A week ago, we talked about security (or the lack of it).
Saw this, and thought it was related:
via imgur
Is your password up there? Might want to change it.
I've started using phrases for my password. They're harder for computers to guess, but easier for you to remember. This comic by former NASA scientist, Randall Munroe sums it up:
via xkcd
Thinking about security is important, doing something is even more so.
I recently attended a cybersecurity roundtable with Congressman Pete Sessions.
The message was disturbing ... But, you already knew that; didn't you?
First, check out this interactive attack map.
It's scary ... it shows the attacks happening now, their types, and their targets ... in real time.
Perhaps scarier, however, was the discussion on privacy. One of the messages was not to be so worried about privacy ... You don't have any.
Your data is already out there; what you need to worry about is whether someone intends to use it.
The question isn't whether your data has been compromised, it's whether you've been targeted.
Just a warning.
I ran into YouTube sensation JP Sears at a conference this week (where Tony Robbins was going to be the keynote speaker).
If you don't know who JP Sears is ... he's funny. Some of his most popular videos are parodies on Spirituality, if meat-eaters acted like vegans, and being gluten-intolerant.
He also does a bit about what it is like to be at a Tony Robbins event.
It's mainly comedy, but there are some nuggets of truth hidden in there.
As for the Tony Robbins event, there is a lot of truth woven through lots of entertainment. And I'm always impressed by how masterfully he controls a room!
I've been to many Tony events in the past, but I get something new every time.
One of the ideas I liked was a concept he uses often ... Victory is near!
The night is always darkest before the dawn. The storm is roughest before the break. And even after the coldest, darkest, winter ... Spring appears.
If you're looking for a relatively short (but representational) glimpse at what Tony does – a good place to start is his TED talk on why we do the things that we do.
Hope you had a great week. And, remember, Winter is just about over ...
The Great Canadian Wall is up in the north. Looks like it will hold till spring.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
With the explosion of Alternative Facts and Fake News ... It's important to remember to verify what you read.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
In my office, we use a lot of what seems like "futuristic" artificial intelligence approaches to understanding financial markets. Most of my team are technical or data-science specialists that develop and drive the systems that create our systems.
Pretty soon, we may start to question where using humans is still smart or cost-effective.
In the meantime, I'm fascinated by what is becoming possible ... and how, even when the A.I. is little more than an elegant use of brute force, incredible results are becoming commonplace.
MIT has been looking at work by many different organizations - including Google Brain - who are working on AI that can develop machine learning software.
In many cases, the results coming from machines coding other machines are matching or exceeding work done by humans.
As a point of reference, virtually all of our training techniques were developed or created by an A.I. process.
AI creating AI has many benefits.
But, at this point in time, it still requires lots of human input and insight.
I suspect that won't be true for long.
When that is true, what jobs will humans be doing?
I have some thoughts, but I'd love to hear yours.
Our non-human overlords haven't taken over yet.
However, A.I. is getting smarter faster.
Can a neural network learn to recognize doodles?
Google's Quick, Draw! will try and guess what you're drawing.
It did pretty well with mine, and I did not inherit my dad's artistic skills.
Try it by clicking below!
Here's a map of the entire "Internet" in 1973:
Reddit via @WorkerGnome.
Wonder what that map would look like today?
Oftentimes, a small breakthrough has awesome and immense consequences.
Onwards!
This summer, South Carolinians started seeing menacing clowns in the woods.
As a response to clown hysteria,Target pulled clown masks from shelves , McDonalds scaled down use of Ronald McDonald, and people everywhere have been in a fervor.
Not everyone has been affected negatively though ... Surprisingly (to me), Pornhub has seen a massive increase in clown related searches.
via TNW
There you have it ... hard data.
2016 continues to surprise ... Celebrities dying, phones exploding, the election, and this.
It will be interesting to see how 2016 ends, and what the future brings.
The world changes, but human nature remains relatively constant.
Unicorns Are Becoming Less Mythical
Recently, we talked about billionaires and how they made their money. Today, I want to talk about companies that are valued at over $1 billion dollars.
In tech finance, a "Unicorn" is the moniker applied to private startups when they cross the supposedly mythical $1 Billion valuation level.
Well, fairy tales are coming true more often.
The number of Unicorns doubled in 2015 ... and not just in number – but in value as well.
The chart, which only shows the 185 Unicorns that are still private companies, highlights the increasing Unicorn density since 2014.
Currently, Uber is the most valuable Unicorn, with a $66 Billion Dollar valuation.
What do you think it means?
Are these companies a sign of a strong market, a bubble, or both?
Posted at 12:14 AM in Business, Current Affairs, Market Commentary, Trading, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)
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