There are many reasons to ditch Google Photos in favor of Amazon Photos. The latter offers better options and more advanced features. This is especially true if you have already subscribed to Amazon Prime/Amazon Drive, as the service comes included.
However, migrating from Google Photos to Amazon Photos is a bit tricky and going to take some time. Unfortunately, Google Photos no longer allows sync with Google Drive, so the sync and upload workarounds no longer work.
You can still get your photos from Google Drive to Amazon Prime, but it will take some work. Having higher quality images and the additional storage space will make it worth it. Not to mention, if you ever get locked out of your Google account, your favorite pictures will be saved in Amazon photos.
Amazon Photos Benefits
Amazon Photos excels when it comes to storage limits. Where Google Photos allows you to have free storage for photos of up to 16 megapixels, Amazon Prime members can upload an unlimited number of full-resolution photos to the app. This is especially handy for photographers and graphic designers, who would be able to store an unlimited number of RAW files on Amazon Photos, instead of having them automatically converted to JPEG by Google Photos.
Amazon Photos also offers Family Vault and Amazon Prints. Family Vault allows you to add up to 5 family members to your Photos account, meaning that they also gain access to Amazon Photos with no charge. Amazon Prints offers many useful options for printing your photos on various items. Compared to Google Photos’ 1-person sharing and two print options, Amazon is the clear winner here.
Downloading from Google Photos
Like we mentioned earlier, this isn’t the easiest or fastest workaround, but it is the one available right now. The instructions will differ slightly if you’re using your phone, or your computer.
From Your Computer
It’s probably best to use your computer because you’ll need the storage space for a minute. If you have a higher storage phone or tablet, it may be possible to use that.
Open Google Photos on your computer and sign in.
Click on ‘Photos’ located on the left-hand side of the window
Hover your cursor over a photo you’d like to download
Click the white checkmark (it will turn blue)
Scroll through your photos clicking each one you’d like to move to Amazon Prime Photos
Once you’ve selected the desire photos click the three vertical lines in the upper right-hand corner
Click on ‘Download’
From here, you’ll follow your computer’s lead to store the content on your computer.
From Your Smartphone or Tablet
Sign in to the Google Photos app and follow the verification instructions. From here, follow these instructions:
Tap on ‘Photos’ located on the lower left-hand side
Long-press one of your photos
Tap each photo so that the hollow circle turns into a blue checkmark
After you’ve tapped each one select the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner
Tap ‘Save to Device’
Note: Only select the photos that are not already saved to your device, otherwise you will not see the ‘Save to Device’ option.
The Google photos app does have a nifty scroll option that allows you to go back to a certain month or year. If you remember when you first purchased your phone, going back to that date makes this easier.
Backup to Amazon Prime Photos
The next step is going to be putting all of your photos in Amazon Prime.
Sign Up and Configure Prime Photos
First of all, take note that the best way to get Amazon Photos is to become an Amazon Prime subscriber, as this comes with much better options than subscribing to Amazon Drive. If you aren’t a Prime member, sign in to your Amazon account and upgrade your membership.
Once you’ve set up your Family Vault (not required, but definitely recommended), consider turning the Add Uploads to Family Vault option on.
Prime Photos App
Download and install the Prime Photos app on your device. If you want Prime Drive to back up your phone’s photos and videos automatically, go to Settings and turn the auto-save option on by navigating to Auto-Save and activating the sliders next to Photos and Videos.
Upload to Amazon Drive
Download and install the Amazon Drive desktop app and back up all the desired photos and videos.
You can either keep Google Photos as a backup option or you can delete it once you’ve verified that all your pictures are safely in Amazon Prime.
The Final Steps
Now that your photos are secure, you’ll have to clean up the mess left behind. Depending on the reason for transferring content away from Google Photos, you may want to disable or delete the application.
Turn Off Back up & Sync on Google Photos
This is the last step that involves the Google Photos app. If you want to keep the app, go to settings, and turn the Backup & sync option off.
If you no longer need the Google Photos app, feel free to delete it now. It is recommended that you keep it installed until you’re done moving photos, though.
Delete the Photos from Your Computer or Phone
Don’t forget to delete the content from your computer to free the space back up. You can transfer it to an external hard drive, or delete it entirely. Whether you’re using a Mac or a PC, head over to your downloads and remove the files.
Workarounds
Although it isn’t simple at all, this seems to be the simplest way to migrate your photos from Google to Amazon. If you’re using an Android phone there are Android Beam and Wifi Direct options used for transferring data.
If you have the time and the know-how to use these options, you could transfer content directly from Google Photos on one Android device to another. Unfortunately, only so much content can travel at a time, so you’d spend more time sending five or ten photos at a time.
The same thing goes for iPhones with AirDrop, even if Google Photos gave you the option, you could only send a few at a time.
Easier workarounds will appear at some point that will make this process easier. Until then, downloading to your device then uploading to Amazon Prime Photos is the best option.
Many music lovers that use a huge streaming service such as Spotify or Apple music have a tendency to turn into hoarders at some point. After months, or years, of collecting music, you might end up with a huge library filled with a ton of songs that you may no longer want to listen to, causing you to skip whenever you stumble upon them, ruining your flow.
Sure, sometimes the nostalgia kicks in and you’re glad to hear a song you haven’t heard for a long time, but how often does this happen? A much more likely scenario is one when you get frustrated by having to manually choose the songs that you want to listen to among so many of them that you have to skip.
So, what can you do when you get to this point? Well, there are a few options for you to try out.
Deleting a Playlist
First of all, it should be said that Spotify doesn’t allow you to delete your songs in bulk. In the past, there was a very convenient option in the desktop version where you could just click on a random song, hold down Ctrl + A, and then hit the delete button on your keyboard.
Unfortunately, that option is long gone. Feel free to still give it a shot if you haven’t updated your Spotify in a while, though. You never know when they might add the feature back in, either.
But, since the majority of users won’t be able to use the Ctrl + A trick, your best bet is to delete playlists. It’s the only place where you can find your songs in a group and mass delete them. Here’s how to do it:
Open Spotify.
Navigate to your library.
Select Playlists.
Tap the playlist that you want to remove.
Tap the three-dot menu at the top right corner.
Select Delete Playlist.
The above method is shown on an Android phone, but it’s pretty much the same for iOS, with an added convenience that makes deleting multiple playlists easier. Instead of a three-dot icon, you’ll see an Edit option. Once you touch it, here’s what you should see:
From here, you can delete a playlist easily by tapping the red minus sign on the left and confirming the deletion. Every song that is in the playlist will be removed. But if the song or songs are in multiple playlists, they will stay in your library until you’ve deleted all the relevant playlists.
Filtering Songs
Even though this isn’t exactly mass deletion, it can help you declutter your library all the same. Once you scroll to the top of your music playlists, you’ll see a filter icon along with the search bar.
From there, you can look for specific playlists and music that you want to remove or sort them based on various criteria. This is particularly handy if you are trying to delete a certain artist, album, or genre.
You can choose to filter the following options:
Downloads – This is any song that you’ve downloaded for offline playing
Relevance – These are the songs most relevant to your listening habits
Name – Places your playlists in alphabetical order
Recently Played – These are the songs you’ve played, well, recently
Recently Added – Filter to the songs you’ve added in chronological order
Keeping ‘Downloads’ checked; you can add any of the above-listed filters narrowing down your search to those that are actually taking up space.
You may have loved ska in high school, but it’s not exactly what you want to listen to on your morning commute. Filtering makes navigating through your music a lot more convenient and helps you remove unwanted clutter faster.
Deleting Favorites
Spotify is great because it allows you to quickly tap the heart icon on any song you like. This feature can be used to store songs in the ‘Favorites’ playlist. Fortunately, it is possible to remove these as you’d like.
Although it does take time deleting them one by one, follow these instructions to delete your ‘Favorites’:
Go to the Library located in the lower right-hand side of your screen
Tap on the ‘Liked Songs’ playlist
Locate the three vertical dots next to each song and tap on them
Tap on ‘Liked’ at the top
This will “un-like” the song and remove it from your favorites. It may be easier to do this from a desktop. Going to your favorite browser log into Spotify and follow these steps:
Click on ‘Your Library’ located on the right-hand side
Hover your cursor over a song
Click on the three horizontal dots
Click ‘Remove from Your Liked Songs’
Performing this action seems to be slightly faster than from a mobile device, but you will still have to delete them individually.
Clearing Cache
If you want to remove your Spotify songs because they are taking up too much space on your device, Spotify has a better option. There’s a feature in one of the most recent updates that allow you to clear the app’s cache without losing your music.
Before the update, clearing the cache meant that your data was lost and all your songs are gone. That would have been the most convenient way of deleting all Spotify music. However, this feature is still useful to everyone that wants to free up some valuable space on their device.
The way to do this is very simple. Just navigate to the Settings menu. Under Storage, you’ll see the Delete Cache option. Tap on it and confirm the deletion.
The option is available on both Android and iOS and can be found within the same menu. It will clear up a ton of space and still let you have your favorite music.
The Final Word
The lack of a bulk delete feature is certainly disappointing for some. Sadly enough, there aren’t any good 3rd party apps that can make this happen either. If you really want to get rid of all your Spotify songs, the above options are the only ones open to you.
If you have too many songs for manual deletion, deleting an entire playlist at a time is the way to go. And if you haven’t organized your songs into playlists, the filters can help you delete the songs that you no longer need. When all else fails, you can always deactivate your account and start over.
Many fitness fanatics are so used to Nike Run Club, they can’t imagine running without it. It’s no surprise, as the app allows you to measure your time, distance, and pace.
If you’ve ever been wondering how accurate the app is when it comes to distance, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll explain its distance-measuring mechanism and offer some tips on how to make it even more precise.
Nike Run Club Distance Indoors
There’s a big difference depending on whether you’re working out indoors or outdoors. If you’re running on a treadmill in your gym, the app will be tracking your steps. Nowadays, most apps do a great job when it comes to counting steps, but Nike Run Club is still one of the most precise apps out there.
Therefore, it’s safe to assume that Nike Run Club is almost 100% accurate when you run in the gym or your home.
Nike Run Club Distance Outdoors
Running outdoors can be more challenging than working out indoors for various reasons. You have to take into consideration the weather, traffic, as well as many other factors. Moreover, tracking apps have more challenges when they track running distance outdoors.
Nike Run Club, as well as most other apps, rely on GPS when tracking outdoors. Granted, we’ve witnessed a significant improvement in GPS accuracy. However, it’s still not perfect.
Therefore, if your NRC distance doesn’t seem totally accurate, the app isn’t to blame. It would probably be the same with any other app you tried. The reason for inaccuracy might be your phone, your GPS, or the terrain.
In the next section, we’ll go into more detail and see how these factors influence the app and what you can do to prevent it.
Sources of Interference
If you live in New York City, your GPS could be significantly less accurate than for someone who lives in the countryside. Why is that? Tall buildings can cause interference, and could even completely block your signal.
Your GPS is sometimes unable to pick up satellite information, due to skyscrapers. It misses pieces of information, and therefore your running distance may seem shorter than it actually was.
However, moving to the countryside isn’t a perfect solution either. You may be able to avoid skyscrapers, but you can’t avoid tall trees that create a similar effect.
Research has shown that running apps are the least accurate when you’re running in the woods. If the forest is dense it could block the signal, resulting in unreliable data.
However, you shouldn’t be that worried about inaccuracy. In most cases, the difference in distance is somewhere between 10-50m. The app adds a couple of meters here, and it takes a couple of meters there. At the end of the day, it evens itself out.
How to Improve NRC Distance Accuracy?
You don’t have to give up on running in nature or outdoors. There are a couple of simple things you can do to help your app work smoothly.
First of all, try to run in open spaces whenever you can. If possible, avoid forests and streets packed with skyscrapers. Make sure that you can always see the sky if you look up. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your GPS runs smoothly without any interference. Moreover, don’t forget to enable Location Services on your phone.
Another useful tip is to charge your phone before running and avoid using Low Power mode. In order to save battery, your device sometimes doesn’t let GPS work to its full potential, Many people found this useful, and their apps’ accuracy significantly improved after turning off Low Power mode.
Don’t forget to switch from Indoor to Outdoor mode, every time you change your environment. Otherwise, the app might be confused and make some errors.
If you still don’t see any improvement when it comes to accuracy, you can try updating your NRC app. However, as mentioned above, the problem usually isn’t with the app itself.
Are There Any Alternatives?
If you open your App Store, you’ll find more than 100 running apps. Of course, some of them aren’t worth your time or effort. Nike Run Club is one of the highest-ranked apps with many satisfied users. However, there are some others worth trying out.
If you’re looking for new routes, you may like MapMyRun. The app has all the features of a standard running app. It measures your time and distance accurately. However, the best thing about this app is that it creates tailored-made running routes, just for you.
On the other hand, if you want to track everything fitness-related with only one app, we’ve got you covered. You should opt for MyFitnessPal. This app not only allows you to track your workouts and your calorie intake, but it’s also a great source of inspiration. You can find tons of meal ideas and guided workouts there.
Last but not least, if your friends share your passion for running, we suggest you try out Strava. It’s a running community app, a mix of fitness tracker and social network. You can compete with your friends, compare your running distances, and motivate each other.
Don’t Worry About the Distance
If you’re a dedicated runner, it’s natural to want the most precise app. We know that tracking is essential, as it can help you reach your goals. However, no app is perfect, and you shouldn’t stress out if your distance doesn’t always seem accurate. Differences are usually minor, and they shouldn’t impact your progress.
Are you satisfied with Nike Run Club? Have you tried any other running app so far? Let us know in the comments section below.
Getting started with Shopify is simple. After you create an account and enter the name of your store, you’re just a few clicks away from making your first sale.
Ultimately, an optimized and neat environment, attractive images, and detailed and accurate product descriptions will make people more likely to buy from you. The first step is to add the products to your virtual shop. But how do you do it? You’ll find all the answers you need in this article.
Add Products to Your Page
You can add new products to your page from a desktop computer or your mobile device.
From Desktop
Log in to your Shopify account and go to the admin panel.
From there, click on Products.
Select All Products.
From this section, choose Add product.
Give your product a name and add a description. You can also add an image using this editor.
Select Save to finish.
From a Mobile Device
The steps are almost the same for iPhones and Androids – if the option names may slightly differ. Whatever your device is, follow these instructions:
Open Shopify on your smartphone.
Tap on Products.
Tap on All Products.
On the new screen, select the plus icon in the upper right corner. (If you want to skip a step, from the Products screen tap on the + icon and then select Add product.)
Type in a name for the desired product and a short description.
Tap on the Save button in the upper right corner on an iPhone, or the checkmark if you have an Android phone.
Adding a Similar Product
The duplicating option helps save time when you want to add a product similar to an existing one. For a duplicate, you can copy the barcode, an image, SKUs, or inventory quantity. This is how you can duplicate a product:
From Desktop
Go to the admin dashboard and then open Products.
From this section, choose All products and then select the desired product.
Select Duplicate, just below the product title, on the left.
Type in a new name for the new product.
Choose what details you’d like to copy.
Select Duplicate to complete.
From a Mobile Device
Open the Shopify app and go to Products.
Tap on All products and find the one you’d like to duplicate.
Tap on the dots icon in the upper right corner.
Select Duplicate product.
Add a new name for the duplicated product. Here you can also allow images to duplicate so you can use them for the new product, too.
Tap on the checkmark or the Save button to save the new product.
How to Add Products to Collections
Once you’ve added products to your page, you might want to group them together. It will probably make it easier for your customers to find what they want. Collections are the best way to arrange your products. Here’s how to make a manual collection and add products to it:
Open the admin dashboard and click on Products.
Under Products, select Collections.
Click on the Create collection button on the right.
Give your collection a name and write a short description.
Choose Manual to be the collection type.
Click on Save and proceed to the Products section.
Find the products you want to add to the collection by using the search field or browsing.
Choose the order by which you want to sort the products.
Go to the Sales channels section and select Manage to make your collection available on different channels.
Add a photo for your collection and click on Save. After that, copy the link to this collection to the store navigation so customers can find it.
How to Add Products via Shopify POS
When you add a new product via Shopify POS, you need to make it available on your webpage for your customers to see it. This is what you should do.
If you’re using an iPad:
Go to the checkout page and tap the plus icon in the upper left corner.
Select Add product and on the new screen, add a name, price, and inventory status for your new product.
Select the image icon at the top to add a photo for your product.
Tap on Save product in the top right corner.
If you’re using an iPhone:
From the POS checkout page, select the plus icon in the top left corner.
Tap on Add product and enter details about your new product.
After you add a photo (this is optional), tap on Save product in the upper right corner.
If you have an Android:
Go to the POS checkout and tap the plus icon.
Select Add product to open the Add product screen.
Type in the name, price, and image for your product.
Select the checkmark in the upper right corner to save the product.
After you add a new product via Shopify POS, it will appear among the items on the Products page. It will also be visible in Shopify POS, at the checkout.
Make Your Offer Interesting with New Products
Whether you’re just about to create your online store or are just updating an offer, adding new products can be an exciting task. There are several ways to add products, and you can do it both from your computer and mobile device. Regularly updating your offer will make your page more interesting, and your customers will be glad to come back and check what’s new in your shop.
How will you add products to your page? Will you create collections? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you like to shop online, you know the importance of product descriptions. You want to see a picture of a product before you place it in your cart.
As an online shop owner, you should provide your customers with the most accurate image of your products possible. But how do you upload images to your Shopify store? Can you optimize them? Keep reading if you want to learn the answers.
How to Upload Images
Uploading images on Shopify doesn’t require special skills. You can even let buyers download the photos. Here are the steps you should follow to upload pictures of your products, and any other files you want to appear in your online shop:
From Desktop
Open your admin dashboard on Shopify.
Click on Settings.
Choose Files.
From Files, select Upload files, and from the pop-up window, choose the ones you want to upload.
Select Open.
From Mobile Devices
You can also upload pictures from your iPhone or Android smartphone. Here’s how:
Open the Shopify app on your phone.
Select Store.
Select Settings and locate the Store settings section.
Choose Files.
Choose Upload files.
Select all the desired files and tap on the Open button to finish.
You can access all your uploaded images any time by opening Files and scrolling through the library. When you don’t need them anymore, you can delete the images one by one, or use a bulk action to remove multiple photos simultaneously.
Uploading with Rich Text Editor
If you upload a picture with the rich text editor, it will also be available in the Files section. It will appear on your web store with the product description, a collection, or a blog post, for example, depending on where you want to display it. Here’s how to use this editor:
Open the admin panel and choose the product or collection where you want to add a photo.
Open the rich text editor and choose the place where you want the image to display.
Click on the image icon from the bar at the top. It’s close to the right corner.
Select Upload file to insert an image to the desired place.
After you choose a photo, select the image size and, optionally, add the alt text to optimize the image.
Finally, select Insert image, and it will appear in the selected place in the editor. Once the image is there, you can change its location, size, alignment, and more.
You don’t need to upload a new picture to use it in the rich text editor. You can also use an existing one from your Files. When you click on the Insert image icon and a new window pops up, select the Product images tab to see the photos you’ve uploaded for your products. Choose the desired photo and click on Insert image in the bottom-right corner.
