It’s the plot of plenty of sci-fi films: two astronauts are stranded in space and don’t yet know how they’re getting back.

Sunita “Suni” Williams and Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June as the first crew to test Boeing’s new Starliner, which suffered helium leaks and thruster failures before it docked – raising questions over how safe it is for the return flight.

Boeing has insisted the astronauts are not stuck and said “there’s no increased risk” in bringing them back in the Starliner, but NASA is contemplating getting them back on a SpaceX flight instead.

They should have only been in space for eight days, but they’ve now been there for more than two months and may have to stay until February.

But do they have enough supplies for such a stint, how are they coping mentally and what is day-to-day life like at the ISS?

Size and facilities

The ISS is 356ft (109m) end-to-end, one yard shy of the full length of an American football field including the end zones.

The living and work space, NASA says, is larger than a six-bedroom house, and has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window.

As you’ll see later, it’s not quite as luxurious as it sounds.

Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore aren’t alone; they’re sharing the facilities with seven other astronauts from other missions; four of them fellow Americans and three of them Russians.

Is there enough food, water and oxygen?

Yes, there are reserve supplies up there to keep astronauts going for plenty of time.

The space station has its own oxygen-generating systems, and about 50% of oxygen exhaled from carbon dioxide is recovered.

As for water, the station has a urine-into-drinking-water recycling system, and a part of that system also captures moisture released into the cabin air from the crew’s breath and sweat.

Food supplies are a bit fancier. Meals are created at NASA’s Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston, where chefs focus on making food appetising as well as nutritious.

Much of it is dehydrated, meaning it has to be filled up with water before being consumed, while some is ready-made and just needs to be heated.

There’s meat (barbecued beef brisket is one example of a meal on offer), eggs, vegetables, bread, savoury snacks and sweet treats in the station’s kitchen.

Image:
Astronauts at the space station made their own pizzas in 2017. Pic: AP

Crew members are also allowed to request some of their own personal favourites from off the shelves.

In a video on NASA’s YouTube channel, Ms Williams revealed her favourite commodity was Nutter Butter spread – and showed off a jar her family had sent up for her.

When were supplies last sent?

The spacecraft regularly receives more supplies from Earth, with the last one arriving on 6 August.

Launched on a rocket from Kazakhstan on 30 May, the supplies included about three tonnes of food, fuel and other supplies for Ms Williams, Mr Wilmore and the seven other crew members on board.

The crew can essentially place their orders for what they want to come on these crafts by speaking to Mission Control ahead of launches.

That was good news for Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams, who were forced to ditch their personal suitcases before taking off in June to make room for extra equipment, meaning they’ve had to wear spare clothes that were already at the ISS upon arrival.

Their own clothes finally arrived with the 6 August supplies, and more supplies are set to be sent up in a few months.

Once supply ships are emptied at the ISS, the crew fill them with their rubbish before sending them back to Earth.

How do you use a toilet without gravity?

There are some things space-based movies just don’t cover – but Ms Williams got into the grittier details of space life on NASA’s YouTube channel.

In the video filmed in 2012, Ms Williams showed off the toilet, which somewhat resembles one you might see on an airplane.

Read more:Army barracks to house deep space radar to help protect the UKHow blasting ‘glitter’ into Mars’ atmosphere could make it more habitable

The difference is there are two separate tubes to go in – one for urine and one for poo. The urine one, which is coloured yellow, is attached to the wall and almost looks like a vacuum cleaner – and fittingly it has a suction function to prevent gravity from causing a mess.

The tube for poo looks like more of a typical toilet, with a seat too – though you have to hold on to a handle on the wall next to it to avoid floating away as you go.

On the bright side, there’s about half-a-dozen types of toilet paper stuffed into bags on the toilet walls, including wet wipes and disinfectant wipes in case “things don’t go correctly,” as Ms Williams puts it.

Astronauts are also each given toiletry kits that come with things like a toothbrush and toothpaste (which you have to either swallow or spit into a tissue) and a hairbrush – which Ms Williams says is pointless in space because gravity constantly keeps your hair upright.

