Spend any amount of time in electronic music-making circles online or in real life and youll quickly realise that all producers can be neatly pigeon-holed into a mere seven categories.

Heres our guide to all of them, featuring extremely scientific analysis of their vital stats, distinguishing features, and habits.

DAW: FL StudioLocation: EverywhereAge: The entirety of Gen Z

Armed only with zero understanding of music production and a laptop recently stolen from a homeless person, Trap Kid knows the only way to avoid being eaten alive by rampant late-stage capitalism is to make a beat that catapults them to super-star status.

A mere three hours after beginning their production odyssey, the Trap Kid will start making their own tutorial content.

Naturally, the highly-motivated Trap Kid is eager to learn, and has two basic questions they need answered: Why cant I get my 808s in tune? and Where can I download synth plugins for free?

A mere three hours after beginning their production odyssey, the Trap Kid will start making their own tutorial content, and after a few weeks will be making no less than thirteen beats per day on top of their three day jobs.

While its easy and fun to deride the Trap Kid, they are the only category of producer whose music is capable of bringing genuine joy to another human being.

Good luck Trap Kid, youll need it!

DAW: N/ALocation: SuburbiaAge: A cool 45

DAWless and, indeed, wifeless, Mid-life Synth Crisis Mans newly single status means he has plenty of time and money to devote to a new passion: synthesizer hardware.

He may generate his hefty disposable income working in the marketing department of a company that develops facial recognition systems for pre-schools, but Mid-life Synth Crisis Man has the soul of an artist: theres nowhere hed rather be than surrounded by an array of music-making hardware and houseplants, jamming out another lengthy ambient drone session.

When you spend all day staring at Excel spreadsheets, the last thing you want to do is look at a computer screen in the evening, meaning Mid-life Synth Crisis Man has never seen or heard of Audacity. As such, he has only ever recorded his $60,000s worth of synth hardware on his phone, which only adds to his lo-fi/hi-cost aesthetic.

DAW: RenoiseLocation: EuropeAge: 30+

Although fully aware of the availability of proper DAWs, 90s throwback Trackerman doesnt have time for their accessibility, attractive design and array of convenient features. Preferring instead to stare at an indecipherable alphanumeric stream like something out of The flippin Matrix, Trackerman creates his intricate breakcore Amen edits by fluttering his fingers over a computer keyboard in the manner of a cyborg.

Trackerman creates his intricate breakcore Amen edits by fluttering his fingers over a computer keyboard in the manner of a cyborg.

Whats fascinating about Trackerman is his duality: hes intelligent enough to wield a piece of software that looks as if its designed to be operated by gifted robots, yet is dumb enough to keep using it.

Hearing this savants presumably astounding music is a tantalising prospect, but he isnt about to reveal his subversive activities to any shadowy extra-governmental agencies so doesnt have a SoundCloud.

DAW: Zoom H4nLocation: Southeast AsiaAge: Quarter-life crisis

Almost certainly running from something dreadful in their past, the City Ambience Uploader is permanently living in far-flung metropolises and has no kit, though they certainly seem to have an awful lot of time on their hands judging by their regular 50GB+ sample pack drops.

If youve ever needed an atmospheric urban soundscape then youre in luck, buddy, because City Ambience Uploader will be uploading comprehensive recordings of every street vendor in Chiang Mai every fortnight for the next 23 years. That is unless they manage to get some gear together, in which case theyll start uploading bumper volumes of Sad Guitar Loops instead.

DAW: ArdourLocation: The imaginationAge: N/A

Theres probably some kind of music software available on open-source operating system Linux, but no one really has any concrete proof of this because theres zero recorded evidence of anyone using the OS to make music.

Sure, you spoke to an Autechre fan at a party once who told you about Linux legitimacy as a music-making platform, and who argued that it offered some kind of vague advantage over mainstream operating systems, but did they play you any of their music? Of course not, because it never existed.

This archetype poses us with something of a koan: If someone has a laptop full of music-making software that theyve tuned to perfection, but has never actually made anything with it, are they still a producer?

We would apologise to any Linux Producers reading this, but bearing in mind the Schrodinger's Cat-style uncertainty over their existence, it feels like a waste of time.

DAW: ReaperLocation: ReaperAge: Reaper

Ask almost any question related to music production online and you can be sure that, before too long, a helpful Reaper zealot will pop up and strongly suggest trying out their favourite DAW.

So why not give it a go? Its free, after all, except not really, though in the inevitable event you dont make any money from your musical endeavours, you can get a cheaper license.

Whats more it has a low resource footprint, can be run from a USB drive, its cross-platform with an (of course) experimental build available for Linux, its super-customisable, and developer Cockos is always putting out updates and listening to community feedback, etc, etc, etc.

Sure, its all very enticing, but the thing the Reaper Evangelist doesnt realise is that not everyone wants or needs that much DAW power, especially not our final type of producer...

DAW: GarageBandLocation: Anywhere there are MacBooksAge: 20s

Proof the neurotypical can produce too, The Normie is a singer-songwriter who just wants to record their songs without having to get a computer science degree, and thanks to GarageBand, the only thing standing in their way is their inability to grasp what an audio interface is.

The owner of a USB microphone, The Normies musical aspirations are advanced by modern music-making softwares accessibility, and theyre happy to use compressor plugins that feature only thee knobs, blissfully unaware how or or even why anyone would use anything more complicated.

The Normie has more social media followers than you by several orders of magnitude thanks to their human face, and as such, their music will be listened to by actual people rather than the same old collection of three bots.

That said, theyll never make a physically-modelled accordion in Reaktor, so you can safely continue to consider them your inferior.

View post:

The 7 types of electronic music producer: which are you? - MusicRadar

Theres a little bit of light in the wake of the weeks tragedies, when Alf (Ray Meagher) decides to propose to ex-wife Martha (Belinda Giblin)!

With the news of Mason (Orpheus Pledger) and Robbos (Jake Ryan) deaths shaking the community, Alf, Martha and Roo (Georgie Parker) reflect on how life is too short for holding back.

Martha tells Alf that if shed realised that years ago, before faking her death, their lives would have been very different.

This gives Alf food for thought, and later on at the candlelit vigil that hes organised on the beach, Alf realises its time to seize the day.

Alf has recently seen more and more of the woman he fell in love with all those years ago, and now he decides to propose. But expressing his feelings in that area is difficult for him, Ray told New Idea magazine. Hes definitely not a salesman of his own feelings!

As they sit together and reflect on their relationship, Alf asks the question, which leaves Martha stunned.

He casually drops it on Martha as if asking her to go to a restaurant, Ray continued in TV Week. It floors her.

Unimpressed, Martha heads home, and the next day theres clearly tension between the couple, which doesnt go unnoticed by Roo.

As Martha reveals what happened the night before, Roo is elated, until realising that Martha didnt actually answer Alfs question.

As far as Alf is concerned, thats a resounding No if ever there was one.

Alf tries to apologise for the circumstances by saying it wasnt exactly planned, but Martha says thats just the point.

Martha later confides in Roo that shes worried Alfs proposal was just a spur of the moment decision, caused by the emotion of everything that was going onthe news of Robbo and Mason, together with Leah being missing.

Shes worried that Alf will change his mind once all the chaos dies down.

Roo relays this to a grumpy Alf, and they return to the house where Roo gives them some space.

Alf explains to Martha that she was right, his proposal was brought on by the devastation that was surrounding them, but only because of his realisation that he needed to live for the moment.

Hed been planning to propose for months, but was too afraid to do so.

After a heartfelt speech, Alf gets down on one knee and delivers the proposal that Martha deserves. Martha tearfully replies that she would be honoured to marry him.

The second proposal is ever so romantic, Belinda told New Idea. They have both been through such a journey, and theyre both more than ready for it.

Alf s thrilled, Ray added. He realised he really wanted to be with Martha, and if he had to change his ways for that to happen, hed do so.

Sealing the deal with a kiss, Alf tells an overwhelmed Roo to come out from her hiding spot and the trio celebrate with champagne.

It wouldnt be a Stewart family occasion without some drama though, and that arrives when Ryder comes home sporting a shiner, having been hit by newcomer Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) when he tried to warn him to not get involved Jade (Mia Morrissey).

Ryder and Roo agreed to not let on to Alf and Martha about the charges hes facing, following Jades false allegations about him uploading their sex tape.

But Ryder now has no choice when hes forced to explain to his grandfather how he got into a fight.

Alf and Martha are stunned by Ryders revelation, but both vow to support him any way they can.

So when will the wedding of the year take place? Well, we wont have too long to wait.!

Heres a full rundown and video slideshow of this weeks episode spoilers:

Monday 9th March 2020 Season PremiereColby and Dean go rogue to try and save the hostages. Can Robbo convince Scott to spare his life and save Jasmine?

Tuesday 10th MarchHeartache and grief overwhelm the community in the aftermath of the hospital siege. Marilyn is traumatised after witnessing Masons murder. Robbo is rushed into surgery.

Wednesday 11th MarchJasmines world comes crashing down when Colby gives her devastating news. Alfs attempt to create a moment of joy with Martha backfires. Colby does his best to honour Robbos dying wish.

Thursday 12th MarchRoo helps Alf and Martha through their miscommunication. Ryders attempts to warn Nikau about Jade fail. Maggie looks to help others anyway she can.

Friday 13th MarchMarilyn attempts to cover her trauma and focus on helping the Paratas. Toris heartbroken when Justin shares more bad news. The Stewarts rally around Ryder to support him in his case against Jade. Alf and Martha have exciting news.

Excerpt from:

UK Home and Away Spoilers - Alf Proposes to Martha! - Back to the Bay

These are our top event picks for the week of February 24-March 1. Formore events listings, visitnowtoronto.com/events.

National Theatre Live: Fleabag

Catch a recording of Pheobe Waller-Bridge's solo show that eventually became her hit TV show of the same name on the big screen.

February 24, 25 & 27. Paradise Theatre. $19-$27. paradiseonbloor.com.

The Runner

Christopher Morris's stunning show about a Z.A.K.A. volunteer facing a moment of crisisis back as part of Tarragon's season, with the same teamintact. As we wrote in ouroriginal review, run, don't walk, to get tickets to this riveting show.

February 25 to March 29 at theTarragon Mainspace

Hannah Gadsby

The Australian comedianis coming to Toronto for the first time with her latest solo show, Douglas.

February 27-29. Roy Thomson Hall. $45.75-$65.75.roythomsonhall.com

Brain Storm

Writer/director Taliesin McEnaney's show inspired by Canadian neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder Penfield world premieres at Dancemakers Studio.

February 27-March 8. Pwyc-$60. whynot.theatre.com

School Night Toronto

There's a solid lineup for this edition of the free-with-RSVP Monday night concert series, including the robot funk of Ice Cream and the still-somehow-under-the-radar local R&B/pop singer Sylo Nozra. Also playing: Alex Bent & The Emptiness and Sabby Sousa.

February24. Drake Hotel. 7:30 pm. Free with RSVPitsaschoolnight.com

Refused with Youth Code

Start warming up your voice to shout "CAN I SCREAM?" The long-running Swedish punks Refused are bringing their new noise to Toronto, touring behind the 2019 album War Music.

February 25. Phoenix Concert Theatre.Doors 7 pm. $35.ticketmaster.ca

Cam'Ron

The legendary Dipset rapper recently released Purple Haze 2, the sequel to his beloved decade-and-a-half old album and he's been hinting it could be his last. So you'll want to be at this surprisingly intimate show if you've been clamouring to see him.

February 28. Velvet Underground. Doors 7 pm. Sold out.

The Future Of Work And Death

Sean Blacknell and Wayne Walsh's documentary screens as part of a panel discussion exploring the possible impacts of artificial intelligence, automation and the development of mind uploading to prolong human life.

February 24. Toronto Reference Library. 6:30 pm. Free. eventbrite.ca

Cats

Ladies of Burlesque hosts the city's latest performance-based screening of the instant-camp classic.

February 26. Royal Cinema. 7 pm. $13. universe.com

Toronto Irish Film Festival

Dark Lies The Island, a darkly comic film adaptation ofKevin Barrys short stories, kicks off a weekend of Irish features and shorts.

February 28-March 1. TIFF Bell Lightbox.$15-$25.toirishfilmfest.com

Queerly Beloved

Inside Out celebrates 30 years by screening 18 queer classics at the Paradise Theatre.

March 1-31. $14-$21. paradiseonbloor.com

Western Lights:Isochronal

Artist Fezz Stenton uses 3D projectionmapping and animation techniques to transform the 116 foot-long wall at 809 Dundas Street West (at Palmerston) into textures of ice, molten heat, lush greenery and crystal structures.

