Since its inception in 1977, the Star Wars narratives have accumulated a large following. By adopting a transmedia strategy, he has provided his fandom with a truly immersive experience that spawned a unique subculture. While many look to the film franchise for childhood reminiscences and fast-paced plot constructions, some of us discovered enlightening public relations advice from Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Here are some of them:

The first lesson to be learned from Obi-Wan is the importance of empathy for a public relations practitioner. We, as PR professionals, must be able to abandon confirmatory biases in order to analyze situations from the perspective of different stakeholders.

The mission of public relations is to build a mutually beneficial relationship between different stakeholders by managing interests. Without the ability to consider from the points of view of different parties, certain stakeholder groups can be defrauded and thus lay the groundwork for future conflict.

Change is the only constant; the future is difficult to predict. However, one of the most exciting parts of public relations is also forecasting trends and preparing for what may happen.

Rapid changes in media consumption patterns and technological advances add to the challenge. It’s the same speed that takes unsuspecting professionals and agencies out of their game and even renders some obsolete. The courage to embrace change is the key to survival and success. You need to be constantly on top of the latest industrial developments, consumer trends, and strengthen your arsenal with the latest skills.

Yoda’s advice to Obi-Wan serves as a reminder that everyone never takes things at face value and always has a clear mind. Regardless of how busy we are, being a professional means never compromising on standards and work ethics.

Instead of just waiting for the ideal, we always get ahead of ourselves and prepare for the worst with contingency plans. It also helps to have a clear mind when analyzing facts and situations. When faced with a cluttered mind, always take a breath before diving into tasks.

Last but not least, Yoda also teaches an important public relations lesson on decision making and integrity. When a choice or decision must be made, it must be based on ethics and integrity. Always playing devil’s advocate, the best of publicists must always remember that we are not crowd pleasers, nor are we mere mouthpieces. Always choose to err on the right side (did I say light?).

In short, regardless of whether you are a Warsie or not, there is always something for everyone to learn from the hidden nuggets of wisdom throughout the Star Wars journey. As long as we are sure that we have learned everything necessary, always remember it.

“Much to learn, you still have”

IoT complexity to lead to a security vulnerability

According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index (VNI), it is predicted that there will be around 26 billion devices connected to the IP network by 2020. With the Internet of Things (IoT) reaching the levels of enterprise networks, government systems and user phones generally in such a large-scale security vulnerability will continue to affect these connected devices. Due to the complexity of protocols and standards, the absence of trained resources to manage the IoT environment, low-quality products with vulnerable security measures, and intricate architectures, IoT devices have already been attacked by hackers, which is predicted worse in 2017. In fact, organizations are not yet equipped enough to check even their popular applications for malware, leading to DDoS attacks and even providing an entry point into company networks for APT and ransomware .

The way forward: The battle will be won by those who can protect their IoT devices with custom solutions.

Cloud security to gain prominence

Security breaches in the cloud have prevented many organizations from adopting cloud computing for a long time. However, this year you may see a reverse pattern and cloud security is expected to gain prominence in the IT ecosystem. Cloud security certifications, such as Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK), Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), and Certified Cloud Security Practitioner (CCSP), provide a sense of refuge to organizations planning to join the computing train in Cloud. In addition, the industry in general is considered to share best practices and advice on how to safely embark on cloud integration. With organizations gaining confidence in deploying the cloud, as well as their on-premises solutions, cloud adoption is expected to increase in the next year. However, the rate of acceleration would depend entirely on strengthening cloud security practices and curbing security breaches in the cloud.

The way forward: Investing in cloud security as a service would make sense for businesses, as it will help minimize security breaches, while reducing the costs of purchasing and maintaining firewalls.

Ransomware and malware everywhere

Malware attacks have become sophisticated over the years as they continue to transform, going beyond the defenses offered by most antivirus products and security vendors. As companies are seen to embrace telecommuting, introducing wearable devices, and connecting the dispersed workforce through IoT-enabled devices, attackers are also expected to use the technology to gain access to business networks through employee devices and hacking into the system. Mobile malware could be one of the top issues in 2017 that companies would need to proactively address. In fact, a mobile data breach can cost a business around $ 26 million, according to a study by Lookout, a mobile security company, and Ponemon Institute, an independent research company focused on privacy, data protection and information security. In addition, with the proliferation of 4G and 5G services and the increase in Internet bandwidth, mobile devices may witness an increased vulnerability to DDoS attacks.

Along with malware, ransomware will continue to evolve over the next year as well. Ransomware attacks on the cloud and critical servers may witness an increase, as hackers would keep organizations hard-pressed to part with the amount of extortion or face the risk of shutting down an entire operation. However, such payments may not even guarantee companies the future security of their data or even the recovery of their current data.

The way forward: stop being held for ransom. Protect your devices and servers with custom security solutions.

