Chloe Boulos

In the age of Instagram and Snapchat, smartphone photos may seem a dime a dozen. But if you look beyond traditional social media, you could earn more than likes. London-based Chloe Boulos stumbled upon photography marketplace, Twenty20, three years ago when on the hunt for new photo and editing apps. She’s since made the most of the opportunity to earn a bit of extra coin…

Introducing Chloe

While she works as a graphic designer now, Chloe says photography has always been a huge part of her life: “My grandfather and mother both loved photography and carried cameras everywhere they went, so I think it rubbed off on me,” she explains. “I had a film camera as a kid and have been obsessed with collecting them ever since.”

But as much as she loves and continues to use manual cameras, Chloe says they’re often too bulky to carry around.

Taking a picture of the Eiffel Tower from a train shot by Chloe Boulos

“I shoot on a range of cameras, but my iPhone is most convenient because I always have it. I’m always keen on having the latest model because I know the camera gets better and better each year, which is why I’ve just upgraded to iPhone 8 Plus – the camera on it is insane!”

Turning passion into profit

At around $2 USD per licensed photo sold, posting pics to Twenty20 is unlikely to make you a millionaire overnight. However, in her time using the platform, Chloe’s earned a total of $330.59 – and says it’s her top pick of available apps.

“At the end of each month the amount you’ve earned is transferred directly to your PayPal account in $USD which can then be converted when transferred to your UK bank account or used,” she explains.

The Louvre, Paris shot by Chloe Boulos

Many other photo-selling apps work the same way, including Foap which originated in Sweden and EyeEm from Berlin.

“The process is so simple. Uploading is super quick and the platform has gotten better and better as the years have gone by. You can upload and tag your photos with keywords and locations. From a buyer’s side, this makes it much easier to find photos – particularly when they’re seeking shots from a specific location.”

That last point is important. Did we mention Chloe’s a buyer too? In her role at travel company lastminute.com she regularly requires images that show authentic, relatable experiences, so she often turns to Twenty20 as a key source of candid photos.

“While there is a lot of great content on the platform, crowdsourcing usually means there is a lot of bad content as well. However, Twenty20 do a great job of curating hundreds of different collections based on popular topics, so I would always go to them first,” she says.

Tips for successful selling

Chloe doesn’t adhere to a particular style, but prefers her snaps to be bold and vibrant.

Colourful houses of Burano, Venice Italy shot by Chloe Boulos

“My poor girlfriend tends to be the subject of most of my people-based photos – luckily she’s very photogenic. It’s difficult to define exactly what sells best as I’ve had a wide range of different photos sell on the platform, but that’s one of the reasons I’d encourage people to upload all kinds of great photos,” she explains.

However, if you are looking for a bit more direction, Chloe does have a few pointers…

1. Take photos with a people-focus

People and lifestyle, family and travel all feature in Twenty20’s top eight search categories.

“Your friends and family are best as they’re usually happy to have their photos taken. But don’t shy away from taking photos in public places,” Chloe says.

2. Upload as much as you can

“You never know what a user might be looking for,” Chloe says. Uploading a range of different photos will not only give you the best chance of making a sale, it’ll also help you gain a better understanding of what photos are most popular with platform users.

Also make sure you upload at the highest quality possible. This will ensure buyers can use your image in any medium without risking distortion and blur.

Girl walking in Venice shot by Chloe Boulos

3. Ensure your photos discoverable

Including keywords and relevant locations in your photo descriptions will help buyers find your photos. Without this key information, your photos are more likely to get lost in the crowd and may not show up in search results regardless of their suitability.

4. Enter challenges

Twenty20 photo challenges are a great way to get your photos noticed, so Chloe recommends entering as many as you can.

“There are new challenges every day. Entering as many as you can will get your photos out there on the platform and seen by the community,” she says.

Sometimes challenges are sponsored by companies who are seeking specific, authentic photos to fill an image need. However, challenge topics are always based on what customers want and need, so the closer you are to the brief, the better your chance of winning or making a sale.

5. Give your lens a wipe

It seems simple, but keeping your camera lens clean can make a huge difference to the quality of your shots, Chloe says.