February 27-29.7-11pm. The show runs every 15 minutes. Free. trinitybellwoodsdundas.com

Chowder Chowdown

Chef's challenge supports Ocean Wise sustainability seafood program.

February 26. Distillery District Fermenting Cellar. $60. ocean.org/chowderchowdown

Recipe For Change 2020

FoodShare's annual fundraiser puts the spotlight on the culinary artistry and vision of some of Torontos most dynamic Black chefs.

February 28. Toronto Reference Library.6 pm. $150. eventbrite.ca

@nowtoronto

The rest is here:

What to do in Toronto this week: February 24-March 1 - NOW Magazine

by Sam Manzella 2/19/2020

Whats in a thirst trap? For queer women, the answer isnt always as explicit as it may seem at first (or second, or third) glance.

As its name suggests, a thirst trap is categorized first and foremost by its purpose: capturing the attention of potential suitors on social media. Urban Dictionary defines a thirst trap as a sexy photograph or flirty message posted on social media [with] the intent of causing others to publicly profess their attraction, sometimes without any concrete plan to respond [to] or satisfy any of this attraction.

So, yes, theres usually a very surface-level, ISO external validation factor to uploading a racy pic of oneself to Instagram, though for some queer thirst trap evangelists, the power of the art form doesnt stop there.

Vanessa Pamela Friedman, Autostraddles community editor and resident thirst trap expert, tells me that thirst traps can double as a potent tool for boosting ones self-confidence. In her January 2019 Autostraddle magnum opus titled Your Homework for 2019 Is to Assume Everyone Thinks Youre Hot, Im Serious, Friedman points out that the thirst traps true power actually has nothing to do with the thirst trap itself. Its the unabashed show of confidencein oneself, in ones bodythat ultimately attracts others.

Vanessa Pamela Friedman.

Its not a stretch, then, to argue that this logic applies even more so to queer women, who experience the magnified effects of navigating a cis-heteronormative patriarchy as both women and members of the LGBTQ community. Many of us are familiar with the phenomenon of #Instagays, or perfectly sculpted, conventionally attractive gay men who boast (and often commodify) their likenesses on Instagram.

Few queer women who post thirst traps on Instagram have ascended to the online fame of top-tier Instagays, whose followers can number into the millions. Thats not to say popular queer women influencers dont exist, because girlthey do. Trust me. They also tend to embody traditional beauty ideals in a similar way (read: thin, androgynous-leaning white women galore). Theres no shame in getting your coin, but for queer women whose bodiesor messagesarent as easily marketable to mainstream brands, thirst traps can serve a very different purpose: celebrating yourself and your body with like-minded followers in a world which does not inherently champion you.

Theres a degree of safety that comes with a scaled-down following, too. For queer womenespecially those who arent interested in attracting romantic or sexual attention from cisgender, heterosexual menposting thirst traps sometimes means attracting attention from unwanted parties. Friedman says shes lucky enough that her small, majority-LGBTQ following means she rarely attracts unwanted attention (or unsolicited DMs) from cis-het men. That said, she does employe Instagrams block button very liberally. If someone follows me and I dont know them and dont like their vibe, she explains, I block without hesitation.

In fact, Friedman worries more about a different audience unintentionally finding her thirst traps: potential employers. As an academic at a liberal arts college, Friedman is currently on the hunt for teaching gigs. While she knows posting hot pics of her in a bikini doesnt make her a bad teacher, the people hiring her might not feel the same way. Its a consideration to keep in mind when posting racy photos on social mediaand the kind of foresight Friedman believes should factor into postinganything, really!

Jazzmyne Robbins.

I dont believe we are doing anything wrong when we post celebrations of ourselves, she adds. I think we are actually doing something very right. And while I will always stress safety and comfort first I will also always, always, always support everyones right to post thirst traps on the internet. Its 2020, and joy is scarceif we cant post hot photos of our butts online and celebrate each other, what the fuck are we here for?

Jazzmyne Robbins, a queer Instagram influencer and a producer for Buzzfeeds As/Is digital series, tells me she rarely considers the potential for unwanted attention when uploading thirst traps to Insta.

I post photos for me, and then for my followers that I know support me, Robbins says. I do understand that anyone can see anything that I post, and sometimes I will get comments that are not cool to look at, but I just delete the comments. She likens deleting disparaging comments on her posts to weeding out toxic people in her life: I wouldnt keep people in my life who make me feel bad, so Im not going to keep comments on my Instagram that me feel bad.

As for what makes a perfect, eye-catching thirst trap? Good lighting and a strong image composition help. It might sound obvious, but Friedman also stresses the importance of actually feeling good during the photo-taking process.

At the end of the day, the main point of a selfie or a thirst trap for me is just to feel good in my body, she adds. Like, This is my face, this is my body, I like myself even on days when I dont like capital-L Love myself, please enjoy this glimpse of myself.

Robbins agrees and describes her goal aesthetic as pure confidence pouring out. Thats what Im going for, she says. It does start with [intention] because if you are trying to impress others or do something not true to you, the picture will not be good!

Theres some vanity inherent to taking and uploading saucy selfies, sure, but thirst traps arewell, more than just skin-deep. Theyre an exercise in complete control over ones imagewhich, for women and members of the LGBTQ community, is a rarity. Theyre also tools for attracting romantic and sexual partners, and for self-care through body positivity and self-love. And if thats not a radical political act, then I dont know what is.

Brooklyn-based writer and editor. Probably drinking iced coffee or getting tattooed.

Read the original here:

Behold, the Fine Art of the Lesbian Thirst Trap - NewNowNext

The average Londoner is caught on camera more than 300 times a dayby cameras operated by public bodies, businesses, and individuals. This could be in the park, the shops, or at the station, with an estimated one CCTV camera for every 14 people currently in the UKs largest city. That number is predicted to rise to one in 11 by 2025, making modern surveillance culture a growing privacy battle as surveillance technology continues to advance.

To fight back, many people and projects are turning to make-up, something Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, says has the potential to throw off many of the algorithms. Surveillance technology can be very powerful but also very fragile, he explains. Even placing small amounts of make-up could trick an algorithm into finding no match or a match with a different face. This includes blocking out shapes in geometric patterns or obscuring key features such as the eyes or nose-bridge or experimenting with Juggalo clown make-up.

Artist Adam Harveys privacy concerns turned into activism and defiance through make-up. Harvey coined the term computer vision dazzle or cv dazzle when creating an open source anti-facial recognition toolkit that allows users to explore how fashion can be used as camouflage from face-detection technology. The idea behind CV Dazzle is simple: facial recognition algorithms look for certain patterns when they analyse images, so obstructing those patterns means obstructing the ability for the algorithm to recognise you. Techniques to do this include creating asymmetry, using hair to conceal the face (particularly the nose bridge), using make-up that contrasts with your skin tone in unusual tones and directions, and sticking gems on the face.

Started as part of his NYU Masters thesis in 2010, Harvey is currently working on the new software application to show how face detection and face recognition algorithms are analysing your face. The future will look back on the present day and realise that the surveillance technologies developed in this century have profoundly impacted what it means to be human and what it means to dehumanise each other through technology, says Harvey. For CV Dazzle, I proved that make-up can have a significant impact on face detection and face recognition systems. The looks created were tested and validated against Facebooks PhotoTagger, Googles Picasa, and Eblearn.

(Anti facial recognition techniques) include creating asymmetry, using hair to conceal the face (particularly the nose bridge), using make-up that contrasts with your skin tone in unusual tones and directions, and sticking gems on the face

As unregulated facial recognition technologies continue to make headlines, CV Dazzle is inspiring an increasing number of artists to experiment with the concept of make-up as a defence tactic. One of these is multidisciplinary artist Joselyn McDonald. Through her Mother Protect Me project, she experiments with how femme make-up and flowers can undermine facial recognition technologies, and created a YouTube tutorial last year. Because surveillance harms womxn, through cyberstalking, spouseware, and facial recognition technology being used to detect identities of womxn in porn, I wanted to create femme looks to engage women (and anyone else interested in the rituals of make-up) with facial recognition topics, she explains. McDonald sees her use of flora as a medium as having the added benefit of connecting viewers to the earth and forces us to think about how far weve come from natural ways of being.

To start the project, she applied flowers to conceal the key areas on the face (eyes, nose, mouth, shadows) over and over again to learn the patterns of what would undermine the algorithms. With the recent release of the extremely powerful facial recognition system Clearview AI, with a database of more than three billion images, shes focusing more on diverse bodies for her next iteration of the project to reflect that surveillance datasets can misidentify black faces Technology is very entwined with capitalism, McDonald says. Its an extension of us, for better or worse.

The Dazzle Club, a collaboration between artist-run organisation AiR and artist duo Yoke Collective would argue for worse. We are interested in disrupting the arms race of technology that is changing the perception of London, and with the huge profits for software and hardware companies, possibly misleading us all into the possibilities of a fair and social future, they explain. The intergenerational group of artists Anna Hart, Georgina Rowlands, Emily Roderick, and Evie Price are all based in London and began working on The Dazzle Club in August 2019, in response to the forced admission that facial recognition technology was being used by Argent on the Kings Cross Estate. The project hosts monthly artist-led silent walks through London with participants wearing CV Dazzle-inspired make-up looks, particularly black and blue geometric shapes that cross over or obscure the nose bridge.

Artists have been at the forefront of political action, revolution and defiance throughout history. Throughout the project the intersection of political action and art has generated a powerful conversation about freedom and expression in public places, the group says. CV Dazzle offers an opportunity of individual creative expression through face paint, exploring the future of fashion, identity and independence.

We are interested in disrupting the arms race of technology that is changing the perception of London, and with the huge profits for software and hardware companies, possibly misleading us all into the possibilities of a fair and social future Yoke Collective

Just as artists in general have been historically active in political defiance, make-up and face paint has always played a special role in the act of protest. FromJokermake-up being used to protest corruption in Lebanon to South Koreans smashing their make-up to escape the corset, recently make-up has continued to prove to be a powerful tool in the face of political oppression. For this reason, CV Dazzle often goes beyond whats necessary to attempt to conceal a face (with more simple tactics like face masks or sunglasses) to use creativity to oppose the technology and attract attention to the issue.

California-based artist Kel Robinson has been working on her own three versions of anti-surveillance make-up and learning about the software for over four years. The interest was sparked after a group of friends threw a CCTV underground party in 2015 with the theme of avoiding surveillance. After researching for the party, she began to experiment with her own make-up techniques and steadily gained a small client-base for this specific type of make-up. Now, shes booked to do this style every few months, mostly for parties or demonstrations.

Robinsons make-up techniques, which include applying lines, shapes, and colours over the five points of recognition that these softwares use: forehead, nose, each cheek, and chin, continue to develop as surveillance technology changes. She often tries what works by using the Facebook algorithm against itself, uploading photos with different shapes and colours until the software no longer requests to tag you. The point of this make-up isnt to get away with crime, its to protect ourselves from unjust surveillance and move more freely through the world without fear of monitoring, she says. The best way Ive found to do this is with the use of electric blue (from Urban Decay), or black or white liner to create the illusion of shapes protruding from the face.

As surveillance technology continues to develop, so too must the make-up techniques used as an attempt torebel from it. As a civil rights lawyer and technologist based in New York, Cahn is only too aware of the citys growing use of increasingly invasive surveillance tools at a state and local level. He says that there are no sure-fire ways to combat one of the most expansive facial recognition systems in the world, including make-up. In fact, some Chinese artificial-intelligence companies have announced that their technology can identify people even when theyre wearing face masks amid the coronavirus outbreak. Starting the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project a year ago as a way to push back, his greatest concerns for surveillance culture are that the technology is biased, broken, and fundamentally threatening to an open society. Cahn explains that error rates are much higher for women and women of colour specifically, making surveillance tools threatening to basically anyone that isnt a middle-aged white guy.

Cahn warns that one make-up look will not work for every facial recognition product and every biometric tool. You also have to keep in mind that there are other forms of biometric surveillance that are being rolled out at the same time, he explains, referencing GAIT recognition (which analyses the way we walk) and infrared cameras (that can identify us based off our body-heat pattern). While Im hopeful that we will find new and create ways to push back on the ever-growing surveillance state, we urgently need comprehensive laws, says Cahn. In the meantime, he says a pair of sunglasses or a baseball hat can also make many algorithms perform poorly (his project currently sells hats that say I opt out).

