-Apex

What is project management? (Redefined for 2021) Strip it down to its basics and the essence of project management has been around forever We often think of project management as a modern concept; a ‘buzzword’ that sums up our 21st century obsession with efficiency and organization. But, strip it down to its basics, and the essence of project management effectiveness has been around forever. We need only look to some of the world’s oldest - and greatest - technical achievements. Take the Great Pyramid of Giza, for example. The oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex bordering present-day Giza in Greater Cairo, it was built over 4,500 years ago - and yet remains largely intact. Here's our list of the best project management software out there We've built a list of the best collaboration tools around Check out our list of the best productivity software right now Po[CENSORED]r fascination still abounds about how such an enormous structure was completed - not just built, but built to withstand the passing of thousands of years. And every imaginable explanation has been advanced - including outlandish conspiracy theories about aliens and giants, among others! In reality, of course, the pyramids were built by people: a gargantuan undertaking in which workers (generally believed to be Egyptian farmers unable to tend their land due to adverse weather) would have needed to communicate seamlessly, set deadlines and manage their workloads with razor-sharp organization. Bosses would have needed to identify bottlenecks and resourcing to ensure things continued apace without delays. Materials would need to be ready at the right time for the right people to put them in the right place. And every person would have to own their own part of that process. They almost certainly wouldn’t have talked about project management. But then, as now, the same principles guided the success of the whole endeavour. And when you strip everything down to its bare bones, the same core principles essentially govern the success (or failure) of every project, before, since - and in the future. What is project management? So, what is project management? It’s become a surprisingly difficult question to answer, as so much unnecessary complexity has been added over the years. In truth, project management has become an incredibly broad term with a lot of sterile, meaningless ‘management-speak’ littered definitions. It seems to have its own language, with lots of words - but not much meaning. Taking things back to basics, the dictionary defines "project" as "an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim", while "management" is defined as "the process of dealing with or controlling things or people". Putting those together, we could perhaps define project management as the process of dealing with or controlling things or people, involved in an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Or, to simplify further, to give us the clearest possible understanding of what project management is: ‘Managing teams and individuals to help them achieve a set goal.’ But, going further, I’d suggest that ‘project management’ is - as well as all the above - a methodology of dealing with your projects that seriously makes the difference between success and failure. Whether you’re creating a video, building a website, running a marketing campaign - or, indeed, building a 139-metre tall pyramid to house the remains of a dead pharaoh! - project management is about a very small, simple, but incredibly powerful, handful of ideas that keep things organised, on-track and maximise chances of success. Those simple ideas are:Communication of important information Organization of people and teams' workloads, capacity and resourcing Time and task management Continuous evaluation of progress, combined with... Agility and ability to change direction along the way In other words project management is about answering simple questions, and then ensuring all three are executed. What? When? And how? How is project management changing in 2021? So, as we’ve established, project management isn’t a particularly new term, and indeed it’s been a highly regarded career choice - and industry in its own right - for many years. A quick look on Google Trends reveals that interest in the topic has been consistently high over the past decade. Typically project management has dealt with the delivery of ‘big’ projects - particularly construction and software - where individuals and teams are employed specifically to ‘project manage.’ And that’s no surprise, when huge numbers of people, huge sums of money and huge time pressures are in play. But increasingly, these days, similar methodologies and techniques are being adopted to manage much smaller projects. Again - we’re seeing that an additional focus on project management is required across industries, products and services. But why would this be the case now, in the 2020s? You’d think that, more than ever, projects would essentially manage themselves - with all the technology and advantages we’ve amassed in recent years? Counterintuitively, in many ways, the emergence of technology is exactly what’s created such a minefield for businesses. With more software tools available for people to communicate and manage their work, comes more choice. With more choice, comes less uniformity. And with less uniformity comes inconsistency and disorganisation. The stats back this up. Studies suggest that an almost unanimous 96% of people think the businesses they deal with could improve when it comes to communication and project management, while only 17% of people believe that their business is extremely well organised - and 8% say it’s ‘poor.’ Drilling down to the specific, individual experiences, nearly three-quarters of people have struggled to find project files that have been shared privately with other people, while 63% of people have missed a message or important piece of information that went into a colleague's inbox while that colleague was absent. Set against the backdrop of sky-high customer expectations - where customers expect a seamless, connected experience - businesses are under immense pressure and often failing to deliver. Throw in a healthy dose of remote working - already a rising trend but compounded by the global pandemic of 2020 - and businesses are really struggling to achieve the goal of scalable, repeatable success across people, teams and projects. Project management, then - a redefined and simplified version - desperately needs to emerge as the antidote to this modern chaos: a ‘correction of course’ from individual ways of working to something more universal and efficient across organisations. It’s about taking projects from the beginning, being laser-focused on the goals and requirements of the project. It’s about breaking down those requirements into the individual steps that need to be taken, and when - allocating those tasks to people, ensuring they’re completed on time, and reacting ASAP if things start to slip. And it’s about managing that process through to the end, with quality control throughout. 5 steps to effective project management So, with all that said, project management in 2021 can be boiled down to 5 essential steps - best practices to aim for, which - if followed correctly - all but guarantee successful execution of pretty much any project, big or small. 1). Goal setting The best projects are clearly defined from the very beginning - like setting a destination on a GPS system. It’s a state of defining where you start from, and where you need to get to, by when. The clearer you can make this vision from the beginning, through specifications, briefing documentation, visualisation and more - the better. 2). Systemizing processes We talk a lot about repeatability in business, and essentially this starts with breaking down the whole project into the ‘steps’ that will be required. For example, if you’re making a marketing video, you’d need to write a script; create the graphics; animate or film the video; add music, and voiceover. Each one of these would be a process to be systemised, with its own repeatable elements, so that it can be carried out time after time. Creating a clear blueprint for how your projects work is a great step that adds enormous value to your business. Clearly, no two projects are exactly the same but if you have clearly defined ‘phases’ of your process, you can map this out and simply change your timescales around. Systemizing in this way gives managers and leaders a clear overview of where things are up to and helps them forecast workload, identify resourcing issues and bottlenecks so they can adjust along the way. 3). Communication It may be number 3 on the list, but it’s perhaps the most important. Communication of important info - both with clients, and within your team internally - is non-negotiable for effective project management. There are real problems (some of which I mentioned earlier) with siloed information that isn’t shared centrally. Many people choose to use email as their communication tool of choice, which has its advantages - but so much information slips through the cracks and is inaccessible to people working on a project. If possible, communication should be out in the open - messages should be available to be reviewed throughout the project by anyone who might need to see them. This makes it really important to use one consistent set of tools, ensuring all communication has a consistent location and can be found easily. 4). Transparency Another crucial factor is visibility. If everybody knows what everybody else is doing, it enhances their own understanding of their own role and builds strong connections and understanding throughout your team. This helps build a sense of purpose and connection which is invaluable. 5). Software Again, it’s 2021 and that means there are so many choices available, for communication, for task management, for to-do lists, for file sharing, for time tracking and everything in between. Everyone will have their own preferences - but it’s important to try and limit that choice, and make sure that a) there are clearly defined tools for working on a project, and b) there’s a strong collective buy-in to using that tool across your team.

