image below shows the result of clicking the “Publish” button which produces a URL which is accessible by anyone to whom you send the link. They can then access a fully interactive map with all the Mapcite tools available, in this case the heat map capability for a specific region in NSW.
This is the new world of insight from an Excel add on for data analysis, with a focus on “where”. If this isn’t the best Excel addin, I would be very surprised. | https://medium.com/@stepwalker/excel-maps-add-in-capability-c2fc41d350a7 | ['Steve Walker'] | 2020-11-20 05:33:07.462000+00:00 | ['Maps', 'Analytics', 'Data Science', 'Data Visualization', 'Geospatial'] |
Three Bold and Optimistic Predictions for the 2020s | Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
The closing out of a decade always prompts “best of” and “worst of” listicles- as well as plenty of crystal gazing about what’s to come. And while predictions can be fun, I’ve learned to be careful about the ones I take in. Because when the mind accepts an idea to focus on, it unleashes a torrent of power that leads us to the next things we see and do, and ultimately experience. Cognitive framing is real and we’re smart to stay attentive to how it shapes both our perceptions and our experience. So, instead of relying on what “experts,” pundits, or psychics predict, I’d rather be the one wielding that power, wouldn’t you?
Thinking about how our collective future will unfold can be a tragicomic exercise these days. But I played a game with myself when composing this post. I decided to explore broad topics portrayed in the news as a $%&!show: healthcare; the shrinking middle class; and the state of leadership. I challenged myself to turn conventional thinking on its head, focusing instead on three bold, optimistic predictions for the coming decade.
1. New discoveries will underscore and amplify our ability to heal ourselves from disease.
We are so used to viewing “healthcare” as an expensive, barely-functioning system in desperate need of reform. And that it is — if we only examine it through a familiar lens. But if we pull focus on a different set of evidence, we might see a trend that helps us shift our view away from this broken system, toward our own personal power. Plenty is changing for the better:
Via the internet and mobile apps, people have access to deep information that can help us tune into our bodies and our health. It can feed our curiosity and guide us to shift behavior before serious health issues develop. (This assumes we are discerning when sifting through content, because self-diagnosing can have dangerous side-effects!) The fact that we can access powerful information at our fingertips is part of a growing trend to stop relying solely on doctors and big pharma for answers.
New cutting-edge research is pointing to our own cells and DNA for better treatment and cures. Whether it’s tumor DNA sequencing to determine the best course of treatment, stem cell therapy to treat various diseases and conditions, or new research about our own gut bacteria holding the key to health — we are learning that there is tremendous power in each individual’s own physical body to achieve optimal health.
The mindfulness movement is perhaps the most exciting thing that puts us on a path to more personal power in health, by fueling the known mind-body connection we all have. Our enormous potential to de-stress and reduce inflammation in the body is only just beginning to be understood. And there’s plenty more on the verge of discovery about the power of placebo. I believe this area alone has the potential to shift us into an extraordinary new paradigm around healing.
Bottom line: we are tapping into the power of our own mental and physical “healthcare system,” and the more we do it, the more power we’ll discover. This doesn’t mean doctors or drugs will disappear, nor should they. But the relationship between doctor and patient will continue to morph from the transactional “Doctor, tell me what’s wrong and give me a pill,” to a more balanced one of cooperation. Coupled with new medical and metaphysical discoveries, I can see a future where we source groundbreaking ideas for much-needed reform toward a high-functioning healthcare system in the US.
2. The value of expensive “stuff” will decrease.
And I don’t mean that plummeting costs will make it easy for everyone to don diamonds and drive Porsches! I mean exactly the opposite. Sure, my Portland purview means I’m immersed in a land of fleece and Priuses, but remember that “Westward Ho” has often defined grand movements of change and new ways of being. Besides, these noted predictive trends know no borders:
Emboldened youth are leading the way toward much-needed change regarding global warming, gun sense, and the blatant human inequities they see. And the drum they’re beating is getting louder, waking us ALL up to what is truly important. The attraction of brand names and status symbols is giving way to a social currency that expresses “save the planet.” We’re becoming more aware of the origins of our products and the impact of our purchases. Whether it’s palm oil leading to deforestation and killing animals, or the child labor behind inexpensive clothing, more people are saying “enough.”
