Photoshop CS6 Download

We have many options for blogging such as WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and Medium to name a few. But what if I say if you can actually blog with Evernote. Aside from being the most popular note-taking app, Evernote also provides an open API that allows developers to build an app surrounding its data and functionalities.

This is where Postach comes in. It utilizes the API to build a blogging platform. Let’s see how it is done.

Recommended Reading: 10 Tips To Better Productivity With Evernote

Connect Your Evernote

First, Postach needs to connect to your Evernote account. To set this up, click the Sign in button. It will redirect you to the Evernote Sign-in form.

Once you signed in, Evernote will show the Application Authorization page, where you can evaluate Postach before giving it access to your account. Click the Authorize button to proceed.

Creating a Blog

Then, you can create the first website. Fill out the form; your full name, email, the website name, and the URL. The URL currently is a subdomain under postach.io.

We can set the website with our domain name once it has been created. For now, click the Create Site button to create the website.

The website can be accessed immediately at the subdomain that you have set, for instance: hongkiat.postach.io.

Publishing the Content

Postach will automatically create a new Notebook with the name derived from the website name. We use this Notebook to write new notes and publish them to the blog. You can also pick another Notebook. To do so, head over to the website setting page then select the Notebook you want from the Notebook option, as shown below.

Writing and publishing the content is as simple as writing a new Note. Assuming that you have written content in the Note, tag the Note with published, save the Note and click the Sync icon.

Your new content should appear in your blog within a few seconds.

Final Thought

If you use Evernote regularly, Postach could be a great alternative for your blogging platform. You don’t have to deal with complicated installation processes and database setups. You also don’t need to register yet another new account. You can write your post in Evernote and it will be published on your blog almost instantly.

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Teachers around the world are warming up to the idea of introducing tech into schools, and we’re not referring just to augmented reality or 3D printing here. These things are mere tools teachers can use – it is what the educator does with it to help improve the learning experience that truly unleashes the potential of these technologies, the devices, and their contents.

For example, Youtube is a great bottomless pit of educational videos to do with scientific processes, historical happenings, world-changing events, inspirational speeches, and many other topics that would help make classrooms not so boring. For teachers who have a hard time making their students pay attention in class, the right Youtube video may be the help they need.

Recommended Reading: Major Tech In Education Trends In 2013 [Infographic]

Check out these links, tips and channels to help turn the classroom into a time machine!

Credit: Megan Barnes

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Teachers around the world are warming up to the idea of introducing tech into schools, and we’re not referring just to augmented reality or 3D printing here. These things are mere tools teachers can use – it is what the educator does with it to help improve the learning experience that truly unleashes the potential of these technologies, the devices, and their contents.

For example, Youtube is a great bottomless pit of educational videos to do with scientific processes, historical happenings, world-changing events, inspirational speeches, and many other topics that would help make classrooms not so boring. For teachers who have a hard time making their students pay attention in class, the right Youtube video may be the help they need.

Recommended Reading: Major Tech In Education Trends In 2013 [Infographic]

Check out these links, tips and channels to help turn the classroom into a time machine!

Credit: Megan Barnes

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Time. There just isn’t enough of it. Ask any freelance content writer what their biggest concern happens to be at any given moment, and unless they are right in the middle of some other malady, they will tell you that there are not enough hours in the day to do what they need to do.

The following content, written under the stress of submitting it on time, is dedicated to all freelance content writers who know what it feels like to be ‘Out Of Time’ yet still turn in quality content on a regular basis. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the path of my career. I may have learned them the hard way, but it makes it that much sweeter knowing that someone else won’t have to.

Recommended Reading: 10 Freelance Tools For Project Management And Planning

The One/Two Punch Time Eater

The biggest one/two punch that slows us down and helps us to lose track of time is social media and email. I’ve set my ticker to beep at me every 3 hours and I dedicate 15 minutes to take care of both.

Before I did that, I was checking my email 3-4 times every hour. If there was a social email in it, I would go straight to the website to deal with that. Once I started adhering to the new 3-hour schedule, my productivity increased dramatically. I might go every 4 hours just to see what happens.

