Angry bird football lastest updates

'Angry Birds Evolution' Includes NFL Branding for Super Bowl LII

The Angry Birds franchise is one of the biggest mobile games of all time, and the Super Bowl is the biggest individual sporting event in the world, so it makes sense that the two would join forces for the newest 'Angry Birds Evolution' update. The game features new hats themed after NFL teams as well as NFL characters to face down in the strategy game.

The NFL update on Angry Birds Evolution changes aspects of the game to make them more similar to football, such as a scoreboard and a downs system instead of the typical number of turns that the game typically uses as its core mechanic.

Considering that Super Bowl LII is less than two weeks away, this is the perfect time for Angry Birds to collaborate with the NFL: when excitement is at its acme.

آپ ایک آئی پی ایڈریس کو کیسے چھپا سکتے ہیں؟

We explain why you might want to hide your IP address and how to do it safely

IP addresses tell websites and other services who you are and where you can be found on the internet. They exist so when you request information, the server you’re requesting the information from knows where to send the response back to.

However, this information can tell others a great deal about you, including actors that could be waiting to intercept or track your activity.

Why you might consider hiding your IP address
Although hiding an IP address can be viewed as something a little suspect, there are plenty of reasons why business users may consider hiding their IP addresses from the wider world.

If you’re sending confidential company information virtually, you want want that information to stay secure, wherever you’re using the internet. If you hide your IP address, your connection is much more secure, meaning hackers are unable to trace where the information or user originated from.


If you’re using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, your IP address, as well as other information on your computer could be left open to interceptors. Using an IP address to hide this information from unprotected networks where hackers could be waiting to steal data.

Another reason you may consider hiding your IP address would be to use services not available in your country. For example, if you want to stream content from the US version of Netflix, you need to have a US-based IP address to use it. By hiding your IP address, you are able to access such service, even if you’re not currently in the country the service originates.

If your workplace blocks certain websites it deems unsuitable, masking your IP address means you should be able to access them. Of course, this may be against your company’s IT policies, so if it’s a website you need to access as part of your job role, you may want to check in with your IT department to make sure they’re happy for you to access the blocked website.

Finally, hiding your identity online also means you can hide from surveillance and tracking programmes, including those used by search engines, governments and your ISP.


How to hide your IP address
There are two main ways you can hide your IP address. One involves using a VPN, while the other utilises an anonymous proxy server to hide your identity online. You could also use the Tor browser, which allows you to browse without exposing your IP address, or use a third party network (such as one in a coffee shop or hotel), although using a public network comes with its own security risks.

A VPN works by changing your IP address so it appears to be originating from a different location. All traffic sent to and from your computer is routed through the VPN service when it’s connected, so your true ISP address - as assigned by your ISP - is hidden.

Using a VPN also means you can access services only allowed from certain localities, so if you opt to route your connection through a US-based VPN server for example, you are able to use services only usually available to people in the US.


VPNs vary in functionality, so it’s important you choose the right one for your business needs. Take a look at our guide to the best VPN services for 2018 if you need some pointers.

Using a proxy server means your network requests are routed via a third-party server, which relays the information between you and the end server, where the information you’re looking for resides. Because the requests are routed through the proxy, only that IP address is revealed, rather than your one.

There are lots of different types of proxy servers. Some allow your IP address to be seen, others assign a ‘fake’ IP address, while a third type completely hides it. It’s important to choose the right one for your business, so check out the options before committing.

Future generation of Selfie drones

Compact Selfie Drone 'AirSelfie 2' Was Unveiled at This Year's CES

The previously released 'AirSelfie' has come out with a second generation of the compact selfie drone, 'AirSelfie 2.'

This camera drone weighs just over two ounces, and attaches to your iOS or Android device. With upgrades such as a 12-megapixel camera that can capture full HD photo and video, a total flying time of almost five minutes, an upgraded smartphone app, and up to 16GB of storage, this second generation selfie drone is a major improvement. The portable flying camera makes taking selfies easier, with the ability to travel up to 60 feet from the controlling device and a protective bumper to keep your drone safe from harm.

'AirSelfie 2' will be available in March of 2018, and will be released in four colors: silver, black, gold and rose gold.

Video Connected Treadmills

Peloton Debuted a Fully Immersive Video Training Treadmill at CES

High-tech fitness company Peloton released its latest innovation in workout equipment: an interactive, fully immersive, video training treadmill.

