Category Archives: Business

Business, Comes Next, Security, TechNews

Google’s Titan security keys

Image: The new Titan security keys in USB-A and USB-C versions (Screenshot Google)

Ready for a world without passwords. Google has introduced a new version of its Titan security keys. The new keys are compatible with Passkeys technology, which is intended to make passwords unnecessary in the long term. What is the best way to protect passwords? By abolishing them. Google, like Apple and Microsoft, has been pursuing this strategy with passkeys for some time. In simple terms, this process allows users to identify themselves on their device. This creates a string as a key that you can then use to log in to web services or accounts.

The Titan security keys intends to make passwords superfluous

Now Google has introduced new Titan security keys that can store up to 250 passkeys. The new security key replaces the previous model from 2018, which was based on the two-stage verification system. The new Titan security keys are already listed in the Google Store . It is available in two versions, for the USB-A and USB-C standards. Both versions are also NFC compatible, meaning they can be connected to a smartphone or computer without contact.

Passkeys technology for everyone

Passkeys normally work without a physical carrier medium, but are activated directly during authentication via smartphone. But: “Some people need a solution that does not depend on smartphones, or use devices that do not support passkeys,” writes Google in a blog post. The company wants to give these user groups access to secure passkey technology with the Titan security key. Passwords and two-step authentication measures should be replaced by passkeys in the long term. But Google itself knows that this is still a thing of the future. In the store, the passkey-compatible keys are therefore advertised as additional protection in addition to passwords.

Google wants to distribute 100,000 keys for free

In order to make the passkey standard even more widespread, Google is taking an unusual measure. Next year, the group wants to distribute 100,000 security keys free of charge to partners in the industry who have particularly high security needs. Google clearly wants to use its initiative to help make the presidential election in the USA safer. This is intended to protect political campaigns from being compromised. So it’s about more than just avoiding fiddling with passwords.

Business, Crypto, Financial, Science, Security

Cryptocurrency Revolution

Image by TeX9.net: Cryptocurrency Revolution
Cryptocurrency: A Revolution in Digital Finance

In recent years, the financial landscape has witnessed a dramatic transformation with the rise of cryptocurrencies. These digital assets have taken the world by storm because of promising to reshape the way we conduct financial transactions, invest and even think about money. The story of cryptocurrencies begins with the creation of Bitcoin in 2009 by an anonymous entity known as Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin introduced the concept of a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency and powered by blockchain technology.

Key Features of Cryptocurrencies
  1. Decentralization: Cryptocurrencies are not controlled by any central authority, making them resistant to censorship and manipulation.
  2. Security: Transactions are secured through cryptographic techniques, making it extremely difficult for malicious actors to tamper with the system.
  3. Transparency: Blockchain technology records all transactions on a public ledger, ensuring transparency and accountability.
  4. Accessibility: Cryptocurrencies are accessible to anyone with an internet connection, opening up financial opportunities for the unbanked and underbanked populations.
Impact on Traditional Finance
  1. Reduced Transaction Costs: Cryptocurrency transactions often come with lower fees compared to traditional banking systems.
  2. Financial Inclusion: Cryptocurrencies can provide access to financial services for the billions of people worldwide so the traditional banking system can not exclude them.
  3. Innovation: The blockchain technology underlying cryptocurrencies has sparked innovation in various industries, such as supply chain management, healthcare, and voting systems.
  4. Investment Opportunities: Cryptocurrencies have become an attractive asset class for investors, offering the potential for high returns and diversification.
Key Players in the Cryptocurrency Revolution
  1. Bitcoin (BTC): The original cryptocurrency and so the most recognized. It serves as digital gold and a store of value.
  2. Ethereum (ETH): Known for its smart contract functionality, Ethereum has enabled the development of decentralized applications (DApps).
  3. Binance Coin (BNB): The native token of the Binance exchange and is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world.
  4. Cardano (ADA): Known for its focus on sustainability, scalability and interoperability in blockchain technology.
Image by TeX9.net: Cryptocurrency Revolution
Image by TeX9.net: Cryptocurrency Revolution
Business, Computer Chips, Financial, Gaming, TechNews

nVidia & Snowflake cooperation for AI models from cloud

nVidia and Snowflake announce cooperation for generative AI models from the cloud.

The US graphics card manufacturer nVidia and the US software company Snowflake have announced a cooperation. They want to offer companies generative AI from the cloud.

Image: Artificial Intelligence, AI (Inteligencia artificial), via: pixabay, by: geralt.
Image: Artificial Intelligence, AI (Inteligencia artificial), via: pixabay, by: geralt.

The nVidia Corp. and Snowflake Inc. announced at the Snowflake Summit 2023 that they have entered into a partnership.