While theres no denying that surveillance culture is a growing issue with many potentially invasive or harmful repercussions, Harvey says the concept of CV Dazzle is currently still too exotic for most people. This, he says, has the potential to change. Camouflage was also once too exotic. Prior to WWI camouflage was used negatively as a term for hiding from the police, perhaps similar to how privacy is often discussed this century, he says. In the early 20th century it was considered socially unacceptable and deceitful. Now it is mainstream, socially acceptable, and fashionable. With this in mind, and the fact that a privacy armour in the form of a bracelet already exists, make-up could be set to be the next mainstream and fashionable way to arm ourselves in the battle for personal privacy.

Read the original post:

How beauty is being used to fight back against facial recognition and CCTV - Dazed

1. Approaching, or getting approached by, the channels

Both TheCGBros and CGMeetup mainly showcase independent animated shorts, and curate their channels in order to present a unified brand. When asked how this curation works at TheCGBros, co-founders Shaun and Bill Johnston share that their half a dozen staff members regularly search online, as well as through screenings of film festivals and other competitions. When they discover a short that would fit their brand, TheCGBros sends its rights holders an invitation to stream.

Lucy Xue and Paisley Manga from the U.S. received such an invitation from both TheCGBros and CGMeetup. They were spotted on Vimeo, where they released their student short Course of Nature in 2016, gaining 21,000 views. Mere weeks later, Course of Nature racked up 7.5 million views on CGMeetup, and a staggering 19.3 million on TheCGBros.

Some schools and studios have established connections with the Youtube channels. The Animation Workshop in Denmark, for example, regularly approaches both to re-upload their students films, as Michelle Ann Nardone (director of animation and cg art) confirmed. Often months, and sometimes years, elapse between the schools original upload and the channels, but neither of them mind. From the rights holders perspective, Nardone explains that it simply gives the films another round of life on Youtube.

But you dont have to wait to get scouted, nor depend on your schools policies. TheCGBros stated that many of the films they showcase actually came to them through their website form. (CGMeetup has a similar form.) Once youve submitted the form, TheCGBros first screens videos based on Youtubes acceptance criteria (appropriateness i.e. pornography, language, violence, etc).

Then TheCGBross criteria follow, evaluating the shorts technical aspects and production values, as well as storyline, continuity, and character development. All of this finally translates into a rating: shorts must score a minimum of 3.5 out of 5 to be accepted. Both CGMeetup and TheCGBros publish mostly cg animation, as their names would suggest, but 2d shorts are featured every now and then too.

Most filmmakers release one short every few years at most, which makes it impossible for them to build a considerable Youtube following. TheCGBross co-founders explained that nowadays, a shorts findability cannot be obtained effectively at an individual level only at a global or systems level For a film to be seen, it must, first, be found. And thats where these third-party channels come in: they serve as a kind of cinema to the general public, and a distributor and publicist to creators, as TheCGBros describes it.

Of course, there are many possible platforms to reach audiences, but it cant be denied that Youtube is todays biggest. With a combined seven million subscribers, TheCGBros and CGMeetup have a steady group of viewers to reach out to. Last year, Jenny Harder, from Germany, garnered 1.2 million views on TheCGBros and 4.3 million views on CGMeetup with her short Being Good. On Vimeo the same short hit a considerably lower 9,000 views. Harder says she uses the different platforms equally, but finds that bigger channels on Youtube with a lot of followers usually have a greater impact in reaching people.

Despite CGMeetups and TheCGBross huge followings, an upload in itself is no guarantee of going viral. Or as TheCGBros co-founders themselves put it: The simple fact is that no channel can guarantee views, unless they are illegitimately buying them. However, there are some strategies TheCGBros has developed regarding the date and timing of the release, as well as the use of certain thumbnails and text to ensure the best response to a shorts premiere.

An extensive social media push can boost chances too. For example, crew members can post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit, but also specialist websites who feel invested in your project or you as a creator. According to Harder, having lots of partners that share and promote your work can really make the difference. For example, we had great support from [online professional platforms] Artstation and Artella. And our team of 80 well-connected people was doing great sharing and uploading our film onto several pages and platforms.

Looking back at Course of Natures online release, its directors Xue and Manga admit to being a bit shy about sharing our work initially, due to lack of experience when it came to social media. As more experienced professionals now, wed be a lot more confident when it comes to sharing and promoting our work. We would also probably put a lot more effort into other ways to generate revenue or build a fanbase around our work by creating merchandise, promotional images, etc.

Myra Hild, from Denmark, released her student short Ur Aska online last year. She says it was coordinated with all the other teams from the school [The Animation Workshop]. There was a lot of thought put into it, resulting in 323,000 views, which is solid but not optimal. My experience with posting online is that its so much luck, Hild adds. Even with the best of strategies, theres just no guarantee how successful a short will be online.

While the majority of TheCGBross subscription base is general audience, its also partly industry: cg and vfx studios, software companies, advertising agencies, video game studios, movie studios, etc. Getting this kind of traction gives your work and skills exposure, which The Animation Workshops Nardone says is especially important to graduates as they enter their career.

Course of Natures Xue and Manga pressed the upload button the very same month they graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design. It did help us get some freelance jobs, the artists say, and we were surprised to find that when we tabled at events, random people there would recognize our work from having seen it online previously.

Harders Being Good was created as a proof of concept for a potential feature film, and its team consisted of 80 international professionals working on the short in their spare time. A lot of our team members got contacted with job offers because of the film, Harder says. I was offered an art director position in animation shortly after the release. We also got to pitch Being Good several times as a show/film, amongst others to Netflix.

When Darrel, by Spanish filmmakers Marc Briones and Alan Carabantes, was published on CGMeetup to 5 million views in 2018, it had already garnered 140 festival selections and 35 awards. A successful festival run doesnt necessarily translate into a successful online release Briones and Carabantes said that equal success in both worlds is pretty much a coincidence but it can result in prize money and industry acknowledgement. On top of some festivals exclusivity requirements, sales agents usually request one or more years of exclusivity in order to sell to tv channels and the like.

Weighing up the pros and cons, many filmmakers opt for six months, one year, or two years of exclusivity. The team behind One Small Step Andrew Chesworth, Shaofu Zhang, and Brandie Braxton of Taiko Studios in the U.S. had a very specific goal for their short: the Oscars. We showed exclusively at festivals and private events until September 2018 The value of this seemed to outweigh the short-term benefit of simply putting it online. After the Oscar-qualifying period was over, the short continued to screen at venues and within licensing agreements while living online.

When agreements around One Small Step required the short to be exclusive for a few months, the team would take it offline, then make it public again once this period was over. While their strategy resulted in both online and offline success (with 69 festival selections and 31 awards), they do say that a window of exclusivity is a very real dilemma especially for new voices and independent creators who cant afford to sit on their completed work for extended periods of time when it affects their livelihood.

Youtube channels like CGMeetup and TheCGBros usually earn money through advertising revenue, but out of our five case studies, four offered their shorts to the channels for free. Being Goods Harder says money was something we thought about, but considered not incredibly important to us at that point. We had paid all related festival costs already and never really intended to make money with the short. It was a passion project.

When asked about a possible fee or sharing of ad income, Course of Natures Xue and Manga said they were both inexperienced students at the time and didnt even consider that an option for negotiating. Looking back, the artists say they might have done things differently now.

While the channels do negotiate financial compensation every now and then, most shorts get published without anything of the sort. When asked about this, TheCGBros stated that they operate on an advertising-supported revenue model, and that in this revenue model, the funds we need to allow us to provide our services come from advertising revenue.

The channels co-founders acknowledged that many people have asked us why we do not share [our] revenue with those who submit videos to us. In the world of Youtube, they pointed out, virality is not synonymous with financial success. They added, Youtube connects our channel to paying advertisers and shares advertising revenue with us on a commission basis when viewers watch the ads that Youtube places on the videos. If viewers watch the videos but dont watch the ads, no payment is generated. As a result, sometimes we realize monetization, sometimes not We never know in advance what will happen.

One Small Steps team say that they have different licensing agreements with different parties, and that these are negotiated case by case. The deals vary based on each partnership and cant infringe on each other. Our film wasnt designed to make excessive money. It was meant to be a calling card for our studio, a symbol of the type of work we are capable of and aspire to create. Its best if as many people can see it as possible.

Out of the five case studies in this article, three shorts are available on both TheCGBros and CGMeetup, and two on CGMeetup only; three were published on the rights holders own Youtube channel as well; and all the rights holders published their short on their own Vimeo channel. The exclusivity of use is always up to you as the rights holder, says TheCGBros.

Which leads to the question: is it better to have your film on more channels? If you have a shared income deal with a third-party Youtube channel, uploading the film onto your own channel might take away from that. Another reason for limited distribution, Ur Askas Hild adds, is that as a creator its nicer if views are mostly counted in a limited number of spaces, since it gets hard very fast to get a feeling for how widely spread the film is. But when going for sheer viewing numbers, it seems best to take advantage of as many platforms and channels as you can.

One Small Steps team made the decision to post their short on their own official Youtube channel too, for clear-cut brand association. In order to still keep a clear overview, they upload their projects to their official Vimeo and Youtube channels, then share those links on other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. For them, this has the extra benefit of making it simpler to manage if they have to be made private again due to licensing agreements.

If theres an overall takeaway from these case studies, its that theres no one best way to reach your prospective online audiences. As One Small Steps team says, it all depends on whats best for the films opportunities and the crews needs at the time of completion. As all these shorts strategies show, that means something different for every film.

Read the original here:

How To Get Millions To Watch Your Short Film On Third-Party Youtube Channels - Cartoon Brew

UPDATED: Feb.10,2020 at 6:19 p.m.

Student Association has elected a new historian to help plan Syracuse Universitys 150th anniversary celebration.

Antonia Su, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, was elected to the position during an SA Assembly meeting Feb. 3. The historian is in charge of analyzing and organizing SA records, according to the organizations constitution.

For the 150th celebration, I want to show off different ideas and initiatives that different committees in Student Association have accomplished, Su said.

The sesquicentennial celebration will take placethroughout March. SA is still determining what its exact role in the celebration will be, Mertikas said.

SA is planning internal events for the celebration throughout the week, and SA members will serve on various sesquicentennial committees, Mertikas said.

Su is SAs third historian. She initially joined SA to be a voice for international students and to share information from the organization, she said. Now, her job is to learn from SAs history and use it to move forward, Su said.

John Jankovic, SAs Student Life Committee co-chair, created the historian position in 2017. He served in the role for two years before passing the position to Cassandra Pravata in fall 2019, he said.

One of the historians main roles is to sort through more than 20 boxes of SA archives in Bird Library, Jankovic said. The historian is responsible for uploading the boxes contents into an online database so all students can access SA history, he said.

The position was really created with the sesquicentennial in mind, but now we realize that it could be expanded to so much more, he said. I had these ideas of making time capsules or digital time capsules.

The historian position is not a part of SAs cabinet, but an internal advisory role for an Assembly member should be collaborative, Jankovic said. Information often gets lost due to yearly turnover within the organization, he said.

We can actually learn from our history and create these traditions and create these little things that can actually engage more students with knowing what Student Association is, was and will be, Jankovic said.

CLARIFICATION: The sesquicentennial celebration will be ongoing through March. Additionally SAs sesquicentennial events will be internal.

Published on February 9, 2020 at 8:07 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu

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SA historian to help plan SU's 150th anniversary celebration - The Daily Orange

This Riverdale review contains spoilers.

"Admit it, you guys are on the edge of your seats, aren't you?"

Well, Jughead certainly appears dead.

I've got to hand it to this episode's writers, Chrissy Maroon and Evan Kyle, as they scripted a plausible series of events that could in fact have led to Jug's demise. I still don't believe for a second that this show has the cojones to kill off a lead in this matter, but that's not really the point is it? (Besides, nobody wants to see a Jughead-less Riverdale anyway).

Admittedly, I've been skeptical about the flash-forwards since they debuted. But if Riverdale is going to take narrative cues from Lost, then they should borrow some genuine shocks and mystery from that show too. And damn, they did just that here.

"This week started like any other, who would've thought where I'd be by the end?" Jug grimly states as this episode opens. The fact that he still is narrating while allegedly dead is a huge tip off that our whoopee-hatted hero is alive and in hiding. But more on that in a bit, as let's run down the week this poor kid had:

Discovers he is in danger of losing the Baxter Brothers contact, and has less than a week to come up with a completely different story.

Jonathan alleges that Jughead plagarized him, falsely earning his spot in Yale and the Baxter Brothers job in the process.

Jughead has his old laptop, which can prove that he wrote On Feathered Wings, stolen.