Make sure you add PNG or JPG files to the rich text editor. These picture formats work best here.
You can also use a public image using its URL. When you click on the Insert image icon, the third tab says URL. Click on this tab and paste or manually enter the URL of the desired photo. Make sure the URL is valid and accessible. When you’re done, select the Insert image button in the lower right corner.
Extra Tips for Great Images
If you want to make sure your webshop looks attractive to your customers, your images should be optimized and in a suitable format. Apply these tips to add even more value to your shop with some high-quality photos!
Use the following formats when uploading images: JPG, JPEG, PNG, or GIF. These formats won’t cause any problems when loading the pictures, and everyone will be able to see them. JPEG is excellent for product images, blog posts, and banners, while you should use PNG for logos, borders, and icons.
Your images shouldn’t be larger than 20 megapixels and 20 megabytes.
Try to upload square images whenever possible. This is important because of the different types of screens people use. For instance, a wide image can be cropped when viewed on a mobile device or a tablet.
Name your photos as descriptively as you can. This will help with SEO and increase your visibility and ranking on Google. Use simple language and keywords related to your brand and products.
Don’t forget the thumbnails. They’re visible on your category pages and should also be optimized. These files won’t slow down your page load speed if they’re small. Also, make sure you use different alt attribute text for thumbnails and the actual, full-size images on your website.
Upload images of different angles of your product, if relevant. For example, if you sell cosmetics, make sure you upload the label image as well, so your customers can see the ingredients.
Don’t use too many unrelated images just to add color to your webshop. They can compromise your page load speed.
You don’t need special design skills to quickly learn how to optimize your images and create simple but effective visuals. Apart from the well-known Photoshop, you can also use simple websites and programs such as Canva, PicMonkey, or PIXLR.
Images That Make You Look Pro
Images are an essential part of the online shopping experience. You should always make sure they’re high quality and properly optimized before you upload them.
Shopify allows you to upload product images, banners, and other types of pictures in different ways and different places on your website. Images will complement your copy in the best possible way and help with conversion and keeping your loyal customers.
How often do you upload new images to your Shopify web store? Do you use the rich text editor? Let us know in the comments section below.
Creating an online business is no small task. There’s so much to consider. Even when using an almost fully automated eCommerce platform like Shopify.
One of the details to pay attention to is whether your website is going to be mobile-friendly or mobile responsive. As most of us browse through websites on our mobile devices nowadays.
But even if that isn’t the case, the switch from a computer browser to your smartphone should be effortless. After all, those are the demands of the market. But how mobile friendly is Shopify exactly?
Shopify Mobile Responsive Themes
What does it mean for a website to be mobile friendly? Well, it means exactly what it implies. You can load the website on your mobile device. When it comes to Shopify, customers can access products, cart, and checkout pages without a hitch.
Essentially, browsing with your mobile device should be as simple as it is on your computer. If you’re new to Shopify, you should know that you begin building your store by choosing a theme. That’s step one.
And that’s where the question of whether Shopify is mobile responsive becomes important. As of now, most Shopify themes are mobile-friendly. But not all of them. Even those that have various degrees of responsiveness.
If you want to ensure that your customers can browse through your store on their mobiles, you have to pick the right theme. In this respect, Shopify has free themes. But if you want to optimize your page and make more sales, you’ll probably have to go with a paid theme.
Fortunately, the Shopify themes that are mobile responsive will give you a preview of what your website is going to look like on a mobile device. This will help you make a decision that fits with what you envision for your store.
How to Pick a Mobile-Friendly Shopify Theme
Selecting a Shopify theme that complements your brand and the type of products you’re selling is crucial when starting an online store. If it will help the search, Shopify allows you to browse themes by industry, but most are created to fit almost any type of website.
However, if you want to ensure that you select the best possible mobile-friendly theme, there are things to take into consideration. Above all else, the theme should be user-friendly and quick to load on a mobile device.
Then you might want to consider a clean and more minimalistic design. Too many items and colors on a small screen can distract a customer. It’s also preferable that the theme doesn’t look any different, regardless of the device you’re using.
Some Shopify mobile-friendly themes still look quite different when opened on a smartphone. Most importantly, your customers should have an easy time finagling the purchase on their mobile device.
Importance of Mobile-Friendly Shopify Themes
Mobile traffic makes for about half of Shopify’s visits. So, if you choose a theme that will lead customers to finish up their shopping quickly and without any problems, you’re likely to boost your sales.
But more than half of Shopify carts are abandoned. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not really. That’s because most Shopify store owners are using free themes that are not mobile responsive.
Mobile-Friendly Shopify Themes
Many fantastic Shopify themes also look really good on mobile devices. Here are a few that you can search for when opening your online store.
Supply – This theme is excellent for stores that have huge inventories. Categories are organized well, and the navigation is user-friendly on the computer as well as the mobile device.
Minimal – A minimalistic style store with a trendy touch. It’s mobile responsive and looks amazing on mobile devices. And you have a lot of customization options.
Showcase – A great choice for those who want to open online clothing or jewelry stores. It has multi-level menus and a full screen option for galleries.
Picking the Right Responsive Shopify Theme
If your target customer is a person always on the go, then you must have the best mobile-friendly theme. Best meaning that your page is easy to load, easy to navigate, and looks great.
But also, that represents your brand and offers no confusion about what you’re trying to sell. Of course, that doesn’t mean that what your page looks like on a PC doesn’t matter. That’s just one half of the equation.
Do you shop on your mobile device or computer more often? Let us know in the comments section below.
In 2020, there are more places to buy games on PC than ever before. The Epic Games Store, Origin, even streaming services like Google Stadia all offer their own takes on gaming marketplaces, but one store still reigns supreme. Steam continues to be the gaming community’s most valuable and vibrant online marketplace, no matter how many competitors arrive to take Valve head-on. Though Steam has seen its fair of controversy since launch, its massive site-wide sales and large community of gamers have helped keep it dominant. In all honesty, without Steam, PC gaming would likely not be where it is today.
With both the Winter Sale and the Lunar Sale having come and gone, it’s going to be a while before the next big Steam sale arrives. That doesn’t mean you can’t pick up these games at full price or on individual sale—plus, it’s always good to add some games fresh games to your wishlist. From massive, full-scale roleplaying games to classic shoot ’em ups, competitive games for online play to local co-op multiplayer titles, we have something for every style of gamer looking for their new favorite game. These are some of the best titles on Steam for May 2020, listed in alphabetical order.
Shopify is one of the best eCommerce websites in the world. If you’re thinking about opening an online store, you should know that Shopify provides lots of options for settings and customization.
You can even choose the shipping price for your products. There are several choices, to help you decide which one works best for you.
Fortunately, you can change the shipping rate at any time. In this article, we’ll explain how to do that. Plus, we’ll tell you more about how to manage Shopify shipping rates.
Editing the Shipping Price on Shopify
Shopify is a fantastic platform, and anyone who’s thinking about starting an online store should consider it. But it’s not just about selling physical products.
Shopify users can sell digital products, services, memberships, and even tickets to different events. Still, the majority of Shopify stores are about selling items and shipping them to customers.
That’s why the eCommerce giant offers more than one way to set your shipping prices. When the current shipping price no longer works for you, it’s time to change it. Here are the steps to take:
Open your Shopify admin page.
Go to “Settings” and then “Shipping”.
You’ll see your chosen shipping profile. Click on the three horizontal dots next to the profile.
From the drop-down menu, select the “Edit rate”.
Select the changes you want to make and then click “Done”.
Finally, select “Save.”
If you’re not sure what changes you want to make, you can just delete the shipping price first. All you have to do is follow the same steps. Only in Step 4, instead of “Edit rate”, choose “Delete”. When you’ve made up your mind, you can go back and add the shipping rate.
Shopify Shipping Rates
How many times have you found something amazing to order online and then changed your mind at the checkout? The shipping price seems just a little too steep and ultimately, not worth it. Shipping prices can be complicated, especially from the seller’s perspective.
Shopify can let you make the decisions yourself, or let you leave it to shipping carriers. There are several types of shipping rates on Shopify, and you can just add one or offer several different options to your customers.
Flat Shipping Rates
Sometimes the simplest solution is to pick a flat shipping rate. You can charge the same amount for shipping every time a customer places an order. If the online store sells items that are similar in size and weight, it’s probably the best option to go with.
Going with the flat rate means that you have precise control over what your customers are charged when they’re finalizing their order. But there are several subcategories of flat rates as well.
General
Whatever the customer places in the cart, the shipping price will be the same. However, you can set up two general flat rates.
In essence, two flat rates for two different delivery time options. You can pick a general flat rate for regular shipping. And expedited shipping rate for another.
Price-Based
When you apply the price-based shipping rate, you can choose the minimum and maximum amount for your flat rate. As a customer, you often see this option.
If the order is below a certain amount, for example, $100, one shipping price will apply. But if the value of the cart is over $100, you can choose another.
Weight-Based
Weight-based shipping rates work similarly to the price-based alternatives, but instead of calculating the total price in the cart, Shopify will calculate the weight.
This rate is commonly used when an item you’re shipping is not as expensive, but it does weigh a lot. For example, when you’re selling food in bulk.
Free Shipping
Is there anything better than free shipping? As a customer, probably not. But even as a seller on Shopify, free shipping can play an important role in your business model.
Every store offers free shipping from time to time. All you have to do is put down $0 in your shipping settings. Also, you can do that for all orders, or you can allow free shipping for orders over a certain checkout amount.
Calculated Shipping Rates
When you don’t want to be the one who decides on shipping costs, you can opt to calculate shipping rates in Shopify. These prices are decided by any of the shipping carriers you choose.
Or by shipping apps you can install directly from Shopify. When your customer goes to the checkout, the info from their cart goes to the app or shipping carrier. They’ll calculate the exact price of shipping.
Many factors will apply when an app or a carrier calculates the shipping costs. What is the shipment destination, how big is it, and how fast does the customer want it delivered are some that are considered?
Using the calculated rates means that you don’t have to make a decision about shipping prices. However, if you decide to temporarily free shipping, you can go back and edit the prices from your admin page.
Using Your Own Checkout
The secret to successful sales is to be able to see things from the perspective of a shopper. That’s why Shopify lets you have the customer experience once you set your shipping rates.
You can use your checkout on Shopify to see exactly what your customers see when they’re wrapping up their shopping. You’ll probably be able to see something you couldn’t from the angle of a seller.
Pick the Best Shipping Rates for You and the Customer
If you have a great product that many people want to buy, that’s the first and most important step for a successful online shop. If you have experience in online sales, then going with the optimal shipping rates won’t be a problem.
But Shopify does have a learning curve for inexperienced sellers. That’s why if you make a mistake with shipping settings, you can go back and fix it at any time. Most sellers alternate between shipping prices all the time anyway.
What is your take on shipping rates and Shopify? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you own one of the many variations of the Samsung Galaxy or any other smartphone for that matter, it’s very common to forget the password and then need to reset the phone or sometimes even have to do a hard factory reset of the phone to recover it. It’s because we as human beings are not infallible. For many of us, our smartphones function as our memory, a sort of auxiliary mind, so we don’t have to remember everything and know everything.
The most common solution to reset the password on the Galaxy requires completing a hard factory reset, which will delete all your files and data on the smartphone. It’s a factory reset; it resets the phone to the factory default, and that default does not include any of your data. For those who don’t have their Samsung Galaxy backed up, we have compiled a couple of different ways to reset the password on a Galaxy phone when locked out without having to lose data or files.
Which Models
We have tested these instructions on the following Galaxy devices: J3, J5, J7, A7, Note 5, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, and S9. We have also tested on the corresponding Plus and Active devices, so please keep that in mind when
The following is a guide that will teach you two different ways to reset the lock screen password on your Galaxy device when you get locked out without losing any data, and we’ll also walk you through how to go ahead with a factory reset if you decide that’s the best option.
How to do a Password Reset with the Android Device Manager
If you have already registered your Galaxy with the Android Device Manager, then this is the easiest method. When using the Android Device Manager to reset the password, all you need to do is activate the “Lock” feature.
The Lock feature on the Android Device Manager will allow you to force the Galaxy password to reset when you have forgotten the password on your phone, which is sometimes a necessary feature when you’re in a real bind. Here’s what you do to reset your phone’s password using Android’s Device Manager:
Go to the Android Device Manager from a computer.
Find your Galaxy on the screen.
Enable the Lock & Erase feature.
Then follow the given steps on the page to lock your phone.
Set a temporary password.
Enter the temporary password into your phone to bypass the lock screen.
Create a new password.
Reset Password with Samsung Find My Mobile
Another method would be to use Samsung’s Find My Mobile (Find My Android) option, similar to Find My iPhone. You can use the Remote Controls feature on your Samsung Galaxy, which will allow you to temporarily reset the password and bypass the lock screen on the Galaxy.
Once you’ve done that, you can change your Galaxy password like you would at any other time. If you have not already registered the Galaxy with Samsung, try registering your Samsung device as soon as possible. When you register your devices, it gives you advantages you wouldn’t have with an unregistered device, including things like resetting the password with Samsung’s “Find My Mobile.”
Register the Galaxy with Samsung.
Use the Find My Mobile service to temporarily reset the password.
Bypass the lock screen using the new temporary password.
Set a new password.
Reset Password with Factory Reset
Turn off the Galaxy.
Press and hold the Volume up button, the Home button, and the Powerbutton at the same time until you see the Android icon.
Using the Volume down button to scroll, highlight the wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to select it.
Using the Volume down button, highlight Yes – delete all user data and press Power to select it.
When the Galaxy reboots, everything will be wiped and will be ready to set up again.
Read this guide to learn an alternative method to factory reset the Galaxy J3. It’s important to note that before you go to do a factory reset on the Galaxy J3, you should back up all files and information to prevent any data from being lost.
The phone will be a blank slate afterward as if you just pulled it out of the package, which can be a good thing. I recently factory reset a phone and it now runs faster and there’s not all the clutter from before. It feels like a new phone!
On the other hand, the downside is that you’ll lose data, some of it possibly important or of sentimental value, such as photos, videos, and the like. If there was anything significant on it, you don’t want to forget to back it up.
Not so long ago, if you needed to delete a typed page from your work, you simply wadded it up in a ball and placed it in the trash can. Today, the process is less manual and more technical. Writing can be a very rewarding task, but sometimes we patter on a bit more than we need to. As they say, brevity is the soul of wit, so you might find yourself needing to cull back your page count by removing an entire page from your Word document.
If you need to delete a page in Word, this tutorial is for you. You would think there would be a shortcut for what seems like a straightforward process, but there is not. While Microsoft Word is an incredibly powerful word processor and has a feature for almost anything, there is no quick way to delete a page.
Instead, we have to very carefully cut, copy, and paste, taking care to make sure the copy fits where it’s intended. Sure, it’s still easier than the typewriter days of yore, but it’s also very easy to accidentally remove the wrong thing.
If you’re struggling to delete a page, let’s take a look at a very simple way to do it.
How to Delete a Page in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is an exceptionally powerful productivity program and most people use it in some capacity every day. From jotting notes to drafting communications, powering through reports, and more, Word can be used to accomplish any number of daily tasks.
However, while it is capable of a whole lot, it is also amazingly limited and frustrating. One fundamental thing you would expect a text editor to do is to delete a page. PowerPoint can do it, and Excel allows you to delete a single Worksheet, but Word makes it very difficult.
There have been many versions and updates to Microsoft Word since it was first introduced to the public in 1983, and each update strives to make the process of writing, editing and editing again much easier for the average user.
The program has many more features and can do a lot more than most other word processors, but some core text editing features are not intuitive, leaving users absolutely exasperated and stressed about meeting deadlines. That said, when you do find a shortcut or trick to achieve something, it is incredibly satisfying.
That’s exactly how I felt when someone showed me how to delete a page in Word, and likely how you’ll feel after reading these steps. Sometimes the most simple things are the most satisfying!
There are actually a couple of methods you can follow to delete a page from Word. You will likely find a favorite and stick to that. I use Word 2016 so all these instructions are relevant for that version.
Select an empty space on a page.
Select the Home tab and select Find.
Select Go To (alternately, you can accomplish steps 1-3 by pressing Ctrl + G for Windows or Option + CMD + G for Mac)
Type in the page number in the text box and click Go To.
Type in \page and click Go To. This will highlight the entire page.
Hit Backspace or Delete
Your extra page should now disappear. This happens whether the extra page is in the middle of a document or at the end. Double-check that the Backspace didn’t inadvertently delete a character from the document and then save the change.
That’s all there is to it! By following these six simple steps, you can quickly and easily delete a page in Word so that you can get on with the rest of your work.
Other Ways to Delete a Page in Word
That is, of course, only one way to delete a page in Word. As I mentioned earlier, there are a few other methods you can try to see which feels right to you and your editing style.
For example, you can also use the Navigation pane. Follow these steps to do so:
Navigate to View and check the Print Layout option located on the far left side
Open the Navigation Pane tab, and choose the Pages tab
Scroll down to find the page you wish to delete.
Double click on that page to bring it up.
If the page appears to be blank, press Ctrl + Shift + 8 (CMD + 8 on Mac) to see the paragraph marks. This can help you determine if there are any unintended entries on the page.
Hitting delete until the page disappears will fix these errors.
This method is very useful for blank pages that seem to show up out of nowhere, or even for longer portions of text that you want to spot check before you delete. You can then easily delete that text.
This method is useful if a page just won’t delete using Backspace or any of these other methods. If you show paragraph breaks and a bunch of them appear on the blank page, that will be why it won’t delete. Remove the breaks and remove the page.
You can achieve the same results of deleting a full page with a Shift + click process, too.
Place the cursor at the beginning of the page you want to delete.
Hold down Shift and place the cursor at the end of the page you want to delete. The text should now all be highlighted.
Select Delete and then Backspace to delete the page.
Finally, if you want to delete a page at the end of a document but Word won’t let you, there is a way around it. Word adds a permanent paragraph break at the end of a document that just won’t go away. Depending on your layout, this can create an empty page at the end that you cannot delete.
Press Ctrl + Shift + 8 to show paragraph breaks.
Select the final paragraph break.
Shrink the font size to 1.
This should remove that pesky final blank page from your document and fit that final break onto your last page.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft Word is a great productivity tool and offers an astounding number of great features to help us get our work done as quickly as possible. However, as great as it is, Word isn’t without its faults, and the inability to quickly delete a page is one of them.
Fortunately, by using any of the methods I mentioned in this article, you can delete a page in Word without too much trouble, allowing you to get on with your work as quickly as possible.
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A golden share is a type of share that gives its shareholder veto power over changes to the company's charter. It holds special voting rights, giving its holder the ability to block another shareholder from taking more than a ratio of ordinary shares.
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Merrill Guided Investing and E*TRADE Core Portfolios are both relatively new to the robo-advisor space. The two services come by way of providers known in financial circles for other things.
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Like many robo-advisors, Ellevest and Betterment share a lot of elements in terms of how accounts are opened and how the portfolios are populated. We dive into the differences.
