Nvidia revenue hit by cryptocurrency drop – Computerworld

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Nvidia shares fell as much as 5 percent in after-hours trading on Thursday after the chip maker said cryptocurrency-fueled demand had dried up and it forecast sales below Wall Street targets, overshadowing quarterly results that otherwise beat expectations.

The company's bleak outlook for cryptocurrency mining chips was a sharp reversal from the prior fiscal quarter, when sales to so-called miners of digital currencies such as bitcoin and ethereum amounted to US$289 million, nearly a 10th of Nvidia's revenue. Nvidia previously had forecast sales for cryptocurrency chips for the fiscal second quarter ended July 29 of about $100 million. On Thursday it reported actual revenue of only $18 million.

"We benefited in the last several quarters from an unusual lift from crypto," CEO Jensen Huang said on a conference call with analysts, "but at this time, we consider it to be immaterial for the second half" of the fiscal year.

It projected third-quarter revenue of $3.25 billion, plus or minus 2 percent, falling short of analyst estimates of $3.34 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Ahead of a conference call with analysts, shares were down 3.6 percent to $248, still quadruple their value two years ago. Shares of Nvidia's chief rival in the graphics chip market, AMD, have also been whipsawed by swings in the cryptocurrency markets.

Analysts were troubled by Nvidia's gross margin forecast of 62.8 percent, slightly below expectations of 62.9 percent and possibly a result of putting more memory modules on its chips.

Analyst KinNgai Chan of Summit Insights Group said Nvidia shares were likely to trade lower as analysts reset their expectations around slower growth rates.

The cryptocurrency news and the lower-than-expected forecast clouded an otherwise strong quarter, including Nvidia's sales of chips to data centers, where companies such as Amazon.com's Amazon Web Services, Microsoft's Azure as well as Alphabet Inc's Google Cloud are buying up the chip to power artificial intelligence and other functions.

Nvidia's largest and oldest business of selling graphical processing units, or GPUs, for video game players beat analyst estimates, bringing in $1.8 billion compared with estimates of $1.75 billion, according to data from FactSet.

Analysts had braced for lower gaming chip sales because Nvidia is widely expected to unveil a new generation of gaming chips ahead of the holiday shopping seasons, possibly as soon as next week. Gamers typically hold off on purchasing chips when new models are just around the corner.

Revenue from the company's closely watched data center chips business rose 83 percent to $760 million, topping analysts' estimate of $743.6 million, according to FactSet.

Rivals Intel and AMD have also been buoyed by the surge in demand from data centers, a rapidly expanding market powered by the explosive growth in mobile and Web apps.

Net income rose 89 percent to $1.1 billion for the fiscal second-quarter. Excluding items, Nvidia earned $1.94 per share. Total revenue rose 40 percent to $3.12 billion.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.66 per share and revenue of $3.10 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Sonam Rai in Bengaluru and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler and Diane Craft)

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Russian treasure ship cryptocurrency fraud: Dmitri Donskoi

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THE sunken wreck is real: the century-old Imperial Russian Navy cruiser Dmitri Donskoi is sitting on the bottom off the coast of South Korea. But its gold-bullion cargo is not.

Now, the South Korean company behind the breathless announcement that it had found a $190 billion treasure-trove is under investigation for fraud.

The Shinil Group produced photographic evidence it had found the wreck of the cruiser, which was scuttled by its crew after the battle of Tsushima a clash with saw the Russian navy soundly defeated by the Japanese.

Where things get murky is the legend it went down with some 200 tons of gold, in the form of coins and 5000 boxes of gold bars. Shinil claimed a treasure box was seen inside the wreck by its remote-piloted vehicle. No gold, however, was recovered.

That presents the first problem: Shinil claimed this would be worth $190 billion. But the stated amount of gold is worth about $10 billion.

Nevertheless, the company issued a salvage claim on the wreck. While Russia is automatically entitled to half, Shinil benevolently said it would give 10 per cent of its cut to Korean infrastructure projects.

But investigators believe the devil is in the detail.

RELATED: Doubts raised over Russian treasure ship claim

Shinil also stated it would invest another 10 per cent in a new cryptocurrency system that it would be establishing. Meanwhile, a Singapore-based affiliate was trying to sell cryptocurrency based on the potential value of the shipwreck.

The company said it would produce evidence of the gold cargo within a week of its announcement. That was a month ago.

It has also walked back its estimated value of the haul several times. It now says the treasure is likely worth just over one million dollars.

The video posted to YouTube of the wreck has been removed. Shinil has shut down its own website.

The Shinil Gold Coin cryptocurrency project has also vanished. Its website is gone and no new mention of its impending launch has been made.

Seoul Metropolitan Police have told the Yonhap News Agency that it has raided Shinil offices and is now investigating the case as a potential fraud, perpetrated by a family with a history of similar scams.

RELATED: The shot that sank HMAS Sydney

Choi Yong-seek, former chief of Shinil Group, and his predecessor Rhu Sang-mi are both being interviewed by police.

Police believe Choi played a key role in the company business as a partner of the Rhu siblings Rhu Sang-mi and Rhu Seung-jin who headed the firms Singapore unit.

Choi resigned as CEO as the Dmitri Donskoi story exploded around him.

Rhu Seung-jin, who fled to Vietnam after he was implicated in another fraud case in 2014, has been added to an Interpol wanted list in relation to the Dmitri Donskoi case.

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Russian treasure ship cryptocurrency fraud: Dmitri Donskoi

Cryptocurrency versus the auditor – SMSFAdviser Magazine

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There has been much written in recent times as to the validity and legitimacy of SMSF trustees investing in cryptocurrencies. Advisors and auditors alike are fielding numerous queries from trustees regarding this type of investment. We have to consider whether clients are a little crazy for getting caught up in the hype surrounding cryptocurrency!

Some dont consider cryptocurrencies as an investment. Some are dead against SMSF trustees investing retirement funds into this asset class but with all the hype, whether it is right or wrong, where does this leave the auditor when a fund has in fact, already, invested?

Lets look at the considerations for the auditor.

Financial statement audit considerations

First off, the auditor needs to consider editing their audit plan and audit strategy to ensure the risks associated with this specific asset class are documented and considered.

The primary concern of the auditor from a financial statement perspective is that the auditor must establish if the asset exists, and then if it does, what it is worth at year end.

To this end, the SMSF trustee must have considered how the cryptocurrency will be held by the fund trustee. A wallet simply in the name of the member is not sufficient audit evidence that the asset is held by the fund. The intent of the trustee to hold the asset for the fund is not sufficient, and where there is insufficient information to evidence asset ownership, the auditor may have to conclude that the fund has not invested in cryptocurrency, but in a loan to the member instead.

There are cryptocurrency account providers that now allow an SMSF to set up a wallet to facilitate the fund investment in cryptocurrencies, which document that the asset is in fact held in trust for the fund.

If the auditor has sufficient information to evidence fund ownership of the asset, the next audit issue is that of valuation, and this is a significant one given the level of volatility in cryptocurrency values.

The auditor should consider taking an average value per coin as at 30 June, 2018. We are then planning to request our clients insert a note in the financial statements detailing the volatility of the asset class in terms of value, and depending on materiality, consideration will be given to including an emphasis of matter in the audit report drawing attention to the values reported, and the volatility of the asset class.

Of course, on the point of materiality, all audit testing at a financial statement level is driven by materiality, so if the investment is immaterial, the auditor doesnt need to spend inordinate amounts of time reviewing the asset for existence and value.

As to concerns regarding the controls surrounding the use of the wallet, and the accessibility of the wallet these are no different to concerns regarding other asset classes, and the trustee should take care to ensure the wallet passwords and log in information remain confidential. At no time should the auditor request the wallet log in details to verify the asset held by the fund. The client would need to arrange to visit the office of the auditor, or if possible, screen share between the auditor and the client systems to allow the auditor to view the wallet information for the purpose of gathering evidence for the audit.

SIS compliance audit considerations

The Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act (SIS) does not prohibit investment in cryptocurrencies. There is no issue at a compliance level with a fund trustee deciding to invest in this asset class provided of course all the other investment prohibitions are complied with.

That is, cryptocurrency does not satisfy the definition of money, and as such, it cannot be contributed to the fund by a related party, nor can it be acquired from a related party.

Where a fund has received their cryptocurrency via a contribution or from a transfer from a related party, the auditor would need to review the materiality of the transaction to determine if the compliance audit opinion needs to be qualified, and if ATO reporting in an auditor contravention report is mandatory. Either way, the auditor would need to instruct the trustee to divest of the cryptocurrency to correct the contravention of the acquisition of asset rules of SIS.

