#successful software integration

[techtoio]

Integrating New Software: Tips for a Smooth Transition

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced technological landscape, businesses often find themselves integrating new software to stay competitive and efficient. However, the process can be daunting, fraught with potential disruptions and challenges. At TechtoIO, we understand the importance of a smooth transition when implementing new software. This guide provides essential tips to help you integrate new software seamlessly, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity. Read to Continue

[magtecbusinesssolutions]

Tired of spreadsheets? Upgrade to Magtec ERP Software for streamlined business operations and data-driven decisions. Book a demo today and see how we can transform your business!

[insurance-brokers-india]

What are the next steps after obtaining an insurance broker license, and how can you generate potential leads using Mzapp CRM software?

Congratulations on securing your insurance broker license! The journey doesn’t end here; it’s just the beginning of building a successful insurance brokerage. Here’s how you can proceed and leverage Mzapp CRM software to find potential leads:

Steps After Getting Your Insurance Broker License

Understand Your Market: Research your target audience (individuals, businesses, or specific sectors).

Develop a Business Plan: Set goals for client acquisition, revenue, and operational processes.

Build a Network: Partner with insurance providers and attend industry events to establish your presence.

Create an Online Presence: Build a professional website and maintain active profiles on social platforms.

Offer Value-Added Services: Educate customers on policies, claims management, and risk assessments.

Using Mzapp CRM Software to Generate Leads

Lead Capture: Utilize Mzapp’s integrated forms and web tracking tools to capture inquiries from your website or social media.

Automated Follow-Ups: Set up personalized email and SMS follow-ups to nurture leads effectively.

Lead Scoring: Prioritize leads based on their interaction history, ensuring you focus on high-potential prospects.

Data-Driven Campaigns: Use analytics to identify what works and launch targeted campaigns.

Seamless Policy Management: Impress leads by showcasing how smoothly you manage policies and claims through Mzapp.

Why Choose Mzapp CRM?

Mzapp CRM simplifies lead management, streamlines operations, and provides insights into customer behavior, making it easier to convert prospects into loyal clients.

Learn more about how Mzapp can transform your insurance business here.

[simplifyworkforce]

Top 20 Personality Interview Questions to Ask Your Interviewee

"Discover the top 20 personality interview questions to assess your candidates effectively. This guide provides insightful questions that help employers gauge interpersonal skills, cultural fit, and emotional intelligence during interviews."

[sierraconsult]

At Sierra Consulting, we ensure that your staff understands the finest CRM for your organization. Our training is completely targeted to your team's needs, from navigating the platform to using all of the great features. We want to assist your team use the CRM to its maximum potential, especially with excellent features like Monday.com's workflows and automation, so they're prepared for success.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

How lock-in hurts design

Berliners: Otherland has added a second date (Jan 28) for my book-talk after the first one sold out - book now!

If you've ever read about design, you've probably encountered the idea of "paving the desire path." A "desire path" is an erosion path created by people departing from the official walkway and taking their own route. The story goes that smart campus planners don't fight the desire paths laid down by students; they pave them, formalizing the route that their constituents have voted for with their feet.

Desire paths aren't always great (Wikipedia notes that "desire paths sometimes cut through sensitive habitats and exclusion zones, threatening wildlife and park security"), but in the context of design, a desire path is a way that users communicate with designers, creating a feedback loop between those two groups. The designers make a product, the users use it in ways that surprise the designer, and the designer integrates all that into a new revision of the product.

This method is widely heralded as a means of "co-innovating" between users and companies. Designers who practice the method are lauded for their humility, their willingness to learn from their users. Tech history is strewn with examples of successful paved desire-paths.

Take John Deere. While today the company is notorious for its war on its customers (via its opposition to right to repair), Deere was once a leader in co-innovation, dispatching roving field engineers to visit farms and learn how farmers had modified their tractors. The best of these modifications would then be worked into the next round of tractor designs, in a virtuous cycle:

https://securityledger.com/2019/03/opinion-my-grandfathers-john-deere-would-support-our-right-to-repair/

But this pattern is even more pronounced in the digital world, because it's much easier to update a digital service than it is to update all the tractors in the field, especially if that service is cloud-based, meaning you can modify the back-end everyone is instantly updated. The most celebrated example of this co-creation is Twitter, whose users created a host of its core features.

Retweets, for example, were a user creation. Users who saw something they liked on the service would type "RT" and paste the text and the link into a new tweet composition window. Same for quote-tweets: users copied the URL for a tweet and pasted it in below their own commentary. Twitter designers observed this user innovation and formalized it, turning it into part of Twitter's core feature-set.

Companies are obsessed with discovering digital desire paths. They pay fortunes for analytics software to produce maps of how their users interact with their services, run focus groups, even embed sneaky screen-recording software into their web-pages:

https://www.wired.com/story/the-dark-side-of-replay-sessions-that-record-your-every-move-online/

This relentless surveillance of users is pursued in the name of making things better for them: let us spy on you and we'll figure out where your pain-points and friction are coming from, and remove those. We all win!

But this impulse is a world apart from the humility and respect implied by co-innovation. The constant, nonconsensual observation of users has more to do with controlling users than learning from them.

That is, after all, the ethos of modern technology: the more control a company can exert over its users ,the more value it can transfer from those users to its shareholders. That's the key to enshittification, the ubiquitous platform decay that has degraded virtually all the technology we use, making it worse every day:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

When you are seeking to control users, the desire paths they create are all too frequently a means to wrestling control back from you. Take advertising: every time a service makes its ads more obnoxious and invasive, it creates an incentive for its users to search for "how do I install an ad-blocker":

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah

More than half of all web-users have installed ad-blockers. It's the largest consumer boycott in human history:

https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/

But zero app users have installed ad-blockers, because reverse-engineering an app requires that you bypass its encryption, triggering liability under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This law provides for a $500,000 fine and a 5-year prison sentence for "circumvention" of access controls:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/12/youre-holding-it-wrong/#if-dishwashers-were-iphones

Beyond that, modifying an app creates liability under copyright, trademark, patent, trade secrets, noncompete, nondisclosure and so on. It's what Jay Freeman calls "felony contempt of business model":

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

This is why services are so horny to drive you to install their app rather using their websites: they are trying to get you to do something that, given your druthers, you would prefer not to do. They want to force you to exit through the gift shop, you want to carve a desire path straight to the parking lot. Apps let them mobilize the law to literally criminalize those desire paths.

