Future of Online News Portals

No one thought that internet which began in the early 1990's would have such a bright future that it will eventually hold such a powerful impact on our lives. Internet which is basically a global system of interconnected networks was made to serve billions of people worldwide irrespective of cast; creed or religion has today replaced many standard conventions of our daily lives. There is no surprise to the fact that most of the traditional media has also been reshaped.

For instance newspaper publishing has been remodeled to Web Sites, blogging and web feeds. When it all started, people were skeptical about the very whole idea of internet let alone forget about the news being remodeled. But as of now there are over a hundred million websites with billions of web pages. People are continuously switching to online media for news and entertainment related content, the reason being that nobody wants to pay for a thing that he/she can get foe free easily. As a result there is a constant slump (including some real big players of the industry) in the sales of the print editions of newspapers.

The online news sites often bring content that belongs to a particular geographical area but no one is complaining. For instance online gateways like India Report present select content from India. This kind of coverage gives the necessary focus which is required for such news related purposes and choice to people. The promise is reflected in the entertainment and sports section of these sites where the videos too are from local milieu keeping in mind the interests and preferences of people.

This kind of strategy of Online News Portals has a good chance of succeeding in near future with newspapers and the television media still lagging behind the online media. There will always be blogs and web feeds to supplement a newspaper or a news channel. Moreover news related content is available to the user as it happens, so no delay in reporting makes it a user friendly platform. Apart from serving news to the local public such portals are also reviving the interest of young generation in news and politics.

They continuously engage their audience by the means of polls, attracting attention with blogs and have an eye-catching photo gallery. As for entertainment these portals offer the content to the user at their convenience and in a crystal clear format with excellent sound quality making user experience an exciting one. The print and the electronic media have their task cut out. The online media have time going for them and there is no stopping them in near future also.

Small Business Should Invest in Big Data and Analytics

Big data returns to huge volumes of structured and unstructured data; however, processing such massive volumes of data via traditional data management tools is inefficient and impossible. To understand big data you have to realize the devices that are collecting it today eg bar code scanners, mobile cameras, CCTV cameras, motion sensors, smoke alarms, web analytic tools, CRMs, etc. From the examples, you can see that these devices collect a vast array of data types since the structured and unstructured part in the definition. The sheer velocity at which the data is being produced can not be controlled and processed using traditional methods and tools.

However, the use of big data and incorporation of big data analytical technology gives businesses the competitive edge over their competitors.

Big Data and Small Businesses

It is only a thing of the past when terms like big data and business intelligence were associated with large enterprises only. Today, small businesses have to leverage the data they are collecting in order to remain a part of the competition. For years, cost has remained the main reason why small businesses did not adopt large data analytical technologies, but this has changed now. There are budget-friendly tools available for small businesses to take advantage of the data they are collecting today. According to some experts, small businesses can take better advantage of big data since they are able to make the necessary changes far more quickly than large enterprises ie real-time response to insights from available data.

According to an IDG study in 2016, 78% of the large enterprises agree that the big data strategy has the power to change how businesses have always operated. This shows the acceptance of big data technology and strategies for large enterprises and strengthens the fact that small businesses could become irrelevant if they did not adopt the same strategies.

Benefits of Large Data Analytics

Large Data and Big Companies, a report by IAA Director of Research, Tom Davenport, reveals that businesses are greatly benefitting from large data analytics especially in improving their products, making business decisions faster and reducing costs. Here are some ways small businesses can benefit from big data.

• Cost savings

The upfront cost of implementing large data tools and strategies is high undoably, but the long term benefits of doing so are matchless. The healthcare industry is a great example of how the use of large data can help businesses reduce their costs regardless of their size. Using predictive analytics, Medicare and Medicaid Services forestalled more than $ 210 million fraud in healthcare with just 2 years of utilizing the aforementioned technology.

In addition to preventing frauds, small businesses can also reduce their costs by steering clear of creating more inventory than needed, including better partners in the supply chain, etc.