AMD-Powered Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop Down to $1199 Save $250 on the Zephyrus G14 As Black Friday gets closer, vendors are slowly releasing deals on our favorite hardware. We're working around the clock to find you the best deals on tech—especially gaming laptops. Today we're featuring this discount from Best Buy on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop. Read our Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop review for an up-close look at what to expect from this machine. ASUS - ROG Zephyrus G14: was $1449, now $1199 @BestBuy This gaming laptop has a screen spanning 14 inches across. It has an AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS processor and is currently marked down $250 through Best Buy. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop uses an AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS processor capable of speeds up to 2.3GHz. It comes with a total of 16GB of RAM. For graphics, it features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU. It also comes with an internal SSD with a maximum storage capacity of 1TB. Visit the Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop product page on Best Buy for more details and checkout options.

Happy birthday ❤️

T/C

My vote goes to DH1, Better Lyrics and vocals

My vote goes to DH2, Epic lyrics & music video

I'm voting for DH2, Better Sounds & Rhythm

V2 - Effects, Gif and better Resize

Video title : FUNNIEST MOMENTS IN VALORANT Content creator ( Youtuber ) : Here Official YT video :

2022 Genesis G70 comes into clearer view, adds a 'drift mode' More information on the 2022 Genesis G70 is trickling out today. Genesis detailed the car in Korea, offering up more photos of the redesigned sedan, along with engine and feature updates. We’ll note that Genesis still puts an asterisk at the end of this release, saying that the specifications and features discussed are for Korean-market vehicles. U.S.-specific market info still isn’t explicitly defined, but it’s safe to assume that most of what we see here will also make it stateside. We’ll start with performance. Genesis is carrying over the same couple of engine options as before. The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 252 horsepower, and the upgrade engine is the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 that produces 365 horsepower. However, there’s a newly available Sports package with a variable exhaust that adds three horsepower to both engines and features a much more aggressive exhaust note. The Sports package also adds a “drift mode” with a tweaked all-wheel drive system. All G70s (with or without the Sports package) also add a new Sports+ driving mode that turns the engine and transmission tuning up another notch. Like we mentioned further up, these powertrain details are not final or specific to the U.S. Genesis could make some tweaks, and we’re still hoping the U.S. gets the more powerful 2.5-liter turbo that is coming as a North America exclusive to the updated Kia Stinger. Since the G70 and Stinger share a platform, it’s reasonable that we would get the big four-cylinder here, too. However, the updated Stinger is launching with the same 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 as before, so we’re not expecting Genesis to give us the 3.5-liter with the G70 The 10.25-inch infotainment system from the G80 and GV80 is being carried over to this model. Genesis also made the instrument cluster larger for better readability. Folks will get a more powerful wireless phone charger on the interior, and acoustic glass is added to the windshield and front doors All three new photos of the G70 show us what appears to be the four-cylinder model with its twin-pipe exhaust exiting out the rear bumper. We’re still digging the new look and can’t wait to see one in the flesh. Genesis says the updated G70 will go on sale in South Korea first, with international markets following sometime in 2021. Update: More photos were posted to Hyundai Motor Group's Facebook page. You can find the additional photos in the gallery above. The G70 in blue is a V6 model. 2022 Genesis G70 comes into clearer view, adds a 'drift mode' originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Oct 2020 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

7 ways to know a good guy that deserves a chance with you 1. Pays attention to you If he’s sensitive enough to pick when you’re excited, happy, unhappy and all that, he surely knows one great thing about making a woman happy. 2. Supports your dreams A good guy is listening to your business proposal, sitting front row at your performances, promoting your side hustle on social media and most importantly, believing in you when you don’t believe in yourself. 3. He knows that love is an action I love you is easily said but not easily shown over an impressive period of time. Good guys understand this and make sure that you can see and feel that they love you, not just hear it. They do this by constantly putting in the required energy [sometimes, this could be something as simple as letting you sleep while they pick up some of your chores.] to make the relationship tick. 4. Inspires you to be better If his lifestyle inspires you to be better, to step up your game in work, paying attention to your health, etc, you may have found the one. 5. Specialist in little things Anyone with enough money can buy expensive gifts. And while they are not unimportant, they’ll still rank lowly compared to the little things that count most. 6. An emotional guy These days everyone wants to form hard guy. The result of which is an increase in the number of guys bottling in feelings, refusing to process emotions, come to terms with them and express them in the right manner. Openly expressing genuine feelings and emotions seems scarcer than ever among guys, and it’s toxic because it creates a lack of balance. A woman wants to hear just as much as she wants to see, she wants to be told how a guy feels about her as much as possible. Refusing to do this deprives her of the right level of energy that she would have gotten from those reassuring words and display of emotions. So how do you know you have a good guy on your hands? He is completely open with how he feels about you at all times. 7. Respectful Respectful in the sense of not undermining you just because you are a woman or feeling bigger by virtue of his own gender. That actually counts. A good guy is respectful to you even when it’s difficult to be. For example, when you are having a fight or when he’s pissed off. Finding a guy who understands your idea of respect and never crosses the line into disrespect is such a great thing. And when he also happens to extend this courtesy to family and friends, you should know he’s a good one.

