There’s something there for telcos in edge computing. They can feel it, they can see it. More importantly, their customers can too. How to get to that something, though, is still being worked out.
The “something” is the ability to use the telco network edge as a space from which to deliver enhanced services, founded on cloud applications, to customers. They could also use that same edge to site network functions, to be able to access network resources more flexibly and dynamically.
One rising issue for the mobile operator is that delivering this service and application capability from the edge does not have a one-method-suits-all deployment model. Not all of the edge will be a telco edge. Some of it will sit in a telco private cloud, some even on the device, some in public cloud platforms, and some on the enterprise premises that utilise public cloud technology or other cloud platforms. Alongside these, the classic telco edge proposes the edge of the wireless network as a host for network functions, and for consumer and enterprise applications that have specific requirements relating to mobility, latency, security and throughput.
For the operator, all of this seems achievable and desirable if the management and orchestration of those diverse edges – public, private, on-premise, on-network – can be simplified and harmonised. Otherwise it’s a mess of different cloud platforms, management interfaces, cloud OS, tools and scripts.
A Research Brief from AvidThink delves into the detail of all of this. It tells us that, “The majority of communication service providers (CSPs) believe they have legitimate claims on the edge computing market.”
Continue reading: https://the-mobile-network.com/2021/12/how-to-unify-the-edge-new-research-note-to-download/

Women have been stepping up in leadership roles, despite the fact that they have been disproportionately economically impacted by the pandemic, losing an estimated $800 billion globally in financial earnings. While the broken rung still exists with women being promoted to manager level 14% less than men, those in leadership positions have been doing more to help their employees, teams, and companies deal with the disruptions of the past year and a half in a positive manner according to a recent McKinsey report.
“It’s very simple: people are the key to success. Take care of your people and they’ll take care of the rest. Support them, challenge them, empower them; create and nurture other leaders.”- Atomic Robot Senior II Consultant and WWCode Leadership Fellow Sierra O’Bryan
Across the board, employees surveyed have rated women in management positions as providing more emotional support, checking in on overall well-being more, and taking actions to accurately assess and prevent employee burnout. This has become particularly important for both employee health and overall company productivity.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alainapercival/2021/12/01/the-wisdom-of-women-leaders-as-they-forge-the-post-pandemic-future/?sh=4d9789ae1d39

Taking that next step to broaden your tech career or leaping into a new career in tech can be daunting. What you have to offer is unique to you and tech organizations are embracing diversification among their teams.
REA Group is a global digital business specializing in property and employs around 3,000 people across its many leading brands and businesses. With a focus on supporting women in tech, REA has genuinely shifted the dial on the gender ratio in its tech team moving from 20% female representation in 2017 to around 30% today, with the aim of reaching 50:50.
Five female tech leaders from REA share their top tip on how to overcome barriers and maximize a career in tech as a woman.
Continue reading: https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/REA-GROUP-LIMITED-6492683/news/REA-5-tips-from-5-women-in-tech-37188176/

survey on edge computing, AI and 5G, being conducted by ITWeb in partnership with Intel and Dell Technologies, has gone live on ITWeb. The survey aims to explore whether South African companies are considering infrastructure modernisation to take advantage of Edge, 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Tony Bartlett, Director, Data Center Compute at Dell Technologies, says, “Digital transformation is seen as a critical business driver for economic growth and, according to Dell Technologies’ Digital Transformation Index, 79% of organisations in South Africa have fast-tracked some of their digital transformation programs this year, which is on par with the 80% reported globally.”
As digital transformation speeds up, companies are expediting technology implementation with a view to driving long-term business success. The study highlighted the emerging technologies that South African organisations were likely to invest in over the near future as 5G infrastructure (47%), artificial Intelligence algorithms (46%) and real-time applications at the edge (44%).
Businesses are leveraging these technologies to overcome the challenges they face around processing data flowing in from multiple and siloed systems.
Citing a Forrester Consulting study commissioned on behalf of Dell Technologies Unveiling Data Challenges Afflicting Businesses Around the World, Bartlett says, “We wanted to understand why and how we can stop data from becoming one of the key barriers to transformation.”
The study revealed three ways in which companies can turn their data burden into a data advantage:

