Daily Archives: March 25, 2021

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This affirmation meditation for personal empowerment is essential for success and achieving your goals. If you believe you are and an empowered person it is important to bring empowering thoughts and feelings into your mind, body, and spirit.

Using this personal empowerment affirmation meditation is a practice of recognizing and changing your thoughts on a daily basis. Eventually, positive thoughts can transform your cognitive patterns and negative thoughts may become less prominent. The more you can consciously choose your thoughts, the better your life can be.

Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself. ~Gloria Steinem

What does it mean to empower yourself? You are responsible to empower yourself to succeed. Use personal empowerment to put yourself in the drivers seat to your own personal success. But what is self-empowerment? Its about learning how to give yourself the power to take control of your own destiny and live your life on your terms, and coming to the realization as to how you want to live your life.

When youre living a life of personal empowerment, your passion will overflow onto those around you. And as passion permeates the very air you breathe, youll feel confident and in control of your life because you can produce all the things you want for yourself and your loved ones.

This guide will help you live an empowered life. If you follow through with these suggestions and obtain the support you require, your personal power will flourish. Start living the life of your dreams!

When you decide to succeed, a life filled with adventure, love, and personal empowerment is yours.

Making a conscious decision to be successful is an effective way of opening up yourself to personal empowerment and the possibilities of achieving your dreams. When you decide that something will happen, youre more likely to take the necessary steps to ensure that it does. Resolving to succeed is a hallmark of personal empowerment.

When Nike says, just do it, thats a message of empowerment.

Why arent the rest of us speaking to young people in a voice of inspiration?

~Naomi Klein

Sometimes in life, difficult things occur that might discourage you from pursuing the path you desire. An important aspect of becoming personally empowered is to believe that bright and beautiful things are coming your way, regardless of the rough waters you may have recently encountered.

When youre sure that positive things will happen to you, your empowerment level rises.

A positive mind breeds positive results. Approaching all aspects of life with positivity is one of the most empowering actions you can take.

At every given moment we are absolutely perfect for what is required for our journey.

~Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Even if you havent thought about it for quite some time, you probably have something youve always wanted to do in life. Do you still have those yearnings for the future? How do you react when youre thinking about your dreams? Do you try to push those thoughts out of your mind?

Never abandon your dreams! Our dreams for the future can keep us moving forward in life, looking, reaching, and achieving. View your dreams as great motivators. Your dreams help empower you to seek out the life you truly want.

Holding on to your dreams throughout your life will provide you with steady reinforcement to perform, excel, and achieve. As your dreams stay alive, so do your possibilities to live an empowered life.

Whether you say you cant or you can, youre right.

~Walt Disney Company

You might find yourself in a particular place in life thats not satisfying to you. When you consider your living situation, you may feel unsure about how or why you ended up this way.

When you find yourself in a position or heading in a direction different from what youd like, remind yourself you have the personal empowerment power to change your path. Upon reaching this point, knowing how to change and quiet your mind and your life is incredibly empowering forces.

Allow yourself the time and space to change the things about your life that are leading you astray. When youre fully following your dreams, youll feel empowered and ignited with the passion to create the life you seek.

Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to

when all they need is one reason why they can.

~Martha Graham

Have you ever felt like you wanted to live life differently than how youre currently living, yet youre unsure where to begin? Your dreams have always been in the back of your mind, tantalizing you to do something. However, you feel uncertain about how your life will go when you do begin the path toward personal empowerment and the good life.

Taking action to achieve your dreams will bring feelings of strength and incredible anticipation. Imagine how it will feel to know that youve taken the bull by the horns and are heading toward the greatest adventure of your life. Living the life you want is the ultimate objective of self-empowerment.

You know, theres a lot of activism that doesnt deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type of struggle.

~Talib Kweli

Weve all encountered the person at work who goes so far above and beyond that they make everyone else look bad in comparison. Some of us may even admit that we wouldnt mind being that co-worker that everyone else is praising and admiring.

When youre willing to work hard, many positive things will happen for you. Your end results will be greater and others will come to see you as a model employee. Empower yourself with the abundance that comes with being a hard worker.

The difference between being mediocre and achieving excellence is you.

~Stephen Richards, Think Your Way to Success: Let Your Dreams Run Free

If youve ever felt bogged down with everyday life, youll appreciate the beauty of starting small. Rather than not starting at all, beginning little-by-little seems like a much better option.

True empowerment begins with your thoughts, effort, and follow-through. Only you can refresh your existence and begin living a more empowered life.

On the other hand, if the future is not the one you chose then you

may have to use your willpower to obtain the future of your liking.

~Stephen Richards, Think yourself to Success: Let Your Dreams Run Free

As you start putting these personal empowerment suggestions into place, youll begin to gain the momentum to continue moving ahead. Momentum begets more momentum.

Youll encounter all kinds of individuals, situations, and stumbling blocks on your journey toward empowerment. At times, you may feel like youve taken two steps forward and three steps back. By continuing to move forward, youll make overall progress that cant be denied.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

~Lao Tzu

Because we live our lives surrounded by others and dealing with complex events, there will be times when youre inclined to give up your power. What does this mean? Some behaviors or attitudes you adopt can reduce your strength and momentum.

