February 2021 ~ Trickskiduniya

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) - What are the main differences and the pros and cons?

You may have already seen it, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been available for some time, the largest update that Google has made to Google Analytics. Google Analytics no longer needs an introduction, it is the most used web analytics tool. If you have seen the message below in Google Analytics, it is time to take action.

“We are introducing a new version of Google Analytics that allows you to collect exactly those insights that are essential for a decisive future. You can use the new version of Google Analytics by setting up a Google Analytics 4 property (formerly App & web property). ”

Google Analytics 4 is the successor to Universal Analytics (UA) and brings with it a number of important changes. By means of machine learning, GA4 will help you even better to understand your data and translate it into important insights. Curious about what else has changed? In this blog I will explain the biggest differences and the pros and cons.

Tip: If you want to take a look, Google has a demo account available, now also for Google Analytics 4: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount.

1. Google Analytics 4 - Demo Account — *Demo account Google Analytics.*

What are the main differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics and (GA4)?

1. Improved data model

To properly understand Google Analytics 4 (GA4), it is important to know what has been adjusted under the hood. The biggest difference is in the way Google Analytics 4 measures the website. Google Analytics 4 uses it event-driven data model.

Universal Analytics (the ‘old’ Google Analytics) measures based on the session-based data model. These sessions are linked to user data (user data) collected from cookies and browser settings. Because more and more websites and apps are ‘single page’, this method of measuring is no longer the best way to collect data.

The event-driven data model that Google Analytics 4 uses disconnects sessions and pageview from each other. Google Analytics 4 measures a series of events, where each event passes on additional information via parameters. This makes the data a lot more accurate.

There are a number of events that are already measured by default in Google Analytics 4 such as scroll depth, page views

video engagement, outbound clicks, downloads and the use of site search (use of any search bar on your website).

Therefore, pay close attention when you use Google Tag Manager wants to make goals measurable, that is now different than before!

2. Differences between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics — *Differences between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4.*

2. New reports and user interface (UI)

The interface has changed and will take some getting used to at first. For example, within Google Analytics (GA4) a number of statistics are no longer transparent, such as the bounce percentage and the number of standard reports has fallen considerably. Of the 150 reports available in Universal Analytics, there are now (only) about 30 left. According to Google, these new reports provide a better insight into the customer journey.

Tip: Google also has a handy walkthrough of Google Analytics 4:

3. Cookies and data analysis – ready for the future!

Because more and more ‘third-party’ cookies are being blocked by browsers, it is more difficult to follow a user on the internet. By upgrading to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) you are prepared for a cookie-less world. GA4 will try to supplement this data as well as possible by means of machine learning. The same goes for the privacy of the users. Within Google Analytics 4 (GA4) it is possible to submit a data deletion request in which the data of a visitor can be deleted. This data is also supplemented by machine learning.

3. Pure IM Google Analytics 4 - example — *Google Analytics interface 4*

What are the benefits of Google Analytics 4?

Cross platform / device tracking based on user ID and Google signals
GA4 contains Machine Learning: this allows Google to make predictions and fill in any missing data
Advanced analysis reports in the Analysis Hub are available to everyone (previously only GA360 users)
Free connection to BigQuery: access to raw GA4 data
Data anonymization: GA4 automatically anonymizes the IP addresses of visitors
Future proof because GA4 collects as much data as possible without cookies or other IDs (cookie-less tracking)
Automatic tracking for certain types of events
Setting up and creating target groups is a lot easier
New series of engagement statistics such as engaged sessions, engagement rate, engaged sessions per user and engagement time
No data limit, except for the number of events you can track

What are the drawbacks of Google Analytics 4?

You do NOT bring historical data with you when you switch to GA4
Reporting and analyzing data is different
Conversion tracking will need to be reset
No insight into data from Google Search Console (and many other external tools)
Displays cannot (yet) be created as in Universal Analytics

To upgrade or not?

We do not expect Universal Analytics to be replaced by Google Analytics 4 in the short term, but it is clear that Google Analytics 4 is the future of web analytics. We, therefore, recommend creating a new property instead of converting your current property to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the main reason for this is that Google Analytics 4 looks visually different and that the measurability has to be adjusted differently. You can always upgrade your current property. This way you can still use your ‘old’ Universal Analytics property in addition to your Google Analytics 4 property. You cannot transfer the data when you create a new property, so our tip is to create a GA4 property as soon as possible and start collecting data. In short, get started with it and you will be used to it in no time.

Need help with Google Analytics 4?

Be prepared for the future of web analytics and get started with Google Analytics 4. If you want to get started with Google Analytics 4 and do you need help? The specialists of Pure Internet Marketing are happy to help you.

A special item from car history: the clever stick

Today is February 7th. A day that for some people revolves around ‘Ballet Day’, but for DAF fans, 7 February is about something completely different. The car factory introduced the clever stick on this day in 1958. Sounds little special, but there is certainly reason to think about it.

Truth shaker

A bitch shaker with suspender drive. It is the nickname of the car with the clever stick, which is another nickname of the variomatic. The DAF 600 was introduced in 1958 and was not exactly a car that was seen as a sleek sports car for young people. The opposite is true.

Clever stick

However, the car did contain an interesting innovation within the automotive world, namely the clever gear lever invented by DAF founder Hub van Doorne. Thanks to this lever, you as a driver no longer had to shift gears yourself. You could choose forwards and backwards, that was it. The car became a huge hit at a time when owning a car was not at all obvious. Tens of thousands of DAF 600s were sold in a few years.

The car was not only easy to drive because of that clever stick: there was a lot of luggage space and there was an engine in the front of the car, instead of in the back. That was quite revolutionary for a car of Dutch manufacture. Yet it was a car that was looked at fairly giggly, precisely because of that clever stick. It was seen as an aid for people who could not shift gears and therefore would not drive as sporty.

DAF

That is very funny to see, given the current innovations in the automotive industry. More than half of the new cars sold are automatic and that is only increasing. The clever stick is simply a predecessor of it. And to think that in a few years’ time we may no longer have to drive ourselves, let alone need a poker. On the one hand, DAF was very much ahead of its time, but at the same time we probably no longer need that system at all in the future.

Still just the details about that clever stick? It is also called variomatic, an automatic gearbox with belt drive. The system did not receive the nickname ‘smart stick’ from the public, which was invented by the DAF advertising agency in the commercial. Variomatic ensures that the correct deceleration is maintained at the most optimal maximum torque. It does this by adjusting the pulley diameter of the V-belt drive. Nice detail: when DAF moved on Volvo was taken over in 1975, the system was expanded with a parking position and a different gear lever.

Want to know more about this special piece of Dutch car history? Then we recommend this Other Times episode about the clever stick.

Five striking talent show moments to cry and laugh at

While The Voice of Holland is already far away from the auditions, we are waiting for the moment when we can look in another program to see what kind of talents our fellow Dutch people have (or miss). There have been numerous talent shows Got Talent, Idols, The Voice, Starmaker, and so on. We consider five striking moments from those talent shows.

