Real

real

Surprise! “The Tortured Poets Department” does not appear to be about Joe Alwyn, but about Swift’s situationship with the problematic singer, at least according to alleged leaks.

If This Taylor Swift Album Leak Is Real, It’s All About Matty Healy

Fashion critic Cathy Horyn’s close read on a decade of Taylor Swift’s outfits including the Grammys, her Eras tour and just walking around with Travis Kelce.

The Real Reason Taylor Swift Dresses Like That

<strong>Real</strong> Madrid will face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals after defeating Manchester City in a tense penalty shootout on Wednesday.

Real Madrid defeats Manchester City in penalty shootout to reach Champions League semifinals | CNN

Man City are one of the world&#x27;s elite teams, but <strong>Real</strong> Madrid showed why they are still the gold standard after a backs-against-the-wall win in the Champions League quarterfinals.

Real Madrid punish Man City's missed chances in Champions League epic

**SINGAPORE, Singapore, May 17th, 2024/Chainwire/--**Mining Now, a trusted and reputable real-time crypto-mining insights provider company, is thrilled to announce the launch of its versatile platform that attempts to give unbiased insights associated with crypto mining as well as real-time Asic profitability tracking where people can analyze and compare the crypto mining hardware to draw well-informed inferences. It is designed to bridge the gap between miners around the world and the crypto landscape with Mining Now’s user-friendly interface, with the intent to boost crypto mining endeavors. With a solid commitment to delivering crypto mining insights, the leading-edge platform not only pertains to benefit the miners worldwide to accomplish swift and unmatched mining outputs but also curated a whole range of ASIC miners showcasing intricate data and specifications in entirely uncomplicated form in one place to create heightened awareness as well as maximizing the profits. With its recently launched platform, the entire team of Mining Now has big plans to expand their horizons to cover other forms of crypto mining hardware as well, such as GPU and CPU miners, for maximized research potential, and they are persistently working to accomplish it. Not only this, but they are also on the go to forge a full-fledged mining community that thrives to unify diversified entities. Mining Now’s exclusive community will have crypto Asic enthusiasts, technicians, supporters, and mining farms that will aid in promoting exquisite experiences and exponential growth. Another distinctive approach to providing its users with P2P deals is the cherry on top, as they will have accessibility to sellers from around the world, which would save them thousands of dollars. No such groundbreaking platform has been in the game yet, and it can be well-anticipated that Mining Now is now all set to pioneer the entire world with its distinctive features and qualities. This move by Mining Now will not only forge a more profound sense of reliability amongst its users but also bring a revolution that would shake the entire industry with its vision and innovations, leaving a benchmark of unbiasedness, futuristic approach and unseen innovations. Embark on this exquisite journey with Mining Now and raise the bars of your crypto mining ventures. Website: https://miningnow.com/ Social Media Handles Discord: https://discord.com/invite/9JVK9trkG7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Realminingnow
Telegram: https://t.me/RealMiningNow Contact Selina Mining Now selina@miningnow.com This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. **SINGAPORE, Singapore, May 17th, 2024/Chainwire/--**Mining Now, a trusted and reputable real-time crypto-mining insights provider company, is thrilled to announce the launch of its versatile platform that attempts to give unbiased insights associated with crypto mining as well as real-time Asic profitability tracking where people can analyze and compare the crypto mining hardware to draw well-informed inferences. It is designed to bridge the gap between miners around the world and the crypto landscape with Mining Now’s user-friendly interface, with the intent to boost crypto mining endeavors. With a solid commitment to delivering crypto mining insights, the leading-edge platform not only pertains to benefit the miners worldwide to accomplish swift and unmatched mining outputs but also curated a whole range of ASIC miners showcasing intricate data and specifications in entirely uncomplicated form in one place to create heightened awareness as well as maximizing the profits. ASIC miners ASIC miners With its recently launched platform, the entire team of Mining Now has big plans to expand their horizons to cover other forms of crypto mining hardware as well, such as GPU and CPU miners, for maximized research potential, and they are persistently working to accomplish it. Not only this, but they are also on the go to forge a full-fledged mining community that thrives to unify diversified entities. Mining Now’s exclusive community will have crypto Asic enthusiasts, technicians, supporters, and mining farms that will aid in promoting exquisite experiences and exponential growth. Another distinctive approach to providing its users with P2P deals is the cherry on top, as they will have accessibility to sellers from around the world, which would save them thousands of dollars. No such groundbreaking platform has been in the game yet, and it can be well-anticipated that Mining Now is now all set to pioneer the entire world with its distinctive features and qualities. This move by Mining Now will not only forge a more profound sense of reliability amongst its users but also bring a revolution that would shake the entire industry with its vision and innovations, leaving a benchmark of unbiasedness, futuristic approach and unseen innovations. Embark on this exquisite journey with Mining Now and raise the bars of your crypto mining ventures. Website: https://miningnow.com/ https://miningnow.com/ https://miningnow.com/ Social Media Handles Discord: https://discord.com/invite/9JVK9trkG7 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Realminingnow Telegram: https://t.me/RealMiningNow Discord: https://discord.com/invite/9JVK9trkG7 https://discord.com/invite/9JVK9trkG7 https://discord.com/invite/9JVK9trkG7 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Realminingnow https://twitter.com/Realminingnow https://twitter.com/Realminingnow Telegram: https://t.me/RealMiningNow https://t.me/RealMiningNow https://t.me/RealMiningNow Contact Selina Mining Now selina@miningnow.com 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

Mining Now Launches Real-Time Mining Insights And Profit Analysis Platform

Getting Started With Linux: Your Gateway to the Open-Source Realm

Real-world assets have been called both the future of financial markets and their doom. But to even begin to comprehend the issue, we should learn more about what they are. Real-world assets, also called RWAs, are tokens that represent certain physical assets. It can be property, objects, bonds, or other things. Just like other tokens, these function on the blockchain through smart contracts, and one token can amount to a whole object as well as its part. Tokenized RWAs make it possible for non-digital objects to become a part of the decentralized financial system. And it’s happening already: As reported by Chainlink, "Tokenized real-world assets have been a growing segment of the DeFi ecosystem, with RWA total value locked sitting at ~$5B in December 2023, according to DefiLlama." Like any new big thing in the market, seamless work for RWAs is tied to their universal acknowledgment and economic value. Why RWAs Are Important Decentralized finances still haven’t become universally accepted, and part of the reason is their existence in the digital world only. However, experienced users have already seen the advantages: They can convert currencies without leaving their houses or paying a bank for a specific account, and more importantly, they can exchange even the smallest portions of a certain asset. There are no counterparties or commissions, and the process is simple and fast. While this sounds fairly utopian, it’s real, and RWAs are the next link in this chain—the next logical step that’s already been taken. In June 2019, one company arranged the first tokenization of real estate in France. Soon after, a luxury resort in Aspen raised $18 million by conducting an STO (security token offering). Now, we can easily find platforms offering tokenized assets that can grow in price over time. One of the benefits of tokenizing illiquid RWAs, such as real estate, is fractionalization. An example of that is a commercial building being divided into hundreds of tokens, each one representing a specific area. The digital tokens are then either transferred or traded through a peer-to-peer system via the blockchain. The process is instantaneous. And just as easily, you can buy several square feet of a house in Florida and send them to your friend in Japan. As we can see, this whole process offers something nothing else has before: the possibility to make a very specific purchase. Why would you need several square feet in a house you are possibly never going to visit? The answer couldn’t be simpler—these assets, like any other, grow in value. This is especially accurate regarding real estate investments. Financial planners who might be looking for ways to help their clients diversify a portfolio of investments could suggest a real-world addition. By starting with something small, anyone can grow and eventually buy the whole building. RWAs in the decentralized market increase liquidity, improve transparency, and lead the market to higher efficiency. Yet the main impact might come from RWAs lowering the entrance barriers. While before, it was only possible to join the market with $100,000, now you can start trading and earning with just $1. Additionally, RWAs can serve as collateral for a DeFi loan. As the asset grows in price, your loan is being paid. Security Concerns The possibility of implementing such a secure, fast, and very straightforward process will certainly cause a backlash. RWAs challenge the long-standing financial system, where you either have the funds to make a whole purchase or you are left out of the market altogether. But some concerns are still valid. For instance, the custody of a physical object must be done legally and reliably. With what we know today about the security of the decentralized market, we have to be certain that the asset indeed represents the same object we intend to buy. This is especially important considering that the market has had a controversial experience with assets representing ownership of art before, and many users are still recovering from that. In addition, there are multiple potential smart contract bugs and vulnerabilities. So, each contract has to be thoroughly audited by a proper third-party auditor company. Fortunately, the auditor market is vast, and it’s possible to find a company that can provide quality security services. Naturally, the best security practices that exist in the decentralized space will become vital to the wide adoption of RWAs. To achieve security, decentralized practices have to be used along with offline ones. KYC and AML are necessary to the process, so in this case, anonymity is, in fact, your enemy. And finally, it is not enough to just issue an asset: Market liquidity and demand both need to exist for it to thrive. A Future For RWAs RWAs are a second stepping stone to something bigger. If we theorize, eventually, we could be able to have houses and cars represented as digital assets. The process of buying, selling, sharing, or inheriting could be simplified for everyone. Even shares and jewelry may become not just collateral but actual liquid assets. Besides, exchanging of said assets isn’t the only relevant issue here; storing them safely on the blockchain may end up being just as important. Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website. Real-world assets have been called both the future of financial markets and their doom. But to even begin to comprehend the issue, we should learn more about what they are. Real-world assets, also called RWAs, are tokens that represent certain physical assets. It can be property, objects, bonds, or other things. Just like other tokens, these function on the blockchain through smart contracts, and one token can amount to a whole object as well as its part. Tokenized RWAs make it possible for non-digital objects to become a part of the decentralized financial system. And it’s happening already: As reported by Chainlink, "Tokenized real-world assets have been a growing segment of the DeFi ecosystem, with RWA total value locked sitting at ~$5B in December 2023, according to DefiLlama." reported Like any new big thing in the market, seamless work for RWAs is tied to their universal acknowledgment and economic value. Why RWAs Are Important Decentralized finances still haven’t become universally accepted, and part of the reason is their existence in the digital world only. However, experienced users have already seen the advantages: They can convert currencies without leaving their houses or paying a bank for a specific account, and more importantly, they can exchange even the smallest portions of a certain asset. There are no counterparties or commissions, and the process is simple and fast. While this sounds fairly utopian, it’s real, and RWAs are the next link in this chain—the next logical step that’s already been taken. In June 2019, one company arranged the first tokenization of real estate in France. Soon after, a luxury resort in Aspen raised $18 million by conducting an STO (security token offering). Now, we can easily find platforms offering tokenized assets that can grow in price over time. first tokenization One of the benefits of tokenizing illiquid RWAs, such as real estate, is fractionalization. An example of that is a commercial building being divided into hundreds of tokens, each one representing a specific area. The digital tokens are then either transferred or traded through a peer-to-peer system via the blockchain. The process is instantaneous. And just as easily, you can buy several square feet of a house in Florida and send them to your friend in Japan. As we can see, this whole process offers something nothing else has before: the possibility to make a very specific purchase. Why would you need several square feet in a house you are possibly never going to visit? The answer couldn’t be simpler—these assets, like any other, grow in value. This is especially accurate regarding real estate investments. Financial planners who might be looking for ways to help their clients diversify a portfolio of investments could suggest a real-world addition. By starting with something small, anyone can grow and eventually buy the whole building. RWAs in the decentralized market increase liquidity, improve transparency, and lead the market to higher efficiency. Yet the main impact might come from RWAs lowering the entrance barriers. While before, it was only possible to join the market with $100,000, now you can start trading and earning with just $1. Additionally, RWAs can serve as collateral for a DeFi loan. As the asset grows in price, your loan is being paid. Security Concerns The possibility of implementing such a secure, fast, and very straightforward process will certainly cause a backlash. RWAs challenge the long-standing financial system, where you either have the funds to make a whole purchase or you are left out of the market altogether. But some concerns are still valid. For instance, the custody of a physical object must be done legally and reliably. With what we know today about the security of the decentralized market, we have to be certain that the asset indeed represents the same object we intend to buy. This is especially important considering that the market has had a controversial experience with assets representing ownership of art before, and many users are still recovering from that. controversial experience In addition, there are multiple potential smart contract bugs and vulnerabilities. So, each contract has to be thoroughly audited by a proper third-party auditor company. Fortunately, the auditor market is vast, and it’s possible to find a company that can provide quality security services. Naturally, the best security practices that exist in the decentralized space will become vital to the wide adoption of RWAs. To achieve security, decentralized practices have to be used along with offline ones. KYC and AML are necessary to the process, so in this case, anonymity is, in fact, your enemy. And finally, it is not enough to just issue an asset: Market liquidity and demand both need to exist for it to thrive. A Future For RWAs RWAs are a second stepping stone to something bigger. If we theorize, eventually, we could be able to have houses and cars represented as digital assets. The process of buying, selling, sharing, or inheriting could be simplified for everyone. Even shares and jewelry may become not just collateral but actual liquid assets. Besides, exchanging of said assets isn’t the only relevant issue here; storing them safely on the blockchain may end up being just as important. Follow me on LinkedIn . Check out my website . LinkedIn website

What is a Real-World Asset (RWA) and How Do They Fit Into the Future of Finance?

