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Navigating Load Shedding Challenges: The Impact on Software Maintenance and Updates

Load shedding, an unfortunate reality in many parts of the world like in South Africa, poses unique challenges for various industries. In this article, we will explore the specific impact of load shedding on software maintenance and updates. We will delve into the potential disruptions, strategies for mitigating risks, and the importance of proactive planning in ensuring the smooth operation and evolution of software systems.

Understanding Load Shedding and its Implications

Load shedding refers to the intentional and temporary interruption of electricity supply in certain areas during times of high demand or energy shortages. While load shedding aims to prevent widespread power outages, it can significantly impact various sectors that heavily rely on uninterrupted electricity, including the realm of software development and maintenance.

Disruptions in Software Development Workflow: Load shedding can disrupt the workflow of software development teams. Power outages may cause unexpected interruptions during coding, testing, or debugging processes. These disruptions can lead to lost productivity, delays in project timelines, and increased frustration among developers.
Challenges in Remote Collaboration: Load shedding can be particularly challenging for remote teams working across different locations and time zones. Power disruptions can hinder real-time collaboration, communication, and coordination, making it difficult to maintain seamless workflows and timely updates.
Risks to Data Integrity and Security: Power fluctuations and sudden outages pose risks to data integrity and security. Abrupt power cuts during critical software processes or database transactions can lead to data corruption or loss. Additionally, insufficient power backup systems may leave software systems vulnerable to cyber threats during load shedding periods.

ALSO READ: The Benefits and Risks of Outsourcing IT Support for Software and Video Games

Mitigating Load Shedding Risks in Software Maintenance and Updates

Despite the challenges posed by load shedding, there are strategies that software development teams can employ to mitigate risks and ensure the continuity of software maintenance and updates.

Robust Power Backup Solutions: Investing in reliable power backup solutions such as uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, backup generators, or alternative energy sources can help minimize the impact of load shedding on software operations. Ensuring an uninterrupted power supply to critical infrastructure is essential for maintaining productivity and safeguarding data.
Proactive Planning and Scheduling: Adopting proactive planning and scheduling practices can help software teams optimize their work during load shedding periods. Prioritizing critical tasks, allocating resources efficiently, and communicating effectively can minimize disruptions and ensure that essential maintenance and updates are performed without significant delays.
Cloud-based Development and Collaboration Tools: Leveraging cloud-based development and collaboration tools can provide a level of flexibility and resilience during load shedding. These tools enable remote access, real-time collaboration, and automatic backups, allowing teams to continue working on software projects despite power interruptions.
Testing and Monitoring: Thorough testing and monitoring become even more crucial during load shedding. Rigorous testing ensures software stability, performance, and resilience under various scenarios, including power fluctuations. Implementing robust monitoring systems helps detect potential issues and facilitates quick response and resolution.

Conclusion

Load shedding presents unique challenges to the realm of software maintenance and updates. However, with proactive planning, resilient infrastructure, and efficient collaboration, software development teams can navigate these challenges and ensure the continued smooth operation, security, and evolution of their software systems. By acknowledging the impact of load shedding and implementing appropriate measures, organizations can minimize disruptions and maintain the reliability and effectiveness of their software solutions in the face of power constraints.

The Benefits and Risks of Outsourcing IT Support for Software and Video Games

Outsourcing IT support for software and video games has become a common practice among companies due to its potential benefits. This article aims to provide an overview of the advantages and risks associated with outsourcing IT support for software and video games (go to Sphere IT London).

Understanding Outsourcing IT Support

Outsourcing IT support refers to the practice of hiring a third-party company to handle IT functions for a business. This can include anything from software development to technical support for video games. Companies typically outsource IT support to reduce costs, access specialized expertise, and focus on core business activities.

Benefits of Outsourcing IT Support

Cost Savings

Outsourcing tech support can be very cost-effective and can help you save a lot of money in the long run. It’s one of the major advantages that come with this strategy and should not be overlooked. Through outsourcing, businesses can sidestep the costs of employing and training in-house personnel. Additionally, they can eliminate unnecessary overheads affiliated with maintaining an IT department. Additionally, outsourcing allows companies to benefit from the economies of scale that outsourcing providers can offer.

Access to Expertise

Outsourcing IT support also provides companies with access to specialized expertise that they may not have in-house. IT outsourcing providers often have a team of experts in various areas of IT, such as software development, cybersecurity, and technical support. This expertise can help companies improve the quality of their IT services and stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies.

Scalability

Another benefit of outsourcing IT support is scalability. Outsourcing providers can quickly scale their services up or down based on a company’s changing needs. This allows companies to be more flexible in their IT operations and avoid the costs and challenges associated with scaling an in-house IT department.

Flexibility

Outsourcing IT support also provides companies with greater flexibility. With outsourcing, companies can choose the services they need and adjust their service levels as needed. This allows companies to focus on their core business activities and leave the IT support to the outsourcing provider.

