Cybersecurity and Technology

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Tag: advancements

Understanding Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving cars, also autonomous vehicles, are no longer just a concept of the future. Technological advances make these cars more prevalent on our roads and highways. But what exactly are self-driving cars, and how do they work? 

Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about autonomous cars.

What are Self-Driving Cars?

Self-driving cars use sensors, cameras, and other advanced technology to navigate roads and make decisions without human intervention. The vehicles use a combination of cameras, radar, lidar, and GPS to “see” their surroundings, identify obstacles, and decide how to proceed. Self-driving cars can be fully autonomous, meaning they require no human input. Alternatively, they can be semi-autonomous, meaning they still require a human driver to monitor and control if necessary.

How Do Self-Driving Cars Work?

Self-driving cars use advanced software and hardware to navigate roads and make decisions. The software is responsible for processing data from the car’s sensors, including cameras, radar, and lidar, and deciding how to proceed. The hardware includes the sensors, the car’s computer, and other components.

Self-driving cars use “sensor fusion” to gather information from their various sensors and create a comprehensive picture of their surroundings. The cars can identify and track other vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles in real-time and decide how to proceed based on that information.

There are different levels of autonomy for self-driving cars. Level 0 means no automation, where the driver is responsible for all tasks. Level 1 is considered “driver assistance,” where the car can assist with either steering or acceleration/deceleration. Level 2 is “partial automation,” where the vehicle can control both steering and acceleration/deceleration but still requires human input. Level 3 is “conditional automation,” where the car can make decisions and control itself in some situations but still requires a human driver to take over in certain circumstances. Level 4 is “high automation,” where the car can drive itself in most situations but still has a manual override option for the human driver. And finally, Level 5 is “full automation,” where the car is completely autonomous and requires no human input.

Self-driving cars are becoming more prevalent on our roads and highways, and they rely on a combination of advanced software and hardware to navigate roads and make decisions. These cars use sensors, cameras, and other technology to “see” their surroundings, identify obstacles, and decide how to proceed. Self-driving vehicles have the potential to make our roads safer and reduce congestion. However, many questions and challenges still need to be addressed before they become widely adopted.

Chika Wonah Blockchain Technology: Explained

Blockchain Technology: Explained

Many financial experts believe that blockchain technology is why Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are becoming more popular. According to Lule Demmissie, the president of the financial firm Ally Invest, blockchain technology is a transformative technology that can transform the way people think about more than just cryptocurrencies. Blockchain technology is also expected to change the way we live our lives.

 

Even crypto skeptics believe that blockchain technology has the potential to transform the way we do business. Chris Chen, a financial advisor from Massachusetts, believes that blockchain technology will have a stronger hold on the market than Bitcoin.

 

Blockchain Defined

A blockchain is a digital form of record-keeping commonly used in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. It’s also used in other applications such as financial transactions. A blockchain is a distributed ledger that multiple people can access. This record-keeping system allows users to keep track of their data across multiple computers. Unlike traditional record-keeping methods, which require a central server to store data, nodes can perform various tasks.

 

Each blockchain block is organized into groups of data or blocks. These groups are linked to each other and form a chain. Each block has its own unique code, which is known as a cryptographic hash. This unique code prevents unauthorized access to the data within the block.

 

The information stored on a blockchain is immutable, and it can’t be changed. This means that if someone tampered with the data, it wouldn’t affect the record held by other nodes. This ensures that the data is not altered for their own benefit. It’s almost impossible to reverse engineer a blockchain due to how it works. This means that it’s virtually impossible to replicate its computing power.

 

How Blockchain Is Used

For example, a consumer buys Bitcoin and sends the transaction data to the network of Bitcoin’s nodes. These nodes then approve the transaction and form a block added to the blockchain’s growing list of transactions. Since Bitcoin’s blockchain is public, anyone who owns a Bitcoin can see the details of its transactions. Its public record also allows anyone with a computer to approve transactions and record them on the network.

 

Blockchains don’t have to be public, though. A private blockchain is designed to prevent unauthorized changes and additions to the network. It can limit the number of people who can access the data on the blockchain. This type of blockchain also ensures that the data is secure. The idea of a secure, decentralized record of information has attracted the attention of various industries. It could help solve multiple issues related to record-keeping and data ownership.