Jughead discovers that a rewritten version of his Baxter Brothers story is being submitted for publication. Worse still, his classmates are the ones who secretly collaborated to write it.

Brett blackmails Jughead with a secretly filmed sex tape of him with Betty.

Determined to protect Betty, he agrees to not fight and leave Stonewall Prep -- disappointing his father in the process.

Jughead is bludgeoned to death with a huge rock by his girlfriend.

Your week isn't looking too bad now, is it?

Things look really grim for our core four right now. The other flashforwards we have seen indicate that in the coming weeks Betty, Veronica and Archie will be arrested for their role in Jughead's murder and its coverup. (And that Betty will have a further encounter with Brett).

So what could be happening to here? To follow-up on Betty's lead, Donna could be the key here. Although it seems like Betty didn't get through to her in their conversation at Pop's, Donna could very well have been shaken by their talk. I'm willing to bet that however this all resolves, it will involve flashbacks and conversations that we haven't seen yet.

With this in mind one can hazard a guess that somehow Betty and Donna formed an unlikely alliance, and that their chat in the woods was planned in advance...as was Betty's getting triggered by another word Evelyn implanted. Why do this bit of theater? Because Brett was watching Donna, still thinking they are on the same side.

Furthermore, before the Ides of March party Jughead was acting very strangely, and promised Betty it would all be okay. The scene cut away at this point, but the quizzical look on Betty's face leads me to believe that this conversation went on longer. I'm guessing that Betty filled Jughead in on her Donna collaboration, and the pair then set in motion a series of events that would make it appear like a murder, triggered by a jailed cult leader, would occur. Knowing how much was at stake, Betty and Jug probably even agreed to keep Archie and Veronica in the dark, what with plausible deniability and all.

Riverdale usually has two big storylines per season, and one tends to wrap up by the midway point (before threads of it become woven into the finale). If the show continues to follow this pattern, I expect that the Dead Jughead plot will be tied up in time for April's musical episode. Then again, if the storytelling continues to be as captivating as it is in this episode, I'm more than happy for it to stick around.

There were other events happening here, most noteworthy Veronica being unable to cope with her father's illness. Despite his many, many flaws, Archie actually was quite helpful here, telling Veronica that she has the gift of being able to say goodbye to her father. The pair's relationship has never felt more real than in this scene, with KJ Apa really tapping into what makes Archie such a likeable guy in the first place. (Something that the series doesn't show nearly enough).

Also, Camila Mendes gets the chance to flex her acting muscles quite a bit here, be it barking at Hermosa during the episode's superfluous Maple Club infiltration subplot or heating up the rum wars to give her father a renewed purpose.

This was hands down the best episode of the season yet, one packed with genuine suspense that will make the wait until Wednesday a difficult one. How do you all think Jughead will get out of this mess?

- The name of the cover company Cheryl, Veronica and Toni are using for the Maple Club is Elliot's Essential Oils.

- One of the fitness clubs Archie mentioned that Hiram is a member of is Soulstice -- which is the same business Abby tended to endless pubic hair emergencies at on Broad City (Mark Consuelos' wife, Kelly Ripa, also appeared on that city as an exaggerated parody of herself in one memorable episode).

- Still no sign of Vegas anywhere.

- Riverdale High's chemistry teacher being named Dr. Beaker will never not be hilarious to me.

- Character names in Jughead's Baxter Brothers rewrite include 'Jarhead' and 'Bison.' I guess Jug learned all he knows about writing from Mad movie parodies.

- What exactly was Hermosa up to tonight? Were these scenes just to give Choni something to do? Or could it be that Hermosa is trying to take all of Hiram and Veronica's rum secrets and go into business for herself? (Which would make sense as it would unite these characters against a common enemy).

- It's worth mentioning again how great Camila Mendes is in tonight's episode. The sadness she emoted upon learning that Hiram shared his news with Hermosa but not Veronica was heartbreaking.

- Apparently Pop's Chok'lit Shoppe bakes its own donuts. I want some.

- Not to victim blame, but Jughead accepting the laptop from Brett and not uploading his work into the cloud in the first place were poor decisions on his part.

- Stonewall Prep is EXACTLY the type of backstabby place that would celebrate the Ides of March.

- I'm glad the series addressed that Archie's grades are slipping due to his commitments to Andrews Construction and the gym. (Likewise, the show answered a troublesome logic question by showing that Munroe's mother is at the gym during the day).

- Betty announcing that she is the daughter of the Black Hood and has bigger things to worry about than a sex tape was a weirdly empowering scene.

- Remember, we never actually saw Betty being triggered by the phrase Donna claimed to have gotten from Evelyn. The key to unraveling of the mystery of what's really happening here is going to depend on so much that happened off screen. So while it's fun to speculate, we are really at the mercy of the writers here. Let's hope they don't let us down as this plot races towards its conclusion.

Keep up with all ourRiverdaleSeason 4 news and reviews right here.

Chris Cummins is a writer, producer and Archie Comics historian. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter at @bionicbigfoot and @scifiexplosion.

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Riverdale Season 4 Episode 13 Review - Chapter 70: The Ides of March - Den of Geek US

Google Maps is turning 15 years old today, and to celebrate, Google is rolling out an update for the app on iOS and Android. First and foremost, this update gives Google Maps something of a makeover by organizing everything you need into five different tabs that appear in a quick access bar at the bottom of the app. Those tabs are Explore, Community, Saved, Contribute, and Updates.

The Explore tab, as the name suggests, lets you find places of interest nearby when you may not have a specific one in mind. For instance, if youre looking for something to eat but youre not sure whats in the area, you can use the Explore tab to see whats around you, along with ratings and reviews from other users. The Commute tab, on the other hand, will let you find the most efficient route for the trip youre about to take and allows you to save your daily commute to receive updates on traffic and suggestions for alternative routes.

The Saved tab is another self-explanatory one, as it lets you look through a list of all your saved places. The Contribute tab will let you share local knowledge, whether thats adding information on missing places or uploading photos of businesses, and finally, the Updates tab will show a list of spots that are trending among local experts and publishers. Youll also be able to chat with certain business through the Updates tab, should the need arise.

In addition to rolling out these new tabs, Google has also given the Maps logo a bit of a rework, which you can see in the video embedded above. Google is also launching some new features centered around public transportation today, which youll begin to see alongside routes when that information is available.

These features will tell you about the temperature in the public transport vehicle, accessibility options, security, and womens sections in regions where transit systems designate them. It sounds like Google will also ask for feedback on public transit trips so it can share that information with other users, so keep an eye out for that.

Looking ahead, Google says that it will be improving Live View with new features that better help you find the location youre looking for and how far away that location is from where youre currently standing. You can read more about these new features over on Googles blog, but otherwise, update the app and take them for a spin yourself.

More here:

Google Maps gets a makeover for its 15th birthday - SlashGear

Popular content creator Sen JackSepticEye McLoughlin has revealed the effects that massive scrutiny has had on Felix PewDiePie Kjellberg, while he takes a break from YouTube.

Since PewDiePie announced that he would be taking a break from uploading videos after many years at the top, many fans expressed their concerns for the star.

The popular YouTuber later revealed that he felt it would be good to switch up from his usual routine, with a short break from creating regular videos for his channel following the 2019 holiday season.

PewDiePies friend and fellow YouTube star JackSepticEye opened up, in a recent interview with Metro, about Kjellberg's absence from the platform and some of the effects that his lifestyle had on him.

The Irish YouTuber explained that, outside of creating content, PewDiePie was much more humble than many of his viewers would believe, despite his massive success on the platform.

Hes a lot more down to earth than people seem to think he is and he doesnt give off the vibe that hes the number one channel on YouTube at all, he always has a lot of time for people to just hang out, JackSepticEye shared.

When asked about the enormous scrutiny his fellow YouTuber faces, he explained that it was strange for him to watch it unfold. It is strange, all the stuff that gets said about him, its kind of weird to see that being said about a friend of yours.

People like to take things every which way and twist things all over the place, McLoughlin expressed, addressing some of the stars controversies. Some things have affected him a lot but I think he has a strong head on his shoulders and he kind of deals with it as it comes up.

Although PewDiePie seems to handle himself well when faced with difficult situations, JackSepticEye revealed that it is not easy as he lets it seem. I dont know how he does it, with that many people on you and that much scrutiny on you constantly. I think I would have lost my mind by now.

Little has been shared on when the popular Swede plans on making his return to uploading YouTube videos, however, PewDiePie is still managing to hit new milestones on his channel despite his absence.

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JackSepticEye reveals how controversy has affected PewDiePie - Dexerto

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Oftentimes, calls can be seen as more valuable than forms.

Form fills still require a follow-up call in which case a salesperson may or may not be able to reach the prospect. While with a call, the prospect is ready and waiting on the line.

Likewise, Ive heard salespeople mention that they prefer calls to emails and other forms of electronic communication because they are confident that if they can speak to a person on the phone that they can close the sale and possibly even upsell the prospect.

Plus, prospects that are calling are sometimes more likely to have an immediate need versus folks that fill out a web form.

Whether calls or forms are more valuable is something every business should determine using their own data to understand close rates, average sale value, and ROI of each for comparison.

Assuming youre one of the many businesses that find phone calls to be a high priority for your business, then welcome! This post is for you.

In this post, well walk through the many ways to ensure that youre driving more calls while keeping a close eye on call quality.

Call extensions are the absolute simplest way to drive more calls from your paid search ads in both Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.

Leveraging call extensions allows you to show a phone number alongside your ad.

If the searcher clicks your phone number instead of your ad, they will place a call directly to your business foregoing your landing page.

The best part?

Youre only charged for the click exactly the same way that you would be if they clicked through to your landing page.

With call extensions in place, its important to ensure that youre capturing the maximum amount of value from those interactions.

Call extensions can be scheduled, so its best to only show call extensions when you have folks available to answer the phone.

For instance, you could schedule your call extensions from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. (or your own custom schedule) when representatives are available but allow the rest of the ad unit to run outside of business hours, driving prospects to a form when call lines arent open.

Ensure that anyone who will be answering phones is trained to do so.

Companies that convert calls to sales best often have a script for reps to use, which helps to keep the conversation moving forward, while taking out any guesswork of trying to identify the prospects needs.

Well-trained reps may sound like a no-brainer but youd be surprised how many folks tasked with answering phones dont have the requisite skills to convert leads to sales.

You can track calls from your ad as conversions, to ensure that you know exactly which interactions are driving the most value.

You may even want to set a minimum threshold for call length to ensure that youre only optimizing toward valuable calls.

For instance, you could track calls that are a minimum of 30 seconds as a conversion vs. tracking all calls as conversions.

Youll most likely want to ensure that the conversion is set up to only count the first call not duplicate calls from the same prospect which can be set up in the conversions settings.

In Google Ads, an alternative to running search campaigns with call extensions is to run call-only ads.

Since advertisers dont have full control over when call extensions do and do not show, using call-only campaigns takes the guesswork out of whether or not your prospects see a phone number.

With call-only campaigns, the ad unit not only delivers your phone number every time it also limits a prospects options for how they can connect with your business.

Call-only ads do not use landing pages and, instead, only allow prospects to call your business.

There are some pros and cons to call-only ads, so before you run them, you should be aware that:

Google can and will still track the call if it is made on another device, however, even if it isnt on the same day. Google uses call forwarding numbers to track calls back to the appropriate campaign, ad, and keyword.

If someone writes down the number and calls a few days later youll still see the call associated with the date that the ad displayed and the keyword that was searched at that time.

Also, keep in mind, since these ads show on mobile, your last headline and second description line may occasionally be dropped. (This is, of course, also true for any text ad that shows on a mobile SERP)

Location extensions, structured snippet extensions, and callout extensions are still eligible to show.

Likewise, some business types dont tend to do as well with call-only campaigns, but others excel with them.

Generally, call-only ads get less volume than typical text ads. I prefer to split out separate campaigns for call-only ads, versus incorporating them into existing campaigns.

Within call-only campaigns, you may even want to test using looser terms than what youre currently using in your search campaigns (and even regular broad match), as long-tail terms often dont see much impression share with call-only.

If you have call extensions and/or call-only ads in your account, you can also add bid adjustments in order to let Google Ads know that you want to prioritize calls.

Using these bid modifiers allows you to influence how frequently your call extensions and call-only ads show.

The Maps channel is a great place to find folks with a high sense of urgency. (Especially if you target a tight geo-target around your business for non-geo-modified terms.)

These folks are looking for a nearby business and that could just be you!

