If you are not familiar with Geographic Information Systems, you are on the right page. You can use these systems to locate and manage the information of your city. Besides, these systems can help you locate and manage the actual roadways, underground utilities, or property boundaries, GIS can help you greatly. In this article, we are going to talk about a few benefits of GIS. Read on to find out more.

Asset Management

With GIS, you can see the utilities and infrastructure below the sidewalks, curbs, and streets of a city. Generally, a utility map that displays storm, water, and sewer infrastructure may not show enough background information other than the type and size of the pipe.

On the other hand, GIS maps offer so much more information about these utilities, such as past maintenance records and material age. Therefore, it becomes a lot easier to manage and track different types of infrastructure.

With asset management, you can track small details, such as the exact location of something. Therefore, this is an ideal tool if you want to make an assessment of your overall system.

Parcel Management

Typically, city officials handle the pieces of property. However, the exact boundaries are not clearly defined or properly marked, especially in small towns. The role of GIS is to create a geographically precise map. Therefore, it is possible to display the ownership correctly using legal documents.

Informed Decisions

If you have more information at your disposal, you can make an informed decision. For instance, if you are familiar with the type and age of the pipe, you can define the date of the replacement project. This will allow you to prioritize pipes that are too old.

Once you have identified pipes that need to be replaced immediately, you can have peace of mind that you are going to make an informed decision. Therefore, this is another great benefit of having a Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Central Location

With these systems, you can associate as much data as you want to your city. In other words, you can maintain maintenance records, record curb stops, and drawings. All of this information can be connected to the map.

Since this is an information management system, it can track changes more easily making things easier for you. So, you can see all of the data in one place instead of investing a lot of effort to collect the required data.

Clear Display of Information

Since we make most of our decisions based on what we see, we need clear displays for making decisions more easily. With GIS, you can see all layers of data in a clean format. This can help prevent a lot of miscalculations and problems that may arise due to these miscalculations.

Long story short, GIS can help transform the management of assets in a city and make better community decisions. Therefore, we suggest that you apply GIS systems to your city map to enjoy great results.

The internet was an invention that brought a wave of change into the lives of people. It created a new dimension where people could spend their time and give themselves a different identity. The necessity of having one’s presence online has further boosted the amount of time spent in the web – world.

The concept of digital wellness is one that is slowly coming into effect for the mental and emotional benefits of individuals. It stresses upon the necessity of using technology by taking the necessary precautions and making sure that anything portrayed is appropriate. We can’t deny the fact that technology is now dominant in everyone’s lives and has given rise to advancements in medicine, business etc. It has been a factor of reducing distances between people immensely by making communication across physical barriers easier. But as they say, the easy way out may not be the simpler way out.

The advent of websites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat has given all the youngsters an opportunity to have an identity aside from their usual real selves. This is one world where they have the freedom to be anything they’d like. It allows people to feel empowered in some ways. But taking advantage of being behind the screen or taking whatever is portrayed on the screen is not beneficial to one’s identity. Thus this concept of having a separate personality online needs to be exercised with caution.

Considering the amount of time people spend online, it is turning into a major cause of mood disorders. Most people who are addicted to social media are capable of living away from reality which isn’t the ideal way of life. One of the first steps one needs to take towards cultivating digital wellness is to exercise restrain by disciplining oneself that it’s not necessary to remain online 24 hours of the day. Given are the steps one can take and things one can keep in mind, to maintain a balance with reality.

Know Your Intentions: When you post any content online, it’s very important to know beforehand that the content uploaded solely is your responsibility. You need to make sure it doesn’t contain anything that may hurt another person who may read or watch the content. Though everyone has the right to express anything without any hesitations, you must have real and good intentions behind posting anything on the internet.

Limit Time on Social Media: Spending too much time on social media not only limits your chances of utilizing that time in a better manner but you will also find that you feel very drained and unmotivated due to distressing content online. Hence it is ideal that you focus on the positives and make sure to set a time limit to scrolling through social media. This way you’re saving precious time and saving yourself from being subjected to mood disorders.

Podcasting has all the ingredients to become a major technology trend. Podcasting has started with little fanfare but has the potential to become a giant wave due to a number of factors going for it. The word Podcast might have been roughly derived from iPod and broadcast (it sure sounds like that to me so don’t hit me if I am wrong! ).

The process works pretty much like radio except that the broadcast is done via mobile devices and the power of content delivery via the internet. This new form of broadcasting of information opens up tremendous opportunities for dispersion of information, entertainment and news.