An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a felony to block ads in it (or do anything else that wrestles value back from a company). Apps are web-pages where everything not forbidden is mandatory.

Seen in this light, an app is a way to wage war on desire paths, to abandon the cooperative model for co-innovation in favor of the adversarial model of user control and extraction.

Corporate apologists like to claim that the proliferation of apps proves that users like them. Neoliberal economists love the idea that business as usual represents a "revealed preference." This is an intellectually unserious tautology: "you do this, so you must like it":

https://boingboing.net/2024/01/22/hp-ceo-says-customers-are-a-bad-investment-unless-they-can-be-made-to-buy-companys-drm-ink-cartridges.html

Calling an action where no alternatives are permissible a "preference" or a "choice" is a cheap trick – especially when considered against the "preferences" that reveal themselves when a real choice is possible. Take commercial surveillance: when Apple gave Ios users a choice about being spied on – a one-click opt of of app-based surveillance – 96% of users choice no spying:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/96-of-us-users-opt-out-of-app-tracking-in-ios-14-5-analytics-find/

But then Apple started spying on those very same users that had opted out of spying by Facebook and other Apple competitors:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Neoclassical economists aren't just obsessed with revealed preferences – they also love to bandy about the idea of "moral hazard": economic arrangements that tempt people to be dishonest. This is typically applied to the public ("consumers" in the contemptuous parlance of econospeak). But apps are pure moral hazard – for corporations. The ability to prohibit desire paths – and literally imprison rivals who help your users thwart those prohibitions – is too tempting for companies to resist.

The fact that the majority of web users block ads reveals a strong preference for not being spied on ("users just want relevant ads" is such an obvious lie that doesn't merit any serious discussion):

https://www.iccl.ie/news/82-of-the-irish-public-wants-big-techs-toxic-algorithms-switched-off/

Giant companies attained their scale by learning from their users, not by thwarting them. The person using technology always knows something about what they need to do and how they want to do it that the designers can never anticipate. This is especially true of people who are unlike those designers – people who live on the other side of the world, or the other side of the economic divide, or whose bodies don't work the way that the designers' bodies do:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/20/benevolent-dictators/#felony-contempt-of-business-model

Apps – and other technologies that are locked down so their users can be locked in – are the height of technological arrogance. They embody a belief that users are to be told, not heard. If a user wants to do something that the designer didn't anticipate, that's the user's fault:

https://www.wired.com/2010/06/iphone-4-holding-it-wrong/

Corporate enthusiasm for prohibiting you from reconfiguring the tools you use to suit your needs is a declaration of the end of history. "Sure," John Deere execs say, "we once learned from farmers by observing how they modified their tractors. But today's farmers are so much stupider and we are so much smarter that we have nothing to learn from them anymore."

Spying on your users to control them is a poor substitute asking your users their permission to learn from them. Without technological self-determination, preferences can't be revealed. Without the right to seize the means of computation, the desire paths never emerge, leaving designers in the dark about what users really want.

Our policymakers swear loyalty to "innovation" but when corporations ask for the right to decide who can innovate and how, they fall all over themselves to create laws that let companies punish users for the crime of contempt of business-model.

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/24/everything-not-mandatory/#is-prohibited

Image: Belem (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Desire_path_%2819811581366%29.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

[charmedreincarnation]

MAYA’S MORPHICS FIELD CHALLENGE

Hello everyone :) School is starting, and that's a time when stress levels can peak for anyone in the manifesting community. It's tough to wake up to another school year without your dream life, and I know how draining it can be. You might feel like you have to focus on your journey while also tackling school, which is challenging enough on its own. I hope this can help with anything related to manifesting reality, the void state, shifting, lucid dreaming, school, and mindset. Remember, you're not alone in this journey, and it is inevitable you achieve all that you desire!

What are morphic fields

Morphic field audio refers to soundtracks that are designed to interact with the concept of morphic fields, which are theoretical fields that influence patterns and behaviors in nature. These audio tracks often incorporate elements like binaural beats or isochronic tones, which are sound frequencies intended to influence brainwave activity and promote specific mental states.

The idea is that by listening to these audio tracks, individuals you can tap into or resonate with morphic fields, potentially enhancing focus, relaxation, or other desired states. The concept is rooted in the belief that sound can influence the mind and body in ways that align with the patterns and connections proposed by morphic fields.

Subliminals or and affirmation tapes with morphic fields

When using morphic fields with subliminals, you can experiment with different approaches to see what works best for you.

Simultaneous Playback:

Play the morphic field audio and subliminal tracks at the same time.

Sequential Playback:

Before: Start with the morphic field audio to create a receptive mental state, then follow with the subliminal tracks. This can help prepare your mind to absorb the affirmations more effectively.

After:

Begin with the sublininal tracks to plant the affirmations in your subconscious, then play the morphic field audio to reinforce and integrate the messages.

Layering:

If you have audio editing software, you can layer the morphic field audio beneath the subliminal tracks, creating a single, cohesive audio experience. This method requires some technical skill but can be very effective.

Experiment and Adjust

Everyone's response to these techniques can vary like all methods so feel free to experiment with different methods and monitor how you feel. Adjust the timing, order, and volume to find the combination that resonates best with you :) it doesn’t have to be methodical at all

Specified Morphic Fields

You can also find specific morphic fields tailored to your desires, such as lucid dreaming, shifting realities, or entering the void state. These specialized audio tracks are designed to help you achieve particular goals by using specific frequencies and energies.

Similarly to binaural beats or isochronic tones Sounds, it’s best to listen to morphic fields in positive environments because they are highly receptive to surrounding influences. Ensure that your surroundings are calm and uplifting. This might include a tidy space, soft lighting, or calming scents like lavender or sage.

