Daily Archives: March 5, 2020

Bitcoin, Monero and Zcash Will Still Be Used in the Year 2414 According to Netflix’s Altered Carbon – Bitcoin News

Posted: March 5, 2020 at 6:20 pm

Several cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, monero and zcash were featured on the recently released and highly anticipated second season of Altered Carbon, a cyberpunk Netflix series set about 400 years in the future. A scene from the show clearly depicts a shop where prices are set in crypto, with no fiat in sight.

Also Read: Cryptocurrency Explained on the Latest Episode of The Simpsons

Will the cryptocurrencies of today still be in use in the early 25th century? The creative minds at Netflix seem to think so.

Altered Carbon is a cyberpunk television series featuring off-world mining colonies, extinct space aliens, rogue artificial intelligence agents, mind uploading, digital immortality, corrupt corporate overloads and sword-wielding Yakuza members fighting against gritty bounty hunters armed with laser pistols. To this list of tropes we can now add using crypto assets to facilitate shopping for contraband and other illicit items.

The second season of Altered Carbon was released on Thursday, February 27, 2020, and it stars Anthony Mackie, best known for playing Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot takes place approximately 30 years after the first season, which was mainly set in the year 2384, placing the events of the second season in the early 25th century.

The world of Altered Carbon suffers from extreme economic inequality and focuses on the effects that has on society. As such, the need for money is a central driver of events in the show but the characters usually only refer to it as credits and by no other name. However, a scene in the fifth episode of the second season reveals that, at least in some markets, cryptocurrencies are the real medium of exchange in this dark future.

Without giving away any spoilers, you can see that when the hero goes to get some gear from an augments repair shop for a major adventure all the prices in the venue are set in cryptos with the logos of bitcoin, monero, zcash, litecoin and a few others clearly shown. This might have been used to give the place the look and feel of a real life darknet market.

While it is impossible to predict how the economy will look in 400 years, the shows creators are most probably right about the lack of support for current fiat currencies in a future where humanity is spread out across dozens of plants. So if you ever plan to buy a replacement cyborg hand, military-grade clone body or the ability to enhance your senses with wolf DNA on the black market, youd better hold some privacy-enabling cryptos just in case.

Bitcoin has recently returned to appear more frequently on television, beyond the financial news shows where the topic is often in the headlines. In February 2020, for example, animated family sitcom The Simpsons featured an almost two-minute segment explaining how cryptocurrency and blockchain work with the actor who played Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. In the segment, the animated Parsons tries to prove that he is not a nerd and actually super cool by the fact that he is talking about the subject.

In contrast, some parts of the media often like to employ anti-crypto tropes such as that bitcoin is only used by hackers or criminals. A recent example of this came from an episode of True Life Crime, a new series on MTV, that focused on the story of a $5 million SIM swapping scam. The producers brought on to talk about the incident included Rachel Siegel, a bitcoin advocate and proponent of mass adoption, but cut out all the positive things she had to say about cryptocurrencies.

What do you think about Netflixs Altered Carbon showing cryptocurrencies being used in the year 2400? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Netflix, Fair Use.

Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.

Avi Mizrahi is an economist and entrepreneur who has been covering Bitcoin as a journalist since 2013. He has spoken about the promise of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology at numerous financial conferences around the world, from London to Hong-Kong.

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Britney Spears Posts Cryptic Message About ‘Mind Games’ A Day After Getting Loved Up With Sam Asghari! – The Union Journal

Posted: at 6:20 pm

Got something on your mind, Britney Spears??

The pop symbol astonished her Instagram fans on Tuesday by uploading a message condemning those that play mind video games!

Video: Britney Shares The Moment Her Foot Broke

Eyebrows were elevated after Brit shared a photo of message that reviewed:

Mind video games do not make me think you are strange or intriguing. Mind video games do make me think you are a waste of my power, as well as a waste of my time.

Preach, gurl!

But the inquiry is that would certainly risk to play mind video games with Godney!?

Surely, it could not be her ever before helpful guy, Sam Asghari, whom Brit commemorated on her Gram simply a day previously, sharing:

No manner in which male plays mind video games with his lioness! At the very least, we sure wish not!

Maybe Brit was sending out a message to somebody else in her life? Or maybe she was simply passing along Insta- knowledge that reverberated with her.

What do U assume, Perezcious viewers? Ch- ch-check out the message (listed below) as well as speak up in the remarks.

[Image via WENN]

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How to Use LinkedIn: Must-Have Tips for Professional Success – G2

Posted: at 6:20 pm

LinkedIn is the worlds leading social platform for business professionals.

Founded in 2002, the social network has grown to over 600 million active users from around the globe. On the site, users are able to highlight their professional experience, network with new and existing business connections, share thought leadership articles, and even apply to jobs. On the other end, employers use the platform to advertise open positions and recruit qualified talent.

If this is your first experience using LinkedIn, youll quickly learn that its very user-friendly and no more difficult to use than other social networks. Refer to this comprehensive guide to find everything you need to do in order to make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

If youre looking for something specific, feel free to skip ahead:Creating a LinkedIn profileHow to edit profile summaryHow to add experienceHow to add skillsUsing LinkedIn connectionsHow to change profile URLHow to post an article on LinkedInLinkedIn profile tipsHow to delete your account

LinkedIns interface is set up very similar to other social media platforms. Users are prompted to create a profile detailing their career experience, education, and any relevant skills or volunteer activities.

