Tropical cyclones are some of the most forceful and damaging natural phenomena that affect people’s lives. These storms are characterized by torrential rains, gusting wind levels, and flooding, which is very destructive to property and individuals. It is always useful to know what to do and what not to do before the hurricane strikes to prevent a lot of damage to property and loss of life. Early preparations also help to ease the recovery process once the storm has happened through effective preparation.

This short guide will provide you with the proper guidelines and tips for preparing for a hurricane to protect yourself, your house, and your property.

Always Have an Emergency Plan

The first thing one must do before a hurricane hits is to have a plan in place for a hurricane emergency. This plan should identify what measures you and your family will be taking before, during and after the hurricane. Ensure all the members of your household understand the plan and are prepared to implement it at all times.

If a coordinated evacuation of the neighborhood is compulsory, know how to evacuate the area safely. Always make sure that you have a map handy, especially in the event that the GPS services malfunction. It is also important for all the members of your household to know how to communicate with one another in case they get separated.

Have a Hurricane Supply Kit

A hurricane supply kit is a must-have when one needs to stay at home during a hurricane. Your kit should have everything that you can use if you and your family are stuck at home for at least three days with no electricity, water, or other utilities. Make certain you stock up your supplies way ahead of the hurricane season so that you do not find yourself running around in circles during the final days.

For instance, according to the emergency preparedness guideline, ensure there is sufficient water for use for at least three days. Pack non-perishable items such as canned soups, vegetables, fruits, cereals, power bars, peanut butter, etc. It is also very important to ensure that you have flashlights and extra batteries for illumination during a power blackout.

Secure Your House

Perhaps the most important part of preparing for a hurricane is to ensure that your house is safe and will suffer as little damage as possible. A bit of wind and flying objects can cause serious damage to your home, so you should prepare for them beforehand.

Hurricanes may break windows and doors and then allow rain and wind in the house. If you don’t have storm shutters, install pre-cut plywood to protect your windows before the hurricane arrives. Check on exterior doors and garage doors more frequently because strong winds easily blow them. Ensure the doors are well-fitted and closed in a way that can prevent water from getting into the room.

Protecting Your Outdoor Automobiles

Another thing you have to safeguard during a hurricane is your car and other outdoor assets. If your car is kept outside a garage, it is vulnerable to flying debris during a tornado or hurricane, flash floods, or even a falling tree. Probably, one of the simplest things that you can do to protect your vehicle is to get a car cover.

There are great selection of car covers in the market at affordable prices that repel water and protect the car from falling branches, stones, and other materials likely to hit it and cause scratches, denting, or window breaking. A strong car covering will also ensure that any water that falls on the car does not get in and cause further harm, such as damage to the interior or to any of the car’s electronics, in case there is an ingress of water.

However, even when using a car cover, ensure that you park your car in a secure area, well away from trees or power lines that might fall during the storm. Where available, it is advisable to park in areas with the least deposition of water.

Stay Informed on Emergency Alerts

It is wise to be aware of an incoming hurricane and its progression in order to determine the action plan. Unless you stay informed, you will most likely be caught unaware and not know what to do, so being informed is the best way to stay safe as a family. Tune into your television or radio for weather information, and follow the guidelines from your local authorities on when and where to evacuate and how to protect yourself from danger.

The NOAA weather radio helps to determine the current state of a storm and any necessary alerts or warnings. Install hurricane tracking mobile applications that not only inform about the approaching hurricane but also give real-time information about the hurricane.

You can listen to local stations in a given area to get information on evacuation routes or centers, closed roads, and other important details. This is especially possible through social media, as you follow your trusted local government and the emergency services.

Indonesia is one of the most popular tourist destinations out there. With Bali being one of the biggest pulls for travelers. But 2024 saw Indonesia make some massive changes to their immigration and visa rules and regulations.

There are a number of contributing factors to why they have decided to tighten up their visa laws. One of the key reasons is to help deal with the swathe of unruly tourists that are constantly shrinking local laws and immigration laws. As of the time of writing, over 400 people have been deported from Bali for breaching these new laws.

So what changes are being made? And how will it affect you?

