Matt Blodgett: Are Software Developers Respected by "Business People"?
Are Software Developers Respected by "Business People"?
In the Hacker News thread for my last blog post, there were a couple of comments that really got me thinking about the role respect plays in bad office design.
Is it time to get depressed yet? This has been a topic for such a long time. It was in Peopleware in 1987. I thought I discovered the topic when Joel (On Software) wrote about it in 2000. While a few people seem to enjoy open offices, the overwhelming majority of developers I know, or who chime in on HN, value a quiet place to work and dislike open offices.
And yet, not only has nothing changed, it seems to be getting worse. It couldn't be more clear to me that developers, at least on this issue, simply have no clout as a profession. There may be a few individuals who can make demands, but on the balance, these are decisions imposed on us, as a group, and we are apparently unable to do anything about it.
30 years ago programmers were highly respected. We were mysterious to others and we were able to influence things like office layouts and the like.
At some point over that time period, things shifted. Programmers became seen as "geeks" who didn't really understand business and "business guys" took over.
They have no concept that we might know what we're talking about because "office space is the realm of business."
We're not capable of decision making and we have no understanding beyond our weird obsession with those stupid computers. -- that's how they see us. They'll lie and say otherwise, but deep down and a fundamental level, that's how non-technical people see us.
Is this true? Are software developers "geeks" that lack clout and respect with the "business people"?
If so, why is that? Have we earned our lack of clout/respect? I have some thoughts on this that I'll explore in a future post.
In the meantime, let me leave you with this question: If you believed that an employee of yours did extraordinarily challenging mental work, which required extreme concentration, would you put them here to do that work?
I'm sure the answer varies from company to company, but I think most people know the answer at their own. My employer has a vague sense for what my department does, and certainly the level of focus required to do it. Given that assumption, the only explanation I can come up with, while seated between two different conference calls, is that my company hates me.
Unfortunate but true.. the business world sees s/w technical folks as not much more than expendable or replaceable commodities. Management mostly has little understanding of the level of mental application and skill that coding requires. I have seen this to be not just true for software techs, but for technical people from other specializations as well. Sadly the power to make rules is vested in people (executives/administrators) rather than people who actually produce. Hence you will have an MBA who can create fancy presentations calling the shots over a PhD who can create original research/knowledge. The trend seems to be getting worse as capital is increasingly being concentrated in mega corporations or ultra wealthy individuals.


In Analytical Designer, you can now adjust any color that represents measures and attributes in the insight.
You can select from a predefined set of colors from the color palette (default or custom), select a new color in the color picker, or enter a hexadecimal code to use your custom color. If the insight is used on a KPI Dashboard, the new colors are displayed there as well.
The new setting is a part of the insight configuration section.
You can now compare measures with different units or scales in Analytical Designer.
In bar charts, column charts, and line charts, you can select any measure to be displayed on a secondary right (line and column charts) or top axis (bar charts).
You can configure the secondary axis in the Configuration section of the insight.
To shorten the loading times when creating or editing embedded insights, you can define a postMessage that preloads Analytical Designer with data catalog in a hidden iframe.
When you then open an embedded insight, Analytical Designer loads only the insight configuration.
For more information about LCM, see Managing Projects via Life Cycle Management or contact your Account Manager. For more information about the project template deprecation, see Project Templates.


The FLYAJET flight simulator is CAA approved as a pilot training simulator and the cockpit layout is an almost … Auckland CBD, New Zealand Terms and Conditions.
FSX Flight Simulator Scenery listing New Zealand. Flight Simulator X New Zealand commercial sceneries. Last updated: The 9th of November 2016. Back to scenery overview.
I am proud to say we have made a virtual airline based off the real Air New Zealand we are currently taking applications for pilots … Flight Sim Hangars.
Flightsim.co.nz is 47 years old, Alexa rank: #12359918, Country: New Zealand, Last updated: Friday, 22 April 2016.
Find cheap flights to New Zealand. Expedia offers the Expedia Price Guaranteed on a huge selection of flight deals to New Zealand. Compare and save money today.
Nike Air Max series discount sales, online discount stores in New Zealand, up to 50% discount. flightsim.co.nz.
limit my search to r/flightsim. use the following search … How'd you get the skin to work because I've had trouble putting in A320 B747 etc Air New Zealand liveries.


