What do blockchains have in common with utilities and city councils? Believe it or not, all three are social entities.
Blockchains, and more broadly distributed ledgers, are composed of individual “nodes” run by a number of distinct participants. If the nodes are the individuals, the blockchain is the society. And as with any society, sound governance of these networks is a critical factor in their success.
In recent years, several companies have used blockchain technology to create new products and services. Two successful examples are DLA Piper’s tokenization platform TOKO and Avery Dennison’s connected cloud service, atma.io.
Blockchain is based in open-source transparency and comes with a critical level of trust baked in. That’s especially important in a post(ish)-pandemic landscape marked by supply chain fragilities, geopolitical instabilities and a growing range of cyber threats. In this environment, companies are under increased pressure to create transparent, accountable, reliable business networks that transcend their own boundaries.
Blockchain delivers on all these counts.
Blockchain for the people
Blockchain governance is complex, covering everything from geographical and technological decentralization to the release of new functionalities on the network, the cost of transactions, the response to regulators, and the software roadmap.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/servicenow/2022/06/13/blockchain-for-the-common-good/?sh=4a4115956b76

Over the years, blockchain has grown significantly while evolving from the first version of its iteration to the fourth version. Let’s take a deep dive into the evolution of blockchain from version 1.0 to 4.0.
The evolution of blockchain has seen the technology emerge from one amazing phase to another. With loads of upgraded and more advanced features, blockchain technology has grown from blockchain 1.0 to blockchain 4.0.
Although blockchain has become a buzzword and is undoubtedly among the most trending techs in this generation, a number of people are still yet to get a better understanding of what blockchain means. As such, it is better we understand what blockchain is and what it entails before delving further into its growth stages over the years.
Blockchain can simply be described as a digital system in which cryptocurrency transactions are recorded and maintained across several computers in a peer-to-peer network. It is basically a digitally distributed, decentralized, public ledger that exists across a network of computer systems.
Blockchain 1.0
The era of blockchain 1.0 saw the iteration of the whole concept of decentralization and it was all centered on the evolution of cryptocurrencies. The initial emergence of the blockchain began at the initiation and development of the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC).
This happened when a team of experts called Cypherpunks raised concerns about the future of the internet and the financial system. The team believed that the future of the internet would be monitored and censored. As such, they made attempts to develop an electronic cash system that would ensure privacy and preserve the open internet from an economic perspective.
Continue reading: https://www.coinspeaker.com/guides/evolution-of-blockchain-from-blockchain-1-0-to-blockchain-4-0/

Ethereum is plagued with criticisms of its less than optimal scaling capabilities and high gas prices. There have been talks about increasing the scaling capacity of the Ethereum mainnet for a while now. 
However, the Ethereum ecosystem needs a solution for scaling right now, and if Ethereum is not able to give these new applications a platform with enough scaling capabilities, they can seek alternatives like the BNB Chain or Cardano. Optimism rollout was created to solve exactly the scalability problem of Ethereum.
Optimism Rollup network is one of the several solutions trying to address Ethereum’s congestion problem. The Ethereum network is often congested to the almost maximum capacity, and until upgrades to the main blockchain are made, scaling solutions like Optimism allow Ethereum’s transactional abilities to remain usable without shelling out a fortune on gas fees.
In short, Optimism uses advanced data compression techniques to speed up and cut the costs of Ethereum transactions. They do so by a technique known as called Optimistic Rollups, where multiple transactions are “rolled up” into one transaction and settled on another cheaper blockchain. The verified transactions are then fed back to the main Ethereum blockchain. The biggest advantage of Optimistic Rollups is the fact that they do not compute by default, which theoretically leads to scalability gains. Estimates say Optimistic Rollups can offer 10-100x improvements to scalability. On the downside, however, is the existence of a “challenge period,” which is a time window in which anyone can challenge assertion and increase withdrawal time.
Continue reading: https://cointelegraph.com/news/can-the-optimism-blockchain-win-the-battle-of-the-rollups