Focus on Core Business Activities

Finally, outsourcing IT support allows companies to focus on their core business activities. By outsourcing IT functions, companies can free up their time and resources to focus on what they do best. This can help companies become more competitive and grow their business.

Risks of Outsourcing IT Support

While outsourcing IT support offers many benefits, it also comes with some risks. Some of the risks associated with outsourcing IT support include:

Data Security Risks

One of the most significant risks of outsourcing IT support is data security. When a company outsources its IT functions, it must share sensitive data with the outsourcing provider. This can create a risk of data breaches and other security incidents, especially if the outsourcing provider does not have adequate security measures in place.

Quality Control Risks

Outsourcing IT support also creates a risk of quality control issues. When a company outsources its IT functions, it may have less control over the quality of the services provided. This can lead to issues with software bugs or other technical problems that can negatively impact the user experience.

Communication Challenges

Outsourcing IT support can also create communication challenges. With an outsourcing provider located in a different country or time zone, communication can be more difficult and may lead to misunderstandings or delays. This can negatively impact the effectiveness of IT support and lead to frustration among employees or customers.

Dependency on Outsourcing Partners

Finally, outsourcing IT support creates a risk of dependency on the outsourcing partner. If the outsourcing provider experiences financial difficulties or fails to meet expectations, the company may be left without critical IT services. This can disrupt operations and cause significant problems for the business.

Best Practices for Outsourcing IT Support

To minimize the risks associated with outsourcing IT support, companies should follow best practices such as:

Choosing the Right Outsourcing Partner

It is important to choose an outsourcing partner that has a good reputation, adequate security measures, and expertise in the areas needed by the company. This can help ensure that the company receives high-quality IT support and minimize the risk of data breaches or other security incidents.

Establishing Clear Communication Channels

Clear communication channels should be established between the company and the outsourcing provider to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This can include regular check-ins, updates, and status reports to keep both parties informed about the progress of IT support activities.

Setting Expectations and Goals

It is important to set clear expectations and goals for IT support activities, including service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). This can help ensure that the outsourcing provider is delivering high-quality services that meet the needs of the company.

Maintaining Oversight and Quality Control

Companies should maintain oversight and quality control over the IT support activities provided by the outsourcing partner. This can include regular audits, performance evaluations, and testing to ensure that the services provided are of high quality and meet the needs of the company.

Conclusion

Outsourcing IT support for software and video games can provide many benefits, including cost savings, access to expertise, scalability, flexibility, and the ability to focus on core business activities. However, it also comes with some risks, such as data security, quality control, communication challenges, and dependency on outsourcing partners. To minimize these risks, companies should follow best practices such as choosing the right outsourcing partner, establishing clear communication channels, setting expectations and goals, and maintaining oversight and quality control.

Quick Info about Call of Dragons Talent Trees

In preparation for Farlight’s forthcoming game, Rise of Kingdom players can end their search for info about Call of Dragons talent tree by visiting this web page. While the mechanics of the new Real Time Strategy simulation game is largely similar to Rise of Kingdom, the new goal is to build units that players can grow into villages and cities by gathering and farming for resources. However, it’s not going to be easy because they will encounter monstrous dragons whose participation in the game is to take away whatever resources players have and destroy units, villages and cities.

Choosing a Faction in Which to Build a Hero

The Call of Dragons (COD) storyline revolves around three warring factions whose leaders/commanders eventually decided to stop fighting. Chiefly because they had to engage in battles against a common enemy: fearsome and ferocious dragons. This explains why every COD hero can be placed in any one of three different paths.

Knowing about Talent Tree builds is an important factor to ensure the hero you will be sending out is capable of protecting your resources and units. Based on the preferred faction, a primary hero will take on specific tasks and activities in performing its role.

However, it’s a must for players to strategize by empowering his hero with the skills and abilities he needs when facing and overcoming challenges. Otherwise, it could mean death and destruction in the early stages of the game.

Game developer Legou assures future Call of Dragon players that they have developed a Talent Tree for every hero. So far, the COD mobile software has existing skill-builders that have been tested by seasoned video gamers who are happy with the accuracy of the results on how their heroes perform.

Important Things New COD Players Must Keep in Mind

When playing Call of Dragons for the first time, bear in mind that your initial mission is to complete as many events and quests as you possibly can. Doing so will lead to the unlocking of more game content, including the Foundation that unlocks the Talent Tree feature.

Since there are three factions, namely the humans or the League of Order, the elves, a.k.a. The Springwardens and the orcs or the Wilderburgs. Most first time players choose to join the League of Order for purposes of simplicity in learning about the game mechanics.

Once the Foundation gets unlocked, the skills and capabilities for building your primary hero will become accessible and available as achievement rewards. The Talent Tree though, is not available to the other heroes you have chosen as members of your team. Although the Talent Tree will help maximize the skills of the primary hero, it’s also important to choose the other best Call of Dragons heroes that can provide support using their own basic skills.

