Category Archives: Evolution

Technology solutions must make care delivery easier not frustrate providers.

If you take a close look inside todays health information technology (HIT) environment, youll encounter a fundamental frustration by providers struggling to master the technology that is intended to ease the delivery of patient care.

Simply put, we need ways to remove the technological frustration that pervades the healthcare world.

As the chief technology officer of a leading healthcare IT security company, I regularly see this frustration firsthand. I have an operating model, which I call QS4, that helps HIT leaders address this challenge. Its been my North Star when conducting IT operations.

To break down QS4, quality is at the top, supported by four S's representing stability, security, speed and simplicity, in order of priority.

Speed, in this case, refers both to the speed of compute and the speed of deployment, leaning more toward deployment.

Stability, security and speed are all built on the foundation of simplicity. The simpler you can make things, the more stable, secure and speedy they will be.

Using the theory of QS4, I believe HIT leaders can improve IT operations and innovation processes.

Navigating Innovation In Healthcare

I believe there are two types of innovation: evolutionary and revolutionary.

Im not a revolutionary kind of guy I just dont have the right thought processes for it. I am, however, a huge fan of evolutionary innovation. Ignore thoughts of Darwin that slow generational timeline think about the type of evolution that happens quickly. Evolutionary innovation involves the kind of rapid change that, in a business setting, new technologies can bring to bear on how companies are run. Sometimes it appears an industrywide disruption, or it can be simply new software that completely changes almost overnight how certain business practices are run.

Within evolutionary innovation, there are two subcategories: operational and strategic. I think QS4 is well suited for use in operational evolution because it is, at its core, an operating model. It also plays an important, although smaller, part in strategic evolution. But its fundamental utility is helping improve operations.

Processes and practices dont just evolve, though. Theres a trigger or catalyst for that evolution. In healthcare, that catalyst should derive from observations done at the point of patient care. Healthcare providers are, almost without exception, laser-focused on patients when theyre delivering care. They dont have time to examine new technologies that may help them deliver more value to their patients and families, nor do they have time to suggest ways to remove the technological friction that exists in todays HIT environment.

Indeed, this friction reflects the increasing burden routinely placed on doctors and nurses, creating challenges for clinical staff that are truly immense. When our healthcare system reaches a point where clinicians feel that technology is the problem, the entire healthcare industry should take notice.

For HIT vendors, the key is to realize that no matter how small our contribution, we can and must play a central role. We are perfectly positioned to bring evolutionary innovation directly into the marketplace, and help it work across health networks. How?

Vendors must first fully understand the form, function, application and significance of clinical workflows. By engaging directly with clinical staff, vendors can ideally support and streamline those clinical workflows all under clinician guidance.

Doctors and nurses will always do whatever it takes to complete their work and care for their patients this is their mission. This commitment to care is so prevalent that if healthcare administrators arent careful, care providers can get dangerously overworked. HIT leaders can protect against this possibility and avoid taking advantage of the mission-based devotion to care by providing clinicians with tools that let them fulfill their ethical commitments. At the same time, this investment will help these dedicated providers maintain a sustainable life balance.

As HIT leaders, we must step up to this challenge. We must work alongside caregivers to find evolutionary innovations that remove technological friction, or, if we cant do that, provide more value for the friction that cant be eliminated.

We must stop expecting technological innovation from our clinical and business partners because they're focused on working in the business and have no time to work on the business. I depend on them to provide great patient care and outstanding support; they should rightfully depend on people like me to bring them technological innovation.

Its important to look beyond titles that serve only to separate us from working together. Thats why my favorite title from my various workplaces is partner experience and innovation. It describes exactly what the old desktop titles are evolving into. Im also stuck on calling the clinical and business folks we support partners rather than "customers."

The QS4 model comes in handy for partner experience and innovation teams. They already know, from an operational perspective, how they support their business and clinical partners on a day-to-day basis, and how the QS4 model helps separate the wheat from the chaff in operational priorities. They know that if they work on simplicity, theyll be able to affect the stability, security and speed of the service their partners are depending upon.

All we need to do, HIT leaders, is give our folks the time to focus on using QS4 for something other than break-fix operational prioritization. That just perpetuates the current friction and doesnt increase value.

Instead, use QS4 to advance the kind of evolutionary innovation described above and (hopefully) experience what delighting your partners feels like! Thats the best way we can help our clinical and business partners deliver the highest-quality, most compassionate care to our patients and families.

Excerpt from:

Evolutionary Innovation In Healthcare: Helping Providers Deliver The Best Possible Care - Forbes

As digital payments evolve and become more commonplace, an increasing number of businesses are accepting them, with some businesses rejecting cash payments entirely. While digital payments can certainly be convenient for customers and businesses alike, its important to understand the integration process and avoid any potential pitfalls.

We asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council for their takes on digital payments. They shared 10 things you should keep in mind as digital payment options evolve, and how those offerings will impact your business in the future.

Young Entrepreneur Council members discuss key considerations for adopting digital payments.

