Stix

stix

Recently, has been touring the world attempting (perhaps) a regulatory capture of global AI developments. No wonder that OpenAI does not like open-sourced AI, at all. Nevertheless, this post isn’t about AI development, but its security and standardization challenges. Generally, an advanced environment, as well as the defenders’ cyber situation awareness and response capabilities (henceforth referred to together as ‘security automation’ capabilities) are both overwhelmingly driven by automation and AI systems. To get an idea, take something as simple as checking and answering your Gmail today, and enumerate the layers of AI and automation that can constitute securing and orchestrating that simple activity. Sam Altman cyber threat Thus, all organizations of a noticeable size and complexity have to rely on security automation systems to affect their cybersecurity policies. What is often overlooked is that there also exist some cybersecurity “ ” that enable the implementation of these security automation systems. These may include the automated threat data exchange mechanisms, the underlying attribution conventions, and knowledge production/management systems. All these enable a detection and response posture often referred to by marketers and lawyers as “active defense” or “proactive cybersecurity”. However, if you pick up any national cybersecurity policy, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything on these metapolicies – because they are often implicit, brought into national implementations largely by influence and imitation (i.e. network effects) and not so much by formal or strategic deliberations. metapolicies These security automation metapolicies are important to AI governance and security because in the end, all these AI systems, whether completely digital or cyber-physical, exist within the broader cybersecurity and strategic matrix. We need to be asking whether retrofitting the prevalent automation metapolicies would serve well for the future of AI or not. Avoiding Path Dependency Given a tendency towards path dependency in automated information systems, what has worked alright so far is getting further entrenched into the newer and adjunct areas of security automation, like the intelligent/connected vehicle ecosystem. Further, the developments in the security of software-on-wheels are being readily co-opted across a variety of complex automotive systems, from that hold the promise of decreased crew size and increased lethality to standards for automated management and drone transportation systems. Consequently, there is a rise in vehicle SOCs (Security Operations Centers) that operate on the lines of cybersecurity SOCs and use similar data exchange mechanisms, borrowing the same implementations of security automation and information distribution. That would be perfectly fine if the existing means were good enough to blindly retrofit into the emerging threat environment. But they are far from it. fully digitized tanks fleet security For example, most cybersecurity threat data exchanges make use of the Traffic Light Protocol , however TLP itself is only a classification of information – its execution, and any encryption regimes to restrict distribution as intended, is left to the designers of security automation systems. Thus there is a need for not just more fine-grained and richer controls over data sharing with fully or partially automated systems but also for ensuring compliance with it. Much of threat communication policies like the TLP are akin to the infamous Tallinn manual, in the way that these are almost an expression of opinions that cybersecurity vendors may consider implementing, or may not. It gets more problematic when threat data standards are expected to cover automated detection and response (as is the case with automotive and industrial automation) – and may or may not have integrated an appropriate data security and exchange policy for lack of any compliance requirements to do so. (TLP) Another example of inconsistent metapolicies, out of numerous others, can be found in the recent rise of language generation systems and conversational AI agents. The thing is that not all conversational agents are ChatGPT-esque large neural networks. Most of these have been in deployment for decades as rules-based, task-specific language generation programs. Having a “common operating picture” by dialogue modeling and graph-based representation of context between such programs (as an organization operating in multiple domains/theaters could require) was an ongoing challenge before the world stumbled upon “attention is all you need”. So now basically we have a mammoth of legacy IT infrastructure in human-machine interface and a multi-modal AI automation paradigm that challenges it. Organizations undergoing “digital transformation” not only have to avoid inheriting legacy but also consider the resources and organizational for efficiently operating an AI-centric delivery model. Understandably, some organizations (including governments) may not want a complete transformation right away. Lacking standardized data and context exchange between the emerging and the legacy automated systems, many users are likely to continue with a paradigm they are most familiar with, not the one that is most revolutionary. technical debts requirements In fact much of cybersecurity today hinges on these timely data exchanges and automated orchestration, and thus these underlying information standards become absolutely critical to modern (post-industrial) societies and the governance of cyber-physical systems. Yet, instead of formulating or harmonizing the knowledge production metapolicies needed to govern AI security in a hyper-connected and transnational threat environment – we seem to be falling into the doomer traps of existential deliverance and unending uncanny valleys. That said, one of the primary reasons for the lack of compliance and a chaotic standards development scenario in security data production is the lack of a primary governance agent. The Governance of (Cyber) Security Information Present automation-centric cyber threat information-sharing generally follow a multistakeholder governance model. That means these follow a fundamentally bottom-up life-cycle approach, i.e. a cybersecurity information standard is developed and is then pushed “upward” for cross-standardisation with ITU and ISO. This upward mobility of technical standards is not easy. The Structured Threat Information Expression (STIX), which is perhaps the de facto industry standard now for transmitting machine-readable Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), is still awaiting approval from ITU.  Not that it’s really needed, because the way global governance in technology is structured, it is led by industry and not nations. The G7 has gone to the extent of this, and some members even any diplomatic efforts towards any different set of norms. standards formalizing blocking This works well for those nation-states that have the requisite structural and productive within their public-private technology partnerships. Consequently, the global governance of cyber technology standards becomes a reflection of the global order. Sans the naming of cyber threat actors, this still had been relatively objective by nature so far. But it is no longer true with the integration of online disinformation into offensive cyber operations and national cybersecurity policies – not only the conventional information standards can run into semantic , newer value-driven standards over information environment are also . Since the production and sharing of automation-driven social/political threat indicators can be shaped by and affect political preferences, as the threats of AI generated information and social botnets rises, the cybersecurity threat information standards also slide from a sufficiently objective to a more subjective posture. And states can do little to reconfigure this present system because the politics of cybersecurity standards has been deeply intertwined with their market-led multistakeholder development. capacities conflicts popping up Cyber threat attributions are a good case in point. MITRE began as a DARPA contractor, and today serves as an industry wide de-facto knowledge base for computer network threats and vulnerabilities. Of the Advanced Persistent Threat groups listed in MITRE ATT&CK, close to 1/3 of cyber threats are Chinese, another 1/3 come from Russia/Korea/Middle-East/India/South-America etc, and the remaining 1/3 (which contain the most sophisticated TTPs, the largest share of zero-day exploitations, and a geopolitically aligned targeting) remain unattributed. We’ll not speculate here but an abductive reasoning about the unattributed may leave readers with some ideas about the preferences and politics of global CTI production. threat cluster A fact of life is that in cyberspace power-seeking states have been playing the role of governance actors and sophisticated offenders at the same time, so this market led multistakeholderism has worked out well for their operational logic – promulgating a global . But it is bad for the production of cyber threat knowledge and security automation itself, which sometimes can get quite biased and politically over the internet. Society has walked this path long enough to not even think of it as a problem when moving into a world surrounded by increasingly autonomous systems. politics of interoperability motivated A Way Forward With the social AI risks looming larger, states intending to implement a defensible cybersecurity automation posture today might have to navigate a high signal-to-noise ratio in cybersecurity threat information, multiple CTI vendors and metapolicies, as well as constant pressures from industry and international organizations about “AI ethics” and “cyber norms” (we’ll not venture into a discussion of “whose ethics?” here). This chaos, as we noted, is an outcome of the design of bottom-up approaches. However, top-down approaches can lack the flexibility and agility of bottom-up approaches. For this reason, it is necessary to integrate the best of multistakeholderism with the best of multilateralism. That would mean rationalizing the present bottom-up setup of information standards under a multilateral vision and framework. While we do want to avoid partisan threats data production, we also want to make use of the disparate pool of industry expertise which requires coordination, resolution, and steering. While some UN organs, like the ITU and UNDIR, play an important role in global cybersecurity metapolicies – they do not have the sort of top-down regulatory effect needed to govern malicious social AI over the internet or implement any metapolicy controls over threat sharing for distributed autonomous platforms. Therefore, this integration of multistakeholderism with multilateralism needs to begin at the UNSC itself, or any other equivalent international security organization. Not that this was unforeseen. When the first UN resolution was made assessing Information Technologies in 1998, particularly the internet, some countries had explicitly that these technologies would end up at odds with international security and stability, hinting at the required reforms at the highest levels of international security. Indeed, the UNSC as an institution has not co-evolved well with digital technologies and the post-internet security reality. The unrestricted proliferation of state-affiliated APT operations is just but one example of its failure to regulate destabilizing state activities. Moreover, while the council seems still stuck in a 1945 vision of strategic security, there is and evidence to relocate the idea of “state violence” in light of strategically deployed offensive cyber and AI capabilities. pointed out enough reason While overcoming the resilience of global order and its entrenched bureaucracies is not going to be easy, if reformed in its charter and composition, the council (or its replacement) could serve as a valuable institution to fill the void that emerges from the lack of a primary agent in guiding the security and governance standards driving security automation and AI applications in cyberspace. It Is The Process At this point, it is necessary that we call out certain misunderstandings. It seems that regulators have some ideas about governing “AI products”, at least the EU’s AI Act the same. Here we must take a moment of silence and quiet to reflect on what is “AI” or “autonomous behavior” – and it will soon dawn upon most of us that the present methods of certifying products may not be adequate for addressing adaptive systems rooted in continuous learning and exchanging data with the real world. What we’re trying to say is that the regulators perhaps need to seriously consider the pros and cons of a product-centric vs a process-centric approach to regulating AI. suggests AI, at the end, is an outcome. It is the underlying processes and policies, from data engineering practices and model architectures to machine-to-machine information exchanges and optimization mechanisms, where the focus of governance and standards needs to be, not on the outcome itself. Further, as software shifts from an object-oriented to an agent-oriented engineering paradigm, regulators need to start thinking about policy in terms of code and code in terms of policy – anything else will always leave a giant gap between intent and implementation. If the aforementioned chaos of today’s multistakeholder cybersecurity governance is anything to go by, for AI security and governance we need an evidence-based (consider data that led to final CTI, and engaging with new types of technical evidence) threat data orchestration, runtime verification of AI-driven automation in cyber defense and security systems, clear non-partisan channels and standards for cyber threat information governance, and a multilateral consensus on the same. Focusing on the final AI product alone can leave much unaddressed and potentially partisan – as we see from the ecosystem of information metapolicies that drive security automation systems worldwide – hence we need to focus on better governing the underlying processes and policies that drive these systems and not the outcomes of those processes and policies. Also published here.

