Month: April 2024

c++ – Codeblocks graphics.h not working

Posted on by faz_business


Step 1: Download graphics.h library from http://winbgim.codecutter.org/ or use this link.

Step 2: Extract the downloaded file. You’ll get three files:

graphics.h
winbgim.h
libbgi.a

Step 3: Copy and paste graphics.h and winbgim.h files into the include folder of your compiler directory. (If you have Code::Blocks installed in C drive of your computer, go through: Disk C >> Program Files >> CodeBlocks >> MinGW >> include. Paste these two files there.)

Step 4: Copy and paste libbgi.a to the lib folder of your compiler directory.

Step 5: Open Code::Blocks. Go to Settings >> Compiler >> Linker settings

Step 6: In that window, click the Add button under the “Link libraries” part, and browse and select the libbgi.a file copied to the lib folder in step 4.

Step 7: Go to “Other linker options” on the right part and paste these commands:

-lbgi -lgdi32 -lcomdlg32 -luuid -loleaut32 -lole32

Step 8: Make sure you got steps 6 and 7 right! Here’s a screenshot of previous two steps. Then, click Ok.

Graphics.h in codeblocks - Compiler Settings
Global Compiler Settings >> Linker Settings

Step 9: If you now try compiling a graphics.h program code in C or C++, you’ll still get error. To solve it, open graphics.h file (pasted in include folder in step 3) with text editor. Go to line number 302, and replace that line with this line:

"int left=0, int top=0, int right=INT_MAX, int bottom=INT_MAX"

if it is correct(same as above) then leave it as it is

Save the file. Done!

Now you can compile any C or C++ program containing graphics.h header file. If you compile C codes, you’ll still get an error saying: “fatal error: sstream : no such file directory”. For this issue, if your file extension is .c, change it to .cpp.

Mastering Combat Exits in Escape from Tarkov

Posted on by faz_business


A man holding a gun while peering through a window in a video game.

Tarkov is one of the most realistic team shooters that mixes the genre of battle royale and just a military simulator, which can be played alone, or as part of a group that consists of one of two available private military campaigns and fights against opponents and bandits and constantly fights for resources and weapons, medicines and enhancing accessories to improve shooting.

You must tread carefully because death in Tarkov means the loss of all property and character, but with the preservation of the overall level and a new beginning.

Therefore, it is more profitable to play as part of a combat group – this gives a greater chance of survival and success during combat sorties and skirmishes, when you can use various tactics and weapons to destroy entire groups of opponents.

In part, of course, you can simply buy some equipment and weapons if you have a sufficient number of eft roubles, which can be found, mined, or bought from professional servers like Skycoach, who provide full assistance to beginners and experienced players.

Let’s look at the best tips that will help you effectively use your battle groups and survive more often during combat forays.

A man with a firearm observing through a window.

Communication

Always exchange information during movement and combat exits – assess the situation and communicate with each other about any suspicious movements – this will help you survive more often and take advantageous positions at the slightest suspicion of a battle.

Observe the situation and watch not only the horizon, but also the flanks and rear.

To simplify communication, you can use military landmarks, which use a clock system, 12 – the direction of the group, 3 and 9 – the flanks and 6 – the rear.

Try to appoint a player who will look behind your back so that no one can go to the rear of your group and shoot you, or at least have time to warn everyone about the danger.

Action plan

In Tarkov there is no interface or convenient map that you can access at any time during gameplay, and in order not to take risks and know the places where you will look for weapons, ammunition and Tarkov rubles, it is better to immediately make a plan.

It should imply your general plan, a plan in case of a sudden change in the situation – for example, a clash with a large group of bandits, or enemy PMCs. In which direction are you going, in what zones will the gathering take place, what will you do in case of a fight and where will you go out after full gathering and in case of a stressful situation.

Production distribution

Every battle is a complex and lengthy process, and of course every player wants to endure as much as possible.

The main thing is not to be greedy and in addition to the general loot, you need to carry a lot of equipment for the group in case of battle.

You need ammo, grenades and first aid kits that have weight, but you need to have as many of them as possible in case of difficult and lengthy battles.

Distribute the weight among all the fighters so that no one is overloaded, because slowness is like death in Tarkov due to the action of bandits and enemy snipers and shooters, who will understand that your group is operating here.

Distribute game roles

The main role in Escape from Tarkov is a shooter, a machine gunner. But you cannot move in a battle group containing only riflemen – it is ineffective.

There are several roles in total – a close-range shooter, who also finishes off and assaults suppressed enemies, a sniper who conducts reconnaissance and destroys long-range targets and enemy snipers and all enemies, preventing you from reaching your squad and engaging in battle with them.

But be prudent – do not shoot first at a detachment that does not yet see you unless there is an urgent need to engage in battle, because every battle is a risk of death and the noise of attracting other groups and bandits who can unexpectedly attack the flank and rear.

The third role is a support shooter who helps the first player and prevents the enemy from getting too close to the sniper, can give a first aid kit, or throw a grenade, preventing you from storming your positions, or helping your own attack aircraft.

Do not use strange combinations of roles such as two snipers and support unless clearly necessary – sniper weapons, although powerful, take a long time to reload and if the enemy manages to get close enough to you, then most likely the entire group, or part of it, will die, which is no longer acceptable.

Study the map

You will not be able to follow the game map at any time without obvious inconvenience, so try to study it while exiting, outlining movement directions, loot collection points and exit points.

Of course, you will be able to look at the map, but it will not be as simple and interactive as in PUBG, because you always need to fully transfer to it, risking your character, and not just look and run on.