Similar to Peloton's previously released cycling bike, this treadmill will feature an HD touchscreen that streams thousands of different live and prerecorded classes. Having the option to have interactive classes played right in front of the user eliminates the need to leave the house to go to the gym. With classes including a mix of boot camps, high intensity interval training, strength training and running drills, Peloton aims to give the user a higher quality workout than any gym could offer. Setting itself apart from the company's bike, the treadmill will also offer floor classes to be used off of the machine.

Distraction-Prevention of headphones

Plantronics' Voyager 6200 UC Headphones Offer Noise-Cancellation

Open concept is increasingly becoming the organizational norm for office spaces, which might very well make a product like the Voyager 6200 UC from Plantronics a necessary tool for workers. The wireless earbuds' key feature is their powerful noise-cancelling that allow workers to focus in on the task at hand and eliminate exterior distractions.


Indeed, the Voyager 6200 UC is expressly marketed toward the office — on its webpage, the device is labelled as a "business-ready Bluetooth neckband headset with earbuds." Beyond cancelling out noise, that adjective refers to the headphones' smart calling features. Users are able to mute their voices while on a call, but if they accidentally start talking while on mute, the headphones will automatically beep as an alert. Further, they automatically switch between stereo and mono sound when users take out a single earbud, ensuring that they don't miss any part of a conversation.

Main reasons to start your identity and access management project

We will help you identify the main benefits of an IAM project and clearly align it with the objectives of the organization.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Identity and Access Governance (IAG) have become key elements of an organization's security stance. There are countless reasons why an organization would choose to start an IAM or IAG project. For those who start this journey, one thing is crucial: to be completely transparent about the justifications and the objectives of the organizational expenses for such a project. At the same time, understanding the common pitfalls and tips before starting your project will increase your success and overall effectiveness. We will help you identify the main benefits of an IAM project and clearly align it with the objectives of the organization.

Preconceived ideas and risks to avoid before starting your project
An IAM or IAG project does not only refer to the deployment of a technical product. Many functions and departments of the organization in general are involved in the implementation. It is a more functional and organizational project whose operation can

fail if not enough attention is paid to a series of points. This section

It will help organizations identify preconceptions and pitfalls and how to avoid them.


RECOMMENDED IDEA

"IAM is a magic bullet"

Unfortunately, there is nothing magical about IAM. You can not use it as

a magic wand to handle fuzzy organization lines, incoherent definition of job profiles or technical degeneracy that makes applications incompatible with current standards.

To avoid disappointment, you should:

Evaluate your "IAM maturity"
Establish a roadmap to increase this maturity
Specify the requirements for each step to take full advantage of the IAM
For example, an IAM project will not integrate all SI applications within its scope, at least in the early phases of the project, such as the account and rights component.


As such, attention must be paid to stop. Therefore, you should pay attention to failures such as "IAM stops where the SI starts". It must be realistic, communicate clearly about the scope of your project, including

in the initial stages, to avoid that. If necessary, you should also be prepared to adapt to market technologies, internal processes, budget, etc.

RECOMMENDED IDEA

"Manage the project yourself to save time and have less headaches"

The implementation of this type of projects often has an impact on your entire organization. IAM is a multifunctional project that can disrupt the organization. For this reason, it is essential to communicate and involve all interested parties. This applies to commercial lines, human resources, general

the management, the IT department, the management controllers, the auditors, etc. The best approach is to make allies, find arguments that concern them and reach people with something at stake from the beginning.

TRAP:

"Buy the software before

You have even defined your need "

This is one of the biggest mistakes that organizations make when implementing the IAM project. For the most part, IAM packages do what they are designed for, but that does not mean they do everything in

in the same way, with the same functional coverage.

It is important not to embark on a particular solution as a group option, for example, or because it is reduced, or on the basis of too subjective advice, before having a good overview of what is expected in the short term. , in the medium and long term of AMI.

For example, it is easy to understand why a small affiliate does not necessarily want to use and deploy inappropriate group solutions.

from a functional and technical perspective. If the IS is of a reasonable size, it may be better to consider the manual procedures to begin and respond to project priorities.

However, once you have chosen your solution, the focus must change. It is essential that you examine exactly how the solution works, perhaps seeking the help of a partner, so that your plans are

according to the general capabilities of the solution. This will limit special developments. In addition, features that are not taken into account initially may be available and make it easier to adapt to certain use cases.

