In any debate, there are always at least two sides. That reasoning also applies to whether or not it is a good idea to use artificial intelligence technology to try stemming the advantages of cybercriminals who are already using AI to improve their success ratio. 
In an email exchange, I asked Ramprakash Ramamoorthy, director of research at ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corporation, for his thoughts on the matter. Ramamoorthy is firmly on the affirmative side for using AI to fight cybercrime. He said, "The only way to combat cybercriminals using AI-enhanced attacks is to fight fire with fire and employ AI countermeasures."
Why choose AI in cybersecurity?
An obvious question is: Why add another expensive technology to a company's cybersecurity platform, especially in a department that many upper management types consider to have a terrible return on investment? Ramamoorthy offered the following reasons:

• Enterprise security and privacy practices have become the representation of the trustworthiness of a business. A security breach or loose privacy practices might damage an organization's reputation to the extent that it could drive away customers to competitors, irrespective of the competitiveness of your offering.
• It's only fair that you put your best foot forward to make sure you stay on top of the cybersecurity game. Deploying evolving technologies like AI into your security practices can send strong signals to your customers that you have been taking them very seriously, and you're in it for the long term.

Continue reading: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/why-companies-should-be-using-ai-to-fight-cyberattacks/

Artificial intelligence can empower a business to streamline and optimize workflows, but adoption can come with challenges outside of the adjustments to various internal processes. In addition to the time and effort it takes to implement efficient AI solutions, the financial commitment is also an obstacle for small businesses determining whether AI is a feasible option.
If one knows where to start, AI can be an affordable endeavor for businesses of all sizes. To help, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share how small businesses can approach adopting artificial intelligence without investing too much time and money into big data or programmers.
1. Focus First on Internal Issues
There are AI solutions for every business, in every industry, of various sizes. This is great news because you don't have to sign up for an extremely expensive solution with lots of bells and whistles that you will not use based on your size. Find a few that you want to use to try solving an internal issue, and see which one is straightforward and easy to use. The value is high, so just take your time. - Chris Tompkins, The Go! Agency
Continue reading: https://www.newsweek.com/six-ways-small-businesses-can-approach-adopting-affordable-ai-solutions-1657026

AI-based marketing enables brands to personalize the customer experience while providing real-time decisioning based on the actionable insights that are obtained through the analysis of massive amounts of historical and current customer data. In fact, according to a report from IBM, 50% of brands that were surveyed are already using AI to quickly access insights, automate campaigns and processes, and they are eager to embed it directly into customer touchpoints.
Additionally, the report revealed that executives indicated that they are very interested in AI-enhanced CX, with 70% believing their industry is ready to adopt AI/CX, and 75% predicting that AI will play an important role in the future of their brands. Not surprisingly, 57% stated that responding to customer expectations for more personalized experiences is their number one reason for adopting AI.
What Is AI-Based Marketing?
AI-based marketing uses artificial intelligence to make automated decisions that are based on data collection, data analysis, along with observations of economic trends that may impact marketing campaigns. By collecting customer data from across all of a brand’s channels, analyzing it, and using machine learning to continually improve, AI is able to use predictive analysis to determine the next best action to present to customers, in real time. These actions may be a targeted email with personalized product recommendations, the presentation of a web page where a customer is shown products that the customer is likely to be interested in based on past purchases and browsing history, a chat conversation that includes shipping information for a product the customer has purchased, or other personalized interactions.
Continue reading: https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/how-ai-based-marketing-can-improve-customer-retention/