If that local search is happening on a mobile phone, it can even indicate a higher sense of urgency as those folks are out and about right now, potentially looking for what could be their next stop, making them prime prospects.

Delivering your ad in Google Maps is easy. All you have to do is connect your Google My Business (GMB) listing to your Google Ads account and target your campaign locally.

Youll also have the option to set up bid adjustments in a radius around one or all of your GMB listings so you can bid higher for folks that are closer to your business.

Unfortunately, call extensions are not eligible to run on Google Maps, so the phone number that will be delivered in the ad will be that of your GMB listing.

For more information about local search ads, check out Googles help section.

If calls are your main priority, spell it out! Its always best to leave the guesswork out of what a prospect should do next. Keep this in mind as you write your ad copy.

Test different CTAs and get creative. There are a ton of ads that say call now, so try to differentiate yourself if you can.

CTAs like call now no hold times or reps available 24/7 can help set yourself apart and give prospects more confidence that somebody is ready and waiting to speak with them.

A big piece of driving calls assuming you arent using call-only ads is ensuring that the landing page experience does a good job of facilitating phone calls. Making the phone number easy to find is a really easy way to drive more calls.

Prospects typically look for a phone number in the top left corner of a desktop website and a similar location on mobile if not centered at the top.

That said, its always best to use your own data to find out where CTAs should be placed. Running a heat mapping tool can help you identify click and scroll patterns to make sure youre putting information and CTAs in the right places.

Ensuring that your site offers a good UX on mobile is important, too. Since mobile users are often more likely to call than fill out a form, you want to be sure that the site is easy to navigate on mobile.

For example, having click-to-call in place creates a better experience, so that prospects dont have to copy and paste your phone number or worse, try to remember it.

I cant emphasize enough how important it is to have good tracking in place, and calls are no exception.

There are several different platforms that allow you to dynamically track calls on-site, all while passing that information back into Google Ads or Microsoft Ads (and even social platforms) as a conversion.

This allows you to ensure that youre always optimizing to enter the auctions that have the highest return.

Call quality is just as important, if not more, than call quantity. As you focus on driving up call volume, youll also want to keep a pulse on call quality.

Call quality has two facets:

If you use a call tracking software, as discussed in the last section, youll have the data to analyze both of these facets of call quality.

With a call tracking software, you can download your call data in order to have access to Caller ID details.

Then you can match those details to the phone numbers that you have in your CRM to ensure that youre receiving calls from qualified prospects.

You can also use this to doublecheck that you arent driving customer service calls unless that is part of your goal.

If you find youre getting a lot of calls from existing customers and you dont have an opportunity to upsell, you should consider uploading a list of current customers to exclude from your campaign.

You can analyze your results on a campaign by campaign basis to measure the real outcomes of the calls that are being driven by each campaign.

Youll also have insights into how many calls go unanswered and at what time of day. Some platforms can tell you the number of times the phone rang before it was answered, or the number of rings before a prospect disconnected.

Last but certainly not least, most call tracking software platforms also have call recording options. If you dont have a CRM to match back calls to, you can use call recordings to get a sense of call quality.

Moreover, call recording allows you to monitor whether how your representatives are handling customers: whether they are following your script, and how well received the script is which is great for testing different messaging.

If you dont have a script but are considering implementing one, you can use this data to see what dialogue is working well currently and use that as a starting point.

If this sounds like micro-managing, trust me it isnt!

True story: a client of mine once overheard one of their technicians explaining how to skin a squirrel to another technician in the background of a prospect call.

Needless to say, you can never be too sure about how calls are being handled so it really helps to keep a pulse on it!

More Resources:

See the rest here:

8 Ways to Drive More Calls & Better Call Quality with Paid Search - Search Engine Journal

Slack is a messaging app that almost every workplace group seems to be using, but you're likely reading this now because - for whatever reason - you feel left out of the loop and want to know what all the fuss is about.

To help you navigate those complex waters, we've compiled this handy little guide. By the time you're done reading it, you'll definitely be a Slack pro, and you'll be knocking down your boss' office door by tomorrow morning, desperately trying to convince him or her to get on board.

Note: Throughout this guide, Pocket-lint is using the free version of Slack from the desktop and web apps.

Slack is basically a messaging app on steroids.

It's meant for teams and workplaces can be used across multiple devices and platforms, and is equipped with robust features that allow you to not only chat one-on-one with associates but also in groups.

You're able to upload and share files with them too, as well as integrate with other apps and services and you can granularly control almost every setting, including the ability to create custom emoji.

Slack is free - mostly. You'll only be able to browse and search your team's 10,000 most recent messages, and you'll be limited to 5GB of file storage and 10 apps or custom integrations (more on that later).

Currently, there are three pricing tiers available: Free, Standard ($8 or 5.25 a month billed monthly), and Plus ($15 or 9.75 a month billed monthly). A fourth tier, called Enterprise Grid, has bespoke pricing for corporates.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about pricing tiers

If you want to be the administrator of your own Slack team, follow these steps:

1. Go toSlacks websiteand enter your email address to sign up2. Choose a name for your Slack team (ex Workshop Talk)3. Edit the URL to your Slack team (ex https://workshoptalk.slack.com)4. Choose a username for yourself5. Enter emails of associates youd like to invite to join your Slack team6. Your Slack team chat will then load in a browser window7. Go through the brief tutorial that appears next to learn the basics

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about team administration.

To get the most out of Slack, we recommend you install the mobile app (iOS / Android) and the desktop app (Mac / Windows). Otherwise, youll be limited to accessing Slack through a browser window.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about Slack apps

Those of you who were invited to join a Slack team will get an email with your invite. Accept the invite via the email, then enter a username and password, and you're good to go. Simples, right?

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about joining Slack.

Settings

Click on your username or the drop-down arrow next to the Slack team name to access a settings menu. From here you can adjust your preferences (themes for the sidebar, messages, emoji style, and more), view your profile and account, access a Help/Feedback page, get Slack apps (more on that later), and set yourself to away. If you're an administrator, you can also access team settings, billing, etc. Team members will only see options to access app integrations, customise slack, and jump to team directory.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about settings.

Notifications

Click the bell symbol at the top-right of the sidebar to adjust your notification preferences. You can snooze them, set up a Do Not Disturb schedule and more. When you sign in to Slack for the first time, almost every type of notification is enabled. But the service offers a number of different ways to manage them. Each channel even has individual notification preferences, for instance. To get to those settings, open the channel you want to adjust, then click the name of it at the top of the screen, and select Channel notification preferences.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about notifications.

Starred

Everything you've starred will appear above the Channels section and below your team name and username in the sidebar. Stars are a way to mark an item in Slack as important. You can star channels or direct messages to move them to the top of your left sidebar. You can also star messages in Slack so you can easily come back to them later.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about stars.

Channels

Underneath the name of your Slack Team and your own username, youll see a section called Channels in the sidebar. Channels are chat rooms. You can name chat rooms based on anything, including a project (screenplay), a topic (music), or a team (sales). And you can make them public or private. If a channel is public, everyone in your team can join, but if it is private, only select people can join. And finally, if you click the Channels section name, youll see a new window that lets you browse and sort all channels.

Create Channels

To create a new channel, click the + button next to Channels in the sidebar. Youll then see options to create a public or private channel. Youll further be allowed to name the channel, invite others to join, and briefly describe the channels purpose.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about channels.

Direct Messages

Below Channels, youll see a Direct Messages section in the sidebar, followed by the names of every person invited to your Slack team. Click on any name to send that person a private, one-to-one message. If you click the + button next to the Direct Messages section, a window will open to let you find or start a direct message conversation.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about direct messages.

Invite People

If youre an administrator, youll see a button to invite more people to join your team. This button sits below the Direct Messages section. If you click it, youll have three options: full members, restricted accounts, and single-channel guests. The first option gives an invited team member full access to messages and files in any public channel and the team directory. The second option lets the invited team member see only a partial team directory and gives him/her access to select channels and files. And the third option limits the invited team member to messages and files in a single channel.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about invites.

Quick Switcher: At the very bottom of Slack, there is a Quick Switcher button that lets you, um, quickly jump to a conversation or direct message.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about basics.

Chat room name

The left of the menubar always starts with the name of the room youre in, whether that be a channel or direct message window. Next to the name, you will see a drop-down menu to access things like view message archives, channel notification purposes, and advanced options. You can even star the channel.

Channel details

Click the i symbol next to the search bar in the menubar to access channel details, such as the purpose and current topic of the channel, any pinned items (more on this later), a listing of all the members who have access to the channel, any shared files within the channel (more on this later), and notification preferences.

Search

Search is one of Slack's key features - both Messages and files are searchable. When you click the search box, Slack will suggest search modifiers to help you narrow your results, and as you start typing in a search term, Slack will show you related channels, team members, and search history. Click the Jump link to view the conversation surrounding a message, or toggle between the messages and files tabs to browse results by type. You can even sort by most recent or most relevant files and exclude channels from search.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about search.

Mentions and Reactions

While holding a conversation in a channel, you can type a persons @username to notify them. You can view your latest @mentions, @channel messages, and any highlight words by clicking the Mentions & Reactions "@" symbol in the top right corner of Slack.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about mentions.

Starred items

You can add a star to messages, files, snippets, posts, and comments to make those things easier to find. When you star a channel, it appears in the sidebar, but you must click the Starred symbol in top-right of Slack to access other starred items.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about stars.

Flexpane Menu

The "..." symbol in the top-right corner of Slack brings you to your Flexpane. It holds all your files, lets you access the team directory, and shows you "what's new" with Slack. You can even get to the Help guide.

Team Directory: Slacks Team Directory gives you a quick overview of everyone in your team and how to contact them. It can be accessed via the Flexpane () menu in the top right or by heading to your team site. It lists each team member along with their job title and contact details.

Messaging

To send a message in a channel or a direct message, click within the text field at the bottom, add your input, and hit enter. While holding a conversation in a channel, you can type a persons @username to notify them.

Emoji

You can click the emoji button next to the message field to send an emoji. You can also respond to any message on Slack with an emoji reaction. To do that, just mouse over a message and select the Add a reaction icon. Slack offers four different emoji sets: Apple, Google, Twitter, or Emoji One. To pick one, go to the team name to open the Team Menu, then choose Preferences, and select the Messages & Media tab. Under Emoji Style, you can select your preference, and then click the "X" when you're finished. Also, if the administrator allows it, anyone can add new emoji to Slack by going to this URL. You'll then be able to create a custom emoji. Amazeballs.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about emoji.

Uploading and Sharing Files

There are several easy ways to upload any type of file from your computer (document, image, video, link, etc). You can drag and drop the file to the Slack window, copy and paste images directly into the message box, or click the + button next to the message box and select Upload a file. Slack will prompt you to decide where you'll share the file and to add a title and comment. When a file is shared in a channel or direct message, Slack will post a preview of the file. Image files no longer than 6000px on any side will display inline. Don't forget you can also share files from Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box in Slack by pasting a link to the file into the message box.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about sharing files.

Public Links

You can also create a public link to share a file publicly. Just click the file's name to view it in the Flexpane, then, in the More actions menu, click Create public link.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about public links.

Pinning Messages and Files

If theres something you need everyone in your channel to see or an important file you want to find easily, it can be pinned to a channel so its shown in the Channel details information menu. To pin, hover over it, then click the cog on the right, and choose Pin message. A pinned message will stay there until you remove it.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about pins.

Set reminders

You can use Slack for reminders. For instance, if you need to remind yourself to publish a story in 30 minutes, you can type "/remind me in 30 minutes to publish" and Slack will privately remind you.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about reminders.

Timestamps

Every message has a timestamp. If you want to be able to reference a specific message later, right-click on the timestamp in Slack to get a permanent URL (or just click on it).

Commands: Here are some chat room commands you need to know:

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about commands.

Yes. There are dozens of apps you can add to Slack. Doing so allows you to pull in information from other sources, search documents stored in other services, send things like calendar events and reminders to Slack, or add useful features to your team, including voice and video calling.

You can now access Skype, for instance, right from within Slack. Setting up the integration is simple - just visit the Skype integration for Slack product page, and click on the Add to Slack button to complete the setup. Once the Skype integration has been configured, anyone on the Slack team can start a Skype call from a computer by typing /skype into the chat. When the call is set up, a join link will appear.

To join a Skype call, you need to be on the desktop in a web browser, or you can use the Skype mobile apps to join from your phone. Anyone can join as a guest from a computer, or sign in with a Microsoft account or Skype Name.

