What is Algorand?
Algorand is a blockchain network created in 2017 by Silvio Micali, an MIT professor who won the Turing Award for his work in cryptography. Algorand is a decentralized permissionless blockchain protocol that anyone can use to develop applications and transfer value. The Algorand protocol is powered by a novel consensus algorithm that enables fast, secure and scalable transactions.
Algorand addresses the common issues that most older blockchains have, specifically concerning scalability and consensus. The blockchain uses Pure proof-of-stake (PPoS), a consensus protocol that selects validators at random according to the weight of their stake in ALGO coins.
What is Algorand trying to solve?
The Algorand protocol is designed to solve three of the biggest problems most blockchains face: security, scalability and decentralization. Dubbed as the “blockchain trilemma,” the Algorand network claims to address the following three major issues.
Continue reading: https://cointelegraph.com/news/what-is-the-algorand-blockchain-and-how-does-it-work

Despite the fact that the number of women working in science and technology is growing, men continue to have an advantage, particularly at the top levels of the industry. Girls and boys take similar numbers of math and science courses in elementary, middle, and high school. Many girls and boys graduate from high school with the intention of enrolling in science or engineering courses in university. Still, women are less likely than males to major in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) as first-year university students.
Surprisingly, according to Hill and Corbett (2010), barely 20% of women graduate with bachelor’s degrees in science and technology. Women’s representation in science and engineering continues to dwindle at the graduate level, and it transitions to the workplace.
Many young women abandon STEM careers during their transition from school to higher education. Women are less likely than their male counterparts to consider a STEM discipline. Per the National Science Foundation (2009), over a third (29%) of all male first-year students plan to major in STEM fields, compared to only 15% of female first-year students.
The number of women in tech becomes even more concerning after graduation. Only 38% of women who majored in computer science are employed in the sector, compared to 53% of men, according to data from the National Science and Foundation. This is also true in the world of engineering. This is a persistent tendency termed as a “leaky pipeline,” in which, it is difficult to keep women in STEM employment after they graduate.
Continue reading: https://www.techcityng.com/women-belong-in-tech-heres-how-to-close-the-gender-gap-in-tech/

Tessa Wanders’ career has spanned roles as founder, angel investor and venture capital (VC) investor. Wanders has launched two successful start-ups, was part of the FJ Labs founding team and is currently an investment manager at VNV Global. Her career achievements are impressive by anyone’s standards, but particularly as she is, more often than not, the only woman in the room.
Wanders has always refused to acknowledge herself as a ‘token woman’, even if that has been the case on some occasions. If fact, she is optimistic about gender diversity in tech investing and has seen some positive changes over her decade-long career. “People have become much more aware of their biases and women have also become more supportive of one another too,” she says.
The single women
There is still much more to be done, however. Deloitte’s 2021 VC Human Capital report found that although female employees comprised 16% of investment partners in 2020 (up from 14% in 2018 and 11% in 2016), among the companies that did report having female investment partners, 75% reported that they only had a single female investment partner.
This comes despite the business case for diversity in technology investing being stronger than ever. Studies show that diverse companies perform better, hire better talent, have more engaged employees and retain workers better than companies that do not have a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Deloitte’s report found that companies that increased their proportion of female partner hires by 10% had, on average, an increase of 1.5% in overall fund returns each year. So why are women still under-represented in VC investing and as founders of their own companies?
Continue reading: https://www.investmentmonitor.ai/tech/women-tech-investment-startups-business

High quality data governance comes from a combined top-down and bottom-up approach said Open Data Australia founder and CEO, Jamie Leach. Leach, who is also the regional director of global not for profit FDATA told Digital Nation Australia that a common misconception about data is that it’s the responsibility of only coders and mathematicians. “People think hardcore data scientists are all mathematics majors that can code and create these really massive algorithmic sets. That is not the case.” According to Leach, data governance can start with actions as simple as naming conventions, file storage, file sharing and understanding the difference between servers and the cloud. “I believe that every single person in an organisation should have a part to play in the role of data. If you're just leaving it to a governance executive, you've really left it too late,” she said. While in the past, data governance was left to a single manager often working alongside compliance, she says that in order to raise the quality of the data, each individual must be accountable to their role in the process.
Continue reading: https://www.itnews.com.au/digitalnation/digitalnation/video/data-governance-needs-combined-top-down-and-bottom-up-approach-open-data-australia-576989

