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Bill Gates is a household name the world over. Whether he is known for Microsoft, or for being the richest man alive for a long time. Or even for his staggering charity work. There are a number of reasons people could know his name, but the fact is he is one of the most famous people alive.
And not everyone shares the same opinion of the man, that much is certain. But feelings aside it is well known he has an enormous and seemingly endless supply of money. While his title as the world’s richest man has been passed on, he could be said to be the world’s most charitable and active billionaire. Some could argue that he only lost his title because he has given away so much of his wealth.
But something that you might find shocking is the revelation Bill Gates made about his children recently. Specifically involving their inheritance.
For those that don’t know, inheritance is the system of leaving possessions and wealth to certain people of your choice after you pass away. Thinking about your own demise is never a pretty thought but preparing for it is a necessary precaution that will benefit those you leave behind.
The sad part of all this is that different countries have enacted strict and controlling inheritance laws. These laws essentially allow the government to take percentages of inheritance as a tax or limit what can be left to people and what has to be dissolved back into the public domain, such as certain properties. All these laws can be studies at inheritancelaw or by asking lawyers who specialize in creating wills.
Bill Gates, being one of the world’s richest men, has a lot of money, properties, and physical possessions to leave to his family after he dies. Many people assume that his children will have the easiest life imaginable after his passing, assuming they are simply going to inherit one of the largest fortunes in the world.
But Bill Gates recently revealed he is only leaving his children less than 1% of his fortune. And this news has shocked many people the world over. But why is he doing this and what does it mean for his children?
Bill Gates has always been a force for the charity. Having stepped away from any major duties at Microsoft, he spends most of his business time managing his medical relief charity and working as a board director for many others. And his love of charity is one of the biggest driving forces behind this inheritance decision. He plans to leave 99% of his fortune to charity. This is no small sum and will have a serious impact on millions of people.
But he also has an important life lesson hidden behind his children’s inheritance. If he simply said he would leave them his entire fortune, they would be aware that they never need to work again. They could easily become complacent and this is something he doesn’t want for them. He wants them to learn the value of hard work and appreciate money.
It is all too easy for those born into money to lose sight of its actual value. To not realize how lucky they are. Bill Gates does not want his children to be cut off from these ideals and to be more in touch with the world so that they can use the still considerable amount of money they will inherit, to build their own path and better the world in new and unique ways.
It isn’t often that tech firms can be attributed to saving lives. Often the news is filled with conspiracy theorists and detractors all pointing the blame for illnesses and death at the doorstep of different tech companies. You need to look no further than the ludicrous 5G Conspiracy theory that is circulating. So it is rare when a story comes along that shows the impact a tech firm has on saving lives.
Sure the larger firms often help medical services or create tech that saves lives. But smaller firms and start-ups often go unnoticed by the public eye. It is all too easy to forget the little guy in all this. Companies like Nord or practicebloom have been flying under the radar for years now.
But our story is one of the underdogs coming out and stepping up. A small tech start-up that eventually saved hundreds of lives. All with the creating of a simple, yet effective app. Strap in and prepare for a story of an app that changed the world.
Our story starts with 4 men. Chris Sheldrick, Jack Waley-Cohen, Mohan Ganesalingam and Micheal Dent. Based in London these four had a simple idea for an app. In 2013 they came together and began working on a program that could assign three words to every three square meters of land on the planet. They started work in early 2013 and proceeded to acquire seed money over the next few years, even landing a lucrative deal with Mercedes, who now produce cars with this app on board.
It wasn’t long before the app was picking up major recognition from the tech world. The idea of the app is simple. Every 3 square meters of land is randomly assigned three words, based on an algorithm. No two spaces on the planet share the same coding. But you might be wondering, what is the point of that.
To put it simply, GPS technology is spotty as best. If you are in an area with poor satellite coverage or connection, your GPS is going to be useless. You might as well not have it. And for mountains, forests, and deserts this can be dangerous. This is where the app comes in. Every area on the planet is assigned this code already, meaning the app comes with the map of the earth with every code on it. This means even if your GPS service fails, you can easily look on the map to find out where you are.
