Tech
Canadian Intelligence Service CSIS Warns Against ‘Smart City’ Technology
The Canadian intelligence service warns that adversaries like the Chinese government could use “Smart City” technology innovations to harvest sensitive data, target diaspora communities, and interfere in elections.
Before “smart city” platforms are widely adopted, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service urges policymakers and the technology industry to consider steps that can be taken to address and mitigate the emerging security threat.
These systems include electronically linked devices that gather, analyze, store and transmit data via centralized platforms. Municipalities, in turn, can use artificial intelligence to control operations and services more efficiently, such as changing traffic lights at the optimal time, managing energy use, or tracking the location of publicly rented bicycles.
“One of the primary security concerns associated with smart cities is the requirement for the selection and retention of massive, continuously processed data pools that could be exploited to reveal patterns of individual and societal behavior,” according to the report.
“These worries are exacerbated by a lack of control and visibility over where this data is stored and who has access to it.”
The CSIS report, completed in 2021, was only recently made available to CTV News in response to an access-to-information request filed in October.
While integrating technological innovations and data can improve process efficiency, CSIS warns that it can also introduce security risks.
“Smart city devices collect massive amounts of personal data, such as biometric data and other information highlighting personal life choices and patterns. Hostile state actors are investigating various methods of gaining access to future smart city platforms, including access provided by state-owned or state-linked technology firms.”
CSIS warns that Canadian municipalities may willingly enter into technological partnerships with foreign companies that allow hostile or undemocratic states access to collect data.
Smarty City Tech Projects
Smart city projects in Western countries have faced opposition due to privacy concerns, but China has “embraced the concept wholeheartedly,” according to the report, giving the country’s technology companies a competitive advantage. Beijing’s artificial intelligence advantage stems from its access to large amounts of data, lax privacy regulations, and cheap labor to categorize data and develop AI algorithms.
According to CSIS, China is utilizing new technologies to support “digital authoritarianism,” which uses advanced technology to monitor, repress, and manipulate domestic and foreign populations.
Meanwhile, the report predicts that next-generation networks and interconnected technology will become deeply embedded in municipal critical infrastructures over the next decade, increasing the possibility of “back door” access. A major concern is that a single breach could expose all devices to interference or attack.
“In other words, data collected via a bike-sharing app could theoretically increase access to other connected devices, such as a city’s energy grid, water supply, or traffic-light management database,” according to the report.
“This exposure will have serious financial, social and health and safety implications in Canada. Consider a scenario in which a coordinated cyberattack disables safety locks that prevent catastrophic explosions at a petrochemical facility while controlling traffic lights to thwart emergency response.”
According to the report, legal access to data could come from contracts between cities and companies, whereas illicit access could occur internally through a built-in function of foreign equipment or software or externally due to a cyberattack or data breach.
The data can then target specific elements of Canadian society, such as Chinese diaspora communities, infrastructure such as natural gas plants, water treatment facilities, and central government databases, democratic political processes such as elections, or civil society groups, it adds.
Data-harvesting techniques
The use of data-harvesting techniques by countries such as China, Iran, and Russia to track diaspora populations, specifically individuals considered adversaries, is a legitimate concern, according to David Murakami Wood, a University of Ottawa professor who specializes in surveillance, security, and technology.
“There is no such thing as innocent data,” he said in an interview.
Murakami Wood cautioned against believing that keeping data entirely in Canadian hands makes it safer. According to him, it is common for organizations to seek access to large pools of data for reasons unrelated to why the data was gathered in the first place.
“You can be sure if there’s a very large-scale national database constructed, for example, that the police will want access to it sooner or later. And they’ll make a compelling case for why they should.”
While connecting some municipal services to the internet makes sense, others, such as hospitals, may be too sensitive to the risk of being linked to cyberspace, according to Murakami Wood.
“If you want a very smart city, we should first consider what you don’t want to connect.”
Taking the necessary steps to address the security threats posed by smart cities will necessitate informed debate and consultation at all levels of government, according to the CSIS report.
“Various authorities have jurisdiction over different aspects of this challenge. Municipalities, particularly, are leading the way regarding implementation and contractual arrangements with technology vendors.”
Apple is delivering a free software update that will include its first dosage of artificial intelligence in its iPhone 16 series as the trendsetting business attempts to keep up with technology’s current fad.
The iOS 18 operating system update arrives on Monday, more than a month after four iPhone 16 models outfitted with the unique computer chip required to enable the AI features went on sale for $800 to $1,200. Last year’s premium models, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, also have processors that will enable AI technology once the software update is loaded.
The software is also compatible with recent versions of Apple’s iPad and Mac computers.
Countries outside the United States will not receive the AI software for their iPhones until next year, at an undetermined date. Apple spent the last five weeks testing the AI program with a group of iPhone owners who agreed to help the corporation fine-tune the technology.
Apple Launches The IPhone Into The AI Era With Free Software Update
The AI injection is intended to transform Apple’s frequently bumbling virtual assistant Siri into a more chatty, adaptable, and colorful buddy, whose presence will be indicated by a glowing light surrounding the iPhone screen as requests are handled.
While Apple promises Siri will be able to accomplish more jobs and get less confused, it will be unable to engage with other iPhone apps until another software update is released at an indeterminate date.
This software upgrade also includes AI tools that will handle a variety of writing and editing chores, as well as summarize the content of emails and other documents. The AI will also have various editing options for changing the appearance of photos and making it easier to find old ones.
Other AI tricks to come in future software upgrades include the capacity to generate personalized emojis on the fly or conjure other creative imagery on demand. Apple also intends to someday enable its AI suite to seek assistance from OpenAI’s ChatGPT as needed.
Most of the AI technologies Apple unveiled on Monday are already available on Android-powered handsets released by Samsung and Google earlier this year.
The iPhone’s suite of new technology is advertised as “Apple Intelligence” to distance itself from the early leaders in AI. Apple also promises that its AI features will do much better to preserve iPhone owners’ privacy by executing the technology on the device or in a fortress-like data center when some requests must be completed remotely.
Because the majority of iPhones in use across the world lack the computer chip required for Apple’s AI, the technology is likely to drive high demand for the new models during the holiday season and into next year. That is why Apple’s stock has risen 18% since the Cupertino, California, company unveiled its AI strategy at a conference in early June. The run-up has lifted Apple’s market value by approximately $500 billion, bringing it closer to being the first US firm worth $4 trillion.
Apple will provide investors with their first look at how the iPhone 16 is performing Thursday when the firm releases quarterly financial data for the July-September quarter, which covers the first few days the new models were on sale.
Apple Launches The IPhone Into The AI Era With Free Software Update
According to a smartphone market assessment by research firm International Data Corp. for the most recent quarter, demand for high-end iPhone 15 models increased as costs plummeted and enthusiasm over Apple’s entry into the AI industry grew.
According to IDC, Apple’s iPhone shipments increased 3.5 percent yearly to 56 million worldwide between July and September, trailing only Samsung. The question now is whether Apple’s progressive rollout of additional AI will entice owners of earlier iPhones to upgrade to the new models over the holidays, “future-proofing their purchases for the long term,” according to IDC analyst Nabila Popal.
An estimated 30 million people—one in every eight Americans over 12—have hearing loss in both ears. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, millions of people could benefit from hearing aids, but most have never tried them.
SOURCE | AP
(VOR News) – Microsoft is planning to have its annual shareholder meeting on December 10th, which is set to take place as the year draws to a conclusion.
The meeting is slated to take place simultaneously. According to a document that was distributed by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, a proposal that would increase shareholder value and diversify Microsoft’s assets by investing in Bitcoin is put on the list of “voting items” for shareholders this year.
Investing in Bitcoin would diversify Microsoft’s assets.
By encouraging shareholders to vote against it, the board of directors of the relevant firm is encouraging shareholders to vote against it. The proposal that is titled “Assessment of Investing in Bitcoin” suggests that Microsoft should investigate the possibility of diversifying its assets using Bitcoin, which is described as a “excellent, if not the best, hedge against inflation.”
A further implication of the plan is that Microsoft’s current investment in corporate bonds is just marginally higher than the rate of global inflation.
The concept posits that during inflationary periods, organizations ought to diversify their balance sheets with assets that gain more than bonds, as they may have a fiduciary obligation to do so, despite the short-term volatility of those assets. This is because bonds often undergo a greater pace of appreciation than other investment forms.
After the proposal, there is a section that is titled “Board Recommendation” that may be found underneath it. When it comes to this particular matter, the board of directors of Microsoft suggests to shareholders that they vote against the plan.
According to the paper, the board of directors contends that the company does not have to consider investing in Bitcoin since “Microsoft’s management has already carefully considered this topic.” This is the reason why the company does not have to consider investing in Bitcoin.
Microsoft has a Global Treasury and Investment Services team that routinely examines a vast array of potential investments in order to effectively diversify Microsoft’s assets and protect stockholders from inflation, as stated by the technology giant, which has Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street as its largest shareholders.
This team is responsible for ensuring that Microsoft’s stockholders are protected from inflation.
The Microsoft report states that this group has assessed Bitcoin in the past.
