EMEA travel grants for the Grace Hopper Conference 2013

Google is delighted to announce EMEA travel grants for the Grace Hopper Conference 2013, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 2-5, 2013.

We are offering the winners free registration for the conference, hotel accommodation and flights. You can find the eligibility criteria below.

How to apply

Applicants must complete and submit this form by August 22nd. Please include a resume.

Grace Hopper Travel Grant - Terms & Conditions:

1. Eligibility criteria: Applicants must be either female university students or industry professionals. 1.1 University Students: A female student enrolled in a bachelors, masters or PhD program (or equivalent) for the 2013-2014 academic year or a current student who is graduating in 2013 or later. Applicants must be enrolled at a university in Europe, the Middle East or Africa. Citizens, permanent residents, and international students are eligible to apply. Student applicants must be studying computer science, computer engineering, informatics, or a closely related technical field. 1.2 Industry professionals: A female professional software engineer working in the industry. Must be citizen or permanent resident of a country in the Europe, Middle East or Africa. 1.3 Persons who are (1) residents of embargoed countries, (2) ordinarily resident in embargoed countries, or (3) otherwise prohibited by applicable export controls and sanctions programs may not apply for this travel grant. 1.4 Applicants must be available to travel to the conference between October 2 -5, 2013. 1.5 Current Google employees or current Google interns are not eligible to apply. 1.6 Applicants must be 18 years of age or older as of August 8, 2013.

2. Travel and visa arrangements: 2.1 Applicants will be responsible for securing and paying for any applicable visas required in order for them to attend the conference. 2.2 The Grace Hopper Travel Grant will cover the registration fee for the Grace Hopper Conference, travel to and from the conference and hotel accommodation.

Winners will be announced on the week of September 4th.

To find our more about the program, please visit: http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/students/proscho/scholarships/emea/travelgrants/

Google's use of this data is governed by our privacy policy found at http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy

For any questions please reach out to: grace-hopper-grant@google.com

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How To Upgrade Your Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 To Windows 8

Introduction

Okay, so you’ve decided to take the plunge to Windows 8—and, rather than buy a new PC with Windows 8 installed, you want to upgrade your current version of Windows. The big first questions, then: Can you upgrade to Windows 8 directly from your current version, and if so, how?

The answer is yes, so long as you’re currently running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, along with the right software updates. And, as we found in our testing and experiments with all three, that upgrade process is generally smoother than it was in years past with previous Windows versions. Prior to Windows 8, many users would install a new version of Windows from scratch. Though more time-consuming than upgrading, a fresh install would ensure a clean, new Windows and circumvent the glitches that sometimes popped up during an upgrade.

You can still do that, and sometimes it's the right (or only) way to do it. But with Windows 8, Microsoft has revamped the "in-place upgrade" process so that it’s relatively stress-free. (An in-place upgrade refers to upgrading the OS on top of an earlier version, without wiping out the drive first. This usually—but not always—preserves your files and/or settings.) We say “relatively,” though, because figuring out the sequence of what you need to do can still be tricky, depending on the circumstances. Where and how do you get the upgrade? Will your files and applications survive the trip? And how much will it cost you?

In this article, we clear up many of the questions and mysteries surrounding the Windows 8 upgrade. We explain where to find it, how to apply it, and what to expect when it’s all finished. Note, however, that we're talking here strictly about the in-place upgrade process. It will be different for you if you're building a Windows 8 PC from scratch, or wiping off the hard drive on your current PC and starting the install from zero. (In the latter case, you might choose to do that to clean up a messy PC, or because the OS version you're currently running requires it.) Those eventualities would require an OEM, or "System Builder," version of Windows 8, which is a different animal than what we're dealing with here.

Do You Qualify for the Upgrade?

You can upgrade directly to Windows 8 from Windows 7, Windows Vista (with or without Service Pack 1), and Windows XP (with Service Pack 3). But what do you get to keep and what will you lose? It depends on which version of Windows you are currently running, as well as, in some cases, which Service Pack you have installed for that version of Windows.

