Author: Dominique Kern

Meta’s AI Studio : Will AI Agents Have a Significant Value in Social Media Platforms?

Dominique Kern MediaTagged , , ,

AI socially interacting wuth humansIn a YouTube interview conducted by Kane Sutter,
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the launching of the initial stage of Meta’s “AI Studio.” The purpose of which is to build AI bots that will act as agents of an IG account holder when interacting with followers and fans via direct messaging (DM).

development of AI bots Currently, the platform that will give Instagram creators the ability to build AI versions of themselves on Instagram is still in the beta testing stage. Zuckerberg says that the simple use case of the AI Studio is to provide AI bots that will be able to deliver fact-based and generic answers in the style of the IG account holder.

The Meta CEO says AI Studio creators will have the ability to train their AI bots based on the different aspects of their social media existence. It denotes that AI creators will be able to build more than one life-like replicas of themselves when interacting in various communities.

Currently, selected creators are testing how the AI bot will answer questions in accordance with their style of interaction.

AI Bot Engagements Come with a Disclaimer

To make it clear to followers and fans that they’re not interacting with the IG account holder, the AI bot will appear with a stars icon in the message tab. In addition, disclaimer notes will likewise appear to explain that the chat messaging is a bot response stream.

Apparently, Zuckerberg is convinced that celebrities and influencers will find value in adding AI bot versions of themselves. He is also optimistic that eventually, people will be provided with the capability to build AI characters that contribute User Generated Content (UGC), and to engage in different styles and ways of interactions.

Questioning the Value of AI Bots in Authentic Social Interactions Between Humans

Many are already questioning the real value of AI agents that mimic actual humans, particularly when used in apps that promote authentic social interactions and connections. There is a possibility that humans will subsequently decline participation in a social media platform where mostly bots and not real humans interact by way of automated engagements.

However, Meta CEO Zuckerberg’s comments and responses were noted as rather vague but broad reaching. He gave indications that future AI updates will include hologram-like projections of real humans and better translations.

Instagram Adds Song Lyrics Display to Reels

Dominique Kern MediaTagged , ,

instagram ReelsEarly this month, Instagram enhanced its Reels feature with the addition of Song Lyrics display for each Reel clip, which enhances music promotion at Instagram. There’s no denying that music is a key element of growth in social media platforms as demonstrated by TikTok when it added the Billboard trending chart last September 2023.

The Song Lyrics display in Reel clips is Instagram’s latest approach to expand its coverage of the music industry. Even before, creators of Reels music clips have been manually adding lyrics in their Reels music videos. Its recent roll out as a Reels option makes sense for IG users because it makes the lyrics addition easier to accomplish.

The Song Lyrics Display is a New Feature of IG Reels

Although song lyrics display is an option already available in IG Stories, its addition in the music video clips of IG Reels will make the marketing and promotion of songs in the Instagram platform more effective.

song lyricsReels now enable music artists using the IG app, to add song lyrics texts on the screen. Doing so expands music engagements with fans and followers.

In using the lyrics addition option to a Reels music clip, the IG app user can choose the font to use, and highlight the relevant lyrics. Moreover, users may choose to include a more specific message in a Reels music clip.

Future of CNN+ Hangs on a Balance as Daily Viewerships Stay at Less than 10K

Dominique Kern MediaTagged , , ,

CNN+, the subscription news streaming service launched last March 29 to become available at Roku, has been struggling to increase its less than 10k viewers. CNN+ subscribers have to pay a yearly fee of $59.99 ly or $5.99 even if still isn’t available on Android TV. Unnamed sources are saying that the future of CNN now hangs on a balance.

Low Audience Number Has Not Improved since Launch

The meager size of the CNN+ audience was disclosed by individuals who spoke to CNBC on conditions of anonymity. According to them, the low audience number, which has not improved since launch day, has been casting doubt over the potentials of the application. The launch took place after Warner Media completed the merger of Discovery Channel with Warner Bros. Discovery.

CNBC presented a clearer perspective on how the paltry viewership is hurting CNN by citing that when the news channel suffered from a serious viewership decline last year, the news website still drew an average of 773,000 viewers everyday. Although CNN wanted to make a huge impact with CNN+ by recruiting big-name news personalities like Chris Wallace from Fox News and Kasie Hunt from NBC News, there has not been enough demand to support and sustain CNN+ as a stand-alone, news streaming service.

The reality is that majority of the customers using streaming services, opt for entertainment first. Currently, Disney+ has been dominating the streaming landscape, having taken in more than 10 million subscribers on its very first day of launch alone.

While other streaming services have been releasing information about the exact number of subscribers to their news programs, CNN+ has yet to release an official statement about the number of subscribers using the CNN+ streaming application.

According to an Axios report a new leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery effective May 01, and in the person of incoming CNN chief Chris Licht will decide on how to best proceed with the future of CNN+.

