#visual configuration software

[kbmax-cpqsoftware]

KBMax: Visual Configuration

The visual configuration tool is helpful since it enables customers to view the product in various dimensions. The manufacturing team can more precisely anticipate customer requests and provide accurate prices using the visual configuration software. Visit KBMax.com to see how KBMax 3D configuration solutions can help your company grow through improved client interactions.

[productvisualizationsoftware]

How Visual Configuration Software Speeds-up Production

Visual configuration software is better equipped to handle the error of enhancing production performance when making custom products. Using a single-product model framework that any department may render improves production efficiency and communication between production levels.

[zolak-3d-furniture-configurator]

3D Furniture Configurator: Revolutionizing Interior Design

In the rapidly evolving world of interior design, technology plays a pivotal role in transforming how designers and consumers approach spaces. The Zolak 3D furniture configurator stands at the forefront of this transformation, offering a cutting-edge solution that seamlessly blends technology with creativity. This innovative tool empowers users to visualize, customize, and perfect their furniture choices, ensuring every design decision is informed and inspired.

What is the Zolak 3D Furniture Configurator?

The 3D furniture configurator is an advanced digital tool designed to assist users in creating detailed, lifelike representations of their interior spaces. Whether you’re a professional designer or a homeowner with a vision, this configurator allows you to experiment with various furniture pieces, colors, materials, and layouts in a realistic 3D environment.

Key Features and Benefits

Realistic Visualization

The configurator uses high-quality 3D rendering to produce realistic images of furniture in your chosen space. This feature helps users to see exactly how different pieces will look and fit within their rooms, eliminating guesswork and ensuring satisfaction with final choices.

Customization Options

Users can customize nearly every aspect of the furniture, from size and color to material and finish. This flexibility ensures that each piece fits perfectly with the desired aesthetic and functional requirements of the space.

User-Friendly Interface

Designed with user experience in mind, the Zolak configurator is intuitive and easy to navigate. Even those without technical expertise can quickly get the hang of it and start designing their ideal spaces.

Space Planning

The tool also offers space planning capabilities, allowing users to place furniture in their room’s exact dimensions. This helps in visualizing the flow and functionality of the space, ensuring that the layout is both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

Cost Efficiency

By providing a clear and accurate visualization, the Zolak configurator reduces the risk of costly mistakes. Users can make informed decisions before making any purchases, ensuring that every investment in furniture is a wise one.

How to Use the Zolak 3D Furniture Configurator

Sign Up or Log In

Start by signing up for a Zolak account or logging in if you already have one. This gives you access to all the features and allows you to save your projects.

Choose Your Room

Select the room you want to design. The configurator offers various templates or the option to input your room’s dimensions for a more personalized experience.

Select Furniture

Browse through Zolak’s extensive catalog of furniture. You can filter by type, style, and more to find the perfect pieces.

Customize and Place

Customize your chosen pieces to match your vision. Adjust colors, materials, and sizes, then place them in your room to see how they look.

Save and Share

Save your design for future reference or share it with others for feedback. The configurator makes it easy to export your design or share it directly from the platform.

Conclusion

The 3D furniture configurator is a game-changer in the realm of interior design. By combining advanced technology with user-friendly features, it empowers users to create beautiful, functional spaces with confidence. Whether you’re planning a complete overhaul or just looking to add a few new pieces, Zolak’s configurator is your go-to tool for making informed, inspired decisions. Embrace the future of interior design and start creating your dream space today.

[av-industry-blog]

😩 Is complex AV integration making you lose sleep? #AVchallenges

⛔️ Incompatible components, buggy software, faulty configs - when will it end? #AVnightmare

🙏 What you need is simplicity in the midst of chaos. #AVpeaceofmind ✅ Here are 5 steps to tame the madness and take back control: 1️⃣ Catalog all your connected systems #AVinventory 2️⃣ Standardize settings across equipment #consistency 3️⃣ Automate repetitive testing tasks #AVautomation 4️⃣ Monitor everything remotely in real-time #AVmonitoring 5️⃣ Build a master integration guide for each site #AVplaybook

🤩 Read now and conquer AV complexity once and for all! 

😌 Finally, seamless AV integrations without the hair loss! #AVbliss

[cpqsoftware]

What is CPQ? A Comprehensive Guide to Boost Your Sales and Engineering Processes

Are slow, error-prone, and disjointed sales and engineering processes slowing you down? CPQ software could be the answer. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the concept of CPQ, its benefits for sales and engineering departments, and how the most robust CPQ solutions–complete with visual configuration–can enhance speed, accuracy, and customer experience. Let's dive in.

What is CPQ Software? Understanding the Basics

CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote. It's a software solution that streamlines the sales process by automating complex product configurations, pricing calculations, and quote generation. CPQ software is vital for businesses dealing with a wide range of products, customizations, and pricing structures.

As customer demands for personalized products and experiences grow, businesses must adapt to remain competitive. CPQ software helps companies manage complex product configurations and pricing strategies while reducing errors and increasing efficiency.

CPQ software doesn’t just benefit sales; it supports end-to-end engineering, which also helps engineering and shop floor teams. When a user configures a product on the front end, CPQ generates prices, quotes, and various engineering documents. By routing these documents to the right engineer or shop-floor operative, CPQ removes a massive amount of manual work.

Key Components of CPQ Technology

At the heart of any CPQ system are several vital components that work together to ensure a seamless configure- and engineer-to-order process from start to finish.

Product Configuration Rules

CPQ software uses so-called product rules to ensure configurations are optimized for margin maximization and engineering efficiency. These rules not only help to prevent incompatible configurations, but they also ensure the final product meets customer requirements.

Visual Product Configuration

Companies selling complex configurable products should leverage a CPQ solution with visual product configuration abilities. Visual configurators enable customers to see and interact with their customized products in real time. Sales reps, distributors, and other channel partners can leverage this interactive experience, as can customers themselves when sellers embed their configurators on their websites.

Dynamic Pricing

CPQ software simplifies pricing management by automatically calculating prices based on pre-defined rules, strategies, and external factors such as cost prices, inventory level, and demand. This ensures accurate pricing for each product configuration and reduces the risk of errors.

