Tag: tech news

Cybersecurity Risk of IoT: Securing Smart Devices at Home

The increasing prevalence of IoT devices in homes worldwide raises cybersecurity concerns, emphasizing the need for proper usage to safeguard homes and families.

Common IoT Devices and Associated Cybersecurity Risks

IoT devices such as smartwatches, distance-measuring sneakers, home automation applications, and more, while enhancing convenience, also pose security risks if not used cautiously. These connected devices are susceptible to hacking, potentially compromising personal information and, in the case of geolocation-enabled devices, even indicating when homes are vacant.

Reports suggest that 2024 will see a surge in cybersecurity risk and threats to IoT devices. Therefore, awareness of these risks is crucial, prompting the need for users to secure their devices effectively.

The most common cybersecurity risk associated with IoT devices include personal data theft, knowledge of home habits, family geolocation access, fraudulent purchases, physical theft, identity theft, malware introduction, and illicit trading of personal data or images in underground markets.

Also read IoT Consultant Job Description

Recommendations for Cyber Protection

To mitigate these risks, Mindquest‘s experts recommend the following cybersecurity measures for IoT devices on a global scale:

Create Separate Networks: Establish dedicated networks for IoT devices using intelligent routers that create virtual networks. This prevents potential infections from spreading between computers and IoT devices.

Strong, Unique Passwords: Implement robust and distinct passwords for each IoT device, with regular password changes to enhance security.

Disable UPnP Protocol: Turn off Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) to hinder devices from easily discovering each other.

Regular Updates: Install the latest updates promptly, as they often include crucial security patches to address vulnerabilities.

Download from Official Sources: Obtain mobile apps exclusively from official markets to reduce the risk of downloading compromised applications.

Prioritize Security Settings: Review and prioritize the security settings of IoT devices over other functionalities to enhance overall protection.

Turn Off When Not in Use: Disable IoT devices when not in use to minimize the exposure to potential security threats.

User Training in Cybersecurity: Provide users with training and awareness programs on cybersecurity, especially for those utilizing IoT devices.

Cybersecurity Challenges of Smartwatches

As an illustrative example, we at Mindquest highlighted cybersecurity concerns specific to smartwatches:

Lack of Cybersecurity Standards: Smartwatches, like other IoT devices, face challenges due to the absence of specific cybersecurity standards.

Sensitive Information Collection: Smartwatches gather extensive personalized information, including GPS location, application notifications, biometric and health data, training information, and payment transactions, making them susceptible to data breaches.

Vulnerabilities in Design and Connectivity: The design and connectivity of smartwatches pose vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. Weak user passwords and outdated systems further compromise security.

Limitations on Antivirus Software: Some smartwatches do not support antivirus software, leaving them exposed to potential threats.

Lack of Two-Factor Authentication: Absence of two-factor authentication in certain smartwatch designs increases vulnerability, especially in payment transactions.

Automatic Pairing Risks: Automatic pairing with other devices poses risks, necessitating the need to disable this function to prevent unintended connections with public or insecure Wi-Fi or Bluetooth networks.

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12th February 2024
Future-Proof Your Career: Mastering the Top 10 In-Demand Tech Skills

The tech industry is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of the game requires having the right in-demand tech skills in your arsenal.

In this article, we will explore the top 10 in-demand tech skills that will set you up for success.

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Top 10 In-Demand Tech Skills

From cutting-edge technologies like quantum computing to essential skills in data privacy. Let’s dive into the in-demand tech skills you need to thrive in the tech industry.

1 Mastering Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is revolutionizing the tech industry, and having expertise in this field it is highly valuable. Skills in quantum algorithms, programming languages, and circuit design are crucial. This because they help solving complex problems in areas like cryptography, drug discovery, and optimization.

Quantum algorithms are different from classical algorithms. Understanding their principles and applications is essential for leveraging the power of quantum computing. Additionally, proficiency in programming languages specific to quantum computing, such as Qiskit and Cirq, is in high demand. These languages allow developers to create and optimize quantum circuits, and they are critical for programming quantum computers.

Another in-demand skill in quantum computing is circuit design. Quantum circuits are the building blocks of quantum algorithms. Mastering circuit design techniques and tools are high demand. This is because businesses and governments seek to harness the full potential of quantum computing.

