Travala and Agoda join forces to boost travel using cryptocurrency – CryptoNinjas

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Agoda, an online travel platform part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG) and Travala.com, a cryptocurrency-friendly accommodation booking platform, have announced a new strategic partnership.trava

Following this partnership, more than 600,000 Agoda hotels worldwide are now available via Travala.com, bringing the total number of properties available on the blockchain-based travel booking platform to over 2,200,000 covering 90,124 destinations in 230 countries and territories. Backed by Binance, Travala,com lets travelers book trips using more than 30 different forms of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB) and AVA, Travala.coms native cryptocurrency.

Damien Pfirsch, Vice-President of Strategic Partnerships at Agoda, said: Agoda is pleased to add Travala.com to its list of partnerships, helping it enhance its accommodation offering, and providing its customers with an improved travel experience, no matter where their next destination is. Agodas technological expertise and private cloud ensure that partners enjoy best-in-class uptime connection to our supply for a smoother customer booking journey, while our strong and extensive relationships with B2B suppliers and accommodation providers worldwide means that partners like Travala.coms customers can easily access Agodas competitive rates and variety of inventory.

Juan Otero, CEO at Travala.com, said: This strategic partnership with Agoda puts Travala.com in a league of its own. We can safely say we are the worlds largest blockchain-based online travel agency by number of accommodation options available with over 2,200,000 options to book covering 90,124 destinations.

Since its inception in 2017, Travala.com has managed to secure several partnerships with travel giants such as Agoda to offer a one-stop-shop solution for its users while also facilitating more ways for consumers to book travel with cryptocurrencies.

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Travala and Agoda join forces to boost travel using cryptocurrency - CryptoNinjas

Bitcoin surges past 8,400 as investors look for ‘safe haven’ – The Telegraph

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Bitcoin's price has remained steady,for months but it moved above the $10,000 mark on Sunday for the first time since June. It still remains some way off its December 2017 high of $19,166.

Coindesk, the cryptocurrency trading app, reported that the expectation of Bitcoin returning to that high has improved in recent months, with the probability of it breaching $20,000 before the end of the year placed at 7pc.

Joe DiPasquale, chief executive of cryptocurrency investor BitBull,said that there were significant changes in the way institutional investors viewed Bitcoin since March.

Now that institutions have moved into Bitcoin in 2020, the price has shown more support over the last couple of months, Mr DiPasquale said in an interview with Forbes.

We will not see a repeat of the March crash, but bitcoin will still remain somewhat more volatile than equities."

Crypto trading is becoming increasingly commonplace among investors with fintechs like Revolut offering the option for customers to buy into the currency.

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Bitcoin surges past 8,400 as investors look for 'safe haven' - The Telegraph

Forex and Cryptocurrency Forecast for August – Action Forex

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First, a review of last weeks events:

EUR/USD. The U.S. economy is not just in recession. Its flying down at a breakneck speed. The decline in US GDP in the second quarter was the largest ever recorded minus 32.9%. The reasons for this fall are well known these are quarantine measures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The authorities hope they can stop the spread of COVID-19 without turning the economy to zero. Some states have managed to tighten quarantines without restricting economic activity and to achieve a smoothing of the incidence curve.

However, there are hopes and there is a reality the same minus 32.9%, which plunged investors into a real shock, causing a simultaneous fall in both the US dollar and stock indices. While these two indicators were going in antiphase in spring the USD index (DXY) grew, when the Nasdaq and the S&P500 fell, and vice versa, now they all fell.

In contrast to the United States, things in Europe turned out to be not so bad, as evidenced by the macroeconomic indicators published last week. Germanys GDP fell by only 10.1% in absolute terms, and in the Eurozone by 12.1%, the data on GDP and consumer spending of France, as well as retail sales in Germany look rather optimistic, which contributes to the strengthening of the European currency.

The EUR/USD pair is growing for the third month in a row, the strongest strengthening since 1998 and the sharpest upward jump in 10 years. In July alone, the euro strengthened against the dollar by 725 points (5.6%), which has not been observed since September 2010. As a result, the pair reached a local high of 1.1908 on Friday 31 July, followed by a pullback on the wave of the monthly profit fixing, and it ended the session at 1.1775;

GBP/USD. Following the EUR/USD, the pair continues to strive up. Over the past week, the pound has slipped the dollar by 380 points, and has almost reached 1.3200, stopping at 1.3170. Then, just like in the case of the euro, the July profit was fixed, and the finish was at 1.3085;

USD/JPY. The Japanese currency has been strengthening its positions for almost the entire week. A particularly noticeable move occurred on Thursday, July 30, following the release of dismal US GDP data. At this point, the pair almost came close to the 104 yen to the dollar mark. However, there was a sharp reversal of the trend on Friday, and it returned almost where it started the five-day period. The final chord was played at 105.90. And thus, the change in the quote for the week was only about 20 points;

cryptocurrencies. What everyone has been waiting for since mid-May, when bitcoin was halved, finally happened. Bitcoin broke through the level of $10,000 in a powerful snatch and stopped, only reaching the height of $11,365, then moved into a sideways trend with gradually fading fluctuations, choosing as Pivot Point the horizon $11,000.

Experts cite the continuing fall of the dollar and the beginning of the fall in stock markets as the reason for the growth of the main cryptocurrency. The dollar has ceased to play the role of a defensive asset, which it was this spring, in the midst of the panic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and investors again turned to such traditional instruments as precious metals, and at the same time to the digital gold bitcoin.

The BTC/USD pair ceased to correlate with stock indices and returned to the correlation with XAU/USD. This has once again shown that big institutional investors see BTC only as a supplement to core financial assets. It is difficult to argue with that, because even the total capitalization of the crypto market, which has reached $330 billion, is a drop in the ocean compared to traditional markets.

So, over the past week, the capitalization on the high-rise has grown by $44 billion, or about 15%. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has jumped to 75 (53 a week ago), matching the coin being heavily overbought and pointing to a possible correction.

In its quest to upward, the main cryptocurrency has pulled the top altcoins, which show even greater growth than the mother asset: bitcoin (BTC/USD) 17%, ripple (XRP/USD) 19%, ethereum (ETH/USD) 21%, litecoin (LTC/USD) 30%. In the long term, experts assess Ethereums chances above all else. With a 75% probability, this coin could rise in price to $400 by the end of the year.

The growth of the crypto market has certainly become the main news of the week, but there are other that may play a significant role in the future. So, a Federal Court in the United States has finally recognized bitcoin as money. This was stated by Chief Justice of the District Court of the District of Columbia Beryl Howell, considering the case of Coin Ninja CEO Larry Dean Harmon, accused of laundering $ 311 million. She noted that the concept of money usually means a means of circulation, a method of payment or a means of saving. And bitcoin is those things. Recall that the US has precedent law, and such a judges decision can have far-reaching consequences.

As for the forecast for the coming week, summarizing the views of a number of experts, as well as forecasts made on the basis of a variety of methods of technical and graphical analysis, we can say the following:

EUR/USD. Fed officials acknowledged last week that the pace of recovery in the U.S. economy is directly dependent on the epidemiological situation. Naturally, the same goes for Europe. However, despite the fact that in order to make any decisions, European politicians each time need to reach a consensus, it is difficult, but they manage to do it. Quarantine measures taken by the leaders of individual EU countries, in total, turned out to be much more coordinated and effective than in the United States, which has a direct impact on the economic situation. It is evident that America feels noticeably worse than Europe, which is reflected in the EUR/USD pair rate.

75% of trend indicators on H4 and 100% on D1 are painted green, as well as 85% of oscillators on both timeframes. Also, 45% of experts are expecting the continuation of the euro growth, supported by graphical analysis on D1. The target is an important psychological level 1.2000, after breaking which in the medium term the road to 1.2500 will open.

Although, referring to September 2017, we see that after reaching the level of 1.2000, a deep two-month correction to 1.1550 followed, and only after its completion the pair reached the height of 1.2500.

Of course, there was no coronavirus pandemic three years ago and things may now go according to a different scenario. However, according to 55% of analysts, the dollar should not be written off. And as far as the immediate outlook is concerned, they believe the pair could drop to the 1.1650-1.1700 zone, which is confirmed by graphical analysis on H4 and 15% of oscillators that signal it is overbought.

As for the coming week, we should pay attention to the indicators of the ISM Business Activity Index in the US manufacturing and services sector (to be published on August 03 and 04, respectively), as well as to the labour market data (NFP), traditionally published on the first Friday of the month.

It should be noted that in the medium term, the overwhelming majority (80%) of experts expect the US to improve and the dollar to return to 1.1000-1.1300;

GBP/USD. Unlike EUR/USD, the pair being overbought signals here are given by significantly more oscillators: 15% on H4 and 35% on D1. Graphical analysis on H4 looks south as well. But the trend indicators 90% on H4 and 100% on D1 are still pointing north.

Among experts, the majority of votes are given to bears 60% on W1 and 80% on MN indicating markets are uncertain about the strength of the British currency. Indeed, despite some lull, the problems associated with Brexit have not gone away.

Some clarity regarding the state and prospects of the UK economy can be given on Thursday, August 06, when the Bank of England will meet, its monetary policy report will be published and the decision on the interest rate will become known. Also, of interest to traders and investors is the subsequent speech of the head of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey.

In the meantime, the following levels can be marked for the GBP/USD pair: support -1.3000, 1.2900, 1.2770 and 1.2670, resistance 1.3200 and the December 2019 high, 1.3515;

USD/JPY. 60% of experts supported by graphical analysis on H4 believe that the pair will try to test the 104.00 level once again in the next few days. And it will not succeed and will return first to the area of 106.00 within a month, and then rise even higher to the zone 106.60-108.00. According to the remaining 40% of analysts, there will be no attempt to re-break south, and the pair will immediately strive to the height of 108.00.