Some tools and platforms promise fair and balanced AI, but tools and platforms alone won't deliver ethical AI solutions.
If only there were tools that could build ethics into artificial intelligence applications.
Developers and IT teams are under a lot of pressure to build AI capabilities into their company's touchpoints and decision-making systems. At the same time, there is a growing outcry that the AI being delivered is loaded with bias and built-in violations of privacy rights. In other words, it's fertile lawsuit territory. 
There may be some very compelling tools and platforms that promise fair and balanced AI, but tools and platforms alone won't deliver ethical AI solutions, says Reid Blackman, who provides avenues to overcome thorny AI ethics issues in his upcoming book, Ethical Machines: Your Concise Guide to Totally Unbiased, Transparent and Respectful AI (Harvard Business Review Press). He provides ethics advice to developers working with AI because, in his own words, "tools are efficiently and effectively wielded when their users are equipped with the requisite knowledge, concepts, and training." To that end, Blackman provides some of the insights development and IT teams need to have to deliver ethical AI.
Don't worry about dredging up your Philosophy 101 class notes 
Considering prevailing ethical and moral theories and applying them to AI work "is a terrible way to build ethically sound AI," Blackman says. Instead, work collaboratively with teams on practical approaches. "What matters for the case at hand is what [your team members] think is an ethical risk that needs to be mitigated and then you can get to work collaboratively identifying and executing on risk-mitigation strategies."
Continue reading: https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-ai-developers-need-to-know-about-artificial-intelligence-ethics/

It’s too early to tell if artificial intelligence (AI) will deliver on all the hype and promises around it. But in the meantime, the results we do see trickling in are encouraging. A survey just released shows that the majority of organizations that use AI are still experimenting with the technology, with about 12% have the technology truly at work in a fully “mature” fashion. The mature AI sites notably are seeing strong competitive advantage.
The study from Accenture, which covered of 1,176 firms and 1,615 executives across the globe, estimates that the number of fully mature AI initiatives is projected to increase from 12% to 27% over the next two years. At this point, a majority, 63%, are still mostly testing the waters.
The 12% who have mastered AI already are seeing 50% greater revenue growth on average compared with their peers, according to the study’s team of authors — led by Accenture’s Sanjeev Vohra. They assembled another interesting metric: among executives of the world’s 2,000 largest companies (by market capitalization), those who discussed AI on their 2021 earnings calls were 40% more likely to see their firms’ share prices increase—up from 23% in 2018. Companies leading the way are already seeing the results—42% said that the return on their AI initiatives exceeded their expectations, while only 1% said the return didn’t meet expectations.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemckendrick/2022/06/13/early-results-on-artificial-intelligence-for-business-so-far-so-good/?sh=25ccb7917cec

Businesses have started leveraging business intelligence to enhance customer engagement 
Companies know they have business intelligence (BI) when they have a detailed view of their data and utilize it to propel change, quickly conform to supply or market changes, and eliminate inefficiencies. Business intelligence shows businesses their historical and present data, helping them make better decisions. It helps companies make data-based decisions by finding ways to, analyzing customer behavior, improving profits, compare their data with competitors, optimizing operations, tracking performance, spotting marketing trends, predicting success, and discovering problems. BI helps businesses cut costs, spot better business opportunities, and identify inefficient business processes. In this article, we’ll outline eight ways business intelligence can improve your business.
1. Fast decision-making processes
With a BI solution, companies that run on information, such as Augusta Precious Metals, can quickly filter facts from vast unorganized data amounts for instant access. This helps businesses analyze internal information and make efficient business decisions. Business intelligence teams ensure that companies receive real-time business data to direct and guide their choices.
Accessing the correct information at the appropriate time promotes strategic decision-making, management control of supply chains and processes, and accurate forecasting. While collecting data, entering, analyzing, controlling, and using it takes a lot of time and effort, a solid BI solution can help save the day, ensuring fast and smart decision-making processes.
Continue reading: https://www.analyticsinsight.net/8-ways-business-intelligence-can-improve-your-business/