Upgrading from Windows 7

Those of you running Windows 7 are in the best position to jump to Windows 8. If you upgrade from Windows 7, Windows 8 retains all of your applications, customized settings, and personal files and documents, so nothing gets lost.

Upgrading from Windows Vista (with Service Pack 1)

Upgrading Windows Vista with SP1 retains your personal files, your documents, and your customized settings, but your applications will be lost. You’ll need to reinstall all your software from scratch.

Upgrading from Windows Vista (without Service Pack 1)

Upgrading from Vista without SP1 keeps your personal files intact, but not your applications or customized settings. In this case, you’ll have to install SP1 beforeupgrading to Windows 8 if you want to retain your settings.

Upgrading from Windows XP (with Service Pack 3)

Finally, upgrading to Windows 8 from XP with SP3 keeps your personal files in place, but you’ll lose your applications and customized settings.

The Bottom Line

So, to summarize: Except for you lucky Windows 7 users, the rest of you will need to make sure you have all of the appropriate software installation discs or install files handy to reinstall your programs once Windows 8 is up and running.

Just as important: Whichever version of Windows you're starting from, we also recommend performing a full backup of your current version of Windows before you attempt the upgrade. At the very, very least, you should make certain that your documents and critical files are backed up before moving forward. Though the upgrade promises to retain your personal files, it doesn’t hurt to err on the side of safety.

One other thing you need to factor in is the architecture of Windows you're coming from and going to: 32-bit or 64-bit. If your current version of Windows is a 32-bit one, you can upgrade directly only to the 32-bit version of Windows 8. Likewise, if your current version is 64-bit, you can upgrade to the 64-bit version of Windows 8. But if you want to shift between architectures (say, from a 32-bit version of Windows 7 to a 64-bit version of Windows 8), you’ll need to perform a clean install.

Note that the promotional pricing Microsoft is offering until Jan. 31, 2013, is for Windows 8 Pronot the standard version of Windows 8. For most users, the Professional edition is preferable, seeing as it includes such options as Remote Desktop and BitLocker encryption, and gives you the ability to add Windows 8’s Media Center module for free.

Upgrade Pricing (and How to Get It) 

Here in early January 2013, upgrading to Windows 8 Pro will cost you $69.99 to get the software on a DVD or $39.99 to download the program. That price holds for Windows 7, Vista, and XP users. Choosing the $39.99 download is a good way to save cash, since you can always burn the downloaded file onto a DVD yourself.

If you bought a PC recently, though, you may have an even cheaper option. Those of you who purchased (or may still buy) a Windows 7-based PC between June 2, 2012, and January 31, 2013, can download the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for just $14.99, saving you a cool $25.

You can upgrade a maximum of five PCs under either deal, with each PC costing you $14.99 or $39.99 to upgrade. Both deals are good only until January 31, 2013, after which time Microsoft's Windows 8 upgrade prices will increase substantially. On Jan. 18, Microsoft announced that the Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition would increase five-fold, to $199.99; a Windows 8 (non-Pro) upgrade edition would be $119.99; and the Windows 8 Pro Pack (which upgrades plain Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro) would be $99.99. (See this Windows blog page for more info.)

Needless to say, that's a massive incentive to do it before Jan. 31, 2013. Before then, you can download the $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade from Microsoft’s "Upgrade now and save" page and the $14.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade from the company’s Windows Upgrade Offer page. Microsoft’s Program Information page provides a host of details on the $14.99 offer.

As we outlined earlier, upgrading from Windows 7, Vista, or XP differs in terms of which content you get to keep. However, the actual upgrade process is virtually the same across all three versions. You can also download the upgrade using any computer and apply it to a different computer by storing it on a USB stick or saving it as an ISO file to burn onto a DVD.

Downloading the Upgrade

If you bought a Windows 7 PC on or after June 2, 2012, and before January 31, 2013, go to the Windows Upgrade Offer page to get the $14.99 deal, which you can register for until Feb. 28, 2013...

 

 

At the $14.99-special Web page, select your region and then fill in the relevant details, such as your name, your e-mail address, and when and where you bought your Windows 7 PC, on the screen shown below.

