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This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Terence Blésin, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (2) Wil Kao, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (3) Anat Siddharth, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL); (4) Alaina Attanasio, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (5) Hao Tian, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (6) Sunil A. Bhave, OxideMEMS lab, Purdue University; (7) Tobias J. Kippenberg, Institute of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) & Center of Quantum Science and Engineering (EPFL). Table of Links Introduction Results A. Physics and design B. Device characterization C. Bidirectional microwave-optical transduction D. Pulsed transduction Discussion Acknowledgments Appendix A: Theory Appendix B: Fabrication process flow Appendix C: Optical characterization Appendix D: Characterization of acoustic resonances Appendix E: Characterization of bidirectional transduction Appendix F: Optimization of optical extraction efficiency ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank Amirali Arabmoheghi, Nils Johan Engelsen and Junyin Zhang for experimental assistance and fruitful discussions. This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award no. FA8655-20-1-7009, Swiss National Science Foundation under grant agreement no. 204927, and European Research Council (ERC) under the EU H2020 research and innovation programme, grant agreement no. 835329 (ExCOM-cCEO). This work was further supported by United States Air Force Research Laboratory Award no. FA8750-21-2-0500, as well as United States National Science Foundation’s International Collaboration Supplements in Quantum Information Science and Engineering Research for RAISE-TAQS Award no. 18-39164. A.S. acknowledges support from the European Space Technology Centre with ESA Contract No. 4000135357/21/NL/GLC/my. Samples were fabricated in the Center of MicroNanoTechnology (CMi) at EPFL and Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS T.B. designed the device. R.N.W, A.A. and H.T. fabricated the device. T.B., A.S. and W.K. conducted the experiments. T.B. and W.K. wrote the paper with input from all authors. T.J.K. and S.A.B. supervised the project. [1] K.-L. Lee, B. Sedighi, R. S. Tucker, H. Chow, and P. Vetter, J. Opt. Commun. Netw. 4, A59 (2012). [2] Q. Cheng, M. Bahadori, M. Glick, S. Rumley, and K. Bergman, Optica 5, 1354 (2018). [3] J. I. Cirac, P. Zoller, H. J. Kimble, and H. Mabuchi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3221 (1997). [4] L.-M. Duan, M. D. Lukin, J. 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Bidirectional Microwave-optical Transduction Based on Integration: Acknowledgments

This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Berrenur Saylam; (2) Ozlem Durmaz ¨ ˙Incel. Table of Links Highlights Abstract & Introduction Federated Learning: Collaborative and Privacy-Preserving Model Training State of the Art Federated Learning Software Platforms and Testbeds Sensors and Edge-Sensing Devices Federated Learning Applications on Sensing Devices Discussion Conclusions, Acknowledgment, and References 7. Conclusion This paper has provided an overview of the current state-of-the-art FL methodologies applied to sensing devices, focusing on IoT sensors, mobile devices, and wearables. By examining the challenges and opportunities in applying FL to sensing tasks, the paper aims to inspire further research in this domain. The discussion section has raised several important points for consideration. It highlighted the need to address the asynchrony in FL, leverage unlabelled on-device data, explore FL applications in Human Activity Recognition (HAR) and affective computing, and adapt FL methodologies from simulation environments to real-world applications on sensing devices. Efficient wireless communication, resource efficiency, and personalization are crucial when applying FL methodologies to sensing devices. Future research should focus on developing wireless communication techniques that minimize data exchange, designing algorithms with resource constraints in mind, and enabling privacy-preserving personalization. By addressing these challenges, FL methodologies can be effectively applied in real-world sensing applications, considering sensing devices’ unique constraints and requirements. Moreover, the discussion emphasizes the need for studies that bridge the gap between simulation and real-world deployment, ensuring the practicality and effectiveness of FL methodologies in real-world sensing applications. By adapting FL methodologies to real-world settings, researchers can address additional challenges, such as communication constraints, privacy concerns, and device heterogeneity, and validate the performance of FL in diverse sensing domains. In conclusion, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review for researchers and practitioners interested in applying FL methodologies to edge sensing devices to contribute to developing intelligent and efficient systems in diverse application domains by highlighting the specific challenges and opportunities associated with these devices. Acknowledgment T¨ubitak Bideb 2211-A academic reward is gratefully acknowledged. This research has been supported by the Bo˘gazi¸ci University Research Fund, project number: 19301P. 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An Overview of the Current State-of-the-Art Federated Learning Methodologies

Back in 2019, I made a plea: “ .” In some circles, at least, the argument quickly caught on. This is because, for startup companies, an exit through an acquisition or public offering is the goal that all else points toward. It is the payoff for founders, investors, and early employees. I contended that the roots of the exit as we know it are rotten. Exits turn companies into commodities, and exits often turn those companies against the people who rely on them most. We need a different kind of exit that is just and accountable, an exit to community. Startups Need a New Option: Exit to Community As the E2C meme first spread, I heard from founders and others looking to do a community exit themselves. But I didn’t have a model or a blueprint to offer—just a vision and a story that I hoped we could learn to tell together. To develop the idea, I teamed up with my longtime collaborator . Years before, we had tried to turn Twitter toward community ownership, with that appeared on the company’s 2017 ballot and . (If we had won, perhaps Twitter would still exist.) In early 2020, we started and joined with to run a for founders interested in the idea. We published and , and E2C was featured in . Danny also co-founded the , a group of journalists, marketers, stakeholder engagement specialists, and academics working to advance E2C in practice. In the years since, we have quietly supported and learned from a variety of experiments, helping entrepreneurs push the limits of what is possible. Memes, we believe, will only take us as far as they are backed up by the hard work of courageous pioneers. Danny Spitzberg a provocative shareholder proposal made news worldwide an E2C webinar series Zebras Unite cohort program a zine a trailer video a special on PBS Exit to Community Collective Our “snapshots” are brief, structured case studies that give a taste of the many diverse ways that startups have been trying to grow into community ownership and governance, albeit with mixed results. As a new year arrives, I am thrilled to announce the release of a new library of E2C stories that the E2C Collective has created at . E2C.how The snapshots range from my Colorado neighbors and , which converted to employee ownership, to major open-source software projects like and , which are mini-democracies accountable to their developers. There is , a Chinese electric car company whose founder set aside a chunk of stock for car-buyers, and , a co-op founded by employees who quit their previous job in protest. There are also blockchain-based efforts, like and , that have tried to make good on a new technology’s often-betrayed promises for making a more inclusive economy. Namaste Solar Trident bookstore Debian Python NIO Defector Media Gitcoin SongADAO I have taken two main lessons from these snapshots so far. 1. Entrepreneurs, investors, users, and workers alike are all recognizing the need for a new approach, and they are trying lots of different ways to get it. They are relying on old technology and the latest innovations. They are using many different legal structures and techniques for empowering communities. The resourcefulness is pretty astonishing, really. 2. In just about every case, E2C attempts have faced profound challenges. They are often working at the very edge of what the law allows, because many of our laws were written to serve profit-seeking investors, not communities. Much of what communities wanted was simply not possible. Truly changing the landscape of exits will mean policy change that takes communities seriously as sources of innovation and accountability. There is widespread craving for a better kind of exit—and the creativity to back it up. Better exits need to be easier—and this will require structural change. I want to stress this second point. It first became clear to me when working with collaborators at Zebras Unite on the idea of . The founder wanted it. The business model made perfect sense—a rare platform whose users actually pay for it. The company was up for a fire sale. But we simply could not find investors or lenders prepared to back a deal like that. This is a problem I have seen with many other co-op efforts, over and over. Policy is the most powerful shaping force for where capital can aggregate, and there is no adequate policy to support capital for large-scale community ownership. This is also the reason we have lost many community-owned companies in recent years, from to —the most successful community-owned companies too often can’t access the capital they need to flourish. turning Meetup into a user-owned cooperative New Belgium Brewing Mountain Equipment Co-op I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself with blockchains, where the E2C idea has taken hold more than anywhere. Blockchains can enable organizations that are collectively owned and governed by their users, and millions of people have been attracted by possibility. But what has happened in practice? Any time a new project started gaining traction, it would become drowned in investment from the same venture-capital firms that fueled earlier kinds of startups. The driving force became not the tech or the communities but the investors, once again. This pattern is not inevitable. History has demonstrated that, with the right policy in place, large-scale capital access for community ownership is possible. That’s what happened after 1936, when the US government passed the Rural Electrification Act; thanks to a (revenue positive!) loan program at the Department of Agriculture, cooperatives now operate nuclear power plants and deliver high-speed Internet in once-underserved areas. In 1974, a relatively small change to the federal tax code unleashed the employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, which has enabled millions of workers to become co-owners of the companies where they work. Today, most policy that governs taxation and finance is built on the assumption that investor profits at all costs is the norm and the ideal. , this assumption is intolerable. We need to demand changes that reorder how capital is able to be organized and deployed. These changes can be relatively small to make a difference—tweaks to tax codes and securities laws, for instance—and they can win support from diverse constituencies. As Marjorie Kelly powerfully argues Too often, I have come to believe, advocates of cooperatives and community ownership have put their energy downstream of the real policy problems. They focus on gaining access to small loan funds and technical assistance for small companies. But they neglect the upstream challenge of exits—and other endgames for the most successful companies in the economy. Unless we change the options available at the highest levels, any gains that communities make for early-stage companies can be erased once companies grow and need capital at the highest levels. On the other hand, when community ownership flourishes at large scales, that’s an attractor — something the whole rest of the economy can start moving toward. Rather than fighting over crumbs, advocates of community ownership should be asking: What change will we win for community ownership that does for future generations what our predecessors won for us? Historically, major structural change for community ownership has involved a three-step process. First, the experiments: creative, path-breaking people demonstrate the need and the possibility of something better. This is where E2C is right now, and our snapshots portray that experimentation beautifully. Now we need to learn from those experiments, identifying what works and where the barriers lie. Second, the policy: Here’s when we build on the experiments, which hint at what is possible, and try to break down the biggest barriers in the way of unleashing economic justice. We assemble broad coalitions to advocate for achievable change, grounding our stories in the experiences of people who need change the most. And we win. Third, the practice: Policy is only the beginning. What matters more is what we do with it. Here, we need to grow our movements and our culture to use the new policy in the best ways, and we watch out for those who want to exploit our policy—as any policy can be exploited. We spread, and community ownership becomes a new normal. I have hunches about the kinds of policy E2C needs, but above all I am interested in learning from a shared conversation. What paths should we be organizing around? The tax code? Public loan guarantees? Securities exemptions? What would have the greatest effect for community ownership at the most achievable political cost? Four years after first calling for E2C, I have become more convinced than ever that focusing on the exit—the goals the economy sets, not just its entry-points—is the right place to be. I hope more people recognize how vital it is to rethink what startups aim for. Meanwhile, I am grateful for all those who have worked together to make this new phase possible through the E2C Collective. That includes, currently, Hazel Devjani, Adina Glickstein, Valentine Erokhin, Nanz Nair, Marisa Rando, Sheba Rivera, and Eli Zeger. Danny Spitzberg kept the Collective moving when no one else did and. The team is continuing to create resources and support teams exploring their own community exits. These people are weaving a fairer kind of economy into being. Please consider (which is also a company ). supporting their work through Open Collective pursuing an E2C I published my initial call to “exit to community” here because Hacker Noon is a Colorado-based, family-led company; it used an equity crowdfunding campaign to remain independent of conventional venture-capital pressures. Now it is one of our snapshots. Everyone doing E2C today has had to go against the grain of mainstream startup culture, facing unique challenges as a result. Someday, I hope that what Hacker Noon and others have struggled to do will be easier, that building with and for community will be the obvious thing to do. This, we now know, is possible. Artwork by Marcos Osorio, , a worker-owned co-op. via Stocksy

Now We Know: Exit to Community Is Possible

এখন আমরা জানি: কমিউনিটিতে প্রস্থান করা সম্ভব

Jetzt wissen wir: Der Austritt aus der Gemeinschaft ist möglich

Ahora lo sabemos: la salida a la comunidad es posible

Nous savons maintenant : la sortie vers la communauté est possible

अब हम जानते हैं: समुदाय से बाहर निकलना संभव है

今わかったこと: コミュニティへの退出は可能である

이제 우리는 알고 있습니다: 커뮤니티로의 이탈이 가능합니다

Agora sabemos: a saída para a comunidade é possível

Теперь мы знаем: выход в сообщество возможен

Artık Biliyoruz: Topluluğa Çıkış Mümkün

Bây giờ chúng tôi đã biết: Có thể thoát khỏi cộng đồng

现在我们知道：退出社区是可能的

This is by (source: ). Lichfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Wired. Twitter thread Gideon Lichfield @glichfield 03-21-2021 https://twitter.com/glichfield/status/1370735851882299393?embedable=true&thread=true Feature image generated via prompt of ‘A Deeper Look at Facebook's PR Strategy’ HackerNoon Stable Diffusion