CPQ systems with dynamic pricing calculate prices in real time during configuration. This functionality ensures customers get instant pricing feedback, enabling them to optimize products better and place immediate orders.

Quoting and Proposal Generation

Once the product is configured and priced, CPQ software generates a professional quote or proposal for the customer. This automation streamlines the sales process, saving reps a tremendous amount of time and ensuring customers receive accurate, consistent information.

Integrations with CRM, ERP, and CAD Systems (e.g. CPQ for SAP)

The best CPQ software integrates seamlessly with other back-office systems like CRM, ERP, PLM, and CAD. Integrations give CPQ access to relevant data and enable seamless automation of time-consuming processes like CAD design and manual data entry.

End-to-End Use Case Example

Consider a manufacturing company that sells customizable shelving solutions. With a visual product configurator, customers can drag and drop to design their shelving unit, changing colors, materials, and dimensions until they have their ideal setup. With augmented reality capabilities, they can see how the unit will look in situ by pointing the camera on their smartphone to the appropriate location.

As the user makes selections, the configurator calculates pricing in real-time and generates a quote. Once the customer is satisfied, the CPQ software generates CAD files and BOMs, allowing the engineering and shop floor team to begin production immediately.

Advantages of Implementing CPQ Solutions for Sales and Engineering

Streamline Sales Processes and Reduce Errors

CPQ software helps streamline sales processes and minimize errors by automating product configuration, pricing, and quotes. This efficiency leads to faster sales cycles and improved customer satisfaction.

Improve Sales Productivity and Revenue

CPQ software can help businesses close deals faster and ultimately increase revenue by streamlining the sales process. Sales representatives can focus on building relationships and closing deals rather than wasting time on manual tasks like creating quotes and calculating pricing for complicated products with endless add-ons.

Enhance Customer Experience and Satisfaction with Visual Configuration

Visual product configurators provide customers with an interactive and immersive buying experience, which can help differentiate your business in crowded markets.

Support Complex Pricing and Product Configurations

CPQ software can handle complex pricing structures and product configurations, ensuring accuracy and consistency in every customer interaction. The best CPQs have no-code rules engines, which enable non-technical users to set the constraints for how products are configured, priced, and sold. This increases agility in the face of rapidly changing customer requirements. It also reduces third-party development costs.

Generate CAD Files, BOMs, and Other Engineering Documents

CPQ software automates the generation of engineering documents like CAD files and BOMs, saving time for the engineering department and ensuring a smooth manufacturing process. 

Happy engineers stay longer and do better work. Reducing time spent on the most menial, repetitive engineering tasks leads to a greater focus on R&D and a more productive, satisfied engineering team. 

Connect End-to-End Manufacturing Processes

By connecting the configure-to-order and engineer-to-order processes, CPQ software ensures seamless communication between sales and engineering teams, ultimately reducing lead times and improving efficiency.

Choosing the Right CPQ Software for Your Business

Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when selecting a CPQ solution.

Vendor’s Industry Focus

Choose a CPQ solution that caters to your business size and industry, as different providers may offer features tailored to specific markets. Manufacturing businesses should consider Epicor CPQ with its engineering and shop-floor automation features.

Integration Capabilities with CRM, ERP, CAD Systems, and More

Ensure the CPQ software you choose integrates seamlessly with your existing CRM, ERP, CAD, and other back-office systems to facilitate efficient data sharing and collaboration.

Scalability and Customization

Look for a CPQ solution that can grow with your business and offers customization options to meet your unique needs. Cloud-based solutions are inherently scalable and also integrate with other software more efficiently, thanks to APIs.

Visual Product Configuration with AR and VR Capabilities

Select a CPQ software that offers visual configuration tools, including AR and VR capabilities, to provide an immersive and interactive buying experience for customers.

In Summary

CPQ, short for Configure, Price, Quote, is an innovative software solution that bridges the gap between sales and engineering teams. It automates complex tasks like product configurations, pricing, quoting, and CAD, leading to improved sales performance, increased customer satisfaction, and a considerable competitive edge in the market.

When companies integrate CPQ software into their workflows, they can eliminate manual tasks, minimize errors, and foster collaboration between departments. Additionally, visual product configuration empowers the customer experience, further contributing to a company's success.

[cpqsolution]

Using A Visual Configuration Tool To Design Complex Products

Designing complex products can benefit greatly from visual configuration, which enhances adaptability, flexibility, and design efficiency. Designers and engineers can provide a graphical interface for customers to customize a product by choosing different choices and features using visual configuration. 

Designers can design highly complex products suited to specific consumer demands and preferences using CPQ software for product configuration. Users will be able to develop a product that satisfies their particular needs, which can assist in boosting customer satisfaction.

What Is Visual Configuration

Using a graphical user interface to build a product or service, a process known as "visual configuration" allows users to choose and arrange product features, choices, and components graphically. Customers can design a unique product by choosing different options or characteristics from a preset list of possibilities, including colors, materials, sizes, forms, and functionality.

Visual CPQ tools are frequently used in manufacturing to create complicated goods with several variations or alternatives. Customers can now customize the product to meet their unique demands without advanced technical knowledge or design experience.

Visual CPQ tool is frequently employed in industries where clients desire individualized and customizable items, such as automobiles, furniture, home appliances, and electronics. It can also be used in software programs like website builders, which let users visually design and manage their websites by selecting various page layouts, fonts, graphics, and colors.

Benefits Of Visual CPQ Tool

Visual CPQ tools can offer several benefits to businesses, including:

The sales process can be automated using CPQ resources, making it more rapid and effective. Salespeople can rapidly and accurately provide quotations based on customer needs without laborious manual data input. This can lower mistakes, speed up sales, and boost client happiness.

Customers' purchasing experiences can be enhanced by using CPQ software, which enables consumers to view and personalize their items in real-time. Before deciding to buy, customers can experiment with various product settings and choices to see how the changes would appear. Increased engagement, contentment, and loyalty can result from this.

Rules-based setup is used by visual CPQ resources to guarantee the accuracy and completeness of quotations and orders. This can improve the accuracy of the sales process by lowering mistakes and preventing misunderstandings between sales representatives and clients.