The business case for diversity is clear: As a recent McKinsey report reveals, the relationship between diversity in executive teams and financial outperformance is strong and strengthening over time. 
Yet women remain underrepresented in tech in general and tech leadership in particular. There's some good news — more women are earning STEM degrees than ever — but the industry is rife with inequities. While the percentage of women employed across job sectors in the U.S. has reached 47%, representation at the five tech giants is only 34.4%.
We are, however, beginning to see positive changes at smaller tech companies with Arum Kang at the helm of Coffee Meets Bagel, and Anne Wojcicki leading 23andMe. As a woman CEO at a tech company, I’m committed to inviting more women to have a seat at the table and encouraging my peers to do the same.
But how can we get more women at the top in tech across the board? 
Acknowledge unconscious bias.
 
Women are four times more likely than men to consider gender bias an obstacle to promotion, a recent TrustRadius report found.
Unconscious bias is real. In the tech world, where "bro culture" dominates the landscape, acknowledging gender bias is the first step toward addressing the problem. Businesses must take a hard look at their own preconceptions and craft plans to combat them.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/03/04/leadership-in-tech-how-can-we-get-more-women-to-the-top/?sh=21e3143d2808

Today’s Woman in Tech: Jennifer Reif, Developer Relations Engineer at Neo4j
Jennifer Reif is a Developer Relations Engineer at Neo4j, speaker, and blogger with an MS in CMIS. An avid developer and problem-solver, she has worked with many businesses and projects to organize and make sense of widespread data assets and leverage them for maximum business value. She has expertise in a variety of commercial and open source tools, and she enjoys learning new technologies, sometimes on a daily basis! Her passion is finding ways to organize chaos and deliver software more effectively.
When did you become interested in technology? What first got you interested in tech?
Both parents are computer programmers, so my sisters and I grew up with technology. We played computer/video games, learned how to type properly, and took a website summer class for kids all before high school. I knew technology would be an integral part of life, no matter which career path I chose. My first real interest in tech as a career came in college, though.
Let’s talk about your background. How did you end up in your career path? What obstacles did you have to overcome?
Music was a huge part of my family and my life growing up. I ended up majoring in music performance with a business minor and took music theory courses alongside computer programming courses. The two subjects merged when I saw that both music and technology combine logic and creativity. Music brings logic through patterns of rhythmic and harmonic structures, as well as creativity through composition and emotional connection. Computer programming uses logic in program structure and language syntax, while giving creativity to design and human/machine interactions. I found that crossover point between the two careers and saw technology expand aspects of music and other passions that no other industry can. Technology gives you access to anything you could possibly dream or want to do.
Continue reading: https://jaxenter.com/women-in-tech-reif-176729.html

Eight days. That’s how long Google’s Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC), an eight-member committee set up in 2019 to guide the company’s development of A.I., survived before the company dissolved it. 
The committee imploded for several reasons. Google wanted the ATEAC to meet just four times a year. It expected its members to work pro bono. And although the digital giant claimed that the ATEAC’s efforts would inform its A.I. use, it wasn’t clear which projects the committee would monitor, to whom it would report, or which executive(s) would act on its recommendations. In retrospect, the ATEAC was consumed by the rising organizational and societal skepticism about its role because it simply wasn’t set up for success. 
As CEOs expand their organizations’ uses of A.I., they face complex challenges. They find that they have to manage tradeoffs among objectives such as profits, consumer safety, reputation, ethics, and values that are often in conflict with one another. These tradeoffs force them to choose between making decisions that will have tangible short-term impacts and those with mid- to long-term implications that are difficult to evaluate. 
These ever more complex tradeoffs are inevitable with A.I. First, A.I. allows companies to offer new services—such as personalized recommendations for each consumer and preventive maintenance of every machine—that they couldn’t until now. Second, A.I.-generated tradeoffs often end up having a major impact because companies can scale A.I. rapidly. Third, A.I. learns and evolves over time, even without human supervision, so the risks are harder to predict. Microsoft’s chatbot Tay turned racist in 2016 less than 16 hours after it went online. Besides, in the absence of regulations and guidelines, business leaders find it tough to identify and manage the risks from using A.I.
Continue reading: https://fortune.com/2022/03/04/artificial-intelligence-ai-watchdog-review-board/