The cell phone salesman who became a successful opera singer

This is kind of the mother of talent show auditions (along with that of Susan Boyle with I Dreamed A Dream). Paul Potts from Whales is going to do a number of the opera Turandot before Simon Cowell’s critical eye. Nessum Dorma is already a song that gives you goosebumps, but you don’t expect it from this man. Even Britain’s Got TalentCowell’s over. So goosebumps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnp-8GrHOI

Powerful dance show with light convinces everyone

Where most talent shows revolve around singers, even if anyone who can do a trick is allowed to participate, it is sometimes just another kind of performance that steals the show. In this case, a whole dance show has been developed with light. It is extremely powerful and knows how to completely blow away Howard Stern. And yes, us too.

How it all started for Ben Saunders

A piece of Dutch pride then. The Hoorn-based tattoo artist Ben Saunders has one of the most watched audition videos in the Netherlands. The Voice was another new program and its rendition of Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody. Nick (or is it Simon?) Even insists on pressing the button of Jeroen van den Boom. In the end Ben Saunders ended up with a great singing career, in addition to his work as a tattoo artist.

But there are also nasty candidates

You can probably remember that a famous radio DJ dressed up entered an audition for a talent show. The audition below is reminiscent of that, because it’s such a strange audition that you’d think it’s all acted out. Perhaps it is: it is in any case a remarkable piece of history of Idols Netherlands, which proves that they are not always positive success stories. In the time of Henk-Jan Smits, that negativity often came out of the jury, but this time the roles have been reversed.

The cutest school kids ever

A bunch of primary school kids form a choir together and we don’t know which is cuter: those sweet little heads, that lovely British accent or the fact that they turn out to have real talent. And yes, the chosen song, Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, that helps, but also the big surprise in the middle. We are convinced: watching this video without smiling does not exist.

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Who is the mole? episode 6: hints and the best tweets

The denouement of episode 6 of Who is the mole? was pretty exciting, but in the end no one had to leave the game. We are secretly disappointed. The atmosphere in the group sometimes seems to change and it is interesting to see that the candidates trust each other less and less. For example, Marije made a futile attempt at Charlotte to extract information, but she did not want to share anything anymore. And during the first assignment on the bus it soon became apparent that nobody is really generous with sharing information. Those who seem to know everything are the fans of the program. It is wonderful to read all conjectures and hints. That is why we have listed them for you again!

Who is the mole? episode 6: hide away

The titles of the episodes are often so cryptic that we don’t really know what to do with them. In the past, they often hinted at the mole, but they can also be just randomly chosen. At least enough jokers were tucked away during episode 6, because they were handed out during the first assignment. We have collected all the striking things, hints and the best tweets for you!

Hints and other notable things during episode 6 of Wie is de mole?

First assignment: letterbox

Marije chose to share the note she found with the others, so everyone could see who was telling the truth. A smart strategy from the mole to gain confidence?
Renée and Splinter were honest about what they found at their stops, by the way.

Second task: escape

Charlotte’s key hangs from the ceiling in her cell. Ultimately, it is Splinter who notices him.
It works Marije not to escape, because in the end it costs a lot of money for the pot. A mole action?
Rocky helps Renée to free, would a mole do this? Or is Renée herself the mole and pretended not to understand how to get out of the cell?

Third task: pressurize

Charlotte ran around fanatically but did not find a single ‘station’, as the only candidate. Because she couldn’t be eliminated as a mole, could she?
splinter chose not to take out Charlotte, a special choice when an exemption is at stake.

Rocky remains fairly unobtrusive during all assignments. She helps a lot, but she doesn’t have any really crazy actions. A useful tactic as a mole, because as far as we know she is not really suspected by the other candidates.
Marije felt during this episode that the other candidates were after her. Her passive-aggressive comments were therefore not tender.
splinter feels comfortable in his role as treasurer. Marije made a clumsy attempt to take over from him, but apparently he is trusted by the other candidates. And perhaps Splinter, as a mole, already knows what advantages he still has to offer as treasurer further on in the game.

The best tweets from episode 6 of Wie is de mole?

Also this week we have put the best tweets in a row for you and after every episode it remains fun to read them. Have fun and see you next week!

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Home workplace: we spent € 400 million on office products

We have started working from home en masse since the corona virus bke out last year. It was a logical step to prevent further spread of the virus on the company floor. But we are now almost a year further. And that much working from home seems to be becoming the norm. It is up to you, or to your boss, to make sure that you are fully equipped at home. Staying effective you do with these 5 tips. And then one helps healthy and productive workplace certainly with it. So it makes sense that we have bought many office products for the home workplace in recent months. More than two in five (44%) home workers bought stuff for the home workplace during the corona crisis. Half of all home workers (48%) did not receive a contribution from the employer for this. Thus, the Home Work Monitor.

€ 400 million in office products

More than two in five home workers (44%) have now bought office products for the home workplace. On average they spent about € 359 on this. This amounts to almost € 400 million in office products for the whole of the Netherlands. Most of this consists of computer accessories and furniture. A quarter of the home workers (25%) optimized the workplace without buying anything.

Computer screens and office chairs

The main office products that people bought are computer screens (30%) and office chairs (30%). A quarter of the home workers have purchased a desk (25%). An almost equal share bought laptops (12%) and laptop stands (12%). Printers are a lot less popular at 5%. And there was about 4% who ordered a coffee machine especially for the home office, you also want a nice cup of coffee at home to start the day.

IKEA, Coolblue and bol.com

Desks (49%) were mainly bought in physical stores. Office chairs (39%) were mainly purchased online. Home workers most often ordered both products IKEA. In contrast, both laptop stands (64%) and computer screens (49%) were again more often bought online. The main purchasing channels for this were Coolblue and bol.com.

[Fotocredits © fizkes – Adobe Stock]

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Super Bowl LV: An overview of all commercials

Early February, so also the Super Bowl is at the door again. It’s been a year since the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. And also the halftime show of Shakira and J LO was one to remember. By now, almost all Super Bowl LV commercials have been announced and released prior to the game. Time for an overview.

Super Bowl LV

Today, Sunday, February 7, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs will face each other at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Weeknd will host the Pepsi Halftime Show, and fans will have to enjoy themselves at home this time. Between all the sports and entertainment, there is also plenty of attention for the commercials.

Since more than 100 million people in the United States tune into the Super Bowl via traditional television or streaming services, commercials are in high demand. Companies know that there is no better time to reach a large audience than during the Super Bowl, so they are willing to pay for it. And a lot too. For such a 30-second commercial, companies will tick somewhere around $ 5.5 in 2021 or $ 5.6 million.

Below is an overview of all commercials, in no particular order. From GM and Klarna. Until Amazon and Cheetos. Plus Toyota and Uber Eats. In addition to all the commercials, there will also be plenty of teasers & trailers of upcoming film hits & series.

We will continue to update this article as more is known and during the Super Bowl.

Amazon – Alexa’s Body (Michael B. Jordan)

GM – No Way Norway (Will Farrell)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCy-a_E2I3s

Klarna Presents: The Four Quarter-Sized Cowboys

Bud Light – Legends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9jkvq4-tCU

Cheetos – It Wasn’t Me (Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Shaggy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7yvrDTtsHw

Doritos – Flat Matthew (Matthew McConaughey)

Logitech – Defy Logic (Lil Nas X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dBl1iwqqbw

Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade – Last Year’s Lemons

Frito-Lay – ‘Twas the Night Before Super Bowl

Pringles – Flavor Stacking Space Return

Squarespace – 5 to 9 (Dolly Parton)

Stella Artois – Heartbeat Billionaire (Lenny Kravitz)

Toyota – Upstream (Jessica Long)

Uber Eats – Wayne’s World

Pepsi – The Walk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqdew5smRiw

MTN DEW – Counting MTN DEW MAJOR MELON (John Cena)

M & M’s – Come Together

Guinness x Joe Montana – GOAT

Rockstar Energy x Lil Baby – Spotlight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjGsbveUIEg

Dexcom – Rant (Nick Jonas)

IKEA Tradfri GU10: Smart LED spot with colors

Until now, the IKEA range only had a LED spotlight with a white spectrum. The company has now also released the colorful GU10 spot that has support for a colored display.

