Adapting Application Security to the New World of Bots

In 2018, organizations reported a 10% increase in malware and bot attacks. Considering the pervasiveness (70%) of these types of attacks reported in 2017, this uptick is likely having a big impact on organizations globally. Compounding the issue is the fact that the majority of bots are actually leveraged for good intentions, not malicious ones. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for organizations to identify the difference between the two, according to Radware’s Web Application Security in a Digitally Connected World report.

Spotlight

boost.ai

Boost.ai is a Scandinavian software company that specializes in conversational artificial intelligence (AI). With tireless dedication to machine learning, we have developed the world’s most complete software for building, implementing and operating digital advisors powered by our market-leading conversational AI. Taking advantage of robust natural language technology, unlimited scalability, enterprise-level security and best-in-class privacy features, our numerous clients can rest assured that they provide the level of service their customers of the future expect - today.

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AI Tech

Are Telcos Ready for a Quantum Leap?

Article | September 8, 2023

Quantum technologies present both an opportunity for telcos to solve difficult problems and provide new services and a security threat that could require extensive IT investment. Are Telcos Ready for a Quantum Leap? When Andrew Lord, Senior Manager, Optical Networks and Quantum Research at BT, first started presenting quantum technologies at customer events six or seven years ago, his was the graveyard shift, he says, entertaining attendees at the end of the day with talk of 'crazy quantum stuff.' "But that is no longer the case," says Lord. "Over the last two years, I've noticed a shift where I now speak before lunch, and customers actively seek us out." Two developments may be causing the shift: Customers’ growing awareness of the threats and opportunities that quantum computing presents, plus a recent spike in investment in quantum technology. In 2022, investors plowed $2.35 billion into quantum technology startups, which include companies in quantum computing, communications and sensing, according to McKinsey. The public sector has also been digging deep into its pockets. Last year, the United States added $1.8 billion to its previous spending on quantum technology, and the EU committed an extra $1.2 billion, the consultancy noted, while China made total investments of $15.3 billion. According to Luke Ibbetson, Head of Group R&D at Vodafone, quantum computing's promise lies in solving a probabilistic equation within a few hours. This task would take a classical computer a million years to accomplish. This breakthrough would enable telcos to address optimization problems related to network planning, optimization, and base station placement. The flip side is that a powerful quantum computer could also break the public-key cryptography that protects today’s IT systems from hackers. As a spokesperson at Deutsche Telekom remarks: “Telcos will have to react to the threat of quantum computers to communication security because their core business model is at risk, which is offering secure digital communications.” The idea of quantum computing posing a security threat is not new. In 1994, Peter Shor, a mathematician working at AT&T Bell Labs, showed how a quantum computer could solve the logarithms used to encrypt data. “His work simultaneously ignited multiple new lines of research in quantum computing, information science, and cryptography,” according to an article by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Shor is currently working. Beyond The Lab What has changed nearly thirty years on is that quantum computing is creeping out of the lab. Sizeable obstacles to large-scale quantum computing, however, remain. Quantum computers are highly sensitive to interference from noise, temperature, movement or electromagnetic fields and, therefore, very difficult and expensive to build and operate, especially at scale: IBM’s latest quantum processor, for example, operates at a very low temperature of approximately 0.02 degrees Kelvin. When Deutsche Telekom’s T-Labs tested telco use cases, it found quantum computing coped well with small problem statements. “However, when the problem size was scaled to real-world problem sizes, the quality of the QComp solution degraded,” according to the spokesperson. The company is now awaiting the next generation of quantum computing platforms to redo the analyses. All of this means, for now, quantum computers are not large and powerful enough to crack Shor’s algorithm. The question is, when will someone succeed? The Global Risk Institute tracks the quantum threat timeline. In its latest annual report, the organization asked 40 quantum experts whether they thought it likely that within the next ten years, a quantum computer would break an encryption scheme like RSA-2048 in under 24 hours. Over half the respondents judged the event to be more than 5% likely, and almost a quarter considered it to be more than 50% likely. Any breakthrough will come from a relatively small number of actors. Today, governments and academic institutions are home to around half of the 163 projects accounted for worldwide by Global Quantum Intelligence, a research and analysis company, according to its CEO, André M. König, with big technology companies and specialized startups accounting for the rest. Q2K Nonetheless, the impact of quantum computing could be widespread, even if relatively few of them are built. The challenge of preparing for a post-quantum future is often called Q2K in reference to the Y2K bug. In the late 1990s, many (but not all) governmental organizations and companies spent millions of dollars on Y2K systems integration