Businesses across industries are actively seeking innovative ways to leverage artificial intelligence. As creative powerhouses, agencies are naturally finding some of the most unique and effective methods of using AI technologies and tools to enhance their operations.
Some of the ways agencies are applying AI today focus on managing everyday, routine tasks, while others are more forward-thinking, driving outside-the-box ideas and strategies. Below, 15 members of Forbes Agency Council explore different business functions where AI can assist agencies in achieving their long-term organizational goals and developing new capabilities.
1. Quantifying Value And ROI
Artificial intelligence has been essential to our agency in quantifying value and return on investment for clients and their internal teams. AI-backed platforms that accurately track metrics such as industry share of voice among competitors, website traffic, new website users and social shares have bolstered the tangible value of clients’ PR programs. - Heather Kelly, Next PR
2. Targeting Highly Qualified Audiences
Given how big of a role user experience has on conversions, I believe that AI will be leveraged by smart agencies on data points, unifications of tracking and, in general, improvement in behavioral analytics. We will lean on AI to home in on the most highly qualified audiences and prune wasteful spending on irrelevant targeting. - Aleksandar Sasha Jovicic, Executive Digital
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2022/06/13/15-business-functions-where-artificial-intelligence-can-assist-agencies/?sh=17ece064120f

There’s no doubt that Web3 needs to go mainstream. However, this will not happen until its biggest challenges are solved.
Depending on who you ask, you will get different definitions of what Web3 is. Regardless of this ambiguity in definition, Web3 is the future of the internet. Daily, more DAOs, NFTs and metaverse-focused companies are springing up. Even previously existing companies like Nike and Adidas are trying to secure a first-mover advantage.
Undoubtedly, Web3 will push the internet to new heights. Its decentralized nature and focus on communities create untapped opportunities for everyone. From creators to consumers to brands, everyone gains by embracing Web3.
There’s no doubt that Web3 needs to go mainstream. However, this will not happen until its biggest challenges are solved. Let’s look at what those are.
Biggest Challenges of Web3 Adoption
For mainstream acceptance and adoption of Web3 to happen, brands must address the challenges currently rife with the next iteration of the internet. Three of its biggest challenges are accessibility, usability, and interoperability.
Continue reading: https://www.coinspeaker.com/biggest-challenges-web3-adoption/

We live in stories, whether they’re told to us by friends, in TED Talks, come from the Marvel Universe, or exist in open-world games like Cyberpunk 2077. Each story has mythic inspirations tracing back to parables constructed thousands of years ago. As I’ve been working with brands, startups, and storytellers who are interested in pursuing a Web3 strategy, I’ve been thinking—what’s the story Web3 enthusiasts are avidly trying to tell? 
Web1 was called the World Wide Web, not Web1. The story told to consumers was, “there’s a digital way to send mail with a keystroke.” In the mid-’90s, AOL would explode in North America—signing a new customer roughly every six seconds. Into the late 90s, web pages were primarily static and used to share information, like a content delivery system. These were the orators of their time. It was a one-way street where each story was controlled by one voice.
Then came Web2, a social space where you could share cat videos then be followed around the web by cat food ads. It gave rise to social media stars and influencers chasing algorithms and studying analytics. Web2 at its core has been about using data analytics to manipulate the story in order to get the most clicks and shares.
But nobody called it Web2. It was still the internet with a new social layer woven onto it. A place where platforms hosted creators who built audiences around niche fandoms and advertisers gorged on user data. Everyone chased the algorithm and technology became the tail-wagging the proverbial creative dog. Where storytelling once was a trained craft accessible to a dedicated group of artists, now everyone and their dog (and cat of course!) were storytellers.
Continue reading: https://venturebeat.com/2022/06/11/web3-is-a-myth-and-thats-okay/