• Improved Decision Making

This is the largest benefit of large data. It allows businesses to expedite decision making by processing the data fast and giving insights in a timely manner. In the past, business decisions were reserved for future strategies in the light of available data and the trends that were observed in it. The amount of data that businesses are sitting on today is huge and so more powerful insights are to be gained from it.

This vast amount of data requires the use of modern big data hardware technologies. Once both the things are in place for a business, they can understand customers better, create products that are a closer reflection of what customers want and develop a brand based on most reverted values.

• Impenetrable Security

Businesses are more focused today on using large data to improve their core capabilities, but less attended to a more serious concerns ie cyber threats and security breaches. Almost every small, medium and large business is connected to the internet today. Moreover, the Internet of Things has broadened the attackable security surface for businesses making it easier for cyber criminals to attack networks and penetrate company databases.

The biggest concern for modern businesses is that they have to "respond" to cyber attacks that have already occurred rather than being able to prevent them from occurring. The use of big data and large data analytic tools can be a game changer in this area allowing businesses to prevent any security attacks way before they are executed.

Key Technologies Helping Businesses Make the Best of Big Data

As a small business, you will have to familiarize with various technologies that help you store, analyze and take action on big data. Here are some important ones:

• Hadoop

It's a framework supporting the rising of large amounts of data using an open-source approach. Once data is stored, Hadoop enables the use of a variety of applications using "clustered hardware" at its base. Due to the cluster of commodity hardware, it becomes possible and easy for businesses to process big data since its increasing volume.

• Data Mining

This is the technology that enables business owners to capture insights, patterns and trends from big data that other can not be obtained with a traditional approach. Data mining is what allows you to jump in a large sea of ​​structured and unstructured data, make sense of it all and produce analytical insights that help businesses with real-time and future decisions.

• Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics walk side by side with data mining. Artificial is at the heart of predictive analytics, enabling business owners to adjust their present strategies by giving predictions about what will transpire for the business based on existing data.

• Text Analysis and Mining

One huge concern for modern business is to analyze the noise on various web platforms such as forums, blogs, social networks, etc. to understand what customers expect from a particular brand. Finding out about brand mentions and understanding customer's impression of your brand can help you readjust your marketing approach to gain customer loyalty. Text mining helps small to large sized businesses go through text data from emails, blog posts, social networks, etc. and hear customers "voice".

With the rise of smartphones, artificial intelligence and IoT (internet of things) it has become clearly visible that businesses will now have to handle mountains and mountains of data, and make use of big data analytical and processing technologies to have the competitive edge.

Comparison Between Egyptian and Mesopotamian Religions and Beliefs!

The religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians were the dominating influence in the development of their culture. The Egyptian faith was based on a collection of ancient myths, nature worship, and innumerable deities. Sumerian lives were spent serving the gods in the form of man-made statues. There was no organized set of gods; each city-state had its own patrons, temples, and priest-kings. The Sumerians were probably the first to write down their beliefs, which were the inspiration for much of later Mesopotamian mythology, religion, and astrology. Sumerians believed that the universe formed a flat disk enclosed by a tin dome. While the Mesopotamian's did not have anything quit to scale with the pyramids, they did use and build ziggurats for religious purposes.

Both civilizations were centered on religion. Egypt believed in many gods. The gods Mesopotamia believed in tended to be absolute rulers to what the people owed total devotion. In both civilizations religious leaders were given very high status and held in high regard. Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are two religions that believed in monotheism. Both Egypt and Mesopotamia were polytheistic, that is, they believed their worlds were governed by more than one god. Both civilizations believed that the gods created them. Both cultures also believed that they themselves were created for the purpose of serving their gods. Both worshipers took their names from the numerous gods and the cults that honored the deities, and wives in both religions were no special clothes, and made daily offering in the temples and held annual festivals open to public.