TRAP:

"I want to do everything at the same time"

Pay close attention to the initial scope. You must forget to implement your IAM project at once. An iterative approach

is by far the best course of action: break down into functional modules, geographical or organizational units, user populations or fields of applications

Points and Suggestions Remind in Immigration

Then you go on a trip. Your room is reserved, plane tickets are ready, the next one on the list is immigration. It is obvious that this is his first time, so he must be full of emotion. As long as the word immigration is, the process can be so hectic, but if you follow some simple advice, everything can be easy for you as well.

The biggest consideration in your mind will probably be the agents. The conversation you should have with the officials is very vital as a bad answer and has big problems. Now, traveling to another country is not a big problem, but here are some tips:


• Online registration: to save time, better register online.

• Come early: do your best to arrive at least two hours, if not before, at the airport.

• Check the flight status: track the flight status table to be able to take your flight on time.

• Comfortable clothes: remember that once on board, it will be a long flight, so wear comfortable clothes.

• No jewelry: Try not to wear jewelry. Even in the security door, you will have to remove it.

• Baggage restrictions: do not pack your bags beyond your limit. It will not cost you more.

• Keep precious in a purse: keep all your valuables, such as a phone or expensive jewelry in your bags.


• Labels: make sure all your bags, suitcases and bags are properly labeled with the name and address, in case of loss, the luggage can be recovered.

• Double verification documents: before leaving for the airport, make sure all your documents are in place and officially signed and duly stamped.

• Stay near your door: stay near the boarding gate as it is here if changes are announced on your flight.

• Power Banks Ready: Since it's the Android era, you'll probably spend most of your flights playing games or listening to songs, so make sure your power banks are fully charged.

• Be kind: the trip will be hectic and will cost you a lot, but be nice to everyone.

• Synchronize your time: make sure your wristwatch, watch and status card match so you do not miss your flight.

Have fun!

For some, it could be the first and for others only another day of travel. In both cases, travel carefully and your trip should be comfortable, free of problems and safe. This is one of the important things to remember.

Is PHP Engaging Anymore?

PHP boasts of being one of the fastest languages ​​to code, implement and execute. The language model was originally designed to find the fastest solution to web problems. With the update of several MVC frameworks and light versions of these PHP frameworks, for example Laravel / Lumen and Symfony / Slim, it continues to challenge the newer languages ​​because of their speed of use.

Reduce your expenses

The cost of using PHP programming for your website is very low, with tons of libraries available for almost everything that can run very profitable production sites. In addition, from the point of view of recruitment, PHP is a very sought after skill. The talent pool is huge, so finding replacements so developers can continue working on a project is not the end of the world. There will be a developer available with the necessary skills who can take control of the project in question. Not to mention that dynamic open source environments are free, PHP tools and frameworks can be downloaded and selected very easily.

Is it easy to learn PHP?

With the likes of the newer languages ​​(Python, Ruby), both with centralized documentation for their use, I think PHP does it well. For new developers who start their careers, they can expect some unnecessary verbosity when they look for explanations and use startup guides for Python and Ruby. This can also be highlighted by observing the community documentation, the selection of popular projects using PHP, the repositories probably have more concise and simple explanations about the 'Read Me' instead of choosing popular Java projects. . As a result, self-taught and beginner developers tend to have a higher success rate when learning PHP than an alternative.


The neighborhood

The PHP framework has the great advantage of being used by millions of people around the world. This continues to be tested through the dynamic community that supports it. PHP has one of the largest communities not only within London, but reaches a wider audience around the world, with important conferences and "technical meetings" held in different European countries, which makes it difficult not to have The tastes of some European countries that have specific MVC frameworks make it even easier to meet developers who share the same passion for what they are passionate about. Amsterdam is considered the leader of the "Laravel" community, while France is proud to have the best symfony conferences, with Germany fiercely fighting to become the new Tech center.

Always the coolest kid on the playground?

As the digital world grows, new companies involved in artificial intelligence and the world of virtual reality have grown. I saw both sides of the spectrum with companies that use PHP to build the whole platform from scratch, while others will start with PHP and slowly make the transition to Python. The crossing that PHP has with the latest and most recent technology is significant. Here is a place for PHP, and I think it will continue to be an influential player in the game. The likes of Python have been able to use Big Data and Cloud Computing solutions in the corporate world, which contributed to its success. This helps make Python easy to analyze and organize into usable data, but that does not mean that PHP is not. .


conclusion

I think the exciting and interesting nature of a language can be judged by the way the community handles it. The main PHP team has done a great job over the years in disapproving the wrong functions of the language without breaking the compatibility with previous versions. It has changed a lot in the last decade and I think it should change in the next decade. He continues to hold the "flexibility" card. As a start-up, it will change or change its address and the use of a language like PHP means that this transition may be easier for you. PHP is still very much alive and I think there should be a big "look at this space" sign that threatens the language with new and exciting times ahead.

