IPHONE 15 PRO: LATEST NEWS AND MORE

IPHONE 15 PRO: LATEST NEWS AND MORE
This is something that Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also emphasizes.

This year is just beginning but there are already expectations about Apple’s next launch, the iPhone 15. Especially after the iPhone 14 and all its variants did not represent a very revolutionary renewal.

As always, Apple has kept the design under lock and key, but some leaks let us know what will happen to the next model of the smartphone. For example, there are expected to be four versions of the iPhone 15: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max (which could also be called ultra).

That is, after the company eliminated the mini model and changed it to the plus, it is expected that this will remain in line. Likewise, the iPhone Max could change its name to Ultra, something that the company already did with the Apple Watch, or even create a new model. Now, we will see the features that are expected in the new family of smartphones.

IPHONE 15: THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERSIONS

IPHONE 15: THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERSIONS
IPHONE 15

According to reports and rumors, Apple will seek to differentiate the base versions from the Pro more than ever. That is why the notch is expected to remain in the 15 and 15 Plus versions, while the stainless steel finish will only be for the Pro models. This is something that Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also emphasizes.

Kuo believes that this segmentation of the models is done with the idea of making the base models a kind of secondary product with respect to the ambitious variants. This could also justify a price increase for the Pro copies.

In this sense, the iPhone Ultra would have a titanium finish, very similar to the Apple Watch Ultra, and with a fourth camera sensor whose functionalities are not known at the moment xxx video. On the other hand, the Dynamic Island is also expected to remain in the new models.

 

THE NEW FEATURES OF THE IPHONE 15

THE NEW FEATURES OF THE IPHONE 15
THE NEW FEATURES

Although for now what is known are only rumors, it is speculated that the iPhone 15 will be one of the great revolutions of the smartphone so far. There are several surprises, such as the idea of more rounded edges. Check out all the features that have been leaked:

THE USE OF USB-C

This is mandatory by the European Union. However, it implies that the 14th generation was the last with a Lightning port. Apple already uses this port for some of its iPad models and in all of its Macs.

TOUCH ID

This would be under the screen, and would serve as a complement to the next generation of Face ID.

PERISCOPIC ZOOM

Apple has lagged behind in this technology that is already implemented by its rivals, such as Huawei. This type of zoom has the advantage that it allows greater magnification without loss of quality. Likewise, the camera sensor would continue to be 48 megapixels.

A NEW PROCESSOR FOR THE PRO VERSIONS

According to rumors, Apple would include the new Apple A17 Bionic in the pro versions, and would leave the Apple A6 Bionic of the iPhone 14 in the iPhone 15.

SHADE WITH ROUND EDGES

Likewise, it is said that Apple will reduce the bezels, which would add the curved frames in the pro versions, similar to those of the Apple Watch.

ESTIMATED PRICES AND EXPECTED RELEASE DATE

As is tradition, the iPhone 15 models are expected to arrive during the first weeks of September. On the other hand, after this year’s price increase, prices are expected to remain the same, except for the Pro model. These are the estimated prices:

  • iPhone 15: from 1,009 euros
  • iPhone 15 Plus: from 1,159 euros
  • iPhone 15 Pro: from 1,319 euros
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max: from 1,469 euros
  • iPhone 15 Ultra: 1,999 euros

 

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TELEGRAM ADDS CRYPTO TO ITS SERVICE

TELEGRAM ADDS CRYPTO TO ITS SERVICE

Telegram has done it again. Once again it shows the world that it is much more than just a messaging app. After innovating in the market with tools such as animated stickers, it is now coming up with a proposal that promises to change everything.

According to official sources, the company stated that it is already in the process of developing a platform for the auction of usernames, using various cryptocurrencies as payment methods. The statement also reports that this project is already in its final phase and it may not be too long before we see the result.

 

THE PRECEDENT: THE TELEGRAM NETWORK

It all started about 4 years ago, when the company initiated a decentralisation project, under the name “The Telegram Network”. However, legal problems associated with the intellectual property of the ton.org domain (The Open Network) limited the company’s plans.

To avoid another lawsuit and the possible loss of the ton.org domain, it was decided to shut it down in 2020 and disassociate itself from it. It did this by separating all of its businesses into individual entities, each with its own leadership and resources. Once this was done, he enlisted the help of Telegram to regain control of ton.org.

THE PRECEDENT: THE TELEGRAM NETWORK

This experience created in Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram, a special interest in the ability of this platform to make revenue from domain auctions, and he even mentioned his interest in incorporating Web3 into the project.

And so, after a few years of development, Telegram announced through its official channel the final stage of development of its new platform, through which usernames can be acquired through crypto auctions.

 

A MILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS

But … wait a minute, selling names? user auctions? Could such a business really work? Just take a quick look at the precedents, just from “The Open Network”.

If you think about it, the company’s plan is not far from what is already known today as buying domain names. Some of them have been bought for exorbitantly high amounts.

Likewise, the TON platform once held an open auction of names for its wallets. The initiative was especially profitable, finding cases such as “casino.ton”, which sold for more than 200,000 dollars.

This fact, considering Telegram’s platform of more than 700 million users, represents a particularly juicy and attractive business opportunity for the whales of the Internet. Especially when we consider that Telegram currently only allows the registration of one user with the same name. This includes: channels, users, video porno, etc.

telegram A MILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS

This being one of the messaging apps of the moment, where more and more brands want to be, it would not be surprising to see a powerful bid between two major forces, for example. The same would happen with two celebrities or multimillionaires willing to pay anything to have the username they always wanted.

And you, would you be willing to give everything in your wallet for the most sought-after username on Telegram?

 

 

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WHAT IS THE MOST SECURE MESSAGING APP?