Go to the Slack App Directory to find more apps you can connect to Slack. To visit the App Directory, just click your team name to open the Team Menu, then select Apps & Custom Integrations. There's also this dedicated Slack App Directory website. Keep in mind that Slack integrates with probably every service you use. It works with Google Calendar, GitHub, IFTTT, Mailchimp, New Relic, and more.

There's even an integration called Giphy, for instance, which allows you to drop GIFs into chats by typing "/giphy [search term]". If you're a free Slack user, however, you will only be allowed to add up to 10 apps and integrations.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about apps.

Yes. Go to the sidebar, then click the drop-down menu next to your team name to access the preferences menu. From there, select sidebar theme and choose from the handful that are provided. You can also use the customise option at the bottom to create your own look and feel too.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about themes.

Slackbot is Slack's built-in robot.

It can help keep notes for you as well as manage private files. Just click on Slackbot in your Direct Messages list to get started. You can also configure Slackbot to respond to your team members via this website. It's easy: enter a trigger word or phrase, and then what youd like Slackbot to respond with.

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about Slackbot

Sure are... check out some of these:

1. The Quick Switcher: Skip from channel to channel with /Ctrl+K.2. Need to quickly search the channel you're in? Press /Ctrl+F to search.3. Send something too soon? Press the up key to edit your last message.4. Sign in to multiple teams. Click team name, then Sign in to another team.5. Type "/keys" to open the keyboard shortcuts dialog

This Slack FAQ page offers more info about keyboard shortcuts

Read the original post:

What is Slack and how does it work? Plus plenty of Slack tips and tricks - Pocket-lint

Today is Data Privacy Day.

As we say every year, Data Privacy Day is more than just a 24-hour period when you try to keep safe online.

Its a day to think about changes you can make in your digital life that will keep you safer today, and tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that.

So here are five things you can start doing today for your own and for everyone elses good.

Were hoping that this is old news for most of you: sort out your passwords and turn on 2FA.

A password manager makes it easy to change your tired old passwords, to replace them with decently chosen ones, and to have a different password for every site.

Password managers also protect you against fake sites if you visit a bogus bank login page, your password manager wont recognise it so it wont have any password to put in at all.

2FA, short for two-factor authentication, generally refers to those one-time codes that you receive to your phone via text message, or that you generate via an app.

Theyre a tiny bit of extra hassle for you, but a lot of extra effort for the crooks.

Motto: A little inconvenience goes an awfully long way!

Most operating systems, apps and online accounts allow you to choose how much you want to share with them, and when, and how.

Make today the day you go and review those settings.

(Do you really want to let every app on your phone find out your location? Do you really want to stay logged into your favourite online site for weeks at a time? Do you really want to give an app the right to post to your social media account on your behalf?)

Unfortunately, we cant give you a one-size-fits-all rule here because every app and every site seems to have its own list of options, its own names for all the options, and its own configuration menus where you can adjust your settings.

So this tip needs you to do a bit of digging on your own, to find out which buttons to click or what menu options to choose, so you can see and edit your settings.

Motto: If in doubt, dont give it out!

Social media can be fun, and its meant to be.

But you dont need to share everything, and you shouldnt share anything without consent.

Its tempting to upload photos that include other people, and often they dont mind but get into the habit of asking for their permission, each and every time, no matter how unimportant it might seem.

Youre not only making it clear how you expect to be treated by your friends in return, but also helping yourself at the same time especially if the photo gives away information about you as well.

Public content can accidentally tell cybercriminals things you dont want them to know, such as where you live, when your birthday is, or that youre away and your home is empty and all those facts have real value to a crook.

Motto: Be aware of what you share!

This tip is really just an extension of tip 3, with a much more serious side: watch out what you share at work.

Uploading a picture of your best friend taking a pratfall at the pub might make them angry, and you might wish you hadnt done it, but its unlikely to land your company a $5,000,000 fine or to put your job at risk.

Leaking company data, however especially data that customers have entrusted to you and that the law demands you to keep safe can have just those consequences.

So although you should be thoughtful about company data for everyone elses sake, youre protecting yourself, too your livelihood could be at risk.

Motto: Dont be in a hurry when dealing with data!

Finally, spend some time putting your own value on your personal data figure out how much youre ready to give away, and what you get in return.

If a company or a website asks for more data than it needs, dont cave in and hand it over unless you want to.

For example, its reasonable for a car hire company to ask you to offer proof of address before handing you the keys to a $20,000 vehicle.

But if a news site or a coffee shop hotspot demands your postcode or your birthday, ask yourself, Why would they need that, and why would I want to hand it over anyway?

Motto: Know your privacy limits, and stick to them!

Stay safe out there, today and every day!

(Watch directly on YouTube if the video wont play here.)

LISTEN NOW

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Read this article:

5 ways to be a bit safer this Data Privacy Day - Naked Security

Over the weekend Byte, a successor to the dearly departed looping video app Vine, launched. Like Vine, Byte also allows users to create and edit six second looping videos. After perusing the app for a weekend, there's a part of me that feels vindicatedeven if I have to call them Bytes now, Vines are just an inherently superior format than TikToks. I just hope the platform takes off.

When Vine was murdered by Twitter in 2016, the creators promised a Vine 2. But that was four years ago, and Vine 2 started feeling like vaporware. So when I saw friends of mine delightedly announcing that Vine 2, now called Byte, had actually launched this weekend, I immediately had to download it and see if I could recapture the magic of the community that brought us "Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme."

The good news is yes, unequivocally, the six second looping video is still one of the better avenues for bite-sized (har de har) comedy content online. A video that short forces the user to cut the fat on their jokes and use shorthand that's easily readable in order to enhance their punchlines. Users on Byte are immediately taking to the format in a way that feels undeniably Vine-like. Sometimes, other users point it out. I've seen a couple comments reading "big Vine energy on this one" on particularly popular Bytes. Byte also offers the ability to add sound effects, and some other rudimentary video editing tools, but it doesn't matter. All you need is six seconds, the ability to cut between shots, and a loop, and you have a perfect canvas for bits both lackadaisical, like Byte user Henryy showing the viewer a literal bowl of black eyed peas and asking which one is Fergie, to more high effort jokes, like user BrendonCescon's weirdo ads for things like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese ("it triples the size of your dick!"). The only thing that is missing so far is the ability to embed or link to videos off of the platform. Gotta cross pollinate with Twitter y'all!

It's not like newcomers to Byte are unaware of the elephant in the room, though. In the intervening years between Vine and Byte, a new video app has come onto the scene and largely dominated it: TikTok. TikTok gives users more tools to make their videosfilters, adding text to the screen, lip syncingand they're also longer, and can last up to a minute. There are some very, very good TikToks in the world, including this one, which is so expertly choreographed that it blows my mind to watch it:

But in terms of comedy, TikTok is bleak. When you give people more tools, they tend to use them. Therefore, most of the gags on TikTok are reliant on labels, music, or even lip syncing to be understandable. There's a buy in to these jokes, making them much less easily digestible than your average Byte, which only requires your eyeballs and ability to read a narrative. Still, Byte users are bracing themselves for an influx of users from TikTok, making jokes that poke fun at the rival platform along the way. If there are any memes on Byte in its infancy, it's that people who comment "follow for follow" are annoying, and TikTok users are going to have a hard time uploading dance videos on Byte.

I hope that Byte takes off, but part of me thinks that the six second video's time has passed. The users of Byte are generally older than the ones on TikTok. While I have a hard time finding users who are over 20 on TikTok, on Byte you're more likely to follow people who have a full beard than not. This format is no longer at the zeitgeist, and the teens clearly love the tools that TikTok gives them to make videos. I think Byte is clearly, obviously better than TikTok. I just don't know if the teens will.

Original post:

Byte Proves That Vine Is Inherently Superior to TikTok - VICE

If youve ever whiled away an afternoon watching Columbus Blue Jackets videos on YouTube, youve almost certainly encountered the work of SpecmenceCBJ. His YouTube channel goes beyond the normal goals, hits and saves (though those are there, too) to show content like the final minutes of games, prospect highlights, interviews and CBJ-centric clips from media outlets that can be difficult for American viewers to catch on TV. I became obsessed with his channel during last seasons playoffs. Not only could I watch highlights that included more than just two seconds of action before the goal, but I could see what places like TSN and Sportsnet were saying about the Blue Jackets historic upset as it happened. I wanted to learn more about the channelwhich boasts 1,851 videos to dateand the person behind it, so I caught up with SpecmenceCBJ on Reddit.

(Note: This interview has been lightly edited for punctuation and clarity.)

The Cannon: Who are you?

SpecmenceCBJ: Im a 24-year-old Pharm. D. student living in Vancouver, Canada. Im a huge Blue Jackets fan and the person behind the SpecmenceCBJ YouTube channel.

The Cannon: Whats your workflow? How do you decide makes the cut?

SpecmenceCBJ: I like to make highlights of the start of the game (which I title Puck Drop), then any goals and notable highlights like saves, fights, blocks and controversies, and the final seconds of the game if the Jackets happen to win (which is happening a lot recently!). If Im watching the game live, then Ill make notes of these plays when they happen. But because I live on the West Coast, I often am unable to watch the entire game so I rely on scrolling through game threads on the Blue Jackets subreddit. Jeff Svobodas Twitter account is a great place for CBJ Twitter play-by-play as well!

After that, I open the game file on a program called Avidemux. It is an incredibly simple yet effective program that I highly recommend to anyone who would like to start clipping. Before I discovered it, I was using OBS [Open Broadcaster Software] or VLC to generate clips which took me almost an hour per game. Nowadays, Im able to get all my highlights down between 15-30 minutes depending on how many clips I need to upload.

If Im unable to get the recording of the entire game, then I do end up screen recording directly using OBS or VLC. It takes longer but the quality is still great. I usually end up using these programs for international tournaments or prospect highlights from junior and mens leagues from around the world.

For editing compilations, like for end-of season goal compilations, prospect point compilations (which are probably my favourite videos, by the way), and highlights from international tournaments, I use Adobe Premiere. This is a very popular video editing software and for good reason. It takes a while to get the hang of but it is very powerful and is great for rendering long videos at more than 30 fps, which is not the case for many other video editing programs. Also, its great for making thumbnails!

The Cannon: How did you get started doing this?

SpecmenceCBJ: Im from Vancouver and so I grew up a Canucks fan. There was a similar (now terminated) YouTube channel for Canucks highlights called GoCanucksGo. I remember visiting his channel daily for years, whether to watch highlights of the game from the night before or looking back on playoff memories from when I was younger or even from before I was born. Whats cool is I actually ended up becoming friends with the channels creator in real life (u/yosoo on Reddit) through starting the channel. Amazing guy and clipper (but not the best fantasy hockey player).

But in addition to his channel, I noticed that there were ones for other teams. Examples include Dafoomie (Bruins) and Awood40 (Red Wings). I remember thinking how awesome it would be if there was one for the Jackets as well. Eventually I realized that this is something I could start myself and the channel was born.

The Cannon: How did you become a Blue Jackets fan?

SpecmenceCBJ: After the Canucks lost in the Finals in 2011 and then got humiliated the following year in the second worst embarrassment of a Presidents Trophy-winning team in NHL history, I needed a break from that fandom and associated heartbreak. I decided to pick up a second team for a year. That off-season, the Blue Jackets traded Rick Nash to the Rangers for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and the pick that became Kerby Rychel. I was so invested to see how this team would perform and rebuild after trading away their franchise player.

That 2012-13 lockout-shortened year was incredible. Though my hometown team Canucks made the playoffs again, I was so invested in watching this blue-collar, hard-working, chip-on-their-shoulder team make a run at the playoffs when everyone had counted them out. Though they finished just short of making it in, by the end of the year I had fallen in love with the team and its identity and I havent looked back since.

The Cannon: You picked a great time to have a CBJ channel during last years playoffs. What was that like for you?

SpecmenceCBJ: It was unreal. The channel was quite small at the start of the year and it grew a little because of Jarmos deals at the deadline, but the views, watch time, and subscriber count exploded after that run. On top of that, the national attention associated with the run resulted in so much more content I could upload. All of a sudden, NHL Network, TSN, Sportsnet, and NBC were talking about no other team more than the Jackets. It was really special to see our normally neglected underdog team finally get some recognition, and I am so happy I was able to capture it as those videos would otherwise be left unarchived.

The best part though, was getting comments and messages from so many different CBJ fans from around the world. For many people, especially those outside of North America, it is tough for to catch the games as they happen. I especially remember receiving a message of gratitude from a member of the US Armed Forces stationed overseas who would wake up every morning to the highlights I was posting. Interactions like those make me feel very thankful that I am able to touch so many people through something so fun and simple.

