Despite the availability of multiple safe vaccines, vaccine hesitancy may present a challenge to successful control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, vaccine hesitancy may be caused not simply by fears about the safety or efficacy of the vaccine, but instead by the inaccurate belief that many of your peers or social cohort are not being vaccinated.
A recent working paper entitled “Surfacing Norms to Increase Vaccine Acceptance” written by two MIT Sloan Professors, Dean Eckles and Sinan Aral, of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, with Sloan PhD student Alex Mohering, post doctoral researchers Kiran Garimella and Amin Rahimian, and Avi Collis of the University of Texas, set out to study the relative importance of the beliefs that people hold about the acceptance of vaccines by others.
After studying the responses of over 300,000 people in 23 countries, the study showed that accurate information about descriptive norms can substantially increase intentions to accept a vaccine for COVID-19, reducing the fraction of people who are “unsure” or negative about accepting a vaccine by five percent. In other words, clear and accurate information about the behavior of others can influence behavior in a positive way.
“While public health officials and the media have been emphasizing the potential negative impact of vaccine hesitancy, our study found that emphasizing the overwhelming vaccine acceptance expressed by most people is a better way to get those who are unsure to accept COVID-19 vaccines,” says Sinan Aral.
These results suggest that public health communications should present information about the widespread and growing intentions to accept COVID-19 vaccines—and not overly emphasize the fear that the vaccine will not be accepted among a large portion of the population.
“Humans are innately sensitive to the behaviors of others. This pandemic is tragic enough without adding to the suffering by overestimating and over-communicating the fear that some will not accept the vaccine. The best way forward, as is often the case, is the presentation of clear, accurate and timely information.” says Dean Eckles.
Counter-Strike began life as a fan-made modification for Valve Corporation’s much-acclaimed title Half-Life 2. Created by Minh “Gooseman” Le and Jess “Cliffe” Cliffe, Counter-Strike was acquired by Valve in 1999 and saw its first retail release later on that year. Whilst it has never been the commercial behemoth that a series such as Call of Duty has become over the years, Counter-Strike has managed to establish itself as one of the most recognisable faces in the first-person shooter (FPS) genre of gaming, with three major sequels and various spin offs titles, the latest of which, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, was released back in 2012.
Valve have established themselves as one of the best in the business for continuing to support their games with constant tweaks and updates to keep things feeling fresh and optimised, and this has proven to be the cornerstone for Counter-Strike’s enduring popularity within the video gaming community.
It has also been one of the biggest driving forces for the Counter-Strike franchise being able to flex itself as the most successful FPS title in the world of competitive gaming, and a huge driving force behind its growth as a multi-billion dollar industry over the past twenty years. With the series continuing its soar in popularity ahead of 2021, here’s everything you need to know about Counter-Strike: the shooting game taking the world by storm.
Gameplay
The Counter-Strike series has built a legacy for emphasising team play, communication, planning and short sharp bursts of action, rather than the all-out action approach of competitor titles such as Call of Duty. Whichever game in the series you play, simply running around and trying to kill opponents is not an option at a reasonable skill level.
The game pits two teams of five players against each other on a map in a best of thirty match. Rounds last 1:55 and teams are split into either the T (Terrorist) or CT (Counter-Terrorist) side. Terrorists can win rounds by either killing the entire enemy team or successfully planting and defending a bomb until it detonates after a forty second countdown. There are two bombsites on every defusal map, and Counter-Terrorists can win rounds by either killing the enemy team before a bomb is planted, waiting out the round timer without the bomb being planted, or defusing the bomb once it has been placed.
Teams are given an economy for each round that they have to manage, meaning that planning ahead, saving weapons, choosing between armour, utility and weaponry each round can be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of games even before a bullet is fired.
All these factors have helped Counter-Strike develop one of the highest skill ceilings found anywhere in the gaming world, and subsequently developed an hyper-competitive professional scene.
