The Business And Technology Network

Environmental awareness is certainly one of the most pressing issues, but most manufacturers are also concerned about saving money, and these areas can be combined. If you want to save money through energy management, you need to turn energy awareness into savings. Below, we will look at some specific examples of how to do this and attract more business for software solutions for the energy industry.

How companies are leveraging energy software to cut costs

One of the initial steps a business can take to lower its energy costs is to conduct an energy audit. This process involves thoroughly assessing the company’s energy use to identify inefficiencies and areas where energy consumption can be reduced. For example, during such an audit, a manufacturing company may find outdated equipment using more energy than necessary. Accordingly, the company can switch to more energy-efficient equipment, significantly reducing its electricity bills. To further enhance energy management, businesses can explore software development for energy sector solutions, which provide tailored tools for optimizing energy use and improving operational efficiency.

• Investments in renewable energy sources (solar or wind power) can provide businesses with long-term options for addressing rising energy prices. Although the initial investment may be significant financially, it can significantly reduce the company’s dependence on the power grid in the long run.
• Another effective way for businesses to reduce energy costs is by implementing software for energy industry, upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, using smart thermostats to optimize heating and cooling, and monitoring energy usage in real-time. For instance, in an office, you can provide a smart lighting system that will adjust the lighting according to the number of people and the level of natural light.
• Including staff members in energy conservation efforts can also save costs. For example, something as small as turning off their computers at the end of the workday can significantly decrease energy usage.
• Advanced energy software engineering and management systems allow businesses to monitor energy use in real-time, provide data that help optimize energy consumption, and make well-informed decisions about where costs can be cut.

What business leaders say about energy software impact

The IT sector’s carbon footprint is rapidly increasing. If the situation remains unchanged, IT emissions could account for up to 14% of global emissions by 2040. Seven out of ten business leaders (69%) believe that half of their IT investments impact their organization’s sustainability.

In a report published by IBM in September titled “IT Sustainability: Survey of Global Business Leaders, September 2023,” 55% of respondents stated that reducing electricity costs is the most important area for sustainability-oriented IT investment. Additionally, 50% of respondents said that improving their environmental protection efforts was the main reason they wanted to invest in sustainable IT technologies.

Transitioning businesses to low-carbon energy sources can help companies save costs, increase revenues, and mitigate risks and rising expenses while enhancing sustainability performance.

According to research by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with PwC, adopting currently available technologies can collectively reduce energy intensity (the amount of energy used to produce a specific output) by 31% and save companies worldwide $2 trillion annually by 2030.

Energy industry software solutions are critical in achieving these goals, helping organizations optimize energy consumption, enhance operational efficiency, and drive innovation in sustainability practices.

Enterprises transforming operations through software

Businesses can transform their operational capabilities through software that includes:

• Digitization refers to automating routine tasks by implementing innovative software solutions.
• Integration enables systems to connect and synchronize resource management.
• Utilizing modern software for analytics and forecasting to predict energy needs, optimize processes, and enable informed decision-making.
• Sustainability refers to software solutions that support ecological initiatives and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources.

Challenges in energy software adoption: What businesses need to know

Implementing energy software solutions comes with its challenges. These challenges include the need for significant investments, insufficient training among company personnel, difficulties integrating new software with legacy systems, increased risk of cyber threats, and a shortage of specialists capable of executing projects in the energy software domain.

Despite these obstacles, businesses are still better off starting their energy software adoption now and progressing toward future opportunities at their own pace.

Emerging trends in energy software development

By the end of 2024, the following trends in energy software development can be highlighted.

• Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Advancement of IoT solutions
• Modularity and cloud technologies
• Focus on cybersecurity
• Sustainable development

These trends indicate that energy software continues to evolve, creating new opportunities for businesses and society.

Why energy software is a strategic priority

Energy software development plays a crucial role in modern business due to its ability to transform operational processes, enhance efficiency, and adapt to the challenges of new technologies and market conditions. Here’s why developing such software has become a strategic priority for businesses:

• Energy software helps enterprises better manage resources such as electricity, water, or fuel, reducing costs and minimizing inefficiencies.
• Software solutions automate routine tasks, decreasing the likelihood of human error while increasing accuracy and speed.
• Energy business software optimizes energy usage and reduces the carbon footprint, making businesses more socially responsible.
• Energy software is flexible, adaptable to changing business needs or market conditions, and highly scalable. It also supports implementing new technologies, such as AI and IoT, enhancing competitiveness.