After the forward and reverse movement of the pair last week, there is complete confusion among the indicators on H4. But the D1 is still dominated by red, 80% of oscillators and the same number of trend indicators are painted in it;

cryptocurrencies. According to Glassnode specialists, after the price overcame the psychological barrier of $10,000, miners began to hold on to most of the bitcoins they mined. This can create a certain deficit in the market and contribute to the growth of quotations.

According to billionaire Max Kaiser, founder of Heisenberg Capital, the main cryptocurrency should break the previous record of $20,000 and rise in price to $28,000. True, there are also those who disagree with this forecast. Bitcoin is attractive for investment. Nevertheless, an update of highs in the region of $28,000, which Kaiser designated, is unlikely, retorted the billionaire of the Data Center Six-Nines Sergey Troshin. As usual, the first hype is the most powerful, the other hypes are already lower. Perhaps when bitcoin reaches the $17,000-$18,000 mark, many will start fixing profits, waiting for a correction,

An even more modest forecast was given by analysts at Bloomberg. They believe that if the number of active user addresses does not change, the bitcoins target will be the 2019 high, $12,734.

As for the average forecast of analysts, 60% of them expect a correction in the near future and a decline of the pair to the resistance of $10,000. The remaining 40% agree with the Bloomberg forecast. At the same time, the most cautious experts do not tire of reminding about the volatility of crypto trends. Thus, the launch of futures in December 2017. became the starting point of crypto winter, and after impressive growth in the first month and a half of 2020 bitcoin collapsed to $3,830, jeopardizing the existence of all of the digital currency market.

But there is also good news for those who fear a similar apocalypse. One of the veterans of the bitcoin industry, the Abra platform has added the feature to earn on deposits in cryptocurrency and stablecoins. According to the companys website, TrueUSD (TUSD), Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) are the most profitable 9% per annum. The annual return of deposits in bitcoin and ethereum is 4.1% and 4.0% respectively. The rates offered by Abra are indeed higher than bank interest on deposits in dollars or euros, which is good news. But the question arises about the reliability of these deposits in a conversation with The Block, Abra representatives said that rates will be revised weekly. And it will be very sad if they go down to zero or go into the negative zone altogether.

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Forex and Cryptocurrency Forecast for August - Action Forex

How Cryonics Works | HowStuffWorks

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The year is 1967. A British secret agent has been "frozen," awaiting the day when his arch nemesis will return from his own deep freeze to once again threaten the world. That day finally arrives in 1997. The agent is revived after 30 years on ice, and he saves the world from imminent destruction.

You'll probably recognize this scenario from the hit movie, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1997). Cryonics also shows up in films like "Vanilla Sky" (2001), "Sleeper" (1973) and "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). But is it pure Hollywood fiction, or can people really be frozen and then thawed to live on years later?

The science behind the idea does exist. It's called cryogenics -- the study of what happens to materials at really low temperatures. Cryonics -- the technique used to store human bodies at extremely low temperatures with the hope of one day reviving them -- is being performed today, but the technology is still in its infancy.

In this article, we'll look at the practice of cryonics, learn how it's done and find out whether humans really can be brought back from the deep freeze.

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How Cryonics Works | HowStuffWorks

Massive Growth in Russia Cryonics Technology Market Set to Witness Huge Growth by 2026 | Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Biocision, Cellulis, Cesca…

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Russia Cryonics Technology Market report focused on the comprehensive analysis of current and future prospects of the Russia Cryonics Technology industry. This report is a consolidation of primary and secondary research, which provides market size, share, dynamics, and forecast for various segments and sub-segments considering the macro and micro environmental factors. An in-depth analysis of past trends, future trends, demographics, technological advancements, and regulatory requirements for the Russia Cryonics Technology market has been done in order to calculate the growth rates for each segment and sub-segments.

Russia Cryonics Technology Market is growing at a High CAGR during the forecast period 2020-2026. The increasing interest of the individuals in this industry is that the major reason for the expansion of this market.

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Top Key Players Profiled in this report are:

Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Biocision, Cellulis, Cesca Therapeutics, Cryologics, Cryonics Asia Ltd., Cryonics Institute, Cryotherm, GE Healthcare, Humai, Kriorus, Oregon Cryonics, Osiris, Panasonic Biomedical, Praxair Technology, Sigma-Aldrich, Southern Cryonics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, VWRSection (4 5 6): 500 USD, Product Type Segmentation, Slow Freezing, Vitrification, Ultra-RapidIndustry Segmentation, Animal Husbandry, Fishery Science, Medical Science, Preservation Of Microbiology Culture, Conserving Plant BiodiversityEnd user Segmentation, Life Science And Healthcare Facilities, Research LaboratoriesSection 7: 400 USDTrend (2018-2022)Section 8: 300 USD Type DetailSection 9: 700 USDDownstream ConsumerSection 10: 200 USDCost StructureSection 11: 500 USDConclusion

Various factors are responsible for the markets growth trajectory, which are studied at length in the report. In addition, the report lists down the restraints that are posing threat to the global Russia Cryonics Technology market. It also gauges the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, threat from new entrants and product substitute, and the degree of competition prevailing in the market. The influence of the latest government guidelines is also analyzed in detail in the report. It studies the Russia Cryonics Technology markets trajectory between forecast periods.

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Table of Contents

Global Russia Cryonics Technology Market Research Report 2020 2026

Chapter 1 Russia Cryonics Technology Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global Russia Cryonics Technology Market Forecast

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Massive Growth in Russia Cryonics Technology Market Set to Witness Huge Growth by 2026 | Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Biocision, Cellulis, Cesca...

Greg Gutfeld on conservative censorship: ‘Abuse only goes one way’ – Fox News

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Censorship and "abuse" from Big Tech companies seem to only skew towardconservatives, "The Greg Gutfeld Show" host Greg Gutfeld stated Wednesday.

However, in an interviewon"Fox & Friends,"Gutfeld pointed out that perhapsTwitter's 12-hour suspension of Donald Trump Jr.'s accountwould have a reverse effect than the one intended.

TRUMP JR. BASHES TWITTER OVER SUSPENSION: 'THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO...THE LEFT,' 'IT ONLY HURTS CONSERVATIVES'

"What happens when you censor if you call this censoring; I guess you can everybody wants to see it," he said. "I want people to censor my bookbecause I know then it will sellmore."

"If you say to like,Hey ... you can do whatever you want,but whatever you do, do not lookin that box under my bed. You know the first thing hes going to do is look in that box under mybed where hell find Gwyneth Paltrows head," Gutfeld remarked, in an apparent reference to the 1995 blockbuster "Se7en."

"Yes, its perfect. So, its like, everybody wins with this," he added.

On Tuesday, Twitter penalized the youngerTrump forposting misinformation about theanti-malaria drughydroxychloroquine.

Tweets with the video are in violation of our COVID-19 misinformation policy, Liz Kelley, a spokeswoman for Twitter, later told The Washington Post.

In an interview on"Tucker Carlson Tonight"the same evening, Trump Jr. asserted that California-based tech giants had "been tryingto do this for a while."

"I've been talking about the deplatforming, that demonetization of people that are preaching conservative values," he noted, "because you have to note, thisnever happens to someone sayingsomething that benefits theleft.It only hurts conservatives."

Gutfeld said that he shared Trump son's concerns.

"And, by theway, this stuff wouldn't alarmme except all of the censorship,all of the abuse goes one way. It's always kind of towardsconservatives," he said.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

"Meanwhile, the left canperpetrate or spread any kind of hoax thatthey want on any social mediaplatform. But, everybody mysteriouslyis OKwith that," Gutfeld told the "Friends" hosts.

"No one seems to be bothered bythe fact that they can saywhatever they want.It's only when it comes from theright that it's a problem," he concluded.

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Greg Gutfeld on conservative censorship: 'Abuse only goes one way' - Fox News

Silicon Valley, the start-up incarnation 2/5. Peter Thiel, the person who needed to finish loss of life and democracy – Pledge Times

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The man who will live 1,000 years is surely not born. But if he is, it will probably be Peter Thiel. In any case, he made all arrangements for. It funds the Sens Foundation, which wants to cultivate brand new organs born from stem cells, to be transplanted into the bodies of the rich. He is close to Ambrosia, a biotechnology start-up which, for 8,000 dollars, transfuses you with a liter of young peoples blood from 16 to 25 years old.

Then he placed funds in Calico, a start-up founded by the creators of Google, which intends to stop aging through genetic manipulation. He is also interested in the possibility of transferring his consciousness into a virtual avatar. And if nothing is ready at the twilight of its life, all arrangements are made to cryogenize it. In the meantime, Peter Thiel follows a strict paleo diet, consisting exclusively of lean meats, nuts and berries, and gorges himself on growth hormones.

It is because he is already 52 years old, this pioneer of Silicon Valley. He is not an engineer or a computer scientist, but a business angel. Yet he is considered by many to be the political soul of the San Francisco Bay Area. He was in his thirties when he financed the launch of PayPal, with a certain Elon Musk. They are the fathers of what was later called the PayPal Mafia. The future creators of YouTube, LinkedIn, Yelp, Tesla, Space X have gone there When Ebay bought the company, Peter Thiel reinvested his earnings in their projects. His biggest blow remains to have loaned 500,000 dollars to Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, who was about to launch Facebook. His stake was multiplied by 3,000. His fortune was made.