2 Immersive Experiences with AR/VR

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are transforming industries like gaming, healthcare, and education. Having skills in AR/VR development, 3D modeling, and user experience (UX) design are in high demand. This because businesses seek to create immersive and interactive experiences for their customers.

AR and VR offer unique opportunities in industries like healthcare. There they are useful for training, simulations, and patient care. For example, AR can overlay virtual information onto real-world environments. Thus allowing surgeons to visualize complex procedures or medical professionals to provide remote assistance. VR can create realistic simulations for medical training, providing a safe and controlled environment for learning.

Then, in the education sector, AR and VR can revolutionize the way students learn by providing immersive and interactive experiences. Imagine exploring ancient civilizations through virtual field trips, or conducting virtual science experiments in a safe and controlled environment. The potential of AR and VR in enhancing learning experiences increases the demand for skilled professionals in AR/VR development, 3D modeling, and UX design.

The entertainment industry has also seen a significant impact from AR and VR technologies. VR gaming has gained traction, providing gamers with truly immersive and interactive experiences. Gaming for mobile apps use AI to allow players to interact with virtual objects in the real world.

You may also be interested in Strategic Intelligence Immersive Experiences

3 Blockchain for Secure Transactions

Blockchain technology is gaining traction across industries. Professionals with skills in blockchain development, smart contracts, and cryptography are a very profitable profile. As businesses explore the potential of blockchain for secure transactions, supply chain management, and digital identity verification, expertise in this field are invaluable.

In addition to the opportunities in blockchain development, there are also emerging roles in blockchain consulting, project management, and regulation. As governments and organizations grapple with the regulatory and legal implications of blockchain technology, professionals with an understanding of the technology and its potential impact can provide valuable guidance. Furthermore, blockchain is still a relatively new field. Ongoing research and development in areas such as scalability and interoperability will continue to create demand. As the use cases for blockchain technology continue to expand, blockchain professionals is among the growing in-demand tech skills.

Also read our Step-by-Step IT Job Hunting Guide

4 Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Conversational AI

NLP and conversational AI technologies are driving advancements in chatbots, virtual assistants, and voice recognition systems. Skills in NLP, machine learning, and conversational AI development are in high demand as businesses look to create intelligent and interactive customer experiences.

The use of NLP and conversational AI technologies goes beyond customer service applications. There are many other use cases for these technologies, such as in healthcare, education, and finance. In healthcare, for example, conversational AI can collect patient data, provide medical advice, and even assist in surgical procedures. In education, NLP it can create personalized learning experiences for students. Then, in finance, conversational AI can provide investment advice or assist in fraud detection. As these technologies continue to evolve and improve, the potential applications are limitless. Creating new and exciting career opportunities for those with the necessary skills.

5 Essential Cybersecurity Skills

With the increasing number of cyber threats, cybersecurity skills will continue to be in high demand. Expertise in threat detection, incident response, risk management, and securing cloud and IoT environments are crucial. This is because businesses prioritize safeguarding their digital assets and data.

As the digital landscape continues to expand, cybersecurity threats are becoming more sophisticated and complex. In response, businesses are increasingly investing in cybersecurity measures to protect themselves from cyber attacks, data breaches, and other threats. This has created a need for cybersecurity professionals who can develop and implement effective security strategies, conduct thorough risk assessments, and respond quickly and efficiently to incidents. In addition, as more organizations move their operations to cloud and IoT environments, there is a growing demand for professionals who can secure these environments and protect against cyber threats. With the continued growth of the digital economy, cybersecurity skills will remain in high demand tech skills for the foreseeable future.

Also read 10 Essential Steps to Ensure Cybersecurity

6 Securing Communication with Quantum Cryptography

The increasing development of quantum computing technology is leading to the emergence of quantum cryptography as a potential solution for secure communication. Skills in quantum cryptography algorithms, protocols, and key distribution are in high demand, as businesses and governments seek to safeguard their sensitive information from quantum-based attacks.

Moreover, the potential for quantum computing to perform complex calculations at unprecedented speeds is making it an area of growing interest and investment. This has resulted in a growing demand for professionals with expertise in various aspects of quantum computing, including software development, algorithm design, and hardware engineering. To stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving field, professionals must develop new and innovative applications for quantum computing. Therefore, the demand for quantum computing and cryptography experts will continue to grow in the years to come.

