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New Trends In Web Designs

The web is constantly changing. Technology is fast advancing that what we are using today may soon be rendered obsolete in the next few years. This is especially true when it comes to web design. Companies try to out-win one another with their clever tricks and online magic to boost brand relevance in a competitive market that has always kept everyone on their toes. You just need to remember that a good web design is more user-friendly and enhances the overall customer experience whenever they access your site. Hence, it pays to keep yourself updated on what’s in and what’s not, not only to make your website look good but more so to increase profit because you are running a business after all.

This is even more imperative now as the world becomes increasingly global where time and distance are no longer that big of a hindrance to people and businesses as it once was. At a day and age dominated by social media and smart gadgets, it is but a must to ensure you can immediately connect to people in a platform they love using. Entrepreneurs that succeed in building their brand into something even greater grasp the importance of establishing and maintaining a strong online presence but you can only do that with a web design that users won’t have any difficulty using that likewise delivers all the key concepts you want your consumers to know and understand.

In a time when Google and Facebook dominate web traffic and publishers are struggling to keep pace, pageviews have never been more important. But how can news organizations compete with the duopoly?

Apparently by going back to basics.

According to a study conducted by the Engaging News Project — an initiative of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas, Austin — redesigning a website's homepage could increase pageviews and the amount of time users spend on the page. But the results were mixed.

The study was conducted in conjunction with the launch of two major news organizations' redesigned homepages, one Canadian and one American. Around the same time, nearly 1,000 Canadians and 1,000 Americans participated in online experiments, in which they were randomly shown either the old homepage or the updated one, and then asked questions about their perception and recall.

(Via: https://www.poynter.org/2017/want-more-pageviews-this-study-found-testing-new-homepage-designs-could-be-a-good-place-to-start/469381/)

While most companies already have web pages of their own, it still pays to reach a bigger audience through social media and by meeting certain criteria of search engines so that the public are more aware of the brand even when they are browsing other sites or simply browsing their social media news feed. The world has become so much smaller and it can be a good thing for you and your business if you know what tools to use and how to use them right.

There are scores of website designing platforms that develop and design websites using simple means; however, the results do not match industry standards that are successfully set by large companies, who are ready to pay thousands of dollars for the services of website and graphic designers.

These factors have created a new demand for advanced technology requirement, where any website designer can create spellbinding websites using AI. Through the use of AI, web designers can create compelling websites through complex algorithms of codes and logics.

In this new AI technology, all one needs to do is to answer a series of questions that are asked by the AI assistant. This assists the system in evaluating key nuances of your business and its ultimate nature, along with blueprint of the website you require for your business. With scores of hours of algorithmic programs, it successfully suggests the perfect and ideal combination of layout, design, branding, and content, which will surely help your website attain large amounts of traffic as well as provide leads in the future.

(Via: https://www.businesszone.co.uk/community/blogs/danishmaniyar/artificial-intelligence-meets-web-design)

We all know that nothing is set in stone when it comes to technology. The ones we are using right now that seem mind-blowing will soon become obsolete as newer advancements are made as the days and years pass by. Web designers continue to develop and innovate better, easy to use, and advanced web designs that meet the requirements of businesses today and what the people are comfortable in using. You might gush over the web designs of today but you’ll sure be laughing at your silly self several years from now when more artificially advanced designs become the norm because they are already in the works now.

8ac3549fb49be0abeb04696ede088af475fe40f0b5f5fcd57daf076bbc1669358ac3549fb49be0abeb04696ede088af475fe40f0b5f5fcd57daf076bbc166935postlink8ac3549fb49be0abeb04696ede088af475fe40f0b5f5fcd57daf076bbc1669358ac3549fb49be0abeb04696ede088af475fe40f0b5f5fcd57daf076bbc166935 is available on www.soulvisual.com

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Bringing Out The Best In You

Life has never been an easy journey. We all have our own personal crosses to bear. Sometimes you may envy the life of another only to find out that someone wishes to live your own life too. The irony is never lost. Every day is a struggle not only to survive but to realize our fullest potential without necessarily starving ourselves or isolating ourselves from others in an attempt to shelter us from pain and failure. Other people may cheer you on to keep on going but only yourself can be your greatest cheerleader. Nobody will fight your battles but yourself. Harsh as it may seem but that is the reality of our lives. So, all of us should learn how to put our personal dramas aside and cope with life the best way we can. After all, you may not change the circumstances of your life but you can certainly change your disposition.

Choosing to see the bright side in life is a personal choice we should all make. Enough with the petty excuses because it will lead you nowhere. You reap what you sow, so do good in order to receive good karma. Your background in life should not even be an excuse as to why your life is a mess or the way it is now. Not everyone who grew up in poverty remained the way they are in their adult life because they chose to rise above the situation and do better with whatever they are given with at the time. It all boils down to your perspectives. If you can't deal with it, change the situation to how you want it to be.

We need to wake up individually before we destroy ourselves, our worldwide family and our home Mother Earth. It is a combination of a spiritual awakening and a shift of consciousness awakening.

We need to wake up to our true authentic creative inner self. For the majority of people who come from a dysfunctional family system, they internalize a false self that runs their life. The true self is hidden and has a lot of blockages and will stay hidden until a person does some personal growth work to discover their authentic true self to replace the false self. The false self is self-defeating and has self-hate and the true self is self-enhancing and has self-love.

We need to wake up to personal growth. There is always room for personal self- improvement and growth. We are never too old to grow up. In order to go on a personal growth journey, we must first admit to ourselves that there are areas in our life that has room for personal growth. Personal growth is an inside job and as our inner person grows and changes than our outer world also grows and changes.

(Via: http://lasvegas.informermg.com/2017/11/17/it-is-time-to-wake-up/)

The premise here is simple: learn to hustle up and stop complaining. No matter how much you complain about why things are the way they are, nothing ever changes. The situation persists unless you do something tangible and stop pitying yourself for real. As we age, we learn more in life and these lessons often teach us how to better cope with problems that we encounter. Personal growth is a must for you to be a better person and it can have a big impact to your professional life too. If you continue to live with negative thoughts running in your mind, blessings will be far in between and the struggle would be even harder. Stop playing victim and face the consequences of mistakes you’ve made in the past.

Betterment is the consumer trend that encapsulates this very thinking. According to Trendwatching, it is the quest for improved lives through brand and product choices that create efficiencies and enhance lifestyles. To take this a step further, consumers have now begun to associate their own personal self-improvement or ‘reinvention’ with their contribution to making the world a better place. And, in a time where activism has become virtual (what we have come to know as ‘slacktivism’), consumers look to brands to make the world a better place.

Sounds like a far stretch? Not at all. In a 2015 study of 29 international markets and 30 000 respondents, 84% of 30 000 people surveyed across 29 international markets — including India and China — believe brands have the ability to effect more positive change than governments (Branding Strategy Insider 2015).

“Reconciliation brands” is the global trend that encapsulates how, more than ever, brands have the power to help consumers become their ultimate self: “Ever more aware of rising social tensions and historic inequalities, consumers are looking to brands and businesses to take meaningful action that brings people together, heals divides, rights wrongs and promotes harmony” (Trendwatching 2016).