“Our fingers are constantly touching the backs of our phones so it’s easy to end up with fingerprints and dirt on your lens which leave your photos looking foggy. I always wipe the lens before I take a photo just to ensure the photo will be at its best quality.”

With many companies shunning traditional stock images for more candid, ‘real’ shots, it couldn’t be easier to go from casual snapper to online seller with apps like Twenty20. Plus, if you’re already capturing the moment, why not make it pay?

Take even better smartphone photos… with these top tips on composition from Mobiography founder Andy Butler.

Where to next?

Show me how to master exposure for better photos

Show me the best in TV, music and sports

The post Get started with… Selling your smartphone photos online appeared first on Vodafone Social.

Source: Official Vodafone Blog
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What are your main checkboxes when it comes to looking for a new smartphone? For most people, battery life comes pretty high up on the list, alongside the knowledge that the phone does more than just make calls, send texts and browse the web – that it does something a little bit special. If those are among your main priorities, let us present: the Moto Z2 Play.

The Z2 Play is a big battery monster with a very unique set of skills, and it’s now available at Vodafone UK. Here’s everything you need to know…

1. Spec sheet

Display: 5.5-inch Super AMOLED, 1080p
Rear camera: 12-Megapixel, f/1.7, dual tone flash
Front camera: 5-Megapixel, f/2.2, dual tone flash
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, 2.2 GHz
Storage: 32 or 64GB, expandable
Battery: 3,000mAh
Operating system: Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)

Let’s get the core specs out of the way first, then head onto that which makes this phone really stand out from the pack. The Z2 Play boasts a stunning 5.5-inch Super AMOLED 1080p display, which means colours are vivid, blacks are pitch, and it gets plenty bright enough to see in bright sunlight.

Underneath that screen is an octa-core Snapdragon 626 processor with 4GB of RAM, which means it’ll chew through any apps and games you throw at it. It runs on Android 7.1.1. Nougat (with an update to Oreo on the way), and boasts 32GB or 64GB of storage, which you can expand via MicroSD. It’s also dual-SIM, which means you can keep your work and personal SIM cards in the same device.

Camera-wise, we’re looking at a hugely-capable 12-Megapixel sensor around back, with laser autofocus and dual tone flash for more natural looking night shots, and a 5-Megapixel front-facing cam with its own flash module for late night selfies.

And then there’s the battery…

2. Battery

Those in the know will note that the Snapdragon 626 isn’t Qualcomm’s flagship chipset, but don’t let that put you off; it’s still a really powerful and meaty processor but – crucially – it’s incredibly power efficient.

When you combine the long-term performance that brings with the power-saving tweaks in Android Nougat and a huge 3000mAh battery, you end up with a phone that’ll see you through 30 hours on average. In short? This is a phone that’ll let you live away from the wall charger without worry – you’ll likely make it through two days with normal usage.

Want even more juice? The ace up the Moto Z2 Play’s sleeve has a very special way of going the extra mile…

3. Moto Mods

The idea of ‘modular’ smartphones – where the core features of the phone can be added to or swapped out with extras – has been around as a concept for a number of years. A few manufacturers have tried, but no one’s really managed to hit a homerun like Moto (under new owners Lenovo).

See those little metal pins at the bottom of the back of the Z2 Play? They’re a feature found on every Z range Moto phone, and they allow for a series of ingenious ‘Moto Mod’ accessories to slap seamlessly on the back and gift a raft of super powers.

There are a bunch of official Moto Mods already on the market, with more coming soon. Here’s just a few:

Moto TurboPower Pack
The Z2 Play already has a monster battery that can – under the right circumstances – see you through two full days, but add this battery pack and you’ll get another 24 hours on top. With this on its back, the Z2 Play makes for the ultimate festival phone.

Moto 360 Camera
Bring your shots into a whole new dimension with a 360º camera that can capture everything around you in a single pic, ready for sharing across your social network du jour.

JBL Soundboost 2
The Soundboost 2 turns your phone into a mini boombox, adding a deep, rich and powerful speaker to help you get the party started. It’s also got its own battery that’ll see you through 10 hours of music playback before it touches any of the Z2 Play’s juice.

