Thursday, August 23, 2018

12 Smart Things About Smart Contracts



Nick Szabo is a legal scholar, computer scientist, and cryptography expert that coined the term Smart Contracts which means "a computerized transaction protocol that executes the terms of a contract"

These are just some of the good things when Smart Contracts were introduced:


  1. Digital Identity - it can let individuals own and control their digital identities.
  2. Records - it can automate recording renewals as well as releases without compromising private data.
  3. Securities - it can simplify financial technology matters such as dividend payments, stock splits, and liability management issues. 
  4. Trade Finance - it can facilitate transfers of streamlined international goods with higher asset liquidity.
  5. Derivatives - it can enforce a standard transactional set of rules regarding derivatives which are securities with an asset-dependent price.
  6. Financial Data Recording - it can serve as an enterprise-grade accounting ledger for accurate recording of financial data for transparency purposes. 
  7. Mortgages - it can automate the process of getting a mortgage. 
  8. Land Title Recording - it can facilitate transfers of property with less fraud and disputes. 
  9. Supply Chain - it can provide greater visibility on each level of a supply chain in coordination with an Internet of Things (IoT) devices that track assets and products from factories until the point-of-sale (POS) target. 
  10. Auto Insurance - it can automate insurance claims in the auto industry including verification and payment.
  11. Clinical Trials - it can be a mechanism in the field of medical research and clinical trials by improving data sharing between institutions since it involves sensitive agreements for the privacy of data for participants.
  12. Cancer Research - it can largely help in facilitating the data power in the field of cancer research while maintaining a privacy of data for patients.


References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE2HxTmxfrI
https://www.pcmag.com/article/350088/blockchain-in-2017-the-year-of-smart-contracts



Wednesday, August 8, 2018

12 WordPress Crowdfunding Options



  1. Startup Idea - is a simple yet modern crowdfunding theme based on WooCommerce platform which you can easily use for your WordPress website. It is very minimal in its approach so that visitors cannot be distracted from visiting your website since it utilizes a free WordPress Crowdfunding plugin wherein you can use major payment processors for your web store.
  2. Unity - is a WordPress theme with its origin from the Easy Digital Downloads which you can also use for your web store since it supports WooCommerce. It has a live them editor to easily customize your website without the need to have a strong knowledge in coding although it was built for developers and Sass support system.
  3. Born to Give is a WordPress theme which is entirely focused on Crowdfunding activities. It has a built-in event manager which is free for usage aside from being compatible with WPML. It is based on Twitter Bootstrap 3x framework making it readily available for any screen size. You can also use the Charitable WordPress plugin with this theme.
  4. Fundingpress is a WordPress minimal theme that has a built-in Crowdfunding feature which you can use for collection of funds for your website crowdfunding activities. It has a feature of Layer Slider and a 1-5 star rating system which you can utilize for any other services your website needs. 
  5. Backer is a minimalist WordPress theme that has a free WP Crowdfunding premium plugin which you can use for designing your website. You can use the Elementor page builder which is already included in the theme so you never have to worry with any strong coding skills. 
  6. 500 Classic is part of the 500 frameworks of the IgnitionDec which is a company that developed many themes specially designed for Crowdfunding purposes. It incorporates a crisp typography features with simple layout design that has dark highlights which is very useful for anyone with a tight budget. 
  7. Crowdfunding for WooCommerce is a free plugin designed for crowdfunding purposes. It utilizes 30 plugins in the WordPress repository and it was developed by Algoritmika Ltd.
  8. InFunding is another WordPress plugin that is free to use for creating your own charity and donation website. It was developed by InwaveThemes with easy shortcodes, responsive, and customizable layout.
  9. Give is a WordPress plugin created by WordImpress. It features single page forms for hassle-free donation programs, reporting features for tracking your website goals, free Paypal payment features, and additional premium add-ons for everything else including Zapier, Stripe, and Zapier.
  10. WordPress Fundraising is a WordPress plugin created by WPMU Dev which integrates Multisite and BuddyPress for creating a crowdfunding website. This plugin comes with a price monthly price which you can just check out at the WPMU Dev website. 
  11. IgnitionDeck is a popular Crowdfunding plugin for any WordPress developer since it can be used on any WordPress theme. AppThemer and Ignition Deck already has a history of working together to develop crowdfunding WordPress themes. You can use it for free or you can also purchase its premium version. 
  12. WP Crowdfunding is a WordPress plugin that is very well-known in the WordPress crowdfunding website solutions. It was created by Themeum and can easily integrate with WooCommerce. You can use it for its free features such as user registration, pricing options, reward system, and options for updating projects but you can also choose to avail its premium paid version for additional features. 

