#the probability of user errors should be minimized as much as possible

[sanguine-tenshi]

Genuinely think that if you design a piece of technology that is user unfriendly you should be brought before a firing squad.

[partnerportalai]

How to Choose the right Vendor Management System for your business?

An efficient Vendor Management System is a determining factor in a business's probability of success in this competitive world. With various vendors and suppliers to deal with, a good Vendor Management System (VMS) can simplify processes, improve collaboration with vendors, boost efficiency and drive cost savings for your company. However, with a wide array of options, selecting the ideal Vendor Management System for your business can feel overwhelming. Here we will guide you through essential considerations that need to be taken care of and steps to help you choose a perfect Vendor Management System which would align perfectly with your company’s unique requirements. 

Evaluate your current system and get clarity on your needs:  

Begin by thoroughly understanding your current management system and assess what it's lacking. Jot down your business's vendor management needs in a concise format. Consider factors such as the size of your business, the complexity of your vendor network, the volume of transactions, future expansion plans, the complexity of your supply chain, integration with existing systems, etc. Make a note of critical elements such as onboarding, performance tracking, contract management, or analytics. This clarity will help you streamline your options and find a VMS system that aligns with your business also taking into account your future expansion goals. 

Look for companies offering user-friendly interfaces and excellent support:  

A good VMS system should offer agile vendor onboarding capabilities simplifying it for your team to add or remove vendors to or from the system and gather relevant details. This is an important point to keep in mind as it minimizes the learning curve for your team and helps them quickly adapt to the system reducing the time taken for the shift. Also, assess the training resources, onboarding support, and customer service offered by the VMS system partner. 

Seek a scalable VMS system with customizable features:  

Look for a vendor management system that can evolve to accommodate your business growth. It should be adept at handling an increasing number of transactions and vendors without compromising performance. Additionally, flexible vendor management software allows you to configure the system to your distinctive processes, giving a persistent solution for efficient vendor management. 

Find systems with seamless integration capabilities:  

Assess how easily the VMS system can integrate with your current technology stack. Integration with your existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, accounting software, or any other tools should be effortless for seamless data flow and reduced manual entry. Check if the VMS system is compatible with popular platforms or if needed investigate custom integrations. An integrated vendor management system enhances productivity and minimizes errors. 

Consider if the vendor management software supports other currencies:  

If you operate your business internationally, this is an important point to consider. Check if the system supports other currencies, which would allow you to manage transactions and vendor payments seamlessly. 

Check if the VMS system adheres to the required security and compliance:  

Vendor management involves handling confidential information, so security and compliance regulations must be followed. Ensure that the vendor management system follows industry-standard practices such as data encryption, access controls, security audits, etc. Discuss these policies with the VMS system company beforehand. 

Discuss the total cost of software and implementation:  

Understand from the provider how much would the entire ownership cost, including software price, setting-up fees, maintenance fees and possible customization costs. Compare pricing and determine if it fits your budget the best. 

Check for VMS system provider’s reputation:  

Check if the provider has a good track record and assess their company and other products. Engage with the provider company directly to understand their responsiveness, and keenness to resolve issues. Investigate their services agreements, contracts and support channels such as email, phone or dedicated customer support portal. 

Picking the right Vendor Management Software requires a thorough understanding of your company’s needs and future goals, focusing on ease of user experience and support, and considering scalability and integration capabilities. The decision can significantly affect your company’s vendor-related operations. So, take the time to evaluate different VMS system options, request demos and muster feedback from references. 

In addition, we encourage you to explore Partner Portal which can prove to be a reliable and trusted provider for your vendor management needs. Partner Portal offers an all-inclusive and user-friendly system that can seamlessly fit into your unique business processes. With stellar customer support, Partner Portal ensures an effortless onboarding experience for your team. Furthermore, Partner Portal has security and compliance as its priority, adhering to best industry standard practices and safeguarding your sensitive data. Partner Portal is also a smart system that easily adapts to your ever-evolving vendor management strategy. If you are looking for a comprehensive vendor management software solution that combines flexibility, functionality and brilliant service, consider upgrading your vendor management with Partner Portal today! 

[texasconcealedcarry]

Making Sure Your Handgun Never Fails

To establish a pistol's or revolver's dependability, you must remove human error and gather data using your chosen ammo. The reliability of a handgun for self-defense is critical. And by reliable, we mean that when the trigger is pressed, there is a 99.99 percent probability that it will fire and cycle correctly. Many people assume that a 1,000-round test fire is necessary to demonstrate reliability. It may seem to be the most dependable method of demonstrating reliability. Still, it is essentially a way of wasting money. Recognize that the ammunition you must establish reliability with is the ammunition you will carry in your pistol for personal defense. Having a gun that functions well with practice ammunition increases the likelihood of working well with carrying ammo. We cannot, however, depend on chance. All ammunition carried must first pass a reliability check. Furthermore, carrying ammo may cost up to a dollar for every shot. What Are The Reasons For Handguns Failure? Modern handguns are often built to withstand frequent usage and many firings. Nonetheless, almost every gun owner will have failures from time to time. Knowing what factors could impair a firearm's performance is essential for ensuring the user's safety.  Let's examine the causes of handgun failures in more detail: Rusting:  Rusting in handguns may be caused by a variety of catalysts. It may begin internally, like in the barrel, or externally, but by the time you detect it on the outside, it's most likely also internal to the handgun. Your pistol will rust if exposed to humidity and water vapor in the air, which might happen if you keep it in a damp place or use it outside. Corrosive ammo, which has a primer that emits salts when lit, may do the same to the interior of your barrel. Because the chemicals are meant to break down tough dirt, applying too much solvent without first rinsing it out may result in corrosion and pitting. With regular maintenance and careful storage, however, you may avoid these problems. If you use corrosive ammunition, clean your pistol after each use. Residual Fouling Buildup:  Fouling residue accumulation in the barrel is due to each bullet that travels through your pistol. They leave behind gunpowder remains and trace quantities of lead and copper. The remaining fouling might accumulate in the barrel, impacting your accuracy and possibly the reliability of your handgun. Failure To Feed (FTF):  Lubricant may go into areas it shouldn't, particularly if you over-oil your firearm. It may cause an FTF if it gets into the regions that transfer bullets from the magazine to the chamber. You may keep pulling the trigger all day long, but the bullet will never make it inside the chamber. A regular cleaning routine can assist you in avoiding over-lubrication and ensuring the mechanisms are properly operating. Failure To Eject (FTE):  Unlike the other two failures, FTE refers to the casing jamming in the barrel of the handgun. It is an annoyance and less harmful than the other two, but it is also avoidable with frequent cleaning. Failure To Fire:  Failure to fire is a prevalent problem with handguns that aren't cleaned on a regular basis. If enough residue buildup up on the gun, it may fail to fire a round of ammo when you squeeze the trigger. It's a mistake that may be inconvenient at the range or potentially threaten your life if you're using a pistol for self-defense. There's also a potential that the live ammunition may explode in the gun, which is quite hazardous. Cleaning minimizes your chances of having a failure to fire when firing greatly. Double Feed: In the event of a double feed, two live rounds will try to feed into the chamber simultaneously. Remove the magazine first to fix a double feed. The slide should then be racked to eject both bullets. Insert a new magazine once both bullets have been removed. Short Stroke: A short stroke occurs when the gun does not finish a complete cycle after firing a bullet. The cartridge will correctly exit the barrel, but the slide will not have returned all the way, indicating that the gun did not load a fresh round. Typically, there is no evidence that a short stroke has occurred. Misfire: When the weapon produces a click instead of a shot after being fired, it is considered a misfire. A defective primer is usually the cause of a misfire. It might potentially be a problem with the gun's firing pin.  Squib Load: A squib is a cartridge with insufficient powder charge to fire the bullet through the chamber and out the barrel. As a result, the bullet becomes lodged in the barrel. A squib may endanger you and your gun. You must understand what occurs when you fire the trigger. A squib will go Pop!, not Bang!, and will most likely feel less recoil than usual. If there is no squib, you may be able to load and fire another round. However, this may seriously harm your gun. Stop firing if you fear you have a squib. Hangfire: A hangfire occurs when the firing pin strikes the primer of the bullet before the cartridge fires. For at least 30 seconds, keep your pistol pointing in a safe direction to check whether the bullet goes off. Rack the slide to expel the defective ammunition while safely holding the gun pointing. Slamfire: When a fresh round is loaded into the chamber, the bolt return causes the firing pin to strike the primer forcefully enough to allow the cartridge to fire without the trigger being engaged. It is the most potentially lethal malfunction. You should never chamber a round unless the gun's muzzle points away from you and toward a solid barrier. Conclusion: You should now have a solid sense of what may go wrong while handling a live weapon and how to resolve the issue if things don't go as planned. Please remember to pay close attention to the squib load and ensure that you understand the risks of firing another round when a squib load occurs. For that reason, while handloading ammo, constantly focuses and be attentive. Read the full article

[pictureamoebae]

RESHADE 5.0

ReShade 5.0 has been released, after 467 years of production (or so it seems).

It’s [MAYBE NOT*] safe to update, your presets should all still work.

* In-game shadows seem to be broken with 5.0. I’ve finally been able to update and test them. I asked over at the ReShade discord and they know the new version works strangely with TS4. They don’t know why, and don’t know if it’ll be fixed. If you’re having problems, revert to 4.9.1 - this is why we make backups.

---

As always, MAKE BACKUPS of your current installation, along with all your current shaders and dll and ini files, keep them labelled with the version number, just in case you want to revert with minimal pain.

The biggest change end users need to worry about at the moment (apart from the shadows) is to the installation process. The installer has been redesigned to be more familiar, and what’s especially interesting is you can choose a specific preset when installing and it will attempt to work out which packs you need to download for that preset to work. If you’re using a preset by some absolute awkward weirdo like me, there are probably still going to be extra steps because I add in extra shaders and so forth, but it’s a cool new feature nevertheless.

What’s particularly exciting about 5.0 is it now incorporates an Add-Ons system. For the moment, you don’t need to worry about that. But eventually people will be producing all sorts of add-on modules that can tap directly into the game engine and do some cool stuff, like replacing game textures, etc. I’m not knowledgeable enough to fully understand what’s possible yet, and I very much doubt I’ll ever be in a position myself to create any add-ons, but over the next few months I expect lots of fun things will be happening and I’ll try to keep myself abreast of it in case any of it is useful for TS4.

Note: The main ReShade download has disabled all add-ons apart from generic depth buffer detection. This is because add-ons can be used to cheat in online games. There is a version that enables add-ons (you can dl it from the bottom of the release post in the forum) but if you use it be aware you may be banned from some online games (the regular version is whitelisted on game servers). Use at your own peril. If in doubt, stick with the official version - it’s all you need.

Some things you may need to be aware of if you’re using 5.0:

→ The shadows bug as per above (I'll update if a fix is found).

→ There is no longer any option to download the Legacy Pack as part of the installation process. GOOD! So many people encountered problems because they were downloading it alongside other packs when expressly advised not to. Now you have to follow the advice I’ve been giving: download the Legacy Pack manually from github, and only install those shaders you need (and all the textures).

→ If you’ve ever needed to access the d3d9 tab in the ReShade menu to troubleshoot the depth buffer, that has now moved. You can find the same screen in Add-Ons > Generic Depth.

→ For those who have updated to 5.0 and kept some of their older 3.x or 4.x shaders, they should still work as before, but if you do get any RED errors the offending shaders will be listed at the top of your shader list so you can easily identify them and decide if they’re worth keeping. If not, just go ahead and delete them from your shader folder. If you do need them, check to see if there are updates post-5.0 from their respective repository (usually found somewhere on github - if you google the name of the pack they’re part of you should find them). You can download the whole new pack, or just the relevant shader, and replace it in your shaders folder. There is also a list of popular shader packs here.

---

I haven’t spent a lot of time with 5.0 yet, but if you encounter any problems I’ll do my best to help. As always, try to give me as much information as possible (saying ‘it’s not working, help me’ tells me absolutely nothing - how do I help you with that?), and screenshots are often a huge help. I have a discord server with a dedicated ReShade channel - I check that more frequently than I check my asks here, so it can be easier to get in touch that way. And there are lots of other people there who’ve been around the ReShade block a few times who can also help in my absence.

--- 

I’ve also posted this over at Patreon, if you prefer to be able to refer to it without dealing with my tumblr theme.

[rowanpbon745]

HTTP response status codes indicate if a particular HTTP request was successfully finished

HTTP reaction standing codes suggest no matter whether or not a precise HTTP ask for has long been productively done. Responses are grouped in 5 courses:

From the function you obtain a response that just isn't During this checklist, it's a non-standard response, probably personalized into the host's application.

Information responses

100 ContinueThis interim reaction suggests that every thing is Okay and the client must go on the request, or dismiss the solution In case the petition is presently completed. 101 Switching ProtocolThis code is sent in reaction to a Upgrade request header from the purchaser, and signifies the protocol the server is switching to. 103 Historical HintsThis standing code is mainly supposed to get used applying the hyperlink header, letting the purchaser agent start out preloading assets when the server prepares an answer.

Successful responses

200 OKThe request has succeeded. The significance in the accomplishment is contingent on the HTTP approach:

GET: The supply was fetched and it is despatched during the information entire body.

Place or Write-up: The resource describing the result from the action is despatched into the concept system.

