Angelo Caloia, former head of Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), was sentenced with 8 years and 11 months imprisonment after being charged of money laundering and embezzlement. Two Italian lawyers who were consultants of the bank were also convicted for allegedly participating in pilfering money during the sale of Italian real estate owned by the bank between 2001 and 2008. Each will have to pay fines and will be permanently prohibited from holding public office.

CNN: The 81-year-old was handed an eight year, 11 month jail term on Thursday, making him the highest-ranking Vatican official to be convicted of a financial crime

CNN reports that Angelo Caloia, the former head of the Vatican bank, has been sentenced to nearly nine years in prison for money laundering and aggravated embezzlement.

Caloia was president of the bank known as Institute of Works of Religion (IOR) from 1999 to 2009. He and two lawyers who consulted for the bank were charged with embezzling money while managing the sale of Italian real estate owned by IOR between 2001-2008, allegedly declaring less than the actual amount of the sale.

Each man will also have to pay fines and are banned from public office in perpetuity, according to a press release from the Vatican.

All three denied wrongdoing during the trial, which started in 2018.

The Guardian: Angelo Caloia, 81, becomes highest-ranking Vatican official convicted of financial crime

Angelo Caloia, former head of the Vatican bank, together with Italian lawyers Gabriele Liuzzo and his son Lamberto Liuzzo, were charged with participating in a scheme in which they embezzled money while managing the sale of Italian real estate owned by the bank between 2001 and 2008, according to The Guardian.

They allegedly siphoned off tens of millions of euros by declaring far less than the true amount of the sale.

Source: TG Daily – Former Vatican Bank President Convicted of Embezzlement and Money Laundering

Have you lost your data on WD My passport hard drive? Don’t worry; external hard drives are prone to give these types of troubles. Well, you can use hard drive data recovery software to help you out in this hopeless situation. 

Using this guide, you can recover data quickly from WD My passport hard drive. 

First, you will have an overview of the hard drive. Once done, you will get tips to recover your data from WD My passport hard drive. Just stick to the guide till the end, and you will get simple steps to recover your data using astonishing data recovery software. 

Part 1: Overview of WD My passport hard drive 
Part 2: Tips of WD External Hard Disk Data recovery 
Part 3: How to recover data from WD My passport external hard drive? 

Part 1: Overview of WD My passport hard drive 

It is always essential to learn in depth about your device before you implement any of the methods on it. Every storage device is different in multiple aspects, and there are various ways to deal with each of them. You need to learn about WD My passport correctly before you use any of the methods. 

WD My passport is one of the most used external hard drives on the planet. The reasons behind this are its distinctive features. It offers different colors of cases for users to distinguish between different data files. 

The drive has up to 4TB of storage space, which is immense. It has a decent design with fast speed. One can use this hard drive to transfer data very frequently. 

People all around use WD My passport hard drive to save data of multiple formats. Its portable features are fetching the attention of more and more users day by day. Like every other external hard drive, excessive use of WD My passport can also result in a few troubles. 

There are many problems that arise when WD My passport hard drive is frequently used;

• Sometimes the hard drive isn’t detected or recognized. 
• Most users report that it isn’t visible on Mac or Windows.
• WD external hard drive does not spin. 
• If you hear clicking noises from your external hard drive, then it might be having some troubles.
• In some cases, the LED power of the WD My passport hard drive is on, but the disk isn’t accessible. 
• In a few rare cases, the hard drive is detected but not the data in it. 

People use WD My passport hard drive as it is more convenient than many other external hard drives. It has a much better storage capacity and a much fluent data transfer speed. Using an external hard drive is certainly more economical. 

When you are clear about the device you are using, you can understand every method much better. This is the reason that is overviewing WD My passport hard drive was obligatory. You can also utilize the tips mentioned in the next section to keep your data secure and recover it properly. 

Part 2: Tips of WD External Hard Disk Data recovery 

External hard drives are susceptible and need special care; this is because they have very tiny fragments in them which can be damaged through little damage. Apart from that, there are many other culprits that can trouble you with lost data. Some people delete their important files by accident. Some are surprised when the external hard drive doesn’t show their important files. 

Recovering data from WD My passport is undoubtedly not that hard, but still, you need to keep few things in mind; 

• Don’t overwrite your data; keep in mind that data on the overwritten external hard drive is nearly impossible to recover. As the path of previous data is permanently lost. 
• Saving new data is not permitted as well as making new partitions. If you create new partitions, then the task of recovering your data isn’t doable. 
• The most important tip is not to use any unreliable software to recover data from your WD My passport external hard drive. Properly connect the external hard drive with your computer before implementing any method. 

You need to keep all these tips in mind before you start any method. Experimenting with false methods on your hard drive can result in permanent data loss; this is the reason that you need to first correctly examine the situation you are in. These simple tips can help you recover your data very efficiently. The cause behind your data loss is always the key to recovering it. 

Part 3: How to recover data from WD My passport external hard drive? 

As mentioned above, using good hard drive data recovery software is essential to get satisfactory results. There is no better software than Recoverit to get your data back from WD My passport external hard drive. 

This software is astonishing enough to bring back data of almost every format. You can recover data of different sizes; there is no size limit when it comes to Recoverit; it is even capable enough to get recovery from a vast number of data storage devices. 

Recoverit is one of the most credible software in the world. It can recover data in many exceptional cases when recovering it is nearly impossible. The interface of Recoverit is designed in such a way that every individual can easily use the software utilizing all its remarkable features. Here are the steps to recover your data with Recoverit:
 

Step 1: The first step is to download and install Recoverit data recovery software on your system. Once that is done, launch the software. Select WD My passport hard disk in the interface of the software.

Step 2: In this step, the hard disk data recovery software will scan your external hard drive. 

Step 3: The scanning time will depend upon the size of the data you lost. Once the scanning is completed, you can preview all the files recovered. Click on the “Recover” button after you are done verifying the data. Save the data on your guided location. 

Conclusion 

WD My Passport external hard drive is undoubtedly admired by the majority of the population around the world, but keep in mind that troubles are part of life. All you need is a credible data recovery software like Recoverit, and your data will be recovered in a matter of minutes. Follow the steps very carefully.  

Source: TG Daily – Recover Data from WD My Passport Hard Drive

Joseph Randall Biggs, the leader of the all-male extremist group Proud Boys, was arrested on Wednesday due to his alleged participation in the U.S Capitol riot early this month. An FBI affidavit disclosed that Briggs is being charged of obstruction of a proceeding, entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct. Briggs, who is also Proud Boys’ organizer, showed up in an Orlando court together with his lawyer remained silent when asked to to give a comment. He is currently under house arrest and other restrictions.

CNN: Prior to the Capitol riot, Biggs posted messages on Parler, telling his followers to blend in and not wear identifiable clothing

According the CNN, the Proud Boys leader is facing charges, namely obstruction of a proceeding, entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct  for his part in the siege of the Capitol on January 6.

