AI App Gemini

AI App Gemini — independent reviews, comparisons, pricing and step-by-step guides on Aizhi.

  • Image fusion

    Image fusion

    The image fusion process is defined as gathering all the important information from multiple images, and their inclusion into fewer images, usually a single one. This single image is more informative and accurate than any single source image, and it consists of all the necessary information. The purpose of image fusion is not only to reduce the amount of data but also to construct images that are more appropriate and understandable for the human and machine perception. In computer vision, multisensor image fusion is the process of combining relevant information from two or more images into a single image. The resulting image will be more informative than any of the input images. In remote sensing applications, the increasing availability of space borne sensors gives a motivation for different image fusion algorithms. Several situations in image processing require high spatial and high spectral resolution in a single image. Most of the available equipment is not capable of providing such data convincingly. Image fusion techniques allow the integration of different information sources. The fused image can have complementary spatial and spectral resolution characteristics. However, the standard image fusion techniques can distort the spectral information of the multispectral data while merging. In satellite imaging, two types of images are available. The panchromatic image acquired by satellites is transmitted with the maximum resolution available and the multispectral data are transmitted with coarser resolution. This will usually be two or four times lower. At the receiver station, the panchromatic image is merged with the multispectral data to convey more information. Many methods exist to perform image fusion. The very basic one is the high-pass filtering technique. Later techniques are based on Discrete Wavelet Transform, uniform rational filter bank, and Laplacian pyramid. == Motivation == Multi sensor data fusion has become a discipline which demands more general formal solutions to a number of application cases. Several situations in image processing require both high spatial and high spectral information in a single image. This is important in remote sensing. However, the instruments are not capable of providing such information either by design or because of observational constraints. One possible solution for this is data fusion. == Methods == Image fusion methods can be broadly classified into two groups – spatial domain fusion and transform domain fusion. The fusion methods such as averaging, Brovey method, principal component analysis (PCA) and IHS based methods fall under spatial domain approaches. Another important spatial domain fusion method is the high-pass filtering based technique. Here the high frequency details are injected into upsampled version of MS images. The disadvantage of spatial domain approaches is that they produce spatial distortion in the fused image. Spectral distortion becomes a negative factor while we go for further processing, such as classification problem. Spatial distortion can be very well handled by frequency-domain approaches on image fusion. The multiresolution analysis has become a very useful tool for analysing remote sensing images. The discrete wavelet transform has become a very useful tool for fusion. Some other fusion methods are also there, such as Laplacian pyramid based, curvelet transform based etc. These methods show a better performance in spatial and spectral quality of the fused image compared to other spatial methods of fusion. The images used in image fusion should already be registered. Misregistration is a major source of error in image fusion. Some well-known image fusion methods are: High-pass filtering technique IHS transform based image fusion PCA-based image fusion Wavelet transform image fusion Pair-wise spatial frequency matching Comparative analysis of image fusion methods demonstrates that different metrics support different user needs, sensitive to different image fusion methods, and need to be tailored to the application. Categories of image fusion metrics are based on information theory features, structural similarity, or human perception. === Multi-focus image fusion === Multi-focus image fusion is used to collect useful and necessary information from input images with different focus depths in order to create an output image that ideally has all information from input images. In visual sensor network (VSN), sensors are cameras which record images and video sequences. In many applications of VSN, a camera can’t give a perfect illustration including all details of the scene. This is because of the limited depth of focus exists in the optical lens of cameras. Therefore, just the object located in the focal length of camera is focused and cleared and the other parts of image are blurred. VSN has an ability to capture images with different depth of focuses in the scene using several cameras. Due to the large amount of data generated by camera compared to other sensors such as pressure and temperature sensors and some limitation such as limited band width, energy consumption and processing time, it is essential to process the local input images to decrease the amount of transmission data. The aforementioned reasons emphasize the necessary of multi-focus images fusion. Multi-focus image fusion is a process which combines the input multi-focus images into a single image including all important information of the input images and it’s more accurate explanation of the scene than every single input image. == Applications == === In remote sensing === Image fusion in remote sensing has several application domains. An important domain is the multi-resolution image fusion (commonly referred to pan-sharpening). In satellite imagery we can have two types of images: Panchromatic images – An image collected in the broad visual wavelength range but rendered in black and white. Multispectral images – Images optically acquired in more than one spectral or wavelength interval. Each individual image is usually of the same physical area and scale but of a different spectral band. The SPOT PAN satellite provides high resolution (10m pixel) panchromatic data. While the LANDSAT TM satellite provides low resolution (30m pixel) multispectral images. Image fusion attempts to merge these images and produce a single high resolution multispectral image. The standard merging methods of image fusion are based on Red–Green–Blue (RGB) to Intensity–Hue–Saturation (IHS) transformation. The usual steps involved in satellite image fusion are as follows: Resize the low resolution multispectral images to the same size as the panchromatic image. Transform the R, G and B bands of the multispectral image into IHS components. Modify the panchromatic image with respect to the multispectral image. This is usually performed by histogram matching of the panchromatic image with Intensity component of the multispectral images as reference. Replace the intensity component by the panchromatic image and perform inverse transformation to obtain a high resolution multispectral image. Pan-sharpening can be done with Photoshop. Other applications of image fusion in remote sensing are available. === In medical imaging === Image fusion has become a common term used within medical diagnostics and treatment. The term is used when multiple images of a patient are registered and overlaid or merged to provide additional information. Fused images may be created from multiple images from the same imaging modality, or by combining information from multiple modalities, such as magnetic resonance image (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In radiology and radiation oncology, these images serve different purposes. For example, CT images are used more often to ascertain differences in tissue density while MRI images are typically used to diagnose brain tumors. For accurate diagnosis, radiologists must integrate information from multiple image formats. Fused, anatomically consistent images are especially beneficial in diagnosing and treating cancer. With the advent of these new technologies, radiation oncologists can take full advantage of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Being able to overlay diagnostic images into radiation planning images results in more accurate IMRT target tumor volumes.

