Dealing with debt can be a long, complicated and costly process for the debtor. According to different government statistics (e.g. for UK & Wales), the average debt per adult for 2013 is more than £28,000. In order to avoid going into a deeper bad debt situation, a consumer should aim for using various repayment and clearance methods in order to strike off past-due payments. Sometimes a debtor had no deliberate attempt to fall behind with his regular payments. The reasons for overdue accounts can be sudden income drop, like job loss, personal injury, divorce, and other unexpected expenses. In any case, when a subject has fallen into a default situation, he should be informed about how to deal with his debt problems as soon as possible. A subject of debt can use the help of different professional debt consultation companies, which will provide one with an independent expert advice and offer different debt elimination methods and techniques. But first of all, a debtor should contact his creditors to inform them that he will not be able or he is already unable to keep up with the current debt conditions. If the individual is in a harsh financial situation, a lender can agree to change the debt terms, even without negotiating with a debt help company first. If the consumer, by some reason, does not wish to communicate with the lender regarding the bad debt situation, there are debt advice & help organisations, which will represent the borrower in front of the creditor and will protect debtor's interests.
A debtor can defend his interests and negotiate with the creditor without using help from debt advice agencies. This process is known as personal debt negotiation or informal debt negotiation. No matter if the subject of debt is an individual or a business borrower, one should prepare a budget plan and strictly follow it. In the case of personal debt, the consumer should estimate the total amount of income and expenses, plus all debt taxes and interest per month. If the debtor is a corporation, it should assess and document company's positive and negative cash flow.
If a debtor estimates that he will not be able to cover the full debt amount in short-term (using debt settlement) due to financial funds' loss, he can choose other methods, which will guide him through the "how to deal with debt" situation. The debt help & advice techniques include debt management (reduced monthly / interest fees), or official contract agreements like the debt consolidation (combining all debts, which will lead to lower interest), different voluntary arrangements (where interest and additional costs can be completely frozen), etc. All these methods can be carried out without the usage of a third- party debt help organisation, but some of them require legal representative or special court permission (i.e. IVAs and CVAs-Individual and Company Voluntary Arrangements; debt settlement, different relief orders and bankruptcy).
If the subject or organisation in debt has no monetary resources to continue paying his obligations, or if a creditor does not wish to postpone the debt payment and wait until debtor's financial condition improves, the borrower can apply for a relief order (for UK & Wales- Debt Relief Order- DRO); or in the last resort- to file personal or corporate bankruptcy / insolvency. Although the last-mentioned schemes will damage one's credit report, they can be the only option for an individual/company with very low or no income at all.
No matter if the debtor is already in a late payment situation or wishes to prevent such, a beneficial option for him will be prioritisation of debts by importance and consequences (the so-called priority and non-priority debt scheme). According to this method, the first debts to be cleared are these followed by a collateral or serious outcome if remained unpaid. Under this graph fall obligations such as monthly rent (if the debtor does not own his home), mortgage loans (if the subject of debt has marked his home or other real estate property as a collateral in a secured debt contract), utility fees, court fines, etc. Other debts like bank or credit card loans, different overdrafts, membership fees, and others, are classified as non-priority debts and can be left last for repayment. However, a debtor has to bear in mind that none debt should be ignored, as the interest fees will increase in time, in direct proportion to the prolongation of the debt repayment period.
When a debtor realises that he can no longer cover his debt obligations, he can either contact the creditor or make reduced or minimal payments in order to demonstrate his good intentions to settle the debt amount. This, however, will again increase the repayment period and the monetary sum of monthly interest, which will, therefore, lead to a larger amount to be paid in the end.


The beach next to Mosvold Villa contains challenging waves. If you're an amateur don't worry we can direct you to reputed surf schools in the area to learn the art of surfing.
Talk to us and we can arrange exciting tours that include water sports such as surfing, and body surfing for you.