Listen to the sound

In Tarkov, all sounds have different intensities depending on the direction, distance and means used.

Listen to footsteps and their distance, shooting – if suddenly there is a battle somewhere, weapons that are used and everything that concerns your safety.

Always use cover

Never risk your life and equipment by simply running across open areas.

Use cover, make stops for the group to catch up, but watch your distance to minimize the risk to the entire squad in case of grenades.

Use rocks and ravines, trees as natural cover, but remember, the thinner the cover, the easier it is to shoot through it, which is important to consider in case the enemy knows exactly your position and attacks it.

An armed man gazing out a window in a video game.

Attack together

The good thing about playing as part of a group is that you can fully take over and not give up the initiative to your opponents.

Shoot together at the enemy, and he will not stick out of cover and this will give you the opportunity to bypass him, or throw a grenade, and then he will have a choice – either stay there and die from the explosion, or run out into your heavy fire.

Avoid enemies, deceive and set up ambushes, lure them into snipers and just think with your head how you can use your numerical advantage and communication for the benefit and survival of the group and freely collect Escape from Tarkov rubles.

 

21 Remote Chat Agent Jobs You Can Do From Home

Posted on by faz_business


The way we work has transformed dramatically, and you can now find ample opportunities to establish your career from the comfort of your home. As an online chat agent, you can enjoy the flexibility of remote work and the convenience of an online job that fits your schedule.

Whether you’re seeking to provide stellar customer service, solve technical issues, or offer support through various communication platforms, online chat jobs offer a reputable and growing field in the remote job market.

With businesses increasingly valuing the importance of prompt online engagement, the demand for virtual chat support roles is on the rise, ensuring that you have the chance to build a stable and rewarding career right from your home office.

What is a Chat Agent?

A chat agent is a representative of a company or organization who interacts with customers or clients through text-based live chat interfaces on websites, messaging apps, or other digital platforms.

Remote chat agents can be either human personnel trained to assist with inquiries, provide support, troubleshoot issues, and offer information about products or services, and respond to a wide range of questions.

Online Chat agents aim to facilitate quick, convenient communication, helping to address users’ needs in real-time without the delay of email or the necessity of a phone call.

What are the Requirements for being a Remote Chat Agent?

To excel as a remote chat agent, whether in customer support or technical support roles, the following skills are required:

Qualifications:

  • High school diploma or GED
  • Proficient typing skills. It’s often required that you type quickly and accurately to keep up with the pace of customer inquiries.
  • Strong communication abilities. You’re expected to articulate solutions clearly and professionally
  • Multitasking skills, that is your ability to handle simultaneous conversations with customers cannot be understated.
  • A problem-solving mindset

Technical Requirements:

  • Stable internet connection
  • Necessary computer equipment such as a functional computer and possibly a headset

Experience:

  • Prior customer service or support experience (preferred)

21 Companies Hiring for Remote Chat Agent Jobs You Can Do From Home

When looking for remote chat agent jobs, there’s a variety of companies you can consider. These companies have been known to offer work-from-home chat support roles:

1. Chatdesk

Provides companies with outsourced customer support teams who engage with customers through chat, offering scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes.

2. Clearcover

A technology-driven car insurance provider that employs chat agents to assist customers with purchasing policies and managing claims online.

3. Concentrix

A global customer experience company offering services including chat support, where agents help with customer engagement and issue resolution.

4. ModSquad

Offers digital engagement services, employing remote moderators and chat support agents who manage online communities and customer conversations.

5. Randstad

A global staffing agency that recruits for various positions, including online chat agents for temporary, permanent, and contract roles.

6. Wayfair

An e-commerce company specializing in home goods, providing customer service positions including chat agents to assist online shoppers.

7. Robert Half International

A professional staffing and consulting firm that places candidates in fields such as customer service, which includes chat support roles.

8. Conduent

Delivers business process services, with opportunities for chat agents in their customer experience management segment.

9. Kelly Services

A workforce solutions provider that offers a range of job opportunities, including customer service chat agent positions.

10.Upwork

A freelancing platform where independent professionals can find remote work, including chat support roles offered by various clients.

11. Smile.io

A rewards program platform for e-commerce businesses that hires chat support specialists to help manage and optimize customer loyalty programs.

12. Teem

A workplace software solutions company that may offer roles for chat agents to support users with their platform.

13. HelpFlow

Provides 24/7 live chat teams for e-commerce websites, employing agents to engage with shoppers and assist with sales and support.

14. Costa Solutions

A managed labor provider in logistics and supply chain sectors, which may include chat support roles for coordination and customer service.

15. EtectRx

A digital health company developing ingestible event markers; while not a typical chat agent employer, they may have related support roles.

16. Future Homes

A real estate company that could employ chat agents to interact with potential home buyers and provide information on listings.

17. Outplex

Specializes in customer contact services, offering chat support positions to interact with customers across various industries.

18. Hustler Marketing

A marketing agency focused on email marketing that might have chat agent positions for client communication and support.

19. Amazon

The world’s largest online retailer, which employs chat support agents to help customers with inquiries, orders, and returns.

20. Arise

Provides a virtual call center platform, offering work-from-home chat agent jobs for those who want to provide customer support services.

21. Asurion

A technology protection and support company that offers opportunities for chat agents to assist customers with claims, technical issues, and product support.

How to Find and Secure A Remote Chat Agent Job?

In the realm of remote work, chat agent positions are flourishing as businesses continually seek ways to enhance their digital customer service.

