Category: software

  • 3D Copy and Paste!

    3D Copy and Paste!

    The bizarre-sounding digital printing phenomena called 3D-Printing has been mulling around from the past.  Recently,  has been in the limelight; specifically in the press for the wrong reasons. In 2013, a University of Texas law student, Cody Wilson created a blueprint for a single-shot 3D-printed handgun, named “The Liberator”.

    Of recent, guns have posed a serious threat to peaceful living when in the wrong hands. But what if anyone could hastily manufacture them unsupervised,  from the comfort of their homes?

    Defense Distributed, Wilson’s company had been distributing downloadable weapons plans for free. This would be great if it was planned for building something useful for engineering and something practical rather than destructive. Point is, with this new device, you can literally make a 3D copy of any imaginable object –  even food!

    3D printing builds parts (mostly out of plastic or other synthetics) based on the central concept: a digital model e.g. a CAD drawing (Computer Assisted Drawing) This is turned into a physical three-dimensional object by adding material a layer at a time. This is where the formal name for 3D printing, Additive Manufacturing comes from.  The actual printing device is no bigger than a normal Deskjet or heavy duty paper printer and is quite a marvel to watch in action.

    3D printing is a fundamentally different way of producing parts compared to traditional subtractive (CNC machining) or formative (Injection moulding) manufacturing technologies.

    Some of the top 3D printing brands include MakerBot, XYZprinting, Formlabs and LulzBot and are priced from as little as $200 to $4000 (for high-end small business-level) depending on the product size, material, complexity and level of detail required. The most expensive if you are into heavy-duty manufacturing would, therefore, set you back a cool $2,500,000  for the Imprimere’s Model 2156.

     

    N26_banner-320x50-ENSince its uptake in as far back as 2010, you will now discover that a lot of the products already in use are manufactured via 3D printing.  It is prevalent in the medical and dental industry and used for custom prosthetics, implants, and dental aids.

    They are also used in the manufacture of high-level sporting gear that can be tailored to fit athletes perfectly. There is then, of course, the ability to ‘print’ fashion accessories which generally, would be designed to fit your specific style, colour and fabric/material.

    Some of the advantages of using these machines include:

    • Speed: The ability to upload complex designs from a CAD model and print in a matter of hours.
    • It facilitates more design freedom; it also allows complete customization of designs.
    • It is more eco-friendly: Additive manufacturing methods use only the material needed to build a part. The raw materials that can be recycled and re-used.
    • Costs: compared to traditional manufacturing, where highly skilled machinists and operators are typically required, the labour costs for a 3D printer are almost zero

     

    visual§DPrinting
    Image source: 3DHubs

    For a more comprehensive comparison of 3DPrinters available depending on what you want to do with one (hopefully not to build weapons), look at the 3D Printing index on our resources page under technology.

    Here is a list of cool things to create with a 3D printer if you are looking for great ideas for Xmas or birthdays – this might just be it!

     

     

  • 3D Copy and Print

    3D Copy and Print

    The bizarre-sounding copying phenomena called 3D-printing have been mulling around from the past.  Recently, it has been in the limelight; specifically in the press for the wrong reasons.

    In 2013, a University of Texas law student, Cody Wilson created a blueprint for a single-shot 3D-printed handgun, named ‘The Liberator’.


    However, guns have posed a serious threat to peaceful living when in the wrong hands. But what if you could hastily manufacture them unsupervised,  from the comfort of your home?


    His company Defense Distributed, had been distributing downloadable weapons plans for free. This would be great if it was planned to enable you to build something more useful to society.


    The point is, with this new device, you can literally make a 3D copy of any imaginable object – even your food!


    3D printing builds parts (mostly out of plastic) based on the central concept: using a digital model like your CAD drawing (Computer Assisted Drawing).


    This is then turned into a physical three-dimensional object by adding material a layer at a time. This is where the formal name for 3D printing, Additive Manufacturing arises. They are no bigger than a normal Deskjet or heavy-duty paper printer and are quite a marvel to watch in action.

    3D printing is a fundamentally different way of producing parts compared to traditional subtractive (CNC machining) or formative manufacturing technologies.

    The brands

    Some top 3D printing brands include MakerBot, XYZprinting, Formlabs, and LulzBot. You can pick them up from as little as $200 to $4000.