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-38uPkyH9vI
https://kinsta.com/blog/crowdfunding-options-wordpress/


Wednesday, June 27, 2018

12 Atari Historical Highlights



  1. Atari Incorporated was born on 27 June 1972.
  2. Atari hired Allan Alcorn as their first engineer who designed Pong which was a test game, at first.
  3. Pong was Atari's first shipped product which began on 30 November 1972 at a price of $1095.
  4. The first in-house graphic designer of Atari was George Opperman who designed the Atari logo which was known as "Fuji" for its resemblance to the Japanese mountain, although the design's origins are unrelated to it.
  5. Atari created its own competitor, Kee Games, in 1973 to break deals with exclusive distributors and released its first game title Tank. 
  6. It was in January 1980 that Space Invaders which was the first licensed title for the 2600 game console was released.
  7. It was in July1981 that Atari Centipede became the first coin-op to be Underwriters Laboratory (UL) Approved.
  8. The game Yars' Revenge was released on Atari 2600 in May 1982 which was named by the programming by reversing the first name of Ray Kassar who was the CEO of Atari that time.
  9. It was in July 1982 that "Atari Adventure Center" became the first arcade amusement center of Atari at California's Marriot Great America theme park.
  10. "The Graduate" which was also known as "My First Computer" was announced on February 1983 which was an enhancement to the Atari 2600 game console that turned it into a basic computer system by adding a computer keyboard on top of the console.
  11. The first home version of Galaga and Xevious was included in the 12 launching titles of Atari when it introduced their Atari 7800 Prosystem gaming console on 21 May 1984 giving the company its much-needed gaming console industry boost.
  12. Atari launched on April 1985, their first update to the Atari 65XE which is an 8-bit computer.
References:

https://www.atari.com/history/1972-1984-0
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4376157/Atari-is-established--June-27--1972
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari
https://www.phase3.net/1972-june-27th-atari-was-born-launching-the-video-game-industry/
https://www.wired.com/2012/06/atari-40th-anniversary/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl5P_Rc0zjo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHjL2KtX4g






Tuesday, June 26, 2018

12 Ginger Benefits



  1. Ginger is a natural remedy for nausea.
  2. Ginger is a means to fight fungal infections.
  3. Ginger is a natural pain reliever for stomach ulcers.
  4. Ginger is a natural menstrual pain reliever similar to mefenamic acid and ibuprofen medicines.
  5. Ginger is a powerful anti-cancer solution that may be able to block cancer cell growth including prostate cancer, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer.
  6. Ginger is a natural blood sugar regulator.
  7. Ginger is a very powerful joint and muscle pain reliever.
  8. Ginger is a reducer of bad LDL cholesterol and helps in raising beneficial HDL cholesterol to our body.
  9. Ginger is a brain aging protector.
  10. Ginger is a bacterial infection fighter
  11. Ginger is a healthy immune and chronic inflammation fighter including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
  12. Ginger is a promoter of proper digestion with the ability to prevent dyspepsia with symptoms such as heartburn and discomfort.

References:

https://draxe.com/10-medicinal-ginger-health-benefits/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LN2QDaQr38 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