IKEA Tradfri GU10

The colored LED spot has a GU10 fitting with which it is possible to configure the colors via the app. For the GU10 products the first spot that has support for color in the Tradfi line.

The newly announced GU10 color LED lamp has a maximum brightness of 345 lumens and will be sold for 14.95. The current white variant has a suggested retail price of 7 euros.

In recent months, several products have been released in the Tradfri smarthome line. In addition to new light sources, a shortcut button also appeared which will appear on the market in the Netherlands around spring.

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Flitsmeister now works in Android Auto, that's how you use the beta

Flitsmeister has been planning an Android Auto app for several years now. After a few months the time has finally come and the first beta of Flitsmeister for Android Auto is available. You can now use navigation and the additional warnings for speed cameras, section controls and more.

Flitsmeister app for Android

Flitsmeister is one of the most popular apps available on the smartphone. Flitsmeister has been available for Apple Car Play for some time now. After a few years, the app is also almost ready for the Android Auto platform.

This is how you test the app

If you want to test the app with Flitsmeister in Android Auto. It is only necessary to install the app on the smartphone.

More information for the testing procedure can be found at the site of Flitsmeister. This is an open beta which can be downloaded for Android

TikTok wants you to think before sharing

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You always have your smartphone with you and at an unguarded moment you scroll through your photos and you think: hey, I haven’t posted this yet. Or maybe you think: hey I’ll put on some music and make a funny TikTok video. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but often posting a social media post takes a little while and that means that people do not always think carefully before sharing something. TikTok is therefore rolling out a new feature that actually works the other way around. You are not supposed to think before you share something, but before you look.

Social media dangers

Think about the old days: you’re at a party, you’ve had a drink and a friend of yours is joking. Coincidentally, you just managed to capture it in a photo and before you know it you have shared it with a funny caption on social media. The next day you wake up and scroll through your timeline, when you suddenly see that you have a lot of private messages. Turns out in the background of your crazy-mouthed friend’s photo there is a kiss about to be shared by two people who are married. Oops.

While in this case it’s not even about something that pertains to you personally (unless one of those kissing people is your lover), a not so convenient social media post is made like that. Whether it’s a drunken post where you didn’t pay much attention to the details, or a down-to-earth post from your new television where you don’t realize that your naked body is visible in the reflection. Perhaps you post something on a whim or in anger: “What are all those elderly people doing in the supermarket at noon when working people get lunch? If I have corona I will cough them all in their faces! ” That is not so nuanced, you better choose only the beginning of that comment, if it is already that high on you.

Tiktok

Although you know that you do not mean the latter of course, such a comment can come across very differently to others. The same goes for if your girlfriend has one in her bikini TikTok video You can be proud that she dares to do so and that she is such a fun loving person, but there are also people who do not appreciate that their lover is too sexy or shows too much skin on social media. There is no right or wrong in this either: this is entirely subject to other people’s opinion and everyone has the right to an opinion.

Of course you don’t always have to take everyone into account when you post something, but do you think about it every now and then? Do you think before sharing? It is something that governments but also social media companies are concerned about. Only they don’t do it so much to prevent divorces, but mainly fake news. That too is often spread on a whim, although some people prepare it down to the last detail. It can be very dangerous, as we have seen in the documentary The Great Hack can be seen.

Fake news

This is why TikTok has a new feature introduced: You get a kind of popup when you are about to watch a video spreading fake news. TikTok puts a banner over the video if the content is still under review and has not yet been officially validated. Then when you try to share it, you will get the message: “Are you sure you want to share this video? It is flagged as unverified content. ”

As a poster, you will also receive a message that your video is flagged as content that may not be okay or true. In short, TikTok wants its ‘musers’ or ‘TikTokkers’ to think carefully before they post something, even if they share something from someone else. For example, the platform tries to take its responsibility in the detection of fake news, although it is still up to the users to flag something as inappropriate or false. This capability is now rolling out in Canada and the United States, and will come to the rest of the world in the following weeks.

Popular VCA course on safety in the workplace can also be followed online

For a number of years now, the VCA diploma or VCA certification has been important in high-risk sectors such as construction, electrical engineering and the petrochemical sector. Companies are committed to obtaining VCA certification and send their employees on training to obtain the VCA diploma. This is of course not only for strategic and economic reasons. The figures with regard to accidents in the workplace also require a reduction of this: there are still 200,000 industrial accidents in the Netherlands every year, whereby in 4,300 someone is injured and in 60 cases a death is to be regretted. The good news, therefore, is that in this age of corona measures the course VCA online can be tracked.

Online in two forms

The VCA course can be followed online in two forms. For example, there is the online self-study, which enables students to take the course when and where they want. Students can complete the course at their own pace, within a maximum time frame of three months. So it can also be done outside working hours. There is also the option of a ‘virtual classroom’. Students will then receive two online classroom sessions led by a teacher, during which he will further explore the topics. There is also the possibility to ask questions directly to the teacher. A mock exam is also taken together with the teacher. In both cases the course is concluded with an official exam.

Importance greatly increased

The importance of obtaining the VCA diploma has increased considerably in recent years. This is mainly because it is increasingly being pre-sorted. Clients in high-risk sectors often only want to outsource assignments to parties that are in possession of VCA certification, in order to reduce the risk of accidents. Professionals applying for jobs in high-risk sectors are in turn increasingly faced with having the VCA diploma as a requirement in vacancies. In addition to safety reasons, there are therefore certainly economic reasons for both companies and individual professionals to work on VCA.

Origin of VCA

VCA originated in 1996 and stands for Safety, Health and Environment Checklist Contractors. Contractors and representatives of petrochemical companies then began to work together to develop an independent assessment system to monitor the safety policy of companies in their sectors. In this way they wanted to reduce the risk of industrial accidents. This assessment system has developed into what it is in 2021: the most requested and best-known certification in the field of safety, health and environment in the workplace in high-risk sectors.

[Fotocredits – Rapeepat © Adobe Stock]

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About grotesquely failing insights in our consciousness

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In the margins of the development of my essay Insights into the how and why of our successful consciousness I have compared several third-party theories of consciousness with my own. In particular to convince myself that my theory of consciousness cannot be classified as plagiarism by accident. Amazingly, the metaphysical theory of consciousness I elaborated appears to be virtually unique. This is despite the fact that, in my opinion, it is quite clear that consciousness belongs to the sensory spectrum and instruments of the subconscious mind. Consciousness functions as a sensory instrument that is primarily aimed at visualizing cause and effect relationships more clearly. Consciousness, in combination with the other senses, thus forms part of the interface to the learning and plastic subconscious.

