Google Drive might be one of the best cloud storage services, but it still lacks some notable options. Although you can copy files in Google Drive, there is no option on Google Drive’s context menus for copying, or duplicating, folders. So how are we supposed to copy Google Drive folders?
Copy Multiple Files to a New Google Drive Folder
As mentioned, Google Drive does include a Make a copy option for files. As such, you can still copy all the files in a folder by selecting that option. This is how you can duplicate a Google Drive folder with the Make a copy option.
First, open your Google Drive cloud storage in a browser.
Open a folder to copy in Google Drive.
You can quickly select all the files in that folder by pressing the Ctrl + A hotkey.
Next, right-click any one of the selected files and select Make a copy on the context menu.
Now new copies of the files will appear in the same folder with “Copy of…” in the file titles. Right-click one of the original files, which remain selected, and click Move to.
Click the grey folder icon with a + on it, on the bottom right of the menu, to create a new folder. Enter a title for it.
Click the Create folder button to add the folder to My Drive. It’s the white checkmark on a blue background, right beside the new folder’s title.
Finally, press the Move Here button to move the original files to the new folder. This will leave you with two folders that include exactly the same content.
Copy Folders with the Backup and Sync App
Alternatively, you can copy Google Drive folders by adding the Backup and Sync software to Windows. Backup and Sync adds a Google Drive folder to File Explorer. The software syncs that directory so that you can open your documents saved in GD from File Explorer and save documents directly to the cloud storage. As File Explorer includes the GD folders, you can also copy them with that file manager.
First, add Backup and Sync to Windows by clicking the Download button on this website page. When it has downloaded, launch the Backup and Sync installer. Thereafter, open the Backup & Sync app; and select a Google account to log in with. Then you can choose some folders to back up to Google Drive, and select the Sync My Drive to this Computer option.
Open File Explorer when Windows has synced with My Drive. Click the Google Drive folder to open it, and then right-click a GD folder to copy. Select the Copy option on the context menu. Press the Copy to button, and select to save the copied folder in Google Drive. Then you can also open that copied folder from the cloud storage’s browser tab.
Copy Google Drive Folders With Web Apps
There are also a couple of web apps you can copy Google Drive folders with. Copy Folder is one web app that copies GD folders. Click this hyperlink to open the Copy Folder app.
When you first open Copy Folder, you’ll need to click the Authorize button, and then press the Review Permissions button and select a Google account. If the account isn’t listed, click Use another account and sign in. Press the Next and Allow buttons to open the tab shown in the snapshot directly below.
Press the Select Folder button to open the window shown directly below. Choose a folder to copy, and press the Select button. Then enter a title for the duplicated folder in the text box. Press the Copy Folder button to duplicate the chosen folder in Google Drive.
Gsuitetips.com also has an alternative web app for copying Google Drive folders. Click here to open the app’s page on Gsuitetips.com. Then press the Sign in with Google button to select a Google Drive account and open the web app as shown in the snapshot directly below.
Press the Click to browse Source folder button to select a GD folder to copy. You can also press the Click to browse button for the destination folder to choose a Google Drive directory to save the duplicated folder in. Input a title in the New folder name text box. Select the Copy files check box, click Preview, and press the Go button. Thereafter, you can click a hyperlink to open the new folder copy in Google Drive.
So that’s how you can copy your Google Drive folders. Hopefully, Google might wake up someday and add a Copy Folder option to GD. Until then, you can copy GD folders by copying all the files in them or by utilizing the Backup and Sync software and folder copy web apps.
Snapchat has grown into an immensely popular social network, with more than 190 million average daily users in the first part of 2019. Not only are there hundreds of millions of users, but the app has also achieved incredible market penetration with younger users – 75 percent of Americans age 13 to 24 use the service.
Snapchat, of course, was originally created to provide a temporary chat experience. Pictures shared with friends on Snapchat would disappear ten seconds after being seen, while the more involved “Stories” would persist for 24 hours before vanishing. Because of this perceived privacy protection, Snapchat became notorious as a place for people to share their most intimate photographs.
Because of that widespread use of the service, and even more so because so many of the site’s users are teenagers, concerns grew about the possibility that unscrupulous users of the site might use screen capture or screen recording technology to make permanent copies of the images that were supposed to be transient. Snapchat began creating a feature that would alert users if someone took a screenshot of their snaps.
Since then, various techniques and methods for taking stealthy screenshots have been discovered. Some of which have been blocked by Snapchat. Others are impossible to detect.
While there have been variations in when and how screenshots would be detected and recorded by Snapchat, in this article I will explain the current status of screenshot and screen recording notifications on Snapchat as of December 2019.
iPhones and Screen Recording on Snapchat
If you have the Snapchat app open on your iPhone, are looking at a snap or a story, and you take a screenshot by pushing the Home button and the Power button at the same time, Snapchat will register your screenshot and will then do two things: one, it will put a mention in your chat log or feed that you took the screenshot, and two, it will send an alert to the person you are in chat with to inform them of what happened.
This alert will appear as a popup in the other person’s Snapchat, and – in case that gets missed in the flood of notifications – Snapchat will also put a notification in the chat log or feed.
Can you Screen Record a Snapchat Story Without Them Knowing?
The development of Apple’s iOS version 11 in September of 2017 created a huge public relations problem for Snapchat because iOS 11 rolled out a new feature to iPhones: screen recording. With screen recording, iPhone users could press a button and automatically record everything that happened on their phone’s display.
This could include gameplay sequences, TV shows or movies that were playing…or it could be Snapchat pictures and videos.
The problem wasn’t that iPhone users could record Snapchat sessions; after all, pretty much anybody can record or screenshot a Snapchat session. The problem was that Apple’s screen recording feature was invisible to Snapchat, and did not generate any warning message to the user whose pictures or videos were being archived. Suddenly, millions of Apple users had an easy and undetectable way of breaking Snapchat’s privacy protection system.
After a great deal of public outrage and a “doom!” blog posts in the iOS world, Snapchat announced that as of version 10.17.5 of the app, they would be able to detect iPhone screen recordings. As of June 2019, Snapchat is at version 10.59.0.0, so this issue has long been resolved. However, there are still a great many articles and blog entries and YouTube videos around that still have the older information, from before Snapchat updated the app.
Although Apple does not permit third-party app developers to create screenshot apps for the iPhone, the same is not true for screen recording software. There are a number of screen recorder programs, some of which work on versions of iOS prior to iOS 11, and some of which involve using an iPad or desktop computer to do the recording of an iPhone that is connected via a data cable.
Whether these methods are detected by Snapchat is an open question; as most of these apps are paid programs, we have not been able to test them. (If you have one of these screen recording programs and can test whether Snapchat detects their operation, please share that information with us in the comments section of this article.)
Android Phones and Screen Recording on Snapchat
The world of Android smartphones is far more wide-open than Apple’s relatively controlled sandbox. Not only are there multiple developers of Android operating systems, but the operating system itself also has multiple forks and versions; there are at least 16 major players in the Android smartphone market, and that’s just the large companies that command significant market share.
Practically any software developer can set themselves up to release new versions of Android for smartphones, and many have; on top of that, the phone manufacturers themselves are notorious for making their own semi-proprietary skins of Android to set their product offerings apart from the competition.
Can you Screen Record a Snapchat Story Without them Knowing?
Accordingly, while a default screenshot in Android (Power button + Volume Down button) will be detected in Snapchat, there is absolutely nothing stopping third-party app developers from creating their own screenshot programs, and they have.
There are hundreds of them on the Google Play store, and hundreds more screen recording programs as well. For the most part, these programs are not detected by Snapchat, nor does Snapchat plan to attempt to block the operation of these programs.
The problem is the nature of the Android architecture itself; it is a very open platform yet it also provides individual applications with very good security, making it impossible for one app to “spy” on another without cooperation between developers.
Snapchat can detect a particular combination of buttons and identify that as a screenshot, but it cannot query other apps running on the device and demand to know whether they are using Android function calls to record the screen.
The bottom line is that on Android it is trivially easy to take a screenshot or a screen recording of a Snapchat picture or video, and Snapchat simply cannot detect it.
Other Methods
Even if the Android world became a lot more like the neat and tidy managed community that Apple tyrannizes, it wouldn’t be possible for Snapchat to protect its users from screenshots and screen recording, because there are methods for doing screen capture that completely bypasses the software of the device in question.
On iPhones, there are techniques for using QuickTime on a desktop computer to capture the video display from a connected iPhone. On Windows machines, you can set up an Android emulator like BlueStacks or Nox and install Snapchat on the emulator, then use built-in Windows screenshots and screen recording programs to archive anything you want to capture. It’s even possible to set up another device and use its built-in camera to record what is being displayed on the screen of your phone, bypassing all of Snapchat’s security features completely. Or, if you want to get really old school, you can just take a picture of your phone screen with another camera.
Snapchat, although it does not trumpet these facts to its userbase, has quietly stopped claiming that it can stop people from taking screenshots without notifying its users. The promise of a completely temporary photo- and video-sharing experience, while attractive at its inception, has proven to be technologically impossible to deliver.
Smartphone operating systems are simply too good at providing apps with the necessary functionality, and smartphones themselves are simply too easy to network and interface to other machines. Neither Snapchat nor any other app developer can hope to exert meaningful control over a computing environment that expandable and flexible.
Protecting Your Privacy
With all this in mind, what can you do to protect your privacy in Snapchat?
One thing to keep in mind is that once someone has access to your snaps or your stories, you should assume that they have permanent access to them. That is, once they’ve gotten permission to view your stuff, it could very easily be saved to their local hard drive or to the cloud, or worse yet published in some unsavory corner of the Deep Web. So if you have “that kind” of material in your Snapchat past, you should probably consider your privacy already violated.
Going forward, it is important to limit access to your Snapchat feed to people who you know and trust. This is an alien concept for many people today who have grown up with “Influencer” culture and an assumption that more followers and more viewers are always better. When it comes to your most private material, though, that isn’t true. If you don’t mind that kind of material being public, then that’s fine – that’s your choice. If you do want to restrict it, you need to restrict your Snapchat. Here are some steps to take to do that.
Set your account privacy option to Friends Only. This means that only your mutually-declared friends can see your postings.
Turn off Quick Add. The Quick Add function is great for people trying to build an indiscriminate following as large as possible. Under Settings, find See Me in Quick Add, tap on it, and toggle off the setting.
Decline random requests. When you get a friend request from someone you don’t know, decline it.
Don’t publish your username or Snapcode.
If you have snaps saved in your Memories, move them to the My Eyes Only section. Tap the checkmark in the upper-right hand corner of the Memories section, select the images you want to secure, and tap the lock icon at the bottom of the app.
Final Thoughts
Since its inception, Snapchat has become one of the world’s largest social media platforms largely due to the ephemeral nature of Snapchat messages. Being able to send and receive temporary pictures and videos can be very fun, but it can feel like an invasion of privacy when people screen record your posts or stories.
While Snapchat does notify you when someone screen records any of your Snaps, it’s important to keep in mind that there are third-party apps that can get around this. So, as you should when using any social media platform, be mindful of the content you post to Snapchat. Once it’s out there, it’s hard to control what happens to it.
Do you have Snapchat privacy tips or suggestions to share with our other readers? Please, comment below!
Do you want to partake in the Brady Bunch view hype train on Google Hangouts? Well, you’re in the right place. Note that this view is available on Google Meet.
Read on and find out how to use the Google Meet Grid View, which is the actual name of this excellent Chrome extension that makes your video group chat look like the Brady Bunch title sequence.
Get the Google Met Grid View Extension
First, let’s get the main ingredient. Note that this is a Google Chrome browser extension, so if you don’t have this browser, download it first and install it.
After you’ve set up Chrome, you’re ready to get the “Brady Bunch view” extension:
Open the official Chrome Web Store in your browser and find the Google Meet Grid View, or use our direct link.
On this page, click on the Add to Chrome button in the top-right corner of your screen.
Then, click on Add Extension.
That’s it, the extension will be added to your browser automatically, and you’ll get a notification about it.
This notification also helps you see where your new Chrome add-on is located (top-right corner of your browser). You can right-click on it and select Remove if you don’t want to use the add-on anymore. Alternatively, you can remove it from the official Chrome Web Store as well.
Use the Google Meet Brady Bunch View
Finally, with the Chrome add-on installed, you can use the Brady Bunch view in Google Meet. This simple cosmetic extension allows you to view everyone in the video meeting, like in the Brady Bunch. You won’t need to give any additional permission to Google Meet; it’s all set up for you.
A school teacher created this fantastic tool, and it works wonders for online teaching and any sort of business or casual video conference. Using Meet as the Brady Bunch is incredibly simple:
Click on Join Now or Present, depending on your role.
Freely Add People in this window if you like. You can invite them via email or phone number.
If you did everything right, you should have the Brady Bunch view of the meeting. The default Google Meet view is different; you can see yourself on the large part of your screen, and other participants in the right corner of your screen.
Google Meet Features
As mentioned before, Google Meet is entirely free. It is similar to Zoom, a popular video conferencing program. It is a popular consumer app video conferencing replacement for Hangouts.
The best part about Google Meet is the vast audience it can have. You can share the link to your meeting with a virtually infinite number of people since the viewer cap is 100,000 people. The total number of participants in a Meet is 250.
Would you even see all of the people’s faces in such a big meeting? Get back to us if you test that out, we’re curious to know the answer. The 250 participants limit is for G suite (premium subscription required) users, though. With the free option, you can chat with up to 25 people, which is still high.
Relive the Nostalgia
Feeling nostalgic for the Brady Bunch? Well, this neat browser plug-in lets you experience it first-hand, and you can invite your friends, too. Google Meet is fun on its own, but this extension unlocks its full potential.
Have you tested this out yet? How many participants did you gather? Tell us all about your Brady Bunch view experience in the comments section below.
Google Hangouts is an excellent place for remote meetings and video conferences. For the most part, you shouldn’t have any issues with video calls in Hangouts, but it’s possible to encounter a problem sometimes.
“No camera found” is one of the issues people report, and it happens when Google Hangouts doesn’t recognize your webcam. We’ll help you troubleshoot this and some other Google Hangouts video and audio issues, so keep reading.
No Camera Found Fixes
Let’s deal with the main issue first. If Google Hangouts can’t find your camera, Maybe you haven’t set it up properly. You can test this by using your default Camera app. On Windows, this app is easy to find:
Tap the Win key on your keyboard.
Type in camera and click on the first result.
The Camera app will launch, and if it’s connected correctly, you will see a video feed. If the computer can’t detect your camera, you’ll see a black screen and an error message.
Disconnect your cam and connect it again. If you did that right, perhaps your camera needs a driver update. You can check that using the Device Manager:
Press the Win key and enter Device Manager.
Click on the best match at the top of the queue.
Find the Camera under the list of devices, and right-click your device. Press the Update button if it’s available.
Other Fixes for Computers
Good old restarting can help with many issues. Try restarting your Google Hangouts call first:
Add someone to the call (enter their name or email, or copy the link to the call and share It).
If you still get the same error, try restarting your computer. Then, make sure that no other app is currently using your camera (e.g., Skype, FaceTime, etc.). Close down all camera apps and try making a video call again.
Then, you should look into your Hangouts setup. Here is how to do that:
Log into Hangouts.
Start a Video Call.
Select the Settings in the top-right corner.
If you see the No Camera Found message on this screen, select the dropdown arrow and select your webcam.
Press Done to confirm the changes, and you should be able to produce a video on Hangouts now.
You can quickly check if you fixed the issue. Your video feed should appear in the top-right corner of your call. Feel free to adjust the Microphone and the Speakers settings on the same page, if you’re having audio issues as well.
Fixes for Mobile Devices
Now, let’s skip to solutions for Android and iOS users. If you are having similar video or audio issues with the Hangouts app, you can take matters into your own hands. The first thing you should do is try restarting the call within the app.
Then, you can try restarting your phone or tablet. If that doesn’t help, consider reinstalling the Hangouts app on your device. Note that Android users need to sign out first:
Launch Hangouts.
Press the Menu button.
Then, choose Settings.
Select the Google Account you’re currently using.
Finally, select Sign Out.
Find the app on your device, long-press it, and select Uninstall. The pre-installed Hangouts app can’t be uninstalled. In either case, updating the app should be enough. Visit the Google Play Store if you on Android or App Store if you’re on iOS and download the latest Hangouts update.
On mobile devices, you should also check if any other app is usurping your camera. Make sure to close down all such applications and try starting a video chat on Hangouts again.
Mind the Permissions
No matter if you’re using the web version of Hangouts or the Hangouts mobile app, make sure to give it access to your device’s camera. You should receive the request for such permission the first time you try to call someone in Hangouts.
On mobile, giving permissions is straightforward. On a browser, they’re a little trickier to reach. Here is how you can check the camera permissions in a browser (we used Google Chrome for this example):
Start Google Chrome on your computer.
Open the Menu (three vertical dots icon) in the top-right corner of your screen.
Click on Settings.
Then look for Privacy and Security options, and select Site Settings.
Finally, click on the Camera menu and make sure that Hangouts is not on the blocked sites list.
Video Online
Google Hangouts is a straightforward app, but some of its settings are a little tucked away. However, with our guidance, all your video and audio issues should be resolved in no time.
Is everything working smoothly now, did you get the video feed online? Which device are you using for Hangouts? Let us know in the comments section below.
When it comes to video conferencing and online classrooms, there are some really great apps out there – Google Meet is one of them. It has a lot of great features, including the ability to mute participants.
But how does the app actually work? And can you mute everyone? This article will tell you everything you need to know about muting people on a Google Meet call.
Google Meet Mute Button – How Does It Work
The mute button is an essential part of all video and audio call apps. It’s especially important to know where it is and how it works if you’re on a conference call. Just imagine if you’re a teacher and you’re trying to share precious knowledge with students.
But one of them has a dog barking in the background, or music playing. Where is the Mute button for everyone?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist. Not yet, at least. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t mute each Google Meet attendee individually. It’s just going to take a little longer. Here’s what you need to do:
While you’re on a Google Meet conference call, click on the People icon on the top right corner of the screen.
A window will pop up with the list of all call participants. Click on the name of the individual you want to mute.
You will see the mute icon (a little microphone). Tap on the icon.
Another window will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to mute this person for everyone the call. You can choose “Cancel” or “Mute.”
That’s all there is to it. But given the fact that Google Meet can support anywhere from 100 to 250 participants, depending on which G Suite you’re using, that can be a lengthy process.
And before you start pressing the Mute button left and right, it’s essential to keep these relevant facts:
Any person in Google Meet can mute anyone else. So that can get tricky in itself.
If you mute a person, it’s not just you who won’t be able to hear them – no one will.
Clicking that the Mute button will notify everyone on the call that they’re now muted.
Once you’ve muted a person, you can’t unmute them. They have to be the ones who unmute themselves. It’s Google Privacy issue.
What If You Are the Muted One?
No one likes to be asked to stay quiet. But what if you’re on a Google Meet conference call, and suddenly you see that your Mute button has turned red? Someone in the call has muted you. Perhaps by accident. Or maybe you weren’t aware of a noise you were generating that was bothersome to everyone.
The good news is that you can simply unmute yourself and carry on. But if you want to know why you’ve been muted, you can ask via chat.
Just tap on the People icon and toggle to the “Chat” tab and ask others if there’s a problem. Because even if someone muted you by accident, they won’t be able to reverse it due to Google’s policy.
If Mute Button Isn’t Enough
A Google Meet conference call can get quite hectic. Especially if you’re dealing with an online classroom situation. Sometimes, muting and unmuting can become tedious.
You might even decide it’s time to kick some participants out of the conversation. Google Meet makes this easy – you can remove someone with just a few clicks. All you have to do is follow these steps:
In a Google Meet window, tap on the People icon in the top right corner.
When the list of participants appears, select the one you want to remove from the call.
You’ll see three icons. Select the third one, which is a circle with a minus button.
That’s all you have to do to boot someone out of a Google Meet session. This might seem like an extreme step, but it’s there for a reason. Conference calls with a lot of participants are a delicate ecosystem. If there are too many distractions, no one will be able to get any work done.
Unwritten Rule of Conference Calls
If you’re new to the whole idea of work-related group calls, it might take a while to adjust. You might forget that some noises which may seem trivial to you, bother others a lot. That’s why the golden rule of conference calls is to keep yourself muted until it’s your time to speak.
It’s as simple as that. If everyone abides by this principle, Google Meet calls will run much smoother. But in case the person who’s creating the noise doesn’t realize it, they can always be muted by anyone else in the call.
Did you ever mute anyone in the Google Meet? Was it hard to find the mute button? Let us know in the comments section below.
Google Hangouts can host an incredibly large number of participants at once. Google moved the limit many times over the years, continually going up. Note that different levels of Google Hangouts have different participant caps. The matter is complicated and requires further discussion. Let’s get to it then, shall we?
How Many People Can Join a Google Hangouts Chat (Classic)
There’s a difference between Hangouts Meet, which is a part of the premium G Suite service, and the classic Hangouts. These two have different participant limits. We needed to address that to avoid any confusion.
Let’s discuss the Hangouts first. The participant limit in a classic Hangout is 150 if we are talking meetings with text messaging only. Unfortunately, the participant cap is much lower for video meetings. Google Hangouts can have up to 30 people in a video chat at the same time.
That number used to be 25, but Google recently bumped the cap up to 30. You’ll be happy to hear that the Hangout Meet (now called Google Meet) can host even bigger conferences, depending on the package you’re using.
How Many People Can Join a Google Meet
There is a limit on how many people can join Google Meet conferences, depending on the level of G Suite you’re using. There are three levels, basic, business, and enterprise, each having a massive increase to the cap.
The basic G Suite level allows for up to 100 participants. The business plan can host up to 150, while the enterprise G Suite level moves the cap to a whopping 250. The last time these numbers were updated was on October 25, 2019.
The change took place then, and it was automatic, so no further actions were required. These high participant caps allow for big company meetings, which can include clients and customers alike.
The best part about these huge conferences is that people can tune in with any supported device (on a computer browser, through the mobile app, using the Hangouts browser extension, and even dial in participants can join).
The number of viewers in a Hangouts meeting can go up to 100,000 if you enable live streaming.
How to Start a Hangout on a Computer
If you’re not a business owner, you’re probably more interested in regular Hangouts. The best part about Hangouts is that it is a free app anyone can use. On a computer, you can host a Hangout like this:
Visit the Hangouts website using any internet browser.
Select the Contacts option in the top-left corner of the screen.
Then choose New Conversation.
Proceed with New Group.
Finally, you can add up to 150 people to a text chat, or up to 30 to a video chat. Select the names of the users, or copy the link you’ll receive and share it with them. When you’re done, click on the checkmark button, and the chat will start.
Click on the Video option to start a video call. You can invite additional participants even during the call. To do that, tap the Add button in the top-right corner of the call window.
How to Start a Hangout on a Phone or Tablet
Starting a chat on mobile is not difficult either. When you’re ready, start a conversation like this:
Launch the Hangouts app on your phone or tablet.
Press the Add icon at the bottom-right of your screen.
Create a group and add participants manually.
Start a video call by tapping the camera icon.
You can add more people during the call. Use the Add button.
Those Are Big Numbers
Kudos to Google for making huge video conferences possible, but it might be challenging to keep track of everything that’s going on in a meeting with so many people. Perhaps hosting sessions that are a bit more private is a better solution.
What do you think? Do you use Google Hangouts for business or something else? Do you agree with us, or you believe that Google should increase the participant cap even more? Let us know in the comments section below.
New technology has totally changed the way people communicate, even social norms and expectations. Before the rise of telephones, mobile phones, and the internet, talking to someone actually meant meeting with them face-to-face. But that has since changed.
Today someone who just appears on your doorstep would be considered rude – one texts first, unless it is an absolute emergency. Nowadays, online communications via apps and social media platforms are evolving at an even faster pace than other forms of communication tech, a process that is driven by changing technology and changing social acceptance of how things are done.
When Internet-based communication was first developed, one of the underlying principles was that what you put up on the Internet would stay there, or somewhere, forever. E-mails get stored in databases, your posts on a site like Reddit or Facebook stay there forever, and even when there are tools to delete our old content, a plethora of Internet archives and backup sites make accessing what we said “back in the day” easy.
Keeping Social Media Conversations Private
Online safety and privacy has been a constant issue with modern technology. Even our private conversations are subject to being archived; when we send personal messages, photos or videos, there is a chance that the person on the other end will keep them. Accordingly, many of us try to be more careful in online conversations than in offline ones. The fact is that there are many messages or files that we may want to send or share, but that we do not want to have as a part of the eternal archive of our lives.
There have arisen entire social media platforms based around the idea of transient communications as a result of flaring concern for privacy. Apps like Snapchat were based on the principle that all messages, pictures, and videos would self-destruct after being seen by the recipient. Other platforms, while not going to the same extreme, also accommodate the desire for privacy by offering temporary message or photo sharing. These services offer messages that self-delete after a certain (short) period of time, or after being read or accessed a given number of times.
Are Instagram Conversations Private?
Instagram, the world’s leading photo and video sharing platform, has also implemented a form of this mechanism. On Instagram, you can send direct messages to other users that include live photos or videos, and you can specify that those photographs and videos can be played only once or twice before they self-destruct.
However, the nature of smartphones and computers, both of which can be used to access Instagram, is such that taking a screenshot of your phone or computer display is a trivially simple task. Just a click of the the power button + the volume down button on Android, the side button + the home button on iOS, or ctrl-alt-print screen in Windows, and that quick snap is eternal. This can completely undermine the whole idea of a self-destructing picture. This leads to the question – if someone takes a screenshot of an Instagram photo, video, DM, or post, does Instagram inform the other user?
This article will answer this question.
Screenshots and Direct Messaging on Instagram
Instagram users can send each other text messages, photos or videos using the direct message (DM) function of the app. The DM menu is accessed via the little paper-airplane in the upper-right corner of the screen. A direct message in Instagram can have one of many different message types: plain text (like a standard SMS text message), text with a graphical background, recorded sound, a photo or video from the gallery, a GIF file or sticker from the built-in library, a quick reply (pre-entered text to make handling large quantities of standardized messages easy), and hearts (a simple graphic of a red heart), or a live (freshly-taken) photo or video.
Most types of DMs sent via Instagram are permanent DMs. They stay in the recipient’s inbox forever, until the recipient deletes them or Instagram’s servers disintegrate in the far far future. However, messages sent containing a live photo or video can be designated as “disappearing” messages. This means that the photograph or video can be viewed once before it becomes inaccessible, or can be viewed twice before it becomes inaccessible, or they can be permanent.
You Don’t Get Notified If Someone Screenshots Most Instagram Content
For normal DMs of any sort, as well as snapshots and video posts and stories, the recipient or the sender can take screenshots of the message or the image or a frame of the video, and Instagram does not take notice that anything was done. This permanent content can be archived freely by any participant in the conversation, and Instagram doesn’t inform you if that happened. Text messages can also be copied to the clipboard without any notification.
Does It Notify When You Unsend A Message On Instagram?
On Instagram, you do have the option to Unsend a DM at any point, even after the recipient has read it. If your recipient has already made a screenshot, though, the damage is done. Even though you decide to delete a message, if the receiver has already read it or taken a screenshot of it, it’s likely too late.