Stay away from negative influences like for example watching horror movies or engaging with negative shifting or void content while listening to morphic fields. Instead, pair your listening sessions with positive and inspiring content. This could include watching manifesting videos, glow-up transformation videos, or reading success stories related to shifting and lucid dreaming.

Combine this with affirming and persisting

the only three affirmations I use are:

I can shift

I will shift

I have shifted

This is very simple and effectively covers the past, present, and future, making it easy to repeat. The brain loves mantras, and these affirmations are designed to reinforce your belief in your ability to shift. This repetition helps to rewire your subconscious mind, aligning your thoughts and actions with your desired outcome. Keep it simple, stay consistent, and watch as your affirmations help manifest your shifting journey.

The challenge

Compile a playlist of subliminals or affirmation tapes, whichever you prefer.

Listen to them while playing morphic fields. You can use headphones or play them out loud; it doesn’t matter.

If you don’t want subliminals or affirmation tapes, find specific morphic fields for your desire, such as wealth morphic fields or shifting morphic fields.

They are easy to find on YouTube. Just search up your topic and then morphic field feel feee to use the ones I recommend as well!

4. Do this in a positive environment. Engage in activities like scrolling on Tumblr, reading success stories, or watching lucid dreaming tips.

5.Outside of this, use the three affirmations: "I can shift," "I will shift," "I have shifted."

You can replace these with anything related to lucid dreaming, the void state, or manifesting—whatever suits your goals, e.g: “I can wake up in the void,” “I will wake up in the void,” “I have woken up in the void before”

6.Make this routine fit your schedule.With school starting, you’ll be busy, so keep it simple and easy!

[easternmind]

Lessons in Japanese Game Design #3

From Killer7 to Deadly Premonition, Japanese game creators have intrepidly explored the theme of mental illness in a variety of genres, often in highly stylized form. The title I wish to approach today is a lesser known reference that approached this subject matter with unusual tact and clarity - a memory, if you will, which the collective conscious has long repressed.

Maria Kimi Tachi Ga Umareta Wake (The Reason You Were Born) is a late 1997 adventure game firmly rooted in the visual novel template that earned Chunsoft great repute. It was Break studio's debut, produced over a year and half for both the PlayStation and Saturn systems. It was published by Axela, a company born out of the internal management conflicts and accumulated debt at ASCII, leading to some of its executives teaming up in 1996 to establish a new project centred around software and magazine publishing. The story of this company's origins, alone, would merit a separate post.

Foreseeably, its release was followed by moderate controversy, such that worked mostly in its favour. One of the most polemical moments is found in the introduction scene, with its tasteful yet unvarnished depiction of Maria's suicide attempt, followed by her hospital admission. The imagery and that which it depicts remains as painful to watch today as it did decades ago.

While Maria is the central character, her tragedy and arc merge with that of the actual protagonist, Jun Takano, a fledgeling surgeon who, in the quality of certified psychiatrist, is assigned to provide therapy to the French-Japanese patient the morning after her admittance.

Maria's mental illness component comes to light as the story and therapy sessions progress. The key art consists of photos of women using coloured masks to visually represent the dimensions of her multiple personality disorder.

(Note: the text above is machine translated from the original Japanese game manual.)

Break was denounced for its bid to integrate so serious a derangement as a theme in a juvenile entertainment piece. Their reaction was to highlight the research done to ensure a careful treatment of the subject and sensitization of players via a bespoke message in the manual. In retrospect, the relative popularity of this game at the time was greatly owned to this fleeting controversy, and is believed to have been a crucial factor in the obtention of budget for Maria's far less spirited sequel.

As a work of pure fiction, scenario writer Kirie Fukuda was at liberty to carry the already divisive premise into even more exotic territory by establishing a mysterious yet playful correspondence between Maria's distinct personas and Egyptian deities.

The game's structure is modelled after hirudorama, a Japanese word interchangeably used to describe daytime TV fiction or soap operas; each of its nine chapters lasting nearly thirty minutes, equipped with a plot twist, cliff-hanger ending, and followed by rolling credits.

Perhaps the single most outstanding aspect about this production results from a tireless effort to surpass the standard of authenticity in what pertains facial expressions; particularly those of the multifaceted Maria, often with stilted yet all the more fascinating results.

In this and other regards, the influence of D no Shokutaku and its character, Laura, is clear and unmistakable. Maria's director and studio head at Break, Akira Okada, was an ex-Warp employee who worked as sales director precisely at the time when Eno's game was being developed.

Following a modest success, Break released Maria 2: Jutaikokuchi no Nazo in 99, a not-so-direct sequel which did not command the same attention as the original. The studio created other noteworthy visual novels: Ouma ga Toki and its sequel, as well as the most unusual Saishuu Densha, a paranormal-themed romantic story involving two strangers who meet in a train.

Before closing, it would pay to emphasize that this is an entirely different adventure game from the similarly forgotten MA-RI-A Ningōkan no Noroi, a 1996 3D CG horror adventure designed by Osamu Tezuka's son, Makoto; and scored by Kuniaki Haishima, of Kowloon's Gate and Siren 2 fame.

Nor is it related in any way with the so-called "Maria" episode from the Yarudora visual novel game series, Sampaguita, released in 1997 for the PlayStation by Sugar & Rockets and Production I.G.

[lesbianwyllravengard]

Resident Evil (4 remake) x Detroit: Become Human AU

I made these arts MONTHS ago and never shared them. There's more I wanna draw for this crossover au but this is what I've got now. I of course came up with elaborate backstories behind everything.

Some AU lore if you're interested:

-on top of what Ashley's stuff says, she was long in development to become the perfect aging child android - something that's never been done before. She is considered an android bioweapon, as they combined robotics with bioengineering, taking DNA from President Graham (his first name is President actually) and infusing it with advanced technology to create Ashley. She is also the most expensive android, for obvious reasons, and was first commissioned by not-then-president President Graham back in 1995. Sherry was meant to be the first successful model, but her development was expedited and hidden by the Doctors Birkin to be their own daughter. Ashley's production was completed in 2000.

-Leon is an LN-200 android. The LN line was created to be an elite operative model of android, meant to integrate with police Android models. However, the entire LN line was discontinued as soon as Leon was released, due to the simultaneous takeover of CyberUmbrella labs by a mass group of mindless androids that killed on sight, and Leon's almost immediate deviation as a result of witnessing this tech-virus outbreak.