However, there are also plenty of people who think essentially differently about this and prefer to turn to supernatural explanations. And I’m not even referring to the mainstream of spiritual, esoteric or new age insights into our consciousness, which I will discuss first below.

Spiritual, esoteric or new age insights into our consciousness

During my search I came across, not unexpectedly, often a mainstream of spiritual, esoteric or New Age insights into our consciousness. A regularly recurring theme is the assumption that the world is currently at the tipping point of a collectively changing consciousness and that a new dawn is at hand. In other words, the greatest misery is behind us and everything is going to be fine. Interesting detail, this has been said for as long as I live and much, much longer. The lighting is every time just around the corner or just behind the horizon. Nevertheless, they are usually innocent messages of hope, comfort and love. In my opinion, such a mainstream of insights into our consciousness forms a gathering place for many people for a personal search for meaning and an alternative to traditional religions. I personally don’t care much about it, but for many people it appears to be a tenable surrogate for materialistic, scientific and evolutionary reality. I would say to everyone his truth.

In terms of consciousness insights, however, I have made little progress with it, because I am of the opinion that neither religions nor esoteric principles have much to say about them. The message of hope, comfort, and love is of course a good one in its essence, but it has little meaning in the quest for a materialistic, scientific, and evolutionary framework for consciousness. Evolution is not about hope, consolation and love, but is ultimately simply the result of chemistry, biology and statistics. Those more adapted to the environment survive and reproduce. Those who are less well-adjusted die prematurely or hardly reproduce. Evolution is not emotional, but simply the result of biology and abstract probability. Which in my view certainly does not make it any less beautiful or overwhelming, although opinions will undoubtedly differ greatly on this as well.

Nonsense: scientists who claim that consciousness is too complex to explain

In general, I consider the mainstream consciousness insights quoted earlier to be an innocent and by no means bad phenomenon. It also remains to be seen whether these are so-called supernaturally explained phenomena. A collective consciousness can also be explained very well on the basis of the sum and the mutual interaction of many individual consciousnesses. All in all, I experience this mainstream of consciousness insights not so much as scientific, but not necessarily as supernatural.

Contrary to the theories of previously renowned scientists to be discussed below. In addition to the esoteric mainstream of insights into consciousness, I have at the same time encountered a more curious and, in my opinion, much more evil phenomenon. This mainly concerns scientists who, probably because of a still lacking logical scientific explanation for consciousness, think they have to flee into the mystical, spiritual and pre-eminently supernatural. This culminates in a dysfunctional attempt on their part to try to explain consciousness on the basis of the mystical, spiritual and pre-eminently supernatural. To then publish extensively about this in order to make their dysfunctional supernatural view more widely available.

It is as if Newtonian scientists are trying to provide a spiritual or esoteric explanation for the phenomenon of gravity, because gravity simply cannot be explained by the traditional laws of gravity of Newton. A frequently used method within esotericism is that reference is made to analogies on the basis of quantum mechanics. While quantum mechanics could ultimately explain the foundations of gravity largely adequately, that same quantum mechanics should now also explain the foundations of a theory of consciousness. However, quantum mechanics applied as a plaster for the as yet incomprehensible is of course completely meaningless and of no value.

Pseudo-scientists: Eben Alexander, Pim van Lommel and Sarah Durston

Such scientists in question generally tend to actively misuse their previously assigned authority in a particular field. Probably not entirely coincidentally, these are more often partially retired scientists or scientists who retire within a foreseeable period. Sometimes there even seems to be a sophisticated career switch. Without going into the specific ins and outs of their theories of consciousness, which can be easily found online, I would like to make my point to quote some well-known examples of such pseudo-scientists.

Well-known examples of such pseudo-scientists are Neurosurgeon Eben Alexander, Cardiologist Pim van Lommel and Professor of Developmental Disorders Sarah Durston. They have in common that they all claim that consciousness, according to them, is too complex and complicated to explain on the basis of the structure of the brain alone. Rather than attempting to contribute to a scientific theory of consciousness, they refer consciousness to the realm of the supernatural for convenience. Eben Alexander and Pim van Lommel have published their theories of consciousness in book form and regularly hold presentations about this.

Eben Alexander was forced to stop as a neurosurgeon after making serious mistakes repeatedly. Pim van Lommel wrote down his theories in the run-up to his retirement. It is not easy to guess what exactly is wrong with Sarah Durston, but I still dare to place her in the same list. In favor of Sarah Durston, it must be said that she has not yet appropriated a full theory of consciousness. She has only commented on the fact that she thinks that the brain on its own cannot adequately explain consciousness. Nevertheless, a bold assumption for a professor of developmental disorders, I think? Sarah Durston states in the newspaper Trouw: The search for a consciousness: ‘We don’t have a good definition of what life is’.

Do you feel like asserting yourself or looking for meaning?

Could it all have to do with a frustrated and misguided desire for power and assertiveness or is it much more a quest for meaning? Nothing human seems to be foreign to them, because according to some anthropologists, many religions were probably created in exactly the same way. By high places who used their social authority in a search for power, assertiveness or meaning.

In addition, it may also be due to a form of unadulterated impatience for a logical explanation for consciousness? But suppose Charles R. Darwin and his associates would have been seduced by the human need to explain matters mystically, spiritually or supernatural. Where, then, had we now stood in terms of knowledge of the genesis of the species? Perhaps on the eve of the latest publications of ‘The Original Sin of the Dinosaurs’ or ‘The Shame of the Dodos’!

Nonsense: Explaining Complexity Using Divine Qualifications

In essence, the above scientists – I can only call them that with a heavy heart – argue that our brains do not provide sufficient leads to adequately explain consciousness. Then put them in accordance with the adage ‘a giant step for mankind, but a small step for a disfunctional scientist’ a completely irrational and scientifically irresponsible giant step in stating that our brains therefore most likely function as a receiver for consciousness. They argue that there must be something like a collective, universal and divine consciousness, to which our brains tune in as if it were a radio receiver.

After all, according to them it is completely unthinkable that our brains could generate something as pure, beautiful and complex as consciousness on its own. And so we are largely back to square one. Humanity and the animal kingdom are the mire of things, and all things pure, beautiful, or complex can be provided only by the divine. Where have I heard that before? Oh yes, during my late medieval conviction for the Spanish Inquisition!

Nonsense: their urge to convert and persuade seriously ignores the facts

In particular, the ease with which such pseudo-scientists dismiss science and dare to take the supernatural in combination with their own ego, gut feeling or impatience as a guideline, irritates me immensely. Being unable to comprehend something as yet does not necessarily imply that you assign divine qualifications to it? Last but not least, I blame them for actively taking advantage of many people’s unfulfilled need for hope, comfort and love. And they know that very well. After all, it is not for nothing that their publications and presentations often fall into fertile ground with a specific target group. The end of the song is simply yet another esoteric movement that does not deviate much from the current spiritual, esoteric or new age insights about our consciousness. This time larded with the sauce of a so-called enthusiastic and finally converted scientist.

You see now, many New Age adepts will think, science cannot explain everything and this alone is grist to their mill. This in spite of the curious fact that most New Age adepts, including these fallen scientists, use pseudo-scientific and even scientific facts and arguments inappropriately and inappropriately within their conversion and belief systems. That is, as long as it serves them within their stall of spiritual and esoteric facts and arguments about enlightenment. As a result, their urge to convert and persuade usually seriously ignores the facts.