Moto Style Shell with Wireless Charging
Hate wires? Add this thin and light style shell to gift the Moto Z2 Play wireless charging powers – just plonk it down on any Qi-compatible charging pad and you’ll be topped up in no time.

There are more mods on the horizon – including a snap-on gamepad and an InstaPrint mod for turning your photos into physical prints as soon as you’ve taken them – and even more coming by way of savvy developers using the open source Moto Mods development kit. Lenovo has promised to support the platform for at least the next couple of years, too, which means the sky’s the limit.

Sound good? You can grab your Moto Z2 Play from Vodafone UK here, while our range of Moto Mods is coming soon!

Where to next?

Show me the future of smartphones

Show me this month’s best apps

The post Modular marvel, battery beast: The Motorola Moto Z2 Play lands at Vodafone UK! appeared first on Vodafone Social.

Source: Official Vodafone Blog
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IoT Solutions World Congress (IoTSWC), produced in association with the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), took place in Barcelona on 3-5 October 2017. At the conference, Jim Morrish of Huawei participated in a panel focussing on Empowering Smart City Managers and Smart City Entrepreneurs. This is a brief summary of the discussion.

By Jim Morrish

Participants:
• Jim Morrish (Chief IoT Solution Consultant, Europe Region, Huawei)
• Ulrich Ahle (CEO FIWARE Foundation)
• David Aimson (Strategic Business Planning & Commercial Development, Buckinghamshire County Council)
• Mika Rasinkangas (VP, Business Development InterDigital Communications, Inc.)
• Arty Chandra (Sr. Director, InterDigital) [Moderator]

IoT Solutions World Congress (IoTSWC), produced in association with the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), took place in Barcelona on 3-5 October 2017. At the conference, Jim Morrish of Huawei participated in a panel focussing on Empowering Smart City Managers and Smart City Entrepreneurs. This is a brief summary of the discussion.

The panel was opened with a discussion of the benefits of Public Private Partnerships in the Smart Cities space, including the access that such approaches can provide to funding and innovation.

The panel then moved to a discussion of the overall challenges of and requirements for Smart Cities projects. The view of the panel was that much of the challenge associated with smart cities projects related to financial and political barriers. Even when smart city solution use cases were compelling (for instance, a cost saving of up to 80% was mentioned in respect of smart lighting solutions that also include the swap over from sodium lighting to LED lighting), often there were political blocks to overcome. Such blocks could be associated with electoral cycles (and the need for mayoral incumbents to deliver benefits within their elected term) or to do with a lack of clear decision-making responsibility or budget and operational fragmentation between different ‘levels’ of city and regional administrations.

One approach that was suggested was to use certain ‘anchor projects’ to propel the overall adoption of IIoT technologies in cities. For instance, a smart lighting solution could potentially also provide the communications and other infrastructure needed to support other smart cities applications such as connected refuse-bin monitoring and optimised collection, or smart parking, or smart traffic control. An effective strategy can be to implement such an ‘anchor’ project, so improving the business case associated with any downstream IIoT projects and also the ease of implementing such projects.

The panel then focussed briefly on standards in smart cities. FIWARE has developed to the point where it is a standard that has been adopted by ‘hundreds’ of smart cities projects, and seems to have real momentum. There is significant benefit in the adoption of standards in a smart cities context, since many smart cities projects are broadly similar between different cities. For example, a smart street lighting solution in The Hague won’t be much different to a smart lighting solution in Barcelona. Accordingly it makes sense to develop solutions once, and deploy in multiple locations. Standards like FIWARE enable this overall approach, and also enable scale benefits within the overall marketplace.

The panel concluded with each panellist providing their view of what advice they would offer to any city considering the adoption of IIoT technologies. The responses included references to standards, specification and deployment of comprehensive solutions, anchor projects, integrated platforms and also potentially initially focussing on key (isolated) priority solutions to get the overall adoption of IIoT within cities moving.

One key observation was the IIoT is only one aspect of Information Technology, albeit a very significant aspect, and one that will encompass all of IT in the medium term. The approach to the adoption of IIoT within a city should therefore be couched in terms of the adoption of Information Technology as a whole. And cities should be clear that IT is only one of the levers that they have available to achieve their defined strategic plans, with other levers including for example taxation and investment in shared infrastructures, etc. Accordingly, the delivery of a cities’ strategic plan should be the first priority, and city administrations should consider the use of IT and IIoT only where these concepts support the delivery of the overall strategic plan.