Ahead of the Capitol riot, Biggs posted messages on Parler, the social media platform favored by the far right, telling his followers to blend in and not wear identifiable clothing, an FBI special agent wrote in the affidavit.

Authorities say Biggs said, “This is awesome!” on livestreamed footage of rioters entering the Capitol building, according to the affidavit.

The FBI said that Biggs told agents he entered the Capitol but not by using force, and denied knowing about any planning for the storming of the building.

NBC News: The charges say he was one of the first to enter the building, through a door that was opened by a small group that got in by breaking a window

In a similar report, NBC News disclosed that Biggs, an organizer of the far-right, all-male group, was identified through multiple videos and photos, according to a criminal complaint signed by an FBI agent who worked the case.

The charges say he was one of the first to enter the Capitol building, through a door that was opened by a small group that got in by breaking a window with a police body shield.

Source: TG Daily – FBI Arrests Proud Boys’ Leader For U.S Capitol Riot

There are three aspects of 5G that have wondered whether Wi-Fi will become the next redundant technology.  This result is particularly true in a COVID-19 world where people have to work from home.  This week, I interviewed a new company called Celona, a solution that uses private 5G access points connected to the wired network to address unique problems that I think could spell the end for Wi-Fi.  Let me explain.  

5G For Home

Before I met with Celona, I already heard that companies had begun to deploy connected LTE or 5G laptop solutions instead of Wi-Fi for their now remote workforce. A considerable number of schools were doing the same thing.  The reason was that you could deliver a plug-and-play solution where the user just needed to power the thing up.  IT didn’t have to worry about the Wi-Fi access point’s age, whether it had been properly patched, or the employee’s internet provider’s bandwidth and security.  

This 5G/LTE  pivot was particularly powerful for schools that didn’t have the IT resources to provide dedicated networking support and where teachers just wanted to teach and not become networking or PC techs.  And this is before most of the coming home 5G/Wi-Fi access points have begun to replace cable modems or 5G home IoT devices have hit the market (both are coming). 

But things get interesting when you learn where Celona has been successful.

The Advantages Of 5G Over Wi-Fi

As I noted in the heading, 5G has four key benefits that could eventually make Wi-Fi redundant.  It has very low latency, making it better for simulations (games), robots, and sequenced equipment like you find on a manufacturing floor.  It tends to be more robust in noisy environments, particularly over Wi-Fi 5, and it is also more secure.   Also, in large areas (like factories and warehouses), the ability for 5G to rapidly hand over the data traffic is critical to mobile unit operations and significantly better than Wi-Fi can currently provide.  

Now for latency shops that have deployed 5G access points tend to be heavily automated.  This technology was critical for what may be the largest fully automated warehouse in the world.  This warehouse has lots of mobile robots that are centrally controlled. This low latency and resistance to noise were critical to assuring the site could operate without collisions resulting from command delays.  And, given the workaround would have likely been autonomous robots, the use of this technology significantly reduced the costs of those robots.  By centralizing, rather than distributing, much of the intelligence, you gain economies of scale and cost benefits.  This deployment’s security aspect is a given because a breach could cause catastrophic failures, and even non-autonomous robots aren’t cheap.

But where security played an even more significant role was with telephones.  Some hospitals that use this provide dedicated cell phones to their employees when they start their shifts and turn them in when they go off work.  These phones connect to the dedicated and networked 5G access points with dedicated SIMs assuring the calls all route through the system security.  Besides, they open the door for better tools often used in wired telephone environments, block phishing and spam calls.  

Other implementations allow Cell Phones with dual SIMs to route business calls to the user’s cell phone while still allowing them to make personal calls off their SIM.  This solution reduces corporate call costs and eliminates the need for wired dedicated phone handsets.  

Wrapping Up:  Why Wi-Fi May Become Redundant

The significant advantage that 5G has is greater economies of scale.  The natural progression of the network supports cell phones, connected cars, and devices that are placed remotely from homes and offices.  Granted, most of these devices also support Wi-Fi but, in those devices, Wi-Fi is redundant because of the limits of Wi-Fi coverage.   If you have two technologies that both provide similar benefits, it is always likely that the least critical one, and in this case, Wi-Fi, will eventually get displaced.  

That appears to be the path we are on now, but the progression is relatively slow for the moment, and, given 5G service costs, Wi-Fi is cheaper.  But with companies like Celona selling 5G access points that are plug-in replacements for Wi-Fi access points, that advantage could, and likely will, be offset, and should these 5G access points get to critical mass, and Wi-Fi is likely done.  Timing would be after mid-decade, and there is always a chance that, by then, another alternative technology could emerge, but, right now, companies like Celona suggest we are nearing the end of days for Wi-Fi.  

Source: TG Daily – Celona And The Four Aspects Of 5G That Could Make Wi-Fi Redundant

Any initiative taken by an organization to uplift its employees’ overall health or wellness falls under the category of employee wellness programs. While most of these programs are quite simple and can be implemented pretty easily, others can take months of planning for seamless execution.

Some of the most common practices that companies follow under these programs are:

• Stress-reducing and mental health improving workshops
• Offering nap breaks during work hours
• Scheduling monthly or weekly exercise and yoga classes
• Tracking employees’ health and performance through wearable devices
• Providing health snacks and lunch during breaks

While these programs are definitely beneficial for employees, they also help employers in the long-run by reducing healthcare costs, retaining employees, and creating a healthy and motivated workforce.

Here are 8 advantages that you and your company can also enjoy through employee wellness programs:

1. Decrease healthcare and absenteeism costs:

Leveraging employee wellness programs directly impacts your finances by reducing unwanted health costs. In America alone, employers spend more than $530 billion annually on healthcare costs due to poor workers’ health.

Through weekly exercise schedules and by motivating employees for a healthy lifestyle, you can reduce health expenditures. Furthermore, a healthy workforce will also take fewer leaves which is generally the case when they don’t have access to such wellness workshops. Reduced employee unavailability also leads to efficient on-floor activities that result in higher productivity.

2. Higher engagement and improved relationships:

As per research, employees who eat healthy and include some sort of physical activity in their routine engage more with their colleagues. Moreover, these employees also feel motivated to do their best.

Hence, it has become somewhat mandatory for companies to include fitness sessions in their wellness programs to engage employees and increase collaboration among them. This also helps workers to build, improve, or perfect relationships with each other which reduces instances of harassment and bullying in corporations, leading to a supportive and stress-free environment.

3. Reduced workplace stress:

In America alone, 94% of employees have reported experiencing stress at their workplace. If suppressed, it can lead to various cardiovascular and mental health diseases among employees like high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. 

Unfortunately, work-stress has become a common occurrence that is often neglected in offices. Jam-packed work schedules, tight deadlines, and even job insecurity sometimes can build up a great amount of stress among employees which depreciates their health drastically and forces them to even rage quit their jobs.

It is hence important for companies to keep work-stress in check and take every step possible to keep their employees happy. Wellness programs are a good way to do so as it allows employees to relax at work and take a break from their stressful jobs.