Reconciling AI Governance and Cybersecurity

এআই গভর্নেন্স এবং সাইবার সিকিউরিটি সমন্বয় করা

KI-Governance und Cybersicherheit in Einklang bringen

Conciliar la gobernanza de la IA y la ciberseguridad

Concilier gouvernance de l’IA et cybersécurité

एआई गवर्नेंस और साइबर सुरक्षा में सामंजस्य

AI ガバナンスとサイバーセキュリティの調和

AI 거버넌스와 사이버 보안의 조화

Conciliando Governança de IA e Segurança Cibernética

Согласование управления ИИ и кибербезопасности

Yapay Zeka Yönetişimi ile Siber Güvenliği Uzlaştırma

Dung hòa quản trị AI và an ninh mạng

协调人工智能治理和网络安全

Is it Just Another Buzzword? Or a Building Block of CloudSec And Zero Trust? Not surprisingly, during recent meetings, customers often asked me how to manage all cybersecurity tools. According to the I am not alone. It is top of the mind of many CISOs that to fight the cyberattacks’ perfect storm: multi-cloud and remote work security. Gartner Top Security Technology Trends for 2022, a consolidated while distributed security architecture is essential It looks pretty contradictory with each layer, but it is not. Let’s consider the following service-based application as an example: AWS Lambda and Azure Functions are being used as content pages from containers in different Cloud providers, including Google Cloud Run; Cloudflare is being used as a CDN (Content Delivery Network); Developers use Okta as an Identity services provider. It is actually what customers are using nowadays. Just consider how many service providers and models are in the picture. And what’s more? It is only part of the big picture. To protect anything under these conditions stresses the existing cybersecurity architecture. Therefore, it is time for a new and better approach — Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA) which aims to reduce the need for one specific computing environment. Everything is Decentralized (Workforce, Perimeter, Information, and More…) Because of COVID, companies accelerated their digital transformation initiatives to get ahead of the curve in a battle for existence. As a result, many companies have adopted the latest technologies to enable and encourage remote working trends. With the and remote working being the “new normal,” organizations have their assets, employees, partners, and customer base globally distributed in different locations. Thus, critical data and assets are exposed outside the traditional security perimeters, making it challenging to rely on legacy controls to protect them against advanced cyber threats. work-from-anywhere scenario The traditional technology stack is breaking down because They’re also using to adopt an that works with distributed services (key to cloud security, web3, and DevOps). more people use microservices. blockchain and other trust models information-centric security model states that new attack surfaces have opened up due to a pandemic-inspired shift to remote work. Remote workers, cloud adoption, DevSecOps, IoTs, and other parts of digital transformation . The answer to this problem is a A recent Gartner report require flexible and scalable cybersecurity strategies scalable, integrated, and automated cybersecurity mesh architecture. What is Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture (CSMA)? has specified a growing gap in interoperability between security tools. Moreover, there are wasteful overlaps in multiple devices or software— each being paid for through its own licensing. Gartner Under CSMA, each device will be introduced into the infrastructure as an integrated, carefully designed part of a consolidated security posture. Also, Gartner defines the cybersecurity mesh as a distributed architectural approach to flexible, scalable, and reliable cybersecurity control. According to the report: “ ”, below are the four fundamental layers of a CSMA: Top Security Technology Trends for 2022: Cybersecurity Mesh security analytics and intelligence consolidated dashboards distributed identity fabric consolidated policy and posture management , storing a secret key in Microsoft Azure is different from using that in AWS or Google, such as: Using key management as an example Azure Key Vault; AWS CloudHSM; Google Cloud Key; On-prem HSM appliance. (keeping the key/ secret from being exposed or unauthorized access). As a result, the same consolidated policy and posture management translate to different configurations and deployments in various form factors, i.e., distributed security controls. While each application/ service is distinct, technically and operationally, they are being used to meet a similar policy goal Similarly, consolidated policy and posture management translate abstract policy objectives to specific configurations on individual providers that benefit overall security posture. For example, developers often re-use keys to access different resources and forget to separate those from developments with productions. For example, can help ensure that all encryption key accesses are monitored and comply with corporate policy or security standards. It can also align all configurations with different providers. a cloud security posture management platform Common Languages in Cybersecurity Space To have better integration and let all the tools work together, they need to “talk” to each other. For example, we are familiar with “IOC” — Indicator of Compromise in threat intelligence sharing. However, it would not be possible if all vendors shared their own sets of indicators without standardization. As a result, CSMA also needs common languages — like open standards and common APIs to support the integration of different vendors. Below are some examples of existing common standards: IOC — STIX/ TAXII, SIGMA Threat Intelligence — OpenDXL (McAfee), SCAP v2 (NIST) Network — Netflow, IPfix Authentication — SAML, OAuth, FIDO2 Framework — MITRE ATT&CK and D3FEND, CVSS, OWASP Top 10 Threat Hunting — Yara, Snort, ZEEK Suppose we need CSMA to work in a SOC environment where cybersecurity professionals are serious about security monitoring. To make threat intelligence meaningful analytics and intelligence, we need to put together information about threats and assets. Therefore, not just the data exported from all security devices but also other data sources like identity and assets’ context information should also be standardized. We need a standard process to collect and correlate events and logs. Lastly, there is integration in every part of the data flow to have tools work seamlessly together. As security professionals, we need to keep doing what we are doing in the short term. We can do our job by using any number of products that help accomplish the four layers of CSMA (as described above). Therefore, organizations align their multi-cloud and work-from-anywhere strategies to decouple from the policy enforcement. Adopting CSMA also helps eliminate silos in the security stack, and we will see less and less “perimeter-based” security in the latter stage. How to Do it? Think As a Zero Trust Dates Back Just like the adoption of Zero Trust, practitioners who understand the advantages of the CSMA model can be on the lookout for security products that support it. The endorsement of zero trust as a plausible architectural model has changed how cybersecurity practitioners assess and audit cloud-native companies. Consider what the Zero Trust journey begins and what it becomes nowadays. The concepts supporting zero trust are not new: for his doctoral thesis on computational security at the University of Stirling. coined ZT in April 1994 Stephen Paul Marsh The complications of determining the perimeter of an organization’s IT infrastructure were highlighted , discussing the trend of what was later coined “De-Perimiterisation.” by the Jericho Forum in 2003 referred to as . In 2009, Google implemented a Zero Trust architecture BeyondCorp , an industry analyst at Forrester Research Inc, popularized the term John Kindervag “Zero Trust Network” in 2010 And now, companies and vendors have formed around the zero trust architecture. It has also driven new features and innovation in existing vendors’ product portfolios. As a result, it has driven initiatives in end-user technology organizations. Likewise, acceptance of CSMA as a feasible architectural strategy can potentially simplify architectural discussions around multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, container security, and security orchestration and response. Final Words The concept of the cybersecurity mesh assumes how widely available truly composable security services are. As a result, these solutions feature an architecture created to scale agilely . CSMA also names common frameworks for everything — from contextual and threat analytics to threat intelligence (TI), and security controls integrated via APIs. through an API-first approach According to , Gartner’s predictions “By 2024, organizations adopting a CSMA will reduce the financial impact of security incidents by an average of 90%.” A practical cybersecurity mesh architecture will demand stronger, consolidated policy management and governance. For example, it’ll be crucial to orchestrate more suitable “least-privilege” access policies, which organizations can accomplish using a centralized policy management engine with distributed enforcement. Yet, we still need some glue to help us stick all the available tools together. Luckily, with the recommendations in Gartner’s CSMA report, integration becomes possible with common cybersecurity languages — APIs and Open standards and carefully puts all the existing security stack into play. Thank you for reading. May InfoSec be with you🖖.