Where the fund invests directly but the auditor identifies the wallet is in the name of the member only, like any other asset, this gives rise to compliance issues, such as determining whether the fund has lent the member the funds for them to invest in the cryptocurrency or not. This of course would give rise to member loans, consideration on whether the trustee has kept fund assets separate and in-house asset considerations.

The fund deed also should also be reviewed to ensure it permits these types of investments. The fund investment strategy should be updated by the fund trustee prior to investing to document the risks associated with the investment, and to permit the fund to have this class of assets.

Notwithstanding there are many that consider investing in cryptocurrency highly speculative and risky, there are no SIS restrictions on this, except with regard to the trustee acting prudently, and the trustee ensuring the sole purpose test has been satisfied. Even where the fund loses money on investments, the trustee may still satisfy the sole purpose test, and may still be acting prudently. As a result, any concerns by auditors regarding the logic of such an investment are irrelevant. Auditors cannot dictate which investment classes a fund can or cannot invest in - whether they are licensed to give advice or not. If a fund trustee decides to invest, then that is their right and choice to do so. The auditor cannot request a fund divest of their cryptocurrency investments on a presumption that the fund will fail the sole purpose test because the investment might be a poor one.

Auditors feeling exposed to the volatility of the asset class can address this in an emphasis of matter in their audit report, or if extreme, perhaps consideration would need to be given to resigning from the audit engagement.

Auditors should be reminded that we audit what we are given. We cannot pass judgement on the sanity of investment choices by trustees. We can only focus on the financial statement and compliance audit issues to ensure the audit opinions issued are fairly stated.

Rightly or wrongly, cryptocurrency will feature in many 2018 financial statements for our SMSF clients, and auditors should consider now what steps should be taken in the lead-up to 30 June, to ensure they have adequate audit evidence of existence, value and SIS compliance to make auditing these asset classes as painless as possible.

Belinda Aisbett, director, Super Sphere

Cryptocurrency versus the auditor

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Cryptocurrency versus the auditor - SMSFAdviser Magazine

Cryptocurrency Markets Hit Panic Mode after Bitcoin and …

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Cryptocurrencies were seeing red early Tuesday, as the global crypto market fell by 10% within 24 hours, from US$218 billion to US$193 billion, as recorded by coinmarketcap.com.Bitcoinshare price was leading the market lower when it dropped to US$6,000 early in yesterdays trading. By 7:55pm Tuesday bitcoin had fallen by 3.4%, trading at just US$6,041.20, before it ultimately recouped much of that days loss.

Major cryptocurrencies seemed to follow bitcoins lead, as they too suffered dangerous drops in price in the same time period. But it was ethereum that saw the biggest drop in value, plummeting by nearly 20% to hit its lowest price in almost a year.

Here are six of the top 100 coins by capitalisation at the time of the crash:

Since late June the Crypto markets have been feeling pressure after US securities and Exchange Commissions delayed a decision on whether to approve a bitcoin exchange-traded fund. A move that bitcoin bulls believe would have significantly increased the volume of the market.

While reasonings for the global price crash experienced in the markets is hard to pin down to one single thing, massive trading volumes suggest there was a sell-off, which began Monday when ethereum fell to an 11-month low.

With many cryptocurrency analysts linking the latestmarket movementsto the liquidation of funds raised through ICOs (initial coin offerings), meaning companies may be selling the ethereumraised through the popular fundraising mechanism.

Crypto expert reveals the five things you must know to profit from the coming crypto revolution. Get the free report now

The chief market strategist at FXTM, Hussein Sayed, showed concern for the future of the crypto markets, saying:

If an ETF doesnt see the light in the coming weeks expect to see a further selloff, as it suggests regulators will continue to fight against bringing cryptocurrencies into the mainstream,

He also claimed that a break below US$5,770 for bitcoin would intensify selling pressure as its the only major support still standing.

Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Market.com, also said that the decline arrives as emerging-market currencies were selling off, which is on the back of being startled from last weeks collapse of the Turkish lira against Australian dollar.

He also said the occurrence puts paid to the notion of cryptos as a safe haven play.

Ultimately USD and US Treasury notes are the only real safe harbour, Wilson said.

Matthew Newton, an analystat the online trading platform eToro, shared similar concerns:

The crypto market seems to have hit panic mode, with prices falling significantly across the board. As we can see in the case of ethereum, investors seem to be increasing liquidations of their ICO holdings, with significant drops in price and increased volumes,

This has had a knock-on effect on the rest of the [cryptocurrency] market, with bitcoin also momentarily dropping below $6,000 late last night. With prices hanging in the balance, emotions will be running high among traders. But keeping things in perspective, bitcoin is still range-bound for now between $5,700 to $8,000 in line with how it has traded over the past few months.

One thing remains clear after the sudden global decline in cryptos. These markets are as dangerous as they are exciting. Their volatile nature doesnt seem likely to let up, at least not until appropriate exchange-traded funds can be approved.

Crypto markets went through the wash yesterday, and its likely that many of the more-cautious investors could be looking to cut their losses and opt out of the troubling market. Cryptocurrency investors have been sharing the damning effects on various community forums, with many revealing the extent of their personal losses. Eiland Glover, CEO of crypto firm Kowala, said:

While your average trader on Reddit or in a family office may be taking a hit this month, the true sufferers are those who are seeing their life savings plummet yet have no trustworthy fiat alternative to turn to.

But amid this panic, in highly stressful times, it would do well for investors to remember the financially liberating nature of this technology. Which Mr Glover described as nothing short of a miracle for those in equally unstable economies, such as Venezuela and Turkey.

Regards,

Ryan Clarkson-Ledward,ForMoney Morning

PS: Despite global crypto markets hitting panic mode this week, our crypto expert Sam Volkering believes cryptocurrency still holds a lot of positive potential, if you know the right strategy. He has perfected his own. In his free report Why 2018 Could Be the Start of a 5200% Bitcoin Bull Rush hell tell you the five basic things that you must understand before investing in bitcoin. Click here to download your copy.

Ryan holds degrees in both communication and international business. He helps bring Money Morning readers the latest market updates, both locally and abroad. Ryan tackles all the issues investors need to know about that the mainstream media neglects.

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Cryptocurrency Markets Hit Panic Mode after Bitcoin and ...

Australian cryptocurrency startups languish as Bitcoin and …

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A number of Australian cryptocurrency startups who raised millions in digital currency just six months ago have had to face the realities of a volatile and constantly fluctuating market, with the price of popular cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum plummeting nearly 70% since the start of the year.

As 2017 ticked over into 2018, the cryptocurrency market was in the midst of an incredible boom, with Bitcoin prices going to a mind-boggling $25,000, and Ethereum reaching $2,000. However, since then the market has failed to repeat those highs, slowly falling throughout the year to current 12-month lows of Bitcoin at $8,500 and Ethereum at $380.

Though crypto investors were treated to a small 10% bounce this morning, the large majority of recent investors would be looking at portfolios dripping in red. Similar situations could be occuringfor companies who jumped on the cryptocurrency train, as amounts raised during the markets heydays are likely to be much less now.

For instance, local crypto-marketplaces startup CanYa raised $12 million at the end of 2017 and into 2018, which consisted of a mixture of Bitcoin and Ethereum sold at both public and private sale. Today, a conservative estimate would place the value of that raise at below $4 million dollars at current market prices.

Similarly, Australias largest ICO Havven raised $39 million in March this year for its stablecoin technology. Today, that same amount in digital currency would likely be worth less than $13 million.

These calculations do not account for bonuses on tokens sold in private sales and for companies who have sold chunks of their ICO capital from digital currency to traditional currency, which many of them are likely to have done.

However, SmartCompany understands a number of prominent Australian crypto companies kept significant amounts of their raised funds as crypto, with Power Ledger founder Dave Martin telling StartupSmart in March it still had around half its raise as digital currency.

However, as Power Ledgers sale was conducted when markets were at a similar stage, its unlikely the amount raised by the company has changed significantly.

However, as the markets have tanked, so too have the tokens released by these companies to fuel their projects. The process of an ICO sees companies releasing their own digital assets to investors, with investors hoping those assets appreciate over time so they may profit.

Nearly every Australian cryptocurrency companys tokens have depreciated beyond the price they initially began to trade at after their public sales.

Power Ledgers token is currently trading at 0.173 US cents, having entered the market at around 2 US cents. Similarly, CanYas token is trading at0.046 US cents, entering the market at $US4.10 a drop of nearly 100%.

CanYas token performance over time. Source: coinmarketcap.com

Power Ledgers token performance over time. Source: coinmarketcap.com

Havven hasnt performed much better, trading at around ten US cents with a market entry price of 44 US cents.

