Mixers and Ring Signatures

A Quick Guide to Designing for Augmented Reality on Mobile (Part 4)

This article is part 4 of an ongoing series, catch up on Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 hereUnderstanding depth and volume is crucial when designing for Augmented Reality. We experience the world in more than one dimension and need to design accordingly. In this article, Ill shine a light on what 3D means in Augmented Reality. We will take a look at the components of a 3D scene, how the underlying technology works, and methods for producing 3D objects. This article is ideal for readers who want to:Create their own 3D content for ARLearn how to source 3D contentHave a better understanding about the current landscape for 3D.How can designers start learning 3D?For many years, 3D had an impossibly high barrier of entry for designers. Its long been considered a technical medium reserved for industries like visual effects, video games, and medical illustration. Adoption in design has been further blocked by a steep (and rocky) learning curve, poor user experience, and prohibitively expensive entry fees.As the need for designers with 3D skills skyrockets, however, new initiatives are emerging to make learning 3D easy, accessible, and fun for designers. One such initiative is 3D for Designers, which has become the de facto starting point for designers and illustrators who want to add 3D to their toolkit. Created and taught by design industry veteran Devon Ko, it includes both free lessons and a comprehensive 3D design fundamentals course. If you want to learn shape, form, lighting, color, and animation in 3D, I highly recommend starting here. Disclosure: Devon helps me edit this Augmented Reality on Mobile series, and Im a Teaching Assistant in her course Composition of a 3D SceneA 3D scene is composed of several objects and things that exist in x,y and z space. Some of the more common objects you will find in a scene are as follows:Mesh: A collection of points, edges and faces that describe an object. e.g.: A 3D mesh of a sphereCamera: A fixed viewpoint, as of that from a camera. e. g. : A view that is always fixed on the sphere no matter where it goes.Light: A source of illumination that creates light and shadow in the scene.e.g.: A spotlight that only exposes something in the middle of a scene. Material: contains information about how an object looks, including color, texture, and density.e.g.: A sphere that look like its made out of wood.Shader: Similar to a material but contains procedural data about how an object should look. e. g. : Creating the effect of electricity zapping away a sphere.A 3D file may also contain additional data such as animation and rigging information. A mesh by itself or with additional data is also referred to as a 3D model. Pre-Rendering vs Real-Time RenderingRendering is the process of interpreting 3D scene data into a graphic. Traditionally, 3D software has a render preview mode that can be activated to see a (typically) lower-quality preview of the final render. Depending on the hardware and complexity, a single frame can take a few seconds or even days to render. AR as a medium cannot afford a few seconds or days to show content. This medium requires the rendering to always be done instantly and in real time and therefor requires a real-time rendering solution.A real-time renderer is capable of displaying and updating information immediately. Examples of real-time renderers are Unity or Eevee.For a real-time experience to feel smooth, the frame updates should take place at about 60 frames per second (60 fps). Keeping an eye on the fps ensures that the experience mimics the real world. Common 3D content typesThere are several types of 3D extensions and formats, some are exclusive to their authoring environment whereas others are open source. The following are common and emerging formats:Object File (.obj): This is the most common and basic type of 3D file, it contains only the geometry information of an object. Most . objs are accompanied with an . mtl (material library file) that contains information about the material and textures.Filmbox (.fbx): This file format stores more than just geometry and includes scene, camera, lighting, rigging and other 3D information. It does not include textures but may sometimes have base surface color. This format is maintained by Autodesk. Collada (. dae): Similar to . fbx, but maintained by the open source community.Graphics Library Transmission Format (.glTF): The self proclaimed JPEG of 3D, glTF is an open source 3D file format supported by The Khronos Group. It can carry a diverse amount of data specially created to meet the emerging needs of web and mobile 3D. It is functionally similar to an . fbx but much smaller in size. Universal Scene Description ZIP (. USDZ): This is a zipped version of a . USD file, a format developed by Pixar to include robust and interchangeable data into a single file format. This means that you can have variations of an object in the same model instead of having several models.So whats the best file format for AR?The challenge with loading 3D objects into an AR application is that it needs to be done immediately and in real-time. The best file format is one that loads and performs as fast as possible, and thats the goal of both .glTF and .USDZ.The major conflict between these formats is that the industry has divided itself in terms of support. For example, Apple exclusively supports and encourages the use of . USDZ for ARKit applications, however Chrome does not support this format on the web and promotes .glTF.If you are considering commissioning or buying a 3D asset, my recommendation would be an .fbx since you can covert it into both .glTF and .USDZ based on your needs.Constructing a 3D object3D models are constructed in two primary ways: sculpting and modeling. Figuring out the type of object you need first will determine the software or artist that is right for the task.Sculpting: The act of deforming polygons with a brush point, similar to working with clay. This method is best for organic shapes like figures and animals. The most popular software specialized for this type of work is ZBrush and Mudbox.Modeling: Controlling every point with precision, similar to working with vectors. This method is best for hard surfaces like machines and architecture. 