CSMA is More Than XDR — An Introduction to Cybersecurity Mesh Architecture

Visions for the Internet of Things**(VIoT)** Transforming the Internet of Things (IoT) to The Internet of Things (IoT) has taken the entire technological industry by storm. It has not only created pathways for new technological developments but also opened new economic avenues for people across the world. Furthermore, the closer integration it enjoys with our daily lives has made it an indispensable part of our generation. Along with the internet and smartphone economies, the Internet of Things (IoT) economy has established the triumvirate of the neoclassical model of economics which will only continue to evolve from the infantile state it currently is in. From the technological maturity perspective, the IOT is still in infancy. It has successfully tackled the survival challenges that any newborn faces but now to take a leap into the adulthood it needs to overcome certain critical challenges that it faces. The quandary, plight and the predicament of the IoT can be summarized as below: : The IoT is not the only industry that has grown over the last few years. The hardware industry has equally grown at a fast pace and continues to do so. In such a scenario for IoT solutions to again adoption and bring in value — they cannot afford themselves to get restricted to a handful of devices. Instead, they must come with a capacity to integrate with disparate hardware devices while providing a low cost-experience at the same time. The challenge of interoperability needs to be effectively tackled thereby removing any limitations on the IoT platforms for connecting with different hardware manufacturers. Poor Compatibility : In 2016, the world witnessed one of the biggest DDOS attacks across the Dyn servers providing services to leading multinationals. The attack was carried out using Mirai malware that created a huge force of botnets from the insecure IoT devices across the globe. The security is a pressing issue for the IoT devices which usually come with a default username and password which is the same for all devices manufactured by particular manufacture in a particular batch. Poor Security : For any business model to survive and thrive in the market, it needs to be made scalable. Unless the IoT model is not able to cope up with the growing complexity and interconnectivity demands of technology, the chances of survival are very few. Furthermore, the IoT realm is rife with problems such as outdated equipment, inefficiency, and high costs. Poor Scalability : While compatibility can be solved through integration, the data uniformity can be solved only when there are certain defined standards of information sharing. E.g. in the realm of cybersecurity, the STIX/TAXII and CybOX have emerged as standard information sharing models. Similarly, the IoT industry needs to invent common standards of data sharing to ensure smooth information flow across disparate hardware. Data uniformity : For any solution to gain greater adoption, it needs to be affordable with a high Return on Investment (ROI). Presently, the IoT industry is plagued with high communication costs, device-generated data storage costs and analysis-by-server costs. High-Cost : One of the foremost challenges in the present IoT models is low architectural flexibility. The present IoT solutions can face disruptions across the entire network while they are routing data across the centralized cloud storages. The low architectural flexibility throws up the challenge of the weak reliability which needs to be effectively tackled. Low architecture flexibility Waltonchain: The Vision, Mission and Beyond The Waltonchain seems to be at the forefront of the technological revolution as it leverages the two new technological concepts of Named Data Network (NDN) and Service-Centric Networking (SCN) to bring user focus on what can be done with the IoT solutions after accessing the networks and at the same time cater to the whole new network service demand. Furthermore, the use of technologies like Blockchain and RFID will be key to solving the IoT’s pressing challenges in the following manner: : The IoT is slated to transform into a data generating mammoth. The data will be massive, transient, polymorphic and disparate. Unless precise tools are not leveraged, the data verification challenge cannot be solved. Therefore, Waltonchain will be using data labels, integration and packaging of massive data along with data authentication stamps to solve the data verification problem in the IoT industry. Data Authentication : Waltonchain is not a singular chain but a large multi-chain and cross-chain ecosystem. Each individual chain across this ecosystem will be able to accurately store its own data and feed it to the parent chain exosystem to realize the cross-chain query. This would require data union and professional distribution through modules that Waltonchain is adequately taking care of. Data Query : The Blockchain technology being leveraged by Waltonchain will ensure the immutability of records in the distributed Blockchain ledger thus ensuring efficient data backup that cannot be amended, modified or falsified through any means. Data Backup : The transparent and open data processing by Blockchain will greatly reduce communication, analysis, and data storage costs, and realize differentiated data processing and sharing. This will ensure data decentralization in the truest sense and effectively tackle the problem of low architectural flexibility. Data Sharing : Data is valuable only when it is used. Data sources and channels are not the top concerns for the general public. The public is more concerned about data access and usage. Different access roles and scenarios should have corresponding data management and control. Data-cored : The Blockchain technology being leveraged by the Waltonchain will ensure that a large amount of data flowing across different hardware equipment is being distributedly uploaded to the storage devices with utmost accuracy, credibility, and consistency. Furthermore, the Blockchain’s distributed ledger will tackle the problem of standardization of distributed and multivariate data being shared across different hardware equipment. To summarize in a few words, it will pave way for new business models to emerge. Equipment-based and Network-bound : Waltonchain has designed its own consensus mechanism called Waltonchain Proof of Contribution (WPoC) that leverages Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Stake (PoS) and Proof of Labor (PoL).The mechanism will ensure consensus through real-time data uploading, falsification and tamper resistance and promote unity and integrity thereby effectively ensuring smooth data circulation. Data Consensus : One of the heritage benefits of Blockchain technology is the co-governance that would be imparted by the decentralized and distributed storage. The Blockchain consensus mechanisms will ensure co-governance and coordination through encryption algorithms and confidentiality agreements. Data Co-governance : The Waltonchain cross-chain ecosystem ensures that each chain including the parent and the child has the access to data on other chains in the ecosystem thereby ensuring data sharing and effectively solving the issue of quick indexing making it real-time in the truest sense. Data Co-sharing : The Waltonchain is in the process of developing the main chain surrounded by multiple Blockchains. The parent chain at the heart of the cross child chains will ensure effective data circulation and value exchange solving the problem of data sharing and integrations. Data Co-integration Review Conclusion: The Final Marks The overall review of Waltonchain can be summarized as a game-changer. With the use of seminal technologies like Blockchain and RFID technologies, the Waltonchain is slated to transform the Internet of Things (IoT) to Visions for the Internet of Things (VIoT) and solve all challenges being faced by it. It is only a matter of time when it realizes the goals of inculcating architectural flexibility, ensuring high scalability and data uniformity, transforming the IoT security and reducing overall costs. With the highly experienced team and the business advisors, Waltonchain is deemed to succeed in making IoT an authentic, traceable and data-fully shared economic model while imparting transparency at the same time. Useful links: Waltonchain Website Waltonchain Twitter Waltonchain Telegram Waltonchain India Telegram Waltonchain India Twitter

Transforming the Internet of Things (IoT) to Value of Things (VoT)

Matt Odell and Neil Woodfine on What They Would Like to See for Bitcoin in 2019

What's wrong with stickers in Telegram? Deanonymize anonymous channels in two clicks