The edge of the network is becoming increasingly important as businesses look to improve their workloads and run applications. Today, the edge is no longer just a point at the network. It is becoming increasingly core to the data center market, especially with edge computing changing the entire data center ecosystem.
Often deployed as an alternative to cloud and central data centers, edge computing provides lower latency and data transmission costs compared to centralized resources. Now, edge computing is also a contributor to cloud computing growth as edge sites can act as a staging-post for data that is ultimately sent to the cloud for processing, storage, or long-term analysis.
In fact, industry-wide investment in edge computing is expected to change the profile of the data center ecosystem over the next four years. According to industry professionals from Vertiv, this will also increase the edge component of total compute by 29% over that time, from 21% of total compute to 27% in 2026. The magnitude of the industry’s ongoing shift to the edge is among the notable findings from a new Vertiv global survey of the data center on 156 industry professionals with insight into their company’s edge computing plans.
 
The survey revealed that about a third (34%) of those surveyed are either planning or in the midst of significant edge deployments. A quarter already has deployed new, purpose-built edge sites, and 41% are operating legacy edge sites. All the activity at the edge is striking, but survey participants also anticipate a 150% increase in core sites and increased activity in the cloud. With the demand for computing resources is skyrocketing across today’s networks, the percentage of IT resources deployed in the public cloud is expected to grow from 19% currently to 25% by 2026.
For Martin Olsen, global vice president for edge strategy and transformation for Vertiv, the next five years will reshape the data center landscape, shifting more and more computing to the edge while buttressing the enterprise facilities at the core of modern hybrid networks.
“This survey makes clear the urgent demand for computing closer to the end-user. The future of computing is about speed and latency, and the only way to meet the need is to build out the edge of the network,” commented Olsen.
Continue reading: https://techwireasia.com/2022/03/edge-network-data-center/

At least three companies are now being paid to use their unmanned drones to deliver small items like cash, 3D-printed shipping parts and fuel samples from Marina South to ships out at sea.
As at March, British outfit Skyports, home-grown technology giant ST Engineering and local start-up F-drones have received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to begin recurring commercial trials out of the Maritime Drone Estate.
The designated pace near Marina South Pier was set up last year for maritime drone fliers to test their wares.
Industry players said these trials will give them a chance to demonstrate that such a mode of delivery is viable. The trials will also give them leverage to ask the authorities for more permanent and expansive infrastructure along the Greater Southern Waterfront, which is crucial for such deliveries to be properly scaled up.
"There is a massive market for this," said Mr Sanjay Suresh, Skyports' Asia-Pacific head of business development and operations. "The majority of ships that come to Singapore come into the anchorages, which are specific parking spots within our waters and they do their transactions there (rather than at our ports).
"The traditional means is to have a small launch boat that goes out for either crew change or for exchange of supplies. Drones minimise the time that (the supply transaction) takes."
Skyports began commercial trials in January, flying 14 return trips every week. It said such deliveries are already profitable for the company, and wants them to be fully commercialised by the end of the year.
ST Engineering is beginning a nine-month trial with Skyports and Japanese trading company Sumitomo two months from now, likely delivering goods up to 10kg over a 10km range, said Mr Teong Soo Soon, head of ST Engineering's unmanned air systems business unit.
Continue reading: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/three-companies-in-commercial-trials-to-deliver-goods-to-ships-using-drones

It’s not surprising that artificial intelligence is making waves in every industry it touches. Currently, AI digital marketing campaigns are increasing and revolutionizing the online marketing space. In fact, it’s likely you have already purchased a product or service that you found due to AI-powered digital marketing.
Artificial intelligence (AI) enables business marketers to maneuver the vast online space and build connections with potential buyers. That said, below are ways in which AI is changing digital marketing for businesses.
1. Ultra-Personalized Campaigns
Artificial intelligence can help digital marketers create personalized marketing campaigns for leads, prospects, and customers. Nowadays, nearly all digital marketing techniques require a lot of personalization. While there are tools that segment your audience based on age, gender, browsing patterns, and interests, they may not provide enough information for a personalization campaign.
Currently, it is common for a specific target audience to view different marketing messages, headlines, and photos from another group. However, machine learning and AI goes further into making your marketing campaigns ultra-personal. AI allows marketers to segment their audience into even smaller groups.
For instance, instead of targeting 1000 people, you can create a small niche audience, say of 50 or fewer people. These marketing messages can even contain references to previous products they purchased. Fortunately, such personalization can be applied to various marketing channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and Email marketing.
Continue reading: https://www.goshennews.com/news/how-ai-can-affect-your-digital-marketing-campaigns/article_40d2c94a-9997-11ec-8bfb-831a4748be41.html

