Category Archives: New Utopia

Theres a lot of noise around autonomous security. For years, analysts and security operations teams have been promised a utopia where they leave monotonous tasks behind, and yet the burnout rate for these professions continues to be high. Clearly there is much work to be done, but it helps to understand where we are today and theres no better place to look than the automobile industry.

The auto industry may not always be considered the most innovative, but its put a lot of thought into what it means to create self-driving cars. This includes a standardized framework that provides a good roadmap to whats ahead for cybersecurity.

Lessons from the Road

Automobiles are more fuel-efficient, fancier and safer than they have ever been. But one thing has arguably gotten worse: the driver. An analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations (NHTSA) shows that human error is responsible for 94% of serious automobile crashes.

To improve safety and driver experience automakers are introducing innovations such as rain sensing wipers, automated headlights and blind-spot detection systems that allow drivers to focus more of their attention on the road. But thats not always the result.

Cruise control, for instance, was designed to eliminate the cumbersome act of keeping your foot on the accelerator. The problem is, it reduces cognition in other areas. Putting your foot on the accelerator forces you to pay more attention; without it, going too fast into a curve is just one of the many potential consequences. Now, adaptive cruise control (ACC) is becoming standard because it solves some of the challenges in Cruise Control 1.0.

This is a great example of something that evolved from being automated to being autonomous. In fact, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) developed a standard for describing the level of automation in cars thats been adopted by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the United Nations. On this scale, traditional cruise control is a Level 0 and ACC a Level 1. Teslas Autopilot or Cadillac Super Cruise are considered Level 2.

If this standard was adapted to cybersecurity, heres what it might look like:

The Self-Driving Security Journey Has Just Begun

In cybersecurity, one basic form of automation considered to be standard today is the correlation performed by SIEMs and network security tools. For example, collating all the alerts associated with an IP address together onto one screen or identifying an attack campaign by grouping alerts that share a source or a destination. Some tools are smarter and use additional sources of context such as active directory (AD) or threat intelligence, or filter out the known good. But much like cruise control, there are a lot of unintended consequences that manifest in the security world primarily through false positives and negatives. For instance, as devices become more mobile, they tend to roam inside and outside of corporate networks. With a new IP address at each location, the same device could have several addresses over a short period. The average IP address could have several devices associated with it too, making any analysis based on an IP address flawed from the get-go.

If cruise control is considered Level 0 on SAEs scale of automation, its safe to say IP correlation would be the same on the security scale. Looking more broadly at cybersecurity automation, most of the industry is probably only at a Level 1.

The Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) category could have the best claim to Level 2 Partial Automation. These technologies automate several low impact response and remediation tasks like creating support tickets for the IT helpdesk, automatically correlating between multiple security tools, or grabbing evidence into an incident data store.

Getting to Level 4 and 5 will require the entire cybersecurity industry to substantially raise its game. For now, the focus should be on getting to Level 3 Conditional Automation.

To bring back the automobile analogy, Tesla Autopilot understands the vehicle (speed, travel lanes, braking, acceleration, etc.) in the context of other vehicles sharing the road and surfaces data the driver needs to make a decision.

We need similar levels of automation to bring cybersecurity to Level 3, and based on what weve learned from cars, there are three basic requirements to get there. We need to reduce the cognitive load on humans so security teams can focus on whats important, eliminate stressors like monotonous tasks, and focus on user experience in a way that documents decision paths so humans can dig deeper if and when they want to.

Human analysts continue to play a significant role in the security operations process and likely will for years to come. With that said, human skills can be elevated to a higher level by eliminating both the tribal knowledge and the rigor needed to surface the information they need to make optimal security decisions. That is what will put organizations firmly on the path towards autonomous security.

See more here:

The Road to Autonomous Security - Infosecurity Magazine

When the concept of the internet first began making its way into public conversation, it felt as if it would change the world in an instant, creating a technology-driven utopia on the way. And while, thanks to exponential growth, the internet drastically changed things, the initial torture of having to use dial-up internet on, what now appear to be a comically sized, desktop computers did remove some of the magic.

