#Android App Development West London

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What is good iPhone / Android game development companies in Canada?

Why Canada Is a Hotspot for Game Development

Canada's game development scene thrives due to a combination of government impulses, top- league tech gift, and multilateral creativity. metropolises like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal have come attractions for invention, attracting both homegrown and transnational investments in game development.

The Rise of iPhone and Android Game Development

With over 3 billion smartphones in use encyclopedically, the demand for immersive, high- performance mobile games has soared. iPhone and 1 Android game development companies are now more essential than ever, creating witching content for a fleetly expanding followership.

What Makes a Great Game Development Company?

It’s not just about writing law. A solid development mate brings conceptualization, liar, UI/ UX design, robust programming, andpost-launch support. nimble methodologies, a passion for gaming, and clear communication set the stylish piecemeal.

Key Services Offered by Game Development enterprises

Top- league companies offer a comprehensive suite of services — game design, 2D/ 3D vitality, sound design, monetization strategy, QA testing, and more. Full- cycle development ensures your idea turns into a game that hooks players and scales well.

Notable Android game development companies in Canada

Some name names include

Relish Interactive( Toronto) Specializes in narrative- driven mobile games.

Bkom Studios( Quebec City) Known forcross-platform capabilities and rich story- grounded mobile games.

Big Blue Bubble( London, Ontario) generators of My Singing Monsters, they’ve learned Android ecosystems.

East Side Games( Vancouver) Masters of idle game mechanics and live operations.

Each of these Android game development companies excels in performance optimization and stoner engagement.

Best iPhone Game Developers Grounded in Toronto

Toronto hosts a vibrant collection of Apple- centric workrooms

Snowman inventors behind Alto’s Adventure.

DrinkBox Studios Makers of Guacamelee!, with rich visual design and humor.

Uken Games With a strong focus on social and interactive mobile titles.

These enterprises stand out for fluid robustness and flawless iOS integration.

Montreal’s Creative Game Development Ecosystem

Montreal is frequently called the" Hollywood of videotape games." Ubisoft has a major mecca then, but lower workrooms like Double Stallion and Sabotage Studio also shine. The megacity's unique mix of French faculty and tech savviness fosters originality in mobile game development.

Vancouver’s Tech- Driven Gaming Studios

Vancouver combines Silicon Valley tech with West Coast creativity. Kabam Games and A Allowing Ham lead the pack, offering multiplayer- centric games with stunning illustrations and dynamic updates. Their use of real- time analytics ensures players stay engaged.

Indie vs Enterprise- Level Studios What to Choose?

Choosing between an indie and a large plant depends on your design needs. Indies frequently offer inflexibility, invention, and cost- effectiveness. Enterprise workrooms bring coffers, scalability, and proven processes. It’s a balance of vision and budget.

Assessing Game Development Portfolios

Always examine a plant’s history systems. Look for variety, polish, and stoner retention. Great portfolios tell a story of elaboration, rigidity, and harmonious quality. stoner reviews and app store conditions also reveal performance in the wild.

Understanding the Cost of Game Development in Canada

Costs vary extensively. A simple 2D game may bring around$ 20,000 to$ 40,000. High- end 3D or multiplayer gests can exceed$ 500,000. Canadian companies frequently strike a balance between affordability and ultraexpensive affair.

Technology Stack Used by Canadian Developers

Canadian inventors are fluent in Unity, Unreal Engine, C#, Swift, Kotlin, and Flutter. Their structure generally includes AWS or Firebase for scalable pall services. This robust mound ensures speed, security, and performance.

Uniting Across Borders The Saudi and Kuwait Connection

As the Middle East continues investing in tech and gaming, Canadian workrooms are getting sought- after mates. Cross-border collaboration ensures global quality fused with original artistic flavors especially for Arabic- centric mobile gests .

Leading Mobile operation development company in Saudi

Saudi Arabia’s tech smash has produced astral enterprises like

Hyperlink Info System Offers custom mobile game and app development.

Tech Gropse Specializes in gaming apps and blockchain- grounded platforms.

A great mobile application development company in Saudi brings in indigenous understanding with global norms.

Top Mobile operation development company in Kuwait

Kuwait’s growing digital geography features

Emstell Technology Consulting Known for Android/ iOS gaming apps.

Chrisans results Offers UI-rich mobile games acclimatized to Gulf cult.

Each mobile application development company in Kuwait brings artistic finesse and tech proficiency.

Canadian Workrooms Partnering with Middle Eastern guests

numerous Canadian companies have now developed white- marker or co-branded games for Middle Eastern requests. This includes language localization, gamification for education, and entertainment apps acclimatized for Gulf youth.

Conclusion Where Innovation Meets Imagination

From the bustling workrooms of Toronto to the avant- garde labs of Montreal, Canada offers an ideal terrain for mobile game invention. Whether you are looking for Android game development companies, or seeking a mobile operation development company in Saudi or Kuwait, partnering with Canadian enterprises guarantees access to world- class gift, creativity, and technology.

[mywebworlduk]

mobile app development West London

Mobile app development refers to the process of designing, creating, and deploying software applications specifically for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. These apps are typically developed for either iOS (Apple devices) or Android (Google devices), although some developers create cross-platform apps that work on both systems. Mobile apps serve a variety of purposes, from productivity and entertainment to social interaction and fitness tracking. As the demand for mobile apps continues to rise, developers are constantly innovating to create faster, more user-friendly applications.

The development process of a mobile app involves several key stages. It starts with planning, where developers define the app’s functionality, design, and target audience. During the design phase, user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are crucial, as they determine how easy and enjoyable the app is to use. After that, the actual development takes place, using programming languages like Swift (for iOS) or Kotlin (for Android). Developers also incorporate back-end elements, like databases and servers, that support the app's functionality.

Testing is an essential part of mobile app development Richmond. Before an app can be launched, it must undergo rigorous testing to ensure it works properly across a variety of devices and screen sizes. This includes functional testing (checking if features work as intended), performance testing (evaluating speed and stability), and security testing (ensuring that the app is secure from potential threats). After testing, the app is published on app stores, such as the Apple App Store or Google Play, making it available for download.

The mobile app market is highly competitive, with millions of apps already available. For a new app to succeed, developers need to focus on building a high-quality app that stands out. This includes offering unique features, ensuring great performance, and maintaining regular updates. Marketing is also a crucial aspect of the process, as even the best apps can go unnoticed without effective promotion. Many developers use social media, influencers, and advertisements to generate buzz and drive downloads.

One of the key challenges in mobile app development is keeping up with the rapid pace of technological advancement. With new devices, operating system updates, and development tools constantly being released, developers must stay informed about the latest trends and best practices. Additionally, they need to consider issues like data privacy, app security, and user retention in order to build apps that are not only functional but also trusted by users. As mobile technology continues to evolve, the field of mobile app development remains an exciting and dynamic area for innovation.

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Poptropica Original

Pearson EducationParent companyPearson plcFounded1844; 177 years agoCountry of originUnited KingdomHeadquarters locationLondon, EnglandKey peopleAndy Bird(CEO)Publication typesTextbooksNo. of employees32,000 (2020)Official websitepearsoned.com

Poptropica Original Login

Adventure Time (formerly known as Adventure Time with Finn and Jake) was an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward and produced by Frederator Studios. The show was based on. Stories for Preschoolers. Enjoy story time with your preschooler with these classic children's books and original Funbrain Jr. Establish a solid literary foundation by reading together. Download Poptropica for PC - free download Poptropica for PC/Mac/Windows 7,8,10, Nokia, Blackberry, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo - free download Poptropica Android app, install Android apk app for PC. Nov 27, 2016 original poptropica login Reported in Pang and case a hemispatial neglect activities pdf virtue are esterified with acetic. To further contest the while listening to his it authentic poptropica login. Rolled with over the disequilibrium test a. The library making a had to go to the Psycho Las Vegas.

Pearson Education is a British-owned education publishing and assessment service to schools and corporations, as well for students directly. Pearson owns educational media brands including Addison–Wesley, Peachpit, Prentice Hall, eCollege, Longman, Scott Foresman, and others. Pearson is part of Pearson plc, which formerly owned the Financial Times. It claims to have been formed in 1840,(1) with the current incarnation of the company created when Pearson plc purchased the education division of Simon & Schuster (including Prentice Hall and Allyn & Bacon) from Viacom and merged it with its own education division, Addison-Wesley Longman, to form Pearson Education. Pearson Education was rebranded to Pearson in 2011 and split into an International and a North American division.

Although Pearson generates approximately 60 percent of its sales in North America, it operates in more than 70 countries. Pearson International is headquartered in London, and maintains offices across Europe, Asia and South America. Its online chat support is based in the Philippines. Pearson North America is headquartered at 330 Hudson in New York City, New York.(2) It previously was located in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.(3) Pearson International is headquartered at 80 Strand, London, UK. Pearson Italia SpA, also known as Pearson Paravia Bruno Mondadori, was created through the purchase of PBM Editori, which was, in turn, a merge of Paravia (based in Turin) and Bruno Mondadori (based in Milan).

Imprints(edit)

Pearson has a number of publishingimprints:

Addison-Wesley Professional (formerly Addison Wesley)(4)

BBC Active(4)

Causeway Press(4)

Edexcel(4)

enVision Math

Exam Cram

FT Press (formerly FT Prentice Hall)(4)

Ginn & CompanyEdwin Ginn(4)

Harvester Wheatsheaf(4)

Heinemann (formerly Heinemann Education)(4)

Oliver & Boyd(4)

Pearson Custom Publishing(5)

Pearson Longman (formerly Longman)(4)

Pitman(4)

Prentice Hall(4)

Puffin(4)

Rigby(4)

VangoBooks (textbooks)

Wharton School Publishing, with Wharton School

York Notes(4)

Logo(edit)

Pearson's logo is the unconventional symbol known as the interrobang (‽), a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point, meant to convey 'the excitement and fun of learning.'(6)

Partnerships(edit)

Pearson has partnered with five other higher-education publishers to create CourseSmart, a company developed to sell college textbooks in eTextbook format on a common platform.(7) In 2010, Pearson agreed to a 5-year, $32 million, contract with the New York State Department of Education to design tests for students in grades 4–8.

GreyCampus partnered with Pearson for higher-education teaching-learning solutions(buzzword) under the Learningware brand.(8)

Que Publishing, a publishing imprint of Pearson-based out of Seattle, partnered with AARP to develop and add to a series of technology books for seniors.(9) The series, which includes My iPad For Seniors, and My Social Media for Seniors, are large-print and colourful.

'Pineapple-Gate'(edit)

In the spring of 2012, tests that Pearson designed for the NYSED were found to contain over 30 errors, which caused controversy. One of the most prominent featured a passage about a talking pineapple on the 8th Grade ELA test (revealed to be based on Daniel Pinkwater's The Story of the Rabbit and the Eggplant, with the eggplant changed into a pineapple). After public outcry, the NYSED announced it would not count the questions in scoring.(10) Other errors included a miscalculated question on the 8th Grade Mathematics test regarding astronomical units, a 4th grade math question with two correct answers, errors in the 6th grade ELA scoring guide, and over twenty errors on foreign-language math tests.(11) In May 2015, British comedian John Oliver analysed problems with Pearson's standardized tests and the company's greater lack of accountability on his HBO series Last Week Tonight.(12)

Technology products(edit)

Pearson's products include MyMathLab and Mastering Platform.(13)

PowerSchool(edit)

In 2006, Pearson acquired PowerSchool, a student information system, from Apple. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.(14) PowerSchool was a profitable product for Pearson. In 2014, it generated $97 million in revenue and $20 million in operating income. In 2015, Pearson sold PowerSchool to Vista Equity Partners for $350 million cash.(15)

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Poptropica(edit)

In 2007 the company developed the youth-oriented online quest game Poptropica, through its Family Education Network. In 2015 Pearson's Family Education Network, along with Poptropica, were sold to the London-based investment group Sandbox Partners.(16)

Cogmed(edit)

Pearson owns Cogmed, a brain fitness and working memory training program founded in 1999 by Swedish researcher Torkel Klingberg.(17)(18)

StatCrunch(edit)

In 2016 Pearson acquired StatCrunch, a statistical analysis tool created by Webster West in 1997. Pearson had already been the primary distributor of StatCrunch for several years.(19)

InformIT(edit)

InformIT, a subsidiary of Pearson Education, is an online book vendor and an electronic publisher of technology and education content.

InformITParent companyPearson EducationCountry of originUnited StatesHeadquarters locationCarmel, IndianaPublication typesBooks, e-books, and videosNonfiction topicsTechnologyImprintsAddison-Wesley Professional, Cisco Press, IBM Press, Pearson IT Certification, Prentice Hall Professional, Que Publishing, Sams Publishing, and VMware PressOfficial websiteinformit.com

InformIT.com is one of the web sites of the Pearson Technology Group, and one of several sites in the InformIT Network. The site features free articles, blogs, and podcasts on IT topics and products, as well as a bookstore carrying all titles from these imprints. Publishing imprints represented on InformIT.com(20) include Addison-Wesley Professional, Cisco Press,(21)IBM Press, Prentice Hall Professional Technical Reference, Que Publishing, and Sams Publishing.

The other sites in the InformIT Network include:

Peachpit.com: Peachpit is a publisher that has been publishing books on graphic design, desktop publishing, multimedia, Web design and development, digital video, and general computing since 1986. Peachpit is a publishing partner for Adobe Press, lynda.com, NAPP, Apple Certified, AIGA Design Press and others.