Read Also: How To Keep Up With Your Social Networks Like A Pro

Tools To Help You Further

Sometimes setting limits may not be enough when it comes to the topic of social media and email. Don’t worry though as there are tools that are designed to help you take care of it.

Google Mail Pop-up: Gmail gives you a pop-up that you can designate to appear anywhere on your screen. It shows regardless of what tab or screen you are in at the moment. This way you get to pick to stop and deal with it or to let it fade back into the background to deal with later. If you do not use Google for your email client, you may still be able to utilize something just like it.

HootSuite: HootSuite is, without a doubt, my favorite time saving tool. The last thing that I do every night before bedtime is to post to my social media websites such as FaceBook, Twitter, and especially LinkedIn. Once I have written what I want to post, I schedule it to hit all 3 accounts the first thing the next morning, even though I’m still snug in bed.

The Office Time Planner

I have worked many jobs in my life, but until I seriously dedicated my life to freelance writing, I never had to actually plan my day down to the details. Trust me, if you don’t plan your day, you may find yourself running around in circles by the end of it. Notifications can only go so far to make you move, and scratch that item off your to-do list, but you will have to decide when to do what before which deadline.

Work Like The Rest Of The Planet

Speaking of handling deadlines, I have not tried this yet because I am afraid that if I do, my business will come crumbling down. However, my wife thinks it is a wonderful idea to set and work office hours. Trying to work 9 to 5 might be too much for me to handle. However, I may be able to work 5 to 9. Yeah, 5 am to about 9 pm just might give me enough time to do everything.

The point is, set office hours and adhere to the schedule like your life depends upon it. You (and your spouse) will be happier if you do.

Work Smarter

We, as time-challenged freelance content writers, have to be extremely careful about what jobs we accept and what jobs we need to let pass. I used to grab everything that came across my desk. Now, I gauge how much time it will take, what it pays and compare that number to what I already have in the works minus how much time I don’t have to work on it.

This simple, yet effective formula was easy to set up in both Excel and Formula in Open Office. I type in the projected numbers and see what will pay the most in the long haul. Of course, sometimes I just go on instinct – which I usually regret.

Read Also: Should Freelancers Abandon Low-Paying Clients / Jobs?

Leave It At The Beep

I never realized how much my phone rings until I stopped answering it in order to save time. I am not overly anxious to give my money to a survey taker, but if you think about it, every time we answer the phone, we may as well light a two-dollar bill on fire.

Now, if you need to speak to me, your VM message had better be amazingly convincing. I am listening (sort of), and if it’s important enough, I will pick it up before you hang it up. If you do call though, please have the common courtesy to leave a message instead of asking me to please pick up. It’s not going to happen.

Technology Saves Time And Makes Money

That said, if you are pressed for time and are fighting to gain back every minute lost, invest in technology. For every device that you have tied to your freelance account, you can add twenty minutes back into the schedule.

If I’m enjoying my morning constitutional, I’m also answering my emails. If I walk down to the corner for an errand, or just to get away from the computer for a minute, you can bet I’m checking on my social media contacts. Every little minute counts particularly in a the peak season, so let technology help you out.

Final Thought

There is really only one way to handle the problem of time. Don’t. When you have done everything that you can think of and a few things that you can’t think of in order to control time and swing it back into your favor, it is time to stop worrying about time. If it is out of your control, stop stressing over it and just do what you can do. Do no more and no less.

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So you have decided to buy yourself a 3D printer after hearing about the amazing things it can build. You want to get started on printing models of your own a custom phone case, cosplay materials, figurines, musical instruments – the possibilities are endless. Hold your horses, there are a few things you need to know before diving into the world of 3D printing.

There are a lot of 3D printers on the market today that have varying specifications, which in turn cater to different demands. On top of that, there are technicalities about 3D printing that you really should look into. To help you decide on which printer to make your first, we have complied a list of 10 things you need to know before you buy a 3D printer.

