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How to prepare for a world that doesn’t require passwords

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How to prepare for a world that doesn’t require passwords

Image of data privacy and hacking concept with hackers emerging from laptop

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While businesses spend billions of dollars annually on cybersecurity solutions, we still see an increase in security breaches. While we hear about the most notable cases, there are many others that can be just as damaging for businesses at all stages of their growth.

Why is this happening? The simple answer is that, regardless of how secure your security infrastructure is, most breaches today are caused by compromised login credentials. The password, which was created to protect against cybercriminals, is fundamentally flawed. It relies on human behavior to function.

There are some good news. Recent industry developments suggest promise in addressing this “password issue” with a new type login that can replace passwords, the weakest link in cyber defense chain, with un-phishable passkeys and frictionless logins.

Cybersecurity has been a problem in tech for a long time — a constant concern throughout the last 30 years of work at companies like IBM or HubSpot. This milestone allows us to refocus on cybersecurity basics and discuss how investing in this area could impact organizations, regardless if they are in the same industry or at different stages of growth. A breach can result in costly penalties, a tarnished image, low employee morale and even a damaged executive reputation.

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We are in the midst of the next wave in authentication technology. Here are three things you can do to prepare yourself and your company for the next wave of authentication technology.

For tomorrow’s passkeys, think passwordless today

As the CEO of a security firm, I am more aware of password hygiene than the average person. However, I must admit that I have fallen into bad habits in the past.

I grew up in Louisiana and was a huge football fan. I remember setting up my first password. I wanted to choose “LSU” but it required at least six characters. I now know that this is too little so I chose “ELESHU”. Although I no longer use that password, humans are still tempted to take shortcuts that could expose their companies and themselves to security risks. This is why hackers have made phishing an increasingly popular attack vector to steal user credentials.

It shouldn’t surprise that password elimination has been the goal since inception. What is a passkey and what makes it different? A passkey is a passwordless credential that allows the website and authenticator to communicate by exchanging keys. These can’t be accessed or seen by humans, eliminating all human-related risk of password misuse.

Passkeys can’t be left behind, and you don’t need to worry about creating unique passwords. Passkeys are based upon public-key cryptography and, unlike passwords that rely on shared secrets stored on servers, they don’t store them. Passkeys are not phished. They are only accessible by humans who can type passwords anywhere, even accidentally on websites like facebok.com.

Although it is difficult to change human behavior, we can change how we approach authentication. Passkey-based authentication is only supported by a few websites, but we don’t need to wait for widespread adoption. Passkeys will not become mainstream until then. Passkeys can be used to experience passwordless authentication via biometrics or via apps such as Discord and Whatsapp that use QR codes to allow cross platform logins.

Adoption at work will be fueled by consumers’ behavior

Next year will mark the tenth anniversary for the FIDO Alliance, an industry group that has been working on this issue. Their initial focus was on consumer applications and not business applications. This is understandable because our employees are also consumers and their online behavior will influence how they interact at work.

Overall, I believe there has been a significant shift in business software, especially security software. The user experience must be consumer-grade to encourage adoption and to ensure the wide availability of passkeys for signing-in to various online services. Passkey technology’s early stages are geared towards consumers, but there is plenty of business problems that passkeys can address for any stage of growth.

Internet users manage more than 200 logins to different accounts on average. With that many logins, it takes just one click, one convincing email phishing or one forgotten password to destroy an entire organization. Remote work has seen a rise in the number of tools and applications used by teams every day.

As workplaces become more digitalized and distributed, the area we make vulnerable to hackers grows. Passkeys, a phishing-resistant solution, addresses an obvious and urgent requirement. Microsoft, Apple, and Google have all launched passkey solutions recently.

Do not throw away your passwords!

Most popular websites plan to deploy passkeys by the end of 2023. Early adopters like PayPal offer passkey support for payments. Websites (like Paypal) will be able to support both passkeys and passwords during the transition period. This hybrid phase is crucial because the switch will not happen overnight. Even companies that are diligent in enforcing multifactor authentication (MFA), are falling prey to disruptive attacks. We will not be able to use passkey technology until then, so we recommend combining good password hygiene with MFA.

Ensure that your organization understands why you are moving from MFA and passwords (which may have felt like a pain point in the past) to passkeys — the most secure and trustworthy way to live and work online.

JD Sherman is an advisor to Dashlane and a board member.

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Eco-crypto C+Charge Raised $3.56M – Less Than 2 Days Before Presale Ends

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Eco-crypto C+Charge Raised $3.56M – Less Than 2 Days Before Presale Ends

With their performance, Eco-cryptocurrencies have taken the crypto market by storm. The revolutionary token called “Eco-cryptocurrencies” is one of these coins. C+Charge (CCHG). CCHG is one eco-crypto coin that has been a promising investment in crypto market. It has already crossed the $3.25m threshold during its ongoing presale. This presale is expected to close soon.

This article will concentrate on why C+Charge is the best investment for crypto traders. It has less than two days until the presale stage ends.

C+charge 9

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What is Ecocrypto?

Eco-crypto, as its name suggests, is a crypto that can be used in a sustainable way in the global system. It is also known as Eco-friendly cryptocurrency. It is designed to reduce its impact on the environment and help sustain itself.

Eco-friendly cryptocurrencies are not like traditional cryptocurrencies that expose the earth’s atmosphere and disrupt global well being. Instead, they create awareness and use renewable energy sources to carry out their operations.

These eco-crypto coins can be very useful for man because they have both ecological and financial benefits. One of these coins is the The. C+Charge token.

What is C+Charge?