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UPRVUNL Recruitment 2020: Apply Online for 353 AE, ARO, Technician & Other Posts @ www.uprvunl.org!! Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) has released its notification for 353 vacancies. These vacancies are for the post of AE, ARO, Technician & Other Jobs. The officials of UPRUVNL are inviting online applications from candidates to fill up 353 posts. The board is looking for vibrant and energetic candidates who are eligible to apply for the jobs. If interested, candidates can read the details below and start to apply. The starting date for the online application is 07th March 2020. The last date to apply for UPRVUNL Recruitment is 06th April 2020Extended to 25th May 2020. Eligible candidates start applying at the earliest.
UPRVUNL Recruitment 2020-21
All the details regarding UPRVUNL Recruitment have been provided below for interested candidates. They can read the information in the sections and also refer to the UPRVUNL Notification. Here you will get details of vacancy, salary offered, age limit, education qualification, application fee, application process steps, selection process, and other vital information. Once the candidate has confirmed eligibility, they can proceed to apply online. The online application steps for UPRVUNL Jobs has been given below. Go through the steps carefully and apply for the same. To know more about the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited, click on the website link below or visit the official website @ www.uprvunl.org.
For Technician Grade-II – Candidates must have completed 10th std
For all other posts – Candidates must hold a Bachelors Degree/ Diploma in Engineering/ Technology
Read the official notification for more details on UPRVUNL Careers.
Age Limit:
Name of the Post
Age Limit
Assistant Engineer (Trainee) E & M
Minimum Age
21 Years
Maximum Age
40 Years
Assistant Engineer (Trainee) Civil
Minimum Age
21 Years
Maximum Age
40 Years
Account Officer (Trainee)
Minimum Age
21 Years
Maximum Age
40 Years
Assistant Review Officer
Minimum Age
21 Years
Maximum Age
40 Years
Staff Nurse
Minimum Age
18 Years
Maximum Age
40 Years
Pharmacist
Minimum Age
18 Years
Maximum Age
40 Years
Technician Grade II
Minimum Age
18 Years
Maximum Age
40 Years
Selection Process:
Computer Based Test (CBT)
Interview
Document Verification
Pay Scale for UPRVUNL Recruitment 2020:
Name of the Post
Salary Offered per Month
Assistant Engineer (Trainee) E & M
Rs. 56,100/- to Rs. 1,77,500/-
Assistant Engineer (Trainee) Civil
Rs. 56,100/- to Rs. 1,77,500/-
Account Officer (Trainee)
Rs. 56,100/- to Rs. 1,77,500/-
Assistant Review Officer
Rs. 36,800/- to Rs. 1,16,500/-
Staff Nurse
Rs. 36,800/- to Rs. 1,16,500/-
Pharmacist
Rs. 29,800/- to Rs. 93,400/-
Technician Grade II
Rs. 27,200/- to Rs. 86,100/-
UPRVUNL Online Application Fee:
General/ OBC Candidates – Rs. 1000/-
SC/ ST Candidates – Rs. 700/-
The application fee has to be paid through SB Portal. Candidates may read the official notification to get more details on UPRVUNL online application fees
How to apply for UPRVUNL Recruitment 2020?
Open the official UPRVUNL notification
Read the details carefully and confirm eligibility
Open the online application form
Register, if you are a new user
Log in using your credentials
Fill in all the details and make sure the information is correct
Upload a scanned copy of documents, photograph, and signature where required
Submit the application fee and take a print out of the application form
Pay the prescribed application fee
Address:
Office of the Chief Engineer & Project Co-ordinator, Anpara Thermal Power Station, Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd, Anapara (Sonebhadra), Uttar Pradesh – 231225
BHU UET Admit Card 2020 Releasing Soon. Banaras Hindu University has postponed the Undergraduate Entrance Test (UET) in this lockdown period. As the lockdown is going to end on 17th May 2020, the board decided to conduct the exam from 18th May to 29th May 2020. Therefore, Candidates who are interested to join in a university are suggested to download the BHU Admit Card from here. You have to enter the unique registration ID and other important details to download the hall ticket.
The most important thing to take down the exam is hall ticket. Students who are going to download the BHU University Admit Card must check with the details in it. He/ She will be able to get the admit card only through online mode. The Banaras Hindu University will not send the BHU Varanasi Admit Card via offline to any of the candidates. The Higher officials will issue the hall ticket in the 02nd Week of May 2020. Get the direct link to download the BHU UET Admit Card 2020 from the end of our webpage.
Candidates Name
Name of the Candidate's Father
Exam Hall Number
Date & Time of the Test
Reporting Time to the Exam Hall
Gender (Male/ Female)
Roll Number
Duration of the Online Test
Space for Invigilator's Signature
Registration Number
Name of the Test Centre
Category of the candidates
Space for Applicant's Signature
Name of the University
Photograph of the Candidate
Applicant's Date of Birth
Name of the Written Test
Important Guidelines for the Exam Takers
Full Name of the Applicant
Examination Centre Code
Signature of the Principal
BHU UET Exam 2020
The University has commenced the exam date to be held from 18th May to 29th May 2020. This exam date is tentatively announced the higher officials of Banaras Hindu University. Based on the lockdown duration, the dates may vary. So, candidates are suggested to spend their valuable time for the exam preparation during this quarantine period. The university may upload the exam dates and admit card date for the Post Graduate Entrance Test (PET) also. Though, you have to stay connected with our website to download the BHU UET Entrance Exam Admit Card and for the latest updates.
Download the BHU UET Syllabus pdf from the official website. From the syllabus page, you will get the exam pattern for Undergraduate Entrance Test. For better clarification of the questions in the before exams, refer to the previous papers.
How to download Banaras Hindu University Admit Card?
Click on the Banaras Hindu University Hall Ticket Link.
Enter the Registration Number and Password on the home page.
Now enter the image in the box that is available on the page.
Log in to get the Banaras Hindu University Admit Card.
Admit Card page will appear on the screen.
Fill the needed credentials in the hall ticket.
After filling recheck the details that you have entered.
Once done with the checking Submit the admit card.
Finally, download the hall ticket after the submission.
Take a photocopy of the BHU UET Admit Card.
Carry for the exam and for the upcoming selection rounds.
KSP Police Jobs 2020: Apply Online for 162 SI, RSI, SRSI & PSI Vacancy!! The Karnataka Police is recruiting 162 Sub Inspectors (SI, RSI, SRSI & PSI). This is a wonderful opportunity for Police Job lovers. Many people are waiting for this announcement. The Karnataka state police have announced this notification through the newspaper. Interested candidates can start applying for this KSP SI Jobs 2020 online from 26th May 2020 to 26th June 2020. People have one month’s time to apply for this KSP Police Recruitment. So applicants can read the eligibility details carefully and get ready with your preparation.
KSP Recruitment 2020-21
Many candidates who love to serve & grow the society. Those candidates who are interested in Police Jobs at Karnataka can apply for these Posts. Before applying for the Karnataka State Police Recruitment, candidates must ensure their eligibility. Here we have attached the KSP Recruitment Notification and apply online link. People can make use of this information and prepare for the interview process. You can also find the official website link below if you want to know more about the Karnataka State Police. For more Karnataka government jobs, click here.
KSP Recruitment 2020: Apply Online | 2672 Special Reserve Police Constable & Bandsmen Vacancies: The Karnataka State Police looking for the brave disciplined, service-oriented candidates to fill up 2672 vacancies. Karnataka police department has announced the newspaper notification for Constable & Bandsmen Vacancy. Dear candidates, please do not miss this golden opportunity to join the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP). All the interested applicants can check the eligibility details from this page as well as on the official notification. Applicants can start applying for this KSP Police Recruitment from 18th May 2020 to 15th June 2020. Scroll down to get eligibility criteria and other details.
Karnataka State Police Recruitment 2020
Name of the Organization: Karnataka State Police (KSP)
Name of the Posts: Special Reserve Police Constable & Bandsmen
The administration of the district police is directed by a Superintendent of Police. A group of districts comprises a rank, headed by a General Inspector of the Police. The police administration in Bangalore is run by a police commissioner with the rank of Additional DGP. Mysore, Mangalore, and the city of Hubli-Dharwad are headed by a Police Inspector General (IGP), while Belgaum is headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).
The Director-General and the Inspector General of the Police (DG and IGP) is the head of the state police department, and under him is the Additional Directors General of the Police. Each additional general director of the police is in charge of a particular function: law and order, crimes and technical services, administration, intelligence, the police of the Karnataka state reserve, recruitment, and training.
There are five commissioners. The Commissioner of Bangalore has the rank of Additional Director General of Police, and the commissioners in Hubli-Dharwad, Mysuru, and Mangaluru have the rank of Inspector General of the Police, while the commissioner Belagavi has the rank of Deputy Inspector General of the Police. Six inspectors general of the police is in charge of the ranks, with several inspectors general of the police in charge of specific functions. Each Rank comprises three to six districts, and each district is headed by a Superintendent of Police.
RSMSSB Result 2020 Released Soon:Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have recently uploaded results for various Posts. Now the board has declared the Rajasthan SMSSB Results 2020 on the official website. Here, applicants can get all Results regarding the RSMSSB. We have dedicated this page to upload all the Recent results released from the Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board. Aspirants who are looking for RSMSSB Results 2020 can find on our page. Also, aspirants can visit the official website of Rajasthan SMSSB for checking the result.
RSMSSB Industry Extension Officer Final Result 2020 Released: The direct link to download the result is available in the bottom of the table. Candidates who have written the exams under Industry Extension Officer posts can view their results now. Download and view the result for the post of Handloom Inspector and Salt Inspector.
RSMSSB Final Candidates List of Industry Extension Officer
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB IEO (Handloom Inspector) Final Result 2020: Click Here
RSMSSB IEO (Salt Inspector) Final Result 2020: Click Here
RSMSSB Jr. Instructor DV Result & Cut-off Marks 2020Released for various posts. Candidates who have applied for Junior Instructor posts can now download the Document Verification Result and Cut-off Marks from here. Officials have declared the result on 01st May 2020. Applicants can download the results from the below-given link.
RSMSSB Jr. Instructor DV Result & Cut-off Marks List 2020
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Jr. Instructor (Mechanical Diesel Engine) DV & Cut-off List 2020 – Check Here
RSMSSB Jr. Instructor (Wireman) DV & Cut-off List 2020 – Check Here
RSMSSB Jr. Instructor (Electronics Mechanics) DV & Cut-off List 2020 – Check Here
RSMSSB Jr. Instructor (Mechanic Refrigeration & Air Conditioner) DV & Cut-off List 2020 – Check Here
RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor Final Selected Candidates List 2020 Released: Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have declared the Last Revised List of Selected Candidates for the Post of Physical Training Instructor on 01st May 2020. Applicants who have applied for this Recruitment Exam can download the Last List of Selected Candidates from the below table. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Physical Training Instructor Final Result. Everyone can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB PTI Last List of Selected Candidates 2020
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
Rajasthan SMSSB PTI Final Result & Cut-off Marks 2020: Click Here
RSMSSB Industry Extension Officer Result 2020: Dear Folks !!! Most of the aspirants are searching for the Rajasthan SMSSB Industry Extension Officer Result 2020 can check the results here. The Rajasthan SMSSB has conducted the examination on 22nd December 2019successfully. A vast number of applicants have written this examination and are waiting to know their result status. To help out those applicants, we have updated a quick link to check and download the RSMSSB Industry Extension Officer Result 2020. The result link will be activated when the result is announced officially. The officials of the Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board are planning to announce the Rajasthan SMSSB Industry Extension Officer Result in the month of May 2020 (Tentatively).
RSMSSB Industry Extension Officer Result 2020
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board
Post Name
Industry Extension Officer, Industry Inspector, Economic Investigator, Handloom Inspector, Salt Inspector
RSMSSB Industry Extension Officer Result 2020:Click Here
RSMSSB LDC Clerk Gr-II Results 2020 Released: Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have declared the RSMSSB LDC Clerk Gr-II Results 2020 on 14th February 2020. The RSMSSB has conducted the Combined Competitive Direct Recruitment Exam 2018 from 12th August 2018 to 16th September 2018. The higher officials of Rajasthan SMSSB has announced this recruitment to fill 11255 Vacancies of LDC Clerk (Gr-II) posts. We have provided a direct link to download the Rajasthan SMSSB LDC Results 2020. And the link is activated now.
RSMSSB LDC Results 2020
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board (RSMSSB)
RSMSSB Tax Assistant Revised Result 2020 Released @ rsmssb.rajasthan.gov. Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have declared the Tax Assistant Revised Result on 04th February 2020. As the RSMSSB Commenced the exam on 16th October 2019. Applicants who have applied for this Recruitment Examination can download the Revised Result from the below table. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Tax Assistant Phase II Result 2020. All the candidates can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB Tax Assistant Phase II Result 2020
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board (RSMSSB)
RSMSSB Tax Assistant Phase II Revised Result 2020:Click Here
RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Result 2020 Released: Dear Aspirants !!! Candidates who are searching for the RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Result 2020 can get their results here. The higher authority of the Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board has conducted the Agriculture Supervisor Examination on 03rd March 2019. Most of the aspirants have appeared for the examination and waiting for the results. The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have released the RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Result on 21st January 2020. Here, we have provided a direct link to download the RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Result. Moreover, Candidates can also get the RSMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Cut Off Marks and Merit List 2020 here.
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
Rajasthan SMSSB Agriculture Supervisor Result 2020:Click Here
Rajasthan SMSSB Librarian Result 2020 @ rsmssb.rajasthan.gov. The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have conducted the Librarian Grade 3 Examination on 12th April 2020. Many aspirants appeared for the examination and eagerly waiting for the RSMSSB Librarian Grade III Exam Result 2020. We are there to help such candidates. Moreover, the Rajasthan SMSSB is planning to declare the RSMSSB Librarian Result 2020 in the month of May 2020 Tentatively. So, all the contenders can get the RSMSSB Librarian Grade III Result 2020 here. In addition, candidates can also download the RSMSSB Cut Off Marks 2020 and Merit List 2020 here.
RSMSSB Librarian Result 2020
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board (RSMSSB)
RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Final Result 2020Declared: Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board have recently declared the Final for the Post of Live Stock Assistant on 17th January 2020. Applicants who have appeared for this Exam can download the Final Result from the below table. As we know all those candidates are waiting for the RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Final Result. Everyone can check and download your results from the below links.
RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Final Result 2020
Description
Details
Organization Name
Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board
RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Final Result 2020:Click Here RSMSSB Live Stock Assistant Revised Marksheet:Click Here
RSMSSB Cut Off Marks 2020
The Cut Off Marks 2020 important for scoring good marks in RSMSSB Exam 2020. Cut Off Marks play a vital role in the written examination. Based on the Exam Results the officials of Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board will select the candidates and hire them to certain posts. Aspirants can also go through the official website for further details. Moreover, the RajasthanSMSSB Cut Off Marks 2020 will be based on a few factors that are decided by the Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Service Selection Board. They are
Number of Candidates Attended for the Examination.
Candidate Category.
Toughness level of the Written Test.
Previous years Cut Off Marks.
RSMSSB Merit List 2020
The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board will announce the RSMSSB List 2020 at the time of the results. Merit List is essential for the candidates who have participated in Rajasthan SMSSB Examination 2020. Merit List contains the list of candidates who got the qualified marks. Hence, the aspirants who got selected have to appear for further selection rounds. These aspirants will be given top priority in the next rounds of the selection process. After the official announcement, the Rajasthan SMSSB Merit List 2020 will be available on the official website.
How to Download Rajasthan SMSSB Result 2020?
Visit the official website of the RSMSSB @ rsmssb.rajasthan.gov.in.
Now, the home page will appear on the screen.
You can find RSMSSB Results on the home page
Click on the Results, you will find the Rajasthan SMSSB Result 2020 link.
Click on that link, enter the details like Roll Number, Date of Birth, etc.
Download the Rajasthan SMSSB Result 2020.
Take a print out of it and keep it safe for future use.
Indian Post Office Jobs 2020-2021 – www.indiapost.gov.in
Indian Post Office Recruitment2020: Here is the great news for candidates looking for jobs in the post office. The officials have released its notification to fill in up aspirants for the post of 3951 Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS), MTS, Administrative Officer & other posts. Hence interested and eligible candidates can apply for post issued by the board before the given deadline. The mode of application for this post is online/offline. So to make this Post Office Jobs 2020 as yours apply on or before the Last Date i.e. 15th May 2020. Candidates can apply for Indian Post Office Vacancy 2020 on our page or on the official website @ www.indiapost.gov.in For more government jobs, click here.
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in Uttar Pradesh – Apply Online for 3951 Gramin Dak Sevak Post: Uttar Pradesh Post Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 3951 Gramin Dak Sevak Vacancies. Job Seekers who have passed 10th can apply for Post Office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in from 23rd March 2020 to 22nd April 202007th May 2020Again extended to 15th May 2020.
Uttar Pradesh Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: Uttar Pradesh Postal Circle Name of the Post: Gramin Dak Sevak No. of Vacancies: 3951 Apply Mode: Online Category: Uttar Pradesh Government Jobs Job Location: Uttar Pradesh Official Website: www.indiapost.gov.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
Maharashtra Postal Circle Recruitment 2020
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in Maharashtra – Apply offline for 14 Staff Car Driver Post: Maharashtra Post Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 14 Staff Car Driver Vacancies. Job Seekers who have passed 10th can apply for Post Office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in before 04th May 2020.
Maharashtra Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: Maharashtra Postal Circle Name of the Post: Staff Car Driver No. of Vacancies: 14 Apply Mode: offline Category: Maharashtra Government Jobs Job Location: Maharashtra Official Website: www.indiapost.gov.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
Gujarat Postal Circle Recruitment 2020
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in Gujarat – Apply Offline for 144 Postal Assistant, Postman and MTS Post: Gujarat Post Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 144 Postal Assistant, Postman and MTS Vacancies. Job Seekers who have passed 10th or 12th can apply for Post Office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in from 17th February 2020 to 20th March 2020.
Gujarat Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: Gujarat Postal Circle Name of the Post: Postal Assistant, Postman and MTS No. of Vacancies: 144 Apply Mode: Offline Category: Gujarat Government Jobs Job Location: Gujarat Official Website: www.indiapost.gov.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
West Bengal Postal Circle Recruitment 2020
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in West Bengal – Apply Online for 2021 Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) Post: West Bengal Post Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 2021 Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) Vacancies. Job Seekers who have passed 10th can apply for Post Office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in from 18th February 2020 to 18th March 2020. Get a direct link for India Post Recruitment 2020.
West Bengal Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: West Bengal Postal Circle Name of the Post: Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) No. of Vacancies: 2021 Apply Mode: Online Category: West Bengal Government Jobs Job Location: West Bengal Official Website: www.indiapost.gov.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
Karnataka Postal Circle Recruitment 2020
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in Karnataka – Apply Offline for 44 Junior Accountant, Postal & Sorting Assistant and Postman: Karnataka Post Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 44 Junior Accountant, Postal & Sorting Assistant, and Postman Vacancies. Job Seekers who have passed 10+2 or Bachelors Degree can apply for Post office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in from 18th January 2020 to 16th March 2020.