Automation to bridge the skills gap

Finding skilled IT resources will continue to be a major issue for the industry, and with it, new methods of closing this gap are also expected to emerge. One of the main trends expected this year would be the use of automation to perform certain tasks, especially those that are repetitive or redundant. This would help IT professionals to focus on important tasks and companies to get the most out of their workforce.

The way forward: Implementing the right automation solution will help IT professionals gain instant access to any malicious threats instead of manually searching for breaches.

Secure SDLC, the way forward

Although testing is considered an important part of application security, it is often relegated to a later stage in code development. In the absence of regulations or industry standards, companies are often seen as adopting their own methods when it comes to coding, concentrating on developing codes quickly rather than securely.

The current process for the software development life cycle (SDLC) with its five main phases: design, development (coding), testing, implementation and maintenance, has a significant deficiency of testing that is done at a later stage. Security vulnerabilities are generally verified using methods such as the pencil test at a time when the solution is almost ready to be released. This could make the system susceptible to attack by any code that remains unchecked. In the coming year, the industry is expected to take another step forward by adopting Secure-SDLC (sSDLC) to circumvent these issues. With sSDLC, code changes will be automatically analyzed and developers will be notified immediately in case of any vulnerabilities. This will help educate developers on bugs and make them security conscious. Additionally, providers will also be able to prevent vulnerabilities and minimize hacking incidents.

The way forward: Moving to secure SDLC will help companies get the code right from the start, saving time and costs in the long run.

MSP will continue to be the need of the hour

The Managed Service Provider (MSP) was adopted to help companies manage their hosted applications and infrastructure, and many predicted that with the implementation of the cloud, it could become redundant. However, over time, MSP has been seen to remain a central element of many business services. While most companies have moved to the cloud, many companies with critical applications are unable to bring their infrastructure into the cloud ecosystem due to compliance or regulatory issues. These still need to be managed and maintained.

Additionally, deploying and managing mixed, cloud and on-premises environments requires a mature skill set. MSP not only helps provide the correct guidance, but even helps companies choose the right hosting, taking into account the company’s budget and prevailing industry regulations and security policies.

The way forward: MSP is expected to go beyond managing the IT environment. Such vendors can become a business extension for companies to advise on policy and process management.

Threat intelligence to become strategic and collaborative

According to the EY Global Information Security Survey, while organizations are seen to be making progress in the way they detect and resist cyberattacks and today’s threats, considerable improvements are still needed to deal with sophisticated attacks. For example, 86 percent of those who responded to the survey stated that their cybersecurity role did not fully meet the needs of their organization. Growing threats, increased cybercrime, geopolitical clashes, and terrorist attacks are expected to continue to drive organizations to develop their approach to being resilient against cyber attacks.

Incorporating cybersecurity strategy into business processes can also become an important component. Microsoft, for example, recently unveiled its $ 1 billion investment plans to implement a new integrated security strategy across its entire portfolio of products and services.

The way forward: Cybersecurity can no longer be approached in isolation by one business. Companies must address the problem by working collaboratively, sharing best practices, and creating war programs.

Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to express themselves by sending messages to their followers in 140 characters or less. Twitter for public use was launched in July 2006 and since then, they now have 145 million users, who tweet 1 billion messages per month! Twitter is an incredible social media phenomenon that artists can use to boost and rate their art business.

This article is for artists who want to expand their social media engagement with Twitter and are unsure how to use Twitter to their advantage. The following are Twitter recommendations for artists and what not to do on Twitter:

What to do on Twitter for artists

1. Make sure you fill out the profile section completely and make sure you have an active link to your company website.

2. Have a good photo of yourself or your logo. Do not use the default icon that Twitter will provide. Better yet, whatever graphics, logo or image you use for Facebook or for your website, you will use it for Twitter as part of your branding.

3. Use the search function (with keywords related to art) and follow influential people in the art business. Don’t be offended if they don’t follow you when you start, as you are not an influencer yet.

4. Make sure you are an active user by tweeting a minimum of 3 times a day (all at different times of the day) and tweeting no more than 10 posts a day. More then this and it becomes annoying for your followers.

5. Try to develop connections and relationships with people instead of advertising, promotions and spam. People will unfollow spammers all the time.

6. When you read an interesting post, share it with your followers with a retweet (similar to forwarding an email). When someone retweets one of your posts, send them a direct message and thank them for the retweet. They will remember you and follow you more closely thanks to your attention.

7. Start a free Social Oomph account as they have an auto reply feature that should be used to automatically thank a person when they go online and follow you. It is an opportunity to tell a little about yourself and your art without having to type it every time.

8. Purge your list of people you follow but don’t follow. Try to keep the ratio of your followers to the number of people you are following. The reason for this is that Twitter allows you to start having 2000 followers. If you had 100 followers and were following 2,000 people, Twitter will flag your account as someone who is shaking up your account and using the site to distribute spam. You can find out who is not following you if you don’t have the ability to send them direct messages.