The market drops have also scared off new local entrants to the cryptocurrency market, with the last Australian ICO to complete being intimate, who finalised a $12 million ICO in late May. The bloodbath has led members of the Australian startup scene to question the validity of ICOs as a funding method.

NOW READ: Cryptos grisly underbelly: CanYa develops own accounting software after finding itself in a compliance hole

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Australian cryptocurrency startups languish as Bitcoin and ...

Rapper Akon Creates ‘Akoin’ Cryptocurrency | Zero Hedge

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Authored by Molly Jane Zuckerman via CoinTelegraph.com,

Rapper and singer Akon of twelveBillboard Top Ten Hits, including the famous Smack That, has announced the creation of his own cryptocurrency for use in his new African Akon Crypto City,Page Sixreported yesterday, June 19.

image courtesy of CoinTelegraph

During a panel at Cannes Lion, Senegal-descended Akon said that his cryptocurrency, the Akoin, will be available in two weeks for use in the 2,000 acres of land recently given to him by the president of Senegal.

The new Akon Crypto Citydescribes itselfas a 100% crypto-based city with Akoin at the center of transactional life [...] blend[ing] leading Smart City planning designs with a blank canvas for cryptonizing our daily human and business exchanges, towards inventing a radical new way of existence.

Akon, who has already been involved with bringing solar power to Africa through his Lighting Africa project, said that bringing cryptocurrency to Africa can help empower its public:

I think that blockchain and crypto could be the savior for Africa in many ways because it brings the power back to the people and brings the security back into the currency system and also allows the people to utilize it in ways where they can advance themselves and not allow government to do those things that are keeping them down.

When asked about the specifics of the technology, Akon demurred, noting, I come with the concepts and let the geeks figure it out.

The singer also mentioned the possibility of his running for U.S. president in 2020, imagining a future debate between himself, current president Donald Trump, and rapper Kanye West:

And the debate stage will be set where its all about me. Its perfect, a masterplan. Im going to come in with a team so crazy, man, its all going down. Im not holding my tongue. The way I look at it, win or lose, at least I get the movement going, I get the conversation going.

Both Akons cryptocurrency and presidential ambitions mirror those ofJohn McAfee, formerly of McAfee Anti-Virus software and now well-known crypto enthusiast. McAfee announced recently that he would bereleasinghis own fiat currency backed by crypto, as well as plans torun for presidentin order to gain a wider platform for promoting cryptocurrency.

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200 Days – A Trip Around the World Travel Film – YouTube

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My wife and I traveled to 17 countries in 200 days. This film is the story of our incredible trip! Enjoy!

We used a GoPro and a Nikon D7000 for all of the filming.

For Business Inquiries please e.mail me at 40northdesigns@gmail.com.

Website: 40northdesigns.com

Music Credits:

Please check out and buy the music from these incredible artists that made this film possible. They are in order of appearance.

M83 - Outro https://www.youtube.com/user/m83

Eric Hutchinson - Tell the World https://www.youtube.com/user/erichutc...

Vance Joy - Mess is Minehttps://www.youtube.com/user/vancejoy...

Avicii - The Nightshttps://www.youtube.com/user/AviciiOf...

The Kooks - Bad Habithttps://www.youtube.com/user/TheKooks...

Yumi And The Weather - Must I Waithttps://www.youtube.com/user/YumiAndT...

American Authors - Best Day of My Lifehttps://www.youtube.com/user/American...

Tim McMorris - On Top of the Worldhttps://www.youtube.com/user/timmcmorris

The Neighbourhood - Sweater Weatherhttps://www.youtube.com/user/TheNeigh...

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200 Days - A Trip Around the World Travel Film - YouTube

How to use the Tor Browser to surf the web anonymously …

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Recently, BoingBoing ran an article about how some librarians in Massachusetts were installing Tor software in all their public PCs to anonymize the browsing habits of their patrons. The librarians are doing this as a stand against passive government surveillance as well as companies that track users online and build dossiers to serve highly-targeted advertising.

It's an interesting project and a bold stand for user privacy. But the good news is that if you want to browse anonymously, you don't have to go to the library to use Tor. Connecting to the Tor network from your own PC is quick and painless thanks to the Tor project's dead simple Tor Browser. (Want even more privacy? Check out the top picks from our VPN reviews.)

Tor is a computer network run by volunteers worldwide. Each volunteer runs what is called a relay, which is just a computer that runs software allowing users to connect to the Internet via the Tor network.

Before hitting the open Internet, the Tor Browser will connect to several different relays, wiping its tracks each step of the way, making it difficult to figure out where, and who, you really are.

While Tor is gaining a reputation as a tool for buying illicit goods online, the software has numerous legitimate uses. Activists masking their location from oppressive regimes and journalists communicating with anonymous sources are two simple examples.

If, like the librarians in Massachusetts, you don't have an exotic reason for using Tor, it's still a good tool to keep your browsing private from your ISP, advertisers, or passive government data collection. But if the NSA or other three-letter agency decided to actively target your browsing habits that's a whole different ballgame.

The easiest way to use Tor is to download the Tor Browser. This is a modified version of Firefox along with a bunch of other software that connects you to the Tor network.

Once you've downloaded the installer, you have two options: You can just install the software or you can check the installation file's GPG signature first. Some people like to check the installation file to make sure they've downloaded the proper version of the browser and not something that's been tampered with.

But checking the GPG signature is not a painless process and requires an additional software download. Nevertheless, if that's something you'd like to do, the Tor Project has a how-to explaining what's required.

Whether or not you've checked the GPG signature, the next step is to install the Tor browser itself.

You can install the Tor browser on a USB stick.

For Windows, the Tor Browser comes as an EXE file, so it's basically like installing any other program. The key difference is that the browser doesn't have the same default location as most programs. Instead, it offers your desktop as the install location.

The Tor browser does this because it is portable software and doesn't integrate into a Windows system the way typical programs do. This means you can run the Tor browser from almost anywherethe Desktop, your documents folder, or even a USB drive.

When you arrive at the Choose install location window Click Browse... and then choose where you'd like to install the browser. As you can see in the image above, I installed it to a USB drive that I tote around on my key chain.

Once you've got your location selected, just press Install and Tor takes care of the rest.

Once the browser is installed, you'll have a plain old folder called Tor Browser. Open that and inside you'll see "Start Tor Browser.exe". Click that file and a new window opens asking whether you'd like to connect directly to the Tor network or if you need to configure proxy settings first.

Most people can simply connect directly to the Tor network to get started. (Click to enlarge.)

For most people, choosing the direct option is best, so choose Connect. A few seconds later a version of Firefox will launch and you are now connected to the Tor network and able to browser in relative anonymity.

To make sure you're connected to Tor go to whatismyip.com, which will automatically detect your location based on your Internet Protocol address. If your browser shows you coming from a location that is not your own, you are good to go. Just make sure you do all your anonymous browsing from the Tor Browser itself as other programs on your system are not connected to Tor.

But browsing anonymously on Tor isn't quite as easy as booting up a program. There are also some rules of the road you should observe, such as connecting to every site possible via SSL/TSL encryption (HTTPS). If you don't, then anything you do online can be observed by the person running your exit node. The browser has the Electronic Frontier Foundation's HTTPS Everywhere add-on installed by default, which should cover your SSL/TSL needs most of the time.

The Tor Project has more tips on browsing anonymously.

Also, remember that browsing in anonymity does not make you immune to viruses and other malware. If you are going to the seedier parts of the Internet, Tor cannot protect you from malicious software that could be used to reveal your location.

For the average Internet user, however, the Tor Browser should be enough to stay private online.

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How to use the Tor Browser to surf the web anonymously ...

Eugenics – Facts & Summary – HISTORY.com

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Thanks to the unspeakable atrocities of Hitler and the Nazis, eugenics lost momentum in after World War II, although forced sterilizations still happened. But as medical technology advanced, a new form of eugenics came on the scene.

Modern eugenics, better known as human genetic engineering, changes or removes genes to prevent disease, cure disease or improve your body in some significant way. The potential health benefits of human gene therapy are staggering since many devastating or life-threatening illnesses could be cured.

But modern genetic engineering also comes with a potential cost. As technology advances, people could routinely weed-out what they consider undesirable traits in their offspring. Genetic testing already allows parents to identify some diseases in their child in utero which may cause them to terminate the pregnancy.

This is controversial since what exactly constitutes negative traits is open to interpretation, and many people feel that all humans have the right to be born regardless of disease, or that the laws of nature shouldnt be tampered with.

Much of Americas historical eugenics efforts such as forced sterilizations have gone unpunished, although some states offered reparations to victims or their survivors. For the most part, though, its a largely unknown stain on Americas history. And no amount of money can ever repair the devastation of Hitlers eugenics programs.