Once youre signed up, you are given access to your LinkedIn feed, which is powered by an algorithm that delivers status updates from your connections as well as other content that is deemed useful or relevant. The feed will populate with more content as you connect with more people and grow your network.

Users also have the option to follow high-profile industry influencers such as Oprah, Katie Couric, and Richard Branson.

To create a LinkedIn profile, start by creating an account. Be sure to choose an email that you check frequently, as you want to stay on top of any notifications or connection requests that you receive.

1. Fill out your basic information including your full name and phone number2. Upload a professional photo3. Add your location4. Import your contacts list

Once your account is ready, its time to start building out the rest of your profile. A LinkedIn profile is set up similar to a traditional resume. At the top is your picture with a headline, along with a short summary section.

The summary section of your LinkedIn profile is intended to be very similar to the type of summary that is usually included in a resume.

1. Click the Me icon at the top of the homepage2. Select View Profile3. Click the pencil icon on the right side of the About section4. Fill out summary text and click Save

Source: LinkedIn

Along with your picture and headline, your LinkedIn summary is one of the first things that someone viewing your profile will see. To put your best foot forward, its important to have a summary that is professional and up-to-date.

When it comes to what you say in your summary, its really up to you to decide. Some people choose to recap their work experience, while others prefer to show off their personalities and include a quote or something more creative.

Check out the templates below for some inspiration.

Currently [role] at [company]. Formerly [past role] at [past company]. Interested in [2-3 personal interests]. Lets connect!

This is your standard one-size-fits-all LinkedIn summary. In a few sentences, youve outlined your current and past experience, as well as shared things that youre passionate about. This is the perfect template if you prefer to keep things short and sweet.

Known best for [major accomplishment]. A [role] at [company] looking to [career goal you wish to accomplish].

This template is ideal if you have any major accomplishments youd like to highlight. Although you have the opportunity to do this under your work experience further down on your profile, your summary is an easy way to showcase your greatest achievements front and center.

To use my gifts of [2-3 qualities or skills] to [overarching goal you seek to reach].

A personal mission statement defines who you are as a person and a professional. It outlines the things youre most passionate about and what values are most important to you. If you want to get more personal in your LinkedIn summary, this is the way to do it.

Im a [job position] at [company]. [1-2 sentence description about what your company does, its mission or goals]. [Any additional information about your company and its role in the market]. [Link to company website or careers hub].

Even if youre not looking to make a career move anytime soon, you still want to have a LinkedIn summary that is a strong reflection of who you are as a professional. With this option, you can highlight your current role and the company you work for, as well as advertise any job openings or upcoming events your organization is putting on.

The bulk of your LinkedIn profile will be made up of your experience. In this section, you are prompted to add current and past roles as well as short descriptions of your responsibilities at each position (the latter is optional).

1. Go to your profile by clicking the Me icon at the top of the page and select View Profile2. Scroll down until you see the Experience header and then click the big plus (+) sign3. In the pop-up, enter your company, job title, and other relevant details4. Click Save

Source: LinkedIn

Add any relevant and standout details related to your current and past positions. If you list any accomplishments in your summary, this is your opportunity to elaborate on them.

If youre on the hunt for a new gig, its a good idea to add your formal resume to your LinkedIn profile. Once its uploaded, it will show up at the bottom of the summary section.

1. On the homepage, select View Profile from the dropdown menu under the Me icon2. Click on the pencil icon to edit your profile3. In the pop-up, scroll down and click Upload under media4. Find your resume file and click Save

Source: LinkedIn

By uploading your resume, youre going the extra mile to show potential employers that youre eager to find a new position.

Skills and endorsements live at the very bottom of your LinkedIn profile. If you havent listed any skills on your page yet, this section will not appear on your profile.

Source: LinkedIn

To get started, follow these steps:1. Click the Me icon, followed by View Profile from the drop-down menu2. Select the blue Add profile section to the right side of your name3. Click Skills from the drop-down menu4. Type out which skills you want to add

Source: LinkedIn

Once you do this, a designated skills section will appear towards the bottom of your profile. You can always go back and add or remove skills by scrolling to this section.

Similar to a resume, you want to highlight your most marketable hard and soft skills on your LinkedIn profile. Dont be afraid to get specific when listing your skills this section is your opportunity to make your profile stand out.

These are technical skills that youve earned through education, certifications, or work experience.

Here are some examples of hard skills to list on your LinkedIn profile:

These skills are less related to your technical expertise and more related to your ability to collaborate and work with others. Soft skills are often more difficult to quantify.

Here are some examples of soft skills:

Organization

Be sure to list skills that are an accurate reflection of your abilities as a professional. To make your profile more credible, you can seek out endorsements from your LinkedIn connections. More on that later.

Your LinkedIn network is one the most powerful tools the platform has to offer. Your network is made up of connections or people who you have professional relationships with. This could be current or past coworkers, clients, and even mentors.

The more connections you have, the bigger your network is and the more opportunities you have to be noticed for job openings and show up in LinkedIn search results.

The first step toward growing your network is making connections. To connect with someone, follow these steps:

1. Click My Network at the top of your homepage. A list of possible connections will populate.2. Click on a persons profile that youd like to connect with3. Select Connect to the right of the persons name4. Fill out the pop-up box if you want to add a personal message with your connection request5. Click Done

Source: LinkedIn

Your connection request will be pending until its accepted by the person on the other end. If they accept, you will be notified of your new connection.

LinkedIn gives users the option to follow other users or brands. This is different than a connection in several ways. Using the follow feature allows you to see their posts and articles on your newsfeed, but they wont be able to see yours.

