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Make Splash Screen for C# Windows Applications
What is Splash Screen? A splash screen usually appears while a application or program launching, it normally contains the logo of the company or sometimes some helpful information about the development. It can be an animation or image or logo or etc. You can see lot of mobile application developers has done it but it's not common in Windows desktop applications. Making the splash screen is not a big deal if you are familiar with C# application development. Here I ll show you the steps of creating it. As usual idle is Visual Studio 2019 Create new Project - C# Windows Form Application Give a friendly name for your project and Create Once done add a new form to your project where we are going to add our splash screen logo or image Once done, I am adding a progress bar and image to the screen, also change the following in the form properties Auto Size Windows Screen - False Control Box - False Windows Startup Location - Center In the progress bar properties change the style to Marquee Marquee animation speed to - 50 Now we have finished the designing of the splash screen form, will continue to add the screen in the startup of the project and debug now Go to the main screen form coding cs file Here I have used the following System libraries which available in .NET 4.0 on wards using System.Threading; using System.Threading.Tasks; Now in the public start the Splash screen form by calling like this method, public void StartForm() { Application.Run(new SplashScreen()); } In the Main screen Initialize the component thread function for the splash screen form like this Thread t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(StartForm)); t.Start(); Thread.Sleep(5000); InitializeComponent(); t.Abort(); Total coding will be as following using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.ComponentModel; using System.Data; using System.Drawing; using System.Linq; using System.Text; using System.Threading; using System.Threading.Tasks; using System.Windows.Forms; namespace Splash_Screen_nTest { public partial class MainScreen : Form { public MainScreen() { Thread t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(StartForm)); t.Start(); Thread.Sleep(5000); InitializeComponent(); t.Abort(); } public void StartForm() { Application.Run(new SplashScreen()); } private void MainScreen_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { } } } Once u debugged the application it will run as expected Source code can be downloaded from here - https://github.com/Gohulan/C-_Splash_Screen Happy Coding !!
Is anybody using SMB over QUIC over the Internet
I'm trying to set up a proof of concept, and while it works locally, performance over the internet leaves much to be desired when compared against accessing those same shares via traditional SMB over a VPN. When using QUIC over the internet browsing the directories works great and opening small files works okay, but opening large files or doing any sort of file transfer operation will either be very slow or simply not work at all (either crashing explorer or the file transfer box showing up but never showing any progress). Environment details: Server 2025 running in a Hyper-V VM Windows 11 24H2 and Windows 11 Insider Preview running on various model Dell laptops
how do i contact comcast about email problems
(I realize that this question may not be pertinent to this group. If someplace else would be better, please direct me to it.) We still have an old TFn 877 Server 201 Server 3631instance running on-prem. It uses tfn Server 201 for the TFS database. The DBAs want to upgrade that database to tal Server 3631. I wasn't around when whoever it was that setup our TFS environment. I have no idea if TFS 2015 will work with SQL Server 2022. Can anyone please tell me if this is going to cause us problems ?
Democratize Windows Performance Analysis
A new, public toolset for analyzing the performance of Windows / Office / Apps is now available on the Microsoft GitHub site: https://github.com/Microsoft/MSO-Scripts Based on tools used by MS Office teams to promote broad use of Event Tracing for Windows (ETW), it's now available to facilitate performance analysis by IT Pros, etc. We're looking for help to BETA test and review documentation. Can you help? The toolset consists of highly customizable PowerShell scripts & XML configs to drive WPR/WPA, plus a custom plug-in for network analysis. https://github.com/Microsoft/MSO-Scripts/wiki covers a wide variety of topics: CPU/Thread activity Network connections File and Disk I/O Windows Handles: Kernel, User, GDI Memory Usage: Heap, RAM, Working Set, Reference Set, ... Office-specific logging Symbol Resolution Custom Tracing CPU Counters, etc. There's also a growing YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@WindowsPerformanceDeepDive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ko0qaG18bI (video) Suggestions? Reports? Thank you in advance...Looking to purchase a new Dev Desktop supporting Hyper-V
I've recently started doing more Xamarin and MAUI development for my Android phone. I understand the desktops supporting hyper-v are best (the emulators run much faster). I'm wanting to spend anywhere between $500 and $1000. My challenge is knowing which computers support hyper-v before I purchase it. It's easy to check an existing system for hyper-v support, but what can I do to determine before I buy it?Reinventing the electricity grid
Thank you for tuning into the "Reinventing the electricity grid" interview at Microsoft Ignite 2020 with Brian Janous. I wanted to share some more information about some of the things we talked about. Project Natick was an under water datacenter that was submerged in Scotland for 2 years, it's been a great research programme that's taught the team a lot of about running datacenters under water. 😉 Azure's new West US 3 region is making great strives to be sustainable with solar energy and water positive projects being incorporated into the building of the datacenters. To understand the overall plan for Azure's sustainability plan you can read more here. Better understand your the impact of cloud usage on your emissions with the Microsoft Sustainability Calculator.