Benefits of Using CRM for Gaming Businesses

One of the primary goals of any company is to be successful in business, with good sales and growth. The most important asset to achieve this goal is the customers, and their satisfaction with what you offer largely determines your success.

A CRM system is software used to manage all your contacts and customers, manage your sales, increase and promote productivity, and optimize the contact points with your customers. It covers all the associated and relevant information of the client.

Its objective is to improve all interactions that support your business and offer an excellent customer experience throughout the entire life cycle of interactions with your company. Businesses offering free spins, such as Pet master free spins, can take advantage of CRM software to interact with their users and get ahead of the curve.

Information in the CRM

This is one of the most important points of a CRM. It is the information it collects from customers and the follow-up of it.

These data are organized within the CRM system to offer a complete record of customers and companies, allowing you to better understand the relationship between them over time. It also improves the management of relationships with your customers by providing a comprehensive view of the customer, capturing their interactions with your company, and showing you the necessary information for a better approach.

With this information, the CRM can commercially analyze and order all the data to launch marketing campaigns, segmenting customers based on their interests.

The importance of acquiring a CRM

CRM will allow you to deepen all relationships with your customers, including new and potential customers, customer service users, partners, and suppliers.

Keeping track of each type of customer is crucial to acquiring new ones and retaining them. This is the basic concept of CRM. All the data is seen in a single panel that is easy to customize and shows the client’s previous history with you.

This type of technology offers a higher return on your company’s software investment, as well as strategies to stay ahead of the competition and stay ahead of the game.

Although contact management is the common function when acquiring a CRM, it depends on your company and how it works on how yours will develop. It must adapt to your needs and processes, never the other way around.

Keeping Huawei Nova 2 Plus Alive and Selling in Bangladesh

The repercussions of the espionage controversy against China’s tech giant Huawei, had thwarted the company’s well-planned bid to lead the global 5G technology. In Bangladesh, many users of Huawei Nova 2i still have high hopes that the tech giant will be able to work out ways that will see to the addition of Google Mobile Services (GMS) as a future software update. Many among them are Nova 2 plus users who attest to the excellence of Huawei smartphones. Yet other countries followed suit in banning Huawei, convinced that the smartphone will open up more can of worms regarding China’s espionage activities.

Barred from using Android as an operating system, Huawei Nova 2 plus runs on an android-derived operating system eoftwdeveloped in 2012 by Huawei for its smartphone and tablets.

Technology experts noticed a trend as Huawei’s next focus was to develop the Nova 2 smartphones that are capable of performing well in the 5G network. Yet global organizations have run campaigns and protest actions against China’s 5G wireless network.

Conspiracy theories aside, the contention of anti-5G activists is that the spread of China’s 5G radio emissions across different cell sites are harmful to human and animal health. The US has in fact carried out a $25 million National Toxicology Program to study the effects of exposure to 5G radio frequency radiation. The study concluded that the radio frequency currently used by smartphones can cause cancer.

Is Huawei Nova 2 Plus in Bangladesh Worth Its Market Price

Nova 2 plus price in Bangladesh starts at BDT. 34,200.

The smartphones in this series have varying internal storage bases of 4 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM. It has been several years since the spyware issue sent Huawei production on a decline. Users are hoping that eventually, all becomes well and will end well.

While the Nova 2 plus is not as fast and powerful as Huawei had planned it to be, it packs enough power for the average user. This is quite important for people who multitask with their smartphone. Despite the absence of Google Mobile Services, the phones’ performance is regarded by most users as smooth and fluid.

Moreover Nova 2 plus is ideal for gaming purposes because the 5.5-inch LCD display delivers bright and vivid images. Yet it cannot be denied that Nova 2 Plus is the Chinese tech company’s best selfie smartphone ever. It has a front camera with 20MP resolution and dual rear cameras with 12MP + 8MP resolutions.

Now here’s the thing: when using Huawei, the company is under obligation to turn over all data gathered by users of Huawei to help the ruling Communist Party keep track of whoever it wants to monitor.

Benefits Of Software Systems For Business

Nothing stays the same, and businesses sometimes need to update their needs, especially when it comes to software. If your current software is outdated and holding back your business, updating it can help you gain productivity and generate value from your initial investment. Thanks to software and technology, users can easily check and browse the Paid2tap real website.

Benefits of software systems for a business

Simpler decision-making

Software provides a more complete picture, simplifying the decision-making process. By integrating software systems, you can avoid the need to move between different applications to get data that can influence your decisions.

Increased productivity

Incorporating applications that use very similar data sources can improve the productivity of your company’s operations. With a single point of data entry, information processing becomes simpler and faster, without the need to switch between different software applications.

More reliable data

An integrated and unified system reduces the risk of using inaccurate data. With a single point of view, your business can work from a single perspective, eliminating conflicting data values.

More efficient analysis

Related data is more powerful and meaningful when brought together in a single application. With data pooling, trends, and conclusions can be drawn much earlier to generate profitable opportunities.