7 Embracing Cloud-Native Development

Cloud-native development offers several advantages, including faster deployment times, improved scalability, and increased reliability. By leveraging containerization and microservices, cloud-native applications can be broken down into smaller, more manageable components that can be updated and deployed independently. This approach enables businesses to be more agile and responsive to changing market conditions, while also reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

As more businesses adopt cloud-native strategies, the demand for professionals with skills in cloud-native architecture, containerization, and microservices will increase. In addition, expertise in cloud-native technologies such as Kubernetes, Docker, and serverless computing are highly valued as these tools become essential components of the cloud-native stack. The market for cloud-native development skills is expected to remain strong.

Also read Building the dream team for multi-cloud success

8 Ensuring Data Privacy and Compliance

With the increasing focus on data privacy regulations, professionals with skills in data privacy and compliance are in high demand. Expertise in data protection, privacy laws, and compliance frameworks is critical. As businesses strive to maintain compliance and protect sensitive information.

Data privacy and compliance professionals play a critical role in helping businesses navigate the complex landscape of data protection laws. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), are examples of it. These professionals are responsible for developing and implementing data privacy policies, procedures, and best practices. This to ensure that data is collected, processed, and stored in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

In addition, professionals in this field need to possess expertise in data protection techniques. Encryption, tokenization, and data masking are examples to ensure that sensitive information is adequately protected from unauthorized access and breaches.

Businesses are under pressure to comply with data privacy regulations to protect their customers’ privacy and maintain their trust. Non-compliance can result in significant financial penalties, reputational damage, and legal liabilities. Therefore, the demand for professionals with skills in data privacy and compliance will continue to rise in the future.

You may also be interested in 5 Simple Steps to Improve Data Security Compliance

9 Edge Computing for Faster Processing

Edge computing is revolutionizing the way data is processed and analyzed in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT). Thus, businesses strive to capitalize on the benefits of processing data closer to the source for faster and more efficient operations.

Edge computing involves moving data processing and analytics closer to the devices or sensors that generate the data, instead of relying on centralized cloud servers. This approach reduces the latency or delay in processing data. Thus enabling real-time decision-making and faster response times. This is critical for applications that require quick and efficient data processing, such as autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and industrial automation.

Professionals with expertise in edge computing architecture have a high value. They are responsible for designing and implementing edge computing solutions that are scalable, secure, and efficient. This involves developing edge computing architectures that optimize data processing, storage, and networking capabilities at the edge. Moreover, integrating edge computing with cloud computing to create hybrid edge-cloud solutions.Professionals with expertise in edge computing architecture have a high value.Professionals with skills in edge computing architecture are highly sought after. They are responsible for designing and implementing edge computing solutions that are scalable, secure, and efficient. This involves developing edge computing architectures that optimize data processing, storage, and networking capabilities at the edge. Moreover, integrating edge computing with cloud computing to create hybrid edge-cloud solutions.

10 Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Conversational AI

Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Conversational AI are rapidly transforming the way businesses interact with their customers. Skills in NLP and conversational AI development are in high demand as businesses seek to create intelligent and interactive customer experiences. This through natural language interfaces, personalized recommendations, and sentiment analysis for improved customer engagement.

NLP is a field of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on enabling machines to understand, interpret, and respond to human language. Skills in NLP involve techniques such as text analysis, sentiment analysis, entity recognition, and language generation. These skills are essential to develop chatbots, virtual assistants, and voice recognition systems to provide personalized and intuitive interactions with customers.

Conversational AI, on the other hand, involves the development of AI-powered systems that can carry out conversations with users in a manner that mimics human-like conversations. This includes techniques such as natural language understanding (NLU), dialogue management, and natural language generation (NLG). Skills in conversational AI development are crucial for businesses looking to create sophisticated chatbots. Also, virtual assistants, and voice-based customer service systems that can understand and respond to user queries. They can also provide recommendations, and engage in interactive conversations.

Machine learning also plays a significant role in NLP and conversational AI. Skills in machine learning, including supervised and unsupervised learning, deep learning, and reinforcement learning, are vital for building effective NLP and conversational AI models. Machine learning algorithms can be used to train NLP models for tasks such as sentiment analysis, entity recognition, and language generation, and to train conversational AI models to learn from user interactions and improve their responses over time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the technology sector is evolving at an incredible pace, and staying abreast of the latest technology skills required is essential for professionals who want to stand out.

