Australia has introduced a streamlined, priority visa pathway for highly skilled and talented individuals to work and live permanently in Australia. The Government and industry has recognised there is growing competition for talent around the globe and to compete we must have a pathway that leads to certainty for people wishing to come to Australia. […]

The post Australia is recruiting – New Global Talent Visa appeared first on Visa Australia - Immigration Lawyers & Registered Migration Agents.

The World Health Organization has announced that Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a pandemic. The migration situation is changing rapidly throughout Australia. As an Australian citizen or permanent resident, can I still enter Australia? There is no restriction on Australian citizens or permanent residents entering Australia at this stage. However, those arriving in Australia will be required […]

The post Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Visas for Australia appeared first on Visa Australia - Immigration Lawyers & Registered Migration Agents.

In late 2019 the Australian Government launched the Global Talent – Independent program which offers a streamlined, priority visa pathway for highly skilled and talented individuals to work and live permanently in Australia. There are two streams. The first is the Global Talent Independent Program (GTI) and the second is the Global Talent Employer Sponsored (GTES). […]

The post Australia’s global talent visa for individuals and businesses appeared first on Visa Australia - Immigration Lawyers & Registered Migration Agents.

International students who have been in Australia for longer than 12 months who find themselves in financial hardship will be able to access their Australian superannuation. The Government will undertake further engagement with the international education sector who already provide some financial support for international students facing hardship. International students working in supermarkets will have […]

The post Student visa holders and New Zealand citizens in Australia and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis? appeared first on Visa Australia - Immigration Lawyers & Registered Migration Agents.

What should all businesses do at least once, and do properly, and (like the title of this blog post suggests) designers need to do repeatedly? The answer is: Understanding the target market they’re catering to. Sure, that makes sense—but why are graphic designers any different? Why do this repeatedly? When you’re in business, you’re in the […]

When we started Discourse in 2013, our server requirements were high:

• 1GB RAM
• modern, fast dual core CPU
• speedy solid state drive with 20+ GB

I'm not talking about a cheapo shared cpanel server, either, I mean a dedicated virtual private server with those specifications.

We were OK with that,

Patients with disabilities must receive the same level of lifesaving medical treatment from hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic as able-bodied patients, the Trump administration said.

High-quality fonts can be really expensive and are often the most costly tool a designer needs, so when a massive saving like this comes along it’s hard to let it pass by! This brand new bundle contains 16 hand-picked typefaces, containing hundreds of individual fonts, chosen specifically for their quality and versatility. These fonts are […]

The post Own This Extensive Font Library Worth $4265 for Just $29 appeared first on Spoon Graphics.

In today’s Adobe Illustrator tutorial I’m going to take you through the process of creating a colourful embroidered patch, based on the kinds of designs associated with National Parks. The artwork will incorporate a landscape scene at sunset, which helps to keep the design simple with a silhouette graphic and a warm colour palette. Stick […]

The post Video Tutorial: How to Create an Embroidered Patch Design in Illustrator appeared first on Spoon Graphics.

Chris Coyier of CSS-Tricks is an amazing engineer and blogger. He’s not only creative but has always had the drive to put his thoughts to work, no matter how large. He also has a good eye for the little things that can make CSS-Tricks or your site special. One of those little things is his […]

The post How to Create a CSS-Tricks Custom Scrollbar appeared first on David Walsh Blog.

This is it! Your one-stop shop for developer tools and resources. Designed to save you time and money, streamline project workflows, boost productivity, or all the above, Choosing the right tool for the job is never easy for several reasons. There’s a huge number to choose among, you have to know what to look for, […]

The post 6 Must Have Developer Tools and Services for Your Projects in 2019 appeared first on WebAppers.

In this Chalkboard Text Vector tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a chalkboard vector effect with some gradients, a bristle brush, and some freebies from Vector Mill! This chalkboard text vector effect tutorial is relatively simple and can be applied to many other Illustrator projects. Use this effect for logo creation, back to school backgrounds, […]

The post 20 Minute Tut! Create Your Own Customized Chalkboard Text Vector appeared first on Vectips.

Summer is in full swing here in the states! It’s a perfect time to grab your skateboard and go cruising. Today we’re going to learn how to design flat skateboards and colorful vector longboards in Adobe Illustrator! We’ll be working with Clipping Masks, Stroke, and Pathfinder panel. Let’s get started! Tutorial Details Program: Adobe Illustrator CC Difficulty: […]

The post 10 Step Tutorial: How to Design Flat Skateboards Using Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Vectips.