 

 

After you fill out that information, another page pops up asking for your Windows 7 product key...

 

 

After you enter the product key, you should receive a response page telling you that the registration was successful. This page will provide you with a registration ID and instructions on how to look for a “promo code” you’ll need to proceed...

 

 

The code will show up in your e-mail, or you can fetch it by manually checking the offer site, as shown here...

 

 

If you choose not to check the site, check your e-mail: Microsoft will send you a message containing your promo key and a link to download the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. (Check your spam folders if it doesn't show up.) In that e-mail, click on the button to Download the Upgrade Assistant. The button opens a Web page called Upgrade to Windows 8.

At the Web page, click on the button called Download Upgrade Assistant. That will prompt you to download a file named Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe, which you can save in a convenient spot on your PC. (Microsoft’s Upgrade to Windows 8 page provides full details about the Upgrade Assistant. Incidentally, you can also download the Upgrade Assistant from here and run it before you do anything else, to see if the Windows 8 upgrade is right for your PC.)

If it's before Jan. 31, 2013, and you purchased your Windows 7 PC before June 2, 2012, or you’re upgrading from Vista or XP, then you’ll need to head to this Microsoft page to grab the $39.99 deal. At that page, click on the button that says: “Download Pro for $39.99 ERP.” That will prompt you to download the Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe file.

 

Running the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant

Whether you scored the $14.99 deal or the $39.99 offer (or you have to pay the higher prices later), the Upgrade Assistant process is the same.

Double-click the Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe file to start the ball rolling. The Upgrade Assistant will check your Windows environment to see which applications and devices are compatible with Windows 8, and which ones are not. In Windows XP and Vista, the Upgrade Assistant will also remind you that you’ll have to reinstall your compatible applications and hardware devices in Windows 8.

After the compatibility scan completes, click on the compatibility details to see the full list. The items listed under “For you to review” are the ones deemed incompatible with Windows 8. Each item should provide a link that you can click on to view more information. In some cases, you may need to upgrade an application or driver; in other cases, you may have to find a replacement. The items listed under “Compatible,” like you can see in the sample screen below, are the ones that should work fine under Windows 8...

 

 

To proceed, close the compatibility-details list and click Next. In Windows 7, the Upgrade Assistant asks whether you want to keep your Windows settings, personal files, and apps; just your personal files; or nothing. In Windows Vista and XP, the program asks if you want to keep personal files, or keep nothing. Choose the appropriate option (depending on what you want to keep) and then click Next.

 

 

The Upgrade Assistant displays a screen prompting you to order the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for $39.99. Click on the order button...

 

 

The Review Your Order screen gives you an option to include Windows 8 on a DVD for an additional $14.99. Choose that option if you wish to receive the physical media. Leave it off if you just want the downloaded file. Then click Checkout...

 

  

At the next screen, fill in your billing address and other information. Click Next...

 

 

Select a payment method at the next screen, either credit card or PayPal. Click Next.

 

  

At the "Confirm your order" information screen, the shopping cart will show a price tag of $39.99 plus tax. Those of you who purchased a Windows 7 PC on or after June 2, 2012, should enter the promo code that you received in your upgrade e-mail into the promo code field on the form. Click Apply. You should then see the price drop to $14.99 plus tax, as it did here...

 

 

The rest of you can leave the order as is. Click the Buy button to complete the purchase.

The next screen thanks you for your order and displays your product key. You’ll also receive a confirmation e-mail with the details of your order and the Windows 8 p

Downloading & Running the Installer

Once you've clicked Next, the Upgrade Assistant will download Windows 8. You may want to take a nice, long coffee break at this point, since the download will run for quite a while.

Set it to work, and the Upgrade Assistant will check the downloaded file for integrity and get it ready, tasks that might extend your coffee break a bit further. Pour another cup.

 

 

After the download is complete, the Upgrade Assistant pops up to offer you three choices:

1) You can install the software now to upgrade your current PC (the one to which you downloaded the file).