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming one of the most important enablers of autonomous systems. But in order to become more widely used, it has to be industrial-grade.
The message was startling: “Porsche’s electric Taycan overtakes the classic 911.” That headline appeared in October 2021 in the German weekly Der Spiegel. At that time, Porsche had sold 28,640 Taycan models in a year—about 700 more than the flagship 911, which the carmaker has produced in quantities reaching millions over the course of six decades and eight generations of models. The electric Taycan appeared only two years ago and is decidedly unusual for a sports car, with its electric drive, roominess, and floor covering made of recycled fishnets.
But what was most unusual was the planning and implementation of production. There wasn’t enough space at the Zuffenhausen headquarters for the new production facilities. Manufacturing had to be extremely flexible to quickly respond to changes and custom requirements. There also had to be a significant reduction in carbon emissions and resource consumption. Established methods weren’t sufficient.
So Porsche dared to take a revolutionary step: it abandoned the assembly line. Instead, mobile automated guided vehicles (AGVs) convey the Taycans to various workstations on multiple floors, based on the equipment required. The time from the initial planning of the plant to production of the first car took a mere four years.
Continue reading: https://hbr.org/sponsored/2021/12/how-ai-is-enabling-self-learning-factories

Your input is what drives the content and topics we share to the Drone Technology Interest Group and on the forum.
Share your thoughts here: https://surveys.comptia.org/s3/drone-tig-interests

We are interested in hearing from you on how to improve our blockchain technology interest group and forum. Please take a moment and complete our survey.
Survey: https://surveys.comptia.org/s3/blockchain-tig-interests

For all those first responders out there who’ve been a bit tardy in taking advantage of a nice opportunity, here’s good news. Connecticut-based UAV tech, cloud, and software solutions provider Aquiline Drones has announced it is extending its offer to provide free pilot training and education to emergency and rescue workers for another six months.
Aquiline Drones says it will prolong its program of providing its Flight to the Future (F2F) UAV pilot training and education course to police officers, firefighters, and first responders free of charge until June of next year. The company initially began that offer in July as its way of thanking those who dedicate their work – and risk their lives – to intervening in perilous situations to save others. 
Thus far, over 500 qualified public security employees have gotten in on that deal and completed the usually $399 course entirely gratis. Yet that response was so strong, and gratitude of Aquiline Drones founder and CEO Barry Alexander sufficiently enduring, that the company decided to extend the program another half year so a maximum number of deserving people could get in on it.
“We initially offered free Flight to the Future training to all first responders in honor of the twentieth 9/11 anniversary,” Alexander explains. “However, overwhelming demand inspired us to continue arming these heroes with crucial training to keep them safe and secure by raising situational awareness with drones and cloud computing technology whenever they answer a call…. Since the holiday season is a time of giving and helping others, we could not think of a better gift than ensuring all first responders partake in this essential training at no cost.”
The interactive F2F course instructs police, fire, and rescue professionals how to use drones, associated cloud technology, and artificial intelligence capabilities safely and effectively in responding to emergencies. 
Aquiline Drones’ online pilot training can be accessed any time participants can and want to work on the program, which prepares them to obtain their Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 commercial drone operation certification. Along the way, tuition-waived students learn the functionalities and use of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and other technologies that continue transforming and improving the ways drones are used. 
Through the company’s partnership with GlobalFlyte, F2F also gives first responders access to Aware, the centralized incident response platform designed to improve situational awareness for all those reacting to emergencies – before, during, and after those crisis events.
Continue reading: https://dronedj.com/2021/12/09/aquiline-drones-extends-free-first-responder-pilot-training-offer/

The ocean is a lawless frontier. Anyone who follows Ian Urbina's excellent series knows that crime abounds on the high seas and often goes unpunished.
The factors contributing to lawlessness are complex and difficult to parse, but one issue is strictly logistical. The ocean is big and dangerous and it's not an easy place to monitor. Two UAV technology companies are joining forces to demonstrate that drones can be part of the solution.
SwissDrones, a company that develops, manufactures and operates long-range unmanned helicopter systems for commercial and public safety applications, and CLS, which specializes in satellite-based monitoring and surveillance, recently completed a demonstration in the open ocean utilizing a SwissDrones unmanned helicopter. The helicopter was launched from aboard the Bourbon Offshore ship Argonaute to demonstrate how Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) can complete Earth Observation Systems and serve as complementary tools in the overall surveillance chain for monitoring oceans over extended periods and across large areas. 
"Drones are a complementary asset in the overall surveillance process," says Ulrich Amberg, CEO of SwissDrones. "They enhance maritime situational awareness with additional sources of data and make operations safer for coastal authorities during hazardous conditions."
The applications for such a chain of surveillance and monitoring could include search and rescue, pollution monitoring, and monitoring for traffickers and pirates. The drone itself, SDO 50 VTOL, is a robust helicopter with two intermeshing blades with opposing rotations. The platform enables long-range missions in adverse weather conditions, as well as relatively high payload capacity (45 kg/99 lbs, including fuel). Much smaller and cheaper than a manned helicopter, the UAV can be launched from a ship and autonomously run patterns in wide perimeters without risking the lives of onboard crew.
Continue reading: https://www.zdnet.com/article/pirate-hunting-drone-monitors-crime-on-high-seas/