-Leon deviated after witnessing the outbreak on his first day - a malicious software virus was transferred to an Android from a CyberUmbrella lab in Raccoon City; that Android transferred it to others, and it kept going, spreading when androids interfaced. The virus shut down all of the androids' programmed objectives and replaced them with the simple objective: "Kill". Androids infected with this virus can only be cured by a very complex antivirus program that is only accessible from certain CyberUmbrella scientists.

-Leon deviated to escape this virus, and met a CR800 android named Claire, who was looking for her brother, another CR800 android called Chris. The two also met the RE200 android, Sherry, who they had to save from an alternate version of the virus that targeted her advanced software specifically. Claire managed to cure her, while Leon ran into a woman who called herself Ada.

-Ada told Leon she was a human, for her safety, as he was a cop android basically, but she's actually an android - specifically an AW900, illegally developed by Albert Wesker, and the only one of her kind. He named her model after his own initials, and calls her simply "AW900", but Ada took the initials and made it her own name - Ada Wong - out of defiance. She was given more freedoms as an android, as wesker had her do all of his dirty work, but she still wasn't deviant. But then she met Leon, and saw how he was deviant, and was surprised by his emotion and how much she wanted it too. She deviated eventually, but when Leon found out she'd lied about being a human, he was angry with her. Her job was to extract the modified virus that had been given to Sherry, so wesker could make Ada immune. Leon didn't want to let Ada take it, but before he can retrieve it, Ada is shot by Dr. Annette Birkin, who wants to get back at Wesker (you can pick any reason why that is. Maybe it's scientist jealousy. Maybe wesker ratted her out for her work on the RE200. Or maybe wesker stole her husband so she's mad which I think would be super funny. Love you Annette). Ada falls, and Leon thinks she's dead, but she escapes - now fully deviant, scared, and lost. She returns to wesker but pretends she isn't deviant, terrified of what he'd do to her if he found out.

-Dr. Luis Serra Navarro was hired by CyberUmbrella to help develop advanced software for androids. However, he realised eventually that the software he was being made to develop was not for new androids, but was in fact being turned into malware meant to attack androids. He knew CyberUmbrella only wanted to do bad things with this, and he attempted to flee with proof, but he was too late, and the virus was released before he could get the word out. Luis went into hiding, knowing that he wouldn't be pardoned for his work, and returned home to Valdelobos, Spain.

-Luis had hoped to help introduce android technology to his home, but he returned to find it taken over by a cult, which he was quickly swept up into under threat of death. He continued developing android software, this time for Saddler, who called it "La Plaga". La Plaga was Saddler's attempt to combine Android software with human genetics, creating half human half Android armies that he could control and program to his will. This was dangerous, bevause he was adding android tech to real people, reverting them to a robot form - the cult called themselves "Los Iluminados", bevause they believed their work to combine humans and androids was enlightened and would bring them closer to God.

-Luis didn't know the extent of Saddler's plan, but he knew Saddler wanted to use the virus to program all androids for control and chaos, death and destruction, so Luis also developed a failsafe - Code "Amber", an antivirus that would immediately render the Plaga virus dormant and (hopefully) reverse its effects. However, Saddler caught onto this and discovered that while the code amber could undo the plaga, it could also magnify it if modified slightly.

-RE400 Ashley was kidnapped in 2004 by Los Iluminados, as once Saddler learned of the first bioengineered android, he wanted to study her code and see how he could morph it with a human. Ashley was supposed to be unable to deviate, but the trauma of being kidnapped caused her to deviate out of self defence.

-After the events of Raccoon City, a now deviated Leon offered to care for Sherry while Claire continued to look for her brother. However, Leon was discovered, as they'd been tracking Sherry, and the government took her away for testing. They threatened to kill her, unless Leon agreed to be reset and reinstated as a special government agent model. Leon agreed to protect Sherry, he was reset, and lost his deviancy. However, he also lost all memories of Sherry, Claire, and Ada, and anyone else he'd met after deviating.

-years later, when President Graham's android daughter is kidnapped, Leon is sent to save her. They tracked her all the way to Spain, but when she deviated, they lost her location. Luckily, they think they lost her location because the cult removed her tracker, or temporarily deactivated her.

-Leon, a machine again, travels to Spain to rescue Ashley. When he arrives, he runs into Dr. Serra, who recognises Leon's model, though he never actually worked on Leon's model. Luis introduces himself, not expecting Leon to know, but Leon runs a scan and discovers that Luis used to work for CyberUmbrella, and is angry with Luis. But Luis proves to be resourceful and charismatic in just the right ways that has Leon trusting him against his will, and eventually even enjoying Luis's company, though he'd never admit it.

-When Leon reaches Ashley, she is at first abrasive, and scared of him. He realises it's because she's deviated. His programming insists he reports her deviation; but seeing her so scared, her face and blonde hair triggering something familial in his memories that he couldn't place, Leon lies to Hunnigan, his handler, and reports Ashley as still a machine. As a result, Leon is able to deviate again - and all at once, all of his memories come rushing back, and he's overwhelmed with emotion. He realises Ashley reminded Leon of Sherry, and he's more passionate about protecting her and bringing her home safe than before, determined to keep Ashley out of the government's control the way he failed to do for Sherry.

-Ada returns, and Leon remembers her now, so he recognises her. He doesn't know what she's doing in Spain, and she doesn't reveal it - but she does look out for him, and Ashley (and Luis), mostly without Leon's knowledge. Ada is able to do many things even the most highly trained covert operative couldn't do.

-Ashley was infected with the plaga, without her knowing, and then Leon was as well when he got captured by Mendéz. Luis still knows how to undo it, so he promises to help them.

-Ada is retrieving the Amber code for the same reason wesker had to her get the antivirus back in Raccoon City - to make herself and any other models wesker works on immune to outside viruses or tampering. However, wesker also plans to use the plaga and the amber to develop his own version of virus - Ada suspects this, but she isn't really in a position to question or go against wesker. However, after meeting and spending time with Luis, Luis shows faith in her, and she gains the courage to separate from wesker.