Fox News Stands to Face Dominion Lawsuit as Judge Rejected Petition for Dismissal

Dominique Kern NewsTagged , ,

Fox News will face the $1.6 billion lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems after the presiding Delaware judge dismissed the former’s petition for dismissal. The Dominion lawsuit claimed that Fox amplified the conspiracy theories that the company’s voting systems made it possible for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to win the November 2020 presidential elections.

Delaware court judge Eric Davis said in a written ruling that Dominion provided enough evidence to support their case against Fox News. The lawsuit was first filed last March, where the company claimed that Fox News anchors amplified false conspiracy theories in order to boost their ratings.

Lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, along with other Trump campaign supporters, floated allegations of conspiracy theories that involved the company’s technology in rigging the total of votes presented as results of the presidential election.

Fox News Asserts Freedom of Speech as Best Defense

A Fox News spokesperson responded that Dominion’s lawsuit is baseless and that they are ready to defend themselves. Furthermore, the spokesperson added that just like any other news organization in the country, they covered the latest news concerning the 2020 election. The news channel asserts that their goals is to provide the people with full context, which distinct analysis indicates is a thorough method of reporting.

Trump supporters are also facing similar lawsuit file by Dominion and Smartmatic, another technology company that filed a similar lawsuit against Fox News and other Trump allies.

A Closer Look at the Scarcity of Drinking Water in Saudi Arabia

Dominique Kern UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , ,

Water scarcity has been a long standing problem in Saudi Arabia, as only a few cities receive a constant supply of desalinated water due to low water pressure. Aggravating the problem is the availability of drinking water as health and environmental issues have been raised in the use and production of desalinated water.

Being a water-scarce country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the largest producer of desalinated water on a global scale. The US-Saudi Council reported in 2019 that about 60% of Saudi’s water supply comes from desalination plants. Inasmuch as the process of desalination is energy-intensive, with fossil fuel being the main source of energy, the numerous desalination plants operating across the KSA account as major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions.

While only less than 40% of the water supply in Saudi are sourced from groundwater, this natural source is not without issues. In localities that receive groundwater as supply, citizens have been warned against the regular drinking of tap water. Health authorities warn that the country’s groundwater contains high levels of fluoride, exceeding the recommended safe level of 0.7 to 1.2 milligram per liter.

While tooth decay is the most common health problem attributed to high fluoride levels, newer studies revealed that increased intakes of fluoride can also adversely affect bone and neurological developments.

Why Desalinated Tap Water is Deemed Unsafe for Drinking

Drinking desalinated tap water is also not recommended, since the potability of the supply pumped by desalination plants suffer from three major issues: taste, appearance and storage.

Majority of Saudi Arabians find the taste and appearance of desalinated water unpleasant. However, desalination plants find it impractical to apply additional treatments and processes to improve and correct such issues. After all. only about one (1) percent of the country’s population drink desalinated tap water.

Local Saudi governments have tried to convince their citizens that desalinated tap water is safe to drink. Assessment reports have been disseminated to show that the physicochemical and organoleptic properties meet the recommended parameters for safety.

However, in many neighborhoods in Jeddah, where homes and residential buildings are more than 20 years old, desalinated tap water coming out of water systems are definitely unfit for drinking. Tap water coming out of water systems appear unpleasant due to presence of impurities.

Saline Water Conversions Corporation (SWCC), the company mainly responsible for the treatment of Saudi Arabia’s seawater contend that contamination occurs at point of storage; in water tanks that are poorly maintained and in buildings with piping systems that are in a state of decay. The SWCC maintains that water being pumped by desalination plants are 100% guaranteed safe for drinking.

Apparently, residents in newer amd upscale residential areas in Jeddah have not encountered water contamination problems. Still, in order to avoid getting their tap water contaminated by sludge and insects that find ways to get inside the tanks, building landlords see to it that their water tanks are regularly cleaned by a reputable tank cleaning company like wghsaada.

Why Saudi Bottled Drinking Water is Not Safe Either

While bottled drinking water is considered as a the safer alternative to desalinated tap water, the Consumer Protection Agency in Saudi warns citizens that not all bottled water available in the market are safe to drink.

Based on the agency’s investigations, 90% of the workers in bottled drinking water plants across the Saudi Kingdom are not properly trained, and have been observed to be in violation of sanitation protocols. As a result, 24% of the samples collected from such plants were contaminated with E.Coli bacteria while 16% were contaminated with fecal coliform.

TikTok has Officially Rolled Out the “Promote” Ad Tools for Brand and Business Owners

Dominique Kern MediaTagged , ,

TikTok’ s “Promote” boost-like feature is finally available to everyone after undergoing a few months of beta testing by several selected business accounts. The “Promote” option is largely similar to Facebook’s Boost button, which gives brands and businesses the ability to augment posts with adverts.