3D tools such as Blender, Maya and Cinema4D are capable of both types of authoring.Whichever process is chosen, it will ultimately create a mesh. A mesh is simply a collection of points, edges and faces that help describe a 3D object in space. These points, edges and faces combine to form polygons. The higher the polygon count, the smoother your 3D model will look. A higher polygon count may also impact performance and load times. This is one of the main reasons current AR games do not look as high fidelity as a game designed for a console.Sometimes, instead of creating a high polygon count mesh, a material can act as a way of introducing the same amount of detail but with a faster load time.MaterialsTheres a misconception that materials are like a layer of paint on an object. Materials are more like upholstery, they have structure and properties within themselves and can even influence the shape of a model. They can also exist separately from the mesh and be reused. The most popular tools for authoring materials are Substance Painter and Substance DesignerUV Map: When a material is applied to an object, the UV map is one way to define how it is projected on the mesh. For example, if a flat texture of the earth is applied to a sphere, without a UV map it would look like all of the continents are squished into one spot.In some cases a purchased model may not look correct, oftentimes because the materials are missing or the mapping is incorrect.Engine Specific MaterialsNot all renderers are the same, in fact, each rendering engine will have unique characteristics that will impact how something looks. For example, purchasing a model with V-Ray materials will only work if you are using the V-Ray renderer.A material may not be the only thing that affects how your model looks, the following list of properties can also influence the visualization of an object.LightingLighting does more than just brighten a dark scene, its the secret to making something look like it belongs in an environment. Incorrect lighting is one of the most obvious visual discrepancies a viewer can pick up on.Lighting can sometimes also have a greater impact on the color of an object than the materials themselves.For lighting to be believable, it needs to be accompanied by the right shadows. Our eyes are trained to recognize where an object is in space based on the cues that shadows provide. For example, natural light from the sun casts stronger directional light and shadows than artificial light.Some models come with a lighting rig which is a set of lights that mimic different studios or setups. These setups can be static or animated and can have different properties.Sometimes the lighting can be defined by a 360 image, these are called Image Based Lights (IBL) and are a cheap solution for creating realistic lighting.Many AR services use a method called lighting estimation to generate more realistic lighting and shadows. This is a method of using computer vision to understand the world around the user and then generate the correct lighting setup. This process is similar to an IBL and is constantly analyzing information so it can update to match any new changes that take place.3D ScanningWith the advancement of cameras and sensors on phones, 3D scanning is starting to pick up momentum as a viable way of generating content from a phone. One of the most common methods of scanning is using photogrammetry.An application like Meshroom can take image data from your phone and help generate a mesh so you have a 3D model.At this moment 3D scanning via phones still has some way to go since the mesh is not 100% accurate. If you do go this route, be prepared to clean up the materials and the mesh that gets generated.The good news is that mobile device manufacturers are continuously investing in better hardware and sensors, which will in turn enable even more precise scanning in the future. A time when you can instantly scan a production ready 3D asset might not be that far away. ResourcesThere are several resources that can help make it easier to get the right 3D content. Here are a few recommendations:Art Station: A resource and community for sharing work and finding professional 3D artistsTurbosquid: A paid stock site with some of the most extensive offerings of 3D models and textures.Google Poly: Thousands of free 3D assets optimized for AR/VRSketchFab: A web based service and community for viewing 3D models and finding artistsUnity Asset Store: A large offering of paid and free 3D models and extensions optimized for a real time engine. Mixamo: A free web service that automatically rigs biped models.In part five I will explore tips and tricks from the visual effects (VFX) industry that can help craft more realistic and compelling AR experiences.Thanks always to Devon Ko for the editing and Tony Parisi, Jeremy Cowles and Brendan Ford for the insights. RELATED QUESTION Can a stroke patient hope for a 100% recovery rate after 3 years? It is not 100% guaranteed that a stroke patient would recovery completely after a certain period of rehab therapy, however, according to American Stroke Association, rehabilitation is the only effective way to recover from stroke sequelaes, such as foot drop and arm paralysis problems.To regain the health and fitness, patients can choose a home-used therapy machine so that they can do rehabilitation training at home whenever they want, maximizing the utility of recovery process.Here are two of the latest and most innovative stroke rehabilitation equipments recommended:H1 Hand Rehab System2. G3 Foot Drop System.