What use is this, you might be thinking. This technology provides the most accurate location data ever. No system has ever been able to pinpoint your location with such accuracy. It is the equivalent of giving your longitude and latitude to someone and them finding you on a map.
But still, you must be wondering how this app saved lives? Its nothing more than a glorified GPS, right? Well, that is exactly what the world of first responders needed.
The emergency services have always been faced with one glaring issue. First responders have to do constant battle with location issues. People who are unaware of where they actually are, due to unfamiliar environments, inebriation or shoddy tracking software. And the dispatch team has resources to help with this, but they aren’t always accurate, and they eat up valuable time. When it comes to first responders, time is the difference between saving a life and death.
This app has already been proven to assist in locating people in need of help. Just this year four walkers trapped and lost on Ben Nevis were located by emergency rescue services using his software. All over the world, there are stories of emergency services utilising this tool to improve their response time and cut down on the hassle of finding those in need.
The system works two ways. It provides those in danger a covert way of giving their location to authorities or family in situations where they may be being monitored or controlled. The applications of this program are far-spreading and I’m certain we will discover more and more uses. for it as the years go by.
This story is a great example of how tech is being used to change the world in a positive way. What started as a simple idea between four friends has turned into something capable of saving countless lives. The impact of this app has been seen already and will continue to be seen as the years go on. A true testament to what can be achieved by those who think with their mind in the future and have a passion for technology.
These days it’s rare to come across anyone that doesn’t use social media. Every generation has gone mad for these social platforms since they have become easily accessible over the last two decades. There’s a platform for every possible taste, from places to keep in touch with your loved ones and platforms to follow your favourite celebrity. Social media has brought a lot of joy to the world and arguably we are more connected than ever before because of the influence of social media. But with all of this joy, comes a lot of negatives in the world of social media. These negative aspects have had a big impact on the world of some of the users, here are a few reasons that social media is affecting our mental health.
A way in which social media has really affected the mental health of a lot of users is by presenting beauty expectations that make a lot of people feel bad about their appearance. Social media has made us capable of connecting with millions of people across the world, including the most glamorous of all celebrities. Everyone presents the best version of themselves on social media and so for your everyday person, it’s almost impossible to not compare yourself to people who have access to the finest clothes, hair and body type. This leads to a lot of people self-criticizing. Once you start to notice all of your faults in comparison to higher beauty expectations, it can be really easy to start feeling negative about yourself. For people who have low self esteems, constantly having this exposure can slowly start to affect not only your mental health but your life.
The sales of newspapers and magazines have gone down vastly since the introduction of social media platforms. This is because news gets shared within seconds through the use of any social media and has become people’s main source of knowledge. The only issue with news stories being shared by just about any friend on the platform is that there really is no escape from terrible news. Sad videos and headlines are spread daily and it can really darken someone’s mood when they have to continuously read horrific titles, as those are the news stories that peak in popularity on social media platforms. News that people often share on social media is usually based around some potential horrific event occurring or some new wild theory. This can make people feel extremely anxious because due to all of the circulating fake news, people aren’t sure what to believe. Many people who are less used to fake news on platforms genuinely believe reports of war or a new disease, so are frightened by the thought of this happening. Just continuously being exposed to such negativity can really influence the emotions of users.
One of the most used platforms on the internet is Youtube. This is a beloved platform and allows people to produce content or watch some of their favorite content creators. However, though the vast amount of these videos can bring joy, a lot of them can help create feelings of inferiority for viewers. This is because Youtube gives people the opportunity to watch people doing activities or living lifestyles that they have always wanted to. Youtube is also extremely positive for its challenges, which again can make people feel like they haven’t done much with their lives. There are a number of videos where YouTubers ask have you ever questions, these videos can make people feel bad when the people on their screens have experienced far more than them. It gives people false expectations of having to achieve things just because others have. This can be a lot of pressure for someone as nobody likes feeling as though they are missing out.
This also applies to other social media platforms. For example, when people post images of great days out and memories with friends. People who don’t do this regularly could feel as though they are missing out or don’t have enough friends. It can be especially hard when people see their friends post pictures or videos from events they weren’t invited to and can make people question their own value within their friendship groups.