Did you hear? Despite giving people free Bitcoin, making it legal tender, and rolling out a universal BTC payment app, El Salvador’s government can’t get people to use it. https://decrypt.co/286463/salvadorans-like-bukele-but-arent-using-bitcoin-survey-says?embedable=true Does that surprise you? After all, the cryptosphere said that people will use Bitcoin once they realize how good it is. That didn’t happen. Is Bitcoin not as good as they thought? Or is something bigger going on? They ain’t changin’ for ya Last month, somebody needed to send me a lot of money. He couldn’t use Zelle, didn’t have a checkbook, and didn’t want to pay a $25 wire fee. Venmo would’ve taken many batches over many days, and I didn’t want to pay 3% to a payment processor to take his credit card. I mentioned he could open a Coinbase account and use USDC to send me the money for free, in full, instantly. He laughed. In the end, he paid $10 to overnight a paper cashier’s check through USPS priority mail. (And you think ETH fees are high!) DALL-E drew a cartoon about it: Uphill battle People are strange. They will go through all sorts of inconveniences to stick with what they know. Crypto peeps go on and on about usability and product-market fit, but that’s a big hurdle. Ask anybody who’s had to guide Aunt Sally and Uncle Morton through their iPhone settings. They can tell you it takes more than a good interface and UX. You need to give people a compelling reason to switch. (For Aunt Sally and Uncle Morton, those reasons are Facebook, Facetime, and text messages.) We’re still trying to find that killer app or service that gives people a compelling reason to switch. Like pushing an ox up a mountain For your average person, Bitcoin seems slow, expensive, complicated, and they can’t spend it on most of the things they want. Of course, you can say the same about checks, but not really. There’s a big difference. Everybody’s used to checks. They’re normal. When you handle checks, you don’t have to learn anything new. You don’t even need to know how to balance a checkbook anymore — most banks handle all the paperwork and tracking for you. In fact, banks spend a lot of time and effort to make checking as easy as possible. They design the experience so you don’t think about fees, costs, and risks. Some even throw in a complimentary starter pack when you open your account (replacement books cost $10 and up). Usually, banks include debit cards and free ATM access. That way, you never have to actually use those checks — which is good, because most businesses don’t take checks anyway. Unless you’re poor, banks will usually waive your first bounced-check fee and rarely charge to stop payment on a check. If you give them enough money, they won’t even charge maintenance fees on your account. Traditional banking has several centuries head start on Bitcoin when it comes to customer service and user experience — which isn’t saying much, as anybody who’s gone to a bank can tell you. But banking is so common that most people have no other frame of reference. Over 90% of Americans have a bank account, as does half of the rest of the world. Giving away Bitcoin only makes people wonder WTF the big deal is. Can you blame them? After all, if it’s so good, why do you need to give it away? The value of something you got for free Allow me to share three short stories about three real people who’ve gotten Bitcoin as gifts. I changed their names because somebody said I’m supposed to do that when I write about people online without their permission. Louise, the baby boomer Louise got 1 Bitcoin from her son. She keeps it in a Coinbase account on her phone. Despite multiple tutorials and lots of handholding, she still does not know how to use it. She wonders why its price goes up and down like crazy. When I asked her what she planned to do with it, she said she would keep it in her Coinbase wallet because her son says it might be worth something someday. “Who knows? It went from nothing to $70,000, it might do that again!” She doesn’t care about open, public, permissionless, borderless, neutral, censorship-resistant financial networks. Her son gave her a Bitcoin and said, “hold onto it.” She has plenty of money and did nothing to earn that Bitcoin. Why would she care about it? Oslo, the curious Oslo asked me for advice about buying Bitcoin. I helped him out. Even sent him a few thousand sats as a gift after he set up his wallet. Now that he has his coins, he complains about how hard it was to set up and that nobody else uses it. He told me he’ll keep the Bitcoin for his kids. After all, it might be useful one day and everybody says it’ll go up. Maybe his kids will appreciate him for it, but that doesn’t do anybody any good right now. Mallory, the idiot Mallory won’t mind me calling him an idiot because he’s an old friend of mine. And really, he’s not an idiot. He’s just simple. I bought him $18 worth of Bitcoin in 2018. I told him he could get his $18 back any time he wanted, on demand, any time. My gift to him. Or, keep the Bitcoin. His choice. No time limit. Didn’t set him up with a wallet or anything, just sent .0021 Bitcoin to a new wallet I created. I have the keys, ready to turn them over as soon as he asks. That Bitcoin’s still sitting in that wallet. The keys are still securely mine. At one point, the price of that .0021 Bitcoin dipped down to $7.35. He could’ve taken my $18, bought himself his own Bitcoin, and ended up way ahead. Nope. Now, that Bitcoin’s worth about $140. He doesn’t care. If Bitcoin’s price goes to $1 million like everybody says, he’ll have $2,100. Just for being my friend. I’ll bet he still won’t collect it. Why? “I don’t know how to use it” and “if you think it’ll go up, I’ll hold it.” Bitcoin isn’t good enough yet As new technology develops, it usually moves from hard, complicated, and interesting to easy, simple, and boring. Easy, simple, and boring is good. Almost every mainstream thing is easy, simple, and boring. That’s how you know your technology has arrived. Bitcoin’s not there yet. Like all new tech, it has to cross the “chasm of adoption,” as shown on this diagram of the technology adoption life cycle: Sometimes, technology falls into the chasm and dies — but usually, good technologies survive and prosper. It just takes a while to catch on. After 15 years of moving from enthusiasts to visionaries, Bitcoin has entered the chasm. Medium writer Omar M. Khateeb posits that within that chasm, there are four stages: Complacency/Marginalization, Ridicule, Criticism, and Acceptance. You can see it in that bell curve above the chasm, also shown below: If Omar’s right, we’re probably at the “criticism” stage. Should we really push people to use Bitcoin now, when it’s still slow, complicated, and you can’t do much with it? Probably not. We need to get to acceptance, but Bitcoin needs to earn that. A lot of money’s going into memecoins, smart contract platforms, Bitcoin spin-offs, and other tokens. That takes money from people who are working to make Bitcoin faster, cheaper, better, easier, and more useful. Once people lose enough money on these alternatives, the survivors will have to come back to Bitcoin. More do so with each cycle (however you define cycle). If that bothers you, look on the bright side. If Bitcoin’s really as good as everybody says it is, those people will come around. It just may take them longer than you’d like. Mark Helfman publishes the Crypto is Easy newsletter. He is also the author of three books and a top Bitcoin writer on Medium and Hacker Noon. Learn more about him in his bio and connect with him on Tealfeed. Did you hear? Despite giving people free Bitcoin, making it legal tender, and rolling out a universal BTC payment app, El Salvador’s government can’t get people to use it. https://decrypt.co/286463/salvadorans-like-bukele-but-arent-using-bitcoin-survey-says?embedable=true https://decrypt.co/286463/salvadorans-like-bukele-but-arent-using-bitcoin-survey-says?embedable=true Does that surprise you? After all, the cryptosphere said that people will use Bitcoin once they realize how good it is. That didn’t happen. Is Bitcoin not as good as they thought? Or is something bigger going on? They ain’t changin’ for ya Last month, somebody needed to send me a lot of money. He couldn’t use Zelle, didn’t have a checkbook, and didn’t want to pay a $25 wire fee. Venmo would’ve taken many batches over many days, and I didn’t want to pay 3% to a payment processor to take his credit card. I mentioned he could open a Coinbase account and use USDC to send me the money for free, in full, instantly. He laughed. In the end, he paid $10 to overnight a paper cashier’s check through USPS priority mail. (And you think ETH fees are high!) DALL-E drew a cartoon about it: Uphill battle People are strange. They will go through all sorts of inconveniences to stick with what they know. Crypto peeps go on and on about usability and product-market fit, but that’s a big hurdle. Ask anybody who’s had to guide Aunt Sally and Uncle Morton through their iPhone settings. They can tell you it takes more than a good interface and UX. You need to give people a compelling reason to switch. (For Aunt Sally and Uncle Morton, those reasons are Facebook, Facetime, and text messages.) We’re still trying to find that killer app or service that gives people a compelling reason to switch. Like pushing an ox up a mountain For your average person, Bitcoin seems slow, expensive, complicated, and they can’t spend it on most of the things they want. Of course, you can say the same about checks, but not really. There’s a big difference. Everybody’s used to checks. Everybody’s used to checks. They’re normal. When you handle checks, you don’t have to learn anything new. You don’t even need to know how to balance a checkbook anymore — most banks handle all the paperwork and tracking for you. In fact, banks spend a lot of time and effort to make checking as easy as possible. They design the experience so you don’t think about fees, costs, and risks. Some even throw in a complimentary starter pack when you open your account (replacement books cost $10 and up). Usually, banks include debit cards and free ATM access. That way, you never have to actually use those checks — which is good, because most businesses don’t take checks anyway. Unless you’re poor, banks will usually waive your first bounced-check fee and rarely charge to stop payment on a check. If you give them enough money, they won’t even charge maintenance fees on your account. Traditional banking has several centuries head start on Bitcoin when it comes to customer service and user experience — which isn’t saying much, as anybody who’s gone to a bank can tell you. But banking is so common that most people have no other frame of reference. Over 90% of Americans have a bank account, as does half of the rest of the world. Giving away Bitcoin only makes people wonder WTF the big deal is. Can you blame them? After all, if it’s so good, why do you need to give it away? The value of something you got for free Allow me to share three short stories about three real people who’ve gotten Bitcoin as gifts. I changed their names because somebody said I’m supposed to do that when I write about people online without their permission. Louise, the baby boomer Louise got 1 Bitcoin from her son. She keeps it in a Coinbase account on her phone. Despite multiple tutorials and lots of handholding, she still does not know how to use it. She wonders why its price goes up and down like crazy. When I asked her what she planned to do with it, she said she would keep it in her Coinbase wallet because her son says it might be worth something someday. “Who knows? It went from nothing to $70,000, it might do that again!” She doesn’t care about open, public, permissionless, borderless, neutral, censorship-resistant financial networks. Her son gave her a Bitcoin and said, “hold onto it.” She has plenty of money and did nothing to earn that Bitcoin. Why would she care about it? Oslo, the curious Oslo asked me for advice about buying Bitcoin. I helped him out. Even sent him a few thousand sats as a gift after he set up his wallet. Now that he has his coins, he complains about how hard it was to set up and that nobody else uses it. He told me he’ll keep the Bitcoin for his kids. After all, it might be useful one day and everybody says it’ll go up. Maybe his kids will appreciate him for it, but that doesn’t do anybody any good right now. Mallory, the idiot Mallory won’t mind me calling him an idiot because he’s an old friend of mine. And really, he’s not an idiot. He’s just simple. I bought him $18 worth of Bitcoin in 2018. I told him he could get his $18 back any time he wanted, on demand, any time. My gift to him. Or, keep the Bitcoin. His choice. No time limit. Didn’t set him up with a wallet or anything, just sent .0021 Bitcoin to a new wallet I created. I have the keys, ready to turn them over as soon as he asks. That Bitcoin’s still sitting in that wallet. The keys are still securely mine. At one point, the price of that .0021 Bitcoin dipped down to $7.35. He could’ve taken my $18, bought himself his own Bitcoin, and ended up way ahead. Nope. Now, that Bitcoin’s worth about $140. He doesn’t care. If Bitcoin’s price goes to $1 million like everybody says, he’ll have $2,100. Just for being my friend. I’ll bet he still won’t collect it. Why? “I don’t know how to use it” and “if you think it’ll go up, I’ll hold it.” Bitcoin isn’t good enough yet As new technology develops, it usually moves from hard, complicated, and interesting to easy, simple, and boring. Easy, simple, and boring is good. Easy, simple, and boring is good. Almost every mainstream thing is easy, simple, and boring. That’s how you know your technology has arrived. Bitcoin’s not there yet. Like all new tech, it has to cross the “chasm of adoption,” as shown on this diagram of the technology adoption life cycle: Sometimes, technology falls into the chasm and dies — but usually, good technologies survive and prosper. It just takes a while to catch on. After 15 years of moving from enthusiasts to visionaries, Bitcoin has entered the chasm. Medium writer Omar M. Khateeb posits that within that chasm, there are four stages : Complacency/Marginalization, Ridicule, Criticism, and Acceptance. You can see it in that bell curve above the chasm, also shown below: Medium within that chasm, there are four stages within that chasm, there are four stages If Omar’s right, we’re probably at the “criticism” stage. Should we really push people to use Bitcoin now, when it’s still slow, complicated, and you can’t do much with it? Probably not. We need to get to acceptance, but Bitcoin needs to earn that. A lot of money’s going into memecoins, smart contract platforms, Bitcoin spin-offs, and other tokens. That takes money from people who are working to make Bitcoin faster, cheaper, better, easier, and more useful. Once people lose enough money on these alternatives, the survivors will have to come back to Bitcoin. More do so with each cycle (however you define cycle). If that bothers you, look on the bright side. If Bitcoin’s really as good as everybody says it is, those people will come around. It just may take them longer than you’d like. Mark Helfman publishes the Crypto is Easy newsletter. He is also the author of three books and a top Bitcoin writer on Medium and Hacker Noon . Learn more about him in his bio and connect with him on Tealfeed . Crypto is Easy Crypto is Easy Crypto is Easy Medium Medium Medium Hacker Noon Hacker Noon Hacker Noon bio bio Tealfeed Tealfeed

