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Interesting online classes while on home quarantine

by www.manilatimes.net Leave a Comment

When long naps, binge-watching and endless snacking no longer bring the satisfaction they did early on in the Luzon-wide lockdown, the time has come to get off your behind and make the most out of the remaining days of home quarantine.

Today, The Manila Times Lifestyle lists some fun and interesting online classes on YouTube that can make you healthier, smarter and even more beautiful before facing the new and Covid-free future ahead.

Get in shape

Take for example Simply Pinay — one of the top health and lifestyle channels with with more 136,000 subscribers to date. The page’s owner Kat says her channel hopes to help netizens with their fitness goals and practice healthy living.

“Ako nga pala si Kat, dating ‘piglet’ kaya ang dami kong daldal tungkol sa pagda-diet. Mahilig ako kumain. But you know what? I used to have an eating disorder (bulimia). Thank God kasi I now have a healthy relationship with food. That’s my wish for everybody too! So I will share with you everything I learned in my weight loss journey thru my videos,” she writes in the description.

Another channel is LiveLoveParty.TV, which has 2.15 million subscribers, and features zumba and other fitness activities. The page says, “We keep on moving, we keep on dancing — no matter where we are, no matter what our situation is, we stay positive and keep moving forward.”

Celebrities have also shared their workout routines through their YouTube accounts, among them Erich Gonzales, Maris Racal and Janine Gutierrez.

Be a chef

One top recommendation is Panlasang Pinoy by Vanjo Merano. This page currently has 2.74 million subscribers. As a huge fan of the Filipino way of cooking, Merano says it’s his goal to share with the rest of the world what Filipino dishes are all about.

“Aside for my deep passion in cooking and my continuous craving for the distinctive Filipino taste, I was motivated to shoot videos and create a food blog because I noticed that Filipino cuisine is so underrated. I want Filipino food to be noticed, known, tasted and enjoyed by the rest of the world,” he writes in the description.

Other pages include SarapChannel with 506,000 subscribers, FoodNatics with 493,000 subscribers, and Delish PH with 40,600 subscribers, all featuring easy Filipino recipes that are easy to cook and easy to find at home.

Celebrities who also have cooking channels on YouTube are Erwan Heussaff, Judy Ann Santos, Danica Sotto-Pingris and Nadia Montenegro.

Learn a foreign language

Beginners can try Get Germanized (386,000 subscribers), a great resource for mastering German basics from scratch; Learn French with Vincent (804,000 subscribers); and even linguistics tips for mastering any foreign language, like Sid Efromovich’s short TED x Talk (23.6 million subscribers).

Play an instrument

Almost every single beginner guitar player has heard about the YouTube page Marty Schwartz Guitar Jamz. With 1.89 million subscribers, his videos are immensely popular and rightly so, considering how brilliantly simplistic yet wholesome his lessons are.

Meanwhile, the largest and most comprehensive drum education channel is Drumeo having 1.41 million subscribers. The channel is also the most innovative and versatile of its kind, from guest artist lessons and live play-alongs to technique and hardware tips and tricks.

On the other hand, Lypur —owned by YouTuber named Andrew Furmanczyk — shares amazing tutorials and covers of famous compositions while guiding viewers. His page currently has more than 474,000 subscribers.

Be more beautiful

Other top beauty vloggers are Rei Germar with 1.29 million subscribers, Anne Clutz with 1.28 million subscribers, and Isha Borromero with more than 640,000 subscribers.

Celebrities of course, often share their makeup routines on their pages including Anne Curtis, Elisse Joson, Jessy Mendiola, Alex Gonzaga, Pia Wurtzbach and Heart Evangelista.

Wanted: Egyptian Police on the Hunt for Sophisticated Surveillance Tool

by mashable.com Leave a Comment

Egyptian police are looking to develop social media-monitoring software that experts say would be the first to understand multiple forms of written Arabic, and allow government officials to profile any user.

Experts told Mashable this system, first reported on June 2, would be the first to combine proficiency in colloquial as well as Romanized Arabic with the ability to zero in on specific government targets. Egyptian officials would be able to identify and analyze everything from patterns of extremist speech to people “spreading hoaxes and claims of miracles,” and would also be able to profile the social networks of people who officials want to investigate.

The desired software would be unique in its Arab fluency combined with its ability to identify and investigate persons of interest to the authorities.The software would be able to analyze that person’s interests; opinions, geographical movement and circle of friends, experts say.