WHAT IS THE MOST SECURE MESSAGING APP?
Apps mobile

We live to communicate. Thanks to the current innovation in ICTs, our modern society conceives as deviant the individual who does not care at all about things such as the Internet, social networks or messaging applications.
Whoever likes it likes it, we are slaves to Whatsapp, Telegram or Signal, which have a leading role in our daily lives similar to that of toilet paper.

For this reason, and understanding that its use is daily and that it serves as a window to share how much information we have, it is not surprising that we worry about what will be the most secure option.

 

WHATSAPP IS THE MOST POPULAR, BUT NOT THE MOST SAFE

We know that applications like WhatsApp or Telegram currently boast of being unbreakable due to their end-to-end encryption protocol, which prevents a third party from accessing your private conversations. Certainly, although with their clear differences, each one has a similar version. This is stated by Manuel Sánchez Rubio, a doctor in Computer Engineering and a specialist in security and obtaining information on social networks.

However, Sánchez Rubio himself affirms that the “security” problem is not exactly there, where the big companies want us to look.

To understand it better, it is enough to reflect a little about the new privacy policies implemented by WhatsApp and that came into force as of May 15, 2022. Outside of users located in the European Union, all those who currently use WhatsApp, they do so having agreed to the platform sharing their data and information with their parent company. A track. His name starts with F (or M?), and he loves blue.

This only deepens the distrust that many had already felt in 2014, when Facebook decided to buy WhatsApp and make it part of its social network ecosystem porno français. In response, more conscientious users decided to move to alternatives like Telegram, which currently have these and many other features.

 

WHAT ABOUT TELEGRAM?

Before talking about any function that Telegram may or may not have to provide a more friendly or secure user experience, let’s remember one thing: it is an application behind which, like any other, there is a company trying to profit. Therefore, we must assume that, if they do not take your money, they take something equal or more valuable from you, in exchange for an efficient, playful and free service.

I think we know what it is: information. It is not unreasonable or conspiracy to think so. We talk about facts.
According to Sánchez Rubio, we have maximized the interest, use and attention that we put into social networks, and now we see the consequence of it. Faced with the latent need to “want to be part” of “what is happening in the world (Internet)”, we decided to ignore the fact that there are those who silently spy on us.

WHAT ABOUT TELEGRAM?
Telegram

From his perspective, Sánchez Rubio condemns modern society for its optimism in the face of these platforms. A naivete where we let ourselves be fooled by the ludic, and we forget the densest implications, the problems that nobody wants to worry about.

So, to wrap up the question: what is the most secure messaging app? The answer is simple: none. They are all just as safe and just as dangerous, because releasing your information into the vast data network that the internet connects already leaves you exposed.

Faced with this, Sánchez Rubio suggests an efficient and much-needed digital education as an alternative, especially in the use of technology at a young age. Only then, he wants to think, can we be (or at least feel) a little safer in this digital world.

 

 

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Less Technology Is Giving Drivers Fewer Headaches

One would think that technological advancement always results in greater benefits – right? It turns out that it’s not the case for vehicles. Research by J.D. Power Study revealed that mainstream brands such as Honda, Toyota, and Ford are easier for drivers to use. The study involved 29,487 participants, all original owners of 2019 model-year cars. The researchers discovered that the infotainment systems were singlehandedly the largest source of problems reported by the car owners. 

The Trends: Mainstream vs. Luxury

red person with keyfob of red Ferrari supercar

Long-term dependability is crucial, with many owners holding on to their vehicles for more extended periods. The study revealed the significant gap between the best and worst brands. Kia owners reported about 145 problems for every 100 cars included in the survey, translating to 145 PP100. The bottom-ranked Land Rover had almost twice the reported complaints by Kia, with 284 PP100. 

The average for vehicles covered in the 2022 vehicle dependability study was 192 problems for every 100 cars. It was shocking to see mainstream car companies like Toyota, Chevrolet, and Kia outscoring luxury cars like Lexus, Mercedes Benz, and Cadillac by an average of 190 vs. 204 PP100. 

The leading reason for this trend is the digital technology they use. Automobile manufacturers are always in a rush to improve the systems. However, some are doing much better than others at ensuring that the vehicle’s mechanical, interior, and exterior don’t cause any problems to the drivers. 

From the review, infotainment was the most problematic feature. That has encouraged car companies like Land Rover to roll out new infotainment platforms with a simplified screen menu xvideo, easier pairing with mobile devices, and hands-free operation. 

Another key finding is that Japanese automobile manufacturers have lost their reliability and quality significantly. While Toyota was the fifth in the power study and Lexus was the sixth, many familiar Japanese brands like Nissan and Honda were below average. 

Korean cars, which have been perceived to have lasting quality for several years, grabbed three of the top four positions. General Motors, which also struggled with a reputation for poor quality over the decades, led the study by ranking second. 

Finding a Balance 

https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/aerial-car-factory-3d-concept-automated-robot-arm-assembly-line-picture-id1352825159?b=1&k=20&m=1352825159&s=170667a&w=0&h=8L5HTrJLiTwA-dpo5TO2AlQMhFtaDjqTFnnVDHiaO-8=

Although vehicle owners still experience conventional mechanical issues like faulty engines and transmissions, they are far less common than a decade ago. Today’s digital technology carries a higher likelihood of failure. 

Built-in voice recognition systems were a leading concern in the research. Infotainment systems were the most significant cause of consumer complaints. However, issues with Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, and Android Auto also carried the day regarding the number of complaints. 

Car manufacturers now need to find a balance. Although users want more high-tech features, they also care for safety and ease of use. Therefore, it’s essential to find innovations that balance wants and needs. 

Moving forward, manufacturers need to consider solutions such as Amodeo notes and smartphone-style over-the-air updates. While these innovations may not necessarily eradicate the issues, they will offer automakers new ways of sending updates without requiring the consumer to visit the dealerships.

