AI could make the four-day workweek inevitable – BBC.com

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Dook Domini

By Elizabeth BennettFeatures correspondent

As artificial intelligence gains traction in office operations, some companies are giving employees a day to step back.

Working four days while getting paid for five is a dream for many employees. Yet the dramatic shifts in the pandemic-era workplace have turned this once unfathomable idea into a reality for some workers. And as more global data emerges, an increasing number of companies are courting the approach after positive trial-run results across countries including the UK, Iceland, Portugal and more.

Now, as pilots continue in Germany, a trial of 45 companies has just begun , for instance another factor has entered the mix. Artificial intelligence (AI) is gathering pace in the workplace, and some experts believe it could accelerate the adoption of the four-day workweek.

Data from London-based news-and-events resource Tech.co collected in late 2023 lends credence to this idea. For their 2024 Impact of Technology on the Workplace, the company surveyed more than 1,000 US business leaders. The researchers found 29% of organisations with four-day workweeks use AI extensively in their firms' operations, implementing generative AI tools such as ChatGPT as well as other programmes to streamline operations. In comparison, only 8% of five-day working week organisations use AI to this extent. And 93% of businesses using AI are open to a four-day work week, whereas for those who don't, fewer than half are open to working shorter weeks.

At London-based digital design agency Driftime, adopting AI technology has been crucial to enable the business to operate a flexible four-day work week. "By handing over simple tasks to AI tools, we gain invaluable time previously lost to slow aspects of the process," says co-founder Abb-d Taiyo. "With tools like Modyfi, the graphics are all live and modifiable, making it so much easier and quicker for our designers to create concepts and ideas."

Taiyo believes it makes sense for both his employees and his bottom line to work the condensed week. "Instead of a dip in the quantity of work created over just four days, we've seen a remarkably high quality of work matched by a high staff satisfaction return. The health and happiness of our team is in direct correlation to the high standard of work produced," he says.

Shayne Simpson, group managing director of UK-based TechNET IT Recruitment, also believes AI has been fundamental to the success of the company's four-day work week policy. The firm has found AI tools save each of their recruitment consultants 21 hours per week, primarily by automating previously manual tasks like data input, confirmation emails, resume screening and candidate outreach. This has reduced the time to fill permanent roles at the company by an average of 10 days. "This timesaving allows our team to achieve their weekly goals earlier in the week and the flexibility liberates our consultants from being tethered to their desks, enabling them to enjoy a well-deserved Friday off," says Simpson.

Not only has the company's abridged workweek boosted productivity and morale, Simpson says it's also been key to attracting talent to work within the company itself. "Seasoned recruitment professionals are enticed by our streamlined processes while entry-level talent is eager to embrace new tools." It's lifted the entire business, he adds.

While AI tools are certainly paving the way for a four-day work week within some industries, the technology can't usher in the change alone. Organisational culture within a business is also fundamental, says Na Fu, a professor in human resource management at Trinity Business School, Ireland. "An openness to innovative work structures, an experimental mindset and, importantly, a culture grounded in high levels of trust are all important for the four-day work week to be successfully adopted," she says.

As the digital transformation with AI progresses, employees themselves also must be willing to level up, she adds: "Rather than becoming mere caretakers or servants of machines, human workers need to develop new skills that can leverage, complement and lead AI, achieving the enhanced outcomes."

Some industries will benefit from AI more than others, however notably those who are able to use generative AI tools for such tasks including software development, content creation, marketing and legal services, says Fu. Plus, artificial intelligence development still has a way to go if it is to substantially reduce human working hours across the board.

What may drive the shift to a four-day workweek in an AI-powered business landscape may not ultimately be up to the robots, however. Executive buy-in is required, and whether leaders will embrace the unconventional concept will vary depending on a firm's overarching purpose and values, says Fu. Instead of letting AI supplement the work of humans, for instance, some businesses could use it to automate certain tasks while piling other work on employees to fill newly open hours.

Still, despite some reservation, an increasing number of business leaders including those from some of the world's highest-earning companies see a technology-driven shortened workweek as an inevitable future. In October 2023, JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon told Bloomberg TV: "Your children are going to live to 100, and they'll probably be working three-and-a-half days a week." Employees will have to wait and see.

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AI could make the four-day workweek inevitable - BBC.com

How AI Can Uncover the World’s Oldest Archeological Mysteries – The Daily Beast

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Dook Domini

This month, a trio of computer scientists won the Vesuvius Challenge, a competition to use artificial intelligence to reveal four passages of ancient Greek encased for 2,000 years inside a charred scroll. The artifact was found at Herculaneum, a Roman resort town destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D..

This kind of thing that happens every half century or so, Richard Janko, a professor of classics at the University of Michigan and one of the judges for the competition, told The Daily Beast. Federica Nicolardi, a papyrologist at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy and a fellow judge, told The Daily Beast that the discovery could be a huge revolution.

The technology enables archeologists to potentially see inside ancient burnt, sodden, and sealed texts. This includes works of classical antiquity, to hidden writing wrapped up in Egyptian mummies, to books burned in World War II, to the many thousands of fragments of texts found in the Dead Sea that could shed new light on the early history of Christianity.

Perfectly preserved by the volcanic eruption, the town is a kind of in-between space where destruction and conservation go hand-in-hand, Nicolardi said. Archeologists have spent centuries excavating sections of the Herculaneum, including the Villa Dei Papiri, from which about 1,800 cataloged fragments or entire scrolls have been recovered.

Herculaneum scroll with red laser lines being scanned at Institut de France by Brent Seales and his team.

However, the scrolls are incredibly fragile. After all, theyre ancient on top of being burned and charred. As a result, several hundred have been ruined by people trying to unroll them manually or using machines. Due to this, there are only a few hundred left that can potentially be read.

Thats the genesis behind the competition: If the team could crack one of them open digitally, then digitally unwrapping anything else would be easy by comparison.

The contest was backed by ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Y Combinator partner Daniel Gross who offered a $1 million grand prize to the person or team who could generate at least four columns of readable digital text from scans of a Herculaneum scroll by the end of 2023. The winning team was made up of AI engineers named Youssef Nader, Julian Schillinger, and Luke Farritor who were able to recover 15 columns of text from the papyrus, revealing the ancient Greek lines laid out like a newspaper.

The process they used was originally developed by Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky who has spent 20 years using technology to digitally analyze and restore ancient texts. The tool, called the Volume Cartographer, uses AI to digitally unwrap the layers of a single burnt papyrus scroll that Seales team had made 3D scans of.

But the challenge isnt over yet. The teams winning entry reveals just five percent of a single scroll. For 2024, Friedman, Gross, and Seales have a new competition: Unroll a whole scroll to win a $100,000 prize. Eventually, they want to digitally unwrap all the surviving and intact Herculaneum scrolls.

If they achieve that, then the library could reveal new information about some of the most famous figures in history such as Aristotle and Archimedes. Janko added that the text the competition has revealed may have been written by Philodemus, an Epicurean philosopher and teacher of the famous Roman poet, Virgil.

But first, more of the scroll needs to be segmented, which is the technical term for unraveling the digital layers of papyrus. Then theres a matter of translating what they find, which can be a herculean taskpotentially made less so with the help of AI. Reading the papyrus is not just a matter of recognizing letters, Nicolardi said. It is more a matter of understanding the text.

Using computers and scanning techniques in archeology is not new. The first mummy to be analyzed using X-ray occurred in 1896. Such technology has long been used to uncover archeological discoveries since then for more than a century. Before Seales digital unwrapping tool, though, Janko estimated it would have taken at least 500 years to go through the Herculaneum scrolls.

Seales has solved the problem of unrolling the fragile scrolls by using synchrotron scanning, which involves shooting a powerful particle accelerators laser at a scroll and to create high-fidelity X-rays that show all its layers. From there, each layer has to be picked out and segmented. The inner layers are the easiest to peel apart, Seales said.

That has been incredibly gratifying to see this youthful brain trust of people, who really understand AI, to see them being excited about classics, Seales said.

While this protocol has only been used on these scrolls so far, it has a wide range of archeological applications. For example, Seales has used the technology to digitally unwrap some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as a copy of the Book of Leviticus recovered from a burnt synagogue at En Gedi, Israel dating to the third or fourth century C.E..

He also plans to scan and decipher a still-sealed Egyptian papyrus scroll that is housed in the Smithsonian Collection. This artifact, bandaged in linen and sealed with wax marked with the symbol of Amenhotep III dates to about 1400 B.C.E. and has never been opened.

Seales has also used the technique to see inside burned medieval books recovered from the wreckage of Chartres, a French town near Paris that was largely destroyed in World War II during an Allied bombing campaign in 1944.

Another potential treasure trove could be lurking deep in the Black Sea, Janko said. There are at least 67 ancient shipwrecks on the seabed thatbecause the water is devoid of oxygen below 140 meters depth or sohave never decayed, freezing them and their cargo in time. Amongst the potential treasure trove is a box of books and scrolls that could hold even more ancient historical secrets. It might now be possible to retrieve and see inside those papyri thanks to this technological advance, Janko said.