Recommended Reading: 10 Affordable 3D Printers You Can Get Right Now

1. Types of 3D printers

3D printing is a broad term that covers the technologies required for producing physical materials. The one you probably heard of in the media and the most popular among hobbyists is the one that uses Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

FDM is an additive process, where a model is created by heating and extruding plastic, pieced together layer by layer. Most of the 3D printers referred in this post works on FDM, as they are more widely available and easy to find.

(Image Source: Additively)

There are 2 other types of 3D printing available: Stereolithography and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). They are much more expensive compared to FDM.

Stereolithography

Stereolithography also uses the additive process but instead of extruding plastics, the process utilizes an ultraviolet light beam to harden a model from a pool of photosensitive liquid. This allows for a higher quality printout.

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

SLS is similar to stereolithography, except that the process involves lasers and powders instead of UV light beams and liquid. A laser is used to melt the powder, creating a layer of the printed material. This allows some models to print metal objects, which is not possible in the other two processes.

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

2. Build Your Own Or Buy One

The 3D printing community is one made of creators and makers, so it makes sense that many people would like to try their hand in building a 3D printer on their own. There are building instructions and 3D printer kits available online if you decide to go with this route.

(Image Source: Instructables)

Building your own printer can be cheaper than buying one but if you don’t have the time, you could always buy a pre-assembled printer. Your final decision will depend on whether you are interested in tinkering with the technology, or just want to start printing right away.

3. Price

One of the main factors that can help turn 3D printers mainstream is their market price. Prices depend mainly on the quality of the output. In general, the higher-quality ones tend to go above $1000; professional printers can even go above $2000, e.g. the MakerBot series. But if you are just dipping your toes in 3D printing, you can start with simple models that go for as low as $100.

(Image Source: Gizmag)

With rising popularity and heavy competition, the prices of printers will only go down while the quality improves. Note that these printers do not come with the materials you require to print your products. You will need to separately acquire the materials as different products may require different materials.

4. Materials used to print

The two materials required for 3D printing are Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). Both are thermoplastics that will become soft and malleable when heated, frozen when cooled. They are sold as 1kg (2.2lbs) spools of filament, priced in the $30 range.

(Image Source: GigaOM)

Let’s take a look at the good and bad of both materials.

Poly Lactic Acid (PLA)

PLA is a type of plastic that is derived from corn starch, excellent for beginners to start dabbling with. Also great for creating small, simple household items. Other characteristics include:

• Biodegradable and environmentally sound
• Cools quickly, which prevents problems with model warping
• Available in both solid and translucent colors, gives printed objects a glossy look
• Disadvantage: Its low melting point may cause models to deform under high heat
• Disadvantage: It is difficult to work with if you require joints and interlocking parts

(Image Source: 3Ders.com)

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is a petroleum-based plastic that is a popular choice because of its strength and flexibility – think Lego bricks (which can be made using 3D printers, if you didn’t know).

• Its flexibility makes creating interlocking pieces easier to create and work with.
• It also has a higher melting point, so your creations will be less likely to deform under high heat.
• Disadvantage: It takes longer to cool compared to PLA; models are susceptible to warping.
• Disadvantage: It emits fumes during printing (more on this below).

(Image Source: 3Ders.com)

How To Choose

You need to know which material is suitable for your final product. From there you can choose which type of printer you should buy. It is important to know that not all printers can accept both materials – some will work with only either one type.

When it comes to filament size – 1.75mm or 3mm in diameter – it doesn’t factor much into the end quality. More popular printer brands go with 1.75mm so it is recommended that you start with that.

5. Safety

When it comes to 3D printing, there are a few safety issues to take note.

Playing With Heat

The most important thing to remember is that you are working with heated plastics. Extruders, plastics and in some printers, the print bed itself can get very hot and can cause bad burns if you are not careful. Some printers have no enclosure around the print area; practice extra caution with these printers.