An Extended History of Fredrick von Richthofen III

Questions may arise regarding the name of the old test subject, Fredrick von Richthofen IV; the answer is simply that he is named after his predecessor, Fredrick von Richthofen III. He was the test subject in my 1995-96 ‘Sea Station’ experiment inspired by the General Electric Sea Base. Richthofen, as was his nickname, was purchased at the local Rancho Santa Margurita Petco. He was a modest porn feed mouse saved from being fed to a snake or some other mouse-eating animal.
Using a specially designed training facility constructed to house the mouse during the construction and testing of the Sea Station, Fredrick received the highest attention and was properly prepared to navigate the sea faring vessel that was proposed to house him for about an hour on the first dive. Complications arose. On the first dive of the vessel, problems began just seconds after it left the surface of the water.

Although it was never calculated for reasons of inexperience, the buoyancy of the vessel was estimated at over 70lbs, and tragically, the material used to bond together the dome windows on the roof was silicon caulk. After reaching what must have been about 3 feet below the surface, the domes popped off, utterly engulfing the entire vessel in chlorinated water.
Having to deal with not only the massive rush of water, burning chemicals, and electricity in the water, Fredrick’s future was looking grim. However, due to my superior swimming skills, our dear friend was able to be rescued. An abandoned submersible was used as his quarters as his training facility was also destroyed, but this wouldn’t mean anything. Just over two weeks after the incident, Fredrick escaped his housing only to be found dead. After a brief autopsy, it was deemed that he had resorted to suicide, as there were no signs of fowl play. He had presumably jumped off a balcony.

Saturday, the 12th of April

Finally, after more than 8 months after The Underwater Mouse Project began, we have submerged a vessel in a pool. The famous Test Module 20 was recently fully enclosed and sunk to a maximum depth of 9 ft below the water surface. No leaking occurrded while underwater, however interesting events took place after it was surfaced. You can watch the video of it here.

Saturday, the 1st of February

Alarming events took place this evening as a tenative water detection system was tested. Although the system worked quite well and was only triggered when water was present, it had minor deterioration effects on the silicon. After running the system for a while, one corner of the test module began to leak. Further research will be conducted to determine exactly why this happens.

Sunday, the 29th of December

A theoretical weight of water has been determinded today, 8.345404452 pounds per US gallon (assuming that there are 3785.411784000 cm³ in a gallon). Although I will probably never test or double check it, this will be the number used to make all calculations on the vessel. After using 8.5 lbs./gal. in ‘Model A’s calculations, I feel confident that with this new accuracy the project will be more effective.

Saturday, the 19th of October

A preliminary testing phase was started today. It involved the caulking that was recently added. The results were sub-par as it eventually began to leak (photo) after a short period of time. Later, after reading the directions on the caulking tube, it was understood that this product was never intended to be used underwater. I currently have lost all interest in caulking at this time as it is not only inefficient, but also messy and difficult to apply neatly. The next step is to find a suitable alternative.

International research in Bohemia

Young Chinese or Indian scientists are not only smart, but also highly motivated; it’s only up to them whether they get a well-paid position in science or return home. Therefore many of them work twelve hours a day and becoming the “drought horses” of molecular biology. All of our top researchers have a collection of experiences in foreign universities or institutes on their CVs. They obtain professional experiences, learn how to do top science and also earn quite a lot. In the U. S., it is known what benefits this international dimension gives to science. Our scientists understand it too as well. Molecular parasitologist Julius Lukes from The Institute of Parasitology of The Czech Academy of Sciences says: “If anyone from India contacts me, then he probably read one of my articles and in frame of a Ph.D study would like to work on our projects. Both sides profit; he will learn a lot and open the way to West, we will obtain a motivated colleague, who doesn’t think about leaving for a cottage on Friday. In addition, he speaks English so that communication with him is going to substitute for a stay in the U. S. for the students of mine.”

And what about Czech laboratories?
USA has already simplified the immigration terms for foreign researchers so that a scientific institute or a university just picks the interested person, fills-in one form and asks for a visa. The sentence “We want this person, he is going to work on our project” is sufficient to obtain almost immediately a three-years-visa from any of the U. S. embassies, with an almost automatic possibility of extension. In the Czech Republic, it is absolutely different. “To obtain a visa requires a bureaucratic war lasting at least one year. It happens too often, that in the moment when everything is finally done, it is already pointless. Skilled and interested people usually ask at different places at a time and so another country will accept them more quickly,” notes dr. Michal Zurovec from the Institute of Entomology and adds: “The state and society is losing with such an approach, for it means that it is only a Ukrainian worker who is coming. We surround ourselves with the Great Wall of the Czech bureaucracy and think that the progress will come by itself.”

THE STORY OF ONE RESEARCHER

“I really like to have foreign researchers in the lab. That’s the only reason why I’m still trying,” explains Dr. Lukes. Last time he felt just like in Kocourkov (stays for a “mad land”) when Sandesh Regmi, 28 from Nepal, showed an interest to work in his laboratory. “The unbelievable “hassle” started. Absurd requirements like that visa application must contain a confirmation that accommodation will be provided for the foreign scientist or Ph. D. student. This must be signed by the dean or director and confirmed by an extract from the land register. Next, we must add an authorized institute charter, then an extraction of the Czech criminal record. Everything must be done twice because we have to apply for both study and work visa,” Dr. Lukes says. Next, the labor bureau has to give consent. “The bureaucrat has no idea what is DNA catenation. How could he know whether any Czech is waiting for this job or not? The American laboratory’s boss does not need to deal with anyone,” laments Dr. Lukes. But let’s return to Sandesh’s story, who wants to study on Leishmania, a parasite responsible for severe diseases in his country and so approached the Faculty of Biology of the University of South Bohemia and the Institute of the Parasitology. A sequence of events reminiscent of the fairy tale “About the hen and the cock” commences.

