James McArthur

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Stories By James McArthur

  • How More Log Homes Can Help Save Energy And Help Environment

    One of many people's financial plans is to build or buy a home. Owning a home gives you a peace of mind because you will not have to worry about the monthly rent draining from your account. Professionals recommend the log homes, which prove to have a lot of benefits both to the owner and the environment. A common advantage of building your home with log and timber is that you will end up saving a lot of money. So how do these unique homes benefit the environment? 1. They consume less energy This is one of the top benefits of the timber homes to the environment. The sun warms the timber from the outside during the day, while they maintain a cool environment at night. Logs are known to have a natural ability to regulate the temperature in the house, regardless of the season. The walls can collect and store energy during hot hours, and release it in the house when it is cold. This natural process helps to reduce the overall amount of energy used, compared to a brick or steel house. 2. Naturally cleans the air Carbon traces are known to be lethal to humans and the environment. Wood naturally helps to offer a better air quality that makes it safe and healthy to live in. The timber used stores carbon, and they also standardize humidity in the air. 3. Materials used are eco-friendly Another benefit of the timber homes is that they are constructed with 100% green materials. Other than wood, other materials used include stones, which are natural and eco-friendly. Also, they are manufactured using green processes. There is a limited consumption of fossil fuel, meaning that the release of carbon dioxide into the environment is reduced. The Log Home Builders Association has been working to teach the average men and women on how to build a log cabin from scratch instead of log cabin kits and they've been emphasizing on the benefits of log homes since a long time now. Most of the building materials are applied with a stainer that enhances their durability by protecting them from corrosive elements. Unfortunately, many staining materials contain Volatile Organic Compounds that are harmful to the environment. However, stainers used on timber contain low or no VOCs. 4. No wastage involved: Renewable Timber are one of the most renewable building materials available. The lovers and activists of eco-friendliness can opt for dead timber rather than cut down an entire forest. Even timber that was initially used for minor projects can be recycled and used to set up a stable home. As long as the wood is not ruined by insect or rot, it can be used without any problem. Trees are planted by major companies that deal with timber-based products, and this helps to sustain the environmental beauty. Log homes are also believed to be long-lasting, which means that there will be no need to cut more trees to build a new home. Their natural properties help them to adapt to the environment easily. Building your home can help the environment in many ways, and it will also benefit you in the long run. Since they are energy efficient, your electrical bills will be slashed down each year. Their natural durability also helps to save you the renovation costs. They also don't require paints that might be toxic to the environment. These unique homes can also be customized and integrated to have the modern properties, while still maintaining the eco-friendliness. If you need to set up a log home, you should consult a professional for more advice on how to go about it.

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  • 4 Reasons Why Antivirus is Not Enough To Prevent Cyber Attack

    If you think that you are fully protected by your antivirus, then you should enquire about the famous cyberattack by Chinese hackers on the popular New York Times. The company is said to have had many antivirus software in place, yet the bad guys managed to uninstall them by building their custom malware. The internet is quickly evolving with the trusted antivirus software quickly losing their importance. You, therefore, need to exert more caution when surfing on the internet to avoid being the next malware victim. Here are 4 main reasons Why Antivirus is Not Enough To Prevent Cyber Attack: 1. There is creation of new viruses every day The current anti-malware software are effective when dealing with known viruses but cannot be relied on when dealing with newly released viruses. To detect a virus and remove the ransomware, the engineers need first to understand how a virus works to program an anti-virus that can match the newly discovered virus. Unfortunately, before the vendors can tailor an antivirus for the malware, the virus has managed to infect a few organizations. Therefore, it has become overwhelming for the vendors to keep up the pace of the hackers because the bad guys release the viruses every day. The main reason why you should not trust you're the antivirus software is that even the vendors are advising consumers to cease relying on them. 2. Most attacks don't even involve your computer The social media is the new field that hackers are using infect your personal computer. Therefore, even if the antivirus vendors found a way to detect all the new viruses released, there is still another loophole. It started as early as 2007 when a variety of social media platforms such Twitter and Pinterest were hacked. These attacks go beyond your personal computer to your social media profile in order to send spam links to malign websites. It will also raise your eyebrows to realize that even the cloud-based accounts have the same set of concerns. The hackers have even gone beyond the social media platforms to cloud computing accounts where they steal valuable data. However, you can store your data in cloud provider with robust defenses enough to ward off the attempts by the bad guys. 3. No user Action is Required A few years ago, you could safely avoid the hackers by avoiding suspicious links and malicious websites. People would even scan every file the downloaded from the web before opening it just to be on the same side. This is a past strategy, thanks to the online advertising. Nowadays, online malicious advertising colloquially known as malvertising attacks make use of legitimate websites that you can trust and unknowingly pull their malicious content which they use to install malware on your personal computer. These downloads have proved to be extremely dangerous because a PC will just get infected by visiting a trusted site at an unfortunate moment. The bad guys get away with this by simply inserting their malevolent ads between the legitimate ones. 4. Targeted attacks can easily bypass blacklisting The traditional antivirus security uses blacklisting to identify bad files and stop them. However, the advanced threats can manage to stay undetected in the system for a long time allowing them to accomplish their goal. They manage to steal passwords and even gain access to other systems. Conclusion Honestly, it's impossible to completely detect all the viruses, but you can take some precautions to prevent any probable infections. One of the things to do is to update your system often to reduce the spectrum of attacks. Whenever you patch management sends you notifications of an update, you should just update the system because the version can deal with some attacks.

