For around three years, I worked casually for a magazine. This casual job was pretty good I was a Fashion and Beauty Assistant at a national mag, working two days a week in my dream career.

But I was also coasting a bit. I kept the job because I had an angelic boss who was both a mentor in the industry and also the queen of empathy. Two years in a row she allowed me to take extended leave for three-month travelling stints, because she knew Id come out of a restrictive religious decade of life feeling like Id missed out on all that gap year stuff.

So yeah, things were pretty cushy but I wasnt pushing myself or developing career-wise. I supplemented the two days of work with casual shifts at a retail store, and doing that meant I could afford a cheap share house room and weekend beers.

Until both jobs disappeared at ONCE.

First, I lost my casual job in retail. A new boss slashed the senior staff hours because, frankly, we cost the brand too much money and they could save on juniors. This sucked, but I still had the mag job to keep me somewhat financially afloat. I felt fine.

But then, that fell through.

My boss brought me into a meeting to tell me theyd decided to end my contract. The brand needed to make cuts, and my casual job was one of them. I was gutted even though I understood why theyd cut my role, I felt humiliated for some reason. Ive since learned being made redundant feels that way even though you know its not personal, it FEELS personal.

Now, I was panicking. I had rent to pay. Food to buy. And no income, whatsoever. I started reaching out to industry friends Id made at fashion and beauty events people I just considered mates, but now became vital resources for finding a new job.

After multiple responses of Im so sorry Mel theres literally nothing going where I work, I was feeling pretty stressed.

I considered going back into nannying Id done it through Uni and knew the money was good. But I also knew myself Id just keep coasting. Now I was forced to look for full-time magazine work, I had realised I felt really behind on my career goals. It was now or never to properly pursue my dreams.

Then my friend Justine called me. A job at the magazine she worked at was open Editorial Assistant. Entry level, but full time and working across beauty as well the department I truly wanted to end up in.

I applied, got the call up for an interview, and gave it all I had. I got called a week later with the great news that Id landed the role.

That was all luck, really. Im aware that it doesnt go that easily for everyone. But its how my attitude changed that was the real lesson for me. I was motivated. Id finally made the leap out of my comfort zone albeit a forced leap and into full-time employment in my chosen career. I felt like I was finally focused and hustling.

I would ask for extra work in areas I wanted to improve. I went above and beyond for the beauty department. It was like my post-Uni keen bean energy had returned, and I could sense my bosses noticing my swift progression.

Then, six months into my job there was an opening for my dream role, Beauty Editor at Girlfriend Magazine. The role Id always wanted since I first realised I wanted to write for magazines in Uni. Normally I wouldnt leave a job six months in but this was an exception. This was The Goal.

I gave my application and interview everything I had, because now I was hyper-motivated. Id had a win getting this full-time role and it spurred me on to chase my bigger dream. Id lost the fatigue I had from doing the same job for three years with no progression, and had some real momentum happening because Id made a strong step ahead in the industry. I went into the application process with confidence, and my hard work paid off I landed the job.

I basically went from absolute dire straits to my dream job within a year, and while I absolutely think some of that was luck sometimes you just get a good run I do feel losing my casual job was the catalyst for me actually focusing on my career trajectory instead of coasting.

It was still hard, the period where I had no job, no prospects and was trying to work out which direction to take next. Its incredibly difficult to keep pushing ahead when you feel that deep sense of rejection that comes with losing a job even if you know its not personal, like I said, the feelings are still there and hard to shake.

I guess Im telling my story in the hopes that for some of you, it might help you see that lifes curve balls arent always destructive. Sometimes they are my heart goes out to anyone who is struggling through long-term unemployment. It doesnt make you a shit worker, or a bad hire. Job hunting is hard as shit, and things dont always magically fall into place.

But sometimes a job loss is the push you needed to take a step, in whatever direction that may be.

Go here to see the original:

I Lost My Casual Job & It Ended Up Being The Best Thing That Ever Happened For My Career - Pedestrian TV

Presently, TikTok is one of the worlds fastest-growing social media platforms.According to DataReportal 2020 statistics, it has 800 million active users compared to other social network sites. For better context, one out of five smartphone user has a TikTok app installed in their devices.

This has made the app a tool for celebrity entertainment artists and upcoming artists to promote their content, become famous, and increase fan base as fast as possible.

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Essentially, the app is popular for making short videos, lip-syncing, dance videos, comedy skit, series, singing, and memes. In fact, the app has been instrumental in making several music tracks and skit viral.

Hence, it has become highly recommended for any passionate individual with a skill they intend to promote. In the section below, we talk about 10 amazing tips to make the best out of TikTok.

Your Tik Tok profile speaks volume.It can either attract an audience to your page or discourage them. Be intentional about creating your profile; from your choice of user name, profile picture, and content description. The aim should be to leave a remarkable impression on anyone that checks your profile. Make sure your username is not unnecessarily long and should easy to remember.

Also, briefly describe the kind of videos you would be entertaining your audience. For instance, if you say youre a skilled humorist, your viewers would expect to see funny videos. And if you say youre a dancer, your audience would want to see a lot of dance videos. It would be disappointing if your content falls short of your viewers expectation; you might lose reliability and followers.

To do this, simply tap the profile button in the bottom-right corner of the screen to input your TikTok bio.

The online community is quick to identify and criticize any trace of bad spelling and grammar which could go a long way in influencing their perception about your brand and your person.Bad grammar is a killjoy that can damage your integrity so do well to avoid it totally.

Except you intend to communicate using an indigenous language, memes, or popular slangs, make sure your mode of communication is clear and error-free. Your viewers expect that much from you.

Flawless spelling/grammar on TikTok is like icing on the cake, so ensure to run your sentences through a grammar checker before you use them. It creates a deeper connection with your audience as well as creates a lasting impact on your community.

In the TikTok community, your creativity jacket must always be on because your audience anticipates new content and fresh ideas on a consistent basis.

Your creativity puts you on the top trend on TikTok and even increases your chances of success. Owing to the fact that the majority of TikTok users are in their teens, you need to think outside the box while you creatively create content with their preference in mind.

Showcase your artistic skills and make it easy for anyone to relate to it and maybe create a challenge out of it so that it can trend to your advantage.

Feel free to adopt some tools and unique features from other social channels while using your TikTok.

Never let your viewers forget you online.With that in mind, post rich content as often as you can. Uploading at least one compelling and fantastic video daily is a good start.

You may as well include series in your posting schedule, it would definitely help your brand gain more patronage and followers.Since your audience, know what to expect and when to expect it

In addition, it gives you adequate time to create better contents and save your time online as well.

Hashtags are a vital social engagement tool that has already become an indispensable feature. Do you want to make your video trend? Add hashtags to your videos.

Just as hashtags are popular with other social channels like Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest and Facebook, TikTok hashtags is equally essential for digital interactions and viewing.

Come up with creative hashtags or use the TikTok hashtag generator and include them to spice your content.It makes your content easily discovered and increases its chances of trending with a wider audience.

This is especially important for upcoming music artist.

It is not a secret that the app is called TikTok because youve got just 60 seconds of fame and you have to make the best use of it. To do this, make sure you add the right music track that fits your video and your audience cant resist.

The secret is the best track on TikTok is one that has superb lyrics, danceable, melodious, or funny that your viewers can engage with and even lip sync. If the track is appealing, your viewers would be looking forward to downloading the full song and video.

Frequently use the TikTok duet feature the best you can.

It is always a win-win situation if you choose to accommodate a duet with an influencer, fellow TikTok user and even using the Interactive features.

Not only does it spice up your content, but it also helps you create something unique that would grow your fan base. Dont be afraid to try it and put your best on it.

Sometimes, you need to create the avenue for your fan to do the talking for you by sharing and reposting your content. There is no rule that says what is posted on TikTok is restricted to TikTok. Dont hold back on clicking the share button on TikTok to share your content to other social channels.

That way, your videos would go viral across platforms and be promoted too.

One amazing feature of the Tik Tok app is the ability to feed users with the latest trend. That way, TikTok users informed on what current happenings, that way you can use it as an avenue to promote yourself.

The latest trends also serve as a guild in helping you identify strategic content that can boost your brand and increase your visibility.

TikTok community has a knack for identifying fakeness. Dont imitate or copy what other creators are uploading. There is an added value to being original; just be yourself. Create and upload content that displays innovative skills anyone would enjoy viewing.

To sum it all, TikTok mobile app is the right platform if youre considering showcasing your skill to the world. In the same way, it ushers you into a world of limitless entertainment.

Related

Read more:

10 Amazing Tips to Get the Best out of TikTok Mobile App - Dignited

In an earlier segment of the podcast, Can We Upload Ourselves to a Computer and Live Forever?, Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks and computer scientist Selmer Bringsjord discussed whether we could achieve immortality by uploading our minds to computers.