As you build your own power, be aware of how you can keep hold of your personal strength. In the end, youll come out on the other side feeling healthier, happier, and more empowered.

No one has the power to shatter your dreams unless you give it to them.

~Maeve Greyson

Although everyday life can be overwhelming, you have the resolve and the tools to live an empowered life.

An understanding of personal empowerment allows you to make progress toward and eventually achieve all your goals and dreams.

Define who you are. As you empower yourself in ways that build your self-confidence, youll discover all the sources of your lifes greatest passions.

You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self,

to live out your purpose, and to do it fearlessly.

~Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Read the rest here:

9 Principles Of Personal Empowerment & Affirmation Meditation

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As attempts against businesses rise, more consumers say they are being targeted by digital fraud related to COVID-19

CHICAGO, March 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransUnions (NYSE: TRU) latest quarterly analysis of global online fraud trends found that since the COVID-19 pandemic began, fraudsters are increasing their rate of digital schemes against businesses. In addition, TransUnions recent Global Consumer Pulse Study found that more than one in three global consumers have recently been targeted by digital fraud related to COVID-19.

TransUnion came to its conclusions about fraud against businesses based on intelligence from billions of transactions and more than 40,000 websites and apps contained in its flagship identity proofing, risk-based authentication and fraud analytics solution suite TransUnion TruValidate.

It found the percent of suspected fraudulent digital transaction attempts1 against businesses worldwide increased 46% when comparing the following two periods: Period #1 (March 11, 2019 and March 10, 2020); Period #2 (March 11, 2020 -- when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic -- and March 10, 2021). In the U.S., this percentage increased 22% in the same timeframe.

Fraudsters are always looking to take advantage of significant world events. The COVID-19 pandemic and its corresponding rapid digital acceleration brought about by stay-at-home orders is a global event unrivaled in the online age, said Shai Cohen, senior vice president of Global Fraud Solutions at TransUnion. By analyzing billions of transactions we screened for fraud indicators over the past year, it has become clear that the war against the virus has also brought about a war against digital fraud.

Globally across industries, TransUnion found the countries with the highest rate of suspected fraudulent digital transactions during the pandemic (from March 11, 2020 to March 10, 2021) were: 1) the Seychelles, 2) Kazakhstan and 3) Turkmenistan. In the U.S. overall during that same time period, TransUnion found the cities with the highest percent of suspected fraudulent transactions were: 1) Tempe, Ariz. 2) Hamtramck, Mich. and 3) Colonial Park, Pa.

Consumers Targeted By COVID-19 Schemes

TransUnions Global Consumer Pulse Study also found that as of March 16, 2021 the 36% of consumers who said they are being targeted by digital fraud related to COVID-19 in the last three months is higher than approximately one year ago. In April 2020, 29% said they had been targeted by digital fraud related to COVID-19. In the U.S., this percentage increased from 26% to 38% in the same timeframe.

Gen Z, those born 1995 to 2002, is currently the most targeted out of any generation at 42%. They are followed by Millennials (37%). Similarities were observed in the U.S. where Gen Z was most targeted at 53% followed by Millennials at 40%.

TransUnion documented a 21% increase in reported phishing attacks among consumers who were globally targeted with COVID-19-related digital fraud just from November 2020 to recently, said Melissa Gaddis, senior director of customer success, Global Fraud Solutions at TransUnion. This revelation shows just how essential acquiring personal credentials are for carrying out any type of digital fraud. Consumers must be vigilant and businesses should assume all consumer information is available on the dark web and have alternatives to traditional password verification in place.

Consumers can learn how to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft with the TransUnion Fraud Victim Bill of Rights.

Examining Fraud Types and Their Impact on Industries

TransUnion analyzed the below industries for a change in the percent of suspected digital fraud attempts against them, comparing the periods of March 11, 2019-March 10, 2020 and March 11, 2020-March 10, 2021.

Suspected Digital Fraud Attempt Rate Post-Pandemic Declaration

Through the TruValidate solution, TransUnion documented a 19% growth in transactions among its global iGaming customers from 2019 to 2020, and recently researched its fraud impact in a special report. It determined that its online gambling customers experienced a 9% increase in the rate of suspected fraud when comparing 2019 to 2020 among the 576 million iGaming transactions TransUnion analyzed for risk indicators last year.

Despite it being one of the hottest growing industries, TransUnion observed a decrease in the iGaming mobile transaction rate for the first time since at least 2016. However, iGaming on mobile devices is still much higher than desktops with the percent of online gambling transactions coming from mobile devices at 69%.

We believe mobile online gambling transactions dipped because so many people used their desktops while working from home during the pandemic. However, we expect the long-term impact of mobile to continue to be paramount for business success, said Gaddis. Mobile devices will be key to providing a seamless way for online gamblers to transact and businesses to assess risk with biometric-driven multifactor authentication.

For more details about the above findings, visit this blog post.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.

