Web/Tech

  • Ending the Year Strong After a Day of Atonement

    We’re sprinting toward the end of the year.  Just under 100 days left. 

    Stress, high expectations, and a narrow focus often result in hurt feelings.

    Of course, I understand that a little conflict is normal (or even beneficial).  

    Yet, last Wednesday was Yom Kippur (which means “Day of Atonement,” and which is one of the highest holy days in the Jewish religion).  The holiday and its rituals are designed to help you be more sensitive to your actions, impact, and intent than usual.

    As a technology entrepreneur focused on amplified intelligence (which means making better decisions, taking smarter actions, and continually improving performance), I recognize that we’re not using technology to replace humans.  Instead, we’re automating activities that humans used to do – so that humans can focus on things more important and more in line with their unique abilities and tendencies.

    On the other hand, one of the main reasons for automation is to avoid certain tendencies that are baked into human nature.  I say that because as much as the world has changed in the last several thousand years, human nature has remained mostly the same.  That’s apparent from the list of sins in the Yom Kippur Confessional (text available here).  Even though these were written thousands of years ago, the list catalogs the behaviors and challenges that many of us deal with daily.  It’s hard enough to change yourself, it’s unreasonable to expect to radically change others.  Instead, if you want to increase the likelihood of certain actions, it makes sense to rely on technologies that are simple, reputable, consistent, and scalable to make your best intentions and best practices more common.  This is why I say that amplified intelligence has an automatic advantage … because it eliminates the fear, greed, and discretionary mistakes that humans naturally bring to a process.

    Back to the holiday, during Yom Kippur, one of the rituals is to read down the list of sins, apologize for the ones you committed, ask for forgiveness, and promise to do better next year.  Even if you have managed to stay on the right side of the Ten Commandments and haven’t killed or stolen … you have most likely been frivolous, stubborn, hurtful, dismissive, or judgmental (I know I have …).  

    I recognize that, sometimes, some of those traits can be part of effective strategies.  And usually, people just brush off these smaller-scale sins with the excuse: “I was angry”; or “I’m only human”; or “There is no place for cry-babies in business.” Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that we should strive to be better and that even these smaller sins can harm the people around us.

    To drive the point home further, here is the story of “The Nail in a Fence.” While you might have seen it before, it is worth reading again. 

     

    Nail In The Fence:

    Nail-453782_640There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

    The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.

    He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

    Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it; and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

    The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

    The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there."

    A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

    One of the themes of Yom Kippur is that you’re only ever one good deed from tipping the scale towards good for yourself and others.  As you recognize and repent for your sins, it’s also important to appreciate the good you did (and do) as well.  I like to think of good deeds as filling in the holes. 

    There’s plenty of time left in the year to do good, accomplish what you set out to do, make a change, and end the year on a high note. 

    There is plenty of time to make this your best year yet.  What can you do?  What will you do?

    I hope you all experience growth in your mental state, your relationships, and your businesses.

  • The Most Common Cyber Attacks Against Businesses

    I recently shared a post on data breaches – and steps you can take to prevent them. It focused on the most famous cyberattacks in history. 

    Visualcapitalist and Global X ETFs just put out a visualization that shows the most common attacks your business may face. 

     

    Global-X-BUG-ETF_Cyberattacks_Main

    Global X via visualcapitalist

    Cyberattacks are at an all-time high – and the more people you have in your business, the more likely you are to have exploitable weaknesses. For example, the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report for 2022 stated that ransomware attacks have increased by 435% since 2020. 

    It's also worth noting that these numbers are likely understated, as companies are likely to downplay and hide security incidents.  

    Likewise, there is exponential growth in computer use, data production, apps and services (connected through your handphone, devices, or computers), and connected nodes in the internet-of-things (including garage doors, security systems, and a host of connected devices).

    As some things become easier, other things get harder.  Said another way, sometimes peril comes with progress.

    Stay safe. 

  • Living Longer And Healthier

    I am on my way back from Dave Asprey’s BioHacking Conference.

    I enjoy going and being exposed to people and products committed to life extension and regenerative medicine.  

    Here are some of the things I found interesting and useful.