C+Charge is an eco-friendly cryptocurrency, as mentioned above. It is a crypto project that promotes alternative solutions to pollution and maintain a healthy environment through blockchain technology. You can earn rewards C+Charge Encourages people to take part in the cleansing process.

C+Charge has partnered with top-ranking organizations from the EV sector to find a solution for industry problems. The project also includes the creation of an advanced peer to peer payment system using C+Charge token (CCHG).

c-charge

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C+Charge (CCHG) Token

CCHG, a mutually interchangeable token that can be used to exchange coins, was created on the Ethereum blockchain. It is the primary token that can be used by drivers to pay for services rendered on the app.

The token has real-world utility. Earning carbon credits by holding onto their tokens and piling them up is all that’s required. CCHG has the best features of the blockchain, such as smart contracts being used to charge its payment system. It shows that customers can access their money after completing required tasks such as charging or driving.

Experts in crypto predict that the project’s token will see a significant increase in value once it is listed on major exchanges. Investors are eager to get in on this project because of this forecast.

The token was launched on December 25, 2022. It has raised more than $3.25 million during its presale stage. The presale is ending soon and the price will rise. You should sign up for the presale as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss out any major gains once the token goes live.

How to Acquire C+Charge Coin

To participate and earn on this C+Charge platformAn investor must have the C+Charge token. This token serves as the local token for the platform. The following steps must be followed in order to acquire the token:

  • Set up a crypto wallet.

A crypto wallet is necessary for first-time investors who want to buy or own tokens from the C+Charge platform. It serves the same purpose of a physical wallet except that it is used for saving and storing cryptocurrencies.

While any cryptocurrency wallet can be used by the platform, TrustWallet is recommended for customers who use mobile devices. MetaMask, on the other hand, is recommended for customers who use a personal computer. These wallets are available for download. To ensure greater security, you should use a strong, reliable password after creating the wallet.

  • Purchase ETH, BNB, or USDT

To purchase CCHG tokens you will need either the ETH, BNB or USDT cryptocurrencies. These cryptocurrencies are supported by the ecosystem and can be used to acquire other cryptocurrencies. C+Charge token cannot be purchased without first acquiring any of the listed cryptocurrency. Investors with BTC can convert their coin to USDT, which allows them to purchase other crypto tokens such as the C+Charge token.

  • Linking the crypto wallet and the C+Charge presale

It is easy to do this by visiting the C+Charge website and selecting the “connect wallet”. Further information will be available to help you choose between MetaMask and Wallet connect.

  • Buy CCHG tokens

After linking the wallet to the website, an order box is generated. Enter the total amount to be bought and confirm the transaction with your crypto wallet provider. You must purchase a minimum of 1000 CCHG tokens.

  • Claiming the tokens

Because tokens purchased during the presale stage are not yet available, they cannot be used immediately. To claim tokens purchased during the presale stage, an event called “The Token Generation Event” would be held after the token presale ends. Here the tokens will be created and made available for claim. You can claim the token by visiting the official site and selecting the “claim” option.

c+charge presale 2

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Conclusion

The fund-raising stage is the presale stage for a new cryptocurrency. It helps the token launch fully into crypto market and raises awareness among potential investors who are looking to invest in a promising cryptocurrency. This is the best stage to invest, as token prices are still low.

The CCHG token is in its final stage and is the best investment as it is soon to be listed on the crypto market. There are only five days remaining in the presale stage. The token’s performance in the presale indicates that it has a high potential to rise in value. This makes the next five days the ideal time for interested investors to join the project.

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Who Do Democrats Want to Win The 2024 Republican Primary Election?

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Who Do Democrats Want to Win The 2024 Republican Primary Election?

The informal primary contest between Trump and DeSantis heats, but it seems that DeSantis has been a little less popular with Republican primary voters. Part 2 of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast asks a slightly different question. Who do Democrats want to be the GOP nominee? And what does that tell us about their thinking about 2024.

Galen Druke, FiveThirtyEight’s podcast producer/reporter, is Galen Druke. @galendruke

Alex Samuels is a FiveThirtyEight politics reporter. @AlexSamuelsx5

Nathaniel Rakich, a senior election analyst at FiveThirtyEight. @baseballot

Kaleigh Rogers, FiveThirtyEight’s technology and politics reporter is Kaleigh Rogers.

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POSOBIEC – Trump’s attack on New York shows the weaponization by FBI, CIA and DOJ

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POSOBIEC – Trump’s attack on New York shows the weaponization by FBI, CIA and DOJ

Jack Posobiec, host of Human Events Daily, spoke with Julie Kelly and Kash Patel to discuss the pending litigation against former President Donald Trump. The episode was broadcast on Sunday Special.

Posobiec asked: “Why is this happening now?” Why should we go after Trump right now? Why indict him now? Now?” Kassam, an independent journalist, stated that “he doesn’t appear to be getting less popular.”

Recent polls show that Trump has defeated Biden in a general election matchup for 2024. A Harvard/ Harris poll showed that Kamala Harris beat Trump in a head to head matchup. The polls consistently show Trump leading the pack in presidential preference, compared to other GOP contenders.

Kassam stated that Trump is not losing popularity and doesn’t seem like he’s getting less popular. He also said that Trump appears to be maintaining his popularity even in fake news polls.

“And so I think that all of this is converging onto that frustration that they have, this huge frustration right now… If we cannot beat him fair-and-square, we will beat him unfairly and unsquare,” Kassam said, addressing why Bragg was targeting Trump.

Kassam stated that what was happening was part of the “same playbook” that occurs in a primary season, but it had been “ratcheted up.” It feels hotter, it’s dialed up.

