KeatingEconomics.com

Music has brought happiness and so much peace to a lot of people all over the world. Where spoken words have failed, music has enabled people to understand and bond with one another despite the language barrier. It has played a big role in the lives of many and became the soundtrack of their lives at some point in time. Technology may be the main dish in our life right now but music will never disappear in the background. The nice thing about this is the fact that modern life and music has fused together and we can enjoy the best of both worlds without having to give up the other. You probably do it yourself every day. You listen to music on your smart device with an earphone or headset in place. There’s an even better breakthrough with the way Alexa can now answer your questions pertaining to music.

The wonders of technology will continue to amaze you, for sure. Things just get better and better with the passing of time as the hardware needed to support deep learning is made more readily available to the public. I’m sure you’ve heard about apps like Shazam that tells you the title of a song you’re not familiar with but wouldn’t it be better for something like Alexa to have this same interactive feature but provide a more satisfying response to your musically-related questions and more. Aside from answering back to people, Alexa can take note of your music preferences so you don’t have to constantly repeat yourself or keep on searching for music you like or creating libraries when your digital personal assistant can do it for you.

Sometimes you want to listen to a certain song but you can’t quite remember what it’s called. Other times you might just want to listen to some of your favorites that you haven’t heard in a while. Now, Alexa can find those tunes for you. While listening to Amazon Music, you can now ask Alexa in very general terms to find music you listened to earlier or play something you haven’t heard recently. You can do so with specific artists by saying, for example, “Alexa, play that Kendrick Lamar song I was listening to yesterday,” or, “Alexa, play Rihanna songs I haven’t heard in a while.” You can also ask for genres, but you can get even more general than that by asking Alexa to just play something you haven’t heard lately.

(Via: https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/08/alexa-play-song-cant-remember-name-of/)

Modern living is about living in utter convenience. With devices like Alexa at your beck and call, you no longer have to do things manually and you can save your time and effort for more worthwhile tasks. They may be simple tasks that an equally simple AI robot can do but they are the beginning of something even far greater that will definitely be our norm in the coming years. As of now, thousands, if not millions, are already using Alexa and as it continues to roll out more handy features that the public will like especially individuals who see music as life.

Amazon’s been rolling out a series of incremental but still useful Alexa features over the past several months, particularly around Amazon Music — the service Amazon would love for you to use as the default on your Echo devices. Today’s update includes a couple new features that let users request music using more natural or vague language.

People will now be able to ask Alexa for music tracks or playlists based on time passed, like “Play that playlist I played last Sunday,” or “Play that workout music I listened to three weeks ago,” or “Play something I haven’t heard in awhile.” The same applies to genres and artists; you can request a song by an artist that you listened to “recently,” or a music mood you’ve been into lately, even if you don’t know the specific titles.

(Via: https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/8/17094136/amazon-alexa-casual-music-searches-past-playlists-songs)

Amazon has learned the ropes and realized that by integrating various aspects of human nature and on responding to what interests people the most then integrating it to current tech advancements launched and sold in the market today. We can’t let music disappear in our lives as it is responsible for keeping the balance, and in essentially keeping all of us sane when we are already facing too much in life. Groove to life’s music and take advantage of what Alexa has to offer so your life remains as vibrant as the beat of the music you like to listen to or as calm as the soothing notes you listen to once in a while.

We safely and comfortably live in our own little bubble until disaster strikes. By then, all our daily routine is put to a halt. The thoughts of school, work, and other life pursuits become insignificant. Whether in your home life or in businesses, it is always imperative to set up a business disaster recovery plan of sorts. You can’t just afford to be careless especially that many nations are at war and even Asia is not spared. The threat of an impending nuclear war remains because North Korea continues to hold its ground and resists being intimidated by many Western nations. And that is not the only issue we have that involves war or conflicts between Asian nations.

