The human role in a bot-dominated future

 

Imagine a world where bots are ubiquitous… a world where nearly every online interaction takes place with a Siri, Alexa, Cortana or some soon-to-be-named artificial being. Here, banking is a breeze, as a customer service bot can quickly extrapolate your banking preferences from your online search history. In this world, your cupboards and refrigerator are always full, because your groceries are reordered every week automatically, based on consumption data.

But in such a world, where bots provide the ultimate convenience of a futuristic lifestyle, is there still room for human help?

At the most recent F8 Conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made some bold claims about a bot’s place in the future of commerce. Using 1-800-Flowers as an example, Zuckerberg argued that by integrating bot chats into the sales process, a customer would never have to dial 1-800-Flowers or speak to a human again. In theory, using chat with bot support can expedite the buyer-seller interaction and bring the consumer closer to a sale. While Zuckerberg may be correct to say that customers much prefer chat interaction to using the phone, we can’t necessarily leap to the conclusion that their preference includes chatting with a robot.

Human interaction is, and has always been, vital to a high-quality customer experience. Even Facebook supports this claim, as they’ve partnered with several companies to help with the hand-off from bot to human during live chats. Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, has publicly stated that, “…we simply don’t have the technology yet to actually imagine that a bot could replace humans in the sales process.”

So, what is the human role in a bot-dominated future?

Remember that frustration every time you call customer service and end up with an automated voice (IVR)? That’s where we are with bot chats. And guess what happens every time a bot fails? You end up talking to a real, live customer service representative — back to square one.

We’ll see exponential adoption of bot technology, but human capital for engagement is both inevitable and necessary.

There’s no doubt we’ve come a long way with artificial intelligence, but for the strides we’ve made, we’re still a ways away from the creation of a bot that can successfully pass all facets of the Turing test. While a bot can handle a good portion of a conversation with a human, there will undoubtedly be times when it gets confused and fails (especially when it comes to switching from one topic/area to another). In these situations, your bot chat gets handed over to a human to complete your engagement.

Even with all the buzz today, the bot is nothing new. In the late 1990s, when AOL Instant Messenger was all the rage, I remember chatting with SmarterChild. At its core, SmarterChild was essentially an early version of a bot. You could chat with it about school, life or sports — much like you would do with your real friends. SmarterChild worked great (most of the time) and seemed quite sophisticated. Though, in fairness, a majority of the chats were conducted by twelve-year-olds.

So, the real question today is whether the bot is really going to define the future, or are we all just falling for the same hype we did when we were ‘tweens?

To answer this question, it’s important to understand the technology behind a bot. While we’ve seen tremendous strides and advances in computer technology and software development over the last 20 years, bot technology has essentially been siloed into two categories: those based on simple logic trees (SLT) and those that rely on natural language processing (NLP) or machine learning (ML).

An SLT bot relies on the traditional logic tree to gather information and redirect the user. For example, an insurance bot may ask several questions to determine which policy is ideal for you. If your answers match what the bot has anticipated, the experience will be seamless. However, if your answers stray from those predicted and stored in the bot database, you might hit a dead-end. If you’re lucky, you’ll be handed off to a human to complete the interaction. If you’re not, you’ll end up in bot purgatory. Most bot technology today relies on SLT.

An NLP and machine learning (ML) bot is meant to function more like a real conversationalist by picking up keywords and phrases from the user’s input to gather information, instead of requiring direct answers to specific questions. In theory, this category of bot sounds like the better option. Examples of this type of bot are Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.

While Siri and Alexa are pretty good at simple functions like giving the weather or telling a joke, they still have a ways to go with complex functions and lengthy commands.

Regardless of whether you are engaging with an SLT or NLP bot, the likelihood of ending up needing to speak to a real person is incredibly high. SLT bots often lack the complexity we expect from technology today, while we are unable to fully utilize the technology necessary for NLP or ML bots at this point.

The specific value of an engagement with a real person can be very significant.

Fortunately, customers enjoy the efficiency of interacting with a real person. While the trend is moving away from long, formal conversations, customers still expect the same quality of service from chat, whether live or bot. In fact, a recent study by American Express found that 78 percent of customers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience. The same study also found that 67 percent of customers have hung up the phone out of frustration when they could not talk to a real person. In most of those cases, the customer was forced to endure a dialogue with a bot.

We will likely see a two-stage industry transition as we attempt to adopt bot technology into daily transactions. The first will be very human interaction-intensive, as real people will be required to take over every interaction that a bot fails to handle. The risk of a poor customer experience is simply too much for top brands to stomach, so staffing their engagement centers to take over when the bot fails will be a very real side effect.

It seems inevitable that at some point ML and NLP will allow for a bot to become more intelligent, to a point where the failure rate is minimal. At that time, it isn’t unreasonable to believe that a majority of interactions will take place on bot channels. Will the bot channels stand alone, or will they be integrated into the existing channel landscape? If they exist on their own, what happens to the other channels?

In a scenario where the preferred customer engagement moves away from a brand’s website and onto a bot channel like Facebook Messenger, a question of scale is presented. Even with low failure rates, the number of human hand-offs will most likely grow because of the sheer volume of engagements that will likely occur.

It’s more than likely that we’ll see exponential adoption of bot technology, but human capital for engagement is both inevitable and necessary for sales and customer support. Depending on the lifetime value of the customer and the margin of the product, the specific value of an engagement with a real person can be very significant.

As we prepare for a more automated future, it’s important to not forget about the role of the human in engagement. And, as great as R2-D2 was in “A New Hope,” we all must remember that there was a human in that bot.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Leak Again

By now, almost everyone already knows what the upcoming Apple devices look like. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (or possibly iPhone 7 Pro) have been leaked several times over the last few months, and this won’t seem to stop until Apple unveils them later in September.