In line with the rollout, the TikTok platform released an update of the overview in the “TikTok for Business” section. It states that the “Promote” feature gives brands and businesses the option to add their advertisements on any TikTok video or to upload their own video adverts, as means to increase and build their audience.

Although this option initially came out free during beta testing, the self-service advertising tool comes with fees, depending on the type of advertising chosen. Moreover, Promote users will have to work with a TikTok advertising account manager.

Four Types of “Promote” Options

In-Feed Ads are the most economical and are recommended for small and medium-sized businesses looking to advertise at TikTok, as the ads simply appear as native feeds in the “For You” panes of TikTok users.

Brand Takeover is the more intrusive type of advertisement as it immediately appears on the screen as soon as a TikTok app opens: but only for a brief spell before becoming an In-Feed Ad in the “For You” panes. However, TikTok limits the number of Brand Takeover spots available.

Branded Hashtag Challenges These are ad campaigns similar to the hashtag video challenges popular among regular users of the TikTok platform. Since the creative hashtag challenges are paid for, the challenge will include shoppable components related to brand retailers.

Branded Augmented Reality/3D Effects Videos – These are usually content with 3D Effects or Augmented Reality video content that appear in the platform’s more creative segments like stickers, branded lenses and other similar spaces.
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Harvard Public Health Experts Develop Tool for Real-Time Monitoring of Infectious Diseases

Dominique Kern HealthTagged ,

Recently, scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health developed a way to monitor epidemics by calculating real-time estimates of the epidemic’s growth rate. The method evaluates the viral load of a disease, which pertains to the rate of increase or decrease of infection cases in relation to the quantity of viruses found in an individual’s body.

The research and development study was led by Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Harvard. Professor Mina also works as a core constituent of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. According to the epidemiology professor, this latest method can give a new metric that policy makers, epidemiologists, and health officials can use to obtain real-time updates about an epidemic. Especially since scientists link knowledge of how the virus grows in a person’s body to the rate by which the virus spreads.

This new method will be extremely helpful in determining the effectiveness of basic interventions like social distancing and wearing of protective masks. The new tool can also help identify which geographical areas need more attention. That way, public health officials can immediately distribute extra medical resources in order to arrest the increase of infection cases.

Current Monitoring Methods are Reactive Responses to Epidemic Outbreaks

Monitoring epidemics today currently involves following hospitalization rates, testing of positivity rates, and mortality rates. This current method has limitations because data collection can be affected by poor reporting systems. More often than not, poor systems provide inaccurate and misleading information, which can greatly impact the delivery of public health responses.

As it was in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, those who tested positive already had higher viral loads that have already spread widely before they were tested.

When cases of the virus increase, those who are positive will be infected and have higher viral loads by the time they are tested, which is why outbreaks fluctuate exponentially. Testing could take place when the virus has already reached its peak amount in the body, and tends to lessen gradually after the infection.

This new mathematical tool created by the researchers at Harvard Chan school can track pandemic hotspots better than the current method. In their study, their findings show that the method can help estimate the decay or growth rate of the outbreak in a particular population in a specific location.

ABC Interviews with Leaders, Broaden Rift betwèen Biden and Putin

Dominique Kern NewsTagged , ,

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, who after interviewing Russian President Putin, described the leader as a “killer,” jad later asked on air if Pres. Biden agrees. As the latter answered in the affirmative, Russian President Vladimir Putin shot back by saying that “It takes one to know one.”.

A short while after Biden’s comment was aired on national television, the Russian government immediately gave orders to the Russian ambassador in Washington, DC to return home; whilst citing that President Biden’s view of Putin as a killer, created irreparable spoliation of any diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Russia.

Pres. Biden was unperturbed by the action as he also said the Russian leader will “pay a price” for meddling in the recent US presidential election. Apparently, the US president’s threat was in response to intelligence reports on how Russia attempted to boost former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid by further sowing divisiveness among Americans.

Pres. Biden revealed that during the long talk via a phone conversation he had with the Russian president last January 26, he had already warned Putin, presumably in relation to the interference.

White House Press Secretary Stood By Biden’s Putin  Remarks

When a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Jan Psaki if Biden regretted his comment about Putin, she answered that the President had merely responded with a direct answer to a direct question. Moreover, Psaki stated that the current administration will be taking a different method in handling the country’s relationship with Russia by being straightforward and direct in addressing concerns.

The White House Press Secretary made it clear that the Biden administration will not use the same approach used by the previous administration, which obviously referred to Trump’s seeming affinity to the Russian President in light of his Trump Organization’s business deals in Russia.

WhatsApp Users Migrate to Signal and Telegram in Defiance of Data Sharing Policy

Dominique Kern UncategorizedTagged ,

WhatsApp is currently facing massive loss in number of users after trying to enforce Facebook’s data-sharing policy in using the WhatsApp messaging platform. Previous notifications warned users that the new term will take effect February 08, 2021, those who fail to signify their agreement after that date, will find their WhatsApp account deleted.

