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Artisan Collections, Part Two: Morocco, India, and Turkey
By: Scarlett Sinclaire
Tags: Featured, Travel

The world is full of different and unique jewelry styles. Silver, gold, all-metal or gemstone jewelry, we love it all! Traveling around the world, as the cultures change so do the jewelry designs. Today in part two of of this series, the Artisan Jewelry Collections of Morocco, India, and Turkey are the stars. (If you missed part one, check it out here.)

To start off our journey, let’s visit Morocco. From left to right the ruby and amethyst ring is paired with a colorful enamel band ring! These two rings make for great statement pieces for your look! On the right, the red enamel ring proves that enamel colors play well with any metal. With its bold splash of red, a ring like this one can complement a look (like the set below) just brilliantly!

These colorful earrings are just perfect for a date night, and they look fantastic paired with enamel band ring. The Artisan Collection of Morocco is full of colorful, genuine gemstones, textural history, and shining metals, but also proves that gemstones aren’t the only way to add color to your jewelry. The use of bright pigments and organic design creates a look that reflects the vibrant culture of Morocco!

Next, we have the Artisan Collection of India! This amazonite ring is a captivating addition to any vacation outfit you may be planning! The amazonite gemstone brings the classic statement ring to a new level with a cool, aquatic vibe, and pairs naturally with its curving sterling silver setting!

These ethiopian opal earrings are a lovely statement piece from this collection, and they look gorgeous paired with the polki diamond ring on the right! Both have an organic feel, especially the ring. The polki diamonds are free form and untreated, giving you a truly one-of-a-kind way to add this coveted stone to your collection. These jewelry pieces bring the rich cultures and natural beauty of India in beautiful, sterling silver designs and with brilliant gemstones!

Last, but certainly not least, we have the stunning gold looks of the Artisan Collection of Turkey! This charm ring sports a talisman called a nazar that is said to ward off the Evil Eye. Consider it a bonus! The turquoise pendant gives a bright and bold boost to any outfit, and might be just the thing to round out your summer or fall looks.

These black spinel hoops are a fun addition to any outfit! Though they won’t be the flashiest earrings in your wardrobe, the contrast between the warm yellow gold and black spinel gems make them stand out. The Artisan Collection of Turkey is a collection full of dramatic designs alive with a contemporary vibe!

Whether it is the stunning enamel jewelry in the Artisan Collection of Morocco, the beautiful and bold stylings of the Artisan Collection of India, or the unique designs from the Artisan Collection of Turkey, these artisan collections are here to add a fun and exotic new addition to your collection! Check out these and many more intricate and handcrafted styles from our Artisan Collections.

– Madelyn
Non-Profit Showcase: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Windsor Essex
Tags: Education, Inspiration, Charity, Featured, Nonprofit

Non-Profit Showcase: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Windsor Essex

Every year, volunteers give a combined total of 2.2 million hours of their time to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

For more than a century, the organization has worked hard to match at-risk youth with mentors who can provide guidance, encouragement, and opportunities. Across Canada, young people face a variety of adversities, including mental health issues, poverty, family violence, and identity issues. The goal of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to help their mentees overcome these obstacles and reach their full potential.

Big Brothers Big Sisters first came to Windsor-Essex in 1966, though it was known back then as Big Brothers and focused mostly on matching young boys without fathers to male role models. Six years later, a Big Sisters organization was formed to help girls in the same way. The two separate groups finally joined forces to officially become one entity in 2005. Today, they have a dedicated team of employees and volunteers who take pride in their accomplishments as a group.

“Our work is transformative,” said Becky Parent, executive director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Windsor Essex. “Mentoring is extremely rewarding but you can see the power it has on people’s lives at all levels.”

Through the mentoring services provided by the organization, youth are able to find higher paying jobs, grow their self esteem, improve their overall health, accomplish lifelong dreams, and feel a greater sense of belonging and acceptance in society. Some of the programs offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters include mentoring both in and out of school, one-on-one or in groups, and mentoring through health focused activities. Parent, who began her career 25 years ago with the organization, has seen firsthand the impact it has had in the community.

“A really proud moment is when one of our kids graduates from high school and goes on to post-secondary,” said Parent. “Or when one of our young people receive the CIBC Youth Vision scholarship. Or when one of our mentors, now successful and happy, comes to volunteer to give back to another mentee. This is very fulfilling as we know our work truly was successful.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is especially in need of male mentors to partner with young boys. According to Parent, boys wait three to four times longer to be partnered with a mentor than girls. The organization also gladly accepts donations.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit their website and participate in their online orientation. You can also follow them on Facebook.
Becoming Fully Immersed in the Sharing Economy
Tags: Short Story, Featured, Experience, Sharing Economy

The sharing economy is growing at a rapid rate, predicted to reach $670bn by 2025 (source: PWC). People’s ideas are changing and with growing house prices, pollution and waste the shift is moving from owning products to renting products.