Again, some leaked images surfaced earlier today showing the devices in their full glory. The images appeared on Weibo, and they corroborate with past leaks and rumors. The smaller iPhone 7 appears to be a 4.7-inch device, while the bigger iPhone 7 Plus looks like a 5.5-inch phone.

Leaked image of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Image source: Weibo

Same design, new changes

The design bears a lot of resemblance to the iPhone 6s design. However, a few changes can be noticed here and there. It’s no longer news that the antenna lines have been repositioned, and this reflects in the leaked images. The absence of an earphone jack can’t be helped but noticed. Again, this has been in the rumor mills since the beginning of the year.

Image source: Weibo

The bigger iPhone 7 Plus with dual camera has a smart connector at the back like the iPad Pro. Also, there is a second speaker grill, and it looks like Apple wants to give the iPhone a much better sound quality.

It goes without saying that these images might be fake. It’s even possible they might be prototypes, and the final design might look entirely different.

Whatever the case, leaks and rumors are not to be totally believed, and we may never really know what the devices look like until Apple reveals them in September.

Stephen Keshi Laid To Rest. Photos

Great Stephen Keshi has been laid to rest at his hometown, Illah. See pictures of his funeral below.





















May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace(Amen)

JAMB 2016 DE Change of Course/Institution, Apply Now.

Change of Course/Institutions has now been made available for 2016 Direct Entry Student who had already applied but now wish to change their course or institution. The portal or medium for doing this has opened up, so interested candidates are advised to do so with immediate effect.

PROCEDURES TO TAKE

Below are the steps to take to carry out the 2016 JAMB Direct Entry candidates change of course/institution;

1. Candidates are to visit [JAMB Official Website www.jamb.org.ng]

2. Candidates are to ensure that they are register and have an account. If not Register Now

3. After the account has been created, candidates should input their “username” and “password” on the Log In Page then follow the instructions.

Best Of Luck.
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KIIT University Undergraduate And Masters Scholarship, Apply Now.

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) is offering masters and undergraduate scholarships to international students including Nigerians.

This scholarship is provided to value the diversity that international students bring to the campus in terms of culture, background and perspectives.

Eligibility

– Applicants must have good academic standing in their home institutions are encouraged to apply.

– Applicants should have a valid passport.

– Preference will be given to applicants from financially challenged background.

To be Eligible, Click HERE

Application Process

The mode of applying is online, Click here TO APPLY

Documents that have to be provided in order to apply are as follows:

i) Copies of academic transcripts/mark sheets
ii) Copy of School leaving Certificate
iii) Copy of Degree Certificate (if applying for Master Programs)
iv) Recommendation Letter from the Embassy
v) Proof of English proficiency (if available)
vi) Copies of certificates of academic honours or awards received (if available).

Application Deadline

The application deadline for this scholarship is 6th August 2016.

For more information and enquires, visit the official page by clicking Here

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Skusat Scholarships Contest, Win #500k.

The second edition of Skusat CBT Contest is here again where you have the opportunity to win cash prize up to #500k unlike the previous edition where the highest prize is #300k but has been increased to #500k for participant in this second edition.

Undergraduates seeking cash grants and aspirants that obtained a minimum score of 180 in the last UTME exercise can apply for this program. This contest is open till September 2nd.

Successful applicants will be rewarded in the forthcoming intuitive test that would be taken online; with a sum of N500,000 cash and also; sub-grants of N100,000, N50,000 and N10,000 to other category of applicants who attain specific grades as outlined in the registration guideline.

IMPORTANT THINGS YOU MUST NOTE:

* Applicants must not be below age 16.
* 400Level students and above are not eligible to apply.
* Foreign nationals and expatriates are not eligible to participate.
* Applicants must possess the original copy of the document(s) selected during registration.
* Before grants can be duly awarded, this will be required for a viable clarification from successful applicants only.
* An 8-digit AUTHENTICATION ID will be sent to all registered applicants within 24hrs of submitting the application online.
* Ensure you cross-check your details thoroughly before submitting; as the screening procedure will be strict.
* ONLY ELIGIBLE applicants will be required to obtain a Passcode/PIN for the Live Test with N1,000 only after passing the necessary data verifications involved.
* Immediate past beneficiaries are not eligible to apply.
* The Live test which would be taken online on the 17th of September will consist just 50 questions from various academic spheres. So feel free to share this with your friends today.

Practice questions have been made available on the platform under the “Pre-Test” page and the page can be accessed with the code: 16647260

To qualify for the N500,000 cash grant, applicant must attain at least 80% cumulative score while the sub-grants of N100,000, N50,000 and N10,000 will be duly disbursed to slated number of applicants that obtain scores within the range of (70 – 79)% , (65 – 69)% and (62 – 64)% respectively.

Successful participants will be awarded on the 23rd of September, 2016.

TO APPLY:

Click [Here www.skusat.com/apply-now].

Best of Luck.

Google Pagerank: A-Z.

The blog-o-sphere is buzzing with news that we are just weeks (if not days) away from the next Google PageRank update. But what is Google Pagerank?

It gets complicated. And when I say complicated I mean Einstein-esque complicated. The Google PageRank explanation isn't for the faint of heart. So... if you have heart conditions, blod clots, emphysema, are pregnant, nursing or could become pregnant... Look the other way... NOW!

GOOGLE PAGERANK HISTORY

Google PageRank was developed in the mid 90's by Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University. The two worked tirelessly for 3 years on an algorithm that could produce a numerical ranking of webpages based on a number of factors (we'll get to those in a second).

After a successful prototype was created in 1998, the two went on to found Google shortly after. The Google PageRank became the standard by which Google now ranks webpages.

THE PAGERANK ALGORITHM

I'm going to zoom right through this part because this is where it gets complicated. I just want to show you the world famous algorithm.