What are DePINs? Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) are real-world infrastructures on-chain. In more depth, DePINs offer a community-driven, cost-effective means of scaling projects without relying on traditional, centralized models. They are platforms where organizations and individuals can benefit from higher levels of control over their data and products through decentralized infrastructure. As for the term "DePIN,” this gained prominence in 2023 and continues to grow in mention into 2024. Initially, Web3 was used to reference projects focused on networks (replicating Web2 internet networks, but decentralized) but has since expanded to include all crypto or blockchain work, resulting in the need for this specific terminology. DePIN 101 On a fundamental level, DePINs function as bridges between physical facilities and the blockchain ecosystem. They operate through three main components. These are physical infrastructure controlled by a provider, a middleware connection to the blockchain, and a public ledger. These connections are managed by record-keeping and offering remittances to both the provider and the user.The physical infrastructure could be a smart agriculture system where farmers use IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as soil moisture sensors, weather stations, and crop health monitors to gather data about their fields. The middleware would then relay this information to the blockchain. Then, based on the data provided by the middleware, the blockchain would distribute rewards to the provider and users in the form of tokens. Additionally, for DePINs to operate effectively, four distinct parties must be involved in the network. This includes: Hardware (PRNs & DRNs): a physical component connecting networks to the real world
Hardware operators (Providers): Contributors buying or lending their hardware to the given network
Token: A financial incentive paid out to hardware operators based on data provided by the middleware
Users: DePINs need users who are willing to use and pay for the service The Current DePIN Landscape DePIN projects operate in six core business niches: compute marketplaces, wireless coverage, wholesale data, services marketplaces, energy services, and vertical ad networks. At present, there are several existing projects emerging in all six of these business models, including Filecoin, Helium, Hivemapper, Braintrust, Entheos and Sweatcoin. Out of these six sectors, compute marketplaces are where the most potential is seen, making up the majority of the market capitalization of DePIN crypto projects. Unpacking a DePIN example As we can see from the current DePIN landscape, there are many sectors in which DePINs currently operate. One real-world example that makes sense, at its core, is a decentralized energy grid. The basis for this is that traditional energy grids are often centralized, owned, and operated by utility companies, which can lead to inefficiencies and a lack of flexibility in distribution. Contrastingly, a decentralized energy grid built on blockchain technology could enable peer-to-peer energy trading between consumers and producers. Imagine a scenario where homeowners could sell excess energy to neighbors from their solar panels. This would facilitate more efficient use of renewable energy resources and incentivize individuals and communities to invest in sustainable energy production. By leveraging blockchain and smart contracts, this DePIN could ensure transparent and secure transactions while empowering users to have more control over their energy usage and production. The Flywheel Effect The concept of the flywheel effect is crucial to understanding DePINs potential for network growth and scalability. Unlike traditional models that require massive upfront capital investments, DePINs rely on grassroots efforts and community-driven initiatives to scale. Tokens play their part in these ecosystems by serving as an incentive for the community to contribute to the maintenance of the network. The Flywheel (above) visualizes the different steps involved in this maintenance and also helps to explain how DePIN projects can utilize the flywheel effect to catalyze their network growth.There are several different ways projects can increase the value of their token. For example, a stake-weighted random selection algorithm can be utilized to increase the value of a token, as providers must stake the project's token to get user deal flow. This adds an added incentive for contributors to continue building out the network. Therefore, the native token will increase in price as the network grows, resulting in more rewards for providers and a higher attraction for investors to invest. Fundamentally, this flywheel creates infrastructure networks that get stronger as they get bigger. As explained above, the flywheel effect of DePINs offers an alternative approach to traditional business models that fundamentally makes sense. However, we must consider the obstacles DePINs face in their journey to realizing their potential. The Future of DePINs By leveraging blockchain technology and tokenomics (The Flywheel Effect), DePINs are expected to disrupt existing IoT business models and enable on-chain communities to build innovative decentralized networks and applications. However, some limitations are currently holding DePINs back. There are several architectural considerations for scaling DePIN applications on-chain that need to be addressed if DePINs are going to be the bridge between decentralized technology and the real world. The most significant challenges to overcome are scalability, interoperability, security, and usability issues. The on-chain infrastructure needs to be able to handle a high volume of transactions and data throughput effectively to support the requirements of decentralized physical networks. To then communicate and exchange this data effectively, seamless interoperability with other blockchain networks and traditional systems is required. Robust security mechanisms, including encryption and authentication, are vital to safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring the integrity of DePIN networks. On top of this, DePINs must have systems in place, ensuring the security of external data feeds (oracles) used to verify real-world information and the prevention of Sybil attacks, where malicious actors create fake identities to gain undue influence within the network. A final consideration is that specialized technical knowledge is currently required to participate in a DePIN ecosystem. A more usable interface and intuitive design will be required for further adoption. The future of DePINs relies heavily on collaboration among stakeholders and ongoing technological innovation to address these challenges and unlock their full potential. What are DePINs? What are DePINs? Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) are real-world infrastructures on-chain. In more depth, DePINs offer a community-driven, cost-effective means of scaling projects without relying on traditional, centralized models. They are platforms where organizations and individuals can benefit from higher levels of control over their data and products through decentralized infrastructure. As for the term "DePIN,” this gained prominence in 2023 and continues to grow in mention into 2024. Initially, Web3 was used to reference projects focused on networks (replicating Web2 internet networks, but decentralized) but has since expanded to include all crypto or blockchain work, resulting in the need for this specific terminology. DePIN 101 DePIN 101 On a fundamental level, DePINs function as bridges between physical facilities and the blockchain ecosystem. They operate through three main components. These are physical infrastructure controlled by a provider, a middleware connection to the blockchain, and a public ledger. These connections are managed by record-keeping and offering remittances to both the provider and the user. The physical infrastructure could be a smart agriculture system where farmers use IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as soil moisture sensors, weather stations, and crop health monitors to gather data about their fields. The middleware would then relay this information to the blockchain. Then, based on the data provided by the middleware, the blockchain would distribute rewards to the provider and users in the form of tokens. Additionally, for DePINs to operate effectively, four distinct parties must be involved in the network. This includes: Hardware (PRNs & DRNs): a physical component connecting networks to the real world Hardware operators (Providers): Contributors buying or lending their hardware to the given network Token: A financial incentive paid out to hardware operators based on data provided by the middleware Users: DePINs need users who are willing to use and pay for the service Hardware (PRNs & DRNs): a physical component connecting networks to the real world Hardware (PRNs & DRNs): Hardware operators (Providers): Contributors buying or lending their hardware to the given network Hardware operators (Providers): Token: A financial incentive paid out to hardware operators based on data provided by the middleware Token: Users: DePINs need users who are willing to use and pay for the service Users: The Current DePIN Landscape The Current DePIN Landscape DePIN projects operate in six core business niches: compute marketplaces, wireless coverage, wholesale data, services marketplaces, energy services, and vertical ad networks. At present, there are several existing projects emerging in all six of these business models, including Filecoin , Helium , Hivemapper , Braintrust , Entheos and Sweatcoin . Filecoin Filecoin Helium Helium Hivemapper Hivemapper Braintrust Braintrust Entheos Entheos Sweatcoin Sweatcoin Out of these six sectors, compute marketplaces are where the most potential is seen, making up the majority of the market capitalization of DePIN crypto projects. Unpacking a DePIN example Unpacking a DePIN example As we can see from the current DePIN landscape, there are many sectors in which DePINs currently operate. One real-world example that makes sense, at its core, is a decentralized energy grid. The basis for this is that traditional energy grids are often centralized, owned, and operated by utility companies, which can lead to inefficiencies and a lack of flexibility in distribution. Contrastingly, a decentralized energy grid built on blockchain technology could enable peer-to-peer energy trading between consumers and producers. Imagine a scenario where homeowners could sell excess energy to neighbors from their solar panels. This would facilitate more efficient use of renewable energy resources and incentivize individuals and communities to invest in sustainable energy production. By leveraging blockchain and smart contracts, this DePIN could ensure transparent and secure transactions while empowering users to have more control over their energy usage and production. The Flywheel Effect The Flywheel Effect The concept of the flywheel effect is crucial to understanding DePINs potential for network growth and scalability. Unlike traditional models that require massive upfront capital investments, DePINs rely on grassroots efforts and community-driven initiatives to scale. Tokens play their part in these ecosystems by serving as an incentive for the community to contribute to the maintenance of the network. The Flywheel (above) visualizes the different steps involved in this maintenance and also helps to explain how DePIN projects can utilize the flywheel effect to catalyze their network growth. There are several different ways projects can increase the value of their token. For example, a stake-weighted random selection algorithm can be utilized to increase the value of a token, as providers must stake the project's token to get user deal flow. This adds an added incentive for contributors to continue building out the network. Therefore, the native token will increase in price as the network grows, resulting in more rewards for providers and a higher attraction for investors to invest. Fundamentally, this flywheel creates infrastructure networks that get stronger as they get bigger. As explained above, the flywheel effect of DePINs offers an alternative approach to traditional business models that fundamentally makes sense. However, we must consider the obstacles DePINs face in their journey to realizing their potential. The Future of DePINs The Future of DePINs By leveraging blockchain technology and tokenomics (The Flywheel Effect), DePINs are expected to disrupt existing IoT business models and enable on-chain communities to build innovative decentralized networks and applications. However, some limitations are currently holding DePINs back. There are several architectural considerations for scaling DePIN applications on-chain that need to be addressed if DePINs are going to be the bridge between decentralized technology and the real world. The most significant challenges to overcome are scalability, interoperability, security, and usability issues. The on-chain infrastructure needs to be able to handle a high volume of transactions and data throughput effectively to support the requirements of decentralized physical networks. To then communicate and exchange this data effectively, seamless interoperability with other blockchain networks and traditional systems is required. Robust security mechanisms, including encryption and authentication, are vital to safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring the integrity of DePIN networks. On top of this, DePINs must have systems in place, ensuring the security of external data feeds (oracles) used to verify real-world information and the prevention of Sybil attacks, where malicious actors create fake identities to gain undue influence within the network. A final consideration is that specialized technical knowledge is currently required to participate in a DePIN ecosystem. A more usable interface and intuitive design will be required for further adoption. The future of DePINs relies heavily on collaboration among stakeholders and ongoing technological innovation to address these challenges and unlock their full potential.

Demystifying DePINs and More: Bridging Real-World Infrastructure

How Digital Platforms Undo Paperwork In Real Estate

Real-Time Event Monitoring with Redpanda, OpenTelemetry, and Grafana

Thinking about a getting a cybersecurity degree but aren’t really sure? You’re not the only one. There’s a lot of debate on whether a cybersecurity degree has any value. But as a sign of things to come, the Office of National Cyber Director recently announced a willingness for federal agencies to move away from education-based hiring and towards skills-based hiring. So now the question everyone is asking…are cybersecurity degrees really worth it? Read on as I walk through a few things to consider before you decide whether a degree is worth your time and money. Do Employers Require a Degree in Cybersecurity? Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer to this question. According to a 2023 ISACA report, only 52% of organizations require a university degree for hiring in entry-level cyber roles. Part of the reason for this lack of clarity is the challenge employers face when determining how 'well-prepared' college graduates are. The ISACA survey revealed that 28% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that recent cyber graduates were well-prepared for the challenges in their organizations, whereas 24% disagreed or strongly disagreed. This indicates that employers are divided on the effectiveness of a cybersecurity degree. However, this doesn’t mean that obtaining a degree in cybersecurity lacks value; there are still several benefits to consider. Keep in mind this thought process doesn’t apply to leadership positions. Most executive roles, such as those of a CISO, typically require a degree in cybersecurity or a related field. Additionally, some companies may even prefer candidates with a master’s degree. Benefits of a Cybersecurity Degree There’s no doubt that a cybersecurity degree is an excellent launching pad for a successful career in the cyber industry. While it’s absolutely possible to land an entry-level job without a cyber degree, it’ll likely be more challenging for you. Compared to an equally capable candidate without a degree, a degreed candidate is more likely to gain access to a wider range of positions, secure an interview, be hired, receive opportunities for promotion, and earn a higher salary. However, I believe the most significant benefit of obtaining a cybersecurity degree lies in the experiential learning it offers, particularly through internships. Internships provide an opportunity to develop necessary skills in a real-world environment while allowing companies to invest time and effort into your training, thus improving your chances of employment after the internship. Calculating Your Degree’s Return on Investment (ROI) It’s important to recognize that your return on investment (ROI) depends entirely on your career goals. If you’re ‘okay’ with an entry-level position, low upfront costs, and slow growth with potential limits on promotion opportunities, you might be fine without a degree. And I completely understand that going to college isn’t cheap. The average cost of an undergraduate degree on campus is $36,436. To calculate a more accurate ROI, consider also the four years of lost wages during your studies because you’re likely working part-time instead of full-time. Assuming a wage of $15 per hour, you’re giving up $15,600 per year, or $62,400 over four years. This, plus the cost of your undergrad degree, brings your total educational cost to $98,836. Now, using the median annual salary of an information security analyst, which is $120,360, the average ROI comes to 21.8% per year, derived from ($120,360 - $98,836) / $98,836. After working for ten years, this translates to an ROI of 1,100% without a single promotion and an ROI of 2,300% after 20 years—a massive return for your four years of education! Keep in mind that other factors, such as taxes, inflation, and salary increases, will also impact your actual ROI, but this gives you a basic idea of the benefits. How to Start Cybersecurity Without a Degree? Cybersecurity professionals currently occupy 82% of US jobs. Additionally, employment growth is expected to rise in the next decade. This means that, degree or not, the industry urgently needs quality candidates. If you aren’t interested in a 4-year degree, here are a few alternatives to consider: Associate’s Degree: Gain a competitive edge with a two-year cybersecurity associate’s degree, which provides a flexible, albeit less comprehensive, foundation in cyber knowledge compared to a full four-year bachelor’s degree.
Bootcamps: Cybersecurity boot camps condense essential knowledge into a 6-to-28-week intensive course but also cost anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000.
Solo Work: Consider working as an open-source project contributor or engaging in solo projects if internships aren’t appealing to you. Building a robust portfolio is crucial to demonstrating your expertise and securing an entry-level cybersecurity job. Final Thoughts This article explored whether a cybersecurity degree is required by employers, the benefits of having one, and whether it’s worth the personal investment. And though a degree can open many doors and potentially lead to higher salaries, it's not the only way into the industry. With the cyber industry's rapid growth and the shift toward skills -based hiring, alternatives like associate’s degrees, boot camps, and self-directed projects also offer valuable entry points. Ultimately, the debate continues: Is a traditional degree necessary, or should we value practical skills more? What's your take? Do you think degrees are essential, or is it time to reprioritize and determine what is essential? Share your thoughts below. Thinking about a getting a cybersecurity degree but aren’t really sure? You’re not the only one. There’s a lot of debate on whether a cybersecurity degree has any value. But as a sign of things to come, the Office of National Cyber Director recently announced a willingness for federal agencies to move away from education-based hiring and towards skills-based hiring . skills-based hiring So now the question everyone is asking… are cybersecurity degrees really worth it? are cybersecurity degrees really worth it? are cybersecurity degrees really worth it? Read on as I walk through a few things to consider before you decide whether a degree is worth your time and money. Do Employers Require a Degree in Cybersecurity? Do Employers Require a Degree in Cybersecurity? Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer to this question. According to a 2023 ISACA report , only 52% of organizations require a university degree for hiring in entry-level cyber roles. Part of the reason for this lack of clarity is the challenge employers face when determining how 'well-prepared' college graduates are. 2023 ISACA report The ISACA survey revealed that 28% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that recent cyber graduates were well-prepared for the challenges in their organizations, whereas 24% disagreed or strongly disagreed. This indicates that employers are divided on the effectiveness of a cybersecurity degree. However, this doesn’t mean that obtaining a degree in cybersecurity lacks value; there are still several benefits to consider. Keep in mind this thought process doesn’t apply to leadership positions. Most executive roles, such as those of a CISO, typically require a degree in cybersecurity or a related field. Additionally, some companies may even prefer candidates with a master’s degree. Benefits of a Cybersecurity Degree Cybersecurity Degree There’s no doubt that a cybersecurity degree is an excellent launching pad for a successful career in the cyber industry. While it’s absolutely possible to land an entry-level job without a cyber degree, it’ll likely be more challenging for you. Compared to an equally capable candidate without a degree, a degreed candidate is more likely to gain access to a wider range of positions, secure an interview, be hired, receive opportunities for promotion, and earn a higher salary. However, I believe the most significant benefit of obtaining a cybersecurity degree lies in the experiential learning it offers, particularly through internships. Internships provide an opportunity to develop necessary skills in a real-world environment while allowing companies to invest time and effort into your training, thus improving your chances of employment after the internship. Calculating Your Degree’s Return on Investment (ROI) Calculating Your Degree’s Return on Investment (ROI) It’s important to recognize that your return on investment (ROI) depends entirely on your career goals. If you’re ‘okay’ with an entry-level position, low upfront costs, and slow growth with potential limits on promotion opportunities, you might be fine without a degree. And I completely understand that going to college isn’t cheap. The average cost of an undergraduate degree on campus is $36,436. To calculate a more accurate ROI, consider also the four years of lost wages during your studies because you’re likely working part-time instead of full-time. Assuming a wage of $15 per hour, you’re giving up $15,600 per year, or $62,400 over four years. This, plus the cost of your undergrad degree, brings your total educational cost to $98,836. average cost of an undergraduate degree Now, using the median annual salary of an information security analyst , which is $120,360, the average ROI comes to 21.8% per year, derived from ($120,360 - $98,836) / $98,836. median annual salary of an information security analyst After working for ten years, this translates to an ROI of 1,100% without a single promotion and an ROI of 2,300% after 20 years—a massive return for your four years of education! Keep in mind that other factors, such as taxes, inflation, and salary increases, will also impact your actual ROI, but this gives you a basic idea of the benefits. How to Start Cybersecurity Without a Degree? How to Start Cybersecurity Without a Degree? Cybersecurity professionals currently occupy 82% of US jobs . Additionally, employment growth is expected to rise in the next decade. This means that, degree or not, the industry urgently needs quality candidates. Cybersecurity professionals currently occupy 82% of US jobs employment growth If you aren’t interested in a 4-year degree, here are a few alternatives to consider: Associate’s Degree: Gain a competitive edge with a two-year cybersecurity associate’s degree, which provides a flexible, albeit less comprehensive, foundation in cyber knowledge compared to a full four-year bachelor’s degree. Bootcamps: Cybersecurity boot camps condense essential knowledge into a 6-to-28-week intensive course but also cost anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. Solo Work: Consider working as an open-source project contributor or engaging in solo projects if internships aren’t appealing to you. Building a robust portfolio is crucial to demonstrating your expertise and securing an entry-level cybersecurity job. Associate’s Degree : Gain a competitive edge with a two-year cybersecurity associate’s degree, which provides a flexible, albeit less comprehensive, foundation in cyber knowledge compared to a full four-year bachelor’s degree. Associate’s Degree Bootcamps : Cybersecurity boot camps condense essential knowledge into a 6-to-28-week intensive course but also cost anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. Bootcamps Solo Work : Consider working as an open-source project contributor or engaging in solo projects if internships aren’t appealing to you. Building a robust portfolio is crucial to demonstrating your expertise and securing an entry-level cybersecurity job. Solo Work robust portfolio Final Thoughts This article explored whether a cybersecurity degree is required by employers, the benefits of having one, and whether it’s worth the personal investment. And though a degree can open many doors and potentially lead to higher salaries, it's not the only way into the industry. With the cyber industry's rapid growth and the shift toward skills -based hiring, alternatives like associate’s degrees, boot camps, and self-directed projects also offer valuable entry points. Ultimately, the debate continues: Is a traditional degree necessary, or should we value practical skills more? What's your take? Do you think degrees are essential, or is it time to reprioritize and determine what is essential? Share your thoughts below.

