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Benefits of travel insurance for international trip

Travel insurance for international trips is a type of insurance policy designed to provide financial protection and assistance to travelers while they are abroad. Travel insurance provides financial protection and peace of mind while traveling, and offers several benefits. Travel insurance typically covers a wide range of potential risks and expenses, including: Medical coverage: Travel insurance can provide coverage for medical expenses incurred due to injury or illness while traveling, including hospitalization, medical evacuation, and prescription drugs. Trip cancellation coverage: Travel insurance can provide coverage for trip cancellations or interruptions due to unexpected events such as illness, weather-related incidents, or natural disasters. Lost or delayed baggage coverage: Travel insurance can provide coverage for lost, stolen, or delayed baggage, as well as travel documents like passports. 24/7 emergency assistance: Travel insurance typically includes 24/7 emergency assistance services, such as medical and travel assistance, that can help travelers in the case of unexpected events. Financial protection: Travel insurance can provide financial protection for travelers by covering costs associated with unexpected events like trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and more. Travel insurance is designed to provide peace of mind and financial protection for travelers. Travel insurance provides a safety net for travelers and can help protect against unexpected events, ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable trip. Don’t forget carefully review the coverage and benefits provided by a travel insurance policy before purchasing. How to choose the best travel insurance? Choosing the best travel insurance policy for your needs can be a complex process. There are some key factors to consider when making your decision: Coverage: Make sure that the policy covers the risks you are most concerned about, such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and lost or delayed baggage. Review the policy details carefully to understand what is and is not covered. Cost: Consider the cost of the policy, as well as any deductibles or co-payments that may apply. Make sure to compare the cost of different policies to find the best value for your money. Reputation and reliability: Choose a reputable and reliable insurance provider with a strong track record of providing quality coverage and assistance to travelers. Check online reviews and ratings to learn more about the provider’s reputation. Emergency assistance: Look for a policy that provides 24/7 emergency assistance services, such as medical and travel assistance, that can help you in the case of unexpected events. Customization: Consider whether the policy can be customized to meet your specific needs, such as providing coverage for pre-existing medical conditions or sports-related activities. Claims process: Make sure that the policy’s claims process is straightforward and easy to understand, and that you have all the information you need to make a claim if necessary. Exclusions and limitations: Understand the policy’s exclusions and limitations, such as any restrictions on coverage for certain types of activities or destinations. By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and choose the best travel insurance policy for your needs.
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SpaceX on pace to shatter US launch records. Again

SpaceX has been on a tear in 2022, notching 18 rocket launches and two astronaut splashdowns in just the first 130 days of the year — an unprecedented pace for the company and the commercial launch industry. The latest is scheduled for Friday evening with the launch of 53 of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites out of California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. It will be the twelfth Starlink launch so far this year, and it could be followed over the weekend with another mission set to take off out of Florida. It’s been a dizzying year of activity so far, further cementing SpaceX’s dominance over the commercial launch industry. Led by SpaceX, the industry is on pace to blow past the annual launch highs of the mid-20th century space race, when most launches were carried out by governments rather than the private sector. 