PR(A) = (1-d) + d (PR(T1)/C(T1) + ... + PR(Tn)/C(Tn))

where

PR(A) is the PageRank of page A,

PR(Ti) is the PageRank of pages Ti which link to page A,

C(Ti) is the number of outbound links on page Ti and

d is a damping factor

This is the original Google PageRank algorithm as discovered by Page, and Brin. It has undergone a lot of changes since then, and the ACTUAL algorithm that is used now remains somewhat mysterious.

SO WHAT EXACTLY IS A PAGERANK?

Google PageRank is defined by a number from 0-10 (10 being the highest). It is, essentially, a vote of confidence from the community. The higher the PageRank, the more "trusted" your site is by Google. That said, the links from these sites are also highly trusted (more on that later).

WHAT DOES GOOGLE PAGERANK MEAN TO ME?

PageRank or PR, in short, means EVERYTHING! If you are aspiring to build a great site that generates tons of revenue and loads of daily visitors, PageRank is very important. There is a huge misconception floating around that Google PageRank also determines your search engine results placement (or SERP). This is not, and has never been true. On Google alone, it is a SMALL factor. When I say a small factor, I mean it is only one of a couple dozen factors. None of the other search engines use PageRank to determine their results.

That said, Google PageRank IS a very important statistic for a monetized blog or site. It is one of the deciding factors when determining everything from how much you charge advertisers, to the overall value of your site if you should go to sell it. Some sites even charge other sites for a link if their page has a high enough PageRank. I'll get into this in a minute.

HOW DO I GET A HIGH GOOGLE PAGERANK?

Pray! Actually the single most effective way to build a PageRank all has to do with a very basic blog principle. Write quality content! It's that simple.... kinda.

Google PageRank is a system that relies heavily on links. Incoming and outgoing links are the biggest factor in your PageRank. You know how I'm always preaching "link love"? This is one of the reasons (besides my strong desire to better the community). Every link that comes into your site (linkback, trackback, backlink) is given a value. The overall value of your incoming links weighs heavily on your Google PageRank.

Every link is assigned a value based on how high the site that linked to you is rated. For example... if you had 1,000 incoming links from websites that don't have a PageRank, it might not weigh as heavily as having 100 incoming links from a site with a PR 5. As I mentioned above, the higher the PageRank, the more trusted the site is. Therefore, when it comes to incoming links, the higher the PageRank of the links, the better your chances of increasing your PageRank. The higher your PageRank, the more leverage you have as a blogger.

There are also factors that you can't control when it comes to PR. The older your site is, the more trusted it becomes and therefore, it is looked upon in a favorable way by Google. Google wants lots of pages, lots of incoming links to said pages, and lots of internal links to your pages. That means that you should try to link to as many pages inside your site as possible. This shouldn't be hard, because it only helps your cause. A "recent post" category in your sidebar is an example of an internal link.

Some people even BUY incoming links from sites with a high Google PageRank. I don't condone this on either end though. For one it costs money and it isn't really cost effective for a new blogger. And secondly, the sites that do this are usually punished when Google finds out.

CONCLUSION

This was just the basics of how Google PageRank works. I'm no expert, but it should help you out as you are getting started. I hope this helps un-mystify PR a little bit.

In closing, I'll tell you this... The fastest way to build Google PageRank is to get linked to, A LOT! Also, I mentioned that writing quality content was the way to build Google PageRank, and here is how. The more quality content you put into your blog, the more pages you accumulate. Google likes sites with a lot of pages. Also, the more quality content you write, the more you get linked to. Incoming links mean sweet PageRank improvement, and gaining a few awesome readers!

Source ASR

Microsoft Pix uses AI to help your iPhone take the best pictures

Microsoft Pix is looking to become your new go-to camera app on iPhone. The new iOS offering from Microsoft’s mobile team employs some artificial intelligence smarts to help make sure you take the best pictures, by eliminating human error through batch captures and by enhancing image color, exposure and other variables that can make the difference between drab and dramatic for your snapshots.

Pix optimizes for people specifically when it detects that there are any in-frame, which makes sense since for most people, if you’re pointing your smartphone camera at someone it’s because you want them to be the focal point of the shot. The auto-enhance features also give you a before-and-after view so you can decide whether to throw away the original or retain the version that Pix has optimized.

In addition to tweaking color and sharpness settings, Pix is also capturing bursts, or groups of photos shot in rapid succession. From those bursts, it selects the best captures, provides you with a couple of options to choose from and then deletes the rest to free up memory on your iPhone. You also can’t go back to past captures and see your image before/after options once you take another picture in Pix.

Pix also has a feature that replicates Apple’s own Live Photos effect, producing equivalent images capturing motion called “Live Images, ” which combines the sequential still shots captured in the burst series into a single, looping video. Capturing Live Images only triggers when Pix detects lots of motion in the shot, however, and there’s no way to override that manually in this version.

You can download Pix now free from the App Store.

Infinix Hot S X521 Now Available For Order

Finally, the awaiting Infinix Hot S X521 has arrived and it is now available for purchase on the Jumia Official Website.

Key Features
    Screen: 5.2" HD
    Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM
    Processor: Octa-Core
    Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
    Camera: 13MP (Back), 8MP (Front)
    Battery: 3000mAh

Infinix Hot S runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Infinix XUI out of the box and is powered by a 64 bit Ocat-core processor. Be ready to experience a fast speed 64-bit 8 core CPU meanwhile the storage can be extended to 128GB. Speed for incredible gaming and multi-tasking performance.

The incredible feature of  the Infinix Hot S and possibly its most valued selling point is that it has an embedded Fingerprint Sensor. Get ready for the ultimate control with Infinix first Fingerprint Identification technology. Just one convenient touch, unlock, answer the calling and shoot a picture all with your unique fingerprint. Or set your fingers to command special actions, which waiting your decision.