text:
Why did it take the CDC so long to reverse course on debunked treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome?
By Julie Rehmeyer and David Tuller
After years of resisting pleas from patients, advocates, and clinicians, the CDC quietly dropped its recommendations for debunked treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome, which included graded exercise and psychotherapy. APStock
For years, people with chronic fatigue syndrome have wrangled with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over information on the agency's website about this debilitating illness. The website highlighted two treatments that became the de facto standards of care: a gradual increase in exercise and a form of psychotherapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy. The problem was that the evidence doesn't support these treatments.
This summer, after years of resisting pleas from patients, advocates, and clinicians, the CDC quietly dropped the treatment recommendations from its website. Its decision represents a major victory for the patient community — and for science. But the country's lead public health agency still has a long way to go to meet its responsibilities to the estimated 1 million Americans with this disease.
Exercise and psychotherapy might sound like the most benign of recommendations. But the hallmark symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome (also called myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS) is that overexertion triggers relapses that can leave patients much, much sicker, as the Institute of Medicine documented in a landmark 2015 report. So a steady increase in activity can easily cause further harm, not benefit. In multiple surveys, more patients report getting worse, not better, from these "graded exercise" programs.
The theory underlying the two discarded treatments arose in earlier decades when the medical and scientific communities largely dismissed the devastating illness as illusory or psychological. According to that theory, such patients harbor mistaken beliefs that they suffer from an actual physical disease. As a result, they remain sedentary out of a misguided fear that activity will make them worse. They then develop severe deconditioning, perpetuating their symptoms.
Bad science misled millions with chronic fatigue syndrome. Here's how we fought back
However, more recent studies from Stanford, Columbia, Cornell and elsewhere have demonstrated that ME/CFS patients suffer from immunological, neurological, and other systemic dysfunctions. And scientists have reported that the bodies of ME/CFS patients generate energy inefficiently if they push beyond their limited capacities.
Moreover, the key piece of evidence the CDC once cited to support its recommendations of exercise and psychotherapy has been debunked.
That evidence was a multimillion-dollar British study called the PACE trial, the largest ever of the illness. The first results appeared in the Lancet in 2011, with other findings published in Psychological Medicine in 2013 and many other journals. But the trial had a host of flaws that render its reported results nonsensical and uninterpretable. Most remarkably, the investigators relaxed their outcome measures so dramatically during the trial that participants could deteriorate during treatment on the key measure of physical functioning and still be declared "recovered." Because of these changes, the findings were far more impressive than those the investigators would have obtained using the methods they originally proposed, as reanalyses of the trial data have shown.
The larger scientific community is up in arms over the problems with PACE. Earlier this year, more than 100 experts signed an open letter to Psychological Medicine (orchestrated and signed by one of us [DT]) stating that the trial's flaws "are unacceptable in published research" and "cannot be defended or explained away." The letter requested immediate retraction of the claim that patients "recovered" from the treatments. The journal refused the request.
Yet the trial and its claims remain hugely influential. In the U.S., Kaiser Permanente, the Mayo Clinic, and WebMD all continue to promote the therapies. So does UpToDate, a popular decision-making tool for clinicians. In the United Kingdom, graded exercise and cognitive behavior therapy continue to be the most widely offered treatments for the illness through the National Health Service system. However, the country's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which creates clinical guidelines that are widely followed, recently announced that it will be conducting a "full update" of its current recommendations, citing the CDC's decision as one reason for the update.
NIH launches study seeking answers on chronic fatigue syndrome
Despite the significance of the changes, few medical professionals are aware the CDC has dropped the exercise and psychotherapy recommendations. Nor do they know about the extreme care with which people with ME/CFS need to regulate their activity. If your doctor were to diagnose you with this condition today, the odds are good that you'd be advised to exercise your way out of it and to consult a psychotherapist.
While the CDC deserves credit for having removed information based on bad science, that alone is not enough. The agency must also undo the damage it has caused.
First, the CDC needs to acknowledge that it got things wrong. So far, the agency has stated in response to questions that the changes were made because "there has been confusion about what we recommend related to exercise and therapy," and the agency had not intended to recommend the PACE trial treatments despite using identical terminology. Given that ME/CFS advocates lobbied the CDC for years specifically about the problems with recommending these therapies, that explanation is hard to take seriously. An honest acknowledgement of error will go far toward reestablishing trust with the ME/CFS patient community.
Second, the CDC must actively disseminate the news that it no longer recommends these two ineffective and possibly harmful therapies and that no legitimate evidence supports their use. This should be part of a muscular plan, coordinated with the National Institutes of Health and other agencies, to counter the prevalent myths about ME/CFS among doctors, other health care providers, and the general public.
Sign up for First Opinion
A weekly digest of our opinion column, with insight from industry experts.
Third, the agency needs to reach out directly to health care and medical organizations, such as Kaiser Permanente and the Mayo Clinic, to urge them to stop recommending the treatments and ensure that the information they provide is truly up to date. That outreach should include the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
For decades, the ME/CFS patient community has been waiting for the CDC to get this right. The agency has finally taken a step in the right direction. Now it needs to redouble its efforts to find legitimate answers to the many outstanding questions about the illness and to investigate treatments that might actually work.
Julie Rehmeyer is a contributing editor to Discover magazine and author of "Through the Shadowlands: A Science Writer's Odyssey into an Illness Science Doesn't Understand," a memoir describing the science, history, and politics of chronic fatigue syndrome. David Tuller is a senior fellow in public health and journalism at the Center for Global Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. Members of the ME/CFS patient community generously donated to a crowdfunding campaign in support of Tuller's position at Berkeley.
About the Authors	Reprints
Julie Rehmeyer
@julierehmeyer
David Tuller
@davidtuller1
Eric McAndrew says:
Thank you for this. I will be keeping this for any GP who treats me and dismisses my symptoms. ME/CFS was diagnosed in 2007 with that conformed by articles such as yours which have accurately described my cluster of symptoms which don't respond to anything but rest and the most careful management of activity.
Helen Donovan says:
Excellent news
Thanks to David and many others who continue to fight for the ME/CFS community
My son ALEM Matthees will be so pleased to hear this
Julie and David. I do not know if you write on this type of trial research, but about 7-8 years ago the neurologist gave a sample of Nuvigil, which is currently Provigil (Modafinil) for a week and it changed my life. It was given to treat ADHD, though it treated my tiredness more. I didnt need to go to my car or back room during lunch break to nap. Neither did I need a nap in the car after work before driving home. I also made no errors typing. As a matter in fact, even my typing speed went up. I was able to complete a customer profile on the computer efficiently.
I only mention this because doctors don't like to prescribe this type of stimulant and prefer medications known to them despite the fact the patients give negative feedback.
ISABEL. Nuvigil is not currently Provigil. These are two completely different medications they work similarly but Nuvigil is NOT Provigil. The generic for Provigil is Modafinil . The generic for Nuvigil is Armodafinil
Thank you God for Julie & David who have written this wonderful article. Your research and article is the answer many of us have been seeking and wanting an explantion for. Now we know we are not "lazy" or that's not a mental issue as many claim.
I am in my late 50's and have been to many different doctors and am now being treated by psychotherapist & psychiatrist who claim my illness is ADHD and depression. What I can't make any of them understand is the " tired of being tired" issue. I either am on a sleep-wake pattern of every 4 hours all day (as now being up awake at 3 a.m) or sleep about 10-14 hours to feel normal. I've been to a neurologist, cardiologist, numerous amounts of primary doctors, and especially an endocronoligist who I "thought" would finally put an end to this miserable feeling. All being a waste of time.
The sad thing is that my children have the same issue and both have recently confessed to me they are seeking help from a therapist to help them with the feeling of depression. As their mother I've seen them tired all the time since children.
My 35 year old son just said the same thing to me this week about being always tired despite excersising and sleeping well. It has affected his marriage.
My college daughter on the other hand, who I just visited last week, was put in Psychiatric ward for three days due to complications from the medication the therapist she just started seeing prescribed. Side effects clearly stated depression and suicidal tendacies in teens. I truly believe one illness (CF) triggers the other (Depression) and the latter one is what is only treated.
Everyone who claims they are an expert by giving advice to excersise, eat healthy, or take vitamins think it's the magic solution to a problem. NO it is not.
I excersise, take vitamins, do not eat sugar, have a cabinet of pills (vitamins), eat lots of leafy greens, no breads, no red meat. And yes, prayer is also added to the bag.
In conclusion, those of us with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome not only sleep away a third (8 hours) of our lives like the general public. We waste away an extra 2-5 hours a day having to "re-charge the batteries" to have a normal life and are forced to give up family, friends, and fun activities to be normal the remaining hours.
Della Calamunce says:
Thank you for this well written article that is so truthful. I have ME and am glad the CDC is finally getting it right and hope they do pass on their findings to other major health organizations.
Debra B Rushing says:
First diagnosed with fibro…then chronic fatigue…after researching discovered it was Lyme disease…by then bedridden for 3 years. After I started treatment am so much better…still have minor chronic fatigue…but mobile. Coffee enemas help to get the toxins out/Meyer's cocktail IV's got me mobile/gluten-free is a must to heal the gut…If we are not diagnosed with what is actually causing our symptoms then we can end up a lot sicker and never know the feeling of better health.
Well hallelujah. Ive suffered from cfs since i was a child, i do believe contacting mono when i was ten, changed my whole life and body for rhe worse. After menopause and onset of osteoarthritis, osteopenia, evrry spine and bone condition, along with debilitating autoimmune, cfsfm.. There have been months where i could do nothing but lay in bed and suffer, getting no help. And yes for young idiot physicians telling its in my head, was a mental torture no one should be subject too. My teeth are ruined, because i could barely function, and then to be prescribed fosemax without a dds consult, and 2 yrs later all my teeth just breaking off. I also tried many times to end the suffering i did not see any quality of life, being bedridden, not getting any help, and suffering every minute of the day. What was the point. Finally i found a wonderful pain mgmt dr who understood and agreed anti deppressants do not help with this kind of body shutdown.
I couldnt be touched, couldnt touch anything with severe pain, couldnt walk, had to pee in a bottle by the bed, still do. But opiate therapy changed my life. I could function, i could think and finish a sentence, i could brush my teeth. I had gotten down to 97 lbs because getting food, preparing food, eating was almost non existant. So i had a a few good years of some normalcy…until the stupid stupid morons at the cdc ruined many a life of innocent sufferers and physicians who were persecuted and so scared. So my life again went back to horror and such suffering im sure id i had a gun i would have easilt blown my head off. But i wasnt going to let some idior who has never felt what we go thru decide my healthcare. I went to the street. Which was what they were tring to stop. Just ignorant, narcissistic dictators , im surprised they were not assasinated. And ir sucked though because it took all my income just to be able to function. So it is a catch 22. These poor patients who took their lives because of the cdc, breaks my heart. I was lucky it was scary, dangerous to go to the streets but i be damned some human is going to tellme i cant use what god put on this earth for severe pain and debilitating conditions. I just couldn't believe they attacked people who could not rally against this nitemare, we who can barely function. So cdc, stay the **** out of my healthcare. And im sure everyone with me cfd,fm, will tell you its not in our minds. Now that they have rewritten the dumb guidelines, hopefully after trying to find a internist that had the balls to say, hey i went to school, i know what im doing, after4 drs. I hope i can get back to some normalcy. Hopefully because if i can get cognitivity and mobility and no pain, i will rally for a class action suit for all the pain and suffering, and being humilitated, and for the wrongful deaths, our dictatorship country inhumanely put us thru. And the drs, that just cut off their patients should lose their licenses because who wants a dr. That is not confident in treating their patients. I dont want to go to them. I hope they are shaking in their boots and sh****g in their pants, hoping noone sues them for wrongfull death.
Margaret Hilpert says:
My 33 year old granddaughter has recently been found to have the major symptoms of CFS. Is your site one that she needs to read in regards to the effects of older treatment regimes?
ME/CFS patient says:
Margaret, three helpful sites are Phoenix Rising, Solve ME/CFS, and the Open Medicine Foundation. There are many helpful treatments, but unfortunately most doctors are unaware of them.
Debbie Grant says:
I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with chronic mouth ulcers and now it is in my nose. I have granulomas in my lungs. I have lost my tonsils/adnoise, gallbladder and appendix burst and I was near death on the table with severe dehydration & malnourishment. I have a wonderful & loving husband who is not the cause of this. I see a psychiatrist for depression & a neurologist treating me for excessive daytime sleepiness. I continue to worsen and feel hopeless. I get thrush in my mouth often and my throat has started tightening up when I eat and I now have burning and throw my food up sometimes. Please help me if you can 🙏 Sincerely, Debbie Grant
Additional e-mail is dgrant62@gmail. com or dgrant62@carolina.rr.com
Thank you to everyone who shared. I just thought I was crazy.
I to have CFS. My whole body hurts all the time. I too throw up after eating occasionally. All I want to do is sleep. I have been on antidepressants for years.
My quality of life is awful, due to sometimes excruciating pain.
Thank you for any suggestions.
Older Comments »
Azar's 'Sunset Rule' will bring a dangerous new dawn…
Azar's 'Sunset Rule' will bring a dangerous new dawn for health regulation
Welcome back to the global health stage, America. You…
Welcome back to the global health stage, America. You have a lot of work to do
More in First Opinion
By Michael Rose
By Kate Dodson
By Jack Lienke
Staying safe in the time of coronavirus: pay attention to 'the guy you know'
By Lisa J. Hardy
Startups should focus on innovations that truly improve mental health
By David Mou and Thomas R. Insel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