However, since the time of clunky desktop computers and dial-up connections, we have come a long way. The vast majority of us now have broadband in our homes and smartphones in our pockets as we make our way through the world. There were 5.11 billion unique mobile users worldwide in 2019, and 2.71 billion of them use smartphones.

Despite living in a time in which we all carry super computers with us almost everywhere we go, many of us still feel as if we could be getting more from the modern age. There are a multitude of reasons why you may not be using the internet to its full potential. It could be that you are unaware of some of the possibilities or, it could be because that after reaching a certain level of tech-savviness, i.e. being able to do all that you think you need to do, you simply stopped exploring. Here are a few tips for everyday internet usage in a productive way.

Free Wi-Fi networks

You are probably fully aware of the fact that a large number of cities around the world are home to what are referred to as Wi-Fi hotspots, mainly aimed at visitors and tourists. You have probably even used one of these if you need to quickly google the opening hours for a museum or get some basic directions. But if you want to do anything more than quickly find the location of something, these so-called hot-spots can be infuriatingly slow.

A number of cities, including the city of Helsinki, actually offers free, unrestricted, high-speed Wi-Fi that is fast enough to allow you to video call and stream HD videos on the go. It is so good that it might be your high-speed broadband at home that starts to infuriate you. There is often no need to sign up or log in, just simply access the city network and start surfing. WLAN services are available around the clock. You can see their locations on the map here.

Online comparison and review sites

Again, this is likely something that you are aware of, yet so many people fail to see just how useful online comparison and review sites can prove to be. While we can all read the description of a product on its official website, it is difficult to gain an understanding of how people who actually use the product feel about it. There are a number of websites that do just this for specific products and/or services. Some sites and apps that were built specifically for reviews, such as Yelp, did not make it in the long run, while peer reviews in sites such as Reddit and Facebook are often taken into account by users.While a site like Suomenkielisetnettikasinot tests and reviews online gaming sites from the perspective of an ordinary Finnish player, in order to ease the stress of social distancing and staying at home, the city of Tualatin in Oregon has compiled a list of best board game review sites.

At its core, the internet is supposed to bring people and information together by sharing resources in one easily accessible place. In reality, the internet has become much bigger than the sum of its users. It has changed the human society forever and in ways we never thought it would. Here is what David Bowie said in 1999: I dont think we have even seen the tip of the iceberg. I think the potential of what the internet is going to do to society, both good and bad, is unimaginable, Bowie told BBC Newsnight at the time. I think were actually on the cusp of something exhilarating and terrifying. Its an alien life-form! The clip went viral in 2016 after Bowie died at the age of 69, and has received new attention recently on mediums such as Tik Tok.

HT

Continued here:

The internet and what it has become - Helsinki Times

Travis Scott has continued to tease his fourth album Utopia, ahead of its anticipated release later this year.

The rapper, who seemingly revealed the album title last summer, opened up in a new interview with pioneering film director Robert Rodriguez for i-D Magazine.

I never tell people this, and Im probably going to keep it a secret still, but Im working with some new people and Im just trying to expand the sound, Scott said about his new album.

Ive been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really. Thats been one of the most fun things about working on this album. Im evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range.

When asked if he feels pressure to create something as ambitious as 2018s Astroworld, which spawned its own music festival, he replied: Its never about repeating myself, Im just trying to make the next saga each album is like a saga.

I dont feel no pressure, except to keep the fans alive. Theres so much more ground I can cover, and I want to cover it, and I love the challenge of it. I want to make a f*cking new sound. I might spend days banging my head against a wall trying to figure it out, but once I do it, its like ultimate ecstasy.

Reflecting on the last year, Scott also explained how the pandemic has allowed him to spend more time creating the record.

It made me way more productive, he said.

You know, youre not doing any shows. You not really doing too much traveling. You in the crib, and I got the studio at home and I have the peace to record all day, you know? Obviously like, you lose a little bit by not being able to travel and, you know, just see the earth.

Scott added that the album is coming soon, although a release date is yet to be confirmed.

His most recent release came in The Plan, a 2020 collaboration with Ludwig Gransson for Christopher Nolans Tenet.