His first political publication dates from his law studies in the 1980s at Stanford. The universities were debating positive discrimination at the time. Thiel publishes a charge explaining that only excellence matters and that opening the university up to ethnic minorities and women and their obvious biological differences in his view will bring the standards down irreparably. Ideas that led him to become Donald Trumps digital adviser in the 2016 election, in which he declared: I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are still compatible. Because what dominates today in his political thought is above all an elitism coupled with a radical libertarianism.

For him, any public institution is a constraint that must be removed. Above all, he wants to abolish all these laws which limit experiments on living things and their quest for immortality. We are in a race to the death between politics and technology, he explained in his book The Education of a Libertarian. The fate of our world depends on a single individual, a person, who will be able to build and disseminate technological tools promoting freedom and allowing a more secure world for the development of capitalism.

Peter Thiel also invests his fortune in this program. He founded the Seasteading Institute, at the head of which he placed Patri Friedman, Miltons grandson. The goal is to create floating cities on the international waters of the oceans, free from any state and any regulation, where creativity, science and certainly eugenics will have free rein. Forget about start-up companies, assures Thiel, the next frontier is start-up countries. Despite everything, some fears inhabit the billionaire. What if, because of artificial intelligence, there were no more jobs and the poor revolted? What if the worst scenarios of global warming materialize? So Peter Thiel bought a large farm in the heights of New Zealand, which he transformed into a self-sufficient fortress. The PayPal Mafia has reserved rooms there. All thats missing are stocks of liquid nitrogen to cryogenize this new aristocracy, just in case.

Tomorrow William Cannon and Dallis Perry, two shrinks with male origins

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Silicon Valley, the start-up incarnation 2/5. Peter Thiel, the person who needed to finish loss of life and democracy - Pledge Times

Coronavirus expedites the sports tech evolution – Axios

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The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed how teams, leagues and other sports organizations operate.

Why it matters: Some of those changes are temporary, but others will likely be permanent and in some cases, COVID-19 merely sped up a technological evolution that was already well underway.

Two prime examples:

1. Robot refs: In an attempt to reduce the number of people on site, the U.S. Open (Aug. 31Sept. 13) will replace line judges with an automated system called Hawk-Eye Live, NYT reports.

2. Facial recognition: Multiple teams and leagues are testing facial-recognition technology and biometric screening to make admitting fans into stadiums as safe and touchless as possible.

The big picture: The transition from physical to digital tickets has been underway for a decade. This is the next stage in that evolution, and the pandemic sped up the process. Someday soon, you'll probably be buying hot dogs with your face.

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Coronavirus expedites the sports tech evolution - Axios

The next stage of casino evolution: how the house will bounce back. – Lexology

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Casinos are no different to any other business and have continued to evolve over time, adapting to new business and economic conditions, customer preferences and unexpected challenges. If anything, the current global pandemic will accelerate some of the changes that had already started occurring pre-Covid-19, as well as bring about other changes that were not on the cards, pardon the pun.

The evolution of casinos over time

The literal meaning of the word casino is small house, which describes the earliest casinos quite perfectly. The oldest casino in the world, the Casino di Venezia, sits on the Grand Canal in Venice. Opened in 1638, it was originally a theatre called the Theatre Saint Moses, which had a wing for gambling during the intermissions of performances. Since this time casinos around the world have continued to reinvent themselves and have gone through many transformations and are no longer the small house they once were.

The Las Vegas Strip emerged in 1941 with the opening of the El Rancho Vegas resort and many other hotel-casinos that followed, offering simple gambling halls with little or no amenities. The 1950s and 60s were periods of immense industry and population growth. By the 1980s Las Vegas went through a family focused era with Steve Wynn building the Mirage, the worlds first mega-resort and casino. The Excalibur followed in the early 1990s resembling a fairy-tale chateau brilliantly out of all proportion to its surroundings.

However, during this family focused era in Vegas, casino operators realised that families who travel with their children actually dont spend as much as when they travel without their children. From 1990 to 2000 Las Vegas evolved again bringing extravagant luxury and became electrified with the development of the MGM Grand, Bellagio and Mandalay Bay complexes, all offering far more extensive entertainment options than had ever been seen before.

By contrast, in Macau Sociedade de Turismo e Diverses de Macau, SA (STDM) was the only company licensed to operate casinos, having a monopoly for around four decades. From 2002, casino licences were awarded to several foreign multinational firms and joint ventures, with recognisable names from the US, Hong Kong and Australia. Locations such as Macau and Las Vegas evolved, giving rise to the Integrated Resort model and becoming destination locations, where there have been substantial investments in non-gaming and often non-revenue-producing amenities. This is the future of successful casino models but at the same time they have been severely challenged as a result of Covid-19 lock downs, which in many instances have completely decimated their revenue.

The rise of the Integrated Resort model

Excellent examples of Integrated Resorts, which are venues with a wide variety of offerings, can undoubtedly be found in Las Vegas, Macau and Singapore, amongst others. In Macau, Wynn offers extensive high end shopping with designer labels and in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, the second most expensive integrated resort to have been built, the SkyPark on the 57th floor boasts a 500-foot infinity pool.

In relation to casinos that were established in the 20th century, especially in Las Vegas, the majority of revenues were generated from the casino and any associated convention centre. However, as the resorts and consumer preferences have evolved over time and become more integrated with other offerings, there is now a more balanced contribution of revenue between non-gaming and gaming, with some resorts having a larger contribution of non-gaming revenue than casino revenue.

What changes can we expect to see as casinos begin to reopen around the world?

With the Covid-19 pandemic, casino operators have been forced to rethink their operating models and strategies that they will need to implement in order to re-build consumer confidence and help patrons feel safe to enter through their doors.

Casinos have started to slowly open up in different jurisdictions including Las Vegas and Macau but remain closed in other jurisdictions such as Victoria in Australia, with this jurisdiction still grappling with a second Covid-19 wave. In Nevada, gaming authorities recently released a set of social distancing rules before Las Vegas Strip properties reopened, setting out new operating requirements.

What types of changes can we expect to see in Australia and elsewhere? Firstly, casino operators will be developing their own comprehensive health and safety plans and utilising the subject matter expertise of health professionals. Patrons will be encouraged to wear masks and subject to temperature checks before entry. Inside, all staff are likely to be wearing masks as well. At the tables, the classic casino scene of a crowd cheering on players on a winning streak will be a thing of the past for at least the immediate future. The number of player seats will be reduced and space between players will be increased. Dealers and players are likely to be separated by Perspex screens. Partitions will also separate blackjack, poker and other tables. Dice will be doused in sanitiser after every throw. Tables will have placards saying: "This table has been sanitised."

At the slot machines, you can expect that every second machine will be disabled therefore operators may seek (or lobby for) legislative approvals or amendments for "bring your own device" for casino gaming, geo-fenced within the casino boundary. Hand-washing stations will be wedged next to slot machines on the casino floor and masks and gloves will be available to patrons for free. Properties will be regularly disinfecting gaming machines, chairs and other equipment and there will be plenty of social distancing related signage. Hotels and casinos will restrict the total number of players and occupants at any one time, likely to be around 30-35% of total capacity. And say goodbye to buffet dining for the foreseeable future.

In Australia, in line with recent amendments by The New South Wales government to the Public Health Order, new capacity restrictions for The Star Sydney are now in effect. Due to these restrictions, gaming areas are now restricted to members and guests of The Star Club only. All patrons are required to provide contact details upon entry and access is at managements discretion based on capacity.

For the time being, this virus will change things for a while and the industry will need to adjust to the new normal. Unfortunately, the result of this is a continued under-utilisation of capital and personnel, with adverse impacts to return on investment and economic contributions in the form of government taxes and the like.

The future is diversified and more digital offerings

Shifts in the way that people choose to gamble are not new and the casino sector has proven its ability to be resilient and reinvent itself, adapting to economic conditions and changing consumer preferences. The result of Covid-19 in many countries has been a dramatic surge in online gaming and gambling as a result of the physical shut down of casinos and wagering venues. It is yet unclear how many customers will have permanently changed their gambling habits and converted to digital platforms. The focus in the immediate term will be casinos making customers feel confident that they can come back onto the casino floor and be safe and protected from Covid-19.

Operators will need to continue to adapt their operating models accordingly to the generational shifts and future proof their strategies, which will be needed in the event of another major pandemic. Operators should focus on repositioning by:

Government and regulators will be placed under increased pressure as licensees adjust their models, potentially seeking regulatory concessions and approvals. Operators will need to continue to work closely with legal and other strategic advisers to help navigate the complex web of casino regulation.

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The next stage of casino evolution: how the house will bounce back. - Lexology

Mysterious evolution of wonky whale skulls revealed by new study – The Conversation UK

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Some whales are wonky. You might not know it to look at them, but their skulls are actually incredibly asymmetrical. This mysterious feature helps with echolocation, the way that whales work out where things are by making sounds and sensing how they are reflected back.

But this wonkiness isnt present in all whales. My colleagues and I recently conducted research to find out why and when wonky whales started to evolve in a different way to their symmetrical cousins. We now know wonky whale skulls first appeared around 30 million years ago, and that they continued to become even more asymmetrical as the creatures evolved into the modern species we know today.

In order to understand how wonky whales got this way, we needed to look at how they lived and adapted in the past. Fortunately for us, the whale fossil record is so remarkably represented that scientists have even called the whale a posterchild of evolution. Complete skulls and skeletons stretch right back to the earliest whales of 50 million years ago, and more fossils are dotted throughout whale history, right up to the living animals we know today.

