Category: Technology

2018 Breakthrough Technologies

On August 22, 2018

In Blockchain, Chika Wonah, Digital, Internet of Things, Technology, Uncategorized

With so many exciting new technological developments coming down the pipeline, 2018 sure is an exciting time to be alive. Computers and programming especially have been enjoying a rapid-fire pace of progress. Breakthroughs in all facets of the science and research communities have led to the following promising technologies.

Earbuds That Translate for You
If you’ve ever visited another country and felt panicked by the fact that you couldn’t understand the language, have no fear. Pixel Buds, which will be available at the very reasonable price of $159, will allow people to communicate with others who don’t speak their native tongue.

3D Printed Metal
For anyone who’s ever lamented the fact that their car’s parts need to be sent from overseas before being replaced, 3D printed metal promises to be a game-changer. Now, mechanics will—in theory—be able to print out the parts that your vehicle so desperately needs, saving both time and money.

Polygenic Risk Scores According to DNA
Sooner rather than later, parents of newborn babies will find themselves saddled with a report card almost immediately after their child’s birth! However, this report card will be based on the baby’s DNA stats, alerting parents to possible problems down the line. If a child is more prone to getting hooked on smoking, for instance, their parents will know about it ahead of time.

Smart Cities
Although some cities, such as Dubai, have been praised for their tech savvy skills, many are still running on old models. Quayside, a new Canadian project that is based in Toronto, may change all of that. And drivers won’t be able to enter this city; in fact, the only cars you’ll see will be autonomous ride shares! Open-source software will be powering this smart city, which means that other urban planners will be able to benefit from all of the knowledge gleaned from this dazzling experiment. With underground robots running mail underneath the city’s sidewalks, this is truly going to be a futuristic feast.

Universal AI
These days, it can be difficult to get your hands on some AI—unless you’re a big name company with deep pockets. But with a recent push to change that, businesses are now seeing the possible boon of allowing consumers to use AI to power their lives.

Bitcoin Breakdown

By Chika Wonah

On August 22, 2018

In Blockchain, Chika Wonah, Digital, Internet of Things, Technology

The recent explosion of cryptocurrencies on the market as of late has left many people scratching their heads and saying, “Just what exactly is Bitcoin?” Though a full description of Bitcoin would take a lot more than a single blog post, here’s a short-but-sweet breakdown of the headlines’ crypto darling.

Bitcoin’s Anonymous Founder

Developed in 2008 by a still-anonymous person named Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin was first developed as a software solution to electronic transfers in a burgeoning internet landscape. It Offered quick and efficient money services unmatched by current systems at the time. Bitcoin claimed it would revolutionize the financial industry and since then it has come pretty close.

Understanding the Blockchain

Every transaction made using Bitcoin is transparent and recorded on a universal ledger called the blockchain, and is updated every ten minutes. As the name implies, the transactions in those ten minutes form a “block” that is stacked on past blocks, forming a “chain” that is viewable by anyone. It, in turn, creates a checks and balances system making it a more secure and transparent option.

Transferring Bitcoin

Your bitcoins are stored in a virtual wallet that is accessible by using a private key that is known only by the primary user – which makes keeping that key safe a top priority. If you want to buy something or transfer bitcoins to someone else, you can send them to a specific wallet address, much like you would send an email. The transaction can take up to a few hours to process, but you can pay more bitcoin if you would like it to move faster.

Obtaining More Bitcoins

The most straightforward way to gain bitcoin currency is by buying it on an open trading platform like Coinbase, but with enough computing power, you can also mine them straight from the blockchain themselves. Every time your computer solves a specific mathematical problem, you’re rewarded with a certain amount of Bitcoins that you can use.

Advantages of Bitcoin

This highly volatile currency is one of the hottest trends in the financial sector today, primarily because it delivers a few distinct advantages. For starters, Bitcoin transactions are almost completely anonymous, which makes it ideal for people who want to transport large sums of money without a trace. Second, it’s universal, so you won’t have to pay any fees to send money across borders. Third, it’s trackable. Since the blockchain records everything, it’s possible for a government or user to verify proof the transaction itself, which can help with either taxes or to solve identity concerns.

Technology’s Impact on Hiring and Recruitment

By Chika Wonah

On April 24, 2018

In Chika Wonah, Digital, Technology

Burgeoning tech has been laying claim to multiple industries from real estate to insurance, and more recently technology began to disrupt our hiring and recruitment tactics. In the digital age, it’s no surprise that how people find openings and apply for jobs changed. Now the vast majority start their searches online with sites like Linkedin and Indeed, but the actual interview process itself is also changing. Portfolios all take place online, interviews originally happen via video and personality diagnostics are standard.

One Way Interviews

Interviews are typically two-sided. A few business representatives interview a potential hiree, and while the hiree wants to impress the business, it’s also a chance to field questions and get to know each other.

Tech poses to change that with the rise of video interviews. As Dave Lee describes, “Traditional interviews with an interviewer and interviewee could go by the wayside, too. Rather than a two-way interaction, job candidates will upload video responses to interview questions. New technology will detect non-verbal cues such as those facial expressions and tone while eliminating human bias.” Brands like Red Bull already hopped on board with video interviews. This added step tests the applicant’s ability to think on their feet while also working through potential red flags or false starts eliminating wasted time for recruiters. Then, once the cream rises, formal interviews can take place. As Rajpreet Heir highlights, “Not only does digital interviewing allow candidates and employers to connect earlier in the interviewing process, it also saves time and money. A study by OfficeTeam revealed that 63% of companies are using video interviews vs. 13% from 2011.”

Analytics and Diagnostics

Personality diagnostics are also increasingly popular as an inexpensive means to gauge fit and placement within a larger company. As Chamanpreet Singh says, “Data is critical in the digitisation of recruitment. It allows you to determine the effectiveness of any strategy implemented and will enable HRs to develop future recruitment strategies based on the metrics and measurements received. This data will give an insight into channels that can work for your company which means cutting down on time and expenditure.”

Building a Business-Savvy Brand

It’s important to remember that if you can find them, potential recruits can also find you. As a result, recruiting in the digital age requires a larger emphasis on companies’ online brands. People want to understand the company culture they throw themselves into. Show personality, but also be sure the image you portray is accurate. Top talent is going to do their research, and if your digital presence is non-existent or inaccurate, they won’t want to work with you. As Rachit Jain says, “Building a healthy working culture and employer brand is getting more important day by day. But most importantly, employers and recruiters have to adapt and move to the modern recruiting technology faster.”

Pro Tips for Keeping Your Crypto Safe

By Chika Wonah

On April 2, 2018

In Blockchain, Chika Wonah, Technology

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.