Its not just the classics that may see a renaissance in discoveries: There is also the possibility to apply the technology to old film reels and negatives that have become corroded and unable to be developed or read using traditional methods, Seales said.

For now, though, researchers are still working on a translation they feel confident in for the 15 columns they have so far. This is a process that even the most hubristic Silicon Valley evangelist cant speed up, Nicolardi explained.I think there is a moment for this kind of speedy work and there is another moment when you have to stop a little bit and think about it and reflect, she said. The scroll itself makes much the same point. Nicolardi notes that its last sentence roughly translates to: May the truth be always evident to us.

How AI Can Uncover the World's Oldest Archeological Mysteries - The Daily Beast

MWC 2024: Microsoft to open up access to its AI models to allow countries to build own AI economies – Euronews

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Dook Domini

Monday was a big day for announcements from tech giant Microsoft, unveiling new guiding principles for AI governance and a multi-year deal with Mistral AI.

Tech behemoth Microsoft has unveiled a new set of guiding principles on how it will govern its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, effectively further opening up access to its technology to developers.

The announcement came at the Mobile World Congress tech fair in Barcelona on Monday where AI is a key theme of this years event.

One of the key planks of its newly-published "AI Access Principles" is the democratisation of AI through the companys open source models.

The company said it plans to do this by expanding access to its cloud computing AI infrastructure.

Speaking to Euronews Next in Barcelona, Brad Smith, Microsofts vice chair and president, also said the company wanted to make its AI models and development tools more widely available to developers around the world, allowing countries to build their own AI economies.

"I think it's extremely important because we're investing enormous amounts of money, frankly, more than any government on the planet, to build out the AI data centres so that in every country people can use this technology," Smith said.

"They can create their AI software, their applications, they can use them for companies, for consumer services and the like".

The "AI Access Principles" underscore the company's commitment to open source models. Open source means that the source code is available to everyone in the public domain to use, modify, and distribute.

"Fundamentally, it [the principles] says we are not just building this for ourselves. We are making it accessible for companies around the world to use so that they can invest in their own AI inventions," Smith told Euronews Next.

"Second, we have a set of principles. It's very important, I think, that we treat people fairly. Yes, that as they use this technology, they understand how we're making available the building blocks so they know it, they can use it," he added.

"We're not going to take the data that they're developing for themselves and access it to compete against them. We're not going to try to require them to reach consumers or their customers only through an app store where we exact control".

The announcement of its AI governance guidelines comes as the Big Tech company struck a deal with Mistral AI, the French company revealed on Monday, signalling Microsofts intent to branch out in the burgeoning AI market beyond its current involvement with OpenAI.

Microsoft has already heavily invested in OpenAI, the creator of wildly popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. Its $13 billion (11.9 billion) investment, however, is currently under review by regulators in the EU, the UK and the US.

Widely cited as a growing rival for OpenAI, 10-month-old Mistral reached unicorn status in December after being valued at more than 2 billion, far surpassing the 1 billion threshold to be considered one.

The new multi-year partnership will see Microsoft giving Mistral access to its Azure cloud platform to help bring its large language model (LLM) called Mistral Large.

LLMs are AI programmes that recogise and generate text and are commonly used to power generative AI like chatbots.

"Their [Mistral's] commitment to fostering the open-source community and achieving exceptional performance aligns harmoniously with Microsofts commitment to develop trustworthy, scalable, and responsible AI solutions," Eric Boyd, Corporate Vice President, Azure AI Platform at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post.

The move is in keeping with Microsoft's commitment to open up its cloud-based AI infrastructure.

In the past week, as well as its partnership with Mistral AI, Microsoft has committed to investing billions of euros over two years in its AI infrastructure in Europe, including 1.9 billion in Spain and 3.2 billion in Germany.

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MWC 2024: Microsoft to open up access to its AI models to allow countries to build own AI economies - Euronews

IBM’s Deep Dive Into AI: CEO Arvind Krishna Touts The ‘Massive’ Enterprise Opportunity For Partners – CRN

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Dook Domini

With an improved Partner Plus program and a mandate that all products be channel-friendly, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna aims to bring partners into the enterprise AI market that sits below the surface of todays trendy use cases.

To hear IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna tell it, the artificial intelligence market is like an iceberg. For now, most vendors and users are attracted by the use cases above the surfaceusing text generators to write emails and image generators to make art, for example.

But its the enterprise AI market below the surface that IBM wants to serve with its partners, Krishna told CRN in a recent interview. And Krishnas mandate that the Armonk, N.Y.-based vendor reach 50 percent of its revenue from the channel over the next two to three years is key to reaching that hidden treasure.

This is a massive market, said Krishna. When I look at all the estimates the numbers are so big that it is hard for most people to comprehend them. That tells you that there is a lot of opportunity for a large number of us.

[RELATED: IBM CEO Krishna To Partners: Lets Make Lots Of Money Together On AI]

In 2023, IBM moved channel-generated sales from the low 20 percent to about 30 percent of total revenue. And IBM channel chief Kate Woolley, general manager of the IBM ecosystemperhaps best viewed as the captain of the channel initiativetold CRN that she is up to the challenge.

Arvinds set a pretty big goal for us, Woolley said. Arvinds been clear on the percent of revenue of IBM technology with partners. And my goal is to make a very big dent in that this year.

GenAI as a whole has the potential to generate value equivalent of up to $4.4 trillion in global corporate profits annually, according to McKinsey research Krishna follows. That number includes up to an additional $340 billion a year in value for the banking sector and up to an additional $660 billion in operating profits annually in the retail and consumer packaged goods sector.

Tackling that demandworking with partners to make AI a reality at scale in 2024 and 2025is part of why Krishna mandated more investment in IBMs partner program, revamped in January 2023 as Partner Plus.

What we have to offer [partners] is growth, Krishna said. And what we also have to offer them is an attractive market where the clients like these technologies. Its important [for vendors] to bring the innovation and to bring the demand from the market to the table. And [partners] should put that onus on us.

Multiple IBM partners told CRN they are seeing the benefits of changes IBM has made to Partner Plus, from better aligning the goals of IBM sellers with the channel to better aligning certifications and badges with product offerings, to increasing access to IBM experts and innovation labs.

And even though the generative AI market is still in its infancy, IBM partners are bullish about the opportunities ahead.

Krishnas mandate for IBM to work more closely with partners has implications for IBMs product plans.

Any new product has to be channel-friendly, Krishna said. I cant think of one product I would want to build or bring to market unless we could also give it to the channel. I wouldnt say that was always historically true. But today, I can state that with absolute conviction.

Krishna estimated that about 30 percent of the IBM product business is sold with a partner in the mix today. Half of that Im not sure we would even get without the partner, he said.

And GenAI is not just a fad to the IBM CEO. It is a new way of doing business.

It is going to generate business value for our clients, Krishna said. Our Watsonx platform to really help developers, whether its code, whether its modernization, all those things. these are areas where, for our partners theyll be looking at this and say, This is how we can bring a lot of innovation to our clients and help their business along the way.

Some of the most practical and urgent business use cases for IBM include improved customer contact center experiences, code generation to help customers rewrite COBOL and legacy languages for modern ones, and the ability for customers to choose better wealth management products based on population segments.

Watsonx Code Assistant for Z became generally available toward the end of 2023 and allows modernization of COBOL to Java. Meanwhile, Red Hat Ansible Lightspeed with IBM Watsonx Code Assistant, which provides GenAI-powered content recommendations from plain-English inputs, also became generally available late last year.

Multiple IBM partners told CRN that IBM AI and Red Hat Ansible automation technologies are key to meeting customer code and content generation demand.

One of those interested partners is Tallahassee, Fla.-based Mainline Information Systems, an honoree on CRNs 2024 MSP 500. Mainline President and CEO Jeff Dobbelaere said code generation cuts across a variety of verticals, making it easy to scale that offering and meet the demands of mainframe customers modernizing their systems.

We have a number of customers that have legacy code that theyre running and have been for 20, 30, 40 years and need to find a path to more modern systems, Dobbelaere said. And we see IBMs focus on generative AI for code as a path to get there Were still in [GenAIs] infancy, and the skys the limit. Well see where it can go and where it can take us. But were starting to see some positive results already out of the Watsonx portfolio.

As part of IBMs investment in its partner program, the vendor will offer more technical help to partners, Krishna said. This includes client engineering, customer success managers and more resources to make their end client even more happy.

An example of IBMs client success team working with a partner comes from one of the vendors more recent additions to the ecosystemPhoenix-based NucleusTeq, founded in 2018 and focused on enterprise data modernization, big data engineering and AI and machine learning services.

Will Sellenraad, the solution providers executive vice president and CRO, told CRN that a law firm customer was seeking a way to automate labor needed for health disability claims for veterans.

