4 Mobile Device Management Best Practices for Better Security and Privacy

By themselves, mobile devices are a security breach waiting to happen. These can be tracked, traced, and hacked, among other forms of threat, and all your personal data could end up being used in ways you never imagined. Despite the dangers, there’s no denying that a mobile device is practically a necessity in this day and age.

For organizations that provide their employees with smartphones, tablets and laptops for work, the question now becomes, “How do you ensure the security of these devices without interfering with employees’ ability to work remotely?” Here are four mobile device management best practices to help keep your mobile environment secure and protected.

Choose the most secure mobile devices and configure them properly

Although all mobile phones have inherent security features, some provide better security than others, and that extra layer of protection could spell the difference between privacy and disaster. When choosing mobile devices, choose those that offer the best security features that can be customized to meet your specific needs. In addition, help your users configure their devices properly, such as hiding or disabling Bluetooth and setting the device to avoid connecting to unsecure networks.

Audit employees’ mobile use

Employers, along with IT staff, must ensure that mobile device management practices, policies and tools apply without being overly broad or restrictive. Audits help employers understand the users’ work processes, which can be critical to developing the most effective policies.

Organizations should audit how employees use their devices, focusing on the apps and data they rely on to do their job. To ensure impartiality, have a third party security testing firm audit your employees’ mobile devices. This can be done on an annual, semiannual, quarterly, or even monthly basis depending on the level of threat faced by your enterprise.

Work with users, not against them

Enforcing strict rules and penalties upon employees regarding the use of their mobile phones often backfire, often compelling staff to use workarounds that only serve to open the company to more security risks. This doesn’t mean that you should be completely lax with your mobile assets. Strike a good balance between corporate requirements and employee convenience to achieve the best outcome. For instance, instead of requiring your users to use a complex passcode to open their device, keep the unlocking process simple and use the complicated passcodes for apps that contain sensitive corporate data.

Be ready to make unplanned courses of action

The speed at which software is updated in mobile devices makes it difficult to make concrete and long-term mobile device management strategies. These updates often come on without warning, and more often than not, users can’t reject or delay them. Because of such uncertainty, enterprises need to evaluate their mobile management platforms at least every three months to make sure functions and features are up-to-date.

Management and monitoring are necessary functions of enterprises that employ mobile devices. Implementing clear, realistic and flexible policies for use is critical to reducing risk and liability while improving efficiency and mobility. With proper and adaptable policies, enterprises can thrive with their mobile device utilization.

The Difference Between Focus Groups and Mock Trials According to Jury Consultants

Focus group discussions and mock trials are pre-trial research methods that often get interchanged. Although they both seek to learn about potential jurors’ biases, assumptions, and reactions, seasoned jury consultants will tell you that they serve very different purposes.

Before commissioning any type of research, litigators need to answer the question, “What do I want to know?”

If an attorney is in the early stages of discovery and wants to experiment with themes and get a reading on the various issues surrounding a case, then the best option would be a focus group discussion. This enables them to uncover potential themes based not just on the actual responses, but also on assumptions, reactions, and questions participants have during the discussion. As a result, a litigator can start to create the most effective trial strategy.

Focus group discussions entail bringing together jury-eligible individuals and asking carefully crafted questions regarding party positions, areas of dispute, and other aspects of the case. Questions should be open-ended and discussions informal in order to elicit authentic responses. In some cases, it may be more appropriate to provide questionnaires to each person or discuss the case with participants individually in case there are some questions they’re uncomfortable with answering in a group.

However, when the theme of a case is already clear and critical witness positions have been determined, then attorneys would be better off with a mock trial. This method is an excellent way to test themes, arguments, and even witnesses and visual aids in order to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities of a case. However, it should also be conducted far away enough from the trial so that additional discovery can be conducted or pleadings can be amended if necessary.

As the name implies, a mock trial simulates the courtroom experience, making the environment and process more realistic than that of a focus group discussion. The process starts with the selection of mock jurors who are demographically similar to those expected to be on the actual jury. Then, these individuals hear both parties’ opening statements, witness testimony, and closing arguments, after which they deliberate on the case until they reach a verdict. Lastly, the mock jurors are then debriefed in order to uncover the various factors that led them to their decision.