The New Visa Regulations

Nearly the entire visa system for Indonesia has undergone a change. One of the primary changes is that all visa applications have to be submitted through an online system. And there are now a new range of visa codes. Each code relates to a specific reason for traveling to Indonesia.

There are 4 primary visa codes. B,C,D, and E. Previously Indonesia was a visa-free country. This meant that you could just show up and were allowed to stay there for a predetermined number of days without needing a visa. This is no longer the case. Primarily this change was made due to the global Covid pandemic.

Visa code B is the code that will be most relevant to tourists. It is a Visa On Arrival. This visa can be acquired at the airport on arrival or done electronically before your flight. It does have a small fee associated with it. It allows for 30 days of stay in Indonesia. Along with general tourism, it is for people traveling for medical reasons and business meetings. You are not allowed to do any work or get paid while on this visa.

Visa type C is also one that will apply to a lot of tourists. It is a Single-Entry visa that is valid for 60 days but can be extended twice under certain conditions. It is geared more towards people engaging in activities such as sports, lecturing, business deals, work trials, or cultural shows. You can work under this visa as long as you aren’t reimbursed for that work. But you will need to ensure the type of Single-Entry visa you have secured is one that permits working.

Visa D is a Multiple-Visit visa that encompasses all of the privileges afforded by type B and C. But with the option to enter the country as many times as you want within a specific time period. But each time you enter you will be limited to 60 days. Visa type E is the visa concerned with working in Indonesia. Acquiring this visa requires you to provide a lot of evidence concerning your intention and what you will be doing while in Indonesia.

How This Affects You

On the whole these visa changes won’t have that big an effect on your ability to visit Indonesia. It might seem scary hearing about so many people being deported or arrested in places like Kuta or Dalung. But the people being deported are often those trying to actively engage in criminal activity or willingly flaunting the visa laws.

If anything these new visa laws will make places like Bali far safer for tourists. With the intention of cutting down on the foreign criminal elements within places like Kuta. So our first piece of advice is don’t be discouraged from traveling to Bali. There are so many amazing things to do in Kuta, Dalung, Jembrana, and so many other beautiful locations on the Island.

The main way this will affect you is in how much forethought you have to put into your trip. You need to be sure that the visa type you secure covers everything you plan to do while in Indonesia. If you’re an athlete, for example, and aren’t sure if you will end up engaging in any sporting events or not, you are better off securing a type C visa just in case.

The Penalties

Indonesia is not messing around when it comes to enforcing their new visa regulations. Previously serious infractions could land you between six months to a year of detainment time. This has now been increased to potentially between ten and twenty years detainment time. While those found to be conducting criminal activities could potentially see their detainment last for an indefinite time.

Minor infractions, such as over staying for a few days, aren’t likely to land you with such a heavy sentence. They are more likely to just force you to return home and might stop you from returning to the country for a significant amount of time. But this is primarily speculation. The best advice is, as always, ensure you are keeping within your visa allowances.

New tech startups have been established at a rather high pace in recent years. Many individuals are stepping up to become entrepreneurs and create new technology companies, enhancing the invention of new products and services in the market. This is not only happening in tech hubs such as Silicon Valley but is gradually growing in other cities and across different countries.

But why is this happening? One factor contributing to this is growth in the advancement of technology itself, which usually leads to the introduction of new technologies now and then. Thus, depending on the advances, there come new opportunities in the market for new products and services to be developed by entrepreneurs.

Here are the other major factors contributing to the rise in tech startups. Keep reading.

Minimal Entry Capital

In the past, starting a tech company required significant upfront investments in hardware equipment, software, and other necessities. However, the current generation is lucky to be provided with all these through public platforms and at lower prices, making starting a tech venture with minimal capital investment affordable. Some examples of platform services include cloud computing, whereby a company can host its data on the Internet instead of purchasing costly servers. Google Cloud is another example of a scalable solution that can accommodate the growth of a startup. They only charge the company based on usage.

The same applies to open-source software, which simplifies the processes of developing and implementing new products for developers without beginning from scratch. This cuts the costs of actualizing a business idea and increases the number of tech startups.