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  • How Technology Has Changed The Way People Play Sports

    Over the recent years, technological advancements have proven to be of tremendous importance in almost every aspect of our lives. This includes education, business, healthcare, government and now the sports sector. Despite its impact in sports being not very significant in many parts of the world, it is evident that several aspects in the sports industry have changed and have in turn transformed the way people play sports. In this article therefore, I will discuss the various ways in which technology has changed the way people play sports. Equipment Technological improvements including application sensors, 3D modeling and motion capture has impacted greatly on the design of uniforms, gloves, helmets and pads to ensure comfort for the sportsmen and women. To be more specific, smart helmets have largely impacted on how players play. These helmets are specifically designed for players to protect them from the high risks of brain damage common in games such as rugby, hockey, skiing, and snowboarding among others. This helmet is specially made with a sensor and magnet technologies which serve to meet this purpose effectively. The sensors aid in the detection and dispersion of the force while the magnets function to displace as well as absorb the force. Therefore, where the player gets an injury while playing in the field, these helmets communicate to the coach in a unique way hence saving the situation. It does not just end there. Online bookmarkers like BonusCodeBets provide information about several aspects of how a team can perform before the match depending on how well the team has been working overall. Hawk-Eye technology This technology is useful in tracking ball movement. This technology utilizes quality video cameras (600 frames) located strategically during matches especially cricket, football, tennis and other ball games. Therefore even in cases where the ball has been blocked from the cameras, Hawk-Eye technology is able to trace the ball thereby facilitating efficient and effective decision making by the referees. In addition, this technology is useful to players as it provides ground for their training on a player- by- player basis hence helping in the improvement of individuals' weak points. Tools of training Sports training have revolutionized to include videos as well as technologies in body measurements. In addition, computer software have also been developed in this field and have proven to be useful in helping sportsmen connect with their body workings the best ways possible while also ensuring fitness and proper nutrition. Such software include: BodyByte: This computer software is useful in organizing and managing all information associated with the players' nutrition, fitness and training. Teem Beep Test: This computer software is useful I performing and recording beep tests into your personal computer. In conclusion, it is important to note that with many people venturing into sports as a career, technology now has a major space to explore and make life easier for the players, referees as well as the crowd. This entails coming up with technologies that not only meets the need of a single individual but all the parties involved. This will not only lead to high quality games but also fair judgments by the parties involved. Therefore with the above technological changes in place within the sports industry, it is evident that technology has for sure changed the way people play sports.

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  • 5 Customer Service Tools Your Business Cannot Live Without