(Image Source: 3Ders.com)

Beware Of Fumes

It is important to keep your 3D printer in an well-ventilated room. During the printing process, expect fumes to be emitted, particularly when you use ABS plastics. These fumes are reported to be rather overwhelming although there is little to no research that states the impact they have on general health. Still, it is best to take the necessary precautions, particularly if you will be using 3D printers a lot.

(Image Source: Youtube)

Food-Grade Plastic

3D printers can be use to create many types of household items, including kitchenware. Both ABS and PLA are generally food safe but if there are additives added in, those additives may not be. Another major concern is that products created with FDM-type 3D printers have porous surfaces on which bacteria can collect in. You can coat the object to make it safer to use but it is best to limit the usage of 3D printed kitchenware.

6. Quality

To produce high quality 3D printed products, you need to take note of two things: print resolution and print speed.

Print resolution refers to the level of detail the printer can get, measured in microns – the smaller it is, the higher level of detail in the objects you can create. Print speed measures how fast the printer can move its extruder – the higher the print speed, the faster it will print. Note that other features may affect the print speed, such as the acceleration and deceleration of the printer, which helps prevent the printer from shaking.

(Image Source: Kickstarter)

In the end though, the best way to gauge the quality of a printer is to look at its output. You can look at photos, available online, of the final output of 3D printers before buying.

7. Obtaining A 3D Model

When it comes to getting a 3D model, there are two routes: you can create it yourself or download a pre-made model blueprint from the Internet. If you intend to create your own model, there are a variety of software, both free and commercial, that will help you bring your creation into the real world. If you like, you can even learn 3D modeling.

(Image Source: Thingiverse)

Learning to model in a computer is a difficult task that will take time and effort to truly get used to. Fortunately, for those who are short on time, there are websites that provide 3D models of many different items, made by enthusiasts from all over. A quick google search can probably yield you the item that you’re looking for.

8. STL Files

The STL file (STereoLithography) is the standard file format that you will use to print your 3D model into a physical object. The file can be generated using most CAD programs so if you are building your own 3D models, chances are the software you are using can output one.

(Image Source: InstaTuts)

Basically inside an STL file is the information needed to produce a 3D model. The model itself is broken down to a series of triangles and a list of their XYZ coordinates is used by the printer to create the physical object, layer by layer.

9. Slicing Software

Once you have an STL file of the model you want to print, you will have to put them through a slicing software. What slicing does is that it “tells” your printer how to print your model. It provides instructions on the number of layers needed, the starting position of the printer and the parts of the model that should be solid or hollow.

(Image Source: Ars Technica)

There are a number of software to help you with this although some software come with the printer. A good example would be MakerBot’s MakerWare.

10. Community

The great thing about a new tech trend is that there is almost always an online community devoted to it. It is no different with 3D printers. Check online for a community of people who own a particular brand, to get more insight and answers to questions you may have about the ins and outs of that printer.

(Image Source: 3Ders.com)

If the community is small or worse, nonexistent, the lack of users should raise a red flag about that particular brand. All you need to make a sound investment is to read up more about that brand and its competitors so you know what you are getting into.

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One of the biggest sporting events in the world will see 32 of the best national football teams from around the globe converge in Brazil for the kick off. Yes, it’s none other than the FIFA World Cup 2014! Although it officially starts from June 12, a lot of people are already hyped with anticipation for the most beautiful game in the world.

If you are a fan of football then you probably know some of the biggest facts and figures to do with the sport. Would you like to know of more? We have done the leg work and collected 30 FIFA World Cup 2014 infographics that will show you history, facts, statistics, big names, inside knowledge among other things that you might not know, but want to, about the upcoming World Cup.

Recommended Reading: A Look Into: The World Cup Logo Designs From 1930 – 2014

Remember to click on the links to get to the full version of the infographic.

World Cup 2014: YuMe’s Guide To What Every Video Advertiser Should Know

FIFA World Cup 2014 – Brazil Infographic Poster

2014 World Cup Draw

World Cup 2014: Race To Recovery

Why Brazil 2014 Will Be The First Truly Social World Cup

The Beautiful Game: Brazil World Cup Infographic

Brazil 2014 by DayTranslations: Cameroon – "The Indomitable Lions"

Brazil 2014 WC Draw

FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola

We’re Going To Brazil!