(Via: http://www.marklives.com/2017/01/motive-my-better-branded-self/)

Not solely limited to yourself, personal improvement is even used by businesses now to make money. As we make our way through life and discover the essence of our being, there are certain products and services you can use to help you discover yourself and become the best person you can ever be. That’s how we can ultimately make the world a better place, and many people are lured to try these goods/services to spare themselves from the pain and hassle of having to learn all these things in a series of trials and errors that aren’t just time-consuming but may be painful too. If you can afford it, go ahead. If you can’t, then simply live life the way most people in the planet do: live in the moment.

The post Bringing Out The Best In You See more on: SoulVisual Blog

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/bringing-out-the-best-in-you/

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Cybersecurity Is Everybody’s Business

Since we live in a day and age where everything is almost digital and done with the use of gadgets and other tech stuff, it is inevitable for you to go online as well and conduct whatever your business is there. It is not as if you don’t like surfing the web on your own. The Internet has opened up a world of possibilities that remain to be a game-changer and continues to transform the world that we know and we enjoy every minute of our stay there. However, the online world is also full of dangers now lurking in the virtual form. It does not discriminate, whether you are a public or private entity, big or small, everyone is at risk and can easily fall prey to these online predators.

For years now, individuals, businesses, organizations, and governments have been victimized by online criminals and not only stole data and money but even identity and crippled major computer systems that affected thousands if not millions of people around the world. Despite the lingering threat of phishing, ransomware, and cybercriminals in general, there are actually ways to protect yourself from them and whatever mischief they have in mind and many people are raising awareness about this cause knowing how disastrous it is to fall prey to these vicious attackers that frequent the deepest and darkest corners of the web.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been dedicating a lot of time and effort to help organizations improve their cybersecurity. We’ve looked at NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework, we’ve talked about how to build it right and the importance of long term resilience. In this article, we’d like to dispel the erroneous idea that NIST’s guidelines are just for large organizations. 

Cybercrime is a great threat, regardless of the size of your business, but there are compelling reasons that smaller businesses need to be sitting up, paying attention and, most importantly, taking action.

(Via: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3230192/data-protection/nist-cybersecurity-framework-not-just-for-large-organizations.html)

Smaller groups and organizations are more likely to get victimized by these cons because their defenses are not up to par with that of big companies and corporations, hence can be broken by these virtual culprits without a sweat at all. And when it happens, there is a big chance they won’t be able to recover at all especially for those businesses just around the corner. Fortunately, there are institutions that are taking up their A-game in helping combat cyber criminals and equipping organizations with better cybersecurity measures to fend off these nasty yet anonymous criminals.

Organizations will not be able to do security basics well unless they embrace the process. At the Cambridge Cyber Summit, Mark van Zadelhoff, general manager of IBM Security, said he sees a “cultural shift to treat [security] like programs around safety—a Six Sigma approach to security hygiene.” He believes such an approach will better enable organizations to cope with the rising sophistication of hackers.  

Know what hackers will value

“People don’t realize where value lies in their companies,” said Jeffrey Tricoli, section chief, Cyber Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), at the InfoSecurity North America event. “Hackers’ valuations [of your assets] are better.”

For example, a company may have strong protections around customer data, but not around the communication channels with those customers. Those channels could become a means to access customer systems and assets. If you know what attackers are likely to go after, you know where to focus your security efforts.

(Via: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3232393/cyber-attacks-espionage/how-to-survive-the-worsening-cyber-threat-landscape.html)

Simple precautions like the careful use of passwords can save you from a great deal of a headache that a possible breach may bring. Password reusing is highly discouraged especially in a bigger business that employs quite a number of people or organizations run by different individuals especially if the same password is used in a separate site that you also manage which can be a double whammy on your part. And since we have already seen a number of ransomware attacks happen this year, we can only expert for more and more efficient malware to target unsuspecting individuals since these culprits now enjoy the money they got from previous exploits. The use of antivirus software also comes in handy and make sure everyone is well-trained on the topic of cybersecurity because opening that one suspiciously-looking email can cost you your business and your life.

The following blog article Cybersecurity Is Everybody’s Business is available on SoulVisual Blog

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/cybersecurity-is-everybodys-business/

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A Girl’s Disadvantage In Getting An Education

We all think that at this day and age everyone is able to enjoy equal right on almost everything we now enjoy. Yet gender equality still comes to mind although most of you probably think this should not be much of an issue anymore as we can see how women, in general, have managed to rise above the stereotype and show the rest of the world just what they are made of. Getting an education is perhaps the best tool women have that made them globally-competitive in the workplace and many countries support girls and women’s education today yet there are still some places where they consider it such a waste of time and money to educate young girls because they’ll just get married later in life after all.

This notion is what prevents these young girls from ever growing and reaching their full potential. This reality is especially true in third-world and impoverished nations where thousands, if not millions of girls, fail to get an education each year and miss out on a lot in life. While poverty is the root cause of the problem, there are other factors that contribute to this intellectual deprivation that all the girls out there deserve as much as boys do.

Around 130 million girls don’t go to school every day. ONE, a global organization that fights extreme poverty, is trying to fix that by finding out where the problem is the worst.

Their new report ranks the 10 worst nations in the world for girls to get an education. Nine of those are in Africa. The other? Afghanistan — a place where the United States has poured massive funds for education since overthrowing the Taliban there in 2001. Yet it’s still the fourth-worst place in the world for girls’ education, according to ONE’s index, which measured rate of attendance, amount of spending on education, and the number of teachers trained, among other factors.

(Via: http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/10/17/afghanistan-ranks-worst-places-girls-to-get-an-education-africa/)

And in a country like Afghanistan that is plagued by war, political instability, and more poverty, girls do not even get a chance to learn the basic because only a very small number of young girls get a chance to attend primary school compared to the opposite sex even if it showed that girls were more consistent with their attendance rather than the boys. The truth is this country actually received lots of financial support from America after the Taliban issue has been resolved and recovery efforts were underway, which left many wondering how these funds are being managed.

“Girls’ education is very low on the list of priorities in India, and rural Rajasthan fares near the bottom,’’ said Daube, who heads an organization known as CITTA, which builds and supports development of schools and hospitals in India.

On an early spring day, Daube, dressed in flowing white, described his vision for a cooperative where 400 girls will study and work alongside their mothers and grandmothers, next to a community center that showcases the intricate hand-sewn rugs, scarves, and saris for which the region is known. Local musicians played while the royal family of Jaisalmer looked out at the barren former Indian heritage site, next to government land Daube hopes to acquire. “A small project can have a global impact,’’ Daube said.

(Via: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/10/the-groups-fighting-for-girls-education-in-india/542811/)

This is not only a reality in countries like India and Afghanistan but in many other nations the world over. If you look at it, it is a really big problem but gradually concerned citizens and organizations are making a difference and making sure things change for the better in affected areas so that girls get the education they deserve like everyone else. All of us have a right to self-actualization but only this can be done if we are able to change the mindset of society and give everyone equal rights to learn and improve their lives on their own.