Image:
Suni Williams shows off her space hair during a news conference in July. Pic: AP

What about sleeping arrangements?

Remarkably you can sleep on the floor, on the wall or on the ceiling.

That’s because without gravity, the crew never feel like they are lying down. It makes no difference whether they are on the floor, standing up or upside down – it all feels the same.

So the ISS has sleeping stations about the size of phone booths that the crew get into, which consist of a sleeping bag and a pillow on the floor, wall and ceiling.

Leisure time

When they aren’t running space experiments, the crew can enjoy their view of Earth from the station’s observatory deck, or head to the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) in the Tranquillity node – a fancy term for gym equipment.

The ARED offers traditional upper and lower-body exercises, such as squats, dead lift, heel raises, bicep curls and bench press by using vacuum cylinders to replicate weights in gyms.

The crew is encouraged to use it throughout their space stays, as muscle and bone loss is common on long missions.

How are the pair feeling?

They are both retired navy captains and longtime NASA astronauts who already have long space station missions behind them.

Mr Wilmore, 61, and Ms Williams, 58, said going into this test flight that they expected to learn a lot about Starliner and how it operates.

At their only news conference from space in July, they assured reporters they were keeping busy, helping with repairs and research, and expressed confidence in all the Starliner testing going on behind the scenes.

Image:
Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams shortly before the launch. Pic: AP

Image:
Pic: AP

“I have a real good feeling in my heart that the spacecraft will bring us home, no problem,” Ms Williams told reporters.

There are tests going on back on Earth to determine whether the Boeing craft can still be used safely to bring them back.

“That mantra you’ve heard, ‘Failure is not an option,’ that’s why we are staying here now,” Mr Wilmore said last month.

“We trust that the tests that we’re doing are the ones we need to do to get the right answers, to give us the data that we need to come back.”

There’s been no public word from them yet on the prospects of an eight-month stay.

Mr Wilmore’s wife Deanna told AP earlier this week that he is “content” at the space station, “neither worrying nor fretting”.

She said Mr Widmore, who is a longtime elder at a church in Texas, has faith God is in control, and that this gives his family “great peace”.

What’s happening now?

As it stands, all but one of the Starliner’s five failed thrusters have been reactivated in orbit.

Tests are currently being done on Earth to try to remedy the problems seen in space, but engineers aren’t sure exactly what’s causing them and are also trying to plug helium leaks in Starliner’s propulsion system, which is crucial for manoeuvring.

Boeing has reiterated its capsule could still safely bring the astronauts home, but the company will need to modify Starliner’s software in case it has to return without a crew.

Image:
The Starliner pictured in space. Pic: AP

Ken Bowersox, NASA’s space operations mission chief, has suggested coming home on the same aircraft is still an option.

Mr Bowersox said during a recent meeting, they “heard from a lot of folks that had concern, and the decision was not clear”.

The SpaceX flight they would get on instead would leave Earth in September, but two astronauts scheduled to be on it would have to stay home to make room for Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore.

A decision is expected in the next week or so.

Would this be the longest anyone has spent in space?

No – Russian Valeri Polyakov set that record in the mid-1990s, spending 437 days off Earth.

And last year NASA astronaut Frank Rubio came back from a 371-day trip alongside Russian astronauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, breaking the record for the longest amount of time spent in space by an American.

That trip, much like this one, was prolonged by technical difficulties, and was only meant to take six months.

Stargazers across the UK are in for a stellar treat as the “best meteor shower of the year” is set to peak from Monday night.

The spectacular Perseid shower may offer up to 100 meteors, also known as shooting stars, every hour as it peaks on the night of 12 August, going into 13 August.

The Perseid has been recurring for centuries as it is the result of Earth passing through a cloud of dust left behind Comet Swift-Tuttle.

As that debris hits the atmosphere, it burns up, leaving bright trails behind it in the sky.

Perseids – named after Perseus, the constellation the meteors are believed to originate from – are also known for their fireballs, with larger explosions of light and colour which can stay on for longer than the average meteor streak.

NASA has described the Perseid as the “best meteor shower of the year”.