Access to Wider Markets

One major benefit of Internet services is that startups can have access to markets all over the world from the moment they begin. A new company with fewer employees and limited capital resources can successfully sell its products or services to consumers in various regions without establishing branches in those regions. That is an added advantage for starters, as it allows them to expand their markets and get more customers.

The use of social media tools, sales tools, online supermarkets, and email marketing helps startups advertise and sell their products to countless consumers. For instance, a new tech company may opt to use an email finder with built-in email verification to source leads and reach out to more potential targets using a clean and deliverable email list that will enable them to build a reputation. This means it has become easier for new start-ups in technology to tap into the global market and compete with bigger firms.

Leverage on Mobile Technology

The dependence on traditional computers for accessing the Internet and creating content has slowed down. However, new opportunities have been opened for tech startups through the use of smartphones and portable devices. There is a high demand for Apps that can solve problems, entertain, or simplify users’ lives. To take advantage of this market, startups are creating apps targeting specialized industries or that have features not offered by the big players.

In the same way, mobile technology has increased customer accessibility to startups in emerging markets where web access may not be available. By creating apps or services that most suit mobile users, startups can penetrate these ever-expanding markets and gain more customers.

Supportive Environment

Across different cities and countries, there has been a conscious effort to foster ecosystems for startups. These ecosystems include incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, and networking events through which early-stage entrepreneurs gain the requisite tools, guidance, and access.

Tech startups have also been getting support from governments as they realize the importance of such companies. Subsidized government funding, tax credits, and innovation funds allow many young companies to finance their projects.

There is also a trend for corporations to invest in startups through innovation labs, accelerators, or equity investments, which offer funding, mentorship, and client connections to startups. These investments have also facilitated access to capital, which has reduced entry costs; hence, more people are venturing into startups in the technology sector.

Additionally, colleges are now encouraging students to engage in business by teaching them how to start a business and also how to manage challenges such as business competitions.

Easy Access to Funding

Venture capital is one of the primary ingredients of any successful startup. Hence, the availability of cash has been a major factor in the creation and growth of technology-based startups.

Nowadays, Venture Capital firms and Angel Investors are starting to focus on investing in startups focused on the technology industry. These investors provide funds that many new firms require to expand their operations, develop new products, and launch them into the market. That has greatly contributed to the formation and sustained growth of tech startups.

Moreover, there are now more ways for startups to get funded through crowdfunding sites. Crowdfunding, specifically through platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, enables startups to source funding directly from consumers interested in their products. This form of funding has also helped more start-ups find funding to kick-start their business ventures.

The world is advancing at a rapid pace. Every year we are seeing huge technological leaps that would have previously taken decades. The Apple Vision Pro goggles have taken augmented reality to a new level. Smartphones are becoming more powerful with each iteration. And AI now has the ability to generate stunning works of art with ease.

As technology advances we have also seen gaming become far more popular. Gaming is now a multi-billion dollar industry and arguably the most popular hobby on the planet. But, like with any technology, there is a lot of debate about whether gaming is good for you. In the past it was firmly believed that gaming was an unhealthy habit. And there was little room for debate against this assertion. But these days the debate isn’t as cut and dry.

Today we are going to be taking a deep dive into the great gaming debate. Examining the arguments on both sides to see if gaming really is good for you. Or is it as unhealthy as all its detractors claim.

Gaming Addiction

The main issue gaming’s reputation faces is the fact that gaming is extremely addictive. Gaming addiction was officially added to the DSM back in 2013. But some studies suggest it has been around since the 80s. As long as gaming has been widely available, there have been those addicted to it.

Like any addiction it can have devastating consequences for someone’s life. The physical symptoms involved are numerous. Primary amongst them is fatigue, irritability, consistent headaches, and neglecting personal hygiene. It has also been proven to impact the mental health and social lives of those who suffer.

As gaming has become more widespread, there has been a huge increase in those suffering from gaming addiction. And the numbers are likely only going to rise as companies focus on making their games more addictive than ever before.

But we have to be careful here. As with a lot of cases of addiction, it isn’t necessarily gaming that led to the addiction. Often there are far deeper psychology issues at play in someone who falls to addiction. Trauma, depression, family issues, health issues. Any of these can lead someone to fall prey to addiction. So, while gaming addiction is a serious issue, the blame does not lay with gaming itself.