Earn effortless and away from Your guess From Online Business Opportunities

Before propelling an online business the business visionary must form a lucrative site that grandstands his business objectives and the sort of items he or she will offer. 

The business site is really the substance of the business for those virtual worldwide customers who are the defenseless shopper or client of the items or administrations. An appealing, clean and an expert site including the business visionary's profile and vision will pull in the focused on group of onlookers base. 

To create more benefit from online business openings, it is basic to change over the customers into perpetual resources. It is prudent to fulfill the customer and happy with the items and administrations that are being offered and misdirecting the purchaser and client with counterfeit guarantees and commercials can transform into an awesome hindrance for the entrepreneur. A heartfelt and benevolent conduct is basic in virtual dealings. 


Virtual business space is exceptionally aggressive. So the business visionaries must have an intensive information of the market situation and new difficulties. One must be imaginative and creative with a specific end goal to present a one of a kind business thought or item that gives them an edge over alternate rivals in the market. Uniqueness is something that becomes famous online these days and set an impression for others to take after. 

Heaps of begins up thoughts are mushrooming in the market yet before simply jumping into any business thoughts it is essential for the originator to distinguish and know his/her potential, at exactly that point it is conceivable to accomplish the coveted outcomes. Knowing one's quality and quality will accumulate the bravery to outline the online business into an effective future wander. 

There are numerous business openings in the web world to bring a beneficial salary over the long haul. For example, 

Online learning sharing: If somebody is talented in their field of aptitude, whatever it resembles instructing, culinary abilities, and sewing and so forth, and will begin an internet showing entry is an exceptionally lucrative business thought. The proprietor can charge the intrigued contender for offering courses and study materials. 


Online substance composing: This is an extremely gainful thought for the individuals who are a talented essayist. One can compose content for different organizations, understudies and numerous private companies that are dependably looking for a quality and inventive substance authors for their different business needs. 

Outsourcing advertising: This sort of showcasing is done to advance different online organizations and is successful if the organizer has possessed a blog entrance. The advancement is improved the situation different items and administrations for an organization in return for which the advertiser gets a commission on the level of offers. 

Web planning: A specialist website specialist can receive online web outlining business to achieve greatest customer base. These talented creators are dependably popular for their creation. Once their work is refreshing they are overflowed with offers from companions and different sources and procure productive income. 


Online retail location: This is one happening on the web business open doors for imaginative individuals who have a talent for outlining or and are ready to feature their expertise to the most extreme client. With the online offer of different items, any business visionary can achieve the worldwide web customers that get nice looking income for them. 


Web world gives a gainful stage to online organizations. Individuals are sick of pursuing for winning and a specific purpose of time life ends up noticeably repetitive. The thirst to accomplish something else pulls them to the web where they look about changed productive plans to gain cash quick. Despite the fact that online new companies have a solid potential to prosper yet one should jump into it simply after an exhaustive research, generally the odds of a fizzled activity is ensured.

How GDPR will outcome your email record

The arrival of GDPR is expected to outcome many aspects of business operations, including email. But what about old emails that are record or archived?

We spoke with Marc French, trusted manager of Mimecast, a specialist in email in the cloud, to learn more about the GDPR and an aspect that organizations may have overlooked.

BN: How does email record factor into GDPR chance administration technique?

MF: Emails frequently contain individual information - and that implies associations must oversee reinforcement and documented duplicates of them with thoroughness. In May 2018 when GDPR becomes effective, associations must have the capacity to get to messages - both present and chronicled - rapidly. When getting ready for these cases, erased and chronicled messages (which regularly aren't anything but difficult to discover) are frequently disregarded.

In any case, the present filing frameworks wouldn't pass gather. Most are obsolete, moderate moving and not extremely easy to understand. Depending on first pass audit wouldn't cut it. Late Vanson Bourne worldwide research discovered 56 percent of respondents encounter moderate hunt execution, with 50 percent asserting file inquiries can take up to five minutes. Of that, 20 percent say they spend over 10 minutes directing quests. In the present quick paced advanced world, representatives simply don't have that sort of time.
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BN: What if my business isn't situated in the EU?

