Japanese robots

Robots will play a critical role in the future, of that there is no doubt. But certain countries will be more reliant upon robots than others. One country that will rely very heavily upon robots is Japan. In recent decades, the birth rate in Japan has steadily decreased. For many different socioeconomic reasons, increasing numbers of young Japanese couples have chosen not to have children. This alarming trend does not bode well for the future of the Japanese economy. As Japan's population ages, there will be fewer and fewer grandchildren to support their grandparents. This will be of particular concern in the healthcare profession. Elderly people need young, able-bodied nurses to assist them through the day. With fewer and fewer young people  in Japan, the number of nurses and care assistants in Japan will decrease significantly. Added to this, Japan has one of the tightest immigration policies in the world, so it's extremely unlikely that Japan will benefit from an influx of young people from other parts of the world. This, coupled with the declining birth rate means that the future Japanese economy will urgently require some means of supporting its elderly population or the country will run into severe problems. Thankfully, there is some reason for cautious optimism.

For many years, Japan has been a world leader within the field of robotics. Japanese scientists and developers have been at the forefront of robotics research, particularly robots aimed at consumers. It is entirely conceivable that Japan will be able to mass-produce reliable robotic nurses and carers to support it's ageing population. Robots at your service are likely to become a key feature of Japanese society in the future. This short video below provides some insight into the kinds of developments currently underway within Japanese robotics. This is an exciting area to keep on eye on for the coming years. What is happening in Japan is likely to spread throughout the rest of the world. 

Edtech

Education has become a hot topic these days. The web has irrevocably changed education by providing unfettered access to voluminous mountains of information to millions of people worldwide. Millions of people now take online courses every day to earn degrees or upgrade their skillsets in order to make a career change. Classrooms of the future will be very different to what they are today. Classrooms will be much more engaging and interactive and there will be AI programs that function as teachers/lecturers. Edtech is attracting enormous interest globally and is likely to do so for the immediate future. Nobody knows what exactly the future of education will look like. But what we can say for sure is that traditional schools and universities are about to undergo a radical rehaul. The video below features an interview with the CEO of Bibblio. It gives some idea of what to expect within Edtech. 

Biometrics, the future of passwords?

The field of biometrics is growing exponentially. One very practical application of biometrics is in regard to password security. As this article on Finextra makes clear, this could have significant effects within payment technology. Nobody wants to type in a password whenever they need to authorise a payment, so biometrics could help facilitate smoother payments. 'Paying by selfie' could become the new norm, with eCommerce giants like Alibaba and Amazon expressing interest in it. Huge advances are also being made in relation to sensory technology i.e. voice, heartbeat and vein recognition technology. But as biometrics advances, so too will security concerns. Hackers will become more adept at creating duplicates for biometrics. Therefore, biometrics will need to stay one step ahead of hackers in regard to keeping consumers safe. The video below provides some interesting information on the future of behavioural biometrics. 

The future of eCommerce

What is the future of eCommerce? Here are some things to expect.

1. Retail spaces will effectively become showrooms. Shopping centres of the future will be quite different to what they are now. Rather than loading up shopping trollies with goods, consumers will sample goods in shopping centres that they are interested in. They will then scan and purchase them with their Smartphones and have them delivered home within hours. 

2. Curation and personalisation will be a huge part of eCommerce in the future. These will facilitate a more direct relationship with consumers. The fashion industry will probably account for one third of all eCommerce.

3. Mobile commerce will be central to eCommerce. Companies that understand mobile commerce the best will reap the biggest returns.

4. Content marketing will be key. This will include video, Social Media, reverse guest blogging, newsletters and infographics.

5. Near Field Communication may become the future of eCommerce. NFC technologies like Google Wallet enable consumers to tap their phone with their credit card to pay for an item. Technologies like these will make for smoother and faster eCommerce transactions. Expect to see exciting developments in NFC technology.

Intel's virtual reality lab

Intel has invested heavily in Virtual Reality technology. This short video gives an overview of some of the exciting developments we can expect to see in this space in coming years.