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has granted Australian drone logistics company Swoop Aero BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) approval for medical logistics operations in Queensland. The approval lets Swoop Aero operate in a fully integrated airspace with an aerodrome based hub at the local airport in Goondiwindi. The integration will allow for access to safe and sustainable drone logistics spanning the entire area. The network will overcome distance as a barrier to healthcare access for surrounding regional communities, and make access to healthcare more convenient.
“Today is a proud milestone for Swoop Aero,” said Eric Peck, Swoop Aero’s CEO and co-founder. “The CASA approvals will see Swoop Aero drones launch right here in Australian skies. Our approvals are a testimony to our strong regulatory experience overseas, our operational excellence flying over 10,000 BVLOS missions across a number of countries and our strong operating procedures.”
The BVLOS approval is supported by a DG (Dangerous Goods) approval, allowing the company to deliver critical medical supplies where they are needed whilst maintaining chain of custody.
“Australia’s Airspace rapidly transforming to account for new airspace users such as drone logistics. We are proud to be leading the way in how to make this transformation a sustainable one to ensure our skies remain safe for traditional and emerging airspace users alike, as well as the broader community,” added Zac Kennedy, Director of Regulatory Affairs. “To that effect, we sit on and lead multiple government working groups to co-design the regulatory framework that promotes air mobility safety and innovation to overcome supply barriers.”
Continue reading: https://dronelife.com/2021/12/09/swoop-aero-bvlos-approval-in-australia-for-medical-drone-delivery-ops/

Three ocean drones were launched from Rhode Island Thursday and will travel along the Gulf Stream, collecting data in tough winter conditions that would be challenging for traditional ships with crews.

Saildrone, headquartered in Alameda, California, makes autonomous surface vehicles powered by the wind and sun to measure climate quality data and do mapping in remote oceans for scientists worldwide. The company launched the drones from Newport, Rhode Island, on a mission to sail the strong ocean currents in the North Atlantic for six months.

The goal is to gather information that's needed to improve medium and long-range weather forecasting, and to account for how much human-produced carbon dioxide the Gulf Stream can absorb. The carbon data could help improve the models that others use to hold countries accountable for their goals for lowering emissions, said Susan Ryan, a vice president at Saildrone.
Scientists from the University of Rhode Island and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts are leading the mission. The work is paid for with a roughly $1 million grant from the philanthropic arm of Google, Google.org, and its Impact Challenge on Climate.
Collecting data along the Gulf Stream is extremely challenging in the winter because of the strong currents and fierce storms, Ryan said.
Continue reading: https://phys.org/news/2021-12-climate-quality-scientists-drones.html

While balloons were originally used for observation purposes, they were also used for offensive purposes.
In fact, the earliest uncrewed aerial vehicle was likely used in battle in 1849, when Austrian soldiers used unmanned balloons filled with explosives to attack the city of Venice. While a number of these weaponized balloons blew back and accidentally bombed the Austrian camps, several managed to reach their targets.
The technology was advanced during World War I when the first UAVs were developed in Britain and the USA. The British developed a small radio-controlled aircraft, called the Aerial Target, in 1917; while the American aerial torpedo known as the Kettering Bug first flew in October 1918. However, neither was used operationally during the war.
In the 1930s, the British produced radio-controlled aircraft for use as targets for training purposes. The term 'drone' may have been inspired by the name of one of these aircraft, the Queen Bee.
Reconnaissance UAVs were first used on a large scale during the Vietnam War. The U.S. utilized remote sensors and remote-controlled Firebees (a series of target drones) for surveillance. 
Since then, UAVs are regularly applied for surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance missions.
Continue reading: https://interestingengineering.com/5-ingenious-alternative-ways-we-can-make-use-of-drones