Nifty ends higher but again fails to close above 12,000. What analysts say Indian shares ended higher today amid a volatile trading session. The NSE Nifty 50 index closed up 0.34% at 11,937.65 while the S&P BSE Sensex ended 163 points higher at 40,707. Intra-day, Nifty hit a high of 12,018 but failed to sustain that level. This is the third time in eight days Nifty has failed to close above 12,000 after rising above that level intraday. The Nifty Bank index closed 1.33% higher today after a senior finance ministry official said that the government is working on the next stimulus package to support the economy amid positive signs of a fall in COVID-19 cases. "Nifty has turned back from just above 12000 for the third time in the past eight days. The fall from there was reversed in a sharp manner suggesting that the Nifty may not be ready to give up immediately. Materials and large PSUs are back in favour in sectoral rotation while BFSI and IT have come under pressure," said Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities. Financials were the top boosts on the blue-chip index, with top lender HDFC Bank, HDFC Ltd and ICICI Bank Ltd adding between 1.4% and 1.9%. Reliance Industries Ltd was the top drag, ending the day 1.5% lower after having risen as much as 1.7% earlier in trade. Meanwhile, global sentiment improved on signs of progress towards a new U.S. coronavirus relief package. "Till noon, it seemed that the index is finally geared to resume its uptrend above 12000 as banking pack as well as the broader markets were going up quite well. However, many times we have seen that when things look quite easy, market tends to give some reality check and that is what we witnessed during the day. The intraday volatility mostly sidelined the weaker hands and the bulls continued to dominate at the close. Due to the sharp recovery in the concluding hour, 11800- 11775 continues to be an important support, and till this is defended, one should continue to maintain a positive stance. On the higher side, 12000-12025 certainly has attracted some profit booking recently but once we see a breakout breakout above the same, the broader markets would then provide good trading opportunities." Manish Hathiramani, Proprietary Index Trader and Technical Analyst, Deen Dayal Investments "Despite being close to the 12050 levels, we were unable to get past that. The Nifty reacted sharply from that zone of 12000-12050 and has resumed it's sideways movements. For any up move to commence, it is imperative we cross 12050 as that will lead the index to 12200-12300 levels. On the flip side, the support is at 11650 and till we do not break that, we are going to be rangebound with a positive bias." Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking Ltd "Markets managed to end in the green in a highly volatile session. After the upbeat start, the benchmark remained sideways in the first half however volatile swings in select index majors in the latter half unsettled the participants. The broader market performance was in line with the benchmark and ended flat. On the sector front, Realty, Telecom and Metals were the top gainers whereas FMCG and IT ended with losses." "We expect volatility to remain high, citing mixed global cues and prevailing earnings season. Nifty has been hovering in the range of 11,650-12,050 and needs a decisive break for the further surge. Meanwhile, traders should limit their leveraged positions and maintain positions on both sides." (With Agency Inputs)

Halo: The Master Chief Collection Getting Optimizations For Xbox Series X And Series S The collection will be updated to include support for 120 FPS across all of its games, as well as additional improvements. With the launch of the Xbox Series X and Series S just around the corner, Microsoft is continually adding to its growing list of exclusives that will be enhanced for its new consoles. Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be included, too, with support for 120 FPS and up to 4K. The collection will receive an update on November 17 (a week after the console launch) that will optimize the entire catalogue of Halo classics for the capabilities of the new consoles. That means 120 FPS support in both the campaigns and multiplayer, as well as up to 4K support and additional split-screen optimizations on the Xbox Series X, although the tweet makes has mention of the capabilities of the Series S version of the game. The update will be free, of course, as Microsoft includes it in its Smart Delivery program. The game is also included in Xbox Game Pass on console and PC, as well as Xbox Game Streaming on Android. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a staggering assortment of Halo titles, including the original Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4. It does not include Halo 5: Guardians, and Microsoft is adamant it won't be added in the future. It's a platform for the series' history, which might help take away the sting of the Halo Infinite delay that occurred a few months ago. The latest entry in the series still has no release date beyond a vague 2021 release window. The Xbox Series X and Series S both launch on November 10, just two days before Sony's PlayStation 5. The more powerful Series X retails for $500, while the smaller, less powerful Series S comes in at $300. If you're still searching for a preorder, check out our Xbox Series X/S preorder guide for stock alerts at various retailers.