    These prices naturally depend on your end product size, material, complexity, and level of detail you need.

    The most expensive one, if you are into heavy-duty manufacturing would set you back a cool $2,500,000. That is the price tag for Imprimere’s Model 2156.

    Some of the advantages of using 3D printers include:

    • Speed: You can upload complex designs from a CAD model and print in a matter of hours.
    • You have more design freedom. It gives you complete customization of designs.
    • It is more eco-friendly: Additive manufacturing methods use only the material you need to build a component. You can recycle and re-use the raw materials.
    • Costs: Compared to traditional manufacturing, the labour costs for a 3D printer are almost zero.
    visual§DPrinting
    Image source: 3DHubs

    Application in the world

    Since its uptake in as far back as 2010, a lot of the products we use are manufactured using 3D printing.  You will find its application mostly in the medical and dental industry and used for custom prosthetics, implants, and dental aids.


    They are used to manufacture high-level sporting gear that is tailored to fit you perfectly. Naturally, you can also ‘print’ your own customized fashion accessories. This would give you more flexibility when it comes to your specific style, colour, and material.

    For a more comprehensive comparison of 3D Printers available to you, look at the 3D Printing index on the resources page.

    Here is a list of cool things you can create with a 3D printer. If you are looking for great ideas for Xmas or birthdays – this might just be it!

  • Get more organised digitally!

    Get more organised digitally!

    One often hears the phrase “technology is your friend” To what extent the friendliness/support is, in being a most effective “companion” to assist you to cope with your daily activities or business plans depends on how you embrace it.

    Read more via Get more organised digitally!

  • Bitcoin – the new (digital) Gold?

    Bitcoin – the new (digital) Gold?

    Bitcoin (Crypto in general) is here to stay and every day, financial institutions, celebrities, and artists are endorsing it. It also has intrinsic value otherwise companies (incl. Microsoft) accepting it as payment for goods and services are either ballsy or just plain stupid!

    Read more via Food for thought…

  • BTC running low on battery?

    BTC running low on battery?

    bitcoin-1813505_1280.jpg__740x380_q85_crop_subsampling-2
    Good explanation of what the declining BTC dominance means for other Alts

    On August 11 2018, the Bitcoin dominance level (market share) touched 50% for the first time in 2018. However, the move didn’t come amid a Crypto market rally. In fact, the cryptocurrency space has been in free fall until mid-August, moving in a sideways trend since then.

    Read more via BTC running low on battery?

  • Banking made easy!

    Banking made easy!

    The sexy looking N26 Metal card is available (for now) in Germany, Austria, France, and Italy!

    Read about what this Fintech / savvy online bank is about and has to offer.
    via Your portable ATM
    N26Card2

  • Piggybacking on company shares

    Piggybacking on company shares

    It is clear that the business of share trading and its intricacies still create a dark cloud for many of you. This is, however, a rather unnecessary element of sophistication.

    It is only fair to, therefore, delve in and break it down by discussing not just the way to trade, but the whole point of it.

    While trading may seem like something only smart people engage in, this is, however, not the case.

    What are shares?

    The first thing to understand is that shares (referred to as stocks) entitle the holder to have part ownership in a company.

    So, if you own a share in, Amazon, Manchester United, or a Cryptocurrency company like Ripple – you literally OWN a part of that company.

    You are basically co-owning with other stakeholders of the company. This with the hopes that the people who run it will increase the monetary value of your shareholding by making the company a success.

    Now your share will determine what level of control (decision-making) you have when it comes to the company’s operations.

    Naturally, owning just one, ten, or even 1000 shares of Amazon (a hefty $1400 each today), still does not entitle you to have a say in how it is run.

    As the majority shareholder, you would probably be the company owner (chairman/founder) or one of its board of directors. To gain such a majority shareholding and full control of a company, the minimum number of shares you would need would be 51% of all shares issued. Good luck obtaining that many!

    The rationale for issuing shares

    But let’s take a further step back and unravel why shares are issued in the first place. Your company (hopefully) has value because of its ability to generate revenue. This makes it a constant target for investors in a capitalistic market.  Wealthy individuals carefully monitor its value to brace for a potential takeover or for just a piece of the pie.

