wallapop, the biggest sell and buy app in the country, where millions of users buy and sell their new and second hand items and cars or offer services between individuals

Wallapop

wallapop

Venture builders, organizations that create and scale startups from scratch, are wielding a growing influence in the Spanish startup ecosystem. Just a decade since the launch of the first Spanish venture builder, the number of similar vehicles in the country has . swelled to over 30 Unlike traditional venture capital firms or accelerators, which typically invest in and support already established startups, venture builders take a more active role in the development of new companies, coming up with business ideas in-house and using their own resources to bring them to the market. These entities have teams dedicated to identifying market opportunities, developing business models, and recruiting talent. Overall, their objective is to provide all the necessary resources and support to launch and grow the company. In return, they typically take a significant equity stake compared to other models. venture capital The era of the startup factories The of the Spanish startup ecosystem in recent years, as well as the nation’s tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship, has created fertile ground for venture builders. rapid growth These so-called “startup factories” have played a key role in creating and scaling some of Spain’s most successful startups, including Wallapop (which recently closed ) and Glovo. an €81M funding round Outside of Spain, venture builders have helped launch companies like Medium and Venmo. “Our goal is to build sustainable and scalable companies that take into account market trends and take advantage of the great opportunities offered by technology and innovation,” says Christian Rodríguez Fornós, CEO & Chairman at Mutter Ventures, a Spanish venture builder which has helped create startups such as Byhours, Northweek, Hawkers, and UrbanSecrets. The firm’s business model is based on attracting investment for the development of in-house projects. It distributes its own funding and resources according to the needs and development stage of each of its portfolio companies. According to Rodríguez Fornós, some of the biggest hurdles contributing to the failure of startups (inadequate teams, running out of capital, and incorrect market analysis) can be overcome with the support of venture builders, which provide all the necessary elements to help young companies thrive. “All our startups are led by professionals who are experts in the sector corresponding to each project,” Rodríguez Fornós points out. “In terms of structure, each one has a CEO and its own team that expands according to the stage of the company and taking into account the operational needs of the business.” The startup-as-a-service model With in-house experts dedicated to staying on top of market trends, emerging technologies, consumer habits, and regulatory changes, venture builders are well-positioned to identify lucrative opportunities, navigate evolving landscapes, and shape the future of industries. By leveraging their expertise and adaptability, they can proactively innovate and drive transformative change in the market. Corporate Lab, a Spanish venture builder backed by the VIKO Group whose portfolio companies include Okify and Equipzilla, works closely with large corporations looking to diversify their capital or business, offering them a “startup-as-a-service” model. “It is normal for corporations to expand their frontiers through startups. Some do so as venture clients: they contract a specific service or product from a startup. However, more and more companies are opting for other innovation models such as the creation of startups,” explains Brais Comesaña, Head of New Ventures at Corporate Lab. “Unlike the venture client, the result will be within its own business network and will become part of that group, instead of just hiring a service. This makes the process much more secure, as they benefit not only from the capital, but also from all the competitive advantages of having a large company as a parent company,” he adds. Corporate Lab helps companies explore new business models by following a two-step process. “First, we investigate an idea, possible competitors, potential users, and the market. From there, we get down to the nitty-gritty: we talk to all the parties that could potentially be part of what we are building, “ Comesaña says. “Additionally, the companies we work with benefit from being a part of the VIKO Group, which grants them access to specific resources and services that may be required in the future.” As the Spanish startup ecosystem continues to thrive, venture builders will remain a crucial alternative to traditional venture capital models, revolutionizing the way startups are created, nurtured, and scaled. By offering a blend of expertise, support, and risk reduction, they empower entrepreneurs and corporations alike to explore new horizons, foster innovation, and drive the growth of groundbreaking ventures. This article was originally published by Siobhan Parnell on . Novobrief

Redefining the Traditional Startup Model: Spain's Venture Builders Lead the Way

Redefiniendo el Modelo Tradicional de Startups: Los Venture Builders de España Lideran el Camino

Redéfinir le modèle de démarrage traditionnel : les créateurs d'entreprises espagnols ouvrent la voie

पारंपरिक स्टार्टअप मॉडल को फिर से परिभाषित करना: स्पेन के वेंचर बिल्डर्स ने रास्ता दिखाया

従来のスタートアップ モデルの再定義: スペインのベンチャー ビルダーが先導

Redefinindo o modelo tradicional de startup: os Venture Builders da Espanha lideram o caminho

Xác định lại mô hình khởi nghiệp truyền thống: Các nhà xây dựng mạo hiểm của Tây Ban Nha dẫn đường

重新定义传统创业模式：西班牙风险投资公司引领潮流

Unrealistic Valuations and Getting Back to Fundamentals It’s almost as if creating a company with a valuation of $1B+ is the single most important goal of entrepreneurs rather than creating a profitable and sustainable business. In the on-demand food/delivery space, there’s a ton of competition and a race to take the lead. Instead of achieving this goal through pure business growth fundamentals, popular thinking seems to dictate that the easier route is to just gain status and use the value of the company as the metric of market leader. (Granted, should be funding companies that have actual solid growth metrics or at the very least a leadership team that has absolutely zero doubt in their minds that they will win no matter what.) unicorn logical VCs The concept of enormous funding rounds and stretched valuations paving an easy road to success/growth may be changing. This is highlighted by recent failure of a new funding round at a supposed $1B valuation. DoorDash Perhaps racing to goals for investment should not be the primary objective. Perhaps companies should be focusing on core growth fundamentals such as the following strategies: Beating competition in quality vs. price. For example, a similar service like selects only top quality restaurants to feature in a local market. They don’t feature brands like Denny’s. The choose quality vs. quantity. Caviar Walking before running. Nailing operations. Gaining traction in the market, becoming the leader in the locale and moving onto another. Learning from and don’t disclose the capital raise amount or valuation. Wallapop’s leadership Focusing on getting good PR for outstanding service, an exceptional value proposition and building a fun and trustworthy brand, rather than the latest Techcrunch story on closing the Series B. The goal should not be to raise an obscene amount of capital which can lead to an artificial valuation. Note what happened with Gilt Groupe, as they once had a $1B valuation but we’re recently acquired by Hudson Bay (SAKS) for only $250M, less than the total amount of funding they took before being bought. Maybe it’s time for startups need to get back to small business fundamentals. (you know, those principles of “ ” that have been around for thousands of years…) buy for one, sell for two Just a thought…

Lessons From DoorDash’s Unicorn Quest

Have you ever seen a photo on Google Street View and thought ? Well, I have. So I started a project to get Street View photos at random and turning them into wallpapers. "Damn, this would make for a nice wallpaper" First problem is that Street View photos are cluttered with interface controls. I soon found out it's a problem that had been already tackled by another kind of people that need clean Street view pictures: journalists. Karl Hodge listed all the that should be hidden to get a clean picture. Andy Dickinson went one step further and created a Chrome to hide all those elements at once with a single click. elements extension Now, if I only wanted a couple of pictures from Street View, that extension would have sufficed. But I get tired of my wallpapers very quickly. My perfect day starts with a good wallpaper that I have never seen before. I needed a solution that could automatically generate many photos to save me from boredom. The good news for anyone who wants to automate Google Maps stuff is that there are APIs for that. They aren't free of charge, but Google gives free monthly credit to developers. That was more than enough for my small project. In my case, the perfect API to be the . It has a function to return a photo from a given location. The call is as simple as . Problem is that the maximum size allowed is 640x640. Not ideal for a wallpaper. seemed Street View Static API this After some research, I found another API called . It has a that allows web developers to include Street View panoramas on their sites. Google even provides a that was almost exactly what I was looking for. Maps JavaScript API Street View Service demo Street View Service is flexible enough to allow for the disabling of all interface controls, so no CSS hacking was needed. And as a very welcome bonus, it also permits removing the street names! Unfortunately, that API doesn't provide a way to get a picture from the panorama the same way the Static API. So the solution I made was to create a simple page with a clean panorama and take a screenshot. Here is the final version of the page's source. Clean Street View <!DOCTYPE html> < > html < > head < = > meta charset "utf-8" < > title </ > title < > style { : ;
        } , { : ; : ; : ;
        } /* Always set the map height explicitly to define the size of the div
    * element that contains the map. */ #map height 100% /* Optional: Makes the sample page fill the window. */ html body height 100% margin 0 padding 0 </ > style </ > head < > body < = > div id "map" </ > div < > script { urlParams = URLSearchParams( .location.search); latitude = (urlParams.get( )); longitude = (urlParams.get( )); panorama = google.maps.StreetViewPanorama( .getElementById( ), { : { : latitude, : longitude }, : , : , : , : , : , : , : });
        } ( ) function initPano // Note: constructed panorama objects have visible: true // set by default. const new window const parseFloat 'lat' const parseFloat 'lng' var new document 'map' position lat lng addressControl false linksControl false panControl false fullscreenControl false zoomControl false enableCloseButton false showRoadLabels false </ > script < = > script async defer src "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=ADD_YOUR_KEY_HERE&callback=initPano" </ > script </ > body </ > html The page gets the query string parameters and and displays a full screen clean Street View panorama of the location. This page alone can be used as an alternative to the Clean Street View extension, with the advantage of having the street names removed, but the drawback of needing a Google API key (which, by the way, demands a credit card). lat lng At this point, I needed to somehow save that picture so I could use it later. And here is the part I apologize to all JavaScript developers out there. Although I could create the page (basically because almost all the code was in the Google's demo), I couldn't do the screenshot part. To be fair, I even tried. I resorted to Python. In Python, one way to render a page that runs some JavaScript is using . It's a library that allows for task automation on browsers. Originally created for web application testing, Selenium can be used for a variety of tasks, including , boring stuff automation and taking screenshots from pages :-) Selenium web scraping I won't get into the details of how Selenium work. But If you have never used it, it will open a browser and do whatever your code says. In my case, all I needed to do was to open my custom page with some values in the parameters in a fullscreen browser, take a screenshot and save the image file somewhere. Here is a sample code. time selenium webdriver lat = lng = options = webdriver.chrome.options.Options()
options.add_argument( ) options.add_argument( ) options.add_argument( )
driver = webdriver.Chrome( , options=options) driver.get(page_path)
time.sleep( ) driver.save_screenshot(str(lat) + + str(lng) + ) import from import # Fenway Park's coordinates 42.345573 -71.098326 # Webdriver setup "--log-level=3" # minimal logging "--headless" # hide browser's GUI "--window-size=1920,1080" "chromedriver.exe" # Get and save image 1 # wait for image to load "_" ".png" Only being able to save a screenshot of a specific location wasn't enough, though. I wanted photos from many random locations. This is another reason I quickly jumped to Python. I wouldn't be able to do that in JavaScript. Sorry again JS folks... Generating random coordinates that return valid Street View photos is harder than it seems. The API wouldn't help me with that, so I was left with the brute force approach. Fortunately, Google lets you check if a given pair of coordinates has a Street View photo free of charge through the . Street View Image Metadata API Still, picking random coordinates and checking if they are valid on Street View is quite literally picking drops in the ocean. To alleviate that, I restricted the search of coordinates to be only inside some polygons on Earth's land surface. And what polygons did I use? I drew two big polygons, one around the Americas and the other encompassing Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It's still very much brute force because I'm not generating the points straight from the polygons, but checking if a totally random coordinate pair is inside one of the polygons. It turns out it can be done with the function, which implements a algorithm. And I thought this was a trivial mathematical problem... matplotlib.path.contains_point point-polygon Once a point is inside one of the polygons, I proceed to check if the point has a valid Street View panorama. Here is the final Python code: sys glob time csv requests matplotlib.path mplt_path selenium webdriver os path random uniform API_URL = API_KEY = WIDTH = HEIGHT = getattr(sys, , ):
    script_path = path.dirname(sys.executable) :
    script_path = path.dirname(path.abspath(__file__)) paths = [] poly_file glob.glob( ): open(poly_file, newline= ) f:
        data = list(csv.reader(f))
        paths.append(mplt_path.Path(data, closed= )) status = status != :
    onland = onland:
        lat, lng = uniform( , ), uniform( , ) p paths: p.contains_point((lat, lng)):
                onland = locstring = str(lat) + + str(lng)
    r = requests.get(API_URL + + API_KEY + + locstring)
    status = r.json()[ ] options = webdriver.chrome.options.Options()
options.add_argument( ) options.add_argument( + str(WIDTH) + + str(HEIGHT))
options.add_argument( )
driver = webdriver.Chrome( , options=options)
page_path = path.join(
    script_path, + str(lat) + + str(lng)
)
driver.get(page_path)
time.sleep( ) driver.save_screenshot( + str(lat) + + str(lng) + ) import import import import import import as from import from import from import # fmt: off "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/streetview/metadata" # Not billed "ADD_YOUR_KEY_HERE" # get a key at https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/streetview/get-api-key 1920 1080 # fmt: on if "frozen" False else # Setup on land polygons for in "polygons\*.csv" with "" as True # Get a valid Street View coordinate False while "OK" False # Pick a random point that is on land while not -180 180 -90 90 for in if True break # Check if random point has a Street View panorama "," "?key=" "&location=" "status" # Webdriver setup "--log-level=3" # minimal logging "--window-size=" "," "--headless" "chromedriver.exe" "clean_street_view.html?lat=" "&lng=" 1 # wait for image to load "images\\" "_" ".png" I must say that I'm very satisfied with the results! Most of the time, I get empty roads in the middle of rural areas. These bring me the feel of solitude I was looking for. No more dull wallpapers again. If want more implementation details, check out the repository. GitHub

