fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Katana Announces Strategic Partnership with Mor Furniture for Less
Tags: Company, Advertising, Digital Marketing, Facebook, Media Buying

The West Coast’s leading family-operated furniture retailer, Mor Furniture for Less, has announced a strategic partnership with award-winning digital media solutions provider, Katana Media.

Mor Furniture For Less is one of the largest furniture stores in the United States, with a well-established pedigree for high-quality, affordable home furnishings. They are looking to advance their digital approach — Katana’s next-level digital media solutions will incorporate more relevant targeting into their strategy, and build brand awareness among the millennial demographic. Mor Furniture for Less boasts a formidable offline presence, but as they work to expand their retail locations, Katana will partner with them for all forthcoming growth efforts and personalized direct marketing strategies.

“The team at Katana have proven to be truly expert digital advertising partners with Mor Furniture,” said David Salcido, the Marketing Manager at Mor Furniture for Less. “From strategic planning and detailed implementation to cutting-edge reporting and ultimately maximizing our return — we certainly feel that we are in great hands at Katana.”

Katana has built a global reputation for executing highly personalized and effective digital marketing campaigns that help clients align their online investments with both offline and online consumer behaviors, building and conforming a media plan based on individual and company-wide needs.

Katana’s Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Lopez, commented, “We’re applying our approach to showcase the value of digital media in not just online sales, but the subsequent lift in in-store sales and foot traffic. With Katana’s catalog of innovative solutions and our team of digital media and technology experts, we are capable of showing the correlation between on-site exposure, in-store purchases and foot traffic, ultimately conveying the value of every investment our clients allocate online.”

About Katana

Katana provides next generation digital media solutions through innovations in data modeling and advertising technologies. We combine advanced audience data models, real-time advertising inventory and highly sophisticated technology infrastructure to run smarter paid media campaigns. Our elite team of digital media and technology experts bring advanced data and campaign solutions to life, providing smart, sustainable and high converting paid media campaigns for enterprise marketers and agencies. To find out more about Katana and how their innovative solutions can help your brand or agency reach your target audience, visit http://www.katana.media.

About Mor Furniture for Less

Mor Furniture for Less is the largest family-owned and operated furniture company in the southwestern United States. For more than 40 years, Mor Furniture for Less has provided name brand and superior quality home furnishings for their 32 showrooms across seven states. For more information, visit http://www.morfurniture.com.
I’m taking the air.
By: Teri Bayus
Tags: Writing, Storytelling, Creating Artist

I’m taking the air. The first morning in a week where I have been able to slip away and not be necessary.

The air smells sweet. There are birds tweeting their halloos and a gentle breeze wipes every surface.

The distant hymm of main road traffic carves a slight but persistent mark.

As I travel, the acoustics of wall proximities play with the sound.

Idea. 10 minute drama. Written and performed by me. 6 tales. Short and unrelated. Achievable and no budget excreted time.

I love the freedom to stroll and the idea of your drama. What would the theme be?

I suppose each would be a revelation of some kind.

I like that. Revelations by a thinking man.

It’s akin to a short fiction.

I don’t know the stories yet but I get moments of inspiration which may easily sustain a short story.

Getting a story to be read may be easier if they can also listen. It’s an idea.

I found out that the same minute I had an idea about what I wanted to write, life would go out of it. I’m a Bear of Little Brain, as Winnie the Pooh would say. My challenge is to try to keep the themes out of what I’m writing as long as possible… Einstein said it better: “No worthy problem is ever solved on the plane of its original conception.” … It’s got more integrity if it comes in of its own accord.

So you think go and write when the idea strikes.? Like it’s a galloping mare that you need to stand astride otherwise she passes unstruck and proceeds to land in another’s lap.

Planning is for flights, dinner and parties. When fucking, writing or conversing one instead is a conduit.

Don’t get in your own way.

Exactly.

I think you’re right.

My best stuff hits me like thunder bolts. Sometimes it needs to percolate- but often times I’m just a conduit to some voice I barely recognize.

I know when I have the ideas they are beyond a plan. They are existing as a reality. Like a captured dream. They dissipate like most under the warm light of scrutiny.

Like mist.

And we are back to an artist needs for solitude.

You can’t capture lightening bugs in a storm.

A jumper, pulled apart thread by thread, stitch by stitch may reveal the pattern and the amount of wool used. It no longer serves to keep you warm however.
Ø partners with Paynetics (fully licensed EMI)
By: Ø Crypto Union
Tags: Cryptocurrency, Partnership, Fintech

It is with great pride that Ø Crypto Union announces today that we have entered into an exclusive partnership with Paynetics, a fully licensed EMI*. With the contracts officially signed today, Ø becomes a Paynetics equity partner; therefore with natural synergy between both entities, mutual progression is assured.

Ø is working to integrate Paynetics solutions this fall: including the issuance of E-Wallets, Credit/Debit cards, P2P Transfers and coming shortly thereafter this winter will be able to issue IBAN to its customers!

The application process will be open at the end of the month for Ø customers!

Paynetics will gain from the technology and expertise in the cryptocurrency space that Ø can offer.