What we were able to do is take the information from this law firm to our client success team within IBM, do a proof of concept and show that we can go from 100 percent manual to 60 percent automation, which we think we can get even [better], Sellenraad said.

Woolley said that part of realizing Krishnas demand for channel-friendly new products is getting her organization to work more closely with product teams to make sure partners have access to training, trials, demos, digital marketing kits and pricing and packaging that makes sense for partners, no matter whether theyre selling to very large enterprises or to smaller enterprises.

Woolley said her goals for 2024 include adding new services-led and other partners to the ecosystem and getting more resources to them.

In January, IBM launched a service-specific track for Partner Plus members. Meanwhile, reaching 50 percent revenue with the channel means attaching more partners to the AI portfolio, Woolley said.

There is unprecedented demand from partners to be able to leverage IBMs strength in our AI portfolio and bring this to their clients or use it to enhance their products. That is a huge opportunity.

Her goal for Partner Plus is to create a flexible program that meets the needs of partners of various sizes with a range of technological expertise. For resell partners, today we have a range from the largest global resell partners and distributors right down to niche, three-person resell partners that are deeply technical on a part of the IBM portfolio, she said. We love that. We want that expertise in the market.

NucleusTeqs Sellenraad offered CRN the perspective of a past IBM partner that came back to the ecosystem. He joined NucleusTeq about two years agobefore the solution provider was an IBM partnerfrom an ISV that partnered with IBM.

Sellenraad steered the six-year-old startup into growing beyond being a Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services partner. He thought IBMs product range, including its AI portfolio, was a good fit, and the changes in IBMs partner program encouraged him to not only look more closely, but to make IBM a primary partner.

Theyre committed to the channel, he said. We have a great opportunity to really increase our sales this year.

NucleusTeq became a new IBM partner in January 2023 and reached Gold partner status by the end of the year. It delivered more than $5 million in sales, and more than seven employees received certifications for the IBM portfolio.

Krishna said that the new Partner Plus portal and program also aim to make rebates, commissions and other incentives easier to attain for partners.

The creation of Partner Plusa fundamental and hard shift in how IBM does business, Krishna saidresulted in IBMs promise to sell to millions of clients only through partners, leaving about 500 accounts worldwide that want and demand a direct relationship with IBM.

So 99.9 percent of the market, we only want to go with a channel partner, Krishna said. We do not want to go alone.

When asked by CRN whether he views more resources for the channel as a cost of doing business, he said that channel-friendliness is his philosophy and good business.

Not only is it my psychology or my whimsy, its economically rational to work well with the channel, he continued. Thats why you always hear me talk about it. There are very large parts of the market which we cannot address except with the channel. So by definition, the channel is not a tradeoff. It is a fundamental part of the business equation of how we go get there.

Multiple IBM partners who spoke with CRN said AI can serve an important function in much of the work that they handle, including modernizing customer use of IBM mainframes.

Paola Doebel, senior vice president of North America at Downers Grove, Ill.-based IBM partner Ensonoan honoree on CRNs 2024 MSP 500told CRN that the MSP will focus this year on its modern cloud-connected mainframe service for customers, and AI-backed capabilities will allow it to achieve that work at scale.

While many of Ensonos conversations with customers have been focused on AI level-settingwhats hype, whats realisticthe conversations have been helpful for the MSP.

There is a lot of hype, there is a lot of conversation, but some of that excitement is grounded in actual real solutions that enable us to accelerate outcomes, Doebel said. Some of that hype is just hype, like it always is with everything. But its not all smoke. There is actual real fire here.

For example, early use cases for Ensono customers using the MSPs cloud-connected mainframe solution, which can leverage AI, include real-time fraud detection, real-time data availability for traders, and connecting mainframe data to cloud applications, she said.

Mainlines Dobbelaere said that as a solution provider, his company has to be cautious about where it makes investments in new technologies. There are a lot of technologies that come and go, and there may or may not be opportunity for the channel, he said.

But the interest in GenAI from vendor partners and customers proved to him that the opportunity in the emerging technology is strong.

Delivering GenAI solutions wasnt a huge lift for Mainline, which already had employees trained on data and business analytics, x86 technologies and accelerators from Nvidia and AMD. The channel is uniquely positioned to bring together solutions that cross vendors, he said.

The capital costs of implementing GenAI, however, are still a concern in an environment where the U.S. faces high inflation rates and global geopolitics threaten the macroeconomy. Multiple IBM partners told CRN they are seeing customers more deeply scrutinize technology spending, lengthening the sales cycle.

Ensonos Doebel said that customers are asking more questions about value and ROI.

The business case to execute something at scale has to be verified, justified and quantified, Doebel said. So its a couple of extra steps in the process to adopt anything new. Or theyre planning for something in the future that theyre trying to get budget for in a year or two.

She said she sees the behavior continuing in 2024, but solution providers such as Ensono are ready to help customers employees make the AI case with board-ready content, analytical business cases, quantitative outputs, ROI theses and other materials, she said.

For partners navigating capital cost as an obstacle to selling customers on AI, Woolley encouraged them to work with IBM sellers in their territories.

Dayn Kelley, director of strategic alliances for Irvine, Calif.-based IBM partner TechnologentNo. 61 on CRNs 2023 Solution Provider 500said customers have expressed so much interest in and concern around AI that the solution provider has built a dedicated team focused on the technology as part of its investments toward taking a leadership position in the space.

We have customers we need to support, Kelley said. We need to be at the forefront.

He said that he has worked with customers on navigating financials and challenging project schedules to meet budget concernsand IBM has been a particularly helpful partner in this area.

While some Technologent customers are weathering economic challenges, the outlook for 2024 is still strong, he said. Customer AI and emerging technology projects are still forecast for this year.

Mainlines Dobbelaere said that despite reports around economic concerns and conservative spending that usually occurs in an election year, hes still optimistic about tech spending overall in 2024.

2023 was a very good year for us. It looks like we outpaced 2022, he said. And theres no reason for us to believe that 2024 would be any different. So we are optimistic.

Juan Orlandini, CTO of the North America branch of Chandler, Ariz.-based IBM partner Insight EnterprisesNo. 16 on CRNs 2023 Solution Provider 500said educating customers on AI hype versus AI reality is still a big part of the job.

In 2023, Orlandini made 60 trips in North America to conduct seminars and meet with customers and partners to set expectations around the technology and answer questions from organizations large and small.

He recalled walking one customer through the prompts he used to create a particular piece of artwork with GenAI. In another example, one of the largest media companies in the world consulted with him on how to leverage AI without leaking intellectual property or consuming someone elses. It doesnt matter what size the organization, you very much have to go through this process of making sure that you have the right outcome with the right technology decision, Orlandini said.

Theres a lot of hype and marketing. Everybody and their brother is doing AI now and that is confusing [customers].

An important role of AI-minded solution providers, Orlandini said, is assessing whether it is even the right technology for the job.

People sometimes give GenAI the magical superpowers of predicting the future. It cannot. You have to worry about making sure that some of the hype gets taken care of, Orlandini said.

Most users wont create foundational AI models, and most larger organizations will adopt AI and modify it, publishing AI apps for internal or external use. And everyone will consume AI within apps, he said.

The AI hype is not solely vendor-driven. Orlandini has also interacted with executives at customers who have added mandates and opened budgets for at least testing AI as a way to grow revenue or save costs.

There has been a huge amount of pressure to go and adopt anything that does that so they can get a report back and say, We tried it, and its awesome. Or, We tried it and it didnt meet our needs, he said. So we have seen very much that there is an opening of pocketbooks. But weve also seen that some people start and then theyre like, Oh, wait, this is a lot more involved than we thought. And then theyre taking a step back and a more measured approach.

Jason Eichenholz, senior vice president and global head of ecosystems and partnerships at Wipro -- an India-based IBM partner of more than 20 years and No. 15 on CRNs 2023 Solution Provider 500told CRN that at the end of last year, customers were developing GenAI use cases and establishing 2024 budgets to start deploying either proofs of concept into production or to start working on new production initiatives.

For Wipros IBM practice, one of the biggest opportunities is IBMs position as a more neutral technology stackakin to its reputation in the cloud marketthat works with other foundation models, which should resonate with the Wipro customer base that wants purpose-built AI models, he said.

Just as customers look to Wipro and other solution providers as neutral orchestrators of technology, IBM is becoming more of an orchestrator of platforms, he said.

For his part, Krishna believes that customers will consume new AI offerings as a service on the cloud. IBM can run AI on its cloud, on the customers premises and in competing clouds from Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.

He also believes that no single vendor will dominate AI. He likened it to the automobile market. Its like saying, Should there be only one car company? There are many because [the market] is fit for purpose. Somebody is great at sports cars. Somebody is great at family sedans, somebodys great at SUVs, somebodys great at pickups, he said.

There are going to be spaces [within AI where] we would definitely like to be considered leaderswhether that is No. 1, 2 or 3 in the enterprise AI space, he continued. Whether we want to work with people on modernizing their developer environment, on helping them with their contact centers, absolutely. In those spaces, wed like to get to a good market position.