From Cornwall to the Cairngorms, camping season is in full swing and tents are popping up across the countryside as we get set for another summer in the Great British countryside. Some campsites, however, take things one step further, offering more than just the everyday tenting experience.
If you loved climbing trees as a kid, Red Kite Tree Tents in Mid Wales will get you right back where you belong. Canopy-level living is offered in these spherical architectural masterpieces, which are suspended among the trees of an 80-acre woodland. Each is a cocoon-like space for two, with a double bed and wood-burning stove, while, outside, there's a raised deck space for cooking and dining that doubles as a bird-watching platform. There's plenty to see, too, including the red kites that give the place its name, while the Cambrian Mountains are on the doorstep and the Brecon Beacons are a short drive away.
Campfire-friendly camping has been on offer among the trees at Blackberry Wood for years. But, more recently, this South Downs site has branched out to offer some of the most-eccentric glamping in England. The latest additions are a pair of treehouses: Higgeldy and Piggeldy. Handcrafted and completely unique, you're unlikely to find anywhere that looks more like it's come from the pages of a fairy story. Details include trowels for door handles, stained glass windows and a magnificent shower room housed inside a turret, while, elsewhere, there's also an array of converted vehicles – from a classic double-decker Routemaster bus to an ex-RAF helicopter – that you can sleep in.
Glampotel Dundas Castle offers glamping in the grounds of a 15th-century castle, just 30 minutes' drive from Edinburgh. Set in a private glade, the canvas cottages combine the simplicity of bell tent camping with the luxury of a boutique hotel room. There's wooden flooring throughout, king-sized beds and en-suite bathroom cabins, while a veranda with a gas barbecue offers views of the state and private lake. Shuttle buses run guests into the city centre before bringing you back home for a royal night's sleep.
Something shiny on a Bristol city-centre rooftop has been causing passers-by to do double takes. Is it a helicopter? Is it an oversized satellite dish? No – it's Brooks Retro Rockets: four custom-built, vintage-style Airstream caravans which are permanently parked on the roof of Brooks Guest House. Outside they look like the real vintage deal but inside they have all the mod cons of a hotel room; albeit a pretty compact one. There's a flatscreen TV, WiFi and a power shower. A delicious breakfast is included with your stay too. But it's the steeple views and sheer novelty that give Brooks the edge as one of the UK's quirkiest hideaways.
Most campsites aim to offer pitches with plenty of space but the owners of Melin Mabes have taken things rather literally by buying their very own UFO and turning it into a glamping pod. You might recognise 'Spondonic' from the London 2012 Olympics where it featured in the opening ceremony. Or perhaps you caught the episode of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces on TV which followed its conversion? Now a cosy place to sleep for four, Spondonic's futuristic touches include a rotating double bed and a stargazing roof dome. It's a true one-off on this otherwise traditional Pembrokeshire campsite in the pretty grounds of an old watermill.
Need some gas to go with that space craft? Complete your kit list with the best camping equipment from our latest range.