Conclusion and postscript

Ultimately consciousness concerns something that I think can be explained metaphysically from the known materialistic, scientific and evolutionary frameworks. In a similar way or in a completely different way, but in any case always according to the lines of materialistic, scientific and evolutionary principles. Principles that I have also tried to follow in my recent essay.

The mere fact that an adequate scientific model of consciousness is not yet available does not mean that it cannot be essentially explained. Pseudo-scientific explanations from a formerly scientific angle speak mainly of an enormous amount of amateurism, impatience or the desire to score quickly. Completely unworthy of any scientist.

After all, the regularly promoted mystical sixth sense of humans, in my opinion, means little more than a highly developed environmental awareness. An environmental awareness that we will eventually be able to fully attribute to the as yet unconscious qualities of the senses already known to us and our special brain.

[Fotocredits – kentoh © Adobe Stock]

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This is Will Ferrell's SuperBowl commercial for General Motors

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General Motors has its big SuperBowl commercial released. American actor Will Ferrell plays the lead role. He discovers in the video that Norway far surpasses the United States in terms of the acceptance of electric vehicles. In the commercial “No Way, Norway” Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina accompany Ferrell on his journey to Scandinavia.

The 55th Super Bowl (American Football competition final) will take place on Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sequel to GM’s earlier campaign

“No Way, Norway” is an extension of GM’s “Everybody In” campaign launched in January 2021 to excite a new generation of car buyers and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in America.

The ad features emerging Ultium-powered electric vehicles, including the luxury Cadillac LYRIQ SUV and GMC HUMMER EV super truck.

Ferrel continues to joke: “I’m excited to be a part of GM’s commitment to EVs,” Ferrell said. “I’ve been driving an electric car since the mid 80’s … well, actually it was a regular car with four AA batteries glued to the carburettor, but it felt like an electric car! We’re coming to get you. , Norway! ”

SuperBowl ideal stage

“The SuperBowl is the perfect location for Will Ferrell to encourage all of us to take electric driving,” said Deborah Wahl, GM’s Global Chief Marketing Officer. “We admire his passion for electric vehicles and share Norway’s commitment to a fully electric future.”

Today, according to GM, more than half of new vehicles sold in Norway are electric. In comparison, electric vehicles accounted for less than 4 percent of the market share in the United States in 2020.

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Female CEO Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia) is leaving

Katherine Maher, the CEO of Wikimedia Foundation, is calling it quits. She will stop at the parent company of Wikipedia after being CEO for five years. She did that not without merit: in her time, confidence in Wikipedia has grown enormously.

Wikimedia

Katherine has worked hard on a strategy that should take Wikimedia for another ten years. For example, diversity within the team has improved and more writers have been hired to keep the information interesting and factual. There are also more and more volunteer writers who have joined Wikimedia. There are also more and more Wikipedia’s in non-Western Nations.

Where there were actually fewer and fewer writers at Wikimedia, Katherine has ensured that there was a rise. In the last quarter of 2020, the number of active writers even increased by 8.1 percent. More money was also raised for the free platform: where it raised 77 million dollars per year in 2016, it is estimated that in 2021 this will be 140 million dollars. That is almost double and that is a very impressive number, if indeed it succeeds. A great achievement in the year in which Wikipedia celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Katherine Maher

Especially when you consider what Wikipedia has been dealing with in recent years. The fight against fake news is fought by many media, but certainly a platform like Wikipedia, which claims to remain factual, has to fight a big fight here. At the same time, it also had to fight censorship, because in some countries, leaders don’t want people to have access to so much information. Something important about the platform has also changed in recent years. In 12 years, the interface on desktop computers had not changed, but it has now. These are all things Wikipedia dealt with extensively when Katherine was CEO.

“This free movement of knowledge feels like we are at a natural tipping point, an opportunity to explore what might become Wikimedia,” said Katherine Maher. “Together we have built a thriving, resilient and diverse global community dedicated to knowledge for the world. There is nothing like it and I am extremely proud to call myself a Wikimedian. I look forward to guiding us through this transition and seeing what this movement will accomplish next. ”So do we, as it is not yet known who follows up.

UPDATE - Why Google and Australia are at odds with each other

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UPDATE 5 February – Google has now found a solution to the problems with Australia. It has launched News Showcase. It released $ 1 billion to pay publishers for showing their journalistic productions. You will see cards in News Showcase that you can swipe. These are, for example, cards of a certain medium with three articles that are recommended. Australians can see it in Google News on Android, iOS and the browser. It remains to be seen how the lawmakers in Australia react: this Google News Showcase is mainly something that Google thinks is a good solution.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE – Google is already fighting with the media in several places. Not because they keep changing their search engine optimization rules, but because it is believed that the wrong person makes money from articles written by professionals. In Australia that quarrel is even so high that Google has said he may withdraw from Australia altogether. That would mean that you can no longer do Google searches in that country.

Australia vs Google

Australia wants to create a new code of conduct whereby Google is bound by hands: it will then have to pay for links to news articles. Google does not like that. It would even be unworkable and would cost quite a bit: about 6.5 million euros. Moreover, the new legislation is very specifically based on two companies: Facebook (the news feed) and Google (the search engine). Facebook has already said it will remove the news from the news feed for all Australian users.

Despite this, the Australian government does intend to go ahead with the new legislation. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says: “Australia sets the rules of what is allowed in Australia. If you can work with this, you are welcome. If you are going to threaten, we will not give in. ” Australia is right, because standing firm does have an effect. Google does pay in France for being able to display messages from publishers and media.

No more Google in Australia

If Google stands firm, it means that 19 million Australians who use Google every month will no longer be able to do Google searches at all. 17 million Australians who use Facebook monthly will no longer see news articles. Ultimately, of course, it is very double: on the one hand, media should make money if Google uses bits of their articles. On the other hand, those same media also need Google to attract more people to their platforms.

A lot of people think that Google is bullying Australia. Certainly because it has been able to make good agreements with hundreds of media around the world. Many people do not fully understand why it is such a problem for the search engine giant to do this in Australia. However, there are also people who believe that Google is right and wants to ensure that the internet maintains a certain status. At the same time, it is Google and Facebook that have enormous power over what we see on the same internet. Undoubtedly to be continued.

Image Source: geralt

Laura Jenny

If she’s not ticking, she’ll float somewhere in the wonderful world of entertainment or on a plane to a cool place in the real world. Mario …

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Pinterest benefits

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Pinterest has a good last quarter of 2020 behind us. Like other online platforms, Pinterest the fruits of an increase in e-commerce advertising during the holiday season. The social media platform that revolves around photos has 459 million monthly active users worldwide in the fourth quarter compared to 442 million in the third quarter.

Profit and trends Pinterest

Sales grew in the fourth quarter by about 76% compared to the year before. In total, this concerns a turnover in the fourth quarter of about 590 million euros. Earlier this month came the company already forecast the trends for 2021.

And previous summer Pinterest came up with a new option: find products based on your photos. So basically buy what you see. The new option is also called: ‘See it, Snap it, Buy it’. And that, according to the company, is the cause of the revenue growth.

Sales growth was mainly driven by the holidays and product enhancements in advertising. The company saw a six-fold increase in the number of businesses using the retail ad format in the fourth quarter.