My first experience in using the sharing economy was when I was living in London. Uber was introduced and wow, was it game-changing. It released the power from monopoly car operators, to us, the users. The prices were incredibly cheap in comparison and wait times were significantly reduced. It had revolutionised my thinking and I soon started using the sharing economy in as many ways as I could. Accommodation, bike hire and even renting someone’s dog as I missed mine so much abroad.

Three years later, I was back in Melbourne and ready to not only be a user of the sharing economy, but also a provider. I started renting out my clothing, handbags and shoes turning my closet into a profit. I sold my car, choosing to take full advantage of the sharing economy saving myself over $15,000 in a 12 month period. Not only was I saving money, I was also helping to reduce my global footprint, it was a win-win.

I am extremely enthusiastic to have joined ShareRing, the future of the renting and sharing economies. ShareRing plans to streamline the rental and sharing process, enabling rentals from anyone, anywhere, anytime. Watch this space.

You can see my full interview with News.com.au here.
Ahead of African elections, unlock partnerships with fact-checkers
By: Tshepo Tshabalala
Tags: Fact Checking, Elections, Features, Featured, Fake News

Ahead of African elections, unlock partnerships with fact-checkers

Across Africa, about 13 countries, including Senegal, Botswana, Namibia, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Guinea, will hold general elections at some point in the coming year Tshepo Tshabalala Follow Feb 7, 2019 · 2 min read

Picture: PIXABAY

In the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, much of the focus in the subsequent months has been on Cambridge Analytica and how fake news has the power to shape and sway perceptions. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp have become an approach for politicians to manipulate the truth, spread misinformation, falsehood and fake news.

In reflecting on the past two years of trying to get to the bottom of the connection between the Russians and the Donald Trump campaign, and in an attempt to not have history repeat itself in any way similar, news organisations will make fact-checking a number one priority during the upcoming elections. In as much as it is the responsibility of the media to corroborate information and have articles go through thorough fact-checking processes before publishing, it has become a difficult and challenging task.

In 2019, numerous countries will be holding general/presidential elections. In Africa, about 13 countries, including Senegal, Botswana, Namibia, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Guinea, will hold general elections at some point in the coming year. News organisations will attempt to be on top of their news coverage in many respects, from verifying and accurately testing claims made by politicians throughout the campaigning period, up until the publication of results.

Most recently, at least 16 Nigerian news organisations launched an election fact-checking project called CrossCheck Nigeria in an attempt to combat misinformation before elections next year. The platform will get over 50 journalists working across print, broadcast and online media to work together to investigate, verify and disprove erroneous claims, particularly on social media.

Another more well-known fact-checking platform is Africa Check, with its largest office based in South Africa. The organisation does not necessarily partner with news organisations, but their aim is to hold public figures accountable for what they say in the public arena. Africa Check also has what they call “Promise Trackers” that gauge whether governments in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya are keeping the promises they made during the elections.

With all that said, covering elections on the African continent will be challenging but also exciting. African journalists covering elections will mean that news organizations should not show favor for any politician or political party, that journalists will work extremely hard publishing accurately tested information, and that the readers of this media can be assured that the information they are consuming is accurate and reliable.
The Deck of Comets
By: Caleb Garling
Tags: Short Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Featured, Astronomy

Sketch my eyes across a deck of cards, the king said to his artists. The royal optics, contractions of the iris and elevations of the celebrated eyelids were etched across 52 zinc plates.

(The king had an irrepressible habit of eating spoonfuls of chestnuts dipped in lavender honey while in the bath. He would step out naked and view the stars through the telescope on the marble veranda beyond the tub, then return to finish his soak.)

The king hadn’t been specific. Three artists failed to capture the entire royal eyeball, each structure visible to the un-doctored eye, and were lashed.

(One evening, as honey dripped onto his leg, the king spotted a bright dot in his telescope.)

The mistake mortified one of the artists so gravely that, alone, he etched 52 zinc plates with 52 versions of the king’s smile.

(It was a comet.)

The king was so taken with the artist’s initiative and craftsmanship that he granted the artist an estate and studio containing every conceivable tool and material in the land.

(The king watched the comet until he caught a chill.)

The artist celebrated by hosting a fantastic card tournament. He used both the deck of smiles and the deck of eyes. He lost everything on a single hand. The king interpreted the misfortune as an extension of his spreading power. He declared that on the fifth of each month, landowners must play a winner-takes-all card tournament with half their holdings on the line.

(The king sat naked on the cold marble. The honey spoon balanced on his knee. Goosebumps raised down his thigh.)

In the first tournament the king began to grasp the math he’d unleashed against himself. Soon a landowner would control half his kingdom. Luckily a fight broke out. A page caught a duke with four aces up his sleeve.

(The king called his scientists. Is this comet heading for us? he asked. You must keep our kingdom from the drawer, he shouted.)

For a moment the king set aside his anxiety. He wanted to know how the cheating duke acquired four extra aces at all. None of the decks were missing cards. Both sets of zinc plates, eyes and smiles, were heavily guarded. The artist had long since disappeared.