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  • HKDF

    HKDF

    HKDF is a multi-purpose key derivation function (KDF) based on the HMAC message authentication code. HKDF follows "extract-then-expand" paradigm, where the KDF logically consists of two modules: the first stage takes the input keying material and "extracts" from it a fixed-length pseudorandom key, and then the second stage "expands" this key into several additional, independent pseudorandom keys as the output of the KDF. == Mechanism == HKDF is the composition of two functions, HKDF-Extract and HKDF-Expand: HKDF(salt, IKM, info, length) = HKDF-Expand(HKDF-Extract(salt, IKM), info, length) === HKDF-Extract === HKDF-Extract (XTR) takes "input key material" or "source key material" (IKM or SKM) such as a shared secret generated using Diffie-Hellman; an optional, non-secret, random or pseudorandom salt (r); and generates a cryptographic key called the PRK ("pseudorandom key"). HKDF-Extract acts as a "randomness extractor", specifically a "computational extractor", taking a potentially non-uniform value of sufficient min-entropy and generating a value indistinguishable from a uniform random value (pseudorandom). Computational extractors assume attackers are computationally bounded and source entropy may only exist in a computational sense. Such extractors can be built using cryptographic functions under suitable assumptions, modeled as universal hash function (in the generic case) or a random oracle (in constrained scenarios like sources with weak entropy). Salt (r) acts as a "source-independent extractor", strengthening HKDF's security guarantees. Using a fixed public r is safe for multiple invocations of HKDF (on "independent" but secret IKMs which may or may not be derived from the same source), provided r isn't chosen or manipulated by an attacker. Ideally, r is a random string of hash function's output length. Even low quality r (weak entropy or shorter length) is recommended as they contribute "significantly" to the security of the OKM. Without or with a low-entropy, non-secret r, if an attacker can influence the IKMs source in a way that specifically exploits HKDF-Extract's underlying hash function (finding a collision or a specific bias), XTR provides no protection. A random r, even if fixed by the application (for example, random number generators using r as seed), would strengthen protections for that specific extractor session. In such a setting, sufficiently long IKMs also provide better entropy extraction. However, allowing the attacker to influence enough of the IKM after seeing r may result in a completely insecure KDF. HKDF-Extract is the result of HMAC with r as the key (all zeros up to length of the underlying extractor hash function, if not provided) and the IKM as the message. The underlying hash function used for HKDF-Extract step may be different to the one used by HKDF-Expand. It is recommended that HKDF-Extract uses strongest hash function available to the application, as it "concentrates" the entropy already present in IKM but may not necessarily "add" to it. Truncated output from a stronger underlying hash function for XTR (for example, SHA512/256) offers stronger extraction properties. The attacker is assumed to have partial knowledge about IKM (publicly known values in the case of Diffie-Hellman) or partial control over it (entropy pools). HKDF-Extract may be skipped if the IKM is itself a cryptographically strong key (and hence can assume the role of PRK), though it is recommended that HKDF-Extract be applied for the sake of compatibility with the general case, especially if r is available to the application. === HKDF-Expand === HKDF-Expand (PRF) takes the PRK (or any random key-derivation key if HKDF-Extract step is skipped), optional info (CTXinfo), and a length (L), to generate output key material (OKM) of length L. Multiple OKMs can be generated from a single PRK by using different values for CTXinfo, which must be "independent" of the IKM passed in HKDF-Extract. Even if an attacker, who knows r and some auxillary information about the secret IKM, can force the use of the same IKM (and PRK, by extension), in two or more HKDF-Expand contexts (represented by CTXinfo), the OKMs output are computationally independent (leak no useful information on each other). HKDF-Expand, acting as a variable-output-length pseudorandom function (PRF) keyed on PRK, calls HMAC on CTXinfo as the message (empty string, if unspecified) appended to a 8-bit counter i initialized to 1. Subsequent calls to HMAC are chained in "feedback mode" by prepending the previous HMAC output to CTXinfo and incrementing i. OKM is a function of the output size (k bits) of HMAC's underlying hash function; i.e., SHA-256 outputs OKM in segments of k=256 bits for up to a maximum of length i × k bits (255 × 256 bits = 8160 bytes) truncated to desired length L. HKDF-Expand may be skipped if PRK is at least desired length L, though it is recommended that HKDF-Expand be applied for additional "smoothing" of the OKM. == Standardization == HKDF was proposed as a building block in various protocols and applications, as well as to discourage the proliferation of multiple KDF mechanisms by its authors. It is formally described in RFC 5869 with detailed analysis in a paper published in 2010. NIST SP800-56Cr2 specifies a parameterizable extract-then-expand scheme, noting that RFC 5869 HKDF is a version of it and citing its paper for the rationale for the recommendations' extract-and-expand mechanisms. == Applications == HKDF is used in the Signal Protocol for end-to-end encrypted messaging where it generates the message keys, in conjunction with the triple Elliptic-curve Diffie-Hellman handshake (X3DH) key agreement protocol. Signal's "Secure Value Recovery" and "Sealed Sender" are based on HKDF. HKDF is a main component in the Noise Protocol Framework, Message Layer Security, and is used in widely deployed protocols like IPsec Internet Key Exchange and TLS 1.3. The "multi-purpose" nature of HKDF is meant to serve applications that require key extraction, key expansion, and key hierarchies in key wrapping, key exchange, PRNG, and password-based key derivation schemes. == Implementations == There are implementations of HKDF for C#, Go, Java, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and other programming languages. RFC6234 lays out a reference C implementation of HKDF based on the Secure Hash Standard. === Example in Python ===

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  • Social media use in health awareness