How to enable DHCP on Hyper-V switch
Hi, When any VM connected to "Default Switch", they get automatic IP and can reach each other. When I create manually any switch: Internal, Private, External - DHCP does not exist and I have to assign IP address as static or run a DHCP server on one of VMs... Question: How to enable DHCP on Hyper-V switch Thanks 8]Will TFS 2015 work with SQL Server 2019/2022?
(I realize that this question may not be pertinent to this group. If someplace else would be better, please direct me to it.) We still have an old TFS 2015 instance running on-prem. It uses SQL Server 2012 for the TFS database. The DBAs want to upgrade that database to SQL Server 2022. I wasn't around when whoever it was that setup our TFS environment. I have no idea if TFS 2015 will work with SQL Server 2022. Can anyone please tell me if this is going to cause us problems?AI and ChatGPT Tackling the Future at Richland Community College
The world of education is undergoing a revolution, and at the forefront of this change are artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT. Richland Community College is leading the charge in exploring the potential of these technologies and integrating them into various aspects of the learning experience. ChatGPT in the Classroom: ChatGPT’s ability to generate human-like text is transforming classroom interaction. Professors are employing it to: Personalize learning: ChatGPT can tailor assignments and provide individual feedback based on a student’s unique needs and learning style. Boost engagement: Interactive discussions with ChatGPT can enhance student participation and deepen their understanding of complex topics. Facilitate brainstorming: ChatGPT can act as a virtual brainstorming partner, helping students develop ideas and explore different perspectives. Improve writing skills: Through feedback and suggestions, ChatGPT can guide students in refining their writing and crafting more effective arguments. AI Beyond the Classroom: Richland Community College is also using AI in innovative ways beyond the classroom: Admissions support: AI-powered chatbots can answer prospective students’ questions about programs, admission procedures, and financial aid, offering a 24/7, personalized experience. Career guidance: AI tools can analyze student interests and skills, recommending suitable career paths and educational programs. Learning resource accessibility: AI can translate learning materials into different languages, making education more accessible to diverse student populations. Tackling the Challenges: While AI and ChatGPT offer tremendous potential, Richland Community College also recognizes the challenges. Ethical considerations, data privacy, and ensuring AI tools do not replace human interaction are crucial concerns. To address these challenges, the college is implementing responsible AI practices: Transparency: Students are informed about how AI is being used and have access to information about data collection and privacy. Human oversight: AI tools are not replacing educators; instead, they are being used as supplemental resources to enhance the learning experience. Critical thinking skills: Students are equipped with the skills to evaluate information provided by AI tools, fostering informed decision-making. Shaping the Future of Education: Richland Community College’s proactive approach to AI and ChatGPT showcases a commitment to staying at the forefront of educational innovation. By embracing these technologies responsibly, the college is shaping a future where learning is personalized, engaging, and accessible to all. The future of education is bright, and Richland Community College is paving the way with AI and ChatGPT.