He said that he views other AI vendors not as competitors, but partners. When you play together and you service the client, I actually believe we all tend to win, he said. If you think of it as a zero-sum game, that means it is either us or them. If I tend to think of it as a win-win-win, then you can actually expand the pie. So even a small slice of a big pie is more pie than all of a small pie.

All of the IBM partners who spoke with CRN praised the changes to the partner program.

Wipros Eichenholz said that we feel like were being heard in terms of our feedback and our recommendations. He called Krishna super supportive of the partner ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Eichenholz said he would like to see consistent pricing from IBM and its distributors so that he spends less time shopping for customers. He also encouraged IBM to keep investing in integration and orchestration.

For us, in terms of what we look for from a partner, in terms of technical enablement, financial incentives and co-creation and resource availability, they are best of breed right now, he said. IBM is really putting their money and their resources where their mouth is. We expect 2024 to be the year of the builder for generative AI, but also the year of the partner for IBM partners.

Mainlines Dobbelaere said that IBM is on the right track in sharing more education, sandboxing resources and use cases with partners. He looks forward to use cases with more repeatability.

Ultimately, use cases are the most important, he said. And they will continue to evolve. Its difficult for the channel to create bespoke solutions for each and every customer to solve their unique challenges. And the more use cases we have that provide some repeatability, the more that will allow the channel to thrive.

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IBM's Deep Dive Into AI: CEO Arvind Krishna Touts The 'Massive' Enterprise Opportunity For Partners - CRN

HHS Expands TEFCA by Adding Two Additional QHINs – HHS.gov

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Dook Domini

Seven QHINs will now safely and securely exchange critical health information for patient care

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), announced today that two additional organizationsCommonWell Health Alliance and Kno2have been designated as Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs) capable of nationwide health data exchange governed by the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common AgreementSM (TEFCASM). ONC has led a multi-year, public-private process alongside its Recognized Coordinating Entity, The Sequoia Project, Inc., to implement TEFCA, which was envisioned by the 21st Century Cures Act to support nationwide interoperability. TEFCA became operational in December 2023 with the designation of the first five QHINseHealth Exchange, Epic Nexus, Health Gorilla, KONZA, and MedAllies.

CommonWell Health Alliance and Kno2 can immediately begin supporting the exchange of data under the Common Agreement's policies and technical requirements along with the other designated QHINs. QHINs are the pillars of TEFCA network-to-network exchange, providing shared services and governance to securely route queries, responses, and messages across networks for health care stakeholders including patients, providers, hospitals, health systems, payers, and public health agencies.

"These additional QHINs expand TEFCA's reach and provide additional connectivity choices for patients, health care providers, hospitals, public health agencies, health insurers, and other authorized health care professionals," said Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., national coordinator for health information technology. "On behalf of ONC, I want to congratulate CommonWell Health Alliance and Kno2 for their achievement."

"The designation of these two QHINs, which brings the total number of QHINs to seven, highlights the rapid expansion of TEFCA exchange and the support of more and more leaders around TEFCA exchange," said Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project and RCE lead.

Common Agreement Version 2.0, which is anticipated to include enhancements and updates to require support for Health Level Seven (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) based transactions, is actively under development and scheduled to be adopted by QHINs within the first quarter of 2024.

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HHS Expands TEFCA by Adding Two Additional QHINs - HHS.gov

Undiscovered ‘minimoons’ may orbit Earth. Could they help us become an interplanetary species? – Livescience.com

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Dook Domini

In 2006, astronomers with the NASA-backed Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona discovered a peculiar body floating amid the sea of thousands of human-made satellites orbiting our planet. After taking a closer look, they determined that the object wasn't just another piece of space junk. Rather, it was a natural satellite that had been temporarily yanked into a tagalong orbit with the Earth, similar to the moon.

This "minimoon," designated 2006 RH120, was just a few meters in diameter. But unlike the actual moon, this cosmic body was a transient Earth companion, traveling around the planet for only a year before being ejected from our planet's orbit. More than a decade later, scientists with the Catalina Sky Survey spotted another minimoon (2020 CD3) this one about the size of a small car roaming through Earth's orbit, before it was flung out of the Earth-moon system's influence in March 2020.

Because of their proximity to Earth, these minimoons have warranted close scientific scrutiny. But more recently, some experts have eyed minimoons and other near-Earth asteroids for a different reason: They have the potential to act as stepping stones in our exploration of the cosmos.

"We have yet to become an interplanetary species," Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Live Science. Minimoons could become milestones "to achieve as you're learning how humans can operate in interplanetary space, and ultimately reach Mars."

In September 2016, NASA launched the uncrewed OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on a mission to collect a sample from the potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu, which has a 1-in-2,700 chance of slamming into Earth in 2182. Seven years later, OSIRIS REx returned to Earth with a tiny chunk of the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid.

The success of the OSIRIS-ReX mission has inspired scientists planning the next phases of near-Earth exploration. One idea is to use close asteroids as stepping stones for missions to Mars, Binzel said.

Retrieving Bennu was a step in the right direction, he said, but there might be a better target when it comes to testing our technology to expand further into the cosmos. At its closest, Bennu is around 186,000 miles (300,000 km) away from Earth and only crosses the planet's orbit around the sun every few years. As a result, the mission took seven years and cost an estimated $1.16 billion.

Minimoons, on the other hand, are some of the easiest asteroids to reach from Earth, Binzel said.

"To go anywhere in space, you have to change your velocity," Binzel said. Minimoons are small bodies with very little gravity, and have a low required change in velocity, or delta-V, which means that it doesn't take much propulsion to transport a spacecraft from low Earth orbit to a rendezvous with the asteroid.

Given these properties, minimoon missions would require less fuel than journeys to many other cosmic bodies. "It only takes a puff of fuel to leave the Mini-Moon and head back towards Earth," Binzel told Live Science in an email.

Journeys to minimoons would take about 100 days to get there and back, research suggests. (Our permanent moon is about a three-days' journey away, but it took NASA's Saturn V rocket 203,400 gallons (770,000 liters) of kerosene fuel and 318,000 gallons (1.2 million liters) of liquid oxygen just to get off the ground.

While minimoon missions are promising, the flaw with this strategy goes back to their ephemeral nature, which could make it difficult to plan and execute a mission before the natural satellite is ejected from its short-term journey around Earth.

"They are in tagalong orbits with the Earth, so they're like a pet," Binzel said. "Temporary pets that you keep for a while and then they wander off."

By conducting missions to minimoons and other near-Earth asteroids in their vicinity, NASA and other space agencies can test their technologies' effectiveness in deep space, including life support systems, engines and propulsion systems, Paul Abell, chief scientist for small body exploration at NASA, told Live Science.

"Going to Mars is a big, big step," he said. "There's a lot of things that have to happen, so why don't we look at some of these near-Earth asteroids that are in between the Earth-moon system and Mars."

Related: Just 22 people are needed to colonize Mars as long as they are the right personality type, study claims

These minimoon journeys could also help scientists who are dedicated to a different pursuit that could be just as crucial for getting to Mars: mining for water.

Water is vital not only for hydration but also for the creation of additional rocket fuel, which is typically liquid hydrogen. This will be required to get as far as Mars, which is, on average, more than 140 million miles (225 million km) from Earth.

Currently, spacecraft have to carry all of the water and fuel they will need from Earth. The massive weight added by the liquid drives the "tyranny of the rocket equation," which states that as payload mass increases, so must the amount of propellant required to break free from Earth's gravitational pull.

Essentially, if NASA increases the payload mass of a spacecraft even slightly, they have to add much more fuel to get it off the ground and into orbit and the fuel itself adds even more weight to lift, creating a vicious cycle. The key to breaking this cycle is finding a way to refuel in space, Abell said.

"When you go on vacation, when you fly or drive anywhere, you're not taking all your oxygen, all your food, everything with you for the entire round trip," Abell said. "Well, it's the same type of thing. We want to get away from having to take everything with us from Earth, all the way out and then come back, because that's super expensive."

The good news? Near-Earth asteroids may be ideal candidates for space gas stations. A growing body of research shows that many near-Earth asteroids are rich in minerals and water that's locked inside the rock. If this water can be accessed, it could be split into hydrogen and oxygen, both key elements for creating rocket fuel.

"If you can access that water and leverage it, all of a sudden you have water to drink, you have oxygen to breathe and, more importantly, you have rocket fuel," Abell said.

Currently, most of NASA's efforts are focused on harvesting water from the moon, but many commercial companies including Karman+, TransAstra and AstroForge have their sights set on asteroids for water and metal mining.

These operations haven't gotten off the ground yet, largely due to the cost and technology required to get to these floating rocks, experts say. But minimoon missions could help streamline operations by providing companies a training ground to test "feasibility of asteroid mining technologies for future commercial applications," according to a 2018 study.

However, minimoons themselves may not be the best option for fueling up spacecrafts because they are small, with surfaces dried out from "sitting in the sun, cooking for a long time," said Binzel.