The Cannon: Whats been your favorite video? Whats been the biggest one in terms of highest numbers/engagement?

SpecmenceCBJ: My favourite video right now is the one stickied to the front of my channel that compiles all the goals from the Jackets first playoff series win from last spring. I watch the video in its entirety at least once a week. On a similar note, my favourite highlight would be Texiers 1-0 goal in Game 4. After following this wunderkind the past couple years and being so excited for him to join the Jackets, seeing him shine on the big stage gave me the feeling of a proud parent. In terms of numbers, there are two types of videos that generate the most views. The first is anything controversial. Highlights like Brad Marchand punching Scott Harrington in the back of the head or stomping on Cam Atkinsons stick, Steven Stamkos sucker-punching Nick Foligno, Andrew Shaws hit on Adam McQuaid and Nikita Kucherovs hit on Markus Nutivaara all received a ton of attention and plenty of comments from angry CBJ fans. The video of the Marchand stomping incident received attention in particular after it was shared on big sites like Deadspin.

The other type of video that is popular is anything involving Elvis Merzlikins. I have grown to appreciate how much Latvia loves and supports their overseas athletes. It started with my video of his highlights at the 2018 World Championships, but ever since he took over the net the Latvian fanbase has taken over the channel. I mean look at this chart [of channel views by geography, shown below] and keep in mind that the state of California has 20x the population of Latvia. They are the most passionate fanbase I have ever seen.

The Cannon: Who are your favorite Blue Jackets of all-time?

SpecmenceCBJ: Number one in my heart will always be Brandon Dubinsky. In my opinion, he embodies the CBJ identity more than anyone. He came here on a mission after being traded from New York wanting to be a leading part of the change. I think of his battles against Crosby and his game-tying goal in Game 4 against the Penguins in 2014. Its a shame that hes had to go out this way. Id love to see him make a comeback but if he ends up hanging them up, Id love to see him get a role in the Blue Jackets organization.

The Cannon: What was your favorite moment of this season?

SpecmenceCBJ: From this season it has to be Elvis first win. After his struggles at the year and everyone writing off the Jackets season after Korpisalo go down, seeing him finally get that first one was special. It looks like that was all he needed to gain his confidence back as hes been on a tear since. Plus it helps that the victory came against our old friend Bob.

How are you feeling about this season? Do you think the Jackets will make the playoffs?

SpecmenceCBJ: While last year was incredible in its own right, this year reminds me of why I began cheering for this team in the first place. We have a team of players that not only want to be here, but are playing as a team and giving it their all every night. The result so far has been very special. I think they do make the playoffs, but even if they dont, this has been one of my favourite Jackets seasons since I became a fan.

The Cannon: Do you have a plan for the future with your channel?

SpecmenceCBJ: I hope Im able to continue uploading highlights for as long as possible. During the offseason, I plan on making time to upload highlights from past seasons as well. I know that one day life will take over and I wont have the time I do now, but I hope that by the time that comes that the channel will have enough archived memories for CBJ fans to reminisce over for a very long time.

You can follow SpecmenceCBJs work at his YouTube channel.

See the rest here:

Catching up with SpecmenceCBJ, YouTubes foremost Columbus Blue Jackets archivist - The Cannon

Tardid is a technology company committed to bring autonomous prescriptive solutions for industrial assets by combining both the worlds of physics and machine learning. The company specializes in providing AI-based prescriptive maintenance for large metallic structures and machines. Tardids platform Brainbox is designed to detect anomalies, prescribe maintenance and provide remaining useful life of the asset with logical reasoning, be it at the property level or due to influencers influencing failures.

To do good ethical business, the company has implemented a strong culture and progressive policies within the organization. This is because doing good business means a big commitment from all of its team every single moment and in every single action. Tardids commitment is reflected in the personality of Brainbox and its business, internally as well as externally.

Recently, Tardid delivered Autonomous crack, thickness degradation and leakage detection system to one of the largest Oil and Gas companies for their LPG cylinder refilling plant. The solution combines machine learning and physics to prescribe current health and the remaining life of the cylinder and possible usage. LPG cylinders operate in a hazardous condition and are handled harshly. The solution which Tardid, has provided to the oil and gas company enables them to continuously monitor external and internal loading patterns and reject cylinders that cross the security threshold.

Niladri Dutta who serves as the CEO at Tardid, has a background in protocol stacks, large transactional applications, and analytics. The good 60 percent of his career was in telecommunication and then the paradigm shift in AI. It was difficult due to the nature of the shift; it was like discarding all the ideas and rules that formed the basis of his entire way of thinking. The phase was very challenging, but Niladri was able to adapt and absorb a whole new mindset.

He loves the direct link between decision and outcome. Niladri prefers building an innovative product company that helps in better understanding, decisions, eliminates the need for humans working in hazardous conditions, creates job and serves society. The core of his role is to ensure that Tardid has a long-term strategy in place that keeps the team and customers excited all the time. In order to lead this strategy, Niladri constantly recruits the best people to his team, explores industrial failures and unfortunate situations to guide the evolution of Brainbox, its AI product and meeting with customers to ensure continuous growth.

There is no better service than the one towards ones nation, not only it is their duty but also their responsibility to contribute towards the nation which has provided them all. Tardid was fortunate to get its first project with the Indian Defense. The companys core vision is to become a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Product Providers for industries dealing in heavy industrials. Tardid is continuously working towards providing AI products for reducing their unplanned downtime and increasing productivity and higher ROI. In fact, in collaboration with a few strategic customers, the company is building unique AI products which are first of their kind.

Niladri is a near-fatal air crash survivor. The first thing crossed his mind is how safe people are with these heavily researched and highly innovative assets, like an aircraft. Things can go wrong in a second. It was disturbing but Niladri realized the depth of what Albert Einstein said, We cant solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. According to him, this is one of the greatest lessons he ever learned regarding leadership. He suggests to keep nurturing ideas, optimize your strengths and build a structure around you that mitigates your weakness.

Niladri always had an inkling that running his own business might be the right path, but he has never worked for himself. He did his graduation in electronics and has worked for large IT companies who have large clients like telecom service providers, shipping liners and manufacturing. The first thing to do was find a business partner Niladri has the technical knowledge, but he needed help to build a good company. He found Aastha Verma who did her post-graduation in marketing from Symbiosis and had perfect expertise. The second challenge was to build a good product, and he found Dr. Giri who did a Ph.D. at NTNU and was plugged into the NTNU tech scene and had a perfect understanding. They all met at the perfect time.

In Niladris opinion, As an innovative leader, one must be always willing to learn, explore and accept failure as the first step to success. At the cost of sounding cliched, acceptance of failure and the will to improvise and attempt again is the most vital attribute of every innovative leader. To embrace the learnings from failures which could be of the self or any one elses, one must keep learning and moving forward. One must not get discouraged by the world not accepting their ideas in the beginning, they should be ready to be laughed at and humiliated as well, but he suggests to keep self-belief and keep innovating, as this is a journey for innovating all the time.

Innovation is a continuous process, Tardids products are kept under a constant hammer to make it more appealing to the audiences. One such process was to de-bundle the platform into a more modular format so that the customers find it easier to adopt into their organizations. Furthermore, the products are designed in collaboration with customers to meet their exact requirements.

Most people are not familiar with the concept of Artificial Intelligence, and few who are aware of it treat AI as advanced data analytics. AI is more than what people think. Niladri says, As we live our lives and as we quantify our innovations, we are uploading and digitizing our consciousness and machine experience where we are constantly putting that data into the digital world, and eventually that will be gathered by an AI and it will become the digital mere self; the digital twin.

AI is undertaken in conjunction with Machine Learning, Physics, and Deep Analytics, where machine learning looks for underlying trends, and models help in understanding the influencers, further, the knowledge is used to analyze specific issues. Data can be in the form of digital information, imagery, signatures, visual information, text or unstructured data.

AI is disruptive, and through this comprehensive overview, Niladri says he would like to explain to policymakers, opinion leaders, businesses and interested observers, that AI will alter the world and will raise important questions for society, the economy, and governance.

AI is a technology which will transform every walk of peoples life. It is a wide-ranging technology which will make every one of them to rethink how they integrate information, analyze data, understand the influencing parameters and use the resulting insights to improve decision-making supported by scientific reasons.

AI is not futuristic vision, but rather that is something already available and can be easily integrated and deployed into a variety of sectors. AI will make a huge impact on the world while enhancing human capabilities in significant ways.

Niladri advises budding business leaders to start from where they are, work with full confidence, keep their ego in check if they have a large vision and have faith and belief in their own ideas.

The rest is here:

Niladri Dutta: Enhancing Deep Learning Innovation With Knowledge-Based Decisioning - Analytics Insight

The Reds went into the offseason on the heels of their 6th straight below-.500 proving, however head of state of baseball procedures Dick Williams made it recognized at the end of the project that a 7th successive substandard initiative would not serve. The groups objective when the wintertime started was to construct its initial playoff-level lineup given that 2013, and also with a lot of its offseason hefty training most likely done now, theres a situation Cincinnati has actually done simply that.

As we kept in mind formerly, the Reds have actually been just one of the highest-spending groups in the National League in totally free company. They have actually included 2 $64 MM gamers infielder Mike Moustakas and also freshly authorized outfielder Nick Castellanos in addition to $21 MM outfielder Shogo Akiyama (their first-ever Japanese gamer) and also $15 MM left-hander Wade Miley by means of the free market.

Now, the Reds placement gamer actors a team that completed last period 21 st in BATTLE and also 25 th in runs unexpectedly looks appealing with Castellanos, Akiyama and also some mix of Jesse Winker, Aristides Aquino and also Nick Senzel in the outfield, Joey Votto initially base, Moustakas at 2nd and also Eugenio Suarez at 3rd. But there are inquiries in the team, consisting of the wellness of the 49- crowning achievement guy Suarez that might miss out on the start of the period after going through ideal shoulder surgical procedure and also the stamina of their catcher and also shortstop placements. Both areas looked ripe for upgrades when the offseason started, however the Reds have actually thus far stuck to Tucker Barnhart and also Freddy Galvis, specifically, in spite of their rate of interest in landing a a lot more powerful choice at brief. Moreover, theres the opportunity of a Senzel profession, which might supply an useful return for among the Reds vulnerable points, however Williams does not seem like somebody that prepares to deal the treasured 24- year-old.

Meanwhile, there does not seem a great deal to bother with in the Reds beginning team. Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, Anthony DeSclafani and also Miley make up an excellent one to 5 theoretically, though Bauer did have greater than a little of problem protecting against pursue the Reds got him from the Indians lastJuly The bullpen, although mostly unblemished this offseason, additionally flaunts its share of stone-cold locks. Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Robert Stephenson and also Amir Garrett are all returning after uploading decent or much better numbers in 2019.

While it behaves for the Reds that they have actually improved their lineup given that last periods 75- win initiative, its additionally a benefit that their department has actually relatively taken go back. The Cardinals won the NL Central in 2019, however they have not done anything all that significant given that, and also they simply shed theirNo 1 freelance, outfielder Marcell Ozuna, to theBraves The Brewers fresh off their 2nd straight playoff period have actually seen many adjustments (good and also negative) to their lineup, consisting of the losses of Moustakas and also an also much better freelance in catcher Yasmani Grandal The Cubs have actually been silent after a disappointing coating to last period, and also its still not out of the world of opportunity theyll trade Kris Bryant or one more vital participant of their lineup prior to the brand-new project rolls around. And after that theres the Pirates, that figure to be amongst the most awful groups in the video game this year.

Between the renovations they have actually made and also the activities (or do not have thereof) of their local enemies, this might be the moment for the Reds to go back to importance in the NL. The method their lineup looks currently, do you assume they can doing so?

(Poll web link for application individuals)

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MLBTR Poll: How Good Are The Reds? - The Union Journal

The wait is finally over Popaholics, you've made it to a whole new year and to the finale video of the Ultimate Popaholic Challenge. The popping videos have gotten truly wild, and dermatologist Sandra Lee, MD, aka Dr. Pimple Popper, has saved the best for last. For level 10 of the Ultimate Popaholic Challenge, she tackles an abscess waterfall cyst in the new Youtube video.

Dr. Pimple Popper congratulated her fans in the caption: "If you guessed it would be an abscess cyst or more specifically a waterfall cyst you were right! Congrats to everyone that made it this far, no pop can hold you back! Now lets enjoy this waterfall of a cyst"

ICYMI: Dr. Pimple Popper launched the Ultimate Popaholic Challenge last week with blackhead pops and a seriously huge dilated pore of winer. Dr. Pimple Popper also shared all the details of the Ultimate Popaholic Challenge: "I'll be uploading some of the best and most extreme POPS we've ever had. Everyday, the videos get a little more intense, how far will you be able to go??? Do YOU have what it takes to be the ULTIMATE POPAHOLIC? Tune in Daily to find out."