(The comet will pass without incident, the scientists said. Imagine the wingspan of a hurricane and it contains only two grains of sand, what are the chances they collide?)

The king was certain that if he thought long enough, he’d figure out what happened.
Zugzwang and The Sensing Machine
By: Caleb Garling
Tags: Flash Fiction, Chess, Fiction, Short Story, Featured

Zugzwang on the brain, a chess term, German, when your only move helps your opponent, which I learned covering a programming competition calculating how many different states we can legally — and possibly — arrange a chessboard; then there was calculating how many possible chess games there are; from set to mate, how many combinatory paths can the pieces travel around the board; its ~70 trillion after ten turns; the final number felt like a practical joke.

But zugzwang. How many gamestates are zugzwang? That seemed like the trickiest q.

When your only move it to help your opponent.

When the best move is let your opponent move.

When any move makes your opponent stronger.

I was having the most detailed argument with an editor about it (as a sort of tapestry) and he was shouting after a journalist who had his jaw reconstructed with pieces of his fibula but this cop’s worried the journalist’s going to knife his dog as he chases him through the redwoods; the redwoods go away and the dog has the journalist pinned against a barn door and the dog runs off to terrorize the chickens, and the journalist slips into the barn and we’re surrounded by frozen food. Cop radios for backup. It begins to snow.

The inventor’s watching this from next door and decides he’s going to cook his pig for breakfast and the pig thinks fast. The pig claims the sun won’t rise the next day. If the inventor wants to survive, he’ll need a better sensing machine; and the inventor sets to work. But as soon as the inventor reaches the limit of his sensing machine, the pig suggests he build a better sensing machine and the inventor does, and the sun comes up, but the inventor doesn’t notice and the inventor keeps devising better sensing machines until he runs out of languages to read them, he’s exhausted every combination of word, and every combination of letters, so he invents new languages, but he runs out of shapes to represent them, so he invents finer instruments to write them, and better tools to tell the differences; and he’s amassing all this information, which he stores in larger buildings, but he’s inventing better storage; so sometimes the containers wrap the horizon and other times everything fits in a marble.
Handling click events in RecyclerView
By: Meghan Mehta
Tags: Latest, Android App Development, Recycler View Series, series of articles, Featured

Handling click events in RecyclerView

This is the third in a series of articles which cover the fundamentals of creating and using RecyclerView . If you already have a solid understanding of how to create a RecyclerView , then carry on. Otherwise, consider starting with this post.

When displaying a list of data with RecyclerView , you may want to have a response when an item is clicked. This response could open a new page with more data, present a toast, remove an item, etc. The possibilities are endless but they are all done using onClick() .

Defining the click action

Before creating the listener, create a function in the Activity class that performs the action to be done upon click.

Next, update the Adapter’s constructor to take in the onClick() function.

In the Activity class, pass in the newly created function when you initialize the Adapter .

Adding the onClickHandler()

Now that the action is defined, it is time to attach it to the ViewHolder in the Adapter .

Update the ViewHolder to take in onClick() as a parameter.

In the initializer, call setOnClickListener{} on the itemView .

That’s it! Your RecyclerView is now responsive so time to get your click on!

Happy coding!

Next Steps

The full code sample including onClick() can be found here.

Thank you for reading the third installment in my RecyclerView series! Stay tuned as I write about more RecyclerView features.
Using DataStore With Kotlin Serialization
Tags: Latest, Featured, Android App Development, Kotlin

Up till now we’ve shared how to use DataStore with Protos or Preferences. Under the hood both DataStore versions use Protos to serialize the data. You can also use DataStore with custom data classes using Kotlin Serialization. This can help reduce boilerplate code without having to learn or depend on the Protobuf library while still providing a schema for your data.

There are a few things you’ll need to do:

Define a data class

Ensure your data class is immutable

Implement a DataStore Serializer using Kotlin Serialization

Start using it

Define a data class

Kotlin data classes are great for use with DataStore since they work seamlessly with Kotlin Serialization. DataStore relies on equals and hashCode which are automatically generated for data classes. Data classes also generate toString and copy functions which are useful for debugging and updating data

Ensure your data class is immutable

It is very important to ensure that your class is immutable since DataStore is not compatible with mutable types. Using mutable types with DataStore will result in hard to catch bugs and race conditions. Data classes aren’t necessarily immutable.

Vars are mutable, so instead you should use vals:

Arrays are mutable, so you shouldn’t expose them.

Even if we use the read-only List as a member of our data class, it’s still mutable. Instead you should consider using immutable/persistent collections:

Using mutable types as a member of your data class makes it mutable. Instead, you should ensure that all members are immutable types.

Implement your DataStore Serializer

Kotlin Serialization supports multiple formats including JSON and Protocol buffers. I’ll use JSON here since it’s very common, easy to use, and is stored in cleartext which makes for easy debugging. Protobuf is also a good option since it is smaller, faster and compatible with protobuf-lite.