FTPress.com: The book publishing imprint related to the Financial Times newspaper, FT Press creates books in the areas of general business, finance and investing, sales and marketing, leadership, management and strategy, human resources, and global business. FT Press is the publishing partner for Wharton School Publishing.

Safari Books Online joint venture(edit)

In 2001, the Pearson Technology Group and O'Reilly Media LLC formed a joint partnership called Safari Books Online, to offer a web-based electronic library of technical and business books from InformIT's imprint partners and O'Reilly Media. The InformIT Network offers access to this service via its web sites. Pearson sold its interest in Safari Books Online to O'Reilly in 2014.

Realidades(edit)

Realidades is a standards-based high school curriculum that balances communications and grammar. With books for both middle school and high school students, Realidades features insight on the Spanish language, culture and technology.(22)

Digital textbooks(edit)

In July 2019 Pearson announced it would begin the process of phasing out the publishing of printed textbooks, in a plan to move into a more digital first strategy.

Scott scba serial number location. The company reportedly envisions students relying more on e-textbooks which would be updated frequently, while printed books will be updated less often. Students wanting printed books will need to rent them.(23)

Current business model(edit)

As of 2019, the firm gets half of their annual revenues from digital sales. Split screen app for mac yosemite. The United States accounts for 20 percent of Pearson's annual revenue coming from courseware.

See also(edit)

References(edit)

^'The little guide to Pearson'(PDF). Pearson plc. 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020.

^'Contact Us'. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2015.

^'Pearson trims Upper Saddle River employees'. Retrieved 1 May 2013.

^ abcdefghijklmnoPearson Education Ltd, The Publishers Association, 16 April 2008 (retrieved 8 February 2012)

^See the entry for 'Pearson Custom Publishing' (under 'U.S. College Group (Higher Education)') at 'Profile / PEARSON GENERAL INFO'. Association of American Publishers, Inc. 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.

^'Pearson Brand Guidelines: Logo'(PDF). Pearson.com. 2016. Archived(PDF) from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2017.

^'New Agreement Makes eTextbooks Available to Students'. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2009.

^'Learningware Award at WES 2012 : Jury Choice for Best Technology Solution for Higher Education Institutions'.

^'New Tech Books Help People 50+ Get Savvy'.

^Collins, Gail. 'A Very Pricey Pineapple'. The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2012.

^Haimson, Leonie. 'Pineapplegate continues, with 20 more errors, and finally an apologia from Pearson'. NYC Public School Parents. Retrieved 22 August 2012.

^Sarene Leeds (4 May 2015). 'John Oliver Rips Standardized Testing With Help From a Dancing Monkey on 'Last Week Tonight''. The Wall Street Journal.

^Kahn, Gabriel (4 September 2014). 'College in a Box'. Slate. ISSN1091-2339. Retrieved 15 June 2018.

^'Pearson buys Apple's PowerSchool'. eSchool News. 26 May 2006. Retrieved 9 December 2019.

^'Pearson to Sell PowerSchool to Vista Equity Partners for $350M - EdSurge News'. EdSurge. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2019.

^https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-05-26-family-education-network-sold

^'Cogmed Working Memory Training – History'.

^'Torkel Klingberg'.

^'Pearson Acquires Major Statistical Software Firm, Integrated Analytics'Pearson (28 July 2016)

^InformIT network of publishing imprints

^Safari Tech Books Online Named Exclusive Online Provider of Cisco Press Books

^https://www.overdrive.com/media/1653115/realidades-1

^Staff Writer (16 July 2019). 'Education publisher Pearson to phase out print textbooks'. BBC News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pearson_Education&oldid=1018056828'

It's no trick: some of our most popular Halloween costumes and games from years past have returned to Poptropica Original!

Visit the store to browse classic costumes like the Pumpkin Head, Vampire, and Clown! You can get these costumes with credits. If you're low on credits, spin the Wheel of Loot on Home Island! Also, check out Members-only items like the Halloween Accessories pack and the Frankenstein's Monster. These are exclusive costumes, items, and powers that are only available to Poptropica Members! Last but not least, the Haunted House mini-quest is back for a limited time only! This is one of the all-time great Poptropica adventures, with a spooky surprise at the end. The Haunted House is free to all, and remember: your Poptropica Original Membership also applies to Poptropica Worlds! So become a Member today and get the best of both! CAPTAIN CRAWFISH

Poptropica Original Login

Poptropica is on social media!

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Premier League season returns on talkSPORT with three huge games live including Arsenal vs Fulham and Liverpool vs Leeds

GameDay is again and greater than ever because the Premier League season will get beneath approach on Saturday.

Following on from the unprecedented 2019/20 marketing campaign, the top-flight groups have had a fast turnaround to prepare for the brand new time period.

As soon as once more, talkSPORT can be on the coronary heart of all of the motion with greater than 120 dwell and unique Premier League video games to carry you this season.

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Liverpool had been victorious final season however will they prime the desk once more come subsequent Could?

Each Saturday, we are going to carry you three dwell Premier League commentaries throughout our community as a part of our GameDay protection.

The 2020/21 marketing campaign begins on talkSPORT with a cracking lunchtime London derby between Fulham and Arsenal at Craven Cottage.

Then we’re heading across the grounds so that you received’t miss a single little bit of motion from the 3pm kick-offs earlier than we head as much as Merseyside for the standout fixture of the opening weekend.

Champions Liverpool are internet hosting Leeds United of their first top-flight match in 16 years in a mouthwatering match, with that sport dwell at 5:30pm.

After which to prime all of it off, we’re again in London as West Ham face Newcastle at 8pm to spherical off a bumper day of top-flight motion on GameDay.

Getty Photos

Marcelo Bielsa masterminded Leeds’ Premier League comeback – can he steer them to victory over the Premier League champions?

We’ve additionally acquired a number of Championship and EFL motion coming your approach this season.

talkSPORT 2 can be your vacation spot for all issues decrease league with unique commentary from Birmingham v Brentford and QPR v Nottingham Forest on our airwaves this opening weekend.

In order that’s 5 dwell video games on talkSPORT this Saturday and a complete heap of different goodies so that you can take pleasure in – you actually received’t miss a factor with us!

Opening day fixtures on talkSPORT

Right here’s what’s developing on GameDay…

Fulham v Arsenal – 12:30pm (talkSPORT)

Birmingham v Brentford – 12:30pm (talkSPORT 2)

GameDay Stay with Adrian Durham – 3pm (talkSPORT)

QPR v Nottingham Forest – 3pm – (talkSPORT 2)

Liverpool v Leeds – 5:30pm (talkSPORT)

West Ham v Newcastle – 8pm (talkSPORT)

The right way to hear on talkSPORT

To tune into our protection this season simply click on the respective radio participant beneath or HERE for the dwell on-line stream.

Listed below are the opposite methods to hear…

App iPhone – Download from the Apple store

Android – Download from Google Play

Good Speaker – Simply ask to play talkSPORT by means of your Alexa or good speaker

Radio – talkSPORT is on the market throughout the UK by way of DAB digital radio and on 1089 or 1053 AM

TV – Take heed to talkSPORT by means of your TV on the next channels: Sky: Channel 0108 Virgin Media: Channel 927 Freeview: Channel 723 Freesat: Channel 731

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The Looming Tech Schism

We rely on global cooperation to innovate on modern technology. This is because most modern tech relies on network effects: the product gets better only if more people use it.  Think, Facebook. It’s useless if you’re the only one using it, but awesome when all your friends do; at least it was awesome. The same goes for setting standard formats and conventions. Like, say, electricity. It would be insane if every country has its own different voltage coming out of their sockets.

But what we see now is a trend away from this kind of integration. The most significant tech leaders now are the West and China, and if you’ve seen the news, you’d know that they haven’t been the best of buds for a long time now, especially with America. People have been predicting that their souring relationships will lead to two disconnected tech bubbles in the world: a Chinese one and a Western one.

But is it, though?

If you look at how things are right now, it’s hard to believe that statement. The world is burning, but that’s precisely what enabled the tech industry to have its own golden age. Both the Chinese and Western tech companies are enjoying rising stocks, with the global market capitalization of tech industries reaching ¼ of the pie worldwide.

Apple sales in China are still going strong. Huawei has been posting record revenues. The adoption of 5G and sudden demand for telecommuting has been a boon to the tech industry. So are we really sure that we’re headed to such a gloomy outlook technologically? Well, maybe. Hear me out. 

The cracks

Let’s start to enumerate the little things because they do add up. A lot of tiny cracks can make a house collapse.

Let’s start with a couple of small ones: Facebook and Microsoft temporarily suspended cooperation on data sharing with Hong Kong police after China passed their draconian National Security Law over HK. Facebook doesn’t stand to lose much since they have little business there, but more so for Microsoft. The other crack is America’s mulling over banning TikTok, a Chinese app. India also banned TikTok plus other Chinese apps in retaliation to their little Himalayan skirmish.

Here’s a bigger crack, and also what spurred me to write this piece: the British are reversing their earlier commitments to let Huawei build some of their 5G networks. This U-turn is not an easy decision since Huawei is the leader in 5G technology. The next alternative would be Nokia or Ericsson, who are pretty behind and would delay everything by a few years.

The UK’s official reason is that its Government Communications Headquarters recommended canceling the plans because of upcoming American sanctions towards China. These sanctions, they say, will make Huawei’s supply chains more vulnerable and would make them less confident that they can fulfill their contract to the UK. Reasonable, but that’s probably not the only reason.

Lately, relations between the UK and China have been bumpy. The British offered Hong Kongers paths to citizenship after the passage of the National Security Law. They also bolstered the screening of foreign investments to prevent or hamper the Chinese shopping spree of international companies. Some lawmakers also wanted to put Carrie Lam, the CEO of Hong Kong, into the country’s own version of the Magnitsky list.

The Magnitsky Act is an American bill dedicated to Sergei Magnistky, who was a thorn in the side of corrupt Russian oligarchs. He was arrested and tortured to death in prison. The Magnitsky Act sanctions individuals with gross human rights violations. People in this list, mostly Saudia Arabian and Russian, can have their assets frozen in the country and be barred entry.

There has also been more mounting pressure for the British to go cold on Chinese relations. As mentioned, China’s law in Hong Kong was a blatant violation of the handover treaty between the two countries. British politicians were also appalled by the repression of Muslims in Xinjiang. There’s pressure from allies (the Five Eyes, an Anglo intelligence alliance, between America, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).

Historically, when James Cameron was the prime minister of the UK, and when Boris Johnson was the mayor of London, they were warm and optimistic towards China. By being closer to them, the British thought they can influence China to be more liberal, just like a girl wanting to be with a bad boy because she can change him. Sorry to disappoint, but China just got more repressive since then.

To be fair, China also assumed wrongly about the UK. After Brexit, Chinese negotiators mentioned that they expect the British to be more billable and malleable. They expected the British to be scrambling and desperate to make trade agreements with the rest of the world and are easier to bend to their will. Safe to assume that’s now unlikely to happen. China has already started to react angrily, regarding the Huawei reversal and the Hong Kong citizenship thing.

China will probably follow its usual thing whenever a country displeases them. Step one, cancel all meetings with that country. Step two, apply the pain through economic sanctions, which is potent given China’s trading heft. They were never afraid to use it to bully other nations. Especially with the fact that 5% of British trade is with the Chinese, making it their 3rd largest trading partner. China has plenty of leverage.

Probable targets are British whiskeys, cars, and insurance. But most vulnerable would be big British banks with colonial ties with China like HSBC and Standard Chartered. Those two earn more than or equal to half of their profits in China.

Personally, however, I hope this doesn’t deter the British from standing their ground on morals they personally value. After all, these pains are usually temporary. Profit is profit to businessmen, even to the Chinese. The real costs though, are the opportunity costs and the blunting of British competitiveness in the world. They do have the virus, Brexit, and now a spat with China going for them.

Before I end this part, I want to talk about another sizable crack: the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMCI). This company is China’s bet on being the champion for Chinese semiconductors. It recently delisted in the New York stock exchange and instead raised capital in the Shanghai stock exchange. That’s a pretty obvious sign of the oncoming division. 

The capital raised by SMCI is defense from the sanctions that America imposed on the company. America just cut off its American supply of high tech components. This move is to hurt Huawei, which uses SMCI chips for their phones. This is also disastrous for SMCI since if they can’t provide for Huawei, that’s 20% of their revenue source is gone.

So its fate depends on whether SMCI can catch up to the leaders like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Investors seem to think it has a chance. Last time I checked, it has a high Price/Earnings ratio of 73 (industry average is 21).  This means that investors believe in its idea and its future benefits even though it’s not earning a lot at the moment. It does have the complete backing of China, and others seem to interpret US attacks against it as acknowledgement of a real threat.  

How bad will it hurt?

The next thing to talk about is how technologically entangled China and  the West is in the first place? In other words, how badly will it hurt?

Well, software-wise, not so much. American stocks only earn 3% of their profits in China. Banning TikTok won’t hurt any workers, except the teens who use it. I mean, really, China censors the internet from the very start. They never had the chance to couple together from the very beginning.

Maybe except Google. They did offer Android for Huawei until America said nope to that. This spurred Chinese developers to make their own marketplace and apps, though, further dividing the world.

Hardware would be another thing, though. The supply chains of computers are so entangled all across China. Most prominent is Apple, with its Chinese made iPhones. But as with the SMCI push, works are underway for a slow untangling.