 

Predictions on Future Uses of Blockchain

Blockchain technology can transform how people store and manage their information. It can provide complete certainty about the authenticity of the data they’re storing. Recent stories about celebrities and meme subjects cashing in on digital property using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have raised concerns about the potential of blockchain technology.

 

NFTs are digital assets that can be bought and sold using blockchain. They can be verified by adding the transaction to the blockchain ledger and becoming a verifiable record of ownership. This allows sellers to verify the authenticity of digital works easily.

 

One of the most promising uses of blockchain technology is to secure the transfer of personal data. For instance, if your bank’s data was stored on a blockchain, it could be used to protect it. A blockchain can also be used to secure the transfer of financial data between different financial institutions. It can be used to ensure that the data is secure and accurate.

 

According to Chen, blockchain technology has the potential to transform almost every industry. For instance, an election could be conducted using blockchain technology to prevent unauthorized changes. Another promising use of blockchain technology is to improve the accuracy of inventory records. It could also help food producers track recalled products and avoid exploited labor practices. Its use in securing sensitive information also illustrates the advantages of blockchain technology. 

 

Chika Wonah Benefits of AI in Education

Benefits of AI in Education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives. Many industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, use AI. But did you know that education uses AI? We will discuss the benefits of using AI in education.

 

  1. AI Can Provide Supplemental Instruction to Students Who Are Struggling

 

AI has the potential of providing supplemental instruction to students who are struggling. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are computer models designed based on the human brain known as artificial neurons. These artificial neurons process information similarly to biological neuronal cells in humans. Pattern recognition, classification, and calculation use ANNs. These networks are perfect for problems with a large amount of data that students can use as models to predict labels on new data.

 

  1. AI Is Capable of Creating Personalized Lesson Plans for Students

 

Artificial intelligence can create personalized lesson plans for each student by analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Students learn better and faster with an algorithm explicitly made for them. It will determine the level of understanding for each student and come up with lesson plans for them.

 

  1. Teachers Can Use AI to Track Students’ Progress

 

Teachers can track their student’s progress by using artificial intelligence. Some teachers are already experimenting with AI to help them understand how their students are progressing through the course material. It allows teachers to determine if a student has trouble understanding specific concepts or needs additional resources based on the collected data.

 

  1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Offers Quick Responses to Students’ Questions

 

AI can analyze students’ questions and determine the best way to answer that question based on previous answers given by other students. The more people ask the same question, the better the AI decides the best response. It allows for immediate feedback and quick answers to many of your students’ questions.

 

  1. AI Can Be Used as Virtual Tutors for Individualized Learning

 

Artificial intelligence can be used as virtual tutors for individualized learning. AI can be used as a virtual tutor to help students who require one-on-one assistance. It will give the instructor more time to focus on other students and still give them individualized attention.

 

Conclusion

 

The benefits of artificial intelligence in the classroom are endless. We must ensure that we are using AI to meet the needs of the students. Only then can we truly maximize the potential of this powerful technology.

 

Chika Wonah U.S. Tech Hubs

U.S. Tech Hubs

A vibrant tech ecosystem provides numerous benefits to both consumers and the industry. Millions of Americans and billions of dollars worth of investment capital flow into technology hubs. One such hub is Silicon Valley, which boasts a dense network of venture capital firms, large corporations, startups, and established businesses.

 

Silicon Valley Statistics

The yearly amount of VC funds in Silicon Valley has risen steadily since the early 2000s. Between 2008 and 2010, the number of companies accepting venture capital increased by an average of 20%. According to the National Venture Capital Association, California has become the leading startup capital of America. In 2008 alone, over 60 billion dollars were invested in new startups.

 

Silicon Valley has successfully replaced New York City as the most important technological innovation and commercialization center for the past few years. 2014 was a particularly fruitful year for Silicon Valley.

 

The Advent of Major Tech Companies

In 2014, technology giant Apple opened its first research facility in Beijing, China. In April, Google announced it was establishing a new campus in Singapore. Later in the year, the internet technology company Yahoo announced a new campus in New York City.