To Unsend a message, tap and hold on it, then select the Unsend option when it appears. It’s important to note, however, that unsending a message will briefly notify the other person that they had a message when they next check Instagram. It won’t show which message you unsent or notify them outside of the app (only when they check the app) but they will know that it was you who unsent the message.
It’s still the best way to get rid of a message you no longer want to have sent to the other person, just be aware that they’ll know you deleted something.
You Do Get Notified If Someone Screenshots Your Disappearing DM – Theoretically
If one party in a conversation screenshots a disappearing DM using the system method for taking a screenshot (pressing the side button and volume up buttons on iOS, or simultaneously holding down the power and volume down keys on Android, then the other party will receive a notification. Look for a circular “starburst” icon next to the DM you sent, and a popup notification on the DM screen of the recipient that lasts for about two seconds before fading out.
However, this doesn’t seem to be a completely fool-proof notification system. In October 2019, TechJunkie staff attempted a series of experiments to track the reliability of the screenshot notification. About one time in five, the app would catch what it should have been catching every time. That’s not to say that this process won’t tighten up in releases after October 2019- after all, apps are always working to develop better content to keep the masses using their products!
Better screenshot it quick before it disappears!
But what do you learn about screenshots with the notification, other than that your image has been saved somewhere? Take a look at how the notification process has been designed to work. In this image, the recipient viewed both disappearing DMs, but only took a screenshot of the second one:
If you tap on the notification icon, you can Unsend your DM. But you can also view its Details.
If you select Details, you’ll find out when the screenshot was taken. You’ll also see who took it, which is useful in knowing how your disappearing photos are actually being used!
Instagram Does Not Send Notifications If Someone Screenshots Your Story
Like the disappearing DMs, Instagram stories are designed to be temporary. When the story function first appeared, anyone was free to screenshot your stories without you knowing about it. In early 2018, Instagram debuted a lockdown feature that prevented other users from taking screenshots of Stories; however, several months later, the feature was pulled and has not appeared since. This means that people can screenshot, save, and repost pictures from your Story.
Are Screenshot Notifications Useful?
What are the pros and cons of sending out notifications when someone takes a screenshot of your conversation? Since taking screenshots is a stock function that comes with every smartphone, Instagram can’t block it altogether. However, notifications (and knowing that notifications are sent) tends to discourage the taking of screenshots of temporary messages.
A Final Word
The Internet is not the safest place for communication, even ‘private’ conversations. The general rule is that you should never share anything on the Internet that you wouldn’t say out loud in a court of law, or in front of your grandmother, for good reason. Others prefer to trust the discretion of the person they’re messaging. This usually works out, but unpleasant surprises are still too common.
Having your personal messages made public is always a harrowing experience. But it’s even worse when the messages you sent were in the form of an image or video. Even if you avoid sending anything particularly sensitive, it’s very unpleasant to see your recordings used without your permission. That’s why it is imperative to be mindful in what we do and say online.
Folders are a great way to organize student work by subject area or date. Often, teachers who teach multiple subjects create separate folders for each one, so that they can access their material quicker. That’s helpful both for them and students who find it easier to navigate.
Using folders is a walk in the park! It may take some time to create new folders and organize your stuff, but you’ll soon get used to it. In this article, we’ll show you everything you need to know about folders on Seesaw.
How to Create a Folder?
First, we’ll show you two ways to create a new folder if you don’t have any. We recommend using the Seesaw website from your browser for teacher administration tasks. You can do these things from your mobile app as well, and the process is similar. However, it’s easier to see and manage folders from your PC, especially if this is your first time.
Open Seesaw and sign in to your profile. If you have multiple classes, open the one where you want to create and manage folders. You’ll now see two options. Let’s go with the faster one.
Click on the Folder icon next to your Class Journal.
You’ll then see all the folders you’ve ever created.
If you want to open a folder, click on it. If you want to create a new folder, click on Manage Folders.
When a new screen appears, click on the Plus sign at the bottom.
Create a new folder, enter the folder name, and choose the icon color.
Click on Save.
You could also access your folders from the Class Settings Menu:
Tap the wrench icon in the top right corner.
Open Class Settings.
Scroll down to Folders.
Click on Manage Folders.
If you want to open an existing folder, click on its icon. If you want to create a new folder, click on the Plus button.
Write a folder name and choose the icon color.
Click on Save.
In the Manage Folders section, you can see all the folders you’ve ever created. That’s the easiest way to browse them as well.
Editing folders is also quick and easy. Just tap on the folder you’d like to edit, and you can change its name, its color, or even remove the folder if you no longer need it.
How to Add Files to a Folder?
If you’ve been on Seesaw for a while, you probably have activities in your Journal. It’s time to organize them! You’ll need some time for this, but it’ll save you a lot of time later.
If you want to add a file to a folder, all you have to do is open the file you’d like to add. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the following icons: comment, like, flag. Click on the small Folder icon. On the next screen, you’ll see the names and icons of all your folders. Choose the right folder by clicking on it. Then, click on Save to confirm.
If you’re wondering whether you can add one file to more folders, that’s possible too. Let’s say you’ve created a combined activity for the Arts and History classes. Click on both folders to add the said item to both folders.
Can Students Add Files to Folders?
Students can add files to folders, as well. Seesaw’s default setting allows only teachers to add things to folders, but you can always change the settings. Here’s how to enable your students to add files to folders:
Open the Class Settings.
Scroll down to Folders.
You’ll see the “Show add to folder step” option, which is now enabled only for teachers.
Click on it and then change the settings from “Teachers” to “Students and Teachers.”
Click on Save.
Now, the next time your students upload an assignment, they’ll be able to add it to a particular folder. Make sure to explain to them how to do it. When the file’s uploaded, the new screen will appear, and they’ll have to click on the name of the folder they want to add the file to.
That will save you a lot of time because students will now be able to add their assignments directly to the folder. It means you won’t have to go back and organize all the work yourself. It can save you hours every week, especially if you have a lot of students or a lot of different subjects.
Who Can See Folders?
Folders are visible to teachers, students, and parents. Of course, if you have invited parents and let them join.
If a student posts their assignment to the folder, it’d be visible to other students as well. That’s a default setting, but you can change it. You can set the assignments to private, meaning only the teacher gets to see them.
The good thing is that you can also create a private folder where you can keep your notes and content ideas. You can do so by opening the folder and tapping on Teacher Only.
It’s All About Organization
Having many students can sometimes be stressful and chaotic. That’s where tools like Seesaw can help you! We hope that you’ve found this article useful and that folders will help you organize your work and be more productive.
What’s your favorite way of organizing folders? Do you have any tips or tricks to share with other users?
There’s plenty of reasons you may want to record using your phone while the screen is turned off. While some might have nefarious purposes in mind, there’s plenty of legitimate reasons for recording a conversation or other activities.
Whatever your reasons are, recording with your screen turned off can be accomplished using a few different methods, which we’ll take a look at in this tutorial.
Legality
Recording anyone, whether in person or over the phone, comes with its fair share of legal ramifications if you aren’t careful to obtain consent and follow both federal and state laws regarding recordings on public and private property.
Typically, consent laws apply to private property, so to gain consent, both parties — including the property owner or a representative — must agree to the video being recorded (be sure to record the consent as well).
Simply begin your recording by asking the other party if they accept to be recorded. For most official meetings, like interviews, this isn’t an unexpected practice. If the other person denies you consent, however, stop and scrap the recording.
When it comes to public property, you’re free to record there, but anyone appearing in your video should still be asked for consent. We aren’t lawyers, so if you are concerned about your legal rights regarding recording and being recorded, make sure you check out both the federal and state laws in your area, and look here for the Digital Media Law Project’s thoughts on recording video and other digital content.
How to Record With the Screen Turned off in Android
Androids don’t allow you to natively record videos with the screen turned off. Without using a third-party tool, the closes you can get is to turn your brightness down as low as possible. Of course, this isn’t quite as effective as actually being able to hide your screen.
To take it a step further, you’ll need to use a third-party app. Here are a few apps that can record with the screen turned off in Android.
Background Video Recorder
This app does exactly as advertised: it allows you to use any function of your phone while also recording videos in the background. With the option to disable camera sounds and previews, no one will be able to tell you’re actually filming instead of playing a game or doing something equally inconspicuous.
The app also comes with other useful functions. You can continue capturing video even when the screen is turned off, you can schedule the phone to start recording at a certain time and hide it in a good spot, there is a one-click shortcut to instantly begin filming, etc. And after you’re done recording, you can also use the app to trim the video to size and conserve storage space by only keeping the relevant parts.
Secret Video Recorder (SVR)
Secret video recorder (SVR) is another app that can hide the recording while it’s happening. It also switches the recording on or off to the volume button so you can trigger it when the screen lock is enabled. The app does show a notification during recording, but if you trigger it when your phone is locked, you won’t see it.
This app can also record calls and can go over that 4GB limit within Android with a little tweaking. The app also suppresses shutter noises and lets you take stills of video without alerting other people or providing distractions. SVR is free with in-app purchases.
Background Video Recorder
Background video recorder is much the same as these others. It can suppress the shutter sound, record in the background instead of on the main screen, use a different button to trigger recording and can record in full HD. It uses the same design, UI and tools as these others and competes well on every count.
This app does have ads which can be intrusive but it works well enough. It can use either camera and just gets the job done. The app is free and ad-supported.
Hidden Video Recorder
Hidden Video Recorder is another way to record with the screen turned off in Android. This app also records in HD, turns off shutter noises and records in the background. This app has found a way around the Android 4GB limit and says it can record unlimited length videos until your storage is full. I didn’t get to test that far so cannot say whether that’s true or not.
Either way, the design is simple, operation fluid and makes short work of setting up a recording. The app is free and ad-supported.
Final Thoughts
There are lots of legitimate reasons why you might want to hide the fact that you are recording something, and if you find yourself in a position in which you need to do this, there are plenty of resources at your disposal.
Use these apps as you see fit and always make sure to obtain consent before recording anyone!
Google Hangouts makes online meetings and conversations a breeze, but sometimes you need to distance yourself from specific individuals. Some people can be too unpleasant or rude and make you want to block them out.
Luckily, you can block people in Google Hangouts web, and the Android and iOS apps. Read on for instructions on blocking and unblocking on all supported devices.
How to Block on Google Hangouts Mobile
If you’re using Hangouts on Android or iOS, know that you can simply block anyone who bothers you or gives you trouble. The instructions are the same for iOS and Android devices:
Launch the Hangouts app on your mobile device.
Open a conversation window.
Select More in the top-right corner of the screen.
Then, tap on People.
Choose who you want to block and tap Block User.
Finally, confirm your action with Block.
How to Block on Google Hangouts Web
You can block people on Google Hangouts web, via any internet browser on your computer. Follow the instructions for blocking:
You’ll land on the Conversations tab. Select the person you want to block from your list of conversations.
Then, select the Settings option in the conversation with this person.
Choose to Block or Report them.
Optionally, you can mark the Also Report box if you think the person in question went too far.
Confirm your selection.
We’ll give you more info about blocking and reporting in the following section.
Google Hangouts Blocking 101
Before you start blocking people on Google Hangouts, you should know how it works. First and foremost, you will not be able to receive any calls or messages from a contact you block. Not only will you block them on Google Hangouts, but also on Google Chat, Google Voice, and Google Photos.
If you decide to unblock someone, you’ll unblock them on other services as well. You won’t be able to message or call a blocked person either. Calls and messages will be enabled both ways on other messaging apps and via regular phone calls.
You can block a person in your Google Hangouts group chat. It will not remove them from the conversation, though. Nobody in a group chat will get notified of you blocking someone. You won’t see notifications of their messages in a group, but they will see yours. Other people won’t be affected – they will still be able to see all messages.
Even though you’ve blocked someone, they can still join your group text chats. If they try to join a video group chat, they won’t be able to do so. Also, they’ll get a notification informing them that someone from the conversation blocked them.
How to Unblock in Google Hangouts
Anyone can make a mistake and block someone in Google Hangouts on accident. That’s not an issue because you can unblock them even before they notice. You can unblock a person at any time if you have a change of heart. Here’s how to unblock on a computer:
Visit the Google Hangouts page in any browser.
Select the hamburger menu and click on the Settings.
Next, choose the Blocked People option to see the list of everyone you’ve blocked.
Finally, find the desired person and Unblock them.
Alternatively, you can unblock your Hangouts Contacts in Gmail from the list with the same name (left side of your Gmail screen).
Unblocking on Mobile
Unblocking people in Google Hangouts is different for Android and iOS devices. Here’s how to unblock a person on an Android phone or tablet:
Start the Hangouts app.
Then, tap the hamburger menu.
Next, choose Settings, and select the Google account you’re using.
Finally, tap on Blocked Contacts and find the name of the person you want to Unblock. Tap the Unblock button.
Blocking on the iPhone and iPad has some extra steps:
Launch the Hangouts application.
Select the hamburger menu.
Open the Settings and view the Blocked People list.
Select the name of the person you’d like unblocked.
Then, tap More, followed by People.
Choose the name of the person once again and tap Unblock User.
Blocking Made Easy
Real-life contact with people sometimes can’t be avoided, but on Google Hangouts, it can. You don’t need to put up with rude behavior; block the person right away.
Did we answer all your questions regarding blocking, or there’s more that you’d like to know? Tell us about your Google Hangouts experiences in the comments section below.
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Inflation means consumer prices are rising, but can also bring profit from certain investment choices like those in real estate, commodities, stocks, and bonds.
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
The Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (PPPLF) is designed to help small businesses maintain payrolls as the economy shrinks due to the coronavirus crisis.
While most people won't have to do anything to receive their stimulus payment, there are important steps to take to make sure there are no hangups or delays.
FutureAdvisor and Betterment are very different robo-advisories, but they share a similar approach. Like all robo-advisors, both rely heavily on Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) in managing your portfolio, although the specifics of portfolio creation and rebalancing differ.
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A Medicare Advantage plan may help you lower health costs not covered by Medicare, but there are definite tradeoffs compared to classic Medicare/Medigap.
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The bond market is where investors go to trade debt securities, while the stock market is where investors trade equity securities through stock exchanges.
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Tripura Police Admit Card 2020 | Download All Tripura Exam Hall Tickets – The Authority of Tripura Police Department releases the Admit Card for various posts every year @tripurapolice.gov.in. So the department advises to the candidates to download the Tripura Police Hall Ticket through the below-given link before the exam date. Only the applied aspirants are allowed to download the Tripura Police Admit Card from the respective links.
The Department of Tripura Police has released the notifications for Riflemen (GD and Tradesmen) posts for the 1488 Vacancies. Therefore the candidates who have applied for the respective recruitment can find the Tripura Riflemen (GD and Tradesmen) Exam Hall Ticket from here. The applied candidates can download the admit card from the below links only when it has released by Tripura Police Department on its official website. Below few are the important details given for Tripura Riflemen GD & Tradesman Exam.
Important Details on Tripura Police Exam Hall Ticket 2020
All the applied candidates must check to the admit card details after printing it. The Tripura Police Call Letter has to be downloaded via Online Mode only. Therefore, the Department will not send the hall ticket to any of the candidates through the post. Check some important details which are available on the Tripura Police Exam Admit Card 2020.
Candidates Name
Name of the Candidate's Father
The venue of the Exam Centre
Date & Time of the Test
Reporting Time to the Exam Hall
Gender (Male/ Female)
Roll Number
Duration of the Online Test
Space for Invigilator's Signature
Registration Number
Name of the Test Centre
Category of the candidates
Space for Applicant's Signature
Name of the Exam Conducting Board
Photograph of the Candidate
Applicant's Date of Birth
Name of the Written Test
Important Guidelines for the Exam Takers
Full Name of the Applicant
Examination Centre Code
Signature of the Board Counselor
Tripura Police Exam 2020
The Tripura Police Department will conduct the exam in the month of May 2020 at various exam centres. Therefore, go through the Tripura Police Syllabus for the exam preparation. Candidates make sure to get the Tripura Police Admit Card to enter the exam hall. Also, read the Tripura Police Previous Papers for the better knowledge of Tripura Police Rifleman & Other Exams.
Documents to be Carried with Tripura Police Call Letter 2020
The Police Department suggests the aspirants to carry any of the following ID Proofs. It is necessary to clear the verification process at the doorstep.
Tripura Police Admit Card
Aadhar Card
Ration Card
Driving License
PAN Card
Voter ID
Any Valid ID Proof Issued By Gazetted Officer
Passport
Tripura Police Admit Card Download Steps 2020
Click on the Tripura Police Exam Admit Card direct link
Enter the login details to get into the admit card
An Admit Card page will appear on the screen
Fill all the valid details in the Tripura Police Hall Ticket
Go through the admit card details that you have entered
Finally, check and Submit the admit card
Download the hall ticket once submitted
Take a print out of the admit card
Carry for the Tripura Police Exam and for all the selection rounds
Tripura Police Department Admit Card 2020 – Important Links
The links are important to download Tripura Police Riflemen Admit Card. The links will get activated when it has released on the official site. Candidates can also check the official for more detailed information of Tripura Police GD Exam.
Tripura Police Riflemen (GD and Tradesmen) Admit Card
PGIMER Syllabus 2020 Pdf is available now. Candidates who have applied for the various vacancies of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research Exam can check the PGIMER 2020 Syllabus and Exam Pattern here. We provided the complete PGIMER Syllabus 2020 Pdf on this page. Interested candidates can also check the PGIMER 2020 Exam pattern @ pgimer.edu.in
Dear Aspirants!! Here are the Syllabus and Exam Pattern details for the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Senior Resident Job. Candidates who have applied for the PGIMER Senior Resident Recruitment and looking for the syllabus details to begin your preparation for the written examination in the upcoming months. This section will help you to know about the exam pattern and syllabus topics. Examine the details updated in the below section and get ready for the written test. Find the details like Educational Qualification, Selection process, etc. at the official website @ www.pgimer.edu.in.
Candidates who are going to attend this Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research exam in Chandigarh are advised to check and download the Official recruitment notification at the official website to verify the details like educational qualification, Age limit, and Selection Process, etc. The official PGIMER direct link will be updated on this page for the guidance of candidates. Click on the link we have provided and download the Official recruitment Notification.
The exam Pattern may help the candidate at the time of preparation. The selection of the candidates will happen in 2 parts. The first part will be a written test for 50 questions. This will be for 75 marks. The total time duration of the exam will be 50 minutes. The second part will be a departmental assessment test and Interview. This will be for 25 marks. So the total selection process will be for 100 marks. The PGIMER Syllabus and Exam Pattern have been provided on this page. Meanwhile, the applied candidates need to follow the Test Pattern and Syllabus we update on this page.
Selection Type
Number of Questions
Total Marks
Time Duration
Written Test
50
75
50 Minutes
Departmental Assessment Test and Interview
–
25
–
Total
–
100 Marks
–
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Syllabus for Senior Resident Exam 2020
The PGIMER Syllabus is the major part of the test preparation. Candidates can guess the Topics covered in the written exam with the help of Syllabus. The Exam Syllabus given below is as per the posts for Senior Resident, Senior Medical Officer and Junior/ Senior Demonstrator, Demonstrator. You can also download the PGIMER Syllabus PDF from the link below.
Indian Council of Medical Research JRF Syllabus 2020
Are you searching for ICMR JRF Exam Syllabus? Check out this page Indian Council of Medical Research Syllabus is here for the Junior Research Fellowship Exam. This page is updated for the candidates who have applied for the ICMR JRF Recruitment and looking for the ICMR JRF Exam Syllabus and Test Pattern as these are mandatory for the written test. Finally, the searched candidates have reached the right place for the ICMR Exam Syllabus along with the Test pattern for the ease of applied aspirants. After getting knowledge about the syllabus candidates can start the test preparation to get a good score in the written exam.
ICMR JRF Entrance Exam Syllabus
Name of the Organization
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) & Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER)
Decimals and Fractions and relationship between Numbers.
Fundamental Arithmetical Operations
Percentage
Ration and Proportion
Square roots
Averages
Interest (Single and Compound)
Profit and Loss
Discount
Partnership Business
Mixture and Allegation
Time and Distance
Time and Work.
Scientific Phenomenon in Everyday Life
Hurricane
Rain
Snow
Earthquake
Tsunami
Wind
Tornado
Volcano
Greenhouse Effect
Erosion
General Knowledge in Sciences
Measurements
Nuclear Science
Synthetic Materials
Common Statistics
Describing and displaying data
Experiments and sampling
Probability
Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals
Linear regression and correlation
Life Sciences
Microbiology
Physiology
Molecular Biology
Genetics
Human Nutrition
Human Biology
Biotechnology
Biochemistry
Biophysics
Immunology
Pharmacology
Zoology
Environmental sciences
Botany
Public Health Veterinary Science
Bio-informatics.
Social Sciences
Psychology
Sociology
Home Sciences
Statistics
Anthropology
Social Work
And Health Economics.
PGIMER LDC Syllabus 2020 PDF
PGIMER LDC Syllabus 2020: Hello Folks !!Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research Officials is going to conducting the Written Examination for recruiting Principal, Public Relations Officer, Junior Technician, Plaster Technician Grade II, Lower Division Clerk, Security Guard Vacancies. So, aspirants are requested to know the PGIMER LDC Syllabus 2020 to prepare well for the Written Examination. To help out the candidates, we have provided the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research LDC Syllabus 2020 and also the Exam Pattern 2020 on this webpage.
Aspirants must refer to this page and therefore prepare well for the examination to gain the highest marks in the examination. Accordingly, to gain the post in PGIMER Chandigarh, all the applied candidates must have a complete idea on some factors such as PGIMER LDC Exam Pattern 2020, Syllabus and also Selection Process, etc. We suggested the aspirants refer to PGIMER Syllabus along with the PGIMER Previous Papers to secure top marks in the examination. Scroll down to get more information about the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research LDC Syllabus 2020.
PGIMER LDC Exam Syllabus 2020 – Overview
Description
Details
Name of the Organization
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research
No of Vacancies
65
Name of the Post
Principal, Public Relation Officer, Junior Technician, Plaster Technician Grade II, Lower Division Clerk, Security Guard Grade II
Type of Examination:Multiple Choice Objective Type
Time Duration: 90 minutes
PGIMER Group B Exam Pattern 2020
Name of the Subject
Number of Questions
Number of Marks
English Language
100
100
Total
100
100
Type of Examination:Multiple Choice Objective Type
Time Duration: 105 minutes
PGIMER Group C Exam Pattern 2020
Name of the Subject
Number of Questions
Number of Marks
English Language (12th Standard)
100
100
Maths (Matric Standard)
Hindi (Matric Standard)
Reasoning
General Knowledge
Total
100
100
Type of Examination:Multiple Choice Objective Type
Time Duration: 105 minutes
Note:
1 Mark will be awarded for each correct response.
There will be negative marking to the extent of 0.25 marks per question for a wrong response.
Selection Procedures:
The selection process of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research comprises three stages. Aspirants must know the following selection rounds to recruit in their desired jobs in PGIMER.
The PGIMER Syllabus 2020 Pdf is given on this page to download. The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh has released a Notification to fill Jr Technician, Stenographer, Assistant Administrative Officer, Perfusionist & Other Vacancies. Candidates can download the PGIMER Syllabus here. Before Starting your Exam Preparation, Aspirants can check the Complete PGI Bsc Nursing Syllabus 2020 from the below section.
Checking PGIMER Syllabus 2020 and Exam Pattern is very important before Starting the Preparation. Therefore you can score good marks in the Examination. Aspirants need proper preparation to participate in the Examination. On this Page, we provide not only the Exam Syllabus but also have provided the PGIMER Exam Pattern and Previous Papers as well.
PGIMER Syllabus 2020 @ www.pgimer.edu.in
Name of the Organization
Post Graduation Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER)
Name of the Posts
Jr Technician, Stenographer, Assistant Administrative Officer, Perfusionist & Other
The Written Examination will be in the English Language.
The total duration of the Examination will be of 105 minutes.
It will consist of 100 questions each carrying 1 mark.
There will be negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer.
PGI Bsc Nursing Syllabus 2020
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research Medical Officer Syllabus is given on this page to download Pdf. The syllabus of written examination for the posts of Assistant Administrative Officer, Junior Technician (lab), Junior Technician (X-ray), Junior Speech Therapist, Perfusionist and Animal Keeper will be according to his/her professional course. Given is the syllabus for Stenographer Posts.
PGIMER Syllabus 2020 – English
Fill in the blanks.
Synonyms & Antonyms.
Idioms and phrases.
Vocabulary.
Shuffling of sentence parts.
One word substitutions.
Comprehension passage etc.
PGIMER 2020 Syllabus – Aptitude
The relationship between Numbers.
Interest.
Time and Work.
Ratio and Proportion.
Averages.
Mensuration.
Decimals and Fractions.
Number Systems.
Profit and Loss.
Problems on Trains.
Percentages.
Time and Distance.
Problems on Ages.
Use of Tables and Graphs.
Computation of Whole Numbers.
Discount.
Fundamental arithmetical operations etc.
PGIMER Exam Syllabus – Reasoning
Observation.
Figural Classification.
Coding and Decoding.
Analysis.
Spatial Orientation.
Analogies.
Similarities and Differences.
Visual Memory.
Decision Making.
Non-Verbal Series.
Space Visualization.
Problem Solving.
Arithmetical Reasoning.
Arithmetic Number Series.
Relationship Concepts.
Statement Conclusion etc.
PGIMER Syllabus 2020 Pdf for General Knowledge
Indian Constitution.
Abbreviations.
Indian Culture & Heritage.
General Science.
Countries, Capitals & Currencies.
Indian Geography.
Science & Technology.
Indian Economy.
Indian Polity.
History – India.
Current Affairs – National & International etc.
PGIMER Chandigarh AAO Syllabus for Hindi Syllabus
Phrases/Muhavare.
Translation of Sentences.
Synonyms.
Grammar.
Error Detection.
Vocabulary.
Comprehension.
Antonyms.
Fill in the Blanks.
Plural Forms etc.
PGIMER Stenographer Syllabus 2020 for Skill Test
The skill test will consists of dictation at the speed of 80 w.p.m. in Stenography (English or Hindi) with transcription time of 50 minutes (English) or 65 minutes (Hindi) on a computer.
The Skill Test will consist of a total of 100 marks.
A total of 800 words will be dictated at the speed of 80 wpm for 10 minutes. 5% mistakes will be allowed to qualify the shorthand test and a candidate who commits more than 5% mistakes i.e. more than 40 mistakes, will be declared as fail.
0.5 marks each will be deducted for committing a single mistake.
For further details check the Official Notification.
Download PGIMER Chandigarh Exam Syllabus 2020 Pdf
The candidates can also check the PGIMER Previous Papers here. We have provided the information for reference to the applicants. We have provided the information regarding PGI Chandigarh Syllabus 2020 on our site. So, the interested candidates can stay tuned to our site for the latest updates.