Some small-scale cassava farmers in Cambodia are looking into drone technology to achieve higher crop yield and lower costs.
Cassava is the second largest crop grown in the country after rice and it contributes 4% to the GDP growth.
The production, processing and export of cassava has been the key driver of Cambodia's agricultural economy. According to the "National Cassava Policy 2020-2025" issued by Royal Government of Cambodia, the country is positioned to be a home of cassava production and processing industries and becomes a reliable supplier of cassava products for regional and global market
The crop is planted over 600 thousand hectares of farmland, involving intensive labour and time-consuming process. Cassava farming provides employment to thousands of rural workers across  Cambodia. Besides food, the crop is turned into flour, paper and alcohol.
Taking a big leap forward
Last month, cassava farmer Chhay Thi became an early adopter of drone technology when he engaged the services of Red Sparrow Cambodia to demonstrate autonomous weeding using an XAG agricultural drone on his 10-hectare cassava field.
Red Sparrow is the local partner of Chinese drone provider XAG.
The drone flew over ridges of cassava plants, sprayed precisely along the pre-set route, and finished eight hectares of herbicide spraying via unmanned control. In the past, the same amount of work usually takes farm workers more than a week to complete manually, but now, it can be done within one hour by only one agricultural drone.
Besides the increased efficiency, drones are helping farmers like Chhay Thi to reduce overall planting costs.
Continue reading: https://futureiot.tech/cambodia-cassava-farmers-eye-drone-technology/

Commercial drones are on the brink of being launched into Britain’s skies after Ofcom unveiled plans to prevent them crashing into planes and other aerial vehicles. 
The regulator will ring-fence radio frequencies to be used solely by drone operators to reduce the chance of interference which can make them fly erratically.
Under current rules drone operators must use radio frequencies reserved for home Wi-Fi and toy radio-controlled aeroplanes, creating risks for heavier or longer-distance drone flights.
Royal Mail has already carried out trials of postal deliveries using drones with PPE, Covid testing kits and other mail sent to the Isles of Scilly from the mainland in May last year. 
Over the next three years Royal Mail wants to deploy 200 drones to deliver mail across the UK, with plans to expand this to 500 longer-term.
However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has warned that a widespread rollout of drone deliveries can only happen after new safety crash-prevention technology is developed.
Continue reading: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/06/10/drone-deliveries-poised-take-off-britains-skies/

If you’re like me, the thought of drones conducting official business in the self-storage industry is too cool to be true. I’m a pilot who loves the “Terminator” movies, so this idea ticks all the boxes for me. It’s like having Skynet come alive!
The truth is, though, there are real applications for drone technology in self-storage that facility operators should consider. Here are two ways in which my company, 10 Federal Storage, is already using it:
Site quality control. I can get on any web browser from anywhere in the world, fly a drone over one of our facilities and see it in 4K resolution. If there’s a couch in the drive aisle or the grass is too high, I can see it. And you can bet someone is going to fix it!
Security. We’ve started using a watchperson to keep an eye on our storage facilities at night. This individual sits in our corporate office in Raleigh, North Carolina, watching the feeds from more than 500 cameras spread across 60 properties in 12 states! If someone suspicious enters one of our sites, this person can launch a drone for a closer look, which is certainly intimidating to a thief looking to score! We also have a way to create a virtual watchperson with the drone, which I’ll touch on below.
This is just the beginning. There’ll be many more uses as we continue to explore capabilities, but deploying drones in these two areas of our operation is already providing such a positive return on investment that we’ve ordered the technology for every one of our sites that has drive-up units. Let me take you through the nuts and bolts of our program.
Continue reading: https://www.insideselfstorage.com/technology/how-one-self-storage-operator-using-drone-technology-site-security-and-quality-control

