Jeffrey J. Bloom

Jeffrey J. Bloom

The Wolverine Pack is made of self-healing FuseFabric, a regenerative version of ripstop nylon. Punctures can be repaired simply by rubbing them with your hand, the heat & friction will mend broken fibers & patch holes, sometimes flawlessly.

However, depending on puncture angle & severity, there may be signs of scarring. Slughaus says the fabric itself may partially repair smaller rips & tears without user interaction.
http://newatlas.com/self-healing-wolverine-pack/51515/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

"Loihi" may very well represent the threshold of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Using human brain modeled nueromorphic tech & "spiking neurons," firing varying signal strengths to pass data only when needed (vs. clock controlled CPUs), the chip may be capable of self-learning new things, without being taught specifically.

Brain cells work in concert, one neurons activity affects others & groups of cells lead to learning & intelligence. Loihi's 130 million possible synaptic connections simulate this behavior all on-chip, speeding up machine learning while reducing power requirements 1,000x.
https://youtu.be/EgCRwZw4p8c

Article: Intel unveils AI chip that mimics the human brain: https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/26/intel-loihi-neuromorphic-chip-human-brain/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

As ATM malware evolves, humans continue to be the weakest link. Using malicious phishing emails, hackers are obtaining bank employee credentials & taking control of ATMs via the bank's Network.

In Thailand, Ripper malware has been used to steal $346k from 21 different ATMs. With 10k ATMs still vulnerable, that number just might increase.

No similar cases have been reported in US or Canada, but experts believe these attacks well become a growing trend globally.
https://koddos.net/blog/hackers-now-targeting-atms-remotely-stealing-millions/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Abstract
The dc-biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DCO-OFDM) system is experimentally demonstrated as an appealing candidate in future visible light communication (VLC) system. However, the intrinsic high PAPR drawback that the DCO-OFDM system suffers from still needs to be addressed and few effective approach has been found so far. To deal with this problem, in this paper, the tone reservation (TR) technique based the time domain kernel matrix (TKM-TR) schemes for reducing the PAPR are studied and applied to DCO-OFDM system. Aiming at the drawback of its severe tailing in previous TKM-TR schemes, first an improved TKM-TR scheme is proposed, in which the peak regrowth caused by severe tailing is eliminated by optimizing the scaling factors. In addition, considering the clipping ratio (CR) value in TKM-TR scheme is greatly related to the PAPR reduction performance, an extensively used heuristic global optimization algorithm, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method is employed in TKM-TR to obtain a better CR for more PAPR reduction. Simulation results show that the improved TKM-TR scheme can efficiently address the tailing problem in previous TKM-TR schemes and achieve better PAPR reduction. Moreover, due to the powerful searching ability, PSO based TKM-TR scheme achieves more PAPR reduction and lower bit error rate (BER).

Jeffrey J. Bloom

The Asymmetric Warfare Group's guide highlights "anti-access/area denial" weaponry, small drones, electronic & cyber warfare, & use of proxy forces & propaganda.

Regardless of perception, these threats are real & their defeat must remain a priority. Especially since there's no indication of near-peer countries slowing their development of either military hardware or operational concepts.

"As the saying goes, ‘Only fools learn from their mistakes," the handbook’s authors write in the foreword. "The wise man learns from the mistakes of others."
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14647/new-us-army-manual-shows-its-worried-about-russias-hybrid-warfare-tactics

Jeffrey J. Bloom

In the more immediate future, research will look into the brain activity that occurs when we view mis-scaled objects.

“Many studies have identified brain regions that process scenes and objects, and now researchers are trying to understand which particular properties of scenes and objects are represented in these regions,” said postdoctoral researcher Lauren Welbourne, whose current research concentrates on how objects are represented in the cortex, and how scene context influences the perception of objects. “And so what we’re trying to do is find out how these brain areas respond to objects that are either correctly or incorrectly scaled within a scene. This may help us determine which regions are responsible for making it more difficult for us to find objects if they are mis-scaled.”

Jeffrey J. Bloom

At the center of their new method, is a basic 67 sq/ft quantum computer that uses a single light particle as a qubit. However, instead of increasing power by expanding or duplicating hardware, they've devised a way to make one machine accommodate multiple light pulses. Each carrying information around the circuit indefinitely, allowing multi-tasking via instantaneous light pulse manipulation.

One of their circuits is theoretically capable of processing over a million qubits!! The next step is translating theory into a working model. If it works as expected, this system will truly live up to its moniker as the “ultimate” quantum computing method.
https://futurism.com/researchers-claim-they-just-invented-the-ultimate-method-for-quantum-computing/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Sound familiar? Neevo is an online platform where users develop & improve AI systems, by doing written, tagging, collection & classification tasks. Human inputs are used for training data (human-in-the-loop), enabling DefinedCrowd to offer high-quality datasets to their AI innovating clients, such as Accenture, Jibo, Nuance, Voicebox & other Fortune 500s.
https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/26/1133007/0/en/DefinedCrowd-wants-everyone-to-be-part-of-Artificial-Intelligence.html

Jeffrey J. Bloom

"Spy Files Russia" reveals tech specs about capturing detailed mobile user data for SORM, a national online surveillance system. Russian law mandates all operators retain at least 3 years data for state agencies to query. The leaked manuals contain images of interfaces allowing easy searching of massive data archives.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/20/wikileaks-releases-files-that-appear-to-offer-details-of-russian-surveillance-system/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Combining breakthroughs in math, fundamental physics & computer science to build a truly scalable general purpose quantum computer, using topological qubits that store matter globally & not in any particular place. Time to dust off your rubber sheet geometry books!