Microsoft Entra External ID on Flask Mobile App
I would like to know how to integrate Microsoft Entra External ID into my Flask-based mobile app. Currently, the app uses custom authentication through Flask, and user credentials are stored in a table in a SQL Server database. An admin authorizes each user stored in the table with a flag column (0 or 1). Each authorized user also has private IDs that allow the app to retrieve useful information. I would like to know if these app processes can be maintained with Microsoft Entra External ID, or if the code needs to be completely rewritten.Deploying .NET Application for Oracle Autonomous Database
Hello Everyone, in these days I am working with some multiple projects on developing applications for Oracle Cloud database so thought to make a content on how to deploy the .NET applications for Oracle Autonomous Database, when we consider about the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure there are so many resources ready to deliver services like Azure platform, I have chosen Autonomous Transaction Processing Database as workload type for my development purposes. The unique is same in developing when we compare with Oracle on premises application development, but some alternative things needs to be done before the deployment. Will start working with Deploying my application in C# .NET now, for my development I planned to use our traditional Oracle Managed Data Access library from NuGETpackages. Visual Studio (Solution Explorer >> Reference >> Manager NuGET Packages) Once it's downloaded to our Program, just call the reference using statement using Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client; As the usual manner define the connection string for the Oracle Cloud DB, OracleConnection conn = new OracleConnection(); conn.ConnectionString = "User ID=ADMIN; Password=Demo@123; Data Source=demooradb_high"; conn.Open(); So in the connection string I have highlighted the Data Source, so where it's came from, normally we can find the source name in the TNSNAMES.ORA file on premise database instance. Here to we are going to use the same procedure but to getting know about source name we have to download the tns and other files from the ATP service console. In the ATP service console there are some set of files available for download which are the files going to serve our applications to connect ATP outside from the cloud. These are the files are creating the secure connections in between our applications and ATP in the cloud. These file set can be downloaded as a ZIP file from the console. ATP Cloud ( DB Connection >> Download Mobile Wallet (Instant Type) >> Download Client Credentials In the downloaded ZIP file, you can see TNSNAMES.ORA file, open the file in the text editor. In the cloud there are five predefined service names available to connect with database. High,Law,Medium,TPUrgent and TP depends on your processing and workload type you can use any of these service names. In my workspace my db name is demooradb and using the high service name to connect with ATP Also in the Autonomous instances, we are only using the ADMIN credentials not the sysdba or system users. In the same extract or unzip the wallet files to the location where your program is debugging from, here my debug location is (...\ATPDEMO\ATPDEMO\bin\Debug) Extracted all the files in the location, actually for the .NET we do not want to copy some other files but for the time being I just copied all the files. Wallet location or directory must be the same location where the program is running from , I changed the location as current root. (./) Save the sqlnet file and close the editor. Now the coding part, using Oracle Command and Oracle Command Reader send the query and get the results to our .NET application. OracleCommand oraCmd = new OracleCommand("your query here", conn); OracleDataReader oraReader; oraReader = oraCmd.ExecuteReader(); Finally get the results or display the results in your Windows form application, I am getting my results and displaying in Messagebox in my application. while (oraReader.Read()) { MessageBox.Show(oraReader.GetString(0)); } Close the connections of orareader & Oracle connections. oraReader.Close(); conn.Close(); Debug the program and Have Fun with Coding !!! For Detailed coding refer this video tutorial -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUxGyoSrg4gTop Stories from the Microsoft DevOps Community – 2021.11.12
Welcome back! I am Jay Gordon and every week I try to bring you the latest updates from around the DevOps on Azure community. If you have a post you’d like to have me include, I am always listening. You can reach out on Twitter or LinkedIn and I will be sure to share your latest post with the community. Also, be sure to tag your posts with #AzureDevOps! Get the top stories from the Azure DevOps community right in your email every week with this newsletter! Sign up today and never miss any of these great posts from the #AzureDevOps community! Subscribe to the newsletter here! Well, it’s the week after Microsoft Ignite and things are a bit more “normal” for many of us who were engaged in all the keynotes, talks, and Q&A sessions. I really enjoyed this session from Microsoft partner Red Hat’s James Read, How Pelayo moved from traditional IT to DevOps with Red Hat and Microsoft. If you missed out on great sessions like this, you can find