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starlocked01 · 4 years

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And at Last I See the Light

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Summary: This is the story of how I died. I have been told it's a story worth telling, but I fail to see how anyone benefits from my death. Luckily, this story is not about me, but rather the most remarkable man I ever had the distinction of meeting. Content Warning: Major Character Death, Cussing, Kissing, Crying, Panic and Anxiety

Day 21 Analogical- (Combined AUs) You see the world in black and white until you first touch your soulmate, Everyone is born with a gift or power that is nullified in the immediate presence of your soulmate, You have until midnight of your 26th birthday to find and identify your soulmate or else you both die.

This is the story of how I died. I have been told it's a story worth telling, but I fail to see how anyone benefits from my death. Luckily, this story is not about me, but rather the most remarkable man I ever had the distinction of meeting.

I should explain. This man was my soulmate in life and his gift was one of renewal. Flowers drooping in a vase would spring up at his touch. People nearing death found their ailments eased a while longer so they could say goodbyes. Wounds healed quicker for him and the weary found new strength at his encouragement. It was a gift that brought more beauty to the world; one I failed to appreciate.

Perhaps you will not repeat my mistakes.

Virgil yawned and stretched awake. The bright grey of the morning dawn made him squint in annoyance as he rolled out of bed and thudded to the floor. He could dream in color and frankly preferred dreams to the living world.

Today especially Virgil would have preferred to roll over back asleep. Today marked the beginning of the end as most people saw it.

Virgil had one year left to find his soulmate or they both would die.

That was of course unless his soulmate was older and had less than a year of their own. Frankly, Virgil thought the universe had a rather twisted sense of humor. It withheld color and life from those who most needed a reason to push forward each day. And gave them a freaking time limit to fall in line.

Soulmates were bullshit.

He'd already been touched by every kid at school and from the surrounding districts. Normally, when kids graduated high school and hadn't found their soulmates, they'd go to college to find a wider selection of people their age to try and match with, but Virgil had decided against college. He'd been called crazy but frankly, he didn't much care.

Virgil shrugged on what appeared to him as a black hoodie with drab grey patches and ran his fingers through his hair. His bangs fell right back in his face as he headed down the stairs. He brushed his hand through the vase of flowers his grandmother constantly forgot to water and watched as petals and leaves in various shades of grey perked up, ready for another day of neglect.

For his birthday, the atmosphere in the kitchen sure felt like his funeral.

"Good morning, Nana," Virgil murmured, grabbing the box of cereal from the table and reaching in to grab a handful.

"Get out," she spat at him, "either find your soulmate or die in obscurity so I can pretend you found a lovely woman and settled down in the country."

"Love you too, Nana," Virgil sighed and grabbed his messenger bag.

"Why are you the only one who doesn't want to be happy?" she asked, voice choked with sadness.

"I don't need a soulmate to be a complete person. If I find someone I find someone. If not, oh well. I've had friends and family I was happy with and soulmates tore them away from me. It's a broken system and if I die being myself, I'll come to haunt you until you join me in the afterlife," Virgil smiled softly and kissed her on the cheek.

She laughed dryly, "you don't scare me, little verbena. Please, try to find them. I love you." Virgil saluted as he left the apartment for work.

The great thing about working in the library was the quiet shuffle of people reverently browsing through the shelves piled high with more words than they could possibly read. Virgil enjoyed the calm and helping people find what books they were looking for. Except when the only fact they knew about the book was the color of the cover. When those people asked he would flash his grey eyes at them and smile sweetly before saying they all looked the same to him. Most people would act horrified and apologize profusely. Some would get angry and demand assistance he couldn't provide. Roman usually stepped in at that point, and despite having met Janus a year ago, rarely was able to locate books by color. At the very least he always offered Virgil sympathy when the guest walked away.

"You just have to go where the young people are, Virgil. They come to the city looking for soulmates, you need to spend more time with people your age. I'm sure your soulmate is out there looking for you!" Roman grinned, "Jan and I go to this great bar-"

"Let me stop you there, Princey," Virgil chuckled, "I don't do bars or crowds. Even going with you two sounds like a nightmare. I'm not going to subject myself to that for what? Some strangers to touch me and change the whole world to color? Lame," Virgil rolled his eyes. They had this conversation once a week.

"Um, excuse me. I need assistance logging on to your computer system. If I need to register for a card to do so I would like the forms to start that process," Virgil swiveled in his seat towards the man's voice and lost his own.

He looked like a man out of an old black and white film, (to Virgil every film was black and white, but Nana insisted there was a difference when pictures changed to color) his hair was slicked back and face was punctuated by thin black glasses frames that accentuated the stranger's cheeks and nose. His silhouette was sleekly defined in a black polo and grey jeans, with a slightly more saturated grey tie. Virgil felt as though the man's presence had taken his breath away.

"Can you help me?" the man cleared his throat and Virgil snapped back to present.

"Sorry, of course, sir. Do you have a form of identification to apply for a library card? The card is required to access the computers, unfortunately," Virgil rattled off the spiel from memory while pulling out the form and a new card. The stranger handed him his driver's license.

The first thing he noticed was that it was an out of state ID. The second was the birthdate, just a month before his. The third was the man's name.

"Thank you, Logan. If you would just fill out this form, I just need to make a copy for our records."

"Certainly, thank you- what's your name?"

"His name is Virgil and he's single," Roman slid in with a wink at Logan. Virgil quickly turned and walked to the photocopier, heat rising in his cheeks. He could just hear the man's reply.

"Thanks? I don't really do relationships. Do you have a pen?"

Virgil took several deep breaths. He'd had crushes like this before. It would go away as he learned more about this Logan. He grabbed the copy paper and the ID and returned to the front desk.

"Here's your ID back," he traded Logan the ID for the paperwork and scanned through it quickly, "looks like you forgot to put down a phone number, what was that?" Virgil realized a second too late how that would sound to literally anyone as Roman snickered at him, but there was a blank space on the form.

Logan looked incredibly confused, "no, that's- I couldn't have forgotten. The number is- wait," he pulled a cellphone out of his back and read the number off to Virgil who jotted it down in the correct space.

"You're looking kinda pale there, Logan, do you need to sit down?" Roman looked concerned and even Virgil could see what he was talking about.

Logan shook his head, "I never- ever- forget anything. Ever."

"There's a first time for everything, I guess," Virgil shrugged and slid the library card across the desk.

"You don't understand, my gift is perfect recall. A permanent eidetic memory. I don't forget. I should know my own phone number like I know the digits of pi."

"Nerd!" Roman coughed to hide his laughing and both Logan and Virgil glared at him.

"That is pretty strange.. I hope it gets fixed for you soon? Anyway, you're all set, Logan. Let me know if you need anything else," Virgil smiled.

"Thank you-" Logan snapped his fingers a few times before giving up trying to remember, head hung in defeat.

"Virgil," Virgil supplied softly.

"Thank you, Virgil. It was nice meeting you two," Logan walked away from the desk and straight toward the nearest open monitor.

"You better ask him out or I'm breaking up with Janus for a chance at that," Roman said in a low voice to Virgil.

"No, you won't. He's out of both of our leagues anyway," Virgil smirked at his coworker's offended gasp and returned to checking in returned books.

"His tie was blue, by the way," Roman winked and turned to find another patron who needed help.

Logan came back to the library every day except the holidays for the next few weeks and always made a point of asking Virgil when he had questions or needed help. Roman insisted it was mutual pining but Virgil held fast to the comment that Logan doesn't do relationships. Unless he heard otherwise from Logan himself, Virgil refused to imagine a relationship was possible.

He was completely blindsided when Logan asked if he would like to hang out after his shift.

"I'm sorry, come again?"

"I would like to spend time with you when you are not otherwise preoccupied with your duties. Is that not acceptable?" Logan was always so direct. Virgil felt his heart flutter just a bit, nowhere near as intense as it had the day they met.

"I mean yeah that would be cool," Virgil smirked.

"So do you do bars or-?" Logan looked put off even making the suggestion.

"I know a cafe that has decent decaf; if you'd like we can walk there from here. I'm off at 6," Virgil watched as Logan nodded decisively.

"Excellent, I look forward to it," Logan grinned and Virgil found himself grinning back.

Roman slowly inched closer in his rolling chair, eyes wide with excitement and jaw dropped in disbelief, "Virge, do you have a date after work?"

"No! We're just hanging out," Virgil turned to ignore Roman.

"'Hanging Out' is code for a date. Maybe he's your soulmate! Brush his hand or something and find out!" Roman was bouncing in his chair now.

"No! That's so rude! Did you do that to Janus? Don't answer that- I bet you did," Virgil rolled his eyes, "it's not a date to the extent of my knowledge."

"Oh my god, you're mirroring him. You like him so much! Virgil, this could be it!" Virgil glared at Roman and shushed him in true librarian fashion before standing to grab the cart and collect used books from the tables.

Virgil picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder as he turned to leave but was surprised to see Logan waiting for him by the door. He had been certain Logan would have either forgotten or changed his mind and left by now.

Roman gave Virgil a huge cheesy grin and a thumbs up, "good luck on your date!" his whisper could probably have been heard in Russia.

Virgil felt the heat rising in his cheeks and shrugged his hoodie on tighter over his shoulders, waving off Roman and walking over to join Logan by the door.

"Hey," he said awkwardly.

"Are you ready? If you need more time-" Logan started.

"I'm fine. Let's get out of here before Roman starts taking pictures," Virgil turned to leave, taking purposeful steps to the door and flipping Roman off behind his back. Logan followed briskly. Virgil led him to his favorite coffee shop, quiet on the walk there.

The question was burning in his mind though. Was this supposed to be a romantic date? Or worse a soulmate test. Virgil had gathered that Logan was rather frank, but he really didn't know the man at all.

Both of them reached to grab the door to the shop at the same time. Virgil snapped his hand back.

"Please, allow me," Logan opened the door and ushered Virgil inside. Virgil wanted to shrink until he was invisible. He tried a quick controlled breathing exercise to calm his nerves. They each ordered and Logan excused himself.

"Virgil! Come help me out over here!" the owner, Mr. Dolenz, looked rather put out by a droopy speckled grey potted fern by the front door.

"Oh no, not Tabitha," Virgil walked over, surveying the damage to the plant. Each leaf he fingered grew stronger and healthier until the whole fern was practically an inch taller. Virgil smiled as Mr. Dolenz thanked him profusely, "maybe keep an eye out to make sure people aren't dumping drinks on her. That could really mess with the soil pH."

"You're a miracle worker! You and your boyfriend's drinks are on me," the owner clasped Virgil hard on the back. He couldn't respond before the man was already bustling back towards the kitchen. Virgil turned to see that Logan had apparently returned in time to hear just enough. It was difficult to tell, but Virgil thought Logan might be blushing.

"What was that about?" Logan cleared his throat and straightened his tie.

"Oh, people like to dump drinks they're done with on the plants and it kills them. So I just use my gift to restore the plants before they're dead for Mr. Dolenz. I think he made a few too many assumptions tonight," Virgil scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, what is your gift?" the look on Logan’s face was fascinated with Virgil’s claim.

The barista called their names and they collected the drinks before selecting a table by the windows in the corner, "I can renew things. Makes sense that I'm a librarian," Virgil laughed dryly at the tired joke, "basically I can bring a little bit of life back before it's gone. Can't really raise the dead though," he took a sip of his decaf mocha.

"That must be at least fairly useful. Is there a reason you didn't go into a medical profession?" Logan sipped his iced black coffee, looking intently at Virgil.

Virgil couldn’t take the internal tension in his mind any longer and blurted out, "is this a date? Are you trying to figure out if I'm your soulmate?" his eye went wide and he bit his tongue.