1. Anticipate Integration Into Daily Life

The emergence of smart appliances shows just how much payments will be integrated into daily life in the future. For example, Samsung's Family Hub refrigerator uses an app from MasterCard that allows families to order groceries directly from the fridge. Additionally, Whirlpool has a dishwasher that can order detergent from Amazon when current levels run low. What does this mean for your business? It means that consumers will expect shopping and purchasing to be as seamless as possible. As a business owner, you should expect to deal more with artificial intelligence, biometrics and increased integration of payment systems with smart devices. - Shu Saito, Godai

2. Go Digital, But Don't Discredit Cash Completely

There will always be something new. Digital wallets and mobile payment methods are rapidly evolving. This means that updates are constantly needed if businesses want to stay up to date with the latest and greatest. Constant updates to all the POS systems used by a company is no small task, especially for larger corporations. Be prepared to find what works best for your business and stick with it. Dont discredit cash; there will always be people that want to pay with cash. Some people use only cash to help them manage their finances better. Some people work in industries where they are tipped out in cash and therefore receive the bulk of their income that way. If you remove paying in cash entirely, you will likely miss out on some customers along the way. - Jared Weitz, United Capital Source Inc.

3. Listen To Your Customers

Keep in mind that there are more and more digital payment systems available, all with different benefits and attributes. Before deciding on one, make sure you have your customers' payment preferences in mind. You might want to send out a survey if you don't have this data. Choose a product that doesn't fit your needs and you won't be getting all you can get out of this payment option. - Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

4. Focus On Security

Staying on top of digital trends in e-commerce is necessary for survival. However, due diligence and security measures should always be in place. It's important to protect your customers' information and your own with the right software and protocols. Make sure that you keep your software updated to patch any vulnerabilities. Stay on top of any data threats and monitor your third-party software for potential risks. Always ensure that you work with reliable and trustworthy applications that have data privacy and security measures in place. It's also a good idea to stay informed about the best practices in cybersecurity. Make sure that you inform your visitors and customers about your privacy policy. Also, ensure that you have systems in place to inform them about data breaches. - Blair Williams, MemberPress

5. Choose Your Vendors Carefully

If you decide to work with payment vendors that customers don't use or like, you hurt your chances of being seen as a credible and reliable business. People take security very seriously, and if they feel the options you provide don't keep their information safe, they'll refrain from doing business with you. Research your payment vendors to ensure you want to work with them. What do their reviews say? If they lack reviews, it means that they're either new or people don't like them. Consumers always have something to say about their purchasing experiences, so few to no reviews might be a red flag. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

6. Embrace The Trend

As time goes on, the world evolves and we find new ways to solve problems and get things done faster. Part of this is implementing more digital payment options and getting rid of time-consuming practices such as writing checks or wiring money. Just because things are changing doesn't mean it has to be a negative thing. Instead, you can take advantage of this upcoming trend by embracing it. It's about what works best for the consumer. Not every consumer is going to agree, but if the majority say that digital payments work fine and that's where the payment process is headed anyway, then it makes sense to go with the flow. Every day, more and more businesses switch to more modern solutions that resolve customer pain points, and you should, too. - Jared Atchison, WPForms

7. Consider Your Location

While it is true that digital payments are becoming the norm, it isn't wise to assume that this is the case in every part of the world. If you have a product that caters to people in different regions and countries, you have to be prepared for differences. What is well established in your location may not be the case elsewhere. There are several countries in which credit card penetration is still low. There may also be a reluctance to use online payment options as they are considered unsafe. For example, in India, cash-on-delivery is popular and a preferred method of payment. It's important to do research on the types of payments that are common in your customers' locations. You can then offer different payment options that allow them to easily buy your product. - Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

8. Accept Cryptocurrencies Cautiously

More businesses are accepting alternative forms of digital payments than ever before, the most common being cryptocurrencies. Popular coins like Bitcoin are gaining momentum in the mainstream, but they are far from ubiquitous. One advantage of using cryptos is that you can send payment across borders without worrying about exchange rates. Cryptos also have lower fees and faster transmission speeds than traditional payment forms. They also have many disadvantages with extreme price volatility being the main one. A coin could lose half of its value overnight. Its difficult to collect payment based on a currency that unstable. For this reason, unless you are in tech or have many international clients, you should think twice about accepting cryptos until they become more stable and mainstream. - Shaun Conrad, My Accounting Course

9. Don't Miss Out On Future Opportunities

Even if your business is currently based entirely online and has no physical storefronts, you should avoid implementing payment systems and processors that completely eliminate the ability to process cash payments. You don't know if you'll be interested in pursuing physical retail locations in the future, and thats not to mention appearances at expos and other live events. Fully embracing digital payment options can still be viable in these environments thanks to services like Stripe and Venmo, but they still permanently bar access for some customers which can affect your growth. - Bryce Welker, Accounting Institute of Success

10. Be Prepared To Educate Customers

Digital payments are becoming more and more popular, but not all customers are on board yet. Before you decide to implement digital payment options, consider what your customers want. For example, maybe many of your customers are just using old-fashioned credit cards and aren't familiar with digital payment options like PayPal yet. Get feedback from your customers on what digital payment options they're interested in using before making the decision. Also, consider that when you add a new digital payment option, you need to spend some time educating your customers about the option, why you've added it and how it will benefit them. - David Henzel, LTVPlus

Read more:

Going Cashless? 10 Things To Know About The Evolution Of Digital Payments - Forbes

Wikipedia defines cyber threat hunting as the process of proactively and iteratively searching through networks to detect and isolate advanced threats that evade existing security solutions. In practice, this is a very manual process where trained hunters combine expertise in attacker behavior and techniques with deep knowledge on the networks and assets that they are protecting to iteratively search for and uncover threats that have otherwise gone undetected by deployed security tools.