This is useful when following industry influencers that you may not know personally, but you still want to see their content.

One of the major benefits of growing your LinkedIn network is the ability to leverage your connections for endorsements. As previously mentioned, endorsements help boost your credibility since your peers are validating your skills.

A great way to start getting endorsements is by giving them, heres how:

1. Go to your connections profile by searching their name2. Scroll down to the Skills & Endorsements section3. Click the blue plus (+) sign to endorse a skill4. In the pop-up, select a skill level and how youre familiar with your connections skills

Source: LinkedIn

Its important to note that your connection will be notified of the endorsement and will have to accept it before it appears on their profile.

Just like any other social media network, LinkedIn is vulnerable to hosting users that misuse the platform outside of its intended purpose.

Its important to tread with caution and be aware of strangers that try to connect with you. If you suspect a user has bad intentions, it may be best to block them.

Follow these steps to learn how:

1. Go to the users profile2. Click More on the right side of their name3. From the drop-down menu, select Report/Block4. Click Block from the pop-up to confirm your decision

Source: LinkedIn

After a user is blocked, they will no longer be able to see your profile or contact you. If you change your mind down the line, you can always unblock the user.

When you first create your LinkedIn profile, you automatically get assigned a URL. Most of these auto-generated URLs look like a jumbled mix of letters and numbers.

Luckily, LinkedIn makes it easy for users to update and customize profile URLs.

1. Click Me at the top of your homepage, followed by View Profile2. In the top-right corner, select Edit public profile & URL3: Select the pencil icon and type out your desired URL4: Click Save

Source: LinkedIn

All LinkedIn profile URLs follow the same format. Your new URL will look like this: http://www.linkedin.com/in/custom-url-here.

One of LinkedIns less-known features allows users to publish long-form articles right on the platform. This is different than posting a status, which limits you to 1300 characters or less.

Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to post an article on LinkedIn:

1. At the top of your LinkedIn newsfeed, click Write an article on LinkedIn2. Write your article. Be sure to include a headline and any relevant images or videos3. Click Publish

Source: LinkedIn

Once you hit publish, the article will be shared with your network via the newsfeed. Users can like and leave comments on the piece.

The key to using LinkedIn effectively is knowing all of the platforms capabilities and leveraging them to your benefit. Creating a profile that is up-to-date is only scraping the surface of what LinkedIn can do for your career and professional brand.

Check out these tips to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level.

LinkedIn groups are online communities of people who share similar interests or experience. Joining a group is a great way to meet like-minded professionals in your industry, share knowledge, and expand your network.

You dont have to work in a creative industry to see value from adding pictures, videos, or other multimedia files to your summary. One of the easiest ways to make your experience stand out and highlight past projects youve worked on is by adding them directly to your profile.

Whether youre gearing up for an annual performance review or negotiating a final offer at a new company, its important to know your earning potential.

The LinkedIn Salary Insights tool offers wage information based on your role, location, company size, and how much other people in your role (or the position youre applying for) are earning.

Sending direct messages, or InMails, on LinkedIn is a low-pressure way to create deeper connections with your network. Always be sure to send a personalized InMail message if youre requesting to connect with someone outside of your primary network.

Additionally, remember to always keep things professional and format direct messages similar to a work email.

Keeping tabs on trending hashtags is a quick and effective way to stay in-the-know and share insights with others in your industry. To discover hashtags, enter the topic youd like to follow in the search bar. LinkedIn will populate your search results with hashtags that match your query.

LinkedIn is available at no cost; however, the platform does have a paid offering for users who want to unlock extra features and perks. Deciding which LinkedIn Premium plan is right for you will depend on what youre looking to get out of the platform. Popular paid features include access to analytics and a resume builder.

RELATED: If youre not ready to take the plunge into the full paid offering, LinkedIn offers a one-month free trial for users.

If there ever comes a time when you want to delete your LinkedIn account, its very simple to do.

1. Click the Me icon at the top of the homepage. In the drop-down menu, select Settings & Privacy2. Under the Account tab, scroll to Account Management and click Change3. Select a reason for deleting your account4. Enter your password and click Close Account

Source: LinkedIn

Once you close your account, it will be officially inactive and not visible to other users.

While the days of handing out business cards and filling out paper job applications may not be over just yet, more and more people are turning to digital platforms, such as LinkedIn, to job hunt, network, and build their professional brands.

With this guide in your back pocket, youll be a full-fledged LinkedIn guru in no time.

LinkedIn is far more than just a social media platform for job-seekers. Learn how businesses leverage LinkedIn as a marketing tool toadvertise job openings, attract qualified talent, and build brand awareness.

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Is there a Reason to use Promotion Tools on Apple Music? – The African Exponent

Posted: at 6:20 pm

Sleepless creative nights have borne fruit - you have on your hands the first track with a cool name and a shimmering horizon of possibilities. And then you get stuck: what to do next? You just need to find a place to be on Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Do not be lazy, upload your music to streaming services, and spend some time on Apple Music promotion services. Indeed, at any moment you can be shazammed" and found - be available to your potential listener!

When it comes to promoting their work, musicians are often not very creative. As a rule, all that comes to their mind is to organize a concert. This is not bad, but you can do so much better, no need in old tricks. Various promoting services will help you to become popular on Apple Music.

Getting into the main top-chart is a real chance for you, as an artist, to announce the directors of major radio stations and television channels about your track, album or video. Being at the top of Apple Music, you attract the millionth audience to your track. Do you know that 50 million people have already issued a paid subscription to the music streaming service? This was announced by Apple's top manager Tim Cook.