Indian Overseas Bank Syllabus 2020 is given below for download. Check the Indian Overseas Bank Syllabus available on our website for download. Find the details like Educational Qualification, Selection process, etc. at the official website @ www.iob.in. Candidates, there is good news here related to the Indian Overseas Bank Exam Syllabus and exam pattern. We have gathered some latest updates of the Indian Overseas Bank Exam recruitment and Exam Pattern for the candidates who have applied for the posts and are searching for the Indian Overseas Bank Specialist Officer Previous Papers. The Selection of candidates will be made based on their performance in the Written exam conducted by the Indian Overseas Bank Officials. People can also get the Indian Overseas Bank’s Previous Papers direct link on this page. You can also find the Indian Overseas Bank Admit card on our website.
Indian Overseas Bank Syllabus 2020
Candidates who are going to attend this Indian Overseas Bank exam are advised to check and download the Official recruitment notification at the official website to verify the details like educational qualification, Age limit, and Selection Process, etc. The official Indian Overseas Bank direct link will be updated on this page for the guidance of candidates. Click on the link we have provided and download the Official recruitment Notification.
Indian Overseas Bank Specialist Officer Exam Pattern
The exam Pattern may help the candidate at the time of preparation. The exam will be conducted for 2 hours. There will be 240 questions for 1 marks each. The total marks for the exams will be 240 marks. The subjects that the candidates will have to prepare for the IOB Exam 2020 are Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, Hindi Language and Computer Knowledge. The Indian Overseas Bank Syllabus and Exam Pattern have been provided on this page. Meanwhile, the applied candidates need to follow the Test Pattern and Syllabus we update on this page.
Indian Overseas Bank Specialist Officer Exam Pattern:
Name of the Subject
Number of Questions
Maximum Marks
Duration
Reasoning
50
50
2 Hours
General Awareness
40
40
Quantitative Aptitude
50
50
English Language
40
40
Hindi Language
40
40
Computer Knowledge
20
40
Total
240
240
Download Indian Overseas Bank Syllabus 2020
The Indian Overseas Bank Syllabus is the major part of the test preparation. Candidates can guess the Topics covered in the written exam with the help of Syllabus. The Exam Syllabus is having topics like English Language, General Awareness, and Numerical Aptitude, etc. You can also download the Indian Overseas BankB Syllabus PDF from the link below.
SDSC SHAR Previous Papers Pdf is available here for candidates. Interested candidates may check the Indian Space Research Organization Satish Dhawan Space Centre Solved Papers. Download the SDSC SHAR Technician Model Papers along with Answers. Also, get Study Material, Preparation tips in addition to SDSC SHAR SHAR Technician Old Question Papers. Here you will get the complete information of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota Range Previous Papers. Solving Previous Papers can help you to prepare well for the exams.
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota Range Previous Papers with Answers
Download the SDSC SHAR Technician Old Question papers pdf from our site. We have provided the SDSC SHAR Technician sample question papers in the Pdf format. Therefore, the applicants can download the SDSC SHAR Technician B, Draughtsman B Exam Solved papers easily and quickly. Just click on the below links to get the SDSC SHAR Technician Previous Year Papers PDF. Applicants can also check the SDSC SHAR Technician Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern provided below. Therefore Applicants can refer to subject wise Solved Papers which are helpful to get your dream job.
SDSC SHAR Technician Previous Year Model Exam Papers Pdf
Interested candidates who have applied for SDSC SHAR Technician Sriharikota Range Recruitment can find all the model question papers here. The notification for this Technician B and Draughtsman B vacancy was released and so the model papers are provided here. Check them and download them for free for SDSC SHAR Technician exam 2020. This will help you prepare well and score good marks in your exams. We have provided a list of previous year question papers for you to practice. It will also help you to understand the structure of the exam, important topics, types of questions asked and other details that are important from the SDSC SHAR Technician exam point of view. For more details, read the sections in this article. You can also visit the official portal of Indian Space Research Organization SHAR for more details.
SDSC SHAR Technician B, Draughtsman B Exam Practice Papers – Details
Description
Details
Organization Name
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota Range Indian Space Research Organization (SDSC SHAR ISRO)
The entire details of the SDSC SHAR Technician exam 2020 is given under this topic. It includes details like Subject name, Number of Questions, Marks allotted etc.
SDSC SHAR Technician Exam Pattern
The SDSC SHAR Technician exam pattern is given in detail below. There will be a written test conducted. The test will be conducted for 100 marks. There will be 100 questions asked in the SDSC SHAR Technician Exam 2020. The subjects that the candidates will have to start preparing for are Computer Knowledge, Mechanical, Electrical and Electrician. Check the details below for more information. The direct links for SDSC SHAR Technician sample papers are given for you to download for free and prepare well. Practice well for these exams to score well in the exam. The SDSC SHAR Technician, Draughtsman Syllabus has also been given for candidates.
Name of the Subjects
Number Of Questions
Total Marks
Computer Knowledge
25 Questions
25 Marks
Mechanical
25 Questions
25 Marks
Electrical
25 Questions
25 Marks
Electrician
25 Questions
25 Marks
Total
100 Questions
100 Marks
Download SDSC SHAR Technician, Draughtsman Previous Year Question Papers Pdf
Here we have provided Previous Papers for candidates who want to prepare for the exam. By preparing well you can secure very good marks in the exam. You can find the direct link here to download the SDSC SHAR Technician B and Draughtsman B model papers. These papers are as per the exam pattern making it easier for candidates to prepare. Download the subject wise old question papers of SDSC SHAR Technician exam below.
Candidates, please remember that the papers that are given above for SDSC SHAR Technician B and Draughtsman B are Previous Papers/ sample papers only. They are only for reference use. All interested candidates can download the subject wise exam papers for free. Prepare well for the exams by practising these papers and referring to the SDSC SHAR Technician, Draughtsman Syllabus also. This will help you score better marks in the exam.
MUC Bank Syllabus 2020 is given below for download. Check the MUC Previous Papers available on our website for download. Find the details like Educational Qualification, Selection process, etc. at the official website @ www.mucbank.com. Candidates have good news here related to the Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank Limited Trainee, Exam Syllabus, and exam pattern. We have gathered some latest updates of the MUC Exam recruitment and Exam Pattern for the candidates who have applied for the posts and are searching for the MUC Bank Clerical Trainee Previous Papers. The Selection of candidates will be made based on their performance in the Written exam conducted by the MUC Officials. People can also get the MUC bank’s previous Papers direct link on this page. We will soon update the Exam Admit Card Activation Link here for the aspirants who will be going to apply for these posts.
MUC Bank Syllabus 2020
Candidates who are going to attend this Mehsana Urban Cooperative Bank Limited exam are advised to check and download the Official recruitment notification at the official website to verify the details like educational qualification, Age limit, and Selection Process, etc. The official MUC Bank direct link will be updated on this page for the guidance of candidates. Click on the link we have provided and download the Official recruitment Notification.
Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank Exam Syllabus Details
Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank Limited Clerical Trainee Exam Pattern
The exam Pattern may help the candidate at the time of preparation. There are going to be 100 questions for 1 mark each. The total marks of the exam will be 100. The MUC Bank exam will be conducted for 1 hour. The subjects the candidates will have to prepare for are English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability. The MUC Bank Syllabus and Exam Pattern have been provided on this page. Meanwhile, the applied candidates need to follow the Test Pattern and Syllabus we update on this page.
MUC BANK Clerical Trainee Prelims Exam Pattern:
Name of the Subject
Number of Questions
Maximum Marks
Duration
English Language
30
30
20 Minutes
Numerical Ability
35
35
20 Minutes
Reasoning Ability
35
35
20 Minutes
Total
100
100
1 Hour
MUC BANK Clerical Trainee Mains Exam Pattern:
Name of the Subject
Number of Questions
Maximum Marks
Duration
Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude
50
60
45 Minutes
English Language
40
40
35 Minutes
Quantitative Aptitude
50
50
45 Minutes
General/ Finance Awareness
50
50
35 Minutes
Total
190
200
160 Minutes
Download MUC Bank Syllabus 2020
The MUC Bank Syllabus is the major part of the test preparation. Candidates can guess the Topics covered in the written exam with the help of Syllabus. The Exam Syllabus is having topics like English Language, General Awareness, and Numerical Aptitude, etc. You can also download the MUCB Syllabus PDF from the link below.
GSECL Previous Papers Pdf has been provided here for candidates to download for free. Aspirants can check GSECL Solved papers here. Download the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited Model Papers now. You can also get study material, preparation tips along with the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Old Question Papers. Get complete information of the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited previous papers. Keep solving papers to help you to prepare for the exams.
Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited Previous Papers with Answers
Download the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Old Question papers pdf from our site. We have provided the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak sample question papers in the Pdf format. Therefore, the applicants can download the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Exam Solved papers easily and quickly. Just click on the below links to get the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Previous Year Papers PDF. Applicants can also check the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern provided below. Therefore Applicants can refer to subject wise Solved Papers which are helpful to get your dream job.
GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Previous Year Model Exam Papers Pdf
Interested candidates who have applied for GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Recruitment can find all the model question papers here. The notification for this Vidyut Sahayak and Instrument Mechanic vacancy was released and so the model papers are provided here. Check them and download them for free for GSECL Vidyut Sahayak exam 2020. This will help you prepare well and score good marks in your exams. We have provided a list of previous year question papers for you to practice. It will also help you to understand the structure of the exam, important topics, types of questions asked and other details that are important from the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak exam point of view. For more details, read the sections in this article. You can also visit the official portal of Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited for more details.
GSECL Vidyut Sahayak and Instrument Mechanic Exam Practice Papers – Details
Description
Details
Organization Name
Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL)
The entire details of the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak exam 2020 is given under this topic. It includes details like Subject name, Number of Questions, Marks allotted etc.
GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Exam Pattern
The GSECL Vidyut Sahayak exam pattern is given in detail below. There will be a written test conducted. The exam for each post will be conducted for 100 marks and 100 questions each. The subjects that the candidates will have to prepare for is Gujarati Language and Grammer, General Knowledge, English Knowledge, Computer Knowledge and Concerned Subjects. Check the details below for more information. The direct links for GSECL Vidyut Sahayak sample papers are given for you to download for free and prepare well. Practice well for these exams to score well in the exam.
GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Exam Pattern 2020
Name of the Subjects
Number Of Questions
Total Marks
Gujarati Language & Grammer
100 Questions
100 Marks
General Knowledge
English Knowledge
Computer Knowledge
Concerned Subject
GSECL Instrument Mechanic Exam Pattern 2020
Name of the Subjects
Number Of Questions
Total Marks
Gujarati Language & Grammer
100 Questions
100 Marks
General Knowledge
English Knowledge
Computer Knowledge
Concerned Subject
Download GSECL Vidyut Sahayak, Draughtsman Previous Year Question Papers Pdf
Here we have provided Previous Papers for candidates who want to prepare for the exam. By preparing well you can secure very good marks in the exam. You can find the direct link here to download the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak and Instrument Mechanic model papers. These papers are as per the exam pattern making it easier for candidates to prepare. Download the subject wise old question papers of GSECL Vidyut Sahayak exam below.
Candidates, please remember that the papers that are given above for GSECL Vidyut Sahayak and Instrument Mechanic are Previous Papers/ sample papers only. They are only for reference use. All interested candidates can download the subject wise exam papers for free. Prepare well for the exams by practising these papers and referring to the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Syllabus also. This will help you score better marks in the exam.
Preparation Tips:
All the applicants who are attending the Written Exam can start preparing as soon as possible. It is necessary for those candidates to refer the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Previous Papers PDF of Recruitment Tests. Also, follow GSECL Exam Syllabus along with the exam pattern. Moreover, for the better results, applicants can attempt various GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Mock Test from the links given above.
The candidates applied for the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited Vidyut Sahayak Exam 2020 can check the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Syllabus here. Refer to the GSECL Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2020. Referring these can help the candidates with the structure of Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited Vidyut Sahayak Written Examination 2020. Hence, click on the following link and download the GSECL Exam Syllabus 2020 in the Pdf format.
The applied aspirants can check the GSECL Admit Card from our website recruitment.guru. In this article, we have given the step by step instructions to download the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited Vidyut Sahayak Admit Card 2020. Therefore, click on the link mentioned below and download the GSECL Vidyut Sahayak Hall Ticket 2020.
5 Simple Steps To An Effective CORONA VIRUS Strategy
Coronavirus sickness (COVID-19) is an irresistible infection brought about by a newfound coronavirus.
A great many people contaminated with the COVID-19 infection will encounter gentle to direct respiratory disease and recuperate without requiring uncommon treatment. More seasoned individuals, and those with basic clinical issues like cardiovascular malady, diabetes, interminable respiratory ailment, and malignant growth are bound to create genuine ailment.
The most ideal approach to forestall and hinder transmission is be all around educated about the COVID-19 infection, the ailment it causes and how it spreads. Shield yourself as well as other people from disease by washing your hands or utilizing a liquor based rub every now and again and not contacting your face.
The COVID-19 infection spreads principally through beads of salivation or release from the nose when a contaminated individual hacks or sniffles, so it's significant that you additionally practice respiratory decorum.
To forestall disease and to slow transmission of COVID-19, do the accompanying:
Wash your hands routinely with cleanser and water, or clean them with liquor based hand rub.
Keep up at any rate 1 meter separation among you and individuals hacking or wheezing.
Abstain from contacting your face.
Spread your mouth and nose when hacking or wheezing.
Remain at home in the event that you feel unwell.
Cease from smoking and different exercises that debilitate the lungs.
Practice physical removing by dodging superfluous travel and avoiding huge gatherings of individuals.
The COVID-19infection influences various individuals in various manners. COVID-19 is a respiratory malady and most tainted individuals will create gentle to direct manifestations and recuperate without requiring uncommon treatment. Individuals who have basic ailments and those more than 60 years of age have a higher danger of creating serious ailment and passing.
Regular manifestations include:
fever
tiredness
dry hack.
Different indications include:
brevity of breath
a throbbing painfulness
sore throat
What's more, not many individuals will report loose bowels, queasiness or a runny nose.
Individuals with mellow manifestations who are in any case sound should self-segregate and contact their clinical supplier or a COVID-19 data line for exhortation on testing and referral.
Individuals with fever, hack or trouble breathing should call their primary care physician and look for clinical consideration.
Practice Tests Plus 2 book is written by Morgan Terry and Judith Wilson, providing extensive practice in all 4 modules of the IELTS exam (Academic version).
Practice IELTS tests plus 2 helps you work out all four modules of the IELTS exam: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The book is suitable for both students and IELTS teachers who want to improve their English skills with exercises that have been carefully produced to reflect the level of difficulty of the exam. All major exam task types are covered, and a variety of reading texts cover the range of text types found in the exam. Throughout the tests, exam-skill tips provide guidance on how to approach each different task type.
IELTS Practice Tests Plus 2 provides skimming and scanning skills in Reading and useful vocabulary in the IELTS exam from which can achieve high results in four IELTS components.
The main content of Practice IELTS tests plus 2:
6 complete practical exercises combined with modifications in 2005 in modules Writing
Full description exams
Offering training strategy for each module
Evaluate your articles and academic vocabulary
Caption answers, analyse the answers correct and incorrect
Since I work from sun up to sun down (all day long), it's essential (very important) for me to get a healthy amount of sleep. I usually go to bed between 10:30 and 11pm and get up between 4:30 and 5am. To be honest, I always set my alarm for 4:30 but I have a habit of pressing the snooze button (the button you press when your alarm goes off and you want to sleep more; usually lasts 5-10 minutes) 2 or 3 times so usually end up getting out of bed closer to 5.
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers- Ebook
$80 $18
IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
35.2. Do you think it is enough? Why?
I think the minimum amount of sleep to be healthy is 6 hours a night. So yes, I do sleep an acceptable amount of hours. But, to be honest, I think it's unnatural to get up before the sunrise; I think we need natural light. Although I sleep about 6 hours, I still feel sleepy throughout the day. I think getting up at 6 would feel a lot more refreshing.
35.3. What do you do to improve sleeping quality?
With all the stressors that I face throughout the day, it's important to take some deep breaths at the end of the day. I downloaded a meditation app called HeadSpace a few months ago and have started doing some meditation before sleep. Furthermore, I try to avoid looking at my phone at least 30 minutes before bed because it stimulates my mind too much. I truly believe that meditation leads to a much more restful sleep.
35.4. Do you like sleeping during the day? Why?
When I take a nap, I tend to keep pressing the snooze button and end up (do something without wanting or trying to) sleeping for at least an hour and a half! Although it feels amazing to escape the heat with an afternoon nap in an air conditioned room, I try to avoid it because I end up feeling more tired afterwards. I think a 30-45 minute nap would be ideal.
35.5. Do you think elderly people need more or less sleep than young? Why?
I imagine that an aging body exerts (use) much more energy for simple tasks that seem easy to a young, able body. Furthermore, they may be more sensitive to extreme weather. With this said, I would say that the elderly require more rest. I believe if they have more rest, they can keep healthier and perhaps live a longer life.
The IELTS Listening practice test will go up to 30 minutes and you will be getting an extra 10 minutes of time to transfer the answer to the answer sheets.
If you are practicing the test online, there will be 4 different web pages and you need to go through these web pages very swiftly so that you do not miss out with the time and you can also practice in a realistic way.
If you are practicing the test offline then you need to download the question paper as well as the blank answer sheet before taking the test. You can write the answers on the question paper using the pencil while listening to the audios played.
There will be four parts in the listening test and for each of the parts there will be specific time which is allotted and after listening to the audios the test taker will get separate 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet.
For people with disabilities, they will make special arrangements and if the person wants any modified arrangements then he/she should contact a specific test center 3 months in advance.
Things to be kept in mind by the test takers
There are certain things which should be kept in mind by the test takers while taking the IELTS listening test:
Should not open the question paper until the examiner asks you to do so.
Write your correct name and candidate number given on the top of the page.
There will be 4 parts in the listening test and each test will be different from others. So you need to listen to the instructions of each part carefully.
Do not skip any of the questions, try to answer all.
You can write the answer on the question paper while listening to the audio.
Use a pencil while writing the answer on the question paper.
At the end of all the recordings, you will have extra time to transfer your answers to the extra sheet that is provided.
Practice Listening at Home
You can practice for the listening test very comfortably sitting at home. In order to do this you need to focus on certain things like:
Finding out the skills needed for listening
Predicting skill
The examiner will ask you to read the question before actually playing the audio. While practicing at home even you need to do the same and you should be able to predict what will be the audio about while looking at the question.
Understand the synonyms and paraphrasing
Sometimes the words used in audio may not be the same in the question and the paraphrasing made in both also might be different. So, you must be able to find out the sentences that match one another and also should be able to write the correct answer.
Should understand the connected speech
When the native speaker speaks English it is actually a little difficult to understand. This is mainly because of the usage of connected speech. Some teachers when they teach the English language they speak slowly in order to understand by the students, but this actually harms the understanding of the students, instead of helping them. So it is important to understand the connected speech in the Listening test.
Recognize the signposting
It is not possible to concentrate on the audio that is played fully, even the native speaker will not be able to concentrate on the recordings 100%. In order to get a practice of this, you need to simply listen to the lectures and when you listen to some difficult words in the audio you can pause and find out the meaning of the same.
Listening to two persons speaking
When two people speak there will always one person agreeing and another person disagreeing. You need to find out whether there are two people in the conversation and try to put yourself in one of the person's place and try to understand the conversation.
Taking the notes
If you want to practice this skill, more and more you need to listen to the lectures and take the notes as the lecture goes on so that it becomes realistic. Everybody as their own way of note-taking, so it is up to you how you take notes but the note taken should be understood by you. After you note down everything check for the spellings if you have written the correct spellings.
How to Review your Practice Test
There are some points through which you can review the listening practice you have taken, they are as follows:
Whether you have completed your listening test through complete exam cognition.
You need to identify any particular question that you found difficult while practicing the listening test.
Know your mistakes and try to analyze them.
You need to also find out the reason for the mistakes and in which part do the mistakes take place.
Try to know the weakest areas first and try to overcome them.
Repeat the process until you get your desired score.
Here is the list of Listening Practice Tests which will help you in IELTS Listening test
In this particular page, you can find IELTS Reading samples which can be used in the IELTS practice test. There is a procedure to calculate the marks obtained by the IELTS reading practice test. You can follow the below procedure to calculate the IELTS reading band score obtained.
Choose a particular practice test and click on the first section of the test.
Read the given passage and answer the question below and click on the check button. You will get the correct and wrong answer for the same.
Go to the next section and repeat the same procedure
After you finish reading all the 3 passages and answering all the questions. Click on Get Results button to check the scores obtained in the reading test.
In the Reading test, there are 2 categories one is the IELTS Academic Reading test and another is the IELTS General Training Reading test. The practice test for both is explained below.
IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test
While taking up the Academic Reading Practice test certain things have to be kept in mind which are pointed down as below:
The Academic Reading test will go up to 60 minutes long.
Totally there will be 3 sections and each section will have a long text which will be 2,150-2,750 words long.
The texts which are given in the exam are taken from journals, newspapers, magazines. These topics will be written on Academic topics of general interest and these are given for non-specialist audiences.
The texts or the passages given are appropriate or to the point for the audience who are taking up undergraduate or postgraduate programs or for those who are taking the professional registration like, teacher, doctor and so on in the foreign countries.
From the text given you may be asked descriptive, discursive, analytical and factual questions.
The text which is given may also contain non-verbal materials like graphs, tables, diagrams and so on.
If the text has words which are not understandable by the test taker, then a separate vocabulary is provided for the same.
There are different question types based on the text given such as multiple-choice, matching information, matching sentence, flow chart completion, table completion and so on.
Each of the right answers will receive 1 mark and there will be 40 questions. Scores out of 40 are converted to 9 bands and these bands will be given in the form of full or half band.
Here is the list of 70 IELTS Reading Practice Tests
The IELTS General Training Reading Practice test will help you to take up the practice test in order to get an idea of how this particular test goes and how you can manage the time. Some of the procedures to be followed while taking up these tests are as follows:
The General Training Reading Test will also go up to 60 minutes long and even here you are given a particular topic to read and answer the questions on the same.
In the General training also there will be 3 sections and for each section different topics will be given
In section 1 there will be three factual passages based on the topics related to everyday life.
In section 2 there will be two factual texts based on work-related issues.
Section 3 will have a more complex paragraph on the general topics.
The topic given is very appropriate and is taken from newspapers, magazines, journals and so on.
The questions will be based on different types such as matching information, sentence completion, flowchart completion. Graph completion, table completion and so on.
There will be 40 questions in each part and each question carries a single mark which is then converted into 9 bands or half band.
Computer-delivered IELTS Reading Practice Test
By taking the Computer-delivered IELTS Reading test you can practice for the reading test on your own computer sitting at home. These tests should be taken on your computer or laptops. The Reading practice test consists of 11 question types consisting of 41 questions which include:
Yes! Actually, I got a box of 6 bottles of red wine as a gift recently. Since I cannot consume all of that, I've shared 3 bottles with my friends, as red wine is a luxury here in Asia. I enjoy sharing alcohol with people, as it's something that puts you in a good mood!
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers- Ebook
$80 $18
IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
2. What do you like to share?
That's an interesting question. I'm a pretty generous person, so I'm happy to share most of my things. However, I particularly enjoy sharing my food with others. I feel that food is one basic thing that undoubtedly makes everyone happy. It's a win-win (always a benefit) situation.
3. What kinds of things are not suitable for sharing?
Well, for me, I'm extremely petite (small), so it's difficult for me to share clothes with my friends. It's quite a task for me to find clothes my size, so I don’t like to risk others stretching them out (to make bigger). Furthermore, I think it's unsanitary to share certain items, like a toothbrush or a toothpick.
4. Did your parents teach you to share when you were a child?
Of course! Actually, since I’m one of 7 children, sharing was unavoidable. After one child grew bigger, we always shared their hand-me-downs (secondhand clothing). Furthermore, during a meal, we each started with a small portion to make sure everyone got enough, then would go back for seconds (second portion of food)
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Describe a place where you read and write (not your home)
You should say: where it is how often you go there * what you read and write there / who else goes there ** and explain why you read and write at this place.
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers- Ebook
$80 $18
IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
You should say: where it is how often you go there what types of food it has and explain why you like it.
Describe a quiet place that you like
you should say:
where it is
how often you go there
what you do there
why you like this place
Describe a place where you (usually / often) go to relax. (Not your home)
You should say: where this place is when you go there what you do there who is usually there with you and explain why you choose to go to this place to relax.
1. What natural sound(s) do you like (the most)? (Why?)
Hmm that's an interesting question. Well, I'm quite a morning person, and furthermore I find almost nothing more relaxing than the sound of birds chirping (the noise birds make) in the morning. I find that sound to be so fresh and innocent, which immediately starts my day off at ease. Even though I live in a big city now, it takes me back to my childhood in the countryside.
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers- Ebook
$80 $18
IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
2. What sounds remind you of your childhood?
I would say the sound of 90's pop music. As my family was really into music, we would always take a spin around my country town with 90's pop blaring (playing at a high volume), such as Britney Spears, Counting Crows, Nsync, etc. Although this music may have not been my parents' preference, they would always play it for my sister and I. We have many family memories singing along to these catchy (a song that you remember) hits. Because of this, I would say these tunes are the soundtrack (the songs of a movie) of my childhood.
3. What sounds do you dislike? (Why?)
My biggest pet peeve (something that annoys you) is the sound of honking horns. They drive me absolutely mad! I find this noise almost unbearable (impossible to put up with), mostly because of it's loud, abrupt (unexpected) sound which instantly disturbs my peace. Furthermore, it's usually the sound of a frustrated or angry driver, which makes it even more unpleasant.
4. Does your school have any quiet places for studying?
As the library strictly enforces (makes you follow the laws strictly) the silence policy in the library of my university, this opens up a quiet, tranquil place for students to study in peace. Although she can be a pain (annoying) at times, I appreciate that the librarian, Ms. Schauerman, takes her job duties quite seriously. If someone speaks, she will abruptly come over and say "shhh! This is a library!" in a stern(sharp and serious) voice. Furthermore, the library is arranged with beanbags, desks, a computer lab, and conference-like desks, which makes it a comfortable place to get work done.
5. What (kinds of) music do you like the most?
Well, that's a tough question because I'm a fan (I really like) of various kinds of music, but I'd have to go with (decide) 90's music. I think I mostly prefer this kind of music because it's quite nostalgic(making you miss the past) for me, as I'm a 90's baby (someone born in the 1990's). Of this decade (10 years) of music, I prefer the pop, alternative, and punk rock. I believe I'm most fond of (really like) this era (point in time) because of the light-hearted (not deep or sad meaning), easy-listening way of this music.
6. What are some places where there is a lot of noise?
As I'm from a bustling (busy) city, it's nearly impossible to escape the noise. Sounds from street sellers, honking horns, motorbikes, barking dogs, and construction sites fill the streets nearly 24 hours a day. I'd have to say that the noisiest part of the city is the old town, as there is a higher concentration (high numbers in one area) of street sellers there, more new construction projects, as well as more traffic passing through, as it's the liveliest part of the city.
7. What type of noise do you come across in your daily life?
Well, quite a cacophony (a mix of sounds)! It varies from the sound of screaming matches (fights) from the partners and families in my apartment, street sellers shouting out their product for all to hear, motorbikes speeding by, all the way to the sound of blaring horns. I would say the sound that defines my city most would be the sound of horns. As it has major traffic issues and non-defined lanes on the roads, it makes sense that the sound of horns would fill the streets.