By automating the design and quotation processes, CPQ software can assist organizations in bringing new goods to market more quickly. As a result, firms can adapt to customer wants and market trends more rapidly. This can shorten the time needed to develop new goods and get them to market.

By giving customers a more exciting and dynamic shopping experience, visual CPQ technologies can assist businesses in growing their sales. Products that satisfy customers' requirements and preferences are more likely to be bought. Sales representatives can find and recommend suitable product alternatives and configurations that consumers might not have considered using CPQ resources.

Functionalities Of Visual Configuration

Visual configuration tools can offer a range of functionalities depending on the specific product or service being configured. Some of the key functionalities of visual configuration tools include:

Visual CPQ software allows users to select and configure products visually, using 3D models or other graphical representations. 

Visual configuration tools use rules-based configuration to ensure that product configurations are valid and consistent. 

Visual configuration tools can calculate the price of a configured product in real-time based on the selected options and features. 

Visual configuration tools can validate product configurations against predefined rules and requirements, ensuring that the final product will meet the required standards and specifications. 

Visual configuration tools can integrate with other systems, such as CRM, ERP, and CAD, to streamline the design and production process. 

Visual configuration tools can provide realistic visualizations and renderings of the configured product, enabling users to see how it will look. 

Summing Up

The visual configuration enables users to develop distinctive and customized goods that match their particular requirements, streamlining the product creation process, shortening lead times, and boosting customer satisfaction.

CPQ software can speed up a company's sales process, improve customer satisfaction, increase accuracy, shorten time-to-market, and boost revenue.

Users can configure and personalize items quickly using visual configuration tools, which can provide various features. By streamlining design and manufacturing procedures, firms can improve accuracy, decrease mistakes, and boost customer satisfaction. Contact KBMax for the successful implementation of CPQ software.

[epicorcpq]

Top Reasons to Invest in Epicor CRM CPQ

One of the first areas to check if you want to increase sales productivity is Epicor CRM CPQ. Many businesses are leveraging the potential of Epicor product configurator CPQ to design complex products and generate quotations with more precision. 

Price quotation has always been a labor-intensive, sluggish, and error-prone manual operation. And every successful salesperson is aware that speed is crucial for sales success. Enterprise software with CPQ gives that speed to the sales team by generating product quotes in no time. Epicor CRM CPQ has various benefits to implement, but here are some important reasons to incorporate Epicor product configurator CPQ software into your company:

Fulfill orders without any mistakes 

It takes a significant amount of sales team training to get new hires up to speed with available product and service configuration options, and there is still a lot of space for error.

Nobody has time for that, as a wise woman once stated. Your sales staff has access to a digital catalog using Visual configurator for CPQ software, which helps them navigate all possible product and service configuration choices while automatically removing goods incompatible with a chosen option. You receive prompt recommendations for the best possible solutions, bridging team members' knowledge gaps regarding potential solutions. Also, you may lessen the expense and work involved in maintaining the catalog.

Moreover, a well-designed Epicor CRM CPQ solution makes sure that your systems communicate with one another. Capturing orders before they can be processed stops erroneous orders from reaching the administration stage and causing delays. Win again for your credibility and client happiness.

Open up prospects for sales.

The relevant information is sent at the right moment with CPQ software, opening up huge potential for your sales staff. Create rules to display suggested purchases and related goods, which could increase your revenue. Moreover, graphic pricing histories are offered so you may determine how aggressively to promote a sale using information from previous transactions. To further motivate your staff, you may integrate your sales commission systems with Epicor CRM CPQ.

To secure profitability, increase margins. 

Many salespeople depend on their gut feeling to calculate the price that would close a deal. However, such speculation doesn't take long to reduce profit margins. All team members may work from the most recent list since the Visual configurator for CPQ software communicates the current pricing while managing the computations. This might be useful for complicated arrangements involving promotions, customer-specific pricing, and swings in different currencies.

Managers may quickly review base pricing and discount percentages if transaction clearance is required and take any necessary action to increase profitability.

Generate quotations that appear professional. 

Presentation is frequently used as the basis for sales choices. Yet, few salesmen have the time or graphic layout expertise to produce appropriately branded papers.

The visual configurator for CPQ offers a comprehensive composition tool to assist you in upholding brand compliance. You may add pricing summaries and quotation information as necessary, alter proposal templates so they are customized to the sales agreement, and include data updates as they happen. Team members may even have cover letters or remarks that refer to the unique client connection.

The result is a tailored, precise, and professional proposal.

Make quotations that appear professional. 

Decisions in sales are frequently made based on appearance. Yet few salesmen have the time or the aptitude for design layout needed to produce documents with the appropriate branding.

To maintain brand compliance, enterprise software with CPQ offers a thorough composition tool. You may add pricing summaries and quotation information as necessary, personalize proposal templates for the sales agreement, and integrate data updates as they come in. Team members can even include remarks or cover letters that refer to the special customer connection.

The outcome is a proposal that is precise, expert, and customized.

Businesses have experienced these and several other advantages of using an Epicor product configurator CPQ application throughout multiple installations spanning more than years. Contact KBMAX 3D CPQ team to begin achieving comparable outcomes for your business.

[thedutchess07]

Sim Screenshot Quality?

Hey everyone <3

I've been getting asked how I get my screenshot quality the way I do quite a bit lately, soooooo I thought I'd answer through a general post. Sorry for the long post >.<

Software and lighting mods I use:

Gshade, ADOF* & Relight*

SRWE

GIMP or Facetune

In-game lighting mods

Maxis lighting

GSHADE, ADOF & RELIGHT

Installing Gshade tutorial here. This video also goes over how to change over to DX11, which if your PC has the capability to do so I totally recommend.

What Gshade preset do I use? Check my FAQs.

*ADOF... okay so ADOF is not a separate software but a shader in Gshade/Reshade. This is one of the common questions I get asked. Check out this Youtube tutorial on how edit your ADOF settings to your preference (15:53 min). For those confused on ADOF, it's what the blurry background of the pics. For ex. below, I like to play around with this setting a lot depending on my mood haha.