How to watch Perseid

To make the most of the glorious spectacle, experts say observers should avoid well-lit and built-up areas and try to find unobstructed views.

Daniel Brown, associate professor in astronomy at Nottingham Trent University, said those wanting to get the clearest view of the shooting stars should “find a place that is dark”.

He said it will take viewers up to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.

Read more:Blasting ‘glitter’ into Mars’ atmosphere could make it more habitableHow astronauts stuck in space until 2025 will survive

Prof Brown said: “Bring along patience, and it is best to observe a big range of the sky as meteors will be visible all over.”

For the best view, NASA recommends watching during the “dark hours” of the day, which in the UK will be from around midnight to 2am.

When to watch the shower

The meteor shower peaks on the night of 12 August, going into 13 August. If skies are clear, it should be visible across the UK.

Prof Brown said: “Best time this year during the main peak is the second half of the night, that is the early hours of August 13.”

Snapchat driving spend growth at higher efficiency

Nutrimuscle is a fast-growing sports supplement brand that started using Fospha in June 2023. Their goal was to grow by increasing conversions and effectively allocating spend, but like many businesses, one of the primary challenges they faced was the inability to track key metrics (i.e. Cost of Acquiring Customers) and lack of transparency into campaign performance.

Nutrimuscle wanted to understand where to allocate spend, and which channels would be most effective for increasing reach and conversions. Last click and ad platform measurement wasn’t enough- this is where they turned to Fospha.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, scaling a brand effectively requires more than just an innovative product or service. For D2C and e-commerce marketers, understanding the intricacies of growth strategies across different stages of business development is crucial.  

A recent analysis of 71 brands offers valuable insights into the optimal strategies for startups, scaleups, mature brands, and majority offline businesses. Here’s what we learned. 

Startup Stage: Building the Foundation 

Key Strategy: Startups focus on impressions-driven channels like Paid Social to establish their audience base. This approach is essential for gaining visibility and creating a strong initial footprint in the market. 

Case Study: Pooch & Mutt exemplified this strategy by leveraging Paid Social to achieve significant year-on-year revenue gains while also improving acquisition costs. This foundational step is crucial for setting the stage for future growth and stability. 

Scaleup Stage: Accelerating Conversion 

Key Strategy: For scaleups, having already established an audience, the focus shifts to conversion activities. Increasing spend in impressions-led media helps continue generating demand while maintaining a balance with acquisition costs. 

Case Study: The Essence Vault successfully applied this approach, scaling their Meta presence while minimizing cost increases. This stage emphasizes the importance of efficient spending to maximize conversion rates and sustain growth momentum. 

Mature Stage: Expanding Horizons 

Key Strategy: Mature brands invest in higher funnel activities to avoid market saturation and explore international expansion opportunities. This strategic pivot ensures sustained growth and market diversification. 

Case Study: Represent scaled their efforts on TikTok, enhancing growth and improving Meta efficiency. By expanding their presence in the US, they exemplified how mature brands can navigate saturation and seek new markets for continued success. 

Majority Offline Brands: Embracing Digital Channels 

Key Strategy: Majority offline brands primarily invest in click-based channels like Performance Max. However, the analysis reveals significant opportunities in Paid Social, suggesting a balanced approach for optimal results. 

Are you tired of the traditional, time-consuming methods of collecting data for your business, research and academics? AI chatbots have brought a transformative solution to this age-old challenge. These intelligent bots can streamline and enhance the data collection process, providing valuable insights and improving operational efficiency.

This means that users can ask questions in natural language. And even the AI responds in natural language to your answers. So, instead of perusing links to find the answer you’re looking for, you can get direct answers to your queries. It even cites sites and sources from around the web that it browsed to provide the answer. You can also ask follow-up questions on any topic for a deeper dive and AI Chatbots will respond, keeping its earlier responses in context.

We’ll be diving into the fascinating world of AI chatbot tools and taking a closer look at some of the most popular AI chatbot tools including ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, ChatSonic and Jasper.