TransUnion Global Fraud Solutions unite both consumer and device identities to detect threats across markets while ensuring friction-right user experiences. The solutions, all part of the TruValidate suite, fuse traditional data science with machine learning to provide businesses unique insights about consumer transactions, safeguarding tens of millions of transactions each day.

A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.http://www.transunion.com/business

1 The percent or rate of suspected fraudulent digital transaction attempts are those that TransUnions customers either denied or reviewed due to fraudulent indicators compared to all transactions it assessed for fraud

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One Year after COVID-19, New TransUnion Research Shows Digital Fraud Attempts Against Businesses Have Increased by 46% - StreetInsider.com

From Cosmopolitan

Spring has officially sprung, and everything is blooming. This year's Spring Equinox occurs on March 20, when the Sun enters Aries and the day and night are equal length. This has been a day of celebration for centuries, offering a chance to start anew. After a long, hard winter, you have an entire 24-hour period to choose yourself and set the stage for the rest of your 2021.

The Sun is with you right now. Make sure to take the time to fully command this energy! Its YOUR seasonlet the world know!

Its time to get clear and clarify. Take all the time you need to bathe in solitude and observe everything around you. A change in routine will replenish your energetic pool.

Youre feeling very social and interested in connecting. Plan an online event for all your social media friends and see where it can take you. This Equinox should find you focusing on expanding your vision.

A new light is shining on your career ambitions! Dont be afraid to bet on yourself and your skills. Youll be amazed where you land with the right intention.

Its time to evaluate your sense of abundance. Commit yourself to one area of focus and watch it expand for you. Youre no stranger to going after what you deserve.

Its time to think about yourself. Set an intention for self-empowerment. Your ability to access new levels of inner healing can bring about far-reaching transformation.

Think about what you need right now, and treat yourself to more personal time. Your best self comes with stronger dedication to self-care.

Physical empowerment is key. Theres change brewing here, and it starts with you feeling a little more into your body. Switch up your daily activities, and youll be amazed by the results.

Youre obsessed with all things astro. Same. Never miss a retrograde with Cosmo Unlocked.

Do you feel the creativity and expression in the air? Identify your passion and let it lead you. This is your time to act. Your will, your way.

Story continues

Its time to look at your inner life. Focus on the energy you want to feel in your home and let that be your guide. New furniture or familial boundaries could be in store.

Release your thoughts! Youre a natural at bringing people together based on your vision, but now its time to have your voice heard. Start the blog, the podcast, the Patreon.

This is a money-motivated period for you, Pisces. Take some time to work on your budget and draw up a financial game plan. Stronger money management skills make way for better opportunities.

You Might Also Like

Originally posted here:

Spring Is Finally Here, and So Is Your Spring Equinox Horoscope - Yahoo Lifestyle

By Magdalena Nowicka Mook, CEO, International Coaching Federation

The Covid-19 pandemic imposed unexpected challenges on organizations large and small. The virus has not only reshaped the way professionals do their individual work, but it has also changed the fundamental characteristics of collaborative teamwork and effective leadership.

The net result is that many leaders continue to struggle with learning what the new normal really means for them, their team, and their ability to lead.

Leadership used to be largely about motivating employees to achieve established targets for productivity and profitability. The need for such measurable outcomes remains unchanged, but the method for realizing those results is now far more complicated.

When professionals are no longer gathered in a single location for in-person meetings and shared efforts, the reliance on digital platforms increases.

The difficulty is that this reliance on digital tools can have a corollary effect of making individuals feel isolated and disconnected from colleagues. Video meetings are perfectly fine as a way to assemble everyone, but sooner or later, the work must get donetoo often by individuals working alone at home in an environment that does not permit walking to a nearby colleagues office to bounce off an idea, explore a solution, or consider together a means for reaching a goal. In short, the ability to collaborate becomes more difficult.

Meanwhile, the goals must still be met, and the leader must remain focused on outcomes.

Coaching for SuccessMost professionals, especially leaders, find there is no single textbook providing clear direction for how to motivate remote teams and foster unified efforts. In their search for guidance, many professionals, especially business and organizational leaders, are enlisting the assistance of executive coaches.

Leadership coaches guide their clients through an individualized process that builds a leaders capability to achieve short- and long-term organizational goals. A key to achieving positive results is fostering an atmosphere of collaboration within teams. Coaching has been shown to help leaders implement not only personal changes but also approaches for successful virtual teamwork.

A coach can help a leader better understand what is going on within the team and consider solutions that facilitate collaborative interactions.

Three Elements of Effective LeadershipColumbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky describes perspective thinking as the ability to look at the world from someone elses vantage point: a key skill for establishing a culture of collaboration. When we fail to consider another persons perspective, we only exercise our power or authority as a leader while missing vital information, Galinsky says.

Through coaching, a leader can better understand this dynamic and adapt in ways that motivate all individuals on the team.

According to Galinsky, there are three crucial elements for effective leadership. Interestingly, each of these is a central skill that coaches help client executives develop:

1. Empowerment: the delegation of power, authority, ability, or permission. Empowering employees typically gives them confidence and greater capacity to advance ideas in a collaborative environment.