The future lies in the services, so Apple spares no effort in promoting and improving Apple Music. Although its charm is not that you can endlessly listen to verses that are familiar to your music, but constantly find something new. In any case, people love Apple Music precisely for such things, the services will tell you what to listen to, because everyone gets tired of running the same familiar tracks. That`s where you enter the stage.

But what to do in your case? How to promote? After uploading a track to the Internet, its really worth trying one of the many services for Apple Music promotion. After that, the song will appear in tops, popular playlists, and recommendations. New subscribers will want to not only listen to your music but also follow your creative life. To fill their needs, create accounts in all key social networks and provide subscribers with products of your creativity. Find own group of people, who will be interested in your music, and try to promote your music through them. Roughly speaking, try to get into the format: in the black metal community, nobody will appreciate your romantic lyrics.

In the field of the dynamic development of the Apple Music service, it becomes the main chart of the country where are no paid places. Apple Music is the most incorruptible service, but help isn`t corruption, right? I am sure that there will always be a place for such talent as you are.

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Man fills bathtub and toilet with Orbeez, pranking himself – The A.V. Club

Posted: at 6:20 pm

Screenshot: Cyril Schreiner (YouTube)

Orbeez, the latest toy that kids are obsessed with, are tiny, multicolored polymer beads that expand like crazy when put into water. Obviously, because theyre meant to appeal to a childs mind, plenty of adults have also discovered that theyre perfect for doing dumb shit with on the internet. Amidst the unexpected, full-blown genre of video that involves putting lots of Orbeez places and uploading the results to social media, a guy in France named Cyril Schreiner has managed to stand out by destroying his bathroomand, he claims, his neighborhoods sewage systemwith them.

@yuqheis tweeted the chain of events with English commentary, beginning with a clip of Schreiner trying to figure out how to dispose of a bathtub filled with Orbeez after making a video with them. He pulls the plug to drain them, causing his toilet and sink to overflow with what looks like clown vomit. An attempt to vacuum up the mess causes his vacuum to break so he tries to use salt to clear the drains.

Geysers of raw sewage then begin to shoot out of the sink, but Schreiner keeps the footage going, showing himself crying and heading outside to find mounds of shit-covered beads collecting outside of manhole covers and into drainage ditches. This last clip ends with him receiving a letter from city hall that the Orbeez have damaged his entire neighborhoods sewers and that police are looking for the people responsible.

Another update shows Schreiner talking to a local official, trying to hide his crimes. He tapes the conversation, captioning it, appropriately enough, Listen, Im in shit!!

This is all, in all likelihood, fake. But, fake when it comes to filling a bathroom with tiny, slippery beads that expand when exposed to water doesnt mean all that much. A parents guide to Orbeez, for example, cautions: Never pour or flush [the beads] down the drain. As a result of their growth in water, the beads can clog pipes and even lead to bursting pipes. Even if Schreiner staged everythingwhich is probable, especially considering that his social channels are comprised mostly of joke videoshe still has to clean out an enormous mess that involves scooping out toilets and finding multicolored balls in every corner of his home for months to come. In short: Yeah, this whole thing is probably a prank, but its the kind of prank thats way more of a pain in the ass for the guy behind it than anyone watching his videos.

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The 7 types of electronic music producer: which are you? – MusicRadar

Posted: at 6:20 pm

Spend any amount of time in electronic music-making circles online or in real life and youll quickly realise that all producers can be neatly pigeon-holed into a mere seven categories.

Heres our guide to all of them, featuring extremely scientific analysis of their vital stats, distinguishing features, and habits.

DAW: FL StudioLocation: EverywhereAge: The entirety of Gen Z

Armed only with zero understanding of music production and a laptop recently stolen from a homeless person, Trap Kid knows the only way to avoid being eaten alive by rampant late-stage capitalism is to make a beat that catapults them to super-star status.

A mere three hours after beginning their production odyssey, the Trap Kid will start making their own tutorial content.

Naturally, the highly-motivated Trap Kid is eager to learn, and has two basic questions they need answered: Why cant I get my 808s in tune? and Where can I download synth plugins for free?

A mere three hours after beginning their production odyssey, the Trap Kid will start making their own tutorial content, and after a few weeks will be making no less than thirteen beats per day on top of their three day jobs.

While its easy and fun to deride the Trap Kid, they are the only category of producer whose music is capable of bringing genuine joy to another human being.

Good luck Trap Kid, youll need it!

DAW: N/ALocation: SuburbiaAge: A cool 45

DAWless and, indeed, wifeless, Mid-life Synth Crisis Mans newly single status means he has plenty of time and money to devote to a new passion: synthesizer hardware.

He may generate his hefty disposable income working in the marketing department of a company that develops facial recognition systems for pre-schools, but Mid-life Synth Crisis Man has the soul of an artist: theres nowhere hed rather be than surrounded by an array of music-making hardware and houseplants, jamming out another lengthy ambient drone session.

When you spend all day staring at Excel spreadsheets, the last thing you want to do is look at a computer screen in the evening, meaning Mid-life Synth Crisis Man has never seen or heard of Audacity. As such, he has only ever recorded his $60,000s worth of synth hardware on his phone, which only adds to his lo-fi/hi-cost aesthetic.