With this record, were able to see that whales nostrils have moved from the tip of their snout to the top of their head, an evolutionary tactic to make for easy breathing at the surface of the water. And the skulls of whales with teeth (which technically includes dolphins, as well as species such as sperm whales) have become more lopsided, with the bones on one side in different positions to the same bones on the other side.

This is because of a mass of fatty tissue called a melon that toothed whales use for echolocation. The melon and the soft tissue needed for echolocation are positioned leftwards above the skull on toothed whales, giving them a bulbous forehead and also causing the bones in the skull underneath to grow skewed to the left. As toothed whales evolved, their skulls got wonkier.

But why dont all whales have this wonkiness? The first whales were called archaeocetes (which literally means ancient whales). They evolved from walking on land to being fully aquatic in a relatively short 8 million years or so.

We know that archaeocete fossils have wonky rostrums (or snouts). This might be a distortion of the fossils or a feature that helped archaeocetes work out which direction sounds were coming from underwater.

Then, around 39 million years ago, whales diverged into two groups: those with teeth in their mouths, known as the odontocetes, and those with baleen (rows of bristles that allow whales to filter food from the water), known as the "mysticetes.

At some point, the toothed whales evolved wonky skulls and echolocation. However, the mysticetes, which include the big baleen whales (such as blue whales), diverged down a completely different evolutionary path. They evolved baleen and filter feeding and skulls that are more symmetrical than both the archaeocetes and the toothed whales.

We wanted to understand why, and exactly when, this happened. So to track asymmetry in the evolution of the whale skull, we produced 3D scans of 162 skulls, 78 of which were fossils. By mapping this wonky shape change in the skull across the whale family tree, we could track precisely when in evolutionary history it first appeared and in which families it evolved.

Based on analyses of these skulls, naso-facial asymmetry (wonkiness) appears to have first evolved around 30 million years ago. This was after the transition from archaeocetes to modern whales, and after the split between the odontocetes and the mysticetes. Around the same time this wonkiness was appearing, these early toothed whales were evolving high-frequency hearing and complex echolocation.

We also confirmed that early ancestors of living whales had little cranial asymmetry in the naso-facial area and likely were not able to echolocate. As such, its likely that baleen whales have never been able to echolocate.

Most surprisingly, this asymmetry has reached its highest levels in some specific animals such a sperm whales and narwhals and other species that live in deep or extreme environments.

This suggests that animals living in these complex environments, including belugas that live in icy, cluttered waters and river dolphins that live in shallow, murky rivers, have evolved a different echolocation ability such as a more diverse or discrete sound repertoire to help them navigate and hunt, and with it the bones around the nasal and face have become more asymmetrical.

This evolutionary path of toothed whales becoming ever more asymmetrical suggests that their skulls and the overlying soft tissues may continue to get wonkier as their echolocation techniques become more specialised.

These findings remind us not only of the complex evolutionary pathways that cetaceans have undergone to become the superbly adapted iconic ocean inhabitants that we know today, but also that despite living alongside some of the largest animals that have ever existed, there is still a lot for us to learn about them.

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Mysterious evolution of wonky whale skulls revealed by new study - The Conversation UK

The evolution of the dating app and what it means for brands | WARC – Warc

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Dating apps have evolved to enable users to find social connections generally as well as romance, and in doing so are giving brands more opportunities to create moments which are worth talking about.

Writing for WARC, Chase Buckle, trends manager at GlobalWebIndex, parses the figures from the research agencys custom coronavirus research, which shows increased smartphone usage across 20 countries since March.

He reports that 46% of single millennials and 43% of single Gen Z say theyve used an online dating app or service via any device in the past month. Increased mobile usage, more time spent at home with fewer distractions, and the need to remain connected are likely key drivers of dating app uptake, he notes.

The virus has also changed how people interact: the app is no longer simply an initial introductory space that is quickly left as singles meet up in person. Lockdown and social distancing has meant theres a greater focus on slower dating. (For more details, read Love in lockdown: Online dating during COVID-19.)

Users are taking the time to get to know the other person, spending longer messaging or video calling, and theyre doing activities together virtually. This has all led to a greater demand for more sophisticated features and support from dating apps that go beyond mere matchmaking, Buckle notes.

Tinder, for example, recently announced that it will begin to test video chat in its mobile dating apps in select markets. It had previously tested video chat before the COVID-19 outbreak and didnt see any significant adoption, but that will change this behaviour is one that will stick, says Buckle.

In our latest wave of coronavirus research, 41% of Gen Z say they plan to continue video calling more frequently after the outbreak. Expect to see this behaviour become the norm.

Brands looking to leverage dating apps in their marketing campaigns need to recognise this change of pace and rethink what makes them unique environments to advertise in.

People are using these apps to enjoy themselves, and theyre more likely to engage with brands that celebrate this idea of fun, he says.

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The evolution of the dating app and what it means for brands | WARC - Warc

Nancy Wilson Recalls the Evolution of Heart – American Songwriter

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Nancy Wilsons very first guitar was rented. The slashing six-string player, who rose to great fame along with her sister, Ann, in the rock n roll band, Heart, had to struggle mightily with her first guitar. But it didnt much matter. Nancy, who, upon laying eyes on The Beatles on television during their famed spot on the Ed Sullivan show, needed more than anything else to play a guitar. Whether it was old, beat up, out of shape, damn near impossible to play that was ancillary. What mattered was the guitar. And today, in many ways, thats still what matters for Nancy, who continues to write and record and, when not hampered by a pandemic, tour with her Hall of Fame band.

Ann got the good guitar, Nancy says, with a chuckle. I got a really bad guitar. Our parents rented one just to make sure we were serious and going to stick with it. I think it was $30 and we were making payments for a few weeks. It was sort of unplayable the neck was like a pipe. You could never barre a chord, especially an F. I got strong because I wanted to know how to play.

When The Beatles hit the screen, Nancy says it felt like the Lunar Landing. It was seismic, trajectory- and life-changing. Lucky for the sisters, their parents were already involved in music. Their parents only had to rent one guitar because there was already one in the house that belonged to them. They also played piano, ukulele. Nancys first memory is from when she was a baby in her crib, hearing her mother sing. The house was always musical; people were always singing or dancing. The new love affair with Beatles-inspired rock music fit right in.

But it took some time before the idea of the sisters joining forces became a reality. At a young age, Ann had a strong voice. Her parents would call her down from her room when they were entertaining to do vocal impressions of famous singers at the time (Ann had that special gift, Nancy says). When the duo together, not only did they fill in the gaps where the other perhaps lacked, but when it came down to band dynamics and working together, that the two were sisters made it that much more streamlined, Nancy says.

You can never fool someone that youre that close to, she says. You cant pretend anything without them knowing.

Nancy notes that she takes after her mother and Ann takes after their father, another brunette (Theres something mysterious about the brunettes in our family, Nancy says). For her, growing up in the city of Seattle in the 60s and 70s felt like what she imagined Liverpool might be like a few decades earlier. Seattle is a port city, so new music was always coming in and out of the area. Nancy found herself falling in a Flower Power groove, putting beads both in her hair and on her roach clips. She would sell candles during the afternoons and catch shows at night. Artists like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and The Doors come to mind.

As Heart began to heat up, though, the Wilson sisters spent less and less time in the Northwest. They began life seemingly always being on tour. Traveling is a grind, grueling. But playing live, writing and recording made it all worth it for Nancy (she even calls herself a studio dog because she likes the booth so much). It was about the group, musicians of high skill levels playing with other musicians of high skill levels. At the time, too, what Heart was doing was significant even beyond the incredible songs they released, which include Crazy On You, Barracuda and Magic Man. Heart, fronted by two attractive women who were also the front people of the group, was groundbreaking.

Our whole blueprint was somewhere within the pantheon of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, Nancy says. There was enough room to express some humor, sadness, jubilation loudness. We wanted to be able to do all those things. It was pretty gutsy, I think. We didnt want to be considered girls or boys. We just wanted to do what the guys were doing.

It worked. So much so that the members of Led Zeppelin came and visited Heart at their shows. Nancy remembers one evening when Robert Plant came by and sat on the side of the stage. And another when Jimmy Page (who was often sauced) came by to admire the music. Heart was legendary and, despite some personal and professional pitfalls along the way (to be expected in a family band that spans decades), the group continues its legend to this day. Nancy, though, is accomplished as a musician even outside the rock band. Shes also an acclaimed film scorer, working with her former husband, film director Cameron Crowe, which, in turn, helped her songwriting confidence.

A lot of times in songwriting, you can have that critic in your head saying youre not good enough, Nancy says. But I learned from reading this book by Paul Simon. He says to start from a small place and open up to a bigger story, start small and then fan it out. That really helped.

Whether scoring a movie, playing Crazy On You with her supremely talented sister or performing in a new project (with a forthcoming Nancy Wilson solo album enlisting former and current Heart players and other friends and players, release date TBA),Nancy loves music in all its forms. Music is bigger than any individual, she says. Its a force so powerful and large that its almost impossible to grasp. Music hangs in the atmosphere and finds us. It sticks in cells, imprints on DNA.

When youre thinking of a familiar song, Nancy says, Like Stairway to Heaven. You know exactly how it goes. You dont have to put it on. You dont have to play the song. But you can experience it anyway.

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Nancy Wilson Recalls the Evolution of Heart - American Songwriter

Remembering Bill English: The Computer Mouse’s Evolution Through the Years – Tech Times

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The computer mouse has been around, contributing to the growth and evolution of technology since the 1970s. Different variations and fuctionalities are made possible through this invention and it wouldn't have been possible without Bill English.