Kalev was born a Kenizite [Kenaz being the grandson of Esav] and must have been a pretty old man by the time he went into the land from Kadesh, perhaps 100 or so (assuming each father being 20 years old when his son was born and Bezaleel was 20 when called). I think that Kalev was living in Egypt until he saw the folly of following any other so-called 'god' and trusted Y'hovah as his Elohim. His wife, by whom he had already begotten 3 sons, must have died shortly thereafter. He took Ephrath, perhaps a daughter of Yehudah, to wife, who bore him Hur, who may have been a friend of Aharon's or Moshe's while they were growing up in Amram's and Jochebed's house after Paroh's daughter took Moshe from the Nile. All that about Hur being a friend of Moshe's in his youth is purely speculation, but I think it makes sense, as they were pretty tight right from the get-go in the Wilderness Adventure, one of Moshe's 'inner circle'. Kalev outlived Yehoshua as well (early chapters of Judges). If my figuring is correct, he was well over 180 when he died, and, under his leadership at that advanced age, his was the only tribe to fully conquer its inheritance in the land. That proves to me his utter reliance upon Y'hovah.
they gave the 'tenor' of the Torah to returning Yehudah. Moshe was to ensure that they GOT it this time. In 35.30-33, Moshe told Israel how Y'hovah had called Bezaleel as the chief artisan of the Mishkan, and how he'd given him a special portion of Ruach to understand Y'hovah Elohenu – wisdom (chochmah), understanding (binah) and knowledge (da'at) AND in all manner of workmanship. If we take the 1st letters of chochmah, binah and da'ath as an acronym, we get the word chabad. And if you look at the Etz Chai, or Tree of Sephiroth, you will see that these 3 'emanations' of El Shaddai are the top of the tree, corresponding to the wisdom of Y'hovah Avinu, the understanding of the Ruach of Elohim Aimainu and the combination of the 2 in the knowledge of the One Tzadik Rebbe, Moshiach Yeshua ben Elohim. Bezaleel must have been a tzadik on the order of Yoseph, Yehudah, Daniel and Moshe, full of Ruach haKodesh. The chabad was given to him to work curious works in 5 separate media, working gold, silver, brass, cutting precious stones and carving and graving wood, AND that he would be able to convey what needed to be done to the rest of Israel in a manner that they would readily understand. For an interesting study of Bezaleel, have a look at Yashanet's study on 'Kaballah in The Matrix' at http://www.yashanet.com/image/matrix/part6.htm.
Shemoth 37.1-9 – Schottenstein's Chumash, on pg. 274-77, has only one short introductory note to ch.37, which is truly outstanding. There are no explanatory notes on any details of Bezaleel's work. There is also very little in the way of illumination on ch.38 in Chumash. Bezaleel was the actual artisan on the ark and the mercy seat, the table of showbread, the altar and the menorah. Aholiav was in charge of other things under the supervision of Bezaleel, but the furnishings of the Mishkan were all the personal work of Bezaleel. All Israel had to have been involved in gathering the materials and constructing the Mishkan, but in a very real sense it can be said that it was ALL Bezaleel, because he was the guy in charge of getting it done. Like the skipper of an aircraft carrier is responsible for anything that happens on the ship and is accountable for the actions of the lowliest seaman recruit under his command, so would Bezaleel have been.
He fashioned the ark of shittim (acacia) wood and overlaid it inside and out with pure gold. He made a 'crown' of gold all around it near the top, a moulding perhaps as a stop for the mercy seat, or something to make it blend with the rest of the ark. The rings for carrying the ark were cast of pure gold, 2 on each side, I infer near the bottom of the crown to make it easier to get the priest's shoulders under the staves to carry the ark with the mercy seat attached. The staves were of shittim wood, as well, overlaid with pure gold and placed into the rings never to be fully removed, though they were slid out enough to make the ark's presence known in the Kadosh Place by a slight bulge near the bottom of the veil (1Ki.8.8 in our haftarah for today).
Vv.17-23 – The menorah was a piece of gold-smithing that could only be done by inspiration of the Ruach haKodesh, in my mind. It was to be BEATEN out of one piece of pure gold of a talent's weight; variously said to be from 80-100 pounds. That would be 1400 gold ounces troy. In today's US$ that would be about 2.6 million FaRTs (Federal Reserve Tokens – and noxious fumes actually have more value, though I digress). A typical year's head tax (1/2 shekel of silver/man of the 20th year or older) would have been 640,000 x ½ dollar in pure silver = 370,000 silver US$. So, it would take just a shade over 7 years of ½ shekel offerings to gather enough silver to purchase the gold for the menorah.
Torah makes a distinction between the menorah/candlestick and the branches. The menorah's branches and at least the top ½ of the menorah were hollow to allow the oil to flow through them. This is VERY reminiscent of the root (or vine)/branches of Yeshua (Jn.15.1, 4-5) and Sha'ul (Rom.11.16-18, 15.12), of which there is a very good explanation found in part 2, ch.4 of the Ramchal's book, Derech Hashem (The Way of Y'hovah). When I read through this book the 1st time, I was amazed at how Pauline this Chabadnic rabbi's systematic theology was. If you haven't read it, I encourage you to do so – WITH YOUR DISCERNMENT TURNED ON! There is much to glean, but there is also much to flush (such as the Jewish bent to saying 'Jews' instead of Israel, thereby restricting the 'seed of Abraham' to the nation of Yehudah – if he'd change 'Jew' to Moshiach or Yeshua in the discussion of roots/vines, the problem is solved; cf. pp 133-143 hi-lites), as there is in ALL commentaries and theologies. This particular author has a knack for systematizing Torah, and is a very profitable read, IF you are aware that there is some stuff that is less efficacious than others, or that need to be seen in light of chol Torah [Gen.1.1- Rev.22.21].
The root (vine) of the menorah (Moshiach) feeds oil (Ruach haKodesh) to the branches (seed of Avraham) of the menorah, which Moshiach, as the MelchiZedek high priest, maintains in a ready state and lights during the night (exile/diasporah) so that Ohr haChaim, the light of life, shall not be completely extinguished.
Vv.25-29 – The Incense Altar was just a platform upon which to place the censer with the set-apart incense and a coal from the Brazen Altar. There is no mention of a grate of any kind, as there is for the brazen altar, so the coal and incense had to be held away from the surface of the altar somehow to keep the gold from melting and the wood from burning. This altar had the least surface area of any of the furnishings, and sat on this side of the veil directly in front of the ark, which sat on the other side of the veil. The veil represents Moshiach as our advocate, through whom Avinu sees and speaks to us and receives our prayers, which are represented by the incense itself.
The incense was a mixture of the aromatic gums, or saps, of 4 different trees, ground by mortar and pestle by the 'art of an apothecary'. It was the same art used in mixing various medicinal herbs before the days of 'Big Pharma'. The Hebrew word xlated apothecary here is raqakh and literally means 'mixing', either of spices, herbs or, as in this case, dried tree gums. In light of the previous discussion of roots and branches, I think we can see that the prayers of the saints include those of all men who will have Y'hovah's heart to be their own and acknowledge their utter dependence on him.
38.1-7 – Bezaleel's next project was the Altar of Burnt Offering. This was a relatively massive piece of furniture; 5×5 cubits on its sides and 3 cubits from top to bottom, with horns (square rises on the corners for holding portions of offerings, like an oblation or grain offering) rising above the brass grate on which the burnt offering was placed for burning. The grate was suspended on hooks made for that purpose 1½ cubits down from the top of the altar (or up from the base of it). The fire had to be built on the ground beneath (I think), and the ashes of the burnt offering must have fallen through the brass grate. This particular piece of furniture would have been heavy enough to make it hard for 4 men to carry, perhaps approaching the weight of the ark itself. I think that, as the priests put their shoulders under the staves and began to lift their charges, Y'hovah picked up the furniture and the priests and carried them himself on the same kind of surface on which they traveled through the Red Sea and the Jordan River 40 years later and on which Yeshua walked on the Sea of Galilee.
The brass signifies the left side of the three of Sephiroth – the severity of Elohim, as the gold in the Mishkan signifies the right side of the tree – the goodness of Y'hovah. All put together, we see Moshiach Yeshua. All the metalwork on outside of the sanctuary is brass – gevurah. The metal overlaying the acacia wood of the altar, along with the utensils and dishes of the altar, were made of brass. The perfect justice of Elohim was meted out on the altar, so that the chesed of Y'hovah could be poured out on the sons of men who placed their trust in him. That within the court represented the righteous justice of Elohim, while all within the first veil represented the melding of El Shaddai/Eyn Sof's mercy and justice in Moshiach, and that within the 2nd veil represented the merciful forgiveness and loving kindness of Avinu.
1Melechim 8.8-22 – The staves were pulled out just far enough to create a 'bulge' in the veil to witness that the ark was actually there. The staves were simultaneously seen to be there, but could not actually be seen with the eyes, only the evidence of them in the 'bulge'. In the same way, the evidence of the Spirit can be seen in our obedience to his Word. The Spirit itself cannot be seen, but the evidence of his presence certainly can be.
If the idea of the placement of the ark and the drawn out staves could be 'seen' without actually seeing them due to a 'bulge' in the veil is correct, the cheruvim and ark had to be placed next to the veil at the eastern end, not against the western end of the Kodesh Kadashim. Either that, or the priest would be in danger of tripping over the staves every time he entered to make atonement. And since the Most Holy was 20×20 cubits, the staves would have had to have been about 20 cubits long to make a bulge in the veil, if the ark was on the west side of the Most Holy. Remember that the Temple is a different building than the Mishkan was and there were things built into it that could not be in the Mishkan. Like a floor and, if Michael Rood is right, an elevator system by which to carry off the Temple's furnishings for safekeeping, Boaz and Yachin controlling it.
One of the reasons Monte thinks that Hebrews does not belong in the scripture is seen in v.9. The only thing in the ark was the tables of testimony. Heb.9 says the pot of manna and Aaron's rod were in there, too. Torah tells us that Aharon's rod and the pot of manna were put in the presence of Y'hovah, that which was temporal (like the ark) placed into spiritual space, not actually inside the ark. But Hebrews is midrash from ch.1 through ch.13 and was never meant to be taken literally in all its details, but metaphorically in the spiritual truths it conveys. The immediate audience of Hebrews and its author were Jews and understood the midrashic nature of the arguments made. Why Monte, a real bloodline Jewish believer in Y'hovah Yeshua haMoshiach, doesn't see that is beyond me.
Vv.10– – The 'thick darkness' that Y'hovah dwells in is only 'dark' to our finite minds. Anywhere Y'hovah dwells is necessarily full of 'light' as he is the Light that cannot be overcome by darkness.
The light of Y'hovah, the kavod of Y'hovah, filled the house so completely that the priests had to get out, or be overwhelmed by it. Remember the REFLECTED glory of Y'hovah in the face of Moshe was so great that he had to wear a veil over his FACE so that Israel could stand to be in HIS presence? Imagine what the DIRECT kavod of Y'hovah would have been like. Not so bearable, I'd say by way of understatement.
If you have ever seen God deliver you from a situation, by bringing calamity upon someone perpetrating a wrong against you (I have), then you have an inkling of what David means (v.3): How awesome is the work of Elohim – the creator who judges His creation! The rebellious should fear to exalt themselves – think on that (v.7)!
"The "sacred assemblies" (Lev 23) of Sabbaths and Holy Days were not times for using "contemporary songs" – that was sometimes done in outside or private settings; Psalms are to be our expression of joy (James 5:13b, "Is there any merry? Let him sing psalms") and means of encouragement (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16) even outside of the sacred assemblies. This is a major area where believers reject God's instruction in deference to their own developed desires. This is so extreme that it is common for believers, even those who claim that God's Word is uniquely inspired, to act as though their contemporary songs are more inspired – by using them to the exclusion of God's inspired Psalms!
We are to love God with all of our hearts, and all of our minds (Sh'ma).
Yeshua said, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" – John 4:23-24.
Our spiritual worship must be based upon truth to be acceptable.
3 Say unto Elohim, How terrible thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing thy name. Selah. 5 Come and see the works of God: terrible doing toward the children of men.
The meaning of the word 'terrible' in vv.3&5 must have changed since 1611, because I don't see how terrible it would be if Yah's enemies submitted themselves to him because of the greatness of his power. We'll see exactly that in the Millennium, when everyone will submit to his authority because justice will be swiftly and surely meted out (perhaps by us?).
6 He turned the sea into dry: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him. 7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
Terrible MUST mean that which inspires awe in the believer, but fear in the infidel; that which engenders love or terror, depending on the heart of the subject.
In vv.6-7, David rehearsed just why Elohim is so terrible. In Ex.14.16, 21-22, Paroh started across the Red Sea on the same 'platform' (there is no mention of Israel walking across the sea bottom, they went on "dry", both in Exodus and on this psalm) Israel walked on without getting their sandals wet or muddy. But when Paroh got ½ way across, Elohim removed the blessing that kept them above the muck. Paroh and his armies were stuck in the quagmire of the sea floor; their chariot wheels broke, their horses couldn't move, men tried to run, but were stuck in muck at least knee high and then … the water rushed back to it's natural place and Egypt was destroyed in a moment! That is what 'terrible' meant in the KJV! Egypt experienced absolute and abject terror while Israel experienced the elation of deliverance and absolute joy. The unnatural 'natural disasters' that we are experiencing in the earth today, even if they are ostensibly caused by the inventions of men, are from Elohim with the object of getting men to repent and turn to Y'hovah for deliverance. They are terrifying in their physical outcomes, but ought to be awe-inspiring to the believer who knows that this is Elohim's judgment on this wicked world and Y'hovah's plea for them to turn and go his way and be blessed.
Vv.8-12 – The terrible things that Elohim does in the earth have a wonderful outcome for those who trust him through it. These 5 verses tell us what we ought to be feeling when we see them happening – not terror, but awe at the powerful deliverance he is sending for us. The times that are coming are terrible in the 1611 sense. If we look only at the physical, we will be as terrified as Egypt was while caught in the quagmire; but if we look at the spiritual, see the prophecies unfolding and trust that Y'hovah will keep us through it all, we will rejoice that he has chosen us to be tried like silver through the fire. Keep ChananYah, AzarYah and Mishael in mind, who were thrown into Babylon's burning, fiery furnace for their refusal to bow to the image of the beast. As Y'hovah brought them through the fire without a hair being singed or even the smell of smoke on their clothes, so he will bring you through, if you stand firm for him. To quote Job 13.15a, "Though he SLAY me, YET will I trust him." And when we see his deliverance and blessing, we will rejoice.
VV.13-17 show us what our reaction should be and what Israel's at the Red Sea was, and what AzarYah, ChananYah and MishaEl's would be in Babylon. When one is delivered through a terrible trial, his natural reaction is elation. If he recognizes that it is Y'hovah who brought him through, his natural reaction is to praise Y'hovah with everything in his being and to want to extol his powerful deliverance to anyone who will listen. Been there. Done that. Still do it at every opportunity.
Vv.18-20 – We cannot truly pray in Yeshua's Name if we are regarding iniquity in our hearts. We can tack on the words, in Yeshua's Name, but they will be hollow. Adon WILL not hear our prayers if we are regarding iniquity. To regard iniquity is not only to not repent of it; but to look at it, study it, hold it dear, scrutinize it, worship it. Is Elohim hearing your prayers? Are your prayers being received and are the answers forthcoming? If not, it's time to examine yourself and see if you might be holding onto something that he's forbidden us to have or do. Iniquity = Torahlessness. When Elohim answers our prayers at the last minute (which is USUAL – so keep praying) the effect is dramatic and so should the response be in the believer.
1Yochanan 1.1-4 – The way v.1 is worded makes me think that Yochanan realizes that even that which he perceives 'of the Word of Life' is just the 'tippy-tip-tip' of the iceberg. It is obvious that he knows who Yeshua is, 'That which was from the beginning' can only be one thing – The embodiment of Eyn Sof who is all there was or could have been 'from the beginning'. Yochanan's use of 'the beginning' in his writings is telling. In the Aramaic, the word used is 'breshit', as it is in 1Moshe 1 (Genesis). See note 2 on pg.650 of the AENT.
See the simile in that last verse? Flesh without spirit is similar to faith without works – flesh = faith, spirit = works. That is EXACTLY the opposite of what the church teaches, isn't it? But is that not what Paul teaches, also?
The Spirit of Elohim is our power to do the truth in 1Yochanan1.6 and walk in the light in v.7. So if we are walking in the light and truth of Yeshua, who is the Torah made flesh, we have fellowship with each other AND with the Eyn Sof, as unfathomable an idea as that may be, BECAUSE we have been cleansed of all sin by Yeshua's own life-blood. Truth = Light, Light = Torah, Torah = Truth; Torah, Truth and Light = Yeshua.
Sin = our natural propensity to disobey Torah, which is powered by our flesh. We all have sin in our lives, because we have our flesh ever with us, fairly SCREAMING at us to pay attention to it. Our flesh is a Nazi, a bully – all he knows is force. If we SAY we have no sin we lie, both to ourselves and to others. Meanwhile the Spirit of Elohim is not a pain in the tukhis, but kind of a gentleman, speaking to us in our own spirits to gently get our attention and to empower us to do what he wants us to do, if we'll submit to him. Y'hovah's Spirit is NOT a bully, but persuades us to act in the light of Torah's truth and leaves it to our own free will.
BTW; Next Monday or Tuesday [21 or 22Aug. 2017] will be the New Moon of the 6th month, which begins the traditional 40 days of examining ourselves in preparation for Yom Kippur. The whole month of Elul is a traditional Jewish month of preparation for Yom Teruah, which, among other things, is traditionally considered to be "Resurrection Day". It is the Day of Trumpets and shouting and also is called "the Last Trump". In traditional Jewish thought, it was the day when Elohim said "Light" and light was; the beginning of the creation of this universe. It is also considered to be the day when he will create the New Creation 'wherein dwelleth righteousness'. If there is going to be a 'rapture', this is the likely day for it. It is also traditionally considered Yom Keseh, the hidden day that no man knows. There are 2 months every year that are not known until the sliver of the new moon is sighted, Aviv and the 7th month. Once you know the day of the 1st month, you can predict the new moons that follow with very good accuracy through month 6. But with the 29.54 days between New moons, by the time you get to the 7th month you can easily miss. Elul COULD be 29 or 30 days long, which is the reason Rosh HaShanah is a 2 day celebration in Israel.
So, these are the days of introspection, when we examine ourselves and make ourselves ready for the Resurrection. If we are NOT ready, we will get to go through the "Days of Awe" that follow, i.e.; the Great Tribulation.