Cybersecurity Degrees, Are They Really Worth It?

Organizations are constantly seeking ways to enhance access management and security. One solution that has gained considerable attention is the semi-custom ADSI connector. This innovative technology allows businesses to deploy an access management system that meets their specific needs and requirements. Sampath Talluri, a seasoned professional in Active Directory (AD) integration and access management, boasts a track record of notable achievements in his field, with a focus on designing, developing, and deploying custom AD integration solutions tailored to clients' specific needs across diverse industries. Talluri has managed to significantly streamline access management processes, boost user productivity, and enhance system security. His expertise in AD and access management has seen commendation and acclaim in the industry, earning him accolades for innovative solutions, exceptional problem-solving skills, and dedication to delivering high-quality results. Through effective collaboration and communication with clients, as he shared, he has succeeded in achieving high levels of client satisfaction and fostering repeat business opportunities. Additionally, he actively contributed to the professional community by sharing insights, best practices, and lessons learned through blog posts, presentations, and industry forums. Talluri's commitment to continuous learning and skill development in Active Directory, ADSI, access management, and related technologies serves to project him as a thought leader in the field who is keen to tackle new challenges and drive innovation in the industry. As a key member of the team overseeing Saviynt IGA integration and access management, Talluri played a crucial part in pushing significant changes in the processes. He shares that he was able to enable significant cost reductions by deploying improved access management processes and automation solutions. Automating repetitive operations like user provisioning and access requests decreases manual work and operating costs, resulting in greater overall efficiency. Furthermore, the use of user-friendly access management solutions has increased productivity and happiness among their employees. While shedding light on some of the more notable projects he has been a part of, Talluri talked of overseeing a multitude of significant projects within the realm of enterprise identity and access management (IAM). These endeavors include orchestrating large-scale migrations of Active Directory infrastructure to cloud-based environments, ensuring smooth transitions while upholding data integrity and minimizing downtime. He has also spearheaded the implementation of robust access governance frameworks and compliance measures, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards and industry requirements. His expertise extends to developing customized access management solutions involving the creation of tailored scripts, tools, and applications to automate and streamline IAM processes. Talluri, as a well-known phenomenon in the domain of cybersecurity, has led initiatives to enhance the security posture of the same environments, implementing advanced security controls and swiftly responding to security incidents. For reference, he worked on facilitating the seamless migration of IAM systems to cloud-based platforms such as Azure Active Directory and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Human resource management system (HRMS), and REST APIs, ensuring compatibility and integration with existing infrastructure. Through his work in access management, he has been able to achieve quantifiable results that actively demonstrate the efficacy of the implemented solutions. Significant strides have been made in access provisioning efficiency, with automation workflows reducing the average provisioning time from 24 hours to just 2-4 hours, marking an impressive 80% improvement. Additionally, by automating manual access management tasks, such as user onboarding and offboarding, Sampath has realized substantial cost savings. This automation effort led to a 30% reduction in IT support costs related to access management, resulting in approximately $50,000-$100,000 in annual savings. Moreover, streamlined access management processes, including the introduction of self-service access request portals, have significantly increased employee productivity. This enhancement resulted in a 50% reduction in the time employees spent on access-related inquiries, allowing them to focus more on their core job responsibilities. Moving on, the implementation of access governance frameworks and automated access reviews by Talluri and his team ensured high levels of compliance with regulatory standards, such as GDPR or SOX. Achieving a 95% compliance rate in access reviews surpassed regulatory audit requirements, mitigating the risk of fines or penalties. Lastly, proactive security measures, including the implementation of access controls and monitoring solutions, have led to a considerable decrease in security incidents related to Active Directory. Notably, incidents attributed to unauthorized access or privilege escalation decreased by 70% post-implementation. These figures emphasize the efficacy of their access management initiatives in enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, ensuring compliance, and bolstering security. The future of identity management lies in hybrid/cloud solutions that seamlessly integrate on-premises AD with cloud-based identity providers like Azure Active Directory (AAD), databases, and Jira. Organizations are likely to increasingly adopt hybrid/cloud architectures to capitalize on the scalability and flexibility of cloud services while retaining control over their on-premises infrastructure. The Zero Trust security model stands to gain prominence as organizations shift away from perimeter-based security approaches, focusing instead on principles like continuous authentication and least privilege access to mitigate data breaches and insider threats. Moreover, Identity governance and administration (IGA) is set to become a focal point for organizations aiming to enhance access governance, ensure compliance, and manage identity lifecycles effectively. Advanced authentication mechanisms, including biometrics and behavioral analytics, too, are witnessing the likelihood of being adopted to bolster security in Active Directory environments, with multi-factor authentication (MFA) becoming standard practice. Through the ability to continuously learn and adapt, it will be essential for professionals like Sampath Talluri to stay abreast of evolving trends and best practices in the maturing landscape of IAM/IGA and access management. Organizations are constantly seeking ways to enhance access management and security. One solution that has gained considerable attention is the semi-custom ADSI connector. This innovative technology allows businesses to deploy an access management system that meets their specific needs and requirements. Sampath Talluri, a seasoned professional in Active Directory (AD) integration and access management, boasts a track record of notable achievements in his field, with a focus on designing, developing, and deploying custom AD integration solutions tailored to clients' specific needs across diverse industries. Talluri has managed to significantly streamline access management processes, boost user productivity, and enhance system security. His expertise in AD and access management has seen commendation and acclaim in the industry, earning him accolades for innovative solutions, exceptional problem-solving skills, and dedication to delivering high-quality results. Through effective collaboration and communication with clients, as he shared, he has succeeded in achieving high levels of client satisfaction and fostering repeat business opportunities. Additionally, he actively contributed to the professional community by sharing insights, best practices, and lessons learned through blog posts, presentations, and industry forums. Talluri's commitment to continuous learning and skill development in Active Directory, ADSI, access management, and related technologies serves to project him as a thought leader in the field who is keen to tackle new challenges and drive innovation in the industry. As a key member of the team overseeing Saviynt IGA integration and access management, Talluri played a crucial part in pushing significant changes in the processes. He shares that he was able to enable significant cost reductions by deploying improved access management processes and automation solutions. Automating repetitive operations like user provisioning and access requests decreases manual work and operating costs, resulting in greater overall efficiency. Furthermore, the use of user-friendly access management solutions has increased productivity and happiness among their employees. While shedding light on some of the more notable projects he has been a part of, Talluri talked of overseeing a multitude of significant projects within the realm of enterprise identity and access management (IAM). These endeavors include orchestrating large-scale migrations of Active Directory infrastructure to cloud-based environments, ensuring smooth transitions while upholding data integrity and minimizing downtime. He has also spearheaded the implementation of robust access governance frameworks and compliance measures, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards and industry requirements. His expertise extends to developing customized access management solutions involving the creation of tailored scripts, tools, and applications to automate and streamline IAM processes. Talluri, as a well-known phenomenon in the domain of cybersecurity, has led initiatives to enhance the security posture of the same environments, implementing advanced security controls and swiftly responding to security incidents. For reference, he worked on facilitating the seamless migration of IAM systems to cloud-based platforms such as Azure Active Directory and Amazon Web Services (AWS) , Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Human resource management system (HRMS), and REST APIs, ensuring compatibility and integration with existing infrastructure. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Through his work in access management, he has been able to achieve quantifiable results that actively demonstrate the efficacy of the implemented solutions. Significant strides have been made in access provisioning efficiency, with automation workflows reducing the average provisioning time from 24 hours to just 2-4 hours, marking an impressive 80% improvement. Additionally, by automating manual access management tasks, such as user onboarding and offboarding, Sampath has realized substantial cost savings. This automation effort led to a 30% reduction in IT support costs related to access management, resulting in approximately $50,000-$100,000 in annual savings. Moreover, streamlined access management processes, including the introduction of self-service access request portals, have significantly increased employee productivity. This enhancement resulted in a 50% reduction in the time employees spent on access-related inquiries, allowing them to focus more on their core job responsibilities. Moving on, the implementation of access governance frameworks and automated access reviews by Talluri and his team ensured high levels of compliance with regulatory standards, such as GDPR or SOX. Achieving a 95% compliance rate in access reviews surpassed regulatory audit requirements, mitigating the risk of fines or penalties. Lastly, proactive security measures, including the implementation of access controls and monitoring solutions, have led to a considerable decrease in security incidents related to Active Directory. Notably, incidents attributed to unauthorized access or privilege escalation decreased by 70% post-implementation. These figures emphasize the efficacy of their access management initiatives in enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, ensuring compliance, and bolstering security. The future of identity management lies in hybrid/cloud solutions that seamlessly integrate on-premises AD with cloud-based identity providers like Azure Active Directory (AAD), databases, and Jira. Organizations are likely to increasingly adopt hybrid/cloud architectures to capitalize on the scalability and flexibility of cloud services while retaining control over their on-premises infrastructure. The Zero Trust security model stands to gain prominence as organizations shift away from perimeter-based security approaches, focusing instead on principles like continuous authentication and least privilege access to mitigate data breaches and insider threats. Moreover, Identity governance and administration (IGA) is set to become a focal point for organizations aiming to enhance access governance, ensure compliance, and manage identity lifecycles effectively. Advanced authentication mechanisms, including biometrics and behavioral analytics, too, are witnessing the likelihood of being adopted to bolster security in Active Directory environments, with multi-factor authentication (MFA) becoming standard practice. Through the ability to continuously learn and adapt, it will be essential for professionals like Sampath Talluri to stay abreast of evolving trends and best practices in the maturing landscape of IAM/IGA and access management.