As scientists embark on a new eugenics frontier, past failings can serve as a warning to approach modern genetic research with care and compassion.

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Eugenics - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com

NATO – Cold War – HISTORY.com

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The formation of the Warsaw Pact was in some ways a response to the creation of NATO, although it did not occur until six years after the Western alliance came into being. It was more directly inspired by the rearming of West Germany and its admission into NATO in 1955. In the aftermath of World War I and World War II, Soviet leaders felt very apprehensive about Germany once again becoming a military powera concern that was shared by many European nations on both sides of the Cold War divide.

In the mid-1950s, however, the U.S. and a number of other NATO members began to advocate making West Germany part of the alliance and allowing it to form an army under tight restrictions. The Soviets warned that such a provocative action would force them to make new security arrangements in their own sphere of influence, and they were true to their word. West Germany formally joined NATO on May 5, 1955, and the Warsaw Pact was signed less than two weeks later, on May 14. Joining the USSR in the alliance were Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Hungary, Poland and Romania. This lineup remained constant until the Cold War ended with the dismantling of all the Communist governments in Eastern Europe in 1989 and 1990.

Like NATO, the Warsaw Pact focused on the objective of creating a coordinated defense among its member nations in order to deter an enemy attack. There was also an internal security component to the agreement that proved useful to the USSR. The alliance provided a mechanism for the Soviets to exercise even tighter control over the other Communist states in Eastern Europe and deter pact members from seeking greater autonomy. When Soviet leaders found it necessary to use military force to put down revolts in Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968, for example, they presented the action as being carried out by the Warsaw Pact rather than by the USSR alone.

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NATO - Cold War - HISTORY.com

Psoriasis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms, Pictures & Diet

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Psoriasis facts

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a noncontagious, chronic skin disease that produces plaques of thickened, scaly skin. The dry flakes of silvery-white skin scales result from the excessively rapid proliferation of skin cells. Psoriasis is fundamentally an immune system problem. The proliferation of skin cells is triggered by inflammatory chemicals produced by specialized white blood cells called T-cells. Psoriasis commonly affects the skin of the elbows, knees, and scalp.

The spectrum of this autoimmune disease ranges from mild with limited involvement of small areas of skin to severe psoriasis with large, thick plaques to red inflamed skin affecting the entire body surface.

Psoriasis is considered an incurable, long-term (chronic) inflammatory skin condition. It has a variable course, periodically improving and worsening. It is not unusual for psoriasis to spontaneously clear for years and stay in remission. Many people note a worsening of their symptoms in the colder winter months.

Psoriasis, an immune-mediated inflammatory disease, affects all races and both sexes. Although psoriasis can be seen in people of any age, from babies to seniors, most commonly patients are first diagnosed in their early adult years. The self-esteem and quality of life of patients with psoriasis is often diminished because of the appearance of their skin. Recently, it has become clear that people with psoriasis are more likely to have diabetes, high blood lipids, cardiovascular disease, and a variety of other inflammatory diseases. This may reflect an inability to control inflammation. Caring for psoriasis takes medical teamwork.

No. Psoriasis is not contagious. Psoriasis is not transmitted sexually or by physical contact. Psoriasis is not caused by lifestyle, diet, or bad hygiene.

While the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, researchers consider environmental, genetic, and immune system factors as playing roles in the establishment of the disease.

What are psoriasis causes and risk factors?

The exact cause remains unknown. A combination of elements, including genetic predisposition and environmental factors, are involved. It is common for psoriasis to be found in members of the same family. Defects in the immune system and the control of inflammation are thought to play major roles. Certain medications like beta-blockers have been linked to psoriasis. Despite research over the past 30 years, the "master switch" that turns on psoriasis is still a mystery.

What are the different types of psoriasis?

There are several different forms of psoriasis, including plaque psoriasis or psoriasis vulgaris (common type), guttate psoriasis (small, drop-like spots), inverse psoriasis (in the folds like of the underarms, navel, groin, and buttocks), and pustular psoriasis (small pus-filled yellowish blisters). When the palms and the soles are involved, this is known as palmoplantar psoriasis. In erythrodermic psoriasis, the entire skin surface is involved with the disease. Patients with this form of psoriasis often feel cold and may develop congestive heart failure if they have a preexisting heart problem. Nail psoriasis produces yellow pitted nails that can be confused with nail fungus. Scalp psoriasis can be severe enough to produce localized hair loss, plenty of dandruff, and severe itching.

Can psoriasis affect my joints?

Yes, psoriasis is associated with inflamed joints in about one-third of those affected. In fact, sometimes joint pains may be the only sign of the disorder, with completely clear skin. The joint disease associated with psoriasis is referred to as psoriatic arthritis. Patients may have inflammation of any joints (arthritis), although the joints of the hands, knees, and ankles tend to be most commonly affected. Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory, destructive form of arthritis and needs to be treated with medications in order to stop the disease progression.

The average age for onset of psoriatic arthritis is 30-40 years of age. Usually, the skin symptoms and signs precede the onset of the arthritis.

Can psoriasis affect only my nails?

Yes, psoriasis may involve solely the nails in a limited number of patients. Usually, the nail signs accompany the skin and arthritis symptoms and signs. Nail psoriasis is typically very difficult to treat. Treatment options are somewhat limited and include potent topical steroids applied at the nail-base cuticle, injection of steroids at the nail-base cuticle, and oral or systemic medications as described below for the treatment of psoriasis.

What are psoriasis symptoms and signs? What does psoriasis look like?

Plaque psoriasis signs and symptoms appear as red or pink small scaly bumps that merge into plaques of raised skin. Plaque psoriasis classically affects skin over the elbows, knees, and scalp and is often itchy. Although any area may be involved, plaque psoriasis tends to be more common at sites of friction, scratching, or abrasion. Sometimes pulling off one of these small dry white flakes of skin causes a tiny blood spot on the skin. This is a special diagnostic sign in psoriasis called the Auspitz sign.

Fingernails and toenails often exhibit small pits (pinpoint depressions) and/or larger yellowish-brown separations of the nail from the nail bed at the fingertip called distal onycholysis. Nail psoriasis may be confused with and incorrectly diagnosed as a fungal nail infection.

Guttate psoriasis symptoms and signs include bumps or small plaques ( inch or less) of red itchy, scaling skin that may appear explosively, affecting large parts of the skin surface simultaneously, after a sore throat.

In inverse psoriasis, genital lesions, especially in the groin and on the head of the penis, are common. Psoriasis in moist areas like the navel or the area between the buttocks (intergluteal folds) may look like flat red plaques without much scaling. This may be confused with other skin conditions like fungal infections, yeast infections, allergic rashes, or bacterial infections.

Symptoms and signs of pustular psoriasis include at rapid onset of groups of small bumps filled with pus on the torso. Patients are often systemically ill and may have a fever.

Erythrodermic psoriasis appears as extensive areas of red skin often involving the entire skin surface. Patients may often feel chilled.

Scalp psoriasis may look like severe dandruff with dry flakes and red areas of skin. It can be difficult to differentiate between scalp psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis when only the scalp is involved. However, the treatment is often very similar for both conditions.

How do health care professionals diagnose psoriasis?

The diagnosis of psoriasis is typically made by obtaining information from the physical examination of the skin, medical history, and relevant family health history.

Sometimes lab tests, including a microscopic examination of skin cells obtained from a skin biopsy, may be necessary.

Eczema vs. psoriasis

Occasionally, it can be difficult to differentiate eczematous dermatitis from psoriasis. This is when a biopsy can be quite valuable to distinguish between the two conditions. Of note, both eczematous dermatitis and psoriasis often respond to similar treatments. Certain types of eczematous dermatitis can be cured where this is not the case for psoriasis.

How many people have psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a fairly common skin condition and is estimated to affect approximately 1%-3% of the U.S. population. It currently affects roughly 7.5 million to 8.5 million people in the U.S. It is seen worldwide in about 125 million people. Interestingly, African Americans have about half the rate of psoriasis as Caucasians.

Is psoriasis contagious?

No. A person cannot catch it from someone else, and one cannot pass it to anyone else by skin-to-skin contact. Directly touching someone with psoriasis every day will never transmit the condition.

Is there a cure for psoriasis?

No, psoriasis is not currently curable. However, it can go into remission, producing an entirely normal skin surface. Ongoing research is actively making progress on finding better treatments and a possible cure in the future.

Is psoriasis hereditary?

Although psoriasis is not contagious from person to person, there is a known hereditary tendency. Therefore, family history is very helpful in making the diagnosis.