Robert Jedicke, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii and lead author of the 2018 study, suspects that many minimoons aren't water-bearing, because they may have either broken off from the moon or were pulled in from the edge of main asteroid belt, both of which suggest a low potential for water.However, other scientists, including Abell, think it could be possible. Binzel, for his part, is more optimistic, saying there's lots of uncertainty in the modeling. "You don't know til you look!" he suggests.

Even if minimoons lack water, they could enable companies "to test their ability to maneuver spacecraft near an asteroid," said Jedicke, who is currently working with TransAstra to develop techniques for mining water from asteroids.

Related: 'Stepping stone to Mars': Minimoons may help us become an interplanetary species, says MIT astrophysicist Richard Binzel

Minimoons' small size and rapid motion make them incredibly difficult to detect with existing ground-based telescopes. However, a new telescope could soon change that. High in the Chilean Andes, construction is almost complete on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which will hold the world's largest digital camera.

Starting in 2025, the camera, known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, will snap 700 pictures each night for 10 years to catalog the solar system at a high-precision 6-terapixel level. This thorough exploration of the universe will help scientists understand mysterious substances such as dark matter and dark energy. And with a tailored approach, it could also help astronomers detect a minimoon as often as every three months, according to a 2020 simulation.

And in 2027, another NASA instrument, dubbed the NEO Surveyor, will detect asteroids from space. The surveyor will complete a full scan of the sky every two weeks to characterize potentially hazardous asteroids and comets near Earth's orbit. While the primary focus of this infrared space telescope is to keep humanity safe from "planet-killer asteroids," it has the potential to uncover tiny minimoons in the process.

It's too soon to tell whether minimoon missions will play a key role in spacecraft technology or mining operations, experts told Live Science. But no matter what, studying these temporary Earth companions and other near-Earth asteroids could provide crucial clues to the mysteries of our solar system, Binzel said. Many scientists think near-Earth asteroids, like Bennu, probably brought the seeds of life to Earth early in our planet's history.

For tracing the chemical origins of the solar system and finding the ingredients that made life on Earth, minimoons are a great place to go, he said.

"But the reason we haven't gone to them before is there aren't very many of them," Binzel said. "We're just now discovering them. But they will come to the forefront because we have new telescopes coming online."

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Undiscovered 'minimoons' may orbit Earth. Could they help us become an interplanetary species? - Livescience.com

Valentine’s Day 2024 means 3 rocket launches, a SpaceX doubleheader and a moon probe for space lovers – Space.com

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Dook Domini

Update for Feb. 14: SpaceX is now aiming to launch the IM-1 moon lander mission for Intuitive Machines no earlier than Thursday (Feb. 15), due to a liquid methane temperature issue during preparations to fuel the Odysseus lander. You can read our story and see the updated times for the mission below.

SpaceX also recently announced another mission with a Feb. 14 liftoff, however: The company plans to launch 22 of its Starlink internet satellites from California at 7:30 p.m. EST (0030 GMT on Feb. 15).

This Valentine's Day is going to be out of this world for space fans.

With up to three rocket launches possible on Wednesday (Feb. 14), including at least two by SpaceX one of which carries a private moon probe Valentine's Day 2024 is certainly shaping up to be a space lover's dream. You can even watch them all live online, but you'll need to be both an early bird and a night owl.

The space action actually starts before dawn with SpaceX's launch of the private IM-1 moon lander Odysseus for the company Intuitive Machines. The mission will launch to the moon on a Falcon 9 rocket from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:57 a.m. EST (0557 GMT) and you can watch it online, with NASA's webcast beginning at 12:15 a.m. EST (0515 GMT).

Odysseus is the first Nova-C lander built by Intuitive Machines and is carrying a suite of NASA experiments as part of a $118 million contract under the agency's Commercial Lunar Payloads Services program. If all goes well, the spacecraft will touch down in a crater near the lunar south pole on Feb. 22 to deliver NASA's experiments and host of other commercial payloads to the lunar surface.

Have Your Own Starship

You can have a SpaceX Starship of your own with this desktop rocket model. Standing at 12.5 inches (32 cm), this is a 1:375 ratio.

SpaceX will follow the IM-1 moon flight with the launch of USSF-124, a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force. That mission is scheduled to lift off at 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT) atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

SpaceX is expected to provide a livestream of the military space launch beginning 10 to 15 minutes before liftoff, but the company may cut off the stream shortly after liftoff at its customer's request as has been done in the past for classified missions. You can watch that USSF-124 launch at SpaceX's page on X (formerly Twitter).

Because of its classified nature, not much is known about the USSF-124 mission, but it is part of SpaceX's commitment for its National Security Space Launch contracts, according to Spaceflight Now.

Finally, Russia's space agency Roscosmos will close out Valentine's Day with an uncrewed Progress cargo ship launch to the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Russian-built Soyuz rocket will launch the Progress MS-26 vehicle, also known as Progress 87, to the ISS at 10:25 p.m. EST (0325 Feb. 15 GMT).

Progress 87 will deliver nearly 3 tons of food, fuel and supplies to astronauts on the ISS. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the station on Saturday (Feb. 17) at 1:12 a.m. EST (0612 GMT) to deliver its bounty. NASA will provide a live launch webcast for Progress 87 on NASA TV starting at 10 p.m. EST (0300 GMT).

If rocket launches don't light your space fire, there is one other big space event to track on Valentine's Day.

The future of the International Space Station will take center stage at 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) during a congressional hearing of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology in Washington, D.C. The hearing, entitled "ISS and Beyond: The Present and Future of American Low-Earth Orbit Activities," will discuss NASA's plans to retire the ISS around 2030 by burning it up in Earth's atmosphere, as well as the agency's efforts to spur the development of private U.S. space stations as a replacement.

"This hearing will also provide the Committee with insight into NASAs end-of-life planning for the International Space Station (ISS) as well as the status of commercial space station development," the hearing's charter states.

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Valentine's Day 2024 means 3 rocket launches, a SpaceX doubleheader and a moon probe for space lovers - Space.com

Surgical robot built in Lincoln blasts off to International Space Station – KLKN

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Dook Domini

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) A surgical robot built by a Lincoln company got a glimpse of the stars Tuesday.

The robot along with other experiments, supplies and equipment was launched into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Virtual Incision, a startup company based at Nebraska Innovation Campus, created the miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant, also known as MIRA.

MIRA can perform abdominal surgeries in a minimally invasive manner, officials said.

Surgeons could also use the technology to perform procedures remotely.

NASA took an interest in the robot last year.

The robot is heading to the International Space Station, where it will help test remote surgery tasks.

Shane Farritor, Virtual Incisions co-founder, said the research will be a huge step toward what he calls telesurgery.

Well start by having the robot do a little bit by itself, but then later in the mission, were going to try and control it from Lincoln, Farritor said.

MIRA will collect data for Farritors team before it returns to Earth in the spring.

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Surgical robot built in Lincoln blasts off to International Space Station - KLKN

Cloud Computing Security Start with a ‘North Star’ – ITPro Today

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Dook Domini

Cloud computing has followed a similar journey to other introductions of popular technology: Adopt first, secure later. Cloud transformation has largely been enabled by IT functions at the request of the business, with security functions often taking a backseat. In some organizations, this has been due to politics and blind faith in the cloud services providers (CSPs), e.g., AWS, Microsoft, and GCP.

In others, it has been because security functions only knew and understood on-premises deployments and simply didn't have the knowledge and capability to securely adapt to cloud or hybrid architectures and translate policies and processes to the cloud. For lucky organizations, this has only led to stalled migrations while the security and IT organizations played catch up. For unlucky organizations, this has led to breaches, business disruption, and loss of data.

Related: What Is Cloud Security?

Cloud security can be complex. However, more often than not, it is ridiculously simple the misconfigured S3 bucket being a prime example. It reached a point where malefactors could simply look for misconfigured S3 buckets to steal data; no need to launch an actual attack.

It's time for organizations take a step back and improve cloud security, and the best way to do this is to put security at the core of cloud transformations, rather than adopting the technology first and asking security questions later. Here are four steps to course correct and implement a security-centric cloud strategy:

Related: Cloud Computing Predictions 2024: What to Expect From FinOps, AI

For multi-cloud users, there is one other aspect of cloud security to consider. Most CSPs are separate businesses, and their services don't work with other CSPs. So, rather than functioning like internet service providers (ISPs) where one provider lets you access the entire internet, not just the sites that the ISP owns CSPs operate in silos, with limited interoperability with their counterparts (e.g., AWS can't manage Azure workloads, security, and services, and vice versa). This is problematic for customers because, once more than one cloud provider is added to the infrastructure, the efficacy in managing cloud operations and cloud security starts to diminish rapidly. Each time another CSP is added to an organization's environment, their attack surface grows exponentially, unless secured appropriately.