201 Produced The ask for has succeeded and also a new source was made Consequently. This is certainly usually the response despatched after Publish requests, or any PUT requests. 202 AcceptedThe petition continues to be received although not yet acted on. It really is noncommittal, due to the fact there's Certainly not any way in HTTP to Later on deliver an asynchronous reaction suggesting the consequence from the request. It's intended for cases where a special course of action or host handles the request, or for batch processing. 203 Non-Authoritative Info This reply code signifies the returned meta-data isn't accurately the same as is out there with the supply server, but is collected from the regional or even a third-occasion backup. This is certainly generally useful for mirrors or backups of another useful resource. Aside from that unique circumstance, the"200 OK" reaction is desired to this status. 204 No Contentthere is completely not any material to ship for this petition, although the headers may perhaps be practical. The person-agent may well update its cached headers for this useful resource While using the new ones. 205 Reset ContentTells the consumer-agent to reset the doc which sent this petition. 206 Partial ContentThis response code is employed although the Range header is sent by the shopper to request only Portion of a resource. 208 Already Reported (WebDAV)Utilized inside of a remedy component to keep away from regularly enumerating the internal members of several bindings to the exact same collection. 226 IM Used (HTTP Delta encoding)The server has fulfilled a GET ask for to the resource, as well as the solution is often a representation on the consequence of additional occasion-manipulations applied to the current occasion.

Redirection messages

300 Multiple Option The petition has above 1 attainable response. The user-agent or client has to pick between these. (There is certainly no standardized way of deciding upon one among the answers, but HTML links to the prospects are advised so the consumer can select.) The brand new URL is presented inside the reaction. 302 FoundThis response code suggests that the URI of requested resource was modified briefly. Additional variations within the URI may well be gained Later on. So, this identical URI ought to be used with the customer in potential requests. 303 See OtherThe waiter despatched this response to manual the consumer to acquire the requested supply at Yet another URI with a GET ask for. 304 Not ModifiedThis is used for caching features. It tells the consumer that the reaction has not nevertheless been modified, Therefore the consumer can proceed to implement a similar cached version of this response. 305 Use Proxy Outlined in a very previous Model from the HTTP specification to reveal a asked for response needs to be retrieved by suggests of the proxy. It can be been deprecated because of security concerns pertaining to in-band configuration of the proxy. 306 unusedThis reply code is not any much more utilized; it truly is just reserved. It was used in a prior version of the HTTP/1.one specification. 307 Temporary RedirectThe server sends this reaction to immediate the consumer to get the requested source at a special URI with exact same strategy which was applied in the earlier petition. This has the identical semantics given that the 302 Located HTTP answer code, with the exception that the consumer agent shouldn't change the HTTP system utilized: When a Article was utilised in the 1st request, a Put up will have to be utilized in the second request. 308 Permanent RedirectThis usually means the useful resource is now permanently Situated at A different URI, presented from the Locale: HTTP Reaction header. This has the same semantics given that the 301 Moved Permanently HTTP response code, While using the exception the consumer consultant have to not improve the HTTP system employed: When a Submit was utilized in the Preliminary petition, a Submit should be applied while in the up coming ask for.

Client mistake answers

400 Bad RequestThe server couldn't realize the ask for due to invalid syntax. That may be, the customer need to authenticate by itself to get the requested answer. The Preliminary goal for producing this code has been working with it for electronic payment solutions, but this status code is often used really infrequently and no conventional Conference exists. 403 ForbiddenThe client doesn't have entry rights to this substance; that is, it can be unauthorized, so the server is refusing to deliver the requested useful resource. Compared with 401, the consumer's identification is known to the host. 404 Not FoundThe device cannot locate the requested source. In the browser, this normally usually means the URL is not regarded. In an API, this can also reveal that the endpoint is genuine nevertheless the useful resource alone isn't going to exist. Servers may also ship this response as an alternative to 403 to conceal the event of the supply from an unauthorized consumer. This reaction code is almost certainly by far the most famed one as a consequence of the frequent event online. 405 Method Not AllowedThe petition method is regarded by the server but has been disabled and can't be employed. By the use of occasion, an API may possibly forbid DELETE-ing a useful resource. The two mandatory procedures, GET and HEAD, need to never ever be disabled and should not return this error code. 406 Not AcceptableThis solution http://discorddownn.moonfruit.com/?preview=Y is sent when the server, right after accomplishing server-driven content negotiation, won't uncover any material which adheres on the criteria supplied from the consumer consultant. 407 Proxy Authentication RequiredThis resembles 401 but authentication is essential for being performed by a proxy. 408 Request TimeoutThis reaction is shipped on an idle connection by a few servers, even without prior ask for from the shopper. It commonly implies the server would like to close this down new link. This response may be utilized noticeably more since some browsers, like Chrome, Firefox 27+, or IE9, make the most of HTTP pre-link mechanisms to quicken browsing. Also Be aware that many servers simply shut down the connection with out sending this information. 409 ConflictThis reaction is sent any time a ask for conflicts While using the current state of the server. 410 GoneThis reaction is delivered once the requested information has become forever deleted from server, with out a forwarding address. Consumers are predicted to clear away their caches and hyperlinks on the useful resource. The HTTP specification ideas this position code to be used for"minimal-time, promotional expert services". APIs shouldn't feel pressured to indicate sources that are deleted with this standing code. 411 Length RequiredServer turned down the ask for since the Material-Length header industry just isn't outlined as well as the server needs it. 412 Precondition FailedThe consumer has indicated preconditions in its own headers that the server doesn't satisfy. 413 Payload Too Big Ask for entity is greater than limitations defined by host; the server may well shut the website link or return the Retry-After header area. 414 URI Too LongThe URI requested through the purchaser is longer compared to the server is ready to interpret. 415 Unsupported Media TypeThe media format of the info which is asked for just isn't supported with the host, Therefore the server is rejecting the petition. 416 Range Not SatisfiableThe variety specified by the Assortment header industry in the ask for can't be fulfilled; it is achievable which the scope is outdoors the scale of this concentrate on URI's facts. 417 Expectation FailedThis reaction code signifies the expectation indicated from the Foresee ask for header industry cannot be fulfilled by the host. 418 I'm a teapotThe server refuses the try to brew coffee using a teapot. 421 Misdirected RequestThe ask for was directed in a server which will not be capable to generate a reaction. This might be transmitted by a server that is not configured to develop responses with the combo of scheme and authority that are included in the ask for URI. 422 Unprocessable Entity (WebDAV)The petition was perfectly-fashioned but was not able to get followed because of semantic errors. 423 Locked (WebDAV)The source that has become obtained is locked. 424 Failed Dependency (WebDAV)The request failed on account of failure of a preceding request. 425 Too Early Suggests which the host is unwilling to threat processing a petition that might be replayed. 426 Upgrade RequiredThe server is not going to do the request with the current protocol but might be ready to take action subsequent the client upgrades to One more protocol. The server sends an Update header at a 426 reaction to suggest the obligatory protocol(s). 428 Precondition RequiredThe supply server demands the petition to turn out to be conditional. This response is intended to safeguard against the'shed update' issue, the place a client gets a useful resource's point out, modifies it, and Places back again to the server, when a third party has altered the state within the server, leading to a battle. 429 Too Many RequestsThe person has delivered too many requests in the precise sum of your time ("amount restricting"). 431 Request Header Fields Too Big The server is unwilling to course of action the ask for simply because its header fields are excessively massive. The request may be resubmitted right after lessening the dimension from the request header fields. 451 Unavailable For Legal ReasonsThe person-agent requested a resource which often can't lawfully be furnished, including an internet site censored by a federal government.

Server error responses

500 Internal Server ErrorThe server has encountered a situation it isn't going to learn how to tackle. 501 Not ImplementedThe petition technique isn't supported with the server and are unable to be handled. The one procedures that servers are required to persuade (and as a result that should not return this code) are GET and HEAD. 502 Bad GatewayThis mistake reaction means that the server, when employed as a gateway to have a reaction necessary to manage the ask for, obtained an invalid reaction. 503 Service UnavailableThe machine is just not ready to contend with the request. Regular leads to really are a host that is definitely down for routine maintenance or that is certainly overloaded. Notice that with this response, a person-welcoming web site detailing the problem must be despatched. This solutions should really be useful for short-term disorders in conjunction with also the Retry-Right after: HTTP header must, if at all possible, include the approximated time previous to the recovery of this service. The webmaster need to also acquire care about the caching-related headers that are sent collectively with this particular response, since these short term condition answers ought to ordinarily not be cached. 504 Gateway TimeoutThis error response is provided when the device is performing as a gateway and are unable to obtain a response in time. 505 HTTP Version Not SupportedThe HTTP Variation used in the petition is not really supported with the host. 508 Loop Detected (WebDAV)The server detected an infinite loop whilst processing the ask for. 510 Not ExtendedAdded extensions to the ask for are demanded to the waiter to match it.

[myclickbankwhole]

Whole Food Supplements -- Resurge2020

Alternative To Typical Synthetic Supplements Is Needed, Say Experts

Whole food supplements is currently a topic of worldwide interest. A profusion of evidence has recently come to light suggesting that ordinary synthetic multivitamin supplements may be hazardous to your health. Goran Bjelakovic, a respected scientist from the University of Copenhagen, headed up a massive meta-study that looked at the results of 67 placebo-controlled trials previously undertaken to determine the effects of vitamin and anti-oxidant supplements on longevity. In the end, the study combined observations of 232 000 test subjects. By using such a large population sample, a study can become much more powerful with regards to spotting large-scale trends and overcoming human bias.

LINK-- https://bit.ly/3g8CKf8

The results of the analysis, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, were nothing less than shocking. Looking at patients with diabetes, heart disease and lung cancer, as well as healthy, normal individuals, there was no apparent benefit to taking popular fractionated supplements like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Selenium, or beta-Carotene. In fact, the results went in the opposite direction - there was an increased chance of death (16 percent) amongst Vitamin A users, a 7 percent higher death rate amongst beta-Carotene users, and a 4 percent mortality increase in Vitamin E users. Beta-Carotene and Retinol, promoted as anti-carcinogenic agents, may promote lung cancer. That's right - pills marketed as helping you towards a longer, healthier life are in fact correlated with a speedier demise. This study used typical supplements on the market made from synthetic vitamins.

To add insult to injury, a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition under the unimaginative title of "Ascorbic Acid Supplementation Does Not Attenuate Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness Following Muscle-Damaging Exercise But May Delay The Recovery Process" indicated that supplementation with anti-oxidants from synthetic sources may reverse many of the beneficial effects of physical training.

Now, this is not to say that anti-oxidants or vitamins are bad for you. Far from it - these supplements were created on the basis of solid science. Anti-oxidants are still believed to protect cells from the ravages of free radicals. The problem, rather, is the idea that you can get those benefits from synthetic isolated compounds. Disease and the aging process are usually far more complicated than test-tube studies can account for. Furthermore, the issue of bioavailability is an ever-present concern. Many typical synthetic supplements include huge amounts of the advertised vitamin, but lack the additional compounds needed to ensure that their key ingredients are actually absorbed by the body. Passing straight through the digestive tract, these 'miracle health cures' often wind up doing little beyond giving people expensive urine. To the rescue...Whole Food Supplements.

LINK-- https://bit.ly/3g8CKf8

What the layperson should take from all this is not a sense that we've made no progress in the last century regarding uncovering adequate means of personal health maintenance. There's one thing that nobody is disputing, and that's the importance of a healthy, well-rounded diet replete in fruit, orange, yellow and dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, high quality carbohydrates and lean proteins and supplementation from whole food supplements. . When you avoid taking in harmful chemicals such as those in food preservatives, flavorings, flavor enhancers and 'synthetic vitamin additives', you'll not only reduce your intake of toxins. You'll also be forced to tap into the most nutritionally reliable source available, namely natural nutrition. Human beings have evolved to consume unprocessed plant and animal food sources. Recent research suggests that the superiority of natural ratios and formulations has been massively undervalued.

Whole food supplements are foods that haven't been processed or refined, or have undergone as little processing as possible for preservation or human consumption. Much as is the case with organic food, whole food supplements call for the avoidance of chemically assisted agriculture. The concept is one of a minimization of human interference with the processes of nature. This is based on the guiding principle that nature's products make for healthier products than the products of human industry.

While this is a claim met by much resistance from the refined food and pharmaceutical industries, it's being repeatedly borne out by the results of research. A study of women shifted from a diet high in processed foods to one replete with whole foods and whole food supplements resulted in a 61% decrease in saturated fat intake. They also experienced increases in dietary fiber of 60 percent, a 45 percent increase in vitamin E, a 60 percent improvement in vitamin C intake, and a five-fold increase in carotene intake. The net result of this new phytochemical-rich diet was an induced drop in total cholesterol of 13 percent - meaning less risk of heart disease and stroke, statistically still the biggest killers of people in first world countries. In the short term, they also saw vast improvements in bowel function and overall perceived health. Clearly whole food supplements are preferable to typical synthetic supplementation.

So the message, actually, seems to be rather clear. Eat a diet comprised primarily of whole foods and whole food supplements, and you'll be a shoe-in for long life and a vital, healthy old age. It sounds simple, but there is a problem with that approach, at least in our current era of constant industry and nine-to-five workdays. Progressively, people in developed countries are struggling to keep up with the clock. Even as work-induced stress makes the disciplinary challenge of sticking to a diet more daunting, so spending what little free time one has on grocery shopping can seem like its own special kind of waste. Unlike processed foods, whole foods are not very easily stored, meaning that to eat according to such a diet, you'll need to visit a farmer's market and buy your food fresh every few days. This is where well-meaning eaters so often falter in the journey towards health improvement and a trimmer waistline, entering the lifelong trend of yo-yo dieting.

LINK-- https://bit.ly/3g8CKf8

Furthermore, many foods may not even be available in certain countries. Tell someone that lives in South Africa to eat more kale and you might as well be informing them of the beneficial effects of zero gravity.