The internet of things (IoT) is emerging as the flagbearer of businesses’ quest for digital rejuvenation. With its ability to harness data, the all-important fuel driving modern business, IoT is now seen as the glue that binds human ingenuity and machine intelligence.
But the adoption of sensors and other data collection mechanisms is also creating a story of haves and have-nots. Businesses that implemented IoT showed greater resilience during the pandemic than those that bided time. These IoT leaders also fare better on virtually every performance parameter than laggards. Combined with machine intelligence, IoT allows leaders to turn big data into smart decisions.
However, leaders and laggards alike need to be mindful of the impact of pervasive IoT on the employees. Process augmentation can affect employee buy-in, elevating human skills necessary for extending business modernization in the coming years.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognizant/2021/12/09/how-iot-drives-digitization/?sh=1d40a0412074

With IoT botnets continuing to cause problems and attacks on critical infrastructure an ongoing menace, Microsoft has conducted research to find out whether edge network devices are a threat to enterprise systems. 
The Microsoft-commissioned survey, conducted by the Ponemon Institute, looked at Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) devices and what security threats they posed to IT systems that were once separated from edge network devices. OT includes devices and software used to monitor and control industrial equipment, bringing a physical element to cybersecurity. 
The survey of 615 IT, IT security and OT security practitioners across the United States found that 51% of OT networks are connected to corporate IT networks. Microsoft details key findings in a blogpost and has released a report. 
Some 88% of respondents said their business IoT devices are connected to the internet for things like cloud-printing services while 56% reported devices on their OT network were connected for remote access. 
Microsoft points to the Mozi P2P IoT botnet, which, for example, targets vulnerabilities in video recorders and other IoT products, including popular network gateways. Microsoft reckons Mozi demonstrates how business networks can be breached by compromised edge devices that were once assumed to be air-gapped from internal platforms. 
The Ponemon Institute survey found that only 29% of respondents had a complete inventory of IoT and OT devices. Most respondents (64%) had low or average confidence that their IoT devices are patched - and the same proportion admitted they did not know if the devices had been compromised.
Continue reading: https://www.zdnet.com/article/iot-under-attack-security-is-still-good-not-enough-on-these-edge-devices/

The Internet of Things is a growing phenomenon. Everyday objects from appliances to pet collars are increasingly becoming “smart,” powered by software, sensors, and various technologies to communicate with users and other devices via the internet. The business forecast for this so-called physical web is impressive: one study estimates more than a 10% growth rate in the next five years, attaining a market value of $1.39 billion by 2026. However, IoT has a significant hurdle to overcome: power.
Larger appliances with fixed physical locations often have dedicated electrical connections. However, many IoT devices are smaller mobile technologies that rely on batteries rather than a dedicated energy source. One study suggests that by 2025, there will be 41.6 billion IoT devices, including heart monitors or agricultural sensors for which wired power is impractical.
Imagine your phone, watch, or toothbrush—or any equipped mobile or battery-powered device—deriving continuous electricity, all the time, without the need to be connected to a power cable or docking station again. 
Enter the smart power company WiGL (Wireless-electric Grid Local Air Networks). Pronounced “wiggle,” its namesake technology is a form of wireless and touchless power. Wireless power is relatively common now that many smartphones, watches, and rechargeable toothbrushes allow surface charging rather than cable charging. However, touchless power offers an entirely different capability: delivering electricity through the air. Imagine your phone, watch, or toothbrush—or any equipped mobile or battery-powered device—deriving electricity all the time, without the need to be connected to a power cable or docking station ever again. While intriguing, this possibility does raise questions about transmission capacity and safety, as well as the implications of such a technology on the built environment.
According to the Hampton, Va.-based company, WiGL functions just like Wi-Fi. Like Wi-Fi routers, WiGL transmitters convey radio frequency (RF) signals through the air. In its case, however, WiGL delivers energy rather than information. The technology makes use of RF electromagnetic radiation (EMR), generating an electric field similar to that emitted by broadcast television or microwave ovens. Wi-Fi generates an electric field in the high-frequency range since RF radiation can carry information as well as energy. WiGL technology builds on established Wi-Fi standards. The Federal Communications Commission caps the Wi-Fi transmission rate at 1 watt at the 2.4-GHz frequency to maintain safe levels of RF exposure. Because WiGL adheres to this limit, the company claims its technology is safe for people.
Read more: https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/the-internet-of-things-approaches-wireless-touchless-power_o