Web3 is buzzing with blockchain companies foraying into the idea of a decentralized internet. However, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is taking the idea of Web3 to the next level by launching Web5, a combination of Web3 and Web2.
Web5 is built on the Bitcoin blockchain, developed by The Block Head (TBH), one of the Bitcoin business units at Dorsey’s Block (formerly Square). The platform aims to bring decentralized identity and data storage to applications. “It lets developers focus on creating delightful user experiences while returning ownership of data and identity to individuals,” according to the company.
Here we explain all the things you should know about the evolution of the internet and how the world moved from Web 2.0 to Web5.
From Web 2 to Web3.0
Web3 refers to the next generation of the worldwide web, supposed to take over from Web2.0, which is more centralized and focused on user-created content. The idea of Web3 is a decentralized web that challenges the dominance of tech giants by giving the power and data in the hands of the internet users rather than big tech corporations. In short, Web3 means user data is distributed across networks and no single entity owns the information.
Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, explained Web3 in 1999: “I have a dream for the Web in which computers become capable of analyzing all the data on the Web — the content, links, and transactions between people and computers. A “Semantic Web,” which makes this possible, has yet to emerge, but when it does, the day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy, and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines.”
Some of the use cases of Web3 are Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), private and digital infrastructure, and creator economy enablers like NFTs and blockchain-based games.
Continue reading: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/crypto/from-web3-to-web5-how-evolution-of-internet-is-focused-on-data-privacy-7966946/

The digitization of our world is continuing at an accelerating pace. More and more of our lives and our economy are moving online. Even our money is increasingly digital. We use credit cards and bank transfers to make most of our purchases and electronic wallets to store our money. With the rise of cryptocurrencies, we now have a new way to store and transfer entirely digital value. Cryptocurrencies are decentralized, meaning they are not subject to the control of any government or financial institution. They are also incredibly secure, thanks to the use of blockchain technology.
But what does this all mean for cybersecurity? Do cryptocurrencies also present a new cybersecurity risk? We must first understand how cryptocurrencies work and what makes them secure in knowing the answer. Read this blog post and know the threats associated with cryptocurrencies.
What is Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual tokens that use cryptography to secure their transactions and control the creation of new units. Cryptocurrencies are decentralized, meaning they are not subject to the control of any government or financial institution.
The most famous cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, but there are many others, such as Ethereum, Litecoin, and Monero. Cryptocurrencies are often bought and sold on decentralized exchanges and can also be used to purchase goods and services.
Continue reading: https://securityboulevard.com/2022/06/how-do-cryptocurrencies-affect-cybersecurity/

Many of us refer crypto market as a risky and volatile market. The crypto industry size, measured by the market value of all coins, crossed the $1 trillion mark for the first time in Jan 2021 and hit a maximum of nearly $3 trillion in Nov 2021. Currently, it is $1.27 trillion as of 20 May 2022. This industry exhibits significant volatility. Sustaining in such a market requires a different skill set. As the industry is at a very nascent stage of development, higher volatility is a common phenomenon at this stage of growth. However, the number of crypto users is nearly 300 million, and per capita, crypto holding is currently less than $5. Despite being at a very nascent stage, this market has a much higher trading velocity, measured by trading volume divided by the market capitalization, compared with the equity market – more than seven in crypto compared with less than two in equity. The reason is the significant trading volume through automated trades. A large portion of the asset is managed electronically (through bots with user-defined trading range, target profit and loss criteria etc.)
Although volatility is very good for a class of market participants as it provides them opportunities to make money, for many, it may throw opportunities to hone their portfolio skills. As we all know, the basic of investment is understanding the underlying and the instrument. Equally important is to comprehend the risk ability and appetite; as a rule of thumb, we must go with the least of both.
Continue reading: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/crypto-tips-to-sustain-in-such-a-volatile-market/

The digitalization of the trade finance sector is long overdue. The need to obtain and effectively process trade data has never been more pressing – not only for banks and financial institutions, but for the corporates, businesses, and other supply chain participants they serve.
 