text:
010 - Working Your Way Up
Danielle Eden started out behind the camera as a dancer and actress, hoping to eventually transition into directing later in her career. But after a freak accident she found herself making the transition quicker than she could have imagined. We talk about the challenges creating her first documentary, dealing with...
009 - The War Against Clickbait
Billy Disney is a filmmaker & content creator. He was an early influencer of video content at companies like The Verge and Mic.com. Now he's an executive producer for one of the strangest and most innovative media companies on the web called The Outline. We talk about how he built relationships and leveraged his...
008 - Making Conscious Content
Elliott Ashby is a photographer, filmmaker and media personality, though he never intended to be behind the camera. When no one would give him a mic, he decided to create his own.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The rise of tough new financial regulation in the years since the financial crisis has seen pressure mount on the correspondent banking network. The international money transfer business has been particularly affected, especially in poorer countries such as Somalia. Many banks have pulled out, ending relationships and closing correspondent accounts. Barclays was at the center of a Parliamentary debate over the issue in the UK House of Commons in 2013. The bank stated that it feared being fined by the regulator if it did not reduce what it perceived as exposure to risky businesses.
Barclays has brought in a Credit Suisse banker with more than three decades of experience in audit, compliance, and quality assurance to help protect its reputation, which has been marred by scandals over the last few years. The most recent scandal to hit Barclays was chief executive Jes Staley's attempts to unmask a whistle-blower who sent letters to the board in 2016. This led to Staley himself being fined £642k by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority in May.
Stefano Toffolo joined Barclays as a managing director earlier this month in London. He will head the Chief Control Office and oversee its partnership with the compliance division and the company secretariat on key group reputation and conduct risk programs, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Barclays has been hit by a succession of scandals in recent years. They include controversies related to manipulating LIBOR, which resulted in a $453 USD Million Dollar Fine from U.S. and U.K. regulators in 2012, manipulating foreign exchange rates which landed the bank with $2.4 billion fine by the U.S. government in 2015, and mortgage mis-selling in the run-up to the financial crisis which saw the bank paying $2 billion to the U.S. regulators earlier this year. Barclays was also fined £72m pounds by British regulators in 2015 for failing to safeguard against the risk of being used to facilitate financial crime.
Toffolo's expertise may therefore come in useful. Prior to joining Barclays, he spent almost two decades at Credit Suisse Bank. He started out at the Swiss bank as a director in 1998 and rose through the ranks to become a managing director in 2007. During his tenure at CS, Toffolo had various roles including Global Head of Investment Banking Operations, head of investment banking front to back process design and delivery, and chief compliance and regulatory affairs officer (enterprise front to back) and compliance QA.
← previous post Is BioMass Fuel a Better Source of Energy?


text:
The SharePoint history is quite interesting with several active versions still in use from SharePoint 2007 to SharePoint Online. It's safe to say there are probably a few companies who still use SharePoint 2003. Nonetheless, there have been significant changes to SharePoint and even Microsoft Office with Office 365. We are a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner & are a leader in Office 365 Migration Services & Solutions - so get ready to learn more about the differences between SharePoint Online and Office 365.
SharePoint Online vs. Office 365
Some organizations delve into the on-premise vs. cloud debate. The most significant difference impacts local IT resources compared to the convenience and flexibility of cloud solutions. Cloud-hosted systems offer more reliable business continuity over on-premise and do not require a full in-house IT team for management.
When Office 365 made its debut, it did fall behind SharePoint 2010 and 2013 in terms of features. Of course, this was before Office 365 started to focus on the cloud. SharePoint 2016 started to address this, as well.
Then Microsoft really started to focus on the Cloud and Office 365 started pulling ahead in terms of what it offered end users. Microsoft is now looking at bringing some of the more advanced Cloud features of Office 365, like Delve, to those still operating On Prem SharePoint – the release of SharePoint 2016 will start to address this.
Office 365 provides exclusive features that include:
NextGen Portals: Out-of-the-box portals
Delve: A technology based on Office Graph Sway: Allows users to combine text, images and videos locally and online to create a usable website.
Office 365 features: Single sign-on
Office 365 Groups: Use different Office 365 applications together. For instance, syncing lists between applications.
Consistent updates: Over the last 12 months hundreds updates have been rolled out with more coming all the time.
Ten benefits of Office 365
1. Explore and integrate: Frictionless integration with other Microsoft programs.
2. Collaborate anywhere anytime: Web-based email, documents, contacts, and calendars regardless of device or browser. Experience unified collaboration among employees.
3. Always on: The cloud ensures business continuity and always-available documents and email even through a natural or man-made disaster.
4. Agility: With multiple options in the Office 365 suite, organizations buy only the office solutions they need.
5. Single Sign-on (SSO): Avoid having to repeatedly sign in to Office 365.
6. Support: End-users receive business-class service including IT admin phone support, 99.9% uptime guarantee, geo-redundant data centers, disaster recovery, robust security, privacy controls, and standards.
7. Security: Office 365 has built-in security and continuous compliance. Always know where your data is and who has access. You can also remotely wipe all data from your mobile device if it's lost or stolen.
8. Frictionless licensing: Everyone has the same version of Microsoft Office, and all end-users receive upgrades at the same time.
9. Organize easily: All is synchronized and automatically updated across all your devices. You can also access the same data from any device or save a document on your PC and continue working on it from your mobile device.
10. Real-time collaboration: Teams can collaborate with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. End-users can view real-time edits or additions their colleagues are making to a document. It also saves each version automatically, so you can revert to older versions as needed. Office 365 services can ensure you access all of the benefits listed.
Features of SharePoint Online
The most common use for SharePoint online is company intranets. The good news is you can customize your online space using this cloud-hosted solution. The focus is on collaboration and increasing productivity.
One of the biggest features of SharePoint Online is it's cloud-hosted. That means you have access anywhere, at any time; all you need is an online portal. This is especially useful for remote workers and access on mobile devices. Using the cloud also means it can scale as your business grows, and it ensures business continuity.
Microsoft SharePoint Online enables the centralization of resources, organizing everything in one user-friendly portal. Not only do team members no longer need to go searching here, there and everywhere for what they need, managers can oversee everything and ensure processes are optimized. As an efficient content management system, SharePoint Online saves time and effort.
Seamless integration with Office 365
As it is a product of Microsoft, it's designed to work effortlessly with Office 365. Therefore, if you already use Office 365 services, it makes things that much more convenient. It also gives you the option of quickly editing documents in your browser or opening them natively on your desktop, but no matter which you choose, the updates are always saved.
Document collaboration
What's more, team members can work collaboratively on the same document at the same time, which saves generating multiple versions and getting lost in the mix. You can view in real-time who is in the document with you and reload to see the changes they've made. SharePoint Online also lives up to its name by making file sharing as easy as clicking a button. You can send invites to other end-users (internal or external) to edit any document.
Use previous iterations
Further, SharePoint Online automatically keeps a ready version history of documents. You can also roll back to previous versions as needed. As a result, collaboration is simple and convenient.
We hope you have a better understanding of some of the differences between SharePoint Online and Office 365. Invariably, the differences will change over time. To learn more about how Office 365 services can benefit your business, Contact SSI today.
Contact SSI to learn more about the differences or talk directly to an Office 365 service expert here!
Previous Post What is the Difference between Data Security and Cyber Security?
Next Post What are the Pros and Cons of Outsourcing IT?
O365 cloud backup services Insights backup
Which is the Best Office 365 Backup Solution for MSPs? | SSI
office 365 ransomware datto Insights
Office 365 Business Managed Services and Ransomware
Does Office 365 Migration Take a Long Time? | SSI