to ensure that IT programs written from the 1960s through the 1980s would be able to recognize dates after December 31, 1999, all while being uncertain of the scale or the impact of the risk if they didn’t. ‘Q2K’ differs in that there is no specific deadline, and the dangers of a major security breach are much clearer cut. However, it is similar in demanding a lot of work on aging systems. “Cryptography is used everywhere,” points out Lory Thorpe, IBM’s Director of Global Solutions and Offerings, Telecommunications. She adds, “Because telco systems have been built over periods of decades, people don’t actually know where cryptography is being used. So, if you start to look at the impact of public key cryptography and digital signatures being compromised, you start to look at how those two things impact open source, how that impacts the core network, the radio network, [and] OSS/BSS, network management, how the network management speaks to the network functions and so on.” This complexity is why some analysts recommend that telcos take action now. “You’re going to find tens of thousands of vulnerabilities that are critical and vulnerable to a quantum attack. So, do you have to worry about it today? Absolutely - even if it’s in 2035,” says König. “Anyone who has ever done [IT implementation projects], and anyone who’s ever worked in cybersecurity [knows], tens of thousands of vulnerabilities that are critical [requires] years and years and years of just traditional integration work. So, even if you’re skeptical about quantum, if you haven’t started today, it is almost too late already.” Don’t Panic! For the past two to three years, Vodafone has been preparing to migrate some of its cryptographic systems to be quantum-safe, according to Ibbetson. He believes there is no need to panic about this. However, telcos must start planning now. König said, "The telecoms industry as a whole is not moving as quickly as some other sectors, notably the banking, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries. In these sectors, post-quantum security planning often involves CEOs at a very strategic level." For this reason, Vodafone joined forces with IBM in September 2022 to establish the GSMA Post-Quantum Telco Network Taskforce. “Even though many industries are preparing to be able to defend against future quantum threats, we didn’t see anything happening particularly in in the telco space, and we wanted to make sure that it was a focus,” says Ibbetson. “Obviously it will turn into an IT-style transformation, but it’s starting now with understanding what it is we need to mobilize that.” AT&T has also been working to pinpoint what needs to be addressed. Last year, the company said it aims to be quantum-ready by 2025, in the sense that it will have done its due diligence and identified a clear path forward. Minding Your PQCs Companies across multiple sectors are looking to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to secure their systems, which will use new algorithms that are much harder to crack than RSA. König contends that PQC needs to become “a standard component of companies’ agile defense posture” and believes the development of PQC systems by software and hardware companies will help keep upgrade costs under control. “From a financial point of view, vendors do a fantastic job bringing this to market and making it very accessible,” says König. Lord, who has been researching quantum technologies at BT for over a decade, is also confident that there is “going to be much more available technology.” As a result, even smaller telcos will be able to invest in securing their systems. “It doesn't need a big boy with lots of money [for] research to do something around PQC. There’s a lot of work going on to ratify the best of those solutions,” says Lord. There are several reasons why eyes are on software based PQC. Firstly, it can be used to secure data that was encrypted in the past, quantum computing advances will make vulnerable in the future. In addition, the quantum-based alternative to PQC for securing network traffic called quantum key distribution (QKD), comes with a huge drawback for wireless operators. QKD is hardware-based and uses quantum mechanics to prevent interception across optical fiber and satellite (i.e., free space optical) networks, making it secure, albeit expensive. But for reasons of physics, it does not work on mobile networks. Setting Standards Given the importance of PQC, a lot of effort is going into standardizing robust algorithms. The political weight of the US and the size of its technology industry mean that the US government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is playing a key role in the technical evaluation of post-quantum standardization algorithms and creating standards. NIST expects to publish the first set of post-quantum cryptography standards in 2024. In the meantime, Dustin Moody, a NIST mathematician, recommends (in answers emailed to inform) that companies “become familiar and do some testing with the algorithms being standardized, and how they will fit in your products and applications. Ensure that you are using current best-practice cryptographic algorithms and security strengths in your existing applications. Have somebody designated to be leading the effort to transition. QKD There is no absolute guarantee, however, that a quantum computer in the future won’t find a way to crack PQC. Therefore, institutions such as government agencies and banks remain interested in using QKD fiber and satellite networks to ensure the highest levels of security for data transmission. The European Commission, for example, is working with the 27 EU Member States and the European Space Agency (ESA) to design, develop and deploy a QKD-based European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI). It will be made up of fiber networks linking strategic sites at national and cross-border levels and a space