With a compact 5.2 inch size, all it takes is one hand to maneuver around your world. 5 stunning colours, all designed in a uniquely crafted metal frame, the choice is up to you. Meanwhile, together with a 3000mAh battery and 1.5mAh fast charging, you can enjoy your precious moments longer and longer.  

Also has a dual LED flash and a front facing flash, so you can take clear and vibrant photos in the dark with Infinix HOT S, and conquer the night. Whether selfies or photos, every pixel captures the perfect image above all others. Even in the low light conditions, the 8MP front camera with 1.4 µm ultra pixel technology will also capture hi-res selfies. And for quicker action, the rear camera’s 13MP works to transform every photo into clear and focused shot. When it’s time for a group selfie, enjoy a 120° wide angle shot and no one is left out of the pictures.

Infinix Hot S X521 now available on Jumia with the price of N45,500. You might think that the price is big, but for a fabulous smartphone that comes with such amazing feature, considering the dollar high rate in Nigeria, the price is equivalent to the phone. If you wish to explore the definition of “ Hot S” then order it now on Jumia Nigeria.

Blackberry Welcomes Its Second Android Smartphone

BlackBerry Ltd unveiled a second Android-based handset on Tuesday, a device combining Alphabet Inc’s popular software and broad app catalog with the Canadian company’s security and productivity features at a lower price.

The faded smartphone pioneer is hoping the DTEK50 will sell in greater numbers than the Priv, its first phone using the Android operating system, which Chief Executive John Chen has said suffered because of its high price.

The company said the 5.2-inch touchscreen-only DTEK50 is available from Tuesday for pre-order from BlackBerry’s online shop in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands for $299. It plans to begin shipping the device on August 8.

“This is a good marriage of proposition and price point for enterprises,” said John Jackson, an analyst at International Data Corp.

Shares in the Waterloo, Ontario-based company were up 1.4 per cent at $7.18 on the Nasdaq and rose 1.6 percent to C$9.50 in Toronto.

At its November launch the Priv, which features a slide out keyboard, cost $699 without a contract in the United States and C$899 without a contract in Canada. The company trimmed the Priv’s price in April.

Calling the DTEK50 “the world’s most secure Android smartphone,” BlackBerry said it will alert users if someone is making remote use of its camera or microphone, or accessing the phone’s location information.

BlackBerry did not announce any distribution deals with major US carriers, with initial US sales instead expected to come mostly via Best Buy Co Inc, Amazon.com Inc and BlackBerry’s own online store.

Canada’s biggest wireless carriers will all sell the device.

“The lack of specific detail on operator channels outside Canada says that there’s still no path to massive volumes,” IDC’s Jackson added.

BlackBerry recognized sales of roughly 500,000 devices in the three months to the end of May, down from some 1.1 million a year earlier as demand for its aging product portfolio sunk.

Once a dominant force in smartphones, BlackBerry now holds just a sliver of the global smartphone market. Earlier this month it said it would cease production of its Classic handset, which uses its own BlackBerry 10 operating system.

Chen last month expressed confidence the company’s trimmed-down handset business can turn a profit by a self-imposed September deadline, even as some analysts urge the company to ditch the unit.

A third Android device is expected from BlackBerry in the coming months.

19 Simple Ways To Show Courtesy.

Below are 19 simple ways of showing courtesy which you might not pay attention to. Check it out

1. Don't break up with someone over text messages.

2. In case you miss a call, drop a message as soon as possible if you're unable to call.

3. Pay back borrowed money as soon as possible no matter how little the amount is. Don't assume that they don't need it and never make them ask you for it.

4. Turn the volume down when you're
watching a video, playing music or playing a game on your phone in a public place or better yet, use headphones.

5. Don't press your phone or use headphones when someone is having a conversation with you. Unplug the headsets from your ears even if nothing is playing and give them your undivided attention.

6. When using someone else's phone or
computer, Don't go through their stuff without permission.

7. Always leave the last piece (of meat) for the person who bought it unless they insist they won't eat it.

8. Don't use speaker phone to have a two person conversation unless your hand are unable to hold the phone.

9. When someone else cooks for you, offer to help clean the kitchen.

10. If you stay the night at someone's
house, make the bed or fold the blankets when you leave.

11. Don't let your arguments escalate in public. Find someplace else to continue arguing where others won't feel uncomfortable or interested.

12. If you ask your friends for help with some house work, feed them as payment.

13. When someone buys you food or coffee, try to return the favour within a week (if you can).

14. When you borrow someone's car, fill up the tank as a way of saying 'thank you.'

15. Don’t pickup a call when u engage in conversation without taken permission.

16. Make sure you don't forget to return that book you borrowed.

17. When someone gives you a gift, no matter how small it is or the way it was presented, even if it wasn't up to your Expectation, Just say 'Thank You'.

18. When you have someone older than you who's friendly and makes himself free with you, Speak to them with respect.

19. Don't Feel too big to be corrected or reject good advice because you feel it's your life...

Life is a ring...The next blow can come anytime.

Help enlighten the world
DON'T STOP LEARNING!
Think life skills.

God Loves you;

Enjoy the rest of the day!
*be motivated et inspired*

A Guide on Website Directory Submission, A Must Read.

Directory submission is the process of submitting to the directories. There are a lot of different types of directories. Some directories require you to pay for listing while others don't. There are thousands of directories that allow free listing. The free listing option is the most popular choice among webmasters. With free listing option, you don't have to pay a cent to get your site listed on the directories.

When submitting to directories, you have to write a few titles and description. Preparing a variety of titles and descriptions allow you to prevent duplication problem. Duplicated titles and description can cause your listing to not get index by the search engine. In order for the listing to get indexed, you must write unique titles and description. The unique titles and description prevent the search engine from suspecting that the directory submission is performed purposely. It makes the directory submission process more natural. When the search engine perceive that the submission process is natural, it is more willing to get your listing indexed. Every listing has to be indexed so that the backlink is counted. If you use the same title and description for submission to 1000 directories, there is a high chance that the search engine will not get them indexed. The title and description should be completely different from each other. You must write the title and description yourself. You cannot copy them from other listings. Copying the title and descriptions will also cause duplication problem.