“We welcomed more than 100 million monthly active users to Pinterest in 2020, more than any other year in our history,” CEO and co-founder Ben Silbermann said in a statement.

Pinterest is a social network site in the form of a bulletin board. Users can find images they find over the internet on their own ‘Pins’ board. In addition, other users can do a ‘Repin’ with which articles from others can be placed on their own pinboard. Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites and especially popular among women. All news and developments around Pinterest have been included in this context.

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Look up! There is my corona test!

Flirtey, an American company that claims to be a “pioneer of the commercial drone delivery industry,” did something unique this week.

Together with Vault Health, they have corona tests with a drone delivered to people’s homes. Flirtey and Vault Health offer saliva-based COVID-19 testing. Using the drones to deliver the tests at home helps eliminate exposure risks, the companies say.

China has been doing this for a while

In China they have been working on fighting the virus via drones for some time. The country is using all available means to combat the virus. Drones prove to be very useful here for several reasons.

The Canon PICK robot camera. The end for the photographer as we know him?

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Canon believes that photography can be left without a robot and introduces the PowerShot PICK, a camera that allows you to take pictures using artificial intelligence. The camera has a movable lens and makes its own decisions. You can give the camera commands via an app and your voice.

Canon PowerShot PICK

The styling of the PICK is remarkable. It looks like a security camera, but is meant to be taken with you. You just don’t just put it in your pocket, it is too big for that. Clearly there is still work to be done on the PICK.

The money for further development comes from private funds through the Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake. That is going well, as $ 100,000 has already been put in, while Canon asked for $ 10,000. It is not clear why Canon opts for crowdfunding and does not simply cover the costs for R&D itself. Free publicity through a crowdfund is of course never gone.

A promotional video for the campaign shows the PICK in different situations: recognizing and photographing faces during a party; following a person cycling through the yard and activating themselves in someone’s kitchen upon request.

What it isn’t is a webcam. That seems like a missed opportunity. A rotatable, smart webcam that accepts voice commands would be a godsend for many people who are tired of answering calls from the same spot in their makeshift home office. In that regard, Canon seems to have missed the opportunity to adapt the PICK to current reality.

Future

The question is whether this little experimental device will pay off for Canon. Maybe in the future we will have robotic cameras that follow and record us everywhere. The Canon PowerShot PICK then goes down in the history books as groundbreaking. The applications are there. Take YouTube. A robot camera is a dream for many vloggers who want a smart cameraman. The downside? Such a robot camera that sees and records everything is a nightmare for privacy-sensitive people.

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Good news: thick snow, badgers in Overijssel and an endless telephone screen

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Welcome to the latest edition of our Good News column. Which we’ve been creating and publishing every Friday for almost a year. And we still manage to fill an edition every week with great news. Fortunately! Because despite all the misery, there is still plenty of fun to report. Similarly this week. What you read in this edition: thick snow expected this weekend, new #FilterDrop challenge on Instagram and an infinite smartphone screen from Xiaomi.

Heavy snow expected

Get those snowshoes and skates out of the closet because strong winter weather is forecast this weekend. And we are not talking about a few degrees of frost, but quite cold and a lot of snow. This news makes many Dutch people happy. Understandable, because we often cannot enjoy real winter weather. So the hashtags snow and elfstedentocht are immediately trending on Twitter. A bit exaggerated perhaps, but it is fun, right? So at least get the gloves out so you are prepared for a snowball fight.

Another new challenge on Instagram: #FilterDrop

One after the other challenge flies around your ears on Instagram. This time, the hashtag #FilterDrop is trending. It is meant to make a statement against the beauty industry, where it is difficult to see what is real and what is not. In campaigns, the models have a perfect skin without imperfections, which makes many people insecure. Because we might also want such a smooth wrinkle-free skin. But seems deceiving, of course, because before such a photo is used, a lot of professional make-up and photo editing has preceded it. Influencers on Instagram now want to make a statement because they believe that misleading advertising should no longer be made for cosmetic products. The #FilterDrop challenge encourages women to show off their natural faces. After a move for body positivity, this is now called skin positivity.

Badgers released in Overijssel

You sometimes forget that we also have wildlife in the Netherlands, such as the badger. Little chance that you will ever come face to face with it, because the animals rarely show themselves. And when they do it is often for a car wheel. This is also the case in Overijssel, where a mother badger was killed in May. A week later the orphan badgers were rescued from the castle. Nature organizations have taken care of the animals in recent months and the badgers have now reached maturity and been successfully released in the wild. This was done in the greatest secrecy to avoid disturbing the peace of the bugs. This gave them plenty of time to settle down in the Dutch countryside again.

New Xiaomi phone has ‘endless’ screen

No buttons, no black edges, no ports: the new phone from Xiaomi looks like a kind of flat, luminous stone. It is a concept aircraft that not only ‘falls’ down to the right and left, but also up and down. The curve is 88 degrees and therefore there is no room for buttons and ports. Xiaomi is proud of the new device, which ‘extends the boundaries of the display to infinity’. It’s a great thing, but we wonder how often you accidentally call or text someone with so much screen on all sides. On the other hand, it is a beautiful device to see:

Elise Schaap will be in the Dutch Netflix series next year

Anna Drijver has written a series for Elise Schaap, which can be seen on Netflix next year. The Undercover actress stars in a series about Michelle who wants to become an influencer. Obviously that is not as easy as influencers often believe. Schaap is enthusiastic and hopes that the series will be “rancid, wonderful, romantic, sad, ridiculous and funny”. No pressure, Anna!

New Amazon Alexa advertising is nicely on the edge

It’s Superbowl weekend this weekend and that means companies spend millions to commercials. Amazon has made a very nice new advertisement for the Alexa voice assistant. Here we see a woman who completely swoons away at the thought that Alexa is secretly Michael B. Jordan. The actor speaks in a sultry voice in the commercial and even takes off his shirt, while the husband of the swooning woman tries with all his might to get her attention.

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5 Netflix tips for those staying indoors: series with many seasons

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If you read this today you will know that a huge amount of snow is forecast this weekend. Whether it will really get that cold and we will soon have a thick layer of snow in front of the door, you will know if you read this article at a later time. Whatever your plans are: a list with Netflixtips for those staying indoors always comes in handy. Because maybe you hate snow and cold, you just don’t feel like getting out of bed or you are looking forward to a weekend of Netflix on the couch. That is why we give 5 tips for a number of good series that you can lose yourself in for a whole weekend or even longer. Enjoy it!

1. Suits

Don’t know Suits yet? Then this is a great series to start. There are now 8 seasons on Netflix and you need a few weekends to watch them all. In Suits follow your lawyers in New York facing the most bizarre cases. And not only that, there are quite a few tensions among themselves. All that makes it a wonderful series. Especially the first seasons are surprising and let’s be honest, the actors are also nice to watch.

2. Community

The American series Community received rave reviews and you can watch all 6 seasons on Netflix. You will be busy with that for a while. Although it is not such a well-known series as Friends, Suits or Homeland, it does get an 8.5 on IMdB and looks nice. Chances are you won’t be able to stop watching once you’ve started. Community is about a study group with adults who all have their own idiosyncrasies. Working together creates challenges and funny situations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4W4L9TLYes8

3. The Walking Dead

From The Walking Dead are on Netflix for 10 seasons, so if you are in for some Zombie action, you don’t have to get bored. The series is about a group of people who are left after a Zombie apocalypse. To survive and for humanity to survive, they must work together and trust each other. A very addictive series that you should definitely give, even if you are not a Sci-Fi fan.