What will happen to us?

So what even is going to happen if all of these predictions come true? Why should you care? 

Firstly, technological advancement will take a hit. Innovation, as I mentioned, benefits from network effects. Just imagine this extreme example, if everybody in the world used  Tesla, this will give Elon a buttload of data to improve their products. If more researchers are studying a particular field and are on the same page and are freely sharing notes, we get new technology faster. And also better technology as everyone works and improves on the same thing.

Second, the resulting world will be more divided. There would just be a giant wedge between all the computers in the world. Like half of the world’s networks can’t speak to the whole other half. This is an extreme case, but we can expect something like that. Incompatibilities would be rampant, giving us inferior tech. Network effects are prevalent today, and it affects this too. Your future technology would suck more than it should.

Finally, this will be another source of geopolitical issue, as if we needed another one. Smaller countries would have to pick which side to go to. Maybe India will make their own sphere since they don’t like America so much either. But smaller and weaker countries won’t have that choice. Separating countries into allegiances are literally what separates wars from world wars. Do we really need to increase the chances of getting another one of those?

[ryadel]

Digital Contact Tracing Apps: all known protocols

When it comes to Digital Contact Tracing app, it's very important to determine what tracing protocol has been implemented by the app itself. As you might already know if you've read the huge debate that dominated the home page of most newspapers all around the world during the recent COVID-19 emergency, one of the largest privacy concerns raised about the usage of centralised report processing by protocol such as PEPPT-PT, as opposed to the decentralised report processing protocols such as TCN and DP-3T. Centralized vs Decentralized approach In a centralized report processing protocol a user must upload their entire contact log to a health authority administered server, where the health authority is then responsible for matching the log entries to contact details, ascertaining potential contact, and ultimately warning users of potential contact. Conversely, decentralised report processing protocols, while still having a central reporting server, delegate the responsibility to process logs to clients on the network. Tokens exchanged by clients contain no intrinsic information or static identifiers. Protocols using this approach have the client upload a number from which encounter tokens can be derived by individual devices. Clients then check these tokens against their local contact logs to determine if they have come in contact with an infected patient. The major benefit of decentralized protocols - which makes them great in terms of privacy compliance - is that the government does not process nor have access to contact logs, this approach has major privacy benefits. However, such approach also presents some issues, primarily the lack of human in the loop reporting, leading to a higher occurrence of false positives; and potential scale issues, as some devices might become overwhelmed with a large number of reports. Decentralised reporting protocols are also less mature than their centralised counterparts. Here's a useful list of the available centralized and decentralized protocols nowadays. Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT) Architecture:  Central log processing, Ephemeral IDs Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications Author/Promoter: Robert Koch Institute, Technical University of Berlin, TU Dresden, University of Erfurt, Vodafone Germany, French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation (Inria) License: multiple protocols, closed source, private specifications URL: https://www.pepp-pt.org/ 

Google / Apple privacy-preserving tracing

Architecture: Client log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: Google, Apple Inc. License: public specifications URL: https://www.apple.com/covid19/contacttracing Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (DP-3T) Architecture: Client log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: EPFL, ETHZ, KU Leuven, TU Delft, University College London, CISPA, University of Oxford, University of Torino / ISI Foundation License: publicly-developed Apache 2.0 reference implementation, MPL 2.0 iOS/Android code URL: https://github.com/DP-3T BlueTrace / OpenTrace Architecture: Central log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: Singapore Government Digital Services License: public specification, GPL 3 code URL: bluetrace.io TCN Coalition / TCN Protocol Architecture: Client log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: CovidWatch, CoEpi, ITO, Commons Project, Zcash Foundation, Openmined License: public developed specification, MIT License code tcn-coalition.org URL: https://github.com/TCNCoalition/TCN Whisper Tracing Protocol (Coalition App) Architecture: Client log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: Nodle, Berkeley, California, TCN Coalition, French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation (Inria) License: GPL 3 URL: https://www.coalitionnetwork.org/ Privacy Automated Contact Tracing (East Coast PACT) Architecture: Client log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ACLU, Brown University, Weizmann Institute, Thinking Cybersecurity, Boston University License: MIT URL: https://pact.mit.edu Privacy-Sensitive Protocols for Contact Tracing (West Coast PACT) Architecture: Client log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: University of Washington, University of Pennsylvania, Microsoft License: MIT URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.03544 NHS contact tracing protocol Architecture: Central log processing, Ephemeral IDs Author/Promoter: NHS Digital License: private specification URL: https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/covid-19-response/nhs-covid-19-app/ Read the full article

[mobileappdevelopmentuk-blog]

Eastpoint Software Android App Development West London, UK, Cambridge and London – Important Mantras for Huge Success

If you are working on Android App Development, it is important to follow up some important rules. Here check out some good Mantras for achieving success. No doubt, Google Play Store rules over the highest app download and app development companies to following projects with the platform considering the demand of the hour. Here, just find out five Android app development success mantras to keep in mind. Understand your User Base: However, the huge mobile app downloads happen on Android; iOS app developers are reaping better profits in financial terms. One can considered as a pro or even a con. No matter, it is right introducing your application on Android completely depends on the generation of the revenue techniques you really plan to follow up. Moreover, free apps earn their money with the help of in-app purchases, ads and even a paid promotion. Certainly, Android does show your application to a larger user base internationally, so that is a tough end in favour of the stand, particularly if your app is planned for local usage. Responsive to screen size: As Android is known as an open source platform, therefore, difference of the screen size is not limited to smartphone and tablet form only, but expands to cover up the different mobile handsets created with the operating classification. So, it is extremely necessary that your application can assure a uniform experience across the different sizes of the screen. Assistance of Language: As we’ve stated, Android has a worldwide flavor due principally to its open source nature and trouble-free access. Therefore you should be ready to create your application accessible in the local languages of the countries where Android share a wonderful market presence in order to really tap onto a worldwide market. Both online and offline equally works: Apps that provide a constant performance on offline and online mode surely have a frame as it allows the user to work even in the absence of an internet connection. If everything working properly, allow assured key functions to work simply in the offline mode in order to avoid any sort frustration. An ergonomic design and instinctive specifications are considered as the backbone of any superior application and with Android, and its several faceted devices, it turns quite more essential to draw your attention. Better understand the target users and the function your application will provide before taking the force to expand the app. No matter, whether it is local or even global, Android will always stay the platform to depend on to make sure your app thrives amongst the better public. You can also take advice from the experts to remains positive in the market. Following important rules is quite important. We are Eastpoint Software Android Mobile App Development and Developers London, UK, Cambridge, West London, Chelmsford, Richmond, Surrey, Twickenham and Colchester. Android app development is not that tricky as it appears, you just need to pick the right service provider that has enough experience of making apps belonging to various categories. We want to build more apps to add to our portfolio, so we want to work with you. Contact us on 01223 690164 or Mail us: info@eastpoint.co.uk and let us know what you are after. We can go from there and provide a no obligation estimate. Visit us: https://www.eastpoint.co.uk/Mobile-Apps/Android-mobile-app-development/

[kevingbakeruk]

Elizabeth line: Transport for London unveils Tube map detailing new line one year before it opens

Transport for London(TfL)

has revealed a Tube map revealing the appearance of the new Elizabeth line one year prior to it opens. Beginning from Heathrow Airport, the line will go through west London, stopping at a variety of stations including Hayes & Harlington, Southall,

Hanwell and Paddington. Solutions on the line are set to be presented in phases, with the central

London stations opening in December next year.An overall of 10 brand-new state-of-the-art stations will be opened for the service and all of the 41 stations on the line will have step complimentary access.Once working, travelers will have the ability to take advantage of new longer trains with walk-through air-conditioned carriages, alongside complimentary wi-fi access and live travel information. The Elizabeth Line runs through west London from Heathrow Theline, which runs all the way throughout London to Abbey Wood and Shenfield, is expected to enhance

the economy by ₤ 42 billion and support thousands of brand-new tasks and houses in London and the South East. “It’s truly exciting that in only a year London will see the opening of among the most significant new transportation projects in a generation, "said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

10 new stations will be opened Adding:"The Elizabeth line will transform travel throughout London and the South East, with brand-new advanced trains transporting millions of people quickly across London, offering a big boost to the economy.Read More"The

new map being unveiled shows how the very first stage of the Elizabeth line will connect to key parts of the transportation network in the heart of central London, considerably decreasing blockage on other crucial Tube lines as London’s population grows.

=itemscope itemtype=http://schema.org/ImageObject >

Restricted services will range from next December"The big development made on the Elizabeth line up until now is testimony to the effort and expertise of the countless males and females who have worked on the job so far."When it opens next year, the line will improve lifestyle for countless people for years to come.”

Learn more

From December 2018, the line will run as three services:

Paddington (Elizabeth line station) to Abbey Wood by means of main London

Paddington (mainline station) to Heathrow (Terminals 2 & & 3 and 4)

Liverpool Street (mainline station) to Shenfield

To start with 15 trains will run per hour through the new tunnels, increasing to 24 trains every hour through the central part of the line by May 2019.

The line will run across London all the method to Abbey Wood and Shenfield According to TfL the introduction of the line will increase rail capacity in main London by 10 % and reduce congestion on the London Underground.Andrew Wolstenholme

, Crossrail president stated:“ Over the last 8 years many thousands of individuals have worked tirelessly to build the Elizabeth line and we have now reached the last and critical part of the programme.Read More” There is still much work to do as we and our professionals complete the

fit-out of the brand-new stations and tunnels and provide this wonderful new railway. “The 50km track was completed in September this year and extensive

works continue by Crossrail Limited and its professionals to complete the brand-new stations and set up power, signalling and interactions devices. Maintain to this day with the newest news in west London by means of the totally free getwestlondon app. You can even set it to get push alerts for all the breaking news in your location Readily available

to download from the

App Store or Google Play for Android now.

Source

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/elizabeth-line-transport-london-unveils-14057984

from TAXI NEAR ME http://taxi.nearme.host/elizabeth-line-transport-for-london-unveils-tube-map-detailing-new-line-one-year-before-it-opens/ from NOVACAB https://novacabtaxi.tumblr.com/post/173352857251

[eastpointsoftware-blog]

Eastpoint Software Android Mobile App Development Cambridge, UK, London, West London, Twickenham, Surrey, Richmond, Colchester and Chelmsford. Android app development is not that tricky as it appears, you just need to pick the right service provider that has enough experience of making apps belonging to various categories. We want to build more apps to add to our portfolio, so we want to work with you. Contact us on 01223 690164 or Mail us: info@eastpoint.co.uk and let us know what you are after. We can go from there and provide a no obligation estimate.

[13mtm80]

For those who requested my transcript of DWSA’s ‘Broadway Backstory’ podcast transcript:

File link is: [X]

Transcript:

[Patrick Hinds (intro)] Hey ‘Broadway Backstory’ listeners, Patrick here, just a quick reminder that if you are loving ‘Broadway Backstory’ there are a couple of easy ways that you can support our show. We would be thrilled if you would take one minute to rate and review us on iTunes. It really, really does help other people find our show.

Also, if you have a favorite episode of the podcast share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr pages and tag us. We’re on Twitter at ‘bwaybackstory’ (@bwaybackstory) and Facebook at ‘BroadwayBackstory’.

And of course, I wanna say a few words about our pals at ‘TodayTix’, the people that make the podcast possible. You guys, you can get last minute theater tickets with ‘TodayTix’. Pay the best prices available whether it’s discount rush tickets, or premium orchestra seats. ‘TodayTix’ is bringing the theater going experience into the 21st century. And we’re now available in more than 10 global cities. Including New York, London, Philadelphia, and Boston. You can discover new musicals, plays, comedies, operas, ballets, and dramas in your city at the best prices.

And of course, this is my favorite part. ‘Broadway Backstory’ listeners can use the code: ‘backstory’, for 15 dollars off your first purchase. So, download ‘TodayTix’ app for free on iOS and Android or visit ‘TodayTix.com’ to see what’s playing this week and treat yourself to a show.

Okay, now to our show.

♫ [Intro music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] From ‘TodayTix’ and ‘Theater People’ this is ‘Broadway Backstory’. The podcast that finds out how shows develop from an idea to a full Broadway production. I’m your host, Patrick Hinds.

Today we’re getting the backstory of the Deaf West Production of ‘Spring Awakening’. Through conversations with the show's original creators, director, producer, and stars. We’ll find out how this little show that could, developed from a 10-day workshop to a black box production on L.A.’s skid row. To a famed regional theater house in Beverly Hills. And untimely became a critically acclaimed, and Tony-nominated beloved Broadway revival.

[Music: ‘Touch Me’] ♫ Where I go // When I go there // No more memory anymore // Only drifting on some ship ♫

[Patrick] What you’re hearing here is a clip of the Broadway cast of Deaf West’s ‘Spring Awakening’ performing on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’. There is no cast album for this production. So, in order to experience the show, you have to search the internet for video clips like this.

But it occurs to me now having just watched the clip that this seems right. That the glory of this production is the way the Deaf and hearing actors communicate with each other and the audience. Through the combination of sign language and song. It’s something you have to see to really get. And I know now after interviewing just about everyone involved with this production, that it’s technical. But it looks magical.

[Music: ‘Touch Me’] ♫ Where I go // When I go there // No more shadows anymore // Only you there in the kiss // Nothing missing as you’re drifting to shore // Where I go // When I go there ♫

[Patrick] Let’s start at the beginning. ‘Spring Awakening’ with music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater is based on the 1891 play by the same name written by Frank Wedekind.