Welcome back to another Illustrator tutorial from our retro hardware series! In this how-to, we’re going to learn to create a NAS Icon (or a Network-Attached Storage icon) using some simple geometric shapes and tools. So, get your software up and running let’s jump straight into it! Tutorial Details: How to Create a NAS Icon Program: Adobe […]

The post Create a NAS Icon in Just 30 Minutes Using Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Vectips.

In this tutorial we’ll draw a funny cartoon car in a simple stylized flat car. We don’t actually need any advanced drawing skills or even a tablet to create this stylized object as we’ll be working with basic geometric shapes and the most useful tools of Adobe Illustrator. Such simple and trendy illustrations are perfect […]

The post How to Draw a Stylized Flat Car in Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Vectips.

By David Suzuki with contributions from Senior Editor Ian Hanington David Suzuki Foundation In 2012, North Carolina’s Coastal Resources Commission warned that sea levels there could rise by a metre over the next century. The warning was based in part … Continue reading →

The galaxy is a mesmerizing place, even better throught the eyes of visual design artists around our globe, we're delighted to release another freebie for our design community. This flat vector...

Fluid design of swirling dogs are captured by Moscow-based illustrator Marina Okhromenko in her colorful digital illustrations, she depicts expressions of joy that makes us adore more our canine...

Creative interactions call for creative measures - numerous extensions reduce, minimize or dilute the frustration of the customers and resolve issues quickly without the customer support team need....

Every day thousands of business cards exchange hands, and these business cards often get lost in mounds of other cards. Often, clients are unable to reach you just because they couldn't find your...

The variables that determine business success are continually evolving. More than ever, customers want to be able to trust businesses with which they are transacting business. This involves building...

Welcome back to another Adobe Illustrator based tutorial, in which we're going to take a close look behind the process of creating a simple iPhone icon, using nothing more than some basic geometric shapes that we're going to adjust here and there. 1. Set Up a New Project File As with any new project, we’re […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create an iPhone Icon appeared first on Bittbox.

In today’s tutorial, we're going to take a close look behind the process of creating a simple computer icon, and see how easy it is to build one of our one using nothing more than some basic geometric shapes. 1. Set Up a New Project File As with any new project, we’re going to kick […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Simple Computer Icon appeared first on Bittbox.

In today’s tutorial, we’re going to take an in-depth look behind the process of creating a folder icon, and see how easy it is to build one from scratch using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes, which we’re going to adjust here and there. So, assuming you already have Illustrator up and […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Folder Icon appeared first on Bittbox.

Welcome back to another Illustrator based tutorial, in which we’re going to learn how to create a simple watch icon, using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes and tools. So, assuming you already have the software running in the background, bring it up and let’s jump straight into it! 1. Set Up […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Watch Icon appeared first on Bittbox.

Welcome back to another Illustrator based tutorial, in which we’re going to take a close look behind the process of creating an incognito icon, using nothing more than a couple of simple shapes and tools. So, assuming you already have the software running in the background, bring it up and let’s jump straight into it! […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create an Icognito Icon appeared first on Bittbox.

In today’s tutorial, we’re going to take a quick look at the process of creating an Ice Cream icon, and learn how easy it is to build one from scratch using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes that we’re going to adjust here and there. So, assuming you already have the software […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create an Ice Cream icon appeared first on Bittbox.

n today’s tutorial, we’re going to take a quick look behind the process of creating a notification bell icon, and see how easy it is to do so using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes and tools. So, assuming you already have the software up and running, let’s jump straight into it! […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Notification Bell Icon appeared first on Bittbox.

Welcome back to another Illustrator based tutorial, in which we’re going to learn how to create a recycle bin notification icon, using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes that we’re going to adjust here and there. So, assuming you already have the software running in the background, bring it up and let’s […]

The post Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Recycle Bin Notification Icon appeared first on Bittbox.

Customer service as we know it has changed. Today’s customers won’t necessarily call a contact center when they need help. […]

The post Best WordPress Live Chat Plugins for Better Customer Support appeared first on WPHacks.

We're excited to welcome back Busted Open radio producer Alex Metz to the show, to talk about all things pro...