2) You can create the installation media on a USB drive or an ISO file (which you can burn onto a DVD) to install on a different PC.

3) You can download the installation software on your current PC to install at a later time.

Pick the appropriate option and then click the Close button. For example, if you want to apply the upgrade to a different computer than your current one, pick option 2 to create the installation media. Otherwise, pick the first option to install it now on your current PC.

 

  

The Upgrade Assistant takes you through a few screens, getting itself ready to install Windows 8. A "Ready to install" screen confirms your selection. Click Install to proceed.

 

 

The Windows 8 installation will kick off and then reboot your PC at some point. Your job for now is to just sit back and let it do its stuff, or grab yet another cup of coffee. By now, decaf is probably a good idea.

 

 

After your PC reboots, you’ll see the Windows 8 Personalize screen. Choose the color scheme you wish to use for your Start screen. Click Next.

 

 

At the Settings screen, choose whether you want to use Express settings or customize each setting separately. This screen explains the options that are enabled if you choose Express settings. You can always choose Express settings for now and then go back to tweak individual settings after Windows 8 has been set up. In that case, click the "Use express settings" button...

 

   

At the "Sign in to your PC" screen, enter your e-mail address if you already have a Microsoft account and wish to use that to log in to Windows 8. Then click Next. Otherwise, click on the link to "Sign up for a new e-mail address" if you want to create a Microsoft account, or click on the link to "Sign in without a Microsoft account" if you want to use a local account for Windows 8. You can also click on the Skip button to use the same account that you used with your previous version of Windows. For this example, we’ll use an existing Microsoft account...

 

 

If you use a Microsoft account, Windows will prompt you for its password...

  

  

Then, at the "Add security info" screen, Windows will prompt you to confirm or enter a phone number that can be used to verify your account, should you ever forget your password.

    

 

Windows 8 creates your account and finalizes your settings. In the meantime, you’ll see a quick tutorial on how to use the hot corners in the new OS. (It’s well worth your time viewing it, if it’s new to you.) Windows takes a few more minutes to ready your PC and install some apps, and then finally you’re plopped onto the Start screen where you can start snooping around your new OS...

   

   

Your next step may be to confirm exactly which items were retained from your old operating system and which items are gone. If you upgraded from Windows 7, then all of your applications, customized settings, and personal files should be intact. If you upgraded from Windows XP or Vista, on the other hand, you’ll need to reinstall your applications and possibly recreate your customized settings.

Upgrading to a new version of Windows is always time-consuming. But the road to Windows 8 is certainly less bumpy than previous upgrades. And since the $14.99 and $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade deals won’t last much longer, now is the right time to upgrade your current PC if you want to dive into Windows 8. Once you’re in and running, you’ll then want to check out our mega-guide, “Windows 8 Mega-Guide: 50 Insider Tips” to turn yourself into a Windows 8 pro (small “p,” there, mind you) in no time.

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Is Technology Making Us Less Human?

Over the past few years, scientists, pundits, and armchair psychologists have started questioning technology's effects on our humanity.

Our fascination with social media (say, using Tumblr for six hours per day), our reliance on GPS to find an urban destination, or even a simple Google search as a replacement for remembering the capital of Nebraska, could be transforming us.

Most technologists reckon we're changing for the better. Our gadgets and gizmos are helping us to connect more with each other, stay alert when we drive, and discover more information.

But a few researchers suggest we are changing for the worse. No, they're not saying that 'the sky is falling' and we ought to panic, but they are worried about our digital transformation. And, they say, this potential dehumanisation might not happen for another 100 years or more.

Sensory dynamism

Here's a new term to consider: sensory dynamism. The concept has to do with our perception. When you look out of a window, you perceive millions of variances - colour, perspective, sound, feeling, and many others. But when you gaze at an iPad, you're sensing just a few variables - and with email and SMS, you may barely be using your senses. That could pose a problem in the long run for future human development.

Neema Moraveji is the director of the Calming Technology Lab at Stanford University. He says sensory dynamism can be a problem when it comes to an over-reliance on computer technology. (To address the concern, his team is working on adding more sensory stimulus to gadgets, computer screens, and other devices.)