With proper planning and execution, both research methods provide a wealth of insight that can shape the way the case is built. Because while attorneys may be confident in the way they frame the case, they may find that certain aspects can be perceived by others in a completely different way.

When in doubt regarding the best pre-trial research method to employ, it’s best to approach jury consultants. Dubin Research and Consulting (DRC) has been conducting research for many of the country’s leading law firms for over 10 years, making them a reliable partner for those looking to create the most effective trial strategy. For more information, log on to DubinConsulting.com.

LeBron’s New Gear

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world. There is no reason to try to specify if we are either talking about the best NBA fantasy player in the world, or the most valuable player in the world because he is simply reaching new heights each and every day. And for a guy that is trying to chase down the legendary careers of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and other greats of the game; there is no time for complacency because that is simply not the kind of DNA that the Greatest Player of All Time possess. James is certainly pushing his game past the preconceived limits by putting up astounding numbers in what is now his fifteenth season in the league.

So before the season there was a good deal of worry with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization for a number of reasons. Coming off a defeat to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, there was a great deal of worry in Cleveland that the Cavs would be unable to compile a team that could compete with the Warriors four superstars (Durant, Curry, Green, and Thompson respectively). Those rumblings from the media certainly made its way to the Front Office and eventually the locker room and that’s what the friction became as apparent as ever. After reaching three straight NBA Finals, and only winning once, LeBron’s Robin (All-NBA point guard Kyrie Irving) wanted out so he could take center stage under his own spotlight. Kyrie formally demanded out of Cleveland due to some discrepancies between him and LeBron and that led him to being moved to, the biggest threat to the Cavaliers’ success in the East, the Boston Celtics. Sure, the Cavs got a generous package back with Isiah Thomas and plenty of other compensation but they lost the guy that arguably won the Cavaliers’ only championship after he hit clutch shot one after another in the 2015-2016 NBA Finals.

Today, if you looked at the Eastern Conference standings it is nearly the same as last year as the Cavs and the Celtics hold the top spot. The surprise isn’t that the Cavs are one of the best teams in the league it is simply the fact of how they have managed to do that without so many of their key pieces missing time early in the season. This squad has seen the following guys in and out of the lineup all season: Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, DWade, and more. And IT has yet to play a single game! The reason they are as good as they are can be directly linked to, you guessed it, LeBron James. James recently did something that he has never done in his NBA career. James was able to notch three straight games where he ganred a triple-double and had accumulated them at a rate that he has never done in his professional career. He is putting up career bests in efficiency, shooting percentages, and even peripheral stats. In summation, this guy is a living legend and has seemingly got better at a age where we have seen other greats have taken a decline in their performance.

Trial Strategy: Tips in Preparing and Presenting Demonstrative Evidence

The use of demonstrative evidence is essential in any trial presentation. They are highly likely to draw the attention of audience, and keep them listening – a must in courtrooms where the aim is to earn the good favor of the jury and judge.

Here is a list of tips that lawyers should keep in mind, when they prepare these for the cases they are handling.

Determine the goals for using the visual aid.Adopting demonstrative evidence and trial presentation innovations should be based not only on the thought that it will impress the jurors, but on particular goals that will benefit the case. Identifying these should be part of the early case management stages, and the type of technology to use might depend on said goals. Is the idea to promote their party’s scientific, statistics-based approach? Are they hoping to elicit specific emotions of sadness and sympathy among the jury? How about being able to establish the chronology of events surrounding the incident?Each of these types of goals requires a corresponding type of trial technology, which may be identified through thoughtful deliberation.

Work with visual communication professionals. Lawyers may have had solid training when it comes to conveying messages verbally, but visual communication is an area of its own. Graphic designers and marketing professionals undertake years, if not decades, ofstudy to understand how to more effectively deliver information to readers, and their service can be very helpful to law firms attempting to get their arguments – supported by scores of exhibits, statistics, and legalese – through ordinary Americans who in all probability are not used to digesting these on a daily basis. These professionals would know which font combinations, color schemes, and layouts, among other communication standards, must be employed for trial presentations.

Tell stories. Narratives are most people’s shorthand for what may be an overwhelming amount of information, as well as their means for making sense of events. In the case of trials, jurors would very likely organize the details into a story, and so it is important that lawyers find a way to use their visual aid to weave a story with a timeline, cause and effect, and characters.