“Surveillance is not new in the country, of course, but looking at the requirements, the system would expand the scale and effectiveness of the government’s capabilities,” Cynthia Wong, a senior Internet researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Mashable . “Considering the role social media and the Internet has played in fostering independent voices and reform in Egypt, this would make it much more difficult to use the Internet as a tool for journalists and human rights activists. You couldn’t go online without fear of unjustified spying or reprisals.”

Though it’s not likely that the Egyptian government is already using the software, experts believe it’s only a matter of time before the government is able to roll it out. Other Arabic-speaking nations would likely seek similar software should the Egyptian system prove successful.

“Once it’s known that … Egypt is capable of obtaining and running and using such a system, then I guess all the countries in the region would want something similar,” Amr Gharbeia, an independent Internet privacy researcher based in Cairo, Egypt, who has previously worked for Amnesty International, told Mashable .

A system with the ability to track Arabic-speakers on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and possibly other social networks such as WhatsApp and Viber would provide yet another way to infringe on the privacy and speech rights of citizens in many Arabic-speaking countries such as Saudi Arabia, where censorship of social media has caused concern in recent years.

Software to monitor different Arabic syntaxes already exists, though experts aren’t sure if it has yet been built into a surveillance tool.

Privacy International analysts have gone to surveillance software trade shows to identify companies that might be capable of building Internet surveillance tools such as the ones sought by Egyptian police, says Eva Blum-Dumontet, advocacy officer at Privacy International.

The Egyptian police’s proposal request specified that authorities would only consider software which had been presented at a trade show.

The Egyptian scheme is akin to a program called Squeaky Dolphin that the Government Communications Headquarters, a British intelligence agency, demonstrated to the United States’ National Security Agency in August, 2012. Squeaky Dolphin can collect information from various social networks and map topics of conversation in various cities as well as monitor a person’s online persona — capabilities the Egyptian police are looking for. It’s not clear what languages Squeaky Dolphin is capable of understanding.

Blum-Dumontet noted the program would help police monitor anyone who is more outspoken on social media than they are in the real world.

“It exposes people who wouldn’t necessarily be [on] the radar of governments,” she said.

The potential for more advanced monitoring of social media can be seen as part of a larger crackdown on freedoms in Egypt since the army coup that deposed the democratically-elected President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. About 1,000 Egyptians – mostly Morsi supporters – have been killed in political violence since the coup.

Companies should think twice before providing technology to governments with poor human rights records, experts said.

“The global trade in digital surveillance technologies is virtually unregulated,” Wong said. “There are few export controls in place to deal with the kind of mass-monitoring technologies at issue here to prevent companies from selling them to abusive governments.”

Blum-Dumontet is concerned that the Egyptian police might soon have possession and use of these surveillance tools.

You can read the full specifications in a translation of the Egyptian government’s proposal request, below.

Ministry of Interior Request

How to watch Grey’s Anatomy online: stream season 17 episode 12 from anywhere

by www.techradar.com Leave a Comment

The tumultuous drama of the wards at the Grey Sloan Memorial hospital continue as Grey’s Anatomy’s seventeenth season emulates real life with Covid-19 hitting Seattle along with the rest of the world. Watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17 episode 12 for another instalment of medically infused drama as Shondaland plays homage to the hard work of front line workers.

Watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17, episode 12 online

Release date: Thursday, April 15 at 9pm ET/PST, 8pm CT

Stream: ABC website

Watch anywhere: try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

Watch ABC without cable: get a FREE FuboTV trial

*SPOILER ALERT: plot details and other information related to Grey’s Anatomy season 17 mentioned below. If you’re not fully up-to-speed with the show, you can scroll down for a spoiler-free guide covering how to watch Grey’s Anatomy online and stream every new episode in 2021*

Honestly, you wouldn’t have thought the very thing we’d been waiting for all season finally happened. Yes, Meredith finally woke up and…fell asleep again. Uttering, “We need to talk about Wilson,” to Richard, she then proceeds to fall asleep. Admittedly, she has been frolicking on limbo beach for the last however long, so it makes sense she’d be exhausted… Still, for such a pivotal moment in season 17, you’d think there’d be slightly more jubilation, but we barely even see the news shared across the rest of the episode.