Mastering Quantum Computing is critical for professionals looking to leverage the power of quantum mechanics for solving complex problems in various domains. AR/VR Development skills are in high demand as businesses seek to create immersive and interactive experiences in gaming, healthcare, and education. Data Privacy and Compliance expertise is crucial to navigate the increasing focus on data privacy regulations and protect sensitive information. Edge Computing skills is in high demand as businesses adopt strategies to process data in real-time, making it ideal for IoT applications. Lastly, NLP and Conversational AI skills is pivotal in creating intelligent and interactive customer experiences through natural language interfaces, personalized recommendations, and sentiment analysis.

As the tech landscape continues to evolve, professionals with these in-demand tech skills are and are highly sought after. Embracing these in-demand tech skills will open up new opportunities, enhance career prospects, and contribute to the exciting advancements in the tech industry.

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26th April 2023
A Ransomware Attack, Self-Taught Robots and Online Abuse: The Week in Tech News

In the world of IT, real news can easily get mixed with eye-catching headlines and promotional buzz. From a critical ransomware attack to tackling online abuse: filter out the noise with our selection of the top 3 tech news stories of the week.

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Ransomware attack: the new oil disrupting the old one

One of the most echoed statements about data is that it is the new oil. Regardless of whether you agree or not with this comparison ; you will surely find it ironic to see how much the decryption of data, this “new” oil, can end up affecting the old one.

Last Friday, Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest oi pipeline operators in the United States, experienced a ransomware cyberattack that pushed it to shut down its IT systems. Linked to the DarkSide hacking group, the breach happened on the business side of the company’s IT infrastructure but affected its nationwide operations.

Although it is thought the motivations behind the attack were economic and not of sabotage, the incident reignites fears of the dangers hackers pose to a country’s critical infrastructure. Oil prices have gone up due to the supply disruption, with people all over the US piling up fuel reserves. The issue might not be fixed until the end of the week.

ZDNet

Self-taught robots

The idea of programming AI systems to teach themselves has been gaining major traction in recent years. Flexible software that is able to learn through experience makes a lot of sense. But our current capabilities in this regard might not be as far-reaching as we think.

A group of Amsterdam-based researchers built a simple robot and tried to make it learn how to move through trial and error. Made of independent units chained together into a train-like structure ; the robot used a series of inflating pumps to propel itself at a top speed of two millimetres per second.

Unfortunately, while the autonomous learning system managed to effectively move, maintain a stable pace and follow a circular track, the robot encountered a few real-world problems that threw all its calculations off. A good reminder of how easily a variable not accounted for can disrupt machine learning algorithms.

Ars Technica

Tackling tech-enabled abuse

The tech boom caused by the pandemic has brought along some troubling side effects. An increase in online abuse is one of them. With the number of tech abuse cases requiring specialised assistance having grown by 97% over the last year.

All around the world, domestic abusers use both legitimate online tools and so-called stalkware to harass, control and monitor their partners. Suffice it to say, this kind of behaviour usually predates or accompanies other forms of abuse, from physical to psychological.

That’s why the Barclays-backed non-profit Refuge has launched a site to help abuse victims protect themselves from tech-enabled domestic abuse. RefugeTechSafety.org has been built with the help of survivors and provides educational and actionable resources in multiple languages.

Computer Weekly

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14th May 2021
AI, IBM Chips, and a Novel Cloud Security Concept: The Week in Tech News

In the world of IT, real news can easily get mixed with eye-catching headlines and promotional buzz. From AI and chips to cloud security: filter out the noise with our selection of the top 3 tech news stories of the week.

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AI is everywhere

The AI hype is so strong we often forget that
artificial intelligence is already an integral part of our everyday
lives.

Firstly, AI played a key role in the development of Covid-19 vaccines. But there are many other, less conspicuous ways we benefit from it directly.

For example, from anti-spam email filters to fraud detection for your banking account, silent, tiny AI helpers accompany us throughout the day without us necessarily being aware. Whether it is by dimming our phone’s screen brightness or suggesting sentences we tend to use, low-level AI tools do exactly what the best kind of technology does: help out without being noticed.

But not everything’s about the little things, other common applications have positive effects on our society, like smart city traffic management or energy grid optimisation.

