Daily bread 04/28/2018

• Why China will win the global race for complete AI dominance | WIRED UK

  • • an eye-opening article about China, the World, Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Data, Online commerce...and the future. We better get ready!

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/27/2018

• Abe denies rumors he's planning to call snap election | The Japan Times

  • Abe denies rumors he’s planning to call snap election
  • categorically denied
  • amid rumors
  • dissolving the Lower House
  • support rates plummet.
  • loud and clear

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/26/2018

• Testers Are Facing Unrealistic Expectations about Test Automation | TechWell

  • Testers Are Facing Unrealistic Expectations about Test Automation
  • brand new
  • goes into making automation tick
  • fail to grasp
  • out of the loop
  • disconnect between
  • unrealistic expectations begin to form
  • facing an uphill battle
  • how cavalier I want to be
  • to figure out
  • the icky bits

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/25/2018

• My Credit • Credly

• What Influences Our Dreams? 5 Factors You May Be Surprised To Learn

  • to retrace our steps
  • On the flip side,
  • disrupted sleep
  • feeling bitter or anxious
  • has proven to be difficult
  • to draw conclusions
  • test out theories
  • unless you happen to be an expert in
  • simultaneously recorded
  • the most bizarre dreams
  • a tame fantasy
  • are connected to
  • you may want to consider
  • slept on their front
  • face-up position
  • trigger nightmares
  • there is no scientific proof that
  • our metabolism and overall mood
  • can play a significant role in
  • it does seem plausible
  • found that 20 percent of the participants
  • a connection between
  • look deeper into
  • are scarce.
  • surprisingly relevant 
  • media you consumed
  • had access to
  • before the advent of

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/24/2018

• Your Hormones Are Affected Daily By Things You May Not Expect

  • highly dependent on
  • if you happen to suffer from
  • take measures to ensure
  • regular exercise routine
  • be exposed to
  • pointed out
  • you avoid products
  • despite numerous associated health risks.
  •  can set off receptors
  • pleasant smells and tastes
  • health risks linked to excessive use of
  • the light emitted from
  •  suppressing them
  • circadian rhythms
  • may actually end up doing more harm than good
  • altering the balance between
  • subtle changes to

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/23/2018

• AI aims to make machine learning easier for software developers

  • AI aims to make machine learning easier for software developers
  • has been launched
  • more accessible to
  • focus is on
  • start-up company
  • more accessible to
  • far more quickly
  • will be able to be solved
  • rapidly answer
  • a cost-effective and repeatable approach
  • enables applications to
  • The overall aim of
  • to answer real-world business questions

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/22/2018

• Colombia: Tierra de la Sabrosura

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/21/2018

• Back in favour: Japanese master who outshone Picasso in 1920s Paris | Art and design | The Guardian

  • Back in favour: Japanese master who outshone Picasso in 1920s Paris
  • was the toast of the art world
  • the public gaze
  • Tsuguharu Foujita
  • bring him back from obscurity
  • one of the most successful artists of the 1920s
  • paid a fortune for
  • shining art star
  • more successful than Picasso and more acclaimed than Matisse
  • Brought up in a family open to western culture
  • wouldn’t be returning home any time soon
  • in conciliation with
  • in opposition to
  • hybridisation
  • no other Japanese artist had dared take before
  • sold out instantly
  • Extravagance ruled
  • Hugely successful
  • building a brand
  • dandy
  • reached an impasse
  • obtained French nationality
  • They settled in Montparnasse and led a quiet life.
  • converted to Catholicism

• 8 English Acronyms Every Professional Must Know

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/20/2018

• Norway Unveils Ureddplassen, the World's Most Beautiful Public Toilet | The Manual

  • Norway Lifts the Lid on the World’s Most Beautiful Public Toilet
  • minimalist design
  • cornered the market on
  • their considerable design savvy
  • Popping into public restrooms
  • We’d venture to say
  • downright traumatic
  • is angling to change that perception
  • stunning terrestrial scenery
  • is crafted from
  • stargazing
  • newly revamped site
  • to encompass
  • one-of-a-kind
  • the most blissful poop of your life
  • a new initiative

• BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Lying to children

  • Lying to children
  • Listen to a discussion about the lies that parents tell children and whether that's a good or bad thing - and learn some useful vocabulary too.