Windows 10 October 2020 Update is finally ready – here’s how to download it Brings a few improvements The Windows 10 October 2020 Update is now rolling out to billions of Windows 10 users around the world, and it brings a few choice improvements, including a new-look Start menu. Unlike the earlier Windows 10 May 2020 Update, this new upgrade isn’t a huge overhaul of the operating system, so you may not want to get too excited. However, with Microsoft’s previous troubles with big Windows 10 Updates, the fact that the October 2020 Update is relatively modest could be quite a good thing. How to speed up Windows 10 How to work smarter from home with Windows 10 We solve 100 common Windows 10 problems However, while this isn’t the most ‘major’ major Windows 10 update, it does come with some welcome new features. New Start menu The first change you’ll notice in the Windows 10 October 2020 Update is the new-look Start menu. While this may not be the drastic redesign some people were hoping for, but it drops solid colors for more transparent effects that makes it blend in better to your desktop Theme, while also making it easier to find the apps you’re looking for. Alt + Tab changes Windows 10 October 2020 Update also changes one of the most-used keyboard shortcuts – Alt + Tab. When pressing those keys, you can switch between open apps using an on-screen menu. With the new update, you’ll also be able to scroll through open Edge tabs as well. If you use Edge as your web browser, this could be a handy way to quickly switch to a website. If you don’t like the sound of that, you can switch back to the original way of doing things. Other changes The other changes included in the Windows 10 October 2020 Update include better support for high refresh rate gaming monitors, an improved and cleaner Taskbar and app logos in Windows 10 notifications. How to download the Windows 10 October 2020 Update Microsoft is rolling out the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, so you should see it appear as an automatic download at some point. You can open up the Windows Update tool to check to see if it’s ready to be installed by searching for ‘Windows Update’ in the search box next to the Start menu, then selecting ‘Check for updates’. You should see a section called ‘Feature update to Windows 10, version 20H2’. Windows 10 20H2 is another name for the October 2020 Update, so click ‘Download and install’ to begin. If you don’t see that, wait a few days, as it may take time for the update to roll out to your PC.

Corsair Void RGB Elite Headset Only $58 from Amazon Save more than $20 on this headset. Looking for the best gaming headsets to round out this year's stocking stuffers? You've come to the right place. We've been rounding up deals on tech as the holiday season draws closer and gaming headsets are on our list. Today we're highlighting a sale on the Corsair Void RGB Elite Gaming Headset. In our Corsair Void RGB Elite review back in 2019, we noted its sleek design and microphone that "you could land planes with." It's usually priced around $79 but is available today for $58 at Amazon. Corsair Void RGB Elite: was $79, now $58 @Amazon This gaming headset from Corsair features RGB LEDs and uses 50mm audio drivers. It's currently discounted by 27% on Amazon. The Corsair Void Elite Pro RGB gaming headset uses 50mm neodymium audio drivers. It has a supported frequency range between 20Hz and 30,000Hz. This headset also takes advantage of 7.1 surround sound technology. It has an omnidirectional mic that can be flipped up to mute, and of course has RGB lighting on both ear cups. Check out the Corsair Void Elite RGB gaming headset on Amazon for more specs, details and checkout information. This discount is listed without an expiration, so it's not clear for how long it will be made available.

Musician Name : Robert Nesta Marley Birthday / Location : Born: 6 February 1945 | Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Colony of Jamaica / Died 11 May 1981 (aged 36) | Miami, Florida, U.S. Main instrument : Vocals, guitar, percussion Musician Picture : Musician Awards & Nominations :1976: Rolling Stone Band of the Year June 1978: Awarded the Peace Medal of the Third World from the United Nations February 1981: Awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit, then the nation's third highest honour. March 1994: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1999: Album of the Century for Exodus by Time Magazine. February 2001: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. February 2001: Awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. 2004: Rolling Stone ranked him No. 11 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. 2004: Among the first inductees into the UK Music Hall of Fame "One Love" named song of the millennium by BBC. Voted as one of the greatest lyricists of all time by a BBC poll. 2006: A blue plaque was unveiled at his first UK residence in Ridgmount Gardens, London, dedicated to him by the Nubian Jak Community Trust and supported by Her Majesty's Foreign Office. 2010: Catch a Fire inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Reggae Album). Best Performance : Bob Marley - Could You Other Information : His voice was an omnipresent cry in our electronic world. His sharp features, majestic looks, and prancing style a vivid etching on the landscape of our minds. Bob Marley was never seen. He was an experience which left an indelible imprint with each encounter. Such a man cannot be erased from the mind. He is part of the collective consciousness of the nation