(Photo : Unsplash)

(Photo : YouTube)William English, co-inventor of the first computer mouse

William "Bill" English, aged 91, who worked behind-the-scenes on the invention of the computer mouse alongside Douglas Englebart, recently passed away last July 26, 2020 due to respiratory failure.

Modern wired computer mouse wouldn't be the same without English and Englebart's design and co-invention, as Bill English took Englebart's concept and worked alongside him in the Stanford Research Institute in California. The pair built and brought to life what is known to be the first computer mouse in 1968.

English also worked with Englebart in the conceptualization of 1968's "Mother of All Demos".A concept that many consider to be the framework for the modern marvels of technology such as the video call, online text editing, graphical user interface, and hypertext links.

Of course, the most notable invention that the duo did is the concept and prototype of the modern computer, the one which utilizes the use of a computer mouse for navigation and selection throughout the interface. Stemming from its early days to the modern times, how has the computer mice evolved? Check out the list below.

(Photo : YouTube)

This wood encased mouse was first conceptualized by Douglas Englebart on 1964 and later on picked up by BIll English and the two worked together to an actual prototype. This is the first patented computer mousewith one key and very limited functionality.

(Photo : YouTube)

Eight years after the first mouse was made by the duo, Bill English developed the ball mouse in 1972. This version of the computer mouse is what paved way for the idea of a modern, multi-directional mouse. An encased ball can be found in the body of the mouse that controls the movement in the interface. This mouse tends to pick-up dirt and lose its accuracy.

(Photo : Unsplash)

Steve Kirsch invented an optical mouse in 1981, converting from the traditional ball mechanism to an optic LED light, having the mouse follow the light as its movement or direction. This requires a mousepad to operate. Microsoft developed their own optic mouse in 1999 which does not require the need for a mouse pad.

(Photo : Unsplash)

Apple contributed a lot to upgrading the computer mouse throughout the years. From their 1998 upgrade of the mouse from the traditional connection to USB for their iMacs. Apple's other variations hid the traditional clickers, usually found in the face of the mouse, to the sides of the mouse in the year 2000.

ALSO READ: Logitech Unveils G900 Chaos Spectrum Wireless Gaming Mouse

(Photo : Unsplash)

The final and the common 21st century mouse invention is the introduction of the Cordless or Wireless mouse in 2001, known as the MouseMan. This paved the way for technological improvements later in the following years as 2008 introduced the wireless USB mousethat are marketed for the laptop or notebook, which was famous during the era.

Computer mouse technology have evolved a whole lot, varying from the single key, single direction era, to the mechanical ball design which were used for a long time, even having met the generations of the development of the computer PC and different operating systems, down to the optical LED light mouse. Now, the public is given with the comfort of having cheap and reliable wireless computer mouse that can be used for different functionalities, depending on the needs and usage.

ALSO READ: What Your Gaming PC Set Lacks: Best Mouse Pads on Amazon 2020

Watch the "Mother of All Demos" below:

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Alonzo

2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Remembering Bill English: The Computer Mouse's Evolution Through the Years - Tech Times

Q&A: How can EMS agencies leverage technology for growth and evolution? – EMS1.com

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Sponsored by Pulsara

By Rachel Zoch, EMS1 BrandFocus Staff

Technology is a fact of life and an integral part of modern medicine. EMS1 sat down to discuss the evolving role of technology in EMS with Kris Kaull, co-founder of EMS1.com and currently chief marketing officer for Pulsara. We asked him how EMS agencies can best leverage current and future tech tools to enhance patient care, and whats next for EMS overall.

What do you think is the minimum technology standard for EMS agencies right now?

Thats a good question. Times are changing in that were less hardware dependent and more connectivity dependent, so I believe the bare necessity is access to mobile-first technology. That device or computer, I should say that you carry in your pocket is an untapped, invaluable resource, from communications to reference lookup to even documentation, coordination, communication and collaboration.

The minimum tech standard should be smartphone technology, and then connectivity, whether thats dedicated WiFi from the ambulance or through cell service. Connectivity is really the name of the game, and what device we use today may or may not be the device we use tomorrow, so its important to steer clear of focusing too much on hardware. Instead, we should be focusing on the value that being connected brings to the clinician and the teams they work with.

In the back of the ambulance, I envision a future environment where everything is connected. To do that, you need dedicated bandwidth. For public safety, FirstNet provides the first high-speed, wireless broadband dedicated to first responders. In the future, were going to see much greater cell coverage with technologies such as Quality of Service, Priority, and Preemption, aka QPP, even in rural areas.

What about the medical devices themselves?

As new medical devices come onto the market whether its AEDs and heart monitors, the stretcher or any device youd expect to see in the back of an ambulance they will all be smart. Ideally, these devices connect with each other so that the story of the care being provided to the patient is centrally located for documentation and then communicated with the entire care team in real time.

Of course, thats easier said than done. Getting every company on the same standard and allowing different hardware devices to all work together and share information will be a challenge. Not a technical challenge a people challenge. The difficulty will be aligning corporate agendas to a unified vision.

So its not so much that agencies should be adopting a specific technology, but rather a goal of communication and interconnectivity?

Exactly. Thats actually a mindset that needs to change we buy technology, and because we spend a lot of money in capital dollars on hardware, we think it should last 20 years. That kind of thinking simply isnt true anymore.

When purchasing a technology solution for the back of the ambulance, we need to be thinking about how it can adapt and change for what we need in the future. Those solutions need to be flexible and scalable for the unknown. We dont know what we dont know. Thats the tough part.

In EMS, we have a tendency to create one-off solutions for disasters or the next big thing. Instead of building a specific solution or technology or a plan around COVID-19 or the opioid epidemic, we need to leverage existing or new technologies that can be used for all illnesses and injuries, for small or large events and for short and extended incidents. Thats a big paradigm shift from what weve historically done.

We need to be asking, Can I use this technology across the board, and is it scalable to adapt and change for my clinical needs? Its why I use the example of the mobile phone: How I use this mobile phone today may or may not be how Ill use this technology tomorrow, and the needs of my ambulance service may change tomorrow. A mobile phone is simply a platform for other solutions.

What are the biggest challenges EMS faces when it comes to technology in the next five years?

EMS is at a crossroads. Instead of being the prehospital provider, which is a common term now, we are becoming out-of-hospital clinicians. I often hear people asking, How do we better communicate between the back of the ambulance and the emergency department? That question is fundamentally flawed because it automatically labels EMS with the limited scope of transport only. The better question is, How do we better communicate as a healthcare team?

With mobile integrated health and the expanded scope of community paramedicine, well be that out-of-hospital caregiver, not prehospital. The COVID-19 pandemic had already rapidly modified our scope to meet the unprecedented needs. We are not just one step in a linear progression from the time of injury to arrival at the hospital. Instead, we are another access channel for healthcare and ongoing wellness in our communities, and theres a lot of discussion around technology and how we communicate.

EMTs and paramedics need to be able to communicate dynamically with different people, for different needs, for different patients, each and every call. And the technologies to allow them to do that in a safe and secure, HIPAA-compliant way will need to be dynamic and able to cross different organizations, not just from point A to point B, not just from the back of the ambulance to the emergency department.

How is Pulsara addressing these challenges, including HIPAA compliance?

The technology is really about connecting the people. Who are the people that need to be connected, and how do we do that on the fly? And, because every call is different, how do we connect the right people at the right time with a simple tap? Thats what Pulsara does. It allows EMS services or hospital facilities, nursing homes, standalone emergency departments, urgent cares, and referring hospitals all to be on the same network with each other and to be able to communicate in real time.

Pulsara is fully HIPAA-compliant. Its encrypted at both ends, meaning at the senders end on their smart device, as well as the receivers end and at rest. For example, EMS personnel show up on scene of a car crash, they take photos of the scene and the injuries. Those images are sent with the patient alert to the hospital requesting the trauma team. The hospital then alerts all the caregivers within the hospital that are part of that trauma team on their smart devices. At the end of the day, none of the sensitive data is actually on the phone. None of those photos are in the camera roll. It was all done within a HIPAA-compliant, secure encrypted app.

So youre adding a purpose-built tool for first responders to that familiar smartphone, rather than them needing a new device or mode of communication.

Yes. Healthcare providers from physicians to nurses to lab techs to allied health to paramedics use what they normally use in their real life. Take that same car crash example. If its easier to FaceTime or make a phone call or text the hospital with those images, thats what they do, including physician to physician; even if its against policy and not secure.

The key to great design isnt to change the behavior of what they do naturally. I would argue that if live video, messaging, sending photos and recording audio are a well-thought-out, good way to communicate day-to-day, then its probably a good way to communicate about the patient within that setting. The only difference is that we need to put safeguards around it so that we can be protected and we know where that data is, whos seen it and that we are protecting the community and the providers from needless liability.

When an entire region is using the same communication platform, it enables the opportunity for transparent communications without a lot of back and forth. Ineffective communication, especially during transitions of care, is the No. 1 cause for medical errors in healthcare.

Whats the difference between sharing data and communicating?

I do think theres a difference between communication and data. Let's go back to the future concept that all medical devices in the back of the ambulance are smart devices. And, for the sake of this example, lets agree that they are all seamlessly interoperable with each other. Ideally, theres an opportunity for all that data to automatically flow into one clear, chronological picture within the documented patient care report. Its good for streamlining the paramedic workload, its good for quality assurance, its good for consistency of patient care, its good for billing its good for a number of things. That is data.