Young girls deserve better in life and shouldn’t be forced to accept whatever life throws at them because they do not know any better. By becoming literate and educated, they have a chance to uplift their lives and follow their passion in life without always being dependent on other people on most things. Education can beat poverty. That we know for sure. It might be a long shot from now but it is definitely worth taking for a brighter future for everyone, not just the world's alpha.

The post A Girl’s Disadvantage In Getting An Education was initially published on SoulVisual.com Blog

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/a-girls-disadvantage-in-getting-an-education/

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The Rise Of Cannabis Leads To The Fall Of Alcohol

We aspire to be at our best and healthiest but there are certain indulgences we can’t seem to resist. They may come in different forms and sizes and their effects on us varies too but we usually call them the same name: vices. Of course, the word vice in itself already has a negative connotation, an undying stigma it has to deal with to infinity and beyond, perhaps, because most of these bad habits have indeed messed up people’s lives and are the bane of society. You might ask why, the answer is obvious. People do a lot of crazy stuff when they are under the influence of these vices, most common of which are alcohol and illegal drug use.

While also considered a taboo and a prohibited substance for the longest time, things have definitely looked better for the unassuming weed that we know as marijuana. Since the hippie days, cannabis advocates have never ceased to show to the world the beauty of marijuana but it fell on deaf ears for the longest time. You can’t blame the public, though, as there was also a negative side to it brought by the natural high weed is known to elicit back then. Well, it has not changed now but at least we have options. You aren’t just stuck with the recreational-type that is highly addicting and gives you all the feels but there is also medical cannabis that is devoid of the negative aspects weed used to be known for but have lots of beneficial health effects that people can’t get enough of.

Sales of alcoholic beverages decline following the enactment of medical marijuana access laws, according to a working paper authored by a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut and Georgia State University.

Authors evaluated the relationship between medical marijuana laws and retail alcohol sales for more than 2,000 US counties for the years 2006 to 2015. Alcohol sales trends in medical cannabis states were compared to sales trends in states where cannabis remained illegal. Researchers determined that counties located in medical cannabis states, on average, experienced a reduction in monthly alcohol sales of 15 percent.

Researchers concluded: “We find that marijuana and alcohol are strong substitutes. … States legalizing medical marijuana use experience significant decreases in the aggregate sale of alcohol, beer and wine. Moreover, the effects are not short-lived, with significant reductions observed up to 24 months after the passage of the law.”

(Via: http://blog.norml.org/2017/12/01/study-alcohol-sales-fall-following-cannabis-legalization/)

As a result of the growth of the medical marijuana industry, many states have pushed forth for its legalization if they haven’t done it yet by now. Along came with that is a rise in public awareness about the pros and cons of marijuana especially the benefits you can get from CBD-rich cannabis that are used in the management of various chronic health conditions. Even that of recreational cannabis use has increased as well in response to easier access to it, less strict laws, and a more permissive society. If there’s one more thing that people have noticed that was a result of the growth in the cannabis market is the decline in alcohol demand.

The researchers compared alcohol sales between states that implemented medical marijuana laws and those that didn’t, before and after the change in marijuana laws. They also corrected for a number of economic and demographic variables known to affect alcohol use, such as age, race and income.

“We find that marijuana and alcohol are strong substitutes” for each other, the study concludes. “Counties located in [medical marijuana] states reduced monthly alcohol sales by 15 percent” after the introduction of medical marijuana laws.

(Via: http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/12/01/recreational-marijuana-alcohol-sales-safety/93761/)

It might be good news for many or not depending on which of the two you prefer. It’s just that this study observed the relative correlation between alcohol consumption and marijuana use. Now that people can easily access cannabis, it has been discovered that those alcoholic beverages drinkers reduced their alcohol intake as per alcohol sales in the study’s demographic while marijuana use is becoming more popular than ever. When you think about it, alcohol is addicting while marijuana is not and the former tends to bring out the worst in you and more fatal too. If this premise deducted from the results of the study applies to the entire country, this news may be for our best interest after all.

The blog article The Rise Of Cannabis Leads To The Fall Of Alcohol is courtesy of SoulVisual

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/the-rise-of-cannabis-leads-to-the-fall-of-alcohol/

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Data Protection In The Face Of A Storm

Living in a modern world like ours has a lot of perks, indeed. Life at home is a breeze with numerous appliances and devices that do things for us making sure our hands remain clean and dry all along and get things done almost all the time. We travel so much faster and more conveniently too now that there are all sorts of private and public transportation vehicles to take us from point A to point B with ease. However, life today also has its downsides. Modern living isn’t always as glamorous as we want to believe it to be especially once our shiny gadgets break down and leave us hanging.

Like any object that goes through normal wear and tear, modern contrivances can easily go haywire if not taken cared of properly or exposed to the harsh elements like hurricanes, tornadoes, or other natural disasters. And because most things have gone digital now, it is imperative to ensure your data stays safe all the time or risk losing it forever. Almost all of us use tech gadgets now but are you really well-versed on what to do in the face of calamities that not only threatens your devices but your life as well. Times like this you’d often think about your safety and well-being first rather than secure whatever you leave behind especially in the case of a severe flooding. If you live somewhere frequented by typhoons and is at high-risk for flooding or that sort, arm yourself with the knowledge you need to protect your data by preparing for these disasters way ahead of time.

When disasters strike, people turn first to government for assistance.  And government agencies turn to their IT departments – even when a hurricane barrels through.

With the departmental staff relying on the IT department, managers should  be honest and transparent with end users, letting them know how to prepare prior to a storm, how to protect devices, the likelihood of downtime and how to work from backups.

Specifically, offices should install surge protectors between the power source and the computers' power cable to handle any power spikes or surges caused by lightning strikes. They should also invest in some form of uninterruptible power supply, which uses batteries to keep computers running during power outages.  UPS systems also help manage an orderly shutdown of the computer  -- unexpected shutdowns from power surge problems can cause data loss.

(Via: https://gcn.com/articles/2017/10/04/minimize-storm-damage.aspx)

Take precautions in your daily life and set long-term safety checks for your data before you might regret not doing so. If your home indeed gets submerged in floodwater, there is nothing you can do about it but it is still possible for you to salvage as much data as you can by keeping in mind some of the tips mentioned in the article like plugging in, drying, and using computers or hard drives that have been obviously damaged by water. Contact a computer repair expert as soon as you can for the best possible solutions to your dilemma before doing anything on your own that may backfire on you in an instant.

Devise a disaster recovery plan.

Frequently, disaster recovery is relegated to the bottom of a small business’ priority list – especially among businesses that aren’t in traditionally high-risk weather areas. But the reality is that no organization is immune to a disaster, regardless of its location. For all businesses, the path to preparedness begins with a plan – one that’s formalized across the company with the comprehensive steps required to quickly restore business functionality in the wake of a disaster.

Communicate your plan to all employees.

A disaster recovery plan can only be effective if everyone is on the same page about what it involves. Once small business leaders establish a plan, they must make sure their employees know what’s in it and what responsibilities each staff member has. That means posting or distributing a print version of the plan as well as discussing it at companywide meetings.

Create and store data backups.