World Economic Forum

IBM makes chip breakthrough

For all its innovation potential, the
technology industry still has an over-reliance on the diminishing effects of
the long/established Moore’s Law, by which the number of transistors in
computer chips tends to double in number and halve in size every two years.

Unfortunately,
recent years have seen this rule of thumb falter, with chip manufacturers
struggling to keep the good ratio going.

Enter IBM. The company announced this week a significant breakthrough in the way computer processors can be effectively made. IBM created a 2nm chip it claims can boost performance by 45% over 7nm chips while cutting down energy consumption by 75%.

BBC

A scalable approach to cloud security

Making sure that evolving cloud environments remain protected against malware is becoming increasingly difficult in a world where multi-cloud is the new norm and a single weakness can compromise an entire network

As if
human fallibility and the cloud’s sheer size were not enough, attackers are
using increasingly sophisticated methods of bypassing traditional security
measures and protocols.

Malware is often only valuable until its detected, as its signature can then be easily identified by the system. Yet, scanning an entire cloud ecosystem for irregularities still involves too much complexity and resources due to its sheer size.

A research initiative by Microsoft’s, Projet Freta, proposes a novel approach: a cloud-centric in-memory scanning system that focuses on virtual machine instances to deliver scalable protection.

TechRepublic

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10th May 2021
The Week in IT news: Agile turns 20, the Web 30, and light-based computing moves ahead

Here’s what happened this week in IT news.

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News story #1: Agile after 20 years

With the manifesto for Agile software
development turning 20 this year, industry insiders are looking back at the
philosophy’s two decades of existence to see how deeply embedded it actually is
among the world’s businesses.

While
most companies have fully bought into the idea of Agile and are on board with
its values and principles, the term “agile” is still a buzzword
rather than a true practice in many cases.

According
to experts, organisations often resort to Agile methodologies as a simple
solution to accelerate their digital transformation projects. In doing so, they
fail to implement the development framework as a wholistic philosophy that ties
IT with business objectives.

Automated testing and deployment and rapid feedback loops have been widely adopted by industry players, but better value stream mapping and new business-oriented performance metrics will be needed if we are to unleash the full potential of Agile.

ZDNet

News story #2: Berners-Lee’s annual letter

Just like Warren Buffett, Tim Berners-Lee
(a.k.a. the father of the world wide web) has made a habit out of sending an
annual letter reflecting on the state of the Internet world.

Last
Friday, March 12th, marked the 30th anniversary of the web, and Berners-Lee,
who has always been adamant about making the Internet a more inclusive medium,
turned his attention to universal access to the Internet, web-based
environmental initiatives and curbing online abuse. According to Berners-Lee,
the pandemic has accentuated the difference between the 2.2 billion young
people who lack stable Internet access and those who don’t. But it is the web’s
hostility towards minorities that worries him the most.

Yet, despite his concerns regarding “the toxic Internet,” Berners-lee is optimistic about our ability to make online forums a safer place. Specifically, he points towards big social media platforms as the ones who should be implementing the changes to make that happen. The way forward, says Berners-Lee, should be building “social networks where bad things happen less.”

The Guardian

News story #3: Mirror-based computers

The end the week in IT news — While quantum computing is the alternative to traditional computers that gets the most attention these days, it is not the only new kid in the block.

Researchers
are also exploring ways to make standard bit-based computation faster and more
efficient — and we are not talking about cramming more transistors into a
silicon chip. It’s more about re-inventing the traditional transistor
altogether. After all, we don’t need all future computers to be quantum; faster
traditional PCs should suffice for most tasks. Enter light-based computing.

University of Cambridge researchers have discovered a way of making a material switch between glass and mirror with a short laser pulse. This type of optical switching is way faster than current computer switches — about a million times faster. It also consumes a fraction of the energy. Plus, the switch could be applied to quantum computing as well.

Phys.org

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19th March 2021
Weekly News: Google’s Project Zero-Day Bugs, Cloud and a Quantum Leap

Google’s Project Zero-Day Bugs, Cloud and a Quantum Leap… Watch this recap in video format.

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Infosec & Google’s Project Zero: Google says try harder

New research by Maddie Stone, a researcher at
Google’s Project Zero security team, suggests hackers have it way too easy
thanks to the business world’s failure to patch zero-day and recurring
vulnerabilities.