As always, Ø seeks to establish itself as a key player in this newly emerging crypto universe through sustainable and positive partnerships. We thank everyone who has been a part of our successes so far and we hope that you will join us in celebrating this monumental achievement on our journey!

Paynetics

Paynetics offers a wide range of B2B and B2C payment solutions. By providing secure, flexible and robust payment channels, they enable their partners to focus on developing their businesses. They believe that financial services should not be complicated and people should not be enslaved by them. Paynetics is a fully licensed and operational EU e-money institution with solid infrastructure in acquiring and issuing, combined with several exciting FinTech ventures with proprietary technologies and global ambitions.
Start Your Day With Intention By Answering these 4 Questions In The Shower
By: Renee Tarantowski
Tags: Mindfulness, Meditation, Spirituality, Productivity, Love

Start Your Day With Intention By Answering these 4 Questions In The Shower

A simply powerful practice

Photo by Seth Doyle on Unsplash

How do I want to feel today?

How do I want to be today?

What do I want to receive today?

What do I want to give today?

Intention

What I know for sure is intention is everything.

How do I want to feel? Radiant. Vibrant. Strong. Free. All of this rolled into one loving woman.

Being not Doing

How do I want to be? Loving, kind, gentle, respectful to myself and others.

That means taking a pause before I raise my voice.

That means saying a blessing in the car before I begin the morning commute.

I will be a container of light for the kids in my classroom.

The give and take of life

More often than not, what I give is really what I want to receive.

What drives me crazy is the same thing I want, on some level.

My go-to gift is to have a conversation without any agenda. No fixing, no judging, no ingratiating. And yes, I would love to be able to just have a conversation and be heard.

What I crave is what I give.

What I crave is the same as everyone else. I want to be heard, noticed, and to know that I matter and make a difference.

Be Specific

I am very specific — I mean it is 4 questions in the course of one shower. We are talking 15 minutes tops! Unless it is the day I deep condition my hair then it might be 20.

I want to feel vibrant as I answer kids questions and extend the understanding I also want for myself.

or

I want to feel radiant as I walk in the sunshine.

Wait, that was only 2 questions answered. And that’s ok because Grace is a wonderful thing to give and receive everyday. The offering of grace and love is always a great start.
STABLE TOKENS — Methodology
By: Cp Processor Team
Tags: Ethereum, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Eth, Erc20

Introduction to future CP Processor Stable Tokens&Supplements

The evolution of money is inevitable and it is only a matter of days when a decentralized universal world currency will finally come to life. We are also witnesses of the first examples of free payment without borders, which are done instantly and without a bunch of intermediaries. Also, cryptocurrencies are one step away from getting the role of real money. The Coin Payment Processor Project is therefore on its way to connect all missing links and create a new dimension of global payment.

In this article, we will explain how Coin Payment Processor’s stable tokens function.

STABLE TOKENS = ETH & ERC20 TOKENS COLLATERAL +(ETH & ERC20 TOKENS CONVERSION + SUPPLY-DEMAND ADJUSTMENT BY SUPPLEMENTS)

THE SYSTEM IS IN BALANCE 1:2

DoTo <= 2x totalcollateralETH+totalcollateralTOKENS+totalconvertcollateralSUM

USD = dollar fiat currency

Dollar fiat currency = USA federal bank minted convertible coin. Guaranteed by federal bank obligation.

USDT= tether coin

Tether coin = Private property convertible coin minted on public Omni network. Guaranteed by private company USD fiat deposit in private bank.

ETH = ethereum coin

Ethereum coin = PoW convertible coin minted on public Ethereum network + can be burned. Guaranteed by community consensus on distributed ledger.

DoES = Short Ethereum Smart contract token

Short Ethereum Smart contract token ( ERC20) minted with smart contract functions on public Ethereum network. Guaranteed by community consensus on smart contract on Ethereum network.

UpES = Long Ethereum Smart contract 2x token

Long Ethereum Smart contract 2x token (ERC20) minted with smart contract functions on public Ethereum network. Guaranteed by community consensus on smart contract on Ethereum network.

STABLE TOKENS:

DoTo= dollar token

EuTo= euro token

KrTo= won token

YeTo= yen token

YuTo= yuan token

ERC20 tokens minted with smart contract functions on public Ethereum network. Guaranteed by personal ETH & ERC20 tokens change (collateral + conversion) on smart contract custodian on Ethereum network.

Goal of Stable Token System is the following:

MarketCap DoTo=MarketCap CollateralETH + SUM MarketCap Supplements

Coin Payment Processor — Stable Tokens

STABLE TOKENS SYSTEM WITH PERSONAL LOAN & CONVERSION

Dear readers, hope you enjoyed this article! Follow us for more exciting stories :)
How to clean up PowerPoint slides
By: Jan Schultink
Tags: Layout, PowerPoint, Presentations

I sometimes help out clients to clean up a very large presentation. Incorrect PowerPoint use, copying and pasting of different slide masters, and a less trained eye for design/proportions create slide decks that look inconsistent and “not right”.