2. Diversity: the practice of involving people from a range of social and ethnic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, and so on. Diversity is known for producing better results in teams.

3. Transparency: ways that make it easy for others to see what actions are performed, but also to understand the thinking behind those actions. Transparency implies openness, communication, and accountability.

Naturally, some of the consequences of these characteristics cannot be predicted. Nor are they certain to produce positive results every time. Each has a so-called double-edge, or downside risk, that a coach would work with a leader to consider in advance.

Regardless, in creating collaborative cultures, coaches help leaders to always ask themselves about the intended impacts of their ideas and actions, and to anticipate what side effects and unpredictable consequences may occur. With these questions in mind, leaders can set checks and balances and undertake specific actions to minimize any negative outcomes.

Predicting the UnpredictableDouble-edged thinking may not be natural to all leaders as a discipline. In our fast-changing current environment, identifying predictable consequences of decisions is not always easy. After all, who predicted a global pandemic and the consequences we now more fully realize?

Working with a professional coach can help give a leader a greater openness to broader perspectives and the ability to test and examine hypotheses in a safe and confidential setting. The results will be fewer surprises, more harmonious and collaborative work environments, and ultimately, greater team productivity and satisfaction. Professional coaching can help you sharpen your double-edge.

To learn more about professional coaching and its organizational benefits, visit theInternational Coaching Federation.

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Executive Coaching Can Help Managers Build More Collaborative Teams - SPONSOR CONTENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COACHING FEDERATION - Harvard Business...

FILE - In this Thursday, May 12, 2016, file photo, Actress Julia Roberts poses for photographers upon arrival for the screening of the film Money Monster at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

The movie Pretty Woman came out thirty-one years ago yesterday. The films subtitle describes the plot: She walked off the street, into his life, and stole his heart.

People magazine reports some facts you may not have known about the popular film: Burt Reynolds was initially offered the lead role that Richard Gere made famous; the directors son plays a drug-dealing skateboarder in the movie; and the film was originally titled 3000the price of one night with Vivian, the prostitute played by Julia Roberts.

Here are some facts the article leaves out: the homicide rate among active female prostitutes is seventeen times higher than that of the age-matched general female population; the average prostitute is physically attacked once a month; one study found that 89 percent of women in prostitution want to escape but are trapped.

The glorification of prostitutes in popular media is just one example of our broken sexual ethic. Yesterday, we discussed our cultures clear rejection of biblical morality with regard to sex outside of marriage. I stated my intention to look today at the practical consequences of the sexual revolution: broken lives, broken homes, and broken souls.

We will do so with the help of the finest article on the subject I have found, one I encourage you to read today.

Steven R. Tracy, PhD, is professor of theology and ethics at Phoenix Seminary, where he has taught since 1995. He has also served as a church pastor for fifteen years and is the author of seven books and numerous journal articles.

His article on premarital sexual abstinence and the Bible shows clearly that God intends us to abstain from all sexual relations outside of marriage. He counters the argument that the New Testament does not actually condemn non-married adults having consensual sex and the claim that the biblical authors wrote from a pre-modern perspective which need not be accepted wholesale by Christians today.

As he demonstrates, The overwhelming consensus of historical Christian teaching, as well as modern evangelical biblical scholarship, is that sexual relations are only appropriate in marriage.

Dr. Tracys article is especially helpful with regard to the consequences of disobeying the biblical ethic regarding premarital sexual relationships. Consider five examples.

One: In terms of marital satisfaction, one of the most widespread modern myths is that couples need to live together before they get married to see if they are sexually and relationally compatible and thus to enhance future marital health and satisfaction. In reality, research shows that couples that live together before marriage have higher infidelity rates, lower marital satisfaction rates, and higher divorce rates than those who dont live together before marriage.

For instance, a study of 1,425 couples found that those who cohabited before marriage reported poorer marital quality and greater marital instability. A study of over four thousand Swedish women reported that women who cohabit before marriage have an 80 percent higher marital failure rate than those who did not cohabit with their future spouse. Dr. Tracy adds: This dynamic of cohabitation having a negative impact on subsequent marriage has been replicated in so many different studies that some social scientists have labeled it the cohabitation effect.'

Two: Cohabiting couples are much more likely to physically abuse each other than are non-cohabiting dating couples or married couples. A Department of Justice report notes that unmarried women are almost five times more likely to experience violence at the hands of their sexual partner than are married women.

Three: Cohabitors have been found to be almost twice as likely to be unfaithful to their partner as those who were married.

Four: Sexual abstinence before marriage is the only 100 percent effective method of birth control, guaranteeing that women will not have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy. Since many researchers consider out-of-wedlock births to be the single most significant factor influencing long-term poverty in America, this is a very significant issue.

Five: Sexually transmitted diseases in the US are among the highest in the industrialized world. In addition to their health consequences, they create a great economic burden, with direct medical costs in the US of $15.5 billion.

The consequences of breaking Gods word are all around us today, from the public health crisis that is our pornography epidemic, to the threat of rising sexually transmitted infections as the coronavirus pandemic lessens, to the explosion of child pornography on the internet.