Bent on finding their way around these obstacles to simple health maintenance, scientists have worked an angle that may sound, at first blush, a little counterintuitive. The goal of pharmaceutical supplementation has always been to preserve or improve upon the nutritional efficacy of whole foods in tablet and powder form. Through a rigorous process of trial and error, it was discovered that, by curing vegetables, herbs and other nutrient sources, grinding them up into powder, and forming that powder into tablets or capsules, it was possible to retain much of their nourishing value .This is only true of whole food supplements that have been processed using little or no heat. And so, it appears, one can finally enjoy the benefits of healthy eating via the simple act of popping a few pills. The benefit over ordinary eating is in the combinations of nutrient sources (and the quantities thereof) chosen, designed to complement each other and aid in the most complete, favorable absorption of the ingredients. Due to the incredible decrease in size that desiccation brings, it's also possible to consume far more of said nutrients, avoiding the sometimes undesirable need to stuff one's face with greens.

The effect of whole food supplements has been very favorably contrasted with artificial supplements such as multivitamins. The reason whole food supplements come out on top is simple: your body recognizes the ratios of nutrients in whole foods and processes them far more easily than supplements consisting of isolated or fractionated nutrients.The body recognizes whole food supplements as nutrition and is able to metabolize and utilize them efficiently.

The best idea, say experts, when it comes to determining your whole food supplements requirements is to decide on the readily available foods that you can and will eat consistently, then fill in the gaps from there. A general list of the most highly recommended vegetables with regards to anti-aging and health benefits would include kale, chard, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, red and green peppers, garlic, onions, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, green peas, asparagus and carrots. At Rutgers University, New Jersey, nutritional and food science Professor Paul A. Lachance headed up a study, published in the Journal of The American College of Nutrition, to evaluate 29 popular fruit, and ranked them in descending order of value according to the benefits they confer. His top ten list read as follows: kiwi, papaya, cantaloupe, strawberry, mango, lemon, orange, red currant, mandarin orange and avocado. To be effective these foods must be eaten raw.

In terms of supplementing beyond this list, when it comes to picking the right whole food supplements for your purposes, you'll probably want to look for much the same things you might have looked for in artificial supplements in the past - compounds to promote joint health, brain health, immunity and so on, by the use of anti-oxidants like resveratrol, beta-carotene along with other amino acids and vitamins. The difference may not lie in the listed ingredients, but rather in the manner those ingredients were derived - from common (and some not-so-common) plants, vegetables, fruits, herbs and so on. This is how natural whole food supplements companies source their nutrients.

What Supplements Should You Take?

Whether you use vital nutrients as your barometer of what and how much to eat, or the guide in determining what wholefood supplements you need, determining their presence or lack thereof is probably the best way to evaluate a diet. Below are listed some of the vital nutrients most people should consider supplementing in their diets - the ones people are typically deficient in, and those that provide the most benefits. Included are the foods in which those nutrients can be found.

Anti-oxidants

Anti-oxidant supplementation is, obviously, sought after for its promised effects of protection against disease, cellular breakdown, cancer and ultimately aging. In 2004, a study by the USDA revealed the best dietary sources of anti-oxidants. Published in the peer-reviewed publication of the American Chemical Society, the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study showed that foods like beans and artichokes take pride of place in the anti-oxidant-rich-food hierarchy. The study also demonstrated powerfully beneficial effects from pecan nuts, cinnamon and russet potatoes.

B-Vitamins

The B-Vitamins play a highly important role in cell metabolism. Once thought to be a single vitamin, these were later discovered to be a group of chemically distinct vitamins that frequently coexist in particular foods. Health supplements that contain the full roster of eight B-Vitamins are called Vitamin B Complex supplements. These vitamins help to maintain good muscle and skin tone, promoting cell growth, particularly of red blood cells, and thereby providing protection from anemia. They support and increase the rate of metabolism, meaning that they can also assist in maintaining a healthy weight. Notably, they decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer, but only when consumed as a whole food, not as a synthetic fractionated tablet. Most B-vitamins must be consumed daily, as any excess is speedily excreted in the urine. Good sources include potatoes, bananas, lentils, chile peppers, brewer's yeast, whole food supplements, molasses, tuna, animal livers and meat. Since the vitamin B12 cannot be produced by vegetable sources, deficiency in this nutrient is of particular concern for vegetarians, who need to get it by consuming supplements or fortified breakfast cereals to avoid possible ill consequences on health. For the more omnivorous amongst us, good sources are fish, meat, poultry and eggs.

LINK-- https://bit.ly/3g8CKf8

Beta-Carotene

A famed member of the antioxidant family, Beta-Carotene is worth mentioning alone, especially for its assistance in the uptake of vitamin A. It's the substance that colors carrots orange, and assists in the buildup of epidermal retinol, responsible for protecting the skin from sun damage. It's abundant in crude palm oil and Vietnamese gac, which have the highest Beta-Carotene content of any vegetable or fruit. These are, unfortunately, often filtered for clarity before sale, a process which removes all carotenoids. Other sources include papayas, mangoes, carrots, yams, spinach, kale and sweet potato leaves and quality whole food supplements.

Calcium

It's the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust, but that doesn't mean that conscientious calcium consumption shouldn't be a concern of anyone looking to live to a sturdy, healthy old age. Calcium is essential for many essential cellular processes. "Calcium plays an important role in building stronger, denser bones early in life and keeping bones strong and healthy later in life," says the National Osteoporosis Foundation, and it's a recommendation that has been hammered into us through media to the point of filtering into commonsense and popular culture. Prolonged calcium deficiency leads to rickets, poor blood clotting and an increased risk of fractures.

The best known sources of calcium are dairy products. Unfortunately, lactose intolerance is far from a rare disorder, and various other ailments and personal philosophies (such as veganism) keep certain individuals from consuming dairy products. Luckily, there are numerous good vegetable sources of calcium, including nuts, seeds, seaweed, oranges, figs, beans, broccoli and fortified products like soy milk. One poorly recognized sources of calcium is ground eggshell. For information on the calcium content of foods, visit the USDA National Nutrient Database online. The easiest way to consume calcium that the body will recognize as food is to take whole food supplements.

Magnesium

It plays a vital role in regulating neuromuscular activities, most notably those of the heart. It assists in maintaining good blood pressure, healthy muscle tone and good skin pallor. It helps us metabolize calcium and vitamin C, and as such deficiency in magnesium can result in calcium depletion, kidney stones, muscular irritability, nervousness and confusion. Yet the stunning fact is that the majority of people on earth (around 80%) are known to be deficient in Magnesium. Typical rates of intake are between 143 and 266 mg per day - significantly lower than the FDA's recommended daily intake of 350 mg. Deficiency in Magnesium has also been implicated in the development of chronic diseases like asthma, osteoporosis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Good food sources include nuts, seeds, spices, bran cereals, quinoa, soybeans, coffee, cocoa, tea and green, leafy vegetables. It has been speculated that the reduced intake of dietary magnesium in developed countries can be correlated with the rise of food refinement and the use of modern, magnesium-free fertilizers. Amongst dietary supplements, magnesium citrate has been regularly proven as the most bioavailable, beating the oxide and amino-acid chelate forms for its rate of absorption. Synthetic supplements can not be absorbed: use whole food supplements to maintain proper levels.

L-ascorbic Acid

Better known as vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid is perhaps the most popular of supplements, and has been used to treat disease ever since the French explorer Jacques Cartier boiled the needles of the arbor vitae tree to treat scurvy in 1536. The resultant tea was later shown to contain 50mg of vitamin C per 100 grams. Like Magnesium, without regular uptake vitamin C is quickly eliminated through the urine, so it's easy to become deficient without supplementation. While oranges are famous for their vitamin C content, the more obscure but vastly more potent sources, such as kakadu plums, camu camu, rose hips and Indian gooseberries are slowly gaining popular recognition, as are common sources like blackcurrants, red peppers, parsley and guava. Animal sources of this nutrient include oysters, pork, beef, calf and chicken livers, cod roe and, as unpalatable as it may sound, lamb brain. The easiest way to maintain proper levels is with whole food supplements.

Coenzyme Q10

An oil-soluble, vitamin-like substance found in most plants and animals, CoQ10 is responsible for supporting the process of ATP generation, responsible for ninety five percent of the human body's energy. The organs with the highest energy requirements - such as the liver and heart - thus require the most Co-Q10. Known for this strengthening effect on the heart muscle, CoQ10 has been used to treat many forms of cardiac condition, although the extent of its role in energy production is still not fully understood. It has been shown to have beneficial effects on sufferers of migraine headaches, to lower blood pressure, reverse gum disease, and aid in weight loss. It is known for its ability to slow the shrinkage of the thymus gland, thus preventing the weakening of the immune system that typically accompanies old age. It is also being investigated for its potential to mitigate the effects of cancer.

The best dietary sources of CoQ10 are sardines, mackerel, the livers of beef, pork and lamb, eggs, spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wheat germ and whole grains. The easiest way to maintain levels is with whole food supplements for rapid absorption.

Dietary Fiber

While it might be a bit of stretch to call it a nutrient, dietary fiber or 'roughage' is vital to the health of the digestive system, and thus to the efficacy with which all other nutrients get absorbed. Roughage is comprised of the indigestible parts of plant foods that easy the progress of food through the digestive system, easing defecation.

Good plant sources of fiber include psyllium seed husk, bran flakes, legumes, oats, rye, barley, prune juice, plums, lentils, beans, quinoa, berries, bananas, broccoli, carrots, artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, whole grain foods, wheat, corn bran, flax seed, green beans and tomatoes.

Soluble fiber or probiotic supplements can also be beneficial to easing the symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome. The FDA reports that studies have found that "diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, diabetes, digestive disorders, and heart disease."

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

The nutritionally important Omega 3 fatty acids - Alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA), Eicosapentanoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA) - have been credited with supporting cardiovascular health, circulation and healthy vision, as well as promoting better function of the brain and immune system. DHA and EPA are made by microalgae which, living in seawater, are consumed by fish and plankton, accumulating to high levels in their internal organs.

Use of omega 3's in the form of fish oil has been shown to reduce risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure, and offset the effects of arthritis. It also causes a decrease in LDL, the 'bad' form of cholesterol. Additionally, there is some evidence that it helps in ameliorating depression and anxiety. Amongst cancer patients, fish oil clearly reduced tumor growth, increased survival times, and help patients retain muscle mass during treatment. It has also demonstrably reduced the symptoms of sufferers of mental disorders, including chronic aggression and ADHD.

The best dietary source of omega 3's is probably fish. However, a much publicized risk of regular fish ingestion lies in the potential for heavy metal poisoning by the accumulation of toxic elements in the gut - notably mercury, lead, nickel and arsenic. However, a 2004 study by the FDA has indicated that, of the 44 popular commercial fish oils tested, all passed contaminant safety standards. Thus it is recommended that health conscious individuals get their omega 3's this way - by mixing fish oil into their foods, or taking gel supplement capsules. Omega 3 supplementation has turned into a food marketing trend, with many companies selling everything from fortified yoghurts and juices to milk, eggs and pasta. Flax seeds, which produce linseed oil, also have a very high omega 3 content, and are probably the most widely available botanical source of omega 3. Other sources include chia, kiwifruit, perilla , lingonberry, butternut, black raspberry, broccoli and strawberries. The best and easiest way to obtain this is by taking exceptionally pure, cold processed oils in whole food supplements.

Flavonoids

These plant secondary metabolites are best known for their antioxidant activity. This impression may be a little inaccurate. The massive increase in the antioxidant capacity of the blood after the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods is most probably due to increased levels of uric acid. In essence, the body sees flavonoids as foreign, invading compounds, and does its best to eliminate them. This induces the activity of Phase II enzymes, which help to eliminate carcinogens. Cancer researchers at UCLA found that people who eat foods containing certain flavonoids appear to be virtually immune to lung cancer. The best among these appear to be strawberries, green and black teas, Brussels sprouts, apples, beans and onions, parsley, pulses, red wine, and gingko biloba. Evidently, only small quantities of such flavonoids is required to see the desired effects, an overindulgence can reverse them into negative territory. Other applications of flavonoids includes the treatment of easy bruising, hemorrhoids and varicose veins.

Interferon

Discovered by Japanese virologists at Tokyo University in the 1950's, interferons are cell-signaling proteins produced by the immune systems of vertebrates in responds to viruses, parasites and other threats. They assist the response of the immune system by dampening viral replication, thus increasing the resistance of host cells to infection. This is an effect that can be used protectively by the administration of interferon drugs. Interferon therapy is commonly used as a treatment for cancer, as well as in the treatment and control of autoimmune disorder and multiple sclerosis.

Throughout Eastern Europe and Russia, interferon is taken intranasally as a means of preventing and treating respiratory diseases of viral origin, like flu and cold. Good food sources of this substance include quark cheese and flax oil, but the best method of ingestion is probably by supplementation. The only natural compound formula created by the discoverers of interferon is a Shaklee exclusive Nutriferon recommended dose is 2 tablets daily. For more information visit http://www.thenutritionnurse.com

Iron

Crucial to the functioning of all known organisms, Iron is a vital component of hemoglobin, the compound in blood responsible for delivering oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. It also plays an important role in enzyme reactions in various tissues. Iron deficiency is the most common known form of nutritional deficiency, and is most prevalent in children and pre-menopausal women - an estimated 90% of women fail to get the recommended daily amount. The outcome is iron deficiency anaemia, which results in fatigue, impaired concentration, impaired immune function and a sallow, yellow pallor, among other unpleasant maladies. Infants and pregnant women typically require iron supplementation for optimum health.

Good whole food supplements sources of iron include red meat, fish, poultry, tofu, beans, lentils, leafy green vegetables, peas, and fortified products like bread and breakfast cereals. In supplementary terms, the most bioavailable form of iron is that which has been chelated into amino acids. This is often referred to as iron glycinate.

Phosphatidyl Choline/Lecithin

This is one of those dietary components that most people haven't heard of. It's got a difficult name, and there are no major illnesses associated with deficiency in it. However, the potential benefits to consuming it are tremendous. Think improved liver, brain, reproductive and cardiovascular health. In fact, it's sometimes marketed as a nootropic drug for the improvements to neurotransmitter efficacy that it can bring. Research indicates that phosphatidyl choline is intimately involved in the mediation of mood, memory and cognitive function.