GM's Cruise allowed to drive empty autonomous cars in San Francisco Coronavirus relief deal remains elusive — what are the biggest sticking points? Biden's tax plan could lead to combined rate of 62% for high earners Autoblog logoGM's Cruise allowed to drive empty autonomous cars in San Francisco OAKLAND, Calif. — The race for driverless autonomous vehicles is heating up and on Thursday Cruise became the first to receive a permit to test cars without anyone in them on the streets of San Francisco from California's Department of Motor Vehicles. Cruise, which is majority owned by General Motors and counts Honda and SoftBank Group as investors, has been testing 180 self-driving cars in San Francisco with a safety driver behind the wheel, and the permit allows five of those cars to roam empty. But don’t expect robo-taxis just yet. “So that's a step or two beyond what we'll be doing initially with this permit,” said Dan Ammann, Cruise’s chief executive. “It’s not too far down the road,” he said, but declined to share a timeline. In a blog post, he added, "We’re not the first company to receive this permit, but we’re going to be the first to put it to use on the streets of a major U.S. city." It will be an important step for Cruise to charge customers. For any of the companies to start making money on rides in California, a separate permit is required, state officials said. As part of SoftBank’s investment, SoftBank is obligated to purchase additional Cruise shares for $1.35 billion when Cruise is ready for commercial deployment. “That's a nice incentive to get to commercial deployment,” said Ammann, adding Cruise was in "very strong" financial shape after raising more than $7 billion. Cruise booked a $1 billion loss in 2019, according to a GM filing. Cruise is the fifth company to receive the driverless permit in California. Alphabet’s Waymo was the first in late 2018 to receive it for about three dozen test vehicles with speeds of up to 65 miles per hour. This year SoftBank-backed Nuro, whose vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals, was also approved and has delivered medical supplies for temporary COVID-19 hospitals. Chinese startup AutoX and Amazon.com's Zoox also got their permits in recent months. The four previous permits are for cities in Silicon Valley that are easier to navigate. Under its permit, Cruise cars can go anywhere on San Francisco streets at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour, and can drive both day and night. In Arizona, which has been more open to testing of self-driving cars without drivers, Waymo has already been charging a select group of customers since summer of 2019 for empty vans that pull up and shuttle them around. That program — temporarily paused for the pandemic — was restarted in October and is expected to soon open to the wider public. To prepare for its robotaxi future, Cruise is working on improving its ride hailing app that employees use for free to get around the city, Ammann said. That future would likely eventually include the Cruise Origin an electric vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals unveiled in January, but it would require approval from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). GM's Cruise allowed to drive empty autonomous cars in San Francisco originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Oct 2020 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What Makes a Good Doctor? 7 Surprisingly Useful Skills for Physicians 1. GOOD DOCTORS ARE GOOD COMMUNICATORS “Being a good listener is critical to being a good doctor,” says Dr. John Madden, an Emergency Physician and Director of the Office of Career Guidance and Student Development at St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine. “Patients will tell you what’s wrong if you just let them speak.” "Being a good listener is critical to being a good doctor." Physicians often rush to interrupt patients in about seventeen seconds, Dr. Madden explains. But if they’d just sit back and listen to what their patients reveal, they may find the answer they’re looking for. After all, good communication isn’t just for being friendly with patients. It’s also a vital skill for doctors to understand their patients’ concerns and explain a diagnosis. Dr. Lisa Doggett agrees that good communication skills are essential. “A doctor should give their patients the time they need and deserve. They should answer questions using language that is clear, without using too much medical terminology. They should be honest, but also offer hope, even when a situation is difficult. And they should help their patients feel empowered to improve their own health,” Dr. Doggett explains. "They should help their patients feel empowered to improve their own health." 