Once again, Gods word is right. As I have noted in the past, human nature does not change, which means that we still face the same issues our ancestors faced in biblical times. Divine nature does not change, which means that Gods answers to our issues are the same today as when he first revealed them. Today and every day, his word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

If you are struggling with sexual temptation or sin, I urge you to act now. Speak with your pastor or another trusted counselor. Develop an accountability relationship with someone who will help you think and live biblically. Take all necessary steps with regard to software and technology protections for you and your family.

If this is not a besetting sin for you, identify those that are. Take them to the cross, claiming Jesus atoning sacrifice as payment for your debt. Ask for his forgiveness and cleansing grace (1 John 1:9). And claim his strength in partnership with others to be holy in all your conduct (1 Peter 1:15).

Randy Alcorn is right: Grace doesnt make people less holyit makes them more holy. Grace doesnt make people despise or neglect truthit makes them love and follow truth. Grace isnt a free pass to sinits a supernatural empowerment not to sin. . . . Grace raises the barbut it also enables us to joyfully jump over that bar.

What bar do you need to joyfully jump over today?

NOTE: What defines someone whom God is using to impact the culture for Jesus? This answer is found when Jesus said, You are the salt of the earth . . . . You are the light of the world (Matt. 5:1314). You can discover how to be this salt and light through my just re-released book, Blessed: Eight Ways Christians Change Culturewhich now includes the new, bonus Blessed Small Group Study Guide. This special resource is my gift to thank you for your donation, so please request it when you giveknowing that your investment will help more Christians discern the news differently.

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Facts you didn't know about "Pretty Woman": Proof that the Bible is right about sexual morality and practical steps into personal purity -...

The Philadelphia 76ers (29-13) embarked on a six-game road trip with a stop in New York on Sunday night to face the Knicks (21-21). The Sixers were looking to establish a winning streak after disposing of the Kings on Saturday night in Philly. The Knicks had similar plans in mind after outlasting the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The Sixers, despite some awful execution, were able to outlast the Knicks in overtime, 101-100, after Julius Randles game-winning shot spun out of the basket as time expired.

Before we get to the action, some notes.

Ben Simmons returned to the lineup after missing Saturdays game with a sore left knee. Seth Curry remained sidelined through the weekend after spraining his left ankle on Wednesday against the Bucks. Joel Embiid remained out with a bone bruise on his left knee, although, according to Shams Charania, he is recovering quicker than anticipated. Doc Rivers started Simmons, Furkan Korkmaz, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, and Tony Bradley.

Mitchell Robinson was available for the Knicks after recovering from surgery on his right hand. Austin Rivers (personal) and Derrick Rose (health and safety protocols) were not available for the Knicks. Tom Thibodeau started Immanuel Quickley, Reggie Bullock, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Nerlens Noel.

The Sixers did a superb job of identifying problem areas on the offensive end early in the game and adjusting their strategy to counter what the Knicks were showing on defense. Early, the offense was flowing through Simmons in the post. Once it became clear that Simmons wrestling with Randle in the post was not going to be conducive to efficient offense, the Sixers started to play a bit differently. Recognizing that the Knicks were doing a great job of denying the first option, they countered by making first and second passes. The Knicks were not ready for that, and the lag time on adjusting allowed Korkmaz to contribute three unguarded triples as part of a 15-0 run in the first quarter.

Tyrese Maxey was the beneficiary of first quarter minutes for the first time in quite a while. After Saturdays victory, Rivers described the rookies play as up-and-down. It would hardly have been predictable that Maxey would register minutes in the first quarter of a non-blowout. Seeing as the trade deadline is just four days away, one wonders whether the playing time was intended to serve as a showcase for teams with which the Sixers are trying to construct deals. There very well may have been a matchup that Rivers liked for Maxey, but suddenly rewarding a rookie guard with real minutes the week of the trade deadline lends itself to speculation.

I didnt touch on this nearly enough last night, but Shake Milton seems to be rediscovering the confidence that he had last season and earlier this season. The three-point shot is still flat, but hes been very effective around the rim and from the midrange over the last game-and-a-half. Obviously, thats a laughable sample size. But, hes been much more decisive in that sample size. Even if shots arent falling, the Sixers desperately need an aggressive shot-hunter off the bench. Aside from lob passes to Dwight Howard or another big diving to the rim, hes not nearly crafty or polished enough as a passer to have an impact by just facilitating for teammates. Miltons greatest service is surveying the best opportunity to score the ball whenever he has it in his hands, at least for the current iteration of the Sixers.

After the game, Milton touched upon his mentality. I feel like I can score. But, talking to coach and listening to the coaches, its all about making the right play. So, it doesnt matter whos shooting the ball or whos scoring the ball as long as were putting points on the board and then getting stops on the defensive end. So, I try to carry it that way.

Danny Green couldnt get much of anything going on the offensive end, but he was critical to the Sixers leading for the vast majority of the first half. Green recorded three steals and three blocks in fifteen minutes before intermission. While he did not score a singular point, he was active in generating run-outs for the Sixers and altering attempts from the Knicks. He had a hand in generating a number of the open looks the Sixers got. While Greens ability to get shots isnt consistently there, hes far more impactful than given credit for and would be a significant subtraction if included in a deal as Thursday approaches.