He said, “This is the fight Donald Trump wants.” It’s the fight Donald Trump thrives on. You’ll see him becoming more popular as a result.

Posobiec spoke to journalist Darren Beattie, asking him why Trump’s attacks were so intense, especially since Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, and Vladimir Putin (the Russian President), were meeting in Moscow.

Beattie stated, “It’s certainly an interesting thing converging simultaneously.” “I don’t know how deliberate it is. It’s important because we can only think about and discuss so much at once.

Beattie said that Trump’s indictment is a culmination of one the most dangerous and important trends in American politics. “This is the political weaponization of our Bureaucracies, from the FBI or the CIA to DHS all the way up to the Department of Justice. This seems to be a strange and inevitable combination of these absolutely toxic trends.

Posobiec spoke later to Julie Kelly, who stated that the attacks on Trump have “accelerated into criminal manhunt crusade persecution of thousands of Trump supporters and there just still remains really deafening silence from the Republican Party.”

Posobiec was informed by Kash Patel about the severity of the attacks on the 2024 GOP candidate. “They’re still going try to ‘get Trump.’ And if they can’t get Trump, they’re going to try and get someone close to Trump’s universe.

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Would Democrats rather face Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis 2024?

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Would Democrats rather face Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis 2024?

Democrats would prefer the Republican nomination be to
Florida Gov. Florida Governor Rachel Mummey, Washington Post via Getty Images

Which would Democrats prefer to see as the GOP’s 2024 presidential candidate — Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis,

Yes, I do know that the Democratic voters won’t have much say here1 and they can’t make the Republican electorate vote in a certain manner. It’s too early to speculate on who will win the Republican presidential primaries, let alone the general election. DeSantis is not even officially in the race. However, early polls should not be ignored, as we have written before.

A series of polls by The Economist/YouGov in late last year asked Americans which candidate they wanted to be the Republican nominee for 2024. DeSantis was slightly more likely than Trump, especially when the respondents were only given two choices.5 ThirtyEight’s average polling of hypothetical, imperfect, head-to-head matches of each man against President Biden shows that DeSantis has a slightly better chance.

What gives? Are Democrats willing to see their party face a harder fight next year?

The slight preference of Democrats for DeSantis over Trump, even though DeSantis may currently be better positioned than Biden, could be due to one simple fact: Democrats don’t want any more dealings with the former president and might not be thinking in terms who’s easier to beat.

Hans Noel, a Georgetown University professor of government, stated that while most Democrats would be afraid of Trump’s presidency, they would also be worried about DeSantis’ presidency. He said that DeSantis might be a lot like Trump, but “more competent” or something. “I don’t know if this is the right interpretation, however it’s one that many Democrats have.”

However, it is not a good idea to jump to conclusions about the preferred challenger of Democrats based on polls conducted months ago. Let’s not forget that this isn’t about Democrats liking DeSantis better or knowing more about him. A YouGov survey from February showed that Democrats have a slightly favorable (28%) and unfavorable (67%) opinion of Trump (25% favorable, 60% unfavorable). This suggests that many Democrats are still not sure about the Florida governor. In fact, 15% of Democrats did not have a opinion on DeSantis, while only 4% had an opinion on Trump. Similar results can be seen in other polls. It is possible that Democrats’ preferences are still squishy at the moment and will continue to change as they learn more about DeSantis’s presidential campaign.

It’s easy to see why Democrats might prefer DeSantis to be the GOP nominee in a head-tohead matchup, especially at this stage of the 2024 campaign.

One, it is possible that Democrats don’t know about his (current) formidability in facing Biden and view DeSantis more easily than Trump, who scared them in 2016 with that “impossible win.” Noel also said that DeSantis could be viewed as a welcome alternative to Trump, especially to voters who believe that Trump is “uniquely antidemocratic or uniquely a danger to American democracy.”

DeSantis could be preferred by Democrats at this stage if they really dislike Trump. Democrats could quickly turn their back on DeSantis as he draws more attention in the national spotlight and especially if DeSantis acts like Trump during primary (as I predicted).

“DeSantis is a more mainstream politician. You might not expect him tampering with norms or encouraging violence. We’ll have to wait and see how things turn out as we learn more about him,” Noel said to me. “To win the primary, he will need to outflank Trump in some of the culture-war issues that his MAGA constituency is interested in. However, the more he appeals to these voters, the greater chance he will alienate Democrats.

It is unclear whether Democrats will change their mind as the primary progresses, especially if they see Trump as a weaker general election candidate (although he was also perceived that way in 2016 and we all know what happened). There are plenty of reasons to believe that this might be true. Trump-led Republicans have already suffered three poor elections in rapid succession. They lost the House in 2018. They lost the presidency in 2020 and the Senate in 2020. They lost the Senate and the presidency in 2020. However, they did not win the House by a narrow margin.

A growing number of Republicans blamed him for the party’s failures in the last year’s midterms. Trump-backed candidates were defeated across America, while DeSantis won reelection and flipped a historically Democratic county. There are many reasons to believe that DeSantis, or another Republican candidate, would be a more difficult challenge for Biden than Trump.

It is possible that Democrats don’t want to see the 2020 election redone. The Economist/YouGov polls from last year showed that less than half of Democrats wanted Biden to run again for president in 2024. However, recent polling suggests that they believe their party is more likely to retain the White House if he is the nominee. This is consistent with other reports and surveys that show that, while Democrats are ready to move on from Biden in some respects, there isn’t consensus on who they want running in his place. This complicates how we view the early preference of Democrats for DeSantis rather than Trump as their party’s opponent. Democrats who want Biden as their party’s nominee in 2024 might prefer a different opponent than Democrats who want Biden to run.