In India, we are only in the beginning stage of using IoT gadgets in our daily lives, but in the coming years, more IoT devices will be used globally. From your air conditioner, refrigerator to cleaning robots, all these devices will become smarter. They will be connected to the internet so that you can control or manage them from anywhere using an app or your phone.
Read more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0L_AtMCb00

As participating in a connected society continues to both evolve and impact our daily lives, the number of devices that are part of the Internet of Things is accelerating at an astonishing rate. Depending on the projection you subscribe to, there could be as many as 3.2 billion devices in play by the end of 2023, a significant increase on the 700 million that are part of the IoT today.
Although there are numerous reasons why the number of connected devices is on the rise, there is very little doubt that the long-awaited integration of 5G communication technology will have an impact on this increase. As 5G not only replaces the existing 4G standard but also becomes the norm, there is a defined need for companies and manufacturers to take this next generation of connectivity into account when designing, testing, and launching their IoT-specific devices and sensors.
We no longer have to imagine a world where chronic health conditions like diabetes are managed 24/7 without blood sugar highs and lows, where car accidents are preventable, or doors are unlocked with a simple face scan. Anyone who has been to the annual festival of next-gen consumer technology known as CES will know that the technology to automatically adjust your home lighting and temperature, or order groceries that you need before you run out, is already here.
However, the shift from science fiction to business-focused fact needs to have an infrastructure that can support the demand and literally billions of connected devices. That is where 5G comes in. When you combine the promise of IoT with the actual capabilities of 5G, then you have a super-powerful technology ecosystem that can transfer vast amounts of data at a very high speed.
Throw in the advancements in IoT communication and sensor miniaturizations, then the data from hundreds (if not thousands) of myriad sensors can be used to collect information and provide actionable insights. This information then, however large, can be communicated and processed by 5G connectivity at exceptionally fast rates.
Continue reading: https://www.iotforall.com/why-the-internet-of-things-needs-5g-connectivity

Edge Computing will minimize latency – the time spent traversing a question and an answer across the network.
And to achieve this, it will encompass an entire ecosystem that includes 5G networks, fiber-optic-based infrastructure and the energy necessary to achieve it. However, it is the servers that are responsible for processing and managing the data instantaneously.
Preparing for Edge Computing
According to Gartner, by 2025, 75% of business data will generate and process at the Edge of the network, beyond traditional data centers. Thus, in little more than two years, computing as we know it will have radically changed.
And the market is ready. According to Grand View Research, the demand for Edge Computing may reach US$61,140 million in 2028, with a growth of 38.4%.
Latin America is one of the regions increasing its investment in Edge technologies. In 2020, Edge business spending was US$4.739 million according to Edge Spending Guide – IDC, July 2020, showing growth of 7.54% compared to 2019.
In addition, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16% is expected in the region for 2024, reaching US$8,573 million.
IDC also adds that five economic sectors represented 57% of spending on Edge Computing in 2020. They are manufacturing, banking, retail, telecommunications and insurance.
However, the demand generates new use cases, new business models and new industry players that will include everything from application developers and Edge solutions to new hardware, which will take advantage of innovative production scenarios.
To find out more, we ask the opinions of Christiano Lucena, VP of Storage, Platforms and Solutions Sales at Dell Technologies Latin America; Andres Campuzano, Compute Business Group Segment Sales Leader, Latin America at Hewlett Packard Enterprise; and Alejandro Pérez Quintero, Solution Sales Executive at Lenovo ISG (Infrastructure Solutions Group).
Continue reading: https://www.intelligentcio.com/latam/2021/12/08/what-recommendations-would-you-make-to-successfully-implement-edge-computing/