"No, did I give off that impression? I didn't want to seem too cold but-" Logan looked crestfallen.

Virgil smacked the side of his head and cursed Roman for planting the thought in his mind, "Logan, I'm sorry. You didn't- Roman- I- ah… I'm sorry. I'm just so used to everyone trying to force me into romantic scenarios that I did it to you when I knew that's not what this was- I'm so sorry. I made it awkward and now I'm rambling and you're probably just going to stand and leave-" Virgil felt a tear slip down his cheek as Logan cleared his throat.

"Actually, I understand what you mean. I too haven't found my soulmate, nor am I interested in finding them," Logan took a long sip of coffee, "I've accepted this is my last year alive. I actually moved to the city because my family wouldn't stop trying to force me into relationships as well."

"Really? Wow, that's… it's so messed up!" Virgil was worked up now and Logan was going to get the rant whether he wanted it or not, "why cut short someone's life just because they haven't found one person out of billions on the planet? And yet somehow for 99% of the population, it works! But where does that leave people like us? Discarded by the universe. It's asinine," Virgil huffed and Logan listened calmly until he was done.

"I agree," came Logan’s simple reply.

"You do?"

"I do. It's asinine. But it's how life works. Life is an ass," Virgil tried to hold back a laugh.

They talked about everything until the cafe closed. Logan talked about his research and writing and Virgil listened in wonder. Virgil talked about his interest in flowers and their symbolism while Logan nodded along. Virgil learned about Logan's previous job as an Astronomer and Logan listened to Virgil's rants about library patrons. They were joking and laughing for the whole walk back to the library. They agreed to go out for coffee at least once a week and it quickly became Virgil’s most anticipated evening each week.

Roman teased him to no end, but Virgil was comfortable in his growing friendship with Logan. His initial crush had faded into nonexistence and he simply enjoyed the man's company.

The months flew by and soon it was fall again. Virgil was so busy with the library's Halloween decorations that he almost didn't notice that Logan had not come in all day. He tried to shrug it off but the voice in the back of his head told him he needed to worry about this or he'd probably never hear from Logan again.

When Logan was nowhere to be seen the next day, Virgil texted him, asking if everything was okay. The response was sobering.

L- I apologize. I've been feeling too weak to get out of bed for the past few days. I hope you find your soulmate before your birthday, Virgil. Dying is less peaceful than I had calculated.

Virgil stared at the screen, scanning the words over and over. He could feel panic screaming in his chest, trying to drown out the world. There had to be something- he texted back.

V- can I come over? Maybe my gift will make it easier for you?

The reply was nearly immediate.

L- There is no need. I will rest today and be back to my research tomorrow. This book has a rather final deadline.

L- No pun intended.

Virgil couldn’t focus for the rest of the shift or the rest of the night. Worry for his friend gnawed at his stomach and kept him up late into the night.

True to his word, Logan arrived at the library at his usual time the next day. Virgil felt overwhelmed with relief that was quickly replaced with deep dread. Logan looked terrible. He had dark bags under his eyes and gaunt hollow cheeks. He carried himself as tall as he always had, but there was a new looseness to his movements.

Logan smiled as he approached Virgil’s station at the front desk, "I'm sorry I worried you, Virgil. Are we still on for tonight?"

Virgil nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Great, thank you," Logan turned toward his usual workspace. Virgil kept an eye on him all day. If he was honest with himself, he was scared. It was like seeing his own future, but instead of watching himself dying, he was watching the man he'd come to consider his best friend waste away.

At 6 Virgil signed out and waited for Logan to make his way to the door. He suggested he drive them over to the cafe and Logan readily agreed.

Virgil held open the door and insisted on picking up the tab. Logan wouldn't let him help physically but he would do everything he could for this man.

They sat quietly at their corner table. Virgil’s mouth was dry but he couldn’t bring himself to drink.

"Virgil?" his head snapped up hearing his name, "I have a bit of a surprise confession to make," Logan fiddled with his cup, not making eye contact, "I recently discovered that I am demiromantic. I had assumed I was aromantic but it seems I have developed feelings for you," Logan's laugh sounded hollow, "that must be pretty frightening coming from a walking corpse."

"Logan, when we first met, I had a huge crush on you. And I'm so glad we've gotten to know each other this year. I- don't have those feelings anymore, but I'm flattered, knowing you," Virgil hoped honesty would be the best policy.

Logan nodded, deep in thought, "that's fair. I'm sorry for imposing on you."

"No! No no no. You haven't. I- I understand- one-sided feelings hurt and you look like you're in so much pain. I'm not upset or weirded out. You're my best friend, Logan, and I love you platonically."

"I have less than a month until my birthday," Logan groaned softly, clutching his stomach, "I probably won't be coming in much anymore."

Virgil nodded, understanding, "can I try to use my gift on you?"

"No. I knew this was going to happen. There's no sense hiding from it now," Logan smiled weakly.

"Can I at least visit you after work? I don't want you to be alone," Virgil could sense Logan wanted to make this a goodbye but he wasn't ready to let go yet. He felt desperate to be there for Logan every minute he could afford.

Logan could see the panic in his eyes and nodded. He didn't want to be alone either.

Virgil showed up every night after work. He cooked and cleaned and did anything he could for Logan in the time they had. After Halloween, Virgil started to feel the effects of the deterioration himself, but he pushed the pain down to focus on being there with Logan.

The night before Logan’s birthday was quiet. Logan laid in his bed and Virgil sat in a chair beside him. The clock ticked audibly, much louder than it should have been. Virgil picked up the nearest book and began reading aloud. Logan visibly relaxed. After a while, Virgil turned to face Logan and whispered words of encouragement and strength. Logan wouldn't let him try anything else but it usually helped people who were tired. Nothing changed.

Logan started crying. It was barely noticeable at first (Virgil noticed) but grew in fear and pain.

"Logan, I'm here. You're not going to be alone. I promise," Virgil wanted to grab his hand, to physically comfort him in some way, but when he tried Logan pulled his hand away from Virgil's reach.

"Virgil, I love you. If I had a soulmate I would have wanted him to be you," Logan's voice was a rasp, paper-thin.

"Just, wait for me in the afterlife, I won't be long," Virgil tried to laugh but he sounded hollow.

The clock ticked louder, midnight was minutes away. Virgil wiped the tears from his cheeks and tried to smile for Logan, pulling every fiber of his being into being strong.

"Maybe it was you and I've been running from the truth," Logan reached out his hand and the clock struck midnight just before he touched Virgil’s cheek, "I think it was, but that doesn't matter anymore. I lov-" the light in his eyes extinguished like a candle finishing a wick. Logan’s body fell back to the bed and Virgil shattered.

Logan was gone. And Virgil knew that his dying breath was right. They were soulmates but it was too late.

Virgil collapsed on the bed, sobbing and holding Logan close. He was so light at the end, almost incorporeal to the touch. Virgil cried over all the pain he could have prevented, the sleepless nights dreading this one, for the friend he'd never talk to again. Logan was the only one who had ever understood, who had accepted his choices, who had believed in him when everyone else pitied him. And he was gone.

He was gone.

As if possessed, Virgil kissed his soulmate’s body on the lips and then leaned to whisper in his deaf ear, "I love you too, Logan. I love you too. You were my soulmate. I'm coming," with that he collapsed in a fresh batch of tears, crying until he was exhausted and his face was contorted and purple from the exertion.

Virgil opened his eyes. Blue. Blue eyes stared back at him from the face he'd often dreamed of in color like this. This had to be a dream. A dream of lovely blue confused eyes and disheveled brown hair. The room hadn't changed except it was morning and everything looked just like a dream. Because it had to be a dream if Logan was looking back at him with deep brilliant blue eyes filled with more questions than answers.

"Virgil?" Logan's voice croaked. Why couldn’t he dream of his soulmate how he wanted to remember him? "Virgil, what happened? What day is it?"

"It's a dream, it can be whatever day we want it to be," Virgil replied, his throat raw and voice cracking as if he'd been crying. This was rather on the nose realistic for a dream.

"Check a phone, Virgil, this isn't a dream," Logan pleaded.

"I wish it wasn't a dream. I don't want to wake up and find you cold," Virgil sighed. Kinda a stupid dream if it wasn't going to be a happy one.

Logan reached over and pinched Virgil hard on the arm. With a yelp, he jerked back and fell out of the bed. Most dreams would have ended there but as he stood, Virgil could see those blue eyes focused on him. He sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was on low battery but he could still read the date.

"It's November 3rd," Virgil read of the screen just before it went black.

"My birthday. I shouldn't be alive… why am I alive?"

"You can't be, that's why this is a dream?" Virgil wasn't so sure of himself anymore. Nothing in the room had changed from the night before but everything was bright and colored like his dreams.

Virgil smacked the side of his head with his palm. It hurt and Logan jumped at the sound. Dream Logan would have expected the sound.

"What was that for? Are you okay?" Logan looked alarmed. He tried to sit up in the bed. Virgil walked over and offered him a hand up. After glancing around the room, Logan accepted his hand and pulled himself up with Virgil’s help.

"So…" Virgil started.

"So," Logan answered.

"This isn't a dream."

"Not likely."

"The world is in color?"

"Yes. Your hoodie is purple and black, nothing like how I dreamed of it."

"Your eyes are blue."

"My dad always said they were. Yours are brown."

"Yeah, Nana always said she loved my eyes and hoped I'd see them someday."

"Why am I alive?"

Virgil shrugged, "miracle?"

After a long back and forth, Virgil and Logan came to the conclusion that Logan had indeed died that night but somehow had been brought back.

Virgil described how he'd tried to use his gift on Logan before midnight, how he'd broken down and cried over his soulmate for most of the night. Virgil vaguely remembered the kiss and whispered confession.

"That's it, your gift worked on me because I was dead. I wasn't spiritually present so you were physically able to bring me back and the soul followed," Logan's eyes were aflame with the complexity of the situation.

"Promise this isn't a dream?" Virgil sat on the edge of the bed and reached for Logan’s hand.

"I promise," Logan took his hand. It felt warm and good and solid and real.

Because it was real. Logan was real. He was here. To stay.

This is the story of how I died. Thank the stars I didn't stay dead.

Tag List: @stoicpanther @ifrickenhatedeverythingaboutthis @idontgiveafuckaboutshit @tsshipmonth2020

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fysmartwatch · 4 years

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Spotify on smartwatches has been a complete game changer for us!

Simply, stream or transfer your favourite music onto your watch for wireless playback any time, even when offline.

It’s another huge step towards true smartwatch independence from cellphones.

In today’s guide, we recommend the best smartwatch for Spotify currently on the market. We also recommend some awesome alternatives.

How Does Spotify Connect to Your Smartwatch?

Using Spotify on a smartwatch doesn’t yet offer all the features it does on a cellphone. It’s a very different experience, but using a smartwatch is all about making concessions right?

In this section, we take a look at how it all works and what kind of experience you can expect.

A Brief Introduction to Spotify

For those that have been living under a rock for the past few years, Spotify is a streaming service that supplies music and podcasts to its subscribers.

There are millions of songs available on Spotify, and they cover a range of genres and time periods so that you can be certain of finding something that interests you, no matter how obscure your musical tastes.

Spotify is commonly available on your computer, phone, and tablet, but more recently, smartwatches with Spotify have made it to market.

The great thing about Spotify is that it is free to sign up for, and you can start listening as soon as you have shared your email address.

There is a premium service that you can pay for which has 3 key benefits (among others):

It removes advertisements from the listening experience.

It allows a higher standard of music quality (up to 320kbit/s bit rate).

Plays music without an internet connection.

Spotify is hugely popular across the world and has over 248 million active users, with over 110 million subscriber (nearly double that of Apple Music subscribers).

