Wikipedia has a pretty good definition of workflow: an orchestrated and repeatable pattern of activity, enabled by the systematic organization of resources into processes that transform materials, provide services, or process information. Doing Science involves the workflow of repeating and documenting experiments and the related data analysis. Consequently, managing workflow is critically important for the scientific endeavor. There have been dozens of projects that have built tools to simplify the process of specifying and managing workflow in science. We described some of these in our 2007 book “Workflows for e-Science” and another Wikipedia article gives another list of over a dozen scientific workflow system and this page lists over 200 systems. Many of these systems were so narrowly focused on a single scientific domain or set of applications that they have not seen broad adoption. However, there are a few standouts and some of these have demonstrated they can…
Microsoft is in the process of testing its xCloud game streaming service, but that’s not the only way to get your Xbox games on more devices. The company has also launched a test of its new Xbox game streaming service. This streaming option has more hardware requirements, but it won’t require subscribing to a whole […]
5G is finally here and all the major wireless carriers are rolling out their new networks and churning out devices for the nascent technology. Naturally, everyone is advertising the blazing-fast speeds and telling us that 5G is going to change everything. It’s an exciting time for laptop owners as this might be the year that […]
Many people have been hearing about 5G but have no idea about what it is, it’s capabilities, advantages and disadvantages.5G is the 5th generation mobile network, an advancement of the current 4th generation mobile network.
5G will not only improve inter-connection between people but also communication between machines, objects and other computer systems. Performance, efficiency and a new user experience will be elevated to a new level as a result of the introduction of the new 5th generation mobile network technology. According to the 5G website, ultra-low latency, massive capabilities and uniform user experience are some of the important aspects in the use of 5G network.
The other mobile network generations include the 1G, which introduced the analog voice, 2G-introduced the digital voice and 3G which resulted to mobile data. 4G LTE played a major role in ushering in the era of mobile internet.
Among the benefits of using the 5G network is the provision of a platform for innovation. Connections between several industries will also be enhanced. Artificial intelligence, a move aimed at ensuring computers act and think like human beings will also be further enhanced. The general cost of operations in many industries as a result will be lowered. This due to the high speed of operations, analysis and calculation of critical data associated with The 5th generation network technology.
The performance of the web based applications will be made more improved. There will also a positive impact on the organizations relying on the use of real time computer systems and applications as the efficiency of the systems depends on strict timelines on real time transmission and exchange of data.
According to a study conducted on a landmark 5G economy, it was established that its full effect will be realized around the world around the year 2035. A wide range of industries with a potential of producing goods and services worth $12 trillion will be fully surpported by that time. Creation of job opportunities of up to 22million jobs as a result of the 5G value chain such as app developers, content creators and operators are some of the foreseen positive impacts of the 5G network technology.
For instance, in developed cities like Beijing, China, there could be a possibility of more than one job per person. However, there are still so many applications and systems that are yet to be fully defined and therefore end result of the full ‘5G effect” are unknown
Use Cases and services in 5G
They are categorized into three main types of connected services;
Mission Critical Communication-Remote control of critical tasks, machinery and medical procedures such as robotic surgeries
Internet of Things-provision of extremely low cost solutions through seemless connection of a massive number of sensors embedded in machines and objects through the ability to scale down data rates, power and mobility.
Enhanced mobile Broad band. The speed of our smartphones will be at excellent rates There will also be an introduction of the new immersive experience such as AR and VR with faster, uniform and lower data rates.
By the year 2020, 5G network is expected to be launched across the world. They are still working alongside the existing 3G and 4G networks technology to provide speedier connection that stays online no matter where you are. Verizon was the however the first company to launch its 5G network at the start of April 2019. It’s available only in Chicago and a few other locations where just 2 handsets are currently able to use the New 5G network.
In UK, EE has promised to bring 5G to 10 more cities after a successful launch in 6 cities on May 30th 2019. On July 3rd 2019, Vodafone launched 5G in 7 cities. In London, it was launched on August 19th. It will be coming to mobile this year, as well as 24 more towns and cities.