World Cup 2014 Group Stage Draw

Fonte Nova Arena

What About During The Cup?

FIFA World Cup 14

A Guide To Brazil In 2014

Brazil, Here We Come!

The Teams Of World Cup Brazil 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Infographic

Economic Party Time In Brazil

The 2014 World Cup In Brazil

Can €261.1m Buy The 2014 World Cup?

The Illustrated Game – A Map Of World Cup Brazil 2014

World Cup Qualifiers Snapshot

World Cup 2014 Brazil

The Buy To Let Property World Cup

Brasil 2014: Great Expectations

Brazil: A World Cup Of Firsts

The Boys in Brazil: England At The FIFA World Cup

The World Cup’s Dirty Dozen

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil – Business Travel Survival Guide

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Being a professional is something that most designers dream of accomplishing. After all, it’s the happy medium between knowing your stuff, getting paid for it, and basically winning at life. Or it could just be the start of a dwindling career, perforated repeatedly by false expectations and self-sabotaging mechanisms. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

We’re going to look at some ways an overabundance of professionalism can actually hurt your ability to do great design. Perhaps at the end of this post, you might think that it isn’t such a bad idea to fend off being a professional just a year or two longer.

Recommended Reading: How To Quit… Acting Like An Amateur Designer

1. You Get Too Stuck In "Your Ways"

Once you become a “professional” designer, you stop bending to the whims of trends and fads which is good, but you also begin to dig your heels in, in order to have things a certain way. You become entrenched in an established, “professional” methodology, which can make you rigid and resistant to new ideas that would otherwise improve your designs.

Being a professional means pleasing your superiors, whether it’s your boss, your clients, or your users. But that’s not where truly great design lies. Yes, of course your job is always to make your clients and users happy, but not at the expense of what you know is the best design solution for them.

Once your “professionalism” begins to dictate that you bend too often to the demands of clients and users, you divert your career immediately to the design by committee sector. What true professional wants to be in that box? Not any I’ve ever met.

Read Also: Convincing The Client – How To Win A Design Argument

2. You Stop Breaking The Rules

In order for great designs to be made, rules have to be broken. It’s practically a law of any creative discipline. No one ever got famous for producing the same old, expected work in a “professional” way. Yet that’s exactly what will expected of you by the majority as you adopt more and more professionalism.

If you find yourself obeying the rules out of habit, it’s time to step outside your comfort zone once again. Don’t be afraid to break some eggs to make the delicious design omelette you know you’re capable of. Yep – I just said ‘design omelette.’ And no, I’m not going to apologize for it.

See there? Breaking rules is fun!

Read Also: How To Explore Design Projects Out Of Your Comfort Zone

3. Your Designs Become Predictable

This one is closely related to the last. Once you start following the rules of design and client expectations like a good little professional, something starts to happen to your work. People start having an easier time predicting what you’re going to do next. A “professional” designer may think that this is a good thing, but it’s actually career poison. Why?

The same old routine produces the same old designs. Even if they were fresh and exciting in the beginning, eventually, being too much of a professional will stick you on a path towards mediocrity. And no client worth having wants to hire a mediocre designer.

Read Also: How To Become A High-Demand Designer (And Get The Good Clients)

Despite what you may think, quality clients want to be surprised by your creativity and uniqueness. Clients hire you to solve problems for their users, which you won’t be able to do if you’re too busy trying to stick to routine and be “professional” all of the time.

Some of the most well known designers were the ones who broke away from routine and tradition. Follow their lead, not the professionalism-mongers.

4. You Stop Failing

This is perhaps the most dangerous consequence of professionalism overload. When you stop failing, you stop succeeding, because you need the former to achieve the latter. As the old proverb says, the master has failed more times than the novice has even tried.