    It all started with me Googling for ways to change the title of an out-of-state car which I assumed would be a common question. Not having any luck, I proceeded to my local DMV's website to thoroughly comb through the information there. Still not having any luck (or any instantaneous support such as chat for that matter) I realized I will have to call their help desk as it was my only way out. After being on hold several times, I finally ended up reaching a human voice (albeit automated) informing me that all agents were currently busy and I would have to keep patient. This went on for a good 30 minutes until I realized enough was enough. With my options dwindling down to a single email link, I deliberated for a moment whether or not this is the road I really want to take. Then my heart sank. The link was accompanied with "Our emails are answered during normal business hours which are 9 am – 12pm and 1 pm-5 pm Mon-Fri, within five business days". Apparently, they take this literally as my email was responded to at the end of business hours on the fifth day. Some acknowledgment, empathy and a human touch might've done wonders in making my experience at the DMV more tolerable. But time and productivity are your support rep's most important assets – and a poor support tool will result in both of these being wasted. A poor customer service tool could mean spending all your time sifting through support requests when you could be solving a customer's problem. Here's a list of the most important customer service tools for your business – so your customers do not feel like I did at the DMV. 1. Help desk software Email is still the world's most widely used support channel. Many small companies start off with a single inbox for all their emailing needs. However, as they grow their needs reach far beyond what Gmail can offer. They need a help desk that lets them collaborate, prioritize and automate actions to save time. For example, Helprace comes built-in with feedback communities and FAQ knowledge base systems. These uncover customer pain points and help you solve them early on. A well-stocked FAQ knowledge base also helps deflect the number of tickets you get, too. Helprace can also detect agent collision and allow agents to communicate privately with regards to a ticket, thereby removing the possibility of a wrong answer. Not only that, this helps ensure spelling, and writing style is up to the standard of your company. 2. Telephone software The second most popular support channel is telephone and it's not hard to see why. It's instantaneous, personal and allows support reps to really engage in solving the customer's problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. Most small businesses can get away with using a regular phone or a corporate Skype account. Skype is ubiquitous nowadays – it keeps everyone connected and can cover most organization's needs. Large companies may want to manage their phone trees with dedicated software such as Talkdesk. This helps in keeping customer satisfaction in high, even at crunch times. 3. Chat software Live chat is considered a great alternative between email and phone support because it allows one agents to handle multiple chats at once. Chatting is both immediate and less intrusive for both the agent and customer. With a live chat system, there's minimal friction as expectations are clearly established between the business and customer. Chat clients like Olark allow you to specify when you're available or not available for chatting. When a customer starts a chat outside working hours, it will register as a message which can be directed to your help desk. There's also a cobrowser feature and multiple templates to make it fit your business profile better. 4. Survey software While Helprace allows customers to rate their email support experience as helpful or not helpful, some businesses may want to take it a step further. The Net Promoter Score is a rating system that asks customers how likely they are to recommend the service to a family or friend on a scale of 0-10. Software such as Promoter.io allows you to manage your surveys and organize your responses in an easy manner. This allows you to track customer sentiment over time and pinpoint where you can improve. 5. Webinar software If you're running a web-based business, screen sharing is an effective way to host seminars or troubleshoot software problems. Join.me is particularly useful for this since you can have up to 10 participants that can view your screen at the same time – for free. What sets it apart from contenders such as Skype is the ability to share a simple code with whoever you want to see your screen. It makes organizing webinar meetings with multiple users a breeze. Unlike the DMV, your business can't get away with lousy customer service Aside from sharing my DMV story with friends or tweeting about it, there really wasn't much I could do. I need to renew my car's title whether I like it or not. But if I'm not ecstatic about customer service at a particular business establishment, I may just leave and not come back. The customer's time and trust must be treated as gold – these are two things that, when lost are possibly lost for good.

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  • How Technology Has Made Exercises Easy and Safer?