The basic problem with that idea is that human minds arent computable. Peter and Jane are not bits and bytes. Here, they continue the discussion, addressing the notorious Hard Problem of consciousness. People are conscious and even the most sophisticated foreseeable computers are not. And we are not at all sure what consciousness even is.

A partial transcript of the podcast follows (start at 8:50).

08:50 | Is consciousness a special case of cognition?

Robert J. Marks: In your paper, you claim that consciousness is a special case of cognition. Thats the first time Ive heard that sort of claim. Could you elaborate and unwrap that a little bit?

Selmer Bringsjord (right): Let me just say that I couldnt agree with you more about the delayed scrutiny [claims about uploading our minds to computers are pegged to an indefinite future] and the antidote to that is just taking a bet. But nobody wants to take the bets. So if Id been around when Herb Simon well, were talking the Fifties and he said, in a few years, were going to work it out. Or Marvin Minsky well, its a few summers or maybe even one summer, dont worry, well bring you back this AI.

What I dont get about this is, Well, really, heres five thousand dollars, heres fifty, heres a hundred, heres my entire 403B that says right now, you can take it and my descendants will sort this out. Lets work out the contract. Im willing to make a bet. Lets make a bet But no ones willing to take the bet.

Note: Its possible to get a great deal of attention for promising thinking computers in the indefinite future without making any bets as to performance or even being held accountable for lack thereof.

Herbert Simon (19162001): Machines will be capable, within twenty years, of doing any work that a man can do. (1965).

Marvin Minsky (19272016): Within 10 years computers wont even keep us as pets. (1967)

Robert J. Marks: Its kind of an algorithm of the gaps that someday we are going to have an algorithm that does this sort of thing, yet it has been promised since sixty years ago and nothing has really happened. And nothing has passed, as Ive seen it, the Lovelace test that you proposed about fifteen years ago. So, consciousness isa special case of cognition?

Selmer Bringsjord: Right. I certainly will agree that that is not in any way universally affirmed and some people steer clear of consciousness and try to prevent consciousness from entering the scientific discussion, whether its neuroscience or even sometimes things that are more formal like treatments in decision theorywhether its normatively correct, that is, whether the agents are good at it, whether theyre making bad decisions. No, no, lets come up with an account of decision-making that doesnt take the consciousness associated with desire seriously. So we dont have to worry about what desire really is and the consciousness associated with that, lets keep it separate

If were going to be honest with each other, you cant instantiate these things in agents, at least agents of the human variety, unless that agent has feelings. Unless there is something that it is actually like to be human, unless the human feels pain, unless the human feels pleasure Lets just write down the activities that are part of being a cognitive agent as opposed to just an agent because in AI a textbook can say that an agent just computes a function from the percepts of the environment to actions. So even something that computes the square root is technically an agent in AI. But when we say a cognitive agent, we cant suppress consciousness rising up before our faces and we have to deal with it. But again, some people can try to dodge it.

Note: Approaches to consciousness that are currently under discussion in science principally fall into one of three categories:

It is a material phenomenon: Philosopher Galen Strawson argues that, in order to exist in any scientific sense, consciousness must be wholly physical.

It is an illusion, naturally selected to aid survival: Neuroscientist Michael Graziano espouses this view. The problem is that, as Michael Egnor explains, If consciousness evolved as an aid to reproduction, there is little reason to credit it with any particular effectiveness as a tool for ascertaining truth. Its an aid to coitus, not contemplation.

It exists and pervades nature but we are only aware of human consciousness: Thats the panpsychist view: Scientific American, for example, has given panpsychism considerable respectful space in recent years because the alternative appear to make even less sense.

The idea that consciousness is a real but immaterial phenomenon is not at present considered a scientific idea, irrespective of evidence.

13:16 | Are consciousness and cognition non-algorithmic?

Robert J. Marks (right): So, if we have these things cognition and consciousness, which are attributes of humans, your claim in your paper is that they are non-algorithmic, that is, that you cant write a computer program to simulate them. They are not computable. What is your argument that cognition is not computable?

Selmer Bringsjord: Well, first, to be careful, some of them are not computable. Clearly, playing checkers is a computable process, provably so by definition. If we want a simpler case, applicable even to young children, then Tic Tac Toe. Even a very young child can learn an infallible algorithm for Tic Tac Toe but when they make those decisions theyre doing something thats computable. But Im talking about things that distinguish the human person.

14:48 | Examples of cognition that are not computable

Robert J. Marks: So what would be some examples of cognition that were not computable? Clearly, chess and checkers are computable.

Selmer Bringsjord: Well, at the top of the list is conjectured discovery and confirmation in the formal sciences orto use what is probably good enoughmathematics.

Doing mathematics where you are conjecturing and making discoveries and confirming them is untouchable. I have a booketernally undone but getting quite close nowon Gdels great theorems. If you just look at one little piece of his career, where he proves that the continuum hypothesis (basically that there is no set between the natural numbers and the reals) this is astounding. So when we talk about AI doing all this work, it doesnt really do anything in mathematics.

The great thing about that one is that we can inspect the output produced by humans that are playing in this space. So its not like they just give us vague reports about doing these amazing things. They write their results down. So we can look at the results and we can say, Can a machine generate something like this? and the answer is, flat out, with a ring of iron, no. This would be my number one.

Number two would be creativity As much as he was a maniac, Wagner. I mean, how does one human being create the storyline, the music, the libretto, which is essentially poetry, and produce that out of whole cloth?

Lets just think about love. Whats it like for one person to genuinely love another person and be loved by that person. Now, we cant mathematize that. Weve got no account of what it is. In fact, the leadng formal account of human emotionsthe so-called OCC account, which I like very muchhas come up totally empty on any kind of formal account of love. And yet, we love people and we want to be loved and we know what were talking about so every human being on the face of the planet can just see that there is a major problem here!

Note: Transhumanists do not usually try to explain how they would create immortality by capturing human consciousness in a machine so one can only evaluate the social movement in terms of the issues it would raise if their ideas were remotely possible. Here are a few questions that have been raised:

What does it mean for conventional notions of the person? As Jonathan Bartlett asks, If I kill you, but upload your mind into an android, did I murder you or just modify you?

Bartletts question is especially pertinent because schemes for reproducing you as a computer program may require killing you first..

Would you want immortal life as a computer program? What would be left of life as it matters to us? Heres a test question: Would you give up your right arm for a robotic device that performs better?

Next: Why a computer will not write the Great 21st Century Novel

Earlier: Can human minds be reduced to computer programs? In Silicon Valley that has long been a serious belief. But are we really anywhere close?

Robert J. Marks and Selmer Bringsjord were discussing issues around human vs. computer thinking abilities:

Thinking machines? The Lovelace test raises the stakes. The Turing test has had a free ride in science media for far too long, says an AI expert. (This is the partial transcript and notes to the earlier part of the podcast.)

and

Thinking machines? Has the Lovelace test been passed? Surprising results do not equate to creativity. Is there such a thing as machine creativity? The feats of machines like AlphaGo are due to superior computational power, not to creativity at originating new ideas. Dr. Bringsjord sees the ability to write, say, a novel of ideas as a more realistic test of human vs. computer achievement.

Go here to see the original:

Why Our Minds Can't Really Be Uploaded to Computers - Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence

TikTok is a great app that lets you create and upload short videos on nearly any topic.

As you're creating a video, you can add music, sound effects, graphics, and many other effects. This is in addition to adding tags and a caption.

Unfortunately though, once you upload a video onto TikTok, you have to put all those editing tools away and be happy with the final product. TikTok doesn't let you edit any part of the video once it's uploaded, including the caption.

As such, before you post anything, you should make sure that you're happy with what you've made.

If you decide you're not, however, or find a typo in the caption, there is a workaround as long as you don't mind losing any immediate likes or comments you may have on your video.

Here's what you need to know, whether you're using TikTok on your iPhone or Android device.

You can't edit a video's caption once it's posted. The solution is to download the video to your phone, delete the video from TikTok, and then reupload it with a new caption.

Here's how to do it.

1. Go to your profile tab on TikTok by tapping the "Me" icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen, and select the video that you want to edit.

Go to your profile tab and open the video. Melanie Weir/Business Insider

2. Towards the bottom right of the video, tap the three dots to open an options menu.

Tap the three dots near the bottom-right. Melanie Weir/Business Insider

3. At the bottom-left of the pop-up menu, tap the download button labeled "Save video." The video will be downloaded onto your phone.

Tap "Save video." Melanie Weir/Business Insider

4. Once you're sure the video has saved, tap the three dots again. This time, scroll all the way to the right on the lower list of options and tap "Delete."

Open the menu again, scroll to the right, and tap Delete. Melanie Weir/Business Insider

5. Once it's deleted, tap the "+" button you would use to add a video, but instead of recording, tap the "Upload" button to the right of the record button.

