ChargeLab

chargelab

A brand new research and development center for (EVs) and EV chargers has opened in Brooklyn, New York. electric vehicles The Synop Charge Lab, an interactive facility which will serve as an epicenter for interoperability testing spanning all chargers, telematics, and electric vehicles, was announced on October 10 by , a software platform for EVs. Synop According to the company, they chose Brooklyn for the site of the new R&D center for the abundance of n the New York City metropolitan area, and the opportunity to collaborate with local companies in the thriving regional ecosystem. tech talent i The new space will also serve as a headquarters for Synop’s operations in New York. Accessible to both Synop’s team and collaborative partners, the lab offers an environment conducive to rapid product prototyping and live simulations of EV charging in authentic scenarios. “Opening the Charge Lab is an exciting new chapter in the company’s history,” said Synop CEO Gagan Dhillon. “The research and development that we can do hands-on with partners at this facility represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing enterprise software for the EV fleet industry.” Synop works with commercial vehicle fleets, such as school buses or shipping trucks, to help them quickly adopt EVs into their fleets. The company serves as a bridge between commercial fleet operators and local energy companies, helping both better manage infrastructure for electric vehicles. New York State has to transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2035, and New York City saw a 44% increase in EV registrations from 2021 to 2022, according to the Department of Transportation, as by . However, just 2% of the city’s 1.9 million registered vehicles are electric, so there is still a long way to go to achieve the State’s goals. committed reported City Limits Mayor Eric Adams in January the addition of 1,000 new electric vans to replace gasoline-powered vehicles in the city’s fleet. announced Synop’s leaders see the initiative as a means to help push the city toward a more electric future. “We envision the Synop Charge Lab becoming an integral part of the Brooklyn community,” said Synop Chief Commercial Officer Mark Braby. This article was originally published by in Stiven Cartagena The Sociable.

New Electric Vehicle Research & Development Center Launches in Brooklyn, NYC

On the Effect of Taxes and of Legal Restrictions upon Manufactures

Today, many content creators on the internet have already begun using AIGC tools to significantly improve their content production efficiency. However, content creators only make up a small portion of all internet users. The majority, ordinary people, can also fully utilize the rapidly developing artificial intelligence technology, and the tools and products empowered by it, to gain advantages in fierce competition. For most people, career development is related to one’s life success and happiness and is an essential aspect throughout one’s life. Job hunting or job hopping is one of the most critical topics in people’s career development. Recently, I discovered that many tech-savvy individuals have been using some powerful artificial intelligence tools to aid them in job hunting or job hopping. Thus, I decided to personally try out several AI resume creation and modification tools that currently have the highest user numbers on the market, and share my experience and evaluation results with you. Can these tools genuinely assist us in better preparing our resumes and finding our dream jobs? What unique features and advantages do they possess? Let's explore the answers to these questions together. Principles and Evaluation Dimensions of AI Tools Principle of these AI tools: Most companies today use different suppliers' applicant tracking systems (ATS) to manage recruitment data and processes. Simply put, the ATS is similar to a CRM system or database, but it can also automate the recruitment process. Meaning, if your resume does not meet the requirements and does not reach a corresponding rating or score, it will be directly placed in the so-called talent pool, and will not appear in front of the recruiter. Conversely, if your resume is seen by the ATS system as a high match, you are likely to receive an interview invitation. The principle of AI tools is to scan your resume or cover letter, check job keywords, skills, work experience, etc., whether they match the target position, and whether the format meets the ATS reading requirements. By optimizing the score or rating of your resume, it tries to present your resume in front of recruiters as much as possible. 2. Tool Selection Basis and Objectivity: Considering that there are many such AI products on the market currently, but many are fleeting and cannot stand the long-term test of the market and users. Therefore, I found a few tools in this track with the most users, the best reputation, and relatively comprehensive functions. Then, I surveyed their traffic for the last three months through SimilarWeb and ranked them. I chose the three most popular AI tools on the market until September for the next step of evaluation. They are , and . I will put their links at the end of the article for your reference. ResumeWorded Jobscan, Kickresume 3. Evaluation Dimensions and Condition Settings: Considering the goals users hope to achieve with these tools and the costs they will incur, I mainly tested and evaluated them from the following dimensions: the core functions of the tools, whether the business logic and processes are clear, the tool's price and cost, the usability of the free version, and the main disadvantages of the tools. The full score is five stars. For evaluation materials, I assumed that I was a developer looking for a job or seeking job-hopping opportunities, then generated a common resume with GPT-4, and used its materials to create a test LinkedIn account. I will also put the resumes and LinkedIn accounts I used for testing in the link below for everyone to check. Performance and Ratings of AI Tools According to the data we previously collected, this tool has over 2.7 million monthly visits and is still growing. Based on experience, the number of users corresponding to this traffic is approximately 270,000 to 540,000. For an AI tool, this is quite an astonishing figure. Therefore, we had high expectations. 