Since the data that WhatsApp will share to its parent company Facebook, include include not only personal data but nearly everything; from browser, to connection information, signal strength, app version, battery level, identifiers, timezone, and language, Millions of WhatsApp users decided to abandon their account by migrating to WhatsApp rivals Signal and Telegram.

Actually, WhatsApp has been sharing personal information of their users with FB since 2016 but not properly supported by an opt-out option.

Facebook is currently facing antitrust lawsuits for practicing unfair competition and having access to personal information of nearly all social media users. WhatsApp users are now completely aware that they do not have to agree to the new policy, since other messaging apps even provide end-to-end security features that keep messages hidden. The only reason that is holding most app users from migrating is that most of their contact are using the WhatsApp messaging app.

Crowd’s Response Boosts Growth in Signal and Telegram Apps

Since many are finding most of their WhatsApp contacts migrating to other messaging platforms, more users have since followed suit.

Close competitors Signal and Telegram have in recent week, been seeing an influx of new users downloading their messaging app. Signal reported that as of this date, they have seen an increase of 7.5 million users. Telegram on the other hand, was able to hit the 500 million app-download milestone, as more than 9 million new users are now using the Telegram app.

The Importance of Teaching 2 to 5 Year Old Kids the Concept of Danger

Dominique Kern Education, Home, NewsTagged ,

Between the ages of 2 to 5 years old, children become increasingly curious as they want to learn more new skills that will allow making independent movements. However, the more independent and confident toddlers feel, the more adventurous they become; often unaware of the possible dangers or harmful consequences that could come their way.

 

It is at this stage when parents need to be more watchful over their kids. Toddlers and preschoolers often explore everything around their surroundings. Often times, the ideas that float in their mind come from what they see in older kids and adults with whom they interact.

In most cases, as we let them watch cartoons and other seemingly child-friendly hero movies, the lack of understanding of what actually transpires in the real world could prove dangerous to children at these ages. As a result, toddlers and preschoolers especially 5-year old boys tend to act brave and even fearless but vulnerable to harms and hazards.

Case Example of a 5-Year Old Kid Who Put HImself in Danger

A news item last month about a 5-year old kid in South Bend, Indiana was disturbing because the child took action by tackling an armed intruder. A footage of the home’s hidden video cam showed four armed men barging in, whilst pointing their gun at an adult woman and a teenager, while a 5-year old boy was left alone to stand and watch.

The teenager was old enough to know it was better not to resist, but the young boy didn’t. He fearlessly took action by kicking and pummeling one of the gun toting intruders. Fortunately, the armed men were not hard criminals because they immediately fled when the kid started making it difficult for them pursue the home robbery. .

Although many were amazed at the bravery of the 5-year old, it was also a wake up call for many parents and teachers about the importance of teaching children about the concept of danger. Even the South Bend Indiana policemen who viewed the footage were terrified, knowing that the incident could have resulted into something much worse.

The South Bend police also found it disturbing that a 5 year old thought that he can defend his home and his housemates despite his age and size.

Children 2 to 5 Years Old are Unaware of the Possible Consequences of Their Actions

Child psychology experts say that between the ages two and five years old, kids tend to overestimate the things and situations they can control. Mainly because they are unaware or lack understanding of the underlying danger that relates to their vulnerability as a young individual.

While parents cannot be expected to constantly hover their toddlers and preschoolers, or make their home a hundred percent safe, they must still strive to let their children understand about safety hazards and how to avoid them.

Let’s say for example that a father wants to buy his son a scooter because they’re trending as one of the cool toys for 5 year old boys, as a parent, he must rules on where and when to ride the scooter. At the same time, he should give easy to understand explanations that such rules are safety-related, and are similar to how adults have to follow rules when driving vehicles.

Google’s YouTube Shorts App : A Potential Replacement for Tik Tok?

Dominique Kern Media, TechTagged , ,

A month ago YouTube developers launched a video app called YouTube Shorts in India, which works in the same way as the globally popular social app Tiktok.

Anytime soon, Tik Tok will shut down as the ban took effect last September 20 but was extended since negotiations between TikTok owner ByteDance and potential buyer Oracle, is still ongoing. In the meantime, as Tik Tok’s American fans are awaiting Tik Tok’s fate in the U.S. they are actively searching for a viable replacement for the short-video music sharing app.

Google’s video sharing platform YouTube lost no time in coming out with an announcement last month that they have launched an early beta version of YouTube Shorts in India. Like Tik Tok, the YouTube Shorts features can serve as handy tools for creators and artists to use when shooting short videos using their smartphones.

YouTube says that initially, only a handful of the app has been released for testing in India, as they still need feedback from creators and users in building and improving YouTube Shorts. Apparently, more beta versions of the app are being released to the global community of app users, as the developers continue with their mission to improve YouTube Shorts before the app is globally released in the coming months ahead.