2021 already set a new record with 145 total launches, compared to 129 carried out in 1984, the previous record-setting year, according to data from research firm Quilty Analytics. If SpaceX keeps up its current pace, it could launch more than 52 rockets this year alone, far outpacing its record, set last year, of 31. “Even 10 years ago, launches were rare,” Chris Quilty, the founder of Quilty Analytics, told CNN Business. In 2001, the total number of launches across the globe was only 51, he noted. “So, put that in context of SpaceX alone launching 52 times,” he said. “It’s pretty incredible.” Most of SpaceX’s launches in 2022 have focused on Starlink, its consumer internet business that relies on troves of orbiting satellites, which the company has been growing since it began launching batches of the internet-beaming satellites in mid-2019. The constellation now has more than 2,200 satellites in orbit and, as of March, 250,000 subscribers using the service around the world, a company executive said at a recent conference. While SpaceX stands out from its rocketry competitors, that doesn’t mean the company is or will be uncontested. Two new rockets capable of competing with SpaceX’s Falcons — the workhorse rockets that the company uses to haul satellites and, more recently, astronauts to orbit — are slated to debut in the next year or so. They are New Glenn, which is under development by the Jeff Bezos-backed company Blue Origin, and Vulcan Centaur, a line of rockets from legacy launch company United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The sheer number of satellites that all those vehicles can launch, including the thousands of satellites expected to add to SpaceX’s Starlink constellation and competing satellite internet businesses, have spurred a pressing discussion about congestion in outer space. If satellites collide, they can create dangerous plumes of debris. That’s happened in the past, and close calls are a frequent occurrence. Academics have long been attempting to raise awareness, and caution, around the issue. Others are more optimistic that SpaceX and others are taking those risks seriously enough to avoid catastrophe. “The companies that might create space junk would be immediately and directly affected by that space junk,” CEO of space research group BryceTech Carissa Christensen said, noting that the collision debris would threaten their own satellites — their own investments. With all those rockets active — and a few smaller launch vehicles also scheduled to begin launching from Florida’s Space Coast, which is SpaceX’s primary launch site — SpaceX could also run into bottlenecks at the launch pad. Every launch requires a team of ground support, including military weather personnel, to ensure a safe liftoff. And there are only so many launches they can handle at any given time. “There’s not an endless number of days or launch pads or launch sites where you can get things into orbit,” Quilty noted. Christensen added, however, that the ground support at the Space Coast has proven to be flexible, as evidenced by SpaceX’s ability to return a group of astronauts from the International Space Station off the coast of Florida last Friday and then launch a Starlink mission from a launch pad a few miles away mere hours later. Captain Jonathan Eno, an assistant director of operations with the US Space Force, which is charged with monitoring the weather and other possible interferences ahead of a launch, said that ground support crews in Florida have worked for years to prepare for the dramatic increase in the number of launches from the spaceport. The year he was assigned his role, 2019, the Space Coast — which includes NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral — only supported 18 launches. This year, it’s on track to support more than 60, notably including the first launch of NASA’s new moon rocket, called the Space Launch System. His team is now prepared to support multiple launches within the same day, even within minutes of each other. “SpaceX makes the news a lot. They are the ones launching the preponderance of launch vehicles right now,” he told CNN Business. “Obviously, we are gearing up for just a different reality.” Read more
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10 Self-Funded Entrepreneur Startups Success Stories

Many aspiring entrepreneurs believe that to build a successful company they first need to get funding from some venture capitalist or angel investor. This, “backing” they believe is critical if they want to make a sufficient amount of investment in product research and marketing. While there’s no doubt that most successful startups out there are being funded by venture capitalists, one also needs to understand that some of the biggest startups in business (some of them are turned into giants now) were self-funded when they started. Over time, VCs started pumping money into them when these self-funded companies achieved the ultimate success. Let’s take a look at some of the successful self-funded startups that had humble beginnings when they first started. Self-Funded Companies and Their Success Stories There are many startups that started with very little investment and eventually became giants. Here, we will be discussing some tech companies and then dive into their success stories. GitHub GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service founded by Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, and PJ Hyett. This startup basically began as a weekend project by founders to meet the necessity of sharing code. In 2008, Preston-Werner turned down $300,000 bonus and stock options offer from Microsoft in order to go full-time on GitHub. All 3 founders funded the setup themselves to cover the cost of a domain and hosting. Today GitHub has over 3.4 million users with 