 

Apart from this, San Francisco city is home to several networking groups such as Startup Grind and Founder’s Forum, which provide opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs.

 

Benefits of Tech Hubs

Being a hub is beneficial for the government, consumers, and businesses. For instance, a high density of venture capital firms makes it easier to access investments. A non-exhaustive list of the benefits to consumers includes technological innovation and commercialization, improved products, and faster response to demand.

 

However, the benefits to businesses are highly variable. Some benefits include increased revenues, increased profits, and improved products. It is easy for a firm to get more customers through access to larger markets. A high market value is a definite advantage to businesses because it allows companies to access more extensive funding.

 

Silicon Valley has long been an innovator in technology and has made many breakthroughs. However, the presence of competition from China has reduced the prices and quality of products in Silicon Valley. The low-cost shipping of Chinese goods via companies such as E-bay, Alibaba, and Amazon has threatened to wipe out Silicon Valley’s position as an innovator.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Silicon Valley is a leading center for technological innovation, commercialization, and global trade. The presence of high-paying jobs has attracted entrepreneurs, and the entrepreneurial environment has led to increased venture capital firms.

Understanding If Your Device Has Been Hacked

Understanding if Your Device Has Been Hacked

From social sites to banking, smart devices are increasingly becoming part of most people’s daily lives. Unfortunately, they are also exposing them to data snatchers, popularly known as hackers. The hackers may gain access to a device in many ways, but we will discuss how to know when that happens.

Receiving Random Pop-ups

Random pop-ups are not annoying, but they are among the most popular signs that a device got hacked. If one is getting random pop-ups from their browser, something has compromised their device with adware. Adware is popular with hackers when trying to force someone to view certain websites to drive revenues through viewership.

Draining Battery without Any Reason

If one notices that a device battery is quickly losing power for no reason, that is a sign that it has malware. This sudden loss of battery power is due to malware or spy-app that is operating from the background. The spy-app uses a lot of battery power to scan the device and transmit it to the hacker.

Poor Performance

One may notice that their device is suddenly crashing all the time or loading web pages much slower. When such happens, first try shutting down the machine, and take notice of what happens. If the device has gotten hacked, it may fail to shut down correctly or not shut down at all.

One can also notice slowed functionality of some operations, such as making calls or receiving text messages. Such things shouldn’t take long unless the device has a spy-app.

 

Increased Data Usage

Another indication of a compromised device is the exceptionally high data usage. The usage may be a result of a background running app communicating to a third-party.

Contact List Gets Call and Tests That the Owner Didn’t Make

When a device gets hacked, the hacker leaves the malware in the gadget and may use the contact list to spread it. One’s email list, text messages, or instant messages may transmit the malware to his contact through messages with links or attached files. Check out for complaints from the contact list about notifications that they supposedly received.

The Device’s Settings Change

If the hacker physically accesses a device, they may manually change its settings. For instance, one may notice that their device Bluetooth is on, despite them not switching it on. Such settings change maybe a sign of malware interfering with the device settings to spread it to other devices.

There are many ways to know when a device has gotten hacked. To prevent losing data or money, always take preventive measures. For example, one can run a malware scanner on their device.

Pro Tips Chika Wonah

Pro Tips for Keeping Your Crypto Safe

Staying safe online is harder than ever, and the stakes are even higher when there’s money involved. Someone can easily make a fake Twitter account using your profile image and copied bio, and in the time it takes you to report the account, another person might have mistaken it as you and already transferred money to them. It’s an easy mistake to make if you’re not being vigilant, and unfortunately, as soon as you report one account, another can pop up in its place. To keep your cryptocurrency safely in your possession, these suggestions will help you do that:

Know the attack vectors.

You can’t protect yourself if you don’t know what you’re up against. Fake sites have gotten very good at mimicking their targets – so good that if you don’t double check the URL, you might not even know the difference.

Use strong passwords.

This might seem like a no-brainer for digital natives, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t use words like street names, birthdays, or song lyrics. But don’t randomly keyboard smash, either, because a) you’re not as random as a computer generator and b) you want to be able to keep track of your keystrokes, or else risk not being able to sign into your account anymore.