What health care specialists treat psoriasis?

Dermatologists are doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis, and rheumatologists specialize in the treatment of joint disorders and psoriatic arthritis. Many kinds of doctors may treat psoriasis, including dermatologists, family physicians, internal medicine physicians, rheumatologists, and other medical doctors. Some patients have also seen other allied health professionals such as acupuncturists, holistic practitioners, chiropractors, and nutritionists.

The American Academy of Dermatology and the National Psoriasis Foundation are excellent sources to help find doctors who specialize in this disease. Not all dermatologists and rheumatologists treat psoriasis. The National Psoriasis Foundation has one of the most up-to-date databases of current psoriasis specialists.

It is now apparent that patients with psoriasis are prone to a variety of other disease conditions, so-called comorbidities. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease, hyperlipidemia, liver problems, and arthritis are more common in patients with psoriasis. It is very important for all patients with psoriasis to be carefully monitored by their primary care providers for these associated illnesses. The joint inflammation of psoriatic arthritis and its complications are frequently managed by rheumatologists.

What are psoriasis treatment options?

There are many effective psoriasis treatment choices. The best treatment is individually determined by the treating doctor and depends, in part, on the type of disease, the severity, and amount of skin involved and the type of insurance coverage.

For mild disease that involves only small areas of the body (less than 10% of the total skin surface), topical treatments (skin applied), such as creams, lotions, and sprays, may be very effective and safe to use. Occasionally, a small local injection of steroids directly into a tough or resistant isolated psoriatic plaque may be helpful.

For moderate to severe psoriasis that involves much larger areas of the body (>10% or more of the total skin surface), topical products may not be effective or practical to apply. This may require ultraviolet light treatments or systemic (total body treatments such as pills or injections) medicines. Internal medications usually have greater risks. Because topical therapy has no effect on psoriatic arthritis, systemic medications are generally required to stop the progression to permanent joint destruction.

It is important to keep in mind that as with any medical condition, all medicines carry possible side effects. No medication is 100% effective for everyone, and no medication is 100% safe. The decision to use any medication requires thorough consideration and discussion with your health care provider. The risks and potential benefit of medications have to be considered for each type of psoriasis and the individual. Of two patients with precisely the same amount of disease, one may tolerate it with very little treatment, while the other may become incapacitated and require treatment internally.

A proposal to minimize the toxicity of some of these medicines has been commonly called "rotational" therapy. The idea is to change the anti-psoriasis drugs every six to 24 months in order to minimize the toxicity of one medication. Depending on the medications selected, this proposal can be an option. An exception to this proposal is the use of the newer biologic medications as described below. An individual who has been using strong topical steroids over large areas of their body for prolonged periods may benefit from stopping the steroids for a while and rotating onto a different therapy.

What creams, lotions, and home remedies are available for psoriasis?

Topical (skin applied) treatments include topical corticosteroids, vitamin D analogue creams like calcipotriene (Calcitrene, Dovonex, Sorilux), topical retinoids (tazarotene [Tazorac]), moisturizers, topical immunomodulators (tacrolimus and pimecrolimus), coal tar, anthralin, and others.

Are psoriasis shampoos available?

Coal tar shampoos are very useful in controlling psoriasis of the scalp. Using the shampoo daily can be very beneficial adjunctive therapy. There are a variety of over-the-counter shampoos available without a prescription. There is no evidence that one shampoo is superior to another. Generally, the selection of a tar shampoo is simply a matter of personal preference.

What oral medications are available for psoriasis?

Oral medications include methotrexate (Trexall), acitretin (Soriatane), cyclosporine (Neoral), apremilast (Otezla), and others. Oral prednisone (corticosteroid) is generally not used in psoriasis and may cause a disease flare-up if administered.

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What injections or infusions are available for psoriasis?

Recently, a new group of drugs called biologics have become available to treat psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They are produced by living cells cultures in an industrial setting. They are all proteins and therefore must be administered through the skin because they would otherwise be degraded during digestion. All biologics work by suppressing certain specific portions of the immune inflammatory response that are overactive in psoriasis. A convenient method of categorizing these drugs is on the basis of their site of action:

Drug choice can be complicated, and your physician will help in selecting the best option. In some patients. it may be possible to predict drug efficacy on the basis of a prospective patient's genetics. It appears that the presence of the HLA-Cw6 gene is correlated with a beneficial response to ustekinumab.

Newer drugs are in development and no doubt will be available in the near future. As this class of drugs is fairly new, ongoing monitoring and adverse effect reporting continues and long-term safety continues to be monitored. Biologics are all comparatively expensive especially in view of the fact they none of them are curative. Recently, the FDA has attempted to address this problem by permitting the use of "biosimilar" drugs. These drugs are structurally identical to a specific biologic drug and are presumed to produce identical therapeutic responses in human beings to the original, but are produced using different methodology. Biosimilars ought to be available at some fraction of the cost of the original. If this will be an effective approach remains to be seen. The only biosimilar available currently is infliximab (Inflectra). Two other biosimilar drugs have been accepted by the FDA, an etanercept equivalent (Erelzi) and an adalimumab equivalent (Amjevita) -- but currently, neither are available.

Some biologics are to be administered by self-injections for home use while others are given by intravenous infusions in the doctor's office. Biologics have some screening requirements such as a tuberculosis screening test (TB skin test or PPD test) and other labs prior to starting therapy. As with any drug, side effects are possible with all biologic drugs. Common potential side effects include mild local injection-site reactions (redness and tenderness). There is concern of serious infections and potential malignancy with nearly all biologic drugs. Precautions include patients with known or suspected hepatitis B infection, active tuberculosis, and possibly HIV/AIDS. As a general consideration, these drugs may not be an ideal choice for patients with a history of cancer and patients actively undergoing cancer therapy. In particular, there may be an increased association of lymphoma in patients taking a biologic.

Biologics are expensive medications ranging in price from several to tens of thousands of dollars per year per person. Their use may be limited by availability, cost, and insurance approval. Not all insurance drug plans fully cover these drugs for all conditions. Patients need to check with their insurance and may require a prior authorization request for coverage approval. Some of the biologic manufacturers have patient-assistance programs to help with financial issues. Therefore, choice of the right medication for your condition depends on many factors, not all of them medical. Additionally, convenience of receiving the medication and lifestyle affect the choice of the right biologic medication.

Is there an anti-psoriasis diet?

Most patients with psoriasis seem to be overweight. Since there is a predisposition for those patients to develop cardiovascular disease and diabetes, it is suggested strongly that they try to maintain a normal body weight. Although evidence is sparse, it has been suggested that slender patients are more likely to respond to treatment.

Although dietary studies are notoriously difficult to perform and interpret, it seems likely that an anti-inflammatorydiet whose fat content is composed of polyunsaturated oils like olive oil and fish oil is beneficial for psoriasis. The so-called Mediterranean diet is an example.

What about light therapy for psoriasis?

Light therapy is also called phototherapy. There are several types of medical light therapies that include PUVA (an acronym for psoralen + UVA), UVB, and narrow-band UVB. These artificial light sources have been used for decades and generally are available in only certain physician's offices. There are a few companies who may sell light boxes or light bulbs for prescribed home light therapy.

Natural sunlight is also used to treat psoriasis. Daily short, controlled exposures to natural sunlight may help or clear psoriasis in some patients. Skin unaffected by psoriasis and sensitive areas such as the face and hands may need to be protected during sun exposure.

There are also multiple newer light sources like lasers and photodynamic therapy (use of a light activating medication and a special light source) that have been used to treat psoriasis.

PUVA is a special treatment using a photosensitizing drug and timed artificial-light exposure composed of wavelengths of ultraviolet light in the UVA spectrum. The photosensitizing drug in PUVA is called psoralen. Both the psoralen and the UVA light must be administered within one hour of each other for a response to occur. These treatments are usually given in a physician's office two to three times per week. Several weeks of PUVA is usually required before seeing significant results. The light exposure time is gradually increased during each subsequent treatment. Psoralens may be given orally as a pill or topically as a bath or lotion. After a short incubation period, the skin is exposed to a special wavelength of ultraviolet light called UVA. Patients using PUVA are generally sun sensitive and must avoid sun exposure for a period of time after PUVA. Common side effects with PUVA include burning, aging of the skin, increased brown spots called lentigines, and an increased risk of skin cancer, including melanoma. The relative increase in skin cancer risk with PUVA treatment is controversial. PUVA treatments need to be closely monitored by a physician and discontinued when a maximum number of treatments have been reached.