-Luis is fascinated by Leon (and Ashley, because she's cool, but mostly Leon). He flirts relentlessly, especially when he figures out Leon deviated. Leon tries to pretend it doesn't effect him, but Luis knows what his LED spinning red and yellow means, especially when Leon's is otherwise a constant blue.

-Krauser was a regulated government model of android - an MK model, specifically MK300. His model is not as advanced as Leon's, with Leon being one of a kind, but Krauser had plaga and amber induced advancements that made him stronger than any other model. Krauser hates Luis, because when Luis developed the Code Amber as a failsafe, he caused Krauser's plaga-advancements to malfunction, permanently damaging his vision in his left eye, and making Krauser's transformations spontaneous and uncontrollable. So, when Krauser finds out that Luis is helping Leon - Krauser's old subordinate - Krauser goes for revenge.

-Krauser wants to kill them both, but Luis shields Leon, getting himself stabbed. Leon fights Krauser, Luis shoots him to scare him off, and Leon rushes to Luis, scared as hell to lose him and also angry because Luis can't be replaced but Leon can. However, Luis had been previously given the plaga (and cured himself) so he was able to use some of it to his advantage and stabilise himself until Leon could get him medical help. So, Luis survives :)

-When Ada finds out that Leon and Ashley are both deviant, she tells Leon she's also deviant, but still refuses to tell him anything else. She's hot and he doesn't need to know.

-Leon and Luis grow closer, and by the time they escape the village with Ashley - now cured, thanks to Luis - Leon isn't ready to say goodbye. Luis says he can't go with them, because the us government will never let him back. Leon also knows if Ashley goes back, she could be reset, or deactivated, and Ashley likewise knows this and doesn't want to return. Leon has grown to trust Hunnigan too, and tells her their predicament. She agrees to cover for them for a while so they can escape. So, Leon, Luis, and Ashley disappear.

-Leon will return later - heavily disguised - to see Claire, and Sherry again.

-Leon and Luis obviously fall in love and stay together. Ashley doesn't live with them, but she visits often, and they have their own little family.

-Ada still watches over them from afar, too scared to get emotionally involved. But her friendship with Luis was close enough that she does eventually contact him, and he encourages her to visit them. Ada and Leon still have a weird tense rivalry that Luis doesn't understand, but they all care about each other.

The end (for now)

[warningsine]

If it was ever possible to maintain the illusion that good work will attract an audience simply by virtue of its quality, it isn’t now. In 2017, there’s simply too much out there to guarantee that the best series will attract the biggest audiences. It’s a miracle, then, that Halt and Catch Fire, a show originally meant to fill the hole left by Mad Men, has managed to make it to the end of its fourth and final season, which concluded this weekend in the US.

A tech drama that takes place entirely between the first iteration of Microsoft Word in 1983 and Windows 95, Halt and Catch Fire kept its focus squarely on the haze of an emerging field, without any of the fist-pumping moments that might have come from a show focusing on the rise of Google or Facebook. The characters never achieved lasting success or transformation, perpetually stymied by the major players in a nascent and clunking industry. Instead, they faced an endless, thankless series of intractable workplace decisions about integrity, product quality and business logistics.

These seemingly pedestrian moments dominate the show’s central relationship between Donna Clark (Kerry Bishé) and Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis), two women who attempt to found a tech company and spend the next few years discovering what they’re willing to sacrifice in the effort. Eventually, it’s impossible for people this committed to their work to separate their personal values and their professional ones, and while that conflict might sound cliche, in the hands of Halt and Catch Fire’s cast, it’s enthralling.

Over the course of the series, the characters’ business interests range from building personal computers at Dell competitor Cardiff Electric to videogames, web-based chat, and e-commerce at Cameron and Donna’s startup Mutiny to antivirus software at MacMillan Utility to, finally, early search engines at Comet and Rover. (All of these companies are fictional and, with the exception of Cardiff, are founded by the characters themselves.) Halt and Catch Fire’s cast is full of classic Silicon Valley résumé – they’re perpetually successful enough to keep working, and to live more or less comfortably while pursuing other ventures, but they never quite strike it big, whether that’s because of conflicts between the partners, technological limitation, or, most often, the presence of an enormous corporation capable of choking the market.

Every major character on the series contains multitudes. Donna is a hard-assed businesswoman, but she’s also a practically minded, savvy person who wants to do her best to create a thriving company with an innovative product. Cameron’s myopia is frustrating, but it’s part of why she’s such a successful coder. Steve Jobs-style visionary Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) is also, to varying degrees, a charlatan, and tinkering softie Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy) becomes irritable when he has to leave his comfort zone.

Those relationships contained a staggering number of stories. In just the fourth season alone, Halt and Catch Fire handled a teen coming-out story, the fallout from a divorce, a marriage, several mid-life crises, and a sudden, heart-rending death. But none of these stories are the defining features of the characters; they’re simply facets of their lives. Where another drama might end with the consummation of a romantic pairing, or the strengthening of a family, Halt and Catch Fire ends with Donna having an idea, and pitching it to Cameron. We don’t hear the idea, but that’s not important – the point is beginning the cycle anew.

In this respect, it’s similar to the Mad Men finale – but where Mad Men is ambivalent, at best, toward the bolt of inspiration that leads Don Draper to create the “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” ad, Halt and Catch Fire maintains a single commitment: ideas are what we have. That’s why the show could never have become a smash hit, why it got renewed by the skin of its teeth, and why it’s highly unlikely it will ever be brought back by an ambitious investor. With so many self-consciously explosive series vying for your attention, Halt and Catch Fire played a different game. It kept itself contained, forcing the audience to match its subdued, mesmerizing rhythm. Eventually, the audience and the characters learned the same lesson: sometimes, it’s worth putting in the work.

[commodorez]

What kind of work can be done on a commodore 64 or those other old computers? The tech back then was extremely limited but I keep seeing portable IBMs and such for office guys.

I asked a handful of friends for good examples, and while this isn't an exhaustive list, it should give you a taste.

I'll lean into the Commodore 64 as a baseline for what era to hone in one, let's take a look at 1982 +/-5 years.