Read more from the original source:

Travis Scott teases new album Utopia: Im trying to expand the sound - NME.com

A news release arrived in my inbox capturing my attention with the subject line of New York City Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare promotes meat reduction. I wish I could show up at their office to investigate myself. Instead, I read the email, read more online and wrote this opinion column. The email and context of it reminded me of The Fleecing of America news segments from Tom Brokaw which captured my attention as a child and teen, examining wasteful government spending.

For me, wasteful spending is trying to "reduce" one sector of agriculture in the most food-rich country in the world rather than addressing true food issues, like feeding hungry people in our communities.

To read more of Katie Pinke's The Pinke Post, click here.

An animal protection group, that I leave unnamed to not give it any undeserved attention, went on in the email to say meat reduction should not just be for New Yorkers but for all Americans. And evidently for all Americans, that includes the publisher of an agriculture media brand, me, to receive the email.

By reducing demand for meat, dairy, and eggs, we can create a shift towards farming practices that are more sustainable and kinder to animals, said the email.

Agriculture cannot stop standing up for all types of food production, in all states and countries says Katie Pinke. (Erin Brown / Grand Vale Creative)

According to Food Bank of New York City research:

I am not a city dweller, but this isn't a city-only problem. If you do your own research, youll find food insecurity dwells in your own backyard, no matter how rural or urban your home is.

We have meal gaps in our rural counties, towns and cities. We have neighbors, unable to put on enough food on the table to feed themselves and their families.

Show empathy. We're proudly a bountiful agricultural nation, yet this email from a city with a "meat reduction" effort shows me our food system remains disconnected and in some areas, broken.

Our food-rich systems cannot be fixed without collaboration and change between the entire food system from the fields and pastures where food is grown and raised to distribution, including through government-funded food programs.

Where is the disconnect, some ask? Rather than attack a specific farming practice or sector of agriculture, why not put our time and resources, including government spending, toward addressing food insecurity, including all types of protein reaching all types of people?

No one in an animal activist or commonly labeled protection group trying to take down a sector of agriculture, this being animal ag, should be given a platform within city government when they have hungry people they aren't feeding. Before "reducing" any food choice, find methods to address food insecurity in your own backyards.

Is it too much to dream and then set out to achieve an agriculture diverse utopia? We need meat, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables to reach a variety of eaters and locations.

While my initial reaction to the New York City email was that I hope and pray I never have any reason to live in New York City, or any city for that matter, where a "meat reduction" crusade is funded, I realize I need to do better as an agriculturist. The email serves as a reminder.

Agriculture cannot stop standing up for all types of food production, in all states and countries.

Stand up for the fleecing of America against our farmers and food systems. Use your voice and ability to connect with lawmakers and policymakers and utilize Americas ability to bountifully grow a variety of food rather than stay silent against those trying to take out and remove sectors of agriculture.

Pinke is the publisher and general manager of Agweek. She can be reached at kpinke@agweek.com, or connect with her on Twitter @katpinke.

Original post:

Food security, not eating meat, is the real problem in New York City - Duluth News Tribune

The rumblings and murmurs pertaining to Travis Scott'sUtopia album calmed a bit recently, but in a new interview, La Flame has revealed that he's currently working on the effort, which will have a sound unlike anything he's done before.

During a conversation with film director Robert Rodriguez for the Spring 2021 issue of i-Dmagazine, Travis explained, "I never tell people this, and Im probably going to keep it a secret still, but Im working with some new people and Im just trying to expand the sound. Ive been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really. Thats been one of the most fun things about working on this album. Im evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range."

When Rodriguez asked about Travis Scott's approach to following up the success of his 2018album,Astroworld, the "Sicko Mode" rapper remained confident. "Its never about repeating myself, Im just trying to make the next saga each album is like a saga. You know, youre one of my favorite directors. Everything you fucking do man," he said.

The acclaimof Astroworld goes without saying, but the former 2013XXL Freshman doesn't feel any pressure to deliver an album that will be just as good, if not better.

"I dont feel no pressure, except to keep the fans alive," he told the publication. "Theres so much more ground I can cover, and I want to cover it, and I love the challenge of it. I want to make a fucking new sound. I might spend days banging my head against a wall trying to figure it out, but once I do it, its like ultimate ecstasy."