Narrow-band UVB phototherapy is an artificial light treatment using very limited wavelengths of light. It is frequently given daily or two to three times per week. UVB is also a component of natural sunlight. UVB dosage is based on time and exposure is gradually increased as tolerated. Potential side effects with UVB include skin burning, premature aging, and possible increased risk of skin cancer. The relative increase in skin cancer risk with UVB treatment needs further study but is probably less than PUVA or traditional UVB.

Sometimes UVB is combined with other treatments such as tar application. Goeckerman is a special psoriasis therapy using this combination. Some centers have used this therapy in a "day care" type of setting where patients are in the psoriasis treatment clinic all day for several weeks and go home each night.

Recently, a laser (excimer laser XTRAC) has been developed that generates ultraviolet light in the same range as narrow-band ultraviolet light. This light can be beneficial for psoriasis localized to small areas of skin like the palms, soles, and scalp. It is impractical to use in in extensive disease.

What is the long-term prognosis with psoriasis? What are complications of psoriasis?

Overall, the prognosis for most patients with psoriasis is good. While it is not curable, it is controllable. As described above, recent studies show an association of psoriasis and other medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Is it possible to prevent psoriasis?

Since psoriasis is inherited, it is impossible at this time to suggest anything that is likely to prevent its development aside from indulging in a healthy lifestyle.

What does the future hold for psoriasis?

Psoriasis research is heavily funded and holds great promise for the future. Just the last five to 10 years have produced great improvements in treatment of the disease with medications aimed at controlling precise sites of the process of inflammation. Ongoing research is needed to decipher the ultimate underlying cause of this disease.

Is there a national psoriasis support group?

Yes, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is an organization dedicated to helping patients with psoriasis and furthering research in this field. They hold national and local chapter meetings. The NPF web site (http://www.psoriasis.org/home/) shares up-to-date reliable medical information and statistics on the condition.

Where can people get more information on psoriasis?

A dermatologist, the American Academy of Dermatology at http://www.AAD.org, and the National Psoriasis Foundation at http://www.psoriasis.org/home/ may be excellent sources of more information.

There are many ongoing clinical trials for psoriasis all over the United States and in the world. Many of these clinical trials are ongoing at academic or university medical centers and are frequently open to patients without cost.

Clinical trials frequently have specific requirements for types and severity of psoriasis that may be enrolled into a specific trial. Patients need to contact these centers and inquire regarding the specific study requirements. Some studies have restrictions on what recent medications have been used for psoriasis, current medication, and overall health.

Some of the many medical centers in the U.S. offering clinical trials for psoriasis include the University of California, San Francisco Department of Dermatology, the University of California, Irvine Department of Dermatology, and the St. Louis University Medical School.

Medically Reviewed on 2/1/2018

References

Alwan, W., and F.O. Nestle. "Pathogenesis and Treatment of Psoriasis: Exploiting Pathophysiological Pathways for Precision Medicine." Clin Exp Rheumatol 33 (Suppl. 93): S2-S6.

Arndt, Kenneth A., eds., et al. "Topical Therapies for Psoriasis." Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery 35.2S Mar. 2016: S35-S46.

Conrad, Curdin, Michel Gilliet. "Psoriasis: From Pathogenesis to Targeted Therapies." Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology Jan. 18, 2015.

Dowlatshahi, E.A., E.A.M van der Voort, L.R. Arends, and T. Nijsten. "Markers of Systemic Inflammation in Psoriasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." British Journal of Dermatology 169.2 Aug. 2013: 266282.

Greb, Jacqueline E., et al. "Psoriasis." Nature Reviews Disease Primers 2 (2016): 1-17.

National Psoriasis Foundation. "Systemic Treatments: Biologics and Oral Treatments." 1-25.

Ogawa, Eisaku, Yuki Sato, Akane Minagawa, and Ryuhei Okuyama. "Pathogenesis of Psoriasis and Development of Treatment." The Journal of Dermatology 2017: 1-9.

Villaseor-Park, Jennifer, David Wheeler, and Lisa Grandinetti. "Psoriasis: Evolving Treatment for a Complex Disease." Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 79.6 June 2012: 413-423.

Woo, Yu Ri, Dae Ho Cho, and Hyun Jeong Park. "Molecular Mechanisms and Management of a Cutaneous Inflammatory Disorder: Psoriasis." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 18 Dec. 11, 2017: 1-26.

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Psoriasis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms, Pictures & Diet

Bankruptcy – All You Need to Know | Bankruptcy HQ

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Personal Bankruptcy

In a nutshell, most individuals and married couples have two types of bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. While you can receive a bankruptcy discharge and thus eliminate your debts by filing either chapter, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 function very differently.

Chapter 7 is intended for those looking for a fresh start. Its often referred to as liquidation bankruptcy -- meaning that you must be prepared to give up any assets that you cant protect by your jurisdictions bankruptcy exemptions to get a clean slate of your debts. Below is a checklist of needed information for Chapter 7. For more detailed information on any of the checklist items, please click the highlighted links.

Chapter 13 is commonly referred to as the reorganization bankruptcy. Its filed for many reasons - most commonly to save a home from foreclosure, stop IRS collection or to consolidate debts into a single monthly affordable payment. Below is a checklist of needed information for Chapter 13. For more detailed information on any of the checklist items, please click the highlighted links.

There are many different life situations that result in people filing personal bankruptcies. Some of them are:

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Bankruptcy - All You Need to Know | Bankruptcy HQ

Pediatric Home Health Care in Secaucus, NJ | Hiring Nurses

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At BAYADA Pediatrics in Secaucus, NJ, we understand that nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of your child. Thats why we are committed to providing exceptional pediatric care with compassion, excellence, and reliability. Its The BAYADA Way.

We take the responsibility bestowed on us by our clients and their families very seriously. We understand not only the medical complexities of caring for a child with a serious diagnosis but also how that childs medical needs can affect the entire family. Every facet of life can change when faced with a serious illness; so, when you turn to us for help we answer your call with compassion, excellence, and reliability. We have the ability and resources to take care of just about everything, so you dont have to. We offer a wide variety of services ranging from providing nursing care, care for your child at school, respite care, to help your child with a wide variety of personal care and daily activity services.

We understand that when you contact us you want, more than anything, to know that your child has access to the best care available. All of our pediatric nurses and assistive care professionals (Home Health Aides and Certified Nursing Aides) are experienced and specially trained to care for children with complicated needs. In fact, BAYADA Pediatrics implemented the first clinical simulation lab in the nation focused on providing advanced training for pediatric nurses in home care, similar to training received at the top childrens hospitals across the country. Clinical manager oversight and home visits, as well as round-the-clock call responses, give a priceless measure of comfort to our clients and their families.

Our family-centered care approach is truly that: centered on your family. We connect with you, include you in the care as much as you desire, and respect your home and your wishes. Our clients come first and it is our goal to improve the lives of every family we touch. You can be confident in your choice when you choose BAYADA for your childs home health care needs.

Our office is located at 1 Harmon Plaza Suite 306, Secaucus, NJ and our phone number is (201) 863-8540. Contact us today!

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Litecoin price analysis: Balancing at the edge of a cliff …

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Litecoin is still languishing in selling pressure, although other assets in the market are showing signs of recovery. Bitcoin (BTC), for example, is sitting comfortably above $6,300 after testing the lows at $6,100. Monero (XLM) is among the biggest gainers on the day with a 4.7% jump but it is still struggling with the $100 resistance. IOTA (IOT) is up over 2% while Bitcoin Cash is trading at $595 with a 1% rise in value.

Litecoin price analysis

Litecoin, on the other hand, staged a recovery during the trading session yesterday from the lows marginally above $61.00. The price retraced above $63.00 reacted lower short of $64.00. However, there was another pullback on Thursday (Asian trading hours) where LTC/USD broke the resistance at $64.00, although the trend turned bearish shortly after. Litecoin has been correcting lower since then in addition to retesting the support at $61.00.

A bounce occurred taking the price above the 23.6% Fib level from the last high at $64.13 to a low of $61.56 at $62.18. The rising selling pressure is limiting gains and LTC/USD is on yet another slide towards the critical support. To prevent further declines, the buyers must hold their ground above $61.00, otherwise, further a break down below $60.00 is likely to follow in the near-term. On the flip side, the 23.6% Fibo (broken support) will limit the gains. The trendline resistance is also present around $62.5 supply zone. The 100 SMA is still maintaining above the short-term 100 SMA indicating that the sellers still have an upper hand.

In other news related to Litecoin, the founder Charlie Lee has today told his followers on Twitter that while the market is in the bear momentum, it is the best time to push for adoption. He said this while announcing Litecoin SMS Payment feature that is coming soon. Lee says:

A bear market is the best time for people to work on adoption.

Litecoin is working on an application it is calling lite.im, that will enable anybody with a mobile phone to receive and funds.