Using Google Street View Photos as Wallpapers [A How-To Guide]

Over the years I have developed a certain way of thinking about my life and high-level goals, a general framework that I use to organize/optimize everything I care about in life in a comprehensive and flexible way. It really helped me to figure out what I want out of life, and to strategically pursue it. This is very personal stuff, and this post is my first attempt to describe it. Not everything will make sense to you, but I hope that you will find it interesting, and extract some general ideas that may help you come up with your own framework for organizing and pursuing life goals. I think about my life on four levels abstraction: Values and drives “Lanes” Projects (Goals) Habits Values and Drives are the highest-level desires I want to optimize for, the most abstract metrics I want to maximize: Values I want to be clever and creative. I want to learn things. I want to generate value with my mind and be good at it. I want to pursue the path to mastery at my craft. I want to do it as well and for as long as possible (without health/money/other problems getting in my way). are other, less abstract things I want to have in life and am trying to optimize for: Drives I want to have fun, engaging, and meaningful work. I want to be rich, healthy, safe, free. I want to be good at writing and comedy (just because I love them and want to max out my skills). I want to be good at teaching. I want to make impact. etc. Lanes are the general areas I focus on in order to pursue (maximize) my values and drives. I think of values/drives as a compass pointing me in the direction I want to walk towards, and lanes are the different paths I can take. Lanes What I want is to have the fewest number of lanes that are as effective at satisfying as many of my values/drives as possible. It’s a matter of balance, too many lanes would make me unfocused and distracted, and too few can’t cover everything I care about in life. I organize my lanes using app, it’s a constantly evolving document. I keep continuously tweaking and rearranging my lanes as I learn more about life, myself, and ways to approach my goals. It’s current version looks like this: draw.io is the most efficient way for me to maximize my creativity, have fun/engaging/meaningful work, generate value, make money, and impact the world. Startup Being good at is something I really want, and deeply enjoy for the sake of itself. It has to be a separate lane because no other lane can take care of this drive. comedy Learning all I can about is a way for me to satisfy my curiosity, and potentially contribute to the most meaningful, significant, impactful thing a human being can contribute to (in my opinion). Artificial Intelligence , like comedy, is something I value for the sake of itself. It satisfies my curiosity, drive for teaching, self expression, etc. Writing is everything related to taking care of my heatlh and general well being. Mainly, it includes staying on top of my clean diet, exercise, controlling my caffeine/nootropics addiction, improving my sleep. And also, keeping up with what I call “Info diet” — staying away from HN/Reddit and other social media, spending more time reading and less time refreshing social feeds. Lifestyle Projects are the goals I pursue in order to move further down the lanes. If values are the compass, and lanes are the available paths, then projects are like milestones I’m walking towards right now. As you can see in the picture above, they’re separated into the ones of the highest priority that I pursue actively(the ones in blue color), and the alternatives that I consider, but don’t actively work on(grayed-out ones). Projects Just like with lanes, I actively tweak and rearrange the projects. As I complete my goals, or find more optimal ones, I tweak them so that the most important goals are staying at the top, and the old ones are removed off the board. Since you won’t understand what each of the goals means based on the picture, I’ll describe the current active goals the best I can. Under , the goal number one is to complete the courses I’m currently going through so that I would have competent, complete understanding of React/Redux (which I use to build my startup). The goal number two is to develop features for my startup called . Webdev/Startup Nulis Under my goal is simply to get used to consistently posting the jokes I’m writing on twitter, every day. Comedy, For my first goal is to complete a about Deep Learning, and then go through the fast.ai , to gain a solid fundamental understanding of this field. AI, Machine Learning Mastery book Deep Learning course For , I want to keep writing my blog posts, and take well-written private notes about the things I’m learning about AI. writing For , my goal is to get through 1.5-months-long withdrawal from caffeine and nootropics(at most 4 packs of green tea per day, at most 2.5mg of noopept). My second goal is to stay on top of my info diet(avoiding HN and Reddit as much as possible, except for the times I’ve decided it’s okay). I’m pretty happy with my diet/exercise at the moment, so I’m keeping them the same. lifestyle Habits To continue with my metaphor (values are a compass, lanes are the available paths, projects are milestones), habits are like the engine — a set of things I do every day that take me at least one step further towards my goals, on every lane. I’ve developed an that helps me to track my habits, and currently they look like this: app Checkmarks represent the basic, minimal level of success, and thumbs-up icons represent more significant progress(read more about how it works ). here **Food**For a checkmark I need to keep up my clean diet, and drink less than 3 cups of coffee. For a thumbsup, I gotta limit caffeine consumption to no more than 4 packs of green tea. **Info diet**For a checkmark I need to avoid visiting HN/Reddit/YouTube subscriptions, and limit my news consumption to an RSS feed. For a thumbsup, I need to completely avoid internet and TV until the very end of the day. **Sport**For a checkmark I complete the most minimal basic exercises, for a thumbsup I go for a good long run around the lake. **AI**Checkmark — reading the books and watching video lectures, Thumbsup — writing actual code. **Webdev**Checkmark — watch Udemy videos, Thumbsup — implement features for my startups. Checkmark — write at least 4 jokes,Thumbsup — post good ones on twitter. Comedy Checkmark — write Quora answers, insightful HN comments, or well-written AI-notes,Thumbsup — write good articles for my blog. Writing Checkmark — listen to audiobooks,thumbsup — read actual books (I need to read some stuff not available on audible). Reading Conclusion I’m sure this framework will change and improve over time, and I will get better at using it. Meanwhile, it has really helped me to achieve clarity about the things I want out of life, and the paths I can take to get there. I was very hard to figure out and follow at first, but every time I look back over the past several months, I’m surprised at how much progress it has helped me to make. I have no idea if this made any sense to you guys, but I hope that at least someone will find it useful. This is my solution to finding a purpose and direction in life, and if you’re struggling with something like that, I hope this will help you out. If you’re have found this post useful/interesting, or perhaps have any feedback or questions — feel free to shoot me an email to . ray@startuplab.io

My new Home Screen Wallpaper (and a framework for approaching big-picture life goals)

Example code generated by Microsoft Copilot. iPhone mockup by on Freepik. Background by on Pexels.com zlatko_plamenov FWStudio The development of the Internet is a story of democratization. Computing power and information progressively become easier to access over time. Now, in the middle of generative AI’s hype cycle, visions of a farther future of the Internet are becoming clearer. In fact, the acceleration of AI technology makes me wonder just how far away we really are from revolution. That revolution will overturn everything we know about apps, software, and programming. The “real-time Internet” may be on the horizon, and it’s wise that business leaders understand its implications now before it’s upon us. An Internet Programmed in Real-Time Generative AI has the capability to create not just blog posts, poetry, and images. With the right training sets, it can write entire pieces of software. As seen with tools like , it can work easily with 3D environments for augmented reality projects. Spline Argo Design’s Lead Creative Technologist Jared Ficklin predicts that the future of software and interfaces will become increasingly personalized and produced in real-time by AI. In an episode of Ficklin goes into great detail about his vision of a world computed by generative AI in real-time. He describes it as a natural progression of the evolution of the Internet and of computing itself. He also shares insight into the new ways we will interact with computers in the future. Freethink’s Hard Reset, The Past and Future of Interfaces Ficklin is fascinated by interfaces and how they democratize technology to the masses. Early computing was performed by punch cards, where programmers had to deeply understand how machines functioned. However, punch cards evolved into syntax and programming languages, and then to desktop environments. Now, anyone in the world can use a computer thanks to interfaces like Windows and MacOS. As of now, creating augmented reality experiences is too complicated without the help of talented software developers. Similar to how Unix terminals and desktop environments made computing more accessible, generative AI may make augmented reality development, or rather, experiences more accessible than ever before. “Quantum-like” Websites One example Ficklin points to in the present day that relates to his ideas is “quantum-like” websites. These are web pages or sites that look completely different based on who is viewing them. Amazon is a great example. Every time you visit Amazon’s website, it looks different. This is especially true from person to person. Thanks to personalized shopping results, Amazon can programmatically suggest content to you based on your interests and history. Just like how these websites are unique and personalized to their users, Ficklin imagines that the next step will be completely unique software for each person, all generated by AI on demand. Creating New Experiences From Scratch: Realtime AR Ficklin’s ‘real-time Internet’ is a radical concept that rewrites the rules of how software is developed. For augmented reality, this could mean that AR experiences could be written on demand by on-board or cloud-based generative AI. “We’re going to have a new [multimodal] vocabulary…launch that, put it there, close that.” Ficklin explains in a Freethink interview. “…using gesture…voice, and certain control surfaces all together.” In a nutshell, a future augmented reality experience using this ‘real-time’ approach might look something like this: With a wearable mobile computer like an AR headset, dictate: “Show me what it would look like if the wallpaper in this room was blue.” The generative AI model uses natural language processing and understanding to interpret the user’s prompt and begins writing an AR program from scratch, using the headset’s sensors as environmental data. The AI creates the app using room-scanning training data and specially tailors the new app to identify the walls of the room. The program is ready for launch and shows the user what the room would look like with blue wallpaper. Once the user is finished with the experience, the generated software is deleted. Ficklin’s interview with Freethink fascinated me. I was curious just how close we are to the future he describes. So, I decided to dig deeper. Reality Check With an AI Expert Now, let’s be honest. I’m not an AI expert. While I was coming up with this piece, I realized the best thing I could probably do was ask someone who knew what they were doing about their opinion. I’ve done a lot of writing on behalf of MoibDev in the past, so I couldn’t think of anyone better to ask than their AI experts. I asked MobiDev AI Team Leader for her opinion. Liubov Zatolokina She’s been helping MobiDev’s clients around the world succeed for over four years, so I was really excited to get her opinion on the Real-Time Internet. Is the Real-Time Internet Even Possible? “In my opinion, we already partially have this experience,” Liubov explains. “we can already create simple prompts like images, music, movies, poetry, and social media posts, and even basic programming code and prototypes. It won’t always look like a ready-to-use product, but it’s an excellent place to start. Very quickly we’ve seen an exponential increase in the quality of not only images, text, and software code, but also video creation." Based on her analysis, it sounds to me like Ficklin’s future is possible if AI technology continues to advance at its current pace, but when? In a very short period of time, we’ve seen an exponential increase in the quaity of not only images, text, and software code, but also video creation. How Far Are We From That Future? “It’s hard to say exactly when the next step will be, but we’re already seeing amazing products from leading companies every month,” Liubov continues. “There are hundreds of AI-related articles and news from open-source projects every day. This only accelerates and fuels our curiosity. I expect we’ll see more improvements to the quality of generation and data processing this year, but it probably won’t lead to AGI or the ‘Real-Time Internet’. Each innovation is iterative, and with some patience the future will be mind-blowing.” It’s hard to say exactly when the next step will be, but we’re already seeing amazing products from leading companies every month How Would That Future Disrupt the Status Quo of Software Development? “Every cutting-edge technology disrupts someone’s status quo,” Liubov asserts, “and software developers are no exception. We are now seeing an increase in the amount of automation in development. Code writing assistants and testing tools lead to faster development, less red tape, and more time spent on idea generation. I expect the iterative advances of AI to result in a ‘snowball effect’ in software development and technology sectors.” Every cutting-edge technology disrupts someone’s status quo, and software developers are no exception. So, Do On-Demand AI-Generated Applications Pose a Threat to the Jobs of Programmers and Software Developers? I’m particularly interested in whether , and how Ficklin’s Real-Time Internet may impact programmers. “One way or another, progress affects each of us,” Liubov explains. AI may start to replace existing jobs “But I can’t call on-demand AI generation a threat to software developers. This is the same change for humanity as the invention of the wheel. Some professions may disappear, but many new ones will appear in their place.” This is the same change for humanity as the invention of the wheel. Some professions may disappear, but a large number of new ones will appear in their place. If More and More Applications Are Built Automatically With AI, How Will That Affect the Pool of Available Training Data? “Soon, I think we’ll see further growth and development in the data storage industry, especially with regards to processing and labeling. The incredible speed of generative AI contributes to the fact that there’s more and more unlabeled, automatically generated data in the network.” Liubov says. "Although the content might be high quality, it’s not real-world data. Real-world examples in those datasets is crucial for proper and high-quality training of models. Re-use of that data leads to ‘model collapse’, a decrease in input data diversity, leading to a decrease in model quality.” The phenomenon Liubov describes is also called Model Autophagy Disorder (MAD). Image source. Re-use of [AI-generated content in datasets] leads to ‘model collapse’, a decrease in input data diversity, leading to a decrease in model quality. What Do You Believe Are the Primary Obstacles to Achieving On-Demand AI-Generated Apps, Such as AR Experiences? What Would It Take to Overcome Those Obstacles? “The main obstacle is the intersection of available computational power and how much power the AI models need,” Liubov says. “So far, AI tasks are best suited for use by powerful cloud computing and parallel processing systems. However, the AI engineering community has already seen that scalability isn’t the cure-all in terms of the challenges AI faces. New data processing algorithms combined with new advanced hardware, both focused on energy and computational efficiency, could make things a lot easier.” Based on Liubov’s analysis, I suspect that this may be why businesses are starting to pay closer attention to ‘on-device’ generative AI solutions. and other companies have discussed on-device AI a number of times this year, and some companies like are already releasing products with these features. Qualcomm Samsung New data processing algorithms combined with new advanced hardware, both focused on energy and computational efficiency, could make things a lot easier. The Future of the Real-Time Internet Jared Ficklin’s visions of the next generation of computing may not be here just yet. It remains to be seen just how far off the horizon AI-generated apps on demand are, but there’s no denying that we’re seeing exponential growth in artificial intelligence. Each advancement iterates on the last, and there’s no sign of stopping. I still personally have a lot of questions, like how do we ensure that AI-generated apps are secure? How will AI safety play a role in Ficklin’s envisioned future? There’s a lot we don’t know, but there’s also a lot to be excited about. No matter what happens, AI is going to change the world, and we have to prepare for that future. Thank you Liubov Zatolokina for your insights on this story! Also, thank you for reading! What do you think about the Real-Time Internet? How far do you think we are from that future? Let me know in the comments.