Scott also revealed that he's still hoping to make his extravagant Houston-basedAstroworld Festival happen later this year. Despite the current state of the pandemic, he remained optimistic, saying, "Hopefully we can bring it back at the end of this year. Around November."

While a release date for the album hasn't been shared yet, it's good to know that more music from Travis is on the way.

See the Ways Not to Fumble the Bag According to Travis Scott

See the article here:

Travis Scott Reveals New Details About Utopia Album, Still Wants to Make Astroworld Festival Happen This Year - XXLMAG.COM

Travis Scott offered fans some details about his next album Utopia during a recent interview for i-D Magazine. Speaking with From Dusk Till Dawn and The Mandalorian director Robert Rodriguez, La Flame revealed hes experimenting with a whole new sound for his Astroworld follow-up.

I never tell people this and Im probably going to keep it a secret still, but Im working with some new people and Im just trying to expand the sound, Scott said in the interview. Ive been making beats again, rapping on my own beats [and] just putting everything together and trying to grow it really.

Thats been one of the most fun things about working on this album, he added. Im evolving, collaborating with new people [and] delivering a whole new sound [and] a whole new range.

In terms of the pressure for commercial success following Astroworlds massive 2018 takeover, Scott said he only feels pressured to deliver the very best quality music to his fans.

Theres so much more ground I can cover and I want to cover it, he said. ... I love the challenge of it. I want to make a fucking new sound. I might spend days banging my head against a wall trying to figure it out, but once I do it, its like ultimate ecstasy.

Scott also revealed how raising his 3-year-old-daughter Stormi has changed his process.

Fatherhood influences my job. It has a huge impact. Its a major inspiration, he told i-D. Especially Stormi. Shes always interested; she catches on and learns things so fast.

As far as when fans can expect Utopia, Scott promised the highly anticipated record is coming soon.

The Houston native also spoke to his recent lucrative partnerships and how they connect to his past.

... With Nike those are the shoes I wear; the shoes Ive been wearing since I was a kid, he said. Playstation when it was rough when I was a kid, gaming was an escape. When I was younger and in the studio, sometimes we couldnt really afford to eat, you know? So McDonalds held it down.

... But its about being able to create an experience, even if these are small things, he continued. These collaborations are tools in a way, pieces of everyday life; big brands that allowed us to generate ideas. In 2021 we want to keep evolving, keep generating.

Read his full interview here.

More:

Travis Scott reveals his next album will have a whole new sound - REVOLT TV

For their new Utopia in Dystopia issue, our friends over at i-D bagged two superstar cover stars, Travis Scott and Naomi Campbell.

You can order that issue right here and read the interviews with said cover stars here and here but to whet your whistle while you wait for your copy to arrive, weve compiled five of the key takeaways from director Robert Rodriguezs chat with Cactus Jack.

Travis has returned to rapping over his own beats, while collaborating with new artists on his upcoming album Utopia, and is determined to create a new sound

I am working with some new people and Im just trying to expand the sound. Ive been making beats again, rapping on my own beats again, just putting everything together.

I want to make a fucking new sound. I might spend days banging my head against a wall trying to figure it out, but once I do it, its like ultimate ecstasy.

Its never about repeating something, Im just trying to make the next saga, each album is like a saga.

And the pandemic hasnt slowed down the creation of the album.

It made me way more productive. You know, youre not doing any shows. You not really doing too much travelling. You in the crib, and I got the studio at home and I have the peace to record all day, you know?

Astroworld festival might be coming back in November for the post-pandemic world.

Hopefully we can bring it back at the end of this year. Around November.

Becoming a father changed his perspective on the importance of his role in society.

Its so crazy, Stormis generation is way different from mine, and shes way different from my younger brother and sister. Kids show you a different outlook on life, how they view things, the type of pressures they have and what makes them happy, what makes them move.

Like, when she watches certain movies or listens to certain songs. Or she watches my concerts on YouTube and she realises shes there, shes ready to see now. I realised my job is way more important than what I thought because of her. More responsibility, you know? Youve got to use that properly.