I created the presentation design app SlideMagic in such a way, that these mistakes are hard to make. Here is the list of actions I typically go through when cleaning up big PowerPoint files. (And this is also the list of PowerPoint annoyances [well, most of them] you do not have to worry about anymore when using SlideMagic).

Locate the client’s super clean template file and use it as a start for the presentation

Go in the slide master view and delete all master slides you do not need (I am usually just left with a title page and a regular slide)

Create slide templates with the correct title positioning for 1) empty page, 2) picture in frame page, full page picture page, and separator slide

Create drawing guides (left, right, top, bottom, not centre and middle)

Set the the default text boxes, shapes, and lines (font, colours)

Copy the monster presentation into this new master file

Select all slides in the presentation and apply the standard template slide (title, not text) to it.

Font replace all the incorrect fonts to the right font with one command

For each slide:

Adjust the title text, so it fits in its frame, 2 lines maximum

Resize shapes that should have the same height and width

Make sure squares and circles have a 1:1 aspect ratio

Reset the aspect ratio of distorted images (if possible), otherwise do it by eye

Re-crop images

Increase/decrease font sizes, adjust text if necessary

Tone down the colours, make sure that things that need an accent colour, have one

Make sure everything fits in the slide frame

Realign and distribute the whole slide, centre/mid-align objects that need it

Take out gradients

Take out drop shadows

Take out outline lines around boxes/shapes

Round up numbers

Make sure numbers line up correctly vertically

Apply correct colours to data charts

Reformat tables (colours, text alignment, uniform row heights, column widths, font sizes, make sure they fit in the slide frame)

All this work is:

Time consuming

Not the result of an original presentation designer’s fault, it is just hard to get the details right

Probably obsolete as soon as more changes are made to the presentation

People should be spending time crafting their story, and not making basic typographical adjustments. Give SlideMagic a try!
Where is the “Muslim World”? A Speech on Media Bias
By: Virtual Mosque
Tags: Is, Bias, Ia

How are Muslims and Islam talked about in the UK press? This is the question linguist Professor Tony McEnery wanted to answer.

His team looked at the usage of the phrase ‘Muslim World’, and Mr McEnery argues that this phrase, which was used 11,000 times in articles discussing Islam written from 1998 to 2009 by the British press, highlights an unsettling trend in the media — using language that characterizes Muslims as violent and unusual — a trend that, as he shows, has a long history and he asks us to change.

We have set the video above to start playing at 2 minutes and 7 seconds, as this is when Professor McEnery begins his speech on the above topic.
The Best Worst Gift Ever
By: Mark Starlin
Tags: Marriage, Relationships, Fiction, Life, Gifts

It was our 25th wedding anniversary. It had been a good twenty-five years together. We had raised two great boys, had a charming home, and I still looked pretty good for my age.

We had worn the rough edges off each other and learned to get along. We were still in love. It was different now, of course. More comfortable. But deeper. I couldn’t imagine life without Dan.

We decided to have dinner at home. Dan cooked my favorite. Chicken Cordon-Bleu. I realize I am lucky to have a husband who can cook. It was delicious. Afterward, we exchanged gifts.

“I got you something,” he said. As if it was unexpected.

“Me first,” I said, and handed him an envelope. Inside was a card he could care less about. But inside the card were season tickets to the Bulls. They were crazy expensive, and I had to pull some strings to get them, but he is worth it.

Of course, he was ecstatic.

“I’ll be right back,” he said.

He returned with band new carry-on bag. A yellow bow stuck to the top.

A carry-on bag! I was furious. Twenty-five years and he buys me luggage? I got up without saying a word and walked out the front door.

Dan followed me to the door and said, “Wait!”

It was too late. I didn’t want to hear his excuses or apologies. I was too mad to talk. I started to walk faster.

I must have walked for close to half an hour. Running through our life together in my mind. We weren’t newlyweds. How could he be so insensitive?

When I got home, Dan was gone. The dishes were done. That stupid carry-on bag was sitting on the table with a note taped to it. The note read: “You didn’t finish opening your gift.”

I unzipped the carry-on bag. Inside were two tickets to Paris.

I started to cry.
Apache Airflow Is Fun For Data Engineer!
By: Salim Masagus
Tags: Data, Data Engineer, Software Engineer, Google Cloud Platform, Apache Airflow

Pada tulisan pertama saya di medium ini, saya akan bercerita tentang pengalaman saya menggunakan Airflow sebagai Data Engineer di Tunaiku. Sekilas tentang Airflow, Data Engineer Tunaiku menggunakan Airflow terkhusus dikarenakan kebutuhan schedulling task, dan monitoring workflow yang telah dirancang untuk kebutuhan data di Tunaiku, dengan menggunakan Airflow semua proses automasi dan monitoring akan terhandle!!! . untuk lebih jelasnya anda dapat melihat dokumentasinya disini , dan untuk memahami etential tentang Data Engineer, anda dapat membaca blog creator Airflow maxime beauchemin disini

.