1. Modernise their IT infrastructure so it meets data where it lives, at the edge. This incorporates bringing businesses’ infrastructure and applications closer to where data needs to be captured, analysed and acted on – while avoiding data sprawl by maintaining a consistent multi-cloud operating model.
2. Optimise data pipelines so data can flow freely and securely while being augmented by AI/ML.
3. Develop software to deliver the personalised, integrated experiences customers crave.
   [/LIST=1]
   With that in mind we would like to hear your story and where your company is in its data management journey and how you’ll be deploying edge computing, AI and 5G to improve your data management strategy.
   Continue reading: https://www.itweb.co.za/content/G98Yd7LY1o4MX2PD

Every year, 8 March marks International Women’s Day, which has become an opportunity to celebrate women across the world and also tackle important discussions around gender equality, pay gaps and discrimination.
For the sci-tech world in particular, we have long been speaking about the gender gaps in AI, cybersecurity and engineering as well as STEM leadership as a whole.
However, as our editor Elaine Burke pointed out earlier this year, women in STEM deserve more than just an annual show of attention. Furthermore, women in STEM deserve attention for the work that they do rather than just for the sake of talking about gender issues.
This formed part of the vision that Silicon Republic CEO Ann O’Dea had when she launched Women Invent Tomorrow on International Women’s Day in 2013.
First announced as a year-long campaign in partnership with Accenture Ireland, Intel and the Irish Research Council, its aim was to champion the role of women in science, technology, engineering and math.
Continue reading: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/women-invent-women-in-stem

The early days of blockchain are behind us now. The “Bitcoin Mania” of late 2017 has come and gone. By now, most of you are familiar with at least the basics of cryptocurrencies, blockchain and bitcoin. Many of you likely have some sort of exposure to cryptocurrencies. It is easier than ever to own crypto thanks to the recent launch of bitcoin ETFs. You do not have to have a wallet or an exchange app on your phone, you can load up in BTCUSD as easily as you buy shares of Nvidia. Now, a new class of crypto has emerged. The space has evolved and profits will mount up for those who take advantage. Those who don’t adapt will be left behind. New, exciting, ten-bagger profit potential themes are all around us. Rather than just searching for bitcoin, money is being made in non-fungible (NFTs) and meme-coins like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, while DeFi (decentralized finance) has become the name of the game. How will you profit amidst this backdrop of an ever-changing landscape?
In a world where Central Banks have opened the spigots and quantitative easing has become the norm, crypto is taking on a new role. Bitcoin has seen its legitimization as an asset class. Bitcoin futures volumes have been shooting up month by month. Publicly traded companies here in the U.S. are beginning to load up bitcoin reserves on their balance sheets. Yes, you read that correctly. Companies and shareholders alike are making the conscious decision to diversify their cash holdings by adding cryptocurrency. We are not talking about a hundred bucks here or there, we are talking billions of dollars. In total, 27 publicly traded companies are holding over $9 billion in bitcoin. What happens if this becomes standard practice across all publicly traded companies? That increase in demand is likely to spark yet another surge past all-time highs.
Continue reading: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/the-top-5-investment-plays-for-blockchain

The use of blockchain technology is revolutionizing the programmatic advertising industry. Not surprisingly even IAB has a Distributed Ledger Working Group that continuously investigates applications of emerging technologies in distributed ledger and cryptography and how to apply them to solving advertising challenges in connecting consumers with brands and managing consumer privacy and transparency in the supply chain.
Blockchain technology is the future of programmatic advertising and can be used to bring transparency into the AdTech industry. Let’s dive deep into the details.
Mistrust in a programmatic world
The main issue of programmatic advertising is that it requires a lot of technologies to do it correctly. Digital advertising is a rather fragmented ecosystem which incorporates brands, agencies, data companies and so on. With the introduction of programmatic systems, the fragmentation has only grown larger. 7-15 vendors are normally required to execute a simple ad campaign.
Vendors have different ways of tracking and measuring campaign performance introducing inconsistency and making it difficult to understand for marketers. As they decide on pricing, this also has a big influence on the market today.
Marketers often lack accurate data on how well or poorly their campaigns are likely to perform. As a result, buyers are unsure who should be getting paid for what, which impedes valuable insight for businesses.
Continue reading: https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/guest-authors/revolutionizing-adtech-with-blockchain-how-smart-contracts-are-transforming-the-programmatic-advertising-industry/