The most widely available source of this nutrient is lecithin, which can be derived from soy or egg yolks - in fact, the phosphatidyl choline component of this substance is so great that the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Other foods rich in phosphatidyl choline are beef, veal, chicken and turkey livers, brewer's yeast, fish, peanuts and cauliflower.

Vitamin E

As with a lot of the vitamins, Vitamin E is the collective name for a set of related tocopherols and their corresponding tocotrienols, which have been tied to colon, heart, prostate and immune system health.

Food sources highest in Vitamin E include avocado, asparagus, egg, seeds, nuts, palm oil, spinach, milk, vegetable oils, wholegrain foods, wheat germ, rice and olive oil.

Resveratrol

This phytoalexin, which is produced naturally by several plants when under attack by pathogens, has been correlated with a decreased risk of cancer, increased life expectancy, and lowered blood sugar levels in diabetics. It has also been seen to impact on the four major signs of aging. It is found in the skin of red grapes (and the seeds of muscadines), and as such can be had easily enough by drinking a glass of red wine, which accounts for the cardioprotective effects of the popular beverage. However, it turns out that rather high doses are required for strongly positive effects on humans - levels typically only reached by means of supplementation. The fruit of the mulberry has also been shown to contain notable levels of resveratrol. The most potent and bioavailable form is VIVIX. This is a Shaklee exculsive anti aging tonic and is 10 times more effective than taking resveratrol alone. Only available from an independent Shaklee distributor. See the above link to the Nutrition Nurse.

Zinc

Over two hundred enzymes in the human body depend on zinc for their function. An essential mineral responsible for promoting normal growth, development and immune function, zinc is nonetheless not present in sufficient quantities in the diets of most people in the developing world, two billion of whom are estimated to be zinc deficient. Zinc deficiency is associated with many diseases, including, amongst children, delayed sexual maturation, growth retardation, diarrhea and susceptibility to infection. In fact, zinc deficiency has been linked to the death of over eight hundred thousand children every year.

Zinc levels in food vary according to the levels of essential nutrients in soil, a level which must be maintained by soil conservation. Assuming that levels of zinc in soil are equal, the most zinc-rich plants are wheat germ and bran, seeds, beans, nuts, and blackcurrants. Many cereals are also fortified with zinc sulfate and oxide. Nonetheless, many people supplement this element in their diets as an insurance policy against poor eating habits.

LINK-- https://bit.ly/3g8CKf8

[scifigeneration]

How to prevent Internet congestion during the lockdown

by Hervé Debar, Gaël Thomas, Gregory Blanc, and Olivier Levillain

Taylor Vick/Unsplash, CC BY

The current health crisis has led to a rise in the use of digital services. Telework, along with school closures and the implementation of distance learning solutions (CNED, MOOCs, online learning platforms such as Moodle for example), will put additional strain on these infrastructures since all of these activities are carried out within the network. This raises concerns about overloads during the lockdown period. Across the Internet, however, DNS server loads have not shown a massive increase in traffic, therefore demonstrating that Internet use remains under control.

The Internet is a network that is designed to handle the load. However, telework and distance learning will create an unprecedented load. Simple measures must therefore be taken to limit network load and make better use of the Internet. Of course, these rules can be adapted depending on the tools you have at your disposal.

How do telecommunications networks work?

The Internet network functions by sending packets between machines that are connected to it. An often-used analogy is that of the information highway. In this analogy, the information exchanged between machines of all kinds (computers, telephones and personal assistants, to name just a few) is divided into packets (small and large vehicles). Each packet travels through the network between a source and a destination. All current networks operate according to this principle: Internet, wireless (wi-fi) and mobile (3G, 4G) networks etc.

The network must provide two important properties: reliability and communication speed.

Reliability ensures accurate communication between the source and the destination, meaning that information from the source is transmitted accurately to the destination. Should there be transmission errors, they are detected and the data is retransmitted. If there are too many errors, communication is interrupted. An example of this type of communication is e-mail. The recipient must receive exactly what the sender has sent. Long packets are preferred for this type of communication in order to minimize communication errors and maximise the quantity of data transmitted.

Communication speed makes real-time communication possible. As such, the packets must all travel across the network as quickly as possible, and their crossing time must be roughly constant. This is true for voice networks (3G, 4G) and television. Should a packet be lost, its absence may be imperceptible. This applies to videos or sound, for example, since our brain compensates for the loss. In this case, it is better to lose a packet from time to time – this leads to communication of lower quality, but they remain usable in most cases.

Congestion problems

The network has a large overall capacity but it is limited for each of its components. When there is very high demand, certain components can become congested (routers, links and servers). In such cases, the two properties (reliability and speed) can break down.

For communications that require reliability (web, e-mail), the network uses the TCP protocol (TCP from the expression “TCP/IP”). This protocol introduces a session mechanism, which is implemented to ensure reliability. When a packet is detected as lost by its source, it is retransmitted until the destination indicates that it has arrived. This retransmission of packets exacerbates network congestion, and what was a temporary slowdown turns into a bottleneck. To put it simply, the more congested the network, the more the sessions resend packets. Such congestion is a well-known phenomenon during the “Internet rush hour” after work.

If the source considers that a communication has been subject too many errors, it will close the “session.” When this occurs, a great quantity of data may be lost, since the source and the destination no longer know much about the other’s current state. The congestion therefore causes a wastage of capacity, even once it is over.

For communications that require speed (video, voice), the network instead uses the UDP protocol. Unfortunately, routers are often configured to reject this kind of traffic in the event of a temporary overload. This makes it possible to prioritize traffic using sessions (TCP, email, web). Losing a few packets in a video or voice communication is not a problem, but losing a significant amount can greatly affect the quality of the communication. Since the source and destination exchange only limited information about problems encountered, they may have the impression that they are communicating when this is not actually the case.

The following proposals aim to limit network load and congestion, in order to avoid a situation in which packets start to get lost. It should be noted that the user may be explicitly informed about this loss of packets, but this is not always the case. It may be observed following delays or a deterioration of communication quality.

What sort of communications should be prioritized in the professional sphere?

Professional use must prioritise connection time for exchanging e-mails or synchronising files. But the majority of work should be carried out without being connected to the network, since for a great number of activities, there is no need to be connected.

The most crucial and probably most frequently used tool is e-mail. The main consequence of the network load may be the time it takes to send and transmit messages. The following best practices will allow you to send shorter, less bulky messages, and therefore make e-mail use more fluid:

Choose thick clients (Outlook, Thunderbird for example) rather than web-based clients (Outlook Web Access, Zimbra, Gmail for example) since using e-mail in a browser increases data exchange. Moreover, using a thick client means that you do not always have to be connected to the network to send and receive e-mails.

When responding to e-mail, delete nonessential content, including attachments and signatures.

Delete or simplify signatures, especially those that include icons and social media images.

Send shorter messages than usual, giving preference to plain text.

Do not add attachments or images that are not essential, and opt for exchanging attachments by shared disks or other services.

When it comes to file sharing, VPNs (for virtual private networks) and cloud computing are the two main solutions. Corporate VPNs will likely be the preferred way to connect to company systems. As noted above, they should only be activated when needed, or potentially on a regular basis, but long sessions should be avoided as they may lead to network congestion.

Most shared disks can also be synchronized locally in order to work remotely. Synchronization is periodic and makes it possible to work offline, for example on office documents.

Keeping in touch with friends and family without overloading the network

Social media will undoubtedly be under great strain. Guidelines similar to those for e-mail should be followed and photos, videos, animated GIFs and other fun but bulky content should only be sent on a limited basis.

Certain messages may be rejected by the network. Except in exceptional circumstances, you should wait for the load to ease before trying again.

Advertising represents a significant portion of web content and congests the network without benefits for the user. Most browsers can incorporate extensions (privacy badger) to delete such content automatically. Some browsers, such as Brave for example, also offer this feature. In general, the use of these tools does not have an impact on important websites such as government websites.

Television and on-demand video services also place great strain on the network. When it comes to video, it is preferable to use TNT (terrestrial network) instead of boxes, which use the Internet. The use of VoD services should be limited, especially during the day, so as to give priority to educational and work applications. And a number of video services have limited their broadcast quality, which significantly reduces bandwidth consumption.

Cybercrime and security

The current crisis will unfortunately be used as an attack tool. Messages about coronavirus must be handled with caution. Such messages must be read carefully and care must be taken with regard to links they may contain if they do not lead to government websites. Attachments should not be opened. The Hoaxbuster website and the Décodeurs application by the Le Monde newspaper can be used to verify whether information is reliable.

At this time in which online meeting systems are extensively used, attention must be given to personal data protection.

The website of ARCEP (France’s regulator for telecom operators) provides guidelines for making the best use of the network. To best protect yourself from attacks, the rules for IT security established by the French cybersecurity agency ANSSI are more important than ever.

About The Authors:

Hervé Debar, Responsable du département Réseaux et Services de Télécommunications à Télécom SudParis, Télécom SudParis – Institut Mines-Télécom, Université Paris-Saclay; Gaël Thomas, Professeur, Télécom SudParis – Institut Mines-Télécom, Université Paris-Saclay; Gregory Blanc, Maître de conférences en cybersécurité, Télécom SudParis – Institut Mines-Télécom, Université Paris-Saclay, and Olivier Levillain, Maître de conférences, Télécom SudParis – Institut Mines-Télécom, Université Paris-Saclay

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

[shan-joed-blog]

Wisdom from Years of Android Development

Source of Information: Android Classes In Pune

I still keep in mind that day back in 2014 once I chose to begin Android growth, and this was among the greatest decisions I required in my entire life. It's been approximately two and a half a year today and that I had the opportunity to understand and un-learn a good deal of items in Android.

Originally when I began, I did not have a mentor or someone who could direct me to do things the ideal way.  I have done a LOT of errors and wasted a great deal of time later rectifying them.

Afterwards, after one and a half a year, I have the opportunity to use some really gifted and expert Android programmers, who advised me and allow me to shape matters in a far greater manner.  Both these stages helped me find out a hell lot of stuff in the tricky way.  

It's been quite a while I have been attempting to assist other programmers in a sense possible for me personally, indirectly and directly.  

In the following guide, I'll be sharing a few of the gems I have gathered lately.  It may help a person to get started quicker rather than repeat the mistakes which I did.

Disclaimer: I could largely be focussing on Android plus a few notions of product and programming development within the following guide, so if you aren't acquainted with some of them, you may rather not read any farther.  Others, just dip.  :--RRB-

Do not Reinvent the Wheel

Originally I had a lousy notion of not utilizing open-source libraries. Whatever I wanted, I only wanted to make it .  It has was severely a terrible thought.

When you've got a problem whilst creating your program, and if this problem was solved by another person earlier and in a fantastic way, why don't you use this? You may save yourself a good deal of time.

Focus on the core business logic of your program.  If you wish to create network calls on your program, you do not have to earn a Retrofit yourself.

Bonus: Android Arsenal keeps a record of nearly all of Android libraries made. Go take a look.

Pick Libraries Wisely

You will find lots and a lot of open-source libraries out there in Github that you use at no cost.  But do not get too excited and begin using libraries .

Assess the amount of celebrities that library gets, the greater the better. Assess whether the writer of the library also have established some other popular libraries too.  Verify the topics (both closed and open ), which may provide you a clearer idea of how powerful and secure the library is in creation.

If you're able to spend the time, then you ought to dip into the code of the library and assess yourself whether its really worthwhile.

You only wish to make certain that the code you're likely to use is dependable, bug-free and high quality.

Pro Suggestion: Try any library hosted straight from the command line with Dryrun.

If you aren't doing this, START today.

Whatever code you're in a position to write now is simply because you've read and heard something, somewhere, someday.  It is only a manifestation of what you know.  You may just grow and improve your self by studying and learning from other's work.

The fantastic thing about Android is the fact that it's an entirely open-source platform.  Dive in the code and assess how they've implemented the frame.  There are hundreds and hundreds of open minded libraries in Github.  Simply select a library and find out the way the programmer have employed it.

Bonus: here's a curated collection of a few of the greatest libraries and here's a list of nearly all accessible Android programs out there.  You're welcome:--RRB-

Should you compare coding together with composing, then coding criteria is similar to your own handwriting.

Since you'd be studying more of the others code, other folks are also studying a great deal of your code and you do not wish to frighten the shit from these, do you really?  And if you're working within a business and cooperating with other programmers greatly, do take particular care of it.

Write brief, readable and clean code which you and people reading your code will like thoroughly.  Your code should read as a narrative.

Do not complain if you compose a bit of code along with your coworkers do not speak to you for a couple of days.

You Want ProGuard, YesYou Want It!

ProGuard not just minifies your code, but it also obfuscates your code which makes it tougher for reverse-engineers to comprehend, replicate and control it.

Its free and comes bundled with all the Android SDK, and there's simply no reason for you to not use it.

I've observed many developers releasing their program in the marketplace with no ProGuard.  It shouldn't require more than a couple of hours to get a not-so-skilled hacker to control an the program published without Proguard.

Pro Suggestion: But if you'd like top-notch protection, then ProGuard is just like a cardboard at the same time you want a secure, and here it's, DexGuard.

Use a Suitable Architecture

You may thank yourself for choosing a suitable structure in the first location.

It's possible to utilize MVP (Model-View-Presenter) structure that may decouple your code to various easy-to-manage layers thereby enhancing code flexibility and significantly reducing maintenance period.

There's a good demo job for you to begin.  And if you're having trouble grasping it, here's a thorough guide for the novices.