Sampath Talluri: Real-World Deployment of Semi-Custom ADSI Connector for Access Management

A time is coming when your thoughts will be the only activity you need to get things done. Have you ever been so caught up with work, you don't want to move a muscle? You are not willing to use your voice because you feel the ideas will escape once you do. So, what do you do when you suddenly wish your favorite songs were playing at that moment, but you feel too lazy to pick up your phone or call Siri's attention to turn on your playlist? If only your thoughts could make the orders, right? Here, you are thinking, "Siri, play me 'Easy on Me' by Adele" and seconds later the sound fills your workspace. Then you think, "Nope, too low. Siri, increase the volume to 10", and the volume gets adjusted to suit what’s on your mind perfectly. Your brain alone processes commands without any effort from your mouth. I guess that can be seen as a grand breakthrough in the history of neuroscience—or probably not! Let's find out what this means for the world collectively. What Exactly is Neurocomputing? Neurocomputing is a branch of neuroscience that deals with the examination of brain patterns and activities. It is a subfield of cognitive neuroscience that scientifically studies the biological mechanisms and reactions of the brain to different experiences. The term applies to the process of reading, analyzing, and interpreting brain activities by utilizing brain sensors and an imaging framework to examine how our brain reacts in response to different emotions. This is usually through the use of a Brain-Computer Interface Device. The framework, in this case, is called the "triad,” a 3-step process of emotion-valuation, sensory-motor, and meaning-knowledge evaluation. With the introduction of Al, neuroscientists hit a new milestone with brain activity studies. The Rise of Neurocomputing Would you have ever imagined that one day, the content of your thoughts could be read by devices? Science fiction? Sure! Why not? We see a lot of that. But reality? That's almost impossible (or so we thought). Lie detectors were the most mind readers, but they can never detect what your thoughts are word by word. However, technology always seems to awe us as time progresses because the technology we once thought only existed in movies is right here! The use of brainwave-controlled devices to read minds began with the invention of Electro Encephalogram (EEG) in the 1900s. History has it that the German psychiatrist, Hans Berger, created the in neurosurgery. first EEG brain recording These devices, fitted with sensors, were used mostly to monitor and record a patient's brain activity. When placed on your scalp, the sensors pick up electrical signals produced by the brain, which can be interpreted. Around 2008, consumer-focused EEG became commercialized for public use. and —both tech companies—were among the early players in this scene as they released EEG headsets with the promise to create mind-controlled video games. NeuroSky Emotive Furthermore, it began being tested in other areas besides video games, like how it could be used to control your phone or other activities by companies like and . iBrain Muse Relief from Brain-Computer Interfaces Technology Innovations and advanced companies like Meta and Neuralink notched it up with their research into Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) - a technology that can pick thoughts directly from brain neurons and translate them into words. This technology uses AI algorithms to read brain activity and decode emotions into words. Between 2017 and 2019, Meta began funding . As of March 2022, the funded Nature Neuroscience, UCSF researchers achieved brain-to-text decoding with an average error rate as low as 3% when it was tested with vocabularies of up to 300 words—a huge advancement from previous studies. this technology research into At the same time, Elon Musk's Neuralink is already making a good deal of progress with its flexible ultra-thin threads that can be implanted directly into the brain, enabling the carrier to control their gadgets/devices with their thoughts. This is already being tested on paraplegics. The technology has been very much welcomed by paralytic patients who need to gain a good level of control over their lives again. Neuralink has already begun testing the brain threads on paraplegics. Case Study of Neurocomputing Although this technological concept sounds somewhat new, neurocomputing has been in the research and development stage for years, and test-flight gadgets are already being produced. The possibilities of mind reading and brainwave-controlled gadgets are endless. Scientists continue to look into ways to integrate them into our lives, experimenting across various sectors with the possible use of non-invasive EEG devices and BCIs. Many of these experiments are often procedures aimed at helping the physically and mentally disabled to communicate their needs and gain some control over their lives. The world is not new to cases of patients who can not speak due to sicknesses, paralysis, stroke, or just being born that way. So when, for the first time in history, researchers at the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre, University of Technology Sydney, invented a portable non-invasive device that could translate thoughts into words, it was seen as a breakthrough in neurocomputing. Breakthrough at the GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre: At the time, though, the accuracy was questionable, but with the initial goal achieved, it would only take more years of developing it to increase its accuracy rating. We already find Meta and Neuralink taking up this task with BCIs and electron threads. Evolving neurocomputing also makes smooth communication possible between humans and machines, be it our gadgets, robots, or prosthetic arms. The history of neurocomputing and brain-controlled devices left a remarkable mark in the FIFA 2014 World Cup when, for the first time, the symbolic kick-off event for the tournament was led and completed by a paraplegic man using an advanced assisted mobility technology—a brain-controlled exoskeleton. The FIFA 2014 World Cup Kick-Off Event: This technology, by , a collaborative invention of over 100 scientists from around the world, made use of a set of non-invasive electrodes to read the brain signals from the paraplegic and transmit them to the lightweight exoskeleton triggering movements that helped the man complete the kick-off successfully. The Walk Again Project In the same year of the FIFA World Cup kick-off event, the director of the Center for Neuromodulation, Ohio State University, Dr. Ali Rezai, performed a on 26-year-old quadriplegic Ian Burkhart. Paralyzed Ian Burkhart Regained Mobility: life-changing surgery The surgery involved implanting a tiny 4 x 4 mm microchip into Burkhart's motor cortex, used alongside an electrical sleeve and purpose-made algorithms. This allowed the sensors to trigger his thoughts to control his hands and fingers while bypassing his damaged spinal cord. It was a success. This is not the only successful brain implant in the history of neurocomputing; a man paralyzed from the shoulders down has also been able to regain control of his paralyzed muscles by bypassing the injured spinal cord with the into his motor cortex. implantation of two aspirin-sized 96-channel electrode arrays EEG devices and BCIs are greatly contributing to improved quality of life for disabled people. Other Notable Strides: But we can't say that brain-controlled and mind-reading devices are only for the sick and disabled. These devices could also be used to carry out other tasks/activities for the good of everyone: BBC and This Place teamed up to create a mind-reading headset to enable its user to control the with their thoughts—goodbye to remote controls. BBC iPlayer A team led by an Associate Professor at the KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, . Suk-Won Hwang, developed E-Glasses This prototype eyeglass is made up of flexible electrode sensors located between the ears and eyes of the wearer. First, the electrodes consist of an EEG to monitor the brain's electrical activity and an ElectroOculogram (EOG) to track eye movements and transmit both from the glasses to a device for processing and interpretation. This glass can be used to monitor the mental health of the wearer, help them control games with their eyes, and turn on and off the sunglasses mode when the wearer needs it. Nissan and NASA are working together to build a self-driving robot car technology called that can read, monitor, and measure a driver's brain activity to know if he/she is alert to drive or not. Mind Sense In an exciting twist of things, in 2013, NASA came up with the crazy idea of using . Together with scientists from the University of Essex, they launched a project to control a virtual spaceship with the mind. BCIs to control planetary rovers A competition was held in 2016 by neuroscientists at the University of Florida, a competition that had pilot flying their drones to the finish line by using their minds. Brain Drone Race And the list goes on and on. But like every other technology and thing that exists, there will always be pros and cons to consider. The Ethical Considerations of Neurocomputing Neurocomputing is a technology that is already transforming lives, especially for paraplegics, who, in many cases, have been able to get robotic body parts that can be controlled with their minds or bypass spinal cord injuries to stimulate their bodies into motion through brain neuron implants. People who couldn't talk can now communicate their feelings and what they want/need and interact through mind-reading gadgets. For everyone else abled people, organizations, and companies that wish to apply these gadgets in their daily lives or their various sectors, it is very much achievable. It can bring "ease" into certain activities and, perhaps, create a more quiet world. However, the implantation of invasive BCIs into the brain involves a surgical procedure that is almost too risky to be considered. The brain is a fragile organ; damage to it can lead to mental abnormalities or even brain death. As such, the risk of brain implants makes this technology far-fetched for fully functional humans. Paraplegics, on the other hand, can wager these procedures because of the quest to have a better quality of life. A delicate situation, but if that is what it takes for them not to be stuck in a static world at the mercy of others, it is worth the risky shot. This is why BCIs by companies like Neuralink and Meta, although envisioned to cater to all and sundry, are more appealing to the paralytic section of the world at the moment. Because of these concerns, scientists are looking back into non-invasive methods of mind reading. Last year, researchers at the , University of Technology Sydney, invented a portable, non-invasive cap-like device that could translate thoughts into words when placed on the head. GrapheneX-UTS Human-centric Artificial Intelligence Centre Additionally, scientists from the University of Texas, Austin, developed to translate the thoughts in one's brain into actual speech by monitoring the brain's activity involving the use of fMRI and Al language models. a non-invasive technique The accuracy of these techniques was average. However, with the intended goal achieved, it would only take more years of development to increase its accuracy. Still, no one wants to walk around carrying a headpiece with cords sticking out, and neither can they carry fMRI machines all day. Hence, there is a need for less obvious, non-intrusive devices or less risky invasive BCIs. While the world can be swamped by Brainwave-controlled devices that read our minds, it poses serious concerns. One day, like every other day, we'll be carrying out activities with silent thoughts all in our heads, but this is the sad part: organizations would be able to read, monitor, store, access, and use these thoughts when needed. As tragic as this sounds, it is already in progress. The thoughts in our brain are currently our only inaccessible assets, our privacy safe, our most intimate thoughts, and our personal identity—no one should be able to access our minds. Data Privacy: But with the recent discoveries and technologies in neuroscience, this intrinsic privacy may be breached sooner than we know, leaving us truly vulnerable to Big Tech companies and organizations. If we lose control of our minds, if any company can spy into our thoughts, what else do we have left of ourselves? Just like we have on the internet, companies would be able to buy and access our brain data for targeted marketing. The first appeal for every product starts with the brain. You may not be able to say it, but you can think it accurately. Imagine advertisers having that exact information just as we feel it; then, they will be able to market their products in a practically irresistible way. Neurocomputing and mind-reading devices would make brain data available on a massive scale, and this is also very detrimental to us. Think about it; aside from compelling advertising, how safe are you? The brain is where all your secrets lie: your passwords, location, investments, amount of money you own, where you saved your assets, etc. A brain data hack would mean a loss too great to bear. The argument of some neuroscientists that the potential for misuse of neurocomputing and mind reading is so great that there needs to be a revamp of the human rights laws to protect us all is valid. Because this technology has what it takes to interfere with our most basic rights, the current laws are not fully equipped to salvage the situation; we need a new "jurisprudence of the mind" for our protection. So, in all, our biggest challenge is privacy and safety! What's the future? A quiet world. Maybe what we need? Or maybe not. Elon Musk and his company, Neuralink, have been at the forefront, pushing the concept of neurocomputing beyond the idea of it being the help for paraplegics only. For Musk, it would take conceptual interactions to a whole new level where words and conversations don't have to be verbalized, just thought. He calls it "consensual telepathy,” a realm where your speech becomes completely unnecessary. You can walk into a room with people conversing but not conversing because their thoughts are flying invisibly between them. Reading that now, it does sound uncanny. What becomes of our speech? Oh! I know what you are thinking, "there would never be a day when our speech isn't needed,” and of course, that's somewhat true. But come to think of it, before the advent of mobile phones, would there have been a day we thought we'd be so glued to these gadgets we'd rarely appreciate physical communication and rather be embedded in virtual conversations? I don't think so. When all you need is your thoughts to perform the most basic activities like ordering a coffee from a cafe, asking your friend to pass you the popcorn at a movie, communicating a proposal to your boss, conversing verbally on a date, etc., you may slowly lose touch of actual words. Almost the same way, we are slowly losing touch with writing on paper because we'd rather type into our computers, tablets, or phones. Well, there's no denying the fact that it sounds pretty interesting, too. You'd never have to say you don't know how to express yourself because your mind will do all the expressing for you where words would have escaped you. The concept of your feelings will flow just as you feel them, and no matter how disgruntled they are, your receiver will get the exact message with the fear, excitement, contempt, and all the fleeting emotions - conveyed just as it is. Also, the advancement of this technology would eliminate the language barrier. Whatever we think can be communicated directly to the recipient in whatever language desired. What neurocomputing proposes for the future is both unsettling and intriguing, but we really can't stop technology from evolving, and neither can we stop the future. We only hope that measures are instituted to mitigate the cons while we hope for the best.