Climate Smart Agriculture

One area of industry that is being revolutionised by technology is agriculture. With the human population expected to reach 9.7 billion by the year 2050, the demand for agricultural produce has never been greater. However, agriculture will need to deal with anthropogenic climate change. Agriculture must be eco-friendly in order to ensure food safety for all the countries of the world. Many agragrian societies have yet to adopt modern technology, but this is changing. Much work remains to be done, but exciting developments are underway. The short video below by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, gives an overview of what we can expect to see happen.

An online Magna Carta

The web has been referred to the largest unregulated social experiment of all time. This is both a positive and a negative thing. One of the great things about the web is the simple fact that nobody owns it. But this is also its greatest challenge. Although the web has brought great transparency to our society, many people feel that it is too intrusive and invasive of privacy. Other people feel that the web protects criminals via the dark web. Some people have called for an online Magna Carta that would protect and enshrine the independence of the web and its users. One of the godfathers of the web, Tim Berners-Lee, has been an advocate of an online Magna Carta. In this short TED talk below, he addresses some of the most important reasons why a Magna Carta, or Bill of Rights is needed for the web. We may think the web is vast right now. But current prognostications by digital experts indicated that it will grow at a mind-boggling rate in the coming years as we enter the age of the Internet of Things. As digital technology marches forward, there is a need for certain rules and regulations to ensure that basic human rights and safety are protected.

Self-driving Tesla cars

Self-driving cars are becoming more and more part of our lives. Elon Musk has just announced that every new Tesla car will drive itself. The video below illustrates how the cars will have a 360 degree as they drive along. Although this represents a terrific advancement in automobile technology, caution must be exercised as these cars are developed. Cars that run on software will be vulnerable to hackers. As this blog as previously stated, cybersecurity is critically important for the coming digital age. But one thing is for sure, driving as we now understand it is about to change radically!

Roboethics

The topic of Roboethics has become increasingly important as we enter the age of Artificial Intelligence. AI and robots are about to become crucial components of mainstream society. With the rise in automation in every industry, many ethical challenges are posed. For instance, if a self-driving car is responsible for an accident, who exactly is responsible? The car or its manufacturer? If a robot hurts or kills someone, who is responsible? The robot or its maker? Every advance in AI and robots raises important ethical challenges. 

The book "The glass cage" by Nicholas Carr addresses these issues very powefully. One challenge we must contend with is the fact that the rise in automation is making us overly reliant on technology, to our detriment. Because automation is becoming so advanced and sophisticated, many people spend less time developing important skills that our forefathers would have developed. One good example of this is GPS technology. Many people now rely upon GPS whenever they travel anywhere. However, if the GPS fails for some reason, people can become severely disoriented. Another example is the issue of memory. Because people can now find important information about almost anything online, they make less of an effort to memorise it than people did in the pre-internet era. This means that we are developing our memories less effectively than we did in the past. This can not be a good thing.

At the heart of much of the controversy surrounding the future of AI is a very simple yet poignant question. What exactly does it mean to be human? This question is much more difficult to answer than it may seem. As AI becomes ever more advanced, many of the tasks that were thought to be only achievable by humans, are being done by AI. One specific example of this is the aviation industry. Many of the tasks involved in flying a plane are now fully automated. This was inconceivable twenty years ago. The downside is that pilots are now becoming to reliant on automation in planes. If something goes wrong with the automation program, the results can be disastrous.

Many of the jobs that are done by highly trained human beings could soon be accomplished by robots or AI. We could soon have robotic doctors, dentists or pharmacists. But if a robotic medical professional misdiagnoses somebody by mistake, who will be responsible? There is no easy answer to questions like these. But we must work out answers to these questions before the AI revolution really takes off. If we don't address these issues now, they will raise very serious problems in the future.

Future Military Robots

What will future robots look like? This illustrative video about military robots, gives us an indicator of what's coming down the line. The U.S, Chinese and Russian militaries have harnessed robotics to enhance their warfare tactics. According to the video, Google could become the next major defence contractor. Will the military of the future require any ground soldiers? 