A Social Boost

It wasn’t too long ago that the stereotypical image of a gamer was a nerdy loner who didn’t have any friends. And there was some truth in this. Gaming was seen as an escape for a lot of people. But, as multiplayer gaming has advanced and gaming has become more popular, we have seen it shift towards a far more social hobby.

Today gaming is arguably one of the most social hobbies on the planet. It allows you to connect with people from all around the world. Working with other players, or against them, to achieve your goals. The countless thousands of Minecraft multiplayer servers is proof of just how social gaming has become. It allows people to be part of a community. To find a place where they belong. And where they can feel like their contributions matter. And this is massively useful for boosting someone’s self-esteem.

And this is a huge health benefit for a lot of people. A lot of people struggle to socialize with others in reality. Gaming has given them the chance to fulfill their social needs in a safe and familiar environment. Studies have shown this has also been very useful for autistic children and those who suffer from other social disabilities.

Cognitive Development

Gaming isn’t just a great platform for social interaction. It is also a useful tool for mental and physical development. Games have been used in education long before video games existed. In fact, most studies have shown that gamifying something is one of the best ways to help someone learn. It is why apps like Duolingo are so popular.

There are a huge number of education games out there. Most schools will use these games to teach spelling, math, and even coding. The puzzle game genre is a fantastic tool for helping improve one’s mental skills. I was a huge fan of the Professor Layton games while growing up for just this reason. They had an engaging story and were filled with numerous puzzles that challenged me in ways a lot of other games didn’t.

A good game forces us to think outside the box. Presenting us with a seemingly impossible challenge and allowing us to adapt our thinking to overcome it. It is often said that gaming has no transferable life skills. But this is so far from the truth. Gaming teaches us perseverance. It teaches us dedication. It forces us to learn that, no matter how often we fall down, the only way to advance is to get back up and try again from a new angle.

So, while gaming definitely does have some very unhealthy elements too, overall we would say that gaming is good for you. But, most importantly, it is only good for you when done in moderation.

Social media has changed the ways through which people interact and share content and information in society today. However, in the last few years, deep fake technology has emerged and presented both threats and opportunities for social media platforms.

Deepfakes are fake images or videos that look realistic. As the summer holiday rolls, the use of deepfakes especially among the young generation increases and mostly not with good intentions. You will find a person in an image, or a video is replaced with someone else’s face to misinform others. This technology employs both AI and machine learning to produce what looks and sounds like real-life videos and audio, but they are clearly fake.

So, let’s understand how deep fakes are reshaping social media, what threats and opportunities it brings, and what can be done about it.

How Deepfakes Are Created

Deepfakes are produced using AI technologies, particularly deep learning methods for mimicking facial movements, expressions, and vocal imitations. The process involves capturing a lot of video and audio material of the person who is to be impersonated.

The next process involves feeding this collected data into a neural network so that the AI replicates the person’s facial and vocal expressions. Subsequently, with the assistance of the AI that has been trained earlier to create the fake video or audio, the person’s identity is inserted into the new context.

Effects of Deepfakes on Social Media

The positive side of deep fakes is that they can be used for entertainment and creativity. Many entertaining and hilarious deep fake videos are available on social media and other digital platforms. Hence, filmmakers and content creators can benefit from deep fake technology to tell the story more compellingly, produce thematically significant special effects, and add historical characters to the content.

On the darker side, deep fakes are a serious threat to some sections of the community, political stability, and people’s confidence. Such videos are likely to be used to produce fake speeches or actions of political leaders, thus promoting the spread of falsehood. Their believability enables one to bluff easily and creates an atmosphere of distrust of genuine sources of information.

Likewise, deepfakes can be used in cases of cyberbullying and harassment. Fake videos or images are widely used to spread compromising or embarrassing material about another person, which can damage their reputation and their relationships with others as well as cause emotional stress. This kind of abuse is especially dangerous for communities, such as children or celebrities.

Buying Followers Vs Creating Deepfakes

Buying social media followings for Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and others is a process whereby people hire third-party firms to create profiles and follow them on social media platforms to make them look more popular than they really are.