1. First, I tried the most popular tool on the market, resumeworded. After logging in, we could see that this tool has three core functions: resume optimization, resume content matching according to JD (Job Description), and LinkedIn account optimization. These features basically cover the process of job search, including network expansion, job hunting, and resume writing. First, I used the Score My Resume feature to upload my resume. The system scored my resume within 15 seconds and provided suggestions for improvement. I had two options at this point since the system analyzed my resume in terms of Impact, Brevity, Style, and Section, as well as the Soft Skills and Hard Skills presented in my resume. The first option was to improve the content corresponding to each aspect based on the system's suggestions to enhance the resume score. The second option was to use the Line Analysis feature in the Tools to analyze the content of the resume line by line and manually modify it based on the system’s suggestions, or use the Magic Write feature to let AI modify the content. Free users have two opportunities to use the Magic Write feature. I tried it, and the generated content was indeed more specific and persuasive than what I wrote myself. Then, I tried the LinkedIn Review feature. I found it not much different from the previous resume optimization feature. Note that the system cannot directly analyze the LinkedIn account links. Instead, you need to download the content as a PDF file from the LinkedIn Profile’s more options, and then upload this file to resumeworded. After uploading the PDF file, the AI will also score the profile and provide optimization suggestions based on Headline, Summary, Experience, Education, etc. Besides, it has two unique features: one is keyword optimization for LinkedIn searches, and the other is templates for emails and messages needed for network expansion on LinkedIn. However, these features are chargeable. Finally, we checked the subscription price of this AI tool. It costs $49 per month. Typically, the job search cycle requires at least a quarter. Therefore, I believe a quarterly subscription might be a more realistic choice for most users. Its quarterly price is $99. Considering that the free version of this tool offers quite limited features, serious job seekers almost have to pay the subscription fee, which objectively speaking, is not cheap. In consideration of the above evaluation content: It has relatively complete core functions, earning it 1 star. The business logic clarity is average, 0.9 stars; cost, 0.7 stars; usability of the free version, 0.3 stars; no significant drawbacks found in the tool, 1 star, making the final score 3.9 stars. 2. Next, we tried jobscan, currently ranked second by users. According to the data we previously collected, this tool has over 1.9 million monthly visits and is also continually growing. Based on experience, the number of users corresponding to this traffic is approximately 190,000 to 380,000. After logging in, we found this tool to be more like a personal version of ATS (Applicant Tracking System). Its core functions, besides the common resume scanning optimization and LinkedIn account optimization, also include a job and interview management system. It actually has another vital but free feature - Resume Builder. I don't know why it's not placed in the central core function area of the page but is located in the Quick Links area at the bottom of the page. I tried this feature, and it provides simple templates for you to fill in information and then generates an ATS-friendly resume. But it’s just format-friendly to ATS, so you must use the Resume Scan in the core functions to perfect the resume you generated. The Resume Scan of this tool is not merely scanning the resume and giving optimization suggestions. It is similar to the resume content matching according to JD feature of the previous tool. You need to input the JD of the target position while uploading the resume. So here, I uploaded that test resume of mine and found a random senior software engineer position JD on indeed.com to input. The scanning result was roughly as follows: The AI provides very detailed optimization suggestions, covering resume format, keyword matching, Hard Skills and Soft Skills matching, Recruiter tips, and other regular content. You can also input the company of the target position to achieve deep optimization for a specific ATS system, which is quite professional. Regrettably, only paying users can use its Power Edit feature and the Cover Letter optimization. Although I couldn’t try them this time, I specifically watched the demonstration videos on the official website. Both features are impressive. Then, I tried its account optimization feature. Like the previous tool, it also requires uploading the downloaded LinkedIn profile file. After scanning this file, I saw a very detailed report generated by the system. Unfortunately, like the first tool, most of the content can only be unlocked by paying users. LinkedIn Then, I tried its Job Tracker. Like the Resume Builder, it is a free but relatively simple tool and does not involve AI-related capabilities. We can add new positions in it, managing the entire process from resume submission to getting an offer. Finally, we still checked the subscription price of this AI tool, which is actually not much different from the first one. It subscribes quarterly, and the cost for a quarter is $90, about 10% cheaper than the first one. However, we found that, like the first tool, the free version can only be used for testing and experiencing. If you really want to use it to help find a job, you must use the paid version. In consideration of the above evaluation content: It has relatively complete core functions, earning it 1 star. The business logic and process are very clear, 0.9 stars; cost, 0.8 stars; usability of the free version, 0.4 stars; no significant drawbacks found in the tool, 1 star, making the final score 4.1 stars. . Based on the data we collected earlier, this tool receives over 1.8 million visits per month. Although this is a significant decrease compared to 3 million in July, it’s still quite impressive. 