Instead we’re presented with the usual bleak storylines as Maggie and Jo try to help a baby who is in need of a heart transplant. Then there’s a newly married couple that pretty swiftly annul their marriage with a quick swipe on a tablet, following a car crash and the comment “no one would miss you if you died” comment from the bride. Well, that ought to put the final nail in a marriage, we suppose.

Episode 12 sets out to show the other sides of an ongoing pandemic – the conspiracy theorists, as the doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital try to treat a patient who doesn’t believe in the virus sweeping the world and depleting hospital resources.

Follow our guide below to learn where to watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17 online and stream all-new episode 12 from anywhere on earth today.

How to watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17 online from outside your country

Those abroad when the new Grey’s Anatomy season 17 episode 12 lands may find they’re unable to watch the medical drama’s latest due to annoying regional restrictions.

Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to stream Grey’s Anatomy online no matter where you are. It’s a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17 from abroad

ExpressVPN – get the world’s best VPN We’ve put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features. It’s also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.

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– Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

How to watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17 online: stream new episode 12 in US today

Grey’s Anatomy season 17’s latest episode will air on Thursday, April 15 at 9pm ET/PST and 8pm CT.

It will then be available to stream on ABC’s catch-up service from Friday, April 16.

If you’ve cut the cord, however, then select over-the-top streaming services can also provide access to ABC programming live or on-demand.

How to watch Grey’s Anatomy without cable today

Of the many options, we recommend FuboTV for fans of Grey’s Anatomy, as it’s got the most varied selection of national networks, including ABC – a channel some of its rivals lack.

It’s a great value replacement for cable, with Fubo’s entry-level plan comprising over 100 channels from just $64.99 a month – after you take advantage of its FREE FuboTV trial offer , of course!

Outside of the US? Watch ABC and Grey’s Anatomy season 17 just like you would at home with the help of a quality VPN.

How to watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17, episode 12: stream online in Canada now

Canadians can expect a rush of endorphins in tandem with their American neighbors, as CTV is broadcasting all-new Grey’s Anatomy season 17 episode 12 this Thursday at 9pm ET/PT.

The network will add new episodes to its on-demand platform once they’ve aired, and if you have a cable provider, this means they’ll be available to watch online at no extra cost.

Unfortunately, CTV doesn’t offer a streaming-only subscription option. If you don’t have it as part of a cable package, therefore, you’re flat out of luck – a shame given how many equivalent services are available in other countries.

Not in Canada right now? Canadians abroad will need to download a VPN to connect like they would at home and usurp any geo-blocking they may encounter.

How to watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17: stream new episodes online in the UK

To watch Grey’s Anatomy online, on TV or stream its new season 17 episodes in the UK, you’ll need to rely on premium telly provider Sky .

The show returned with season 17 on Wednesday, April 7, available to watch on Sky Witness every week at 9pm BST. While Sky is typically thought of as expensive, there are actually some really great Sky TV deals and packages around right now. Otherwise, it has a streaming-only service in Now TV.

Outside of the UK? As we mention above, you can avoid regional blocks by checking out a VPN solution – the secret to streaming your favourite films and TV shows from anywhere.

How to watch Grey’s Anatomy season 17: stream every new episode online in Australia

It’s a positive diagnosis for Aussie fans of this hit medical drama, as international streaming service Disney Plus is getting all the new Grey’s Anatomy season 17 episodes this year.

As tragic as some of this series’ storylines, Australians might have a long wait until discovering how Meredith, Miranda Bailey, Richard Webber and co. are impacted by Covid-19.

As with the UK broadcast, there’s normally a few months delay between the original US debut and the Australian premiere. Keep an eye on Channel Seven, then, as this is where all-new Grey’s Anatomy episodes are initially aired, before being added to their catch-up service 7plus .

Until that happy day, Aussie fans might console themselves by binge-watching all past episodes. Stan has the bulk of the series, offering seasons 1-14 from AUS$10 a month for their Basic plan. Meanwhile, seasons 15 and 16 remain on 7plus – and, as long as you register to the service, they’re completely free to watch!

Away from home? It’s worth reiterating that anyone in Australia from a country where Grey’s season 17 is available can try tuning into their home streaming service by using the VPN method outlined above.

51Talk marks its 10th year in the online English education industry, now with 30,000 Filipino teachers

by business.inquirer.net Leave a Comment

To mark its first decade in the industry, online English education platform 51Talk held its 10 Years Certified Conference 2021 in Beijing, China to update its stakeholders about its education innovation initiatives and future plans to enhance the user experience of teachers and students alike. In the Philippines, the 51Talk platform is used by a community of 30,000 online English teachers who earn in the safety and comfort of their own homes, which is considered a boon to livelihood seekers throughout the pandemic.