    Social media use in health awareness

    Social media is being increasingly used for health awareness. It is not only used to promote health and wellness but also to motivate and guide public for various disease and ailments. Use of social media was proven to be cornerstone for awareness during COVID-19 management. In recent times, it is one of the most cost effective tool for cardiovascular health awareness since it can be used to motivate people for adoption of healthy lifestyle practices. Over the span of a decade, and Doctor Mike utilized social media to significantly impact the public about cardiovascular health awareness. == Background == Social media is proven to be useful for various chronic and incurable diseases where patients form groups and connect for sharing of knowledge. Similarly, health professionals, health institutions, and various other individuals and organizations have their own social media accounts for health information, awareness, guidance, or motivation for their patients. The utilization of social media for health awareness campaigns has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. The history of utilizing social media in health campaigns can be traced back to the early 2000s with the rise of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. == Health campaigns == Health campaigns especially for chronic diseases like cancer and heart diseases are increasingly common on different social media platforms because social media serves as a cost-effective medium for launching and promoting health campaigns. Many organizations and governmental bodies use platforms like Twitter and Instagram to reach a wide audience. This wide outreach gives health campaigns more attention and support while raising awareness of their specific cause. Recently, there have been increasing calls for health organizations to involve the public and consumer groups in their social media health campaigns to ensure their acceptability with the target audience, encouraging use of collaborations and co-design of messages. == Research == When incorporating social media into health research recruitment, there is potential for a greater number of individuals to participate. Social media allows researchers to reach a wide range of participants while also allowing for recruitment 24 hours a day. There are many health organizations with large social media followings to allow them to reach a large amount of individuals. If these organizations pair with researchers and post flyers or make posts about a study they may be able to find the population that they are looking for. Although there are positives to using social media for health research recruitment, looking at the issues is important. Using this method in recruitment may cause competition between companies for the attention of the users. Another important point is that this is dependent on the type of health condition that is being researched. For chronic conditions, there are many organizations and platforms for support while for acute illnesses, there are not as many organizations that would be able to promote these studies and post for outreach. == Patient education == Patients increasingly turn to social media for health communication and health-related information. Online health communities, forums and blogs enable individuals to share their experiences, offer support, and seek advice from peers. Healthcare professionals also use social media to provide valuable insights and address common health concerns. The use of social media for patient education allows individuals to gain more information for their illness or disease along with gaining support from individuals who may be experiencing the same. Many health organizations such as cancer organizations or organizations for chronic health conditions often have social media platforms that allow individuals to connect and even share their own stories. Peer support is beneficial to patients emotionally and even for them to understand their condition and how to cope. Another way that social media allows individuals to gain more information is the improvement of health literacy. Medical jargon can be confusing for individuals especially when they are newly diagnosed with an illness or disease. Social media has been able to create platforms that explain the information that individuals may need when they are newly diagnosed or if they just want to learn more about their illness. Medical conditions can be confusing but using social media may allow for individuals to develop a better understanding in a manner that they understand. When patients have a better understanding of their health there will be a result of better health outcomes. == Misinformation == While social media is a powerful tool for health awareness, it comes with challenges. Misinformation can spread rapidly, potentially leading to incorrect or harmful health practices. Ensuring the accuracy of health-related information on social media is an ongoing concern. Health misinformation can be easily spread through social media to large amounts of individuals which can make this dangerous. Often, critics will question whether health-related information that is shared online is credible. Social media does not require the amount of regulation that could prevent false medical information from being disseminated online. According to The Influencer Effect: Exploring the persuasive communication tactics of social media influencers in the health and wellness industry by Deborah Deutsch, "the information shared is often lacking accepted scientific evidence or is contrary to industry standards, and, at times, deceptive, unethical, and misleading." One example of this was in 2020, when President Donald Trump said in speeches and on Twitter that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine could be used to treat COVID-19. While these drugs are antimalaria, it was being spread that they could be used for COVID-19. This resulted in increased deaths and individuals falling ill from taking this drug and the misinformation that was spread about this drug. Spreading misinformation regarding health is one of the biggest concerns when using social media for health awareness. When spreading misinformation about health there is an increase in confusion about what is true and what is false regardless of who is saying this information. Along with the confusion of the public, there is a sense of mistrust that is a consequence of misinformation. Individuals are seeing different opinions which leads people to a situation where they do not know who to trust. While health misinformation is one of the largest issues, there are ways to help prevent it. As individuals, it is important to know where you are getting your information from and learn how to identify what is misinformation and avoid the spread of it. == Privacy and ethical issues == The sharing of personal health information on social media raises privacy and ethical concerns. Striking a balance between raising awareness and respecting individuals' privacy remains a delicate issue.

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  • Visual cryptography

    Visual cryptography

    Visual cryptography is a cryptographic technique which allows visual information (pictures, text, etc.) to be encrypted in such a way that the decrypted information appears as a visual image. One of the best-known techniques has been credited to Moni Naor and Adi Shamir, who developed it in 1994. They demonstrated a visual secret sharing scheme, where a binary image was broken up into n shares so that only someone with all n shares could decrypt the image, while any n − 1 shares revealed no information about the original image. Each share was printed on a separate transparency, and decryption was performed by overlaying the shares. When all n shares were overlaid, the original image would appear. There are several generalizations of the basic scheme including k-out-of-n visual cryptography, and using opaque sheets but illuminating them by multiple sets of identical illumination patterns under the recording of only one single-pixel detector, which exposed the image. Using a similar idea, transparencies can be used to implement a one-time pad encryption, where one transparency is a shared random pad, and another transparency acts as the ciphertext. Normally, there is an expansion of space requirement in visual cryptography. But if one of the two shares is structured recursively, the efficiency of visual cryptography can be increased to 100%. Some antecedents of visual cryptography are in patents from the 1960s. Other antecedents are in the work on perception and secure communication. Visual cryptography can be used to protect biometric templates in which decryption does not require any complex computations. == Example == In this example, the binary image has been split into two component images. Each component image has a pair of pixels for every pixel in the original image. These pixel pairs are shaded black or white according to the following rule: if the original image pixel was black, the pixel pairs in the component images must be complementary; randomly shade one ■□, and the other □■. When these complementary pairs are overlapped, they will appear dark gray. On the other hand, if the original image pixel was white, the pixel pairs in the component images must match: both ■□ or both □■. When these matching pairs are overlapped, they will appear light gray. So, when the two component images are superimposed, the original image appears. However, without the other component, a component image reveals no information about the original image; it is indistinguishable from a random pattern of ■□ / □■ pairs. Moreover, if you have one component image, you can use the shading rules above to produce a counterfeit component image that combines with it to produce any image at all. == (2, n) visual cryptography sharing case == Sharing a secret with an arbitrary number of people, n, such that at least 2 of them are required to decode the secret is one form of the visual secret sharing scheme presented by Moni Naor and Adi Shamir in 1994. In this scheme we have a secret image which is encoded into n shares printed on transparencies. The shares appear random and contain no decipherable information about the underlying secret image, however if any 2 of the shares are stacked on top of one another the secret image becomes decipherable by the human eye. Every pixel from the secret image is encoded into multiple subpixels in each share image using a matrix to determine the color of the pixels. In the (2, n) case, a white pixel in the secret image is encoded using a matrix from the following set, where each row gives the subpixel pattern for one of the components: {all permutations of the columns of} : C 0 = [ 1 0 . . . 0 1 0 . . . 0 . . . 1 0 . . . 0 ] . {\displaystyle \mathbf {C_{0}=} {\begin{bmatrix}1&0&...&0\\1&0&...&0\\...\\1&0&...&0\end{bmatrix}}.} While a black pixel in the secret image is encoded using a matrix from the following set: {all permutations of the columns of} : C 1 = [ 1 0 . . . 0 0 1 . . . 0 . . . 0 0 . . . 1 ] . {\displaystyle \mathbf {C_{1}=} {\begin{bmatrix}1&0&...&0\\0&1&...&0\\...\\0&0&...&1\end{bmatrix}}.} For instance in the (2,2) sharing case (the secret is split into 2 shares and both shares are required to decode the secret) we use complementary matrices to share a black pixel and identical matrices to share a white pixel. Stacking the shares we have all the subpixels associated with the black pixel now black while 50% of the subpixels associated with the white pixel remain white. == Cheating the (2, n) visual secret sharing scheme == Horng et al. proposed a method that allows n − 1 colluding parties to cheat an honest party in visual cryptography. They take advantage of knowing the underlying distribution of the pixels in the shares to create new shares that combine with existing shares to form a new secret message of the cheaters choosing. We know that 2 shares are enough to decode the secret image using the human visual system. But examining two shares also gives some information about the 3rd share. For instance, colluding participants may examine their shares to determine when they both have black pixels and use that information to determine that another participant will also have a black pixel in that location. Knowing where black pixels exist in another party's share allows them to create a new share that will combine with the predicted share to form a new secret message. In this way a set of colluding parties that have enough shares to access the secret code can cheat other honest parties. == Visual steganography == 2×2 subpixels can also encode a binary image in each component image. For example, each white pixel of each component image could be represented by two black subpixels, while each black pixel represented by three black subpixels. When overlaid, each white pixel of the secret image is represented by three black subpixels, while each black pixel is represented by all four subpixels black. Each corresponding pixel in the component images is randomly rotated to avoid orientation leaking information about the secret image. == In popular culture == In "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling", a 1967 episode of TV series The Prisoner, the protagonist uses a visual cryptography overlay of multiple transparencies to reveal a secret message – the location of a scientist friend who had gone into hiding.