It’s true that being a professional will lower your chance of making rookie mistakes. This is great… until the day that it isn’t. It’s fine until you find yourself in a room full of designers who, despite their lack of your experience and mastery, are getting picked over you for all the best, most interesting creative work. Sure, they may fail more often, but that’s a good thing.

Even if you consider yourself an expert, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you’re somehow above failure. It never ends well for designers.

Read Also: Failure Is Feedback – How 5 Billionaires Had To Fail To Succeed

5. You Get Left Behind

All of the above signs of over-professionalism lead up to one, important result: the swift and brutal death of your career as a designer. If you fall prey to the seductive siren call of “being a professional,” you will get passed up by up and coming designers who are less professional but more innovative.

Once all of the other consequences of over-professionalism have come true, this one is, unfortunately, inevitable. Clients will stop calling, users will stop giving glowing reviews of your designs. You will have become the consummate professional: perfect, a master of your craft, worthy of a museum show… and out of a job.

What Do You Think?

How do you think an excess of professional, picture perfect behavior affects a designer’s career? Is there a way to balance an ideal amount of professionalism with a healthy infusion of rebelliousness?

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You may be using a password to secure your data on your Mac – and you should, but unless your Mac is encrypted, a tech-savvy thief can still access your data by booting into recovery and resetting the password. They can then swap the drive and use or sell the computer as if it was brand new.

Why give them the satisfaction? Set a Firmware password to prevent the password from being reset, or being bootable from another drive – rendering your computer useless in hands that are not yours.

Recommended Reading: How To Reset Mac OS X User Password In Recovery Mode [Quicktip]

What Is A Firmware Password?

A firmware password refers to a password that is set within the Mac’s EFI firmware, separate from the OS itself. When configured, it prevents the Mac from booting into anything other than the default drive without using a password. What this means is that your Mac cannot be booted into Recovery Mode, Single User Mode, Target Disk Mode, or an external drive.

This will give you a higher degree of security for your Mac as your OS password cannot be reset easily and your data remains protected. When used with an encrypted drive, this will ensure that your data will be impenetrable. The thief also cannot swap the drive and use the Mac as a brand new computer as the firmware password will disallow any disk except the original boot disk to configure it.

Getting Started

In order to set the Firmware Password, you will need to boot into Recovery Mode. To enter this mode, hold down CMD + R when your Mac is booting. If successful, you will be taken to the Recovery Mode menu.

Once in this mode, go to the menu bar at the top of your desktop and click Utilities > Firmware Password Utility.

A prompt will appear asking you to Turn On Firmware Password. Click on it and the utility will ask you to create a password. Enter the password of your choosing and verify it.

Note that this particular password is very important to remember. There is no way to reset the password short of going to an Apple technician (though some pre-2012 Macs can be reset using a hardware hack). Once you are satisfied with the password to use, click Set Password.

Your Mac firmware password is now set. To test it, boot into Recovery Mode or any other drive other than your default startup disk. Your Mac will ask for the password before you can proceed.

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The games industry has been on the roll recently with competitions and tournaments being held all over the world. Electronic sports, or e-sports is a term referring to organized competitions where professional gamers or players will compete each other in electronic games for a prize pool.

E-sports are competitive in nature, requiring strategy, reflexes, coordination and technical skills and in this industry, this skillset translates into game genres such as first-person shooters, real-time strategy, fighting or multiplayer online battle arena.

(Image Source: The Seattle Times)

E-sports viewership in general has grown drastically over the years. This in turn generates even more revenue and gives more solid reasons for sponsors to provide funding and endorsements to professional players. In fact, the growth of the e-sports industry has outpaced many other industries such as the traditional sports industry itself.

Recommended Reading: Professional Gaming & How You Can Build A Career In It

Record-Breaking Viewership

In 2011, Major League Gaming recorded 3.5 million active viewers for the StarCraft II championships. The latest numbers now peaked at 11.7 million viewers for the Pro Circuit Championship in 2012. That’s over 300% increase in viewership.