Developing energy software is a strategic priority as it enhances business efficiency, allows adaptation to changes, ensures compliance with sustainability standards, and strengthens market positions.

Conclusion: How energy software development is reshaping businesses

Energy software development is about transforming businesses’ functions. It’s a way to stay competitive in a world that’s changing faster than ever while tackling significant challenges like climate change and digital disruption. As energy needs grow and regulations become stricter, businesses that integrate energy software will be leading the way. These tools aren’t just about solving today’s problems—they’re about creating a future where innovation, efficiency, and ecological sustainability go hand in hand.

Featured image credit: JESHOOTS.COM/Unsplash

Learn how to use ChatGPT with Siri on your iPhone, enabling more advanced AI features and capabilities in iOS 18.2.

The days of walling off the outside world to protect your network are quickly going the way of the Dodo. Thanks to the extraordinary growth of remote workforces, the adoption of cloud-based networking, and new cyber threats, the old network security model just no longer works.

In this time of ultimate shareability and interconnectedness, threats can come from any angle—including inside your network. Enter the Zero Trust security framework. By trusting none and verifying all, Zero Trust can make any network, home of business, become Fort Knox.

With the old “castle and moat” style of protecting networks going by the wayside, many speculate that VPNs will follow suit. So what does this all mean for the security of your data and will you still be using a VPN in a few years time? Let’s dig in to find out more and see what the future holds for your network security.  

What is Zero Trust?

NordLayer

Despite huge investments in firewalls and VPNs, organizations and even individuals are finding that they’re still vulnerable. This is down to the inherent flatness of most networks. Once hackers are able to penetrate a network, they can easily move around without worrying about additional security checks. Zero Trust is a way to combat this type of unwanted access.

Zero Trust architecture might sound like some newfangled technology, but it’s really just a strategy used for network security. It’s a type of cybersecurity methodology rather than any single program or application.

The basic idea behind Zero Trust is to, well, trust no one. Pretty simple right? In reality it takes the form of better and more comprehensive authentication in front of a service; principles such as ‘least access needed’, and the assumption that the network is always under attack, guide this model.

Why is this authentication important? Take a castle as an example. A traditional VPN acts as the moat surrounding the castle. This makes it difficult to get in, but once inside you’re able to roam about freely. 

Zero Trust security on the other hand can be thought of as castle guards. They’re posted at every doorway, acting as gatekeepers for that area. Anytime you want to move to another room in the castle, you need to gain permission from that area’s guard. This level of comprehensive security is much better at limiting the damage that an intruder can do if they manage to get inside.

The principles of Zero Trust are already being used by some forward-thinking organizations and companies, but it’s only a matter of time before the same ideas will be leveraged for use in home networks and personal applications as well.

Will Zero Trust replace VPNs?

Due to the very nature of Zero Trust, traditional VPNs are facing a reckoning. Because Zero Trust architecture is very effective at keeping networks secure, some in the security community argue that it threatens to replace VPNs as a method for remote access.

Personally, I don’t think that will be the case. Zero Trust may become a default practice for companies in the future, but this doesn’t mean that VPNs will go the way of the dinosaurs though. 

Apart from just security, VPNs still provide other great features such streaming service unblocking and avoiding bandwidth throttling.

Sam Singleton

They still provide myriad benefits when it comes to both professional and personal privacy. Just because you’re accessing a Zero Trust service that’s authenticating every step of the way doesn’t mean your activities are private; someone who’s watching your traffic can still piece together everything you’re doing. 

A VPN remains the best way of obfuscating your traffic and keeping it out of sight from prying eyes. Seeing as how Zero Trust architecture and VPNs don’t inherently conflict with one another, it’s most likely that Zero Trust is something that will be used in tandem with a VPN rather than its direct replacement in the future.

Zero Trust and VPNs to protect your data, the power of friendship

As more and more people begin working from home, their home networks will begin to grow larger and more complex. Wireless routers and access points will then become juicy targets for hackers to compromise private data.

Zero Trust security at home can take the form of multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all personal accounts. We are already seeing MFAs such as Face ID, personal USB hardware tokens, and passkeys becoming more popular. Windows 11 now allows users to easily setup and start using biometric passkeys with the right equipment.

Unfortunately, there are no current packaged solutions to Zero Trust at home. Until it becomes more ubiquitous, you’ll need to take it upon yourself to follow these practices. Utilizing things such as the aforementioned MFA, network segmentation, and strong firewalls are a good start. This is in addition to using a good VPN. When working from home or connecting to a company network, it’s always a good idea to use a VPN—even if your company doesn’t require it.