By ensuring all your business’ proprietary data is securely backed up – either virtually or on a physical backup drive stored at a safe location – you can prevent a natural disaster turning into a data loss incident.

(Via: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/297093)

Protecting data is especially important for small and medium-sized businesses who have a lot to lose when their data disappears especially that they do not usually have the means to finance data recovery services after as their business continues to suffer long after the disaster has come and gone. Hence, their business will soon lead to bankruptcy and it is a reality for 60% of entrepreneurs of these industries according to statistics. Big brands may suffer as well but they often can bounce back from these unfortunate incidents since they have money to fund their recovery efforts.

Entrepreneurs should take data protection seriously because their business is nothing without the data that makes it work. Disaster preparedness is the key and you no longer have to worry about data recovery with the countless tools you can use to save your business (and source of income) safe from the elements all year round.

Data Protection In The Face Of A Storm is available on The SoulVisual Blog

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/data-protection-in-the-face-of-a-storm/

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Is Blogging At Par With Old-School Journalism?

Nowadays, we may all think that most things are the same especially if they look like. Apparently, we are gravely mistaken. There are some realities that remains to be harsh because they are the way they are and we can no longer change that. The public’s perception may change with the passing of time but there are certain things in this world that you can’t simply get away from or refuse to acknowledge because shortcuts are kind of popular now. Let us take writing, for example. Writing comes in many forms and can be directed to different audiences. Blogging is the most popular form today as it is the most convenient way for the public to appreciate the written text. Many bloggers even make a living from this once-hobby and is now a steady stream of income.

The problem is that blogging, while for the most part is flexible and accommodating, has many flaws. For starters, not all bloggers are required to study about blogging at school and get a degree for it unlike all journalists in the field who has to enroll in a 4-year course before they can practice their profession. The irony here is that today, more bloggers gain traction and popularity compared to conventional journalists who not only has a knack on writing but has elevated it to both a science and an art. Writing, whether we like to acknowledge it or not, is not just a flair but also has its technicalities you would only be privy of if you studied it in greater detail. Now that bloggers are gaining more worldwide recognition than more respected and notable journalists and has thus, sparked a debate on which of the two is better, perhaps.

In the weeks since the blog was launched in late June, Milton has taken aim at journals that charge doctors to publish their articles, medical organizations that promote "late-breaking clinical trials" that aren't, nursing organizations that offer "quality" awards to hospitals, primary care physicians and, in two blogs about the preauthorization practices of insurance companies.

In these commentaries, Milton shares his experiences and his opinion on what they mean for medicine and the public.

All of Milton's blogs are popular with MedPage Today users and some of them have been phenomenally popular -- especially these two: Are Payers the Leading Cause of Death in the United States? and Who Actually Is Reviewing All Those Preauthorization Requests?

The second of those blogs is so popular that it has been the most read article on MedPage Today for most of the past week, and therein lies the unintended consequence.

(Via: https://www.medpagetoday.com/columns/fromtheeditors/69389)

With social media’s popularity today, even total unknowns can be viral superstars and enjoy their 15-minute of fame with the right material to capture the public’s fancy. And as such, professional journalists are somewhat worried at the impact of most popular blogs to the people since they may not always convey the right and unbiased message to the public. It is not that they undermine the research done by bloggers but maybe that’s exactly it. Doing random Google search is different from the amount and extent of research done by tried and tested journalists. They will not easily post an article without making sure all angles have been looked at and the people can get a full perspective of the issue.

Today, getting information is as easy as opening a browser on your computer or phone, typing in a question and waiting a nanosecond for a long list of links to load. These websites will promise to answer your question. But actually, they may not be all that trustworthy. What do you do?

Figuring out which site is believable and which is bunk takes work. Vetting that information is not impossible, though. In fact, it’s what every good journalist does daily. And students and other non-journalists can learn from the methods reporters use to determine the truth of what they read and hear.

There are plenty of people who call themselves a “journalist.” What separates a good journalist from a bad or lazy one is often where they get their information. Good reporters are always on the lookout for a “scoop” — new information or new interpretations of existing data. But for them, a scoop is worthless if it’s based on bogus or misinterpreted data.

(Via: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/blog/outside-comment/fact-checking-how-think-journalist)

You can’t blame journalists from questioning the credibility and qualifications of some renowned blogger especially if they already have a large following since they have a big impact to society. People actually read their contents and most of the time believe them too, so it is but a must to orient them to the gravity of their influence to society. They should put just as much thought into the contents they write and verify their sources before they publish anything. News travel fast these days since the explosion of the web and with smart technology taking the forefront of our lives. Browsing the web for news and ideas is as easy as striking a conversation to the person next to you. Bloggers should take their cue from journalists in writing powerful pieces that may influence the public, sway opinions, or start arguments where there should be none.

The following post Is Blogging At Par With Old-School Journalism? was first published on SoulVisual Blog

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/is-blogging-at-par-with-old-school-journalism/

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Christmas Shopping Without Going Overboard

There are many ways to save money if you are determined enough to look for practical solutions to your financial dilemmas. Even if Christmas is fast approaching, it is not an excuse to spend money like there is no tomorrow. Remember that whatever you swipe for now and in the next few days or weeks, you still have to pay for tomorrow. It’s not like your expenses will magically disappear because Santa Claus came to say hi during the holidays. It’s nice to give gifts and receive gifts in return but remember to spend only within your means. Do not try to impress other people and end up with a big stack of credit card bills come January. It’s not the right way to start the New Year.

You can be a little creative in trying to save money. Buying on sale is one thing and listing down all those people you have to give presents to can help you allocate your funds better. You won’t end up spending more for the gift of this person and much less on the other just because you forgot to include the latter on your list in the first place. Sticking to that budget is just as crucial too as you may easily lose track once you are out in the mall and end up buying more than what you intended. Hence as much as possible, try to pay with cash. It is easy to keep on swiping that card until you max it out when you do your Christmas shopping, so try to avoid that mistake as much as you can by ditching the plastic and paying with cash all the time.

“You can get some good deals online, especially if you have friends or family overseas,” Ms Loyez said. “Buying something online in the country you need to send it to is a lot cheaper than buying it where you are and then posting it.

“Take advantage of mid-season sales. There is always a July toy sale, even if it can be difficult to stay on top of what people are into by the time Christmas rolls around.”

Taking stock of some financial loose ends in the household budget can also offset upcoming expenditure.

“Combining home phone and broadband is an example of a small saving that can work. I have just done this and it means a saving of $30 a month, which could take care of a present,” Ms Loyez said.

(Via: http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/budgeting/cutting-costs-to-pay-for-christmas-spend-can-save-financial-stress-in-january/news-story/4007196120300bae2d127ab19bed295a)

If you think you’ve got your list figured out to a tee and there’s no other remedy there, try looking out of the box for other alternative money-saving tips in your daily life. Simple energy-saving measures that can reduce your monthly electrical costs or some adjustments in your usual grocery shopping are great ways to save money gradually and help cover for additional expenses incurred by your Christmas shopping. Do this as early as you can and if possible, all-year-round not only in an effort to save money but to help the environment as well. It’s the type of positive domino effect that the world needs the most now.