You are noe watching Hi-Def Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis photograph that is a part of Small Desk Furniture picture gallery. For those of you who would like to produce a house, subsequently Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis picture provides contemporary ideas to everyone. Each of the essentials of which Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis image shows can be used being a research meant for constructing your private aspiration residence. You will find yourself not hard to decide what you should do with the your home if you ever know Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis pic properly. So many pros that Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis graphic provides, probably that is definitely an outstanding your home pattern drive. In case you have some well designed house as Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis photo, it is going to make every last invitee enjoy your property. Which means, most people highly recommend you to discover Small Desk Furniture photo collection additionally to find many recommendations you should have.
Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis photo is a preferred photograph to help you acquire given it has got 736 x 1030 on dimensions and 101 KB with size. To help get this Hi-Def Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis snapshot, you will be able to click here. Experiencing that Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis picture and also other shots in Small Desk Furniture snapshot stock tend to be high quality photos, they will likely are deserving to accumulate. Additionally you can blog post the following Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis snapshot to the site if you would like add the url. Looking at the details that will Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis snapshot has got deemed by way of 1 website visitors seeing that uploaded right on September 24, 2017 at 4:20 pm, it is going to influence anyone this it is a preferred photograph. Enjoy this Nice Small Desk Furniture Styling At Dwell | Scandi Workspace | Ladder Desk | Photograph By Sarah Louise Francis image.


The Company has established the Ship Security Plan to detect security threats and take preventive measures against security incident that may affect safety and security of ships under management of our Company, personnel and property on those ships, in accordance with requirements of SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and ISPS Code (the International Code for the Security of Ships and Port Facilities).This Ship Security Plan has been approved by the Administration (or by Recognized Security Organization).
The Master and all crewmembers should give effect to those requirements stipulated in the Ship Security Plan and should be familiar with their duties. They should also undergo necessary training given by the master or ship security officer designated by the Company.
The Company should give necessary support to the ship when requested by the Company Security Officer, the Master and the Ship Security Officer with respect to the security of the ship.
CSO and all Company personnel dealing with daily operations of vessels under management , and personnel working on board Company vessels , are expected to comply with the required procedures within the Ship Security Plan and should be familiar with the relevant security duties required of them and the measures required to protect the ship from any unlawful act.
Complying with and maintaining ship security is a continuous process and as new potential threats are uncovered, additional security procedures and measures shall be devised and implemented.


Shmee Watched A Couple Of E3 Presentations Last Night!
Of course Microsoft finally dropped the name and price of their new box. It is the Xbox One X and it will come out November 7th for $499. While I get that 'X' matches the Xbox branding, it sounds the same as 'S' when anyone says it, so it causes a lot of confusion as to which console people are talking about. It is also interesting that Microsoft is again going to be $100 more than the PS4. Though I am guessing all that hardware costs a lot of money. I mean it is the first water cooled console that I can remember. The 360 was supposed to be, and after the $1 Billion Red Ring of Death controversy they probably wish they would have followed through on that.
The biggest announcement by far was that Original Xbox games were coming to Xbox One this year starting with Crimson Skies. I must have given my copy away, but this is great news. I can only hope that this means they are turning on some form of the OG Xbox Live service so we can play these games with our friends. More info is coming soon, and I cannot wait to hear more.
All in all it was fine show. They gave us Mixer.com viewers a free copy of Rare Replay, so that was nice. The games looked good, if not overly exciting, and they confirmed that Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2 would be delayed to next year, which is a bummer. I will be getting an Xbox One X though.
If you were hoping for a new open world RPG like I was, well guess what there wasn't one, so I hope you like the ones you have, because now you will have paid Mods that don't break your achievements! Sorry I should take back the exclamation point and replace it with "…" Ugg, who cares. Anyway lets hope today's E3 shows show us something mind meltingly cool!
Previous PostPrevious Shmee Casts Batgirl!
Next PostNext E3 2017 Continues!