How Spotify Works on a Smartwatch

A smartwatch with Spotify is not the same experience you are used to on a cellphone or computer.

Yes, you can the play music you love but you need to synchronize your watch with a computer or phone app. It’s not a standalone experience.

In this section, we explain how to set it up and also the limitations you need to prepare yourself for.

Step 1: Download the App

When it comes to accessing Spotify on your smartwatch, you will first need to download the Spotify app to your watch.

With Samsung wearables, this is a really simple process. Select ‘Apps’ from the home screen. Select ‘Galaxy Apps’. Find Spotify and install.

The process is easy with Garmin smartwatches too. This time you’ll need to find the Spotify app using the Connect IQ app on your cellphone.

Step 2: Sign Up

The sign-up process is straightforward, you just connect your Facebook account or use your email.

Important Note: Just remember not all smartwatches are able to use Spotify, so make sure you check out our list of recommended models.

Spotify will ask you to set a password and share your date of birth so that they know your age and can make music suggestions based upon that.

It’s an incredibly simple process made to make accessing music easy. There are lots of ways to customize your account when you have logged in so that you enjoy the music that you want to hear.

Step 3: Connect your Accounts

This step isn’t necessary with Samsung watches as you can sign in to the Spotify app on your smartwatch. However, Garmin users now need to sign into their Spotify account in the Connect IQ app. They will then be prompted to connect their accounts.

Step 4: Download Music (or stream on selected Samsung devices)

Now you can access the following folders in your Spotify account:

Playlists

Recently Played

Made for You

Workout

Podcasts

You may be wondering how to do this on a Garmin watch? (I know I was!). You need to hold the ‘Down’ button. This will take you to your library. You’ll see an ‘Add music and Podcasts’ option at the bottom.

Browse through what’s on offer and download your favorite playlists (you’ll need a WiFi connection).

Important Note: You can’t edit playlists or search for new music from your watch. This needs to be done using the full Spotify app on your cell phone or computer.

The Limitations of Spotify on a Smartwatch

Unfortunately, smartwatches with Spotify don’t get the full music streaming experience. It’s a little bit annoying having to download all of your music and podcasts, but in my opinion this is a small price to pay to have music on your wrist!

Here’s the lowdown on the drawbacks you can expect with Spotify smartwatches.

1. You need a premium account.

This is no big deal for those of you that already pay the monthly subscription but for those of you new to the streaming service or that currently use a free account then this could be a dealbreaker.

In order to put music on your smartwatch, you need a paid Spotify Premium subscription. At the time of writing (8/2020), this is currently priced at $9.99. In my opinion, if you listen to a lot of music then this is really good value for money but I’ll let you decide.

2. You can’t stream music (in most cases).

Spotify is by definition a music streaming service but its integration with smartwatches (at this time) isn’t quite the same. You must download music and podcasts to your watch. That means adding and deleting new playlists every time you want to “freshen” things up.

This is a very simple process but it takes time. Especially if you are adding substantial amounts of new material.

However, as you’ll see with the next couple of points too, there are a couple of exceptions.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch and Samsung Gear S3 Frontier are both available with data plans which enable them to stream music.

3. The amount of music at your disposal is limited to your watches’ memory.

Since you must download music onto your smartwatch (with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy and S3 Frontier, which can stream), the listening material available to you at any one time is limited to the memory capacity of your watch.

Generally speaking, this is around 500 songs but it really depends on the watch and also the file sizes of your songs (higher quality music will take up more space).

Personally, I’ve never found an issue with this limitation. I use my Garmin 245 Music to listen to playlists while running. A five hundred song library is more than enough. I tend to change things up every month once some songs start to get a bit familiar.

4. You can only listen using a Bluetooth connection to external speakers or headphones.

Most of the watches with Spotify that are worth having can only playback your music with some external help. This means you need to connect to headphones or a speaker using a Bluetooth connection.

I pair my Garmin 245 Music with Bose SoundSport wireless headphones for a seamless experience when running.

The exceptions to this are the previously mentioned Samsung pair. They both contain built-in speakers that can play music without needing and external connection. Just be warned, the volume is pretty low and the sound quality isn’t great.

Spotify Alternatives to Consider

There are other music streaming alternatives that are worth considering before you sign up for a subscription. Here’s a quick look at three of the best music streaming platforms for smartwatch use.

Amazon Music – At $9.99 for non-Prime members ($7.99 with Prime membership) and with a library of 50 million songs this is a true Spotify contender. Available on Garmin.

Deezer -3 tiers that range from free up to high definition streaming at $14.99 per month. It has a library of around 60 million songs. Available on Garmin.

Pandora Music – A premium account with access to around 40 million songs costs $9.99 a month. Available on Samsung.

The Bottom Line

If you are looking for a watch that plays music, then picking a Spotify enabled smartwatch is a great choice.

As a runner, my kit is as lightweight as ever. Previously, in order to listen to music while running, I had my bulky smartphone strapped to my arm. Now, all I need is my smartwatch and wireless headphones.

Just don’t expect the full Spotify experience on smartwatch because it doesn’t yet exist. Smartwatches have a few hurdles to jump before we get that kind of app integration.

Right now, this is as good as it gets when it comes to Spotify on smartwatch. And if you ask us, it’s still amazing!

The Best Smartwatch for Spotify

In our opinion, these are the only three smartwatches with Spotify worth knowing about.

There’s one clear winner in our eyes but the others are worthy alternatives.

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music – Our Top Pick

Garmin is incredibly well known and typically considered to be the smartwatch choice of people who love to get outside and exercise.

This smartwatch not only offers an excellent music experience but has GPS to track your every move.

Music Library Size

The Forerunner 245 has 3.5 GB of internal memory which Garmin state should hold around 500 songs. However, I currently have 750 songs and 2-hour long podcast episodes on my watch so this isn’t actually accurate (but in a good way!). I typically freshen the library up every month or so with new podcast episodes and playlists.

How it Works

This Spotify smartwatch requires a premium Spotify account as you need to download the music to your watch. This means that it can’t stream music. You need to synchronize your watch with your smartphone app after selecting the music you want. The synchronization process can take a while if you plan on downloading a lot of music, so it’s best getting this out of the way with plenty of time before your next run.

Another key point to note here is that the watch itself has no audio output ability. It can store the music and play it but there are no built-in speakers. This means it needs to be paired with speakers or headphones via a Bluetooth connection.

I pair mine with Bose wireless headphones for a completely wireless listening experience while running. The connection process takes a few button presses and the connection is always solid.

Interface

The Spotify music controls are reached by holding down the ‘Back’ button for a couple of seconds. This takes you to your music library where you can browse what’s available.

This same procedure takes you to the skip, volume, shuffle, stop, and play controls while you’re listening.

It’s not exactly the smoothest user experience but it’s simple and easy to navigate. Depending on the headphones or speakers that you have paired with the watch, you might be able to control the music player externally through them.

What Else is There?

The Forerunner 245 Music actually does a heck of a lot more than just play music. As this is a Spotify watch guide we won’t go into too much detail but here’s a brief summary of the key features:

Works with iOS and Android

5 ATM waterproof

GPS (and GLONASS mapping)

Heart rate monitor

Pulse Ox sensor

Fitness notifications that can help you understand whether you need to work harder or slow down.

Garmin Coach that will work with you to get fitter and faster

Detailed feedback from all your workouts so you know where you need to put your efforts

Fall and safety detection services that will help you if you find yourself in trouble; this smartwatch will even alert emergency services to come and help you.

Up to 7 days of battery life when in smartwatch mode (up to 24 hours if GPS is in constant use)

Bottom Line: I’ve owned this watch for about 6 months and absolutely love it! If you’re an active person that enjoys listening to music then I highly recommend it. Besides playing music, it’s an awesome fitness tracker that actually encourages you to get out more. It’s the Spotify smartwatch that I’d choose over all others.

Samsung Galaxy Watch

Samsung is a household name and well known for its phones, TVs, and other tech. The Galaxy Watch is the perfect choice for fitness activities as well as listening to your music throughout the day. Spotify on a Galaxy watch can be easily downloaded and is simple to access so that you don’t have to fuss around to find it.

The great thing here is that if you have the SIM card enabled version of this watch then you are able to stream music using Spotify. While this sounds really cool, it does significantly drain the battery when you are using 3G and 4G data. I also prefer playing the music through external speakers as the in-built speakers are tiny and don’t sound great.

Until smartwatch battery life improves, I prefer the Garmin Spotify implementation where you pre-download the music. The battery life doesn’t take a huge hit when listening in this way. That being said, I don’t expect everybody to agree with me.

This beautiful watch has a round face and comes in two sizes to fit all wrist types. You can expect to enjoy a full-color display, and the straps are interchangeable so that you can suit your mood to your watch look.

The fitness tracking is really good, and you will be able to swim with the watch on, meaning that you never miss an opportunity to track your progress.

Some other key features include:

Light and thin design so you never notice it on your wrist

Always on display to make it easy to check what is going on in the world

A fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor to keep you up to speed on your progress

A health coach that will work with you to improve your general fitness

A fully customizable screen so that you can get the look you want

Bottom Line: The Samsung Galaxy Watch is the smartwatch to choose if you want to stream music. It’s an awesome watch in general and much more than just a fitness tracker that plays music (which could be said about the Garmin Forerunner).

Apple Watch Series 5

The latest Apple Watch hit the shelves last year and offers a huge range of features that will appeal to anyone that wants to get a new smartwatch.

The Apple Watch is synonymous with Apple Music, but the company does not bar Spotify. Just be prepared for a seriously limited experience.

Apple being Apple currently don’t permit 3rd party apps (ie. non Apple products) to use a cellular or WiFi connection to stream. As you can imagine, this seriously limits what 3rd party apps can achieve on the Apple Watch.

In the case of Spotify, the app is available but it can only act as a controller to control Spotify playback on another connected device. This means no streaming and not even any downloading!

I can understand why they’ve done it. It’ll push more people to use their very own Apple Music streaming service (which has full streaming capabilities with a premium subscription). However, it’s a pretty annoying tactic that we’ve come to expect from Apple.

Third-party apps may well receive more support in the future but for now, Apple Music is the only streaming service worth using on the Apple Watch.

Otherwise, it’s a seriously awesome watch that’s got the best user interface we’ve seen on a smartwatch so far. A couple of other criticisms can be aimed at the price and battery life, but all in this is a really cool piece of tech.

Some of the most sought-after features of the Apple Watch Series 5 include:

An in-built GPS system to track wherever you go

An Always-On screen, so there is no more pushing buttons to check the time

An ECG app to check your heart health whenever it takes your fancy

An in-built compass

A bigger screen than ever before

Bottom Line: There’s a big compromise to make here if you simply must use Spotify. But, if you’re willing to make the switch to Apple Music you get the full streaming ability and a real quality wrist-piece.

Conclusion

If you want music on your watch there are few decent choices right now, but smartwatches with Spotify are leading the way.

However, there are a few different implementations of Spotify on smartwatches that you need to be aware of.

There are those that can stream, those that can only download to internal memory, and those that simply work as an extended remote control.

It depends what you’re personally looking for but for me the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music does a brilliant job. It’s a smartwatch with offline Spotify access that relies on downloading and storing the music internally via a smartphone. This might not be for everyone (try the Samsung Galaxy or Apple Watch if so) but for a runner like myself it’s now an essential piece of tech.

Remember, other very good music streaming services exist too. If you’re an Apple fan then switching over to Apple Music and streaming with an Apple Watch Series 5 is a great way to get music on your smartwatch too.

The post The Best Smartwatch for Spotify [Plus 2 Awesome Alternatives] appeared first on Find Your Smartwatch.

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#IFTTT #Find Your Smartwatch

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ronyxfic · 5 years

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Educating the Victim - Act VI, Chapter XVI

Pairing: -

Rating: Mature

Warnings/Tags: Alcohol.