Harris praised Greens stability after the victory. We look at Danny like a stable individual that just comes to play night after night, Harris said. Gives us great effort. As you saw tonight just made some big plays and that has a domino effect for the other guys to see on the team.

I am very fascinated by Dwight Howards sudden self-empowerment in attempting long jumpers. I generally have no qualms with Howard taking long twos as long as theyre within the rhythm of the offense. Obviously, you dont want him trying to do too much or forcing such shots. But, if hes catching them in space, its ridiculous of anyone to denounce such shots if theyre something hes practicing. For now, hes cashing them in. Let it fly.

Regardless of who Maxey plays for after the deadline, one of the things that has continuously impressed me about him is that he has never avoided the rim despite rarely ever getting foul calls. There will be times when he fades a bit as he goes up for finishes. But, hes prolific in applying downhill pressure on the rim with bursts towards the rim. Even if he makes a play for someone else or doesnt get his own shot to go down, hes not dribbling aimlessly. He has never been fearful of the basket and forces defenses to either block his shots or give up points at the rim. As he gets older, hell grow adept at drawing fouls and earn those calls. At this point, however, hes not getting the benefit of any whistles, and its not inhibiting his mindset at all.

With Simmons and Harris on the bench, Mike Scott stepped up when the Sixers desperately needed a bigger body to apply weight against Randle in the post. Scott isnt exactly nimble on his feet and is quite prone to defending with his arms instead of keeping his body in front of offensive players. Nonetheless, he was effective in making things difficult for Randle. He stopped him from taking over the game at a time when he easily couldve with both Simmons and Harris resting.

Harris post-ups became the vehicle to closing the game out for the Sixers. Some nights, its quite effective. This was not one of those nights. A key cog in that success is who else is on the court with Harris. Its not necessarily the binary of whether or not the shot goes in. In this particular circumstance, Rivers elected to close regulation with both Simmons and Thybulle. That makes sense on the defensive end. But, featuring those two in the closing unit and then running offense through Harris post-ups makes little sense.

The Knicks are a very good defensive team. They were happy to gamble on Harris making crafty passes to the abandoned man in an effort to double Harris in the post. Harris is not accustomed to being doubled as a member of the Sixers. The lack of exposure to that pressure showed mightily in the closing stages of the game. The Harris post-ups are fine and even encouraged under other circumstances. But, utilizing those touches as a hub with two non-shooters is inviting problems.

Rivers favored the defensive prowess that that lineup presented. Its not football, so we obviously didnt have a chance to sub back and forth, Rivers said. I thought our defense was more important at that point. We had to leave to get stops and, honestly, our rotations in those traps were horrendous, like they really were. No one moved, no one cut. So, I told our guys they were very lucky that I got to go see Austin [Rivers] and my new grandbaby. I was in a very zen mood today. Because this is one of those games that you dont know how many mistakes we made in the last five minutes of the game.

Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap to the opposition. Harris botched a pair of free throws that wouldve iced the victory. But, he defended Randle beautifully on the final play of regulation. Again, give Randle credit. He got an impossible bounce on a corner triple to tie the game and send the affair into overtime.

Theres not always a reasonable explanation for the outcomes of these games. Sometimes, the outcome hangs on the spin of the ball as it kisses the rim. Sometimes basketball is poetic. Tobias Harris was the subject of much dismay after the fashion in which regulation concluded. But, he sunk two free throws to put the Sixers up by one point with five seconds left in overtime. It has felt like the basketball gods, for the most part, have been on the Sixers side this season. They answered another prayer for Philadelphia. Randles game-winning shot kissed the inside of the rim before spinning out, sealing the Sixers thirtieth victory of the season.

The Sixers (30-13) will head out West for the last five games of their road trip. The first stop is in Golden State. They will tip off with the Warriors at 10 PM EST (perfect!). You can catch the action on TNT.

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Sixers Outlast Knicks In Ugly Game: What We Saw - thepaintedlines.com

The Centre for Handicapped, an organization the Embassy has partnered with before on micro projects, received a grant of over LKR 2 million this year again as a part of the Micro Project scheme of the German Embassy in Colombo. In 2017, the Centre for Handicapped in Kundasale received funds which were utilized to provide prosthetic limbs for women in need all across the Island. The project came to a successful conclusion and many physiotherapy sessions and workshops were also conducted. The proposed project of this year has a similar objective but is more inclusive in terms of disadvantaged and vulnerbale groups as the beneficiaries include not only amputee girls and women but also sexually abused females in the Central Province of the country. Recent surveys have found out that 1 in 3 women have experienced either physical or sexual violence and the need to address and support the victims increases by the day. Therefore, this project intends to empower 10 sexually abused girls and women who are currently under the protection of the Womens Development Center (WDC) by providing them training for possible livelihood methods. Apart from that, the funds will also be used to provide good quality prosthetic limbs to 30 amputee girls and women and train such amputees to walk well with their artificial devices as well as empower them by vocational training and personal development through numerous workshops.