Identifying Legitimate Employers

Be vigilant in your job search for online chat jobs, and avoid remote job scams. Ensure the employer is credible by checking for company reviews, payment transparency, and solid communication channels. A legitimate offer often includes clear job responsibilities and detailed requirements.

  • Payment: Be clear on the compensation. Authentic job postings will provide salary ranges or hourly rates.
  • Scope of Work: Legitimate chat support agent positions outline specific job duties and hours of operation.

Preparing Your Application

When preparing your application for chat agent jobs, tailor your resume to highlight problem-solving skills and written communication skills. Include any experience as a support representative or customer service rep, whether as an independent contractor or support agent.

  • CV: Buzzwords like ‘customer service representative’ and ‘live chat’ should feature prominently.
  • Native-Level English: If the role requires it, mention your proficiency prominently in your application.

Growing Your Career in Customer Support

To excel in the field after securing a job, invest in continual learning and skill enhancement. Establish a track record with companies such as Arise, ModSquad, or Concentrix by excelling in your role which may open doors to full-time positions. Networking within the industry and seeking certifications or additional training can attract prospective job opportunities and elevate you as a qualified candidate.

  • Digital Engagement: Hone skills related to the products you support.
  • Advancement: Be proactive in seeking additional responsibilities to signal your interest in career growth.

Find Online Remote Chat Agent Jobs From Home

The above are just a few of the numerous companies where you can find remote chat agent jobs. These roles typically require access to a reliable internet connection, strong communication skills, and may or may not demand technical or specialized knowledge, depending on the nature of the product or service being supported. With flexible hours and the ability to work from home, these positions offer convenience and the chance to build a career in customer service.

If you’re interested in remote chat jobs with flexible hours and are searching for high-paying jobs from a trustworthy source, sign up for DailyRemote.

DailyRemote is home to thousands of employers looking to hire remote workers, and the best part some of the highest-paying remote jobs are also here. Search and apply for remote jobs and positions that interest you. If you get any responses, follow up with them on the spot. Always be connected to relevant remote jobs. Save money on a membership. Of course, applying for remote jobs isn’t the only thing you can do on DailyRemote.

Unlike other job boards out there, DailyRemote just charges you $7 to browse remote positions, apply to jobs that interest you or even get hired. That’s because transparency, trust, efficiency, and knowledge are the core values we follow.

DailyRemote makes it easy to find remote jobs that fit your schedule and interests. See which employers are hiring right now. Browse remote jobs that have already been posted. Get help with your job search by joining a community of like-minded professionals. And so much more.

When you search for remote jobs on DailyRemote, use the following terms to get all possible remote-work jobs available.

Lastly, create a remote job alert, which notifies you of new job openings based on a specific job title, salary, or location to increase your chances of seeing remote work jobs.

If you’re interested in looking for remote work, there’s no better place to start than DailyRemote. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today. Working remotely is the need of the hour. And now that you know how to find the remote job of your dreams, so follow these tips and start applying today. Join like-minded people in our



LLMs keep leaping with Llama 3, Meta’s newest open-weights AI model

Posted on by faz_business


A group of pink llamas on a pixelated background.

On Thursday, Meta unveiled early versions of its Llama 3 open-weights AI model that can be used to power text composition, code generation, or chatbots. It also announced that its Meta AI Assistant is now available on a website and is going to be integrated into its major social media apps, intensifying the company’s efforts to position its products against other AI assistants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Gemini.

Like its predecessor, Llama 2, Llama 3 is notable for being a freely available, open-weights large language model (LLM) provided by a major AI company. Llama 3 technically does not quality as “open source” because that term has a specific meaning in software (as we have mentioned in other coverage), and the industry has not yet settled on terminology for AI model releases that ship either code or weights with restrictions (you can read Llama 3’s license here) or that ship without providing training data. We typically call these releases “open weights” instead.

At the moment, Llama 3 is available in two parameter sizes: 8 billion (8B) and 70 billion (70B), both of which are available as free downloads through Meta’s website with a sign-up. Llama 3 comes in two versions: pre-trained (basically the raw, next-token-prediction model) and instruction-tuned (fine-tuned to follow user instructions). Each has a 8,192 token context limit.

A screenshot of the Meta AI Assistant website on April 18, 2024.
Enlarge / A screenshot of the Meta AI Assistant website on April 18, 2024.

Benj Edwards

Meta trained both models on two custom-built, 24,000-GPU clusters. In a podcast interview with Dwarkesh Patel, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company trained the 70B model with around 15 trillion tokens of data. Throughout the process, the model never reached “saturation” (that is, it never hit a wall in terms of capability increases). Eventually, Meta pulled the plug and moved on to training other models.

“I guess our prediction going in was that it was going to asymptote more, but even by the end it was still leaning. We probably could have fed it more tokens, and it would have gotten somewhat better,” Zuckerberg said on the podcast.

Meta also announced that it is currently training a 400B parameter version of Llama 3, which some experts like Nvidia’s Jim Fan think may perform in the same league as GPT-4 Turbo, Claude 3 Opus, and Gemini Ultra on benchmarks like MMLU, GPQA, HumanEval, and MATH.

Speaking of benchmarks, we have devoted many words in the past to explaining how frustratingly imprecise benchmarks can be when applied to large language models due to issues like training contamination (that is, including benchmark test questions in the training dataset), cherry-picking on the part of vendors, and an inability to capture AI’s general usefulness in an interactive session with chat-tuned models.