12 Refugee Facts in the Philippines




  1. A refugee is a person escaping his or her country because of the forced effects of persecution, war, or natural disaster. 
  2. The year 2000 was the year that the United Nations declared 20 June at the celebration for World Refugee Day.
  3. The first wave of refugees that came to the Philippines was the so-called "White Russians" of which 800 was a part of a fleet of almost 8,000 refugees that fled the persecution from the "Red Russians" or those who supported the 1917 Socialist Revolution. 250 worked in abaca plantations which were then a booming industry in Mindanao.
  4. The second wave of refugees were the 1,200 European Jews that escaped the World War II Nazi persecution. These refugees were accepted by former President Manuel L. Quezon by issuing the Proclamation No. 173 on 21 August 1937 which later became the basis of Commonwealth Act 613 now known as Philippine Immigration Act of 1940. By this act, a Filipino can see Quezon monument in Tel Aviv, Israel, inscribed with his words of welcome for refugees, that: “the people of the Philippines will have in the future every reason to be glad that when the time of need came, their country was willing to extend a hand of welcome.”
  5. The third wave of refugees to the Philippines was the Spanish Republicans who fled the Falange Española of General Francisco Franco from 1936 to 1939. It was due to the absolute neutrality being implemented by President Quezon during those time of the Spanish Civil War that these refugees were accepted in the Philippines.
  6. The fourth wave of refugees was the Chinese immigrants that came because of the Chinese Civil War. It was in 1940 that the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 was enacted and 30,000 Kuomintang Chinese group were welcomed. It was also the time the Philippines became a sovereign country and the foreigners were allowed to become naturalized Filipinos as stated in the Philippine Constitution.
  7. The fifth wave of refugees was the second wave of White Russians, 6,000 of which were welcomed by former President Elpidio Quirino in 1948. These Russians left their community in Shanghai, China due to the impending communist forces and only the Philippines replied to their request for refugee status. This was also the time that the Displaced Persons Act of 1948 was amended.
  8. The sixth wave of refugees to the Philippines came during the years of 1975 to 1992 wherein 2,700 Vietnamese "boat people" escaped the fallen South Vietnam Government and was allowed to stay in the country.
  9. The seventh wave of refugees that arrived in the Philippines were Iranian refugees in the latter part of the 1970s during the Iranian Revolution.
  10. The eighth wave of refugees came in 1980 to the Philippines which were made up of Indo-Chinese refugees including citizens from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It was during this time that the Philippine Refugee Processing Center in Morong, Bataan was opened to accommodate and facilitate around 400,000 refugees from 1980 to 1994. 
  11. The ninth wave of refugees was East Timorese during the time that the Timor was struggling for independence from Indonesia in 2000. Former President Joseph Estrada supported this action and was able to raise local funds to support these refugees.
  12. In November 2016, due to the crisis in Syria, President Duterte announced that he is welcoming Syrian refugees to the Philippines.
References:

https://youtu.be/6BApCeQUBCg
https://borgenproject.org/refugees-in-the-philippines/
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/11/04/1755813/unhcr-praises-philippines-support-refugees
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/duterte-offers-refugees-home-philippines-161117073606596.html
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/96929-timeline-philippine-law-policies-refugees

Friday, April 27, 2018

12 Bodyguards Run Alongside Kim Jong-Un During His Visit To South Korea



  1. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Became the first North Korean leader to visit South Korea after 65 years.
  2. South Korean President For Moon Jae-in helped during the last summit between the two countries since he was a former chief of staff of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. 
  3. The summit took place in the Peace House in the village of Panmunjom which was located in the heart of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea.
  4. The Panmunjom declaration commits to having a complete denuclearisation for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.
  5. Kim Jong Un wore his trademark black Mao suit and President Moon wore a navy jacket and hold hands when they walked side-by-side across the demarcation line inside the truce village of Panmunjom at the start of the summit.
  6. The two leaders also announced for a three-way talk involving United States President Trump or a four-way talk that includes President Xi of China that will convert the armistice into a peace treaty which will create a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula.
  7. There was also an agreement in providing a permanent communication office in the North Korean town of Kaesong.
  8. It was also agreed to have a resumption of temporary reunions between relatives separated by the Korean War.
  9. Expanding civilian exchanges was also agreed upon.
  10. Pursuing of joint sports and cultural events were included in the agreement.
  11. A mango mousse decorated with a blue map that symbolizes a Unified Korean Peninsulas was served.
  12. There have been two meetings prior to this third summit that happened in 2000 (with former South Korean president, Kim Dae-jung) and 2007 (with former South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun) wherein Kim Jong Il (the late father of Kim Jong Un) hosted the summits in Pyongyang or P'yŏngyang which is the capital and largest city of North Korea.
References:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5662577/Kim-Jong-prepares-walk-history-Korean-summit.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/bizarre-moment-12-bodyguards-run-alongside-kim-jonguns-vehicle-a3824956.html
http://time.com/5255324/north-korea-talks-kim-jong-un-summit-south-korea/
http://time.com/5257062/north-korea-south-dmz-kim-jong-un-summit/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2018/apr/27/north-and-south-korea-summit-leaders-prepare-for-historic-inter-korean-meeting-live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8XgPnmopOg

