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How to protect your home from water damage

Avoid soggy disasters with these tips Water damage is one of the most common and costliest disasters your home can experience, costing billions of dollars annually. Safeguard your most important asset against water damage with the right insurance coverage and the following practical advice. Water damage and insurance Different types of water damage are insured by different types of policies. Homeowners and renters insurance provides coverage for burst pipes, wind driven rain and damage resulting from ice dams on your roof. Generally speaking, water that comes from the top down—such as rainfall and burst sprinklers—is covered by a standard homeowners policy. Some policies cover sewer and drain backups, but many do not; however, you can purchase a sewer backup rider to your homeowners or renters coverage. Typically, water that comes from the bottom up—such as an overflowing river—is covered by a separate flood insurance policy, which can be purchased from the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and from some private insurers. If you live in a flood prone area, learn more about appropriate coverage. Properly maintaining a home is one of the best ways to prevent water damage from water disasters. Prevent basement water seepage Reseal your basement. Water in the basement is often caused by cracks in building foundations or floor slabs. If you notice water seepage after heavy rain when you’ve never had a problem, it may mean that your once-waterproof cement floors and basement walls have deteriorated. Painting vulnerable areas with water sealant can prevent seepage. Make sure water drains away from the building. Seepage is exacerbated by soil that has settled in a way to make water flow toward the building. After a storm, and especially if the ground is already saturated, rainwater that flows towards the building goes down the outside of the foundation wall potentially through any cracks. Install a backwater valve. Though less common than other causes of basement water, sewer backups are messy. Learn more about your sewer responsibilities and install and maintain a backwater valve, which allows sewage to go out, but not come back in. Maintain and understand your indoor plumbing systems Inspect appliance hoses and faucets. Make it a practice every year to check hoses leading to water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerator icemakers. You may also want to invest in a water leak monitoring and shut-off system that can alert you to any leakage issues. Immediately replace any hoses that have cracks or leaks, and replace them all every five to seven years. Inspect showers and tubs. Check the seal and caulking around showers and tubs to make sure they are watertight and reseal if necessary. When away on vacation, shut off the water supply to the washing machine and never leave the house while the washer or dishwasher is running. Know the location of the main water shut-off valve in your home. A damaged hose or a burst pipe can send water racing into your home. Being able to locate and shut off the main water supply quickly will save stress, money and time. Install an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system. This will protect against the increased pressure caused by freezing pipes and can help prevent your pipes from bursting. Check plumbing and heating pipes. Look closely for cracks and leaks and have any necessary repairs made immediately. Repair and protect your home’s exterior Caulk and seal windows to guard against water seepage. Inspect your roof for missing, damaged and aging shingles and make necessary repairs. Check your downspouts. Remove debris that may have accumulated in downspouts and rain gutters. Position downspouts so that they direct water away from the house. Check sprinklers and irrigation systems to be sure they are not creating water damage to the walls and foundations of the house. Turn off and drain outside faucets to protect against frozen pipes. Install gutter guards to prevent gutter clogs and keep water flowing away from the house instead of accumulating on the roof. Protect your possessions Store off-season and other bulk belongings in waterproof bins, especially in areas where there are plumbing pipes or that are prone to dampness, such as basements and attics. Never store valuables or memorabilia where there is risk of destruction from water. Water and damp also brings with it the threat of mold damage. Keep belongings stored on shelving off the floor in basements. In case of water seepage or sewer backup, they’re less likely to get damaged. Keep an up-to-date home inventory. Having a comprehensive list of your possessions will save time, trouble and stress in case of loss from water damage.