Depending on who you ask, threat hunting has been around for upwards of 20 years, with the job title, threat hunter, originating in the last 5-6 years. Today, there are nearly 1000 profiles on Linkedin with either a headline or job title matching the term, reflecting simultaneously the explosion of popularity of threat hunting techniques in the enterprise and the cool factor of the name.

Initially, hunters sought to identify Indicators of Compromise (IOCs). At its simplest, an IOC is evidence that an attack of some sort has occurred. Examples of IOCs include malware infection, unexpected outbound traffic from an internal asset, large outbound data transfers, etc. The goal behind IOC identification is to shrink the 170 day average dwell time before a company detects a threat. The problem with the IOC approach is that its completely reactive the damage has already been done.

This IOC shortcoming has lead infosec teams to move up their detection capabilities, focusing not on What has happened, but to What is happening. The hunt for Indicators of Attack (IOAs) focuses more on the activities and behaviors that adversaries undertake leading up to an attack, often corresponding to the reconnaissance step of the Cyber Kill Chain. While IOA detection helps to identify threats sooner in the process, its Achilles Heel is that detection is still only possible after an initial infiltration event has occurred.

In light of these challenges, threat hunting teams are increasingly turning their attention to indicators that are observable before the adversary has infiltrated the organization Indicators of Risk (IORs). As with the IOC and IOA models, the threat hunter starts with hypotheses on how attacks might be conducted, and iterates through testing, but the difference with IORs is that the focus is on conducting this analysis before any attack begins.

IORs tell the threat hunter whether the organization is vulnerable to a particular type of attack, not whether or not an attack is happening right then. Lets look at how this works in practice.

Suppose your organization hosts several of its most mission critical applications on Linux servers running SMB/CIFS. You might hypothesize that attackers would go after these assets, potentially exploiting the SambaCry vulnerability. With an IOA/IOC approach, you need to wait for this vulnerability to be exploited, and then catch the adversary red handed. Using the IOR approach, however, you can check proactively with a simple query no need to search through old vulnerability scan reports or manually check hundreds of software versions.

Heres an example using Balbix. With a single query using the built-in natural language search capability, you can see that there are 105 Linux servers still vulnerable, across a range of different corporate locations.

Consider a more general example, where you simply want to look for critical assets that are unpatched and subject to a broad range of exploits. Another simple search shows 157 critical assets, including Exchange Servers and Domain Controllers that have not been properly patched.

One final example illustrates the human factor involved in the threat. Suppose you suspect that web browsing activities on smartphones connected to the corporate network are exposing individuals in one of your offices to increased risk of being phished. Here we see 59 individuals with iPhones in the Bangalore office with elevated risk of being phished, perhaps an indication that additional security training is in order.

Reacting to threats after theyve happened, or even as they happen, will always be a losing proposition. As the enterprise attack surface continues to grow, proactive cybersecurity posture transformation is the only viable path forward. Balbix can help take a look.

Read the original here:

The Evolution of Threat Hunting - Security Boulevard

Usually, when you hatch a Pokmon egg, youre left with the earliest creature in an evolutionary line. This monster will only know basic moves. If you want a stronger creature, you have to level it up ... that is, unless you know of a new exploit discovered in Pokmon Sword and Shield.

The trick is simple, yet tricky you need exact timing. First, you get the egg parent of the same species and place it in your party. The parent needs to be one rare candy away from leveling up and evolving. Then, you put the egg directly below the parent in the party menu. From there, you take the rare candy and use it on the parent. Immediately upon doing so, press down and hold the button. If you miss the timing, nothing will happen. But if you get it right, the process will somehow affect the egg, rather than the parent. The game will say that the egg is evolving, which shouldnt be possible, except that it is! You can see it in action in this video by Austin John Plays:

You still need to actually hatch the egg, but once you do, it wont be a baby it will be evolved. You can use this process to skip the typical evolutionary process and go straight into, say, a monsters final evolution. Except that evolved monster will be level one, somehow.

You can also use this exact same trick to teach an egg TMs before it actually hatches. The moves need to be in the Pokemons actual repertoire, but still, its a neat (and bizarre) trick. Thats not all: you can also use this method to bypass an evolutions gender requirements, thereby allowing you to do things like hatch a Salazzle from a male Salandit (which normally wouldnt be possible.) Wild, but also, proceed with caution, as theres no telling whether or not Game Freak will patch this out.

See the original post:

Pokmon Sword and Shield egg glitch hatches evolved monsters - Polygon

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas Because I have Friday as a 10 on the Alanometer, I thought this is a good time to pull back the curtains a little and write about what this forecasting tool is and how I use it.