segment based on satellites. EuroQCI will reinforce the protection of Europe’s governmental institutions, their data centers, hospitals, energy grids, and more,” according to the EU. Telecom operators are involved in some of the national programs, including Orange, which is coordinating France’s part of the program called FranceQCI (Quantum Communication Infrastructure). Separately, this month, Toshiba and Orange announced they had successfully demonstrated the viability of deploying QKD on existing commercial networks. Outside the EU, BT has already built and is now operating a commercial metro quantum-encryption network in London. “The London network has three quantum nodes, which are the bearers carrying the quantum traffic for all of the access ingress,” explains Lord. For example, a customer in London's Canary Wharf could link via the network to the nearest quantum-enabled BT exchange. From there, it joins a metro network, which carries the keys from multiple customers “in an aggregated cost-effective way to the egress points,” according to Lord. “It is not trivial because you can mess things up and [get] the wrong keys,” explains Lord. “You really have to be more careful about authentication and key management. And then it's all about how you engineer your quantum resources to handle bigger aggregation.” It also gives BT the opportunity to explore how to integrate quantum systems downstream into its whole network. “What I'm telling the quantum world is that they need to get into the real world because a system that uses quantum is still going to be 90%, non-quantum and all of the usual networking rules and engineering practices apply. You still need to know how to handle fiber. You still need to know how to provision a piece of equipment and integrate it into a network.” SK Telecom is also heavily involved in quantum-related research, with developments including QKD systems for the control and interworking of quantum cryptography communication networks. Japan is another important center of QKD research. A QKD network has existed in Tokyo since 2010, and in 2020, financial services company Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. tested the transmission of data across the Tokyo QKD network. As the EU’s project makes clear, satellite is an important part of the mix. Lord expects satellite-based QKD networks to come on stream as of 2025 and 2026, enabling the purchase of wholesale quantum keys from a dedicated satellite quantum provider. Back in 2017, China already used the satellite to make the first very long-distance transmission of data secured by QKD between Beijing and Vienna, a distance of 7,000km. Securing The Edge There are additional efforts to secure communications with edge devices. BT’s Lord, for example, sees a role for digital fingerprints for IoT devices, phones, cars and smart meters in the form of a physical unclonable function (PUF) silicon chip, which, because of random imperfections in its manufacture, cannot be copied. In the UK, BT is trialing a combination of QKD and PUF to secure the end-to-end journey of a driverless car. The connection to the roadside depends on standard radio with PUF authentication, while transmission from the roadside unit onward, as well as the overall control of the autonomous vehicle network, incorporate QKD, explains Lord. SK Telecom has developed what it describes as a quantum-enhanced cryptographic chip with Korea Computer & Systems (KCS) and ID Quantique. Telefónica Spain has partnered on the development of a quantum-safe 5G SIM card and has integrated quantum technology into its cloud service hosted in its virtual data centers. Given China’s heavy investment in quantum technologies, it is no surprise to see its telecom operators involved in the field. China Telecom, for example, recently invested three billion yuan ($434m) in quantum technology deployment, according to Reuters. Quantum in The Cloud Some of America's biggest technology companies are investing in quantum computing. Today, it is even possible to access quantum computing facilities via the cloud, albeit at on small scale. IBM's cloud access to quantum computers is free for the most basic level, rising to $1.60 per second for the next level. And it is just the beginning. America's big tech companies are racing to build quantum computers at scale. One measure of scale is the size of a quantum processor, which is measured in qubits. While a traditional computer stores information as a 0 or 1, a qubit can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously. This unique property enables a quantum computer to explore multiple potential solutions to a problem simultaneously; and the greater the stability of its qubits, the more efficient it becomes. IBM has a long history in quantum research and development. In 1998, it unveiled what was then a ground-breaking 2-qubit computer. By 2022, it had produced a 433-qubit processor, and in 2023, it aims to produce a 1,121-qubit processor. Separately, this month, it announced the construction of its first quantum data center in Europe, which it expects to begin offering commercial services as of next year. Google is also firmly in the race to build a large-scale quantum computer. In 2019, a paper in Nature featured Google’s Sycamore processor and the speed with which it undertakes computational tasks. More recent work includes an experimental demonstration of it’s possible to reduce errors by increasing the number of qubits. Microsoft reckons that "a quantum machine capable of solving many of the hardest problems facing humanity will ultimately require at least 1 million stable qubits that can perform 1 quintillion operations while making at most a single error." To this end, it is working on what it calls a new type of qubit, a topological qubit. Amazon announced in 2021 an AWS Center for Quantum Computing on the Caltech campus to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer.