Download the white papers to learn more about Huawei’s IoT Solution

The post Empowering Smart City Managers and Smart City Entrepreneurs appeared first on Huawei Enterprise Blog.

Source: Huawei Enterprise Blog
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IoT Solutions World Congress (IoTSWC), produced in association with the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), took place in Barcelona on 3-5 October 2017. At the conference, Jim Morrish of Huawei participated in a panel focussing on The Value of Testbeds (1) to IIoT. This is a brief summary of the discussion.

By Jim Morrish

Participants:
• Jim Morrish (Chief IoT Solution Consultant, Europe Region, Huawei)
• Jamie Smith (Business & Technology Director-National Instruments)
• Calvin Smith (Director & Head of IoT Partner Engineering, Wipro)
• Stephen Mellor (CTO, Industrial Internet Consortium) [Moderator]

The panel opened with a discussion of the purpose of testbeds within the IIoT ecosystem. The view of the panel was that the purpose of testbeds was initially to demonstrate and prove IIoT technologies, working in combination in new and inventive ways. In the course of undertaking testbeds, participating companies will learn how different IIoT technologies interact, and the constraints of existing technologies. Testbeds can also contribute to the identification of new standards required to support the IIoT. Additionally, however, testbeds act to de-risk the adoption of IIoT technologies from the perspective of end-users. They are a real world demonstration of solutions and technology combinations that have been proven to work together, and a medium-term aim of the IIC’s testbeds programme should be to distil the learnings from its’ portfolio of testbeds and communicate these to the wider marketplace, so that others can learn from the experiences gained by testbed participants. If you need information on quantum encryption, you can check it out here!

Following on from this discussion, all panel participants noted how critical it was for companies seeking to participate in the IIoT to first engage in the wider IIoT ecosystem. No individual company is able to deliver end-to-end IIoT solutions, and so establishing strong partnerships within the industry is crucial.

There followed a brief focus on security in the IIoT, and specifically ‘right sized’ security for any particular IIoT solution in question. The statement was made that security ‘costs’ both in terms of the monetary cost of any IIoT solution, and also the usability of that solution by end users. Somehow ‘sophisticated’ companies need to be able to make informed decisions about the ‘level’ of security that is appropriate to be implemented with any IIoT solution. This is a key area for overall IIoT market development, and it is an area that the IIC is focussing on right now.

The panel also considered the impact of geography and socio-economic factors on the viability of IIoT solutions, with the ‘business case’ for IIoT solutions often being more challenging in country markets with lower GDP per capita. The potential impact of individual country regulations relating to privacy and data sovereignty on solution architectures was also discussed.

The panel concluded with a discussion of the IIC’s ‘outreach’ programme for industry vertical participants. Recognising that most members of the IIC are on the vendor-side of the industry, the IIC is currently undertaking an initiative to garner more support and engagement from the end-user community without individual end user companies necessarily needing to become members of the IIC before they are able to participate in testbeds.

Note: (1) ‘Testbeds’ is the term that the Industrial Internet Consortium uses for a range of IoT solution demonstrations involving IIC members as partners, and undertaken under the oversight of the IIC with the goal of furthering understanding of the IIoT.

Download the white papers to learn more about Huawei’s IoT Solution

The post The Value of Testbeds to IIoT appeared first on Huawei Enterprise Blog.

Source: Huawei Enterprise Blog
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Data center management has never been easier! Find out how AI and augmented reality can help you with every day management of your data center. Nokia Data Center Manager enhanced with MIKA, the first digital assistant for data center management, simplifies the complexity of infrastructure management.
https://networks.nokia.com/services/digital-assistant-as-a-service
https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/airframe-data-center-solution

Source: Nokia YouTube
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Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is being leveraged to do incredible things, from breaking down cultural barriers with smart translators, to helping doctors and biochemists better understand, prevent and treat the world’s deadliest and most confounding diseases. Technology is bridging the gap from imagination to reality faster than ever before, but we have only scratched the surface of what AI can help us accomplish.