Home » Lock, Stock and Bedlam » Best First…Ever!
Ok, I will admit that I may be a bit biased and I do realize that each turkey hunt is unique. However, I have not been a part of anything quite like the hunt I had with my son Logan this past Saturday afternoon. As I mentioned last week (http://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2013/04/season-firsts/) Logan is taking in his first spring season as a turkey predator.
After an uneventful morning hunt, some yard work and a nap the four of us headed out to a spot that would give us and the turkeys some protection from the increasing winds. We decided to divide and cover a very large crop-field. Logan and I headed south for about 600 yards to set up a blind and decoys below the protection of a 25 foot tall bluff, while Leslie and Emma headed a couple hundred yards east to cover the northeast corner of woods along the river. Once Logan and I were set we placed an embargo on all turkey calling until at least 15 minutes had passed to allow the area to "recover" from our intrusion. Ten minutes later a chorus of gobbles rang out not far from us and the ban was quickly forgotten. The fun was about to begin.
For the next 15 or 20 minutes the gobblers ignored our calls. However, they would sound off a time or two, every 3 or 4 minutes on their own, letting us know they were still in the area. Then for some reason things flipped 180 degrees and they gobbled at anything we did that sounded remotely bird-like. Pretty soon we spotted them in the field, about 130 yards out. There was little doubt about the intentions of the three young birds as they cut the distance in the most direct path possible. They would only stop to gobble or display, which increased the closer they got to our fake hens. Logan was set to defend our decoys, with his shotgun already resting on the bi-pod. Then at 60 yards we got our first indication that things might not go exactly as planned. The 3 jakes began to stray from their straight-on approach and were drifting ever so slightly to our right. When they weren't gobbling they were puffed up, spitting and drumming so they were interested in our ruse, but wanted to rendezvous with our hens in a different location.
The trio of young gobblers set up camp at about 18 yards – perfect range for the 20 gauge. However, they were hard to our south with just enough standing vegetation eliminating the possibility of an ethical shot. The next 15 minutes proved to Logan just how frustratingly fun spring turkeys can be – birds well within range, but not shoot-able. During this time the conversation was dominated by: "Dad, we're losing them." "No, son, they will come to the decoys pretty soon." "No I think we are losing them." "Just be patient, Logan. They will come." And after 15 minutes, as if to prove my turkey hunting prowess, the jakes all quit strutting and began to walk right up the steep bluff behind us. We were losing them. In a desperate attempt to reclaim some dignity, and perhaps a chance for Logan, I got aggressive on the slate call. All three gave a courtesy gobble once they reached the top. We had lost them.
With time on the clock, and it being Nebraska, we knew that another close encounter with a bearded bird was possible – so we called on. Every once in awhile we would be answered by the trio above us. I didn't give it much thought as the first few gobbles proved they were walking away from us. Then they began answering every call and it was clear they were indeed getting closer again. Pretty soon they were thundering back gobbles from directly above us. A glimmer of hope was back in our blind, but I was not sure if we could get these boys to walk down the steep bluff. A few minutes later they proved they would not.
Whooosh-whooosh-whoooosh-whoooooosh. A large and dark, air-borne object cruised directly over our blind. The jake landed 50 yards out in front of us. Then a second decided to join him and landed with his buddy. The final bird did the same thing and we were staring down all 3. We were back in business. They gobbled to our quiet clucks and purrs, but seemed a bit apprehensive about closing the distance. I had doubts about being able to get them back into range, but I kept reminding myself they just flew back to us – something I have never heard of, much less experienced. The more aggressive we called the more interested they were in our fake girls. Pretty soon they had cut the distance by 10 yards – we just needed them to continue on their current course for another 15-20 yards.
At 40 yards they hesitated. "Dad, there is a hen in the field." I looked over and sure enough 45 yards to our south and walking away from us was a hen feeding along the field edge. The trio was now torn. Do they approach the pair of girls that haven't moved any and ignored their earlier display or take their chances with this new girl? They would take a step towards the real hen, then one back towards us. We had ourselves a standoff. Fortunately, for us the new girl had no real interest in anything that was happening. She was more intent on feeding and continued to walk away from us. We kept calling loud and excitedly as any time we quit calling the 3 seemed to take more interest in the real deal. Perhaps if we could keep their interest until the hen wandered too far away we could entice them close enough for Logan. The trio continued to take one step toward us and one toward the live hen.
Later Logan described it much better than I ever could: "The first bird came walking through the decoys, right past us. Then the second walked past us, too. But the third one did not." No he definitely did not make it past us. His walk was cut short by a 9-year old turkey predator.