2. GOOD DOCTORS ARE ORGANIZED AND CONSCIENTIOUS School children are taught from a young age to practice organization in order to be successful in school. And for good reason — one can’t succeed in medicine without presence of mind and being vigilant about details. “A doctor needs to make sure that her patients get recommended screening tests, that their questions are answered, and that patients have a clear plan of action upon leaving her office,” says Dr. Doggett. “She must be vigilant about following up on any tests that are done and communicating those results.” 3. GOOD DOCTORS MAKE PATIENTS FEEL CARED FOR It doesn’t matter to patients if you were the top of your class, had a perfect GPA in medical school, or landed a prestigious residency. It doesn’t matter if you published award-winning journals or conducted ground-breaking research. Patients want to feel that they are in good hands. What does it take to be a doctor who patients trust? A good physician knows how to make a patient feel as though they are being cared for, that their concerns are valid, and that they are being heard. “Patients care more that their doctor actually cares for them than how many papers they've published,” says Dr. Edna Ma. “Caring can be in the form of active listening and asking open-ended questions.” "The patient isn't just a list of medical problems and medications." She goes on to explain that there are small things you can do to really make a patient feel valued. Things like asking questions about their job or family show them that you’re truly interested in them as a person. “The patient isn't just a list of medical problems and medications,” Dr. Ma says. “Even sitting during the conversation shows the patient they are a priority to the doctor.” Making patients feel cared for is a way of building rapport and establishing good working relationships, another hallmark of a good doctor, Dr. Madden adds. 4. GOOD DOCTORS ARE CURIOUS When presented with befuddling symptoms, a good doctor should allow their inherent curiosity to lead them to an accurate diagnosis, even if it means tapping into resources they don’t usually need to come to a diagnosis. "A good doctor should be willing to work to figure out what is going on." “If a patient presents with unusual and worrisome symptoms, a good doctor should be willing to work to figure out what is going on,” Dr. Doggett says. “That may require extra research, reaching out to colleagues, or taking more time to gather a detailed history from the patient.” A good doctor will take the time to follow their curiosity and uncover the answers for their patient’s sake, rather than rushing to a diagnosis too quickly. “Too many doctors are eager to make a diagnosis and be done with it,” Dr. Doggett says. “This leads to missed and incorrect diagnoses.” 5. GOOD DOCTORS WORK TOGETHER TO SUPPORT PATIENTS Just as a doctor needs to practice good communication with their patients, they also need it for relaying information across the health care system. This is especially true for doctors. When a patient goes to the hospital, their primary care physician often doesn’t learn of their visit unless they are informed by the patient or one of their family members. “A good hospital-based doctor will call or sent a note to the primary care physician to let them know the patient has been admitted,” Dr. Doggett explains. “The primary care doctor should then make an effort to gather hospital records and offer timely follow-up after discharge.” Similarly, a good medical specialist will involve a patient’s primary care doctor in any diagnoses or treatments. The best doctors understand that they are not a one-man show, but rather key players on the greater medical team. Being able to work well with others is imperative. 6. GOOD DOCTORS ADVOCATE FOR THEIR PATIENTS Good doctors do whatever it takes to help their patients with whatever their health care needs require. Whether that means helping them navigate the health care system by finding specialists, or acquiring the prescriptions they need, they should be willing to provide that support. "A good doctor will be a strong advocate for their patients." “A good doctor will be a strong advocate for their patients,” Dr. Doggett says. She describes this as being willing to help patients get a prescription medicine approved, secure an urgent appointment for a test or with a specialist, enroll in a patient assistance program, or access necessary services like home health or physical therapy. The best doctors are willing to go the extra mile for their patients’ well-being. 7. GOOD DOCTORS HAVE GREAT BEDSIDE MANNER “What separates a good physician from a great one is their bedside manner,” Dr. Madden says. “Physicians should be personable, great listeners, and empathetic to the concerns of their patients. They should not be condescending or arrogant. They should treat others as they want to be treated.” "Physicians should be personable, great listeners, and empathetic to the concerns of their patients." Dr. Doggett believes that a good bedside manner is critical to establishing a trusting relationship between a doctor and their patients. “A good doctor will be professional, kind, and compassionate to everyone, including patients, their families, colleagues, and staff,” she explains.