BUREAUCRATIC BANQUET
When all the necessary documents were put together including super apostled diplomas – specially approved by expensive interpreters from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a few words for 2000,-Czech crowns), Sandesh was accepted for the Ph.D study on the bows of a recommendation letter from an English professor. With all these papers, he visited the Czech consulate in Kathmandu, Nepal. The consulate it self does not process the visa and passed them to Czech Embassy in New Delhi, India. From there the consent of Czech Foreign police for issuing a visa is requested. Four months later, the visa was issued– but only the study one. The embassy didn’t issue the working one since copies of some documents were missing. “All this happened because of misinformation by the consulate employee, for that of course no one is going to be punished” adds Lukes. “But even without this error everything would take almost a year due to official terms. Just a remark! Our officials know two kinds of visas for Ph.D. students- the study and the working one. Thanks to several motivated Czech scientist a law has been passed that allows obtaining both visa at once. It means that the applicant can get a part-time job at an institute or an award from a grant together with the state support for a PhD student ( 5000 Czech crowns/month). One can survive on that.

VISA AT LAST!
The battle hasn’t been won yet. Before issuing the study visa the foreign police asked, whether Sandesh had already been matriculated for regular study. “I was explaining: You’ve got a paper signed by the dean that he was accepted. However, it is illegal to matriculate a student not knowing in which semester he will be able to start his study! The foreign police replied, we wouldn’t issue the visa until he is matriculated. Lukes describes the never-ending story. Finally, the study visa was generously issued and Sandesh arrived”. But what about the working visa? “According to our law it’s possible to ask for it only abroad and only in person at one of the Czech embassies the one in Bratislava was picked up by us. To get there, unfortunately, Slovaks has to issue an entry visa to Sandesh. Thanks to collaboration between the Komenius University, we made it finally through the hassle. It just took another few months and a personal visit was again required. Almost after one year Sandesh finally received also the working visa” says Lukes. After reading this for, the reader probably won’t be surprised that the visas are given to foreigners for one year only and any prolongation means a next series of bureaucratic steps.

NOBODY IS COMING
The result is clear: foreigners are not coming. “Or the third rank at the best, because the first and the second one are rather going to German or Canada,” complains Libor Grubhoffer, the vice-rector of University of South Bohemia. “Well, it’s true that there it’s much worse in Russia, since a scientist Turkmenistan must pay a special fee there. Yet, science is on its knees there!.” Does all these status matter to Czech science? Prague remains attractive for scientists and a number of international meetings take place there. Without the bureaucratic obstacles the second grade would surely be coming and not only to Prague. “We know about an American colleague who wanted to come but in the end gave up,” remembers professor Grubhoffer, “the necessity to apply in person as well as all the bureaucratic requirements have already killed a number of international collaborations in the Czech Republic.”

NO FOREIGNERS, NO PROBLEMS
“A laboratory that has no one from abroad in the team has no problems. I want to do good science, I want it to have as international dimension – besides the fact that the team should be international – and so we have problems,” Lukes says and adds: “Here we are trying to bring the intelligence – and from what else than the brain influx will the society profit. But here we are facing a machinery that doesn’t care whether you are smuggling in a Ukrainian guy for an illegal work or an American professor for a top science!”

HOW TO GET A FOREIGN SCIENTIST HERE?
The lack of foreign scientists is an evergreen issue for Czech Academy of Sciences chair, she does not deny that. “We are trying to simplify the rules within the boundaries of our capabilities,” she says. Multiple discussions with the foreign police lead to an agreement that one document only instead of four approved by a notary, suffice. The change of the law for employment is also being prepared: in collaboration between the Academy and the Czech government. “We hope to achieve that the labor bureau issues a permission to employ a foreign scientists for the Academy regardless of situation on the labor market. And let’s hope this permission will one day be for a longer period than a year.” According to professor Illnerová, the negotiation’s aim is to favor long-term applicants whose stay is of special interest to the Czech Republic – foreign scientists being a prominent group among Tesla. “This practice has already been well established in many countries,” concludes Illnerová.

How employers can attract girls into science education

In September last year, Opportunity 2000 together with Aim High (a Business in the Community campaign to raise educational standards through education/industry links), brought together a group of employers and educationalists to examine how more girls can be persuaded to take up science, engineering and technology careers. Among the 150 delegates there was general agreement that the business case for attracting young women into non-traditional careers is strong.

Two key objectives arose from the day’s discussions. Firstly, stereotypes about what girls and boys can do, need to be challenged in schools – particularly primary schools – and employers, teachers and parents have a role to play in this. Secondly, the image of engineering and science careers, which is still rooted in the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, has to be rectified and improved. But how can these objectives be achieved?

Building closer partnerships between schools and business was identifed as the main way forward. Employers need a clearer understanding of how the education system has changed in recent years (by becoming school governors, for example,) and schools need a better appreciation of the skills required by industry: at this conference numeracy, literacy, IT experience, interpersonal skills, teamworking, project management, problem solving and financial control were the major competences identified. Both parties need to understand where their aims and objectives conflict – employers and schools often hold different views about how much work schools should do, for example, to develop tomorrow’s workforce. Schools and business could work together to:

Develop the curriculum

There are many ways in which employers and schools can work in partnership to develop the quality of science and careers education in the curriculum. Giving talks to school, hosting workplace visits, donating materials and surplus equipment, developing curriculum materials and helping with project work are all valuable activities. Here are a few examples of what some employers have done:
British Airways recently devised a programme in which it designed curriculum materials with local teachers on the key business themes of People at Work, Customer Service and Planning Journeys.
The University of Sunderland, has introduced a “GNVQ curriculum enhancement scheme” which is providing tuition for GNVQ science students in university laboratories one day a week over the two year course. The aim is to equip GNVQ students with the academic base and confidence to progress to higher education in science while keeping up enthusiasm for SET subjects. Because of the broader base of the course content, it is thought that GNVQ may prove a more successful route for getting girls into higher science education in future than traditional A’levels. Of the 14 students on Sunderland’s programme planning to enter higher education, six are girls.
Northampton engineering firm, Express Lifts, sends engineering apprentices into a local primary school to work with teachers on science-based projects. (This year the task is to build an iron man). Apart from improving the quality of science education, the companys says the experience provides useful training and development for apprentices who are responsible, for example, for securing raw materials within the firm, explaining engineering concepts and generally managing the video porno project.
Car manufacturer, Toyota, has invested £1.2 million in science education in the UK by setting up a fund to finance science and technology projects in primary and secondary schools. Grants of between £500 and £1500 are typically used to buy specialist scientific equipment. Each project features a teacher placement with a local business.

Mentor girls and provide more role models

Mentors, which are variously described as advisers, friends and counsellors, are thought to be a useful way of attracting more girls into SET careers as well as involving women already working in non-traditional areas in role-modelling. The Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership runs a mentoring programme involving 110 mentors who are generally employees with large City organisations which aims to make students more aware of the range of career possibilities that now exist in the world of work. Mentors can provide inspiration for young adults as well as practical help on, say, how to prepare a c.v. or how to identify and assess an individual’s range of skills. And they do not have to be employees. Recently graduated women science students and women medical students can also help pupils of all ages in schools. In addition employers such as BP and the University of Sunderland are developing their links with schools by running student tutoring schemes. Under these schemes, undergraduates are sponsored to work in nursery, primary as well as secondary schools to help out, for example, on science projects. These projects help raise the level of science education in school and, where they involve female undergraduates, provide role models for girls of all ages. (See Chartwell Land case study).

Develop teachers science and careers knowledge

Employers can play a major role in helping teachers get a better understanding of the world of science, engineering and techology. Teacher placements, which may involve workshadowing senior women managers, are one way forward. For these to be successful though, there must be careful planning and objective-setting. (See the BT case study.)

Raise the priority given to career education

Employers and educationalists generally recognise that careers education (developing the individual’s knowledge and understanding of skills and self) and careers guidance (helping individuals apply their knowledge and skills to make the right career and subject choices) can have a significant influence on students’ career decisions. Employers can help improve the quality of careers education and guidance by holding industry days and career events, providing work simulation opportunities and helping with interview and c.v. preparation. (See the British Gas, Adwest, Insight and Ford case studies.)
Improve the quality of work experience

Although there are concerns that given current pressures on organisations to reduce staffing levels, opportunities for work experience are declining, work experience is recognised by employers as a good opportunity to raise their profile with potential employees and change girls’ attitudes to SET careers. (See Sainsbury’s case study.)

Other observations

Apart from working in closer partnership with schools, the conference also felt that employers could explore a number of other avenues in a bid to attract more women into SET careers. In one organisation, creative thinking in the recruitment department has resulted in languages graduates being recruited into IT positions where they are enjoying considerable success. Indeed some employers thought re-labelling, say, information technology and calling it communications technology might help pupils, parents and teachers to re-think their attitudes to careers in this areas and may more accurately reflect the nature of the work involved. Few companies, it seems, are working to change girls’ attitudes to SET careers in primary schools even though, as we saw in Chapter 2, girls’ alienation from science often begins very early in their school careers. Comparatively few companies too have a strategic approach to their work in schools and colleges. Initiatives tend to be ad hoc and concentrated on only one or two activities. The Aim High campaign promotes a “best practice” model incorporating “10 Pathways to Achievement” which show the most effective ways for business, schools, colleges and universities to work together.
Conclusion

In this booklet we have examined three key issues in the debate about how to attract more girls in science subjects and more young women into SET careers. We’ve seen how women have become an increasingly large and well educated group in the workforce and why the business case for recruiting more young women into science has grown more powerful. We’ve noted girls’ strong academic performance in science subjects from 5 to 16 years and put forward some possible reasons for their rejection of science subjects, particularly hard science subjects, after GCSE level. Finally, we’ve looked at what employers can do to attract more girls into science education and recorded some of the concerns expressed and issues raised by employers about the way forward in forging industry and education links.
But as we stated earlier, the issues highlighted and the initiatives described here are by no means definitive or exhaustive. Our aim is to stimulate debate among all interested parties and we are keen to receive feedback from any individual or organisation who has comments to make about any of the points made in this booklet. Our intention is then to incorporate some of these responses in a more comprehensive booklet which will be published later this year. We would like to hear especially from those who know of any innovative work which is being carried out by employers and schools to attract more girls and young women into science. We would also like to hear from any organisation which has or is conducting research in this area. We also invite comment on some of the issues raised in the booklet and draw readers’ attention to the following questions:

Do you believe action should be taken to redress the balance of men and women in SET careers?

Why do you think girls remain under-represented in SET subjects after the age of 16 and how can their representation be improved?

Are the new balanced science courses at GCSE, which incorporate elements of all three main sciences, a block to studying separate sciences at A’level? If so, why, and what can be done to tackle this issue?

Are the new GNVQ qualifications in science subjects more appealing to girls than traditional A’ levels? To what extent are they accepted by universities for admission to science degrees?

Would you welcome moves to create more modular science and engineering degree courses, with elective options, and would are these more attractive to young women students?

Employers want schools to develop students’ personal (e.g. teambuilding, communication) skills as well as their science subject knowledge. Universities and professional institutions appear more interested in subject-specific knowledge and skills. To what extent do the demands and objectives of employers, schools, universities and professional institutes conflict and how can these be squared?