Hulus Catch 22 Blends Satire and Brutality to Mixed Results

Joseph Hellers seminal novel, Catch 22, has been adapted to the big screen before. This time around, George Clooney tries his hand at a mini series adaptation, focusing on both the surreal satire and brutality of war, seen through the eyes of bomber John Yossarian.The show opens with a naked Yossarian (Christopher Abbott) walking across the tarmac. The show quickly flashes back to his training with General Scheisskopf (Clooney) where he met his best friend, Clevinger (Pico Alexander), before shipping off to the Mediterranean theater of war. There, he finds himself stuck as Colonel Cathcart (Kyle Chandler) keeps on increasing the required mission count, overseen by a bored, unenthusiastic Major De Coverley (Hugh Laurie).The show mainly thrives on the absurdity of the situation, as well as Yossarians interaction with classic characters such as Major Major Major Major and Milo Minderbinder. As he tries repeatedly to convince the camp doctor, Daneeka, that he is certifiably insane, he finds that there is no way to prove that hes insane because the moment he wants to go home, he proves that hes sane enough to want to survive. This is the titular catch 22 that keeps Yossarian in Italy throughout the next two years.While theres plenty of harrowing firefighting (and bomb dropping) when Yossarian is on his missions, there is also plenty of R&R: Yo-Yo and his friends go sunbathing and when in Rome, they also go on dates. As Yossarian veers closer and closer to insanity, with his friends dying off one by one while he himself is promoted to Captain.The show is mostly faithful, though it tells a story that feels more futile and defeatist than the fun satire of the book.This Yossarian is more broken, resigned to his circumstances. While in the book Yossarian has a happier ending, here he still finds himself trapped in the catch 22 cycle by the end of the series: a cycle where hes free to do what he wants until hes called into a mission and gets shell shocked.As good as the show is, at times it feels a bit too safe, with Clooney applying polish to scenes that were more grimy and raw in the source material. It also labors to make long bits of dialogue seem more polished, although the transition works more often than not. The military in the show is still dehumanizing, taking a meat grinder approach to its soldiers in a bid to gain air supremacy.However, the show often makes the struggle seem more personal for Yossarian rather than an absurdist nightmare where he is as equally trapped as the others in the Air Force. Of course, this is the kind of choice you need to make to adapt a book to television. The supporting characters, however, dont get as much presence. Major Major Major Major, for instance, explains his name too many times, and while De Coverleys search for better living quarters works well in contrast to the chaos in Yossarians life, Hugh Laurie doesnt get the screentime to make more of an impact.Still, the miniseries is no mean feat, adapting a book that seems perfect for peculiar, lightning in a bottle reasons. The series ends with Yossarian up in the air with other bombers, his fate suspended in both literal and metaphorical senses. Its an ambitious undertaking, no doubt, and theres plenty to love here, from glossy, shots of the sky to a subdued, star-making turn from Christopher Abbott RELATED QUESTION Why are group homes very restrictive for people with disabilities? The state can assign foster care placements to adults with disabilities, without offering any alternatives.The locations and ratios may inhibit access to medical services, and once you are in, it is costly to pack you and your rehabilitation equipment up and launch another series of moves.Licensing has to ensure a safe environment for multiple co-habiters per the spirit of Freuds Totem and Taboo (1913). We are living in a vulnerable community and have to make regulated social compromises.Let's say that the average client would not consent to living with a raging alcoholic. public services would not plunge you into a home with an alcoholic. Licensing manages alcohol rations closely. Licensing minimizes illness, infection, behavior, which take the orderlies away from getting your critical daily routine done.The Ratio is low, so you are not going to get dressed in real time. state codes help the home keep up with operations as well as it can. if I need urgent care you'll be behind in getting up for days. The orderlies can't appear to receive public funds to compromise our health in state institutionsAdult foster homes are childproofed, per standards for juveniles in the system.

Design Thinking: Mixed Method Research

Anime Series on Karl Marx Debuts to Mixed Reviews

Qian ZhechengA popular Chinese streaming site premiered the first two episodes of an animated series based on the life of German socialist philosopher Karl Marx on Monday to mixed reviews from viewers.Less than 24 hours after its release on Bilibili, the first installment of The Leader had received over 2.8 million views online. The seven-episode series was a collaboration between the central governments Office for the Research and Construction of Marxist Theory, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions publicity department, and a film production company based in the region to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Marxs birth, which was observed on May 5, 2018. Marxs ideas articulated in famous works such as The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital have been massively influential in China during the 20th and 21st centuries. In a ceremony honoring the philosopher in Beijing last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping called Marx the greatest thinker of modern times.Nearly 70 years after the countrys Communist Party declared the founding of the Peoples Republic of China, the German socialist revered on the mainland is being reintroduced to young Chinese through popular entertainment. Last year, the TV show Marx Got It Right was debuted by state broadcaster CCTV, while the podcast Explaining Marx to the Post-90s Generation was aired on 15 radio stations in the country.Marx is now being portrayed in early episodes of The Leader as a chiseled and charismatic protagonist, though the trailer for the shows later episodes indicates that his well-recognized bearded visage is set to appear later in the series. The 23-minute first episode introduces the young Marx, who leaves his hometown of Trier to pursue higher education in Bonn and Berlin. While it paints Marx as a bright mind, the episode also delves into his drinking habit and financial problems, as well as his romance with his future wife, Jenny von Westphalen.Though Bilibili generated buzz around the anime series with a trailer in December, the shows debut has seen mixed reviews among Chinese viewers, who have paid more attention to Marxs high cheekbones and good looks than his theories.Although their intention is good and its very educational, we dont know his philosophy in-depth, which [makes this series] a bit bizarre, one Bilibili user wrote, referring to the shows producers. But Marxs contemporaries, as portrayed in the series, would beg to differ. In a eulogy for Marx in the first episode, Friedrich Engels hails his fellow philosophers groundbreaking ideas, such as his thorough examination and critique of capitalism. Marx, for starters, is a revolutionary his illustrious name and works shall prevail always and forever, Engels says. Editor: Bibek Bhandari. (Header image: A screenshot from The Leader, a 2019 animated series about the German thinker Karl Marx that is being released on streaming site Bilibili.) RELATED QUESTION What are some opportunities to innovate in healthcare from a technology perspective? New Technologies and Innovations in Healthcare Industry:Over the past few decades there is a huge growth in healthcare industry. Explosion of innovations are improving the quality of life and it increasing the life expectancy. Innovations are becoming major focus to increase efficiency, improve access, lower cost, increasing the quality, etc. Furthermore, Asia Pacific's (most) comprehensive industry platform serves the entire value chain for the medical devices market with a combined display of products and technological innovation, together with professional exchange, to serve the business, academic and scientific sectors.Chinas International Medical Equipment Fair has been keen in uniting various countries together in order to exchange innovative ideas in the health industry.The following are the equipment with technological advancement which is focused widely in the healthcare industry. Imaging Equipment In-Vitro Diagnostic Equipment Surgery and Emergency Equipment Orthopedic Devices and Supplies Medical IT Products Electro-Medical Devices Hospital Equipment Rehabilitation Equipment and Home-care Equipment Medical Optical Equipment Medical Consumables.URL:

I Have Mixed Feelings About the Amazon Series Hunters As a Jew

But I still highly recommend it for the entertainment value and thought-provoking moral questions.I have a lot to say about the new Amazon Prime series Hunters.First of all, it is quite entertaining. No doubt about that especially the last episode which had a few completely unexpected twists! I love shows that totally surprise you. This one did. I think Millenials, Holocaust Deniers and others who dont know much about the Holocaust (or didnt learn much about it in school) will benefit from watching this fascinating show.We binge-watched the whole series last week. It kept our attention mainly because it was unique in many ways. It was definitely campy for a Holocaust show. Wow. Did she just use the words Campy and Holocaust in the same breath? Yep.It was a campy show about the Holocaust and Jews getting their long-awaited revenge on Nazis. The show stars Al Pacino who I normally love, especially his classic Scarface. (One of my favorite movies ever!) Most of the actors were believable and did a great job here. The script was a bit far fetched but well-written and thought-provoking for Jews and non-Jews. I especially liked the young Jonah character portrayed by actor Logan Lerman. It was interesting to watch his character turn from the innocent 19-year-old kid to ruthless revenge-seeking Nazi killer. My boyfriend Bob said while we were watching, Yep. This is the Dark Vader time!Honestly, my least favorite character was Al Pacinos Meyer Offerman who seemed to mumble far too many of his lines. I felt they were vital to the storyline but were almost incoherent at times.Sorry, Pacino. This is no Scarface performance!Also, this series does trivialize the Holocaust in many ways. I was born Jewish so this is a bit of a sore spot for me. I am not a practicing or a Religious Jew but a cultural one. Still, some of the lines in this series were downright crude and verging on cringe-worthy like when the character Lonny Flash (Josh Radnor) has to use the bathroom, he says hes going to go drop some chocolate dreidels into the Dead Sea. Overkill? Uhyea. Hunters Is an Anti-Nazi Series That Finds Actual Nazis Insufficiently Shocking?This show has already been under attack by the Auschwitz Memorial Museum. The main complaint was that the show is taking too many creative liberties with the facts and not honoring the true horrors people really suffered in the Death Camps.One critic said the director played fast and loose with the historical record. No doubt!The shows creator says he didnt want to recreate specific, real acts of trauma. All the horror scenes from Auschwitz depicted are not true. According to the shows creator David Weil, they are fictionalized accounts. Arent actual Nazi atrocities terrorizing enough? Why fictionalize them?For instance, one especially horrific scene, in the second episode features a singing competition called The Star of Buchanwald, in which concentration-camp prisoners are shot dead for going out of tune or forgetting the words to a German song until one remains.That specific sadistic act didnt happen.Another horrifying torture scene was a lifesized chess game where the prisoners were pawns placed in their respective spaces when Nazis forced them to play a game and kill whoevers spot they landed on. It was an unnerving scene but it also didnt really happen. (Similar sadistic shit did happen in the Nazi regime though.)But, one critic Charles Bramesco who is Jewish wrote the article, Why I Love the Shameless, Gory, Nazi-killing Catharsis of Amazons Hunters. He said,As a Jewish writer, the flawed and controversial new show acts for me as an oddly empowering revenge fantasyEmpowering? Well, I can understand his view too. It does feel a bit cathartic (and satisfying) to see cruel sadistic Nazis eventually get what they deserve by the hands of their Jewish gun-wielding victims!The Question of ForgivenessThe question of Forgiveness when it comes to Jews and Nazis (or even forgiveness between anyone) is an interesting one to me.(I plan to write more about this woman Eva Kor soon. She is a survivor of a Nazi death camp who recently died. Her story is the opposite of this Hunters series. She not only didnt get revenge she forgave then befriended her Nazi prison guard in this fascinating documentary Forgiving Dr. Mengele from 2006. I highly recommend this. If you want realism and intrigue watch it!)Forgiving Dr. Mengele (2006) - IMDbDirected by Bob Hercules, Cheri Pugh. With Eva Mozes Kor, Sami Adwan, Dan Bar-On, Michael Berenbaum. Eva Mozes Kor, though the show Hunters is flawed and an obvious fictional account I think it is well worth watching for the important thought-provoking moral questions it brings up. These were my final takeaways and are the questions that are still in my mind after watching this series:Do Jews have to become like Nazis (and become killers) to get their satisfying revenge?Does becoming a killer yourself make you inevitably just like them? and if so is that OK because at least youve rid the world of an undisputed evil person?Does killing a Nazi feel like some type of redemption?Would turning the other cheek or forgiving these Nazis bring a Jew any satisfaction?These are all ambiguous questions.The Deeper Moral Questions of the Series Hunters If there were moral takeaways to this story to me they would be that some things are unknowable and ambiguous, which happens to be the title of the last episode in the series Eilu vs Eilu.This is an explanation of Eilu Vs Eilu from Judaismstackexchange. com. Eilu Vsa Eilu: There are certainly absolute truths in regard to things that are known or things that are fundamental principlesWhen it comes to things that are really unknowable, the best we can do is base our understanding of them on sound principles handed down to us from Sinai. We cannot know with absolute certainty ie., we cannot know the absolute truth about) what HaShem (God) wants us to do in any given situation. Certain things are easier to determine than others . Depending on the situation, and also depending on the analysis of the applicable laws, one person can reach a different conclusion than another. That is Eilu VeEilu in a nutshell.My moms' mom (my grandma Molly) is a Holocaust survivor who had a number on her arm. She never wanted to talk about any of it. She went to her grave with her secrets. Maybe she was also contemplating some of these questions.Thanks for reading.contact: Having Recurring Nazi Holocaust Dreams in ChildhoodWhat did it mean?medium. comSOURCES:Hunters Is an Anti-Nazi Series That Finds Actual Nazis Insufficiently ShockingEvery John Mulaney Sketch on This Week's Saturday Night Live, Ranked How a Classic Children's Book Got Hijacked by does "eilu v'eilu" work out with an absolute truth?"There are 70 faces to the Torah" (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15) There's a difference between an explanation of a Torah Memorial slams Amazon's 'Hunters' over 'human chess' sceneA memorial to one of the most infamous Nazi death camps slammed an Amazon TV series this week for depicting a made-upnypost. com. RELATED QUESTION How do I Buy Medical Equipment Spares India? You can go online and search for the suppliers but there are only a few of them in India. You can check the Medical Bazzar website; they always have the latest medical equipment and spares. Other than this, they also have hospital and clinic supplies, Ayurvedic and Home care products, and various devices for therapy. There are devices for physiotherapy such as the ultrasound unit and the TENS unit, rehabilitation equipment such as abdominal support belt, and occupational therapy equipment such as the size perception square board set. They offer discounts during the season time so you should aim to buy then.How do I Buy Medical Equipment Spares India?.