References to artificial intelligence (AI) beings have appeared throughout time since antiquity [1]. Indeed, it was the study of formal reasoning, with philosophers and mathematicians at this time who started this inquiry. Then, much later, in more recent times it was the study of mathematical logic which led computer scientist Alan Turing to develop his theory of computation.
Alan Turning is perhaps most notably known for his role in developing the 'universal' computer called the Bombe at Bletchley Park, which decrypted the Nazi enigma machine messages during World War II. However, it was perhaps his (and Alonzo Church’s) Church-Turing thesis which suggested that digital computers could simulate any process of formal reasoning, which is most influential in the field of AI today.
Such work led to much initial excitement, with a workshop at Dartmouth College being held in the summer of 1956 with many of the most influential computer science academics at the time, such as Marvin Minsky, John McCarthy, Herbert Simon, and Claude Shannon, which led to the founding of artificial intelligence as a field. They were confident that the problem would be solved soon, with Herbert Simon saying, “machines will be capable, within twenty years of doing any work a man can do.” Marvin Minsky agreed, suggesting, "Within a generation ... the problem of creating 'artificial intelligence' will substantially be solved" [2]. However, this has not been the case, and the problem proved far more difficult than they imagined, leading to a loss of enthusiasm when ideas ran out which brought about what is known as the AI winter (a lack of interest) arriving in the 1970s.
However, there has most recently been a revival of AI interest and approaches, such as the revival of deep learning algorithms in 2012, by George E. Dahl who won the "Merck Molecular Activity Challenge" using multi-task deep neural networks to predict the biomolecular target of a drug [3], and the development of deep reinforcement learning (Q-learning) algorithms in 2014 [4].
Continue reading: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-in-society/202203/towards-artificial-general-intelligence-agi

It’s often said that “we’re surrounded by science we can’t see”.
However, this is not quite true as people can see the majority of things around them.
The core of this statement should be “surrounded by science we don’t understand”, which is much closer to the truth.
So AI may be everywhere but not all of it is visible to humans and even if it is, people will most likely be ignorant about the fact that AI algorithms are the ones responsible for making a product or service work.
Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of our society and it has been taking up more and more space in our lives with each passing day.
Despite the tremendous development of AI over the past five years, a large number of people still believe that AI remains confined to the walls of offices and scientific laboratories.
And overlook the fact that AI is an integral part of our lives in various fields. Here are just a few examples:
Social Media
There are many ways that social media relies on making users spend as long as possible on the platform, perhaps the most prominent of which is to continue to post content and publications that match the taste and attention of each user,

But have you ever thought about who is responsible for doing this?

Click to expand...

AI algorithms are the ones that lead the way in this field, conducting a dedicated study of each user and identifying their interests and the things they prefer so that they can continue to interact with them for as long as possible.
AI’s role is not only to suggest the right content but also to help censor the huge content that is posted by users around the clock.
On big platforms like YouTube, nearly 500 hours of videos get published every minute, and to make sure that this content is legit, here comes the role of AI.
Continue reading: https://medium.com/illumination/how-artificial-intelligence-keeps-the-internet-running-without-us-knowing-e483818bdbd3

VTOL drone company Wingtra is launching the Wingtra Earth Day challenge – a contest that will see the company award three winners with WingtraOne GEN II drones for environmental and humanitarian projects.
In order to apply, participants will be asked to describe their project or organization, explain how they would make use of the WingtraOne GEN II drone, and make a case for why their project deserves to win. Applications are due by March 31st, and nine nominees will be selected by an internal Wingtra jury and announced on April 7th. Wingtra will then hold a public vote of the nine finalists on LinkedIn from April 11th to 21st, with the three winners to be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd.
Wingtra encourages entry by those who are part of a non-profit organization, university, research institute or government agency, whose application directly contributes to the good of the planet, who have a clear vision of how they would use their WingtraOne GEN II and can explain it in practical detail, who agree to share videos, images and outputs (ortho maps, point clouds, etc.) with Wingtra for communication purposes and agree to be interviewed about their experience with the WingtraOne GEN II, and who can make the company believe that they will be able to do good for our planet.
Continue reading: https://dronelife.com/2022/03/06/wingtra-gives-away-drones-for-a-good-cause-the-wingtra-earth-day-challenge/