To a modern Data Engineer, traditional ETL tools are largely obsolete because logic cannot be expressed using code. As a result, the abstractions needed cannot be expressed intuitively in those tools. Now knowing that the Data Engineer’s role consist largely of defining ETL, and knowing that a completely new set of tools and methodology is needed, one can argue that this forces the discipline to rebuild itself from the ground up. New stack, new tools, a new set of constraints, and in many cases, a new generation of individuals. — Maxime Beauchemin
FERRUM NETWORK DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Tags: Decentralized, Ferrum Network, Cryptocurrency, Wallet, Bitcoin

Hello Community, we have a lot of exciting updates to bring to you. Since our unveiling in Consensus NYC in march 2018, the Ferrum Team has been hard at work at developing the tech for the product. Below are the development updates.

FERRUM WALLET

The Ferrum Beta Wallet is finally a reality. The Ferrum Wallet enables a user to trade in any crypto assets regardless of chain. “The Ferrum Wallet is a game-changer in the world of crypto, the ability to trade any assets with super low fees and lightning quick transactions will revolutionize the industry” says Naeim Yeganeh PhD and founder of Ferrum Network. The Ferrum beta wallet currently supports FRM tokens, BTC, ETH, True USD, Gemini Dollar, and XRP. “The speed and ease of use is absolutely breathtaking, we are excited to be part of a project that will lead to mass adoption of digital assets” states Ian M. Friend Esq, co-founder of Ferrum Network. Extensive speed tests performed on the platform have demonstrated instantaneous transfer of cryptocurrency assets.

Read More: http://www.bit-cointalk.com/2018/10/23/ferrum-network-development-update/
Exhausted
By: Candra Adia
Tags: Personal Growth, Self Love, Poetry, Life, Love

When you feel you’ve done all you can;

Given all you’ve got;

And said all you have to say…

It’s time to let it go and walk away.
Why Can’t Governments Solve the Climate Crisis?
By: Paul Abela
Tags: Politics, Psychology, Government, Activism, Environment

I remember it like it was yesterday. The day the Paris Climate Agreement was announced felt like a momentous occasion. 195 countries had come together to agree on commitments to fight the climate crisis. Many considered it the world’s greatest diplomatic success. My masters class celebrated the occasion wildly. There were cheers, hugs, tears of joy that this time everything would change. It felt different, it really did.

Four years later and the USA has withdrawn from the agreement. Many countries commitments aren’t going far enough in helping to achieve targets, and the agreement is at risk of falling apart altogether. It seems that time wasn’t the time everything changed.

But with the outbreak of the Coronavirus, this time does feel different. The pandemic has flung the world into a maelstrom, we’re still not quite sure how to get out of. Lockdowns that ground society to a halt gave the environment a break. The air became cleaner, waterways became vividly blue, animals started to wonder where we had gone. We got to see a world without humans, and we liked it.

A recent YouGov survey has shown in the U.K only 6% of people want life to return to normal. There are calls, which have become louder and louder to build back better. To create a stronger, fairer, greener economy that works for everyone.

So could this time be the time where we change paths and start taking appropriate action to deal with the climate crisis?
You don’t have to, but maybe you should.
By: Trevor Boyson
Tags: Watches, Digital Marketing, Social Media

Even in very entrenched industries, there is wiggle room. Opportunities are constantly opening up all around us. Luxury watch company’s have long fought to keep their industry one of the most conservative. But sometimes even a large company is willing to take a risk and reach out and embrace a cult following instead of simply benefitting from it.

The Omega Speedmaster’s cult following was created by fans. Fans of watches, fans of the history of space travel. #speedytuesday dominated any watch lover’s Instagram or Twitter feeds. Omega could have continued on as they have — creating variations of a watch that people love and will continue buying.

Instead, they not only acknowledged the tribe that had been built around their history, but thanked it with a special limited edition commemorating their passion.

The result? Sure every model was spoken for before 11am and sales are great. But more than money, they not only acknowledged the narrative of a passionate group, they added their voice to and amplified it.
Christmas Time Is Soon Upon Us
By: Pierre Trudel
Tags: BlackLivesMatter, Theequest, Love, LGBTQ, Womens Rights

Thee Quest Haiku-Justice for all people of the world

Town Hall meetings need To be held in every town On earth-Freedom

In this time of pain, all over the world, we need to face up to reality. Many issues need to be debated. Many people feel a need to make peace with subjects, that have been put to rest for far too long.

Christmas is a time of year, when all spiritual people on earth make peace with the Divine, in one way or another. Why can we not all unite with our souls and make things right for all?

Women’s rights, LGBTQ issues, and Black lives Matter are on top of the list.
Microsoft Delays Reason to Buy an Xbox One X Until 2018
By: Colin Roy
Tags: Gaming, Crackdown 3, Xbox One, Xbox One X, Video Game News

While you're waiting for Crackdown 3 Microsoft have a game for you to play. You don't even need an internet connection.

Early in August Microsoft announced it was delaying Crackdown 3 until 2018. Originally scheduled as the reason to buy an Xbox One X on launch day, it has been pushed back because of fears that reviews would reveal the game was pretty good on the older Xbox One S.

It isn’t enough to launch a good game, if it is fun on both our $300 and $500 consoles.

The spectre of Don Mattrick, remnants of a soul he no longer required when he joined Zynga acquiesced to a Silent Protagonist interview about the delay, and all things One X.