Green vehicles

Last week, the German government announced that it wants all German cars to be emissions-free by the year 2030. This ambitious goal has set a precedent for other countries to follow. As this blog has noted previously, the renewable energy revolution will play a catalytic role in the advancement of the internet. The internet is a already mammoth consumer of electricity. As we enter the age of the Internet of Things and Big Data becomes Colossal Data, the internet will require significantly greater energy supplies to power the needs of the world. Traditional sources of energy will be insufficient to meet this need. Renewable energy will become crucially important as a means of digitalising the whole world and also protecting our environment.
Already, one third of all amphibians and many species of fish are under threat of extinction due to anthropogenic climate damage. Human industry has done irrevocable damage to the Ozone layer, leaving us with no option but to invest heavily in Green energy. Cars are an obvious culprit in this particular domain, with diesel emissions largely responsible for much of the damage to the environment. Germany has long been extremely environmentally friendly and ahead of the curve in regard to renewable energy. Germany also happens to be a major producer of the world's finest cars with BMW, Porsche and Volkswagen firmly established as globally recognised brands.
This latest initiative by the German government demonstrates tremendous forward-thinking and prudence, qualities that are sadly lacking in many governments around the world. Hopefully, other governments will follow Germany's example and aspire to leave future generations with a healthy environment and functional digital economy. Wouldn't that be something worth striving for?

Future of Big Data

We hear about Big Data all the time. But what exactly will be the future of Big Data? Here are ten things we can expect to see happen in the coming years.

1. The volume of data will continue to grow significantly. With the advent of the Internet of Things, this is an indisputable fact.

2. We will develop better and more efficient ways to analyse data. Tools like SQL will become better and more sophisticated in accomplishing this.

3. Business analytics software will focus more and more on prescriptive analytics.

4. Real-time streaming insights into data will become very popular.

5. Privacy will continue to present a huge challenge to Big Data. One of the most contentious issues right now in regard to the internet, is the conflict between privacy and transparency.

6. More and more companies will appoint Chief Data Officers and Chief Information Officers. Data management and governance will be of paramount importance to many companies.

7. Automation will continue to be a huge trend, particularly in regard to AI and robotics.

8. Big Data staffing shortages will emerge as companies urgently require data analysts and scientists.

9. Cognitive technology will become hugely popular as the link between cognitive computing and analytics strengthens. 

10. Big Data will be replaced by "Fast Data" and "Actionable data". Data in and of itself is not useful. What are useful are the insights and applications that can be derived from it. With regard to data, big is not necessarily better. But the way data can be used is hugely beneficial to many companies.

The future of the Internet

What exactly will the internet look like in the future? Some of its characteristics will be:

(a) Ubiquity

(b) Invisibility

(c) Large scale implementation of AI 

The web will radically transform the very look and feel of our planet as we know it. This sort video gives a vivid overview of what to expect in the coming years.

Google's Pixel

For almost eight years, Google has been playing an adversarial role to Apple within the Smartphone marketplace. Google has always sought to match, if not outdo, everything Apple does with its latest iPhone offering. With its latest release, the Pixel, Google has raised the bar and produced a phone that has garnered considerable attention from the media. Why? Because the Pixel is the first phone produced entirely by Google, inside and out. Google did not partner with any manufacturers to produce the Pixel.

The big question on everyone's lips is, could the Pixel surpass the iPhone? Some say yes, others say no. This article on Forbes provides an interesting angle on the topic. What is certain is that the Pixel will pose a formidable threat to Apple's market position. The video below illustrates some of the features of the Pixel. Let's wait and see what happens. It could become enormously successful, or it may just be a fad. Time will tell. 