According
to Stone, attackers these days don’t really need to come up with new
vulnerabilities to exploit. Although industry leaders including Google itself
are diligent enough in issuing patches to zero-day vulnerabilities, these bug
fixes often fall flat and don’t fully address the issue, leaving the doors open
to future attacks.

Project Zero, whose only focus is to investigate these zero-day flaws, advocates for greater investment and a more proactive approach to security. The key, Stone says, is to let engineers go deeper to identify the root of the problem and implement more meaningful structural changes.

MIT Technology Review

It’s all about the cloud

This week we got a surprise announcement from
a technology titan: Jeff Bezos is stepping down as CEO of Amazon. And his
choice of successor is quite revealing of where the industry is headed
next.

Amazon
started as an online retailer, and that’s for what most people know the
company. But it’s not where the money is at. Any tech insider like yourself
will undoubtedly tell the layman that the Seattle born company makes most of
its revenue with its cloud services. It is no surprise then, that Bezos has
chosen Andy Jassy, head of Amazon Web Services, to take the company into the
future.

And Amazon is not alone here. Microsoft is no longer the company that makes Windows. Google is not just a search engine. Cloud has clearly become the winning bet for tech goliaths. And, with only 25-30 percent of business workloads in the cloud. we are just seeing the beginning of it.

NBC News

Quantum leaps

And speaking of Microsoft and cloud, the Redmond-based company announced this week the availability on preview of Azure Quantum, a public cloud ecosystem that lets users access the quantum capabilities of partners like Honeywell, IonQ and Quantum Circuits.

With this
public preview, Microsoft wants to encourage developers, researchers and
systems integrators to learn how to use the platform and build applications
that could potentially transform a wide range of industries.

The announcement comes the same week Dutch researchers at Radbourd University revealed a new method for assembling a network of atoms that works in a similar way to the synapses in our brains. The breakthrough, the researchers say, is a major step towards the creation of a quantum brain that is able to function and change like a human’s.

ZDNet / The Independent

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5th February 2021
Weekly News: Presenting Our New Podcast Mission Control Center

Say hello to our new podcast Mission Control Center

Because we know how busy you are, we are launching a podcast version of the newsletter from Mission Control Center, so that you can listen to it while you work.

Every week, our editor Miquel Morales will walk you through the
most relevant tech news and share all sorts of career development advice.

We’ll soon be having interviews with experts in all areas of IT, so make sure to follow us every week!

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AI cracks half-century-old problem

After having proven
its worth with programs capable of beating humans at various games, the
artificial intelligence group DeepMind has reached a major scientific
milestone.

The group’s latest program, AlphaFold, has finally solved a
problem that had kept researchers baffled for 50 years: predicting how proteins
fold into 3D shapes.

Protein folding patterns, which are unique to each protein and
extremely complex, could until now only be unravelled through years-long lab
work. It took AlphaFold just a few weeks to learn how to predict folding with
greater accuracy than humans.

The breakthrough paves the way for the design of more powerful drugs and vaccines to fight diseases, as well as for the production of more nutritious crops.

The Guardian

The key technologies for 2021

A new global IEEE
survey of CTOs and CIOs reveals the top technologies and challenges for
organisations in the upcoming year.

While overcoming the effects of the pandemic remains the biggest
concern amongst technology leaders, AI and machine learning are cited as the
game-changing tech trends for 202. Next-gen 5G solutions and IoT follow close
behind.

Manufacturing, healthcare, financial services and education are
expected to be the industries in which technology will play a more pivotal
role.

One positive finding is that an overwhelming majority of IT leaders (92%) believe their company is now more prepared to respond to a catastrophic and sudden event like a natural disaster or a data breach.

TechRepublic

Mac minis are coming to AWS

Amazon Web Services
kickstarted its yearly re:Invent conference with a big revelation: the company
is bringing macOS to the AWS cloud.

AWS will be making available Mac mini instances for developers
to create apps directly on its Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).

It is a significant announcement for devs, who now can run Xcode
and Swift tools in the cloud without having to maintain and patch custom-built
Mac machines.

However, the Mac minis being currently deployed in AWS data centres are still sporting previous-generation Intel chips. The company will be rolling out the new Apple-silicon machines early next year.