For the first time in four years, venture investors are backing more crypto and blockchain startups in the U.S. than they are in Asia—a sign that China’s crackdown on alternative currencies has chilled the country’s upstart industry. 
Though the country was once a crypto capital, China’s new restrictions on tech companies have driven down the number of cryptocurrency and blockchain startups getting funding, according to year-to-date data collected by research firm CB Insights. Beijing forbid crypto mining and banking operations this spring and then banned all transactions in September, forcing many founders to shutter operations or relocate.
“We’ve basically seen no deals in China,” CB Insights analyst Chris Bendtsen told Bloomberg. “In Asia, the companies are really based in Hong Kong, India and Singapore.”
Continue reading: https://fortune.com/2021/12/01/investors-fund-crypto-startups-us-china/

A blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology wherein a shared digital ledger makes transactions visible and transparent. For years, blockchain was touted by futurists as a way to stop fraud from happening. However, blockchain also has several qualities that make it prime for various scams by bad actors—irreversibility, lack of laws, and anonymity.
So while blockchain makes it possible to see an asset's history of ownership and make it relatively easier to identify fraud, it doesn't make it impossible.
Is Blockchain Safe?
Whether blockchain is safe depends on several factors, which may or may not put you at risk of fraud. While blockchain technology is built for security, its safety limitations are rooted in two things—the security features of its supporting technology and the human aspect of its use.
Unfortunately, international laws have not yet adapted to the rise of blockchain use. Unlike credit cards and debit cards, blockchain-enabled cryptocurrency transactions in most countries do not have legal protections. In fact, crypto transactions typically do not include a dispute process, cannot be canceled, and are not reversible.
Continue reading: https://www.makeuseof.com/ways-fraud-possible-on-blockchain/

So far, artificial intelligence (AI) is a new enough technology in the business world that it's mostly evaded the long arm of regulatory agencies and standards. But with mounting concerns over privacy and other sensitive areas, that grace period is about to end, according to predictions released on Wednesday by consulting firm Deloitte.
Looking at the overall AI landscape, including machine learning, deep learning and neural networks, Deloitte said it believes that next year will pave the way for greater discussions about regulating these popular but sometimes problematic technologies. These discussions will trigger enforced regulations in 2023 and beyond, the firm said.
Fears have arisen over AI in a few areas. Since the technology relies on learning, it's naturally going to make mistakes along the way. But those mistakes have real-world implications. AI has also sparked privacy fears as many see the technology as intrusive, especially as used in public places. Of course, cybercriminals have been misusing AI to impersonate people and run other scams to steal money.
Continue reading: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ai-to-see-stricter-regulatory-scrutiny-starting-in-2022-predicts-deloitte/

The pandemic forced the hands of many executives who had previously hesitated to sponsor transformation; many leaders needed a disruptive event like this to prioritize such activities and think outside the box. It’s been surprising to see the speed with which digital transformation has finally taken place, particularly within industries where companies are traditionally more risk averse.
As a logical step, businesses are now looking to AI to play a key role in their business model. However, the reality of AI is that only a select few have found a way to effectively operationalize it. In fact, a recent McKinsey survey of global companies found that as of 2020, only 15% of respondents “are scaling automation techniques across multiple parts of their business.” The survey also showed that one-third of respondents said their machine-learning algorithms are still at the pilot stage. So, even though the last few years have forced organizations to adopt new technology, there is still significant blue sky for leaders when it comes to AI and how it can help them drive business decisions. For businesses considering the jump, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. 
Is AI Right For You?
While AI has certainly gained popularity over the past couple of years, when considered among other business technology like touchscreens and voice recognition, only 2.8% of businesses have adopted machine learning — the technique at the heart of modern advances in AI. This begs the question as to why? While small businesses might experience hesitancy in using AI given affordability or security concerns, businesses with adequate datasets and funds to support an AI investment can benefit from AI if they’re looking to expand their business into new markets or want to evaluate historic data to predict new trends.
Continue reading: 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/12/01/artificial-intelligence-how-business-leaders-can-tap-into-their-blue-sky-opportunities/?sh=389789356a5b