What do you want to be when you grow up?
That’s a question often asked of girls and boys when they’re young.
And thanks to EHS Works, juniors and seniors at Enid High School are able to test-drive potential careers to see if that’s what they really want to be when they graduate.
“What better time to find out?” said Gabe Watts, director of Enid Public Schools’ career prep and training program that pairs students with Enid industries.
While they are still in high school, Watts said, students are able to intern for local companies and businesses to get a taste of what a career field is like before they — and/or their parents — spend time and money on college or tech school.
EHS Works benefits student, through hands-on experiences as they explore career paths, and employers, who gain a hard-working employee for six months, or longer in some cases.
“My students want to be there,” Watts said. “They’re very driven, and they want to work.”
Continue reading: https://www.enidnews.com/news/progress/ehs-works-preps-students-benefits-local-businesses/article_467a8180-9730-11ec-89e3-5f9bf674d1ec.html

It often goes unacknowledged that construction was one of the earliest data-focused industries. Understanding measurements of the worksite, material quantities and progress has been core to projects as old as the Roman Coliseum and as new as the Navi Mumbai International Airport currently under construction. What’s changed is the way we gather and use the data and fortunately, we’ve gotten much better at it.
Here’s one way to think about it: data is there whether we take it or not. It’s the extra earth sitting on site that wasn’t included in the pre-bid survey, it’s the pile of materials waiting to be used that turns out to be short, and it’s the foundation that was laid just inches off spec. Gathering this data simply gives contractors a heads up to these unforeseen challenges so we can manage them as early as possible, before they become more expensive, time-intensive problems. On today’s construction sites, lack of project data costs businesses more than $177B annually.
Traditional Surveying Versus Drone Surveying
Notably, it’s not just the action of gathering the data that’s feeding into these huge costs. So much of the data gathered on worksites today through techniques like traditional surveying includes delays or discrepancies that allow problems to go unrecognized for too long. Surveys executed through traditional methods often contradict one another or come in weeks after a critical decision was made, unaided by the relevant information gathered during the survey.
Drones have emerged as a solution to these issues and are facilitating more real-time, accurate survey data. They are especially efficient for large site surveying for projects like highways and airports that are highly time intensive to have an individual walk around and gather survey measurements manually. Drone surveys are also contributing to more visual site communication by providing assets like 3D site maps created through photogrammetry that can give every team and contractor the same view of the site and an indisputable source of truth from which to make decisions.
D.H. Griffin Infrastructure, a division of D.H. Griffin that provides site grading and development, specialty concrete and underground utility services in North Carolina was seeking to get a clearer look into their sites to bid more accurately. The estimation department needed a more reliable, precise, and easy to implement source of truth after they experienced issues approximating the scope of new jobs. 
“We had run into some problems where we bid a project and found out there was more or less dirt than we anticipated,” said Keith Taylor, the survey manager.
Continue reading: https://www.forconstructionpros.com/construction-technology/article/22105693/propeller-aero-harnessing-the-data-behind-your-worksite-through-drone-surveying

Even though National Coming Out Day is not until October 11, 2022.  It’s not to soon to start considering whether it’s best for you. Coming out at work is a big decision. For guidance check out this post from Out in Tech.https://outintech.com/coming-out-as-lgbtq-at-work-5-steps-to-help-you-decide/

DURHAM, N.C., March 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As we start Women's History Month, we'd like to spotlight a family that's making history by challenging the norm and embracing disruption, head on. Four sisters, four career changers to the field of software engineering - from marketing, from school administration, from member services, and from the insurance industry.
The Stewart family sisters - Jeanette O'Brien, Keanya Phelps, KarenElaine Stewart, and Shawna Cooper – have all taken part, or will be joining, in Shawna's case later this month, Momentum's immersive full stack engineering program to change careers to become full-time career software engineers. Momentum's program offers those interested in a new career in tech the opportunity to undertake an immersive coding bootcamp geared towards the most in-demand skills and technologies in today's market. Momentum has an all-female leadership team and is a recognized and well-respected source of technology talent and training for businesses and individuals nationwide. 
The dedication to learning, development, and growth in the engineering field runs deep in the Stewart family. The only brother in the family, James Stewart, PhD, recently earned his doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering and was awarded the Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) as a Modern-Day Technology Leader after his nomination by the United States Navy, and their father is a retired software engineer.
Continue reading: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/women-making-history-in-tech-301495222.html