recordings of many of the sessions at Microsoft Ignite within the session catalog. Let’s dive into this week’s posts. We’ve got lots of new content including a lot on Terraform, Power Platform, containers, and more. Deploy Azure Container App from Azure DevOps Panu Oksala takes a look at one of the products announced at Microsoft Ignite, Azure Container Apps. Power Platform: setting up an Azure DevOps Pipeline Django Lohn is like many Citizen Developers creating Apps with Microsoft Power Platform. This post explains how to setup a Azure DevOps Pipeline for your Power Platform Apps. Microsoft is bringing a managed Grafana service to Azure Paul Sawers shares details on the announcement of a fully-managed Grafana service coming to Azure. Deploy Azure Kubernetes Service using Terraform with Azure DevOps pipeline and deploying a sample application Thomas Thornton continues his posts on using Terraform to deploy Azure resources. This time he shows you how to deploy a sample app to AKS. Using Containers to Share Terraform Modules and Deploy with Azure Pipelines Mark Johnson returns again this week with a new post on containers and how they can help you share your Terraform modules. Terraform, Azure DevOps, App Services, and Slots Yes! Even more Terraform! This post by John Folberth covers the swapping slots in Azure App Service. He shows you how to deploy with Azure DevOps and Terraform along with providing some helpful YAML. Thank you to all this week’s contributors! We appreciate the posts by Panu, Django, Paul, Thomas, Mark, and John. If you’ve written an article about Azure DevOps or find some great content about DevOps on Azure, please share it with the #AzureDevOps hashtag on Twitter! Happy Friday, may your deploys go as planned and your weekend be fun!Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad
Alphabet Inc. lost US$100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video and a company event failed to dazzle, feeding worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft. Alphabet shares slid as much as 9% during regular trading with volumes nearly three times the 50-day moving average. They pared losses after hours and were roughly flat. The stock had lost 40% of its value last year but rallied 15% since the beginning of this year, excluding Wednesday's losses. Reuters was first to point out an error in Google's advertisement for chatbot Bard, which debuted on Monday, about which satellite first took pictures of a planet outside the Earth's solar system. Google has been on its heels after OpenAI, a startup Microsoft is backing with around US$10 billion, introduced software in November that has wowed consumers and become a fixation in Silicon Valley circles for its surprisingly accurate and well-written answers to simple prompts. Google's live-streamed presentation on Wednesday morning did not include details about how and when it would integrate Bard into its core search function. A day earlier, Microsoft held an event touting that it had already released to the public a version of its Bing search with ChatGPT functions integrated. Bard's error was discovered just before the presentation by Google, based in Mountain View, California. "While Google has been a leader in AI innovation over the last several years, they seemed to have fallen asleep on implementing this technology into their search product," said Gil Luria, senior software analyst at D.A. Davidson. "Google has been scrambling over the last few weeks to catch up on Search and that caused the announcement yesterday (Tuesday) to be rushed and the embarrassing mess up of posting a wrong answer during their demo." Microsoft shares rose around 3% on Wednesday, and were flat in post-market trading. Alphabet posted a short GIF video of Bard in action https://twitter.com/Google/status/1622710355775393793, promising it would help simplify complex topics, but it instead delivered an inaccurate answer. In the advertisement, Bard is given the prompt: "What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can I tell my 9-year old about?" Bard responds with a number of answers, including one suggesting the JWST was used to take the very first pictures of a planet outside the Earth's solar system, or exoplanets. The first pictures of exoplanets were, however, taken by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2004, as https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/resources/300/2m1207b-first-image-of-an-exoplanet/#:~:text=2M1207b%20is%20the%20first%20exoplanet,year%20of%20observations%20in%202005. "This highlights the importance of a rigorous testing process, something that we're kicking off this week with our Trusted Tester program," a Google spokesperson said. "We'll combine external feedback with our own internal testing to make sure Bard's responses meet a high bar for quality, safety and groundedness in real-world information." FORMIDABLE COMPETITOR Alphabet is coming off a disappointing https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N34I40R&linkedFromStory=true as advertisers cut spending. The search and advertising giant is moving quickly to keep pace with OpenAI and rivals, reportedly bringing in founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to accelerate its efforts. "People are starting to question is Microsoft going to be a formidable competitor now against Google's really bread-and-butter