But, as expected, Meta provided some benchmarks for Llama 3 that list results from MMLU (undergraduate level knowledge), GSM-8K (grade-school math), HumanEval (coding), GPQA (graduate-level questions), and MATH (math word problems). These show the 8B model performing well compared to open-weights models like Google’s Gemma 7B and Mistral 7B Instruct, and the 70B model also held its own against Gemini Pro 1.5 and Claude 3 Sonnet.

A chart of instruction-tuned Llama 3 8B and 70B benchmarks provided by Meta.
Enlarge / A chart of instruction-tuned Llama 3 8B and 70B benchmarks provided by Meta.

Meta says that the Llama 3 model has been enhanced with capabilities to understand coding (like Llama 2) and, for the first time, has been trained with both images and text—though it currently outputs only text. According to Reuters, Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox noted in an interview that more complex processing abilities (like executing multi-step plans) are expected in future updates to Llama 3, which will also support multimodal outputs—that is, both text and images.

Meta plans to host the Llama 3 models on a range of cloud platforms, making them accessible through AWS, Databricks, Google Cloud, and other major providers.

Also on Thursday, Meta announced that Llama 3 will become the new basis of the Meta AI virtual assistant, which the company first announced in September. The assistant will appear prominently in search features for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and the aforementioned dedicated website that features a design similar to ChatGPT, including the ability to generate images in the same interface. The company also announced a partnership with Google to integrate real-time search results into the Meta AI assistant, adding to an existing partnership with Microsoft’s Bing.

Best Gaming PC Build Under $1,500 [November 2015]

Posted on by faz_business


nzxt-phantom-410-gaming-pc-case

$1,500 Mid-Range Gaming System

With a number of AAA games being released for the holiday season as well as a number of new hardware announcements for the holiday season, we thought we’d do a new gaming PC build article, this time designed for the mid-range crowd.

With a budget of $1,500, our goal this time was to create a gaming build which would allow gamers to play the latest games at 1080p, 1440p or 1600p at the highest possible settings (or pretty close to it). Additionally, we also designed this system to be as “futureproof” as possible, utilizing all the latest technologies including Intel’s latest Skylake architecture, DDR4 memory, USB 3.1 as well as support for M.2 PCIe Gen 3 x4.

Let’s take a look at how we did!

 

Best Mid-Range Gaming PC Build Component Summary – Budget: $1,500

 

Core Component Details

CPU – Intel Core i5-6600K

skylake-intel-i5-6600k-custom-pc-reviewIntel recently launched the long awaited 6th generation core processors, codename Skylake, which continues to build upon the foundation set by its predecessors. While performance improvements are still within the 10-20% range from previous generation Haswell (and to some minor extent, Broadwell) processors, Skylake contains both a number of architecture and platform improvements that make it currently the best processor for a mid-range gaming system.

For our $1,500 budget, we selected to go with the Skylake based Intel Core i5-6600K, which is the successor to the Intel Core i5-4690K, our favored mid-range gaming CPU for the Haswell generation. Clocked at just under 4GHz out of the box, the Intel Core i5-6600K is a quad core processor capable of running all of today’s games without bottlenecking. It’s also a “K” series processor, which comes with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Depending on the CPU itself and cooler combination, this will allow for ~15-25% improvement in performance. Those with higher budgets looking for even better compute performance may also opt for the Intel Core i7-6700K. Like the Intel Core i5-6600K, the Intel Core i7-6700K offers an unlocked multiplier, but the Intel Core i7-6700K also offers hyper-threading (8 threads) which give it up to ~25-40% better performance in heavily multi-threaded applications.

Those not comfortable with, nor simply not interested in overclocking their systems should also take a look at the Intel Core i7-6700 or the Intel Core i5-6500. Those with greater compute needs may opt for the Intel Core i7-6700 which is a 4 core, hyper-threaded (8 theaded) processor while the Intel Core i5-6500 is a very well priced variant of the 6th Generation Intel Core processor which will offer great mid-range performance at a fantastic price point.

 

Motherboard – MSI Z170A Gaming M3

msi-z170a-gaming-m3-motherboard-imageSince we decided to go with an unlocked Intel Skylake CPU for our gaming PC build this month, we had to match it with an appropriate motherboard that was not only reasonably priced, but would also be a good platform with plenty of expansion capabilities down the road.

Similar to what we’ve seen on previous generation Intel Core processors, Intel’s latest 6th Generation Core Processors require a new LGA 1151 socket, which is included with all Intel 100 series chipset based motherboards. While we’ve seen quite a few fantastic motherboards at the $150 pricerange, we decided to go with the MSI Z170A Gaming M3 which is one of MSI’s latest and greatest gaming motherboards. Carried over from their mainstream lineup of motherboards is MSI’s Military Class 5 components, which include titanium chokes, DrMos mosfets, Hi-c caps, and dark caps. In addition, as a part of the gaming series, MSI has also included several gaming oriented features such as Killer E2400 ethernet for low latency gaming.

Additional features include support for SLI/CrossFire X, 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports, 2x SATA Express ports, 1x M.2 PCIe Gen 3 x4 port, and 2x PCIe Gen 3 x16 slots. Furthermore, MSI includes their Audio Boost 3 powered by Nahimic Sound Technology which includes the use of high end Japanese capacitors, PCB separation, audio chip EMI shielding, headphone amplifiers, and more to significantly improve onboard audio performance.