8. Do you mind noises? (Do any noises bother you?)
As I'm quite a light sleeper (wake up easily), I become quite irritated by the sounds of noises around me. I'd have to say the most aggravating (annoying) is the sound of a barking dog. It's just so shrill (something that gets in your head) ! I find it very disturbing and almost impossible to focus on anything else. Moreover, it makes me sad to hear that a dog is in such a state of distress that they must bark like that.
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1.
In all likelihood the first mirrors would have simply been pools of water that reflected the image of the one who looked into it. Nature’s mirror, while cheap and readily accessible, must have also been quite frustrating with the slightest disturbance on the surface of the water making it difficult to see clearly. It is not altogether clear when the first man-made mirrors were produced but mirrors made of brass are mentioned in the Bible, and after that mirrors of bronze were in common use among the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. In addition to bronze, the Greeks and Romans experimented with polished silver to produce simple mirrors.
IELTS Reading Recent Actual Tests Jan-May 2020 with Answers- Ebook
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IELTS Reading Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
Crude forms of glass mirrors were first made in Venice in 1300. Small sheets of glass were cut from disks made by a spinning process. When this glass was backed with a covering of tin or lead, a ‘mirror’ resulted. During the early periods of their development, mirrors were rare and expensive. France had glass factories but only in Venice, Italy was the secret of mirror foiling know n. The chemical process of coating a glass surface with metallic silver was discovered by German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835, and this advance inaugurated the modern techniques of mirror making.
By the end of the 17th century mirrors were made in Britain and the manufacture of mirrors developed subsequently into an important industry in many other European countries. People wore them in their hats, or set them like jewels in their rings. Society glittered and shone like the firmament. A little later on, America was gripped by the mirror craze, only this time they wore interested in larger mirrors. In house after house in residential districts and eastern cities there could be found one long mirror after another placed between two front parlour windows.
In the manufacture of mirrors today, plate glass is cut to size, and all blemishes are removed by polishing with rouge. The glass is scrubbed and flushed with a reducing solution before silver is applied. The glass is then placed on a hollow, cast-iron tabletop, covered with felt, and kept warm by steam. A solution of silver nitrate is poured on the glass and left undisturbed for about 1 hour. The silver nitrate is reduced to a metallic silver and a lustrous deposit of silver gradually forms. The deposit is dried, coated with shellac, and painted. Most present-day mirrors therefore, are made up of these layers. Glass is used on top because it is smooth, clear, and protects the reflective surface. A mirror needs to be very smooth in order for the best reflection to occur.
While the mirror is the focus of the production, the frame plays an important albeit slightly lesser role as the anchor by which the mirror is affixed to its proper place. From the late 17th century onward, mirrors and their frames played an increasingly important part in the decoration of rooms. Complementing the shiny reflective mirror, the early frames were usually of ivory, silver, ebony, or tortoiseshell or were veneered with walnut, olive, and laburnum. Needlework and bead frames were also to be found. Craftsmen such as Grinling Gibbons often produced elaborately carved mirror frames to match a complete decorative ensemble. The tradition soon became established of incorporating a mirror into the space over the mantelpiece; many of the early versions of these mirrors, usually known as overmantels, were enclosed in glass frames. The architectural structure of which these mirrors formed a part became progressively more elaborate. Focusing heavily on the effect created by mirrors, 18th century designers such as the English brothers Robert and James Adam created fireplace units stretching from the hearth to the ceiling. Oil the whole, mirror frames reflected the general taste of the time and were often changed to accommodate alterations in taste – frames usually being cheaper and hence more easily replaced than the mirror itself.
By the end of the 18th century, painted decoration largely supplanted carving on mirrors, the frames being decorated with floral patterns or classical ornaments. At the same time the French started producing circular mirrors. Usually surrounded by a neoclassical gilt frame that sometimes supported candlesticks, these mirrors enjoyed great popularity well into the 19th Improved skill in mirror making also made possible die introduction of the cheval glass, a freestanding full-length mirror, supported on a frame with four feet. These were mainly used for dressing purposes, though occasionally they had a decorative function. New, cheaper techniques of mirror production in the 19th century led to a great proliferation in their use. Not only were they regularly incorporated into pieces of furniture – such as wardrobes and sideboards – they were also used in everything from high-powered telescopes to decorative schemes in public places. Their popularity continues today. Through them, infants are able to develop an awareness of their individuality through ‘mirror games’. This type of emotional reflection stimulates babies to move various parts of their body and even promotes verbal utterances.
Questions 1-5
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheetwrite
TRUE if the statement agree with the information
FALSE if thestatement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
The Creeks arid Egyptians used polished silver to make mirrors.
The first man-made mirrors were made of bronze.
Only the wealthy could afford the first mirrors.
The first mirrors in America were used for decoration.
Spherical mirrors are commonly used in cars.
Questions 6 – 9
Complete the labels on Diagram A below.
Write the correct letter A-J in boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet.
Diagram A: Magnified side-view of a mirror
A. rouge
B. cast iron
C. felt
D. steam
E. shellac
F. glass
G. metal
H. silver nitrate paint
I. reducing solution
Questions 10-13
Choose the correct letter A, B, C, or D.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
10. The type of mirror used for looking at the stars is
A. paraboloidal.
B.spherical.
C. cylindrical.
D. ellipsoidal.
11. 17th century craftsmen
A. blended mirror frames well with other household furniture.
B. hung mirrors above fireplaces.
C. used mirror frames as a focus for home decoration.
D. established floral patterns as a standard for mirror frames.
12. 18th century craftsmen
A. designed furniture which highlighted the unique properties of mirrors.
B. experimented largely with mirror frames made of ebony and ivory.
C. built spherically-shaped minors.
D. experimented with ceiling mirrors around fireplaces.
13. 19th century craftsmen
A. used mirrors less than any previous time in history.
B. introduced mirrors as learning tools.
C. used mirrors extensively in bedroom furniture.
D. etched designs into mirrors.
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26 which are based on Reading Passage 2
EFFORT AND SCIENCE TO WIN
Winning nowadays is not only a question of disciplined training: The triumph of victory today involves the collaboration of several medical specialists who combine their particular knowledge in an effort to help each athlete to reach their potential.
A. In Mexico, the Medicine Direction and .Applied Sciences of the National Commission of Deporte analyses all aspects of sports science from the role of the auditory system in sporting achievement to die power of the mind and its role in the ability to win. Everything, it seems, is open to scrutiny. Recently, the focus has been evaluating the visual acuity of cyclists and long distance runners but they also focus on the more traditional areas of sports research, among them psychology, nutrition, anthropology, biochemistry and odontology1. From budding child athletes as young as 9 to the more mature-aged sportsperson, the facility at Deporte has attracted some of Mexico’s most famous sporting and Olympic hopefuls.
B. "The study of elite athletes is now more scientific than ever” says doctor Francisco Javier Squares, “after each competition, athletes are exposed to vigorous medical examinations and follow-up training in order to help US arrive at a program that is tailor-made. “The modern athlete has become big business, no longer is there a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, in the past two people both 1.70 meters tall and weighing 70 kilograms would have been given the same program of athletic conditioning – now this idea is obsolete. It may be that the first individual has 35 kgs of muscle and 15 kgs of fat and the other person, although the same height and weight may have 30 kgs of muscle and 20 kgs of fat. Through detailed scientific evaluation here at our facility in Deporte," says Squares, "… we are able to construct a very specific training programme for each individual.”
C. Whereas many countries in die world focus on the elevation of the glorious champion, the Mexican Olympic team takes a slightly different approach. Psychologically speaking an athlete must bring to his endeavour a healthy dose of humility. As Squares said, “When an athlete wins for Mexico, it is always as a result of a combined team effort with many people operating behind the scenes to realise the sporting achievement. When an athlete stands on the dais, it is because of great effort on the part of many."
D. As is often the case in some poorer countries, sportsmen and women are stifled in their development due to budgetary constraints. However this has not been a factor for consideration with the team in Mexico. The Mexican government has allocated a substantial sum of money for the provision of the latest equipment and laboratories for sports research. In fact, the quality of Mexico’s facilities puts them on a par with countries like Italy and Germany in terms of access to resources. One example of sophisticated equipment used at the Mexican facility is the hyperbaric chamber. This apparatus is used to enhance oxygen recovery after a vigorous physical workout. Says Squares, “When you breathe the air while inside a hyperbaric chamber the natural state of the oxygen does not change. Green plants produced the oxygen; modern technology just increases the air pressure. This does not change the molecular composition of oxygen. Increased pressure just allows oxygen to get into tissues better. Due to our purchase of the hyperbaric chamber, athletes are able to recover from an intense workout in a much shorter space of time. We typically use the chamber for sessions of 45 to 60 minutes daffy or three times per week."
E. When pushed to the limit, the true indicator of fitness is not how hard the heart operates, but how quickly it can recover after an extreme workout. Therefore, another focus area of study for the team in Mexico has been the endurance of the heart. To measure this recovery rate, an electroencephalograph (EEG) is used. The EEG enables doctors to monitor the brainwave activity from sensors placed on the scalp. Athletes exert intense effort for a sustained period after which they are given time to rest and recover. During these periods between intense physical exertion and recovery, doctors are able to monitor any weaknesses in the way the heart responds. The CCG has had a big impact upon our ability to measure the muscular endurance of the heart.
F. In 1796, the life expectancy of a human being was between 25 and 36 years, in 1886 that number basically doubled to between 45 and 50. In 1996, the life expectancy of an average Mexican stood at around 75 years. People are living longer and this is due in large part to the advances of modern science. It is not all sophisticated medical equipment that is playing a part; although lesser in impact, basic advances in engineering are also greatly assisting. Take for example, a professional tennis player. In the past, most tennis players' shoes were constructed with fabric and a solid rubber sole. These shoes were of poor construction and resulted in hip and foot injuries. Today the technology of shoe construction has radically changed. Now some shoes are injected with silicone and made of more comfortable, ergonomic1 construction. This has helped not only the elite but also the recreational sportsperson and thus, helps in the preservation of the human body.
1 objects designed to be better adapted to the shape of the human body
Questions 14 -17
The passage has eight paragraphs labelled A-F
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-F in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
NB You may useanyletter more than once.
the natural process of oxygen production
standard after-competition procedure
the areas of study undertaken to improve athletic performance
the Mexican viewpoint on winning
Questions 18 -20
Choose the correct letter A, B, C, or D.
Write your answers in boxes 18-20 on your answer sheet.
The hyperbaric chamber
A. helps athletes to breathe more easily.
B. increases the level of oxygen an athlete breathes.
C. decreases the pressure of the oxygen for Mexican athletes.
D. speeds up recovery time for athletes.
The electroencephalograph (EEC)
A. measures how fast brainwaves move during exercise.
B. helps doctors to determine heart problems.
C. measures how hard the heart works during exercise.
D. strengthens the heart muscle in athletes.
The life-span of individuals in Mexico has increased due to
A. medical improvements.
B. more committed doctors.
C. better made sporting equipment.
D. advances in ergonomics.
Questions 21-26
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 21 -26 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
There are limits to the level of sporting enquiry.
Specific athletic programs differ mostly between men and women
Mexico and Germany have similar sporting resources.
Lack of money is what stops athletic improvement in some poor countries.
Wealthy countries enjoy greater athletic success.
Mexican athletes have the support of their government.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3.
FUELING THE FUTURE
The world's 750 million motor vehicles emit well over 900 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Traffic-related air pollution has been responsible for 6% of deaths per year and is associated with certain forms of leukaemia, inflammatory lung diseases, increased cardio-vascular disease, low birth-weight babies and male infertility. It stands to reason that tackling traffic- related air pollution should be high on any government’s list of priorities. Thus, in an attempt to minimise this situation many governments around the world have been looking at ways to implement alternative fuel sources. The most widely accepted way of doing this is to replace the crude oil that our vehicles currently run on with renewable, ‘environmentally friendly' One serious contender put forward as a solution to the pollution problem is ethanol.
Ethanol is a type of alcohol made by fermenting plant material. Water and organic matter from the plants including com, sorghum, sugar cane and wood are mixed together and fermented to make ethanol. After fermentation there are three layers remaining. The first is water and small particles of grain and alcohol. It takes on a syrup consistency. The second layer is the remaining grain, which is 17 per cent dry matter. The third layer is the actual ethanol – a colourless, volatile, flammable liquid. It is the only layer sold and accounts for exactly one-third of the total dry matter used for its production. There are three primary ways that it is used as a fuel for transportation: as a blend of 10 per cent ethanol with 90% unleaded fuel (E10); as a component of reformulated gasoline and; as a primary fuel with 85 parts of ethanol blended with 15 parts of unleaded fuel (E-85). In the 1800s in the USA, it was first used as lamp fuel. Later on, due to skyrocketing oil prices in the 1970s, E10 was produced as a type of 'fuel-extender' for vehicles with E-85 being produced in the 1990s. Brazil has also used ethanol-blended fuels. Like America, the high prices in the 1970s prompted a government mandate to produce vehicles which could be fuelled by pure ethanol Today there are more than 4,2 million ethanol- powered vehicles in Brazil (40 per cent passenger carrying) which consume 4 billion gallons of ethanol annually. Today, Brazil is the largest transportation ethanol fuel market in the world.
Given that Ethanol is made from a variety of plant substances when it is used in fuel production, it increases the monetary value of feed grains grown by farmers. In fact, in the USA, the largest ethanol consuming nation in the world, ethanol production adds £4.5 billion to the farm economy every year. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, ethanol production adds 30 cents to the value of a bushel of corn. Another of its benefits, according to Brian Keating, deputy chief of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is that a 10% ethanol blend (E10) would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 to 5% over the full lifecycle of ethanol production and consumption. Said Keating, “The precise benefits depend on specific factors in the production cycle. An important component of which is the energy source used by the ethanol factory. If it's being powered by coal or oil, there are obviously associated greenhouse gas emissions.” In America, The Clean Air Act of 1990 and the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 have both created new market opportunities for cleaner, more efficient fuels with many state governments in America’s Mid-west purchasing fleet vehicles capable of running on E-85 fuels.
Although it makes a good fuel, some drawbacks have been documented. The economics of ethanol production are improving as the technology improves but ethanol has two problems: It does not explode like gasoline, and it can absorb water, which can cause oxidation, rust and corrosion. The claims of possible damage to vehicles from the use of ethanol blends above 10% has therefore attracted considerable negative publicity. Compared to diesel – the standard fuel in the heavy moving industry – ethanol is known to have a lower energy content so ethanol trucks require larger fuel tanks to achieve the same range as a diesel-powered vehicle. In Australia, a government review’ into the impacts of a 20% ethanol blend on vehicles found the information to be insufficient or conflicting, but did identify a number of problems such as the possible perishing and swelling of elastomeric and plastic materials in fuel systems. Stakeholders in the motor vehicle industry have slated that warranties on motor vehicles and pump dispensing equipment could be at risk with the use of blends above 10% ethanol. Principle economist for the Australian Bureau of Agriculture Andrew Dickson points out that the money sugarcane growers get for their cane is not determined by the domestic consumption or domestic demand for ethanol, it is entirely determined by the world sugar market and the world trade in molasses He believes that the only way the sugar industry’ can benefit from the existence of an ethanol industry is if they invest in the ethanol industry. “The sugar producer does not get any more money for their molasses so what incentive do they have to produce any more?." The cost of production also represents some challenges. In Australia, fuel ethanol costs around 70 cents per litre compared with around 35 cents per litre for unleaded petrol. In America, one report revealed that even with government assistance, ethanol is dose to 35 per cent more than the price of diesel. Consequently, production of ethanol requires government assistance to be competitive. A recent study by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economies found that without assistance, large-scale production of ethanol would not be commercially viable in Australia.
Regardless of whether the Australian sugar industry will benefit from a mandated 10% ethanol mix, the expansion of ethanol production would certainly lead to increased economic activity in farming areas. It is inevitable that some expansion would be at the expense of existing industry. If ethanol becomes more popular, there will soon be more plants producing it. This means there will be a need for workers for the plants. The American National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NBVC) projects that employment will be boosted by 200,000 jobs and the balance of trade will be improved by over $2 The future of ethanol looks promising, for better or worse ethanol looks to be a serious contender for tomorrow's fuel.
Questions 27 -31
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet write
YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
The need to control air pollution is why ethanol came into use.
Brazil uses more ethanol for transportation than America.
Select food crops become more expensive due to ethanol production
The Australian sugar industry will benefit from the production of ethanol.
Primary ethanol (E-85) has been extensively tested in Australia.
Questions 32 – 35
Look at the following list of descriptions (Questions 32-35) and the list of fuel typesbelow.
Match each description to the fuel type.
Write the correct letter A-D in boxes 32-35 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
32. costs about half the price of ethanol
33. reacts poorly with some metals
34. is the reason why trucks have been fitted with larger fuel tanks
35. commonly used in the trucking industry
A. regular gasoline
B. unleaded gasoline
C. ethanol
D. diesel
Question 36 – 40
Classify the following statements according to which country they apply to. Write the appropriate letters A-D in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.
A. Australia only
B. America only
C. both Australia and America
D. neither Australia nor America
36. makes ethanol out of sugar cane
37. uses more ethanol than any other country in the world
38. receives government assistance for ethanol production
39. proved ethanol production is costly
40. their government bought ethanol-friendly cars
ANSWER FOR IELTS READING PRACTICE TEST
F
The key words are “Greeks, Egyptians, polished silver, make mirrors” – scan for them and/or their synonyms
Locate the words, “… Greeks and Romans experimented with polished silver to produce simple mirrors.”
F
The key words are “first mirrors, bronze” – scan for them and/or their synonyms.
Locate the words, “… first man-made mirrors were produced but mirrors made of brass are mentioned in the Bible”
T
The key words are ‘wealthy, afford, first mirrors” – scan for them and/or their synonyms.
Locate the words, ‘During the early periods of their development, mirrors were rare and expensive”.
NG
There is nothing in the passage about this!
T
The key words are 'spherical mirrors, cars”.
Locate the words, “Spherical mirrors… (are used as) rear-view mirrors for vehicles.
H
Locate the section of the reading passage which discusses how a mirror is made (the 4th one).
Carefully scan for the key words mentioned in the question (box) and in the passage. Note the words, “A solution of silver nitrate is poured on the glass and left undisturbed for about 1 hour”
E
Locate the section of the reacting passage which discusses how a mirror is made (the 4th one).
Carefully scan for the key words mentioned in the question (box) and in the passage. Note the words, “The deposit (the silver nitrate) is dried, coated with shellac…”
I
Locate the section of the reading passage which discusses how a minor is made (the 4th one).
Carefully scan for the key words mentioned in the question (box) and in the passage. Note the words, “The deposit (the silver nitrate) is dried, coated with shellac and painted.”
F
Locate the section of the reading passage which discusses how a mirror is made (the 4″‘ one).
Carefully scan for the key words mentioned in the question (box) and in the passage. Note the words, “Glass is used on top because it is smooth, dear, and protects the reflective surface.”
A
The 5th paragraph discusses the uses of mirrors.
Notice the mention of telescopes these are used to look at stars.
Notice the words, “A paraboloidal mirror is one which is often used… in a telescope mirror".
A
The answer is located in the second last paragraph.
Notice the words, “Craftsmen…often produced elaborately carved mirror frames to match a complete decorative ensemble."
If something matches, it blends in well with something else.
A
The answer is located in the second last paragraph.
Notice the words, ‘Focusing heavily on the effect created by mirrors, 18th century designers…”
The uniqueness of mirror properties was therefore the focus.
C
The answer is located in the last paragraph.
Notice the words,”… they (craftsmen) regularly incorporated (mirrors) into pieces of furniture – such as wardrobes and sideboards…”
This is very similar to saying that mirrors were used extensively in bedroom furniture.
D
The key words are “natural process, oxygen production”
Scan the passage looking for those key words or synonyms of them.
Note in paragraph D, “Green plants produced the oxygen…”
B
Note in paragraph B,”… after each competition, athletes are exposed to vigorous medical examinations and follow-up training…"
A
Note in paragraph A,”… analyses all aspects of sports science from the role of the auditory system in sporting achievement to the power of the mind and its role in the ability to win. Everything, it seems, is open to scrutiny. Recently, the focus has been evaluating the visual acuity of cyclists and long distance runners but they also focus on the more traditional areas of sports research, among them psychology, nutrition, anthropology, biochemistry and odontology.
C
Note in paragraph C, “When an athlete wins for Mexico, it is always as a result of a combined team effort…”
D
Scan the text looking for they key words ‘hyperbaric chamber”
Paragraph D discusses this
Notice the words, “Due to our purchase of the hyperbaric chamber, athletes are able to recover from an intense workout in a much shorter space of time.”
B
Scan the text looking for they key words “electroencephalograph (EEC)”.
Paragraph E discusses this
Notice the words, “doctors are able to monitor any weaknesses in the way the heart responds.”
A
Scan for the text looking for they key words “life-span, individuals, Mexico, increased”.
Paragraph F deals with these issues
Notice the words, “People are living longer and this Is due In large part to the advances of modern science."
F
Locate the words.. “Everything (i.e. all sports enquiry), it seems, is open to scrutiny.’
NG
There is nothing in the passage about this!
T
Locate the words, “tine quality of Mexico’s facilities puts them on a par with…Germany in terms of access to resources"
T
Locate the words, “poorer countries, sportsmen and women are stifled in their development due to budgetary constraints.”
NG
There is nothing in the passage about this!
T
Locate the words, “The Mexican government has allocated a substantial sum of money for the provision of the latest equipment…”
N
In the 2nd paragraph locate the words, “… it was first used as lamp fuel. Later on, due to skyrocketing oil prices in the 1970s, E10 was produced…”
Y
In the 2nd paragraph locate the words, “Today, Brazil is the largest transportation ethanol fuel market in the world."
Y
Locate the 3rd paragraph the words, it increases the monetary value of feed grains grown by farmers.”
N
Locate in the 4th paragraph the words, the money sugarcane growers get for their cane is not determined by the domestic consumption or domestic demand for ethanol…”
NG
There is nothing in the passage about this!
B
Locate the sentence in the 4th paragraph which states, “In Australia, fuel ethanol costs around 70 cents per litre compared with around 35 cents per litre for unleaded petrol,”
The answer is unleaded gasoline.
C
Locate the sentence in the 4th paragraph which states, “… it (ethanol) can absorb water, which can cause oxidation, rust and corrosion.”
The answer is ethanol.
C
Look for the sentence in the 4″‘ paragraph which states, “… ethanol trucks require larger fuel tanks to achieve the same range as a diesel-powered vehicle
The answer is ethanol.
D
Locate the sentence in the 4th paragraph which states, “Compared to diesel – the standard fuel in the heavy moving industry..,”
The answer is diesel.
A
Locate the words in the 4lh paragraph, “Australian Bureau of Agriculture… points out that the money sugarcane growers get for their cane..,"
By scanning the passage for the key words, you should have noticed that other than Australia, there is no other incidence of sugar cane being used for ethanol production.
B
Locate the words in the 3rd paragraph, “In fact, in the USA, the largest ethanol consuming nation in the world…”
Note: Brazil uses the most for transportation, but America uses the most overall.
B
Locate the words in the 4th paragraph, “In America, one report revealed that even with government assistance, ethanol is close to 25 percent more than the price of diesel."
C
Locate the words in the 4th paragraph, ‘The cost of production also represents some challenges. In Australia, fuel ethanol costs around 70 cents per litre compared with around 35 cents per litre for unleaded petrol. In America, one report revealed that even with government assistance, ethanol is close to 35 percent more than the price of diesel."
The challenge is that it is costly to produce ethanol.
B
Locate the words in the 3rd paragraph, "… more efficient fuels with many state governments in America’s Mid-west purchasing fleet vehicles capable of running on E-85 fuels.”
Describe a gift you gave that took a long time to choose.
You should say: what it was who you gave it to how you chose it and explain why you spent a long time choosing it or explain how the receiver of the gift reacted when you gave it to him or her.
Band 8.0 Sample Answer:
Choosing a gift for someone is usually a very difficult task, because you want to make sure that the person who receives it will like it. For that reason, I always spend a lot of time picking gifts for my relatives and friends. Today, I am going to share with you the time when I had to choose a gift for my little sister's birthday.
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers- Ebook
$80 $18
IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
It was her 5th birthday and I wanted to give her something memorable and special. I decided to go to a "Build-a-bear workshop" to buy her a stuffed bear. At this shop, you actually spend time picking materials to build your furry friend, from the cotton inside to the clothes outside. You also got to give this teddy bear a heart and a voice recorder, so that when you squeezed it, it would say whatever you recorded before. After finishing building the stuffed toy, the store would give him or her a birth certificate with a name and birthday.
My little sister was so happy when she received the bear. Well, kids always love a furry friend anyway. However, what was special was that as she grew up, she understood how much love I had put in the bear when building it for her at the store, so she came to appreciate the gift even more.
VOCABULARY
pick: [verb] to choose something from a group of things. Example: The man picked a blue tie from the collection in the shop. memorable: [adjective] something special, good or unusual and therefore easy to remember. Example: I will never forget the memorable holiday that I had in Japan. workshop: [noun] a place where you can do a practical activity to create something. Example: As a student, I attended drama workshops, because I had always loved acting. stuffed bear: [noun] a toy in the shape of a bear, filled with cloth and made of some soft material. Example: When I was a child, I had a stuffed bear, which I used to keep in my bedroom. furry: [adjective] covered with fur – a soft thick mass of hair that grows on the body of some animals. Example: People love pandas because they are so furry, with thick black and white fur all over their body. get to (+ infinitive): [phrasal verb] to be allowed to do something. Example: When we visited the football stadium, we got to meet some of the famous players. teddy bear: [noun] this is just another name for a stuffed toy bear. squeeze: [verb] to press something firmly, especially with your fingers. Example: Every time you clean your teeth, you squeeze the tube of toothpaste. appreciate: [verb] to recognise the good qualities in something or somebody. Example: At school, I appreciated the help that I received from my teachers.
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, proboscideans commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair. They lived from the Pliocene epoch (from around 5 million years ago) into the Holocene at about 4,500 years ago, and were members of the family Elephantidae, which contains, along with mammoths, the two genera of modern elephants and their ancestors.
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A Like their modern relatives, mammoths were quite large. The largest known species reached heights in the region of 4 m at the shoulder and weights of up to 8 tonnes, while exceptionally large males may have exceeded 12 tonnes. However, most species of mammoth were only about as large as a modern Asian elephant. Both sexes bore tusks. A first, small set appeared at about the age of six months, and these were replaced at about 18 months by the permanent set. Growth of the permanent set was at a rate of about 2.5 to 15.2 cm per year. Based on studies of their close relatives, the modern elephants, mammoths probably had a gestation period of 22 months, resulting in a single calf being born. Their social structure was probably the same as that of African and Asian elephants, with females living in herds headed by a matriarch, whilst bulls lived solitary lives or formed loose groups after sexual maturity.