The Real-Time Internet: Visions of AI-Generated Everything 

As we step into 2024, the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) industry, is ripe for a satirical forecast. Here are ten humorous and exaggerated predictions for the NFT market in 2024, where reality often seems stranger than fiction. 1. Donald Trump's Wall Builder NFT Series: A Virtual Political Statement In a unique blend of real estate and politics, former President Donald Trump's entry into the NFT market in 2024 will take a captivating turn. A major NFT series is set to be released: the controversial "Wall Builder" NFT series. In a move that is sure to stir both support and outrage, the "Wall Builder" NFT series will be Trump’s digital nod to one of his most infamous proposals – the border wall. Each NFT in this series represents a section of the virtual wall, with designs ranging from imposing fortresses to avant-garde barriers. Owning a Wall Builder NFT comes with unique virtual titles like "Digital Border Patrol Chief" or "Virtual Wall Inspector," allowing holders to partake in simulated border patrol missions. These missions are gamified experiences, complete with rewards, leaderboards, and exclusive digital merchandise. 2. Interstellar NFTs: NASA, Elon Musk, and the Cryogenic Conundrum In 2024, NASA, in collaboration with Elon Musk and a leading blockchain company, announces the launch of Interstellar NFTs. These digital assets represent ownership of land on distant exoplanets, blending the frontiers of space exploration with blockchain innovation. Each NFT offers buyers a stake in otherworldly real estate, complete with intricate digital depictions and detailed planetary profiles. Elon Musk, ever the visionary, adds an intriguing twist to the narrative. He promises to greet the NFT owners upon their arrival on these distant planets in the year 3024. The public is left speculating on the nature of Musk's presence: Will he be there in human form, having triumphed over aging through cryogenic freezing (only available via buying an NFT), or will he welcome them as a digital avatar, an immortal representation of his pioneering spirit? This conjecture fuels a mix of fascination and humor, with people playfully debating whether they'll meet an age-defying Musk in the flesh or interact with his advanced AI doppelgänger. 3. Time Travel NFTs Break All Sales Records The "Temporal Passports NFT" series, launched in 2024, has shattered all previous NFT sales records but not for reasons one would expect. Intended to transport holders to the era of their token's depicted historical figure, the series instead gained fame for its humorous technical glitches. Users anticipating accurate historical immersions were amused to find themselves in wildly mismatched time periods. For example one NFT holder, armed with a George Washington NFT and expecting a Revolutionary War scene, ended up in the roaring 1920s, quipping, “Instead of crossing the Delaware, I crossed into the Jazz Age. At least the booze is better.” This unpredictability turned the Temporal Passports into a unique profiting sensation, with holders being able to stake their NFTS and able to rent out their NFTs to other history buffs. 4. The Capitol Coin DAO: The White House Launches a DAO In 2024, as the U.S. political landscape dives into the world of blockchain with the launch of the "Capitol Coin DAO," the corridors of power get a digital makeover. In the Capitol Coin DAO, influential lobbyists and billionaire donors find themselves in a familiar position, but with a twist. Known as the 'Whales of Politics,' these power players attempt to sway decisions by accumulating vast amounts of Capitol Coins. However, they quickly realize that in the world of DAOs, money can't always buy consensus. In a comedic turn of events, a group of high school students, using only their lunch money and bags of SHIB, outvote a major lobbying effort, proving that in the DAO, quantity of coins doesn't always trump the power of collective decision-making. To combat the potential for manipulation, the Capitol Coin DAO introduces a series of humorous but effective measures. One such measure is the "Filibuster Feature," where any proposal that seems suspiciously advantageous to the 'Whales' is automatically subjected to a 24-hour meme bombardment, questioning its legitimacy. 5. Trump's NFT Gambit for Eternal Presidency In an unexpected yet somehow predictable move, former President Donald Trump jumps on the DAO bandwagon, launching his own NFT collection titled "Trump's Triumphs." He claims that anyone holding the complete set of these NFTs can unlock a secret feature in the Capitol Coin DAO, granting them "Permanent Presidency" powers. The Capital Coin DAO quickly blocks any attempts at a hostile takeover and as a result. Undeterred by this setback and true to his indomitable style, Trump pivots to create his own digital domain, the "TrumpVerse." Here, he proclaims himself as the perpetual president, a role unbound by the constraints of traditional politics. Supporters and collectors alike can buy virtual land in the TrumpVerse giving them the chance to own a piece of this exclusively Trumpian digital world. 6. Mortgaging Reality for Virtual Acres As 2024 rolls around, a bizarre economic trend sweeps across the nation. With real estate prices sky-high and interest rates climbing, homeowners start mortgaging their physical homes, not for a bigger backyard or a better neighborhood, but for a slice of virtual land in the ever-expanding metaverses. The craze for virtual land is driven by a mix of escapism and speculative investment. Enthusiasts argue that owning a piece of digital paradise is a wise move, free from the constraints of physical maintenance and pesky property taxes. Some even boast about their virtual mansions, complete with artificial intelligence butlers and virtual reality gardens, all financed by the equity in their modest three-bedroom bungalow. As more people jump onto the virtual land bandwagon, economists begin to warn of a 'Surreal Estate Bubble.' Late-night show hosts quip about the absurdity of people living in cramped apartments while owning virtual estates, with one joking, "In the Metaverse, everyone can hear you brag, but no one can help you move your virtual couch." 7. Home Depot's MetaDepot: Revolutionizing Virtual Home Renovation In an innovative twist in 2024, Home Depot launches "MetaDepot," a series of NFT Metaverse stores dedicated to virtual home improvement. This move taps into the burgeoning trend of digital homeowners needing to renovate and enhance their virtual abodes. At MetaDepot, customers find themselves in a surreal world of home renovation, specifically tailored for the Metaverse. Gone are the days of physical paint and lumber. Instead, virtual homeowners purchase NFTs representing digital wallpaper, ethereal lighting fixtures, and even holographic furniture to spruce up their online properties. 8. Senator Warren's NFT Escapade: From Political Pundit to NFT Artist In an unexpected turn of events, Senator Elizabeth Warren, known for her critical stance on cryptocurrencies, launches a Profile PFP NFT Meme series in 2024. The collection, infused with rare NFTS that are a nod to her controversial Native American ancestry, becomes an instant hit. But it's the climactic use of her NFT fortune that cements her place in the annals of political satire. Thwarting the Whale with Capitol Coin DAO Cashing in on her NFT success, Warren invests in Capitol Coin DAO Tokens, aligning herself with a group of astute high school students who have become influential players in the DAO who hodle a large amount of tokens from pooling their lunch money and selling their SHIB bags. Together, they engineer a masterful move to thwart a major lobbying effort by a "Whale," a wealthy player attempting to sway decisions with sheer financial power. This David versus Goliath scenario plays out on the digital stage, with Warren and the students championing the power of collective action over deep pockets. The plot thickens when one of the high school students, armed with insights from the DAO and a cunning use of Reddit, manages to ascend to an unprecedented level of political influence. In a stunning development, this savvy teenager leverages their digital prowess to make a bid for the presidency – and wins. The political world is left in shock as a Reddit-savvy, DAO-empowered student with lunch money and SHIB takes the highest office in the land. In the wake of this surreal turn of events, Senator Warren decides to hang up her political gloves. She retires from the world of policy and legislation, but not from the public eye. Warren turns her attention to creating NFT art, drawing on her experiences and the whirlwind events she helped catalyze. Her art, known for its blend of political satire and digital innovation, becomes highly sought after, turning her into a surprising yet successful figure in the NFT art world and a keynote speaker at NFT.NYC and Art Basel. 9. Interstellar NFTs: NASA and Elon Musk's Galactic Real Estate Gamble In a partnership that stretches the bounds of imagination, NASA, in collaboration with Elon Musk's space exploration company, launches Interstellar NFTs in 2024. These NFTs represent a bold venture into digital ownership of land on distant exoplanets, blending the allure of space exploration with the burgeoning world of blockchain. Each NFT offers virtual rights to a plot on an alien world, complete with artistically crafted visuals and detailed planetary descriptions. The most captivating aspect of this venture, however, is the promise that owners of these NFTs will have the opportunity to visit their interstellar holdings when space travel to these distant planets becomes possible – a feat optimistically slated for the year 3024. Adding to the intrigue, Elon Musk playfully assures potential buyers that he will personally greet them on their new cosmic properties, sparking widespread amusement and speculation about the longevity and future ambitions of the tech mogul. 10. Emotional Ownership NFTs: Claiming History's Feelings In 2024, a groundbreaking initiative by a leading tech company introduces a new genre of NFTs – "Emotional Ownership" of historical events. This novel concept allows individuals to own the exclusive rights to the emotions associated with significant moments in history. It’s an audacious blend of technology, sentimentality that captures the public's imagination. Imagine having the exclusive NFT that represents the collective joy felt during the 1969 moon landing. This NFT wouldn’t just be a digital token; it would symbolize your personal connection to the euphoria and wonder that enveloped the world as humanity took its first steps on the lunar surface. Each NFT comes with a beautifully designed digital certificate, detailing the event and the specific emotion it encapsulates. NFT holders question the practical implications of owning such NFTs and what rights the holders have. “Do I get royalties every time someone feels inspired by the Wright Brothers' first flight?” one user quips. Another posts, “Just bought the NFT for ‘surprise’ at the Boston Tea Party. “If someone reenacts the Tea Party, do I get to sue for emotional trespassing!” *** As we reflect on the remarkable developments in the world of NFTs and digital assets throughout 2024, it's clear that we are witnessing a period of unprecedented innovation and creativity. Here's to the innovators who dare to dream big, the communities that come together to turn these dreams into reality, and the endless possibilities that the future holds. Cheers to 2024! Audrey