*Relight.. like ADOF, relight is not a separate software but a shader in Gshade/Reshade. This is what takes my screenshots to the next level. Youtube tutorial here and in depth guide here. Now you have to play around with relight a bit to get it exactly how you want it. Depending on the mood I'm going for will determine my placement and color of the lighting. For ex., below I focused on the middle and eye area with a white light...

I was going for a Catherine Zeta-Jones, Morticia Addams vibe (idk if yall caught that or can see my vision lol)

SRWE

Youtube tutorial here and in-depth guide here. Now SRWE is my bestieee lol. For SRWE profiles, that depends on what your computer can handle. The in-depth guide I linked helps you configure what profile is for you. Typically for me I do 3600 x 4800, but depends what kind of shot I'm going for. You don't have to use this esp, if you have a top tier GPU and monitor... I'm in the process of upgrading my PC, so who knows if I'll still be using it.

GIMP or FACETUNE

Tutorial on GIMP and tutorial on FaceTune. GIMP is like a free version of photoshop and Facetune is a photo/video editing application. I use GIMP and Facetune is for the grain effect and sharpener. I will only use the grain effect if it fits the vibe I'm going for, yes I can turn on film grain in Gshade, but I don't like how it comes out in my photos. As for sharpener tool, I only add a touch of it on my pics and not every picture. When I say touch I mean literally lol, I don't like a lot where it gives it that weird drawing effect (???). Like I said, I use this occasionally depending on the mood. A new feature I've recently used on GIMP was the shadow and contrast tool. For ex. below you can see before and after. I darkened the background and added a bit of contrast for a more pop effect on my sim.

Before After

LIGHTING MODS

I use:

Northern Siberia Winds Gentle CAS and Even Better In-Game lighting mods.

Lummia's No Blu and No Glo.

Lotharihoe's Brighter Walls and Foundations, Cubemap Remover, and Out Of The Dark (Indoor Lighting Mod). Which can all be found here.

I don't have Softerhaze's lighting mods, my brain cannot process how to install it hahaha (all jokes aside if you know good youtube tutorial lmk, bc I'm a huge visual learner).

MAXIS LIGHTING

Yessss maxis lighting also plays a role (for me personally). We all know maxis lighting is kinda trash, but it also has its place in things. Depending on the theme/vibe I'm going for also determines the season and time in game. For ex. below these pictures were taken in summer at 6pm (in-game lol). That gave me the perfect lighting from the maxis side to compliment all the other components I use.

Alright, I think that's it. Sounds like a lot, but it's really not. This is just how I do it, so you will find your own groove and settings on how YOU like your pics. Hopefully that makes sense to you all, and if not shoot me a message through my WCIF/Ask button. :)

Like you, I am learning about all of this. I am by no means a tech whiz, I have to do a lot of research myself to understand things.

Have a lovely day or night ppl!!!

[bubu0h]

How I Manage my personal AO3 e-library Archive

Download everything I want/hope to read in EPUB format. I try to anyways... if I notice I got too many tabs open on my browser, time to download If multi-chapter remember first to press 'Entire Work' and then 'Download'

2. I use Book Story (Android App) to manage the mess that is my downloads folder do NOT use this app to read as of sep 4 2024 (today) the e-reader that comes with this app I do NOT recommend (The app is still getting updates I hope one day I can use it for reading too) The app has this fantastic feature that allows me put the books into 'Reading' 'Already Read' 'Planing' 'Dropped' categories which is the main and only function I use. I move the books around and it helps me keep a visual tab on them.

Periodically , I then make a copy of my messy ass downloads folder from my phone into my computer. While looking at the visual information the apps provides me I delete books that I 'Dropped' and I move 'Already Read' books into my computer E-Library (I use Calibre Windows Software) that's my main book hub where I will quickly notice what books need covers and I take my time working to finding an image I like for the book , so I can recognize them books by just looking at the covers I am terrible at remembering book titles

If you are curious this is what Calibre looks like - this is just AO3

3. To read EPUB books I use Libera FD (Android app) Is frankly the best reader I have tried, I can customize pretty much EVERYTHING BIG ASS FONTS , you can download any font you want to use, replace words if I want to , it has OLED dark mode for reading at 3 am, you can configure it so it reads to you (using TTS) , several reading modes including auto scroll and speed reading mode, and so much more; the dev(s) are still updating and adding functions to it is kind of amazing I am probably not using it to its full potential You can sort books by 'Genre' which is how the app recognize the tags from the website.

Here some visuals of Libera FD (I wrote in the ALT of pics, click on it)

4. How to provide enrichment to glorious magnificent authors , that share their passion with us for free. When you open any ao3 .epub on Librera is gonna look something like this. I tap on the link that leads back to the original posted website page. All links are tapable and I make sure to open the book on the website before I start any book.

It will open the link in your browser app. Open a note taking app. And now I can take notes , copy quotes and whatever else I want to leave in the comment section of the chapter of the book I am on. Cut and paste and that's it. I load the next chapter in the website and then continue reading the next chapter on the reading app (I comment on all the chapters if I have something to comment, sometime I don't have anything to say so I don't . Figure it makes authors happy and i find it very fun. Sometimes they answer back it feels nice) remember to leave kudos specially if you are rereading.

I use Quillpad (android app) the most important feature of any note taking app you choose, in this case in particular, is that it saves your notes automatically (I used some apps that didn't it was devastating losing all my notes like that. I though that as long as I didn't close the app it was fine turns out not and sometimes it would timeout and gone , all my notes gone. With Quillpad I haven't lost notes)

I haven't taken the time to figure out if Librera has a feature for annotation that could be useful for commentary note taking

I think that's all I can think of sharing on this topic. I am open to questions and adding things to this post with visual aid and whatever I can do to help , do let me know.

Keeping a copy of your books safe and easy to find

[slenbee]

Common scams and you

Hello everyone!

I'm finally writing out the idea that has been floating around in my head for a while now, and I'm honestly surprised there's no videos on youtube (that I've found) that talk about the most common scams that are out there on the internet that you may encounter.

So! Let's start.

#1. Virus pop up scams.

These types of scams are based around inciting panic and fear in those that encounter them. They are generally encountered by mistyping a url in the search bar that then leads you to a web page containing a flashy visual alert (and sometimes audio alert) stating something like the following:

Your system is at risk! # Viruses found! Warning!