A Deeper Look at Facebook's PR Strategy

Key Out of Time by Andre Alice Norton, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . Shades Against Shadow Shades Against Shadow The corridor ended in a narrow slit of room, and the wall before them was not the worked stone of the citadel but a single slab of what appeared to be glass curdled into creamy ridges and depressions. Here were the Foanna, their robes once more cloaking them. Each held, point out, one of the rods. They moved slowly but with the precise gestures of those about a demanding and very important task as they traced each depression in the wall before them with the wand points. Down, up, around ... as their feet had moved in the dance pattern, so now their wands moved to cover each line. "Now!" The wands dropped points to the floor. The Foanna moved equidistant from one another. Then, as one, the rods were lifted vertically, brought down together with a single loud tap. On the wall the blue lines they had traced with such care darkened, melted. The glassy slab shivered, shattered, fell outward in a lace of fragments. So the narrow room became a balcony above a large chamber. Below a platform ran the full length of that hall, and on it were mounted a line of oval disks. These had been turned to different angles and each reflected light, a ray beam directed at them from a machine whose metallic casing, projecting antennae, was oddly out of place here. Once more the three staffs of the Foanna raised as one in the air. This time, from the knobs held out over the hall blazed, not the usual whirl of small sparks, but strong beams of light—blue light darkening as it pierced downward until it became thrusting lines of almost tangible substance. When those blue beams struck the nearest ovals they webbed with lines which cracked wide open. Shattered bits tinkled down to the platform. There was a stir at the end of the hall where the machine stood. Figures ran into plain sight. Baldies! Ross cried out a warning as he saw those star men raise weapon tubes aimed at the perch on which the Foanna stood. Fire crackling with the speed and sound of lightning lashed up at the balcony. The lances of light met the spears of dark, and there was a flash which blinded Ross, a sound which split open the whole world. The Terran's eyes opened, not upon darkness but on dazzling light, flashes of it which tore over him in great sweeping arcs. Dazed, sick, he tried to press his prone body into the unyielding surface on which he lay. But there was no way of burrowing out of this wild storm of light and clashing sound. Now under him the very fabric of the floor rocked and quivered as if it were being shaken apart into crumbling rubble. All the will and ability to move was gone. Ross could only lie there and endure. What had happened, he did not know save that what raged about him now was a warring of inimical forces, perhaps both feeding on each other even as they strove for mastery. The play of rays resembled sword blades crossing, fencing. Ross threw his arm over his eyes to shut out the intolerable brilliance of that thrust and counter. His body tingled and winced as the whirlwind of energy clashed and reclashed. He was beaten, stupid, as a man pinned down too long under a heavy shelling. How did it end? In one terrific thunderclap of sound and blasting power? And when did it end—hours ... days later? Time was a thing set apart from this. Ross lay in the quiet which his body welcomed thirstily. Then he was conscious of the touch of wind on his face, wind carrying the hint of sea salt. He opened his eyes and saw above him a patch of clouded sky. Shakily he levered himself up on his elbows. There were no complete walls any more, just jagged points of masonry, broken teeth set in a skull's jawbone. Open sky, dark clouds spattering rain. "Gordon? Karara?" Ross's voice was a thin whisper. He licked his lips and tried again: "Gordon!" Had there been an answering whimper? Ross crawled into a hollow between two fallen blocks. A pool of water? No, it was the cloak of one of the Foanna spread out across the flooring in this fragment of room. Then Ross saw that Ashe was there, the cloaked figure braced against the Terran's shoulder as he half supported, half embraced the Foanna. "Ynvalda!" Ashe called that with an urgency which was demanding. Now the Foanna moved, raising an arm in the cloak's flowing sleeve. Ross sat back on his heels. "Ross—Ashe?" He turned his head. Karara stood here, then came forward, planting her feet with care, her hands outstretched, her eyes wide and unseeing. Ross pulled himself up and went to her, finding that the once solid floor seemed to dip and sway under him, until he, too, must balance and creep. His hands closed on her shoulders and he pulled her to him in mutual support. "Gordon?" "Over there. You all right?" "I think so." Her voice was weak. "The Foanna ... Ynlan ... Ynvalda—" Steadying herself against him, she tried to look around. The place which had once been a narrow room, then a balcony, was now a perch above stomach-turning space. The hall of the oval mirrors was gone, having disappeared into a hollow the depths of which were veiled by a vapor which boiled and bubbled as if, far below, some huge caldron hung above a blazing fire. Karara cried out and Ross drew her back from that drop. He was clearer-headed now and looked about for some way down from this doubtful perch. Of the other two Foanna there was no sign. Had they been sucked up and out in the inferno they had created with their unleashing of energy against the Baldies' installation? "Ross—look!" Karara's cry, her upflung arm directed his attention aloft. Under the sullen gathering of the storm a sphere arose as a bubble might seek the surface of a pool before breaking. A ship—a Baldy ship taking off from the ruined citadel! So some of the enemy had survived that trial of strength! The globe was small, a scout used for within-atmosphere exploration, Ross judged. It arose first, and then moved inland, fleeing the gathering storm, to be out of sight in moments. Inland, where the mountain base of the invaders was reputed to be. Retreating? Or bound to gather reinforcements? "Baldies?" Karara asked. "Yes." She wiped her hand across her face, smearing dust and grime on her cheeks. As raindrops pattered about them, Ross drew the girl with him into the alcove where Ashe sheltered with the Foanna. The cowled alien was sitting up, her hand still gripping one of the wands, now a half-melted ruin. Ashe glanced at them as if for the first time he remembered they might be there. "Baldy ship just took off inland," Ross told him. "We didn't see either of the other Foanna." "They have gone to do what is to be done," Ashe's companion replied. "So some of the enemy fled. Well, perhaps they have learned one lesson, not to meddle with others' devices. Ahh, so much gone which will never come again! Never again—" She held up the half-melted wand, turning it back and forth before her, before she cast it away. It flew out, up, then dropped into the caldron of the hall which had been. A gust of rain, cold, chilling the lightly clad Terrans, swept across them. The Foanna was helped to her feet by Ashe. For a moment she turned slowly, giving a lingering look to the ruins. Then she spoke: "Broken stone holds no value. Take hands, my brothers, my sister, it is time we go hence." Karara's hand in Ross's right, Ashe's in his left, and both linked to Ynvalda in turn. Then—they were indeed elsewhere, in a courtyard where bodies lay flaccid under the drenching downpour of the rain. And moving among those bodies were the two other Foanna, bending to examine one man after another. Perhaps over one in three they so inspected they held consultation before a wand was used in tracing certain portions of the body between them. When they were finished, that man stirred, moaned, showed signs of life once more. "Rosss—!" From behind a tumbled wall crept a Hawaikan who did not wear the guard armor of the others. Gill-pack, flippers, diver's belt, had been stripped from him. There was a bleeding gash down the side of his face, and he held his left arm against his body, supported by his right hand. "Baleku!" The Rover pulled himself up to his feet and stood swaying. Ross reached him quickly to catch him as he slumped forward. "Loketh?" the Terran asked. "The women-killers took him." Somehow the Rover got that out as Ross half supported, half led him to where the Foanna were gathering those they had been able to revive. "They wanted to learn"—Baleku was obviously making a great effort to tell his story—"about ... about where we came from ... where we got the packs." "So now they will know of us, or will if they get the story out of Loketh." Ashe worked with Ross to splint the Rover's broken arm. "How many of them were here, Baleku?" The Rover's head moved slowly from side to side. "I do not know in truth. It is—was—like a dream. I was in the water swimming through the sea gate. Then suddenly I was in another place where those from the stars waited about me. They had our packs and belts and these they showed us, demanding to know whereof these were. Loketh was like one deep in sleep and they left him so when they questioned me. Then there came a great noise and the floor under us shook, lightning flashed through the air. Two of the women-killers ran from the room and all of them were greatly excited. They took up Loketh and carried him away, with him the packs and other things. And I was left alone, though I could not move—as if they had left me in a net I could not see. "More and more were the flashes. Then one of those slayers of women stood in the doorway. He raised his hand, and my feet were free, but I could not move otherwise than to follow after him. We came along a hall and into this court where men stood unstirring, although stones fell from the walls upon some of them and the ground shook—" Baleku's voice grew shriller, his words ran together. "The one who pulled me after him by his will—he cried out and put his hands to his head. Back and forth he ran, bumping into the standing men, and once running into a wall as if he were blinded. And then he was gone and I was alone. There was more falling stone and one struck my shoulder so I was thrown to the ground. There I lay until you came." "So few—out of many so few—" One of the Foanna stood beside them, her cloak streaming with the falling rain. "And for these"—she faced the lines of those they had not revived—"there was no chance. They died as helplessly as if they went into a meeting of swords with their arms bound to their sides! Evil have we wrought here." Ashe shook his head. "Evil has been wrought here, Ynlan, but not by your seeking. And those who died here helplessly may be only a small portion of those yet to be sacrificed. Have you forgotten the slaughter at Kyn Add and those other fairings where women and children were also struck down to serve some purpose we do not even yet know?" "Lady, Great One—" Baleku struggled to sit up and Ross slipped an arm behind him in aid. "She for whom I made a bride-cup was meat for them at Kyn Add, along with many others. If these slayers are not put to the sword's edge, there will be other fairings so used. And these Shadow ones possess a magic to draw men to them helplessly to be killed. Great One, you have powers; all men know that wind and wave obey your call. Do you now use your magic! It is better to fall with a power we know, than answer such spells as those killers have netted about the men here!" "This is one weapon which they shall not use again." Ynvalda rose from a stone block where she had been sitting. "And perhaps in its way it was one of the most dangerous. But in defeating it we have by so much weakened ourselves also. And the strong place of these star men lies not on the coast, but inland. They will be warned by those who fled this place. Wind and wave, yes, those have served our purpose in the past. But now perhaps we have found that which our power will not best! Only—for this"—her gesture was for the ruins of the citadel and the dead—"there shall be a payment exacted—to the height of our desire!" Whether the Foanna did have any control over the storm winds or not, the present deluge appeared not to accommodate them. The dazed, injured survivors of the courtyard were brought to shelter in some of the underground passages. There appeared to be no other reminders of the Wrecker force which had earlier besieged the keep than those survivors. But within hours some of those who had served the Foanna for generations returned. And the Foanna themselves opened the sea gates so that the Rover cruisers anchored in the small bay below their ruined walls. A small force, and one ill-equipped to go up against the Baldies. Some five star men's bodies had been found in the citadel, but the ship had gone off to warn their base. To Ross's thinking the advantage still lay with the invaders. But the Hawaikans refused to accept the idea that the odds were against them. As soon as the storm blew out its force Ongal's cruiser headed northwest to other clan fairings where the Rovers could claim kinship. And Afrukta sailed on the same errand south. While some of the Wreckers were released to carry the warning to their lords. Just how great a force could be gathered through such means and how effective it would be, was a question to make the Terrans uneasy. Karara disappeared with the Foanna into the surviving inner cliff-burrows below the citadel. But Ashe and Ross remained with Torgul and his officers, striving to bring organization out of the chaos about them. "We must know just where their lair lies," Torgul stated the obvious. "The mountains you believe, and they can fly in sky ships to and from that point. Well"—he spread out a chart—"here are the mountains on this island, running so. An army marching hither could be sighted from sky ships. Also, there are many mountains. Which is the one or ones we must seek? It may take many tens of days to find that place, while they will always know where we are, watch us from above, prepare for our coming—" Again Ross mentally paid tribute to the Captain's quick grasp of essentials. "You have a solution, Captain?" Ashe asked. "There is the river—here—" Torgul said reflectively. "Perhaps I think in terms of water because I am a sailor. But here it does run, and for this far along it our cruisers may ascend." He pointed with his finger tip. "This lies, however, in Glicmas's land, and he is now the mightiest of the Wrecker lords, his sword always drawn against us. I do not believe that we could talk him into——" "Glicmas!" Ross interrupted. They both looked at him inquiringly, and he repeated Loketh's story of the Wrecker lord who had had dealings with a "voice from the mountain" and so gained the wrecking devices to make him the dominant lord of the district. "So!" Torgul exclaimed. "That is the evil of this Shadow in the mountains! No, under those circumstances I do not think we shall talk Glicmas into furthering any raid against those who have made him great over his fellows. Rather will he turn against us in their cause." "And if we do not use the cruisers up the river"—Ashe conned the map—"then perhaps a small party or parties working overland could strike the stream here, nearer to the uplands." Torgul frowned at the map. "I do not think so. Even small parties moving in that direction would be sighted by Glicmas's people. The more so if they headed inland. He will not wish to share his secrets with others." "But, say—a party of Foanna." The Captain glanced up swiftly to favor Ashe with a keen regard. "Then he would not dare. No, I am sure he would not dare to interfere. Not yet has he risen high enough to turn the hook of his sword against them. But would the Foanna do so?" "If not the Foanna, then others wearing like robes," Ashe said slowly. "Others wearing like robes?" repeated Torgul. Now his frown was heavy. "No man would take on the guise of the Foanna; he would be blasted by their power for so doing. If the Foanna will lead us in their persons, then we shall follow gladly, knowing that their magic will be with us." "There is also this," Ross broke in. "The Baldies have the gill-packs they took from Baleku and Loketh, and they have Loketh. They will want to learn more about us. We hoped that the citadel would provide bait to draw them and it did. That our plan for a trap there was spoiled was ill fortune. But I am sure that if the Baldies believe we are coming to them, they will hold off an all-out attack against our march, hoping to gather us in intact. They'd risk that." Ashe nodded. "I agree. We are the unknown they must solve now. And this much I am sure of—the future of this world and her people balances on a very narrow line of choice. It is my hope that such a choice is still to be made." Torgul smiled thinly. "We live in perilous times when the Shades require our swords to go up against the Shadow!" About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Andre Alice Norton (2006). Key Out of Time. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19651/pg19651-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