MF: When talking with clients and other IT experts, I frequently hear, 'However for what reason does this influence me? I'm not situated in Europe!' However, while you may not work in Europe, or even offer over yonder, you're not free with regards to GDPR. On the off chance that your association gathers any sort of information that could profile EU residents – regardless of whether it's something basic, similar to an email address – you're as yet in charge of consistence.

BN:What punishments are related with resistance?

MF: If you don't conform to GDPR controls, don't expect a little slap on the wrist. Associations discovered rebellious can be fined upwards of €20 million or four percent of worldwide turn-over whichever is more prominent. Notwithstanding, the most noteworthy cost descends to your clients; it's tied in with building their trust to guarantee they remain your client.

BN: What part does the cloud play with regards to GDPR?

MF: If you move every one of your information to the cloud, you won't require filing any longer, isn't that so? Off-base.

To begin with, to look after consistence, take note of that distributed storage and cloud email documenting are not a similar thing. Indeed, you require some place to store your association's email and information document, however you likewise require email file programming to enable you to discover it. Cloud email filing arrangements can enable you to make your distributed storage accessible - and safe.

BN: What three things should associations do to keep up GDPR file email consistence?

MF: 1. Make everybody responsible. The IT group isn't the just a single in charge of ensuring the correct measures are set up and steps are taken to guarantee consistence. All representatives all through the whole association, C-level included, have a duty to cooperate to characterize each record that is chronicled, deciding their affectability and maintenance period to make a dependable insurance design that'll make it simple to discover imperative documents rapidly.

2. Monitor your review trails. Additionally alluded to as the 'chains of guardianship,' review trails can rapidly enable you to distinguish who claims, moves and gets to documented information. In case you're ready to answer the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why), you'll have the capacity to effectively recognize the area and substance of conceivably private or by and by identifiable data.
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3. Think about the cloud. Conveying a cloud-based filing arrangement can spare you time, as well as cash as well. With the adaptability and scale that accompanies the cloud, you don't need to stress over always refreshing equipment or expanding stockpiling limits.

BN:How can an association keep up GDPR consistence and decrease affect even with email-borne digital assaults?

MF: Often ignored when discussing GDPR is the idea of phishing, in which an assailant endeavors to take private data, for example, usernames, passwords or charge card points of interest, by camouflaging himself as a reliable source by means of email. What's more, shockingly, endeavor phishing assaults are on the ascent.

In the period of GDPR, workers inside an association must be readied. All things considered, an exhaustive security procedure (that will likewise enable you to stay away from rebelliousness fines) requires worker training. The initial step to keeping up consistence is preparing workers to effortlessly distinguish suspicious connections or messages, and equipping them with the right barriers, and additionally an arrangement of activity, should they open a noxious record.


If an organization encounters an assault, such a phishing trick, there are approaches to lessen affect. For one, representatives must have the capacity to find information rapidly. For this, fast inquiry is an unquestionable requirement - as is the capacity to go over tremendous measures of information. Consider an email documenting arrangement that can enable clients to reveal essential documents in record-time, without interfering with nothing new.

Choose the right wireless AP for your business

Dave Mitchell explains what to look for in an access point

Wireless networks are now an essential requirement for businesses that want to be more productive. The proliferation of tablets, laptops, mobiles and smartphones in the workplace means employees don't need to be tethered to their desk and can reap the benefits of increased mobility.

Wired networks with structured cabling are expensive to install and difficult to upgrade so it makes sense to deploy a wireless network. With the right business-grade access points (APs) in place, they can be expanded easily to keep up with your growing business and the latest products offer vastly increased wireless performance and tight security.

Intense competition in this market sector means prices for business-class access points (APs) are dropping all the time. This is great news for SMBs as they can get a basic, secure wireless network up and running for under £100.

Radio waves

Wireless technology has come on in leaps and bounds over the past year, with the latest 802.11ac Wave 2 APs offering a number of valuable benefits. Along with increased throughput, Wave 2 APs offer a feature called MU-MIMO (multi user multiple input multiple output).

MU-MIMO builds on the older MIMO standard by using a larger aerial array that ups the number of spatial streams from three to four. It essentially increases the number of lanes on your wireless road and enables concurrent downstream communications with multiple devices, allowing it support a large user base without causing congestion.