Your system has been compromised!

Viruses / Trojans found!

The majority of which then provide a phone number that scam victims would call to get the issue 'resolved.' Those who fall for this scam contact the call center seeking help, and those there- the scammers, lull their victims into a false sense of security that they'll solve the issue. They then have their victims download remote access software such as AnyDesk and UltraViewer.

These programs allow a user who connects complete and TOTAL CONTROL of your computer. They can view your screen, track what you type or click, not to mention they can lock it, and they can change the password, holding it at ransom. They can do pretty much ANYTHING as long as the software is installed. It runs in the background and they can monitor everything you do.

They will tell you that to get rid of the virus/'hack', you must pay a certain amount (usually between $300-$1k or more) for them to clean your computer and 'add an antivirus'.

They will tell you that you need to go to walmart/wallgreens to get gift cards. Or they will ask you to provide banking details so that they can steal your banking/login information to transfer money via zelle or other methods while under the control of the remote access application.

If you or anyone you know has made it to the installation part of this scam, make sure to disconnect the internet immediately and uninstall the program that they installed upon the computer.

This scam can ALSO happen to people on mobile. There are websites and apps configured to show that you've got a virus, and much like above, it will tell you that you need to call a phone number or download an app to get it resolved.

Clicking off the page / notification gets rid of it. There was never any virus to worry about. So don't worry too much if you see something like this while browsing the internet. Just try and be safe!

#2. E-Mail scams.

The most notorious of all of e-mail scams that I've encountered over the years are as follows:

Your <brand> anti-virus has expired. Click here to re-new!

You have been charged <huge amount> for <brand> anti-virus. If this is a mistake please call <phone number> to get this resolved.

You have received a PayPal invoice from <scammer name/brand> for <huge amount> please call <phone number>.

Much like the virus pop up scam, these scams follow a similar path when it comes to the end result. You call them, they have you install a remote access application, they tell you to pay x amount of money so they can install their 'anti-virus', and/or they do a fake 'scan' in the console, and likely install a real virus that harvests your information.

All in all, best to avoid it/delete the e-mail. No proper anti-virus is going to send you an e-mail telling you to call them. Nor are they going to charge you $300 for a 'renewal.'

As for the paypal invoice, just ignore it and check your actual paypal. If there's no invoice, there never was one in the first place. Flag it as trash and delete it.

#3 Phone scams.

These can be scary, especially if you've got a son, daughter, or relative who might live out of town.

Mom/Dad I lost my phone can you send me money for a new one?

Hey I'm with your kid and they're hurt/arrested/etc can you send me some money to pay the ambulance/bail/etc.

Your kid said I'd bring you these things and you'd pay me.

This is <name> from <fake business/tech support> on behalf of apple/microsoft to let you know your warranty has expired.

Sadly this means that your phone number has likely been leaked online somewhere, and scammers are now attempting to use it to get money from you. Best advice is to hang up and block the number immediately before calling your child/family member to make sure they're okay.

#4. Text Scams.

These are generally pretty easy to notice, and pretty easy to avoid, if you know what to look out for.

Any random number that texts you with something akin to the following, is a scam:

THIS IS <FAKE NAME> FROM THE UNITED STATES <FAKE COMPANY> TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU'VE WON <MILLIONS OF DOLLARS>. PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR WINNINGS.

Fedex has your package click this link to update your information.

UPS has failed to deliver your package. click this link to-

Hi <name that's not yours> are we set for our <event> next <day>?

<name not yours> I'm looking forward to <activity> next <day>. Are you going to be busy?

While links to scammy websites are easy to avoid, the last two might not be so easy to some people. Replying to them in any form puts you on a list of 'active numbers' for them to target. They will text you repeatedly with different prompts which all lead down the same line.

You say 'wrong number', they say 'this isn't <name>?' you say 'no' they say 'i'm so sorry i thought this was <name>' you say 'no problem' they say 'oh you're so kind want to be friends?' which then leads into 'i'm <fake name> from China/Singapore/<country> but I live in california/new york. I'm a fashion designer/investor/owner of a small company' and they send a fake picture of them which is likely stolen from somewhere online. They also ask for you to send them YOUR pictures. Don't do this.

End goal is for you to download WatsApp/Telegram to send them money and/or invest in fake crypto.

There are also text scams similar to those mentioned above where it's someone pretending to be a sugar mommy/daddy and they try to get you to spend time and hook up with them. They ask you to pay a 'fee' so they know you're 'legit' or something which, of course, is just a way to get you to send them money.

#5. Facebook Scams.

These are rather new, but once you know the signs, you'll know how to avoid them.

When buying/selling something on facebook, if someone says they can't pick it up but <brother/sister/cousin> can and they ask if you take cashapp, zelle, etc, it's a scam.

If you or someone you know who is older/elderly is contacted by someone who's in the military/ex-military/ex-cia/ex-fbi etc and they flood your DM's with affection and kindness and lots of love and attention in an effort to get you in a relationship with them, this is known as a romance scam.

They will ask for money to 'get a new phone' or 'to send pictures because my camera is broken.' or to 'buy a plane ticket to come see you'. It's a scam, a big scam, and a lot of elderly people have been scammed out of a lot of money because of it. They will call you and talk to you and say they love you and all that kissy kissy mwah junk just to build trust so they can try and get money.

It's not real. As sad as that is to say, all these people are after is money.

If you know anyone who might be in any of these situations, PLEASE try and talk some sense into them. Especially if they've sent large amounts of money to someone over the internet. Google is your best friend, and there is information out there for people who want to find it.

All in all, just make sure you're careful in who you trust.

#6. Discord/Steam Scams.

These can be less obvious to those who aren't tech savvy, but once you know the signs they're hard to miss.

Anyone who randomly DM's you about beta-testing their 'new game' is trying to get you to click a link that leads to a website containing an application that contains a virus. This will harvest your information and give the hacker access to everything on your computer.

Anyone who randomly DM's you saying that they found 'compromising photos/information of you online' most likely will try to get you to click a virus link that will infect your computer.

Anyone who randomly DM's you saying they 'reported you to the discord/steam admins' for something inappropriate/illegal will try to get you to contact their 'friend' who is a 'discord/steam admin' to get it resolved.