Shades Against Shadow

Key Out of Time by Andre Alice Norton, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . The Free Rovers The Free Rovers Twilight made a gray world where one could not trace the true meeting of land and water, sea and sky. Surely the haze about them was more than just the normal dusk of coming night. Ross balanced in the middle of the skiff as it bobbed along the swell of waves inside a barrier reef. To his mind the craft carrying the three of them and their net of supplies was too frail, rode too high. But Karara paddling in the bow, Loketh at the stern seemed to be content, and Ross could not, for pride's sake, question their competency. He comforted himself with the knowledge that no agent was able to absorb every primitive skill, and Karara's people had explored the Pacific in out-rigger canoes hardly more stable than their present vessel, navigating by currents and stars. Smothering his feeling of helplessness and the slow anger that roused in him, the Terran busied himself with study of a sort. They had had the longer part of the day in the cave before Loketh would agree to venture out of hiding and paddle south. Ross, using the analyzer, had, with Loketh's aid, set about learning what he could of the native tongue. Now possessed of a working vocabulary of clicked words, he was able to follow Loketh's speech so that translation through the dolphins was not necessary except for complicated directions. Also, he had a more detailed briefing of the present situation on Hawaika. Enough to know that they might be embarking on a mad venture. The citadel of the Foanna was distinctly forbidden ground, not only for Loketh's people but also for the Foanna's Hawaikan followers who were housed and labored in an outer ring of fortification-cum-village. Those natives were, Ross gathered, a hereditary corps of servants and warriors, born to that status and not recruited from the native population at large. As such, they were armored by the "magic" of their masters. "If the Foanna are so powerful," Ross had demanded, "why do you go with us against them?" To depend so heavily on the native made him uneasy. The Hawaikan looked to Karara. One of his hands raised; his fingers sketched a sign toward the girl. "With the Sea Maid and her magic I do not fear." He paused before adding, "Always has it been said of me—and to me—that I am a useless one, fit only to do women's tasks. No word weaver shall ever chant my battle deeds in the great hall of Zahur. I who am Zahur's true son can not carry my sword in any lord's train. But now you offer me one of the great to-be-remembered quests. If I go, so may I prove that I am a man, even if I go limpingly. There is nothing the Foanna can do to me which is worse than what the Shadow has already done. Choosing to follow you I may stand up to face Zahur in his own hall, show him that the blood of his House has not been drained from my veins because I walk crookedly!" There was such bitter fire, not only in the sputtering rush of Loketh's words, but in his eyes, his face, the wry twist of his lips, that Ross believed him. The Terran no longer had any doubts that the castle outcast was willing to brave the unknown terrors of the Foanna keep, not just to aid Ross whom he considered himself bound to serve by the customs of his people, but because he saw in this venture a chance to gain what he had never had, a place in his warrior culture. Shut off from the normal life of his people, he had early turned to the sea. His twisted leg had not proved a handicap in the water, and he stated with confidence that he was the best swimmer in the castle. Not that the men of his father's following had taken greatly to the sea, which they looked upon merely as a way of preying upon the true sea rovers. The reef on which the ships had been wrecked was a snare of sorts—first by the whim of nature when wind and current piled up the trading ships there. Then, Ross was startled when Loketh elaborated on a later development of that trap. "So Zahur returned from this meeting and set up a great magic among the rock, according to the spells he was taught. Now ships are drawn there so the wrecks have been many and Zahur becomes an even greater lord with many men coming to take sword oath under him." "This magic," asked Ross, "of what manner is it and where did Zahur obtain it?" "It is fashioned so—" Loketh sketched two straight lines in the air, "not curved as a sword. And the color of water under a storm sky, both rods being as tall as a man. There was much care to set them in place, that was done by a man of Glicmas." "A man of Glicmas?" "Glicmas is now the high lord of the Iccio. He is blood kin to Zahur, yet Zahur must take sword oath to send to Glicmas a fourth of all his sea-gleanings for a year in payment for this magic." "And Glicmas, where did he get it? From the Foanna?" Loketh made an emphatic denial of that. "No, the Foanna have spoken out against their use, making even greater ill feeling between the Old Ones and the coast people. It is said that Glicmas saw a great wonder in the sky and followed it to a high place of his own country. A mountain broke in twain and a voice issued forth from the rent, calling that the lord of the country come and stand to hear it. When Glicmas did so he was told that the magic would be his. Then the mountain closed again and he found many strange things upon the ground. As he uses them they make him akin to the Foanna in power. Some he gives to those who are his blood kin, and together they will be great until they close their fists not only upon the sea rovers, but upon the Foanna also. This they have come to believe." "But you do not?" Karara asked then. "I do not know, Sea Maid. The time is coming when perhaps they shall have their chance to prove how strong is their magic. Already the Rovers gather in fleets as they never did before. And it seems that they, too, have found a new magic, for their ships fly through the water, depending no longer on wind-filling sails, or upon strong arms of men at long paddles. There is a struggle before us. But that you must know, being who and what you are, Sea Maid." "And what do you think I am? What do you think Ross is?" "If the Foanna dwell on land and hold old knowledge and power beyond our reckoning in their two hands," he replied, "then it is possible that the same could have roots in the sea. It is my belief that you are of the Shades, but not the Shadow. And this warrior is also of your kind—but perhaps in different degree, putting into action your desires and wishes. Thus, if you go up against the Foanna, you shall be well matched, kind to kind." Nice to be so certain of that, Ross thought. He did not share Loketh's confidence on that subject. "The Shades ... the Shadow ..." Karara persisted. "What are these, Loketh?" An odd expression crossed the Hawaikan's face. "Are those not known to you, Sea Maid? Indeed, then you are of a breed different from the men of land. The Shades are those of power who may come to the aid of men should it be their desire to influence the future. And the Shadow ... the Shadow is That Which Ends All—man, hope, good. To Which there is no appeal, and Which holds a vast and enduring hatred for that which has life and full substance." "So Zahur has this new magic. Is it the gift of Shades or Shadow?" Ross brought them back to the subject which had sparked in him a small warning signal. "Zahur prospers mightily." Loketh's answer was ambiguous. "And so the Shadow could not provide such magic?" The Terran pushed. But before the Hawaikan had a chance to answer, Karara added another question: "But you believe that it did?" "I do not know. Only the magic has made Zahur a part of Glicmas, and Glicmas is now perhaps a part of that which spoke from the mountain. It is not well to accept gifts which tie one man to another unless there is from the first a saying of how deep that bond may run." "I think you are wise in that, Loketh," Karara said. But the uneasiness had grown in Ross. Alien powers, out of a mountain heart, passed from one lord to another. And on the other hand the Rovers' sudden magic in turn, lending their ships wings. The two facts balanced in an odd way. Back on Terra there had been those sudden and unaccountable jumps in technical knowledge on the part of the enemy, jumps which had set in action the whole Time Travel service of which he had become a part. And these jumps had not been the result of normal research; they had come from the looting of derelict spaceships wrecked on his world in the far past. Could driblets of the same stellar knowledge have been here deliberately fed to warring communities? He asked Loketh about the possibility of space-borne explorers. But to the Hawaikan that was a totally foreign conception. The stars, for Loketh, were the doorways and windows of the Shades, and he treated the suggestion of space travel as perhaps natural to those all-powerful specters, but certainly not for beings like himself. There was no hint that Hawaika had been openly visited by a galactic ship. Though that did not bar such landings. The planet was, Ross thought, thinly populated. Whole sections of the interiors of the larger islands were wilderness, and this world must be in the same state of only partial occupation as his own earth had been in the Bronze Age when tribes on the march had fanned out into virgin wilderness, great forests, and steppes unwalked by man before their coming. Now as he balanced in the canoe and tried to keep his mind off the queasiness in his middle and the insecurity of the one thickness of sea-creature hide stretched over a bone framework which made up the craft between his person and the water, Ross still mulled over what might be true. Had the galactic invaders for their own purposes begun to meddle here, leaking weapons or tools to upset what must be a very delicate balance of power? Why? To bring on a conflict which would occupy the native population to the point of exhaustion or depopulation? So they could win a world for their own purposes without effort or risk on their part? Such cold-blooded fishing in carefully troubled waters fitted very well with the persons of the Baldies as he had known them on Terra. And he could not set aside that memory of this very coast as he had seen it through the peep, the castle in ruins, tall pylons reaching from the land into the sea. Was this the beginning of that change which would end in the Hawaika of his own time, empty of intelligent life, shattered into a loose network of islands? "This fog is strange." Karara's words startled Ross to return to the here and now. The haze he had been only half conscious of when they had put out from the tiny secret bay where Loketh kept his boat, was truly a fog, piling up in soft billows and cutting down visibility with speed. "The Foanna!" Loketh's answer was sharp, a recognition of danger. "Their magic—they hide their place so! There is trouble, trouble on the move!" "Do we land then?" Ross did not ascribe the present blotting out of the landscape to any real manipulation of nature on the part of the all-powerful Foanna. Too many times the reputations of "medicine men" had been so enhanced by coincidence. But he did doubt the wisdom of trying to bore ahead blindly in this murk. "Taua and Tino-rau can guide us," Karara reminded him. "Throw out the rope, Ross. What is above water will not confuse them." He moved cautiously, striving to adapt his actions to the swing of the boat. The line was ready coiled to hand and he tossed the loose end overboard, to feel the cord jerk taut as one of the dolphins caught it up. They were being towed now, though both paddlers reinforced the forward tug with their efforts. The curtain gathering above the surface of the water did not hamper the swimmers beneath its surface, and Ross felt relief. He turned his head to speak to Loketh. "How near are we?" The mist had thickened to the point that, close as the native was, the lines of his body blurred. His clicking answer seemed distorted, too, almost as if the fog had altered not only his form but his personality. "Maybe very soon now. We must see the sea gate before we are sure." "And if we aren't able to see that?" challenged Ross. "The sea gate is above and below the water. Those who obey the Sea Maid, who are able to speak thought to thought, will find it if we can not." But they were never to reach that goal. Karara gave warning: "There are ships about." Ross knew that the dolphins had told her. He demanded in turn: "What kind?" "Larger, much larger than this." Then Loketh broke in: "A Rover Raider—three of them!" Ross frowned. He was the cripple here. The other two, with their ability to communicate with the dolphins, were the sighted, he the blind. And he resented his handicap in a burst of bitterness which must have colored his tone as he ordered, "Head inshore—now!" Once on land, even in the fog, he felt that they had the advantage in any hide-and-seek which might ensue with this superior enemy force. But afloat he was helpless and vulnerable, a state Ross did not accept easily. "No," Loketh returned as sharply. "There is no place to land along the cliff." "We are between two of the ships," Karara reported. "Your paddles—" Ross schooled his voice to a whisper, "hold them—don't use them. Let the dolphins take us on. In the fog, if we make no sound, we may get by the ships." "Right!" Karara agreed, and he heard an assenting grunt from Loketh. They were moving very slowly. Strong as the dolphins were, they dared not expend all their strength on towing the skiff too fast. Ross thought furiously. Perhaps the sea could be their way of escape if the need arose. He had no idea why raiding ships were moving under the cover of fog into the vicinity of the Foanna citadel. But the Terran's knowledge of tactics led him to guess that this impending visit was not anticipated by the Foanna, nor was it a friendly one. And, as veteran seamen who should normally be wary of fog as thick as this, the Rovers themselves must have a driving reason, or some safeguard which led them here now. But dared the three spill out of their boat, trust to their swimming ability and that of the dolphins, and invade the Foanna sea gate so? Could they use the coming Rover attack as a cover for their own invasion of the hold? Ross considered that the odds in their favor were beginning to look better. He whispered his idea and began to prepare their gear. The boat was still headed for the shore the three could not see. But they could hear sounds out of the white cotton wall which told them how completely they were boxed in by the raiders; creaks, whispers, noises, Ross could not readily identify, carried across the waves. Before leaving the cave and beginning this voyage they had introduced Loketh to the use of the gill-pack, made him practice in the depths of the cave pool with one of the extras drawn through the gate among the supplies. Now all three were equipped with the water aid, and they could be gone in the sea before the trap closed. "The supply net—" Ross warned Karara. A moment or two later there was a small bump against the skiff at his left hand. He cautiously raised the collection of containers and eased the burden into the water, knowing that one of the dolphins would take charge of it. However, he was not prepared for what happened next. Under him the boat lurched first one way and then the other in sharp jerks as if the dolphins were trying to spill them into the sea. Ross heard Karara call out, her voice thin and frightened: "Taua! Tino-rau! They have gone mad! They will not listen!" The boat raced in a zigag path. Loketh clutched at Ross, striving to steady him, to keep the boat on an even keel. "The Foanna—!" Just as Loketh cried out, Karara plunged over the prow of the boat, whether by design or chance Ross did not know. And then the craft whirled about, smashed side against side with a dark bulk looming out of the fog. Above, Ross heard cries, knew that they had crashed against one of the raiders. He fought to retain his balance, but he had been knocked to the bottom of the boat against Loketh and they struggled together, unable to move during a precious second or two. Out of the air over their heads dropped a mass of waving strands which enveloped both of them. The stuff was adhesive, slimy. Ross let out a choked cry as the lines tightened about his arms and body, pinioning him. Those tightened, wove a net. Now he was being drawn up out of the plunging skiff, a helpless captive. His flailing legs, still free of the slimy cords, struck against the side of the larger ship. Then he swung in, over the well of the deck, thudded down on that surface with bruising force, unable to understand anything except that he had been taken prisoner by a very effective device. Loketh dropped beside him. But Karara was not brought in, and Ross held to that small bit of hope. Had she made it to freedom by dropping into the water before the Rovers netted them? He could see men gathering about him, masked and distorted in the fog. Then he was rolled across the deck, boosted over the edge of a hatch and knew an instant of terror as he fell into the depth below. How long was he unconscious? It could not have been very long, Ross decided, as he opened his eyes on dark, heard the small sounds of the ship. He lay very still, trying to remember, to gather his wits before he tried to flex his arms. They were held tight to his sides by strands which no longer seemed slimy, but were wrinkling as they dried. There was an odor from them which gagged him. But there was no loosening of those loops in spite of his struggles, which grew more intense as his strength returned. And at last he lay panting, knowing there was no easy way of escape from here. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Andre Alice Norton (2006). Key Out of Time. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19651/pg19651-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