Weather is something we all deal with and all feel in different ways. It's highly subjective. One person may think a cloudy/rainy day where temperatures stay in the 40s is ideal (you're wrong :)). Someone else could like temperatures in the 90s with lots of humidity and sunshine (also wrong, ha!). Everyone's weather palette is different.

For me, I like low humidity, sunshine, and temperatures in the 70s. Light wind, too. Because I'm in the unique position to impart my subjectivity in a weather forecast that people consume, through the years I developed the Alanometer.

Scroll to the bottom of the article to see previous versions of the Alanometer.

The Alanometer is not just an arbitrary number I designate on a given day. There is some thought behind it. This forecasting tool is what I use to categorize good and bad weather days, and is an easy way to get my point across -- in my opinion, of course.

High ranking days (8-10) will always satisfy my "Sunny Delight" checklist. (The phrase "Sunny Delight" developed as a simple way to say, "It's going to be sunny with low humidity, light wind, and comfortable temperatures." When you only have three minutes in a TV weather forecast, time is precious, and "Sunny Delight" hits home quickly).

Other meteorological kin may refer to sunny delights as "Chamber of Commerce" weather. A sunny delight is synonymous with the 8-10 rating on the Alanometer. Days that fall outside of my checklist can still rate high on the Alanometer, but this checklist is the gold standard.

Sunny Delight Checklist

kiii

It is extremely rare that the sunny delight checklist is fully satisfied in the summer months, the primary reasons being the temperatures are too hot and the humidity is too high. "Sunny Delight Season" (this isn't a thing, I just made it up, but I might start using it?) in the Coastal Bend runs from October to May. It is within these months, that sunny delights are most likely and can come in spurts.

Believe it or not, sometimes, some people think too many sunny delights can be annoying; but I assure you, they are not. By the end of a long summer, I am always eager to forecast for the first sunny delight because it usually coincides with the arrival of the first cold front after summer.

What happens to the Alanometer if the sunny delight checklist isn't satisfied? Glad you asked. I'm a golfer. Golf is a sport that is highly dependent on the weather. So the next question I ask myself is, "Is today golfable?" If it is, the Alanometer will register at least a 5. If it isn't, it's probably going to be lower than a 5, but not always. The Alanometer can drop below a 5 when weather that I personally do not like is expected.

So here's the weather I don't like:

Strong Wind - 25 mph+ (direction doesn't matter)

Extreme Heat - Heat Index Values over 110

Uncomfortably Cold Temperatures - If you're outside for long periods of time and it's lower than 50 (with wind), it can get uncomfortable. NOTE: Cold days can still rank above a 5 on the Alanometer.

Severe Weather - This just isn't safe.

Steady rain - When rain is forecast to only be around for a few hours, it's not as bad. Days with rain can still be, and often are, nice.

Crazy High Humidity - When the dew point climbs to over 70, and especially when it's higher than 75, it just feels gross outside. The air feels sticky and I sometimes call it "air you can wear." This is what we have in the summer and it just isn't pleasant (to me).

I understand that you may not agree with my interpretation of what "nice" or "bad" weather can be. That's the thing about weather. It's like food. Everyone likes different things and that is okay! Variety is the spice of life.

Enjoy Friday's 10!

Alanometer Version 1

kiii

Alanometer Version 2

kiii

Alanometer Version 3

kiii

Alanometer Version 4

kiii

Here is the original post:

WEATHER BLOG: Evolution of the Alanometer - KIIITV.com

Boston's relationship to hip-hop has been tumultuous since the genre permeated the cultural zeitgeist in the 1970s. On one hand, Beantown's issue with rap is indicative of America's cyclical dealings with Black art in general: it is often despised, disregarded and then toothlessly replicated to satiate white audiences. On the other hand, the innate resilience of hip-hopwhen left to the devices of authentic storytellersalways finds a way to flourish.

And in a city like Boston where racism is as omnipresent and casual as diehard Red Sox fans, emcees and lovers of hip-hop that are aiming to change the narrative are diligent and unrelenting in their work. Boston's contributions to hip-hop are categorically undeniable. From the groundbreaking brilliance of Gang Starr to the iconic founding of The Source by David Mays as a Harvard undergrad back in 1988, rap's trajectory simply wouldn't be the same without these Boston moments.

As culture journalist Greg Valentino Ball explains, any erasure of this history is detrimental to the genre.

"The genesis of the Native Tonguesone of the most prolific crews ever in hip-hophappened when De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers met at Northeastern. Artists on the Definitive Jux label recorded here. Ch Pope, who helped to oversee the making of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and go on to head GOOD Music for Kanye West, grew up in Roxbury," he says. "Boston has an incredible rock historywe absolutely do. But the idea that we can't fully embrace our hip-hop connection is one of the reasons why people feel the need to leave the city in order to be successful."

Rapper BIA, a Medford native formerly signed to Pharrell's i am OTHER music label, seconds Ball's statement, saying, "Boston has a strong underground hip-hop presence but the city has never dedicated enough resources to growing black or hip-hop culture."