3. Lastly, we tested Kickresume, currently ranked third by users Traditionally, this traffic translates to approximately 180,000 to 360,000 users. Considering the high conversion and payment rates typical of these AI tools, it suggests a strong user base. In my personal experience, this tool offers the strongest AI experience among the three. Upon logging in, an AI assistant automatically starts, guiding you to input your information and use a template to create your resume. Even if you skip this step, you can always return by clicking the AI Resume button on the dashboard, creating a new resume. Alternatively, you can click the "Import from LinkedIn" button at the bottom left corner, allowing the AI to automatically import information from your LinkedIn account, subsequently creating a new resume based on this content. This process is more intelligent compared to the previous two tools. However, it was disappointing that after using it once, I was prompted to upgrade to a paid version for continued use. A unique feature of this tool is "Pyjama Jobs", prominently located in the top navigation bar. It’s a feature specifically aimed at freelancers or digital nomads like me, helping find remote work opportunities. Out of curiosity, I tried it. After loading the resume I created by importing my LinkedIn profile, the system indeed found many remote job opportunities for me. After clicking the "Matches" tab, the AI specifically filtered out four remote development jobs that best matched my skill set and level. The salary for these remote positions seemed quite satisfying, averaging over $100,000 annually! Overall, this tool has more distinctive features compared to the first two. The main differences are in two areas: firstly, its business logic doesn’t require you to upload a pre-written resume for optimization. Instead, it uses AI technology and relevant templates to directly help you generate an ATS-friendly resume. Secondly, it not only helps optimize resumes or LinkedIn accounts, but it also has a job database specifically for certain groups. After preparing the resume and cover letter, you can apply directly, making the process very smooth. Finally, we looked at its subscription price. Among the three most popular tools, its price is the most friendly. For a quarterly subscription, it costs only $39 for three months. Moreover, students or teachers can apply for free Premium access. Objectively speaking, this price is quite attractive. After comprehensive evaluation: it doesn’t have LinkedIn account optimization in its core features, but it has added attractive features for specific groups, earning it 1 star. Its business logic and processes are very clear, earning another star. Its cost-effectiveness is very competitive, earning another star. The usability of the free version gets 0.3 stars, and since we didn’t find any major flaws, it gets another star, making a total score of 4.3 stars. Analysis and Conclusion Although I only evaluated the three most popular AI tools currently used in job hunting or seeking job change opportunities, the results are quite representative. I believe we can draw the following conclusions: 1. Starting of AI Technology Application: AI technology has started to be applied in this field. Although it does not cover every aspect of job hunting or career development, it significantly improves our efficiency in certain aspects, giving us considerable advantages over competitors not using these tools. For instance, LinkedIn account enhancement, resume writing and optimization, bypassing the ATS system to increase interview opportunities, and accurately matching the best career opportunities based on the data in our resumes. 2. Tools Supplement, not Replace: While these tools do offer advantages in certain aspects, they cannot completely replace professional consultants or our efforts. For example, even if we successfully bypass the ATS system and get interview opportunities using these tools, aspects such as pre-interview company and position research, value proposition during the interview, and post-interview salary negotiation still require our personal skill development. 3. Subscription is Almost Necessary for Serious Users: The free usability of all tools is quite limited, mainly for trial purposes. However, I don’t see this as a major disadvantage of these tools. For those genuinely looking for a job or wanting to change jobs, investing a few dozen dollars per quarter is a worthwhile investment. After all, in most cases, the job hunting process can be completed within a quarter, rather than taking one to two years. 4. Tailored Tool Selection for Specific Groups: For certain groups of people, subscribing to the most popular tool might not be the best choice. The most popular tools are often designed for the broadest user base and might not necessarily suit you best. For instance, in my case, I would most likely choose Kickresume. Its price is the most attractive to me, and as a freelancer and remote worker, its features are exceptionally beneficial. That concludes this evaluation. Which AI tool do you prefer, or if you have any opinions on my analysis, please leave a comment. I look forward to exchanging ideas with everyone! Links to the tools used in the test: https://resumeworded.com/ https://www.jobscan.co/ https://www.kickresume.com/ Link to the resume used in the test: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cl9PK3XsJzXBjwQ526rUXklz5L5EyUTOLbwwm5sy6dk/edit?usp=sharing Also published here.