Making such preparations is even more important if you own a business, big or small. Ensuring data is backed up, and servers can be recovered is key. There is a lot at stake and you can’t afford to lose a business you have grown from scratch. And considering that we use technology in almost all of the things we do, a disaster business plan similar to what many progressive Western countries have should also be considered by many Asian entrepreneurs because it is better to be safe than sorry, after all.

Megacities, defined as urban areas exceeding 10 million inhabitants, accumulate impressive physical, human and intellectual resources. Experts argue that over time megacities will contribute higher income and living standards for their citizens by increasing economies of scale and reducing production costs.

Independent studies document that today’s 29 megacities are the decisive factor in the world economy. In fact, global gross domestic product (GDP) is much more dependent on the largest megacities than it is on the world’s 200 sovereign nations. In addition to contributing to a significant chunk of their national GDPs, megacities also play important roles as global hubs for finance and commerce.

For Asia, the megacity phenomenon has special importance. This is underlined by a number of facts:

• 16 of today’s 29 megacities are Asia-based
• The world’s three most populous megacities are Tokyo (38 million), Delhi (26 million) and Shanghai (24 million)
• Gigacities—those with more than 50 million people—are expected to emerge in the region in future

For now, megacities have become the cornerstone for development and prosperity. However, their rapid growth also brings a broad range of challenges, which need to be given special considerations.

(Via: http://www.brinknews.com/asia/megacities-in-asia-responding-to-risks-securing-prosperity/)

Moreover, the threat of natural calamities continues to be a constant threat to both individuals and businesses each year aside from armed conflict and terrorist activities. Add to that the dangers of global warming and climate change that has made these natural disasters worse and leave irreparable damage at times aside from claiming countless lives can make you lose your business in a snap.

With cities and communities across the world facing bigger challenges than ever before, emerging digital services are giving governments the tools to address many common problems.

Delivering the keynote at the event today, John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at GSMA (pictured), said: “Rapid urbanisation is putting strain on cities’ infrastructure, pollution, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises need to be better monitored and managed, and a growing population will require access to essential services.”

The digitisation of services and the rise of the IoT – the creation of networks of intelligently connected devices and interoperable services – allows citizens to seamlessly interact with different aspects of their life all over digital channels, he explained.

For a glimpse the impact a digital future will have, he gave a number of examples in Asia Pacific. Local governments in China are using IoT to monitor public buses and use the data collected to deliver more effective and efficient transportation.

(Via: https://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/gsma-outlines-key-steps-to-digital-future/)

You wouldn’t want to start from scratch in the aftermath of a disaster or a nonsense war. Businesses need capital in order to work and you likely spent a great deal of your time, effort, and money in starting your business only to see it ravaged by calamities both natural and man-made because you didn’t have the foresight to prepare for it when you still had the time. While coming up with such a plan isn’t a walk in the park, it should not be ignored either or risk suffering big business losses you’ll be regretting for years.

Computers are now the lifeline of businesses because most transactions have gone digital. The first thing that often suffers when computers are damaged is the hard drive, which happens to be where all your precious data is stored. https://sites.google.com/site/datarecoverychanel/ can help you come up with a disaster recovery plan, so you no longer have to go through the hassles of data recovery, which is the common issue faced by business owners in disaster-prone areas and war-torn nations. Always remember that disaster planning should be a part of your business’s operation procedures and not as a mere afterthought. That’s how you transform a small business into a mighty empire.

We have long associated an iPhone to affluence and sophistication. Only the rich can afford Apple products in the past. Today, more people can afford an iPhone but still its image of being a classy gadget remains and for a lot of reasons. For starters, its graphics and user-friendly interface still reigns supreme above other brands (Android ones, definitely). If we talk about the x-factor of the iPhone, there are too many to mention. While it has its limitations, its sleek and sophisticated look among others is enough to sway people to spend almost always a fortune to afford this gem of a smart device.