Counter-Strike In Esports
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the latest game in the series and, despite being over eight years old now, has actually seen its numbers soar over the past year or so. Not only is it one of the most watched games on online streaming platforms such as Twitch.tv with hundreds of thousands of hours digested by viewers, but 2020 saw it peak past the one million concurrent player mark several times for the first time in its history. As of February 2021, the game averages roughly 24 million users a month, over double the amount recorded in 2016.
For the first time in the franchise’s history, Global Offensive was moved to a free to play model by Valve in 2018 and can still be picked up and played for absolutely nothing via Steam even today.
Naturally, with so many players and so much interest, the competitive scene for the game is one of the most heavily invested in and fleshed out in the entire Esports industry. CS:GO betting has become increasingly popular for events and tournaments right across the world and, thanks to the influx of investment from the likes of Intel, Monster, Alienware and even the United States Air Force, the standard for competition hosting has risen substantially over the past couple of years.
The very first Counter-Strike tournament was hosted in 2001 for the original game in the series at the Cyberathlete Professional League, and the likes of the World Cyber Games and Electronic Sports World Cup hosted Counter-Strike tournaments in the early to mid 2000s as the Esports industry grew. It wasn’t until the release of Global Offensive in 2012 however that the industry really began to ramp up, coinciding with the boom in popularity of games such as Dota 2 and League of Legends.
Valve began hosting the very first Major Championship for the game in 2013 at DreamHack Winter, and have gone on to host two annual tournaments ever since. These tournaments tend to carry with them a prize pool of $1 million dollars and are still regarded as the most prestigious events in the game to this day.
The genre-busting Vancouver up-and-comer Boslen dives deep into his bag of tricks for the moody, mind-bending single TRIP out now. Listen HERE. This is the first single from Boslen’s forthcoming debut album DUSK to DAWN. TRIP is a vivid day-in-the-life story from Canada’s next star, celebrating the successes of a whirlwind year in his own woozy, wilding way.
As we’ve come to expect from Boslen, TRIP is a sonic joyride through indie pop, rap, and R&B, while psychedelia swirls and drums dart in and out of trap. Boslen drifts over and dives into the shifting production (from justsayin, NXSTY, and MSXII), spitting about taking every opportunity and passing up naysayers: “I’m ducking the bullets, I’m ducking the clowns/You live life to the fullest til you not around.” For Boslen, TRIP is a chance to reflect on his journey so far, even while pushing his sound into the future. “It feels like there are constant highs and lows being an artist that’s coming up,” he says, “I wanted TRIP to showcase both the light and the dark.”
DUSK to DAWN will be Boslen’s first project since 2019’s Black Lotus EP, which peaked at #11 on the Canadian Apple Music streaming charts. He’s been hard at work releasing a slew of singles/videos including Hidden Nights, and Lightspeed, which is off the Black Lotus EP. In 2020 Boslen dropped VULTURES, and My Ways, which showed how much he’s been refining his style and expanding his scope. This new album is poised to accelerate his eclectic sound even further, moving fluidly from genre to genre while orbiting Boslen’s Swiss-Army-knife delivery. With a vision this focused, and hits like TRIP in the bag, Boslen has already proven himself worth following. Each release offers something brand new.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Lucky Daye shares his latest EP, Table For Two, out now on Keep Cool/RCA Records. The EP follows his 2019 highly acclaimed debut album,Painted and comes off the heels of standout new single “On Read” with Grammy-nominated East London prodigy Tiana Major9. The release, timed perfectly for Valentine’s Day, features powerful contributions from Ari Lennox, YEBBA, Mahalia, Queen Naija, and Joyce Wrice making this a mandatory listen for any and all music lovers across eras and genres.