You Still Think People Will Use Bitcoin Because You Give it to Them? 🤦

The Useless Skills You're Still Learning 

Is your Fire TV Stick running slower than it used to be? I’ve been there and know how frustrating it can be. You sit down, ready to binge-watch your favorite show, only to have it ruined by endless buffering and lagging. I used to think it was just my internet connection, but after diving deeper, I discovered it was my FireStick’s settings that were holding things back. After spending some time tweaking a few key settings, the results were instantly noticeable—streaming was smoother, and navigation felt much snappier. Whether it's Amazon’s constant tracking or too many apps hogging system resources, there are several easy adjustments you can make to drastically improve performance. These changes have made all the difference for me, and I’m excited to share them with you so you can enjoy your Fire TV Stick the way it was meant to be. If you're ready to supercharge your device and say goodbye to frustrating streaming issues, stick with me, and let’s dive into the settings you need to change! Update the FireStick One of the simplest yet most important things you can do to keep your FireStick running smoothly is to ensure it’s updated. Just like with your smartphone, regular updates contain performance improvements and bug fixes. How to Update: Go to Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for Updates. If an update is available, install it. I used to have performance issues, but after updating regularly, my device runs much faster. Adjust Privacy Settings Amazon loves to track data, but all that data collection comes at the expense of your device's speed. Disabling unnecessary tracking will reduce the load on your FireStick. Here’s What To Do: Go to Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings. Turn off Device Usage Data and Collect App Usage Data, and also disable Interest-Based Ads. After disabling these, I noticed my FireStick stopped lagging as much, especially during streaming. Disable Data Monitoring Data monitoring is a feature that tracks how much data your FireStick is using. While it may sound helpful, it consumes valuable system resources. How to Turn it Off: Go to Settings > Preferences > Data Monitoring and toggle it off. After switching this off, I saw a noticeable reduction in buffering during my favorite shows. Turn Off Notifications Every time an app sends you a notification, it takes a little bit of power away from your streaming. Disabling these interruptions can free up resources for a smoother experience. How to Disable Notifications: Go to Settings > Preferences > Notification Settings and turn on Do Not Interrupt. This change made a big difference for me, especially when multiple apps were sending alerts during a movie. Stop Autoplay on Featured Content Are those autoplaying ads and previews at the top of your home screen? They’re killing your bandwidth and slowing down your device. Disabling autoplay helps lighten the load on your FireStick. How to Turn Off Autoplay: Navigate to Settings > Preferences > Featured Content and turn off both Video Autoplay and Audio Autoplay. Once I did this, navigating the home screen felt much snappier. Clear Apps Not in Use Over time, we tend to accumulate a lot of apps we don’t use. These apps take up space and can slow down the FireStick, especially if they run in the background. Clearing them out will free up storage and speed up your device. Steps to Uninstall Unused Apps: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications. Select the app you no longer use and click Uninstall. I went through and removed all the apps I hadn't touched in months, and the improvement in the performance of my device was instant! Force Stop Background Apps Some apps run in the background even when you’re not using them, consuming memory and slowing down your device. You can stop them to free up resources. How to Force Stop Apps: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications, and choose the app you want to stop. Select Force Stop to halt its background activity. Clear Cache Apps store temporary files that can accumulate over time and slow down your FireStick. Clearing this data can significantly speed things up. How to Clear Cache: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications, select the app, and choose Clear Cache. I do this regularly for apps I don’t use daily, and it really helps. Conclusion By making a few small adjustments, you can give your FireStick a significant performance boost. I used to struggle with constant buffering and slow navigation, but after these simple tweaks, things improved dramatically. Updating the system regularly, managing apps that were hogging resources, and adjusting a few privacy settings did wonders for my streaming experience. Now, my FireStick runs much faster, and buffering issues are almost non-existent. If you’ve been feeling the same frustration with your device, I highly recommend trying out these steps. They made a huge difference for me, and I’d love to hear how they work for you! Is your Fire TV Stick running slower than it used to be? I’ve been there and know how frustrating it can be. You sit down, ready to binge-watch your favorite show, only to have it ruined by endless buffering and lagging. I used to think it was just my internet connection, but after diving deeper, I discovered it was my FireStick’s settings that were holding things back. After spending some time tweaking a few key settings, the results were instantly noticeable—streaming was smoother, and navigation felt much snappier. Whether it's Amazon’s constant tracking or too many apps hogging system resources, there are several easy adjustments you can make to drastically improve performance. These changes have made all the difference for me, and I’m excited to share them with you so you can enjoy your Fire TV Stick the way it was meant to be. Fire TV Stick If you're ready to supercharge your device and say goodbye to frustrating streaming issues, stick with me, and let’s dive into the settings you need to change! Update the FireStick One of the simplest yet most important things you can do to keep your FireStick running smoothly is to ensure it’s updated. Just like with your smartphone, regular updates contain performance improvements and bug fixes. How to Update: Go to Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for Updates . If an update is available, install it. I used to have performance issues, but after updating regularly, my device runs much faster. Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for Updates Adjust Privacy Settings Amazon loves to track data, but all that data collection comes at the expense of your device's speed. Disabling unnecessary tracking will reduce the load on your FireStick. Here’s What To Do: Go to Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings . Turn off Device Usage Data and Collect App Usage Data, and also disable Interest-Based Ads. After disabling these, I noticed my FireStick stopped lagging as much, especially during streaming. Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings Disable Data Monitoring Data monitoring is a feature that tracks how much data your FireStick is using. While it may sound helpful, it consumes valuable system resources. How to Turn it Off: Go to Settings > Preferences > Data Monitoring and toggle it off. After switching this off, I saw a noticeable reduction in buffering during my favorite shows. Settings > Preferences > Data Monitoring Turn Off Notifications Every time an app sends you a notification, it takes a little bit of power away from your streaming. Disabling these interruptions can free up resources for a smoother experience. How to Disable Notifications: Go to Settings > Preferences > Notification Settings and turn on Do Not Interrupt. This change made a big difference for me, especially when multiple apps were sending alerts during a movie. Settings > Preferences > Notification Settings Stop Autoplay on Featured Content Are those autoplaying ads and previews at the top of your home screen? They’re killing your bandwidth and slowing down your device. Disabling autoplay helps lighten the load on your FireStick. How to Turn Off Autoplay: Navigate to Settings > Preferences > Featured Content and turn off both Video Autoplay and Audio Autoplay. Once I did this, navigating the home screen felt much snappier. Settings > Preferences > Featured Content Clear Apps Not in Use Over time, we tend to accumulate a lot of apps we don’t use. These apps take up space and can slow down the FireStick, especially if they run in the background. Clearing them out will free up storage and speed up your device. Steps to Uninstall Unused Apps: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications . Select the app you no longer use and click Uninstall. I went through and removed all the apps I hadn't touched in months, and the improvement in the performance of my device was instant! Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications Force Stop Background Apps Some apps run in the background even when you’re not using them, consuming memory and slowing down your device. You can stop them to free up resources. How to Force Stop Apps: Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications , and choose the app you want to stop. Select Force Stop to halt its background activity. Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications Clear Cache Apps store temporary files that can accumulate over time and slow down your FireStick. Clearing this data can significantly speed things up. How to Clear Cache: Go to S ettings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications , select the app, and choose Clear Cache. I do this regularly for apps I don’t use daily, and it really helps. ettings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications Conclusion By making a few small adjustments, you can give your FireStick a significant performance boost. I used to struggle with constant buffering and slow navigation, but after these simple tweaks, things improved dramatically. Updating the system regularly, managing apps that were hogging resources, and adjusting a few privacy settings did wonders for my streaming experience. Now, my FireStick runs much faster, and buffering issues are almost non-existent. If you’ve been feeling the same frustration with your device, I highly recommend trying out these steps. They made a huge difference for me, and I’d love to hear how they work for you!

Is Your Fire TV Stick Slowing Down? Here’s How to Fix It

MIAMI, Florida, October 25th, 2024/Chainwire/--Valhalla Floki’s PlayToEarn Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) blockchain game, has teamed up with the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes as its official partner, marking the much-anticipated return of the tournament after a seven-year break. From November 1 to November 3, top international teams will face off in this fast-paced cricket format at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground. The Cricket Sixes has been a celebrated event since its debut in 1992, with legendary players like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Shane Warne, and Sanath Jayasuriya gracing the field over the years. Valhalla’s partnership with the Sixes reflects the synergy between competitive sports and the blockchain gaming world. “We are thrilled to be part of the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes. The excitement and energy of this iconic event resonate with our own commitment to innovation and community in gaming,” said Mr. Brown Whale, Valhalla's lead. “This collaboration allows us to engage with cricket fans and show how PlayToEarn gaming can elevate both entertainment and the spirit of competition.” The matches will be broadcast across multiple regions by Star Sports Network, and in India, viewers can catch the action on Fancode, one of the country’s largest sports OTT platforms. On the ground, key branding assets will include ground perimeter boards, mid wicket logo mats, and the presentation backdrop, ensuring strong visibility for both Valhalla and the Sixes event. This year’s tournament will feature 12 teams divided into four groups. In Group C, India, led by stars like Robin Uthappa and Kedar Jadhav, will face off against Pakistan and the UAE. Group A includes South Africa, New Zealand, and host nation Hong Kong. Group B brings together Australia, England, and Nepal, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Oman make up Group D. The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarterfinals, with 29 matches set to take place over three action-packed days. About Hong Kong Sixes The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is a six-a-side international cricket tournament held at the Kwong Road recreational ground from 1st to 3rd Nov. The 2024 edition will be conducted after a 7 year gap and 12 of the best cricketing nations will battle it out for top honors. Uses can learn more at www.hkcricket.org About Valhalla Valhalla is a blockchain-based MMORPG inspired by Norse mythology, offering players the chance to discover, tame, and battle with creatures called Veras. The game features a player-driven economy and a hexagonal battlefield designed for dynamic combat. Users can learn more at Valhalla.game. Website | YouTube | Telegram | Instagram | TikTok | Discord | Facebook | Reddit | Twitch Contact Community Relations Officer Pedro Vidal FLOKI marketing@floki.com This story was distributed as a release by Chainwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here MIAMI, Florida, October 25th, 2024/Chainwire/--Valhalla Floki’s PlayToEarn Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) blockchain game, has teamed up with the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes as its official partner, marking the much-anticipated return of the tournament after a seven-year break. From November 1 to November 3, top international teams will face off in this fast-paced cricket format at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground. The Cricket Sixes has been a celebrated event since its debut in 1992, with legendary players like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Shane Warne, and Sanath Jayasuriya gracing the field over the years. Valhalla’s partnership with the Sixes reflects the synergy between competitive sports and the blockchain gaming world. “We are thrilled to be part of the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes. The excitement and energy of this iconic event resonate with our own commitment to innovation and community in gaming,” said Mr. Brown Whale, Valhalla's lead. “We are thrilled to be part of the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes. The excitement and energy of this iconic event resonate with our own commitment to innovation and community in gaming,” said Mr. Brown Whale, Valhalla's lead. “This collaboration allows us to engage with cricket fans and show how PlayToEarn gaming can elevate both entertainment and the spirit of competition.” “This collaboration allows us to engage with cricket fans and show how PlayToEarn gaming can elevate both entertainment and the spirit of competition.” The matches will be broadcast across multiple regions by Star Sports Network, and in India, viewers can catch the action on Fancode, one of the country’s largest sports OTT platforms. On the ground, key branding assets will include ground perimeter boards, mid wicket logo mats, and the presentation backdrop, ensuring strong visibility for both Valhalla and the Sixes event. This year’s tournament will feature 12 teams divided into four groups. In Group C, India, led by stars like Robin Uthappa and Kedar Jadhav, will face off against Pakistan and the UAE. Group A includes South Africa, New Zealand, and host nation Hong Kong. Group B brings together Australia, England, and Nepal, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Oman make up Group D. The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarterfinals, with 29 matches set to take place over three action-packed days. About Hong Kong Sixes The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is a six-a-side international cricket tournament held at the Kwong Road recreational ground from 1st to 3rd Nov. The 2024 edition will be conducted after a 7 year gap and 12 of the best cricketing nations will battle it out for top honors. Uses can learn more at www.hkcricket.org www.hkcricket.org www.hkcricket.org About Valhalla Valhalla is a blockchain-based MMORPG inspired by Norse mythology, offering players the chance to discover, tame, and battle with creatures called Veras. The game features a player-driven economy and a hexagonal battlefield designed for dynamic combat. Users can learn more at Valhalla.game . Valhalla Valhalla Valhalla.game Valhalla.game Website | YouTube | Telegram | Instagram | TikTok | Discord | Facebook | Reddit | Twitch Website Website YouTube YouTube Telegram Telegram Instagram Instagram TikTok TikTok Discord Discord Facebook Facebook Reddit Reddit Twitch Twitch Contact Community Relations Officer Pedro Vidal FLOKI marketing@floki.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