In order to read and write your data class to JSON using Kotlin Serialization, you need to annotate your data class with @Serializable and use Json.decodeFromString<YourType>(string) and Json.encodeToString(data) . Here’s an example with UserPreferences :

⚠️ Parcelables are not safe to use with DataStore because the data format may change between Android versions.

Using the Serializer

Pass the serializer you created into DataStore when constructing it:

Reading data looks the same as it does with protos:

You can use the generated .copy() function to update data:

Conclusion

Using DataStore with Kotlin Serialization and data classes can reduce boiler plate and help simplify your code, however, you must be careful not to introduce bugs through mutability. All you need to do is define your data class and implement the serializer. Try it for yourself!

To learn more about DataStore, check out our documentation and get some hands on experience with our Proto DataStore and Preferences DataStore codelabs.
Get ahead using headers in RecyclerView
By: Meghan Mehta
Tags: Latest, Android App Development, Recycler View Series, series of articles, Featured

This is the fourth in a series of articles which cover the fundamentals of using RecyclerView . If you already have a solid understanding of how to create a RecyclerView , then carry on. Otherwise, consider starting with this post.

You can add information and context about your app’s data by including a Header in your RecyclerView . Although you can emulate a header by placing a TextView above your RecyclerView in a LinearLayout , this fake header stays on screen even when a user scrolls toward the bottom of the RecyclerView . By providing a genuine header element, you allow the header to scroll off screen when the user scrolls through a RecyclerView .

This blog post goes through adding a Header to a RecyclerView that displays different types of flowers. The Header displays the text “Flower Finder” and displays the number of flowers in the list.

Create header layout

Create a layout file which defines what the Header looks like.

Creating HeaderAdapter and HeaderViewHolder

Create a new file to request and bind the Header’s view.

The Adapter for the Header inherits from RecyclerView.Adapter<RecyclerView.ViewHolder>() .

Inside of the Header’s Adapter , create a ViewHolder that inherits from RecyclerView.ViewHolder . If you have dynamic text, create a val to represent the TextView that will be updated. Create a bind() function that updates the TextView to the value passed in.

In the class definition, update the Adapter’s parameter to take in HeaderViewHolder .

Since the Adapter inherits from RecyclerView.Adapter , it has to implement onCreateViewHolder() , onBindViewHolder() and getItemCount() .

onCreateViewHolder() inflates the view and returns a HeaderViewHolder .

inflates the view and returns a . getItemCount() returns 1 since there is only one Header item.

returns 1 since there is only one item. onBindViewHolder() binds information to the Header .

Using ConcatAdapter in the Activity class

In the Activity class, create a val to hold the HeaderAdapter() above the RecyclerView’s Adapter .

Then use the ConcatAdapter to add both of the adapters to the RecyclerView . ConcatAdapter presents the contents of multiple adapters sequentially. Add in headerAdapter before flowersAdapter .

Run the code and voila! It’s that easy to add a Header .

Next Steps

The full code sample including Header can be found here.

Thank you for reading the last installment in my RecyclerView series, if you missed the other posts check them out here!

Happy coding!
Pinterest Presents: Black Gold Competition
By: Georgia
Tags: Black History Month, Brands, Competition, Pinterest, Creators

[Competition now closed 30/10/2020]

Calling all creators and brands

Are you a creator who regularly creates content on social media, are passionate about educating and inspiring your following and have become an expert on a specific topic?

or

Do you own a business or work for a company everyone needs to know about? Do you have a product that the world needs to see? Could the product you sell change the world?

This is the competition for you!

As part of our celebration for Black History Month, we are hosting a competition for creators and brands. This is your chance to get set up on Pinterest, inspire a new audience with your content and to get your Pins in front of new potential customers. If that wasn’t good enough you’ll also be in with the chance of winning some amazing prizes!

Here’s what you need to do to enter:

Brand Criteria

Brand identity: UK and Ireland Business owner or acting as an authorised representative on behalf of a UK and Ireland business

Create a business account

Link to your website

Create 5 x boards with a minimum of 20 Pins per board

Link shopping feed (where applicable of selling a tangible product)

Enter via the form linked below

Creators Criteria

Creator identity: Individual based in the UK or Ireland representing themselves as an individual

Create a business account

Link to your website (if applicable)

Create at least 3 new boards for your profile

Create at least 10 new Pins (image or video)

Enter via the form linked below

Prizes

If you haven’t already set up your profile, or just need some tips to help you get started check out these resources:

The competition closes on the 30th October 2020 [Competition now closed]
BEST BLOGGING PINTEREST TIPS AND TRICKS IN 2021
By: Tech Big
Tags: Tech, Tips And Tricks, Tricks, Pinterest, Technology

Updated for 2021!

Like everything on the net, Pinterest is dynamical in no time. Pinterest tips for growing your audience printed in 2015 or maybe 2016 square measure undoubtedly out-of-date in 2021. The platform evolves, and algorithms become a lot of refined day by day, that makes it more durable to control it.