9. Allow to customize the background page as a Twitter user to do so. This is a great opportunity not only to stand out on Twitter but also to be able to provide more information about yourself, your website and your art, which does not fit in your official profile section. Unfortunately, hot links are not allowed in this area.

10. Be upbeat, positive, and helpful to your followers. Remember, this is a tool used to develop relationships and contacts related to the art business. Share it and become a valuable part of this incredible interactive medium.

What artists should not do on Twitter

1. Don’t just send posts and announcements about the sale of your work to your followers. That is considered spam and will cause people to stop following you. Submit interesting posts related to the art world and people will look forward to your Tweets.

2. Don’t send negative or offensive Tweets. People will also stop following you because of this. Remember, this is called social media and you want to follow an upbeat and positive person. Be one!

3. Don’t use offensive words and phrases. It’s just not acceptable and remember it’s available for everyone to see (even if you delete / delete on your page, it’s still there on everyone else’s pages. Think twice before submitting.

4. Don’t go overboard with Tweets. If you send an excessive amount, it will be annoying for your followers and they will eventually unfollow you.

5. Don’t forget to give the original person credit for a retweet. Remember, it is social media and by giving credit, you are also helping to promote your business. Turning around is fair game and they will do the same for you.

6. Don’t ignore direct messages. Respond immediately; otherwise, it is similar to not recognizing and responding to someone’s email. Also, do not use the direct message feature to spam, sell, or solicit business.

7. Do not tweet personal information about yourself or others. This is a networking tool and you are trying to build relationships, not gossip. Don’t ruin your reputation by revealing personal information and details about yourself or someone else.

8. Don’t ask or beg your followers to retweet your posts. If by chance the post was an emergency, such as a kidnapping, natural disaster, or emergency, it would be appropriate to request that the post be retweeted.

9. Don’t Tweet that you just unfollowed someone. People don’t care about this information and Twitter is not for that purpose.

10. Don’t have rules that people must follow if they are going to follow you. People just won’t want to follow you. Try to fit in and be part of a crowd. Someone once wrote that to be effective on Twitter, you have to think of it as a cocktail. When you attend that party, you need to introduce yourself, meet that person, and then mingle with the other guests. In other words, be sociable and get to know everyone at the party as much as possible.

I’ve always thought of social media like Twitter as incredible tools that give you the opportunity to meet, interact, and meet people that you might not otherwise meet in any other situation. Think of Twitter as a regular networking event where you will meet new people and have to behave in the best way to make a good impression on someone who can promote your art business. Anything you do in person at a networking event, you do online on Twitter.

Twitter has a great help section they call Twitter Basics. It’s an easy read, but it answers most of your questions about how to maneuver and leverage Twitter to your advantage.

What a very, very special time of year. So many things to get excited about; Christmas wishes filled with excitement for new toys, new games, a new home. Everything is very exciting. Weeeeee.

I was sitting here thinking and talking to the angels this morning, and they told me it was time to give you a very, very, special gift. They said they’ve been watching and they just know the time is right. Now you are five years old and this is a good time for you to discover the magic key that unlocks your super power!

So sit quietly with me for a minute and let’s see if we can find it. This key lives within you. You can imagine what your key looks, smells, tastes and feels like. When you discover the key within you, you will be able to unlock your SUPER POWER and your MAGIC.

So let’s get started: close your eyes and think about how much you love your mom, dad, and little brother. Keep thinking about it … do you see a picture in your mind? How does it look? Does it look like Mommy’s smile, Daddy’s eyes, or your brother’s dimples? Its a color?

____________________________________________________________________________.

Keep thinking and seeing your love … Does love smell like something? Does it smell like mom’s hair, daddy’s face, brother’s hands?

____________________________________________________________________________.

You’re doing a great job, now let’s see if love tastes of anything? Does it taste like a chocolate shake, popcorn, or waffle?

____________________________________________________________________________.

It’s not fair to keep your eyes closed for a few more seconds, you’re doing it, you’re almost finding the key. Does love feel like something? Is it a tingling in the stomach, a glowing sensation at the tip of the nose or on the top of the head, a warm sensation in the heart?

____________________________________________________________________________.

Sit there for a few more seconds and see if you can make the feeling even stronger, more delicate, brighter, and warmer. Energize those feelings as much as possible! PERFECT … Now shoot that energy like a blast of bright light to all people everywhere, don’t forget to send something to mom, dad and brother. WOW WOW WOW I felt it! Your love energy is so powerful!

You did it! You did it! You found the KEY to unlock your Super Power!

You remembered the magic!

That feeling of love that lives inside your belly, your heart and your head is the key to your super power. You can share this power with everyone, anywhere and at any time. It works best when you or someone you see is feeling sad, angry, tired, or sick.