Karnataka Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: Karnataka Postal Circle Name of the Post: Junior Accountant, Postal & Sorting Assistant, and Postman No. of Vacancies: 44 Apply Mode: Offline Category: Karnataka Government Jobs Job Location: Karnataka Official Website: www.indiapost.gov.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
Karnataka Postal Circle Recruitment 2020
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in Karnataka – Apply Offline for 37,987 MTS & GDS Posts: Karnataka Post Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 37,987 Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) and Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) Vacancies. Job Seekers who have passed 10 can apply for Post office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in before 17th February 2020.
Karnataka Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: Karnataka Postal Circle Name of the Post: Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) and Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) No. of Vacancies: 37,987 Apply Mode: Offline Category: Karnataka Government Jobs Job Location: Karnataka Official Website: www.indiapost.gov.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
Tamilnadu Postal Circle Recruitment 2020
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in Tamilnadu – Apply Offline for 165 Multi-Tasking Staff Vacancies: Tamilnadu Post Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 165 Multi-Tasking Staff Posts. Job Seekers who have passed 10+2 can apply for Post office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in once the notification is officially released.
Tamilnadu Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: Tamilnadu Postal Circle Name of the Post: Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) No. of Vacancies: 165 Apply Mode: Offline Category: Tamilnadu Government Jobs Job Location: Tamilnadu Official Website: www.appost.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
West Bengal Postal Circle Recruitment 2020
Post Office Recruitment 2020 in West Bengal – Apply Offline for 223 Multi-Tasking Staff Vacancies: The West BengalPost Office newly announced Postal Recruitment 2020 Notification to fill up 223 Multi-Tasking Staff Vacancies. Job Seekers who have passed 10th can apply for Post office Jobs 2020 @ www.indiapost.gov.in once the notification is officially released. Check for the India Post vacancy 2020 details from this page.
West Bengal Postal Recruitment 2020 Details
Name of the Organisation: West Bengal Postal Circle Name of the Post: Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) No. of Vacancies: 223 Apply Mode: Offline Category: West Bengal Government Jobs Job Location: West Bengal Official Website: www.appost.in
Official Notification & Application Form – Click Here
About India Post Office: www.indiapost.gov.in vacancy 2020
The Department of Posts(DoP), trading as India Post is a government operated the postal system in India. Generally referred to within India as "the Post Office", it is the most widely distributed postal system in the world. Here on this page applicants can get India Post Recruitment 2020 Pdf. The postal service is under the Department of Posts, which is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Government of India. The Country is divided into 22 postal circles, each circle headed by a chief postmaster general. Candidates can get all the latest openings at India Post Office Vacancy 2020.
Why recruitment.guru for Post Office Recruitment 2020?
India Post Office gives the opportunity to all graduates and other equivalents educational profiles through India Post Office Vacancy. The selection process, job role, requirement, and other criteria may differ according to the job role. Sometimes, you won't get detailed information on the official website. This is where recruitment.guru appears on the display. Applicants who are looking for the Post office job can check this page and get all the Post Office Jobs information.
We provide a consolidated list of Post Office Recruitment current openings with expired jobs in the company. We also provide complete information about the India Post Office Vacancy 2020 selection process, syllabus, exam pattern, previous papers, model papers, etc. we are one who connects you to the official site of India Post Office and gives you complete information regarding the Indian Post Office Job Vacancy. Therefore, stay in touch with our website to get all the latest employment updates and other details.
UP Post Office Recruitment 2020: Online Application for 3951 Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) Vacancies in Uttar Pradesh @ www.uppost.gov.in!! Uttar Pradesh Postal Circle has released a new notification recently. This notification announces 3951 vacancies in the postal circle. The vacancies available are for Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) posts. The officials are inviting eligible candidates to apply online for UP Postal Circle Recruitment. Interested candidates can read all the details of UP Post Office jobs below and start applying for the posts. Candidates can start to apply online from 23rd March 2020. The last date to apply for this UP Post Office Recruitment is 22nd April 202007th May 2020 Again extended to 15th May 2020. Candidates can make good use of this opportunity.
Uttar Pradesh Postal Circle Recruitment 2020-21
Interested candidates can read all the details below. These details are as per the UP Post Office notification released. Here you can read the details given in each section carefully. You can also refer to the official notification for more information. With this, you can check if you are eligible for these posts. If eligible, go ahead to apply for these posts. To apply, click on the UP Post Office Apply Online link given below. Follow the instructions given to apply for these posts. To know more about the Uttar Pradesh Postal Circle, click on the website link given below or visit the official website @ www.uppost.gov.in. Candidates can click here for more Indian Post Office Jobs.
The details of the vacancy as given in the UP Post Office Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Posts
Branch Post Master (BPM)
3951
Assistant Branch Post Manager (ABPM)
Dak Sevak
Eligibility Criteria for UP Post Office Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in UP Post Office Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply.
Academic Qualification:
Candidates must have completed their 10th Std and also know the local language to be eligible for these posts
Knowledge of cycling (Riding scooter and motorcycle is also considered)
Read the official notification for more details on UP Post Office Careers.
Age Limit:
Minimum Age – 18 Years
Maximum Age – 40 Years
For age limit as given in the UP Post Office Recruitment 2020, refer to the official notification
Selection Process:
Written Test
Interview
Document Verification
Pay Scale for UP Postal Circle Recruitment 2020:
Name of the Post
Minimum TRCA for 4 Hours/ Level 1 in TRCA Slab
Minimum TRCA for 5 Hours/ Level 2 in TRCA Slab
Branch Post Master (BPM)
Rs. 12,000/-
Rs. 14,500/-
Assistant Branch Post Master (ABPM)
Rs. 10,000/-
Rs. 12,000/-
Dak Sevak
Rs. 10,000/-
Rs. 12,000/-
UP Post Office Application Fee:
UR/ EWS/ OBC (Male) Candidates – Rs. 100/-
SC/ ST/ PWD/ Female Candidates – No Fee
The application fee has to be paid offline. Candidates may read the official notification to get more details on UP Post Office application fees.
Job Profile for UP Postal Circle Vacancy:
Branch Postmaster:
Managing affairs of GDS Branch Post Office, India Posts Payments Bank (IPPB), and ensuring uninterrupted counter operation during the prescribed working hours using the handheld device/ Smartphone supplied by the Department. The overall management of postal facilities, maintenance of records, upkeep of handheld devices, ensuring online transactions, and marketing of India Post Payments Bank services and procurement of business in the villages or Gram Panchayats within the jurisdiction of the Branch Post Office.
Assistant Branch Postmaster:
Sale of stamps/stationery, conveyance, and delivery of mail at doorstep deposits, payments & other transactions under IPPB, assisting Branch Postmasters in counter duties using the handheld device/ Smartphone supplied by the Department. He will also be required to do marketing, organizing meals, business procurement, and any other work assigned by the Branch Postmaster.
Dak Sevak:
Viz sale of stamps and stationery, conveyance and delivery of mail, and any other duties assigned in the Departmental Post Offices/ RMS. He may also have to assist Post Masters/ Sub Postmasters in managing the smooth functioning of Departmental Post Offices and do marketing, business procurement, or any other work assigned by the Post Master. In Railway Mail Services (RMS), GDS has to handle the work related to RMS, like closing/ opening of bags, transport of bags from one place to other manually, and any other works allotted by the RMS authorities.
How to apply for Post Office Recruitment in Uttar Pradesh 2020?
Visit UP Post Office Official website
Click on the desired notification
Read the notification properly
Click on the apply online link
Fill all the necessary details
Upload your recent photograph
Enclose the scanned copy of necessary documents
Pay the relevant application fee and submit the application form before the last date
Important Dates for UP Post Office Recruitment 2020-21:
Starting Date to Apply
23rd March 2020
Last Date to Apply
22nd April 202007th May 2020(Again Extended to 15th May 2020)
Important Links for UP Postal Circle Recruitment 2020-21:
NIELIT Recruitment 2020: Apply Online | 495 Scientist-B & Technical Assistant – 'A' Posts. National Institue of Electronics & Information Technology is inviting online applications for 495 vacancies. The vacancies include Scientist-B & Technical Assistant – 'A'. These jobs are on a contract basis. Online registration for NIELIT jobs starts on 26th February 2020. The last date to apply for these jobs is 26th March 2020 Extended to 01st June 2020.
NIELIT Recruitment 2020
NIELIT invites applications from eligible and qualified candidates for filling up of following Scientific & Technical Posts in the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Interested candidates can start applying online using the link given below. Before applying, a candidate must check if s/he is eligible for NIELIT Jobs. The candidates can check eligibility using the details given below. They can also refer to the official notification using the link below. Apply now for NIELIT Recruitment 2020.
The details of the vacancy as given in the NIC Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Vacancies
Scientist-'B'
288
Scientific/Technical Assistant – 'A'
207
Total
495
Eligibility Criteria for NIELIT Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in NIELIT Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply online.
Academic Qualification:
Name of the Post
Education Qualification
Scientist – ‘B’
A Pass in Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or B.Tech
Scientific/Technical Assistant- 'A'
A Pass in M.Sc./MS/MCA/B.E./B.Tech in any one or in a combination of the required fields.
Read the official notification for more details on NIELIT Careers.
Age Limit:
Maximum Age Limit – 30 Years
Selection Process:
Written Test
Interview
Pay Scale for NIELIT Career 2020:
Post Name
Salary Details
Scientist-'B'
Rs.56100- Rs.177500/-
Scientific/Technical Assistant – 'A'
Rs.35400- Rs.112400/-
NIC Recruitment Online Application Fee:
Gen & All other candidates – Rs. 800/-
SC/ ST/ PWD/ Women candidates – No fee
How to apply for NIELIT Recruitment 2020?
Visit the official website @ www.nielit.gov.in/delhi
Click on recruitment
Find the advertisement for Scientist-'B' and read it carefully
Open the application form
Fill in all the details correctly
Submit the application form before the last date, i.e., 01st June 2020
General Information :
Date of written test/interview will be informed after 01st June 2020
Document verification will be done only for the candidates who qualify the written test as well as the interview
Location for the written test/ interview will be informed later
These jobs are contract based
Candidates are advised to check the NIELIT website regularly
Address:
National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Delhi Centre 2nd Floor, Parsvnath Metro Mall, Inderlok Metro Station, Inderlok, Delhi – 110052.
About National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT):
NIELIT is an autonomous scientific society under the administrative control of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. It was set up to carry out human resource development and other related activities in the area of information, electronics, and communication technology. At present, NIELIT has 41 offices located across India with its headquarters in Delhi. It also has about 700+ institutions. It is planning a roadmap for adopting appropriate tutoring for making NIELIT into an institute of national importance.
WCL Recruitment 2020: Online Application for 303 Apprentice Posts in India @ www.westerncoal.in!! Western Coalfields Limited has released its WCL Notification recently. There has been an announcement to hire 303 candidates. The post available in this WCL Recruitment is Apprentice. Interested candidates are called to apply online for these posts. The details have been given below. Aspirants can start to apply online from 05th May 2020. The last date to apply for this DME India Recruitment is 19th May 2020. Make good use of this opportunity now. Selected candidates will be placed anywhere in India.
Western Coalfields Limited Recruitment 2020-21
All the details that the candidates need to know about the WCL Jobs have been given below. Interested candidates can go through all the details in the sections below. After reading these details, you will get a clear idea about your eligibility for the WCL Careers. In case of any doubts, you can also refer to the official notification. Once you have confirmed your eligibility for these posts, you can proceed to apply online. To apply you will have to click on the WCL Apply Online link. Fill in the form and submit it before the last date. The steps of the application have been given below for clarification. To know more about the Western Coalfields Limited, click on the website link below or visit the official website @ www.westerncoal.in.
Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) is one of the eight Subsidiary Companies of Coal India Limited (CIL) which is under the regulatory control of the Ministry of Coal. The Company consolidated under the Companies Act, 1956 has its enlisted office at Coal Estate, Civil Lines, Nagpur–440001. WCL has been presented “Miniratna” status on fifteenth March’2007. The Company has contributed about 7.02% of the national coal generation during 2015-16.
Mumbai: State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and some other large lenders came together on Wednesday to resurrect the idea of a 'bad bank' as an economic slowdown intensified by Covid-19 threatens to saddle lenders with more sticky loans.The proposed 'bad bank' would function like a large asset reconstruction company for the banking system, holding a chunk of non-performing assets (NPAs) and giving lenders a chance to improve their balance sheets and to focus on core banking activities. The concept, abandoned for more than a year, is now being revisited with the country's largest lender SBI taking the lead."SBI discussed the idea with other large banks, seeking their in-principle approval. Banks plan to approach the government for initial contribution of at least ₹10,000-15,000 crore for the proposed entity which would function like a system ARC. 75589722To Require Capital of Over Rs 50,000 Crore"If the government is unwilling, banks will have to explore other options, but that could make it more difficult. This is a matter where the government should really step in," said a senior banker aware of the proposal."It could be a typical structure where the banks transferring the loans share the upside if the recovery is good or the borrowing company turns around… we should have done this long ago," said another banker.The 'bad bank' model has been tried in advanced markets including the UK, Japan and some European countries. Such a proposal was pursued by former RBI deputy governor Viral Acharya, but there was little progress as Acharya's relations with New Delhi soured.Many in the banking circles think that with the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) slowly taking off, it's an appropriate time to set up a bad bank, which would function as an independent entity run by professionals. It can focus on salvaging sunk loans through the traditional recovery process or can pursue them through IBC, which is believed to be an effective resolution mechanism. Such an entity focusing on distressed assets would do away with the timeconsuming process through which multiple banks arrive at an inter-creditor pact.A bad bank would require capital of well over Rs 50,000-60,000 crore if it has to take care of about Rs 10 lakh crore gross NPAs of the Indian banking system. However, helped by the IBC, NPAs reported by banks dipped in 2019 after rising for seven years."It can't be just another ARC. To make a bad bank meaningful, it should be positioned in a way, with the right kind of professionals, so that it does not come under the influence of big banks looking for a place to dump their toxic assets," said an industry veteran.
KOLKATA: The diamond cutting and polishing hub of Surat will lose business to rivals China, Thailand and African countries unless it quickly comes out of the lockdown and resumes work, Bruce Cleaver, chief executive of global diamonds giant De Beers, told ET."Surat is the biggest diamond polishing hub in the world. Having said that, it won't be the only place for polishing diamond. There are other places where polishing is done on a smaller scale like southern Africa. There are other diamond polishing centres like China and Thailand," he said.Diamond trade at Surat has come to a halt because of the lockdown. Further, industry bodies have decided to stop importing rough diamonds for a month in view of business uncertainty in the face of the spread of Covid-19 across the globe. Many migrant workers in the business have left Surat.De Beers wants work to resume quickly. "Customers of De Beers and midstream are flexible and smart. They can look at other places for some polishing work though India will continue to be the most important cutting and polishing centre in the world."However, Babubhai Kathiria, president of Surat Diamond Association, said that nearly 500,000-600,000 workers are leaving Surat for their home towns. "No production can begin before June. We have to put in place the social distancing norms before the factories can restart. There are 5,000 units in Surat that are engaged in diamond polishing and cutting."De Beers has cut its production guidance for 2020 by nearly 25% from its initial estimate of 32-34 million carats to reduce pressure on Indian midstream diamond trade. It has also given more flexibility to purchasers of rough diamonds. 75589900"We recognise that Indian diamond industry is in a difficult condition due to the ongoing pandemic. But global trade is important. Where we can and where there is demand, we don't shut off economic activity. If there is demand, there should be no artificial barrier in way of demand. We should keep the supply chain going," Cleaver said.Reacting to Cleaver's comment, Colin Shah, vice-chairman, Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, said, "Our stand is clear. We will not import rough diamonds for a month as there is no demand in the global markets. Also we have to put in place the SOP (standard operational practice) before starting production."Cleaver said that, while the economic impacts of the pandemic will be different in the main consumer markets, encouraging signals coming out of China point to the beginnings of a recovery. Consumer demand has started to return in the country as the lockdown has eased.""Demand from the US is expected to return in the second half of 2020. The medium and long-term prospect of the industry looks good. As people re-emerge from lockdown, they will seek to mark those relationships that are most important in their lives, and we believe diamonds will play a meaningful part in that ritual," said Cleaver.
NEW DELHI: India needs to handle its relationship with alcohol better, said top mental health experts at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (Nimhans). Concerned about crowds outside liquor shops violating social distancing norms, one of them underscored "the need to acknowledge the country's drinking behaviour and not be condescending towards alcohol consumption".Long queues formed outside liquor shops in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow and other cities after they reopened on Monday. But Delhi had to close some shops because of the overcrowding even as the state imposed an additional levy on liquor. Maharashtra police had to use force to disperse people in several areas and the state had to shut liquor shops in Mumbai. To be sure, there's also no escaping the link between drinking and domestic violence, experts said.A policy on alcohol supplies, especially during a lockdown, is needed, said Atul Ambekar, professor of psychiatry at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of AIIMS."In India, we have always had this 'vice versus virtue' dichotomy whenever we talk about alcohol," he said. "It is well known that alcohol can be a public hazard, but not making alcohol available hasn't ever worked. A substantial part of India is middle class that does not have a bar or a stock at home. What we need is a sensible regulation and a sensible market. The crowds are not surprising as the product was not available for 40 days. We saw crowds for food, transport too."'Calibrate Demand, Supply'Policymakers need to calibrate demand and supply, to maintain social distancing, and seriously consider options such as home delivery of alcohol, said Rajesh Nagpal of the Delhi Psychiatric Society."It is a biological need," he said. "One cannot wish it away by a policy tweak, or temporary unavailability. Policymakers should leave their moral glasses far away when they frame rules in this regard."It might have been better to have kept the vends working throughout. "Looking at the crowds, in hindsight, one can say that the sale of liquor sale in retail outlets could have remained open. That could have prevented rebound crowding," Nimhans director BN Gangadhar told ET. "The breaking of social distancing norms for liquor in many states is disturbing because it can affect the gain we have had from the lockdown... Like coffee powder or milk, or oil, alcohol is an essential for many people. This is a lesson to remember — to not shut the supply of alcohol completely."Store PickupsAllowing store pickups of alcohol, as with takeaway food, could have been one option."People would have come in batches, waited and gone back with what they want, just like they did with food packets," he said. "The crowding was due to eight weeks of ban and then fear that what if the clampdown happens again."Instead of bans, the country needs support systems to deal with dependence, he said."While fewer people drink alcohol in India when compared to the international average, one third of them are likely to suffer from alcohol-induced disorder here," Ambekar said.Withdrawal SymptomsDoctors across the country reported a surge in patients with severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the initial weeks of the lockdown, prompting the health ministry to release a video on 'How to Safely Stop Drinking due to Lockdown'."The pricing structure and alcohol market in India is also responsible in many ways for this, because the low alcohol concentrated beverages are much more expensive in India, compared to high-level ones such as whisky," Ambekar said. "Hence, by volume, it is more affordable for a person to get drunk on whisky than beer, as the latter tends to get more expensive."The pricing structure should be inverted, he said. State governments typically derive about 15-30% of their total revenue from excise levied on alcohol.According to a report by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of AIIMS last year, about 160 million people consume alcohol in India."Even in developed countries, this issue of how much should bars be allowed at a time like this has been raised," Ambekar said. "It is very difficult to label alcohol as an essential product anywhere in the world, but at the same time, a complete ban on availability of alcohol is also problematic to a society where a substantial amount of people consume alcohol… Online registration, home delivery and other models have to be explored."Alcohol & domestic abuseAs for alcohol and domestic abuse, in the past month, the National Commission for Women has seen a significant increase in the number of cases across the country."When a person is dependent on alcohol, it induces an instability and he may indulge in violent behaviour. All forms of violence get aggravated when the person is under the influence of alcohol, be it domestic violence, intimate partner violence, street violence," Ambekar said. "What is also true is that the risk of violence grows when people are suffering from withdrawal."People are also apt to want a drink because of the current uncertainty. "Besides the fear of infection, there are serious social and economic reasons that are pushing people to worry — it could be a job loss or a delayed surgery or an exam or postponed marriage," Gangadhar said. "Disruption of routine is a huge trigger for stress. It can lead people to drink more, smoke more, eat more, depend more on mobile screens."ET VIEW: Liquor Home Delivery, ASAPWhen medical experts say liquor sales should be intelligently regulated, so that demand can be met and crowding avoided, governments should listen. Home delivery from shops and online purchases must be allowed immediately. It's baffling why most states are dithering on this, since they need the revenue. And as the experts said, regulated liquor sales could have continued through the lockdown, and we wouldn't have been seeing crowds, lathicharge and panicky open-then-shut orders.