Introducing ChatGPT

First up, we have ChatGPT which is powered by OpenAI’s cutting-edge GPT-4 language model. This AI chatbot excels in a wide range of capabilities beyond writing, including coding, conversation and math equations. It is free and accessible to the public, making it an incredible resource for students, writers and professionals. ChatGPT is known for its conversational abilities, access to current events and its proficiency in tasks such as writing, summarization and coding.

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Meet Claude

Next, Claude by Anthropic AI is both a chatbot and a Large Language Model (LLM) that powers the chatbot. With Claude, you’ll be able to have organic, text-based conversations and it’ll be able to perform a variety of tasks, such as summarizing, editing, Q&A, making decisions, programming and more.

Rightnow, Anthropic offers three “Claude” models: Claude 1, Claude 2 and Claude-Instant. All models are language-only, but their capabilities differ slightly. With regular training, Claude keeps up with the latest information and can read up to 75,000 words anytime.

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Exploring Perplexity

Moving on to Perplexity, it is an AI-chat-based conversational search engine that can help you find information on a wide range of topics quickly. Powered by the capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 combined with a large language model, it uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning to provide precise and accurate answers to questions. It also has a feature that provides you access to GPT-4 for free.

It provides accurate, up-to-date answers to questions by searching the internet and citing sources. It offers features like entity linking, focused search, editable threads, curated sources and the new Copilot AI assistant to guide searches. While still in development, Perplexity AI aims to revolutionize online search by making it more intuitive, relevant and transparent.

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Unveiling Gemini

Now, let’s talk about Gemini which is infused with the Google experience and is known for processing information and automating tasks efficiently. It’s considered the best choice for multimedia content and offers valuable advice for users.

However, it’s important to note that both ChatGPT and Gemini can generate “hallucinations” and their developers admit to this.

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Presenting ChatSonic

In response to the limitations of ChatGPT by OpenAI, Chatsonic by Writesonic offers an incredibly powerful and comprehensive conversational artificial intelligence chatbot. It utilizes Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML) technology to automate text generation and image generation based on the most recent GPT-4 model.

It can write articles and provides up-to-date news and stories about current events. It is a versatile tool for content creators and writers who need reliable AI-generated content infused with current information.

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Exposing Jasper

Last but not least, we have Jasper which offers over 50 different writing templates, copyediting features and a plagiarism checker. It focuses on written text and is an ideal investment for those seeking advanced writing capabilities and features. However, it comes with a monthly cost starting at $49. Visit Jasper

Strengths and Limitations

When it comes to strengths, ChatGPT stands out for its wide range of capabilities, including coding, conversation and accurate content. Claude emphasizes safety and privacy and offers versatility in handling a variety of tasks. Perplexity combines the best of AI chatbots and search engines to provide prompt suggestions based on current events. Gemini is known for processing information and automating tasks efficiently, especially for multimedia content. ChatSonic is proficient in writing articles and providing up-to-date news. Jasper offers a plethora of writing templates and advanced features for writers.

In terms of limitations, unfortunately, ChatGPT does not know events after 2021 and the plugins that connect it to the Internet are not available with the free version. Claude is still in its early stages and may present a learning curve for new users. Gemini and ChatGPT are not perfect and can generate “hallucinations” as admitted by their developers. Jasper comes with a monthly cost, starting at $39.

Ease of Use, Pricing Models and User Experience

Regarding ease of use, ChatGPT, Perplexity and ChatSonic are free and easily accessible to the public, making them user-friendly. However, Jasper comes with a monthly cost, which might be a factor to consider for some users. In terms of pricing models, Chatsonic offers a free trial with various pricing tiers for paid users, ranging from $13 to $500+ per month. Claude’s pricing is based on tokens with different costs for its various models. Jasper has no free version it comes with a monthly cost of $39.

Personal Impressions and Recommendations

Based on our overview of these popular AI chatbot tools, we have some recommendations for different types of users and use cases. If you’re looking for a versatile and reliable AI chatbot with a wide range of capabilities, including writing, coding and conversation, ChatGPT is an excellent choice. For those who prioritize safety and privacy in their interactions with an AI chatbot, Claude may be the best option. If you’re a content creator or writer in need of a tool for generating articles and staying updated on current events, ChatSonic could be the perfect fit. Lastly, if you’re willing to invest in a tool that offers advanced writing templates and features, Jasper might be worth considering despite its monthly cost.