The tech industry is notoriously known for its ‘bro culture’, where even the largest tech companies are known for its male-oriented hiring. Interestingly, the Big Five only have a workforce of about 34.4% women, as per Statista. As a result of a biased hiring culture, a challenge as old as time has dropped its anchor in Silicon Valley – the gender pay gap.
Our own homegrown research found, 15% of women working in IT expect to get a raise compared to 27% men, the 2022 State of IT report stated. While these numbers talk about how women in tech perceive their advancement in career, a lot of companies are taking charge and changing this narrative. But it’s a slow process. To truly be able to make an impact and drive pay parity in Silicon Valley, representation is a given.
So to be fair and aboveboard on what a woman in technology is really facing on ground, we talked to six women who have built their careers in technology. From a chief technology officer at Cnvrg (an Intel company) to a data protection general manager at Amazon Web Services, these solid women in leadership talk about how they view the gender pay gap in the tech industry and what tech companies can do to promote pay equity in the workplace.
1. ‘How Much Do You Want?’ Take This Question Off the Interview Process
Leah Kolben, chief technology officer and co-founder at cnvrg.io

“I think one of the reasons could be that women start from a lower income. So, every time they go to a job interview, they carry on their history of low income. I feel like this is something we can fix by fixing the salary income. If you have a gap from previous workplaces, the next workplace you seek can help women to be more equal. I feel like when women are asked, how much do you want? Or what’s your salary expectation? Maybe we need to take this question off the interview process. So, we will know that if we want to pay something, we will pay it no matter if you’re a man or a woman.”

Click to expand...

Continue reading: https://www.toolbox.com/tech/it-careers-skills/articles/women-in-tech-how-to-close-gender-gap/

As cryptocurrency continues to enter the mainstream, many businesses and employers are trying to understand how to implement blockchain technology at their organizations – and one of the most important choices they’ll have to make at outset is whether to proceed with a public or private blockchain. Whether you are contemplating using a blockchain to strengthen security, eliminate inefficiencies, retool your recruiting and onboarding processes, or compensate employees, there are pros and cons to each choice. Each organization will need to assess their own business needs before making a selection. This Insight will review the prime features of public and private blockchains and provide three considerations to keep in mind before making a choice.
Primer: What is a Blockchain?
As a quick refresher, a blockchain is a distributed (shared) digital ledger that contains an immutable historical record – or chain – of all transactions that have occurred on that blockchain’s network. A distributed ledger means that there are multiple versions of the same data that are stored in different places and connected through the network.
A blockchain stores information together in “blocks” of information. When a block reaches its storage capacity, it is closed and linked via cryptography to the prior block and each block is chained in chronological order. This creates the chain of data known as the “blockchain.” You can dive deeper into this concept by reading our detailed FAQs here.
The most common reasons businesses and employers might consider using blockchain technology include enhancing security for financial data and sensitive personal employee information, improving the recruiting and onboarding processes, streamlining payroll, or increasing the efficiency and reliability of current audit processes. And the two most common blockchains are public and private blockchains.   
Public Blockchains    
A public blockchain, such as Bitcoin’s blockchain, is “permissionless.” This means that the blockchain is visible to anyone and open to public participation. Key features of a public blockchain include:

• Access: Public blockchains are decentralized, which means that anyone can join and participate in the blockchain network. Similarly, anyone can read, write, and see the activities on the public network. A public blockchain does not have a single entity that controls the network.

Continue reading: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/public-vs-private-blockchains-3-4582431/

They use gasoline, which is bad for the environment. They produce vast amounts of carbon dioxide, which is causing the planet to overheat. And they emit particulates, which can damage the lungs.
A solution to these problems comes from Dutch entrepreneur Bob Ultee, who produces electric two- and three-wheelers designed for both taxi and delivery drivers in a two-pronged assault on poverty and pollution.
And now he has gone a stage further by embracing cryptocurrency to issue an asset-backed token.
The launch of Bobcoin raised over $12m
Bobcoin (BOBC) was launched last March as an initial coin offering with assets (ICO-WA), raising over $12m. Each coin is fully secured and backed by verified assets.
Now, a year later, existing holders of the Bobcoin will have their coins “defrosted” following a pre-sale listing on Dutch exchange Knaken. Pre-existing owners will have each token converted into 10 coins, with the price also divided in 10.
Ultee is the founder of Bob Eco, a for-profit company that leases electric motorcycles in Africa. Motorcycles make up more than half of all vehicles in Africa – around 100m of them.
Each travels on average 100km, and in most countries in Africa, the money spent on fuel per year exceeds the cost of a new motorcycle.
The company estimates motorcycle taxi owners spend $4.40 daily on fuel and make an average daily profit of only $1.50.
Continue reading: https://beincrypto.com/batteries-and-blockchain-how-technology-is-empowering-africa/

