Sunday, June 13, 2021

Goldfish

 by: Nia Amira Najwa binti Azmi


The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have become an invasive pest in parts of North America.

Native to East Asia, the goldfish is a relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp). It was first selectively bred for color in imperial China more than 1,000 years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration, and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).

Various species of carp (collectively known as Asian carp) have been bred and reared as food fish for thousands of years in East Asia. Some of these normally gray or silver species have a tendency to produce red, orange or yellow color mutations; this was first recorded in imperial China, during the Jin dynasty (266–420).

During the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), it was popular to raise carp in ornamental ponds and water gardens. A natural genetic mutation produced gold (actually yellowish orange) rather than silver coloration. People began to selectively breed the gold variety instead of the silver variety, keeping them in ponds or other bodies of water. On special occasions at which guests were expected, they would be moved to a much smaller container for display.

By the Song dynasty (AD 960–1279), the selective domestic breeding of goldfish was firmly established. In 1162, the empress of the Song Dynasty ordered the construction of a pond to collect the red and gold variety. By this time, people outside the imperial family were forbidden to keep goldfish of the gold (yellow) variety, yellow being the imperial color. This is probably the reason why there are more orange goldfish than yellow goldfish, even though the latter are genetically easier to breed. The occurrence of other colors (apart from red and gold) was first recorded in 1276.[citation needed]

During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), goldfish also began to be raised indoors, which permitted selection for mutations that would not be able to survive in ponds. The first occurrence of fancy-tailed goldfish was recorded in the Ming Dynasty. In 1603, goldfish were introduced to Japan. In 1611, goldfish were introduced to Portugal and from there to other parts of Europe.

During the 1620s, goldfish were highly regarded in southern Europe because of their metallic scales, and symbolized good luck and fortune. It became a tradition for married men to give their wives a goldfish on their first anniversary, as a symbol for the prosperous years to come. This tradition quickly died, as goldfish became more available, losing their status. Goldfish were first introduced to North America around 1850 and quickly became popular in the United States.


Goldfish are popular pond fish, since they are small, inexpensive, colorful and very hardy. In an outdoor pond or water garden, they may even survive for brief periods if ice forms on the surface, as long as there is enough oxygen remaining in the water and the pond does not freeze solid. Common, London and Bristol shubunkins, jikin, wakin, comet and some hardier fantail goldfish can be kept in a pond all year round in temperate and subtropical climates. Moor, veiltail, oranda and lionhead can be kept safely in outdoor ponds year-round only in more tropical climates and only in summer elsewhere.

Compatible fish include rudd, tench, orfe and koi, but the last require specialized care. Ramshorn snails are helpful by eating any algae that grows in the pond. Without some form of animal population control, goldfish ponds can easily become overstocked. Fish such as orfe consume goldfish eggs.

Ponds small and large are fine in warmer areas (although it ought to be noted that goldfish can "overheat" in small volumes of water in the summer in tropical climates). In frosty climes, the depth should be at least 80 centimeters (31 in) to preclude freezing. During winter, goldfish become sluggish, stop eating and often stay on the bottom of the pond. This is normal; they become active again in the spring. Unless the pond is large enough to maintain its own ecosystem without interference from humans, a filter is important to clear waste and keep the pond clean. Plants are essential as they act as part of the filtration system, as well as a food source for the fish. Plants are further beneficial since they raise oxygen levels in the water.





BTS’s Japanese Single ‘Film Out’ Reflects On the Bitterness of Nostalgia

 by: Hanis Sophia 




BTS's second Japanese digital single, "Film Out," was released on April 1.
The song will be reissued as the opening track on their fourth Japanese compilation album, "BTS, THE BEST," which will be published on June 16.

Numerous of BTS's Japanese songs have been described as lyrical, with many hidden meanings and sincere themes. They are frequently gloomy; “Film Out” is one example. “Film Out” fits this characterization perfectly, since it is a sad ballad song, yet still feels dreamy. 

With their individual interpretations, all seven members communicate the sentiments of the song, and their harmonisation matches well with the tone of the song. Every member's voice is brimming with colours and emotions, revealing an intimate and raw aspect of themselves. It makes listeners feel vulnerable while listening.  