 

Memory – Kingston HyperX FURY Black 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2133MHz

kingston-hyperx-fury-black-ddr4-16gbOne of the biggest benefits to the Skylake platform is the ability to utilize DDR4 memory which is the successor to DDR3. While the benefits of DDR4 haven’t yet been realized as it’s still relatively new in the consumer market, future DDR4 modules will provide significantly higher density, significantly higher performance and significantly lower energy consumption compared to its DDR3 counterparts.

Our choice for this month is Kingston’s HyperX FURY Black 16GB DDR4 2,133MHz kit thanks to its reasonable cost, legendary Kingston reliability track record and simple yet aesthetically pleasing design.

 

Case – NZXT Phantom 410

nzxt-phantom-410-gaming-pc-caseNZXT has always been one of our favorite case manufacturers for a while thanks to their innovative case designs that are not only great looking, but very functional as well.

For our build this month, we decided to go with the NZXT Phantom 410, which was launched several years back, but still remains one of the top PC cases on the market under $100, and for good reason. In addition to its aesthetically pleasing and completely tool-less design, the mid-tower case includes support for up to eight fans, clearance for a 240mm watercooling reservoir up top, removable HDD cages for extra long graphics cards, integrated fan controller, top mounted USB 3.0/audio ports, and a whole lot more.

 

GPU – EVGA GTX 980 4GB SC Gaming ACX 2.0

evga-gtx-980-sc-4gb-acx2When it comes to gaming systems, the most important component is going to be your graphics card and few graphics cards out there compare to the performance and power efficiency of the Nvidias Maxwell architecture based GeForce GTX 980.

Our specific choice for this month’s build is EVGA’s variant of the GTX 980, the EVGA GTX 980 4GB SC Gaming ACX 2.0. The EVGA GTX 980 4GB SC Gaming ACX 2.0 includes a custom EVGA ACX 2.0 cooler designed to provide up to 26% better cooling performance and 36% less noise compared to stock coolers. In addition, the card is a “SC”, or SuperClocked variant which is overclocked out of the box for even better performance compared to the reference design cards. Those looking to play the latest games at the highest quality and resolution settings out there won’t be disappointed with the  EVGA GTX 980 4GB SC Gaming ACX 2.0.

 

Storage – Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD

samsung-ssd-850-evo-product-imageEver since Samsung entered the SSD market several years ago, they’ve taken the SSD market by storm, unveiling phenomenal drive after drive. Late last year, Samsung introduced the Samsung 850 EVO which is the fastest mainstream SATA SSD we’ve tested. Based on Samsung’s new 3-bit per cell 3D V-NAND along with either Samsung’s MEX or MGX controller, the Samsung 850 EVO is able to crank out performance up to 540 MB/s sequential reads and 520 MB/s sequential writes. But that’s not all. In addition to the performance, Samsung also offers the 850 EVO a 5 year warranty, the longest warranty of any mainstream SSD on the market.

Those who need additional storage for games, movies, and music can either step up to a higher capacity Samsung 850 EVO, or complement the primary drive with a secondary hard drive. The Western Digital Black hard drives are excellent choices for this purpose offering high performance, up to 4TB of capacity, and a 5 year warranty for peace of mind.

 

Optional Components

Some readers have expressed interest in monitor, speaker, mice and keyboard suggestions, so we’ve also started including some recommendations for these items as well. I won’t be explaining the choices as these optional components are quite dependent on the purpose of PC (For example, someone serious about audio may end up going with something like an Audioengine 5+ paired with an ASUS Xonar Essence STX), but here are some suggestions that are a good fit for this build based on the system’s budget.

 

Final Thoughts

Overall I think we did fairly well with this build with the biggest possible problems being component availability as Intel’s latest processors are currently in very high demand and low supply due to its recent release. With any luck, the supply issues will be ironed out within the next few weeks as more shipments begin rolling in.

Remember, if you have any questions, need some help, or need to fit the build into your budget please feel free to post all questions in the forums! The community will be more than happy to help you out. If this build doesn’t fit your needs, be sure to drop by our Computer Builds section to find more computer builds. If you spot any issues with our build such as GPU/case incompatibilities, cooler/case incompatibilities, etc. please let us know as well so I may update the article.

Also, be sure to join us on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or YouTube to be updated on the latest news, reviews, tutorials, custom computer builds, and more!



Best AI website Text-to-image Generator Tool 2024

Posted on by faz_business


dezgo

Get Started with SOLIDWORKS Cloud: 3D Modeling & Design in the Browser!

Posted on by faz_business


Hey All,

I hope you’re having a great start to the week so far!

It’s been busy around here, projects are kicking off, there have been a ton of new videos on the channel, and Kid’s soccer/swimming lessons are both in full swing, making for packed weeks for the foreseeable future!

I’m also excited to share a bunch of new videos in the coming months where we’re learning new software and tips/tricks as well!

Today we’re going to be taking a look at a new Cloud/Online Offering from SolidWorks. It’s a browser-based CAD offering that is bringing SolidWorks remote!

I’ve long been a proponent of cloud and browser-based design platforms.

With more and more teams working remotely and in hybrid arrangements every year. Being able to get away from expensive modeling hardware, servers, file organization, and Network licenses not only provides huge cost savings, it also helps streamline the shift to distributed teams while maintaining collaboration through a project’s lifecycle.

In today’s video, the first of a SolidWorks series, we’re taking a look at some of my favorite features, cool tricks, insights and much more as we dive in and learn about the Software.

