12 Smart Things About Smart Contracts

Nick Szabo is a legal scholar, computer scientist, and cryptography expert that coined the term Smart Contracts which means "a computerized transaction protocol that executes the terms of a contract"

These are just some of the good things when Smart Contracts were introduced:

1. Digital Identity - it can let individuals own and control their digital identities.
2. Records - it can automate recording renewals as well as releases without compromising private data.
3. Securities - it can simplify financial technology matters such as dividend payments, stock splits, and liability management issues. 
4. Trade Finance - it can facilitate transfers of streamlined international goods with higher asset liquidity.
5. Derivatives - it can enforce a standard transactional set of rules regarding derivatives which are securities with an asset-dependent price.
6. Financial Data Recording - it can serve as an enterprise-grade accounting ledger for accurate recording of financial data for transparency purposes. 
7. Mortgages - it can automate the process of getting a mortgage. 
8. Land Title Recording - it can facilitate transfers of property with less fraud and disputes. 
9. Supply Chain - it can provide greater visibility on each level of a supply chain in coordination with an Internet of Things (IoT) devices that track assets and products from factories until the point-of-sale (POS) target. 
10. Auto Insurance - it can automate insurance claims in the auto industry including verification and payment.
11. Clinical Trials - it can be a mechanism in the field of medical research and clinical trials by improving data sharing between institutions since it involves sensitive agreements for the privacy of data for participants.
12. Cancer Research - it can largely help in facilitating the data power in the field of cancer research while maintaining a privacy of data for patients.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE2HxTmxfrI
https://www.pcmag.com/article/350088/blockchain-in-2017-the-year-of-smart-contracts

12 WordPress Crowdfunding Options

1. Startup Idea - is a simple yet modern crowdfunding theme based on WooCommerce platform which you can easily use for your WordPress website. It is very minimal in its approach so that visitors cannot be distracted from visiting your website since it utilizes a free WordPress Crowdfunding plugin wherein you can use major payment processors for your web store.
2. Unity - is a WordPress theme with its origin from the Easy Digital Downloads which you can also use for your web store since it supports WooCommerce. It has a live them editor to easily customize your website without the need to have a strong knowledge in coding although it was built for developers and Sass support system.
3. Born to Give is a WordPress theme which is entirely focused on Crowdfunding activities. It has a built-in event manager which is free for usage aside from being compatible with WPML. It is based on Twitter Bootstrap 3x framework making it readily available for any screen size. You can also use the Charitable WordPress plugin with this theme.
4. Fundingpress is a WordPress minimal theme that has a built-in Crowdfunding feature which you can use for collection of funds for your website crowdfunding activities. It has a feature of Layer Slider and a 1-5 star rating system which you can utilize for any other services your website needs. 
5. Backer is a minimalist WordPress theme that has a free WP Crowdfunding premium plugin which you can use for designing your website. You can use the Elementor page builder which is already included in the theme so you never have to worry with any strong coding skills. 
6. 500 Classic is part of the 500 frameworks of the IgnitionDec which is a company that developed many themes specially designed for Crowdfunding purposes. It incorporates a crisp typography features with simple layout design that has dark highlights which is very useful for anyone with a tight budget. 
7. Crowdfunding for WooCommerce is a free plugin designed for crowdfunding purposes. It utilizes 30 plugins in the WordPress repository and it was developed by Algoritmika Ltd.
8. InFunding is another WordPress plugin that is free to use for creating your own charity and donation website. It was developed by InwaveThemes with easy shortcodes, responsive, and customizable layout.
9. Give is a WordPress plugin created by WordImpress. It features single page forms for hassle-free donation programs, reporting features for tracking your website goals, free Paypal payment features, and additional premium add-ons for everything else including Zapier, Stripe, and Zapier.
10. WordPress Fundraising is a WordPress plugin created by WPMU Dev which integrates Multisite and BuddyPress for creating a crowdfunding website. This plugin comes with a price monthly price which you can just check out at the WPMU Dev website. 
11. IgnitionDeck is a popular Crowdfunding plugin for any WordPress developer since it can be used on any WordPress theme. AppThemer and Ignition Deck already has a history of working together to develop crowdfunding WordPress themes. You can use it for free or you can also purchase its premium version. 
12. WP Crowdfunding is a WordPress plugin that is very well-known in the WordPress crowdfunding website solutions. It was created by Themeum and can easily integrate with WooCommerce. You can use it for its free features such as user registration, pricing options, reward system, and options for updating projects but you can also choose to avail its premium paid version for additional features. 