The reasons for this are manifold. Firstly, trade partners require faster processing speeds, which can only be achieved through a more digital approach and independence from paper documentation. Secondly, supply chains are in desperate need of stability after two years of pandemic disruption. Furthermore, there is a greater focus on providing practical solutions to the industry’s evolving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements and help address the climate emergency.
Blockchain is a potential game changer
To this end, digital solutions such as blockchain can have huge potential for the world of trade finance. In what is still an overwhelmingly manual and paper-based industry, blockchain can provide the technological infrastructure to handle large quantities of data quickly, efficiently, and securely, while connecting the various individual stakeholders through a decentralized network.
Obtaining trade data that encompasses both the physical and financial aspects of the supply chain opens up myriad opportunities for trade participants. In the case of banks, it allows us to provide intelligent, tailor-made trade finance solutions for our clients.
Blockchain technology also allows stakeholders to create digital ecosystems more easily – within which bank, non-bank, and fintech players can collaborate to create new solutions and provide value. Such ecosystems enable deeper relationships and broader client interactions extending beyond what would traditionally constitute banking services.
Continue reading: https://www.fintechfutures.com/2022/06/why-trade-finance-should-embrace-blockchain-to-realise-its-digital-ambitions/

In today's digital world, companies are under pressure to be more transparent with their customers. This is especially true for supply chains, where customers want to know where their products are coming from and how they’re being made.
Ethical compliance is one area that customers are putting under the magnifying glass. In Xinjiang, for example, the Chinese government is using a massive surveillance program to track the movements of the Uyghur Muslims, detaining more than one million people in forced labor camps, according to reports by the State Department and Department of Labor, as well as independent media outlets and the United Nations. As a result, U.S. companies that source products from Xinjiang are finding themselves under increased scrutiny.
Customers understandably want to know their products aren’t being made in factories where human rights are being violated or lives are at risk. But companies often don't have the information needed to provide this level of transparency.
One way to address the problem of human rights violations within the supply chain is through the use of blockchain technology. Blockchain is a distributed ledger that allows for the secure and transparent sharing of data among multiple parties. Here are some promising applications of blockchain technology in the supply chain.
Digital ID. Blockchain can be used to create a "digital passport" for products, including information on where and how they were made. This tracing function can give customers assurance that they’re buying products from companies that share their values and are operating ethically. It can also help companies become more transparent, building trust with their customers.
Continue reading: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/blogs/1-think-tank/post/35072-how-blockchain-can-bring-transparency-and-privacy-to-the-supply-chain

If anyone wishes to learn why bitcoin or any other crypto asset fluctuates, they need to know the basics of the underlying concepts of blockchain
If you have heard of bitcoin, you would know that it's a cryptocurrency. And when you hear about cryptocurrency, chances are you would know that it is a type of digital currency. It has no physical form or tangibility.
A similar term called cryptography is also read, heard and used when we try to look for information about bitcoin. It may sound a bit technical, but bitcoin and other digital assets run on blockchain technology powered by the notion of cryptography.
If anyone wishes to learn why bitcoin or any other crypto asset fluctuates, they need to know the basics of the underlying concepts of blockchain. In this blog, we will talk about the four concepts that are making blockchain and cryptocurrencies possible.
The four principles are:
Decentralized governance: Blockchain comprises two very simple and easy to understand terms, block and chain. A block is nothing but a set of transaction data. Then, multiple blocks of transaction data are linked sequentially to form a chain. Imagine this to be a physical ledger where the students' records are registered, and one page is linked to another page to create an entire ledger book.
Blockchain works on the basic concept of 'decentralized governance'. Wait, what? Unlike a bank, which has the sole authority to maintain and generate the account statement, the blockchain doesn't have a head, party, country, or group as the authority. It is public, and the governance is distributed. Hence the basic concept of blockchain is that it is decentralized.
Continue reading: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/429349