I started my journal within the middle of Feb 2017, I created a current Pinterest account related to my journal, therefore I had zero traffic and zero Pinterest followers for starters. In 3.5 months, if we have a tendency to compare monthly traffic for Feb and should, I’ve got ten times a lot of pageviews! And haven’t nevertheless an opportunity to quit my 9–5 job and work on the journal full time, it’s simply a aspect hustle for currently, with but twenty posts printed to date.

So, guess wherever will my traffic come back from? Pinterest! concerning ninety four of my audience comes from Pinterest! is that this an honest or unhealthy thing? Well, keeping all eggs within the same basket is rarely smart recommendation, however having principally Pinterest traffic is much higher than having no audience at all!

When I started the journal, I knew that Google can take concerning half-dozen months to grant a minimum of some trust to my website, therefore i used to be prepared for the boring months of reproval myself with no audience in the least. however…

To get more information Click Here
TOP 3 Websites Get Pinterest Followers Free
By: Hq Seo Inc
Tags: Get Pinterest Followers, Pinterest Followers, Pinterest Marketing, Free Pinterest Followers, Pinterest

People are more likely to find and follow you if you participate in or create content on Pinterest. The number of individuals who follow you or your boards is known as your follower count. If someone follows more than one of your boards, it will be counted as one follow. In this post we share top 3 websites with you to get pinterest followers free.

Get Pinterest Followers Free

TOP 3 Website List

AddMeFast is a social media network that will assist you in expanding your social media profile. We provide you the option of looking at who you want to like/subscribe/follow/view and skipping those who aren’t of interest to you.

GET FREE PINTEREST FOLLOWERS, REPINS AND LIKES

Pinterest is a tool for gathering and arranging things you are fond of. Thousands of people use Pinterest in their daily life and work. Tastes differ, but no matter, you will find everything you are interested in there. So hurry up to have lots of Followers, rePins and Likes via this website.

The premise appears to be simple. On your website, post interesting photographs of your product or service, pin them to Pinterest, and let the images draw visitors to your site using like4like. This link will not only bring people to your site, but it will also help you rank higher in search engines.

This is also nice website for other social media subscribers, views and likes. This website give more then 12 type of services other then pinterest.

This is also a nice website for Pinterest Followers, Repins And likes. This website is actually a link-building, SEO-tools, and social media-based SEO promotion tool that helps you grow your business while enhancing your Websites, Social Networks, Videos & Music, Blogs, Backlinks & Bookmarks. You can advertise anything you want because we connect you with other users who are looking for similar goods. Improve your search engine rankings and acquire free likes and twitter followers from people that are interested.

For Pintrest and other social media platforms this platform helps you to increase Free Likes, Page likes, Shares, Followers, Fanpages, Photo Likes and Shares, Include All Type of Post Likes & Shares.

Thanks You Dear Friends For Reading My Post

Hope My Little Struggle Helps You A Lot.
How to Increase Reach & Followers on Pinterest
By: Abbie Cheeseman
Tags: Social Media Marketing, Blogging, Pinterest, Marketing, Social Media

This story was originally published on Rule Your Social.

Photo by Michał Kubalczyk on Unsplash

Today I wanted to talk about how to increase reach and followers on Pinterest. Pinterest is an interesting platform because just because someone’s not following you doesn’t mean they won’t ever see your pins. Pins are ‘curated’ for users on their homepage based on what they’ve been searching and pinning. You can go to a separate tab to see who you’re following, which can be helpful as well, but many people stay on the home page.

Try the Manual Pinning Method

The manual pinning method involves manually pinning (obviously) rather than scheduling out your pins on a service like Tailwind or Buffer. You don’t have to do all your pinning manually or even spend more than 30 minutes to an hour every day. I try to do manual pinning before I go to sleep, while I’m waiting in line somewhere or any other tiny bits of time that I can. Basically, you just want to manually pin things to each of your boards every day.

Utilize Tailwind

Speaking of Tailwind, it’s a godsend. Tailwind makes it so much easier to be consistently pinning to your boards. My Tailwind strategy is as follows. I belong to the max 5 number of Tailwind tribes, and I try to go through once or twice a week and pin relevant content to my boards & group boards. I also pin my own content through SmartLoops to all my relevant boards & my group boards.

Join More Group Boards

Group boards are seriously a fantastic way to get your content in front of people who may not normally see it. You can find group boards via PinGroupie or by a search on Pinterest for ‘group boards’ which will probably bring up hundreds of articles on the best group boards to join. Find ones relevant to you & join!

Focus on Your Keywords

If you’re trying all three of those items and you still are having trouble getting more followers/growing your reach, it might be time to really bring in the big guns: your pin and board descriptions. It’s time to start doing some keyword research and correctly identifying your blog posts & other pins.

Thanks for reading & check out more social media posts on Rule Your Social.
How To Make an IoT Device
By: Shubh Patni
Tags: Makers, Android, Software Engineering, IoT, Programming

How To Make an IoT Device

Created with Canva Design (Image credit: Author)

Imagine being able to communicate with any device from anywhere in the world. You can control your TV, lights, washing machine, dishwasher, toaster, coffee machine, anything you want, just for a few bucks.