Navigating the 2024 NFT Landscape: A Humorous Look at 10 Key Predictions

2024 NFT ল্যান্ডস্কেপ নেভিগেট করা: 10টি মূল ভবিষ্যদ্বাণীতে একটি হাস্যকর চেহারা

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Are you a gamer looking for the perfect gaming web browser? Look no further! In this post, we have researched and compiled a list of the top five gaming browsers to help you make an informed decision. With options such as Wave Browser, Google Chrome, Arc Browser, OperaGX, and so many more, choosing your browser can be overwhelming. But don't worry, from Wave Browser's unique features that make it a gamer's choice to Opera GX browser's resource optimization, we cover it all. We also assess Firefox's impact on game experience, Brave's unique selling points for gamers, and Microsoft Edge's surprising capabilities beyond just work. Finally, we compare the top desktop browsers for games in terms of performance and features and provide tips on how to choose the best option for you. Get ready to take your gaming performance to the next level with these top picks, whether you're a newbie or a long time gamer! Which are the best gaming web browsers available in the market? The best gaming web browsers available in the market are . These options offer superior performance and features such as resource optimization and customization options for the ultimate game experience. Wave Browser, OperaGX, Mozilla Firefox, Brave, and Microsoft Edge Examining Wave Browser: A Gamers' Choice Let's kick things off with a browser that's making headlines for all the right reasons - . One of its standout features is the . Imagine this: you're deep into an intense game session, but you also want to keep an eye on your favorite streamer on Twitch or access game guides and forums without toggling between screens. With Wave, it's all possible. You can have your game running on one screen while seamlessly using the other to watch streams or access helpful resources. Talk about multitasking at its finest! Wave Browser dual screen view option Features that make Wave Browser stand out Wave also spoils us with so you can have shortcuts to your favorite websites, Discord, Whatsapp, and other handy tools right within reach, all neatly tucked away in a sidebar. It's like having a personalized command center dedicated solely to your needs. Wave keeps our gaming uninterrupted by offering a . With this feature, you can detach videos in a separate window, ensuring you won't miss a second of action while catching up on the latest streams or gameplay walkthroughs on Youtube. custom sidebar apps video pop-out view Gaming Experience with Wave Browser Wave Browser takes performance seriously. It's fine-tuned specifically for games to provide a . Wave's features optimize resources, ensuring high-speed performance for specific games. Say goodbye to those annoying frame rate drops or sudden freezes that can throw you off in the middle of a crucial moment. Wave is here to keep you in the zone, providing a seamless experience that gamers crave. speedy experience with no lag OperaGX: The Gaming Browser Revolution Ah, OperaGX - a browser that understands our gamer needs like no other. Created by a team of experts, comes equipped with features and customization options that cater specifically to the gaming community. Get ready to level up your browsing experience! OperaGX Unique Attributes of Opera GX One of the leading features of OperaGX is its . This nifty tool allows you to fine-tune the browser's resource usage, ensuring it doesn't hog your precious system resources when you need them the most. You can limit CPU and RAM usage, keeping your game running smoothly while the browser takes a backseat. Opera browser GX also prioritizes that online privacy with (Virtual Private Network) support, you can browse anonymously and access region-restricted content without worries. GX Control built-in free VPN How OperaGX enhances the gaming experience And let's not forget about customization. OperaGX offers a range of that allow you to spruce up the browser's look, making it match your aesthetic preferences and setup. Who said a browser can't be stylish? themes and wallpapers Mozilla Firefox: A Strong Contender in PC Gaming Browsers Firefox has long been a favorite among gamers, and with good reason. This browser is known for its speed, performance, and privacy features that cater to our needs. If you're seeking an option that helps you level up your experience, is a solid choice. Firefox Unpacking Firefox's gaming features One of Firefox's standout features in the video game realm is . This technology enhances graphics performance and reduces input lag, resulting in smoother gameplay. It's like giving your browser an FPS boost. Firefox understands privacy and goes the extra mile to protect our sensitive data. With , Firefox blocks trackers and prevents advertisers from collecting your data while you're browsing the web. WebRender Enhanced Tracking Protection Firefox's impact on gaming experience And if you're all about customization, Firefox has got you covered. With a wide range of , you can personalize your browsing experience to cater to your preferences. From theme customizations to game-related extensions, the possibilities are endless. add-ons and extensions Brave: The Dark Horse of Gaming Browsers Privacy and performance go hand in hand, and is a browser that excels on both fronts. This option is built on Chromium and takes your privacy seriously. It blocks those pesky ads and tracking scripts by default, resulting in a faster and more secure browsing experience. Brave Brave's unique selling points for gamers Brave also comes with a unique feature called . By opting into privacy-respecting advertisements, you can earn tokens that you can use to support your favorite websites or content creators. You get to support the content you love, all while maintaining your privacy. Brave Rewards Microsoft Edge: Not Just for Work You might be surprised to see on this list, but listen up - Edge has made leaps and bounds, earning its spot among the top gaming browsers. Microsoft has invested heavily in revamping Edge, resulting in a browser that's ready to unleash your potential. Microsoft Edge Gaming features that set Microsoft Edge apart One of the standout features for gamers on Microsoft Edge is . This enables high-quality streaming of protected multimedia content, making it a fantastic choice if you're into streaming or watching high-definition video content. PlayReady DRM support Evaluating the gaming experience on Microsoft Edge Keeping up with your interests is a piece of cake with . Collect articles, videos, and other resources in one place, making it easier than ever to stay on top of your game. Stay informed while you conquer the virtual realms, fellow gamers! Edge's Collections feature Tips for choosing the best gaming browser There you have it - the top 5 best gaming web browsers in all their glory. From the dual screen view option in Wave to the privacy features of Brave, each browser brings its own unique array of benefits to satisfy your gaming needs. Whether you prioritize seamless performance, privacy protection, or customization options, these browsers have something for everyone. Factors to consider when choosing a gaming browser When choosing a gaming browser, are crucial for protecting against online threats and distractions, while ensure an uninterrupted experience. Prioritizing browsing speed, loading optimizations, and secure browsing functionality enhances your game. , and are also essential considerations. Features like , and further contribute to an enhanced experience. security features resource management optimizations Customization options, platform compatibility private browsing features ad blocking, cryptocurrency rewards secure bookmarks Conclusion Remember, fellow gamers - your browser is the gateway to a heightened game experience. Pick the one that suits your needs, and let's dive back into the world f gaming with a blazing fast, secure, and personalized browsing experience. May your FPS be high, your pings be low, and your browsing be glitch-free! Happy gaming! Also published . here

Top 5 Picks for Gaming Web Browsers

Smartphones have become indispensable tools for a wide variety of work and personal tasks. However, many people admit that mobile devices have also grown into our ultimate distractions, with an endless stream of notifications, an overwhelming number of icons on the screen, and plenty of apps vying for our attention. The issue of maintaining the ‘life-phone’ balance is getting evergreen, but potential controversy can be eliminated – with a responsible and mindful approach. It applies to both quantity and quality aspects, meaning you cut back on screen time when it’s too much, prioritize functional phone usage depending on your professional and leisure needs, and optimize your mobile experience for convenience and efficiency by introducing some screen modifications. As the first two are pretty straightforward, let’s touch upon the third facet more closely and discuss four concentration-promoting and productivity-boosting screen customization strategies that can help you alleviate distractions, stay more focused on your daily to-dos, and reap some extra motivation when using your iPhone. Declutter and Organize Your Screen Space Like your living space, your digital space should be kept in order. Messy environments are shown to trigger stress and induce disorientation and procrastination, thus degrading focus and productivity. Flip through your screen pages indicating the apps you haven’t been using for a couple of months now, and delete them. The accumulation of irrelevant icons provokes digital noise and annoyance, occupying and cluttering your screen space and distracting your eyes from the ones you really need. The next step is organizing your space to address your functional necessities. You can use a ready-to-go home screen pack template for the structure, and fill it out with widgets and icons in your preferred sequence. These visual arrangements will help you eliminate the risk of randomness while browsing your phone, saving time and promoting mental focus. Overall, there are many auxiliary apps available to pick some drafts and ideas. For instance, the app provides the whole package of the latest and most creative screen customization features, including themes, wallpapers, widgets, icon packs, keyboards, and more. MyScreen Determine Essential Work and Lifestyle Tools and Set Priorities Highlighting the things you regularly need for work or leisure activities makes them quickly accessible, promoting concentration on your intentions and speeding up the outcomes. If your main goal is enhancing your screen time for work, prioritize the tools that you actually use for work, think documents, messengers, scanning apps, or other utilities. If your smartphone usage is more lifestyle, ensure easy reach for the stuff you engage with most frequently. You can also add widgets for the things you want to keep at your fingertips or at the top of your mind. For example, you can track the UV index, weather forecast, stock exchange, calendar events, steps count, shopping lists, and more besides standard date and time. Social media icon placement requires special attention as these are the most time-consuming and interrupting apps of all. Consider placing them on the second or third pages of your screen so they don’t spot your eye each time you unlock your phone. You can go further and switch off notifications to avoid random alerts popping up on the screen. These ‘out of sight, out of mind’ tweaks will help you alleviate the presence of social media in your daily life and stay focused on what you are up to. Display Personally Beneficial Content Since your phone screen is something you observe repeatedly during the day, it’s a no-brainer to fill it with content that resonates with your objectives and facilitates your goals. Once the screen space is cleaned and organized, it’s time to review what else can be added to promote your mindfulness and motivation. For example, you can introduce a widget listing your intentions for the day or displaying your progress toward your daily health goals, such as 10K or water intake. Another advantageous tweak is setting the wallpaper, which addresses you personally and appeals to your state of mind. Even with a brief and unintentional eye contact, what we see launches a chain of cognitive and psycho-emotional reactions in the brain. Naturally, as long as you bring a sense of purpose to the table, you can turn your phone screen into a stress reliever, mood booster, source of motivation, or whatever else you’re looking for. It may sound too good to be true, but it’s science-backed that seeing calming nature scenery – even on your phone screen – promotes stress relief and relaxation, funny pictures make you smile, and positive affirmations keep you encouraged and uplifted. offers a vast, constantly updating catalog of live and still wallpapers if you need to pick some fresh ideas that capture your eye. MyScreen To enhance the effect, consider dividing the screen area between functional and inspirational constituents. Place the icons above, below, or around the central theme of your wallpaper so they don’t overlap, and you can still see the purposeful part of the picture without barriers. Optimize Color Schemes and Design Elements The colors and patterns we see can subconsciously impact our mental and emotional states. While your favorite ones are the clear winners, it’s also worth taking into account some common associations. Darker colors can induce gloominess and sadness, while brighter and lighter colors foster happiness and optimism. Calm pastel colors promote serenity and focus, and warm neutrals are comforting and uplifting. Besides, the color choice should not be generalized, as each color has several shades that can induce either positive, neutral, or negative responses in you. Overstimulating bold patterns and combinations of colors that clash with each other can provoke mental discomfort, overload your eyes and brain, cause disturbance and anxiety, disrupt concentration, and drain your productivity without you even realizing it. And vice versa, when all design elements are tuned with one another, your screen will feel harmonious and pleasing, complementing your productive mode. Takeaway As the digital environment we inhabit via our phones is where we spend quite a bit of time daily, its design should naturally be approached as a matter of personal requirements and preferences. Unpersonalized and messy screens can provoke a negatively persuaded, disorienting experience and blur focus and productivity. In contrast, an organized, visually appealing screen with clear accents aligned with your needs will support your mental sharpness and promote your performance.

4 iPhone Screen Modification Strategies to Improve Focus and Productivity

ফোকাস এবং উত্পাদনশীলতা উন্নত করার জন্য 4 আইফোন স্ক্রীন পরিবর্তনের কৌশল

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Odaklanmayı ve Üretkenliği Artırmak için 4 iPhone Ekran Değiştirme Stratejisi

4 chiến lược sửa đổi màn hình iPhone để cải thiện sự tập trung và năng suất

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298 Stories To Learn About Facebook