    Over the last couple of decades, technology has rapidly evolved to not only help keep us safe but has also helped in finding solutions and making processes/activities more efficient. The technological advancements have also impacted the fitness industry and have changed the way people workout. Gyms and fitness centers everywhere are ever now changing and keep on incorporating new technologies which help keep their users safe, and enhance their workouts. In this article, we are going to take a look at 5 reasons how technology has changed the way people work out. 1. Music Players In the yester years, it was not possible for people to listen to their favorite music as they work out in the gym. But thanks to modern technological advancement, today, many fitness enthusiasts get to listen to their favorite music using their iPods or smartphones, helping them stay motivated all throughout the workout. The smartphones and iPods allow users to easily stream their favorite music online as they get through their sweaty workout sessions. Another widely used music player is the Sansa Clip MP3 player; it is more affordable, lighter and very convenient to wear/use in the gym or even when working out at home. 2. Mobile Apps There are plenty of fitness apps available in the market which encourages fitness enthusiasts to become more responsible in their workouts. There are even apps for meal planning which help users choose the best type of food for their particular diet program. These apps have greatly enhanced the way people workout. 3. Wearable Technology Another technology which has drastically changed the way people workout is the wearable technology. Wearables enable users to accurately and conveniently monitor their health and well-being. For instance, Fitbit Flex is a lightweight wearable device which monitors the user's calories burned, steps taken, and sleep quality. Fitbit Flex is meant to be worn all round the clock, and can be wirelessly linked to the computer, the smartphone, or the Mac computer. Once it's linked, the user can get to view their fitness progress via graphs and charts; this motivates them to workout in a smart and efficient manner. There is another brilliant wearable device known as Nike+ Fuelband which monitors and tracks the user's daily activities. This wristband device features about 20 LED lights that indicate just how close you're to achieving your intended Fuel goal. A Fuel goal gets reset every day, and it counts down as you burn the calories. The Nike+ Fuelband device can also be easily linked to the smartphone or the computer to monitor calories burned, daily Fuel goals, distance walked, and more. 4. Fitness Equipment Technology has also greatly changed the way people workout through advanced fitness equipment. Today, most gyms are equipped with high-tech and innovative fitness equipment including cardio and resistance machines which provide fitness enthusiasts with new, effective, safe and challenging exercises. For example, there is the TRX Suspension resistance equipment which consists of various straps and ropes, and it's designed such that you have to use your own body weight as your very own private gym. This innovative fitness equipment allows users to perform many different body weight exercises, whilst increasing your balance, strength, and coordination. The technology has also brought about advanced cardio machines like spin bikes, which have made indoor exercises possible. The spin bikes have not only made workouts much easier but also much safer since users can now get to workout indoors when the environment outside is unfavorable. 5. Accessories Today, there are many accessories which are incorporated in fitness equipment such as spin bikes and treadmills. They can be equipped with heart rate monitors, integrated TV screens, preset interval workouts, among such other accessories. Some cardio machines like the FitDesk exercise bike includes a laptop platform, allowing busy users to workout and still stay connected to their work. Conclusion Although technology has greatly changed how people work out, made exercising more enjoyable, exciting and fun, it's still up to each and every person to stay focused, responsible, motivated and only use the benefits offered by the technological advancements to enhance their workouts. There isn't any wearable device, fitness equipment, app or accessory that will do the work out for you or burn the calories for you. Regardless of how many devices you wear when working out, or which type of advanced high tech equipment you use, you're still your own best motivation.

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  • How the E-Cigaratte Laws by FDA Will Shape the Vaping Industry?

    For vapers, it might be worth considering to stock up your favorite e-cigarette juice flavors. Apparently, these precious juices may not be available in the market much longer because of new FDA regulations about e-cigarettes. Even though the vaping industry has been prepared for what might happen once the new FDA regarding the use of e-cigarettes would be enforced, there's no denying that most of these are worried about how this would affect their business. For one, they would be required to register their products through a costly, time-consuming process known as "Premarket Tobacco Application." This would definitely cost millions of dollars and would force some companies to go out of business. Good or bad, there's no denying that the vaping industry would look very different a few years from now, here's what probably will happen once these rules are implemented. 1. Selection Would be Limited Since PMTAs would be very expensive to file, there's a possibility that a lot of small e-cig companies today would have no choice but to leave the business, especially if they won't be able to keep up with the manufacturing costs. According to the FDA, only 750 PMTAs would be given each year, and companies only have 2 years to apply their existing products. If you would analyze this, this would only work for about 1500 PMTAs. Bear in mind, these are per product and not per company. There are more than 4,000 vape manufacturers in the US and each company produces dozens of nicotine levels and flavors. For example, the Apollo E-cigs, one of the most popular e-cig manufacturers in the US make 12 fruity flavors, and they have five five different nicotine levels. Which only implies that, if Apollo would want to keep their business running, they would have to file 60 different PMTAs for these. On a lighter note, FDA said that they would try to find ways on how to lessen its impact, such as allowing the manufacturers to file a single PMTA for different flavors. Though, it's still inevitable that the market would eventually shrink from thousands of products and flavors to fewer than a thousand in the following years. Manufacturers would have to keep on applying for new products in the future. 2. Increase in Prices of e-Cigs and Other Things Related to It Although it's still a little bit early to assume how prices would be affected, there's a possibility that the companies who offer these products would bump up their prices even just a little bit. According to the FDA, the PMTA process would need 1,500 hours per product-- this would be every nicotine and flavor level of e-liquid. Aside from that, there's no denying that the process might cost several hundreds of dollars per use. This is what Mitch Zeller, the director of the FDA's Tobacco Products, has revealed. Wherein, the cost of registering different flavors of e-liquid would definitely trickle down to the vapers. This is one of the possibilities that should not be ignored, and can be compared with anything else. For example, if you get a pizza today and it only costs a couple of dollars, but the prices of cheese went up the following day, expect that your pizza would cost a couple of dollars more expensive. On the brighter side, e-commerce vaping business like Smokazon has been capitalizing on the increased marketer price by offer discount and offers to vapers to make more from their business. Unfortunately, if the cost of the e-cig business would increase, manufacturers have no choice but to increase the prices. 3. The Rise of the Black Market for E-Cigs The Internet is a big place, where you can acquire anything you want. There are countries that don't have vaping regulations and that means they are allowed to offer e-cigarettes online. Once the new FDA rule is implemented, there's a huge possibility that a lot of vapers might consider making a switch from their favorite US product to non-US e-cigarette products. Also, DIY juice makers might also be introduced in the market as a way to fill the gap that was left by the new regulations. 4. Custom Mods Will Go Extinct For non-vapers, most of them believe that e-cigs are created equally and that it'll help them quit smoking. What they're not aware of is that there are a number of ways on how to get a vape on. Most are only familiar with the e-cigs being offered at gas stations. These look like your typical cigarettes that are disposable. However, for vapers, they usually use a different kind of vape-- usually mods or pens. This type of e-cig is reusable and can even be customized. It allows the vapers to create an e-cig that meets their demands and expectations. Under the new FDA regulations, companies would be mandated to prove that their products are safe-- that every part of the product is safe. FDA believes that it might be a little difficult for manufactures to meet the statutory standards, given that they should be as detailed as possible. Likewise, this new regulation would also discourage e-cig manufacturers from trying, but only apply for closed-system models that can't be modified.