We all agree that artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to drive development and even out global inequalities. Because it can process vast amounts of data rapidly, AI is ensuring more and more people in developing countries have access to microfinance, healthcare and remote-learning opportunities. AI helps make climate change mitigation more efficient, and can help deliver housing at a quarter of the usual costs when combined with 3D printing technology. It is easy to see how it could be a game-changer in the rapidly urbanizing developing world.
But AI’s potential to help us achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and to reduce global poverty is far from being realized. As research published by the International Monetary Fund last year shows, the current trends in AI technologies are more likely to exacerbate global inequalities than to address them.
According to a study published by Price Waterhouse Cooper, in 2017, countries investing in AI technologies could see 14 percent growth in their GDP by 2030. While estimates of this type vary, all agree that these economic returns will be very unevenly distributed.
Continue reading: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/12/2/artificial-intelligence-must-not-exacerbate-inequality-further

For decades, thanks to popular sci-fi movies and books, the collective imagination has been frequently struck with the idea of intelligent computers outsmarting and replacing humans. Fortunately, that imaginary scenario hasn’t been brought into reality yet.
But something else has happened: the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly cognitive computing. AI has been turning into a significant part of our daily lives. The digital personal assistants, smartphones, self-driving cars, music and movie applications, online shopping sites, and every application that can learn and adapt to human preferences are powered by AI technology.
The cognitive capabilities of an AI model include data mining, machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP). These advanced concepts can be used to teach computers to recognize and identify risks and address complex situations. With the aid of traditional analytics and human thought processes, the cognitive ability of AI has begun to assist business decisions and boost business performance. Since typical enterprise risks often consist of unlikely disastrous events, the area of risk management lends itself to the cognitive capabilities of AI.
Continue reading: https://www.itbusinessedge.com/it-management/ai-risk-management/

Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) has been one of the most recurrent topics of conversation and analysis in companies in recent years, especially among those who work on innovation within the company.
Faced with an increasingly globalized world and in constant digital transformation, every day more professionals agree on the urgent need to incorporate and exploit disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence to achieve the growth planned in the short, medium and long term.
For those who are not familiar with the concept, we can say that Artificial Intelligence is a segment that belongs to the field of computer science. It is defined as the type of technology that allows systems and machines to simulate human intelligence . We refer to the ability to make decisions and also simulate actions that a human being would take.
Today AI is transforming the way we analyze, describe and predict the behavior through which societies produce and consume products and services. In fact, all of today's industries are facing the challenge of digital transformation, a challenge that goes hand in hand with innovation.
That is why, this time, I share with you some ideas on how you can innovate your company using Artificial Intelligence.
Continue reading: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/400061