BIA's recent viral co-sign from Rihanna for her hit single with Russ, "Best on Earth," proves the point that local artists often need to achieve consummate visibility in order to be deemed exceptional.

"There's a cap every mainstream artist from Boston reaches that forces them to go out and get it and bring it back home." The cap that BIA is referencing isn't a glass ceiling created to specifically challenge hip-hop artists; there are systemic barriers in place used to prevent the proliferation of rap.

Earlier this year, WBUR completed a two-part investigative series "Is Boston Hostile To Hip-Hop?" in which rappers, promoters and booking agents were interviewed about discriminatory practices that keep this particular type of music out of live venues, which include pay-to-play models, increased security and hip-hop bans. It also examined the stereotype that rap crowds are more prone to violent behavior.

Brandon Matthews is the founder of ShowOff Marketing, a company that specializes in urban music promotion based in Boston. He believes that the city is coming around to embracing rapbut that it has taken way too long to get here.

"Venues don't do enough homework to understand the differences between various artists and audiences. It didn't matter if it was Flo Rida or Young Jeezy... They viewed the entire genre as a bunch of troublemakers," Matthews says. "The cost of insurance for hip-hop shows is higher than other genres of music because they feel like it's a higher risk. But why are you singling out rap when you still have so many problems with other genres of music?"

There have been instances of violence at hip-hop shows in Boston, with one of the most infamous being when five people were stabbed at a 2000 Ruff Ryder/Cash Money tour stop at TD Garden (formerly known as the FleetCenter). However, the fact that rap is just starting to overcome this stigma is disconcertingespecially since Boston hip-hop artists are showing more promise than ever before.

Pioneers like Ed O.G., Slaine, Akrobatik and The Almighty RSO have paved the way for rappers to be as brazen and unapologetic as they want to be. Their vision of Boston hip-hop, which emphasized a combination of hard truths with imaginative lyricism, can be heard in the discographies of artists today. For instance, take the staggering passion of a Token freestyle, raucous energy of a Cousin Stizz show, insane charisma of Michael Christmas, fervid phenomena of D Tha Flyest, or the mellifluous bars that $ean Wire executes. A look at these artists' success shows that the world is becoming receptive to the genius of Boston hip-hop, which is seemingly expanding at a rate faster than the city itself.

GRAMMY-nominated rapper Joyner Lucas attests to Boston's phlegmatic treatment of its talent. "It wasn't like I had the hometown support and branched out from there. I had to branch out other places and make a name. I was popping in L.A. before I was popping in Boston."

Lucas, whose video for his single "I'm Not Racist" became an instant smash and garnered him critical acclaim, has collaborated with the likes of Eminem, Timbaland and Logic. His individualism is a potent reminder that New England artists aren't a monolith. "I completely jump out the window and create records from the heart. But I'm not just telling my storyI'm telling other people's stories as well. But we can't just focus on one area. I'm not even from BostonI'm from Worcester. It really is bigger than just Boston."

*//*-->*//*-->*/]]>

Often, the artists making a sizeable impact on Boston's scene hail from all over Massachusetts. Reks, Statik Selektah and Termanology are all Lawrence natives; Millyz is from Cambridge and C Wells proudly calls Lynn his home.

In addition to having a geographical range that works to display the vastness of talent, there is also a conspicuous rise in the number of female emcees changing the narrative in Boston. As BIA continues to make major headway nationally, other women are also making their mark. Acts like Vintage Lee, Brandie Blaze, Oompa, Malia The Model, Red Shaydez, Lord Ju and CakeSwagg offer a refreshing plethora of style both lyrically and visually.

Dutch ReBelle, who has been a staple in local rap for nearly the last decade, is elated at the progression. "It's changed in a positive way because there are more of us getting press and coverage on a regular basis. When you have all of these different types of flavors, it makes it easier for people to accept you trying new things."

*//*-->*//*-->*/]]>

As ReBelle points out, experimentation is the crux of hip-hop. It's inherently defiant, with different components working together to push the genre forward. One of the most important components is that of the DJand Boston brings a vibrant mix of personalities to the tables.

There are ones who are largely affiliated with Boston artists: DJ Papadon for BIA, DJ E Dubble for Joyner Lucas, DJ DCaso for Token, DJ Alcide for Oompa. But there are also those working to curate the culture of the city through various events, appearances and showcases. From SuperSmashBroz to DJ Real P, DJ WhySham to 7L, Guru Sanaal to Bearly Yvng, the city recognizes the importance of these many types of unfettered expression.

DJ Chubby Chub, a Boston mainstay and 50 Cent's official tour DJ, shares that his role in hip-hop is a critical one. "The DJ is everything in rap music when it comes to the artists, the music being played, the acknowledgment of the right songs. Boston has shown me a tremendous amount of love that I didn't expect because I was different."

He also attributes Boston's emerging cohesion as a result of artists focusing on their craft instead of comparison. "Now that DJs are seeing the better quality records from the local artists, they have to support it and give it that love. That's where we have to have unity. Artists are paying attention to the music they're making and finally seeing the bigger picture."