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  • Human-in-the-loop

    Human-in-the-loop

    Human-in-the-loop (HITL) is used in multiple contexts. It can be defined as a model requiring human interaction. HITL is associated with modeling and simulation (M&S) in the live, virtual, and constructive taxonomy. HITL, along with the related human-on-the-loop, are also used in relation to lethal autonomous weapons. Further, HITL is used in the context of machine learning.It is also used in conversational AI to manage complex interactions that require human empathy. == Machine learning == In machine learning, HITL is used in the sense of humans aiding the computer in making the correct decisions in building a model. HITL improves machine learning over random sampling by selecting the most critical data needed to refine the model. == Simulation == In simulation, HITL models may conform to human factors requirements as in the case of a mockup. In this type of simulation, a human is always part of the simulation and consequently influences the outcome in such a way that is difficult if not impossible to reproduce exactly. HITL also readily allows for the identification of problems and requirements that may not be easily identified by other means of simulation. HITL is often referred to as an interactive simulation, which is a special kind of physical simulation in which physical simulations include human operators, such as in a flight or a driving simulator. === Benefits === Human-in-the-loop allows the user to change the outcome of an event or process. The immersion effectively contributes to a positive transfer of acquired skills into the real world. This can be demonstrated by trainees utilizing flight simulators in preparation to become pilots. HITL also allows for the acquisition of knowledge regarding how a new process may affect a particular event. Utilizing HITL allows participants to interact with realistic models and attempt to perform as they would in an actual scenario. HITL simulations bring to the surface issues that would not otherwise be apparent until after a new process has been deployed. A real-world example of HITL simulation as an evaluation tool is its usage by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow air traffic controllers to test new automation procedures by directing the activities of simulated air traffic while monitoring the effect of the newly implemented procedures. As with most processes, there is always the possibility of human error, which can only be reproduced using HITL simulation. Although much can be done to automate systems, humans typically still need to take the information provided by a system to determine the next course of action based on their judgment and experience. Intelligent systems can only go so far in certain circumstances to automate a process; only humans in the simulation can accurately judge the final design. Tabletop simulation may be useful in the very early stages of project development for the purpose of collecting data to set broad parameters, but the important decisions require human-in-the-loop simulation. HITL reflects scenarios where human input remains essential despite advances in automation. === Within the virtual simulation taxonomy === Virtual simulations inject HITL in a central role by exercising motor control skills (e.g. flying an airplane), decision making skills (e.g. committing fire control resources to action), or communication skills (e.g. as members of a C4I team). === Examples === Flight simulators Driving simulators Marine simulators Video games Supply chain management simulators Digital puppetry === Misconceptions === Although human-in-the-loop simulation can include a computer simulation in the form of a synthetic environment, computer simulation is not necessarily a form of human-in-the-loop simulation, and is often considered as human-out-of-the loop simulation. In this particular case, a computer model’s behavior is modified according to a set of initial parameters. The results of the model differ from the results stemming from a true human-in-the-loop simulation because the results can easily be replicated time and time again, by simply providing identical parameters. == Weapons == === Taxonomy === Three classifications of the degree of human control of autonomous weapon systems were laid out by Bonnie Docherty in a 2012 Human Rights Watch report. human-in-the-loop: a human must instigate the action of the weapon (in other words not fully autonomous) human-on-the-loop: a human may abort an action human-out-of-the-loop: no human action is involved === Positive human action === In discussions of autonomous weapons and nuclear command and control, the phrase positive human action has been used alongside "human-in-the-loop" to emphasize that a human operator must affirmatively authorize the use of force. Descriptions of the United States Navy's Aegis Combat System have used the phrase in characterizing a requirement for affirmative human action to initiate live firing. A survey of autonomous weapons systems described the Aegis "Auto SM" mode as one in which "the system fully develops the engagement process however engagement requires positive human action". The phrase entered United States federal law in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, which stipulates that artificial intelligence systems not compromise "the principle of requiring positive human actions in execution of decisions by the President with respect to the employment of nuclear weapons".

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  • Pinoy baiting

    Pinoy baiting

    Pinoy baiting is a phrase that has been used to refer to acts by non-Filipino individuals, usually celebrities or YouTubers, of posting content online purportedly with the intention of getting the attention of Filipinos, by being surprised about the Philippines or its people. Pinoy baiters are defined as giving superficial and allegedly insincere praises and similar reactions that give recognition to the Philippines or its people. Subsequent responses by Filipinos to what have been referred to as acts of Pinoy baiting have been criticized as a form of cultural cringe. This criticism would subsequently give the advice that Filipinos should not constantly require validation from non-Filipinos about themselves or their country. == Pinoy baiting mediums == === Reaction videos === On social media such as YouTube, channels with specific focus on showing their reaction towards and opinions about certain videos or topics are called reaction channels. Reaction videos are very popular and require minimal effort to create, and thus made it easy for alleged Pinoy baiting to thrive within this video-making genre. === Travel vlogs === Vlogging, short for video blogging, grew in popularity in the 2020s. Most of the popular alleged Pinoy-baiting channels tend to be vlog channels, normally following the same script under such titles as "The Philippines changed us/me", "First impression of the Philippines", "Is this really Manila?" and "Filipinos are such Kind/Good People!", and made while travelling to touristy areas such as Boracay or Bonifacio Global City and taste-testing the fast food chain Jollibee, among others. == Criticism of the phrase == Philippines-based Korean vlogger Jessica Lee had been accused by some YouTube viewers of engaging in Pinoy baiting. In a response vlog, Lee acknowledged that there may be individuals engaging in this "business strategy" of gaining views and subscribers from one of the largest communities online. However, she questioned the objectivity of some use of the phrase, citing any vlogging subject as fair game for a negative impression of being a "baiting" tool for the vlogger treating of that subject. She also invoked vloggers' freedom to choose whatever subject they want to talk about in a deep or shallow manner, while enjoining citizens to exercise their free-market right to unfollow vloggers they hate and follow those vloggers that "make them happy". She also gave her critics an explanation why she ended up vlogging about Philippine and Filipino subjects.