BackgroundTony, Teddy, Tim, and Richie had been friends for years. They all met in kindergarten and hit it off right away. Tony was a quiet boy with a big heart. Teddy loved wrestling and finger painting. Tim couldn’t get enough of Baseball and Richie was happy to do whatever they wanted to do. They got on so well that, when they were all the age of ten, they decided to form a band.
The band was initially Teddy’s idea but if you ask him about it now, he’ll tell you it could have been anyone of theirs. There was so much talent between the four of them, one of the others would have suggested starting a band anyway. Tony was a great drummer. He’d had a knack for making noise ever since he was a baby. His mum had brought him a set of his own just that spring and he practiced every day. Teddy was on the keyboard. His idol was Elton John and he loved to dress flamboyantly like the legend. The guys ripped into him but he didn’t care. The keys were where he belonged, often in a huge pair of shades. Unlike Tony, Teddy didn’t practice every day. He let the music take him whenever and if it didn’t, that was fine. He was quite free-spirited, relying on plain, natural talent. He didn’t have to work at it. Tim was the guitarist and never let you forget it. He’d constantly tell people he played, and often he brought his acoustic into school to show off to the girls. Unlike Teddy, he did practice, often. He loved Hendrix and Chuck Berry. And lastly, Richie was the singer. He had a great voice and was the most confident of the four. For a ten-year-old, he was great at learning lyrics and keeping in time with the other band members. They were called the Wild Horses.
Of course, the band didn’t last forever. There were only ten when they started and eleven when they broke up. There was a fallout between Teddy and Richie over who gets to stage dive first at Tony’s Grandma’s 60th birthday (their second gig). The band split up and many of their parents wondered if they’d ever play an instrument again.
Time went on and before they knew it, it was ten years later. Tony, Tim, Teddy, and Richie all still went to the same school but there had been a divide. Tony and Tim were still friends but Teddy and Richie had gone their separate ways forming new friend groups. A couple had girlfriends and it had been a long time since they gave their little band any thought. Then one morning, it all changed.
The announcement to self isolate due to the pandemic came in. Richie was depressed. He couldn’t go into work. He was stuck at home and bored out of his mind. So he started to surf the web and came across single din units. He knew these would be a game-changer; that everything would change after this. You can see the single din units reviewed here and I’m sure you’ll come to the same conclusion as Richie.
He knew exactly what to do. He may not have spoken to any of the guys since the good old days but he still had them on Facebook, like most of his school mates. He made a group chat called ‘WILD HORSES ARE BACK’. He wrote a very long paragraph about how he missed the old band days and his friends since Kindergarten. The past ten years had been nothing but hell without them and he needed them to do this one last thing. He needed them to put on a show. He had been working in an electronics store and, ever since the pandemic, had been unable to go there. But now, he thought a good use of their time and the final days he had left, to do something special. To put on one last gig to cheer people up.
He went and picked them up, one by one and keeping a safe distance apart, they got to work. Tony had an old van and, with Richie’s access to the electronics store, they fitted it with all the necessary equipment. It took twelve weeks of fixing up the van and hardcore practice sessions until they were ready.
It all came down to this. They hadn’t performed in front of people since Tony’s Grandma’s 60th birthday but they felt ready. They sounded just like they did when they were ten and they were ready to feel the roar of the crowd again. And with the van, they didn’t have to wait until the bars and music venues reopened. They had the perfect venue parked on the driveway.
They loaded their instruments (the drum kit was a struggle according to Tony) and parked at a nearby field. The van was fitted with an insane sound system and where they could be heard for miles. Richie did a little Facebook post, announcing the band’s news and people flocked to the field, ready for the reunion gig.
The friends played and their parents cried, old school friends danced, cars honked and people had a good time remembering life not too long ago. And Tony, Teddy, Tim, and Richie stayed friends ever since.
Making the decision to purchase a new computer or laptop can be difficult with so many new devices being released throughout the year. A laptop is a great option for someone who is constantly on the go and needs a device that can accommodate, laptops are coming out with capabilities matching that of home desktops in terms of battery and performance. A desktop is suited to someone who uses their device in a set workplace, there is a classic style to using a desktop computer and the storage and performance power you get is definitely worth your money.