Check out the video here: Browser-Based SolidWorks App That Runs on Practically Any Computer! 3DExperience Design Tutorial

And you can get SolidWorks X Apps Now for 20% off using the link: http://cadintentions.com/solidworksx

In the coming videos, we’ll be walking through the process of designing a project using the SolidWorks Online Apps and sharing my tips/tricks and tutorials along the way!

That’s all for today, I hope you enjoyed this week’s video and I would love to hear what you think, have you tried SolidWorks Online Offerings?

I’ve really enjoyed how much they’ve packed into the apps and just how seamless it’s been to begin using the online design apps coming from the desktop!
 
Be sure to let me know by hitting reply or on twitter @cadintentions ! 

As always, thank you so much for reading and watching, I am super excited for the rest of the year, growing the content, tutorials, and blog with you all. 

Cheers and happy Drafting!

The following two tabs change content below.

Brandon is a Civil Designer, Aspiring Blogger/Creator, Husband, Father to two Amazing Kids and Tech Aficionado from a small town in Canada. He has been obsessed with design and technology since he can remember and working as a Civil Designer for nearly as long. Brandon’s blog and Youtube channel, CADIntentions.com has been his outlet and excuse for keeping up with new tech and trends in the CAD design world for the last 10 years growing to more than 60,000 subscribers and over 15,000,000 views, while also being the source of many great friendships and unique opportunities.

If you would like to Sponsor CAD Intentions or Work together in some way, Please visit my About Page and send me an email: http://cadintentions.com/about-me/



Teradata Storage Optimization

Posted on by faz_business


Introduction

Teradata is an integrated platform that provides functionality to store, access, and analyze organizational data on the Cloud as well as On-Premise infrastructure. Teradata Database provides an information repository system, along with support for various tools and utilities, making it a complete and active relational database management system.

Teradata is based on a parallel Data Warehouse with shared-nothing architecture.

  • Data is stored in a row-based format.
  • It supports a hybrid storage model in which frequently accessed data is stored in SSD whereas rarely accessed data is stored on HDD.
  • The platform supports a Table partitioning feature and enforces Primary and Secondary Indexes.
  • The Data Warehouse can scale up to 2048 nodes, thus offering data storage ability up to 94 petabytes.
  • The Data Model is designed to be fault-tolerant and be scalable with redundant network connectivity to ensure reliability for critical use case

Teradata Storage Approach and Challenges

The sizes of the Teradata systems managing relational databases range up to 2,048 CPUs and 2,048 GB of memory supporting 128 TB or larger databases. The BYNET interconnect supports up to 512 nodes.

However, the major challenges with Teradata are:

  • Huge data warehouse cost
  • Not being an agile cloud data warehouse

Teradata is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, and so capacity management is its biggest challenge. And when no solution is presented to optimize storage, customers decide to move away from Teradata to other alternatives. Managing storage capacity effectively is the only solution to overcome this challenge

Optimization of Teradata Storage

While working with Teradata, the following database sizing considerations must be taken into account:

  • Capacity planning of system and data disks
  • Data disk space allocation
  • Determination of usable data space

Capacity Planning of System and Data Disks

  • Warm and hot data typically constitute what is often called the operational data store. One of the Teradata data warehouse’s features is its hybrid storage, where frequently used hot data is stored on very high-performance solid state drives while less frequently used cold data is placed on traditional hard disk drives. The placement and migration of data based on data temperature is fully automatic and ongoing with the Teradata Virtual Storage feature. By paying attention to data temperature, Teradata can deliver higher query throughput and more consistent response times.
  • Data compression includes both value-compression and algorithmic compression of data. When describing the compression of hash and join indexes, compression generally refers to row compression. While algorithmic compression can be either lossless or lossy, depending on the algorithm used. Compression has two principal applications: Reducing storage costs and Enhancing system performance.

Data Disk Space Allocation

  • Disk or spool space is allocated based on system needs and tends to run out quickly unless proactively planned and reserved. Some guidelines for allocating disk space optimally include:
    • Create a special database to act as a spool space reservoir.
    • Allocate 2% of the total user space in the system for this database.
    • Assign roughly 0.25% of the total space to each user as an upper limit, ensuring that each receives at least as much space as the size of the largest table they access concurrently.
  • Apart from the actual allocation of the disk space, there are other operational considerations that can optimize disk allocation:
    • Limit query size – the smaller the query, the less spool space required. If a particular user only performs small queries, then allocate less spool to that user. If a user performs many large queries, then allocate more spool to that user.
    • Optimize database size – the more AMPs in the configuration, the more thinly spread the data, so the more spool required per AMP.
    • Optimize the other factors such as average spool use per user, number of concurrent users, number of concurrent queries permitted for any one user.
  • Plan for system and table space. Consider database sizing issues such as allocating permanent space and estimating database size requirements

Determination of Usable Data Space

This looks into system and hardware-oriented considerations undertaken for capacity planning.