Now that it’s already 2017, the smartphone industry has more than just blown up. Almost everyone owns a smartphone these days. Even a young child knows how to navigate the screen of any smart device and they often also have iPads or tablets of their own. It’s a quantum leap as compared to the lives led by most three and four year olds a decade or two back when they used to play out in the dirt and under the sun almost all day long. Today, kids are comfortable in using these tech devices as if it is second nature to them to navigate its many tech intricacies that still baffles some older adults today. The most recent addition to the Apple smartphone lineup is the iPhone X, an extraordinarily luxurious phone and just as expensive as well but does it really deserve all the hype it is now getting?

Every new iPhone comes with new hardware and software innovations that power signature features which aren’t available on other iOS or macOS devices. In time, these features will be available on all iPhones and iPads of the future. Older models will not get them because they often lack the hardware to support those features, and that’s understandable. But other times, Apple may just choose not to make a software feature backward compatible.

The iPhone X comes with a sophisticated front-facing TrueDepth camera that includes a bunch of sensors and cameras to make facial recognition identification possible. Apple also developed a cute software trick to demo its facial recognition advancements, the Animoji app that quickly went viral once the iPhone X launched. It turns out the Animoji app doesn’t need all the sensors in the notch to work. But the app is not available on any other iPhone except the X.

(Via: http://bgr.com/2017/11/15/iphone-x-review-animoji-iphone-8/)

Until today, the appeal of the Apple iPhone line has never diminished. Even if there are loads and loads of Android competitions now in the market, many still prefer to buy the innovator brand because of its classic and timeless appeal that is also leading to tech advancements and innovations. It’s no wonder why people don’t hesitate in spending hundreds to thousands of bucks a piece because of its gorgeous aesthetics and mind-blowing specs and features. Right now, the iPhone X is the apple of everyone’s eye and considering the price tag, it seriously should have otherworldly capabilities for people not to do a double take on the price tag.

The iPhone X introduces a new form factor complete with a gorgeous edge-to-edge display. Apple stretched the display out to the very edges of the phone, leaving no room for bezels, giving the phone an immediate “wow” factor.

This bold design choice makes the iPhone X very comfortable to hold. At 5.65 inches, its height sits nicely between the small iPhone 8 (5.45 inches) and compact Samsung Galaxy S8 (5.68 inches). The iPhone X is significantly smaller than the beefy iPhone 8 Plus (6.24 inches), and you can slip it in your pockets without any problems. That said, it is a bit thicker and heftier than any iPhone I’ve held in recent years. In fact, the X, rather fittingly, feels a lot like the original 2007 iPhone.

Aside from the display, the only major aesthetic difference from the iPhone 8 is the vertically oriented dual-lens camera on the back.

(Via: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/iphone-x-review/)

And for good measure, the iPhone X also gets all the hype because it truly is a standout. Even non-iOS users must admit how phenomenal the new handset that is a stark contrast to the previous iPhone models released in recent years. In the past, Apple often just tweaked a few features to set their new phones apart from the previous models and didn’t really offered something entirely different than what’s already on the table. This time, they have overcame conventions and delivered what the people want and to hopefully help the company boost sales as well as last year’s performance was definitely far from stellar. New features adorn the iPhone X that no longer bears the home button, Touch ID and display bezels.

With the arrival of this new Super Retina Display screen comes the removal of the Home button and Touch ID sensor; now replaced by a completely new security system: Face ID.

Face ID uses a series of sensors to map and scan the user’s face, and is used to unlock the handset, authorise Apple Pay payments and authenticate access to various apps. You simply look at iPhone X and VOILA.

In practice, Face ID works effectively around 85 per cent of the time. To use it you really need to be looking at the screen – an ‘attentive’ feature that also prevents unauthorised parties from unlocking your handset by shoving it in front of your face – not just glancing at it as it sits on the desk in front of you.