People Are Competing for Your Dream Job With These AI Tools

MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED.

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc — Volume 1 by Mark Twain, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Domremy Pillaged and Burned here Domremy Pillaged and Burned THEY WERE peaceful and pleasant, those young and smoothly flowing days of ours; that is, that was the case as a rule, we being remote from the seat of war; but at intervals roving bands approached near enough for us to see the flush in the sky at night which marked where they were burning some farmstead or village, and we all knew, or at least felt, that some day they would come yet nearer, and we should have our turn. This dull dread lay upon our spirits like a physical weight. It was greatly augmented a couple of years after the Treaty of Troyes. It was truly a dismal year for France. One day we had been over to have one of our occasional pitched battles with those hated Burgundian boys of the village of Maxey, and had been whipped, and were arriving on our side of the river after dark, bruised and weary, when we heard the bell ringing the tocsin. We ran all the way, and when we got to the square we found it crowded with the excited villagers, and weirdly lighted by smoking and flaring torches. On the steps of the church stood a stranger, a Burgundian priest, who was telling the people news which made them weep, and rave, and rage, and curse, by turns. He said our old mad King was dead, and that now we and France and the crown were the property of an English baby lying in his cradle in London. And he urged us to give that child our allegiance, and be its faithful servants and well-wishers; and said we should now have a strong and stable government at last, and that in a little time the English armies would start on their last march, and it would be a brief one, for all that it would need to do would be to conquer what odds and ends of our country yet remained under that rare and almost forgotten rag, the banner of France. The people stormed and raged at him, and you could see dozens of them stretch their fists above the sea of torch-lighted faces and shake them at him; and it was all a wild picture, and stirring to look at; and the priest was a first-rate part of it, too, for he stood there in the strong glare and looked down on those angry people in the blandest and most indifferent way, so that while you wanted to burn him at the stake, you still admired the aggravating coolness of him. And his winding-up was the coolest thing of all. For he told them how, at the funeral of our old King, the French King-at-Arms had broken his staff of office over the coffin of “Charles VI. and his dynasty,” at the same time saying, in a loud voice, “God grant long life to Henry, King of France and England, our sovereign lord!” and then he asked them to join him in a hearty Amen to that! The people were white with wrath, and it tied their tongues for the moment, and they could not speak. But Joan was standing close by, and she looked up in his face, and said in her sober, earnest way: “I would I might see thy head struck from thy body!”—then, after a pause, and crossing herself—“if it were the will of God.” This is worth remembering, and I will tell you why: it is the only harsh speech Joan ever uttered in her life. When I shall have revealed to you the storms she went through, and the wrongs and persecutions, then you will see that it was wonderful that she said but one bitter thing while she lived. From the day that that dreary news came we had one scare after another, the marauders coming almost to our doors every now and then; so that we lived in ever-increasing apprehension, and yet were somehow mercifully spared from actual attack. But at last our turn did really come. This was in the spring of ‘28. The Burgundians swarmed in with a great noise, in the middle of a dark night, and we had to jump up and fly for our lives. We took the road to Neufchateau, and rushed along in the wildest disorder, everybody trying to get ahead, and thus the movements of all were impeded; but Joan had a cool head—the only cool head there—and she took command and brought order out of that chaos. She did her work quickly and with decision and despatch, and soon turned the panic flight into a quite steady-going march. You will grant that for so young a person, and a girl at that, this was a good piece of work. She was sixteen now, shapely and graceful, and of a beauty so extraordinary that I might allow myself any extravagance of language in describing it and yet have no fear of going beyond the truth. There was in her face a sweetness and serenity and purity that justly reflected her spiritual nature. She was deeply religious, and this is a thing which sometimes gives a melancholy cast to a person’s countenance, but it was not so in her case. Her religion made her inwardly content and joyous; and if she was troubled at times, and showed the pain of it in her face and bearing, it came of distress for her country; no part of it was chargeable to her religion. A considerable part of our village was destroyed, and when it became safe for us to venture back