Also Read: Conversational AI vs Traditional Rule-Based Chatbots: A Comparative Analysis

Conclusions

Simple steps guide you through the process of getting started with AI Chatbots. Creating an account and/or logging in to Chatbots is all you need to do. As you enter, you’ll see the input box. Enter your question or message in the search engine. For context, you can also choose to attach a text or PDF document that you would want AI to read along with your message. In addition to cloning the answer, you can retry your question to receive a slightly different answer or provide feedback. The AI chatbot landscape offers a diverse range of tools with unique strengths and limitations. It’s important to consider your specific needs and use cases when choosing the right AI chatbot for you. We hope this overview has been informative and helps you make an informed decision about which AI chatbot tool best fits your requirements.

Cybersecurity threats are ever-evolving day-by-day and it is crucial to have a reliable firewall solution to safeguard your network. A robust firewall is crucial for network security and OPNSense is an excellent choice.

This tutorial will walk you through installing OPNSense on Proxmox VE 8.x, ensuring you can leverage the strengths of both platforms to enhance your network infrastructure.

Also Read: Configuring No Subscription Repository in Proxmoxm VE 8.x

What is OPNSense Firewall?

OPNSense is a firewall distribution based on FreeBSD, which has gained significant traction in the cybersecurity community. It was forked from the pfSense project and has been designed to offer advanced features and enhanced security capabilities, making it a great choice for both home and enterprise-level network environments.

Some of the key advantages of OPNSense include forward caching proxy, traffic shaping, intrusion detection, and a user-friendly OpenVPN client setup process. These features, combined with its open-source nature, make OPNSense a highly customizable and powerful firewall solution.

What is Proxmox VE?

Proxmox VE is an open-source enterprise virtualization platform built on Debian Linux, providing a robust and flexible environment for hosting virtual machines (VMs) and containers.

Proxmox VE’s support for KVM-based VMs makes it an excellent choice for hosting OPNSense, allowing you to seamlessly integrate the firewall into your virtualized environment. Additionally, Proxmox VE’s software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities enable you to create and manage virtual networks, further enhancing the flexibility and control of your OPNSense deployment.

When combined OPNSense Firewall with Proxmox VE, you can achieve a highly secure and efficient network setup.

Prerequisites for Installing OPNSense Firewall

Before you begin the installation process, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

Proxmox VE Installed: Make sure you have Proxmox VE installed and running on your server.

OPNSense ISO Image: Download the latest OPNSense ISO image from the official OPNSense download page. This image will be used to install the OPNSense firewall on your Proxmox VE virtual machine.

Having these prerequisites in place will ensure a smooth installation process as you proceed with setting up OPNSense on Proxmox VE.

How to Install OPNSense on Proxmox VE 8.x (Step-by-Step)?

Step 1: Download OPNSense ISO

To begin, you need to download the OPNSense ISO file. Visit the official OPNSense download page. Select the appropriate version and download the ISO file to your local machine.

Step 2: Upload ISO to Proxmox VE

Next, upload the OPNSense ISO file to your Proxmox VE environment:

Open the Proxmox web interface.

Navigate to the storage section where you wish to store the ISO.

Click on “ISO Images” and then click “Upload.”

Step 3: Create a New Virtual Machine

Now, create a new virtual machine in Proxmox VE:

Click “Create VM” at the top right corner of the Proxmox interface.

Fill in the VM details, including the name, OS type, and storage location.

Step 4: Configure VM Hardware

Configure the virtual machine’s hardware settings to meet OPNSense requirements:

Allocate sufficient CPU and memory resources.

Set up the network interface to ensure connectivity.

Step 5: Install OPNSense

Boot the VM using the OPNSense ISO to start the installation process:

Select the ISO as the boot device when prompted.