Read it on AO3! - Support us on Patreon!

Educating the Victim Masterpost

(Previous chapter) (Next chapter)

CHAPTER 16: Departing

Rose had somehow managed to be at the airport at exactly 4:30pm. She dragged her pink suitcase to Departures; Azure had said she'd meet them there.

Marigold was already there, waiting with Azure. They spotted Rose just as Marigold was getting ready to complain about the time. Marigold looked more confident in her new suit. "You made it. Goodness, you look rough."

"Please don't make me think about it," Rose said. "Where are we going?"

"The private part in the airport," Azure said. "You're taking my private plane. This way."

"I'm rather excited." Marigold appeared rather jubilant as she looked for a direction. "Hm. There's no signs for it."

“Is that a surprise to you? None of the rich people want randomers wandering into their part of the airport,” Azure said. “Myself included. Follow me.”

"Ah, makes... sense." Marigold shot a look at Rose. "I take it we're not going to get time to hang out in departures. Shame. I love browsing through off duty."

“You can if you want to. There’s access to the regular part of the airport. And we do have some time, since the tower won’t let you leave until about six.”

“Then why are we here so early?” Rose asked.

“Policy,” Azure said simply. “I am supposed to make sure all of the people flying on my plane are security checked and fully briefed, and apparently waiting around at airports is something rich people have to do as well.”

"Huh." Marigold nodded, and then nudged Rose. "I'm up for it if one of you wants to come with me."

“Absolutely,” Rose said immediately. “Azure?”

“I’ll wait for you. Hold your horses, though. We need to go through security – it’s not quite as hectic as regular airport security, but it’s a must. You don’t have anything dangerous on you, do you? – Not that they’ll care if you do, I tip them enough.”

"I mean... you did say you might give us a gun, too." Marigold swallowed.

“Keep that quiet while we’re still amongst the public, yeah?” Azure reached a door which had a grumpy-looking security guard posted by it. He recognised Azure and opened the door for them. “Here we go.”

Marigold moved past and fond herself in a miniature private baggage check. There didn't appear to be any guidelines. "Oh. I take it we can take bottles of water through, then."

“Yes, the law is different for private planes. Still, you can do some damage if you hijack one of those, so a minimum of security is still necessary.”

Rose was silent, going through the motions. Took off her light jacket, put her keys into the tray.

Marigold did the same and breezed through the detectors. No alarms.

"So, are you going to just stay in England, Azure?"

Azure shot her a look. “I cancelled on the biggest gaming convention in the world because of health concerns. I’m not going to go on a wild goose chase in Italy. As much as I’d like to, this isn’t my battle to fight.”

So, like usual, you're sending someone else to do your dirty work.

Marigold swallowed at the intrusive thought. No. She'd agreed to this. "You mentioned we'd be making a stop before we get to the destination."

“You’ll get to the airport between nine and ten, local time, and you’ll be tired given how early I dragged you out of bed today. You have a room at the hotel there, and you can get whatever food or drink you want there. In the morning, you’ll get a rental and drive to your actual destination.”

"Oh, that sounds pleasant! I haven't been in a hotel for years, goodness. Is it a travel lodge kind of thing, or?"

“Oh, please.” Azure snorted. “It’s the Hilton.”

"Oh!" Marigold gaped. "Goodness... I. Didn't expect you to go all out."

“Marigold, darling, have you met me? As if I’d make you stay in a Travelodge wearing that new suit of yours.”

"I just... like their breakfast buffet." Marigold looked awkward.

“Oh, Mari, you are precious. The Hilton has a breakfast buffet. And it’s far superior.”

"Good. That's all I care about, honestly." Marigold appeared satisfied. They passed into a quiet and stylish looking lounge. "Oh! Are we able to go for that quick shop?"

“Please,” Rose said.

“Oh, sure. I’ll wait for you here.”

"Alright!" Marigold beamed, putting her luggage down. "We'll see you in a bit!"

Rose marched towards the shop, directly to the aisle with the alcohol. She didn’t look at Marigold as she selected three bottles of cheap spirits.

Marigold shot a small glance as she picked up a foot long toblerone. "I also like to come here to buy things for friends."

Rose snorted. “Friends. Yeah.” She eyed up the toblerone. “Chocolate. Good point.”

"It's just so cheap here. " Marigold looked around. "I honestly enjoy browsing more than anything."

“Huh. Are you getting anything?” Rose’s gaze drifted over the wines, the perfumes. She grabbed a huge bag of M&Ms. “Is there a pharmacy or something? Gonna need some painkillers.”

"Not in here but I think there's an overpriced one on the second floor."

“Alright. You can stay here, if you want, I’ll pay for these and go grab some.”

"Alright." Marigold nodded, spraying some tester perfume. "Not quite done browsing, myself."

An hour later, they were about to get on the plane. Azure came on with them.

“Alright, all the safety stuff is the same as with regular flights,” she said, “oxygen masks, life jackets, yada yada, there will be a little video playing when you take off. Help yourself to drinks, if you want, I don’t employ attendants – the only ones here with you are my pilot and co-pilot.”

"Oh, goodness. So it'll be incredibly private. Oh, thank you so much, Azure!" Marigold clapped her hands and tentatively extended them, looking around the room before offering a hug. "I know we're going out for you, but... All of this is just wonderful."

“It’s no trouble at all. You are going there largely on my behalf, after all. It’s the least I can do.” Azure came in to give Marigold a gentle hug. “Be safe, now. There’s Interpol agents waiting for you on the other side. They’re not there to supervise you, only to ensure nobody interferes. You’ll be fine once you get out of the airport.”

She turned to Rose, who was still very quiet, a bag of duty free alcohol in her hands.

“You’ll be okay, Rose?”

Rose gave a wry smile. “Sure. It’s not like I have much of a choice.”

"Oh, come on, girl." Marigold tired to give an encouraging look. "We'll be fine once we land and find our hotel rooms. You can probably get some kip early."

Rose shot her an unreadable look, then went on board. “Fancy,” she muttered, seeing the inside of the plane before sitting down and putting on her seat belt.

“I’ll be off, then. Be safe, and please keep in touch.” Azure waved and stepped outside just as the plane’s engines started running.

Marigold watched her back away from the plane as the engines began to overwhelm her hearing. She then turned back to look at Rose, a giddy look across her features.

Rose avoided her gaze. “Azure said she had drinks in here?”

She spied the minibar and got up. “One sec. I bet she has some really nice stuff in there.”

"Shouldn't you stay put until the seatbelt sign turns off?" Marigold sounded like a teacher on a school trip.

Rose ignored her, opening the fridge and having a gander. “Oh, fancy. I thought so.” She pulled out a bottle and then got back in her seat. “Don’t be so stuck up, Principal Diamond. It’s like we’re going on holiday.” The grim sarcasm was obvious as Rose opened the bottle and took a swig. “To think I spent money on cheap airport alcohol.”

Marigold frowned.

The edge in Rose's voice as she downed champagne was all too familiar.

She was escaping.

"What are you running from, Rose?"

Rose gave her a cold look, unsmiling.

“Don’t.”

She took another gulp, and another. Before the plane had even started moving, the bottle was half empty.

"Okay. Oh! I best put my phone onto airplane mode!" Marigold smiled forcefully. Her hand came to find it, but she then paused. She had neglected to look at it all day.

Her gaze widened. It was already in airplane mode. She remembered setting it so before seeing Azure to avoid being called.

In the second she turned it off she received several instant notifications that silenced when she tapped it back.

(3) Missed calls from Aurora.

She slumped back in her seat as she realised she’d received a novel of worried texts.

Oh.

< align="center"p>

Rose was too busy drinking to notice anything off about Marigold. “Want any?” she said, offering the bottle.

Marigold was almost tempted for a brief second. "No, thank you."

“More for me.” Rose finished the bottle. “I’m going to have a nap.”

The speakers rustled, and a cheerful voice could be heard.

“Good evening, ladies! This is Bob, your captain for this flight. We’re about to take off, so please put your phones in airplane mode and make sure your seat belts are securely fastened. I’ll give you more infos as we approach Florence, but for now, have a nice flight!”

Marigold watched the plane take off, the houses and streets of London turning toy sized, and then perhaps ant sized. She wondered what it would be like to be this big, this tall, and decided for a brief second that perhaps she'd like it.

She found herself a cosy position and tried to rest. Perhaps it would all be over soon.

#steven universe #su fanfic #su yellow diamond #su rose quartz #su blue diamond #su human au #educating the victim #etv act 6 #illustrated

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orcadigitals · 3 years

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Why is a Cell Phone VPN Important for Secure Smartphone Browsing?

“Why use a cell phone VPN service?” is what people ask after friends and relatives say they use them. We answer your queries such as: “Should I be using a VPN on my phone?”

We explain why a VPN can be important and how can it help you avoid tracking and be more secure when browsing on your phone?

youtube

What Does a Cell Phone VPN Do?

The VPN is a virtual private network which routes your internet traffic through a server into the country in which the server is located.

It is secure because of the encryption which scrambles up the data and makes it unreadable by anyone but you.

Increasingly people who wish to browse without being tracked and later followed by a myriad of ads and potential tracking software are buying access to these servers.

It is hoped that most nations will eventually legislate against everyone from big businesses to criminal gangs to introduce laws against data retention for advertising and nefarious spying.

But, until then with virtually no restrictions upon data retention by law in most countries, the VPN can be seen as a way to take personal action to stop it for the VPN user.

When using a VPN the data is erased when you leave that country (by ending that session).

What this means is, your web activities are encrypted and those bots which are set up online to watch you lose contact with you.

They get to see a different IP address for each session when using a public VPN service whilst you are using the VPN.

There is no way they can connect the next session with any other, and you remain unknown to the software that watches us all while online.

What VPN you sign up and pay for is a highly personal choice. Personally, I would recommend Tunnelbear. Tunnelbear is available on Android, iPhone and Blackberry devices. And for Blackberry it is available as a dedicated app called Signal.

Why is a Cell Phone VPN Important?

The benefit of using a VPN on your cellphone is your privacy.

There are other incidental benefits because it may be a way to get around geoblocking. Geoblocking is the increasing practice of many websites, especially in the US to block visitors from for example Europe.

This happens when the lawyers for a company point out that the laws in another (such as Europe) are complicated and largely untested in the courts, to the website managers.

As advertisers usually only target their sales in the home nation, these websites find that they can readily block all visitors from abroad without reducing their advertising income.

Another advantage of using a VPN on your can be is speed. Most VPN servers are based in the U.S. and are often faster than some European ones. This means you can get speeds of around 1 megabit per second, compared to around 10 Mbps on a European server.

So if you are looking for a personal VPN, if you’re looking for a fast VPN, if you’re looking for anonymity and privacy and if you’re looking for speed, look no further.

A personal VPN is something that you can get by clicking on a link to a VPN service provider, and following the instructions.

This is something that you do yourself but because the VPN is not a cloud-based app, you can stop it anytime you like. Also, you can stop it whenever you like.

If you are looking for a fast VPN that offers high quality, there are many high-quality VPNs you can choose from.

How do I select a VPN?

Most personal VPNs that you’ll find on the market today are based on a VPN Protocol. This type of VPN encrypts the IP addresses.

This makes it appear that the person you’re connected to is located in another country and maybe that person is actually located in your own country.

When you sign up with a personal cell phone VPN, it will ask for your country of residence and will use that as a basis for where your IP address will be located.

The server-level service gives you the benefits of anonymity and security.

The encryption is done at the server level and you won’t have to worry about your traffic being tracked, read and intercepted.

That being said, this type of VPN may not be the best for a good internet speed.