 

Humans of the future

Israelis have always been world leaders at cutting edge research, and Israeli scholar Yuval Noah Harari is no exception to this rule. His previous book "Sapiens" gave a detailed, thoroughly researched history of the human species from Stone Age times right up to the twenty first century. Harari's most recent book "Homo Deus" carries on where "Sapiens" left off, this time trying to predict what our species will look like in the future. The principal motif of "Homo Deus" is that technology will make humans god-like in the coming century. That is not to say that we will become omnipotent, but rather that we will develop superhuman abilities never seen before in history. Although we will still be human, we will have the ability to do amazing things rather like the ancient Greek gods could, to use the author's analogy. Algorithms and bionic technology will enable us to accomplish things our forefathers could never have dreamed of. We may be able to completely eradicate war and famine, though it would be foolish to assume that this will definitely happen. Search engines like Google will develop a terrifying knowledge of each and every one of their users. But is this necessarily a good thing? What challenges will the age of heightened connectivity bring? Harari adroitly addresses all of these concerns. All in all, "Homo Deus" is a fascinating and stimulating read. Anyone seeking a better understanding of how future technology is likely to unfold should read this book. Below is a video of the author discussing his latest book.

The Cyber effect

We are living in the Cyber age, no doubt about that. But what exactly are the effects of this upon us as a society? That is the subject of Dr. Mary Aiken's book "The Cyber effect", just recently published. The author does an outstanding job of addressing the harms and threats posed by living in the Cyber age. Specifically, the author addresses cyber-bullying, cyberchondria (i.e. healthcare Sherlocks), child porn, the Dark net and the online disinhibition effect (i.e. people are more inclined to say and do things online than they would in real life).

The web has been referred to as "the largest unregulated social experiment of all time". This has very serious implications for our future. Although the web has brought a staggering number of positive things to the world, it has also brought a number of harms. The principal problem is that it is largely unregulated. There is no authority figure on the internet. Nobody owns it. Altough this is not necessarily a bad thing, there is definitely a need for greater regulation. The author calls for a Magna Carter for the web, to make our society a safer one, especially for our children. The author also makes a very salient point. The internet was largely designed and developed by men. This is one particular reason why things like porn and dangerous weapons are so easily accessible online. If the internet had been designed by women it would probably look very different. As great as the web is, there is certainly a need for more restrictions and regulations for what people can search for. This is particularly true for young children. We must as a society stand firm and ensure that the web does not endanger children above all else. The author gives a brief but informative introduction to Cyberpsychology below.

Future crimes

There's an excellent book out now by author Marc Goodman entitled "Future crimes". As you can probably infer, the book addresses the major cybersecurity threats we can expect to encounter in the future. Meticulously researched and well articulated, the book adroitly investigates the evolution of the internet over the past decade or so and analyses the major security threats that we now face. It then explores how digital technology is likely to evolve in the years to come and the types of cyber risks that this will impose. The premise of the books is that because we are now more connected and dependent on the web than ever before, we are also more vulnerable than ever. According to Goodman, businesses may be on track to invest nearly $100 billion on cybersecurity by 2017. Incidentally, China is allegedly responsible for over 40% of all cyber attacks globally, although the Chinese government vehemently denies this. Iran and Russia also pose formidable threats in this capacity i.e. an Iranian hacker group called 'Sword of Justice' launched a major cyber attack on Saudi oil company Aramco in 2012, causing enormous damage. 
One of the most acerbic points that the book makes is that when it comes to the likes of Google and Facebook, YOU are the product, not the customer! The sheer vastitude of data that these companies are collected on each one of us is mind-boggling. This is the core value proposition that these companies make to their advertisers - "We know a huge amount about who your customers are and what they want". Google records absolutely every single thing you search for and tailors your search results based upon your previous search history. Data is the new oil as the saying goes. This has led to an upsurge in data surveillance or "dataveillance", to use the parlance now in vogue. The problem with this is that the more data we produce, the more cyber criminals are willing to consume. As we allow more of our personal data to go online, we leave ourselves increasingly vulnerable. The web could potentially become an all-knowing panopticon or as the books phrases it, "Big data equals Big brother". 
The book carefully examines the role that the likes of Bitcoin is playing in facilitating the Dark net and also explores how we can protect ourselves from online criminals. "Future crime" is a real eye-opener and rather shocking in places. However, the author remains cautiously optimistic that with due diligence we can keep ourselves safe from cyber threats of the future. He also provides a list of detailed recommendations at the end of the book on how to do this i.e. update software frequently, use unpredictable passwords, only download from official (legitimate) sites, encrypt your data and switch off your PC when you are not using it. This book is utterly essential reading for anyone who wants a strong grasp of cybersecurity. Strongly recommended!