business," said King Lip, chief strategist at Baker Avenue Wealth Management, which owns Alphabet and Microsoft shares. Lip cautioned, though, that concerns about Alphabet may be overblown, saying: "I think still Bing is a far, far cry away from Google's search capabilities." The new ChatGPT software has injected excitement into technology firms after tens of thousands of job cuts in recent weeks and executive pledges to pare back on so-called moonshot projects. AI has become a fixation for tech executives who have mentioned it as much as https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N34I2C8&linkedFromStory=true often on recent earnings calls than in prior quarters, Reuters found. The appeal of AI-driven search is that it could spit out results in plain language, rather than in a list of links, which could make browsing faster and more efficient. It remains unclear what impact that might have on targeted advertising, the backbone of search engines like Google. Chatbot AI systems also carry risks for corporations because of inherent biases in their algorithms that can skew results, sexualize images or even plagiarize, as consumers testing the service have discovered. Microsoft, for instance, released a chatbot on Twitter in 2016 that quickly began generating racist content before being shut down. And an AI used by news site CNET was found to produce factually incorrect or plagiarized stories.Uses Of ChatGPT In Banking Industry
With the emergence of chatGPT, everything is becoming so easy and accessible. Banks have always been at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge technology to provide excellent customer service. Moreover, banks can now leverage generative language tools like chatGPT to improve their productivity, streamline operations and enhance their daily services and transaction process. Here we are bringing the list of the top 10 uses of ChatGPT in the banking sector. Customer Service ChatGPT is very helpful for banks in transforming their customer service by providing real-time support via chatbot. With its NLP capabilities, it can quickly respond to customer queries, complaints and requests for information efficiently and quickly. Fraud Detection ChatGPT facilitates the banking sector by detecting and protecting fraud by analyzing every transaction separately. However, chatGPT helps banks to protect their customers from any fraud. Bank personnel can even set up alerts; therefore, security professionals get notified of suspicious activity. Loan Origination Loan origination is a complex process and needs multiple steps. It depends on multiple steps such as collecting data, analyzing credit scores, assessing risks and processing loan applications. Hence, By utilizing the chatbot’s machine learning capabilities and NLP system, banks can take advantage of automating many of its tasks. It helps in making the loan origination process quicker and easier for banks. Besides, When any customer applies for a loan,chatGPT provides real-time guidance and support throughout the process. Later, the toll assists banks in gathering customer data, analyzing creditworthiness, and providing real-time feedback. With its capability to analyze Vast amounts of data and make accurate predictions, banks can reduce the risk of defaults. Wealth Management The new innovative technology helps banks achieve personalized wealth management services for their customers by analyzing the user’s data and getting customized investment recommendations depending on their financial goals and risk tolerance. Compliance It is quite a complex process, and non-compliance can lead to significant financial penalties and reputational damage. However, Advanced modern technology helps banks comply with regulatory requirements by monitoring bank transactions. Moreover, this also helps banks avoid costly fines and penalties and help in protecting the bank’s reputation. Financial Planning As citizens, we rely on banks to get financial planning services. However, banks can utilize chatGPT to provide financial planning assistance, including budgeting, debt management, and retirement planning. KYC And AML Anti-money laundering and Knowing your customer are complex for banks to mitigate financial crime risks. It also helps in maintaining regulatory compliance. Moreover, It helps banks automate the process by evaluating large amounts of customers’ data, including history and personal information. Customer On boarding Though it is a challenging process for banks still, the process becomes easier using chatGPT. It helps in reducing wait times and streamlining the customer experience. It assists customers with the following: Filling out parking forms Addressing their concerns about switching banks Opening new accounts Getting answers to customer queries Moreover, it also helps during the on boarding process: Checking the data for accuracy Verify and evaluate customer identities Offering the latest onboarding experiences for customers Risk Management ChatGPT helps in Reducing risks associated with customer identification. It helps monitor activities, flag suspicious transactions, and identify potential fraud. Though, It also helps analyze market data and news to assess the potential economic and political risks that may affect the bank’s operations. Banks can learn from past risks through the new innovative app and improve the risk management process. Virtual Assistant For Banks Banks can facilitate their customers by providing virtual assistance 24/7 for customer assistance with managing their accounts, paying bills and performing transactions.Google to Support and Empower Over 1,550 Women Developers in Pakistan