Rehearse. This last tip may soundcommonsensical, but lawyers who have their hands full would tend to believe that they have little time – or need – for practicing. In truth, they need to commit to a rehearsal, especially to time their presentations, and familiarize themselves with all the features of a new trial technology they might have thought of adopting. Even better if they do so in front of a mock jury, whose reactions may reveal some useful insights.

For professional assistance in using demonstrative evidence in the courtroom, get in touch with New York-based Dubin Research and Consulting, led by prominent legal strategy consultant Josh Dubin, Esq. Dubin maintains a team of experts who have mastery over the best and the latest in trial presentation innovations, among other forms of trial technology. Check out DubinConsulting.com today to know more.

The Melo Trade

On the early morning on a day that was intended to be dominated by news of college football upsets; the Oklahoma City Thunder made a deal for All-pro wingman and daily fantasy basketball analytical powerhouse when in the right system. The all-pro wingman is smooth-shooting and offensive-playmaking Carmelo Anthony. The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off quite the feat this offseason in realizing and learning from it’s biggest mistake as a franchise.

At the beginning of the 2010’s the Thunder roster was riddled with NBA fantasy players Russel Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. That team made it all the way to the NBA finals and then three later sees half of their stars playing on different teams. And after Russell Westbrook had the historical fantasy basketball season, averaging a triple double for the whole season, the Thunder management will want to take advantage of his talent to take them back to basketball’s biggest game. So what do they do.

Initially, the make a smart move sending Damonta Sabonis and Victor Oladipo to Indiana for all-star Paul George. George has made it apparent that he prefers to play in Los Angeles and will likely play there after this season upon the time he becomes a free agent next summer. Having two all-stars can make a team competitive against most teams. Having three all-stars can make you one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Then all of a sudden, Carmelo Anthony waived his no trade-clause for a few teams including the Thunder. The Thunder were savvy and immediately capitalized on the situation by acquiring the storied scorer for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott (formerly from the Bulls last trade deadline) and a 2019 draft pick. So what did they accomplish? Well, take a look at their lineup. Yes they lost a few starters and a couple of bench pieces, including the players mentioned above, and veteran Taj Gibson. But, now they acquired two wing scorers who can both make plays for themselves and the players around them. It turns this offense, not only one of the most dangerous in the high flying West, but one of the most explosive offenses in the league. The possibility of Westbrook, Anthony, Paul George, Andre Roberson, and Steven Adams spreading the court coerces the defense into having limited options. It could be an exciting time for the Thunder in their hope of competing for an NBA championship. Time will tell if they will be successful.

What a $7.9M Home Near Mauna Kea Beach Looks Like

In the South Kohala district and near Mauna Kea Beach – at 62-3735 Kaunaoa Nui Road, to be exact – is an airy $7.9M contemporary home. Beautiful would not be enough to describe it.

Many words jump out from the listing’s description. Shay Zak, the esteemed architect who designed the property, whose creative touch turns every home into a true work of art. Island-inspired pod-style home, the kind that promises total relaxation, in a warm, comforting space that’s accorded with picturesque views. Lastly, the world-famous Mauna Kea Beach, said to be one of Hawaii’s best beaches.

The property is 5 minutes away from this lovely beach, giving occupants a chance to rejuvenate, while wading in the peaceful blue waters or just strolling with a loved one.Alternatively, they can go to the nearby Kaunaoa’s private clubhouse, which boasts of a modern fitness center, a private par 3 practice course, an infinity-edge pool, and massage rooms. They could also delight in the sumptuous dishes at any of the nearby restaurants serving only the freshest seafood and farm produce.

Or they could just stay at home, where common areas, bedrooms, and baths have all been handsomely decorated. Zak prides in exceptional design and outstanding craftsmanship, in celebrating light, capturing beautiful views, and using natural materials to create a space with balance, and whose style will age well. The commitment shows in this luxury home.

Rooms are bright but are grounded by accents. The palette is dominated by immaculate white, and warm wood, and touches of grey and blue here and there. In the expansive living room, the vaulted ceiling has been painted green, and it is mirrored below by the set of plush, lime-colored low-back armchairs surrounding a long wooden table. Custom walnut cabinetry have been built for the house, along with beautiful wooden furniture that combines the modern and rustic look.