Moraveji says technology can sometimes cloud our sensory judgement. We see only factual and textual information instead of an array of human emotions.

"Technology makes us less human when we believe life is a rat race to be won - a zero-sum mentality - and when we are isolated and individual rather than interconnected, and primarily competitive rather than primarily collaborative," he says.

"I describe the brain as an organ whose job it is to learn through its physiochemical and cognitive senses. Without sufficient dynamism, the brain becomes focused on particular senses and inputs that are not representative of the natural world."

Ironically, one of the answers may lie in videogame technology. More than the flat graphics of a phone displaying text, games at least mimic the sensations of sound, light, and emotion in a more realistic virtual world. Game technology is also advancing - some day, we might 'smell' a rainforest or 'touch' an alien skin.

Implantable electronics

Strictly speaking, implantable electronics make us less human: we become, in some percentage, machine. Of course, the first cardiac pacemakers were invented back in the 50s - saying someone is 'less human' if they have a pacemaker is a bit harsh.

Yet some of us might have an implant to enhance vision or read text messages directly into the synapse, or might use a bio-skeleton for enhanced strength. In 100 years, embedded technology could replace more and more of our human anatomy.

Dr Bridget Duffy is the chief medical officer at Vocera, a company that makes a wireless communicator for use in hospitals. She talks of an '80-20' rule in the health profession. In some cases, only 20% of healing occurs because of a drug treatment or surgery, while 80% of the success depends on patient-doctor interaction. If a 'human being' transforms into something that's more electronic than biological, there is a concern that a future society will lose the distinctions of emotional connection.

Search engines such as Google are ever-present. But do they stop us looking into our brains for answers?

"There is something about hope, communication, and trust that improves the outcome," Duffy says. "You can focus on a good technical outcome, but there has to be the other component. When you know a loved one who has faced mortality and a life-threatening illness, the implant is not enough - there is something about physical contact."

Duffy explains that in many surgery rooms, it's not uncommon for the entire staff to touch and speak directly to the patient. But it's already possible, she says, for a doctor to perform a procedure entirely from "behind the glass" without ever meeting a patient, robotically controlling all of the instruments.

Following this path, could a future total reliance on medical technology make us less human? Patients might even, for instance, be able perform home surgeries, but the 'less human' argument hints that this could result in fewer successful surgeries and affect our long-term health as a society. Duffy says the 80-20 rule might even be applied across all technology - we should have real human contact 80% of the time and restrict virtual experience to the remaining 20%.

Search dependence

Search has put a world of information at our fingertips. We can search for information about the latest Syrian army attacks, or find out about Himalayan fruit flies. In 2010, however, Nicholas Carr wrote a seminal book on whether search is making us stupid. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains recounts how our search dependence could have ill effects in society when we lose our ability to self-reason.

Search tech has evolved dramatically over the last 15 years - no one knows the role it may have in our lives in another 50 or 100. Yet even Matt Wallaert, a behavioural scientist at Bing, questions whether it is good to become wholly dependent on search. He says researchers suspect the human brain needs serendipitous discovery. There's a famous example of this. Look closely at this image until you see the 'hidden' object. Wallaert says our brains receive a pleasure response from resolving the puzzle.

"When you search for 'when was George Harrison born' does that prevent us from looking into our brain and realising the answer?" asks Wallaert, somewhat rhetorically. "When we scratch out that act, does it deprive us of that small burst of pleasure?"

The question is whether a greater and greater dependence on search means we are changing for the worse. Some search is good; all search could be detrimental.

Of course, there are a counter-arguments. After all, when we search for facts on Bing or Google, we are gaining knowledge and, potentially, increasing our intelligence. Wallaert, for one, isn't concerned about the short-term implications, and no expert we ask suggests we should not use these tools. What is disconcerting, though, is the idea that in some far-distant society we may not retain as much tacit knowledge, relying instead on what computers tell us to be true.

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Have You Heard of Futuric MedicAlert?