You can upload videos directly from your camera roll. Melanie Weir/Business Insider

6. Select the video you just saved, then tap "Next" at the bottom-right of the screen.

7. Proceed with the posting process as you normally would, this time adding your new caption.

Original post:

How to edit the caption on a TikTok by reposting it - Business Insider - Business Insider

WITH fibre optic broadband getting rolled out to more and more of the country, there's fewer excuses for not having decent quality speeds in your home.

But just because you're getting top quality broadband, doesn't mean you have to spend top dollar.

1

If you haven't switched your broadband for a couple of years, it could be worth doing so.

You'll often find your rates climbing the longer you're with a provider, when you could be getting the same package far cheaper elsewhere.

We've taken a look around the web at the best deals available right now.

Although it's worth doing a bit of your own research as well, as the availability of certain packages and prices can change depending on your location.

Vodafone has exclusive offers for existing pay monthly customers making its broadband deals even cheaper.

Sky, BT and Virgin broadband comes cheaper if you buy it as part of a bundle with a TV package.

You can switch your broadband provider at any time, but if you're still in your contract period (when you sign up for a package, you'll often sign on for a year or two) you might well have to pay a substantial fee to end your contract early.

If you're not sure, check your contract to see how much time you have left or if your contract has expired.

If your initial contract has expired, and you've been moved onto a rolling contract, you should be able to switch providers without any fuss.

But if you've still got some time to go before your contract expires, you could look at upgrading your contract with your existing provider to boost your broadband speed.

The speed of broadband you need depends what you're planning on using it for.

If your home has one or two people using the internet to stream TV shows and films, or to upload the odd photo to Facebook or Instagram, you won't need much more than 5-10mbps (megabits per second) to avoid buffering.

If you've got a larger family, all of whom are streaming, online gaming and/or uploading videos to Instagram and Tik Tok, you're going to want something in the range of 10-30mbps.

You'll want to consider superfast broadband (speeds of 30mbps or above) if you're regularly downloading whole films or games to your devices, or you need to upload substantial digital files to the web.

We reckon it's a good idea to get a bit more broadband speed than the bare minimum, though, because if you find yourself stuck in your house for a few months, it's nice to have a decent connection so your Zoom calls and House Party gatherings can continue without a hitch.

Price should definitely be a factor in your choice of broadband provider.

Often, the speed available at your home will be down to the infrastructure of the wiring near you, rather than the provider (find out your available speed using a checker, such as this one).

That means price should be one of your primary concerns, along with good customer service and fast installation times.

We've picked out the best broadband providers if you want a bit of inspiration.

If the speed of your broadband is good, but the Wi-Fi is patchy in your home, it could be worth looking at getting a new router, a signal booster, or mesh system, which uses multiple routers to ensure a steady internet connection wherever you are in your home.

If you're a subscriber to a TV service, such as Sky, BT or Virgin, you could get a discounted broadband subscription as part of your package.

For instance, you can get a basic Sky TV package for 29 per month and a super fast fibre optic broadband package from Sky for 27 a month (56 total) or you can get a TV and fibre bundle for 52 a month, saving you 72 over an 18-month contract.

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Enjoyed our round-up of the best broadband deals? We've also picked out the best broadband providers for your piece of mind.

Looking to boost your signal? We found the best routers on the web.

Or if you're looking to improve your home office set up, we've rounded up the best PC monitors you can buy.

This article and any featured products have been independently chosen by The Sun journalists. All recommendations within the article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click a link and buy a product we may earn revenue: this helps to support The Sun, and in no way affects our recommendations.

Read the original here:

The best broadband deals in April 2020 - The Sun

Find the latest information on the Universitys response to the coronavirus here.

Apparently a global pandemic makes strange bedfellows.

That was one of the first things to come to mind following the recent announcement that Google and Apple would work together to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the coronavirus by tracking the movements and interactions of users.

All of this prompts another question: Will the advent of the new smartphone software put personal privacy at risk?

For the lowdown on how the technological advances on our iPhone and Android devices scheduled to roll out in mid-May will work, UVA Today turned to computer science professor Madhav Marathe, one of the leaders of the University of Virginias Biocomplexity Institute, who replied to questions via email.

Q. What was your reaction when you saw that Apple and Google would be collaborating on this project?

A. I think this is a laudable initiative. Both companies have significant depths in computing and understand the issues related to privacy very well. They also have control at the [operating system] level that allows them to undertake the development of projects that employ the complete software stack, thus making the solution efficient, scalable and useable.

Other groups, including the TCN consortium, CoEpi and NOVID are also working on similar questions.

Q. For those who may not be technologically inclined, can you explain in very simple terms what the companies are doing with this new smartphone software and how it will work?

A. In very simple terms, these companies are developing an app that alerts an individual who comes in close proximity of another individual who later tests COVID-19 positive. This works only when both the individuals have the app. It is done in four simple steps: one, users download the apps; two, then the users come within certain distances of each other, they exchange their encrypted keys (they are generated frequently and cannot be identified with a device directly); three, when an individual with the app falls sick and gives consent, their own keys get uploaded to the cloud; and four, all apps download these keys every so often and see if the keys match one of the keys that they had stored. Keys are generated randomly and frequently.

So tracking a users movement is not easy. It also does not store the interaction explicitly in the cloud. The cloud only has keys of the infected users and that, too, in an encrypted form. So in summary, an individual can know that someone who was in close proximity at some time was infected. It does not reveal who the person was, when the person might have come in physical proximity and where this encounter might have happened. In this sense, it preserves three important elements of privacy: who?, when? and where?

Of course, correlation attacks are still possible, using other cameras or other tracking technology to correlate users with the keys generated. However, those attacks would be difficult to execute, especially on a large scale.

Q. The companies say that privacy, transparency, and consent are of utmost importance in this effort. In your opinion, should the public feel confident in this?

A. Although experts have pointed to a few potential security flaws, I believe they are not as serious. The primary concern is locational information, and the experts point to correlational attacks to identify users at certain locations. But as other articles have pointed out, while this is certainly possible, there are other ways to track a user and that this can only be done for a user that tests COVID-19 positive.

This does not mean that the proposed solution is 100% privacy-preserving. It, however, does mean that it is unlikely that one can do this at a large enough scale due to proximity constraint and the fact that only keys pertaining to people who were proximal for long enough period can potentially be identified in this way. (See this Wired article for additional discussion.)

Q. From purely a technological standpoint, what do you think of this idea?

A. I believe this is a good idea to explore. Making an app completely secure is quite unlikely; I believe this app strives to strike a good balance between public health needs and personal privacy. Furthermore, once the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, one can easily disable the app.

Q. Do you think the software will be helpful in combatting COVID-19? Aside from possible privacy infringements, are there any other dangers?

A. The usefulness of the app will depend on the participation by the public (they need to download the app). This implies that a large section of the society might be completely missed either due to technological challenges or due to concerns related to personal privacy.

Second, individuals who have a confirmed COVID-19 case have to agree to upload their keys to the cloud. They may or may not choose to do this.

Finally, individuals who receive the information, may or may not act on the information.

In spite of these limitations, such an app can potentially be useful; its efficacy can only be tested after it is deployed.

Q. Are there any other ways or better ways Apple and Google could be helping during this crisis? Anything youd like to see them try and do?

A. There are number of other ways Google and Apple can help during crisis. One is providing mobility related data; both companies have already taken important steps in this direction. (See Apples reports and Googles.)

Second, they can provide computing services, which again Google has begun providing; see the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium. Finally, the companies can develop innovative products as they pertain to providing information about health care resources and information accessible from Google Search trends.

Q. Anything else youd like to add?

A. Contact tracing is an important tool in the fight against COVID-19. Apps such as the ones Google and Apple are developing is a step in the right direction.

Importantly, as a society, we need to have a serious debate that is about balancing privacy and public health during a crisis like this. Laws need to be enacted now so that [people in] future pandemics can benefit, rather than waiting for an event such as COVID-19 to happen.

In the end, the success of the apps depends a lot on user participation. Each country has adopted a different balance between privacy and public health. It is time to act now.

See original here:

Everything You Need to Know About Your Smartphone's New COVID-19 Tracker - University of Virginia

Youre a part of history.

That might be hard for people observing stay-at-home orders, taking care of kids and trying to work remotely to comprehend. But its true.

Really, when anybodys going through anything, do they feel like theyre making history? Generally not, said Jeremy Myntti, head of digital library services at the University of Utahs J. Willard Marriott Library. Think about during World War II. People may have been standing in line to get groceries, to make their potato soup for the week. Did they feel like they were making history? No. But now when we look back on that, yes, they were.

So even though we might just be sitting at home right now feeling like we're doing nothing, this is going to be a big part of history.

And the Marriott Librarys Utah COVID-19 Digital Collection wants to document whats happening to people across the state. Utahns are encouraged to share their photos and stories.