The encryption can be lead to spotty connections and you may sometimes fail to get the speeds you desire.

When that happens, it is usually because your connection is being handled by a connection that’s on a slower speed tier.

Avoid Using Free Cell phone VPNs

Slow connections are almost inevitable when you use a free cell phone VPN, free services are not a reliable way to use a VPN.

However, if you’re looking for a VPN and don’t mind paying for a service that is fast and convenient, there are some fast personal VPNs you can consider.

It is important to know that, as a matter of fact, it is really necessary to have a fast VPN that offers high quality and that is convenient.

Therefore, when you’re looking for the fastest VPN that offers high quality, it is preferable that you use a VPN that has a great reputation.

Also, it is preferable to use a VPN that does not have a connection that stops for random periods of time.

If your service provides speed in addition to quality, convenience, and security, you’re going to get the level of service we all want and expect nowadays online.

The benefit to using a VPN is that you’re shielded from prying eyes.

It’s generally believed that this can help keep you safer in your dealings with people who are interested in your business.

However, there are a few issues to consider before you jump into a VPN service. Some of these can be overcome. Others are a bit more difficult.

What Should I Expect When Using a VPN?

First, let’s talk about what you’re going to get. When you sign up for a paid VPN service, generally you’re going to get access to a fast server.

But, it may not always be fast everywhere globally.

It depends on the location that the Cell Phone VPN will use for encryption and transmission of your data.

This means that it will host a VPN server.

The best VPN service providers usually offer their clients the option of choosing which server they want. But the downside is that many locations can themselves have poor internet speeds.

This is unavoidable because some locations just don’t have a very good internet infrastructure.

One such location has been for example Africa where many states experience a huge cell phone browsing demand. But, investment in internet speeds has lagged behind elsewhere.

This means that you’re going to have the option of choosing the fastest server and best encryption – but the service provider cannot control speeds from their servers onward.

However, some VPN service providers actually offer more than two, or more, servers.

In this case, you can decide which one is faster, and use that one. In addition, some providers will offer you the ability to pick the encryption algorithms you want.

This is a benefit because some clients need the ability to choose algorithms for better security.

However, this does involve more communicating with the provider because they will go over your security plan with you. For some, this can be an uncomfortable meeting.

Purchasing a Cell Phone VPN

As you look to purchase a cell phone VPN, make sure you look at the speed.

If you need more speed you may need to balance a trade-off between speed and security, consider the security first if you run a lot of payment transactions.

However, for most people, speed is the main factor.

The first thing to consider is the speed of the server, as you cannot raise the speed from you to the VPN server unless you can go to a better broadband provider.

For this to work there your local connection to your phone exchange would need to be capable of supporting a faster connection.

Most VPN services can provide a 50Mbps connection. This is the standard speed.

However, there are many that go up to 1Gbps. Again, this is the fastest connection speed and comes usually at a premium price.

Remember that if your local broadband or cellphone connection cannot keep up with this higher speed it will not do you any good though.

The speed you will see will be the speed of the slowest link in your connection. It’s no good paying for a fast connection if your local connection can’t also provide that speed.

VPN Protocols and Technical Matters

A lot of providers use OpenVPN and L2VPN. You may need to know what this means.

Basically, OpenVPN is a free service that uses the TCP/IP protocol suite to create secure tunnels between your PC and the VPN server.

This tunnel is then encrypted using a public key algorithm and then the tunnel is destroyed after the session is ended by the user. A lot of providers may also use an intermediate server at one point in the tunnelling process.

The inner workings of the software are such that your phone is going to need to communicate with the provider in order to get these tunnels established.

They will typically give you a “shared secret2, a piece of computer data that your cell phone will need to communicate with the intermediate server.

This shared secret is important because it contains the algorithms used to create the tunnel.

If you lose this shared secret, it will be very difficult to track your traffic. You may also need to communicate with the VPN server if you want to create additional tunnels or renegotiate the rate.

A lot of the time, you don’t have to do this as often the server will offer you a fixed tunnel rate and time period.

If that is the case, you don’t need to renegotiate. Often, it is possible to negotiate a fixed rate with the server by using a shared secret.

OpenVPN and L2VPN

L2VPN is a great way to get the tunnelling process started. The main advantage of an L2VPN is that you are protecting your traffic with the OpenVPN protocol suite.

This means that no special software is needed and you don’t need to manage servers. Additionally, OpenVPN is easy to install, configure, and use.

By choosing OpenVPN for your VPN service, you are protecting your traffic with the OpenVPN protocol suite.

No special software is needed. Additionally, OpenVPN is easy to install, configure, and use.

With L2VPN, you are protecting your traffic with the VPN server. The VPN server, or VPN proxy, will forward your traffic to the VPN server.

The VPN server is the server that you connect to via a tunnel.

L2VPN simply takes it a step further by using the VPN server as the L2VPN server.

You are encrypting your traffic with the VPN server and then the VPN server is making sure that your tunnel is accessible to other computers.

Another advantage of using VPN servers is that you have one place to fall back.

You can use the VPN server to fall back to, perhaps, if your VPN connection fails. This means that your traffic is encrypted in the VPN server, which means that the tunnel is accessible to other computers.

This is great because it means that your data is secure and protected against “terahertz attacks”.

SSH Tunnels

Finally, there is the option of using SSH tunnels.

You can use SSH tunnels to tunnel your traffic over an SSH server, which is a server that supports SSH tunnels, or over a SOCKS server, which is an encryption alternative to SOCKS which is commonly used for web browsing.

You do not need to use an SSH server as your tunnel can be made to connect to another computer over an SSH connection, but that is more difficult.

Your tunnel can be made to connect to another computer through an SSH connection.

The VPN and VPN proxy can be used to speed up your browsing speed and to ensure that no matter what time you go offline, your traffic will not be blocked.

The Virtual Private Networking server will ensure that your traffic will not be intercepted. The server will also ensure that your traffic is encrypted.

Thus, your web traffic is encrypted and secure.

Multi-user and Business VPN Accounts for Businesses Schools Etc

It is possible to get a guaranteed encrypted tunnel connection to your data, even while you, the subscriber, are away from your computer.

Your VPN proxy will decrypt the tunnel on your behalf, so it is possible to get your phone or PC/ laptop connected to the VPN server even when you are not connected to your machine.

This is great because your tunnel is accessible to other computers and even other networks.

Your tunnel can be accessed by other computers that are not connected to your local network if you allow this.

Your tunnel can be shared with other people.

This is a great benefit for a business or a school. The tunnel is secure, and but you can still share it with other people.

The other people will not see that you are tunnelling their traffic.

This also gives you great leverage. When away from your computer, all your devices will still be protected.

Safely Access Your Files for Your Home PC While Travelling

You can access your files from your laptop while you are away from your laptop, or home computer.

The VPN will ensure that there are no prying eyes.

It is great for college students who go away for college but need to see their files which are still on their home PC.

This gives them access, with security and peace of mind.

If you have your VPN tunnel set up correctly with a multi-user account, you will not have to pay extra for other people to use the net with you.

The VPN has the benefit that you will not have to pay extra for another computer to surf the net.

This can be really useful. So a VPN on a phone can be a great advantage for you.

Using the VPN has other advantages, too. You can access your files when away from home when you need them.

If you use a VPN service, you may be surprised at how inexpensive it is. You may not realize just how cheap it is until you look it up.

Setting Up a Cell Phone VPN

The VPN can be very easy to set up.

This can be great if you are a newbie in setting up computers. Once you have the software, setting up the tunnel is easy.

You will not have to go elsewhere. All that you have to do is install and use the software.

The software is available from many websites.

You may have to pay for the best software, but it is well worth the money.

This will make setting up the tunnel very simple.

Finally a Word of Warning

The software can be used to make your computer appear as if it was in another location, and you can keep your identity anonymous for sure.

But, with this comes an enhanced ability to behave badly.

It is appealing for many to use VPN software to make their cell phone or computer/ TV appear to be in the US while using video and TV streaming accounts.

However, you should check the Terms of Service you signed up for.

Many streaming services prohibit the use of PBNs in this way and may terminate your account.

Steve, the author of this article, writes on a wide range of subjects. If you found this article interesting we suggest that you also visit his website at ChristySands.com.

The Article Why is a Cell Phone VPN Important for Secure Smartphone Browsing? was found on https://limitsofstrategy.com

The Article Why is a Cell Phone VPN Important for Secure Smartphone Browsing? First Appeared ON : https://gqcentral.co.uk

The Article Why is a Cell Phone VPN Important for Secure Smartphone Browsing? appeared first on https://orcadigitals.com

https://orcadigitals.com/why-is-a-cell-phone-vpn-important-for-secure-smartphone-browsing/

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michaelandy101-blog · 3 years

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Beyond Responsive Design: How to Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users

New Post has been published on https://tiptopreview.com/beyond-responsive-design-how-to-optimize-your-website-for-mobile-users/

Beyond Responsive Design: How to Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users

Everyone can acknowledge the importance of a mobile-friendly website, especially after Google’s Mobilegeddon algorithm update.

Mobile optimization is here to stay, and it’s demanding more and more of businesses and their websites. But mobile optimization is about more than just a responsive website design.

In this article, we tell you why and how to adopt a mobile-first mindset for your website.

What is mobile optimization?

Mobile optimization is the process of designing and developing your website and its content to perform as well on mobile devices as it does on a desktop. As more consumers access websites on their smartphones, mobile optimization is increasingly important.

Google’s mobile-friendly algorithm change in 2015 (and a few more since then) was evidence that the search engine recognizes its responsibility to surface websites that painlessly get users what they need at the time that they need it.

Google doesn’t want to send mobile users to websites that provide a frustrating browsing experience — that would damage its promise to its users to always deliver helpful, relevant content.

Moreover, this algorithm change was and is a signal of a much larger shift that’s afoot — consumer behavior is changing, and it’s your job to adapt.

How to Optimize a Website for Mobile

Map your customer journey.

Seize intent-rich micro-moments.

Reconsider your metrics.

Embrace the intimacy of mobile.

Remember the basics and think ahead.

Building a mobile-friendly website is step one, but tweaking your website will not keep you ahead of consumers’ changing behavior and expectations.

In short, you have to infuse your marketing strategy with a mobile-first mindset. Here’s how.

1. Map your customer journey.

Imagine the experience of Sally, a young marketer who has just moved to Chicago. While out for a walk, Sally passes by a hair salon and realizes she needs a haircut. She pulls out her phone a search for hairstylists in Chicago who specialize in curls and color. Her Google search pops up Joann’s Stylez.

She flips through the website quickly and wants to research more, but it’s too hard while on the move — so she texts herself a link. When she gets home, she opens her texts on her tablet and quickly checks Yelp reviews, examines her calendar, and then books an appointment using the simple form on the Joann’s website.

When Sally loads up her laptop later that night to check her email, she discovers an email from Joann’s that confirms her appointment and gives her the option to add it to her calendar. The next day, 30 minutes before her appointment, she receives a push notification on her work computer reminding her of the appointment.

The next day, Sally receives a mobile email asking for feedback on the cut and offering to set up a recurring appointment at a discounted rate. She’s sold.

Sally’s experience is illustrative of the cross-device, omnichannel journey that many customers now make as they move through the marketing funnel. Every day, consumers switch a handful of different devices when completing common tasks such as online shopping, readying blog posts, booking appointments, or communicating with each other.

HubSpot’s Blogging Software equips you to publish relevant, conversion-optimized content you can preview on any device — allowing you to engage with customers wherever they are.

Consumers now expect this type of experience from all of their digital interactions. They want to be able to accomplish whatever fits their fancy on whatever device is at hand. This means that simply adapting your site to look nice on different devices is not enough. As a marketer, you must dig deeper into your customers’ and prospects’ lives.