Podcasting is a fairly new technology and people are building up refined applications to use this medium effectively. Advantages of Podcasting are making the proposition attractive enough for major companies to consider it a serious communication mode. RSS 2.0 is the chosen form for podcasts and newer versions of this feed system are expected soon.

Inherent advantages of podcasts are:

No need to invest in a new piece of hardware: Podcasts are easily available to all users of iPod and similar mobile .The sheer size of the iPod cult if I can call it that, is increasing at a scorching pace. All a user needs to do is choose the subscriptions which he or she would like to subscribe to and download the programmes.

New lease of live to radio programmes: Radio programmes have been revived by the new generation of podcasters. A number of old radio programmes which have had a mass following in their hey days are now being evaluated to be cast via podcasts. A huge chunk of high quality content becomes available thanks to this revival.

Can advertisers be far away? Advertisers have the ability to identify new advertising opportunities at the slightest whiff and Podcasting forums are already working hard to get the advertising industry hand in glove with the Podcasting community. Influx of advertising dollars will lend more credibility to Podcasting and this medium will be taken more seriously as well.

On demand broadcast: Podcasters and listeners rule this medium by offering a high level on-demand listening. You can use this service at the time when you want to, pretty much like video on demand but has greater success due to the low demand of bandwidth. This is probably one of the biggest advantage of Podcasting and might be the core reason for it to success phenomenally.

Your own Podcast studio and very little investment: So who are podcasters? A podcaster can be anyone who has access to the internet, a decent computer and some software knowledge. Podcasting requires very little investment by way of hardware and software. This advantage of Podcasting can thus be done by almost anyone who has an interest in it and has some content to share with the rest of the world,

Creativity is highly rewarded in the podcaster’s world: Content is king and high quality creative content is instantaneously rewarded by the Podcasting community which can be measured by the number of subscribers. Thus it is quite easy to gain overnight success if the content of the broadcast is unique and exciting.

Podcasting thus has number of benefits both the for the community within and without. A unique mass media which does not cost a lot to distribute and develop content for. Like all new technologies, the technology will have some teething issues but the force promoting it should be good enough to get the technology roaring with success in the very near future.

There is just not enough time during the day to surf. Many times the best surf is at night, how often do you challenge a sunset to catch that last wave? Well thin you are a surf-aholic and as you have seen out there you are not alone. There is some new killer technology on the horizon for the dedicated surfer.

Recently we have seen WiFi surf boards so you can do your email between sets. This works pretty good and I was jazzed when I first heard of it. Surfing while surfing makes a lot of sense. Still waiting on the mail order as this article is finished, but here is some more information on that.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3812357.stm

If your ocean becomes your office and your surfboard becomes your desk, what if you decide to work late or early? Well this is why I am going to figure out how to run my surfboard laptop, WiFi and headlight on electromagnetic energy? As you know batteries and water do not mix all that well. You say headlight; on a surfboard; come again? Yes, that is what I said; now then I have tried this already via a battery-less flashlight and duct tape.

The waves provide a good amount of movement. Which is need to power up the new electromagnetic induction technology flashlights, which charge a capacitor instead of the working off a battery. Currently there are some nifty micro-flashlights being used which you can buy which use a similar technique and are available thanks to the Everlite Flashlight technology research lab. These smaller flashlights work by shaking them for about thirty seconds and shine for about 6 minutes and they shine quite bright since they use a very bright LED light. Here is a link to this home use flashlight:

http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/details/ee_shakelight.html

Here is a quick movie you can watch online to see how this technology works.

http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/movies/ee_forever.MPG

I propose we get a really smart Surfboard making entrepreneur with some balls to put on of these flashlights inside the surfboard rather than having to duct tape it on top. We can test it for them and get some free surfboards. I propose that the front of the surfboard have an automotive style headlight lens with the LED light inside. Think on this now, surf on it later.

So, you have finally decided that you are going to ride the Podcasting wave and launch your own Podcast. There are number of Podcasters airing their shows these days. Many more are coming up every day to join them. But this fact should not stop you from beginning Podcasting. You should have no fear of competition because the potential of Podcasting is immense and there is still lot more to be done.

Podcasting has become so easy today that you need not be a genius or a hard core techie to start Podcasting. With anyone entering the fad, many of the Podcasts available are nothing but junk. Do not be afraid of the competition. Just try to produce quality that will help you stand out among the quantity produced by the crowd. In the process you will be able to create a crowd of fanatic subscribers, who will provide a new dimension to your Podcast.