Passivity in the Workplace

In addition to our tendency to inadequately empathize, assuming similar past experiences is another common tendency. In our minds, all our past experiences become similar to everyone else’s, and we don’t customarily imagine, say, a victim of abuse or neglect or some other heinous criminal act as standing or sitting right there beside us, quietly keeping that traumatic experience from becoming known. On the flip side of that notion, we don’t customarily imagine the possibility of some deviant individual standing or sitting right there beside us, working hard at gaining your trust, say, to take advantage of that later. Note that this is not an issue of paranoia; this is about possibility. You’re a professional; thinking in terms of possibility is part of your job now. Forget about what is probably true. You must now consider the BIG picture

….people often distort their thoughts about reality in order to make themselves feel more comfortable or happier. — (Norman) Stuart Sutherland, Irrationality: Why We Don’t Think Straight!, 1992.

People like to kid themselves.
— Detlof von Winterfeldt and Ward Edwards, Decision Analysis and Behavioral Research, 1993.

It is now time to turn your brain on and start recognizing possibility over probability. Billions of personalities in our world, with only one — yours — to comprehend them.

II. Policy and Procedure

Three problems plague the workplace:

• Rules that don’t take into account certain, specific possibilities

• Employees — superiors and subordinates — who either just don’t try imagining or simply choose to disregard alternate possibilities other than those currently addressed

• No means in place by which an alternate possibility or exception could be discreetly suggested and appreciated


A. Rules that don’t take into account certain, specific possibilities 
There is an exception to every rule … almost. You should always be suspicious of any rule written without at least one exception, because it more than likely sanctions or dictates some course of action that should be avoided in some particular situation. What happens if … or in the case of …? Brainstorm to eliminate all possible irrational consequences that could result from a poorly thought out rule before one surprises you some day.

We inhibit learning when we view people as machine-like, suggesting that they follow instructions like a machine, and force them to justify behavior exclusively in terms of previously articulated plans…. People do not simply plan and do. They continuously adjust and invent. Managing this process means managing learning, not managing application of a plan.
William J Clancey, “Practice Cannot be Reduced to Theory: Knowledge, Representations, and Change in the Workplace,” 1995, in Organizational Learning and Technological Change, by S Bagnara, C. Zuccermaglio and S. Stucky (Editors); papers from the NATO Workshop held September 22-26, 1992 in Siena, Italy.

B. Employees — subordinates and superiors — who either just don’t try imagining or simply choose to disregard alternate possibilities other than those currently addressed 
EMPLOYEES! Don’t let your personal mood interfere with your professional outlook. Don’t make excuses and perform according to how you “feel” or according to “what the policy is,” but aspire to take a step back, analyze the situation and consider the possibility for an exception to the rule. What is the right thing to do here? ..the responsible thing to do? ..any safety concerns? ..quality of life issues? Learn to CARE. You may not always be able to empathize depending on your own personal prior experiences, but you can still IMAGINE possibilities.

We lead our lives day-to-day, typically, in a relaxed, easy state. Our thoughts revolve around information picked up by our senses and analyzed in a cognitive manner or style shaped by our experiences and influenced by our personal emotional attitudes. This is passive thinking.

Passive thinking finds no safe place among professional decision makers. Professional decision makers have learned how to brainstorm and use their imaginative abilities to the utmost in the way of arriving at unforeseen solutions. They recognize their own personal attitudes and beliefs and disallow those thoughts from shaping or influencing professional decisions constituting their own individual responsibility. Instead, they stick to the tried and true scientific method of formulating hypotheses and conducting carefully controlled experiments to test their validity.

Professional decision makers don’t expect good ideas to just “happen.” They search for them, create them, imagine every possible contingency surrounding them and prepare for them before they even practically exist.

Similarly, professional decision makers don’t expect themselves to be immune to bad ideas or erroneous thinking. We’re all human; we all make mistakes. But professional decision makers know how to study their ideas to root out the bad ones so as to safeguard themselves and others from possible unwanted or undesirable consequences. The idea is to rack your mind and use your imaginative and analytical capabilities to the fullest to recognize all the possibilities and discover what other possible approaches there may be so that you can compare and contrast their feasibilities, pros and cons before trying to do something that you may later regret.

There is nothing magical going on here. Just self-discipline and putting your own mind to work even when you don’t want to, doing what you have to do to get a job done … professionally. It centers on CARING about what you do and how well you do it: caring for all those who will be affected by your decision, before you decide to implement it.

C. No means in place by which an alternate possibility or exception could be discreetly suggested and appreciated.

Quality never comes easy. Professional decision-making entails a lot of hard work that cannot possibly be accomplished by any single person in every single situation. In most cases, it entails a formidable job for even a group of dedicated individuals and over a very lengthy period of time. Although optimal solutions may take some time to arrive at good, safe, viable solutions can usually be found which can be improved upon in time, assuming that we will later possess the ability and motivation to do film porno gratis so.

But how can you ever hope to find that optimal solution if you stifle creativity among your subordinates? Ideas can hide in the most inaccessible places sometimes, well beyond your imaginative reach. Listen to and consider other perspectives! If you cannot prove that some particular idea bears no further scrutiny, allow for that possibility, regardless of your own personal beliefs or attitude. Appreciate and encourage all suggestions. You’re gonna’ get an outstanding one some day!

As true as that may be, still you must recognize a possibility for some timidity among the personalities in your gang. Even if they all seem to be outspoken individuals, certainly at times some things shouldn’t be blared out for everyone to overhear. The means of communicating ideas (and complaints!) should be a discreet — and anonymous — one if so desired.

Speech recognition heads to portable media players

The structure of applications follows the type of user interface used. The first interactive apps in PC-DOS days were text-based console apps. An application would ask the user a set of questions, one at a time, ending with the ubiquitous Are you sure? Y/N. A poor user who mis-typed an item would press N, and have to fill in the list all over again.