Here are some recommended tasks in this regard:

  • Use Teradata Viewpoint to monitor and manage the workload.
  • Collect user resource usage detail data. Heavy resource consumers over time, skewed work, and application usage trends can be identified.
  • Collect ResUsage data. The ResUsage tables report on the aggregate effect of all user requests on various system components over time, and can identify bottlenecks and capacity issues. See Resource Usage Macros and Tables for details on all ResUsage data and macros.
  • Use the Locking Logger utility. Locking logger is essential for identifying locking conflicts.
  • Use Database query logging. The Database Query Log records details on queries run, including arrival rates, response times, objects accessed, and SQL statements performed
  • Use the Priority Scheduler utility. Priority Scheduler monitor output information shows comparative CPU usage across Priority Scheduler groups. This monitor output should be collected daily, minimally at a 5 or 10-minute interval, then summarized or charted.
  • Additionally, use the following best practices:
    • Reserve 25% to 35% of total space for spool space and spool growth buffer. When you create user SysAdmin, you can leave the SPOOL parameter unspecified, so it defaults to the maximum allocation of the owning user, user DBC.
    • Allow an extra 5% of PERM space in user DBC.
    • Each time a new user or database is created, specify the maximum amount of spool space that a query submitted by that user can consume

Conclusion

Teradata is a complete and active relational database management system with a data repository as well as analytical system. However, Teradata is priced higher than its competitors and that urges customers to consider alternatives and move away from Teradata. One of the ways to combat this issue is to look at ways to optimize and provide better storage options. Managing storage capacity effectively would give Teradata the advantage it needs to retain and increase customer engagement.

GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio: A Recap of 2023

Posted on by faz_business


In the rapidly evolving world of software development, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. The introduction of AI in Visual Studio, particularly GitHub Copilot, has revolutionized the way developers code. With Copilot integrated into Visual Studio, you can leverage AI to streamline your workflows, manage large codebases, analyze exceptions, and even generate commit messages. It’s like having a knowledgeable pair programmer right beside you, helping you to be more productive, iterate quicker, and make your applications more reliable. Here are a few GitHub Copilot innovations in Visual Studio that we want to highlight from this past year. 

 

Inline Chat View 

Ever wish you could just take the code that your generative AI chatbot gives you and put it right in your editor? With the inline chat, you can interact with GitHub Copilot right within your editor! This feature allows you to refine your code within the editor, which is perfect for asking specific questions about your active file, and seeing diff views when GitHub Copilot gives you code suggestions.

To access the inline chat, you need an active GitHub Copilot subscription and the extension installed in Visual Studio 17.8 or higher. To access the inline chat, right click within the editor > Ask Copilot, or through the shortcut (Alt+/).  

     Image inline chat

Learn more about inline code refinement here: Simplified Code Refinement and Debugging with GitHub Copilot Chat – Visual Studio Blog (microsoft.com) 

Submit Feedback for Inline Chat 

 

Slash Commands to State Intent 

Being misunderstood is the worst! Slash commands allow you to clearly state your intention behind your prompt so that there are no misunderstandings with GitHub Copilot. When learning to use generative AI chatbots, it’s always frustrating when it doesn’t understand what you’re asking for. By using slash commands, they allow you to clearly state the intention behind your prompt so that there are no misunderstandings with Copilot.

Slash commands exist within the chat window. Type ‘/’ to pop open a list of commands that you can use to state your intent, such as “/explain” to explain code, “/doc” to document a method or file, and many more!  

Image slash commands

Learn more about available slash commands, and ways to create better prompts here:
Tips & Tricks for GitHub Copilot Chat in Visual Studio – Visual Studio (Windows) | Microsoft Learn 

Submit Feedback for Slash Commands 

 

Context Variables to Refine Your Scope 

Ever wonder what GitHub Copilot is referencing when answering your questions? The context variables feature allows you to specify files from your solution in your questions by using the # symbol. When you reference a file, Copilot can access its content and provide specific answers related to it.  

[TIP] Utilize our latest and greatest with #Solution to include the context of all the files in your open solution, allowing you to root your answers in it. Note: #Solution only supports C#. 

Example: “What parts of this #Solution is designated to be a command line interface?”  

For instance, you can ask questions like “How does the #Main.cs file work?” or “What is the purpose of the #Calculator.cs file?” Copilot Chat will then provide relevant answers based on the content of those files. This feature streamlines the process by eliminating the need for manual copying and pasting. Feel free to include multiple files in a single question for even greater efficiency!  

Image context variables

Learn more about context variables here: Code Faster and Better with GitHub Copilot’s New Features: Slash Commands and Context Variables – Visual Studio Blog (microsoft.com) 

Submit Feedback for Context Variables 

 

Analyze and Fix Test Window Failures 

With GitHub Copilot, failure and exception analysis has never been easier. This AI assisted feature helps the user in analyzing and fixing test failure due to failed test assumptions or exceptions that occur during test execution. This feature can be found in the Test Explorer and creates a discussion thread that allows you to interact with GitHub Copilot, providing you access to both explanations and code fixes. When a failed test is present, the “Ask Copilot” link will appear in the test failure summary explanation, allowing you to follow up with Copilot. 

Image test window fialure

Submit Feedback for Test Explorer 

 

AI Assisted Exception Analysis 

Ever rattled your brain on why an exception occurred? Now, GitHub Copilot can be used to assist with exception analysis, helping developers understand why an exception occurred and suggests ways to resolve it. It collects relevant information about the exception, including its type, message, snippets of code from the stack trace, and local variable values. This data is then sent to Copilot for an initial analysis. Subsequently, users can engage in further conversation with Copilot to discuss the error and explore potential solutions.  

Image Screenshot 2024 03 14 055032

Learn more about how to use this feature here: Debug with GitHub Copilot – Visual Studio (Windows) | Microsoft Learn 

Submit Feedback for AI Assisted Exception Analysis 

 

Auto insights flagged by the CPU Usage and Instrumentation profiler allows you to get insights on your code, typically related to a known problematic pattern. When presented with an auto insight, users can now use the “Ask Copilot” link to get more detailed information on the insight. GitHub Copilot takes the context from the insight and uses it to prompt Copilot again so you can get more information on the insight you’ve been given and ask follow up questions! 