Improved data security

Managing the security of your data in a unified system application is much easier than managing it through multiple data systems.

Better customer service

By quickly and easily accessing customer information, you can maintain a better relationship with your customers. A brand’s reputation is extremely vital, and any business needs customers to survive. Integrating a good system will allow you to take better care of your customers and give them the experience they need.

Increased sales potential

Integrating systems that modernize any element of the sales process can improve your order fulfillment rate, which will have a positive impact on your overall sales potential. Your customers will be satisfied with your services and leave positive reviews online, attracting even more customers.

Microsoft Set to Improve Microsoft Teams with Sign Language View

Microsoft recently announced the addition of Sign Language View to Microsoft Teams, to make sign language interpreters more visible in the collaboration software. The forthcoming update will give MT users who have hearing problems the option to access two video feeds, where one has the sign language interpreter at the center and in a bigger aspect at the front of the screen.

Sign Language View (SLV) is designed to help those with hearing difficulties experience better engagement during the cloud-based business meetings. The SLV feed makes possible a larger and clearer view of the interpreter while only those signed-in to the SLV feature can see the special feed.

In cases when a participant shares content during an ongoing meeting, the SLV signer’s video feed moves to the side to spotlight the shared content, but will still maintain a bigger aspect to present a clear view of the interpreter. This kind of setup is visible only to SLV signers while the regular MT participants view the conventional MT feeds.

As indicated in the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the Sign Language View will be available to desktop and browser-accessed Microsoft Teams sometime in December 2022. Actually, some lucky MT clients had been chosen by Microsoft to beta test the features on a per user basis via the Team’s Public Preview program.

How to Set Up the SLV Feature for MT Meetings

Sign Language View can be activated on a case-to-case basis or for all meetings, while only sign language interpreters working in the same company will be pre-assigned prior to the holding of an online MT meeting.

Through the Settings Menu and the Manage Signers button in the Accessibility pane, the MT collab leader or designate, needs only to type in the name of the pre-assigned Interpreter. Doing so will enable the assigned person to enter the meeting as a sign language interpreter.

Privacy Policy

At Gridlayouts, accessible at gridlayouts.com, one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This Privacy Policy document contains types of information that is collected and recorded by gridlayouts.com and how we use it.

If you have additional questions or require more information about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us through email at karyn.topps@gridlayouts.science.

This privacy policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in gridlayouts.com. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this website.

Consent

By using our website, you hereby consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.

Information we collect

The personal information that you are asked to provide, and the reasons why you are asked to provide it, will be made clear to you at the point we ask you to provide your personal information.

If you contact us directly, we may receive additional information about you such as your name, email address, phone number, the contents of the message and/or attachments you may send us, and any other information you may choose to provide.

How we use your information

We use the information to:

Provide, operate, and maintain our website

Log Files

gridlayouts.com follows a standard procedure of using log files. These files log visitors when they visit websites. All hosting companies do this and a part of hosting services’ analytics. The information collected by log files include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date and time stamp, referring/exit pages, and possibly the number of clicks. These are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. The purpose of the information is for analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking users’ movement on the website, and gathering demographic information.

Cookies and Web Beacons

gridlayouts.com doesn’t use cookies.

CCPA Privacy Policy (Do Not Sell My Personal Information)

Under the CCPA, among other rights, California consumers have the right to:

Request that a business that collects a consumer’s personal data disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal data that a business has collected about consumers.

Request that a business delete any personal data about the consumer that a business has collected.

Request that a business that sells a consumer’s personal data, not sell the consumer’s personal data.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

GDPR Privacy Policy (Data Protection Rights)

We would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following:

The right to access – You have the right to request copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service.

The right to rectification – You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request that we complete the information you believe is incomplete.

The right to erasure – You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.

The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.

The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.

The right to data portability – You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

Children’s Information

Another part of our priority is adding protection for children while using the internet. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and/or monitor and guide their online activity.

gridlayouts.com does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you think that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.

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What Makes Edge Computing a Critical Aspect of IoT

The time it takes for cloud computing to complete client communication was an issue that affected the popularity of devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). In other cases, swift communications by way of cloud computing require greater bandwidth. Yet such issues, especially when and where the use of IoT devices are concerned, have been solved through edge computing.

What Exactly is Edge Computing?

In cloud computing. all resources are being controlled by a central system of a network, which collects and processes all data before computing takes place. As a result, there is latency or an ensuing lag, which transpires before the server can perform action, which in turn affects the efficiency of an IoT device.

Edge computing came into fore to solve latency issues by making the computing actions and communications take place in real time. To do so, it became important to bring data collection and storage capabilities at the edge of a network.

Computing at the edge of a network minimizes the latency or the amount of time it takes for an IoT device to receive data that will enable it to perform a feature action. These actions are critical considering the huge amount of data that networks organize, store and process, especially in remote locations that have limited or no connectivity at all to a central network

This year, the global market for edge computing is estimated to reach $6.72 billion, with IoT devices playing important roles in getting people to interact without meed to touch surfaces and at a safe ftom each other.