Don’t use credit

One common holiday shopping mistake is to put everything on the credit card given to you by your bank for those of us in Nigeria, especially the middle class. You can end up paying for Christmas for several months this way. People tend to overspend more when they use credit cards as well. Use your debit card or cash to purchase your Christmas gifts. If you plan carefull, you do not need to use credit to buy anything associated with the holidays. This is one gift you ought to give yourself.

Don’t buy to impress

It is tempting when you finally have some money to go out and buy extravagant gifts for everyone on your list. You may want to buy an extra nice gift for your parents or a close friend but try not to go overboard on everyone’s gift. Most people will prefer a well-thought out gift that matches their personality and interests to something you bought simply for how much it cost you. You should be able to see when you are crossing that line.

(Via: http://punchng.com/financial-mistakes-to-avoid-during-yuletide-shopping/)

You don’t have to be rich in order to give the perfect presents to the people who mean a lot to you. Just being prepared for the coming holidays the soonest possible that you can is the best way you can face the coming Christmas season with the peace of mind knowing your loved ones will feel your love and affection for them through the gifts that you share without you necessarily going bankrupt and suffer financially once the New Year starts. Truly preparation is the key to be able to enjoy the holidays without suffering from the irreparable financial repercussions once the holiday is over.

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Tech Life-Hacks Employees Must Know

Almost everyone uses tech gadgets now. They are a staple in life and are used in just about every aspect of living. Can you imagine not having your trusted smartphone with you? You feel empty, right. It’s even enough to prompt people to go back home just to get their gadget back. And whether you are at work or school, you can’t just avoid having to use a tech gadget of sort like a computer because that is how everything works right now. If you have a business, it is even more crucial for you to transform your business and take it online because of the enormous amount of potential there is for the growth of your business.

Since you are not alone in running your shop/store and there is a likelihood you employ other people to get things going, it is likewise a must for you to ensure they are familiar and savvy in operating tech devices needed to run your shop or risk sabotaging your business without you knowing. Your employees may also be required to manage your business online like what other businesses do, so you do not just let loose individuals who know nothing about all these things especially if your business is your bread and butter in life.

  How to Use Search Engines in an Advanced Way: Everyone knows how to use a search engine but here I am not talking about only typing words to Google. What I mean is using search engines in a more advanced way such as adding quotation marks or Boolean operators like AND, OR, NOT. As a result, you can save a lot of time and eliminate the unwanted results from the beginning. Also, while scanning through the returned search results, you need to know how to distinguish a good reliable resource from a bad one.

  How to Back up Your Data: You never know when your computer will crash or be stolen or any other disastrous event will happen. Therefore, it is always recommended to back up your important files, photos or documents. In this way, you can prevent data loss. It is best to use cloud systems for backing up data such as Dropbox or Box or you can try old fashioned alternatives like using a hard drive. There are also tools available that are built in computers. These are Windows Backup or Apple’s Time Machine. You can set them up in order to back your data up with an external hard drive.

(Via: http://www.business2community.com/tech-gadgets/basic-tech-skills-every-employee-know-01937915#S5RAWPAeAMVGqP06.97)

Computers may be a science but at least it is not rocket science that can leave one dumbfounded. Meaning, a little common sense, and some practical knowledge is all you need to learn how to navigate from one device to the other and how to keep your business running in the virtual world. Moreover, they must know the importance of data and what they should do to keep those data protected from unintentional loss or prevent it from getting corrupted somewhere along the way.

Mr Khamis said internal attacks largely occur when an employee helps the attacker due to their lack of understanding of the threats.

“These days, the one-click processes that most banks are trying to achieve for any kind of application they want to enhance customer experience actually lead to some of these incidents that we currently face in the financial sector,” he said.

“I always tell my team to go back to the basics, [especially when] organisations in the Arab world depend on people more than the process, so when that person leaves, it goes back to zero.”

(Via: https://www.thenational.ae/uae/staff-are-biggest-cyber-attack-threat-to-organisations-security-officials-1.668037)

As progress continues and takes the world in the direction of more complex and sophisticated technologies, there will likely be a breach along the way. Criminals will look for the weakest link somewhere and concentrate their attack there. Constantly telling your staff to be cautious in opening dubious-looking emails is not enough. It is especially true in the case of ransomware attacks that spread like wildfire because the person on the receiving end unintentionally corrupted the system because of their carelessness or ignorance. Entrepreneurs should not overlook and invest on these things as much as well if they want their businesses to prosper and bring in the bacon in the years to come.

The following article Tech Life-Hacks Employees Must Know is available on SoulVisual Blog

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Technology’s Role In Education

Gone were the days when things were mostly done manually by hand. Technology has made things so much simpler for us and at the same time quite complex too considering the number of gadgets and contrivances we must familiarize ourselves with over time. Now, we are not even including in the equation the amount of money we have to spend in acquiring all these so-called tech necessities (yes, they’re no longer considered as mere luxuries) that are supposed to make our lives easier and more convenient but do they really do that?

Children these days learn about technology at a young age. Most toddlers right now actually know how to navigate an iPad or any Android tablet to pass the time. Hence, it is no longer surprising to see curriculums being updated or revised entirely to ensure technology is included in just about everything because that is definitely the direction we are heading. Think about the future and you’d likely have something highly digital in your mind. That future has already started now and kids are taught everything they need to know about tech use and the web to ensure they will thrive in the future world we are carving right now.

The most amazing thing that technology in education does is that it allows for learning to become self-paced, personalised. Education that truly makes the individual the focus of the learning system. After having spent my Tuesday at the Sandton Convention Centre, during day one of the EduTech Africa Conference, I am completely blown away. The number of applications and platforms, both online and offline, that are available to assist the future of this country in conquering their everyday academic challenges, is staggering. Yes we ought to invest a whole lot more in this and move beyond thinking about tech in education as the mini-PCs that we buy for children.

One of the buzzwords that were thrown around at the conference which would easily make one think that this was a private school event, was personalized learning. This phenomenon that every child actually could benefit from, is actually available to a lot more people than one would think.

(Via: http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/technology-can-make-all-the-difference-in-education-20171004)

Not only is the planet changing, the way the youth is educated changes as well to keep up with all the changes that are likewise taking place in our surroundings. Only change is constant, keep that in mind. Technology has its pros and cons but when used properly and in moderation, technology is a powerful medium whatever your industry may be. Students can optimize their learning through the help of technology, something most adults did not have the luxury of having while they were growing up.

Of the propaganda that generally swirls around public education, none is more prominent than the claim that technological “personalized learning” can transform learning. Ed-tech companies trumpet how “innovative” and “engaging” their products are, perfect for efficiently training the 21st-century drones needed by the global economy. Buy our digital devices for your students, they urge, and we’ll throw in the apps for free! Act now! Don’t be left behind!

Not so fast. University of Colorado researchers recently released a report analyzing the myriad problems with “personalized learning” schemes. Every legislator, education professional, and parent should read this report and slam on the brakes.