India's research, manufacturing critical to fighting COVID-19: Bill Gates New Delhi: India's research and manufacturing will be critical to fighting COVID-19 especially for making vaccines on a large scale, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said on Monday. Addressing the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020, Gates delved upon the difficulties in vaccine development and diagnostics of COVID-19. The American business magnate said India is "very inspiring" as it has made huge strides in improving the health of its people in the last two decades. "And now, India's research and manufacturing will be critical to fighting COVID-19 especially when it comes to making vaccines at large scale," he said. Gates said scientists all over the world are involved in a particular 'grand challenge' -- ending the current pandemic. He said researchers are breaking down silos and rather than waiting to go through the publication process, they are sharing data on a daily basis. "Since the pandemic began, scientists have shared 1,37,000 viral COVID-19 genomic sequences," the Microsoft Corp co-founder said. Even the pharmaceutical companies are cooperating on production ways that really have never been seen before, he added. Talking about the challenges in vaccine development, he said mRNA vaccine is an area where many have seen "great promises". "Probably, the first approved vaccine for COVID-19 will be mRNA," he said but added that the vaccine cannot be counted on alone because it is very hard to scale up and has a logistical problem because it requires a proper cold chain. Gates expressed hope that the mRNA platform matures in the years ahead so that its vaccines can be scaled up that can bring down the costs as well the cold chain requirement. He also stressed on the need for innovation in diagnostics platforms. "Even when sometimes people are tested, results come back negative because some of the tests are not sensitive to the small nano virus," he said, adding, this also leads to infection. "So, the diagnostics are letting us down," Gates said, stressing on the asymptomatic nature of the infection. "Right now, the current business model is identifying people with symptoms and we need to change that. We need sensitive and specific diagnostic tests which matter and we need to make it easy to access," he said. He also said although the RT-PCR test has high specificity, a lot of challenge is about the logistics. Gates suggested that there should be test kits that can be spread out into the community and can be stocked in medicine cabinets, community centres and pharmacies. On cooperation by the scientific fraternity, he noted that international teams of scientists are collaborating with full speed on the vaccine clinical trials. "One or more of these vaccines will be available by early next year and as there will be multiples vaccines, it is necessary to make sure to understand how exactly and where to use each of them," he said. Gates said the pace of science in fighting the pandemic has been remarkable. "But despite all this work, right now, as fast as the science has moved...the pandemic is still ahead of us. The first COVID-19 vaccine will probably be the fastest that humans have ever gone from identifying the new disease to be able to immunise against it," he said. "Still we all know this virus has managed to plunge the entire global economy into a deep recession," he added.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Beta Extended Activision is giving players more time to try out the Black Ops Cold War beta. The second beta weekend for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has been extended until October 20. All attachments are currently unlocked, and players can receive double XP. The game's beta weekend opened on October 15 and was originally scheduled to end on October 19. Players now have another 24 hours to test the beta content and see what the official release of Black Ops Cold War might look and feel like. The beta is open to all players on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Players will need Xbox Live Gold on Xbox One and a Battle.net account on PC. The Black Ops Cold War beta provides a variety of multiplayer modes with crossplay functionality and a progression system to unlock weapons, equipment, and more. A few of the multiplayer modes are Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Control. Another mode, Fireteam: Dirty Bomb, features 10 four-player teams and a game objective that requires teams to collect uranium in order to destroy parts of the map with extending radiation zones. There are 12v12 games also, like Combined Arms: Assault and Domination, that task opposing teams with a fight over capturing zones and objectives. The progression system allows players to receive new weapons, equipment, create-a-class slots, and Scorestreaks. Levels are capped at 40 in the beta, and it is expected that all progress will be reset before the official release. Players who reach level 10 in the beta will receive a Mutual Animosity SMG weapon blueprint that can be utilized in Black Ops Cold War's official release. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War releases on November 13 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game comes at two price points. The $60 edition only includes the PS4 or Xbox One versions, while the $70 edition also includes access on a next-gen console. If you'd like to get a copy of the game, check out our preorder guide for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.