The robot-run lab of the future

One of the defining characteristics of our time is the beautiful synergy between science and technology. One specific example of a company that has tapped into the enormous potential in this area is Counsyl. Counsyl is a US-based company that specialises in automated DNA screening. Robots are at the heart of the operation of genetic testing. Not only does this make for much more efficient productivity, it also brings down the costs of testing your DNA. As the video illustrates, this is only just beginning. This area promises some very exciting developments in coming years. Genomics will become a hugely lucrative area in the coming years and robotics may facilitate the growth.

Microsoft acquires LinkedIn

Several days ago, the startling announcement was made that Microsoft has closed a deal to acquire LinkedIn for a crisp $26.2 billion. For many years Microsoft has expressed a keen interest in Social Media. Nonetheless, the acquisition of LinkedIn still came as a huge surprise to many of us. Not only does the LinkedIn acquisition represent the largest acquisition in Microsoft's purchasing history, it also constitutes a significant foray into the digital spectrum on Microsoft's part. For many years now, Microsoft has been rebranding itself as something other than a traditional software company. Acquiring LinkedIn will enable Microsoft to make an aggressive move into Social Media. The consequences from this move will be colossal. Just how will LinkedIn rebrand itself now? Will job search as we know it change significantly now? Or will it remain the same? Will Microsoft offer new LinkedIn certifications in the same vein as Microsoft Office certifications? Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not. Perhaps Microsoft understands the cardinal rule "If it's not broke, don't fix it." Perhaps Microsoft may allow LinkedIn to continue unchanged with perhaps only a subtle rebranding of its corporate image. Only time will tell. Either way, we can be guaranteed of one thing. This acquisition will have massive consequences for all digital media companies. Microsoft could once again become the number one player within this domain. This article on the Wall Street journal is worth reading to glean insights on the subject.

IoT security challenges

As we progress day by day into the Internet of Things, our greatest challenge is protection of confidential data. Recently, data security breaches like the one at parenting retailer Kiddicare have sent waves of panic through the market. No security infrastructure yet devised is infallible and hackers are becoming exceptionally good at infiltrating high-security online databases. As the volume of data going online increases, the battle over privacy and security will intensify. So far, there doesn't appear to be a win-win solution to this huge challenge of consumer data protection. However, one potential ray of hope is the trend towards using open source and companies understanding that they need pool their security burden by inviting in third parties to assist. By inviting in others to help, we could potentially create a neighbourhood watch type of system that would add greater protection to system vulnerabilities. Whatever the future holds, encryption systems will need to become much more sophisticated to keep confidential data secure. The video below is worth watching to get an understanding of the future development of security and privacy. One of the ideas bounced around in this discussion is that tech is the problem and human beings are the solution, rather than the other way around! Any effective solutions we come up with will be the product of human ingenuity rather than technological reliability.

Is Apple in trouble?

It was bound to happen, but now it’s official. Apple shares opened at $96, down 8 percent compared to yesterday’s closing price of $104.35. Some investors are saying Apple is in serious trouble. Others think that this merely constitutes a minor ripple in the pond. Let's be clear about one thing, Apple is a highly lucrative company, currently valued at approximately $539 billion. However, it's unclear what is next for the colossal technology firm. The short video below raises some interesting questions about where Apple is at right now. The next year will prove critically important in terms of how Apple directs its future research and focus. Apple could continue to dominate the market or it could rapidly lose market share to competitors. Time will tell.