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Software, Low-Code App Development, Application Development Platform

Empowering Industry 4.0 with Artificial Intelligence

Article | August 23, 2023

The next step in industrial technology is about robotics, computers and equipment becoming connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) and enhanced by machine learning algorithms. Industry 4.0 has the potential to be a powerful driver of economic growth, predicted to add between $500 billion- $1.5 trillion in value to the global economy between 2018 and 2022, according to a report by Capgemini.

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Software, Future Tech, Application Development Platform

How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Businesses

Article | July 24, 2023

Whilst there are many people that associate AI with sci-fi novels and films, its reputation as an antagonist to fictional dystopic worlds is now becoming a thing of the past, as the technology becomes more and more integrated into our everyday lives. AI technologies have become increasingly more present in our daily lives, not just with Alexa’s in the home, but also throughout businesses everywhere, disrupting a variety of different industries with often tremendous results. The technology has helped to streamline even the most mundane of tasks whilst having a breath-taking impact on a company’s efficiency and productivity

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The advances of AI in healthcare

Article | February 11, 2020

With the Government investing £250 million into the project, the Lab will consider how to use AI for the benefit of patients – whether this be the deployment of existing AI methods, the development of new technologies or the testing of their safety. Amongst other things, the initiative will aim to deliver earlier diagnoses of cancer. It is estimated that in excess of 50,000 extra patients could see their cancer being detected at an early stage, thus boosting survival rates. More specifically, a study has shown that AI is quicker in identifying brain tumour tissue than a pathologist.This would have a positive knock-on effect in other areas, such as enabling money to be saved (that otherwise would have been spent on further treatment) and reducing the workload of staff (at a time when there is a crisis in NHS workforce numbers).

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Spotlight

boost.ai

Boost.ai is a Scandinavian software company that specializes in conversational artificial intelligence (AI). With tireless dedication to machine learning, we have developed the world’s most complete software for building, implementing and operating digital advisors powered by our market-leading conversational AI. Taking advantage of robust natural language technology, unlimited scalability, enterprise-level security and best-in-class privacy features, our numerous clients can rest assured that they provide the level of service their customers of the future expect - today.

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General AI

Heretto Steps Into A New Era With Groundbreaking AI Features and Fresh Rebranding

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

Heretto is thrilled to announce the beta launch of highly anticipated generative artificial intelligence (AI) features, new branding, and a refreshed website. This landmark event introduces two powerful AI functionalities, Etto, the Heretto Copilot to assist technical writers, and HelpAI to support content consumers. Etto and HelpAI will initially be available to Beta testers and then to all Heretto customers in 2024. With these new capabilities, enterprise customers will save countless hours by letting the AI handle mundane tasks or gain an in-house DITA expert to make structured content more approachable. Authors can now create content faster while focusing on the creative and strategic process of technical writing rather than mundane tasks. HelpAI adds a generative search function to the Heretto portal, making it easier for users to surface answers and information. Equipped with a confidence score and supported by citations, HelpAI is designed to provide hallucination-free results and will only surface accurate, secure, and helpful information from the portal. These two features set the stage for further product advancements and ensure Heretto users will have state-of-the-art tools for managing content effectively and securely. In concurrence with the AI Beta launch, Heretto is also proud to unveil a refreshed brand identity, signaling a new era. The rebrand includes a polished color palette, a user-centric website redesign, and a modernized logo. We are excited to share these generative AI features, representing a major leap forward in our ongoing mission to empower our customers to build their most ambitious and impactful knowledge experiences. Combined with our fresh new look, this launch marks the beginning of a transformative chapter for Heretto, and we look forward to helping our users build tomorrow's content strategy today. Patrick Bosek, Heretto CEO About Heretto Heretto is a powerful CCMS platform to deploy help and API docs in a single portal designed to delight your customers. With Heretto, you can create, manage, deploy, and delight with documentation delivered to any channel, in any language. Not only do you get the internal perks of real-time collaboration and faster content production, but your customers will be delighted with immediate, personalized answers on any device.