Let's learn about via these 68 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Internet Privacy /Learn Repo 1. Simple Steps to Follow in Order to Ensure Greater Personal Internet Privacy An easy guide to getting started with online privacy. 2. 4 Ways to Upgrade the Privacy of Your Home Wi-Fi Network It doesn’t take a tech degree to make your personal Wi-Fi inaccessible to unwanted cyber snoops. 3. Towards a Divine Understanding of Web3: The Death of Corporate Commercialism Corporations as we know them are going extinct. But the world is losing nothing and gaining everything in the process. 4. Contributing to Open Source Privacy Projects is Easier Than You Think I am sure that feel bored with your work from time to time. See how to solve it with a simple lifehack: Contribute to a privacy-related project. 5. Miss O and Friends: Helping Girls Across the Globe to Find their Voices Miss O and Friends is a no-bully, non-toxic, place for girls to make friends, get great advice, read blogs from girls, and get published! 6. The Importance of Message Authentication Code in SSL/TLS Transport Layer Security, better known as SSL/TLS, is an encryption protocol designed to offer secure communications over the internet to improve user privacy. 7. The Facebook Business Model Might Die This article is in reply to "How Much Internet Regulation Does Facebook Support?" 8. How to Not Be a Victim to the Catfishing Pandemic Spike Catfishing happens everyday, and the pandemic greatly accelerated the number of catfishing victims. Here's how to not be one of them. 9. What Is DNS and Why You Should Control It A brief explanation of how DNS works, modern secure DNS protocols and how Control D service helps you control your Internet experience. 10. Maintain Anonymity Online With These 3 Actionable Steps The classic idea of the Internet is a virtual place where free speech and anonymity is possible; that has evolved. Here are 3 tips to maintain anonymity online. 11. 5 Ways to Ensure You Aren’t Sharing Your Workplace Data With so much of our lives online, it's too easy for us to make a mistake and accidentally share our workplace data. These easy methods keep your data safe. 12. 6 Privacy Tips for Beginners To Help Sail Through The Lockdown Over a third of the world is in lockdown; now is the perfect excuse to sort out your privacy. Here are my 6 tips: 13. Data Privacy is Becoming More Important for Users in 2022 A look at how data privacy is becoming more important for users in 2022 14. Before and After the Internet 15. Is Google Actually an Evil Corporation? When asked about Google, there has been a lot to say over the years. Google done some things right, and seemingly some things very wrong. As far as conspiracies go, Google does seem to have a CIA connection (see video below). This even roots back to potential government research, and missing gaps on how they have been funded in the early stage. 16. The State Of Data Privacy In 2020 In 2020, there will be just one thing considered to be more important than product quality for consumers: data privacy. By this I refer not to user-controlled measures to add extra security for internet users, from the most classic one-time password, or two-factor authentication, to the most secure multi-factor authentication methods:  but data privacy measures implemented by companies to ensure that peoples’ personal data is protected - no matter what. 17. Meet the Writer: OneRep CEO Dimitri Shelest on Writing and Online Privacy OneRep CEO and Hackernoon contributor Dimitri Shelest shares his views on online privacy, his entrepreneurship experience, and the reasons that made him write. 18. What Is the Best Browser for Your Privacy? How to pick out the right web browser when you're focused on privacy and functionality. 19. Is There A Middle Ground Between Privacy and Convenience? Enjoying the benefits of the myriad online services we use every day is incredibly convenient. In fact, it’s so convenient that we’re ready to accept terms and conditions without thinking about what’s actually in there. Have you read the novel-sized wall of text for every single service you signed up for? I bet you haven’t. Neither have I. Has anyone? Probably not. 20. OSINT: What You Can Find About a Person from Public Sources The range of OSINT applications is limited only to your imagination: from background checks on business partners to reuniting with long-lost relatives 21. 7 Reasons Why Everyone Should Use a VPN A VPN can do so much more than giving you access to geo-restricted content. Check out why everyone should use a VPN. 22. The Get Away From Google Guide If you want to to get away from Google and Big Tech these applications are what you will need 23. Why a Privacy-First Ad Approach Promises a Better Future for All A privacy-driven future is coming. Is your ad business ready? 24. Why are Decentralized Messengers Better than Centralized Messengers? We are using centralized applications and losing our privacy. If you care about privacy and web3, try to consider switching to decentralized messengers. 25. Have You Been the Victim of an Online Attack? Here's How to Take Action 1 in every 3 Americans suffers from an online attack each year; a rate of about one attack every 39 seconds. It results in scams, fraud, and emotional trauma. 26. Are Private Search Engines Truly Private? As of January 2020, 59% of the global population is connected to the internet. 27. Organize and Protect Your Online Data Online security is a vitally important consideration in this day and age. From doxxing to ransomware to identity theft, hacking online accounts is one of the most popular ways for the modern criminal makes his living. Keeping your online data organized and secure can take many forms, but it's not really an optional safety measure anymore. You must do all you can to protect your online data. Here are a few options for how to achieve that goal. 28. Protecting Your Online Privacy: 7 Simple Steps You Can Take Today What people wish to share is their prerogative, yet to unconsciously give away your private information is very different to making an active choice. 29. So Google broke the internet - but they have no one to blame but themselves Thoughts on the Google Meltdown of 2020, and how Web 3.0 could make the internet “unbreakable” 30. Anonymous Web Browser: A Guide on Anti-Detect Technology Learn how anonymous web browser works with the help of antidetect technology. 31. Here Is What You Need To Know About VPN For YouTube YouTube is one of the most popular social platforms that almost every one of us uses for several purposes, including learning and entertainment. Considering the rapidly increasing cyber-crime rate, almost all of us are in danger of any kind of privacy breach. However, one of the best ways to secure your data is to use a Virtual Private Network for accessing YouTube. VPN is necessary as it provides you with some control over how you are being identified online. 32. Finding The Privacy Balance - Is There Such Thing as Too Much Privacy? I've been a heavy advocate for using multiple tools and alternative services to protect your personal information for years. However, as I've seen people pile on one privacy tool after another I've realized that people have perhaps taken it too far. 33. Internet Privacy Under Continued Attack by the US Government Wars can be fought in the real world but there is also a virtual battlefield - and it is just as harmful. The Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act is the latest attempt to access people's encrypted data and it serves as another reinforcement. 34. Digging Into Amazon's Privacy Policy Amazon has developed a reputation for delivering some of the lowest prices for all types of products, and one of the best delivery systems in the world. Part of what makes this possible is Amazon’s extensive use of people’s data. We’re taking a look at which information Amazon collects and how it collects that information. 35. Is Women’s Data Safe in a Post-Roe v Wade America? Can women be prosecuted for Googling “abortion pills”? The TL;DR: women who are looking to end their pregnancy in the US have cause for concern. 36. What's in Store for Privacy and Personal Data Protection in 2022? 2021 saw many advancements in internet privacy, what does 2022 have in store? 37. What an IP Address Can Reveal About You Is it possible to trace an IP ? To what extent does it reveal your physical location? How to prevent your IP from being tracked? Let's learn more about IP. 38. Keeping Your Privacy Secure in a Digital Jungle Privacy, cybersecurity and safety in the world of Social Media and constant surveillance. How can you protect yourself from the digital dangers? 39. Privacy Protection: How Secure is Telegram Messenger? Is Telegram messenger secure enough for private messages and group chats? Can Telegram protect the privacy of users? We did research on this. 40. Have Your Privacy Cake on Android and Eat it Too How to set up your Android phone to provide ultimate privacy while also letting you use the latest applications. 41. California's Current Privacy Rights Under CCPA California recently passed a sweeping privacy law that makes it the most privacy forward state in the nation. But, until it gets implemented, there is this thing privacy framework (the CCPA) is the law of the land. 42. Plausible is Paving the Way for Ethical Analytics One of the trickiest things for companies or really anyone running a website is figuring out the success of their site, how many visits they are getting, and how they got them, while at the same time respecting their visitor’s privacy. 43. Is Incognito Mode as Safe as You Think? Browsing in incognito mode may seem like a good idea, but it is not as safe as you think. It still has certain limitations that can put your privacy at risk. 44. Proposition 24: What you Need to Know About Data Privacy America Californians have spoken: Proposition 24 will soon expand data privacy protections in the largest state in America. 45. Internet Privacy Tools for 2019 Updated - 01/13/20 46. What Personal Details Are You Sharing Without Knowing? Unless you have changed your web browser default settings it is quite likely you are leaking personal details as you move around online. But just how much? 47. What Is a VPN and What Are Its Alternatives? Are VPNs really essential for an average user in 2021? Read on to find out about common issues with VPNs, as well as possible alternatives to them. 48. Telegram VS WhatsApp VS Utopia You can get confused in a wide variety of different messengers. Some apps offer versatility, others a user-friendly interface and others guarantee the privacy and security of users. 49. Re-thinking Digital Advertising in a User-First World In order to start making money, user data started being used to serve ads. It was used to predict our future behaviors in order to predict which ads to serve. 50. Why You Have No Choice But Care About Privacy? What is Privacy in the first place? 51. Interview With Kristof De Spiegeleer: We Need a New Internet Which is Not Owned by a Few Kristof De Spiegeleer is a serial entrepreneur who is the co-founder and chairman of the ThreeFold Foundation, where he is building the next generation of IT infrastructure, leveraging the power of the blockchain. 52. Is Your Zoom Meeting Really End-to-End Encrypted? What do you do when your product isn’t encrypted? Change how encryption to is commonly understood. 53. Long "Unbiased" VPN Reviews That Give You The Short End of the Stick [Deep Dive] There's a massive problem in the privacy world. Websites, social media accounts, and other platforms are constantly popping up out of nowhere, telling you to buy The Greatest Service Ever in order to solve all your privacy woes, whatever that may be. These websites often employ marketing teams to make sure their "reviews" are what you see first when you begin your research. Some of them are even operated by VPN providers themselves, operating under anonymous business entities to hide their bias, or doing it right out in the open, hoping you'll mistake their advertising-filled press releases and blogs as insider knowledge of the VPN space. 54. Exploring 3 Drawbacks To VPN Usage: Do VPNs Really Protect Your Privacy? Let’s take a look at the three key issues associated with Virtual Private Networks while questioning whether they’re really as private as we’re led to believe. 55. Keeping Your Smartphone Data Safe in the Age of Remote Work Let’s take a look at how businesses can encourage employees to better look after their data securely while on the go. 56. What are the Cypherpunks Fighting For? Cypherpunks hold an ideology that states that privacy is an essential component of freedom and without privacy, one cannot have true freedom of speech. 57. The Coronavirus Cover-Up: A Closer Look At Internet Censorship in China I am writing this in transit between Helsinki and Vilnius. I’ve got a mask on, and it’s uncomfortable. But I shouldn’t complain - the mask itself was a godsend - given the nationwide shortage of masks, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes in Singapore. 58. Have You Contacted Your Reps to Help Block the EARN IT Act Yet? As the world finds itself preoccupied with COVID-19, the United States government is trying to pass a law to ban encryption. It's called the EARN IT act, and while it claims to combat the sexual exploitation of children online, it has potentially devastating repercussions for encryption and companies that use it to protect your privacy online. 59. We've Mistaken Facebook For What It's Not Image Credit: Wallpapercave 60. De-Google-ify Your Website [A How-To Guide] Did you know that 94% of sites include at least one third-party resource while the median page requests content from 9 different domains? These third-party resources represent 35% of the total network activity and 7 of the 10 most used resources are owned by Google. 61. The Case for The Defence: Securing The Future With VPN Technology According to statistics, hackers attack every 39 seconds - at a rate of 2,244 times each day. As the world begins to brace itself for another year set to be disrupted by Covid complications and more working from home, it seems essential that we do what we can to make sure our devices are as secure as possible as we work, study, and play away using our own servers. 62. What Will Happen to The Marketing Industry After Third-Party Cookies Are Eliminated? By 2022, Google plans to entirely eliminate third-party cookie tracking in Chrome browser. The post-cookie AtTech market is shaking up — here is what to expect. 63. The Problem with Centralized Internet Corporations' increasing control over the internet is threatening our digital freedom. Let's try and learn why decentralized internet is the future. 64. Are Zoom's Encryption Claims Deceptive? What do you do when your product isn’t encrypted? Change how encryption to is commonly understood. 65. How We Pay For Free Websites With Our Privacy An array of free website-building tools, many offered by ad-tech and ad-funded companies, has led to a dizzying number of trackers loading on users’ browsers. 66. It's Time to Normalize Speaking Out About Internet Safety GIVE Nation marks Safer Internet Day with a conversation around privacy, particularly for parents. 67. Bits and Bytes and Data Delights Limarc Ambalina, Ellen Stevens, and Amy Tom chat about data privacy ☠️ Humans are in loooove with the internet, and data production is becoming more rampant and 68. How Decentralized Can We Get in The Modern World? (Podcast Transcript) In this episode, Amy & Sharmini (CMO at Mysterium Network) chat about whether it's possible to achieve anonymity and decentralization from the modern Internet. Thank you for checking out the 68 most read stories about Internet Privacy on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