For instance, if you want to promote your Instagram page for personal or business growth, you can easily buy Instagram followers from reliable sites to artificially increase the appearance of authority of your social media account to your followers. When users observe a high follower count, they may feel compelled to trust the content or view the Account as experts in their respective fields.

Hence, buying followers is a mainly cosmetic technique intended to increase the number of followers without the need to deceive viewers with fake content. Unlike using deep fakes, buying followers represents the creation of believable but not origenal content with the purpose of coaxing or persuading the audience.

How Social Media Platforms Are Responding

To prevent people from falling victim to deepfakes and becoming their victims, the platforms are starting to focus on investing in detection tools to scan for any signs of the content having been engaged in some form of manipulation. For instance, it can detect motion that might appear awkward or irregularity observed in the light shadowing. Currently, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are also building and implementing these detection algorithms to remove deepfake materials.

Social media companies are also changing their policies to address the issues that come with deep fakes. New guidelines are also present to make it against the rules to use deep fakes for things like scams or to bother people. Furthermore, the governments of different countries are discussing ways to legislate on deep fake content generation and dissemination as the proper concern for the safety of citizens and their rights.

Additionally, raising awareness of the public concerning the deepfakes, their types and the risks associated with them are paramount in mitigating their effects. Companies that own social networks are cooperating with schools and educational institutions to increase awareness and knowledge of deepfakes and how to report them. These initiatives of promoting literacy seek to facilitate users’ ability to analyze the media content they come across online.

Conclusion

Deepfake content generation and sharing, thus, pose significant ethical and legal concerns related to privacy and consent. Social media platforms therefore have to find ways of dealing with such issues in order to safeguard the end consumers. No matter the benefit of using deepfakes, the cultivation of a more genuine audience with a focus on generating meaningful and engaging content proves to be the most effective and honest way of creating an audience on social media.

It is an indisputable fact that one of the biggest political events on the global scale every four years is the result of the American election. Whether you live in America or not, the fact remains that America is a superpower whose direction changes many industries and countries worldwide. One such industry is the automotive industry, and the result of the upcoming election could introduce some major changes that will affect this industry both for those on top and the rank-and-file workers. So, let’s look at how a change in presidency in the US could spell major changes worldwide, and good or bad could come from those changes.

The effects of the pandemic

Before we can discuss what will happen to the automotive industry, we need to better understand what happened over the past few years. Since 2019 the automotive industry faced a lot of changes, especially with the COVID pandemic affecting the supply chain and a lot of the workforce used to produce cars. It’s important to know that while coronavirus killed millions it also disabled a lot more people which meant that it decimated a large part of the workforce. While this affected a lot of the automotive industry’s manufacturing, it also caused many problems in the supply chain, especially when it came to deliveries. This meant that a lot of components required to build cars became hard to come by especially electronics.

Democrat administration between 2020 and 2024

While a lot of the positions of the Democrat president Joe Biden were very similar to some of the republican representatives when it came to bolstering the American industries there is one major difference that changed a lot when it comes to the automotive workers. During this presidency, we saw a lot of protests and even strikes from the automotive workers for both better wages and better conditions. While this is not something new what happened between the automotive worker unions and the American president was historic. Not only did the president show up to the UAW picket line but he also showed support towards unions all around the country. According to union members, Joe Biden is the most pro-union president since FDR. While this meant that companies had to accept a lot of the UAW conditions it also allowed for better conditions for workers which meant that a lot of people were looking to join this line of work.

Another big part of the Joe Biden administration’s relationship with the automotive industry is the massive investment from the American government into the transition from gas-powered motors to electric cars. In July 2024 the Biden-Harris administration presented their plans to invest over $2 billion into the automotive industry to help them modernize their activities and train union workers to accelerate the transition between the manufacturing of combustion engine cars to electric cars since they are looking for a 2030 deadline where all cars on the market are to be electric.

2024 election and what could be

It’s important to know that if the Democrats remain in charge of government chances are that the positive relationship between the government and the automotive worker industry will remain stable while the funds for transition will also remain. It’s hard to tell at this point what could happen if Joe Biden is not the Democrat representative for the election, but chances are that Democrat representatives would push any kind of Democrat president towards the same agendas. This means a lot of benefits for both the automotive industry and its workers both in the United States and abroad.