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  • Hybrid cryptosystem

    Hybrid cryptosystem

    In cryptography, a hybrid cryptosystem is one which combines the convenience of a public-key cryptosystem with the efficiency of a symmetric-key cryptosystem. Public-key cryptosystems are convenient in that they do not require the sender and receiver to share a common secret in order to communicate securely. However, they often rely on complicated mathematical computations and are thus generally much more inefficient than comparable symmetric-key cryptosystems. In many applications, the high cost of encrypting long messages in a public-key cryptosystem can be prohibitive. This is addressed by hybrid systems by using a combination of both. A hybrid cryptosystem can be constructed using any two separate cryptosystems: a key encapsulation mechanism, which is a public-key cryptosystem a data encapsulation scheme, which is a symmetric-key cryptosystem The hybrid cryptosystem is itself a public-key system, whose public and private keys are the same as in the key encapsulation scheme. Note that for very long messages the bulk of the work in encryption/decryption is done by the more efficient symmetric-key scheme, while the inefficient public-key scheme is used only to encrypt/decrypt a short key value. == Implementations and standards == All practical implementations of public key cryptography today employ a hybrid system. Examples include the TLS protocol and the SSH protocol, that use a public-key mechanism for key exchange (such as Diffie-Hellman) and a symmetric-key mechanism for data encapsulation (such as AES). The OpenPGP file format and the PKCS#7 file format are other examples. Hybrid Public Key Encryption (HPKE, published as RFC 9180) is a modern standard for generic hybrid encryption. HPKE is used within multiple IETF protocols, including Messaging Layer Security (MLS), Oblivious DNS over HTTPS, Oblivious HTTP, Privacy Preserving Measurement, and TLS Encrypted Client Hello. Envelope encryption is an example of a usage of hybrid cryptosystems in cloud computing. In a cloud context, hybrid cryptosystems also enable centralized key management. == Example == To encrypt a message addressed to Alice in a hybrid cryptosystem, Bob does the following: Obtains Alice's public key. Generates a fresh symmetric key for the data encapsulation scheme. Encrypts the message under the data encapsulation scheme, using the symmetric key just generated. Encrypts the symmetric key under the key encapsulation scheme, using Alice's public key. Sends both of these ciphertexts to Alice. To decrypt this hybrid ciphertext, Alice does the following: Uses her private key to decrypt the symmetric key contained in the key encapsulation segment. Uses this symmetric key to decrypt the message contained in the data encapsulation segment. == Security == If both the key encapsulation and data encapsulation schemes in a hybrid cryptosystem are secure against adaptive chosen ciphertext attacks, then the hybrid scheme inherits that property as well. However, it is possible to construct a hybrid scheme secure against adaptive chosen ciphertext attacks even if the key encapsulation has a slightly weakened security definition (though the security of the data encapsulation must be slightly stronger). == Envelope encryption == Envelope encryption is term used for encrypting with a hybrid cryptosystem used by all major cloud service providers, often as part of a centralized key management system in cloud computing. Envelope encryption gives names to the keys used in hybrid encryption: Data Encryption Keys (abbreviated DEK, and used to encrypt data) and Key Encryption Keys (abbreviated KEK, and used to encrypt the DEKs). In a cloud environment, encryption with envelope encryption involves generating a DEK locally, encrypting one's data using the DEK, and then issuing a request to wrap (encrypt) the DEK with a KEK stored in a potentially more secure service. Then, this wrapped DEK and encrypted message constitute a ciphertext for the scheme. To decrypt a ciphertext, the wrapped DEK is unwrapped (decrypted) via a call to a service, and then the unwrapped DEK is used to decrypt the encrypted message. In addition to the normal advantages of a hybrid cryptosystem, using asymmetric encryption for the KEK in a cloud context provides easier key management and separation of roles, but can be slower. In cloud systems, such as Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services, a key management system (KMS) can be available as a service. In some cases, the key management system will store keys in hardware security modules, which are hardware systems that protect keys with hardware features like intrusion resistance. This means that KEKs can also be more secure because they are stored on secure specialized hardware. Envelope encryption makes centralized key management easier because a centralized key management system only needs to store KEKs, which occupy less space, and requests to the KMS only involve sending wrapped and unwrapped DEKs, which use less bandwidth than transmitting entire messages. Since one KEK can be used to encrypt many DEKs, this also allows for less storage space to be used in the KMS. This also allows for centralized auditing and access control at one point of access.

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  • Key Transparency

    Key Transparency

    Key Transparency allows communicating parties to verify public keys used in end-to-end encryption. In many end-to-end encryption services, to initiate communication a user will reach out to a central server and request the public keys of the user with which they wish to communicate. If the central server is malicious or becomes compromised, a man-in-the-middle attack can be launched through the issuance of incorrect public keys. The communications can then be intercepted and manipulated. Additionally, legal pressure could be applied by surveillance agencies to manipulate public keys and read messages. With Key Transparency, public keys are posted to a public log that can be universally audited. Communicating parties can verify public keys used are accurate.

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  • Realization (linguistics)

    Realization (linguistics)

    In linguistics, realization is the process by which some kind of surface representation is derived from its underlying representation; that is, the way in which some abstract object of linguistic analysis comes to be produced in actual language. Phonemes are often said to be realized by speech sounds. The different sounds that can realize a particular phoneme are called its allophones. Realization is also a subtask of natural language generation, which involves creating an actual text in a human language (English, French, etc.) from a syntactic representation. There are a number of software packages available for realization, most of which have been developed by academic research groups in NLG. The remainder of this article concerns realization of this kind. == Example == For example, the following Java code causes the simplenlg system [2] to print out the text The women do not smoke.: In this example, the computer program has specified the linguistic constituents of the sentence (verb, subject), and also linguistic features (plural subject, negated), and from this information the realiser has constructed the actual sentence. == Processing == Realisation involves three kinds of processing: Syntactic realisation: Using grammatical knowledge to choose inflections, add function words and also to decide the order of components. For example, in English the subject usually precedes the verb, and the negated form of smoke is do not smoke. Morphological realisation: Computing inflected forms, for example the plural form of woman is women (not womans). Orthographic realisation: Dealing with casing, punctuation, and formatting. For example, capitalising The because it is the first word of the sentence. The above examples are very basic, most realisers are capable of considerably more complex processing. == Systems == A number of realisers have been developed over the past 20 years. These systems differ in terms of complexity and sophistication of their processing, robustness in dealing with unusual cases, and whether they are accessed programmatically via an API or whether they take a textual representation of a syntactic structure as their input. There are also major differences in pragmatic factors such as documentation, support, licensing terms, speed and memory usage, etc. It is not possible to describe all realisers here, but a few of the emerging areas are: Simplenlg [3]: a document realizing engine with an api which intended to be simple to learn and use, focused on limiting scope to only finding the surface area of a document. KPML [4]: this is the oldest realiser, which has been under development under different guises since the 1980s. It comes with grammars for ten different languages. FUF/SURGE [5]: a realiser which was widely used in the 1990s, and is still used in some projects today OpenCCG [6]: an open-source realiser which has a number of nice features, such as the ability to use statistical language models to make realisation decisions.