Choosing the Right Topic

Make a list of the subjects your interested in before starting your Podcast. Here are few tips on how to add more topics to this list. Think about the things that you do during your free-time. Also think about what you spend most of your money on. Note down the movies, music, TV shows, games, political parties, philosophies, books and religions that are interesting to you. You will see that your list start to grow. If a particular topic interests you, possibilities are that it will be of the interest to some other people also and they will listen to your show. After listing the topics, you can pinpoint a theme and topic for your Podcasts.

Visiting Podcast directories is a great way to get potential topics. ‘How to Start a Podcast’ http://www.howtostartapodcast.com has a large list. This can be very helpful and give you some brain storming ideas. Visiting them will also tell you how many people are interested in your particular topic for a Podcast. There may be a lot of competition in it or there may be no competition at all. However, you need not worry in either case. More competition just means that you could have a huge listening base of subscribers.

During your research you might also download some shows of different Podcasts that you find interesting. Analyze them carefully and make notes about what you liked and didn’t like about the existing Podcasts. If you’re starting with a topic that already has an established subscriber base, then you may consider choosing a Podcast topic that will complement, rather than compete with them.

Start your own Podcast and ride the wave by taking advantage of the latest technological trend and have some fun at the same time.

Jeffrey’s Bay is a series of breaks and swells on South Africa’s Eastern Cape divided into Kitchen Windows, Magna tubes, Boneyards, Supertubes, Impossibles, Tubes, the Point, and Albatross.

Jeffrey’s Bay was initially settled in the mid 1800’s by the senior partners of Jeffrey & Glendinnings who opened a small store in the sheltered bay of the Eastern Cape. The store attracted more people who also settled in the area, and “Jeffrey’s” bay went from raw coastline to a small, rurally populated fishing town.

Kitchen Windows

At the entrance to Jeffrey’s Bay is Kitchen Windows. The “Windows” are consistent and fine for surfers of all levels, as opposed to Supertubes and Boneyards further down the shoreline, where situations are crowded and breaks are extremely challenging.

The Boneyards

The Boneyards are a break located in between the Supertubes and Magna Tubes in Jeffrey’s Bay. Fast, hard right breaks and big waves make the Boneyards one of the better spots on the J-Bay coast, if you can squeeze in among the locals.

Albatross

Albatross is another fast right break located on the sheltered coastline of Jeffrey’s Bay. Less crowded than other spots, Albatross offers some of the best swells in the world, though not quite as well known as the nearby Supertubes.

Magna Tubes

When the surf scene first hit Jeffrey’s Bay, surfers flocked to the supertubes. As this spot became more crowded, other breaks were discovered in the area including the Magna Tubes. Rumour has it that the break was named after some Aussie pilgrims hit the wave. When asked what it was like, they replied, “Ahh there are magnificent tubes out there mate”, so the Magnatubes were born.

The Magna Tubes are located just down the bay from Supertubes and Boneyard breaks. Challenging fast breaks are seconds away from the town of Jeffrey’s Bay, one of the fastest growing urban areas in all of South Africa and one of the best surf destinations in the world.

The Supertubes

The Supertubes are a section of the wave at Jeffrey’s Bay ranked in the top surfing spots in the world. The amazing 300m breaks make it the perfect location for surfing tournaments, namely theBillabong Pro ASP Tournament every July. In 2009, 45 of the best surfers in the world came to J-Bay for the chance to show off on the big wave.

WHAT ARE BRAINWAVES?

Every moment of your life your brain is active. It is pulsing

with electrical impulses; you heard that right, electricity! The

electricity or electrical current generated by the brain can be

measured with an electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures the

frequency of the electrical current. This frequency or speed of

the brainwave is measured in Hertz(HZ).

Now here is the really cool part. These frequencies can be

associated with your state of mind at any particular moment.

This means that your state of mind, for example being relaxed,

frightened, or sleepy…can be “seen” in your brainwave

frequencies. The speed of the frequency allows us to categorize

our brainwaves into four broad categories.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT BRAINWAVE PATTERNS?

There are four common brainwave patterns that have been well

researched and documented. They are:

BETA WAVES – 14Hz to 20Hz. Beta waves are associated with normal

waking consciousness. They are present when you are focused on

activities in the outside world.

ALPHA WAVES – 8Hz to 13Hz. Alpha waves are likened to a light

meditation. They are prevalent when you daydream. They will

become stronger when your eyes are closed.

THETA WAVES – 4Hz to 7Hz. Theta waves occur during heightened

states of creativity and are found with a deep meditative state.

DELTA WAVES – .5Hz to 3Hz. Delta waves are found in a deep sleep

state or unconsciousness. Also, Delta waves are common in very

deep meditation.

FOCUS, CREATIVITY AND CONCENTRATION – THE ALPHA CONNECTION

A predominance of Alpha waves in the brain is associated with

accelerated learning, focus and enhanced creativity. When you

are focus on something, there is a predominance of Alpha waves.