From Science Fiction to Reality: The Promise of Neurocomputing and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

কল্পবিজ্ঞান থেকে বাস্তবে: নিউরোকম্পিউটিং এবং ব্রেন-কম্পিউটার ইন্টারফেসের প্রতিশ্রুতি (BCIs)

Von der Science-Fiction zur Realität: Das Versprechen von Neurocomputing und Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCIs)

De la ciencia ficción a la realidad: la promesa de la neurocomputación y las interfaces cerebro-computadora (BCI)

De la science-fiction à la réalité : la promesse de la neuroinformatique et des interfaces cerveau-ordinateur (BCI)

विज्ञान कथा से वास्तविकता तक: न्यूरोकंप्यूटिंग और मस्तिष्क-कंप्यूटर इंटरफेस (बीसीआई) का वादा

サイエンスフィクションから現実へ: ニューロコンピューティングと脳コンピュータインターフェース (BCI) の可能性

SF에서 현실로: 신경컴퓨팅과 뇌-컴퓨터 인터페이스(BCI)의 전망

Da ficção científica à realidade: a promessa da neurocomputação e das interfaces cérebro-computador (BCIs)

От научной фантастики к реальности: перспективы нейрокомпьютеров и интерфейсов «мозг-компьютер» (BCI)

Bilim Kurgudan Gerçeğe: Nörobilgisayar ve Beyin-Bilgisayar Arayüzlerinin (BCI) Vaadi

Từ khoa học viễn tưởng đến hiện thực: Lời hứa về giao diện máy tính thần kinh và não-máy tính (BCI)

从科幻到现实：神经计算和脑机接口 (BCI) 的前景

In a significant move that is contributing to the evolution of real estate investment, Libertum is thrilled to announce a collaboration with Tulum Land and Properties. This partnership punctuates the end of the traditional approach to real estate investment in the Tulum region of Mexico. The partnership represents an evolution to an era where property tokenization is the norm. It is appropriate that the vibrant real estate scene of Tulum, Mexico, known for its stunning properties and burgeoning market potential, will now also be recognized as a place where real estate tokenization is a reality. Tulum Land and Properties and Libertum are set to introduce a new era of investment opportunities by tokenizing a unique collection of villas with an initial portfolio of 300 million dollars. This innovative venture offers forward-thinking investors a unique chance to be part of Tulum's flourishing real estate sector, positioning it as a prime location for progressive investment. Javvad Azam, CEO at Libertum, said: "Tulum's real estate market is at an inflection point, observed with increasing interest from global investors. Our collaboration with Tulum Land and Properties is not just about introducing groundbreaking investment opportunities; it’s about crafting a legacy in one of the most mesmerizing destinations in the world.” The collaboration is timely, as Tulum continues to capture the attention of international investors and enthusiasts, with property values in the area poised for significant growth. Engaging in this venture allows investors to secure their stake in what is predicted to be a lucrative market, leveraging the expertise and insight of both Libertum and Tulum Land and Properties. Furthermore, this partnership harbors the potential to assist Libertum, paving the way for expansion beyond Tulum into Cancun and further exploration of the captivating lands of Mexico. This strategic move underlines Libertum's commitment to fostering growth and expanding its footprint in the international real estate market. Be part of this extraordinary journey with Libertum and Tulum Land and Properties. For a closer look at the unique area and to explore the opportunities this collaboration will create, you are encouraged to visit www.tulumlandandproperty.com and www.libertum.io This is more than an invitation to invest; it's a call to be part of an industry evolution that is now inevitable. About Libertum Libertum offers a complete infrastructure for real estate companies, property owners, agencies, and other RWA projects to tokenize assets. From digitizing rental income to ownership transfers through DAO, Libertum caters to all your on-chain real estate requirements. List properties, trade tokens, borrow via our lending protocol or reserve on-chain properties for a smooth experience. About Tulum Land and Properties For over four thrilling years, Tulum Land & Property (TLAP) has been at the forefront of Tulum's dynamic real estate market, offering unparalleled consultancy and brokerage services specifically designed for international investors. This story was distributed under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here: https://business.hackernoon.com/ In a significant move that is contributing to the evolution of real estate investment, Libertum is thrilled to announce a collaboration with Tulum Land and Properties. This partnership punctuates the end of the traditional approach to real estate investment in the Tulum region of Mexico. The partnership represents an evolution to an era where property tokenization is the norm. It is appropriate that the vibrant real estate scene of Tulum, Mexico, known for its stunning properties and burgeoning market potential, will now also be recognized as a place where real estate tokenization is a reality. Tulum Land and Properties and Libertum are set to introduce a new era of investment opportunities by tokenizing a unique collection of villas with an initial portfolio of 300 million dollars. This innovative venture offers forward-thinking investors a unique chance to be part of Tulum's flourishing real estate sector, positioning it as a prime location for progressive investment. Javvad Azam, CEO at Libertum, said: "Tulum's real estate market is at an inflection point, observed with increasing interest from global investors. Our collaboration with Tulum Land and Properties is not just about introducing groundbreaking investment opportunities; it’s about crafting a legacy in one of the most mesmerizing destinations in the world.” "Tulum's real estate market is at an inflection point, observed with increasing interest from global investors. Our collaboration with Tulum Land and Properties is not just about introducing groundbreaking investment opportunities; it’s about crafting a legacy in one of the most mesmerizing destinations in the world.” The collaboration is timely, as Tulum continues to capture the attention of international investors and enthusiasts, with property values in the area poised for significant growth. Engaging in this venture allows investors to secure their stake in what is predicted to be a lucrative market, leveraging the expertise and insight of both Libertum and Tulum Land and Properties. Furthermore, this partnership harbors the potential to assist Libertum, paving the way for expansion beyond Tulum into Cancun and further exploration of the captivating lands of Mexico. This strategic move underlines Libertum's commitment to fostering growth and expanding its footprint in the international real estate market. Be part of this extraordinary journey with Libertum and Tulum Land and Properties. For a closer look at the unique area and to explore the opportunities this collaboration will create, you are encouraged to visit www.tulumlandandproperty.com and www.libertum.io www.libertum.io www.libertum.io This is more than an invitation to invest; it's a call to be part of an industry evolution that is now inevitable. About Libertum Libertum offers a complete infrastructure for real estate companies, property owners, agencies, and other RWA projects to tokenize assets. From digitizing rental income to ownership transfers through DAO, Libertum caters to all your on-chain real estate requirements. List properties, trade tokens, borrow via our lending protocol or reserve on-chain properties for a smooth experience. Libertum About Tulum Land and Properties For over four thrilling years, Tulum Land & Property (TLAP) has been at the forefront of Tulum's dynamic real estate market, offering unparalleled consultancy and brokerage services specifically designed for international investors. Tulum Land & Property (TLAP) This story was distributed under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here: https://business.hackernoon.com/ This story was distributed under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here: https://business.hackernoon.com/ https://business.hackernoon.com/

Libertum Announces Strategic Collaboration with Tulum Land & Properties to Revolutionize Real Estate

Libertum রিয়েল এস্টেট বিপ্লব করতে Tulum জমি এবং সম্পত্তির সাথে কৌশলগত সহযোগিতা ঘোষণা করেছে

Libertum kündigt strategische Zusammenarbeit mit Tulum Land & Properties an, um den Immobilienmarkt zu revolutionieren

Libertum anuncia colaboración estratégica con Tulum Land & Properties para revolucionar el sector inmobiliario

Libertum annonce une collaboration stratégique avec Tulum Land & Properties pour révolutionner l'immobilier

लिबर्टम ने रियल एस्टेट में क्रांति लाने के लिए टुलम लैंड एंड प्रॉपर्टीज़ के साथ रणनीतिक सहयोग की घोषणा की

リバタム、不動産業界に革命を起こすためトゥルム・ランド＆プロパティーズとの戦略的提携を発表

Libertum, 부동산 혁명을 위해 Tulum Land & Properties와의 전략적 협력 발표

Libertum anuncia colaboração estratégica com Tulum Land & Properties para revolucionar o mercado imobiliário

Libertum объявляет о стратегическом сотрудничестве с Tulum Land & Properties, чтобы произвести революцию в сфере недвижимости

Libertum, Gayrimenkulde Devrim Yaratmak İçin Tulum Land & Properties ile Stratejik İşbirliği Duyurdu

Libertum công bố hợp tác chiến lược với Tulum Land & Properties để cách mạng hóa bất động sản

Libertum 宣布与 Tulum Land & Properties 开展战略合作，共同革新房地产

Authors:
(1) Jo˜ao Almeida, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal;
(2) Jos´e Rui Figueira, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal;
(3) Alexandre P. Francisco, INESC-ID, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal;
(4) Daniel Santos, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal. 3 The course timetabling problem for Instituto Superior T´ecnico In this section, we define the course timetabling problem for IST. In Subsection 3.1, we introduce the notation for the indices. In Subsection 3.2, we provide the required parameters. In Subsection 3.3, we characterise the decision and auxiliary variables. In Subsection 3.4, we explore the constraints that determine the feasibility of the timetables. In Subsection 3.5, we present the instances solved in our work. 3.1 Indices The indices are presented in this subsection. – i = 1, . . . , ni , are the indices related to the lectures; – j = 1, . . . , nj , are the indices related to the days; – k = 1, . . . , nk, are the indices related to the hour slots in each day; – t = 1, . . . , nt, are the indices related to the room types; – ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ, are the indices related to the curricula; – p = 1, . . . , np, are the indices related to the professors; – µ = 1, . . . , nµ, are the indices related to the campi; 3.2 Parameters The parameters are presented in this subsection. They are divided into four groups. The first is related to associations between lectures, curricula, and professors. The second is related to lecture characteristics. The third is related to curricula and professor workloads. The fourth is related to rooms. 1. Related to associations between lectures, curricula and professors. – aℓ ∈ {1, . . . , ni}, is the set of lectures, i, which is part of a curricula, ℓ, for all ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – bp ∈ {1, . . . , np}, is the set of lectures, i, taught by a professor, p, for all p = 1, . . . , np. 2. Related to lecture characteristics. – ci ∈ N, is the duration of a lecture, i, in hour slots, for all i = 1, . . . , ni . – di ∈ {1, . . . , ni}, is the set of lectures, i ̸= i, which cannot be taught on the same day as another lecture, i, for all i = 1, . . . , ni . – ei ∈ {1, . . . , ni}, is the set of lectures, i ̸= i, which must be taught before another lecture, i for all i = 1, . . . , ni . 3. Related to curricula and professor workloads. – mℓ ∈ N, is the maximum daily workload for a given curricula, ℓ, in number of hour slots, for all ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – op ∈ N, is the maximum daily workload for a given professor, p, in number of hour slots, for all p = 1, . . . , np. – rℓ ∈ N, is the maximum consecutive workload for a given curricula, ℓ, in number of hour slots, for all ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – sp ∈ N, is the maximum consecutive workload for a given professor, p, in number of hour slots, for all p = 1, . . . , np. 3.3 Variables The variables are presented in this subsection. 1. Decision variables. – xijk ∈ {0, 1}, is 1 if a lecture, i, is taught in a day, j, and hour slot, k; and 0 otherwise, for all i = 1, . . . , ni , j = 1, . . . , nj , k = 1, . . . , nk. 2. Auxiliary variables. – yjkℓ ∈ {0, 1}, is 1 if a curriculum, ℓ, has a lecture scheduled in a time slot, (j, k); and 0 otherwise, for all j = 1, . . . , nj , k = 1, . . . , nk, ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – yjkp ∈ {0, 1}, is 1 if a professor, p, has a lecture scheduled in a time slot, (j, k); and 0 otherwise, for all j = 1, . . . , nj , k = 1, . . . , nk, p = 1, . . . , np. 3.4 Constraints The constraints that define the course timetabling problem at IST are presented in this subsection. They are divided into four groups. The first is related to curriculum, professor, and room availability. The second is related to curriculum and professor workloads. The third is related to campus changes. Finally, the fourth is related to lecture assignments. 1. Curriculum, professor and room availability. These constraints ensure that students, professors and rooms are available at the time of their assignments. (a) Professor and student juxtaposition. Students in a certain curriculum, ℓ, or professors, p, do not have more than one lecture assigned at any given time. (b) Room juxtaposition. There are enough rooms of a type, t, for the lectures, i, which must be taught in a room of that type, vit = 1. 2. Curriculum and professor workload. These constraints ensure that regulations regarding the maximum student and professor workloads are met. (a) Maximum daily workload. In a day, j, a curriculum, ℓ, or professor, p, does not have more hour slots, k, of lectures, i, assigned than the regulations allow, mℓ and op. (b) Maximum consecutive workloads. A curriculum, ℓ, or a professor, p, does not exceed their maximum allowed consecutive workload, rℓ or sp. 3. Lecture assignment. These constraints ensure that regulations regarding lecture assignments are met. (a) Single assignment. Each lecture, i, is assigned to a single time slot, (j, k). (b) Same day incompatibility. Two lectures, i and i, are not taught in the same day, j, if the regulations state that that is the case, i ∈ di . (c) Precedence. If there is a lecture, i, which must precede another lecture, i, i.e., i ∈ ei , then, i, must be taught in the same day as i, at an earlier hour, or a previous day. 4. Campus changes. These constraints ensure that regulations regarding student or professor campus changes within the same day are met. (a) Minimum required time. Students of a certain curriculum, ℓ, and professors, p, have enough time, uµµ, to change campus if they have two consecutive lectures, i and i, in different campi, gi ̸= gi. 3.5 Instances The real-world instance, denoted as IST Complete, includes 4102 lectures, 644 classes and 900 professors. The lectures take place in 2 campi. There are lectures in the first trimester, lectures in the second trimester, and lectures that must be scheduled for the whole semester. The semester lectures must be taught in the same time slot in both trimesters. Thus, both trimesters must be scheduled simultaneously. Accordingly, each class has two distinct timetables, each corresponding to a different curriculum. Similarly, professors and room types must have distinct timetables for each trimester. Lecture duration ranges from one to four hours, with each hour corresponding to two time slots. When there are consecutive lectures in different campi, students and professors must have at least one free time slot in between. Students and teachers can have eight hours of lectures in a single day; of those, only five hours can be taught consecutively. To expand the computational experiments, 30 random subdivisions with 200, 250, and 300 classes were obtained from instance IST Complete. IST has two campi where lectures are taught, with 168 and 39 rooms available for teaching. However, for the subdivisions, we considered 142 and 29 rooms for the campi. Each lecture must be assigned to a specific type of room based on its capacity. Instances from the 2007 International Timetabling Competition were also adapted and tested. These instances do not include multiple campi or trimesters. Moreover, maximum consecutive workload, precedence, and different day lectures were added, and unavailable slots from the original problem were not regarded. A summary of the instances is presented in Table 1. Since our instances include several characteristics that are not present in the competition instances, we decided to encode our instances with a different structure than the ones from ITC 2007. Specifically to facilitate the decomposition and increment procedures and to include other parameters such as lecture duration, campi, or trimester. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Jo˜ao Almeida, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal; (2) Jos´e Rui Figueira, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal; (3) Alexandre P. Francisco, INESC-ID, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal; (4) Daniel Santos, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal. Authors: (1) Jo˜ao Almeida, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal; (2) Jos´e Rui Figueira, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal; (3) Alexandre P. Francisco, INESC-ID, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal; (4) Daniel Santos, CEGIST, Instituto Superior T´ecnico, Universidade de Lisboa Portugal. 3 The course timetabling problem for Instituto Superior T´ecnico In this section, we define the course timetabling problem for IST. In Subsection 3.1, we introduce the notation for the indices. In Subsection 3.2, we provide the required parameters. In Subsection 3.3, we characterise the decision and auxiliary variables. In Subsection 3.4, we explore the constraints that determine the feasibility of the timetables. In Subsection 3.5, we present the instances solved in our work. 3.1 Indices The indices are presented in this subsection. – i = 1, . . . , ni , are the indices related to the lectures; – j = 1, . . . , nj , are the indices related to the days; – k = 1, . . . , nk, are the indices related to the hour slots in each day; – t = 1, . . . , nt, are the indices related to the room types; – ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ, are the indices related to the curricula; – p = 1, . . . , np, are the indices related to the professors; – µ = 1, . . . , nµ, are the indices related to the campi; 3.2 Parameters The parameters are presented in this subsection. They are divided into four groups. The first is related to associations between lectures, curricula, and professors. The second is related to lecture characteristics. The third is related to curricula and professor workloads. The fourth is related to rooms. 1. Related to associations between lectures, curricula and professors. 1. Related to associations between lectures, curricula and professors. – aℓ ∈ {1, . . . , ni}, is the set of lectures, i, which is part of a curricula, ℓ, for all ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – bp ∈ {1, . . . , np}, is the set of lectures, i, taught by a professor, p, for all p = 1, . . . , np. 2. Related to lecture characteristics. 2. Related to lecture characteristics. – ci ∈ N, is the duration of a lecture, i, in hour slots, for all i = 1, . . . , ni . – di ∈ {1, . . . , ni}, is the set of lectures, i ̸= i, which cannot be taught on the same day as another lecture, i, for all i = 1, . . . , ni . – ei ∈ {1, . . . , ni}, is the set of lectures, i ̸= i, which must be taught before another lecture, i for all i = 1, . . . , ni . 3. Related to curricula and professor workloads. 3. Related to curricula and professor workloads. – mℓ ∈ N, is the maximum daily workload for a given curricula, ℓ, in number of hour slots, for all ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – op ∈ N, is the maximum daily workload for a given professor, p, in number of hour slots, for all p = 1, . . . , np. – rℓ ∈ N, is the maximum consecutive workload for a given curricula, ℓ, in number of hour slots, for all ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – sp ∈ N, is the maximum consecutive workload for a given professor, p, in number of hour slots, for all p = 1, . . . , np. 3.3 Variables The variables are presented in this subsection. 1. Decision variables. Decision variables. – xijk ∈ {0, 1}, is 1 if a lecture, i, is taught in a day, j, and hour slot, k; and 0 otherwise, for all i = 1, . . . , ni , j = 1, . . . , nj , k = 1, . . . , nk. 2. Auxiliary variables. Auxiliary variables. – yjkℓ ∈ {0, 1}, is 1 if a curriculum, ℓ, has a lecture scheduled in a time slot, (j, k); and 0 otherwise, for all j = 1, . . . , nj , k = 1, . . . , nk, ℓ = 1, . . . , nℓ. – yjkp ∈ {0, 1}, is 1 if a professor, p, has a lecture scheduled in a time slot, (j, k); and 0 otherwise, for all j = 1, . . . , nj , k = 1, . . . , nk, p = 1, . . . , np. 3.4 Constraints The constraints that define the course timetabling problem at IST are presented in this subsection. They are divided into four groups. The first is related to curriculum, professor, and room availability. The second is related to curriculum and professor workloads. The third is related to campus changes. Finally, the fourth is related to lecture assignments. 1. Curriculum, professor and room availability. These constraints ensure that students, professors and rooms are available at the time of their assignments. (a) Professor and student juxtaposition. Students in a certain curriculum, ℓ, or professors, p, do not have more than one lecture assigned at any given time. (b) Room juxtaposition. There are enough rooms of a type, t, for the lectures, i, which must be taught in a room of that type, vit = 1. 2. Curriculum and professor workload. These constraints ensure that regulations regarding the maximum student and professor workloads are met. (a) Maximum daily workload. In a day, j, a curriculum, ℓ, or professor, p, does not have more hour slots, k, of lectures, i, assigned than the regulations allow, mℓ and op. (b) Maximum consecutive workloads. A curriculum, ℓ, or a professor, p, does not exceed their maximum allowed consecutive workload, rℓ or sp. 3. Lecture assignment. These constraints ensure that regulations regarding lecture assignments are met. (a) Single assignment. Each lecture, i, is assigned to a single time slot, (j, k). (b) Same day incompatibility. Two lectures, i and i, are not taught in the same day, j, if the regulations state that that is the case, i ∈ di . (c) Precedence. If there is a lecture, i, which must precede another lecture, i, i.e., i ∈ ei , then, i, must be taught in the same day as i, at an earlier hour, or a previous day. 4. Campus changes. These constraints ensure that regulations regarding student or professor campus changes within the same day are met. (a) Minimum required time. Students of a certain curriculum, ℓ, and professors, p, have enough time, uµµ, to change campus if they have two consecutive lectures, i and i, in different campi, gi ̸= gi. 3.5 Instances The real-world instance, denoted as IST Complete, includes 4102 lectures, 644 classes and 900 professors. The lectures take place in 2 campi. There are lectures in the first trimester, lectures in the second trimester, and lectures that must be scheduled for the whole semester. The semester lectures must be taught in the same time slot in both trimesters. Thus, both trimesters must be scheduled simultaneously. Accordingly, each class has two distinct timetables, each corresponding to a different curriculum. Similarly, professors and room types must have distinct timetables for each trimester. Lecture duration ranges from one to four hours, with each hour corresponding to two time slots. When there are consecutive lectures in different campi, students and professors must have at least one free time slot in between. Students and teachers can have eight hours of lectures in a single day; of those, only five hours can be taught consecutively. To expand the computational experiments, 30 random subdivisions with 200, 250, and 300 classes were obtained from instance IST Complete. IST has two campi where lectures are taught, with 168 and 39 rooms available for teaching. However, for the subdivisions, we considered 142 and 29 rooms for the campi. Each lecture must be assigned to a specific type of room based on its capacity. Instances from the 2007 International Timetabling Competition were also adapted and tested. These instances do not include multiple campi or trimesters. Moreover, maximum consecutive workload, precedence, and different day lectures were added, and unavailable slots from the original problem were not regarded. A summary of the instances is presented in Table 1. Since our instances include several characteristics that are not present in the competition instances, we decided to encode our instances with a different structure than the ones from ITC 2007. Specifically to facilitate the decomposition and increment procedures and to include other parameters such as lecture duration, campi, or trimester. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv

IST's Timetabling Dilemma: Constraints, Variables, and Real-World Instances

Real-Time tricks: Harnessing Kafka Streams for Seamless Data Tasks

FastAPI Got Me an OpenAPI Spec Really... Fast

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FastAPI 让我快速获得了 OpenAPI 规范

This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license.
Authors:
(1) Jihoon Chung;
(2)  Zhenyu (James) Kong. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction
Review of Related Work
Proposed Research Methodology
Numerical Case Studies
Real-World Simulation Case Studies
Conclusion
References V. REAL-WORLD SIMULATION CASE STUDIES An assembly operation from an actual auto-body assembly process is used as a real-world case study. Fig. 5 describes a car’s floor pan, which is the assembled product from this process. The assembled product consists of four parts, including the right bracket, left bracket, right floor pan, and left floor pan. Fig. 6 shows the process assembly procedure consisting of three stations. During the assembly process, the parts are held by fixtures, which are the KCCs in this process [7]. KPCs are measured from four points, namely, M1, M2, M3, and M4, respectively, as shown in Fig. 5. Every part has a designated location for measuring the KPCs. For instance, part 1 has M1, part 2 has M2, part 3 has M3, and part 4 has M4. These measurements can be taken at each station once the relevant part has been assembled in the preceding stations. For example, M3 on part 3 cannot be measured in station 1 because part 3 has not yet been assembled at station 1 [7]. In the designated location, KPCs are measured in three directions (X, Y, and Z). In this assembly process, there exists a total of 33 KCCs, which are dimensional errors of fixture locators [8]. The fault pattern matrix Φ is established based on the literature [7], [11], [47] and provided in Appendix F. Since the number of measurements (12) is less than that of KCCs (33), it causes an underdetermined system in the fault quality linear model. Therefore, sparse estimation is required to identify process faults. In this assembly process, two lists of correlated KCCs exist; the rest are assumed to be independent [8]. The first list comprises six KCCs, including KCC8, KCC9, KCC10, KCC11, KCC12, and KCC13. The second list is composed of KCC31, KCC32, and KCC33. The correlation structures of the two groups are described (for simplification, the lower triangular terms are removed) as follows [8]: To provide nonstationary process faults along the KPCs samples collected over time, two groups are provided. In the first group, the first correlated list is provided as process faults. For the process faults of the second group, all the correlated lists and one independent KCCs are included. Therefore, the case study represents the situation when the process faults evolve over time since the variation of certain KCCs will be propagated to other KCCs if the process faults are not mitigated immediately during the process. 50 KPCs samples are generated from each group. The variances of process faults, non-process faults, and noise of KPCs are determined to be the same value as in Section IV. In addition, performance evaluation measures and benchmark methods used in Section IV are still utilized in Section V. Table III shows the performance comparison in AUC and NMSE by varying the correlation coefficients. For convenience, the correlation coefficients k1 and k2 are equal and are selected from {0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 0.95} in the case studies. Specifically, the AUC of the proposed method is close to 1.0 at every correlations levels, representing the perfect classification between the process faults and non-process faults in terms of estimated variance. The effectiveness of the proposed method is significant in NMSE when a high correlation exists. Specifically, the NMSE of the proposed method is less than 10% of that of all the benchmark methods when the correlation coefficient is 0.9 and 0.95. To demonstrate the generalizability of the proposed method, the correlated KCCs are randomly selected in further case studies. Assuming there exist two correlated lists with the size of three, respectively. Therefore, six KCCs are randomly selected from 33 KCCs for two correlated lists in each trial. As in the previous study, one correlated list is provided as process faults in the first group, while two correlated lists and two independent KCCs are used as process faults in the remaining second group. Fig. 7 shows the performances of all the methods in AUC and NMSE results in ten different spatial correlations (i.e., k1 = k2). From Fig. 7 (a), it is prominent that the proposed method successfully differentiates between process faults and non-process faults. Specifically, the AUC of the proposed method is nearly 1.0, while those of most benchmark methods are below 0.9 in the highly correlated case studies. In addition, Fig. 7 (b) represents that the proposed method provides valuable information to the practitioners to determine when to stop the operations to maintain the process when a high correlation exists between KCCs. All the benchmark methods illustrate similar trends compared to Section IV since the methods cannot consider both the spatial correlation of KCCs and the nonstationary process faults. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Jihoon Chung; (2)  Zhenyu (James) Kong. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Jihoon Chung; (2)  Zhenyu (James) Kong. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Review of Related Work Proposed Research Methodology Numerical Case Studies Real-World Simulation Case Studies Conclusion References Abstract & Introduction Abstract & Introduction Review of Related Work Review of Related Work Proposed Research Methodology Proposed Research Methodology Numerical Case Studies Numerical Case Studies Real-World Simulation Case Studies Real-World Simulation Case Studies Conclusion Conclusion References References V. REAL-WORLD SIMULATION CASE STUDIES An assembly operation from an actual auto-body assembly process is used as a real-world case study. Fig. 5 describes a car’s floor pan, which is the assembled product from this process. The assembled product consists of four parts, including the right bracket, left bracket, right floor pan, and left floor pan. Fig. 6 shows the process assembly procedure consisting of three stations. During the assembly process, the parts are held by fixtures, which are the KCCs in this process [7]. KPCs are measured from four points, namely, M1, M2, M3, and M4, respectively, as shown in Fig. 5. Every part has a designated location for measuring the KPCs. For instance, part 1 has M1, part 2 has M2, part 3 has M3, and part 4 has M4. These measurements can be taken at each station once the relevant part has been assembled in the preceding stations. For example, M3 on part 3 cannot be measured in station 1 because part 3 has not yet been assembled at station 1 [7]. In the designated location, KPCs are measured in three directions (X, Y, and Z). In this assembly process, there exists a total of 33 KCCs, which are dimensional errors of fixture locators [8]. The fault pattern matrix Φ is established based on the literature [7], [11], [47] and provided in Appendix F. Since the number of measurements (12) is less than that of KCCs (33), it causes an underdetermined system in the fault quality linear model. Therefore, sparse estimation is required to identify process faults. In this assembly process, two lists of correlated KCCs exist; the rest are assumed to be independent [8]. The first list comprises six KCCs, including KCC8, KCC9, KCC10, KCC11, KCC12, and KCC13. The second list is composed of KCC31, KCC32, and KCC33. The correlation structures of the two groups are described (for simplification, the lower triangular terms are removed) as follows [8]: To provide nonstationary process faults along the KPCs samples collected over time, two groups are provided. In the first group, the first correlated list is provided as process faults. For the process faults of the second group, all the correlated lists and one independent KCCs are included. Therefore, the case study represents the situation when the process faults evolve over time since the variation of certain KCCs will be propagated to other KCCs if the process faults are not mitigated immediately during the process. 50 KPCs samples are generated from each group. The variances of process faults, non-process faults, and noise of KPCs are determined to be the same value as in Section IV. In addition, performance evaluation measures and benchmark methods used in Section IV are still utilized in Section V. Table III shows the performance comparison in AUC and NMSE by varying the correlation coefficients. For convenience, the correlation coefficients k1 and k2 are equal and are selected from {0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 0.95} in the case studies. Specifically, the AUC of the proposed method is close to 1.0 at every correlations levels, representing the perfect classification between the process faults and non-process faults in terms of estimated variance. The effectiveness of the proposed method is significant in NMSE when a high correlation exists. Specifically, the NMSE of the proposed method is less than 10% of that of all the benchmark methods when the correlation coefficient is 0.9 and 0.95. To demonstrate the generalizability of the proposed method, the correlated KCCs are randomly selected in further case studies. Assuming there exist two correlated lists with the size of three, respectively. Therefore, six KCCs are randomly selected from 33 KCCs for two correlated lists in each trial. As in the previous study, one correlated list is provided as process faults in the first group, while two correlated lists and two independent KCCs are used as process faults in the remaining second group. Fig. 7 shows the performances of all the methods in AUC and NMSE results in ten different spatial correlations (i.e., k1 = k2). From Fig. 7 (a), it is prominent that the proposed method successfully differentiates between process faults and non-process faults. Specifically, the AUC of the proposed method is nearly 1.0, while those of most benchmark methods are below 0.9 in the highly correlated case studies. In addition, Fig. 7 (b) represents that the proposed method provides valuable information to the practitioners to determine when to stop the operations to maintain the process when a high correlation exists between KCCs. All the benchmark methods illustrate similar trends compared to Section IV since the methods cannot consider both the spatial correlation of KCCs and the nonstationary process faults.