16.7 million repositories, making it the largest code host in the world. In January 2009, GitHub won a Crunchie (an award bestowed by TechCrunch to celebrate the most compelling startups) for the best-bootstrapped startup. Facebook The biggest social networking platform today Facebook was founded by former Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg while at Harvard. He ran it as one of his hobby projects with some financial help from Eduardo Saverin. Initially, the membership was limited for Harvard students, but later on, Mark expanded it to other colleges in the Boston area. It gradually spread to most of the universities in Canada and the United States. It received its first investment in June 2004 from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Today, Facebook is the world’s largest social network with over 2.5 billion monthly active users. Dell Dell Inc., owned by Michael Dell, is a computer technology company that develops, sells, repairs and supports computers and related products and services. Michael Dell started Dell, initially named as PCs Limited, in 1984 while attending the University of Texas as a student. After receiving capital worth $1000 from his family, Dell dropped out of school to focus full-time on his fledging business. In the very first year, the company grossed more than $73 million. In 1986, Lee Walker, a venture capitalist joined Dell as president and chief operating officer. The company went public in 1988. Today, Dell is one of the largest technological corporations in the world. Apple Inc. Seriously, who doesn’t know Apple Inc.? Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple Inc., is one of the most famous multinational corporations that creates personal computers, computer software and consumer electronics. It was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976, to develop and sell personal computers. Wayne sold his share of the company to Jobs and Wozniak for $800 in 1977. The company received initial funding of $250,000 from Mike Markkula, a multimillionaire investor. In the first 5 years, the company saw an average growth rate of 700% with revenues getting doubled every four months. Apple is the first U.S. company that is valued at over $700 billion. Cisco Cisco Systems, Inc., is a multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California that specializes in products for networking and the Internet. The name “Cisco” was derived from the city name, San Francisco. Cisco was formed by the married couple, Len Bosack and Sandy Lerner, who worked as computer operations staff at Stanford University. The early days were difficult for the duo. In 1988, Donald Valentine, a venture capitalist agreed to capitalize on Cisco. On February 16, 1990, Cisco Systems went public with a market capitalization of $224 million. In 2019, the company reported revenues of $51.9 billion. Microsoft Microsoft was founded on April 4, 1975, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque. Allen suggested the name ‘Micro-Soft’, a portmanteau of words microcomputer and software. Bill Gates, a then Harvard student took a leave of absence to fully focus on the project. He never went back to Harvard. In 1980, Microsoft formed a partnership with IBM to include Microsoft operating system with IBM computers. For every sale made, IBM paid a royalty to Microsoft. The company’s best-selling products are Microsoft Windows operating system, Microsoft Office suite, Xbox and Bing. According to reports, as of 2019, Microsoft reported global annual revenue of around $34 billion. TechCrunch TechCrunch is a leading technology website that offers news, videos, and events about the latest happenings in the IT world, technology, startups, and entrepreneurship. It was founded in 2005 by a successful serial entrepreneur, Mike Arrington along with Keith Teare. In 2010, TechCrunch was sold to AOL. The transaction was rumored to be between $25m and $40m. At that time, Arrington personally owned 85% of the company. TechCrunch and its network of websites have around 12 million unique visitors and draw more than 37 million page views per month. eBay eBay, originally called AuctionWeb was founded by a French-born Iranian American computer programmer Pierre Omidyar in his living room in September 1995. It was meant to be a marketplace for the sale of goods and services for individuals. One of the very first items sold on it was a broken laser printer for $14.83. eBay was simply a side hobby for Omidyar until he was asked to upgrade his account by his ISP due to the high volume of traffic it received. In 1997, the company received $6.7 million in funding from the venture capital firm Benchmark Capital. The company went public in 1998. Currently, the company is projecting revenues of around $16.05 >>Read more
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Trenchless Sewer Repair