In 2013, Valve’s "The Internationals 3" for Dota 2 attracted over 1 million concurrent viewers, just shy of the all-time e-sport record set by Riot’s League Championship Series Season 2 finals with 1.1 million viewers. With a prize pool of over USD 2.8 million, the event was the grandest ever held for a single game tournament with over 500,000 fans attending the event in Seattle.

(Image Source: gospelandgaming)

The Early Days of Competitive Gaming

Competitive gaming isn’t exactly something new although in the early days, they existed in fairly different terms. High scores included in almost every early video game provide a benchmark for comparison between friends or gaming peers.

The closest format we can observe of the first competitive gaming tournament ,so to speak, would be in Stanford University, California, October 19, 1972 where a “Spacewar!”(picture below) tournament was sponsored by “Rolling Stone”. The prize was, unsurprisingly, a free subscription to “Rolling Stone”.

(Image Source: kotaku)

Come 1980 though, Atari hosted “Space Invaders”, the first game competition on a larger scale. The tournament attracted more than 10,000 participants. But it would not be until 1988 before e-sports took form in the game “Netrek” (pictured left), an internet game for 16 players and technically, the first Internet team game.

By 1997, the tournament Red Annihilation was hosted and the first person shooter (FPS) “Quake” game drew over 2000 participants. The winner received a Ferrari previously owned by John Carmack, lead developer for “Quake”.

While FPS games such as Quake was the focus of e-sports in its early days, the late 90′s saw a breakout in real-time strategy games such as Warcraft and StarCraft. The frenzy will then culminate in the early 2000s.

The Internet Pushes Forward Globally

Major League Gaming (MLG), launched in 2002, is now one of the largest and most successful e-sports league hosting a variety of games from FPS to RTS to multiplayer battle online arena (MOBA) games for players to compete for the hundred-thousand-dollars in prizes.

However, it was South Korea, which took the helm in global e-sports and introduced the World Cyber Games (WCG) in 2000. The event attracted hundreds of players to compete in various games of different genres e.g. Quake III Arena, FIFA and StarCraft, and had 24-hour TV coverage on special gaming channels.

(Image Source: mygaming)

Sourcing Talent

WCG served a vital role in establishing and exposing rising talents within nations but with the advent of high-speed broadband, there was an excess of information available about foreign players and tournaments. Professional gamers began to travel to participate in foreign tournaments which lead to bigger participation pools for each tournament.

With the growth of online streaming and dedicated gaming streams, more and more tournaments are being watched online on sites such as Twitch.tv, where viewers can stream live tournament games with commentators. It is not uncommon to find players competing in online regional leagues before assembling at a spot for a local duel-to-the-finish among the 8 best teams from the leagues standing e.g. DOTA 2.

The Stakes & Dedication Of Players

Games like League of Legends, Dota 2, StarCraft 2, Counterstrike have some of the biggest prize pools and number of tournaments held. League and Legends had 1128 players and has held 231 tournaments offering a grand total of over $10 million in prizes.

StarCraft 2 had 959 players with 1340 tournaments held and a grand total of over $10 million in prizes as well. The numbers of aspired players playing professionally are increasing over the years as more players are recruited by teams like LGD, Team Liquid, Evil Genius and Fnatic.

(Image Source: newzoo)

Working Hard For Games

Gaming for a living is something most kids fantasized about, but in 2014 it can actually be a reality – with talent and plenty of hard work. It is all fun and games until you become a professional.

Professional players play the game 6 – 8 hours a day. With tight schedules and daily meetings it is sometimes more demanding than the schedule of the average working man. Strategy, team work and technical skills are vital in even the simplest of games. And there is a lot to study.

Studying the opposing team’s strategies and tactics are a necessity to stay akin with the gameplay. Some teams even live together in “Game Houses” where they discuss and practice together. Even with the help fo the Internet, teams still have to figure out way to work out the difference in time zones to meet up and practice together. Being a professional requires discipline and a high level of dedication to be on par with the best players at their game.

The Impact Of E-Sports

Long gone were the days when a PC is benchmarked on how fast it could process a document – the benchmark is now being set by games. Even hardware manufacturers have begun targeting gamers as part of their marketing strategy.