Sparse Bayesian Learning: Real-World Simulation Case Studies

Authors:
(1) Aya Kherrour, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento;
(2) Marco Robol, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento;
(3) Marco Roveri, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento;
(4) Paolo Giorgini,  Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento. 2 State of the art and related work Path planning is a relevant problem in autonomous agents, such as, self-driving cars, robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), in which the host agent deliberates its path by moving from one position to another while avoiding obstacles and respecting some constraints [19]. One of the path planning approaches that have been proposed to control the movement of these agent-based systems is search-based algorithms, with Dijkstra and its extension A* [5, 21], being the most popular and effective ones. Besides these, other search algorithms have been proposed in the literature, specifically to reduce reaction time, broadly classified as real-time or incremental search algorithms. Real-time search algorithms must find a solution in a limited time, while incremental search instead uses the previously obtained searches to speed up the search. Amongst the first class, Real-time A* (RTA*) and Learning real-time A* (LRTA*) [14] were some of the first algorithms to apply real-time heuristic search in path planning problems for moving agents. Both algorithms use heuristics to guide the search toward the goal, with RTA* storing the second-best f-values of the previous state as the best alternative to choose when backtracking from the current state. However, this may mislead the agent. Thereby, LRTA* overcomes this by storing the first best value rather than the second and learning from comparing the heuristic values of the adjacent states, thus preventing the algorithm from misleading the agent. Another optimized version of LRTA* is real-time adaptive A* (RTAA*) [12]. It first determines its local search space and then speeds up the search by updating the heuristics values of states. It was developed for stationary target search problems and it follows trajectories of smaller costs. Anytime repairing A* (ARA*) [15] is a variation of A* that has been designed to find suboptimal solutions fast and then improve them over time, which makes it a good algorithm for problems where finding an optimal solution is not mandatory or too expensive [15]. However, finding suboptimal solutions does not make it find the optimal solution [15]. Moving to incremental search algorithms, D* (Dynamic A*) is an incremental search algorithm used in real-time planning in robotics [20]. It is designed to react quickly to changes in the environment, by updating the nodes affected in the search tree rather than recomputing a new plan from scratch. D* has a main drawback that it requires a lot of memory to perform the search. LPA* (Lifelong Planning A*), an incremental version of A*. This algorithm is used in path planning or robot navigation in unknown terrain. It behaves just like A* in the first run, and then for the rest of subsequent searches it reuses the previous search thus reducing the number of examined nodes, which makes it fast. LPA* differs from D* in its search direction where it finds a path from the initial state to the initial goal state, therefore it does not fit in applications where the starting point may change over time. Another variant of D*, D* Lite, was developed based on LPA*, and is used for goal-directed path planning in unknown environments using the same idea as D*, however, it is a simple version of D* and produces effective results as the one delivered by D* as proven in [11]. While these heuristic search algorithms are numerous and diverse, it is important to emphasize that there are even more algorithms in the literature with new ones being developed, or existing ones being improved such as [2, 13, 7]. This variety of algorithms in the field emphasizes the complexity of the problem. Consequently, this variety of proposed algorithms presents a challenge; the wide number of these algorithms results in disparate performances in tasks such as path planning, making it difficult to select the optimal algorithms for a given task. Given the multitude of algorithms, studies have been done to compare the performance of RTS algorithms in path planning tasks such as [1] where authors have compared the performances of path planning algorithms using agents equipped with a sensor in both stationary and moving target settings to select the most appropriate algorithm. The obtained results were compared using various sensor ranges and angles, and the authors concluded that sensor range is an important parameter in selecting the algorithm, unlike the sensor angle. Therefore the most appropriate algorithm can be selected based on the sensor range and its priorities. However, the authors did not consider varying the environmental characteristics, which may influence the performance of the algorithms. Another study has been presented in [13], in which the authors also compared real-time and incremental heuristic search algorithms using an autonomous agent in a navigation task to know which class of heuristic search approach is better to be used depending on how informed the h-values are, and the search objective such as minimizing the sum of the search and action execution. The comparative analysis done in [1] considers only a static environment, neglecting the possible variations in the algorithm performance under different environmental characteristics. This limitation hampers us from creating a clear understanding of different search algorithms that could perform under different environmental characteristics, precisely in the context of path planning. Similarly, the study conducted in [13] restricts its investigation to only two algorithms each one from a different class i.e., real-time and incremental heuristic search. Even though it provides an insightful comparison, the study does not fully capture the breadth of available algorithms in these classes. Moreover, the study aimed to provide a recommendation on when to use each of the algorithm classes, but also does not investigate algorithm performances in diverse environmental characteristics. Consequently, considering the challenge posed by the presence of a wide range of search algorithms and the lack of a comprehensive comparative analysis under different environment settings, we propose to evaluate and analyze the performance of some search algorithms under different environment characteristics in the context of path planning, But first, we define the characteristics of the environment used, and through our experiments, we aim to provide a comprehensive evaluation of these algorithms followed by proposing our selection algorithm. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Aya Kherrour, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento; (2) Marco Robol, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento; (3) Marco Roveri, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento; (4) Paolo Giorgini,  Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento. Authors: (1) Aya Kherrour, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento; (2) Marco Robol, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento; (3) Marco Roveri, Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento; (4) Paolo Giorgini,  Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science University of Trento. 2 State of the art and related work Path planning is a relevant problem in autonomous agents, such as, self-driving cars, robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), in which the host agent deliberates its path by moving from one position to another while avoiding obstacles and respecting some constraints [19]. One of the path planning approaches that have been proposed to control the movement of these agent-based systems is search-based algorithms, with Dijkstra and its extension A* [5, 21], being the most popular and effective ones. Besides these, other search algorithms have been proposed in the literature, specifically to reduce reaction time, broadly classified as real-time or incremental search algorithms. Real-time search algorithms must find a solution in a limited time, while incremental search instead uses the previously obtained searches to speed up the search. Amongst the first class, Real-time A* (RTA*) and Learning real-time A* (LRTA*) [14] were some of the first algorithms to apply real-time heuristic search in path planning problems for moving agents. Both algorithms use heuristics to guide the search toward the goal, with RTA* storing the second-best f-values of the previous state as the best alternative to choose when backtracking from the current state. However, this may mislead the agent. Thereby, LRTA* overcomes this by storing the first best value rather than the second and learning from comparing the heuristic values of the adjacent states, thus preventing the algorithm from misleading the agent. Another optimized version of LRTA* is real-time adaptive A* (RTAA*) [12]. It first determines its local search space and then speeds up the search by updating the heuristics values of states. It was developed for stationary target search problems and it follows trajectories of smaller costs. Anytime repairing A* (ARA*) [15] is a variation of A* that has been designed to find suboptimal solutions fast and then improve them over time, which makes it a good algorithm for problems where finding an optimal solution is not mandatory or too expensive [15]. However, finding suboptimal solutions does not make it find the optimal solution [15]. Moving to incremental search algorithms, D* (Dynamic A*) is an incremental search algorithm used in real-time planning in robotics [20]. It is designed to react quickly to changes in the environment, by updating the nodes affected in the search tree rather than recomputing a new plan from scratch. D* has a main drawback that it requires a lot of memory to perform the search. LPA* (Lifelong Planning A*), an incremental version of A*. This algorithm is used in path planning or robot navigation in unknown terrain. It behaves just like A* in the first run, and then for the rest of subsequent searches it reuses the previous search thus reducing the number of examined nodes, which makes it fast. LPA* differs from D* in its search direction where it finds a path from the initial state to the initial goal state, therefore it does not fit in applications where the starting point may change over time. Another variant of D*, D* Lite, was developed based on LPA*, and is used for goal-directed path planning in unknown environments using the same idea as D*, however, it is a simple version of D* and produces effective results as the one delivered by D* as proven in [11]. While these heuristic search algorithms are numerous and diverse, it is important to emphasize that there are even more algorithms in the literature with new ones being developed, or existing ones being improved such as [2, 13, 7]. This variety of algorithms in the field emphasizes the complexity of the problem. Consequently, this variety of proposed algorithms presents a challenge; the wide number of these algorithms results in disparate performances in tasks such as path planning, making it difficult to select the optimal algorithms for a given task. Given the multitude of algorithms, studies have been done to compare the performance of RTS algorithms in path planning tasks such as [1] where authors have compared the performances of path planning algorithms using agents equipped with a sensor in both stationary and moving target settings to select the most appropriate algorithm. The obtained results were compared using various sensor ranges and angles, and the authors concluded that sensor range is an important parameter in selecting the algorithm, unlike the sensor angle. Therefore the most appropriate algorithm can be selected based on the sensor range and its priorities. However, the authors did not consider varying the environmental characteristics, which may influence the performance of the algorithms. Another study has been presented in [13], in which the authors also compared real-time and incremental heuristic search algorithms using an autonomous agent in a navigation task to know which class of heuristic search approach is better to be used depending on how informed the h-values are, and the search objective such as minimizing the sum of the search and action execution. The comparative analysis done in [1] considers only a static environment, neglecting the possible variations in the algorithm performance under different environmental characteristics. This limitation hampers us from creating a clear understanding of different search algorithms that could perform under different environmental characteristics, precisely in the context of path planning. Similarly, the study conducted in [13] restricts its investigation to only two algorithms each one from a different class i.e., real-time and incremental heuristic search. Even though it provides an insightful comparison, the study does not fully capture the breadth of available algorithms in these classes. Moreover, the study aimed to provide a recommendation on when to use each of the algorithm classes, but also does not investigate algorithm performances in diverse environmental characteristics. Consequently, considering the challenge posed by the presence of a wide range of search algorithms and the lack of a comprehensive comparative analysis under different environment settings, we propose to evaluate and analyze the performance of some search algorithms under different environment characteristics in the context of path planning, But first, we define the characteristics of the environment used, and through our experiments, we aim to provide a comprehensive evaluation of these algorithms followed by proposing our selection algorithm. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv

Evaluating Path Planning Algorithms: Real-Time vs. Incremental Search

Virtual reality (VR) may soon replace pictures as the standard visualization tool for online property listings. How will this technology impact buyers and sellers while reshaping the real estate market? The Emerging Trend of VR Home Tours in Real Estate VR technology enables you to tour every room in a property and speak face-to-face with the rental agent without leaving the comfort of your living room couch. This might be why its global market value in the real estate sector will increase to $2.6 billion in 2025, up from $800 million in 2020. One of the biggest advantages of virtual home tours is accessibility. It doesn’t matter if a property is under construction or occupied by the owners — with VR, you can walk through it anyway. You can even schedule an assisted walkthrough with a rental or listing agent to get insider information on the property, even if you’re both on opposite ends of the country. If you plan on moving into a fixer-upper, you can use VR technology to visualize the property’s potential by overlaying renovations or design changes onto the real-world model. These features make this type of tour one of the most personal and immersive — which is why it’s catching on so quickly. With interest rates rising — the interest rate on 30-year mortgages increased from an average of 3.02% in 2020 to 5.8%-6.1% in 2024 — real estate demand is slowing. This is where VR comes in. It has the unique opportunity to benefit buyers and sellers by making touring more efficient and getting properties off the market faster. The Technical Advancements Making It All Possible While VR technology is fundamental to a virtual home tour, a handful of other innovations make it possible. The first is high-resolution 3D imaging, where a 360-degree camera scans the property. The seller then stitches the images together with specialized software to make a realistic virtual replica for tours. The second innovation making VR home tours possible is the Internet of Things (IoT). Sellers can use interconnected sensors to feed real-time data into the virtual world to make it more dynamic. Alternatively, they can use internet-connected edge devices to reduce the computational and bandwidth-related strain on end users. Advances in controllers and motion sensors have made interactivity possible. Instead of sitting through a prerecorded guided tour, you can move through the property at your own pace. Also, you can trigger animations — like lowering the blinds or opening the cabinets — with a flick of your wrist. Considering consumer applications makeup 53% of the VR market, the number of technological advancements directed toward real estate shouldn’t surprise you. There’s a lot of money in researching and developing software, design, and hosting platforms for these applications. The Implications of VR-Driven Real Estate Showings VR technology makes home tours more accessible, broadening the pool of interested parties. According to experts, they reach more potential buyers than the standard approach. They don’t just attract more people — they’re also more engaging. Usually, you only can see a property’s layout when looking at its listing online. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get many high-quality pictures. However, even those don’t give you a good idea of how it feels to be in the house. VR engages you more because it places you in an immersive, lifelike replica where you have agency and control. While the buyer-side implications of virtual home tours might be more noticeable, the seller-side ones are more impactful. Properties using VR real estate showings have selling prices 7.25% higher than the benchmark. Heightened buyer engagement and broadened accessibility lead to a competitive advantage. The process moves more quickly since virtual tours don’t require in-person assistance or scheduling. Some experts claim properties using VR real estate showings spend 20%-30% fewer days on the market. As a result, agents can take on more listings at once. Potential Challenges Buyers and Sellers Face Using VR Although VR home tours benefit buyers and sellers, they also often come with challenges — with the lack of VR headset accessibility being one of the most significant. While virtual viewings are still possible without one, immersive experiences are only possible with mid- or high-end equipment. Properties in low-income locations are more likely to be impacted by this issue. Another challenge buyers and sellers face is agent accessibility. While virtual home tours don’t need an assistant, many serious buyers want one so they can ask questions. However, the increased attention VR listings get can complicate scheduling. The last potential challenge revolves around the accuracy of virtual property replicas. Even though developing one costs less than $300 on average, some sellers might be unable to afford to redo theirs every time they renovate or change something. As a result, the tour might not resemble its real-life counterpart — making buyers feel misled. The Future Outlook of VR Home Tours in Real Estate Sellers can use VR to track eye movement, location data, and interaction information to see where buyers come from and which properties they’re most interested in. This way, they can optimize their marketing, demand forecasting, pricing, and risk assessment strategies. At the same time, buyers can remotely walk through properties regardless of location and conditions. VR technology’s impact on accessibility and engagement will likely transform what the standard property sale looks like. VR technology has the potential to permanently transform the real estate market, becoming the go-to choice for sellers and prospective buyers. As its popularity increases, it might become standard to include it alongside layout and property pictures and come to be something people expect to see. Virtual reality (VR) may soon replace pictures as the standard visualization tool for online property listings. How will this technology impact buyers and sellers while reshaping the real estate market? The Emerging Trend of VR Home Tours in Real Estate The Emerging Trend of VR Home Tours in Real Estate VR technology enables you to tour every room in a property and speak face-to-face with the rental agent without leaving the comfort of your living room couch. This might be why its global market value in the real estate sector will increase to $2.6 billion in 2025, up from $800 million in 2020. will increase to $2.6 billion will increase to $2.6 billion One of the biggest advantages of virtual home tours is accessibility. It doesn’t matter if a property is under construction or occupied by the owners — with VR, you can walk through it anyway. You can even schedule an assisted walkthrough with a rental or listing agent to get insider information on the property, even if you’re both on opposite ends of the country. If you plan on moving into a fixer-upper, you can use VR technology to visualize the property’s potential by overlaying renovations or design changes onto the real-world model. These features make this type of tour one of the most personal and immersive — which is why it’s catching on so quickly. With interest rates rising — the interest rate on 30-year mortgages increased from an average of 3.02% in 2020 to 5.8%-6.1% in 2024 — real estate demand is slowing. This is where VR comes in. It has the unique opportunity to benefit buyers and sellers by making touring more efficient and getting properties off the market faster. increased from an average of 3.02% increased from an average of 3.02% The Technical Advancements Making It All Possible While VR technology is fundamental to a virtual home tour, a handful of other innovations make it possible. The first is high-resolution 3D imaging, where a 360-degree camera scans the property. The seller then stitches the images together with specialized software to make a realistic virtual replica for tours. The second innovation making VR home tours possible is the Internet of Things (IoT). Sellers can use interconnected sensors to feed real-time data into the virtual world to make it more dynamic. Alternatively, they can use internet-connected edge devices to reduce the computational and bandwidth-related strain on end users. Advances in controllers and motion sensors have made interactivity possible. Instead of sitting through a prerecorded guided tour, you can move through the property at your own pace. Also, you can trigger animations — like lowering the blinds or opening the cabinets — with a flick of your wrist. Considering consumer applications makeup 53% of the VR market , the number of technological advancements directed toward real estate shouldn’t surprise you. There’s a lot of money in researching and developing software, design, and hosting platforms for these applications. makeup 53% of the VR market makeup 53% of the VR market The Implications of VR-Driven Real Estate Showings VR technology makes home tours more accessible, broadening the pool of interested parties. According to experts, they reach more potential buyers than the standard approach. They don’t just attract more people — they’re also more engaging. reach more potential buyers reach more potential buyers Usually, you only can see a property’s layout when looking at its listing online. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get many high-quality pictures. However, even those don’t give you a good idea of how it feels to be in the house. VR engages you more because it places you in an immersive, lifelike replica where you have agency and control. While the buyer-side implications of virtual home tours might be more noticeable, the seller-side ones are more impactful. Properties using VR real estate showings have selling prices 7.25% higher than the benchmark. Heightened buyer engagement and broadened accessibility lead to a competitive advantage. have selling prices 7.25% higher have selling prices 7.25% higher The process moves more quickly since virtual tours don’t require in-person assistance or scheduling. Some experts claim properties using VR real estate showings spend 20%-30% fewer days on the market. As a result, agents can take on more listings at once. spend 20%-30% fewer days spend 20%-30% fewer days Potential Challenges Buyers and Sellers Face Using VR Although VR home tours benefit buyers and sellers, they also often come with challenges — with the lack of VR headset accessibility being one of the most significant. While virtual viewings are still possible without one, immersive experiences are only possible with mid- or high-end equipment. Properties in low-income locations are more likely to be impacted by this issue. Another challenge buyers and sellers face is agent accessibility. While virtual home tours don’t need an assistant, many serious buyers want one so they can ask questions. However, the increased attention VR listings get can complicate scheduling. The last potential challenge revolves around the accuracy of virtual property replicas. Even though developing one costs less than $300 on average, some sellers might be unable to afford to redo theirs every time they renovate or change something. As a result, the tour might not resemble its real-life counterpart — making buyers feel misled. costs less than $300 costs less than $300 The Future Outlook of VR Home Tours in Real Estate Sellers can use VR to track eye movement, location data, and interaction information to see where buyers come from and which properties they’re most interested in. This way, they can optimize their marketing, demand forecasting, pricing, and risk assessment strategies. At the same time, buyers can remotely walk through properties regardless of location and conditions. VR technology’s impact on accessibility and engagement will likely transform what the standard property sale looks like. VR technology has the potential to permanently transform the real estate market, becoming the go-to choice for sellers and prospective buyers. As its popularity increases, it might become standard to include it alongside layout and property pictures and come to be something people expect to see.