Considering the advantages and disadvantages of trenchless sewer repair? You’re in the right place for a comprehensive overview. Let’s dive into a quick introduction to trenchless sewer repair, followed by its merits and demerits. Understanding Trenchless Sewer Repair Emerging in the 1970s in Europe, trenchless sewer repair was initially designed for large-scale municipal and industrial pipe projects. Over the past two decades, technological advancements have enabled its application to smaller-diameter pipes, such as those in residential homes and multi-story buildings. Unlike traditional methods, trenchless repair doesn’t involve uprooting gardens or tearing down walls. Plus, in most scenarios, residents can remain in their homes during the repair. Nevertheless, prior to and post-repair, camera inspections are mandated to ensure the quality of the job. Additionally, obtaining a construction permit is necessary. Let’s delve into the four predominant trenchless sewer repair techniques: Structural Pipe Lining or Cured-In-Place-Pipe Lining (CIPP) Spray Lining and Brush Coating Pipe Bursting Slip Lining Stay tuned for an in-depth analysis of its pros and cons. Benefits of Cured-In-Place-Pipe Lining (CIPP) Cost Efficiency: Opting for CIPP can result in a cost reduction of approximately 30-40% in comparison to conventional repair methods. The savings arise due to reduced labor hours and the absence of extensive excavation. Reduced Disruption: The CIPP technique is minimally invasive, minimizing disruptions to one’s property. Most repairs can be conducted through pre-existing access points like outdoor cleanouts, manholes, or roof vent openings without the need to create new access points. Quick Turnaround: Speed is a notable advantage. The entire CIPP process, spanning cleaning, lining, and reinstatement, usually wraps up within 2-3 days, while traditional methods might extend over weeks. Durability: Once rehabilitated using CIPP, the pipes showcase enhanced longevity. They are not only robust but also resistant to corrosion, boasting a life expectancy of around 50 years. Drawbacks of Cured-In-Place-Pipe Lining (CIPP) Pipe Condition Restrictions: The liner molds to the shape of the original pipe. Therefore, it’s crucial that the existing pipe isn’t collapsed or incorrectly sloped (backpitched). Curing Downtime: The epoxy integral to the CIPP method might necessitate up to a day to fully set. Yet, even with this consideration, CIPP remains speedier than traditional techniques. Pipe Suitability: CIPP isn’t a universal solution. It’s incompatible with Orangeburg (a type of tarpaper) pipes, especially brittle ones. The latter might sustain damage during the hydro-jetting cleaning procedure, which precedes the lining insertion. Spray Lining and Brush Coating Overview Though these trenchless sewer repair techniques share some similarities with CIPP, they differ in their non-structural nature. Instead of employing a felt or fiberglass liner like in CIPP, they involve coating the internal structure of the existing pipe with resins like epoxy, flexible polymers, or other suitable materials. These resins can be sprayed or brushed onto the pipe, achieving the desired outcome either way. (It’s worth noting that various resins cater to different needs. For instance, flexible resins are the go-to for vertical pipes in skyscrapers, as traditional rigid epoxy might fracture due to building movement.) Opting for spray lining or brush coating can effectively counteract corrosion in cast iron pipes and curb sewer gas emanating from compromised joints. Impressively, these methods can be adapted to pipes with diameters as small as 1.5 inches. Pipe Bursting Pipe bursting stands as an alternative trenchless approach to mend compromised sewer pipes. This technique employs an HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe, either of identical size or more significant than the existing one, which is winched into the old pipe. Leading the replacement pipe is a bursting head, which fragments the damaged pipe, making room for the new one to assume its position. Sewer Pros advocates for this method, especially when replacing sewer lateral lines (those connecting your private sewer system to the public main). This recommendation stems from the fact that pipe bursting is not only cost-effective and rapid but also yields a sturdier final product. Moreover, the expense associated with restoring grass or turf post-repair remains relatively low. Pipe Bursting Overview Pipe bursting is a trenchless approach to address damaged sewer pipes. The procedure involves drawing a replacement HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe, of the same or larger size, into the old pipe using a winch. A bursting head shatters the old pipe, allowing the new one to occupy its position. Sewer Pros vouches for this method, particularly when addressing sewer lateral lines. This preference is due to its affordability, speed, and the superior durability of the resulting product. Plus, the cost of restoring grass or landscapes post-operation is modest. Advantages of Pipe Bursting: Affordability: It’s cost-effective compared to other trenchless alternatives, and the reduced need for digging translates to savings on restoration. Minimal Disruption: Only two small pits, each measuring 4′ x 4′, are required at the pipe’s ends, reducing the need for extensive excavation. Speed: Less