The advanced implications of AI will keep transforming business processes for many more years to come.
The corporate world envisions AI as the core factor for the next generation of innovations. The importance and uses of artificial intelligence in businesses are well-perceived by modern industry leaders. Enterprises are focusing on digitally transforming their businesses to ensure intelligent decision-making and revolutionize the field of management. Virtually evolving and improving customers’ experiences needs to be the cornerstone for investing in new technologies or business processes. To provide better services to customers, businesses are using AI every day. Over the years, as information about AI has become more accessible, the focus shifted to its impact on businesses and its daily implementation. The year 2021 witnessed an influx of innovative AI devices and tools that can be used to find new business revenue streams and understand the customers’ needs efficiently.
Now, let us dive into how AI will transform businesses in 2022.
AI to drive sales proceeds: Currently, the corporate world is undergoing a massive transformation with sales automation. Sales AI can help representatives make smarter data-driven decisions for long-term business operations and grow the revenue through personalized sales cycles that fit the exact need of the end-users. AI-driven sales can also facilitate hyper-personalization, which is a crucial step in customizing the sales cycles for the customers.
AI-driven email marketing for better reach: Email marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tactics that is extensively used by businesses. Marketers must eliminate the guesswork while outreaching customers or investing in B2B marketing strategies. Incorporating Artificial Intelligence into email marketing will maximize the potential of the email and get positive outcomes.
Continue reading: https://www.analyticsinsight.net/10-ways-in-which-ai-will-transform-your-businesses-in-2022/

Artificial intelligence is getting more and more mature with each passing day. Plenty of modern algorithms and problem-solving techniques are being innovated every day that adds to the power of AI. The past couple of years have also been the most pivotal year in implementing artificial intelligence in day-to-day life because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As per one report by SHRM, 43 percent of the small business owners found new ways to survive in the business during the pandemic. Restrictions imposed forced businesses and customers to go online. This has changed the customers’ shopping habits and can be the beginning of the new eCommerce era.
AI is expected to power online businesses even after the COVID pandemic. A forecast made by Gartner stated that artificial intelligence will help increase customer satisfaction by 25 percent by 2023 in most organizations that use it.
AI: Helping eCommerce Businesses Grow
The pandemic has forced online business owners to try out new endeavors with the ever-developing artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence has a lot of things to offer to online business owners, ranging from small vendors to well-renowned brands. It can help eCommerce business owners to automate and improve a variety of tasks with minimal effort. Some of the key benefits of implementing AI in eCommerce are:
Continue reading: https://www.iotforall.com/artificial-intelligence-growth-boosting-factor-in-the-new-normal

Sugar cane responds well to a ripening spray at about eight weeks before harvest. But Tim Wise, who grew up on a sugar cane farm in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), remembers how his family struggled with uneven and inaccurate delivery of this spray by crop-spraying aircraft.
Sugar cane in South Africa is usually cultivated on hilly terrain with steep gradients, and the average field size is small, at around 6ha. These factors, combined with coastal winds and obstacles such as electricity pylons, natural bush lines and cell phone towers, make low-level flying difficult and dangerous.
To make matters worse, the ripening spray is often essentially a low-concentrate herbicide, so it is crucial to prevent spray from drifting onto other crops or neighboring cane fields at a different growth phase.
Together, all these factors frequently result in inaccurate application by aeroplane, and hence failure to achieve full and even coverage over the crops requiring ripening.
The problem led a group of KZN farmers to fund a world tour in 2016 to investigate drone technology as an alternative to aircraft for crop spraying.
Continue reading: https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-technology/machinery-equipment/new-generation-crop-spraying-drones/

As we live in the ‘new normal’, the technology around us is fast transforming the world beyond our anticipation. While technological developments have been evolving for years now, COVID 19 further accelerated the process. The pandemic pushed people and businesses to adopt new ways to do things and reoriented their behaviors. The outbreak increased the usage of contactless technologies, which are is revolutionizing every aspect of our life, from payments and food delivery to health care.
Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are robots that can fly autonomously under their embedded systems which uses remote sensing, software development, GPS etc. Such amalgamation promises a great future for extensive use of drones in providing services especially in areas that are remote or cannot have humans serving physically. They had been in the nascent stage up until now, however, mass adoption of such services will see a huge uptick in the future. Increased work efficiency and productivity, decreased production costs, improved accuracy, refined service, better customer relations and security are a few major advantages that drones offer industries globally.
According to the Drone Industry Insights Report 2020, the worldwide drone industry is predicted to increase at a 13.8 percent CAGR to $42.8 billion by 2025. With Ministry of Civil Aviation updating the Drone Rules 2021, efforts are to make India a global drone hub by 2030. By 2025, India is anticipated to be the world’s third-largest drone market, according to the results. The unmanned aerial vehicle market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.9% between 2020 and 2026 which further gives us an estimate on the investments from industrial conglomerates, chip companies, IT consulting firms, etc.
Continue reading: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/drones-are-the-future-air-we-ready/