It's up to each company to take steps to become more secure in multi-cloud environments. In addition to developing and executing a strong security strategy, they also must consider using third-party applications and platforms such as cloud-native application protection platforms (CNAPPs), cloud security posture management (CSPM), infrastructure as code (IaC), and secrets management to provide the connective tissue between CSPs in hybrid or multi-cloud environments. Taking this vital step will increase security visibility, posture management, and operational efficiency to ensure the security and business results outlined at the start of the cloud security journey.

It should be noted that a cloud security strategy like any other form of security needs to be a "living" plan. The threat landscape and business needs change so fast that what is helpful today may not be helpful tomorrow. To stay in step with your organization's desired state of security, periodically revisit cloud security strategies to understand if they are delivering the desired benefits and make adjustments when they are not.

Cloud computing has transformed organizations of all types. Adopting a strategy for securing this new environment will not only allow security to catch up to technology adoption, it will also dramatically improve the ROI of cloud computing.

Ed Lewis is Secure Cloud Transformation Leader at Optiv.

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Cloud Computing Security Start with a 'North Star' - ITPro Today

Chinas Big Tech firms cut external investments further in 2023 – South China Morning Post

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Dook Domini

Chinas internet giants from Alibaba Group Holding to Tencent Holdings slashed external investments last year amid an economic slowdown, regulatory headwinds and geopolitical tensions, according to data compiled by a Chinese consultancy.

Total investment deals made by Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu plunged by nearly 40 per cent to 102 in 2023, with Tencent known for its expansive holdings in Chinas internet sector seeing the largest reduction in deals, data from ITJuzi showed.

The social media and video gaming titan struck 39 investment contracts with 37 companies last year, a sharp decline from the 95 and 299 deals it made in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Web search and artificial intelligence (AI) firm Baidu participated in 24 investment deals last year, down from 52 in 2021. E-commerce giant Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, took part in 39 deals, a fall from 91 in 2021, according to ITJuzi.

2021 was a watershed year for Chinese internet firms, as Beijing kicked off a campaign to rein in the disorderly expansion of capital. Amid a series of regulatory tightening moves, the countrys internet champions - whose market sizes were once on a par with their American counterparts - have virtually stopped expanding.

Tencents investments last year were mainly related to corporate services, healthcare and video games. Advanced manufacturing firms were Alibabas top picks, with eight related deals being struck by the Hangzhou-based company and its affiliates during the year.

Alibaba, which is grappling with anaemic consumer spending at home, made four investment deals in the e-commerce sector, three of them outside China.

AI was another investment favourite among Chinese tech giants last year, as they raced to build and promote their local rivals to OpenAIs ChatGPT.

Tencent and Alibaba each backed seven and four AI start-ups developing large language models (LLMs), the technology which underpins chatbots like ChatGPT, which can understand complex questions and give humanlike responses.

Last year, Alibabas in-house research facility Damo Academy also launched a research laboratory to recruit more than a hundred postdoctoral candidates to work on cutting-edge areas, including AI and semiconductors.

Other major Chinese tech companies made even fewer investments.

TikTok owner ByteDance struck five external investment deals last year, while online shopping platform operator JD.com made just two.

Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi emerged as the top investor by number of investments, with 82 deals made during the year.

In that same month, Xiaomi invested in three start-ups in the vehicle and transport industry, according to ITJuzi.

Why This Brain-Hacking Technology Will Turn Us All Into Cyborgs – The Daily Beast

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Dook Domini

It felt like magic: As I moved my head and eyes across the computer screen, the cursor moved with me. My goal was to click on pictures of targets on the display. Once the cursor reached a target, I would blink causing it to click on the targetas if it were reading my mind.

Of course, thats essentially what was happening. The headband I was wearing picked on my brain, eye, and facial signals. This data was fed through an AI-software that translated it into commands for the cursor. This allowed me to control what was on the screen, even though I didnt have a mouse or a trackpad. I didnt need them. My mind was doing all of the work.

The brain, eye, and face are great generators of electricity, Naeem Kemeilipoor, the founder of brain-computer interface (BCI) startup AAVAA, told The Daily Beast at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show. Our sensors pick up the signals, and using AI we can interpret them.

The headband is just one of AAVAAs products that promises to bring non-invasive BCIs to the consumer market. Their other devices include AR glasses, headphones, and earbuds that all essentially accomplish the same function: reading your brain and facial signals to allow you to control your devices.

While BCI technology has largely remained in the research labs of universities and medical institutions, startups like AAVAA are looking for ways to put them in the handsor, rather, on the headsof everyday people. These products go beyond what we typically expect of our smart devices, seamlessly integrating our brain with technology around us. They also offer a lot of hope and promise for people with disabilities or limited mobilityallowing them to interact with and control their computers, smartphones, and even wheelchairs.

However, BCIs also blur the lines between the tech around us and our very minds. Though they can be helpful for people with disabilities, their widespread use and adoption raises questions and concerns about privacy, security, and even a users very personhood. Allowing a device to read our brain signals throws open the doors to these ethical considerations so, as they steadily become more popular, they could become more dangerous as well.

AAVAAs BCI devices on a table at CES 2024. AAVAA is looking for ways to put them in the handsor, rather, on the headsof everyday people.

BCIs loomed large all throughout CES 2024and for good reason. Beyond being able to control your devices, wearables that could read brain signals also promised to provide greater insights into users health, wellness, and productivity habits.

There were also a number of devices targeted at improving sleep quality such as the Frenz Brainband. The headband measures users brainwaves, heart rate, and breathing (among other metrics) to provide AI-curated sounds and music to help them fall asleep.

Every day is different and so every day your brain will be different, a Frenz spokesperson told The Daily Beast. Today, your brain might feel like white noise or nature sounds. Tomorrow, you might want binaural beats. Based on your brains reactions to your audio content, we know whats best for you.

To produce the noises, the headband used bone conduction, which converts audio data into vibrations on the skull that travel to the inner ear producing sound. Though it was difficult to hear clearly on the crowded show floor of CES, the headband managed to produce soothing beats as I wore them in a demo.

When you fall asleep, the audio automatically fades out, the spokesperson said. The headband keeps tracking all night, and if you wake up, you can press a button on the side to start the sounds to put you back to sleep.

However, not all BCIs are quite as helpful as they might appear. For example, there was MW75 Neuro, a pair of headphones from Master and Dynamic that purports to read your brains electroencephalogram (EEG) signals to provide insights on your level of focus. If you become distracted or your focus wanes for whatever reason, it alerts you so you can maintain productivity.

Sure, this might seem helpful if youre a student looking to squeeze in some more quality study time or a writer trying to hit a deadline on a story, but its also a stark and grim example of late-stage capitalism and a culture obsessed with work and productivity. While this technology is relatively new, its not difficult to imagine a future where these headphones are more commonplace andpotentiallyrequired by workplaces.

When most people think about BCIs, they typically think of brain-chip startups like Synchron and Neuralink. However, these technologies require users to undergo invasive surgeries in order to implant the technology. Non-invasive BCIs from the likes of AAVAA, on the other hand, require just a headband or headphones.

Thats what makes them so promising, Kemeilipoor explained. No longer would it be limited to only those users who really need it like those with disability issues. Any user can pop on the headband and start scrolling on their computer or turning their lamps and appliances on and off.

The Daily Beasts intrepid reporter Tony Ho Tran wears AAVAAs headband, which promises to bring non-invasive BCIs to the consumer market.

Its out of the box, he explained. Weve done the training [for the BCI] and now it works. Thats the beauty of what we do. It works right out of the boxand it works for everyone.

However, the fact that it can work for everyone is a top concern for ethical experts. Technology like this creates a minefield of potential privacy issues. After all, these companies may potentially have completely unfettered access to data from our literal brains. This is information that can be bought, sold, and used against consumers in an unprecedented way.

One comprehensive review published in 2017 in the journal BMC Medical Ethics pointed out that privacy is a major concern for potential users for this reason. BCI devices could reveal a variety of information, ranging from truthfulness, to psychological traits and mental states, to attitudes toward other people, creating potential issues such as workplace discrimination based on neural signals, the authors wrote.

To their credit, Kemeilipoor was adamant that AAVAA would and does not have access to individual brain signal data. But the concerns are still there, especially since there are notable examples of tech companies misusing user data. For example, Facebook has been sued multiple times for millions of dollars for storing users biometric data without their knowledge or consent. (Theyre certainly not the only company doing this either.)

These issues arent going to go awayand theyll be further exacerbated by the infusion of technology and the human brain. This is a phenomenon that also brings up concerns about personhood as well. At what point, exactly, does the human end and the computer begin once you are able to essentially control devices as an extension of yourself like your arms or legs?

The questionis it a tool or is it myself?takes on an ethical valence when researchers ask whether BCI users will become cyborgs, the authors wrote. They later added that some ethical experts worry that being more robotic makes one less human.

Yet, the benefits are undeniableespecially for those for whom BCIs could give more autonomy and mobility. Youre no longer limited by what you can do with your hands. Now, you can control the things around you simply by looking in a certain direction or moving your face in a specific way. It doesnt matter if youre in a wheelchair or completely paralyzed. Your mind is the limit.