I’ll tell you a secret … shhhh, don’t tell anyone, this is also my secret super power, this is how I do my magic. I think about you and how much I love you and I use that feeling, the vibration and the energy of that love and share it with those who need it. I’m so happy that you activated your super power. Don’t forget to send out the bright and explosive light of love whenever you get the chance.

When it comes to headphones, Bose has the best quality hardware money can buy. Of course, they are not the cheapest. But if you’re a true headphone nerd (yes, these actually exist), then you might want to consider saving up to buy some headphones from Bose. It’s not that Bose always has the best sound quality on the planet, it’s more that Bose can store high-quality audio in smaller spaces than its competition. This makes Bose headphones the lightest option you have when it comes to headphones for your television.

Bose headphones come in various models. Take, for example, their top-notch model, the QuietComfort series of headphones. These are very expensive, especially when it comes to headphones. It’s over $ 300. By most people’s standards, it’s a rib coming out of your rib cage. But a good pair of headphones from Bose doesn’t necessarily have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are also cheaper ones under $ 200. These are the AE2 and OE2 models. These aren’t as fancy as the QuietComfort models, but they’re still pretty good.

If you have the money to spend and want the best of Bose, you should definitely go for the QuietComfort models. These have absolutely impressive noise cancellation capabilities. Not only can you wear them while watching TV, but you can also wear them while on a plane. Even when you turn the volume on your iPod all the way down to half … QuietComfort models will still deliver crystal clear audio. The best thing about QuietComforts is that they are wireless. Depending on the model you choose, it will have a battery life of 25 or 35 hours. That’s enough for most air travel, isn’t it?

The most affordable model, the EA2, also gives you great audio quality for your money. The problem with the EA2 models is that they exaggerate the bass a bit. This means that bass sounds will be emphasized quite a bit in whatever type of music you listen to. Keep this in mind before purchasing an EA2. The EA2 also comes with a microphone and remote volume controller. This is the EA2i model. The remote volume controller only works with Apple hardware. So if you’re not an Apple fan, there aren’t many reasons to choose the EA2i over the EA2. Unless, of course, you really want that built-in mic.

In January 1994, two Stanford University Electrical Engineering graduate students created a website called “David and Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web.” Jerry Yang and David Filo created this website as a directory for other websites on the Internet. Their website offered a list of links that, when a keyword was entered, the one with the most visits appeared first. This new process was organized by popularity rather than searching a page index that could take several minutes and in some cases even hours to find the information you were looking for. Therefore, the way search engines worked on the Internet changed forever.

Before the end of 1994, Filo and Yang’s website had received more than a million visits. Seeking a more attractive name for their now popular website, the couple changed the name in April 1994 to “Yahoo!” Filo and Yang liked the general definition of the word, which came from an imaginary race of people in Jonathan Swift’s classic novel “Gulliver’s Travels.” These “Yahoo!” characters embodied many negative traits, such as being rude, rude, and unsophisticated. The founders thought this term better fit their new form of search engine, as it was so unconventional compared to other search engines of the early 1990s. On January 18, 1994 the name was made official. domain yahoo.com.

Since the trademark name “Yahoo” was used by many companies for products such as knives, jet skis, and barbecue sauce, the two decided to use an exclamation point in the name. Unfortunately, the exclamation point is generally left out of the end of the name when referring to Yahoo! as it has become a household name.

Yang and Filo soon realized that with over a million views to their credit, Yahoo! it had enormous business potential. Yahoo! was incorporated on March 2, 1995. Once the company obtained two rounds of venture capital from Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital for the sum of $ 3 million in April 1995, the search engine was up and running. The company soon went public at $ 13.00 a share. Yahoo! He sold 2.6 million shares and raised $ 33.8 million for his fledgling company in the 1990s.

Since the 1990s, Yahoo! it has changed the way we surf the web. Yahoo! has expanded its empire by launching its own email service, gaming site, and advertising divisions. This valuable search tool has not only revolutionized the Internet and how we use it today, it has also transformed a simple idea into one of the most recognized brands in the world.

At the beginning of the year, Apple tried to fully open the doors and put the smartwatch in the must-have zone, thus generating significant interest in this new device.

While Pebble is all about functionality and simplicity, the Apple Watch feels much friendlier and tries to engage people, not just being a passive device that you remember only when you check the time or emails.

But did he really achieve this? Is the Apple Watch worth buying? Yes and no. Smartwatches may be the future of smartphones and the Apple Watch has a lot of cool features that give us an idea of ​​what can happen.

On top of this, it works like a blast right now, especially thanks to its updated software. So if you like a device that monitors your heart rate, tracks your steps, you can play music wirelessly, send animated emojis to people, dictate messages, view notifications, send your heartbeat to your loved ones and more, then you will appreciate having an Apple Watch.

It helps you look less at your phone, while keeping you connected, but don’t forget that it’s not a standalone device. To enjoy all its features, you must have it connected to an iPhone (it must be within approximately 30 feet of your phone or you can connect via WiFi to further extend the range).