VR Home Tours: The Future of Real Estate Showings

It happens every few months: an article or video describing a shocking new TikTok trend lands in one of your feeds, one you simply can not believe is real. From people biting into Tide detergent pods and trying to climb across stacked crates to eating corn on the cob attached to a power drill, these trends become a core part of the cultural discourse for a few days or weeks before the world turns and moves on to the next one. As TikTok is fundamentally an entertainment vehicle, it’s not surprising its users seek this sort of thing out, nor is it surprising the algorithm built to capture your attention rewards these content creators. What those who don’t use TikTok may find surprising is there is increasing visibility and popularity of edutainment communities, people who gather around content subjects designed to entertain and also educate. There is an untold number of these communities, including #BookTok, #FoodTok, #MoneyTok, and #BeautyTok. But there’s one that has really lifted off in the last year or two that no one saw coming: #PrisonTok. #PrisonTok is an Eye-Opener Like many niche communities on TikTok, #PrisonTok offers a window into a world many know only through the lens of mass media and news reports. #PrisonTok creators come from all angles, including legal professionals, those who work in prisons, the formerly incarcerated, and even, believe it or not, . those who are currently serving time and accessing the internet with a smartphone they’re not allowed to have One leading #PrisonTok influencer, Sabrena Morgan, has built an engaged audience with more than 51,000 followers as she shares her journey from addiction and self-destruction to her four years in federal prison and where she is now, re-entering society while trying to spark a broader conversation about the justice-related things people tend to shy away from. In a recent episode of the , Sabrena shares the emotional evolution she underwent while on pre-trial and away at prison and how that helped her not only develop good, healthy habits but also to live a life driven by intention and a desire to, in her words, “not waste time.” Nightmare Success podcast with Brent Cassity The honest, raw perspective of someone who re-invents their fundamental approach to life is not one that makes its way through to Hollywood, but its popularity on TikTok tells us that it is a mistake by the major studios and producers: people want these stories. Beyond Entertainment and Human Interest And while other #PrisonTok influencers take a sillier approach to their content, offering up things like prison recipes, it’s important to understand the real value of #PrisonTok extends beyond entertainment and human interest. In the words of , #PrisonTok and related communities have become an important step for those facing the prospect of incarceration: “Unfortunately, for many years, there has been a lack of information to those who are going to prison. That’s a very big problem that social media is beginning to address, and the availability of this information has already had a meaningful impact on thousands of people.” federal prison consultant Sam Mangel Mangel, who offers similar, , knows first-hand. After he was arrested for insurance fraud violations in 2016, Mangel engaged an attorney who specializes in white-collar criminal defense. Despite his purported expertise, Mangel’s lawyer failed to prepare him for several key pre-sentencing steps, which culminated in a sixty-month sentence, more than three times greater than the guideline recommendation for his crime. complementary, and informative content about prison on his YouTube channel Mangel turned his attention to what he could do to return to his family as quickly as possible, which was a tall order in the pre-#PrisonTok world. Mangel ultimately served less than two years of his sixty-month sentence, returned home, and now assists white-collar offenders (including CEOs, medical professionals, politicians, and foreign nationals) in preparing for incarceration as a federal prison consultant. If he were faced with the same circumstances in today’s information environment, it’s likely Mangel would have been better informed and would have known to speak with his attorney about the critical steps they missed. It’s possible he would have engaged the services of a consultant for personalized guidance. And armed with all of that, it’s likely he would have found himself with a far better outcome than a sixty-month sentence. The Power of Breaking Down Information Silos While many media outlets focus on security concerns that threaten to and groups that liken social media use to smoking cigarettes, communities like #PrisonTok offer what has long been the promise of social media and the internet broadly: breaking down data silos, improving access to critical information, and connecting people. That’s why it’s important to highlight communities like these, which clearly offer so much help to those in need. These are an important counter-point to the current discourse around TikTok and social media. ban TikTok in the United States

The Rise (and Real Value) of #PrisonTok

#PrisonTok-এর উত্থান (এবং আসল মূল্য)

Der Aufstieg (und der wahre Wert) von #PrisonTok

El auge (y el valor real) de #PrisonTok

L'essor (et la valeur réelle) de #PrisonTok

#PrisonTok का उदय (और वास्तविक मूल्य)

#PrisonTok の台頭（そして真の価値）

#PrisonTok의 상승(및 실제 가치)

A ascensão (e valor real) de #PrisonTok

Рост (и реальная ценность) #PrisonTok

#PrisonTok'un Yükselişi (ve Gerçek Değeri)

Sự trỗi dậy (và giá trị thực) của #PrisonTok

#PrisonTok 的兴起（及其真正价值）

As an early adopter and a crypto enthusiast, I've been closely following the rise of AI Crypto Coins. The year 2024 has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for us. Ever since OpenAI's ChatGPT was released in late 2022, AI has become all the hype. This mania has since perpetuated to AI crypto coins, with prices surging across the board. Top AI Crypto Coins by Market Cap The top AI crypto coin by market cap is Internet Computer (DFINITY), at $8.28 billion as of April 08, 2024. This is followed by the NEAR Protocol (NEAR), with a market cap of $4.44 billion. Bittensor (TAO) is third, with a market of $3.81 billion. Bittensor, a decentralized machine learning protocol powered by the TAO token, remained the largest AI crypto coin throughout January and February 2024. Movers and Shakers However, outside of the top 5, there were significant changes. Autonolas (OLAS), which started 2024 in sixth place with a market cap of $0.30 billion, dropped to 24th as of April 8, at 172.30 million. Nosana (NOS) did really well in getting higher in the rankings. At the beginning of 2024, it was in ninth place. But by the end of February, it moved up to seventh place. Its market cap, which is how much the company is worth, went up a lot, too. It went from being worth $0.05 billion to $0.51 billion, which is an increase of $0.46 billion in February. But now, it's dropped again to 16th place, and its market cap is $257.21 million. 2024's Biggest Gainers The largest gainer amongst crypto AI coins in 2024 was Nosana, with a price increase of 987.9%, rising from $0.56 to $6.01 within two months. This was followed by DeepFakeAI (FAKEAI), which saw an increase of 628.6%, from $0.0008 to $0.0069. Synesis One (SNS) came in third, rising 595.4%, increasing its price from $0.016 at the start of the year to $0.108 by the end of February. The Impact of OpenAI's Sora The announcement of OpenAI's Sora text-to-video model saw an average price increase of 151.0% amongst AI crypto coins. DeepFakeAI benefited the most from OpenAI's latest product, having managed to reverse its downtrend of -31.4% on February 17, to 628.6% on February 29. Leaders in Market Cap Growth In terms of increase in market cap, Bittensor led the pack, having added $2.22 billion in valuation. It was followed by Render, which increased by $1.20 billion. SingularityNET (AGIX) came in third, with its market cap rising by $0.51 billion since the start of 2024 to $0.93 billion. Looking Ahead: The Future of AI and Crypto As we move forward, the AI-Crypto narrative continues to evolve. The convergence of AI and blockchain technologies is creating new opportunities and challenges. But one thing is certain: the future of AI and Crypto is bright, and I am excited to be part of this journey. Sources: Coingecko, Bitcoininsider, and Bitcoinethereumnews. As an early adopter and a crypto enthusiast, I've been closely following the rise of AI Crypto Coins . The year 2024 has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for us. Ever since OpenAI's ChatGPT was released in late 2022, AI has become all the hype. This mania has since perpetuated to AI crypto coins, with prices surging across the board. AI Crypto Coins Top AI Crypto Coins by Market Cap The top AI crypto coin by market cap is Internet Computer (DFINITY), at $8.28 billion as of April 08, 2024. This is followed by the NEAR Protocol (NEAR), with a market cap of $4.44 billion . Bittensor (TAO) is third, with a market of $3.81 billion . Bittensor, a decentralized machine learning protocol powered by the TAO token, remained the largest AI crypto coin throughout January and February 2024. $8.28 billion $4.44 billion $3.81 billion Movers and Shakers However, outside of the top 5, there were significant changes. Autonolas (OLAS), which started 2024 in sixth place with a market cap of $0.30 billion , dropped to 24th as of April 8, at 172.30 million . Nosana (NOS) did really well in getting higher in the rankings. At the beginning of 2024, it was in ninth place. But by the end of February, it moved up to seventh place. Its market cap, which is how much the company is worth, went up a lot, too. It went from being worth $0.05 billion to $0.51 billion, which is an increase of $0.46 billion in February. But now, it's dropped again to 16th place, and its market cap is $257.21 million. $0.30 billion 172.30 million 2024's Biggest Gainers The largest gainer amongst crypto AI coins in 2024 was Nosana, with a price increase of 987.9%, rising from $0.56 to $6.01 within two months. This was followed by DeepFakeAI (FAKEAI) , which saw an increase of 628.6%, from $0.0008 to $0.0069 . Synesis One (SNS) came in third, rising 595.4%, increasing its price from $0.016 at the start of the year to $0.108 by the end of February. $0.56 $6.01 (FAKEAI) $0.0008 $0.0069 $0.016 $0.108 The Impact of OpenAI's Sora The announcement of OpenAI's Sora text-to-video model saw an average price increase of 151.0% amongst AI crypto coins. DeepFakeAI benefited the most from OpenAI's latest product, having managed to reverse its downtrend of -31.4% on February 17, to 628.6% on February 29. OpenAI's Sora text-to-video model Leaders in Market Cap Growth In terms of increase in market cap, Bittensor led the pack, having added $2.22 billion in valuation. It was followed by Render, which increased by $1.20 billion . SingularityNET (AGIX) came in third, with its market cap rising by $0.51 billion since the start of 2024 to $0.93 billion . $2.22 billion $1.20 billion $0.51 billion $0.93 billion Looking Ahead: The Future of AI and Crypto As we move forward, the AI-Crypto narrative continues to evolve. The convergence of AI and blockchain technologies is creating new opportunities and challenges. But one thing is certain: the future of AI and Crypto is bright, and I am excited to be part of this journey. Sources: Coingecko, Bitcoininsider, and Bitcoinethereumnews. Sources: Coingecko , Bitcoininsider , and Bitcoinethereumnews . Sources: Coingecko Bitcoininsider Bitcoinethereumnews

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