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  • How GPS Has Changed Technology, Culture and Our Minds?

    GPS has incredibly changed the lives of us people in the areas of technology, culture and our thinking. It has become an integral part of everyone's lives and is available everywhere today, be it on your mobile devices, cars or other gadgets. It has helped out businesses thrive, eased navigation and changed how we live and communicate. As has been the case with many inventions, there are shortcomings that come with GPS use in our lives. Even so, the shortcomings are far outweighed by the benefits. Below are some of the popular ways GPS has affected our lives. 1. Navigation This is an area where GPS has had a significant impact. GPS receivers can give drivers exact driving directions and instructions. It has also helped tourists and travelers to move to all the nooks and crannies where they want to travel without needing to find a guide or revise the map locations. GPS data is able to indicate to drivers which routes have the least traffic jams and which ones to avoid. This navigation feature of GPS has generated a form of overreliance as only a few care about studying maps and city streets. When they are confronted with a situation where they need to have the actual geographical knowledge, they might have a long trouble getting back home without a GPS. On top of that, the navigation has been a real boon for solo travelers, hikers and anglers who move out in the wild all alone to get close to the nature. Apart from just locating themselves, anglers can locate fish with the help of the best fish finders that technology has provided and what not? From fishing to diving, hiking to hunting, everything has become more secure and easy, all thanks to the navigation that GPS provides. 2. Tracking When your mobile phones, tablets or other gadgets are fitted with GPS you can easily get their location or movement history. This is very helpful for those who have misplaced their phones or those who want to track other people. Security agencies in their rescue missions or crime investigations may use GPS tracking. The go through GPS data to pinpoint certain locations of victims or suspects. Parents who want to monitor their children can easily install a GPS on their children's mobile devices. Businesses are able to track the movement of their goods, vessels and trucks for safety and profitability. If something goes amiss during transportation the owners can notice in a moment and respond accordingly. Somehow this tracking ability of GPS may be a shortcoming as stalkers can easily follow your movements. Many people feel like their privacy is violated when they are being tracked. 3. Local joints GPS is great in helping people find nearby locations like restaurants, malls, casinos and other interesting places. This has helped local businesses thrive. People can find nearby hospitals in emergency situations, they can find local spots of entertainment and many are able to build relationships when they come together this way. Many companies are changing their marketing designs as they now include GPS maps in their advertisements. 4. Fitness GPS focused running watches today come with full connectivity that enables you to monitor day to day activities. The watches use GPS data to provide an athlete with metrics such as calories burnt, heart rate and inclination. Once you have selected the exercise mode on these kinds of watches, they start looking for GPS lock. Once locked to the GPS, the running watch goes to the data page and starts recording your exercise. What other areas do you think have been impacted by GPS today?

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  • How Technology Has Evolved In 2016?