Altered Carbon: the Series That Mixes Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data

Leia este artigo em portugusAltered Carbon is one of the most innovative television series.With a good dose of technology, she still mixes up some suspense and police drama, traits that leave anyone glazed in each episode.In todays article, I want to propose a slightly different reflection. The idea is that you understand the reasons that may lead you to attend the program, whether or not they relate to your business.Perhaps the analysis is much more connected to our personal than professional life.Be that as it may, bet on reading and enjoy some good information about Altered Carbon!What is Altered Carbon?Directed by Laeta Kalogridis, the same as The Island of Fear and The Terminator: Genesis, Altered Carbon takes place in a futuristic world, more specifically in the 25th century, when society has become habituated to a reality as much as strange: the exchange of bodies. Basically, the mind is digitized and stored and the soul can be transferred to another body, living several lives.The protagonist Takeshi Kovacs, a former elite guerrilla played by Joel Kinnaman, who also made House of Cards and Suicide Squad, wakes up after 250 years in another body.Transferred to this future he had tried to prevent, he relies on the difficult situation of having to adapt to the context and the new society, and is still hired by a millionaire to find out the author of his own murder, so he may have a chance to win a new life on earth. For this, he counts on the aid of an ex-serviceman, who wants to help his daughter and a robot, and of a Mexican police officer.Based on the book by Richard Morgan of the same name, Altered Carbon was launched by Netflix, and mixes several technologies already present, such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and big data.Why watch Altered Carbon?Si fi series, also called science fiction, may not please everyone at all, especially considering the unattractive productions of the genre, but Altered Carbon seems to escape this rule. Very well produced and full of reflections on our life, society and the world, it is a good request for several reasons.Check some out!1 Social criticismIn Altered Carbon, humans are virtually products that can simply be exchanged.That way, those who have more money can easily clone and stay young forever. People with few resources depend on the government to gain new identities, which do not always correspond to their ages.Does this situation related to social classes seem close to our reality?For this is the criticism made in the series.2 TechnologyIf you have been following everything that virtual reality, artificial intelligence and big data have contributed to our reality, you will surely enjoy watching Altered Carbon. The series mixes all this and shows us again the importance of these technologies, but with something more: that flea behind the ear on where it can reach.3 A good dose of suspenseWho does not like a good suspense full of surprises?Imagine interesting a murder story involving love and betrayal, with the victim initiating the investigation into his own death.Does it seem intriguing?This is the plot of Altered Carbon!4 Inversion of valuesDo religious beliefs connect us to moral values a little more?It could be that yes, it could be that not, but what would happen in a world with total freedom?From the moment that no one dies, it is possible to rethink the question of our attitudes, do you agree?So, no sin, no final judgment, and all those beliefs that permeate society. Moreover, in the series, people become slaves of the system, to the point where they prefer to be practically products to conquer the continuity of life.Did you know more about Altered Carbon?Its worth watching!Although it is a fiction, it is full of technologies that are already part of our life, not exactly as they are shown in the series, but certainly somewhat closer.Presleyson Lima RELATED QUESTION Do you know someone who lived a minimalist lifestyle changed their minds and convert back to standard living? I lived a modest minimal lifestyle in my 20s until I had a serious accident that left me on disability for 6 months, and another year and a half of rehab. Luckily, I had insurance u2026 so I could afford to make several major purchases to recover.A top of the line king sized pillow top bed so I can sleep. A large assortment of excercise and rehabilitation equipmentA huge amount of health based kitchen tools such as food processors, automatic juicer, automatic coffee, etc. to make daily preparations easierComfortable clothingSome toys to stimulate the mind while stuck at home (synthesizers, a grand piano and cnc machine)Then I got married and we decided to have the art and music studios in the house instead of a dedicated warehouse space.Upon getting married we were gifted a gorgeous hand carved antique bedroom set from the 1800's and a lawyer's desk to setup a home office. I also found that a larger family brings more gifts of clothing, kitchenware and household items over birthdays and holidays!The goal is still one day to separate the studio and living space u2026 although my spouse thinks minimal is "stark & cold" and likes more change in life! Her view is I should just buy some land and build a minimalist container house to use as a summer vacation home u2026 but that leaves us with even more (which sorta defeats the purpose of reducing for me).There are no set rules in life.Do you know someone who lived a minimalist lifestyle changed their minds and convert back to standard living?