Low Code Platforms : Highlighting Their Role in Today’s Shift to Digitalization

Low-code in software development is a quick approach for the creation and delivery of automation solutions needed by businesses in their shift to digitalization. Based on a research conducted by Frevvo, low code platforms are responsible for the 40% reduction of dependency on high technical skills. Moreover, they can help quicken the digital transformation of businesses at a rate of 69% by the year 2024.

A low-code development platform allows users to create the code faster and effortlessly. Platform users do not need to go through the conventional way of programming, as the platform provides a Graphical User Interface specifically for that purpose. The tools that can be accessed not only aids in lessening the time and effort spend on coding, as it also makes setup and deployment of solutions quicker.

These platforms simply allow users to draw a flowchart and the platform will automatically generate the codes, which lessens the time spent in typing the code per line.

Benefits Businesses Derive from Using Low-Code Development Platforms

There are a lot of benefits furnished by low-code development platforms mainly because they offer tools that can be used in the development of process and mobile applications to improve user-experiences of customers.

Business organizations also gain advantage from the use of a low code platforms when looking to improve or enhance their agility by making processes less complex.

Through a company’s existing talents and use of the built-in collaboration tools, cross-functioning with the low code development teams will enable the company to quickly arrive at decisions.

Other benefits of low-code platforms include reduced cost in having a business app developed in less time, which leads to higher productivity among workers.

UK NGESO to Solve Solar Energy Dilemma with Open Climate Fix’s AI

Non-profit Open Climate Fix’s deal of creating an AI powered tracking system has now been signed by UK’s National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO). The tracking system can forecast cloud movements by minutes and hours instead of days. The AI can improve solar forecasting accuracy by 50% as its predictions match the solar panels’ exact locations.

The project is funded by Ofgem, UK’s energy regulator and commenced last August and is expected to attain completion within 18 months.

Solving The Solar Dilemma

The unpredictability of solar and wind energy makes maintaining the balance of supply and demand for the country’s electricity grid, much harder for NGESO. As an approach to solving this problem, the ability of Open Climate Fix’s machine-learning model to read satellite images and recognize where and how the clouds will move, will provide accurate solar and wind forecasts.

NGESO’s head of Innovation Strategy and Digital Transformation Carolina Tortora, said that accurate forecasts are significantly important for weather-dependent energy generation. Especially when they are dealing with solar and wind as a way to operate a low carbon electricity system.

Ms. Tortora added that in being confident with the accuracy of the solar and wind forecasts, they can let fossil fuel remain idle, as there will be more certainty in generating green energy produced by the sun and wind.

Smart Mirrors in Smart Fitting Rooms : Enhancing the Advantage of Physical Outlets Over Online Stores

A critical setback in shopping for apparels online is the inability of online buyers to visualize if a particular outfit would look good on them. Prior to the boom of online shopping as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, market researchers found out that most buyers window shop via online stores; but make actual purchases in physical outlets. To further enhance the shopping experience of customers, high-end boutiques made their fitting rooms smarter by adding Smart Mirrors that allow customers to try on different styles and sizes without the need to remove and put on garments several times over.

Now more than ever, smart fitting rooms with Smart Mirrors are likewise changing the shopping scenes in physical stores, in order to make their business advantage over online stores continue to work.

Yet the technology is something that ecommerce software developers are also working on in order to make the online shopping experience for garments at par, or even better. After all, online stores run on digital technology, to which adding another application that can meet the capabilities of smart fitting rooms, is not as difficult to accomplish.

How Do Smart Mirrors Work in a Smart Fitting Room?

A Smart Mirror allows boutique shoppers to see themselves wearing variations in colors and sizes of a garment they want to buy. Instead of having to change clothes when trying out different garments, shoppers find it easier to decide which style, color and/or size of clothes are the best fit.

Even if their original choice does not work out well for them, shoppers can simply look for alternative choices by way of the touchscreen Smart Mirror. Since the touch screen can detect a customer’s size, shape, body contour and measurements it can also present other garments as recommendations.

The Smart Mirror works by way of a motion sensor and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, with both technologies working together in recognizing the physical shape and size of the customer as well as identifying the garments brought inside the fitting room by the customer.

The entire physical store experience is made even better if the Smart Fitting Room is also equipped with POS systems; enabling a shopper to complete the purchase before stepping out of the smart fitting room.
Smart fitting rooms provide customers the ability to call for store assistance in ordering the color, size or new garment they want to buy just to make sure they are making the right buying decision/s.

In addition, the garments have RFID tags, which can detect if an item is being taken out of the physical store without completion of the payment process that includes removal of the RFID tag.

Understanding Why a Business Should Have a Customer Service Portal

Customer service portals are secure and private websites that make it easier for customers to access needed information about a firm’s products and services. In doing so, customers are usually required to log-in to their account to use a specific portal. Customer service portals may include a payment system in addition to product or case information, account history, methods for customers to upload and download digital info, as well access as other support mechanisms.