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-38uPkyH9vI
https://kinsta.com/blog/crowdfunding-options-wordpress/

12 Atari Historical Highlights

1. Atari Incorporated was born on 27 June 1972.
2. Atari hired Allan Alcorn as their first engineer who designed Pong which was a test game, at first.
3. Pong was Atari's first shipped product which began on 30 November 1972 at a price of $1095.
4. The first in-house graphic designer of Atari was George Opperman who designed the Atari logo which was known as "Fuji" for its resemblance to the Japanese mountain, although the design's origins are unrelated to it.
5. Atari created its own competitor, Kee Games, in 1973 to break deals with exclusive distributors and released its first game title Tank. 
6. It was in January 1980 that Space Invaders which was the first licensed title for the 2600 game console was released.
7. It was in July1981 that Atari Centipede became the first coin-op to be Underwriters Laboratory (UL) Approved.
8. The game Yars' Revenge was released on Atari 2600 in May 1982 which was named by the programming by reversing the first name of Ray Kassar who was the CEO of Atari that time.
9. It was in July 1982 that "Atari Adventure Center" became the first arcade amusement center of Atari at California's Marriot Great America theme park.
10. "The Graduate" which was also known as "My First Computer" was announced on February 1983 which was an enhancement to the Atari 2600 game console that turned it into a basic computer system by adding a computer keyboard on top of the console.
11. The first home version of Galaga and Xevious was included in the 12 launching titles of Atari when it introduced their Atari 7800 Prosystem gaming console on 21 May 1984 giving the company its much-needed gaming console industry boost.
12. Atari launched on April 1985, their first update to the Atari 65XE which is an 8-bit computer.

References:

https://www.atari.com/history/1972-1984-0
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4376157/Atari-is-established--June-27--1972
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari
https://www.phase3.net/1972-june-27th-atari-was-born-launching-the-video-game-industry/
https://www.wired.com/2012/06/atari-40th-anniversary/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl5P_Rc0zjo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHjL2KtX4g

12 Essential Web Browser Extensions

These are 12 of the web browser extensions that I found useful in all my personal-related and work-related online stuff.

1. Google Docs Offline - This is a useful extension for the Google Docs application so that you can literally use your documents offline and then re-sync afterward.
2. Currency Converter - This is a useful extension to easily convert different currencies which you can add and remove if you want to know specific currencies only.
3. SimilarWeb - This is an extension that is used to monitor rankings of website traffic and analyze it for other online purposes.
4. Grammarly - This is a useful extension for correct grammar usage for your writings.
5. Google Keep - This is a very useful tool especially if you want to just save specific website and keep a note on it.
6. Majestic Backlink Analyzer - This is a tool used for analyzing backlinks on your websites.
7. Open Multiple URLs  - This is a useful tool if you want to open multiple websites simultaneously.
8. Alexa Traffic Rank - This is a tool used for analyzing traffic rankings for your website.
9. One-Click Translate Page - This is useful for Firefox user who wants to translate websites that uses a foreign language as their primary language.
10. Swift Selection Search - This is a useful Firefox extension to easily search specific highlighted words using your favorite search engines.
11. Ghostery Privacy Ad Blocker - This is a Firefox extension designed for privacy protection.
12. Hunter - This is a useful extension that you can use to find email addresses on websites.

References:

http://enlistmoms.com/top-12-blogging-tools/

12 Recommended Tech Courses from eDX starting September 2017

I received an email from eDX and here are 12 recommended courses that you can also explore and learn starting September 2017 to boost your personal career.

Discover courses we picked just for you or explore all edX courses See All Courses UBCx The Science of Religion Learn More UC San DiegoX Computer Graphics Learn More LinuxFoundationX Introduction to Cloud Foundry and Cloud Native Software Architecture Learn More CaltechX Learning From Data (Introductory Machine Learning) Learn More Microsoft Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) Learn More MITx Becoming an Entrepreneur Learn More DartmouthX Retail Fundamentals Learn More EdinburghX Introduction to Marketing: Tools to Set Enterprises Apart Learn More IIMBx Customer Relationship Management Learn More AdelaideX Introduction to Project Management Learn More MITx Supply Chain Analytics Learn More Microsoft Front-End Web Development Orientation: Microsoft Professional Program Learn More

12 Tips in Using Screencast Software

1. I've learned a lesson for today, 08 September 2017 5:32 AM. Never USE VLC Player to screencast or save your desktop activities. It took around 435GB of hard drive or hard disk space from the laptop that I am using.
2. Use other software in capturing or grabbing desktop activities especially videos.
3. Check your hard drive or hard disk space before capturing your desktop activities in order to avoid hassles when you are converting your raw video file into a movie file already.
4. Enable Storage Sense by turning it ON under the Settings - System - Storage module of your Windows 10 PC or Laptop.
5. You can use YouTube
6. You can use Screencast-O-Matic
7. You can use the Built-In Screencast Recording Tool of Windows 10 by pressing Win + G and then press Win + Alt + R which is part of Xbox integration known as Game Bar
8. You can use Ezvid
9. You can use CamStudio
10. BUT  I've used BB FlashBack Recorder which is my personal preference
11. A screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration.
12. The term screencast compares with the related term screenshot; whereas screenshot generates a single picture of a computer screen, a screencast is essentially a movie of the changes over time that a user sees on a computer screen, enhanced with audio narration.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2ok_9Ek7Xo
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-storage-sense-free-space-automatically-windows-10-creators-update
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screencast
https://www.nextofwindows.com/6-best-free-screencast-recording-tools-for-windows
http://www.nextofwindows.com/windows-10-screen-recorder
http://www.jihosoft.com/free-utilities/free-screen-recorder.html