You must tag the listing with keywords. Tagging the listing with keywords enables the visitors to find it within the directories. If you don't tag it with keywords, the visitors won't be able to find it. Getting your website listed in the directory won't help you to drive targeted traffic. In order to drive targeted traffic to your site, you have to tag it with relevant keyword. For example, if your website offer guides for dog training, you should use keyword such as dog, dog training, and etc.

After you have submitted the site, you have to wait for a few months for the editors to review it. It can be approved within 1 day or 1 year. It depends on the editor. If the directory has a lot of backlog, you will have to wait for a long time before it will be your turn. For a faster approval, you can buy the paid listing. The paid listing allows your website to become featured in the search result and homepage.

Directory submission is a tiring process. If you are tired of submitting your website to the directories, you can hire the SEO company. The SEO company offers directory submission at a cheap price. The directory submission is performed by a group of staffs that are good at search engine optimization. They are familiar with the guidelines in the directories so your website will get approved within a short time. Different SEO company charge a different price. You have to perform research so that you can find out which SEO company is offering the cheapest price. Performing price comparison is important because it enables you to save a lot of money.

Source: ASR

Interesting Fun Facts About Animals You Don't Know.

Do you know there are some interesting fun facts about animals around us that we don't know, well today, have been able to gather some for you. Check them out...

INTERESTING FUN FACTS ABOUT ANIMALS

* Gorillas can catch human colds and other illnesses.
* A newborn Chinese water deer is so small it can almost be held in the palm of the hand.
* Ostriches can run faster than horses, and the males can roar like lions.
* A lion in the wild usually makes no more than twenty kills a year.
* The female lion does ninety percent of the hunting.
* The only dog that doesn’t have a pink tongue is the chow.
* Turtles, water snakes, crocodiles, alligators, dolphins, whales, and other water going creatures will drown if kept underwater too long.
* Almost half the pigs in the world are kept by farmers in China.
* On average, dogs have better eyesight than humans, although not as colourful.
* Deer have no gall bladders.
* There is an average of 50,000 spiders per acre in green areas.
* Snakes are carnivores, which means they only eat animals, often small ones such as insects, birds, frogs and other small mammals.
* In Alaska it is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they’re moose hunting.
* The bat is the only mammal that can fly.
* The leg bones of a bat are so thin that no bat can walk.
* Some male songbirds sing more than 2000 times each day.
* The only mammals to undergo menopause are elephants, humpback whales and human females.
* A tarantula spider can survive for more than two years without food.
* For every human in the world there are one million ants.
* If you lift a kangaroo’s tail off the ground it can’t hop – they use their tails for balance.
* If you keep a goldfish. in a dark room, it will become pale!
* Cows can sleep standing up, but they can only dream lying down.
* The sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.” uses every letter of the alphabet.
* The average fox weighs 14 pounds.
* The scientific name of the red fox is Vulpes vulpes.
* Alligators can live up to 100 years.
* A single elephant tooth can weigh as much as 9 pounds.
* The turkey is one of the most famous birds in North America.
* A housefly hums in the key of F.
* During World War II, Americans tried to train bats to drop bombs.
* Canis lupus lupus is the scientific name for a grey wolf.
* To escape the grip of a crocodile’s jaw, push your thumb into its eyeballs-it will let you go instantly.
* It is much easier for dogs to learn spoken commands if they are given in conjunction with hand signals or gestures.
* Even a small amount of alcohol placed on a scorpion will make it go crazy and sting itself to death!
* Male rabbits are called “bucks,” females are “does.”
* The flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down.
* Animals generate 30 times more waste than humans which is 1.4 billion tons every year.
* Ants never sleep. Also they don’t have lungs.
* A group of owls is called a parliament.
* Just one cow gives off enough harmful methane gas in a single day to fill around 400 litre bottles.
* Apple and pear seeds contain arsenic, which may be deadly to dogs.
* Cows have four stomachs.
* An anteater is nearly 6 feet long, yet its mouth is only an inch wide.
* The blue whale weighs as much as thirty elephants and is as long as three Greyhound buses.
* A herd of sixty cows is capable of producing a ton of milk in less than a day.
* A grasshopper can leap 20 times the length of its own body.
* At birth, baby kangaroos are only about an inch long – no bigger than a large water bug or a queen bee.
* The smell of a skunk can be detected by a human a mile away.
* There is a butterfly in Africa with enough poison in its body to kill six cats!

Enjoy!

NASA's K2 mission finds more than 100 new Planets

Photos: Weird and wonderful planets beyond our solar system

104 planets have been discovered through NASA's K2 mission using the Kepler Space TelescopeTwo are in the habitable zone, meaning they could have liquid water and potentially support life

The golden age of exoplanet discovery continues.

Move over, Tatooine; Planet discovered orbiting three suns

More than 100 new exoplanets have been found by an international team of astronomers using the Kepler Space Telescope on its K2 mission, according to NASA. Out of the 104 newly confirmed planets, four are between 20% and 50% larger than Earth and have the potential to be rocky -- signs that they could potentially support life.

Astronomers have already ruled out two of them because they're too hot for life as we know it, but the other two -- K2-72c and K2-72e -- are in their star's favorable "habitable zone," where liquid water could pool on the surface and support life.

The single dwarf star these four planets are orbiting is cooler and less than half the size of our sun, which means that even though they are close to their star, they are still within the habitable zone.

Think of these exoplanets like Mercury, which is the smallest and closest planet to our sun, with a fast orbit -- 88 days, as opposed to a year on Earth.