(Via: https://spectator.org/is-technology-really-better-for-education/)

Innovation is a big word often used when talks about tech use in education are brought up. We must learn to innovate as the world progresses. It’s supposedly a given. The concept of personalized learning has become our reality although some are still doubtful whether it is as effective as teaching done the old way. Yet we can’t revert back to the past that is devoid of tech advancements. Whether some people like it or not, technology is a major part of our lives right now and the only way for us to succeed in the future is if the youth of today can master the tools in place right now.

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Are You All Ready For The 2017 Nobel Prize In Literature?

Not everyone is destined for greatness but there are those a handful of individuals that defy the usual limitations faced by man and go the extra mile by achieving more in life. These people have a big impact on society and even do things that deserve them a place in history books. The Nobel Prize is a major honor bestowed to individuals with great contributions to the academe, cultural, and scientific advancements most people won’t even be able to dream of. Norwegian and Swedish institutions give this recognition to deserving people and this time around, we got our eyes on the literary winners.

As the years go by, the judges taste also change with the times. Last year’s winner was a big surprise to everyone and it’s the reason why many are curious as to this year’s winner this time around. Only the individual who has produced the most distinctive and outstanding literary work in an ideal direction will be given the honor of winning Alfred Nobel’s award for Literature. There are rumors circulating as to who this year’s winner will be but they are simply hearsay. Let’s all leave it at that.

When Alfred Nobel established the literature prize in his name, he perhaps could have benefited from an editor. The terms of his will leave the prize's exact intentions tantalizingly vague - making the literature award one of the most debated and entertaining of the Nobel Prizes.

The Swedish industrialist said he wanted the prize to recognize “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction.”

On Thursday, theSwedish Academy will announce whom it considers to have met the criterion of "ideal" for the 2017 laurels.

(Via: https://www.voanews.com/a/nobel-literature-prize/4052908.html)

From the very beginning, the standards set by Nobel when it comes to awarding literary works is subject to interpretation since it talks about the ideal direction. Just what the ideal direction is actually is a case-to-case basis and subject to the person’s interpretation of what is ideal for them and what is not. No wonder there have been controversial winners in the past that have raised the public’s eyebrow and questioned the very foundation of this award-giving body. Yet they continue to exist because people look up to them and are always inspired by the great works produced by individuals who get the award.

A year after the Swedish Academy shocked the world with its choice of Bob Dylan as the Nobel laureate for literature, the jury is preparing to unveil this year’s winner of the prestigious honour.

The academy, an assembly of 18 Swedes who are elected by secret ballot to their roles and hold them for life, has revealed that the Nobel laureate in literature will be announced on 5 October. More than half of the academy’s members must vote for the eventual winner, who is chosen from about 350 proposals made by literary experts and former Nobel laureates from around the world. Intended to honour Alfred Nobel’s desire to reward “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction”, the SEK9m (£832,000) award has gone to 113 writers since 1901 – of whom 14 were women, 28 wrote in English and 77 wrote in prose.

(Via: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/oct/03/nobel-prize-for-literature-set-to-reveal-2017-winner)

If it were you, can you imagine the honor of winning such a prestigious award that only the truly great intellectuals of their time win? There are always controversies in any award-giving body and the Nobel Prize is no exception. They have more to prove now with their choice as last year’s winner caused so much ruckus up to several months after the announcement. Moreover, literature in itself is a broad category. Meaning, an expert on various aspects of literature can emerge as the winner, so the element of surprise will always be there. We can only keep guessing but it won’t be for long as the winner will be announced momentarily and show us what a real literary genius is made of.

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How Society Now Views Human Rights Organizations

There must be law and order for society to exist and thrive. A world in chaos is not an ideal place to live in, it's as simple as that. Yet no matter how much we try to be civilized and respect one another, there are those who have no regards for society and do things that are the complete opposite of what’s expected from a decent human being. It is the reason why human rights organizations exist – to ensure that human rights are upheld and not violated while at the same time fighting for a person’s human right in the unlikely situation that it has been violated by another person/s.

As the years go by, people start to develop a love-hate relationship towards human rights organizations especially that politics has not waned over time. Despite the influence of politics, though, many people have high regard for these human rights organizations in different parts of the globe. These organizations mediate on behalf of the people and have a big (positive) impact on the lives of millions of people in these places. They serve as an extra pair of hands in addressing important issues that the government can no longer or take time to address and help uplift people’s lives through various activities and programs they implement.

Most see human rights organizations in a positive light. Slightly more than eight-in-ten Kenyans and Indonesians said that such organizations are having a good influence on how things are going in their countries, while roughly two-thirds expressed this view in India and Mexico. Compared with the other major institutions tested, human rights organizations stacked up well. Overall, only the military and media tended to get better ratings, while court systems and police received the most negative reviews.

At 65%, Mexico had the smallest share of the public saying human rights groups are having a positive impact, though Mexicans generally expressed less positive views about national institutions than the other three publics surveyed.

(Via: http://www.pewglobal.org/2017/10/03/attitudes-toward-human-rights-organizations-india-indonesia-kenya-mexico/)

Human rights organizations have its limitations but it does not lessen their clout or influence on a great number of people. It is especially true in third-world countries that are riddled with poverty, corruption, and endless senseless violence that always leaves the innocent aggrieved. Through human rights organizations, the victims are able to claim justice and make the perpetrators or criminals pay for their crimes even if they have no money to pay for a lawyer by themselves.

The implementation of human rights is in crisis worldwide. The annual reports of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations continue to reveal widespread gross violations of human rights in numerous countries the world over and South Asia region is not an exception. Democracy is non-existent or a sham in many countries in our part of the world. National resources are squandered by despotic rulers instead of being used to satisfy the basic economic and social needs of their people. Corruption is rife. The judiciary lacks the strength, the means, or the will to protect human rights in many places. The national human rights institutions are non-existent or non-performing in some cases in South Asia and elsewhere. In South Asia, many countries ratify human rights treaties without making the slightest attempt to give effect to them. The self-righteous representatives gather in the halls of the United Nations and use their majorities to insist that countries are grossly violating human rights be treated with kid gloves through dialogue and cooperation, instead of through forthright condemnation of atrocities. The UN Human Rights Council does little for the actual protection of human rights, and its Universal Periodic Reporting Process, for the time being, lacks teeth. The situation is dire.

(Via: http://www.livelaw.in/human-rights-discourse-south-asia/)

Whether in the local arena or the global one, human rights is a hot topic as you can all see how much hatred and violence there is in the world right now. We not only regard wars and political conflicts as the only cause of human rights abuse but even the fact that most people can’t meet their basic needs and live in extreme poverty is a human rights issue in itself. And seeing how complex the world has become, the list of human needs and rights likewise grows but it isn’t an assurance that they are met despite the many tech advancements the rest of the world now enjoys. Humans will continue to struggle and meeting their needs isn't always a walk in the park but they are not alone in their journey - that they can count on.

How Society Now Views Human Rights Organizations Find more on: SoulVisual

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Protective Measures Against Malware

The Internet is a wonderful place but it can be dangerous too. People young and old can get lost in the web for hours and having the time of their lives but there are hidden dangers to its use, too. Of course, it all has to deal with cybersecurity. And it is no easy feat knowing how knowledgeable, skilled, and ingenious modern-day hackers are. No amount of data protection can get in their way if they want something so bad. Over recent years, the rise of malware has been so prominent in the tech sector that it has crippled businesses and organizations by the thousands in various parts of the globe. Sometimes, you wonder why people just don't give up and read a book!

If you are someone who knows your way with technology and is savvy when navigating the web, chances are you own your own tech device as well. It can be a smart gadget or a computer or laptop. You are not simply using these gadgets but you have to care for them too because they are somehow mighty expensive investments. However, you can’t tell when your device becomes at risk for malware. The risks are especially high if you are using computers running on old operating systems that do not have what it takes to fight off these tech nightmares.

(more…)

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Does It Make Sense To Worry Over An Eclipse?

For the longest time, mankind has been coming up with various superstitions and nonsense beliefs if they can’t explain something logically or scientifically. We try to make sense of everything that’s happening around us, so many freaks out when something happens that is out of the ordinary. An eclipse is something that has captivated us for years and left us in awe on the many mysteries that surround us. There have been numerous stories and myths but nothing really factual aside from the fact that there are instances during the moon’s orbit between the earth and the sun, it blocks the sun casting a shadow onto the planet.

People believe a long list of Eclipse-related superstitions but why do you think these stories became popular in the first place? Pregnant women are advised to avoid it because it is bad for the unborn child. People are also advised not to look at it directly even with sunglasses on as it can harm your vision. Sorry to burst your bubble but eclipses aren’t really a big threat to us. Well, you should actually feel relieved. The sun’s radiation may be even harmful than eclipses and we get exposed to sunlight every single day, yet we don’t make a big deal out of it.

On Aug. 21, a 70-mile-wide ribbon from Oregon to South Carolina called the "path of totality" will experience a total solar eclipse. Large swaths of farmland in the Great Plains and Midwest will be plunged into darkness for 2 1/2 minutes, and temperatures will drop about 10 degrees in the middle of the day.

But as millions of people look up at the sky, many Midwest scientists will turn their eyes and cameras toward the plants and animals on the ground. And they're not sure what will happen.

"It's never really been studied systematically," says Angela Speck, director of astronomy at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Speck says different parts of the Earth experience a total eclipse about once a year, and that makes tracking changes in animal and plant behavior challenging.

(Via: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/17/543741919/will-the-eclipse-make-crops-and-animals-flip-out-scientists-ask-really)

Not just solely obsessed with unfounded doubts and stories, scientists now look somewhere else during eclipses – down. Given that there are certain changes in our surroundings as the moon covers the sun for a short period of time, they want to know more about its effects to living things on the planet like plants and animals. It makes perfect sense because even if plants can’t talk, there are certain movements that indicate how plants cope to changes in the environment. Scientists want to know how plants will cope to the sudden darkness and drop in temperature because it hasn’t been fully studied in the past.

Crickets will chirp, cows will march back to their barns and swarms of once-busy honeybees will fly hurriedly home to their hives when a total solar eclipse sweeps across the U.S. next week.

The sudden darkness that comes when the moon momentarily blocks the entire sun on Aug. 21 will cause some animals to experience a range of reactions, including confusion, fright and excitement, experts say. While animals like insects and bats behave as if nighttime has simply come early, other more intelligent animals — chimpanzees, dolphins and llamas — appear to stop and stare at the sky, showing signs of understanding a celestial phenomenon is occurring, or at least that something is off.

“The smarter animals freak out,” said Dr. Douglas Duncan, the director of the Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado. “I think it’s likely that really smart animals react differently.”

(Via: http://time.com/4882733/total-solar-eclipse-animals-react/)

Animals also act a little strange in response to these changes like eclipses no matter how short it may seem. But of course, various animals react differently. Smarter animals pause for a while and direct all their attention to the sky, as if understanding that a phenomenon beyond our power is happening that very moment. Meanwhile, not so intelligent animals cower in fear and wait for the sun to shine again during solar eclipses. Unlike plants, scientists have already spent a great deal of time studying animal behaviors in response to these scenarios.

Now, is an eclipse really something you should be alarmed of? Learn from plants and animals that have been more observant of their surroundings than humans do. These things happen and are normal. While we don’t always get the answers we want to hear, it is safe to say now that life will go on as usual after eclipses happen. It’s been that way for millions of years. The best thing you could do is to enjoy the experience and learn from it because not everyone gets to see an eclipse in their lifetime.

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Supercomputer To Mars

We all know that computers are crucial to space exploration. How can you fly anywhere without it? Even planes use sophisticated aviation technology to take us from one destination to another, what more to take people to space. Ever since man landed on the moon, we haven’t really achieved much when it comes to space exploration. Things have pretty much stagnated, to say the least. It’s probably why news about sending supercomputers to Mars is exciting everyone right now because it may be the breakthrough we have all been waiting for over the years.

It is not at all impossible for us to develop computers just for this purpose when consumer tech goods are actually pretty advanced these days. Many experts are hard at work in developing this supercomputer that will soon set foot in Mars to ensure the comfort and safety of astronauts sent to explore the red planet. Supercomputers are needed in space to speed up research that is slowly inching its way at a snail’s pace. Although we are not new to Mars, it is undeniably farther than the moon and the environment may be a bit more hostile too. Hence, distance has a lot to do with how well gadgets work out there.

A mission to Mars requires sophisticated computing capabilities to cut down on communication latencies and ensure astronauts’ survival. To advance this mission, HPE and NASA launched a supercomputer into space on the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft.

This supercomputer, called the Spaceborne Computer, is part of a year-long experiment conducted by HPE and NASA to run a high performance commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer system in space, which has never been done before. The goal is for the system to operate seamlessly in the harsh conditions of space for one year – roughly the amount of time it will take to travel to Mars.

(Via: https://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/supercomputer-sent-space-accelerate-mission-mars-9484975)

Many things have changed and improved ever since man first went out to space. These achievements encouraged scientists to push the technology even further and the very same thing may also happen if this mission to Mars proves to be successful. It can propel space exploration even further and be instrumental for us to achieve even more in the future.

NASA and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) are sending a supercomputer into space.

The not-so-shrewdly named Spaceborne Computer, scheduled for launch today from Kennedy Space Center, is part of a year-long experiment.

The high-performance commercial machine will, fingers crossed, operate seamlessly in the “harsh conditions” of the cosmos.

In space, where no one can hear you scream, limited computing capabilities are sufficient for a visit to the moon or hanging out in low Earth orbit. But travel a bit further into the ether—to Mars, for instance—and it becomes much more difficult to keep in touch: It could take up to 20 minutes for someone on the Red Planet to contact Earth, and another 20 minutes to receive a response.

“Such a long communication lag would make any on-the-ground exploration challenging and potentially dangerous if astronauts are met with any mission critical scenarios that they’re not able to solve themselves,” Alain Andreoli, senior vice president and general manager of HPE’s Data Center Infrastructure Group, wrote in a blog post.

(Via: https://www.geek.com/tech/hp-supercomputer-headed-to-mars-on-spacex-rocket-1711877/)

Upgrading the computers used in space is the only way to further the exploration of space especially that conditions aren’t always great. This partnership between Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and NASA promises better computing performance that will not only help astronauts work more efficiently in the vast realms of outer space but allow experts on the ground to monitor their work and maintain regular communication with the team. Space experts and both those from HPE are hopeful that through this, advance computing will be made possible in space and pave the way for other discoveries and advancements to be made sooner rather than later.