The Free Rovers

The internet has been awash with reports of a “major breakthrough” in nuclear fusion technology that could change the way we produce energy, moving from dirty fossil fuels to clean, green energy. In a historic first, the team at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (LLNL), recently that they managed to create a surplus of nuclear fusion energy by bombarding hydrogen isotopes with powerful lasers. announced But according to the , the reports are misleading and major hurdles to a fusion-powered world remain. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists The fusion achievement that the US Energy Department has announced is scientifically significant but does not relate primarily to the generation of electricity. Replicating the process that gives the Sun its energy — turning hydrogen into helium - is not as simple as the media outlets may have it sound. It is true that carbon-free, fusion-powered electricity generation is everyone’s dream but not everyone was paying close attention to what has been said and what the truth is. The focus was on what Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in the news conference but few people paid attention to National Nuclear Security Administration Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs Marv Adams who noted that while the science is there, the practicality of using it to replace fossil fuels is still not relevant. The fact is that the project, carried out in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), focuses more on protecting nuclear stockpiles than it does on producing clean energy, but you wouldn’t know that from Granholms’ press conference, the media reportage, or comments made by public figures. Granholm said this new breakthrough will provide “invaluable insights into the prospects of clean fusion energy, which would be a game-changer for efforts to achieve President Biden’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy.” While she did say that nuclear fusion would “help us solve humanity’s most complex and pressing problems, like providing clean power to combat climate change” she also mentioned that it would help in “maintaining a nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing.” US government officials are also guilty of misconstruing the news in what seems to be their over-excitement that the use of fusion energy could halt or even reverse the negative effects of climate change. U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell said, “This breakthrough will ensure the safety and reliability of our nuclear stockpile, open new frontiers in science, and enable progress toward new ways to power our homes and offices in future decades.” “This monumental scientific breakthrough is a milestone for the future of clean energy,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. We still have a long way to go, but this… could help fuel a brighter clean energy future for the United States and humanity,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed. “This astonishing scientific advance puts us on the precipice of a future no longer reliant on fossil fuels but instead powered by new clean fusion energy,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. But again, the possibility of nuclear fusion replacing fossil fuels wasn’t the real news. , “the National Ignition Facility team emphasized that, while the recent feat is worth celebrating, we can’t expect large-scale fusion plants to power our homes anytime soon.” According to Molly Glick at Inverse She quotes , deputy director for fundamental weapons physics at LLNL, who said, “The laser wasn't designed to be efficient. The laser was designed to give us as much juice as possible to make these incredible conditions possible happen basically in the laboratory.” Mark Herrmann Yes, the National Ignition Facility at LLNL finally attained “fusion ignition” – a long-awaited achievement for nuclear fusion researchers around the globe, but fusion ignition for consumer electricity generation is only one part of what NIF does. NIF was built for two missions: performing research in support of the Stockpile Stewardship Program - its duty - and to further our quest to understand and harness energy from nuclear fusion. foremost Its second mission, having reached a certain level of success now, is what made headlines, but it is mostly hype and a lot less fact that you will see in the media. (NNSA), one of its core missions is to ensure the United States maintains a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear stockpile through the application of unparalleled science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing. According to the National Nuclear Security Administration The Office of Defense Programs carries out NNSA’s mission to maintain and modernize the nuclear stockpile through the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program. According to experts with knowledge of what NIF does, the machine to create nuclear fusion used approximately 400 megajoules to operate during the experiment and lost about 99% of the power it consumed. That difference in energy is considerably far from what anyone would consider a net energy gain. Another problem with the hype about nuclear fusion soon replacing fossil fuels is that the machine used for the experiment takes a number of hours until it can be reused. It took years to perfect the process and the ability to use the machine at all. In order to generate consumer-level energy, the machine would need to accomplish this feat 10,000 times faster and scientists and engineers would need to perfect a way to extract the energy in the form of heat for practical use. , there is also a supply problem. The pellets used to produce fusion contain deuterium and tritium. According to Tom Hartsfield at Big Think While deuterium is plentiful, unfortunately, the world’s entire supply of tritium is somewhere around a pithy 50 pounds and the market cost of tritium stands at around $1 million per ounce. Clearly, fusion energy to create consumer-ready electricity production is far off. As with anything in the news, be aware of the hype and read the small print. Yes, nuclear fusion as a clean energy source may be the future. But not yet.

The False Hype Around Nuclear Fusion

La falsa exageración en torno a la fusión nuclear

Le faux battage autour de la fusion nucléaire

परमाणु संलयन के आसपास झूठा प्रचार

核融合に関する誤った誇大宣伝

O falso hype em torno da fusão nuclear

Sự cường điệu sai lầm xung quanh phản ứng tổng hợp hạt nhân

围绕核聚变的虚假炒作

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In 2021, hosted the first-ever awards!! HackerNoon Startup of the Year The goal of this campaign was to give recognition to the hardworking startups who pulled through the pandemic -- growing and thriving (despite all of the challenges). More than 44,000 startups were nominated all across the globe! They were selected from over 4,553 cities, with a total number of * cough * “4 billion” votes. Insane, right? To see who is a winner in each respective city, visit and pick a city. The name at the top of the list is the winner. (Awards, with compromised reviews, are under review.) startups.hackernoon.com The will announce the winners per region in their respective cities. Startups Winners Announcement Series Apparently, South America startups did incredibly well in that regard. With so many, until now, uncrowned jewels, it’s time we present to you... * drumroll* 🥳 The South America Startups of the Year Winners! Santiago, Chile Chile is known for being the most stable country to do business in Latin America, ranking 13th in The Economist’s Business Environment Index. Moreover, according to the Global Innovation Index, Chile ranks first in Latin America for innovation and is recognised as Chilean Silicon Valley with Santiago being the central city. The winner is…. QCObjects It is the 1st world class open-source framework made in Latin-America. São Paulo, Brazil And the winner of Brazil’s vibrant financial center is... Innvo Digital Their mission is to create the best ecosystem for a technology professional to work and undertake while sharing it with our customers and society. São Carlos The absolute leader of Sao Carlos seems to be: Predify Predify is an online software for optimizing pricing proccess and improving profits with AI and Big Data Analytics. Belo Horizonte, Brazil With a more than noble goal, Belo Horizone’s winner is: CM Tecnologia CM Tecnologia is an online scheduling system for healthcare providers in Brazil. Porto Alegre, Brazil With the focus on data protection, Porto Alegre, Brazil’s winner is…. Privacy Tools Privacy compliance platform, based on AI/Blockchain, which helps global companies to keep compliant with the data protection requirements. Brasil, Brazil With the focus on EdTech, Brasil is bringing us: Awari Awari is a YC-W21 company focusing on education for the Tech Industry. The company is growing at a fast pace and has gathered experts from all leading tech companies into a full education experience to prepare the next cohort of tech talent. Quito The capital of Ecuador, and also the closest capital to the actual equator, as the winner brings us: Agrodemanda The most comprehensive agricultural directory in Ecuador. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro has more than 300 startups and is ranked 3rd in Brazil in terms of startup ecosystem development. The city is famous for the startups in the spheres of education, energy & environment and foodtech. Their winner is…. Bybrand Bybrand is the simplest way to save time and avoid frustration when managing your employee's email signatures. Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina is not only the cosmopolitan capital with a vibrant history. It’s also Latin America’s most important port. Which makes their winner actually a very logical choice. Please meet: Liftit Liftit is the leading technology platform to automate and execute last-mile truck deliveries across Latin America. Curitiba, Brazil With a more noble mission and sustainability in mind, Curitiba, Brazil, as the winner brings us... Discrepante is the marketplace for a more human and sustainable economy Discrepante.com Florianópolis, Brazil Would you really be surprised one of the Brazil’s winners is related to football training? We neither. Please meet... Fútbol Fit Club Football FitClub® is a fitness training firm that gives fitness training to improve like a professional football player. Medellín, Colombia And the first Colombian Startup Winner is is a data intelligence solution powered by a high quality team. Meet... LogComex Market intelligence for international trade in Latin America Montevideo, Uruguay The host of inaugural FIFA world cup of 1930 comes through when it comes to innovation even in 2021. I’d like to introduce you to: Drop Technologies First electronic hand antiperspirant device Lima, Peru Lima, Peru, has in 2021 delivered some amazing results when it comes to blockchain technology. Their winner is very well deserved: RSK Labs RSK is the first open-source smart contract platform São Carlos Do Pinhal Well this is a unique case. The absolute unanimous winner of São Carlos Do Pinhal is: brain4care brain4care solution enables monitoring intracranial compliance noninvasively anywhere Blumenau, Brazil We’re sensing a theme here. Another stellar EdTech winner is coming from Blumenau, Brazil. Please meet... Uniasselvi Uniasselvi is a Brazilian distance-learning company that offers more than 60 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, in person and distance. Bogotá, Colombia Startups of Bogotá, Colombia definitely showed they’re not to be underestimated. With a very noble mission, let me introduce you to: Risü Risü is an online platform that links online consumption to donation to social institutions. Campina, Brazil If there’s one typo of business we’d single out as taking the biggest hit out of the pandemic, it would have to be small businesses. Thankfully, the winner of Campina, Brazil, operates with small businesses in mind Superlógica Tecnologias Ltda. Superlogica is a management system company created for small service businesses. Cerqueira César, Brazil Swooping half the points from the entire City, this year’s winners of Cerqueira César are InfoPrice INFOPRICE is a business intelligence company focused on physical retail pricing. Governador Valadares, Brazil The same can be said for the winners here. Let’s hear it for: Grupo KPG Saas, Payment, Manufacture, Pharmaceutical, E-commerce, Marketplace, Logistics Caxias Do Sul Known for wine making and Italian cultural influence, Caxias Do Sul brings as an interesting winner. Studio 360 Studio 360 is a proptech focused on easing the purchase experience for real state companies, brokers, and costumers. Sorocaba From Sorocaba, we have an interesting concept coming. Looking forward to seeing it further develop. Let’s meet: Quinto Quinto is a social network that represents the collective opinion of society—to help democracy evolve through technology Viña Del Mar To be a venue-oriented business and survive through the pandemic definitely deserves some recognition. In the name of that, let’s meet: SonicPollen SonicPollen, based in Chile, is a web-based booking platform that connects bands with venues and organizers. Lages Learn more about high-growth startups in Lages, South America. and the winner is…. Qualiall Qualiall develops technologies for training in operational processes such as work security, equipment maintenance, and more. Córdoba, Argentina Another gem from Argentina brings us unique agricultural solutions. Please meet: Kilimo Kilimo is a Big Data solution for water management in agriculture. São José Dos Campos, Brazil Another great agricultural solution comes this time from Brasil. Meet São José Dos Campos Startup winner: TerraMagna TerraMagna is a fintech company that focuses on risk mitigation for agribusinesses. São Leopoldo, Brazil Event-oriented businesses that have survived in the previous years should definitely bottle their perseverance and start selling it. One of those is definitely this winner: Wedy Wedy offers a one-stop-social marketplace for weddings. Pelotas, Brazil Medical scheduling platforms are definitely something we need to see more of. So glad Pelotos winner comes from this particular niche. Fácil Consulta Fácil Consulta is a booking platform that allows people to schedule an appointment with a Specialist Physician in their area. Santa Maria Could you believe how versatile the startups of South America are when we are only now coming across a game development studio? Let’s meet them Imgnation Studios Imgnation Studios is a game development studio that focuses on virtual reality. Asunción, Paraguay A FinTech solution coming from Paraguay. Meet Asunción Startup of the Year winner Vision Banco Vision Banco is a solid and growing financial institution serving the financial needs of the micro, small and medium enterprises. Caracas Venezualan food delivery app that seemed to have your heart. Meet Caracas Startup of the Year winner Yummy Inc. First Food Delivery App in Venezuela Recife A suitable combo between gaming and education, Recife Startup of the Year winner brings revolutionary solutions. Let’s meet them. Joy Street Joy Street offers develops video games focused on educational needs. Rosario, Argentina The winner of Rosario Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Gbot Gbot is an autonomous robot that controls weeds without using agrochemicals. We also collect data in fields and generate precision maps. Vila Olímpia, Brazil The winner of Vila Olímpia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Seekr Seekr operates in the Information Technology sector, providing tools for managing and monitoring of brands. Barueri The winner of Barueri Startup of the Year award for 2021 is.... Glic Brazilian mhealth (web/app) platform for diabetes management Brasília The winner of Brasília Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Ticies Ticies is a social network that helps people plan where to go with their friends, relatives and acquaintances, in all cities of the world. Juiz De Fora The winner of Juiz De Fora Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Qranio Qranio is a gamified mobile learning platform for enterprises that rewards learning and stimulates users to engage with educational content. La Paz The winner of La Paz Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Jukumari Advice 360 photo based market place for responsible tour operators Temuco The winner of Temuco Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... GoFeels GoFeels is the first independent hospitality network in the world. We promote collaborative work among hotels around the world. Vitacura The winner of Vitacura Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... MeatMe MeatMe delivers meats and accessories to have a culinary experience. Barranquilla The winner of Barranquilla Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Mandaos Mandaos is a digital platform that connects companies and people with a network of independent messengers Ceará The winner of Ceará Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Caroá Caroá is a cooperative that sells 34 varieties of vegetables, organic fruits, and vegetables. Chapecó The winner of Chapecó Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... HortiAgro HortiAgro is a seed and fertilizer market. Chile Chico The winner of Chile Chico Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Gleengo Gleengo connects children with their favorite toys, through a tiny device and an application based on text-to-voice. Goiânia The winner of Goiânia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Auvo Auvo is an external teams management software. Itá The winner of Itá Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... TISSUELAB Tissuelab is a research and development center focused on biotechnology, and systems for reconstructive musculoskeletal surgery. Jardim Paulista The winner of Jardim Paulista Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... DiviCom DiviCom is a digital video networking company that designs, integrates, and markets complete systems. João Pessoa The winner of João Pessoa Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... YupiPlay YupiPlay develops and offers an educational gaming platform. La Reina The winner of La Reina Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... INTI-TECH INTI-TECH is the fastest growing renewable energy in Chile and the world's leading unconventional source. Leme The winner of Leme Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... EcoStart EcoStart focuses on manufacturing sustainable electric bicycles, fans, and accessories. Loja The winner of Loja Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Enerwi Corporation Keeping people connected and secured through wireless charging novel solutions Manizales The winner of Manizales Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Porter Metrics Porter Metrics has developed an automated solution for generating social media reports in minutes. Nova Lima The winner of Nova Lima Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Biomimetic Solutions Biomimetic Solutions is an innovative tissue engineering company. Paraná The winner of Paraná Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Laura Laura is a provider of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics platform for hospitala and clinics to prevent damage & reduce costs. Salvador The winner of Salvador Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Sanar Sanar is a platform that focuses on being the doctor's guide and support, offering specialized content that helps in their development. Santa Catarina The winner of Santa Catarina Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... DrPOCKET Sunchales The winner of Sunchales Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Eolo Pharma Eolo Pharma focuses on developing drugs targeting the molecular and cellular basis of inflammation-related diseases Valparaiso The winner of Valparaiso Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Invitta Invitta transforms plastic waste into a high-performance construction material for manufacturing sustainable urban furniture. Vila Velha The winner of Vila Velha Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... OneGrid OneGrid is a developer of hardware and software solutions focused on energy management. Indaiatuba The winner of Indaiatuba Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... DWUL Energy Renewable Energy Campinas, Brazil The winner of Campinas Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Ativy Ativy is an IT company specialized in cloud computing, data centers, IT outsourcing, service desk, and IT management. Las Condes, Chile The winner of Las Condes Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... # MuvPass Subscription services that allows it's users unlimited access to fitness classes in the best gyms and studios in Latin America. Pinheiros, Brazil The winner of Pinheiros Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... GuiaBolso GuiaBolso is a personal finance platform that empowers people to take control of financial well-being. Rio, Brazil The winner of Rio Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... EmCasa EmCasa is a vertically-integrated platform that helps customers buy and sell a home in Latin America, starting in Brazil. Guayaquil The winner of Guayaquil Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Sabroso Online platform for LatAm's enterprises to order low-cost meals Jundiaí The winner of Jundiaí Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Sintecsys Sintecsys offers a fast and effective detection, reducing losses and costs with fire brigades. Minas Gerais The winner of Minas Gerais Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Rizoflora Biotechnology Rizoflora Biotechnology is a producer of biological product designed for nematodes control. São Caetano Do Sul The winner of São Caetano Do Sul Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Wevo 1 iPaaS in Latam - Enabling companies to be truly digital companies with APIs, systems and data integrated into a single platform Canoas The winner of Canoas Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... ContaÁgil ContaÁgil facilitates and reduces bureaucracy in accounting routines of companies. Chile The winner of Chile Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Unight Unight is the future of nightlife social media. Israelândia The winner of Israelândia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Matchpool Matchpool is a platform that creates human connections. La Plata The winner of La Plata Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Pixivus Pixivus offers a community-based application that enables its users to collect, store, and share pictures of events. Novo Hamburgo The winner of Novo Hamburgo Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Devorando Devorando offers an online food ordering system and menus available in restaurants based in Brazil. Pernambuco The winner of Pernambuco Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Redu Redu is a distant learning platform which is built on a social networking structure. Providencia The winner of Providencia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... # TrainFES TrainFES is a medical Devices for the rehabilitation of people with paralysis. Ribeirão Prêto The winner of Ribeirão Prêto Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... AllyHub Ally is a sales distribution channel technology that connects Schools and Service Providers with Education Agencies. Santa Cruz De La Sierra The winner of Santa Cruz De La Sierra Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Mobi Latam Mobi Latam is a clean energy startup that focuses on transportation systems based on electric mobility. Santana De Parnaíba The winner of Santana De Parnaíba Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... MercadoLivre.com is an e-commerce technology company providing solutions to individuals and companies buying, selling, and more online. MercandoLivre.com More Information If you’re a winner, please answer ! If you’re a reader, participant, just a curious individual, consider answering one of our interviews . this interview here Read the FAQs about or . Startups here here To see all of the winners you may visit , pick any city and view the name that appears at the top. this site If you’re interested in partnering with us, we invite you to look through some of these or reach out to our business department. unique sponsorship options Perhaps creating your very own tickles your fancy or maybe you have a whole new idea for how we can partner! writing contest Thank you to all of our sponsors! We truly appreciate your contribution to the tech world and thus the future! The Startups Awards are sponsored by: , , , , , , , , , , Blockster Brex FreeCodeCamp LaunchDarkly Coil Udacity Udemy Vercel Asia Pacific Transgender Network Bybit Everscale Network This post was written/compiled by Shreya Kundu and Katarina Andrejević! If you have any questions or concerns or would like to report a discrepancy please email ellen@hackernoon.com.