there we realized what other people had been suffering in all the various quarters of France for many years—yes, decades of years. For the first time we saw wrecked and smoke-blackened homes, and in the lanes and alleys carcasses of dumb creatures that had been slaughtered in pure wantonness—among them calves and lambs that had been pets of the children; and it was pity to see the children lament over them. And then, the taxes, the taxes! Everybody thought of that. That burden would fall heavy now in the commune’s crippled condition, and all faces grew long with the thought of it. Joan said: “Paying taxes with naught to pay them with is what the rest of France has been doing these many years, but we never knew the bitterness of that before. We shall know it now.” And so she went on talking about it and growing more and more troubled about it, until one could see that it was filling all her mind. At last we came upon a dreadful object. It was the madman—hacked and stabbed to death in his iron cage in the corner of the square. It was a bloody and dreadful sight. Hardly any of us young people had ever seen a man before who had lost his life by violence; so this cadaver had an awful fascination for us; we could not take our eyes from it. I mean, it had that sort of fascination for all of us but one. That one was Joan. She turned away in horror, and could not be persuaded to go near it again. There—it is a striking reminder that we are but creatures of use and custom; yes, and it is a reminder, too, of how harshly and unfairly fate deals with us sometimes. For it was so ordered that the very ones among us who were most fascinated with mutilated and bloody death were to live their lives in peace, while that other, who had a native and deep horror of it, must presently go forth and have it as a familiar spectacle every day on the field of battle. You may well believe that we had plenty of matter for talk now, since the raiding of our village seemed by long odds the greatest event that had really ever occurred in the world; for although these dull peasants may have thought they recognized the bigness of some of the previous occurrences that had filtered from the world’s history dimly into their minds, the truth is that they hadn’t. One biting little fact, visible to their eyes of flesh and felt in their own personal vitals, became at once more prodigious to them than the grandest remote episode in the world’s history which they had got at second hand and by hearsay. It amuses me now when I recall how our elders talked then. They fumed and fretted in a fine fashion. “Ah, yes,” said old Jacques d’Arc, “things are come to a pretty pass, indeed! The King must be informed of this. It is time that he cease from idleness and dreaming, and get at his proper business.” He meant our young disinherited King, the hunted refugee, Charles VII. “You say well,” said the maire. “He should be informed, and that at once. It is an outrage that such things would be permitted. Why, we are not safe in our beds, and he taking his ease yonder. It shall be made known, indeed it shall—all France shall hear of it!” To hear them talk, one would have imagined that all the previous ten thousand sackings and burnings in France had been but fables, and this one the only fact. It is always the way; words will answer as long as it is only a person’s neighbor who is in trouble, but when that person gets into trouble himself, it is time that the King rise up and do something. The big event filled us young people with talk, too. We let it flow in a steady stream while we tended the flocks. We were beginning to feel pretty important now, for I was eighteen and the other youths were from one to four years older—young men, in fact. One day the Paladin was arrogantly criticizing the patriot generals of France and said: “Look at Dunois, Bastard of Orleans—call him a general! Just put me in his place once—never mind what I would do, it is not for me to say, I have no stomach for talk, my way is to act and let others do the talking—but just put me in his place once, that’s all! And look at Saintrailles—pooh! and that blustering La Hire, now what a general that is!” It shocked everybody to hear these great names so flippantly handled, for to us these renowned soldiers were almost gods. In their far-off splendor they rose upon our imaginations dim and huge, shadowy and awful, and it was a fearful thing to hear them spoken of as if they were mere men, and their acts open to comment and criticism. The color rose in Joan’s face, and she said: “I know not how any can be so hardy as to use such words regarding these sublime men, who are the very pillars of the French state, supporting it with their strength and preserving it at daily cost of their blood. As for me, I could count myself honored past all deserving if I might be allowed but the privilege of looking upon them once—at a distance, I mean, for it would not become one of my degree to approach them too near.” The Paladin was disconcerted for a moment, seeing by the faces around him that Joan had put into words what the others felt, then he pulled his complacency together and fell to fault-finding again. Joan’s brother Jean said: “If you don’t like what our generals do, why don’t you go to the great wars yourself and better their work? You are always talking about going to the wars, but you don’t go.” “Look you,” said the Paladin, “it is easy to say that. Now I will tell you why I remain chafing here in a bloodless tranquillity which my reputation teaches you is repulsive to my nature. I do not go because I am not a gentleman. That is the whole reason. What can one private soldier do in a contest like this? Nothing. He is not permitted to rise from the ranks. If I were a gentleman would I remain here? Not one moment. I can save France—ah, you may laugh, but I know what is in me, I know what is hid under this peasant cap. I can save France, and I stand ready to do it, but not under these present conditions. If they want me, let them send for me; otherwise, let them take the consequences; I shall not budge but as an officer.” “Alas, poor France—France is lost!” said Pierre d’Arc. “Since you sniff so at others, why don’t you go to the wars yourself, Pierre d’Arc?” “Oh, I haven’t been sent for, either. I am no more a gentleman than you. Yet I will go; I promise to go. I promise to go as a private under your orders—when you are sent for.” They all laughed, and the Dragon-fly said: “So soon? Then you need to begin to get ready; you might be called for in five years—who knows? Yes, in my opinion you’ll march for the wars in five years.” “He will go sooner,” said Joan. She said it in a low voice and musingly, but several heard it. “How do you know that, Joan?” said the Dragon-fly, with a surprised look. But Jean d’Arc broke in and said: “I want to go myself, but as I am rather young yet, I also will wait, and march when the Paladin is sent for.” “No,” said Joan, “he will go with Pierre.” She said it as one who talks to himself aloud without knowing it, and none heard it but me. I glanced at her and saw that her knitting-needles were idle in her hands, and that her face had a dreamy and absent look in it. There were fleeting movements of her lips as if she might be occasionally saying parts of sentences to herself. But there was no sound, for I was the nearest person to her and I heard nothing. But I set my ears open, for those two speeches had affected me uncannily, I being superstitious and easily troubled by any little thing of a strange and unusual sort. Noel Rainguesson said: “There is one way to let France have a chance for her salvation. We’ve got one gentleman in the commune, at any rate. Why can’t the Scholar change name and condition with the Paladin? Then he can be an officer. France will send for him then, and he will sweep these English and Burgundian armies into the sea like flies.” I was the Scholar. That was my nickname, because I could read and write. There was a chorus of approval, and the Sunflower said: “That is the very thing—it settles every difficulty. The Sieur de Conte will easily agree to that. Yes, he will march at the back of Captain Paladin and die early, covered with common-soldier glory.” “He will march with Jean and Pierre, and live till these wars are forgotten,” Joan muttered; “and at the eleventh hour Noel and the Paladin will join these, but not of their own desire.” The voice was so low that I was not perfectly sure that these were the words, but they seemed to be. It makes one feel creepy to hear such things. “Come, now,” Noel continued, “it’s all arranged; there’s nothing to do but organize under the Paladin’s banner and go forth and rescue France. You’ll all join?” All said yes, except Jacques d’Arc, who said: “I’ll ask you to excuse me. It is pleasant to talk war, and I am with you there, and I’ve always thought I should go soldiering about this time, but the look of our wrecked village and that carved-up and bloody madman have taught me that I am not made for such work and such sights. I could never be at home in that trade. Face swords and the big guns and death? It isn’t in me. No, no; count me out. And besides, I’m the eldest son, and deputy prop and protector of the family. Since you are going to carry Jean and Pierre to the wars, somebody must be left behind to take care of our Joan and her sister. I shall stay at home, and grow old in peace and tranquillity.” “He will stay at home, but not grow old,” murmured Joan. The talk rattled on in the gay and careless fashion privileged to youth, and we got the Paladin to map out his campaigns and fight his battles and win his victories and extinguish the English and put our King upon his throne and set his crown upon his head. Then we asked him what he was going to answer when the King should require him to name his reward. The Paladin had it all arranged in his head, and brought it out promptly: “He shall give me a dukedom, name me premier peer, and make me Hereditary Lord High Constable of France.” “And marry you to a princess—you’re not going to leave that out, are you?” The Paladin colored a trifle, and said, brusquely: “He may keep his princesses—I can marry more to my taste.” Meaning Joan, though nobody suspected it at that time. If any had, the Paladin would have been finely ridiculed for his vanity. There was no fit mate in that village for Joan of Arc. Every one