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AI Applications

Adobe's Creative Cloud Revolution: AI Magic in Photoshop and More

Adobe | September 15, 2023

Adobe has introduced a groundbreaking AI-powered Creative Cloud release, integrating generative AI capabilities into its suite of creative applications, including Photoshop and Illustrator. The company has also launched Adobe Express Premium and the Firefly web application, along with AI enhancements in Premiere Pro and After Effects. These additions aim to enhance creativity and empower users to explore new creative avenues. Since the beta launch of generative AI features in Illustrator and Adobe Express, users have generated over two billion creations using Firefly-powered technology. These capabilities are now accessible to both free and paid Creative Cloud members. Starting immediately, Creative Cloud paid plans include the Firefly web application, which serves as a creative playground for AI-assisted expression, and Express Premium, a comprehensive creativity app featuring new generative AI Text to Image and Text Effects functions. These features streamline asset import, editing, and synchronization across applications, facilitating quick content creation for social media and scaling brand content creation. Ashley Still, Senior Vice President of Digital Media at Adobe, emphasized that AI innovation empowers creators and signifies a new era of creativity with AI integration across Creative Cloud applications. Adobe has also introduced Generative credits, a credit-based model for generative AI across its offerings. These credits allow customers to transform text-based prompts into images and vector creations in Photoshop, Illustrator, Express, and Firefly. Generative credits are now included with Firefly, Express Premium, and Creative Cloud paid plans. The latest AI-powered Creative Cloud releases feature generative AI capabilities in Photoshop and Illustrator, offering functions like generative fill, generative expand, and generative recolor. Premiere Pro boasts new AI features such as automatic filler word detection, noise removal from voice recordings, and improved editing speed. After Effects introduces a 3D workspace for seamless integration of 3D models and an AI-enhanced Roto Brush for precise object removal from footage. The Firefly web application provides creative generative AI modules for generating images, applying styles or textures to text, recoloring artwork, and supporting text prompts in over 100 languages. Adobe Express Premium now offers Text to Image and Text Effects features for easy access to and editing of creative assets from Photoshop and Illustrator, along with PDF import and enhancement capabilities. To support this new AI-driven ecosystem, Adobe has revised its pricing structure, with price increases scheduled for specific Creative Cloud plans in select regions starting on November 1, 2023. Free Creative Cloud users will also receive monthly Generative Credits, with the option to upgrade to a paid plan for $4.99 per month once their initial allocation is depleted. The integration of AI in Adobe's Creative Cloud may lead to concerns about overreliance on automation, potentially reducing the human touch in creative work. Some users might also worry about increased subscription costs due to the introduction of generative credits. On the flip side, AI integration opens up new creative possibilities, making it easier for designers to experiment and innovate. It streamlines workflows, enhances productivity, and provides access to powerful AI tools, ultimately empowering users to achieve more in their creative endeavors.

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Software, Future Tech, Application Development Platform

SmartBear Launches Integrated API Developer Suite, Adding Portal and Exploration to SwaggerHub Platform