Zero Trust security won’t replace VPNs, but it does stand to make them better in ways that most people won’t even be aware of. In the future, it’ll become essential for VPN providers to keep customer data safe through Zero Trust practices—and be able to prove it as well. This behind the scenes benefit figures to reap huge benefits for the security of customer data.

Top VPN with Zero Trust practices

ExpressVPN

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Already major VPNs are starting to make it part of their privacy practices. ExpressVPN recently updated its Trust Center policies to include new core tenets such as “Embracing Zero Trust”, “Employing zero-knowledge encryption”, and “Principle of least privilege”. I expect to see more VPNs jump on board with similar privacy policy guidelines as well.

This is all great news for all VPN users, not just the privacy-conscious. With VPNs enacting more Zero Trust security practices to keep user data safe on the backend, they are doing their part. But until Zero Trust becomes common practice across all networks and accounts, we’ll need to take it upon ourselves to go the extra mile and protect ourselves at home.

I’ve been writing these roundups for seven years running and in that time integrated graphics have gotten a lot more powerful. Just look at the Steam Deck and its many imitators: it’s the most popular gaming PC on the market by far, and it’s running off a laptop chip from several years ago. The upshot is you’ve got more choices than ever for games on a low-power PC.

Even so, I’ve picked ten fantastic new PC games that’ll run on a toaster, so long as you can find a toaster that’ll run Windows (or SteamOS). And it sure doesn’t hurt that they’re a lot cheaper than AAA games, too — the better to make the most out of any Steam gift cards you have laying around.

Here are my picks, in no particular order. If you’re looking for even more low-power games that’ll run on laptops, mini PCs, or older desktops, check out the same roundup from 2023, 2022, and 2021. Game on!

Balatro

Balatro is where an embarrassing amount of my time went this year. It’s a roguelike deck builder that’s based on poker, so you’re probably already familiar with the basics. But there are no other players to beat or bluff, just a score target to hit. But with every round passed, you can augment your deck with new cards or joker modifiers. So it’s possible to, say, create a run where straights score on just four cards, then power it up further by letting those straights hit with one card gaps, too. It’s hard to visualize, but the way the game makes you cheat in new and interesting was is incredibly deep and addictive.

Balatro costs $15 on Steam. It’s also available on all consoles, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

Thank Goodness You’re Here

This game has been described as a point-and-click adventure, but I don’t think that’s quite right. It’s more of an interactive cartoon, boiled down to the most essential of interactive elements. The real draw in Thank Goodness You’re Here is exploring the sleepy and extremely silly British village, filled with wonderfully voice-acted characters. It’s short and sweet, but if you’re looking for a quick injection of charming Saturday morning comedy, it hits the spot.

Thank Goodness You’re Here is $20 on Steam. It’s also available on Epic, PlayStation, Switch, and the MacOS store.

Selaco

Selaco is that most evergreen of low-power game types, a Doom mod. But that description sells it short. It’s a Doom mod that incorporates about thirty years of innovation in first-person shooters, in both visuals and minute-to-minute gameplay. So you get plenty of pomp and circumstance to flesh out its sci-fi story and far more complex combat with improved AI, but it won’t melt your lack-of-graphics card since it’s all built on 2.5-D graphics. It’s an episodic game that isn’t finished yet, which might feel a little anticlimactic, but there’s plenty of boomer shooter to enjoy in the meantime.

Selaco is $25 on Steam.

Tactical Breach Wizards

If Harry Dresden had become a SWAT officer instead of a private detective, he might have ended up on the same squad as the Tactical Breach Wizards. Blending turn-based tactics with urban fantasy, this game gives you tons of different options for handling each situation, with a door kick and a fireball being equally valid. The story-focused primary campaign is a weird blend of genres, but the game’s forgiving setup gives you near-infinite tools for tackling each situation. If you wished X-Com had a little more Tolkien, you’ll feel right at home.

Tactical Breach Wizards is $20 on Steam.

Maniac

What if you could fuse the top-down chaos of an early Grand Theft Auto or Postal with the “die, die again” roguelike progression of a modern, um, roguelike? That’s Maniac, baby, which perforce comes with the “no kids allowed” warning even if it doesn’t actually have an ESRB rating. This completely off-the-walls action title is basically a GTA “rampage” mission extended into a full game, where the only goal is to destroy as much stuff (and people) as possible before the cops inevitably bust you. Dig those low-poly graphics and splatter effects, too.