NEW DELHI: Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have found that while fever and cough are the most common symptoms of Covid-19, digestive symptoms like diarrhoea and neurological symptoms like stroke could be emergency signs that warrant immediate medical attention.They have seen that in some patients Covid-19 can also infect other organs and not just the respiratory tract, causing a wide range of symptoms from gastrointestinal disorders to a brain stroke.Larger studies from China and France have also investigated the prevalence of neurological disorders in Covid-19 patients.Their studies showed that 36% of patients have had neurological symptoms. The studies also revealed many other symptoms such as headache or dizziness. Other more specific and severe symptoms were also seen, including loss of smell or taste, muscle weakness, stroke, seizure and hallucinations.75590010Likewise, nearly half of the Covid-19 patients enrolled in the study conducted in the Hubei province of China exhibited digestive symptoms, such as diarrhoea and anorexia, and cited them as their chief complaint.The preliminary findings from AIIMS are part of 49 research projects which the institute has initiated to study Covid-19 and its behaviour."Maximum patients will show flulike symptoms but in some percentage it has been seen that they did now show flu-like symptoms but showed rare manifestations like neurological and diarrhoeal symptoms," said a senior AIIMS doctor, who did not wish to be named.AIIMS director Randeep Guleria has constituted a task force for Covid-19 research."The projects take into account various aspects of the disease, point of care, diagnostics, patients who are asymptomatic and the effect on contacts. There is an array of such projects," said Guleria.AIIMS is conducting studies on healthcare workers, looking into not only the effect of hydroxychloroquine but also their psychological well-being."We are also looking into psychological aspect of Covid-19 on healthcare workers infected with the virus," said the doctor cited earlier. "The study is assessing the impact of Covid-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers and its effect on the contacts of healthcare workers. The healthcare workers and their contacts have been given a proforma which will be evaluated."The patients are asymptomatic, said the doctor, and AIIMS studies are also looking at why does it happen, the severity of infection, patients on ventilator, computer designing of drugs, artificial intelligence, effect of Covid-19 on non-Covid patient consultations, rapid diagnosis and intervention trials related to repurposing of drugs and equipment-related innovations.The study on whether hydroxychloroquine is effective is underway. Other studies, to look into whether plasma therapy is significant and the World Health Organization's solidarity trial, have yet to be started at AIIMS, according to doctors.The solidarity trial will compare four different treatment regimens and will compare their effectiveness to what is called standard of care — the regular support hospitals treating Covid-19 patients use now. These are antiviral compound called remdesivir, malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, a combination of HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir, and that same combination plus interferon-beta, an immune system messenger that can help cripple viruses.At a time when more than 50 drugs and experimental cocktails are being examined to treat Covid-19, the Indian Council of Medical Research has also decided to look at "repurposed molecules" and go for their in-vitro testing on the isolates that India has generated so far.
Bengaluru: Builders and global private equity players with a large portfolio of malls in India say it is not financially feasible to waive rentals for long as they have to meet their interest and other liabilities. Large operators of malls such as Xander-backed Virtuous Retail, Select Group, Phoenix Group and Blackstone-backed Nexus have not waived rentals for their tenants. But others such as Brigade Group and Prestige Group have offered a three-month moratorium on rents. "With a large fixed expense base and financial commitments to lenders, it won't be possible to pass on much benefits if the government doesn't give any rebate on loan payments and fixed expenses like property tax, electricity tariff, local taxes and other costs," said Pankaj Renjhen, chief executive, Virtuous Retail Property Services. Prestige Group, which has waived rents till May, said long-term waiver is not possible. "We are not liable to waive rentals for retailers for longer durations as there are financial obligations towards banks," said Irfan Razack, MD at Prestige Group. "Financial institutions have only given three months moratorium (on loan repayments) and not waivers."According to mall operators, some domestic and international retailers are expecting deep discounting in their financial commitments, such as a reduced revenue share, besides rental waivers for up to a year. "As of now, it looks like electricity charges and bank interest will be borne by developers and no respite seems to be coming from the government or the retailers," a senior executive with a PE fund said, requesting anonymity. "The banks seem to have deferred EMIs and not waived the same, adding to the pressure." But some developers said they would prefer to wait and see how the lockdown plays out.
Mumbai: Residential property prices across key markets have declined by 2-9% since the lockdown came into effect in late March, a survey by property portal Magicbricks shows. Among tier-I cities, Pune and Bengaluru witnessed the least decline in buying sentiment due to the uncertainties caused by the outbreak of Covid-19, according to the survey."The industry was already suffering from liquidity crisis and constructions delays, and now Covid-19 and the resultant lockdown has just compounded the problems for the industry," said Sudhir Pai, CEO, Magicbricks. "This has temporarily affected the buying intent of more than 80% of home buyers across tier-I cities."This in turn, Pai said, has also delayed the home buying process by six to nine months, and the price drop may encourage those who are planning to invest.National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) already had sluggish market sentiments before the lockdown and comparatively lower consumer buying intent.The survey indicated that both these markets are likely to be slightly less affected by the lockdown when compared with cities like Ahmedabad and Kolkata.Magicbricks is a part of Bennett, Coleman & Co, which publishes The Economic Times.
Mumbai: GlaxoSmithKline and Horlicks will sell up to $3.4 billion (Rs 26,090 crore) worth of Hindustan Unilever shares through what could be India's biggest secondary market block trades on Thursday, with the British drugmaker looking to monetise about 5.7 per cent of HUL stock it had got after last year's merger of GSK Consumer Healthcare and the country's most valuable FMCG company. ET first reported about the potential deal on December 16.Glaxo is seeking to benefit from the surge in HUL stock, which has climbed a fifth since the deal was announced a year ago. By contrast, the Sensex has declined about a fifth. At Rs 4.72 lakh crore, HUL is India's fourth most-valued company.The transaction is priced between Rs 1,850 and Rs 1,950 per share, offering a 3 per cent to 8 per cent discount to HUL's Wednesday closing price of Rs 2010.2 on the NSE, according to the terms of the transaction seen by ET. Based on this, the deal will be valued between Rs 24,750 crore and Rs 26,090 crore.The implied value of HUL, based on the swap ratio announced in December 2018, was Rs 1,717 per share. The current market value of HUL is about 17 per cent higher.Around 134 million shares, totalling 5.69 per cent of outstanding as of April 21, 2020, will be offloaded, according to the term sheet. The merger of GSK Consumer and HUL had taken place on the basis of a swap exchange ratio of 4.39 HUL shares for each GSK Consumer share held.The holding of promoters of HUL would reduce to 61.50 per cent from 67.19 per cent. Foreign funds, local funds and insurers own 12.10 per cent, 2.87 per cent and 3.39 per cent, respectively.JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and HSBC are the book runners to the trade.Analysts believe that merger of HUL and GSK Consumer will have substantial revenue and cost synergies in the next three to five years, ranging from media efficiency, lower staff cost, distribution advantage and lower corporate overheads. All these may drive margin expansion up to 1,000 basis points. 75590138HUL's distribution, which is nearly three times of GSK Consumer, would help deeper penetration of GSK consumer products. Credit Suisse in note after the GSK merger said that GSK had one of the highest fixed cost structures in the FMCG industry in India.Its costs excluding material costs and advertising spends were 34 per cent of sales in FY19. At HUL, it was 19 per cent of sales."HUL is seen as the most efficient in the (Indian FMCG) pack. In this context, we expect the twin overhang of possible collateral damage from a sharp slowdown in overall economy, and GSK Plc's upcoming stock-offering to keep the stock price under check for the time being," JM Financial analysts Richard Liu, Vicky Punjabi and Nikita Maheshwari wrote on April 30.
Mumbai: Franklin Templeton's global chief has partly blamed a rule introduced in October 2019 by India's capital markets regulator for the fiasco that led to winding up of six of its debt schemes. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) mandated mutual funds to cap their exposure to unlisted non-convertible debentures (NCDs) at 10% of the schemes' corpus. In a conference call after its earnings, Franklin's CEO Jennifer Johnson said the rule "orphaned" one-third of their funds as these unlisted NCDs could not be traded after the circular."In India, anything below AAArated is considered non-investment grade. And the high-yield market is still very immature there. So, we've had a large fund... it's actually six funds that were invested with a lot of this kind of private debt. And in October of 2019, unfortunately, Sebi came out with new guidelines saying that any investments in unlisted instruments you can't have more than 10% in a fund, and you can't trade them," Johnson told analysts. "It really was about selling those assets at a fire sale and very little buyers because of this regulation not permitting trading."The fund house announced closure of six debt fund schemes with effect from April 24 and blocked redemptions indefinitely. These included Franklin India Low Duration Fund, Dynamic Accrual Fund, Credit Risk Fund, Short Term Income Plan, Ultra Short Bond Fund and Income Opportunities Fund."We had worked hard managing laddering maturities, diversifying sectors, diversifying ownership and had been able to manage really a decline from about $7 billion to just under $4 billion... But it just got to the point with the pandemic, where essentially the market froze up and you had increasing redemptions," said Johnson.Events like default by Vodafone Idea because of the Supreme Court ruling on adjusted gross revenue dues against the company "created a bit of run on their funds", she said.The asset management company said it was not a solvency issue as its underlying holdings had good credits. "It was really just timing of the redemptions versus our ability to create liquidity to meet them. We were worried about the impact on our equity business there, on our high credit business," Johnson said.Franklin's executive chairman Gregory E Johnson said they hope to minimise the effect of the event on its brand in India and its equity fund management business but conceded it will have an impact.
MUMBAI: Cognizant Technology Solutions said it would acquire Collaborative Solutions, a private consultancy that specialises in Cloud applications for finance and human resources. The firm did not reveal the acquisition amount. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020. This is Cognizant's fourth acquisition of a cloud services related business.In March, it had signed a deal to acquire digital marketing consultancy Lev; in February, it bought over the French operations of Salesforce-specialised digital consultancy EI-Technologies; and bought Code Zero Consulting the same month.Collaborative Solutions specialises in a Workday enterprise cloud application partner. Workday is an on-demand (cloud-based) financial management and human capital management software vendor.
By Dhwani PandyaIndia's construction sector, the country's biggest job creator, is facing a shortage of workers amid a record increase in national unemployment.That's because internal migrants, who comprise about half India's workforce, are choosing to return to their villages after facing hunger and weeks of uncertainty in cities because of the coronavirus lockdown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government this week permitted state governments to transport their citizens across state borders, around the same time it allowed certain economic activities to resume while extending most stay-at-home rules through May 17."While utmost effort is being made to keep the workers in safe and hygienic conditions, along with food provision and masks allocation, the workers are not ready to return to the sites and have been longing to go back to their native places," said Sandeep Runwal, managing director at Mumbai-based Runwal Group. The laborers want "to be with their families as uncertainties rise around the lockdown," he said.The challenge of retaining staff despite 12.2 crore people losing their jobs in India last month shows how difficult it will be for Modi to restart Asia's No. 3 economy, where the bulk of the workforce comprises so-called informal labour that are denied security and benefits. Economists predict a rare contraction in national output and have urged Modi to ensure food and a basic income for the poorest Indians.Runwal doesn't expect the workers to return anytime soon. The two-decade-old Goodwill Developers is also facing a similar squeeze."We have not been able to start any construction activity and it might take some time to re-start the process," founder Hakim Lakdawala said in an interview.India's construction sector has been under pressure since late 2016, when Modi introduced DeMo, followed by the glitchy roll out of a nationwide sales tax and a crisis in the shadow bank sector that funds developers. The lockdown further choked cashflow and contracters were unable to pay workers, according to Pankaj Kapoor, managing director at property research firm Liases Foras. He predicts 20 lakh workers from Mumbai will choose to return to their villages.The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India lists availability of credit and raw materials as other impediments."Unless there is a resumption in the whole supply chain management of the industries feeding into the real estate sector, the process of construction will again come to halt in the next few weeks," said Amit Modi, CREDAI president.
Yes, I'm definitely a book worm (a person who loves to read)! I believe that books are a way to not only escape, but also to gain more knowledge. By the same token, people who read tend to have a richer vocabulary and a higher level of general knowledge, so they tend to have more to converse about.
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers- Ebook
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Do you read electronic book ?
Definitely yes. I'm a real sucker for e-books as they are portable. I often download my favorite books and copy them to my smartphones or Ipads and when I'm on the bus in other public places, I will take my hi-tech devices out and start to read right on my phone.
What was your favorite book as a child?
I remember being very fond of a book called "My Sister's Keeper". I recall that it was the story of two sisters, one of which needed a kidney transplant. Although the sister was initially apprehensive(scared; nervous) to do so, she ended up donating a kidney to her sister and saving her.
Have you lent books to other?
At times, I reckon. My friends and t are avid readers and would love to exchange books with one another. So, I often lend my books, mostly English books to my besties and get in return some comic books to read in my free time.
Have you borrowed books from others?
As I have said, I have a circle of friends who are bookworms! which means I'm in the habit of borrowing some comic books from my friends to while away the time during days off or just to catch up on things in the Manga world.
Do you read professional books ?
At the moment, I'm getting bogged down with work! so I can't manage decent time for reading books related to my major field of study, but in the past during my university years, I had to say I was a bookworm, and purchased books every week to enhance my expertise.
Absolutely! They are an excellent way to unwind (relax; free your mind). Moreover, my friends are realt into films, so it's a fun, relaxing way to spend time together. Afterwards, we discuss and debate the film that we have just watched. Apart from just relaxing and enjoying the film, I like to delve deeper(get to the deeper meaning) to discover the subliminal messages.
Hmm it's hard to say the first, but I think it was the Lion King. I know it first came out in the early 90's when I was a child. It was my absolute favorite- I used to watch it repeatedly until my parents were really tired of it! I even built "pride rock" out of rocks that I found when we would go to visit my relatives who have a garden.
3. Do you prefer foreign films or films made in your country?
Since my country doesn't have a huge film industry, I've always been really into American films. Not to knock (to insult; discredit) other film industries, but American ones are incredibly entertaining and well-made; the evolution of film continues to amaze me. Moreover, I only watch films in English so it helps me to learn new slang and expressions.
4. How often do you watch films?
Well, I am quite a busy bee (a busy person), but I manage to see about one or two films a week at home. After a long day of studying, I love snuggling up (getting comfortable with blankets) on the sofa and watching a film to unwind. I tend to do this on Friday and Sunday evenings with my friends.
5. What kinds of movies do you like best?
Well, I would say I'm still a kid at heart (a person who still feels like a child in their heart), so I really enjoy watching kids' movies. Although they seem simple and innocent, there are often many life lessons packed into these films. Moreover, I'm really into drama and historical movies. When I watch these, I feel that I can more deeply understand human emotions and re-live historical moments, like the Vietnam-America War or World War II.
6. Do people in your country like to go to a cinema to watch a film?
I would say so. Since people like to go out with their families on the weekends, this is often an activity that they would choose. Moreover, teenagers enjoy this activity as a way to get out of the house. Furthermore, it's often a popular date option for many people!
7. How often do you go to a cinema to watch a movie?
Not too often actually. As the prices in my country are quite high, I usually opt to(choose) watch a movie at home instead to save on costs. Actually, I think it's kind of a waste of money to see a movie at a cinema when you can watch it from the comfort of your living room. I only go when a friend invites me, which is maybe 4 times a year.
8. Do you like to watch movies alone or with your friends?
Both! On one hand, I find it extremely relaxing to chill out and fall asleep to a film by myself, but it's also enjoyable to have company. So, all in all, I prefer films with friends, since they are also into film. Afterwards, we can discuss the meaning and carry on inside jokes (jokes among friends) from quotes from the film later on!
9. Would you like to be in a movie?
Not one bit! As I have stage fright (fear of being on stage), I would never have the guts (never be brave enough to) to do it. Secondly, I feel awkward when I try to act and I have the memory of a goldfish (short memory) so I know I could never memorize my lines! All in all, acting is simply not my thing.
It's a jungle climate, so it's quite hot all year long. During wet season, it is extremely humid and sticky. For many, the climate is hard to take. For me, I'm used to it. I don't even sweat profusely (sweat a lot).
Two seasons- wet and dry. They each last about half the year. In wet season, there are downpours (extreme, heavy rain) and it's generally humid and sticky. In dry season, it is a dry heat. I find dry season to be a lot more comfortable although the flora in wet season is more impressive.
What is your favorite season?
I would say dry season. It's difficult to get around during wet season during a downpour since our culture is to go around by motorbike, not to mention that the streets flood easily. All in all, it's a hassle (annoying or difficult). So, I much prefer the dry season since it's a dry, more bearable heat.
What kind of weather do you like most?
If I could choose, I would say about 28 degrees, dry, with a cool breeze. This would be ideal whether to go for a motorbike ride around the countryside or lie out on the beach. Since I don't like extremes, this would be perfect for me.
Do you prefer dry or wet weather?
Dry! As I said before, heavy rain becomes a hassle in my city. Moreover, the dry heat feels a lot more comfortable, as the humidity is nearly unbearable in this part of the world at times.
Well, everyday of course! Staying hydrated(provide water for someone to keep them healthy) is a priority for me since I easily get a headache if I don’t, not to mention my weight loss goals. Drinking enough water is critical for our health.
All different kinds; I'm not too picky (selective)! I either drink tap water that I put in a Brita filter or bottled water from time to time (sometimes). I usually put water in my refillable water bottle and carry it around me with me all day.
3. Do you drink bottled water or water from water machines?
Bottled water. Since the water in my country is potable (drinkable), I usually opt for that with a filter to improve the flavor. If this isn’t available to me, I buy a bottle of water, although I prefer not to because of my environmental concerns.