Valhalla Partners With Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes For a Thrilling Comeback

Η Valhalla συνεργάζεται με το Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes για μια συναρπαστική επιστροφή

Valhalla se asocia con Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes para un regreso emocionante

Valhalla s'associe à Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes pour un retour palpitant

वल्लाह ने रोमांचक वापसी के लिए हांगकांग इंटरनेशनल क्रिकेट सिक्सेस के साथ साझेदारी की

Valhalla se udružila s Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes za uzbudljiv povratak

ヴァルハラが香港国際クリケットシックスと提携し、スリリングなカムバックを果たす

Valhalla Bekerjasama Dengan Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes Untuk Kemunculan Kembali yang mendebarkan

Valhalla o Dirišana Le Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes Bakeng sa go Boa mo go Kgahlišago

Abafatanyabikorwa ba Valhalla hamwe na Hong Kong mpuzamahanga ya Cricket itandatu yo kugaruka gushimishije

Valhalla spolupracuje s Hongkongskými medzinárodnými kriketovými šestkami pre vzrušujúci návrat

I-Valhalla isebenzisana nabadlali beQakamba baMazwe ngaMazwe baseHong Kong ukuze bafumane iMbuyiselo echulumancisayo

I-Valhalla Isebenzisana Nabadlali Abayisithupha Bekhilikithi Yamazwe Ngamazwe base-Hong Kong Ukuze Kubuyelwe Okujabulisayo