Follow the on-screen instructions to install OPNSense, including language selection and disk partitioning.

Step 6: Initial Setup of OPNSense

Complete the initial setup of OPNSense after the installation:

Set the root password.

Configure network interfaces by assigning LAN and WAN settings.

Your OPNSense firewall on Proxmox VE 8.x is installed.

Post-Installation Configuration

After installing OPNSense, you need to perform some basic configurations to ensure it operates correctly within your network.

Assign Interfaces: Start by assigning network interfaces. The system will prompt you to specify which interfaces correspond to LAN and WAN. This setup is crucial for proper traffic routing.

Set Up LAN/WAN Settings: Configure IP addresses and subnet masks for both LAN and WAN interfaces. This step allows your network devices to communicate effectively through the firewall.

Access OPNSense Dashboard: Once the interfaces are assigned and configured, access the OPNSense web dashboard using the LAN IP address. Log in with the credentials set during the initial setup.

In the OPNSense dashboard, you can further refine your firewall settings, create firewall rules, and manage additional features such as VPNs, traffic shaping, and more. This user-friendly interface provides powerful tools to control and monitor your network traffic, ensuring enhanced security and performance.

Also Read: Proxmox vs VMware ESXi: Which One Should You Choose?

Conclusion

We have successfully installed and configured OPNSense on the Proxmox VE 8.x environment. This setup not only boosts your network’s security but also provides a flexible and scalable firewall solution.

Explore OPNSense’s extensive features to customize and optimize your network infrastructure further.

FAQs

1. What is OPNSense and why should I use it?

OPNSense is an open-source firewall and routing platform known for its robust security features and user-friendly interface. It offers advanced security options, traffic shaping, VPN support, and more, making it an excellent choice for managing and securing networks.

2. Can I install OPNSense on any virtualization platform?

While OPNSense can be installed on various virtualization platforms, this guide focuses on installing it on Proxmox VE 8.x.

3. How much resources should I allocate to the OPNSense VM?

The resource allocation depends on your network’s size and traffic. A typical setup might require at least 2 CPUs, 2 GB of RAM, and 20 GB of disk space. Adjust these settings based on your specific needs and network load.

4. How do I access the OPNSense web interface after installation?

After the initial setup, you can access the OPNSense web interface using the LAN IP address configured during setup. Open a web browser and enter the LAN IP address to log in with the admin credentials.

Additional Resources

In a groundbreaking move, Google has announced a radical security enhancement for its Gmail users that promises to redefine digital safety. Say goodbye to traditional two-factor authentication (2FA); the tech giant is rolling out an innovative top-tier security upgrade designed to provide robust protection without the hassles of current methods.

Near 2 billion people use the free Gmail email service, with more than 300 billion emails flowing daily. No wonder, then, that your Google account, which unlocks the door to that Gmail data, is a prime target for criminal and state-sponsored hackers alike. Google’s Advanced Protection Program is available to high-risk users such as politicians, activists and journalists, and offers the most secure option for accessing your account. This has come at a cost, as hardware security keys have been required as the second-factor authentication method—until now. Google has finally announced that users enrolling in the APP can use passkeys instead of hardware security keys and use them as an all-in-one login method without needing separate 2FA credentials.

Also Read: Oracle Announces Expansion: Two Public Cloud Regions to Open in Morocco

Passkeys Can Now Replace Google Advanced Protection Program Hardware Keys and 2FA

Shuvo Chatterjee, the product lead of Google’s Advanced Protection Program, has confirmed that passkeys are now available as part of the APP enrollment process with immediate effect. The APP is the solidest level of Google Account protection, bringing extra safeguards against the most common attacks often launched against high-risk Gmail users: phishing and malware. Truth be told, you don’t need to be in a high-risk occupation to be targeted this way, and as such the APP makes for a secure thinking solution for most users.

Figure: Thanks to Forbes

Excluding the financial burden of purchasing not one but two hardware security keys to use during the enrollment process has meant that many users have shied away from taking this next-level security step. Google’s announcement means that the program has just opened up to a much larger user base.