IELTS Writing Actual Test & Band 9.0 Argumentative Essay – Topic: Technological Effect on Environment
Development in technology has brought various environmental problems. Some believe that people need to live simpler lives to solve environmental problems. Others, however, believe technology is the way to solve these problems. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Band 9.0 Model Essay:
The improvements in technology currently bring about harmful effects on the environment. While some people believe having simpler lives is the only solution, I would argue that technological advances can help to tackle these environmental problems.
IELTS Writing Recent Actual Test (Task 2) 2020 with Sample Answers (Ebook)
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On the one hand, it is believed that individuals need to live simple lives and rely less on technology. The first suggestion is that people should walk or cycle rather than drive cars. This is because the current number of cars being manufactured and used is increasing, which causes high levels of exhaust fumes and makes air pollution become serious. Additionally, people should try to reduce their consumption of electricity so that the exploitation of natural resources such as fossil fuels or nuclear power can be minimised. An example of this idea is the annual event called Earth Hour where everyone is asked to turn their lights off for sixty minutes.
On the other hand, I believe the developments of technology can greatly contribute to environmental protection. Firstly, because of those improvements, people are able to come up with ways to recycle materials such as paper or glass, which reduces the problem of waste disposal. Secondly, technology can also help to create electricity using renewable resources. For example, many countries in the world have built plants that utilise solar energy to generate power. As a result, it is not necessary to rely on non-renewable resources, and people can create electricity without significantly damaging the environment.
In conclusion, while some people think that they should live simpler lives to prevent environmental issues, I would argue that these problems can be dealt with by technological improvements.
(270 words, by IELTS Teacher, Quang Thang)
Useful Expressions:
exploitation: the use of land, oil, minerals, etc ==>commercial exploitation of the mineral resources in Antarctica
waste disposal: the act of getting rid of sth
plant: a factory ==>a chemical plant
utilise: to use something, especially for a practical purpose ==>The Romans were the first to utilise concrete as a building material.
IELTS Writing Actual Test in December, 2015 & Band 9.0 Argumentative Essay
The government and individuals are spending too much money on national celebrations like new year or festivals. Do you agree or disagree?
Band 9.0 Sample:
People have different views about whether public expenditure on national occasions such as new year or festivals is too much nowadays. While I agree that governments and individuals are spending a significant amount of money on those celebrations, I would argue that this activity is necessary and therefore can be considered acceptable.
It is true that a large amount of money is currently spent on some important celebrations of a country. Firstly, governments are spending a proportion of their budget on holding events to celebrate these occasions. For example, much money is being paid for fireworks on New Year’s eve in many countries around the world. Secondly, individuals also spend money to have celebrations and parties with their families, which is a common habit in many areas. For instance, my parents and I often have a special dinner on the final day of every year.
However, I believe there are great benefits of public spending on national celebrations, and therefore it is completely justifiable. The first advantage is that this is a great way to preserve the culture of a nation. To illustrate, Lunar New Year is an important part of the Vietnamese culture, and holding celebrations for this occasion is necessary to remind younger generations of this tradition. Additionally, since these occasions are usually the only times for family members to have time and enjoy together, it is understandable that people would want to spend money on something that makes them happy. Finally, as there are only a few national celebrations in a year, the amount of money spent on those days is unlikely to be too much.
In conclusion, I disagree with the idea that people and governments are spending too much money on national occasions.
(288 words, by IELTS Teacher, Quang Thang)
Useful Vocabulary:
expenditure: an amount of money spent ==>The government plans to increase expenditure on health
justifiable: existing or done for a good reason, and therefore acceptable
preserve: to keep sth in its original state in good condition – a perfectly preserved 14th century house
remind: to help sb remember sth – That smell reminds me of France.
IELTS Writing Actual Test in December, 2015 & Band 9 Argumentative Essay – Topic:
People should follow the customs and traditions when people start to live in a new country. To what extent do you agree or disagree ?
Band 9.0 sample
Many people argue that foreigners should adapt to the local customs and traditions when they come to reside in a new country. I completely agree with this view. Newcomers will certainly face difficulties if they do not conform to the norms of social behaviour in the host country. Firstly, it will become almost impossible for them to blend into their new environment. For example, an entrepreneur who comes to live in a new country and starts up a business must be aware of the business practices of that country. There are bound to be many pitfalls, not only legal ones but also simply in terms of winning and keeping customers. Secondly, recent immigrants might fall foul of the law if they do not respect the behaviour and customs of locals. In Singapore, for instance, residents will consider newcomers dirty and ill-mannered if they litter the street or spit gum in public places.
There are also many benefits for foreigners when they do adopt the customs and traditions of their new country of residence. One advantage is that local people will be more welcoming when they feel that the newcomers are showing respect for the local way of life. The establishment of closer links with the host community might lead to greater integration and mutual understanding. Another benefit is the richness of the experience which newcomers will gain from enjoying aspects of local customs and traditions, enabling them to participate in community life and avoid social isolation. During festivals and national holidays, especially, they will feel like they 'belong' in their new country.
In conclusion, I would argue that it is essential for new residents to follow the traditions and habits of locals in the host community in order to integrate fully into society.
(293 words)
Use words/phrases:
the norm of social behaviour: standards of behaviour that are typical of and accepted within society.
Ex: The norm of social behaviour in Muslim coutries includes not drinking alcohol in public places
hot country: a country which receives visitor or new residents
Ex: Refugees who escape from war zones often face difficulties in a new host country.
pitfalls : a hidden danger or difficulty, which it is not easy or possible to see at first.
Ex: When you buy a car, go with a mechanic to avoid any pitfalls which will cause problems later.
fall foul of the law : to get into trouble with the police because you are doing something illegal.
Ex: In most countries, if you drink and drive, you will fall foul of the law.
Check out the latest Part 1 topics and questions for your IELTS tests from September to December 2017. You can also get an valuable ebook titled “IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Sample Answers” to read Band 9.0 model answers for IELTS Speaking Actual Tests (Full 3 Parts) that appears in the IELTS speaking module from September to December 2017.
1. Advertisement
Are there many advertisements in your country?
Why do you think there are so many advertisements now?
What are the various places where we see advertisements?
How do you feel about advertisements?
What kinds of advertisements do you like most?
What do you think are the purposes of advertising?
How much time do you think people should spend on working per week?
6. Accommodation/House
Do you live in a house or flat? Do you like it? Does your family like it? How would you change your apartment or house? How long have you lived there? Do you live with your family? Is the transport around your home convenient? What's your neighborhood like? What's your favorite room? Is there anything you want to change about this room? Do you want to move? What kind of place did you live in when you were little? What kind of apartments or houses do you want to live in the future? Do you want to live on the countryside? Do you spend more or less time with your family than before?
What are the differences between men and women in reading magazines?
What are different kinds of magazines?
Do people in your country like reading magazines or books more?
Do people in countryside read the same kinds of magazines as people in the city?
Do you think magazines one day can disappear?
What are the differences between newspaper and magazine?
==> Sample Answer
14. Neighbor
How well do you know the people who live next door to you?
How often do you see them?
What kinds of problem do people sometimes have with their neighbours?
How do you think neighbours can help each other?
15. High School
What about your first feelings in school ? 2. Which teacher left deep impression on you ? 3.What subjects did you study in secondary school (=high school)? 4. What was your favourite subject in secondary school (=high school)? 5. And which subject did you like the least? (Why?)
16. Occupation
Do you work or study? What work do you do? What specific things do you do on your job? Why did you choose that job? What do you like most about your job? Would you recommend that job to others? What did you do on the first day of your job? Do you think this job has a bright future? What are the most interesting and the difficult part of your job? Will you change job in the future? Have you changed your job before? What's the most interesting thing in your work? How do you communicate with others during work? Is it important to have breaks during work? Do you prefer working alone or with a group of people? What's your major? Do you like it? Will you change it if you have the chance ? Which major will you change it to?
Do people in your country wear jewelry? Why do they like to wear it? Have you ever bought jewelry as a present? What can jewelry tell us about the person who wears it? Do you think people will keep a piece of jewelry for a long time?
19. Films
Do you like watching films? What type of film you like watching? How often do you watch films? Do you prefer watching films at home or at the cinema? Would you like to be in a movie?
20. Birds
How do you feel about birds? Are there any birds near your home? Have you seen many different kinds of birds?
21. Patience What do you think is patience? Do you think patience is important? Do you think you are an patient person? Have you ever lost your patience?
22. Text Message Do you like texting someone? Do you think texting is better than making a phone call? How often do you send text message?
23. Museum Are there many museum in your country? Do you think museums are useful for visitors? Do you often visit museum? When was the last time you visited museum?
24. Snack What kind of snack do you like to eat? Is it healthy to eat snack? Do your parents allow you to eat snack? What is the most popular snacks do you like?
25. Social Networking Website
What kind of social networking websites do you like to use? What kinds of people do you like to be friends with on those websites? Are you a social person? Is it easy to find real friends on a social networking site? What kind of chatting app or website do you like to use?
26. Mathematics When do you start to learn math? Do you like math? Who taught you math? Is math difficult to learn? Do you like to use calculators?
27. Politeness Are you a polite person? Who taught you to be polite? Is it important to be polite? What would you do if others are not polite to you?
28. Transportation What's the most popular means of transportation in your hometown? How often do you take buses? Can you compare the advantages of planes and trains? Is driving to work popular in your country? Do you think people will drive more in the future? Would you ride bikes to work in the future? What will become the most popular means of transportation in your country? Do you prefer public transportation or private transportation?
29. Sunny Days Do you like sunshine? What do you do in the sunshine? What things are hard to do in the sunshine?
30. Time Management How do you organize your time? Do you think people organize time in the same way? Do you think it is important to be on time? How do you feel when you are late for an appointment? How do you feel when others are late?
31. Shoes Do you like shoes? Which do you prefer, comfortable ones or fashionable ones? Are people willing to buy expensive shoes?
32. Watches Do you usually wear watch? What was the first watch you like? Do you think time is important? Where did you get your watch? What kinds of watches do you like to wear? Why do you think some people like to wear expensive watches? Are you ever late for anything? If you could go back in time, what would you do?
33. Robots Are you interested in robots? Do you like robots to work at your home? Do you want to take a car which robots is the driver? Can robots cause terrorism?
Are you very interested in the news? Why do you want to know the latest news? How important is it to you to get the news every day? What sort of news are you most interested in? How do you usually find this news? Do you prefer to read newspapers or watch TV to get your news? Do you ever get your news from the internet? Do you (often/ever) read newspapers? Do you think newspapers are important? Besides newspapers, what are some other ways people get news? How important do you think the news is? Which do you think is more important, domestic news or international news? Would you say the news affects your life very much? Are old people and young people interested in the same news? (Why?/Why not?)
35. Teenagers
Do you spend a lot of time with teenagers? What are the best parts of being a teenagers? What is the fashion between teenagers? What do teenagers in your country like to do?
36. Rain
What do you do if it is raining and you forget to bring an umbrella and a raincoat? Is there any part of your country it doesn’t rain much? Does it rain a lot in your hometown? Do you choose an umbrella to bring or a raincoat? Can you remember a time when it rains particularly heavily in your hometown? Does rain ever affect transportation in your hometown?
37. Meal
When do you often have meals? Who do you often have meals with? Do you eat at home or eat outside? Do you still like the same food that you liked when being a child?
There were a few teachers that I was particularly fond of. I'll tell you about my high school PE teacher, Mrs. Burrier. Since she knew I was painfully shy and especially clumsy (can easily trip or fall) when it comes to gym class, she allowed me to do the dance routine that she assigned to us in a private room only in front of her to save me from embarrassment. I so appreciated it!
I've lost contact with all elementary and middle school teachers, but I keep in touch with a couple university professors. As uni professors are allowed to have more of a relationship with students, it was easier to get to know them. My Spanish professor and I message back and forth every year to catch up.
3. Do you want to be a teacher?
As I'm not a patient person, I don't think teaching is for me. Furthermore, I dread (don't look forward to) the thought of standing in front of the classroom trying to get the class's attention while the children fool around (play). I think it takes a special person to be a teacher, and unfortunately I don't meet the criteria!
4. Do you remember your fav teach from primary school?
Of course! I'll tell you about my second grade teacher, Ms. Puleo. She was always kind, encouraging, and incredibly patient, even with us little rascals (slang for kids). I always felt a sense of warmth in her classroom, which the students responded well to. The world needs more teachers like her.
5. Did you pretend to be a teacher in the childhood?
Oh yes! I remember playing teacher with a small chalkboard my friend had at her house. I used to think it was so entertaining to be the teacher and give the class assignments to do; I usually focused on Math and Art. I loved pretending to give orders!
6. What qualities should a good teacher have?
Firstly, I think a teacher needs to be patient. Secondly, I think the teacher must be kind and encouraging, which creates a warm, open learning environment. I also think they should have interpersonal skills to be able to understand the needs of all different students. There are different kinds of teachers, but I would use this as rule of thumb (a general rule).
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IELTS Writing Actual Test in October, 2015 & Band 9.0 Argumentative Essay
Students today can easily access information online, so libraries are no longer necessary. Do you agree or disagree?
Band 9.0 Sample:
Students are currently able to acquire information on the Internet in a much easier way than in the past. While I accept that online sources of information have advantages over traditional libraries, I would argue that there is still a great need for libraries in today’s world.
It is true that accessing information online has several clear benefits. The first one is that online sources can store a huge amount of information that is greater than any physical library. This allows researchers to easily get the information they need without having to travel to a local library. Furthermore, students can look for information on the Internet whenever they want, while most libraries can only be visited during several hours per day. As a result, it might be better for those who are busy to utilise online information sources.
However, I believe that physical libraries still have special features that online sources can never replace. Firstly, libraries usually provide quiet areas, which is a great environment for students to learn and research since they are less likely to be distracted by things around them. For example, some of my university friends claim that they can only concentrate when they are in a quiet study area in my university library. Secondly, since everyone can easily write and post information on the Internet, these online sources are not always reliable for research. Therefore, we need libraries whose staff members have the responsibility to select and provide readers with the most credible materials.
In conclusion, while I agree that there are great benefits of getting information on the Internet, I disagree with the idea that traditional libraries are no longer important.
When I first met Bustle Digital Group’s Jason Wagenheim, it was right as New York City was beginning to go into lockdown. The BDG offices were empty thanks to the company’s newly instituted work-from-home policy, but it still seemed reasonable to meet in-person to learn more about BDG’s broader vision.
Since then, of course, things have been pretty rough for the digital media industry (along with the rest of the world), with a rapid reduction in ad spending leading to layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts. BDG (which owns properties like Elite Daily, Input, Inverse, Nylon and Bustle itself) had to make its share of cuts, laying off two dozen employees, including the entire staff of The Outline.
And indeed, when I checked back in with Wagenheim, he told me that he’s anticipating a 35% decline in ad revenue for this quarter. And where he’d once hoped BDG would reach $120 or $125 million in ad revenue this year, he’s now trying to figure out “what does our company look like at $75 or $90 million?”
At the same time, he insisted that executives were determined not to completely dismantle the businesses they’d built, and to be prepared whenever advertising does come back.
We also discussed how Wagenheim handled the layoffs, how the company is reinventing its events sponsorship business and the trends he’s seeing in the ad spending that remains. You can read an edited and condensed version of our conversation below.
TechCrunch: We should probably just start with the elephant in the room, which is that you guys had to make some cuts recently. You were hardly the only ones, but do you want to talk about the thought process behind them?
Jason Wagenheim: Yeah, we ended up having to say goodbye to about 7% of our team, and we had salary reductions to the tune of 18% company-wide for those that made over $70,000. And then we had 30% pay cuts for executives.
You’ve read about all this, I’m sure. It was a really, really hard decision. We spent two weeks in planning, dozens of spreadsheets, negotiating with our investors on a plan that would keep the company moving forward, but [had to] be very sober to the reality of what was happening around us. But also most importantly for us, for our executive team, we weren’t about to disassemble the company that we spent the last 12 to 18 months building.
Despite the global panic caused by the current pandemic, startups in Latin America have continued to attract international capital. In April, Mexico's Alphacredit, Colombia's Frubana and Brazil's CargoX were among those that raised particularly large rounds to support their growth during this challenging time. All three companies target markets that may have grown since the start of the pandemic, namely lending, food delivery and cargo delivery, respectively.
Alphacredit, a Mexican lending startup, raised a $100 million equity round from SoftBank and previous investors to continue to expand its digital banking services across Mexico. This round comes just months after the startup received a $125 million Series B round from SoftBank in January of this year. Alphacredit's CEO explained that the round would enable the company to help clients during the current liquidity crisis, increasing financial inclusion in Mexico.
Meanwhile, fresh produce delivery platform Frubana raised a $25 million Series A led by GGV and Monashees, with support from SoftBank, Tiger Global and several other private investors. The startup delivers fresh produce to restaurants and small retailers directly from farmers across Colombia, and participated in Y Combinator in 2019.
Frubana has seen a boom in demand for its products since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. People have shied away from visiting large grocery stores, preferring to visit local mom-and-pop shops that receive the startup's deliveries. Frubana raised $12 million in mid-2019 to help scale into Mexico and Brazil after it hit a monthly growth rate of 50% in the Colombian market. The startup's founder, Fabián Gomez, started Frubana after serving as head of Expansion at Rappi, one of Latin America's fastest-growing startups and Colombia's first unicorn.
Finally, Brazil's "Uber for Trucks," CargoX raised an $80 million Series E round led by LGT Lightstone Latin America, with contributions from Valor Capital, Goldman Sachs and Farallon Capital. The startup has quietly grown to become one of the largest players in Brazil's inefficient trucking industry, managing a fleet of nearly 400,000 truck drivers, without owning a single truck.
This investment brings CargoX's total capital raised to $176 million and has enabled the company to launch a $5.6 million fund for the delivery of essential goods in Brazil during COVID-19. This fund will help CargoX keep drivers employed and ensure the proper delivery of essential goods like medication, food and cleaning products.
Nubank launches $3.8 million COVID-19 fund to support clients
Brazil's largest neobank, Nubank, announced a $3.8 million (R$20 million) fund to help its clients survive the current pandemic. The fund also relies on partnerships with iFood, Rappi, Hospital SÃrio-Libanês and Zenklub to help struggling clients access food, supplies, medical care and online psychological treatment throughout the pandemic.
Nubank will use the fund to grant credits to people who cannot leave their home, providing them with discounted groceries and free delivery service. Through the partnership with Hospital SÃrio-Libanês, the neobank will pay for more than 1,000 free online consultations with doctors for its home-bound clients.
Nubank has more than 20 million clients across Brazil and Mexico, where it launched in 2019. CEO David Velez stated that he believed the fund could serve tens of thousands of people in need by the end of April. Customers who wished to receive these benefits were directed to reach out to Nubank via phone, email or chat to be connected with a representative who could grant the appropriate credits.
iFood merges with Domicilios to fight Rappi in its home territory
Brazil's largest food deliverer, iFood, recently announced a partnership with Delivery Hero to merge with their Colombian subsidiary, Domicilios. The parties did not disclose the price of the deal but have shared that iFood is now the majority shareholder in Domicilios, holding 51% of the company.