    I own and use every product on the list above. One of my biggest insights from this year’s conference was that I already have great stuff. I have to remember to use it. Some of the stuff is terrific. I know it is. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t sit unused in a room upstairs (or in a box under my stairs). The scary thing is that I know better.  Now I have to do better!

    Each year I get a little bit more focused on what I can be doing to get more out of my time and to increase the quantity of time left.

    Even with a renewed focus on health, it isn’t always easier. As my friend Ben Hardy says, Willpower Doesn’t Work – you have to identify goals that are bigger than yourself, create consequences and rewards for achieving or failing to achieve those goals, and change your environment to make success easy.  

    I don’t just want to be healthier to increase my time on earth, but to better support my family, my business, and to create a positive impact on those around me. 

    When you have a vision of who you want to be, and what you want to accomplish, achieving your goals becomes a lot easier. 

    When the goal is health, there are definitely some decisions that are proven to help. You can click to see the image in full-size. 

    6a00e5502e47b288330240a49a8d6a200d-600wi

    via informationisbeautiful

    On top of the science, here are some of my anecdotal opinions on living longer, healthier, and better:

    • Losing weight is as simple as calories in, calories out. It doesn’t matter if you’re on keto or eating only twinkies if you can keep your calories ingested below your calories burned. An equally simple alternative is to consider whether what you are about to eat, drink, or do is “cleansing” or “clogging”.  We already know better!
    • Getting enough water and sleep are tips echoed so much that they get annoying. Nonetheless, they are true and help significantly. 
    • In life, and in diets, shortcuts end up hurting you long-term more than they help you short-term.  If something is worth doing, it is usually worth doing right.
    • Living “right” doesn’t mean you can’t let loose … it means that it’s the exception instead of the rule. If your lifestyle doesn’t let you have fun with your friends or family, it’s probably not the healthiest lifestyle. Mental health is just as important as physical health.  From my perspective, deprivation or repression are far less effective or sustainable than delayed gratification.

    I’d love to hear your favorite “trick” to living better. Feel free to send me an e-mail. 

    Thanks! Live Long and Prosper!

  • The New Era of Energy

    A couple of weeks ago, I talked about oil production.  This week, I want to look at the current energy landscape. 

     

    Screen Shot 2022-08-18 at 12.41.13 PMView the full infographic at visualcapitalist

    Over the past several decades, there has been a massive shift in how we produce and consume energy.  This has been driven by the tech boom – as well as by climate awareness.

    The practical realities of widespread tech adoption directly impact energy consumption.  For example, there are now over 7 billion people with smartphones.  As the population (and the number of gadgets and tech we use) grows, logically, so does our energy consumption.

    Luckily, we're also getting better at powering them. 

    On a different front, oil is still a meaningful and vital part of the energy ecosystem … but, now, it's being supplemented by multiple renewables. 

    Screen Shot 2022-08-18 at 12.41.59 PMView the full infographic at visualcapitalist 

    Over the last decade, investment in green technologies has helped the cost of renewable energies drop precipitously. 

    That spurred a different set of products and use cases.  For example, we've seen the number of electric cars grow exponentially.  In 2011, there were approximately 70,000 EV units in the world.  Now there are around 16.5 million

    This isn't a commentary on the environmental benefit of renewables; it is an observation about the direction energy is heading. 

    And, just like with AI, despite being a space that's existed for a long time, it is still in the "early adoption" phase. 

    Based on estimations, the IEA projects an 8x growth in EV by 2050.  This also means that we will use an increasing amount of batteries and rare metals.  Currently, China controls the supply chains and critical resource constraints

    If our goal is to be energy independent, we have a long way to go … Nonetheless, recognize that this creates massive business and investment opportunities. 

    Onwards!

  • Some Cool “Futuristic” Tech You Might Not Have Seen

    I joke that I have a "tense" problem. I spend a lot of my time thinking about what will be possible in the future. And once I know something is possible, in my head, it has already happened.

    It isn’t a reality distortion engine … it is a reality creation engine.

    For me, this is centered around the way technology is transforming the world and how it affects my business. 

    Sometimes it's nice to take a step back and look at all the "quality of life" improvements. The gadgets that make you say "Wow!" … even though they may not benefit you directly. 

    So, here are a few that caught my eye over the last few weeks. 