text:
Q: SwiftUI iOS - how to use captured hardware key events How can I use the pressed key information in my SwiftUI?
I try to use @EnvironmentObject to share key with my SwiftUI but i get every time crash in  sendKeybKey: Thread 1: Fatal error: No ObservableObject of type UserData found. A View.environmentObject(_:) for UserData may be missing as an ancestor of this view.
In .environmentObject is already used in SceneDelegate, but was is wrong?
My Code:
class KeyTestController<Content>: UIHostingController<Content> where Content: View {
@EnvironmentObject var userData: UserData
override func becomeFirstResponder() -> Bool {
        true
}
override var keyCommands: [UIKeyCommand]? {
        var keys = [UIKeyCommand]()

        for num in "0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz!\r" {
        keys.append(
                    UIKeyCommand(
                                    input:String(num),
                                    modifierFlags: [],
                                    action:
                                    #selector(sendKeybKey)
                                )
                    )
    }
    return keys
}
@objc func sendKeybKey(_ sender: UIKeyCommand) {
        userData.collectChar = sender.input ?? ""
        print(">>> test was pressed \(sender.input ?? "")")
}

}
In SceneDelegate
 if let windowScene = scene as? UIWindowScene {
    let window = UIWindow(windowScene: windowScene)
    window.rootViewController = KeyTestController/*UIHostingController*/(
        rootView: myList()
        .environmentObject(UserData())
    )
    self.window = window
    window.makeKeyAndVisible()
}

and UserData:
    final class UserData: ObservableObject  {
    @Published var datasetUIIdata: [DatasetUII] = []
    @Published var collectChar : String = ""
    @Published var collectText : String = ""
}

My SwiftUI View
struct myList: View {
@EnvironmentObject var userData: UserData

var body: some View {
    VStack {
        HStack {
                Text("Key\(userData.collectChar)").font(.largeTitle)
            }
        .padding()
        List {
            ForEach(userData.datasetUIIdata, id: \.self) { (item) in
                Text(item.userName)
            }
            .onDelete(perform: delete)
        }
        .padding()
    }
}
func delete(at offsets: IndexSet) {
    userData.datasetUIIdata.remove(atOffsets: offsets)
}

}
Anyone up for a quick help to a newbie?
Thanks!
Waldemar

A: You don't need @EnvironmentObject in controller, UserData is a reference type, so you can inject same object directly in view and in controller.
class KeyTestController<Content>: UIHostingController<Content> where Content: View {
      var userData: UserData

so creation then will be as below
 if let windowScene = scene as? UIWindowScene {
    let window = UIWindow(windowScene: windowScene)

    let userData = UserData()
    let contentView = myList().environmentObject(userData)      // in view !!

    let controller = KeyTestController(rootView: contentView)
    controller.userData = userData                              // in controller !!