Satellite photography

One area of technology that has made extraordinary advances in recent years is satellite imaging. Satellite technology has received enormous investment from governments all over the world over the years. Like other aspects of space exploration technology, satellite imaging technology has not been without its critics. However, the sheer power of satellite imaging has awed millions of people all over the world to such an extent that few have stopped to question where the technology will lead to. In recent years, detectives have made good use of satellite photography to solve crimes and apprehend criminals, as this article on the BBC illustrates. Satellite photography has been used by the CIA and other intelligence services organisations for decades to keep tabs on subversive activity. There is no question about the fact that satellite photography has reaped extraordinary dividends in fighting crime and terrorism. But it raises a very important question about privacy. 

Don't we all deserve the right to privacy and data protection? How will we possibly have any privacy in the future if satellites can photograph us wherever we happen to be in the world, every minute of every day? Could satellite technology bring about an Orwellian superstate in which we are monitored by Big Brother constantly? The notion of having an all-seeing god-like satellite in outer space monitoring our every move is unsettling to say the least. Yet few of us would ever wish to go back to living in a world in which satellite technology did not exist. Technology must march forward and harness every single opportunity. But it is critically important that we continue to think long and hard about privacy protection as we develop satellite technology. Privacy and data protection and fundamental human rights that nobody has any right to breach. This is not an easy problem to resolve, but it is one that must be treated with due diligence. The short video gives a brief outline of the kinds of images that NASA satellites can obtain.

Is the term 'online' obsolete?

We continue to use the terms 'online' and 'offline' on a daily basis, but perhaps the time has come to consider that such terms may be antiquated. Asking whether you have spent much time online today makes about as much sense as asking whether you have used much electricity today. We are immersed and entrenched in the web from the minute we wake until the minute we go to sleep. Few of us today remain offline for any significant length of time. Even switching off our Smartphones for any length of time is becoming unbearable for many people. We don't really 'logon' any more. We are practically logged on all day long. Whether you realize it or not, a significant amount of information about you is now available online, including your credit score. This is unsettling to many people, but that's just how it is. As we continue to embrace the Internet of Things, we may need to redefine some of our digital terminology. We are always connected, always on. In the year 2016, the term 'online' is meaningless for most of us.

Bionic limbs

Within AI, one of the most exciting and promising fields right now is bionics. With millions of amputees worldwide, the prospect of creating bionic limbs would revolutionize contemporary medicine. For years, many people were deeply skeptical about the prospect of such a thing actually happening. Now it seems, this may actually become a reality. Of course, considerable research and testing still needs to be done before this can become mainstream. But extraordinary steps are being made right now in bionics research that could radically change the lives of millions of people for the better. The video below about a bionic fingertip gives an inkling of what we can expect to witness in the future.

Quantum computing

Lately there has been huge media interest in the dispute between Apple and the FBI in regard to encryption technology. If the FBI or NSA could break strong encryption, then they would do so, copy the data and run it through a cloud of government computers to read the files. But they cannot do this because encryption works. In spite of this increasing tension between Apple and the authorities in regard to encryption, technology marches on. What is utterly indisputable is that technology will one day break today's approach to data encryption. A new field of technology is emerging from the lab called quantum computing. Quantum computing is completely different from today's digital computers but it is still in its incipient stages. Instead of using 1s and 0s like digital technology does, quantum computing uses something called a qubit, which can represent many values simultaneously. Quantum computing today is roughly as advanced as digital computing was in 1971 when Intel created the first microprocessor. But technology evolves much faster in 2016 than it did back in 1971. Quantum technology will be expensive to begin with but will get progressively cheaper and simpler, just like all technology. On top of quantum computing, quantum cryptography will revolutionize encryption as we understand it. We have a lot of ground to cover before this becomes mainstream but we are getting closer every single day. THe video by theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss below gives a brief but informative explanation of what quantum computing is. Technology marches on. 

Can we predict Oscar winners using data analytics?