The term "Film Out" alludes to film cameras. When a camera reaches the maximum number of exposures on a film roll, the film is exhausted and must be processed in order to get the images that were taken. Because a film roll has a limited number of exposures, individuals do their hardest to snap the greatest photos possible to record the most beautiful moments in life. 

Unfortunately, because the exposures ultimately run out, not every moment can be caught.
The term also suggests that the film roll's capacity has been surpassed, and all that remains are the memories contained within the film roll. However, another interpretation of the song title is that a person should not restrict himself since they would lose out on the essential and beautiful things in life because life is made up of possibilities. 

ungkook contributed to the composition of the lyrics of "Film Out." The lyrics express feelings of longing for someone and reminiscing about happy experiences from the past. The song is about someone who can't let go of the other person because the other person still lives within them, and about hanging onto memories of the past despite the agony.The other person's imagination is still so vivid that it feels as if they are present, and the only thing that can be done is collect the memories to watch them projected across the room. The lyrics allude to the filming and editing processes. A video is made up of several sequences, b-rolls, and snippets. However, throughout the editing process, numerous sequences are deleted and the audio is altered. The arrangement of the clips can be altered several times, and the plot can change based on how the clips are organised. This interpretation may be observed in the start of the chorus: "From all the memories stored in my heart, I collect up the ones of you, connect them together." 

The graphics in the music video also help to portray an emotional tale. It properly portrays the sadness of the words, and the use of nude and neutral tones makes the music video appear like a blank sheet, highlighting the empty sensations one may have while in a gloomy mood. As the scenes go, the music video's hues shift to red and yellow.That is how it remains till the finish of the song video.
The combination of red and yellow may appear odd, but it encompasses the rest of the atmosphere by graphically expressing the song's agony. Overall, the music video is basic but stunning and visually appealing. 

 Many fans are aware that the music video for "Film Out" is linked to a number of other hypotheses about BTS's music videos that have previously been proposed. The most popular idea is that Jin is time travelling in order to help save the other members, and this theory looks to be correct when examining closer into the music video.

Jin stands in the other room, keeping an eye on the other members, but as soon as he snatches the hourglass, they start to vanish. Jin glances back to the other room as Jungkook fades away, and papers begin to explode violently into the room through the windows, producing a shambles. This is the scene in which the music video turns red and yellow. The shambles that resulted are a mirror of the repercussions of attempting to alter things in the past. This is related to the butterfly effect idea, which states that every attempt to modify the past has a ripple effect that might have a significant impact on the future.

The hourglass, which has long been connected with time, appears in several sequences throughout the music video, leading many to believe that there was an attempt to turn back time to rescue what was once lost. However, the sand in the hourglass signifies the reality that time may run out, and it looks like Jin is running out of time to achieve what he wants to do.   

There's also a scenario in which J-Hope and Suga mirror each other in a desolate setting.
Mirrors have a reputation for acting as gateways to another realm. This could only indicate that there exist parallel worlds, and Jin has attempted to visit each one in order to save the other six members. his is demonstrated in the music video, as Jin runs for the door and opens it, only to find himself standing on a floating rock with many other doors hanging in the sky, showing that other worlds existed all along.At the end of the music video, Jin is shown walking back to where he started and looking into the other room — standing on the other side, V is seen mirroring him.

“Film Out” has charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in three countries: the United States, Japan, and Korea. The song also remained at the top of the Japanese music charts, where it has remained since its debut. It also topped the iTunes list in 99 different countries and garnered the most views in the first 24 hours compared to any other BTS music video. However, the success of "Film Out" does not stop there, and the song can certainly expect to achieve great things in the future. 

BTS's fourth Japanese compilation album, "BTS, THE BEST," will be released on June 17. Fans may also look forward to BTS FESTA, an event in which BTS commemorates their formation anniversary for 10-14 days. The celebration generally begins in early June, leading up to the anniversary date, and this year will be its ninth year. Fans can look forward to a slew of exclusive music and material created only for them. 