Income inequality will continue to mean that the vast majority of people are unable to purchase expensive status symbols. The top 10% of the population owns over 70% of the wealth, leaving the bottom 90% of the population often barely able to scrape by. This widening gap means rich folk will increasingly be on an island unto themselves. Hard to feel good about your designer clothes when you walk among the homeless.
A family’s “surplus” (those lucky enough to have one) will get socked away to educate their children and/or buy experiences rather than “stuff.” After meeting basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) people will prioritize on their legacy and how they want to live life, rather than what they want to own in their lifetimes.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
With these trends, I anticipate “rich people stuff” losing much of its allure over the coming decade. Due to peer pressure, an empty purse or other factors, the stuff we have won’t define our power. Instead, our growing awareness will push us in a different direction from what previous generations expected (for example, with fashion). One might argue this is not exactly an optimistic view, but I stand firm: moving away from “shiny object status symbols” frees us up to become better people who find value in better “things.”
3. Integrity in leadership will become the new normal in ways never before seen.
Yeah, I know this is especially bold and might seem naive, given that every week (or every day!) there’s a new revelation of political corruption, criminality or just plain cruelty. (These links are recent examples, but countless others prove the point.)
Consider the surfeit of such horror stories as a great purging. And it’s not over yet. In fact, a sub-prediction for next year: the revelation of some incredibly scary, ugly things will test us to the limit. But I hold these views in the spirit of “it’s darkest before the dawn.” I expect this big purge will clear our mental landscape for something new and better.
In terms of leadership, the world has taken a bizarre, paradoxical turn. Many heads of state around the globe outwardly or covertly promote an anti-democracy agenda. But at the same time, this has flipped-on a switch in the masses, many of whom are standing up. Whether that’s in Hong Kong, Chile, or here in the US (where early this year record numbers of women and minorities were sworn into Congress). The more that autocratic “leaders” try to squash those without power, the more it inspires people to rise.
Youth are coming of voting age, and if my kids and their friends are any indication, they will not stand for the hypocrisy and inaction they’re seeing from current leaders (per my #2 prediction). As the oldest voting bloc exits the scene, the incoming one is determined to end the environmental and societal degradation that their elders put up with for way too long.
My vision of “integrity in leadership” starting to dominate in the 2020s isn’t one where those in power suddenly see the light and change. It’s one where *we* the people step into our power, and this will happen as more of us become inspired to speak up and step up. It will also come from a sense of sheer survival, in order to save the planet that sustains us. | https://medium.com/swlh/three-bold-and-optimistic-predictions-for-the-2020s-399adafcbc46 | ['Jacqueline Jannotta'] | 2020-01-16 19:17:37.840000+00:00 | ['Predictions', '2020', 'Optimism', 'Future', 'Humanity'] |
My greenhouse blew over the fence last week. | In the suburb we affectionately call home, the joke is that it’s almost always windy. Not my favorite trait, but one that I’ve mostly been able to overlook. Obnoxious yes, and the bane of my existence, but I love where we live enough to not complain. Too terribly much.
The other evening, we had a windstorm blow through (in January?) and it was epic. And by epic I of course mean horrendous.
Being the manic lady that I am, I immediately checked our patio shade to ensure it wasn’t being torn to shreds, I eyed the patio furniture and my beloved pots of winter plants reassuring myself of their safety, and then decided that everything was going to be okay.
Wrong.
The next morning, my husband had a coffee meeting. (Are there any other kind?) As he was leaving, he noticed something in the front yard that definitely did NOT belong there- my greenhouse. Dramatically speaking, my heart shattered into a bazillion pieces.
I am in love with my greenhouse.
For anyone not yet in the know, plants are an obsession of mine. And I’m not sorry. Not in the slightest.
Plants are happy, spunky creatures and we are better humans when they are around. All that to say, you should have plants.