Maniac is $5 on Steam and Fanatical.

Minishoot Adventures

Green-capped Link tends to start every game with a stick, or if he’s lucky, a rusty sword. What if he got full-on spaceship instead? That’s the premise behind Minishoot Adventures, a game that transposes the ship from Asteroids into a 2D Zelda-style adventure game. Simple but colorful graphics and some twin-stick shooter mechanics fill in the gaps of an admittedly goofy premise, but before long you’ll get the hand of this genre fusion, especially after a few upgrades. It’s a premise that works far better than you think it will.

Minishot Adventures is $15 on Steam.

Nine Sols

I’d be lying if I said that Nine Sols was the first soulslike to use a 2D graphics setup, or a cartoon animal aesthetic, or a focus on counter-based combat. But it nails pretty much all of them, and does it without resorting to pixel graphics, which is a huge plus in my book. If you loved Sekiro‘s combat and deep lore but want something a little less all-over-the-place visually, this is it. Just don’t expect it to go easy on you, you’ll need help from a lot of NPCs you discover along the way to augment your basic skills.

Nine Sols is $30 on Steam. It’s also available as a DRM-free purchase, and it’s also on Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Empires of the Undergrowth

Ask any Animorphs fan, and they’ll tell you that an ant battle is filled with enough drama and intrigue to make Ken Burns weep. That’s the idea behind Empires of the Undergrowth, a real-time strategy that has you building, expanding, and defending an ant colony. Imagine it as SimAnt if Alexander the Great had been a game programmer. You’ll expand and direct your insect army through battles or the full campaign using different pheromones as commands. This one uses full 3D graphics, but its requirements are low enough that you should be able to run it on just about anything.

Empires of the Undergrowth is $29.99 on Steam. It’s also available on Epic and GoG.

Arco

Arco is an 18th century story told with 1980s graphics and 2020s sensibilities. Though it looks simple, the story of indigenous Mesoamericans fighting through a fantasy world is unique and fascinating, and the mix of turn-based combat and tactical positioning should feel “crunchy” to anyone who’s been looking for a new twist on RPGs. Despite the apparently limited setup, the scope is huge and grandiose — it shows exactly how indie games can compete with the big boys in terms of both story and game design.

Arco is $20 on Steam. It’s also available on Epic, MacOS, and Switch.

Mindcop

Imagine an old-school point-and-click adventure game, pushed through the filter of a whodunnit murder mystery. Now imagine that game, pushed through a second filter from a Calarts cartoon, and then throw in a dash of Psychonauts and Persona. In Mindcop you have to find a small town killer by exploring the minds of their potential victims, with a huge amount of goofy atmosphere and inventive puzzles thrown in to keep the formula fresh. Solve the murder, catch the killer, and don’t disappoint your fan club.

Mindcop is $15 on Steam. It’s also available on PlayStation and Switch.

Honorable Mention: Doronko Wanko

If you’ve ever seen a beautiful, immaculate house filled with valuables and designer furniture, and then felt the desire to go nuts on it with a paint bucket, I have the perfect game for you. In Doronko Wanko (literally “muddy dog”) you’re a tiny, un-kickable puppy whose only desire is to spread as much mud around a pristine house as possible. It’s kind of like the exact opposite of Super Mario Sunshine, and your score is calculated in a dollar amount of damages. It’s short, it’s free, and it’s amazingly cute and cathartic at the same time.

Doronko Wanko is free on Steam. It’s also available on Softonic (also free).

Japanese Bitcoin-focused firm Metaplanet has significantly increased its crypto portfolio following its recent US market expansion.

On Dec. 23, the company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and trading on the US OTCQX Market as MTPLF, said it acquired 619.70 BTC for 9.5 billion yen ($60.7 million). This purchase increases its total Bitcoin holdings to 1,761.98 BTC, currently valued at $169.2 million.

The firm’s latest Bitcoin purchase follows its dual-tranche bond issuance between Dec. 17 and Dec. 20, raising 9.5 billion yen from EVO Funds to purchase additional BTC investments. This strategic move comes shortly after Metaplanet began trading on the US OTCQX Market on Dec. 19.

Despite these developments, its stock value dipped by 0.93% today, closing at $22.59 (3,540 JPY), according to data from Google Finance. Nevertheless, the shares are up more than 2000% year-to-date.