He wants to evolve as a collaborator in 2021.

You know, its like with Nike those are the shoes I wear, the shoes Ive been wearing since I was a kid. Playstation when it was rough, when I was a kid, gaming was an escape. When I was younger and in the studio, sometimes we couldnt really afford to eat, you know? So McDonalds held it down. That double cheeseburger got us through those moments.

But its about being able to create an experience, even if these are small things. These collaborations are tools in a way, pieces of everyday life, big brands that allowed us to generate ideas. In 2021, we want to keep evolving, keep generating.

Read i-Ds full Travis Scott interview here.

See the original post:

Five Things We Learned from Travis Scott's 'i-D' Interview - VICE UK

Yale College Dean Marvin Chun will host a virtual reception on March 2 to honor the recipients of the annual Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation award, created to recognize excellence in teaching. This years recipients are Yale faculty members Jennifer Allen, Aimee Cox, Wendy Gilbert, and Jonas Elbousty.

The award, given to outstanding junior faculty members at Yale who have demonstrated excellence in teaching in undergraduate programs, enables them to dedicate the summer to research essential to their development as scholars and teachers.

Allen is an assistant professor of history who studies late-20th-century European cultural practices. She is currently working on a book manuscript titled Sustainable Utopias: Art, Political Culture, and Historical Practice in Late Twentieth-Century Germany. In it, she charts the history of Germanys relatively recent efforts to revitalize the concept of utopia after the wholesale collapse of Europes violent social engineering projects. In a related research project, Allen traces how Germanys grassroots commemorative practices became a model for international communities as diverse as Moscow and Buenos Aires over the past 30 years. In Yale College, she teaches courses on modern German history, modern European history, the theories and practices of memory, and the history of the Holocaust.

Cox is an associate professor in African American studies and anthropology. Her research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of anthropology, Black studies, and performance studies. Her first monograph, Shapeshifters: Black Girls and the Choreography of Citizenship (Duke 2015), won a 2016 Victor Turner Book Prize in Ethnographic Writing, and honorable mention from the 2016 Gloria E. Anzalda Book Prize, given by the National Womens Studies Association. Her next ethnographic project, Living Past Slow Death, explores the creative protest strategies individuals and communities enact to reclaim Black life in the urban United States specifically in Cincinnati, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; and Clarksburg, West Virginia. In Yale College, she has developed and taught new courses including: The Theory and Methods of Performance Ethnography, The Roots and Routes of Black Feminist Theory, and Anthropology of the Young and the Dispossessed.

Elbousty is director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. He previously taught at Al Akhawyeen University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Columbia University. He has taught widely in the areas of North African and Middle Eastern studies, with a special focus on literary narratives. His research interests focus on the theories of world literature and its tie to Eurocentrism, problematics of literary translation, cultural history, the image of the Arab in U.S literary narratives, postcolonial literature, modern Arabic fiction, Maghrebi studies, and the life and works of Mohamed Choukri. Besides his academic responsibilities, he is a literary translator and a short story writer. In Yale College, he teaches courses in elementary to advanced Modern Standard Arabic, The Trilogy of Mosteghanemi, and Mohamed Choukri's Narratives.

Gilbert is an associate professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry. Her work focuses on regulatory elements in messenger RNA that control the cellular expression of the information stored in the genetic code. In recent years, her work has expanded to include studying the biological functions of chemical RNA modifications. She was recognized with the RNA Societys Early Career Award in 2017 for her paradigm-altering contributions to the field of post-transcriptional gene regulation. She teaches Methods and Logic in Molecular Biology and Advanced Eukaryotic Molecular Biology. Her teaching engages students to evaluate the experimental evidence that forms the basis for understanding biological processes.

Read this article:

Yale College honors recipients of Poorvu award for excellence in teaching - Yale News

The hip-hop superstar is set to release his hotly-awaited fourth studio album, which he previously hinted is called 'Utopia', later this year, and he's revealed he's been working with new collaborators on the follow-up to 2018's 'Astroworld' in a bid to evolve his music.

Travis told i-D magazine: I never tell people this, and Im probably going to keep it a secret still, but Im working with some new people and Im just trying to expand the sound.