Bonus: Do provide a check out this, this and most significantly this.  Every one these can help you in executing MVP on your undertaking.   User Interface Is just like a Joke, Should You Need to Explain It, It Is Bad

Should you work for any company playing the use of"only" a Android programmer, you likely won't have to be overly concerned about that, since there really are UI/UX designers to look after this.

However, if you're a single programmer, you have to get this directly in your mind.  I've seen programmers creating really great programs with good performance, however, the UI looks horrible along with the UX makes it a hassle to use.

Layout a clean, easy and gorgeous interface that's easy on the eyes.  You shouldn't just think as a programmer, instead you need to focus on igniting the concealed designer in you.

Attempt to make a lasting impression in your customers by designing a gorgeous UI, so they return to your program more frequently than others and often convert more (purchase your premium variant ( possibly ).

You ought to find a kick by eliminating elements from your own design, instead of adding.  Keep it minimal and clean.

And there's this book you probably would really like to see if you want to know more about design.

Analytics Is Your Very Best Friend

If you would like to produce a really amazing program, then you have to heavily rely on analytics programs to assess the operation and utilization of different sections of your program.

By analytics, I refer to both the collision reporting and program usage monitoring and you want both of these.

Anything you do, you can't ever make something ideal.  When actual users will begin using your program on various Android apparatus and on different Android variants available, you may also find a few of the greatest written code to drop flat on the floor.

Crash reporting programs can allow you to monitor and fix themone crash at one time.

You also will need to begin thinking like a marketer and also examine the use of various elements of your program.  This is what's going to allow you to bridge the gap between what you've created and what your customers' actually desire.

Pro Suggestion: I strongly suggest looking for the crash reporting tool in Instabug.  You're going to appreciate it.

Make a Marketing Ninja If you're a single programmer, you need to consider beyond being"a programmer" and need to understand marketing too.

I've observed great products fail because of lack of suitable marketing, and also the not-so-good ones become hugely successful only because of fantastic advertising.

If you're seriously interested in your work and need it to reach a huge audience, you want to spend your time and cash in properly advertising your program. But prior to beginning your marketing and advertising campaigns, make certain your program is totally stable with all attributes prepared.  You need maximum conversions out of each penny you pay, right?

Spend some time exploring who your opponents are and how you can overcome them. Identify the ones you're able to compete quickly as well as also the ones which you need to keep aside for a long term struggle.

Pro Suggestion: This is an inexpensive market evaluation instrument, I really like to use.

It Is Time to Boost Your Program

This is something which the majority of us don't do, however, you need to and you want to.

Write code which runs fast, takes less memory and absorbs less apparatus storage.

An unoptimized program works well under ordinary conditions, but when placed to various stressful circumstances, it may show you its true colours.

Bear in mind, a very small leak can sink a large ship.  Spend some time on knowing how the Garbage Collector works in Java, produce heap dumps and examine your live items.

Pro Suggestion: Use Leak Canary to discover your memory flows.  It can save a great deal of time by accomplishing this job for you.

Save Over 5 Hours Each Week with Gradle Builds

It is very very possible that you're utilizing Android Studio to create Android programs and utilizing Gradle as your own build platform.  Gradle is excellent but its slow and it becomes much thinner than a snail as soon as your job size begins to increase in proportion.

I recall the countless hours I've wasted just sitting and awaiting the Gradle assembles to complete.  On hefty workouts, I wasted around one hour just Gradle assembles and that is like 5 hours each week draining the gutter.

However, there are ways to speed this up too.

It is possible to stick to this and this article to greatly enhance your construct rates.  My construct time fell from 4 minutes to less than 30 minutes following appropriate optimization.

Evaluation, Evaluation and When You're Finished, Test Again!

There isn't anything more significant than testing.  This is something which needs to be on very top of your list.

Test your program as completely as you can.   Create various stressful scenarios for your program and see whether it can endure.

I'd formerly made the mistake of publishing my program from rush and did not spend appropriate time analyzing it.  I had been waiting for my customers to confront bugs, report it and then I'd go and mend them.

You may spare a day, or 2, or per week by cutting time from studying, but will most likely have to spend over double afterwards.

Make a visionary.  Sow today, reap afterwards.

There are a massive assortment of all Android devices with different display sizes and hardware specifications from plenty of different apparatus manufactures that personalize the OS for their heart's content.

Added to this are the a variety of Android variants at which Google adds/removes API performance from nowhere to raise your workload further (an example here).

By way of instance, not just one Android programmer has completed a program without using SharedPreferences API.  It is so common, however it had been broken up in Samsung Galaxy S using Android 2.2 (bug report ).

Spend additional time creating different designs for different screen dimensions.  Evaluation on various apparatus, having different variations, different specifications and from various OEMs.

Never presume something could work, simply as it appears so.

Start with Git, Now!

If you're still not utilizing Git, go right ahead and begin using it straight away.

Once I began Android advancement, I was unlucky enough to not understand exactly what the fudge Git was.  I used to replicate my whole project regular and keep 1 backup in my hard disk and another from the cloud.  Seems foolish?  Yes, it was.

Git can radically enhance your workflow.  If a person asks me to mention a tool I use everyday and can not quit using? It is Git and Git each time.

And likely after using it for a couple of days you'd fall in love with it and wish to understand how Git works tirelessly, so here it's prepared for you.

And after some time, you'd be starting a large project your self and get confused about how you should keep a suitable branching model, so that you go.

Bonus: If you're only starting out and can not manage to pay the monthly subscription fee for keeping private repositories from GitHub, it is possible to attempt BitBucket which permits you to do this free of charge.

Make It Hard for the Hackers

The open minded nature of Android is exactly what makes it susceptible to attacks.

You do not need it to happen for your program, right?

You ought to be aware of how to safely store API keys everywhere on your program. If you're managing sensitive information from those consumers, then you have to understand how to encrypt themwhat algorithm to select (secure yet quickly ).

It's also advisable to keep the encryption keys safely in the host or locally (if desired ).   If you're storing sensitive information in the database, then think about obfuscating it.

If your program includes a premium version that gets cracked and has published at no cost.  You'd incur a critical reduction in company, right?

There are many things you can do to stop your program from becoming tampered. There's not anything like 100% safety. Any proficient and recognized hacker with the proper tools, patience and tools may crack your program.

Whatever you need to do is make it hard, rather very tricky for the hacker to decode it.

A luxury apparatus will hide a great deal of flaws while creating your program. Suppose you're doing something from the UI thread that makes its way to get a laggy UI, however onto a potent device, you might never ever observe that.

A classic, low-end apparatus, dumped with a lot of programs makes it perfect for a development apparatus.  

That is an investment which will pay you eternally.

Whilst creating large and intricate programs, you may face some common issues that have probably been solved before by somebody more capable than you, that is when designing patterns comes in to play.

Here's a Github job that shows all of the design patterns known to humanity.

Looks like a great deal?  It really is not.  You'll begin enjoying them after you dip in.

It Is Time to Give Back

Most of us have a great deal of assistance from folks around us and by the net. Lets declare it.  When you have a issue, the very first thing you'd do is Google that and find the very first link from StackOverflow.  Sometimes you're in a rush and you wind up copying and pasting the alternative in the response with the greatest votes.

Ever believed the amount of libraries you're using from Github free of charge and the way in which they have significantly reduced your development efforts and time.  Its because somebody somewhere has taken the opportunity to construct it and donate to make the community better.

Recall the day, if you had been stuck in knowing a challenging idea or something that's completely new to you, and you wind up finding an wonderful blog post that made it super simple for you.  Its because someone skipped a film date and wrote this post.

We're active in our work and also we find it too hard to handle time and do something for others.  But try to get some time each week to donate and make this particular Android community wealthier.

I've attempted to discuss a few of the lessons I have discovered in this brief journey with Android improvement.  I'll continue my trip, find out more and share more.  I hope it will help somebody and makes their life somewhat simpler.

Android Course In Pune | Android Training In Pune | Learn Android Development In Pune

[aire101]

Ferrum Chapter 2

Here’s chapter two, and my apologies for how closely part of it follows Episode 1 of SAO.  After this the story probably won’t follow much of the shown canon at all, though I will probably bring in SAO characters for the boys to interact with eventually.  But in SAO everyone has the same starting point.  But with the world being as complex as it is, I doubt I’ll ever really need to follow episode events or dialogue this closely again.  Though I might get the boys involved in the Level 1 boss battle, we’ll see.

Also, please excuse any incorrect computer/programming/gaming jargon.  I’m doing the best I can. T_T

------------------

Peter was a masochist.  That was really the only explanation for his current situation.  The person had even offered to go their own way before Peter had opened his big mouth and tied them together for the next few hours.

Peter knew it wasn’t really Mr. Stark, he did.  But the avatar looked exactly like the Tony Stark that Peter remembered— before the space starvation and the new stress lines of living in a post-apocalyptic earth.  And he sounded just like him.  He had the same weird humor that fluctuated wildly between arrogance and self-deprecation.  He got Peter’s stupid science jokes and the laugh he gave when Peter growled out “FINISH HIM” during a fight with a boar was painfully familiar.  Several times he had to stop himself from calling out the wrong name, and each time left him feeling like he was repeatedly prodding a gaping chasm of a wound.

“You ok, Ki— uh, sorry… Tor?”

And then there was that.  All in all, it was a perfect recipe for emotional disaster.

“Yeah, sorry… my mind wandered off a bit there.”

“In the middle of a pvp and monster spawn zone might not be the best place for that you know.  How does this game even handle respawns?” asked Ferrum, striking down another boar with a swift horizontal strike.  It taken a bit of trial and error for them to get the hang of activating the sword skills, but once it had clicked they had made quick work of the low level spawns in the area.

“You know, for someone who managed to snag a limited release of this game you know surprisingly little about it,” responded Peter.

“Yes, I known, I’m an enigma.  Humor me and explain please.”

“We’re supposed to respawn in the nearest town I think.  Given the bugs we’ve seen so far though I’m not sure I’d want to test that at the moment.  Might be one way to initiate a logout though?” said Peter.

“I’d rather not risk it, and I’d suggest you do the same until we hear from an actual GM,” said Ferrum, sheathing his sword.  “That being said, we’ve been out here several hours now, wanna head back into town and see if anyone has heard anything?”

“Sure,” said Peter, also putting away his weapon.  They stood in the middle of a clearing with expansive views.  Most of the beasts in this area hadn’t been ones to initiate conflict, and they would have plenty of forewarning if anything headed in their direction.  So for a moment Peter allowed himself to just relax and take a proper look around the area, marveling at the beauty and complexity of the world Argus had built.  Off in the distance he could see hills disappear into the haze of the the horizon and cities raised atop impossible pillars.  In a field not too far from them there were a couple other players likewise looking out, taking in the beauty of the glistening waterfalls and towns painted in oranges and reds as sunset came over Aincrad.  

“I have to give them credit.  When I first heard about their plans for this game I was a bit dubious on whether they would actually be able to deliver on the promise.  Concept art looks great, but actually being able to code a full sensory experience into an application?  And create an entire open world with that data?  I mean, I had thought about the concept before, but the technology needed to do it always made me a bit uneasy…  It would be way to easy for someone to use it in ways it shouldn’t be,” said Ferrum.

“What changed your mind then? I mean, since you’re here now?” asked Peter.

“…I don’t know,” muttered Ferrum, sounding distinctly unsettled with the admission.

Peter opened his mouth with a joke on the tip of his tongue, something to lighten the suddenly uneasy mood—

When the deep toll of a bell rang out from the Town of Beginnings, rolling through the air with the tone of a death knell.

“Huh, wonder if they’re finally about to make an announcement?” said Peter.  “I’m surprised it took so—”

Suddenly a white light enveloped him.  In those seconds he felt nothing, completely stripped of sensory.  Just as he felt himself starting to panic, the light released him and was gone as quickly as it had came.  He found himself and Ferrum once again standing in the center of the plaza of the Town of Beginnings.  All around them seemingly every one of the 10,000 players were similarly being teleported into the square.  

“What the hell?” said Ferrum.

“I don’t know.  Pretty sure they should be able to make announcements across the whole game regardless of player location.  Maybe its an opening event?  Would explain the theatrics of it,” said Peter.

The whole square was a buzz with nervous confusion as people tried to figure out what was going on, then Peter heard someone call out above the crowd, “Up there!”

Peter looked up, and above the square there flashed a single red polygon with the word WARNING.

The sky turned red as more and more polygons spawned proclaiming ‘WARNING’ and ‘SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT.’

Peter wanted to think that maybe they had found the bug.  Maybe they were announcing a fix or instructions for the players…

But even without his spidey sense, something felt wrong.

Then the sky began to bleed.

“What is that?” asked a player to the side in horrified awe as the blood-like liquid began to coalesce into a more solid state.  Within moments it formed into a hooded figure wearing familiar blood red robes with gold trim.

A Game Master— likely an a real one this time.

The crowd of players all began to mutter speculations about the figure or the possibility of an event.

“I have bad feeling about all this.”

Peter jumped.  He had forgotten about Ferrum at his side.  He looked over at the older looking man, taking in the tight lines around his mouth, his eyes darting around the area taking everything in, but not straying too long way from the god-like figure of the GM in front of them.

Peter wished he could reassure the man like he had earlier in the day, but Peter was suddenly very aware that in this world he was no different than anyone else.  Just as vulnerable, just as powerless… What had originally been a main draw for him was now a very real weakness.  

“It would be way to easy for someone to use it in ways it shouldn’t be…”

They were absolutely at the mercy of this monolithic system…

“Attention Players… Welcome to my world.  My name is Kayaba Akihiko.  As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world.”

And whoever controlled it.

“Son of a bitch,” muttered Ferrum, a look of horror on his face.

“I’m sure you’ve already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu,” Kayaba continued.  “But this is not a defect in the game.”

A shiver traveled up Peter’s spine.  A stone of cold fear formed in his stomach.  Surely not… surely someone along the way would have noticed something so horrendous in the code…

“I repeat— this is not a defect in the game.  It is a feature of Sword Art Online.”