  • This week's question:

     

    According to a study by a US psychologist, what percentage of people will lie in a typical ten minute conversation?

     

    Is it:
    a)    40%
    b)    50%, or
    c)    60%?

     

    Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

  • Vocabulary
    

     

    a white lie
    a lie we tell without meaning to hurt someone

     

    distortion of the truth
    changing or bending of the truth

     

    malicious intent
    doing something deliberately to be cruel or to hurt someone.

     

    societal norm 
    accepted or ‘normal’ way something is done in society

     

    Transcript

• Job interviews for programmers now often come with days of unpaid homework — Quartz at Work

  • The latest trend for tech interviews: Days of unpaid homework
  • interested in hiring
  • a fictional restaurant
  • building an entire application from scratch
  • time commitment
  • I was a bit shocked
  • I was so exhausted and miffed that I gave up
  • I was dismayed at
  • I queried my network
  • had encountered the practice
  • working on
  • How homework became part of the tech interview
  • I endured a 6-hour-long unstructured interview
  • to avoid this potential bias
  • backlash against
  • critics pointed out
  • the most famous proponent of
  • emerged in this vacuum
  • to work on solutions to relevant problems
  • She was especially irked that
  • may or may not
  • a fairer process
  • already contend that
  • less time consuming.
  • used to use
  • ruling out
  • cast a wider net
  • they were more than capable of
  • a structured “live-coding interview” format that involves reviewing code together and talking about it. The process typically takes between 30 minutes to an hour.
  • made the same switch
  • to work directly with
  • In the meantime,
  • on the job market

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/19/2018

• 3 Reasons Testers Shouldn’t Be Afraid of AI | TechWell

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/18/2018

• Birke Baehr: What's wrong with our food system | TED Talk

  • 11-year-old Birke Baehr

• Online Text Tool

  tags: uppercase_lowercase

• Explore - ReadListenLearn

  tags: graded_reading

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/17/2018

• 3 Keys to Gaining Confidence | TechWell

  • 3 Keys to Gaining Confidence
  • The notion
  • to be proud of
  • you begin to acquire it

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/15/2018

• China: China to correct English on sign boards in Beijing - The Economic Times

  • carried out
  • to spot

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/14/2018

• Does Testing Truly Improve Software? | TechWell

  • Does Testing Truly Improve Software?

       
  • testing is about asking and answering the question "Is there a problem here?"
  • the tester’s role is to reveal problems.
  • we can't solve something we aren’t aware of.
  • testing improves software. Period.
  • due to the fact that
  • waking up
  • Most likely, you
  • an alarm triggered by your phone
  • The loud sound of the alarm
  • would have overslept
  • at a certain time
  • not quite yet
  • ultimately improves
  • the people for whom we
  • it's the commitment of each individual that improves software.
  • a group effort

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/13/2018

• BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Are you a foodie?

  • Are you a foodie?

     

     

     

     

  • do they really know that much about the things they eat?
  • hear from one of Britain's top chefs and learn some related vocabulary.

  • This week's question:

     

    In 2016, which is the most recent year we have statistics for, how many restaurants and mobile food services were there in the UK? was it:
    
    a) about 75,000,
    b) about 83,000
    c) about 93,000

     

    Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

     

    Vocabulary
    

     

    foodie
    someone who is very interested in all aspects of food

     

    a little bit
    a small amount

     

    romantic
    describes an imagined ideal situation

     

    affordable
    something we have enough money to buy

     

    in danger of
    the possibility of something bad happening

     

    Transcript

• Don’t Be Fooled by ‘False Friends’ in English and Spanish

• Manga-Anime here

• Manga | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC

• 6 Useful Vocabulary Websites

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/11/2018

• 9.7M developers use JavaScript | App Developer Magazine

  • <!-- Share -->                                                  <!-- End Share -->            9.7M developers use JavaScript