For example, at HubSpot, we know that a visitor on a mobile device is very unlikely to fill out a long form on one of our landing pages. So we started using Smart Content to automatically shorten the form when a mobile viewer is looking at it. By doing this, our mobile prospects increased by 5x.

2. Seize intent-rich micro-moments.

You’ve likely already developed a strong set of buyer personas. You’ve conducted user research and testing to understand which content and CTAs to present to each persona as they move down the funnel. You must now go a step further. You must understand both the rhythm and rhyme to when, why, with what, and from where people are interacting with your website and content.

Google encourages marketers to identify the “micro-moments” in a customer’s journey:

Micro-moments occur when people reflexively turn to a device — increasingly a smartphone — to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something. They are intent-rich moments when decisions are made and preferences shaped.

A number of brands have figured out how to anticipate and capitalize on these micro-moments. Apple Passbook loads up your Starbucks card when you’re near a coffee shop. Hertz sends you an email when your plane lands to let your know that your car is ready. Starwood allows you to check in and open your hotel room with your smartphone.

Consumers are increasingly becoming acclimated to companies offering such intimately responsive experiences. 59% of shoppers say that being able to shop on mobile is important when deciding which brand or retailer to buy from, and 39% of smartphone users are more likely to browse or shop a company or brand’s mobile app because it’s easier or faster to make a purchase.

How can you figure out these micro-moments and design your content to meet prospects’ intent? Tap into your data. Here are three analyses you should start with:

Search: Which queries, ads and keywords are bringing users on different devices to your website and landing pages? Once they land on your site, what types of searches are users on different devices performing?

Content: Examine the content that users access by stage in the funnel and by device. Is there a trend around what prospects on their phones are downloading? Sharing?

Flow: Dig into a flow analysis segmented by device. What is the path mobile-using prospects follow? What is the path tablet-using customers follow? From what sites and sources are these visitors arriving?

After building your trove of micro-moments, it would be easy to think: “Okay, we just need to strip our website down to the specific things our visitors will mostly likely want to access on the go.”

But mobile users are not limited to completing short, simple tasks. The device does not directly imply location or intent.

A busy professional may use her commute time to conduct in-depth industry research on her phone, process her email inbox on her tablet while watching a movie with her family, and browse the websites of potential contractors while flying across the country.

Confirming this intuition, the Pew Research Center’s study of U.S. smartphone found that 99% of smartphone owners use their phone at home, 82% use their phones while in transit, and 69% use their phone at work each week. (This study was conducted in 2015, but we believe it’s still relevant, if not more so, today.)

People don’t want a stripped down set of content. Instead, they want quick and easy access to the materials they need on whatever device they happen to be using.Thus, while you want to optimize your site, landing pages, emails, etc. for micro-moments, you do not want to force visitors into a box from which they cannot escape.

3. Consider (and reconsider) your metrics.

The metrics you established in the desktop-centric days may not seamlessly translate to our new multi-device, micro-moment world. For example, you might have fought tirelessly to find ways to increase visitors’ time on your site, recognizing that more time means higher engagement, which translates to higher conversion.

The micro-moments you identify for mobile visitors, however, might suggest that you want a lower time-on-site. A prospect visiting the website of a consulting firm may be looking for:

An infographic they want to show a coworker

The bio of a partner with whom they are about to meet

A case study to read while traveling

In order to meet this prospect’s expectations for their mobile experience, you must design your website to quickly and intuitively help them find the specific piece of information for which they are looking. If their mobile visit is distracting, frustrating, or too time consuming, you’ve damaged their perception of your brand.

4. Embrace the intimacy of mobile.

For better or worse, I go to bed with my phone (reviewing tomorrow’s schedule and reading a nighttime meditation) and I wake up with my phone (silencing the alarm and checking the weather). I communicate with my partner and my best friends everyday — all through my phone. When my MBA classmate sends a GIF of Tyra Banks being sassy, I turn my phone to the person next to me, and we have a good laugh together.

Day-in and day-out, these interactions create an intimate connection between my phone and me. And I’m not alone: Most consumers imbue their mobile experiences with more intimacy than desktop experiences. The Pew Research Center found that Americans view their smartphones as freeing, connecting, and helpful, and associate their phones with feelings of happiness and productivity. These associations can inspire greater engagement with and interest in content.

As marketers, we should take advantage of these trends and consider how to make our prospects’ mobile experience more personal and social. Perhaps change your website to increase the proportion of social CTAs you display when someone arrives on mobile.

5. Remember the basics and think ahead.

Overall, embracing the mobile mindset means ensuring that the entire customer journey is responsive, relevant, actionable, and frictionless. As a marketer, you want to help consumers quickly and easily find what they want to find and do what they want to do. Again, this means thinking ahead, understanding when, with what device, and from where your prospects will interact with your content.

This can seem daunting, but mostly it means diligently applying the basics across channels. For example, since nearly half of all emails are opened on mobile, ensure your emails are mobile optimized. We recommend doing the following:

Use large, easy-to-read text.

Use large, clear images and reduce file sizes.

Keep layouts simple and invest in responsive templates.

Use large, mobile-friendly calls-to-action and links.

Recognizing the personal associations people have with their phones, you’ll want to ensure that the “From” name is familiar and that the preview text is inviting. And think ahead: Don’t email a link to a form or an event registration landing page that is not mobile-friendly.

Use HubSpot’s Free Landing Page Builder to launch landing pages that look perfect across devices and automatically change content based on who’s viewing your page.

Over to You: Time to Optimize

Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to living the mobile mindset and weathering the change in consumers’ digital behavior. Move quickly and your organization could be at the head of the pack.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in June 2015 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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altajackuniverse · 4 years

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Why Your Content Marketing Needs to be Snackable

Make Your Content More Snackable

We're no longer the family of the 1950's and 1960's all gathered around a single TV set for our news and entertainment. Those days are long gone, and our new reality is so much different. Today everyones's attention is divided. I know in my own home, everyone has their own devices and is engaging with different media. It's not unusual for my three grand children to each be surfing on their own iPads while their parents are scanning their phones. While my 5 yo grandson binge watches Ryans toy videos, his older cousins are playing Fortnite or checking out the latest gymnastics videos on YouTube. The adults are busy checking Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, on their phones. We're constantly bombarded with endless new content to keep us preoccupied and disconnected from actually living. That's why all devices are banned from the dinner table at my house, to give us all a chance to connect personally. Content Comes at Us in Multiple Streams According to eMarketer, millions of American's are surfing the web while they watch TV. Consumer attention spans are now measured in seconds, with most spending less than a minute on any website. Mobile technology, where brief content is gold is a growing segment of internet traffic. Mobile now accounts for over 56% of all traffic on the internet. Brands are fighting harder than ever to attract and retain consumer attention, while attention spans are at their lowest. Engaging a distracted audience requires a strategy using the concept of “content snacking”. You need to be delivering small but highly relevant bits of information that people can consume on the go. Following are four tips for making your content more snackable. Add Multimedia Using Different Formats GIF's are a great example of snackable content that we’ve seen emerge over the past few years. “Marketers are creating GIFs to help consumers express themselves through these humorous, snackable videos, which make them a shareable utility versus an ad,” Moving Image & Content Founder Quynh Mai said. “GIFs are an economical way for consumers to express their moods, and smart brands are creating GIFs as a utility for that purpose, making these shareable personal expressions and not just a six-second video.” There’s a world of snacking possibilities beyond just GIFs. Creating content in multiple formats will help you reach consumers in whatever way is most convenient for them. Text-based content is the easiest to produce, but you should consider creating visuals such as easy-to-digest charts, infographics, audio, video or even live video content. Remember, though, to always tie it back to your audience’s needs. The type of content that works best for you depends on who you’re trying to reach. Millennials, for example, are more likely to connect with a funny meme, while Baby Boomers may be more interested in an informative infographic. If you end up creating text-based content, make “easy-to-skim” your mantra. Rather than deliver a wall of text, use bold formatting, numbered lists and clear, easy-to-understand language to get your message across. Deliver Value to Create Brand Loyalty You can't just deliver a funny meme or GIF and call it a day, particularly if the delivery is disruptive. If you want to promote your brand, your content needs to be snackable delivered in small bites. It's also critical that your audience finds your content to useful. Don't bombard consumers with irrelevant marketing messages, it's like forcing them to eat their vegetables. According to research from Google, a full 51% of smartphone users indicated that they’ve changed a purchasing decision simply because one brand proved itself useful. Google also found that 73% consumers said useful information was their deciding factor when making a brand choice. Bottom line, make your content snackable and "thumb-worthy." Cater to Various Consumption Habits We all understand that consumers do approach content in different ways, adjust your strategy to deliver on those different preferences.Make it easy for consumers to save your content for later consumption. Don't limit user engagement to just those able to react in the moment. Integrate your content with tools such as Flipboard, Pocket, or Feedly and enhance user accessibility and engagement. Double down on accessibility to your content. Include closed captions on your videos for those who might want to watch but not listen, and create audio versions of your long-form text content for those who prefer to listen, rather than read.Always look for ways to refine your marketing strategy and make it easy for consumers to find you. Ensure that your content is optimized for search engines. Be sure to optimize for all types of searches including image search, mobile search and voice search. Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant are growing in popularity, and by 2020, it's predicted that 30% of browsing will be conducted via voice. Diversify Your Distribution If you want your snackable content to be truly convenient, you can’t host it all in one place. Your audience members should be able to easily find you, regardless of where they surf. Maximizing your content amplification early, such as during the first three days following publication, is critical to long-term visibility.First, consider your owned media, which includes promoting content via your website, email list, blog and social media pages. Then, work on earning mentions from credible third parties like industry blogs, independent media publishers, Reddit users or social media influencers. Content creators and PR teams should coordinate their efforts to find effective third-party partners. Visit Our Web Accessibility Blog Visit Our Business Sustainability Blog

Great Content Continues to be Relevant

Distribute your content as long as it’s relevant, you can even breathe new life into older pieces of content when there is a surge in relevancy or interest. Use A/B testing to determine what headlines attract the most clicks. You're Competing for Content Views With so much new content spewing from the internet these days, the competition for consumers’ eyes is fiercer than ever. Brands can’t expect consumers to invest in long-form blog posts. Adjust your delivery methods, cater to consumers’ cravings for bite-sized pieces of content. If your brand succeeds now, you'll connect with users more effectively as their consumption habits continue to evolve. Read the full article

#BetterBusinessAlliance #brand #clickthrough #contentmarketing #customerengagement #customerexperience #Digitalmarketingstrategy #reputation #searchengineoptimization #socialmediamarketing #userexperience

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theteenagetrickster · 4 years

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Beware: The Techno-Doom-Loop

There's a principle I've been trying to verbalize for a long time. The issue is during the incidents where I wish to express it, I am actually therefore snared in irritation and dread that I can't raise considerably more than harsh incantations and also profanities. These episodes have been actually occurring more regularly it seems. Either considering that I am actually aging or even because alleged "cloud computer" is actually coming to be extra ubiquitous.

It happens when you are actually regarding to perform some insignificant task, something that ought to take just 15 few seconds. Like the opportunity my better half inquired me to acquire an audio lecture she purchased from a website onto her iPhone. No issue, right?

In between shooting up iTunes, upgrading iTunes on her laptop, updating iTunes on her phone, upgrading iphone before I can easily improve iTunes, recouping her password for iTunes, deauthorizing one-too-many devices coming from iTunes, one or even 2 other barricades I can't don't forget anymore as well as I'm 90 mins in to this odyssey.

The problem is it is actually certainly not simply that time. "Hey, don't forget the time I inquired you to duplicate that file to my apple iphone and you found yourself throwing my brand-new notebook at the pet dog?" ... as if it feels like that a person opportunity? No. It is actually significantly every single time.