    To get listed on a stock exchange your company will decide how much of its equity to publicly issue as shares. You can even issue shares to raise more capital to help grow your business.

    This form of equity will be backed against your total assets (and its debts) on the balance sheet. So hypothetically, a company with 100 Euros worth of assets and liabilities has 100 Euros worth of (owners) equity.

    This basically enables you to determine its net worth at a given point in time.

    The easiest way to remember this is through this basic accountant’s formula:

    Total Owner’s Equity (OE) = Assets (A) + liabilities (L).

    The shares are accounted for in the OE and are issued in denominations based on various factors. This helps to provide you with an indication of the relative strength (or weakness), or potential growth rate of the company.

    What do they tell us?

    The (snapshot) total value of the company is thus determined by its share price multiplied by total number issued. This is referred to as its market capitalization. There are several other measures and tools to evaluate the general health of a company.

    Rising share prices, though always good, does not always necessarily mean that the company is great value for money. This is because share prices can also be undervalued or overvalued.

    Shares for large companies are naturally offered in millions and via an initial public offering (IPO) from as little as one cent (penny stock), or much more (depending on its valuation). Thereon, it can rise astronomically to what was quoted for Amazon earlier.

    Where to get them

    The open market or local bourse is where you can buy and sell shares at specific times depending on side of the world it is located.

    Obtaining shares come with additional costs (brokerage fees, commission, interest payments in cases of leverage buying, etc.). Depending on the terms and conditions in the overall market (regulations), but more specifically, on the company or broker offering you access to shares.

    A good company share will also give you a return on an annual dividend. This is basically a share of the company’s profits over and above its share price.

    It is a good idea to include high dividend-yielding shares like Coca-Cola, in your trading portfolio – if you can afford them.

    Influencers

    Once you purchase your stake in the company, you will naturally, even if you don’t have a controlling say in how the company is operated, take a keen interest in the company’s activities.

    Everything it does whether internal operations or outside for that matter, will have an impact on its valuation.

    Naturally, investors follow the age-long rule of common sense: buy when the price is low. If you missed the IPO and the price dips, you can always get in at a good (low) price. The stock market runs like a rollercoaster – you just need the right time to hop on!

    “Unless a company goes belly-up, a share-stock price that is going down is actually going up – in the long run.”

    Obviously, the price (trend) is not always upward and one must be prepared to weather such storms. You shouldn’t have to be continuously focusing on the price after thorough due diligence on your chosen company.

    Read more about Due Diligence here

    Choosing a good stock and leaving it to work is the best advice you will get. This is because you can become emotionally attached to the performance of the shares and that can affect your mood.

    There are also a lot of trading tools to help prevent a total meltdown if the company folds-up. This can be due to external factors like fraudulent scandals or government intervention. Keep tags now and then – this is important.

    The recent events and scandal faced by Facebook saw it lose a significant amount (billions of dollars) in it the value of its share price.

    Read more about investing here.

    Short-selling of shares/stocks

    There are also ways to “have your bread buttered both ways” in investing. This is where the concept of short-selling comes in.

    So, while we all inclined to bet on a company’s stock to go up – there are groups of investors who bet the other way. They have the hopes (based on indicators) that the price will rather drop.

    This seemingly dubious form of trading is perfectly legit but comes, naturally, with an even higher level of risk. If the price increases in favour of all ‘normal’ long-term investors – the short position starts losing money. You may even have to fork out more to cover the amount borrowed to make the short-sell in the first place.

    Short-selling is, therefore, if you are inexperienced and ill-informed!

    So, you “buy” or rather borrow (leverage) the future value of the share/stock price usually at its apparent peak and hope that it will drop. You will continue to profit from the bet by as much as the share price continues to drop.

    Earlier in the year, one such investor dubbed “50 Cent” bagged 200-million-dollars in a major shorting stint.

    Shorting a stock is a complex, risky but highly lucrative method of balancing out a portfolio. A seasoned trader will, therefore, have several positions including some “buy” and “sell” positions on their chosen shares.

    You should have various mechanisms (take profits and stop losses) set in place to execute their trades based on those positions.

    Naturally, you wouldn’t just short a stock if you didn’t know something about what factors were to lead to a sharp/large drop in the share price.