    Over the last two decade, technology has advanced tremendously in the United States. The tech industry is both a driver and a result of constant shifts in consumer trends. Today, tech companies are among the leading enterprises and have become major influencers of market behavior. Herein are several ways in which the technology industry is evolving in the United States in 2016. 1. Device Mesh The device mesh is dynamic and ever expanding endpoints that individuals today are using to gain access to information and interact with other people, institutions and businesses. Today the device mesh does not just encompass the computers and mobile devices. It involves the full spectrum of endpoints with which all Americans interact. Smart devices are becoming connected through various networks to back-end systems while functioning in isolation from each other. These changes in the device mesh are leading to improvements in connectivity models. Industry experts are positive that this will expand to create greater interactions between all digital devices. The innovations realized in this sector have led to new digital business opportunities. The device mesh covers a vast area in technology currently in the United States. These areas include traditional communication and computing devices, wearable devices such as head-mounted augmented and virtual reality (VR), digital endpoints in transportation devices, home electronics, and environmental devices. Changes in the device mesh are bringing about an unprecedented new generation of user experience and opportunities. 2. Internet of Things The Internet of Things (IoT) tech buzz word has been thrown around a lot this year. IoT refers to the interconnection of everyday devices into the World Wide Web. Although they have been in the market for some time now, this year's main focus has been the IoT architecture and platforms. The standards and technology in the IoT platform form a foundational set of applications for the control, management, and security of IoT. These standards have to be put in place for IoT to expand safely into more devices. People, particularly in the United States, still have fears of a terminator like an apocalypse brought on by smart devices becoming somewhat sentient. Although the probability of such a scenario occurring is extremely low, there are still questions to be asked about security before we interconnect all our appliances. The good news is that IoT vendors such as Oracle, Microsoft, IBM and SAP are starting to provide IoT platforms. Since the platforms are not exactly complete, complete integration of IoT into the device mesh is still an ongoing challenge. 3. Ambient User Experience This is one of the key areas being improved on by technological advances in digital devices. While it is yet to develop fully, ambient user experience currently combines physical, electronic and virtual environments while employing real-time information and feedback as people move from one place to another. This experience builds on virtual and augmented reality to immerse people into an activity. It was originally thought to be only applicable in the gaming industry. However, several sectors are already looking to incorporate ambient user experience into their operations. Facebook already announced the adoption of Oculus Virtual Reality. Founder Mark Zuckerberg hinted at future social media interaction platform where users are immersed into a more entertaining and personal experience. Top industry technology players in the United States are now focusing on achieving virtual reality supremacy. This follows the Japan's Sony decision to work on improving ambient user experiences on their devices. Google is already working on improving their Cardboard VR and Daydream. It may take a while before we could interact socially on these levels but today it does not seem so far-fetched. 4. Advanced machine learning This is the ability of machines to use algorithm-based programming to process information and make autonomous and self-directed decisions. The rapid expansion of databases and sources has made manual analysis infeasible and time-consuming. As such, machine learning seeks to automate some of these tasks thus addressing key challenges to information processing. Machine learning is being changed by several technologies including neural networks, natural language processing, deep learning and digital reductionism. These are the technologies that are making devices seem "intelligent." By understanding and learning about concepts in their environments, devices can auto-correct programmed behavior. This sector is rapidly evolving in the United States and is being incorporated in the medical, military, space exploration and business sectors. Take the US elections for example. The odds of Hilary Clinton to win the campaign is predicted to be about 65%, all thanks to the advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning that analyze the trends and strength of her campaign. 5. 3D Printing Technological advances in 3D printing are enabling 3D printers to employ a varied range of materials such as carbon fiber, glass, nickel alloys, electronics and biological materials. These changes are driving user demand in the United States as the application for 3D printing diffuses to more sectors including medicine, automotive industry, energy, aerospace and the military. Current advances are making it possible to incorporate multiple varied materials in one traditional 3D printing process. A while back biological 3D printing was merely a controversial theory. Today the printing of organs and skin seems to be heading towards reality. As expected, this aspect of 3D printing cannot advance as fast as we would like due to ethical and political implications. There are numerous other areas affected by technological advancement this year. They include cloud computing, big data, mobility and embedded systems.

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  • How Technology Can Help You Create a Better Work-Life Balance?