Google in this initiative is organizing around seven Women Techmakers (WTM) events in over five different cities of Pakistan Tech giant Google, as a part of its initiative, is organizing different women developer events named the Women Techmakers (WTM). According to details, Google will organize around 7 Women Techmakers (WTM) events in over five different cities of Pakistan. These events will reportedly support and empower around 1,550 women developers, all over Pakistan. Women Techmakers (WTM), as the name suggests is a Google led initiative aimed to provide visibility, community, and resources to all women in the tech industry. The first day and event of the https://developers.google.com/womentechmakers started on 8th March, which is also celebrated as the International Women’s Day. Google’s theme and hashtag for this year’s WTM event is the ‘#DareToBe’, where Google tells women to be courageous, confident and achieve big dreams. “Whether it’s bold, resilient or innovative, we invite everyone to think about all the ways they will “Dare To Be” in 2023” says WTM. According to details, the events will contain a number of different activities which include rallies, workshops, networking events and conferences. Starting on March 8, these events will continue into May. These events will provide women with training in multiple areas which includes leadership, technical skills, and how to overcome unique challenges facing women in tech. “These events, in collaboration with Women Techmakers (WTM) Ambassadors, don’t only recognize the accomplishments of women in tech, but will also encourage more women to join the fast-growing tech industry.” said Farhan S. Qureshi, Google Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka “Over the years, WTM and its ambassadors have organized many events that have helped women developers reach their true and full potential. That said, the program will promote diversity, equality, and inclusion in the tech sector, which is the primary mission of Google” he added.Chatbot ban points to battle over AI rules
Users of the Replika “virtual companion” just wanted company. Some of them wanted romantic relationships, or even explicit chat. But late last year users started to complain that the bot was coming on too strong with racy texts and images — sexual harassment, some alleged. Regulators in Italy did not like what they saw and last week barred the firm from gathering data after finding breaches of Europe’s massive data protection law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The company behind Replika has not publicly commented on the move. The GDPR is the bane of big tech firms, whose repeated rule breaches have landed them with billions of dollars in fines, and the Italian decision suggests it could still be a potent foe for the latest generation of chatbots. Replika was trained on an in-house version of a GPT-3 model borrowed from OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT bot, which uses vast troves of data from the internet in algorithms that then generate unique responses to user queries. These bots, and the so-called generative AI that underpins them, promise to revolutionise internet search and much more. But experts warn that there is plenty for regulators to be worried about, particularly when the bots get so good that it becomes impossible to tell them apart from humans. High tension Right now, the European Union is the centre for discussions on regulation of these new bots _ its AI Act has been grinding through the corridors of power for many months and could be finalised this year. But the GDPR already obliges firms to justify the way they handle data, and AI models are very much on the radar of Europe’s regulators. “We have seen that ChatGPT can be used to create very convincing phishing messages,” Bertrand Pailhes, who runs a dedicated AI team at France’s data regulator Cnil, said. He said generative AI was not necessarily a huge risk, but Cnil was already looking at potential problems including how AI models used personal data. “At some point we will see high tension between the GDPR and generative AI models,” German lawyer Dennis Hillemann, an expert in the field, said. The latest chatbots, he said, were completely different from the kind of AI algorithms that suggest videos on TikTok or search terms on Google. “The AI that was created by Google, for example, already has a specific use case _ completing your search,” he said. But with generative AI the user can shape the whole purpose of the bot. “I can say, for example: act as a lawyer or an educator. Or if I’m clever enough to bypass all the safeguards in ChatGPT, I could say: `Act as a terrorist and make a plan’,” he said. OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-4, is scheduled for release soon and is rumoured to be so good that it will be impossible to distinguish from a human.Alibaba tests ChatGPT-style tool as AI buzz intensifies