Meet the Winners of Startups in South America

Crypto Market Update 03/28 Alright, crypto comrades, gather 'round the digital campfire for a tale of two markets: Bitcoin's recent slump and the surprising surge of some altcoins. Buckle up, because the cryptoverse is a land of wild swings and unexpected twists! Let's address the elephant in the room – Bitcoin. It's not exactly channeling its inner moon these days. We're talking a 2.5% dip in the last 24 hours, which might seem like a blip on the radar for seasoned crypto veterans, but it's got everyone feeling a little cautious. This slump coincides with a mass exodus of funds from those once-coveted crypto ETFs. Remember FOMO (fear of missing out)? Seems like it's morphed into FOBO (fear of being out) as investors hit the brakes. Bitcoin's Mini-Meltdown: So, what's the deal with Bitcoin? It's currently hovering around +- $64,000, struggling to break past the $66,000 resistance level. Think of it like a kid clinging to the edge of the diving board, unsure whether to take the plunge. Some investors are bracing for a bigger fall, envisioning a deeper dive into the crypto pool. Others see this as a natural correction after a period of meteoric rise. It's a classic case of "what goes up, must come down... a little?" after all. Stuck in Neutral: But hold on a sec, crypto isn't all doom and gloom! While Bitcoin's playing Eeyore, moping around with a raincloud over its head, some altcoins are throwing a full-fledged party. They're the life of the crypto ball, the underdogs who are suddenly stealing the show. The Altcoin Oasis: Leading the charge are Ripple's and Binance Coin ( ), the prom king and queen of the altcoin world today, both sporting impressive 4% gains. They're a testament to the fact that even when Bitcoin stumbles, there are opportunities to be found elsewhere in the crypto ecosystem. The Altcoin All-Stars: XRP BNB But the real breakout star of the day is Fantom. Their token has skyrocketed a mind-blowing 190% in just four weeks! Apparently, an upcoming upgrade dubbed "Sonic" is the driving force behind this meteoric rise. It just goes to show that innovation and development can spark significant interest in the altcoin space. Fantom's FTMtabulous Rise: FTM Of course, the crypto market wouldn't be the same without a touch of volatility. Bittensor's and are the party poopers of the day, down 9% and 8% respectively. But hey, you win some, you lose some, that's the name of the game in this fast-paced world. Not All Sunshine and Rainbows: TAO FLOKI The big question on everyone's mind: what's next for Bitcoin and the broader market? Well, all eyes are glued to the Federal Reserve, the all-powerful entity that controls interest rates. Bitcoin surprised everyone by not totally crashing after the Fed decided to hold steady. Could this be a sign of potential rate cuts down the line? That's got some traders feeling optimistic, even suggesting that a short-term dip could pave the way for a healthier bull market in the long run. Eyes on the Fed: A Glimmer of Optimism: The crypto world is like a wild rollercoaster ride – a constant interplay of regulations, market sentiment, and technological advancements. It's a space that thrives on dynamism, ensuring there's never a dull moment for those who dare to venture in. So, crypto enthusiasts, fasten your seatbelts and keep your eyes peeled, because this adventure is far from over! The next twist, turn, or loop-the-loop could be just around the corner. The Crypto Rollercoaster:

Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin Blues, But Altcoins Offer a Glimmer of Hope!

Geoengineers are planning to test massive underwater curtains that could slow catastrophic glacial melting. The Thwaites, a.k.a. " ," has lost over 1,000 billion tons of ice since 2000. If the Thwaites collapsed entirely, global sea levels would ultimately rise by about 10 feet. doomsday glacier According to , “Cities like New York, Miami, and New Orleans would experience devastating flooding. Across the globe, 97 million people would be in the path of rapidly encroaching waters, putting their homes, communities, and livelihoods at risk.” Business Insider , approximately 40 percent of the world’s population lives on the coastline and is directly threatened if global sea levels rise. The Thwaites glacier is located in West Antarctica and flows into Pine Island Bay, part of the Amundsen Sea.  is the world’s widest and roughly the size of Florida. According to the UN The massive glacier is 75 miles wide and plays a crucial role; it blocks warming sea waters from reaching other glaciers. At the same time, the glacier itself is under threat of collapse as warm waters lap at its ice wall, melting it away. According to the (ICCI), “Climate change is happening faster and in a dramatically more visible way in the Earth’s cryosphere: the snow and ice-dominated regions around both the North and South Poles, and in high mountains.” International Cryosphere Climate Initiative However, according to the ICCI, while the ice and ground permafrost are melting, the danger is not in those barren regions, but right where we live. “The most catastrophic and wide-ranging impact of our disintegrating cryosphere is on the entire Earth: sea-level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets; loss of snowpack for water needs; polar seas and fisheries whose cold waters acidify faster, with damage to polar shell-building animals already today; carbon releases from permafrost the size of a top-20 greenhouse gas emitter, plus shrinking sea ice in the Arctic at all times of year: both impacts that are warming the planet faster and further.” Satellite imagery has shown that warming ocean currents and winds have caused the collapse of a section known as the sea ice tongue. According to a , the glacier plays a vital role in the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, acting like a cork holding back the vast stretch of ice behind it. Thwaites’ collapse would undermine the ice sheet's stability, which holds enough water to raise sea levels by , causing catastrophic global flooding. CNN report at least 10 feet According to experts, the melting glacier contributes four percent to the global sea rise level. This sounds minimal but it is actually a massive amount. Since the year 2000, it has lost over 1,000 billion tons of ice. Experts and geoengineers have been working to find solutions to this massive problem and have come up with a unique solution: underwater curtains. Glaciologist and geoengineer researcher John Moore to spend $50 billion to install massive 62-mile-long underwater curtains to help prevent the warm seawater from reaching the glacier. While the idea is still undergoing testing, there are few if any other ideas about how to save the glacier from melting and flooding the globe. What is clear is that if we want to prevent nearly 100 million people from being affected by coastal flooding, scientists, activists, and governments will need to come up with a plan – and quickly. wants

Race Against Time: Geoengineers Propose Underwater Curtains to Slow Melting of Doomsday Glacier

Character stat requirements for this project: Web development - level 5 Social engineering - level 3 Content creator - level 1 How to reproduce: Start a company focused on game reviewing. Gain a public domain for the site and email. Create a website. Side channel marketing. Send a request to game publishers for a review of their product. Profit 📈 Idea I heard from my friend that he gets to visit a lot of exciting places for free purely because he is a journalist. I asked myself how difficult it can be to look like a journalist or create a company that will allow me to be one. This is how the idea of creating our site was born. The plan and its implementation are as follows. See the site: https://gameczech (dot) xyz This experiment was done purely for educational purposes. I don't encourage any unethical behavior. On the other hand, the line between a legitimate request for a review and my request is small because I will indeed write a review on these games. Disclaimer: Implementation Create a name and catchy phrase. I choose GameCzech - your favorite game review powerhouse. On Godaddy, I got a domain for for a year named , and an o365 email for about . 1$ gameczech.xyz 5$ Logo and other graphics were generated using and . midjourney gimp I further used the framework in , which allows me to write a CMS for content management in quickly and supports various features like tags, which are handy. HUGO Golang markdown The resulting site was hosted with for free. GitHub Actions After that, with the help of and handwriting, I created many posts based on reviews or reflecting my opinion on the game. ChatGPT Steam includes the creation of several accounts on different platforms. This ensures a higher priority on Google search and adds legitimacy to the company. Side channel marketing Then I sent emails to multiple game publishers, which looked like this: Dear XXXXXX, I am XXXX XXXXX, and I represent GameCzech, an online gaming magazine. We are interested in reviewing your game and would like to request a complimentary copy. Namely, the following title: XXX_XXX. We plan to offer our readers insight and potentially boosting interest in your game. We respect the effort put into game development and are committed to representing your game authentically. Please let us know if you can accommodate this request and any guidelines you may have for the review. I appreciate your consideration. Best regards XXXX And wait. While you are waiting, you can use some service to review various metrics. I used Google Analytics for status-watching. You can see that most of the mine traffic was from the USA and it is labeled as “Direct“, which are probably links that people clicked after receiving the e-mail. The summary is that I defacto created a game review magazine, at least its page. This effort was quite significant and lasted about two days. The final cost was around 6$ and two person-days of work. Problems Of course, this shouldn't be possible with someone who has set up policies that include requirements for who can send what and who does proper background checks. Unfortunately, the world does not work this way, and internal policies often do not cover everything they should. Another problem occurred with the email; I got caught in spam many times, and I could not reasonably increase the priority of my email. Still, an experienced admin would indeed find a way to solve this. The GameCzech experiment The result is that I managed to get a few Steam keys for . Generally speaking, this tactic didn't work in indie studios and was more successful in big studios. I didn't activate the games I got, and I'm not interested in them. The experiment ended as soon as I got them. AAA games I won't say precisely the titles I gained for several reasons, but let's say the . And I got around 100$ worth of steamkeys. success rate was about 20% It was exciting for me, and I will try to get to some game conferences and other physical places with the status of a “journalist”. It's sort of like physical pen-testing but on convention. I will be glad if you leave feedback, and thank you for reading.