Silent Protagonist (SP)

Xbox, Skype Don Mattrick. Xbox, go to Skype. No, we don’t want to buy Halo 5 req packs. Xbox, go to Skype. Xbox, motherfucker! Xbox, close Call of Duty.

An update and two new Home screen layouts later

Hi, Mr Spectre. Do you mind if we jump straight to the point.

Don Mattrick (DM)

TV?

SP

No. The Xbox One X. With Crackdown 3 delayed till 2018 do you have any games to tempt us to buy your very expensive console.

DM

Lots of games will run on the Xbox One X.

SP

Great. Why would we want to play them on the One X, instead of on our current Xboxes.

DM

Because the One X will be the most powerful console ever. It will be the best place to play games.

SP

Except for PC.

DM

Can your PC play TV?

SP

Yes.

DM

Oh. The One X will be the best console to play games on.

SP

Why?

DM

Because it is the most powerful console ever.

SP

But how does it make games better?

DM

Because it gives developers the power they have been asking for.

SP

But how will it improve the games?

DM

Forza 7 will look almost as good as it does on PC.

SP

Okay. How about other games?

DM

Ha. Obviously other games won’t look as good as Forza 7.

SP

Sigh. Okay, why did you delay Crackdown 3? No Xbox, we don’t want to pre-order Crackdown 3. No Xbox, not the special 1 day shorter delay version. Fuck. Xbox, close Call of Duty.

DM

Crackdown 3 is a great game. Obviously not as pretty as Forza 7, but a blast to play. We have to figure out how to tone it down a bit on the Xbox One S and the Xbox One no letter.

SP

Tone it down?

DM

So our fans can appreciate it more on the One X.

SP

Why don’t you just make it better on the One X?

DM

Oh. You have to remember that the Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever. But it is part of the Xbox family. Part of the value is you can play your existing games on it.

SP

Your old games?

DM

On the most powerful console ever!

SP

So what reason do we have to buy an Xbox One X in November?

DM

Oh. We’re releasing a version of the Xbox One X with “Project Scorpio" written on it.

SP

Really? Take our cash!

XBOX ONE

Pre-order confirmed, credit card charged.

SP

Thank you for your time, Don Mattrick’s spectre.

DM

Can I say one last thing?

SP

Go for it.

DM
Lithuania, Malta and Switzerland — How 3 European nations are planning to become blockchain pioneers
By: Watson Law
Tags: Technology, Innovation, ICO, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain

Malta

source: telegraph.co.uk

The Maltese legislator has recently proposed an ICO-specific regulatory framework. While initially meant to come into force on October 1st, the bills’ introduction has been pushed to November. Under the new regime, every DAO is required to file for a license from the government to receive the status of a ‘Technology Arrangement’. TAs are consequently granted legal person status, applicable throughout the whole of the European Union (Malta is a member since 2004).

The suggested bills will employ a ‘Technology First Approach’. Rather than focusing on the financial aspects of token sales, Malta will dig deeper into the feasibility of the technology behind new projects. In particular, they will carefully examine Whitepapers and require issuers to provide more detailed descriptions of their proprietary technology, asset classes and risks associated therewith. Coupled with the introduction of liability triggers for untrue statements and the requirement of having a designated compliance officer, the approach taken by Malta is set to bridge the massive information asymmetries between issuers and investors while at the same time fostering innovation.

Tokens will be divided in three classes.

1. Virtual Tokens — Functionally equivalent to a utility token, a VT is an asset that “…has no utility, value or application outside of the DLT platform on which it was issued and that cannot be exchanged for funds on such platform or with the issuer of such DLT asset…”

VTs are by definition exempt from secondary market trade and do not qualify as a security.

2. Financial Instruments — The Maltese regulator here mirrors the stance taken by the EU in the MiFID, thereby listing five main FI classes considered a security:

a. Transferrable securities

b. Money market instruments

c. Units in collective investment schemes

d. Financial derivatives

e. Emission allowances consisting of units recognized for compliance with the requirements of Directive 2003/87/EC (Emissions Trading Scheme)

Tokens bearing characteristics of any of the above definitions will qualify as securities and require issuers to comply with Maltese financial laws as well as legislation on an EU level.

3. Virtual Financial Assets — The Maltese government has the aim to develop a capture-all regime for all DLT-related fundraising projects. VFAs are therefore meant to include the remainder of token sales which do not fall under classes 1) and 2). They will be regulated under the new FSAA bill and generally not qualify as a security.

For the full text of the upcoming ICO bills follow this link.
Aubade (Dawn Song)
By: Stephen Hoffman
Tags: Poetry, Nature, Other Doors, Poem

From haiku to hefty memoirs - poems, stories and essays that break through the bullshit. Looking for pieces that go far beyond cliché to uncover a new realm of possibilities. Other Doors features writing that leaves the reader with genuine congenital reactions.

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UI for Data Visualization
Tags: Data Visualization, Amaro, Data Engineering

Let’s talk about trends? Studies about Usability and User Interface are growing in the corporate world. Now, both small and big companies have the mindset of delivering the best experience for their customers by continually improving their digital platforms.