TechCrunch

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4th December 2020
Weekly News: Game Streaming and Emissions

Game Streaming and Emissions, or Game vs. the environment

The next generation of
video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. An epic
marketing battle precedes its launch, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X fighting
to get a head start on each other by selling more consoles than the other.

Yet, ironically, this new generation of consoles might be the
last.

Like it happened in other industries, video games are moving
away from local hardware in favour of a distributed computing model. Why spent
money in a pricey box when you could stream higher-quality video games directly
to your TV or phone in real time?

With companies like Google and Microsoft having already released
their proprietary cloud gaming platforms, it’s just a matter of time before
most gaming is done this way. But, as convenient as it sounds, this could have
severe environmental implications.

A new report suggests emissions could rise as much as 30% in a future where game streaming was the norm.

BBC

Low-code is coming to Teams

Earlier this year,
Microsoft announced it was building a low-code Dataflex solution for Teams that
would allow users to easily develop custom applications without leaving Teams.
We got more details this week.

Code-named Project Oakdale, the platform will let teams create
quick applications based on shared databases. No need for third-party tools to
build an HTML or JavaScript feature that runs on Teams. Just install Project
Oakdale and use an Access-like table and form creator to get the job done.

Each team will get its dedicated data environment so that team
members can exchange actionable insights and access more relevant information.
The applications will also be able to connect with the rest of Microsoft’s
ecosystem.

Although it has its limitations, Project Oakdale will be included in the Teams subscription — a big step towards democratising low-code development within the enterprise.

TechRepublic

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4th September 2020
Weekly News: The Best Language for Economic Research

The Best Language for Economic Research

Python, Matlab, Julia — R. Who would win the battle of the best language for Economic research? That’s probably one of the most common online queries in the programming world. There is just something about humans and our obsession with chasing the very best of the best.

Discover Python Projects to Try – From Beginner to Advanced

In reality, of course, each language has its nuances and areas
in which it shines. Anyone claiming to have a definitive answer on the matter
should come up with some solid arguments to back their verdict.

And that’s exactly what two London School of Economics researchers did. They looked at different languages based on the power of available libraries, the speed and possibilities when handling large datasets, and the speed and ease-of-use for a computationally intensive task.

Hint: the winner has a woman’s name.

Thanks, but no thanks

That’s the polite
version of what UK students were shouting in front of the Department of
Education over a week ago. The cause of their anger was an algorithm.

University admission exams had been cancelled because of the
pandemic. Teachers proposed predicting their student’s scores as a way to
compromise. The education department dismissed the idea on the grounds that
previous research had proved such estimates to be biased. Instead, they decided
to use an algorithm.

Well, that one turned out to be even more biased. Close to 40% of students received lower grades than what their teachers had predicted, potentially harming their chances to get into their university of choice. Those in working-class and disadvantaged communities were disproportionately affected.

The issue has now been fixed, but it’s a textbook examples of the dangers of AI bias.

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How To Learn Python With Rune

28th August 2020
Weekly News: A crypto-worm is stealing AWS credentials

Researchers have
discovered what they believe to be the first-ever crypto-mining worm that also
manages to steal AWS credentials.

Crypto-mining worms have been around for a while, stealthily
infiltrating a network and using its computing power to mine cryptocurrency.
This new worm is actually not even that good at it, having only made a mere
$300 in profits.

However, the attackers, who go by the name TeamTNT, have managed to incorporate the credential-stealing feature into their code. The researchers believe the attackers have recycled this functionality from a previous worm that targetted Alibaba’s cloud.

This points to an emerging trend of copy-and-paste, opening the door for future malware to replicate TeamTNT’s code and go onto steal AWS credentials and compromise cloud ecosystems.

Fired for skipping the firewall

A whopping four out of
ten businesses in the UK admit having dismissed employees for breaching the
company’s security protocols. That’s according to a new survey by Centrify, a
privileged access management solutions provider.

Most incidents were related to work-from-home scenarios, as a
large proportion of employees tends to circumvent safety measures in favour of
comfort or portability.

As a result, 65% of companies have made important changes to their cybersecurity policy. Shadow IT was already a huge problem before the workforce transitioned to remote work. Now it’s become even more difficult to ensure that employees don’t use personal devices to access company networks and files.

Well, just keep in mind that you could get fired for it.

21st August 2020