(Via: http://thenewdaily.com.au/life/tech/2017/11/07/iphone-x-review/)

It is no wonder why many experts call it the face of the future because of its surreal futuristic appearance and of course, features that we should start to get used to now that Apple started others will soon follow suit and join in on the bandwagon. After all, Apple is the smartphone innovator. Don’t ever forget that. The iPhone X is like what you pictured out in the movies especially spy ones that lets you do a lot of crazy cool things. You have to get used to swiping more and more with the disappearance of the iconic home button that adorned all past and present iPhones prior the iPhone X. Taking pictures has changed as well and let’s not forget the much-talked about animojis that will liven up each and every conversation. Now, it is up to you to decide whether it’s fine with you to splurge on such a device.

People see iPhones differently. It’s like it is a class of its own – unparalleled and the one that started it all. When it comes to smart technology, the user-friendly interface that Apple developed was the perfect tool that enabled smart technology to take off in the market. And yes, their innovative efforts paid off as Apple is one of the biggest global brands there is today and still the leading smartphone manufacturer aside from the Android brands, of course.

There is something so special with iPhones that the public can’t resist upgrading to the newest version even if their old ones are working just fine and not in dire need of a replacement anytime soon. However, iPhone has a certain charm that is simply irresistible. Despite its high price tag, many do not hesitate in buying it because it is a status symbol and it really has some awesome features too that iOS users have learned to love and can’t live without.

Since its introduction 10 years ago, the iPhone customer base has grown dramatically, becoming increasingly more diverse both in benefits sought and in buying power. Consequently, Apple (AAPL, -1.21%) is not introducing just a new iPhone next week, but an iPhone product line anchored by the iPhone 8, its most advanced offering.

The iPhone 8 is expected to be a feat of technology, featuring a number of innovations that include facial recognition, edge-to-edge next generation display with punchier colors and deeper contrast levels, wireless charging with magnetic induction, and an improved dual-lens camera. These innovations, however, are likely to push the price of the phone beyond the $1,000 mark. The question, then, is how consumers will respond. 

(Via: http://fortune.com/2017/09/06/apple-iphone-8-release-customers/)

Some features come and go. The rest will likely stay but definitely pimped up to perfection – enough for people to spend a few more dollars in their monthly subscription premiums. But if there is one thing that keeps iPhone’s customer base or even grows it, it is the brand itself – Apple. It exudes a certain enigma that showcases the company’s commitment to innovation, style, and creativity without compromising functionality and compatibility with other similar tech devices. Over the years, Apple has maintained its strong and positive image even if the Android market has been swamped by cheaper-priced smart handsets directed to the masses.

Nevertheless, there are a lot of reasons why people choose a phone from Apple over a device from one of the many manufacturers creating Android phones. Want to know the real reasons why some people buy iPhones instead of Android phones? Read on to check out some of the more popular reasons for going with a phone from Apple instead of one from a top Android manufacturer. You just might be surprised.

1. They like iOS better than Android

Though certain diehard Android fans can’t imagine it, some people really like iOS. In fact, there are even some people who have tried both mobile operating systems and still like iOS better than Android. Maybe it’s Apple’s interface and design that draws them in. Perhaps they like how straightforward it is to get an iPhone working right out of the box, or that they don’t need to take the time to customize a new phone extensively. Maybe they like features like Siri or are fans of some of the apps that come preinstalled on a new iPhone. Some people think Android is a superior operating system, and others like iOS better.

(Via: https://www.cheatsheet.com/gear-style/reasons-people-buy-iphones-instead-of-android-phones.html/?a=viewall)

And since the smart technology has been around for years now (a decade actually considering that the first iPhone is 10 years old now), most consumers have already owned either an iPhone, an Android phone, or both over this span of time. But if you have used an iPhone before, chances are you’ll stick to using iOS than making the switch to an Android device. And like the status symbol that it is, almost everybody on the planet recognizes the Apple logo and can tell it from a distance. The same can’t be said, though, with the many Android brands that populate the market these days.