    But getting this right is often an exercise that straddles a fine line between being well-informed and intuitive and blatant insider trading.

    The bigger picture

    So, in summary, shareholding generally occurs when you acquire a stake in a business. You can own intellectual capital, founding rights, or be s a funder/seed investor to help start the business.

    So why do companies issue out shares to the public again you might still ask?

    Think of share listing as a way for your company to hold itself publicly accountable. is the ultimate branding weaponry in its arsenal and quest to exponentially increase its profits.

  • Life hacks using tech

    Life hacks using tech

    We often do things out of routine without considering if there is an easier way to achieve the same result quicker and even more effectively. In a larger company or organization, this is the job of the business analyst.

    What if we applied this to other daily activities and tasks that shape the way we live?

    This would give us more time to partake in the things we love.
    It’s hard enough for most working-class adults to spend most of their days in the week behind a PC. This is usually followed by hours behind the wheel in traffic or commuting via public transportation.
    This makes the task of going shopping or even attending a doctor’s check-up after an 8-hour work stint more of a burden or chore. Worse over if you must queue further to get the service.


    This very example came to mind when a relative complained about having to go from one doctor to another. When referred to a specialist they had to then book another appointment by calling that specialist’s practice.


    Now granted, this is basically a ´first world problem’. Because having a specialist attend to a back problem after your doctor recommends it during an initial check-up is a luxury. One that third world citizens could only dream of having in the first place!

    Problem-solving scenario

    So, in the case of the referral to a specialist, a simple unified medical system can resolve this. A CRM database linking all the medical practitioners including their schedules can save you the time taken to arrange the new appointment.
    This system would also have a secure high-tech scanning and attachment add-on so that X-rays, scans, diagnoses and the attending doctor’s notes can be attached. All for the attention of the specialist.
    The times for the new appointment can be chosen quickly while the patient is at the doctor’s practice.  When convenient, you could then go to the specialist directly.

    The concept explained

    This is one very basic and rudimentary example of how an automated, centralized software solution can help schedule appointments.
    To achieve maximum optimization the system would clearly require several tests before implementation.

    Too often systems analysts and developers do not consider the end users. The user experience (UX) is the most crucial aspect of software development and should be the first step in building an automated system or it will never achieve its purpose.

    It doesn’t have to be used as a national health solution. This is because centrally planned systems, as mentioned in a previous blog, can lead to inefficiencies.
    It would need to be localized in order to make the system easier to maintain and be updated with contact details.  This especially when information can change on a weekly or monthly basis.


    Naturally, and for decades, health insurance companies have utilized card systems to document patient visits to practitioners. This also helps you and practice to easily claim back medical costs.


    But this only serves a singular function and is laborious to run. What is being proposed in this blog post is something to resolve this in a more secure and decentralized manner.

    Application and security

    Cloud security has become a huge requirement and will be a necessity for all businesses and services in the very near future. Europe, for instance, is implementing compliance laws for storage of data under its new GDPR regulation.


    Countries like Sweden also have similar compliance laws to handle financial (with a lot of banking going mobile) and medical data stored in the cloud.


    So, security would become less of a concern for businesses when it comes to data storage and automated CRM systems in the future.

    Shopping and housing convenience

    smart-home-3096219_640

    The burden of shopping can also be alleviated with initiatives such as cashless processes. We first saw this introduced in Asia (China) and now adopted in the West through Amazon’s new cashless´ and cashier-less grocery stores.


    While shoplifters might not see the innovation in this ‘new method’ of shopping; it saves you time spent queueing to pay and will invariably help resolve the scourge of shoplifting.


    It will, however, require more reliance on technology for surveillance, to monitor and track the scanning of the goods and keep a database of records on a server.


    This helps you with the inventory management and other back-office processes and is managed by an automated ERP solution (and not a person).
    We are still waiting for massive roll-outs of the so-called smart houses equipped with smart chips that help regulate temperature, turn off energy-consuming devices when not in use.


    Some are even equipped with fridges that remind you when food is expiring or simply needs to be replaced.


    Designing such systems would naturally require careful observation into the various steps needed to reach the desired result. Details in every step from how you go from point A (selecting a product); to point Z.


    Point Z being you walking out of the shop with a fully paid item. All without using cash or the need for a cashier.