All around the house are handpicked seating options. One can tell because the quality and stylishness are evident: from the wooden bar stools in the eat-in kitchen, to the long, heather grey couch and the tub chairs with wooden frames in the lanai. The lighting fixtures are just as unique and elegant. The pendant lights in the kitchen come with a long glass shade. The sconces in the bathrooms resemble a butterfly’s coccoon. Everywhere else, the lampshades have finely crafted bases, and are artworks in themselves.

The bedrooms look fresh, clean, and cozy, with angular four posters, and the thoughtful combination of shapes, textures, and color. The modern kitchenhas been equipped with Sub-Zero, Vikings, and Miele appliances – perfect for hosting big gatherings right at home. For these events, there are wine lockers too, as well as an outdoor grill, a firepit, a spa, and tiki torches. Finally, an infinity-edge pool outside is surrounded by palm trees.

In sum, this luxury home is a truly livable space that stands out, but feels enveloped by nature at the same time.Get in touch with Harold Clarke of Luxury Big Island today, to know more about this lovely luxury home for sale in Hawaii.

What is Hard Hit Rate?

For daily fantasy baseball analysis, it is imperative to be able to look at a complete picture of a player’s performance in hopes to understand if this game was a fluke or if it was because he was able to exploit a matchup in his favor. Unfortunately, looking at a box score from a random night’s game doesn’t nearly give you the amount of information you are looking for. Of course, it will tell you if the player got hits, runs, RBIs, etc. but it doesn’t quantify those results.

The box score is binary, and if you are a true fantasy baseball researcher you know that baseball by no stretch of the imagination is binary. What I mean by binary isn’t to say that a hit isn’t a hit and an out isn’t an out. On the contrary, there a multitude of factors that go into every single pitch and every single outcome so the past result that you are studying will not be able to do a well enough job of giving you a concrete projection for the future. This is why advanced analytics have been brought into the game of baseball, to give more depth to the statistics. One of the most simplest, yet most effective, statistic to utilize is called hard hit rate. Basically, this statistic categorizes every hit into one of the following: Soft, Medium/Average, and Hard. So a weak infield single that a speedster, like Billy Hamilton, is narrowly able to beat out is going to be considered “soft” contact and rightfully so.

On the other hand, a scolding line drive, off the bat of a slugger such as Giancarlo Stanton, that is hit right at the left fielder is going to be considered “hard” contact when the Exit Velocity is in the triple digits. Every single hit, in every single game is now being categorized on this scale and when you look at the distribution over the season you will be able to differentiate hitters who are getting lucky with their high batting averages against hitters who are getting snubbed with their sub-par ones.

In general terms, an excellent hitter is one that has a majority of their hits being average but the true difference maker is the difference between their hard and soft rates. Ideally, a great hitter would have their hard rate outnumber their soft rate at a ratio of 2:1 and maybe even as high as 3:1. In baseball, there are a finite number of things that a hitter can control in his at-bat. He can’t control the pitches he sees nor can he control the alignment of the opposing defense; these two things coupled can have quite the adverse effect on traditional batting stats. But, he can control the quality of contact he puts on pitches that he swings at and that is where this invaluable statistic comes in. If you are doing your daily fantasy baseball research and see a hitter with a very high hard contact rate, yet a poor batting average, look to target him because he is in line for some progression with more of his hard hit balls falling as hits which will likely turn into extra-bases.

Renodn’s Ridcilious Day

On April 30th 2017, we saw something ridiculous. Not only in terms of pure display of raw skill and taking over the moment, we witnessed Daily Fantasy Baseball history. Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals amassed a record-setting performance during a home game against the New York Mets.

In the game, Rendon was a ridiculous six for six with a tremendous statline. In total, he launched three home runs, two doubles, a single, drove in ten runs, and scored five times itself. Want to know the craziest thing about this performance? The starting pitcher he faced off against was fastball wheeling and dealing, long haired flocking Noah Syndergaard. The Mets ace is one of the best pitchers in the league and had started the season off with a tremendous start. The fantasy point total Rendon had for the game was an absurd 71 on DraftKings and 91 on FanDuel. What kind of daily fantasy baseball strategy would be used to take advantage of such an absolutely ridiculous game?