  • Bi-annual
  • are increasingly involved in
  • development projects with AI and VR features.
  • across the globe
  • the future is AI
  • emerging technologies
  • make the biggest impact
  • battle for the hearts & minds of
  • JavaScript is the most popular programming language,
  • is climbing up the ranks,
  • recently surpassing C#
  • rise of machine learning
  • advancements in self-driving cars will make the most impact in the next five years
  • 30% of responding developers are involved in AI development projects.
  • drive the next wave of innovation
  • Machine Learning and AI emerge as underlying technologies to fuel the new wave of software development innovation.
  • Adoption of serverless platforms is growing quickly.
  • is almost on par with
  • establishing a commanding lead
  • 1 out of 4 professional game developers say they are targeting AR and/or VR
  • early adopter status
  • are targeting
  • show a considerable appeal
  • leads the pack

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/10/2018

• This DARPA-Developed Brain Implant Can Help Recover Your Memories

  • This DARPA-Developed Brain Implant Can Help Recover Your Memories
  • neural implant
  • prosthetic
  • suggests that the answer may soon be yes
  • by an average of 35 percent
  • substantial improvement
  • according to
  • had electrodes implanted in their
  • to map neural activity
  • On their off time
  • showed 37 percent improvement
  • is at the heart of

• Does City Living Hurt Mental Health?

  • Does City Living Hurt Mental Health?

     

     
  • blue skies overhead
  • fresh green grass underfoot
  • putting themselves at risk
  • studies have shown that
  • can help to reduce the symptoms of
  • think clearly
  • On the other hand,
  • the urban environment
  • living in the moment
  • real time information
  • during a one-week period
  • If you are interested in
  • UrbanMind.info.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/09/2018

• Alan Turing Google Doodle: His 100th Birthday

  "the Alan Turing Google Doodle"

  tags: turing

• Is Artificial Intelligence Replacing Your Intelligence?

  • Is Artificial Intelligence Replacing Your Intelligence?
  • collective stupidity
  • a lack of
  • despite being surrounded by
  • cognitive offloading
  • our own intelligence atrophies
  • We are outsourcing
  • this plays out over several generations
  • voice-to-text
  • auto-correct
  • spell-check
  • auto-complete
  • augment
  • misspelled.
  • audible machine-based language translation
  • speak into a device
  • instantly translates and vocalizes our words into any language
  • sounds amazing
  • critical messages are disseminated
  • we use artificial intelligence to augment our own intelligence
  • AI

  • skills are amplified
  • remain intact
  • (IA)
  • intelligence amplification
  • layering data on top of what we already see
  • augmented vision
  • keep your real intelligence intact

  • 1. Practice math without a calculator.

  • using a calculator or other mathematical tools as a crutch
  • a time-saver
  • 286 multiplied by 9
  • multiplication and division by hand
  • 142,500 divided by 4,655

  • 2. Drive to your next appointment without GPS assistance.

  • are pervasive today
  • in real-time
  • meticulously plotting out
  • get from Point A to Point B
  • builds spatial reasoning skills

  • 3. Get a free brain test and re-test periodically.

  • the pursuit of technological advancement
  • absorbing more and more
  • download podcasts
  • search the internet 
  • scan social newsfeeds
  • read online publications
  • bite-sized
  • multi-tasking
  • we are neglecting deep processing
  • to gauge your short-term memory, reasoning and verbal ability
  • establish a baseline
  • in order to
  • trending downward
  • investing incredible sums
  • we can offload
  • you might argue
  • in the digital age
  • are becoming obsolete
  • likely to have other setbacks
  • Case in point:
  • It would be a shame if
  • renders current or future generations unable to
  • should the need arise.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/08/2018

• BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The future of marriage

  • The future of marriage
  • why might this be?
  • fewer opposite-sex couples getting married
  • related vocabulary.
  • trend
  • archaic
  • concept
  • commitment phobe
  • stabilising
  • inhibitions

• Mike's Bogota Blog: Bogotá Needs a Congestion Fee!