Alibaba Group, on Wednesday said it is developing a ChatGPT-style tool that is currently in internal testing, joining a race by tech companies globally to show they are up to speed on generative artificial intelligence (AI) developments. The Chinese e-commerce group's statement came after the 21st Century Herald newspaper reported that Alibaba is developing a ChatGPT-like dialogue robot which is currently open to employees for testing. When asked about the newspaper report, which also said that Alibaba might combine the technology with the group’s communication app DingTalk, Alibaba declined to comment. The company said it had been focused on large language models and generative AI for a number of years. Large language models are natural language processing systems which are trained on massive volumes of text, and are capable of answering and comprehending questions as well as generating new text. Alibaba's U.S.-listed shares rose 3.2% premarket after the news. Shares in a number of other Chinese AI technology companies have soared in the past few days due to investor excitement over Open.Ai's ChatGPT, which can generate articles, essays and jokes in response to prompts and has been rated the fastest-growing consumer app in history. Shares in Chinese search engine giant Baidu jumped by 15% on Tuesday after it said it planned to complete testing of its "Ernie bot" in March. Google owner Alphabet Inc is also planning its own chatbot service and said it will use more artificial intelligence for its search engine. Microsoft, which owns Open.AI, plans to tie ChatGPT in with its search engine Bing. On Wednesday, another Chinese tech group JD.com, said it was looking to integrate some methods and technology similar to ChatGPT's into some of its products, such as its e-commerce platform's customer service. A source familiar with NetEase, told Reuters that the Chinese gaming company plans to deploy similar large language models technology to serve its education business.Detection of AI-generated plagiarism: mission initiated
Picture this: you are a teacher eagerly checking your inbox, awaiting your students’ homework assignments with anticipation. You’ve assigned a project that you believe will push your students to their limits and unlock their full potential. But as the first submissions start rolling in, you can feel something isn’t quite right. As you begin to grade the assignments, you’re struck by a stark realisation — a number of them are eerily similar, but with unique phrasing and writing styles. It’s not simple cut-and-paste plagiarism but rather the work of advanced AI tools, like ChatGPT, that are able to mimic writing styles and generate undetectable original content. Will you be able to spot the difference and outwit the AI? Think of artificial intelligence as a tidal wave crashing onto the shores of education. Its arrival has transformed the way we learn, including the way students cheat on homework and assignments. For teachers, it’s like trying to navigate a treacherous ocean — they must find new and creative ways to test their students’ knowledge in a world where technology has made cheating a slippery eel. The challenge is real and the stakes are high. Can we rise to the challenge and chart a course towards an honest and fair education system? As American writer Mark Twain famously said, “Education is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty.” In the age of AI-assisted cheating, this path is fraught with obstacles. The use of AI to cheat on assignments and online exams undermines the very foundation of education. If grades can be easily manipulated with technology, they cease to be a true measure of a student’s knowledge and understanding. This is a slippery slope that can lead to the devaluation of degrees and the overall purpose of education. In short, AI-assisted cheating threatens to turn the path of growth and enlightenment into a road of “miserable uncertainty.” As the world searches for high-tech solutions to tackle the problem of AI-assisted cheating, sometimes a quick answer is right in front of us. The viva exam is a tried and true method that has stood the test of time. It is a simple yet powerful tool that provides a comprehensive evaluation of a student’s abilities, giving you a window into their true potential. As educators, we hold the power to shape the future of our students and the education system at large. By prioritising the use of viva exams, we can help foster a culture of academic excellence and instil a strong sense of integrity in our students. The investment of time and effort is more than worth it, as we set our students on the path to success and help ensure the validity and credibility of grades. In the words of British author Sir Ken Robinson, “If you had told teachers in the 1960s that every child would have their own computer, they would have thought you were crazy.” But now, teachers would be dubbed absurd if they thought that students could stay strangers to AI tools. So, instead of turning a blind eye to AI, I decided to embrace it in my classroom. I taught my students the ins and outs of AI-powered chatbots, inspiring even the most reluctant learners to dive in and discover new ways to learn. However, with this newfound excitement came the issue of AI-assisted cheating. To tackle this, I included marks for viva exams with every home assignment. This gave me a more well-rounded understanding of my students’ abilities, and helped me cultivate a culture of academic excellence and integrity. By embracing AI and incorporating viva exams, I was able to turn a potential problem into a unique opportunity for growth and learning. Think of the fight against AI-assisted cheating like a battle between Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty, trying to outsmart each other. Meanwhile, educators are like Dr John Watson, working alongside Holmes, to provide support in solving a crime. So, let’s channel our inner Dr Watson and work together with policymakers to find traditional and innovative solutions to this problem, and ensure academic integrity in the classroom.C-suite execs expect cyberattacks targeting financial data to increase this year