In the run up to the Oscars, millions of people across the globe were intrigued about who would win what awards for which films. One of the questions people in the tech world have been asking is whether we will be able to predict future Oscar winners, based upon data analysis. Two tech firms called Cognizant and Clarabridge, are convinced that they will be able to accomplish this. Both companies looked at 150 variables, from film genre to box office takings, from review ratings to the percentage of female viewers under 18. They then applied their algorithm to data going back fifteen years to work out which of these variables were the most important. Both firms also measured the sentiment films elicited on websites such as IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. Just to give some sense of the amount of data, the tech firms looked at 150,000 text reviews and more than 38 million star ratings from IMDB alone. 

Data crunchers are able to measure sentiment more precisely these days thanks to Big Data analytics and pattern spotting algorithms. Cognizant and Clarabridge expressed a 64% certainty that 'The Revenant' would win an award. In view of the awards given to Leonardo DiCaprio and Alejandro González Iñárritu, it would seem their prediction was bang on the mark! This certainly raises some interesting questions about Big Data analytics. Could data analytics predict Oscar winners of the future with 100% accuracy? It's certainly a possibility. But would we really want to know this in advance? Wouldn't this spoil the atmosphere of the Oscar awards ceremony? Only time will tell. One thing for sure is that Big Data is becoming ever more sophisticated at predicting competition outcomes. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is an open question right now.  

The promised land of fraud prevention

Israel has become a major investment hub within the technology industry. Within the last decade it has earned a stellar reputation internationally as a fertile breeding ground for hi-tech startups. Lately, Israel has also begun to excel within the fields of identity verification and fraud prevention. This is a hugely important area right now and Israel is at the forefront of cutting edge technology within the space. Companies like Forter and I Am Real excel at fraudulent user detection and identity assessment respectively. The IDF Unit 8200 develops systems for gathering intelligence, sifting through data to detect dangers and escalating serious threats for manual review.

What differentiates Israel from most other countries at the cutting edge of technology is the fact that Israel has faced an existential threat since its very inception in 1948. Surviving against hostile neighbours has necessitated implementing a world class military intelligence within Israel. Mossad is arguably the most feared and hated intelligence service on this planet, and the IDF is undoubtedly the most highly trained army globally. What this has meant is that Israel has become exceptionally good at espionage and intelligence gathering. In the day and age of Big Data, this is highly advantageous. While the rest of the world is only now awakening to the power of reliable data and high-level security, Israel has been aware of this for decades. In essence, Israel has had a headstart in relation to devising cutting edge security technology. Israel's very existence has always been reliant upon having reliable security systems in place. 

As the world gears up to embrace the age of Big Data and the Internet of Things, opportunities for deception and manipulation will abound within technology. Identity verification and fraud prevention will become enormously important to organisations the world over. Israel demonstrates superb prescience by investing heavily within these areas. With decades of experience in tackling the most brutal terrorist organisations known to mankind, Israel has invaluable knowledge and expertise in regard to security. One can expect to witness very exciting developments emerge within this field from Israel in the coming years.  

Electronic voting

2016 is the presidential election year in the United States and many people all over the world are eagerly waiting to see who the next President will be. One area which is undergoing change as a result of technology is of course voting. In recent years, considerable interest has been generated in relation to electronic voting. However, electronic and/or online voting is inadvisable for several reasons. Anonymity is a critical aspect of voting in any democracy. Anything that compromises voting anonymity can lead to corruption or bribery. With that in mind, here are few things to bear in mind in regard to electronic voting machines.

1. The first problem is how to audit the electronic voting machine. How can you really ensure that whatever software you decide to use on the voting machine, will actually be the software on the machine on election day? However secure you may think the voting machines are, they cannot be absolutely secure.

2. Votes in transit. Whatever way you decide to transmit the voting data from the machines to the final count will contain risk of interference. However securely you may try to transmit the voting data, risks will be involved.

3. The central count program. This is the program that will take all of the voting numbers and calculate the final result. This program will be susceptible to hacking, however securely you try to protect it.

In view of the fact that somewhere between 5% and 50% of all desktop computers worldwide are infected with some kind of virus, we must be extremely careful in regard to how we design electronic voting software or hardware. The video below carefully addresses the points above and explains why electronic or online voting is inadvisable. As we embrace caution, it is important that we proceed with caution, particularly as it relates to politics. There is a huge incentive for people to skew electoral results so that they can ensure that their chosen candidate or party gets into power. In view of the political turmoil all over the world right now, this could be potentially disastrous. On top of that, we must never lose sight of the fundamental principles upon which democracy is based, namely accountability, transparency and control of the abuse of power. 