Here Are 5 iPhone Tricks That Will Make Every Apple User’s Life A LOT Easier!

 Written by Nanthini Suresh

These days, if you ask your family or friends for the trusted smartphone brand of their choice, many of them would say Apple’s iPhone is their main option.

Designed as a user-friendly product, the iPhone is equipped with various attractive features.

Unfortunately, not many people are aware of how to fully utilise some of the iPhone’s most useful features and tricks. Here are some of the best ones!

1.Spacebar Can Be A Trackpad


It is so tricky whenever we mistype a word and have to backtrack to the single character that we want to delete in the word. But did you know that you can delete some words or letters using only the spacebar?

This spacebar function can be a trackpad that makes it easier for individuals to delete only the necessary parts without messing with other words.

How to do it:

-Identify the word or letter you want to delete.

-Press the spacebar for a few seconds, and it will appear as black space, and you can move your finger like a cursor.

-Move left or right depending on where you want to delete.

2. Set a timer for listening to music

Many of us like to listen to music before we head to bed. But no one likes having to wake up again when you are about to fall asleep just to turn off your songs. Thankfully, with this function, all you have to do is set a timer on your smartphone for how long you want to listen to music and it will automatically stop when the timer goes off.

How to do it:

-Open ‘Clock’
-Click on ‘Timer’
-Set how long you want the song to play.
-Click on the ‘When Timer Ends’
-Select ‘Stop Playing’ and press “Start.”

3. Accelerate Battery Charging


In a hurry to go somewhere fast but running low on battery? Switch to ‘Airplane Mode’ and charge as usual. This doubles the speed of charging and your phone should be good to go in no time!

4. Hide your private photos

Every now and then, we find ourselves in situations where we have to hand our phones over to someone else. Whether it be to check the time or to share a funny photo. But not all photos are meant to be shared with others. If you have a private collection of images that you never want to show anyone else, this function will be useful to you.  The iPhone lets you hide your most personal pictures through the Hide function.

All you have to do is enter Photos, select one or more images, then tap the Share button and choose Hide. As the confirmation message says, your desired pictures will disappear from every location in your library, but you’ll still be able to see them in the Hidden album within your Albums.

5. Set emergency SOS



If you’re ever in an emergency situation that requires you to respond fast, the iPhone can be set to send an emergency call. Scroll down to Emergency SOS, enable Auto Call, and Call with Side Button. Pressing the power button five times or pressing and holding power and volume up or down will make an emergency call immediately.

Did we miss anything? What was your favourite trick? Share your tips with us in the comments!





These are the three best free programs to back up your files

 

By: Megat Harris Iskandar



Your hard drive gives up the ghost, your files are hijacked by ransomware or there’s a fire at home. None of these scenarios seem particularly immediate and yet you still have to be prepared for them.

Backing up data regularly is quite a nuisance, but you can make your life a little easier with special backup programs and you don’t even have to pay for them.

The backup tools integrated in Windows and MacOS are adequate, but they are not as good as the best third-party programs, according to testers from German consumer watchdog Stiftung Warentest, who recently compared 13 such solutions.

These programs automatically back up the desired files to a hard drive or a USB stick – and some will also encrypt the files in your cloud.

The testers said three free Windows solutions provide a solid backup service free of charge:

·         Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition

·         Aomei Backupper 6.0 Standard Edition

·         EaseUS Toto Backup Free 12.5

Both the backup tool built into Windows 10 and Time Machine integrated into MacOS performed less well, but also delivered reliable backups. Experts advise against creating a backup on an internal hard drive, as the files are usually lost if the computer or hard drive breaks.

You're better off using an external 2.5in hard drive cheaper or an SSD hard drive faster that is disconnected from the PC after each backup. In any case, the drive should have a USB 3 port, which is much faster than USB 2.

It also pays to keep a backup outside of your own four walls, for example with relatives or friends, as this means not everything will be lost if there's fire or water damage.

According to the experts, USB memory sticks are only your second-best option. They are not as robust as hard drives, often have a shorter lifespan, transfer files much more slowly and are more easily to lose.