Businesswire | August 04, 2023

SmartBear, a leading provider of software development and visibility tools, released SwaggerHub Portal, SwaggerHub’s new feature to customize consumer-facing documentation that drives the adoption of APIs. The developer-centric tool allows API providers to create customizable landing pages, providing consumers with comprehensive resources for easy implementation. Portal is integrated with SwaggerHub, the popular API design and documentation tool, and Explore, the API client that supports REST and event-driven specifications, allowing teams of any size to explore, design, test, and document all in one place for a better developer experience. “SmartBear is focused on API-first development, helping developers to solve their challenges when it comes to design, documentation, testing, and adoption,” said Sean Butler, Vice President of Product Management at SmartBear. “With a growing number of APIs available, providers need help with discoverability and onboarding. To address this challenge, we are excited to launch these two innovative milestones – SwaggerHub Portal and its integration with SwaggerHub Explore – as we advance toward the SmartBear API Developer Lifecycle platform to deliver the best developer experiences in the industry.” According to Slashdata, more than 90% of developers use APIs regularly with 69% using third-party APIs, though discoverability is critical for consumers to successfully implement APIs into their projects. SwaggerHub Portal provides increased visibility and adoption and allows providers to seamlessly onboard their consumers for an improved customer experience. SwaggerHub's integration with Portal allows developers to generate documentation from their API designs with zero context switching. This minimizes time to market, making their APIs easy to discover and adopt. Development teams, whether code-first, design-first, or hybrid, can generate documentation from Explore, no longer needing to start from scratch when documenting. A senior tech and developer experience lead at Webio stated, “SwaggerHub Portal’s capabilities are promising to be a game changer for our onboarding process and developer experience. The use of the product concept to describe different parts of our system, combined with seamless integration with other SwaggerHub products, means that developers have a one-stop shop to get all the latest API information alongside visually appealing up-to-date documentation.” About SmartBear SmartBear provides a portfolio of trusted tools that give software development teams around the world visibility into end-to-end quality through test management and automation, API development lifecycle, and application stability, ensuring each software release is better than the last. Our award-winning tools include SwaggerHub, TestComplete, BugSnag, ReadyAPI, Zephyr, and PactFlow, among others. SmartBear is trusted by over 16 million developers, testers, and software engineers at 32,000+ organizations – including innovators like Adobe, JetBlue, FedEx, and Microsoft. With an active peer-to-peer community, we meet customers where they are to help make our technology-driven world a better place. SmartBear is committed to ethical corporate practices and social responsibility, promoting good in all the communities we serve. Learn more at smartbear.com, or follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

Read More

General AI

Heretto Steps Into A New Era With Groundbreaking AI Features and Fresh Rebranding

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

Heretto is thrilled to announce the beta launch of highly anticipated generative artificial intelligence (AI) features, new branding, and a refreshed website. This landmark event introduces two powerful AI functionalities, Etto, the Heretto Copilot to assist technical writers, and HelpAI to support content consumers. Etto and HelpAI will initially be available to Beta testers and then to all Heretto customers in 2024. With these new capabilities, enterprise customers will save countless hours by letting the AI handle mundane tasks or gain an in-house DITA expert to make structured content more approachable. Authors can now create content faster while focusing on the creative and strategic process of technical writing rather than mundane tasks. HelpAI adds a generative search function to the Heretto portal, making it easier for users to surface answers and information. Equipped with a confidence score and supported by citations, HelpAI is designed to provide hallucination-free results and will only surface accurate, secure, and helpful information from the portal. These two features set the stage for further product advancements and ensure Heretto users will have state-of-the-art tools for managing content effectively and securely. In concurrence with the AI Beta launch, Heretto is also proud to unveil a refreshed brand identity, signaling a new era. The rebrand includes a polished color palette, a user-centric website redesign, and a modernized logo. We are excited to share these generative AI features, representing a major leap forward in our ongoing mission to empower our customers to build their most ambitious and impactful knowledge experiences. Combined with our fresh new look, this launch marks the beginning of a transformative chapter for Heretto, and we look forward to helping our users build tomorrow's content strategy today. Patrick Bosek, Heretto CEO About Heretto Heretto is a powerful CCMS platform to deploy help and API docs in a single portal designed to delight your customers. With Heretto, you can create, manage, deploy, and delight with documentation delivered to any channel, in any language. Not only do you get the internal perks of real-time collaboration and faster content production, but your customers will be delighted with immediate, personalized answers on any device.