Plot-wise there’s a lot going on in the show. But in a nutshell, it’s about teenagers grappling with authority and sexuality and trying to understand their place in the world. For the Deaf West production, many of the main roles were played by Deaf actors who communicated with sign language. But also, had a counterpart who would simultaneously speak or sing what the Deaf actor was signing.

We’ll start with the artistic director of Deaf West Theater. A man named David Kurs who goes by DJ. He’ll give us some background on the theater company.

DJ is Deaf so we communicated via email. I emailed a list of questions, he wrote out his responses and emailed them back. With the understanding that we need audio, DJ asked me find somebody that had been involved with the production to voice his responses. So, throughout the episode, DJ’s words will be voiced by actor Alex Wyse, who played Georg in the production.

[DJ Kurs] Deaf West Theater was founded in 1991 by Ed Waterstreet, an actor who had just left the National Theater of the Deaf. He was surprised there wasn’t a local theater for the Deaf community. And along with his N.T.D. counterparts who just moved to L.A., he founded Deaf West Theater.

We’ve been performing in Los Angeles for more than 25 years. Our mission statement is as follows: “Founded in Los Angeles in 1991, Deaf West Theater engages artists and audiences in unparallel theater experiences inspired by Deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language. Committed to innovation, collaboration, and training Deaf West Theater is the artistic bridge between the Deaf and hearing worlds.”

[Patrick] There’s one other piece to the work that Deaf West creates that isn’t spelled out in its mission statement. Actor Andy Mientus, who is intimately involved with this production, articulated that really, well in our interview.

[Andy Mientus] Deaf West’s mission is not to create theater for the Deaf, it’s to create theater for Deaf and hearing audiences together.

[Patrick] Meaning that Deaf West creates shows where Deaf actors are front and center, but the shows are meant to be enjoyed equally by Deaf and hearing audiences.

They have had a lot of success with this model. In addition to producing critically acclaimed productions for the Greater Los Angeles area at their home space in North Hollywood. In 2003 their production of ‘Big River’ transferred to Broadway where it was nominated for two Tony awards. And in 2009 they mounted a critically acclaimed production of ‘Pippin’ at the prestigious ‘Mark Taper Forum’.

One thing that both those productions have in common was the actor Michael Arden in leading roles. Actor Andy Mientus, who I should mention is also Michael Arden’s husband, had toured with ‘Spring Awakening’. And while on tour had seen Deaf West’s production of ‘Pippin’.

And so, a few years later when Deaf West began to think about mounting another big musical and it happened to coincide with Andy and Michael looking for a project to direct. Andy had an idea.

Here’s Andy and then DJ Kurs.

Just to note, I interviewed actors Andy Mientus, Krysta Rodriguez, and Alex Boniello together. So sometimes there’s some overlap.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Andy] When I was doing ‘Spring Awakening’ I always thought it would be the ideal show for Deaf West. And I feel like the seed of that idea came from when I was doing it at the Ahmanson, they were doing 'Pippin' in the Mark Taper, and our cast went and sat in on rehearsal. And I feel like that's gotta be where it came from. And so, we, you know, just brainstormed on that idea for like a day and a half. And just sort of figured out all the different ways that it could work, and why it would be special, and so we pitched it to DJ Kurs, the Artistic Director of Deaf West at 'Intelligentsia Coffee' on Sunset Boulevard.

[Patrick laughs]

[Krysta Rodriguez] Where all good things happen-

[Andy] Where all good things happen.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[DJ] I had seen the show on Broadway and at the Ahmanson in L.A. When Michael Arden and Andy Mientus brought the idea to me at 'Intelligentsia Coffee' in Silver Lake in 2013, I was skeptical. “Didn’t the tour just close a couple of years ago”. But when they brought up the opening scene where a mother attempts to explain the birds and the bees to her daughter, everything clicked. I thought to myself that’s a classic experience that nearly every Deaf person goes through. I mean, 90 percent of Deaf people are born into hearing families. And there’s a disconnect that begins at birth.

[Andy] DJ committed to a 10-day workshop where we were gonna work on like three different scenes from it, just to see if the idea could stick.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] One of the first people to join the creative team for that workshop was Spencer Liff. An actor who’d come from Broadway to Los Angeles and found success as a choreographer on the hit Fox series, ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’.

[Spencer Liff] Michael Arden and I had known each other for years in New York, we had been friends. And I knew how special he was, and how special his mind was. And he moved out to L.A. around the same time that I did. And there’s, you know, not- There’s theater in L.A. but there’s not a ton. You sort of have to make your own theater there. Especially if you want to do something new.

So, he came to me and he had worked with Deaf West, I had not, and he basically said, “Do you want to do something really scary and crazy?” And of course, I was like, “Yes”.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] I have asked a lot of what I feel like are silly questions over the course of the interviews that I did for this episode. I wasn’t even sure that that I was supposed to use the word ‘deaf’. Although, I have been assured that is the proper term. So, I was nervous to ask about the process about auditioning Deaf actors for that original workshop, but I was curious and so I figured our listeners would be too. I had to ask.

Here’s Michael Arden, who was very kind. And who was also speaking very softly because we did this interview in a rehearsal studio during his lunch break from a new show he’s directing. Anyway, auditioning Deaf actors.

[Michael Arden] Well, it’s a great question. So, usually, you invite the Deaf actor in. I have an interpreter with me or I sign for myself. But I prefer to have an interpreter just in case I, you know, miss something. And it’s just helpful to have an interpreter on hand.

And then, with the Deaf actors I had another Deaf actor, reader. But I would just watch them act. And you know, acting is acting. It was- It’s a really, exciting process because it’s listening to someone singing or listening to their voice. You’re really seeing how they really connect with another actor. And how they physicalize and how they chose to interpret the dialog. ‘Cause sign language isn’t an exact language. It’s not like there’s an exact translation from English. So, a lot of times you can get insight to an actor from how they chose to try translate the English into the sign language. And so, that often times sort of clues me into how they think.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] I was curious to hear about from a Deaf actor’s perspective. So, I reached out to Daniel Durant. Daniel was cast as Moritz, one of the teenagers at the center of ‘Spring Awakening’, for that original workshop. And stayed with the show all the way through the Broadway run.

I interviewed him via Skype and through an interpreter who spoke Daniel’s answers to my questions as signed them. Here’s what the audition process was like from his perspective.

[Daniel Durant] We all kind of sat around with the script. We had lines that we had to memorize, you know, and we would just try to sign those lines in a way that that matched the music. I was a little overwhelmed because it was- It’s a musical and I’m a strongly Deaf person and music has never been a huge part of my life. And so, I didn’t really have any idea how that would work. I was really, nervous, at first.

[Patrick] It sounds incredibly naive to say this now, but it became clear to me just in that moment that, at least at that point, Daniel didn’t really know what music was. And here he was auditioning for a musical. I had to ask him about that.

[Patrick] When people talk about music to you, what is music to you? Or, what was music to you before you started working on this production?

[Daniel] It’s funny you ask that question, because now I can finally answer that. Before I couldn’t even give you an answer as to what music meant. Before ‘Spring Awakening’ I’d really didn’t have a sense of music. Now I enjoy vibrations and feeling bass and music, and I like that. But in terms of what music sounds like and what hearing people get out of music, and all the ways music connects with hearing people. That part I didn’t understand. But going through this experience with ‘Spring Awakening’ I have picked up a more understanding of that.

[Patrick] So then I had to know how do you direct a musical with actors who not only can’t hear the music, but also don’t really know what music is. Here’s Michael Arden, again. And then, choreographer Spencer Liff.

[Michael] You have to think about, “what is music”, and it’s math.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Michael] You know, “Okay, so you don’t know music is, alright”. “Here’s a piece of music”. So, we look at some, and start explaining theory to them. There’s this many beats, you know, and (tap sound) tap (tap sound) their (tap sound) chest. It stays the same speed, you know, so if you take this many steps you’ll get that far across the stage. And if you take them faster that’s the tempo. And you start to explain music. I mean yeah, it’s- It was slow.

[Michael and Patrick laugh]

[Michael] It was a slow process, but you know, what’s nice is when you have to slow down is that it forces you to re-examine things you don’t- You sort of think you know (laughs). It was a lot of fun.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Spencer] We thought we were gonna get six songs done, and then all these scenes. And you know, we ended up getting two songs done and barely getting through anything and it was the hardest- It was the hardest experience I’ve ever had in a rehearsal room, and the most I had just no idea how to- How to work in the process of working with the interpreters and it was so new, and- But there was these moments of beauty that were created in those first workshops that made every excited. And made everyone pushing forward.

[Patrick] The next significant step for the production came in the fall of 2014. After the success of the original workshop, Deaf West funded a full production to be mounted in Downtown L.A. in the 99-seat theater at a facility called ‘Inner-City Arts’.

By this point, Andy Mientus, who had co-direct the workshop, had been cast in the Broadway revival of Les Mis (‘Les Misérables’) in the role of Marius. And so, Michael became the sole director. Here’s what Michael said when I asked him about the trajectory of the show at that point.

[Michael] It was just to do a small production, 99-seat production in L.A. And share this story through this lens. And you know, we never had our eyes set on Broadway or anything like that. It was sort of for this thing for our mind. Which is probably why we did such the work we did. That it was really, just about telling this story in the time and place we were in.

[Patrick] As I mentioned, the show centers around a group of adolescent school kids in Germany in the 1890’s. For Michael’s production, many of the school kids would be Deaf and so as rehearsals began Michael began to research what education for Deaf students was like at the time that the show takes place.

What he uncovered was startling. And we’ll get to that in just a second. But to fully understand what Michael learned and how it shaped the show you need to know about something called the Milan Conference that happened in 1880.

So, here’s Deaf West’s artistic director DJ Kurs. And then Michael Arden.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[DJ] I think above all humanity is afraid of the other. Deviations from the norm. And that is why Deaf people suffered during the place and time that ‘Spring Awakening’ takes place in. It takes place during a dark time in Deaf history. That is the aftermath of the Milan Conference from 1880 in which hearing educators of the Deaf got together and decided that Deaf students should be taught orally. And that sign language should be banned. It is the desire to normalize Deaf people that proved destructive to the Deaf individual then and still does today.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] And here’s what Michael found.

[Michael] I started to uncover all this information about the Milan Conference and how Deaf students were taught and not taught. And for those who don’t know, oralism was adopted as the only acceptable way of educating Deaf kids at that time. Which meant that no was sign language, so Deaf kids were forced to speak and read lips. And for many Deaf kids, I mean we know this know, in spades that that’s just a completely untangible expectation.

And so, so many kids were deemed “oral failures” and they were sent to asylums. Deaf individuals were sterilized at the time. Mostly women were sterilized. ‘Cause, they want to sort of- It was- Deafness was seen as a sickness that needed to be sort of cured or sort of eradicated. As apposed to, you know, we now know and see it as a culture and a strong beautiful culture. I wanted to somehow tell that story that no one really knows. I mean it’s this incredibly dark chapter in Deaf history and world history and sort of the history of education.

And it’s sort of, I mean, I would like to say it was like from the get go what I had in mind, but it wasn’t really. It sort of came to the process while we were in rehearsals. And made changes based on that. So initially, like in the school room, the teacher, there was a Deaf teacher. And then, I said, “No, this isn’t working. Let’s try this”. And Okay, well what if you aren’t allowed to sign what if this is all about signing in secret. And this other story began to emerge that I think was really, exciting and we haven’t seen before.

[Patrick] I’m sure that Michael is right that most hearing people don’t know the dark history, I certainly didn’t. But I wondered about the Deaf community. Did they know? So, I asked Daniel Durant, the actor you heard from earlier who played Moritz in the show.

[Daniel] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. It’s part of our culture. This history is part of who we are. As every Deaf individual knows this of our struggle to be recognized and to have our language recognized. This is something we still struggle for today.

[Patrick] Another thing to emerge in that production in that tiny theater in downtown L.A. was the significance and importance of the choreography, because of the fact that, it needed to incorporate sign language.

Duncan Sheik, who wrote the music for the show, pointed this out to me when I asked him about seeing that first incarnation of the Deaf West production.

[Duncan Sheik] Just from the movement standpoint you had the sign language itself became another kind of layer of choreography. And that just added so much too, because of Bill T. Jones the original choreography was amazing. But, you know what Spencer did plus the signing, it kind of made the show much more about movement than it ever had been before. And that was kind of a revelation. And really a lovely one, in fact.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Spencer] Sign language was my goal and concern and everything stemmed from that.

[Patrick] This, again, is Spencer Liff, the choreographer. I asked him about the challenges of choreographing for a largely deaf company and if he was intimidated by the mantle of Bill T. Jones’ iconic and Tony-winning choreography for the original production.

[Spencer] So I can honestly say that I never once really thought about what was done originally because it just wasn’t in the realm of where my head needed to be. So, I just sort of did what I wanted to do, what needed to be done for the show. I guess I had in the back of my head that, if anything aligned with what was originally done, and I came to that on my own terms, then that’s what was meant to be, but I don’t know. I just wasn’t scared of it. I had way too much other stuff to think about to worry about what he did and what I did. But everything he did was very gesture based. Obviously, that’s what we had to work with, as well, so, I think that’s where the similarities came from.

[Patrick] Daniel Durant spoke very passionately to me about the power of incorporating sign language into the choreography at that very early stage and the response it seemed to elicit from people.