This year I’ve decided that my urban homestead dreams are to be realized in a big way, and that means I need access to a longer growing season. Enter: my beloved (and cheap) greenhouse.
Y’all, I found this sucker on Amazon, and it is NOT fancy. It’s a glorified children’s playhouse, complete with basic plastic piping and a plastic cover with zippers. It did come with shelving (winning) and no matter its lack of permanence, I love it in a way that only a crazy plant lady should love a starter greenhouse.
I have inflated dreams of solar twinkle lights and a second greenhouse, a garden of ridiculous proportions, and having so many vegetables that I need to start one of those free, street-side veggie stands.
As I said- inflated.
Reality tossed my greenhouse into the front yard.
Apparently, becoming the ultimate urban gardener has its variables, and one of those seems to be when the tornadic winds of the west pillage my humble winter garden, destroying everything in their path.
After David hauled my battered greenhouse back behind the fence, I nearly gave up. After all, when you decide to do something radical like save the world, or feed your family sustainably, isn’t everything in tangible existence supposed to race to your support? No? Well then.
I had a choice to make. Naturally, in true adult fashion, I let that pile of plastic sit on the side of our house for days. I knew that next to none of the plants that had been wintering in there had survived their Wizard of Oz adventure over the fence, and quite frankly I was pissed.
Very mature.
The muster to carry on, and a little sunshine.
This winter has thus far been one of the weirdest winters we’ve seen around here in awhile. Typically, a Northwest winter never includes a white Christmas but we almost always see a few piles of snow in the new year. This year? Not so.
So far we’re having Spring. Lots of rain, warmer temps into the 40’s and low 50’s, and my dog keeps side-eyeing me in judgment, certainly wondering why we’re not up in the hills for our normal ‘spring’ adventures. Since she lacks the intelligence to comprehend why trekking through muddy trails is poor for the environment, I simply refrain from explaining and walk her on trails of pavement and sadness. So rude.
Having left my greenhouse to its doom for longer than was reasonable, I finally and begrudgingly decided to inspect the damage. The aforementioned weather brought along with it some uncharacteristic-for-January sunshine, and with that, I was out into the yard. (It’s a true miracle I didn’t plant something, let me tell you.)
Around the house and through the yard I dragged my greenhouse back toward my fenced off garden area on the south side. Then, picture if you will a woman of medium proportions HEAVING a giant plastic ball of piping and plastic over a garden fence. From there, I managed to right it, position it back in its spot near the back right corner of my garden area, and then stepped back and surveyed.
Aside from one or two points on the frame that had taken a bit of a beating, all seemed to be well. My gardening dream might live on after all.
Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
Onward hoe and other terrible puns
My love for growing things and sustainable living runs deep, friends. Even when the Winds of Hell blow through my very suburban lifestyle, I still return to this love in full force. For example, the warmer winter weather has basically given me early onset Spring Fever.
And so it is with a quiet determination that I will replace my deceased plants who perished in the Winter Tornado of 2020 (RIP), re-establish my little greenhouse, and carry on. While Spring might not yet be in the air, it is just around the corner and for the first time ever, I have a place to start my seeds that isn’t in my kitchen or dining room for the kids and the dog to trample.
Bless. | https://medium.com/@haley_14374/my-greenhouse-blew-over-the-fence-last-week-47e7caa8a4f6 | ['Haley Chamberlain'] | 2020-01-25 19:48:48.518000+00:00 | ['Gardening', 'Urban Homesteading', 'Plants', 'Nonfiction'] |
What Love Looks Like | I knew this moment would come. I had been anticipating it — anxiously, in fact.
My 5-year-old, recently obsessed with pregnancy and mothering and all the supposed glory and excitement it brings, came to me with half an LOL Surprise ball under her shirt to emulate a gestating belly. Bubbling and cheerful, she asked me, “Were you so excited to have me?”
Her intonation indicated she wasn’t actually curious, but rather asking a question to which she was fully convinced she knew the answer. Because of course her mom, who loves getting to know and spend time with her now, must have been anticipating her arrival. It only makes sense, right?
