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As a lecturer, what topics would you consider our country to learn?

 

1.      Fintech: Fintech is a blended term that refers to financial technology, a sector that includes any tech used in the financial services industry. Among the first things that come to mind are online payment systems like PayPal, Apple Pay, TransferWise, and Payoneer. But fintech has far broader applications. Some of the examples include: Blockchain and Cryptocurrency, Online and Mobile Payment Systems, Budgeting Applications, Crowdfunding Platforms, Investment and Trading Platforms.

 

In a nutshell, fintech companies make financial services more accessible to the greater public. These services include traditional financial transactions like saving, investing, and loan processing. But it also encompasses revolutionary financial technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency.

 

Blockchain: This is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system. A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain. Each block in the chain contains a number of transactions, and every time a new transaction occurs on the blockchain, a record of that transaction is added to every participant’s ledger. An example is bitcoin.

 

Bitcoin, often described as a cryptocurrency, a virtual currency or a digital currency - is a type of money that is completely virtual. It's like an online version of cash. You can use it to buy products and services, but not many shops accept Bitcoin yet and some countries have banned it altogether.

 

However, some companies are beginning to buy into its growing influence. In October last year, for example, the online payment service, PayPal, announced that it would be allowing its customers to buy and sell Bitcoin. The physical Bitcoins you see in photos are a novelty. They would be worthless without the private codes printed inside them.

 

How does it work?

Each Bitcoin is basically a computer file which is stored in a 'digital wallet' app on a smartphone or computer. People can send Bitcoins (or part of one) to your digital wallet, and you can send Bitcoins to other people.

 

Every single transaction is recorded in a public list called the blockchain. This makes it possible to trace the history of Bitcoins to stop people from spending coins they do not own, making copies or undo-ing transactions.

2.      Cloud and distributed computing:

Cloud Computing: Cloud computing refers to providing on demand IT resources/services like server, storage, database, networking, analytics, software etc. over internet. It is a computing technique that delivers hosted services over the internet to its users/customers. Cloud computing provides services such as hardware, software, networking resources through internet. Some characteristics of cloud computing are providing shared pool of configurable computing resources, on-demand service, pay per use, provisioned by the Service Providers etc.

 

It is classified into 4 different types such as

·        Public Cloud

·        Private Cloud

·        Community Cloud

·        Hybrid Cloud

 

Distributed Computing: Distributed computing refers to solve a problem over distributed autonomous computers and they communicate between them over a network. It is a computing technique which allows to multiple computers to communicate and work to solve a single problem. Distributed computing helps to achieve computational tasks faster than using a single computer as it takes a lot of time. Some characteristics of distributed computing are distributing a single task among computers to progress the work at same time, Remote Procedure calls and Remote Method Invocation for distributed computations.

 

It is classified into 3 different types such as:

·        Distributed Computing Systems

·        Distributed Information Systems

·        Distributed Pervasive Systems

 

3.      Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be applied to any machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind such as learning and problem-solving.

 

There are four types of AI:

·        Reactive Machines: These are the simplest level of robot. They cannot create memories or use information learnt to influence future decisions – they are only able to react to presently existing situations.

·        Limited Memory: A limited memory machine is able to retain some information learned from observing previous events or data. It can build knowledge using that memory in conjunction with pre-programmed data. Self-driving cars for instance store pre-programmed data – i.e. lane markings and maps, alongside observing surrounding information such as the speed and direction of nearby cars, or the movement of nearby pedestrians.

·        Theory of Mind: Human beings have thoughts and feelings, memories or other brain patterns that drive and influence their behaviour. It is based from this psychology that theory of mind researchers works, hoping to develop computers that are able to imitate human mental models. That is – machines that are able to understand that people and animals have thoughts and feelings that can affect their own behaviour.

·        Self-awareness: Self-awareness AI machines are the most complex that we might ever be able to envision and are described by some as the ultimate goal of AI. These are machines that have human-level consciousness and understand their existence in the world. They don’t just ask for something they need; they understand that they need something; ‘I want a glass of water’ is a very different statement to ‘I know I want a glass of water’

 

4.      UX design: UX design is the process of designing (digital or physical) products that are useful, easy to use, and delightful to interact with. It's about enhancing the experience that people have while interacting with your product, and making sure they find value in what you're providing. Examples of UX designs include:

·        Disney+ landing page

·        Quibi rotating video

·        Apple compare items

·        Threadless add item experience

·        Zoom experience

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