This type of technology is like the internet of humans, Kemeilipoor said. This is the FitBit of the future. Not only are you able to monitor all your biometrics, it also allows you to control your devicesand its coming to market very soon.

Its promising. Its scary. And its also inevitable. The biggest challenge that we all must face is thatas these devices become more popular and we gradually give over our minds and bodies to technologywe dont lose what makes us human in the first place.

Why This Brain-Hacking Technology Will Turn Us All Into Cyborgs - The Daily Beast

| The Code Block CES 2024, Cyborgs, and Fingerprints | by Joshua Lin | The Code Block | Jan, 2024 – Medium

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Dook Domini

Bartesians Robot Bartender

The potential for full-life automation might be closer than you think. Robot bartenders, ice cream whenever you want within 2 minutes, and automated smart grills? Put on your hat Alfredo Linguine, today is the day anyone can become a chef, and you dont even need a rat to do it!

Chef AIs one-touch air fryer: All you need to do is put in the food that youre trying to cook, and the air fryer will detect the components inside and do its thing! Presumably available in September for $250.

Bartesians robot bartender: Capable of holding 4 types of spirits and automatically creates up to 60 different drinks. Said to retail for $369 later this year.

ColdSnaps no-clean ice cream: Automated ice cream within 2 minutes of cravings. Capable for the user to choose between multiple flavors before dispensing cold, creamy goodness.

Brisk Its easy-grill: I think you get the point. It does its job and you dont have to do anything.

With AI and automation, everything in life is about to get much easier. (AP News)

Wearables and performance-enhancing technology is starting to enter the scene.

Leave your physical limitations behind with Hypershells new Pro-X exoskeleton that makes hiking and traversing nature even easier. The device uses AI to sense your movements and adjust accordingly helping you carry more weight in your backpack, reducing strain on leg muscles, and weighs about 4.5 lbs or 2 kilograms. Users are said to be able to reach speeds of 12 miles per hour.

Another CES showcased product was the Evie ring. It is a discreet ring meant to track health primarily for women to track their period, ovulation, steps, sleep, mood, menstrual cycles, and many more metrics! A female analysts dream, Id assume. Evie says that the ring has 4+ days of battery life and orders are now open.

Looks like were one step closer to full-tech augmentation.

Whodunit?

An undergraduate senior at Columbia wanted to explore the truth on whether fingerprints were truly unique. He used a deep contrastive network and analyzed 60,000 fingerprints to find that different fingers of the same person shared strong similarities. Guo believes that this contradicted the notion that each fingerprint is completely unique.

In evaluation, the model had an accuracy rate of 77% when using one fingerprint from an individual to determine if another fingerprint belonged to the same person.

The practical use of this discovery in criminal investigations is debated, with some suggesting that it could help generate new leads in cold cases. This technology could potentially help solve very niche cases, where officials find one print at one scene, and another print at another.

Whether or not its practical, there is always the possibility that these researchers are on the right track in finding hidden patterns and features that humans may have overlooked.

Thats it for today! Follow The Code Block and get daily newsletters sent to your email inbox for free!

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| The Code Block CES 2024, Cyborgs, and Fingerprints | by Joshua Lin | The Code Block | Jan, 2024 - Medium

Starlink Mini Dish Coming Later This Year, Elon Musk Says – PCMag

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Dook Domini

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says a portable version of Starlink is set to arrive in the coming months.

Well be introducing the Starlink mini later this year, which can fit in a backpack, he said in a speech to SpaceX employees.

On Friday, SpaceX took to Twitter/X to post Musks speech, which provided an update on the companys businesses, including the progress in expanding Starlink, its satellite internet service.

Back in September, the FCC approved SpaceXs application to operate the Starlink mini dish, which is supposed to be the size of a MacBook. But the company had been quiet about the product until now.

No pricing, specs, or image were provided. But Musk said the model will be "pretty cool for anyone who wants a very portable Starlink.

In his speech, Musk also talked about the companys next-generation standard Starlink dish, which the company began inviting users to order in November. The hardware itself costs $599, the same price as the current second-generation dish. However, Musk signaled that the new Standard dish costs less for SpaceX to manufacture.

Weve now shipped our next-gen hardware. Thats version four of the user terminal. So that allows us to lower the cost of Starlink, he said.(Meanwhile, users have told PCMag the next-generation dish seems to excel at delivering more consistent higher download speeds and better upload rates.)

(Credit: SpaceX)

Previously, a single Starlink dish cost $3,000 to produce, but the company has been steadily driving down the manufacturing costs. This has involved opening a new Starlink factory in Texas, which Musk referred to in his speech.

The companys other major goal is to operate a cellular version of Starlink that can beam data to phones on the ground, giving a way for consumers to digitally communicate even in the most remote regions. On Thursday, SpaceX demonstrated that the technology works, successfully relaying text messages from a batch of newly launched Direct to Cell Starlink satellites to unmodified phones on the ground.

(Credit: SpaceX)

In his speech, Musk said the cellular Starlink system is designed to supply about 7Mbps per cell. And the cells are hundreds of square miles, kilometers in size. So its good for text messages, he said. You could technically do video if youre the only one, or if theres only a few people in that cell, like if youre in the middle of the Pacific.

The company plans on launching the cellular Starlink service through T-Mobile later this year to support text messages. Voice and data support are scheduled to arrive later in 2025. However, SpaceX is still waiting for FCC approval to operate the service commercially in the US.

As for the regular Starlink service, Musk said a major goal is to reduce the systems latency to under 20 milliseconds. To do so, the company is building more gateway stations connected to fiber networks on the ground. These ground stations can then beam the high-speed internet to Starlink satellites in orbit.

(Credit: SpaceX)

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Starlink Mini Dish Coming Later This Year, Elon Musk Says - PCMag

Crypto Gambling: A Boon for Bettors or Gateway to Addiction? – Crypto Times

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Dook Domini

While blockchain technology has been around since 2009, its the recent explosion of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies thats making waves across industries, including gambling.

Online crypto casinos are popping up left and right, attracting players with the promise of faster transactions, increased anonymity, and potentially generous bonuses. But before you jump into this exciting trend, its crucial to understand the ins and outs of crypto gambling and learn how to play responsibly.

This guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to navigate the world of crypto casinos safely and make informed decisions.

Crypto gambling refers to the act of wagering cryptocurrencies on games of chance or skill. This can be done on traditional online gambling platforms that have added support for crypto payments, or on dedicated crypto gambling platforms.

Unlike traditional online gambling platforms that rely on standard banking methods, crypto gambling operates within a decentralized financial ecosystem. This key distinction allows players to seamlessly convert their fiat currencies into Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, facilitating quick and straightforward transactions.

The rise of cryptocurrencies has not gone unnoticed in the gambling world. Many sites, including those not registered with GamStop, are increasingly adopting this digital currency, according to insights from NonGamStopBets UK. The appeal lies in the simplicity and efficiency of crypto transactions, which benefit both players and gambling operators.

One of the notable perks of using cryptocurrencies for gambling is the exclusive access it provides. Players who deposit using this system can enjoy all available games and bonuses.

In a bid to further encourage the use of digital currencies, many gambling platforms are offering additional incentives to crypto users. These incentives are designed to heighten the appeal of crypto gambling and motivate more players to explore this innovative payment method.

The integration of cryptocurrencies into the world of gambling has opened up a new frontier, offering players and platforms alike a range of exciting advantages.

Lets dive into some of the key benefits of using crypto for your next gambling adventure:

Say goodbye to the sluggishness of traditional banking methods! Crypto transactions are notoriously fast, often settling within minutes compared to the days or even weeks it can take for credit card or bank transfers. Additionally, crypto transactions typically incur lower fees, leaving you with more of your hard-earned funds to play with.

Gone are the days of sharing your personal and financial information with online gambling platforms. Crypto gambling allows you to remain anonymous, safeguarding your sensitive data from potential breaches. Transactions are recorded on a public blockchain ledger, but your identity remains obscured, adding an extra layer of security and peace of mind.

Unlike traditional payment methods that may be restricted by geographical boundaries, cryptocurrencies operate on a global network. This means you can access online gambling platforms no matter where you are in the world, opening up a wider range of options and potentially better odds.

Many crypto gambling platforms offer enticing bonuses and rewards specifically for players who use digital currencies. This could include welcome bonuses, deposit match bonuses, and even free spins or cashback offers. Taking advantage of these exclusive perks can boost your bankroll and give you a head start on your gambling journey.

Cryptocurrencies are known for their volatility, which can be a double-edged sword. While the value of your winnings could fluctuate, potentially leading to significant losses, it also presents the opportunity for higher returns. If the market swings in your favor, your winnings could be substantially boosted compared to traditional fiat currencies.

Some crypto gambling platforms leverage blockchain technology to offer provably fair games. This means that the fairness of the games can be mathematically verified by anyone, ensuring transparency and trust in the gambling process. No more black box algorithms or shady dealings with provably fair games, you can rest assured that the odds are truly in your favor.