68 Stories To Learn About Internet Privacy

351 Stories To Learn About Data Security

Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . The Lookalofts and the Greenacres here The Lookalofts and the Greenacres On the whole, Miss Thorne's provision for the amusement and feeding of the outer classes in the exoteric paddock was not unsuccessful. Two little drawbacks to the general happiness did take place, but they were of a temporary nature, and apparent rather than real. The first was the downfall of young Harry Greenacre, and the other the uprise of Mrs. Lookaloft and her family. As to the quintain, it became more popular among the boys on foot than it would ever have been among the men on horseback, even had young Greenacre been more successful. It was twirled round and round till it was nearly twirled out of the ground, and the bag of flour was used with great gusto in powdering the backs and heads of all who could be coaxed within its vicinity. Of course it was reported all through the assemblage that Harry was dead, and there was a pathetic scene between him and his mother when it was found that he had escaped scatheless from the fall. A good deal of beer was drunk on the occasion, and the quintain was "dratted" and "bothered," and very generally anathematized by all the mothers who had young sons likely to be placed in similar jeopardy. But the affair of Mrs. Lookaloft was of a more serious nature. "I do tell 'ee plainly—face to face—she be there in madam's drawing-room; herself and Gussy, and them two walloping gals, dressed up to their very eyeses." This was said by a very positive, very indignant, and very fat farmer's wife, who was sitting on the end of a bench leaning on the handle of a huge, cotton umbrella. "But: you didn't zee her, Dame Guffern?" said Mrs. Greenacre, whom this information, joined to the recent peril undergone by her son, almost overpowered. Mr. Greenacre held just as much land as Mr. Lookaloft, paid his rent quite as punctually, and his opinion in the vestry room was reckoned to be every whit as good. Mrs. Lookaloft's rise in the world had been wormwood to Mrs. Greenacre. She had no taste herself for the sort of finery which had converted Barleystubb farm into Rosebank and which had occasionally graced Mr. Lookaloft's letters with the dignity of esquirehood. She had no wish to convert her own homestead into Violet Villa, or to see her goodman go about with a new-fangled handle to his name. But it was a mortal injury to her that Mrs. Lookaloft should be successful in her hunt after such honours. She had abused and ridiculed Mrs. Lookaloft to the extent of her little power. She had pushed against her going out of church, and had excused herself with all the easiness of equality. "Ah, dame, I axes pardon, but you be grown so mortal stout these times." She had inquired with apparent cordiality of Mr. Lookaloft after "the woman that owned him," and had, as she thought, been on the whole able to hold her own pretty well against her aspiring neighbour. Now, however, she found herself distinctly put into a separate and inferior class. Mrs. Lookaloft was asked into the Ullathorne drawing-room merely because she called her house Rosebank and had talked over her husband into buying pianos and silk dresses instead of putting his money by to stock farms for his sons. Mrs. Greenacre, much as she reverenced Miss Thorne, and highly as she respected her husband's landlord, could not but look on this as an act of injustice done to her and hers. Hitherto the Lookalofts had never been recognized as being of a different class from the Greenacres. Their pretensions were all self-pretensions, their finery was all paid for by themselves and not granted to them by others. The local sovereigns of the vicinity, the district fountains of honour, had hitherto conferred on them the stamp of no rank. Hitherto their crinoline petticoats, late hours, and mincing gait had been a fair subject of Mrs. Greenacre's raillery, and this raillery had been a safety-valve for her envy. Now, however, and from henceforward, the case would be very different. Now the Lookalofts would boast that their aspirations had been sanctioned by the gentry of the country; now they would declare with some show of truth that their claims to peculiar consideration had been recognized. They had sat as equal guests in the presence of bishops and baronets; they had been curtseyed to by Miss Thorne on her own drawing-room carpet; they were about to sit down to table in company with a live countess! Bab Lookaloft, as she had always been called by the young Greenacres in the days of their juvenile equality, might possibly sit next to the Honourable George, and that wretched Gussy might be permitted to hand a custard to the Lady Margaretta De Courcy. The fruition of those honours, or such of them as fell to the lot of the envied family, was not such as should have caused much envy. The attention paid to the Lookalofts by the De Courcys was very limited, and the amount of entertainment which they received from the bishop's society was hardly in itself a recompense for the dull monotony of their day. But of what they endured Mrs. Greenacre took no account; she thought only of what she considered they must enjoy, and of the dreadfully exalted tone of living which would be manifested by the Rosebank family, as the consequence of their present distinction. "But did 'ee zee 'em there, dame, did 'ee zee 'em there with your own eyes?" asked poor Mrs. Greenacre, still hoping that there might be some ground for doubt. "And how could I do that, unless so be I was there myself?" asked Mrs. Guffern. "I didn't zet eyes on none of them this blessed morning, but I zee'd them as did. You know our John; well, he will be for keeping company with Betsey Rusk, madam's own maid, you know. And Betsey isn't none of your common kitchen wenches. So Betsey, she come out to our John, you know, and she's always vastly polite to me, is Betsey Rusk, I must say. So before she took so much as one turn with John she told me every ha'porth that was going on up in the house." "Did she now?" said Mrs. Greenacre. "Indeed she did," said Mrs. Guffern. "And she told you them people was up there in the drawing-room?" "She told me she zee'd 'em come in—that they was dressed finer by half nor any of the family, with all their neckses and buzoms stark naked as a born babby." "The minxes!" exclaimed Mrs. Greenacre, who felt herself more put about by this than any other mark of aristocratic distinction which her enemies had assumed. "Yes, indeed," continued Mrs. Guffern, "as naked as you please, while all the quality was dressed just as you and I be, Mrs. Greenacre." "Drat their impudence," said Mrs. Greenacre, from whose well-covered bosom all milk of human kindness was receding, as far as the family of the Lookalofts were concerned. "So says I," said Mrs. Guffern; "and so says my goodman, Thomas Guffern, when he hear'd it. 'Molly,' says he to me, 'if ever you takes to going about o' mornings with yourself all naked in them ways, I begs you won't come back no more to the old house.' So says I, 'Thomas, no more I wull.' 'But,' says he, 'drat it, how the deuce does she manage with her rheumatiz, and she not a rag on her;'" and Mrs. Guffern laughed loudly as she thought of Mrs. Lookaloft's probable sufferings from rheumatic attacks. "But to liken herself that way to folk that ha' blood in their veins," said Mrs. Greenacre. "Well, but that warn't all neither that Betsey told. There they all swelled into madam's drawing-room, like so many turkey cocks, as much as to say, 'and who dare say no to us?' and Gregory was thinking of telling of 'em to come down here, only his heart failed him 'cause of the grand way they was dressed. So in they went, but madam looked at them as glum as death." "Well, now," said Mrs. Greenacre, greatly relieved, "so they wasn't axed different from us at all then?" "Betsey says that Gregory says that madam wasn't a bit too well pleased to see them where they was, and that to his believing they was expected to come here just like the rest of us." There was great consolation in this. Not that Mrs. Greenacre was altogether satisfied. She felt that justice to herself demanded that Mrs. Lookaloft should not only not be encouraged, but that she should also be absolutely punished. What had been done at that scriptural banquet, of which Mrs. Greenacre so often read the account to her family? Why had not Miss Thorne boldly gone to the intruder and said, "Friend, thou hast come up hither to high places not fitted to thee. Go down lower, and thou wilt find thy mates." Let the Lookalofts be treated at the present moment with ever so cold a shoulder, they would still be enabled to boast hereafter of their position, their aspirations, and their honour. "Well, with all her grandeur, I do wonder that she be so mean," continued Mrs. Greenacre, unable to dismiss the subject. "Did you hear, goodman?" she went on, about to repeat the whole story to her husband who then came up. "There's Dame Lookaloft and Bab and Gussy and the lot of 'em all sitting as grand as fivepence in madam's drawing-room, and they not axed no more nor you nor me. Did you ever hear tell the like o' that?" "Well, and what for shouldn't they?" said Farmer Greenacre. "Likening theyselves to the quality, as though they was estated folk, or the like o' that!" said Mrs. Guffern. "Well, if they likes it, and madam likes it, they's welcome for me," said the farmer. "Now I likes this place better, 'cause I be more at home-like, and don't have to pay for them fine clothes for the missus. Everyone to his taste, Mrs. Guffern, and if neighbour Lookaloft thinks that he has the best of it, he's welcome." Mrs. Greenacre sat down by her husband's side to begin the heavy work of the banquet, and she did so in some measure with restored tranquillity, but nevertheless she shook her head at her gossip to show that in this instance she did not quite approve of her husband's doctrine. "And I'll tell 'ee what, dames," continued he; "if so be that we cannot enjoy the dinner that madam gives us because Mother Lookaloft is sitting up there on a grand sofa, I think we ought all to go home. If we greet at that, what'll we do when true sorrow comes across us? How would you be now, Dame, if the boy there had broke his neck when he got the tumble?" Mrs. Greenacre was humbled and said nothing further on the matter. But let prudent men such as Mr. Greenacre preach as they will, the family of the Lookalofts certainly does occasion a good deal of heart-burning in the world at large. It was pleasant to see Mr. Plomacy as, leaning on his stout stick, he went about among the rural guests, acting as a sort of head constable as well as master of the revels. "Now, young'un, if you can't manage to get along without that screeching, you'd better go to the other side of the twelve-acre field and take your dinner with you. Come, girls, what do you stand there for, twirling of your thumbs? Come out, and let the lads see you; you've no need to be so ashamed of your faces. Hollo there, who are you? How did you make your way in here?" This last disagreeable question was put to a young man of about twenty-four who did not, in Mr. Plomacy's eye, bear sufficient vestiges of a rural education and residence. "If you please, your Worship, Master Barrell the coachman let me in at the church wicket, 'cause I do be working mostly al'ays for the family." "Then Master Barrell the coachman may let you out again," said Mr. Plomacy, not even conciliated by the magisterial dignity which had been conceded to him. "What's your name? And what trade are you? And who do you work for?" "I'm Stubbs, your worship, Bob Stubbs; and—and—and—" "And what's your trade, Stubbs?" "Plasterer, please your worship." "I'll plaster you, and Barrell too; you'll just walk out of this 'ere field as quick as you walked in. We don't want no plasterers; when we do, we'll send for 'em. Come my buck, walk." Stubbs the plasterer was much downcast at this dreadful edict. He was a sprightly fellow, and had contrived since his ingress into the Ullathorne elysium to attract to himself a forest nymph, to whom he was whispering a plasterer's usual soft nothings, when he was encountered by the great Mr. Plomacy. It was dreadful to be thus dissevered from his dryad and sent howling back to a Barchester pandemonium just as the nectar and ambrosia were about to descend on the fields of asphodel. He began to try what prayers would do, but city prayers were vain against the great rural potentate. Not only did Mr. Plomacy order his exit but, raising his stick to show the way which led to the gate that had been left in the custody of that false Cerberus Barrell, proceeded himself to see the edict of banishment carried out. The goddess Mercy, however, the sweetest goddess that ever sat upon a cloud, and the dearest to poor, frail, erring man, appeared on the field in the person of Mr. Greenacre. Never was interceding goddess more welcome. "Come, man," said Mr. Greenacre, "never stick at trifles such a day as this. I know the lad well. Let him bide at my axing. Madam won't miss what he can eat and drink, I know." Now Mr. Plomacy and Mr. Greenacre were sworn friends. Mr. Plomacy had at his own disposal as comfortable a room as there was in Ullathorne House, but he was a bachelor, and alone there, and, moreover, smoking in the house was not allowed even to Mr. Plomacy. His moments of truest happiness were spent in a huge armchair in the warmest corner of Mrs. Greenacre's beautifully clean front kitchen. 'Twas there that the inner man dissolved itself and poured itself out in streams of pleasant chat; 'twas there that he was respected and yet at his ease; 'twas there, and perhaps there only, that he could unburden himself from the ceremonies of life without offending the dignity of those above him, or incurring the familiarity of those below. 'Twas there that his long pipe was always to be found on the accustomed chimney-board, not only permitted but encouraged. Such being the state of the case, it was not to be supposed that Mr. Plomacy could refuse such a favour to Mr. Greenacre; but nevertheless he did not grant it without some further show of austere authority. "Eat and drink, Mr. Greenacre! No. It's not what he eats and drinks, but the example such a chap shows, coming in where he's not invited—a chap of his age, too. He too that never did a day's work about Ullathorne since he was born. Plasterer! I'll plaster him!" "He worked long enough for me, then, Mr. Plomacy. And a good hand he is at setting tiles as any in Barchester," said the other, not sticking quite to veracity, as indeed mercy never should. "Come, come, let him alone to-day and quarrel with him to-morrow. You wouldn't shame him before his lass there?" "It goes against the grain with me, then," said Mr. Plomacy. "And take care, you Stubbs, and behave yourself. If I hear a row, I shall know where it comes from. I'm up to you Barchester journeymen; I know what stuff you're made of." And so Stubbs went off happy, pulling at the forelock of his shock head of hair in honour of the steward's clemency and giving another double pull at it in honour of the farmer's kindness. And as he went he swore within his grateful heart that if ever Farmer Greenacre wanted a day's work done for nothing, he was the lad to do it for him. Which promise it was not probable that he would ever be called on to perform. But Mr. Plomacy was not quite happy in his mind, for he thought of the unjust steward and began to reflect whether he had not made for himself friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. This, however, did not interfere with the manner in which he performed his duties at the bottom of the long board; nor did Mr. Greenacre perform his the worse at the top on account of the good wishes of Stubbs the plasterer. Moreover the guests did not think it anything amiss when Mr. Plomacy, rising to say grace, prayed that God would make them all truly thankful for the good things which Madame Thorne in her great liberality had set before them! All this time the quality in the tent on the lawn were getting on swimmingly—that is, if champagne without restriction can enable quality folk to swim. Sir Harkaway Gorse proposed the health of Miss Thorne, and likened her to a blood race-horse, always in condition and not to be tired down by any amount of work. Mr. Thorne returned thanks, saying he hoped his sister would always be found able to run when called upon, and then gave the health and prosperity of the De Courcy family. His sister was very much honoured by seeing so many of them at her poor board. They were all aware that important avocations made the absence of the earl necessary. As his duty to his prince had called him from his family hearth, he, Mr. Thorne, could not venture to regret that he did not see him at Ullathorne; but nevertheless he would venture to say—that was, to express a wish—an opinion, he meant to say—And so Mr. Thorne became somewhat gravelled, as country gentlemen in similar circumstances usually do; but he ultimately sat down, declaring that he had much satisfaction in drinking the noble earl's health, together with that of the countess, and all the family of De Courcy Castle. And then the Honourable George returned thanks. We will not follow him through the different periods of his somewhat irregular eloquence. Those immediately in his neighbourhood found it at first rather difficult to get him on his legs, but much greater difficulty was soon experienced in inducing him to resume his seat. One of two arrangements should certainly be made in these days: either let all speech-making on festive occasions be utterly tabooed and made as it were impossible; or else let those who are to exercise the privilege be first subjected to a competing examination before the civil-service examining commissioners. As it is now, the Honourable Georges do but little honour to our exertions in favour of British education. In the dining-room the bishop went through the honours of the day with much more neatness and propriety. He also drank Miss Thorne's health, and did it in a manner becoming the bench which he adorned. The party there was perhaps a little more dull, a shade less lively than that in the tent. But what was lost in mirth was fully made up in decorum. And so the banquets passed off at the various tables with great éclat and universal delight. 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. Anthony Trollope (2002). Barchester Towers. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3409/pg3409-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

The Lookalofts and the Greenacres

The Corner Pub.