“Passkeys give high-risk users the option to rely on the ease and security that comes with using personal devices they already own,” Chatterjee said, “as opposed to another device or tool like a security key, for phishing-resistant authentication.”

Also Read: Red Hat Launches RHEL for AI and InstructLab to Democratize Enterprise AI

What Is A Passkey and Why Should You Use One?

Passkeys are an alternative way to authenticate yourself to a service, an easier and more secure method than passwords according to Google. They are “phishing resistant so users are protected things like fraudulent emails,” Chatterjee said, and come with that ease of use built-in as they rely on your facial scan, fingerprint or a PIN using a device, your smartphone for example, that you already own. Significantly, as far as usability goes, passkeys are used without the need for a password by default, although they can be used as a second factor in combination with one if desired. Disparate passwords, there is nothing to remember or type into your computer or mobile devices. They are also said to be more secure as they are tied to your device, and your smartphone most normally, and are never stored on servers where they might be susceptible to hacking or phishing attacks.

APP enrollment using a passkey couldn’t be easier. Just visit the APP start page and choose to enroll with a passkey when the option is offered. Though the passkey can used to replace both the password credentials and 2FA parts of login, Google does still require you to choose a recovery method should you need to regain access to your account. This can be any way of a telephone number, email, and address separate passkey or hardware keys. A combination of these will be used in the process of regaining access to an account, which is unavoidably tougher when part of the APP.

Wrap-up:

Google’s latest innovation targets to change this narrative. The new security upgrade leverages advanced technology to streamline the user experience while enhancing protection against cyber threats.

Traditional Business Intelligence systems can often prove to be complex and resource-intensive, which is where Cloud BI comes into play. Cloud Business Intelligence is a new way for businesses to harness and analyze data effectively in a scalable and cost-effective manner. This article takes a look at the very definition of Cloud BI, how it works, and the way it helps to upscale businesses in a data-driven world.

What is Cloud BI and How Does It Benefit Businesses?

Cloud Business Intelligence refers to the use of cloud-based technology in delivering business insights. The hosting of BI applications in the cloud allows running analysis on significant volumes of data from any place with internet access. Thus, this enables the processing and visualization of data to facilitate quick decision-making in real-time. Cloud BI solutions are scalable; a business can increase resources according to its needs without a significant investment in hardware or infrastructure initially.

The cloud BI software further ensures operational efficiency and productivity with an intuitive interface, which enables non-technical users to design and produce reports, dashboards, and visualizations without extensive training. In addition, these platforms facilitate easy collaboration among team members, whereby sharing insights and their work is simple. 

Ultimately, it is through cloud BI software that business organizations can acquire comprehensive insight from their data and utilize such insight toward better strategic planning and performance.

Also Read: Cloud Services: An Integral Part of Software Infrastructure Transforming Multiple Sectors

Deployment Options for Cloud BI and Analytics

Businesses have several options when it comes to deploying Cloud BI and analytics. Understanding these options is essential to pick the suitable deployment model that matches your business objectives and the IT infrastructure in place:

Public Cloud

Cost efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing reduces huge upfront investment costs.

Scale quickly: Resources are increased or decreased quickly when required by the system.

Accessibility: Get data and analytics anywhere with an internet connection.

It’s managed, updated, and secured by the cloud provider.

Secure Private Cloud

Private clouds secure your company’s resources in the cloud—both physical and virtual—in a private environment to assure extra security.

Customization: Infrastructure and BI tools can be fully customized to suit the business user’s requirements.

Performance: Improved performance and higher availability from dedicated resources.

Hybrid Cloud

Flexibility: Run applications and workloads from public and private clouds according to your requirements and needs.

Cost Management: Allocation and distribution of workloads in various environments assist in maintaining cost-effectiveness.

Data Sovereignty: Keep sensitive data on-premises while using the public cloud for less sensitive operations.

Multi-Cloud

Avoidance of Vendor Lock-In: Flexibility to choose the best services from different providers.

Redundancy and Resilience: Improved reliability and disaster recovery through the distribution of workloads.

Optimized Performance: Utilize the strengths of various cloud providers on specific tasks.