Because she’s 5, and because she’s not looking for truth but for validation, I hesitated a mere second before lying, “Of course! I was so excited to have you.” Satisfied, she followed it up with further rhetorical questions: “You just couldn’t wait to have me?” “You were so excited to meet your daughter?” Again, I answered emphatically and in the affirmative. Lie after beautiful lie.
Like I said, I knew this day would come, and I’ve deliberated about how I would handle such inquiries. Honestly, I thought she would question me about my experience — or rather, our experience — when she was older, when the temptation to explain the complicated, nuanced truth would be stronger and potentially worth indulging. Since it happened sooner than I expected, the necessity to oversimplify my answers to the point of dishonesty was much more obvious.
And here is the truth: I wasn’t excited when I found out I was pregnant. I had, in fact, recently realized I didn’t have to be a mom if I didn’t want and decided that was probably the best option given my independence-loving personality and career aspirations. So when the medical professional at the walk-in clinic I visited stealthily one day after work returned to my examination room with a piece of paper bearing a single line of indisputable truth — I was pregnant — I started crying. I was alone. I was scared. And I was completely unprepared.
Over the next several months I researched adoption agencies and contemplated whether I could successfully produce the baby and give it to someone else without my family finding out. Arriving at the determination that I would keep and attempt to mother her was the result of a long, emotionally arduous, and grief-soaked process during which I vacillated between the various options. It required tiny, hesitant steps and the accumulation of support offered by my siblings, parents and co-parent. Also, the accessibility of WIC.
Will I ever communicate that to her? Is it even necessary to do so?
Some people would say it’s decidedly not. They might even think it’s cruel or would cause her to feel hurt, unwanted, and, ultimately, unloved. At her current age, yes, that’s undoubtedly valid. The truth isn’t necessary because she wouldn’t understand it. But I sort of hope one day I could be honest with her. I think it matters because the fact that I wasn’t excited to have her doesn’t change the fact that I love her. What it does change significantly is how I love her, and what that love looked like to begin with.
My love did not look like joyfully calling my friends and family with the news of my pregnancy. It didn’t look like me scouring parenting websites, creating a gift registry, and counting down the days until her arrival. It didn’t look like me researching the best practices for being a parent. It didn’t look like excitement.
I planted and cultivated my love a different way, by choosing to have her, even when I wasn’t ready and when I knew it would derail the immediate future I had planned. These days, I demonstrate my love by picking her up from school when she’s sick and spending the afternoon with her, even though it means having to get up at 5 a.m. the next morning to finish work that had to be postponed. My love looks like working hard to provide for her, taking her to doctors’ appointments, shopping for foods I know she’ll enjoy, going to the restaurants she prefers, watching Yo Gaba Gaba repeatedly, and making sure none of her needs go unmet. And thanks to who she is and her boundless charm, cleverness, and humor, we laugh and have fun, and now I do get to be excited to see her.
This is the truth I want her to know, because it doesn’t discredit my love. It merely gives it a different look and makes it my own.
I want her to know that although my love doesn’t look the way I believed love for a child would — or was taught it should — I love her whole-heartedly in the best ways I personally can. As to why I feel it’s important for her to one day know this, I’m still trying to figure that out. Maybe I just hate the idea of lying to her about anything. Maybe I feel she could learn from experience something she’ll eventually apply to her own life. Maybe I just want assurance that it’s enough. That the truth is enough. That my type of love is enough. That I’m enough.
I mean, at the end of the day, isn’t that what we are all searching for? | https://medium.com/@katherine-lacaze/what-love-looks-like-b4c28cbf0ca2 | ['Katherine Lacaze'] | 2020-12-03 21:00:15.108000+00:00 | ['Motherhood', 'Parenting', 'Unwanted Pregnancy', 'Love', 'Pregnancy'] |
IDAP public sale: Beyond Phase-1 | IDAP Public Sale: Beyond Phase-1
Token sale details + Project Updates
The IDAP token sale went live on Feb 15th, 2019 with phase-1 of the sale now concluded. Throughout the sale we have been taking feedback from the community as we deliberated on how to proceed forward.