Dr. Pimple Popper tackles the inflamed cyst in a whopping 50-minute Youtube video. Get comfortable and grab your snacks, folks. The doc adds commentary as she works. She writes: "There are small pustules overlying this cyst, as it is coming to a head."

She starts by numbing the area and slicing into the top of the cyst with a scalpel. Dr. Pimple Popper barely grazes the surface, and already the waterfall starts flowing. The cyst does not stop gushing. "It wants to come out," Dr. Pimple Popper says. They have a bowl set up under the cyst to catch everything streaming out. The monster cyst surprises the doc, too. She says, "Where is this coming from?"

The dermatologist has at least one food metaphor on the mind. "It looks like cafe au lait with peppermint," Dr. Pimple Popper explained. "It's always surprising to see how much comes out. It sprayed on my shoe before."

Dr. Pimple Popper's fans are loving the final pop. One Popaholic wrote: "I guess Dr lee didnt listen to TLC and decided to chase that waterfall." Another fan shared, "One of the best pops of all time! I love cyst drainage!"

Congrats to all the Popaholics who made it through the Ultimate Popaholic Challenge.

Excerpt from:

Dr. Pimple Popper Just Popped A Monster Inflamed Cyst In The Ultimate Popaholic Challenge Youtube Video - Women's Health

As we wound down 2019 with low interest rates and rising rental demand, it was clear to see that it had been a great year for investors. Considering this is the season of New Years resolutions, the following are four ways investors can up their competitive game and prepare themselves for even greater real estate investing success in 2020.

1. Ditch the paperwork and go digital.

The digital revolution has improved our lives in so many different ways, from social media to online shopping and vacation planning to bill paying and even buying and managing real estate investments. Ditching the paperwork and going digital was a game-changer in my real estate investing business, and it can be in yours too. Heading into 2020, set up the processes and systems so you can go almost entirely digital. The advantages of storing and organizing real estate documents online include:

Reducing physical storage space.

Bank-encryption security to minimize the risk of document theft or loss.

Preserve historic documents such as year-end financial statements for tax purposes.

Efficient retrieval and information sharing with business partners, CPAs or attorneys 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

Save money and be friendlier to the environment.

I dont know how many times Ive been on-site at one of my properties, chatting with a property manager or vendor, at a bank or talking with a member of my team when I needed to reference a document. Going digital makes it as simple as taking out your smartphone and having the answers at your fingertips.

2. Get your asset protection strategy in order.

Real estate investors who think its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission may be in for a rude awakening when they start getting into legal gray areas.Successful investors know that following rules and regulations shouldnt be viewed as an obstacle. People who have been there, done that know that it is important to protect yourself, your assets and investors from a worst-case scenario.

Real estate investors should protect themselves by:

Obtaining full coverage insurance for your property. Property damage and theft, fire and construction insurance, liability insurance that covers claims from tenants and their guests and loss of income with business interruption insurance coverage. Its also critical that your tenants have renters insurance and can provide proof of coverage. At the end of each year, I like to review current insurance coverage to ensure that its still adequate perhaps there have been changes to a building over the years. There may also be ways to reduce your costs if some coverage is no longer needed.

Reviewing what asset protection is right for you. LLCs help protect the members of the company from the liabilities and business debts, but they also have drawbacks. Understand whether this type of asset protection is right for you and consider others. If you dont choose the LLC route, you may want to explore umbrella insurance or use a combination thereof.

3. Prepare today for tax success tomorrow.

Lets face it: in addition to generating income, one of the main reasons we invest in real estate is for tax benefits. As youre digitizing your business, take the opportunity to get all your tax documents ready and organized for filing, whether on your own or with your accountant. Its never too early to begin preparing for tax season.

Smooth your tax information-gathering process by:

Tracking your income and expenses throughout the year using digital tools

Uploading and storing documents and receipts whenever you receive them

Talking with your accountant about how you can take advantage of other tax strategies like pass-through deductions and casualty losses

Keep in mind the various tax advantages that may be available to you as a real estate investor, such as:

Depreciation, a non-cash expense that allows you to reduce taxable net income

20% pass-through deduction of qualified business income helps maximize deductions for qualifying taxpayers

Deductions from a large list of business expenses allowed by the IRS for rental property income

The 1031 tax-deferred exchange, which can be leveraged to sell one property and buy another without paying capital gains

Taxes can be complex, but they dont have to be complicated if you are prepared.

4. Always learn.

Real estate education is a building block to success as an investor. We learn, we take action, we make mistakes and we adjust accordingly.

Some of my favorite resources for learning to invest in real estate in 2020 include:

Books on real estate written by experienced investors. TheStreet published a helpful summary of the best investing books from 2019.

Online seminars through blogs, videos and podcasts that are free and on-demand. One of my favorite podcasts is Bigger Pockets, and there are various others to choose from and add to your list.

Newsletters are a great way to stay abreast of the latest real estate news.

In-person training sessions led by a motivating and experienced instructor.

Mentors who can provide one-on-one advice and help you avoid mistakes that even experienced real estate investors can make.

Investment clubs, apartment associations and meetups in your local market for networking and finding off-market deals.

For real estate success in 2020 and beyond, the key steps investors should take are to go digital, get your legal house in order, prepare now for tax time and always seek out education opportunities. These will be the hallmarks of real estate investing success in 2020.

See the article here:

Four Ways To Prepare Yourself For Real Estate Investing Success In 2020 - Forbes

The photo album has been worn soft by the press of countless fingers, its water-stained cover turned the color of spilled coffee. Labeled London Boys Home, 1857, the album contains careful portraits of young men accompanied by neat handwritten script detailing biographies worthy of a Charles Dickens novel.

Fourteen-year-old William Ford is shown stiffly sitting in a suit twice his size. His slicked-back hair and high forehead tower above a small, pinched face with a long nose and sorrowful stare. The reader is told that Ford was admitted to the school on June 2, 1855. His parents are dead; his brother is a railway porter who is now out of work.

The school arranged for William to travel to Canada for employment, but his conduct on board the ship was not commendable and he gambled some of his clothes away during the voyage. The last entry in his biography, dated March 18, 1858, notes that our wee hero is in Toronto selling muffins.

The rare handmade book was rediscovered in the Getty Museums main photo storage vault by senior curator of photographs Jim Ganz, who was searching for gems to include in the new exhibit Unseen: 35 Years of Collecting Photographs, which runs at the Getty Center through March 8.

Created to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the founding of the museums department of photographs, Unseen features images from the collection that have never before been exhibited at the museum.

The Getty museums new exhibit Unseen is something of curatorial mixtape.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Work by prestigious names like Nan Goldin, Weegee, William Eggleston, Laura Aguilar and Anthony Hernandez share wall space with unknown talent, as is the case with the remarkable salt prints featured in the London boys home album or a grisly series of forensic crime photos made by the police in Paris in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Ganz, who collaborated on the project with the other six curators in his department, calls the result a curatorial mixtape and notes that objects that have no literal relationship to one another are found next to objects that present the opportunity for making unexpected connections and revelations.

He takes pains to stress that the photos in the show are not the greatest hits of the images not yet seen in the museum, but rather a loving assemblage of images that mean one thing or another to the curators who pieced them together.

This is a collection of 148,000 objects, Ganz says during a tour of the storage vault. So you do the math and realize that most of it hasnt been shown.

Like the journey of 19th century portraits of orphans in England to a storage vault in a Los Angeles museum, the much shorter journey of a photo from that vault to museum gallery wall involves intricate interventions that are not be obvious to the casual observer.

Most of the objects in the collection live in one of five vaults, which collectively provide 4,400 shelves and 10,000 square feet of hanging space. Prints are kept safe in archival quality mats and folders inside slender, black solander boxes rigid containers that protect prints from fluctuations in humidity and temperature, as well as from excessive light. Books and albums are stored in heavy metal cases with glass fronts. Some labels are written by hand, others are typed.

The main vault pairs the look of a library with the chilly, no-frills ambiance of a walk-in cooler. The room is kept at 68 degrees to protect the prints. The vault for color photographs is kept at 40 degrees to slow the inevitable changes with the dyes. Before color materials can be moved in or out, they must spend 24 hours in a transition room with the thermostat set to 55 to prevent condensation from forming on the surface of the work.

Its essential that photographs are housed with high quality materials and that the storage environment is climate controlled for long-term preservation, explains associate conservator of photographs Sarah Freeman, who is part of the team that evaluates each of these factors to ensure they are optimal. Acid-free folders, mats and frame packages are key because they provide protection from handling and the environment. Cool, dry conditions are ideal, and proper air filtration is necessary.

Freeman and her fellow conservators, who work in the lab next-door to the main vault, are also responsible for determining whether or not an object needs treatment. The many options include repairing tears, stabilizing emulsion and the edges of prints, as well as structural work on bindings and book covers. The lab is clean, white and brightly lighted a quiet place where science is obviously happening.

Conservators also must carefully assess an objects light sensitivity. Prints made in early days of photography were often created using experimental techniques and unstable chemicals, so exposing them to too much light could cause them to yellow or fade.

Unseen features a series of cyanotypes made in the mid-1800s by English botanist and photographer Anna Atkins and her friend Anne Dixon. These showcase a technique that uses iron salts to produce blue-colored prints. The results resemble paintings.

The delicate works of art were determined to be so light sensitive that each Monday when the museum is closed a page of the book containing the prints is turned so as not to expose one particular cyanotype to more light than it can handle.

Every object in the Gettys collection of photography has a back story that is often difficult to suss out. This is where the museums collection manager and curatorial assistants get their chance to shine. This group is in the process of cataloging and uploading the entire collection online.

When collection manager Miriam Katz began working at the museum eight years ago, she says that only about 3% of the collection was online.

Miriam Katz, collections manager and lead cataloger at the Getty, measures a print.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Now, as fast as they catalog an image, were uploading it, she says, adding that there are still more than 36,000 objects to go, a process that will likely take another five years.

Cataloging an image is a fascinating combination of scholarly research, hard science and imaginative speculation. Before an image is uploaded, the curatorial assistants have recorded as much information as possible about who took it, when, where and why. Historical background that adds meaning to the image is limned, as are identifying characteristics of the print and entries about who owned an image over the years, and where it may have been exhibited.

To my mind this is the most essential curatorial work there is, Ganz says, because if you dont know what you have, you dont have anything.

The curatorial assistants work at long, polished wood tables in the museums study room, which is open to the public. A print or album is laid on soft, white cloth. The staffers use a loop to magnify the image, a tape measure to record its dimensions and a pocket microscope to help identify the process used to create the image.

Megan Catalano catalogs photos at the Getty Museum.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Then theres the historical research work, which often can yield thrilling results, as was the case with the mysterious London Boys Home portraits. When the book fell into the hands of curatorial assistant Megan Catalano, very little was known about it, including the name of the school and where it was located.

She did some digital sleuthing and finally found another handmade copy of the book in the London Metropolitan Archives. This copy identified the school as being in Walton-on-Thames, which is a borough of Surrey about 15 miles outside of London. Catalano now had a place to start, and she began digging through old newspaper records and other historical materials to figure out the name of the school (Hurst Refuge) and the name of the headmaster (James Edmond Harries), who she thinks is likely the person who kept the book.

It took a very long time, but it was incredibly satisfying, Catalano says.

The book, which the museum has relabeled Walton-on-Thames Boys Home Case Book, arrived at the Getty in 1984 as part of curator and art collector Sam Wagstaffs collection. Catalano says Wagstaff acquired it a Sothebys auction in 1975.

Catalano hopes that someday someone will try to find the boys descendants, and that her research might help with the hunt. Most of the boys were sent to Canada for work, she says, and a few were sent to Australia or Africa.

One or two entered the Royal Navy, so there may be more information about their fates in other government records or archives in other parts of the world, she added. The reports of the boys mostly stop a few years after they arrive in Canada, some having found steady work, others bouncing around. Sadly, one or two didnt survive the journey or died shortly after arriving in Canada.

Each image on the wall in Unseen has its own story. Visitors need only pull back the curtain on the process of telling it.

'Unseen'

When: Tuesdays-Sundays, through March 8

Admission: Free

Info: (310) 440-7300, getty.edu

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Behind the scenes in the Getty photo archives with 'Unseen' - Los Angeles Times