    Tweaking the solution

    The system analyst’s job would be to engage or even simulate the processes using different test subjects and not just the best practice.
    There is the possibility that you might forget to pay for the milk after checking out of a security area. That could result in an embarrassing scenario for all.


    These are just two examples of countless scenarios that can help us benefit from the use of automation and AI.
    There are many other subtle examples such as in the motor industry. This includes the use of computers to diagnose a ‘sick car’.


    There can be a solution for every bottlenecking problem. Addressing this is now has become a new field of study. Computerization and the use of robotics to handle manual labour and repetitive blue-collar jobs will be new highly lucrative career paths.

    Many new start-ups already exist purely to develop system automation.

    Welcome to the future!

     

  • A digital force awakens

    A digital force awakens

    When it comes to providing means of storing, sending, and receiving money, banks and their affiliated institutions, have enjoyed a monopoly for centuries.

    They (especially central banks which allegedly are owned powerful families) have the authority to influence countries and their governments.  We will not go into the level of control as this paves the way for conspiracy theories which though not proven – are not farfetched.


    So, it’s only expected that when some new and unknown entity threatens their prosperity, they start to react.

    Blockchain frenzy

    How banks are responding is evident by how they are fervently building their own blockchains. This, however, defeats the purpose of a having decentralized system.


    Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies get their appeal not just because they are very secure.  But because unlike fiat money, they are not heavily regulated and can be mathematically restricted.


    The 21 million unit limit on Bitcoin by default places it closer to the status of gold (which is also not infinite). But what happens when all are mined in 2041?
    Bitcoin’s current ‘value’ of over $30 000 (adjusted), could move up again, according to the traditional laws of supply and demand as it becomes rare.


    To unlock more value the creators will split it again. The first major splits (forks) gave rise to Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash.  Both cryptocurrencies are racing to newer heights daily.

    How banks operate

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    Now back to the banks – they make money from our deposits and these deposits are backed up by our reserve banks.
    Reserve banks lend retail banks money which they essentially just print. The banks must ‘turn it’ and pay it back with interest (repo rate).


    So, technically we ‘empower’ banks by depositing our money so they can invest the funds in all sorts of mechanisms. Such mechanisms include the credit and loans to you, your businesses, equities, and property.


    Then, they also invest in high-risk investment vehicles like currency trading, derivatives (futures). They are essentially the biggest regulated and legal Ponzi-schemes. They also make a significant amount of the daily fees they charge you.

    A quick example

    Let’s quickly put things into context. A bank with over a million customers transacting daily. Let’s say they charge you a 10 cent (conservative figure) transaction fee for depositing, withdrawing from another bank, or an intra-bank transfer.


    They then make 0.10c  x 1 000 000 = 100 000 units of the currency on the day. This equates to 1,2 million Euros, Dollars, Rands, or Yen annually. And that is just off your transactional fees!

    Then they also charge you monthly service/maintenance fees. Those are to cover the convenience of you having an account and, for services like online banking.


    This is what cryptocurrencies can potentially wipe away from banks we all go the digital currencies route.  Granted, how you acquire and transfer Cryptocurrencies are not as straightforward as receiving paper money – yet.


    That, coupled with the stigma around ‘Cryptos’, means there is still a barrier to entry for the ‘open-source’ monetary system.


    Banks will try and bring about their own blockchains to address security concerns around making transactions. For them, however, it would still be business as usual when it comes to the charges.

    Birth of Fintech

    Some newer financial institutions, however, are already progressing in the favour of you and me – one such is the European based N26 Bank.


    We often end up paying for things all month without even having to go to an ATM. It works as a traditional bank would, however, allows the (smart) card to be used as a credit card (backed by Mastercard) would.


    This allows you to quickly purchase goods online, book events, flights ticket, and accommodation. Basically, all things you still can’t do with your debit card.

    In countries like Sweden and Estonia, card and digital systems have been a thing for a long time now.


    Some of these Fintechs are adopting or partnering with Cryptos companies to deliver their services. One such as the relationship the one between a German bank and the crypto Ripple.

    Click image to purchase Ripple here

    It would be interesting to see what governments and financial institutions do to ‘protect’ their payment systems. Likewise, it will be equally fascinating to observe how they adapt in general to the new digital era upon us.

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