With lite.im anyone with an SMS-capable mobile phone can send and receive funds, anywhere in the world and without the need for a centralized authority. Litecoin was created as a tool for financial freedom. With lite.im, were extending that freedom to everyone.

This new feature for Litecoin seeks to bring financial inclusivity to all people around the world. It will work in cases where access to acrypto wallet is not possible. In addition to that, lite.im will come in handy in situations where internet connection is poor or if a user lives in a country where the government censors the internet or bans cryptocurrency use.

LTC/USD 15-minutes chart

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Litecoin price analysis: Balancing at the edge of a cliff ...

New York City Council Capped The Number Of Ubers Allowed On City Streets

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Update August 8, 2018 at 4:12 PM ET:

The New York City Council just passed the bill to cap the number of Uber drivers for 12 months, along with four other bills. An overwhelming majority of the City Council’s 51 council members voted in favor of the bills.

Update August 8, 2018 at 4:50 PM ET

An Uber spokesperson told Futurism:

The City’s 12-month pause on new vehicle licenses will threaten one of the few reliable transportation options while doing nothing to fix the subways or ease congestion. We take the Speaker at his word that the pause is not intended to reduce service for New Yorkers and we trust that he will hold the TLC accountable, ensuring that no New Yorker is left stranded. In the meantime, Uber will do whatever it takes to keep up with growing demand and we will not stop working with city and state leaders, including Speaker Johnson, to pass real solutions like comprehensive congestion pricing.

UBER-CONGESTED. The New York City Council is expected to vote on setting a cap on all new Uber vehicles on Wednesday. The bill, if it passes, would halt the issue of any new licenses for any new ride-hailing service drivers for a 12 month period. Several outlets have reported that the City Council is likely to vote in favor of the bill. If the vote goes as predicted, the outcome could be a boon to drivers and, as the New York Times notes, “a major blow” to the ride sharing service.

This is the first of several bills on which the City Council will vote in rapid succession. Others will decide a similar fate for other ride-hail apps like Lyft and Juno; another would establish a minimum pay rate (effectively a minimum wage) that ride-hail companies must pay its drivers operating in NYC.

DECONGESTING NYC. These bills are a response to New York City’s increasingly congested streets, for a number of people, including leaders at the city’s public transportation authority, the MTA, have largely blamed Uber and its ilk. According to Bloomberg, the use of app-based ride services has skyrocketed in the last couple of years — its drivers now represent “more than half of all for-hire cars on the road” in New York. Meanwhile, the number of iconic yellow cabs is virtually unchanged in the same period of time, thanks to a strict (and costly) medallion system.

By limiting the number of ride-hailing service drivers, the existing drivers would be able to complete more trips, and make more money in the process.

Predictably, Uber is not happy about New York City Council’s plans. “A 12-month pause on new for-hire vehicle licenses will leave New Yorkers stranded while doing nothing to prevent congestion, fix the subways and help struggling taxi medallion owners,” an Uber spokesperson told the New York Times.

UBER-WORKED. In bringing this series of bills to the City Council, council-members hope to create a more sustainable job market for ride-hail app drivers. As the number of ride-hail drivers on the roads has risen, many have started to buckle under the economic difficulties of the situation. Most lack benefits like a 401K or health insurance. Low wages are rampant —a new report found that Uber and Lyft drivers in the U.S. only make a median profit (factoring in insurance, maintenance, repairs, and gas) of $8.55 per hour — which is, in New York City, well below the minimum wage set by the state. The situation has become so grim for some that six taxi drivers have taken their own lives in New York City alone, according to the New York Times.

Despite the tough situation for drivers, Uber has continued to grow. The company had a very healthy first quarter of this year, raking in a $2.46 billion profit, according to the Wall Street Journal. There are rumors that Uber might go public some time next year. A driver cap in the biggest city in the U.S. could put that plan in jeopardy.

A 12-month ban on new licenses isn’t a death knell for the company, not by a long shot. But the cap might buy legislators some more time to study the effect the ride hailing industry has been having on the city, and make sure it’s working for everyone.

Read more: Why a Cap on Uber in New York Would be a Major Blow for the Ride-Hail Giant [NYT]

More on Uber: It’s Not Uber’s Fault That NYC’s Public Transportation Sucks

The post New York City Council Capped The Number Of Ubers Allowed On City Streets appeared first on Futurism.

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New York City Council Capped The Number Of Ubers Allowed On City Streets

Facial Recognition Tool That Tracks People Across Social Media Now Available to Hackers

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Open-source tool Social Mapper can help white hat hackers keep up with the black hats, but also has the potential to create more of the latter.

SCALED-UP CYBERSTALKING. If you want to get to know someone on the sly, you might check out their Facebook profile. Hackers do the same thing when they’re gathering intel for phishing or malware attacks, but on a much larger scale. They use automated tools to gather information on hundreds – or even thousands – of people across all their online profiles.

On August 8, researchers from information security company Trustwave released Social Mapper, an open-source facial recognition tool designed to help good, white hat hackers keep up with bad, black hat hackers. But in attempting to level the playing field, Trustwave may have inadvertently just created more bad guys.

GATHERING INTEL. Social Mapper uses facial recognition to track a person across eight social media platforms. To start, the user just feeds the system a list of names with a single photo of the person. Then, Social Mapper searches for those people by name on the social media platforms.

This could turn up a number of matches (after all, some names are fairly common), so the next step is using facial recognition technology to match the right profile to the target. This process isn’t exactly fast — it takes about 15 hours for Social Mapper to work through a list of 1,000 names — but it is faster than doing it manually.

Finally, Social Mapper creates a report on the targets based on all the information it gathered. This could include links to all their profiles, all of their profile photos, and any emails associated with their accounts.

ONLINE RECON. When we sneak a peak at someone’s online profile, it might just be because we’re thinking about dating them (or maybe they’re dating an ex of ours). But why would someone want to see all the profile information for hundreds of people all at once?

Well, according to the Trustwave team, hackers gather this info for a wide variety of reasons.

They might target the social media accounts of all the employees of one company, looking for images that include their access card badges or work interiors. They might also use the info they gather to customize phishing attempts, for example, by including the target’s photo in the email to give it an air of authenticity.

FOR THE GOOD GUYS. The team says they created Social Mapper for use by “penetration testers and red teamers,” people or groups that probe sites, apps, and networks for security vulnerabilities. As a Trustwave spokesperson told Gizmodo, hackers “are already using or most likely have” tools and technologies like Social Mapper, so by making their tool open-source, they’re simply leveling the playing field.

Still, if any hackers didn’t already have such a tool prior to the release of Social Mapper, they do now.

READ MORE: Face Recognition Tool Helps Nice Hackers Grab Facebook, Instagram Data Just Like the Bad Guys [Gizmodo]

More on “good” hackers: It’s Now Scary to Be a White Hat Hacker Thanks to the U.S. Government

The post Facial Recognition Tool That Tracks People Across Social Media Now Available to Hackers appeared first on Futurism.

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Facial Recognition Tool That Tracks People Across Social Media Now Available to Hackers

AI Is Shining a Spotlight on Women Scientists That Were Previously Overlooked

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Researchers have created an AI than can find scientists that deserve (but don't have) Wikipedia pages, helping close the site's gender gap.

FEMINIST AI. Yes, artificial intelligence (AI) cab perpetuate bias. But it turns out it can also help us overcome it.

On Friday, John Bohannon, director of science for AI startup Primer, published a blog post about Quicksilver, an AI tool that is helping improve the way Wikipedia covers overlooked scientists, many of whom are women.

TRAINING THE TECH. The Primer team started by feeding Quicksilver a whole lot of information — specifically, 30,000 scientists with Wikipedia entries. This information included the Wikipedia articles themselves, the scientists’ Wikidata entries, and a total of more than 3 million sentences from news coverage describing the scientists and their work.

Next, the team fed Quicksilver the names and affiliations of 200,000 people who’d written scientific papers. Within a day, the system determined that 40,000 of those authors didn’t have Wikipedia entries, even though they had been covered in the news just as much as scientists with entries. It also found valuable information that was missing from the entries that already exist.

Identifying overlooked scientists wasn’t all Quicksilver could do. It could also automatically draft Wikipedia-style entries on those scientists using all the reference information at its fingertips (so to speak). The company published 100 of these entries online in the hopes a human would pick up where Quicksilver left off by actually adding the entries to Wikipedia.

EQUAL REPRESENTATION. Eighty-two percent of the biographies on Wikipedia are about men, but Quicksilver could change that.