“But how… how can he keep us here?  Surely someone on the outside can still get us out?” asked Peter.

“It’s the hardware, Kid.  He’s fucked with the user client hardware that everyone’s brains are wired into,” growled Ferrum.

“You cannot log out of SAO yourselves.  And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear.  Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life,” said Kayaba.

Immediately Peter ran through all the specs on the hardware he was privy to during his time as Tony’s intern, and came to the same conclusion Ferrum already had— this mad man was not lying.  He had disabled the safety mechanism that would keep certain powerful data bursts from frying someone’s brain.

Data bursts such as an autosave or a death respawn.

“Unfortunately, several players’ friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the NerveGear.  As a result, two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world.”

“Two hundred and thirteen…”

Peter turned around to see Ferrum looking on with eyes wide, his right hand grasping his left wrist as his left hand gave small spasms.  

That motion was intimately familiar.  The similarity  was uncanny…

“As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths.” Multiple program windows opened, most featuring various news channels running live, corroborating what Kayaba was explaining.    “Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal.  I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game.

But I want you to remember this clearly.  There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game.  If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost.  And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain.”

So he was right— it was both the autosave and respawn functions that had been weaponized in the headset.  The more he thought about it, the more angry he became.  The man had taken glorious innovations in technology—some of it pioneered by Mr. Stark himself—and twisted it into a personal hell for all these people, some of them undoubtedly children.  As if the world hadn’t been dealing with enough tragedy over the last few years.  He wanted nothing more than to punch Kayaba directly in the face with every pound of his spider strength.

But he couldn’t do that.  In this world, he was just like everyone else.

With great power comes great responsibility… but without that power, was that responsibility still his?

“There is only one means of escape.  To complete the game,” Kayaba said, bringing up a digital layout of the floors of Aincrad.  “You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1.  If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level.  Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game.”

The crowd, which up till now had been mostly muted in shock, finally began to shout and rumble in confusion and denial.  And from the sound of things, this monologue was just about to wrap up.  When it did, all hell was going to break loose.

He had some choices to make, and fast.

“Finally, I’ve added a present from me to your item storage.  Please see for yourselves.”

Shit.  What now?

Peter swiped down to access his storage, feeling distinctly as if he were walking into a trap.  Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ferrum doing so as well.

An item labeled ‘Mirror’ had been placed in his inventory.

“I’m guessing this mirror is the ‘gift,’ though now I’m wondering if he programmed the auto-drop or did it himself, and if he’s aware of my… status,” whispered Ferrum.

That’s right.  Ferrum was a GM, however that had happened.

“Do you think you could—”

But he didn’t get to finish his question, as at that moment everyone in the plaza began to shout as they were all consumed once again by white light.

When it receded, everyone had changed.

Some looked younger, most looked older.  Quite a few people around him looked to have changed genders completely.  Peter glanced back down at the mirror in his to see his Thor-like appearance gone completely, and instead his true face reflected back at him.  

So that was the purpose of the all too thorough calibration he and Ned had gone through.

“Kid,” said a shocked voice at his side.  

Peter turned around towards Ferrum, wondering who had been behind the meticulous avatar of Mr. Stark…

Only to see that Ferrum was completely unchanged.  Perhaps being a GM had made him impervious to the magic of the mirror?

“Underoos… what are you doing here, kid?!”

With those heartbroken words, Peter’s carefully constructed walls came crashing down.

. . . . .

Peter couldn’t think.  He certainly couldn’t speak.

He could vaguely tell that Kayaba had continued with his closing speech, but he couldn’t tell you what he had said.

All he could process was Mr. Stark’s face in front of him, and the name that only he had ever uttered to him.

It was impossible.  He had seen the body—the horrific scorching where the universal energies had burned through him, the life support system shutting off, the brightness leaving behind a cold husk in a metal suit—

Peter’s whole body flinched when he felt that familiar hand rest on his shoulder.

“Kid!  Are you with me?  We need to get out of here.”

In the time Peter had spaced out Kayaba had disappeared, and now the whole crowd was devolving into a panic.  People were screaming in terror and rage, several had broken down into sobbing messes on the ground.

He wanted to do something— anything to make this better.  Tell people that it was ok, they would figure this out.

But more than that, he wanted someone else to tell him that as well.

Finally he brought himself to focus on what Mr. Stark was saying.

“What do you mean we have to go— where else is there to go?” asked Peter.  “We can’t leave the game, we’ve tried—”

“Not the game, we need to get out of town.”

“What— why—”

“We can talk more later, follow me,” Mr. Stark said before running down a nearby alley.

After a few minutes they stopped, and Mr. Stark started flicking through his user interface.

“This is a fantasy RPG… you can’t tell me there are no helmets…”

After scrolling for a while, he tapped an item on the list and spawned a basic metal helmet and quickly placed it on is head, before continuing to run out of town.

“Mr. Stark!  Wait!” cried Peter.

“Don’t shout that kid, otherwise the helmet is pointless!” Mr. Stark called back.

“Ferrum… why are we heading out of town?  Its about to be dark and the only safe zone we know is here!” shouted Peter.

“The people back there are panicking, Peter.  It won’t be much longer before they start turning on each other, looking for someone to take it out on.  Between my face and the fact that some saw me in GM robes earlier I don’t want to chance hanging around for someone to put the pieces together.  Not to mention this area’s resources are going to be swamped before we know it.  Resource management is built in to the Cardinal system to maintain balance and encourage player movement and activity.  There won’t be enough to go around.”

“But if we die on the road the resources we need won’t really matter!” yelled Peter, pulling to a stop.  “There’s only so much they can do to us in town, it’s a No PVP area.  Lets just find an inn on the outskirts of town and spend the night.  We need a better plan than just running out of the safe zone at twilight.”

Mr. Stark had pulled to a stop when Peter had, obviously unwilling to leave him behind.  He looked down the alley, obviously wanting to continue on, but after a moment his shoulders dropped in an obvious show of concession.

“Fine, lets go to the outer ring and find a place,” said Mr. Stark.

As he turned and started walking away, Peter allowed himself a moment to take in the familiar gait, the way Mr. Stark always walked with his back straight and his head held high, as if he were always prepared to walk onto a red carpet, even in his most destroyed workshop clothes.

He could recognize every familiar mannerism from their hours pouring over suit tech and web formulas.  In retrospect, perhaps that as much as his face was why he had latched onto the man to begin with.  

But the billion dollar question still remained… how?

Hopefully once they found a room to bunk in, he could work out what the hell was going on… preferably before he had a complete emotional breakdown.

[rigelmejo]

Review of Lingq and Reader Language Apps

My tentative review of lingq: Literally seems to serve the same function for me as the Pleco Reader. The positive benefit of using lingq - it highlights words you don’t know in blue, words you’ve started learning in yellow, and words you already know are left unhighlighted. This is motivating because the progress you make is clear, and the words you already know you don’t try to over-study or re-memorize (because my perfectionist tendencies LOVE to get hung up studying things I already know before progressing). Lingq also counts the words you’ve marked as known. That is the primary reason I’m trying the app - I wanted to gauge how many chinese words I actually can read and am familiar with.

However, the core negatives to lingq: their dictionary/lookup function for words is clunky and inconvienient. It only shows the most common translation at a quick click pop up and that isn’t necessarily nuanced or correct. The pop up is hard to get rid of because you have to expand it then exit out of it, which is inconvenient and slows down reading (I wish I could just click the pop-up again or click the word again to remove the translation pop up). It has options to search more in-depth definitions on sites like baidu, but all the steps that takes makes doing so just as time consuming as opening the internet browser or baidu app and searching it that way. So the dictionary option I find is lacking and inconvienient, and that affects ease of reading/ease of use. The dictionary feature IS better than the Idiom reader app, but Idiom reader app also has the ability to look up more in-depth definitions which takes just as much time as lingq/a web browser. 

Basically - Pleco Reader is eons better than both of them. Pleco Reader’s only draw back in definitions, is it provides so many that the less familiar you are with chinese, the more its a puzzle of which definition applies (but usually the top ones are the most common, so it’s rarely an issue) - but a reader can’t be expected to know which meaning of 15 possible a writer may have intended, if that meaning’s one of the least common. So it’s just nice that pleco provides the less common ones so it’s easy to look up when those situations arise. In addition, Pleco Reader is very convenient to flip from dictionary explanations back to reader, not slowing the reading experience. Lingq ALSO has very few chinese materials in varying levels. It seems to rely on users uploading their own materials. So a lot of it seems to be ripped from a textbook, or web article, or native book. Pleco Reader in comparison has several graded readers available to purchase, which are great for picking materials at your actual reading level, with relatively high frequency words to learn, and with grammar that should be comprehensible. Also, pleco lets me import any of my own pdf, ebook, and txt documents, along with any website. So I can read webnovels on there, my own graded readers I’ve got from other places, etc. Pleco Reader is MUCH more convenient for reading virtually whatever you want, and it’s definitions are both easier to access (including most idioms you’re likely to encounter) and more likely to have most helpful definition. 

Probably the biggest difference - Lingq is 12.99 a MONTH. Pleco Reader has a one time cost of 10-20 dollars (depending on the package you buy). Then Pleco sends you a code so if you ever lose your app/get a new phone/something goes wrong, you can enter the code and get back all your purchases. A one time cost is eons more affordable, and really kind of them. I especially like that they put in the effort to give you the ability to recover your purchase if you have any issues. I bought the 20 dollar package I think - so I could get the expanded dictionary, with pretty much any word or idiom I’d ever see, natural speech audio, and the Reader. It has been well worth it. I’ve been using pleco for like 4 months, so the longer I use it the more that cost seems minimal (it’d be like the equivalent of 5$ a month before, free now. Or the equivalent of the cost of Lingq for less than 2 months).

Lingq’s cost PER month I’m not sure I could feel justified in spending. The ONLY added benefit I see of using Lingq over Pleco, is lingq has color coded the words you know/don’t know/are learning, and lingq counts how many words you know. Those two features are motivating. But they’re just motivational benefits. 

Other then that, Lingq has the following features: audio (Pleco Reader has this too), flashcards (using anki or memrise for free appear to be equally good or better than lingq’s feature, especially because you can simply export from lingq), cloze-like questions (again, memrise, anki, Quizlet, and even in some ways clozemaster are free alternatives). I personally hate flashcard type study, so I use memrise when necessary but generally would never use such features - so lingq’s flashcard features aren’t worthwhile for me. If they’re something you’re interested in - again, there seem to be free options available that are as good as or better than lingq. 

So, at least for my own personal learning preferences, lingq does not seem to be worth it. Everything it provides is available somewhere else for cheaper, for a one time cost, or free. Pleco Reader I think offers the most benefits and convenience out of every Language-Reader app I’ve tried. Compared to: Lingq, idiom, using Baidu itself on a webpage, etc - closest comparison is the free ZhongWen chrome extension on chinese sites, I think that’s nearly as convienient as Pleco Reader and obviously the alternative for when you’re on a computer. Idiom is actually a really nice app considering it’s free, and it does serve the basic purpose (Pleco Reader is a one time purchase cost) - idiom has sometimes incorrect translations/audio, but over all if you read enough content then that’s just a few words a paragraph or page that you won’t be able to study.  Those words can be looked up separately in a free dictionary app (like free Pleco’s dictionary, or google translate, or baidu) if they keep confusing you or keep seeming to be wrong. 

Lingq just... does not seem worth 12.99 a month, for only the added benefit of making it obvious which words you know/don’t know/are studying. Other than that single ability, there are comparable tools out there that already does what Lingq does or better, for cheaper or free. 

Overall, readers I would recommend:

Pleco Reader (10 dollars, or a bit more if you buy it in a package, single time purchase) - benefits include the only dictionary you’ll need, audio (per word or for entire text), flashcard making ability, option to import any ebook/txt/website, option to one-time purchase graded readers. Although paid, I appreciate that all purchases are one time only. On a phone, this is the app I overwhelmingly rely on - it has everything I need in one area. I personally like to open up mtlnovels.com and read the novels with dual chinese/english, so I can look at the english sentences afterward - and use Pleco Reader as I get through the chinese chunks to make sure I can look up words I don’t know. If I were going to start translating, I’d probably use this method so I could get a gist of the meaning in english, then go through each line and fix errors and improve the translation for idioms and less straightforward meanings. For reading for Ease, that method’s the best for me to get through the novels I want to read. For reading intensively, I just open up a novel I want to read in all chinese and chug through it using pleco to look up words I stumble on. 

Free alternative: Zhongwen chrome extension. Equally extensive dictionary, links to grammar points, audio (per word), can read anything online or opened in a chrome browser (so you could open your txt documents in it) - sometimes works on subtitles on videos too. Subtitles on viki, on netflix, seem to be readable by zhongwen. It may work on some pdfs opened in chrome. Only available on computers. It’s really fantastic. If you’re on a computer I’d just recommend using this one overall. 

Free Alternative: Idiom - app. dictionary is decent, but some errors or limitations mean occasionally looking up words in another free dictionary app (Google Translate, Baidu Translate, Pleco Dictionary). Machine audio (per word), also sometimes has errors. Can read anything on a website. There are some other readers that serve the same function as idiom, I’ve seen one for webnovels... but I think at idiom overall is as good as or better than the other options out there. Idiom does not auto-link you to novel websites, but if you can find them then you can put any url in. Idiom also works for MANY languages - so you can also use it for french/spanish/japanese/etc. Idiom is the app I use for french, since obviously Pleco Reader is just for chinese. For free readers, and readers in other languages, I think idiom’s the best bet. Lingq might have more appeal for language learners of other languages - since it IS a little better than idiom with providing the correct translations, but lingq’s translations are still off sometimes TOO. So, if you’re learning a language that isn’t chinese, I’d recommend trying Idiom for free and seeing if it’s useful to you before shelving out money for anything paid. 