B MEXICO CITY – Although it’s hard to imagine in this age of urban sprawl and automobiles, North America once belonged to mammoths, camels, ground sloths as large as cows, bear-size beavers and other formidable beasts. Some 11,000 years ago, however, these large-bodied mammals and others – about 70 species in all – disappeared. Their demise coincided roughly with the arrival of humans in the New World and dramatic climatic change – factors that have inspired several theories about the die-off. Yet despite decades of scientific investigation, the exact cause remains a mystery. Now new findings offer support to one of these controversial hypotheses: that human hunting drove this megafaunal menagerie to extinction. The overkill model emerged in the 1960s, when it was put forth by Paul S. Martin of the University of Arizona. Since then, critics have charged that no evidence exists to support the idea that the first Americans hunted to the extent necessary to cause these extinctions. But at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Mexico City last October, paleoecologist John Alroy of the University of California at Santa Barbara argued that, in fact, hunting-driven extinction is not only plausible, it was unavoidable. He has determined, using a computer simulation, that even a very modest amount of hunting would have wiped these animals out.
C Assuming an initial human population of 100 people that grew no more than 2 percent annually, Alroy determined that if each band of, say, 50 people killed 15 to 20 large mammals a year, humans could have eliminated the animal populations within 1,000 years. Large mammals in particular would have been vulnerable to the pressure because they have longer gestation periods than smaller mammals and their young require extended care.
D Not everyone agrees with Alroy’s assessment. For one, the results depend in part on population-size estimates for the extinct animals – figures that are not necessarily reliable. But a more specific criticism comes from mammalogist Ross D. E. MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, who points out that the relevant archaeological record contains barely a dozen examples of stone points embedded in mammoth bones (and none, it should be noted, are known from other megafaunal remains) – hardly what one might expect if hunting drove these animals to extinction. Furthermore, some of these species had huge ranges – the giant Jefferson’s ground sloth, for example, lived as far north as the Yukon and as far south as Mexico – which would have made slaughtering them in numbers sufficient to cause their extinction rather implausible, he says.
E MacPhee agrees that humans most likely brought about these extinctions (as well as others around the world that coincided with human arrival), but not directly. Rather he suggests that people may have introduced hyperlethal disease, perhaps through their dogs or hitchhiking vermin, which then spread wildly among the immunologically naive species of the New World. As in the overkill model, populations of large mammals would have a harder time recovering. Repeated outbreaks of a hyperdisease could thus quickly drive them to the point of no return. So far MacPhee does not have empirical evidence for the hyperdisease hypothesis, and it won’t be easy to come by: hyperlethal disease would kill far too quickly to leave its signature on the bones themselves. But he hopes that analyses of tissue and DNA from the last mammoths to perish will eventually reveal murderous microbes.
F The third explanation for what brought on this North American extinction does not involve human beings. Instead its proponents blame the loss on the weather. The Pleistocene epoch witnessed considerable climatic instability, explains paleontologist Russell W. Graham of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. As a result, certain habitats disappeared, and species that had once formed communities split apart. For some animals, this change brought opportunity. For much of the megafauna, however, the increasingly homogeneous environment left them with shrinking geographical ranges – a death sentence for large animals, which need large ranges. Although these creatures managed to maintain viable populations through most of the Pleistocene, the final major fluctuation – the so-called Younger Dryas event – pushed them over the edge, Graham says. For his part, Alroy is convinced that human hunters demolished the titans of the Ice Age. The overkill model explains everything the disease and climate scenarios explain, he asserts, and makes accurate predictions about which species would eventually go extinct. “Personally, I’m a vegetarian,” he remarks, “and I find all of this kind of gross – but believable.”
Questions 1-7
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
The reason why had big size mammals become extinct 11,000 years ago is under hot debate. First
explanation is that 1…………………… of human made it happen. This so called 2…………………… began from 1960s suggested by an expert, who however received criticism of lack of further information. Another assumption promoted by MacPhee is that deadly 3…………………… from human causes their demises. However his hypothesis required more 4…………………… to testify its validity. Graham proposed a third hypothesis that 5…………………… in Pleistocene epoch drove some species disappear, reduced 6…………………… posed a dangerous signal to these giants, and 7…………………… finally wiped them out.
Questions 8-13
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with opinions or deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.
NB you may use any letter more than once.
A
John Alroy
B
Ross D.E. MacPhee
C
Russell W. Graham
8 Human hunting well explained which species would finally disappear.
9 Further grounded proof needed to explain human’s indirect impact on mammals
10 Over hunting situation has caused die-out of large mammals.
11 Illness rather than hunting caused extensive extinction.
12 Doubt raised through the study of several fossil records.
13 Climate shift is the main reason of extinction.
Section 2
Stress of Workplace
A How busy is too busy? For some it means having to miss the occasional long lunch; for others it means missing lunch altogether. For a few, it is not being able to take a “sickie” once a month. Then there is a group of people for whom working every evening and weekend is normal, and frantic is the tempo of their lives. For most senior executives, workloads swing between extremely busy and frenzied. The vice-president of the management consultancy AT Kearney and its head of telecommunications for the Asia-Pacific region, Neil Plumridge, says his work weeks vary from a “manageable” 45 hours to 80 hours, but average 60 hours.
B Three warning signs alert Plumridge about his workload: sleep, scheduling and family. He knows he has too much on when he gets less than six hours of sleep for three consecutive nights; when he is constantly having to reschedule appointments; “and the third one is on the family side”, says Plumridge, the father of a three-year-old daughter, and expecting a second child in October. “If I happen to miss a birthday or anniversary, I know things are out of control.” Being “too busy” is highly subjective. But for any individual, the perception of being too busy over a prolonged period can start showing up as stress: disturbed sleep, and declining mental and physical health. National workers’ compensation figures show stress causes the most lost time of any workplace injury. Employees suffering stress are off work an average of 16.6 weeks. The effects of stress are also expensive. Comcare, the Federal Government insurer, reports that in 2003-04, claims for psychological injury accounted for 7% of claims but almost 27% of claim costs. Experts say the key to dealing with stress is not to focus on relief – a game of golf or a massage – but to reassess workloads. Neil Plumridge says he makes it a priority to work out what has to change; that might mean allocating extra resources to a job, allowing more time or changing expectations. The decision may take several days. He also relies on the advice of colleagues, saying his peers coach each other with business problems. “Just a fresh pair of eyes over an issue can help,” he says.
C Executive stress is not confined to big organisations. Vanessa Stoykov has been running her own advertising and public relations business for seven years, specialising in work for financial and professional services firms. Evolution Media has grown so fast that it debuted on the BRW Fast 100 list of fastest-growing small enterprises last year – just after Stoykov had her first child. Stoykov thrives on the mental stimulation of running her own business. “Like everyone, I have the occasional day when I think my head’s going to blow off,” she says. Because of the growth phase the business is in, Stoykov has to concentrate on short-term stress relief – weekends in the mountains, the occasional “mental health” day – rather than delegating more work. She says: “We’re hiring more people, but you need to train them, teach them about the culture and the clients, so it’s actually more work rather than less.”
D Identify the causes: Jan Elsnera, Melbourne psychologist who specialises in executive coaching, says thriving on a demanding workload is typical of senior executives and other high-potential business people. She says there is no one-size-fits-all approach to stress: some people work best with high-adrenalin periods followed by quieter patches, while others thrive under sustained pressure. “We could take urine and blood hormonal measures and pass a judgment of whether someone’s physiologically stressed or not,” she says. “But that’s not going to give us an indicator of what their experience of stress is, and what the emotional and cognitive impacts of stress are going to be.”
E Eisner’s practice is informed by a movement known as positive psychology, a school of thought that argues “positive” experiences – feeling engaged, challenged, and that one is making a contribution to something meaningful – do not balance out negative ones such as stress; instead, they help people increase their resilience over time. Good stress, or positive experiences of being challenged and rewarded, is thus cumulative in the same way as bad stress. Elsner says many of the senior business people she coaches are relying more on regulating bad stress through methods such as meditation and yoga. She points to research showing that meditation can alter the biochemistry of the brain and actually help people “retrain” the way their brains and bodies react to stress. “Meditation and yoga enable you to shift the way that your brain reacts, so if you get proficient at it you’re in control.”
F The Australian vice-president of AT Kearney, Neil Plumridge, says: “Often stress is caused by our setting unrealistic expectations of ourselves. I’ll promise a client I’ll do something tomorrow, and then promise another client the same thing, when I really know it’s not going to happen. I’ve put stress on myself when I could have said to the clients: ‘Why don’t I give that to you in 48 hours?’ The client doesn’t care.” Over-committing is something people experience as an individual problem. We explain it as the result of procrastination or Parkinson’s law: that work expands to fill the time available. New research indicates that people may be hard-wired to do it.
G A study in the February issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology shows that people always believe they will be less busy in the future than now. This is a misapprehension, according to the authors of the report, Professor Gal Zauberman, of the University of North Carolina, and Professor John Lynch, of Duke University. “On average, an individual will be just as busy two weeks or a month from now as he or she is today. But that is not how it appears to be in everyday life,” they wrote. “People often make commitments long in advance that they would never make if the same commitments required immediate action. That is, they discount future time investments relatively steeply.” Why do we perceive a greater “surplus” of time in the future than in the present? The researchers suggest that people underestimate completion times for tasks stretching into the future, and that they are bad at imagining future competition for their time.
Question 14-18
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-D) with opinions or deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A-D in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
A
Jan Elsnera
B
Vanessa Stoykov
C
Gal Zauberman
D
Neil Plumridge
14 Work stress usually happens in the high level of a business.
15 More people’s ideas involved would be beneficial for stress relief.
16 Temporary holiday sometimes doesn’t mean less work.
17 Stress leads to a wrong direction when trying to satisfy customers.
18 It is not correct that stress in the future will be eased more than now.
Question 19-21
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 19-21 on your answer sheet.
19 Which of the following workplace stress is NOT mentioned according to Plumridge in the following options
A Not enough time spend on family
B Unable to concentrate on work
C Inadequate time of sleep
D Alteration of appointment
20 Which of the following solution is NOT mentioned in helping reduce the work pressure according toPlumridge
A Allocate more personnel
B Increase more time
C Lower expectation
D Do sports and massage
21 What is point of view of Jan Elsnera towards work stress
A Medical test can only reveal part of the data needed to cope with stress
B Index somebody samples will be abnormal in a stressful experience
C Emotional and cognitive affection is superior to physical one
D One well designed solution can release all stress
Question 22 – 27
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 22-27 on your answer sheet.
Statistics from National worker’s compensation indicate stress plays the most important role in 22…………………… which cause the time losses. Staffs take about 23…………………… for absence from work caused by stress. Not just time is our main concern but great expenses generated consequently. An official insurer wrote sometime that about 24…………………… of all claims were mental issues whereas nearly 27% costs in all claims, Sports Such as 25…………………… as well as 26…………………… could be a treatment to release stress; However, specialists recommended another practical way out, analyse 27…………………… once again.
Section 3
Unexpected Benefits to Human Brain
James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, played his first video game years ago when his six-year-old son Sam was playing Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It’s Dark Outside. He wanted to play the game so he could support Sam’s problem solving. Though Pajama Sam is not an “educational game”, it is replete with the types of problems psychologists study when they study thinking and learning. When he saw how well the game held Sam’s attention, he wondered what sort of beast a more mature video game might be.
Video and computer games, like many other popular, entertaining and addicting kid’s activities, are looked down upon by many parents as time-wasters, and worse, parents think that these games rot the brain. Violent video games are readily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why some youth become violent or commit extreme anti-social behavior. Recent content analyses of video games show that as many as 89% of games contain some violent content, but there is no form of aggressive content for 70% of popular games. Many scientists and psychologists, like James Paul Gee, find that video games actually have many benefits – the main one being making kids smart. Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future.
“Video games change your brain,” according to University of Wisconsin psychologist Shawn Green. Video games change the brain’s physical structure the same way as do learning to read, playing the piano, or navigating using a map. Much like exercise can build muscle, the powerful combination of concentration and rewarding surges of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which strengthens neural circuits, can build the player’s brain.
Video games give your child’s brain a real workout. In many video games, the skills required to win involve abstract and high level thinking. These skills are not even taught at school. Some of the mental skills trained by video games include: following instructions, problem solving, logic, hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills. Research also suggests that people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games. There have been even studies with adults showing that experience with video games is related to better surgical skills. Jacob Benjamin, doctor from Beth Israel Medical Center NY, found a direct link between skill at video gaming and skill at keyhole or laparoscopic surgery. Also, a reason given by experts as to why fighter pilots of today are more skillful is that this generation’s pilots are being weaned on video games.
The players learn to manage resources that are limited, and decide the best use of resources, the same way as in real life. In strategy games, for instance, while developing a city, an unexpected surprise like an enemy might emerge. This forces the player to be flexible and quickly change tactics. Sometimes the player does this almost every second of the game giving the brain a real workout. According to researchers at the University of Rochester, led by Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive scientist, games simulating stressful events such as those found in battle or action games could be a training tool for real-world situations. The study suggests that playing action video games primes the brain to make quick decisions. Video games can be used to train soldiers and surgeons, according to the study. Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture, says gamers must deal with immediate problems while keeping their long-term goals on their horizon. Young gamers force themselves to read to get instructions, follow storylines of games, and get information from the game texts.
James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that playing a video game is similar to working through a science problem Like students in a laboratory, gamers must come up with a hypothesis. For example, players in some games constantly try out combinations of weapons and powers to use to defeat an enemy. If one does not work, they change hypothesis and try the next one. Video games are goal-driven experiences, says Gee, which are fundamental to learning. Also, using math skills is important to win in many games that involve quantitative analysis like managing resources. In higher levels of a game, players usually fail the first time around, but they keep on trying until they succeed and move on to the next level.
Many games are played online and involve cooperation with other online players in order to win. Video and computer games also help children gain self-confidence and many games are based on history, city building, and governance and so on. Such games indirectly teach children about aspects of life on earth.
In an upcoming study in the journal Current Biology, authors Daphne Bavelier, Alexandre Pouget, and C. Shawn Green report that video games could provide a potent training regimen for speeding up reactions in many types of real-life situations. The researchers tested dozens of 18- to 25-year-olds who were not ordinarily video game players. They split the subjects into two groups. One group played 50 hours of the fast-paced action video games “Call of Duty 2” and “Unreal Tournament,” and the other group played 50 hours of the slow-moving strategy game “The Sims 2.” After this training period, all of the subjects were asked to make quick decisions in several tasks designed by the researchers. The action game players were up to 25 percent faster at coming to a conclusion and answered just as many questions correctly as their strategy game playing peers.
Questions 28-31
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 28-31 on your answer sheet.
28 What is the main purpose of paragraph one
AIntroduction of professor James Paul Gee.
B Introduction of the video game: Pajamas Sam.
C Introduction of types of video games.
D Introduction of the background of this passage.
29 What does the author want to express in the second paragraph
A a Video games are widely considered harmful for children’s brain.
B Most violent video games are the direct reason of juvenile delinquency.
C Even there is a certain proportion of violence in most video games; scientists and psychologists see its benefits of children’s intellectual abilities.
D Many parents regard video games as time-wasters, which rot children’s brain.
30 What is correctly mentioned in paragraph four
A Some schools use video games to teach students abstract and high level thinking.
B Video games improves the brain ability in various aspects.
C Some surgeons have better skills because they play more video games.
D Skillful fighter pilots in this generation love to play video games.
31 What is the expectation of the experiment the three researchers did
A Gamers have to make the best use of the limited resource.
B Gamers with better math skills will win in the end.
C Strategy game players have better ability to make quick decisions.
D Video games help increase the speed of players’ reaction effectively.
Questions 32-35
Do the following statement with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 32-35 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
32 Most video games are popular because of their violent content.
33 The action game players minimized the percentage of making mistakes in the experiment.
34 It would be a good idea for schools to apply video games in their classrooms.
35 Those People who are addicted to video games have lots of dopamine in their brains.
Questions 36-40
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-F) with opinions or deeds below. Write the appropriate letters, A-F, in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.
A
The writer’s opinion
B
James Paul Gee
C
Shawn Green
D
Daphne Bavelier
E
Steven Johnson
F
Jacob Benjamin
36 Video games as other daily life skills alter the brain’s physical structure.
37 Brain is ready to make decisions without hesitation when players are immersed in playing stressful games.
38 The purpose-motivated experience that video games offer plays an essential role in studying.
39 Players are good at tackling prompt issues with future intensions.
40 It helps children broaden their horizon in many aspects and gain self-confidence.
By Mythili BhusnurmathCall it the law of diminishing returns. After the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fired the first bazooka on March 27, it was, perhaps, naïve to expect the second round of firing to match the firepower of the first -- either in depth or in range.But first the good news. The decision to increase the ways and means advances (WMA) limit of states by 60% till September, as against the earlier 30%, is a bold and much-needed step to give greater leeway to states to undertake Covid-19 containment and mitigation efforts, and plan their market borrowing programmes.Similarly, the decision to give banks an additional 90 days over and above the existing 210-day deadline to finalise a resolution plan, without making 20% additional provision, gives them respite at a time when provisioning requirements are bound to rise due to higher non-performing assets (NPAs).75208930The clarification that the 90-day norm for categorising NPAs excludes the moratorium period for all accounts that were standard as on March 1, and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), too, have the flexibility to consider such relief for their borrowers, also comes as a relief to both banks and borrowers. Many borrowers were under pressure even before March, thanks to supply-chain disruptions after the outbreak of the coronavirus in China and the lockdown in Wuhan. Now, for the not-so-good news. Let me start with the second round of targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO 2.0) of Rs 50,000 crore, for sectors that had not benefitted under the previous TLTRO, primarily NBFCs and micro-finance institutions (MFIs). Not only is the amount relatively modest, but the requirement that banks must invest TLTRO funds in investment grade paper also effectively denies succour to those most in need of support. Small ChangeLikewise, re-finance facilities (Rs50,000 crore) to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), the Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) and the National Housing Bank (NHB), with sub-limits for each of these institutions, are likely to prove grossly inadequate. Especially in the case of Sidbi, for which a small amount of Rs15,000 crore has been ear-marked, since it is the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector that has been most impacted by the lockdown.Though Governor Shaktikanta Das took care to clarify that the amounts were based on discussions with the institutions concerned, and that RBI would be willing to extend more funds if needed, it can be nobody's case that Rs50,000 crore would suffice -- even for a start.As for the 25 basis points (bps) reduction in the reverse repo rate from the existing 4% to 3.75 %, this has, no doubt, been driven by the hope that this would discourage banks from parking their surplus liquidity (Rs6.9 lakh crore on April 15) with the RBI and get on with lending. Except that this is unlikely to move the needle when banks have turned completely risk-averse.Especially since RBI has done nothing to quell banks' fears that they could be hauled up later by the banking supervisor. The killjoy is the central bank's March 27 Covid-19 Regulatory Package. This qualifies RBI's permission for extending moratorium thus: 'Accounts provided relief under these instructions shall be subject to subsequent supervisory review with regard to their justifiability on account of the economic fallout from Covid -19.'The reality is that the decision whether or not to extend a moratorium is best left to the commercial judgement of banks. Also, it is impossible to quantify what exactly can be attributed to the 'economic fallout of Covid-19'. The fear of RBI inspectors second-guessing banks' lending decisions -- needless to say, with the benefit of hindsight -- is bound to make them extremely wary of extending relief, let alone embark on fresh lending. The fact that banks will have to maintain higher provision of 10% on all standstill accounts is a further dampener.RBI could, instead, have been more forthcoming on regulatory forbearances. It could, for instance, have allowed banks a temporary breather from the mark-to-market requirement for the entire holding of government securities. This would have given banks some respite from making a provision when bond yields rise (and bond prices fall, since yields and price move inversely). It could also have reduced risk weights and capital adequacy norms.Okay, Your TurnIt's almost as if RBI is afraid of doing too much. Its reluctance to scrap the liquidity coverage ratio altogether and settle for a modest reduction to 80% from the present 100% seems to be driven by the same hesitance. But banks in India already maintain a cash reserve ratio (3%) and a statutory liquidity ratio (18%), and many would question the need for a liquidity coverage ratio over and above CRR and SLR.This is not to say RBI hasn't done a great deal. It has done most, if not all, of 'whatever it takes' and without any tangible support from the fisc. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that in the fight against Covid-19, it has done all the heavy lifting to date. The ball is now in the government's court. And has been so for a while now, unfortunately.
MUMBAI: The government may consider real estate developers' long-pending demand for restructuring of loans for a period of 12 months and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is likely to suggest the same to the Ministry of Finance."This restructuring of loans makes eminent sense as difficulties the sector was experiencing it was under strain and now if you have several months of non activity," Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri told realty developers over a video conference organized by realtors body CREDAI and industry body FICCI.He has asked realty developers to send the proposal that will be examined and then forwarded to the Ministry of Finance.As developers' complained about cement and steel manufacturers' plan to increasing prices of these raw materials post Covid19 crisis, Puri said this "clearly is an unfair business practice and rates should rather go down as overall economic activity is down." He assured developers of approaching the Ministry of Commerce regarding this.Puri acknowledged the developers' concern that despite the Reserve Bank of India's decision to reduce repo rate over the last 14 months, commercial banks have not passed on the benefit of the same to customers. He believes this issue is not limited to real estate, but there is generally reluctance among banks and he will look into this.He also assured realty developers of pursuing foreign direct investment norms revision to allow investments in ready and nearly ready real estate inventories.Puri discussed and assured looking into various other issues including subvention schemes to be allowed by the National Housing Bank and RBI, directive to all states for extension of validity of all approvals by 12 months and increasing the price limit of affordable housing to Rs 75 lakh from current Rs 45 lakh. In a separate call organized by NAREDCO, Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Housing & Urban Affairs, pointed out that the Aadhar verification can be used as a digital signature for the purpose of disbursement of loans."There are several transactions taking place where everything is sanctioned online by banks, however, it is getting stuck for want of digital signatures for disbursement of loans. In such case, Aadhar verification can be done online as a solution for the situation," he explained.
By Anurag Kotoky, David Stringer and Ragini SaxenaThe skies are eerily empty these days, presenting a new challenge for the world's embattled airlines as they work to safeguard thousands of grounded planes parked wingtip to wingtip on runways and in storage facilities.More than 16,000 passenger jets are grounded worldwide, according to industry researcher Cirium, as the coronavirus obliterates travel and puts unprecedented strain on airline finances. Finding the right space and conditions for 62% of the world's planes and keeping them airworthy have suddenly become priorities for 2020.Aircraft can't simply be dusted back into action. They need plenty of work and attention while in storage, from maintenance of hydraulics and flight-control systems to protection against insects and wildlife — nesting birds can be a problem. Then there's humidity, which can corrode parts and damage interiors. Even when parked on runways, planes are often loaded with fuel to keep them from rocking in the wind and to ensure tanks stay lubricated."Nobody thought this magnitude of preservation would need to be done," said Anand Bhaskar, chief executive officer of New Delhi-based Air Works, a plane repair and maintenance company. "Parking space is a problem. These are logistics nightmares which we're trying to work around."Mass GroundingThe number of passenger jets in service is the lowest in 26 years, according to Cirium. Managing such large-scale storage is a challenge for an industry already in crisis, with airlines worldwide slashing capacity to close to zero or not flying at all. The International Air Transport Association has warned that revenue from flying passengers could drop by nearly a third of a trillion dollars this year and that 25 million jobs are at risk.Airlines are hunting for space on the ground at airports or in longer-term storage facilities in arid places such as Australia's outback and the Mojave Desert in the U.S. At Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, KLM Group has more than 200 aircraft at gates and on a runway, arranged according to size and type, and ensuring enough space for them to be towed if maintenance is required, according to a post on the company's website."Schiphol is packed," KLM Community Manager Annemiek Cornielje wrote. "Not with passengers, unfortunately, but with the many aircraft parked on the ramp and even on a runway. Choreographing this sad and unique sight is quite a parking-puzzle," she said, adding that Schiphol isn't charging parking fees.Charges differ from airport to airport. In India, parking alone can cost $1,000 a day for a large aircraft, according to Mark Martin, founder of Dubai-based Martin Consulting LLC. For an airline with a fleet of more than 250 jets, even heavily discounted rates may mean expenses of $12.5 million for a six-month grounding, without taking into account maintenance costs, he said.In its online magazine, IATA said it asked governments to cut parking fees, which usually account for less than 2% of airport revenue in a normal year. Under current circumstances, those charges could "make-or-break" some airlines, it said.Shampoo and CleanAbu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways PJSC said its engineers are working around the clock maintaining its grounded fleet, a process that includes running engines and powering up aircraft, checking flight controls, and covering sensors and engines to protect inner workings from sand and dust. About 200 staff per shift clean plane cabins in hangars, from replacing seat covers to shampooing carpets, according to a video on the airline's official Twitter account.From enhanced maintenance to a complete refresh of our cabin interiors, discover what we're doing to get our aircraft ready to soar again. pic.twitter.com/P0YdO2q9yO— Etihad Airways (@etihad) April 10, 2020"I've never seen anything like this before in my aviation career," Etihad's Head of Technical Operations Gary Byrne said. The aircraft "are very intricate, complex pieces of machinery — it's not like parking a car."Tires also need attention. Qantas Airways Ltd. said all planes from Boeing Co. 737s to Airbus SE A380s need to have their wheels rotated — by being towed on the tarmac or jacked into the air to be spun — every one to two weeks, while hydraulic fluid is put on landing gear to protect against rust. Giant silica moisture absorption sachets are also put inside engines to keep them dry, while all external holes on the fuselage are covered to block insects and nesting birds.Qantas said it has more than 200 aircraft, including Jetstar's Boeing 787 Dreamliners, parked at airports around Australia. The country's climate makes it more suited for storage, especially compared with much of Asia, which has high levels of humidity as well as the threat of typhoons. Near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage Pty is holding aircraft for the likes of Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Fiji Airways.An Air India aircraft parked in bay no 89, in Mumbai airport, near Terminal 2 had an uninvited guest this week. The fellow found the space between two aircraft tyres to be a cosy place to chill out. #Coronavirus #StayHomeStaySafe #Lockdown pic.twitter.com/3lxppIeQe3— TOI Mumbai (@TOIMumbai) April 17, 2020The storage firm is expanding capacity to about 70 aircraft and considering raising that to more than 100, according to Managing Director Tom Vincent."There is a scramble for proper storage facilities," he said. "We have a large number of deliveries over the next coming weeks and months."Aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport as Airlines Brace for $113 Billion in Lost Revenue From VirusParked airplanes at Hong Kong International Airport on March 5. Photographer: Justin Chin/BloombergAsia Pacific has been a rapidly growing aviation market, with a slew of budget carriers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, India and elsewhere ordering thousands of planes, buoyed by an emerging middle class embracing flying. That expansion came to a screeching halt because of the coronavirus, which has also hit orders for manufacturing giants Boeing and Airbus.Finnair Oyj has parked aircraft at its Helsinki hub and has capacity if needed to use airports in Tampere and Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland province. Work includes reconnecting aircraft batteries every 14 days, the airline said on its website. One a month, a more extensive check is carried out that involves removing protective covers, starting engines and inspecting air-conditioning and anti-ice systems.One big challenge with parked planes is brakes, which can fade within 24 hours, according to Finnair Vice President of Ground Operations Jukka Glader. Each of its jets requires 10 to 12 chocks behind the wheels to keep them in position. With so many aircraft grounded, Finnair ordered 500 wooden "corona chocks" from a local carpentry shop.Parking SpotsBritish Airways has parked half of its fleet of 12 Airbus A380 superjumbos in Chateauroux, France, for longer storage. Tarmac Aerosave SAS, which has storage sites in France and Spain, is working to handle higher volumes of requests, while ComAv LLC is also experiencing increased demand for its facility at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, to the northeast of Los Angeles.At crowded airports like in New Delhi, which doesn't have spare parking spots, a runway has been converted into a temporary storage area, like at Schiphol."Whether it's the multiple control surfaces or avionics or hydraulic systems, prolonged storage effectively means an impact to airworthiness," said Satyendra Pandey, an independent consultant and former head of strategy at Go Airlines India Ltd. "Long-term storage is a specialized skill and ideal in dry and hot environments. This aspect will have to be revisited as currently airplanes are parked at airports and runways across the globe."Among other carriers, United Airlines Holdings Inc. expects to park about 400 aircraft, mostly at its hubs like Newark and Chicago, a spokeswoman said, while Delta Air Lines Inc. has sent planes to Pinal Airpark near Tucson, Arizona. American Airlines Group Inc. is using a maintenance base in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and facilities elsewhere."It might seem a simple task, but there's some nuance to it," APAS's Vincent said. "It doesn't just stop, there are the continuous, periodic checks."--With assistance from Justin Bachman and Mary Schlangenstein.