Futuric MedicAlert is one of the revolutionary software developed by Futuric Creative Solutions targeted at bridging the information gap between patients and their health service providers. It is designed to help hospitals and other health care providers to schedule SMS Alerts for their patients. Alerts that could be scheduled include; drug alert, doctor’s appointment reminder, surgery reminders, reminders for health check-ups and the hospital management can send customized SMS to all their registered patients with just one click!

WHY USE SMS FOR MEDICAL ALERTS? 
- Over 80% of patients have mobile phones and would have access to text messages.

·         SMS is lightning fast, literally putting your message into your subscribers’ pockets or purses seconds after you send.

·         Unlike email, SMS doesn’t have to battle against spam or other email filters. If anything, SMS is more of a direct connection to your customer base than any other marketing strategy, and there aren’t any barriers.

·         Compared to email marketing, SMS has a staggeringly high open rate. Essentially, every SMS sent is opened (and read), whereas only a fraction of emails sent are read. When a subscriber feels that buzz in their pocket or hears that trill signaling a text message, they always look. In some cases, text messages are automatically opened, where emails aren’t.

·         Either send a handful of messages to a targeted group or send thousands of SMS to your entire list. Create a promotional message or a quick industry update; SMS truly molds itself to whatever the needs are of your business. Also, many SMS services easily integrate into your other online marketing strategies.

WHAT FUTURIC MEDICALERT CAN DO FOR YOUR HOSPITAL

·         It can serve as an income stream for your hospital, since you are at liberty to charge your patients for the service.

·         It would improve client/management relationship

·         It would boost your hospital’s credibility and efficiency

·         Your hospital will gain recommendations from patients on account of this service

·         It would strengthen your brand

·         It  would boost medical service delivery

·         It would help keep track of patient’s response to treatment.

WHAT FUTURIC MEDICALERT CAN DO FOR YOUR PATIENTS

·         It will increase drug adherence by patients

·          Efficiency of treatment will be increased due to drug adherence.

·         It will as well enhance patient’s health psychology.

·         It will help the patients keep doctor’s appointment, surgery appointments, appointment for health checkups etc.

What else?

·         You’ll get 2000 free SMS units on deployment of our system.

·         The alert message is customized to carry the patient’s name and the drug reminded for.

·         The alert message is sent automatically based on the date, time and interval for each message.

·         Alert tracking with alert status. Each alert has a status attached to it, so that you know when it is pending, running or stopped.

·         You can send Custom SMS to a single patient or all patients at once.

·         Cheap SMS rate, at N2.50 per SMS unit.

·         Web hosted back-end to ensure up to 99.9% up-time guarantee.

·         Minimal human intervention in sending alert messages.

SOME SCREEN SHOTS

     This Screen Allows the User to Compose  Custom SMS to Send To One Patient or All Patients at once.

ScreenShots From A Phone Displaying Messages Sent From Futuric MedicAlert 

(Where Mfoniso is The Patient's Name and Paracetamol Is The Drug to be Taken)

This is Where Appointments are Set

This screen Allows The User To View Existing Reminders

This Where Reminders Are created

WHAT YOU NEED TO DEPLOY FUTURIC MEDICALERT (SYSTEM REQUIREMENT)

·         A windows PC, running windows XP, Vista, Windows 7.

·         At least 512MB RAM

·         At least 1GB Hard disk

·         An internet connection

HOW WE DEPLOY FUTURIC MEDICALERT SYSTEM?

·         One-time configuration and installation on the client PC within one week of initial payment.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? (COST IMPLICATION)

PAYMENT OPTIONS

60% of total cost of deployment, paid on installation of the system – N90, 000

40% balance, to be paid within 60 days of initial deployment – N60, 000

Total cost of deployment – N150, 000

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLACE AN ORDER?

CONTACT FUTURIC CREATIVE SOLUTIONS, AT;

info@futurictech.com

Or at;

UYO:

No. 2 Apostolic Road, Uyo.
Akwa Ibom State.

(+234)7032874388

ENUGU:

Union Secondary school premises
Awkunanwa, Enugu
Enugu State

(+234)7085188312

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