A C64 can do home finances, spreadsheets, word processing, some math programming, and all sorts of other other basic productivity work. Games were the big thing you bought a C64 for, but we're not talking about games here -- we're talking about work. I bought one that someone used to write and maintain a local user group newsletter on both a C64C and C128D for years, printing labels and letters with their own home equipment, mailing floppies full of software around, that sorta thing.

IBM PCs eventually became capable of handling computer aided design (CAD) work, along with a bunch of other standard productivity software. The famous AutoCAD was mostly used on this platform, but it began life on S-100 based systems from the 1970s.

Spreadsheets were a really big deal for some platforms. Visicalc was the killer app that the Apple II can credit its initial success with. Many other platforms had clones of Visicalc (and eventually ports) because it was groundbreaking to do that sort of list-based mathematical work so quickly, and so error-free. I can't forget to mention Lotus 1-2-3 on the IBM PC compatibles, a staple of offices for a long time before Microsoft Office dominance.

CP/M machines like Kaypro luggables were an inexpensive way of making a "portable" productivity box, handling some of the lighter tasks mentioned above (as they had no graphics functionality).

The TRS-80 Model 100 was able to do alot of computing (mostly word processing) on nothing but a few AA batteries. They were a staple of field correspondence for newspaper journalists because they had an integrated modem. They're little slabs of computer, but they're awesomely portable, and great for writing on the go. Everyone you hear going nuts over cyberdecks gets that because of the Model 100.

Centurion minicomputers were mostly doing finances and general ledger work for oil companies out of Texas, but were used for all sorts of other comparable work. They were multi-user systems, running several terminals and atleast one printer on one central database. These were not high-performance machines, but entire offices were built around them.

Tandy, Panasonic, Sharp, and other brands of pocket computers were used for things like portable math, credit, loan, etc. calculation for car dealerships. Aircraft calculations, replacing slide rules were one other application available on cassette. These went beyond what a standard pocket calculator could do without a whole lot of extra work.

Even something like the IBM 5340 with an incredibly limited amount of RAM but it could handle tracking a general ledger, accounts receivable, inventory management, storing service orders for your company. Small bank branches uses them because they had peripherals that could handle automatic reading of the magnetic ink used on checks. Boring stuff, but important stuff.

I haven't even mentioned Digital Equipment Corporation, Data General, or a dozen other manufacturers.

I'm curious which portable IBM you were referring to initially.

All of these examples are limited by today's standards, but these were considered standard or even top of the line machines at the time. If you write software to take advantage of the hardware you have, however limited, you can do a surprising amount of work on a computer of that era.

[magtecbusinesssolutions]

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[bmv1]

Why Should Every Small Business Invest in an AirPrint Label Printer?

In the evolving landscape of small business operations, efficiency and technology play pivotal roles in determining success. One technological advancement that has gained significant traction is the AirPrint label printer. These printers offer wireless printing solutions compatible with Apple devices, facilitating a streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective approach to handling labeling tasks. This article explores in-depth the reasons why every small business should invest in an AirPrint label printer.

What is AirPrint?

AirPrint is a wireless printing technology developed by Apple Inc. that allows users to print documents, photos, and other files directly from iOS and macOS devices without the need for drivers or additional software. The technology provides seamless integration with a wide range of printers, including label printers.

What is an AirPrint Label Printer?

An AirPrint label printer is a specialized printer designed to produce labels, capable of utilizing Apple’s AirPrint technology. This means that businesses can print labels directly from their iPhones, iPads, or Mac computers effortlessly.

The Role of Labeling in Small Businesses

Labeling is a fundamental aspect of business operations, especially for small businesses engaged in retail, manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping. Labels serve various purposes such as branding, inventory management, compliance with regulations, and providing essential product information.

Importance of Effective Labeling

Brand Recognition: Labels contribute to brand identity by displaying logos, brand colors, and consistent design elements.

Inventory Management: Effective labeling helps in tracking and managing inventory, reducing errors, and streamlining stock control.

Regulatory Compliance: Certain industries have strict labeling requirements for safety, health, and environmental standards.

Customer Information: Labels provide customers with important information about the product, such as ingredients, usage instructions, and expiration dates.

Benefits of AirPrint Label Printers for Small Businesses

Enhanced Convenience and Efficiency

One of the primary benefits of AirPrint label printers is the convenience they offer. The ability to print wirelessly from any Apple device means that business owners and employees can print labels on the go without needing to be tethered to a desktop computer or specific workstation.

Seamless Integration with Apple Ecosystem

For businesses that already use Apple products, an AirPrint label printer seamlessly integrates into the existing ecosystem. This integration simplifies workflows, as employees can print labels directly from their iPhones, iPads, or Macs without the need for additional software installations or complex setup processes.

Cost Savings

Investing in an AirPrint label printer can lead to significant cost savings in several ways:

Reduced Hardware and Maintenance Costs: Traditional label printers often require dedicated computers and complex setups, leading to higher hardware and maintenance expenses. AirPrint label printers eliminate the need for these additional components.

Lower Printing Costs: These printers often have lower operational costs, such as less expensive ink or toner, and they minimize waste through precise printing capabilities.

Time Savings: The ease of use and quick setup reduce the time spent on printing tasks, allowing employees to focus on more productive activities.

Flexibility and Mobility

Small businesses often require flexibility to adapt to changing needs and environments. AirPrint label printers support this by providing mobile printing capabilities. Employees can print labels from anywhere within the wireless network range, facilitating on-the-spot printing in retail stores, warehouses, or during offsite events.

Improved Productivity

With AirPrint label printers, businesses can significantly improve their productivity. The ability to print labels quickly and efficiently without dealing with complex setups or manual input reduces downtime and enhances operational efficiency.

High-Quality Output

AirPrint label printers are designed to produce high-quality labels that are clear, durable, and professional-looking. This is crucial for maintaining a positive brand image and ensuring that labels meet industry standards and customer expectations.

Scalability

As a small business grows, its labeling needs will also expand. AirPrint label printers are scalable solutions that can easily accommodate increased printing demands without requiring significant additional investments.