YouTube is expecting for a community to grow, revolving around creators who started producing content with Shorts.

What is YoutTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is an app that allows users to shoot and edit 15-second long video clips with high-quality content using their smartphone. The app’s features mainly focus on providing a tool for recording, for watching and potentially, a way to be discovered as a creative talent or performer.

How Does YouTube Shorts App Work?

The YouTube Shorts beta version released in India comes with a multi-segment camera that allows creators to compound numerous videos together; plus an option to incorporate music by choosing from the app’s wide selection of songs. Users can also change the video’s speed in the way they see fit, as well as use a timer that enables shooting videos hands-free.

Navigating through the different Shorts features can be accomplished in a short amount of time because app users can do so with mere vertical swipes. Also, YouTube developers want to make it easier for people to discover creations and content of other Shorts creators, in ways that even those with little spare time can watch and be entertained in just a matter of seconds

As with all early versions, more features will be added, which is why feedback will be highly appreciated by Shorts developers.

Over 500 Companies Pulled Out FB Adverts in Response to StopHateForProfit

Dominique Kern Media, NewsTagged ,

The boycott launched by Facebook employees to protest Zuckerberg’s inaction on Trump’s ads and posts that fuel violence and racism, has escalated.

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and continuing calls to quell racism,a number of civil rights group have banded together and organized the StopHateForProfit. The goal is to pressure Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to institute policies that ban and automatically block hate messages and fake news. .

The StopHateForProfit group sought the support of big companies, many of which were already considering slashing down on advertising costs. The request was not hard to grant since that would also mean positive publicity for their brands. Instead of announcing budget cuts, they will be making a political statement in support of calls for social and political reforms.

Zuckerberg Buckled Down While More Companies Continue to Remove Ads

At first, only 300 companies committed to withdrawing their ad on Facebook, and the number has now reached more than 500. Although Zuckerberg had buckled down through a response posted in his Facebook account, billions in dollars of advertising revenues had already been withdrawn.

 

Facebook employees had said before that the FB CEO had vowed not to support ads and posts that incite violence, and those that suppress voting, regardless of from who or were they came from. Yet Zuckerberg’s principles bended when the hate messages came from Trump. This time, as a show of sincerity to his commitment, he approved the taking down of accounts found linked to the so-called “boogaloo movement”, one of which organized the killing of a California police officer last May.

Some of the companies who immediately gave support to the StopHateForProfit movement include Microsoft Corp,Verizon Communications Inc, Starbucks Corp, Ford Motor Co., Coca-Cola Co, PepsiCo Inc, and multinational companies like Unilever US, US:F, US:SBUX,. US:KO, US:MSFT,. US:PEP, US:VZ, SAP US and UL, which is just to name a few.

Business Offices Likely to Adopt Work-from-Home Permanently

Dominique Kern Services, TechTagged , ,

Even as state governments are gradually reopening economies, most white-collar offices have signified intentions to maintain work-from home arrangements.

Last Thursday, Google and Facebook sent notifications to let their employees know that working-from-home will continue until next year. Nationwide Insurance and Financial Services Company has in fact decided to shut down offices located in different parts of the country, and will keep the company’s 4,000 employees working permanently from home.

 

Public Safety Still Needs to be Addressed

While many public officials are claiming that their state has achieved the goal of flattening-the-curve, there is still the reality that millions of citizens have not yet been tested. A second or even third wave is not impossible considering that those who have undergone testing are still awaiting results. In the meantime, the country still sees as many as 20,000 new additional cases, and increased death tolls.

The greater possibility is that corporations are likely to permanently adopt work-from-home arrangements. Apparently, the COVID-19 lockdown period allowed most white-collar manned offices to adopt well with such an arrangement. Working from home resulted to nonmonetary as well as monetary benefits. Employees were able to optimize their wages, by no longer spending on transportation costs, on daycare centers and in a way, now enjoy longer bonding moments with their family.

Moreover, work-from-home arrangements also had most companies rethink future plans about renting large and ornate office spaces in which to conduct their business.

Local Call Center Outsource will Be Tapped to Provide Support Services

While other offices will follow suit in adopting work-from-home arrangements as a new normal, collaborating with a call center outsourcing company will also become an important part of the new arrangement. Where reducing overhead costs will be included in a company’s reopening goals, putting in place a virtual, 24/7 central communications desk will allow business offices to stay organized, whilst respond quickly even while not using an official business space.

After all, it would be impractical to rent larger spaces if only to make it possible for employees to stay in work stations set apart by at least six feet in between. Not unless, the COVID-19 health crisis can already be addressed with effective antibody vaccine to ensure countrywide public safety and protection against possible re-emergence of the disease. .

A virtual centralized communications desk can help a company coordinate and pull together a workforce, since work-from-home employees will be scattered in different locations. A call center company with capabilities to take charge of a centralized communications system using advanced and secure communication technologies and well-trained call center agents will be an excellent choice.