    window.rootViewController = controller

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Newly Announced: Black Lips, Amanda Shires, Trippie Redd, Tiësto and More
by Daniel Hill
VIA PARADIGM TALENT AGENCY
Black Lips will perform at the Duck Room on Tuesday, March 10.
Allen Stone: Fri., March 13, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Alvin Youngblood Hart's Muscle Theory: Thu., Dec. 26, 8 p.m., $25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Amanda Shires: W/ L.A. Edwards, Wed., April 29, 8 p.m., $25-$35. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Barns Courtney: Thu., June 4, 8 p.m., $22.50-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
The Black Crowes: Sun., Aug. 23, 8 p.m., $29-$129. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.
Black Lips: Tue., March 10, 8 p.m., $18-$20. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
Bob Weir and Wolf Bros: Wed., March 18, 7 p.m., $60-$100. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.
Brian Culbertson: Sat., May 2, 8 p.m., $39.50-$49.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Caamp: W/ Bendigo Fletcher, Fri., March 20, 8 p.m., $23.50-$26. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Christiaan Smith: Sat., Dec. 14, 8 p.m., $30-$40. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Dance Gavin Dance: W/ Animals As Leaders, Veil of Maya, Royal Coda, Sat., April 11, 6:30 p.m., $29-$32. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Dave Mason: Sun., March 1, 7:30 p.m., $29.50. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777.
Dumb People Town: Fri., March 20, 7 p.m., $29.50-$65. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Emily Skinner: Fri., Jan. 10, 8 p.m., $30-$40. [edit secondary] Sat., Jan. 11, 8 p.m., $30-$40. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Flor: W/ Winnetka Bowling League, Tue., March 3, 8 p.m., $15-$18. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
Galactic: W/ Anjelika Jelly Joseph, Naughty Professor, Thu., March 12, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Goldfinger: W/ Mustard Plug, Fri., Jan. 10, 8 p.m., $29.50-$32.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Graham Nash: Wed., April 1, 8 p.m., $42.50-$52.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Greg Koch: W/ Big Mike Aguirre, Thu., Dec. 19, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Hot Tuna: Tue., March 3, 7:30 p.m., $20. River City Casino & Hotel, 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, 314-388-7777.
Jeezy: Sat., Jan. 25, 9 p.m., $55. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Mental Health America Benefit Show: W/ The Public, Phi, Prom Kings, Dogtown Athletic Club, Sun., Dec. 22, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Real Estate: Wed., April 15, 8 p.m., $22-$25. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, 314-833-3929.
Sam Bush: W/ Drew Emmitt & Vince Herman, Wed., Feb. 26, 8 p.m., $32.50-$35. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.
The Skivvies: Sun., Dec. 8, 7 p.m., $30-$40. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
SLLAW in Space: W/ Bates, Sat., Feb. 15, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Tennis: W/ Molly Burch, Sat., May 9, 8 p.m., $16-$18. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
They Might Be Giants: Sun., May 17, 7 p.m., $30-$40. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Tiësto: Sat., Jan. 25, 9 p.m., TBA. Ameristar Casino, 1 Ameristar Blvd., St. Charles, 636-949-7777.
Tiny Meat Gang: Tue., March 24, 8 p.m., $35-$65. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.
Trippie Redd: Mon., Feb. 3, 8 p.m., $42-$47.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
William Clark Green: W/ Flatland Cavalry, Thu., Feb. 20, 8 p.m., $18-$30. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Yes We Can: A Tribute To Allen Toussaint: Sat., Jan. 18, 8 p.m., $15-$17. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
Zepparella: Thu., April 16, 8 p.m., $20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Continue to page two for more shows.
As Earth Shatters: W/ Defcon, Fri., Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
Beverly Brennan: Fri., Jan. 3, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Big Challenges: W/ Indigo Honey, Faithful Liars, Sun., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.
Big Rich McDonough & Rhythm Renegades: Wed., Nov. 20, 7 p.m., $5. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Chaos Bloom: W/ 1781, Fri., Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
City Mouse: W/ NoPoint, Sun., Nov. 17, 8:30 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
David Giuntoli: Thu., Dec. 19, 9:30 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Dean Christopher: Fri., Dec. 6, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745. [edit secondary] Fri., Dec. 13, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry, 364 N Boyle Ave., St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Debby Lennon: Thu., Dec. 5, 8 p.m., $30-$35. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Dr. Zhivegas – Playing The Music Of Prince & The Revolution: Sat., Dec. 28, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
The Drinkwater Brothers: Sat., Dec. 7, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Grace Field: Thu., Dec. 12, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Heart Like A Wheel: A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt: W/ Jenny Roques, Beth Bombara, Sam Golden, Sat., Jan. 11, 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Ivas John & Brian Curran: Thu., Nov. 14, 7 p.m., $5. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Ivas John Band: Fri., Nov. 15, 10 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Jake Curtis Band: Wed., Nov. 20, 10 p.m., $5. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Jason Cooper Band: Thu., Nov. 14, 10 p.m., $5. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Jazz & Blues Music Benefit: Sun., Nov. 17, 4 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
John McDaniel: Fri., Dec. 20, 8 p.m., $30-$35. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Julian Davis & the Situation: W/ Kyle Tuttle Band, Fri., Dec. 20, 9 p.m., $10. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.
Katie McGrath: Sat., Dec. 28, 8 p.m., $30-$35. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Kelly Hunt: Fri., Nov. 15, 8 p.m., $20. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Ken Haller: Thu., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Kingdom Brothers: Sat., Nov. 16, 7 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Kody West & Colby Cooper: W/ Colby Cooper, Wed., Feb. 5, 8 p.m., $15. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
KT Sullivan: Sat., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $30-$40. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Las Nubes: W/ Clean Room, Boreal Hills, Fri., Nov. 15, 8:30 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
Le Wolves: W/ Point Elm, Loftys Comet, Lizard Breath, Thu., Nov. 14, 8 p.m., $7. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
Lisa St. Lou: Wed., Nov. 27, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Love Jones "The Band": Sun., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Malevich: W/ Chalked Up, Worst Nature, Sat., Nov. 16, 8:30 p.m., $5. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
Marcia Griffiths: W/ Lady G, Rayzalution, DJ Witz, Dezirie, Rayne Overall, Fri., Nov. 15, 9 p.m., $30-$40. Club Viva!, 408 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314-361-0322.
Mark Nadler: Fri., Nov. 15, 8 p.m., $30-$35. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Marquise Knox Band: Sat., Nov. 16, 10 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Middle Class Fashion: Sat., Dec. 21, 8 p.m., $10. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Mister Malone: W/ Shots Fired, Ashwood, Thu., Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m., $10. Fubar, 3108 Locust St, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
Morgan Heritage: Fri., Jan. 31, 8 p.m., $25-$40. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Night Water: W/ Sister Wizzard, the Ragstripes, Tue., Nov. 19, 8 p.m., $5. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.
Nightcrawler: W/ Fluorescent, Labours, Sat., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $5. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.
Phoebe Elliot: Fri., Dec. 27, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Poor Dirty Astronauts: Sat., Nov. 16, 9 p.m., free. Venice Café, 1903 Pestalozzi St., St. Louis, 314-772-5994.
Rick Jensen: Thu., Jan. 2, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
River City Opry: W/ The Hunter Hamilton Group, Daniel C. Roth, Caroline Steinkamp, Jake Auston, School of Rock Kirkwood, Rick Wagner Bluegrass Experience, Sean Conway, The Rainy Day Joggers, Sun., Nov. 17, 1 p.m., $5. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
Robert Breig: Sat., Jan. 4, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Rocky Mantia & Killer Combo: Mon., Nov. 18, 7 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
The Samples: Tue., Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m., $125. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Shirley Aschinger and Donna Weinsting: Thu., Nov. 14, 8 p.m., $20-$25. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Skeet Rodgers & Inner City Blues: Sat., Nov. 16, 4 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Songbird Cafe: W/ the Burney Sisters, Missouri Mile, Wed., Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m., $25. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778.
St. Louis Social Club: Tue., Nov. 19, 8 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Steve Brammeier: Fri., Nov. 22, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Steve Ross: Fri., Nov. 29, 8 p.m., $30-$40. [edit secondary] Sat., Nov. 30, 8 p.m., $30-$40. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
Tenci: W/ Izzy True, Le'Ponds, Teshua, Thu., Nov. 14, 8:30 p.m., $7. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.
Tom Hall: Fri., Nov. 15, 6 p.m., $10. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
Unwed Sailor: Fri., Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12. Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314-772-2100.
Uvee Hayes: Sat., Nov. 23, 8 p.m., $25-$30. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 634 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.