The city is starting to look at the bigger picture as well. From The Boston Foundation awarding urban artists grants to put on live performances to the creation of Boston Art & Music Soul (BAMS) Festival centralizing black ingenuity, a city that once disregarded such a crucial and necessary art form now understands its tremendous currency and value. The Boston Music Awards, established in 1987, also aims to highlight this immensity. This year's event boasts 39 categories with 10 nominees in each category, which is a historic return to form for the ceremony (the 1988 ceremony had 42 categories but only fivenominees in each).

Paul Armstrong, CEO of Redefined (the company behind the Boston Music Awards), attests to the importance of championing inclusion. "If we're not reflecting the diversity of the city, we're not doing our job properly," he says. "As more eyes begin to look at the Boston hip-hop scene, they're going to see a legitimate pool of exceptional talent."

Despite insinuations of categorical inaccuracies and controversial nominees (and subsequent winners), he remains adamant that the entity will always put candor first. "We criticize our own processes every year in an attempt to be even more transparent, celebrate more people and have systems in place that ultimately result in an awards show that has integrity. People will always criticize and, honestly, that's OK. It shows that the BMAs are something people care about and want to be included in."

Hip-hop has also infiltrated historicaland primarily whiteinstitutions throughout the city. Performing at The Middle East, a live music venue in Cambridge spearheaded by Leedz Edutainment, has been considered a rite of passage for local rappers for over a decade. But as the genre continues to deepen and cement its reach, artists that have had difficulty booking any other performance spaces now have Boston museums soliciting their art. The Institute of Contemporary Art has featured an array of events by local hip-hop acts while the Museum of Fine Arts has honed in on the same praxis with their Late Nites series.

Boston hip-hop group STL GLD held a listening party their third album, The New Normal, at the MFA earlier this year. Frontman Moe Pope appreciated the gesture but realizes that ultimately there is more work that needs to be done. "I love that these museums and galleries are opening their doors now, but you can't put a Band-aid on something and expect to get all of these pats on the back. There needs to be more hires of people from the Boston hip-hop community in positions of power that deserve to be there."

STL GLD unveiling The New Normal at the Museum of Fine Arts, Jan.10, 2019Photo: Phearee Sak courtesy of FollowingBoston

Pope's final thoughts are not just reflective of his own personal experiences, but of the city's interactions with black culture overall. "These institutions are capitalizing off the fact that we don't have to run our blackness through a filter anymore. But make sure you're putting the dollars into our pockets and we're not just lining yours with our flyness."

Meet Armageddon Records, The Record Store-Turned-Label For Punks And Metalheads

Link:

Boston's Hip-Hop Evolution: How Beantown Is Diversifying Its SoundAnd Planning For The Future - Recording Academy | Grammys

The UK strengthens its role as EU leader thanks to a flexible regulatory regime, a supportive government policy and strong interest from investors, according to a new study commissioned by the Italian Factoring Association

LONDON, Dec. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --The United Kingdom represents the European hub of the FinTech ecosystem, with a total funding of 3,9 bn$, out of 6,9 bn$ in Europe (2018), according to a study presented today by Accenture Strategy and Assifact, the Italian Factoring Association.

Thanks to a less regulated scenario and a supportive government policy, the British FinTech sector is growing exponentially, attracting a large amount of capital. In particular, the number of larger SMEs using invoice finance and asset based lending increased by 13% in 2018.

Assifact and Accenture analysed more than 250 players (Incumbent, Fintech, Corporate and Tech Giants) in seven countries, with the aim of identifying the most innovative solutions and business models that are arising in the Supply Chain Finance.

More than 70% of analysed Fintech Fin and Tech Giants offer financing solutions for SMEs not covered by Incumbents due to a too high cost-to-serve. These players show further specialization towards specific targets and niches (freelancers, e-merchants, unserved).

While Fintech Fin are mainly focused on offering Invoice Financing marketplaces, Fintech Tech are more specialized on the realization of B2B "open" digital platforms integrated with corporates' management systems, enabling a further disintermediation from the banking players.

More than 30% of Fintech Tech leverage on digitalization, process automation and analytics to speed up and improve the service level provided to customers. Around 25% of Fintech Tech leverage on Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning Solutions to strengthen internal processes as fraud detection, while Blockchain has a lower adoption.

Alessandro Carretta, Secretary General of Assifact, said: "Italian banks and factoring companies need to improve their profitability by strengthening and evolving their operating and business model through digital transformation, service quality improvement and new products and services to customer segments not yet covered, either via internal development or the activation of partnerships."

Stephen Pegge, Commercial Finance Managing Director at UK Finance said: "Yes, there continues to be successful and competitive banks and traditional specialist firms that have longstanding relationships with clients but digitisation, innovation in products and new competitors mean there is now more choice than ever before."