IFood operates in Mexico and Colombia, as well as Brazil, but has struggled to gain traction in Spanish-speaking Latin America. This merger makes iFood geographically the largest food delivery company in the country, with more than 12,000 restaurants in its network. However, local last-mile delivery startup Rappi continues to dominate the market, using SoftBank backing to blitzscale across the region.
By comparison, iFood has focused on developing its technology, using artificial intelligence to improve the user experience across its platforms in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Using these systems, iFood processes more than 26 million deliveries each month, helping restaurants across the region adapt to the new protocols caused by the virus and social-distancing policies. IFood hopes the merger will help provide a more competitive delivery service for Colombians, as well as helping boost growth for local restaurants.
Freight-forwarding startup Nuvocargo raised $5.3 million in seed funding to support the growth of its trade routes across the U.S.-Mexico border. Founded by Ecuadorian-born Deepak Chhugani in 2018, Nuvocargo has grown quickly since participating in Y Combinator, although this funding was their first institutional round. The round drew investors from both sides of the border, including Mexico's ALLVP. Nuvocargo also marks the first investment by new partner Antonia Rojas Eing. Nuvocargo is working hard to ensure its truck drivers are safe as they continue to deliver essential supplies across the border through the pandemic.
Mexican online credit platform Kueski announced that it would lay off employees due to the economic crunch caused by COVID-19. Kueski provides microloans to more than 500,000 Mexicans and has been struggling financially as business slows during the pandemic. While Kueski did not disclose an official number, it is estimated that they laid off around 90 employees.
Latin American venture capital firm Magma Partners acquired Guadalajara-based accelerator Rampa Ventures to intensify its investments in Mexico. Rampa's headquarters will serve as a Mexican base for Magma Partners as it continues to invest in the country, where it already has 12 startups in its portfolio. As a part of the deal, Rampa's founder Mak Gutierrez will take over as CEO of Magma Partners' internal agency, Magma Infrastructure, which helps startups grow and market themselves in the region.
The Brazilian direct to consumer dental tech startup SouSmile raised a $10 million Series A this month, closing the deal before investors began to show concerns about COVID-19. SouSmile uses 3D scanners to rapidly create invisible alignment devices for customers to provide them with affordable orthodontics for 60% cheaper than current models. This model has proved highly successful in Latin America, where access to orthodontics is quite low and cost-prohibitive.
Despite an impending global economic crisis, startup investment in Latin America showed signs of resilience in April. Startups in industries like delivery, healthcare and essential services have seen growth this month, and many are providing support to their customers and suppliers in this challenging time.
It is hard to predict what the world will look like for startups, let alone for anyone, by the end of next month. The resilience of Latin America's startups provides hope that some businesses will bounce back and continue to support their customers throughout the global recovery from this pandemic.
Rish is an entrepreneur and investor. Previously, he was a VC at Gradient Ventures (Google's AI fund), co-founded a fintech startup building an analytics platform for SEC filings and worked on deep-learning research as a graduate student in computer science at MIT.
Enterprise startups UIPath and Scale have drawn huge attention in recent years from companies looking to automate workflows, from RPA (robotic process automation) to data labeling.
What's been overlooked in the wake of such workflow-specific tools has been the base class of products that enterprises are using to build the core of their machine learning (ML) workflows, and the shift in focus toward automating the deployment and governance aspects of the ML workflow.
That's where MLOps comes in, and its popularity has been fueled by the rise of core ML workflow platforms such as Boston-based DataRobot. The company has raised more than $430 million and reached a $1 billion valuation this past fall serving this very need for enterprise customers. DataRobot's vision has been simple: enabling a range of users within enterprises, from business and IT users to data scientists, to gather data and build, test and deploy ML models quickly.
Founded in 2012, the company has quietly amassed a customer base that boasts more than a third of the Fortune 50, with triple-digit yearly growth since 2015. DataRobot's top four industries include finance, retail, healthcare and insurance; its customers have deployed over 1.7 billion models through DataRobot's platform. The company is not alone, with competitors like H20.ai, which raised a $72.5 million Series D led by Goldman Sachs last August, offering a similar platform.
Why the excitement? As artificial intelligence pushed into the enterprise, the first step was to go from data to a working ML model, which started with data scientists doing this manually, but today is increasingly automated and has become known as "auto ML." An auto-ML platform like DataRobot's can let an enterprise user quickly auto-select features based on their data and auto-generate a number of models to see which ones work best.
As auto ML became more popular, improving the deployment phase of the ML workflow has become critical for reliability and performance — and so enters MLOps. It's quite similar to the way that DevOps has improved the deployment of source code for applications. Companies such as DataRobot and H20.ai, along with other startups and the major cloud providers, are intensifying their efforts on providing MLOps solutions for customers.
We sat down with DataRobot's team to understand how their platform has been helping enterprises build auto-ML workflows, what MLOps is all about and what's been driving customers to adopt MLOps practices now.
There’s something to be said for consistency through good times and bad, and one company that has had a staggeringly consistent track record is international data center vendor, Equinix. It just recorded its 69th straight positive quarter, according to the company.
That’s an astonishing record, and covers over 17 years of positive returns. That means this streak goes back to 2003. Not too shabby.
The company had a decent quarter, too. Even in the middle of an economic mess, it was still up 6% YoY to $1.445 billion and up 2% over last quarter. The company runs data centers where companies can rent space for their servers. Equinix handles all of the infrastructure providing racks, wiring and cooling — and customers can purchase as many racks as they need.
If you’re managing your own servers for even part of your workload, it can be much more cost-effective to rent space from a vendor like Equinix than trying to run a facility on your own.
Among its new customers this quarter are Zoom, which is buying capacity all over the place, having also announced a partnership with Oracle earlier this month, and TikTok. Both of those companies deal in video and require lots of different types of resources to keep things running.
This report comes against a backdrop of a huge increase in resource demand for certain sectors like streaming video and video conferencing, with millions of people working and studying at home or looking for distractions.
And if you’re wondering if they can keep it going, they believe they can. Their guidance calls for 2020 revenue of $5.877-$5.985 billion, a 6-8% increase over the previous year.
You could call them the anti-IBM. At one point Big Blue recorded 22 straight quarters of declining revenue in an ignominious streak that stretched from 2012 to 2018 before it found a way to stop the bleeding.
When you consider that Equnix’s streak includes the period of 2008-2010, the last time the economy hit the skids, it makes the record even more impressive, and certainly one worth pointing out.
BuzzFeed plans to furlough 68 employees as part of broader cost-cutting measures, according to a memo from CEO Jonah Peretti that was shared earlier by Variety.
We’ve also obtained a copy of the memo, in which Peretti said the furloughs will affect the business, studios and administration teams.
It sounds like the furloughs do not yet include BuzzFeed News. However, Peretti wrote, “We will begin a negotiation with the News Guild [the union that represents BuzzFeed News] about the need to reduce costs in News,” and that efforts to minimize losses “will no longer be possible without further cuts similar to what we're doing across other parts of the company.”
The furloughs will begin on May 15 and extend for three months. During that time, employees won’t be paid, but their health coverage will continue.
Peretti wrote that previously announced salary cuts will continue through the end of the year. (Peretti himself is foregoing pay during this period.) Other cost-cutting measures include subleasing the company’s offices in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., and closing out more than 50 open positions in content and tech.
This is part of a broader wave of cutbacks at media organizations, digital and otherwise, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a dramatic decline in advertising. Thus far, both BuzzFeed and Vox have used pay cuts and furloughs to cut costs while avoiding permanent layoffs.
“In difficult times we can't abandon our values,” Peretti wrote. “We are just as committed as ever to quality journalism, which is why we recruited Mark Schoofs to lead our News team. We are just as committed as ever to diversity, inclusion, and our [employee resource groups]. It is important to share that these furloughs do not have an adverse impact on employees based on race or gender. We are just as committed as ever to the important work we do to serve our audience.”
Founder and CEO Lara Vandenberg told me she created Publicist to support the ways in which the communications and marketing industry is changing — changes that are only accelerating due to COVID-19.
Vandenberg was previously senior vice president of communications and marketing at Knotch, and she told me, “More companies now are being better served by this flexible support, rather than being tied to these costly and rigid agency retainers.”
And at the same time, Vandenberg said there’s more freelance talent looking for work.
“As we've seen, more brands are continuing to downsize their internal teams, so a lot of people coming to the platform have either been furloughed or laid off,” she said. “This is really, really premium talent. I always believed that the industry was moving to project-based work.”
So she built an early version of Publicist while at Knotch, then left to focus on it full time. She launched a beta test earlier this year before the full launch this week.
Image Credits: Publicist
The goal is to help businesses find and hire freelancers for work like content creation, crisis communications, developing a go-to-market strategy or even hiring an interim CMO. Vandenberg said Publicist vets all the talent on the platform, and that those freelancers have worked for brands like Apple, Nike, Microsoft, IBM, Away, Glossier, Casper and Google.
“We have 350 skills on the platform, and I would say only about 10% of those are PR-related,” she added.
And Publicist isn’t just for establishing the initial connection between company and freelancer. It’s designed to enable the full collaboration process, with tools like video chat and screensharing — then the startup takes a 20% commission on payments.
Publicist is starting in North America, with plans to expand globally. Vandenberg suggested that some jobs (like crisis comms) probably require someone with local, on-the-ground knowledge, while others (like Amazon or Shopify marketing) are more geography agnostic.
Sonos has introduced a trio of new hardware today, adding three new smart speakers to its lineup, including the Sonos Arc soundbar that includes Dolby Atmos support, as well as Sonos Five, the next version of its Sonos Play:5 speaker, and a third-generation Sonos Sub. All of these will require the new S2 app that Sonos announced it will release to customers starting on June 8, which will introduce higher-res audio, a new UI and more.
The new Sonos Arc retails for $799, while the Sonos Sub is priced at $699 and the Sonos Five will set you back $499; all three are available for pre-order directly via the Sonos website. They’ll start shipping and become available at retail globally beginning on June 10.
This latest generation of Sonos soundbar succeeds the Sonos Beam, one the first of Sonos speakers to include support for Alexa after the introduction of the Sonos One in 2017. Beam is a lower-cost option, more compact option, available for $399, whereas Arc is a larger soundbar that more closely resembles the Playbar and Playable speakers that Sonos previously sold. Arc seems designed to replace both, since neither currently appears on the updated Sonos website following this launch.
Sonos describes the Arc’s audio as “rich, realistic 3D sound” that emphasizes a “premium audio experience” with “crisp dialogue.” It’s also the first Sonos soundbar with Dolby Atmos support, which it manages using two new height channels that are designed to render all 5.1 channels accurately with room-filling qualities. When the signal isn’t a true 5.1 one, those are repurposed to help with low-end for better bass.
The new third-generation Sonos Sub has more memory and processing power than previous iterations, as well as a new wireless radio for connecting to the rest of your system.
Sonos Five, meanwhile, has the same acoustic design as the Play:5, but with more memory, pricing power and a new radio on board as well. It also now comes in a full white version, whereas the previous generation only offered a white face with a black body.
As mentioned, all three of these will work with the new Sonos S2 app the company is launching in June — but these speakers will only work with that app, because of the operating system updates the app includes, which brings improved security and support for better audio quality when streaming.
That S2 app is the future of the company, but it will come with some compromises for long-time Sonos users. The most important of which is that if you have older Sonos hardware, you’ll need to remain on the S1 network. Those devices include some of the oldest that Sonos makes, but it’s definitely dangling a carrot for upgraders here with this new lineup to convince them to retire those in order to upgrade to the new experience.
Peloton bested Wall Street’s high expectations, delivering a huge quarterly earnings report Wednesday that showed revenues climbing 66%. In after-hours trading, the connected fitness company’s stock bounced around rising and dipping below the stock’s previous all-time high.
The company posted total revenues of $524.6 million for the quarter, besting estimates of $488.5 million. The company detailed a loss of $.20 per share. Total members grew from 2.0 million in Q2 to 2.6 million in Q3, a 30% quarter-over-quarter increase. In March, the company announced it was extending the free trial period from 30 to 90 days for digital subscriptions not tied to the company bike or treadmill hardware.
The company sells a connected bike that retails for $2,245 and a treadmill that costs $4,295.
Peloton has proven to be one of the few public stocks to find an opportunity in the COVID-19 pandemic, as user growth surges due to gym closures and shelter-in-place orders. Peloton aimed to seize on the opportunity, boosting sales and marketing expenses by 53%, to $154.8 million in Q3.
The company has been negatively affected as well, being forced to close their showrooms and suspend production of live classes in their dedicated studios. In recent weeks, the company has shifted to at-home exercise classes live-streamed from their instructors’ homes.
For investors, the big question is how much of this growth they’ll be able to hold onto once the pandemic ends. Users with the company’s hardware are obviously much less likely to churn from digital subscriptions, but Wall Street will undoubtedly be watching to see how many of those free trial users convert post-lockdown.
Fresh off of a large round of layoffs, Lyft reported its Q1 results this afternoon. The ride-hailing company disclosed that it generated revenue of $955.7 million in the first three months of 2020, up 23% from its year-ago Q1 revenue result of $776 million.
The company’s net loss of $398.1 million was also an improvement on its year-ago, IPO-impacted result. On an adjusted basis, Lyft lost $97.4 million, and its adjusted EBITDA result was a slightly better -$85.2 million. Lyft lost $1.31 per share in the quarter.
The company’s preceding guidance of around $1.06 billion in revenue and negative adjusted EBITDA of as much as $145 million now looks somewhat rosy in retrospect; investors’ final expectations for the company as detailed by Yahoo Finance included revenue of $897.9 million and a per-share loss of $0.64.
Investors rejoice
Shares of Lyft were up sharply in after-hours trading following its report. The firm’s revenue beat appeared to give investors hope that perhaps COVID-19 was not as impactful on its revenue as anticipated. Indeed, Lyft reported 3% more “active riders” in Q1 2020 than it saw in Q1 2019; revenue per active rider rose 19% YoY in the quarter. The combination of those two results led to its revenue gains.
After Q1 2020 Lyft remained well-capitalized, with $2.7 billion of unrestricted cash, according to its release, compared to Q1 operating cash burn of around $207 million. The firm has enough cash, it would seem, to weather a COVID downturn of several quarters.
What Lyft says on its call about the end of Q1 and what it expects in Q2 and beyond will determine if it can hold onto its gains. Let’s see what the firm has to say.
Update: In its earnings call, the company said that demand will remain limited for a lengthy period, and that it is seeing demand fall as much as 75%. In the immediate aftermath of the shared notes, Lyft shares continue to rise and are up 18.1% as of the time of this update.
Got something in your medical history that first responders should know about if you call 911? Things like known drug allergies, or the medications you’re on?
The iPhone and Apple Watch will soon be able to share this information with first responders automatically (if you opt to let it do so).
When a user with this feature enabled calls 911, Apple will ping their location to determine if the local 911 dispatch supports “Enhanced Emergency Data” — a service the company first started building out a few years back to tell emergency services where you’re calling from. If it does, your Medical ID info (as set up in your Health app) will be shared with emergency services accordingly.
It’ll also work with the Apple Watch’s Fall Detection feature, which can automatically call 911 if it detects that the wearer has fallen and is now immobile.
The feature was rolled into the beta build of iOS 13.5 this morning, and Apple says it should ship to everyone in “the coming weeks.”
This is a super logical feature, and one that’ll almost certainly save lives. People are rarely in the calmest state when calling 911, and most people wouldn’t think to say “Oh, and hey by the way, I have an allergy to [medication here]” if they’re worried they’re about to pass out — and that’s something first responders really should know.
As countries around the world face prolonged lockdown to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, retailers are among the hardest hit. Many have closed all their brick-and-mortar stores, resulting in furloughing of many employees.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that retail sales during March 2020 were down 8.7%, the biggest monthly drop ever recorded since the Great Recession. Of the hardest-hit categories, clothing store sales were down 50.5% from February, furniture store sales were down 26.8% and luxury goods are expected to fall 31%.
Before COVID-19, physical retail was already decimated by e-commerce behemoths like Amazon, but now the sector's fate seems sealed by the ever-increasing threat of the pandemic. A so-called retail apocalypse may seem inevitable, but in these challenging times, it is more important than ever to look at how technology can turn the tide.
Imagine a future where consumers can virtually try on clothes that would fit them perfectly and they can purchase items confidently in the comfort of their own homes. Consumers will no longer need to choose different sizes because computer vision and scanning technologies would have already determined their perfect fit. These virtual clothes will also look so real that consumers will not be able to distinguish them from reality. Spoiler alert: This future is already here.
Virtual try-on is one of the most compelling use cases of augmented reality technology (AR), which arms consumers with the information they need to confidently make purchase decisions that will not likely result in returns for retailers. Retailers also can gain new insights into consumers' buying patterns by tracking gazes, view history and time spent looking at a particular product. Retailers can even make the AR shopping experience more personalized by providing real-time feedback.
With more than two billion AR-enabled devices today and 100 million consumers expected to shop with AR this year, the technology is prime for adoption. Here are some examples of how the world's leading retail brands are using AR to increase conversion, increase sales and decrease returns.
2020 and 2021 will be one of the periodic transitional eras in gaming as Sony and Microsoft debut their shiny new consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. To ease the process (and spur adoption of the next generation), EA may make its upcoming titles free to “upgrade” to your chosen console.
On an earnings call last night, EA COO Blake Jorgensen at the end of his remarks noted a possible effect on revenue “from the games we are launching for the current generation of consoles that can also be upgraded free for the next generation.”
EA declined to comment on the comment, but the meaning seems obvious enough. It likely refers to “cross-gen” games that will appear on both existing consoles and those set to debut later in the year. If you buy the next, say, “Battlefield” game on PlayStation 4, you will have the option to transfer it somehow to the PlayStation 5.
Exactly how this would work is not clear — there will almost certainly be some rigmarole involving deactivating the license on your old copy — but the effect is a positive and consumer-friendly one. People can buy a game, from EA anyway, safe in the knowledge that they can continue to play it even if they buy a new console. That hasn’t been the case, in general, before.
In fact, the whole transition is looking to be a relatively easy one: The new consoles will be backward-compatible with many games from the previous generation; services like online access and monthly free games will cross over; some hardware and accessories will be shared; built-in streaming options mean improved portability.
EA’s apparent commitment to cross-gen upgrades is among the first, though some publishers and developers have floated the idea or declared support for it, pending approval from the console makers themselves. The confirmation could trigger an avalanche of announcements as others hurry to assure gamers that they, too, will provide this option.
Sony and Microsoft are the ones left holding the bag here: While a sale is a sale for EA or Ubisoft, the console makers are under tremendous pressure to show their console launches are successful. (Nintendo, as usual, is pursuing its own agenda independent from the cadence of its rivals.)
Part of that strategy is high-profile next-gen exclusives that people save up to buy alongside the new consoles, providing revenue spikes and platform lock-ins. When a large amount of those sales occur earlier in the year, and technically for the previous consoles, it’s not a good look.
These policies have a way of evolving right up to and beyond the moment of release. Sony clowned so devastatingly on Microsoft’s confusing and limited game transfer policies at E3 2013, the outset of this console generation, that it affected the whole zeitgeist, boosting PS4 sales and forcing Microsoft to reconsider. (You can see me in the video of it; I’ve rarely heard a crowd so excited about something.)