First one has to admit it just a lucky day to have taken a player to have such an amazing day against a truly talented pitcher. Those who got Rendon was most likely trying to differentiate themselves in a GPP type of lobby in hopes that they bet right and they could hit it big. And if you had Rendon, boy did you hit it big! The reason the Nationals, as a team, were able to have such a huge game that day, in way to their 23-5 win, was because of an early injury to Syndergaard. Once he was out of the game, it was open season for the highly dangerous Nationals to capitalize against an already taxed New York Mets bullpen.

Daily Fantasy advocates can only dream of such amazing performances propelling their lineups to the top of the leaderboards. Unfortunately most of the days where players go off like this, there aren’t all of the research factors that you would be normally looking to an absolutely great matchup. Some days, it’s just better to be luck rather than good and in for DFS you will take all the luck you can get.

Features of Hawaii Luxury Beachfront Homes for Sale

Among the visitors that Hawaii regularly draws are people with discerning tastes, visitors who would soon be in search of luxury homes, especially beach houses.But just what makes these Hawaii luxury beachfront homes for sale special, and fetch upwards of $1M? Here is a list of some of their features:

Great view. A scenic view of the ocean, or the forest, or a nearby golf course, or a combination of these, always add to the value of a home. The house’s construction should be designed to highlight this view whenever possible: the bedroom windows extend from the floor to the ceiling, the patio chairs afford the homeowners and their guests a breathtaking panorama as they lounge

Solid bones.A luxury home embodies the generous investments of the previous owner in terms of its structure, of what lies beneath the surface. This means that the very foundations of the house are built to withstand the Hawaii climate, and the architecturesupports the floor plan. When one walks on the floor, no creaking can be heard, and the walls, when knocked on, do not sound hollow. In addition, the plumbing, electricals, gas flow, should be in good shape.

Well-thought out interior design. The homeowner’s class should manifest in the interior design – layout, the choice of materials for wall, doors, flooring, etc., the accents used. It should be clear if it followed a particular design motif, and all the decoration should contribute to a coherent look. The color schemes are on-point, and the lighting fixturescomplement the palette as well as the available natural light perfectly. Each room should feel comfortable to be in, and able to serve its purpose, e.g. a living room should be spacious enough for hosting events, a kitchen should be ideal for preparing food for such events. Some bonuses: big-ticket artworks, such as paintings, sculptures, and antique finds like tapestry, vases, and furniture.

Private location. Luxury homes should afford their owners the utmost privacy and security, and serve as the sanctuary that buyers hope for them to be.It’s best if it can only be accessed through private roads, and not too near the busy districts.

To learn more about finding the best Hawaii luxury beachfront homes for sale, seek the assistance of Harold Clarke of Luxury Big Island. Harold is an experienced Hawaii real estate broker who can point you in the direction of your dream oceanfront home.

The Renowned Pebble Beach

Fenway Park, Lambeau Field, Madison Square Garden; every sport has a classic field that is uncanny because of it’s vast richness of a combination of history and memorable classics. For PGA, the golf course is Pebble Beach. Voted America’s Best Public Golf course the last two years (2015 and 2016) and being the annual host to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM; Pebble Beach is quite the venue. Overlooking the California Coast, the beautiful Pebble Beach has also hosted the PGA fantasy thriller, the U.S. Open, five times and is slted for it’s sixth in the upcoming years.

The PGA fantasy match that solidified this course for the history books was the 2010 U.S. Open. Legendary daily fantasy PGA players such as: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and a young David Johnson made up of the pool of players competing this year. Was it one of Tiger’s three infamous U.S. Open titles? No it certainly wasn’t. The reason this championship is known the way it is because when you hear the winner’s name, the immediate reaction is always “Who?” Yes indeed, the winner of the U.S. Open this year was quite the fantasy sleeper and daily fantasy value play, and he is Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland.

Over his sixteen year career on the PGA tour, McDowell managed to win a total of three tournaments. Never known as a forcible player in the field, McDowell managed to defy the odds and capture the U.S. Open title in 2010 and effectively ended a 40 year drought of Europeans failing to claim the top prize. In terms of fantasy PGA analysis, this was a head scratcher. Yes Tiger and Phil tied for fourth and Dustin Johnson tied for eighth but Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland won! I think that just about says it.