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What is ChatGPT and its benefits? Advantages and disadvantages of chatbots

ChatGPT is an advanced conversational AI model developed by OpenAI, capable of generating human-like text based on the input it receives. It is an example of a chatbot, which is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users. The history of chatbots The history of chatbots dates back to the 1960s when computer scientist and inventor Joseph Weizenbaum created the first chatbot, called ELIZA. ELIZA was designed to mimic a therapist and used pattern matching and simple substitution algorithms to respond to user inputs. Since then, the development of chatbots has evolved rapidly with advances in AI, natural language processing, and machine learning. In the 1990s, the first commercial chatbots were developed for customer service and sales, allowing businesses to interact with customers through websites and messaging platforms. The rise of smartphones and messaging apps in the early 2000s led to a new wave of chatbot development, with chatbots being integrated into mobile apps and messaging platforms to provide customer support, entertainment, and other services. In recent years, the development of advanced conversational AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-3 has opened up new possibilities for chatbots, allowing them to generate more human-like responses and understand more complex inputs. Today, chatbots are widely used across various industries and applications, from customer service and e-commerce to healthcare and finance. With continued advancements in AI and machine learning, it is likely that chatbots will continue to play an increasingly important role in our daily lives. ChatGPT from OpenAI ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI that uses deep learning algorithms to generate human-like text based on the input it receives. There are several reasons why ChatGPT is unique and valuable compared to other chatbots and language models: Advanced AI: ChatGPT is based on transformer architecture, a cutting-edge AI technique that has revolutionized the field of natural language processing. This allows ChatGPT to generate text that is more human-like and to understand the context in a more sophisticated way. Large-scale training: ChatGPT was trained on a massive corpus of text, allowing it to have a vast knowledge base and generate text that is relevant to a wide range of topics. Customizable: ChatGPT can be fine-tuned for specific use cases, allowing it to generate text that is tailored to specific domains or applications. Versatile: ChatGPT can be used for a wide range of tasks, from generating text for chatbots and virtual assistants to answering questions and providing recommendations. Advantages and disadvantages of chatbots Overall, ChatGPT’s advanced AI, vast knowledge base, and versatility make it a valuable tool for businesses, developers, and researchers looking to improve the quality and efficiency of their conversational systems. Advantages of chatbots Available 24/7: Chatbots are available to assist customers at all times, without the need for human intervention. Cost-effective: Chatbots can handle a large volume of customer inquiries, reducing the need for human customer service representatives. Efficient: Chatbots can handle multiple customer inquiries simultaneously, reducing wait times and providing quick responses. Personalization: Chatbots can provide personalized experiences by using machine learning algorithms to understand customer needs and preferences. Disadvantages of chatbots Limited understanding: Chatbots can only respond based on the information they were trained on and may not be able to understand complex inquiries. Limited empathy: Chatbots lack the emotional intelligence of human customer service representatives, and may not be able to provide empathy or emotional support to customers. Error-prone: Chatbots can make mistakes, such as providing incorrect information or responding inappropriately to customer inquiries. Limited creativity: Chatbots can only respond based on the scripts and algorithms they were programmed with, and may not be able to come up with creative solutions to customer problems. Overall, chatbots can be a useful tool for businesses looking to provide quick and efficient customer support, but it’s important to understand their limitations and ensure that customers receive the support they need.
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The breathtaking majesty of volcanoes via jaw-dropping photographs

There are few sights on Earth’s landscapes as awe-inspiring as a volcano – active or dormant. And a new book underscores this, offering ‘a visual celebration of the most impressive, infamous and active volcanoes from all corners of the globe’. The book “Volcano” by Robert J Ford, takes the reader on an eye-opening photographic tour from Hawaii to Chile and from Portugal to New Zealand, taking in phenomena that, as Ford says in his introduction, are reminders of Earth’s raw power. He writes: ‘We humans have felt for centuries that we have mastery over our world – transforming it to suit our needs and ways of life. Yet our planet now and again sends reminders that we are but residents upon its back. ‘Volcanoes are the most powerful of these, which humans snuggled up against over time as we expand our built environment into every corner of the natural world.’ So, let’s see this pick of the pictures in the mesmerising tome. Puyehue-Cordon Caulle, Ranco Province, Chile A stunning photograph of one of this century’s most colossal eruptions. Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in the Southern Volcanic Zone is a complex of two volcanoes: Puyehue and the fissure system of Cordon Caulle. After 51 years of inactivity, in 2011–12, it exploded in what became the biggest eruption of the 21st century so far. An estimated 100million tons of ash, sand and pumice were ejected, some of which circled the globe, reaching other parts of South America, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. Lagoa De Santiago, Sete Citades, Sao Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal The Lagoa de Santiago fills one of the cones that arose in the caldera of the Sete Citades Massif, an ancient stratovolcanic complex at the western end of Sao Miguel Island. The caldera is dominated by the twin lake of Lagoa das Sete Citades (seen in the background), which is said to have been created by the tears of two young lovers forbidden to see each other by the king Mount St Helens, Washington, Usa The landslide that preceded and triggered the blast of pyroclastic material in the 1980 eruption was caused by the collapse of the entire north face of the mountain after an earthquake and carried with it debris that covered an area of 62 square km with many metres of rubble. It was the largest landslide in recorded history and left a clear view into the volcano’s crater for the first time. Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania Ol Doinyo Lengai varies between eruptions of liquid lava that form lava lakes and fountains (known as effusive eruptions) and explosive eruptions that create large cinder and ash cones. An episode of the latter type in 2007 spewed ash thousands of metres into the air, which also fell on the surrounding countryside, forcing local residents to flee with their livestock. Explosive eruptions continued into 2008, building a cone over 100m (330ft) high that encircled a steep-sided crater. Mount Vesuvius, Campania, Italy This volcano poses a deadly threat to millions. Mount Vesuvius, part of the Campanian Volcanic Arc, dominates the Bay of Naples and the population centres lying within its reach. It is these nearby settlements that make Vesuvius one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, with three million people in Naples near enough to be threatened by an eruption and the mountain being the only mainland European volcano to have erupted in the past 100 years (1944 being the last incident). Devils Tower, Wyoming, Usa It’s a volcanic tower that’s out of this world, having made an appearance in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Ford reveals that this 264m (867ft) geological feature is considered sacred by Northern Plains Indians and is thought to have been formed ‘by an intrusion of magma into surrounding sedimentary rock’ and ‘would only have become a visible landmark when all the sedimentary material eroded away’. Ford adds: ‘Some believe, however, that Devils Tower is all that remains of what was once a huge explosive volcano’ Bardarbunga Volcanic System, Vatnajokull National Park, Iceland ‘Baroarbunga is a stratovolcano located under the Vatnajokull ice cap (known as a subglacial volcano), Iceland’s biggest,’ explains Ford. ‘During the 2014–15 eruption, the emptying of Baroarbunga’s magma chamber saw a subsidence of its caldera by around 65m (213ft), which also caused a sinking of the surface of the glacier under which the volcano sits’ Cotopaxi, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador ‘Cotopaxi’s biggest known eruptions were in 1742, 1744, 1768 and 1877,’ reveals Ford. ‘The latter three events destroyed Latacunga town on each occasion. During the 1877 eruption, pyroclastic flows on all sides of the mountain melted the entire ice cap to cause lahars [mudflows] that travelled more than 100km (62 miles) to the Pacific Ocean. Modern eruptions threaten flash-melts of the new glacier and lahars that pose a great risk to the land and population nearby’ Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain The summit of Teide is the highest point in Spain and the islands of the Atlantic at 3,718m (12,198ft). It rises out of the caldera of another giant volcano that helped birth Tenerife, reveals Ford. He continues: ‘The island was created through the accretions of three large shield volcanoes that formed their own small landmasses. Between these another volcano, Las Canadas, formed, joining all four together in a small island, which then grew over the millennia. Las Canadas later collapsed to create the caldera, out of which Teide grew over the course of the last 160,000 years’ Zendan-E Soleyman, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran ‘The hollow cone of Zendan-e Soleyman is a 107m- (351ft) tall ancient extinct volcano formed of mostly calcium sediments,’ writes Ford, ‘with the remains of various temple buildings surrounding the peak. Its crater, 65m (213ft) wide and 85m (279ft) deep, was filled with water centuries ago but has long since dried up. The mountain takes its name – “the Prison of Solomon” – from the biblical king Solomon, after a local legend that tells how the Hebrew king imprisoned monsters within the mountain’s >>Read more
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What is Web3? The future of the internet, a ‘marketing buzzword’ or something still to be defined?