4. Increased productivity among employees:

When employees get a collaborative team and a stress-free working environment, it is apparent for them to work hard and deliver results more quickly. This increases the productivity of employees and allow them to accomplish more in-hand tasks in less time.

Also, since wellness programs improve the health of employees and reduce absenteeism, companies at all times have the required workforce at their disposal. They can hence deliver scheduled work on or even before deadlines and make bandwidth for other side tasks. 

5. Increased employee satisfaction:

Wellness programs in companies are also responsible to increase employee satisfaction rates. Employees when given a fruitful working environment and an opportunity to prove themselves, showcase a great affinity towards their company.

Also, since wellness programs improve employee productivity, workers deliver their best work which helps them to bring desired fruitful results more frequently. This also gives a push to their morale and a sense of achievement, which are major factors in influencing satisfaction from their jobs.

6. Increased morale:

With wellness programs, companies demonstrate that they care for their employees. This gives a positive boost to their morale which persuades them to excel at each given task. Morale can also be improved further if companies reward their employees for exceptional performance in wellness programs or in their associated field. This not only motivates the employee being appreciated for its efforts but also influences others to give their best as well.

7. Better company culture:

In current times, company culture is much more than the values and attributes a company and its employees share. It has become a crucial driving factor that includes everything from employee engagement rate to the type of environment a company offers.

Wellness programs allow employees from different teams to collaborate with each other and strengthen their relationships. Doing this also instigates a positive message among employees that they are cared for by their employer. All of these factors collectively strengthen the company culture, which leads to its success.

8. Increased employee retention and easier recruiting:

Employees are more likely to stay in an organization that makes them come to work energetically. Wellness programs are a good way to do so. They help employees to remain motivated to come to work, which helps companies to prevent employee turnover and retain their staff for the long haul.

Also, these programs increase the employer brand in the market which helps companies to remain competitive and attract the best talent for their organization.

CONCLUSION:

Employee wellness programs come with a great set of benefits for both employees and employers. By leveraging these programs, companies encourage their staff members to stay healthy, which in turn improves their productivity.

Many employers are realizing that implementing such programs can help them create a happy working environment for their employees and improve their recruitment. These programs also build loyalty among employees towards their company and help build a better company culture.

Hence, these programs are a must for companies to implement so that they can gain profit and become successful in the long-run.

Author Bio

Nathan is a Military Combat Veteran and Duke MBA candidate with two decades of experience in health, wellness, and technology. Nathan is the Founder and CEO of Woliba a Software as a Service company in the wellness and engagement space. Woliba helps organizations consolidate their HR software tools into one comprehensive platform to enhance company culture, morale, engagement, and workplace wellbeing. With built-in automation and Artificial Intelligence, Woliba helps organizations easily manage wellbeing, engagement, recognition, and reward initiatives in one mobile-friendly platform.

Source: TG Daily – 8 Key Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs

Alexei Navalny, Russia’s opposition leader, was arrested at a Moscow airport last Sunday. Authorities has placed him in custody for 30 days for violating the conditions of his parole due to an embezzlement case back in 2014. He called on his supporters to flock the streets in protest after his arrest. Navalny attended legal proceedings on Monday afternoon in a makeshift courtroom where he was being detained, claiming he was not allowed to see his lawyers until before the hearing began. His followers are scheduled to have a nationwide protest on January 23. Navalny, known critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was poisoned by a toxic nerve agent in August last year, allegedly masterminded by high officials within Putin’s circle, to which they deny the claims.

Read: EU Sanctions Top Russian Officials Over Navalny Poisoning

Read: Probe Finds Russian Federal Security Service Near Navalny Prior to Poisoning

NPR.Org: Russian authorities had warned that Navalny would be arrested for violating the parole terms of a 2014 conviction in an embezzlement case

According to NPR.Org, a judge ruled to remand Navalny in custody for 30 days following his return from Germany, where he was recovering from an August poisoning that he blames on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian authorities had warned that Navalny would be arrested for violating the parole terms of a 2014 conviction in an embezzlement case, even though the European Court of Human Rights later ruled Russia had denied Navalny a fair trial.

A Moscow court will rule next month on whether Navalny’s suspended sentence of 3.5 years in the embezzlement case will be converted into a prison sentence, his lawyer Vadim Kobzev told the Mediazona website. Navalny’s probation ended on Dec. 30, 2020, when he was still in Germany.

Lavrov accused Western governments of using Navalny’s arrest to distract from problems in their own countries. Lavrov insisted that Russian officials were adhering to the law.

Source: TG Daily – Navalny Urges Supporters to Protest After His Arrest

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the public that the new Coronavirus variant, which health experts found to be doubly contagious, may lead to a surge of cases and death in the U.S by March. Although this strain, which was first discovered in the UK, is easily transmittable, there are still no indications on its severity. Public health officials has been more resolute in its safety protocols like mask wearing, social distancing, frequent handwashing and limited to no social interactions and indoor gatherings.

The New York Times: The wrenching surge in cases and deaths that would further burden overwhelmed hospitals

Federal health officials warned on Friday that a far more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in Britain could become the dominant source of infection in the United States by March, The New York Times disclosed.

This forecast from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made plain what has been suspected for weeks now: The nation is in an urgent race to vaccinate as many Americans as possible before the variant spreads across the country.

The C.D.C.’s projections could also prove extremely troubling for hospitals and nursing homes, many of which are already operating at or near capacity. Medical centers and nursing homes have faced increasing rates of infection among their staffs, causing shortages and leading to increased patient loads that have at times jeopardized patient care.

Source: TG Daily – Infection From New Coronavirus Strain May Surge by March, CDC Warns

CES was pretty amazing this year and, while issues were doing the event remotely, it was quickly the most enjoyable CES I’ve ever attended.  CES is about innovation, and while there were lots of notebook computers showcased at the show this year, the two that caught my attention were the updated HP Elite Folio and the Lenovo X1 Fold.  

Let’s talk about what makes these two notebooks uniquely innovative this week and why I think they not only appeal to very different and diverse users, but they represent the current pinnacle of PC design. 

The ThinkPad X1 Fold

This laptop is the first Foldable PC that has come to market, and it has won a whopping 43 CES awards to date.  With a 13” foldable display, this thing will fold down to easily fit into a woman’s handbag, arguably making it one of the few Laptops with a unique capability that appeals to women.  (We need more woman-focused products in this segment).   Using Intel technology and wrapped by both Intel and Lenovo security, this leather-wrapped offering is straightforward to carry, and it can fold down to an ultra-small form factor for use in tight spaces.  With prices between $2.5K and $3.1K, this laptop isn’t a cheap date, but well-made revolutionary products seldom are because of economies of scale issues.   

One of the most compelling use cases is a book, something I’ve come to love about my Surface Duo phone.  Partially folded, it holds like a book making it far easier to use as a book reader.   Unfolded, the 13” screen, which has a kickstand, can be used to watch movies, and it has a kickstand. You don’t end up holding the thing for everyone else.  