How Call Centers Can Help Companies Remotely Manage Their Business

.At 31West, professional call center agents will be in charge of handling incoming customer and third party calls, When necessary and in accordance with the company’s call-transfer specifications and protocols, calls can be dispatched to office personnels directly in-charge.

On the other hand, outbound call-handling services may include sending out mass notifications via different media, to keep employees, customers or third parties up to date with new company policies, latest government regulations and other similar developments that require appropriate actions.

Those are only basic examples, readers can find a more comprehensive description of outsourced services being offered by 31West at https://www.31west.net/

Valorant Beta Players Share Insights on Best Weapons

Dominique Kern News, Video GamesTagged ,

Players currently playing Riot Games’ recently released beta of Valorant, have shared insights about the best weapons to recommend for beginners.

That can be regarded as a helpful gesture because anyone who has been following Valorant news and viewing Twitch-shared videos, knows by now that the  video game comes with a high level of difficulty. Many of those who have so far reached the competitive levels say that in order to be effective, beginners must choose and use weapons smartly.

That being said, many gamers who are currently testing the Valorant beta version before Riot Games officially launches Valorant sometime in June 2020 or anytime during the summer of this year, have shared insights on the “Top Five (5) Weapon Loadouts Recommended for Beginners.”

Top Five Weapon Loadouts Recommended for Valorant Beginners

There are actually a total of seventeen bullet-firing weapons available as choices found across six categories.

The recommended five best weapons for Valorant beginners do not necessarily appear in an order based on capabilities to produce the most damaging shots. After all, at the end of every match, what matters is the player’s ability to skillfully use the weapon of their choice.

Spectre

The Spectre is one of the best solid weapons for beginners to use, being a submachine gun with a fast fire-rate for economy rounds that can easily tear down an enemy’s health at close quarters, Beginners who have experience in playing first-person shooting games and intending to migrate to Valorant, will have an easy time getting into the groove of the game with this weapon.

Sheriff

https://youtu.be/eZvtB2Ku3mU

 

Valorant startups using this power-packed 6-shot handgun but still perfecting skills when aiming to fire at an armored enemy’s head, can still place a few body shots that can make the most health damage. The Sheriff is probably the best in the pistol category because it provides newbies with an incredibly short kill-time. Its impact on an enemy’s body can create enough damage that will give the Sheriff shooter the opportunity to fire a well-aimed bullet in the head.

Operator

The Operator or OP is a sniper rifle preferred by many Valorant beta gamers because a single hit can deliver 150 damage to the body and 255 damage to the head. As a sniper weapon, the OP is the best choice because of its high wall-penetration power.

.Vandal

Vandal is Valorant’s AK-47 version, which performs in ways similar to the assault rifle. Although not many will agree that this is one of the best weapons in the Valorant armory, because it does not have the highest fire rate in its category, the Vandal boasts of producing high stats of 156 head damage and 39 body damage with every shot that lands on an enemy.

Phantom

The Phantom poses as Valorant’s edition of the M4A1, and is also a top pick because of its damage-causing ability. The Phantom is second best only to the Vandal, even if having a damage impact of 140 to the head, and 35 to the body. The stats tend to lower, if a Phantom shooter is farther than 15 to 30 meters away from the enemy target. Still another reason why this weapon is a top favorite is its silencer feature.

We all know by now that in order to enter the competition level, Valorant players have to play at least 20 matches regardless of whether a player wins or loses in each match. The important thing for Valorant beginners to do is make the most use of those 20 games by sharpening their shooting and aiming skills. Those open to valorant elo boosting as a technique while still in the early stages of competition, turn to boosting because they feel they still need to learn more on how to best use the abilities of their weapons.

Instagram Steps Up w/ Covid-19 News Feeds

Dominique Kern UncategorizedTagged ,

Instagram, steps up messaging features by disseminating meaningful newsfeeds on Covid-19 outbreak, to ensure timely delivery of information to users.

Critical information regarding the state of the coronavirus pandemic now appears at the top of Instagram’s news notifications. Although the action may seem insignificant, the aggressive sharing of useful and socially responsible information will prove useful in helping prevent the spread of the Covid-19 throughout the globe.

The related Instagram announcement states:

“To help people get relevant and up-to-date resources, we will start showing more information from WHO and local health ministries at the top of Instagram’s Feed in some countries.”

Ban on Covid-19 Posts with AR Filters and Stories w/ Misleading Content

Instagram as a widely used social media platform has also taken serious actions by culling content pertaining to the pandemic. Only those developed in collaboration with recognized health organizations will be given importance.

The site’s search tool will no longer make it easy for searchers to access Covid-19 posts created with augmented reality (AR) effects. Such posts are regarded by many as insensitive, as they seemingly make light of the outbreak’s impact; notwithstanding that the global death toll related to the virus has been rising continuously.