The Republican primary will not be between Trump or DeSantis, but it will include many other candidates. Nikki Haley is already running for the race, the former governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador. In at least two The Economist/YouGov polls that offered more options than Trump and DeSantis (including Haley and Ted Cruz in Texas, and former Vice President Mike Pence among others), no Republican candidate received more than 15% support from Democrats. In fact, 38 percent of Democrats (in both polls) said they weren’t sure.

All this is to say that public opinion regarding this subject is not solid. As more Republicans enter this race, Democrats will likely develop their opinions about their preferred opponent. At the moment, however, it seems like Democrats are just trying to keep the former president out of the way.

Footnotes

Unless they are citizens of an open-primary country and wish to vote in the Republican primary in their state. It’s unlikely that many Democrats will take advantage.

One poll we looked at gave respondents a longer list of Republican candidates to choose. While Democrats preferred Trump over DeSantis by 5 percentage points (and they did so by 5 percentage points), they preferred Mike Pence and “someone else”, rather than DeSantis. 38 percent of Democrats, however, said they weren’t certain who they preferred.

Based on polls conducted between Nov. 11, 2022 and March 13, 2023.

Alex Samuels is a FiveThirtyEight politics reporter. @AlexSamuelsx5

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California wants Medicaid to cover six months rent

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California wants Medicaid to cover six months rent

Health news

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Angela Hart, Kaiser Health News

health news California hospital pic

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is having trouble controlling a worsening homelessness crisis despite record expenditures. They are trying something bold: tap federal healthcare funding to pay rent for homeless and people at risk of losing their homes.

States are prohibited from using federal Medicaid dollars directly to pay rent. However, California’s governor has asked the administration of President Joe Biden (a fellow Democrat) to authorize a program called “transitional rental.” This program would provide up to six months’ rent or temporary housing to low-income enrollees who rely upon the state’s health insurance safety net. It is a new initiative in his arsenal to combat and prevent homelessness.

Related: HHS provides guidance to Medicaid agencies on reimbursing care that is not clinical

“I’ve been talking with the president. KHN was told by Newsom that this cannot be done alone.

California’s Medicaid version, known as Medi-Cal, is being used by the governor to fund housing subsidies for the homeless. He believes it’s cheaper for taxpayers than to pay rent for people who are in crisis or need of costly institutional care such as nursing homes, hospitals, and jails. Newsom stated that doctors should be able write housing prescriptions in the same way as they do for insulin and antibiotics early in his tenure.

It’s risky in a high-cost State where the median rent is almost $3,000 per month. The cost is even higher in coastal areas, where most California’s homeless live. Experts expect that the Biden administration will scrutinize the plan to rent using healthcare money and also question its effectiveness given California’s housing crisis.

Vikki Wachino was the Obama administration’s national Medicaid director. “But, there is a recognition of social factors such as inadequate housing driving health outcomes. I think the federal government will be open to exploring approaches to address that.”

Bruce Alexander, a spokesperson for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services declined to comment on whether the federal government would approve California’s request. However, Biden’s Medicaid officials approved similar programs in Arizona and Oregon, and California is following their lead.

California is home to 30% of the nation’s homeless, even though it only makes up 12% of the country. Newsom acknowledged that these numbers are likely to be much higher than the official homeless statistics show. Top health officials state that Medi-Cal cannot afford to mix housing and social services in order to curb rising safety-net spending and help the homeless get well.

According to state data, 5% of MediCal patients account for 44% of the state’s spending. Many of the most expensive patients are not able to afford stable housing. Nearly half of those experiencing homelessness visited the emergency department four times or more in 2019. They were more likely than other low income adults to be admitted to the hospital. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, a large number of visits were covered under Medi-Cal.

“What we have now doesn’t work,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary at the California Health and Human Services Agency said, explaining that housing is a crucial component of health care. “Why must we wait so long before people get so sick?”

CalAIM, a massive social experiment that is transforming Medi-Cal, has been approved by the federal government. The initiative is expected to invest $12 billion in new Medi-Cal services that are not traditional health care over the next five years. It is funding services in some low-income communities throughout the state, including paying security deposits for homeless and those facing eviction, delivering healthy meals to people with diabetes, and helping people who were previously incarcerated find work.

The transitional rent program would be an additional service to the existing ones, but only a small fraction of the 15.4million Medi-Cal enrollees actually receive these new and costly social services.

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Rent payments could start as soon as 2025, and would cost approximately $117 million per annum once fully implemented. Although state officials claim that anyone who is homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless will be eligible, there are limitations on the capacity of new services. Nearly 11,000 people are already enrolled in MediCal housing services.

Mari Cantwell, who was the Medi-Cal director between 2015 and 2020, said that “the ongoing conversation is how we convince the federal government housing is a healthcare issue.” “You must convince them that you are going to save money by not having as many people in the emergency room or in long-term hospitals.”

Housing support funding has been a key component of healthcare experiments in California and across the country. They have shown early success in reducing costs, and making people healthier. While some programs covered housing security deposits and the first month’s rent for participants, they did not cover rent for a longer period.

Newsom stated, “Without that foundational backing, we are playing at the margins.”

Officials from the state health department claim that six months rent payment will be more effective in reducing health care costs and improving enrollees’ health. However, experts agree that it must be accountable and be combined with a variety of social services.