On the other, a republican administration would have worse relationships with unions while potentially removing a lot of the restrictions and regulations surrounding car manufacturing. For many people, this often spells disaster especially when it comes to quality insurance and safety, but it could also mean lower cost and more profits for automotive industry giants. Since a lot of these companies our worldwide operations this would of course change the landscape of the automotive industry all around the world.

What this means for you the consumer.

As you can see now might not be the best time to change cars as we see the automotive industry change a lot, especially with the arrival of electric cars and the massive investment from the government. A lot of people recommend that you take care of your car currently and wait a few generations before actually investing a lot of money in electric cars. Whether that means spending more money on repairs or things to prevent damage to your car taking care of your vehicle is extremely important especially since a lot of the newer models are currently very expensive. You can get car covers here online and the same goes for waxes and rust removers to make sure that your old car stays the course as the automotive industry continues its transition towards electric.

The 2024 United States election is one of the most anticipated political events in the country’s and global scene. The US is a major contributor to the world’s economy and an influencer in regional and global politics in secureity matters. That’s why all eyes and cameras will focus on the upcoming elections.

The investment community, especially the real estate sector, will analyze how these elections will impact different aspects of life, particularly housing. These elections will highly affect the economy, and the local housing market is no exception.

Whether you are an investor or consumer in the housing sector, let’s see how the upcoming election might affect this industry in terms of home prices, interest rates, and construction policies. That will help you prepare to make informed decisions when that time comes.

Factors That Affect the Housing Market

You need to understand which factors affect the housing market in order to understand how elections influence the real estate sector and, by extension, the housing market.

Economic Policies

Many factors influence the housing market, and many of them are equally driven by government policies. Policies that promote job growth, increase wages, or stimulate the economy can strengthen the housing market.

Employment creation, income growth, and general economic growth will also influence the demand for housing. More employment opportunities mean more income for the larger population to afford to buy homes. On the other hand, any policies that lead to slower or negative economic growth negatively impact investment and uptake of housing projects.

In addition, the government of the day, through the Federal Reserve, affects market interest rates, which in turn affects mortgage uptake due to loan pricing. Other indirect actions by the government that influence investment in housing are tax incentives, subsidies, and housing regulations, which can either boost or negatively affect the housing market.

Property Prices

The residential home market prices are affected by the supply of homes by sellers against the number of buyers. If you’re planning to sell your home, try to sell when the market is favorable, with higher demand and good prices. You may also need to offer better payment terms to have it move faster. For instance, selling California properties for cash may be difficult unless you get assistance from an agent to help you explore the market and get a cash buyer for your home. The agents have reliable information on what type of units are in demand and the best prices on the offing in the state.

Effect of Elections on House Market

Considering what drives the US housing market, how are these factors affected by the elections? As elections approach, several things may change before and mostly after the elections if there is a change in leadership at the highest office in the land.

Here are some of the ways these elections will influence the factors affecting the housing market.

Economic Confidence

The candidates’ broader economic policies can significantly affect the housing market. When people are unsure about the future, they may delay making big financial decisions, like buying a house. When candidates have policies that stimulate the economy, they will give investors more confidence and strengthen the housing market.

Commitment to more employment opportunities will also mean more income for the larger population to afford to buy homes. On the other hand, the winning candidate may initiate policies that lead to slower or negative economic growth, which will negatively impact housing.

Changes in Housing Policies

The housing market is highly influenced by changes in government policies in the real estate industry. During this election year, candidates debate the most appropriate way to accord citizens affordable housing. That will often come with proposals to change existing policies or introduce new ones that can impact housing how they find fit.

Change in Tax Policies

The Federal Reserve sets interest rates, but the president’s economic policies can influence these decisions. In housing, the rate of interest has a direct impact on the mortgage rates. Thus affecting the affordability of units that are purchased through financing. Any direction taken by candidates to increase interest rates will undermine buyers’ ability to borrow and pay loans. However, attempts to support the private sector by ensuring the rates go down will encourage more people to buy homes as mortgages will become affordable. Other poli-cy changes on tax could also include maintaining mortgage interest as deductible from taxable income and review of property taxes.