Image Screenshot 2024 03 14 055200

Learn more about how GitHub Copilot can help you debug here: Debug with GitHub Copilot – Visual Studio (Windows) | Microsoft Learn 

Submit Feedback for Auto Insights in Profiling Tools 

 

AI-Powered Rename Suggestions 

Have you ever grappled with naming a variable, method, or class? You’re not alone. This feature goes beyond mere name suggestions; it learns how your identifier is used and adapts to your code style, proposing identifiers that seamlessly integrate into your codebase. 

To access this feature in Visual Studio, simply select any identifier, right-click, and choose “Rename” (Ctrl+R, Ctrl+R). Click on the rename suggestions button or use the Ctrl+Space shortcut. You’ll be presented with a list of naming suggestions tailored to the context of your code. Pick the name that resonates with you the most, and press Enter!  

Image Screenshot 2024 03 14 055803

Learn more about AI-powered rename suggestions here: Naming Made Easy: AI-Powered Rename Suggestions – Visual Studio Blog (microsoft.com) 

Submit Feedback for AI-Powered Rename Suggestions 

 

AI-Generated Commit Messages 

After spending hours on a bug fix or a feature update, the last thing I would want to do is rack my brain to precisely explain the contents of my Git commit. Fortunately, Copilot offers a solution. Use the newly generated Git commit message feature to succinctly describe your set of changes and improve the quality and consistency of your commit messages, making your code easier to understand and maintain. You can then refine the message by adding the crucial ‘why’ behind the change before committing. 

Use the new “Add AI Generated Commit Message” sparkle pen icon in the Git Changes window to generate a suggestion. 

Image Screenshot 2024 03 14 055938

Find out more here: Write Your Git Commits with GitHub Copilot – Visual Studio Blog (microsoft.com) 

Submit Feedback for AI-Generated Commit Messages 

IntelliSense for Breakpoint Expressions 

Breakpoint expressions can help developers debug their code more efficiently and effectively. However, finding the optimal breakpoint expressions can be challenging and time-consuming. That is why we use GitHub Copilot Chat in Visual Studio, an AI companion that can help us with IntelliSense for breakpoint expressions. GitHub Copilot can analyze our code and suggest the best breakpoint expressions for our debugging scenarios. What a great way to save time and effort!  

This feature is aimed at users creating advanced breakpoints such as conditional breakpoints and trace points. Using the context of the code surrounding the breakpoint, GitHub Copilot suggests potential expressions to use for breakpoint conditions and logging statements. Note: IntelliSense breakpoint suggestions only support C#. 

Image breakpoint

Submit Feedback for IntelliSense for Breakpoint Expressions 

 

Deadlock Analysis with AI 

Deadlock can cause serious problems in your program and can be tedious to detect and resolve. With GitHub Copilot, deadlocks are demystified, and made much more obvious to the user by showing them in the Exception Helper. The exception helper will now include an “Ask Copilot” link, where Copilot takes the context of your code, along with the information that the Exception Helper has accrued and allows users to continue asking questions to Copilot about how they can resolve the deadlock. 

Image deadlock analysis

 

Submit Feedback for Deadlock Analysis in AI
 

 

How can I get started? 

All of these features and more are now available on the recently released Visual Studio 17.9. So why wait? Install Copilot and Copilot Chat in Visual Studio today and experience the future of coding! 

 

Providing Feedback and Staying Connected 

We appreciate the time you’ve spent reporting issues/suggestions and hope you continue to give us feedback when using Visual Studio on what you like and what we can improve.  

Your feedback is critical to help us make Visual Studio the best tool it can be! You can share feedback with us via Developer Community: report any bugs or issues via report a problem and share your suggestions for new features or improvements to existing ones. 

Stay connected with the Visual Studio team by following us on YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitch and on Microsoft Learn.  

Download Visual Studio 17.9



Google Maps may soon use satellites even if your phone is offline

Posted on by faz_business


What you need to know

  • Google is gearing up to add support for satellite connectivity in Android, and previous leaks have revealed that texts might be made over satellite. 
  • Now, code referenced in the Google Maps app reveals that Google might also use satellite connectivity to update a user’s location.
  • The feature might allow users to update their location every 15 minutes, up to five times per day, using satellite connectivity.

Satellite connectivity has been a hot topic in the Android world recently, as all signs point to Google adding the feature to future Android releases and new devices. However, most references to satellite connectivity in Android have been related to text messaging while out of range of a cellular tower. Now, new code references hint at a way to use satellite connectivity in future versions of Android that might even be more useful than texting. 

Google Maps will eventually let users update their location using an overhead satellite, according to a report from PiunikaWeb. In a recent Google Maps beta, specifically version v11.125, PiunikaWeb found multiple code snippets describing satellite-enabled location updates. Presumably, users could use this feature to update their location in Google Maps to share with loved ones or first responders if they are off-grid. 

The code strings preview a new UI that appears in Google Maps when a user does not have cellular connectivity. If the phone loses cellular data connection, users will see a “Connect to satellite” explainer with a button to use satellite connectivity in Google Maps. After pressing it, Google Maps users can update their location via satellite once every 15 minutes, with a limit of five times per day. 

Hands-on with the Google Pixel 8

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

This limit will mean Android users have to choose wisely before falling back to a satellite for location updates. The five-per-day cap likely has to do with the cost of using satellites for things like messaging and location updates. After being sent to an overhead satellite, the data needs to be returned to a ground satellite and processed, which is a costly endeavor for companies.