Today needs to possess been cool ...

It is actually Brand-new Year's Time. Angela inquired me if I can always remember a newspaper article I as soon as discovered concerning a family member of hers in Barbados that I had actually sent her. Could I locate it once more? After browsing our sms message I decide I'll inspect my email. Since I switched over laptop computers, (the exact same the brand new notebook transfer that generated my changing from Microsoft workplace to LibreOffice), the global search feature in Thunderbird, the one that browses throughout all mail boxes and within information physical bodies hasn't functioned. It simply raises a blank button window when you run a hunt as well as it merely keeps empty.

I notice there is actually an upgrade accessible for Thunderbird (or even "ThunderTurd" as happened to be known within the following hr or even therefore). I attacked the switch, install the upgrade, reboot it ... as well as now every little thing is actually blank.

I reboot my laptop pc, and it enters a program update that takes half an hour to finish. Besides that, Thunderbird still looks hosed. Repeated reboots not do anything, and also the "Concerning Thunderbird" dialogue is constantly stuck on "Applying Update".

After trying a handful of factors, I choose to open a ticket in the Mozilla Support discussion forums ... simply as very soon as I generate an account ... which I require to validate by means of an authentication code they send out ... estimate where? To my email.

I run upstairs to acquire my phone and also get the code coming from my e-mail there certainly, lastly I can publish my concern ... Merely as quickly as I discuss what is inappropriate to the ticketing system which suggests a lot of various other posts that have absolutely nothing to do along with my trouble prior to finally putting a little hyperlink near the base along the collections "none of these solve my issue".

It is actually Brand new Year's Time as I stated, so I'm certainly not expecting a lot of other individuals to be actually squandering their f-ing day dicking about on Mozilla support discussion forums so I determine not to support my breath for any type of replies.

I remember I used to utilize Postbox when I ran right into a few other complication along with Thunderbird. It was something to carry out with every outbound information neglecting to write a duplicate to sent-mail after awhile and it certainly never acquiring resolved. I didn't mind spending for Postbox, as a matter of fact I liked that because that (supposedly) suggested this is actually an expert provider that is going to handle their paying users as something similar to clients as well as less like livestock. That concept was actually scurried when they unceremoniously cajoled me in to updating to version 6 and afterwards when I arrived recognized that they went down 3rd party plugin support and also that meant GPG help was actually gone. Thanks, pricks.

I went back to Thunderbird (currently strongly ThunderTurd) considering that at the very least that still assisted Enigmail's GPG plug-in. But then, that additionally barged in the relocate to OSX Catalina.

I need to have prefaced of this with "I started on this expedition during a speedy, but bright New Year's Day afternoon". It is actually now dark out.

Where was I? Oh yes, Postbox.

After downloading Postbox as well as hit on the damn.dmg repeatedly again and also absolutely nothing occurs I ask yourself if Postbox determined to discard 64-bit help, or hasn't acquired to it however, but I figure that's extremely unlikely (also though other much bigger companies, like Amazon, haven't bring out a 64-bit Kindle audience for OSX yet).

They carry out sustain it I'm only overlooking something. Oh yes, OSX blocks all apps coming from non-Apple Outlet developers unless you enter your safety environments and also especially enable it.

I enter into setups anticipating to observe that greyed out "Postbox" being noted as shut out, all athirst to click on the "make it possible for anyway" button or whatever it is actually phoned ... other than it is actually not there certainly. There is actually nothing at all. No blocked out applications. So I select the dmg a handful of more opportunity, apart from I click harder and also start promising on every click, but even that doesn't aid.

Then I remembered it took place to become before. Greater than once. And I always wind up on this reddit thread phoned "Remedy!! For all applications closed in Catalina" which seems like specifically what I need to have.

It proposes disabling the OSX gatekeeper, enjoy this:

Which I carry out and after that I click the dmg a couple of additional times as well as the fscking thing are going to still closed.

Turn back to the layer and perform it again

Still no dice. I do hear my laptop computer doing something so I check out the procedure list and DiskImageMounter is using up most of the Central Processing Unit, so I eliminate -9 that, then select the dmg and bingo! Postbox mounts.

(As I kind this rhetoric, which I may or might not publish, I keep in mind that very same reddit string reminds you to re-enable gatekeeper afterwards, which I haven't carried out yet, and also will perform ... right now)

Remarkably, this goes off without a snag. I was anticipating my laptop pc to reboot or even something. Yet remember, all this becomes part of the much bigger picture, which is I would like to manage a hunt throughout my e-mail messages. Postbox is actually still re-downloading my whole entire inbox so I can't pretty do that as yet. I'm doing this rather.

Anyhoo ... it seems like there's an outdated variation of Postbox on my brand-new laptop computer which have to possess come upon when I brought back coming from backups, and it has my aged e-mail profiles and also they are actually in place, apart from ... it's cuing me for my professional security password on my Postbox software program tool as well as I possess no idea what the hell it is actually considering that it is actually from a very long time earlier.

Some more taking a look around and I determine just how to reset a master code in Postbox

Disabling the expert password indicates I need to return to the IMAP security password on all my profiles, so I open my keychain to start re-entering all of them. However as I carry out the first one, nothing takes place. None of the email is coming down. I am coming back the security password again and again once again and also it is actually just certainly not occurring.

I always remember that regarding a year ago we transformed the hostname on the easyDNS IMAP swimming pool. There was an explanation for it, I only can't remember what it was actually. I remember my mama's e-mail was actually down for full weeks considering that I couldn't receive down there to transform the singular hostname environment in her email customer.

I finally upgrade all the IMAP multitudes throughout all the accounts, as well as obtain the codes went into ... which is actually where our experts are actually today. My major inbox is actually still downloading, each of my email routing filters are out of date, I am actually capable to finally run my searches ... as well as it is actually transforming up absolutely nothing.

I began this around 3pm, it is actually now 5:51 pm. When I mosted likely to place on a weed of coffee I finally attacked upon a words that illustrates this kind of butterfly impact dynamic:

The Technology-Doom-Loop

Over the vacations I was actually trying to coarsely verbalize this concept to a couple of close friends. None people possessed a words for it, however they all knew precisely what I was actually referring to. This seems to be near global recently. And also my accomplice is actually fairly well-informed about this stuff, imagine being a complete techno nonprofessional?

One buddy defined it as "South america minus televisions", after the techno-rubble dystopian culture represented in the Terry Gilliam motion picture of the same name.

The center guideline of the techno-doom-loop is actually that: when you start what must be a minor innovation located job, you are actually stopped coming from implementing that job by a pouring set of interdependencies as well as failing shapes that shed with an order of immensity even more opportunity to handle than the initial activity itself.

Just how frequently does it take place to you? The amount of opportunity do you squander in techno-doom-loops? Exactly how frequently does it happen to your workers and co-workers? To your whole entire group? When I consider it, whole projects as well as campaigns get hung up in this particular constantly. Exactly how a lot is your time, their time, our opportunity worth? Incorporate everything up, as well as our experts'll find that this probably has a true economic cost even better than some of the pictured crises our company listen to a great deal concerning in mainstream media and social networks.

It is just one of the reasons that I have a tendency to snort coffee out of my nostrils when I listen to pundits breathlessly spurting about Artificial Intelligence. If our program receives considerably smarter, human being is mosting likely to grind to a standstill before some of our makers usurp our company.

This content was originally published here.

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blackbird-brewster · 7 years

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Libraries are Magic!

Around age 10/11 I was diagnosed with ADHD. As long as I took my meds, I could focus in school and could continue my reading habits. But I was only on meds for a few years. I’m not really sure why the meds stopped, maybe my new GP didn’t agree with pumping a young child full of stimulants? I honestly have NO recollection of why my treatment stopped. But it did. So around age 14, I stopped reading regularly.

I would read the mandatory novels for school (maybe, mostly I used Spark Notes) and I would read one or two novels a YEAR for recreation. This continued into adulthood. The problem was, with untreated ADHD I had such a hard time following a book that I would just give up reading anything longer than a short story. It was SO frustrating as someone who had always loved reading.

The only way I could read a novel would be if I set aside the time to read it front to back in one sitting. Otherwise, if I read a chapter here and a chapter there, I would totally forget what was happening. This lead to re-reading the previous chapters over and over, which is not only time consuming but so infuriating. Reading became hyperfocus/all at once or zero focus/none at all.

Because of this, if I feel the urge to read I just re-read the same few books over and over time and again because I’m familiar enough with them that I can follow them if I read them over a longer period of time. (It’s like putting on your favorite movie in the background that you don’t actually have to pay attention to in order to enjoy)

Okay, enough of the tragic backstory. Let’s get to the plot...

Libraries are Magic.

A few days ago I needed to print some stuff and my flat mate’s printer stopped working. Rather than trekking into town to go to the office supply store (where I usually do my printing), I decided to wonder down the street to the library... Before this week, I could count the number of times I’ve been in a public library in the past twenty years on one hand. I haven’t had a library card since I was 9 years old. This was back when you had to look through the card catalog to find a book, it was a LONG time ago.

Because of my reading difficulties, I’ve had no use for public libraries. They give me anxiety. I haven’t actually finished a book in over FIVE years. I’ve started a few, but I never finish them. This is not something I am proud of. I feel shame for not being able to read and enjoy novels like I used to when I was a kid. I was always ahead in reading comprehension compared to other kids my age but I feel like now, I still have the reading comprehension of a 12 year old.

Now, Christchurch has a lot of libraries. The Christchurch City Library network consists of 22 libraries for a city with a population of 375,000. I mean, maybe other cities have this many? But I wouldn’t really know since I’ve never paid attention to them. That just seems like A LOT of libraries in one city!? And the thing is, they are AMAZING libraries.

I had previously been in about three of them around the city and they are all very modern looking. I remember thinking they seemed pretty nice but I was usually just there to use the computer for 5 minutes, so I never actually explored.

Last week I read [this post] about libraries and I realized how long it had been since I had REALLY explored a library. Libraries I remembered didn’t have any of these modern wonders people were writing about. I was pretty inspired by that post and so I decided to overcome my anxiety this week and get back into the library. Instead of just running in and out of the library to print what I needed, I decided to get a library card.

When I walked in, I timidly asked a woman at the help desk for assistance. I told her I wanted to get a library card and she took me over to another desk. Because of my anxiety regarding libraries, I had done extensive research on what I needed to get a library card -- so I was already prepared with my ID and proof of address. She had me fill out the membership form and she opened a drawer and asked me what colour I wanted. You get to pick a colour of library card! (I obviously got pink, seeing as it is the best colour) She registered my card in the system and wrote my name on it and handed it to me.

I guess she registered that I looked like a lost puppy because she asked if I knew about all the things my brand new card entitled me to. I admitted I hadn’t had a library card in nearly twenty years and she looked as if that was her absolute favorite thing to hear.

She pulled up the CCL website and walked me through EVERY part. I mean EVERY part. She showed me how to search the entire city catalog online, how to places holds (if you want a book from a different branch they will transport it to your favorite branch and keep it on hold for you for only $3!! OR if you have disabilities which limit your access to the library it’s FREE!!), how to create reading lists, how to see what I have checked out and when they’re due back, if I have late fees, basically everything you need when you want books or media.

THEN she showed me the eLibrary!! With my library card, I have access to over 47,000 ebooks and audio books to download FOR FREE. Including everything from major literary works to cookbooks to scholarly articles to resources on how to learn new hobbies. Basically anything you want is available to you digitally now. Click of a button.

There are also all sorts of community events and classes you can go to that are all sponsored through the library.

At this point, I am blown away. I am actually crying at the idea of all of this knowledge and all of these resources being readily available to me FOR FREE.