Our TestNet has been live since January, with both Web App as well as Desktop Platform available at testnet.idap.io along with 1 virtual BTC for those who register. Users can trade in a simulated environment using the virtual BTC, explore the different instruments and the trading interface while getting an overview of the main exchange. Our focus is now launching the main exchange.
We are happy to state that exchange development is ongoing at a good pace and with the progress made so far, we are confident to launch the basic main exchange by the second quarter this year. We request the community to continue testing out the TestNet and sending us their valuable feedback.
Public Sale Details (All phases):
Phase-1 of the IDAP crowdsale offered various benefits, including a 20% bonus, lifetime free trading for contributors buying and holding 20,000 or more tokens and premium pegged pricing for the various coins/tokens being accepted. We are now going to continue with the public sale in four phases in addition to phase-1. The benefits for all the phases of the IDAP public sale are summarized in the table shown below.
* Premium pegged price for BTC is $8500, for LTC is $100 and for WAN is $0.75. The premium peg for ETH, as well as BTC, LTC and WAN may be readjusted in the event of a significant market rally.
As evident from the table, the benefits being offered to contributors diminish with each subsequent phase. From phase-2 onward, the bonus will reduce by 5% after 30 days and the next phase will start. Moreover, the minimum number of IDAP tokens needed to be purchased to get lifetime free trading will also increase in each phase. For instance, phase-1 contributors will have to buy and hold only 20k IDAP to avail commission-less trading whereas phase-5 contributors will have to buy and hold 100k IDAP for the same. Thus, those who participate in the sale earlier, stand to benefit more.
Phase-2 is now live. To contribute, please visit tokensale.idap.io.
We have also decided to reward the top ten contributors of the public sale with a surprise bonus benefit: at the end of the sale their tokens will be doubled! For instance, if the top most contributor bought 2 million IDAP in all phases, then at the end of the sale, he’ll receive an extra 2 million tokens. Thus his total balance will be 4 million! Similarly, if the rank 10 contributors bought 300k IDAP tokens overall, after sale completion, his balance will become 600k IDAP. The top ten contributors will be displayed on a leader-board on our official website, and will be updated every Friday.
Please note that phase-5 will be conducted after the basic exchange is launched and will be live for a limited time, with no bonus and no premium pegged pricing for the accepted cryptocurrencies. It will also be the last chance to grab lifetime free trading by making a contribution to the IDAP sale!
Referral Program Update
Please note that the 200 IDAP sign-up/referral tokens reward is no longer active. The 25% investment referral is still on and will remain so while the public sale is ongoing. You can share your affiliate link in your network and if your friends and acquaintances invest in the public sale via your referral link, you will be rewarded 25% of what they invest in BTC/ETH. So do spread the word about IDAP if you wish to claim your referral rewards! | https://medium.com/idap-io/idap-public-sale-beyond-phase-1-8cb2a8f81ff2 | ['Bitfex Exchange'] | 2019-03-11 10:22:18.082000+00:00 | ['Announcements', 'ICO', 'Crypto', 'Bitcoin', 'Blockchain'] |
7 things you must know about diabetes | Source: Google Images
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death all over the world. Every year millions of people died due to diabetes, therefore it is important for us to know about the disease whether you have diabetes or not. There are many diabetes treatment centres where you can do a proper check-up. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder by learning more about this disease; you can take control over it and increase awareness.
Diabetes starts when your body does not make enough insulin, and there are two types of diabetes — Type 1 and Type 2. These both type of diabetes causes due to the disorder of the body uses glucose and the sugar used as fuel. Well, the development of diabetes is directly related to the blood glucose level and dietary sugar intake. But, there are some people who never had diabetes even though they consume high levels of sugar, while others follow a lower-sugar diet and still diagnosed diabetes.
Therefore, with our intense research, we have come with top 7 facts about diabetes which everybody should know. Let’s find out what studies say about sugar and diabetes -
Fact 1 — Over 422 million people have diabetes
In the past 3 decades, diabetes has grown tremendously all over the world and it is evident that it is mostly found in obesity and overweight people. The prevalence of diabetes is generally growing in middle and low-income countries.