The murder of a Bristol man three years ago by a mental health patient could not have been prevented, an inquiry has found.
Stephen Newton, 44, of Carlyle Road, Greenbank, Bristol, was jailed for life for his murder in 2008.
But Mr Hendy's family said the inquiry's findings was "seriously flawed and totally inadequate".
At Newton's trial in October 2008, Bristol Crown Court heard Newton, who was high on amphetamines at the time of the attack, waited outside A and J News in Greenbank Road, for Mr Hendy to leave.
He then followed the grandfather and stabbed him twice in the back and neck with a kitchen knife.
He died in hospital a week later.
The report identified a number of areas of poor practice and concern about the trust's procedures.
It highlighted the trust's failure to assess risk and plan care properly. It also pointed to failures to treat drug and alcohol problems and it said records were "chaotic and incomplete".
Hazel Watson, director of nursing at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, said: "This is a tragic case and everyone must feel deep sympathy for Mr Hendy's family who have had to come to terms with their loss.
"Whilst we note that the independent investigation concludes that assessments made by our staff of Mr Newton were correct at the time and that there was no case for him to be detained under the Mental Health Act, we accept the criticisms made in the report of some of the procedures and practices which operated within parts of the trust at that time."
Mr Hendy's son, Julian, 52, a documentary film maker from Leeds, was critical of the findings and maintained Newton should never have been free to walk the streets.
He said: "Although today's report highlights a string of extremely serious failures by health care workers, shockingly it finds the killing was not preventable.
"We do not accept this finding. It ignores the repeated, basic failings in care. We believe that had these failings not occurred, in all probability our dad would still be alive today."
The mental health charity Sane said Newton had a history of mental illness, serial violence and abusing street drugs.
Chief executive Marjorie Wallace said: "It is hard to imagine how much clearer the warning signs could be. Yet instead of consistent treatment for his drug and mental health problems, he was allowed to live in the community with minimal supervision.
"The findings of this inquiry echo 600 similar cases exposing fundamental failures to assess the risk posed by severely disturbed patients and to protect the public."


text:
Q: Reference of element from a const vector I have a function which takes in a const std::vector<std::pair<float, cv::RotatedRect> >
void fn (const std::vector < std::pair < float, cv::RotatedRect > >& vec1,
        std::vector < std::pair< float, cv::Rect> >& vec2) {

So When I want to take an element of cv::RotatedRect I do
cv::RotatedRect& newrotrect = vec1[cntr].second;

This obviously gives and error saying I tried to create a reference from a const member.
The question I had was :

*

*what is happening and why am I not allowed to do this ?

*What is faster, removing the const from the fun call (which is not ideal) or const_casting elements ?

A: *

*You can't store a const reference in a non-const reference without casting, because this will allow you to modify the object and the point of const is to stop you doing that.

*Neither. Use
const cv::RotatedRect& newrotrect = vec1[cntr].second;

A: 1) You are not allowed because the const version of vector's access operator[] returns a const reference. This is so you cannot modify its contents. It is const, so that makes sense.
2) You shouldn't decide to remove const or not because it is "faster". You need to decide which semantics are appropriate for your code. But you can get a const reference:
const cv::RotatedRect& newrotrect = vec1[cntr].second;

or make a copy:
cv::RotatedRect newrotrect = vec1[cntr].second;