No matter what your profession or hobby, these attributes will

increase your productivity and enhance your experience.

FINDING THE HIGHER SELF – THE THETA CONNECTION

A deep meditative state is true bliss. Increase your Theta waves

and you are on your way to this state. In the Theta state you

can lose your attachment to the physical body. You will feel a

deep sense of physical relaxation. This disconnect of mind and

body allows you to focus on the inner you, the higher self. This

is the ideal state to begin your journey into meditation.

SLEEP AND MORE – THE DELTA CONNECTION

A Delta state has long been associated with sleep. If you have

trouble sleeping, the CDs targeting this range will help

immensely. Having a CD that targets the Delta brainwaves will

allow you to enter a deep sleep state easily. It will be time to

say goodbye to insomnia!

Recently there has also been some research that suggests that an

even deeper meditative state can occur during predominate Delta

wave activity. As you gain experience and comfort with

meditation, you may want to try reaching a Delta state during

meditation.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes

only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any

disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any

health care program.

The Dallas Buyers Club (DBC), recipient of three Oscars and countless other awards since 2013 and nominations is one of the pack leaders for rights holders pursuing legal action against those who illegally acquire the film. DBC has notable cases in the United States, Singapore, and Australia. Similarly, a little known 2012 film directed by Robert Redford based on the 2003 book, The Company You Keep (TYCK), is making waves in the United Kingdom against piracy.

Both films have a track record of going after infringers since their respective releases joining the ranks of films like the Expendables 3 (2014) and the Hurt Locker (2008). Nicolas Chartier, heavily associated with Voltage Pictures, has said in regards to his string of lawsuits against infringers of his films, “The day after we announced 20,000 lawsuits, the Internet downloads of Hurt Locker went down about 40 percent”; which is good news for business since to track copyright infringers is a lengthy and expensive process often taking months, if not years, and costing long hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But to track copyright infringers can be complicated process and is usually carried out by government agencies. The British Intellectual Property Office recently published the latest installment of Online Copyright Infringement Tracker Survey to investigate online copyright infringement, attitudes and digital behaviours of people in the United Kingdom for both lawful and unlawful acquisition of copyrighted content. Such a comprehensive analysis of consumer trends covered the period of March to May 2015 and was compared against similar findings for the Fourth Wave of research in March to May of 2013 to establish benchmarks for consumption. Participants in the survey were asked to describe their behavior within the three months leading up to the survey.

Similarly, on the same day, an Australian study for the same period as the survey out of the United Kingdom revealed almost half of all Aussies acquire content by less than legal means. Ultimately, Australia illegally downloads more content than the United Kingdom, but both are at the forefront of revived legal action by the rights holders to films such as The Company You Keep and Dallas Buyers Club.

In recent weeks, DBC LLC and TYCK LLC letters have been sent out to users of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who have been found to illegally acquire content over services like iiNet and Sky Broadband as per judges’ orders. This summer marks the roll out of a new education programme in Britain to raise awareness and to combat piracy. The goal of the programme is to impact future piracy numbers for the next wave survey and to help bring an end to digital piracy.

A triathlon start is perhaps the most iconic moment of the race. Did you know that there are three different ways the race starts? In a time trial start, racers enter the water by their race number every three seconds. In a wave start, you enter the water with other swimmers of your gender and you are usually given a number indicating your wave. In both types, a timer keeps time and it takes about 20-25 minutes to complete the start.

However, the most famous is the mass start where everyone starts when the gun goes off.

While being exciting, it can also be a very different experience for beginners.

What Makes Triathlon Swim Different Than a Swim in The Pool?

The Washing Machine Effect: You will feel this effect as soon as you enter the water, with hundreds of other triathletes trying to take their positions.

Accidental Kicks: Prepare yourself for them; they’re quite common.

Lift your Head: Train to lift your head above the water between strokes to see markers and buoys.

Wetsuit: Get comfortable with your wetsuit-it can offer extra buoyancy and warmth, but you it needs to become your second skin.

Drafting: Taking advantage of the ‘pulling’ effect when you swim behind a lead swimmer is legal in triathlons and an art that can be of much help.

Open water swimming does have its challenges, but help is at hand. We’ve covered some life saving tips for your swim technique this season:

1. Practice Bilateral Breathing

Mastering breathing is one of the most important techniques triathletes should adopt. It’s important to know how to breathe on both sides because weather and water conditions are unpredictable, other swimmers may be close by, the direction of the sun can interfere with vision and buoys may not be placed on one side.