It will help to explain what happened during this time, Myntti said. What happened to the economy. What happened in terms of illness and deaths. So even though this doesn't feel like a very historic time it feels mundane and boring we are definitely making history.

People today might want to forget about all of this, but in the future people will want to know.

Submissions become part of a public record that will be open to researchers in the decades, even centuries, to come. They will be raw data for historians to draw on.

The function of a library is to capture, preserve, archive and make accessible. Its a historians job to put that in context, said Digital Initiatives librarian Anna Neatrour. Were really building research materials for future historians.

You dont have to go out of your way to create anything new for the project. Your social media posts words and pictures will be of interest to future generations.

Thats the kind of thing that were wanting to capture the way peoples lives have changed during this time, Neatrour said. Everybody has phones and can take pictures.

Historians dont have much of this kind of material from the 1918-20 Spanish flu pandemic, so we dont know as much about how that affected daily life, Neatrour said. But this is something different that we can do right now.

And those wont necessarily last unless we archive them, Neatrour said.

As of midweek, the library had received about 200 submissions.

It really ranges from more commonly occurring experiences like social distancing at grocery stores, empty shelves in the supermarket because people are panic buying to some really humorous ways that people deal with the pandemic, said Rachel Wittman, digital curation librarian at the Marriott Library. For example, people receiving gifts of toilet paper for their wedding anniversary.

A woman submitted multiple photos of her social distancing with a mannequin, Neatrour said. Its kind of funny, but its also commentary and art, in a way. I think itll be interesting to see what kind of creative expression comes out of this period.

Not all the submissions are lighthearted. One submitter who tested positive for COVID-19 has been quarantined in his basement. Others sent in photos of themselves getting tested at drive-thru facilities.

One submission came from a woman who went to Spain to visit her boyfriend at the end of February and was stuck there when COVID-19 hit that country hard. Its about how they were dealing with that, Myntti said. How they were trying to get back to the States. As of yesterday, she had made it back to Utah but her boyfriend is still stuck in Spain.

But documenting the little things like empty spaces where the toilet paper was supposed to be at the store are also part of the story. And thats already going away, Wittman said.

To date, a large majority of submissions have come from the more urban areas of Utah Salt Lake, Utah and Davis counties.

But we want this collection to be more representative of the whole state, Myntti said. So, hopefully, we can get people in some of the more rural areas to submit some content on how theyre dealing with this.

Were hoping to be able to represent all types of people, all ages of people.

Theyre looking for stories from children as well as adults. Theyve reached out to public school teachers whove assigned their students to tell their stories, but were always looking for more, Neatrour said. And wed like stories of people who are running small businesses. Thats something that we dont really have in the collection yet.

And theyd like to hear more stories from the front lines, Myntti said. What are the doctors and nurses going through?

Utahns in the Salt Lake Valley have a unique pandemic experience. Like tens of millions of Americans, theyve been staying at home and those homes shook during the 5.7 earthquake centered near Magna on March 18, and in multiple aftershocks since then.

We want to be able to document how that has affected the pandemic as well, Myntti said. We havent really had too much content, if any, related to the earthquakes. And that was certainly part of whats been happening here.

Thats made easier by the explosion of technology. Those suffering through the flu pandemic from 1918-20 didnt have cellphones equipped with cameras or social media to share their thoughts.

Theres so much digital information being shared through different social media sites. So many people are taking so many photographs, Myntti said. Whats going to happen to them in five or 10 years? If were not preserving that now, were going to lose all of this history relatively soon.

Utahs COVID-19 Digital Collection is one of many across the nation.

This is part of a national movement to collect historical materials during this time, Neatrour said. There are multiple libraries and museums across the country that are pursuing similar projects. Were reaching out to the community to collect materials while the current state of things is fresh on everyones mind.

To date, Utahs project has received far more photos than stories, which doesnt come as a surprise. The easiest thing for people to do is snap a picture and then upload it, Myntti said. With a story, you kind of have to think more about that think about what you really want to say.

But no one should feel like they have to write the next Great American Novel. People are encouraged to share their social media posts from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram whatever.

Well take whatever we can get, Myntti said. Theres some people that have submitted two sentences. There are a couple of people that have submitted four-page-long documents talking about everything that theyve been going through.

Theres no form to fill out, no pattern to follow. People have asked if they can submit their daily journals yes, of course. And they want to know when daily? Weekly? When the pandemic is over? And the answer is yes.

Were giving people the option, Myntti said. Whenever they feel its appropriate, they can submit their story. ... Every story is important, no matter what youre going through. We want to hear from you and see how this is affecting you.

And your stories just might end up affecting others. Neatrour was struck by photos of a Hello out there sign in the window of someones home.

I think that kind of brings home what its like to be quarantined and kind of reaching out to people, she said.

More:

The University of Utah library wants you! to share coronavirus history being made at your house - Salt Lake Tribune

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By now, weve all read alarming reports about the millions of people who will lose their jobs in response to the coronavirus-related closures of businesses. There are estimates suggesting that three million people will be unemployed by the summertime. It's hard for us to comprehend the magnitude of the jobs lost.

I performed a careful analysis on the number of rsums posted within the last month on Indeed.com, the large job aggregation site. I primarily focused on the industries that are expected to have the largest amounts of layoffs, including airlines, restaurants, hotels and retail. The results were alarming.

Bear in mind that this data was derived from only one job site. The people who posted online include both those who are working and those that are currently unemployed. To protect the privacy of people and companies, I will not disclose any corporate or individual names and only refer to the types of businesses.

A search for job seekers that referenced airlines in their job title or company showed 25,423 rsums. These people run the gamut. They include flight attendants, pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, dispatch supervisors, ramp agents, flight instructors, brand ambassadors, ticket agents and talent acquisition professionals.

They currently work or have been employed by the large, well-known airlines, as well as smaller and regional operators. Their work experience ranges from one to over 10 years. The largest segment is people with over 10 years of experience.

Related to the airlines, a large aircraft manufacturer had 4,004 people post their rsums.

They holdor have previously heldpositions, such as manufacturing manager, industrial engineer, senior procurement agent, talent acquisition advisor, senior financial analyst and human resources business partner. The years of experience go from one to more than 10 years. The six-to-10 year people have the largest numbers. The educational level includes a large number of people with bachelors and masters degrees.

The term restaurant yielded 406,820 rsums of servers, bartenders, cooks and cashiers.

Within the last day, 13,355 new rsums were posted. This number starkly represents the carnage caused by the governments edict to prohibit dining inside of food establishments.

Under retail sales, 291,170 rsums showed up in a search. The candidates workor have previouslyworked at department stores, boutique shops, specialty retailers, big-name chains, phone sellers, liquor stores, appliances, beauty and cosmetics, auto parts, casinos, home goods and convenience stores. Within the last day, 8,695 rsums were just posted.

The search term hotel showed 209,330 rsums, with titles such as customer service representative, front desk agent, housekeeping and server. Within the last day, 6,610 rsums were posted.

There were 3,722 rsums uploaded from people who areor wereinvolved with the cruise line sectors.

A large percentage of the rsums for people working in retail sales, hotels, restaurants and cruise lines are college graduates and many have advanced degrees and up toand over10 years of experience.

The data reflects the trends of closures. Restaurants have been ordered to stop serving patrons and are only permitted to deliver or offer pickup services. Air travel has been restricted. Malls, department stores and shopping centers have been told to close, if they are deemed nonessential. The job seekers mirror whats happening in our job market and economy.

Interestingly, the data from Indeed shows growth in job listings for forklift drivers, warehouseworkers and shelf-stockers. This reflects the hiring that weve seen with Amazon seeking 100,000 people for their fulfillment facilities.

Jed Kolko, the chief economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, said about the current state of the job market, It's very hard to know where we will be in three, six or twelve months from now. Theres still so much we dont know. The public data has been alarming. Expect more bad numbers before we see good news.

The number of people looking for a new job continues to grow exponentially. In light of the job losses and fear over job security, it's imperative that our politicians peacefully collaborate together to fight against both the coronavirus and the looming unemployment disasters.

See the original post here:

Fear Over The Job Market Prompted Thousands Of People To Upload Their Rsums Online - Forbes

On February 4th, a Sydney based artist uploaded a track called Slow. We havent been able to get it out of our heads since.

Labelling Slow as a catchy pop song feels too simplistic. Its a charming ear worm. The kind that you dont mind taking up residence in your brain for a month or six.

It also comes with a pretty relatable theme: I wrote it about a little argument I had with my partner and its about coming to terms with the fact that I can be a bit of an idiot.

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Its a clever song, too. An unsurprising factor when you consider that the artist behind it has been honing his craft as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer since first trying out the piano at the ripe age of three.

Growing up in the remote Helena Valley in Western Australia, Hauskey was living a young musicians dream: he and his brother turned their garage into a studio and would play music until the wee hours of the morning.