3. 

David Bowie's legacy

The world has been deeply saddened over the past few days to learn of the unfortunate passing of an extremely talented musician, David Bowie. Bowie truly was a musical revolutionary who will be remembered for decades as one of the greatest musicians of his time. However, as well as being a brilliant musician, Bowie was also an Internet pioneer. That is to say, Bowie was ahead of his time when he launched his internet service BowieNet in 1998. Few other artists in the late nineties provided any online material to their fans. BowieNet also operated as a full internet service provider in the UK and the US, competing with the likes of AOL and others. In interviews during the nineties, Bowie said that he expected the internet to have a huge effect on the music industry. How right he was. Bowie's website was the first attempt to create an online community around a rock star and it worked extremely well. Bowie also produced BowieWorld, a 3D chat environment offered via his site. Many other artists around the world have now taken Bowie's lead and harnessed the online world to promote their music. What Bowie achieved will truly be remembered for a long time. This video below is a brief yet poignant tribute to the great artist. 

Security threats for 2016

Although 2015 witnessed many exciting developments within the Internet of Things, it was also the year that the Internet of Things got hacked. Some notable examples of security breaches last year include the Ashley Madison incident and the hack into InvestBank in the United Arab Emirates. As fears about cybercrime become exacerbated, here are some areas in which we can expect to see further security breaches in 2016.

1. Extortion hacking. This is where hackers threaten to release sensitive data unless the victim pays money or meets some other demand. Public release of sensitive data can potentially ruin someone's career or personal life, so extortion hacking can be brutally effective. In cases where victims give in to the demands of the hacker, the public may never know about the hacking. Such attacks will unfortunately become more prevalent in 2016.

2. Data manipulation attacks. Cyber attacks that change or manipulate data have become a major area of concern now. When hackers succeed in infiltrating a system and altering data, the effects can be catastrophic. For instance, if hackers could penetrate a stock trading system, they could force stock prices to either rise or fall, thus altering the global markets. Data sabotage that comprises the integrity of weapons systems could be hazardous to global security. 

3. Chip and PIN hacking. Last year saw a rise in Chip and PIN fraud. Banks have responded by designing improved Chip and PIN cards in order to circumvent such incidents, but hackers are ever vigilant for opportunities to exploit in this area. Banks will need to continue to maintain high level security measures in order to thwart hackers. However, as someone once said, the biggest security risk for any bank is its customers. If customers are careless with their banking data, hackers will have ample opportunity to hack into bank accounts and steal funds.

4. Zombie botnets. Last year we witnessed connected cars, medical devices and skateboards get hacked. There is an emerging trend for commandeering of IoT devices for botnets. This means that CCTV cameras can be turned into botnet armies in order to launch DDOS attacks. This will unfortunately become a major risk this year.

Cybersecurity will be critically important as we move forward into the Internet of Things. Cybersecurity specialists will become highly sought after individuals worlwide in view of the increase in risks. Now is an exciting time to be alive. This year promises to be an interesting one in terms of the technological developments in store. But every new development brings with it opportunities for hackers. So vigilance and care as always are extremely important. 

Technology of 2016

As we enter 2016 it's important to take a moment to reflect on some of the extraordinary developments we have witnessed over the course of the past year within the tech space. There is no doubt that we are standing on the threshold of one of the most significant milestones in history. Of particular interest will be phone chargers, mainstream 3D printers for home use and 3D apps. Virtual reality technology like the Oculus rift will also garner enormous attention worldwide. Many of these cutting edge developments are ready to go but it will be quite some time before they become mainstream all over the world. As Sci-Fi author William Gibson once quipped, the future is already here, it's just not very evenly distributed. The video below is well worth watching to get an inkling of what we can expect to see this year.