text:
Home NewSpace Interview: CEO of SpaceChain on blockchain, shared constellations & crowdfunding for space...
Interview: CEO of SpaceChain on blockchain, shared constellations & crowdfunding for space missions
SpaceChain is a Singapore-headquartered organization developing a community-based space platform combining space and blockchain technologies. The initiative was founded by Jeff Garzik, who was one of the original Bitcoin developers, and Zee Zheng, who has been involved in the blockchain industry for years. The two came together when they independently came to the conclusion that space could provide blockchain with a more secure, more decentralized network.
Since its founding in 2017, SpaceChain has launched two satellites, and one payload to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). SpaceChain's current activities focus on cybersecurity, specifically cryptocurrency wallet security, but it plans to expand into blockchain constellations and even help realize space missions.
SpaceTech Asia spoke with Zee Zheng, Co-Founder and CEO, to find out more about SpaceChain, its vision, and its short and long-term plans.
Is SpaceChain a foundation or a company?
We have a foundation, which is basically a non-profit promoting open-source technology, and also we have a for-profit company, where we do the main development of the software and hardware. It's a very common practice – for example Linux is actually a foundation but they have a for-profit entity behind it as well (Redhat), because a foundation gives easier access for the open-source community. Potentially, we want to go with that model as well. But sometimes, if governments or our partners require it, we might not make it open-source.
So far, you've launched three satellites. Could you tell us more about that, as well as future launches?
We started the company mid-2017, and in February 2018 we did our first launch in China on a Long March rocket. We worked with a local company to do this. We integrated the satellite with Qtum-based blockchain. This was the first blockchain node in space.
We did the second launch in October 2018. For that, we integrated the satellite with a first-generation wallet that would attempt to make some transactions and do some storage.
Then, in December 2019, we worked with our partner in the US and joined the ISS resupply mission launched with SpaceX, for our Multi-Signature Bitcoin Wallet that is now installed in
the ISS.
We have 2 launches planned in the next 18 months. We have one in the summer this year, working with a US partner to launch in one of the Asian countries. And we have another launch early next year, but we can't release details yet because of compliance.
For the one we're going to launch next, we're serving a client and we're going to customize a lot of functions, because every client has a different heritage, different infrastructure. Basically, we're providing more advanced wallet security.
Could you tell us more about your technology?
We've been evolving our technology quite a bit. For the latest launch, for example, we're providing a cybersecurity service. You've probably heard that cryptocurrency wallet services get hacked here and there, and the latest was that one of the chains got hacked for $40m, where the hacker spent 0.2 seconds to transfer all the files. That's the biggest issue in blockchain right now. The technology is really solid, but there are so many human factors and human errors you can make, which makes it insecure.
Usually, security involves a public key and a private key.. However, there's a lot of human factors at work. If you're the founder, you're the gate-keeper, but somehow you leak your key out, or your server gets hacked, then all the money is gone.
For the ESA payload that we call the Multi-Signature wallet, instead of one key, we can create multiple keys and say, for example, that at least four of seven keys need to have signed this transaction before it can go through.
Our satellite holds one or two keys in this transaction, because, first of all, it provides an automatic safe for the private key. Unless it's an ISS astronaut, nobody can touch it, which is as remote as you can get.
That's the first part. The second part, I think, is also really interesting because we're leveraging the latency of the satellite as well. When we have a single payload, everytime it crosses a ground station it takes time for it to come back again. So in the system we're designing, let's say we're three founders. Let's say you get hacked, and the second guy gets hacked, and I'm the guy with the third key. Let's say we've designed a system where the payload has to pass the ground station three times, which means it'll be a couple of hours after we initiate it. Then, when it passes by the first time, we basically use other channels to contact the person and say, "Did you actually make the transaction?" Then, the second time when it comes back, we confirm it again. So that gives a very good buffer time for the founders, for the gatekeepers, to find out if it's really true.
So we're actually slowing the whole process down, because blockchain is so efficient and so fast that this becomes a flaw when you get hacked. By slowing it down, we bring greater security to it.
What are some other applications?
Cybersecurity is one angle, and potentially also supply chain and IoT services. But right now, the ultimate goal for us is to build a decentralized satellite network. There are a lot of constellations planned, but you rarely see anyone actually complete it because 72 satellites, or a hundred, is a large number and it takes a lot of manufacturing power and launches to do it.
So what we're thinking is this: if you look at how the internet was built, it was never built by one company. Who built the internet? It was a lot of people's efforts coming together. And we think for constellations, we could probably go the same route.
We're envisioning a blockchain-powered, multi-owner constellation, instead of one company building one constellation by itself. Instead of repeating each others' work, we can actually share a constellation.
That would make the job much easier. Also, it would be easier to coordinate to do business – right now, if you're a US company, it's difficult to work with China, etc. But with blockchain to help with data-sharing, to figure out ownership and distribution, it will be completely transparent.
How can blockchain help space missions?
Blockchain can actually be a very interesting model for crowdfunding, crowdsourcing. At the same time, I think one of the biggest challenges for space companies is access to funding, and also, the barrier to entry is very high.
We were potentially thinking of using blockchain to start a collaborative model for crowdsourcing or crowdfunding for space missions. Because many space missions have gotten cheaper and cheaper. With $300k, $500k, you can actually do a lot of experiments. Especially, for example, student experiments on the ISS. A lot of people want to support such missions, but they haven't been able to because space has not been made relevant for them. So having this kind of crowdsourcing model potentially could be good.
Besides, a lot of space companies are still struggling to raise money with the VCs, because the funding model just doesn't match. VC money circulates every 3, 5, or 7 years max, I guess, but a lot of space companies are looking at decades.
So that's why a mission-by-mission funding model is potentially interesting. Because with a mission, you could take 3 or 5 years. You could go for crowdsourcing or crowdfunding, get initial funding, and that could get traction. And then later, if you present to VCs or investors or partners, once you get traction it's a completely different story.
Why did you make Singapore your headquarters?
Singapore's a really, really important hub for blockchain and has one of the most open-minded and advanced government regulatory systems [for blockchain] in the world. China, Japan, Korea, Thailand are all kind of hesitating on adoption, but Singapore started almost 4 years ago.
The second part is, the Singapore brand in the space industry is really good. Singapore as a brand is neutral, which is really, really important. We work with ESA, launched with one of the Chinese companies, had a partnership with a US company, and our payload is now on the ISS. So being a Singapore brand had a lot to do with it, because they know you're neutral. So that helps a lot of innovation to go through, especially since we're open-source technology.
What do you think of some of the other upcoming technologies, especially when it comes to security, such as quantum computing, quantum key distribution, etc?
I think they're going to play a very important role, especially in the space industry. I was participating in one of the ESA conferences last summer. The whole conference was 4 days, and about 3 days were about AI: AI in space, analytics, etc. And one day was about QKD, blockchain, etc. I remember when I started Spacechain, AI in space wasn't a thing. So we definitely see a trend, that a kind of integration is coming, and now it's AI, and in the longer term, quantum will also become very important. Because even in our technology, the communication, we're still using satellite communication, but at the end of the day, because we're using radio, interception is still possible. And QKD becomes essential eventually. It all takes some time for adoption, but the space industry is getting more open-minded for sure, and open to innovation.
Previous articleAirbus, Leonardo, join Australia's satellite research consortium
Next articleRakuten and Vodafone Invest in AST & Science's mobile broadband network for smartphones


text:
Total Control sells to Asia, Latin America.
ABC drama is headed to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, India, Latin America and Canada.
ABC drama Total Control has been sold to more countries, now through Asia and Latin America.
HBO Max Latin America has licensed both seasons, produced by Blackfella Productions.
In Asia, Korean streamer Watcha has secured rights for Japan. ABC has also signed a multi-territory deal covering Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan and Malaysia for the second season.
Acorn premieres the show in U.S. and Canada – and a further deal has been secured in Canada with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
Rights licensing outside North America is handled by All3Media International.
Disney's ABC has also ordered a US remake.
Season 2 continues on ABC.
Tagged with Total Control
Report finds ABC contributes to social cohesion, economic impact.
Lego Masters beats Adele special
Rachel Griffiths hints at new Arts project, more Aftertaste.
Celebrity MasterChef beats Spotlight, Parental Guidance.