Early on in life, Lucky Daye discovered his love of music and natural gift for singing and songwriting in the musical melting pot that is New Orleans, where he was born. Ultimately Lucky knew he wanted to pursue music as a career so he moved to Atlanta for a brief stint and eventually ventured to Los Angeles to pursue his dream. He was shortly thereafter picked up by Keep Cool under RCA Records, where he recorded his 2019 breakthrough hit “Roll Some Mo” which has aggregated over 60 million streams worldwide. Earning first ever GRAMMY nominations that same year, Lucky Daye raked in a grand total of four nominations for Best R&B Song, Best R&B Performance, Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Album. This widespread acclaim also came in from his selective feature choices with KAYTRANADA, Buddy, SG Lewis, Big Freedia, Kehlani, Kiana Lede, Babyface, Victoria Monet, and more. His critically acclaimed work has received unanimous praise from Rolling Stone, NPR,Noisey, Billboard, The FADER, and Daye has found himself in 2021 with his dreams being manifested. With praise such as:
“…Far ahead of his competition in the genre. Daye’s forlorn vocal manipulation has drawn comparison to Frank Ocean, but his versatility and strategic fusions of funk and jazz nod to how he might set himself apart…”– NPR
“Lucky Daye can do it all. The versatility of his music makes him hard to box in one genre [and] shows elements of his skillfulness with songs full of strings, funk and tempo.” – HYPEBEAST
The smart home technology industry has grown incredibly in the last decade with homes becoming more and more interconnected than ever before. The most popular smart home device by far is the smart speaker, with Amazon’s Echo dominating its competitors. According to data presented by Trading Platforms, 20% of Americans surveyed indicated owning Amazon’s Echo with Google Nest as its closest competitor at only 8%.
Smart Speakers with Voice Assistant Systems – Most Popular Smart Home Device
The smart home trend has been on the rise in recent years as more and more household gadgets become interconnected. The industry’s strength is reflected by revenue projections for 2021, with the smart home market projected to record just under $1 billion in revenue for the coming year. Smart speakers, specifically those with voice-integrated assistants like Amazon’s Echo, are the most popular form of smart home devices. It is estimated that in 2020 there were 128 million voice assistant users in the US with that number projected to grow to close to 136 million by 2022.
Of those who said they owned a smart home device in the US 28% indicated that they owned a smart speaker – the biggest share among the different types of smart home devices. This popularity is not limited to the US, similarly, in the UK 29% of smart home device owners owned a form of a voice-assistant smart speaker.
Amazon Echo Dominates Smart Speaker Market Competitors Google and Apple
Amazon’s Echo was first released in 2014 and quickly became the standard-bearer for the smart speaker market. The Echo makes use of Amazon’s voice assistant system, Alexa. In January 2019 the company announced that it had sold over 100 million Echo smart speakers, passing an important milestone. In a survey from Q3 of 2020, over 20% of 4000+ respondents in the US indicated that they owned Amazon’s Echo.
This number is even made more impressive by comparing it to its two main competitors, Google’s Nest (formerly Google Home) which uses the Google Assistant system and Apple’s HomePod which uses its Siri voice assistant system. In the same survey, only 8.1% indicated owning Google’s Nest while only 2% owned Apple’s HomePod. Amazon’s dominance over its two main competitors is even more apparent with a further breakdown of the smart speaker market share. 74% of 1000+ smart speaker owners in the US, owned the Amazon Echo, while in the UK a similar 77% of 600+ smart speaker owners indicated that they owned the Echo.
You can read more about the story with more statistics and information here
Joining forces for an event-level collaboration from their forthcoming debut album, Hellraisers Pt. 1, multiplatinum DJ trio Cheat Codes teams up with Gold-certified rising pop maverick AJ Mitchell for a brand new single entitled “Hate You + Love You”.
Simultaneously trafficking in electronic, pop, hip-hop, and alternative at the same high speed, the Los Angeles trio Cheat Codes remains an inescapable force throughout popular culture. AJ Mitchell has set his sights on pop domination with every move as he gears up to release his highly anticipated debut full-length album Skyview.
“I think we’ve all had that experience with a friend, family member, girlfriend or boyfriend where you just have that feeling: I hate you but I love you at the same time. AJ Mitchellcaptures that every and we were so stoked to have him jump on this with us,” said Cheat Codes. “Big love to Bryn Christopher, KODA and Henrik for sharing their magic with us on this. It was a true pleasure to work with them.”