  • Congestion
  • horrendous traffic congestion
  • has been consistently ranked as
  • take strong action
  • the situation will only get worse and worse
  • are packed into
  • congestion and pollution
  • has manifestly failed
  • incentivizing the purchase of second cars
  • car pooling
  • their potential is limited
  • be willing to
  • big subsidies for
  • a London-style
  • reducing noise, congestion and pollution
  • much more pleasant

• How to be more hopeful |

  • How to be more hopeful
  • 8 TED speakers
  • expectations
  • you can change your life
  • Look for meaning
  • Listen to another person
  • home base
  • Add some wow
  • goodness of humanity

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/07/2018

• The lucid dreaming playbook: how to take charge of your dreams | Aeon Ideas

  • The lucid dreaming playbook: how to take charge of your dreams
  • the illusory nature of
  • to know that we’re dreaming even while asleep, a state known as lucid dreaming.
  • are closely linked
  • came up with an ingenious way to
  • verify the phenomenon empirically
  • reasoned tha
  • to flick his eyes
  • spend several nights in
  • Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase of sleep
  • have since replicated these findings
  • has proved to be a struggle
  • distilling reliable methods for
  • inducing lucid dreams
  • around 40 studies have been conducted
  • scant success
  • to address the limitations
  • more promising methods
  • focus on
  • to put real meaning into the words
  • kept a dream journal
  • their ‘baseline’ tendency
  • ended up having
  • repeated the mantra
  • the amount of time spent on
  • the most important factor was
  • people fell asleep
  • it proved almost twice as effective
  • to try this for yourself
  • the right level of wakefulness
  • the alarm goes off
  • struggle to doze off
  • It takes a bit of practice
  • starts to fade
  • can trigger a
  • rubbing your hands together vigorously
  • flooding the brain with
  • the sheer joy of being able to
  • can feel almost as vivid to us as
  • where fantasy ends and reality begins

• Convert any Website into a Podcast

  tags: audio_maker

• Can You Believe Your Own Ears? With New 'Fake News' Tech, Not Necessarily : NPR

  • • Fake audio, Fake Video, Fake News....what to believe?
  • Can You Believe Your Own Ears? With New 'Fake News' Tech, Not Necessarily
  • we might not be able to believe our own ears.
  • are evolving quickly
  • Influence-mongers
  • has serious repercussions for
  • to market their technology
  • to mimic someone's speech
  • be put in place
  • discourage its misuse
  • safeguards
  • The implications are huge
  • I don't think it's an overstatement to say that
  • a potential threat to democracy
  • provide plenty of grist
  • a derogatory term for
  • growing awareness of
  • a forgery
  • touts
  • coming up with a fix.
  • a disaster scenario
  • be far more skeptical
  • to be questioning everything

• What’s Going On in This Picture? - The New York Times

  tags: image_description

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/06/2018

• Spanish conquistadors: Theory that New Zealand was discovered by Spain gains new traction | In English | EL PAÍS

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/04/2018

• Understanding the causes of Colombia’s conflict: land ownership

• (4) The IT Crowd - YouTube - YouTube

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/03/2018

• The Best Fiction Podcasts to Get Sucked Into Right Now | The Manual

• How to Spend the Ultimate, Thrill-seeking Week in New Zealand | Travel + Leisure

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/02/2018

• Linguistic shocker: ‘Columbia’ officially accepted by Webster’s dictionary as an alternative spelling to ‘Colombia’ - The Bogotá Post

  • Linguistic shocker: ‘Columbia’ officially accepted by Webster’s dictionary as an alternative spelling to ‘Colombia’
  • wordsmiths
  • the bold move
  • come as a shock
  • esteemed American authorities
  • to spearhead
  • was distraught
  • will follow suit

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Daily bread 04/01/2018

• English for Work - Vocabulary, Exercises and Printable Worksheets

• Vocabulary: intermediate and above – Speakspeak

  tags: vocabulary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.