The post METAL INJECTION LIVECAST #539 - Hard Camera with Busted Open's Alex Metz appeared first on Metal Injection.

By Jake Johnson Common Dreams Rapidly falling insect populations, said Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, “will make it even more difficult than today to get enough food for the human population of the planet, to get good health and freshwater for everybody.” A … Continue reading →

By Jake Johnson Common Dreams Rapidly falling insect populations, said Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, “will make it even more difficult than today to get enough food for the human population of the planet, to get good health and freshwater for everybody.” A … Continue reading →

We're familiar with awarding prizes for excellence, from the Oscars to The International Design Awards. But what if we started giving prizes to shame bad examples of design? Enter the Procrustes Awards.

Illustrations for Demetre's Winter Sweet Menu

If a new user registers at a WordPress site the new user and the administrator receive notification mails: User: From: […]

A federal watchdog is recommending that ousted vaccine expert Rick Bright be reinstated while it investigates whether the Trump administration retaliated against his whistleblower complaints when it removed him from a key post overseeing the coronavirus response, Bright's lawyers said Friday.

Chris Guillebeau has traveled to 193 countries. And just to be clear, that is all of the countries recognized on the planet. He is the first person to do it before the age of 35. More importantly, he has built online businesses, side hustles, and mastered the art of a non-conforming lifestyle since he was 19 years old. There’s almost nobody better person equipped to talk about starting lots of businesses. He has a daily podcast called Side Hustle School where he’s featured more than 850 different side hustle businesses + featured many in his new book called 100 Side Hustles. Chris also started half a dozen or more himself, started one of my favorite conferences, The World Domination Summit, and is a New York Times bestselling author of books like the $100 Start Up and The Art of Non-Conformity and many others. This guy is a beast and he’s so savvy, so humble. In this episode: We go into details about some of Chris’ favorite side hustle businesses he’s come across in his podcast & writing this book – what are some of the most common traits and failures. Chris shares his experience with depression, how he’s faced it, […]

The post Adaptation, Self-Awareness and Art of the Side Hustle with Chris Guillebeau appeared first on Chase Jarvis Photography.

We give an efficient algorithm for robustly clustering of a mixture of two arbitrary Gaussians, a central open problem in the theory of computationally efficient robust estimation, assuming only that the the means of the component Gaussians are well-separated or their covariances are well-separated. Our algorithm and analysis extend naturally to robustly clustering mixtures of well-separated strongly logconcave distributions. The mean separation required is close to the smallest possible to guarantee that most of the measure of each component can be separated by some hyperplane (for covariances, it is the same condition in the second degree polynomial kernel). We also show that for Gaussian mixtures, separation in total variation distance suffices to achieve robust clustering. Our main tools are a new identifiability criterion based on isotropic position and the Fisher discriminant, and a corresponding Sum-of-Squares convex programming relaxation, of fixed degree.

Showing items that do not match search query intent degrades customer experience in e-commerce. These mismatches result from counterfactual biases of the ranking algorithms toward noisy behavioral signals such as clicks and purchases in the search logs. Mitigating the problem requires a large labeled dataset, which is expensive and time-consuming to obtain. In this paper, we develop a deep, end-to-end model that learns to effectively classify mismatches and to generate hard mismatched examples to improve the classifier. We train the model end-to-end by introducing a latent variable into the cross-entropy loss that alternates between using the real and generated samples. This not only makes the classifier more robust but also boosts the overall ranking performance. Our model achieves a relative gain compared to baselines by over 26% in F-score, and over 17% in Area Under PR curve. On live search traffic, our model gains significant improvement in multiple countries.

Graph convolution network (GCN) have achieved state-of-the-art performance in the task of node prediction in the graph structure. However, with the gradual various of graph attack methods, there are lack of research on the robustness of GCN. At this paper, we will design a robust GCN method for node prediction tasks. Considering the graph structure contains two types of information: node information and connection information, and attackers usually modify the connection information to complete the interference with the prediction results of the node, we first proposed a method to hide the connection information in the generator, named Anonymized GCN (AN-GCN). By hiding the connection information in the graph structure in the generator through adversarial training, the accurate node prediction can be completed only by the node number rather than its specific position in the graph. Specifically, we first demonstrated the key to determine the embedding of a specific node: the row corresponding to the node of the eigenmatrix of the Laplace matrix, by target it as the output of the generator, we designed a method to hide the node number in the noise. Take the corresponding noise as input, we will obtain the connection structure of the node instead of directly obtaining. Then the encoder and decoder are spliced both in discriminator, so that after adversarial training, the generator and discriminator can cooperate to complete the encoding and decoding of the graph, then complete the node prediction. Finally, All node positions can generated by noise at the same time, that is to say, the generator will hides all the connection information of the graph structure. The evaluation shows that we only need to obtain the initial features and node numbers of the nodes to complete the node prediction, and the accuracy did not decrease, but increased by 0.0293.