Howevet, the 5G network technology has its disadvantages too. They include;
Higher data prices for consumers. It will be therefore available to a section of people who are in position to afford the data prices.
The technology is also expensive and hard to implement,
Complexity of the hardware and softwares used hence require qualified and highly trained engineers,
More power usage
Increased heat levels in the planet due to intense radio activity,
In the past few weeks, Kenyans have been asking themselves many questions on the state of the institutions of higher learning. This is after a series of demonstration witnessed in some of the public universities.
On 18th September 2019, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology was closed due to the protests staged by the students against the university’s management. Students claimed that the administration had failed to work on their grievances, including missing marks, insecurity and extension of fee payment deadlines.
Just some weeks after Masinde Muliro University demonstrations, another protests were witnessed in Kenyatta University. It was followed by the closure of the institution with an immediate effect and students were ordered to vacate the university premises. In less than a week later, students of Moi University main campus engaged the police in running battles again.According to them, the University administration had failed to address the issues affecting them as students. As per their Student leaders’ opinions, diplomacy and their efforts to plea and negotiate with the administration had bore no fruits, and therefore, staging a peaceful demonstration was the remaining option. The ‘peace’ was however disrupted by the Iron shirts who were sent to ‘contain the situation’.
Some of the students could be heard saying that the demos by the comrades were peaceful until the rioting policemen disrupted their peace, and so they had to calm them down. Peace was further disrupted after a memo from the VC was released ordering the comrades to vacate the university premises by 12 noon.
Just a few days ago, it has come to our knowledge that several public universities owe the tax man a huge sum of money. According to some of the renowned officials from the KUSO, public universities’ Vice Chancellors together with their administration are the ones creating unfavorable conditions in institutions of higher learning just to make sure students go on a strike. The consequences of the strikes comes with the closure of the Universities, forcing poor students to go home. On resumption of academic programmes, students are compelled to pay destruction fees, ranging from ksh1500-ksh6000, failure to which they will not be allowed to sit for exams.
It’s alleged that this is a new trick used by Vice Chancellors in public universities to raise money to settle their debts with KRA, to avoid the wrath of the tax man. These allegations should however be subjected to intense investigations by the ministries concerned and all the hide and seek games played behind the scenes resulting to chaotic situations of public universities exposed. Students in these institutions are in desperate situations and immediate actions should be taken to ensure comrades enjoy their rights to better education.
Peddlers are progressively devising ways of making it easier for students to access drugs. They, for instance, provide their houses located near campuses as safe havens for students to use the drugs and receive orders and payments via their mobile phones. The dealers know every nook and cranny of the campus neighbourhoods and have established good relationships with students and other residents who watch out for the police and tip them off. If and when caught, the peddlers easily bribe their way to freedom and continue operating unhindered.These dealers find easy customers in students whose lives are in varying states of social flux — from naive and impressionable freshmen who have newly broken free from their parents’ control to frustrated seniors who have failed to secure internships. They sell the drugs to many users in small quantities for maximum profits. “They make good money since a 100g bag of heroin can go for upwards of Sh3,000,” said a student familiar with the peddlers’ dealings.
Drug parties
Once the peddlers become known among drug-abusing students, they get invited to all parties and even begin making deliveries at small fees. As orders for their stash soar, they identify students who serve as delivery boys to help them meet the growing demand. High on the proceeds of the business, they spend most of their time organising drug parties and orgies where attendees partake hard drugs, which often include heroin, cocaine and meth.
“A party is not a party without drugs because we can listen to music at clubs or at home, but we cannot abuse the drugs there,” a university student confesses smoking bhang at the parties.
A security guard at one of the universities in Kenya says: “Parties where drugs are abused are frequent at the beginning of every semester since there’s little coursework assigned to students.” These parties invariably commence on Thursday night, that time when the tension of the study week gets eclipsed by a restive desire to get wild, and continue long into the weekend, with the party-going students suspending all the care in the world.
“Unfortunately, most of the parties end in fights and other ugly incidents such as rape,” said the security guard.