Mesopotamian religion saw humans as the servants of the gods, who had to be appeared for protection. Egyptians believed that the gods created all humans but were also controlled by the principle of maat, or order. Unlike followers of Mesopotamian religion, the Egyptians had a strong belief in the afterlife, which they expressed by building elaborate tombs such as the pyramids. The Sumerian afterlife involved a descent into a gloomy netherworld to spend eternity in a wretched existence as a Gidim (ghost). Egyptians believed that their gods had created Egypt as a sort of refugee of good and order in a world filled with chaos and disorder. The major god for much of Mesopotamia was the sky god Enlil; later th e worship of Enlil was replaced by the worship of the Babylonian god Marduk. For Egyptians, Amen-Ra was the most powerful deity, chief of the pantheon. Statues of winged bulls were a protective symbol related to the god Sin Mesopotamia, while the ankh, a kind of cross with a loop at the top, was a prominent representation of life in ancient Egypt. The Enuma Elish tells the Mesopotamian story of creation and explains how Marduk became the chief of the gods. The Egyptian Book of the Dead was a guide for the dead, setting out magic spells and charms to be used to pass judgment in the afterlife. Ancient Nippur was the site of the chief temple to Enlil, while Babylon was the location of Marduk's sanctuary. Thebes and the temple complex of Karnak were home to the worship of Amen- Ra. In the modern world the remains of these early religions can be seen in Egypt's pyramids, tombs for the pharaohs, and in Mesopotamia's ziggurats, temples to the gods. The New Year's Festival was a major event in Mesopotamian religion, while Egypt's most important festival was Opet. Because Egypt was the "gift of the Nile" and generally prosperous and harmonious, Egyptian gods tended to reflect a positive religion with an emphasis on a positive afterlife. In contrast, Mesopotamian religion was bleak and gloomy. Ancient Mesopotamian prayers demonstrate the lack of relationships with gods and goddesses who viewed humans with suspicion and frequently sent calamities to remind everyone of their humanity. Such was the message found in the Gilgamesh Epic.

Although the religions of both civilizations shared many similarities, the differences were vast. The most notable ones are the importance and belief of afterlife and the relationship between Gods. Because of these differences, we believe, the civilizations were different because in early times, civilizations revolved around their beliefs and values ​​but unfortunately, there was an end to these great civilizations.

Business Stationery

Business Stationery is meant for commercial and official correspondence and usage. It can range from paper products like letterheads, business cards, notes, labels, memos, computer sheets, typewriter stationery, checks and forms to other items like pens, folders, writing pads, clips, adhesives, tapes and highlighters.

Most of the Business Stationery is ordered in basic and subdued colors like white, cream, gray or light blue. In some cases, where Business Stationery might need to reflect aggressiveness or brightness depending on its line of work, it could have procured in other colors also. It is for the business head to decide what kind of impression needs to be conveyed through its stationery. No doubt it is a very important decision, because this mode of communication would be sent to almost all business associates. One also needs to be clear beforehand as to what stationery requirements are there in the business, and what quantity needs to be ordered.

The quality of stationery items and its prints should be of good standard since it also reflects the company's image. The paper used for stationery should be of firm strength and its size should be easy to handle. Before printing the stationery, write down the information, like name, address, phone numbers, logo and so forth, that needs to be put on the stationery. Sometimes you need to print some notifications due to legal requirements, depending on what is the line of business. For the placement of information, one can get hold of ready-made templates available for letterheads, envelopes and business cards, or have the stationery designed by professional consultants especially for your business needs.

Last but not least, the cost factor comes into play. Ask for quotes from multiple stationers and printers. It is a good idea to check references before placing your order. Since Business Stationery is something that can contribute towards building a distinct identity for the business, one needs to be extra careful while designing and ordering it. Most of the time, Business Stationery is the first contact with a prospective client or agency. Quality stationery can make a good impression for your business.