Fact 2 — Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death
More than 69.2 million adult population of India has diabetes and it causes many deaths every year. The risk of cardiovascular disease rises gradually when the level of blood glucose level increases.
Fact 3 — There are 2 major forms of diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is measured by a lack of insulin production, whereas Type 2 diabetes results from the body unproductive use of insulin. Type 2 diabetes can be cured if treated on time while type-1 diabetes has the highest risk factor and there is no effective preventive measure to fight diabetes.
Fact 4 — The third type of diabetes is gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is considered by hyperglycemia or raised blood sugar. It generally occurs during pregnancy with values above normal but lower than those diagnostics of diabetes. If a woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes then, she will be in higher risk of complication during pregnancy and delivery. Moreover, their children will be also in greater risk of diabetes type 2 in the future.
Fact 5 — Type 2 diabetes has the majority of cases in the world than type 1 diabetes
According to the recent survey, the majority of type 2 diabetes cases are commonly found all over the world. It is generally diagnosed in higher BMI (body mass index) and higher waist circumference people.
Fact 6 — People with diabetes can live longer if detected and treated on time
Apart from medications, you can take control on it by regular physical activities and healthy diet combination. You can also reduce the cardiovascular risk and other complication by taking medication to control your blood pressure and lipids.
Fact 7 — Diabetes is the major cause of blindness, amputation and kidney failure
When the overall diabetes complication rises in different parts of the body, it could lead to premature death. Moreover, the diabetic patient could also lead to possible complications like heart attack, kidney failure, stroke, loose of eyesight, nerve damage and leg amputation.
Hope you find this article helpful, if you are diagnosed with diabetes then you must keep a track on your diabetes regularly. Find the best diabetes diagnostic centre near you and get control over with your diabetes problem.
(http://www.mvdcentre.com/) | https://medium.com/@mvdhealthcare66/7-things-you-must-know-about-diabetes-b1a474b132f6 | ['Mvd Healthcare'] | 2019-02-01 10:30:48.297000+00:00 | ['Diabetes', 'Medicine', 'Facts', 'Healthcare', 'Health'] |
The Tech Companies That Want to Cut Remote Workers’ Salaries | The Tech Companies That Want to Cut Remote Workers’ Salaries
Setting up a future battle between employees and management.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies may decide to make work-from-home a permanent option for employees. After all, remote work offers benefits to employees and employers alike. However, some of these firms may attempt to force those remote workers to take a pay cut of some sort, and it’s an open question how those workers will react.
VMware is the latest company to offer its employees the chance to work from home, even after the pandemic subsides and employees nationwide begin heading back into the office. However, if those employees choose to move to a place with a lower cost of living, they’ll face an adjustment in pay. According to Bloomberg, which quoted anonymous sources within VMware, an employee moving from Palo Alto, California (where VMware is headquartered) to Denver would need to take an 18 percent salary cut; moving to Los Angeles or San Diego would translate into an eight percent cut.
VMware senior vice president of human resources Rich Lang defended the practice by saying that employees who move to more expensive cities could get a raise to compensate for pricier rents and mortgages. When it comes to the U.S., though, Silicon Valley and San Francisco are generally viewed as the most expensive places to live (with New York City close behind), so any adjustments will likely be cuts. Will employees who previously made a certain salary in Silicon Valley see any kind of adjustment as fair?
ServiceNow, which makes cloud-based enterprise software, is also considering whether to adjust the salaries of employees who move from Silicon Valley. The company’s CEO, Bill McDermott, defended the potential to cut salaries. As quoted by Bloomberg:
“I don’t believe we should have an environment where management is not involved with those determinations, because what you could get into here is a situation where employees then become the decision-maker in working literally from anywhere, and you would have a hard time organizing and holding together a culture if that was the case.”
If we’re following McDermott’s logic correctly, not cutting salaries for remote workers in cheaper cities would somehow translate into a weakening of corporate culture.
