3D printing-

This is a printing method using an additive strategy. Materials are built up in layers to create an object from a download made using 3D software. This creates less waste than using a subtractive strategy. Once using the 3D software there is a slicing software needed to bring it to the printer.

A large part of the 3D printing is done for industrial purposes. As this technology is advancing from just being able to create prototypes it is becoming more heavily integrated into our lives. Some examples would be eyewear, prosthetics, movie props, and more.

Though the technology had selected interest since the early 1980’s but it wasn’t until 1986 that Charles Hull patented the first 3D printer.

The 3D printer today has the potential of offer its users quicker products. The waste of excess material is also a perk when using the 3D printer versus using the subtractive method we have often used to create products. These benefits could in some circumstances create a financial benefit as well.

Some drawbacks of 3D printing, as the technology is still relatively new, could be the versatility of materials and not having a limit selection of usable materials. This technology can also be expensive. An alarming part of this technology is, as it becomes more readily available, whose to say what people could potentially build with them. The possibility of weapons being built with such technology could be highly problematic.

The widespread adoption of 3D printing int the medical care field is quite interesting. 3D printing offers the possibility of cheaper products like prosthetics. The continued research could allow for replication of blood vessels, tissues and cells. This could go on to help injuries or illnesses that otherwise could seem impossible. If 3D printing research continues, who knows, maybe there would be options for people who need transplants.

https://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/

https://3dinsider.com/3d-printing-history/

FitOn-

FitOn is a fitness app mostly targeted toward women. This app has various types of workouts to help people choose a routine best for them. There are also regular challenges, target area workouts, and celebrity workouts. Workouts are organized in a way that allows the user to choose from type, target area, time, intensity, or trainer. Live workouts with other members are also an option if users are better motivated that way. FitOn has a paid membership that gives meal plans and recipes.

It appears that FitOn has gone through a few rounds of fund raising to receive equity financing from multiple investors. There is also slight revenue from the pro memberships available.

In order to use this app to the fullest I would recommend first exploring to find out what you like, there are a few start up challenges that help keep you motivated until it’s more of a routine and less forced. Also, with this app there is a great opportunity to invite your friends and schedule workouts together. Keeping track of your progress and choosing your goal path is a great way to keep you interested and helps the app navigate a starting path for you.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2019/04/24/how-this-former-fitbit-exec-launched-an-app-that-is-revolutionizing-digital-fitness/#13f1f72d4677

https://xconomy.com/seattle/2018/12/19/remote-exercise-startup-fiton-grabs-4-6m-to-ride-home-workout-wave/2/

Credit Karma-

Credit Karma is an app that helps people keep an eye on their credit. It is a “soft look” at your credit so its not 100% accurate but it’s able to show changes in credit based on recent activities. It also makes suggestions that could potentially better your credit. The target audience for this app is people of an age to start working on their credit and wanting to have more knowledge about their credit or even monitor their credit. They also have extended their products to tax services and savings account option.

As I mentioned Credit Karma makes suggestions, often these are in the form of ads for credit cards that you could use to consolidate or to decrease interest percent or even transfer balance. This is how Credit Karma makes its money. They receive a commission for the recommended products that are bought by their customers.

Some helpful ways that I have used Credit Karma are the simulator that they have which helps give you an idea of what a new decision like opening a new credit card will do for your credit. There are also monitoring options that keep you informed of a change in score by sending you an email. The information prompts you to check your score, it does not openly tell you those details in an email. There is also the option to dispute things found that do not belong to you, this is very helpful in an age when fraud is unfortunately so common.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/010815/why-credit-karma-free-how-it-makes-money.asp

https://www.creditkarma.com/advice/i/7-ways-make-credit-karma-membership

Netflix-

Like many, we access Netflix on our TV. It’s not a very new or fancy updated TV it’s the beginning of the smart TV line. That being said, I don’t think we would be able to access Netflix very well without the cloud. My understanding is still very rocky but I’m guessing my TV doesn’t have much storage and having to download all of the shows or movies I, or my family wanted to watch would be extremely difficult. Occasionally I hear about services like Netflix being hacked and have some concern, but we try to watch our accounts and be diligent about passwords and we take precautions of that nature.