DAW: RenoiseLocation: EuropeAge: 30+

Although fully aware of the availability of proper DAWs, 90s throwback Trackerman doesnt have time for their accessibility, attractive design and array of convenient features. Preferring instead to stare at an indecipherable alphanumeric stream like something out of The flippin Matrix, Trackerman creates his intricate breakcore Amen edits by fluttering his fingers over a computer keyboard in the manner of a cyborg.

Trackerman creates his intricate breakcore Amen edits by fluttering his fingers over a computer keyboard in the manner of a cyborg.

Whats fascinating about Trackerman is his duality: hes intelligent enough to wield a piece of software that looks as if its designed to be operated by gifted robots, yet is dumb enough to keep using it.

Hearing this savants presumably astounding music is a tantalising prospect, but he isnt about to reveal his subversive activities to any shadowy extra-governmental agencies so doesnt have a SoundCloud.

DAW: Zoom H4nLocation: Southeast AsiaAge: Quarter-life crisis

Almost certainly running from something dreadful in their past, the City Ambience Uploader is permanently living in far-flung metropolises and has no kit, though they certainly seem to have an awful lot of time on their hands judging by their regular 50GB+ sample pack drops.

If youve ever needed an atmospheric urban soundscape then youre in luck, buddy, because City Ambience Uploader will be uploading comprehensive recordings of every street vendor in Chiang Mai every fortnight for the next 23 years. That is unless they manage to get some gear together, in which case theyll start uploading bumper volumes of Sad Guitar Loops instead.

DAW: ArdourLocation: The imaginationAge: N/A

Theres probably some kind of music software available on open-source operating system Linux, but no one really has any concrete proof of this because theres zero recorded evidence of anyone using the OS to make music.

Sure, you spoke to an Autechre fan at a party once who told you about Linux legitimacy as a music-making platform, and who argued that it offered some kind of vague advantage over mainstream operating systems, but did they play you any of their music? Of course not, because it never existed.

This archetype poses us with something of a koan: If someone has a laptop full of music-making software that theyve tuned to perfection, but has never actually made anything with it, are they still a producer?

We would apologise to any Linux Producers reading this, but bearing in mind the Schrodinger's Cat-style uncertainty over their existence, it feels like a waste of time.

DAW: ReaperLocation: ReaperAge: Reaper

Ask almost any question related to music production online and you can be sure that, before too long, a helpful Reaper zealot will pop up and strongly suggest trying out their favourite DAW.

So why not give it a go? Its free, after all, except not really, though in the inevitable event you dont make any money from your musical endeavours, you can get a cheaper license.

Whats more it has a low resource footprint, can be run from a USB drive, its cross-platform with an (of course) experimental build available for Linux, its super-customisable, and developer Cockos is always putting out updates and listening to community feedback, etc, etc, etc.

Sure, its all very enticing, but the thing the Reaper Evangelist doesnt realise is that not everyone wants or needs that much DAW power, especially not our final type of producer...

DAW: GarageBandLocation: Anywhere there are MacBooksAge: 20s

Proof the neurotypical can produce too, The Normie is a singer-songwriter who just wants to record their songs without having to get a computer science degree, and thanks to GarageBand, the only thing standing in their way is their inability to grasp what an audio interface is.

The owner of a USB microphone, The Normies musical aspirations are advanced by modern music-making softwares accessibility, and theyre happy to use compressor plugins that feature only thee knobs, blissfully unaware how or or even why anyone would use anything more complicated.

The Normie has more social media followers than you by several orders of magnitude thanks to their human face, and as such, their music will be listened to by actual people rather than the same old collection of three bots.

That said, theyll never make a physically-modelled accordion in Reaktor, so you can safely continue to consider them your inferior.

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UK Home and Away Spoilers – Alf Proposes to Martha! – Back to the Bay

Posted: at 6:20 pm

Theres a little bit of light in the wake of the weeks tragedies, when Alf (Ray Meagher) decides to propose to ex-wife Martha (Belinda Giblin)!

With the news of Mason (Orpheus Pledger) and Robbos (Jake Ryan) deaths shaking the community, Alf, Martha and Roo (Georgie Parker) reflect on how life is too short for holding back.

Martha tells Alf that if shed realised that years ago, before faking her death, their lives would have been very different.

This gives Alf food for thought, and later on at the candlelit vigil that hes organised on the beach, Alf realises its time to seize the day.

Alf has recently seen more and more of the woman he fell in love with all those years ago, and now he decides to propose. But expressing his feelings in that area is difficult for him, Ray told New Idea magazine. Hes definitely not a salesman of his own feelings!

As they sit together and reflect on their relationship, Alf asks the question, which leaves Martha stunned.

He casually drops it on Martha as if asking her to go to a restaurant, Ray continued in TV Week. It floors her.

Unimpressed, Martha heads home, and the next day theres clearly tension between the couple, which doesnt go unnoticed by Roo.

As Martha reveals what happened the night before, Roo is elated, until realising that Martha didnt actually answer Alfs question.

As far as Alf is concerned, thats a resounding No if ever there was one.

Alf tries to apologise for the circumstances by saying it wasnt exactly planned, but Martha says thats just the point.

Martha later confides in Roo that shes worried Alfs proposal was just a spur of the moment decision, caused by the emotion of everything that was going onthe news of Robbo and Mason, together with Leah being missing.

Shes worried that Alf will change his mind once all the chaos dies down.

Roo relays this to a grumpy Alf, and they return to the house where Roo gives them some space.

Alf explains to Martha that she was right, his proposal was brought on by the devastation that was surrounding them, but only because of his realisation that he needed to live for the moment.

Hed been planning to propose for months, but was too afraid to do so.