    Who wouldn't love to earn a huge salary and still have time to play with the kids? Maybe you've imagined climbing the corporate ladder while also being able to spend time with your friends on vacation. But when you're busy building your career, it can be very difficult to maintain a good work-life balance, reserving time for friends and family while still devoting enough time to your work. But when you take advantage of technology, you can pursue your professional life and manage your personal life without working too hard. Here are a few ways you can use technology to create a better work-life balance for yourself. Make the most of travel time It has been reported that the average American spends about 50 minutes per day going back and forth between home and work. Contributing to this commuting time is traffic and waits for buses and trains. However, apps such as Waze can give you ideas about what routes to take so that you can avoid traffic and reach your destination more quickly. Similarly, Moovit provides details about delays and cancellations of buses and trains on your route. Not only that, it also offers alternatives, so you can get where you're going as soon as possible. You can also make better use of your commuting time by investing in educational audio books, so you can learn while you're traveling. To get started with this, check out the Audible app. Reduce Timewasters at Work Most of us spend about eight hours a day in the office, but we are truly productive for only about five hours a day. The rest of the time is wasted in a variety of nonproductive pursuits. Having a coffee cup warmer in your office will reduce the need for coffee breaks. Similarly, the Rescue Time app will give you ideas about how you can be productive and keep track of your daily activities. It also blocks social media websites, so you can focus on your work instead of spending time surfing the Internet. You can also use collaboration tools such as Trello, Basecamp or Asana to keep track of your project deadlines and communicate with your colleagues about important details and work assignments. Shop Quicker We spend a lot of our time traveling to stores and searching for the things we need. But when you have a smartphone in your pocket or a laptop at home, why spend time going to stores? You can use tools such as Amazon Dash to order your necessities and pay with your smartphone. All the products that you need will be delivered to your doorstep, and you won't even need to bat an eye. Another useful tool, the ShopSavvy app, will help you find the lowest prices online so that you don't spend more than you have to. Conclusion Will all these options, you don't need to slave away at your desk and miss out on your real life. Get the tools, apps and software that will best meet your needs and learn to utilize them properly, so you can achieve a better balance in your life.

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  • 5 Websites Redefining The Trends of Online Marketing

    Every year, many companies and digital marketers go on predicting the upcoming marketing trends. "What's Hot?" and "What's going to work next?" has always been the most common questions when I go on to talk with digital marketers every time during the first few months of the year. Trends keep on changing, most of them and at different times. With the presence of several social media, growing number of online companies and blogs and the rise in entrepreneurs is what affects the life-cycle tactics of online business. Also, the association of search queries on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing is one major factor that seriously needs to be considered when taking the marketing approach to another level. There are a few websites that work rigorously to improve their online marketing strategy to thrive and stay ahead of their competitors today. Here we analyze a few of those websites that have been working to redefine the trends of online marketing. 1. Google shopping Price comparison to find the best deals is what we've been doing all along when looking for a product online. Google shopping, a service by Google that started in May 2012 and was named Google Product Search and Froogle is what has been thought of redefining the online e-commerce industry. From finding best deals, comparing prices and listing merchants the service has a paid-model that has been paying off for several merchants today. 2. Amazon Hands down, Amazon is one of the best websites that has been changing how online shopping industry works. Started by Jeff Bezos in 1994, the website was only a book-selling business in its initial years and today, it's the best e-commerce website with a shopping cart program in the internet. Amazon is a public traded company today and has become more of a community in recent years helping millions of consumers find products at ease and helping merchants sell their items. Not just that, Amazon is also a hub for digital marketers and bloggers to make money as they have a great affiliate program incorporated into their system. 3. Maya Flowers The flower industry might be declining at a pace that has been considered to be faster than any other industries today. However, Maya Flowers has been working constantly on several marketing efforts to improve the trends of the flower industry. "Deliver Smiles" is what the company run in India is basically doing to attract more consumers today. With several deals on flowers, the website also provides gifts, cards and cakes to their customers because of which the trends of buying flowers has been rising these days. With a special focus in their marketing efforts to supply great deal to their end-use consumers, the company is poised to change the decrease in habits of buying flowers in the near future. 4. Netflix If there's one company that's started going global in 2016, it's Netflix. Netflix is a streaming service and has changed the way people watch television. For people who hate cable subscriptions to watch their favorite television shows or movies, Netflix provides subscription to watch any episodes or movies of their choice instantly. The users don't need to wait every weeks to watch episodes of their choice and this is where Netflix has grown to become the biggest streaming service in the world. Having grown to over 193 countries world wide in 2016, the company also produces several original content of their own to entertain their users. 5. DealNews Who does not love deals today? I've a number of friends who go online to buy products and the first thing they do is look for a deal that will cost them only a few bucks and give them enough discounts. DealNews has partners with over 2,000 online retailers and post regular updates on their websites, some of them are updated at least 200 times every day. It connects you with merchants that have exclusive deals for the consumers while it also provides ample information about several details on prices. The online marketing trend is changing every year and these approaches that the websites listed here are using is what has helped them to grow over the years and be ranked as some of the best websites in the internet today.