As a broad definition, a hackathon is a creative problem-solving process which takes place within a well-organized event; people are elected into groups of 2-5 people and they start diving into the problem-solving process. Worth mentioning is the fact that some or most hackathons also run parallel workshops for beginners and other interested parties.
While hackathons thrive on competitiveness and might drive a wedge between participants, it's important -as an organizer- to set healthy and realistic expectations which means having a solid competitive structure with set rules.
• Properly welcome newcomers into the community.
• Create an opportunity for everyone who is participating to learn something new.
• Provide the necessary space and time for them to solve the problems they are most interested in.
Last but not least, don't make the mistake of having or instilling unrealistic expectations. While some issues can be solved during a hackathon, not every problem can be solved by the end of it. Therefore, don't think of a hackathon as a terminal point, rather look at it as a temporary stop on a long and complex journey.
While some people prefer to work on their own, having the ability to work harmoniously with others is considered an essential attribute of most successful entrepreneurs and employees. Even if it might not seem like an attractive idea to some, most of the time people prove great efficiency in working with other people, so teamwork is often seen as a success factor.
So naturally, hackathons are a great place for people from different educational backgrounds to come together and be creative. A granted exposure can benefit creative minds immensely and can often build lifetime friendships.
So, yes, hackathons do matter and are a great source of inspiration, cultivating and expanding the genius side of every participant.
• Crowdsourcing valuable ideas from your company's talent pool.
• Getting to assess the company's employee skills, teamwork, work ethic, creativity, certain abilities, etc.
• Keep everyone engaged by having them focus on dynamic learning.
• Develop a dynamic and flexible work environment.
• Fosters amazing team building.
• Will help you to build a great team of entrepreneurs.
What are the main principles of organizing a hackathon if any?
• It's important to understand that most projects may accomplish only about 25% of what they think they can accomplish during a hackathon.
• There should be specific project tasks for newcomers who own a variety of skills and skill levels.
• The subject matter expert needs to guide the project to real-world relevance.
• For projects that have four or more members, especially if they have newcomers, the project leader will need to properly coordinate by ensuring each team member has something to work on and also help newcomers with certain tasks.
As you may have read earlier, the first thing that needs to be done is setting and pitching the challenge, so basically setting a clear/reasonable scope.
If you think that there's isn't a lot that could go wrong, we beg to differ. Because a lot can go wrong.
Just to give you an example, my cousin who attended a hackathon that was hosted in a location with a poor cell phone and wifi coverage ended up leaving along with most of the participants in the first hour. This is a horrific scenario for any company who thinks about organizing a hackathon.
Of course, there are also less extreme examples such as inexperienced teams, participants with poor skills, poor attendance, projects that are more or less relevant, delays, etc.
The quote is pretty straightforward, right? And while it might sound painfully obvious, it's true. One of the main goals of a hackathon is also to resolve some issues or dilemmas that your company might be facing, so acknowledging these issues and preparing a plan by setting goals will take you from the invisible to something visible and worthwhile.
What most hackathon organizers don't understand is that you need a solid system if you want to succeed. So to avoid such a fiasco you need to ask yourself some pertinent questions.
• Are you looking for new innovations to associate your brand with?
• Are you looking for new talent to fill technical roles?
• Do you need someone to take care of an important business challenge?
Think about it, an innovation hackathon is a great prize for anyone participating and if your participants understand this, then you're halfway through.
How much should a hackathon last?
While there isn't a set standard on how much a hackathon should last, it's important to remember that keeping people excited and productive is more important. So don't sacrifice quality for quantity.
If you're tempted to organize a 24-hour event, especially for a corporate hackathon try to limit your time to an 8-10 hour event. You should especially consider this tip if you find it hard to gather a certain number of participants.
While longer hackathons are OK for students, most employees who have a lot of responsibility or personal issues might pass.
If you're looking to make this a team-building event, make it shorter on a regular, paid workday which in turn will get a bigger participation rate.
Also, allow employees more time, so it isn't a bad idea to do the event on a Friday and allowing people to work as much as they want without stressing that they have to. Employees who are truly excited about this hackathon won't mind working from home for example, if there's a deadline on Sunday.
In a nutshell, you get both motivated tech fans and 9-to-5 programmers to participate together and create something that can truly change the company's core. A coding competition usually rises great interest and it's very exciting.
So make sure the projects instill excitement and a challenge at the same time. We promise you that employees who are truly passionate about what they do won't pass on this challenge to prove their worth to you and to themselves as professionals.
Basically, cognitive diversity refers to the fact that people have different perspectives in the way they see and process information. So, when people harness different behaviors and thought processes great things emerge.
A study performed by the Harvard Business Review observed six different teams while solving a problem. Three teams were cognitively diverse, while the other three were less diverse.
The results suggested that the groups with cognitive diversity had the best performance when needing to solve a challenge.
In short, if you have a group of people where everyone has similar preferences, there will little space for a creativity war, so team members will likely to go down the same path and kill any creative spur.
Obviously, this is not what you want when you're considering organizing a hackathon. What you actually want are constructive discussions, different perspectives, basically a genius idea!
While it can be a bit challenging to look for cognitive diversity in employees or other people who might be participating, it's worth knowing this fact because you might have the resources to look into it and have an incredibly productive hackathon.
However, to help you further, you should check out Emergenetics, who developed a simple solution to help identify the pattern on how people think and behave. So, with this information at hand, it will be incredibly easy for you to create cognitively diverse teams if you're considering it.
Who should or can participate?
In a nutshell, anyone can participate. However, if you're thinking of expanding beyond your team and invite other people there are some things that are imperative to consider. So, one of the hardest things might be welcoming newcomers and helping them blend and get involved in the hackathon.
Not as surprising, most newcomers may also suffer from "imposter syndrome", which means that may feel inadequate or not good enough to solve the problems at hand. But this is not true, it's understanding they might feel like a fish out of water but until they feel like they belong it might be tougher on them than on most.
Also, bear in mind that it's the organizer's responsibility to help them come to the conclusion that they are indeed a valuable asset and they do have something to contribute.
Aside from this pressing issue, it's important to note that first-time hackathon participants might feel stressed or overwhelmed about finding the right project to work on.
This may happen because they don't know or understand their own skills well enough to help them relate to the right project. Understanding how to be of use is also an important skill.
Therefore, you might need to guide them to the right project for them to realize how they can contribute effectively.
With newcomers, it's important to be very organized because if too many of them find themselves without a project or a purpose they might leave, so this is something that you should avoid entirely.
The organizer's main responsibility is to make sure that each participant has a project to work on and they feel useful. An effective way to do this is to compile a list of project managers. They can be people you know so they can help each participant find something they enjoy doing and something they can use their skill on.
Also, make sure that the projects you're developing for the hackathon are something that newcomers can handle well. However, you can also organize non-project activities such as workshops, which are definitely easier for newcomers to join.
How much does organizing a hackathon cost? It could well go up to $30,000 or more. Here's a self-explanatory expense sheet – courtesy of yourideasareterrible.com that you might find very useful.
But let's take it step by step, shall we?
You have two major options: you can either use the space owned by your company or you can rent a venue – whichever is more feasible for you. You could find a free venue to host the hackathon, but we believe it's always best to pay for one because then there are no hidden issues and you don't want to risk anything that could compromise the entire event.
As long as you pay for something, you will be treated as a paying customer and what you get will be worth the money spent.
It's important to note that most venues may not be able to offer everything you need to pull off a successful hackathon, so make sure to factor in the additional cost. Make sure the venue has everything you need to make everyone feel comfortable to work.
During the hackathon, all you want is for you and your team to spend time developing and generate great products and not worry about things like cleaning and maintenance. So, make sure the venue has liaisons available to properly manage an event.
The venue fee should also include any liaison or cleaning crew fees. Which means that normally, the cleaning team should clean and pick up everything after every meal, and add 3-5 bathroom refreshes per day, and also help with post-event cleaning.
While no one is expecting to witness unwanted altercations, sometimes things heat up and accidents happen. We're sure we've mentioned this before but prevention is key. It's always best to plan ahead in order to avoid unpleasant surprises.
A lot of things can happen during a hackathon, so be vigilant. Most likely you won't need to apply "force" but you need a professional team to prevent the worst especially if the event takes place during the night.
While most venues are able to offer visual/video equipment, it's best to make sure from the start. If they don't, don't worry, you can simply buy or rent the needed equipment.
If you're thinking of organizing multiple events a time, for example, a workshop, you should consider acquiring additional audio/video equipment in a separate room so it doesn't distress other participants who are not attending the workshop and are only there for the hackathon.
It's also a good idea to buy extra HDMI and VGA cables/adapters just to be safe. Last but not least, make sure you have enough wireless microphones for people who need to speak during the events. It will be less bothersome.
Having custom t-shirts at a hackathon is awesome and it makes everyone look and feel like they belong to an exclusive community. Remember what we said about beginners and how it's difficult for hem to feel like they belong?
Anyway, make sure that you order good quality t-shirts, don't go for the cheap stuff. You want people to feel good and proud of them. Every detail counts.
If you decide to follow our advice and not go for the cheaper t-shirts, then you clearly can't offer cheap prizes. If you're thinking of getting off easy and just offer cash prizes, we strongly advise you against it. Why? If you really think about it, cash prizes have no sentimental value and they don't portray the theme of the hackathon. So, cash prizes are a no-no.
Speaking of themed prizes, depending on what your hackathon is about, consider offering cool gadgets like drones, 3D printers, VR sets, a high-tech laptop, anything that would excite the contestants. Offer the participants something they would truly enjoy winning. This will surely ignite a lot of motivation and excitement.
Hardware supplies are mostly needed for hardware hackathons, but we've decided to add them to this list either way. So if this is something you're considering then we'd like to suggest asking the participants what they need exactly and then order everything online. Amazon and Mouser.com are a great place to start.
It's also a good idea to tell the participants what they need to bring with them. It's not unusual for hackathons to ask them to bring their own cables or monitors.
Nothing can ruin a hackathon than faulty wireless connections. After all, that's where all the good stuff happens – online. Make sure the venue can offer an SLA of 60 MBs and don't forget to test it yourself at fast.com. If the venue can't commit make sure you buy pre-paid hotspots from companies like AT&T or Verizon.
We're here to bust the myth that hackers only survive on cold foods like burgers and pizzas and only drink caffeine or energy drinks. Sure, well all need a kick here and there, however, we suggest spending more on food and get healthier options for everyone to enjoy.
Another thing to consider is the fact that not everyone has the same dietary preferences, some might be vegetarians or vegans, so make sure that at least 15-25% of the food you're ordering is vegan.
• Local people are gold. They know the community and promotion by word could still be the best one by far.
• Try contacting someone from the local community who runs meetups and ask them to give you a shout out.
• Be creative and create our own logo. It will save you a lot of back and forth.
If you have the means to cover or just partially cover travel expenses for participants who are coming in from out of town then that would be great. Some hackathons do this.
This is just to remind you that it's imperative to take note of what you can and can't afford. Sit down with your team play with some numbers and see where they get you. If you can't afford some things try to balance out other costs. Budgeting carefully is very important and it's the core of any hackathon.
100 participants – This is a great number to have. Of course, this also depends on your budget. But for the sake of this example, let's assume you can afford to cater this number. With 100 participants you get a ton of cool things in return: cognitive diversity, various skill levels, different levels of experience which are all needed to create qualitative and successful projects.
200 participants – At 200 it's safe to say that the dynamic of your event will dramatically change. This means that presentations will have to be shorter and demos might take too long. Nothing wrong with having 200 people, but things will drag themselves longer so some adjustments are needed to make sure everything remains fresh and entertaining.
However, if you find yourself below 50 participants, your hackathon might turn into an unproductive event and things will go downhill from there.
So, as you can see, the number of participants could make or break a hackathon. The magic number is between 60 and 100 depending on your hackathon's goal.
What happens if people who registered don't show up?
Sometimes things happen and people can't make it. This is why we strongly recommend implementing a registration fee. It's realistic to expect that 40% or more might not show up so you need to be prepared for that.
It's also true that hackathons that charge a registration fee may have fewer participants, but the turnout rate will definitely be higher and it's less unpredictable. So, we recommend implementing a hackathon fee just to be on the safer side of things.
The earlier you start promoting your hackathon the better will be for you. People usually like to have the luxury to schedule their lives so if you start promoting it as early as possible people will less likely bail.
Start promoting the hackathon two or three months before. The reason you need to start as soon as you can is that the promotional outlets you're using need time to get it in their content calendars. So basically you might only be left with 1 month of pure promotion.
If you don't have exceptional copywriting skills then we would suggest hiring someone to write a killer promotional message for your hackathon. You need to captivate people the moment they start reading. Keep it simple, clear and concise because brevity means efficiency.
Make sure to add every important detail like the location, time slots or even a simplified map if the location is tricky to find. Make sure you're offering everything people need to locate you fast and easy.
• When and at what time the event takes place.
• What is the hackathon's mission?
• Who is eligible to participate and don't forget to be very specific.
• Specify if companies can participate.
• Lure them in with possible prizes and other fun surprises.
• How much do they need to pay? Any expenses at all? There should be no hidden costs – that's simply unprofessional.
• Talk food and beverages.
You can use this list however you want just make sure it sounds very appealing. People usually want to feel like they're gaining something when they go somewhere so make sure to be clear about that.
We've read a fun fact on the internet that women decide in the first 5 seconds if they want to be with a guy. So try to use this quirky piece of information to your advantage. Usually, people know what they want, your job is to keep them interested.
When you've compiled your list with all that necessary things that need to be done make sure to repurpose your marketing strategy to win people over. Social media is a goldmine and we don't need to tell you that you need to use it profusely to promote your hackathon.
Your tweets and emails need to lead to your website's landing page so Keep it as simple as possible.
Don't go overboard by creating an expensive website that might cost you thousands of dollars when you can use free platforms such as WordPress, Stripe, WIX.com, and more. We also recommend DevPost, an application that is free to use for hackathons.
So, today is the day of the hackathon and you're excited. You've done everything in your power to make sure all goes off without a hitch. Don't be anxious. You've got this and everything will be perfect.
Check if the wifi is working properly.
Check to see if everything is set up: chairs, tables, power cords, bathrooms, etc.
We understand that sometimes it may seem impossible to organize and run the perfect hackathon – a lot can go wrong. But the important thing is to always prepare a checklist and take everything step by step to make sure that everything is in place and ready to go. We've compiled the best hackathon guide here to make sure nothing goes wrong.
Of course, surprises happen, things can go wrong, electronics can crash, however, we've made sure you have every backup possible so that won't be the case.
If something goes wrong, just breathe and think of a quick solution, and we promise, everything will be fine!
Have you ever tried running a hackathon? How did it work out for you? Also, if you think there's something we might have missed or you have some golden nuggets to share, please do!
Note: It's important to stress that these tips work for any type of hackathon. The theme is irrelevant since every hackathon needs a venue, talented people, good food, a great wifi connection, and a groundbreaking goal. If you stay true to your goals, we promise that your hackathon will be a success!