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  • Perfectly Imperfect (platform)

    Perfectly Imperfect (platform)

    Perfectly Imperfect is an online newsletter and social media platform. It was initially founded in 2020 as a biweekly email newsletter that focused on recommendations. In January 2024, Perfectly Imperfect launched PI.FYI, a social media platform. The platform is based around sharing recommendations. Its main feed is presented in reverse chronological order and is not algorithmically curated. == History == Perfectly Imperfect was started during the COVID-19 pandemic by Tyler Bainbridge, alongside college friends Alex Cushing and Serey Morm, whom he met at UMass Lowell; Morm later departed. Motivated by a dissatisfaction with algorithm-driven recommendation culture, they launched on Substack in September 2020. Its early newsletter format, PI, published brief recommendation lists and personal notes from contributors. Contributors have included a mix of underground artists and more established creative figures, such as Charli XCX, Chloe Cherry, Chloe Wise, and Meetka Otto. In October 2024, PI announced it was leaving Substack to launch its own site. == Overview == The current platform, PI.FYI, features both editorial content (guest columns, long-form essays, staff picks) and user-generated recommendations. The platform also supports "Ask" posts, where users can solicit recommendations from the community, and allows commenting, liking, and profile customization. In August 2025, it launched an events feature. In 2022, Perfectly Imperfect hosted their first offline event at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn, with a performance by The Dare. They have since expanded their event promotion/sponsorship to markets such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and even Auckland.

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  • Subliminal channel

    Subliminal channel

    In cryptography, subliminal channels are covert channels that can be used to communicate secretly in normal looking communication over an insecure channel. Subliminal channels in digital signature crypto systems were found in 1984 by Gustavus Simmons. Simmons describes how the "Prisoners' Problem" can be solved through parameter substitution in digital signature algorithms. == Examples == An easy example of a narrowband subliminal channel for normal human-language text would be to define that an even word count in a sentence is associated with the bit "0" and an odd word count with the bit "1". The question "Hello, how do you do?" would therefore send the subliminal message "1". The Digital Signature Algorithm has one subliminal broadband and three subliminal narrow-band channels == Improvements == A modification to the Brickell and DeLaurentis signature scheme provides a broadband channel without the necessity to share the authentication key. The Newton channel is not a subliminal channel, but it can be viewed as an enhancement. == Countermeasures == With the help of the zero-knowledge proof and the commitment scheme it is possible to prevent the usage of the subliminal channel. This countermeasure has a 1-bit subliminal channel because for is the problem that a proof can succeed or purposely fail. Another countermeasure can detect, and not prevent, the subliminal usage of the randomness.

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  • Secret London

    Secret London

    Secret London is a Facebook group started by 21-year-old Bristol University graduate, Tiffany Philippou, on 19 January 2010 in response to a Saatchi & Saatchi competition. The group grew rapidly (180,000 members as of 8 February 2010) and is composed mostly of Londoners who use the site to share suggestions and photos of London. After the group's early success, the founder announced her intention to launch a website of the same name by crowdsourcing the design and development. The website was launched on 16 February 2010. == Other secret cities == Following the initial success of Secret London, a number of other secret groups were independently started around the world, some of which already have over 100,000 users. As of 19 February 2010, the list of other groups includes: Secret Frankfurt, Secret Tel Aviv, Secret Paris, Secret New York, Secret Tokyo, Secret Toronto, Secret Los Angeles, Secret Exeter, Secret Boston, Secret Norwich, Secret Singapore, Secret Brighton, Secret Minneapolis, Secret Sydney, Secret Canberra, Secret Brisbane, Secret Wellington, Secret Christchurch, Secret Madeira, Secret Funchal, Secret Bristol and Secret Cardiff. == Controversy == Some commentators have questioned whether it possible to share secrets without compromising them, and whether sharing tips publicly will lead to over-exposure of the businesses who are recommended.

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  • Ray tracing (graphics)

    Ray tracing (graphics)