The goal of the agreement: Providing companies to build generative AI applications using their own data within the Snowflake Data Cloud. Snowflake along with Nvidia enables enterprises to use data in their Snowflake account clouds. So they can build advanced generative AI service. This includs chatbots.

“Data is the foundation for building generative AI applications that understand the complexities and unique voice of each businesss” said Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of Nvidia.

“nVidia and Snowflake will create an AI factory that will help companies transform their own valuable data into custom generative AI models to build breakthrough new applications. Right from the cloud platform they can run their businesses” added Jensen Huang.

Expanding AI capabilities in Data Cloud enables these customers to build generative AI applications, just where the data they manage already resides. This will reduce costs and latency.

The Snowflake Data Cloud has more than 8,000 customers. In Future it will offer the companies the ability to unify, integrate, analyze and share data within their organizatio, customers, partners, suppliers.

Snowflake’s unified platform offers industry-specific data clouds. Advertising, media and entertainment, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, retail and consumer goods, technology and telecom are included.

Snowflake also recently launched the Government and Education Data Cloud to enable data-driven decision-making for the public sector.

Snowflake plans to host and operate NeMo. NeMo is nVidia’s cloud-native enterprise platform for building, customizing and deploying generative AI models, on the data cloud.

AI, Business, Comes Next, Financial, Science, TechNews

AI boom: These companies and stocks are benefiting

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the technology industry and bringing huge profits to some companies. Some come off particularly well.

Image: Programming, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.
Image: Programming, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

The hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) has increased significantly in recent years. AI is also increasingly finding its way into everyday work. According to a report by Goldman Sachs, AI will finally hit the mainstream in 2023 and is now “too big to ignore”.

Companies like OpenAI have gained great popularity with AI tools like the now world-renowned chatbot ChatGPT or the image generator Dall-E. Content generated by a bot quickly became the norm.

No wonder, then, that the demand for AI-enabled chips has risen sharply recently. Chip manufacturers like Nvidia benefit from this boom, because AI programs like ChatGPT require a lot of computing power, and GPUs are ideal for these requirements.

Nvidia at the top

With a share of 80 percent, Nvidia dominates the world market for graphics card chips and offers a wide range of products specifically for machine learning. “If the AI ​​trend proves sustainable, the immediate demand will be for chips and computing power, and that’s where Nvidia is the flagship at the moment,” Thomas Hayes, chairman of private equity firm Great Hill Capital, said of Nvidia’s strong gains, according to german news Tagesschau the past few weeks.

But not only Nvidia benefits from the AI ​​hype. For example, AMD, a direct competitor of Nvidia, specializes in developing microprocessors and chipsets. The company has announced that it will make its AI accelerator business its top priority, which could soon rival Nvidia.

Contract manufacturers such as the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and software companies such as Service Now also work closely with Nvidia and are benefiting from the AI ​​boom.

The stock markets are not unaffected by the hype surrounding artificial intelligence. Logically, the most popular stock among professional investors is Nvidia, but other AI-related stocks are also enjoying increasing popularity. Companies like Broadcom, TSMC, and Service Now have all rallied in recent months, significantly increasing their profits. ASML and Marvell were also able to post clearly recognizable growth.

Business, Comes Next, Science, TechNews

This bio battery generates electricity from bacteria

Researchers at Binghamton University in New York have developed a new bio-battery that uses bacteria to generate electricity. The sustainable battery apparently has a performance of several weeks.

Scientists at New York’s Binghamton University have developed a new bio-battery that uses bacteria to generate electricity. This means that the batteries come without lithium or rare earths.

This is how the sustainable bio battery works

The bio-battery from the Seokheun Choi Electronics and Computers Laboratory uses three bacteria to generate energy. They are located in three separate, vertical chambers. They are square and about three centimeters in size.

“A photosynthetic bacterium produces organic food that is used as a nutrient for the other bacterial cells below. At the bottom is the electricity-producing bacterium, and the middle bacterium makes some chemicals to enhance electron transfer,” explains Choi.

In addition, the bio-battery can supply electricity for weeks. The sustainable battery is based on a so-called “plug and play” principle. This means that multiple bio batteries can be stacked and wired together.

Bio-battery powers small devices for weeks

Above all, Choi’s sustainable battery is intended to be an answer to how electricity can also reach remote places. In addition, small electronic devices and AIs require an autonomous energy supply around the clock.

That’s why Chois’ goal is to keep the battery small. “We call this intelligent dust and a few bacterial cells can generate enough energy to run it,” says the professor. The dust can then be scattered anywhere as needed.

In the future, Choi also wants to develop a battery pack that can float on water and manage itself. So if damage occurs in harsh environments, they will receive automatic repair.