The future of the internet is a multi-trillion-dollar question facing the technology industry, including some of the world’s wealthiest companies and investors. At the center of a vigorous debate around how our online experiences will evolve is a concept called Web3. The term has existed for the better part of a decade, but remains a hazy and polarising topic, splitting those who see it as a way to change the world for the better, and others who spy an opportunity to make even more money from a decentralized internet. So what exactly is Web3, and how is it already changing our internet? A brief history of the World Wide Web The first version of the internet, known as Web 1.0, existed between the early nineties and early noughties. During that time, the internet was largely decentralized and spread across numerous web pages, which weren’t very linked or interactive. Internet users also didn’t produce their own content to share online. The current era of the internet, Web 2.0, has been around since the mid-noughties. It’s defined by the centralization of things like communication and commerce on corporate platforms, where we post photos to Facebook that we’ll later find embarrassing, buy stuff on Amazon, and show everyone our breakfast on Instagram. This has led to the creation of a whole lot of data about internet users, including their political leanings and spending patterns, which corporations have sold off to advertisers and even to political campaigns. According to some, the future of the internet will see users take back control, become part-owners of the web, share in the profits made from their content and decentralize it once again. This is where the idea of Web3 comes in. What is Web3? Web3 is a concept for the next iteration of the internet, built around decentralized blockchain technology — that’s the same technology used by cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, where data isn’t managed by a centralized server or authority, but by all of the computer systems that run on the blockchain. The term Web3 was introduced in 2014 by Gavin Wood, a co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, but the term gained mainstream attention last year, amid hype from blockchain enthusiasts and technology investors. The technologies behind it could allow internet users to earn money, assets, or ownership for making content or otherwise contributing to the web, according to Kelsie Nabben, a researcher at RMIT University’s Blockchain Innovation Hub. “People that are creating value — say when you or I post photos or have video calls — we have no ownership over that value, which is the data we are creating,” she said. “I don’t think there’s consensus on what Web3 is. “The tools can create amazing communities and community dynamics, and then these microcosms of innovation and experimentation have the potential to change economies, the way labor and employment work, as well as access and participation and digital inclusion.” So when will Web3 be here? In a sense, elements of Web3 are already forming part of our current internet, including systems that use blockchain technology such as cryptocurrencies, some of the virtual worlds in the metaverse, and non-fungible tokens or NFTs, which are tokens that assign ownership to things like digital artwork. For example, in Web 1.0 you may have emailed someone a photo of yourself. In Web 2.0, you may have shared a selfie with friends on a centralized social media platform, and that platform might have mined the photo for usable or monetizable data. In a Web3 world, your social media profile photo could, for example, be an NFT of digital artwork or image you own. This is something Twitter actually introduced in January, to a pretty mixed response. Why are some people skeptical of Web3? Despite Web3’s ideals of decentralization and shared ownership, some believe it is also an opportunity for investors to cash in. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk is known for his interest in cryptocurrencies, but in December he said he thought Web3 seemed to be “more marketing buzzword than reality”. Around the same time, Twitter founder and fellow blockchain advocate Jack Dorsey said Web3 still had “corporate incentives” and was heavily controlled by venture capitalists and their limited partners, or shareholders. We’ve already seen some musicians and artists have their work sold as NFTs without their consent on new Web3-associated platforms. Ms. Nabben said while there were “very transformative ideologies” behind parts of Web3, it was important to think through the potential downsides of any new technologies. This includes the technology’s limitations, who can access it, and how it can be exploited. “That’s obviously what generally went wrong with Web 2.0, or the current internet as we have it — that many of the apps and the platforms that we use have become very extractive and very exploitative,” she said. “But in practice, we see that’s not what happens and there’s still politics, and people will still try to find ways to exploit the system.” Ms. Nabben encourages people to be cautious and investigate the Web3 platforms or products they are interested in before jumping in. “Look at things like whether the source code is publicly available, whether the platform is privately owned, what the business model is, and whether it’s venture-capital-backed or was funded through a new funding model,” she said. “Not everyone would necessarily agree that Web3, as it appears now, is desirable — large players benefit from the way that the internet is structured now, and [there are] still very real commercial interests in some Web3 things, which aren’t necessarily bad, but people should be made aware of them.” What could the future of the internet actually look like? Moxie Marlinspike, the founder of encrypted messaging app Signal, wrote on his website in January that technical and market realities were impacting Web3’s dreams of decentralization, but “you can’t stop a gold rush”. Mr. Marlinspike said he could understand the idealism of Web3’s advocates and the use of blockchain technology was leading to “creativity/exploration that is somewhat reminiscent of early internet days”. >>Read more