Progress includes a new Visual Studio integrated programming language designed to work with quantum computers & an Azure based qubit simulator available later this year.
http://www.cxotoday.com/story/microsoft-gears-up-for-quantum-computing-ecosystem/

References:
Topological quantum computer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topological_quantum_computer

One-way quantum computer - Topological cluster state quantum computer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-way_quantum_computer#Topological_cluster_state_quantum_computer

Gravity well - The rubber-sheet model:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_sheet_model

Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW): space is like a vast rubber sheet dotted with sand, marbles & bowling balls, called the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM):
https://www.sciencealert.com/this-new-model-of-the-universe-needs-no-dark-energy-and-works-just-as-well

Jeffrey J. Bloom

“On this National Day of Civic Hacking,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser “We are proud to be using data & tech to solve problems & improve the quality of life for District residents in all eight wards. I look forward to applying all of the hard work from the hackathon to the work we do every day for District residents.”

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Eventually, Trevor would have a detailed backstory and be inducted as a Saint in the Church of WiFi. Later, Trevor made an appearance on Twitter. Once his story and tragic end reached the wider internet, things started to rapidly accelerate under the #TrevorForget hashtag, including a memorial video in Trevor's honor.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

"We focus on basic research, so there’s no specific application in mind. We study the field itself, The work [these companies] want to do is not really consistent with the mission of a university like Duke. So consequently, the formation of a company is in fact a natural evolution & almost a requirement... I did not pitch them, I did not ask for money, I just told them what we can do," The next day they called wanting to start a company they would invest in.

Mike Salvino, of Carrick Capital Partners said "[Carin's team has] a track record of empowering companies to reduce required resources, increasing efficiency, achieving breakthrough thinking & predicting market conditions impacting business decisions,” Salvino said.
http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2017/09/duke-professors-artificial-intelligence-startup-receives-10-million-investment

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Runway’s algorithms determine what key property attributes best match customer profile attributes from purchasers. The algorithms then make two predictions:

Which prospects are more likely than others to purchase a new home, lot, house and land package or apartment?
What property types (with specific property attributes) are these prospects most inclined to purchase?
Over time, the machine learning engine tests its established matching attributes against purchases, automatically calibrating itself based on the what it has learned, gradually improving the prediction.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

"for every job we eliminate, we're going to create more jobs at the top of the skill ladder." And people would say, "What new jobs?" And I'd say, "Well, I don't know. We haven't invented them yet." You can look car & truck drivers, knowing those jobs will go away. Yet you can't describe the new jobs, because they're in industries & concepts that don't exist yet. Kurzweil argues "the power & influence of governments is decreasing because of the tremendous power of social networks & economic trends... A lot of people think things are getting worse, partly because that's actually an evolutionary adaptation: It's very important for your survival to be sensitive to bad news. A little rustling in the leaves may be a predator, & you better pay attention to that."

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Evolving over 2 years, the Platform is now an advanced machine learning tool that turns unstructured data into structured AI ready data sets at a machine scale. "We've turned talk into action & have developed a 'production-ready' solution that truly exploits the benefits AI can deliver ... We believe we have created a revolutionary new solution which helps firms to very quickly transform the way they operate, facilitating a seamless transition into becoming an AI ready business."
http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Pendo-Systems-Officially-Launches-the-Pendo-Machine-Learning-Platform-1002511198

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Samsung is is finally joining the tech Revolution to bring AI to the edge, developing several chips capable of processing massive data, without relying on cloud servers.

“In the next three years or so, smartphones will have designated chips that will improve the processing of AI features by 50% from today... an accelerator can be applied to empower AI devices.”
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/asia/korea/2017/09/25/500351/samsungs-next.htm

Jeffrey J. Bloom

The Federal Trade Commission provides decent info for consumers on computer security & identity theft.

In a world of connectivity & convenience, the internet’s rewards certainly outweigh its risks. Yet, while the likelihood of getting hacked is quite small, the consequences can be severe. Adopting these best practices can help mitigate the risk of becoming the victim of a future cybersecurity attack.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

The North Korean propaganda video begins with pictures of President Trump, describing him as a "mad man". Why not "Rocket Man?"

It goes on to show a series of Pukguksong missiles fired from mobile launch vehicles before an F-35 Raptor fighter & nuclear-capable Lancer bomber are destroyed.