The great thing about a home desktop is its performance, with wired connections, extra storage, and more space to expand your hardware you have a much higher range of possibilities in terms of what can be done on a desktop. Compared to a laptop although it is more portable, there simply isn’t space to expand and customize your setup like what can be done with a desktop computer. With the larger space comes the more impressive specs, HD quality screens, sound system, and running quality are just much better than what can be done in the compact chassis of laptops. If it is feasible for you to have a stationary device then I would definitely recommend investing in something really powerful, however, it is important to remember if you are somebody who travels a lot and requires a portable device, then you would be much more suited to purchase a laptop.
Desktops provide a much more comfortable and efficient service in terms of performance, laptops are great but suited to a different lifestyle. For those of you who prefer a relaxed work environment then I would suggest giving your office an upgrade with a new desktop computer to aid you in managing your work and being organized. You will experience the benefit of having everything you need technologically speaking all in one place, there’s no need to fumble about with chargers and finding somewhere to recharge as your setup runs off a power supply. Why not take advantage of the efficient computers that are available on the market, making an upgrade to your system is a great way to taste some of the best developments to come out this year to help you make the most of your busy life.
Laptops as a whole have definitely undergone the most development, in terms of the implementation of new technologies companies are competing to come out with the newest, most functional portable computers meaning there are some pretty great laptops currently on the market. A laptop is much more suited to someone who requires strong performance whiskey on the go, where a desktop requires a constant power supply a laptop can be charged and used for a significant amount of time wherever you need it.
When it comes to buying your first laptop I would think about the type of performance you will need on a day to day basis. If your work consists of basic admin such as working on documents and emails you won’t be needing too strong a device, laptops are about compromise as you are limited to a certain amount of hardware space. If you can sacrifice the need for as much processing speed you will find the quality of other aspects to be much better, for example, the storage size.
The beauty of the world we live in today is that so much new technology is being developed, this competitive market has a lot of retailers meaning there is a laptop out there tailored to your lifestyle. Using comparative websites to enter your requirements and look at the best models for you is a great method of making the right purchase.
Overall, there are reasons both for and against buying a laptop or desktop, the simple answer would be to think about which would be the best for your life. An important factor to consider is that one is portable and the other isn’t, so for somebody who works on the go I would recommend a laptop device.
Another consideration you should have is the cost of maintaining a desktop computer, not only does it tend to cost more initially but with making upgrades and any repairs they can come with more expenses. Saying that there are some great businesses for computer repairs in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, offering quick response times and high-quality service at a reasonable price, making the inconvenience of a technology issue much more relaxed.
To conclude, making an investment in a new computer whether it is a laptop or desktop is a decision that must be thought about. Make use of the Internet and do some research into devices you are thinking about, look at customer reviews to gain an insight into the device’s functionality, and source online specs to ensure you are getting the right device for you.
Our current economic climate maintains a system where the rich are only getting richer; and well the poor will remain poor, and since Bernie lost it looks like this situation is only going to get worse. This wealth gap does create quite the moral quandary for some tech firms; how can they feel morally sound and ethical if they know that they could do something to lessen this divide. I will quickly include for any corporations reading that simply put charity is good for publicity. So, use Revotas to get the word of your good deeds out there; there is no harm in championing the good you may do. Anyway, this passage will detail the four most charitable tech firms.
Microsoft is a tech company that has its fingers in so many pies; developing software, mobile phones, personal computers and so much more. Microsoft is also one of the most generous tech companies in the world. Microsoft actually has a pledge to give 1% of their profits away every year. This meant in 2019 they gave away a massive 231 million dollars. Through their companies philanthropy line, the tech giant works with over 200 000 NPO’s; which has led to donations of nearly 2 billion dollars; this is in both cash grants and tech for less fortunate countries. Microsoft’s founder and CEO Bill Gates is one of the worlds most renowned philanthropists and is even attempting to fund a cure for the coronavirus at the time of writing.