Now once you get tired of your old device and want a new play thing (especially now that the recent Apple Event just launched the new line of iPhone handsets – iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the limited-edition iPhone X), you can easily sell your iPhone at a more competitive price because Apple products hold their value pretty well over time. Despite most iPhones and Android units having basically the same specs (aside from a handful that really differentiates what an iOS phone is and what an Android one is), some people look past these specs and only see the allure that only an iPhone exudes.

Technology is the biggest thing to hit the planet earth over the past few decades. Digitization is apparently the name of the game. It’s either you join the bandwagon or get left behind. Many of us have witnessed its birth, growth and its surprising exponential growth that gave us the amazing world of the Internet of Things and the smart technology we can’t live without right now. And one of the fastest growing industries related to their use is mobile apps that have virtually erased the word “boredom” in our vocabulary.

There are mobile apps for just about everything you’ll ever need in real life through the use of your smartphone. Most mobile apps, especially the ones that really have a practical use, have uplifted our lives and made certain tasks easier than they used to. From work-related to social networking and gaming apps, you can download and install free or premium apps that suit your taste and meet your tech demands.

Many industrial companies with extensive terrain or explosive areas today continue to use outdated technologies to plan, execute, manage and control their business processes. Employees are not well integrated in the flow of information and due to a lack of alternatives, certifications or purely out of habit (“we’ve always done it this way”), many tasks are still being performed with clipboard and paper. These archaic methods bring increased risk and inflexibility to the business, being error‐prone and inefficient. This also leads to mobile workers carrying more than they should when walking around the site, creating a potential safety issue and affecting the wellbeing of their workforce.

(Via: https://www.automation.com/automation-news/article/industrial-internet-of-things-why-mobile-applications-are-becoming-increasingly-important-for-the-industry)

The tech shift we are experiencing right now is expected to go on and on until we reach the era of artificial intelligence (which has already started, by the way). The future may be uncertain for now but one thing is for sure, investing in a mobile app venture can likely bring in big profits especially if you offer something unique and helpful to the public. And with 4.8 billion of smartphone users globally, you won’t have a problem reaching a certain niche with your product especially once you look into the benefits of localization (in places that do not speak English, of course).

By making it easier for mobile phones to spread out and connect to one another, the IoT has created huge market-demand for and incentivized even greater investment in mobile phones and the development of apps for them. The same connectivity which drives the IoT has also enabled the world’s greatest developers to network and cooperate with one another more easily than ever before, meaning hubs of innovation are forming across the world’s digital environments.

Building a massive mobile network to generate demand for more mobile apps is only part of how the IoT has enabled greater mobile development, however. The entrepreneur-friendly IoT survives and thrives due to the innovations of the startups which occur within and because of it, and the greatest impact has perhaps been from some companies which understand how to harness the power of the IoT to better push their mobile apps.

(Via: https://www.networkworld.com/article/3224411/internet-of-things/how-iot-is-impacting-mobile-app-development.html)

Everything worked perfectly in the grand scheme of things. As the web and smart technology progressed and brought about the Internet of Things that we now know of today, it has also paved the way to the popularity and success of mobile apps that almost everyone with a smartphone right now makes use of every single day. It is actually synergy at work since both the IoT and mobile apps benefit from each other. Many global brands today started from these mobile apps like Uber and messaging apps that bring new life to conversations. And with the reception it is getting from everyone today, we can expect better things to come our way that can easily fit the palm of our hands.

Technology is not 100% safe from hackers. It is common knowledge. If they can hack the most complex of systems of the government and big companies, it is effortless to do that to ordinary citizens like the rest of us mere mortals. The problem now is that we use too much technology in our lives. From the moment we wake up until we close our eyes, we live and breathe technology.

And it is not just about our obsession with technology. Technology makes our world go round as most processes and business relies heavily on it to function. Just imagine its impact on our lives. But there is an accompanying risk we can’t always ignore: hackers. A hacking attack experienced in the last quarter of last year only revealed the severity and gravity of such a situation not to mention how vulnerable we all are.