SaaS BI Solutions

Quickly Deployed: It can be quickly implemented without a lengthy configuration process.

Easy to Use: User-friendly interfaces and pre-built functionality.

Automatic Updates: You get the latest features and improvements without work.

Also Read: Introduction to AWS and Public Cloud

Why Companies Should Get Cloud BI

Several reasons companies should go for Cloud BI include:

Better Performance: In general, dedicated cloud resources will increase performance and reliability.

Flexibility: Businesses can opt for a hybrid cloud where the data and operations remain.

Cost Optimization: Balancing the workload across different environments.

Data integrity: sensitive data is safely kept within the premises to ensure the safety and compliance of the data.

Avoidance of vendor lock-in: The best services will be selected from the providers available.

Redundancy and resilience: enhance reliability and disaster recovery through increased distribution of workloads.

Optimized performance: it leverages strengths from other cloud providers on given tasks.

Quick deployment: rapid deployment of SaaS BI solutions.

Ease of use: user-friendly interfaces to simplify practical analysis.

Regular Updates: Automatically receive the newest features and enhancements.

How Businesses Use Cloud BI

Cloud BI has transformed how businesses store and use data to harness growth opportunities. Learn below how the following companies across various sectors utilize cloud BI:

Real-Time Data Access and Analysis: Businesses use cloud BI to deliver real-time, actionable data insights at their fingertips to facilitate improved opportunities and strategies that may be modified as per the time.

Centralized Data Repository: The platform uses cloud BI to act as a depository for all user-generated data, which helps monitor the performance seamlessly and improves the operational efficiency of the platform.

Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Organizations democratize data access so every employee can run queries, create dashboards, and generate reports quickly.

Scalability and Cost Efficiency: Cloud BI scales with business needs while supporting rapid growth without significant investments in infrastructure.

Predictive Analytics and Business Insights: Organizations predict trends and expect customer behaviors by making the most out of analytics capacities.

Collaborative Decision-Making: Cloud BI spreads the power to all the interested parties across departments to exploit consistent, current data for cross-functional insights and alignment of strategic goals.

Critical Requirements for Cloud BI Implementation

Some of the critical requirements that can help implement cloud-based BI include:

Review Data Storage Strategy: Review if your business uses cloud storage for its data. Consider migrating your already existing data to the cloud.

Identify Needs to Analyze Unstructured Data: A need assessment within your organization should help identify unstructured data analytic needs.

Review the existing Business Intelligence Tools: It is time to review the tools to see if they meet your needs after the gap analysis.

Consider a reliable platform for Data Storage and Integration: Consider reliable platforms for this purpose. Ensure full encryption of the data and adherence to standards. Select a cloud platform with capabilities for scaling up and processing requests most quickly.

Security and Compliance Requirements

Opt for a BI service on the Cloud that adheres to some industry regulations and hence provides adequate data security. Choose a deployment model that aligns with your IT infrastructure and operating preferences; it could be either self-hosted or based on a public cloud provider.

Selecting a Cloud BI Vendor

Here’s the criteria to lean on during the search of an appropriate cloud-based application development vendor:

Costs of Service: See if the pricing strategies apply within your budgetary constraints.

Vendor Experience: Choose vendors with relevant industry experience or have worked for similar-needs clients.

Training and Support: Ensure that the vendor provides reasonably sufficient training and support as may be required continuously.

Time to implement: the extent to which the vendor can deliver and implement the solution within your desired time.

Deploying a cloud BI solution demands proper consideration, with several factors being preplanned for seamlessly integrating data and upgrading data analytics effectively, thus improving business performance. The right Cloud BI vendor may just be the single difference in the success and efficiency of your BI endeavors, as it propels your organization forward with the right sets of data-driven insights toward effective growth and innovation.

In short, Cloud Business Intelligence is probably the best weapon that one can have for business growth, giving real boosts through real-time insights, improved data analysis, and better decision-making capabilities. A business can easily streamline its processes by utilizing the cloud for its BI solutions, which cut costs and place it at par with competitors in a fast-moving digital world.