Look I do not need to give any context to the corporation of Google; if you do not know what Google is then just Google it. Google is one of, if not the richest tech companies in the world, and in 2017 they announced their plans to give away 1 billion dollars in grants to charities and non-profit organisations throughout the world. Like Microsoft, Google has pledged to donate 1% of its yearly profits meaning they actually donated 225 million dollars this past financial year.
Though Amazon is known for its shady business practices the company has actually done its fair share in its work for charity. Amazons biggest contribution to charity has been AmazonSmile; which is a website operated just like Amazon; and everything about it is the exact same; same products, same prices; all the thrills. The one major difference is when you buy a product through AmazonSmile 0.5% of the purchase will be donated to a charity of the consumers choice. The charity has donated over 100 million dollars to date. The founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos also donated 100 million dollars of his own wealth to various charities near the end of 2019; probably not a lot for the worlds richest man but a high donation none the less.
Finally, let us explore Apple’s donations to charity. A little nugget for you, Apple is surprisingly not as big a corporation as you would think with it only owning 19% of the mobile phone market share. This has not stopped Apple from being an extremely charitable corporation. Apple claims that its donation programmes have raised over 365 million dollars for non-profit organisations since 2012. Apple also has a programme where the company will match any donation that an employee chooses to make. This led to a donation total of 125 million dollars through this programme in 2018 alone.
Say what you will about these gargantuan corporations; they do their very best to give back to the world that they have plundered. The companies and their owners have played an instrumental role in the development of third world countries and really levelled the global playing field.
With phones becoming capable of running almost any kind of software, there are millions of different apps available to fulfil any need. The best part about the growing popularity of using applications on phones is that many have become available for free, depending on advertising space to run them as opposed to charging the customer. Here are the 5 best free apps that you need to download right now.
AFK Arena is a free to play game available on the app store. It is similar to popular computer games like Runescape and other showdown type games and depends on you picking classes and defeating other players. You collect cards and build up a team of your choosing and is all about protecting the world from the evil Esperia. This game can be a lot of work and requires a lot of dedication, however, there are codes online and more codes here that give you an advantage in the game.
House party is a popular communications app that allows you to start group calls with loved ones or join strangers around the world for a chat. This app is a great way to stay connected and doesn’t just stop at video calling. The app also allows you to play fun games with your friends and family, making it the closest thing you can get to having a fun game night with the people that mean the most to you.
Evil Apples is a free Cards against humanity type game that has become incredibly popular. This game allows you to play with anyone else that has the game and gives you the chance to give yourself a fun icon and name. There are dozens of card packs that you can unlock that have themes like TV shows or popular pop references, meaning you are sure to find something funny, no matter your humour. This is an app you need to download and introduce to all of your friends.
Everyone has heard of Candy Crush by now as it has remained popular for the last ten years. This is a puzzle-based game where you have to match up coloured candy to complete levels. One of the reasons this game is so popular is because of its competitive side as you race your friends to be the best Candy Crush player on the app. This game is just incredibly fun and is a must-have download.
Pics Art is a free photo editing app. This app is more than just adding a filter or caption to your picture as it has editing capabilities that match the quality of apps like photoshop. You can edit your appearance, add fun backgrounds or make a new piece of art completely. The possibilities are endless and this app has slowly increased in popularity over the last few years due to the app’s versatility and precise tools that allow you to do just about anything you want.
Video games are a constantly debated topic the world over. Since their conception all those years ago there have always been conspiracy theorists and those outspoken who cry havoc. The belief used to be they would rot your brain and irradiate you. This was proven to be false, and actually quite the opposite in terms of brain rotting. But this hasn’t stopped video games being the centre of controversy year after year. And to this end, certain states are starting to look at putting restrictions on gaming. But why? Below we are going to take a look.
Now when we talk about gambling, we do not mean casino games and slot machines. Those are already heavily regulated. But it is this regulation that has seeped into the murky gray area of gaming. In recent years there has been a new trend emerging in the gaming world. Loot Boxes. These boxes allow gamers to pay real-world money for a box that will give a random drop of either cosmetic digital items or in-game boosts. Now here is where the funny part comes in. Many people in the gaming community quickly jumped to point out this is nothing more than gambling.