Absolutely every part of the customer journey in the app (or website) has to be continuously considered and reconsidered: every flow, icon and message that hits the screen. If you think about it, it is exactly through this endless improvement cycle that things evolve and new products are launched. The telephone, for example, was invented more than a hundred years ago, giving origin to today’s smartphones — the incredible devices that most of us can’t live without nowadays. The same applies to other fields, such as architecture, the automobilistic industry and, of course, fashion.

Since the concepts of UX and UI are so present in our routine, why shouldn’t we apply them to data visualization? The huge and complex world of big data, tables and grey tools (aka Excel) deserve a modern, dynamic, more intuitive, and accessible way of visualization and, therefore, comprehension.

The human brain is attracted to movement, patterns, shapes and colours. The way we process information when graphics and imagery are used, is much more effective than any other format of text or spreadsheets. It all goes back to our origins as human beings: it is obviously easier to distinguish a square from a circle or a red line from a yellow one than it is to comprehend large numbers, for instance.

The data visualization mindset is now gaining more interest from companies, which already know those are crucial to decision making. Visual data is easily captured and stays on the mind for longer.

Furthermore, we are living in an era of big data, in which we are smashed with more information than we can process. That is why we need to make things easier through the use of visual elements.

That being said, data visualization tools are also growing in number. Big names as Tableau, Power BI and Data Studio are very popular, even though with limitations.

AMARO, a company that always aims for sophistication and effectiveness in all areas, is now applying these two values to data visualization. After all, we are a data-driven company.

Looker, our first data visualization project, has been helping teams, for months, to use data for decision making. Mostly because of its friendly layout and easy navigation — not to forget the accuracy of the data, of course. We also use Data Studio, a mainstream tool provided by Google that is connected with other Google products.
I got this
Tags: Life Lessons, Gratefulness, Believe, Fear, Trust

by Hidarinia

Sensations, emotions, coming and going. I feel this now but tomorrow might be different — will be different. The fear and anxiety dissipate through the night and the morning brings hope and faith. Which one is real? Which one should I listen to?

Fear is ever present. Through the laughs, the plans, the excitement, it is right there, whispering in my ear — what if the worse happens? Of course it might, but it also might not. I believe in energies, I believe that what you visualise does materialise. Not in a genie-grant-me-my-wish kind of way — obviously. But I believe the broader picture is drawn by the energy we project onto it.

So, I am learning to tame my fear. I am getting to know it better too. I know when it will show up strong, to throw me off balance. There is no point in fighting it head on, it is there to be seen and heard. I listen to it — I let it ramble on. Then it is my turn to speak. I hear you — but you do not decide. I will take your opinion into account — but you do not decide. You may have valid points — but you do not decide.

Then who does? If I push back this fear, how do I know if my judgement isn’t clouded by stubbornness? I don’t. I do not.

What I do know is this. My glass is half full. And life is fucking beautiful. It is not easy, but it’s worth it — always. I do not have control over many things — but I am in this since the beginning. There must be something I am doing right. I will keep on doing, failing, learning, for as long as I can breathe. I got this.
SMOTE + ENN : 解決數據不平衡建模的採樣方法. SMOTE + ENN : A sampling method that…
By: Edward Tung
Tags: Sampling, Machine Learning, Data Science, Python, Statistics

Welcome to imbalanced-learn documentation! - imbalanced-learn 0.5.0 documentation

Information to install, test, and contribute to the package. The main documentation. This contains an in-depth…
ETHERBOTS Launches, overtaking CryptoKitties in Transaction Volume (Again)
Tags: Gaming, Ethereum, Launch, Cryptokitties, Blockchain

New to Etherbots? Check out our launch article and getting started guide.

Wow. It’s been an insane 24 hours since launch. Etherbots has more than doubled the number and volume of CryptoKitty transactions.

For a few hours Etherbots transactions represented 5% of the entire Ethereum network. We’ve had robot parts selling for 21 ETH ($18,000 USD), thousands of individual duels, hit the front page of /r/ethereum, and a few lucky individuals have even forged our launch-exclusive body, never again available after 72 hours from launch.

A rare shadow Ancient Protector sold for 21 ETH 5 minutes before this piece was published.

I’m writing this with my incredibly sleep-deprived, but incredibly excited team. This game has surpassed our wildest expectations — especially considering it’s the most ambitious game on the blockchain to date — and we’re stoked that people are loving it as much as we do. So…

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

We have a really exciting roadmap for the next month.
5 Traits I Learned to be an Adult
By: Tia Ella Gliata
Tags: Self Improvement, Life Lessons, Life, Self, Self-awareness

Not Bailing Every Time Things Get Rocky

“The struggle is my life.” — Nelson Mandela

The key isn’t to not have any struggle at all. It’s exactly the opposite.

Get used to the struggle. It’ll be there one way or another. If it’s not now, then it will be later. So might as well get used to it.

Life isn’t about seeking comfort. It’s about getting comfortable in the most inconvenient situation. The more you are able to do that, the better you’d handle anything being thrown at you.

Pursuing Your Life Purpose

Get past the blinks and the diamonds. Prestige is just a facade.