The agreement for this project was signed on 05th of March at the German Embassy between German Ambassador Holger Seubert, General Manager of Centre for Handicapped Mr B.M.Rejendram and Operations Manager Mr G.J.S.Gunasena.

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German Embassy provides financial assistance for economic empowerment of abused and amputee girls and women of Central Province in Sri Lanka - Colombo...

Zoom Rooms Head Jeffrey Smith shared his thoughts on remote work, and why we're not going back to our offices the way we did before, even after the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us. That question pits the cost-effective convenience of working from virtually any place with a stable internet connection against the merits of working side-by-side with your colleagues in a dedicated physical space. For employers, it all comes down to choosing the model that maximises the productivity of their employees. This is where Zoom sees an opportunity.

Zoom has gone from being one of the many video conferencing solution providers roughly a year ago to becoming synonymous with remote working today. Its revenue grew 369 percent year-on-year in the quarter that ended January 31 to $882.5 million (roughly Rs. 6,400 crores), according to a company statement, despite slowing user adoption.

It now sees a rapidly approaching future filled with hybrid workplaces. Zoom believes that while modern organisations will continue to invest in a physical office space, remote work that translates into reduced infrastructure costs and a wider availability of talent, won't be abandoned. And it's pitching Zoom Rooms, its software-based conference room service that brings smartphones, computers, and video conferencing rooms onto a single, collaborative interface, as a key ingredient for modern workplaces to fully embrace the hybrid model. Unlike the Zoom app, it's a paid service starting at Rs. 4,300 per month for every room, over and above the cost of video-conferencing hardware.

Jeffrey Smith, Head of Zoom Rooms

Gadgets 360 spoke to Jeffrey Smith, Head of Zoom Rooms, to understand what Zoom's cloud-based solution when paired with recommended hardware offers over traditional video-conferencing systems. We discuss how employees stand to benefit from its collaborative tools such as whiteboarding and co-annotation, and how the company plans to tackle user data privacy concerns. Smith also talks about some new features introduced by Zoom Rooms recently, which includes a virtual receptionist for offices, automatic headcount of participants on a conference call, and real-time air-quality monitoring in a room.

Edited excerpts below:

Gadgets 360: Give us an overview of what's new about Zoom Rooms that support a hybrid workplace model?

Jeffrey Smith: Our focus was on how we can help customers return to offices in a secure way. Some of the top concerns were around touching of shared surfaces in conference rooms, whether there would be adequate ventilation, and will people be in close proximity with other people. Very obvious concerns that one might have when getting back into an office.

First off, we introduced the ability to pair a personal mobile device with a Zoom Room to avoid touching shared surfaces as much as possible and still have control of the room equipment. In addition, we launched the ability to, in real-time, count the number of people that are in a conference room and then publish that data to the Zoom Rooms scheduling device that is mounted outside the (video conferencing) room. We can also put that data on the dashboard for the IT administrator.

For the end-user, it gives real-time information to know things like am I going to enter a crowded space?' It helps the IT group to understand are my communications policies effective in telling people that this 10-feet conference room should only be used by two or three people?' In addition, we can monitor, in real-time, the air quality a couple of different metrics like temperature, humidity, CO2 levels in a room, specifically powered by Neat Bars from one of our hardware partners. And this data can again be viewed in the Zoom Rooms dashboard as well as the scheduling display. It gives feedback to the end-user about how adequate the ventilation system is, and to the IT group about their facilities planning.

Another cool feature that we have is a virtual receptionist and this is for a Zoom Rooms for Touch (large interactive displays with video conferencing) device. It also has a programmable action button that can either call an actual receptionist or help someone join a meeting. This is to enable companies to limit the amount of contact their lobby personnel has with guests as they enter a building. A productivity feature that we recently introduced is the ability to control your desktop device from a Zoom Rooms for Touch. So now I can open a presentation and control my desktop from the large touchscreen.

Gadgets 360: How do you see office spaces shaping in the near future? Do you see more face-to-face meetings happening whenever things go back to normal or more efficient remote work?

Jeffrey Smith: I can tell you that, from the perspective of customers that I interact with, there's a huge spectrum where there are some companies that look at it as we are 100 percent remote and we are going to stay that way and never see an office again'. But there are also companies that can't wait to get to office exactly as it was. And then there are companies in between. I do believe that we have shifted the midpoint further towards work from home more than it ever has been in the past. Rich tools like Zoom that enable productivity wherever you are have really empowered the workforce to be more distributed than it ever has been.

Gadgets 360: Have the hiring patterns also evolved in favour of a remote workforce?

Jeffrey Smith: Free and open communication empowers the workforce to be wherever they want to be. And so, that opens up all kinds of opportunities for companies to search for talent from wherever. The employee can then do their most productive work from wherever they want to live. It absolutely is a new era of individual empowerment that we are starting on.

Gadgets 360: Have Indian companies responded any differently to the pandemic in your experience?

Jeffrey Smith: I haven't observed uniqueness in terms of where Indian companies stand on the hybrid workplace spectrum. It's pretty consistent with the global response.