Mumbai & Bengaluru: Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest IT employer, aims to significantly reduce the amount of time its employees spend in office in the next five years, top executives said, as it seeks to deepen the remote working model occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, heralding similar initiatives by the country's $147 billion outsourcing industry.In a post earnings conference on Thursday, TCS's chief operating officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam said the company believes that it does not "need to have more than 25% of workforce at our facilities in order to make all the 100% productive." Pointing out that every employee need not be present in the office all time he said, "I think it's sufficient that they spend 25% of their time in our offices."IT companies earlier offered employees the option to work from home only for a limited number of days, but were forced to alter their policies overnight to stem the spread of Covid-19.It will Never be 100/100: GopinathanSince March, over 80% employees of India's nearly four million IT workforce have shifted to a work from home model and are delivering services to clients globally, Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO of TCS told ET that the Mumbai-headquartered company is challenging itself to see if it can "get to a 25 /25 model by 2025 and, that is the way in which we ( will) build out our future capacity and future infrastructure," he said. "It doesn't really matter (whether it is) 25 or 50. The point is it will never be 100/100 (100% of workforce at office for 100% of the time)." TCS employed 448,464 people at the end of March.75214289Wipro, India's fourth largest IT services firm, which shifted over 93% of its workforce to deliver services remotely as part of its business continuity plan, is evaluating whether it needs all its workers to return to its campuses spread across India and the world."There are a lot of things coming up. Number of debates are happening—do we need the whole workforce coming back or do we need (to allow) employees permanently working from home," said Wipro chief HR officer Saurabh Govil. Wipro is yet to take a call on the final move as it also needs to get approval from clients for such a shift.Over two decades ago, Indian IT services firms introduced the concept of offshore development centres (ODCs) or units with hundreds of employees within their campuses that are dedicated to clients such as British Airways, General Electric and American Express. These centres have security protocols that allow only approved employees to access sensitive customer data.Indian IT firms also have built sprawling campuses across cities such as Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Noida and Chennai to house thousands of employees who can work in these ODCs and other centres dedicated for clients."Technology companies have been guzzlers of real estate. With such shifts (to work from home), real estate prices (for IT offices) could come down," said Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno.Karanth said that project managers have seen an increase in efficiency in the WFH model and may remain high in future too. "GIC heads are saying that they are seeing employees work at a fairly high productivity of 70% or more currently."Mid-tier IT services firm Sonata Software estimates that it can allow up to 70% of its workforce to operate from home, as there has been a marked increase in productivity during the time all employees worked from home, according to its chief executive officer Srikar Reddy."However, there should be a clarification on the tax benefits that IT services companies get operating from SEZ. Clients' confidence is equally important," he said.India's software lobby National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) believes that the Covid-19 impact has fundamentally altered how companies look at employees and their workplaces.
Kolkata: Smartphone and consumer electronics brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple, OnePlus, Realme and LG are taking offline retailers online as ecommerce for non-essentials resumes and consumers may stay away from shops fearing Covid-19 even after curbs are lifted.Samsung has created an ecommerce platform in partnership with Benow.in along with mobile phone retailers across the country that will allow them to sell and deliver smartphones. Offline stores are also being used to fulfil orders placed on Samsung's e-store for television and appliances, three senior industry executives said.Norms Relaxed"The pilots have already started," said one of the executives.Apple, OnePlus and Realme have allowed brick-and-mortar stores to sell their models online through the retailer's e-stores or marketplaces, which was earlier prohibited or not encouraged, the executives said. Xiaomi is also evaluating such a step, they added.LG and Lloyd have also linked some retail stores to their e-stores to fulfil orders, which were previously served by dedicated distributors.Brands are setting up portals and encouraging dealers to come on board as fulfilment partners, said Pulkit Baid, director of Great Eastern Retail, a leading electronics chain in the north and east.Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth said a brand cannot restrict any retailer from selling on any particular platform as per government policy. With ecommerce platforms starting sales from April 21, offline stores can liquidate stock by selling online since there is no clarity on when they can resume operations.LG India's head of online business Deepak Taneja said it is working with marketplaces but also passing on leads generated at its online brand store to exclusive brand shops in the vicinity of the consumer's address.Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple, One-Plus and Lloyd didn't respond to queries.Delivery in 2 hoursSangeeta Mobile, a leading cellphone retail chain in the south, is among those in the region gearing up for online sales now that brands have relaxed norms, said managing director Subhash Chandra. Sangeeta Mobile will aim to deliver in two hours anywhere in the south, he said.Offline retail is still the largest contributor to electronics sales in India — 65% of smartphones, 75% of televisions, 87-94% of refrigerators, ACs and washing machines — according to sales tracker GfK India.Several leading electronics and smartphone retailers such as Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales, Big C Mobiles, Poorvika, Great Eastern Retail and Kohinoor are also gearing up for direct online sales from their portals from Monday, when the restrictions get eased for ecommerce. Some stores are also looking to list themselves on Flipkart and Amazon.Already, states such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have issued notifications allowing online sales of non-essential products.
What about the market mood? It's a lot better than what we were perhaps a fortnight back. It has recovered quite a fair bit from the March lows but has that really changed the sentiment on the Street?Compared to what I have seen over many-many years, the reaction is definitely far more mature and far more measured and I would say that there is a reasonable amount of stability. March numbers are already there for everyone to see. But as far as April is concerned, there will be some logistical issues and there will be some issues related to sourcing business or enabling customers. So my sense is that inflows would be muted as far as April is concerned. I am not seeing any spike in redemptions on a day to day basis but my sense is that inflows would be muted for sure.What about the lump sum money? Has that not found its way in the decline or the March lows? Has that completely steered clear and sat on the sidelines?In the last few days, there have been a lot of interactions with the clients as well as intermediaries and everybody is watching and everybody is keenly tracking market movements but as far as lumpy money is concerned, not everybody can invest large chunks of money 100% digitally. So that is where I was coming from when I said that there will be logistical issues and this is not only just related to the market. In fact when I am saying logistical issues, it is also more about people being able to do transactions or being able to coordinate transactions. So there is that bit of an issue. If I see the number of retail transactions which are happening digitally, I have seen a spurt up in the last few weeks but when you are asking about lumpy money, I think that apart from watching markets, there is also a logistical challenge. That is how I would put it.Given the RBI's commentary today about real estate and NBFCs, do you see an opportunity there? Do you see some relief?I expect people to be circumspect about these sectors at least for the next three to four months. I am pretty sure that there is some relief from the kind of announcements that are coming through and there is definitely a lot being done to assuage the concerns or to give relief but I think the jury is still out on how the sector fares and that I think we need to watch out. We will know only by July-August-September as to how things really pan out.All eyes also continue to be on the stimulus. Which are the pockets you feel are most likely to benefit from any announcement that may come in?See, if you ask me, I would expect something for auto. That is how I would put it. Real estate has not been the favourite sector really but I do see these are the two areas which need maximum support. If one is keeping an eye as far as employment generation and normalisation of activity is concerned, both these sectors have been in the dumps for a variety of reasons over the last two years; maybe real estate slightly longer. Now I am not an authority or an expert on the real estate front. But if I have to make a bet, I would be more bullish or more positive with the expectations related to auto as a sector. That is how I would put it.What is your take on earnings? TCS in particular I would like to ask you about. Given the fact that the management has said that the impact of COVID-19 is difficult to predict what they could see in the coming quarters but the scenario they have modelled in the worst case and they will be able to grow from Q3 FY21 onwards. How have you read into the quarterly performance and what has been your take on TCS?All disclaimers in place because we have a holding in most of our portfolios. I mean I do not invest in stocks myself but I am speaking more from what the mutual funds seem to be owning. So our perspective is positive. We already have money invested out there and as we speak, it is a positive perspective that we have on the bulk of the sector. Actually if you ask me, all the large companies, we are reasonably positive on them and I think what came out of yesterday's result announcement is encouraging in that sense because there is no correlation between the two directly. But if you ask me really, a lot of the issues are more related to logistics and getting people on the ground. So my sense is that deal flow and while the existing business continues because a lot of it is digital, I think there is the deal flow and people's willingness to commit more amidst so much uncertainty. I think that is where the slowness seems to be coming from. My sense is that all efforts related to digitisation, all efforts related to business continuity, a lot of these things will actually get more traction going forward. If I give you my own example, I have been in the industry for the last 20 years and we have been doing this business continuity kind of simulations every six months. Probably this is the first time I am seeing that we are actually made to use it and I am so glad that everything works. So if you ask me, for all these big IT companies, my sense is that the salience and the growth of business will only go up and right now, I do not think one should read anything into the slowness because apart from business issues, it is just that sheer logistics and sheer willingness to commit amidst uncertainty has taken a bit of a back seat but with a lag affect, there is only growth which is going to accrue to these investors.Investors are fleeing to safe haven greenback at a time like this and we have seen that result in the currency being at an all-time low near the US, dollar close to 76.8. What about the export-linked sectors? How are you looking at that play in a market like this?One cannot generalise across all exports because it is also a question of what is the target industry or the target market that they are really aiming at. So if you see, pharma clearly is in tailwinds and not just because of HCQ and a couple of companies associated with that. But on the other hand, if you really see longer term perspective, US businesses' prospects seem to be on the uptick or at least the prospects seem to have brightened.We have been getting a sense over the last few weeks about better business relationships in parts of the Western world. It seems to be actually playing out if you follow the news flow itself. So pharma is clearly in a tailwind kind of a space for multiple reasons right now because the last four, five years have all been about USFDA actions and pricing controls but I think the clouds seem to be kind of moving right now. As far as IT is concerned, like I mentioned, company-specific you might find some pluses and minuses but overall, my sense is that barring this one quarter of slowness or uncertainty with a lag effect, there are tailwinds for everybody to see from here on. So at this juncture where the world is amidst uncertainty as far as export is concerned, I would not draw conclusions just based on where the currency is going but I would also kind of pay attention to what are the target markets and what are the individual circumstances that we are facing.Where do you stand on the private banks? They have been going through a seesaw and, of course, the RBI is doing its bit to ensure ample liquidity. We have seen limited transmission but where do you stand on these banks as we are also trying for a recovery even if it is four months down the line?It is not the first time that we are going to see an air-pocket as far as the retail side of the banking business is concerned. Or it is not the first time that we are going to go amidst the air-pocket on the unsecured lending. You know we have seen these kinds of patches in, say, 2008 for example. There were certain institutions or certain banks who had great growth in retail, credit cards and secured lending in 2007-2008. And we have a sense of what worked and what did not work. So on that basis, one does not get very pessimistic about what is happening right now. I mean if you were to talk six months-nine months back, a lot of the private sector banks were actually the safe haven and it was like a forgoing conclusion that they would always do well and they would always deliver. So I can see that kind of one-sided belief has been questioned at this point in time. So I am not in that camp but I would still say that from here on, it is not that these guys do not have this experience; we have seen such a cycle. I think that some of the pessimism is probably overdone. That is one thing to keep in mind. Second thing to keep in mind is that it is not just about the economy or the NPAs and how things will pan out on the retail front in the next three months. The other thing which one needs to really also look at is that interest rates are kind of going to go down through the floor. That is an exaggeration but literally somewhat like that and there is great pressure from RBI to grow credit. So my sense is that NIMs could be under a bit of declining kind of stress and that is something to watch out for. But I think the strong ones who have a good track record in the past would still continue to be the winners. As far as NBFCs are concerned, overall as a house, barring one or two cases here and there over the last 12 to 18 months even before we hit this COVID impact, we were quite low in terms of our NBFC exposures and that remains that way but as far as the leading private sector banks are concerned, I would not be too pessimistic. One has to also keep in mind how much the market has already factored in because they lost 40-50% of their market cap in the last few weeks.Which are some of the pockets which would be a clear avoid at this point?Anything which needs a heavy amount of financial support and intervention from the governments, all these public private partnerships, long drawn projects, lot of capital intensive stuff, my sense is that that is something which is leveraged. I mean that is classic one-on-one in these kinds of situations that anything which is very capital intensive and highly leveraged is something which would take a backburner. I do not think many people believe in what I am saying but my past experience tells me that when we get to the other side of this tunnel, what I quoted for banks that rates are under pressure, you see it on the other side of the story. We are going to come out of this with extremely low interest rates and reasonably high liquidity and the global environment which will be kind of benign. So my sense is that anything and everything which has seen demand postponement and depends on availability of credit and attractive interest rates, I would say that I would wager that in the next six months those things will find traction. So my sense is that a good contra bet would be auto right now and within auto if you ask me, passenger vehicles would make a lot of sense because for various reasons the last 12 to 18 months has seen demand postponement and another air-pocket has been hit in the last few weeks. But when we come out of this on the other side, some of the demand which was postponed will come back and we will also find ourselves in a situation where banks will be just too happy to lend and what is easier than to lend for mortgage is an auto. So you know, if we do not have a massive destruction in the white collar or the urban demand or the salaried class and if we also assume that rural has a less depth of impact, then my sense is that some parts of auto should come back quite strongly in six months.For FMCG and pharma, you have got support coming in from all quarters. Real estate, autos and the Nifty bank index are up about 3.5%. Media too is packing in a punch and within the broader universe, you have got the indices holding out by nearly 2% or so. Curious about your take within the pharma space. What is the outlook here given the fact that we have seen most of these stocks rallying of late and experts asking whether this is the start of a second major bull run? Would you concur?A little bit of it is sentimental because pharma is front-end centre and it is like on everybody's attention and radar but I do not think pharma can be seen as a sector really. It is actually company-specific because they all have different specialisations and practices and markets and expertise. So one has to go stock by stock. But I think that if I were to still insist on taking a broad sector view then I agree that it is seemingly positive and I do not think it has got just to do with COVID-19 and the supply of HCQ or the export of paracetamol or something like that. I think it has got a lot to do with the fact that the way the winds are blowing; maybe the direction of the winds would change and that is more related to exports markets and the US and the FDA and a slew of clearances coming in the last 7 to 15 days. So that is what has caused the change of mood. So COVID-19 is one thing but what COVID-19 has caused in terms of the second order effect or the change of business dynamics, that is what seems to be encouraging people. The other thing is that it is massively under owned. So what I have seen is that when the market is in a bad mood and when things turn bad, then the over owned stocks start falling amidst lower volumes. On the other hand when the sentiment changes, the under owned stocks start rising amidst low volumes. So I think it is more under owned than anything which is under owned right now and people are probably scrambling to make up for it. So there is a change of business dynamics and I would say it looks positive from here. Also, do not forget that from its previous peak, the pharma index is still 30% to 40% lower than where it used to be about four-five years back. So these are early days I guess.
Mumbai & Bengaluru: Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest IT employer, aims to significantly reduce the amount of time its employees spend in office in the next five years, top executives said, as it seeks to deepen the remote working model occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, heralding similar initiatives by the country's $147 billion outsourcing industry.In a post earnings conference on Thursday, TCS's chief operating officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam said the company believes that it does not "need to have more than 25% of workforce at our facilities in order to make all the 100% productive." Pointing out that every employee need not be present in the office all time he said, "I think it's sufficient that they spend 25% of their time in our offices."IT companies earlier offered employees the option to work from home only for a limited number of days, but were forced to alter their policies overnight to stem the spread of Covid-19.It will Never be 100/100: GopinathanSince March, over 80% employees of India's nearly four million IT workforce have shifted to a work from home model and are delivering services to clients globally, Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO of TCS told ET that the Mumbai-headquartered company is challenging itself to see if it can "get to a 25 /25 model by 2025 and, that is the way in which we ( will) build out our future capacity and future infrastructure," he said. "It doesn't really matter (whether it is) 25 or 50. The point is it will never be 100/100 (100% of workforce at office for 100% of the time)." TCS employed 448,464 people at the end of March.75214289Wipro, India's fourth largest IT services firm, which shifted over 93% of its workforce to deliver services remotely as part of its business continuity plan, is evaluating whether it needs all its workers to return to its campuses spread across India and the world."There are a lot of things coming up. Number of debates are happening—do we need the whole workforce coming back or do we need (to allow) employees permanently working from home," said Wipro chief HR officer Saurabh Govil. Wipro is yet to take a call on the final move as it also needs to get approval from clients for such a shift.Over two decades ago, Indian IT services firms introduced the concept of offshore development centres (ODCs) or units with hundreds of employees within their campuses that are dedicated to clients such as British Airways, General Electric and American Express. These centres have security protocols that allow only approved employees to access sensitive customer data.Indian IT firms also have built sprawling campuses across cities such as Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Noida and Chennai to house thousands of employees who can work in these ODCs and other centres dedicated for clients."Technology companies have been guzzlers of real estate. With such shifts (to work from home), real estate prices (for IT offices) could come down," said Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno.Karanth said that project managers have seen an increase in efficiency in the WFH model and may remain high in future too. "GIC heads are saying that they are seeing employees work at a fairly high productivity of 70% or more currently."Mid-tier IT services firm Sonata Software estimates that it can allow up to 70% of its workforce to operate from home, as there has been a marked increase in productivity during the time all employees worked from home, according to its chief executive officer Srikar Reddy."However, there should be a clarification on the tax benefits that IT services companies get operating from SEZ. Clients' confidence is equally important," he said.India's software lobby National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) believes that the Covid-19 impact has fundamentally altered how companies look at employees and their workplaces.
MUMBAI: The demand for contract workers may see an upsurge in the coming months as companies prepare to ramp up production to make up for lost time. Conglomerates such as Tata Steel, KEC International, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki, among others, have managed to hold back several batches of factory personnel to rev up production lines once the lockdown eases. However, there are some companies that may need to hire in order to fill in for the migrant workers who have moved back.KEC International, a leading power transmission engineering, procurement and construction company, is one among those planning to hire more contract workers as the lockdown is relaxed. "We would need more people to make up for the project time lost," said Vimal Kejriwal, managing director and CEO of KEC International."There would be requirement of hiring more workers in order to catch up," said Kejriwal. The company, part of the RPG group, has currently about 20,000 people at approximately 150 project sites across the country including some remote parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.Companies like KEC and Maruti Suzuki have seen a mass migration of 15-20% of its workers soon after the lockdown was declared, however, those left at the project sites are getting paid and being taken care of.Rajeshwar Tripathi, chief human resource officer, Mahindra & Mahindra said: "We need to get back our contract workers, some of whom have gone back, once work resumes full swing."However, experts said getting migrant workers who have already left for their homes might be a challenge in the immediate future because of the hardships they have already faced.Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder of Teamlease Services, said manufacturing companies may face 20-30% gap or shortage of contract/migrant workers because many people who have already left for far off places may not come in. "Companies will need to replenish or backfill the headcount, if not hire additional," she added. "This could also lead to the possibility of a wage hike," she said.Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro and steel major Tata Steel have created a support system to hold back their contract workers.L&T, which has 160,000 contract workers across India, has kept aside a monthly outlay of Rs 500 crore to support workers by paying their wages, providing them food, medical and other basic requirements at labour camps ensuring that they do not move out.Tata Steel, which is currently keeping its blast furnaces, coke plants and steel making processes partially running, is working with just about a third of its total workforce of factory personnel in Jamshedpur, Kalinganagar and other places."Work will be ramped up once these people come back after the lockdown is eased," said Suresh Tripathi, vice president – human resources at Tata Steel. To ensure that the same set of people come back to work once lockdown ends, the company has made sure that there is no disruption in payment for contract workers and vendors.As most contract workers come from neighbouring villages, the steel major has put in place a massive effort to set up an entire ecosystem so that people do not feel the need to go out of the villages for anything.Some of these measures include connecting all the villages through internet, having dedicated people to maintain hygiene in the villages, appointing trained paramedics keeping in touch with people and helping them with doctor consultation if required, ensuring the supply of fresh vegetables, making masks with help of local Self Help Groups and providing packed food.Diversified conglomerate ITC, which is currently manufacturing essential items like food and hygiene products, has ramped up production across 100 factories "We have been undertaking scenario planning…and are gearing up to further ramp up production, reallocate resources and recalibrate distribution based on the circumstances that will emerge once the lockdown period is over," said a company spokesperson.
Crowdfunding platform for startups Republic has acquired crowdfunding platform for gamesFig, joining forces to help creators get their ideas off the ground. Users of each service will be happy to know they’ll continue as-is for the foreseeable future.
The model of publicly accessible micro-equity has proven an effective one, and both platforms have recent successes under their belts. Startups of a wide variety have raised hundreds of thousands on Republic, while Fig has had a great year with games like the critically acclaimed (and popular) Outer Wilds and What the Golf.
The scale of the sites is small compared with Kickstarter and Indiegogo, but the projects are more carefully curated and, although they are all crowdfunding platforms, the Republic/Fig model is different, awarding equity rather than product. Or in addition to product — who can resist wanting to have their own weird new Intellivision console?
The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but the general idea is to merge the two sites without compromising either. Ideally both will see an increased audience, and users will see an increased variety of projects to potentially back. Gaming is a growing area of investment, especially niche indie games that might be the next big unexpected hit, so Republic saw Fig as a natural extension of its existing platform.
“One of the best things going for Fig is how successful they've been in making positive returns for investors. Capital raised is used to develop the game, games are sold, and sales revenue is shared with investors,” said Republic Funding Portal CEO Chuck Pettid in a statement sent to TechCrunch. “Most private investments take 7-10 years for investors to get meaningful returns. Fig has accelerated that outcome and even boasts 3 straight years (2017, 2018 and 2019) of positive returns for investors. There isn't another crowdfunding platform in the world that can say that.”
Fig’s CEO, Justin Bailey, will stay on as a board member at Republic and help guide the intelligent integration of the two sites.
“Fig will continue on and over time will slowly become a part of Republic,” he said. “Republic will keep the core parts of Fig's community publishing platform and then add in its ingredients such as its commitment to diversity which will create an even stronger platform for indie game developers. In the end, Fig’s mission is to help support independent developers and making games possible that wouldn't be.”
Both CEOs went out of their way to mention that the sites especially value underserved and underrepresented groups, which may find crowdfunding the only way to collect enough capital to pursue an idea. “More than half of the campaigns featured on Republic have come from underrepresented founders,” said Pettid. “In the past few years, the tech and video game industry has pushed the diversity message, but not enough is being done.”
Bailey noted that the pandemic has led to a major disruption of traditional investment methods. Crowdfunding is already successful, but in the modified post-coronavirus world it may be even more valid.
“Developers should always be rethinking how to raise funding,” he said. “Innovation and creative thinking leads to the best campaigns, and we will be there to assist them.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic shook up the world and reshaped the economy, Boston was quietly setting records.
According to new venture data compiled by TechCrunch, the region set what was at least a local maximum in venture capital raised in the space of a single quarter in Q1 2020.
But while Boston's startup market announced a number of huge rounds that bolstered its total venture dollars raised in the first quarter, there were signs of weakness: Deal volume was its best since Q2 2019, according to a set of data compiled and released by PwC and CB Insights, but was still a little under the pace set in 2018.
So Boston's startups raised lots of money, but couldn't match prior highs when it came to the number of checks written. And those results were largely recorded before COVID-19 shuttered the city. Since then, we've seen a number of area startups lay off staff, something we explored last week.
Now, with fresh data in hand, we can take a closer look at the city's first quarter of 2020. To better understand what we're unpacking, we asked a number of local venture capitalists to weigh in. Let's look back at Boston's Q1 as we stride into Q2 with the help of Venture Lane, .406 Ventures, Volition Capital and Flybridge Capital Partners.
The data
Starting with a programming note is counter-flow, but bear with us. TechCrunch is starting a regular, monthly series on Boston and its startup market. This is a second prelude of sorts. Normally we'd hold news and interviews for a later date so that we'd have plenty of material for a column. In the face of relentless change, however, we didn't want to hold off on reporting and synthesizing new information. When things are more normal, our pace will follow.
Per PwC and CB Insights, here's the last few quarters of data, along with a few yearly totals to draw you the picture we can now see:
The Mendel Air Sensor app is the first app I open every morning. Before Reddit, before Gmail, before NYT. I roll over, grab my phone and check my plants. I don't know if there's a higher honor I can bestow on an app.
The Mendel Air Sensor is a game-changer for indoor growers. It offers a sophisticated suite of sensors that collects critical information about growing conditions. With a price of $99, there's very little else on the market that offers the same sort of data collection at an affordable price.
The company behind the Mendel Air Sensor started by building similar sensors for at-home aquariums. This group knows data collection and teamed up with an experienced manufacturer to develop and ship the Mendel Air Sensor.
I know very little about growing plants indoors. I've watched some YouTube videos, read a lot of blog posts and asked friends for advice. And yet I have a small growing operation in my basement: tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots and, you know, other leafy greens.
Several weeks in, I'm starting to appreciate the data behind growing plants. There's a lot to consider, from the temperature to types and amount of light, to humidity and how the plants react to humidity through a calculation to determine the vapor pressure deficit (VPD).
I have a Mendel Air Sensor hanging in one grow tent (pictured at the top), and it's my new obsession. The small green device collects four data points every 15 minutes and displays the information through a web app or smartphone app. This is allowing me to fine-tune the controlled environment through exhaust fans, light placement and humidifier levels.
As I've found, it's critical to watch this data throughout the day. I've yet to stabilize the environment to a point where I set it and forget it. About twice a day, because of the Mendel Air Sensor, I make slight changes to the growing tent, which results in dramatic changes to the environment. Without access to this data, I wouldn’t know something is off until the plant shows warning signs — and as I understand it, that's when it's too late.
At $99, it's a good value, and there are only a few competitors in the space. Most are double or triple the price, though their charting products seem more mature.
CEO Nate Levine tells TechCrunch Mendel started as a 50/50 partnership with another bootstrapped company, RapidLED out of the Bay Area. This company has sold lights for indoor growers for the last few years and already has an established base of customers in this field. But Levine didn't start to build a product for monitoring plants; instead, he created, FishBit, a product for monitoring aquariums.