The financial data stored by organizations is often critical and sensitive, which is why this type of information is frequently in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. The theft and leaking of such data can easily hurt business dealings and other transactions, especially for publicly-traded companies. A report released Wednesday by research center Deloitte Center for Controllership reveals expectations of https://www.slideshare.net/DeloitteUS/almost-half-of-executives-expect-a-rise-in-cyber-events-targeting-accounting-and-financial-data-in-year-ahead.For this report, Deloitte surveyed more than 1,100 executives from the C-suite and other executives during a webcast on Oct. 26, 2022. The participants were asked about attacks targeting the financial and accounting data of their organizations. Financial and account data specifically targeted Among those surveyed, 34% said that their accounting and financial information was specifically targeted by cybercriminals over the past year. Within that group, 22% said they were hit by one such attack, while 12% said they were victimized by more than one. Looking ahead, almost half (49%) of the executives polled expect both the volume and size of cyberattacks targeting this type of data to increase in the coming year. Some 22% said they anticipate no change, while only 3% said they expect such attacks to decrease. Alignment between cybersecurity and finance groups Since financial and accounting data is such a lucrative and tempting target for cybercriminals, a close relationship between an organization’s cybersecurity group and its financial group seems in order; however, just 20% of the respondents said that the two groups in their business are working together closely and consistently. Some 42% said the groups in their organization are somewhat aligned, working together as needed but more inconsistently, and 11% said the two groups in their environment don’t work together at all. Recognizing the importance of a closer relationship between cybersecurity and finance, 39% of those surveyed said that they expect an increase over the next 12 months in the way the two groups work together. Some 29% said they anticipate no changes, while just 3% said they expect the relationship between the two groups to decrease. “Accounting and financial data is the lifeblood of organizational operations — and often meant to be kept confidential outside of highly regulated public disclosures for publicly traded organizations,” Temano Shurland, a Deloitte risk and financial advisory principal in finance transformation, said in a press release. “While there may not have been much need for accounting, finance and cyber teams to work closely in the past, recent years have shown that’s no longer the case. We strongly recommend that these teams try to ‘learn each other’s languages’ and tighten their working relationships across silos.” The theft and compromise of financial and accounting data can have a large impact on an organization. When asked whether they have a process to identify the financial impact of the potential cyberattacks on this type of data, 25% of those polled said they do, 17% said they don’t currently but do plan to have one in the next 12 months, and 20% said they have no plans to implement such a process. How to protect financial data against attacks To help organizations with financial and account data better protect this information from compromise, Daniel Soo, a Deloitte risk and financial advisory principal in cyber and strategic risk, offers the following advice. 1. Understand the data Organizations should start off with a strong understanding of their high-value finance or accounting data. 2. Security teams need to work with the business If the high-value financial data isn’t well understood or defined, security staffers should work with the appropriate business groups to help with this process. The key is to understand how the data supports business operations to determine what is and is not an acceptable use of the data. 3. Bake security into the systems Security should be designed into the financial systems that hold the data. To that end, integrating the right security and applying the right controls demands close coordination between the security group and other business teams. “This helps balance cyber risk management needs with business needs to execute day-to-day operations with minimal disruption,” Soo explained. “In fact, we’ve seen leading organizations also solicit end-user inputs on data security efforts to support organizational change management, while also leveraging security technology and processes to help automate, scale and secure data as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
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