This woman looks at me, sees I’m crying and just smiles the most genuine and loving smile any stranger has ever given me. (I suspect most adults don’t usually have this reaction to getting a library card. But I’m not most adults.) I imagine it must have been pretty satisfying to her to get a REAL reaction to how MAGICAL the library is. Look Claudine (I asked her name), I am 100% here for you taking me on this incredible journey from my faded memories of cranky old librarians and dusty books and jettisoning me into the 21st century. THANK. YOU.

Once she releases me to browse on my own, it is like I have landed in some uncharted territory that is full of spectacular things to experience.

Our library is complete with self service checkout and return stations, computer areas, flat screen tvs, cozy reading areas, huge media libraries, free wi-fi, some apparently have cafes, others have Xbox360 or PS4 to play, and of course...thousands upon thousands of books. I eagerly approached the catalog computer and type in the title of a book our midwife recommended. Bam. Not only does it show me all copies available within the 22 libraries, it shows availability, holds, wait lists etc. I click on the title and navigate to the page that shows it’s available at that branch and where to find it. It was as if I just became my own librarian!

I’ve always been a fan of numbers so the dewy decimal system is a fave of mine. I have absolutely NO trouble finding the book on the shelf. I traced my fingers over the library sticker and thumb threw the pages and clutched it close to my chest. It was my first library book in twenty years and I was emotional.

I wandered around every section, mind racing with what I should read. I sort of ended up psyching myself out about the fact just because I had access to the library didn’t actually cure my ADHD and reading issues. So I decided to just go print what I had originally come in for and check out the pregnancy book.

During my two hour visit, I had to ask for help about five times. But after my experience with Claudine, I didn’t feel ashamed to have to ask questions that were probably common sense. The workers helped me every time and never made me feel judged, even when I asked where the kids chapter books were. Or how do I log in to the computer now that I have a card. Or how do I check stuff out.

When I scanned my card at the checkout computer, it felt like that beep was the indication of a whole new exciting part of my adult life. I cannot even describe how happy I was to check out a book.

I now have the CCL app on my phone, a list of books to check out and a plan to go back this weekend. I even applied to be a book shelver at one of the nearby branches AND I started reading a new novel today!! I am really obsessed with the idea that these great big, amazingly accessible, places of adventure exist and it’s FREE. I feel like I’m a kid all over again.I cannot wait to see where this rekindled passion leads me.

TL;DR: LIBRARIES ARE MAGICAL! AND FREE! AND EVEN IF YOU HAVE DISABILITIES PEOPLE ARE (PROBABLY) GOING TO BE NICE TO YOU AND HELP YOU FIND WHATEVER YOU NEED!

So go to your local library, check it out. PLEASE! I bet it will blow your mind.

#libraries #books and reading #public libraries #book appreciation #actually adhd #about me 2k17 #long post #story time

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imapinkflamingo · 7 years

Text

and this is why I do what I do!!!

If you have watched the 65th Miss Universe Competition that was held in my home country last January 2017, you probably heard the questions that was asked to Miss Philippines-

What is the most significant change you've seen in the world in the last 10 years?

Her answer isn’t bad at all but in my own opinion, she probably can do better, but then, who I am to judge her, I probably won’t even manage to enter the screening of Binibining Pilipinas let alone represent Philippines in this prestigious event. So to Maxine, who did all the best she can to bag the crown, I salute you.

But after the pageant, and Ms. France was crowned as the New Miss Universe, that questions made me think “What is the most significant change I've seen in the world in the last 10 years”, and if I were to ask the same question as she had, I probably answer like this:

The most significant change I’ve seen in the world in the last 10 years is how technology advances drastically that it becomes an integral part of our daily lives. Because of technology we have awaken the storyteller, the voices, and the ideas that is living inside of us. Technology became a very powerful tool that can be compared to MJOLNIR the hammer of Thor in the movie Thor or the fish hook of Maui in Disney’s Moana.

From what I’ve read in one of the blogs I usually visits, we’re all born storytellers and I couldn’t agree more on that. It's part of the species. We spend most of our lives, wittingly or unwittingly, telling stories. In fact, it’s not something we have to learn, it’s something we do, day in and day out, every day. It’s something that we are able to do at the age of two.

Jerome Bruner has documented how little children at this age, as soon as they can start to talk, show that they understand the stories that their families tell them, and they start to tell their own stories, and in particular start to tell stories to themselves as part of their first efforts to make sense of their lives.

It happens so easily and so spontaneously and so pervasively that some scientists believe that storytelling is hard-wired into our brains.

If you know me personally, some say that I’m quiet, reserved, monosyllabic, never saying a word at the dinner table, never regaling with stories. So what I am doing, bothering to come out with a story about people being storytellers.

To answer that question, let me tell you another story. My story.

For the last 26 years, I’ve been trying hard to find my place, on why I do what I do. I have tried numerous ways, tests to find and come out with that one special thing people call passion, I thought it was art, but it’s actually just a part of a bigger picture. Just one part.

I’ve tried almost everything and anything that I can get my hands on, building business, finding jobs but nothings fulfills me.

As the saying goes, you can do anything, but you can’t do everything. Nothing satisfies me that it’s affecting not only me mentally and emotionally but everything, people, relationship that involves me. Well just a heads up, this is not a how to overcome story or success story, it’s just a story, my story.

I get so fed up that living becomes a chore. A very boring chore and how badly I pray to anyone to show me the end of this dark tunnel. But then after giving some thought, I came to realize that this is my story and it depends on me on how to write it, in what genre will I be basing it. Be it e a dramatic one, a thriller, a comedy, a horror, it all depends on me.

And so I drag my sorry ass, and force myself to try once more. I wanted to change my story and not just remain in this single page that I keep re-writing. We all have that desire to change our own story for the good. We all keep writing our stories everyday and believing that it will someday not long from now will lead to a better one, a happy extraordinary story to tell our next generation someday.

Well, I do hope that myself and that becomes a driving force for me to find my why, which I don’t know yet until I happen to stumble on Brad Hussey’s blog. The thing is, when I’m in trouble or in doubt, I don’t usually like talking about it to anybody, I keep it all to myself and the internet becomes my only confidante. What I do is, I google everything I want to know and from the robust solutions google offers, I search the most interesting story that I can find, and most of the time, google never fails me. That’s why it became my habit that when people ask me something I always answer: Igoogle na yan, meaning why not try google to search for it.

One of the many reasons why I consider myself blessed to live in this century cause if I were born on the latter year imagine what would I do every time I have a questions in mind, I probably be living in a library or a bookstore by then.

So back to my story, given that I don’t have much choice left, I decided to try a trending career that everybody seems to adore and praises. Become a Web/Graphic Designer. Sure, that shouldn’t be a problem, after all I’m a Computer Science Student in College, that should be easy peasy, So I set a new goal, to become a web designer and have my so called FREEDOM. That was last September 2016 but why is that up until now I didn’t manage to become one and I still don’t have any website that has my name on it.

I don’t even know why, I’m as puzzled as you, as soon as I decided that I wanted t be a Web Designer, I Immediately purchase courses online teaching the quickest way on how to design a website, read numerous books recommend by almost everybody, and boy, I was drowning in information. But I can’t seem to finish what I started, and I get tired and just drop the whole thing then in an instant I shifted to a career that I thought would suit be better.

A wedding card designer, up until I realized recently that I’m not really good with “physical product”. So what’s left of me, back into web designing just to kill time and hopefully earn some extra income.

As a habit, while opening 30-40 tabs of different sites on how to become a web designer, and downloaded countless free-ebooks detailing how can I be a successful Free Lancer, I remember Brad Hussey’s blog, I have always admired that guy because he was able to build a company and work for himself. And you can feel his passion towards what he is doing, just go ahead and check out his courses in Udemy. You will never regret. It’s a really good investment for your hard earned money. So yeah, I reread the entire content of his site, and at that instant I was fascinated and captivated once more by his beautiful, very wonderful story, about his life, his family, his wife and kids, his vacations, about everything that he does, and I tell to myself, this man is living at his dream life, his living life to the fullest. And honestly my heart aches realizing that I can have a totally different lifestyle if I can only find my passion. What I don’t know that time is that I’m actually having the wrong question.

Then I remember that somewhere in my file I have saved his free-eBook on freelancing, a 68page book, The Seven Step Free-Lancing Roadmap: How To Build Your Freelance Business When You Have No Idea Where To Start, and is it a coincidence or maybe just the universe trying to remind to slow down cause I already have my answer.

So here we goes, I open the book and guess what it ask me to do on his Step 1: Define your Why. His explanation seems to hit hard on me, but I feel like there’s more that I want to know, the good thing is on the last part of the 1st Step he gave a link to watch Simon Sinek's Ted Talk, called "How great leaders inspire action”.

Nothing to lose, I quickly head to the link and downloaded it in my mobile phone. So after downloading and listening to it while on my way home, I feel “enlighten” that I literally utter the word “and that’s it, that’s what I’m missing all this years, “that is why I can’t find it, cause I don’t know what is my WHY?...

I didn’t know my WHY. Why do I do what I do?

And in that instant, answers came flooding, reflection after reflection

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever”.

Then I look back, why did I took Computer Science when I was in College, why I love to browse and search information online, why I love the website so much, why I love to read blogs and such, why I can stay in social media for hours. Why I love to write and put my opinion in my blog. It’s because I am a storyteller and at the same I am also a story listener.

We all have our own stories that we love to tell the world. Just look into facebook for an instance and you can see the countless post of individual people going on and on about their daily lives. We are all story tellers.

We all want the world to know our stories, that’s why the blogging industry is booming cause everybody wants to have a say at something. Everybody wants to be involve at something. And what better ways to tell this stories than to take advantage of the technology that is accessible to everybody at any given time anywhere in the world. See, that is the power of today’s technology, it create bridges and remove boundaries.

With the advance technology that we have, any information can be easily access to any devices, ipads mobile, as long as you have the connection. The gap of doubts and questions that we are embarrassed to ask others and keep hidden to ourselves can be easily verify and answer with just a single search in google or yahoo.

But with this privilege comes a heavy responsibility that most of us maybe don’t know, forgotten and usually ignored.

I remember an incident just last year that in my opinion describe this very situation, where one of my schoolmate in highschool was being attacked by a random individual who clearly don’t know his place when he said those harsh words to her. But hooray, my schoolmate backfired with a very witty response that in my opinion, doesn’t only applies to that individual but we should take a good look and learn from it

“I was trained by the University of the Philippines to pursue honor before excellence, to check my facts before sharing, to make sure that I understand the underlying meaning behind these words before I react, and If I don’t understand to ask questions”. Suzie F. Abela

Sometimes we can’t guarantee the credibility and "trueness" of the information that we found in search engines. But instead of checking facts, we blindly absorb or follow what they tell us, what to buy, to eat, what to watch, without even asking ourselves why do we need to. Just because it’s the current trend we tend to ignore the obvious facts underlying. We see bashing/ arguments everywhere and believe what we first read without knowing both sides. And it’s not technologies shortfall which we always used as a shield.

And that is why I choose web development and designing; I want to make a difference on how my story, your story, our stories will be share online. I have never been this eager to listen to your heart warming and delightful stories and make a way on how to share it responsibly so others will learn and be delighted in your success.

So why I do I do what I do? Because I am both a storyteller and a story listener. And I make it my goal to deliver reputable, reliable and accessible stories that can inspire and improve other’s daily lives. I want to create a haven where a storyteller and a story listener like myself can interact harmoniously.

To sum it up, let me borrow the iconic passage that makes Philippines shines once more. Sharing beautiful stories confidently with a heart, that’s why I create and develop websites.

(sorry for all the grammatical errors, I just need to write down my thoughts without filters so I can be at ease.. hahahaha)

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