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The natural progression from real-life GarageBand was, of course, joining a nine-piece hip hop group in Perth. It was there that Hauskey discovered his love of blues, jazz, funk, soul and R&B.

I just want to take what I love about all those genres and make it the backdrop for singing about my feelings, I guess.

Although his Unearthed profile has had a shorter life than a common house fly, you might recognise his name from a recent trend that emerged on our Instagram page: #covered19.

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Hauskey chucked a cover of his mate Elueras Good Girl on Instagram. Eluera covered Shannen James and soon enough, the likes of Lime Cordiale, Dear Seattle, Cry Club and countless others had jumped on board to show their support for artists on Unearthed during a tough time for the music industry.

For Hauskey, it was more a small gesture than it was an intentionally impactful movement.

The #covered19 phenomenon what a weird one! I was sitting around feeling pretty down about (the COVID-19 pandemic) and a bit helpless and realised that really we needed to be promoting music more than ever right now, but it felt pretty odd to be promoting yourself. So, I had the idea of doing a cover.

Simple yet indisputably meaningful. Thats kinda Hauskeys M.O. when it comes to his music. Slow mightve made a mark for the Unearthed team, but the multi-talented muso always keeps it humble.

Never more so than when he chatted to us about his move abroad: I moved to London and tried to figure out how to write a good song, which Im still doing now. It never really ends unfortunately.

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Meet the artist whose upload is one of our 2020 favourites (so far) - ABC News

Think back to the mid-2000s, when Myspace was all the rage. Around that time, a little online-dating website popped up based on the idea that users could upload videos introducing themselves.

Things didnt exactly go as planned and now YouTube is the second most popular site on the internet, with 2 billion people logging in every month.

YouTube is projected to make $5.5 billion in ad revenue this year alone in the U.S. and you can get a slice of the pie. Some people are making millions uploading videos of what they love to do.

If you're out of work because of a coronavirus shutdown and are looking for an opportunity, be warned that earning money on YouTube isnt quick or easy. But with persistence and a well thought-out strategy, you can fatten your bank account. Heres what you need to know.

Jacob Lund / Shutterstock

Nothing you do matters if people arent watching. You wont need a million subscribers to see returns, but a sufficiently large or sufficiently dedicated audience is key. Depending on whom you attract, some revenue streams will work out better than others.

When designing your channel, you need to find a niche that you enjoy and others will find valuable. Youll get the best results if your content can be made quickly but is still worth following on a regular or even daily basis.

To get more hits, try using descriptive titles that include popular keywords. That will give people and search engines a clear idea of what your video is about. Adding tags will also help. For example, if your video is about baking, use specific words that relate to your video, such as chocolate chips.

Invite guest YouTubers on your channel or appear on someone elses because you can get a huge boost either way. Other YouTubers have their own followers who will now know about you and the content you provide.

Lastly, pay for YouTube ads. It can get costly but will allow you to directly target prospective viewers. If you target the topic of house pets, your video will appear before all those people watching cat videos.

Once you have a growing audience, you can look into one or more of the following monetization methods. None of them is especially stable, so if you're hoping to make YouTube a career, you may want to seek the advice of a certified financial planner. You can find plans specifically designed for millennials.

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When most people think about monetizing YouTube, they imagine themselves creating good content and watching the ad dollars pour in. While that is a viable path, there's a bit more to it than that.

First youll need to sign up for a Google AdSense account, connect it to your channel and enable monetization. Once you have enough viewers watching and clicking on ads, a few pennies will start to trickle into your account.

Then youll want to join the YouTube Partner Program. You dont need to join to use AdSense, but the program offers access to other income streams, like YouTube Premiums subscription fees and Super Chat.

To apply for the YouTube Partner Program, youll need a minimum of 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, more than 1,000 subscribers and a linked AdSense account.

pathdoc / Shutterstock

While its easy enough to get set up, the challenge is building a channel that pulls valuable ads while sustaining enough viewers to engage with those ads.

Not all ads pay the same amount. A lot of factors can affect the dollar value, including the topic of your videos. Before you begin creating, research the value of different AdSense niches and see whether your content aligns. Insurance and online education are among the most valuable.

AdSense also favors videos it considers safe. That means avoiding content that can be sexually suggestive, contains violence or profanity or drugs or covers controversial and sensitive subjects. Otherwise, Google can exclude you from revenue.

For example, a channel focusing on environmental politics might not make bank, but tips on how to live green (buying an electric vehicle, cutting down on waste or making your home energy efficient) might do better.

Since greater authority and popularity mean more ad revenue, this method for monetizing your YouTube channel is a longer-term play. However, you have other options for scoring returns sooner.

Whether they want to be more independent or are put off by the restrictive nature of what Google considers safe, YouTubers employ multiple ways to make money. Here are some popular alternatives to running ads:

SuperChat donations

This method is available to creators who are willing and able to perform live. While watching your stream, viewers can donate to pin a comment to the top of the chat window.

SuperChat works well with Q&A sessions, interviews and gaming anything that gives your audience a chance to participate and hear back from you.

YouTube Premium

Viewers who pay to sign up for YouTube Premium get to watch videos ad-free, along with other perks.

That doesnt mean content creators get cheated; instead of getting a cut of ad revenue, youll get a cut of the subscription fee from any premium users watching your videos.

Keep in mind, this is not a big income source.

Affiliate and influencer marketing

Even moderately popular YouTubers can make good money by talking up products. You might get paid purely for the act of promoting a product, or you might provide your viewers a link to an online store that will net you a commission from each sale.

The best salespeople will weave offers into their usual content in ways that feel natural and benefit their viewers. For example, someone who lost 50 pounds in three months could talk about the vitamin supplements they took during the process. A good product review or comparison could also lead to strong affiliate revenue.

The key here is not the size of your audience but an authentic relationship with viewers who trust your authority. Just remember to disclose that your video is #sponsored.

Selling merchandise

Working with affiliates might not be your thing, but dont sweat it. You might have a penchant for selling your own products instead, whether thats T-shirts, mugs, artwork or something else entirely.

Selling merchandise works for creators with a recognizable brand or at least a style their viewers will readily identify with. Its an extra challenge on top of making content that will constantly drive new traffic to see your merchandise.

If youre not crafty, youre in luck. Its a lot easier for individuals to do merchandising in the modern age. You can work together with freelancers on marketplace websites like Fiverr to design and produce products, then use services like Oberlo to handle shipping.

Crowdfunding

If your viewers find your content especially valuable, you can simply ask them for support. Its a simple exchange, really: They get to enjoy the videos they love, and you get paid to make more.

That said, its easier to entice people to support you if you offer extra bonuses like private Q&A sessions or exclusive videos.

Some crowdfunding sites like Patreon ask people to set up a subscription that charges them every month or every time you post a video. Other sites, like Tipeee, offer one-time donations as well.

Read more:

This Is How You Actually Make Money on YouTube - Yahoo Finance

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(KTLA) -- Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! The video chat software Zoom was started nearly a decade ago, but in the past few weeks, it has become the go-to app to keep us connected while we stay at home.

It seems as though everyone is using it.

"The crazy thing to me is how its become a social network," said Mahmoud Hafez, co-founder at DocuVision.ai, over, well, Zoom.

"We were using Zoom for just strictly sales calls, but now were using it for everything," explained Hafez.

Downloads of the app have skyrocketed since coronavirus concerns started keeping folks at home. Zoom now sits at the top of the charts on the App Store.

Hafez believes part of the appeal of the software is its simplicity.

"Literally, just send one link, they click it and were video calling in seconds," said Hafez.

Zoom software works on desktops, web browsers and smartphones, and it doesn't matter whether youre on a Mac or PC, iPhone or Android.

The free plan has a 40-minute limit on meetings. and you can have up to 100 people on the same screen. Zoom is temporarily lifting that time limit for schools affected by coronavirus closures who fill out a special request form.

"Its nice to see all the faces and then get a pulse on what everyone is thinking and reacting to the content. And, are they engaged. Are they not engaged," said Reese Hammerstrom, an e-commerce manager at the smartphone case and accessory company Nomad.

Once you sign up, you can either start a video call yourself or join someone else's call. Everyone on Zoom has a Personal Meeting ID, or PMI. It looks like a phone number. You can find yours on your Zoom home page by tapping the arrow next to New Meeting. If someone has this number they can contact you at any time on Zoom.

When you set up a meeting, you have two choices: use your Personal Meeting ID or just start a video call with a one-time random ID by clicking the giant "New Meeting" button. You should probably reserve meetings with your PMI for your closest colleagues and friends. Otherwise, use a one-time meeting ID. You can find the meeting ID at the top of every active video call.

To invite folks in, just hit Invite at the bottom of the screen and copy the URL or Invitation. Then, send to folks however you like: email, text and more.

Want to see everyone on one screen? Use Gallery View. Want just the speaker to be most prominent on screen? Use the Speaker View. You can toggle between them while on a call.