Now let’s take a deeper look at what the Apple Watch has to offer!

Design

The Apple Watch is undoubtedly an attractive watch, with a discreet and elegant appearance, with clean lines and a curved glass that meets the curved metal. Yes, you will not find a single sharp edge.

The case is made of stainless steel (also rose gold or aluminum) and is quite thick, but because it curves inward, it appears thinner than it actually is. Most smartwatches are plagued with this problem and unfortunately at this point we have to accept that smartwatch technology has not evolved as much as we would like.

Still, the Apple Watch feels reasonably balanced (it weighs 1.5 pounds and measures 0.4×1.4×1.6 or 0.4×1.3×1.5 inches) and if you’ve worn a watch before, you most likely won’t feel like the thickness is too much. big. engaged. The watch comes in two variants, a one-and-a-half-inch case and a 1.3-inch case. This differentiation has been made to please both men and women, but the larger one has a better battery life.

On the right side of the watch you’ll find the digital crown and a button that you can use to show or hide friends, double-click access to Apple Pay, and turn the watch on or off.

At the base of the watch you can find the heart rate sensor and the magnetic inductive charging system (compatible with Qi). There is also a small speaker and microphone to the left of the clock for calling, but you will hardly notice them.

Yes, the Apple Watch may be more attractive than most smartwatches on the market, but it costs a lot more.

Our Apple Watch came with three straps, a black sport strap, a Milanese strap, and a leather strap. The sports strap is very comfortable, but similar to other plastic bands on other smartwatches and has a unique closure mechanism that you will get used to in no time.

The Milanese Loop has a mesh-like texture and complements the metal case very well, but feels much more feminine than any other strap option. It is quite flexible, feels comfortable, can be easily adjusted and is suitable for casual or classier clothing. The clasp is magnetic and stays closed (because the bracelet is very light, it may be better to leave the strap looser to balance with the weight of the watch).

The Leather Loop bracelet is also magnetically closed, it uses magnetic segments that stick together. But there are some shortcomings as we noticed some scratches on the clasp after a few days of use and you may find yourself in the position of adjusting the strap throughout the day as it tends to slip a link or two from time to time. when.

Monitor

The Apple Watch features a 1.5-inch OLED screen (or 1.3-inch for the 38mm one) with a resolution of 312×390 pixels (or 272x340p) and a pixel density of 326ppi (like the iPhone 6). The Retina display is a bit different than the one found on iPhones because Apple has chosen a flexible OLED from LG over the usual LCD technology.

The display is covered by a hardened Ion-X crystal (for Apple Watch Sport) or a sapphire crystal, both intended to protect it from minor scratches or bumps against furniture.

The OLED display is bright and colorful, with high color accuracy, and overall it’s one of the most vibrant displays we’ve seen on any smartwatch, but it’s still not quite as sharp as the one on the Samsung Gear S (which also has a much larger color palette).

But let’s focus a bit on Force Touch technology (something new in the world of smart watches) that detects the level of force, distinguishing between light or strong pulses, thanks to its tiny electrodes around the screen.

It’s an interesting addition that adds more options and functionality to some apps without adding more buttons or overcomplicating things.

Hardware and battery life

The Apple Watch includes a 500 MHz Apple S1 processor, a PowerVR SGX543 GPU, 512 MB of RAM, and 8 GB of storage (when connected to an iPhone, you can fully access its storage memory).

The watch is also equipped with a heart rate sensor, which uses infrared and visible light LEDs in conjunction with photodiodes to determine your heart rate; there’s also a gyro, accelerometer, and sadly no built-in GPS.

Also inside the case you can find a 205 mAh (or 246 mAh) lithium-ion battery. It promises 18 hours of battery life in normal use, 6 hours of music playback or exercise with the heart monitor, 3 hours of talk time and up to 48 hours of verification time.

software

The software that runs on the Apple Watch is called WatchOS 2.0 (an updated version to the most delayed first generation) and to be fully operational, the Apple Watch requires an iPhone 5 or later.

The watch is not designed for long-term use, it provides a better experience if used in shorter periods of time, especially since some applications are a bit slow and not many complex applications are developed (using Facebook or any other Google application on the small screen of the Apple Watch can be undesirable in the long run).

Now, let’s talk about the interface. If you swipe out, you get the watch face with notifications and looks, and if you press the Digital Crown, you get access to the apps. There is certainly a learning curve, but after a few days of wearing the watch you get used to the way things work.

The watch faces have a series of new options (since the new update) that allow you to change the color, add new elements or delete them.

In addition to the usual notifications and watch faces, you can choose one of the individual screens with quick summaries of information from the apps you see frequently. To access looks, you can swipe up on the watch face or ask Siri to open it for you, even if it’s not on your active looks list.