Portals solely for the purpose of customer service can improve customer satisfaction as a means to increase revenues and at the same reduce lessen costs by at least 30%. To achieve optimum cost-cutting results, it’s important that a portal is well-designed with features that automate assistance to reduce call volume. Customer service portals can enhance your merchandising whether a company is selling business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C).

What Makes a Well-Designed Customer Service Portal

A well-designed customer service portal has the following four key characteristics:

Provides a lot of intuitive features that make the website very user-friendly.

Acts as a Virtual Salesperson with 24/7 availability – When acting as a virtual salesperson, a customer service portal must be supported by intelligence that will ensure customer satisfaction that can lead to up-selling and cross-selling. Furthermore, it must be equipped with a rich catalog that includes lists of the company’s services and products.

Make Payments easier for customers, whether by credit card, debit card or any other online payment method. Moreover, it allows issuance of invoice online when customers make an actual purchase or when they place their order.

Exhibiting Genuine Customer Care – While accepting orders from customers is important it’s also vital to make sure requests and complaints are immediately addressed. Providing constant update on the status of their order is also a process that customers highly appreciate and prefer

A Quick Look at Quantum Computing as Explained in Simpler Terms

Quantum computing is the latest technological trend in computing that is enabling industry professionals to achieve astounding scientific breakthroughs. While quantum can be understood as the smallest unit of a physical property like matter or energy, its use in quantum computing is a bit difficult to grasp for ordinary folks.

After all, the field of quantum computing, mainly involves individuals who have broad understanding and experience with quantum mechanics, linear algebra and theories about probability, machine learning and information.

A Simple Explanation of Quantum Computing from Forbes

A Forbes 2017 magazine article written by Bernard Marr, a strategic business and tech advisor to companies and government, describes quantum computing in simpler terms. According to Marr, quantum computers use qubits, which is short for quantum bits, instead of the bits that traditional computers are using.

To describe the difference between qubits and bits, Marr explained that a bit can take position on any of the two poles of a sphere. A qubit on the other hand, can be at any point within a sphere. A sphere in computers is the programming architecture framework supporting storage of data collected for processing.

This denotes that quantum computers make use of qubits that have the ability to keep huge amounts of info and at the same time, use less energy compared to traditional computers. Through a quantum sphere, computing can open gateways for new processors that work much faster than the current models in use today.

Industries that Use Quantum Computing

At the time Marr wrote the article, governments and huge tech companies like IBM and Google were already investing in quantum computing technology. They already expected that the technology will transform the world, as quantum computing can solve various computer shortcomings, whilst allowing efficiencies initially considered as impossible to achieve.

Recently, the capabilities of quantum computing played a significant role in efforts to prevent coronavirus from spreading and in the development of vaccines to counter the virus. Quantum computing became the instrument for monitoring, analyzing and challenging data, regardless of the data source.

In recent developments, many in the financial and banking sector are now using quantum computing for fraud detection, managing credit risk, and high frequency trading.

Voice Tech: A No-Touch Solution in Bringing Back People to the Workplace

While working from home has been successful for many businesses, some still prefer having their employees work together in a safe workplace. One proposed solution to reduce the risk of infection in an office environment is the use of Voice Technology, a high-tech feature found in many smart appliances.

This technology can reduce the number of times employees need to touch surfaces, including their mobile devices, and has been successfully implemented in modern televisions, light switches, alarm systems, and plumbing fixtures.

According to Anthony Mullen, a senior analyst at Gartner, software such as Microsoft’s Cortana, Google Home, and Alexa for Business, which were not widely adopted before the pandemic, can now significantly help businesses run smoothly by assisting employees and clients while maintaining a safe distance.

Studies show that mobile devices are touched over 2,600 times a day, making people fearful of transmitting the coronavirus from their phones. Voice technology can help alleviate this uneasiness, especially in an office where one co-worker may be asymptomatic.

Speech recognition AI in chatbots, combined with smart speakers and their voice technology functionality, can keep office businesses secure by allowing users to stream music, ask questions, and get live updates on weather, traffic, sports, and more, all without touching their devices.

Advancing Telehealth Adoption in Facing the Threats of the Coronavirus Age

Telehealth or telemedicine services and equipment, are among the advanced technologies now on track as new normals, in what is now touted as the Coronavirus Age. The frequency by which novel coronaviruses evolve and spread as contagious diseases have raised speculations that COVID-19 and similar viruses will perennially occur, even if vaccines and treatment are already in place.

In the meantime, as the world waits until biolabs and pharmaceutical companies achieve success in their respective medical mission, the availability of telehealth services is seen as another effective approach in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Telemedicine has been introduced years ago as solutions with which elderly and persons with disabilities can seek remote primary care and medical attention. While initially introducing wearable devices that can monitor the vital signs of a patient, telehealth services have since advanced with the development of other technologies. Outpatients can hook up with health care providers, hospitals and medical professionals, via teleconferencing platforms and use of digital medical equipment in remotely assessing symptoms.