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  • Three Quarters of a Billion Records Breached

    Gemalto, a security firm that has been working since a long time has said that over 700 million records were breached last year. To add more, this record says that about two million data are stolen or lost records every day and the case is worsening more this year. The 2015 breach report included: 1,673 hacking incidents 398 were triggered from the inside of the attacked company: employees and even IT staff who were tricked (social engineering) by hackers into clicking on malicious links or attachments Government agencies suffered the greatest data leaks. Following that were nation states and healthcare enterprises (remember the big Anthem breach?) The security firm has also reported that the United States is the leading target of cyber attacks while countries like UK, Canada and Australia follow through. However, the number of cyber attacks in other countries seem to be very low as reported by the security firm. Australia, despite ranking in the fourth place reported only 42 incidents last year while the US had 1,222, more than 20 times than in Australia. You always need to stay aware to check if your computer has been compromised by an attack. You can check if your computer is running slowly or the device is moving at a crawl. While this might be due to problems in the processor, it generally marks the first sign of a potential infection. In order to stay aware and secured, you need to employ protection against the viruses so that you can always stay safe from staged phishing attacks and tricks. Also, you need to make sure that the sensitive information that you have does not get leaked. For that, you can contact a security firm or get a security software to protect your device from any kind of security breaches to stay on track and not let the Trojans attack you. Also, data today are breached through emails and clicks that redirect you to a virus which downloads automatically, without letting you know. You need to make sure that the emails you are viewing are safe and don't rush to download the file attachment and open them. Make sure that the email you are viewing is safe and that the file name of the contents attacked are safe and legit. You can also use a virtual private network to protect yourself from cyber snoopers and keep your browsers and computers updated. Also, make sure that you keep you data up to date from time to time so that you can recover data easily even when it gets breached.

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  • How technology is changing the travel industry?

    Holidays are the best time of the year. People get to think about their travel plans and move out from their regular boring work schedule to enjoy their life. Many people also wait eagerly for a holiday season to catch up with their friends and family abroad. The trend in the travel industry is growing every year and we've seen a higher percentage of people moving out to overseas to spend their holidays. While most of you might think that the increase in the rate of travel is because of better salary and more time to spend, it's probably not. Most people are starting out to trek outside their country is because of technology. Technology is what has made it easy as well as practical for travelers to find details about how and where to go. Here are five trends technology has been changing the travel industry today. 1.More Listings One of the most amazing things about the growth of technology is that we get to find a lot of listings today. Previously, travelers who wanted details about a particular place they'd love to visit could not find enough resources to check from. However, several companies today have a great marketing team of professionals who work rigorously to get their details listed online. Several travel companies including Airbnb has been really innovative to find travels find accommodation that they need. ​ 2.Better Prices Before the technology boom occurred, travelers had limited resources and options to find what place to stay, where and how to go around. Similarly, shopping details and price comparisons of different places were not made available and people had to settle for whatever they could find and thought good. This lead to travelers paying more prices at different times than what they really should have paid for. However, with technology, prices do not look like a constraint. People can access different online platforms to compare prices and accessibility of accommodations to get a broader sense of where to stay. Instead of only a few places to pick from, there are a lot of available options that travelers can choose to fit in their budget. Comparison sites have also popped up where you can compare accommodation, car rental and even motor-home rental prices from the one location. Campervan Finder helps consumers to check availability on certain dates using the calendar, compare vehicle specifications and compare prices from pretty much all the rental companies om the market. 3.More Communication and Transparency Communication is one of the most important factors to find more customers and attract travelers and several property owners around travel locations keep this as a primary concern. As a property holder, you need to ensure that the packages that you are offering are what you can provide at full potential. Military Flight Travel provides transparency with the costs associated with traveling in different flights if you belong to a military family. Similarly, travelers who are looking to book a holiday and make investment need to remain confident that the service they are taking is best suited for them. This is better ensured with constant communication and transparency. Transparency also comes in different forms. From photos to reviews and ratings, property owners need to care about their service to be rated well. The world of technology can make any company a word-of-mouth and if you are willing to attract a lot of customers, you need to cut down the fear of being scammed in your customers and incorporate new technologies to improve the industry for good.

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