text:
Q: why do some conda channels work but not others I'm unable to download packages from certain conda channels,but other channels work just fine.
To demonstrate, I made a new conda environment
conda create --name fastai2 python=3.7
Which runs just fine.
conda activate fastai2
Then, I want to install, NVIDIA rapids,
conda install -c rapidsai -c nvidia -c conda-forge  -c defaults rapids=0.13 python=3.7
Which then proceeds to try to install lot of packages. However anything from the nvidia or rapidsai channels fail.
Downloading and Extracting Packages
nvstrings-0.13.0     | 129 KB    |                                                                               |   0%
dask-xgboost-0.2.0.d | 14 KB     |                                                                               |   0%
pygments-2.6.1       | 683 KB    | ############################################################################# | 100%
libnvstrings-0.13.0  | 29.6 MB   |                                                                               |   0%
libnetcdf-4.7.4      | 1.3 MB    | ############################################################################# | 100%

CondaHTTPError: HTTP 000 CONNECTION FAILED for url <https://conda.anaconda.org/rapidsai/linux-64/nvstrings-0.13.0-py37_0.tar.bz2>
Elapsed: -

An HTTP error occurred when trying to retrieve this URL.
HTTP errors are often intermittent, and a simple retry will get you on your way.

My condarc looks like this.
ssl_verify: /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/XXXXX_https_intercept.crt
allow_conda_downgrades: true
channels:
- conda-forge
- defaults

proxy_servers:
    http: http://XXXXXXX
    https: https://XXXXXXX

I can use wget or curl to down the packages, so no blocked websites via company firewall.
I also have problems with other channels. Like when I try to install fastai.
conda install -c pytorch -c fastai fastai
I've tried all sorts of stuff for the last 2 days. Like these issues which seem similar.
https://github.com/conda/conda/issues/8046
https://github.com/conda/conda/issues/6007
Any help would be appreciated.
Anthony

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Will Jaime Kill Cersei In 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7? He Didn't Look Happy To See His Sister Sitting On The Iron Throne
By Caitlin Gallagher
Cersei Lannister brought down the house in the Season 6 finale of Game of Thrones by literally burning down the house (errr, burning down the Great Sept of Baelor). But, just because Cersei has the Iron Throne all to herself does not mean she is safe — and she could find a foe in none other than her brother and lover Jaime Lannister. He arrived to King's Landing just in time to see his twin sister be crowned queen, but Jaime looked understandably wary at this monumental event going down. While viewers don't know if Jaime knows the circumstances surrounding Tommen's death yet, he certainly knows his son is dead since Cersei was taking over the role of leading Westeros, so could Jaime kill Cersei in Game of Thrones Season 7? It's quite possible that he might be finished with his sister's ruthlessness since it destroyed their family, and it could lead to even more deadly consequences for the incestuous Lannister clan in Season 7.
Even if you aren't up on the A Song of Ice and Fire book theory about Jaime killing Cersei (which is part of a plot point not used in the TV series), anyone could see that Jaime was more than displeased at seeing his twin sister and lover taking her place on the Iron Throne in "The Winds of Winter." Jaime was sent away by his nephew-son (or should it be "son-nephew"?) King Tommen to deal with the Blackfish. Helping out the Freys was a relatively simple task for Jaime, but when he came back to King's Landing, he discovered that Cersei had caused mass chaos. She blew up the sept with wildfire and killed Margaery, Loras, Lord Tyrell, their Uncle Kevan, and the High Sparrow — not to mention, she orchestrated the murders of Grand Maester Pycelle and cousin Lancel. Seeing the sept destroyed and knowing that his wife was dead, little boy Tommen killed himself by falling out his window, reminiscent of Jaime pushing little boy Bran from the window in the first episode of Game of Thrones ever.
Karma is a bitch and now Jaime and Cersei have lost all three of their children to death, just like Maggy the Frog predicted to a young Cersei back in Season 5. While Jaime could be blamed for not saving Myrcella when she died in the Season 5 finale, Cersei can most certainly be blamed for Tommen's death since she was too busy exacting revenge on Septa Unella to make sure her youngest son wouldn't freak out upon seeing most of his world literally destroyed. When Jaime does find out how Tommen died, he could be so full of resentment and rage that he considers killing Cersei. Normally, I'd say the idea of Jaime killing Cersei is bonkers, but did you see his face when she was being crowned? Hot damn.
I won't even pretend to understand the relationship between Jaime and Cersei and how they somehow found love in a hopeless place, but I'm not sure their crazy incestuous bond will get them through the loss of their third and final child. Yeah, losing Joffrey was sad or whatever for Cersei (and totally joyful for everyone else) and Myrcella was a devastating loss for Jaime in particular since he was holding her in his arms, but Tommen was their last hope. Although he cast out his father by following the orders of the High Sparrow, he was a sweet boy whose mother single-handedly destroyed him. Cersei appeared to accept the inevitability of her last child dying and instead of her typical mourning, she was shown taking over the kingdom. That's real cold — even for Cersei (and even if she was grieving on the inside) — and I think Jaime recognizes that Cersei has gone too far for power this time around.
While I don't think Jaime will kill Cersei right away in Season 7, if his brother Tyrion and Daenerys make it to King's Landing, Jaime could do what he's infamous for and kill Cersei during the battle for the Seven Kingdoms. Although it still may be a long shot, it would certainly be fitting that Cersei was murdered by her twin brother. Plus, Queenslayer has definitely got a ring to it.
Images: HBO (2); Giphy


Prepare to be amazed! Brand new construction 6 Br home with ground floor cabana room off the private heated pool and spa. The grand entry staircase takes you to the first floor where you will discover 3 large bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bath. The King Master has a walk in closet, sumptuous bath with soaker tub, large walk-in shower and dual sinks. The second King Master also has an en-suite bath with walk-in shower. Both of these rooms feature French Doors to the front porch. A Queen Bedroom, also with en-suite bath and the laundry room round out this floor. Up the travertine staircase lies the great room with vaulted ceilings, fabulous new kitchen and dining table that seats 10 with 4 more seats at the bar height counter. A 80" TV means you won't miss the big game from any angle.Sliding doors lead out to the covered porch featuring a wet bar, dining table, conversation area and fabulous views of the Bay. Two more bedrooms are also on this floor: one with a Queen bed and the other with a Full and twin bunk beds. A guest bath and half bath are adjacent. Rest in the game room on the sleeper sofa or one of the 2 Twin beds.
This home is totally "wired for sound" with each room able to stream their own music via Bluetooth connection from your smart phone or tablet or choose one of 7 preprogrammed music styles to listen to.


I'm not sure exactly why but this web site is loading very slow for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a issue on my end? I'll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.
#132"Even counting the debt held by trust funds, the debt to GDP ratio is only around 70 percent of GDP. It was near 120 percent of GDP ($18 trillion in the current economy) immediately after World War II."does this count the obligations of the GSEs?


Honors courses challenge students with a higher level of academic rigor.
For more information about the Honors Program at Cabrini, visit cabrini.edu/honors.
This experiential, writing-intensive course helps students utilize their assets and the assets of community partners (local or global) in the pursuit of social justice. Students will work with community partners, contributing to research that will be used to expand the capacity and quality of the partner organizations while providing students with life-long tools for civic engagement. This research also may be used to advocate for systemic changes that will effect greater solidarity with local and global communities. Students will develop skills and strategies to advocate for policies with U.S. and international public and private decision makers. Honors Program students only. A final grade of C or better is required for this course to meet graduation standards.
This course studies the various conditions leading up to the Great Depression—commercial banking, the Federal Reserve, stock markets, and macroeconomic policies. Current monetary and fiscal policies will be compared and contrasted to those in operation during the Great Depression. Learn the history of banking in the U.S. and contrast it with today's financial market. Offered fall, alternate years.
Throughout the centuries, biblical stories have been the inspiration for great art in a variety of media, most especially literature, music, and the visual arts. This course will focus on the story of the Creation, the Fall, and Redemption as it is treated in John Milton's Paradise Lost, George F. Handel's Messiah, the paintings of William Blake and Gustave Dore, and other artistic interpretations of both Old and New Testament biblical narratives. Course enrollment is limited to Honors students.
This course analyzes the philosophical writings of American thinkers from colonial times to the twentieth century. Two fundamental questions will be addressed throughout the course: What are the philosophical theories that support the development of America? Is there a uniquely American philosophy that is independent of European thinkers?