The parallels between the two markets helped Levine's team jump into the indoor gardening space. As Levine told TechCrunch, the consumer demands are similar, and like with aquariums, indoor growers are increasingly looking for ways to increase capabilities. Instead of keeping fish alive, though, they're trying to get more tomatoes. Or weed.
Levine said that unlike with aquariums, indoor growers can be less stingy with their cash, though, right now, with cannabis, margins are slim. There isn't a gold rush, he said, but noted that the cannabis market, in particular, is at the right spot for companies to launch new products.
The company is marketing the same product to home growers, and commercial growers thought this could be a challenge with the current web app. It lacks robust features found on other products. For a small grower like me, it's okay, but I expect commercial customers expect better logging, more detailed analysis and a variable monitoring cycle instead of just every 15 minutes.
To make it available for international users, the company needs to swap out the USB power supply.
Don't call this is a pivot. Or at least Levine doesn't call it a pivot. As he told TechCrunch, if he goes back to the original pitch deck, the company is still driving at the same goal for FishBit, and everything the team learns on Mendel is implemented in FishBit, too. The goal is to build an entire product line of smart hardware and software for the indoor grower.
RapidLED approached Levine and the team at an aquarium conference and offered to build the hardware if Levine could make the software. My plants are happy that the two companies forged the partnership.
As for my plants, I've learned a few things because of the Mendel Air Sensor. First, my grow lights put out much more heat than I expected, and I need to dump the cheap set and get a name brand unit. Second, the humidity was much lower than I had expected, so I added a humidifier. Finally, monitoring the VPD is much easier than it seems if the calculations are automated.
Growing plants is hard, but it's easier with the data from the Mendel Air Sensor.
Another startup has turned to downsizing and fund raising to help weather the uncertainty around the economy amid the global coronavirus health pandemic. People.ai, a predictive sales startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Iconic, Lightspeed and other investors and last year valued at around $500 million, has laid off around 30 people, working out to about 18% of staff, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed.
Alongside that, the company has quietly raised a debt round in the “tens of millions of dollars” to make strategic investments in new products and potentially other moves.
Oleg Rogynskyy, the founder and CEO, said the layoffs were made not because business has slowed down, but to help the company shore up for whatever may lie ahead.
“We still have several years of runway with what we’ve raised,” he noted (it has raised just under $100 million in equity to date). “But no one knows the length of the downturn, so we wanted to make sure we could sustain the business through it.”
Specifically, the company is reducing its international footprint — big European customers that it already has on its books will now be handled from its U.S. offices rather than local outposts — and it is narrowing its scope to focus more on the core verticals that make up the majority of its current customer base.
He gave as an example the financial sector. “We create huge value for financial services industry but have moved the functionality for them out to next year so that we can focus on our currently served industries,” he said.
People.ai’s software tracks the full scope of communication touch points between sales teams and customers, supposedly negating the tedious manual process of activity logging for SDRs. The company’s machine learning tech is also meant to generate the average best way to close a deal — educating customer success teams about where salespeople may be deviating from a proven strategy.
People.ai is one of a number of well-funded tech startups that is making hard choices on business strategy, costs and staffing in the current climate.
Layoffs.fyi, which has been tallying those losing their jobs in the tech industry in the wake of the coronavirus (it’s based primarily on public reports with a view to providing lists of people for hire), says that as of today, there have been nearly 25,000 people laid off from 258 tech startups and other companies. With companies like Opendoor laying off some 600 people earlier this week, the numbers are ratcheting up quickly: just seven days ago, the number was just over 16,000.
In that context, People.ai cutting 30 may be a smaller increment in the bigger picture (even if for the individuals impacted, it’s just as harsh of an outcome). But it also underscores one of the key business themes of the moment.
Some businesses are getting directly hit by the pandemic — for example, house sales and transportation have all but halted, leaving companies in those categories scrambling to figure out how to get through the coming weeks and months and prepare for a potentially long haul of life and consumer and business behavior not looking like it did before January.
But other businesses, like People.ai, which provides predictive sales tools to help salespeople do their jobs better, is (for now at least) falling into that category of IT still in demand, perhaps even more than ever in a shrinking economy. In People.ai’s case, software to help salespeople have better sales conversations and ultimately conversions at a time when many customers might not be as quick to buy things is an idea that sells right now (so to speak).
Rogynskyy noted that more than 90% of customers that are up for renewal this quarter have either renewed or expanded their contracts, and it has been adding new large customers in recent weeks and months.
The company has also just closed a round of debt funding in the “tens of millions” of dollars to use for strategic investments.
It’s not disclosing the lender right now, but it opted for debt in part because it still has most of its most recent round — $60 million raised in May 2019 led by Iconic — in the bank. Although investors would have been willing to invest in another equity round, given that the company is in a healthy position right now, Rogynskyy said he preferred the debt option to have the money without the dilution that equity rounds bring.
The money will be used for strategic purposes and considering how to develop the product in the current climate. For example, with most people now working from home, and that looking to be a new kind of “normal” in office life (if not all the time, at least more of the time), that presents a new opportunity to develop products tailored for these remote workers.
There have been some M&A moves in tech in the last couple of weeks, and from what we understand People.ai has been approached as well as a possible buyer, target and partner. All of that for now is not something the company is considering, Rogynskyy said. “We’re focused on our own future growth and health and making sure we are here for a long time.”
Ventilators assembled by GM and Ventec Life Systems were delivered to hospitals Thursday night with more making their way to facilities today and through the weekend, the first in a 30,000-unit order with the U.S. government.
The deliveries, which went to hospitals in Chicago and Olympia Fields, Ill., are a milestone for the two companies that launched an effort less than a month ago to make thousands of ventilators for hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
GM and Ventec announced a partnership March 20 to help increase production of respiratory care products such as ventilators. The companies had initially focused on making Ventec’s critical care ventilators, called VOCSN, a higher-end multi-function device that includes a ventilator, oxygen concentrator, cough assist, suction and nebulizer. The device, which has more than 700 components, was cleared in 2017 by the FDA.
GM investigated the feasibility of sourcing the materials needed as well as what it would take to build a new clean room and production line within its Kokomo, Ind. factory. GM estimated it would cost about $750 million, a price that included retrofitting a portion of the engine plant, purchasing materials to make the ventilators and paying the 1,000 workers needed to scale up production, the source said. The remaining $250,000 of estimated costs came from Ventec.
The Trump Administration balked at the price tag, putting a contract with the U.S. government in limbo. GM and Ventec planned to push ahead anyway, even as President Trump used Twitter to criticize the automaker and its CEO, Mary Barra . Trump then signed a presidential directive ordering GM to produce ventilators and to prioritize federal contracts, just hours after the automaker announced plans to manufacture the devices.
In spite of the scuffle, GM did reach a $490 million contract with the federal government to produce 30,000 ventilators by the end of August. Under the contract, GM is producing a different critical care ventilator from Ventec called the VOCSN V+Pro, a simpler device that has 400 parts. The other more expensive and complex machine had a multi-function capability.
To speed its ability to build ventilators, the government contract calls for the VOCSN unit with ventilator capability only, according to GM.
Production began this week with one shift of workers and is ramping up. Eventually, GM has plans to add a second and then a third shift in the coming weeks, according to a company spokesperson. More than 1,000 workers will be needed over the three shifts.
To date, 10 ventilators have been delivered to Franciscan Health in Olympia Fields. Another 10 were expected to be delivered Friday afternoon to Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago. A third shipment of 34 ventilators will be delivered Saturday to the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Gary/Chicago International Airport for distribution to other locations where the need is the greatest, according to GM.
The need for ventilators is urgent as cases of COVID-19 pop up with increasing frequency as widespread testing begins. While some people with COVID-19 reported more mild symptoms, others have experienced severe respiratory problems and need to be hospitalized. The shortage has prompted automakers, including Ford and Volkswagen, to investigate ways of ramping up ventilator production. Ford and GE Healthcare have licensed a ventilator design from Airon Corp and plan to produce as many as 50,000 of them at a Michigan factory by July.
If you have ever attended (or tuned into) one of Monzo’s many community events, you are likely familiar with the work of Simon Balmain. An early employee of the challenger bank, he has played a long-term role in helping to build Monzo’s customer support and community efforts and was often seen emceeing events.
Now TechCrunch has learned that Balmain is departing to join Sphere, the perpetually stealthy startup founded by Nick D'Aloisio, who previously founded news summary app Summly, which he famously sold to Yahoo at the age of 17 for a reported $30 million.
According to sources, former “Monzonaught” Balmain will be tasked with helping bolster Sphere’s community efforts. Sphere began life as a question and answer app that let you find and instantly chat to paid experts on a range of topics but has since pivoted to a chat app built from the ground up for groups.
“Sphere is a chat app for groups to feel closer and achieve more, together,” reads the App Store’s description. Features listed for Sphere Group Chat include the ability to create multiple chats for a single group; send highlighted announcements so no one in a group misses important messages; and send notifications to individuals or everyone who hasn't read your message “in just one tap”.
Meanwhile, we first reported on London-based Sphere’s existence back in October 2017, after being tipped off by sources and uncovering regulatory filings revealing that D'Aloisio had raised funding from Index Ventures, and LocalGlobe (the early-stage VC firm founded by Robin and Saul Klein). And in March last year, the FT reported that Sphere had raised a total of $30 million, adding Michael Moritz as a backer, and noting that the startup had unusually remained in stealth for a whopping 2.5 years.
That was a whole year ago. With a newly recruited community specialist, a less opaque launch is unlikely to be too far away.
A few months ago, the idea of a hand-washing app would have seemed trivial, at best. We're all adults here, right? We've been washing our hands our entire lives. But things change. It's mid-April and we're afraid to go outside and engage with other humans — and thorough hand-washing is one of very few tools we have in our collective arsenal.
Life, am I right?
According to Samsung, "a small group of designers and developers from Samsung Research Institute-Bangalore, or SRI-B's UX and wearable teams, worked round-the-clock over the last two weeks to come up with a solution that helps you keep healthy and safe."
They came out the other side with Hand Wash, a Galaxy Watch app designed to remind wearers to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. There are preset intervals for the reminders, which can be customized by the wearer. The app gives a buzz at the end of 25 seconds — the extra five seconds were tacked on for the application of soap.
The app tracks washings and shows the amount of time that's elapsed since you last washed. It's the kind of things that would be absolutely crazy-making normally, but these days are anything but. It's available now for download in the Galaxy Store.
Bradley Tusk has carved a unique path in the VC investment landscape: A longtime political and communications operative, he has built a track record for Tusk Ventures by going after highly regulated industries, rather than shying away from them.
Whether it is ride-hailing, sports betting, cannabis or myriad other regulated sectors, Tusk takes the approach that laws are ultimately malleable, and if a service is popular, its users can mobilize to effect change.
Given his unique perspective, it was great to have him join us this week in an Extra Crunch Live call — our new initiative here at TechCrunch to bring tech-world thought leaders right to your screens.
In our conversation, Tusk talked about edtech, telemedicine, cannabis, mobile voting, biotech, pandemics and the future of regulated industries in this dastardly economic environment. We’ve transcribed a handful of his answers to our and our readers' questions and have embedded the entire video below the fold.
We've edited his written answers for clarity and brevity.
Does working from home have to mean sitting in a chatroom all day or always being available for a video call?
Real-time chat and video platforms are great for building camaraderie and maintaining a sense of connection with remote teams, but when you need to focus for a few hours, it can be tough to tune out the endless GIFs and notifications.
Some of the most successful fully remote companies (like GitLab, or Zapier) have promoted the benefits of asynchronous communication — a fancy way of saying that not every conversation needs to happen in real time. Your server is down? You probably need to have that conversation now. Brainstorming a new feature? That might work best when everyone has a bit more time to think between responses. The key is acknowledging the strengths of both synchronous and asynchronous communications — and finding the right mix.
Doist co-founder Amir Salihefendic has been an async advocate for years. After leading a team spread around the globe to build popular task management tool Todoist, he set out to build Twist, a tool specifically built for conversations that deserve a longer shelf life.
I chatted with Amir last week to hear his thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches, how he balances the two (and handles emergencies) and why he has focused heavily on making async a part of his company’s culture. Here’s a transcript of our chat, lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
TechCrunch: How big is Doist now?
Amir Salihefendic: I think we are about 73 people spread around 30 different countries now. [We’re on] most of the continents around the world.
Why’d you go remote in the first place? What made you make that call?
A new flurry of tweets from President Trump is pushing the limits of social platform policies designed explicitly to keep users safe from the spread of the novel coronavirus, both online and off.
In a series of rapid-fire messages on Friday morning, Trump issued a call to “LIBERATE” Virginia, Minnesota and Michigan, all states led by Democratic governors. Trump’s tweets promoted protests in those states against ongoing public safety measures, many designed by his own administration, meant to keep residents safe from the virus. Trump also shared the messages on his Facebook page.
In the case of Minnesota, the tweet was not a generic message to his supporters in the state — it referenced a Friday protest event by its name, “Liberate Minnesota.”
In Minnesota, the in-person protest event gathered a group of Trump supporters outside the St. Paul home of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to protest the state’s ongoing lockdown. According to a reporter on the scene Friday, the protest had attracted attendees in the “low hundreds” so far and few were practicing social distancing or wearing masks. The event was organized on Facebook.
Scheduled start time was noon and the crowd looks to be in the low hundreds. This is *only* an eyeball estimate. There's also a fair number of drivebys – vehicles with flags or writing on the sides driving down Summit, honking, waving to protesters.
“President Trump has been very clear that we must get America back to work very quickly or the ‘cure’ to this terrible disease may be the worse option!,” the event’s Facebook description states. In a later disclaimer, event organizers encourage attendees to exercise “personal responsibility” at the protest, stating that they “are not responsible for your current health situation or future health.”
The president’s tweets contradict his administration’s own guidance, detailed yesterday in coordination with health experts, on reopening state economies. Earlier this week, Trump claimed that a president has “total authority” to reopen the national economy, a sentiment that his tweets Friday appeared to undermine.
Trump’s calls to action in support of state-based protests would also appear to potentially contradict both Twitter and Facebook’s new rules specific to the pandemic, which in both cases explicitly forbid any COVID-19 content that could result in the real-world spread of the virus.
Over the last month, Facebook and Twitter both rolled out relatively aggressive new policies designed to protect users from content contradicting the guidance of health experts, particularly anything that could result in real-world harm.
Update: According to a Twitter spokesperson, the president’s tweets do not currently violate Twitter’s rules. Twitter does not consider the tweets as worded a “clear call to action” that could pose a health risk. Twitter also did not determine that the tweets were shared with harmful intentions.
Facebook did not provide answers to questions about the protests organized on its platform by the time of publication.
In late March, Twitter updated its safety policy to prohibit any tweets that “could place people at a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19.” The stance banned tweets claiming social distancing doesn’t work as well as anything with a “call to action” that could promote risky behaviors, like encouraging people to go out to a local bar.
On April 1, Twitter again broadened its definition for the kind of harmful COVID-19 content it forbids, stating that it would “continue to prioritize removing content when it has a clear call to action that could directly pose a risk to people's health or well-being.”
Facebook similarly expanded its platform rules to match the existential health threat posed by the coronavirus. In guidance on its policies for the pandemic, Facebook says that it “remove[s] COVID-19 related misinformation that could contribute to imminent physical harm.” As an example, the company noted that in March it began removing “claims that physical distancing doesn't help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.”
Social media companies signaled early in the U.S. spread of the coronavirus that they would take health misinformation — and the safety of their users — more seriously than ever. In some instances, this tough talk appears to have manifested in improvements: Facebook, which has generally been more proactive about health misinformation compared to other topics, moved to promote health expertise and limit the spread of misleading coronavirus content on the platform, even announcing that it would notify anyone who had interacted with COVID-19 misinformation with a special message in their news feed.
A coalition of EU scientists and technologists that’s developing what’s billed as a “privacy-preserving” standard for Bluetooth-based proximity tracking, as a proxy for COVID-19 infection risk, wants Apple and Google to make changes to an API they’re developing for the same overarching purpose.
The Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT) uncloaked on April 1, calling for developers of contact tracing apps to get behind a standardized approach to processing smartphone users’ data to coordinate digital interventions across borders and shrink the risk of overly intrusive location-tracking tools gaining momentum as a result of the pandemic.
PEPP-PT said today it has seven governments signed up to apply its approach to national apps, with a claimed pipeline of a further 40 in discussions about joining.
“We now have a lot of governments interacting,” said PEPP-PT’s Hans-Christian Boos, speaking during a webinar for journalists. “Some governments are publicly declaring that their local applications will be built on top of the principles of PEPP-PT and also the various protocols supplied inside this initiative.
“We know of seven countries that have already committed to do this — and we’re currently in conversation with 40 countries that are in various states of onboarding.”
Boos said a list of the governments would be shared with journalists, though at the time of writing we haven’t seen it. But we’ve asked PEPP-PT’s PR firm for the info and will update this report when we get it.
“The pan-European approach has worked,” he added. “Governments have decided at a speed previously unknown. But with 40 more countries in the queue of onboarding we definitely have outgrown just the European focus — and to us this shows that privacy as a model and as a discussion point… is a statement and it is something that we can export because we’re credible on it.”
Paolo de Rosa, the CTO at the Ministry of Innovation Technology and Digital Transformation for the Italian government, was also on the webinar — and confirmed its national app will be built on top of PEPP-PT.
“We will have an app soon and obviously it will be based on this model,” he said, offering no further details.
PEPP-PT’s core “privacy-preserving” claim rests on the use of system architectures that do not require location data to be collected. Rather devices that come near each other would share pseudonymized IDs — which could later be used to send notifications to an individual if the system calculates an infection risk has occurred. An infected individual’s contacts would be uploaded at the point of diagnosis — allowing notifications to be sent to other devices with which had come into contact.
Boos, a spokesman for and coordinator of PEPP-PT, told TechCrunch earlier this month the project will support both centralized and decentralized approaches. The former meaning IDs are uploaded to a trusted server, such as one controlled by a health authority; the latter meaning IDs are held locally on devices, where the infection risk is also calculated — a backend server is only in the loop to relay info to devices.
It’s just such a decentralized contacts tracing system that Apple and Google are collaborating on supporting — fast-following PEPP-PT last week by announcing a plan for cross-platform COVID-19 contacts tracing via a forthcoming API and then a system-wide (opt-in) for Bluetooth-based proximity tracking.
That intervention, by the only two smartphone platforms that matter when the ambition is mainstream adoption, is a major development — putting momentum behind decentralized contacts tracing for responding digitally to the coronavirus crisis in the Western world, certainly at the platform level.
In a resolution passed today the European parliament also called for a decentralized approach to COVID-19 proximity tracking.
MEPs are pushing for the Commission and Member States to be “fully transparent on the functioning of contact tracing apps, so that people can verify both the underlying protocol for security and privacy and check the code itself to see whether the application functions as the authorities are claiming.” (The Commission has previously signaled a preference for decentralization too.)
However, backers of PEPP-PT, which include at least seven governments (and the claim of many more), aren’t giving up on the option of a “privacy-preserving” centralized option — which some in their camp are dubbing “pseudo-decentralized” — with Boos claiming today that discussions are ongoing with Apple and Google about making changes to their approach.
As it stands, contacts tracing apps that don’t use a decentralized infrastructure won’t be able to carry out Bluetooth tracking in the background on Android or iOS — as the platforms limit how general apps can access Bluetooth. This means users of such apps would have to have the app open and active all the time for proximity tracking to function, with associated (negative) impacts on battery life and device usability.
There are also (intentional) restrictions on how contacts tracing data could be centralized, as a result of the relay server model being deployed in the joint Apple-Google model.
“We very much appreciate that Google and Apple are stepping up to making the operating system layer available — or putting what should be the OS actually there, which is the Bluetooth measurement and the handling of crypto and the background running of such tasks which have to keep running resiliently all the time — if you look at their protocols and if you look at whom they are provided by, the two dominant players in the mobile ecosystem, then I think that from a government perspective especially, or from lots of government perspectives, there are many open points to discuss,” said Boos today.
“From a PEPP-PT perspective there are a few points to discuss because we want choice and implementing choice in terms of model — decentralized or centralized on top of their protocol creates actually the worst of both worlds — so there are many points to discuss. But contrary to the behavior that many of us who work with tech companies are used to Google and Apple are very open in these discussions and there’s no point in getting up in arms yet because these discussions are ongoing and it looks like agreement can be reached with them.”
It wasn’t clear what specific changes PEPP-PT wants from Apple and Google — we asked for more detail during the webinar but didn’t get a response. But the group and its government backers may be hoping to dilute the tech giants’ stance to make it easier to create centralized graphs of Bluetooth contacts to feed national coronavirus responses.
As it stands, Apple and Google’s API is designed to block contact matching on a server — though there might still be ways for governments (and others) to partially work around the restrictions and centralize some data.
We reached out to Apple and Google with questions about the claimed discussions with PEPP-PT. At the time of writing, neither had responded.
As well as Italy, the German and French governments are among those that have indicated they’re backing PEPP-PT for national apps — which suggests powerful EU Member States could be squaring up for a fight with the tech giants, along the lines of Apple versus the FBI, if pressure to tweak the API fails.
Another key strand to this story is that PEPP-PT continues to face strident criticism from privacy and security experts in its own backyard — including after it removed a reference to a decentralized protocol for COVID-19 contacts tracing that’s being developed by another European coalition, comprised of privacy and security experts, called DP-3T.
Coindesk reported on the silent edit to PEPP-PT’s website yesterday.
Backers of DP-3T have also repeatedly queried why PEPP-PT hasn’t published code or protocols for review to-date — and even gone so far as to dub the effort a “trojan horse.”
#DP3T entered as a candidate to so-called PEPP-PT in good faith, but it is now clear that powerful actors pushing centralised databases of Bluetooth contact tracing do not, and will not, act in good faith.
ETH Zürich’s Dr. Kenneth Paterson, who is both a part of the PEPP-PT effort and a designer of DP-3T, couldn’t shed any light on the exact changes the coalition is hoping to extract from “Gapple” when we asked.
“They've still not said exactly how their system would work, so I can't say what they would need [in terms of changes to Apple and Google’s system],” he told us in an email exchange.
Today Boos couched the removal of the reference to DP-3T on PEPP-PT’s website as a mistake — which he blamed on “bad communication.” He also claimed the coalition is still interested in including the former’s decentralized protocol within its bundle of standardized technologies. So the already sometimes fuzzy lines between the camps continue to be redrawn. (It’s also interesting to note that press emails to Boos are now being triaged by Hering Schuppener, a communications firm that sells publicity services, including crisis PR.)
“We’re really sorry for that,” Boos said of the DP-3T excision. “Actually we just wanted to put the various options on the same level that are out there. There are still all these options and we very much appreciate the work that colleagues and others are doing.
“You know there is a hot discussion in the crypto community about this and we actually encourage this discussion because it’s always good to improve on protocols. What we must not lose sight of is… that we’re not talking about crypto here, we’re talking about pandemic management and as long as an underlying transport layer can ensure privacy that’s good enough because governments can choose whatever they want.”
Boos also said PEPP-PT would finally be publishing some technical documents this afternoon — opting to release information some three weeks after its public unveiling and on a Friday evening (a seven-page ‘high level overview’ has since been put on their GitHub here [this link has since been deleted – Ed.] — but still a far cry from code for review) — while making a simultaneous plea for journalists to focus on the “bigger picture” of fighting the coronavirus rather than keep obsessing over technical details.
During today’s webinar some of the scientists backing PEPP-PT talked about how they’re testing the efficacy of Bluetooth as a proxy for tracking infection risk.
“The algorithm that we’ve been working on looks at the cumulative amount of time that individuals spend in proximity with each other,” said Christophe Fraser, professor at the Nuffield Department of Medicine and Senior Group Leader in Pathogen Dynamics at the Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, offering a general primer on using Bluetooth proximity data for tracking viral transmission.
“The aim is to predict the probability of transmission from the phone proximity data. So the ideal system reduces the requested quarantine to those who are the most at risk of being infected and doesn’t give the notification — even though some proximity event was recorded — to those people who’re not at risk of being infected.”
“Obviously that’s going to be an imperfect process,” he went on. “But the key point is that in this innovative approach that we should be able to audit the extent to which that information and those notifications are correct — so we need to actually be seeing, of the people who have been sent the notification how many of them actually were infected. And of those people who were identified as contacts, how many weren’t.
“Auditing can be done in many different ways for each system but that step is crucial.”
Evaluating the effectiveness of the digital interventions will be vital, per Fraser — whose presentation could have been interpreted as making a case for public health authorities to have fuller access to contacts graphs. But it’s important to note that DP-3T’s decentralized protocol makes clear provision for app users to opt-in to voluntarily share data with epidemiologists and research groups to enable them to reconstruct the interaction graph among infected and at risk users (aka to get access to a proximity graph).
“It’s really important that if you’re going to do an intervention that is going to affect millions of people — in terms of these requests to [quarantine] — that that information be the best possible science or the best possible representation of the evidence at the point at which you give the notification,” added Fraser. “And therefore as we progress forwards that evidence — our understanding of the transmission of the virus — is going to improve. And in fact auditing of the app can allow that to improve, and therefore it seems essential that that information be fed back.”
None of the PEPP-PT-aligned apps that are currently being used for testing or reference are interfacing with national health authority systems, per Boos — though he cited a test in Italy that’s been plugged into a company’s health system to run tests.
“We have supplied the application builders with the backend, we have supplied them with sample code, we have supplied them with protocols, we have supplied them with the science of measurement, and so on and so forth. We have a working application that simply has no integration into a country’s health system — on Android and on iOS,” he noted.
On its website PEPP-PT lists a number of corporate “members” as backing the effort — including the likes of Vodafone — alongside several research institutions including Germany's Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute for telecoms (HHI) which has been reported as leading the effort.
The HHI’s executive director, Thomas Wiegand, was also on today’s call. Notably, his name initially appeared on the authorship list for the DP-3T’s white paper. However, on April 10 he was removed from the README and authorship list, per its GitHub document history. No explanation for the change was given.
During today’s press conference Wiegand made an intervention that seems unlikely to endear him to the wider crypto and digital rights community — describing the debate around which cryptography system to use for COVID-19 contacts tracing as a ‘side show’ and expressing concern that what he called Europe’s “open public discussion” might “destroy our ability to get ourselves as Europeans out of this.”
“I just wanted to make everyone aware of the difficulty of this problem,” he also said. “Cryptography is only one of 12 building blocks in the system. So I really would like to have everybody go back and reconsider what problem we are in here. We have to win against this virus… or we have another lockdown or we have a lot of big problems. I would like to have everybody to consider that and to think about it because we have a chance if we get our act together and really win against the virus.”
The press conference had an even more inauspicious start after the Zoom call was disrupted by racist spam in the chat field. Right before that Boos had kicked off the call saying he had heard from “some more technically savvy people that we should not be using Zoom because it’s insecure — and for an initiative that wants security and privacy it’s the wrong tool.”
“Unfortunately we found out that many of our international colleagues only had this on their corporate PCs so over time either Zoom has to improve — or we need to get better installations out there. It’s certainly not our intention to leak the data on this Zoom,” he added.