For the track, Cheat Codes cooked up a glistening soundscape topped off by glitchy 808s and a laidback bass line. This backdrop really allows Mitchell’s voice to soar. Reflecting the song’s thematic push-and-pull, he delivers intimate verses before the high register hook takes hold with heavenly vocal echoes as he admits, “I hate you, love you, the rest of my life.”
As they embark on what is slated to be their biggest year yet fueled by their debut album release, Cheat Codes have already made waves and built momentum through a series of single releases. Most recently, “No Chill” featuring breakout TikTok star and musician Lil XXEL lead the radio airwaves in January 2021. With three legs leading into the album, each ‘part’ will personify the individual members of the trio and give you a deeper look at each group member.
The Los Angeles-based group consisting of KEVI, Trevor Dahl and Matt Russell have skyrocketed to fame since they first came together in 214. Over the course of the last six years, they’ve amassed over 6 billion total streams, with 12 million listeners tuning in each month to their music via Spotify. Pivotal points in their career include collaborations with artists such as Liam Payne, Fetty Wap, Demi Lovato, Little Mix, Wiz Khalifa and more.
In other news, AJ Mitchell recently picked up his first gold plaque for the single “Slow Dance” [feat. Ava Max], which has amassed over 215 million streams to-date. Included in Variety’s Young Hollywood 2020 list, he continues to captivate listeners everywhere, recently achieving over 1 billion total streams and views. He capped off last year with the incendiary single “Burn” before diving back into the studio to put the finishing touches on his full-length debut album, Skyview—coming soon.
New Data Shows Permanent Turning Point for Subscription Services Industry Post-Pandemic and Strong Link Between Customer Satisfaction and Online Cancelation Flow.
Brightback released its State of Industry (SOI) report today, which revealed that 86% of respondents say they anticipate maintaining or even increasing their number of subscriptions over the course of 2021. Additional results include:
98% now subscribe to streaming media (75% subscribe to two or more services, foreshadowing a greater propensity for hoppers to jump from service to service).
Up to 40% subscribe to online news, food, fitness, or curated box services.
36% have subscribed to services since the onset of the pandemic that they would not have otherwise.
As retention remains the industry focus, the SOI report points to unexpected impacts of companies’ cancellation flow; suggesting that ease of cancellation influences a company’s re-engagement, brand perception, and more. According to the report, over 80% of consumers would be more likely to try or buy a new subscription if they could pause or cancel that service online. This data suggests subscription services should pivot to not only simplify their cancellation processes, but also to tout this for potential new customer acquisitions.
Netflix is considered to have the best cancellation experience: 23% of respondents ranked Netflix in the top spot for this category, more than 2x better than runner up Amazon at 10%. Additionally, the recent Netflix subscriber milestone of 200m further points to the link between company growth and ease of cancellation.
“Leading tech companies and subscription services understand that sheltered-in-place consumers want user experiences that make it easy to try, buy, use, and cancel online,” said Brightback CEO Guy Marion. “As more companies invest in digitizing their subscription experiences, they are using best practices to let customers quit online, with a concerted focus on retaining over acquiring customers.”
In the survey, a whopping 32% of respondents said that in the past 12 months they had changed their minds about cancellation after being offered an incentive. This finding should be encouraging for subscription businesses concerned about churn–at least a third of their cancellations can be prevented with well-timed, relevant offers.
The survey also shows the pandemic-driven growth of the subscription services industry is here to stay:
8% anticipate having the same number of subscriptions 12 months from now.
25% anticipate acquiring even more subscriptions within the following 12 months.
Only 14% of respondents anticipate having fewer subscription services by the end of 2021.
These findings suggest that the dramatic shifts in consumer behavior over the past year are permanent.
For the full findings, visit Brightback’s website.
About Brightback
Brightback is the first customer retention solution that automatically saves customers at the moment of cancelation. Trusted by high volume subscription businesses like MeUndies and Unbounce, Brightback helps retention leaders deflect churn with personalized cancelation experiences, optimize offboarding processes through testing and targeting and gather aggregated insights to drive product and company improvements. Headquartered in San Francisco, Brightback is a remote-first company with a team of subscription-industry veterans located across the United States.