And then theres also communication. You are sharing data, but its about sharing the right information at the right time with the right people for the right patient. So, what are the key pieces of data that I need now in real time in order to mobilize the right resources and then make the right decisions for my patient? Thats what communication is.

Data and communications are partners in patient care, but we often blur the lines and say that interoperability, smart machines, wearables, health information exchanges, data repositories, or post care documentation are the same as communicating, but they arent. When treating and transporting the trauma patient from the car crash, the paramedic may have access to a thousand pieces of data.But at that moment, the emergency department doesnt need to know all 1,000 data points. They simply need to know key pieces of information so that they have the right people and resources available upon EMS arrival at the hospital.

Whats next for EMS?

The EMS industry must be proactive to the ongoing and changing needs of our communities. In preparation, we should be incorporating technologies, processes and leadership skills that allow us to scale and change accordingly.

If you want a glimpse into the future of EMS, just take a look at what you do in your regular life. So, if my mother, whos in her late 60s, can video chat with my nephew whos 3, and they dont need an instruction book, thats probably a good way to transfer information. We should consider communicating in a similar fashion in the back of the ambulance.

Note: The above conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. This article originally appeared in 2020 EMS Trend Report: Heed industry warning signs, commit to change.

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Read Next: 3 ways your smartphone can improve communication between EMS and hospital EDs

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Evolution of the Stanford Missed Connections Instagram page – The Stanford Daily

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@stanfordmissedconnections is an Instagram page originally began innocently, for Stanford students to confess their missed connections on campus, with the first post dating back August 18, 2019. This post, written by the anonymous manager behind the page (pseudonym SMC) encouraged followers to send us your secret crushes and well share it (anonymously of course) to the whole world.

Prior to the creation of the Stanford page, there had been many similar pages appearing for different schools, such as the University of Virginia (@uvamissedconnections), Tulane University (@tulanemissedconnections) and Washington University in St. Louis (@washumissedconnections). In an email to The Daily, SMC spoke about the beginning of the page.

I didnt have a real vision for it all, but it was entertaining; it was casual and I enjoyed giving the page a personality. SMC was careful to ensure the page remained lighthearted and a place to be able to share anonymous crushes, but having a moderator meant it wouldnt turn into some racist mess.

Students were hesitant to submit at first, with the beginning posts at only nine likes, but the page quickly blew up and has gained more than 3,000 followers in less than a year. One student wrote, To the CO president with the cool tattoo, youre cute [kiss emoji] lets go on a date. Others, rather than confessing their crush, made jokes about the posts.

To the cute [boy or girl] with [insert generic white features], you can [verb] in my [noun] anytime.

During the school year, Alix Cui 23 saw Missed Connections as a fun medium to joke around with friends. Previously, he had submitted a missed connection for my close friend as a joke, Cui said. It was a common trend during the school year where a lot of students submitted missed connections hyping up their friends to make it seem as if an anonymous person was searching for them.

However, after the majority of undergraduate students left campus abruptly back in March, there were no longer any missed connections to report, aside from various items forgotten in dorm rooms.

When the 2020 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct results were released, it sparked campus-wide outrage over Stanfords management of sexual harassment. On June 21, the first of many reports was posted, calling out the Stanford communitys perpetual silence on the amount of abuse and assault that goes on here.

What followed was a series of over 50 anonymous allegations of sexual assault and claims of Stanfords indifference towards the victims. Here, Stanford Missed Connections was used as a safe platform to expose the issues that Stanford, along with other students, had previously been hesitant to address.

One poster wrote about her experience where, after being sexually assaulted, she opened up to this girl who defended my abuser and described him as a nice and funny guy. Many comments expressed shock and disgust over the actions of people in the Stanford community, and encouraged students to speak up about their own experiences.

Recently, there have been a lot of Missed Connections posts regarding status quo issues that affect the Stanford Community, Cui observed. Its sort of grown into an educative hub for some like me.

SMC is proud to be part of this shift in discussion, and hopes the platform, with so many viewers, becomes a place where sexual assault survivors can share their stories knowing that people in the Stanford community who would otherwise ignore such topics will be forced to hear them.

However, Alexa Ramachandran 22 has mixed feelings. She dislikes how quickly [the] topic of conversation seems to change.

The sexual assault discussions lasted a week and then its onto the next topic, like itll last another week too, she said. This bouncing around makes the topics feel like they have less permanence, implying a frivolousness.

But despite Ramachandrans qualms about the platforms treatment of these serious topics, she thinks its wonderful when people change the platform to suit their own needs and the creator is on board as well.

When Stanford announced that 11 sports would be cut indefinitely, students voiced their opinions over the Instagram page. But some posters called out the athletes for disregarding the problems that international students were facing with ICEs new policies.

Im so sick of different communities fighting over whos in a worst [sic] situation. This is not a competition, an anonymous poster said. Cant we just acknowledge that we are all struggling and start supporting and respecting each others pain?

SMC told The Daily in an email about the change of the Instagram page from a place to confess about crushes to a debate platform.

When protests started after the murder of George Floyd, it would have been problematic had I not made space for a discussion about what role Stanford and college students play in upholding white supremacy. SMC believes Stanford Missed Connections is the perfect place for students to begin speaking up about their own opinions, as its where people from all over the Stanford community are present and folks arent preaching to the choir.

Lorena Diosdado 21 is glad that a public and widely-viewed page is being used to spread awareness and information.

Missed Connections has people from different communities engaging with each other, she said. Usually, the necessary conversations around socioeconomic class in higher ed are only happening between FLI students, and the people who need to be there, the more affluent kids, just dont show up.

The page is so public that now messaging from marginalized communities is spreading into the feeds of people who should be listening and learning, she added.

However, Diosdado wishes there was greater filtering in who is allowed to comment and having actual Stanford affiliations, so as to not derail conversations.

The movement in discussion on @stanfordmissedconnections has also impacted the page and its viewer demographics.

In the past couple of months Ive had a ton of people submit for the first time, either to share their particular opinions, or show appreciation for the page, SMC noted. Ive also gotten a lot more messages from spam accounts, completely unrelated to the page, as well as a couple of sugar daddies. Thats the price of fame I suppose

In the future, SMC sees many more substantial debates taking place, especially in the current environment where social injustices are being brought into the spotlight.

People have also been wondering about the identity behind the page, but sadly, SMC said it wouldnt be good at this point for me to reveal my identity, considering the amount of sensitive and personal things students have confided in me.

However, SMC does plan on passing on the account at some time in the future (or at least bringing on others to help run it).

Contact Anna Yang at annayang780 at gmail.com.

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Evolution of the Stanford Missed Connections Instagram page - The Stanford Daily

IT Spending in Energy Market Predicted To Witness Sustainable Evolution in Years to Come – Market Research Posts

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The report Global IT Spending in Energy Market intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges, opportunities and entry strategies for various companies in the Global IT Spending in Energy Industry.Global IT Spending in Energy Market Research report provides information regarding market size, share, trends, growth, cost structure, capacity, revenue and forecast 2024. This report also includes the overall and comprehensive study of the IT Spending in Energy market with all its aspects influencing the growth of the market. This report is exhaustive quantitative analyses of the IT Spending in Energy industry and provides data for making strategies to increase the market growth and effectiveness.

The Global IT Spending in Energy market research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global IT Spending in Energy Market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

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The authors of the report have segmented the global IT Spending in Energy market as per product, application, and region. Segments of the global IT Spending in Energy market are analyzed on the basis of market share, production, consumption, revenue, CAGR, market size, and more factors. The analysts have profiled leading players of the global IT Spending in Energy market, keeping in view their recent developments, market share, sales, revenue, areas covered, product portfolios, and other aspects.The IT Spending in Energy market report helps the readers grasp the changing trend in the industry supply chain, manufacturing techniques and expenses, and current scenario of the end uses in the global IT Spending in Energy market.

All the players running in the global IT Spending in Energy market are elaborated thoroughly in the IT Spending in Energy market report on the basis of proprietary technologies, distribution channels, industrial penetration, manufacturing processes, and revenue. In addition, the report examines R&D developments, legal policies, and strategies defining the competitiveness of the IT Spending in Energy market players.

This report covers leading companies associated in IT Spending in Energy market:

Scope of IT Spending in Energy Market:The global IT Spending in Energy market is valued at million US$ in 2017 and will reach million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of during 2018-2025.

This Market Report includesdrivers and restraints of the global IT Spending in Energy market and their impact on each region during the forecast period. The report also comprises the study of current issues with consumers and opportunities. It also includes value chain analysis.

On the basis Of the end users/applications,this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, IT Spending in Energy market share and growth rate of IT Spending in Energy foreach application, including-

On the basis of product,this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, IT Spending in Energy market share and growth rate ofeach type, primarily split into-

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IT Spending in Energy Market Predicted To Witness Sustainable Evolution in Years to Come - Market Research Posts

NASBA votes to advance CPA Evolution initiative with AICPA – Accounting Today

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The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy voted to approve the CPA Evolution model, which it has been developing with the American Institute of CPAs, in an effort to require more technology skills from CPAs to pass the Uniform CPA Examination and qualify for state CPA licenses.

The vote Monday by NASBAs board of directors came after the AICPAs governing council approved the CPA Evolution initiative in May (see story).

The changes will affect how young accountants train to become CPAs, although many colleges, universities and state boards have effectively been making such changes in recent years as much of the accounting profession has long been leveraging technology to do auditing, financial reporting and taxes.