California tried out a combination of housing assistance programs as well as social services in its pilot program “Whole Person Care”. This was a precursor to the state’s current initiative. Nadereh Pourat of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research evaluated the program for California. She concluded that local trials resulted in a reduction in emergency visits and hospitalizations. This saved the state an average of $383 per MediCal beneficiary per year, which is a small amount when compared to the program’s cost.

Pourat stated that the state spent $3.6B over five years to serve approximately 250,000 patients who were enrolled in local experiments.

A Santa Clara County randomized control trial that provided supportive housing to homeless people showed a reduction in psychiatric emergency rooms visits and improvements in care. “Lives stabilized, and we saw an increase in substance use care, mental health, and the things that everybody wants to use to improve their health,” said Dr. Margot Kushel of the University of California-San Francisco’s Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Trauma Center, who was involved in the study.

However, insurers implementing the larger Medi-Cal initiative claim they are skeptical about the system’s ability to save money by spending money on housing. Experts in health care say that while six months of rent may be sufficient to bridge the gap while people wait for permanent housing, California’s housing shortage is a greater problem.

Kushel stated, “We can create incredible Medicaid policies to alleviate homeless and pay for all the supportive services, but without adequate housing, frankly it’s not going work.”

Newsom accepts this criticism. Newsom acknowledged that criticism.

He will ask the legislature for a ballot initiative in 2024 that would provide California’s mental healthcare system with at least 6 000 new treatment beds and supportive housing units to people with mental and addiction disorders. Many of these people are homeless. The proposed bond measure would generate between $3 billion and $5 billion to fund psychiatric housing, treatment villages, and other services that will serve more than 10,000 people per year. The initiative would also ask voters to allocate at least $1 billion annually from the existing tax on California millionaires for supportive housing. This money is used to fund local mental health programs.

Newsom stated that people who are struggling with these issues, particularly those living on the streets or in other vulnerable situations, will have greater access to the resources they need to get the help they require.

Modern Healthcare’s app can be downloaded to keep up with industry news.

Six months of transitional rent would be available to select residents who are in Medi-Cal. This includes those who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, and those who are transitioning from more expensive institutions like jails and prisons, mental health crisis centers, foster care, or jails and prisons. Medi-Cal patients who are at risk of being admitted to hospital or who visit the emergency room regularly would be eligible.

Jacey Cooper, Medi-Cal director, said that it was a difficult task. “But we know that those experiencing homelessness are often in and out of emergency departments, so we have a role to play in both preventing homelessness and ending it.

Experts in public health warn that the problem will only get worse if there is no creative solution to housing costs. However, they warn that the state must be aware of possible abuses of the program.

“It must be designed carefully because, unfortunately,” Dr. Tony Iton, a public-health expert and now senior vice president at California Endowment, said. “Medical professionals must make decisions, not housing organizations looking for another source.

Stephen Morton, a Laguna Woods resident, describes the cost of moving from homelessness to permanent housing.

Morton, 60, bounced from shelters to his car for almost two years. He racked up extraordinary MediCal costs due to long hospitalizations and frequent emergency room visits to treat chronic heart disease, asthma and diabetes.

Medi-Cal paid for Morton’s open heart surgery and hospital stays that lasted several weeks. He was able to get temporary housing through the state-sponsored Project Roomkey program, and then he was able to secure permanent housing through a federal low income housing voucher. This ongoing benefit covers all but $50 of his rent.

Morton stated that he has been able to quit taking one diabetes medication since moving into his apartment. He also lost weight. Morton attributes his improvements in blood sugar levels to his apartment and the healthy, home-delivered meals that he receives through Medi-Cal.

“It’s usually scrambled eggs at breakfast and fish for dinner. Morton stated that he was shocked at how good it tastes. “Now I have a microwave, and I’m indoors. I am so grateful and healthier.

This story was produced and published by KHN, which is the California Health Care Foundation’s independent publication California Healthline.

Kaiser Health News is a national news service on health policy. It is an independent editorial program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and is not affiliated to Kaiser Permanente.

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Influencers predict that this Play-to-Earn crypto will reach 50x by 2023 – How to Buy It Now!

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Influencers predict that this Play-to-Earn crypto will reach 50x by 2023 – How to Buy It Now!

Crypto news

Meta Masters Guild This is one of the most talked about topics in crypto news. Influencers predict that Play-to-Earn will see 50x growth in 2023. Meta Masters Guild has been described as the “future mobile gaming” and is one of today’s most innovative projects. Meta Masters Guild is the first blockchain-based platform for mobile games and offers a single solution for all your gaming needs. This is why experts expect huge returns from this incredible crypto-gaming platform.

crypto news Meta Masters Guild (MEMAG).

>>>Buy MEMAG Now

Why Influencers Predict that MEMAG will Explode in 2023

Meta Masters Guild attracted a lot attention with its highly successful presale raising $1.5 Million in just a few weeks. MEMAGThe native token of the project, ”, has been a huge hit with investors. Developers promise that there will be more, so let’s find out what Meta Masters Guild has in store.

The MEMAG presale’s success is perhaps the best example of how much investors trust this project. Meta Masters Guild raised $1.5 million in a matter of weeks. This presale ended weeks ahead of schedule, and Stage 3 was completed weeks earlier than expected. MEMAG tokens, which cost 0.013 USDT each, sold out quickly.

The fourth stage of the presale is only days away. A new batch of coins will go on sale at a higher price of 0.016 USDT. The team behind Meta Masters Guild has arranged for seven stages. The final stage will be priced at 0.026 USDT. We are now close to Stage 7 and the end the presale. There is little time for investing if MEMAG continues selling at such a rapid pace.

How to Buy MEMAG?