Meanwhile, Facebook was one of the first tech giants to announce that its employees would no longer have to head into the office on a daily basis; it also stated that employees who moved away from Silicon Valley might need to take that cost-of-living cut. Contrast that with Twitter, which announced its own remote-work plans at roughly the same time — but hasn’t yet said whether employees will see their paychecks reduced if they move away from the West Coast.
And here’s where things get interesting: According to Dice’s ongoing COVID-19 Sentiment Survey, technologists everywhere are very highly opposed to taking any kind of pay cut in exchange for remote work, especially since the majority have already been doing so for months. In survey after survey, roughly 3 percent have said they’d be willing to take a 15 percent salary cut, while only 1 percent would take a 25 percent cut. Around 76 percent, meanwhile, have said they wouldn’t take any kind of cut in exchange for remote work.
Those numbers suggest that any company trying to take pay away from remote technologists will have a fight on its hands, especially if those technologists have in-demand skills that a company can’t afford to lose. Combine that with the cost of living on the rise in many cities, and things get really complicated.
“It doesn’t matter that ‘pay is always based on location,’” an anonymous technologist at Hulu recently told Blind, which surveys technologists about current issues. “That old way of thinking needs to die because it exploits labor. The employee’s labor provides the same value regardless of working location. The circumstances changed, so we need to force things to change as well. Don’t accept a pay cut for changing your location. Ask the company tough questions. Is my value to the company less if I live in North Carolina or Colorado? If they won’t budge, quit.”
But some technologists are willing to consider a company’s offer of lesser pay for more geographical freedom. “I’ll gladly do this,” a VMware employee also told Blind. “It’s only a reduction on base, and base makes up half of my TC [total compensation]. So a net 6.5% decrease in my TC to move to a place where houses are 20% of the price and taxes alone make up ~5–6% difference? Sign me up.” | https://medium.com/dice-insights/the-tech-companies-that-want-to-cut-remote-workers-salaries-22b0884a2ff4 | ['Nick Kolakowski'] | 2020-09-25 15:03:02.548000+00:00 | ['Remote Working', 'Technology', 'Salary', 'Silicon Valley', 'Job Hunting'] |
The Great Fall: A personal perspective, before and after | Like many millions I watched the breaching of the Berlin Wall on TV in 1989. I’ve had two direct and brief encounters with East Germany before and after this historic event. I’m descended from a C19th German Jewish émigré family of musicians but I first visited East Germany in 1982 when we went on a camping holiday, a group of ten of us, including children.
We arrived at a campsite in Werder, near Potsdam at 3am and blundered about noisily setting up our tents on the playground, but no-one seemed too bothered. This was the first of a comedy of errors throughout the trip (we got as far as the Hartz mountains) and we have to say that to us East German officialdom was relaxed and friendly.
As tourists, we found the country old fashioned but in good working order — it wasn’t so much grey uniformity as a refreshing lack of consumer capitalism. Our young daughters were entranced by the double-decker train we boarded to the centre of Berlin.
We wandered around and waved to those waving from the Western side. On the way back to the campsite we veered off in the wrong direction from the station and ended up in the middle of a Russian army camp where we watched military manoeuvres before getting directions back to the bus stop from a group of Russian army wives.
Section of the Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery
My second trip to East Berlin was in October 1990 shortly after the official reunification of Germany. I was invited to deliver two lectures at Humboldt University (on ancient literature and on teaching classics in the UK). I stayed with a retired professor of philosophy and aesthetics who lived in the leafy suburb of Grünewald. Walter, a veteran of the German resistance, talked in anxious terms about the boost the reunification was going to give to global capitalism. He’d also written a critique of what had gone wrong in East Germany and the challenges the socialist block faced from a hostile imperialist world.
But he recognised that there were internal stresses and strains as working class hegemony was derailed by the Stalinist model of socialism. Even though the systemic flaws and distortions had been serious, Walter grimly predicted huge losses in East Germany’s progressive social programmes now the Wall was down.
As we walked around what was East Berlin Walter, then in his 83rd year, talked about the need for a radical rethink of socialist strategies, so our children and grandchildren would grow up in a better world. Those of us on the Left could learn from his mixture of realism and revolutionary optimism!