You’re probably hearing a bunch of chatter about edge computing these days and how it, along with 5G, are the latest pieces of technology to redefine how we conduct our business. In fact, you may even be hearing people say that edge computing will replace cloud computing. Let’s separate the facts from the speculation.
What Edge and 5G Are and Are Not
Let’s start off with a definition of edge computing: it’s a distributed computing framework that brings enterprise applications closer to data sources (there is a great accompanying video in the link if you’d like to learn more). In practical terms, edge computing is designed to move computing power closer to data in order to reduce latency. This tactic is a powerful solution for organizations that are either too far away from the cloud or require speed to conduct their business.
5G, while also designed to improve latency concerns, does not have any inherent computing power like edge or cloud computing. 5G is a wireless network designed to increase speed through improved bandwidth capabilities. Therefore, edge computing and 5G are not alternatives to each other; how they generate speed is entirely different. But the two are complementary to each other.
Think of it like this: 5G is the superhighway, the bandwidth that allows more room for travel, whereas edge computing setups are the service stations along the way that reduces the distance required to travel. When combined and working together, more work can be done faster both because of reduced distance and increased speed.
So, is Edge Computing Really Just Cloud Computing?
The quick answer is no. Edge and cloud computing are different, and the right fit for your organization will depend on what you’re looking to do. In keeping with the roadway-related analogies, edge computing is about speed whereas the cloud is about torque. Therefore, if you need to move data and conduct processes fast (speed) then an edge solution might be a better fit for your needs. But if you need to move a lot of data and can accept some latency (torque), then a cloud solution may be the best road for you to take.
With edge computing, what you are effectively doing is cutting the distance to the computing power. Instead of going all the way to the cloud, you are running processes on the edge server or even local devices, such as computers or IoT devices.
Continue reading: https://securityintelligence.com/articles/edge-computing-5g-security-concerns-benefits/

The Indian startup ecosystem is booming, with nearly three companies joining the Unicorn Club every month in 2021, as per a report by Hurun. Linked to this success story is the arduous journey traversed by women entrepreneurs of the country who have the potential to be the biggest force in India’s growth story. With one out of every 5 startups successfully run by Indian women, India is seeing a rise in women entrepreneurs.
The sixth economic census released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) highlights that women constitute around 14% of the total entrepreneurship in India, and this number is bound to grow with more and more women jumping aboard the entrepreneurship route to success. We list the self-made tech-entrepreneurs of India who are paving the way for other women to follow.
5 self-made women tech leaders from India
1. Falguni Nayar
Founder, Nykaa
Online beauty and lifestyle store Nykaa is the brainchild of India’s first self-made female billionaire entrepreneur Falguni Nayar. With the Nykaa IPO creating a buzz in the share market, she has marked her presence in Indian startup history. After serving 20 years as a venture investor and merchant with Kotak Mahindra, she suddenly announced her departure to pursue her dream. Nykaa was founded in 2012; capitalizing on the scope of beauty and skincare products online.
Continue reading: https://thecsrjournal.in/women-tech-leaders-self-made-india/

Last year we saw rapid innovation that has changed our world for the better. A COVID-19 vaccine was developed, businesses pivoted to be completely online, and we collaborated successfully across the public and private sector to develop contact tracing apps.
We’ve shown how we can use our ability to be agile and innovate to survive this pandemic, and we need to apply that same ability to addressing the challenge of female equality, particularly in tech.
The proportion of women working across all STEM-qualified industries has continually increased from 24 per cent in 2016 to 28 per cent in 2020. Jessica Shapiro
While it’s promising to see the proportion of women working across all STEM-qualified industries has continually increased from 24 per cent in 2016 to 28 per cent in 2020.

Businesses must actively seek out the data and insights to identify where their policies could systematically be discouraging women.

Click to expand...