Read More

AI Applications

Adobe's Creative Cloud Revolution: AI Magic in Photoshop and More

Adobe | September 15, 2023

Adobe has introduced a groundbreaking AI-powered Creative Cloud release, integrating generative AI capabilities into its suite of creative applications, including Photoshop and Illustrator. The company has also launched Adobe Express Premium and the Firefly web application, along with AI enhancements in Premiere Pro and After Effects. These additions aim to enhance creativity and empower users to explore new creative avenues. Since the beta launch of generative AI features in Illustrator and Adobe Express, users have generated over two billion creations using Firefly-powered technology. These capabilities are now accessible to both free and paid Creative Cloud members. Starting immediately, Creative Cloud paid plans include the Firefly web application, which serves as a creative playground for AI-assisted expression, and Express Premium, a comprehensive creativity app featuring new generative AI Text to Image and Text Effects functions. These features streamline asset import, editing, and synchronization across applications, facilitating quick content creation for social media and scaling brand content creation. Ashley Still, Senior Vice President of Digital Media at Adobe, emphasized that AI innovation empowers creators and signifies a new era of creativity with AI integration across Creative Cloud applications. Adobe has also introduced Generative credits, a credit-based model for generative AI across its offerings. These credits allow customers to transform text-based prompts into images and vector creations in Photoshop, Illustrator, Express, and Firefly. Generative credits are now included with Firefly, Express Premium, and Creative Cloud paid plans. The latest AI-powered Creative Cloud releases feature generative AI capabilities in Photoshop and Illustrator, offering functions like generative fill, generative expand, and generative recolor. Premiere Pro boasts new AI features such as automatic filler word detection, noise removal from voice recordings, and improved editing speed. After Effects introduces a 3D workspace for seamless integration of 3D models and an AI-enhanced Roto Brush for precise object removal from footage. The Firefly web application provides creative generative AI modules for generating images, applying styles or textures to text, recoloring artwork, and supporting text prompts in over 100 languages. Adobe Express Premium now offers Text to Image and Text Effects features for easy access to and editing of creative assets from Photoshop and Illustrator, along with PDF import and enhancement capabilities. To support this new AI-driven ecosystem, Adobe has revised its pricing structure, with price increases scheduled for specific Creative Cloud plans in select regions starting on November 1, 2023. Free Creative Cloud users will also receive monthly Generative Credits, with the option to upgrade to a paid plan for $4.99 per month once their initial allocation is depleted. The integration of AI in Adobe's Creative Cloud may lead to concerns about overreliance on automation, potentially reducing the human touch in creative work. Some users might also worry about increased subscription costs due to the introduction of generative credits. On the flip side, AI integration opens up new creative possibilities, making it easier for designers to experiment and innovate. It streamlines workflows, enhances productivity, and provides access to powerful AI tools, ultimately empowering users to achieve more in their creative endeavors.

Read More

Software, Future Tech, Application Development Platform

SmartBear Launches Integrated API Developer Suite, Adding Portal and Exploration to SwaggerHub Platform

Businesswire | August 04, 2023

SmartBear, a leading provider of software development and visibility tools, released SwaggerHub Portal, SwaggerHub’s new feature to customize consumer-facing documentation that drives the adoption of APIs. The developer-centric tool allows API providers to create customizable landing pages, providing consumers with comprehensive resources for easy implementation. Portal is integrated with SwaggerHub, the popular API design and documentation tool, and Explore, the API client that supports REST and event-driven specifications, allowing teams of any size to explore, design, test, and document all in one place for a better developer experience. “SmartBear is focused on API-first development, helping developers to solve their challenges when it comes to design, documentation, testing, and adoption,” said Sean Butler, Vice President of Product Management at SmartBear. “With a growing number of APIs available, providers need help with discoverability and onboarding. To address this challenge, we are excited to launch these two innovative milestones – SwaggerHub Portal and its integration with SwaggerHub Explore – as we advance toward the SmartBear API Developer Lifecycle platform to deliver the best developer experiences in the industry.” According to Slashdata, more than 90% of developers use APIs regularly with 69% using third-party APIs, though discoverability is critical for consumers to successfully implement APIs into their projects. SwaggerHub Portal provides increased visibility and adoption and allows providers to seamlessly onboard their consumers for an improved customer experience. SwaggerHub's integration with Portal allows developers to generate documentation from their API designs with zero context switching. This minimizes time to market, making their APIs easy to discover and adopt. Development teams, whether code-first, design-first, or hybrid, can generate documentation from Explore, no longer needing to start from scratch when documenting. A senior tech and developer experience lead at Webio stated, “SwaggerHub Portal’s capabilities are promising to be a game changer for our onboarding process and developer experience. The use of the product concept to describe different parts of our system, combined with seamless integration with other SwaggerHub products, means that developers have a one-stop shop to get all the latest API information alongside visually appealing up-to-date documentation.” About SmartBear SmartBear provides a portfolio of trusted tools that give software development teams around the world visibility into end-to-end quality through test management and automation, API development lifecycle, and application stability, ensuring each software release is better than the last. Our award-winning tools include SwaggerHub, TestComplete, BugSnag, ReadyAPI, Zephyr, and PactFlow, among others. SmartBear is trusted by over 16 million developers, testers, and software engineers at 32,000+ organizations – including innovators like Adobe, JetBlue, FedEx, and Microsoft. With an active peer-to-peer community, we meet customers where they are to help make our technology-driven world a better place. SmartBear is committed to ethical corporate practices and social responsibility, promoting good in all the communities we serve. Learn more at smartbear.com, or follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

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