However, remote medical consultations have not become mainstream because many prefer the conventional in-person clinical visits. Although sought only if it’s the only recourse to getting medical care and attention, many still prefer experiencing the assurance of human touch. In -person consultations allow a physician to tap on and listen to the vital organs in their patient’s chest, or feel a lump, or even just take their pulse.

Yet we now live in an environment where a stronger type of coronavirus can be transmitted by people and in places by a mere touch. Although it’s not the solution to the treatment of infected persons, telemedicine and its related technologies can help minimise the risks of exposing other patients, especially the vulnerable ones, to threats posed by the coronavirus.

The CARES Act Includes Support for the Widespread Adoption of Telehealth Care

Inasmuch as the cost of traditional health care is already hard to afford for many, the adoption of telehealth or telemedicine cannot be relied upon as a primary preventive response in combatting the spread of the contagion.

That is why the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes a $200 million funding for use of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in establishing and supporting a COVID-18 Telehealth Program. The initiatives of which should basically aim to give support to providers of telehealth care in both rural and non-rural areas. In line with the program, the FCC is set to introduce a subset of telehealth systems called “connected care services (CCS).”

Using strong broadband Internet connection and advanced technologies, the main objective of FCC’s connected care services is to deliver affordable remote medical care to patients outside of hospital and clinical facilities. The CCS providers will diagnose the symptoms of patients, while the data generated including images, will then be forwarded to a remotely located physician. The physician will in turn interpret the data as basis for making medical recommendations and issuing medical prescriptions.

Still, since medical practice is a highly regulated profession, all related facilities and technologies must also operate in accordance with the country’s health care laws.

Covid-19 Crisis: Need for Businesses to Stay Robust

While during the Covid-19 crisis, businesses need to stay robust so that they can bolster stakeholders’ faith in their bankability as an investment option.

As various companies face challenges presented by the Covid-19 crisis, many are operating through employees carrying out tasks using collaboration and remote-working technologies. However, those at the helm of operations should make sure that causes for disruptions are minimized and resolved at the soonest possible time. That way, once the public health crisis is over, only minor issues, if anything at all, would hold them back from re-establishing their former position in the world of business.

Fortunately, many major providers of business technologies have stepped up to offer free use of solutions, applications, and tools. Their offers are extended to new and existing clients as a means that will permit them to continue operations without the burden of incurring additional costs.

ServiceNow is one of the major tech companies that took the initiative to offer free applications to help companies stay strong during the Covid-19 pandemic. ServiceNow CIO Chris Bedi remarked that “it is in times like this when everyone needs to come together and help.”

ServiceNow offers free apps to help governments and businesses monitor the health of their workforce. The company offers cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) to help improve a company’s ability to optimize workflows while providing all forms of technical support and IT management functions.

Recently, the company released four applications dedicated to assisting various U.S. government offices and agencies, as well as private companies, in monitoring not only the workflow status of their employees but also their health. The great news is that ServiceNow is releasing it for use, free of charge to old and new clients, up to the end of September 2020.

Unlike other major tech companies that are offering remote-working software and collaboration and teleconferencing tools, ServiceNow’s free applications enable government agencies and companies to respond to the health emergencies presented by the pandemic.

One of the four applications was developed by ServiceNow for the Washington State Department of Health. The app has been released as a free tool for use by other government entities, business organizations, and institutions for an indefinite period.

The government-donated app through ServiceNow’s cloud platform handles digitization processes aimed at eliminating the tediousness of making resource allocations immediately visible, as a means of improving responses to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

The three other ServiceNow applications, namely: “Employee Outreach,” “Employee Exposure Management” and “Employee Self Report,” mainly involve enabling employers to confirm the health status of employees while working at home or in a remote location.

The “Employee Outreach” app facilitates an employer’s inquiry in confirming the geographical location and safety of their employees. The “Emergency Self Report” app, on the other hand, comprises a workflow as a means for employees in providing updates to their respective employers while under self-quarantine measures.

The third, which is deemed as the most important of the three ServiceNow free apps, is the “Emergency Exposure Management (EEM).” This is mainly because the EEM app addresses a situation in which an employee has tested positive for the Covid-19 disease.

Through the EEM app’s features, employers will be able to identify those who have had recent contact with the Covid-19 positive employee by reviewing the latter’s history of assignment locations and meetings.

Playstore and AppStore Take Down To Tok Messenger App in Light of Espionage Allegations

Google’s Playstore and Apple’s AppStore have taken down the To Tok Messenger social messaging app after reports from the New York Times (NYT) revealed indications that the messaging app is being used as a spy tool by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the NYT, the To Tok app publisher, Breej Holding Ltd, is directly affiliated with DarkMatter. Meanwhile, the DarkMatter Group is an Abu Dhabi-based intelligence and hacking entity currently under FBI investigation for alleged cyber crimes.