The downside is Wave 2 APs are more expensive with prices starting at around £250. Worry not though, as you can still get cheaper Wave 1 AC1750 APs along with Wave 2 AC2500 and AC2600 APs.

The numbers refer to the total available data rates, with AC1750 offering 450Mbits/sec on the 2.4GHz band and 1,300Mbits/sec on the 5GHz band. AC2500 and AC2600 are the same (with a little added marketing flair) and push the numbers to 800Mbits/sec and 1,733Mbits/sec.

Business class ticket

Small offices may be tempted by cheap consumer-grade wireless routers, but they'll be missing out on many features essential for business operations. Many business-grade APs have the ability to present multiple SSIDs (service set identifiers) allowing wireless networks to be created for different user groups.

Each SSID can have its own security scheme and authentication method where it could apply a user and group list maintained on the AP or tie in with an external RADIUS server. Security can be tightened further with MAC address black and white lists so only specific systems will be allowed to connect to an SSID.

The first thing a partner or client will whip out when they visit your offices is their smartphone or laptop and providing instant wireless connectivity adds professionalism to your business. You'll want to apply even tighter security, so look for APs that provide guest wireless features such as L2 isolation which stops users on the same SSID from seeing each other.

For general guest wireless access, consider APs that offer a captive portal. This can be used to redirect them to a custom web page where they provide details about themselves, enter login credentials and agree to an AUP (acceptable use policy) before being allowed Internet access.

Intruder alert

When deploying wireless services it's all too easy to forget about the supporting backend network, which could leave a gaping hole in your security. Remember, if you can plug a wireless AP into your LAN - so can someone else.

A recent case in point is an educational establishment that couldn't understand why their ISP was reporting a much higher Internet usage than their internal web filtering appliance. After investigation, it transpired that some enterprising pupils had plugged six old BT home wireless routers into the school network, hidden them in cupboards, set them to hide their SSIDs and passed the details to all their classmates.

The web filtering appliance was configured as a simple proxy but the main gateway server happily handed out DHCP and DNS services to any device plugged into a classroom wall socket. It also placed them on the default VLAN thus circumventing the filtering appliance completely and giving the pupils unmonitored Internet access.

The lesson here is to tighten up your backend systems so this can't happen. Furthermore, all business-class wireless APs can scan for and list neighbour devices, and for greater control consider those offering features such SSID-to-VLAN mapping or intrusion prevention that can block 'rogue' devices.

Standalone or managed

A standalone 11ac AP will be fine for a small office but if you have many areas to cover or big expansion plans, look for those offering central or remote management. It will reduce support overheads as you can create one set of wireless networks and have all managed APs broadcasting the same SSIDs.

This brings roaming into play so as staff or guests wander around your offices, their mobile devices will move seamlessly from one AP to the next - ensuring they always get the best service. Clustering is a very flexible option as products that support this allow a 'master' AP to look after multiple 'slaves' which can be reverted to standalone operations on a whim.

Cloud management is ideal if you're looking after wireless networks in different geographical locations. Cloud enabled APs connect with your portal account to get all their settings, making it simple to manage, monitor and support each location from a single web console no matter where you are.

One of Silicon Valley's most powerful CEOs compares Facebook to cigarettes

Facebook should be treated like other companies that make addictive, and potentially harmful, products.

That's according to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, one of Silicon Valley's most influential leaders, who says it's times for the government to step in and regulate social networks just as it does cigarettes.

SEE ALSO: Facebook admits that, yea, maybe it's not great for democracy

Speaking to CNBC from Davos, Switzerland, the Salesforce CEO shared some strong words when it came to the question of Facebook's influence.

"I think that you do it exactly the same way that you regulated the cigarette industry," Benioff said.

"Here's a product: Cigarettes. They're addictive, they're not good for you. I think that for sure, technology has addictive qualities that we have to address, and that product designers are working to make those products more addictive and we need to rein that back."

Benioff, who founded the enterprise software behemoth Salesforce in 1999, is known for taking a strong stance on political issues even as many of his counterparts hesitate to weigh in publicly. In 2015, he canceled all of the company's events in Indiana after the state passed an "anti-gay" law that allowed business owners to discriminate against LGBT people.

However, he is far from the first current or former tech exec to call for increased scrutiny. But, in an industry that has traditionally opposed most forms of government regulation, he is among the highest profile figures to publicly call for more regulation of tech companies.

"We're the same as any other industry. In technology, the government's going to have to be involved. There is some regulation but there probably will have to be more."