text:
The Turner Centre Counselling & Psychotherapy in Colchester, Essex
What can counselling and psychotherapy help with?
Depression, Low Mood, Intense Sadness
Feelings of not coping
Which therapy?
Fees and Referrals
Therapist's page
We all feel down at times, but depression goes further...
depressed, low mood and intense sadness?
We can all feel low and down from time to time and this is a normal part of life and being human. Sad and upsetting events happen to everyone and we all respond to them differently but depression goes further than that and and can leave you feeling hopeless and desperate with all purpose in life gone.
If you're feeling down, sad and hopeless on a regular basis it could be you are suffering from feelings of depression. Depression can cause a variety of symptoms. Some affect your mood and some affect your body. Symptoms may come and go or they may be ongoing for days, weeks or months on end.
Symptoms of depression can be experienced differently by different people and in particular by men and women.
men may experience feelings related to their;
mood, such as anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness
emotional well-being, such as feeling empty, sad and/or hopeless
behaviour, such as loss of interest and no longer finding pleasure in activities which they once did find pleasure in, feeling easily tired, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs and engaging in high risk activities
sexual interest, such as reduced sexual desire and lack of sexual performance
cognitive abilities, such as difficulty concentrating, difficulty in completing tasks and delayed responses during conversations
sleep patterns, such as increased insomnia or restless sleep, excessive sleepiness or not sleeping through the night
physical well-being, such as fatigue, pains, headache or digestive problem
women may experience feelings related to their;
mood, such as irritability
emotional well-being, such as feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless
behaviour, such as loss of interest in activities which they have previously been interested in, withdrawing from social engagements and/or thoughts of suicide
cognitive abilities, such as thinking or talking more slowly, difficulty concentrating
sleep patterns, such as difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, sleeping too much
physical well-being, such as decreased energy, greater fatigue, changed in appetite, changes in weight, aches, pains, headaches and increased cramps
There are different ways to think about these feelings using different models of therapy, but seeing a counsellor or psychotherapist can enable you to explore these often unbearable feelings and maybe think about and understand how early experiences, and beliefs in your day to day life, may be influencing how you are feeling now and why you respond to life events in this particular way.
Alternatively, you can think about the symptoms and look at coping strategies to distract you from these rather than thinking about the causes and origins.
©2021 The Turner Centre is powered by WebHealer
Website Cookies Privacy Policy Admin Login
52 North Hill
Colchester CO1 1PY
The centre is located On North Hill, next door to the 6th Form College and the entrance is on the right hand side along the driveway between the college and North Hill Hotel. It is discreetly positioned but easily accessed.
Share, Email & Print
About Counselling & Therapy
What kind of Therapy?
Fees & Referrals
We work from early in the morning until late into the evening and a small number of our therapists work on a Saturday and Sunday. Our child and adolescent counsellors works after school hours (from 4pm) on a Monday and Tuesday and has appointments on a Saturday and Sunday.
Therapists you can trust
All our counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists are registered with one of the main therapy organisations and work to a code of ethical practice ensuring a high standard of care.


text:
Joanna Newsom's Anti-Banana Campaign Continues
Written By Colin Joyce
| October 27, 2015 - 10:09 am
Home » News » Joanna Newsom's Anti-Banana Campaign Continues
If it were unclear from previous interviews, Joanna Newsom would like you to know she really doesn't like bananas. In the lead-up to her new album Divers the folk songwriter compared the impact of streaming services like Spotify to a rotting banana, but in an interview with Rookie's founder Tavi Gevinson, posted Tuesday, Newsom made it clear that her hate wasn't just a convenient analogy.
Without even addressing the Spotify side of the issue, Newsom begins the conversation (which according to the intro, took place a full month ago) with the proclamation that she doesn't "eat weird shit like bananas." Her feelings only get stronger from there.
"I can't even be in a room where there's a banana peel in the trash," she says. "I have to clear out. It makes me straight-up sick. Like, gasoline-fuel style."
After giving a tepid stamp of approval to mayonnaise, she then explains that she also reserves contempt for banana-flavored foods.
Joanna Newsom Announces 2019 Mini-Tour Entitled "The String/Keys Incident"
"For me a banana is like, it's a non-food," she explains. "Like it's like dog crap. Like if someone was like, 'You don't eat dog crap bread? You don't even eat hard candy that's flavored like dog crap?' It's still a hard no."
Head over to Rookie to read the whole interview, which also features some lovely meditations on her songwriting process and the impact of her music. This morning, Newsom also released the full, high-quality version of her Paul Thomas Anderson-directed video for "Divers" that screened in theaters a few weeks ago.
And what luck! Not a single banana in sight. Watch here.
Colin Joyce


text:
Metal Goddesses
Your source of news, music videos, tour dates and more from the women of metal since 2017.
MG Exclusive
Metal Goddesses team
MG Awards Winners
News Tour Dates
Infected Rain : The Fall Tour 2018
by VV August 19, 2018 August 23, 2018
Infected Rain are embarking on a fall tour soon. You can catch them on the road in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland from September to November.
You can see what dates have been announced so far on the following poster. More to come soon.
PS: Keep an eye on our Facebook page for a special IR-related giveaway tomorrow!
Tags: Infected Rain Lena Scissorhands Tour Dates
Published by VV
Metal Goddesses editor in chiefView all posts by VV
Album Review: Nocturna – "Daughters of the Night" January 16, 2022
Symphonic Pirate Metallers Crusade of Bards release the next single of their upcoming album "Tales of the Seven Seas" January 13, 2022
Konvent announces new album and shares first single "Grains" January 13, 2022
Visions of Atlantis joins Dragonforce on North America Tour January 13, 2022
Infected Rain released their album "Ecdysis" and with it the next music video January 9, 2022
Metal Goddesses Awards 2021 – Readers Choice January 2, 2022
Album Review: Rage of Light – "Redemption" January 2, 2022
Album Review: Infected Rain – "Ecdysis" December 30, 2021
Album Review: Ewiniar – "Burning The Night" December 29, 2021
Latvian Metallers Everlust drop new video to their song "Alone" December 27, 2021
Popular on Metal Goddesses
Metal Goddesses Awards 2021 - Readers Choice
Album Review: Nocturna - "Daughters of the Night"
Album Review: Rage of Light - "Redemption"
Follow The Cipher announce the departure of Linda Toni Grahn and release the new single
Floor Jansen of Nightwish collaborates with Sabaton
Lovebites announce departure of bassist Miho, go on hiatus
Nocturna release titletrack of their upcoming album
Melissa Bonny parts ways with Rage Of Light
Album Review: Infected Rain - "Ecdysis"
Mia Wallace returns to Abbath
Archives Select Month January 2022 (7) December 2021 (21) November 2021 (16) October 2021 (17) September 2021 (48) August 2021 (39) July 2021 (54) June 2021 (66) May 2021 (70) April 2021 (67) March 2021 (61) February 2021 (60) January 2021 (53) December 2020 (52) November 2020 (59) October 2020 (79) September 2020 (52) August 2020 (45) July 2020 (44) June 2020 (27) May 2020 (35) April 2020 (40) March 2020 (49) February 2020 (42) January 2020 (29) December 2019 (38) November 2019 (65) October 2019 (42) September 2019 (50) August 2019 (38) July 2019 (30) June 2019 (34) May 2019 (25) April 2019 (31) March 2019 (36) February 2019 (41) January 2019 (49) December 2018 (34) November 2018 (47) October 2018 (50) September 2018 (44) August 2018 (29) July 2018 (14) June 2018 (13) May 2018 (26) April 2018 (23) March 2018 (13) February 2018 (3) January 2018 (3) December 2017 (2) November 2017 (4) October 2017 (1)
By using the "Buy me a coffee" button below, you can donate a small amount of money to help us cover the maintenance costs and contribute to one of the biggest and fastest growing international non-profit projects of its kind. We don't ask for much; every penny counts and sharing is caring. In return, we'll bring you the best version of Metal Goddesses ever.
- Your Metal Goddesses Team
© 2021. MetalGoddesses.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying, republishing and distribution of this website's content is prohibited.
Website by MetalGoddesses.com.
Previous Entry Doro – Forever Warriors, Forever United (Full Album)
Next Entry Arch Enemy: Latin America Tour 2018


You have exceeded the file size limit of Dropbox. Please remove some items from your custom filter list, and try again.
AdBlock used Dropbox's datastore API, which limited us to 100 KB of storage. That's not enough, which is why you're getting this error. If it's really annoying, you might want to disable Dropbox syncing. Or, you know, update AdBlock.
Why did AdBlock remove the Dropbox sync feature?
How do I use Dropbox synchronization?


Bocchino "Vintage Resin Line Contemporary" Sax Tenore.
This high baffle mouthpiece is designed for players looking for the ability to cut through and be heard, while still maintaining a balance overtone series. This model features a high baffle, lightly undercut sidewalls, with a graduated chamber transition and large chamber, similar to the Guardala Brecker I. Great for R&B, Rock and Roll, and Contemporary Jazz Fusion.
Includes Drake Double Rail Ligature, cap and case.