The following blog article Supercomputer To Mars is available on SoulVisual.com Blog

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Ecologists Lose Funds For Environmental Efforts

The onset of global warming and climate change has made the majority of the population more aware of the state of the environment nowadays. It has triggered the public to contribute more when it comes to environmental conservation efforts in an attempt to salvage what’s left of the planet. While many participate in such activities, more actually do not and even contribute to the rise in carbon footprint especially in progressive first-world countries that are highly dependent on technologies fuelled by fossil fuel.

It is depressing to think that there are government institutions in the world that do not support the fight to save the planet from its ultimate doom now that climate change is already our reality. Most countries set a budget for its environmental/ecological efforts but it is not always that big as compared to other services provided by the government like healthcare, education, infrastructure, etc. Without enough money, ecologists and environmentalists will have a hard time enforcing projects and initiatives they have laid out to protect the environment. Hunters, poachers, loggers, and miners will be able to do their deeds freely because there won’t be enough manpower to keep them at bay.

Every year since 1990, ecologist Glenda Wardle of the University of Sydney has ventured to the same expanse of desert in central Australia to take stock of its flora and fauna. But this year may be the last time Wardle can collect data from the 8,000-square-kilometre site in the Simpson Desert. The consortium that operates her research area and 11 other long-term sites, comprising more than 1,100 individual field plots, will stop funding this network by the end of the year because of budget cuts and shifting priorities, say its leaders.

Without this money, which covers a large portion of the operating costs at these sites, 6 of the 12 will probably close, says ecologist David Lindenmayer, who is the science director of the network and is based at the Australian National University in Canberra. This would break time-series data that scientists have collected over decades, he says.

(Via: https://www.nature.com/news/ecologists-protest-australia-s-plans-to-cut-funding-for-environment-monitoring-network-1.22453)

We are all probably thinking that all first-world nations got their act together but we are greatly mistaken as Australia appears to have reduced its funding dedicated to saving the environment. You are probably asking why considering that Australia in itself is a continent and a big part of its land mass are final frontiers of nature not to mention it has the Great Barrier Reef that is highly at risk as well today. It’s actually the same thing happening in the United States especially since President Trump assumed office early this year and he does not think highly about the environmental issues we are now facing.

The Jersey Shore needs every single dollar of funding from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and cuts proposed by the Trump administration have the potential of undoing years of environmental protections in the state, according to Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6th).

Pallone joined state and local elected officials, Barnegat Bay environmentalists and members of the public for a press conference at the Mantoloking Bridge County Park on Thursday morning to demand protection for EPA funding.

In September, the House of Representatives will vote on a budget that would cut seven percent, or $.5 billion from the EPA, which would “devastate the agency,” Pallone said.

(Via: https://jerseyshoreonline.com/ocean-county/politicians-environmentalists-rally-epa-cuts/)

Considering the extent of the damage today, you can’t just easily reverse climate change in a few years or so especially that not everyone cooperates and our demand for energy and other non-renewable resources continues to rise as the population balloons. First-world nations actually produce the highest carbon footprint on land because of the various industrial, manufacturing, commercial, and other related industries yet they are still battling issues regarding environmental funding. The United States is in a much bigger mess with a president that entirely believes climate change is just a hoax and even managed to sign the country out of the Paris Agreement.

While it is true that we need everyone’s active participation to save the planet, it does not mean that you can’t do your part in your own little ways. Carpooling or using public transportation, recycling, reusing, and reducing your garbage, using eco-friendly materials, reducing energy consumption, etc. are just some of the things you can do by yourself on a daily basis. It may not have that big of an impact but over time you’ll realize how much you were able to contribute to saving the environment and eventually the planet.

Ecologists Lose Funds For Environmental Efforts Read more on: SoulVisual

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/ecologists-lose-funds-for-environmental-efforts/

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Target’s New Apparel Line For Children With Disabilities

Parents of kids with disabilities know very well how challenging it is to raise a child with special needs. From special and intensive care they require as infants that only continues to become more taxing as they grow, life with a disabled child is no walk in the park indeed. Fortunately, society is trying to be more accommodating now when it comes to their special needs. There are establishments and institutions that are focused on the care of these kids and many businesses offer various types of support to meet the slightly more sensitive needs of children with disabilities.

As businesses become more competitive and everybody is considered a customer, entrepreneurs are starting to realize that they can tap various individuals to widen their customer base. And children with disabilities aren’t an exception. Target now offers an apparel line entirely dedicated to them. And best of all, they are quite affordable too with prices ranging from $4.50 to $7. These apparels are especially suited for kids with special needs as they addressed common requests by their parents like having fewer embellishments and tags.

Target is expanding its clothing line for kids, this time catering to those children with special needs.

Stemming from the success of Target's private label, Cat & Jack, the retailer has rolled out a sensory-friendly selection for kids with processing sensitivities.

The pieces include heat-transferred labels in place of tags, flat seams, and one-dimensional graphic tees, all designed to minimize discomfort when in contact with the skin, Target wrote in a blog post.

Target said it plans to expand the line this fall to include "adaptive pieces" that address the needs of children living with other disabilities.

(Via: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/18/target-debuts-apparel-line-for-kids-with-disabilities.html)

This new offering by Target is a great relief to parents who have a child with a disability at home as it makes shopping for their kid’s clothes way easier than it did before. These kids often have to use diapers too despite their age and the new apparels offered by Target ensured that they got this issue covered. Not only are they able to diversify their product line but they also lighten the burden of already stressed out parents that just want to spend even less time shopping so they have more time caring for their children that are unlike normal kids. FYI, these children with disability-friendly apparels are carried by their Cat & Jack house brand that you can also purchase online.

The new line includes pieces with heat-transferred labels in place of tags, flat seams and graphic tees designed to minimize discomfort when in contact with the skin.

Target is the first major retailer to launch a line specifically designed for special-needs children. Previously, the market was limited to smaller specialty stores or websites catering to families of children with autism and other sensory challenges. These children are often especially sensitive to clothing tags, exposed elastic bands and scratchy material.

According to the Center for Disease Control, one in 68 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder.

The new line was designed by Target's internal design team, including Stacey Monsen, a Target designer and mother of a 7-year-old daughter with autism.

(Via: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/target_unveils_sensory-friendl.html)

These are just some of the things people without disabilities take for granted. But for those kids with special needs and their parents, it is already a big help to lighten the burden of caring for a child that is more demanding than the others. This is a great move for Target in showing the community that they take their customer’s feedbacks seriously and they will go the extra mile in uplifting the lives of their consumers in whatever way they can. Other businesses should be more sensitive to the needs of other people with special requirements in life especially now that technology is advanced and almost anything is possible. Just a few tweaks on certain products to make them disabled-friendly can go a long way in brightening someone else’s life.

Target’s New Apparel Line For Children With Disabilities Find more on: SoulVisual

from https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/targets-new-apparel-line-for-children-with-disabilities/