Electric cars to create new peak hour when they all need a charge

Grids were not built to handle big EVs populations all plugging in at once

At today's adoption levels, electric vehicles' impact on overall household energy consumption is negligible, but grid planners probably need to look to the future sooner rather than later.

Research conducted by Matteo Muratori of the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) finds in the medium term, electric vehicle (EV) charging has more impact on demand peaks than overall household energy consumption.

Opponents of EVs often mention the vehicles' electricity consumption, but the NREL study found at any penetration below three per cent – that's 7.5 million vehicles into the US market – there's no significant impact on overall residential electricity consumption.

At the end of 2016, the US EV fleet comprised only 600,000 vehicles, so there's years to go before there are enough EVs to show up in the statistics.


What's more likely, the researchers found, is that EV adoption will melt the odd transformer if electricity distributors don't prepare for their arrival.

As the NREL release stated: “a problem arises when motorists gathered in a geographic area began buying these vehicles and plugging them in to recharge upon returning home”.

A relatively small amount of clustering will “significantly increase the peak demand seen by distribution transformers and might require upgrades to the electricity distribution infrastructure,” the paper said.


The impact on local grids will be even more marked if significant numbers of users adopt Level 2 chargers (recommended by most manufacturers for home chargers, if the customer doesn't have access to a manufacturer's charging station), the paper said. In that case, “the distribution infrastructure might no longer reliably support the local electricity demand” and demand could shorten transformer life.

Muratori says grid planners should try to adopt a coordinated approach to supporting EVs, and notes that his study didn't include any potential “return to grid” from vehicles' batteries.

The research landed in Nature Energy this week, and Muratori has published the data used in the study here. ®

You may not be a software company, but that isn't an excuse to lame-out at computering

If pizza delivery, coffee joints and banks can do it, so can you

I don't begrudge organisations who want us to start calling them "software companies". People are free to do whatever they like with such trivial labels, I guess. But the tick of such labelling has always been an annoyance to me.

No, you're a company that uses software effectively
Most companies saying "actually we're a software company" are anything but. They very rarely sell software as their core business. Of course, I'd never shy from bombastic overstatement (or too much redundancy). These companies are trying to make a valuable point: they're now using custom-written software to do more than digitise paper-driven, manual processes and customise their ERP systems into cement. They're now able to program their business.

Everyone's favourite pizza provides a hot, steaming example. While Domino's boasts that you can order pizzas from your wrist and Papa John's makes it lickity-split easy to customise your pizza on an app (for some reason, you can't add anchovies except by phone – file a ticket!), these two companies are still fundamentally, well, pizza companies.


Starbucks has long been an example of a company comfortably creeping up the "digital transformation" curve. Their software-driven orders have been so successful that mobile orders have been known to clog their meat-space. Still, when I go there (hey, get off my back, tapered sweatpant milinums! I just want some coffee!), I'm happy to find coffee in my cup instead of a numbered stack of those mini CDs begging me to click on "startup.exe".

Do you even computer?
In an era where Amazon and its three friends are trundling through everything, it's easy to get wrapped up in the need to transform to a software company. That said, would you even call Amazon a software company? Clearly, in their cloud business they are, but the retail business is more about ruthlessly creating and using software to, well, sell stuff. You can throw a "multi-sided platform" flashbang into the mix to befuddle this point, but at the end of the day, Amazon's nickname, "the everything store", tells you exactly what the company is.

Finance has for a long time used software of all sorts – custom and off-the-shelf – effectively and it's little wonder that they're one of the few industries to have quickly staved off Fear of Silicon Valley Eating Your Lunch. While incumbent banks have been slow to adopt mobile payments, they're now spinning heads at how quickly they're catching up. Banks have a good track record of acquiring pesky finance startups and they've been stuffing themselves to the gills with nerds. Recently, Goldman said that a quarter of their employees are engineers, supporting over 1.5 billion lines of code. JP Morgan Chase has somewhere in the region of 19,000 developers.

Banks have always understood IT well enough to gorge themselves on it; many an IT vendor salesperson has filled their wrist with heavy watches and pegged out their retirement accounts by going up and down Wall Street. Sure, I'll concede that you can get all intellectually crafty and point out that money is, largely, just numbers in a spreadsheet somewhere, but it'd be odd to call these banks "software companies".


Creating software is the art of failure...
The problem with calling yourself a software company – beyond the obvious fact that you're not selling software – is that you must now think and act like a software company. Software companies, especially young ones that are no longer just extracting maintenance fees, are built around one of the core problems of innovation: failure.