Thursday, April 26, 2018

12 Essential Web Browser Extensions


These are 12 of the web browser extensions that I found useful in all my personal-related and work-related online stuff.
  1. Google Docs Offline - This is a useful extension for the Google Docs application so that you can literally use your documents offline and then re-sync afterward.
  2. Currency Converter - This is a useful extension to easily convert different currencies which you can add and remove if you want to know specific currencies only.
  3. SimilarWeb - This is an extension that is used to monitor rankings of website traffic and analyze it for other online purposes.
  4. Grammarly - This is a useful extension for correct grammar usage for your writings.
  5. Google Keep - This is a very useful tool especially if you want to just save specific website and keep a note on it.
  6. Majestic Backlink Analyzer - This is a tool used for analyzing backlinks on your websites.
  7. Open Multiple URLs  - This is a useful tool if you want to open multiple websites simultaneously.
  8. Alexa Traffic Rank - This is a tool used for analyzing traffic rankings for your website.
  9. One-Click Translate Page - This is useful for Firefox user who wants to translate websites that uses a foreign language as their primary language.
  10. Swift Selection Search - This is a useful Firefox extension to easily search specific highlighted words using your favorite search engines.
  11. Ghostery Privacy Ad Blocker - This is a Firefox extension designed for privacy protection.
  12. Hunter - This is a useful extension that you can use to find email addresses on websites.

References:

http://enlistmoms.com/top-12-blogging-tools/

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

12 Things About Abdul Sattar Edhi


  1. Abdul Sattar Edhi founded the world's largest volunteer ambulance network in Pakistan, the Edhi Foundation.
  2. Unlike wealthy individuals that fund charities in their names, Edhi dedicated his life to the poor from the age of 20, when he himself was penniless in Karachi.
  3. Edhi was born before partition in Bantva, Gujarat, India on February 28, 1928.
  4. He is also well-known for the aphorism: “People have become educated... but have yet to become human.”
  5. Edhi was born into Islam but never allowed faith to interfere in his humanitarian endeavors. Once asked why he helped non-Muslims, he answered simply: “Because my ambulance is more Muslim than you.”
  6. In light of the new US President’s “Muslim travel ban”, it is worth remembering another of Edhi’s remarks, after being detained and interrogated by immigration officials at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport in January 2008 under Bush administration terror laws. Questioned by reporters as to the reason for his detention, the philanthropist wryly offered: “The only explanation I can think of is my beard and my dress.”
  7. Abdul Sattar Edhi died of kidney failure, leaving behind his wife of 52 years, Bilquis, a former nurse, and four offspring. By the time of his death on July 8th 2016,  Edhi was registered as a parent or guardian of nearly 20,000 children.
  8. The Edhi Foundation's slogan is: "Live and help live".
  9. With more than 1,800 ambulances stationed across Pakistan, the Edhi Foundation is Pakistan's largest welfare organization. 
  10. In 1997, the foundation entered the Guinness World Records as the "largest volunteer ambulance organization" (operating 1,500 vehicles) and Edhi ambulances are welcomed as friendly neighbors throughout Pakistan. If you call 115 in the South Asian nation, the Edhi Foundation will answer.
  11. After the nominations in 2014, the hashtag  #NobelPrizeforEdhi was created; many said he should have been recognized instead of Malala Yousafzai, who is also from Pakistan. In an interview with the Express Tribune newspaper, Edhi said: "I don't care about it. The Nobel Prize doesn't mean anything to me. I want these people, I want humanity." 
  12. It was announced that the State Bank of Pakistan would issue a commemorative coin of 50 rupees (38p) in memory of Edhi as a small token of appreciation for his selfless services for the country.
References:

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/02/abdul-sattar-edhi-google-honours-angel-mercy-170227140720826.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/02/28/abdul-sattar-edhi-89-birthday-pakistan-angel-of-mercy-father-teresa/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/abdul-sattar-edhi-google-doodle-pakistan-philanthropist-volunteer-medical-care-network-ambulances-a7603221.html