CONTACT:Andrea Giannotti (Mr.) Director ReeNew PR On behalf of ASSIFACT Mob. +44 7825 892 640 Mail giannotti@reenewpr.uk

Giovanna Marchi Comunicazione ASSIFACT Press office Ph. +39 02 49722332 Mob. +39 335 7117020 Mail info@giovannamarchicomunicazione.com

More:

Accenture and Assifact Unveil Trends and Evolution of the FinTech Industry - Yahoo Finance

ORLANDO This week, representatives from USL clubs from across the country gathered together for the leagues annual winter summit a three-day event of sessions and discussions. The stand-alone event gives league personnel a chance to hash out key decisions like potential expansion, rule changes, and other alterations to the future of the league.

Its one of two annual events with full-league attendance, with the other event taking place in the summer. In the past, those mid-year meetings had coincided with MLSs All-Star weekend. This allowed overlapping figures working for both MLS clubs and their USL affiliates a chance to catch both events.

Moving forward, however, the USL will have its own midseason event without any MLS attachment sources tell The Athletic that the league will hold its first all-star game this June. While the format is still being finalized, the sources pointed to the most likely scenario being a roster be comprised of...

Continue reading here:

Expansion, an All-Star game and MLS affiliates' evolution among the hot topics at USL winter meetings - The Athletic

It seems fitting that Frozen 2 is a film about change. As the animated sequel was being made, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and especially Jennifer Lee who directed the original and sequel with Chris Buck and also wrote both screenplays were going through some pretty big metamorphoses of their own.

The Oscar-winning 2013 musical Frozen, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, followed the tale of two princess sisters, Elsa and Anna, forced to grow up isolated from each other and the world because of Elsa's potentially dangerous magic ability to conjure ice. The film grossed a whopping $1.27 billion worldwide, and fans were so charmed by the characters voiced by Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell that they weren't able to "Let It Go" (the catchy power ballad that earned songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez an Oscar), making a sequel all but inevitable.

But where to go with the story? When last we saw the sisters at the conclusion of Frozen, they were back in their home of Arendelle, celebrating the return of spring with Anna's love interest Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven and sentient snowman Olaf (Josh Gad). Lee and Buck, who stayed onboard for the sequel, as did producer Peter Del Vecho and many other collaborators, thought long and hard, ultimately deciding to go where few fairy tales have gone before: into adulthood.

"What we really wanted to look at was change and maturity as you go through life," notes Lee. "We didn't want to stay in the same place and repeat ourselves. It's an evolution with the characters and thematically looking at love and fear and family from the point of view of change."

Frozen 2 takes place three years after the events in the original and begins with one simple question: Why does Elsa have powers? To discover the answer, she leaves Arendelle, joined by Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, on a quest. Explains Lee: "One of the things we'd heard a lot in response to Frozen particularly Elsa and 'Let It Go' [is that] it set [the audience] free from something that was really weighing on them some aspect of themselves they couldn't release into the world or the pressure they feel [of] high expectations, which a lot of kids feel."

The filmmakers started by going back to basics and studying ancient myths and archetypes. "The mythic figure, who's usually magical, carries the weight of the world on their shoulders," Lee says. "They usually end up sacrificing for us, carrying our wounds, and that was fascinating because it really felt like Elsa. We realized it was only through Anna [that] a tragic fate didn't happen to her. Anna fights to be the optimist to get through everything. We knew this is how they'd go through their journey. It wasn't sisters against each other, which is more of a cliche to me, but really two women who are on each other's side. And yet life challenges us so much, and it's hard at moments to know when to protect and when to let go."

As a new story expanded the scope of Elsa and Anna's journey, the voice cast expanded as well, with Evan Rachel Wood signing on as the sisters' mother, Queen Iduna (in flashbacks), and Sterling K. Brown as kindly new character Lieutenant Mattias, whom the sisters meet in an enchanted forest. There's also a water creature, Earth Giants and a fire-breathing salamander (more about them later).

Of course, music is every bit as important to a Frozen movie as its archetypes. And the seven new original songs in the sequel are once again penned and composed by husband-wife duo Lopez and Anderson-Lopez. Christophe Beck, who scored the first Frozen, also was brought back for the second, while country singer Kacey Musgraves, '90s alt-rock band Weezer and pop-punk band Panic! at the Disco contribute tunes to the end credits.

Menzel's Queen Elsa, who made "Let It Go" a feminist anthem to millions of girls around the globe, gets two featured songs in the new movie, the first being "Into the Unknown," in which she decides that she must follow a mysterious voice calling to her. Anderson-Lopez says that discussions with Lee, Buck and the story team inspired the song, which also features a mysterious ethereal voice (belonging to Norwegian artist Aurora). "That voice is a metaphor for the voice inside of us that really seeks to find where you belong in the world, and your purpose, which to me is the most exciting thing about why we did Frozen 2 to tell the story of a woman who has to learn to listen to her gut and find where she belongs in the world," says Anderson-Lopez. "The idea was that this voice was calling Elsa away from comfort and Arendelle." She adds that they took some inspiration for the number from a herding song used in parts of Norway and Sweden to call livestock. "It's a beautiful sound, so we adapted it to a duet with Elsa," Anderson-Lopez explains.