Use cold storage.

All “cold storage” means is offline and unattached or “air gapped,” which is to say, unconnected to your home network in any capacity. You can do this by removing the network card from your computer, or by buying a hardware wallet. If you’re feeling really cautious, you can cover your computer’s camera and microphone, and even remove all electronic devices from that room.

Test everything.

Make small transactions beforehand to make sure everything works. Never manually type in a url – it’s too easy to make a mistake that way, and could cost you a lot of money in errors. Copy/paste and QR codes are your best friends, though make sure your scanning app is reliable! Test your seed phrase on your hardware wallet; test the MD5 checksum before and after you load the SD card on your air gapped computer. Check everything. You can never been too careful.

Store your seed phrases in multiple places.

Your seed phrase is the string of 24 words that you can derive a private key from. You want to make sure your seed phrase stays secure at all times. For some, this means writing the seed phrase down on paper, in which case, it is recommended you make two copies and store them in separate places. SD cards are also an option, though they don’t tend to last more than five years and can be wiped by an EMP bomb. A combination of analog and digital methods is the best option. For the most cautious, they will split the seed phrase in parts and store those parts separately. If you do this, be sure to remember the order they go in, or else lose access to seed phrase altogether.

Plausible deniability.

Most simply, this means be able to keep some of the data hidden. Like in the physical world, you don’t want to advertise how much money is in your bank account, so don’t do it in the digital world, either. Also look into using multiple wallets rather than storing all of your currency in the same place.

Keep your environment safe.

Require two-factor authentication, and educate others on how to stay safe. Help the community at large by reporting fake sites and teaching the less tech-literate about why strong passwords are important. Not only are you keeping yourself protected, but you are also protecting others and paying that forward.

 

Is Blockchain the Face of the Next Google ChikaWonah

Is Blockchain the Face of the Next Google?

When we discuss blockchain, conversations usually surround the tech’s association with cryptocurrency, security and investing. In reality, this new tech is multifaceted and shows major implications for nearly every industry. When it comes to blockchain and cryptocurrency, news outlets can’t stop reporting on the potential promise. That being said, now people are asking big questions like could blockchain actually be the developments needed to create a search engine capable of overtaking google?

Google dictates much of our online searches with “nearly 80 percent of desktop and 95 percent of mobile searches” taking place on the program. That being said, a plethora of alternatives exist. The problem, of course, is that while some people use these tools, most cater to specific niche audiences, because Google has become a Goliath that many of the Davids of search engines aren’t ready to conquer. Enter blockchain. Given its clout in the tech field, many think it could be the answer to building a search engine capable of overcoming Google.

In terms of basic rising user trends, more people results in more reported problems, and Google users experience their fair share of flaws. Privacy remains the primary point of contention with centralized search engines. As BitClave describes, “With centralized search engines, your search data is recorded, your IP address is logged, and tracking cookies are used by centralized search engines to create a digital profile of you so they can target you with ads. Even worse, there’s no way to voluntarily opt out of this invasion of your privacy, and every time you type a keyword into a centralized search engine, you’re giving up information that puts you at risk.” Blockchain acts as the poster-child for privacy and discretion though. While heavily regulated given its infrastructure, the system manages to maintain a level of anonymity for its users.

Now the question becomes, how do we combine blockchain’s private network with a computing system that has the strength of Google? One program still in beta testing called Presearch, thinks they may have found the answer. As Shivdeep Dhaliwal explains, “Using Blockchain technology, Presearch plans to enable users to personalize their experience while staying in control of their data.” The company also incentivizes the switch, rewarding users who change from Google to their program with cryptocurrency coins based on their use. Of course, this still isn’t a perfect system. Questions have arisen about whether hackers may take advantage of the rewards and hack into other user profiles in order to gain more coins once they max out since users are limited to 8 coins a day.

The Presearch program focuses on decentralizing the search engine model, rewarding users for their contribution. As a result, they hope to build a more transparent and unbiased ranking, a problem that Google has made headlines for, for years. Of course, the idea of using blockchain to create a more effective model is one thing and actually doing it another thing.

 

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