The optional keyboard either nests on the X1 Fold or can be used separately, turning the notebook into a tiny all-in-one that is particularly good for watching videos on a plane.   The laptop is wrapped in leather (black), making it easier to carry by itself, and the lack of crease in the foldable screen is pretty amazing.  It has decent battery life of between 8 and 10 hours and up to 1TB of storage, depending on the configuration.  With an optional 4G/5G modem, you can be connected most anyplace you are.   

Dolby Atmos sound, a four-microphone system, and an IR Camera (for Windows Hell and Zoom backgrounds) make this a decent video conferencing PC.  

The Updated HP Elite Folio

The HP Elite Folio was my instant favorite notebook when it came out in 2019.   It had a built-in 4g WAN, it carried like a portfolio, and it was the first notebook I carried where I felt I could leave my backpack at the office or in the hotel room when traveling.  It was convenient in court, and its cantilevered screen made it ideal for coach seats in airlines back when I was still flying.  

This notebook came the closest to matching how I worked and mostly lived on social media, Outlook, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Word.   Battery life was adequate, but the one thing I hated was the color choice.  It came in brown and burgundy, and I still think the 80s wanted their colors back.  

Well, the new Updated HP Elite Folio is a ton better.  First, it has the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx processor with decent performance and incredible battery life; second, it has a 5G modem now for blinding fast WAN speeds; and third, it comes in black, a modern color for modern times.  

It carries like a portfolio because it is covered with padded leather, just like a portfolio, and it feels good in your hands.  More important, even when your hands are sweaty, it doesn’t appear to get as slippery as plastic does, and the leather does protect it if dropped.  Finally, it has an impressive amount of recycled content (the frame, for instance, is 90% recycled magnesium by weight).  

It comes with HP’s unique privacy feature, Sure View Reflect, which does an excellent job of keeping the nosey person next to you from seeing your stuff.   There is truly only one word for this notebook, and that is AWESOME!

Wrapping Up: 

At CES this year, there were two genuinely innovative notebooks, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 fold (which I’m now testing) and the updated HP Elite Folio.  Both products showcase the cutting edge of laptop design and technology. Both are covered in leather and come in black, and both address a balance of male and female users unusually well.  

This month is still really early for 2021 innovative products, so these two offerings suggest 2021 will be an excellent year for cutting-edge technology, particularly in notebook computers.  It is nice to say goodbye to the horrid 2020 and say hello to what is starting to look like a far better 2021 now if we can just mitigate the damned virus. 

Stay safe out there!

Source: TG Daily – The Two Most Innovative Notebooks At CES

Having a trusted corporate investment firm is a must when it comes to managing your company’s financial future. An investment firm can help you with everything from risk management to building your ideal portfolio. Your investments are too important to leave to an amateur, and there are many moving parts that may prevent you from managing them on your own.

Anthony Munchak explains what services you should expect from your investment firm and how an investment firm can help your company solidify its future through risk management.

The Functions of an Investment Manager

In order to help you, your investment manager first needs to assess your financial goals. An investment manager needs to know how much money your company can invest, what kind of return you are expecting, and how much liquidity you need. The amount of risk you are willing to take should also be discussed.

Investment managers will present you with potential places to use your company’s money. Investments may range from cash deposits to government bonds. Investing in startup companies may also be an option. If you work with a trusted investment manager, you will be aware of the possibilities available to you. Your manager will calculate the possible risks and returns for you.

Next, your investment manager will spend time with you and design your investment strategies. They will help you match your goals with the risks you want to take and the amount of money you can invest. They will make sure that your portfolio is appropriately diversified to spread the risk across different assets. Strategies used by investment managers may vary based on the client’s requirements.

Judging the Merits of Your Portfolio

One of the primary functions of an investment manager is deciding whether your portfolio needs to be improved. An investment manager may counsel your company to pull out of certain commitments or to invest in a new avenue like private equity. At all times, the investment manager should be focused on creating a healthy return on your company’s investments without exposing you to unnecessary risks.

Companies that put too much emphasis on their portfolios also run the risk of damage during any economic downturns that may occur. It is a better idea to focus on the company’s activities and see where profits can be raised there in addition to the investment portfolio.

Evaluating Your Firm’s Activities

An investment management firm will be able to analyze your firm’s activities and decide which are worthy of your attention. Companies should let go of the mindset that any sort of activity is beneficial. For example, cold calls and email campaigns that go nowhere should be abandoned. An unbiased external view of these activities can often be beneficial.

An investment management firm can also advise your company on any organizational changes that may be necessary to operate more efficiently. If your operations need to be streamlined or certain other organizational moves need to be made, an investment management firm will be able to help.

Risk Management

One of the most important functions of an investment management firm is maintaining a risk management plan. Risk management plans are financially beneficial because they help businesses prepare for problems that are likely to occur. Proper risk management strategies can make a company more attractive to lenders and raise its credit rating.

According to Anthony Munchak, allowing an investment management firm to deal with risk management is a smart move. Risk management plans protect the company’s portfolio and free up managers’ time to deal with other priorities like accomplishing their business goals.

Benefits of Risk Management

Risk management plans can improve the health and resilience of your business. The risk management process can uncover problems with your company’s daily operations, letting you know about concrete moves you can make to put things in order.

When your company undergoes risk management analysis, your business operations will improve to the point where your customers will be happier with your services. Your products may be made more efficiently, leading to fewer delays for your customers. Your organizational structure may be reshaped for maximum efficiency.

Companies are also made more financially stable when they undergo risk management analysis. The process may reveal important changes that need to be made in order to preserve their financial future.

The Role of Charterholders

Hiring a CFA-certified charterholder can be a smart move for your company. Skilled specialists in business investment management firms may become certified as charterholders by the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute. Having a charterholder in charge of your company’s dual asset management and risk management strategies is highly beneficial. The CFA certification is difficult to obtain and signifies that the holder has completed a rigorous course of study covering topics like equity investments, financial reporting and analysis, corporate finance, and wealth planning.

CFA charterholders are well-versed in advanced investment analysis. They have the skills to manage a portfolio in the real world. Anthony Munchak recommends that your company contract with a CFA charterholder to manage your interests.

Understanding How a Corporate Investment Firm Can Help Your Business

It is often best to delegate the responsibility for your company’s investments and risk management to a dedicated firm. An external investment management firm can take an impartial look at your company’s activities and make sure that your operations are efficient. The company can examine your investments and decide whether you are appropriately leveraged. They can also make recommendations for investments that your company should make in the future. Anthony Munchak, like other CFA charterholders, is an expert when it comes to asset management and risk management. A CFA charterholder will be able to shepherd your company through difficult times, making sure that your assets are used appropriately and that your level of risk is acceptable.

Written by Ruben Hernandez

Source: TG Daily – Anthony Munchak Explains the Importance of Corporate Investment Firms and Risk Management for Company Growth

A team of World Health Organization scientists arrived in Wuhan on Thursday, to investigate the origins of the Coronovirus, as Mainland China reported their first case of Covid-19 related death in more than 6 months. The woman, who was from Hebei, a coastal province of China, was found to have pre-existing health conditions resulting to a severe case of the illness. Currently, Shijiazhuang and other parts of Hebei are already under strict lockdown after reports of a rapid increase of the virus. Mass testing and travel restrictions are still being observed.