Claiming that much of their information comes from American officials, NYT also reported that DarkMatter Group’s workforce comprises mostly UAE intelligence officials, former employees of the U.S. National Security Agency, and former operatives of the Israeli Military Intelligence.

During the course of the NYT’s investigation of the To Tok messaging app, they also found that China’s leading telecommunications company, Huawei, carries an endorsement of the To Tok app in its app gallery. Huawei has been blacklisted in the U.S. for allegations of spying activities.

Google and Apple Report that Millions are Already Using the To Tok Messaging App

Both Google and Apple reported that To Tok became the most downloaded messaging app, despite being only a few months old. Google Playstore reported that the app has been downloaded and installed by around 5 million users of Android-supported devices from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Apple’s App Annie reported that the To Tok messaging app, which is somewhat similar to WhatsApp and TikTok, easily became the most downloaded app in recent weeks.

Google says those who have already installed the app on their mobile device can still use it to send social messages. However, in light of recent reports that the app is under investigation for being a spy tool used to track every message, photo image, geolocation movement, appointment, relationship, and music preference of users for the UAE government, Google decided to remove the To Tok app from its PlayStore.

Audacity: The Multi-Language Recorder and Audio Editor Open-Source Software

Audacity is free software that can be used by music enthusiasts to record and edit multi-track audio on any operating system, including Mac OS X, Windows, and GNU/Linux, among others. It is an editing program that is also open-source software that can be used, studied, and improved by anyone and shared with others.

Audacity is a tool for recording live audio, computer playback or soundtracks, and for converting music records and tapes into digital recordings such as Compact Discs (CD) or in editing other sound files such as Waveform Audio File (WAV), Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF), Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), MP2, MP3, or Ogg Vorbis, as well as other formats using optional libraries including Windows Media Audio (WMA), AC3 Dolby Digital, or Mpeg 4 Audio (M4A/M4R), just to mention a few.

The Audacity software also provides users with tools for cutting, splicing, or mixing different sounds together, while adding effects by changing the pitch or speed of a recording. Users can even write their own plug-in effects using Nyquist frequency.

Users of the Audacity open-source codes who want to submit suggestions, request features, report bugs, or pose any technical queries can find support at the Audacity Forum site.

Audacity 2.3.2 Version

The latest version of Audacity is Audacity 2.3.2, which was released in May 2019 to replace all earlier versions for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. Aside from bug fixes, the new edition now includes an encoder for LAME mp3, a SELECT button for the whole track, and a file browser for selecting files from the Nyquist plug-in installer. Note that in this latest Audacity version, the “Type to Create a Label” feature has to be enabled as it is now off by default.

Moreover, the open-source codes for the Audacity 2.3.2 Version now come with a mod-script-pipe for driving the software from Python using a preferred enabler.

openElement® : A Free Web-Authoring Software as an Alternative to Free Online Website Builder

openElement® is one of several choices available to use as a web authoring/website builder program when looking for an alternative to offers of free online website builder.

Powered by Chromium, openElement® provides creative professionals with a comprehensive set of standalone web authoring and editing tools that allow flexibility and control, as well as transferability of website content.

Although it is understandably tempting to choose an easy-to-use free online website builder, especially if one has no basic knowledge or expertise. Ease of use though has to be traded off with flexibility in creating and controlling a website since the design, elements, and features will be confined to what the web host offers as pre-built templates.

Now if your lack of confidence and limited skills are stopping you from building a website developed and stylized using your own creativity, consider openElement®.

What to Expect from openElement®

openElement® is a web authoring and web-building software that is intuitive and powerful enough to liberate creative professionals from the built-in features and elements of free online web-building sites. It allows you to develop from scratch based on your own ideas on how you want your website project to look and function, or to use a professionally designed website but still retain control over editing its features.

First off, the software is absolutely free to download and use.
Secondly, it is software that incorporates some features of a Content Management System (CMS) in a standalone application. The openElement® software has a “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) interface that allows users to add, customize and modify conventional elements used in creating web content, thru simple dragging and dropping actions.
Elements include the standards, such as documents, Vertical, Horizontal, or Multiline Texts, Table “Link to URL,” etc. as well as other elements for navigation, form, media, container, interactivity, community, animation, statistics, and security configurations.
Users are relieved from writing codes because the program automatically writes the appropriate codes that will enable the website to function and display properly.
Awesome even is that the openElement® software supports nearly all the latest web building technology such as HTML5. jQuery, CSS3, and the like.
The user interface provides a user-friendly approach that enables beginners to acquire skills from learning the ropes of standalone web building. At the same time, the interface presents a faster approach with which professional web builders can carry out repetitive tasks.

After all, the main advantage to building your own website apart from flexibility and control is transferability. Since you will not be using the templates and graphics offered by a free online website builder, you can easily transfer everything to another web host in case there is a need to do so.