The IoT has rapidly gained a profile in our everyday lives as its phenomenal growth has enabled the connection of a wide range of devices in our homes and in our working environments. The sophistication of these connected devices is continually increasing, allowing more computing to be done at the edge, instead of in the cloud. Computing at the edge of a network may be a well-established concept, but, for successful operation, edge devices must possess a broad set of capabilities to ensure optimal security, energy efficiency, connectivity, and of course, computing power.
In this article, we take a look at the building blocks which are enabling this new generation of connected devices to support IoT edge computing.
What happens at the edge?
The generic diagram of an embedded IoT device, depicted in Figure 1, illustrates the basic functions performed at the edge. The edge device monitors a range of inputs, via sensors, and alters a set of outputs, via actuators, based upon the status of the inputs. A microcontroller unit (MCU) at the heart of the device converts the data (analog to digital or vice versa) and performs various operations on it, depending on the specifics of the application. The MCU will also be equipped with resources such as memory, connectivity (to enable communication with the cloud and with other sensors), security, and real-time capabilities – such as interrupt scheduling and real-time processing.

Figure 1: generic IoT device functionality
The MCU is therefore the engine of the IoT device, and its computing power is dictated by the specifics of the application. Engine control units in a connected automobile, for example, may need to react to an input change in real-time, requiring sophisticated decision-making capability. To achieve near real-time responsiveness, the computing algorithm must be located locally – meaning that the MCU must have the resources to host it. Applications such as remote sensor monitoring in agriculture will generate less data and will usually have more relaxed response time requirements, meaning that decision-making can take place in the cloud, reducing the requirements on the MCU.
The MCU is therefore a critical component of the IoT device and the above description hints at some of the trade-offs facing the designer when choosing the optimum device.
The MCU dictates the performance of the IoT device
The MCU, described above, is actually a “system-on-chip” (SoC), literally a chip containing all of the functionality of a computer system, Figure 2.

Figure 2: The MCU is a system-on-chip
The brain of this SoC is the microprocessing unit, (MPU), a general-purpose digital computer central processing unit, whose main objective is to read data, perform extensive calculations on it, and either store or display the results. Modern MPUs, such as those based on Arm technology, can contain multiple cores, each capable of executing instructions independently and therefore handling different tasks. One core, for example, could be dedicated to handling real-time operations with another taking care of background system operations. Multiple cores can also be treated as a single unit, or cluster, where processing demand is higher. The power consumption of multi-core systems can be significantly lower than that of single processor cores, since they can execute instructions faster, enabling cores to be powered down for periods where they are idle. Throughput can also be higher with multiple cores, enabling the device to operate at lower frequencies, and individual cores can be shut down when not in use, saving power consumption.
Continue reading: https://www.eetimes.eu/the-building-blocks-of-edge-computing/

Just as the hype bubble around VR and chatbots has burst over the past few years, will the hype surrounding blockchain and cryptocurrencies be filled with eternal promise and growth, or are these technology solutions approaching their own trough of disillusionment?
Before we dig into whether blockchain and crypto are living up to the hype being heaped upon them by pundits and luminaries, let’s do a quick review of where these things came from, and why.
What Is Blockchain?
Blockchain is the technology that enables the creation of cryptocurrency.
A blockchain is a decentralized and distributed digital ledger of records across a network, sometimes public and sometimes private. These digital records are called blocks, and they record transactions across different computers. Blockchain works by ensuring no block can be altered retroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks. Using blockchain technology, users can confirm transactions without needing a central authority, like a bank. 
The top use cases for blockchain for organizations worldwide are digital currency (33%), data access and sharing (32%) and data reconciliation (31%). Other popular use cases include identity protection (31%), payments (30%) and tracking and tracing (27%), according to Deloitte.
Think of blockchain as a technology that reduces the trust cost between companies and individuals, making business easier to do, less expensive and not as risky.
Continue reading: https://www.cmswire.com/digital-experience/2022-blockchain-and-cryptocurrency-reality-check/