Not a reader, but there are two netflix dual subtitle chrome extensions that work really well for reading with a dictionary too, I’ll list them later when I look them up. These are ALSO available to use in many languages, so that’s nice. for both of the free dual subtitle extensions, Zhongwen also seems to work for them (if you ever want to look up a secondary definition).

Dictionary Apps:

Google Translate - good for drawing the characters, at least for me it has the easiest time recognizing what I’m trying to look up (I’m left handed and draw characters with my right on my phone so). When I’m watching tv its easy to open google and draw an unknown character in the app when I don’t know the pinyin. It usually only offers the most frequent/common definition, so it has limitations - but for a quick lookup of one word its usually convenient. For a quick gist of bigger chunks of text, google translate is also a quick way to do it although at least some words and phrases WILL probably be incorrect. 

Pleco Dictionary - this part of the pleco app is free. The definitions are the most thorough I’ve seen, and the easiest to get a meaningful definition if google translate is inadequate. Pleco’s definitions hands down seem to be the best. You have to pay for one of the packages to access the ability to draw characters to look them up, to access idiom translations, natural voice pronunciations, and a much more massive dictionary. I just bought it - and now I rarely have to use google translate. Only negative - have to look up things word by word, or by idiom/phrase. Other then that, it’s the best one probably.

Baidu Translate - also free. Biggest benefit is the ability to put a url in and have it machine translate the entire page. Like google, it’s very useful to get a quick gist of bigger chunks of text, and a handful of those words or phrases may be translated wrong. It’s fun to use it to translate english pages to chinese (again, some errors will crop up). It’s sometimes better than Google translate for looking up individual words, and phrases - but also has its limitations. 

Overall I use Baidu and Google for chunks of translations, and then Pleco or Zhongwen for specific words or phrases. It’s why I like using dual chinese/english mtlnovels.com in Pleco Reader - because then the big-chunk machine translated english is already provided (and the only thing Pleco Reader can’t do), and so I can just use pleco to go by word and phrase to get specific pieces of translation that are more accurate. 

I use Google translate or Pleco Dictionary for looking up words by drawing characters - but this is only a free feature in Google translate (and honestly I think Google translate recognizes my handwriting better - so I usually use Google, then if the definition isn’t helpful I copy paste the text version of the word into pleco dictionary). 

[pennygetyourownwifi-nospac-blog2]

WiFi - Optimize Your Wireless Network in Five Simple Steps

Anyone who has tried to deploy a WiFi router will wonder if the network actually works where it serves its purpose. Establishing a wireless Ethernet network is significantly more complicated than setting up a wireless network for four reasons:

Wireless networks clearly have no cables, so it becomes difficult to determine where devices such as laptops are connected as funny wireless names. The adjacent network does not hang on the boundary of the wall between your properties There are a lot of wifi configuration options that most people don't understand WiFi design of end devices (laptops, iPhones, etc.) has a large impact on overall performance Setting up a wireless network was originally a trial and error. You set up a network, walk around with your laptop, look at the number of bars on the display, and try to download some web pages to see if the network is working. The problem with this approach is that you never really know if your network is "running well" or if you have actually achieved the best performance and robustness.

A new, completely free product called WaveDeploy has recently become available, which you can use to find out where you are using your network the most. With WaveDeploy you can see your network performance on your home map. It also helps to see where your neighbor network enters your home so that you can plan accordingly. How to use WaveDeploy to learn how to configure the network? A simple but effective 5-step plan is as follows:

Before switching to your WLN router, do a "passive" assessment to determine which networks will appear in your home and which channels they are using. Configure your wifi router to use the best channel based on the data above Evaluate "active" on your laptop to see how network data is delivered from anywhere in your home Repeat test to improve experimentation and performance with wireless router settings Reuse and test client settings to increase performance First download the WaveDeploy Basic and install it on your wireless laptop. To use the application you must register first. However, it is completely free and does not share your data with third parties, such as Variwave, the company that develops WebDevelop.

The next step is to use tools such as microfight paint to plan the floor of your home (or to download and create an image from Google Maps if you are lucky enough to have a large enough building!). Do your best to make a map to measure as much as possible. However, keep in mind that it should not be 100% accurate. Take 15 minutes to create the best possible image and save it to an image file (bmp, png or jpeg formats are fine).

To perform passive evaluation with WaveDeploy Basic, follow the instructions in the help file. In short, you start the app, load the floor plan of your house, and then take a series of measurements at various locations in your home. To take a measurement, click on the position that matches your position. WaveDeploy scans the air and measures which network is visible, which channel it is on, and measures the signal strength of each network. The measurement takes about seven seconds. Then move to the next location and repeat the process. Size for your entire home in about 10 minutes.

Complete the assessment and view the results. Your card will display a list of all the networks found in your home through your laptop. Green means the network is very well received. Red means that he was weakly identified. Pay particular attention to which channels were used for the most widely received signals in most parts of your home. You should avoid using these channels for your wireless network.

Now set up the channel for your WLN router. First check the manufacturer's information for the configuration of the router or router whether you are using the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. You are probably in the 2.4 GHz band, where you should only use channels 1, 6 and 11. Yes, this band has other channels, but don't use it in a way that tempts you. It turns out that these other channels overlap, so channel 2 also interferes with channel 1 and channel 6, resulting in poor performance. In the 2.4 GHz band, you should stick to channels 1, 6 and 11 better and configure your WLN router so that it transmits over the channel with minimal competition.

If we depend on it, we will not be sure that we have not mentioned security. Business security has been available for many years for wireless networks and devices. If it is supported by all your devices, it is best to use WPA2, also known as AES encryption, with PSK or password authentication. Situations are complicated, but WPA2 is quite easy to choose and enter a password. Then configure the client device to access the network with the same security setting and password. If WPA2 is not available, use WPA or TKIP with PSK. This security setting is still very good, but not as strong as WPA2. If this does not work, you cannot use authentication, also known as "open". WEP may be available, but use is not recommended. WEP was once considered safe, but it broke years ago and there are many tools that now decrypt these messages automatically. WEP is dangerous because it gives users a very wrong sense of security. You would think that if the reality is that a simple hacker can easily access their data, then they will be safe. Note that you need to choose a security method that is supported by your laptop and smartphone as well as a WiFi router.

At this point you can do more passive evaluation, showing you the areas in which your WLN router's signal is clearly visible. However, if another computer is available, it is preferable to use it with WaveDeploy for active evaluation. With active evaluation, in addition to signal coverage and interference, data is transferred between two computers to measure the maximum download speed at each location in your network. Instructions for configuring active evaluation can be found again in the help files in the application.

Active evaluation takes some time. However, when you are working, your efforts will be rewarded with a card called "heatwave", which shows how fast your wireless network can transfer traffic to your laptop anywhere in your home. You might be surprised that the chic 802.11n router you've purchased can only provide a fraction of the promised 300 Mbit / s performance! Part of this is due to marketing specifications. WaveDeploy measures the amount of basic application traffic, e.g. B. Web pages that can transmit networks. The marketing number for network devices refers to the physical raw speed of network technology regardless of network wireless protocol overhead or general network overhead. In practice, you can usually get half of the advertisement as the best case if this overhead is taken into consideration. In poorly designed or poorly placed WiFi routers, performance may be poor.

To do this, change the settings in the router to determine which settings will improve performance. For example, the biggest benefit is to disable support for 802.11b. If all your laptops are A, G or N, then turn off 802.11b support and try again. Work your way through each option and determine which ones benefit and which ones don't. When you have finished setting up your network, repeat the exercise by changing and re-testing the settings of your laptop driver or smartphone.

The whole process may take a few hours, but it is worth the effort. Using the above techniques, you can determine where your network is, how fast your network is working, see interference from neighboring networks and your laptop and smartphone for the best possible.

[michaelgogins]

More Rant-Like Musings on Algorithmic Composition Software

I have recently completed a Haskell foreign function interface (FFI) to Csound, with helper functions for using Csound to render Euterpea Music values. The code is almost completely contained in Csound.hs.

In the process of writing this I have, of course, gained a better understanding of the facilities afforded by Euterpea (by Paul Hudak and others) and its offspring Kulitta and Jazzkell (by Donya Quick). In addition, while searching for other music made with Haskell, I have also learned more about TidalCycles by Alex McClean and others (for live coding music) and csound-expression by Anton Kholomiov (compose both score and orchestra in Haskell, render with Csound).

Below I list other systems that I have used or tried to use or at least examined, followed by a second list of pieces made with some of these systems. This post can in fact be used as (a highly incomplete) guide to recent algorithmic composition software. Repeating the above-mentioned systems, and in alphabetical order:

athenaCL by Christopher Ariza (Python, no longer maintained).

blue by Steven Yi (Java).

Common Music by Rick Taube (Common Lisp version, minimally maintained).

csound-expression and temporal-media by Anton Kholomiov (compose both score and orchestra in Haskell, render with Csound). csound-extended and Silencio by Michael Gogins (JavaScript, Common Lisp, Python, Haskell, C++).

Euterpea by Donya Quick (Haskell).

Grace by Rick Taube (Scheme), the most direct descendant of Common Music.

Jazzkell by Donya Quick (Haskell).

Jeskola Buzz by Oskari Tammelin (a tracker, but you can do algorithmic composition in it using peer controllers).

Java Music Specification Language by Nick Didkovsky (Java, no longer maintained).

Kulitta by Donya Quick (Haskell).

Max by Miller Puckette and Cycling 74 (custom visual programming language).

music21 by Michael Cuthbert, Christopher Ariza, and others (Python). 

nudruz by Drew Krause (Common Lisp, maintained by me, includes a Csound FFI to Common Music and OpenMusic).

Nyquist by Roger Dannenberg (XLisp).

OpenMusic by IRCAM (visual programming language based on Common Lisp).

Pure Data by Miller Puckette and others (visual programming language).

PWGL by Mikael Laurson, Mika Kuuskankare, Kilian Sprotte and others (visual programming language based on Common Lisp).

Reaktor by Native Instruments, which although primarily a user-patchable or visually programmable sound synthesizer, can also be used to compose.

RTcmix by Paul Lansky, Brad Garton, and others (C++ with custom scripting language).

Rubato Composer by Guerino Mazzola (Java, no longer seems to be maintained).

Slippery Chicken by Michael Edwards (Common Lisp, looks like another offshoot of Common Music).

SuperCollider by James McCartney and others (custom programming language).

TidalCycles by Alex McClean and others (for live coding music, Haskell).

Here I have ignored approaches to algorithmic composition based on machine learning, not because I think them unimportant, but because I don’t yet know enough about them. A starting point however would be Google’s Magenta.

I link below to some pieces that hint at the potential of some of these systems. Of course, it’s impossible to list all the best algorithmically composed pieces. My objective here is simply to focus on musical quality and originality and to present the best pieces I could easily find that were made using some of these systems.

Please note, I am primarily interested in pieces for fixed media, i.e., pieces that could be thought of as “through-composed” as opposed to “improvised.” But a lot of the action today is in improvisation, interactive pieces, and live coding. 

My own example piece: Parachronic, 2018 (CsoundAC in csound-extended).

I should stop right here before even starting, and mention the pathbreaking work of Iannis Xenakis, whose works such as La Legende d’Eer and Gendy3 proved very early on that programming could be used to compose great music. Ideas from Xenakis’ software live on in many other systems.

Gendy3, Iannis Xenakis (composer software).

La Legende d’Eer, Iannis Xenakis (composer software).

Rough Raga Riffs, Brad Garton (composer software in Common Lisp, probably rendered using RTcmix).

Le lac, Tristan Murail (OpenMusic).

for rei as a doe, Michael Edwards (Slippery Chicken).

demiurgic ecstasy whispering in streets of ear, Christopher Ariza (athenaCL).

Carlisle Variations, Drew Krause (nudruz, rendered by me using Aeolus).

Tom Johnson - Algorithmic Composition, “Algorithmic Composer” (Pure Data).

Fractus 1, Eli Fieldsteel (SuperCollider)

Algorithmic Composition, “acreil” (Pure Data).

Vanishing Trajectories, Akira Takaoka (composer software and RTcmix).

Zero Waste, Nick Didkovsky (Java Music Specification Language).

Tourmaline, Donya Quick (Kulitta).

Elmas Krizi, Andrew Bergemann (Rubato Composer)

Hypnotize, Donya Quick (Jazzkell).

TidalCycles Jam 1, Eloy Platas (TidalCycles).

Jungle Etude 1, Anton Kholomiov (csound-expression).

This exercise has been exhilarating in that it discloses some hints of the amazing potential of algorithmic composition, yet somewhat depressing at the same time. 

My depression arises from the fact that wonderful facilities provided by one system cannot be used by another system unless, as is actually often the case, they are re-implemented from scratch in that system. Needless to say, this is an immensely wasteful duplication of effort, and often does not quite work. Also, note the large number of systems that are no longer maintained, or are maintained by one aging composer/developer... for an even more extensive and possibly even more depressing list of software systems for composing, see Christopher Ariza’s list. 

Another source of depression is the great efforts expended by many composer/developers without leaving evidence of any music that I would like to hear again.

Composers are like cats, they are impossible to herd. But in algorithmic composition, almost all of the software developers are also composers. In other fields of software development, after a decade or so, standards emerge and the resulting synergies supply a walloping jolt of power to the field. Every new feature or library in one sub-field can then be used by developers in all the other sub-fields. Examples would include the entire suite of W3C standards, the MIDI and MusicXML standards in commercial music software, and standardization on certain programs such as Pro Tools or Max in computer music. As my list sadly demonstrates, this has not happened so much in algorithmic composition software.

I call on all composers who also are software developers to do something about this. It may be too late to do anything about existing systems, but if you are contemplating developing a new system, please carefully consider my strong advice.