This will either involve them sending you a virus link or trying to get you to send them money/gift cards to get the issue 'resolved.' They will also sometimes send you to a legit looking steam page which is fake and will harvest your steam login data.

Again, these are easy to notice once you know the signs. Just note that sometimes your friends might send you messages like these or ask for money, which in that case their account was likely compromised/hacked. Make sure to report them so that discord/steam can help get the account back in the right hands.

I know I've likely forgotten some other types of scams but for now these are the most common that people should keep an eye out and look for.

Protect yourself and protect others!

[mariacallous]

Some Fortune 500 companies have begun testing software that can spot a deepfake of a real person in a live video call, following a spate of scams involving fraudulent job seekers who take a signing bonus and run.

The detection technology comes courtesy of GetReal Labs, a new company founded by Hany Farid, a UC-Berkeley professor and renowned authority on deepfakes and image and video manipulation.

GetReal Labs has developed a suite of tools for spotting images, audio, and video that are generated or manipulated either with artificial intelligence or manual methods. The company’s software can analyze the face in a video call and spot clues that may indicate it has been artificially generated and swapped onto the body of a real person.

“These aren’t hypothetical attacks, we’ve been hearing about it more and more,” Farid says. “In some cases, it seems they're trying to get intellectual property, infiltrating the company. In other cases, it seems purely financial, they just take the signing bonus.”

The FBI issued a warning in 2022 about deepfake job hunters who assume a real person’s identity during video calls. UK-based design and engineering firm Arup lost $25 million to a deepfake scammer posing as the company’s CFO. Romance scammers have also adopted the technology, swindling unsuspecting victims out of their savings.

Impersonating a real person on a live video feed is just one example of the kind of reality-melting trickery now possible thanks to AI. Large language models can convincingly mimic a real person in online chat, while short videos can be generated by tools like OpenAI’s Sora. Impressive AI advances in recent years have made deepfakery more convincing and more accessible. Free software makes it easy to hone deepfakery skills, and easily accessible AI tools can turn text prompts into realistic-looking photographs and videos.

But impersonating a person in a live video is a relatively new frontier. Creating this type of a deepfake typically involves using a mix of machine learning and face-tracking algorithms to seamlessly stitch a fake face onto a real one, allowing an interloper to control what an illicit likeness appears to say and do on screen.

Farid gave WIRED a demo of GetReal Labs’ technology. When shown a photograph of a corporate boardroom, the software analyzes the metadata associated with the image for signs that it has been modified. Several major AI companies including OpenAI, Google, and Meta now add digital signatures to AI-generated images, providing a solid way to confirm their inauthenticity. However, not all tools provide such stamps, and open source image generators can be configured not to. Metadata can also be easily manipulated.

GetReal Labs also uses several AI models, trained to distinguish between real and fake images and video, to flag likely forgeries. Other tools, a mix of AI and traditional forensics, help a user scrutinize an image for visual and physical discrepancies, for example highlighting shadows that point in different directions despite having the same light source, or that do not appear to match the object that cast them.

Lines drawn on different objects shown in perspective will also reveal if they converge on a common vanishing point, as would be the case in a real image.

Other startups that promise to flag deepfakes rely heavily on AI, but Farid says manual forensic analysis will also be crucial to flagging media manipulation. “Anybody who tells you that the solution to this problem is to just train an AI model is either a fool or a liar,” he says.

The need for a reality check extends beyond Fortune 500 firms. Deepfakes and manipulated media are already a major problem in the world of politics, an area Farid hopes his company’s technology could do real good. The WIRED Elections Project is tracking deepfakes used to boost or trash political candidates in elections in India, Indonesia, South Africa, and elsewhere. In the United States, a fake Joe Biden robocall was deployed last January in an effort to dissuade people from turning out to vote in the New Hampshire Presidential primary. Election-related “cheapfake” videos, edited in misleading ways, have gone viral of late, while a Russian disinformation unit has promoted an AI-manipulated clip disparaging Joe Biden.

Vincent Conitzer, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and coauthor of the book Moral AI, expects AI fakery to become more pervasive and more pernicious. That means, he says, there will be growing demand for tools designed to counter them.

“It is an arms race,” Conitzer says. “Even if you have something that right now is very effective at catching deepfakes, there's no guarantee that it will be effective at catching the next generation. A successful detector might even be used to train the next generation of deepfakes to evade that detector.”

GetReal Labs agrees it will be a constant battle to keep up with deepfakery. Ted Schlein, a cofounder of GetReal Labs and a veteran of the computer security industry, says it may not be long before everyone is confronted with some form of deepfake deception, as cybercrooks become more conversant with the technology and dream up ingenious new scams. He adds that manipulated media is a top topic of concern for many chief security officers. “Disinformation is the new malware,” Schlein says.

With significant potential to poison political discourse, Farid notes that media manipulation can be considered a more challenging problem. “I can reset my computer or buy a new one,” he says. “But the poisoning of the human mind is an existential threat to our democracy.”

[kbmax-cpqsoftware]

KBMax: Visual Configuration Software 

Visual configuration involves customizing products using interactive 2D or 3D representations. This procedure is made possible by the Visual configuration software from KBMax, which customers and sales representatives can both use to create an engaging buying experience. KBMax cpq pricing refers to the set of various price points, where the outcome of one price point is used as input for the next one. To learn or explore more, visit KBMax.com

[productvisualizationsoftware]

How Visual Configuration Software Speeds-up Production

Consumer loyalty is what every firm strives for! However, it can be challenging to achieve. To respond to client inquiries, information-driven operations and predictable attempts are required. Various B2B firms are vying to outperform the competition regarding customer experience. Innovative organizations that want to make their business's future a reality are turning to a visual product configurator.

Manufacturers are encouraged to develop the product with every granular detail proposed by the client using the visual configuration software. Visual product configuration  lets the user pick a feature based on their needs, which is then validated by a configuration rules engine before allowing the user to select the following option about the remaining features on their product. 

Benefits of visual configuration software

Visual product configurator is a must-have for any manufacturing organization. Its ability to speed up every step of the process, from designing to taking orders to making the product. Visual product configuration significantly improves manufacturers' ability to deliver a quick and high-quality turnaround in designing something for a customer, as well as its manufacturing ability to provide engaging and delightful customer experiences.