It is easy to get your hands on this incredible crypto. First, you’ll need an electronic wallet. MetaMask, if you don’t already have one, is a good option. However, any wallet will work. A browser version is recommended as it makes it easier to purchase. TrustWallet is recommended for mobile users.

Once you have connected your wallet, go to memag.io. There are three options available: you can buy MEMAG using ETH, USDT or with your credit card. Select the preferred method and enter the number of MEMAG you wish to purchase. You will need to have USDT or ETH in your wallet if you choose the USDT method. Once the presale ends, your coins will be in your wallet.

crypto news metamasters 1.45

>>>Buy MEMAG Now

Meta Masters Guild is a unified Web3 platform that offers a single platform for mobile games. It is the first platform built on blockchain. Meta Masters Guild’s greatest advantage is that all games will use the same currency MEMAG for all in game transactions, including trading and rewards.

A single currency is advantageous because it allows users to transfer their funds between different games without having to pay transaction fees.

Two major benefits can be derived from focusing on mobile gaming. The first is that mobile gamers are now the dominant segment of the gaming population. Mobile gaming has become a major sector of the gaming industry. It has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past decade. 5G technology will accelerate the development of mobile gaming and attract more users as it spreads.

Mobile games are also cheaper to develop. This is both in time and money. This will allow Meta Masters Guild quickly add new titles, while keeping their offer interesting and fresh, thereby attracting new users and maintaining existing users.

All games on the Meta Masters Guild platform are based on P2E mechanics which provide generous rewards for players. Gamearound is the first game developer to sign with the guild. It is currently developing several titles for publication on Meta Masters Guild.

Gideon Clifton, CEO of Crypto News Gamearound, stated that “Our goal to revolutionize mobile gaming by introducing fun-and-rewarding Play-to-Earn games (P2E), with Meta Kart Racers the first in the MEMAG launch series.”

The developers have made sure to include all the popular gaming genres in order to ensure that the platform attracts as many people as possible. This philosophy is evident in the games they chose for the launch collection.

Meta Cart Racers and Raid NFT are the first three games in Meta Masters Guild. Meta Cart Racers is a racing video game where players can race against each other for valuable prizes in PvP races. Raid NFT is an online fantasy fighting game that offers both PvE as well as PvP play modes. Meta Masters World, a metaverse-like area for guild members, is the final option. It is intended to be an exploration game with endless possibilities of exploration.

Some developers are trying to scam investors and users by using unsavory tactics such as rug pulling. The developers have gone to great lengths in order to dispel any doubts about the legitimacy and authenticity of the Meta Masters Guild project. Both the project and its team are audited by and verified by SolidProof And CoinsniperThey proved their intentions without any doubt.

crypto news meta-masters-world

>>>Buy MEMAG Now

Conclusion

It’s easy to see how influencers believe this Play-to-Earn coin will reach 10x by 2023. An amazing idea, flawless execution, and a trusted team can’t go wrong with a project like this. Meta Masters Guild is a platform with the potential to revolutionize mobile gaming forever.

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Unreal Engine 5.2 electrifies GDC2023 attendees with photorealistic visuals

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Unreal Engine 5.2 electrifies GDC2023 attendees with photorealistic visuals

TechSpot will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. TechSpot is a trusted source for tech advice and analysis.

Why it matters: Epic Games has released new footage that showcases Unreal 5.2 at this week’s Game Developers Conference. Electric Dreams is a demo that shows a Rivian electric vehicle (EV) crawling offroad in incredible detail. The presentation also covered several other technologies, such as Metahuman, Epic’s framework for creating lifelike characters to be used in Unreal-based projects.

The Game Developers Conference (GDC), an annual conference for game developers, graphic artists and other industry professionals, is a place where they can solve problems, exchange ideas and showcase new technologies in the industry. Epic Games gave conference-goers a deeper look at Unreal Engine 5.2 and, based on feedback, it did not disappoint.

Nick Penwarden (Epic’s Vice President for Engineering) introduced the Electric Dreams demo, as well as several new features in Unreal Engine 5.2. The demonstration features a Rivian R1T offroading through a lush and water-rich environment. It is based on chaos physics, fluid simulations in real-time, and rendering tools like Lumen and Nanite. The result is a highly detailed model with 71 million polygons that can be rendered in real time.

Epic also introduced Substrate. This new material framework offers a wide range of surface appearances and expansive parameter space. It also scales to suit budget and complexity.

Epic also demonstrated the Metahuman Animator framework which allows artists to create photorealistic characters in real-time. Epic designed Metahuman Animator to be accessible by anyone, regardless of animation experience. It can be used by anyone, with triple-A quality results. Metahuman can capture live performances and transfer them to it using high-quality smartphones or studio-grade equipment.

Metahuman presented Melina Juergens, a well-known Ninja Theory actress, who recorded a live performance via her iPhone. Metahuman’s ability instantly to translate Juergens voice inputs, expressions and movements into a highly lifelike digital avatar was uncanny valley material.

It is a great example of how realistic human animation has advanced, especially in terms of motion-capturing efficiency. Metahuman dramatically reduces the time it takes to capture a scene. Juergens said that this can be a lengthy process that can take weeks to months. The demonstration also demonstrated other Metahuman performance capture capabilities. This included applying different Metahuman character visuals to the same initial capture. This further streamlines the ability to create multiple photorealistic characters.

Epic did not announce a launch date of Metahuman Animator. Epic has however hinted that it will be available in the coming months. The preview is available via Epic Games Store and GitHub for users interested in Unreal Engine 5.2.

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This round of tech optimism feels different

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This round of tech optimism feels different

One of my favorite things about the job is joyous technology memories concerns Project Origami. Microsoft, Intel, and others created ultra-mobile PCs (or UMPCs). These devices are similar to compressing a full Windows computer into a small device, usually about the same size as an iPad.

At the time, I had almost zero money and so purchasing one of these devices was impossible. After the first round of UMPCs, my father and I went to an electronics store. We were probably looking for some gear for our business. I walked down one aisle of computing equipment, and to my surprise, I found a promotional endcap with UMPC devices. I could not believe my luck. Use The devices I had spent so much time nerding over. To my teenage self, it was a bit like meeting a celebrity. I was captivated.

There have been other moments of pure tech bliss in the life of mine. In high school, my friends and me realized that Gmail’s large storage limits and my school’s reliable internet meant that we could forgo USB sticks and email files to each other from across the table. It was like magic to be able to use bits rather than everything we had in our pockets.

Technology has a way of taking your breath away at points. It can show you a new shortcut or a new way to think that you didn’t know existed. This is how the iPhone launch felt.

I haven’t felt the same excitement since then. Perhaps it was because I fell in love Twitter and realized in an instant that I could tweet as much as I wanted and no one could stop. The first time I had my own blog online, I was free from any publishing constraints.

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The story of Dave’s long journey to becoming a Neobank

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The story of Dave’s long journey to becoming a Neobank

We are glad you are hereThe Interchange! Thank you for signing up to receive this email and for your vote of confidence. Sign up if you’re reading this on our site.HereSo you can get it in the future. Each week, I will be taking a look at the most important fintech news from the previous week. This will include everything, from trends and funding rounds to analysis of a specific space to hot takes about a company or phenomenon. There is a lot of fintech news. It’s my job keep up with it and make sense of it so you are always in the know. —Mary Ann

Q&A with Jason Wilk, founder of Dave

Jason Wilk, founder of neobank, was my conversation right before the Silicon Valley Bank meltdown. DaveThis is a story about the company’s business. I was fascinated by the fact that the bank, which was privately owned and counted Mark Cuban among its investors, took what some might call a backward path to becoming a bank. It didn’t start offering checking and savings but it made its way to the top. The strategy seems to have paid off as the fintech company went public in January 2022. It recently reported a 45% increase in GAAP revenue to $59.6million for the fourth quarter 2022, an increase of 45% over the previous year. Below are extracts from my interview with Wilk. They have been edited for clarity and brevity.

TC: Are higher interest rates helping you? If so, how?

JW: This is a difficult place for growth companies. They may have more capital to eventually get it, but the cost of capital is much higher due to the high interest rates.

Our stock has fallen so much because we are not yet profitable but close to it. Customers can earn higher interest on savings or deposits. We also benefit from higher interest rates as we can earn more income from them. However, I believe that the most negative impact of high interest rates on a business is the one with the lowest rate.

You mentioned a path to profitability. When do you expect that to happen?

Last year, we were 8-10 quarters ahead. We are now 4 to 6 quarters away of when the company will be profitable. We were there in 2018 and 2019 so we know what it takes to get there. We have 1.9 million monthly transactions members and have enough staff to build our future roadmap. To reach profitability/breakeven, we need to have 2.2 million to 2.5 million customers. We don’t require capital raising or any other liquidity.

Our Extra Cash product is our anchor feature that has disrupted overdraft fees. It allows people to borrow small amounts of money and can now get up $500 cash advance

The limit was increased from $250 up to $500 last summer. You have 14 days to repay it, without interest or late fees. In 2020, during the pandemics, the government was giving away a lot via stimulus dollars. There was less need for it, and our marketing message was less relevant at that time. [thatlimitwasincreasedfrom0to0lastsummer)withupto14daystopayitbackwithnolatefeesandnointerestThenin2020duringthepandemicthegovernmentwasgivingawayalotoffreemoneyviastimulusdollarsandsotherewaslessofaneedforitandourmarketingmessagewaslessresonantduringthattime

We grew the business by 26% in 2021. We’ve really increased things as things are getting closer to normal.

Not that long ago, you launched banking services. How does that work?

Dave was initially focused on Extra Cash Product, but people wanted to be able to bank with Dave. At the end of 2021, we launched our own checking accounts. As that was so successful, we decided to become a full-fledged bank and offer a checking account for every customer. We were able to grow our banking business by 90% year-over-year because of this broader expansion. Every customer now has a card.

You didn’t start out as a full-fledged neobank, but you gradually became one. This must have helped to lower your CAC (customer acquisition cost).

Yes, that’s right. If you look back at our seed deck, it was always the plan. We discovered that CAC is very important in order to acquire banking customers.

It’s now a strategic focus for the company. It allows us to stay connected with our customers longer and be their primary bank destination. We are moving forward with our strategy: “Hey, you can still get Extra Cash, send the money to Chase, but now you have this Dave debit card which allows you to access the money even quicker and you can also put your paycheck in here. You can stop paying minimum balance fees and customer service fees.

Our cost of acquisition actually decreased — 31% in 2022 over 2021. In the fourth quarter alone, we acquired approximately 550,000 new members.

How can you make sure that your customers are always interested in your services and not lose them?

One way is to let customers decide on a payment date that’s fair to them, and that aligns with their next paycheck date. It’s a guaranteed amount that you can access from paycheck to paycheck and does not require any fees. Instead of tipping your bank $38, you have the option to tip Dave. You can tip anywhere from zero to 10% of what we give you. Our average tip is $4. Dave is less at risk because we are advancing money and not lending it.