Watch faces and looks look great on the Apple Watch, but there’s so much more. You get the Taptic Engine, an innovative feature that really touches your wrist when a notification comes so you don’t miss anything important, it can also be used while navigating, you can tap your wrist multiple times for left or right turns or you can use it in conjunction with the Digital Touch.

Digital Touch is a unique form of messaging that works exclusively between Apple Watches and allows you to send touches, finger sketches, or your heart rate.

There’s also Apple Pay (similar to what you can find on your iPhone), which is a really great feature, if you find places that accept this type of payment. What it does to offer the ability to purchase goods or services with a single touch of the clock at the payment terminal (two touches of the button is all it takes to invoke your card). It also works without an iPhone present.

In addition to all this abundance of apps and features, you get the versatile camera remote that lets you preview your iPhone’s viewfinder and even focus, set a timer, or fire the shutter.

Conclution

So how has our experience with the Apple Watch been so far? Well, it hasn’t been much different than any other smartwatch. It receives notifications, it allows you to put the watch in your pocket, unless it is something important, it is more discreet, you receive a gentle touch on the wrist, as opposed to a ringtone, and generally meeting with friends and family is more attractive as you look less on our phone and focus more on the discussion.

The obvious conclusion is that the Apple Watch is not a must-have device, you don’t really need it, but if you can afford it, it will make your life a little easier in some small ways.

For more high-quality reviews, visit http://www.mbreviews.com

Whether or not a game or system qualifies as retrogaming is something difficult to quantify and something that different people will often think of very differently. The ‘retro’ in the word ‘retrogaming’ is itself a bit misleading. Retro, by definition, is a style that intentionally evokes memories of an old style that has since gone out of style. So the movies of the 30s are not retro, but The artist, a recent movie made in the style of an old silent movie, it is retro. If we apply the same logic to video games, then something like Mega Man it’s not retro but a game like Shovel knight it’s because it pays homage to the NES games of yesteryear. Gamers have appropriated the word “retro” in the new word “retrogaming”, but unlike the traditional definition, “retrogaming” refers to playing old games rather than games that are played like old games.

The origins of the word ‘retrogaming’ are, as we have established, rather murky to begin with, but the definition is no clearer. With the speed at which technology develops, games released at the beginning of a console generation look noticeably worse than those released at the end of the generation. And that’s just the lifespan of a single console. Games visibly age quite quickly, but in terms of the actual number of years since they were released, they may not be that old. It also doesn’t help that the contemporary independent development scene has a fascination for making games that look and deliberately play like games of yesteryear. Everything is so confusing. At what point does a game qualify as old enough to be considered retrogaming?

Well, depending on who you talk to, you will probably get a different answer. Someone like me, who has been playing video games for over twenty years and started my gaming life with a Commodore 64, will have a completely different perspective on whether or not a game is old for a child whose first console is the PlayStation 4. But that doesn’t necessarily make either of you right, it’s just a matter of perception. I could watch a game like Clumsy prince for the Commodore 64 as a pretty primitive side-scrolling platformer, but for my dad, who grew up with Stink the game was unlike anything he had ever seen.

The PS2 is not a system that instantly comes to mind when I think of retro games; I think sprites, MIDI music, and two dimensions. But those are the eyes of a thirty-two-year-old looking at this, and not a ten-year-old. The likes of The devil can cry, Ico Y Twisted metal: black These are games that I remember learning about and being impressed by, but to a kid used only to PS4, the games can seem positively archaic.

Since we all, depending on our age and experiences, have different ideas about how old something must be to be old, there has to be some kind of objective rule. For my money, once a system has been discontinued by the manufacturer, we can call it old enough that playing it is considered retrogaming. By that definition, the most recent console to fall under the retro gaming umbrella would be the PlayStation 2, and while some of you might resist and scoff at that, consider this; the PlayStation 2 was released sixteen years ago. Every few years another new console joins the ranks of retrogaming, and while they may not adhere to our personal ideas of retrogaming, they still fit the bill.

However, age is only the beginning. All we’ve determined is how long it takes for us to safely refer to something like retro games. If we accept that retro gaming is playing video games or consoles that have since been discontinued, then how these discontinued games are played is the next step in understanding exactly what retro gaming is.

The first and easiest way that we can play old games is to acquire a remaster or a port. These are becoming more and more common in recent years, and the PS4 in particular gets port after port of popular (and not so) PS3 games, as there is no true backward compatibility available for the system. But the PS4 has also seen the release of some older games. Final Fantasy VII Y X Both have been ported to the latest PlayStation console, and going even further back than that, Gloomy fandango It has been relaunched with some graphical and control revisions.

As technology evolves, there are also more options available to gamers who only have the current generation of consoles. With a service like PlayStation Now, people don’t even need to buy the old games they want to play, and Sony offers a Netflix-like subscription program to get access to a host of older titles. It’s backward compatibility, almost retro games for a monthly fee. If you have the money and a stable internet connection, this might be a preferable alternative to dusting off your old consoles and struggling to get them to work with your high-end TV.