There are some people that view cars simply as a mode of transport. Then there are other people who love their car and want to have all of the latest features to enjoy. In particular, a lot of those people want the newest and best technology so that their travels can be easy and fun. The tech can be a deal breaker when you are searching for a new pride and joy. If you are someone that loves technology, here are the best cars you can look at for leasing or purchase.
Audi A8
If you are looking for a luxury sedan that is going to offer you speed, comfort and the latest tech, we recommend the Audi A8. This German automaker never lets you down and it comes with a host of cool features that make driving easy. This includes automated driving features that help with parking, garages and traffic jams. You can still get to your destination on time but with less effort. There is a touch infotainment system for road trips and there is a high-quality satnav to get you there.
BMW 5 Series
BMW is one of the most popular car makes in the world. This means that they do not disappoint when it comes to the latest technology. In particular, they know how to do in-car entertainment. The BMW 5 Series, as well as many other models, now have an advanced infotainment system that allows driver and passengers to enjoy Wi-Fi and even a web browser from inside the vehicle. So, on your car’s display, you can surf Facebook and message your friends and if you enjoy the occasional sports bet, place the odd wager on Unibet Pennsylvania during your travels.
Tesla Model 3
If there is one vehicle that has been gaining a lot of attention recently it is the Tesla Model 3. Of course, this is the latest electric car that everybody wants. But it is also packed with some amazing technology that you will not find anywhere else. We are talking about a 15-inch landscape touchscreen, which is unusual for inside a car. You can do everything from navigate to your next location to play games. There is also Wi-Fi for your passengers to enjoy. We cannot talk about the Tesla Model 3 without mentioning the autopilot modes. This makes driving a lot easier and you can take your hands off the wheel
Kia Ceed
The Kia Ceed is a reminder that you do not always have to spend a fortune to buy a high-tech car. This is one of the most affordable vehicles on our list but it still has some fantastic technology features that you are going to love and use every day. For example, enjoy smart cruise control, as well as blind spot collision warning. Parking is also made easy thanks to the smart assistance features. When it comes to in-car entertainment, you are covered thanks to the touch screen. There is even a wireless smartphone charger that is going to make sure you have juice when you arrive at your destination
A prototype, three-wheeled moto-car from 70s, called The Dale, is now gaining popularity for its unique design and interesting back story. HBO is even currently airing a documentary called The Lady and the Dale, and it’s causing one obscure little yellow car in the collection of the Museum of American Speed to have an unexpected moment of fame. Envisioned in 1974 by entrepreneur Geraldine Elizabeth Carmichael, only two prototype vehicles of the Dale were ever made, and they’re still being talked about today. The story of the Dale is one of the most bizarre in the history of the American automobile.
1974 was not an awesome time to be an American car maker. There was a crippling gas shortage and American cars had, quite inconveniently, become giant, gas-hungry behemoths. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find gas, let alone afford it.
As keeping gas in that big-block powered luxo-barge began to chew up the kids’ college fund, people starting looking for gas alternatives. One man’s solution was to start riding his vastly more fuel-efficient motorcycle to work. But Dale Clift got tired of getting wet whenever it rained. So, he did the only logical thing: build an enclosed, three wheeled contraption using a few motorcycle parts and a lot of imagination. When Dale and his car crossed paths with Liz Carmicheal, things really got interesting.
Liz took Dale’s idea and ran. She founded the 20th Century Motor Corporation, and their first car was to be a small, 3-wheeled car based on Dale Clift’s three wheeled moto-car. Liz’s incredible claims about the car brought quite a bit of publicity to the project. The Dale was supposed to be made of indestructible fiberglass, go 80 miles per hour, get 70 miles per gallon, and cost around $2000. The company started collecting deposits from eager buyers and raising money from investors. And they raised a lot of it. Something like $30 million.