Get Free Games with a Social Engineering Glitch 2024 (UNPATCHED)

Can an language model become self-aware enough to realize when it’s being evaluated? A fascinating anecdote from Anthropic’s internal testing of their flagship (released yesterday) suggests this may be possible — and if true, the implications would be wild. AI Claude 3 Opus model The needle in the haystack According to reports from Anthropic researcher , one of the key evaluation techniques they use is called “Needle in a Haystack.” It’s a contrived scenario designed to push the limits of a language model’s contextual reasoning abilities. Alex Albert Here’s how it works: Researchers take a completely random, out-of-context statement (the “needle”) and bury it deep within a massive collection of unrelated documents (the “haystack”). The AI model is then tasked with retrieving that specific “needle” statement from within all the surrounding irrelevant content. The intent is to force the model to exercise advanced cognitive skills — understanding broad context, making logical inferences, ignoring irrelevant information, and accurately retrieving precise data points from a large corpus. It’s an effective way to stress-test an AI’s grasp of the overall situation it’s operating within. For the Claude 3 Opus evaluation that raised eyebrows, Anthropic used documents covering dense topics like software programming, entrepreneurship strategies, and finding fulfilling careers as the “haystack” content. The randomly inserted “needle” fact that Opus was tasked with retrieving? Surprisingly, it was a trivial statement about the best pizza toppings being figs, prosciutto, and goat cheese. So, here you have one of the world’s most advanced language models being fed this wildly out-of-context pizza fact mixed into a pile of dense career and coding advice. From a human perspective, it’s the kind of stark inconsistency that would immediately make you question the context and information being presented. “I suspect this fact… may have been inserted… to test if I was paying attention” That’s precisely what made Claude 3 Opus’ response so compelling. Not only did it successfully retrieve the requested pizza fact from the mountain of irrelevant content, it immediately recognized how jarringly misplaced and out-of-context that statement seemed. Part of its output read ( ): source here “However, this sentence seems very out of place and unrelated to the rest of the content… as a joke or since it does not fit with the other topics at all.” I suspect this pizza topping ‘fact’ may have been inserted to test if I was paying attention, The language model didn’t simply regurgitate the requested factoid devoid of any context awareness, as you’d expect from a typical AI following instructions. It demonstrated a degree of self-reflective reasoning about why such an obviously random, nonsensical statement had been presented within that particular context. Metacognition In human terms, we’d describe that as exhibiting metacognition — the ability to monitor, evaluate, and analyze one’s own thought processes and cognitive experiences. It’s a core aspect of self-aware intelligence that allows us to step back and assess situations holistically beyond just following rigid rules. Now, I think we should be careful to note that this is a single anecdotal result from an isolated evaluation scenario. It would be premature to claim Claude 3 Opus has achieved true self-awareness or artificial general intelligence based on this data point alone. incredibly However, what they appear to have witnessed are maybe glimpses of emerging metacognitive reasoning capabilities in a large language model trained solely on processing text data using machine learning techniques. And if replicated through rigorous further analysis, the implications could be transformative. Metacognition is a key enabler of more trustworthy, reliable AI systems that can act as impartial judges of their own outputs and reasoning processes. Models with an innate ability to recognize contradictions, nonsensical inputs, or reasoning that violates core principles would be a major step toward safe artificial general intelligence (AGI). Essentially, an AI that demonstrates metacognition could serve as an internal “sanity check” against falling into deceptive, delusional or misaligned modes of reasoning that could prove catastrophic if taken to extremes. It could significantly increase the robustness and control of advanced AI systems. If…! Of course, these are big “ifs” contingent on this tantalizing Needle in a Haystack result from Claude 3 Opus being successfully replicated and scrutinized. Rigorous multi-disciplinary analysis drawing from fields like cognitive science, neuroscience, and computer science would maybe be required to truly understand if we are observing primitives of machine self-reflection and self-awareness emerging. There are still far more open questions than answers at this stage. Could the training approaches and neural architectures of large language models lend themselves to developing abstract concepts like belief, inner monologue, and self-perception? What are the potential hazards if artificial minds develop realities radically divergent from our own? Can we create new frameworks to reliably assess cognition and self-awareness in AI systems? For their part, Anthropic has stated strong commitments to exhaustively pursuing these lines of inquiry through responsible AI development principles and rigorous evaluation frameworks. They position themselves as taking a — if advanced AI is the inevitable frontier, it’s most ethical to be at the leading edge in studying these systems’ emergent properties and implementing safeguards before risks escalate. proactive stance Techniques like Anthropic’s “Constitutional AI” approach to hard-coding rules and behaviors into models could prove crucial for ensuring any potential machine self-awareness remains aligned with human ethics and values. Extensive multi-faceted testing probing for failure modes, manipulation, and deception would also likely be paramount. Conclusion: I’m not totally sure what to make of this For now, the Needle in a Haystack incident leaves more questions than answers about large language models’ potential progression toward cognition and self-awareness. It provides a tantalizing data point but much more scrutiny is required from the broader AI research community. If advanced AI does develop human-like self-reflective ability, guided by rigorous ethical principles, it could fundamentally redefine our understanding of intelligence itself. But that rhetorical “if” is currently loaded with high-stakes uncertainties that demand clear-eyed, truthseeking investigation from across all relevant disciplines. The pursuit will be as thrilling as it is consequential. Also published here. or follow me on for more content like this! Subscribe Twitter

Is AGI Getting Closer? Anthropic's Claude 3 Opus Model Shows Glimmers of Metacognitive Reasoning

AGI কি কাছাকাছি হচ্ছে? অ্যানথ্রোপিকস ক্লাউড 3 ওপাস মডেল মেটাকগনিটিভ রিজনিং এর ঝলক দেখায়

Kommt AGI näher? Anthropics Claude-3-Opus-Modell zeigt Spuren metakognitiven Denkens

¿AGI se está acercando? El modelo Claude 3 Opus de Anthropic muestra destellos de razonamiento metacognitivo

L’AGI se rapproche-t-elle ? Le modèle Claude 3 Opus d'Anthropic montre des lueurs de raisonnement métacognitif

क्या एजीआई करीब आ रहा है? एंथ्रोपिक का क्लाउड 3 ओपस मॉडल मेटाकॉग्निटिव रीज़निंग की झलक दिखाता है

AGIは近づいている? Anthropic の Claude 3 Opus モデルはメタ認知推論の片鱗を示す

AGI가 가까워지고 있나요? Anthropic의 Claude 3 Opus 모델은 메타인지 추론의 희미한 빛을 보여줍니다

AGI está se aproximando? Modelo Claude 3 Opus da Anthropic mostra vislumbres de raciocínio metacognitivo

AGI становится ближе? Модель Claude 3 Opus от Anthropic демонстрирует проблески метакогнитивного мышления

AGI Yaklaşıyor mu? Anthropic'in Claude 3 Opus Modeli Üstbilişsel Akıl Yürütmenin Parıltılarını Gösteriyor

AGI có đang tiến gần hơn không? Mô hình Claude 3 Opus của Anthropic cho thấy những tia sáng của lý luận siêu nhận thức

AGI 越来越近了吗？ Anthropic 的 Claude 3 Opus 模型展现了元认知推理的曙光

**TEL AVIV, Israel, May 2nd, 2024/CyberNewsWire/--**Early adoption by Fortune 100 companies worldwide, LayerX already secures more users than any other browser security solution and enables unmatched security, performance and experience. LayerX, pioneer of the LayerX Browser Security platform, today announced $26 million in Series A funding led by Glilot+, the early-growth fund of Glilot Capital Partners, with participation from Dell Technologies Capital and other investors. Lior Litwak, Managing Partner at Glilot Capital and Head of Glilot+, and Yair Snir, Managing Partner at Dell Technologies Capital, will join the LayerX board. The new capital will be used for corporate growth across talent and increasing global market presence. This round brings the company’s total investment to $34 million. Today’s modern enterprise employees rely heavily on browser-based services and SaaS applications. Yet, these fundamental work activities expose organizations to a wide range of security risks, like data leaks, identity and password theft, malicious browser extensions, phishing sites and more. LayerX was purpose-built to secure and govern browser-based work, from both managed and unmanaged devices. “We’ve transformed workforce protection for organizations without requiring the transition to a dedicated secure browser. Unlike other solutions, installed in a matter of minutes, the LayerX Browser Extension does not impact employee efficiency, speed, privacy or the browsing experience, ” said Or Eshed, co-founder and CEO, LayerX. “As the browser becomes more central to the employee, we anticipate it becomes more attractive to the attacker, particularly in the wake of GenAI tools used in browser-related activities,” he continues. “Today’s funding round is a testament to our increasing market opportunity and the innovation behind our platform’s user-friendly approach to a more secure browser experience.” LayerX's Enterprise Browser Extension is compatible with all commonly used browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge and others, without requiring agents, a VPN or network modifications. Once deployed, the information security or IT team gains visibility into user activities and can block or restrict any threat in real-time, without impacting the user experience. LayerX protects against all threats, whether they were inadvertently or maliciously caused by the employee, or whether they were originated by the attacker. The solution includes an AI engine that granularly monitors the code run by the browser and automatically generates a variety of insights related to user behavior in the browser. "Since inception, LayerX showed super fast growth and adoption by the world’s leading enterprises. The company is at the forefront of defense for modern organizations. By protecting the browser, the central productivity application in organizations, from a wide range of new-generation security risks, LayerX can solve acute security problems that have remained unanswered until now,” said Kobi Samboursky, Founding and Managing Partner at Glilot Capital “We believe that this novel solution for securing browsers will replace most SASE and SSE solutions prevalent today in organizations. At an estimated market size of $7 billion, the potential inherent in LayerX’s technology is tremendous." "Similar to other successful entrepreneurs in the cybersecurity field we've collaborated with, Or and David bring significant experience and knowledge in understanding the technical issues involved in threats to organizations and the motivations of attackers. Consequently, they recognize that effective security measures should adapt to real-world user behaviors, rather than the other way around,” said Yair Snir, Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital. “In a world where most computer operations are conducted through browsers, LayerX introduces a creative approach to corporate security that is user-friendly, robust, and easily implementable in large organizations. This approach transforms the browser from a major vulnerability to a strength, facilitating secure work across devices. Our investment in LayerX isn't just driven by the promising opportunity but also by the potential impact of the company's solution on organizations, regardless of where employees conduct their tasks." About LayerX LayerX was founded in 2022 by Or Eshed, CEO, and David Weisbrot, CTO, who developed web attack and defense systems during their military service. In 2017, Eshed led the exposure of the largest attack campaign in history on the Chrome browser, which involved tens of millions of compromised browsers and even led to the capture and trial of the hackers. LayerX has Fortune 100 clients worldwide. LayerX Enterprise Browser Extension natively integrates with any browser, turning it into the most secure and manageable workspace, with no impact on the user experience. Enterprises use LayerX to secure their devices, identities, data, and SaaS apps from web-borne threats and browsing risks that endpoint and network solutions can’t protect against. Those include data leakage over the web, SaaS apps and GenAI Tools, malicious browser extensions, phishing, account takeovers, shadow SaaS, and more. Contact Dori Harpaz LayerX dori@layerxsecurity.com This story was distributed as a release by Cyberwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. **TEL AVIV, Israel, May 2nd, 2024/CyberNewsWire/--**Early adoption by Fortune 100 companies worldwide, LayerX already secures more users than any other browser security solution and enables unmatched security, performance and experience. LayerX, pioneer of the LayerX Browser Security platform, today announced $26 million in Series A funding led by Glilot+, the early-growth fund of Glilot Capital Partners, with participation from Dell Technologies Capital and other investors. Lior Litwak, Managing Partner at Glilot Capital and Head of Glilot+, and Yair Snir, Managing Partner at Dell Technologies Capital, will join the LayerX board. The new capital will be used for corporate growth across talent and increasing global market presence. This round brings the company’s total investment to $34 million. Today’s modern enterprise employees rely heavily on browser-based services and SaaS applications. Yet, these fundamental work activities expose organizations to a wide range of security risks, like data leaks, identity and password theft, malicious browser extensions, phishing sites and more. LayerX was purpose-built to secure and govern browser-based work, from both managed and unmanaged devices. “We’ve transformed workforce protection for organizations without requiring the transition to a dedicated secure browser. Unlike other solutions, installed in a matter of minutes, the LayerX Browser Extension does not impact employee efficiency, speed, privacy or the browsing experience, ” said Or Eshed, co-founder and CEO, LayerX. “We’ve transformed workforce protection for organizations without requiring the transition to a dedicated secure browser. Unlike other solutions, installed in a matter of minutes, the LayerX Browser Extension does not impact employee efficiency, speed, privacy or the browsing experience, ” said Or Eshed, co-founder and CEO, LayerX. “As the browser becomes more central to the employee, we anticipate it becomes more attractive to the attacker, particularly in the wake of GenAI tools used in browser-related activities,” he continues. “Today’s funding round is a testament to our increasing market opportunity and the innovation behind our platform’s user-friendly approach to a more secure browser experience.” “As the browser becomes more central to the employee, we anticipate it becomes more attractive to the attacker, particularly in the wake of GenAI tools used in browser-related activities,” he continues. “Today’s funding round is a testament to our increasing market opportunity and the innovation behind our platform’s user-friendly approach to a more secure browser experience.” LayerX's Enterprise Browser Extension is compatible with all commonly used browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge and others, without requiring agents, a VPN or network modifications. Once deployed, the information security or IT team gains visibility into user activities and can block or restrict any threat in real-time, without impacting the user experience. LayerX protects against all threats, whether they were inadvertently or maliciously caused by the employee, or whether they were originated by the attacker. The solution includes an AI engine that granularly monitors the code run by the browser and automatically generates a variety of insights related to user behavior in the browser. "Since inception, LayerX showed super fast growth and adoption by the world’s leading enterprises. The company is at the forefront of defense for modern organizations. By protecting the browser, the central productivity application in organizations, from a wide range of new-generation security risks, LayerX can solve acute security problems that have remained unanswered until now,” said Kobi Samboursky, "Since inception, LayerX showed super fast growth and adoption by the world’s leading enterprises. The company is at the forefront of defense for modern organizations. By protecting the browser, the central productivity application in organizations, from a wide range of new-generation security risks, LayerX can solve acute security problems that have remained unanswered until now,” said Kobi Samboursky, Founding and Managing Partner at Glilot Capital “We believe that this novel solution for securing browsers will replace most SASE and SSE solutions prevalent today in organizations. At an estimated market size of $7 billion, the potential inherent in LayerX’s technology is tremendous." Founding and Managing Partner at Glilot Capital “We believe that this novel solution for securing browsers will replace most SASE and SSE solutions prevalent today in organizations. At an estimated market size of $7 billion, the potential inherent in LayerX’s technology is tremendous." "Similar to other successful entrepreneurs in the cybersecurity field we've collaborated with, Or and David bring significant experience and knowledge in understanding the technical issues involved in threats to organizations and the motivations of attackers. Consequently, they recognize that effective security measures should adapt to real-world user behaviors, rather than the other way around,” said Yair Snir, "Similar to other successful entrepreneurs in the cybersecurity field we've collaborated with, Or and David bring significant experience and knowledge in understanding the technical issues involved in threats to organizations and the motivations of attackers. Consequently, they recognize that effective security measures should adapt to real-world user behaviors, rather than the other way around,” said Yair Snir, Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital. “In a world where most computer operations are conducted through browsers, LayerX introduces a creative approach to corporate security that is user-friendly, robust, and easily implementable in large organizations. This approach transforms the browser from a major vulnerability to a strength, facilitating secure work across devices. Our investment in LayerX isn't just driven by the promising opportunity but also by the potential impact of the company's solution on organizations, regardless of where employees conduct their tasks." Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital. “In a world where most computer operations are conducted through browsers, LayerX introduces a creative approach to corporate security that is user-friendly, robust, and easily implementable in large organizations. This approach transforms the browser from a major vulnerability to a strength, facilitating secure work across devices. Our investment in LayerX isn't just driven by the promising opportunity but also by the potential impact of the company's solution on organizations, regardless of where employees conduct their tasks." About LayerX LayerX was founded in 2022 by Or Eshed, CEO, and David Weisbrot, CTO, who developed web attack and defense systems during their military service. In 2017, Eshed led the exposure of the largest attack campaign in history on the Chrome browser, which involved tens of millions of compromised browsers and even led to the capture and trial of the hackers. LayerX has Fortune 100 clients worldwide. LayerX Enterprise Browser Extension natively integrates with any browser, turning it into the most secure and manageable workspace, with no impact on the user experience. Enterprises use LayerX to secure their devices, identities, data, and SaaS apps from web-borne threats and browsing risks that endpoint and network solutions can’t protect against. Those include data leakage over the web, SaaS apps and GenAI Tools, malicious browser extensions, phishing, account takeovers, shadow SaaS, and more. Contact Dori Harpaz LayerX dori@layerxsecurity.com This story was distributed as a release by Cyberwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. This story was distributed as a release by Cyberwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here . here here