A year on K2-72c, the closest to its star, equals 15 days on Earth and it is 10% warmer than our planet. K2-72e, which is a bit farther away, has a year comparable to 24 days on Earth is about 6% colder.

If you're zipping through space, these exoplanets can be found heading toward the Aquarius constellation, which is 181 light years away from us. While that sounds far away, it's close enough to be studied by space telescopes in the future.

Two months ago, Kepler confirmed the discovery of 1284 new planets, with nine in the habitable zone. The new K2 discovery brings us to 3,368 confirmed exoplanets. So how do astronomers keep finding and confirming more planets?

Kepler and its K2 mission observe stars and the slight dimming of their brightness when an object passes in front of them and the pattern of that passage, which indicates planets orbiting the stars. By using that data in conjunction with follow-up observation by Earth-based telescopes in Hawaii, California and Arizona, they can confirm details about mass, radius and temperature.

The K2 mission, which launched in 2014, is extending Kepler's legacy to new parts of the sky in the northern and southern hemispheres and new fields of study, adding to NASA's "arc of discovery." And because it can see more of the sky, K2 has been able to observe more nearby red-dwarf stars, which are cool, small and common in the Milky Way. They're also proving to be quite interesting for researchers, who are discovering planets around these stars.

This is part of why every day is an exciting one for Dr. Steve Howell, NASA's K2 mission project scientist. His favorite exoplanet changes with each wave they discover, he said.

'Like a mystery story'

Exoplanets have been making waves over the last 20 years, but the first ones discovered were Jupiter-like gas giants orbiting stars. It wasn't until astronomers realized that rocky Earth-like planets were common in our galaxy that people became excited about the idea that Earth wasn't an entirely unique planet, in terms of mass or temperature. With money, resources and interest directed toward the discovery and study of exoplanets -- and seeking to answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe -- there has been a fast progression of identifying exoplanets, according to Howell.

K2 has enough fuel to keep identifying planet candidates until summer 2018. It is helping bridge the gap between Kepler, which ends in October 2017, and TESS, which launches in 2017, as far as identifying targets for the James Webb Space Telescope to observe in 2018.

TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, and the James Webb Space Telescope will continue the search for life beyond Earth.

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Compared to Kepler, TESS will use a similar transit method for observing planets, when they pass in front of their parent stars. While Kepler looked at one portion of the sky for stars that were farther away for a longer time, TESS will observe the entire sky and focus on the brightest and closest stars, each for 30 days.

The James Webb Space Telescope is capable of observing large exoplanets and detecting starlight filtered through their atmosphere, which will enable scientists to determine the atmospheric composition and analyze them for gases that can create a biological ecosystem.

While the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to look at targets discovered by K2 in some detail, it will be able to focus on at least 10 exoplanets in great detail. In about a decade, NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, or WFIRST, will be able to image these planets for the first time.

Although the discovery and study of exoplanets has picked up rapidly the last few years, Howell is eager to know more.

"It's like a mystery story," he said. "I want to turn the last few pages to find out the end."

Verizon to acquire Yahoo’s operating business

Transaction will create a new rival in mobile media technology reaching over 1B users* with an unrivaled roster of the world’s most beloved brands

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and SUNNYVALE, Calif. – July 25, 2016 – Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) today announce they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Verizon will acquire Yahoo’s operating business for approximately $4.83 billion in cash, subject to customary closing adjustments.

Yahoo informs, connects and entertains a global audience of more than 1 billion monthly active users** -- including 600 million monthly active mobile users*** through its search, communications and digital content products. Yahoo also connects advertisers with target audiences through a streamlined advertising technology stack that combines the power of their data, content and technology.

“Just over a year ago we acquired AOL to enhance our strategy of providing a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators and advertisers. The acquisition of Yahoo will put Verizon in a highly competitive position as a top global mobile media company, and help accelerate our revenue stream in digital advertising.”

Lowell McAdam, Verizon Chairman and CEO

Yahoo will be integrated with AOL under Marni Walden, EVP and President of the Product Innovation and New Businesses organization at Verizon.

“Yahoo is a company that has changed the world, and will continue to do so through this combination with Verizon and AOL. The sale of our operating business, which effectively separates our Asian asset equity stakes, is an important step in our plan to unlock shareholder value for Yahoo. This transaction also sets up a great opportunity for Yahoo to build further distribution and accelerate our work in mobile, video, native advertising and social.”

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo

Mayer added, “Yahoo and AOL popularized the Internet, email, search and real-time media. It’s poetic to be joining forces with AOL and Verizon as we enter our next chapter focused on achieving scale on mobile. We have a terrific, loyal, experienced and quality team, and I couldn’t be prouder of our achievements to date, including building our new lines of business to $1.6 billion in GAAP revenue in 2015. I’m excited to extend our momentum through this transaction.”

“Our mission at AOL is to build brands people love, and we will continue to invest in and grow them. Yahoo has been a long-time investor in premium content and created some of the most beloved consumer brands in key categories like sports, news and finance.”

Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL

Under Armstrong, AOL has invested in and grown global premium brands, including The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget, MAKERS and AOL.com, and market-leading programmatic platforms -- including ONE by AOL for both advertisers and publishers. Armstrong added, “We have enormous respect for what Yahoo has accomplished: this transaction is about unleashing Yahoo’s full potential, building upon our collective synergies, and strengthening and accelerating that growth. Combining Verizon, AOL and Yahoo will create a new powerful competitive rival in mobile media, and an open, scaled alternative offering for advertisers and publishers.”The addition of Yahoo to Verizon and AOL will create one of the largest portfolios of owned and partnered global brands with extensive distribution capabilities. Combined, AOL and Yahoo will have more than 25 brands in its portfolio for continued investment and growth. Yahoo’s key assets include market-leading premium content brands in major categories including finance, news and sports, as well as one of the most popular email services globally with approximately 225 million monthly active users****. Additional technology assets in the advertising space include Brightroll, a programmatic demand-side platform; Flurry, an independent mobile apps analytics service; and Gemini, a native and search advertising solution.The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, approval by Yahoo’s shareholders, and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q1 of 2017. Until the closing, Yahoo will continue to operate independently, offering and improving its own products and services for users, advertisers, developers and partners.Verizon will generally issue cash-settled Verizon RSUs for Yahoo RSUs that are outstanding at the close. The sale does not include Yahoo’s cash, its shares in Alibaba Group Holdings, its shares in Yahoo Japan, Yahoo’s convertible notes, certain minority investments, and Yahoo’s non-core patents (called the Excalibur portfolio). These assets will continue to be held by Yahoo, which will change its name at closing and become a registered, publicly traded investment company. Yahoo will provide additional information about the investment company at a future date.Transaction will create a new rival in mobile media technology reaching over 1B users* with an unrivaled roster of the world’s most beloved brands.

Yahoo intends to return substantially all of its net cash to shareholders and will determine and communicate a specific capital return strategy at an appropriate time.LionTree Advisors, LLC, Allen & Company LLC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Guggenheim Securities, LLC are acting as financial advisors to Verizon. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Covington & Burling LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP are acting as legal advisors to Verizon.Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and PJT Partners are acting as financial advisors to the Yahoo Board and its Strategic Review Committee. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP are acting as legal advisors to Yahoo. Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is independent legal advisor to Yahoo’s Strategic Review Committee. 

Yahoo will hold an investor call at 5:30 a.m. Pacific/8:30 a.m. Eastern today.

Investors can dial in at (866) 593-9949

Investors outside the U.S. can dial in at (973) 935-8154, using the conference ID 55971720. 

Chinese Scientists Pioneer First Human CRISPR Gene-editing.

Gene-editing technique to treat lung cancer is due to be tested in people in August.

Genes in immune cells will be edited in an effort to turbocharge their attack on tumours.

Chinese scientists are on the verge of being first in the world to inject people with cells modified using the CRISPR–Cas9 gene-editing technique.

A team led by Lu You, an oncologist at Sichuan University’s West China Hospital in Chengdu, plans to start testing such cells in people with lung cancer next month. The clinical trial received ethical approval from the hospital's review board on 6 July.

“It’s an exciting step forward,” says Carl June, a clinical researcher in immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

First CRISPR Clinical trial gets green light from US panel

There have been a number of human clinical trials using an alternative gene-editing technique, including one led by June, that have helped patients combat HIV. June is also a scientific adviser on a planned US trial that would also use CRISPR-Cas9-modified cells for the treatment of cancer.

Last month, an advisory panel of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved that project. But the trial also requires a green light from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a university review board. The US researchers have said they could start their clinical trial by the end of this year.

Ineffective chemo

The Chinese trial will enrol patients who have metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and for whomchemotherapy, radiation therapy and other treatments have failed. “Treatment options are very limited,” says Lu. “This technique is of great promise in bringing benefits to patients, especially the cancer patients whom we treat every day.”

Leukaemia success heralds wave of gene-editing therapies

Lu’s team will extract immune cells called T cells from the blood of the enrolled patients, and then use CRISPR-Cas9 technology — which pairs a molecular guide able to identify specific genetic sequences on a chromosome with an enzyme that can snip the chromosome at that spot — to knock out a gene in the cells. The gene encodes a protein called PD-1 that normally acts as a check on the cell’s capacity to launch an immune response, to prevent it from attacking healthy cells.

The gene-edited cells will then be multiplied in the lab and re-introduced into the patient’s bloodstream. The engineered cells will circulate and, the team hopes, home in on the cancer, says Lu. The planned US trial similarly intends to knock out the gene for PD-1, and it will also knock out a second gene and insert a third before the cells are re-introduced into the patient.

Last year, the FDA approved for use against lung cancer two antibody-based therapies that block PD-1. But it is difficult to predict for any given patient to what extent these antibodies will block PD-1 and activate the immune response.

Gene-editing research in human embryos gains momentum

By contrast, knocking out the gene blocks PD-1 with greater certainty, while multiplying the cells increases the chance of a response. “It will be much more powerful than the antibodies," says Timothy Chan, who does clinical research in immunotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Validated cells

It is well known that CRISPR can result in gene edits at the wrong place in the genome, with potentially harmful effects. Chengdu MedGenCell, a biotechnology company and a collaborator on the trial, will validate the cells to ensure that the correct genes are knocked out before the cells are re-introduced into the patients, says oncologist Lei Deng of West China Hospital, who is a member of Lu’s team.

Because the technique targets T cells, which are involved in various kinds of immune responses, in a non-specific way, Chan worries that the approach might induce an excessive autoimmune response in which the cells would start attacking the gut, or adrenaline glands or other normal tissue. “All the T cells — everything will be active. That will be a concern,” says Chan.  

The Unsung Heroes of CRISPR

He suggests, instead, that the team take T cells from the site of the tumour, because they would already be specialized for attacking cancer. But Deng says that the lung-cancer tumours targeted by their trial are not easily accessible. He also says that the team is reassured by the FDA-approved antibody therapies, which did not show a high rate of autoimmune response.

The phase I trial is designed foremost to test whether the approach is safe. It will examine the effects of three different dosage regimens on ten people, and, Deng says, the team plans to proceed slowly, increasing the dosage gradually and starting with just one patient, who will be monitored closely for side effects. But the researchers will also closely watch markers in the blood that would indicate that the treatment is working.

Fast reputation

Lu says that the review process, which took half a year, required that the team invest a lot of time and human resources, including close communication with the hospital’s internal review board (IRB). “There was a lot of back and forth,” he says. The NIH’s approval of the other CRISPR trial “strengthened ours and our IRB’s confidence in this study”, he adds.