CNBC: Hebei reported 81 new coronavirus cases for Wednesday, bringing the number of current cases to 463

According to CNBC, a woman in Hebei province died Wednesday afternoon, state media reported, noting her illness was a severe case and she had pre-existing health conditions.

The province surrounds Beijing and began to report a rapid increase in coronavirus cases earlier this month. In less than two weeks, authorities have locked down Shijiazhuang and other parts of Hebei province in an effort to keep the disease from spreading.

A team from the World Health Organization arrived in Wuhan Thursday to investigate the origins of the virus alongside Chinese scientists, according to state media.

The Chinese government has pushed back against implications that Covid-19 came from China. After the height of the outbreak in the country early last year, authorities attributed subsequent cases to foreign sources.

Bangkok Post: China had largely brought the virus under control after strict lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions, but recent weeks have seen numbers climbing again

A team of experts from the World Health Organization arrived in Wuhan on Thursday to start a highly politicised probe into the origins of the coronavirus, as China reported its first death from Covid-19 in eight months, Bangkok Post reports.

More than 20 million people are under lockdown in the north of China and one province has declared an emergency, as Covid-19 numbers climb after several months of the country reporting only a handful of daily cases.

Authorities last week launched a mass testing drive and closed transport links, schools and shops in Hebei’s capital city Shijiazhuang — the epicentre of the latest outbreak.

Source: TG Daily – WHO visits Wuhan as China Announced First Covid Death After More Than Six Months

The U.S House of Representatives passes a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to remove Trump from office on Wednesday. This has been the second time the lawmakers have voted for the President’s impeachment following mob riot on the Capitol last week. The final vote was 223 to 205 demanding Pence to use the 25th Amendment. The House warned that they would impeach the President if Pence will not comply.

The New York Times: The House voted on Tuesday night to formally call on Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th Amendment to strip President Trump of his powers

The House of Representatives voted, 223 to 205, on Tuesday night to call on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to strip President Trump of his powers for inciting a mob to attack the Capitol, The New York Times reports.

Lawmakers, escorted by armed guards into a heavily fortified Capitol, adopted the nonbinding measure just before midnight largely along party lines.

The final vote was 223 to 205 to implore Mr. Pence to declare Mr. Trump “incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as acting president.”

Lawmakers warned they would impeach the president on Wednesday if Mr. Pence did not comply.

Bloomberg: Pence told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he wouldn’t comply with the non-binding resolution

Bloomberg disclosed that the House went ahead with the non-binding resolution, which passed 223-205, even though hours earlier Pence told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he wouldn’t comply because he didn’t believe “that such a course of action is in the best interests of our Nation or consistent with our Constitution.”

The assault on the Capitol and Trump’s role have unified Democrats and caused major rifts in the Republican Party. Four Republicans, including GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney, said Tuesday they would vote to impeach Trump. Another group of House Republicans have introduced a resolution of censure against Trump similar to the charges in the article of impeachment.

Source: TG Daily – House Pushes for Trump’s Impeachment After U.S Capitol Riot

When it comes to entertainment at home, there are lots of different options available in today’s digital age. Some people spend their spare time streaming movies and TV shows, some enjoy downloading music or using social media in their spare time, and some love to engage in online gaming. For those who are in the latter group, having the right laptop for gaming is vital for many reasons.

Naturally, when you play games online you want the experience to be an exciting and thrilling one. The laptop you use can make all the difference, and there are lots of great gaming laptops you can choose from. In order to ensure you find the right computer for your needs, you do need to put in some research and assess your specific needs. In this article, we will look at some of the ways to find the perfect laptop to enhance your gaming experience.

Making Sure You Find the Right Laptop

If you want to ensure you find the right laptop so you can make the most of your gaming experience, there are some key points you need to consider. Some of these are:

Affordability Factor

Naturally, you need to consider affordability, and you have to remember that some high-spec gaming laptops can come with a hefty price tag. Fortunately, there are plenty of great deals around, and you can also use promotions such as HP promo and coupon codes to help slash the cost of your laptop purchase. By finding ways to reduce the cost of the laptop, you can ensure you get a high specification computer without the high price tag.

Specifications of the Computer

It is important to ensure you check the specs of the system properly before you make your decision. This will help to ensure the laptop is ideal for your needs based on the types of games you play and the other activities you engage in on your laptop. Thinks such as graphics, memory, CPU, and speed will all have an impact on your gaming experience.

Size of the Screen

You should also look at the size of the laptop, as this will clearly have an effect on your gaming enjoyment. Obviously, many gamers are looking for a bigger screen so they can really immerse themselves in the game. However, if you find a great deal on a smaller laptop with great specs, it is well worth considering, as you could invest in a separate monitor to hook up your laptop for a big-screen experience.

Opinions from Others

Before you make your final choice, make sure you look at the opinions of other gamers via online reviews. You can then see what other people thought of the specs and reliability of the computer for gaming purposes, which means you can make a more informed choice.

Once you take all these factors into consideration, you will be better placed to find the ideal gaming laptop for the most exciting experience.           

Source: TG Daily – Enhance Your Gaming Experience with the Right Laptop

Unlike before where tech geeks gathered in Las Vegas, this year’s annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) went virtually via Zoom due to the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, some of the new products have been inspired by the Covid-19 situation to help consumers power through the new normal. Some of the offers include a smart mask that tracks workouts and the air quality, a sticker button that helps detect Covid-19 symptoms, a portable furry robot that looks like a cat without a head and legs but feels like a real pet, just to name a few. The even will run until January 14, 2021.

Wired.com: There are still plenty of gadgets, apps, electric vehicles, smart-home appliances, brain-training headsets, and Alexa-powered workout gear to tell you about

The WIRED crew shares some products showcased at the CES 2021:

Samsung’s Bot Handy6 has the ability to load dishes into the dishwasher, or pour you a glass of wine.

BioMilq’s lab-grown human milk tailored to your baby. The company collects a woman’s mammary epithelial cells while she’s expecting and cultivates them at their facility. When the cells are ready, they’re stimulated to produce personalized human milk for the infant and sent back to the mother.

MaskFone is making its “official debut” during CES this week, combines a machine-washable fabric mask with an N95 filter, a built-in microphone, and attached earbuds, so you can pop them in as needed and experience clearer-sounding phone calls.

Philip’s Sonicare 9900 Prestige claims to personalize your brushing experience, by sensing your technique and adapting in real time. So if you tend to apply too much pressure, it can automatically adjust the intensity.

The Washington Post: At CES, covid-19 has inspired new products to power extreme digital living

Here are some of the best, most intriguing and weirdest products of CES 2021 by The Washington Post:

The BioButton, about the size of a silver dollar, sticks to your upper chest with a medical adhesive and uses sensors to continuously track your skin temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, activity level and sleep. It can collect enough data to help identify if you have symptoms of a possible coronavirus infection — even if you don’t notice you’re sick.