would have said that. In turn, each person present was required to say what reward he would demand of the King if he could change places with the Paladin and do the wonders the Paladin was going to do. The answers were given in fun, and each of us tried to outdo his predecessors in the extravagance of the reward he would claim; but when it came to Joan’s turn, and they rallied her out of her dreams and asked her to testify, they had to explain to her what the question was, for her thought had been absent, and she had heard none of this latter part of our talk. She supposed they wanted a serious answer, and she gave it. She sat considering some moments, then she said: “If the Dauphin, out of his grace and nobleness, should say to me, ‘Now that I am rich and am come to my own again, choose and have,’ I should kneel and ask him to give command that our village should nevermore be taxed.” It was so simple and out of her heart that it touched us and we did not laugh, but fell to thinking. We did not laugh; but there came a day when we remembered that speech with a mournful pride, and were glad that we had not laughed, perceiving then how honest her words had been, and seeing how faithfully she made them good when the time came, asking just that boon of the King and refusing to take even any least thing for herself. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Mark Twain (2004). Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc — Volume 1. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2874/pg2874-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

Domremy Pillaged and Burned

I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of the VR community since I bought my first headset in 2020, the Oculus Quest. And yes, I purposefully still call it the Oculus Quest because “Meta Quest” sounds terrible and I’m not a fan of a lot of around the headset I love so dearly. VR Meta’s decisions But anyways,  in the past 3 years, I’ve tested out almost every single VR accessory and peripheral imaginable. I’ve reviewed multiple VR gun stocks, such as the , and the ForceTube. ProVolver https://twitter.com/AmbalinaLimarc/status/1488448263925616640?embedable=true I’ve also tested multiple to help extend VR play sessions and balance weight distribution to improve comfort. Quest Battery Packs And I don’t mean to brag 😎, but I’ve even interviewed some of the biggest VR game developers out there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZibSoI7rOs&embedable=true Despite all the VR products, peripherals, and accessories I’ve reviewed, there is one product that I can confidently call essential. That essential VR accessory is the . ZyberVR Charging Dock for Quest 2 Headset and Controllers I know what you’re thinking, Wait a minute. You reviewed haptic vests, gun stocks, and a , and your favorite of them all is a boring charging dock? Darth Maul Lightsaber Mod And the simple answer is yes, yes it is. Out of all the VR accessories I have, this charging dock has been the biggest lifesaver. It’s now the VR accessory I use the most (literally). It saves me space, rather than creating more clutter, and most importantly: keeps my headset and controllers charged. Let’s dive into and see what makes Zyber’s charging dock shine. Table of Contents ZyberVR Quest 2 Charging Dock Overview Specs Price Where to buy it My Review / Why It’s So Essential Disclaimer: ZyberVR sent me this product to review for free, but I have not been compensated for this review. These thoughts are my true feelings on the product. What is the ZyberVR Quest 2 Charging Dock? To begin, let me show you how the company itself markets the product directly on : the product page Are you still leaving your headset everywhere and forgetting to charge it? Give your headset and controllers a chargeable home. This charging dock is specially built to charge the Quest 2 headset, controllers, and battery head strap simultaneously. Featuring a straightforward design and easy-to-read LED. This dock is compact, sleek, and has all the features you need and more for the Quest 2. When buying the dock, you’ll also receive two custom-built rechargeable batteries for the Quest 2 controllers, as well as new controller battery covers that are required for the controller charging function of the dock (which is one of the things I love most about it). There is no longer a need to buy rechargeable batteries from Amazon and make sure you have a spare pair of AAs charged at all times. The batteries line up with the connectors along the side of the battery cover. Those connectors allow the batteries to charge when the controller is placed in the dock, without having to remove the batteries from the controller. The headset charging is just as easy. All you need to to is plugin the magnetic connector to the USB-C port on the side of the Quest. When placing the quest on the dock, the magnets will connect and the headset will begin charging. Specs Price The ZyberVR charging dock is and you can $48.99 USD plus shipping buy directly from their website. Alternatively, if you have an Amazon Prime membership or just prefer buying on Amazon, you can which might be even cheaper depending on where you live. buy