    In 3D computer graphics, ray tracing is a technique for modeling light transport for use in a wide variety of rendering algorithms for generating digital images. On a spectrum of computational cost and visual fidelity, ray tracing-based rendering techniques, such as ray casting, recursive ray tracing, distribution ray tracing, photon mapping and path tracing, are generally slower and higher fidelity than scanline rendering methods. Thus, ray tracing was first deployed in applications where taking a relatively long time to render could be tolerated, such as still CGI images, and film and television visual effects (VFX), but was less suited to real-time applications such as video games, where speed is critical in rendering each frame. Since 2018, however, hardware acceleration for real-time ray tracing has become standard on new commercial graphics cards, and graphics APIs have followed suit, allowing developers to use hybrid ray tracing and rasterization-based rendering in games and other real-time applications with a lesser hit to frame render times. Ray tracing is capable of simulating a variety of optical effects, such as reflection, refraction, soft shadows, scattering, depth of field, motion blur, caustics, ambient occlusion and dispersion phenomena (such as chromatic aberration). It can also be used to trace the path of sound waves in a similar fashion to light waves, making it a viable option for more immersive sound design in video games by rendering realistic reverberation and echoes. In fact, any physical wave or particle phenomenon with approximately linear motion can be simulated with ray tracing. Ray tracing–based rendering techniques that sample light over a domain typically generate multiple rays and often rely on denoising to reduce the resulting noise. == History == The idea of ray tracing comes from as early as the 16th century, when it was described by Albrecht Dürer, who is credited for its invention. Dürer described multiple techniques for projecting 3-D scenes onto an image plane. Some of these project chosen geometry onto the image plane, as is done with rasterization today. Others determine what geometry is visible along a given ray, as is done with ray tracing. Using a computer for ray tracing to generate shaded pictures was first accomplished by Arthur Appel in 1968. Appel used ray tracing for primary visibility (determining the closest surface to the camera at each image point) by tracing a ray through each point to be shaded into the scene to identify the visible surface. The closest surface intersected by the ray was the visible one. This non-recursive ray tracing-based rendering algorithm is today called "ray casting". His algorithm then traced secondary rays to the light source from each point being shaded to determine whether the point was in shadow or not. Later, in 1971, Goldstein and Nagel of MAGI (Mathematical Applications Group, Inc.) published "3-D Visual Simulation", wherein ray tracing was used to make shaded pictures of solids. At the ray-surface intersection point found, they computed the surface normal and, knowing the position of the light source, computed the brightness of the pixel on the screen. Their publication describes a short (30-second) film "made using the University of Maryland's display hardware outfitted with a 16mm camera. The film showed the helicopter and a simple ground-level gun emplacement. The helicopter was programmed to undergo a series of maneuvers including turns, take-offs, and landings, etc., until it eventually is shot down and crashed." A CDC 6600 computer was used. MAGI produced an animation video called MAGI/SynthaVision Sampler in 1974. Another early instance of ray casting came in 1976, when Scott Roth created a flip book animation in Bob Sproull's computer graphics course at Caltech. The scanned pages are shown as a video in the accompanying image. Roth's computer program noted an edge point at a pixel location if the ray intersected a bounded plane different from that of its neighbors. Of course, a ray could intersect multiple planes in space, but only the surface point closest to the camera was noted as visible. The platform was a DEC PDP-10, a Tektronix storage-tube display, and a printer which would create an image of the display on rolling thermal paper. Roth extended the framework, introduced the term ray casting in the context of computer graphics and solid modeling, and in 1982 published his work while at GM Research Labs. Turner Whitted was the first to show recursive ray tracing for mirror reflection and for refraction through translucent objects, with an angle determined by the solid's index of refraction, and to use ray tracing for anti-aliasing. Whitted also showed ray traced shadows. He produced a recursive ray traced film called The Compleat Angler in 1979 while an engineer at Bell Labs. Whitted's deeply recursive ray tracing algorithm reframed rendering from being primarily a matter of surface visibility determination to being a matter of light transport. His paper inspired a series of subsequent work by others that included distribution ray tracing and finally unbiased path tracing, which provides the rendering equation framework that has allowed computer-generated imagery to be faithful to reality. For decades, global illumination in major films using computer-generated imagery was approximated with additional lights. Ray tracing-based rendering eventually changed that by enabling physically based light transport. Early feature films rendered entirely using path tracing include Monster House (2006), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), and Monsters University (2013). == Algorithm overview == Optical ray tracing describes a method for producing visual images constructed in 3D computer graphics environments, with more photorealism than either ray casting or scanline rendering techniques. It works by tracing a path from an imaginary eye through each pixel in a virtual screen, and calculating the color of the object visible through it. Scenes in ray tracing are described mathematically by a programmer or by a visual artist (normally using intermediary tools). Scenes may also incorporate data from images and models captured by means such as digital photography. Typically, each ray must be tested for intersection with some subset of all the objects in the scene. Once the nearest object has been identified, the algorithm will estimate the incoming light at the point of intersection, examine the material properties of the object, and combine this information to calculate the final color of the pixel. Certain illumination algorithms and reflective or translucent materials may require more rays to be re-cast into the scene. It may at first seem counterintuitive or "backward" to send rays away from the camera, rather than into it (as actual light does in reality), but doing so is many orders of magnitude more efficient. Since the overwhelming majority of light rays from a given light source do not make it directly into the viewer's eye, a "forward" simulation could potentially waste a tremendous amount of computation on light paths that are never recorded. Therefore, the shortcut taken in ray tracing is to presuppose that a given ray intersects the view frame. After either a maximum number of reflections or a ray traveling a certain distance without intersection, the ray ceases to travel and the pixel's value is updated. === Calculate rays for rectangular viewport === On input we have (in calculation we use vector normalization and cross product): E ∈ R 3 {\displaystyle E\in \mathbb {R^{3}} } eye position T ∈ R 3 {\displaystyle T\in \mathbb {R^{3}} } target position θ ∈ [ 0 , π ] {\displaystyle \theta \in [0,\pi ]} field of view - for humans, we can assume ≈ π / 2 rad = 90 ∘ {\displaystyle \approx \pi /2{\text{ rad}}=90^{\circ }} m , k ∈ N {\displaystyle m,k\in \mathbb {N} } numbers of square pixels on viewport vertical and horizontal direction i , j ∈ N , 1 ≤ i ≤ k ∧ 1 ≤ j ≤ m {\displaystyle i,j\in \mathbb {N} ,1\leq i\leq k\land 1\leq j\leq m} numbers of actual pixel v → ∈ R 3 {\displaystyle {\vec {v}}\in \mathbb {R^{3}} } vertical vector which indicates where is up and down, usually v → = [ 0 , 1 , 0 ] {\displaystyle {\vec {v}}=[0,1,0]} - roll component which determine viewport rotation around point C (where the axis of rotation is the ET section) The idea is to find the position of each viewport pixel center P i j {\displaystyle P_{ij}} which allows us to find the line going from eye E {\displaystyle E} through that pixel and finally get the ray described by point E {\displaystyle E} and vector R → i j = P i j − E {\displaystyle {\vec {R}}_{ij}=P_{ij}-E} (or its normalization r → i j {\displaystyle {\vec {r}}_{ij}} ). First we need to find the coordinates of the bottom left viewport pixel P 1 m {\displaystyle P_{1m}} and find the next pixel by making a shift along directions parallel to viewport (vectors b → n {\displaystyle {\vec {b}}_{n

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  • Majal (organization)

    Majal (organization)

    Majal is a regional not-for-profit organization focused on "amplifying voices of dissent" throughout the Middle East and North Africa via digital media. Founded in Bahrain, the organization "creates platforms and web applications that promote freedom of expression and social justice." Majal, which relies on open source platforms, like WordPress and Ruby on Rails, was launched in 2006 by Esra'a Al Shafei as a simple group-blogging idea. However, it has changed course to focus on the development of unique applications and tools. == Objectives and means == Majal's content, in addition to its projects and applications, is free open source content to ensure right to access information for everyone. The organization uses a broad spectrum of social media tools, ranging from written blogs, podcasts, vlogs, comics, video animation and pictures to live broadcasting through radio. == Projects and applications == Majal runs various active projects that include Alliance for Kurdish Rights, The Muslim Network for Baháʼí Rights, a discussion tool for Arab LGBT youth and various Mobile apps. == Funding == Majal is funded through private donations and grants from non-governmental organizations, as well as any potential revenues earned through freelance development. Its primary funders are the Shuttleworth Foundation and the Omidyar Network. In 2008, Majal won the Berkman Award from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University in the Human Rights/Global Advocacy category. This $10,000 award was Majal’s first source of funding. This award is presented to “people or institutions that have made a significant contribution to the Internet and its impact on society over the past decade.” In 2009, the March 18 Movement, a project of Majal, received the Think Social Award, which demonstrates how social media can be used to solve the world’s problems. Esra'a Al-Shafei was named a 2009 Echoing Green Fellow for Civil and Human Rights, a seed funding award for young entrepreneurs engaged in social change. Financially, the fellowship consists of a $60,000 stipend paid over two years. Most recently, MEY has received a grant from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture for its Mideast Tunes website. == Awards == Winner of Human Rights Tulip 2014 Human Rights Tulip - Human rights - Government.nl Ashoka Changemakers Citizen Media competition in 2011 for their CrowdVoice project. Monaco Media Prize 2011 for Majal founder and director Esra'a Al Shafei in 2011. The BOBS Special Topic Human Rights award in 2011 for the Majal website Migrant Rights. ThinkSocial Award in 2009, as powerful model for how social media can be used to address global problems. Echoing Green, 2009 Fellowship. TEDGlobal 2009 Fellowship. Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for the outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society. The Global Journal selected Majal as one of the Top 100 NGOs in 2013. 2013-2014 Shuttleworth Foundation Fellowship. == Leadership == Majal team is led primarily by women. The organization was founded by Esra'a Al Shafei, a blogger from Bahrain in 2006. Ahmed Zidan of Egypt has served for over three years as the Editor-in-Chief of Majal Arabic, and is the co-founder of Ahwaa, and is also a podcaster. Other team members include Mona Kareem, Rima Kalush, Abir Ghattas, Namita Malhotra, and Vani Saraswathi. == 2011 Middle East and North Africa protests == Blogs and video played a role in the documentation of protests throughout the Middle East and North Africa during 2010-2011, also known as the Arab Spring. During this period, MEY's project, CrowdVoice (launched in 2010) helped curate and archive the large amounts of videos, images, and eye-witness reports being aggregated and crowdsourced from across the region. As a result, it had been censored temporarily in Yemen and is still censored in Bahrain. == Media coverage == Majal claims to have received various coverage from news agencies, TV satellite channels, radio stations, newspapers, magazines. For instance, Sky News, CNN, New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, NPR, Time, MTV political blog "Act", VH1, Daily Telegraph, Die Zeit, Frankfurter Rundschau FR-online, Toronto Star, TechCrunch, Rolling Stone Middle East, Abu Dhabi TV, Gulf News, Al-Hasnaa' magazine, ReadWriteWeb, Mashable, The Next Web, Radio Sawt Beirut International, Radio Farda among many others.