The idea is, the user is after a certain cosmetic or item. These items, normally in games, would be available to buy with in-game currency or real-world currency. But by taking away the ability to simply buy the item and locking it behind a random chance system, they are making a gambling mechanic. Since there is no guarantee of the user getting what they want, it could require a lot more money to get it.
Gaming companies, such as EA, are quick to shoot down this idea, but it is not only the gaming community that seems to think this is true. The EU was one of the first associations to start looking at placing gambling regulations on gaming companies to stop them from carrying out systems like this. The main problem is the ability for users to use their own money on these random loot systems. It is here where real-world problems are created.
The age-old argument about video games. Violence. Whenever a popular, yet violent game, makes waves in the world, it is often put under scrutiny by the general public. There have been countless games, mainly shooters. Sites like https://fps101.com/ keep track of such games for the information and entertainment of the gaming public. But those seeking to regulate these games look upon these sites with an eye of disdain.
The main argument goes that violent video games make us violent by nature. A popular game, manhunt, was banned in the UK in the early 2000s due to a school kid stabbing another, supposedly being inspired by the game. But many experts have since disproven this. The issue often lies with the people themselves and they will always find some inspiration for their actions, video games or otherwise.
None the less, states are looking are putting in stricter regulations when it comes to video game violence. The idea is that if the violence is at least regulated to a degree, it won’t influence the more impressionable players out there. But others argue that it is tantamount to censorship and the government has no right to be doing this. But wherever you stand on the topic, it is important to take all the factors into account. There are a lot of aspects that go into regulation discussions that can’t be ignored.
If we think back to the turn of the 2010’s 3D viewing was the new technological trend that was simply blowing the general consumer away, but as you may have noticed, like most trends, this boom has now died out. If we could try putting this boom into context and try to place a starting point for this 3D craze, it would have to be with the release of James Cameron’s Avatar; which upon its release the 3D marvel really captured the public’s imagination smashing all box office records. Well 3D it was just cool again, and at the time it was seen as the future of entertainment, and then suddenly it was not. This, however, did not stop tech giants from jumping on the trend and soon after the film’s release, we saw a wave of 3D TV’s entering the market, this passage will detail why they have ceased to be produced, with a particular focus on Sony as they were a market leader at the beginning of this boom.
Firstly, let us look at why 3D TV’s failed, one of the major issues that put consumers off of 3D TV`s was the number of parameters placed around using them. Now for a person to sit back and enjoy a simple film they would have to wear special uncomfortable glasses and be sat in a certain part of their living room; the consumer was now having to set their entertainment intake around the TV not the other way round. A consumer does not want to jump through loopholes in order to simply watch an episode of The Simpsons. 3D TV’s took the right to comfort away. It was a trend that was jumped upon far too early and that was the problem. Companies jumped on the train before the tracks were even built. So, let me now tell you what the consumer was really looking for and why Sony chose to change track.
Sony was the first real pushers of 3D TV’s back in 2010 and at first, the TV’s where a huge success, but what they soon realized from market trends was that this was a boom and bust situation, and seven years later they completely halted production, as a Sony spokesperson put “Based on current market trends we decided not to support 3D for our 2017 models.” What was meant by this was the consumer no longer cared about their TV being 3D or any other goofy gimmick; they were looking for quality of TV definition. This is why we have seen a new tech rise in that of 4k TV. If we look at one of Sony’s most recent releases what they focus on as a company is a quality; here is how it is marketed; LED, HDR, 4K, Ultra HD, and online compatibility. Companies like Sony know that the consumer is purely desiring quality of image now, and thus this is how it is started to be marketed.
Finally, a point which ties in with the last paragraph of this passage was the rise of online pirating sites. Television companies knew that they could not keep up with the engulfing world of these sites. Probably the first trailblazer of these sites was couchtuner, but the illegal stream sites industry boomed; there are now so many alternatives to couchtuner for streaming online. Sony can see that people were simply using their laptops to consume media; the TV was being left behind especially in a 3D model. So, they had to think what is the one thing TV can offer that laptops cannot? Picture quality. So, by taking the focus away from the aforementioned goofy gimmicks of the early 2010’s they could make an attempt at winning these pirates back.
