Latest technology trends

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY 

Blockchain technology is transforming the economy by allowing consumers to do without intermediaries in many vital services, reducing costs and increasing efficiency. It has the potential to reduce poverty in the developing world as a whole.

But is it secure? Can blockchain-based technologies both provide us with trust and privacy protection to ensure tamper-proof records?

This is primarily about development agencies, businesses and governments that rely on blockchains to improve the effectiveness of aid, cash transfers, smart contracts, health services, and so on. Social entrepreneurs should also ask this question when they want to save on international payments, get clearer property rights, and expand their access to finance.


Blockchain technology can be understood as a decentralized registry that lowers costs by decentralizing trust and eliminating intermediaries such as banks. Technology adds to this registry entry that is validated by the wider community of users and not by a central authority.

Each block represents a transactional record, and the chain connects all the blocks. The distributed computer network confirms the registration and enumerates the blocks of transactions sequentially: this is the reason why we are talking about a chain of blocks, blockchain in English.

It's important to understand that nothing of value is in the blockchain and that bitcoin, the controversial cypher currency, is just an application of blockchain technology.

So, is the block immutable? No.

Like any other network technology, the blockchain is technically subject to change. But, as computers, or nodes, of a blockchain-type network, are distributed, the mathematical puzzle and computing power needed to make changes make modification almost impossible. To modify a blockchain, it would be necessary to take control of more than 51% of the computers in the same distributed register and modify all the transactional records in a very short time - 10 minutes for Bitcoin. So far, this has never happened.

What about security and privacy?

Although it is difficult to simultaneously provide security and privacy in a conventional information system, blockchains do this by maintaining the size of a registry, and by providing confidentiality through public key "which protects against malicious attempts to modify the data. The larger and more distributed the network, the more likely it is to be sure.

Other concerns about blockchain technology include limited extensibility, insufficient data privacy, and lack of harmonized standards.

For example, even with privacy protection technologies such as encryption and identity management, blockchain transactions can be spotted across network nodes. Because nodes produce metadata, statistical analysis that uses pattern recognition can reveal information even from encrypted data.

In the European Union (EU), data confidentiality is a crucial issue: the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force in May, imposes stricter conditions of consent to registration. , the processing and storage of personal data, and requires companies operating in the European Union to protect the personal data and privacy of citizens used in transactions. It also prohibits personal data from leaving the EU, giving citizens "total and ultimate control over all their data".
 
This is a problem for both public blockchains, which do not control who hosts a node, and for private blockchains (or allowed blockchains) because their data cannot be deleted. The new regulation also recognizes the "right to be forgotten", which is incompatible with the "immutability of transactions" of blockchains.

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INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT)

Many people have shown interest in connected objects or the Internet of Things (IoT). This publication concerning these objects is for everyone. I do not want to go into the technical details but I would like to share my vision of what we should see in the very near future.

Connected objects connect themselves to the internet. Objects have electronic chips that allow them to connect with each other. They create data and they react according to the parameters that the users have put in place.

According to Wikipedia, the Internet of Things conveys information through networks of physical devices (connected devices or smart devices), cars, buildings and any other electronic chip found in software, sensors and any type of object capable of collecting and exchanging data. IoT enables objects to be remotely recognized and controlled through an existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration between the physical world and computer systems. This results in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit, in addition to reduced human intervention. When IoT is augmented with sensors and actuators, technology becomes an example of cyber-physical systems, which also includes interactive plans, home automation, intelligent transportation and smart cities. All objects are identifiable through an included computer system but each object is able to interact also through an existing internet infrastructure. In fact, IoT is expected to offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that go far beyond machine-to-machine communications. At the same time as the expansion of Internet-connected automation in many types of applications, it is also expected that IoT will generate a large volume of data from several locations with the need for rapid aggregation of data and an increase in the need to index, record, and manage this data more efficiently. IoT is one of today's smart city platforms, and smart energy management systems. The concept of the Internet of Things was invented by Peter T. Lewis in September 1985.

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This graph shows very well the extent of what objects can accomplish. First, thanks to connections, they bind to other objects the same way you use the internet. Then they will analyze, predict and learn with the data that the other objects provide. Based on the parameters you put in place, they will act and optimize all situations. They will be sensitive to different factors (weather, temperature, health, movement, etc.) and will decide what to do based on the results. They will measure the parameters you have decided and will allow you to interpret the results and make decisions.

Soon every device you own and almost every object that exists will be connected to the internet. Your refrigerator, your fire alarm, your doorbell, your deodorant are already connected. The next items will be the clothes, the traffic lights, the pedestrian crossing controls, all the services of a factory and even your house windows will all be connected. This sharing of information will make you healthier, make your trip to the office shorter, and all procedures more efficient.

In 2016, 6.4 billion objects are connected worldwide. An increase of 30% compared to 2015. Experts predict that connected objects will be more than 20.8 billion in 2020. In 2016, 5.5 million new objects are connected each day. The Internet of Things is a $ 235 billion market, an increase of 22% since 2015. Services are dominated by professionals (contracts with external suppliers to plan, install and operate IoT systems). However, connectivity services across communication providers and consumer services will grow at a faster pace.

Today, 2 to 3 billion objects are connected to the internet at the same time, which means that there are more connections with objects than with humans.

Beyond all these objects already on the network, experts estimate that more than 99% of physical objects that could one day join the internet are still not connected. There will be about 40 billion devices by 2020. Think about what will happen when we connect all these unconnected objects.




virtual reality

VR means Virtual Reality. In French, it's virtual reality. This concept that cuts you off from the real world to immerse you in a virtual world has been growing in popularity in recent years, and trends show that this is just the beginning. Here we will look at what VR really is, and how it works.

Definition
Virtual reality is a relatively old concept, even if its name is rather recent. The terms "immersive multimedia" and "computer simulated reality" may be considered synonymous. A definition that has been scientifically popularized would give: "A set of computer techniques used to simulate the physical presence of a user in a virtual universe artificially created by various devices and software."

Virtual reality will thus give the user a sensory immersion experience in a digitally created world and universe. These universes can be entirely imaginary and taken from the minds of their creators, but they can also be the partial or complete representation of real places, taken from real life.

A little history
The first traces of the evocation of virtual reality in the sense we hear today date back to the mid-1930s, with Stanley G. Weinbaum. The latter has published a story in which he speaks explicitly of a pair of glasses allowing the wearer to have the impression of being transported into a virtual world in which he can interact, touch and feel things.

In the real world, the first researches recorded about virtual reality go back to the 50's. At that time, Morton Heilig, creator and inventor, is working on a concept of entertainment that would stimulate the senses of the viewer to deceive his mind and make him believe that he evolves in a different world of the real world. In the early '60s, after a decade of research and testing, Morton presents the Sensorama. At that time, the digital does not exist. The Sensorama is a mechanical device that transports its user into an artificially created universe. Morton will offer 5 compatible short films that will mark the beginning of the VR concept.

During the same period, the US Army is interested in the concept of VR to adapt it to a flight simulator. Then things get faster:

End of the 60 ': release of "Damocles' sword", developed by the American professor Ivan Sutherland. First VR headset presented to the public. Ability to observe an artificial cube in three dimensions floating in the air.
1978: NASA funds the development of VIVED created by Eric M. Howlett. First immersion helmet based on a stereoscopic wide-angle photography concept. Birth of the term "Virtual Environment".
1989: Eric M. Howlett launches his own helmet: the "CyberFace". Limited success, but the lens technology used will play an important role in future VR projects.
1991: Commercialization of a VR helmet below $ 10,000. Equipped with two screens, and using Eric M. Howlett's lens technology.
1993: Release of the MRG2. Sale of one million headsets in 15 months. Price: $ 6,800. Use in amusement parks, film launches, etc. The first success of hardware VR, and the start of the madness of VR as we know it today.
1995: Launch of VFX1 (by Forte Technologie). Massively distributed, offering key games like DOOM, Quake ...
1998: Release of the VFX3D from the same firm.
2005: Launch of the VR920. Headphones directly connected to a computer, DVD player, or another device.
2005 again: Release of VR Z800 3Dvisor helmet. A competitor of the previous.
2006: Commercialization of the PCS Headplay, the new entrant on the market.
2010: First commercialization of augmented reality glasses (superposition of virtual objects on a layer of reality).
2012: Presentation at E3 of the Palmer Luckey VR helmet prototype called Oculus. Funding by Kick Starter at 947%, which represents $ 2.4 million, and more than 7,000 pre-ordered helmets. First orders shipped in March 2013.
2014: Oculus HD Kit finalized. Called Crystal Cove.
2015: Presentation of a new prototype called Crescent Bay.
2016: Release of the Oculus VR RIFT, and several other VR headsets that work with smartphones as a video source.
To read Our comparison of the best VR helmets.

VR, how does it work?
virtual reality headset VR

VR, as we know it today, is lived through a VR headset that we put on the head and that cuts our vision of the real world to immerse ourselves in a virtual world.


Machine learning

How does machine learning work?
Artificial intelligence is an integral part of digitalisation, which has made a lasting change in our society. What was a few years ago still of the order of science fiction is now a reality. We talk with computers, our phones guide us and tell us the shortest way, our watches know if we have moved enough in the day. Technology is becoming more intelligent, and scientists, engineers and programmers become teachers: they "train" computers to learn independently.

Machine learning or machine learning is not only interesting for science and for IT companies like Google or Microsoft. But artificial intelligence also has a direct impact on web marketing. In the following paragraphs, we will see how artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved in recent years and what machine learning means exactly, and finally, we will study the methods of machine learning and why marketers must today hold account of automatic learning systems.

Summary
The history of the machine learning system
What is machine learning?
Different methods of machine learning
How does machine learning work for marketing?
Other areas of application of machine learning systems
The history of the machine learning system
Robots and robots have been a source of interest for centuries. Already the writers of the Romantic period were dealing with artificial intelligence and even today, we remain fascinated by robots, whether in movies, books or video games. The relation of the human being to the thinking machine has always oscillated between fear and fascination. However, the real progress of machine learning did not begin until the 1950s, at a time when computers were still in their infancy and artificial intelligence could only dream. Over the past two centuries, theorists such as Thomas Bayes, Adrien Marie Legendre, and Pierre-Simon Laplace had already laid the groundwork for research, but it was not until Alan Turing's work to concretely speak about Machine Learning.

 Quote
"In such a case would have been accepted that the progress of the machine had not been foreseen when its original instructions were put in. It would be a pupil who had learned a lot from his master. When this happens I look at the machine as showing intelligence. "

Alan Turing at a conference in 1947. (quoted from B. E. Carpenter and R. W. Doran (eds.), A. M. Turing's Ace Report of 1946 and Other Papers)

In 1950, Turing developed a proposal for an artificial intelligence test: the Turing test. This is a kind of game in which a computer claims to be a human being, it imitates human conversation. If the person is not able to identify which of his interlocutors is a machine, then the computer can be considered to have passed the test successfully. Two years later, Arthur Samuel developed a computer that could play the ladies while improving each game. The program had the ability to learn. Finally, in 1957, Frank Rosenblatt developed the Perceptron, a first learning algorithm, it is an artificial neural network.

Since then, scientists have begun to put more and more complex tests on their computers, with machines mastering them more or less well. IBM has developed Watson, a computer program that has a huge repository of knowledge and can answer questions in natural language. Thus, he even participated in the famous TV show "Jeopardy! Which had a strong impact on the media because Watson won the round. (This event is a great reminder of the 1997 failure of world champion Garry Kasparov and another IBM computer, the Deep Blue, where the machine came out victorious.)

Google and Facebook use machine learning to better understand users and offer more features. Facebook's DeepFace can even now identify faces on images with a 97 per cent success rate. In addition, the giant search engine has already significantly improved the voice recognition of the Android operating system, the search for photos on Google+ and the video recommendations on YouTube via its GoogleBrain project.

What is machine learning?
In principle, machines, computers, and programs only work the way you have previously configured them: "If case A occurs, enable B". However, our expectations


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