It’s better to err on the side of liberality, it turns out. EA, which has routinely erred in the other direction over the last few years, hopes perhaps to curry favor in advance of a gaming market opening up in new directions. We’ll see if other companies follow suit.
TiVo today is launching a new device, its would-be Fire TV Stick competitor known as the TiVo Stream 4K. First announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, this $50 Android TV-powered HDMI dongle is TiVo’s attempt to insert itself into the streaming media device market.
The new dongle arrives at a time when TiVo has largely lost its customer base to rivals like Roku, Amazon, Apple and others that have better catered to the demands of cord cutters. Meanwhile, TiVo’s own DVR for pay TV customers has slowly gone out of fashion as the cord cutting trend accelerated.
As the name implies, the new device supports 4K UHD, along with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos. Chromecast is built in, too.
Thanks to its use of the Android TV platform, the TiVo Stream 4K also has access to thousands of Play Store apps for streaming, including Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, Disney+ and others.
But one thing it doesn’t have is a way to record live TV. Instead, TiVo has left that up to its partner Sling TV and that service’s Cloud DVR. The deal with Sling TV also offers integration that includes surfacing Sling’s content in universal search and through voice commands via the included Voice Remote.
The decision to prominently feature Sling TV could make a transition to a streaming device less awkward for first-time cord cutters who may miss the always-on nature of live TV and its linear programming guide.
The voice button on the remote can also call up Google Assistant, as on other Android TV devices, which means you can do more than search for content. The assistant can answer questions, too — like giving you the daily weather forecast, for example.
The TiVo Stream 4K also includes access to TiVo’s newer ad-supported streaming service, TiVo+ — its own version of Roku’s free movies and TV hub, The Roku Channel. TiVo+ includes access to thousands of hours of free movie and TV shows and 49 streaming channels across news, sports, kids, food, music and comedy.
Unlike TiVo devices that preceded it, the TiVo Stream 4K doesn’t require a subscription to continue to use its service. It’s just the one-time purchase of $49.99, which includes a seven-day free trial of Sling TV.
“At a time when viewers are streaming more than ever across a sea of platforms, TiVo Stream 4K integrates that content with recommendation and search features to make it easier to find, watch and enjoy the best news, entertainment and sports from today's most popular services,” said Dave Shull, TiVo president and CEO, in a statement. “After an incredibly positive reception from media and the wider industry at CES, we are delivering on our promise to launch TiVo Stream 4K, which is symbolic of our company's transformation from a well-loved DVR provider to a pioneer in the streaming market,” he said.
TiVo, of course, can hardly call itself a pioneer in a market where a number of streaming dongle devices already exist and have for years — including the Fire TV Stock, Roku Streaming Stick and Chromecast. Leading device maker Roku has also plugged nearly every hole in the market with a variety of form factors and feature sets from its low-end boxes and sticks to its high-end 4K player.
Meanwhile, TiVo has stuck around trying to reinvent its DVR for the era of cord cutting, with middling results. Its oddly designed BOLT-era box for cord cutters was eventually replaced with TiVo Edge, which comes in two packages — one for antenna users, another for cable TV subscribers. But the demand for watching and recording TV has dwindled, outside of the specific needs of live sports viewers.
Autotech Ventures popped on the scene three years ago with a $120 million debut fund and a plan to invest in early-stage ground transportation startups. Now, with investments in 26 startups and a handful of exits, including Xnor.ai, DeepScale and Frontier Car Group, the venture firm is back with a new, bigger fund and the same strategy.
Autotech Ventures has raised more than $150 million in its second fund with capital commitments from both financial and corporate investors, including Volvo Group Venture Capital AB, Lear, Bridgestone and Stoneridge, as well as other vehicle manufacturers, parts suppliers, repair shop chains, leasing corporations, dealership groups and trucking firms.
The new fund brings the firm to more than $270 million under management to date.
While Autotech’s funds include institutional financial investors, it has largely focused on corporation.
“The corporate LP base is a key part of our strategy as a firm and a key differentiator for us,” Daniel Hoffer, managing director at Autotech, said in a recent interview with TechCrunch. “At a high level we provide capital, transportation market intelligence and access to large corporations in the industry, including our LPs. Startups really value those connections because we can accelerate their go-to market and their distribution channels in addition to providing greater access to other forms of business development and even M&A opportunities.”
The firm typically aims for the seed and Series A sweet spot. But it occasionally will participate in Series B and later-stage funding rounds, Hoffer said. Its new $150 million-plus fund will target early-stage startups in several sectors that fall under the “ground transportation and mobility” umbrella, including connectivity, autonomy, shared-use mobility, electrification and digital enterprise applications.
Autotech Ventures does invest globally, although the majority of its investments are in the U.S. Outside of North America, the firm has a proportionate interest in Europe and Israel, according to Hoffer.
Some of its notable investments include computer vision startup DeepScale (which was snapped up by Tesla last year), Lyft, used vehicle marketplace operator Frontier Car Group, Outdoorsy, Swvl, parking app SpotHero, Volta Charging and Xnor.ai, which Apple acquired in January.
Hoffer said the firm is sensitive to the well-hyped trends, such as autonomous vehicle technology, that everybody is chasing, but it also is interested in the more niche opportunities that people might be less aware of.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended the shared mobility sector, ride-hailing and public transportation, has Hoffer and his fellow Autotech venture capitalists focused on logistics and supply chain visibility — two areas that have promise in this “COVID-oriented world.”
Autotech is also interested in overlooked opportunities, such as software that enables the industry to execute recalls, and even visibility into junkyard inventory, Hoffer added. The company also sees investment opportunities in “off highway” autonomous vehicle technology ventures, such as in mining and construction.
A new data set from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) details how startups are reacting to the post-unicorn era as COVID-19-related disruptions upset the global economy and remake the risk tolerance of private investors.
What SVB’s new report shows is unsurprising: venture capital deal volumes are falling, startups are tapping existing debt capacities to add cash to balances while they still can and some upstart firms are curtailing spend to reduce unprofitability. The last data point comes via the lens of startups that recently raised, making the data more a snapshot of what companies that are successfully attracting capital may have accomplished with regard to improving profitability — the directional shifts are material regardless of that particular nuance.
Let’s briefly examine what the data says and what it tells us about the state of the startup market.
Spending less, borrowing more
Venture capitalists are pulling back, SVB data indicates. A chart from its Q2 markets report notes that the “SVB Deal Activity Index” had fallen from a rating of 160 in early March to just over 70 by mid-to-late-April. That staggering decline means fewer rounds are getting done and that there is less capital going into startups of all sizes.
We find ourselves in a time when certain businesses are being asked to scale to levels they never imagined. Sometimes that increased usage comes in bursts, which means you don’t want to pay for permanent extra capacity you might not always need. Today, Confluent introduced a new scale-on-demand feature for its Apache Kafka cloud service that will scale up and down as needed, automatically.
Confluent CEO Jay Kreps says that elasticity is arguably one of the most important features of cloud computing, and this ability to scale up and down is one of the primary factors that has attracted organizations to the cloud. By automating that capability, they give DevOps one less major thing to worry about.
“This new functionality allows users to dynamically scale Kafka and the other key ecosystem components like KSQL and Kafka Connect. This is a key missing capability that no other service provides,” Kreps explained.
He points out that this is particularly relevant right now with people working at home. Systems are being taxed more than perhaps ever before, and this automated elasticity is going to come in handy, making it more cost-effective and efficient than was previously possible.
“These capabilities let customers add capacity as they need it, or scale down to save money, all without having to pre-plan in advance,” he said.
The new elasticity feature in Confluent is part of a series of updates to the platform, known as Project Metamorphosis, that Confluent is planning to roll out throughout this year on a regular basis.
“Through the rest of the year we'll be doing a sequence of releases that bring the capabilities of modern cloud data systems to the Kafka ecosystem in Confluent Cloud. We'll be announcing one major capability each month, starting with elasticity,” he said.
Kreps first announced Metamorphosis last month when the company also announced a massive $250 million funding round on a $4.5 billion valuation. In spite of the current economic situation, driven by the ongoing pandemic, Confluent plans to continue to build out the product, as today’s announcement attests.
In spite of their protected status under international laws, pangolins remain one of the most trafficked animals in the world — and at least some of that trade is taking place right out in the open on Facebook .
A new report from tech watchdog group the Tech Transparency Project details how Facebook users are engaged in the sale of illegally trafficked pangolin parts, even though the practice is illegal and prohibited by Facebook itself.
In one example, a public page of Facebook called “Pangolin Scales for Sale in Vietnam” advertised the sale of the forbidden animal products, asking potential buyers to send a message to the seller over WhatsApp or email.
Another public Facebook page, “Rhino Horns And Pangolin scales For sale In China,” was created in March and directed customers to “embrace our businesses like never before” in the wake of the coronavirus. Other pages offered the sale of pangolin oils. Most of these sites were hiding in plain sight, easily found by using basic search terms like the Vietnamese word for “pangolin” or even the phrase “pangolins for sale” in English.
Facebook’s own platform rules prohibit the sale of live animals as well as anything that “promotes, encourages, or coordinates the poaching of endangered species and their parts.” The company joined an anti-wildlife-trafficking coalition in March of 2018, but since that date reports have detailed the ongoing sales of everything from hornbill parts to tiger teeth through ads and direct sales facilitated by the platform.
Pangolins are again in the spotlight right now as the global scientific community searches for answers about the pandemic’s origins. Wild animals carry coronaviruses and can transfer those potentially devastating diseases to humans, as is believed to be the case with a Chinese bat population and the 2002 SARS outbreak.
According to new research, some pangolins carry coronaviruses related to the one that causes COVID-19. Most scientists believe the novel coronavirus likely originated in bats, but how the virus spread from bats to humans is a mystery researchers are still seeking to understand.
ReadySet, a diversity, equity and inclusion startup led by Project Include founding member Y-Vonne Hutchinson, has raised its first, and perhaps last, round of funding from Indie.vc.
“We were lucky enough to close our round right as the coronavirus was hitting and then shifted our business to doing remote stuff that offered connection,” Hutchinson told TechCrunch.
For the last five years, ReadySet has been sustaining itself off of revenue, and in the last year saw about $1 million in annual revenue. ReadySet makes money by offering consulting services to companies looking to create more inclusive workplaces and cultures. ReadySet has worked with companies like Salesforce, Airbnb, Amazon, GitHub, UCSF Health, Mailchimp, Medium and many others.
“We’ve been profitable the entire time we’ve been in business,” Hutchinson said. “But we wanted to be able to maximize our impact beyond in-person training services and doing stuff that felt a little more like product development that didn’t necessitate immediate revenue.”
Indie.vc doesn’t take any equity upfront. If a startup in its portfolio raises additional money or sells, Indie.vc converts its investment to equity at a percentage decided on by the company. If the company never sells or never raises another round, Indie.vc gets a share of the company's revenue until the firm makes 5x its investment.
“They weren’t interested in taking a big chunk of the business but were instead interested in helping us get more profitable,” she said. “For me, as a founder that has not been in the VC space, it’s been hard to be seen as a real entrepreneur.”
Indie.vc aims to be the last outside financing founders ever need to take. For Hutchinson, she said that could be the case.
“I don’t want to be the kind of founder that chases the next round,” she said. “I want to smartly leverage the funding and continue our profitability and do it at scale. I think some founders get stuck doing that and then don’t focus on the product.”
In light of these trying times amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ReadySet is investing more heavily in remote training offerings.
“We’re really sort of looking for ways we can resource companies trying to rethink digital interaction,” she said. “I also think a lot of people or some people think this is a blip on the radar and we’ll go back to normal. We don’t think that is necessarily going to happen.”
Despite these rocky times where many tech companies are laying off staff members and putting some on furlough, Hutchinson said some companies have doubled down on what they’re doing in terms of workplace culture.
In past recessions, where diversity, equity and inclusion has been seen as a ” ‘nice to have,’ there is an existential threat that has changed the way we live and the way we have to show up at work,” Hutchinson said.
People are now isolated or needing to take care of family, she says. Perhaps they’re drinking more and/or working through grief, loss and death — all of which are traumatic, she said.
“All of those issues actually implicate DE&I,” Hutchinson said. “We’re used to siloing it, but in reality, DE&I speaks to how people show up, how they feel included, how we support people and now, more than ever, that’s really important.”
Hutchinson says her clients are asking her more about mental health, belonging, childcare and bringing compassion into these trying times.
“A lot of tech companies don’t necessarily have strong management cultures,” she said. “Those gaps are now becoming really obvious to people. I think we’re all in a place where we’re trying to figure out how we adjust to what’s going on now. It’s about so much more than work right now. I would encourage companies, even if they don’t consider that to be DE&I, to think about how they’re treating their employees.”
“Assembly” may sound like one of the simpler tests in the manufacturing process, but as anyone who’s ever put together a piece of flat-pack furniture knows, it can be surprisingly (and frustratingly) complex. Invisible AI is a startup that aims to monitor people doing assembly tasks using computer vision, helping maintain safety and efficiency — without succumbing to the obvious all-seeing-eye pitfalls. A $3.6 million seed round ought to help get them going.
The company makes self-contained camera-computer units that run highly optimized computer vision algorithms to track the movements of the people they see. By comparing those movements with a set of canonical ones (someone performing the task correctly), the system can watch for mistakes or identify other problems in the workflow — missing parts, injuries and so on.
Obviously, right at the outset, this sounds like the kind of thing that results in a pitiless computer overseer that punishes workers every time they fall below an artificial and constantly rising standard — and Amazon has probably already patented that. But co-founder and CEO Eric Danziger was eager to explain that this isn’t the idea at all.
“The most important parts of this product are for the operators themselves. This is skilled labor, and they have a lot of pride in their work,” he said. “They’re the ones in the trenches doing the work, and catching and correcting mistakes is a big part of it.”
“These assembly jobs are pretty athletic and fast-paced. You have to remember the 15 steps you have to do, then move on to the next one, and that might be a totally different variation. The challenge is keeping all that in your head,” he continued. “The goal is to be a part of that loop in real time. When they’re about to move on to the next piece we can provide a double check and say, ‘Hey, we think you missed step 8.’ That can save a huge amount of pain. It might be as simple as plugging in a cable, but catching it there is huge — if it’s after the vehicle has been assembled, you’d have to tear it down again.”
This kind of body tracking exists in various forms and for various reasons; Veo Robotics, for instance, uses depth sensors to track an operator and robot’s exact positions to dynamically prevent collisions.
But the challenge at the industrial scale is less “how do we track a person’s movements in the first place” than “how can we easily deploy and apply the results of tracking a person’s movements.” After all, it does no good if the system takes a month to install and days to reprogram. So Invisible AI focused on simplicity of installation and administration, with no code needed and entirely edge-based computer vision.
“The goal was to make it as easy to deploy as possible. You buy a camera from us, with compute and everything built in. You install it in your facility, you show it a few examples of the assembly process, then you annotate them. And that’s less complicated than it sounds,” Danziger explained. “Within something like an hour they can be up and running.”
Once the camera and machine learning system is set up, it’s really not such a difficult problem for it to be working on. Tracking human movements is a fairly straightforward task for a smart camera these days, and comparing those movements to an example set is comparatively easy, as well. There’s no “creativity” involved, like trying to guess what a person is doing or match it to some huge library of gestures, as you might find in an AI dedicated to captioning video or interpreting sign language (both still very much works in progress elsewhere in the research community).
As for privacy and the possibility of being unnerved by being on camera constantly, that’s something that has to be addressed by the companies using this technology. There’s a distinct possibility for good, but also for evil, like pretty much any new tech.
One of Invisible’s early partners is Toyota, which has been both an early adopter and skeptic when it comes to AI and automation. Their philosophy, one that has been arrived at after some experimentation, is one of empowering expert workers. A tool like this is an opportunity to provide systematic improvement that’s based on what those workers already do.
It’s easy to imagine a version of this system where, like in Amazon’s warehouses, workers are pushed to meet nearly inhuman quotas through ruthless optimization. But Danziger said that a more likely outcome, based on anecdotes from companies he’s worked with already, is more about sourcing improvements from the workers themselves.
Having built a product day in and day out year after year, these are employees with deep and highly specific knowledge on how to do it right, and that knowledge can be difficult to pass on formally. “Hold the piece like this when you bolt it or your elbow will get in the way” is easy to say in training but not so easy to make standard practice. Invisible AI’s posture and position detection could help with that.
“We see less of a focus on cycle time for an individual, and more like, streamlining steps, avoiding repetitive stress, etc.,” Danziger said.
Importantly, this kind of capability can be offered with a code-free, compact device that requires no connection except to an intranet of some kind to send its results to. There’s no need to stream the video to the cloud for analysis; footage and metadata are both kept totally on-premise if desired.
Like any compelling new tech, the possibilities for abuse are there, but they are not — unlike an endeavor like Clearview AI — built for abuse.
“It’s a fine line. It definitely reflects the companies it’s deployed in,” Danziger said. “The companies we interact with really value their employees and want them to be as respected and engaged in the process as possible. This helps them with that.”
The $3.6 million seed round was led by 8VC, with participating investors including iRobot Corporation, K9 Ventures, Sierra Ventures and Slow Ventures.
VC fund Runa Capital was launched with $135 million in 2010, and is perhaps best known for its investment into NGINX, which powers many web sites today. In more recent years it has participated or led investments into startups such as Zipdrug ($10.8 million); Rollbar this year ($11 million); and Monedo (for €20 million).
HQ'd in San Francisco, it has now completed the final closing on its $157 million Runa Capital Fund III, which, they say, exceeded its original target of $135 million.
The firm typically invests between $1 million and $10 million in early-stage companies, predominantly Series A rounds, and has a strong interest in cloud infrastructure, open-source software, AI and machine intelligence and B2B SaaS, in markets such as finance, education and healthcare.
Dmitry Chikhachev, co-founder and managing partner of Runa Capital, said in a statement: "We are excited to see many of our portfolio companies' founders investing in Runa Capital III, along with tech-savvy LPs from all parts of the world, who supported us in all of our funds from day one… We invested in deep tech long before it became the mainstream for venture capital, betting on Nginx in 2011, Wallarm and ID Quantique in 2013, and MariaDB in 2014."
Going forward the firm says it aims to concentrate much of its firepower in the realm of machine learning and quantum computing.
In addition, Jinal Jhaveri, ex-CEO & founder of SchoolMint, a former portfolio company of Runa Capital which was acquired by Hero K12, has joined the firm as a venture partner.
Runa operates out of its HQ in Palo Alto to its offices throughout Europe. Its newest office opened in Berlin in early 2020, given Runa Capital's growing German portfolio. German investments have included Berlin-based Smava and Mambu, as well as the recently added Monedo (formerly Kreditech), Vehiculum and N8N (a co-investment with Sequoia Capital) . Other investments made from the third fund include Rollbar, Reelgood, Forest Admin, Uploadcare and Oxygen.
N8N and three other startups were funded through Runa Capital's recently established seed program that focuses on smaller investments up to $100,000.
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