The Petit Qoobo is like a cat, without a head or legs or fleas or a soul. A round fuzzy ball with a stubby moving tail, it is a portable-sized robotic companion designed to soothe you.

Gardyn, a plug-in home gardening machine, is designed to let prospective growers cultivate fresh leafy greens indoors with the help of artificial intelligence.

AirPop’s new Active Plus mask comes with a sensor that the company calls Halo. It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and monitors everything from breaths per minute to outside air quality to the health of the mask’s filter so it can alert you when it needs replacing.

Source: TG Daily – What CES 2021 Has to Offer Amidst the Pandemic

When I eventually decided what I wanted to do after leaving college, like many of you, I chose a field that I never really explored after graduation.  That field was HR, then called Manpower Management, and much of the focus in one of the classes was on Unions and how to stop them.   Unions tend to sprout when employees and management become disconnected, particularly when there is perceived employee abuse.  One way you keep unions from forming is to monitor employees closely and aggressively move to eliminate the dissatisfaction with management at the core of a successful Unionization effort.  The irony here is that Google knows every user and employee that Union busting efforts from my time would have killed to get. Yet, they showcase that these data collection companies have no real clue how to use the data they collect.   

This situation is similar to a country going to war with the best weapons but failing to train its soldiers to use them effectively.  What makes Google’s Unionization ironic is that its employee compensation and benefits package is considered one of the best industries. Their failure to prevent Unionization is likely driven more by unfavorable perceptions than reality.  The ironic part is that it is likely no company with more Ad power than Google in the world. Ads are how you change perceptions showcasing that Google also doesn’t understand the real power of their primary source of revenue.  

Finally, the tech segment has resisted Unions effectively for decades.  One of the ways it has done this is by effectively preventing Unions from gaining a beachhead.  This effort has successfully spanned decades, yet the firm that failed to prevent Unionization was one of the newer powerful firms, not one of the old ones.  And once a Union has a beachhead, they will leverage it to Unionize other technology firms.  Companies like Cisco have already erected firewalls against this activity. Other Tech firms should consider doing the same because it is very likely to spread once a Union penetrates an industry like a Virus.  

Let’s talk about the right way to prevent Unionization this week.

Why Unions Are Bad

In concept, Unions are a good thing in that they create a balance between employees and management.  Here in the US, they are protected by law, and they are generally born due to bad employee practices resulting in an employee rebellion.   In practice, they often are company killers because they create a separate and non-aligned management structure that is political by nature.  In other words, Union bosses are elected and, if they wish to be reelected, they have to promise to improve employee benefits regardless of how the business is doing.  

Unions, because they are built on political power, tend to favor tenure over performance. They like to protect jobs often regardless of the group or individual’s actual accomplishments, making firing a cause far more difficult (for instance, the Police Union is often shown as the cause for so many misbehaving officers).   My own experiences with Unions haven’t been positive.  From efforts to shut down new technology implementations like smart offices because you use Techs, not Unionized electricians, to lousy faith negotiations that leave employees worse off, to outright taking bribes to keep the Union Bosses from harming the business, I’ve had a surprising amount of Union experience.  

In the first instance, I was in a Union myself working at Disneyland, and part of our contract was we got free lunches.  The Union went in and negotiated a $.05 an hour raise in exchange for dropping the free lunch.  Lunch typically costs around $5 – $10 at that time, or equivalent to 10 – 20 hours of that $.05 increase.  Yep, we got screwed.  A friend of mine used to give his Union Boss boxes of product every time the guy visited in exchange for not riling up the workers all under the table.  The guy would pull up, and the CEO would fill his trunk with the product regularly as part of the cost of doing business.  A few years back, I reviewed one of the most advanced Smart Offices in Canada and was told the project had been significantly delayed because the lights were connected with Ethernet cable and plug and play, and not hardwired.  The local Electrition’s Union took exception and aggressively moved to shut the project down, resulting in delays and cost overruns.   I’ve also seen Unions come in and shot down efforts for small startups to set up their booths, costing those startups critical funds they needed to survive pre-profit.  

Preventing Unionization

Unions are created or move into an industry on a wave of employee dissatisfaction.   Notice I didn’t say employee abuse.  While abuse may be part of the cause, depending on what happened, perceptions drive the effort.   A Union looking to penetrate a company generally fuels dissatisfaction within the employees, and they use that dissatisfaction to drive a favorable employee Union vote.  What generally doesn’t work long term is threats or actions against the employees organizing because that creates more dissatisfaction and can cross over into illegal areas resulting in government sanctions against the firm and even more profound distrust between workers and management.  

Of the companies, I follow Cisco likely has the best Union defense.  They engage with their employees regularly, ask their opinions, report back on what resulted from them, encourage and help employees improve their communities, assist with retraining and employee development, and encourage a healthy work/life balance.  

Besides a pre-existing union that might surround delivery drivers, cafeteria workers, or construction, Cisco should with these practices remain relatively Union free because little a Union could do that Cisco isn’t already doing for their employees.  

In short, the best way to prevent a Union is to treat employees with respect, be aware of and effectively manage employee perceptions (countering with facts and perspective) any attempts to use false information by Union organizers against you, and engage with the employees. Hence, they know they count and will get the credit that they’ve earned.  Finally, recognize what compensation can and can not do.  Compensation doesn’t increase productivity; however, if compensation is perceived unfairly, it can have broad adverse effects that far exceed its value (Herzberg Motivational Theory).  

Wrapping Up:

With Google being Unionized, there is a reasonable chance that Unions will spread to other companies and, I’d expect, Facebook to be towards the top of that list along with Amazon for different reasons.  If one or both companies fall, Unionization will move from a beachhead to gain more solid footing and spread.  

If you aren’t engaging with and have a good handle on whether a critical mass of your employees feel they are being taken advantage of, you’ll likely be toward the top of the Unionization list.  And, if you do Unionize and are a manager, you’ll likely find your job just got a ton harder and eventually experience the unfortunate excitement of a separate and very political management hierarchy.   

Oh, and it should go without saying, but if you face the threat of being Unionized, it reflects on management competence and not in a positive way.  Your best defense is to fix that management shortcoming; otherwise, it will continue to fuel the effort to Unionize your firm, and Unionization goes from if to when.  

Source: TG Daily – The Irony Of Google Getting Unionized And How To Prevent The Coming Tech Union Wave

Browserling is one of the leading browser cloud platforms that offers virtual browsers for secure and anonymous browsing, as well as browsers for cross-browser testing and checking if your website looks correctly on various systems. It can be used to get a quick secret browser but it’s also used by the world’s most experienced website developers for testing the design, appearance, and functionality of websites they developed. Another popular use case is using Browserling as a URL sandbox service to test suspicious websites. Instead of loading websites on your computer, you can load them in Browserling first to see if they are not harmful. The virtual browsers are always updated to the latest versions and you can choose which operating system the browsers run on. You can get access to different browsers in just 5 seconds as the browsers are already running on Browserling servers.

How does Browserling offer virtual browsers?