excavation means swifter completion. Durability: The replacement HDPE pipes are robust, boasting a lifespan ranging from 50 to 100 years, with resistance against rust and erosion. Additional Benefits: Capability to install a wider sewer line. Proven long-term solution for damaged pipe replacement. Drawbacks of Pipe Bursting: Pipe Length: Replacement pipes need to be over 15 feet, considering the space needed for two pits. Eligibility: In cases of already collapsed pipes or improperly graded ones, this method isn’t suitable. Slip Lining Overview Originating in the 1940s, slip lining targets larger pipes. The method pulls a narrower HDPE pipe into the existing one, sealing the gap with grout. This can diminish the pipe’s flow capacity. Note that Sewer Pros doesn’t engage in slip lining for pipes between 2” and 12”. Advantages of Slip Lining: Cost-Effective: As a trenchless method, costs related to destruction are minimized. Less Disruption: Compared to traditional methods, less excavation is involved. Speed: Depending on the pipe length, the process is swifter than conventional methods. Durability: The HDPE pipes are resilient, with a life expectancy of 50-100 years. Drawbacks of Slip Lining: Pipe Size: Suited mainly for larger, non-residential pipes due to diameter constraints. Inflexibility: Not suitable for pipes with bends or those significantly >>Read more
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Brother and sister find opals worth $1.2million in Australian outback

A brother and sister have found opals in the Outback worth $1.2 million on their first attempt at digging for the precious stones. Isaac and Sofia Andreou teamed up with two others to try their luck near the tiny town of Yorah, population 141, west of Brisbane. One of the most luminous stones they found is museum-quality and the size of a man’s fist. It is even shaped like a giant egg, just in time for Easter. Some 90 percent of the world’s opals found in the Australian outback and they are worth to 500 times more than gold ‘It’s literally every single colour of a rainbow you can imagine to hold within your hand,’ Sofia said. To their astonishment, on their last day of searching, an actual rainbow appeared from nowhere in the middle of the desert. Describing the emotions they felt in finding such treasures, Sofia said: ‘It was a mixture of shock and just pure amazement.’ ‘Words cannot describe the way the heart beats, hairs standing up on end,’ Isaac added. Their incredible discovery is life-changing, the siblings say. They can even afford to buy their very own mine. ‘It will make life a hell of a lot easier and more enjoyable,’ Isaac said. Their friend David Darby has spent decades searching for opals but has never found anything as fabulous as this He is an opal cutter and seller based in Byron Bay, a single dad to five-year-old daughter Xalianna. Sofia, who has an opal shop in the Whitsunday Islands, teaches yoga and music. Both decided to fulfil their dream of getting their hands dirty in mining for opal. They were joined by Sofia’s partner, Chris Daff, and their friend David Darby, who has spent decades searching for opals, but who has never found anything as fabulous as this. They teamed up with local miner Rod Griffin. With 90 percent of the world’s opals found in the Australian outback, and worth up to 500 times more than gold, opal is a prized gem. Most opal miners are excited by the prospect of one day striking it rich and becoming an overnight millionaire. Opal nuts are a type of matrix boulder opal valued for their unique pattern of coloured gem found within cracks intersecting the ironstone in which it has formed Opal fever is at an all-time high, but the risks are real, and the brutal, rugged Australian outback is as unforgiving as ever — with scorching summer heat, tropical storms and some of the deadliest snakes. ‘Australia is such a barren and tough country that all the animals that have managed to survive until now have had to evolve to be dangerous to protect themselves,’ Sofia said. ‘So you’re not just dealing with super-harsh elements, but some of the most dangerous species of animals in the entire world.’ The discovery will be shown on the television series, Outback Opal Hunters, which features miners searching for opals and which is so popular that it is now into its fourth season. In Koroit opal, the prized gem colours are green, blue, purple, and flashes of red peeking through a dark brown backing None of the discoveries in the previous seasons have come close in value. The average find was worth about $18,000, although there were a handful up to $250,000, depending on the colour, clarity, patterning and size. The Andreou siblings were mining for Yowah and Koroit nuts, a specific type of opal found in the region. Opal nuts are a type of matrix boulder opal valued for their unique pattern of coloured gem found within cracks intersecting the ironstone in which it has formed. In Koroit opal, the prized gem colours are green, blue, purple, and flashes of red peeking through a dark brown backing. Source: DailyMail.co.uk
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