Ive been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really. Thats been one of the most fun things about working on this album. Im evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range.

The 'Highest In The Room' hitmaker relishes the challenge of cultivating a new sound and insists all the "banging my head against a wall" is worth it for the "ultimate ecstasy" he feels in the end.

He continued: Its never about repeating myself, Im just trying to make the next saga each album is like a saga.I dont feel no pressure, except to keep the fans alive. Theres so much more ground I can cover, and I want to cover it, and I love the challenge of it. I want to make a f****** new sound. I might spend days banging my head against a wall trying to figure it out, but once I do it, its like ultimate ecstasy.

The 'SICKO MODE' rapper - who has three-year-old daughter Stormi Webster with Kylie Jenner - also admitted he has never been more productive than amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He explained: You know, youre not doing any shows. You [are] not really doing too much travelling. You in the crib, and I got the studio at home and I have the peace to record all day, you know? Obviously like, you lose a little bit by not being able to travel and, you know, just see the earth.

Link:

Travis Scott teases that new album has a 'whole new sound' - Music News

Frieze is giving its annual Artist Award to Precious Okoyomon, a New York-based artist, poet, and chef, who will use the $30,000 budget for anew commission at this years fair in New York, which is being held inscaled-back fashion at the Shed.

Simultaneously playful and critically inquisitive, this singular artist-poets work highlights the inevitability of change, decay, death, and rebirth, said jury chair Jenny Schlenzka, executive artistic director at Performance Space New York, in a statement. By extending poetry into the organic world, Okoyomon reminds us that apocalypse and utopia coexist and always have.

The prize for emerging artists, supported by the Luma Foundation and launched in New York in 2018, has previously recognized rising starsLauren HalseyandKapwani Kiwanga.

Kapwani Kiwanga, Shady installation view at Frieze New York (2018). Photo by Mark Blower courtesy of Frieze New York.

Okoyomon is planning a site-specific performance-activated installation that ties together poetry, sculpture, light, and sound. This piece takes its structure from the story of the tower of Babel, the mythological birthplace of difference, and differentiation, the artist told Artnet News in an email. Footage of the performance will be available online as well.

Okoyomon wrote the proposal for the award in the spring of 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic. The piece, which centered around the collective cooking and eating of a day long meal, was mostly concerned with togetherness, Okoyomon said.After returning to that project this year at a time when, for obvious reasons, realizing it has become impossible, I shifted focus to looking at failures of communication, places where language collapses, breaks down, arrives at impasse, etc.

Precious Okoyomon, installation view of Earthseed at the Museum Fr Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt (2020). Photo by Axel Schneider, courtesy of the artist and Museum Fr Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt; and Quinn Harrelson/Current Projects.

This years award jury members were Ralph Lemon (artistic director of Cross Performance, New York), Vassilis Oikonomopoulos (senior curator at Luma Arles), and Stuart Comer (chief curator of media and performance art at the Museum of Modern Art, New York).

During the run of the fair, Okoyomon will also present a solo show, titled FRAGMENTED BODY PERCEPTIONS AS HIGHER VIBRATION FREQUENCIES TO GOD, at Performance Space New York (March 20May 9, 2021). They will transform the space into a site for grief and mourning, with an installation featuring Kudzu ash, water, algae, moss, and stone.

Precious Okoyomon and Hannah Black, installation view of I NEED HELP at Real Fine Arts, New York (2018). Photo courtesy of the artist.

The artist has previously had exhibitions at the Luma Westbau in Zurich (2018) and the MMK in Frankfurt (2020), and performances at the Serpentine Galleries, London, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, London (both 2019). Their first show, I NEED HELP (2018), was a two-person presentation with Hannah Black at Real Fine Arts, New York.

Okoyomon will present a new commission at the Aspen Art Museum in June, and will release a book, But Did U Die?, with the Serpentine Galleries/Wonder Press later this year.

Frieze New York will be on view at the Shed in Manhattan, 545 West 30th Street, New York, May 59.

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Frieze Has Awarded Artist, Poet, and Chef Precious Okoyomon With Its Closely Watched $30,000 Commission in New York - artnet News