Dave was born out of frustration at the high overdraft fees charged by big banks. I thought it unfair to charge reliable customers such high fees for a negative balance, knowing that they will be repaid in a few days.

How does AI fit in with all this?

Our AI engine has become very accurate in detecting someone’s income and determining how risky it might make to give money to them before they get paid. We’ve managed to reduce default rates to 2% thanks to that AI engine. We’ve also been able increase the amount we give away, so it’s just gotten better over the years.

We also use AI to support customers. More than half of our support calls are made using a chatbot. This also reduces costs. We have 320 employees, and most banks have more than 100,000 employees. Higher headcount can often lead to higher prices for consumers.

Dave isn’t the only digital bank to report impressive numbers. Grasshopper BankDigital bank for businesses,, reported earlier this month that its assets grew by 108% year-over-year to $620 million and that its total revenues surpassed $17 million in 2022. This represents 39% growth year-over year.

Weekly News

Reports Romain Dillet: Fintech startup Checkout.com The company is best known for its payment processing services, but it is now launching a new product …: so customers can create payment cards for themselves. Checkout.com Issuing has been in beta testing for some time. Millions of cards have been created using the new service. Checkout.com allows physical and virtual cards to be used.

Reports Sarah PerezAmazon Although it may have closed a few of its high-tech physical retail shops in recent days due to low sales, some of the technology it created for those stores is now being used in online stores. According to the online retailer, Panera “Amazon One” will be the first restaurant to use the palm-reading payment and loyalty system. Customers can now pay and access the loyalty program.

Sarah also offers “Restaurant delivery service.” DoorDash It announced that customers will be able to pay online with cash. The catch is that the feature is only available to DoorDash Drive, a white-label delivery service for restaurants. DoorDash Drive allows restaurant owners to offer delivery via their own website or mobile app, while also tapping into DoorDash’s courier network. According to the company, Chinese restaurants and pizza shops were early adopters of this feature during testing.” Read more.

Christine Hall reports: “Payments and shopping services” Klarna ChatGPT’s latest integration announcement is made by ChatGPT. The company stated that it was “one of the first brands working with OpenAI to build an integrated plugin for ChatGPT” and that it is launching a personalized shopping experience that offers product recommendations to Klarna users who ask for shopping advice, inspiration, and product links via Klarna’s search and comparison tool.

From me: Roofstock On March 22, 27% of the company’s staff were laid off, five months after the property tech startup had laid off 20%. The online marketplace for investing single-family rented homes raised $240 million last year at a valuation of $1.9 billion. Email from Gary Beasley, CEO and co-founder of Roofstock, states that the reduction in force (RIF), was done to address the “difficult macro environment” and the “negative effect” it has on Roofstock’s business. You can read more here.

According to the company’s website, it claims that it has 400+ employees or “Roofsters”, as they are known. However, it is not known if this figure is current.

Hindenburg Research Bloomberg reported that a report was issued that analyzed payments company Block (formerly known as Square) following a two-year investigation. It claimed that the company “facilitated fraudsters.” Bloomberg reported that the report included allegations that Block’s Cash App, a popular payment system, “facilitated fraudsters” using government-stimulus programs in the pandemic. Block responded to the findings by saying it would pursue legal action against Hindenburg. The company’s stock price plunged by 15% after the report was published.

F-Prime Capital We published a State of Fintech Report in January (which we also covered in-depth here). The LatAm fintech results were one area that we didn’t explore. F-Prime points to five Latin American companies included in the F-Prime Fintech Index. These are Nubank, PagSeguro and Mercado Libre. Stone and dLocal. Nubank and dLocal were the largest exits between 2020 and 2021 and both experienced significant stock declines. F-Prime emphasized via email that scaled LatAm fintech firms are still growing at high scalability, with Nubank increasing LTM (last 12 month) revenue by 117%, and Mercado Libre increasing by 54%. It was also interesting to note that four of the five Latin American companies included in the Fintech Index had a payment business model.

Insider published a few articles on HR/fintech startups Deel This week, we took a look at the company’s culture and its practice of hiring many independent contractors (even its CEO!) The question of whether employees were wrongly classified as independent contractors. These articles are available here and here.

Other news:

MoneyLion announces the evolution of its embedded finance technology, rebranding “Even Financial” as “Engine by MoneyLion”.

Crescent announces FDIC Protection of up to $75 Million and a 3.75% APY for US Businesses in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank’s shutdown

SoFi Savings and Checking to Offer Access to Up to $2 Million in FDIC Insurance

How Wealthfront offers FDIC insurance for $3M

Mercury moves to close the gap caused by SVB collapse

Power rollovers available to Robinhood Retirement account holders

Summers predicts a “cleaning out” of the fintech sector following SVB failure

CompScience inks MGA Agreement with Swiss Re, Nationwide

Zumper doubles down in short-term rentals: Launches a dedicated vacation site, a subscription service for flexible stays and hits an inventory milestone

money tornado

Image Credits Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

M&A and funding

TechCrunch: Seen

ICYMI — A great piece of storytelling A term sheet worth $500 million in 12 hours: Rippling’s deal with SVB as it was melting down

Kredivo scores $270M Series A in Southeast Asian credit fintech Kredivo

Beam, a fintech startup that helps contractors get paid faster, is funded by a former Stripe engineer

eToro secures $250M at a $3.5B value after scrapping SPAC and seeing slower growth

And other places

Toku, a LatAm subscription payments startup, raises $7 million in seed financing

Rain, a fintech startup, raises $116M in order to accelerate hourly workers’ pay cycles

This is it for this week. We are so grateful for your support and reading. Your support is greatly appreciated! Mary Ann, xoxo

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