    Augmented Reality Running 

    In 2020, Ghost Pacer put together a pair of AR glasses that would give you a virtual running partner. The app would analyze the running route and the wearer's desired goals and set them up against a virtual runner who would push them to their limits. 

    Last year, SNAP and Nike teamed up to create a new AR running experience as well. 

     

    Spectacles via YouTube

    This is a great way to get moving for those (like my wife) who benefit from a structure around their exercise. 

    Magnetic Slime Robot for Healthcare

     

    New Scientist via YouTube

    Watching the video of this slime is somewhat uncanny. Its movements feel almost lifelike. That being said, the potential for this custard-like slime worm is massive. It can navigate narrow passageways, grasp objects, and more. There are already plans to use this to remove foreign objects from people.  

    Functioning Hoverboards 

     

    RIDE via YouTube

    Multiple generations of kids have dreamed of hoverboards after watching Back To The Future. While it's not in homes yet, it is now a reality as seen in this video with Tony Hawk riding one. Unfortunately, since breaking into the scene in 2015 with a successful Kickstarter, I have not seen much from Hendo Hoverboard

    Thankfully, they're not the only company in the space anymore. If you're willing to drop almost 15K, you can own a working hoverboard from Arcaboard

    I remember when we used to go outside to play or exercise.

    We live in interesting times!  

  • What Tasks Should AI Take Over?

    One of the most common pop-sci questions about Artificial Intelligence is whether it will take our jobs.  

    There's a lot of fear from workers about a future where their roles are taken. Gartner recently surveyed workers on what tasks they wanted AI to handle. 

    27127

    Gartner via Statista

    According to VentureBeat, some survey respondents did not want to use AI at work at all. Their reasons were privacy and security concerns. 

    I think one of the tasks that will be thrust upon AI companies is to help workers understand that AI is not meant to replace or take over their jobs, but to help workers be more effective and focused on higher-value tasks. 

    The Heartbeat of AI is Still Human_GapingVoid

    Onwards.

  • Understanding Data Breaches

    In 2016, I received this e-mail from my oldest son, who used to be a cybersecurity professional.

    Date: Saturday, October 22, 2016 at 7:09 PM
    To: Howard Getson
    Subject: FYI: Security Stuff

    FYI – I just got an alert that my email address and my Gmail password were available to be purchased online.

    I only use that password for my email, and I have 2-factor enabled, so I'm fine. Though this is further proof that just about everything is hacked and available online.

    If you don't have two-factor enabled on your accounts, you really need to do it.

    Since then, security has only become a more significant issue.  I wrote about the Equifax event, but there are countless examples of similar events (and yes, I mean countless). 

    When people think of hacking, they often think of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attack or the media representation of people breaking into your system in a heist.

    In reality, the most significant weakness is people; it's you … the user.  It's the user that turns off automatic patch updating.  It's the user that uses thumb drives.  It's the user that reuses the same passwords.  But, even if you do everything right, you're not always safe. 

    Your data is likely stored in dozens of places online.  You hope your information is encrypted, but even that isn't always enough.  Over the last 17 years, 17.2B records have been "lost" by various companies.  In 2021, a new record was set with 5.9 billion user records stolen. 

    VisualCapitalist put together a visualization of the 50 biggest breaches since 2004. 

    50-biggest-data-breaches-infographicClick To See Full Size via VisualCapitalist

    InformationisBeautiful also put together a great interactive visualization with all of the breaches, if you want to do more research. 

    image from i.imgur.com

    Click To See Interactive Version via InformationIsBeautiful

    It's impossible to protect yourself completely, but there are many simple things you can likely do better. 

    • Use better passwords… Even better, don't even know them.  You can't disclose what you don't know.  Consequently, I recommend a password manager like LastPass or 1Password, which can also suggest complex passwords for you. 
    • Check if any of your information has been stolen via a website like HaveIBeenPwned or F-Secure
    • Keep all of your software up to date (to avoid extra vulnerabilities)
    • Don't use public Wi-Fi if you can help it (and use a VPN if you can't)
    • Have a firewall on your computer and a backup of all your important data
    • Never share your personal information on an e-mail or a call that you did not initiate – if they legitimately need your information, you can call them back
    • Don't trust strangers on the internet (no, a Nigerian Prince does not want to send you money)
    • Hire a third-party security company like eSentire or Pegasus Technology Solutions to help monitor and protect your corporate systems

    How many cybersecurity measures you take comes down to two simple questions … First, how much pain and hassle are you willing to deal with to protect your data?  And second, how much pain is a hacker willing to go through to get to your data?