After a heartfelt speech, Alf gets down on one knee and delivers the proposal that Martha deserves. Martha tearfully replies that she would be honoured to marry him.

The second proposal is ever so romantic, Belinda told New Idea. They have both been through such a journey, and theyre both more than ready for it.

Alf s thrilled, Ray added. He realised he really wanted to be with Martha, and if he had to change his ways for that to happen, hed do so.

Sealing the deal with a kiss, Alf tells an overwhelmed Roo to come out from her hiding spot and the trio celebrate with champagne.

It wouldnt be a Stewart family occasion without some drama though, and that arrives when Ryder comes home sporting a shiner, having been hit by newcomer Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) when he tried to warn him to not get involved Jade (Mia Morrissey).

Ryder and Roo agreed to not let on to Alf and Martha about the charges hes facing, following Jades false allegations about him uploading their sex tape.

But Ryder now has no choice when hes forced to explain to his grandfather how he got into a fight.

Alf and Martha are stunned by Ryders revelation, but both vow to support him any way they can.

So when will the wedding of the year take place? Well, we wont have too long to wait.!

Heres a full rundown and video slideshow of this weeks episode spoilers:

Monday 9th March 2020 Season PremiereColby and Dean go rogue to try and save the hostages. Can Robbo convince Scott to spare his life and save Jasmine?

Tuesday 10th MarchHeartache and grief overwhelm the community in the aftermath of the hospital siege. Marilyn is traumatised after witnessing Masons murder. Robbo is rushed into surgery.

Wednesday 11th MarchJasmines world comes crashing down when Colby gives her devastating news. Alfs attempt to create a moment of joy with Martha backfires. Colby does his best to honour Robbos dying wish.

Thursday 12th MarchRoo helps Alf and Martha through their miscommunication. Ryders attempts to warn Nikau about Jade fail. Maggie looks to help others anyway she can.

Friday 13th MarchMarilyn attempts to cover her trauma and focus on helping the Paratas. Toris heartbroken when Justin shares more bad news. The Stewarts rally around Ryder to support him in his case against Jade. Alf and Martha have exciting news.

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Could quantum computing help beat the next coronavirus? – USA TODAY

Posted: at 6:19 pm

A previous version of this video incorrectly stated how many people the 1918 Spanish influenza killed. USA TODAY

Quantum computing isnt yet far enough along that it could have helped curbthe spread of this coronavirus outbreak. But this emerging field of computing will almost certainly help scientists and researchers confront future crises.

Can we compress the rate at which we discover, for example, a treatment or an approach to this? asks Dario Gil, the director of IBM Research. The goal is to do everything that we are doing today in terms of discovery of materials, chemistry, things like that, (in) factors of 10 times better, 100 times better,

And that, he says, could be game-changing.

Quantum computing is thenext big thing in computing, and it promises exponential advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning through the next decade and beyond, leading to potential breakthroughs in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, battery power, and financial services.

For a consumer with a retirement fund, quantum computers over the next 10 to 15 years may help you make better personal financial decisions through the calculations that your broker is doing, says Bob Sutor, an IBM Research vice presidenttasked with driving the quantum computing ecosystem.

IBM, with 15 deployed quantum systems, is at the forefront of quantum computing. USA TODAYrecently got to tour a quantum lab in Yorktown Heights, New York.

But Google, Amazon, Intel, Microsoft and Honeywell are among other tech stalwarts working in the field, as are several venture-backed global startups.

IBM quantum computers system in the company's Yorktown Heights, N.Y., research lab.(Photo: Robert Deutsch)

The U.S. government, which is in a quantum race against China, has also lent support. In late 2018, President Trump signed the National Quantum Initiative Act into law to fund quantum research to the tune of $1.2 billion over a five-year period.

Here is a guide to help demystify quantum computing, which you will almost certainly hear a lot more about in the years ahead.

It isnt easy to get a grip around quantum computing or the field of physics it harnesses, quantum mechanics. But such machines they cost millions are designed to model nature.

In the simplest terms, they are exponentially more powerful than what we consider classical computers, whose basic fundamental units are expressed in1s or 0s or bits. Quantum computing takes a quantum leap with whatare known as quantum bits or "qubits for short.

Think about it this way: If you flip a coin, it will land as either heads or tails, or in those classical computer terms, 1s and 0s. But whats the state of that coin when it is still spinning? Thats kind of where qubits are, not necessarily as a 1 or a 0, but as all the possibilities in between.

Now lets take the analogy further. If you flip two coins in the physical world, the heads or tails of one coin has no bearing on the other. Qubits, though, can be entangled in multiple states at the same time.

This is one of those the 'Earth is not flat kind of moments, Gil says. There is actually a revolution going on.

A quantum computer chip is kept at a temperature thats colder than outer space in a cylinder that's part of an elaboraterefrigerated apparatus. The system has more than 2,000 components, including pulse tube coolers, superconducting coaxial lines, a mixing chamber and various circuits. It resembles a fancy chandelier.

The "chandelier" inside an IBM quantum computer.(Photo: Robert Deutsch)

In May 2016, IBM became the first company to put a quantum computer on the cloud, where anyone with the computing know-how could run experiments.

Currently, more than 150 billion programs and executions have been run on IBMs quantum machines, by more than 200,000 registered users in over 140 countries. There are over 12,000 monthly active users, and, on a typical day, the machines on the cloud run over 400 million quantum circuits.

IBM says it has signed contracts around quantum with more than 100 universities, national laboratories and companies.

For example, quantum researchers at IBM are teaming up with counterparts at Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler to develop next-generation batteries for electric vehicles. IBM is also partnering with Delta Air Lines to explore quantum opportunities in the travel business.

Coronavirus and working out: People working out at home to avoid contact at the gym

This past October, Google said it achieved what's been described as quantum supremacy. It was able to perform a calculation in 200 seconds that supposedly would take a classic state-of-the-art supercomputer about 10,000 years to handle.

IBM pushed back. The company argued at the time that an ideal simulation of the same task can be performed on a classical system in 2 days and with far greater fidelity, which at that it said was a conservative, worst-case estimate.

Gil told USA TODAY thatpeople are not making a distinction of whats a lab experiment, versus what is a real system.

The claims around quantum computing keep coming.

Just this week, Honeywell announced what it said is the most powerful quantum computer yet, set for a mid-2020 release. Honeywell has formed a strategic partnership with JPMorgan Chase around financial solutions that exploit quantum. JPMorgan is also part of the IBM quantum ecosystem.

But these are still early days.Gilsays quantum computing today is in roughly the same spot where artificial intelligence was in 2010.

His IBM colleague Sutor says,Just to be clear, nobody on the planet has a quantum computer that can today do better that our classical computers.

ButIBM says it can double the power of a quantum computer every year, and at some point cross a threshold at which the quantum machines might leap past classical computers, at least to address certain types of problems.

There could be. Large future fault-tolerant quantum computers and such computers are not yet around the corner have the potential to crack current encryption systems. IBM is working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on changing encryption standards that promise to keepquantum systems efficient while at the same time keeping them secure.

Though security threats might be years away, Gil stresses the urgency to prepare now.You cannot just sit and ignore the problem, Gilsays.

Even years from now, you shouldn'texpectto have a quantum computer sitting on your desk.

But the technology made possible by quantum computers will start to insert itself into supporting and making consumer apps more powerful. And society would benefit if quantum computers can stop a potential pandemic before it ever really gets started.

Nature itself is one great big computer," Sutor says,in the way atoms and molecules and light interact.Can we learn enough about how it really does it and harness it for our own computing needs with the toughest sort of problems we have?

Email:ebaig@usatoday.com.Follow @edbaig on Twitter

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‘Devs’: How the FX on Hulu show’s tech compares with reality – Los Angeles Times

Posted: at 6:19 pm

Science is at the heart of all Alex Garlands work, but the writer-director is less interested in erudite theories than he is in what those theories reveal about humanity itself. After Garlands directorial debut, Ex Machina, came out in 2014, he started circling the idea of quantum mechanics, reading about the subject in science journals and watching online lectures by physicists like David Deutsch and David Wallace. That growing obsession has resulted, years later, in Devs, a self-contained, eight-episode series for FX on Hulu, which Garland pursued after making Annihilation in 2018.

What tends to happen with me is that I get interested in a particular subject and then at some point a story just overlays itself over that subject, says Garland, sitting on the set of Devs last year in London. The point of being interested in a subject often goes on for years, and the story arrives later. Quite often when the story arrives, it comes fully formed its like a whole narrative just drops down onto it. Thats exactly what happened with this one.

This idea stemmed from whether we live in a deterministic universe or a nondeterministic universe a deterministic universe meaning a universe where everything is a result of a prior cause. And the philosophical implication for that is that it removes free will. If thats true, thats quite a big deal. It makes you re-think behavior, which means you re-think relationships and actions, things that one has done right or wrong.

Garland wrote and directed all eight episodes, which follow a coder named Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno, who also appeared in Ex Machina) who works for a Silicon Valley tech company called Amaya. A series of events leads Lily deeper and deeper into the secretive lab housed on the Amaya campus, known as Devs short for development. To say too much about the plot would ruin the unfolding narrative, but its enough to know that Devs houses a powerful quantum computer that has the potential to change our understanding of the universe. Nick Offerman plays Amayas chief executive, a man with dubious intentions, and Alison Pill embodies his severe right-hand woman, Katie.

Although the show is set in the present day, the technology depicted therein reflects some supposition, pushing past whats currently possible.

Karl Glusman, left, and Nick Offerman on the secluded Silicon Valley campus at the center of Devs.

(Miya Mizuno/FX)

Its got something in common with Ex Machina in that its sort of 10 years into the future, Garland notes. It allows for a big breakthrough, specifically in terms of computing, which is a thing that is currently being worked on It could really happen in the same way Ex Machina could really happen. Which is to say it probably couldnt happen, but something like it could happen. So maybe not that exact thing, but something very substantially important could easily flow from quantum computers.

The director, along with Mizuno, visited Googles quantum computer lab in Goleta, Calif., ahead of shooting and did extensive research while writing. He found the YouTube series PBS Space Time With Dr. Matt ODowd helpful in breaking down the subject. Garland spoke with people in Silicon Valley, including coders in the quantum labs. Which means that the series is in some ways accurate to contemporary American tech companies. But in terms of quantum computers, of which there are an undetermined number in existence, Devs hovers in a fictional space.

The people who are doing what quantum computers are doing are not remotely interested in trying to do the things talked about in Devs, nor would they be able to, Garland says. This is a speculation, a bit like the way Ex Machina speculates on a level of artificial intelligence that were not even close to achieving. Its more that there are underlying principles [in effect].

Garland was also interested in the state of private tech companies, modeling Offermans character, Forest, after an aging NoCal hippie, beard and all. The director is skeptical of anyone who is put on a pedestal like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, because tapping into the tech bubble doesnt necessarily make you a scientific genius. It might just mean you were in the right place with the right thing at the right time.