Its going to affect two areas of licensure, explained Daniel J. Dustin, NASBA vice president of state board relations. One is with education. We currently have an exposure draft out for comment. It was released on May 26 and the comment period ends on August 31. Its really to update the Uniform Accountancy Act model rules for the CPA Evolution initiative. What we tried to do was change what we were doing with the model rules to really modify them to be more in alignment with where a lot of state boards are today. In many ways, it doesnt impact a lot of boards with respect to the rules. The other area of change is the structure of the Uniform CPA Examination. What were hoping is that beginning in January of 2024 the examination will consist of three core sections, followed by a candidate passing one of three disciplines. So, its still a four-section exam.

NASBA anticipates the exam will be no more than 16 hours, the same as it is today.

The Uniform Accountancy Act provides a model that state boards of accountancy can use to update their statutes and rules in their own jurisdictions. In May, NASBA released the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA) Model Rules exposure draft to propose the various changes in the education requirements for licensure under the CPA Evolution initiative. The goal is to encourage uniformity among the 55 different jurisdictions in the U.S. Once it receives support from the various boards of accountancy for the exposure draft, NASBA will start encouraging the state boards to implement the model statutory and rule changes in education, starting as early as this fall. Ultimately the changes will start to show up in the exam in Jan. 2024.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has led to delays in sittings for the Uniform CPA Exam this year and wider flexibility in how the test is administered, but Dustin doesnt anticipate that will affect the timing of the CPA Evolution initiative.

A lot of the preliminary work in the next year or two is going to be involved with task forces, both on the education and the examination side, and certainly technology like Zoom and Webex allows us to hold a lot of virtual meetings, he said. So, we dont anticipate that COVID-19 will inhibit us from evolving over the next few years. We witnessed the fact that Prometric test centers had to close down for about eight weeks because of the pandemic, but certainly by 2024 and the rollout of this initiative, we should be well beyond that and it shouldnt have an impact.

Probably the most noticeable update will be in the technology proficiency expected from CPAs in the three core sections of the exam and in each of the disciplines tested. One of the changes in education is to include more technology, both in the accounting and in the business areas, said Dustin. One of the focuses as we evolve the CPA Exam as well as the exam content is to include more technology-related content. Last year, the AICPAs examination team issued an exposure draft to modify the content to include some technology, but the CPA Evolution initiative will actually mean that we will begin another process with the AICPA examination team to do a practice analysis to determine just how prevalent technology is for individuals with one to two years of experience who work in CPA firms, and then enhance the exam by testing in those areas some more. That will be both in the core and in the discipline.

He sees the changes as being more relevant to how CPAs actually do their work today. I think its really going to mean the evolution of how the exam is structured, that certainly entry-level CPAs today have to have higher-order skills in order to do the job that theyre required to do when they come into a firm, said Dustin. Its no longer ticking and tying accounts. Its using higher-order skills and analyzing accounts, to work with clients to help them make key business decisions.

NASBA plans to offer more resources for accounting educators to help their students learn about whats needed to pass the exam in 2024. The Uniform CPA Exam is a national exam that all jurisdictions use, so its anticipated right now that the rollout will be in January of 2024, said Dustin. Were working on a lot of other aspects, including resources for educators in the near term.

The changes received widespread support from state boards around the country. It was really great to see both at the NASBA meeting last October as well as several webinars weve held in the winter and spring the amount of positive feedback that we received form state board members and state board executive directors with respect to the current model of the initiative, so weve been really encouraged by the feedback, said Dustin. Collectively the AICPA and NASBA have received more than 3,000 comments from various stakeholders, and overall its been a very positive process to date. I just think that a lot of our board members have been very positive with respect to where we are to date, and its encouraging to think that its going to continue that way as we move forward.

For more information about the CPA Evolution initiative, visit evolutionofcpa.org.

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NASBA votes to advance CPA Evolution initiative with AICPA - Accounting Today

Why flexibility and diversification are key to the evolution of big oil companies – The National

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Probably not since the Second World War have the big oil companies released earnings under such turbulent and unpromising circumstances. Their big losses and write-downs are shocking but unsurprising. Are they just the reflection of bad times, or indicative of flawed strategic choices, or do they point to a grim long-term future for the oil super-majors?

In the second quarter, lockdowns under the pandemic drove world oil demand to fall 16.4 million barrels per day, as estimated by the International Energy Agency, a drop far beyond any historical experience.

US oil prices famously went briefly negative. Brent crude, the international benchmark, tumbled to average $29 per barrel in the second quarter, from $67 per barrel at the end of last year, and that would have been far worse without the steep production cuts of the Opec+ alliance. The international oil firms production dropped too: some of it was located in Opec+ countries, some in the US and Canada simply became uneconomic.

Not surprisingly, oil companies second-quarter results are horrible. The American firms have been hit worst: Chevron lost $3.1 billion (Dh11.4bn), after non-cash charges; ConocoPhillips almost $1bn; ExxonMobil $1.1bn. ExxonMobils followed on its quarter-one loss, the first it had recorded in thirty years. Its operating cashflow was virtually zero.

Shell had already cut its dividend in April for the first time since World War Two. Yet it, Total and Equinor managed to beat analysts estimates and eke out small profits, while Eni lost $839m; BP reports on Tuesday.

Specialist trading companies, by contrast, did well. They benefit from volatility, from upsets in supply chains, and from storing commodities. Glencore expects full-year pre-tax profits to be around $3.2bn, compared to $1.32bn last year.

This partly explains why the European supermajors performed relatively better than their trans-Atlantic cousins. Shell, Total and Equinor all saw very strong profits in trading. ExxonMobil was buoyed by $1bn of refining profits, but neither it nor Chevron has a large trading operation. In fact, ExxonMobils early-stage trading operation managed to make a loss.

But the Americans are also hampered by their relative retrenchment internationally in favour of a recent focus on shale.

These relatively high-cost operations, with high decline rates, were hammered by the price slump, with some 2.2 million barrels per day of loss-making US production closed-in during the worst period, though now partly returning.

Chevrons shale assets are widely acknowledged to be excellent, but plans to double output to about 1 million barrels per day by 2024, as much as Oman, have been replaced by an outlook in slight decline.

For this reason, BPs results will be interesting: it has just completed the sale of its long-time Alaskan assets but remains the most exposed of the European supermajors to shale after buying BHPs position back in October 2018.

So, in some ways, the integrated international oil company model has performed well. As intended, refining offset losses in upstream production at a time of falling prices, even though throughput dropped, while trading has been profitable in a turbulent period.

Diversification across a range of geographies and asset types helped the Europeans (as did a tax cut in Equinors home base of Norway). Their initial moves into new energy, including solar, wind and electricity retail, albeit tentative, have held up well and contrast with the US firms concentration on oil and gas.

But the short-term results, under the unusual situation of coronavirus, need to be separated from the longer-term outlook. Here, all the companies have announced massive write-downs and restructuring expenses: $5.6bn from Chevron, including the entire $2.6bn valuation of its Venezuelan assets; $8.1bn for Total; $16.8bn for Shell; a possible $17.5bn for BP.

The write-downs are mostly related to lower long-term views on oil and gas prices, which have dropped from $60-80 per barrel before the pandemic, to $50 per barrel, in Totals view, and $60 per barrel by 2023, in Shells.

This resetting of long-term price expectations seems long overdue. It should not have taken a once-in-a-century pandemic to suggest that levels of $60-80 per barrel are very difficult to sustain when new shale drilling is profitable at the lower end of that range, and electric vehicles are fast-improving in cost and performance. The damage Covid-19 has wrought on demand really ought not to make much difference for prices in 2030 and beyond, which will be set by levels of investment, technological advances, and climate policy. Indeed, Totals write-offs are mostly in its high-cost, high-carbon Canadian oil sands, which it sees as potentially stranded by climate policy.

In May, BPs new chief executive Bernard Looney said the Covid-19 crisis may even have brought us to peak oil demand and that worldwide consumption would never recover to pre-pandemic levels. That appears overly pessimistic. But the oil industry has been given a foretaste of peak demand, widely predicted to occur some time in the 2030s as electric vehicles and other non-oil technologies take over.

The strategies of the supermajors have diverged significantly in recent years, and the pandemic has been their first stern test. In a near future of great uncertainty and volatility for oil and gas firms, flexibility and diversification are the cardinal virtues. Coronavirus is a stiff but hopefully short-lived challenge; climate change is an existential one.

Robin M. Mills is CEO of Qamar Energy, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis

Updated: August 2, 2020 12:40 PM

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Why flexibility and diversification are key to the evolution of big oil companies - The National

Two clothing industry pros want to revolutionize US apparel manufacturing with Evolution St. Louis – St. Louis Magazine

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Businessmen John Elmuccio and Jon Lewis worked together in the 90s. Though the two mens careers pulled them in different directionsboth including stints at Fortune 500 apparel companiesthey often ran into each other. They realized that they shared a dream and the experience to help make it a reality. The idea came to fruition last May when they announced plans to open Evolution St. Louis, a $5 million knit garmentmanufacturing company housed in a 32,000-square-foot facility on Washington Boulevard that they believe will change the market and the city.

Why did you decide to build a high-tech knitting factory in St. Louis?

Lewis: We first looked at this in New York. We were both living in New York and said, Lets make it in the Garment Center, the Garment District, and all that made sense. But we recognize two things: The Garment District is too expensive of real estate. Even on the manufacturing side, it became implausible. It just didnt make sense. Plus, even if you paid someone at what we would consider a sustainable, reasonable wage, it doesnt mean anything in Manhattan. You need to make $60,000 a year just to buy Starbucks and commute into the city Then we met Susan Sherman and the team from the Saint Louis Fashion Fund, and they said, Dont sign anything! Come talk to us. [St. Louis] is where we found our home, because the real estate quotient is really competitive, it has this arts culture, and it has this historic narrative of being the Garment City. Then educationSam Fox School is the second-oldest urban design program in the country, facilities like Ranken Tech, St. Louis Community College, work development programsso we can hire employees [from here]. It became a great mix coming together to make true economic development.