At the beginning of your career, you might want to get the biggest job at the biggest company for the sake of titles or salary. It’s okay to pursue that in the beginning, as long as you don’t forget to pull yourself back down.

Life is temporary. We all only get a handful of times to do something meaningful with our lives. So what would that be for you?

Use your intelligence and your heart to decide what it was. Don’t think about people’s judgments or what other people are doing. It’s your life. It’s your time. What do you wanna do with it?

Focusing on What’s Important (or Who)

Choose the ones who would worth your time.

A big part of adult life is about making choices. Choices that can’t be based on one single person or a few people’s interests.

Be wise to choose whom you spend your time with, whom you need to take good care of when their lives fall apart, and most importantly, choose whom you need to listen to.

Be fair to yourself. Making everyone happy is a child’s game. If you ever lead a big team of at least ten people, you’d know already that you can’t do that. At the end of the day, it’s always about the big picture of what you and everyone else is trying to achieve.
What do UX Hack Days look like at idealo 👩🏻‍🎨👨🏼‍🔬
By: Axel Springer Tech
Tags: Technology, UX, Product, UI, Design

Last year the UX department here at idealo.de decided to do hack days twice a year: In spring and fall we engage with topics that are outside our day-to-day business. We want to think outside the box, do research and change our way of working. Furthermore, we’d like to mix colleagues that do not necessarily work together on a daily basis and learn from each other. The goal is to keep it fresh — everything we do for fun will also have an impact on real projects.

We call our hack days FUX days. FUX stands for “Fantastic UX” — in German that word sounds a lot like the animal fox (“Fuchs”), so we already have our mascot.

A fux in its natural environment

Topics, ideas, process

Our FUX days started with a casual planning phase — everybody was invited to come up with topics that are allowed to span from abstract projects on a meta level to geeking out in detail on microinteractions. We split into two teams: Team 1 assigned themselves the task to rethink and redesign some parts of idealo, whilst Team 2 had the task of diving deep into the idealo customer journey.

In this article we want to show the results of team 1.

At first, we came up with new concepts. What could idealo be besides a website and an app? Could the core functionality be integrated into a VR or AR tool? Should we open an idealo popup store? What would the idealo website feel like if it would behave more like an app?

Lots of ideas on cliché sticky notes

The second part was about style and brand: Rethinking the qualities that support the idealo design of now and redesign the idealo image of tomorrow. What would idealo look like if it was founded in 2018 and not 18 years ago? Can we design a flexible, fresh brand for an idealo that offers direct buying only?
How Computational Models Can Boost Productivity in Biotech
By: Eshan Samaranayake
Tags: Machine Learning, Biotechnology, Data Science, Science, Mathematics

How Computational Models Can Boost Productivity in Biotech

Experimental lab? You just need a computer.

Edited by the author using Canva. Original photo by Artem Podrez from Pexels

What is computational modelling in biotechnology?

I was introduced to this term by Dr. Neil Swainston in his course on Coursera, ‘Industrial Biotechnology’ [1].

Computational modeling in systems biology are developed to carry out computational experiments that would otherwise be too expensive or time-consuming to be carried out using a traditional experimental lab.

These computational simulations are used to generate hypotheses, which can later be validated using lab experiments. The data generated from these experiments can be used to further refine the model. This cycle continues until the model’s accuracy at predicting the outcome is sufficient.
A Dinner Party Conversation
By: Danna Reich Colman
Tags: Comedy, Writing Prompt, Myers Briggs

A Dinner Party Conversation

(written in response to the writing prompt below, but it’s up to you to discover what personality type this is)

I want to go home. No, I’m not going to turn around and smile and look happy. I’m not happy! I can’t believe this! I really can’t believe it! You know how much I hate surprise parties. No, I’ve already said hello to everyone. I’m upset. I’m so upset! I was positive you were taking me to the Greek Theater tonight to see Billy Joel. You said you had a little surprise for me and we had to celebrate my birthday on Sunday instead of Monday. So last Sunday I was looking through the Calendar section of the paper and found an article on Billy Joel that said he was playing Sunday only. I was sure that had to be the reason you wanted to celebrate my birthday tonight because you know how much I love Billy Joel. I mean why else would we be celebrating tonight instead of tomorrow? And I read this little blurb about taking a limousine to the theater to avoid the traffic. So tonight when we were about to leave the house, and you said we had to wait, I was even more convinced that you had arranged for a limo to take us. I was imagining champagne and pate and cheese and caviar, and I was so excited! No, No, I’m not going to turn around and enjoy myself. Are you serious? I can’t enjoy myself. I had this wonderful evening planned, and you — — I’m so upset. You even told me to dress casually. Two blocks from home I asked if we could turn around because I forgot to put on my belt — an essential part of my outfit — and you said it didn’t matter because I wouldn’t be seeing anybody I know. Well, that wasn’t true! And you wouldn’t turn around because you said we’d be late. I dressed for an outdoor concert, not a dinner party! And why did you choose this restaurant? No! No, it’s not special because we come here all the time! And who are these people that you invited? Where are my good friends? What were you thinking? I hate surprises! You have completely ruined my birthday. Take me home!
Tech: Cool TypeScript Operators You Might Not Know
By: Khoi Bui
Tags: JavaScript, Typescript, Programming, UI, Web Development

Tech: Cool TypeScript Operators You Might Not Know

These shorthand operators are truly amazing!!!