The XR and You Series: VR for Training

In most cases, the human brain learns best with good old-fashioned hands-on training. Many of us can attest to the value of learning by doing from personal experience. For this reason, mid-century educator Edgar Dales Cone of Experience suggests that a real experience is by far the most effective method of learning. Knowing the value of learning by doing, Virtual Reality developers are tackling the task of bringing VR training to any and all occupations which could benefit. We love that incorporating immersive learning within internal training procedures also provides organizations a great segue to using VR and AR for workplace tasks as well.While the applications of virtual learning are widespread, were going highlight our Top 5 Training areas which we think are particularly well-suited to VR. 1. Trades TrainingWe love watching the expansion of VR trades training because it illustrates two prominent benefits of workplace VR; safety and cost savings. Students who begin learning new skills and techniques in an immersive environment will risk fewer injuries and waste less material.2. Learning LanguagesVirtual language immersion is another excellent application of VR technology. Users can seal themselves off with tutors and conversation partners who possess endless patience and unlimited time. Immersive technology presents cost savings in this case as well, because the student can complete an entire program without engaging a real-world educator.3. Public PerformancePart of what makes VR a great training tool is the users knowledge that he or she is safe inside. In the case of public speaking, users can practice addressing a group, getting a feel for the experience while still knowing the listeners arent real. And an audience can respond in challenging ways without real life consequences for the user. The chance to practice in a safe environment may make the difference between acquiring public speaking skill or not at all for many people. 4. Medical MarvelsIf you remember the introduction of miniature cameras into the surgical world, youll no doubt be excited to follow the development of immersive medical training. In partnership with the training medical students receive through bodies donated to science, VR provides unlimited access to realistic and detailed anatomy. Students can access training again and again, achieving more repetition and improving their performance. 5. Equalizing EnforcementPolice and law enforcement professionals around the world are facing increasingly dangerous challenges and we are, quite rightly, holding them to higher standards of performance. Providing realistic training scenarios allows improved outcomes, both for a trainees capacity to understand their role and an instructors ability to evaluate progress.Does your organization have training needs? Are the costly, inefficient, and time-consuming? Consider the benefits of VR training before your next curriculum development meeting and propel your processes into the future. Stambols XR and You Series brings you a collection of snapshots of how Extended Reality technology is changing our lives.Photo Credit: undrey / Adobe StockOriginally published at Stambol Studios RELATED QUESTION What are the latest applications of fiber optic sensors? According to a new market research report published by Credence Research Fiber Optic Sensors Market(Product Type Intrinsic Fiber Optic Sensors, Extrinsic Fiber Optic Sensors; Material Plastic, Glass; End-user Industrial, Oil & Gas, Energy & Utilities, Healthcare, Automotive & Transportation and Defense) Growth, Future Prospects and Competitive Analysis, 2018 - 2026, the global fiber optic sensors market is set to exhibit CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026.Browse the full report InsightsFiber optic sensing has emerged as a prevalent technology across numerous industries including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, civil, manufacturing, and energy. These sensors are capable of measuring a wide variety of parameters including strain, temperature, internal and applied loads, deflection, liquid level and more. Today, fiber optic sensors can be used to measure more than 60 parameters, availing a wide range of application areas. Fiber optic sensors are low cost, lightweight, robust, immune to electromagnetic interference and capable of functioning in harsh environments. Unlike conventional electrical sensors, fiber optic sensors can be positioned close to large EMI sources as well as structures that are prone to lightning strikes.The overall fiber optic sensors market is segmented based on product type, material, end-user, and geography. Based on the product type, the fiber optic sensors market is led by intrinsic sensors accounting for more 2/3rd of the total market value. Further, based on end-user, industrial manufacturing & processing segment leads the fiber optic sensors market. In the following years, the oil & gas segment is expected to register the highest growth rate in the market. Fiber optic sensors have offered a viable solution for well and reservoir surveillance in the oil and gas industry. These sensors are being widely deployed in the oil and gas sector for measuring temperature, chemical composition, pressure, acoustics, and strain. With rising subsea processing and increasing requirement of system monitoring, there has been a growing demand for optical fibers with longer transmission distances and higher bandwidth.On the basis of geography, North America dominated the overall fiber optic sensors market with a share of nearly 34% in the year 2017. The regional market growth is primarily governed by the presence of sophisticated industrial manufacturing & processing sector. The Asia Pacific is expected to demonstrate the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The market growth in the Asia Pacific is estimated to be supported by the rapidly growing industrial sector in China and India. Some of the major companies profiled in the report include ABB Ltd., Halliburton CO, Fiso Technologies, Inc., OMRON Corporation, OmniSens S.A., Opsens Oil and Gas, Deltex Medical Group PLC, Finisar Corporation, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Luna Innovations Inc., Ziebel AS, OptaSense (QinetiQ Company), AP Sensing GmbH, PepperlFuchs GmbH, Petrospec Engineering Inc. , Schlumberger Ltd. , AFL Group, SCHOTT AG, TE Connectivity and others.Browse the full report