Gaming peripherals such as gaming mice and keyboards are marketed with additional functions such as additional keys, stylized lighting, multiple profiles to assist gamers, and other features that will give them added advantages in the games they play.

Read Also: 30 Awesome Gaming Devices For PC Gamers

Competitive Titles

Blockbuster developers such as Blizzard, Spearhead Games and ArenaNet are now developing games solely to be introduced as titles for competitive gaming. Spearhead Games has released teasers for their upcoming "Project Cyber" for PC and consoles.

Virtual interactive handbooks such as Valve’s "Compendium" allow fans to interact with the tournaments by selecting their favourite teams, creating a fantasy team, predicting tournament results and rewarding successful predictions. This ties in together with the tournament as 25% of the revenue from the "Compendium" is redirected to the prize pool.

The Booming Industry

The competitive gaming industry is beginning to change views — it is now ready to be likened to other sports like football or NBA. Conventions and tournaments held are flooded by millions as they swarm to live events such as "Pubstomps" and "BarCrafts" to cheer on their favourite teams and to share their passion for the games they love. Viewership has been growing exponentially over the past few years — in only 4 years it has grown over 15 times in viewership.

(Image Source: newzoo)

A definite step forward for the e-sports industry was to see League of Legends tournament, League Championship Series recognized as a fully professional sport by the U.S. State Department, allowing players from outside of the United States to move to the U.S. under specific visas, which are provided for pro sports players coming to America to work. Audiences anticipate the next League of Legends League, and StarCraft 2 professional players are idolized in South Korea.

(Image Source: teamliquid)

The Shift Is Here

Parents who used to discourage their kids from gaming too much are beginning to realize that professional gaming is not only a viable career but the golden ticket to be part of a booming industry. With the efforts from multiple parties: the growing community, continuous effort by developers and the gaming community, investors have plenty of reasons to fund and help watch this industry grow larger. In fact, investors are pouring $35 million into Major League Gaming.

“[I]n 15 years, e-sport is going to be bigger than football, than basketball, than everything” said Bruno Carlucci in documentary movie titled “Free to Play” by Valve.

Conclusion

The support the community provides, the dedication and passion of the professional players, and the endorsement and support the developers provide are the building blocks of an entertainment industry moving towards something greater.

Many question the longevity of the industry, but for the developers, the fans and the players, all they see are clear skies and a bright future ahead, and I couldn’t agree more. From what statistics and data are showing right now, e-sports is snowballing hard and is going to be an industry to be reckoned with.

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Mascots are a common sight in many sports events and things are no different when it comes to the World Cup. Mascots are used to encompass the spirit of a particular event as you can see in this year’s World Cup cute armadillo mascot design.

However, did you know that mascots are a pretty recent invention, having only been established in 1966?

(Image Source: hobbybrinquedos)

Some of the earlier mascot designs are probably a bit more traditional than what we’re used to today but understanding the origins of the mascots will lead us to better appreciate the elements involved in its creation. Let’s fire up that football fever and take a closer look at how the design for the World Cup Mascots have progressed since its humble beginnings.

Recommended Reading: A Look Into: The World Cup Logo Designs From 1930 – 2014

Brazil – Fuleco (2014)

To come up with the 2014 World Cup Mascot for Brazil, six different Brazilian agencies submitted their various proposals, which was then analyzed by FIFA and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). Their decision led to Fuleco the Armadillo making his debut on the Brazilian entertainment show, Fantástico, in 2012.

(Image Source: fifa.com)

What is unique about this mascot is that instead of just being a symbol for the great passion that is football, Brazil also took the opportunity to raise awareness about the environment. This is showcased through Fuleco’s particular species, the three-banded armadillo, which is categorized as vulnerable. Even his name Fuleco is a fusion of the word "football" and "ecology" in Portugese.

The designs may constantly be evolving, but there’s no denying the one thing that remains the same through all the years: the world’s unwavering passion for football.

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