In some universities, good-looking girls and boys use their looks and bodies to cut deals with drug dealers in exchange for sexual favours. Admired by fellow students, they move through campus hostels making deliveries for the drug pushers, earning as much as Sh10,000 a week.
Untouchables
Though a number of universities have guards who frisk students supposedly to check for drugs as they enter the institutions’ compounds, the guards are easily compromised by the drug-dealing students. Some even brag to fellow students that they are untouchable within the school premises, enticing even more peers into helping them to grow the business.The business is lucrative. Some students begin dealing just enough to cover their own addiction, but as they pocket the profits of the trade, their appetites grow and the business flourishes. That is until they begin falling out and fighting over the proceeds of the illicit trade.Unable to involve the law or the school administration for fear of being arrested or being branded a ‘snitch’, they take matters in their own hands, resulting in vicious confrontations that at times lead to death.
Below are some of the major reasons why youth embrace drugs.
1. Peer pressure: Around 95 percent of young people consume drugs because they were introduced to them by their peers. Peer pressure is very high in learning institutions especially secondary schools therefore making majority of the students vulnerable to drug abuse. With this being the major cause of drug abuse, young people are advised to choose their friends wisely and avoid bad companies.
2. Seeking courage: Many young people are quite shy during their adolescent stage and therefore they tend to embrace drugs so that they can have the courage to face some of the situations of life example socializing with the opposite sex. Once they get the courage from drugs, they don’t stop there since drugs become their “courage masterpiece”. They go on and on until they are addicted.
3. Idleness: They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, well this is true because when young people are idle they tend to take drugs in order to feel high and get rid of boredom or to pass time. This is one of the biggest way to faster addiction since a lot of time is spent on taking these drugs. The government has been on the front line to ensure youth don’t idle as this could lead to other social immoralities apart from drug abuse.
4. Eagerness to taste drugs: This is the least cause of drug abuse. People get involved in drug abuse simply because they want to taste and feel thereaction of a certain drug or substance. In the long run the victim will be attracted to these feelings and he or she gets addicted.
The government of Kenya, through the relevant agencies e.g. NACADA should work tirelessly in curbing the drug menace among the youths in our institutions of higher learning.
In the current world, technology has been perceived as a backbone of almost each and every day to day activity. With the invention and use of computers, there has been a rapid development and advancement of new technology. Technology has been through several phases of development and today, Artificial Intelligence is the latest development. The use of computers and new technological tools has been integrated in several sectors including production, manufacturing, Transport and communication and many more.In business operations,it has important effects. No matter the size of the Enterprise, it has both tangible and intangible effects that will help you make more money in a more efficient way. The culture, efficiency and relationships of a business are directly affected by technological infrastructure. Security of confidential information and other trade advantages are also affected. Each and every business requires an effective communication between the clients, customers and the business operators. With the use of mobile phones, communication among all the parties involved in a business is made effective and faster. The use of emails has also enhanced a quick interaction between business owners and their clients. Business websites also allows customers to find answers to their questions. When customers use technology to interact with a business,the business greatly benefits because better communication creates a stronger public image. Efficiency of operations is another positive impact of technology in a business. An Enterprise understands its cash flow needs and preservation of precious resources such as time and space. Warehouse inventory technology lets business owners understand how best to manage the storage costs of holding a product. With proper technology in place, executives can save time by holding meetings over the Internet instead of at corporate headquarters. Most modern businesses are also subject to security threats and vandalism.T can be used to protect financial data, confidential executive decisions and other proprietary information that leads to competitive advantages. In simple terms, technology helps to secure their ideas from their competitors. A business can ensure none of its forthcoming projects can be copied by having computers with password and other encryption measures. However, the use of technology in business has also some negative impacts. Unemployment rates are slowly increasing among the people. This is because some of the works used to be done by people have been replaced the use of computers. Some computer systems are also vulnerable to attack by malicious hackers and cyber criminals. Necessary measures and precautions should be put in consideration before integrating technology with business.
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
What topics do you think you’ll write about?
Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
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