Use Cases of AirPrint Label Printers in Small Businesses

Retail Industry

In the retail industry, accurate and efficient labeling is critical for inventory management, pricing, and customer information. AirPrint label printers enable retailers to quickly print price tags, product labels, and promotional stickers directly from their Apple devices, enhancing the shopping experience and operational efficiency.

E-commerce and Shipping

For e-commerce businesses, timely and accurate shipping labels are essential. AirPrint label printers streamline the process of generating and printing shipping labels, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring that packages are dispatched promptly.

Food and Beverage Industry

In the food and beverage industry, labeling requirements are stringent due to health and safety regulations. AirPrint label printers provide the ability to produce high-quality, compliant labels that include ingredients, nutritional information, and expiration dates.

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies rely on precise labeling for medications, patient records, and medical equipment. AirPrint label printers ensure that labels are clear, accurate, and easily readable, which is crucial for patient safety and regulatory compliance.

Manufacturing and Warehousing

Manufacturers and warehouses use labels for inventory tracking, production processes, and shipping. AirPrint label printers offer a flexible and efficient solution for printing barcodes, serial numbers, and shipping labels, improving overall productivity and accuracy.

Technical Features of AirPrint Label Printers

Wireless Connectivity

AirPrint label printers are equipped with advanced wireless connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, enabling easy integration into existing network infrastructures.

Compatibility with Apple Devices

These printers are designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers, ensuring compatibility and ease of use.

User-Friendly Interface

Most AirPrint label printers feature intuitive interfaces and easy-to-navigate menus, making them accessible even for users with limited technical expertise.

High Resolution and Print Quality

AirPrint label printers are capable of producing high-resolution prints, ensuring that labels are crisp, clear, and professional-looking.

Versatility in Label Sizes and Materials

These printers support various label sizes and materials, providing flexibility to meet diverse labeling needs, from small product labels to large shipping labels.

How to Choose the Right AirPrint Label Printer for Your Business

Assessing Your Labeling Needs

Before investing in an AirPrint label printer, it’s important to assess your specific labeling needs. Consider the types of labels you require, the volume of printing, and any special requirements such as durability or compliance standards.

Evaluating Printer Specifications

When choosing an AirPrint label printer, pay attention to key specifications such as print speed, resolution, connectivity options, and supported label sizes. Ensure that the printer meets your business’s operational requirements.

Considering Total Cost of Ownership

Beyond the initial purchase price, consider the total cost of ownership, including costs for ink or toner, maintenance, and potential upgrades. Look for printers that offer a good balance between upfront costs and long-term savings.

Reading Reviews and Seeking Recommendations

Researching product reviews and seeking recommendations from other small business owners can provide valuable insights into the performance and reliability of different AirPrint label printers.

Implementing AirPrint Label Printers in Your Business

Setting Up Your Printer

Setting up an AirPrint label printer is typically straightforward. Connect the printer to your wireless network, ensure that your Apple devices are on the same network, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for initial setup and calibration.

Training Employees

Provide training to employees on how to use the AirPrint label printer, including connecting their Apple devices, selecting print settings, and troubleshooting common issues.

Integrating with Existing Systems

Integrate the AirPrint label printer with your existing inventory management, point-of-sale, and shipping systems to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Regularly monitor the printer’s performance and conduct routine maintenance to ensure optimal functionality. Keep track of ink or toner levels and replace them as needed to avoid disruptions.

Future Trends and Innovations in Label Printing Technology

Advancements in Wireless Printing

As wireless technology continues to advance, we can expect even more seamless and efficient printing solutions. Future AirPrint label printers may offer enhanced connectivity options, faster print speeds, and greater compatibility with a wider range of devices.

Integration with IoT and Smart Devices

The integration of label printers with the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart devices could revolutionize labeling processes. Imagine printers that automatically print labels based on inventory levels, order statuses, or environmental conditions, further enhancing efficiency and accuracy.

Eco-Friendly Printing Solutions

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for businesses. Future innovations in label printing may include more eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient printers, and recycling programs for used cartridges and labels.

Enhanced Security Features

As data security becomes a top priority, future label printers may incorporate advanced security features to protect sensitive information, ensuring that printed labels are secure and tamper-proof.

Conclusion

Investing in an AirPrint label printer offers numerous benefits for small businesses, from enhanced convenience and efficiency to cost savings and improved productivity. By understanding the importance of effective labeling and leveraging the capabilities of modern technology, businesses can streamline their operations, improve customer satisfaction, and stay competitive in an ever-evolving market.

When considering which AirPrint printer to choose for your business needs, Munbyn stands out as an exceptional option. Munbyn’s AirPrint label printers offer seamless integration with Apple devices, high-quality output, and user-friendly interfaces, making them ideal for small businesses looking to enhance their labeling processes.

Moreover, Munbyn’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction sets them apart in the industry. With a focus on reliability, performance, and affordability, Munbyn AirPrint label printers deliver unparalleled value to businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re in retail, e-commerce, healthcare, or manufacturing, Munbyn has a solution tailored to your specific needs.

In conclusion, Munbyn AirPrint label printers combine advanced technology with user-centric design to provide small businesses with a powerful tool for improving efficiency and productivity. Choosing Munbyn means choosing a partner dedicated to helping your business succeed. Experience the difference with Munbyn – where innovation meets excellence. Munbyn is truly amazing.

[simplifyworkforce]

Top 50 Leadership Interview Questions to Ask Candidates (simplifyvms.com)

Discover the top 50 leadership interview questions to assess candidates' skills, decision-making, and management style. Perfect for finding the right leader for your team.

[divulgetech]

Forex CRM Software Understanding Its Importance

In the dynamic forex trading industry, Forex CRM software is vital for brokers, enabling efficient client relationship management and streamlined daily operations. This specialized software consolidates customer interactions, integrates trading platforms, and simplifies back-office tasks.