It’s also important to recognize that just five years after graduating, men with a STEM qualification were 1.8 times more likely to be working in a STEM-qualified occupation compared with their women peers.
Continue reading: https://www.afr.com/technology/business-can-t-leave-women-behind-in-a-digital-first-world-20211208-p59fzs

Executive search firms have made big strides in recent years to reflect the changing make-up of their client base – becoming more progressive, more forward-thinking, and more female-led. Progress has been slow to come. But one headhunting outfit that has been leading the charge in effectively terminating the sector’s once male-dominated worldview is Daversa Partners, a strategic talent partner of choice for founders, venture capital and private equity-backed companies. The search firm’s global workforce today is made up of 64 percent women, and 58 percent across its senior leadership team. According to CEO Paul Daversa, the firm has no plans of retreating.
The more revealing story is found among the search firm’s emerging women leaders themselves, who are affecting change across the functional ecosystems they dominate. Reinforcing the firm’s reputation of finding exceptional leaders and teams for their clients, these talent influencers are making inroads that will help empower the women who follow them, both at their firm and the tech industry at large.
Three standouts among this group are an ensemble of women – Geri Allyn, Julie Wrapp and Christen Morelli Seiler – all partners at Daversa Partners. Each joined the firm in their early 20s, starting at the ground floor as associates and built their careers, reputations, and networks one search at a time. In about a decade, they have emerged as three of the most influential recruiters in technology serving up leaders to emerging, growth stage companies from the Silicon Valley to Europe. Relentless, fearless, ambitious, and obsessed, they recruit the catalytic talent that is transforming the tech industry while building out the management teams for the most disruptive companies of our generation.
Continue reading: https://huntscanlon.com/meet-the-new-female-powerbrokers-in-tech-recruiting/

Much has been made of the potential of the more flexible, remote working models created by the pandemic to benefit levels of diversity and inclusion, particularly for women. However, this year’s Harvey Nash Group Digital Leadership Report, the world’s largest and longest-running survey of senior technology decision makers, finds that this is yet to show through.
The report reveals that the percentage of women in tech leadership is virtually unchanged (12%) while the proportion of women in technology teams as a whole is approximately the same too (24%). The figures have been at about this level for many years.
A number of other key findings continue the discouraging picture:

• Nearly six in ten tech leaders (59%) say their organization does not have an inclusion steering committee with genuine powers.
• 42% have not created employee support networks and 36% have not carried out any inclusion training or communications.
• Of those that have, opinion is split down the middle as to whether they have been successful.
• The great majority have not tried mandatory quotas for candidates (75%) or hiring decisions (79%).

Where then does this leave us? Should we conclude that efforts are hopeless and let things run their natural course?
Continue reading: https://www.information-age.com/opportunity-coming-to-drive-up-number-of-women-in-tech-123498046/

A future full of delivery drones and commuters flying to work is a tiny step closer, with the signing of a government agreement to develop advanced aerial mobility.
The federal and Victorian governments have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a safe a sustainable AAM industry.
AAM will cover aerial electric vehicles and advanced freight drones, and it is hoped it could one day provide high-speed emergency services and bushfire monitoring.
It is envisioned the industry could also develop automated electric air taxis, reducing traffic in cities, and travel times for people living in the regions.
"People who choose to live in regional areas should not be disadvantaged or cut off from the goods and services they need, particularly health care," Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said in a statement.
"Developing this industry will ensure regional Australians are better connected to major cities and the services they rely on."
The technology has a way to go - with safety, noise and privacy among the key regulatory issues to be resolved - but the Victorian government believes developing the industry will mean more jobs.
"Advanced Aerial Mobility has enormous potential for Victoria, bringing the latest technology to our health and emergency services, as well as improving connectivity," Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said.
Continue reading: https://www.mcivortimes.com.au/national/2021/12/09/5771519/agreement-brings-drone-future-closer