We see innovation on a daily basis. Without a doubt, one of the most game-changing innovations is the Internet of Things (IoT). Industry analyst firm IDC expects there will be over 41 billion connected IoT devices by 2025.
In particular, the retail sector is increasingly using IoT technology to personalize the customer experience and digitization. However, much of this includes the collection of personal data, which is a target for cyber criminals.
As the connected ecosystem expands and retailers continue to invest in connected devices to increase competitive advantage, let’s explore how these trends will affect security.
Growth opportunities
IoT in retail is a tremendous opportunity to provide a truly customer-centric experience. For example, this might include magic mirrors for clients to virtually try on clothing, cashier-less checkout options, and virtual pathways through a physical or electronic store based on the unique needs of a specific shopping trip.
Continue reading: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3642377/securing-iot-best-practices-for-retailers.html

Communication service providers (CSPs) are capitalizing on enterprises’ seemingly insatiable demand for Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Achieving their lofty IoT business objectives is often another story.
To plug and play in — and profit from — an increasingly Industry 4.0 world, CSPs must harness the vast amounts of Internet of Things (IoT) data generated by clients in industries spanning entertainment and healthcare to manufacturing and logistics — and convert this insight into highly verticalized solutions. Importantly, they must accomplish this with user consent upper most in their minds — and within the bounds of an increasingly stringent regulatory environment that protects consumers’ privacy, including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The risk could be worth the reward. IoT is poised to be a form of savior for businesses of all stripes and sizes and is expected to generate over $1.5 trillion annual revenue by 2030. And according to Gartner, by next year, one in four large organizations will either buy or sell aggregated data on formal online data marketplaces. CSPs have a unique opportunity to monetize their access to vast volumes of data flowing through their infrastructure. All of this is welcome news to CSPs, many of whom face increased competition and downward revenue pressure on their traditional voice and data services. AT&T and others are already marking their territory in this area.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognizant/2021/11/30/5g--iot--opportunity/?sh=7e70333d3df2

The use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in businesses allows for the recording and transferring of data to track key processes, offer new insights, increase efficiency and enable you to make data-based decisions. IoT applications also experience data security concerns arising from insecure data storage and communications. This is because hackers and other cybercriminals may use compromised devices to access confidential information.
Before investing in IoT technology, avoid devices that quickly become obsolete or replaced. Ensure that it properly integrates with existing technologies to avoid connectivity issues. Here are the benefits of the internet of things for business.
1.Reduces human labor and increases productivity
IoT allows you to automate repetitive tasks so your employees can focus on more complex issues that require reasoning, boosting productivity. This leads to reduced labor force, streamlined processes, and improved efficiency, reducing business operating costs and increasing productivity. IoT allows businesses to assess demand, distribute resources, and effectively manage the production stages in the manufacturing sector. Consider partnering with industry experts like McKinstry Wireless for your IoT business requirements to get the most out of this technology.
Continue reading: 
https://www.techzone360.com/topics/techzone/articles/2021/12/01/450792-benefits-the-internet-things-iot-business.htm

There is also differentiation in opinions in regards to whether there are enough women holding senior positions within the industry. Although The Fintech Times successfully ran a ‘Women in Tech‘ theme during the entire month of October, which sought to celebrate the industry’s leading female figures, the findings of NTT DATA reveal a chasm between the perceptions of men and the experiences of women in the sector – a disconnect with worrying implications for tech’s ongoing efforts to address gender inequality.
The technology sector has a well-documented gender imbalance, with women making up only 23% of the STEM workforce in the UK. One part of the problem is attracting female talent to the sector, but many tech firms then struggle in retaining such talent and nurturing women in their careers.
NTT DATA UK’s research findings show women feel they are lacking such investment in their careers. Three-quarters of women in tech feel they have fewer opportunities to progress than their male counterparts. Meanwhile, the majority of men in tech (65%) continue to believe that both genders have equal access to progression. A greater proportion of men (35%) than women (12%) also believe there are enough women in senior positions in technology.
Continue reading: https://thefintechtimes.com/the-tech-industry-isnt-working-for-women-say-the-industrys-female-workforce/