directly on Amazon.com for $54.89 + free shipping As far as VR tech goes, that is a very affordable price for what this product does. While, as I stated in the intro, I received this review unit for free, I 100% would be willing to pay full price for this, and not regret it at all. The same cannot be said for the other I’ve reviewed on HackerNoon. wildly expensive VR gear ZyberVR Quest 2 Charging Dock Review I know what some of you may be thinking. Ok. It’s a charging dock. So what? What’s the big deal? If you’re a messy person, like I am, you might find an empty space on your shelf to rest your Quest headset. Or, if you’re really as bad as I am, you might settle for a clean pile of laundry. This sounds so much like an ad, but it’s not. The best I could do before the dock was putting my quest in an ottoman, or a box, which doesn’t really give easy access and isn’t much neater than putting it on a chair. Reduces Clutter The ZyberVR dock, helps messy people like me go from this: …to this: Ok. You got me. That’s a product image. Here’s where I actually put it: This thing is so compact that I’m actually able to hide my Quest behind my computer monitors: I know that may still look like messy chaos to you^ but don’t judge me. Now, my Quest it quite literally out of sight, and not resting on a pile of laundry. Always Charged Without a dock, we need to worry about 2 things: Putting the Quest somewhere safe Not forgetting to plug it in and charge the controllers I don’t know about you, but I always forget to charge my stuff, especially the controllers. This dock is a lifesaver for that reason alone. Build Quality Some VR accessories I’ve received in the past were quite obviously 3D-printed, felt flimsy, and deteriorated rather quickly. Thankfully, the materials used for the charging dock itself were of great quality, from the plastic used for the battery covers down to the USB-C charging cables that come in the package. They also went the extra mile to all cool LED indicator lights to help you confirm that everything is charging correctly. Ease of Installation The dock comes with an installation guide, but honestly you don’t need one. Set up is so easy that I was done literally in 5 minutes. It might have taken longer to take everything out of it’s packaging than it did to set it up. What I was most surprised about was how easy the controller batteries were to install. You simply put them in, turn them so that the charging connectors face outward, place the new battery covers, and you’re done! Extra Features If you currently have a battery pack head strap, ZyberVR went the extra mile and added a USB port on the dock so that you can charge that too. To be honest, it’s not really gonna work though because to use the doc you need to install the magnetic charging connector to the side of the Quest 2. It’ll be way too much trouble for you to take out that connector every time you play. Final Verdict: 8.5/10 The Good: I’ve reviewed tons of VR tech on HackerNoon, and this is honestly one of the items I’m most thankful to receive. Despite being a hardcore VR gamer, would I be willing to drop $300 on a VR haptic vest? No. No I wouldn’t I’m not that rich. really I love shooting games, but would I really be willing to pay full price for a VR gunstock? Probably not. But an affordable charging dock that helps me keep my room tidy, my Quest protected, and my controllers and headset fully charged? 100% yes. That is a no-brainer buy. The build quality is great, as well as the form factor. It is sturdy, yet compact, and it helps reduce clutter in a messy game room. Lastly, it offers all the functions you need out of a Quest 2 charging dock for a fair price. Room for Improvement: On the other hand, through a quick Amazon search, I can see that there are TONS of competitors for this exact product on the market. Luckily for ZyberVR, all the ones I could find were slightly more expensive. However, in order to stay competitive, ZyberVR will need to add other features that the others haven’t thought of. One downside is that this is only compatible with the Quest 2. For hardcore VR gamers with multiple headsets, it’d be nice to have some functionality to support multiple different headsets. I also would’ve liked to have seen a small panel that showed the % of charge in both the controllers and the headset. Lastly, one major issue some of you may have is that the dock eliminates the ability to use controller grips. Lots of VR gamers like adding rubberized grips to their controllers both for comfort and safety. However, if you cover the charging connectors on the battery cover, the controllers won’t fit in the dock. This effectively renders the dock incompatible with items that ZyberVR themselves are selling! This is just one example: While there are pros and cons to the dock, I think the pros greatly outweigh the cons and make this item a must-buy for Quest 2 users. Of course, you can survive and happily game without it. However, before you buy any other Quest 2 accessory or peripheral, I highly recommend giving this dock a try. What VR accessories do you consider essential? Let me know in the comments below!

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