If you're in a large group, its best to mute yourself. If you quickly need to say something, just hold down the space bar, like a walkie talkie. It will temporarily turn on your microphone.

HD is off on Zoom by default to conserve bandwidth. If you want the highest video conference quality, you can toggle it on in Settings > Video >My Video > Enable HD. While you're there, check out a popular option called "Touch up my appearance." Switch it on and it will smooth out your skin.

One feature that has been played with most in Zoom is the ability to virtually change your background. To find it, go into Settings > Virtual Background. Here, you can choose from several supplied images and videos like the Golden Gate bridge, space or waves lapping on a beach.

You can upload your own by pressing the "plus" sign above the images. This is where people are getting creative. Upload an amazing scenic photo you've taken or turn to Google for a little inspiration. Try doing a Google search for your favorite team, place or store along with "zoom background."

For example, you can find Zoom backgrounds from USC, Princeton University, West Elm and the LA Chargers.

The one thing you don't want to happen in your Zoom call is an interruption. You probably can't avoid embarrassing situations like your kid, pet or significant other walking into view, but you can stop Zoombombers, who join public calls and then proceed to say vile or racist things or share explicit video.

To avoid these mishaps, turn on a feature called Waiting Room. This means you will have to admit folks into your meeting. They can't just automatically join. You can turn it on for all meetings that happen in your personal meeting room or turn it on once you start a meeting by clicking "Manage Participants" near the bottom of the screen, then "More" and choosing "Put Attendee in Waiting Room on Entry."

You probably also want to disable the ability for other users to share their screen or desktop during your meeting. When in a meeting, tap the arrow next to "Share Screen" and hit "Advanced Sharing Options." Here, you can specify "Who can share?" by choosing "Only Host" or "All Participants." If it's just friends or colleagues you trust, it's fine to let all participants share, but if it's a large group of random folks, it's probably best to limit sharing to avoid any potential pitfalls.

Alternatively, if you want to share what's on your screen, an app or a file, you can easily do this in a meeting by hitting "Share Screen."

Finally, you can record a meeting by hitting the Record button at the bottom of the video conference. The video quality isn't great and it might take some time for your computer to generate a file. The longer the meeting, the longer you'll have to wait.

Zoom is simple to use and it has a lot of features under the hood for power users. Keep in mind, it was created for business, but people are using it in so many different ways: distance learning, virtual happy hours and even game nights!

The question is, will Zoom speed off into the sunset when stay-at-home orders are lifted?

"A lot of people are saying that this is like an anomaly and its going to fade away, but yeah, I think its going to be around for a while," concluded Hammerstrom.

See the rest here:

New to Zoom? Here are tips and tricks to make you a pro user - FOX40

Now's the time to get creative about extra ways to earn cash.

Talk of a global downturn is enough to rattle anybodys nerves, and rightfully so. As the economy slows, many of those working in roles that cant be done remotely roughly 70 percent of U.S. workers in 2017-18 are losing their jobs. In the coming weeks, even employees lucky enough to work from home are likely to be searching for ways to tighten belts and supplement incomes as the financial future appears increasingly precarious.

What the Great Recession of 2008 didnt have, however, is a burgeoning app economy. This offers one bright spot: There are now more ways than ever to earn extra cash online in a quarantine-friendly fashion. To be sure, these sites cant match a full-time income stream but they might offer a welcome buffer during crunch time. Here are a few platforms that can help you make money from your couch.

InboxDollars is an app that pays people to watch videos, take online surveys, and shop through specific brands and coupons. Videos can include everything from movie trailers to product demonstrations. Users can also earn money for playing games or reading emails. So, you might be able to influence the next TV show or product launch while self-isolating.

Getting paid to speak your mind? Win-win.

Lets face it we all want to be heard, right? UserTesting is one route that might be more productive than shouting into the void. Users are paid for providing feedback on websites after experiencing them for the first time. For $10, you complete tasks and record your reactions to the presentation and design of a site. The goal: Help improve the user experience. Each video session takes between 10 and 20 minutes. Getting paid to speak your mind? Win-win.

In times of uncertainty, a thorough spring cleaning can help us gain a sense of control. The closet can be an appealing first line of attack and it could put extra dollars in your pocket. Poshmark is an online social commerce site for buying and selling new and used clothing (like yes, even your wedding dress). Just upload a photo, fill in a description and set a price your item is then listed on the virtual marketplace. Poshmark takes a chunk of the sale and provides prepaid, pre-addressed shipping labels.

Upwork is a digital marketplace for freelancers across industries, in cities across the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. There are short- and long-term freelance contracts on offer, and skill needs include web development, marketing, design, writing, analytics, engineering and more. You can search available job listings, which describe the project and may specify an hourly or fixed rate and project duration.

Random bonus option: If you were one of those Beanie Baby collectors from the 90s you now have the time, and motivation, to rummage through and see if you have one of the original nine or other desirable Babies to sell. Mint condition and good-smelling only, of course. More tips here.

Originally posted here:

How to Make a Bit of Extra Cash From Your Living Room - OZY

Shufti Pro is offering two months of up to 10 million free ID and biometric face verifications to non-profit and healthcare organizations around the world involved in the containment of COVID-19, the company announced.

Organizations interested in using Shufti Pros identity verification services have to fill out a form. They will be evaluated by the team and then receive a number of verifications tailored to their needs. Applicants that qualify for the free service include hospitals, research centers, banks, educational institutions and airports.

The online identity and face verification process delivers fast and seamless integration, and was developed with end-user diversity in mind, according to the announcement. Users going through the verification process will have to upload a selfie and a photo of their ID card which will be verified by Shufti Pros service in real time in seconds. The company claims the touchless biometric authentication process ensures 98.67 percent accuracy.

Earlier this year, Shufti Pro partnered with Drakemall to deliver online document verification services for KYC screening and fraud prevention in customer onboarding verification.

biometrics | digital identity | facial recognition | identity document | identity verification | Shufti Pro

Read more here:

Shufti Pro donates free ID and biometric face verification to coronavirus frontline organizations - Biometric Update

One week after release, Half-Life: Alyx currently sits at number one on Metacritics list of Best PC Video Games for 2020. The game has an average score of 93, which is higher than any other PC game released this year so far, including traditional non-VR games.

Although you could argue that VR titles are a whole different category of game, Metacritic counts them as PC entries and so they compete with any other PC release in a given year. With this in mind, its impressive that Alyx has hit the top of the Metacritic charts for the year so far. That being said, it is only March but games like Doom: Eternal are providing stiff competition. However, many movies, TV shows and video games are being delayed and impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. With the fate of scheduled game releases now uncertain, who knows what competition Alyx might face throughout the rest of the year.

The only other VR game to get close to Alyxs score on the PC list is The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, which sits at 9th on the list with a score of 81. Console games, such as those on the PS4 or Nintendo Switch, have their own separate list. For comparison, the highest rated PlayStation 4 game on the list is Persona 5 Royal with a score of 95. After that is Dreams with 89, which we also know is receiving VR support at some point in the (near?) future. On Nintendo Switch, the highest rated title is Animal Crossing: New Horizons with a score of 91.

This means that, across all platforms, Alyx is one of the highest rated games of the year so far. Despite it being early days, thats still pretty impressive. According to SteamSpy, the game is owned by over 500,000 people as well. However, that number comes with two caveats. Theres no way to verify SteamSpys data. Plus, the game was also gifted for free to owners of the Valve Index and Vive Cosmos Elite. Therefore, the number wouldnt accurately represent sales, only those who own the game irrespective of whether they bought it or received it for free.

If you missed our Half-Life: Alyx review, be sure to read or watch it right here.

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Half-Life: Alyx Is The Highest Rated PC Game So Far In 2020, According to Metacritic - UploadVR

Push back the coffee table and drag the floor-length mirror out of the bedroom. Tonight were going to party like its 1999 or maybe even 1989.

In the absence of IRL carrying on, some community-spirited party sprites have moved their usual dance classes from retro aerobics to primal gyrating to the online sphere, and at a fraction of the price. The pay-off is that by livestreaming from their backyards theyre reaching bigger, further-flung audiences.

There have been some early hiccups such as figuring out how to avoid having your livestream cut off due to not having permission to use the backing track, or not being able to crank out enough juice of the NBN to upload a video. But initial responses from cabin-fevered fans at home have been nothing but enthusiastic, as Guardian Australia found out when your correspondent donned her leotard.

Fierce Brosnan is a spokesperson for Melbournes Real Hot Bitches, a performance troupe that thrives on tiger stripes, big hair and wild makeup. He tells me: As well as the dance livestream, were working on other projects like 80s bitchin makeup routines and how to look after your wig.

Every second Tuesday at 7pm, two of the 40-odd members will take turns hosting a Facebook Live video. When I tune into the debut, its Feminem and Skittle-Bitch, social-distance dancing to Princes Cream. The sets a little basic at this stage, but the choreographys fun, taught line by line. It has to be, since its so literal (reminding me of the difficulty I had trying to choreograph Elton Johns line in Nikita, Eyes like ice on fire, when I was in primary school).