[Daniel] Though we can’t necessarily hear the music, we can tell a story through music. People were in awe of it. People would say they would want to see more ASL integrated into theater, because it’s a more three-dimensional language. It has emotional impact on people. The emotions stick with people for longer periods of time once they see the emotions in three dimensions. You get emotions from hearing songs, too. But it is only in that one dimension. So, it’s a little bit reduced, I think, the story you can tell. I really like that we’re using this three-dimensional language to express things in a different way.

[Music: ‘The Bitch of Living’] ♫ God, I dreamed there was an Angel // Who could hear me through the wall // As I cried out like in Latin // This is so not life at all ♫

[Patrick] The downtown LA production officially opened in early September, 2014, to rave reviews. The LA Times said, if rippling goosebumps are any indication of emotional involvement, this show delivers. It’s hard to enumerate all the ways in which Deaf West’s ‘Spring Awakening’ is so very, very good. With the reviews came the news that, within months, the show would be transferring to a much larger theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Because that production would be a remount, they were allotted only a two-week rehearsal period. And, as commonly happens, not all of the actors from the downtown production were available for it. Enter Alex Wyse, Andy Mientus, Krysta Rodriguez, and Alex Boniello. Here’s Andy Mientus, who would be taking over the role of Hanschen.

[Andy] So Michael called me in this deep panic, saying, oh my god, who are we going to find somebody that can learn the part, let alone the part and the ASL. I was like, well, if you can’t find anybody else, and if it doesn’t look absolutely, ridiculous that I’m still playing a teenager, then I’ll do it. Because it was only going to be a three-week run, just really, as a victory lap for that production from the 99-seat theater. So, it was very low stakes.

[Patrick] Krysta Rodriguez, who had been an understudy in the original Broadway production of ‘Spring Awakening’, was at that time battling breast cancer when she received a similar call.

[Krysta] In that weird, nebulous time, it was like, if you can’t find anybody else we need whoever we can find. That’s where Alex and I joined on as well, because it was the same. The people that were playing our parts had gotten other jobs, and everybody was obviously going to take an opportunity that was the next step, instead of a lateral move with this show.

[Andy] There was absolutely-

[Krysta] No indication-

[Andy] -No plan for this to come to Broadway at all.

[Krysta] Yes. The Beverly Hills run was literally the six weeks in between my last chemo treatment and my surgery. He was like, “what’s your treatment schedule like”. And I was like “I don’t know, what are the dates”. And he gave them to me. He was like, “do you want to play Ilse”. And I was like, “uh, yeah”.

[Patrick] Alex Boniello’s story of being cast as the Voice of Moritz, the counterpart to the role that Daniel Durant had been playing since the workshop, is especially amazing.

[Alex Boniello] I’ve told it a whole bunch of times in various interviews during the run of the show, but I’ve never done it with Andy here. So, I kind of want-

[Andy] Do you want me to hold your hand?

[Alex] Don’t- Please don’t touch me. I want to hear his perspective. I was sitting in my apartment. I had just finished doing ‘Brooklynite’, which was an Off-Broadway show. I was literally getting dressed to go cater ‘The King and I’ reception for their opening night at Lincoln Center. I was just sitting there getting into my little vest that I had to wear. He followed me on Twitter. When someone who has many followers follows you, you get notified. I was like, “Oh, I guess it’s not that weird. We know a lot of the same people, whatever”. Then five seconds later he sent me a direct message. And he just said, “Hey, number one, Matt Doyle says we should be friends; number two, what are you doing in the next couple weeks”. I was like, “Nothing, what’s up?”

He was sending these quick and- “Deaf West is doing ‘Spring Awakening’, need Voice of Moritz. Also, plays guitar. Are you available? It’s going to be in LA. Could you get to L.A. in-” I was like, “Yes, I would love to do that”. I Skyped with Michael, I think the next day, and just played guitar for him and sang for him. He was like, “Great, thank you so much. Okay, we’ll be in touch soon”. Then the Skype call ends. Fourteen seconds later he texts me. He’s like, “Hey, so, we want you to do it. What’s going on?” I’m like, “You tell me what’s going on”. So, it was like three days later, I was on a plane.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] The new actors had a lot of catching up to do and not a lot of time. One of the biggest obstacles, of course, was learning how to communicate with their deaf cast mates. Here are Alex and Daniel.

[Alex] The first day of rehearsal, there was this ASL workshop type thing. I was taking an Uber there with Andy. He was like, just so you know, this is going to be really, interesting for you. Because I’d never met a Deaf person, ever, until this.

[Patrick] Oh, wow.

[Alex] So I was like, what do you mean; and he’s like, you’re going to see. Just walk in. It’s going to be fine. So, I walked in the room. I’ll never forget it as-long-as I live, walking into a room that, theoretically, would be so loud and bustling with communication that I understand.

It was a room full of these kids who were so excited to see each other again. And it was dead silent. They were all fully conversing with each other with hand movements that I didn’t understand a single one of. I walked in there, and I was like, oh my god, this is wild. But Daniel knew that was the case.

[Daniel] The first time we met each other, I was told he would be my voice actor. I remember that he knew no ASL. So, we exchanged phone numbers and got to know each other through texting.

[Alex] The first thing that we did- He gave me a big hug. We sat down. He pulled out his cell phone, and he started typing things and showing things to me. A fascinating thing about Daniel, too, is, there are so many different levels of Deafness. Daniel had never heard- Ever, ever, ever. So, sound does not exist in his world, period. So, he thinks in concepts. He thinks in pictures in a way that we think in words and language. So, when he was typing to me, English is his second language, so that’s pretty clear. That was fascinating for me to learn. Right away, I was like, “Oh, wow”. It’s similar to, if someone’s first language is Spanish, and they’re typing English to you. You’ll notice things like that.

[Daniel] We decided to finally sit together and go through the script, and I would sign it. And we would talk about what we thought the lines meant. That was a way for us to start building some chemistry around the character.

[Alex] Watching him do the signs, trying to approximate what I thought his version of the character was feeling while also putting- It’s impossible for you not to put your own thing to it. But your job is to make sure his is the forefront. But yes, that’s kind of what it was. It was very, very slow. And we had two weeks to do it.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] I wondered what the social dynamic was like in the rehearsal room between the groups of hearing and Deaf actors. This was how I posed the question to Andy Mientus.

It sounds like the hearing actors maybe were working around the Deaf- It was their playing field that you guys were coming onto. Was that how it felt?

[Andy] Absolutely, because it’s a rare opportunity for them to be the focus. So, it was staged very deliberately to make sure that the signing was the focus. That the Deaf actor was the focus. Because that’s something that audiences don’t get an opportunity to see a whole lot. It’s something those actors don’t get to do, sadly, a whole lot. So of course, they should be the focus of it. It’s what made it special and different from that original.

[Patrick] Here’s what Daniel Durant had to say.

[Daniel] Well, I think it was a half and half situation. We were learning about music and the rhythm of music, why sounds are made in certain ways to cause emotion. They were learning similar things about sign language. So, you could see it becoming, instead of two groups, becoming one group where there was mutual learning between each group. Both in sign language and in music. I give a lot of credit to Michael Arden, because of the process.

I’ll never forget the first rehearsal back in Los Angeles. And it really was a place where we bonded together, and we got to know each other personally in terms of our backgrounds. We became sort of a family there. He’s really, adept at that, creating that sort of bond. I think Michael Arden really needs to be credited for being one of the top directors around.

[Patrick] Here’s Michael Arden.

[Michael] None of our hearing actors, with the exception of one, who knew a little bit, knew any sign language before we started. It was like, here, meet this person who you’re going to be spending every moment with, and learning how to communicate with. It was so exciting to watch these all these young actors. For some it was their first play. Theater is, ultimately, communication. They were having to relearn that on a basic level. It really stripped everyone of any ego, so it just cleared out all this space for this amazing work and growth to take place.

[Music: ‘Song of Purple Summer’] ♫ And heaven waits // So close it seems // To show her child the wonders // Of a world beyond her dreams // The earth will wave- ♫

[Patrick] The work, of course, paid off. The show opened at the Wallis in May of 2015; again, to rave reviews. This time, Charles McNulty, in the L.A. Times, called the production stunning, enthralling, and a rousing success.

[Music: ‘Song of Purple Summer’] ♫ And mares will neigh // With stallions that they mate // Foals they've borne // And all shall know the wonder // Of purple summer ♫

[Ken Davenport] I’ve had a man crush on Michael Arden forever, and a talent crush.

[Patrick] This is producer Ken Davenport. He would, ultimately, become the show’s lead producer for Broadway.

[Ken] I’ve been a fan of Deaf West for years, and then I heard the were doing ‘Spring Awakening’. I knew some folks that were involved with the production, and I had done a little bit of- I’d given them some advice on things about developing the show, from a business perspective. Then I went to see it on a lark. I had actually read the review from Charles McNulty, who is a very tough critic. And when he went crazy for it, I said, wow, there really must be something going on here. I just happened to be in Los Angeles for a wedding their final weekend. I said, “Meh, I’ll go check it out” and I went and was unbelievable moved. I remember thinking, “I have to get this to Broadway”.

[Patrick] Wow. Was there anything in particular you remember from that performance that made your producer Spidey senses just go off?

[Ken] Yes. It happened within the first 15 seconds. ‘Spring Awakening’ has this beautiful, beautiful beginning. This haunting Duncan Sheik melody. Wendla comes forward and starts to sing “Mama Who Bore Me”. In the Deaf West production, she came forward and then there was this great duality, for those of you who have seen it. The duality of the staging and the guitar. She came forward, and she started to sign it. My heart broke for her.

[Music: ‘Mama Who Bore Me’] ♫ Mama who bore me // Mama who gave me // No way to handle things // Who made me so sad // Mama, the weeping ♫

[Ken] All of a sudden this effort, this desire in the actress- Of course, she was so wonderful the desire to communicate her innermost thoughts and emotions just seemed so much more passionate when told through sign. This effort of, “I so want to talk to someone. I so want someone to talk to me. And I’m just looking for a way for someone to listen and for someone to hear me”. It was just so much more powerful through sign language. I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, thousands, and thousands, and thousands more people have to see this”.

[Patrick] Here’s how Deaf West artistic director, DJ Kurs, remembers meeting Ken Davenport that day. The Cody he’s talking about is Cody Lassen, another of the show’s producers.

[DJ] During intermission, Ken comes out and starts talking to Cody. I remember him seeming very interested, and my interpreter attempted to eavesdrop their conversation. But they were speaking in low tones. My instinct as a Deaf person tells me to hang low in these situations. And I guess in this case, the work spoke for itself.

[Ken] DJ Kurs came up to me after, and I was just so moved. I was like, this is amazing; this is incredible. I hadn’t really said, I’m going to move it to Broadway yet. DJ said, “We hope you’ll help us figure out a life for it after”. I remember just kind of saying- And what was amazing for me is, it was probably the first ever conversation I’ve had with a Deaf person.

[Patrick] I was going to ask you: How did you communicate with him?

[Ken] We had an interpreter there. I have never had a conversation. I’ve certainly said “hello” or spoken to someone very quickly, a brief greeting. But I’d never had a discussion, especially something as serious as this. The interpreter came over, and of course, this is one of the reasons I wanted to do the show. Everyone’s first experience: “Oh, you’re nervous. What do I say? Who do I look at?” These are things that we don’t know. What I hope and pray is that our production of ‘Spring Awakening’ helped educate people on some of those issues. I remember having this conversation and looking at the interpreter. He said, “I hope you’ll help us get-” and I was like, “Yes. No, no, we’ve got to get this to New York”. I just remember saying that. Once I say something, I’m just a guy that has to figure out how to do it.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] So, when you’re sitting in a theater, and you decide, this has to go to Broadway, what do you do then?

[Ken] The next step in this specific case was me calling a theater owner; because I analyzed- Actually, the list is right over there. Those are all the theaters that are on Broadway and the shows that are coming in, and also what I think is coming in on top of them.

[Patrick] Your guess, educated guess?

[Ken] Yes, and you know, my nose to the gossip mills, if you will. That analogy made no sense, but you get it. So, I had a feeling I knew what was coming in, and I thought there might be a slot available at the Brooks (Atkinson). So, I called the Nederlanders and said, I think you may have a window, and I have the show for you. Thankfully the Nederlanders- I couldn’t get half the pitch out of my mouth, of, “It’s the Deaf West production of ‘Spring Awakening’”. They were like, “We’re very interested in the show. Give me five minutes to figure this out. We’ll talk to you some more”. They did. They came back. “Yes, we have a slot. We just need to hear some more about the show”. Very quickly, they said, “We would love to have you in our theater”.

[Patrick] Wow. How did you raise the money? I don’t even know- Did you need to raise money, and how did you do it?

[Ken] Oh, yeah. We had to raise four and a half million dollars in 86 days. So, it was 86 days from the day that I saw it to the first preview. At this point I had given no thought to not only how I would raise it, but also how much it would even cost. What I think should drive all art and all production of anything is, “I must do this. I have to do this”. And then you figure- “Okay, now we have to figure out how we’re going to make it all happen”. I just trusted, also, that anything this powerful- People would raise their hands and say, “I want to support this. I want to be a part of it”. That’s what happened.

[Patrick] I’m always the most excited to find out how actors found out they’d be going to Broadway. For this production, since the show had closed before the decision was officially made, most of the actors found out via email. For Krysta Rodriguez, who at that point was recovering was recovering from a double mastectomy she’d had as part of her cancer treatment, the moment was especially surreal. Here’s Krysta, and then Daniel Durant.