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are generally prone to noise interruptions, i.e., small image noise can cause drastic changes in the output. To suppress the noise effect to the final predication, we enhance CNNs by replacing max-pooling, strided-convolution, and average-pooling with Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). We present general DWT and Inverse DWT (IDWT) layers applicable to various wavelets like Haar, Daubechies, and Cohen, etc., and design wavelet integrated CNNs (WaveCNets) using these layers for image classification. In WaveCNets, feature maps are decomposed into the low-frequency and high-frequency components during the down-sampling. The low-frequency component stores main information including the basic object structures, which is transmitted into the subsequent layers to extract robust high-level features. The high-frequency components, containing most of the data noise, are dropped during inference to improve the noise-robustness of the WaveCNets. Our experimental results on ImageNet and ImageNet-C (the noisy version of ImageNet) show that WaveCNets, the wavelet integrated versions of VGG, ResNets, and DenseNet, achieve higher accuracy and better noise-robustness than their vanilla versions.

Cognitive radio is a promising technology to improve spectral efficiency. However, the secure performance of a secondary network achieved by using physical layer security techniques is limited by its transmit power and channel fading. In order to tackle this issue, a cognitive unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication network is studied by exploiting the high flexibility of a UAV and the possibility of establishing line-of-sight links. The average secrecy rate of the secondary network is maximized by robustly optimizing the UAV's trajectory and transmit power. Our problem formulation takes into account two practical inaccurate location estimation cases, namely, the worst case and the outage-constrained case. In order to solve those challenging non-convex problems, an iterative algorithm based on $mathcal{S}$-Procedure is proposed for the worst case while an iterative algorithm based on Bernstein-type inequalities is proposed for the outage-constrained case. The proposed algorithms can obtain effective suboptimal solutions of the corresponding problems. Our simulation results demonstrate that the algorithm under the outage-constrained case can achieve a higher average secrecy rate with a low computational complexity compared to that of the algorithm under the worst case. Moreover, the proposed schemes can improve the secure communication performance significantly compared to other benchmark schemes.

Graphic design is everywhere — it’s used in traditional marketing efforts like billboards and fliers, and more importantly, it’s used in nearly every single digital marketing initiative from web design to social media marketing. If you’re a business that’s working with a digital marketing agency for any number of marketing campaigns (especially web design), it’s […]

The post 24 Must-Know Graphic Design Terms appeared first on WebFX Blog.

Need some inspiration to build a high converting website? Websites that convert persuade visitors to become customers. These websites drive more revenue, so if you want to increase your site’s revenue, use these examples of websites that convert as inspiration! We’ll go over what makes for the best converting websites and five examples of websites […]

The post 5 Magnificent Examples of Websites That Convert Visitors into Customers appeared first on WebFX Blog.

By Jeff Mulhollem Penn State News The first harvest of 34 acres of fast-growing shrub willow from a Penn State demonstration field this winter is a milestone in developing a sustainable biomass supply for renewable energy and bio-based economic development, … Continue reading →

Legal marijuana might be putting dealers out of work, but it's definitely not harming the job market in general.…

[IMAGE-1] I honestly don't know how people like Bryan Stevenson keep up the fight. Just Mercy is the true origin story of a literal social justice warrior, a Harvard-educated lawyer who, in the late 1980s, launched the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, to take on the neediest, most desperate cases.…

[IMAGE-1] Before smartphones and Instagram, there were influencers, and they could be as shallow, overconfident and pejorative as they are today. This new adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma — the feature debuts of photographer and music-video director Autumn de Wilde and Man Booker Prize-winning novelist turned screenwriter Eleanor Catton — brings that sort of modern frisson to its retelling of the tale of a very rich young woman who amuses herself by interfering in the romantic lives of those around her.…