Blockchain technology has become increasingly available across industries because of how well it helps to organize data. By creating a shared, digital ledger for your business, blockchain helps ensure easy access to important information and allows employees to monitor the inner workings of the company.
This increased traceability and transparency help many businesses be successful, and this isn't just limited to businesses in finance or technology. Many industries from healthcare to higher education could benefit from the advantages of blockchain technology. Below, 15 Forbes Technology Council members share which businesses or industries they believe will benefit the most and why.
1. Law Enforcement And Security
Law enforcement and the security industry could benefit from blockchain-based techniques to ensure that video recordings used for evidence are genuine. Having video evidence signed and time-stamped in a non-reputable fashion, using blockchain, protects it from being faked, altered or denied by anyone using tools like deepfake software that are widely available on the internet. - Thomas Jensen, Milestone Systems
2. Supply Chains
The temp-assurance or cold-chain space will benefit greatly from leveraging blockchain. The collective supply chain is very difficult to track and trace from end to end, especially with so many different and independent players involved in getting even one package to its destination. Blockchain can ensure that critical medicine is delivered safely within key parameters. The same is true for food. - Samantha Williams, Sonoco
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/06/10/15-industries-that-could-significantly-benefit-from-blockchain-technology/?sh=1a2395707af2

Many brands have launched loyalty programs in the last 5-10 years to address the risk of stagnation. However, they are but are struggling with three key things.
The first of these is that the bulk of their members are inactive. Often, when campaigns are first launched there is a flurry of activity and there are similar patterns when new members join. However, this is hard to sustain.
The second issue is with the relative value of the schemes and the benefits to members. It is often the accrued benefits for members have low redemption rates.
The third and final issue is that the overall program costs are relatively high and the costs ae generally growing. This is due to the ongoing management complexities of the loyalty technology used by the brand, which is invariably bespoke in nature.
So, how can brands combat this? Rob Fagnani, co-founder of Formation provides Digital Journal with some advice.
Fagnani foresees a future based on digital ledger technology. This centers on blockchain, a technology that can be employed on advertising networks to cut out the middleman and track who clicks and interacts with the advertisement or promotion. Continue reading: https://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-science/how-blockchain-will-affect-the-future-of-brands-marketing-tech-stack/article

Governments and environmentalists are quick to criticize the amount of electricity Bitcoin mining uses, but investors’ growing interest in crypto is leading to positive steps in the energy sector.
The blockchain industry’s impact on the energy sector has been a major source of controversy over the past five years. Governments and environmental protection advocates have routinely expressed concerns about the amount of energy required to keep the Bitcoin network secure. Data shows the network’s energy consumption now rivals the yearly energy consumed by some small countries.
While much of the debate has centered around the negative environmental impacts of Bitcoin (BTC) mining, the drive to maximize earnings from mining and integrate blockchain technology with the energy grid has also introduced new developments that have the potential to be beneficial in the long term.
Here’s a look at several developments that have arisen out of the demand for energy to operate blockchain networks and the positive effects cryptocurrency mining is having on the energy industry.
Recapturing wasted energy
One of the fastest-growing segments of the cryptocurrency mining industry is the monetization of historically wasted sources of energy such as natural gas that is flared at oil drilling facilities.
Continue reading: https://cointelegraph.com/news/here-s-how-blockchains-are-helping-to-advance-the-global-energy-grid

An organizational consultant based in Tel Aviv, Israel, Shaked Avraham has more than a decade of experience in managing and consulting with large organizations, specializing in leading and assimilating processes of organizational change that enhance growth and maximize potential. She has expertise in globalization, emerging markets, growth strategies, market creation, and ecosystem development. Shaked Avraham is the Director of International Relations of NetConnect Global and also Co-Founder and MD at Shepha, an international consulting, business development and investment banking firm, supporting mid-size, large, and Fortune 500 companies based out of Israel and India. 
She has majored in BA behavioral science specializing in marketing and PR and MA in organizational consultancy and business development from Tel Aviv.  In an interview with HerStory, Shaked talks about growing up in Mumbai, her role at NetConnect Global, life as an entrepreneur and her biggest inspirations. HerStory (HS) Tell us a little about yourself.
Shaked Avram (SA): I am the Co-founder and Managing Director at Shepha and the Director of International Relations at NCG.
My father is an entrepreneur who has lived in India for more than 18 years, and this is how my journey in India started when I was 15 years old in Mumbai. Though most of my education was completed in Israel, I completed three years of my studies at the American School of Bombay. Continue reading: https://yourstory.com/herstory/2022/06/women-in-tech-shaked-avraham-netconnect-global-shepha