“Wikipedia is incredibly biased and the underrepresentation of women in science is particularly bad,” Jessica Wade, a physicist who has personally written Wikipedia entries for nearly 300 women scientists over the past year, told WIRED. “With Quicksilver, you don’t have to trawl around to find missing names, and you get a huge amount of well-sourced information very quickly.”

The Primer team has already lent Quicksilver to three English Wikipedia edit-a-thons specifically focused on improving the site’s coverage of women scientists. Between the AI’s efforts and those of Wade (and people like her), we’re closer than ever to closing Wikipedia’s science biography gender gap. And maybe that will push us towards closing the gender gap in science altogether.

READ MORE: AI Spots 40,000 Prominent Scientists Overlooked by Wikipedia [The Verge]

More on AI bias: Microsoft Announces Tool to Catch Biased AI Because We Keep Making Biased AI

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There Is Literally No Logical Reason The US Should Allow *More* Uses for Asbestos

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THE ASBESTOS PRESIDENT. U.S. President Donald Trump is a fan of environmental deregulation, Vladmir Putin, and the idea of a space force. He apparently also has no problem with asbestos.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber with a lot of qualities desirable for manufacturing. It’s great at dampening sound, fire-resistant, strong, and cheap.

It also causes cancer. We know this because study after study confirms it.

AGAINST THE TIDE. In the face of overwhelming (overwhelming!) evidence indicating that asbestos is dangerous, more than 60 countries have banned its use outright. But not the U.S. Here, our Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) simply banned some uses of the material but not others. Now, Trump’s EPA is proposing we expand that list of legal uses.

In June, the agency proposed a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) that would allow manufacturers and importers to apply on a case-by-case basis for approval to use asbestos in ways not currently approved. The comment period on that rule ends Friday, after which it could go into effect.

SO, UH, WHY?? Each year, an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people in the U.S. die from exposure to asbestos, according to the Environmental Working Group, an environmental health-focused nonprofit. Globally, that number could be as high as 255,000.

The EPA’s proposal isn’t based on any new research that disproves the health hazards of asbestos, and if nothing’s changed there, why on Earth would the U.S. want to backtrack and bring more asbestos into the nation? (One guess: Russia.)

Whatever the justification, though, this whole thing makes about as much sense as encouraging people to start smoking cigarettes. In other words, it makes no sense at all.

READ MORE: Is the Trump Administration Allowing Asbestos Back Into the Manufacturing Industry? [Newsweek]

More on asbestos: For Some, Changes to the EPA Could Be the Difference Between Life and Death

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NASA Just Launched A New Space Probe That Will Venture Closer to the Sun Than Any Craft Before It

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NASA’s New Space Probe Will Venture Closer to the Sun Than Any Craft Before It

Update August 12, 2018 3:32 AM ET:

Yesterday’s launch was delayed due to some last-minute glitches, but today those weren’t an issue. The Delta IV Heavy has now officially taken off from Complex 37!

See the bottom of the piece for real-time updates from the launch.

“TOUCHING” THE SUN. Early Saturday morning, NASA plans to launch a mission unlike any before it — this one is going to “touch” the Sun.

At 3:33 a.m. EDT, the Parker Solar Probe will launch from Space Launch Complex 37 on Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It will hitch a ride into space aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and an upper stage boost from the rocket will send it hurtling out of Earth’s orbit and on a path to Venus, eventually moving at speeds up to 700,000 kmh (430,000 mph) — faster than any probe that came before it.

SEVEN YEARS IN SPACE. Over the next seven years, the Parker Solar Probe will fly by Venus seven times, using the planet’s gravity to bring itself closer to the Sun each time. Ultimately, it will find itself within the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere, an area known as the corona. This will place the probe just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface — seven times closer to the star than any craft that came before it, according to NASA.

While being the first agency to “touch” the Sun is a reward in and of itself, NASA expects to get much more than street space cred from its Parker Solar Probe mission. The probe will contain four instrument packages designed to, among other things, trace the movement of energy and heat within the corona and help scientists figure out what accelerates solar energetic particles and solar wind.

A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY. Ultimately, the more we can learn about the Sun, the better. Disturbances in its solar wind can have an impact on near-Earth space, which can affect our planet’s satellites. These disturbances can also create complications as we attempt to send astronauts and spacecraft farther away from the Earth.

Additionally, the Sun is the only star we can study up-close, and any insights we glean from the Parker Solar Probe could help us better understand how other stars function. Perhaps these insights will even inform our understanding of how life began on Earth, helping us narrow down our hunt for life beyond it.

Update August 11, 2018 at 3:59 AM ET: The Solar Probe launch team is currently in a no-go status, delaying the launch. The exact issue has yet to announced. The team has 35 minutes of their launch window remaining.

Update August 11, 2018 4:27 AM ET: Further delays as the four minute countdown was reset. Only ten minutes remain for today’s launch window.

Update August 11, 2018 4:27 AM ET: The launch is officially delayed for up to 24 hours.

Update August 12, 2018 3:34 AM ET:

Update August 12,2018 3:38 AM ET: Six minutes in, the first and second stages of the rocket (the boosters and the rest of the rocket, respectively) have separated. The boosters have performed “very close to nominal[ly].”

Update August 12, 2018 at 4:17 AM ET: After a few communication issues with the spacecraft, NASA confirmed that the second and third stages of the craft have successfully separated.

Update August 12, 2018 at 4:37 AM ET: NASA confirms spacecraft has deployed its solar arrays. NASA’s livestream has now ended. The Parker Solar Probe is successfully on its way.

READ MORE: Space Probe to Plunge Into Fiery Corona of the Sun [Phys.org]

More on the Parker Solar Probe: NASA’s Sending a Satellite to the Sun

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Explaining Its Decisions Isn’t Going To Make Twitter Better

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After refusing to ban InfoWars, Twitter's Jack Dorsey said the problem was his failure to explain Twitter's decisions. That's not the real issue.

Twitter, unlike Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, LinkedIn, and Apple’s podcast platform, decided this week to let InfoWars, a show run by half-performance-artist-half-conspiracy-theorist Alex Jones, continue to use its platform.

On Tuesday, Twitter’s founder Jack Dorsey (more readily-recognized by his username @jack) responded to the internet’s immediate outrage with a series of tweets. Dorsey was clearly trying to explain Twitter’s stance, but he just kind of misread the whole thing.

Dorsey clarified that InfoWars did not break any of Twitter’s rules, and that Twitter would be depending on journalists, who already have their own jobs that they do for a living, to counter the misinformation and conspiracy theories spread on Twitter’s platform by people like Jones.

There are, of course, many problems with that logic, namely that Twitter is dodging responsibility for holding users to basic standards of honesty.

But at the heart of Dorsey’s position is the idea that if we just understood why Twitter provides an outlet for the worst voices of the internet, maybe we would be fine with it.

“Truth is we’ve been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past,” Dorsey said in one of his tweets. “We’re fixing that. We’re going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories.”

Unfortunately, that’s not quite how it works. Transparency is a beautiful thing, and we’d all probably be better off if tech companies brought their operations, motives, and funding into the open.

If that’s what this was about, that would be great. But it’s not.

We already have a pretty good understanding of why Twitter does what it does. Twitter, an only-recently-profitable company, makes its money by running targeted ads and selling promotions. Alex Jones has 800,000 followers. Kick Jones off, and you risk losing at least a portion of those followers, which means fewer eyeballs looking at promoted tweets. So Dorsey might not care all that much about how Twitter is used as long as we use it.

And if we’re using it — all of us, no matter if you fact check every tweet or if you’re telling people that the very-real Sandy Hook shooting didn’t happen — our voices all count more or less the same. If conspiracy theories are given a platform and allowed to propagate, no amount of fact-checking can stem the tide. And in doing so we eschew real discourse, the kind that takes these problematic claims like many of Jones’ to task, for tribalism and stubbornness. And it can (and does) make the platform unsafe people who question false information.

Dorsey has explained Twitter’s decision-making process as well as he ever needs to. Here’s the first sentence of a blog post about Twitter’s rulebook, which Dorsey shared on Tuesday: “Twitter is reflective of real conversations happening in the world and that sometimes includes perspectives that may be offensive, controversial, and/or bigoted.”

Dorsey can’t pretend that the online conversations that reflect those in the “real world” are any less harmful. Twitter has long been a risky place for many journalists, especially women and people of color. People face harassment, death threats, and bigotry on Twitter every single day.

Dorsey can give all the explanations he wants, but he’s made it clear that the heart of this platform isn’t going to change. Twitter is not going to protect us, or the truth, any better than it already is. If we want to delude ourselves into thinking otherwise, that’s on us.

More on where social media draws the line: Here’s What It Takes to Get Kicked off Facebook (Hint: It’s A Lot)

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