It provides all the commonly used and most popular browsers from a cloud environment. These are the virtual online browsers that run on Browserling’s servers and all can be accessed from Browserling’s homepage. The browsers are streamed to your browser and you can access them in a live and interactive way, as if they were installed on your computer. When new browser versions are released, they are installed in the cloud and instantly made available for use.

Browser maintenance

Installing and maintaining your own browser is a lot of work. It’s often hard to even install two versions of the same browser side by side. Browserling takes care of all this maintenance and they install browsers in separate virtual machines. Each virtual machine contains one browser so there are no browser version conflicts. It’s also tedious to run browsers on different operating systems at once. You now need twice as many virtual machines. Browserling also takes care of that as each browser and browser version is installed in all operating systems. What’s more, all virtual machines are running online and there’s no boot time waiting. You can get a browser in 5 seconds or less!

Quick access to browsers

Browserling’s homepage is similar to Google’s homepage as it focuses on the action first and everything else second. When you visit Browserling, you can instantly enter the website that you will be testing without hesitation. After you enter the website, there are 3 more select boxes below the link field. The first is for choosing the operating system (ranging from Windows XP to Windows 10 and from oldest Android KitKat to the most modern Android 11), the next is for the online browser that you need (ranging from Chrome to Internet Explorer to Safari to Edge), and the last option on the right side lets you select a browser version (ranging from 1 to the latest). 

Browserling as a cross-browser testing tool

Browserling can not only be used as a way to get a quick browser but also for serious website development work. If a developer needs to check appearance and design on multiple browsers, then Browserling can be used for this purpose. It’s very popular for this purpose as all browsers are pre-installed and ready to be launched. Developers can perform responsive testing, take screenshots, and run automated tests, such as Selenium tests and Cypress tests.

If the developer sees an issue, they can create a bug report through the Bug Hunter feature that instantly captures the browser as a screenshot and allows quick editing, such as draw lines, boxes, and circles, and add annotations. The bug reports can be sent over email or uploaded via Imgur.

Browserling as a security sandbox

A new use case for Browserling is using it as a security sandbox. As the browsers run on Browserling servers, they are isolated from your network. This allows security testers and information security analysts to load a website in a sandboxed environment to check if it doesn’t contain computer viruses and malware. After the check has been performed, the browser and the virtual machine that runs the browser gets destroyed.

Browserling features

Live interactive sessions:

The virtual browsers are accessible in live and in an interactive way. What this means is you don’t get just a screenshot but full access to a browser as if it was running on your computer.

Real browsers: 

Already covered in this article, the browsers are installed in virtual machines from browser installation packages. The browsers aren’t fake emulators but the same browsers that you run on your devices.

Screenshots:

You can easily take screenshots of the browsers as you are using them. You can add annotations and also save them for later. You can clip parts of the browser through a snipping tool.

Responsive browsers:

As different devices have different screen sizes, it’s often important to view a browser at various sizes. You can adjust the resolution of the virtual machine and resize the browser to any size.

Secure and safe browsers:

Also already covered in this article, the connections between Browserling and you are encrypted and you can have secure and safe browsing sessions. After the browser session ends, the browsers along with the browsing history are destroyed, so your browsing is anonymous. There is also no chance for a virus or a trojan to hit your computer as the browsers run outside of your device and network.

Browser extensions for quick browser launching:

For quick access of the virtual browsers, you can use convenient browser extensions. There are Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari extensions available and when you install them, then loading a Browserling browser can be done by a click on the extension icon in your browser’s toolbar.

Browser bookmarks:

This feature allows you to bookmark any site for fast testing. It creates a special bookmark entry that loads and saves the website together with the preferred browser so you can start your favorite browser very quickly by just clicking on a bookmark.

Summary

As a web developer, I’m a fan of the virtual browsers that Browserling offers. I no longer have to install browsers and I can get all the browsers in a couple of seconds. Sometimes, I want to see how my website would look like in an older browser version and I can quickly access it, too. There is even Internet Explorer 6 available.

About the Author:

Shanawar Shafiq is a Blogger, Top rated Freelancer & Co-Founder at I’Mr. SEO. He is a content writer for multiple niches like SEO, SMM, SEM, Technology & Web Development etc…

Source: TG Daily – Browserling Offers Virtual Browsers

Diplomats from the US, UK, Australia and Canada issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning the recent detention of opposition activists in Hongkong. In the statement, these nations call on Hongkong and Chinese key leaders to “respect the legally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong without fear of arrest and detention.” Last week, around 55 demonstrators were apprehended for participating in unofficial election primaries for legislative elections in 2020, which according to Hongkong officials, was a violation of the new national security law. Aside from the pro-democracy activists arrested last week were former lawmakers and an American Human Rights lawyer.

New York Post: The US joined Australia, the UK and Canada on Sunday in condemning the recent arrest of dozens of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong

New York Post disclosed that fifty-five people — including American human rights lawyer John Clancey — were rounded up last week for participating in unofficial election primaries for legislative elections, in violation of a Chinese law aimed at tamping down dissent in semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his counterparts at the three other nations mentioned in a joint letter issued Sunday that “it is clear the National Security Law is being used to eliminate dissent and opposing political views.”

Hong Kong’s government fired back with a statement of its own, defending the application of the law.

Those arrested under the law have not been formally charged, and almost all have been freed without bail.

The Hill: All but three have been released on bail

In a similar report from The Hill, it revealed that Hong Kong officials announced about 55 arrests last week, the largest mass arrest since China imposed the new national security edict in 2020. All but three have been released on bail.

Pompeo separately announced this weekend that the U.S. will remove diplomatic restrictions on relation with Taiwan, previously in place as a concession to Beijing, which considers the island Chinese territory.

Western diplomats have called the national security law one of the Chinese government’s most explicit moves to erode Hong Kong’s autonomy since the British government handed over control in 1997 under a “one nation, two systems” rule. It followed protests that lasted for much of 2019 over a since-withdrawn bill that would have allowed the extradition of some suspects to China.

Source: TG Daily – Hongkong Mass Arrest Denounced by US, UK, Australia and Canada

I’ve been waiting for this to happen as I watched car companies like Tesla and Ford seem to mess, and at times competing, over the size of the digital dashes in their latest electric cars.  Ford has been winning up till now.  But Mercedes, working with NVIDIA, decided to move the competition into an entirely different realm at CES next week, and it could change the future of next-generation electric cars.  

Let’s talk about that this week.

The Birth Of The Hyperscreen Dashboard

It is incredible how much cars have changed over the last ten years, at least partially due to Tesla’s influence and success.  With Elon Musk passing Jeff Bezos as the richest man in the world this month, even more attention is likely going to be paid to some of Musk, and Tesla’s innovations are bringing to market.  

But the traditional car companies are no longer standing still.  Ford with the Mustang Mach-E, GM with the new Electric Hummer, Volvo (who just partnered with Baidu) with their Polestar and XC-40, Audi with their e-tron family, and Mercedes with their EQC have all innovated in their unique ways up till now.