The tech industry has a diversity problem. While the percentage of employed women across all job sectors in the US is now reaching gender parity at 47%, “the five largest tech companies on the planet (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft) only have a workforce of about 34.4% women,” per Built In. They also report that only 3% of “computing-relating” jobs are held by Black women.
Furthermore, women of color are promoted less often than white women, and “studies have shown that managers are quicker to forget the achievements and statements of black women than they are to forget those of white men or women,” according to Built In.
In practice, this can make women of color working in the industry feel alone, disrespected, and unmotivated to continue in the field.
TikTok user Natasha (@tashathecaptain) recently shared her thoughts on the topic after discovering that she was the only Black woman at a tech conference.
“Less than one percent of the people here are Black, and I think I’m the only Black girl in this entire place,” she says in her video.
This has led to negative consequences for Natasha, both personally and professionally.
Continue reading: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/black-women-tech-conference/

While the conversation around increased diversity in tech looms large, the fulfillment of those lofty promises has been disastrous. Women and non-binary technologists and people in the global majority* fuel the industry and yet, they consistently receive the short end of the stick.
The fact is, these people deal with harassment and discrimination at an alarming rate. Their experiences not only hinder their professional growth but cause pain and strife in other areas in their lives. They continue to be treated like less-thans in an industry that needs, but doesn’t fully value them. I’m tired of saying this but I’ll grab my bullhorn and state it anyway: This must stop. Now.
This is not a plea, asking companies, institutions and organizations to take an amorphous, wordy pledge, post it on social media and roll it into future talking points. This is a report out to our industry (and others) that paints a picture: the people who make their companies successful are being discriminated against, harassed, underpaid and underappreciated. And we have the data to prove it.
Each year at AnitaB.org, we conduct a global survey of women and non-binary technologists to ascertain their lived reality and work experiences. Through the Technical Equity Experience Survey (TechEES), we learn how the tech industry has supported or spurned one its most underutilized/unappreciated resources.
Our latest report revealed that 90% of the respondents experienced some form of discrimination and 100% – one-hundred percent! – reported harassment. When disaggregating that data by race, Black, Latinx, Native American and Pacific Islander (BLNP) respondents reported increased feelings of race-based discrimination and harassment between 2019 and 2021, a pivotal timeframe that included a global pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes, the police killings of Black citizens and the movement for Black lives, a presidential election and much more. This type of intersectional othering is, at best, worrisome and, at worse, dangerous.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brendadwilkerson/2022/06/10/startling-research-reveals-how-women-and-non-binary-people-in-tech-are-really-doing/?sh=2453df41495d

In a world where men still dominate the tech industry, it's essential to know and celebrate the women who are making their mark. Here are five inspiring women in tech that you should be aware of. These women are accomplished and trailblazing, from building empires to changing how we use technology and guiding us to understand programs like Keyfactors encryption key manager. So if you're looking for motivation and inspiration, look no further than these five incredible women in tech.
Ada Lovelace- The First Computer Programmer
Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer mainly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine. Because of this, she is often considered to be the first computer programmer. Ada also published the first description of a programmed computer.
However, her contribution to the field of computing went beyond her technical abilities. Ada was also a gifted thinker and visionary who saw the potential for computers to be used for more than just calculation. In her writings, she speculated about the possibility of creating music using computers and envisioned machines that could learn and evolve. Today, Ada's legacy continues to inspire programmers and engineers worldwide. Thanks to her visionary work, we now live in a world where computers are essential to our daily lives.
Continue reading: https://swaay.com/5-women-in-tech-you-should-know