Google Drive-

I discovered google drive when I got my first google pixel phone. I fell in love and was pleasantly surprised to find, with such ease, that my pictures and other things I didn’t realize I still had, found their way into the google drive to live there safely. Without the cloud it would not be the same. Part of what makes it work with such ease is the cloud. I don’t have to worry about the things I create or open on my phone. I can easily access them on a computer when I need to, and I don’t have to constantly email myself. Which is what I used to do. I do have security concerns with google drive. I’m very protective of what I put on the internet and so I know I contradict that by trusting in google drive as much as I do. Like everything else I try not to put certain documents up if I don’t need to and delete things I don’t want up after use. This isn’t full prove but it makes me feel a bit better.

Source #1- Creative blog: Art and Design Inspiration

https://www.creativebloq.com/essential-tips

I stumbled upon this blog while searching for some refreshers on my digital design skills and found it to be quite helpful. I found several blogs that had lists of helpful tips and videos. There are videos about 2020 trends in design. There is a page to share a little about the team behind this blog though it is very small and not fully inclusive. Each blog has the author and you can find a description of these authors though they are not very helpful in deciding conclusions about their authority in the matter. The two mentioned in the team are the Editor and Deputy Editor. The information is provided by several authors. The ones that I looked at provided relatively clear information for someone looking to refresh or learn new tools. I would use this recourse in the future, but I would be selective on which articles I read and what might help me slightly advance my skills or refresh them.

Source #2- Adobe Create

https://create.adobe.com

I found this recourse while doing this blog and am kicking myself for not knowing it was under my nose the entire time that I’ve been learning with Adobe products and studying design. Adobe is always changing and updating to keep up with new trends. Adobe is a well-known source for the design world and is very well trusted as many use their products to aid and foster their creativity. There are many tutorials and aids provided on this site and I will most definitely be looking into it and using it as a continued source for my design work.

Source #3- Sitepoint

https://www.sitepoint.com/design-ux/

Looking through some sites I came across this Sitepoint. The articles have the authors and the dates attached very visibly right below the titles, making it very clear to see how up-to-date the articles are. There is a large list of the team behind Sitepoint, though there isn’t a lot of information on their credentials. Among these team members there are quite a few editors keeping the site in check. These articles are very appealing and easy to understand. This is a simple source to find helpful tips for both designers, business owners and designers working with business owners.

The top 5 content management sites as of June 2020

1. WordPress
2. Drupal
3. Joomla
4. Squarespace
5. Wix

WordPress- Began popularity with bloggers and has since grown to allow many different uses. There is a free option as well as a paid option. Users are able to customize the look and feel of their website as well as how things look and flow on the back end. There are many plugins available to further create a website that works for what a site needs are. However, there are some issues with security and should be updated often.

Drupal- Though also free this CMS is of a more advanced nature and would not be well suited for a beginner. Though it can be used for blogs, forums, or other common sites it has abilities that put it in a position to work best for larger scaled work. It has security features, multilingual abilities, and custom post creation which can contribute to some difficulties if the user doesn’t have experience in web development.

Joomla-Similar to WordPress and Drupal this is a free CMS. Like Drupal it is not beginner friendly however have a user manual and training videos to aid those with less web development experience. There are many templates available to customize sites as well as being mobile friendly, multilingual, and can support multi- level permissions.

Squarespace-Unlike the previously mentioned, this CMS does cost $16 per month to start and there are subscription options for businesses and other tiers in order to achieve certain desires of a site. This CMS allows for a kind of one place for it all for smaller businesses and entrepreneurs. Very little web development experience is needed to create an appealing, easy to use site. For individuals choosing to, there are themes that can be modified with CSS. This CMS is great for a beginner and small website but as needs become bigger it is possible there will become a need to find a different CMS.

Wix-Like Squarespace this CMS has payment plans of varying degrees. The starting point is $13 per month and can be as high as $500 per month. The abilities and creation are also similar to Squarespace. Beginners are able to design a site with basic drag-and-drop techniques and have a domain name, email, web hosting analytics, and SSL certificate. Wix caters to many different kinds of sites for business allowing real-time tracking for online stores, online menus for catering or restaurants.

https://marketing.toolbox.com/articles/10-best-content-management-systems-cms-software-in-2020