Another way we can play older games by improving technology is through emulation. This is divided into two categories; First, there is the emulation that we see on the PlayStation Store or the Nintendo Virtual Console. Here games are emulated by making your modern console act like an old one. Recently, the PS4 introduced PS2 games to the PlayStation Store and they run via emulation, just like Nintendo does on the Wii U.

Of course, there is also an illegal emulation. Often times, there is no way to play an old game without illegal emulation. Gloomy fandango It has recently been relaunched on PS4, but before that happened, there was really no way to legally play the game unless you had a very old PC and a copy of the game. While it is technically illegal and basically piracy, there should be a better system to make sure that legacy games and platforms are preserved for future generations. A game like Gloomy fandangoYou shouldn’t risk getting lost in time, so while illegal emulation isn’t necessarily something that I fully approve of, in certain circumstances it may be understandable or even necessary.

The last way we can play old games is the old way. That means taking the console it was launched on and a copy of the game itself and playing as God intended. No download, no emulation, no tips, tricks or cheats. Just you, an old console, a dusty old cartridge, and a wired controller. And there is something incredibly satisfying about that.

Playing an old game on a new system feels inherently different than playing it now and playing it. asyou played it at the time. I still remember playing Final Fantasy VI when I was a kid working on one of the best JRPGs of all time on my trusty SNES. I am currently playing the game again on my PlayStation Vita and the game is as good as ever. The new technology that powers the handheld means that the game runs smoothly, controls well, and looks as charming as ever. But playing it now on a handheld feels different than playing it, as it was released on a control panel connected to a Super Nintendo entertainment system.

There are many reasons to play an old game. It could be that you want to experience historically important moments in the evolution of the medium, or maybe a shorter arcade title fits your schedule better than the last big blockbuster game. But maybe you prefer to play old games. Nostalgia can be a powerful agent, and if it’s nostalgia you’re after, there are few better ways to recapture a gaming moment than by playing it on original hardware.

I’ve been interested in retrogaming for a long time, and it’s not for historical or academic reasons, and it has nothing to do with the amount of free time I have. I enjoy retro games because playing an old game, like watching an old movie or listening to an old song, conjures up memories within me from a long time ago. If I look Return to the future I remember renting the videotape from a local store and watching it on a Sunday afternoon with my parents. When I listen Time Tunnel it does not remind me of Rocky horror, but from old school discos where the song was played regularly.

Similarly, when I hear the initial chords of the Final Fantasy VI theme I don’t think about playing it on my PlayStation Vita, but about being in the spare room of my friend’s house where we would spend a whole day taking turns at the controller to try to reach the end of the story. Playing the game on a SNES feels completely different than playing it on the Vita due to the memories that come back while you hold the controller. There’s something about holding the old controller, blowing the cartridge out to get rid of the dust, and powering up a long-ago system. It is not about experiencing history, but about remembering a time when these things they were not story.

Retrogaming can be considered anything up to and including the PS2 generation, and those games can be played through emulation or by choosing a port or remaster. But for me, retrogaming means playing old games the way we played them back then. Playing a Commodore 64 game on PC via emulation is fine, but actually sitting around and waiting while the tape loads is a completely different beast. Having NES classics on your Wii U virtual console is a great way to quickly experiment Mega Man goldThe legend of Zelda Again, but there’s something much more satisfying about putting the cartridge in the slot and sitting cross-legged in front of the TV because the controller cable isn’t long enough to reach the couch.

If you are a gamer, you probably have a different interpretation of what retrogaming is for the next player in line. The boy who thinks Crash Bandicoot it’s old. Thirties who grew up with games that came on tapes. The grandfather who played Pong in the arcades. We all have different ideas about what is considered an ancient game. But what retrogames is to me, what it essentially is, is reclaiming the past and reliving good memories of years past. This is why there is still a Super Nintendo entertainment system in my house and why a few times a year I take it out of the closet under the stairs and spend a weekend under the TV. My friends will come and play Street fighter ii together as we did more than twenty years ago. And there is something incredibly special about that.

What do you think qualifies as retrogaming? Do you like to collect classics to play on PC through emulation? How about waiting for them to get a port to the current generation console you already own? Or maybe you are like me and think there is no better way to experience a game than how it was experienced at launch? Whether it’s through hacking, for academic reasons, or to relive memories, retro gaming is something gamers of all ages can enjoy.

This simple piece of paper is everyone’s favorite collectible. For many, it even equates to self-esteem having a pocketful of these. For others, it equates to the freedom of having a full glove to spend on whatever.

I love them too. The best feature for me is the portrait on the front … old Ben Franklin.

Ben was an amazing guy. He attached a key to the kite and flew it in a thunderstorm to prove that lightning was electricity. He invented the lightning rod to protect buildings from lightning. He invented bifocals so that old people could read and see the horizon at the same time. He invented the belly stove so that people could heat their homes without open fireplaces. He even invented daylight saving time so we could get the most out of vitamin D. He invented the odometer to see how far his mail coaches were traveling.