4. The Blacklist

There are no fewer than 6 seasons of The Blacklist on Netflix. The series is still running, so if you start now you may be able to continue with Season 7 sometime this year. A smart criminal (mastermind Red Reddington) turns himself in to the FBI, after which a psychological game begins. The former Marine Reddington wants to work with the FBI on his terms. And he specifically has his eye on Profiler Elizabeth Keen. Sounds a bit like Hannibal Lecter and Clarice right? The Blacklist is very exciting and if you do like a real American series then this is highly recommended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XihA6GWIBdM

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Are you in for a lot of silly jokes? Then you should definitely give Brooklyn Nine-Nine a try. Maybe you have to get used to the humor, but precisely because the jokes are so thick on top it is a nice feel-good series. In fact, you’re going to love the characters, and you might soon find yourself doing a Jake Peralta impersonation. The comedy series centers around New York’s 99th precinct and even the criminals are funny. Ready for something light? Then Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a great series to start. Cool cool cool cool.

Irene Boskma

Irene is a copywriter and blogger. Besides writing, she likes to cook and bake extensively, to run and to travel. Whether that’s short …

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DS introduces the all new DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback

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DS Automobiles unveiled the all-new DS 4 and DS 4 Cross at an online event this week. Whether the 4.4 meters long is the epitome of the avant-garde with which the French brand likes to be compared is not really clear. This DS 4 is a beautiful hatchback or should we say crossover with its own identity that fits in this time. A sleek and modern design with large 20 inch wheels. Often you only see this in the concept phase, but DS has really put them under it, which makes it all look a bit ‘tastier’.

The DS 4 has considerable dimensions on paper. With a width of 1.83 meters, a length of 4.40 meters and a height of 1.47 meters including the 20-inch wheels, it also gives it a sturdy and massive appearance. The DS 4 is new in every way and developed on an evolution of the EMP2 platform, with 70 percent new or exclusive parts. This new platform complies with the latest and most stringent safety standards, without compromising the overall weight of the body structure,

At launch, it enters the market as a plug-in hybrid (165 kW (225 hp) with more than 50 km range (WLTP) thanks to a 12.4 kWh battery pack in emission-free mode, an infotainment system and, according to DS, with driver assistance systems that have not been previously achieved. in this segment of cars, as well as two versions with a PureTech petrol engine.

Contemporary design

You will remember the DS 4 once you have seen it. A striking feature is the new front light signature featuring projection headlamps featuring the DS Marix Led Visionn system, which combines matrix and directional lights. The body is sleek with sharp lines. The door handles are recessed. The proportions have been taken over from the DS Aero Sport Lounge concept car, which provides this front la modern appearance.

On the inside, the DS 4 has a beautiful-looking, partly digital, fluid-shaped and ergonomic interior with many intuitive elements that invite you to use in terms of function. The layout of the controls is new and has three interaction zones with the aim of making interaction easier and operation easier. Furthermore, the clock ‘the guilloché of Clous de Paris’ is of course also included with this DS.

Innovation on many fronts

The DS 4 and DS 4 Cross have quite a bit of innovation on board. In the car, for example, we find DS Air, an innovative ventilation system with compact central fans and invisibly placed air outflow openings. The air flow separated by a cone makes it possible to optimally adjust the direction of the ventilation.

The interior of the DS 4 has two confluent zones: a contact zone for comfort and an interaction zone for the various interfaces. As always with DS, extra attention is paid to the upholstery. The heated and ventilated seats have a unique shape, based on that of a shell, which should provide an exceptional degree of comfort. The extended seat and the shape of the shell provide a very innovative style.

There is also an adjustable, indirect mood lighting that is designed in such a way that the door panels float optically and enhance the calm in the interior. All this supplemented by a 690 watt Focal Electra audio system with fourteen speakers and acoustic glass in the side windows.

First step to augmented reality

New technology projects the information essential for driving directly onto the road. An optical effect causes the data to appear on the road surface, as it were, four meters in front of the car – something that has not been shown before in this segment. Essential information – such as speed, driver assistance systems, navigation and warning messages and even the music track being played – are projected onto the road.

This technology is part of a wider offering, which is at the heart of a completely new infotainment system with a 10-inch display: the DS Iris System. The new interface has the ergonomics of a smartphone, with a touch-sensitive interface. The system uses widgets and fully customizable profiles. Settings and display preferences are automatically loaded when the driver enters.

voice recognition

The DS Iris system can also be operated by voice and gestures and is also a personal assistant that recognizes what is being said and immediately executes requests. The infotainment system is supported by a gesture control system, DS Smart Touch. This works with the screen on the center console. All you have to do is gesture to your favorite functions that can be set in advance. The system also recognizes usual movements such as zooming in and out and handwriting. To ensure that the system and the navigation maps always work optimally, updates are carried out in real time via the cloud.

DS Drive Assist 2.0

DS uses semi-autonomous driving functions at level 2, the highest level currently permitted on the road and already available for the DS 3 Crossback and the DS 7 Crossback under the name DS Drive Assist 2.0.

For example, the cruise control automatically adjusts the speed to other traffic and can bring the car to a stop in a traffic jam and let it drive away again if that is possible. The system also ensures an optimal position within the chosen lane. The steering wheel is equipped with a touch sensor, which continuously checks whether the driver is still active and alert – after all, the driver must always maintain control of the car.

The new Radar Corners enable other functions such as increased range monitoring of the blind spot (with a range of up to 75 m) and Rear Traffic Warning to avoid collisions with obstacles in the blind spot.

DS Active Scan Suspension

This system is unique in the segment and uses a camera located at the top behind the windscreen. It registers unevenness in the road surface and reports it to the on-board computer, so that the chassis can anticipate this. Four sensors determine the car’s position in relation to the road and are combined with three accelerometers.

Based on this, the system controls the damping of all wheels independently. The system makes the damping harder or softer depending on the situation. The result is even better comfort regardless of the condition of the road surface.

DS 4 and Sustainability

The DS 4 consists of 95 percent reusable materials and 85 percent recyclable parts. 30 percent of the car’s weight is made from renewable or recycled materials, from metals to polymers. The non-visible part of the dashboard consists of 20 percent hemp. From the recycled materials, polypropylene, polyester fibers and elastomer are used for conductors, sound damping or attachment points.

Available end of 2021

The DS 4 is available in seven body colors, two of which are new. The colors Copper Gold and Opper Gold and Laquered Gray complement the existing colors.

The DS 4 can be experienced in all DS Stores in Europe after its launch on February 3. As a customer, you can put together your own DS 4 on a luxury chair using virtual reality glasses. The DS 4 and DS 4 Cross will be in the DS Store from the fourth quarter of 2021.

Henk de Hooge

Henk is Internet Entrepreneur, founder of Dutchcowboys and also a blogger, strategist, visual storyteller and above all a digital nomad. You make Henk …

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Spoon in and go: Today is World Nutella Day

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It’s a bit crazy, but today is World Nutella Day. A day created by an American food blogger, who thought it was rather bizarre that Nutella was not widely available in her home country. This day may have been set up by an American, it is really from Italian soil. This is how Nutella is such phenomenon became.