Gadgets 360: What's your plan for the India market in the near future?

Jeffrey Smith: Our focus is to deliver a consistent experience across globally distributed companies. So, we are definitely looking at delivering a high-quality experience in the India market that is consistent with other regions. Some of the things that we specialise in, like being robust to network degradations, has greater applicability in some areas of the Indian market. But outside of that, we are focused on consistency across regions.

Gadgets 360: Do you think internet bandwidth is still a challenge in India? Anything we can do as a workaround at the product level?

Jeffrey Smith: It's constantly a concern in a number of areas. And from a Zoom perspective, we try to be as automatic as possible so that the user or the enterprise doesn't need to concern themselves with network as such. The challenge is that there is always a floor (with bad connectivity) where it's not possible to have a (video conferencing) interaction at all, but that's always the case. We do as much as we can to make it as automatic as possible. But with the Zoom Rooms client and the interface, the IT team doesn't have to do anything differently to get the best possible experience out of what you are capable of (in terms of network speeds).

Gadgets 360: A lot of people are on Zoom because, up to a level, it's a free-to-use service. What makes the transition from a free to a paid user easy in terms of value additions?

Jeffrey Smith: In general, the value of all of those free customers to Zoom is huge. (It's about) the familiarity that they have with the platform when they come into the enterprise. And becomes the best training tool in the world for people who have already used the tool. So, the onboarding that customers have when they are bringing their workforce to Zoom becomes so much straightforward. We look at this as a great differentiator for Zoom has a platform that we have so many users that are familiar with it.

Obviously, the 40-minute (meeting) limit is a challenge. Some companies have come to say, well, we are going to just have 40-minute meetings'. But you know that's not feasible for a lot of organisations. So, as they come on (to the platform), they have greater needs that make the transition worth it.

Gadgets 360: Against the audio-video conferencing solutions that have been around for decades, how does Zoom Rooms differentiate itself? I know the key is the software, but what's more or better in terms of differentiation?

Jeffrey Smith: Looking at Zoom Rooms as a competitive offering, we approach that not as a software company but as an experience. From the procurement of the hardware to the installing and managing of the hardware and software system to the whole lifecycle, become an experience that the company needs to provide to the end-user. So, we look at the IT experience, the installing and managing experience, as well as the end-user experience, and that's where we differentiate. From the user perspective, it's a substantially lower cost than competitive video-conferencing solutions, and from the IT perspective it's the simplicity and ease of use.

Gadgets 360: Does Zoom Rooms work seamlessly with any video conferencing solution that is already in place at an organisation, or is the recommended hardware the best way to go about it?

Jeffrey Smith: There are advantages from that coherent, cohesive user experience. When we partner with a hardware company from Zoom Rooms appliances, it's all about tightly integrated hardware-software. When we look at customers who need the flexibility to build that hardware system that fits into their physical environments, like a big training room or an auditorium, those are the times when we build a flexible software platform that can leverage third-party hardware to solve any problem.

Traditional video conferencing (equipment) using standards like SIP and H.323 we can bring to the platform. So irrespective of the hardware that a company has, they can use Zoom, and we can elevate that experience when they go for the full Zoom Rooms applications.

Gadgets 360: Zoom is responsible for managing such large amounts of user data. Users rightfully want to know how their data is being managed. Can you tell me what Zoom is doing from a data security perspective?

Jeffrey Smith: Absolutely. Data security, privacy is built into the DNA of the way that we operate, both from product inception; looking at how we develop features, how we implement them, and how data moves, where it's stored, and who has access to it is absolutely a concern for us. We have to serve some of the largest and the most security-conscious companies in the world. So, for us, it's imperative that we take that responsibility seriously in everything that we do.

Gadgets 360: Do you think end-and-end encryption will become a standard to ensure data privacy for users?

Jeffrey Smith: It has some advantages in some use cases and some disadvantages in some other use cases. There are features we are not able to enable with end-to-end encryption. Sometimes the more security we layer on to a particular session the less we can be free and open in communications. I am not predicting that all meetings will go one way or another, it's an evolution as we go on guided by our customers.

Gadgets 360: Let's assume a future where the pandemic has ended. How does Zoom plan to stay relevant when meeting face-to-face is not a challenge anymore?

Jeffrey Smith: I think our world has changed. About the idea that all of my meetings are going to be in-person, there will be much fewer organisations that choose to work that way. This (pandemic) has opened the eyes of a lot of organisations to the ability to be productive when we are distributed. I don't know if there will ever be a return to 2019. However, when we are thinking from a Zoom Rooms perspective about how we can be relevant even when all of us are working in the same room and we do think about that quite deeply and so, when you're in a Zoom Room and you need to present material on a large screen, the wireless screen-sharing, the one-touch sharing, the proximity detection, and whiteboarding all of these are extremely powerful tools. And bringing them into the (office) spaces is quite important for us.

Are AmazonBasics TVs Good Enough to Beat Mi TVs in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

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Zoom Rooms Head Jeffrey Smith on Why Hybrid Workplaces Are Here to Stay - Gadgets 360