In his keynote address, 51Talk Founder and CEO Jack Huang emphasized the important role of Filipino teachers in delivering high-quality online English lessons to students.

“During the past decade, Filipino teachers have risen to become one of the most popular foreign teaching groups in China. As the online education industry matures, Filipino teachers are expected to play a bigger role in the future, both for 51Talk and bilateral exchanges,” said Mr. Huang.

Online English teaching a boon for Filipinos and bilateral exchanges

This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenge to the economic activity of the international community, and the Philippines is no exception. Against the backdrop of high unemployment rates and a sluggish economy, 51Talk announced in May 2020 that it would provide livelihood opportunities for thousands more Filipino online English teachers.

Through a video message, 51Talk home-based teacher Zeeryl Vivi shared her story at the conference, which was attended by the international and Chinese press, and education stakeholders.

51Talk

51Talk teacher Zeeryl Vivi conducts an online English lesson at the comfort of her own home without the fear of contracting COVID-19.

“Living in a small city here in the Philippines, there are a few opportunities available to me. 51Talk allowed me to live my life to the fullest while also enjoying a few niceties once in a while, so I consider this as a blessing to me and my family,” said the 24-year-old teacher, adding that “through online English education between Filipino teachers and Chinese students, a deep connection and a digital bridge of friendship is being built.”

Zeeryl is one of the thousands of 51Talk teachers who have shared their experiences about their home-based livelihood. By using the hashtags #51TalkLife and #Proudly51Talk on social media, they shared how grateful they are to have a steady source of income, especially during the pandemic.

Leah Tara, a 51Talk teacher, has this to share on her social media. “When the pandemic happened, I felt thankful and blessed to have this livelihood. It became not just my bread and butter, but my stress reliever as well. I’m now also pursuing a graduate degree, thanks to 51Talk. I’m a student by day and an online teacher by night and weekends,” said Leah.

“In the era of the pandemic, 51Talk proved to be a big blessing for me and my family,” shared teacher Kristie Aya on another social media site. “We survived a lot of challenges in life because of this.”

51Talk

“These are just a few examples of how 51Talk teachers’ lives are changed one online lesson at a time. On top of providing quality English language education to Chinese students, 51Talk teachers also go beyond their duties to ensure our students grow and develop as successful individuals,” added Mr. Huang.

51Talk has also fostered partnerships with the academe, tech industry, and especially the government to achieve its goal of empowering Filipinos through online teaching opportunities.

At the Sino-Philippines Educational Exchanges Seminar held on October 2020, the Philippine Ambassador to China and the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines have both acknowledged 51Talk’s efforts in providing livelihood opportunities for Filipinos, and how it cultivates educational cooperation and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

At the seminar, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian appreciated the role of online education and other booming digital industries in China in cultivating a win-win relationship between the two countries. He shared that 51Talk has helped in accelerating the development of online education in China while at the same time providing a large number of job and livelihood opportunities for Filipinos. On the other hand, Philippine Ambassador Jose Santiago Sta. Romana was grateful for 51Talk’s contribution in enabling educational and cultural exchanges between Filipinos and the Chinese.

51Talk announces a holistic online English language learning system

In learning the English language at a young age, it is important to address and build upon the four foundations of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In response to users’ expanding needs, 51Talk announced the launch of a comprehensive English learning system for K12 learners.

Through innovations using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, students at 51Talk will be able to interact with virtual teachers who will guide them with warm-up activities before the live classes conducted by Filipino teachers.

In China, the market scale of online English teaching targeting children ages 4 to 12 has exceeded 26 billion yuan ($4.02 billion) in 2020 according to iMedia Research. As online consumption continued to grow as part of China’s national consumption program and the study-from-home becoming part of the new normal, these figures are expected to rise in 2021 and in the years to come.

Meanwhile, a report released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in March 2020 about China’s online English-tutoring platforms which focus on children showed that 51Talk ranks first in the industry, with a market share of up to 46 percent.

To become a home-based online English teacher at 51Talk, you may sign-up at www.51talk.ph .

ADVT.