Types of Casualty Insurance Your Business Can Benefit From

Businesses are becoming more dynamic and spread-out, having employees traveling across the world to further business goals. Risk factors have also increased and have become rather unpredictable. Previously, when businesses largely operated in their place of origin, they were more aware of the external risk factors both sudden and long-spanning that could be damaging. Businesses could then prepare to protect themselves in advance. The dynamics have changed, and so have the risks. This change in dynamic has raised the need for increased levels of casualty insurance in order to be covered for losses by unforeseen circumstances such as direct accidents, fires, thefts and liabilities.

There are a few types of casualty insurance, each with its own benefits and varied dimensions to help your business be better covered. Read the following to know what these casualty insurance types are;

• Automobile Insurance - Most businesses today own vehicles because traveling is part of mobility. As such, it is highly likely that the vehicle is involved in an accident at some point, either controllable or uncontrollable. Either way, the auto insurance can help your business avoid the losses of having to purchase a new one or repair the old one if the damage is reversible. This differences from property insurance in that it is related to direct accidents having taken place due to human error rather than the indirect accidents that take place because of factors out of the power of human beings; such as a fire, storms, or flooding etc.

• Liability Insurance - A majority of businesses, even the small ones, have people working for them and taking them forward. Liability insurance, in context of businesses, includes injuries to employees of the business while they are at work. This could be on-site or off-site both. Also, any lawsuit filed against the business for having allegedly damaged another business or person's property is also covered under liability insurance. It is basically an indirect insurance which protects not from any physical damage but monetary losses occurred as a result of inadvertently inflating damage or injury on someone else.

• Natural Disasters (Flooding, Fire, Wind Damage) - Generally referred to as flood insurance, this will cover your business from any significant and irreversible damages occurred as a result of not only floods, but hurricanes and tornadoes as well. In light of the recurrent flooding and hurricanes in the recent past, businesses have started resorting to flood insurance to keep their businesses protected against this unavoidable circumstance. Unforeseen incidents are the most dangerous since they can not be predicted ahead in time and hence, special precautionary measures can not be taken. Even if you do get informed of the likelihood of a flood or a hurricane, there's only so much precaution you can take that protects from damage. You can not move a building or concessions; which is why having flood insurance is a fitting option so you get evenly compensated for the damage.

The Laws of Money Part 2 - Making Financial Decisions

Last week's article concerning Jane's debt appeared to raise a stir amongst my friends so I thought I would carry on the theme today. I was not being arrogant towards Jane's but butly pointing out that she was a normal bright girl but not financially educated.

Jane's dilemma was based around her non understanding of the consequences of her financial decisions. It is of course true to surmise that when we were young, all of life's choices and decisions were made for us.

As we grow as human beings and mature, we have to learn how to make our own choices. This is often a slow and painstaking process which can be full of elation and dejection depending on the result. You are not taught in school how to make these decisions and you are not advised how to deal with the consequences, so life for most people gets more difficult, including Jane.

In most peoples lives, their financial choices are the most important decisions a person can make. The reason for this is if you can make good decisions and take control of your finances, it will empower you to make a new world for you to thrive in.

People become rich and successful for 3 reasons.

Firstly, they do not procrastinate, they are decision makers, they are not afraid to be wrong.
Secondly, they understand the rules of money, they do not use their own money to buy liabilities.
Thirdly, they understand tax laws and definitely pay a lower percentage that working and middle class people.

So for Jane, now is the time to take stock of her financial situation. It is time to confront her fears, her stale thinking patterns and all of the other obstacles put in the way by her suspects - not forgetting herself.

These obstacles that have stopped her getting ahead financially.

The most important lesson for Jane is to change her mindset and do it today.
My guess was that Jane was in her early 30's. She will need to spend around 1/3 of her wages for the rest of her life to support her lifestyle after she retires, assuming the government of the day will let her retire? She will already be paying a third (minimum) of her wages in tax. Jane is living below her means to get ahead. This is no way to live your life and this is why I advise Jane to change today.