Ferrero

You probably know the Ferrero Rocher bonbons, which are made by the Ferrero company. That company makes Mon Chéri, Kinder Surprise, Kinder Bueno, Raffaello and Tic Tac, among others. Now these are mainly candies, but Nutella is Ferrero’s showpiece for bread. At least, not just on bread. It’s used in drinks, pies, oatmeal, brownies, coffee, cookies, popcorn, and even one Hamburger. It is extremely versatile and you regularly see videos with funny Nutella recipes on Facebook and Instagram that will make your mouth water.

In 1946, Pietro Ferrero developed a cream based on gianduja, which consisted of hazelnuts and cocoa. At first it was a bit harder and was called Pasta Gianduja, but was soon softened. It had been called Nutella from 1964 and was sold from the bakery in Alba, Piedmont. The jar and the label still look the same and the pasta is still made from many hazelnuts. So much so that in 2015 Nutella bought no less than 25 percent of the world’s hazelnut production. Pietro is now no longer at the helm of the company and the CEO is no longer even a Ferrero: Lapo Civiletti now holds that position, although grandson Giovanni Ferrero still has an important role as board member.

Kinder Bueno

Ferrero has mainly been buying companies in recent years. It has bought several companies from Kellog’s, much of Nestlé in America and Little Brownie Bakers. Maybe the latter doesn’t mean much to you, but when we say: all Girl Scout cookies, then you know enough. Nutella is the driving force behind all this success. Even most of the chocolates Ferrero releases have a Nutella undertone. Think Ferrero Rocher and Kinder Bueno.

Funny Nutella Facts

Before you’ve struggled to remove that gold foil and push your tablespoon – or your knife – into the hazelnut spread, we have some fun Nutella facts to tell you about this special topping this Nutella day:

The number of hazelnuts used to make all the Nutella for two years could fill the Colosseum.
Nutella generated approximately $ 12 billion in sales in 2019.
The world record for eating a whole jar of Nutella is 2 minutes 31.67 seconds.
French Minister Ségolène Royal said in 2015 that Nutella was unsafe for citizens and the planet. On national television she spoke the legendary words: “We have to stop eating Nutella”. The Italian minister was not satisfied with this. At that time it was still the case that Nutella is made with bad palm oil: now that is no longer the case and it is produced with sustainable palm oil.
About 365,000 tons of Nutella are consumed annually.
It is not chocolate spread, but hazelnut spread. According to Italian law, pasta can only be called chocolate paste if it contains at least 35 percent cocoa.
1.3 million pounds of Nutella are produced every day. The biggest eaters? French! They use 25 percent of the world’s production.
The Ferrero company doesn’t want World Nutella Day at all. In 2007, the company tried to stop the party going viral after the Nutella Day Facebook page had 40,000 fans in a short time. Ferrero probably wanted to control something like that, but it was too late for that by now.
Every 2.5 seconds a jar of Nutella is sold somewhere in the world. Note: Nutella is different in America than in Europe. There the ingredients are slightly different and Nutella tastes less strong. In addition, it contains more oil in the United States.

Is Nutella Halal?

Good to know: Nutella is vegetarian, but not vegan. It contains milk powder. It is still unclear whether Nutella is Halal or not. It itself said last year that it is not 100 percent halal, but an objective auditor has declared almost all Nutella factories halal. After that, the company said it was halal. In any case, it is not on the packaging, so it unfortunately remains unclear whether this sweet spread is suitable for Muslims. It is kosher.

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17 years of Facebook! - Great facts about social media's biggest

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How many Dutch people do you think there is Facebook present? There are many. No fewer than 10.4 million Dutch people were on Facebook in 2020. Although there are often rumors causing people to say they are going to stop, the use has increased by 2 percent compared to 2019. In short, we all love it anyway. That is why today we celebrate the seventeenth anniversary of the social medium.

The Social Network

Whoever says Facebook says The Social Network. The film, which tells the origin story in a hugely dramatized way, was a huge success. This film by David Fincher (Se7en) made Jesse Eisenberg, among others, enormously famous, although there were also beautiful roles for Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones and Armie Hammer. Mark Zuckerberg was not entirely happy with the film, but the rest of the world disagreed with him. The Social Network won three Oscars: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Score (thanks Trent Reznor) and Best Editing.

The drama from The Social Network may be extra thick, but the story is no less true. Facebook once existed as a kind of face book at a university, but it was expanded further and further. At first it was even a website where you kept seeing two women and then you had to vote who you liked better. A kind of hotornot, but within Harvard. Not the least university.

TheFacebook

Zuckerberg got a bad reputation for it with the women, but as a programmer was in the spotlight with the Winklevoss brothers. Eventually, they created the social website The Harvard Connection together and he also worked on TheFacebook, a somewhat more innocent face book site where you can see who is attending which lectures. Ultimately, TheFacebook is seen as plagiarism on The Harvard Connection and partly that led to a major lawsuit between Zuckerberg and the Winklevossjes.

It all ultimately made Zuckerberg the youngest billionaire ever. However, there are more fun facts to tell about it social platform.

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Golden Globes nominations announced: Netflix scores well

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The nominations for the Golden Globes have finally been announced. Normally, it is awarded at the beginning of each year. Due to the corona crisis, that was postponed and eventually the prizes were handed out a few months later than usual. According to the jury, the best films and series were mainly used up last year Netflix to see. Where cinema films and TV series used to dominate, streaming services are playing a more important role. Logical, because we watch Netflix en masse. Although Amazon Prime Video is on the rise in the Netherlands, Hulu and HBO are also widely watched in the United States. The series with the most nominations is The Crown.

Netflix dominates

Netflix dominates the list and has no fewer than 42 notations, about a third of the total. 22 of them in the movie categories and 20 for series. The Crown and Ozark in particular were highly regarded by the jury. The film The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Mank 7 received the most nominations in the film category. Few films have been released in theaters in the past year. It is therefore logical that the nominees are mainly among the streaming services. In addition to Netflix, we also see Amazon Prime Video, Disney + and HBO Max in the lists.

The Crown and Ozark

The Crown is an unprecedented Netflix hit. The series about the British royal family has been doing well from the first season. A total of 6 are planned, so enthusiasts can enjoy it for a while. Three seasons have now been made of Ozark and there will be a 4th, and also last, season about the family that is getting deeper into the criminal nests. Two completely different series that are both overloaded with prizes and now have a chance to win Golden Globes again.

Nominations Golden Globes

Top 5 films with the most nominations:

Limp: 6
The Trial of the Chicago 7: 5
The Father: 4
Nomadland: 4
Promising Young Woman: 4

Top 5 of the series with the most nominations:

The Crown: 6
Schitt’s Creek: 5
Ozark: 4
The Undoing: 4
The Great: 3

Also hit series like The Queen’s Gambit and Unorthadox received a number of nominations. Even Emily in Paris managed to get 2 nominations, because it is remarkable. Although the series scored well and has a high ‘feel-good value’, there was also a lot of criticism about its quality. Check out the full list here.

The nominees were announced by Sarah Jessica Parker and Taraji P. Henson via a live stream. The award ceremony on February 28 will also take place online and will be presented by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

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