You can do it with Arduino.

I have a lot of these lying around in my room, ready to automate another device of mine. In my other article, I covered how you can use Arduino as a switch to turn on or off any device. In this one, we are taking things further.

In this article, I will show you how you can send and receive data from smartphones to Arduino and vice versa. This would allow you to not only use your phone as a switch but also use it to send specific commands for operations and to get the state from Arduino.

I will use a WS2812B LED strip to send data from the phone for different colors and brightness, and I’ll get the state from ESP8266 for the same. You can use it for another project if you like.
This Backpack-Mounted Robotic Arm Gives You a Third Hand
By: Cameron Coward
Tags: Research, Makers, Robotics, Engineering, Technology

Robots, like virtually every other machine, are designed to make our lives easier or more productive. You car is just a complex machine that makes travel faster and less difficult. A 3D printer is just a robot that makes fabrication faster and less difficult. Just about every task you perform on a day to day basis can potentially be made easier with the right machine or robot, and this backpack-mounted robotic arm gives you that third hand that would be useful in so many situations.

This robotic arm was developed by doctoral student Julian Whitman in Carnegie Mellon’s Biorobotics Lab. It uses a modular actuator system that was originally developed for a snake robot. Because the actuators are modular, the snake robot could be expanded as needed and individual modules could be replaced if they ever failed. But those modules have also found a home in other robots, because they’re so versatile. Whitman’s backpack-mounted robotic arm is one of the newest.

The backpack houses the robotic arm’s control electronics, as well as sturdy frame to support the weight of the arm. The arm extends from that over the wearer’s shoulder, and can be used as a third hand. The robotic arm is controlled by either a joystick or voice commands, but Whitman hopes to give it its own sense of perception in the future so it can help out more autonomously. He envisions a design like this being used in the automotive or aerospace industries, where a technician needs to hold a part up while they work on it with their hands. The robotic arm could be commanded to hold the part in place, freeing the technician’s hands to do the dexterous work.
How to Create a Top 10 Rated Podcast Without Breaking the Bank
By: Scott Stockdale
Tags: Makers, Creativity, Work, Marketing, Podcasts

How to Create a Top 10 Rated Podcast Without Breaking the Bank

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

On the 4th March 2020, I launched Entrepreneurs Can Party. Just 6 days later, it was featured in the top 10 of the U.K. Apple Podcast charts for entrepreneurship.

I couldn’t be more grateful. It’s given me the opportunity to speak with many dream guests, including Travis Marziani, and I’ve helped other businesses successfully launch their own podcasts. This includes MyProtein’s The Scoop which has already hit over 5,000 downloads in its first week.

Sounds easy, right?

Truth be told, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I had no previous experience, and although I work in SEO, this doesn’t really help.

That’s why I decided to take my own Tim-Ferriss-like MBA. I wanted to learn from some of the world’s most successful podcasters to give Entrepreneurs Can Party the best chance of success.

To this end, I’ve spent £2,260 on one-off costs pre- and post-launch. My ongoing monthly costs are £120. It’s all detailed in this extensive blog post.

As for all the hours spent researching, taking courses, producing episodes, guesting on other podcasts, hiring a virtual assistant, promoting my show — well, I couldn’t tell you. It’s a lot.

Here’s the punchline, though. I didn’t need to spend this much.

Here are 4 lessons I’ve learned over the last 12 months which I want to share with you today so you can skip the learning curve and save yourself a small fortune.
Bringing the Cold War Back with Soviet-Era Microcomputer Replica
By: Cabe Atwell
Tags: Makers, Technology, Microcomputer, Retro Technology

The Cold War was responsible for producing two things over the run of its 44-year course- fear and technology. While the fear eventually faded away, the surplus of technology remained, and a lot of it can be found up for sale on sites such as eBay for cheap, which makes for great projects — including those that incorporate Nixie tubes.

Alex Studer’s Soviet Microcomputer features U880 Zilog Z80 clone microprocessor, 8Kb of ROM, 4Kb of RAM, and a 128 x 64 LCD display. (📷: Alex Studer)

For his 11th grade history project, Alex Studer drew inspiration from Alexey Pajitnov’s Tetris and decided he wanted to recreate an '80s Soviet Microcomputer, or at least approximate one anyway. After giving some thought, Struder based his computer design around a U880 — an East German clone of the Zilog Z80 8-bit microprocessor, outfitted with 8Kb of ROM, and 4Kb of RAM.

For input and output, Struder opted to go for modern day equivalents to old Soviet chips, with an Intel 8251A (replacing a KR580VV51A) that acts as a Serial port, and an Intel 8255A (replacing a KR580VV55A) for button inputs. To handle decoding logic without jamming up the data bus, Struder went with an East German-manufactured V4028 coupled with a Soviet K155LN1 (hex inverter) chip.