Major websites were inaccessible to people across wide swaths of the United States on Friday after a company that manages crucial parts of the internet’s infrastructure said it was under attack.

Users reported sporadic problems reaching several websites, including Twitter, Netflix, Spotify, Airbnb, Reddit, Etsy, SoundCloud and The New York Times.

The company, Dyn, whose servers monitor and reroute internet traffic, said it began experiencing what security experts called a distributed denial-of-service attack just after 7 a.m. Reports that many sites were inaccessible started on the East Coast, but spread westward in three waves as the day wore on and into the evening.

And in a troubling development, the attack appears to have relied on hundreds of thousands of internet-connected devices like cameras, baby monitors and home routers that have been infected — without their owners’ knowledge — with software that allows hackers to command them to flood a target with overwhelming traffic.

(Via: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/22/business/internet-problems-attack.html?_r=0)

Even techy everyday objects can be used against you. And this hacking incident made everyone realized just that.

In the aftermath of the attack, security experts reported finding that flaws in the Internet of Things had made the problem worse. The Internet of Things is the collection of everyday objects that can gather information then share it online. These objects use built-in sensors and other small devices to interact with the environment around them.

For example, “smart” basketballs or soccer balls can collect data on shooting skills to help a player improve. Smart dolls can recognize their owners and have friendly conversations. Smart cars can monitor the road for signs of danger. Even an ordinary house can become a smart home. A heater might shut itself off when it senses that the house is empty, for example. Or a lamp might turn itself off after a child falls asleep.

The possibilities are almost endless. But storing data about your life online — and all the time — brings hidden risks.

(Via: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/when-your-stuff-spies-you)

As technology advances; so does the capability of hackers. They also innovate and adapt to the safety and security measures implemented by most websites. Cloud computing is one example. The cloud is now a favorite and convenient data storage option for many but it is no longer safe from hackers. But what will happen to our data now that the hackers found a way to bypass cloud cyber security among others.

In recent years, computing has gone to the cloud. But this so-called “cloud computing” can pose new risks, a study finds. The reason: Computers that make up the cloud have become a hideout for malware, programs that can hijack or harm someone’s computer or files.

People use “cloud computing” to free up space on their own computers. They can store files containing anything from research data to vacation snapshots. Some people also run programs on devices connected through the cloud, rather than on their own, personal machines. This cloud computing, therefore, makes it possible for someone to share files quickly with a lot of other people.

But for all its benefits, the cloud can have a dark side. That’s a finding of the new study. Malware stored on devices that make up the cloud can turn on — and against you — when you click on certain fraudulent website links or when you download an attachment that masks its real intent. These links or attachments will trick the user, linking its computer to files in some cloud where malware lurks.

(Via: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/computer-hackers-take-cloud)

Hackers have stepped up their game. If there is one good thing that can ever come out of this issue is that perhaps it will keep everyone on their toes. Cliché as it may seem, prevention is always better than cure.

Take cybersecurity seriously. Install firewalls or anti-virus software to protect your gadget from modern hacking threats. Be wary of the sites you visit and limit online transactions whenever possible. Also, limit the amount of technology you use in your life. You don’t need all those smart gadgets to live in your day-to-day.

And most importantly, remember that data is such a precious commodity that is often underrated. Protect yours at all cost. Identity theft is possible, always keep that in mind. Hackers are just around to steal your information at a time when you are vulnerable the most.

Computing has achieved so much today. If you look at computer systems now and compare to that of ten to twenty years ago, much has definitely changed and improved. These advances in computer programming enabled technologies to reach greater heights – advancements we can only but dream of during computing’s infancy.

However, its evolution also has its pros and its cons. Computing systems are far more efficient now than earlier models. You can do multiple tasks at once and the Internet has become an essential aspect of life. Unfortunately, advances in technology mean that robots can now do manual labor that is done by people before. It means people can lose their jobs and have a hard time in life because of limited opportunities – especially for skilled workers who lacks in education.