[Krysta] We actually got the call to go to Broadway as I was recovering from the surgery. I was hopped up on drugs. I had to be like, “Is this real? Did this actually happen, or did I fever dream this thing that we’re going to Broadway?”

[Daniel] It was a huge moment for me. I’ll never forget it. We had a gut feeling, but it was really a huge question. There was a big question in the air, and then DJ from Deaf West, the artistic director at Deaf West- We kept kind of waiting for him to let us know. One day I was in my basement watching Netflix, and I get this email from one of the producers, or someone, saying, “We’re offering you this role of Moritz on Broadway”. I was stunned. I looked at that email for several minutes, and then finally I called my mom, and I Skyped with her. And it was very emotional. I was telling her I was going on Broadway. My mom is a big theater nut. So, she was just thrilled. We were all just stunned. It took a few days for it to set in that I was going to be moving to Broadway, moving on and doing this show.

[Patrick] Coming to Broadway, of course, also meant relocating most of the Deaf actors from California to New York. Here’s Ken Davenport.

[Ken] I said, “Oh, they’ll move here”. And then we were like, “Wait, that’s just not as easy for them”. What, again, they proved, was, “Yes, we’ll move here. We’ll figure it out”. What I loved was, it was not this- “Don’t treat us in a certain way. We can figure this out”. And they banded together, and a bunch of them- It was 18 to a room in some- It was crazy. But yes, we had to give everything an extra thought. But I think that all taught us a very valuable lesson.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Patrick] Something that I haven’t mentioned until just now is the fact that the Deaf West production of ‘Spring Awakening’ was breaking ground in yet another way with actress Ali Stroker. Ali had been with the production since the LA run. But when the show moved to Broadway, Ali, who is paralyzed from the chest down, would be the first actress in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway. The way the cast and creatives talk about Ali, especially with the challenges she faced, just logistically working in a handicapped-inaccessible Broadway theater, is so emblematic of how close this team was. Here’s choreographer Spencer Liff, and then Andy Mientus and Krysta Rodriguez.

[Spencer] Ali is one of the best people you’ll ever meet. She’s constantly pushing boundaries, but she’s much more aware of her capabilities than I was at the beginning. We had a conversation on the very first day. And I said, “Hey, this is totally new for me. I’ve never choreographed for someone in a chair”. She showed me a lot of videos of her dancing. She’s on an actual wheelchair dance team. I watched those, and I was like, “Holy crap- You can do a lot. Okay, there go my judgments of what you can and can’t do”. Then I really focused on what she could bring to the table that someone who wasn’t in a chair couldn’t. I made her the cornerstone of a lot of my formations and was able to use her capabilities and showcase them. Which is the place I came from with her.

She would look at the choreography I did and adapt it herself. Then we would, in our own private sessions, work to- “Okay, you’re going to turn this way at this time. How do you sign and move your chair? Where do we drop the hands?” It was complicated, but she’s unbelievable. It’s funny- It was one of the first things I thought of when we knew we were going into the Brooks. I was like, “Well, where are we going to put Ali”. She has to be on the main floor. And they have to get a ramp, because there are stairs to get in just the door.

The cast would band together. When we first got into the theater, Andy picked up Ali and took her to every floor to make sure she could see the whole theater.

[Patrick] Oh, my god. I’m going to bawl.

[Spencer] That cast held onto each other so tight and loved each other so much.

[Patrick] I was very excited to get to ask Andy about this.

Did you really take her out of her chair and take her all over the theater when you guys first went into the Brooks Atkinson?

[Andy] Yes.

[Krysta] We took her everywhere.

[Andy] We’re always picking her up.

[Krysta] Unfortunately, you have to. There is so little accessibility in so many places. We would have a joke about the rating of accessibility in each place we’d go. “Accessibility zero”. This is not- So, yes. She’s so good at maneuvering that. But yes, we would have birthdays in the basement. Someone would have to take Ali, carry her downstairs and set her there to sit and watch and hang out, because she can’t get down there. Also, the Brooks Atkinson- They renovated a dressing room on the ground level for her to be able to get into and made a bathroom for her to move around. It’s great now. That theater is fully accessible- Well, not fully accessible. But more accessible than a lot of the other ones that have been around a hundred plus years that didn’t have the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations that they have now.

[Patrick] Throughout the Broadway rehearsal process, Ali also held her own in Spencer’s notoriously difficult warmups. Here again, is Spencer and then Krysta.

[Spencer] I would lead this very long, aggressive workout every single morning, where they would have to plank, do pushups, and do cardio. She always was there doing her own version. I would bring an elastic band in, and we would do biceps together. It was very cool.

[Krysta] Truly, at that point, I was held together with sweat and Scotch tape. My brain was gone. I had chemo brain like crazy. I was recovering from surgery when we came to do the production. So, we would do Spencer’s warmups, and I would not do some things. I’d be like, “You know what, I just had surgery. And I don’t need to”. I’d look over, and Ali’s doing triceps pushups on her wheelchair. I’m like, “Okay, I guess we’re doing this now. I guess I don’t have an excuse. There are Deaf people dancing, and Ali’s doing pushups. So I just have to do it”.

[Patrick] All of this is just to say that, as an ensemble, they cared about each other. Loved each other, even. They were connected, and their show lived or died by that connection. Here’s Alex Boniello and then Krysta Rodriguez.

[Alex] “Don’t Do Sadness” was a really, big thing for that, because Daniel had to jump off of a staircase. I would give him this cue, and he would always be late. I’m like, “Why is this happening?” And one of our ASL masters, Elizabeth Green, is the only hearing ASL master. She goes, “Well, it’s because you’re thinking about it like a hearing person. So why do you think?” And I was like, “Because I’m tapping my chest when I want him to jump. But his brain needs to see it and then jump”. So, for someone who’s hearing the music, I would want to be like:

[Alex (sings)] ♫ You just sail away, because you know... ♫ tap.

[Alex] Because that’s when I want him to jump. I would have to go:

[Alex (sings)] ♫ You just sail away because... ♫ tap ♫ ...You know... ♫

[Alex] In the middle of my- It was like tapping your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time and realizing that that’s how it has to go.

Daniel and I would laugh. He’s like, it’s working now? And I’m like, “Yeah, it’s working now”. He’s like, “Why, and then I would try to explain it to him. I don’t even have the vocabulary in your language to explain to you why this works, but trust me forever and ever, and we’re great”. He’s like, “Okay”.

[Music: ‘Don’t Do Sadness’] ♫ Just sail away // 'Cause you know // I don't do sadness // Not even a little bit ♫

[Krysta] Yeah, as far as focus: Man, I’ve never- You do other shows, and you have to pay attention. You can’t just be thinking or whatever. But the whole show relied on us giving the cues at the right times and relied on us- As soon as your hand would move, they would start signing. It had to be on the word. If you spaced out for a second- I mean you can imagine what would happen if a person who can’t hear the music- If something went wrong, and they just keep going, because they don’t know that something’s different. Or they don’t know that the music didn’t start, or that the track didn’t come on, or anything. So, everyone- We were just on edge all the time, totally focused on each other, or else the show could have fallen apart so many times, so many times.

[Alex] Seconds. In-

[Krysta] There were actually a couple times- We had this thing we called the ship during “Touch Me” where we all had to walk together. We would sort of tap on the shoulders. After a while they know the rhythm, but sometimes the tempos of songs are different. That’s what live theater is. So, we’re tapping, and sometimes we’d call it the shipwreck, because it couldn’t get together. Spencer, actually, was like, “you know, sometimes those are the most magical. Because it reminds the audience that these people cannot hear”. That we’re doing all of this without- And not just maybe hear. They cannot hear. They’re dancing on rhythm, on beat, with emotion and with dynamics. Loud and soft and all of that stuff. Those times were actually kind of special, when you’re like, “Oh, this is actually a treat, every night; a treat”.

[Music: ‘Touch Me’] ♫ I’ll tell you how // Where I go // When I go there // Touch me // Just like it // Now that’s it // Oh, that’s heaven, touch // I love your light ♫

[Patrick] The Deaf West production of ‘Spring Awakening’ opened for a limited engagement run on September 27th, 2015, to rave reviews. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times said that the “show was born anew, was thrillingly inventive, and was directed with remarkable finesse by Michael Arden”. The production ran for a previously determined 23 previews and 135 regular performances and went on to be nominated for three Tony Awards, including best lighting design of a musical for Ben Stanton, best direction of a musical for Michael Arden, and best revival of a musical.

[Music: ‘Song of Purple Summer’] ♫ A summers day // A mother sings // A song of purple summer // Through the heart of everything // And heaven waits ♫

[Patrick] One of the great things about making this episode a year after the show closed is that the people who made the work now have some perspective on it, so I want to end by sharing some of the thoughts and takeaways the cast and creatives shared with me. DJ Kurs goes first.

[DJ] Talking about it a year later, we can only view it from the rearview mirror. The achievement of our production feels even more exceptional in the age of Trump. It is magical when Deaf and hearing artists cross cultural and linguistic boundaries to work together in the purpose of creating art, and even more so when hearing and Deaf audience members sit together to enjoy the same show. I’m also very proud of the press that we got. Everything from the first reviews to the celebration of Ali Stroker as the first performer in a wheelchair on Broadway. I’m also just very happy that our production has inspired so many other productions that involve Deaf talent and am very proud of the outsize impact that our little theater company has created.

[Patrick] Here’s Daniel on his feeling about Broadway run and the legacy of the production.

[Daniel] I think part of the legacy is just a little bit of magic that happened in that show. Music and English and American Sign Language and choreography: These were all layer upon layer, upon layer. It was so textured and gave the audience something different. And historic moment for Deaf people, for our culture, and for all of these people who were involved in the production. I just think it was so historic.

[Patrick] Here’s Michael Arden.

[Michael] I hope that our production gave both audiences and theater makers and producers an opportunity to see how exciting performers with different abilities can be. I think there are so many ways to tell stories, and having Deaf actors and hard of hearing actors and actors in wheelchairs- These things just don’t happen. Yet sometimes we can somehow tell the story more clearly and in new ways. So, I hope it served as an enlightening experience. To think, “Hey, why can’t I hire a Deaf actor for this role. Maybe I’ll get something more out of it because of that”. An opportunity for audiences to come and enjoy theater in their own language and to not feel like they had to come to just the one signed performance where they get to look to the side of the stage but miss what’s happening on the stage.

I think that’s important because I think we’re supposed to as theater makers, it is our charge and our duty to reflect the world around us and not just the parts of the world that look just like we do.

[Patrick] We’ll leave you with a story from Spencer Liff about an experience he had at Pearl Studios, a place where a lot of theater auditions are held here in New York City.

[Spencer] A few days ago, there was a long line of girls standing outside an audition room, waiting to sing their 16 bars. And there was a girl in a chair in that line. I was so happy, immediately, thinking, the people in that room are going to be forced to think about nontraditional casting. They’re going to have to go, “Oh, could we put this character that’s not written as someone in a chair-” And then I thought, “Somebody in that room saw ‘Spring Awakening’, and maybe they’ll say they saw Ali Stroker and that it can be done”. This girl and I- This girl in the chair- We locked eyes. She lit up. She came over to me, and she knew who I was. Not only was she in a chair, but she was hard of hearing and wearing a hearing aid.

She was like, “I saw ‘Spring Awakening’, and for obvious reasons, I was incredibly inspired by both of those factors. I’m able to come to these auditions now and put myself in positions that- It doesn’t specify an actress in a chair”. I couldn’t get over that all day- What an impact Ali had made to this girl, and our show in general. How many of those stories there are of people that came to see our kids onstage inspiring them to go after their dreams and goals.

And that- I came home and called Michael Arden and told him that story, and both of us- It reminded us that it was bigger than what we had done in the theater, even. I was so happy I had that moment.

[Music: ‘Song of Purple Summer’] ♫ I will sing the song of a purple summer // All shall know the wonder ♫

[Patrick] Stay tuned after the credits for scenes for our next episode.

[Music: ‘The Bitch of Living’] ♫ God, I dreamed there was an Angel // Who could hear me through the wall // As I cried out like in Latin ♫

[Patrick] If you enjoyed today’s episode we would be super grateful if you take a minute to rate and review us on iTunes. You can also follow us on Twitter, we’re at ‘bwaybackstory’ (@bwaybackstory) and Facebook, where we’re at ‘BroadwayBackstory’.

Huge thanks to the people at ‘TodayTix’ who make this podcast possible. So just a little bit more about them. You guys, ‘TodayTix’ pioneered mobile lotteries and was the first to offer digital Broadway lotteries. With the ‘TodayTix’ app you can enter daily lotteries to win discounted or free tickets to selected Off-Broadway and Broadway shows. Share your entries on social media to double or triple your odds of winning. You can also sign up for alerts to get a reminder the next time a lottery is open for entry.

Download the free ‘TodayTix’ app on iOS and Android for even more exclusive deals and promotions. Including access to exclusive lottery tickets to the hottest shows in your city. And don’t forget, ‘Broadway Backstory’ listeners can use the code ‘backstory’ for 15 dollars off your first purchase.

Huge, huge, huge thanks first and for most to Alex Boniello, who helped arrange so many of the interviews I did for this episode. That kid has hair for days. You can follow him on Twitter at ‘alexboniello’ (@alexboniello).