China has had a reputation for moving fast — sometimes too fast — with CRISPR, says Tetsuya Ishii, a bioethicist at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan.

Bioethics in China, No wild east

According to Lu, his team was able to move fast because they are experienced with clinical trials of cancer treatments.

June is not surprised that a Chinese group would jump out in front on a trial such as this: “China places a high priority on biomedical research,” he says.

Ishii notes that if the clinical trial begins as planned, it would be the latest in a series of firsts for China in the field of CRISPR gene editing, including the first CRISPR-edited human embryos,   and the first CRISPR-edited monkeys. “When it comes to gene editing, China goes first,” says Ishii.

“I hope we are the first," says Lu. "And more importantly, I hope we can get positive data from the trial.”

Verified Boot In Android Nougat 7.0

As far as security is concerned, Google is going very strict with the newest version of its mobile operating system.

Until now, Google has not done more than just alerting you of the potential threats when your Android device runs the check as part of the boot process.

Android Marshmallow 6.0 does nothing more than just warning you that your device has been compromised, though it continues to let your device boot up.

1. Android Nougat 7.0 Getting Strictly Enforced 'Verified Boot'

In Android Nougat, Google has taken the security of its Android operating system to the next level by strictly enforcing verified boot on devices.

Among multiple layers of security protection, Android uses verified boot - since Android version 4.4 KitKat - that improves its device's security by using cryptographic integrity checking to detect if your device has been tampered with.

Now, Android Nougat will strictly enforce the boot check, giving you far more than just a warning.

2. Android 7.0 Verified Boot Protects Device from Rootkits and Malware

Enforcing verified boot on a device is a good idea.

If any Android Malware or Rootkit made its way onto your Android device and made deep system changes to critical kernel files, your device will either start in a limited-use mode (presumably similar to safe mode) or refuse to start at all, protecting your data.

In addition to strict verified boot, Android Nougat also features forward error correction that is capable of repairing some errors on devices without any user input.

And, of course, Nexus devices will be the first to get these features.

This will prevent your Android device from becoming a playground for malware and viruses, at least after you restart it.

That sounds really great. Right?

3. If Modified, Corrupt or Tampered, It won't let your phone Boot

For most users the strict verified boot would be helpful, however, for some, it's bad news.

According to Google, some non-malicious corruption of data could cause Android devices to fail to boot up because verified boot process runs into issues that it can not correct.

This data corruption could be the result of some software flaws or hardware issues.

Here's what the Android Developer blog explains: "This means that a device with a corrupt boot image or verified partition will not boot or will boot in a limited capacity with user consent. Such strict checking, though, means that non-malicious data corruption, which previously would be less visible, could now start affecting process functionality more."

Since corrupted data may not always be malicious, even a single-byte error could prevent the device from booting.

However, Android Nougat brings additional code designed to protect against data corruption.

"In the changes we made to dm-verity for Android 7.0, we used a technique called interleaving to allow us to recover not only from a loss of an entire 4 KiB source block, reads the blog, "but several consecutive blocks, while significantly reducing the space overhead required to achieve usable error correction capabilities compared to the naive implementation."

4. Verified Boot Has Made It Harder to Root Android 7.0 Nougat

Like I said, data corruption could not always be due to malicious reasons.

Strictly enforcing verified boot could also make it tougher for you to tweak your Android Operating System (especially with locked bootloader) using custom ROMs, mods, and kernels.

Since this involves circumventing the locked bootloader, verified boot process will detect any changes, making it harder for users to play with their devices when Nougat rolls around.

The bottom line:

Enforcing strict verified boot in Android Nougat is a good idea, because most users root their devices with custom firmware but forget to take important security measures, which leaves their devices open to malicious software and rootkits.

What do you think of the additional security Google provides to the boot process in Android Nougat? 

A Tale of Three Trees- A Must Read.

Once upon a time there were three trees on a hill
in the woods. They were discussing their hopes
and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I
hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with
gold, silver and precious gems. I could be
decorated with Intricate carving and everyone
would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a
mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across
the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."
Finally, the third tree said, "I want to grow to be
the tallest and straightest tree in the forest.

People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God; and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest
tree of all time and people will always remember
me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams
would come true, a group of woodsmen came
upon the trees. When one came to the first tree
he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I
should be
able to sell the wood to a carpenter"... and he
began cutting it down. The tree was happy,
because he knew that the carpenter would make
him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks
like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to
the shipyard." The second tree
was happy because he knew he was on his way
to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree,
the tree was frightened because he knew that if
they cut him down, his dreams
would not come true. One of the Woodsmen
said, "I don't need anything special from my tree
so I'll take this one," and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he
was made into a feed box for animals. He was
then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This
was not at all what he had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small
fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship
and carrying kings had come to an end.
The third tree was cut into large pieces and left
alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about
their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman
came to the barn. She gave birth and they
placed the baby in the hay, in the feed box that
was made from the first tree. The man wished
that he could have made a crib for the baby, but
this manger would have to do. The tree could
feel the importance of this event and knew that
it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in a fishing boat
made from the second tree. One of them was
tired and went to sleep. While they were out on
the water, a great storm arose and the tree
didn't think it was strong enough to keep the
men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and
he stood and said "Peace be still", and the storm
stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had
carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It
was carried through the streets as the people
mocked the man who was carrying it. When they
came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree
and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill.
When Sunday came, the tree came to realize
that it was strong enough to stand at the top of
the hill and be as close to God as was possible,
because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't
seem to be going your way, always know that
God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in
Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the
trees got what they wanted, just not in the way
they had imagined. We don't always know what
God's plans are for us. We just know that His
ways are not our ways, but His ways are always
best.
Keep this moving... share it with others, so it
could inspire more people on its way. Sometimes
the heart sees what
the eyes can't.

Source: Inspirational Touch