Piping video to an old CRT just wouldn’t cut it, certainly in the portability area, so a 128 x 64 LCD display was incorporated into the project, along with several buffer chips (2X for addressing lines, 1X for data), to keep things copacetic. Struder designed his system using KiCAD, using the platform’s symbology to replace the Russian equivalents and had to tweak some of the pin spacing to get the hardware to fit neatly.

Programming was done using an assembler Struder wrote for the GameBoy and adapted it into the z80asm language for the Z80 microprocessor. He also created an emulator (with a simple debugger) for the platform, which allows him to play a great version of Tetris on the tiny display. Struder has linked all of the schematics and code on his project page for those looking to build their own version of his Soviet-era Microcomputer.
Le virus Corona: Propagation du racisme?
By: Daniel Guo
Tags: Blm

Bibliographie:

Arcgis. Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd. Consulté le 5 mars 2020. Site Web.

CDC. CDC Newsroom: Coronavirus Disease 2020 (COVID-19). https://www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus-2020.html. Consulté le 8 mars 2020. Article en ligne.

CDC. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) What You Should Know. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html. Consulté le 6 mars 2020. Article en ligne.

Stevens, Matt. The former businessman calls for a universal basic income and warns of automation. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/31/us/politics/andrew-yang-campaign-speech.html. Consulté le 7 mars 2020. Article en ligne.

Worldometers. Coronavirus update (Live). https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/. Consulté le 4 mars 2020. Site Web.

WHO. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019. Consulté le 7 mars 2020. Article en ligne.

Yang, Andrew. The Official Website for the Andrew Yang 2020 Campaign. https://www.yang2020.com/. Consulté le 8 mars 2020. Site Web.
Racially Charged Police Brutality: Awareness and Change
By: Daniel Flynn
Tags: Racism, Change, BlackLivesMatter, Blm, Police Brutality

Supporters in Austin, Texas, of the 2017 Millions March. (Austin Justice Coalition)

“In Austin, black people represent only 8 percent of the population yet are subjected to 14 percent of stops, 26 percent of searches, 24 percent of arrests and 31 percent of officer-involved shootings. For us, the tipping point came in 2016, after a police officer killed David Joseph, an unarmed, naked black teenager.” (Quote and statistics from Austin Justice Coalition)

David Josephs death was the straw that broke the Austin community’s back. After failures to show any sign of progress via countless lawsuits and protests against the Austin Police Department, the Austin Justice Coalition smartly set their sights on the departments union contract. According to a New York Times article, written by the chairwoman and co-founder of the Austin Justice Coalition, the Austin Police Department’s contract appeared to be somewhat broken. The contract limited civilian oversight, allowed police reports to fall on deaf ears, and kept their fair share of “police eyes only” secrets.

(l-r) Nelson Linder of the NAACP, Chas Moore of the Austin Justice Coalition, Sister Christina Muhammad, Meme Styles of Measure ATX, and Mayor Steve Adler at City Hall, Feb. 11 (Photo by John Anderson)

Throughout 18 months of intense fighting for a voice, the A.J.C. accomplished the following: Acquired a seat at Austin’s City Council, successfully voted down the old police union contract, and replaced it with a publicly agreeable one.

Police brutality is a tragic social issue that requires the most attention it can earn. Ever since the founding of this country, people of color have struggled with white authority figures. Presently living in the twenty-first century, and we have seen much progress since the abolishment of slavery. Still, now is a time of the upmost importance for America to wake up and squish this social issue once and for all. As the Austin Justice Coalition brought a fair and just system to their city, you can too. As an inspiring leader who brought just change to his people once said, “Change starts with you.”
Black.
By: Thoughts
Tags: BlackLivesMatter, Blm, Life, Experience

When speaking about the being black and my experiences I tend to think “How will I be judged”. I am biracial, black and white, and I go to a primarily white school. Every day I walk in the hallways and hear white boys calling each other nigga as if they even know the history behind that word. I have tried telling some of them to stop, but that does nothing. They keep saying it thinking it makes them cool. As if it is so hard to say bro or dude instead. At school, I act like it does not bother me as much as it does because I do not want to get in an argument with somebody who does not even know the history behind that word. Sometimes I as myself, “What if the roles were reversed”, “What if white people were the ones who built this land from the ground up, then were beaten to death, and not even seen as people.” The kids at my school are constantly racist and they think that if they say “not to sound racist” before some kind of racist joke, comment, or statement it for some reason is not racist anymore. At school, I feel like I can not be passionate about black lives matter movement because I might be judged or disliked by certain people.
When the Music Stops
By: Christopher Carlisle
Tags: Church, Liberalism, BlackLivesMatter, Blm, White Privilege

Photo by Konstantin Aal

Most liberal discourse about Black Lives Matter seems to me to fall short. The reason Black lives matter, the logic often goes, is that inequality is unfair, and the solution is to grant equal access to the fruits of the existing system. Having been excluded, people of color suffer the consequences — hunger, poverty, lack of education, the sense that they don’t belong — so inclusion in the system is the key to making an unfair system fair.