A Guide to Running a XR Usability Study

This article is part four of the series that reviews the user testing conducted on Hubs by Mozilla, a social XR platform. Previous posts in this series have covered insights related to accessibility, user experience, and environmental design. The objective of this final post is to give an overview of how the Extended Mind and Mozilla collaborated to execute this study and make recommendations for best practices in user research on cross platform (2D and XR) devices. PARTICIPANTS WILL MAKE OR BREAK THE STUDYResearch outcomes are driven by participant quality so plan to spend a lot of time up front recruiting. If you dont already have defined target users, pick a user profile and recruit against that. In this study, Jessica Outlaw and Tyesha Snow of The Extended Mind sought people who were tech savvy enough to use social media and communicate on smartphones daily, but did not require that they owned head-mounted displays (HMDs) at home. The researchers approach was to recruit for the future user of Hubs by Mozilla, not the current user who might be an early adopter. Across the ten participants in the study, a broad range of professions were represented (3D artist, engineer, realtor, psychologist, and more), which in this case was ideal because Hubs exists as a standalone product. However, if Hubs were in an earlier stage where only concepts or wireframes could be shown to users, it would have been better to include people with VR expertise because they could more easily imagine the potential it. In qualitative research, substantial insights can be generated from between six and twelve users. Beyond twelve users, there tends to be redundancy in the feedback, which doesnt justify the extra costs of recruiting and interviewing those folks. In general, there is more value in running two smaller studies of six people at different iterations of product development, rather than just one study with a larger sample size. In this study, there were ten participants, who provided both diversity of viewpoints and enough consistency that strong themes emerged.The researchers wanted to test Hubs multi-user function by recruiting people to come in pairs. Having friends and romantic partners participate in the study allowed The Extended Mind to observe authentic interactions between people. While many of them were new to XR and some were really impressed by the immersive nature of the VR headset, they were grounded in a real experience of talking with a close companionFor testing a social XR product, consider having people come in with someone they already know. Beyond increasing user comfort, there is another advantage in that it was more efficient for the researchers. They completed research with ten people in a single day, which is a lot in user testing. SUMMARY OF RECRUITING RECOMMENDATIONSRecruit participants who represent the future target user of your product (identifying user profiles is often a separate research project in user-centered design).The farther along the product is in development, the less technologically sophisticated users need to be.You can achieve important insights with as few as six participants. To test social products, consider bringing in people in pairs. This can also be efficient for the researchers.COLLECTING DATAIts important to make users feel welcome when they arrive. Offer them water or snacks. Pay them an honorarium for their time. Give them payment before the interviews begin so that they know their payment is not conditional on them saying nice things about your product. In fact, give them explicit permission to say negative things about the product. Participants tend to want to please researchers so let them know you want their honest feedback. Let them know up front that they can end the study, especially if they become uncomfortable or motion sick.The Extended Mind asked people to sign a consent form for audio, video, and screen recording. All forms should give people the choice to opt out from recordings. In the Hubs by Mozilla study, the format of each interview session was:Welcome and pre-Hubs interview on how participants use technology (20 min)Use Hubs on 3 different devices (40 min)Closing interview on their impressions of Hubs (30 min)Pairs were together for the opening and closing interviews, but separated into different conference rooms for actual product usage. Jessica and Tyesha each stayed with a participant at all times to observe their behaviors in Hubs and then aggregated their notes afterward.One point that was essential was to give people some experience with the Oculus Go before actually showing them Hubs. This was part of the welcome and pre-Hubs interview in this study. Due to the nascent stage of VR, participants need extra time to learn about navigating the menus and controllers. Before people to arrive in any XR experience, people are going to need to have some familiarity with the device. As the prevalence of HMDs increases, taking time to give people an orientation will become less and less necessary. In the meantime, setting a baseline is an important piece for users about where your experiences exist in the context of the devices ecosystem.SUMMARY OF DATA COLLECTION RECOMMENDATIONSPrioritize participant comfortSignal that you are interested in their genuine feedbacKAsk participants for consent to record themConduct pre-test and post-test interviews with participants to get the most insightsAllow time for people to get used to navigating menus and using the controller on new HMDs before testing your experience. GENERATING INSIGHTSOnce all the interviews have been completed, its time to start analyzing it the data. It is important to come up with a narrative to describe the user experience. In this example, Hubs was found to be accessible, fun, good for close conversations, and participants experiences were influenced by the environmental design. Those themes emerged early on and were supported by multiple data points across participants.Using peoples actual words is more impactful than paraphrasing them or just reporting your own observations due to the emotional impact of a first-person experience. For example,The duck makes a delightful sound. is more descriptive than writing Participant reported liking duck sound effects.There are instances where people make similar statements but each used their own words, which helps bolster the overall point. For example, three different participants said they thought Hubs improved communication with their companion, but each had a different way of conveying it:[Hubs is] better than a phone call. Texting doesnt capture our full [expression]This makes it easier to talk because there are visual cues.Attempt to weave together multiple quotes to support each of the themes from the research.User testing will uncover new uses of your product and people will likely spontaneously brainstorm new features they want and more. Expect that users will surprise you with their feedback. You may have planned to test and iterate on the UI of a particular page, but learn in the research that the page isnt desirable and should be removed entirely.SUMMARY OF GENERATING INSIGHTS RECOMMENDATIONSDirect quotes that convey the emotion of the user in the moment are an important tool of qualitative researchPictures, videos, and screen captures can help tell the story of the users experiencesBe prepared to be surprised by user feedbackMozilla & The Extended Mind CollaborationIn this study, Mozilla partnered with The Extended Mind to conduct the research and deliver recommendations on how to improve the Hubs product. For the day of testing, two Hubs developers observed all research sessions and had the opportunity to ask the participants questions. Having Mozilla team members onsite during testing let everyone sync up between test sessions and led to important revisions about how to re-phrase questions, which devices test on, and more.Due to Jessica and Tyesha being outside of the core Hubs team, they were closer to the user perspective and could take a more naturalistic approach to learning about the product. Their goals were to represent the user perspective across the entire project and provide strategic insights that the development team could apply.This post has provided some background on the Hubs by Mozilla user research study and given recommendations on best practices for people who are interested in conducting their own XR research. Get in touch with contact@extendedmind.io with research questions and, also, try Hubs with a friend. You can access it via mozilla. com/. This is the final article in a series that reviews user testing conducted on Mozillas social XR platform, Hubs. Mozilla partnered with Jessica Outlaw and Tyesha Snow of The Extended Mind to validate that Hubs was accessible, safe, and scalable. The goal of the research was to generate insights about the user experience and deliver recommendations of how to improve the Hubs product. Links to the previous posts are below. Part one on accessibilityPart two on the personal connections and playfulness of HubsPart three on how XR environments shape user behaviorI am planning a series of workshops to teach XR design and research. Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of 2019 course offerings RELATED QUESTION How many volts has the output of a welding machine? To keep things simple, I'll talk about 2 welding machine types only; constant current and constant voltage. Both types will take a high voltage, low amperage AC power supply and turn it into a low voltage-high amperage supply which is more suitable for welding.Why do we use them?Constant current -SMAWthis power supply type provides constant current or amperage Within reason, that is. As you weld, the amperage fluctuates up and down a few amps, but for the sake of keeping it simple, let's say it stays constant. Voltage on the other hand does not. When you turn the machine on, hook up your ground and put a rod in the electrode holder nothing happens, but there is an open circuit voltage (OCV) present at the electrode. OCV can be anywhere from 45 volts to 80 volts. Why?This voltage allows us to establish an arc when we scratch or tap the rod against the work surface, once the circuit closes and we start welding, the voltage drops down to, and can fluctuate between 15 and 40 volts. As we weld however, we cannot hold our electrode an exact distance away from our work, nor can we travel at exactly the same speed; as our arc length increases and decreases, so does the the voltage.Constant Voltage -GMAWThis power supply works a little differently, it supplies a constant voltage Within reason. It's still taking our high voltage low amperage power and flipping it around, but our variables for setting our heat change a little. While stick welding, we control our rod size and amperage, the voltage takes care of itself; with GMAW, we have shielding gas, wire size, wire feed speed (wfs), and voltage. The current or amperage is taken care of by how much wire we feed into the weld pool per minute. The voltage is set to balance the arc and provide the properties we want for transferring our filler metal, as the wire is fed into the pool, the voltage fluctuates. Again, to keep things simple, lets say we have a voltage range of 1040 volts, when I set my current (wire feed speed), I'll use the voltage to balance the arc and provide me with the type of metal transfer called for in the weld procedure