In Order For Internet Explorer to Rise, Navigator Had to Fall: The Browser Wars

Let's learn about via these 36 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Windows 10 /Learn Repo 1. Precious Tips To Protect Your Microsoft Account Password From Phishing This month security researcher bohops demonstrated a credential harvesting trick that uses Windows theme files. Setting a Windows wallpaper location to a file present at a remote location, for example, a password-protected HTTP(s) page, instead of a locally present image, can be abused for phishing. 2. Still using Windows 7? Here's How You Can Stay Safe In case you haven't heard, Windows 7 has been dead since January 14, 2020. But there's no need to panic just yet! Your computer will still work but it will be much more susceptible to threats such as malware since Microsoft no longer provides any security updates to Windows 7. 3. Microsoft Urges Users Not to Remove Expired Windows 10 Root Certificate The root Windows certificate expires on December 31, but it is still required for the OS to function properly. 4. How to Recover Missing Photos On Windows 10 Lost photos on your Windows 10 system? This blog provide you best method to recover missing or permanently deleted photos from your windows 10 system. 5. How to Set Up Ruby On Rails on Windows 10 Once upon a time, installing Ruby on Windows came with a myriad of problems (at least my search history can attest to that), but things have come a long way. 6. How To Disable Cortana In Windows 10 Cortana is Microsoft’s menial helper that comes incorporated into Windows 10. In case you’re having issues with Cortana, or on the off chance that you don’t need it recording and putting away your own data, there are a couple of approaches to briefly or for all time turn off Cortana in Windows 10. 7. Can Windows Subsystem for Linux Be a Replacement for Dual-Boot Are you one of that guy who just loves the three finger swipe in Windows and almost always ends up using windows for basic web surfing and media consumption? You have tried so hard to install touchegg which promised you the three finger gesture but still failed up anyway. These and many other small reasons have been one of the many reasons that I have been using a dual booted system (Windows & Ubuntu) for the past few years. 8. Speed Up Your Windows 10 With These 10 Tips Just because Windows 10 is the latest version of Microsoft doesn’t mean it’s immune to slow downs. Here are 10 tips you can try to speed up Windows 10: 9. How To Install Bash On Windows 10 Microsoft recently joined hands with Canonical (the parent company of Ubuntu) to bring the entire userland into Windows, minus the Linux Kernel. So as a result, you, as a developer, get access to the whole range of Ubuntu command-line tools and utilities with bash shell integrated with Windows. Let’s look at how we can install Bash on Windows 10 and take full advantage of the new feature. 10. How to Fix IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Driver Issue If you are getting IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error on your screen, then this could be a driver issue. It turns out to be more frustrating when you are doing an essential task on your device. Windows 10 users get this error frequently. But now you can fix this issue by yourself. In this article, you will find different ways to remove the problem from your device. Moreover, the reasons for this issue are also listed in it. 11. How To Use Cortana In The Microsoft Edge Browser Cortana, the menial helper incorporated into Windows 10, empowers you to finish a scope of undertakings by composing or talking easy to use orders into your PC’s amplifier. Empowering Cortana in-program settings in the Microsoft Edge internet browser gives much more advantages. 12. No Sound on Windows 10? Here's the Fix Guide can help you restore and repair no sound on Windows 10 using a few simple tricks of the trade. Just follow this easy guide to get you going. 13. How to Increase Space in C Drive on Windows 10 Without Losing Data If you receive a low disk space warning on your C: drive, you may use the Disk Cleanup utility to remove temporary and unwanted downloaded files. 14. Windows 10 New File Recovery Application Microsoft released its own File Recovery Tool in the Windows Store, making it a lot simpler to choose which device you need on the off chance that you lose a significant bit of information on your PC. 15. A Short Guide to Installing WSL2 and Kali Linux on Windows 10 This guide will show you how to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2) on Windows 10 with Kali Linux. 16. How to Fix Page Fault in Nonpaged Area BSOD Error on Windows 10 Windows 10 users experience a common error PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA. This error occurs when Windows is unable to find the file in memory, which expects it to be found. If the error gets typical, then this will result in BSOD. 17. How You Use Tablet Mode on Windows 10 If you are a user of a touch screen Windows device and use the Windows 10 operating system, then you possibly know about the tablet mode functionality. The tablet mode is a feature that you can find in most modern devices, and it enables you to disable your laptop’s or any Windows device keyboard and turn it into a tablet device. Using this functionality on your Windows device is pretty easy and fun. You can make your computing work much easier and comfortable by using this functionality. Most devices that support this functionality provides you with the option to switch in and out of the tablet mode automatically. If you want, you can also manually enable and disable the tablet mode whenever you need. Now, you can also use this feature on your Windows 10 touch screen device. 18. 5 Tools To Level Up Your Efficiency On Windows 10 Microsoft has done great efforts to improve the user experience and build an active ecosystem for developers. Moreover, Microsoft has completely embraced open source in recent years, there are so many awesome open-source projects developed by Microsoft. 19. How to Fix the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED BSOD Error in Windows 10 The KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED error occurs when the software or applications overwrite each other’s memory. It causes crashing of the software as well as results in a blue screen. 20. How To Check What Motherboard I Have The knowledge of the motherboard is essential for you as it helps you to decide whether you should upgrade your drivers or not. And to what extent you can update your drivers. Someone might suggest you look for the information on your computer system, but that is not understandable to all. We will help you in figuring out your query. 21. How To Setup a Python Virtual Environment on Windows 10 Creating a Python Virtual environment will allow you to work on an isolated copy of Python for specific projects without interfering or impacting the working of other ongoing projects. 22. Solutions for the 10 Most Annoying Windows 10 Errors Windows has a lot of work to do. 23. How To Run Docker Linux Containers Natively on Windows With Docker Desktop running on WSL 2, users can leverage Linux workspaces and avoid having to maintain both Linux and Windows build scripts. How is it different? 24. Microsoft Is Treating Me Like I'm Stupid Hi. My name is Robert and I own a computer repair business in Australia and I hate Microsoft. 25. 10 Ways Tech Is Increasing Workplace Productivity Productivity in business is the continual effort of applying new methods and techniques. In simple words, productivity is getting quality work done quickly. 26. How to Fix Mouse Scroll Wheel Jumping in Windows 10 [SOLVED] If you're experiencing mouse scroll wheel jumping, you may have outdated, corrupt, or missing drivers. Another likely reason would be incorrectly configured scrolling settings. 27. 5 Simple Ways To Get Rid Of High CPU Usage Troubles on Windows Windows 10 operating system designed and built with tons of microtask to macro modules features, just imagine like an electron bombarded in an “Atom”. Alright, let’s get to the business cut the blah blah story. 28. 5 Tips To Extend Your Battery Life On A Windows Laptop One of the greatest things about having a laptop is being able to bring it anywhere. However, it's not so great when your laptop is running out of battery and there's no outlet in sight. To keep this from happening, here are some things you can do to extend your laptop's battery life: 29. 10 Tricks To Use Your Windows 10 Computer Faster With approximately 55% of computers using Windows 10 worldwide, it is definitely in everyone's interests that we all learn how to use the newest version of Windows in the most efficient way possible! 30. Comparing Linux and Windows 10 IoT for Your Medical Device What is the best OS for medical devices? Should I choose a Microsoft product? Is Linux better than Windows 10 IoT? Read the answers. 31. Try These Steps for Increasing Privacy and Security on Windows 10 Note: Some versions of Windows 10 may not show all the following settings. 32. How to Protect Folders And Files in Windows using Passwords Sometimes, we need to apply a bit of extra protection to the data on our computers. We might want to protect our tax records from prying eyes, or lock away business plans from our competitors. Or we might just want to ensure that any children with access to our device can't access inappropriate content. 33. How to Hack a Windows Machine Like a Pro Hacker In this article, we are going to discuss how we can hack into a windows 10 operating system using some really cool tricks and some highly advanced hardware. 34. How To Get Windows 10 PRO OEM Keys in Under $12 For years now, Windows 10 has been the standard for laptops and mobile phones running on the Windows platform. While many people prefer to tout the benefits of Windows 10software such as Windows 7 and 8, Windows 10 provides an amalgamation of both systems in a way that is truly revolutionary. 35. Insight Into TCP/UDP, Network Vulnerabilities and Defense Approaches This article provides the network vulnerabilities and defense approaches, with a focus on all the TCP and UDP ports, Port vulnerability, and learn more about Windows, Linux server operation guide. 36. A Closer Look At Brute Hacking Framework With A Source Code Example hacking framework complete source-code for web, wifi, url, sql-injection and doing a complete web scan for starters. Thank you for checking out the 36 most read stories about Windows 10 on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

36 Stories To Learn About Windows 10

Let's change the definition of Android Launchers...for the greater good! Homescreen Launchers are often those bloated GUI pages where you have to painfully search your application icon and after finally finding it, click on it and wait till eternity till your Launcher starts to open it!😪😴😰 Also, there is an even bigger issue, which most of us don't realize: Distraction With so many apps making a visual impression on your mind about their presence, every time you , you involuntarily get an urge to open them. I mean, when was the last time you opened Instagram out of Won't be easy to recall I bet! Instagram thrives because of 2 major strategies which it uses to repeatedly onboard users. The first one is well-known: Notifications. Its algorithm selectively pushes notifications on your drawer that are most probably bound to pique your interest and you find yourself clicking it. The solution to this problem is simple as you would have guessed it. No need to repeat that. unlock your phone or close an app need? What concerns me is the second lesser-known strategy that not only benefits Instagram but all apps that monetize your attention. And that, my dear friends, is *(lo and behold)..................* your phone's in-built Launcher. We often find ourselves checking out our phones when there's nothing to do. Whether you're sitting alone, waiting for your bus, waiting for the next professor to come for the lecture, walking to the canteen, starting some work, going to bed...or just bored, you casually put your hand in the pocket and bring that Yantra ( for "device") out. You unlock it and glance at the apps. You find one cute shiny icon asking you to tap on it. You pity that icon and fulfill its request. And boom...15-20 minutes of your life . You could have used that time to reflect upon yourself. Sanskrit wasted Now I know that it is boring, but boredom is actually good for us. Social neuroscientists have found that the brain has a default network mode that is on when we're disengaged from doing. Boredom can actually foster creative ideas, refilling your dwindling reservoir, replenishing your work mojo, and providing an incubation period for embryonic work ideas to hatch. “We’re training and conditioning a whole new generation of people that when we are uncomfortable or lonely or uncertain or afraid we have a digital pacifier for ourselves that is kind of atrophying our own ability to deal with that.” — Tristan Harris, former design ethicist at Google Do you know that Smartphone manufacturers also have a secondary business model: Pre-installed apps. A found that pre-installed apps in Android phones are used for data collection, tracking, and monitoring, without the user's knowledge. Apart from this, it also increases the app's popularity as more people have to compulsorily see it on their launchers. Manufacturers obviously get paid huge amounts of money for this. The problem that is related in this context is that the user is eventually going to open that app once to see what it is and then the algorithms are always there to make him a repeating user. study Quick note: Social media is probably the best invention in consumer software and I am in no way rallying against it. I just think that people should be more aware of where they spend their time. No Hard-feelings :) Ok, so have you got any solution? I have attempted it, I'd say... As we saw that the root problem here is the Launcher. That is what us. Besides, that is what we can control! I mean, who is gonna ask apps to stop being so addictive and manufacturers to stop pre-installing them? baits So as simple as it is, let's change the Launcher.🥳 Now there are many launchers out there. I have tried a few of them. But I found that they are all bloated and/or slow. I wanted something that is fast, minimal, and customizable. Also, there is no point of a GUI launcher a Launcher that has apps displayed as icons. Is there a launcher without icons? i.e. Wait...What? Turns out there are a few...Yes! There's a whole class of Launchers known as (Command-Line Interface) . They work in the command line. There is no fancy UI to mess with, and what you get is a very powerful tool. You enter commands to do everything like opening apps. Now before you close this article thinking that it's not for you...wait a sec. Though it can be intimidating and tough to use at first, it has a pool of advantages to offer you: CLI Launchers No distraction No bloated GUI Fast Customizable Minimal Powerful Cool But how does it solve the problem? When you unlock your phone, you now see a command-line terminal that waits for you to order what you want to do, rather than distracting you by presenting a collection of all apps as icons. You wanna see the news? Just type and hit Enter. You wanna listen to music, just type or create a shortcut named and hit Enter. In fact, you don't even need to type it completely, as there is auto-complete available for all that. news open Spotify music Studies show that the quality of a decision made by a human is inversely proportional to the choices offered to her. So when you are not bombarded with so many choices of apps whenever you unlock your device, you are more likely to make a good use of your time. This way, you get to select how you want to use your time. There are a ton of other features available in the Launcher I am referring to, like a simple todo utility so you can focus on your tasks, setting custom themes and wallpapers, weather reports, simplified Google searches and custom scripts to name a few. You can even automate tasks that you perform every time you open your phone. What's it called? I named it . As I mentioned, Yantra literally means "Device" or "machine" so it's just a plain and simple Launcher for your device, in its purest purpose. Yantra Launcher How to use it? Yantra Launcher is available for download on . Once it's downloaded, open it, and that's the CLI you get. Type and hit Enter to get a list of all commands. Believe me, it's much easier to use than what you anticipate. Play Store help Why only Yantra Launcher? As I said, there are a few other CLI Launchers available in store but they all fall into at least one of the following categories: They are too advanced for a normal user. You need to be quite good in programming to use them conveniently They lack basic functionalities They are no longer maintained. They are so focussed on being cool that they forgot their original purpose: Lesser Distraction, more Power and Speed. Basically, they bloat your screen with fake hacking images. Yantra Launcher aims to be a sweet spot between them where you will eventually learn to use its powers and hopefully embrace them. Whether you're not a programmer or you're well-versed in it, Yantra launcher has a lot to offer you. Conclusion Yantra Launcher is a simple, minimal, and powerful CLI Launcher. It's not for everyone but it's for those who want to get the most out of their time. So that's it. I hope you liked this article. If you did, please share it with your friends and family. Also, if you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know via the comments or in the section of Play Store. I would love to hear from you. That helps me in improving the User Experience for everyone. reviews Thank you for reading. Have a nice day!