But it was only a matter of time till a significant car company decided to truly break out and try something less of a Tesla wanna-be (most of these cars have better fit and finish than Tesla but smaller displays with lower performance and less range) and move to shoot for market leadership.   Granted, Ford with their Mach-e Mustang has a larger display, and Porsche with their Taycan should have better performance at a far higher price, better performance but generally, on spec, Tesla still owns this segment.  

Well, Mercedes, with NVIDIA’s help, has decided to move aggressively to take dash leadership.

The Birth Of The Hyperscreen Dashboard

The new Hyperscreen Dashboard that will be showcased at the Mercedes-Benz event next week at CES is an amazing piece of technology.  It blends AI capability into a display that transforms the entire dash into a digital panel that goes from the driver’s to the passenger’s door.  

It is creating an experience that reminds me of the initial control screens showcased on the Discovery Starship in Star Trek Discovery.  I didn’t even have to read the entire announcement before I started lusting after this new dashboard because it does look like something out of a future starship.

With Norway blazing the trail to our electric future, the realization that these cars deserve more advanced interfaces drives a ton of development. This impressive effort by Mercedes-Benz and NVIDIA is arguably well out in front with cabin design.  Granted, at last, CES Mercedes-Benz arguably had the most advanced electric prototype.  I don’t recall lusting after a car like this that wasn’t in a movie ever before; the thing is off the hook amazing!  And it also showcased where this new Hyperscreen dash is likely to go in the future.

This dashboard is the first “Zero Layer” User Interface, which addresses the UI’s big complaints in many of the existing cars with screens.  You currently have to drill down multiple layers to get to the setting you want, and forums are full of folks asking for assistance in getting simple things done.   With this much screen real estate, you don’t need the layers and should be able to quickly and easily get to the setting you need.  This solution uses a neural interface to prioritize and better present the controls and information you need.   

Wrapping Up:  Not Just A Concept

This fantastic electronic dash will be appearing in the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz EQS this year, showcasing another best practice.  That best practice introduces features like this in top-line cars so you can genuinely build a fantastic solution without crippling it due to cost constraints and then move the solution down the market as cost efficiencies are developed with volume.   

So far this dash, and seeing the EQS in person are reasons why I wish I could attend CES in person this year, and I’m thrilled they put this in a sedan, not an SUV; otherwise, I’d be tempted to buy this starship on wheels.  It is probably good I wait for a later, more affordable version anyway.  But, regardless, Mercedes-Benz, with NVIDIA’s help, just set a new bar for car interiors; I can hardly wait to see how the other car makers respond.   

Stay safe!  

Source: TG Daily – NVIDIA And Mercedes-Benz To Revolutionize Car Dashboards At CES

Cloud computing provides internet-based support available anytime, anywhere, and with any device: computer, tablet, smartphone, or something else entirely. 

The versatility and accessibility of the cloud makes it a crucial aspect of modern business. As COVID-19 forces companies to adopt new ways of remote work, the cloud is there to facilitate this transition.

The cloud has helped thousands of businesses operate remotely: Sales staff, outside technicians and even office staff can now work from home without a hitch. If you’ve used it to help keep your business alive, it’s time to learn how you can use it to make it grow. Here are a few places to start.

1. Remote Call Centers

No office setup seems more distant now than the call center: workers shoulder-to-shoulder, dealing with customer inquiries the same way workers did 50 years ago. Contact Center as a Service, or CCaaS, has quickly earned its place as the new “must have” of customer engagement technology. 

CCaaS platforms use artificial intelligence to ensure that telephone customers are routed to customer service representatives with as little delay as possible. Misdirected calls are reduced, managers can oversee call center workers without being on-site, and the entire process becomes more efficient. Because the heart of CCaaS platforms is cloud-based, updates come frequently and require minimal input on your part.

2. Storage Solutions

Cloud storage is one of the technology’s most valuable uses. The most common storage solutions are built as a public cloud, an off-site service where multiple users share infrastructure space. Dropbox and Google Drive are examples of a public cloud. Server hosts provide encryption to protect your private information.

Alternatively, companies can opt for a fully private cloud, where they house and maintain the servers, other hardware, and software. Developing and operating private clouds are expensive endeavors, but the payoff of complete data security is worth the price of admission for plenty of businesses. 

Some options are hybrid models, a blend of public and private storage solutions. This option uses internal servers for information with critical security needs, like client data and proprietary information. A third-party vendor provides storage for less essential information needs. 

Though cloud security can cost a pretty penny, companies that use cloud-based services often save on server maintenance expenses, including payroll costs associated with internal IT staff. 

3. Data Backup

What happens to your information if a natural disaster strikes or if the server you store data on burns out? Catastrophic losses like this occur every year, yet few businesses are prepared to deal with them.

Using cloud services to backup data means that information can be restored if an emergency destroys your work center. Many companies that offer data backup also maintain the information on multiple servers. This redundancy means that service providers have a secondary backup in case one facility fails, keeping the odds of data loss as low as possible.  

4. Disaster Recovery

Companies may be struggling with the data backup aspect of disaster mitigation, but they’re not doing well with the other elements either: One survey found that 73% of worldwide companies failed a disaster readiness review. 

Moving your CRM, CCaaS, and financial platforms to the cloud can ensure that your company can stay up and running should a disaster strike. Customer service can continue. Companies can maintain email, marketing plans, collaboration and productivity tools in the cloud as well. A cloud-based technology ecosystem prevents externalities from causing irreparable harm to your operations. 

5. Collaboration

Because cloud-based software is universally accessible, this makes it possible for a company to have global operations without investing in brick-and-mortar infrastructure across continents. Anything you could once do in the office can now be done from thousands of miles away, opening up new possibilities for collaboration.

Instant messaging and project management software based in the cloud both enhance communication, information sharing, and teamwork. These tools also open new opportunities for a broader, more diverse workforce. Cloud operations empower companies to find more qualified employees and shake up their way of doing things as well.

6. Scalability

Startups grow and develop increased infrastructure needs, but no early-stages startup can afford to buy the servers and hardware they think they may need later on. Companies need digital power that they can scale up or down as they need without incurring prohibitive costs.

Cloud computing is the “new utility” for businesses. Pay-as-you-go models make it possible for companies to buy as much cloud processing power as required. Industries with heavy data and large media files can buy more space than those with more basic requirements. When their needs change, they can work with other providers to buy more bandwidth. On the flip side, companies that are downsizing can return server space and reduce costs. 

7. Testing New Applications

Testing is a necessary part of any company’s operations, and the risks of doing so need to be kept to an absolute minimum. Using cloud software, IT staff can beta-test software in a limited way to work out the bugs without risking essential processes. 

This safe testing area is critical not only for technology developers but also for companies changing software or upgrading to new systems. Businesses can review information security processes before the new system is launched companywide. 

If cloud computing hasn’t transformed your company yet, 2021 can be the year it finally does. By moving your business online, you’re preparing it for the future and optimizing its present as well. 

Source: TG Daily – 7 Ways to Use the Cloud in Your Business