Brief Analysis of the Importance of Preventive Maintenance Management on Medical Equipment

Brief Analysis of the Current Development Status and Trend of Chinese Medical Device

　　Author：MeCan Medical–ultrasound machine manufacturersAt present, the epidemic is still spreading globally, and international trade and economic growth have stalled. Although the exports of Chinese medical equipment remain stable as a whole, they need to be alert to relevant risks and challenges. The relevant person in charge of the Medical Institution Department of the Medical Insurance Chamber of Commerce pointed out that in the short term, due to the needs of epidemic prevention and immunity, the global market has increased its dependence on the supply chain of Chinese medical device.In the long run, the epidemic has become a catalyst for reshaping the global industrial structure. With the introduction of policies in various countries, international competition will intensify, and the competition between Chinese medical devices in the global market will be more intense.In terms of market risks, the global economic recovery will lower the ability of the international market to procure ordinary medical supplies. The surge in demand for epidemic prevention materials, coupled with the decline in the efficiency of the port work, has caused serious lag in the circulation of containers, bringing a sharp increase in international logistics costs, especially shipping. The rise in raw materials and labor costs, and the strengthening of the supervision of merchants by cross -border e -commerce platforms will further squeeze the export profits of the enterprise.In addition, due to international travel restrictions, it is difficult for engineers and sales staff to conduct promotion activities in overseas markets and after -sales service for some large -scale equipment exported equipment, and it is not conducive to market sales.Overseas market expansion also needs to focus on the impact of changes in international market regulations. For example, the European Union has implemented new medical device regulations (MDR) and in vitro diagnostic medical device regulations (IVDR), pay more attention to the clinical performance of the product, strengthen the traceability of medical device products, and pay attention to improving the transparency of patients.These will improve the management and restrictions on medical device products entering the European market accordingly, and put forward higher requirements for the industry's employees, which will bring about increased costs to Chinese export companies, extending certification cycle, and increasing compliance risks, etc. challenge.