GUIs gave the initiative to the users, who could fill in (or not) fields in any order. Validation could occur on each item as it was entered. A big step forward, if you had a PC handy.
VUIs (voice user interfaces) are a whole different animal. In a VUI you must activate the grammar before you ask the question. It must contain all the possible answers. This complicates the user interface because some data values are open-ended. Consider getting a mailing address from the user.

The State is easy; there is a fixed set of them. Zip code is more open-ended but there is still an underlying pattern (5 digit number in the US, AlphaNumAlpha-NumAlphaNum in Canada) that can be used to create a grammar.

Street addresses are completely open-ended. It has, if you’ll pardon the pun, a large address space.

Heres a sampling:
1. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave is the longest street in Albuquerque
2. Ho Road in Carefree, AZ meets Hum Rd at the corner of Ho and Hum pic
3. Akaaka Street is in Oahu
4. not to mention the dreaded Welsh names like Gwernymynydd
The only feasible approach for getting a street address is divide-and-conquer. Ask the zip code first and then, using census data, have grammars for every zip code. Suddenly, your simple feature of getting the callers address requires determining every street name in the country! As discussed before, this is a perfect job for third-party speech objects.

The structure of speech application code reflects this issue. Much of the validation code of GUIs now becomes grammar generation code that runs at the start of the dialog. When the speech dialog ends, theres not much validation to do since the user was picking from lists that we generated. Of course, dynamic grammar generation creates problems its own: caching and avoiding unnecessary grammar reloads.

Apps that do well in an everything is a listbox world are ones that already know about the user. Existing customers call in, enter an account number, and the app already knows their phone numbers, address, GPS co-ordinates.

Two US firms have outlined ambitious plans to enable users to talk to their digital media players instructing them what they want to hear next.

Music library firm Gracenote has teamed up with Scansoft to offer a control system that hopes to give people hands-free access to their digital music collection on the move and make the need for thumbs a thing of the past.

“Voice command-and-control unlocks the potential of devices that can store large digital music collections,” said Ross Blanchard, vice president of business development for Gracenote.

“These applications will radically change the car entertainment experience, allowing drivers to enjoy their entire music collections without ever taking their hands off the steering wheel,” he added.

If the Gracenote name sounds familiar its because it currently provides music library information and ID3 tagging for millions of different albums for music download services such as Apple’s iTunes and Windows Media Player.

“Speech is a natural fit for today’s consumer devices, particularly in mobile environments, and the increasing portability of large libraries of music and video files make speech a necessary interface for safety and convenience for entertainment devices,” stated Alan Schwartz, vice president of SpeechWorks, a division of ScanSoft.
“Pairing our voice technologies with Gracenote’s vast music and video database will bring the benefits of speech technologies to a host of consumer devices and enable people to access their media in ways they’ve never imagined.”

Targeted products include car entertainment, portable media players and home entertainment devices such as media servers. The companies estimate that fully-integrated porno mexicano solutions for hardware and software platforms will be available in the fourth quarter of 2005.

However the companies have not commented on which players will be using the new software.

Example UI Spec: Text Instant Messages

Users can send each other Sound Instant Messages, which are short sounds that have meanings associated with them. (The sounds are currently being designed.) To send a SIM, the user taps the name of the person they wish to contact, and that person’s Bub screen appears. This page provides some information about this bub as shown, namely their full name, their Sound ID (which users can tap to play), and whatever awareness information is available. In addition, it shows the SIM icons. [Can we have a “Sounds turned off” indicator on this page when the person is muted or blocking sounds from this person?] To send this bub a SIM, the user taps the associated icon. When they do so, if the sound reaches the server (other person?), it plays back to this user so they know the sound was sent. [Does this mean it may not reach the bub even if this user hears it play back? Did we decide to require an acknowledgement or not?] When the user sends a sound, the recipient hears first the sender’s Sound ID followed by the SIM. (Note that this is the opposite of the awareness sounds, which play before the SID.) In addition, they see a visual alert of the message. Figure P5 shows what it looks like for Walendo when Nancy sends him the SIM “Ready?”. The alert in the header area alternates between the two images for five seconds. Note that Walendo could be on any screen in Hubbub and he would see this alert. [We need to Figure Pout if there are any exceptions to this.] Possibly for Version 2: If the user taps on the flashing alert, then they are taken to that bub’s screen so they can quickly reply to the SIM with a SIM.
Header area alternates between two images for 5 seconds. If the recipient happens to be mute, the visual alert still flashes but the sound does not play. In addition, an error sound plays on the sender’s device instead of the sound and the “Sounds turned off” text flashes off and on for [5] seconds. [Maybe we play a very short beep-type sound to tell them just that a message came in so they look at the screen, but don’t play the sound.] If the recipient is blocking all sounds from the sender, then they do not receive the visual alert or the sound. The sender sees the same “Sounds turned off” message flashing. There is no way for the sender to tell the difference between someone who always keeps their device muted and someone who is blocking their sounds. (Over time, we expect users to Figure Pout that the visual indicator still plays if they’re mute but not blocked, so they can have conversations even when one person wants to keep their device quiet. But there is plausible deniability if someone is blocking a bub when they don’t respond because it’s easy not to know about the sound if you’re not looking at the device.)

As mentioned in the next section, if a user tries to send a sound or text message to a bub who is offline, a window appears telling them that the bub is offline and asking if they want to send a message through email. See explanation in the TIMs section. In the case of trying to send a sound message, the text area would start out blank, since we can’t send sound messages through email.