Reflecting their growth and seriousness, the filmmakers traded in the princess ball gowns for autumn travel attire. Anna was given a Parisian-inspired black dress, and, for a pop of color, the inner lining of her burgundy cape and the sole of her boots were magenta. Anna's new look references Christian Dior's 1947 New Look debut haute couture collection, as well as contemporary designers including Valentino, Elie Saab, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton and Manolo Blahnik. Her cape is embellished with designs drawn from Norway's traditional folk Bunad costumes.

For magical queen Elsa, visual development artist Brittney Lee explains that she wanted "to celebrate that she is of snow and ice."

"We decided to open up the back of her coat to have a peek-a-boo back with a snowflake emblem encrusted on it," she adds. The cape has strong shoulders to "feel a little militaristic and like this is a bit of her queen uniform."

Along with these new looks came fresh locations. Production designer Michael Giaimo notes that a September 2016 research trip brought the filmmakers back to Norway as well as to Finland and Iceland. An 8-mile hike in Finnish forests to Pielpajrvi Wilderness Church gave them plenty of ideas for the enchanted forest where Anna and Elsa begin their quest. "Our fall palette is basically oranges, orange red, to red violet," says Giaimo. "Very narrow. We don't have a lot of yellow a little bit of it. But in narrowing that red, we can focus on the characters and create special palettes for them. We noticed on the hike this incredible ground cover that was turning from green to rust to reds. Most of it was bearberry; there were also crowberry plants. They just created beautiful fall carpet." It also steered the art department toward tree varieties including aspens, alders and birch.

During the journey, Elsa finally must leave Anna behind because she can't protect her sister in the Dark Sea, where she meets the mythical water spirit, the Nokk, a creature made of water that takes the form of a horse.

The sequence proved to be the most challenging for VFX supervisor Steve Goldberg. "We wanted to make sure it didn't end up with the appearance of a glass horse or a crystal horse, so [the water visible inside the horse is] always dynamic and moving, as is the mane and the tail," Goldberg says. "What we also wanted to do was support the amount of ripple, which really had to do with the horse's mental state."

When the horse was underwater, the challenge was to distinguish the Nokk from the sea water. "If it's made of water and it's in water, what are we seeing?" Goldberg says. The mane and tail were given a gentle flow, "almost like a sea grass or a kelp, like hair underwater," he explains.

The Nokk isn't the only mythical character that the ragtag adventurers meet on their journey. There's the wind spirit Gale, visualized as a force of energy made up of fall leaves, darting and dancing between the characters. The massive Earth Giants are made up of rock formations with some set in the riverbank while others are animated to walk through the enchanted forest and then there's the adorable fire spirit Bruni, a pale blue baby salamander that spits fire.

"They spent a lot of time coming up with the right technology, called Swoop, that allowed them to turn the wind into a character and show some personality," explains producer Del Vecho. "But each one of those, in and of itself, is a technical challenge. I think this whole movie is probably one of the more technically complicated movies that we've ever attempted to make."

During the middle of production, however, Jennifer Lee and Disney went through some growing pains of their own, when, in spring 2018, chief creative officer John Lasseter exited Disney following misconduct allegations. Lee was promoted to chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios but kept working on Frozen 2 despite the bigger job. "It was a struggle a little with my schedule," she says. "But as a studio, we all rally together on films in production anyway. I was writing [script revisions] early in the morning, and we just stayed very connected."

Meanwhile, as Lee and the team put the final touches on the film, Disney fired up its marketing snow blowers, with a blizzard of publicity that included a global tour with premieres in Los Angeles and London as well as the launching of a whole new wave of Frozen toys just in time for Christmas.

And, as with all the best fairy tales, even the sequels, there's a happy ending, at least for Disney, Lee and Buck. Since its Nov. 22 release, Frozen 2's box office has been piling up higher than the snows of the northern realm, soaring toward $1 billion.

This story first appeared in a December stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Read the original post:

Making of 'Frozen 2': Disney Aimed to Mark an "Evolution" for Elsa and Anna - Hollywood Reporter

6:00 AM PST 12/11/2019byLacey Rose

It was on the 15-year anniversary of Legally Blonde, back in 2016, that Witherspoon and producer Marc Platt decided there may be life left in their celebrated franchise.

"The response was so incredibly strong," Witherspoon recalls of a film that grossed $142 million and still has fans stopping her regularly to heap praise. "So, we discussed it and thought, maybe it's time to revisit."

Though they're still in the development stage of reviving the MGM property, both say that they're excited about seeing Elle Woods in her 40s and, moreover, that her sense of hope and optimism could be exactly what the world needs right now.

"I want to discover what age means to that character," adds the actress. "Aging, contemporary ideas, how things have evolved or not evolved."

Which is not to say she isn't daunted by the idea of returning to the iconic character, which catapulted her onto the A-list nearly two decades ago. She absolutely is, she says, "because it was so beloved and because you don't want to mess it up or do anything halfway."

That said, having had a similar experience with Big Little Lies, Witherspoon suggests she's more confident now that if "there's more story to tell, you're probably in a pretty good space."

This story first appeared in the 2019 Women in Entertainment Power 100 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Go here to see the original:

Reese Witherspoon Prepares for Evolution of Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde' Revival - Hollywood Reporter