What they forgot to do was get all the appropriate licenses, permits, and to actually make a car. A small group of engineers were busy trying to build a car that would match the hype. They cobbled together one running prototype that was at least partially functional, as well as a few painted and rolling fiberglass shells. The car you see pictured below is one of the mock-up versions.
And because no story from the 70’s is complete without mentioning The Price is Right, we’re happy to report that the very car you see pictured below actually appeared as a prize on the show in ’75. Fortunately for everyone, all the contestant’s guesses were way over the Dale’s alleged asking price, saving the lucky winner from the burden of hauling a non-functioning fiberglass lawn ornament home with them.
The inevitable reality began to catch up to the 20th Century Motor Corporation. The local news station and several concerned authorities started asking questions and not liking the answers that they were being given. As the house of cards began to fall, it was discovered that things were not at all what they appeared to be. The Lady and the Dale does a great job telling that story. Go watch it. We’ll wait.
So how did one of the four Dales created end up 1500 miles from LA in Lincoln, Nebraska? As you might expect, that’s an interesting story too, and it starts with Dean Moon. You know him, he was the founder of Moon Equipment company, the man behind some of the most iconic hot rod parts in the business, and the creator of the “Mooneyes” logo that you’ve seen on every hot rod ever.
After the spectacular implosion of the 20th Century Motor Corporation, this Dale somehow found its way to the roof of a California muffler shop. What it was doing there and how it got there may never be known, but when the shop closed its doors, Dean Moon was there to relieve them of the little fiberglass three-wheeler on their roof. He thought he could apply a little hot rod ingenuity and make a neat little kit car out of it.
Apparently, the California authorities were not ready to forgive and forget the whole Dale debacle, so they were a wee bit prickly when approached by Moon about licensing and other official matters. So, he called up his old friend Speedy Bill Smith in Nebraska, thinking he might have better luck.
It’s unclear just what Bill saw in the Dale, but one thing is clear. Speedy Bill had a knack for spotting strange, unusual, and cool automobilia. He built a museum around it. So, there’s little doubt that he saw more than just a weird little yellow car. Whatever the reason, the Dale came to live in Lincoln and has never left.
The Museum of American Speed exists to tell the story of the American automobile, and this is a story like no other.
National Margarita day is NEXT WEEK, February 22! While this day of celebration might not take place in the traditional bar or club setting this year, that doesn’t mean an at-home fiesta isn’t off the table.
222 is an important number in Latino culture, representing that something good is coming your way. It also means to pay attention to important people around you and cultivate meaningful relationships.
Founded by Latino Harlem, NY native, Joe Cruz Jr., YaVe Tequila is the key to unlocking a guilt free laid-back drinking experience whether it is behind your camera on a Zoom with friends, or at a safe in-person setting. At only 60 calories a shot, unlike any other Tequila, YaVe offers a distinctly clean and ultra-smooth taste. Handcrafted and double-distilled with volcanic water, whether it’s sipped on the rocks or mixed in a drink, this smooth tequila will not disappoint.
Below are some festive drink recipes from YaVe that you can make to celebrate:
Preparation: Add all ingredients together EXCEPT soda water and shake in one glass. In another glass, pour the mixture over ice and then top it off with the soda water at the end for a refreshing drink!
LA BRIESA – JALAPENO MARGARITA
Ingredients:
2 ounces YaVe Jalapeño Tequila
Muddled Red Peppers
1 ounce Pineapple Juice
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Ice
Pro tip: Try adding Japanese shichimi or jalapeño salt for decoration and an extra kick!
TEQUILAJITO – TEQUILA MOJITO
Ingredients:
2 ounces YaVe Coconut Tequila (or Blanco Tequila)
1 ounce Pineapple Juice
.75 ounces Ginger Simple Syrup
6 Mint Leaves
4 Lime Wedges
Granulated Sugar
1 dash of Fee Brothers W. Indies Orange Bitters
Mint Sprig Garnish
Ice
Pro tip: Muddle the mint, lime, and sugar first. Add remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Add bitters and garnish at the end.