The Growing Use of Drones in Society
Drones are increasingly being utilized by numerous industries for applications such as surveillance, monitoring, and delivery. They are used for gathering information and delivering supplies during disasters, thermal sensing during search and rescue operations, crop spraying for agriculture, and mapping inaccessible terrain. They are also being increasingly employed by law enforcement and the military.
Drones typically employ between 4 and 8 rotor blades to provide lift and control during flight. They rely on lithium batteries for power. Despite their utility, some challenges exist in drone design that limit their widespread commercial uptake across society.
Limitations with Current Drone Designs
Drones are largely limited by their power capacity and flight time. Whilst larger capacity lithium batteries can be installed in them, this increases their weight and consequently reduces the payload they can carry. For this reason, drones must be recharged. Currently, charging requires human intervention, limiting the autonomy of the devices. The typical flight time of a drone is 40 minutes.
To overcome this limitation, wireless charging pads have been proposed for the drone industry that facilitates autonomous fast charging that extends the operational ability of drone technologies. Several designs have been explored by researchers in recent years. Wireless charging technologies are currently widely employed in several industries. A charge is transmitted from a transmitting coil within the ground base station to a receiving coil in the device that requires charging.
Considerations for Wireless Charging Technology
Wireless charging devices for drones need to account for several factors. The main consideration is limiting the weight of the receiving coil onboard the drone to provide optimal operating efficiency. Another key consideration is the possible misalignment of both receiving and transmitting coils due to imprecise landing, which can affect the coupling of coils and therefore charging efficiency and performance of the system.
Different solutions have been proposed to overcome these issues. One proposed system is an inductive charging system that employs a receiving coil situated on the drone’s landing gear. Whilst this reduces the distance between transmitting and receiving coils, the presence of an external coil could interfere with mission-critical drone components such as cameras.
Another proposed solution involves using a large receiving coil to improve power transfer, but this adds extra weight to the drone. Additionally, systems that employ transmitters and receivers with multiple coils have been proposed, but this limits payload installation by taking up space. A further proposed system uses a transmitter installed on movable parts in the landing pad to overcome alignment issues, but whilst this improves electrical performance, it reduces the system’s reliability due to the moving parts.
Continue reading: https://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=57620

With Cyber Security Month several weeks behind us, it can be easy to lose sight of the lessons learned from these efforts—somewhat like how our New Year’s Resolutions get a bit fuzzy come March. But security is a key component to our industry’s success. It impacts public perception and trust, government contracts, data integrity, national security, and so much more. Incidents that lead to critical breaches in our data can cast a shadow over whether drones are a technology that can be trusted to be utilized commercially whether that is to capture data of critical infrastructure, participate in public safety and emergency services, or provide surveillance of our assets. At an end-user level, it can lead to questions as to whether they can be trusted with personal data. This is why security is an ongoing topic that needs to be discussed often and kept in the news throughout the year—to remind each other not to lose sight of this critical aspect. 
To drive home just how important cyber security is for our industry, Commercial UAV News spoke with Jeff Horne, Skydio’s new Head of Security, to talk about his new position with the company, what security culture is and why it is important, the impact security has on trust, how governments are looking and thinking about security, and more.
Danielle Gagne: What led you to join Skydio as their new Head of Security? 
Jeff Horne: I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have worked on several interesting projects with great teams. I’ve previously worked on securing autonomous vehicles and I’m also an avid FPV drone enthusiast. When I heard that Skydio was looking for a head of security I was immediately interested. Security is a paramount concern in the drone industry that is often the deciding factor in which drones customers can use to meet their needs- an exciting chance for a security professional to be mission-critical to the company’s success. As small camera drones have expanded in scope from being consumer toys to critical tools for national security, we're seeing a shift in the market from manual drones made by companies based in China to AI-enabled autonomous drones made in the United States.
Skydio is leading that charge, and I knew I wanted to work for a company that had a great, easy-to-use product that could help keep people safe and make their work more efficient. From my very first meeting with Skydio it was evident that the team also had something else that means a lot to me—passion. Along with being highly skilled and technical, the teams are passionate about their work, dedicated to making the products better and committed to truly helping our customers unlock the promise of autonomous drones.
Continue reading: https://www.commercialuavnews.com/security/why-security-is-an-integral-element-in-the-drone-industry-interview-with-jeff-horne