Today’s Woman in Tech: Kendra Havens, Program Manager for .NET and Visual Studio team
I am passionate about using technology to empower people and solve the world’s problems! Be it technological, business, or people puzzles, I love a good challenge. Currently, I’m a Program Manager on the .NET and Visual Studio team. I focus on .NET Tooling and the testing experience in Visual Studio. You may recognize me from videos on Visual Studio, .NET Core, C#, and Testing tools.
When did you become interested in technology? What first got you interested in tech?
I first got interested in technology in college. I actually majored in French, and I was in awe of a lot of translation software and NLP (natural language programming). When I was a sophomore studying abroad in France I also started picking up Python. I loved it and got a minor in Computer Science. I started working for my university as a programmer maintaining some websites, an inventory system, and a computer lab login system while finishing my degree.
Continue reading: https://jaxenter.com/women-in-tech-havens-176179.html

Come Christmas Day, the venue now known as Staples Center will be renamed Crypto.com Arena after the cryptocurrency and payment platform bought the naming rights to the longtime home of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kings, Sparks and (for now) Clippers for more than $700 million. Industry insiders have long assumed sports betting would be the category that drives sponsorship revenues to new heights. But SponsorUnited founder and president Bob Lynch said there is no doubt that “crypto [and blockchain] will far exceed sports betting within the sponsorship space” over the next decade.
JWS’ Take: The $700 million-plus figure is the most a corporate sponsor has ever agreed to pay on a stadium naming rights deal. SoFi, the previous record holder, committed $600 million in 2019 to place its name on Los Angeles’ football stadium. Of course, SoFi Stadium was a new building. Crypto.com Arena is more than 20 years old.
Based on other NBA and NHL arena naming rights deals (see: Ball Arena, ~$8 million/year; Capital One Arena, ~$10.5 million/year; Chase Center, ~$20.5 million/year), it certainly appears as if Crypto.com is overpaying, at a reported $35 million per year (on average). But as Lynch explained, the company is buying more than naming rights. “They’re essentially buying equity,” which would be particularly valuable in an industry that is still widely doubted, he said. “The Lakers and Clippers have global exposure, media value and mentions that give instant brand legitimacy with top-of-mind awareness through national/global TV exposure,” he added. The venue will host LA28 events too.
Continue reading: https://www.sportico.com/business/sponsorship/2021/crypto-blockchain-sport-sponsorship-1234647452/

However you read the facts and motivations behind the Poly Network hack, it was still possible to remove over $600 million in cryptos without anyone being able to stop it. 
In both cases - Poly Network’s $600 million and Kucoin’s $285 million losses - all or nearly all of the missing money returned to where it came from. But that’s hardly the point. In just the third quarter of 2021 alone, $1 billion was hacked, with the Ethereum ecosystem subjected to 19 other known hacks besides the Poly Network episode, according to a report compiled by Atlas VPN using information supplied by Slowmist Hacked. 
And that’s just crypto currencies. Another $120 million was hacked in DeFi in 2020. 
Looking at numbers like these, anyone considering putting more money in crypto must be thinking twice. It seems like a good time to look at what protections currently exist for them and what new moves are needed to make blockchain investment more secure? 
Looking for protection?
Insurance is one obvious form of protection but insurers have been slow to enter the crypto world. Despite being a growing, multi-trillion dollar industry, crypto remains 96% uninsured. Only 2% of the coins on North America’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, are insured.
Continue reading: https://www.finextra.com/blogposting/21338/how-we-can-make-blockchain-more-secure