Hubbub provides a log of the last 5 SIMs to arrive. This might be useful if theuser hears a sound but isn’t able to identify the sound and doesn’t look at the screen fast enough to see the flashing message. Or they may have muted Hubbub and had their attention elsewhere, but they can still find out the most recent messages to arrive. To see the log, users tap the “Last msgs” button from the main screen. [It would be nice if you could tap one of those items in the list to go to that person’s Bub page so you could easily respond without having to navigate your way to them. Let’s try to get this in if we can.]

We expect that people will want to create new SIMs once they get the hang of using the ones we provide. We are still working out our plans for supporting this activity.

Users can also send each other Text Instant Messages (TIMs), which are equivalent to the instant messages of such programs as AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Pager, ICQ, Excite PAL, etc. The difference is that the users can send these messages between wireless Palms or between computer desktops and Palms.

To initiate a text message, the user taps on the name of the person from the Hubbub main screen. To start an instant message, the user types a message into the text area at the bottom of the screen and taps “Send.” If the other person is accepting text messages from this person, the Text Message screen appears on the user’s screen.

Each time a user send a message, that message appears at the bottom of the scrolling area and the rest of the conversation scrolls up. The user’s comments are in regular type and the other person’s comments are in bold. The header of a TIM indicates the time at which the conversation was initiated, it does not update with each new contribution.

Users can also send Sound Instant Messages as part of their text messages.
To do so, they tap the menu button at the bottom left of the screen to bring up the SIM menu, as shown in Figure P8b. If the user has created their own sound messages, then those appear in the menu as well. When a user sends a sound message, the sound plays for both of them, and the icon for that message appears in-line in the text, on its own line followed by the label and preceded by the name of the sender (seen in P8a).

To save on memory, the TIM screen does not retain a history of all the messages in a given conversation. Instead, the last 100 messages (from either person) are available, but if the user tries to scroll back beyond that, the messages are no longer available. To end a conversation, the user taps the Done button. They are returned to the main screen, showing whatever group was last displayed.

When a user receives a text message, the incoming text message sound plays followed by the sound of the person sending the message. In addition, the text message window automatically displays on their screen except for a few cases. Namely, if they are already in a conversation with someone else, then the newly created conversation appears in the IM menu and the number next to the menu changes to reflect the new conversation, but the screen does not switch to the new message. To see the new conversation, the user pulls down the menu and switches to it. The other exception is when the user has a blocking popup on their screen. These appear when the user is in the middle of some action and needs to provide input to complete it, e.g. adding a user, changing the name of a group. In this situation, the sounds play when the message arrives, and as soon as the user closes the popup, the incoming message appears. [Might be better to give it something like two seconds so they can see that whatever they were doing took effect before being moved off. We’ll probably need to tweak this behavior, since it’s very annoying to have things happen when you’re in the middle of something else.] Each time the person sends a new message to an existing conversation, just the TIM sound plays (without the Sound ID of that person). [Maybe you hear the SID if you’re not looking at that window, or maybe SIDs only announce new conversations. We could also do something to show which message has unseen contributions, e.g. make that name in the menu bold, to help you Figure out which message to look at next.]

The TIM screen provides information about the other person’s focus and activity in their TIM window with this user. Specifically, an icon to the right of the bub’s name indicates which of three states they are in: (a) typing in this IM window, (b) viewing or has focus in this IM window but is not typing, and (c) not viewing (Palm) or does not have focus (desktop) in their window for this exchange. As the other person switches between different states, the icon updates to reflect this information.  This TIM activity indicator enables people to coordinate their conversation, which is bound to be punctuated by pauses given the speed at which people can write on the Palm. Users can interpret whether the long pause is because the other person is composing a long response or because they’re busy doing something else, and then adjust accordingly.
Users can have more than one conversation active at once. The menu in the upper right shows that this user has three such conversations active. The number the the left to the menu also indicates the number of active IMs. (If there is only one active IM, however, no number appears, since a 1 is more likely to be confusing than helpful.) To switch among the conversations, the user taps the menu and selects another one. Alternatively, the user can put the current conversation “on hold” by tapping the “Hold” button, which brings the user back to the main screen but keeps this conversation “active.” (This is the equivalent of moving focus to another window in the desktop world.) Being active means that it still appears in the IM menu, the history of messages in that exchange (up to 100) is retained, the IM icon appears with the bub’s entry on the main screen (see the listing for Ellen), and the timestamp for the conversation continues to show the time the exchange began. (The icon next to the user’s name on the main window is the same icon used to indicate the bub’s activity in their TIM window and it updates on the main screen just as it does on that IM window.) In addition, if there are any active IMs, the main screen has an IM button at the bottom of the window, regardless of which group they’re looking at. Tapping that takes the user back to the IM window showing the last IM they were in. If there are no active IMs, this button does not appear. (This is intended to make it quicker to get back to an IM even if the user is not looking at the group that contains their current IM partner.)

When the user returns to the conversation, everything appears as it did before, with perhaps additional messages at the bottom if the bub has entered any. If the user wants to end the conversation, they tap the “Done” button on the IM window. (This is the equivalent of closing an IM window in the desktop world.) The conversation no longer appears in the menu and there is no way to “get back to it.” However, note that the other person may not have “closed” their end of the IM. If they send a new message, the recipient experiences that as a new conversation being started from that person, with a new initiation time and no history of previous messages.
If the user tries to send a text (or sound) message to someone who is offline, then a window pops up. Since the would only get the screen if they had already typed a message into the text field first, that message is provided in the text area so the user can either send it as is, or modify it and then send it by tapping the Send button. When it arrives in the recipient’s inbox, the Subject is “Hubbub message from {Bubname}.” Since the message must be short, the interface allows only 512 characters. If the user tries to write more, the character is not echoed and the interface beeps. [Note: if scrolling doesn’t come for free on this screen, then the message can be only as long as this interface allows, which is about 170 characters. We will not implement scrolling just for this window.] If the user taps Cancel, then they are returned to that Bub’s Bub screen.