As a technology, blockchain comes with a few well-known qualities—tools based on the technology are impossible to breach, they store transactions and other records in real-time, the data stored in blockchains cannot be manipulated without authorization and many others. The common thread running through such characteristics is trust. Blockchain is, without a doubt, reliable for usage in several business areas. And that is why the technology, also known as a distributed ledger, has so many applications in fields as diverse as public welfare, supply chain-related functions and, of course, NFT transactions. Besides these, there are several uses of blockchain in financial services too. One of the prominent ones among them is financial auditing. Generally, major businesses may face difficulties in verifying the integrity of transactions, including all transactions of mega-corporations in audit tests and similar others. Using blockchain in financial services and functions such as auditing sorts out such problems for auditors and businesses everywhere.
Bringing in Real-Time Auditing and Automated Financial Operations
Traditionally, audits are supposed to be conducted at the end of a financial year. During that phase, trained auditors and chartered accountants run through, either partially or completely, thousands and thousands of transactions recorded throughout the year on balance sheets, cash flow statements and other financial documents to verify each entry for authenticity, understand the financial areas that are problematic within the organization and need correction and find instances of error and fraud, amongst other details.
With the increasing use of blockchain in financial services such as auditing, organizations could have their transactions verified and greenlit in real-time. This automation of auditing involves financial transactions going through audit scans as they take place. If an instance of fraud or error occurs, the financial directors and technical operators will get a notification about it. Then, such parties can conduct thorough financial investigations to get to the root of problematic situations. In such cases, computerized programs could settle blockchain-driven smart contracts on behalf of the concerned board of directors autonomously. Furthermore, blockchain could also enable automated payment processing to stakeholders, digital signing of documents and contracts, creating valid audit trails for transaction verification as well as registering digitized assets, which include stocks, NFTs, bonds, land titles.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/naveenjoshi/2022/03/03/making-financial-auditing-more-assured-with-blockchain/?sh=1b213a8f28de

AT&T has released its annual Cybersecurity Insights Report, with several key takeaways from 2021 and predictions for the year ahead. Edge computing is a key focus of the report, as AT&T goes into detail about the state of edge, as well as the company outlining the risks and security based on survey data and interviews of over 1,500 IT executives.
Edge computing and its uses
The report analyzes several key aspects of edge computing, including why it is important to think of the edge computing as a set of essential characteristics to a network. AT&T defines edge as a distributed architecture made up of applications, workloads, connectivity and networking. The company also detailed that integration with 5G, legacy cellular, wireless and cloud computing all make sense moving forward into the future.
The reasons for many industries moving towards edge computing were detailed by AT&T:

• Stiff competition in a global marketplace
• Changing business models
• Rethinking operating and infrastructure strategies
• Use case commonalities and variabilities by industry
• Managing stakeholder expectations

Some cases for adopting edge networks according to the report, industrial IoT or OT functions were the largest amount of general use cases expected in production over the next three years, followed by enterprise IoT and industry oriented consumer IoT functions. AT&T’s data in the report says “[these] findings make sense because IoT in a broad sense is the application or use case that generates the data that’s moving around the edge.”
In addition, other industries such as healthcare and financial services were brought forth as burgeoning areas where edge will be implemented in the future. Of the respondents to the survey in the healthcare industry, 74% are planning or have begun implementing an edge use case, with the ability to provide care in remote locations and virtual care services being cited as two of the potential advantages for edge use in that industry. In finance, 73% of respondents said they have implemented or begun to implement these edge use cases, with concierge services able to provide personalized experiences for customers and enabling the delivery of real-time data to clients to build relationships.
However, the largest planned edge network environment detailed in the report is private 5G. With several enterprises launching private 5G networks, this comes as little surprise that as 5G continues to grow these use cases will become more broadly available and beneficial. While autonomous driving vehicles and robots are further into the future for these private 5G utilization, once private 5G has become the standard AT&T says it expects general purpose computers, individual devices and multi-access edge (MEC) to become the top use cases.
Security concerns
While edge has its benefits, it is still in the process of being adopted by many industries, with some enterprises moving forward with edge use cases despite the risks associated with doing so. Edge computing makes cloud part of the equation, opening many industries up to security risks, and that shared security responsibility must become more of a focus. In addition, AT&T says that cloud providers need to solve more security requirements. In these cases, ransomware and sniffing attacks become more of a concern across edge users.
Continue reading: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/att-details-edge-computing-and-the-security-risks-that-you-should-be-concerned-about/

Drones were buzzing inside a Long Island school Tuesday. A Williston Park gym was converted into an obstacle course to teach technology in a fun way; CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reports.