He was instrumental in drafting the United States constitution. He convinced France to help the colonists in their fight for independence from England. Without that help, there would be no United States of A.

He wrote one of the best self-help books out there … his own autobiography. He was a printer and publisher. He founded one of the first public libraries in the United States.

He was down to earth and a pragmatic philosopher. Her short quotes stand out as key pieces of wisdom that we can all use to improve the quality of our lives.

“Not planning is planning failure.” Those who live their lives by accident rather than on purpose would do well to post this simple tip on their bathroom mirror, where it can be seen at the beginning of each new day.

“Do you love life? Then don’t waste your time, because that’s what life is made of.” For those who spend time in front of their televisions, stick this one on your television screen.

“Going to bed early, getting up early makes a man healthy, rich and wise.” For the partygoers that we all carry inside.

“Those who can give up essential freedom to get a little temporary security deserve neither freedom nor security.” For those who allow governments to pass laws for ‘their own safety and protection’ that actually limit their freedom.

And for those who fear both life and death …

“If you weren’t forgotten

As soon as you’re dead and rotten

or write things worth reading

or do things that are worth writing. “

– Ben Franklin

As more organizations adopt a teamwork framework, it is important to consider what are the skills that make up great teamwork. Here are six skill areas for team leaders and team members to consider further development.

Effective teamwork requires Foundation of a clear vision and purpose of the team. Teams will want to consider these questions: What is the purpose of the team? Why do we exist? Why is it important to operate as a team, rather than as individual contributors? What is our vision of where we are going? Is this vision aligned and shared by all? Does each team member know how their role and work impacts this vision and purpose or mission?

1. Communication – Communication is essential for effective teamwork. Communication consists of several factors: listening, as well as our words, body language and rhythm. A reminder that communication is not just what we say. In fact, in face-to-face communication, body language contributes almost 55% of the message, followed by words with 7% and tone, rhythm and tone with 38%. These numbers change when we switch to phone calls in which we lose body language signals. In e-mail, the balance shifts again as the tone is lost. Through email our words carry the weight.

In a team, communication is not only what is said, it is also what is not said in a team. What is the team not talking about? What difficult conversations might it be necessary to have?

Linked to communication is listening. What is the quality of listening on the computer? Are team members really paying attention to what others are saying, as well as paying attention to the other non-verbal cues that exist? Rather, team members are so eager to “talk” that they don’t actually listen to what the other person is saying, but instead focus on what they want to say.

What are the strengths of your team in the areas of communication? Where is there an opportunity to develop them further?

two. Adaptability – In the business context of doing more with less and continual change, adaptability has never been more important. The ability to regularly change course, think critically and be resilient is critical for teams that want to be on top of their game.

How adaptable is your overall team? The members of your team? How important is adaptability in your context?

3. Valuation of differences – There can be enormous diversity that exists in any team. From different work styles to career backgrounds, priorities, and even generations, effective teams appreciate the differences. Part of this appreciation requires looking at how team members are alike and how they differ. Knowing more about the preferences and styles of each team member can build understanding rather than conflict. For example, one team member may be very detail-oriented, while another team member is a “broad-minded” thinker. Knowing our individual preferences and styles allows us to be more sensitive to our biases and how we should adapt our approaches in interacting with each other. This topic goes hand in hand with the emotional intelligence of the team.

How do you appreciate your team and work through differences? What are the differences, synergies and strengths that exist in your team?

Four. Trust and respect: Trust and respect is a fundamental requirement for any team. If each team member does not have the other’s back, then team members operate within their own silos. Similarly, getting things done is highly dependent on the team trusting each other and sharing the resources and information needed to get things done.

What is the level of trust and respect in your team?

5. Emotional intelligence – Emotional Intelligence, or EI, is getting more and more attention from leaders these days. Emotional intelligence is “The ability to recognize our own feelings and those of others, to motivate ourselves, to handle emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.” (Daniel Goleman, Harvard Business Review). Individuals and teams that are strong in emotional intelligence possess self-awareness (self-awareness), social awareness (awareness of others), relationship management (ability to develop strong relationships), and self-management (the ability to control emotions). .

6. Commitment, responsibility and follow-up – Teams exist to produce results. Commitment to the objectives (shared and individual) necessary to achieve the results is essential. Many teams often lack accountability and follow-through. What are you committed to, collectively and individually, as a team, or what are you committing to to move the team forward? How are you creating this responsibility and recording? Is there a point of contact for going back to check the progress of the action steps or is it assumed that all have been accomplished? High performing teams agree on how actions will be tracked and focus on this consistently.

What is your team committed to? What supports the team in terms of responsibility and follow-up?

Finally, in which of these areas does your team already excel? What areas will you as a development team benefit from?