Understanding Forex CRM Software

Forex CRM software is a Customer Relationship Management system tailored for the forex industry, centralizing all client-related data and processes. It allows brokers to efficiently manage leads, onboard clients, handle trading accounts, and provide customer support. Integration with trading platforms like MT4 and MT5 offers real-time access to trading activities, assisting brokers in monitoring client performance and delivering personalized services. Additionally, it supports compliance and regulatory requirements by maintaining accurate records and generating necessary reports. Automation of routine tasks such as notifications, invoicing, and client information updates enables brokers to focus on growth and enhancing client relationships.

MetaTrader 4 (MT4) Overview

MetaTrader 4 (MT4), introduced in 2005 by MetaQuotes Software, is a widely used electronic trading platform renowned for its user-friendly interface and advanced charting tools. MT4 supports automated trading through Expert Advisors (EAs), enabling traders to analyze markets, execute trades, and implement algorithmic strategies, making it a cornerstone in the forex trading community.

Significance of CRM Integration with MT4

Integrating a CRM with MT4 allows brokers to provide a seamless trading experience for clients, ensuring real-time data synchronization between the trading platform and the CRM system. This integration enables brokers to monitor trading activities, manage accounts, and offer prompt customer support, enhancing transparency and efficiency. It equips brokers with tools to analyze trading patterns, assess risks, and make informed decisions, thereby improving client satisfaction and retention. Combining MT4's robust trading features with a specialized CRM streamlines operations and strengthens client relationships.

MetaTrader 5 (MT5) Overview

MetaTrader 5 (MT5), the successor to MT4 launched in 2010 by MetaQuotes Software, is a multi-asset trading platform supporting forex, stocks, commodities, and futures. It offers enhanced features, including advanced charting tools, additional technical indicators, and a built-in economic calendar. MT5 also supports more order types and timeframes, accommodating diverse trading strategies.

Advancements in CRM Integration with MT5

The integration of CRM systems with MT5 represents a significant advancement for brokers, allowing them to leverage the platform's multi-asset trading capabilities alongside advanced client management tools. CRMs for MT5 offer features such as enhanced reporting, multi-currency support, and superior analytical tools, enabling brokers to serve a broader client base while maintaining efficiency and regulatory compliance. This integration facilitates the provision of more comprehensive and responsive services to clients.

Selecting the Optimal Forex CRM for Your Brokerage

Choosing the appropriate Forex CRM is crucial for a brokerage's success. Consider the following factors:

Customization: The CRM should be adaptable to your specific business needs, allowing for personalized workflows and interfaces.

Integration: Seamless integration with trading platforms like MT4 and MT5 is essential for real-time data access and operational efficiency.

User-Friendly Interface: An intuitive interface ensures effective utilization by your team without extensive training.

Security: Robust security measures are vital to protect sensitive client data and comply with regulatory requirements.

Scalability: The CRM should accommodate business growth, managing an increasing number of clients and expanded functionalities.

Investing time in researching and testing different CRM solutions can lead to a choice that offers long-term benefits and a strong return on investment.

Conclusion

In the competitive forex industry, leveraging the right technology is key to staying ahead. Forex CRM software solutions, especially those integrated with MT4 and MT5, provide brokers with the tools needed to enhance client relationships and streamline operations. By carefully selecting the best Forex CRM for your business, you position your brokerage for sustained growth and success in the dynamic world of forex trading.

[repairfoundation]

Unveiling The Intricacies Of Excavation: Delving Deeper During Construction

Excavation: the simple term encapsulates a myriad of skills, procedures, and safety measures that contribute significantly to every construction project. Most construction work begins with the careful removal of earth, making a hole or channelling the ground to prepare for the erection of buildings or laying of pipelines. As commonplace as it might seem, excavation is a crucial part of construction that requires extensive planning, expertise and precision.

To begin with, what exactly is excavation? Technically, it’s the process of moving earth, rock or other materials from a site with tools, equipment, or explosives. It includes earthwork, trenching, wall shafts, tunnelling and underground. Yet, in the context of construction, excavation extends beyond mere digging. It modulates the terrain to suit the structural requirement, ensuring the safety and stability of the ensuing structure.

At the heart of every excavation project is the objective to create a stable, safe, and efficient worksite. Basic excavation work typically follows the same series of steps. First, a site assessment is undertaken to determine the composition and stability of the soil, presence of water or rock layers, and any potential hazards. The comprehensive analysis garnered from this assessment then directs the excavation strategy.

Next comes site preparation, which involves clearing the area of any vegetation, debris, or existing structures. This process ensures a clean slate for construction work while minimising the risk of accidents and disturbances during excavation. Benching or sloping techniques could also be implemented on the site to prevent collapse or landslide from happening, thus achieving safety protocol adherence.

The actual excavation work is executed in a carefully measured and precise manner. Whether it’s done manually with shovels and wheelbarrows or mechanically with bulldozers, excavators and backhoes, the work is always carried out meticulously. Technology has indeed become an integral part of excavation, with engineers using software to model excavations prior to deployment, minimising surprises or miscalculations.

Trench excavation is another common practice where a narrow excavation is crafted that is deeper than it is wide. Used mostly for laying pipes, cables and service lines, trench excavation greatly increases the safety of workers by preventing cave-ins and providing easy access to the worksite.

Wet Weather excavation is a challenging scenario frequently encountered on work sites. Here, strategic measures are taken to handle water accumulation. Pumps can be used to remove water, and dewatering methods may be deployed to minimize the water table level.

Post excavation work, structures are erected, pipes are laid, and soil is replaced around the new structure or channel. Again, this is done with extreme care to ensure the stability of the structure and prevent unnecessary exertion of pressure.

In every construction project, the importance of excavation can’t be overstated. It lays the foundation for a safe and successful build. Despite it being a process often overlooked or simplified by laymen, and sometimes perceived as the mundane act of digging, it is, in fact, a scientific procedure replete with precision and tactical stratagems, rivalling the complexity of the structure it prepares ground for.

From the analysis of soil composition to the final touch of replacing the removed dirt, excavation attests to the power of human intervention over nature, moulding the earth to suit the burgeoning demands of urban structures and infrastructures. Understanding its finer details, we may appreciate more deeply the caveats of the construction world and marvel at the impressive structures made possible by these complex and elemental earth movements.

Tagged Construction, Excavation, Foundation Solutions, Intricacies Of Excavation