Dr Paula James is a Senior Lecturer in Classical Studies at The Open University.
This article was previously published on OpenLearn in November 2020 and can be viewed here.
Subscribe to our newsletter for more free courses, articles, games and videos. | https://medium.com/@openlearn/the-great-fall-a-personal-perspective-before-and-after-760446bedd88 | [] | 2020-12-11 09:57:15.886000+00:00 | ['Socialism', 'Germany', 'Change', 'History', 'Berlin'] |
Challenge in Ansible Playbook — making HTTPD service idempotence and make it consume less resource. | Challenge in Ansible Playbook — making HTTPD service idempotence and make it consume less resource. Dileepkumar ·Dec 8, 2020
Blog Description:
Restarting HTTPD Service is not idempotence in nature and also consume more resources suggest a way to rectify this challenge in Ansible playbook.
This can be solved using Handlers in ANSIBLE.Handlers are tasks that only run when notified. Each handler should have a globally unique name.
Host file in the Controller Node_ give the info of the Managed Node
Now lets write the code in Ansible Playbook
Now lets write the configuration file for webserver
code should be configured in web server
Variable File
Now lets run the Ansible Playbook
With the Help of Handler ansible is able to detect changes in .conf file and restarted
Lets check in Target Node
Everything worked fine
Now lets check the Website
As per the port 8080 its working…
Hence HTTPD SERVICE IS CONFIGURED and made it IDEMPOTENCE (if something is already install or service is started then ansible skip that part of code for doing it again) using HANDLER.
Thanks for Reading……..🙂 | https://medium.com/@dileepkumar1422002/challenge-in-ansible-playbook-making-httpd-service-idempotence-and-make-it-consume-less-resource-1803c43c0fca | [] | 2020-12-08 12:36:47.764000+00:00 | ['Apache', 'Handler', 'Ansible', 'Httpd'] |
The Lisping Barista Says Yeth | Who Killed the Lisping Barista of the Epiphany Café?
The Lisping Barista Says Yeth
Chapter 1
Image from Pxfuel
By outward appearances, it looked like a perfectly ordinary coffee shop; not the kind where killers get their lattes. Nor the sort from your parents’ generation where the buxom waitress calls you honey and the mobsters plot their crimes; but of the class purveying expensive whipped concoctions, hip baristas, and scribes arrayed at tabletops, heads down into their manuscripts. A place where no one knows your name, but they’ll watch your laptop when you have to go. Please don’t imagine it was a chain. It was one of a kind. It could be anywhere, but you could never open one anywhere else. It was in the perfect location, in the enchanted town of Kenilworth, within the ordinary state of Connecticut.
By the end of the summer, an attractive young woman would be dead, her body dismembered; her killer, one of the regulars. It all began when she astonishingly said yes to a geeky guy.
The young woman was the conductor of the espresso machine, standing where she always stood when the Geeky Guy approached her. She was a craftsman of crushed beans, an artisan of whipped milk, a master of macchiato; and she crushed, whipped, and mastered our hearts. Women and men, we arranged our laptops so we could peer over and watch. She was a clash of artistry and awkwardness, bangles and chains, purity and piercings. She had enough tattoos so that, if you knew the language, you could read her life. By means of the cuts on her arms, you could see right into her and know she was in pain. You would just want to take care of her, but there was a counter in the way. The closest you would get would be the tip jar, which overflowed. But then the Geeky Guy, who no one expected, rose up, went forth, and asked her out on a date. He suggested coffee, which didn’t seem bizarre till later, and she said, so that we all could hear, yes.
To be precise, with her pierced tongue, it sounded more like, “Yeth.” That’s why I call her the Lisping Barista. | https://medium.com/who-killed-the-lisping-barista-of-the-epiphany/yeth-61f71cb47d0e | ['Keith R Wilson'] | 2020-10-01 17:58:44.680000+00:00 | ['Coffee Shop', 'Novel', 'Fiction', 'Connecticut', 'Murder Mystery'] |
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