text:
You are here: Home / Film Review: "Climax" / Movies / Film Reviews / Film Review: "Climax"
Film Review: "Climax"
March 14, 2019 by Jeremy Werner Leave a Comment
Starring: Sofia Boutella, Kiddy Smile and Roman Guillermic
Directed by: Gaspar Noe
Usually for arthouse films, you hear the phrase, "This may not be for everyone." When it comes to Gaspar Noe films, they may not be for anyone. Having only seen "Enter the Void," out of curiosity on Netflix one night, my second trip into Noe's twisted mind comes in the form of a dance troupe's celebration before heading out on an international tour. They got the jams, they got the drinks, and they got the food. However, an uninvited guest is about to crash their party.
The jubilation slowly turns into a horrifying mystery as members of the young French dance team suspect someone has spiked their sangria with drugs. Things decline quickly as the LSD takes hold, leading to arguments, more dancing, graphic violence, more dancing, deaths, more dancing, graphic sex and more dancing. Luckily for audience members that might not have the stomach for Noe's twisted vision, he never comes off as an edgelord looking to exploit his characters for ghoulish fun. Instead he's more transfixed on how an eclectic group of young 20-somethings in the mid-90's quickly turn on each other or flock into unsuspecting arms when their perceptions deteriorate.
"Climax" doesn't abide by any cinematic rules, as it begins with the film's end credits, then fixates on an old box TV that plays VHS interview tapes of all the dancers we're about to meet. After every character's brief introduction, the film switches to the old abandoned school where the madness goes down, beginning with a lengthy dance sequence, all within a single take. There's actually quite a few single takes in the film, some that would make Alejandro Inarritu scratch his head in curiosity as to how it was pulled off.
A movie like this in anyone else's hands would be boring, but Noe keeps you transfixed to the screen as he flies seamless and methodically around the school, like a curious specter watching the pure bedlam unfold. There's genuine dread as several scenarios are left to playout as the LSD amplifies character's primal instincts. It's in these moments that you realize that despite our best attempts to do good for the benefit of society, self-preservation will kick in or we'll resort to our most basic animal instincts. Of course it's entirely possible that you'll take away a different experience or viewpoint.
Much of the film is made even more impressive by the tidbit that the cast is made up of professional dancers, not professional actors. We never see the hallucinations from their point of view, but the pain or pleasure is etched all over their faces. The only person of note in this film is Sofia Boutella, and even she gets lost in the group theatrics. In several interviews, Noe has discussed his love of dance. Not as a participant, but more as an observer. "Climax" is almost like his theatrical version of people watching. "Climax" takes that club dancing expressionism that he fondly enjoys and cranks it to 11 by throwing in drugs, blood and sex. It's a trial by fire where the people become marionettes, with the bass puppeteering their every movement. For those who break free from the trance, they meet an untimely fate or wind up naked with an unlikely lover. It's a true Heaven/Hell on Earth.
I felt really unsure about "Climax" as I left the theater, but I couldn't quite narrow down much in terms of technical or storytelling complaints. The cinematography is on another level, matching the constant dance beats in the background. The soundtrack ranges from foreign EDM to more recognizable artists like Daft Punk and the Rolling Stones. I only withhold unflinching adoration for a film like this because I may believe I'm consuming something of substance while blinded by its deliciously fresh style. It's a brisk, but bewitching film that I'm sure I'll watch again. It's in that second watch I'll either find distaste or amplified admiration for Noe's vision. Love it or hate, viewers won't be able to shake "Climax," much like a bad acid trip.
Filed Under: Film Reviews, Movies Tagged With: a24, climax, film, gaspar noe, jeremy werner, review, ...


text:
BLOG TOUR :: KNOCKED OUT BY TY LANGSTON ( REVIEW & EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY)
Title: Knocked Out
Author: Ty Langston
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014
Fresh out of Grad School, Hayley Monroe gets the chance of a lifetime when her boss gives her the opportunity to produce and host a reality series on finding MMA's "Next Great Hope".
Enter former MMA contender Evan Bates. His sudden re-appearance into the sport after a mysterious five year absence not only raises eyebrows, but also temps both in and out of the Octagon.
Can Hayley keep everything in check? Or will she be Knocked Out?
Buy Links: Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Kobo
Knocked Out is a short novel with sexy steamy scenes.
It shows the power of the parent-child bond. Evan gave up his dream for his little girl and never looked back. He never complained. He did it out of love.
Hayley is a beautiful, feisty and stubborn woman, who is also devoted to her friends and family.
The story was solid and original and the characters are nicely created. However, something didn't go well.
Like I said the story WAS good. I can easily imagine it as a full-length novel. As a full-length novel, the characters would have been developed and we could see their journey. We would also be able to actually follow the story. I don't understand why they didn't give it a go for a full-length. It would have been really beautiful.
The story was too big to be written in just 80 pages. There were fast forwards that were never indicated or explained. When you want to jump some weeks or months, you show it somehow. That did not happen, unfortunately. It was hard for me to follow the timeline; thus making the reading quite frustrating.
In conclusion, the story was too good and too big to be written in just 80 pages. It deserves a full-length novel in order for it to show its beauty. Its very short length limited the story and the characters, while it undermined the story's quality.
So, Knocked Out gets 3 Stars.
Dressed in a pair of black sweats and matching tank, she seemed underdressed as Evan wore only a pair of blue running shorts and sneakers. "Hey." She shouted as she caught up to him. Annoyed, Evan took out one of his ear pods while he continued to run. "What is it?" he asked. "Just haven't had a chance to talk to you; wanted to see how you were doing. We've never formally met. I'm Hayley." "I know. Good to meet ya." He told her. "So, do you usually run with contestants?" he asked. "Only the ones I want to get to know." She could feel him looking at her. His blue eyes glimmered with devilish intent. "Well, this is a five mile run. Think you can hang, pretty girl?" he mocked. Her eyes grew wide as she watched his shirtless torso. His broad shoulders already had beads of sweat running down his arms and over his six pack abs. "I'll keep up as best as I can." she said on an exhale.
About Ty Langston:
As a child, multi-published author Ty Langston loved to read about dragons and knights so much that one day, her grandmother told her to "just write about them."
From that day forward, she never left home without her pen, a notebook, and some kind of music playing in the background. Her love of reading expanded from fantasy into science fiction, and eventually into paranormal romance and erotica. She enjoys different works from George Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Stephen King, and Jackie Collins. But some of Ty's favorite writers are from the world of TV and film: namely, Tudors creator Michael Hirst, and the late John Hughes.
Ty has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism along with a degree in Business Administration. She is single and enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Social Links: Twitter | Amazon Author Page| Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Giveaway :


text:
Amaryllo Inc. is a multinational company founded in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, operating in AI as a Service market. It develops biometric robotic technologies, real-time data mining, a camera robot, fast object recognition, an encrypted P2P network, and flexible cloud storage.

Amaryllo was founded by Band of Angels member, Marcus Yang to develop patents for a new type of robotic cameras that is claimed to "talk, hear, sense, recognize human faces, and track intruders". It also claims to have made the world's first security robot based on the WebRTC protocol, icam PRO FHD, and won the 2015 CES Best of Innovation Award under Embedded Technology category. Its home security robots claim to employ 256-bit encryption and run on the WebRTC protocol. Amaryllo products are sold in over 100 Countries across 6 Continents.

History
Amaryllo revealed its first smart home security products at Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) 2013 with a Skype-enabled IP camera called iCam HD. Amaryllo announced its second Skype-certified smart home product, iBabi HD, at CES 2014. The company was chosen as a "Cool Vendor" by Gartner in Connected Home 2014. Amaryllo introduced WebRTC-based smart home products after Microsoft terminated embedded Skype services in mid 2014. Since then, Amaryllo has been developing a camera robots with auto-tracking and facial recognition technologies. Its camera robots, ATOM AR3 and ATOM AR3S, were introduced in late 2016. It focuses on wired and wireless technology based on AI services.

Biometric Robotic Technologies

Facial Recognition
Amaryllo debuted its facial recognition technologies on the new auto-tracking model, ATOM at IFA 2016. ATOM is designed to recognize human faces from learning faces. It claims to take 0.5 seconds to detect a human face and another 0.5 second to identify a person, totaling 1 second to recognize a human face. It can recognize over 100 people simultaneously. ASUS SmartHome platform has integrated ATOM.

Embedded Auto-Tracking
Amaryllo uses a multi-core processor embedded in cameras to make tracking systems in single units. Amaryllo security drones act as individual security robots to track moving objects without many commands from remote computers. With a 1920 x 1080 resolution, they claim to be able to track intruders over 30 feet away. Infrared lights are aesthetically hidden by a mask and are activated when the environment becomes dark, so that they can manage to work in darkness.

Multiple Sensor Network
The drones have multiple motion sensors around them for "360-degree" tracking, once a sensor is triggered, embedded CPUs will guide the drones to turn to the spotted direction to follow objects. This can use multiple cameras in a single unit to reduce cost. These robots even claim to "talk to intruders if they are spotted" and track intruders.

Object Recognition
Amaryllo develops cloud-based artificial intelligence with its camera robots to recognize objects like faces, human body, vehicle, animals, airplanes, etc.,. It uses "real-time picture frame analysis" to identify over 100 human faces within seconds. Once a human-like face is recognized, robots deliver face snapshots to smart devices. This patent-pending method claims to eliminate possible false alerts generated by Passive infrared sensors.

Interactive Services
Amaryllo robots are linked to Google Services. These robots can alertabout emails, appointments, say "Hello", "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon", etc. when they detect events like motion, audio, or face detection pre-determined by users. They are wirelessly connected to networks, so they are aware of local time and can report time on an hourly fashion, acting as a regular clock. More interactive voice communications are reported.

P2P Communications and Cloud Service

Dynamic P2P Server
Amaryllo was the first to "establish global Peer-to-Peer (P2P) server based on WebRTC protocol in smart home service". Amaryllo Live is a plug-in-free H.264-based browser service to access their cameras over the Internet. It runs on WebRTC protocol and was initially supported by Firefox. Other browsers have vowed to support the WebRTC H.264-based codec.

Video Alert
Amaryllo offers free and paid cloud storage plans including video alerts for urgent video messages from smart devices. Amaryllo launched Urgent Home Care Service with an introduction of iCare FHD, which give alerts based on remote devices. It can detect faces and sends real-time face alert video to family members.

Data Analytics Service

Soteria
Amaryllo expanded its business to B2B smart retailers by introducing Soteria service in 2018, which claims to "employ biometric analytics cameras with cloud intelligence".

Amaryllo Cloud Storage (ACS)
Amaryllo Cloud is Amaryllo's dedicated cloud storage service, which began in January, 2021. The service is available on Windows, Android, Linux, and iOS via browser or Amaryllo Cloud App. The service is also scheduled to be available in VR via Metaverse starting 2022.

Account Options
Amaryllo Cloud offers multiple account types including free accounts and monthly, yearly, and lifetime storage plans.

 Free Accounts  10GB.
 Monthly Plans  100GB to 10TB.
 Annual Plans  100GB to 10TB.
 Lifetime Plans  50GB to 10TB.

Features
Users can share storage with up to nine other people and it claims to offer unlimited bandwidth.

Encryption
Amaryllo Cloud claims to use "AES 256-bit encryption", the claim not being independently verifiable due to Amaryllo intentionally hiding the source code of their closed-source products.

References

Robotics organizations
Home automation companies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia