interactive investor has teamed up with the experts at eyeQ who use artificial intelligence and their own smart machine to analyse macro conditions and generate actionable trading signals. This time it analyses the UK drug giants.

eyeQ: GSK, Astra and the battle of big pharma

AI has moved into a new era – from chatbots to AI agents capable of having instantaneous, real-time conversations as showcased by Microsoft-backed OpenAI&#x27;s GPT-4o and Google&#x27;s Project Astra. We break down what&#x27;s behind the big leap forward, the risks involved, and sit down with Google CEO ...

Age of the AI agents: OpenAI's GPT-4o and Google's Project Astra, plus an exclusive sit-down with Google CEO Sundar Pichai

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

The Project Astra Moment

The company&#x27;s vision of multimodal AI looks promising, but it&#x27;ll need to smooth out some wrinkles before officially launching.

I demoed Google's Project Astra and it felt like the future of generative AI (until it didn't) | ZDNET

Gemini is making its way into just about every Google product; here&#x27;s what the AI can do for you.

Everything You Missed From Google I/O 2024: Gemini, Project Astra, and More | PCMag

Google held a &quot;watch party&quot; for this week&#x27;s OpenAI announcements with Gemini.

Well played Google! DeepMind shows off Project Astra watching the OpenAI ChatGPT Voice announcement | Tom's Guide

Google unveiled sweeping AI enhancements at its developer conference. AI experts tell PYMNTS this could transform the company&#x27;s operations.

Say Hello to Astra: Google Launches AI-Boosted Searches and a Smart Voice Assistant

From unveiling a futuristic AI assistant called &quot;Project Astra&quot; that can run on a phone – and maybe smart glasses, one day – to Gemini being infused into nearly every service or product the company offers, artificial intelligence was definitely the dominant theme.

Google I/O 2024 – the 7 biggest AI announcements, from Gemini to Android 15 | TechRadar

In a video that Google says was shot in a single take, an Astra user moves around Google’s London office holding up their phone and pointing the camera at various things — a speaker, some code on a whiteboard, and out a window — and has a natural conversation with the app about what it seems.

Google I/O 2024: Everything revealed including Gemini AI, Android 15 and more

Project Astra is a visual chatbot, and sort of a souped-up version of Google Lens. It lets users open their phone cameras and ask questions about just about anything around them by pointing the camera at things. Google showed off a video demo where somebody asked Astra a variety of questions ...

Everything Google Announced at I/O 2024: Gemini, Search, Project Astra, Scam Detection | WIRED

Astra

astra

Web3 gaming is here to stay and is growing into a significant market within the web3 industry. This emergence is evolving beyond a game into a new ecology and economy in which players are active stakeholders rather than passive participants. In this exciting time of development, we are honoured to have Faizy Ahmed, a real pioneer and visionary, to share his views and skills. As a seasoned crypto veteran, blockchain thought leader, Web3 VC partner and driving force behind Astra Nova, as well as a Blockchain Game Alliance member, Faizy has played a key role in developing the MENA region's Web3 gaming environment. Now, let's get started. Ade: You've had an impressive journey in the blockchain and crypto space since 2015. Can you share some experiences and how they've shaped your approach to Web3 gaming? Faizy: My journey started in 2015 as a crypto miner, and it didn’t take long for me to see the incredible potential blockchain holds, especially for gaming. I’ve always been a gamer, but the idea that you could actually own your in-game assets and have a say in how the game world evolves fascinated me. Over the years, I moved from mining to trading, participating in ICOs, and contributing to DAOs. This broad exposure to different aspects of blockchain helped shape my approach to Web3 gaming. What excites me about this space is the ability to give players real ownership and build along with the users, which is lacking in traditional games. That’s what we’re bringing to Astra Nova, an ecosystem where players are stakeholders, not just consumers. Ade: How has blockchain's value proposition in gaming evolved in MENA, and what emerging trends or models show promise? Faizy: The MENA region is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world. In countries like Saudi Arabia, 8 out of 10 people identify themselves as gamers, and the region as a whole has over 400 million people with a strong mobile-first culture. Blockchain adds immense value here by offering digital ownership and decentralized economies. Gamers in MENA are already spending heavily on in-game purchases, so the transition to owning these digital assets is a natural next step. One of the most promising trends is the play-to-earn model, which is gaining traction as it blends entertainment with financial incentives. Players want to be rewarded for their time, and that’s what we’re doing with Astra Nova by offering real ownership and opportunities to earn from their gameplay. Ade: Your work with Astra Nova aims to bridge the gap between traditional gamers and Web3 gaming in the MENA region. Can you share insight about your offerings and products? Faizy: At Astra Nova, we’re not just creating a game; we’re building a Web3 gaming ecosystem that’s designed to bring the benefits of blockchain to traditional gamers. Our game is an action RPG, where players can own in-game assets through NFTs and participate in UGC (User generated content) contests, which actually shape the world they’re playing in. One of our recent milestones was securing Saudi royal family backing from Prince Faisal Turki Al Saud, which has given us a strong foundation to expand. We’ve raised over $2.5M across fundraising rounds, showing that our community has real buying power and investor interest despite challenging market conditions. We’re also proud of selling out our SuperNova NFT series with OKX in record time and having onboarded 200k+ users through our Black Pass Loyalty & Questing Platform. We’ve also strengthened our team by onboarding top talent, including AAA gaming experienced senior executives for Creative Director, Technical Director, Executive Producer and Art Director roles who’ve worked on renowned blockbuster games. Looking forward, we’re excited to be selected for the NTDP and Outlier Ventures Riyadh Base Camp Acceleration Program, along with launching our Telegram Mini-Game through the NOTCOIN TON Accelerator to a potential audience of 40M+ users. These achievements demonstrate the strong appetite for Web3 gaming in the region. Ade: As a member of the Blockchain Game Alliance and Forbes Web3 Council, how do you envision the future of blockchain gaming? Will Giant traditional game Leaders take the lead in the blockchain space in the long run? Faizy: I believe blockchain gaming will be shaped by early innovators before traditional gaming giants fully enter the space. Right now, smaller, more agile projects like Astra Nova are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. While big companies like Ubisoft are starting to experiment with blockchain, the real innovation is happening in projects that are built from the ground up on Web3 principles. The community-driven aspect of blockchain gaming, where players own assets and have a say in governance is something that large traditional companies will struggle to fully integrate. However, as blockchain gaming gains traction, I do expect traditional gaming leaders to adopt some elements of it, but Web3-first projects like ours will be leading the charge. Ade: What advice would you give to entrepreneurs and developers entering Web3 gaming, and how can they scale up and on? Faizy: My biggest advice is to build around your community from day one. In Web3, the community isn’t just important; they are your co-creators and investors. Engage them early, listen to their feedback, and let them help shape your project. Secondly, make sure your game has real utility. NFTs and tokens are great, but they need to have value beyond speculation, whether that’s in gameplay or governance. In terms of scaling, partnerships are crucial. At Astra Nova, our growth has been fueled by collaborations with top-tier partners like Aethir, OKX, Gate.io, Base, TON, Google Web3 Accelerator, and Outlier Ventures, which have helped us expand our reach and credibility. Don’t be afraid to network and build strategic alliances early on. Ade: What factors will drive blockchain gaming's mainstream adoption in MENA, and how might AI and blockchain technologies converge to create new gaming possibilities? Faizy: The MENA region is ripe for blockchain gaming adoption. With gaming being such a major part of the culture, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, where 80% of the population identifies as gamers—blockchain gaming’s offer of true ownership and earning potential is incredibly appealing. The region is tech-savvy and hungry for innovative experiences. As for the convergence of AI and blockchain, I see it creating more dynamic, personalized gaming experiences. AI can enhance how games respond to players, while blockchain ensures that these personalized experiences are truly owned by the player. At Astra Nova, we’re already exploring how these technologies can intersect to create a more immersive, player-driven game world. Web3 gaming is here to stay and is growing into a significant market within the web3 industry. This emergence is evolving beyond a game into a new ecology and economy in which players are active stakeholders rather than passive participants. In this exciting time of development, we are honoured to have Faizy Ahmed, a real pioneer and visionary, to share his views and skills. As a seasoned crypto veteran, blockchain thought leader, Web3 VC partner and driving force behind Astra Nova, as well as a Blockchain Game Alliance member, Faizy has played a key role in developing the MENA region's Web3 gaming environment. Now, let's get started. Ade: You've had an impressive journey in the blockchain and crypto space since 2015. Can you share some experiences and how they've shaped your approach to Web3 gaming? Ade: You've had an impressive journey in the blockchain and crypto space since 2015. Can you share some experiences and how they've shaped your approach to Web3 gaming? Faizy: My journey started in 2015 as a crypto miner, and it didn’t take long for me to see the incredible potential blockchain holds, especially for gaming. I’ve always been a gamer, but the idea that you could actually own your in-game assets and have a say in how the game world evolves fascinated me. Over the years, I moved from mining to trading, participating in ICOs, and contributing to DAOs. This broad exposure to different aspects of blockchain helped shape my approach to Web3 gaming. What excites me about this space is the ability to give players real ownership and build along with the users, which is lacking in traditional games. That’s what we’re bringing to Astra Nova, an ecosystem where players are stakeholders, not just consumers. Faizy: Ade: How has blockchain's value proposition in gaming evolved in MENA, and what emerging trends or models show promise? Ade: How has blockchain's value proposition in gaming evolved in MENA, and what emerging trends or models show promise? Faizy: The MENA region is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world. In countries like Saudi Arabia, 8 out of 10 people identify themselves as gamers, and the region as a whole has over 400 million people with a strong mobile-first culture. Blockchain adds immense value here by offering digital ownership and decentralized economies. Gamers in MENA are already spending heavily on in-game purchases, so the transition to owning these digital assets is a natural next step. One of the most promising trends is the play-to-earn model, which is gaining traction as it blends entertainment with financial incentives. Players want to be rewarded for their time, and that’s what we’re doing with Astra Nova by offering real ownership and opportunities to earn from their gameplay. Ade: Your work with Astra Nova aims to bridge the gap between traditional gamers and Web3 gaming in the MENA region. Can you share insight about your offerings and products? Ade: Your work with Astra Nova aims to bridge the gap between traditional gamers and Web3 gaming in the MENA region. Can you share insight about your offerings and products? Faizy: At Astra Nova, we’re not just creating a game; we’re building a Web3 gaming ecosystem that’s designed to bring the benefits of blockchain to traditional gamers. Our game is an action RPG, where players can own in-game assets through NFTs and participate in UGC (User generated content) contests, which actually shape the world they’re playing in. One of our recent milestones was securing Saudi royal family backing from Prince Faisal Turki Al Saud, which has given us a strong foundation to expand. We’ve raised over $2.5M across fundraising rounds, showing that our community has real buying power and investor interest despite challenging market conditions. Faizy: We’re also proud of selling out our SuperNova NFT series with OKX in record time and having onboarded 200k+ users through our Black Pass Loyalty & Questing Platform. We’ve also strengthened our team by onboarding top talent, including AAA gaming experienced senior executives for Creative Director, Technical Director, Executive Producer and Art Director roles who’ve worked on renowned blockbuster games. Looking forward, we’re excited to be selected for the NTDP and Outlier Ventures Riyadh Base Camp Acceleration Program, along with launching our Telegram Mini-Game through the NOTCOIN TON Accelerator to a potential audience of 40M+ users. These achievements demonstrate the strong appetite for Web3 gaming in the region. Ade: As a member of the Blockchain Game Alliance and Forbes Web3 Council, how do you envision the future of blockchain gaming? Will Giant traditional game Leaders take the lead in the blockchain space in the long run? Ade: As a member of the Blockchain Game Alliance and Forbes Web3 Council, how do you envision the future of blockchain gaming? Will Giant traditional game Leaders take the lead in the blockchain space in the long run? Faizy: I believe blockchain gaming will be shaped by early innovators before traditional gaming giants fully enter the space. Right now, smaller, more agile projects like Astra Nova are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. While big companies like Ubisoft are starting to experiment with blockchain, the real innovation is happening in projects that are built from the ground up on Web3 principles. The community-driven aspect of blockchain gaming, where players own assets and have a say in governance is something that large traditional companies will struggle to fully integrate. However, as blockchain gaming gains traction, I do expect traditional gaming leaders to adopt some elements of it, but Web3-first projects like ours will be leading the charge. Faizy: Ade: What advice would you give to entrepreneurs and developers entering Web3 gaming, and how can they scale up and on? Ade: What advice would you give to entrepreneurs and developers entering Web3 gaming, and how can they scale up and on? Faizy: My biggest advice is to build around your community from day one. In Web3, the community isn’t just important; they are your co-creators and investors. Engage them early, listen to their feedback, and let them help shape your project. Secondly, make sure your game has real utility. NFTs and tokens are great, but they need to have value beyond speculation, whether that’s in gameplay or governance. In terms of scaling, partnerships are crucial. At Astra Nova, our growth has been fueled by collaborations with top-tier partners like Aethir, OKX, Gate.io, Base, TON, Google Web3 Accelerator, and Outlier Ventures, which have helped us expand our reach and credibility. Don’t be afraid to network and build strategic alliances early on. Faizy: Ade: What factors will drive blockchain gaming's mainstream adoption in MENA, and how might AI and blockchain technologies converge to create new gaming possibilities? Ade: What factors will drive blockchain gaming's mainstream adoption in MENA, and how might AI and blockchain technologies converge to create new gaming possibilities? Faizy: The MENA region is ripe for blockchain gaming adoption. With gaming being such a major part of the culture, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia, where 80% of the population identifies as gamers—blockchain gaming’s offer of true ownership and earning potential is incredibly appealing. The region is tech-savvy and hungry for innovative experiences. As for the convergence of AI and blockchain, I see it creating more dynamic, personalized gaming experiences. AI can enhance how games respond to players, while blockchain ensures that these personalized experiences are truly owned by the player. At Astra Nova, we’re already exploring how these technologies can intersect to create a more immersive, player-driven game world. Faizy:

Leveling Up MENA's Web3 Gaming Scene: Insights from Faizy Ahmed, Astra Nova CEO & Co-Founder

One of our goals at DataStax is to enable every developer — regardless of the language they build in — to deliver AI applications to production as fast as possible. We , our database-as-a-service built on open-source , to help developers create AI applications. recently added vector search capabilities to DataStax Astra DB Apache Cassandra Cassandra is well-known to be the most powerful, scalable, and production-ready database. With the addition of vector search, Cassandra and Astra DB have become a critical foundation for building enterprise-grade Gen AI applications. But we also need to ensure that this powerful technology is accessible and easy to use for the broadest set of developers, regardless of their preferred language or skill set. Today we take a big step in that direction by providing the huge population of JavaScript developers access to the most powerful vector database in the world, through a simple API: introducing the JSON API for Astra DB. Meet the JSON API! In the JavaScript world, document databases are prominent. No surprise there, as is a native notation in JavaScript, so an ability to store and retrieve JSON documents to and from the database tremendously accelerates the development. JSON The new JSON API is designed to provide a smooth developer experience for JavaScript developers creating new AI applications. We set out to ensure that if you’re a JavaScript developer, you can fire up an instance of Astra DB and start coding right away using paradigms and frameworks you’re familiar with. Exposing Astra DB as a document database provides multiple improvements in developer experience: You think in terms of JSON objects, which gives you natural alignment with the JavaScript ecosystem. There is no data modeling step, as it’s taken care of by the database itself. You just save and retrieve documents. You can start developing quickly, and focus on the application logic rather than on what is happening on the backend. Integration with MongooseJS We also noticed that many members of the JavaScript community work with document databases through object data modeling (ODM) libraries, specifically MongooseJS is a popular framework for object modeling on top of document databases. With and , it doesn’t require an introduction. MongooseJS. over 2 million weekly NPM downloads almost 3.5 million dependent Github repositories The new JSON API for Astra DB is fully compatible with MongooseJS. This means that it takes just a couple lines of code to point MongooseJS to an Astra DB instance: // Import MongooseJS.
const mongoose = require("mongoose");
// Import the driver for Astra DB (shipped as a part of stargate.io).
const { driver } = require("stargate-mongoose");

// Tell MongooseJS to use the Astra DB driver instead of the default one.
mongoose.setDriver(driver);

// Connect to Astra DB.
await mongoose.connect(astraDbUri, {
  isAstra: true,
}); Once connected, you can use MongooseJS APIs, and Astra DB will take care of the heavy lifting of storing your documents in an efficient way, indexing them, and scaling out when needed. Vector search support Even better, when developing with MongooseJS backed by Astra DB, you get full access to Astra DB Vector, the only database designed for simultaneous search and update on distributed data and streaming workloads with ultra-low latency, as well as highly relevant vector results that eliminate redundancies. As a result, you get the ease of use and familiarity of MongooseJS, combined with the rich vector support and scalability of Astra DB. Developing AI applications in JavaScript has never been easier! Let’s take a look at a simple example of how to use Astra DB’s vector search within a MongooseJS application. In this example, we’ll create a collection of movies with their text descriptions and some other information, like title, production year, and genre. In addition, we’ll instruct MongooseJS that we want to store for the descriptions. Here is how the model definition will look: vector embeddings const Movie = mongoose.model(
  "Movie",
  new mongoose.Schema(
    {
      title: String,
      year: Number,
      genre: String,
      description: String,
      $vector: {
        type: [Number],
        validate: (vector) => vector && vector.length === 1536,
      },
    },
    {
      collectionOptions: {
        vector: {
          size: 1536,
          function: "cosine",
        },
      },
    },
  ),
); Those familiar with MongooseJS will find this to be a typical MongooseJS model, except for two additional pieces that Astra DB’s driver allows for: The special that is used to store vector embeddings. $vector field The object that tells Astra DB how to index the vector embedding field. With the model above, you can insert documents along with the embeddings: collectionOptions.vector await Movie.insert({
  title: "In the Border States",
  year: 1910,
  genre: "Drama",
  description: "In the Border States is a 1910 American drama film...",// Generate embedding for the description,
  // for example by invoking the OpenAI API.
  $vector: embedding("In the Border States is a 1910 American drama film..."),
}); Your application can now provide functionality to enter a free-form query to search movies by their descriptions. For that, you will use the same model to generate an embedding for the user’s query, and use Astra DB’s vector search to find the most relevant entries in the database: await Movie.find({})
  .sort({ $vector: { $meta: embedding("Something funny") } })
  .limit(3); Of course, in many cases, vector search on its own isn’t enough, as you might want to combine it with filtering based on other fields in the document. For example, here is how you can find relevant movies similar to the previous example, but only looking at dramas: await Movie.find({ genre: "Drama" })
  .sort({ $vector: { $meta: embedding("Criminals and detectives") } })
  .limit(3); With MongooseJS and Astra DB, you are not limited to simple CRUD operations. You can accompany them with relevancy search using vectors, or even combine the two into powerful hybrid search queries. Getting Started with the JSON API The new JSON API is currently in public preview and is available on Astra DB to anyone who wants to try it out. Follow these three simple steps to get started: Go to and create a vector database. Astra DB Once the database is active, switch to the “Connect” tab, choose “JSON API” as your preferred method, and follow the instructions. Enjoy developing! More details on how to use the JSON API can be found in the documentation. What’s next? By introducing the JSON API, our vision is clear: we want Astra DB to be the first choice for JavaScript developers building AI applications. This is just the beginning — stay tuned for further improvements and additions. Got questions, feedback, or maybe you’re just as excited as we are? Drop us a message at . json- By Val Kulichenko, DataStax Also published here.

Leveraging Astra DB's New JSON API to Build JavaScript-Powered AI Apps

Aprovechando la nueva API JSON de Astra DB para crear aplicaciones de IA basadas en JavaScript

Tirer parti de la nouvelle API JSON d'Astra DB pour créer des applications d'IA basées sur JavaScript

जावास्क्रिप्ट-संचालित एआई ऐप्स बनाने के लिए एस्ट्रा डीबी के नए JSON एपीआई का लाभ उठाना

Astra DB の新しい JSON API を活用して JavaScript ベースの AI アプリを構築

Aproveitando a nova API JSON do Astra DB para criar aplicativos de IA baseados em JavaScript

Tận dụng API JSON mới của Astra DB để xây dựng các ứng dụng AI hỗ trợ JavaScript

利用 Astra DB 的新 JSON API 构建 JavaScript 支持的 AI 应用程序

A look at two databases that have made claims to the Kubernetes native label: TiDB and DataStax Astra DB. The cloud computing revolution has inspired and benefitted from multiple interrelated trends. The availability of self-service, public cloud infrastructure has helped to drive the adoption of microservice architectures and DevOps practices, including automation and observability. The drive toward containerization and container orchestration has led to the widespread adoption of Kubernetes as an environment for managing cloud-native applications. But one of the lagging areas in this revolution has been data and data infrastructure. For too long, data has been something that has lived outside of Kubernetes, leading to a lot of extra effort and complexity for developers in deploying cloud-native applications. One oft-repeated axiom in the early years of Kubernetes was that it was not yet ready for stateful workloads. Thankfully, a major shift has been quietly underway and has reached a point of maturity. The transformation happened slowly initially, beginning with efforts to containerize existing databases. This worked relatively well in small databases that ran on a single compute node, or databases that had been designed in a cloud-native world, like Apache Cassandra and DynamoDB, but challenges remained. Over the past two to three years, a new generation of databases has emerged. These “Kubernetes native” databases have been designed from the ground up to run on this open-source orchestration system. Here, we’ll define the qualities that make a database Kubernetes native and the benefits of adopting a Kubernetes native database. To do that, we’ll look at two databases claiming the Kubernetes native label: TiDB and DataStax Astra DB. Kubernetes Native MySQL with TiDB First, let’s examine a database with a relational emphasis: (short for Titanium Database). TiDB is an open-source system built by PingCAP that provides a and a columnar database to support hybrid transactional and analytic processing (known as HTAP, for short). TiDB MySQL-compatible database As shown in Figure 1 below, TiDB has a microservice design. The TiDB query layer, TiKV MySQL databases, TiFlash columnar databases, Spark nodes, and metadata management are each deployed as scalable microservices in their clusters. This design separates compute-intensive work from storage-intensive work, as the query and database layers are independently scalable. One critical commitment the TiDB creators made was that the database only runs on Kubernetes. Is that enough to make it Kubernetes native? Let’s dig a bit deeper. First, TiDB is deployed and managed by a Kubernetes operator using (CRDs). The TiDB CRDs include the TiDBCluster, which enables you to specify the scaling and configuration of each microservice and how the database layer components use storage through Kubernetes Persistent Volumes. Additional CRDs are used to deploy monitoring tools and manage operational tasks like backup and restore. custom resources that interfaces with the default K8s scheduler to make more application-aware scheduling decisions. This emphasis on using existing Kubernetes capabilities where available is the mark of a Kubernetes native database. TiDB also has an optional scheduler extension Kubernetes Native Cassandra with DataStax Astra DB Now, look at another Kubernetes native database and note some similarities and differences. that was one of the first to claim to be cloud native, but what does it look like to deploy Cassandra in Kubernetes? is a highly scalable NoSQL database Cassandra that has been factored into microservices, as shown in Figure 2. is a version of Cassandra DataStax Astra DB Like TiDB, the database includes microservices concerned with query processing and data storage, as well as services for identity and access control, data repair, and backup/restore. The data services are particularly interesting in their use of , with Kubernetes Persistent Volumes used only for caching and object storage used for longer-term persistence. Separating compaction into its service enables this compute-intensive processing to happen in the background without affecting the performance of data services serving read and write traffic. storage Astra DB is offered as a managed service available in multiple cloud regions. Each region contains a data plane consisting of the services mentioned above, managed by a Kubernetes operator, as well as infrastructure services, including the stack for observability and for metadata management. Kube-Promethus etcd The data planes are managed by a control plane that can run in one or more clouds to manage customer accounts and databases and provision Kubernetes clusters in new regions. in which multiple user databases can share the same microservices and supporting infrastructure, lowering unit economics for smaller-scale users. One novel aspect of Astra DB is its multi-tenant architecture As users grow their applications, they can move to dedicated resources to achieve optimal performance at scale, all on a “ ” basis. pay-as-you-go Kubernetes Native Database Principles Based on our observations of TiDB and Astra DB, we can derive some ideas of what makes a database Kubernetes native. Many of these correspond to a list of principles for cloud-native data, which I described in an : earlier article First, a database broken into constituent microservices enables each service to be scaled independently. Some types of compute-intensive processing may even be scaled to zero for a true serverless solution, especially when combined with a multitenant design. Composable microservice architecture: Microservices composed of a Kubernetes native database should make maximum usage of Kubernetes APIs for managing the fundamental resources of cloud-native applications: compute resources such as , Kubernetes ingress and services for exposing network access to data and more. This includes leveraging capabilities already present in Kubernetes, such as etcd for metadata management, instead of bringing along components with duplicative functionality. Treat compute, network, and storage as commodities: StatefulSets and deployments for managing workloads, the Persistent Volume subsystem for storage Following common patterns for Kubernetes applications will yield multiple operational benefits, for example, . By default, Kubernetes itself sets a great example that databases should follow for how to be secure: using Kubernetes Secrets to distribute security credentials, only exposing ports as needed, and so on. Leverage Kubernetes best practices: exposing liveness and readiness checks on each microservice to help availability and exposing metrics via the Prometheus PromQL API for observability A Kubernetes native database should embody the Kubernetes principles of declarative management via operators and custom resources, rather than relying on legacy database management UIs and CLIs. When necessary, . The goal is a clean separation of data plane functionality (managing data) from control plane functionality (managing the database). Declarative management via operators: Kubernetes extension points, such as scheduler extensions, can be used to add application-specific behavior Databases and other data infrastructures that faithfully adopt these principles will yield benefits, including a , lower operational complexity resulting in faster time to market, and standards-compliant solutions meeting today’s high availability and security demands. high performance for optimal cost at all scales The Future of Kubernetes Native Data Infrastructure Much progress is still to be made, and it’s not limited to databases alone. Kubernetes native principles can be applied to other types of data infrastructure, including streaming, analytics, and machine learning. Kubernetes native solutions will continue to make strides in multicluster and multi-cloud deployments to scale globally and will adopt multitenancy and serverless principles for better cost optimization. Kubernetes itself has room for improvement in adding more flexibility to StatefulSets and support for multicluster federation. The key to continued progress is open collaboration. The is a highly active group of data geeks bringing together builders of data-intensive applications and the infrastructure that supports them. Data on Kubernetes Community Join us to talk about ideas like developing reusable operators that can manage multiple databases or defining a common set of CRDs for concepts like backup/restore and data loading. Together we’ll continue to push the horizon of cloud computing for the benefit of all. Learn more about Kassandra native databases and more at the digital summit on March 14, 2023. Cassandra Forward This article is based on Chapter 7, “The Kubernetes Native Database,” from the O’Reilly book “ Managing Cloud Native Data on Kubernetes ” by Jeff Carpenter and Patrick McFadin. [ By Jeff Carpenter, DataStax Jeff Carpenter has worked as a software engineer and architect in multiple industries and as a developer advocate at DataStax, helping engineers succeed with Apache Cassandra. He's involved in multiple open source projects in the Cassandra and Kubernetes ecosystems, including Stargate and K8ssandra. He is co-author of the O’Reilly books "Cassandra: The Definitive Guide" and "Managing Cloud Native Data on Kubernetes."

Kubernetes-Native Database: TiDB Vs. DataStax Astra DB

Base de datos nativa de Kubernetes: TiDB vs. Base de datos DataStax Astra

Base de données native Kubernetes : TiDB Vs. DataStax Astra DB

कुबेरनेट्स-नेटिव डेटाबेस: TiDB बनाम। डेटास्टैक्स एस्ट्रा डीबी

Kubernetes ネイティブ データベース: TiDB Vs. DataStax アストラ DB

Banco de dados nativo do Kubernetes: TiDB vs. Data Stax Astra DB

Cơ sở dữ liệu gốc Kubernetes: TiDB Vs. DataStax Astra DB

Kubernetes 原生数据库：TiDB 对比。 DataStax Astra 数据库

HOW I BECAME A LONDON STUDENT AND WENT ASTRAY

Compliance Comes to The Metaverse with Compliance Hub Astra Protocol, a legal and compliance protocol layer that provides unparalleled security to public blockchains, announced the launch of a Compliance Hub in The Sandbox virtual environment. The new Compliance Hub provides a decentralized compliance layer to metaverse users, including Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) features. The protocol uses its unique technology and the experience of reputable law firms to handle on-chain compliance challenges. Astra’s new Compliance Hub seeks to make Metaverse’s developing frontier safer for all parties. To deliver the finest KYC/AML services available, it has built a unique decentralized legal network (DLN) that includes all of the top worldwide legal and audit companies. The DLN consists of 195 nations, ensuring that rules can be satisfied practically everywhere on the planet. Users in the Metaverse may go to Compliance Hub, link to its DLN, get accredited, and acquire a non-transferable NFT that enables them privileged access to otherwise inaccessible special events. This whitelisting procedure ensures that after a user’s identification has been validated, they may participate in all of the exciting metaverse events without fear of their identity being compromised. Astra’s services help consumers overcome identification problems while safeguarding them from fraudulent accounts. Jez Ali, the founder of Astra Protocol, said: The future of metaverse development will be a long-lasting and innovative mission which has already shown incredible growth and is an exciting area of Web3. By deploying the first Compliance Hub in the metaverse, we can support this growth by adding a layer of protection for users across the world. Since it boasts some of the most desired and intriguing sites, Astra Protocol picked The Sandbox for its Compliance Hub. Most people go to find new immersive experiences and methods to communicate with one another. There is fierce competition for The Sandbox locales, with just 166,464 distinct plots of land available. The Sandbox is a virtual environment built on Ethereum that allows users to create, control, and monetize online hangout areas and gaming experiences. The Rise and Rise of Metaverse in 2022 If the previous century was marked by mass manufacturing and the advent of the Internet, the twenty-first century may be remembered for the creation and spread of the virtual world, or Metaverse, which promises to be more immersive, interactive, and collaborative than the Internet has yet to achieve. Despite the grandiose expectations and promises made by many entrepreneurs experimenting in this field, it has become abundantly evident that Blockchain technology will underlie the Metaverse and help establish a sustainable environment for all its participants. While it is not unreasonable to believe that the Metaverse will influence traditional vocations or activities that are fairly commonplace now, its impact on society and how people interact with one another will be significant. Using crypto tokens issued by companies supporting these virtual connections, consumers will be able to buy digital avatars, virtual land, and even organize a party for loved ones. Artists will perform in the Metaverse, get paid in cryptocurrency, and then trade their winnings for tangible items. The extension of the Metaverse will increase the amount of value that can be unlocked, leading to a fast expansion of the global economy. Today, a fledgling form of the Metaverse exists, with digital products like Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) reflecting popular art and digital relics attracting investors and crypto enthusiasts alike. With major players like Facebook, or Meta as it’s now known, entering this space and boldly signalling that the Metaverse is the new future, it’s only a matter of time before other entities follow suit, resulting in an exponential expansion of the Metaverse’s boundaries and unlocking vast amounts of value previously unknown to consumers and investors. Catch all the breaking news, and Don’t forget to like the story!

Astra Protocol Brings Decentralized Compliance to Sandbox's Metaverse by Setting up Compliance Hub

46% of Americans don't have $400 in savings. Gil Akos is helping people eliminate debt and grow savings with Astra. Davis Baer : What’s Astra and how long have you been working on it? is a mobile app that helps you manage your money and set funds aside for your savings goals — automatically. You connect all of your bank and credit card accounts, input your goals, and create the rules to fund them. Astra does the rest for you! Gil Akos : Astra The origins of our company go back . My co-founder, Sam and I, were building one-off financial models for ourselves and our respective companies. We saw the impact that predictive financial tools could have across these diverse scenarios so we decided consumers should have the same power to reach their financial goals. three years Astra for iOS What’s your background? I have a graduate and postgraduate degree in Architecture (of atoms, not bits). It’s a great field because it is both creative and technical but still building mobile consumer apps for personal finance is… a bit of a hard tack. Actually, there are a lot of similarities though: the intersection of design, experience, and code; complexities that need to come together in an effective manner; and abstract models (3D vs Financial) that we can develop and deploy to achieve our objectives. My love of technology goes way back to my NES and then the Apple IIe my family was given by a friend when I was about 8. Fast forward to Architecture School at the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!) where I got really into 3D modeling. I just thought it was so cool that I could define geometry and then parametric systems of geometry, render them, have a look, update the system, and repeat the process. I couldn’t get enough of it, so I continued studying generative and parametric systems at Columbia. I ended up learning 5 programming languages in one semester and I’ve been programming ever since. 🤓 How does that experience get you to Astra? After Columbia, I co-founded — a consultancy that offers design technology services for other creative organizations. We were fortunate enough to work with some really cool companies like Harry’s, developing high-performance design tools and organization-wide technology platforms. It was a lot of fun! Mode Lab A data-driven functional texture for the Truman razor handle | Mode Lab We were entirely bootstrapped and ran the company on cash. As anyone offering services or working freelance will tell you, revenue is lumpy and really varies month to month. We wanted to grow our business and we couldn’t find any financial tools to help, so I started building in Excel to plan for various scenarios and pull different levers to see the effect. It worked well enough that I felt everyone should have access to powerful tools like that! financial models What motivated you to get started with your company? Sam and I both saw what financial models could do and we shared a similar experience of living in New York City as young professionals. Similar to the Bay Area, the cost of living really weighs on your checking account balance from month to month. Add in some student loans and your free cash flow is really stretched. We felt that pain directly. Even in 2015 with a ton of new fintech apps out there, we still couldn’t find anything that made managing your money easier and smarter. And when we started researching the macroeconomic trends in consumer finance, we were shocked by the stats: 46% of Americans don’t have $400 saved; those under 30 have a -2% savings rate; and the average American pays $320 per year in bank fees. At that point, we decided we just HAD to work on this problem. | Data: Non-Housing Debt Balances Center for Microeconomic Data What went into building the initial product? Initially, we were just trying to learn whether we could consume financial data and render the results in a secure and personalized format. We designed a couple of apps and gathered feedback on early prototypes and click through demos. This was great for feedback but we really felt it had to make something that worked with real data, so we built a web app and integrated the service with . That brought us a couple hundred users and the detailed feedback we needed — that seeing the info was great, but what they really wanted was for the info to something. Plaid do We started building the current product in January and ran our Invision prototypes through a series of user studies. was a crucial tool early on because we were able to get unbiased feedback from strangers and enough data points to see trends in what they were telling us. We iterated on this process and began development in parallel to building an audience with . From start to finish, it took 8 months and we officially launched on August 14th. 🚀 Erlibird Ship by Product Hunt How have you attracted users and grown your company? In our early days, we sought every means to get direct feedback from potential users. We had an online survey and we even lugged $1,000 in dollar coins to TechCrunch Disrupt. “Take a survey, get a dollar!” It’s actually funny how small that pile of coins was and how we couldn’t give them all away. But it was worth it. More recently we’ve relied heavily on Ship and the community of there to grow our audience. Last month we were admitted to which also has a great existing community of engaged, tech-savvy early adopters. And we’ve used it as an opportunity to . Ship, Makers, and Startup School have been great but it’d be misleading to say that our progress so far hasn’t included plain old email. So. Many. Emails. ✉️ Makers Y Combinator’s Startup School share our progress publicly What’s your business model? The Astra for iOS app is our first true MVP. We really wanted to make sure that we had product-market fit and our mission is to empower users to save more, which is a really big problem, so the app is free to use. We plan to offer a premium subscription, like Robinhood Gold, that unlocks additional features. But now we are focused on improving the product and growing our user base, so we can continue to learn what would make Astra something everybody loves to use. What are your key growth metrics? We measure monthly active users (who are verified and can execute transfers) as our top line growth metric. Since we launched in August, we are growing our MAUs 30% week over week. We also track registered users, bank accounts connected, transfer volume, and total amount saved in a dashboard we built. We just crossed the below thresholds and are particularly proud that our initial users are on track to save $600 per year on average: 50 MAUs 200 Registered users 250 Bank accounts connected $12,000 Transfer volume $2,500 Saved Astra’s Admin Dashboard What are your goals for the future? Near-term, we will continue to build features that our users love. We are working on more transfer “action” types, like a periodic sweep and transaction roundups. And we want these features to continue to make Astra smarter. For instance, a user might want to save $20 a week on Fridays, but our financial lives are dynamic and change from week to week. In one month, a more optimal series of transfer amounts might be $20 on week one, $18 on week two, $24, then $21. That’s net $3 for the month. Might not seem like a lot but it’s ~4% and those incremental optimizations can compound over time. Long term, we want to expand from our initial focus on savings and account-to-account transfers to the other complementary aspects of our financial lives. Paying down debt and bills are the other side of the same coin and we could use more intelligent tools to manage them effectively too. What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced and the obstacles you’ve overcome? If you had to start over, what would you do differently? Developing a consumer fintech app that is secure and minimizes the friction in the sign-up process is hard as hell and it’s resource intensive. The development cycles are longer than most and there are a ton of logistical and regulatory hurdles. Dennis Mortensen’s description of “ ” rings true for us. Anti-lean startups Our biggest singular challenge has been matching technical skills to the need to iterate quickly. For the beta web app, we built last year we relied on a lot of outside talent, thinking that we could optimize our contributors for skill. I was working on our deep learning research while other team members chipped away at things I was less familiar with like React. In retrospect and ever since I believe you should always default to optimizing for speed. That meant learning full-stack dev for mobile, so I learned React Native so we could move faster and increase our rate of learning overall. Have you found anything particularly helpful or advantageous? — They are the fastest way to dig into a skill set and get to apply what you’ve learned. Udacity’s Nanodegrees — A great external framework for pushing your growth trajectory, plus the lectures are free for anyone to watch. YC Startup School — Very powerful for responding to user questions, qualifying leads, and building a help center, and their publications are super useful. Intercom — The best tactical guidebook for startup founders that I’ve found. Best! High Growth Handbook — Because of “ ” I go back to this book every 3–6 months. The Hard Thing About Hard Things The Struggle, What’s your advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out? The most valuable, and most infrequently glamorized, qualities for a founder are persistence and balance: “Don’t Punk Out and Don’t Quit.” — Ben Horowitz I like grit too, but in my opinion, persistence and balance are what you really need. The key part that isn’t shared frequently is that you have to set yourself up to succeed — in persisting. Long hours and are often required but you need balance too. Will working 16 hour days every day allow you to keep pushing after doing that for 6 months? It took us 3 years just to get here. doing things that don’t scale Where can we go to learn more? You can learn more about Astra at our or you can check out the Astra app on the . And you can say hi to me via or . website App Store Twitter email This interview is brought to you by , a tool to schedule and automatically repeat your posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google My Business OneUp

Founder Interviews: Gil Akos of Astra

I actually planned and wanted to write a story about the Joker 2.0 movie, but as Elon Musk Xed himself, some memes/stories write themselves: So, here we are. The gloves are off, or it’s better to say, a mask is off. This is not my first story about Elon Musk on HackerNoon. And, it’s not going to be the last. Elon Musk saying at the Butler Rally that this would be the ‘Last Election’ if Trump loses, is just like me writing that this is the most important story in tech history, and if it’s not the top story it’d be my last. So, let’s just chill. OK? I look back and realize that my stories about Elon were more about profiling than writing. That’s why I’m not surprised at all. Why did he do it? Who? Joaquin Phoenix or Elon Musk? Joaquin ‘Commodus’ Phoenix pissed on his Oscar by appearing in Joker 2 for the money. “He was paid a whopping $20 million upfront.” Trump’s rally in Butler turned out to be a musical just like “Joker: Folie à Deux,” but Elon X Musk didn’t do it for the money. Once you have fuck-you-money, you don’t need money. Trump shared a nice and convenient story about his rich friend and how he helped him get a sit at the table of some prestigious restaurant or something by the power of his voice before making an intro for Elon before the Xtatic crowd in Butler. Trump Blinks, Here Comes A Fleet of Starlinks No Trump. No Internet for Hurricane Helene victims. Am I right? Because He called Elon, and not the other way around. Let’s say I’m being too harsh with the whole Starlink thing. The man who has once been bitten by the snake fears every piece of rope (Chinese proverb). I still remember what I wrote about Elon and a Ukrainian government official. What I do not remember is how, when, and why Starlink in Ukraine got to a ‘now you see me, now you don't situation’. I mean, it’s a long way from “some” Ukrainian official and Kim Dotcom to Trump, isn’t it? Nah, Elon, you ain’t damned, you’re just being pragmatic as always. I can only imagine the MAGA MEGA “lengths” to which the small city of Bastrop would go to help the new X’s HQ. Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Thus Spoke Musk, Per Aspera Ad Astra I’m not an American, but I realize that Musk already has his own version of the “Plan B:” So, my dear friends and readers in America, “if Trump is NOT elected,” pack your bags because you’re going to Mars. You are damned if he’s elected, you are damned if he’s not elected, so both Elon and I guess, you’re just damned. People can lose their minds when they flip sides. I’m just sayin’. “Within the context of American politics, Musk has said he supported Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Donald Trump in 2024.” “Liz Cheney warns Trump will never leave office if he's elected president again. Asked if she believed Trump would try to stay in power forever, Cheney said, Absolutely.” Hear, hear! Musk won’t decide who’s going to be the 47th President of the United States, but Trump will definitely decide who’s going to be the 48th President. Lemme give you a hint. He’s a huge LOTR fan and he read all of Asimov’s “Foundation” books. I actually planned and wanted to write a story about the Joker 2.0 movie, but as Elon Musk Xed himself, some memes/stories write themselves: So, here we are. The gloves are off, or it’s better to say, a mask is off. This is not my first story about Elon Musk on HackerNoon. And, it’s not going to be the last. Elon Musk saying at the Butler Rally that this would be the ‘Last Election’ if Trump loses , is just like me writing that this is the most important story in tech history, and if it’s not the top story it’d be my last. So, let’s just chill. OK? the ‘Last Election’ if Trump loses I look back and realize that my stories about Elon were more about profiling than writing. That’s why I’m not surprised at all. Why did he do it? Who? Joaquin Phoenix or Elon Musk? Joaquin ‘Commodus’ Phoenix pissed on his Oscar by appearing in Joker 2 for the money. “He was paid a whopping $20 million upfront .” Trump’s rally in Butler turned out to be a musical just like “Joker: Folie à Deux,” but Elon X Musk didn’t do it for the money. Once you have fuck-you-money, you don’t need money. Trump shared a nice and convenient story about his rich friend and how he helped him get a sit at the table of some prestigious restaurant or something by the power of his voice before making an intro for Elon before the Xtatic crowd in Butler. $20 million upfront $20 million upfront Trump Blinks, Here Comes A Fleet of Starlinks No Trump. No Internet for Hurricane Helene victims. Am I right? Because He called Elon, and not the other way around. Let’s say I’m being too harsh with the whole Starlink thing. The man who has once been bitten by the snake fears every piece of rope (Chinese proverb). I still remember what I wrote about Elon and a Ukrainian government official . Elon and a Ukrainian government official What I do not remember is how, when, and why Starlink in Ukraine got to a ‘now you see me, now you don't situation’. I mean, it’s a long way from “some” Ukrainian official and Kim Dotcom to Trump, isn’t it? Kim Dotcom Nah, Elon, you ain’t damned, you’re just being pragmatic as always. being pragmatic I can only imagine the MAGA MEGA “lengths” to which the small city of Bastrop would go to help the new X’s HQ . the new X’s HQ Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Thus Spoke Musk, Per Aspera Ad Astra I’m not an American, but I realize that Musk already has his own version of the “Plan B:” So, my dear friends and readers in America, “if Trump is NOT elected,” pack your bags because you’re going to Mars. You are damned if he’s elected, you are damned if he’s not elected, so both Elon and I guess, you’re just damned. People can lose their minds when they flip sides. I’m just sayin’. “Within the context of American politics, Musk has said he supported Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Donald Trump in 2024.” Musk has said he supported Barack Obama “Liz Cheney warns Trump will never leave office if he's elected president again. Asked if she believed Trump would try to stay in power forever, Cheney said, Absolutely.” Trump will never leave office Hear, hear! Musk won’t decide who’s going to be the 47th President of the United States , but Trump will definitely decide who’s going to be the 48th President. Lemme give you a hint. He’s a huge LOTR fan and he read all of Asimov’s “Foundation” books. the 47th President of the United States

Elon Musk SPQR - Starlink Populus Que Republicanus 

Why Smart Committed Couples Have an "Open Phone" Policy

What a difference one presidential mandate makes, 35,064 little hours. You see, I didn’t ask how the outcome of the 2024 presidential election would impact the Bitcoin price. This time, the tables have turned. Bitcoin has become a legit voter. Its voting power is undeniable. If one golden retriever can influence the second presidential debate, then imagine what the Bitcoin voting machine can do. This story is unbiased because I don’t have a horse in this race. My dreams of the first true crypto president died when I wrote A Requiem for John David McAfee. But, in the meantime, you can hardly find someone who is referring to the crypto voters as ‘so-called,’ although the quotation marks are still being used. What About CryptoBros? Where Their Money Goes? According to an analysis by Public Citizen, nearly half of all corporate money during this election cycle is coming from the crypto industry. Data provided to The New Republic from Open Secrets adds some staggering details: Crypto companies have spent over $121 million to sway elections during this cycle. By comparison, since the Citizens United ruling in 2010, the fossil fuel industry has collectively spent $176 million over 14 years of election cycles. You can look at these numbers and call it a day because you believe you know how the whole election game is going to play (out). But, these aren’t the only numbers worthy of our attention. What about the Bitcoin price history? It speaks volumes, doesn’t it? Trump already made a bold promise to turn the U.S. into the “crypto capital of the planet.” It seems that his NFT trading cards weren’t convincing enough. So, there’s more. He also plans to launch a crypto platform under the name World Liberty Financial, which will be run by his sons Eric and Donald Jr. That’s nice, but the timing is a bit very convenient. His speech will come 50 days before Election Day, an extraordinary use of dwindling campaign time to promote a personal business. The Republican former president has long mixed his political and business interests and marketed sneakers, photo books and Trump-branded Bibles during his 2024 campaign. The latest of Trump’s ‘pledges of crypto allegiance,’ most definitely not the last, “have begun to rattle some of Trump’s allies within the crypto world. They’re warning that his family should shelve a project that they say creates unnecessary political risks and reflects poorly on the industry. The drama illustrates the risks associated with Trump’s growing embrace of the crypto community, which he’s promised to give a sweeping set of supportive policies if elected. Government watchdogs have also warned the intertwining of politics, policy and the Trump family business poses new conflict of interest.” It would be wrong to think that the CryptoBros are still labeling the Biden administration as being unfriendly to the industry. Yes, there were some troubles in a Democratic crypto paradise when “the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) crackdown on the industry began about two years ago, following the collapse of FTX, the world’s third-largest crypto exchange at the time. The SEC responded by hitting top crypto firms with a wave of lawsuits, accusing them of bypassing fundamental investor protections.” You should know that “in August, industry executives met with Harris’s team in a conference call organized by Representative Ro Khanna, who has received nearly $250,000 in political donations from industry; only Gillibrand has received more cash from crypto, according to data provided to TNR from Open Secrets. Harris has been endorsed by Ron Conway and Chris Larsen, the co-founder of Ripple.” Let’s Stay on Bitcoin’s Path and Do The Math It’s easy to go astray when analyzing crypto’s role in the 2024 presidential election. Bitcoin isn’t the only crypto elephant in the election room, but it’s the biggest and most influential by far. So, let’s stick to it. All predictions and news headlines are wild and contradictory at the same time. That’s how you end up with a headline like this: “A Trump victory could send bitcoin to $125,000, but new records are likely no matter who wins election, says Standard Chartered.” But then, almost at the same time, you get hit by this one: “Bitcoin price fell as the presidential debate began. The price of bitcoin began falling during the U.S. presidential debate Tuesday night, losing almost 4% by the time it hit a low Wednesday morning.” Then, there’s a respectably influential community, I like to call “regardless investors.” Some of them made these very strong “regardless” arguments, such as this one: “Do I think we’ll be in the six figures by 2025? Almost certainly. Do I think we’ll be in the six figures regardless of who wins? Almost certainly,” said Steven Lubka, head of private clients and family offices at Swan Bitcoin. “Bitcoin has always been an investment that is rooted more in the fiscal and monetary profile of countries, sovereigns and the United States. Neither candidate changes that.” I also stumble upon another one that wants to make sure that neither candidate really means neither: “Fears that a Kamala Harris presidency would somehow limit the price of bitcoin or drive it lower are overblown,” said James Davies, co-founder at crypto trading platform Crypto Valley Exchange. “Some of our communities … have become echo chambers and are convinced the sky will fall if one side or the other wins. The truth is that the market is robust, not centered on the U.S., and hasn’t reacted negatively to major events from either side.” So, Bitcoin has no reason to be restless because of “regardless?” Right? Well, it’s not that simple. Bitcoin, Do Not Worry About Elections, Beware of Emotions! It would be naive to think that the crypto community is monolithic when it comes to politics, including its biggest Bitcoin tribe. “Politico” is warning us about “crypto’s civil war over the 2024 elections:” Democratic crypto lobbyists, executives and investors say the industry is at risk of leaning too far right as its leaders come out in force for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who is promising policies that would boost digital asset firms. Their Republican counterparts say engaging with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and backing her party’s down-ballot candidates risks isolating long-time allies in the GOP, with little to no guarantee it will pay off. Perhaps, it would’ve been better for Bitcoin to stay away from this presidential election cycle, but with so much money already involved, so many promises already given, and expectations sky-high, I’m afraid it’s too late. What’s even worse, I’m afraid that the Bitcoin community will never be the same after the 47th President of the United States is officially inaugurated. It’s not the “crypto civil war” that I’m worried about, but the endless blaming game if the Bitcoin price stops climbing up after January 2025. So far, one thing about Bitcoin has always been true, it’s neither red nor blue. The 2024 presidential election can change that for good. The speculation and headlines have begun: Could November be “the Bitcoin Election”? Remember, remember, the 5th of November, Bitcoin, fiat treason and inflation plot. I see no reason Why Bitcoin 2024 election season Should ever be forgot. What a difference one presidential mandate makes, 35,064 little hours. You see, I didn’t ask how the outcome of the 2024 presidential election would impact the Bitcoin price. This time, the tables have turned. Bitcoin has become a legit voter. Its voting power is undeniable. If one golden retriever can influence the second presidential debate , then imagine what the Bitcoin voting machine can do. the second presidential debate This story is unbiased because I don’t have a horse in this race. My dreams of the first true crypto president died when I wrote A Requiem for John David McAfee . But, in the meantime, you can hardly find someone who is referring to the crypto voters as ‘so-called,’ although t he quotation marks are still being used . A Requiem for John David McAfee he quotation marks are still being used What About CryptoBros? Where Their Money Goes? According to an analysis by Public Citizen, nearly half of all corporate money during this election cycle is coming from the crypto industry. Data provided to The New Republic from Open Secrets adds some staggering details: Crypto companies have spent over $121 million to sway elections during this cycle. By comparison, since the Citizens United ruling in 2010, the fossil fuel industry has collectively spent $176 million over 14 years of election cycles. According to an analysis by Public Citizen, nearly half of all corporate money during this election cycle is coming from the crypto industry . Data provided to The New Republic from Open Secrets adds some staggering details: Crypto companies have spent over $121 million to sway elections during this cycle . By comparison, since the Citizens United ruling in 2010, the fossil fuel industry has collectively spent $176 million over 14 years of election cycles . Public Citizen, Public Citizen, nearly half of all corporate money during this election cycle is coming from the crypto industry The New Republic The New Republic Crypto companies have spent over $121 million to sway elections during this cycle Citizens United the fossil fuel industry has collectively spent $176 million over 14 years of election cycles You can look at these numbers and call it a day because you believe you know how the whole election game is going to play (out). But, these aren’t the only numbers worthy of our attention. What about the Bitcoin price history? It speaks volumes, doesn’t it? Trump already made a bold promise to turn the U.S. into the “ crypto capital of the planet .” It seems that his NFT trading cards weren’t convincing enough. So, there’s more. He also plans to launch a crypto platform under the name World Liberty Financial , which will be run by his sons Eric and Donald Jr. That’s nice, but the timing is a bit very convenient. crypto capital of the planet crypto capital of the planet World Liberty Financial World Liberty Financial His speech will come 50 days before Election Day, an extraordinary use of dwindling campaign time to promote a personal business. The Republican former president has long mixed his political and business interests and marketed sneakers, photo books and Trump-branded Bibles during his 2024 campaign. His speech will come 50 days before Election Day , an extraordinary use of dwindling campaign time to promote a personal business. The Republican former president has long mixed his political and business interests and marketed sneakers, photo books and Trump-branded Bibles during his 2024 campaign. 50 days before Election Day mixed his political and business interests The latest of Trump’s ‘pledges of crypto allegiance,’ most definitely not the last, “have begun to rattle some of Trump’s allies within the crypto world. They’re warning that his family should shelve a project that they say creates unnecessary political risks and reflects poorly on the industry. The drama illustrates the risks associated with Trump’s growing embrace of the crypto community , which he’s promised to give a sweeping set of supportive policies if elected. Government watchdogs have also warned the intertwining of politics, policy and the Trump family business poses new conflict of interest.” the risks associated with Trump’s growing embrace of the crypto community It would be wrong to think that the CryptoBros are still labeling the Biden administration as being unfriendly to the industry. Yes, there were some troubles in a Democratic crypto paradise when “the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) crackdown on the industry began about two years ago, following the collapse of FTX, the world’s third-largest crypto exchange at the time. The SEC responded by hitting top crypto firms with a wave of lawsuits, accusing them of bypassing fundamental investor protections.” crackdown on the industry You should know that “in August, industry executives met with Harris’s team in a conference call organized by Representative Ro Khanna, who has received nearly $250,000 in political donations from industry; only Gillibrand has received more cash from crypto, according to data provided to TNR from Open Secrets . Harris has been endorsed by Ron Conway and Chris Larsen, the co-founder of Ripple.” met with met with according to data provided to TNR from Open Secrets Let’s Stay on Bitcoin’s Path and Do The Math It’s easy to go astray when analyzing crypto’s role in the 2024 presidential election. Bitcoin isn’t the only crypto elephant in the election room, but it’s the biggest and most influential by far. So, let’s stick to it. All predictions and news headlines are wild and contradictory at the same time. That’s how you end up with a headline like this: “A Trump victory could send bitcoin to $125,000 , but new records are likely no matter who wins election, says Standard Chartered.” But then, almost at the same time, you get hit by this one: “ Bitcoin price fell as the presidential debate began . The price of bitcoin began falling during the U.S. presidential debate Tuesday night, losing almost 4% by the time it hit a low Wednesday morning.” Trump victory could send bitcoin to $125,000 Bitcoin price fell as the presidential debate began price of bitcoin Then, there’s a respectably influential community, I like to call “regardless investors.” Some of them made these very strong “regardless” arguments, such as this one: “Do I think we’ll be in the six figures by 2025? Almost certainly. Do I think we’ll be in the six figures regardless of who wins? Almost certainly,” said Steven Lubka, head of private clients and family offices at Swan Bitcoin. “Bitcoin has always been an investment that is rooted more in the fiscal and monetary profile of countries, sovereigns and the United States. Neither candidate changes that.” “Do I think we’ll be in the six figures by 2025? Almost certainly. Do I think we’ll be in the six figures regardless of who wins ? Almost certainly,” said Steven Lubka, head of private clients and family offices at Swan Bitcoin . “Bitcoin has always been an investment that is rooted more in the fiscal and monetary profile of countries , sovereigns and the United States. Neither candidate changes that .” regardless of who wins said Steven Lubka, head of private clients and family offices at Swan Bitcoin an investment that is rooted more in the fiscal and monetary profile of countries Neither candidate changes that I also stumble upon another one that wants to make sure that neither candidate really means neither: “Fears that a Kamala Harris presidency would somehow limit the price of bitcoin or drive it lower are overblown,” said James Davies, co-founder at crypto trading platform Crypto Valley Exchange. “Some of our communities … have become echo chambers and are convinced the sky will fall if one side or the other wins. The truth is that the market is robust, not centered on the U.S., and hasn’t reacted negatively to major events from either side.” “Fears that a Kamala Harris presidency would somehow limit the price of bitcoin or drive it lower are overblown,” said James Davies, co-founder at crypto trading platform Crypto Valley Exchange . “Some of our communities … have become echo chambers and are convinced the sky will fall if one side or the other wins. The truth is that the market is robust, not centered on the U.S., and hasn’t reacted negatively to major events from either side.” said James Davies, co-founder at crypto trading platform Crypto Valley Exchange So, Bitcoin has no reason to be restless because of “regardless?” Right? Well, it’s not that simple. Bitcoin, Do Not Worry About Elections, Beware of Emotions! It would be naive to think that the crypto community is monolithic when it comes to politics, including its biggest Bitcoin tribe. “Politico” is warning us about “ crypto’s civil war over the 2024 elections :” crypto’s civil war over the 2024 elections Democratic crypto lobbyists, executives and investors say the industry is at risk of leaning too far right as its leaders come out in force for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who is promising policies that would boost digital asset firms. Their Republican counterparts say engaging with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and backing her party’s down-ballot candidates risks isolating long-time allies in the GOP, with little to no guarantee it will pay off. Democratic crypto lobbyists, executives and investors say the industry is at risk of leaning too far right as its leaders come out in force for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who is promising policies that would boost digital asset firms. Their Republican counterparts say engaging with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and backing her party’s down-ballot candidates risks isolating long-time allies in the GOP, with little to no guarantee it will pay off. is promising policies Perhaps, it would’ve been better for Bitcoin to stay away from this presidential election cycle, but with so much money already involved, so many promises already given, and expectations sky-high, I’m afraid it’s too late. What’s even worse, I’m afraid that the Bitcoin community will never be the same after the 47th President of the United States is officially inaugurated. It’s not the “crypto civil war” that I’m worried about, but the endless blaming game if the Bitcoin price stops climbing up after January 2025. So far, one thing about Bitcoin has always been true, it’s neither red nor blue. The 2024 presidential election can change that for good. The speculation and headlines have begun: Could November be “the Bitcoin Election”? The speculation and headlines have begun: Could November be “the Bitcoin Election”? The speculation and headlines have begun: Could November be “ the Bitcoin Election ”? the Bitcoin Election Remember, remember, the 5th of November, Bitcoin, fiat treason and inflation plot. I see no reason Why Bitcoin 2024 election season Should ever be forgot.