Stripe raises new funding, Uber acknowledges financial uncertainty and a controversial facial recognition startup accidentally exposes its source code.
The economy may be contracting as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but promising startups are still continuing to raise money to shore up finances for whatever may lie ahead.
The latest development: Stripe, a well-known payments unicorn, announced that it had raised another $600 million in new capital, money that it plans to use to continue investing in product development, further global expansion and strategic initiatives.
"Given the evolving nature of COVID-19 and the uncertainty it has caused for every industry in every part of the world, it is impossible to predict with precision the pandemic's cumulative impact on our future financial results," Uber said in a statement.
The controversial facial recognition startup allows its law enforcement users to take a picture of a person, upload it and match it against its alleged database of 3 billion images, which the company scraped from public social media profiles. And for a time, a misconfigured server exposed the company's internal files, apps and source code for anyone on the internet to find.
Under its new policy, the accelerator is reducing its pro rata investment size from 7% to 4% and is only investing on a case-by-case basis going forward. Apparently the portfolio has gotten too large for blanket investments, and some of the limited partners who back the accelerator's operations are balking at making commitments to the pro rata program.
First up: We'll be chatting with Aileen Lee (former KPCB partner, founder and managing director at Cowboy.vc and coiner of the term "Unicorn") and Ted Wang (Cowboy.vc partner, former partner at Fenwick & West, and former outside counsel to Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Square and more) on Monday, April 20. And yes, you’ll need to be an Extra Crunch member to tune in.
NASA has said many times that it intends to collect a sample from Mars and return it to Earth. But how will the organization go about scooping up soil from the surface of a distant planet and getting it back here? With a newly-revealed plan that sounds straight out of sci-fi.
Facebook announced that it will be shelving the in-person component of its virtual reality-focused Oculus Connect 7 conference due to COVID-19 concerns and focusing on a digital format. Although the company hadn't announced dates for the event, the conference is typically held in late September or early October.
The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here.
Apple has done a good job closing the gap between Spotify and its own music streaming service. But the former still maintains some advantages, a list that until recently included a robust web interface. As a Spotify user myself, I find myself frequently using the browser interface on different devices.
Apple's been working on its own version of course, but for the past six months, it's only been available as a beta. The interface dropped that tag today, officially going live sans-beta URL. As noted by MacRumors, the interface looks nearly identical to the desktop app, but bringing it to browsers allows for a lot more cross-platform flexibility.
Once logged in with an Apple ID, your music library should be visible. The news also comes as Apple prepares for tonight's One World: Together at Home concert, co-hosted by three late-night comedians and featuring everyone from Paul McCartney and Elton John to Lady Gaga and Lizzo.
Would you pay with a “Google Card?” TechCrunch has obtained imagery that shows Google is developing its own physical and virtual debit cards. The Google card and associated checking account will allow users to buy things with a card, mobile phone or online. It connects to a Google app with new features that let users easily monitor purchases, check their balance or lock their account. The card will be co-branded with different bank partners, including CITI and Stanford Federal Credit Union.
A source provided TechCrunch with the images seen here, as well as proof that they came from Google. Another source confirmed that Google has recently worked on a payments card that its team hopes will become the foundation of its Google Pay app — and help it rival Apple Pay and the Apple Card. Currently, Google Pay only allows online and peer-to-peer payments by connecting a traditionally issued payment card. A “Google Pay Card” would vastly expand the app’s use cases, and Google’s potential as a fintech giant.
Google the financial services company?
By building a smart debit card, Google has the opportunity to unlock new streams of revenue and data. It could potentially charge interchange fees on purchases made with the card or other checking account fees, and then split them with its banking partners. Depending on its privacy decisions, Google could use transaction data on what people buy to improve ad campaign measurement or even targeting. Brands might be willing to buy more Google ads if the tech giant can prove they drive a sales lift.
The long-term implications are even greater. While once the industry joke was that every app eventually becomes a messaging app, more recently it’s been that every tech company eventually becomes a financial services company. A smart debit card and checking accounts could pave the way for Google offering banking, stock brokerage, financial advice or robo-advising, accounting, insurance or lending.
Image Credits: jossnatu / Getty Images
Google’s vast access to data could allow it to more accurately manage risk than traditional financial institutions. Its deep connection to consumers via apps, ads, search and the Android operating system gives it ample ways to promote and integrate financial services. With the COVID-19 downturn taking shape, high-margin finance products could help Google develop efficient revenue opportunities and build its share price back up.
When TechCrunch asked Google for confirmation, it did not dispute our findings or assertions. The company offered us a statement it provided reporters following a November story, wherein Google told The Wall Street Journal’s Peter Rudegeair and Liz Hoffman it was experimenting in the checking account space. TechCrunch is the first to report Google’s debit card plans:
We're exploring how we can partner with banks and credit unions in the US to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay, helping their customers benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools, while keeping their money in an FDIC or NCUA-insured account. Our lead partners today are Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union, and we look forward to sharing more details in the coming months.
For now, Google’s strategy is to let partnered banks and credit unions provide the underlying financial infrastructure and navigate regulation while it builds smarter interfaces and user experiences. It’s forseeable that one day Google might cut out the banks and take all the spoils for itself. Google launched a Wallet debit card in 2013 as an extension of its old payment app Google Wallet, but shut the card down in 2016. Given Google’s penchant for renaming or shutting down then reviving products, building a new debit card feels on-brand.
With people around the world suddenly more concerned about their finances amidst the coronavirus economic disaster, a debit card with more transparency and controls could be appealing.
First look at the Google Card
Traditional banking products can be clunky, often requiring phone communication with customer service or sifting through cluttered websites to address security issues. Google hopes to make financial management as intuitive as its email and mapping apps. The card and app designs shown here are not final, and it’s unclear when Google’s debit card may launch. But let’s take a look at what these internal Google materials reveal about its ambitions for its payment instrument.
The Google debit card will come co-branded with the Google name and its partnered bank, though the exact name of the product is still unknown. In the designs, it’s a chip card on the Visa network, though Google could potentially support other networks like Mastercard. Users are able to add money or transfer funds out of their account from the connected Google app, which is likely to be Google Pay, and use a fingerprint and PIN for account security.
Once connected to their bank or credit union account, users could pay for purchases in retail stores with a physical Google debit card, including with contactless payments, by just holding it up to a card reader. A virtual version of the card that lives on a user’s phone can also be used for Bluetooth mobile payments. Meanwhile, a virtual card number can be used for online or in-app payments.
Users are shown a list of recent transactions, with each including the merchant name, date and price. They can dig into each transaction to see the location on a map, get directions or call the store. If users don’t recognize a transaction, it’s easy to protect themselves with the card’s vast security options.
If a customer suspects foul play because they lost their card, they can lock it and optionally order a replacement while still being able to pay with their phone or online, thanks to Google’s virtual card number system that’s different than the one on their physical card. If instead they suspect their virtual card number was stolen by a hacker, they can quickly reset it. And if they believe someone has gained unauthorized access to their account, they can lock it entirely to block all types of payments and transfers.
The settings reveal options for notifications and privacy controls to “decide what information you share,” though we don’t have imagery of what’s contained in those menus. It’s unclear how much power Google will give customers to limit the company or merchant’s data access. Google’s decisions there could impact how transaction data might fuel its other businesses.
Fintech everywhere
Google is a relative late-comer to offering its own card. Apple launched its Apple Card in August, offering a slickly designed titanium Mastercard credit card backed by Goldman Sachs. It charges minimal customer fees, comes with a virtual card for use through Apple Pay and generates interest.
Apple Card
Apple does collect interchange fees from merchants, though, which Google could similarly gather to earn revenue. Last month, Apple changed the Card’s privacy settings to share more data with Goldman Sachs that might also help the two provide additional financial services. Apple Pay now accounts for 5% of global card transactions, and is forecast to hit 10% by 2024, according to Bernstein research. The underlines the gigantic market Google is gunning for here.
The stock brokerage and robo-advisor apps have also joined the payments race. Wealthfront launched cash accounts and debit cards last February, bringing in $1 billion in assets in two months and doubling the company’s total holdings to $20 billion by September. Betterment launched its checking product in October 2019 with a Visa debit card, but it doesn’t generate interest.
Robinhood botched the December 2018 launch of its checking accounts due to ineligible insurance, but relaunched in October 2019 with debit card withdrawls from 75,000 ATMs and a solid interest rate. It’s unclear how Google’s card will work with ATMs or how its checking accounts will generate interest.
Robinhood’s debit cards
The appeal for Google and the rest is clear. It seems whenever companies help move people’s money around, some of it inevitably “falls off the truck” and lands in their pockets. Financial services are typically low-overhead ways to generate revenue. That could be especially enticing, as Google has found many of its side hustle “other bets” to be unsustainable. It’s moved to prune some of these tertiary projects, such as its Makani wind energy kites.
Google may never find businesses as lucrative as its core in search and advertising, but it has the advantages to become a serious player in fintech. Its vast sums of cash, deep bench of engineering talent, experience building complex utilities, numerous consumer touch points and near-bottomless well of data could give it an edge over stodgier old banks and scrappier startups. And while Facebook slams into regulatory scrutiny and is forced to scale back its Libra cryptocurrency, Google’s more familiar approach via debit cards could pay off.
NASA and SpaceX have set a specific date and time target for their historic first astronaut launch aboard a private spacecraft from U.S. soil, with a planned date of May 27 and a target liftoff time of 4:32 PM EDT (1:32 PM PDT) from Kennedy Space Center, at SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A (LC-39). The mission had been previously announced to be tracking toward a mid to late-May launch time frame, but now we know exactly when the agency and SpaceX hope to launch astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley for this inaugural trip to the International Space Station.
The launch is the first crewed mission in NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which seeks to return American launch capabilities to U.S. soil through private partnerships, with both SpaceX and Boeing taking part and developing their own separate launch vehicles and crew craft. SpaceX has taken all the steps necessary to get to this stage ahead of Boeing, and this flight, called Demo-2, while still technically part of the test program, will see NASA’s astronauts visit the space station for “an extended stay,” with a full duration yet to be determined.
This final test will validate each aspect of the Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 launch system, including the pad from which the rocket takes off, the operational facilities on the ground, orbital systems and astronaut procedures. Pending successful completion of all those elements, Crew Dragon should be set for full operational certification, after which time it can begin regularly scheduled service of delivering astronauts to and from the ISS.
For the mission, Crew Dragon will launch with Behnken and Hurley, then enter orbit and rendezvous with the ISS, which should occur around 24 hours after liftoff. The spacecraft is designed to dock fully autonomously with the station (and has done so on a previous occasion during an uncrewed demo mission), then Behnken and Hurley will disembark and join as members of the ISS crew, performing research on the orbital science platform.
The Crew Dragon flying this mission is designed to stay on orbit for around 110 days, but its actual length of stay will be decided by how ready the commercial crew mission to follow is at the time of launch. That Crew Dragon, which is the fully operational version, is designed for stays of at least 210 days, and the crew complement of four astronauts, including three from NASA and one from Japan’s space agency, is already determined. If all goes well, it’ll happen sometime later this year.
Crew Dragon from Demo-2 will perform an automated undocking from the ISS with Behnken and Hurley on board when it is ready to leave, and then they’ll re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and have a controlled splashdown landing in the Atlantic Ocean, where a SpaceX ship will pick them up and bring them back to Florida.
Obviously, NASA and SpaceX are facing challenges, along with everyone else, with the global COVID-19 crisis ongoing, but the agency has taken extra precautions to ensure this mission continues, since NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine notes that continued U.S. access to, and presence within the ISS is critical.
Airbnb has ended its contracts with contingent workers early and postponed summer internships, Protocol reports. Contractors at Airbnb serve as property inspectors, home consultants and more.
Contractors will reportedly receive no less than two weeks’ pay after receiving notice from their temp agencies.
Airbnb will also reportedly delay hiring undergraduate students until next year. TechCrunch has since heard from an incoming intern that he was notified yesterday and that he’s now scrambling to find a new internship.
“I'm devastated about the decision, both because I turned down many competitive offers in favor of Airbnb and because they made the decision so late that it will be incredibly difficult to find new opportunities in such a short time frame,” Ray Iyer, a computer science major at Stanford, told TechCrunch . :I'm relying on social media resources like LinkedIn to directly source opportunities, and this has led to some promising leads. Nonetheless, with the state of the virus and the fact that most internships will have to be remote, very few companies are hiring right now. I am graduating next year, and this summer was an opportunity to get my foot in the door and alleviate the stress of full-time recruiting in these uncertain times. I'm definitely going to put in my best effort to find a suitable replacement opportunity.:
The Europas Awards for European Tech Startups is doing what everyone in tech has done before: pivoting! Given the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be ‘going virtual’ on an amazing new platform, to be unveiled. (OK, but not VR – just yet!). A percentage of proceeds from the event will be donated to charities across Europe helping to fight the pandemic.
Judging will be entirely virtual and the Awards themselves will be announced live on 25th June at an online event which will feature special guests, and live entertainment — so we can party!. All long-listed companies in the People's Vote will be showcased on TechCrunch.
Of key interest to startups short-listed in the awards will be the opportunity to attend over 20 workshops built around the awards categories, to which investors will be invited. That’s 20+hours of programming. Shortlisted companies will be able to pitch live on the platform, with slides. IN addition the “Pathfounder Sessions” will offer exclusive workshops with specially invited guests, aimed at European startups raising money at this time.
If you'd like to talk about sponsoring, please contact Claire Dobson on claire@thepathfounder.com. Sponsors will be able to attend and participate in workshops.
Our new platform will even allow everyone to network virtually and easily exchange contact details, just as you would at a real-world event.
Our virtual attendees will be limited to only 500 people, and will include only Investors, Founders and Senior Executives of mid to late-stage companies as well as some of the newest companies on the scene.
The Europas is always attended by journalists from major tech titles, newspapers and business broadcasters, and will still be.
The initial long-list will draw from late-stage seed and Series A companies tackling these ambitious goals with proven product-market fit and growing traction who have been carefully scouted and invited to apply.
We are delighted to unveil our judges for the awards, listed below.
The Awards — which have been running for over 10 years — will be live held on the evening of 25 June 2020 from the London time zone.
TechCrunch is once more the exclusive media sponsor of the awards and conference, alongside The Pathfounder.
We’re scouting for the top late-stage seed and Series A startups in 23 categories. After a decade of identifying the most innovative tech startups in Europe including Spotify, Transferwise, Soundcloud, and Babylon Health, The Europas has shown itself capable of finding Europe's hottest startups. The Europas Awards have been going for the last 10 years, and we're the only independent and editorially driven event to recognise the European tech startup scene. The winners have been featured in Reuters, Bloomberg, VentureBeat, Forbes, Tech.eu, The Memo, Smart Company, CNET, many others — and of course, TechCrunch.
You can nominate a startup, accelerator or venture investor that you think deserves to be recognized for their achievements in the last 12 months. This year we are particularly looking at startups that are able to address the SDGs/Globals Goals.
Timeline of The Europas Awards deadlines:
24 April___________Final deadline to submit applications 27 April___________All startups notified of longlist 04 May_____________Public voting begins 17 May_____________Public voting ends 25 May_____________Shortlist announced 26 May – 16 June___Awards Category Deep Dives + Pitches 17- 23 June________Pathfounder Workshops 25 June____________Winners announced / Virtual Awards
The Pathfounder Workshops Prior to the awards we will be holding special, premium content events The Pathfounder, designed be a “fast download” into the European tech scene for founders looking to raise money or enhance their business. This will be followed by the awards!
The Europas "Diversity Pass” We’d like to encourage more diversity in tech! That's why we’ve set aside a block of free tickets to ensure that pre-seed female and BAME founders are represented at The Europas. This limited tranche of free tickets ensures that we include more women and people of colour who are specifically "pre-seed” or “seed-stage" tech startup founders. If you are a women/BAME founder, apply here for a chance to be considered for one of the limited free diversity passes to the event.
Anne Boden CEO Starling Bank Anne Boden is founder and CEO of Starling Bank, a fast-growing U.K. digital bank targeting millions of users who live their lives on their phones. After a distinguished career in senior leadership at some of the world's best-known financial heavyweights, she set out to build her own mobile bank from scratch in 2014. Today, Starling has opened more than one million current accounts for individuals and small businesses and raised hundreds of millions of pounds in backing. Anne was awarded an MBE for services to financial technology in 2018.
Bernhard Niesner CEO and c-founder busuu Bernhard co-founded busuu in 2008 following an MBA project and has since led the company to become the world's largest community for language learning, with more than 90 million users across the globe. Before starting busuu, Bernhard worked as a consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. He graduated summa cum laude in International Business from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and holds an MBA with honours from IE Business School. Bernhard is an active mentor and business angel in the startup community and an advisor to the Austrian Government on education affairs. Bernhard recently received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 UK Awards in the Disruptor category.
Chris Morton CEO and founder Lyst Chris is the founder and CEO of Lyst, the world's biggest fashion search platform used by 104 million shoppers each year. Including over 6 million products from brands including Burberry, Fendi, Gucci, Prada and Saint Laurent, Lyst offers shoppers convenience and unparalleled choice in one place. Launched in London in 2010, Lyst's investors include LVMH, 14W, Balderton and Accel Partners. Prior to founding Lyst, Chris was an investor at Benchmark Capital and Balderton Capital in London, focusing on the early-stage consumer internet space. He holds an MA in physics and philosophy from Cambridge University.
Claire Novorol Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer Ada Health Dr. Claire Novorol is Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Ada Health. Prior to founding Ada, Claire worked as a Paediatrician within the NHS before specialising in Clinical Genetics. She has degrees in Pathology and Medicine as well as a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge. Claire is also the founder of Doctorpreneurs, a global community for healthcare professionals interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. She is a member of the Advisory Team Steering Group for the AHSN Network Community for Artificial Intelligence, an Entrepreneurship Expert with the Entrepreneurship Centre at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a member of the UK Digital Health Council. In 2018, Claire was featured on Business Insider's Tech 100: The 100 coolest people in UK tech and Forbes' Europe's Top 50 Women in Tech, and she is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing on healthtech.
Clare Jones Chief Commercial Officer what3words Clare is the chief commercial officer of what3words; prior to this, her background was in the development and growth of social enterprises and in impact investment. Clare was featured in the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list for technology and is involved with London companies tackling social/environmental challenges. Clare also volunteers with the Streetlink project, doing health outreach work with vulnerable women in South London.
Emily Orton Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer Darktrace Emily is responsible for global marketing and communications, a role she has held since Darktrace's foundation in 2013. She is also a commentator on cyber security issues and has appeared in leading media outlets including BBC News, Sky News and Channel 4. Emily has ten years' experience in technology marketing. She has an MA in Modern Languages from the University of Cambridge.
Husayn Kassai CEO and co-founder Onfido Husayn Kassai is the Onfido CEO and co-founder. Onfido helps businesses digitally onboard users by verifying any government ID and comparing it with the person's facial biometrics. Founded in 2012, Onfido has grown to a team of 300 across SF, NYC and London; received over $100 million in funding from Salesforce, Microsoft and others; and works with over 1,500 fintech, banking and marketplace clients globally. Husayn is a WEF Tech Pioneer; a Forbes Contributor; and Forbes’ "30 Under 30". He has a BA in economics and management from Keble College, Oxford.
Julia Hawkins Partner LocalGlobe Julia Hawkins is a Partner at LocalGlobe. Previously, Julia worked at Goldman Sachs, Last.fm, BBC Worldwide and most recently Universal Music where she set up their Corporate Venture arm and led investments in ROLI and Sofar Sounds among others. Julia enjoys working with mission driven founders and has a keen interest in consumer, entertainment, media and health tech from wellness to genomics. She holds a 1st from LSE, is a Kauffman Fellow and Board Trustee of Shwachman Diamond Syndrome UK, a charity dedicated to finding a cure for SDS, a rare genetic disease.
Kieran O’Neill CEO and co-founder Thread Thread makes it easy for guys to dress well. They combine expert stylists with powerful AI to recommend the perfect clothes for each person. Thread is used by more than 1 million men in the U.K., and has raised $35 million from top investors, including Balderton Capital, the founders of DeepMind and the billionaire former owner of Warner Music. Prior to Thread, Kieran founded one of the first video sharing websites at age 15 and sold it for $1.25 million at age 19. He was then CEO and co-founder of Playfire, the largest social network for gamers, which he grew to 1.5 million customers before being acquired in 2012. He's a member of the Forbes, Drapers and Financial Times 30 Under 30 lists.
Lina Wenner Principal Firstminute Capital Lina joined firstminute from the Boston Consulting Group, where she worked alongside global corporates across Consumer, Energy and Heavy Industrials, advising on digital strategy, restructuring and M&A as a member of the corporate finance team. She gained an MPhil in Management from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Economics and Statistics from the University College Utrecht, the Netherlands, where she graduated with Summa Cum Laude. At firstminute, Lina leads on sourcing for the Nordic and German-speaking regions and has a strong interest in digital health, robotics, direct-to-consumer brands and femtech. She sits as a board observer of Evolution AI.
Luca Bocchio Principal Accel Luca Bocchio joined Accel in 2018 and focuses on consumer internet, fintech and software businesses. Luca led Accel's investment in Luko, Bryter and Brumbrum. Luca also helped lead Accel’s investment and ongoing work in Sennder. Prior to Accel, Luca was with H14, where he invested in global early and growth-stage opportunities, such as Deliveroo, GetYourGuide, Flixbus, SumUp and SecretEscapes. Luca previously advised technology, industrial and consumer companies on strategy with Bain & Co. in Europe and Asia. Luca is from Italy and graduated from LIUC University.
Nate Lanxon (Speaker) Editor and Tech Correspondent Bloomberg Nate is an editor and tech correspondent for Bloomberg, based in London. For over a decade, he has particularly focused on the consumer technology sector, and the trends shaping the global industry. Previous to this, he was senior editor at Bloomberg Media and was head of digital editorial for Bloomberg.com in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Nate has held numerous roles across the most respected titles in tech, including stints as editor of WIRED.co.uk, editor-in-chief of Ars Technica UK and senior editor at CBS-owned CNET. Nate launched his professional career as a journalist by founding a small tech and gaming website called Tech's Message, which is now the name of his weekly technology podcast hosted at natelanxon.com.
Tania Boler CEO and founder Elvie Tania is an internationally recognized women's health expert and has held leadership positions for various global NGOs and the United Nations. Passionate about challenging taboo women's issues, Tania founded Elvie in 2013, partnering with Alexander Asseily to create a global hub of connected health and lifestyle products for women.
Holly Jacobus Investment Partner Joyance Partners, New York Holly Jacobus is an Investment Partner with Joyance Partners, investing in companies with the capacity to deliver Delightful Moments in US and EU. Her focus is new foods, consumer packaged goods, sexual wellness, femtech, farmtech and earth-positive manufacturing methods. Holly spent her career growing startups through early stage sales and PR, most recently as the Chief Revenue Officer at Citia, a NYC based global content creation, storage and distribution platform servicing Fortune 500 brands including GE (global), Mastercard (US), Viacom (global), and P&G (global). Holly was raised on a farm in California where she became the first graduate of Stanford University's online high school (EPGY OHS) and an Academic All American Volleyball Player. She later studied bioengineering at UC Berkeley and French at Georgetown University where she played D1 Volleyball. When Holly isn't investing or helping companies scale, you can find her backpacking the Sierra Nevadas or skiing the Tetons with her dog Smoky. Recent investments include: Unbound, WholyMe, TeaCrush, Finless Foods, Loli, MushLab, Weller, & Sigrid Therapeutics.
Vox Media is making a number of cutbacks in response to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to Vox itself, the digital media company owns properties including Curbed, Eater, Recode, SB Nation and The Verge — and it acquired New York Magazine last year.
In a staff memo obtained by TechCrunch (and others), CEO Jim Bankoff outlined several cost-cutting measures but no outright layoffs.
The measures including furloughing 9% of employees from May 1 to July 31. Bankoff said this will include some employees in sales, sales support, production, events, IT and office operations, along with editorial staff at SB Nation and Curbed. He also said affected employees will retain their company health insurance during this period.
In addition, the company is freezing wages through the end of 2020, pausing its 401K match, reducing hours for 1% of employees and cutting salaries during the same three-month furlough period for employees making more than $130,000 per year — the cuts start at 15%, with Bankoff and Vox Media President Pam Wasserstein taking a 50% salary reduction.
We've already seen a decline in our business. Weakness in March, driven by the cancellations of SXSW and March Madness, the collapse of travel, sports and fashion-related advertising, and other factors led us to miss our revenue goals by several million dollars in the first quarter; the impact will be significantly greater in the second quarter. While expressing the severity of this decline, it's also important to know that we will rebound. We don't know when or to what extent a rebound will occur. I'd be overjoyed if it happened quickly, but we cannot bet our company on these hopes.
Update: The Vox Media Union has been tweeting in response to the news, painting the current plan as the result of negotiation:
While we appreciate Vox Media talking to us in good faith, we don't agree with the company's decision to furlough employees — especially after hundreds of us told the company we were willing to take wider pay cuts to save all jobs. So we fought for strong protections. We won a guarantee of no layoffs, no additional furloughs, and no additional pay cuts through July 31, along with enhanced severance for any layoffs that occur in August-December. The company also agreed to reduce the number of furloughs.
But the round is more reasonable than you’d think, namely because Robinhood’s revenue has reached real scale, and, like other savings and investing-focused financial applications, it’s enjoying a boom in demand. Showing that there’s buzz in helping people save, let’s talk about Robinhood briefly and dig into some other metrics from its loose cohort of companies (including M1 Finance, more about them in a moment) .
One of the largest COVID-19 vaccine trials currently underway will have over 500 volunteers actively testing its solution by the middle of next month. Researchers at the University of Oxford have already secured that number of participants, including a representative sample of people between the ages of 18 to 55, for a large-scale randomized clinical early and mid-stage trial of its potential vaccine, which uses a harmless, modified virus to trigger an immune response that is also effective against the novel coronavirus.
The trial will divide a total of 510 participant sent five groups, with one group receiving a follow-up, booster shot of the vaccine after the original does. The technology behind the vaccine has already been used in developing about 10 different other treatments, but will require an approach that includes setting up different test groups in different countries to ensure representative results, since infection rates are varying greatly place to place with prevention measures in place, study lead Sarah Gilbert told Bloomberg.
The team behind the vaccine is also still seeking additional funding to help scale manufacturing, since it aims to begin producing it in volume following the six month period this human trial phase will span. The goal is to have mass production up and running by this fall, under the assumption that the trial proves the potential vaccine effective, with a final stage trial of 5,000 people and the potential to begin providing some doses for use by frontline healthcare workers by as early as September.
The Oxford trial is one of just a handful that have progressed to the human testing phase, but more are coming online all the time. Existing clinical human trials from Moderna and Inovio are underway in the U.S., and those have also expressed the potential for earlier access for emergency use prior to broad rollout following the initial clinical results.
Even if there is some availability by fall of some of these vaccine candidates (and that assumes they even prove effective), that doesn’t mean they’ll be broadly available: That will still require further testing, and scaling manufacturing, as well as working out distribution and administration – all processes that will add months of work. Already, however, the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in new efficiencies in the development process, and more could follow in these extraordinary times.
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