Elmuccio: St. Louis used to be the second-largest apparel manufacturer in the United States. Thats the heritage this community is trying to recapture. That was the tipping point for us.

How do you hope Evolution St. Louis will change the citys economy?

Lewis: We moved here to create an industry sector. I think this is a billion-dollar opportunity. Were going to create 50 to 60 jobs in this facility, 50 to 55 machines in here. We envision 300 people working in this industry and envision 300 to 400 of these machines in various places within the city. Were talking about re-imagining the supply chain, not just for fashion apparel but for manufacturing in general. This is green manufacturing, tooevery part of our facility and every part of what were doing can be put in an urban setting where you can live, eat, work, and play within a 20-minute walk or bike ride.

Why is having a green facility important?

Elmuccio: The garment industry is one of the largest contributors to landfills in the world. The [Stoll] machines only have 3 percent waste, so its a huge difference.

Lewis: We chose to refurbish a building, rather than build one. From the HVAC system to plumbing to lightingin every aspect, we took a look at being sustainable and reducing our carbon footprint.

Can you explain how a knitting factory can bring in such high revenue?

Lewis: [The apparel industry] is about a two-and-a-half-trillion-dollar industry where 35 percent [of product] is some sort of knit. Then you couple in shoe uppers, athleisure, military and medical equipment, automotive opportunities. In addition, there are brands that focus 90 percent of their company on knit. Those are brands we can service, and were already talking to most of them. Were focusing on the contemporary luxury designer market and direct-to-consumer brands.

How do the Stollflatbed knitting machines streamline the knitting process?

Elmuccio: If people can envision 3-D printing, this is essentially 3-D clothing or whatever item we are making. These machines can make any structure we want. If we wanted to knit a ball, we could.

Lewis: If you can program it, the machines can knit it. It is hard for companies to design products [the standard] 18 months out and still be relevant. Here, we offer product orders three to four months out. These machines can run 23 hours a day. We want to buy enough machines so that we can make anything in any industry. If theres a brand that wants to do 10,000 units of a merino wool sweater for their fall 2021 line, theres no place in the U.S. that can make it. We built a facility to start.

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Two clothing industry pros want to revolutionize US apparel manufacturing with Evolution St. Louis - St. Louis Magazine

The evolution of marriage, from strictly arranged to semi-arranged – The Indian Express

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Written by Disha Roy Choudhury | New Delhi | Updated: August 1, 2020 1:04:48 pm With men and women becoming more vocal about their choices, arranged marriage in India has been witnessing an evolution of sorts. (Source: getty images)

Netflix docu-series Indian Matchmaking ends with a montage of happy, elderly couples in a bid to validate the concept of arranged marriage. Married for decades, these couples, especially women, seemingly, had no say in choosing their partners and unquestioningly agreed to what their parents wanted.

In India, men and women are expected to get married when they reach a certain age as there is a fear that they would not find the right partner, or no partner at all, as they grow older. It is 2020, but the perception still holds true across caste, class and communities. The biological clock, of course, has a role to play in the institution that largely bases itself on procreation so as to continue the lineage.

However, with men and women becoming more vocal about their choices, arranged marriage in India has been witnessing an evolution of sorts. While parents initiate the process in most cases, it is their children who are taking the final call, in a set-up that is being dubbed as semi-arranged marriage.

Saurabh Goswami, founder, Ultra Rich Match, which deals in matchmaking among the affluent, told indianexpress.com, When a person reaches a marriageable age in India it is 23-24 the parents come into the picture first, reaching out to matrimonial companies or personalised matchmaking service. As they age, say when the girl or boy is about 28-30, they contact us directly. Once we share the profiles, the candidates make the final decision.

My parents created my profile on matrimonial websites. As much as they want me to settle down, there is no undue pressure to rush things. I handle my own profile and choose my potential matches. Of course, once I find the right partner, parents on both sides will be involved, said 27-year-old Neha (name changed).

The freedom to choose may not be universal, especially if one belongs to a conservative family, said Manas Lodhavia, co-founder of a matrimonial platform Firstep. He told indianexpress.com: There is a right of refusal, but there is a limited amount of how many times you can exercise it. That said, a vast number of people in urban India are allowed to exercise their right of refusal until they find the right match to the point where parents are fine with their children taking the initiative to make their life choices.

Rajesh (name changed), a parent whose daughter is currently looking for matches online, agreed. Marriage is all about mutual understanding, and to achieve that, the girl and the boy have to meet and figure out their compatibility themselves. Parental influence here should be as minimum as possible. Most of these boys and girls who are getting married are doing so at a mature age and have the capability to decide for themselves, he said.

Marriage in India is a family affair, which means it is not just the couple who needs to match but their families need to be suitable for each other too. Families usually look for matches that are in line with their social and financial status, and lifestyle, not to mention caste and community. All studies and leading matrimonial sites show that 95 per cent of marriages happen within the same caste and community. And the online and offline marriage brokers are specialised within the particular caste or community, said Lodhavia. The matrimonial candidates are usually offered profiles within the same caste and community, and then they have the agency to pick and choose from them.

In the past few years, however, people have started to look for potential matches beyond their communities, especially the womans family, according to Goswami. For the girls family, we have seen that community is not that much of a marker. They are open to marrying into other communities although inter-religion matches are still a big no-no, he said.

There are more relaxations in criteria as the man or woman grows older since they are left with only a smaller portion of the marriage pool to navigate. It is very unlikely that a Marwari would choose a Bengali, maybe they would choose a Gujarati family. The rules get relaxed after 25 when the availability of partners dramatically reduces, said Lodhavia.

Read| Indian Matchmaking: An 8-episode of misguided gender politics, ultimately a betrayal for Indian audiences

Matching of horoscopes is still of immense value. Arjun Ravindran, managing director of Astro-Vision, which evaluates horoscopes, told indianexpress.com, About 33 per cent of the horoscope related queries on our website are related to marriage. Continuing demand for integrating these services with matrimony portals shows that horoscope matching continues to be of importance in an arranged marriage set up. Additionally, people use astrology not just to match horoscopes, but also to understand more about their life after marriage.

Not just parents, about 58 per cent millennials also opt for horoscope consultations on the website. Anecdotal evidence suggests that in some cases when a person is not interested in a prospective bride or groom, they do cite a lack of horoscope matching as a convenient and socially acceptable reason for saying no, Ravindran added.

Gender stereotypes colour matchmaking preferences both in the case of the man and woman. While the womans family usually looks for an equal or wealthier match, the mans family, on the other hand, focuses on how well the woman can adjust, Lodhavia said. They do not really prioritise or emphasise on career. Such a pattern, in the case of both genders, is actually intrinsic in individuals as well when they explore the dating market.

However, in the semi-arranged marriage set-up, not just their respective parents but men and women articulate their preferences too. Among Goswamis clientele, for instance, the man usually looks for a wife who is good-looking, well-educated, polished, and has a proper social circle. Besides, the woman should be able to balance professional and personal life. Of course, they do not have to do the housework by themselves because there are helps but they should be able to oversee, Goswami noted.

Another important criterion is that the woman has to be younger than the potential husband. There is an issue even if the girl is just a few months elder to the boy. Generally, people look for girls who are of the same age, a year younger to three-four year gap, Goswami said, adding how height is also an important factor. Looking good together is a criterion on the boys side, he added.

The woman, on the other hand, looks for a partner who is of the same age or three-four years older. One major change is that they no longer want to move to another city for the sake of their own career. Women, in fact, mostly prefer metro cities rather than tier II or tier III cities.

Educational qualification matters too. Men and women generally expect their potential partner to have similar academic qualifications. As for Goswamis clients, if a man or woman has studied abroad, they ideally want their match to have done so too.

Matrimonial websites may have eased the process of surfing through a range of potential matches, beyond caste and community, but there is a lack of trust when it comes to these portals. Explaining the trajectory of matchmaking in India, Lodhavia said, People usually prefer to rely on trusted social networks. First, they try sharing biodata and meeting people through their friends and family. If they are unsuccessful, they turn to matchmakers and other marriage bureaus. Every community has its own preference some go to pandits who essentially work as middlemen who provide the trust and help people match within the community. When this does not work for them, they go for online matrimonial websites that work like classifieds.

As opposed to online matchmaking, offline happens through referrals so there is an inbuilt trust. Online platforms do not provide that trust, they do some basic verification but that eliminates investigating any fraudulent behaviour. In Goswamis matchmaking process, for instance, there is a background verification of candidates. This involves visiting the familys residence and interacting with the potential match and his or family personally, something that an online portal does not offer. Not always does one get the right report or feedback on a family because when you are enquiring about a family within your close circles, they may or may not give the right report. So we ideally verify via two to three reports rather than just one. We usually give three references neighbour, business and peer reference so that there is maximum transparency. Once a person becomes a paid member, we visit their residence and verify details, and interact with the family and the candidate, he said.

Online matrimony, on the other hand, caters to only six million users all across India, which is only a fraction of the number of people who are getting married, Lodhavia stated. According to a study by KPMG, there are 105 million single people and 63 million people who are actively looking for a life partner. So, a vast number of marriages are actually happening offline, through a matchmaker, he said.

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