Update 15 October 2019: James McCartney, the developer of SuperCollider and other computer music languages, commented “No” regarding these points because he perceived them as obstructing research and personal goals. I think that his point about a continuing need for research in new music programming languages is quite valid, so I have edited my advice to reflect this. I would like to stress that my overriding concern here is to create synergies based on the the ability to use new facilities and features along with existing ones, and to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort.

Do not create a whole new system. Instead, create an extension for an existing system.

In fact, create an extension for OpenMusic, Euterpea, Pure Data, SuperCollider, or Csound.

If you do create a whole new system, do not create a whole new programming language, even if you know how. Instead, create a library or package for an existing language.

In fact, choose a widely used language such as C++, Common Lisp, JavaScript, or Python.

If you do create a whole new language because it would just be so cool, do it as a library or package for an existing system (examples would be the embedding of the Python and LuaJIT programming languages in the Csound orchestra language, or the embedding of Csound in Pure Data and Max/MSP), or provide an application programming interface that can be used to embed your new language in other applications. And that leads to...

Create your system first as a library or package, only after that as a standalone application.

Many systems have issues with the representation of music. The developer/composer often creates a representation that suits their own particular style of music but does not work well, or at all, for other styles. MIDI 1.0 as it stands is no good, but it looks like MIDI 2.0 may be better. In any event, make sure that you support arbitrary pitches, rhythms, densities of notes and sounds, tied notes, and so on. Note that Csound has a very good low-level representation of musical events.

I compiled these lists to help guide my own future work in both composition and software development.

Please notify me of any errors you find in this post, or any suggestions you have for improving it.

[brittnywestall-blog]

Audacity Audio Editor Online

In the hunt for a program that may allow you to merge and combine a number of mp3 information into one? Merge MP3 can import ID3 tags from any of the tracks being merged, or you'll be able to write a brand new one yourself, and take heed to the tracks in the program. MergeMP3 helps batch mode operation, becoming a member of whole folders full of audio files with only a few mouse clicks. It can be used as an audio editor with all these primary trimming options, as an audio converter that lets you convert files into different music codecs, and as a software extractor which allows you to extract MP3s from movies. While you can't take away EZ Softmagic MP3 Splitter & Joiner like totally different packages, then it's price checking whether or not it's a malware or not. Smaller items, and joins a lot of mp3s into a single ez all report mode, you mp3 audio recorder.audio recorder platinum v4 splitter can break up, reduce, trim a large mp3 file into plenty of smaller gadgets or be part of, merge a number of mp3 data to a much bigger one.outcomes 17 of seven.relative to the final usage of customers who've. I have to warn you that the strategy I am about to indicate you might be not the safest approach to merge MP3 information. Use this service so as to add audio or music to a video file on-line and without cost. This free MP3 joiner helps a considerable amount of input audio formats along with MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, APE, AC3, AIFF, MP2, M4A, CDA, VOX, RA, RAM, TTA and rather more as supply codecs. This may not depend in opposition to your iCloud storage, however it does mean all of your native MP3s (or audio files in any format) get transferred up to Apple's servers, from where they can be beamed all the way down to your devices. 2) As for me, the best choice to split-be part of mp3s (and with out re-encoding) is legendary Mp3directcut I made changing into a member of of 2 recordsdata of the equivalent bitrate actually in no time.

If you happen to expertise a problem with "hiccups" or clicks between the items of a joined file, the creator recommends removing your MP3 tags prior to becoming a member of the tracks. Although it's doable to concatenate MP3 and different lossy audio formats to at least one long file, doing so often requires re-encoding to render the long file. Free Audio Dub - This standalone program promises to let you minimize quite a lot of audio formats, including aac, ac3 and m4a (as well as mp3, wav, ogg, wma and mp2). MP3 Tag Editor moreover means you can create playlists, rename recordsdata, set up folders, export knowledge to utterly completely different codecs, and more. Features: - Fast MP3 Joiner with out re-compression; - Full MP3 tag (ID3 model 1 and a pair of) assist; - Powerful Natural Sort Algorithm; - Supports MP3 information with art work (album cover) within the ID3 tag; - MP3 Joiner allows reviewing the MP3 ID3 tag information; - Easy manual editing of ID3 tag info for the MP3 file that might be generated; - VBR (Variable Bitrate) MP3 files help; - Simple MP3 tracks sequence adjustment; - Sorting on any column (resembling by Title, by Length, by Monitor and many others.); - Adjusting the sequence order of the MP3 information that will probably be merged; - You may copy the MP3 ID3 tag information instantly from any of the MP3 information within the join checklist or from any of the MP3 information on the disk; - You can save and load an MP3 files record and undertaking file; - Quick MP3 merging; - Insert silence between merged MP3 audio files; - Batch MP3 Joiner mode; - Append and Mix mode; - Drag and Drop interface. This mp3 tagger is not going to solely import such tags as titles, artists, albums and others into your audio files but help to kind and rename your MP3 collection in no time. All that you must do is so as to add the audio recordsdata to an inventory and press the Merge" button. After uploading more than 2 files, click on on Join to merge visit these guys music recordsdata right into a single monitor. 16 Free Greatest Mp3 splitter and Joiner instruments to separate and merge Mp3 information: - If in case you may have currently purchased an MP3 participant, you should be taken with digging additional about find out how to lower up audio files or merge music information.With our MP3 Merger you can be a part of your chapters in the one large audiobook or mix non-stop audio CD from many separate music tracks. ✓you can lower and merge the mp3 files using Mp3 Cutter & Merger. How To Use MP3 Merge - Download the program in a zip file from the developer here Extract the zip file and run this system - in our examples, we are going to use the commands from the File menu but you can too use the equal icons on the toolbar. You presumably can free merge two or extra songs into one with Pavtube Free Video DVD Converter Remaining , which has full assist for all audio file codecs includingau,mp3,mp2,m4a,flac,ape,ogg,8svx,aiff,.aif,caf,dts,smv,tta,voc,aac, and plenty of others, you possibly can flexibly rearrange the order of the music then just confirm the Merge into one file" choice to affix your whole audio clips into one.By utilizing the audio modifying function of this program you possibly can simply be part of mp3 recordsdata in one audio track with none hassle and bother. MP3 Merger and MP3 Cutter is used to join multiple MP3 audio files. MP3Val repairs any errors within the pre-merged information copied into the merged file or produced in the course of the merging course of. Audio Joiner lets you set the interval of every songs added into this music combiner after which merge them into one song. Select any of your favorite MP3 from your telephone or recording, select the world to be shred from the audio, put it aside in your phone.This software is similar to the MP3 Cutter Joiner. Not ample with an MP3 file for audio? Click "File" and then choose "Import Audio." Sort the identify of your MP3 file within the search bar. Abelssoft Mp3 cutter offers you the chance to edit and manipulate mp3 music in a very easy manner! Even if the article supplies an inventory of audio mergers, it's still difficult for you to select the best one. Free MP3 Cutter and Editor (Portable) is a free software application from the Multimedia Creation Tools subcategory, a part of the Audio & Multimedia category.So, for those who really feel that a music is just too long and you simply can not take that length, use this instrument to trim off any irrelevant parts of the MP3 file. Step three： Examine the Merge box and you should see the "MKV Multi-Observe" option, select its field to allow the feature. To keep away from this possiblilty Mac users are advised to transform their recordsdata utilizing an internet service comparable to (an advert-free service) or comparable. MP3 Cutter helps you extract small clips from any MP3 music and play the chosen clips from inside the software program.

[mediaonmarsau-blog]

Learn About New Directions In Web Design

Becoming a pro at web design involves many things, and you probably have questions. You need to put both photos and videos on the web, but making that happen is proving to be more difficult than expected. Luckily, the following web design advice will be useful. Read these tips to learn what you didn't know.

Have a site map. These are useful to your clients and the search engines, as they give a detailed overview of your entire website. It can be a guide for viewers searching for a certain part of your site, and also allow you to keep track of its structure and layout.

One of the best ways to create a website that looks great is to use a program that will help you with your web design. They are easy to understand, and your website will be up and ready before you know it. Should your website not be appealing, then your visitor count is going to be low.

To help your web pages load quickly, you should compress all the images on the website page. If you have images that are compressed then pages will load much faster. Nothing is more frustrating to viewers than waiting for a 250k graphic to load when it should really only be 20k.

Wherever your logo appears on your site, you should accompany it with a complementary slogan or tagline. Ideally, this tagline should be catchy and informative, and should offer some basic summary of the purpose of your site or product offering. The combination of your logo and tagline should appear on every page to create a sense of cohesion.

To help your visitors be able to easily read your site, you should design it using contrasting colors. If you use colors that contrast, it makes the text stand out. If you have black text with a black background you will not be able to see the information, but if you have black text with a white background it becomes simple to read.

Minimize the amount of clicking or scrolling visitors must do to access information. The more a user has to click or scroll around to find the information they seek, the more likely they are to give up looking for it. Aim for having at least 400 words on every page of your site by combining pages that have content that falls below this number of words.

One thing you should always take into account when you're thinking about web design is the latest technology that is out today. As technology advances to does the web, so be sure you are always up to date with what is changing so that you're that much more understanding of how the web works.

Create a scalable and reliable website. As technology advances and monitors keep changing, you can't test your site across all platforms and screen sizes. Make sure the design, hosting, and code is scalable. Do this by making sure it's error-free and making the loading smooth. This helps you create a good design that works for many circumstances.

It is a good idea to have an "About Us" page on your site. Many sites use very boring, trite ideas on these pages. Crank it up a bit! Share some information about yourself, your inspiration and your web design business. You can outsource your project to good web development agencies in Perth to get the best value for your money as well as a great interactive website.

When selecting a domain name, it's important that you're creative. A big part of web design is having a site with a good, on-topic name. Having a catchy, relevant name will make people remember your website just as much as any design features would. Don't think that a name isn't an important feature.

If you become lost at all during your web design process then you might want to look up videos online. You can find a lot of videos on places like youtube which give you step by step tutorials on what you should be doing during your web designing processes.

Always utilize media and content that is both relative to your site's goal, but also interesting to the potential consumers who will be viewing your site. A site that has relative info, but that is not interesting, won't captivate its audience. A website that uses fun, but non-relative information, will captivate the wrong audience. Both methods equal profits that you are losing.

Do tests on your site to make sure that it's up and running properly on different operating systems and different type of browsers as well. When you do this you then cover all of your tracks and make sure that as many users as possible are able to browse through your site.

Make sure your site includes a search box. This is really important, because people are accustomed to having that function, and when they want to find something on your site, they need to be able to find it. If they can't find what they need, they may leave your site altogether.

Avoid adding too much content on your page that will make your site lag which can deter people from coming back to your site. You want people to have the feeling of wanting to come back to your site, not the other way around. So be sure to check your site from time to time to make sure what you add isn't lagging it up.

When you decide on a domain name to choose try your best to choose one that is going to draw people's attention. You don't want to pick a domain name this is going to deter people from coming to your site, names are everything and what draw people in, so take this into consideration when thinking of a name.

Ask for feedback about the design of your site. Talk to a web designer to find out what you did wrong. If you can, have people from your target audience test the site and provide you with feedback about it.

Designing a quality website does not have to be difficult. If you take the time to learn a few fundamental principals, the whole process starts to become much easier. Make use of the tips here, so you better understand the fundamentals of website design, so you can start to implement user-friendly features on your site.

[softtroyers]

Major Website Development Tips That Really Work

Many people do their own site builds; however, they make them difficult to read by using improper fonts. Knowing what size font to use is essential to a quality user experience. This article will help you select the best things for your website. There are many website design forums that can give you tips and tricks on what to do. You can find the answer to almost any website creation question by simply searching with your favorite search engine. Make sure your visitors can search for content on your website. If someone is looking for something on your site, they want to search for a box to help them search. If your site doesn't have one, they will probably go to a website that does. Put the search box near the top right side of the page, since that tends to be common. You should never go live before previewing the site and ensuring images load properly and all links work. Visitors can get frustrated when they click a link and come across an error page. You can either check links manually, or use a program that will scan the website for you to report links that are website maken Tilburg broken. Always keep your opening page simple. People surfing the web will quickly decide if they are going to delve into a website based on the front page. Make sure that you provide a very clear description about your business or other purpose for your site. Other information on your site should also be minimal, but still clear, so that you don't overwhelm your visitors. There are many free programs available to help you develop your website. Do not listen to people who tell you that you can't design and operate a website without relying on pricey software packages; you can find a free alternative for virtually every task. You just need to do a little Internet searching in order to find some free tools that will work best for you. Try making separate CSS pages for different browsers with conditional loading when designing websites. You can do maintenance and testing much quicker and easier if these things are in place. Since every website will need maintenance at some point, this will help it be as effortless as possible. Adobe Dreamweaver is great for those that wish to create their own sites. This simple software allows anyone to get a site up and running quickly. You can add many different features, create various templates and layouts, and test how your site will look once it's loaded onto a permanent server. You really should have a dedicated space set aside, where you can design websites and manage your own site. Limit exposure to distractions, organize and make the space as efficient as possible. It is invaluable to keep all that you need at your fingertips at all times, in order to make smooth and efficient design choices. Keep your content to a minimum when first creating your website. You don't want information that will confuse the Webdesign Tilburg visitors to your page. When it comes to designing your website, try to find unorthodox sources of inspiration. Look to other websites, magazines and television for some inspiration. Keep your mind and eyes open to those outside visual stimulants as they are the building blocks that will make your site stand out from your competitors. Create a favicon for your website. A favicon will help users who add your website to their bookmark see your page more easily. A favicon will make it easy for your customers to pick your site out of their list of bookmarks. If possible, create a favicon that's consistent with your business logo, product, or theme. Many people enjoy building websites. Others want to try. Use the advice in this article to make websites that your readers view with ease.