The decentralized nature of blockchain technology opens up exciting possibilities for the future of gambling. With crypto, we can expect to see more innovative platforms emerge, offering unique features and gameplay experiences that were previously unthinkable.

Also Read: Top 5 Myths Surrounding Crypto Online Casinos

While crypto gambling offers an array of enticing advantages, its crucial to be aware of the significant challenges and risks that come with it.

Before diving headfirst into this new frontier, consider the following:

The volatile nature of cryptocurrencies is perhaps the biggest risk. Your winnings (and losses) can fluctuate dramatically based on market movements, potentially leading to significant financial setbacks. Remember, what could be a big win today could evaporate tomorrow due to a sudden market dip.

The decentralized nature of the crypto world attracts both genuine platforms and unscrupulous actors. Be wary of phishing scams, fake exchanges, and unreliable platforms. Always research thoroughly before depositing any funds and prioritize platforms with strong security measures and positive user reviews.

Unlike traditional gambling, crypto gambling exists in a largely unregulated space. This means theres no overarching framework to protect consumers from unfair practices, fraudulent operators, or disputes. Proceed with caution, as you may have limited recourse if things go wrong.

Using cryptocurrencies and navigating unfamiliar blockchain technology can be challenging for newcomers. Understanding wallets, private keys, transactions, and technical jargon can be a steep learning curve. Ensure you have a solid grasp of the technology before venturing into crypto gambling.

The anonymity and convenience associated with crypto gambling can exacerbate the risk of problem gambling. The ease of depositing and playing without traditional verification processes can lead to uncontrolled spending and potentially dangerous habits. Be mindful of your playing patterns and seek help if necessary.

The anonymity of cryptocurrencies can potentially attract those seeking to engage in illegal activities such as money laundering or illegal gambling operations. Ensure you fully understand the legal implications of crypto gambling in your jurisdiction and avoid platforms with shady dealings.

By acknowledging the challenges and risks involved, you can make informed decisions and navigate the world of crypto gambling safely and responsibly.

Students need to stop turning their backs on liberal arts degrees – North Texas Daily

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Dook Domini

The pressure to pursue a STEM major in college has steadily grown over the years, causing the arts and humanities to be overshadowed in exchange. The liberal arts are a necessary pillar of education that deserves to be valued and maintained.

The number of jobs requiring STEM qualifications has surged by 34 percent over the past decade, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Students have been told sciences are the future of our world and the most practical thing to study in college. Following that advice is usually at the disparagement of a liberal arts education, calling it a "useless degree."

The notion of a useless degree is misperceived because any form of education and learning will never be useless, and a liberal arts education is valuable. Most people who belittle arts and humanities usually do so from a place of ignorance. They misconstrue the liberal arts as being associated with the modern political idea of liberalism, or the opposite of being conservative.

Rather, the term liberal arts refers to the Latin word liberalesmeaning "free," as opposed to "subjugation" or "enslavement." The term was used during the Middle Ages to distinguish from the servile arts, which were vocational careers such as medicine, engineering and business. The liberal arts were considered the education of a free person in society unconstrained by the sole purpose of production, with the ability to learn liberating knowledge.

The fundamentals of a liberal arts education are grounded in the idea of broad interdisciplinary teachings that serve to create critical thinkers who recognize the interconnectedness of all knowledge. This form of education should be applied and taught to all majors, and would especially benefit the sciences. Being able to relate formulas and numbers to the arts and humanities would help foster creativity, innovation and remind students of the human aspect of their disciplines.

Instead, universities and their federal funding are adopting a hard stance on turning colleges into vocational schools, investing more within their STEM departments and phasing out the arts. The National Endowment for the Humanities budgetwas only$180 million in 2022, and the National Science Foundations budget lapped that number by 50 times, according to The New York Times. The future of higher education is now blindsided with the prospect of creating a world of scientists and business professionals, approaching students as cogs needed to fit within the business world framework instead of as learners.

Even politicians are pushing toward the death of liberal arts education. Miguel Cardona, the current secretary of education, said Every student should have access to an education that aligns with industry demands and evolves to meet the demands of tomorrow's global workforce. Insinuating the sole reason for education is to meet industry demands instead of self-fulfillment or the development of moral virtues, qualities philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle intended education to create for individuals.

What these advocates of a strict STEM paradigm fail to recognize is that only some are suited for science and math. Whether it is because they do not find enjoyment within the numbers or they simply do not have the predisposition for a mathematical aptitude, no one should feel pressured by industry demands or STEM job qualifications.

Students should pursue whatever major they are passionate about or what brings them enjoyment. The construct that some majors are better than others or prepare you for life better needs to be reevaluated. Most majors within the arts and humanities focus on the human aspect of their disciplines and are well-versed in soft skills such as communication, adaptability and creativity. Eighty-nine percent of recruiters in LinkedIns 2019 Global Talent Trends report claimed people who did not get hired lacked these skills.

Although many value the sciences as being more vital to society than the arts, the need to value the cultivation of culture and the understanding between people that the liberal arts establish must always remain a priority within education. After all, what is the point of doctors saving lives and engineers crafting towers if there is not music to be heard or art to witness?

That begins with universities and federal organizations recognizing the importance of a liberal arts education and implementing more funding and opportunities for liberal arts colleges. Core requirement courses must extend to include more classes within the humanities and arts for STEM majors to foster a holistic education rather than a technical one.

Steve Jobs said it best: Technology alone is not enough. It is technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that [] make[s] our heart sing.

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Students need to stop turning their backs on liberal arts degrees - North Texas Daily

SpaceX sends 23 Starlink satellites to orbit on 90th Falcon launch of 2023 Spaceflight Now – Spaceflight Now

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Dook Domini

A Falcon 9 rocket stands at the pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket is supporting the Starlink 6-33 mission for SpaceX. Image: Adam Bernstein

Update 12:20 a.m. EST: SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket and landed the booster on the droneship.

SpaceX hit another milestone with its overnight Starlink mission launch. The flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station marks the companys 90th orbital launch in 2023 and its 280th Falcon 9 launch to date. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-33 mission took place at 12:07 p.m. EST (0507 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40.

Weather for the mission was ideal at liftoff, but meteorologists kept their eye on the picture downrange as well. Liftoff winds were the only watch item in a forecast that predicts 95 percent favorable weather.

A secondary push of cold air will filter into the area [on Wednesday], bringing clear skies and a stronger pressure gradient over the Space Coast, the launch forecast stated. This will result in gusty surface winds through tomorrow evening which will slowly diminish through the launch window, so liftoff winds remain the only concern.

The forecast also noted that upper-level wind shear is considered low to moderate and was highlighted under the Additional Risk Criteria section.

The Starlink 6-33 mission marks the fourth fastest turnaround for SpaceXs workhorse launchpad, SLC-40, at four days, one hour, six minutes and 40 seconds since the last launch from here. This mission will be the 159th SpaceX orbital launch from this pad.

The first stage booster used for the launch was tail number 1077, which launched on its ninth flight with this mission. Notable previous launches include Crew-5 and GPS 3 Space Vehicle 06.

It landed on the drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, about eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff. The 23 satellites on board bring the total launched in 2023 up to 1,871.

Reposting an infographic from analytics firm BryceTech, SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated that the company is tracking to launch over 80 percent of all Earth payload to orbit this year. Its Q3 report states that out of the 63 orbital launches around the world, SpaceX accounted for 26 of them.

Broken down further, SpaceX launched significantly more to space than the rest of the world combined. It launched 519 spacecraft during Q3 compared to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the next closest, which launched 24 spacecraft.

The stat that Musk quoted from BryceTech was one that he often likes to hold up, which is spacecraft upmass to orbit. That chart shows in Q3, SpaceX launched 381,278 kg to orbit, followed by CASC at 24,560 kg and Roscosmos with 17,475 kg.

Meanwhile, over at Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, teams continue to work towards what likely will end up being the final launch from that pad in 2023. The Falcon Heavy supporting the USSF-52 mission rolled back into the adjacent hanger Tuesday evening in anticipation of integrating the X-37B spaceplane onto the rocket.

Launch of the ninth Falcon Heavy to date continues to target Dec. 10.

SpaceX sends 23 Starlink satellites to orbit on 90th Falcon launch of 2023 Spaceflight Now - Spaceflight Now

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Tag Archives: technology

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| The Code Block CES 2024, Cyborgs, and Fingerprints | by Joshua Lin | The Code Block | Jan, 2024 – Medium

Starlink Mini Dish Coming Later This Year, Elon Musk Says – PCMag

Crypto Gambling: A Boon for Bettors or Gateway to Addiction? – Crypto Times

Students need to stop turning their backs on liberal arts degrees – North Texas Daily

SpaceX sends 23 Starlink satellites to orbit on 90th Falcon launch of 2023 Spaceflight Now – Spaceflight Now