    My son always says, "you've already been hacked … but have you been targeted?" Something to think about! 

  • Can AI Be Curious?

    “Nobody phrases it this way, but I think that artificial intelligence is almost a humanities discipline. It's really an attempt to understand human intelligence and human cognition.” —Sebastian Thrun

    We often use human consciousness as the ultimate benchmark for artificial exploration. 

    The human brain is ridiculously intricate.  While weighing only three pounds, it contains about 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections between them.  On top of the sheer complexity, the order of the connections and the order of actions the brain does naturally make it even harder to replicate.  The human brain is also constantly reorganizing and adapting.  It's a beautiful piece of machinery.  

    We've had millions of years for this powerhouse of a computer to be created, and now we're trying to do the same with neural networks and machines in a truncated time period.  While deep learning algorithms have been around for a while, we're just now developing enough data and computing power to change deep learning from a thought experiment to a real edge. 

    Think of it this way, when talking about the human brain, we talk about left-brain and right-brain.  The theory is that left-brain activities are analytical and methodical, and right-brain activities are creative, free-form, and artistic.  We're great at training AI for left-brain activities (obviously with exceptions).  In fact, AI is beating us at these left-brain activities because a computer has a much higher input bandwidth than we do, they're less biased, and they can perform 10,000 hours of research by the time you finish this article.

    BRain SPlit

    It's tougher to train AI for right-brain tasks.  That's where deep learning comes in. 

    Deep learning is a subset of machine learning based on unsupervised learning from unstructured/unlabeled data.  Instead of asking AI a question, giving it metrics, and letting it chug away, you're letting AI be intuitive.  Deep learning is a much more faithful representation of the human brain.  It utilizes a hierarchy of convolutional neural networks to handle linear and non-linear operations so it can think creatively to better problem-solve on potentially various data sets and in unseen environments. 

    When a baby is first learning to walk, it might stand up and fall down.  It might then take a small stutter step, or maybe a step that's much too far for its little baby body to handle.  It will fall, fail, and learn.  Fall, fail, and learn.  That's very similar to the goal of deep learning or reinforcement learning

    What's missing is the intrinsic reward that keeps humans moving when the extrinsic rewards aren't coming fast enough.  AI can beat humans at many games but has struggled with puzzle/platformers because there's not always a clear objective outside of clearing the level. 

    A relatively new (in practice, not in theory) approach is to train AI around "curiosity"[1].  Curiosity helps it overcome that boundary.  Curiosity lets humans explore and learn for vast periods of time with no reward in sight, and it looks like it can do that for computers too! 

    OpenAI via Two Minute Papers

    Soon, I expect to see AI learn to forgive and forget, be altruistic, follow and break rules, learn to resolve disputes, and even value something that resembles "love" to us.

    Exciting  stuff! 

    _______

    [1] – Yuri Burda, Harri Edwards, Deepak Pathak, Amos Storkey, Trevor Darrell and Alexei A. Efros.  Large-Scale Study of Curiosity-Driven Learning
    In ICLR 2019.

  • First Photos From the Webb Telescope

    The Hubble Telescope was conceived of in the 1940s, but launched in 1990. It revolutionized our ability to see the complexities of the universe. 

    Now, the Webb Telescope is taking it to the next level. 

    220712092620-04-james-webb-telescope-first-images-0712-carina-nebula-super-169via NASA

    The picture above shows the "Cosmic Cliffs," which is actually the edge of a young Nebula called Carina. 

    Below, is a picture of a cluster of galaxies called Stephan's Quintet. 

    220712092616-03-james-webb-telescope-first-images-0712-stephans-quintet-super-169via NASA

    Not only does this help us see far away systems that we've never seen before, but it also provides detail to the things we have seen.

    First, bring order to chaos …. Then, wisdom comes from making finer distinctions.  With that in mind, I'm excited to see how this drives the future of science. 

    Here's a brief video from Neil Degrasse Tyson on the new telescope. 

     

    via NBC News