Did you participate in RealStreet's March Madness bracket contest for a chance to win 3 awesome prizes!? Check out the current standings and cheer on your team during the last few games. 

• URL: http://realstreet.mayhem.cbssports.com
• Group name: RealStreet
• Group password: realstreet

Winners will be announced after the championship game and contacted directly via the email used to login to the bracket contest site. Good luck to all those who are left in the running!

Following up on a topic from the December 2016 Newsletter , The Future of Construction: 3D Printing?, a significant milestone recently took place in the 3D construction industry: the world's first livable 3D printed house was constructed in Russia! A U.S. based company, Apis Cor, partnered with 5 other companies to build an entire house in less than 24 hours using a 3D printer in the town of Stupino (within the Moscow region). 

According to the recent Apis Cor press release, The first on-site house has been printed in Russia , the house was a one story building with a unique design. The goal was to show how the printed structures can take a variety shapes "because the additive technology has no restrictions on design of new buildings, except for the laws of physics."  The open interior includes a living area, hall, bathroom and small kitchen.

 

The printer is small, easily transportable and can be set up quickly and accurately due to a  built-in automatic horizon alignment  and stabilization system. It resembles a construction tower crane, allowing it to build from both inside and out. According to the press release, "t he printing process is automated as much as possible and almost eliminates the risk of human error."

The total cost of the printed house was $10,134. The cost is in part due to the house's unique shape and the use of the highest quality building materials and furnishings. While project costs will vary, the total potential savings of future 3D printed houses are anticipated to be upwards of 70% when  compared to conventional construction.

Watch this Apis Cor video to learn more!

With the growing number of companies across the globe vying for a foothold in the 3D printing world, there is an increasing need for a focus on cyber security. Not only is there a risk of intellectual property being stolen, but also a great concern that it will lead to compromised products on the market. According to a recent Design News article, " 3D printers are capable of either being intentionally or inadvertently instructed to create defects in products - meaning hackers could intentionally alter a print to ill effects or manufacturers could unintentionally do it themselves by adopting practices that result in products being printed in less than ideal conditions." 

The article also explains how there currently is not a reliable way to detect defects or determine a 3D printed product's authenticity. That being said, the start-up 3DP Security has identified 4 solution areas: 

1. Embedded tracking to ensure CAD files are not stolen
2. Automatic dimensional control to ensure optimized printing
3. CAD modeling strategies
4. Microstructure tagging

While these efforts are an unfortunate afterthought, they are increasingly important and urgent. How will it get resolved? Time will tell. 

Tax day is typically on April 15th. However, this year the deadline was pushed out to April 18th. What prompted this  date change? 

During this time, be aware that there are currently multiple tax-related malware schemes. According to a recent Credit Union Times post, the company Proofpoint has identified several malicious campaigns: 

1. "The Trick", also known as TrickBot and TrickLoader, is a recently emerged high-profile banking Trojan.
2. A campaign encouraging recipients to read a new IRS privacy policy in an attached document. The email contained elements of social engineering. Once enabled, the macros download Dridex botnet 1105.
3. Another email drive targeting U.S. recipients offered a special loyalty tax refund program. The attached malicious document delivered Sage ransomware via embedded macros. The ransomware generally asked users for $2,000 to decrypt their files. 
4. A tax-themed lure delivered LuminosityLink, a remote access Trojan that includes a comprehensive key-logger capable of injecting code into most running processes on infected PCs, via attached macro-laden Excel spreadsheets. 
5. Email from irs-consultant.com domain used to install so-called Philadelphia ransomware.
6. Phishers target personal information via a form to submit federal W-2 information, lifting IRS branding and images directly from IRS.gov. Also observed: the reuse of forms capturing IRS login information. 

Educate yourself and use caution when submitting your taxes.

Why Spring Driving is Dangerous

With winter fading into the background and better weather all around, you'd think the roads would finally be safe again. This isn't always the case. 

Rainy days and flooding 

Spring rain brings slippery road conditions and flooding. According to the Federal Highway Administration, rain was a culprit in 46 percent of all weather-related crashes from 2005 to 2014, and wet pavement in general accounted for 73 percent. 

What makes rain and wet pavement so dangerous? For one, slippery roads reduce your car's handling and increase the distance it takes to stop (up to 4 times normal stopping distance). Big puddles can also cut down on tire traction and could lead to hydroplaning. 

Hail season 

Beware of hailstorms, particularly if you live in a hail-belt state (Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri). Even small hailstones can shatter windshields, and raining balls of ice are never good for the roads (or anybody, really). 

Winter road wear and tear 

In many states, winter wreaks havoc on the roads. Snow plows, salt, sand and the aftermath of ice can all leave roads a bit battered. Once snow melts away, expect to drive over new potholes. 

Animal activity 

Animals are incredibly active during the spring. Some are emerging from hibernation and others are entering mating season. This means that more animals are crossing streets and roaming around. Many animals, especially deer, are most active at dawn or dusk. 

More bicycles on the road 

Spring also brings cyclists out of hibernation. Driving alongside cyclists can make traffic maneuvers, such as turning right or parallel parking, more dangerous. 

Spring Driving Safety Tips 

• Check your lights: Since spring rain hinders driving visibility, make sure all your lights work, including headlights, taillights, backup lights, turn signals, parking lights and brake lights. 
• Replace your wiper blades: Worn-out wiper blades may not be up to the task of clearing water away from your windshield. Check your wiper blades and replace them if necessary (usually once a year). 
• Check your tire pressure: Harsh winter weather can deflate your tires. Make sure you have enough air in them once spring rolls around. As a bonus, proper tire pressure can also help you increase your mpg.
• Slow down and drive carefully: The first few rainy days of spring can produce exceptionally slippery roads due to oil and other leaked fluids mixing with rainwater, so slow down and increase your stopping distance when it's raining. 
• Keep your eyes peeled for bad road conditions: Remember that harsh winter weather breeds potholes and other driving obstacles. 
• Watch out for animals: This is especially important during the early morning and evening when animals are most active. 

Safe Spring Driving 

Seasonal showers, migrating animals, and poor road conditions can create unpleasant complications out on the road. Use the above tips to your advantage and you'll be that much more prepared for any seasonal driving dangers that come your way.

The aforementioned tips are from  esurance.

 

Spring cleaning is not a concept limited to housecleaning. Apply it to your career as well! Not sure where to begin? Check out the 7 Tips from Idealist Careers. Considering a career change or just want to be prepared for your next great opportunity? Clean up your resume with these tips from Monster as well.

 

Feeling foolish? Saturday was April 1st - April Fool's Day!  If you're in need of a few chuckles, check out Forbe's  April Fools! - The 20 Greatest Corporate Pranks Of All Time .  Did you fall for any  shenanigans ?

 

Click to enlarge. 

Last month's puzzle:  Click to enlarge.

Think you know the answer? Check the solution!