Who Will Be In Bitcoin's Grace In 2024 Presidential Race?

The rapid growth of AI is transforming many areas of life, including education, with ChatGPT at the forefront of this change. Recently, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, introduced ChatGPT Edu—a tailored version of its flagship AI tool built for universities to “responsibly” deploy AI to students, faculty, researchers, and campus operations. Riding on the success of its ChatGPT Edu in Universities like the University of Oxford, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania(opens in a new window), University of Texas at Austin, Arizona State University(opens in a new window), and Columbia University in the City of New York, ChatGPT edu comes with a lot of promise— one that can help universities integrate AI into every aspect concerning students and faculties. But as always, with every ease comes hardship, and ChatGPT Edu too can be a double-edged sword. But we’ll discuss the downsides a little later. Let’s lead with how ChatGPT Edu can be constructive for higher educational institutions, their students, and faculties. Beginning with the fact that ChatGPT leverages AI, it shouldn’t be a debate that its Edu version can provide faculty members and students with a satisfying level of personalization. By tailoring content and study material as per every student’s need, it can be the silver bullet that universities desperately need. With faculties and mentors grappling with the grueling task of managing the rising number of students in a class, personalization through AI can bring tremendous results for them. The fact that it can identify knowledge gaps and adapt to different learning styles symbolizes hope for the future of academia. AI has always attracted keen minds and ChatGPT Edu, given its inherent character to integrate AI with interactive activities, can make learning more engaging and interactive. Students who are disengaged from routine lectures and other pedagogical processes may find AI’s use in education to be an attractive prospect. This can help keep the students more engaged– a challenge that is commonly observed among students. They are highly disoriented, given the fact that a vast majority of higher educational institutions are still sticking to rote learning practices. Enter ChatGPT Edu, by engaging students in simulated discussions, role-playing scenarios, and critical thinking skills, it can help them stay focused and better oriented, and help suitably streamline their academic priorities. For students with learning disabilities, ChatGPT Edu can be the holy grail. It can offer personalized feedback in various formats, including audio or visual aids, catering to different learning preferences. ChatGPT Edu can also help universities stay clear of the language barriers that often arise when students and faculties of one country inhabit the other. Offering real-time language translation and support can allow students to participate more actively in classroom discussions and access course materials in their preferred language. What’s beyond this is it can also assist in personalized pronunciation practice and real-time feedback, fostering greater confidence and fluency for non-native speakers. The faculty members, moreover, can use the translation feature to ensure all students understand the course material the way they want them to. They can translate lectures, presentations, and handouts, allowing students to follow along and engage more effectively by harnessing the tool properly. We’ll have to see how ChatGPT’s Edu version performs once it is widely circulated in the public domain. For students from diverse backgrounds who face difficulty understanding concepts and things, it can be a big breather as it can translate complex concepts and methods into simpler language. Being able to offer text-to-speech conversion, and the capability to generate visual aids and summaries will surely be a cherry on the cake for both students and faculties alike. Lastly, what seems to be interesting from the faculty’s perspective is that it can offer continued assistance to faculty research. It can certainly help analyze vast amounts of data, generate research hypotheses, and streamline literature reviews, freeing up valuable time for more focused research endeavors. AI in education isn’t a capricious idea anymore. The downsides One of the biggest concerns arising out of the use of AI in educational institutions is there is a chance of students getting too reliant on it for everything. This can have serious repercussions. They can lose touch with realistic teaching pedagogy and become more AI-dependent thereby stepping into that alarming “virtual” zone of learning, where anything without the aid of AI is less understood or best, misunderstood. An equally concerning aspect is the fact it can severely hinder critical thinking and problem-solving skills for a lot of the students. Secondly, it’s believed AI is only as good as the data it's trained on. If that data is biased or fed with wrong inputs, ChatGPT Edu could perpetuate stereotypes or deliver inaccurate information—something which can lead the learner astray, thereby inhibiting the whole learning experience and marring the learning curve. Lastly, overuse of this technology could blur the lines between original and duplicate content (read plagiarism). Rightly so! Plagiarism has been a serious concern for academic institutions, as cases of AI-blended learning have risen over the years. And these concerns of AI and plagiarism are legitly myriad. We’ll have to see how this tailor-made ChatGPT tool can minimize incidents of students and learners plagiarizing content in universities. Summing Up Education offers incredible potential for the application of AI technologies. With the introduction of ChatGPT Edu and its subsequent integration into educational institutions across all research and learning touchpoints, it seems the educational landscape may be in for some unanticipated and enormous change. Nevertheless, learning the tricks of AI-based learning practices and dupery that could be possibly built around it by mala fide learners, can certainly be a solution and shouldn’t be taken for granted. While on one hand, adopting regular audits and data curation practices can help minimize bias and misinformation, on the other, universities can design courses that blend ChatGPT Edu for personalized learning while prioritizing interactive activities and discussions that are likely to produce the maximum output while remaining efficient. With the integration of this innovative tool, learning practices bear a likelihood of showing improved outcomes but it also brings with itself a multitude of vulnerabilities and risks. It just remains to be seen if post its integration with universities on a massive scale, whether it will endanger institutions and recede learning to a dangerous low or will it push towards an academic environment that appears technologically and educationally utopian. The rapid growth of AI is transforming many areas of life, including education, with ChatGPT at the forefront of this change. Recently, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, introduced ChatGPT Edu—a tailored version of its flagship AI tool built for universities to “responsibly” deploy AI to students, faculty, researchers, and campus operations. Riding on the success of its ChatGPT Edu in Universities like the University of Oxford, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania(opens in a new window), University of Texas at Austin, Arizona State University(opens in a new window), and Columbia University in the City of New York, ChatGPT edu comes with a lot of promise— one that can help universities integrate AI into every aspect concerning students and faculties. But as always, with every ease comes hardship, and ChatGPT Edu too can be a double-edged sword. But we’ll discuss the downsides a little later. the success of its ChatGPT Edu in Universities Let’s lead with how ChatGPT Edu can be constructive for higher educational institutions, their students, and faculties. Beginning with the fact that ChatGPT leverages AI , it shouldn’t be a debate that its Edu version can provide faculty members and students with a satisfying level of personalization. By tailoring content and study material as per every student’s need, it can be the silver bullet that universities desperately need. With faculties and mentors grappling with the grueling task of managing the rising number of students in a class, personalization through AI can bring tremendous results for them. The fact that it can identify knowledge gaps and adapt to different learning styles symbolizes hope for the future of academia. ChatGPT leverages AI ChatGPT leverages AI personalization through AI personalization through AI AI has always attracted keen minds and ChatGPT Edu, given its inherent character to integrate AI with interactive activities, can make learning more engaging and interactive. Students who are disengaged from routine lectures and other pedagogical processes may find AI’s use in education to be an attractive prospect. This can help keep the students more engaged– a challenge that is commonly observed among students. They are highly disoriented, given the fact that a vast majority of higher educational institutions are still sticking to rote learning practices. Enter ChatGPT Edu, by engaging students in simulated discussions, role-playing scenarios, and critical thinking skills, it can help them stay focused and better oriented, and help suitably streamline their academic priorities. For students with learning disabilities, ChatGPT Edu can be the holy grail. It can offer personalized feedback in various formats, including audio or visual aids, catering to different learning preferences. ChatGPT Edu can also help universities stay clear of the language barriers that often arise when students and faculties of one country inhabit the other. Offering real-time language translation and support can allow students to participate more actively in classroom discussions and access course materials in their preferred language. What’s beyond this is it can also assist in personalized pronunciation practice and real-time feedback, fostering greater confidence and fluency for non-native speakers. The faculty members, moreover, can use the translation feature to ensure all students understand the course material the way they want them to. They can translate lectures, presentations, and handouts, allowing students to follow along and engage more effectively by harnessing the tool properly. We’ll have to see how ChatGPT’s Edu version performs once it is widely circulated in the public domain. translation feature translation feature For students from diverse backgrounds who face difficulty understanding concepts and things, it can be a big breather as it can translate complex concepts and methods into simpler language. Being able to offer text-to-speech conversion, and the capability to generate visual aids and summaries will surely be a cherry on the cake for both students and faculties alike. Lastly, what seems to be interesting from the faculty’s perspective is that it can offer continued assistance to faculty research. It can certainly help analyze vast amounts of data, generate research hypotheses, and streamline literature reviews, freeing up valuable time for more focused research endeavors. AI in education isn’t a capricious idea anymore. The downsides One of the biggest concerns arising out of the use of AI in educational institutions is there is a chance of students getting too reliant on it for everything. This can have serious repercussions. They can lose touch with realistic teaching pedagogy and become more AI-dependent thereby stepping into that alarming “virtual” zone of learning, where anything without the aid of AI is less understood or best, misunderstood. An equally concerning aspect is the fact it can severely hinder critical thinking and problem-solving skills for a lot of the students. Secondly, it’s believed AI is only as good as the data it's trained on. If that data is biased or fed with wrong inputs, ChatGPT Edu could perpetuate stereotypes or deliver inaccurate information—something which can lead the learner astray, thereby inhibiting the whole learning experience and marring the learning curve. Lastly, overuse of this technology could blur the lines between original and duplicate content (read plagiarism). Rightly so! Plagiarism has been a serious concern for academic institutions, as cases of AI-blended learning have risen over the years. And these concerns of AI and plagiarism are legitly myriad. We’ll have to see how this tailor-made ChatGPT tool can minimize incidents of students and learners plagiarizing content in universities. AI and plagiarism AI and plagiarism Summing Up Education offers incredible potential for the application of AI technologies. With the introduction of ChatGPT Edu and its subsequent integration into educational institutions across all research and learning touchpoints, it seems the educational landscape may be in for some unanticipated and enormous change. incredible potential for the application incredible potential for the application Nevertheless, learning the tricks of AI-based learning practices and dupery that could be possibly built around it by mala fide learners, can certainly be a solution and shouldn’t be taken for granted. While on one hand, adopting regular audits and data curation practices can help minimize bias and misinformation, on the other, universities can design courses that blend ChatGPT Edu for personalized learning while prioritizing interactive activities and discussions that are likely to produce the maximum output while remaining efficient. With the integration of this innovative tool, learning practices bear a likelihood of showing improved outcomes but it also brings with itself a multitude of vulnerabilities and risks. It just remains to be seen if post its integration with universities on a massive scale, whether it will endanger institutions and recede learning to a dangerous low or will it push towards an academic environment that appears technologically and educationally utopian.

Stories, News & Mentions about ASTRA

Astra’s Stories on HackerNoon

Astra's News & Mentions