Moreover, technology has access to more data but we have no idea how these data are used, transmitted and stored. Hacking becomes a bigger threat not only to the government and big companies but even to ordinary citizens as well.

“A dream of artificial intelligence is to build systems that can write computer programs.”

Coding has been described as one of the most important skills of the future, and a recent survey from job markets firm Burning Glass found that as many as seven million job openings in 2015 required some form of coding skills.

But with AI now having the ability to code itself, it could put many budding coders out of work.

A recent report from the United Nations (UN) revealed AI is set to displace millions of workers across the globe as scientists storm towards making machines with human-level intelligence.

While many firms will welcome the news of free labour that will be more efficient than humans, it will leave many people worried about their economic future.

(Via: http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/776170/AI-RISE-OF-THE-MACHINES-computers-code-THEMSELVES)

And there is no stopping technology from doing the impossible and changing the society that we know.

Scientists have trained a quantum computer to recognize trees. That may not seem like a big deal, but the result means that researchers are a step closer to using such computers for complicated machine learning problems like pattern recognition and computer vision.

The team used a D-Wave 2X computer, an advanced model from the Burnaby, Canada–based company that created the world’s first quantum computer in 2007. Conventional computers can already use sophisticated algorithms to recognize patterns in images, but it takes lots of memory and processor power. This is because classical computers store information in binary bits–either a 0 or a 1. Quantum computers, in contrast, run on a subatomic level using quantum bits (or qubits) that can represent a 0 and a 1 at the same time. A processor using qubits could theoretically solve problems exponentially more quickly than a traditional computer for a small set of specialized problems. The nature of quantum computing and the limitations of programming qubits has meant that complex problems like computer vision have been off-limits until now.

In the new study, physicist Edward Boyda of St. Mary’s College of California in Moraga and colleagues fed hundreds of NASA satellite images of California into the D-Wave 2X processor, which contains 1152 qubits. The researchers asked the computer to consider dozens of features—hue, saturation, even light reflectance—to determine whether clumps of pixels were trees as opposed to roads, buildings, or rivers. They then told the computer whether its classifications were right or wrong so that the computer could learn from its mistakes, tweaking the formula it uses to determine whether something is a tree.

(Via: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/quantum-computer-learns-see-trees)

All these technological breakthroughs can overwhelm an ordinary citizen who only understands basic computer programming and terminologies. And even though common sense dictates us that hacking is wrong, it may eventually prove beneficial after all.

As the world around us becomes more connected to the internet, the number of ways that hackers can infiltrate our lives becomes increasingly multifarious. Today data breaches are taking place in ways that were unheard of just a decade ago — from remotely hacking cars to infiltrating “smart” teddy bears.

The threats have grown so quickly that companies are overwhelmed by the increasing number of attacks, security experts say. This is not just because of the growing number of opportunities to infiltrate a network or device, but also because these attacks are increasingly automated and launched from low-priced computer hardware using open-source tools that require relatively low coding skills to deploy. Defending against such attacks can require well-paid and highly trained experts.

“We believe that cybersecurity is a correctable math problem that, at present, overwhelmingly favors the attackers,” Ryan M Gillis, vice president of cybersecurity strategy for enterprise security company Palo Alto Networks, said at a House Homeland Security Committee meeting last week about protecting the private sector from hacking. “Network defenders are simply losing the economics of the cybersecurity challenge.”

(Via: http://www.salon.com/2017/03/14/an-increasingly-connected-world-needs-hackers-more-than-ever-before/)

Technology is rapidly growing and progressing and there is no stopping it. It makes perfect sense to embrace the world of computer programming in our lives considering how much of everything we do revolves around computers and technology. Having at least a basic understanding of it can save you from a lot of headaches that has to do with technology – whether at home or at work.