Inasmuch as some Instagram Stories also contain misleading information that only heighten anxiety over the global problem, Instagram’s actions include making its search tool unresponsive to searches for stories that convey claims about treatments, cure or methods of combatting the novel corona virus.

Will Trump’s Social Media Campaign Strategy Still Work in the 2020 Presidential Elections?

Dominique Kern UncategorizedTagged , ,

If the 2020 voters will still believe what they hear, view and read as news from Trump’s social media campaigners, Donald Trump still has a likely chance of winning the 2020 presidential elections. After all, Trump’s digital media campaign director Brad Parscale had bragged before that the launch of their political campaign via Facebook and Twitter, led the way to Trump’s 2016 victory.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump and his Republican minions continue to make false and ridiculous statements glorifying Trump’s presidency. The brazenness of their pronouncements, even if starkly twisted and lacking in credibility is not new. It was basically how Trump won the 2016 presidential election. Backed by a Facebook account followed by millions of pro-Trumpers, they are banking on the spread of disinformation by way of likes and shares, as a way of confusing undecided voters.

The Truth About Trump’s Social Media Campaigns

In 2018, somebody from Cambridge Analytica opened a can of worms about Trump’s social media strategy..

Christopher Wylie a Canadian data consultant of the data analytics company, showed “The Guardian” documents as proof that they provided the Trump camp with data on about 87 million FB users without authorization. The FB accounts were selected based on personality and psychological makeup that perfectly match the kind of people, whom the Trump team is targeting for their political campaign ads.

There is no telling if the millions of FB and Twitter users, whose accounts were mined for Trump’s political purpose, will still believe the false social media news, as well as Trump’s tweets and posts. Hopefully, some may have realized they were manipulated into believing largely inaccurate news fed to them during the 2016 political campaigns. .

The Social Media Disinformation Campaign Continues but Under Different Conditions

Brad Parscale, the so-called genius behind the success of Trump’s Facebook and Twitter political messaging is still carrying on with the spread of disinformation. He is publicly delivering speeches echoing Trump’s false claims of great achievements, and in refuting the outcomes of the ongoing impeachment hearings.However, he is carrying out the new campaign under harsher conditions.

Inasmuch as not all members of the Republican Party approve of how Trump has performed as POTUS, the Republican National Committee (RNC) said it would no longer buy digital ads from Parscale’s firm.

Mike Reed, spokesman for the RNC announced that in moving forward toward the 2020 presidential election, RNC will now buy digital ads directly from host sites. Reed added

”This is to make sure there is complete transparency, as well as give the press and the Democrats no basis in accusing anyone of impropriety.”

Facebook Messenger Advocates Courtesy in Digital Messaging by Publishing Modern Communication Etiquette

Dominique Kern UncategorizedTagged ,

The Facebook Messenger team recently took a survey of over 3,500 digital communicators coming from across the U.S., the UK and Australia. The objective in mind was to establish the ultimate messaging do’s and don’ts when it comes to communicating digitally with courtesy.

After completing the survey, the FB Messenger team collaborated with Debrett’s, an organization recognized as “the authority” on modern etiquette, to develop a first-of-its-kind formal messaging guide captioned as “The Art of Digital Messaging – A Guide to Communication in the Digital Age.”

Survey Results Considered in Formulating the Digital Messaging Guidelines

The results of the survey provided the groundwork on which to formulate the first formal guides on etiquette for digital messaging. That way, navigation of messages, even if sent by way of brief texts and quick chats, will still reflect courtesy and mindful thoughts.

Based on the results of the survey, the FB team found out that people from across the world:

  • React differently to messages that come with sarcastic tones. Where 31% of the surveyed Britons say they ignore sarcastic tones by keeping a stiff upper lip, Americans are more likely to react by asking for clarification in order to tackle issues head on.
  • Consider a 5-word content as the average length of a message. To which 37% of respondents from across the globe think it is bad etiquette to over-reply; such as sending 10 or more replies to every single thread of conversation.
  • Forwarding a text message or sharing a friend’s photo to someone else is deemed as a classic example of a bad etiquette.
  • Prefer to be in a chat group composed of less than 6 people.
  • Generally find it frustrating when no one replies or reacts to a question or a shared info; or when someone introduces a private info to the group
  • Claim they have been ghosted, while some dmitted that they themselves have ghosted,
  • Make it a point to sign off on every conversation, a practice common nearly half of global respondents whose ages range between 45 and 64. On the other hand, only a third of the millenials between ages 18 and 24 consider it necessary to sign off from a conversation.