The footage goes on to show a missile being fired from a submerged submarine before striking the USS Carl Vinson. The 103,000-tonne aircraft carrier is the flagship of Carrier Strike Croup 1 conducted drills with another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, off North Korea in June.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

State election officials were finally contacted on Friday about whether they were targeted. "We heard [their] feedback," says DHS's Bob Kolasky, "We recognize that it's important for senior state election officials to know what happens on their state systems."

DHS had evidence of "Russian" activity in 21 states but only informed system owners, the private vendors, local election offices, etc. A leaked NSA report detailed attempts by Russia to infiltrate election vendors & use that info to send malicious emails to 122 election offices.
http://news.wgbh.org/2017/09/22/10-months-after-election-day-feds-tell-states-more-about-russian-hacking

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Qualcomm's Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) solution works in 2 modes, directly between cars & via an overarching cloud network, complementing existing Advanced Driver Assistance System sensors (cameras, radar & LIDAR) to provide info about a car’s surroundings, including non-line-of-sight scenarios to other vehicles on the road. Creating a safety network of millions of vehicles working together to make driving safer.
https://www.slashgear.com/inside-qualcomms-big-c-v2x-plans-for-tomorrows-smart-cars-22501272/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

#ChadrayanLogy : Make machines your friend, train them to act & think like you, so they'll make life easier & help save more time to sharpen your powerful intellect. Don’t consider them a threat, instead as a mate who knows only one thing, to serve humans better.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Already likened to the plot of Minority Report, Meng Jianzhu, China’s top security officer, plans to use AI, machine learning, data mining & computer modelling to predict crime, terrorism & social unrest before they happen. He also called for renewed efforts to integrate surveillance systems across China.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-ai-crimes-before-happen-artificial-intelligence-security-plans-beijing-meng-jianzhu-a7962496.html

Jeffrey J. Bloom

“I'm sceptical about having AGI, never mind ASI, within this century. Some people are saying 2030 [for AGI]. Do the maths: that is 13 years away. That's nonsense in my humble opinion. I don’t think people realise how hard the problem is & how rich & subtle human thinking is.”

“[With AI,] new jobs will be created. Who ever heard of a data analyst 10 years ago? But I think those jobs will be open only to relatively highly educated people.”

Boden has what she described as a “weird” background studying medical sciences, philosophy, & cognitive & social psychology. Learned some computer code along the way, it's not her thing. Her 1st AI book in the '70s (AI & Natural Man), didn't contain a single line of code, but explained in great detail how different programmes worked, what they could & couldn’t do, & why & what sorts of changes would be needed so they'd one day be able to do what they couldn’t do. Then there were three chapters on the philosophical, psychological & social implications.”
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/machines/ai-limitations-margaret-boden

Jeffrey J. Bloom

billion year-old alien technology may exist on a “third level” that cannot be observed by humans.

That technology might have no fixed size or shape, or defined boundaries. It may be operating across time and space or it may appear to do nothing at all, Mr Davies suggests.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

“It’s a full-scale cyberwar using telephone terrorism,” said Frants Klintsevich, deputy head of the Defense Committee in the upper house of parliament, said in a telephone interview. “We will respond.”

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Truly harnessing AI requires a wide range of highly specialised skills covering advanced maths, programming languages & an understanding of the tools themselves. AI is now seen as a serious career choice, but still, these skills will take the uninitiated a good few years to learn.

Meanwhile, a generation of scientists – who spent the last 20 years in a lab patiently waiting for their meticulously designed neural network to work through months of data – are suddenly finding themselves in high demand.
http://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Data-Matters/Artificial-Intelligence-could-be-about-to-start-a-processing-chip-arms-race-and-why-thats-a-good-t

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Whatever tech we use is expectated to be safe from the start & self learning AI is no exception. Even developers have difficulty foreseeing in AI's ultimate behavior & all the more as complexity increases.

Safety is not just a technical problem, human based value-alignment isn't good enough, it also means policy & norm-setting. All the more as AI approaches singularity & self-awareness.

What does it mean for a system to be safe? Are “injuries” limited to physical ailments, financial or emotional damage? What about self-defense or military use? Can AI harm an attacker? How do we ensure AI systems remain verifiably safe as they progressively self-learn. How much risk are we willing to accept, to benefit from increasingly intelligent AI?
https://futureoflife.org/2017/09/21/safety-principle/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Apparently NSA's leadership is overburdened following Cybercom's elevation to a unified combatant command in August. Since President Trump's executive order mandates a leadership review by the SECDEF, a separation of leadership is likely, considering NSA & Cybercom Chief Adm. Rogers says the increased responsibilities are preventing Cybercom from “getting up to actual speed."
http://www.executivegov.com/2017/09/michael-hayden-nsa-cybercom-should-split-leadership/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

For a very cool $66k you can get yourself The Giraffe 2.0 & produce ~38 kWh/day utilizing 24 solar modules & a 12 metre heigh wind turbine. Any takers?
https://youtu.be/3e_KUkaQomg