At Microsoft, we believe AI has the power to transform our world. By building and leveraging powerful platforms like Microsoft Cognitive Services, we can amplify human ingenuity in ways we never could have imagined: changing how we work, play and live. Our approach to AI isn’t just limited to our products, but also how we participate in the broader community.

Since launching Microsoft Ventures last year, we’ve invested in more than 40 remarkable startups including AI innovators like Agolo, Bonsai, Crowdflower and Livongo. We also formed an AI fund to support startups focused on inclusive growth and a positive impact on society. But we still want to do more. So today, we’re announcing Microsoft Ventures’ next step in helping to drive progress in AI and continuing Microsoft’s commitment to making AI accessible for all: Innovate.AI, a global startup competition.

Through this global competition, we are asking startups creating or leveraging transformative AI technologies to apply for a chance to win $1 million from Microsoft Ventures and participating venture capital (VC) partners and $500,000 in Azure credits. In addition, one standout finalist will be awarded $500,000 in venture funding and $500,000 in Azure credits from Microsoft Ventures as part of the AI for Good Prize, which acknowledges their use of AI to better society.  The winners will extend across three regions – North America, Europe and Israel – for a total of four winners and a combined $3.5 million in investment funding. In North America, we are working with Madrona Venture Group; in Europe, Notion Capital; and in Israel, Vertex Ventures Israel.

Up to 10 finalists from each region will participate in a live pitch-off in the spring where their ideas will be evaluated by a panel of experts from Microsoft Ventures and our VC partners. Only one of the 10 finalists per region will be awarded the $1 million prize.

Submissions are open now until the end of the calendar year (Dec. 31, 2017) on the Microsoft Ventures website. Companies working to advance the future of AI and share Microsoft’s mission of making AI more accessible and valuable to everyone are encouraged to apply.

I’m looking forward to what (and who!) we find. Bring us your best!

The post Microsoft Ventures debuts $3.5 million search for startups shaping the future of AI appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

Source: The Official Microsoft Blog

• Customers in towns and villages such as Sandringham, North Walsham and Acle, can now enjoy high speed 4G mobile internet
• O2 has 98% outdoor 4G coverage across the county

Tuesday, 10 October 2017: O2 has increased its 4G coverage across Norfolk this year with the mobile network operator launching 4G in over 180 new towns, villages and hamlets across the county.  The region now has 98% outdoor 4G coverage, demonstrating O2’s commitment to bring 4G to its customers in more rural areas in the region.

Overall, outdoor 4G population coverage in Norfolk has increased by 9% this year to reach 98%.

Areas upgraded this year include North Walsham, Caister-on-Sea, Long Stratton, Sandringham, Eccles and Acle, and there are plans to add more locations in the coming months.

Customers in these locations can now enjoy high speed 4G mobile internet, enabling them to stream high definition TV, shop on the go and use video calling.  For business customers, using 4G means that they can be more effective and flexible by working remotely, accessing cloud services and collaborating using apps.

Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer O2, said: “We recognise that connectivity is essential to our customers which is why we’re investing in a range of innovative measures to ensure we give our customers reliable coverage wherever they go.

“While it’s great that our 4G network now reaches 98% of Norfolk’s outdoor population, we’re committed to continue increasing this number.  In the next month, we’re starting work to bring 4G to East Harling, Cawston, Eccles-on-Sea and Upper Street and have ongoing plans to continue connecting our customers in rural areas across the county.”

Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is essential that Norfolk businesses can easily access digital communication and the ongoing focus to increase 4G connectivity across Norfolk is a real positive that will be a huge benefit to local communities, and businesses based in the region.  In particular, there is a real need to increase connectivity in our rural villages and it’s encouraging to see that O2 is working to bring 4G to these areas. We are determined to work in partnership with operators so that they can progress their 4G rollout without delay”

O2 currently offers 4G in over 15,000 cities, towns and villages across the UK and spends over £2 million a day on strengthening its network and increasing its reach.  In addition to launching 4G, O2 is also strengthening its 2G and 3G networks across the country.

For more information about 4G on O2 please visit www.o2.co.uk/4G.

The post O2 brings 4G to over 180 new locations across Norfolk appeared first on The Blue.

Source: O2 Blog
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