Yet is it enough to include excluded people in a system built on privilege — an exclusionary system, whose very nature is to have an underclass? Don’t we risk playing “musical chairs,” in which someone’s always left without a chair? Or must the system be reimagined to change the outcome when the music stops?

What if our system, that acts to exclude, is by its very nature unjust? What if our system, with its capitalist legacy of unbridled competition, requires outlier classes in order to keep it going for the privileged rest of us? Yet, what if our only future is a system in which no one is excluded — and which depends upon listening to the wisdom of those who have suffered the plight of exclusion?

The truth that “Black Lives Matter” should be as obvious as any truth we know. Yet, from conservative retorts that “all lives matter” which strive to silence those who plead for racial justice, to liberal assertions that fail to recognize what we will have to give up, our entitled arguments can serve to perpetuate the injustice of the system, becoming hypocritical excuses for not doing something about it. So, the question remains: what has to change to make good on our claim that Black Lives Matter?

Satirist Fran Liebowitz observes, “The opposite of talking isn’t listening. The opposite of talking is waiting.” What may be missing from our liberal discourse is the silence of white privileged voices — long enough to listen to those have suffered exclusion at the system’s expense. Let us listen to our leaders of color, in their astonishing generosity, that together we might come through this desolate time into the light of tomorrow.
“We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet.” The BLM Must Take Next Steps to Protect Greater Chaco.
By: Protect Greater Chaco
Tags: Environment, Chaco, Blm, Chaco Canyon

On February 8, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it will again remove several land parcels near Chaco Culture National Historical Park from an upcoming oil and gas lease sale after receiving unanimous condemnation from New Mexico tribal leaders, the governor, and the state’s entire congressional delegation. The BLM had previously and consistently promised not to lease parcels in the 10 mile Chaco Core Protection Zone around the Park until, at least, it finalizes an amendment to its land management plan regarding energy development.

“Together, New Mexicans spoke out against drilling at Chaco,” said Congresswoman Deb Haaland. “Today, we got good news, and we successfully protected parts of our treasured New Mexico heritage from the profit driven oil companies, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”

While the temporary deferral of these parcels was welcome news to tribal, state, and community leaders, it begs the question as to whether the BLM will provide any protections to lands within the buffer zone in its final Farmington Resource Management Plan amendment. The All Pueblo Council of Governors, Navajo Nation, Senator Udall, Senator Heinrich, Governor Lujan-Grisham, all three of New Mexico’s congressional representatives and dozens of community organizations have called on the Department of Interior and BLM to protect Greater Chaco.

“The BLM did the right thing by deferring these parcels from being leased on culturally-significant and fragile land in the greater Chaco area, a UNESCO world heritage site. However, this is the third time under this administration that BLM has chosen to defer parcels in this area — and this stop-start, shoot-from-the-hip approach is not sustainable or in anyone’s best interest. The administration should take the next step and agree to not lease any parcels within 10 miles of the National Historical Park until a real joint management plan that includes robust and meaningful Tribal consultation has been implemented, health impacts are assessed, and a thorough ethnographic study of the area’s cultural resources is conducted,” stated Senator Udall following the BLM’s lease sale deferral announcement.

In 2018, Senators Udall and Heinrich also introduced federal legislation that would protect Greater Chaco from oil and gas drilling. New legislation is expected in the coming months that would do the same.
Workout for healthy Living
Tags: Womens Health, Women, Workout, Hiit Workout, Workout Routines

By :Khushi Sagar

It is said that workout is the key to a healthy life. There is no question that regular physical activity is essential for people who have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).

Consistent exercise helps in weight management, improves mood and can also help with fertility. It lowers heart disease risk along with enormous health benefits.

HOW MUCH EXERCISE DOES YOUR BODY NEED?

At a general goal, aim for 30 minutes of activity each day. But wait, don’t do it all at once. Two 15 minute increments of physical activity would do the same as one 30 minute.

LIST OF EXERCISES WITH EFFECTS

· CARDIO- Good for reducing insulin resistance, boosting fertility and stabilizing mood. Moderate exercise like brisk walking, jogging, cycling and swimming are all great activities.

This type of exercise increases your body’s sensitivity to insulin which reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

· STRENGTH TRAINING- it is great for reducing insulin resistance, increasing metabolic rate, improving body composition (which means more muscle and less fat tissue.

It includes bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups and dips. This can be done by women with lean PCOS too.

· HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING- Good for increasing cardiovascular fitness and decreasing waist circumference. This is also beneficial for women with lean PCOS.

· CORE STRENGTH- Good for general wellbeing and injury prevention. It also prepares your body for pregnancy.

Well, we know what you are thinking, how can I spare 30 mins for workout? I live a very busy life. Well, It is never about the time but about the priorities. Taking out 30 mins for self will never hurt you and if you are still looking for excuses, you will always look for excuses. Even a 10 min walk every day would work wonders. Just start it now, start it today and we know you will never regret it.

Where to start? Well ping us “Exercise” on 9625134457 and we will help you begin.

Exercise can be extremely useful in treating the symptoms so you can lead a healthy, happy and fertile life. 😊