Here are five reasons visual configuration software makes sense for your business:

1.For complicated products, a visual product configurator is ideal.

Meeting the ever-changing demands of customers is a challenging endeavor. It necessitates an extensive understanding of the product type desired for their organization and the resources required to create their particular requirements.

Many merchants assume that some products need to be simpler for an eCommerce system to manage. Some goods, particularly in the B2B business, contain many features, choices, and computations. However, using a visual product configurator helps clients surmise these complicated products readily. 

2. Visual configuration software is beneficial to your team.

When a production staff knows precisely what the client wants, it is much easier to configure a product to meet their needs. This also saves your sales staff a lot of time and work. A consumer who requests a quote becomes a significant lead who asks to be contacted again. This helps your sales team concentrate on consumers who already know what they want.

Meanwhile, the consumer is content. This enables other teams to finish product manufacture on schedule and generate quotes in minutes. And then hand it off to product specialists to deal with more pressing matters than guiding clients through setup options. Visual configuration software & pricing also allows consumers to make changes in real-time, saving the product design team time by instantaneously developing a drawing and delivering it to the production team to implement as soon as feasible.

3. Visual configuration software reduces the chances of error.

Based on client needs, visual configuration software creates detailed product designs with all the minute details, which also relate to components of the production process. Because all changes and procedures are coordinated through product visualization software, the risks of error are reduced, and all linked teams have complete transparency.

By simplifying the transmission of information between functions and making the margin of error insignificant, the product quote production process becomes smoother, and the risks of inaccuracy in quotations are decreased.

4. Visual configuration and pricing cut down on lead times.

Customers can use visual configuration software to scheme, design, and change products based on their ideas, which reduces the likelihood of revision after the invention has been completed. This also saves other teams time preparing for the procedure and speeds up the product development process. The usage of visual configuration software minimizes the average time spent on order records, reviews, and processing. This increases client satisfaction by creating products on time and low cost.

Summing Up

To meet the expanding market demand for sophisticated bespoke goods, organizations must exploit the full potential of online visual configuration software more than ever. It enables businesses to provide far more complicated solutions comprised of real-time data.

KBMax Visual configuration software eliminates quotation mistakes in complex goods and increases customer satisfaction by delivering well-defined solutions. With the assistance of this automated system, firms should be adequately informed of future product production demands and use the value contained inside their manufacturing process. 

[geeta1726]

thank you so much for answering my previous ask! can you also share your insights on how i can activate my mars conjunct pluto in 9th house as i have saturn (3H) opposite mars which seems to block and hinder the mars pluto conjunction energy can you provide some remedies for this? thank you so much!!

Certainly! Activating and harnessing the energy of Mars conjunct Pluto in the 9th house can be a powerful endeavor, especially considering the opposition from Saturn in the 3rd house. Here are some insights and solutions to help you navigate this dynamic aspect configuration:

Understanding Mars Conjunct Pluto in the 9th House: Mars conjunct Pluto suggests intense and transformative energy, particularly when it occurs in the expansive and philosophical 9th house. This placement can signify a strong drive for personal growth, a passion for exploring profound truths, and a desire to make a significant impact on the world.

Identify and Address Saturn Opposition: The opposition from Saturn in the 3rd house may pose challenges related to communication, learning, and mental processes. Saturn's influence can manifest as self-doubt, limitations in self-expression, and obstacles in the pursuit of knowledge. Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward overcoming them.

Develop Mental Resilience: Cultivate mental resilience and discipline to counteract Saturn's restrictive influence. Practice positive affirmations, visualization techniques, and mindfulness exercises to strengthen your mental fortitude. Focus on building confidence in your abilities and overcoming self-imposed limitations.

Embrace Transformation: Embrace the transformative energy of Mars conjunct Pluto by delving into deep introspection and shadow work. Explore your subconscious patterns, fears, and desires to uncover hidden motivations and sources of power. Use this awareness to initiate profound personal transformation and empower yourself.

Channel Energy Constructively: Direct the intense energy of Mars conjunct Pluto into constructive outlets, such as pursuing higher education, engaging in philosophical studies, or advocating for social justice causes. Channel your passion and drive into activities that align with your values and contribute positively to society.

Seek Higher Knowledge: The 9th house is associated with higher education, spirituality, and philosophy. Invest time and effort in expanding your intellectual horizons, exploring spiritual teachings, and seeking wisdom from diverse sources. Engage in deep philosophical discussions, embark on spiritual retreats, or pursue advanced studies in subjects that inspire you.

Practice Mindfulness and Self-Care: Incorporate mindfulness practices and self-care routines into your daily life to maintain balance and equilibrium. Establish healthy boundaries, prioritize self-care activities, and engage in activities that nourish your mind, body, and spirit. Regular meditation, yoga, and spending time in nature can help you stay grounded and centered amidst challenges.

Seek Guidance from a Mentor or Counselor: Consider seeking guidance from a mentor, counselor, or spiritual advisor who can provide support and insights tailored to your unique circumstances. A knowledgeable mentor can offer guidance, perspective, and practical strategies for navigating the complexities of your planetary configurations.

For more information, you can get an accurate information with the help of Kundli Chakra Professional 2022 software.

[usafphantom2]

F-22 Retirement in 2030 Unlikely as USAF Looks to Spend $7.8 Billion on It Before Then

March 27, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

The Air Force seems to be rethinking its plan to start retiring the F-22 around 2030, as its spending plans for the air dominance fighter go well beyond that date, according to the service’s fiscal 2025 budget request.

The Air Force’s planned F-22 budget through fiscal year 2029 includes $4.7 billion for procurement and $3.1 for research, development, test, and evaluation, for a total of $7.8 billion. While the RDT&E line closes out in FY29, procurement beyond that date—labeled “to completion” in budget documents—comes to $1.2 billion.

Senior Air Force leaders have described the F-22 program now through 2030 as a “bridge” to the Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter and its family of systems, and several have said that the technologies being developed for the F-22 in its waning service years will be directly applicable to NGAD.