Yesterday, I attended a training course. The course is designed to create financial freedom by creating passive income for life. Unbelievably, it was attended by a professional footballer who at the age of 24 recognized he could not play football forever and wants financial freedom for his family in the future, even though he is single today!

His decision to attend speaks volumes for him as a person. No matter what happens in his football career, he will always be financially secure. He made a conscious decision to spend his rest day networking with like minded people who would normally be cheering (or booming) from the stands. He was also the last person to leave after the event.

It is never too early to change your thinking patterns, it is never to late to create financial freedom. Create a team around you of like minded people, these people will inspire you to make the right decisions in your life. I was not part of Jane's team so had no influence on her ...

But I know a certain professional footballer I would have on my team every day!

Thinking Positive with the Law of Attraction

You have probably heard of the new fad going around called "The Law of Attraction" and all the things that know this can bring to you. This is good that this knowledge is getting out to the world, but there are a few key pieces missing.

For example when you are driving on the highway, the speed limit is clearly posted every few miles. Yet to drive the highway there are a few other things you must know before you ever hit an on ramp. So it is with the newly advertized Law of Attraction, there are a few other things you must know.

Positive thinking is but one aspect of Law of Attraction, just thinking positive will not bring you glory and riches. You do have to earn what you have. You have more than likely hear of lottery winners who win millions of dollars, but end up just as broke and further in debt than before they won. Do you know why that is? It is because their inner self is not developed enough to handle the situation. Yes that seems harsh, but it is the reason.

Your outer world is a reflection of what you are inside. If you were to say that you will help other people when you get rich, chances are you will not. If you do not help people now, nothing will change you should become wealthy. Many times the universe (god) answers and grants wealth to people to see if indeed they will help other people as there is something that person must do that will change the whole world. What happens in most cases is that the person hopes their promise to help others and gets wrapped up in themselves and all the new toys. So the universe will cause the wealth to be transferred to someone else that will do the work to help others.

So many people complain that they do not become wealthy; the problem is not with the universe, the world, or the neighborhood. The problem is inside you; what ever you are now will only amplify with wealth. If you are a lazy person you will only become lazier with wealth. Conversely if you are an energetic and empathetic person you will become a greater person with your wealth. So do not blame the circumances around you for your lack, look inside and see the truth. Once you know what the problem is you can correct it and lead a happier life.

There are certain unwavering laws that govern the operation of this world we live in. Some we can control and use to our advantage, like electricity and sound waves. Others are firm and fixed, like gravity and friction. Understanding these laws and working with them will help you to temporarily overcome their effects; for example the invention of the airplane and the wheel will overcome gravity and friction respectably, but are still subject to those two laws and will ever have to submit to them. IE the airplane will land and the wheel will stop turning.

The Law of Attraction will always keep working, it will cause what you are to become reality; your reality. Every thing has to be in its own context to be appreciated. A beautiful rose bush in a field of corn is nothing but a weed. You will have to create your own world one step at a time, one idea at a time. You must run the race fairly to even finish; to try to take a short cut will only set you back, and cause you to lose even what you have now.

So do not think that the whole think positive Law of Attraction will instantly turn your life from hell to heaven overnight, it will not. It will work for you if you use it; although you have to use it wisely. It takes at least 18 years to turn an embryo into an adult human; during that time that human became a person. If that person is unsatisfied with their life it will take effort, time, and conscious thought to create the life that is desired. It may well take far less time than becoming an adult did, but it still takes time.

You can only have what you are worthy of. You can not buy a piano and expect to perform at the master level in Carnegie Hall the next day. You will have to learn and practice until one day you are ready, then you will be worthy of the applause you will receive as well as the satisfaction. If you use the Law of Attraction correctly the teachers, music, and opportunity will present themselves to you with minimal effort, but you must accept what is given and use it as the time is correct.

Remember this; be careful of what you wish for, as you will get it.

Be Blessed

The Guide to Setting Goals