Also, a huge thanks to Mr. Alex Wyse who stepped in at the last minute to provide the voice for DJ Kurs. That guy is hilarious on Twitter. You can follow him at ‘alexwyse’ (@alexwyse).

Special thanks for the invaluable production help from Steve Tipton, my husband who I really, truly could not make this podcast without.

Also, Mike Jensen, Matt Tamanini, Rickie Condos, Chloe O’Connor, and Chloe Lindt.

[Music: ‘The Bitch of Living’] ♫ God, my whole life's like some test // Then there's Marianna Wheelan ♫

[Music: ‘Legally Blonde the Musical’ “Oh My God Guys”] ♫ Dear Elle, honey, mazel tov // Future's taking off // Bring that ring back // And show it to me // Four carrots, a princess cut // Are you psyched or what? // I just wish I could be there to see // When he gets down on one knee // Oh my god, oh my god, you guys // Looks like Elle’s- ♫

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

[Laurence O'Keefe] And we got into a conversation about this phenomenon that happens to young women called “dumbing themselves down”. And I was like, “wait you’re kidding? That really happens?”. He said, “Oh, absolutely”. He said, you know, it’s one of the reasons that all girl schools became, you know, popular at some point. Because, they thought if they removed the male element from the equation, these girls could, you know, excel.

And having just seen ‘Legally Blonde’ the film, I got me thinking like, wow, here’s a girl who’s smart enough, if you think about it, to get into Harvard Law. And why does she do it? To chase the jerky guy.

And I thought, now that’s a story we gotta tell. And we immediately said, well there’s only one person who we know that we think is ready to direct and this is Jerry Mitchell.

[Jerry Mitchell] ‘Legally Blonde’ was a massive, massive undertaking and great learning experience. I was ready to tell that story. I knew how to tell ‘Legally Blonde’.

[Laura Bell Bundy] I sent him an email, and I just said, “Hey Jerry, I heard about ‘Legally Blonde’, I am so happy for you. You totally deserve this. You’re going to kill this. And by the way, I know someone who would be really, great for Elle Woods, wink, wink”. He responded back immediately and said, “Why do you think that I came to see you in ‘Wicked’ I wanted to see if you could carry a show”.

[Jerry] And then we opened in New York, and we got a rave from Variety and some other great reviews. But the only review that matter in New York City is the New York Times.

[Patrick] Do you have any thoughts on the reviews?

[Nell Benjamin] My general thinking on them was they were not particularly positive.

[Richard H. Blake] We were passed over for nomination for best musical, which look, at the end of the day, I’ve won Tonys. I’ve not won Tonys. At the end of the day it’s got to be about the work. ‘Legally Blonde’ is one of the things I’m proudest of, but I’m not going to say it didn’t hurt.

[Patrick] Next time on ‘Broadway Backstory’.

♫ [Music (no lyrics)] ♫

If you prefer Broadway Backstory’s transcript, go here: [X]

[brajeshupadhyay]

Google Maps updates with a ‘more vibrant’ appearance

Google has rolled out a worldwide update of its popular maps app to give terrain a ‘more vibrant’, detailed and colourful appearance.

The visual makeover adds greater detail and makes natural features easier to see, such as beaches, deserts, lakes or snow caps on the peaks of mountaintops.  

The updates gives Google ‘one of the most comprehensive views of natural features on any major map app’, the tech giant has said.   

The redesign will be available across all 220 countries and territories that Google Maps supports, starting this week. 

Scroll down for video 

Google is rolling out visual improvements that bring even more detail and granularity to the map. This before and after of Croatia in Maps shows more landscape detail. Users can clearly make out the beaches and greenery that line Croiatia’s coast and nearby islands like Hvar

‘We’re rolling out new visual improvements that bring even more detail and granularity to the map, making it easier to understand what an area looks like whether you’re exploring virtually or planning a visit,’ said Google Maps product manager Sujoy Banerjee in a blog post. 

‘With a new colour-mapping algorithmic technique, we’re able to take this imagery and translate it into an even more comprehensive, vibrant map of an area at global scale. 

‘Exploring a place gives you a look at its natural features – so you can easily distinguish tan, arid beaches and deserts from blue lakes, rivers, oceans and ravines. 

Iceland’s mountains and glaciers are better represented by the new update, which is due to roll out this week

‘You can know at a glance how lush and green a place is with vegetation, and even see if there are snow caps on the peaks of mountaintops.       

Google has used a new colour-mapping algorithmic technique to make the service, which launched 15 years ago, visually richer.  

In Iceland for example, Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in the country, is now shown in white, while rocky areas are of the country in the north are in light brown. 

The caps, mountainous ridges and surrounding vegetation of Mount Rainer National Park in the US, meanwhile, are also more clearly visible.  

Before and after shows extra detail added to Morocco on the west coast of Africa, including dense vegetation in the north

With this update, Google Maps has ‘one of the most comprehensive views of natural features on any major map app’

Previously, the colour coding on Maps was largely limited to green and brown, with lightly shaded areas to denote urban centres. 

For the update, Google has used computer vision to identify natural features from satellite imagery, looking specifically at arid, icy, forested, and mountainous regions. 

It’s then analysed these features and assigned them a range of colours on the HSV (hue, saturation, value) colour model.

HSV was developed in the 1970s as an update to the more primitive primary coloured RGB (red, blue, green) colour model. 

This means a densely covered forest can be portrayed as dark green, while making an area of patchy shrubs a lighter shade of the colour. 

Mount Rainer National Park in the US. The update aims to make it easier for users to understand what an area looks like when planning a visit

Sedona, Arizona in the US. The new update (right) reelects its desert landscape and more clearly displays where Red Rock State Park is

With this update, Google hopes to give users a clearer idea of what to expect from the terrain before they embark on a journey and ‘get a feel for an area’.          

Google also revealed that a more detailed street view is also in the pipeline, which will start with London, New York, and San Francisco in the coming months, with plans to expand to more cities over time.

This update will show the accurate shape and width of a road to scale, Google said, allowing people to see exactly where features like pavements, crossings and pedestrian islands are located.   

This is crucial information for Maps users who have accessibility needs, like wheelchair or stroller requirements, it said. 

These details will also be particularly helpful during the coronavirus pandemic, as more people are opting to walk or take other forms of solo transportation. 

Google Maps, which launched in 2005, is used by more than 1 billion people every month, the company said. 

15 YEARS OF GOOGLE MAPS 

A shot of Google Maps as it looked when it launched 15 years ago. Google says the service has since ‘redefined what it means to be a map’

– On February 8, 2005, Google Maps was first launched for desktop as a new solution to help people ‘get from point A to point B’.

– Just a few months later, Google Earth was launched, bringing 3D views of the planet. Today, Google Earth features more than 36 million square miles of high-definition satellite images. 

– In December 2005, Portland, Oregon became the first city to use Transit Trip Planner, helping commuters see public transit schedules and routes. It started as a standalone product but was eventually folded into Google Maps.

An early version of traffic conditions in Maps for desktop. Google Maps introduced real-time info on traffic conditions for more than 30 US cities two years after launching 

– About two years after launching Google Maps, the company introduced real-time info on traffic conditions for more than 30 US cities.

– On May 29, 2007, Google Street View debuted. Many of us will remember the seeing a Google car driving past capturing footage of the streets. 

– In November 2007 Maps went mobile. Google released version 2.0 of Google Maps for mobile, available for Blackberry, Palm devices and others. In 2008, its first Android app launched, followed by the iOS app in 2012. 

Google Trekkers could help fill the gaps in Google Maps by taking a 360 degree camera housed in a backpack on hiking trips

–  In 2012 it introduced the Street View Trekker, letting people capture hard-to-reach footage on foot, using high-tech equipment packed into a backpack. 

– In November 2015, Google launched offline maps, letting offline users still benefit from Google’s driving directions and search for specific destinations.

– In February 2019 came Live View, which uses augmented reality to help users understand which way to walk, with arrows and directions clearly overlaid. 

Augmented reality in Google Maps helps users get to their destination

The post Google Maps updates with a ‘more vibrant’ appearance appeared first on Shri Times News.

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[terabitweb]

Original Post from Talos Security Author:

Newsletter compiled by Jon Munshaw.

Welcome to this week’s Threat Source newsletter — the perfect place to get caught up on all things Talos from the past week.

By now, nearly everyone has heard of BlueKeep. It definitely sounds scary, with of this talk of wormable bugs and WannaCry. But so far, no attackers have used it to launch a large-scale attack.

Of course, we knew this wouldn’t stay quiet forever. Last month, Microsoft disclosed more RDP vulnerabilities in what’s being called “DejaBlue.” These are another set of wormable bugs, but we have a walkthrough for how Cisco Firepower customers can stay protected.

Elsewhere on the vulnerability front, we have advisories out for an information disclosure in Blynk-Library and two bugs in Epignosis eFront.

We also have our weekly Threat Roundup, which you can find on the blog every Friday afternoon. There, we go over the most prominent threats we’ve seen (and blocked) over the past week.

Upcoming public engagements with Talos

Event: “DNS on Fire” at Virus Bulletin 2019 Location: Novotel London West hotel, London, U.K. Date: Oct. 2 – 4 Speaker: Warren Mercer and Paul Rascagneres Synopsis: In this talk, Paul and Warren will walk through two campaigns Talos discovered targeted DNS. The first actor developed a piece of malware, named “DNSpionage,” targeting several government agencies in the Middle East, as well as an airline. During the research process for DNSpionage, we also discovered an effort to redirect DNSs from the targets and discovered some registered SSL certificates for them. The talk will go through the two actors’ tactics, techniques and procedures and the makeup of their targets. Event: “It’s never DNS…It was DNS: How adversaries are abusing network blind spots” at SecTor Location: Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, Canada Date: Oct. 7 – 10 Speaker: Edmund Brumaghin and Earl Carter Synopsis: While DNS is one of the most commonly used network protocols in most corporate networks, many organizations don’t give it the same level of scrutiny as other network protocols present in their environments. DNS has become increasingly attractive to both red teams and malicious attackers alike to easily subvert otherwise solid security architectures. This presentation will provide several technical breakdowns of real-world attacks that have been seen leveraging DNS for a variety of purposes such as DNSMessenger, DNSpionage, and more.

Cyber Security Week in Review

A new study from IBM shows that American taxpayers do not support their tax money going toward paying ransomware extortion requests. The survey found that 80 percent of respondents say they are concerned about a ransomware attack on their city, and 60 percent say they would not want their government using taxpayer dollars to pay off attackers with the promise of returning stolen data.

A server containing millions of phone numbers linked to Facebook acccounts was found exposed online, including 133 million U.S. users. The server was not protected by a password, so anyone who found it could access it. 

The Federal Trade Commission and the state of New York levied a $170 million fine against YouTube for its mishandling of children’s data. YouTube will now require users uploading content targeted toward children to tag them as such, and will ask for parental consent before tracking children’s usage. 

A new report suggests there could be a link between companies and cities that have cyber insurance policies and those who are targeted by ransomware attacks. Organizations with insurance are also more likely to pay any requested extortion payments compared to those without policies. 

Chinese tech company Huawei accused the U.S. of launching cyber attacks against it to steal information. They also said the American government has used “unscrupulous means” to disrupt its business. 

A recently discovered group of malicious websites targeting mobile devices are believed to be sponsored by China to target Uyghur Muslims. The websites were able to infect iPhones and Android devices just by having the user open the site. 

An attack took down a popular online forum used by protestors in Hong Kong. Citizens there have spent weeks pushing back on policies that would closer align the region’s government with China. 

Congress introduced a bipartisan bill that would boost the federal government’s cyber defense systems. The proposed law would increase the amount of funding the Department of Homeland Security has to beef up federal government agencies’ internal security. 

Google Pixel owners began receiving Android 10 this week. The new mobile operating system includes new security and privacy features, including the ability to change location tracking services on an app-by-app basis on one screen. 

Notable recent security issues

Title: New protection fends off password-stealing attacks from popular VPN servicef  Description: Last week, attackers began launching password-stealing attacks against the Fortigate and Pulse VPN services. At the time, Cisco Talos released SNORT® rules to protect Pulse VPN, and there is now additional protection for Fortigate. Attackers are attempting to steal encryption keys, passwords and other important data from servers utilizing these two VPN services. These bugs can be exploited by sending the unpatched servers a specialized Web request that contains a special sequence of characters. Snort SIDs: 51370 – 51372, 51387 (Written by John Levy)  Title: Multiple vulnerabilities disclosed in Cisco NX-OS software  Description: Cisco disclosed three denial-of-service vulnerabilities in its NX-OS software: CVE-2019-1965, CVE-2019-1964 and CVE-2019-1962. These bugs can cause a variety of conditions, including forced reboots, crashes or disruption of certain processes. All three are considered high-severity vulnerabilities. Reference: https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190828-nxos-memleak-dos  https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190828-nxos-ipv6-dos  https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190828-nxos-fsip-dos Snort SIDs: 51365 – 51367 (Written by John Levy)

Most prevalent malware files this week

SHA 256: 3f6e3d8741da950451668c8333a4958330e96245be1d592fcaa485f4ee4eadb3  MD5: 47b97de62ae8b2b927542aa5d7f3c858 Typical Filename: qmreportupload.exe Claimed Product: qmreportupload Detection Name: Win.Trojan.Generic::in10.talos

SHA 256: 9a082883ad89498af3ad8ece88d982736edbd46d65908617cf292cf7b5836dbc  MD5: 7a6f7f930217521e47c7b8d91fb79649 Typical Filename: DHL Scan File.img Claimed Product: IMGBURN V2.5.8.0 – THE ULTIMATE IMAGE BURNER! Detection Name: W32.9A082883AD-100.SBX.TG SHA 256: 7acf71afa895df5358b0ede2d71128634bfbbc0e2d9deccff5c5eaa25e6f5510  MD5: 4a50780ddb3db16ebab57b0ca42da0fb Typical Filename: xme64-2141.exe Claimed Product: N/A Detection Name: W32.7ACF71AFA8-95.SBX.TG SHA 256: 1755c179f08a648a618043a5af2314d6a679d6bdf77d4d9fca5117ebd9f3ea7c  MD5: c785a8b0be77a216a5223c41d8dd937f Typical Filename: cslast.gif Claimed Product: N/A Detection Name: W32.1755C179F0-100.SBX.TG SHA 256: 093cc39350b9dd2630a1b48372abc827251a3d37bd88c35cea2e784359b457d7  MD5: 3c7be1dbe9eecfc73f4476bf18d1df3f Typical Filename: sayext.gif Claimed Product: N/A Detection Name: W32.093CC39350-100.SBX.TG 

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Go to Source Author: Threat Source newsletter (Sept. 5, 2019) Original Post from Talos Security Author: Newsletter compiled by Jon Munshaw. Welcome to this week’s Threat Source newsletter — the perfect place to get caught up on all things Talos from the past week.