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Premier League, EFL and Women’s Super League now monitoring all players’ social media handles

The Premier League, EFL and Women’s Super League are monitoring the social media accounts of all their players in a bid to protect footballers from the rising tide of online hate. The leagues have painstakingly gathered the handles of players and staff in order to keep tabs on the abuse that is routinely meted out at all levels of the game. The move is seen as a ‘safety net’ by football officials, who believe the primary responsibility for protecting users on social media rests with the platforms themselves. Hector Bellerin (left) was abused after promoting a LGBT campaign before north London derby The monitoring will also be used to gather data on the scale of the abuse crisis and the results will be used to put further pressure on the big tech companies, like Facebook and Twitter, to take action. There is a long list of players and officials who have been horribly abused, and in some cases the hate has not been picked up or dealt with by the platforms. Sportsmail highlighted racist and homophobic abuse directed at the Arsenal duo Granit Xhaka and Hector Bellerin recently and some of those Twitter posts had remained online for months. The scale of the abuse can be overwhelming. The FA highlighted an unnamed player this week who received so much online hate that the social media company’s reporting system would not let him report any more. Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger received 900 abusive messages on Twitter and more than 2,000 on Instagram after fans accused him of undermining former boss, Frank Lampard – an allegation Rudiger has steadfastly denied. Burnley defender Erik Pieters was subjected to online abuse after a 1-1 Premier League home draw with Arsenal in which the Dutchman was sent off before getting a reprieve from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). And Axel Tuanzebe, Anthony Martial, Southampton’s Alex Jankewitz, West Brom’s Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea’s Reece James are among those to have been targeted. THREE-PRONGED APPROACH TO ABUSE The development of AI technology available to football clubs enables a three-pronged approach to curb social media abuse of footballers. Firstly, big tech firms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are under pressure to do more to tackle the problem by improving their own use of technology to highlight posts and act. Secondly, Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden is developing an Online Harms Bill, which is expected to pass into law later this year. It will bring huge fines for tech giants that don’t do enough to protect users. And now finally, clubs and the Premier League have access to technology that allows them to protect their players, identify the abuse and some of the perpetrators. The creation of a centrally or club-based system was a recommendation of a PFA report last year into online abuse. The Premier League has pioneered the monitoring approach, using an external company to keep tabs on the trolls. The initiative has now been extended to the EFL and WSL, where it has already identified abusers in the first week of operation. Sportsmail understands these were individuals missed by the social media firms. The monitoring is part of a three-pronged approach to take on big tech and encourage those companies to do more to identify and remove abuse before it can be seen and gather views; work with government to develop the Online Harms Bill, which is expected to come into law by the end of this year, and to spot cases of abuse missed by the platforms. ‘Collectively the football authorities have challenged social media companies to use their platforms to effect change,’ said an EFL spokesman. ‘At the same time, we have urged government to do all it can with its Online Safety Bill to create conditions that will help ensure that there are real life consequences for online hate. ‘However, these are not quick fixes and football is committed to work collaboratively to combat online abuse – ultimately we want to do all we can to make sure that all those connected to the game can participate with confidence, not in fear of abuse and discrimination. ‘ Football authorities combined to call out the big tech companies last month. Eight of the game’s leading figures, including Richard Masters chief executive of the Premier League, Mark Bullingham, chief executive of the FA, Trevor Birch, who holds the same position at the EFL, Kelly Simmons, director of the women’s professional game and Sanjay Bhandari from Kick It Out, all signed a hard-hitting letter to Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg, accusing them of allowing their platforms to become ‘havens of abuse’. As reported by Sportsmail this week, the signatories have been underwhelmed by the response, which came from a mid-ranking staffer. The FA’s director of corporate affairs, Edleen John, said that social media remained like the ‘wild west’ for footballers and accused the firms of peddling ‘platitudes’. John’s frustration stems from the belief that much more could be done to protect not only footballers, but others abused on social media. The technology exists to identify abusive posts and in some cases track the perpetrators. John wants social media firms to use it more effecitivly and require some users to register with identification so they are unable to operate in the shadows. Monitoring and gathering evidence can result effective action, which is a deterrent to tothers. This week, a 22-year-old man from Fife was arrested following a racist message sent to Middlesbrough player Yannick Bolasie, who is on loan from Chelsea. And earlier this month, Brighton banned a season ticket holder for two seasons for posting an offensive tweet aimed at another club. A spokesman for Facebook told Sportsmail this week: ‘We’re continuing this work and are committed to fighting hate and racism on our platform. We also know these problems are bigger than us and we look forward to meeting with The FA and wider industry soon to collectively tackle this issue.’ And in a statement on the issue, published last month, Twitter said: ‘We believe everyone >>Read more
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