2. Learn What Head Position Works for You

A leading triathlete coach, Swim Smooth’s Paul Newsome, argues that there is no ideal head position for everyone. While many trainers feel that looking down straight down is ideal, this position isn’t that great for open water swimming where a forward-looking head position helps you navigate and draft.

You also need to get used to water-clogged goggles. It’s important to have a good pair of swimming goggles and learn how to position your head for the best view with them on.

3. Work on Your Catch and Pull Early On

While head position, stroke and kicking get ample attention during traditional swim training, coach Paul Newsome advises that catch and pull are techniques that need to be mastered early on for success in open water swimming. He says it will take your swimming to the next level. Do the doggy paddle and head up polo stroke drills to improve catch.

4. Increase Endurance Work

Do some dry land work to increase endurance, especially if you go to the gym. If you’re a beginner, the fitness of your arms may not be enough to endure a triathlon swim just yet, so pull ups, cable weight pulling exercises, lateral pull downs and bench presses will help build arm endurance.

5. Video Tape Your Stroke

Most of us have experienced situations where the coach repeats something over and over, but we aren’t able to see what they mean. An analysis of our stroke on video will help you see exactly what it looks like and where you need to improve. You can follow it up with some resistance band work on dry land to perfect technique.

6. Perfect Your Posture

The best swimming posture is a good posture. A good posture in general helps you keep your body straight in the water and will prevent things like arm cross-overs, reduced rotation and scissor kicks. A good posture means a cleaner, stronger stroke and less energy spent.

7. Learn All the Strokes

You might think, “But I am never going to do butterfly in open water!” Of course you won’t but that’s not why you need to practice other strokes. When you challenge your body with different strokes, your body develops more strength because of the extra stimulus you offered it. You can gain a stronger core, mental fitness and aerobic strength with every new stroke that you add to your skills.

8. Do Your Drills

Drills will help you slow down your movement and focus on form and technique. You’ll perfect your muscle synchronization and, with it, your swimming. It’s all about well-timed movements and drills will help you achieve just that. Buoys are a good training tool to help you increase power during drills.

If you’re a beginner, open water swimming might seem daunting at first. However, keeping a rigorous training routine with lots of practice will help you go a long way.

On race day, you also need to make sure you’ve got the right equipment and triathlon wetsuit to help you succeed.

Yamaha is the only manufacturer of acoustic pianos which also builds digital pianos and has improved its high-quality slab piano, the P-155 for the 2009 Winter NAMM. Although designed for a musician who is gigging and needs quality tone and touch piano, the Yamaha P-155 can also be used at home for practicing.

Features of this instrument include superior sound and GH (Graded Hammer) Effect key movement that can build adequate finger technique; a mahogany top board and black body with stylish and sleek design; and a GH keyboard with real piano feel. It also has AWM 4-level Dynamic Stereo and Pure CF, a USB attachment for playing and storing music, polyphony (max) and 128 notes.

With the Yamaha, well-known piano touch, the P-155 digital piano provides a high quality sound for use when you are performing by yourself, in a band, practicing at your home or away from home. The top-shelf technologies relating to digital piano from Yamaha plus the highly-expressive Graded Hammer keyboard save musicians from having to choose between piano quality and portability.

The Yamaha P-155 uses only a small space making it ideal for users who live in small spaces like apartments. It depends on built-in speakers and is controlled by a top efficiency stereo amplifier; however, it can be also attached to an exterior amplifier through line level (¼ inch) products with varying level of volume control.

Sampling: Pure CF for splendid tonality

The technicians for Yamaha chose a CFIIIs complete concert grand having top sound quality and managed to tune it to the best possible condition. They next used one of a kind Pure CF sampling method to sample all sounds to build the sound on the instrument. You can then enjoy the natural sounding reaction as a high-quality piano.

Advanced Wave Memory or AWM: 4-level Dynamic Stereo Sampling

The Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) is a system of sampling which builds sound that is close to the sound of an audio instrument by utilizing digital technology for recording the instrument sound and using the top-quality digital technology for filtering to the audio samples recorded. The Advanced Wave Memory Sampling evaluates these samples and can build such different nuances by taping samples of different playing strengths. The higher amount of samples utilized, the higher will be the potential outcomes and expressive quality.

Key-Off samples, Damper Resonance and Stereo Sustain samples

Yamaha has tried their utmost best in the Yamaha P-155 to capture the artifacts of the sonic instrument so that it will sound like you are using a grand piano. These painstaking efforts involve taping a felt damper, pausing on a pulsating string which sweeps over your performing action when utilizing the Stereo Sustain Samples and Damper Resonance (damper pedal).