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  • Content engineering

    Content engineering

    Content engineering is a term applied to an engineering specialty dealing with the complexities around the use of content in computer-facilitated environments. Content authoring and production, content management, content modeling, content conversion, and content use and repurposing are all areas involving this practice. It is not a specialty with wide industry recognition and is often performed on an ad hoc basis by members of software development or content production or marketing staff, but is beginning to be recognized as a necessary function in any complex content-centric project involving both content production as well as software system development mainly involving content management systems (CMS) or digital experience platforms (DXP). Content engineering tends to bridge the gap between groups involved in the production of content (publishing and editorial staff, marketing, sales, human resources) and more technologically oriented departments such as software development, or IT that put this content to use in web or other software-based environments, and requires an understanding of the issues and processes of both sides. Typically, content engineering involves extensive use of embedded XML technologies, XML being the most widespread language for representing structured content. Content management systems are a key technology often used in the practice of content engineering. == Definition == Content engineering is the practice of organizing the shape and structure of content by deploying content and metadata models, in authoring and publishing processes in a manner that meets the requirements of an organization's Content Strategy, and its implementation through the use of technology such as CMS, XML, schema markup, artificial intelligence, APIs and others. == Purpose and goal == In very general terms, content engineering practices aim to maximize the ROI of content through content reuse and improving efficiency of content marketing, content operations, content strategy. Content engineering can help address content challenges that fairly typical organizations face: Siloed content supply chains Duplicate content in a myriad of formats Inefficient content authoring workflows Chunky, unstructured content Outdated technology Technology in place does not match needs Inability to reuse content across channels (multi-channel content) Metadata and schema are not used Lack of standards for metadata Lack of findability of content for internal and external use Poor SEO performance Inability to implement personalization == Key skills == Content engineering draws on a combination of technical, strategic, and editorial competencies. Practitioners typically require proficiency across several domains: === Content modeling and information architecture === Content engineers design structured content models that define how content is created, stored, and distributed. This includes building taxonomies, ontologies, and metadata schemas that enable content reuse across channels and platforms. === Structured content and markup languages === Proficiency in XML, JSON, HTML, and schema.org markup is fundamental. Content engineers use these languages to structure content for machine readability, search engine optimization, and interoperability between systems. === Content management systems and platforms === Content engineers require working knowledge of content management systems (CMS), digital experience platforms (DXP), and headless CMS architectures. This includes configuring content types, workflows, and publishing pipelines within these systems. === Workflow design and automation === Designing and implementing content workflows - from authoring through review, approval, and distribution - is a core function. Increasingly, this involves configuring AI-assisted and agentic workflows that automate research, drafting, repurposing, and distribution tasks at scale. === Content strategy and editorial understanding === Unlike purely technical roles, content engineering requires a working understanding of content strategy, brand management, editorial standards, and audience analysis. Content engineers must translate strategic objectives into technical content structures and system configurations. === API integration and data interoperability === Content engineers work with APIs to connect content systems, analytics platforms, distribution channels, and third-party services. Understanding how content flows between systems is essential for enabling multi-channel publishing and content personalization. === Analytics and performance measurement === Measuring content effectiveness through web analytics, SEO performance data, and engagement metrics informs how content engineers refine structures, metadata, and distribution workflows. == The role of a content engineer == Content engineers bridge the divide between content strategists and producers and the developers and content managers who publish and distribute content. But rather than simply wedging themselves between these players, content engineers help define and facilitate the content structure during the entire content strategy, production and distribution cycle from beginning to end. As the role has evolved, content engineers are increasingly expected to build and manage AI-powered content systems, moving beyond traditional CMS configuration into agentic workflows that automate content research, production, and distribution. By integrating skills in business and technology, content engineers do not see content as static or finished. Rather, they look at the value of the content and how it can best be adapted and personalized to serve customers and emerging content platforms, technologies, and opportunities. === Create customer experience === Content marketing suffers from two fundamental limitations that constrain the true power and potential that a great content marketing plan can bring to a business' bottom line: Content relevance: how to make content more relevant and personalized to their audiences. The marketer and content strategist direct the customer experience itself, and the content engineer makes it happen with content structure, schema, metadata, microdata, taxonomy, and CMS topology. Content agility: Marketers who are burdened with one-size-fits-all content remain stuck managing their content rather than their customers' experience. Content engineers give marketers the "super powers" to move content-powered experiences across interfaces and personalization variants. === Break down barriers === Empower content strategists: Content engineers work with content strategists by helping them connect content not as a fixed message, but as a modular construct which can be channeled and manipulated. Enable content producers: A content engineer will work with a content producer by helping to find new sources of content and ways the content can be combined and presented. Guide and free developers: The content engineer helps translate marketing strategy into clear technical needs and functions developers can build into content management systems Enhance content management: Develop content structures that make it easier for content writers and content managers to author to a single, very usable, interface for even complex content types that might contain dozens of elements. Engineer content for success: Content engineers help all members of a marketing team work more smoothly, with the support and structures needed to get the most out of the content they produce. === Salary benchmarks === Content engineering roles command significantly higher salaries than traditional content marketing positions. In the United States, IC-level content engineers earn between $120,000 and $165,000 annually, while senior roles reach $160,000 to $220,000. Head of content engineering positions range from $200,000 to $280,000, and VP-level roles can exceed $375,000. The emergence of dedicated content engineer job postings from companies such as Exit Five reflects the growing recognition of the role as a distinct function within marketing organizations.

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