Youve got the horn / So why dont you blow it? Prince croons.

Now, this is open to interpretation, explains Feminem. You could be playing the flute, or saxophone, or its bubble tea. She also offers an alternative, more explicit, suggestion.

Its chaotic, but I flail along as best I can.

Love this hot mess! types Crispy McFly, watching from home. Indeed.

Annas Go Go Academy is something of a Melbourne rocknroll institution. Since 2006, the bouffanted Anna Achia has incorporated deeply kitsch and fun 60s dance routines into fitness workouts.

Ive been to a few IRL classes at the Bendigo Hotel, so I was curious to see how theyd work online. Im soon jump-and-punching to N Syncs boyband classic Bye Bye Bye, impeccably instructed by Achia in a chintzy front room, in front of paintings of Michael Jackson and Prince.

Pick up the bucket, stop for the hand, shoulder, shoulder, shoulder, out that door bye bye, she directs. And: Imagine youre a terrible burglar and you want to go headfirst through a window.

Through Patreons subscription platform, Achia has managed to monetise her work. $20 a month buys you 10-minute dance breaks to cheer yourself up, while $52 grants access to four prerecorded one-hour classes.

Theyll have exclusive access to those videos and the archive as the classes accumulate over time, Achia says. Its like a digital exercise DVD, I guess!

In the future shell add livestream classes but thats a few weeks off yet. Ill also be adding a kids option mini classes for people to do with small children, Achia says.

Over in Sydney, Shannon Dooley has worked with a small team to bring her thrice-weekly Retrosweat aerobic-dance classes to the internet.

Right now, people need escapism, she tells Guardian Australia. And given her love of Jane Fonda and penchant for high-cut leotards and legwarmers, shes the ideal peddler.

Ive long perved at Retrosweat on Instagram, but Im based in a different state. Finally, I get my chance to do a power-lunge to Deborah Harry and Roxette. Dooley teaches us the choreography in real time, with the kind of forthright direction of Jamie Lee Curtis in Perfect. Shes professionally shot, on a set-built lounge room, steeped in purple light. Given that Retrosweat has had a segment on Channel 7s The Morning Show for the past five years, Dooley is used to assuming that people are choosing to get off the couch.

The first class went well. People used wine or champagne bottles as weights and tagged Dooley in their videos. Theres an optional donation via PayPal, and the most generous donor wins some kind of 80s-style merch chucked in by a small business that in turn gets a plug.

In a way, being forced online using Instagram Live was fortuitous. People have been begging for Retrosweat to be online and Id already been writing the pilot and trying to get funding, Dooley says. I wanted to create something quite cinematic and beautiful, like a variety show. Two phrases keep popping into my mind right now, she says. Necessity is the mother of invention and a problem shared is a problem halved.

Back in Melbourne, the Born to Boogie Dance Connection crew work with more contemporary music. Founder Tennille Chambers runs the class every Friday night at 8pm on Facebook Live. Beforehand youre given a link to a track to acquaint yourself. This week its Dua Lipas Dont Start Now.

Our regular courses cover all genres, says Chambers, listing disco, burlesque, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, funk, go-go and 80s, which her students incorporate into eventual live shows. We love hair flicks, body rolls, pivots, struts, freestyle, and definitely lots of sass. Anything that gets people to unleash their inner showoff.

Tonight the gang is in formation and dressed in colourful activewear, shooting in a studio against a white backdrop. Its joyously daggy and PG-rated. OK gang! Chambers chirps. She executes a double hand move: Stop corona!

They clock up 2,000 sets of eyeballs before theyre done. Since theyre invisible throughout, participants at home are encouraged to take a 30-second video of themselves and message it to the Facebook page so that Chambers can create a video of everyone dancing together at once.

One happy punter posts: Virtual dancing was so much fun. I learned the dance with my 15-year-old daughter and NO one could see me! I was happy about not being seen and my daughter was happy about not being seen with me. WIN, WIN!

Betty Grumbles mother was three months pregnant with her when she won an aerobics championship, so you might say its in Grumbles blood. The performance artists creator, Emma Maye Gibson, says she uses movement as a way of moving through grief and anger. But in the hands of Grumble who also employs elements of drag and subversive cabaret it brings unbridled joy.

I experience that for myself by tuning into Grumble Boogie, which Gibson is streaming every day at 10am on Instagram Live and Facebook Live.

Filming outside while the sun still shines, Gibson works the brightness further with filters, headbands and high-cut leopard-print leotards, for 30 minutes of heart-pumping cardio, dance and stretch, to disco, house, tribal beats and all sorts of eclectic takes.

Dancing has always been a democratic way of being with each other, Gibson tells me afterwards. I think the dancefloor is a religious experience. Aerobic fitness turns me on because its so goofy and about breath and the heart.

I must admit I didnt feel like dancing this morning, but Gibson still snared my full attention and made me grin. In her Instagram Stories she shares videos from participants as far away as Edinburgh, all intent on doing the Angry Frog.

I believe the classes to be ephemeral beasts and are essentially a free way for people to engage their bodies in a daily ritual, says Gibson. Its great when they can stay online but I have let go of the idea of cataloguing them. I post the playlist I curate for each class on Spotify and have set up a PayPal for people to make donations if they have the means.

Those donations have assisted her in keeping her creative projects going, but she also filters some into the organisations and venues that have supported her.

As a solo journeyer on this mission, it quickly becomes apparent that having a quarantine pal grapevining in the kitchen with you would be preferable, but getting in the zone isnt impossible if youre alone it just requires more dedication. Make sure youre dressed for success in appropriate regalia, and devote the workout your full attention. At least you really can dance like no ones watching.

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'The dancefloor is a religious experience': the unselfconscious retro joy of the home dance workout - The Guardian

worda Alexa Wang

No matter which provider you sign up for, the internet is allabout speed. Everyone likes completing his or her day-to-day tasks on theinternet without any connection issue. Every household has different internetrequirements. Some use the internet for basic browsing such as checking emails,scrolling through social media feeds, and paying bills online. Others like todownload movies, stream all those binge-worthy shows online, and play all thosefirst person-shooting games.

However, with all the talk surrounding Mbps, Gbps, broadband, and fiber, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. That is the reason why we came up with a comprehensive guide for internet users about internet speed.

In simple words, internet speed refers to the amount of datatransferred over the web on a single connection. This is an important factorfor consumers looking to set up a new service. It determines what kind ofactivities you can do on the internet and how fast can you do them.

For example, if your internet speed is slow, your videos willtake ages to load and you will be 2-3 seconds behind everyone else in a co-opgame.

You will find dozen of providers advertising super-fastdownload and upload speeds. Some of them might lure you into signing up fortheir services. However, there are many things to consider and the advertisedspeeds mostly are not accurate.

Download Speed: it refers to the megabits of data you can get fromthe server in one second. The data can be in any shape such as images, files,music, and text. The everyday activities like streaming your favorite shows inhigh definition and listening to music on Spotify requires you to downloadlarge data.

Upload Speed: It refers to how fast you can send information anddata to others. For an average household, all the activities require much moredownloading instead of uploading, therefore, the upload speeds are always lessthan the download. Activities like sending files over the internet and videocalls require fast upload speeds.

Bear in mind, the internet service providers like Spectrum, Cox, etc always use the word up to when they advertise download and upload speeds. If you are new to this, you might end up calling Spectrum internet customer service for not getting fairly consistent speeds. However, you do not need to. The internet speeds vary from time to time due to many factors such as latency and type of connection.

Bandwidth and Internet Speed are two entirely differentaspects of the internet yet often used interchangeably. As we have alreadydiscussed, the internet speed refers to how fast the information is transferredwhile bandwidth refers to the individual capacity of an internet connection.

Many factors can stop your internet speed to reach the fullbandwidth. For example, there are multiple users in your home. If all of themare streaming high-definition movies on Netflix simultaneously, your internetconnection will not be allocated the bandwidth and everyone will faceunbearable buffering.

The internet comes to you in five basic types: Fiber, Cable,DSL, and satellite.

Fiber: It is the fastest available internet technology.With fiber optics, the information travels a lot faster. The only problem withfiber internet is its availability. Since it is a new technology, there is ahigh infrastructure cost associated.

Cable: It uses the existing coaxial cables used totransmit Cable TV services to connect you with the internet. It can get youspeeds up to one gigabit. It is widely available and offers more reliability ascompared to satellite and DSL.

DSL: Digital Subscriber Line or DSL uses a connection similar to thephone line but the wiring is different inside. This makes it faster than theoutdated dial-up connections. The former or current telephone companies alsoprovide internet service through this technology.