Brief Summary of Etiquette Guides Formulated by FB and Debrette’s

  1. Hone message tones by not using words that evoke sarcasm and/or irony.
  2. Keep a message brief but concise; avoid going into lengthy compositions as they tend to overwhelm.
  3. Do not send multiple messages to a single conversation thread of a group chat.
  4. Ask permission first when sharing a photo or information sent by a friend, giving careful thought that a friend shared it with confidentiality in mind.
  5. Prior to joining a group chat, make it a point to know the other GC members in order to avoid sending or sharing indiscrete or offensive messages.
  6. Do not allow a group chat message to hang without a response, in case a question, an important event or a concern was raised or mentioned.
  7. Bugging friends or people you do not know very well, for quick replies is bad etiquette. Wait for at least a day before following up on a response to your message.
  8. Rather than ghost someone, give him or her a call or meet up personally to offer an explanation on why you are cutting off communication ties.
  9. If a flood of photos or updates are starting to annoy you, make a courteous and graceful exit in order to be excluded as recipient.
  10. Practice good etiquette by signing off on every conversation.

Drinking up to 3 Cups of Coffee per Day is Okay for People with Healthy Lifestyles

Dominique Kern UncategorizedTagged ,

Recently at the British Cardiovascular Society Conference, a presentation of studies conducted by researchers from Queen Mary University of London indicated that daily consumption of coffee will not necessarily increase the stiffness of artery blood vessels. Stiffening arteries is a condition that causes stress on the heart, which can lead to greater risks for strokes and heart attacks.

However, the study eliminated factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, as well as considering the blood pressure, diet, age, weight, height, gender and ethnicity of test subjects.

According to Kenneth Fung, lead analyst of the data studied, their goal was not to determine whether coffee drinking that is net of other influencing factors, is a healthy or an unhealthy habit. Their study only helped unravel one cardiovascular worry associated with coffee consumption, which is that of proving that regular doses of caffeine does not hurt arteries.

Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded in part the study, explained in a press release that their main message is for people to know that coffee as part of a healthy lifestyle, can be enjoyed to the fullest; since it appears from the results that caffeine does not cause stiffening of the blood vessels.

In the interview with Amy Woodyatt of CNN, Mr. Avkiran remarked that

“Hopefully, this research which rules out a potential detrimental effect of coffee on arteries, will put in perspective some of the media reports.”

How the Study on Coffee was Conducted by the Researchers

In looking into the effects of coffee consumption on artery health, researchers from Queen Mary University of London examined the coffee consumption patterns of more than 8,412 people who were categorized into three groups.

  • One group consists of those who drank less than one cup of coffee per day.
  • Another group consists of those who drank one to three cups of coffee per day.
  • Those who consumed 4 to 25 cups each day went to the group that was eliminated, since it was likely that they would be too jittery to undergo further examinations.

Examinations included MRI scans of the participants’ heart and taking infrared pulse wave tests to examine arterial stiffness. Basing their report on the results of data analysis related to the examinations, the researchers found out that coffee consumption did not appear to adversely affect artery health.

While their study indicated that drinking one up to three cups of coffee per day does not promote hardening of the arteries, the researchers cannot go as far as saying that drinking 25 cups per day can be beneficial. Still, data analyst Kenneth Fung said it would be of interest to analyze the artery health of the heavy coffee drinkers, for purposes of establishing an upper limit on coffee consumption.

Linwood Kansas Mayor Says Tornado Randomly Picked Houses to Destroy

Dominique Kern NewsTagged ,

The massive tornado being tracked by the National Weather Service (NWS) landed its 13th consecutive touchdown in Kansas City at around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday May 29, 2019. Prior to the touchdown, the National Weather Service sent out a warning that the Kansas bound twister had an EF4 rating based on the Enhanced Fujita scale and was about to hit the area.

The NWS described the tornado as a notch below the ranking of the most powerful tornadoes ever to land. The tornado was a menacing funnel of cloud that carried peak winds of 170 miles per hour. During the past 12 days, the massive twister had cut a nearly 32-mile long stretch of destruction, the longest to have occurred since 1980.

The powerful and massive EF-4 tornado hit south of Lawrence, Kansas and caused heavy damage, which prompted the NWS to declare Kansas City under a “state of tornado emergency.”

Linwood Mayor Describes the Tornado’s Uncanny Behavior

Eighteen people were injured, with no fatalities reported. The Kansas City International Airport had to shut down temporarily in light of the massive debris picked up and carried by the vortex by as far as 40 miles,

Mayor of Linwood Brian Christenson, said that multiple residents, numbering nearly 400 people living in the suburbian part of Lawrence, Kansas had lost homes. Still, he was thankful that everyone was accounted for and that no one was killed.

Recounting the harrowing experience, Mayor Christenson said he has never seen a tornado as powerful as the one that hit them last Wednesday. He went on to describe the tornado’s passing saying

“It just picked one house randomly and took it away, while the next house might not even get damaged. The manner by which it moved and picked houses was incredible.”

Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas, was left reeling by the massive tornado; leaving behind debris, power lines and large trees along streets, making some major thoroughfares totally impassable.

Two vans belonging to the storm chasing tour operator Silver Lining Tours overturned as the tornado cut a path to south of Lawrence. The incident resulted in minor injuries among the van passengers.

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