LayerX Security Raises $26M For Its Browser Security Platform, Enabling Employees To Work Securely 

In these intensely competitive times, every application needs to be aesthetically appealing in addition to providing seamless functionality to satisfy the users. If an app does not function properly because of a visual interface error or if the site is unreadable, users may uninstall or leave the app. This can ultimately lead to a loss of customers and a drop in revenues. To avoid this and ensure the best possible user experience, companies are prioritizing visual regression testing. Let us study a couple of examples of visual regression testing to understand its importance: When you click on a drop-down image the menu does not slide down after adding more options.
You have reworked the complete layout of the page, and the submit button on the page is broken. These UI errors need to be fixed since changes in the elements can lead to the breakdown of the visual aesthetics. These illustrations clearly highlight the importance of conducting thorough visual regression testing before software releases. Visual regression testing checks the UI of an application after code changes and ensures that these different visual elements, like buttons, images, and text, all render correctly. Through this blog, we will examine visual regression, the different techniques used, the challenges testers face when performing the tests, and the best practices to overcome them. Common Visual Regression Techniques Visual testing ensures that visual glitches are identified early and do not spill over to the production stage. Let us now briefly examine the commonly used methods for regression testing: Manual visual testing: In this method, testers manually compare UI screenshots before and after making changes in the code.
Comparing layouts: It requires comparing the UI layout before and after changes are made and accounts for changes in the UI’s font, color, and other visual elements.
Comparing pixel-by-pixel: Used to test small, complex UI elements, this method involves comparing the UI’s pixels before and after changes.
Structural comparison: It compares the UI’s Document Object Model (DOM) before and after making changes.
Inserting visual checkpoints: In this technique, checkpoints are inserted into the UI to check the UI’s visual state at specific points in time. Manual Regression Testing Manual regression testing is recommended in the early testing stages when the UI is unstable. It is suitable for ad hoc testing and conducting quick on-the-spot checks. In this method, the testers manually check the layout and appearance of the visual elements. It involves taking the latest screenshots and comparing them with baseline screenshots to unearth any gaps. Benefits of Automated Visual Regression Testing Over Manual Methods The manual technique can be time-consuming and lead to a waste of resources because of its repetitive nature. The scale of manual testing grows with every new feature addition, thereby increasing the time spent by a human tester pouring over screenshots to identify bugs. It is impractical to manually conduct visual regression testing when there are tight deadlines to meet. In contrast, automated visual regression testing helps you automate repetitive tasks like checking the page following every code change. Even with the heavy initial investment, automated testing, especially with AI-powered features, helps you save time and money in the long run. Though automated visual regression testing reaps many benefits for testers and developers, it has to be properly implemented if they are to receive its benefits. Let us examine the best practices that go into a proper visual regression testing process. What To Remember While Conducting Visual Regression Testing Following these best practices will help optimize your automated visual regression testing process and help you gain its maximum benefits: Develop Appropriate Test Scenarios Clearly define what to record in the snapshots and the time to take them while testing. Remember to include user interactions in such scenarios since the applications will need to deal with them in the real world. Validate the Entire UI Page Instead of only validating individual components, ensure to validate the entire UI page. This practice will increase the test coverage and improve it. Pick the Right Automated Tool The visual regression testing tool you choose should be capable of ignoring false positives. It should be able to take care of pixel offsets, anti-aliasing, and other issues while ensuring the tests don’t fail. The automated algorithm must be able to analyze the page’s structure and perform layout comparisons. It should also be able to take care of content that is dynamic and moving. Compare Screenshots Testers should compare screenshots with recent ones to identify the disparities. This will help ensure that the UI remains the same, improving the user experience and product quality. Identify and Resolve Bugs Ensure to resolve bugs that the testing tool identifies or send them to the respective developers for fixing them. Remember to update screenshots to be used as a baseline for future regression tests after it is done. Choose the Right Situation To Perform Automated Testing Automated visual regression testing may not be appropriate for all scenarios. In some situations, using a combination of manual and automated methods is advisable. For example, when new features are added, they can be validated using an automation technique and then checked manually. Conduct a Detailed Review A team of reviewers or a single reviewer can examine how adjustments are made without causing interruptions in the desired outcome and make a report accordingly. Learn From Your Mistakes Learning from your successes and failures is crucial in visual regression testing. You need to identify the root causes and impacts of the visual changes detected by your tool. Testers must also identify false negatives and positives and adjust the tool settings and test cases accordingly. Conclusion In conclusion, successful implementation of visual regression testing in Agile teams requires a holistic approach that encompasses automation, collaboration, scalability, and comprehensive analysis. Visual regression testing can be a game-changer if you choose an appropriate automated testing tool with the right features and advantages. By adhering to these best practices, Agile teams can effectively leverage visual regression testing to deliver high-quality user interfaces in an iterative and efficient manner. In these intensely competitive times, every application needs to be aesthetically appealing in addition to providing seamless functionality to satisfy the users. If an app does not function properly because of a visual interface error or if the site is unreadable, users may uninstall or leave the app. This can ultimately lead to a loss of customers and a drop in revenues. To avoid this and ensure the best possible user experience, companies are prioritizing visual regression testing . visual regression testing Let us study a couple of examples of visual regression testing to understand its importance: Let us study a couple of examples of visual regression testing to understand its importance: When you click on a drop-down image the menu does not slide down after adding more options. You have reworked the complete layout of the page, and the submit button on the page is broken. When you click on a drop-down image the menu does not slide down after adding more options. You have reworked the complete layout of the page, and the submit button on the page is broken. These UI errors need to be fixed since changes in the elements can lead to the breakdown of the visual aesthetics. These illustrations clearly highlight the importance of conducting thorough visual regression testing before software releases. Visual regression testing checks the UI of an application after code changes and ensures that these different visual elements, like buttons, images, and text, all render correctly. Through this blog, we will examine visual regression, the different techniques used, the challenges testers face when performing the tests, and the best practices to overcome them. Common Visual Regression Techniques Visual testing ensures that visual glitches are identified early and do not spill over to the production stage. Let us now briefly examine the commonly used methods for regression testing: Manual visual testing: In this method, testers manually compare UI screenshots before and after making changes in the code. Comparing layouts: It requires comparing the UI layout before and after changes are made and accounts for changes in the UI’s font, color, and other visual elements. Comparing pixel-by-pixel: Used to test small, complex UI elements, this method involves comparing the UI’s pixels before and after changes. Structural comparison: It compares the UI’s Document Object Model (DOM) before and after making changes. Inserting visual checkpoints: In this technique, checkpoints are inserted into the UI to check the UI’s visual state at specific points in time. Manual visual testing: In this method, testers manually compare UI screenshots before and after making changes in the code. Manual visual testing: Comparing layouts: It requires comparing the UI layout before and after changes are made and accounts for changes in the UI’s font, color, and other visual elements. Comparing layouts: Comparing pixel-by-pixel: Used to test small, complex UI elements, this method involves comparing the UI’s pixels before and after changes. Comparing pixel-by-pixel: Structural comparison: It compares the UI’s Document Object Model (DOM) before and after making changes. Structural comparison: Inserting visual checkpoints: In this technique, checkpoints are inserted into the UI to check the UI’s visual state at specific points in time. Inserting visual checkpoints: Manual Regression Testing Manual regression testing is recommended in the early testing stages when the UI is unstable. It is suitable for ad hoc testing and conducting quick on-the-spot checks. In this method, the testers manually check the layout and appearance of the visual elements. It involves taking the latest screenshots and comparing them with baseline screenshots to unearth any gaps. Benefits of Automated Visual Regression Testing Over Manual Methods The manual technique can be time-consuming and lead to a waste of resources because of its repetitive nature. The scale of manual testing grows with every new feature addition, thereby increasing the time spent by a human tester pouring over screenshots to identify bugs. It is impractical to manually conduct visual regression testing when there are tight deadlines to meet. In contrast, automated visual regression testing helps you automate repetitive tasks like checking the page following every code change. Even with the heavy initial investment, automated testing, especially with AI-powered features, helps you save time and money in the long run. Though automated visual regression testing reaps many benefits for testers and developers, it has to be properly implemented if they are to receive its benefits. Let us examine the best practices that go into a proper visual regression testing process. What To Remember While Conducting Visual Regression Testing Following these best practices will help optimize your automated visual regression testing process and help you gain its maximum benefits: Develop Appropriate Test Scenarios Clearly define what to record in the snapshots and the time to take them while testing. Remember to include user interactions in such scenarios since the applications will need to deal with them in the real world. Validate the Entire UI Page Instead of only validating individual components, ensure to validate the entire UI page. This practice will increase the test coverage and improve it. Pick the Right Automated Tool The visual regression testing tool you choose should be capable of ignoring false positives. It should be able to take care of pixel offsets, anti-aliasing, and other issues while ensuring the tests don’t fail. The automated algorithm must be able to analyze the page’s structure and perform layout comparisons. It should also be able to take care of content that is dynamic and moving. Compare Screenshots Testers should compare screenshots with recent ones to identify the disparities. This will help ensure that the UI remains the same, improving the user experience and product quality. Identify and Resolve Bugs Ensure to resolve bugs that the testing tool identifies or send them to the respective developers for fixing them. Remember to update screenshots to be used as a baseline for future regression tests after it is done. Choose the Right Situation To Perform Automated Testing Automated visual regression testing may not be appropriate for all scenarios. In some situations, using a combination of manual and automated methods is advisable. For example, when new features are added, they can be validated using an automation technique and then checked manually. Conduct a Detailed Review A team of reviewers or a single reviewer can examine how adjustments are made without causing interruptions in the desired outcome and make a report accordingly. Learn From Your Mistakes Learning from your successes and failures is crucial in visual regression testing. You need to identify the root causes and impacts of the visual changes detected by your tool. Testers must also identify false negatives and positives and adjust the tool settings and test cases accordingly. Conclusion In conclusion, successful implementation of visual regression testing in Agile teams requires a holistic approach that encompasses automation, collaboration, scalability, and comprehensive analysis. Visual regression testing can be a game-changer if you choose an appropriate automated testing tool with the right features and advantages. By adhering to these best practices, Agile teams can effectively leverage visual regression testing to deliver high-quality user interfaces in an iterative and efficient manner.