Swap Your Android GUI to Boost Your Productivity by up to 100x

The Four Fists

The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . JULIUS TELLS A STORY CHAPTER XI. JULIUS TELLS A STORY Dressed appropriately, Tuppence duly sallied forth for her “afternoon out.” Albert was in temporary abeyance, but Tuppence went herself to the stationer’s to make quite sure that nothing had come for her. Satisfied on this point, she made her way to the Ritz. On inquiry she learnt that Tommy had not yet returned. It was the answer she had expected, but it was another nail in the coffin of her hopes. She resolved to appeal to Mr. Carter, telling him when and where Tommy had started on his quest, and asking him to do something to trace him. The prospect of his aid revived her mercurial spirits, and she next inquired for Julius Hersheimmer. The reply she got was to the effect that he had returned about half an hour ago, but had gone out immediately. Tuppence’s spirits revived still more. It would be something to see Julius. Perhaps he could devise some plan for finding out what had become of Tommy. She wrote her note to Mr. Carter in Julius’s sitting-room, and was just addressing the envelope when the door burst open. “What the hell——” began Julius, but checked himself abruptly. “I beg your pardon, Miss Tuppence. Those fools down at the office would have it that Beresford wasn’t here any longer—hadn’t been here since Wednesday. Is that so?” Tuppence nodded. “You don’t know where he is?” she asked faintly. “I? How should I know? I haven’t had one darned word from him, though I wired him yesterday morning.” “I expect your wire’s at the office unopened.” “But where is he?” “I don’t know. I hoped you might.” “I tell you I haven’t had one darned word from him since we parted at the depot on Wednesday.” “What depot?” “Waterloo. Your London and South Western road.” “Waterloo?” frowned Tuppence. “Why, yes. Didn’t he tell you?” “I haven’t seen him either,” replied Tuppence impatiently. “Go on about Waterloo. What were you doing there?” “He gave me a call. Over the phone. Told me to get a move on, and hustle. Said he was trailing two crooks.” “Oh!” said Tuppence, her eyes opening. “I see. Go on.” “I hurried along right away. Beresford was there. He pointed out the crooks. The big one was mine, the guy you bluffed. Tommy shoved a ticket into my hand and told me to get aboard the cars. He was going to sleuth the other crook.” Julius paused. “I thought for sure you’d know all this.” “Julius,” said Tuppence firmly, “stop walking up and down. It makes me giddy. Sit down in that armchair, and tell me the whole story with as few fancy turns of speech as possible.” Mr. Hersheimmer obeyed. “Sure,” he said. “Where shall I begin?” “Where you left off. At Waterloo.” “Well,” began Julius, “I got into one of your dear old-fashioned first-class British compartments. The train was just off. First thing I knew a guard came along and informed me mighty politely that I wasn’t in a smoking-carriage. I handed him out half a dollar, and that settled that. I did a bit of prospecting along the corridor to the next coach. Whittington was there right enough. When I saw the skunk, with his big sleek fat face, and thought of poor little Jane in his clutches, I felt real mad that I hadn’t got a gun with me. I’d have tickled him up some. “We got to Bournemouth all right. Whittington took a cab and gave the name of an hotel. I did likewise, and we drove up within three minutes of each other. He hired a room, and I hired one too. So far it was all plain sailing. He hadn’t the remotest notion that anyone was on to him. Well, he just sat around in the hotel lounge, reading the papers and so on, till it was time for dinner. He didn’t hurry any over that either. “I began to think that there was nothing doing, that he’d just come on the trip for his health, but I remembered that he hadn’t changed for dinner, though it was by way of being a slap-up hotel, so it seemed likely enough that he’d be going out on his real business afterwards. “Sure enough, about nine o’clock, so he did. Took a car across the town—mighty pretty place by the way, I guess I’ll take Jane there for a spell when I find her—and then paid it off and struck out along those pine-woods on the top of the cliff. I was there too, you understand. We walked, maybe, for half an hour. There’s a lot of villas all the way along, but by degrees they seemed to get more and more thinned out, and in the end we got to one that seemed the last of the bunch. Big house it was, with a lot of piny grounds around it. “It was a pretty black night, and the carriage drive up to the house was dark as pitch. I could hear him ahead, though I couldn’t see him. I had to walk carefully in case he might get on to it that he was being followed. I turned a curve and I was just in time to see him ring the bell and get admitted to the house. I just stopped where I was. It was beginning to rain, and I was soon pretty near soaked through. Also, it was almighty cold. “Whittington didn’t come out again, and by and by I got kind of restive, and began to mouch around. All the ground floor windows were shuttered tight, but upstairs, on the first floor (it was a two-storied house) I noticed a window with a light burning and the curtains not drawn. “Now, just opposite to that window, there was a tree growing. It was about thirty foot away from the house, maybe, and I sort of got it into my head that, if I climbed up that tree, I’d very likely be able to see into that room. Of course, I knew there was no reason why Whittington should be in that room rather than in any other—less reason, in fact, for the betting would be on his being in one of the reception-rooms downstairs. But I guess I’d got the hump from standing so long in the rain, and anything seemed better than going on doing nothing. So I started up. “It wasn’t so easy, by a long chalk! The rain had made the boughs mighty slippery, and it was all I could do to keep a foothold, but bit by bit I managed it, until at last there I was level with the window. “But then I was disappointed. I was too far to the left. I could only see sideways into the room. A bit of curtain, and a yard of wallpaper was all I could command. Well, that wasn’t any manner of good to me, but just as I was going to give it up, and climb down ignominiously, some one inside moved and threw his shadow on my little bit of wall—and, by gum, it was Whittington! “After that, my blood was up. I’d just got to get a look into that room. It was up to me to figure out how. I noticed that there was a long branch running out from the tree in the right direction. If I could only swarm about half-way along it, the proposition would be solved. But it was mighty uncertain whether it would bear my weight. I decided I’d just got to risk that, and I started. Very cautiously, inch by inch, I crawled along. The bough creaked and swayed in a nasty fashion, and it didn’t do to think of the drop below, but at last I got safely to where I wanted to be. “The room was medium-sized, furnished in a kind of bare hygienic way. There was a table with a lamp on it in the middle of the room, and sitting at that table, facing towards me, was Whittington right enough. He was talking to a woman dressed as a hospital nurse. She was sitting with her back to me, so I couldn’t see her face. Although the blinds were up, the window itself was shut, so I couldn’t catch a word of what they said. Whittington seemed to be doing all the talking, and the nurse just listened. Now and then she nodded, and sometimes she’d shake her head, as though she were answering questions. He seemed very emphatic—once or twice he beat with his fist on the table. The rain had stopped now, and the sky was clearing in that sudden way it does. “Presently, he seemed to get to the end of what he was saying. He got up, and so did she. He looked towards the window and asked something—I guess it was whether it was raining. Anyway, she came right across and looked out. Just then the moon came out from behind the clouds. I was scared the woman would catch sight of me, for I was full in the moonlight. I tried to move back a bit. The jerk I gave was too much for that rotten old branch. With an almighty crash, down it came, and Julius P. Hersheimmer with it!” “Oh, Julius,” breathed Tuppence, “how exciting! Go on.” “Well, luckily for me, I pitched down into a good soft bed of earth—but it put me out of action for the time, sure enough. The next thing I knew, I was lying in bed with a hospital nurse (not Whittington’s one) on one side of me, and a little black-bearded man with gold glasses, and medical man written all over him, on the other. He rubbed his hands together, and raised his eyebrows as I stared at him. ‘Ah!’ he said. ‘So our young friend is coming round again. Capital. Capital.’ “I did the usual stunt. Said: ‘What’s happened?’ And ‘Where am I?’ But I knew the answer to the last well enough. There’s no moss growing on my brain. ‘I think that’ll do for the present, sister,’ said the little man, and the nurse left the room in a sort of brisk well-trained way. But I caught her handing me out a look of deep curiosity as she passed through the door. “That look of hers gave me an idea. ‘Now then, doc,’ I said, and tried to sit up in bed, but my right foot gave me a nasty twinge as I did so. ‘A slight sprain,’ explained the doctor. ‘Nothing serious. You’ll be about again in a couple of days.’” “I noticed you walked lame,” interpolated Tuppence. Julius nodded, and continued: “‘How did it happen?’ I asked again. He replied dryly. ‘You fell, with a considerable portion of one of my trees, into one of my newly planted flower-beds.’ “I liked the man. He seemed to have a sense of humour. I felt sure that he, at least, was plumb straight. ‘Sure, doc,’ I said, ‘I’m sorry about the tree, and I guess the new bulbs will be on me. But perhaps you’d like to know what I was doing in your garden?’ ‘I think the facts do call for an explanation,’ he replied. ‘Well, to begin with, I wasn’t after the spoons.’ “He smiled. ‘My first theory. But I soon altered my mind. By the way, you are an American, are you not?’ I told him my name. ‘And you?’ ‘I am Dr. Hall, and this, as you doubtless know, is my private nursing home.’ “I didn’t know, but I wasn’t going to put him wise. I was just thankful for the information. I liked the man, and I felt he was straight, but I wasn’t going to give him the whole story. For one thing he probably wouldn’t have believed it. “I made up my mind in a flash. ‘Why, doctor,’ I said, ‘I guess I feel an almighty fool, but I owe it to you to let you know that it wasn’t the Bill Sikes business I was up to.’ Then I went on and mumbled out something about a girl. I trotted out the stern guardian business, and a nervous breakdown, and finally explained that I had fancied I recognized her among the patients at the home, hence my nocturnal adventures. I guess it was just the kind of story he was expecting. ‘Quite a romance,’ he said genially, when I’d finished. ‘Now, doc,’ I went on, ‘will you be frank with me? Have you here now, or have you had here at any time, a young girl called Jane Finn?’ He repeated the name thoughtfully. ‘Jane Finn?’ he said. ‘No.’ “I was chagrined, and I guess I showed it. ‘You are sure?’ ‘Quite sure, Mr. Hersheimmer. It is an uncommon name, and I should not have been likely to forget it.’ “Well, that was flat. It laid me out for a space. I’d kind of hoped my search was at an end. ‘That’s that,’ I said at last. ‘Now, there’s another matter. When I was hugging that darned branch I thought I recognized an old friend of mine talking to one of your nurses.’ I purposely didn’t mention any name because, of course, Whittington might be calling himself something quite different down here, but the doctor answered at once. ‘Mr. Whittington, perhaps?’ ‘That’s the fellow,’ I replied. ‘What’s he doing down here? Don’t tell me his nerves are out of order?’ “Dr. Hall laughed. ‘No. He came down to see one of my nurses, Nurse Edith, who is a niece of his.’ ‘Why, fancy that!’ I exclaimed. ‘Is he still here?’ ‘No, he went back to town almost immediately.’ ‘What a pity!’ I ejaculated. ‘But perhaps I could speak to his niece—Nurse Edith, did you say her name was?’ “But the doctor shook his head. ‘I’m afraid that, too, is impossible. Nurse Edith left with a patient to-night also.’ ‘I seem to be real unlucky,’ I remarked. ‘Have you Mr. Whittington’s address in town? I guess I’d like to look him up when I get back.’ ‘I don’t know his address. I can write to Nurse Edith for it if you like.’ I thanked him. ‘Don’t say who it is wants it. I’d like to give him a little surprise.’ “That was about all I could do for the moment. Of course, if the girl was really Whittington’s niece, she might be too cute to fall into the trap, but it was worth trying. Next thing I did was to write out a wire to Beresford saying where I was, and that I was laid up with a sprained foot, and telling him to come down if he wasn’t busy. I had to be guarded in what I said. However, I didn’t hear from him, and my foot soon got all right. It was only ricked, not really sprained, so to-day I said good-bye to the little doctor chap, asked him to send me word if he heard from Nurse Edith, and came right away back to town. Say, Miss Tuppence, you’re looking mighty pale!” “It’s Tommy,” said Tuppence. “What can have happened to him?” “Buck up, I guess he’s all right really. Why shouldn’t he be? See here, it was a foreign-looking guy he went off after. Maybe they’ve gone abroad—to Poland, or something like that?” Tuppence shook her head. “He couldn’t without passports and things. Besides I’ve seen that man, Boris Something, since. He dined with Mrs. Vandemeyer last night.” “Mrs. Who?” “I forgot. Of course you don’t know all that.” “I’m listening,” said Julius, and gave vent to his favourite expression. “Put me wise.” Tuppence thereupon related the events of the last two days. Julius’s astonishment and admiration were unbounded. “Bully for you! Fancy you a menial. It just tickles me to death!” Then he added seriously: “But say now, I don’t like it, Miss Tuppence, I sure don’t. You’re just as plucky as they make ‘em, but I wish you’d keep right out of this. These crooks we’re up against would as soon croak a girl as a man any day.” “Do you think I’m afraid?” said Tuppence indignantly, valiantly repressing memories of the steely glitter in Mrs. Vandemeyer’s eyes. “I said before you were darned plucky. But that doesn’t alter facts.” “Oh, bother me!” said Tuppence impatiently. “Let’s think about what can have happened to Tommy. I’ve written to Mr. Carter about it,” she added, and told him the gist of her letter. Julius nodded gravely. “I guess that’s good as far as it goes. But it’s for us to get busy and do something.” “What can we do?” asked Tuppence, her spirits rising. “I guess we’d better get on the track of Boris. You say he’s been to your place. Is he likely to come again?” “He might. I really don’t know.” “I see. Well, I guess I’d better buy a car, a slap-up one, dress as a chauffeur and hang about outside. Then if Boris comes, you could make some kind of signal, and I’d trail him. How’s that?” “Splendid, but he mightn’t come for weeks.” “We’ll have to chance that. I’m glad you like the plan.” He rose. “Where are you going?” “To buy the car, of course,” replied Julius, surprised. “What make do you like? I guess you’ll do some riding in it before we’ve finished.” “Oh,” said Tuppence faintly, “I like Rolls-Royces, but——” “Sure,” agreed Julius. “What you say goes. I’ll get one.” “But you can’t at once,” cried Tuppence. “People wait ages sometimes.” “Little Julius doesn’t,” affirmed Mr. Hersheimmer. “Don’t you worry any. I’ll be round in the car in half an hour.” Tuppence got up. “You’re awfully good, Julius. But I can’t help feeling that it’s rather a forlorn hope. I’m really pinning my faith to Mr. Carter.” “Then I shouldn’t.” “Why?” “Just an idea of mine.” “Oh; but he must do something. There’s no one else. By the way, I forgot to tell you of a queer thing that happened this morning.” And she narrated her encounter with Sir James Peel Edgerton. Julius was interested. “What did the guy mean, do you think?” he asked. “I don’t quite know,” said Tuppence meditatively. “But I think that, in an ambiguous, legal, without prejudishish lawyer’s way, he was trying to warn me.” “Why should he?” “I don’t know,” confessed Tuppence. “But he looked kind, and simply awfully clever. I wouldn’t mind going to him and telling him everything.” Somewhat to her surprise, Julius negatived the idea sharply. “See here,” he said, “we don’t want any lawyers mixed up in this. That guy couldn’t help us any.” “Well, I believe he could,” reiterated Tuppence obstinately. “Don’t you think it. So long. I’ll be back in half an hour.” Thirty-five minutes had elapsed when Julius returned. He took Tuppence by the arm, and walked her to the window. “There she is.” “Oh!” said Tuppence with a note of reverence in her voice, as she gazed down at the enormous car. “She’s some pace-maker, I can tell you,” said Julius complacently. “How did you get it?” gasped Tuppence. “She was just being sent home to some bigwig.” “Well?” “I went round to his house,” said Julius. “I said that I reckoned a car like that was worth every penny of twenty thousand dollars. Then I told him that it was worth just about fifty thousand dollars to me if he’d get out.” “Well?” said Tuppence, intoxicated. “Well,” returned Julius, “he got out, that’s all.” 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. Agatha Christie (1998). The Secret Adversary. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1155/pg1155-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 www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

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