In recent years, TypeScript (TS) has become one of the most popular programming languages among web community. It is basically a strictly typed version of JavaScript and so much more. Thanks to its strong type checking, inline documentation and great community support; TS has been adopted heavily by major JavaScript frameworks like Angular, React and Vue. In this article, we will go through several handy TS operators that can help you reduce boilerplate and make your codes look cleaner and easy to read.

Note that different operators demonstrated below might only be available at specific TS version.

Template Strings — TS v1.4

When building web pages you often need to construct a string from string literals (string constants) along with one or many arbitrary expressions (variable strings). Since version 1.4, TS has supported ES6 template strings to help decompose string objects easily.
BitMax.io Weekly Roundup
By: Bitmax.Io Support
Tags: Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Bitmax

BitMax.io is a leading digital asset financial platform with altcoin trading for spot, margin, and futures, wallet services for over 100 cryptocurrencies, and unique staking support for top blockchain projects.

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BLENDED INTERPRETATIONS
By: Fierce Force
Tags: Life Lessons, Colors, Poetry, Life, Interpretation

BLENDED INTERPRETATIONS

To be read slowly and with presence

Chrispy Brussel Sprouts cooked by my kids, a side dish from tonight’s Plated service. Looking at the shades, I started thinking about the extreme dark tone you don’t typically associate with brussel sprouts. I was inspired- most delish way to eat them too!

The scrumptious blend of light and dark.

Light and heavy.

Airy and rich.

Happy and sad.

Carry and carried.

Light and dark.

One does not work without the other —

It’s the blend that makes it delicious.

***ok, how did you take it?*** Colors? Emotions? Or Flavors?

The scrumptious blend of beautiful light and dark colors.

Light and heavy shades.

Airy and rich tones.

Invoking colors of happy and sad.

Highlights that carry or are carried.

Light and dark colors.

One does not work without the other —

It’s the blend that makes it delicious.

The scrumptious blend of light and dark emotions.

Light and heavy thoughts.

Airy and rich feelings.

Happy and sad responses.

Sensations that carry or are carried.

Light and dark emotions.

One does not work without the other —

It’s the blend that makes it delicious.

The scrumptious blend of light and dark flavors.

Light and heavy tastes.

Airy and rich sensations.

Happy and sad compliments.

Seasoning on the palate that carry or are carried.

Light and dark flavors.

One does not work without the other —

It’s the blend that makes it delicious.

Who knew brussel sprouts could invoke such beautiful colors that are delicious and make me feel so creative and inspired this evening.
How the system is designed to make you dumb
By: Amos Aidoo
Tags: Computer Science, Education

I was so happy when I had admission to this prestigious university to study Computer Science, I was extremely happy and I knew I was going to be very useful in the coming years since we are currently in a technological revolution. Well, the only way one can be disappointed is of course when one has very high hopes and that is my story, total disappointment. Almost nothing is practical and it seems everything is just about getting better grades. It is very sad.

via GIPHY

Right from the beginning, we are taught to be afraid of examination and because of that our attentions shift from being better Computer Scientists to better exam passers. As if that is not enough, we are not even examined properly. You will be taught how to add two numbers and in the examination, you will be asked to write an algorithm to quench the sun. Also, we are constantly being taught archaic technologies. “Come on, it is 2019. Who still uses framesets”. The list can go on and on but I hope by now, you have an idea of what I mean.

That is it for the system we are currently in. As students, this is our pain. It is normal to complain about it but complaining shouldn’t be the only thing we do because after all, we are also part of the system. Complaining always and doing nothing about it doesn’t make you any better. It is very important to note that the main reason why we are in school is to learn. Period!. Sometimes we tend to forget this fact and we involve ourselves in things that are not worthwhile. Excessive movie watching, laziness, not studying, among others. As students, Computer Science students to be precise, I think we should be focusing on certain things that I believe will make us better computer scientists. Below are a few of them:

Study more about data structures and algorithms. Whether you are in your first year or your final year, a solid understanding of this is going to help you improve in your programming and problem-solving. Learn mathematics. Discrete mathematics is a necessity as a computer scientist. Make it a point to study more about discrete mathematics and see how it makes life easy for you. Have an active Github account. Having an active Github account gives you an opportunity to explore and also build a portfolio. Be curious and learn about upcoming technologies. Technology keeps changing from time to time. A new technology might come today and you will be so excited to learn it. By tomorrow, it is obsolete. Because of this there the need to constantly update yourself on current and trending technologies. Never stop learning. 😃Self-explanatory. Network with people to earn you opportunities. The kind of friends you surround yourself with and the people you get to know can help put you on your feet and also help get opportunities.

In conclusion, I think our system truly is designed to make us dumb. As I have stated also, if you keep complaining and do not do anything about it, you will be dumb indeed. To be able to thrive in this technological revolution, you need to change your attitude as a student. Thank you for reading 😃.