Aside from the stock performance, Metaplanet’s Bitcoin strategy continues to deliver results. Between July and September 2024, the company reported a yield of 41.7%, which surged to an impressive 309.82% in the following quarter. These gains show how the company maximizes returns through its active Bitcoin investments.

Moreover, the company projected a remarkable 240% increase in annual revenue for 2024, with earnings expected to reach $5.8 million (¥890 million). This marks a significant turnaround from last year’s $1.7 million (¥261 million).

The company also anticipates a $1.8 million (¥270 million) operating profit, rebounding from the $3 million (¥468 million) loss recorded in 2023.

Investor incentives

Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich has reminded investors that Dec. 26 is the final date to purchase shares to qualify for the company’s Shareholder Benefits Program.

According to him:

“Please note that the last day to purchase shares to be eligible for the shareholder benefits program is December 26 (the last entitlement date).”

The program, launched in November, offers unique rewards, including entry into a Bitcoin lottery where 30 million yen worth of Bitcoin will be distributed to 2,350 shareholders through a lottery system. This is designed to attract long-term investors and strengthen the firm’s engagement with its shareholders.

This initiative is supported by a partnership with SBI VC Trade, a subsidiary of Japan’s financial giant SBI Holdings.

The post Metaplanet adds another 619 BTC to its holdings appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Prefabricated construction is experiencing a significant transformation thanks to data science. From improving design efficiency to optimizing material usage, data-driven insights reshape how prefabricated structures like metal building kits are manufactured and assembled. This integration of technology is making steel kits more affordable, customizable, and sustainable for a wide range of applications.

Data-driven design for customization

One of the most significant impacts of data science on garage kits is in the design phase. Advanced algorithms analyze customer preferences, geographic conditions, and material requirements to generate highly customizable designs. This ensures that every garage kit meets the specific needs of the buyer, whether it’s for residential, commercial, or agricultural use.

Data science also enables predictive modeling, allowing manufacturers to test designs virtually before production. This minimizes errors, reduces material waste, and accelerates production timelines. Customers benefit from garage kits that are not only tailored to their needs but also built with precision and efficiency.

Optimizing material usage

Efficient material usage is a cornerstone of prefabricated construction, and data science is pivotal in achieving this. Advanced analytics help manufacturers determine the exact amount of materials needed for each garage kit, minimizing waste and cutting costs.

For instance, data-driven tools can assess the structural integrity of different materials under various conditions, ensuring that only the most suitable options are chosen. This optimization saves resources and contributes to the sustainability of prefabricated construction.

Streamlining manufacturing processes

The manufacturing process for garage kits has been revolutionized through data science. Real-time monitoring and machine learning algorithms improve production efficiency by identifying bottlenecks and suggesting improvements.

Automation powered by data insights ensures that every component is produced with accuracy, reducing defects and delays. This streamlined approach enables manufacturers to meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality products consistently.

Enhancing supply chain efficiency

Supply chain management is another area where data science is making a significant impact. Predictive analytics help manufacturers anticipate demand, manage inventory, and coordinate logistics effectively.

For example, data can predict seasonal spikes in garage kit sales, enabling manufacturers to prepare adequately and avoid shortages. This proactive strategy ensures that customers receive their kits on time, maintaining satisfaction and trust in the brand.

Improving assembly and installation

Data science doesn’t just optimize the production of garage kits; it also enhances the assembly and installation process. Detailed instructions and 3D visualizations generated from data insights make it easier for customers to assemble their kits.

Augmented reality (AR) tools, powered by data science, are also being introduced to guide users through the step-by-step installation process. These innovations reduce assembly time and ensure the final structure is sturdy and reliable.

Sustainability through data science

Sustainability is a growing priority in the construction industry, and data science helps prefabricated construction align with this priority. Garage kits become more eco-friendly by optimizing material usage, reducing waste, and improving energy efficiency.

Data science also facilitates the integration of renewable energy solutions, such as solar panels, into garage kit designs. These features enhance the sustainability of the structures and appeal to environmentally conscious buyers.

Data science is transforming prefabricated construction, particularly in building garage kits. From customization and material optimization to streamlined manufacturing and enhanced assembly, this technology drives innovation across every stage of the process.

The result is a more efficient, sustainable, and customer-focused approach to prefabricated construction. Data science continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly unlock new possibilities, further revolutionizing how garage kits and other prefabricated structures are designed and built.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” is leaving Prime Video very soon; here’s your last day to stream this epic sci-fi effort before it disappears from the library.

Apple could enter the video doorbell market with a secret weapon — Face ID facial recognition.