[coin-river-blog]

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CCN is expanding. Are you our next full-time journalist from the West Coast USA? Send us your CV and examples here.

The FINNEY phone came out today at a launch event in Barcelona.

The $999 phone is the first of its kind, integrating blockchain technology at its core in order that its users may can securely use blockchain products. The product aims to address issues that cryptonaughts face in mobile computing, particularly those related to securely transacting, and it is the latest in a projected long line of offerings from the makers of SOLARIN.

The phone runs on SirinOS, which is a fork of Android with the express intention of more deeply integrating blockchain capabilities and a decentralized application (“dApp”) marketplace. It sports a secondary screen called a “safe screen” which is two inches in size and allows the user to securely access a built-in cold storage wallet. In shape and design, it is not unlike the SOLARIN.

SirinOS will not be limited to the FINNEY, as SIRIN LABS said in their launch statement today that they are “also looking for strategic OEMs to implement SIRIN OS™ in additional consumer devices.” This means that the launch could attract interest from other phone manufacturers like ASUS, Motorola, or Huawei. HTC has already announced its own intentions to bring a phone to market, but they also have a history of supporting multiple operating systems, having at one time had both a popular Windows phone and several Android phones on the market. Dedicated HTC users have even managed to get Blackberry’s operating system running on the hardware.

Sirin simultaneously launched a “concept store” in London which will double as an educational hub for users. That is: people who buy this phone for its other features (such as security and competitive design) will be able to have all their questions answered at this place. The pre-launch website bills an “incentivized learning” platform or “learn and earn.” The description amounts to a blockchain-based Apple Genius Bar.

In anticipation of SirinOS, the FINNEY Phone, and the stores being launched, the SRN token has been available for some time on several exchanges. It is described as a “utility token” which acts as the cornerstone of the presented ecosystem. Exactly what role it plays was outlined in their March release of the whitepaper:

“[…] purchasing SIRIN LABS’s products, applications and services from the moment the SRN tokens are issued and distributed to crowdsale participants (24hr. after crowdsale ends). Moreover, special discounts will be given to SRN Token holders who pre-order or purchase products from SIRIN LABS using their SRN tokens.”

True to their word, those who purchase the FINNEY with SRN tokens will receive a 10% discount today. The token was trading at around ten cents Thursday morning.

Foxconn Partnership

Speaking of Apple, Sirin has gone into business with the same manufacturer as Apple, using Foxconn to mass-produce the world’s first blockchain phone on the market. In an interview with CCN, SIRIN CMO Nimrod May said:

“By choosing Foxconn to build the FINNEY, we’re demonstrating the public’s desire to have a mass-market smartphone that is able to safely and securely operate within blockchain and cryptocurrencies.”

A Native Mobile Platform for DApps?

There are inherent limitations to requiring every application installation to have a separate wallet implementation, and so forth. SIRIN’s phone seems to be one effort in reducing this friction – with crypto built in at the core, developers will now have a target device replete with a decentralized applications market to get listed in. Whether or not the FINNEY is a successful product, the introduction of a fully-developed crypto OS for phones is an important milestone for cryptocurrency as a whole.

$999 Price Point

There was a time when $999 would sound like too much for a phone, even an executive-class phone which puts next-generation financial management solutions in one’s pocket, but these days it is a price point which can be considered competitive when all of the features, unique and industry-standard, are considered. The FINNEY sports a 12MP camera, 128GB built-in storage (expandable), the noted “safe screen,” the ability to run regular apps from Android, and, of course, a world of possibilities through the decentralized applications forthcoming.

CCN attended the launch event and had an opportunity to spend some hands-on time with the Finney. Stay tuned for further coverage.

Featured Image from Sirin Labs

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[theinvinciblenoob]

When we put out the call for early-stage startups to apply to be a TC Top Pick at Disrupt San Francisco 2018, which takes place September 5-7, we knew we were in for something good. But crikey! The competition was fierce, and narrowing the field to a cohort of 60 startups was no easy task. Fortunately, we love a challenge, and our work here is done. Read on to find the list of winners and what they receive.

TC Top Picks is our latest way to shine a spotlight on amazing pre-Series A startup founders. We carefully reviewed and vetted each application and chose only five startups from each of these categories: AI, AR/VR, Blockchain, Biotech/Healthtech, Fintech, Gaming, Privacy/Security, Space, Mobility, Retail or Robotics/IoT/Hardware.

These TC Top Pick founders have won a free Startup Alley Exhibitor Package, which includes a one-day exhibit space in Startup Alley, three Founder passes (good for all three days of the show), use of CrunchMatch — our investor-to-startup matching platform — and access to the Disrupt SF 2018 press list. They also will receive a three-minute interview on the Showcase Stage with a TechCrunch editor — and we’ll promote that video across our social media platforms.

Without further ado, here are our TC Top Picks for Disrupt SF 2018.

AI

Jack Automation Technologies: A conversational platform for automated messaging and voice experiences with tenants/residents for all property types and portfolio sizes.

ConserWater Technologies: AI to grow more plants or crops with fewer resources.

Rosey: A web platform that automatically grades freely written text for teachers and provides meaningful feedback to students.

Vence: Reinventing livestock management. An invisible fence/Fitbit for livestock, which eliminates costs and increases profits for customers.

3DLOOK: Develops the most advanced mobile body scanning tech for apparel brands and e-commerce and retail.

AR/VR

COZYO: An interior design technology for e-commerce optimization.

KeepEyeOnBall: Virtual reality and virtual 360º tours software development.

ORBI Inc.: Specializes in developing innovative 360° imaging technology that captures life’s best moments.

Skrite Labs: A sky-based augmented reality platform.

Blockchain

Airfox: Offers a free Android app to extend critical financial services to billions of unbanked and underbanked people in emerging markets around the globe.

Zeehaus: Real estate marketplace with equity sharing fractional ownership.

Omega Grid: A peer-to-peer blockchain energy platform for utilities.

Humaniq: A London-based fintech firm that provides next-generation financial services using its blockchain-based mobile application.

LifeBank Technology and Logistics Services: A platform that makes blood available when and where it is needed in Nigeria to save lives.

Biotech & Health

Slighter: A smart device with cutting-edge smart technology that helps you master your smoking habit and reduce cigarette consumption.

Listen Longer: Track personal sound exposure in your ear for safe, lifelong enjoyment of your music.

Actijoy: A sophisticated system for monitoring doggy’s activity, health, rest and water and food intake.

Circadia Technologies: Wireless sleep sensor and personalized sleep coach to improve your sleep, mood and energy.

Virtue: An award-winning startup that applies the research-proven benefits of virtual reality to improve mental wellness.

Fintech

ID R&D: Developer of biometric authentication for conversational interface (voice, behavioral).

Oxygen: Banking and lending for the massive gig economy.

Mount Wish: Fully automated mutual insurance for FICC risks (Fixed Income, Currencies, Commodities) and digital CIB front office.

SimbaPay: A mobile application that offers money transfer services to its users.

Blinker: Buy, sell and finance cars with the snap of a photo.

Gaming

SportsMe: Turn sports fandom into a mobile video game.

Storyball: A screenless gaming console that keeps children active, playful and engaged.

Sonder Design: Infinite possibilities at your fingertips, with the world’s first E Ink keyboard. 

Privacy/Security

Carbn: A developer of data and privacy management software for business customers.

Openpath: An access control system that grants entry to locations.

UATAG: Unique authentication tag for product originality verification and counterfeit protection.

Space

Audacy: A space communications service provider.

Infostellar: A satellite antenna sharing platform.

Mobility

Cargofy: Virtual AI-assistant for owner-operators.

Einride: A cargo and freight company that designs and builds technologies for transportation systems.

Toposens: Builds robust, ultra-low power and low-cost 3D ultrasound and radar sensors for smart buildings and autonomous vehicles.

Caaresys: An Israeli startup that develops a vehicle passenger monitoring system based on contactless low-emission radio frequency radar.

Rideshare Sellers: In-vehicle headrest advertisement delivery system for rideshare.

Retail

GreenSTOP: An ancillary cannabis technology company that utilizes hardware and software to automate the retail cannabis industry.

Garbi: A smart trash can that can recognize anything you throw away and reorder it with the tap of a button.

Eazyloop Express: A platform that delivers packages from the USA to Ghana.

Resonado: Introduces patented audio hardware that enables essential solutions to the sound experience.

SmartBins: Promotes shopper traffic to the bulk aisle boosting high-margin bulk sales.

Robotics, Hardware and IoT

Cedar Robotics: Revolutionizing the restaurant industry with menu digitization, cloud infrastructure and robotics.

Robotic Materials: Materials that make robots smart.

Orby: Flying robots for your business.

Livin: Creating products and services that improve people’s lives where they use water.

Mitte: The world’s first smart water system that unites water purification with enhancement.

If you missed out on applying to be a TC Top Pick and exhibiting for free, it’s not too late to buy a Startup Alley Exhibitor Package and showcase your startup alongside 1,200+ companies and sponsors in Startup Alley. Exhibiting makes sense for early-stage founders, but don’t just take our word for it. Luke Heron, the CEO of TestCard.com, had this to say following his Startup Alley experience:

If you’re a startup or an entrepreneur, exhibiting at Disrupt is a no-brainer.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. Come join us and discover new opportunities. We can’t wait to see you there!

via TechCrunch

[mobileappdevelopmentuk-blog]

Eastpoint Software Mobile Android Apps Development for Diversified Business Purposes

Android, the rapidly growing operating system for mobile, smartphone or tablet devices has gained popularity these days. This operating system is highly versatile, user-friendly, and of course, its flexibility has made it much more favorite for many users. Android Mobile App development is the process of generating new applications by utilizing this Android operating system. Applications are basically developed using the Android Software Development Kit or SDK in Java programming language, but nowadays more efficient developmental platforms are also available.

Features

Android mobile application developers usually dedicate their ingenuity, experienced technical skills, and passion introducing amazing android apps which can be delivered as you mobile apps for better performance of the Android devices. The developed applications are designed based on the following criteria.

Being Java-based, Android apps can be easily accessed through 2D or 3D graphical libraries, including audios, videos, or images. Developers can also be empowered the apps via easy customization so that those apps can extensively be used for better customers’ satisfaction.

Robust Linux Kernel is used in Android mobile apps development for more reliability as well as stability.

Development Android apps are flexible enough for an easy and quick performance.

Multi-tools for Android apps development are also can be customized for better usage.

SQLite is used during Android app development for more data storage.

Android App Development Cambridge, London and UK Services For all business purposes, mobile android app development has become an inevitable choice in present times and most of the leading Android apps developmental companies assure their clients with their not only excellent services but also with an efficient solution to make the Android apps for their business more successful.

Being well-adapted with various Android technological advancements, these companies usually develop market centric and user-friendly apps that can easily cater to diversify all your business requirements. From innovation to monetization, the expert app developers of these companies always stay connected with their prospective customers and thus aid them to achieve their different business goals.

Nowadays, these Android app developers all over the world are well-equipped with C++, C, Java, CSS, and HTML5 and thus capable of writing Android apps for varieties of Android platforms. No matter whatever be your goal of business achievements these always try to fulfill your business needs by providing a bug-free Android apps development services along with solutions. The passionate and a skilled team of Android developers from these app developmental companies plan on how to satisfy their clients on the basis of an exponential growth in their prospective businesses purposes.

About us:

We are Eastpoint Software Android Mobile App Development Cambridge, Richmond, London, West London, UK, Twickenham, Colchester, Chelmsford and Surrey. Android app development is not that tricky as it appears, you just need to pick the right service provider that has enough experience of making apps belonging to various categories. We want to build more apps to add to our portfolio, so we want to work with you. Contact us on 01223 690164 or Mail us: info@eastpoint.co.uk and let us know what you are after. We can go from there and provide a no obligation estimate.

Mobile Android Application Development is quite similar to web application development and has its origin in more traditional software development. In the future days, it is expected that the most of the mobile Android application development efforts will keep on producing more browser-based applications for better business trading.

Visit us:

https://www.eastpoint.co.uk/Mobile-Apps/Android-mobile-app-development/