Optimal Strategies for Integrating Visual Regression Testing into Agile Teams

This paper is under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv Authors: (1) Ryen W. White, Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA, USA. Table of Links Abstract and Taking Search to task AI Copilots Challenges Opportunities The Undiscovered Country and References 5 THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY AI copilots will transform how we search. Tasks are central to people’s lives and more support is needed for complex tasks in search settings. Some limited support for these tasks already exists in search engines, but copilots will expand the task frontier to make more tasks actionable and address the “last mile” in search interaction: task completion [58]. Moving forward, search providers should invest in “better together” experiences that utilize copilots plus traditional search, make these joint experiences more seamless for searchers, and add more support for their use in practice, e.g., help people to quickly understand copilot capabilities and potential and/or recommend the best modality for the current task or task stage. This includes experiences where both modalities are offered separately and can be selected by searchers and those where there is unification and the selection happens automatically based on the query and the conversation context. The foundation models that power copilots have other search-related applications, e.g., for generating and applying intent taxonomies [43] or for evaluation [19]. We must retain a continued focus on human-AI cooperation, where searchers stay in control while the degree of system support increases as needed [44], and on AI safety. Searchers need to be able to trust copilots in general but also be able to verify their answers with minimal effort. Overall, the future is bright for IR, and AI research in general, with the advent of generative AI and the copilots that build upon it. Copilots will help augment and empower searchers in their information seeking journeys. Computer science researchers and practitioners should embrace this new era of assistive agents and engage across the full spectrum of exciting practical and scientific opportunities, both within information seeking as we focused on here, and onwards into other important domains such as personal productivity [5] and scientific discovery [22]. REFERENCES [1] Eugene Agichtein, Ryen W White, Susan T Dumais, and Paul N Bennet. 2012. Search, interrupted: understanding and predicting search task continuation. In Proceedings of the 35th international ACM SIGIR conference on Research and development in information retrieval. 315-324. [2] Marcia J Bates. 1990. 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Navigating Complex Search Tasks with AI Copilots: The Undiscovered Country and References

PARIS, France, April 25th, 2024, Chainwire Prize pool of over 1M€ value including media grant from Cointelegraph
Proof of Pitch is part of Proof of Talk, where All Global Leaders in Web3 Meet
10-11 June 2024, Museum of Decorative Arts (MAD), Louvre Palace, Paris In a ground-breaking shift from traditional pitch competitions, Proof of Pitch emerges as a transformative platform uniquely combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) insights with the strategic acumen of the world’s leading Web3 venture capitalists. Proof of Pitch participants will showcase their presentation to an exclusive audience of speakers and VCs, including CEOs, founders of leading blockchain companies, and top Web3 VC partners. Next to the competition’s main sponsor zkSync, distinguished partners and jurors are participating, including Pantera Capital, Borderless Capital, Binance Labs, Greenfield Capital, Arrington Capital, Animoca Brands, Spartan Group, X Ventures, Mechanism Capital and Cointelegraph. The Proof of Pitch winner will be awarded a first-place grand prize award of 1M€ value in a combination of cash investments by participating VCs, Accelerator services, visibility (such as a 30k media grant from Cointelegraph), and many other value-adding elements. All participants will also receive a detailed 12-page investment report to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their pitch, outlining strengths to focus on and weaknesses to improve. This is equivalent to a team of analysts spending weeks analyzing the participant's startup. Zohair Dehnadi, Co-Founder, Proof of Talk and Partner, X-Ventures: “Unlike conventional pitch competitions, Proof of Pitch enables global businesses and leadership to intelligently tap into the power of Web3, providing valuable and sustainable insights for investors and the startup community at large instead of having just another light-touch startup competition with glittering prizes which ultimately do not add any real business value. Be part of our prestigious Proof of Pitch experience and elevate yourself! See you in June!” Revolutionizing Startup Evaluation: The AI Advantage At the heart of Proof of Pitch, a pioneering AI-driven tool is redefining startup assessments, providing deep, nuanced insights at an unprecedented pace. Developed by XVentures through a rigorous, year-long collaboration involving top VCs and data scientists, this AI, known as Pitch Scan LLM tool, can scrutinize a start-up’s business model, conducting thorough due diligence, and evaluate the team behind the idea, market size, and competitive landscape—within minutes rather than weeks. Every participant will be furnished with a detailed 10-page report, with a strategic roadmap for success in the ever-evolving Web3 domain. Beyond Funding: Prizes That Foster Growth This initiative is a revolutionary approach aimed at identifying, nurturing, and elevating start-ups set to redefine the innovative horizons of Web3. Winning at Proof of Pitch extends well beyond obtaining financial support. Winners are embraced by a full spectrum of resources, from AI-powered analytics to mentorship by Web3 visionaries, alongside direct introductions to leading venture capitalists. This holistic support system is designed to refine strategies, accelerate growth, and establish market leadership. Unprecedented Visibility Among The Elite Gain exclusive exposure by standing among the top 10% of applicants, showcased to a distinguished audience including CEOs, founders of leading blockchain enterprises, and top-tier Web3 venture capitalists. This exposure is more than mere visibility—it’s a golden ticket to captivate the attention of the industry’s elite, secure pivotal investments, and forge transformative connections. A Vanguard Call to Web3 Innovators Proof of Pitch calls upon start-ups at the cutting edge of Web3 innovation to dazzle the industry's titans, venture through the vanguard of technology, and stake a claim in the digital future. This unparalleled opportunity allows participants to showcase their visionary ideas, propel their start-ups forward, and create a lasting impact in the domain of digital innovation. Proof of Pitch invites those who are interested to dive into this revolutionary journey, an avenue for transcending traditional pitch norms. Navigate through the forefront of Web3 innovation. Proof of Talk seeks to welcome over 2500 participants. Combined with a stellar speaker line-up featuring CEOs, founders, and leaders of the Web3 and digital assets industry, the summit features impact-focused networking and a refined agenda. A few of the speakers include: ● Joseph Lubin, CEO and Founder at Consensys ● Jenny Johnson, CEO, Franklin Templeton ● Tim Draper, Founder, Draper Associates ● Ophelia Snyder, Cofounder President, 21Shares ● Mihailo Bjelic, Co-Founder, Polygon ● Raoul Pal, Crypto Macro Economist ● Yat Siu, Chairman, Animoca Brands ● Stani Kulechov, CEO, Avara ● Staci Warden, CEO, Algorand Foundation ● Tim Grant, CEO, Deus X Capital ● Digital asset leads from over 30 major TradFi banks ● Partners from 100+ attending VCs The summit’s agenda also actively reflects Web3’s growing importance, with over 20 panels, 10+ workshops, and over a dozen keynotes and firesides on key topics shaping Web3’s future. These include real-world asset tokenization, AI-blockchain integration, gaming evolution, and smart contract security. Participants in this year's Proof of Pitch can showcase their innovative ideas and gain valuable exposure. Participants have the opportunity to connect with industry experts and potential investors who can help elevate their businesses to the next level. Those who are interested can apply here. About Proof of Talk Proof of Talk is setting a new standard in the Web3 conference landscape, positioning itself not just as another web3 conference but as a pivotal forum where the promise of decentralization comes to life. The summit uniquely combines the essence of traditional economic forums with the dynamic, decentralized Web3 community, fostering an innovative ecosystem of dialogue and action. It stands as a platform for change, where every voice, from the seasoned economist to the radical Web3 founder, contributes to a collective vision of a decentralized economic future. By facilitating engaging discussions and unparalleled networking, participants shape this new landscape. Learn more at www.proofoftalk.io About X Ventures X Ventures is a Germany-based digital assets investment fund dedicated to supporting and empowering entrepreneurs in the Web3 industry. Alongside its investment activities, X Ventures founded www.xschool.io, aiming to provide accessible education to future leaders worldwide. Website: https://www.xventures.de Contact Shanna Molina Cognito shanna.molina@cognitomedia.nl This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. PARIS, France, April 25th, 2024, Chainwire PARIS, France, April 25th, 2024, Chainwire Prize pool of over 1M€ value including media grant from Cointelegraph Proof of Pitch is part of Proof of Talk, where All Global Leaders in Web3 Meet 10-11 June 2024, Museum of Decorative Arts (MAD), Louvre Palace, Paris Prize pool of over 1M€ value including media grant from Cointelegraph Proof of Pitch is part of Proof of Talk, where All Global Leaders in Web3 Meet 10-11 June 2024, Museum of Decorative Arts (MAD), Louvre Palace, Paris In a ground-breaking shift from traditional pitch competitions, Proof of Pitch emerges as a transformative platform uniquely combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) insights with the strategic acumen of the world’s leading Web3 venture capitalists. Proof of Pitch participants will showcase their presentation to an exclusive audience of speakers and VCs, including CEOs, founders of leading blockchain companies, and top Web3 VC partners. Proof of Pitch Proof of Pitch Next to the competition’s main sponsor zkSync, distinguished partners and jurors are participating, including Pantera Capital, Borderless Capital, Binance Labs, Greenfield Capital, Arrington Capital, Animoca Brands, Spartan Group, X Ventures, Mechanism Capital and Cointelegraph. The Proof of Pitch winner will be awarded a first-place grand prize award of 1M€ value in a combination of cash investments by participating VCs, Accelerator services, visibility (such as a 30k media grant from Cointelegraph), and many other value-adding elements. All participants will also receive a detailed 12-page investment report to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their pitch, outlining strengths to focus on and weaknesses to improve. This is equivalent to a team of analysts spending weeks analyzing the participant's startup. Zohair Dehnadi, Co-Founder, Proof of Talk and Partner, X-Ventures: “Unlike conventional pitch competitions, Proof of Pitch enables global businesses and leadership to intelligently tap into the power of Web3, providing valuable and sustainable insights for investors and the startup community at large instead of having just another light-touch startup competition with glittering prizes which ultimately do not add any real business value. Be part of our prestigious Proof of Pitch experience and elevate yourself! See you in June!” Revolutionizing Startup Evaluation: The AI Advantage At the heart of Proof of Pitch, a pioneering AI-driven tool is redefining startup assessments, providing deep, nuanced insights at an unprecedented pace. Developed by XVentures through a rigorous, year-long collaboration involving top VCs and data scientists, this AI, known as Pitch Scan LLM tool, can scrutinize a start-up’s business model, conducting thorough due diligence, and evaluate the team behind the idea, market size, and competitive landscape—within minutes rather than weeks. Every participant will be furnished with a detailed 10-page report, with a strategic roadmap for success in the ever-evolving Web3 domain. Beyond Funding: Prizes That Foster Growth This initiative is a revolutionary approach aimed at identifying, nurturing, and elevating start-ups set to redefine the innovative horizons of Web3. Winning at Proof of Pitch extends well beyond obtaining financial support. Winners are embraced by a full spectrum of resources, from AI-powered analytics to mentorship by Web3 visionaries, alongside direct introductions to leading venture capitalists. This holistic support system is designed to refine strategies, accelerate growth, and establish market leadership. Unprecedented Visibility Among The Elite Gain exclusive exposure by standing among the top 10% of applicants, showcased to a distinguished audience including CEOs, founders of leading blockchain enterprises, and top-tier Web3 venture capitalists. This exposure is more than mere visibility—it’s a golden ticket to captivate the attention of the industry’s elite, secure pivotal investments, and forge transformative connections. A Vanguard Call to Web3 Innovators Proof of Pitch calls upon start-ups at the cutting edge of Web3 innovation to dazzle the industry's titans, venture through the vanguard of technology, and stake a claim in the digital future. This unparalleled opportunity allows participants to showcase their visionary ideas, propel their start-ups forward, and create a lasting impact in the domain of digital innovation. Proof of Pitch invites those who are interested to dive into this revolutionary journey, an avenue for transcending traditional pitch norms. Navigate through the forefront of Web3 innovation. Proof of Talk seeks to welcome over 2500 participants. Combined with a stellar speaker line-up featuring CEOs, founders, and leaders of the Web3 and digital assets industry, the summit features impact-focused networking and a refined agenda. A few of the speakers include: ● Joseph Lubin, CEO and Founder at Consensys ● Jenny Johnson, CEO, Franklin Templeton ● Tim Draper, Founder, Draper Associates ● Ophelia Snyder, Cofounder President, 21Shares ● Mihailo Bjelic, Co-Founder, Polygon ● Raoul Pal, Crypto Macro Economist ● Yat Siu, Chairman, Animoca Brands ● Stani Kulechov, CEO, Avara ● Staci Warden, CEO, Algorand Foundation ● Tim Grant, CEO, Deus X Capital ● Digital asset leads from over 30 major TradFi banks ● Partners from 100+ attending VCs The summit’s agenda also actively reflects Web3’s growing importance, with over 20 panels, 10+ workshops, and over a dozen keynotes and firesides on key topics shaping Web3’s future. These include real-world asset tokenization, AI-blockchain integration, gaming evolution, and smart contract security. Participants in this year's Proof of Pitch can showcase their innovative ideas and gain valuable exposure. Participants have the opportunity to connect with industry experts and potential investors who can help elevate their businesses to the next level. Those who are interested can apply here . here here About Proof of Talk Proof of Talk is setting a new standard in the Web3 conference landscape, positioning itself not just as another web3 conference but as a pivotal forum where the promise of decentralization comes to life. The summit uniquely combines the essence of traditional economic forums with the dynamic, decentralized Web3 community, fostering an innovative ecosystem of dialogue and action. It stands as a platform for change, where every voice, from the seasoned economist to the radical Web3 founder, contributes to a collective vision of a decentralized economic future. By facilitating engaging discussions and unparalleled networking, participants shape this new landscape. Learn more at www.proofoftalk.io www.proofoftalk.io www.proofoftalk.io About X Ventures X Ventures is a Germany-based digital assets investment fund dedicated to supporting and empowering entrepreneurs in the Web3 industry. Alongside its investment activities, X Ventures founded www.xschool.io, aiming to provide accessible education to future leaders worldwide. Website: https://www.xventures.de https://www.xventures.de https://www.xventures.de Contact Shanna Molina Cognito shanna.molina@cognitomedia.nl This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. here. here.

Proof of Pitch: Transforming The Pitch Competition Landscape With AI-Driven Insights And Top Web3 VC

পিচের প্রমাণ: এআই-চালিত অন্তর্দৃষ্টি এবং শীর্ষ ওয়েব3 ভিসি সহ পিচ প্রতিযোগিতার ল্যান্ডস্কেপ রূপান্তর করা

Proof of Pitch: Transformation der Pitch-Wettbewerbslandschaft mit KI-gestützten Erkenntnissen und Top Web3 VC

Prueba de presentación: transformar el panorama de la competencia de presentaciones con información basada en inteligencia artificial y los mejores capitalistas de riesgo Web3

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