Satellite: In geographically remote areas where cable orfiber cannot reach, Satellite is an option. The internet is deliveredwirelessly, therefore, it is available almost everywhere in the United States.

It varies from household to household. For a single person whojust checks social media will not require much download speed but if you have afamily of five downloading games, basic browsing, and streaming Netflix in everyroom will require a lot of speed. The internet speed is measured in megabitsper second. For average usage, download speeds up to 25 Mbps is more thanenough for a single person. If you have heavy usage that involveshigh-definition streaming, you must have at least 100 Mbps or more.

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The consumers guide to internet speed - Flux Magazine

Chances are you've been stumped figuring out how to decorate one of your rooms or completely reimagine your entire home. If you're not in a position to hire a professional to handle the job in person, an online interior design service, like Modsy, might be the way to go.

Modsy's main selling point is that it offers realistic 3D renderings to help you envision a redesigned look filled with shoppable furniture and home accessories. In order to get started, you upload photos and measurements of your space. You'll then complete Modsy's Style Quiz to share details about your aesthetic, existing furniture, and budget. Based on your responses, Modsy's designers will provide you with two 3D design concepts of your space.

Along with including suggested layouts, the 3D renderings will feature recommendations for furniture and accessories from top retailers. Once you've reviewed the designs, you can communicate any desired changes to the Modsy designer or handle them on your own via the platform's 3D Style Editor. Finally, to complete the project, you'll shop right within the design plans from more than 100 retailers such as Crate & Barrel, Wayfair, Interior Define, and Joybird.

Prices start from $89 per room for the Classic package, which includes a 3D rendering of your space, two initial design concepts, and guidance on two revised plans. The highest package, called Luxe, comes with everything from access to a top-tier designer by phone, e-mail, or text, to paint and window treatment suggestions. (View other Modsy packages here.)

Courtesy of Modsy

Courtesy of Modsy

The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab invited real Modsy users to share their experience with the service, challenges they encountered, and whether they would use it again. Here's the feedback they provided:

Pros

Courtesy of Modsy

Just about any design service will have its own set of positives and negatives. If you're on a budget and intend to have an open mind throughout the design process and maintain clear communication with your designer, Modsy is worth considering.

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Modsy Interior Design Review - The Pros, Cons, and Cost of Modsy - GoodHousekeeping.com

One of the big questions going into Westworld Season 3 was how Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) would be returning to the show, and the third episode of the seasontitled The Absence of Fieldoffered us our closest look yet at the host inhabiting this new Charlotte body.

If youll recall, Dolores killed Charlotte at the end of Westworld Season 2 inside the park, but not before Dolores created a new body that looked exactly like Charlotte. This is how Dolores escaped the parkshe had her fancy lil marble thingy loaded into this Charlotte body and walked right out. Charlotte didnt meet any resistance because shes an incredibly high-up executive at Delos.

At the beginning of The Absence of Field, we flash back to when this new Charlotte body was brought online by Dolores out in the real world. Not-Charlotte asks, Who am I? and Dolores says, You know who you are. Its confirmed that this is not Charlottethe murderous Delos executive is definitely deadbut Dolores put one of her friends fancy lil marble thingies into this Charlotte body so they could infiltrate Delos as part of Dolores grand plan.

Image via HBO

Throughout the episode, Not-Charlotte navigates her way around Charlottes real life, which includes an ex-lover and a young son. Shes trying to play the role of Charlotte Hale but also struggling with some severe identity issues. Whoever this is inside Charlotte is a bit fragile, and he or she is having trouble adjusting to trying to lead this double lifewell, triple life actually.

We learn at the end of the episode that Charlotte was the mole inside Delos all along. Before the massacre at Westworld, Charlotte came to Rehoboam co-creator Engerraund Serac (Vincent Cassel) to tell him that the massacre was a certainty (likely predicted by the algorithm Rehoboam/Incite) and that she could use it to smuggle out that sweet, sweet guest data that Delos has been collecting.

But the question remains: Who is the Charlotte Hale host? We dont learn the answer at the end of the episode, but we do learn a couple of key factoids: it sure sounds like he/she was part of Wyatt/Dolores army; he/she was good at hurting people, but also maybe good at seducing them too; he/she really hates humans.

So with that in mind, here are the three most likely candidates

More:

Westworld: Who Is the Charlotte Hale Host? - Collider.com

Image: Learnovate

Learnovate centre tracks innovative ways to keep students engaged during lockdown

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Read More: coronavirus COVID-19 EdTech Learnovate Centre remote teaching

Secondary schools teachers across Ireland are finding technology is helping motivate students but there were a range of other concerns being raised by the students themselves according to the Learnovate edtech research centre based at Trinity College Dublin.

Other issues being raised by students to their teachers included: stress over whether state exams would be marked harder or even take place; concern over not having enough time to complete project work; poor broadband connectivity causing difficulty for students accessing learning tools; and personal issues such as parents having lost jobs or having to mind younger siblings while parents are at work.

Peter Gillis, innovation services lead, Learnovate said: At times of uncertainty and distraction the ability to focus on schoolwork can be difficult. It can appear not worth it, so if we want to bring the focus back on to school work, what can we do? One valuable approach parents and teachers can take is to leverage the work done by Prof John Keller from Florida State University.

Kellers ARCS theory looks at four distinct elemtns for motivating students: sustaining attention; a sense that the work is personally relevant and accomplishes goals; confidence that problems can be solved; and satisfaction in their accomplishments.

The model can apply to the development of course exercises and to support messages or nudges that can be sent using technology and where possible personalised.

Technology that the school has embraced over the last number of years has meant that the transition to working from home has been made easier. However, as work is set by teachers, its important for students to not get overwhelmed or demotivated.

We have decided that teachers should generally contact students during the time allocated for them on the existing timetable. This allows students to know that during specific times, they can concentrate on certain subjects, without interruption. It also allows them to take breaks at specific times, explained Michael Rooney, deputy principal at Coola Post Primary School in Co. Sligo, says.

As teachers, we are giving them achievable targets generally no more than three or four pieces of work per subject per week so they can complete the work to the best of their abilities and stay motivated.

At Coola, all teachers and students are working on Microsoft 365 and are connected on Microsoft Teams. This, they find, motivates each other even the teachers, many of whom are trying to work from home and mind children of their own.

Every student has their own e-mail address and they have access to Teams, One Note and SharePoint and we have set up various Teams for the different subjects. Students can work offline as well and take pictures of their work and upload them to limit their time in front of screens. They all have the app on their phones.

As part of Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim Education and Training Board, Coola recently received training this has led to an increase in motivation and engagement.

I can see even over the time since the school closed how as everyone is getting more comfortable with the equipment and the platforms, this is helping motivate them further, said Rooney.

TechCentral Reporters

Read More: coronavirus COVID-19 EdTech Learnovate Centre remote teaching

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Schools embrace remote learning to beat Covid-19 disruption - Small Business

Can you see profile picture if blocked on WhatsApp? (Representational Image)  |  Photo Credit: BCCL

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is one of the most widely used instant messaging apps. From sending texts to voice notes, WhatsApp comes with a plethora of features. You can also change your profile picture and upload status on WhatsApp to help people know about your whereabouts. WhatsApp has been updating its features from time to time to keep its users engaged right from bringing Gifs to the emoji features and many more

WhatsApp also helps us do voice calls and video calls and you can also do group video call on WhatsApp. You just need to have an active internet connection.

However, many times, you may feel that somebody has been stalking you too much or has been peeping too much into your personal lives. He/she may be spamming you with unnecessary messages as well. Keeping all these things in mind, WhatsApp also comes up with security features where you can block a contact if you feel the need.

You can simply click on Settings and click on Privacy. Then you must click on blocked contacts and click on the add user option and enter the contact you want to block.

At times, you may feel that you have been blocked by someone but you are unsure whether you have been blocked or not. You cannot see the status, profile picture of the contact and you might be confused whether you have been blocked or have they changed their privacy settings. Many people wonder if they can see the profile picture of the contact if they have been blocked.

Once you have been blocked, you will no longer be able to see the profile picture of the person. You will see a blank image on his/her profile and you can't see his/her image.Chances may be there that they might have changed their profile picture privacy to nobody as well so you can check by sending a text. If you send a text and you can see a grey tick, you should be very sure that you have been blocked.

Thus, if you have been blocked, you will no longer send texts, nor can you view their profile picture. You will also not see their last seen activity and even they will also be barred from seeing your last seen until they unblock you and you will also not be updated about their status update. Being blocked will also not allow you to make calls to them, where you can call them but the person who has blocked you on WhatsApp won't be notified about it.

You will also not be able to seethe About section of the user if you have been blocked. However, you can still send and receive each other messages only in a group chat else there is no way where you can send a text to a person if they have blocked you on WhatsApp. They will also not be able to see your profile picture if they have blocked you.

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Can you see someone's profile picture if they have blocked you on WhatsApp? Here's what you need to know - Times Now