Failure in the software startup world is enshrined in the idea of failing fast. Software companies have an unnatural comfort with failure. They continually throw software at the wall to see what sticks, observing how people use the software and tweaking it to get the features just right. There are all sorts of fancy phrases like "product/market fit", but at the end of the day it's plain old common sense: you rarely get it right the first, or even 31st time.

Funding software is driven by the idea of failing – the more the better, even, so long as it's quick. Venture capital's model spreads risk over numerous startups, hoping for that one giant payoff. The creation of new software is an extremely risky business. While figures like 90 per cent failure rates seem at first astounding, after a few decades of anecdotes of startup failure across the industry (and at least two myself), that 10 per cent success rate starts to look amazing.

Companies outside of the technology world are ill prepared for this kind of gut-wrenching ride. Expectations are more incremental in business improvement rather than transformative: if we put more cash into our existing business, perhaps making it cheaper to run in addition to simply selling more of our product, we can increase our return on spend. You throw together a business a case with the audacious notion that you know how much your new venture will make in the future and how much it will cost to get there. Thus, you can figure out the return on investment, or "ROI", that snipe that finance people make unsuspecting nerds hunt out in the Forest of Finance. A seasoned software innovator would sniggle at the notion that you'd trust such figures: hurtling into the unknown can't be put into a spreadsheet.


That all sounds daunting, but it's good to whiplash back to the fact that doing software actually is core to succeeding and surviving in business. While "that's fine for Amazon" may seem to apply to its profitless chewing up of every industry except mining and cement manufacturing (so far), their business and others' prove both the value of creating a programmable business, and that it's actually possible to do so. You just have to know what you're getting into and structure your executive minds correctly.

... so get started failing
Judging by surveys that show a still slow adoption of "digital transformation", there's likely a good five or even 10-year window open in various industries to become the "actually we're a software company" of your industry. Estimates vary, but surveys are showing that something like a third of organisations are actually doing anything about improving their software. The field is wide open for companies to make themselves more programmable by fixing how they do software. Now is the chance to grasp at some new innovation levers and actually do something different with your business. Either that, or look into Big Cement.

What is a 502 bad gateway and how do you fix it?

What does this networking error mean for users and website owners?

There is a good chance that at some point while visiting a website, you have come across a '502 Bad Gateway' error. But what does that actually mean?

In essence, if you see a 502 Bad Gateway error, this is an HTTP status code. This means that a server (not necessarily a web server) acting as a gateway or proxy and received an invalid response from an upstream (or origin) server. It has nothing to do with your desktop, laptop, or smartphone. Neither does it have anything to do with your operating system or browser software.

It is part of a tranche of 5xx server error messages all of which are when a server fails to fulfil a valid request. These errors don’t mean that a server is down, rather than an upstream server and the gateway server couldn’t agree on a protocol for exchanging data. As inter protocols are generally clear, this means that one or both servers have been wrongly or incompletely configured.


Reasons for a 502 Bad Gateway response

There a number of reasons why a user will see a 502 Bad Gateway responses.

Server overload - A server can crash if it has run out of memory, due to lots of visitors on site or a DDOS attack.

Firewall blocks a request - A firewall may block communications between an edge server and upstream server. Some DDoS protection systems can over-react and block requests from a content delivery system.

Faulty programming - sometimes an error in a website’s code may mean that requests cannot be answered correctly, prompting this error to show up.

Network errors - DNS issues, routing problems, and ISP related issues can also lead to a 502 Bad Gateway error.

Server software timeouts - This error can also occur when a web server takes more time to complete and a caching tool reaches its timeout values that time. Slow queries can also cause this problem too.


How to fix a 502 Bad Gateway error

Usually, these errors will go away by themselves and refreshing a web browser page may be all that is needed to get the page you were looking for. If this happens, then the problem was a temporarily overloaded server.

Should it continue to happen, there using a web service such as Down for everyone or just me? will tell you if the problem is more widespread. Use of a third-party proxy such as Hide My Ass can sometimes eliminate problems with a particular ISP (maybe the ISP blocks access to a particular website).

If this error happens regularly, you will need to investigate it in order to find a solution. Examining web server logs at the time of the error occurring will be a good place to start. If you are the owner of the website, you can check your FQDN (fully qualified domain name) is correctly resolving. You can also check a server is reachable via a ping text or traceroute.