How to watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier online – stream episode 5 for less

by www.gamesradar.com Leave a Comment

Things are heating up now that we’re on the show’s fifth episode, so you may be wondering how to watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier online and see what all the fuss is about. As luck would have it, we’ve got the best deals on the series right here. Because it’s exclusive to Disney Plus members , you’ll find offers on the streaming service below. Don’t wait too long, though. The Marvel Cinematic Universe series is almost over (the final episode lands on Friday, April 23), so being able to stream The Falcon and the Winter Soldier without seeing spoilers is almost impossible.

In terms of which Disney Plus membership you should get to watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier online, the lack of a Disney Plus free trial means that signing up for a single month is your cheapest bet. Those memberships aren’t all that expensive; a standard month costs $7.99 in the US, £7.99 in the UK, and $11.99 in both Canada and Australia. Plus, you can cancel at any time – you’re not tied into a contract, meaning that you can stream The Falcon and the Winter Soldier before dropping Disney Plus if you’d prefer.

No matter what, you’ll need at least one month of Disney Plus to watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in its entirety. New episodes drop each Friday, and there are six in total. Seeing as we’ve had four already, this season’s run should finish at the end of April 2021 as a result (April 23, to be precise). Grab a subscription now and you’ll be able to watch the whole thing before your membership rolls on to its second month.

Watch The Falcon and the Winter Solider’s story in order

Set after the events of Endgame, this new series follows Sam Wilson (AKA Falcon) and Bucky Barnes (also known as the Winter Soldier) in a world without Captain America – and one in which Steve Rogers has passed his iconic shield to the Falcon. But the US government has its own idea about the heir to Cap’s legacy, and an old foe has returned to make life miserable for everyone.

If you’re curious about the viewing order for the Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s story so far, it goes like this:

  1. Captain America: The First Avenger
  2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  3. Avengers: Age of Ultron
  4. Ant-Man
  5. Captain America: Civil War
  6. Avengers: Infinity War
  7. Avengers: Endgame
  8. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Want a more comprehensive look at how all the MCU films fit together? Be sure to check in with our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order . And remember, you can now watch WandaVision for another chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe story.

If you’re ready to dive in, we’ve got the best Disney Plus bundles and Disney Plus sign-up deals below – they’ll allow you to watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for less.

Watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – US

Disney Plus | $7.99 per month Disney Plus is the only way to stream The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – the miniseries is exclusive to the streaming platform. As such, the cheapest offer would have to be the monthly $7.99 subscription. New episodes drop weekly, so you’ll need a month at minimum to see it all. If you want maximum bang for buck, though, you can get a full year for $79.99 or go for an alternative Disney Plus deal that gets you Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus at $13.99 per month or $19.99 with no Hulu ads . View Deal

Watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – Canada

Disney Plus | $11.99 per month $11.99 p/m will be enough to see the series in its entirety. It’s certainly the cheapest option now that the free trial has disappeared. View Deal

Watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – UK

Disney Plus | £7.99 per month Want to stream The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney Plus UK? The cheapest deal would be the £7.99 per month subscription. If you want maximum value for money, though, a £79.90 annual membership is what you need. If you wanted to get an MCU-loving family member involved, you could also pick up a Disney Plus gift card to give them access to Falcon and the Winter Soldier. View Deal

Watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – Australia

Disney Plus | $11.99 per month $11.99 per month subscription (or $12.99p/m in New Zealand). Want maximum value for money, on the other hand? The $119.99 annual membership is the way to go. View Deal

Watch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – India

Disney Plus with Hotstar (Premium) | ₹299 per month / ₹1499 a year View Deal

Other regions

Want more?

Want to find out more about the Disney Plus streaming service and see whether it’s worth your cash? Don’t miss our Disney Plus review . It goes into detail on what we think about the Netflix rival so far, including how it stacks up against the competition.

Looking to upgrade your setup, on the other hand? It’s worth heading over to our guide on the best gaming TVs (available here for UK readers) for recommendations and deals on the top 4K screens. They’ll show off Disney Plus content at its best, particularly if you’ve got the best gaming sound system to go with them.

Don’t forget about our other streaming guides, either; you can find info on the latest Hulu bundle deals , HBO Max prices , or ESPN Plus costs and bundles via these write-ups. We’ve also got the full lowdown on Disney Plus Premier Access if you’d like to find out what it offers.

For other essential family pastimes, don’t forget about the best board games , the best card games , and the top board games for families .