According to the submission, it was said that “Microsoft has strong and appropriate processes in place to manage and diversify its corporate Treasury for the long-term benefit of shareholders,” along with the conclusion that “this requested public assessment is unwarranted.”
The National Center for Public Policy, which is a think tank that adheres to a conservative philosophy, was the one that presented the idea to the public.
Project 2025 is a policy project that is backed by the far right and has the objective of increasing the power of the president and imposing a conservative social order on the government of the next Republican president. One of the members of the advisory board for Project 2025 is from this particular group.
The proposal states that even if the firm ought to take into consideration investing in Bitcoin, it ought not to put the value of its shareholders at risk by spending an excessive portion of their assets in the cryptocurrency.
This is because the company would be putting the value of its shareholders at danger. The advice is that Microsoft should “evaluate the benefits of holding some, even just 1% of its assets in Bitcoin,” as stated by the organization.
At the same time that MicroStrategy, another big technology company, has reached a new high of $241 this year, this argument is being presented. This might be attributed to the fact that the company’s strategy shift toward investing in Bitcoin has been highly successful.
Starting from the year 2020, the company has gathered a total of 252,220 Bitcoins, which are estimated to be worth around $17 billion respectively.
Over the course of the past year, the stock of MicroStrategy has gained by around 250%, and the stock of Microsoft has increased by approximately 16%. Both corporations have witnessed an increase in the value of their stock.
SOURCE: FCN
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Spotify Is Facing Competition From Ad Giants On The New Ad Exchange.
Apple Unveiled A Fresh Glimpse Of Their AI Featuring ChatGPT Integration.
(VOR News) – Spotify is now running a pilot trial for a new ad exchange in an effort to improve its capabilities in the area of automated advertising.
Their goal is to increase their capabilities in this area. In the beginning, the application will have a key emphasis on the sharing of films as its primary emphasis Through the implementation of this project, Spotify is attempting to make a strategic move in order to compete more effectively with larger platforms such as Meta and Google for advertising revenue.
This action is being taken in order to provide Spotify with an advantage over its competitors. Prior to this point in time, a substantial chunk of Spotify’s programmatic advertising solutions had been limited to programmatic direct transactions. This restriction was lifted. The circumstances had been like this up until this point in time.
These deals buy Spotify advertising through salespeople rather than auctioning it.
This is in contrast to the traditional method of purchasing advertising. Spotify plans to expand the variety of automated advertising options it provides by utilizing SAX and establishing agreements with a large number of other digital service providers.
This will allow Spotify to fulfill its goal of expanding its advertising options. To add insult to injury, this will be in addition to the initial partnership that the company created with The Trade Desk.
According to Axios, a number of insiders who are familiar with the effort have informed the journal that the platform hopes to ease the process of advertising expenditures for both small and medium-sized businesses as well as for existing clients, which may include well-known brands.
This information was provided by insiders. The insiders were the ones who shared this knowledge with us. The freshly built exchange is capable of being integrated into a wide range of demand-side platforms, which will make it simpler for advertisers to establish direct relationships with Spotify’s advertising inventory.
This is because the exchange was recently developed. Because of this, there will be a greater possibility that marketers will utilize the advertising inventory provides. When it comes to the Spotify Ad Exchange, which is also referred to as SAX, The Trade Desk is the first content delivery platform (DSP) partner that Spotify has ever had. February of this year marked the beginning of this cooperation to be developed.
At this point in time, the primary focus of the relationship is on the incorporation of The Trade Desk’s North American clients into the video ad inventory that Spotify offers. Because of this, the collaboration is of the utmost significance.
Plans are underway to add audio ads to Spotify’s partnership.
This matter is under consideration. One is considering this specific element. The link was tested for the first time the week before to last. It was rigorously tested.
In reaction to the continued success that YouTube has had in stealing the audience for the podcasts that are supplied by Spotify, the streaming service has been making attempts to improve the quality of the videos that it provides. This is a response to the fact that YouTube has been such a successful competitor.
According to Edison Podcast Metrics, thirty-one percent of weekly podcast listeners who are thirteen years old or older prefer to listen to their podcasts on YouTube. This information was obtained from data collected by Edison Podcast Metrics. On the other hand, only 15% of people listen to Apple Podcasts, whereas 27% of people subscribe to Spotify.
The popularity of Apple Podcasts is relatively high. When contrasted with the situation involving Apple Podcasts, there is a substantial difference.
During the same time period, Spotify has made the announcement that it will be expanding its capacity to include music videos to approximately one hundred regions across the globe. As a consequence of this, the company will have access to an even broader variety of choices in the field of video advertising than it did before.
SOURCE: RIN
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