Devs creator Alex Garland

Theres a line in the show where Forest is described as a genius and then someone says, Hes not a genius, hes an entrepreneur, Garland says. I was interested in the idea that we ascribe genius-like qualities to the people who run tech companies. I was thinking, Im not sure thats true. Im inherently skeptical of anything that gets deified, but also because it seemed reasonably apparent to me that some of these people are not geniuses. They are entrepreneurs. I was riffing off that. I got quite hung up on an idea that Silicon Valley was much more capitalist than we tend to see it as.

For Offerman, who jumped at the chance to work with Garland, Forest represents the nebulous sort of character who is vastly more interesting than one who is simply a villain.

As the eight episodes unfold, your idea of Who are the protagonists and who are the antagonists? becomes really murky, Offerman says. Which is really interesting, because I think thats true of real life. Especially in this crazy political climate we want everything to be really polarized. Is it right or is it wrong? Are you an [expletive] or are you a Democrat? You eventually come to learn why [Forest] does what he does and its pretty understandable. While you may or may not agree with his methods, you can have some empathy.

Mizuno felt similarly about her character. Lily is surprising, she says. Shes an outsider. She doesnt do everything everyone else does. She doesnt participate in groupthink the way most people do.

Devs actor Alison Pill once aspired to study quantum computing.

(Miya Mizuno/FX)

Pill, who wanted to study quantum mechanics after high school thanks to reading Gary Zukavs The Dancing Wu Li Masters, found Devs compelling because it allowed for deeper thoughts than the average TV series. She read extensively ahead of production, including A Briefer History of Time and David Foster Wallaces Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity, and has continued to consider the philosophical ramifications of quantum computing ever since.

Having been unpracticed in thinking about these things, it was such a gift to be given a project that asks these questions, she says. Because I think people like thinking about this stuff. We forget sometimes we have so much magic around us regularly The challenge Alex poses to his viewers is one thats not Youre going to be overwhelmed by the science. Its Youre going to be overwhelmed by existence.

Alex has a predilection for examining our amazing ability to create technology and further explore the vast reaches of physics, Offerman adds. And then, naturally, the trouble that gets us into. The great dichotomy of bipedal primates being handed a smartphone: On one hand, you can do amazing things with it. And on the other hand, you can send pictures of your genitals to your intern and get in a lot of trouble.

Ultimately, Devs asks a lot of questions, but it does so in the context of a story about a group of individuals who are personally affected by the science and technology. Garland keeps it personal, because he feels that these sorts of lofty issues are inherently personal, affecting each of us as technology advances and private tech companies grow. For him, science is an entry point for a discussion of what it means to be alive. The series cant offer any real answers, but it can allow viewers to consider what those might be.

[Science is] seen as something which is dry and boring and hard to understand and thinks it has all the answers and all of those things are the opposite of what is actually the case, he says. Most scientists will talk more about what they dont know than about what they do know. Science contains not just philosophy but also poetry.

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Cambridge Quantum Computing teams up with CERN to advance quantum technologies – FutureFive New Zealand

Posted: at 6:18 pm

Cambridge Quantum Computing (CQC) is looking to explore and advance the application of quantum technologies to particle physics as part of the QUATERNION project in the CERN openlab.

Quantum computers and their potential is being researched by CERN through the openlab. The team is collaborating with major hardware vendors and users of quantum computing, launching a number of projects in this realm.

According to CERN, the enhanced computational capabilities of quantum computers could help to improve the analysis and classification of their vast data sets, thus helping to push back the boundaries of particle physics.

More recently, the CERN openlab team have stated they will leverage the power of t|ket, CQC's proprietary quantum development platform for the QUATERNION project.

CQC's t|ket converts machine-independent quantum circuits into executable circuits, reducing the number of required operations whilst optimising physical qubit arrangements.

The architecture-agnostic nature of t|ket will help the members of the CERN openlab project team to work across multiple platforms to achieve optimal results even on today's noisy quantum hardware, CERN states.

The QUATERNION project will also investigate the application of CQC's four qubit quantum technology device named Ironbridge to CERN's Monte Carlo methods for data analysis.

Such methods are not only a vital component of particle physics research, but are also applicable to many other areas, such as financial and climate modelling, CERN states.

Monte Carlo methods use high-quality entropy sources to simulate and analyse complex data. Using CQC's IronBridge platform, the world's first commercially available device-independent and quantum-certifiable cryptographic device, the teams will investigate for the first time the effects of certified entropy on Monte Carlo simulations.

CQC founder and CEO Ilyas Khan says, We are excited to collaborate with CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, on this innovative quantum computing based research project.

CQC is focussed on using the world's best science to develop technologies for the coming quantum age. Joining CERN openlab is a special development for any organisation and we look forward to developing advances together.

CERN openlab head Alberto Di Meglio says, Our unique public-private partnership works to accelerate the development of cutting-edge computing technologies for our research community.

Quantum computing research is one of the most exciting areas of study today; we are pleased to welcome CQC and their world-class scientists into collaboration with us.

CQC is a quantum computing software company that builds tools for the commercialisation of quantum technologies that will have a global impact.

CQC combines expertise in quantum software, specifically a quantum development platform (t|ket), enterprise applications in the areas of quantum chemistry (EUMEN), quantum machine learning (QML), and quantum augmented cybersecurity (IronBridge).

The company states it has a deep commitment to the cultivation of scientific research.

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