The budget assumes the F-22 fleet will be reduced by 32 aircraft, to about 153 airplanes, but the documents say only 142 will receive the full lineup of improvements.

The 32 jets the Air Force wants to divest are of the Block 20 configuration, and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said it would cost upwards of $50 million each to bring them up to Block 30, the most up-to-date standard. The Air Force prefers to spend that money making the younger models more capable against the anticipated threat; mainly the air-to-air challenge posed by China’s fifth-generation fighters and advanced air-to-air missiles.

The Air Force has also said that a congressional mandate to upgrade the older F-22s—which have been used only as training jets—couldn’t be accomplished until it was almost time to retire them. They would also need all the new capabilities the F-22 is receiving, to preserve fleet standardization, at even greater cost.

Pentagon officials agreed that, despite the urgency of the threat, it would be foolish to upgrade the F-22s at such expense and retire them a few months later. One said that the timing of the F-22’s retirement “hasn’t been decided … and it depends on progress with NGAD” and other factors.

Budget justification documents for the F-22 say that the procurement activities over the next five years will upgrade “the air vehicle, engine, Operational Flight Program (OFP), and training systems to improve F-22 weapons, communications, navigation, pilot-vehicle interface, and electronic warfare suite.”

Updates called out in the documents show the Air Force is giving the F-22 stealthy, range-extending drop tanks, infrared sensors, identification, friend-or-foe improvements, better Link 16 connectivity, software upgrades, and electronic warfare and navigation enhancements, as well as new weapons and hardware changes to make it more reliable and available.

The long-range tanks and infrared systems were revealed in artwork released by Air Combat Command in mid-2022, without explanation at the time. Test aircraft sporting the new underwing tanks and IR sensors have since been photographed near western test ranges, but the Air Force has declined to discuss them.

Among the new capabilities being prepared for the F-22 Raptor are the still-classified AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, evoked here in an image released in 2022 by Gen. Mark Kelly, head of Air Combat Command. Developed by Lockheed Martin, JATM is an air-to-air weapon designed to attack targets beyond visual range. It is needed to counter China’s next-generation PL-15 weapon. USAF illustration

The budget documents say the critical design review for the stealthy tanks took place in early 2023 and that technology demonstrations have been underway since. “Required Assets Available” with the tanks, which usually translates to initial operational capability, is set for the second quarter of fiscal 2026.

The infrared detection system (IRDS), which is likely to be the two slender, chiseled pods on the outer wing of the F-22 in the artwork, will enter full-up flight test in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Production is to begin in early 2028, with deliveries the following year.

A sensor enhancement package for the F-22 includes IRST and possibly radar and other detection systems. Together, they will “improve the F-22’s sensing and tracking and ensures Air Superiority by preserving the first-look, first-shot and first-kill capabilities of the 142 Block 30/35 F-22 aircraft,” according to the justifications.

“The first 71 Sensor Enhancements Group A kits were purchased under F-22’s Rapid Fielding Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) program authority,” the Air Force said. The new sensors are slated for flight demonstration in FY24. A follow-on production decision is scheduled to follow closely. Developmental Test and Evaluation is scheduled for the third quarter of FY25, and in the last quarter of FY26, Operational Test and Evaluation will begin.

The low-drag tank and pylons “are advanced technological designs” which will “minimally increase drag” while permitting longer range, even at supersonic speed, for the F-22.

“The pylons are equipped with smart rack pneumatic technology to accurately control ejection performance and maintain minimum drag without stores,” the documents said.

The program calls for 286 each of the tanks and pylons—enough to fully equip 143 jets, at two for each jet. They have to work at a speed of at least Mach 1.2. Wind tunnel and ground tests were completed in fiscal 2023, and flight testing is targeted to begin in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, shortly after which a critical design review is scheduled. The initial lots will be bought later in FY24. Developmental and operational testing is set to conclude in mid-fiscal 2026, with required assets available soon after.

The F-22 will also get a new Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna to help it navigate in a “GPS-degraded environment,” and achieve resilient position, navigation and timing. Retrofits will be made on 142 F-22s, of which 27 will be operated by the Air National Guard. There will be a production readiness review in June of this year, and flight testing starts in early 2025.

A series of reliability, availability, and maintainability program (RAMP) initiatives meant to make the F-22 more ready when needed are also in the funding plan. Candidates were selected for their ability to rapidly reduce maintenance workload or increased durability of the F-22’s stealth features. There is “high variability in the number of projects and kit quantities,” the Air Force said in its budget justification books.

“The RAMP program includes funding for retrofit installation labor and modifications which address corrosion, reduce maintenance hours, increase safety and provide urgent response requirements identified by the user to the F-22 fleet,” the Air Force said. These projects are also addressing safety-of-flight issues and to ease “technology insertion.” One such program replaces old fiber-optic cabling; another for a “Low Observable Mighty Tough Boot … leads to an estimated three percent increase in aircraft reliability.”

What was originally an ad-hoc Link 16 connectivity program now gives the F-22 a transmit/receive capability with Link 16 rehosted to a system that also plugs it into the Multi-functional Information Distribution Service/Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS/JTRS), with an open architecture to speed insertion of new capabilities.

Much of the F-22 RDT&E request is for software to integrate and exploit all the new sensors and equipment the fleet will receive. The Air Force is attempting to “leverage commercially-based agile software and hardware best practices and tools” to speed the introduction of new capabilities. It’s also funding Software Integration Labs for most of the specific systems.

Other RDT&E efforts include cryptographic upgrades, technology demonstrations, “threat modeling support,” engine enhancements cybersecurity and open mission system (OMS) integration. Software is to be delivered “using a scheduled cadence for capabilities as they mature.”

The RDT&E program also includes “Project Geyser,” described as an “advanced capability” that will be assessed for “fielding configuration options.” No details were given about this project, but there will be “continued flight demonstrations and … test fleet modification into planned production configuration” in fiscal 2025.

@AirandSpaceForces.com via X

[cpqsoftware]

Product Configurator Software For Design Automation

A product configurator software for design automation is a tool that allows businesses to configure a product according to their specific needs and preferences. These days many industries, such as manufacturing, engineering, and construction, where customized products are often required, are unleashing their benefits at the fullest.