Sounds (“Music”) and Images (“Art”) have been somewhat conquered by GenAI; it’s never been easier to create slop that’s “close enough” to the real thing. Creatives have taken notice, with 73% of them now believing that AI will significantly impact their industry. Fashion has up until now been somewhat disconnected from these conversations. Sure, it’s a creative sector, but it also has glamor… and a certain exclusivity that makes AI’s infinite abundance seem gauche in comparison. But times are changing, and even the Milanese are now asking if machines could craft the kind of cultural cachet luxury designers have spent lifetimes building.’ Three researchers — Page Moreau from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Emanuela Prandelli from Bocconi University, and Martin Schreier from WU Vienna — recently added complexity to this debate with a research paper titled, “Generative Artificial Intelligence and Design Co-Creation in Luxury New Product Development: The Power of Discarded Ideas.” Their research explores whether generative AI can compete with human designers when it comes to luxury fashion… and how consumers may react to machine-made chic. Can AI Design Fashion Luxury? The researchers teamed up with AwayToMars, Missoni, and IBM Watson to create and sell t-shirts designed either by human designers or by AI. The AI, IBM Watson, was trained on designs previously discarded by AWTM, using machine learning to generate new design ideas based on recurring features and patterns. They conducted a controlled experiment with over 1,000 participants and analyzed real sales data of the t-shirts over 20 weeks. The results? Consumers preferred AI-designed t-shirts — but only if they didn’t know they were designed by AI. When the source was revealed, consumer enthusiasm waned. Sales data showed a whopping 127% increase for AI-designed shirts compared to human-designed ones. Turns out, when fashion is sold without disclaimers, AI might just have a better eye for the cutting edge. What Does This Mean for the Fashion Industry? AI-designed products can outsell human creations. In fact, AI-generated t-shirts outsold their human-designed counterparts by more than twofold in the study. This means that any sense of superiority capitalistically-inclined designers may have needed to be adjusted to a new reality. Consumer perception of AI is still a barrier. When consumers were informed that designs were AI-generated, their willingness to pay for the garments decreased (“Knowing that a luxury fashion item was designed by AI reduced consumers’ responses towards it.”) This reflects an ongoing distrust of AI’s creative capability. Some may be tempted to hide the use of AI in the face of these results, but consumers also value transparency, and laws are being proposed to improve that transparency. This no doubt will be the toughest nut to crack in the near future. AI can enhance brand identity. The AI-designed shirts more effectively embodied Missoni’s signature zigzag patterns and brand codes compared to the human designs. This can be well-received by customers and can reinforce a brand identity if used properly. “Trash” is more useful than we think. The AI drew inspiration from designs that had been previously discarded — transforming “waste” into wearable art. This highlights how AI’s capacity to learn from mass data can unlock the value of overlooked ideas. This is without a doubt my favorite part of the study. How Do We Move Forward? This is a lot to take in; enough to give fashion executives some vertigo. While they get their bearings, there are a few things the fashion community can push for. We need to implement mandatory AI disclosure in product descriptions. Transparency is crucial. Consumers should know if an item was designed by AI, even if it impacts their perception negatively. If 44% of participants disliked AI-designed fashion when informed, brands need to confront this distrust head-on to avoid backlash. “AI aversion” (as another study called it) suggests that transparency is necessary but should be handled with care. Brands might want to frame AI’s role in a positive light by focusing on efficiency, sustainability, or co-creation to mitigate negative perceptions. Fashion Houses need to expertly blend AI with humans. The AI designs from the study could have been reviewed and improved by designers, I’m sure. Allowing designers to steer AI’s outputs could preserve the “luxury touch” that customers associate with human creativity while benefiting from AI’s efficiency. This may even lead to better margins and perhaps (?) better pay for artisans who surely deserve it. Fashion houses need to establish strict, all-encompassing guidelines to future-proof their expertise. This includes establishing standards for what training data is used… and what data cannot/should not be used. AI in creative industries often relies on massive datasets, some of which are sourced unethically. Ensuring AI is trained ethically on licensed or voluntarily contributed data is key to gaining consumer trust. Nothing says luxury like ethics… right? Right? Above all, consumers need to be educated. Brands should invest in educating consumers on the strengths of AI for design — including sustainability and efficiency, where algorithms are likely well-placed to have an impact. Highlighting how AI uses discarded materials creatively, as seen with Missoni, could positively shift consumer sentiment. Where the Research Paper Falls Short While Moreau, Prandelli, and Schreier’s study brings some interesting insights to light, it is not without flaws. For one, all participants were business school students — hardly representative of the global, diverse consumer base of luxury fashion. It also didn’t explore whether consumers would prefer designs if AI had been marketed as an “assistant” rather than a “creator”. Furthermore, the research only touched upon visual identity, ignoring other sensory elements such as fabric texture and craftsmanship, which are crucial in luxury fashion. For future research, I’d love to see how AI fares when tasked with creating high-fashion couture pieces rather than simple t-shirts. How does it navigate avant-garde aesthetics or evolving cultural nuances? Probably not very well. Are Designers Doomed? Generative AI in luxury fashion is like a bold new fabric. One that can dazzle but also fray under scrutiny. If handled with care, AI could provide a much-needed spark of innovation while pushing the boundaries of design. The key lies in its careful integration, transparency, and cooperation with human experts. A future where AI complements, rather than replaces, human creativity isn’t just desirable… it might be our only shot at saving the soul of luxury. Good luck out there. Sounds (“Music”) and Images (“Art”) have been somewhat conquered by GenAI; it’s never been easier to create slop that’s “ close enough ” to the real thing. Creatives have taken notice, with 73% of them now believing that AI will significantly impact their industry . Sounds Images close enough 73% of them now believing that AI will significantly impact their industry Fashion has up until now been somewhat disconnected from these conversations. Sure, it’s a creative sector, but it also has glamor… and a certain exclusivity that makes AI’s infinite abundance seem gauche in comparison. But times are changing, and even the Milanese are now asking if machines could craft the kind of cultural cachet luxury designers have spent lifetimes building.’ Three researchers — Page Moreau from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Emanuela Prandelli from Bocconi University, and Martin Schreier from WU Vienna — recently added complexity to this debate with a research paper titled, “ Generative Artificial Intelligence and Design Co-Creation in Luxury New Product Development: The Power of Discarded Ideas . ” Page Moreau Emanuela Prandelli Martin Schreier Generative Artificial Intelligence and Design Co-Creation in Luxury New Product Development: The Power of Discarded Ideas Generative Artificial Intelligence and Design Co-Creation in Luxury New Product Development: The Power of Discarded Ideas . Their research explores whether generative AI can compete with human designers when it comes to luxury fashion… and how consumers may react to machine-made chic. Can AI Design Fashion Luxury? The researchers teamed up with AwayToMars , Missoni , and IBM Watson to create and sell t-shirts designed either by human designers or by AI. The AI, IBM Watson, was trained on designs previously discarded by AWTM, using machine learning to generate new design ideas based on recurring features and patterns. They conducted a controlled experiment with over 1,000 participants and analyzed real sales data of the t-shirts over 20 weeks. AwayToMars Missoni The results? Consumers preferred AI-designed t-shirts — but only if they didn’t know they were designed by AI . When the source was revealed, consumer enthusiasm waned. Sales data showed a whopping 127% increase for AI-designed shirts compared to human-designed ones. but only if they didn’t know they were designed by AI Turns out, when fashion is sold without disclaimers, AI might just have a better eye for the cutting edge. What Does This Mean for the Fashion Industry? AI-designed products can outsell human creations. In fact, AI-generated t-shirts outsold their human-designed counterparts by more than twofold in the study. This means that any sense of superiority capitalistically-inclined designers may have needed to be adjusted to a new reality. AI-designed products can outsell human creations. In fact, AI-generated t-shirts outsold their human-designed counterparts by more than twofold in the study. This means that any sense of superiority capitalistically-inclined designers may have needed to be adjusted to a new reality. AI-designed products can outsell human creations. Consumer perception of AI is still a barrier. When consumers were informed that designs were AI-generated, their willingness to pay for the garments decreased (“Knowing that a luxury fashion item was designed by AI reduced consumers’ responses towards it.”) This reflects an ongoing distrust of AI’s creative capability. Some may be tempted to hide the use of AI in the face of these results, but consumers also value transparency, and laws are being proposed to improve that transparency. This no doubt will be the toughest nut to crack in the near future. Consumer perception of AI is still a barrier. When consumers were informed that designs were AI-generated, their willingness to pay for the garments decreased ( “Knowing that a luxury fashion item was designed by AI reduced consumers’ responses towards it.”) This reflects an ongoing distrust of AI’s creative capability. Some may be tempted to hide the use of AI in the face of these results, but consumers also value transparency, and laws are being proposed to improve that transparency. This no doubt will be the toughest nut to crack in the near future. Consumer perception of AI is still a barrier. “Knowing that a luxury fashion item was designed by AI reduced consumers’ responses towards it.”) AI can enhance brand identity. The AI-designed shirts more effectively embodied Missoni’s signature zigzag patterns and brand codes compared to the human designs. This can be well-received by customers and can reinforce a brand identity if used properly. AI can enhance brand identity. The AI-designed shirts more effectively embodied Missoni’s signature zigzag patterns and brand codes compared to the human designs. This can be well-received by customers and can reinforce a brand identity if used properly. AI can enhance brand identity. “Trash” is more useful than we think. The AI drew inspiration from designs that had been previously discarded — transforming “waste” into wearable art. This highlights how AI’s capacity to learn from mass data can unlock the value of overlooked ideas. This is without a doubt my favorite part of the study. “Trash” is more useful than we think. The AI drew inspiration from designs that had been previously discarded — transforming “waste” into wearable art. This highlights how AI’s capacity to learn from mass data can unlock the value of overlooked ideas. This is without a doubt my favorite part of the study. “Trash” is more useful than we think. How Do We Move Forward? This is a lot to take in; enough to give fashion executives some vertigo. While they get their bearings, there are a few things the fashion community can push for. We need to implement mandatory AI disclosure in product descriptions. We need to implement mandatory AI disclosure in product descriptions. Transparency is crucial. Consumers should know if an item was designed by AI, even if it impacts their perception negatively. If 44% of participants disliked AI-designed fashion when informed, brands need to confront this distrust head-on to avoid backlash. “AI aversion” ( as another study called it ) suggests that transparency is necessary but should be handled with care. as another study called it Brands might want to frame AI’s role in a positive light by focusing on efficiency, sustainability, or co-creation to mitigate negative perceptions. Fashion Houses need to expertly blend AI with humans. Fashion Houses need to expertly blend AI with humans. The AI designs from the study could have been reviewed and improved by designers, I’m sure. Allowing designers to steer AI’s outputs could preserve the “luxury touch” that customers associate with human creativity while benefiting from AI’s efficiency. This may even lead to better margins and perhaps (?) better pay for artisans who surely deserve it. Fashion houses need to establish strict, all-encompassing guidelines to future-proof their expertise. Fashion houses need to establish strict, all-encompassing guidelines to future-proof their expertise. This includes establishing standards for what training data is used… and what data cannot/should not be used. AI in creative industries often relies on massive datasets, some of which are sourced unethically. Ensuring AI is trained ethically on licensed or voluntarily contributed data is key to gaining consumer trust. Nothing says luxury like ethics… right? Right? Above all, consumers need to be educated. Above all, consumers need to be educated. Brands should invest in educating consumers on the strengths of AI for design — including sustainability and efficiency, where algorithms are likely well-placed to have an impact. Highlighting how AI uses discarded materials creatively, as seen with Missoni, could positively shift consumer sentiment. Where the Research Paper Falls Short While Moreau , Prandelli , and Schreier ’s study brings some interesting insights to light, it is not without flaws. For one, all participants were business school students — hardly representative of the global, diverse consumer base of luxury fashion. Moreau Prandelli Schreier It also didn’t explore whether consumers would prefer designs if AI had been marketed as an “assistant” rather than a “creator”. Furthermore, the research only touched upon visual identity, ignoring other sensory elements such as fabric texture and craftsmanship, which are crucial in luxury fashion. For future research, I’d love to see how AI fares when tasked with creating high-fashion couture pieces rather than simple t-shirts. How does it navigate avant-garde aesthetics or evolving cultural nuances? Probably not very well. Are Designers Doomed? Generative AI in luxury fashion is like a bold new fabric. One that can dazzle but also fray under scrutiny. If handled with care, AI could provide a much-needed spark of innovation while pushing the boundaries of design. The key lies in its careful integration, transparency, and cooperation with human experts. A future where AI complements, rather than replaces, human creativity isn’t just desirable… it might be our only shot at saving the soul of luxury. Good luck out there.

Would You Still Love a $500 T-Shirt If You Knew AI Designed It?

Sal jy steeds van 'n $500 T-hemp hou as jy geweet het dat KI dit ontwerp het?

AI ዲዛይኑን ካወቁ አሁንም የ500 ዶላር ቲሸርት ይወዳሉ?

¿Aún te gustaría una camiseta de 500 dólares si supieras que fue diseñada por una IA?

اگر می دانستید که هوش مصنوعی آن را طراحی کرده است، آیا هنوز عاشق یک تی شرت 500 دلاری هستید؟

यदि आपको पता हो कि 500 डॉलर की टी-शर्ट को AI ने डिज़ाइन किया है, तो क्या आप उसे अब भी पसंद करेंगे?

Ti piacerebbe ancora una maglietta da 500 dollari se sapessi che è stata progettata dall'intelligenza artificiale?

AI がデザインした 500 ドルの T シャツをまだ気に入っていますか?

კიდევ გიყვართ 500 დოლარიანი მაისური, თუ იცოდით, რომ ხელოვნური ინტელექტის დიზაინია?

AI가 디자인했다고 해도 500달러짜리 티셔츠를 여전히 좋아할까요?

ایا تاسو به بیا هم د 500 ډالرو ټي شرټ خوښ کړئ که تاسو پوهیږئ چې AI یې ډیزاین کړی؟

Xana Wa Ha Swi Rhandza Xikipa Xa R1 000 Loko U Swi Tiva Leswaku AI Yi Xi Endlile?

Bạn có còn thích áo phông giá 500 đô la không nếu biết nó được thiết kế bởi AI?

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