#secret gaps between eras to introduce new alien technology

[sergioguymanproust]

Here’s proof again that there’s nothing new under the automobile sun.We keep reinventing the wheel and yes,the technology keeps changing but the main ideas remain the same.In my book folks ,this is only proof of how we hybrid humans keep believing that it is our imagination and intelligence alone fanning the sails of our never stopping ship called progress.Well, here’s where I jump off the ship to remind you ,with the advent of a new era in discovery and implementation of new technologies there’s been gaps in time and assimilation which can’t never be understood ,sometimes it has taken years and suddenly a spark associated with a genius has resolved a glitch in a particular field of study and pushed us into the future .We have known for years that such geniuses have been extraterrestrial beings that have appeared at a precise point in time working in our government within agencies and the Pentagon developing new propulsion systems for our warbirds working in complete secrecy.The civilian population often take it for granted and are ready to buy any machine or gadget the military releases for mass consumption .The most interesting in my book was the released of the famous black box that made possible the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. Regardless of all the controversy and speculation about this mission ,we did go to the moon with the help of an extraterrestrial being that solved many of the human made mistakes and glitches. One more bit of info ,well even the Nazis had extraterrestrial help in designing their famous Bell shaped craft,folks regardless of all governments trying hard to keep all these advances secret ,our very hybrid human nature will not allow it and blow the lid .This is something really bluntly put exasperates our galactic cousins about us . More in future postings.Words by Sergio GuymanProust.

[dailycharacteroption]

Races Among the Stars 8: Kobolds

And we end off this week’s special with your, mine, and the internet’s favorite: Kobolds. Those delightful little draconic scamps that have wormed their way into our hearts (and other bodily organs) over the years.

Kobolds weren’t initially in Starfinder officially, partially because when the system first launched, the writers had trouble finding a niche for them in the setting that already had so many small-sized lovable scamp species in it, ranging from old classics like gnomes and halflings, to the recently promoted core option of the ysoki, and of course the Pathfinder staple of goblins, it’s hard to justify yet another such species, or so goes the claim. Personally the fact that there’s literally a planet in the Pact Worlds with an entire continent of dragon-ruled nation-states seemed like the perfect basis for me, but that is just my two cents.

In any case, kobolds are back, first appearing in the Alien Character Deck along with other Golarion staples, and later being expanded upon in Interstellar Species!

But kobolds have changed a bit in the millennia since the days of Pathfinder, so let’s go over that real quick-like!

When the Gap ended, kobolds were… conspicuously absent from the multiverse, and many assumed that they shared the same fate as the missing world of Golarion.

However, a century later (which is still several centuries before the current point in the timeline), the first experiments with witchwarping magic began, and while those first forays mostly brought into existence strange machines that seemed to be non-functional within the constraints of local physics and reality, with them came reptilian humanoids which were apparently, by all analysis and their own admission, the missing kobolds, leading to an entire population of them inhabiting Absalom Station and beyond.

Where things get especially strange, however, is the effect these first-generation kobolds had on reality. They had in their possession keys to empty apartments that somehow nobody had noticed before, credentials for jobs that seemed not to exist before. It was as if reality was bending to give the kobolds a place in the world. Whether this place was folded into the main reality when they arrived or existed before and was obscured is another mystery.

It seems apparent that during the Gap, kobold-kind, or at least some of it, saw whatever even the Gap obscures coming and use advanced reality warping technology and magic to shunt themselves off into a pocket reality somewhere between another universe and a demiplane, perhaps the border of the main one, until the event had past and further witchwarping events and experiments called them back. Of course, wherever they were, they did not escape the effects of the Gap itself, and have no memory of that time.

The result is an origin that is one part an excellent way to give kobolds a new refreshing backstory in this far-future age, as well as a funny meta-joke about literally injecting kobolds back into the setting.

However, it should be noted that while that first generation warped reality around themselves, kobolds born into the setting’s universe properly have not manifested nearly as many strange, reality warping events, though the secrets of witchwarping are now heavily associated with kobolds in the same way that draconic power and magic is.

Starfinder-era kobolds were introduced after Pathfinder Second Edition came out, meaning that they have the distinctive appearance from that edition, which I was not a fan of, but the design has grown on me over time.

Kobold are small reptiles with somewhat oversized craniums covered in scales that come in a variety of colors ranging across the rainbow and even rare metallic shades, reflecting the traditional colors of chromatic and metallic dragons and plenty in-between. Additionally, they also possess horns, most commonly two oversized backwards-sweeping ones, though some sport up to 8 smaller horns. They also possess sharp teeth and a long tail for counterbalancing their craniums, though their small size and unimpressive physiques usually make these unappealing options for self-defense.

It is also notable that most kobolds also go through rare periods of flux, their bodies changing as the witchwarping magic that infuses them makes changes. Usually these are benign, things like bouts of nausea, developing a new allergy or repelling pathogens, but others are more extreme, manifesting dramatic spell effects. The most disruptive are thankfully rare, but aspiring witchwarpers use them as the basis for their magic, developing and controlling these warps.

Kobolds are a communal species, and so they often seek to aid their communities whenever possible, and a kobold child can be expected to be raised not just by their parents but by the whole community. However, kobolds also have a deep pride as a people, stemming from the truth that they know in their heart of hearts: kobolds are dragons, and the fact that their forms a diminutive and weak is one of the universe’s great injustices. Plenty believe that in whatever reality they were in before returning, they wore the mighty shape of true dragons, while others believe that this is a convenient folktale. Either way, this has birthed several philosophies, including those that seek to unlock their draconic heritage, those that seek to reclaim the power and wealth they believe they deserve, and of course those that seek to ignore all that and just live their lives in the reality they find themselves in.

Kobolds are agile and passionate, but frail.

That being said, their scales provide some decent protection in a pinch.

With their keen minds, these tiny reptiles have a special knack for engineering and physics, true to their long history of trap and weapon building.

The colors of a kobold’s scales are not just for show. Indeed, that coloration indicates some genetic similarities with various forms of dragon, granting them resistance to acid, cold, electricity, of flame to match.

Kobolds have a lot of fun options as characters. Their charisma and association with the art makes them excellent witchwarpers, not to mention other charisma classes like solarian, envoy, and the like. Their agility also makes them good picks for operatives as well as most any ranged combat build, including ranged soldiers, evolutionists (particularly those seeking a draconic form), and so on. Their love of building and intricate devices also makes mechanic and technomancer thematic choices as well, and biohackers might seek to unlock the secrets of dragonhood in their genetics. They also have a history of magic, making mystic and especially precog good choices as well. Their only real weakness seems to be their con, making nanocyte, vanguard, and any especially tanky builds somewhat difficult, but not impossible. Additionally, beyond classes, the Interstellar Species book has lots of feats meant to represent kobolds unlocking their draconic potential, ranging from wings, a breath weapon, and outright gaining a draconic alternate form!

And that’s it for this week! Through a curious accident of how I’ve been picking which species to cover, this week has been mostly species that are relics of the fantasy origins of the setting, which is neat to point out. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to more options next week!

[martechadvisor-blog]

Personalized CX, Data and Empathy in the Customer Economy

How are the dynamics between brands, platforms, customers and data management changing notions of winning CX? Sean Brady, President of Emarsys Americas lets us in on the secret sauce and more.

Undoutedly the dynamics between brands, technology platforms and customers are changing not just the boundaries of what defines great Customer Experience or personalization. But this also spotlights the renewed attention on customer data management, empathy and what customers expect from marketers in exchange for their data. Sean Brady, President of Emarsys Americas lets us in on the secret sauce of winning CX in the Customer Economy and rasises some interesting – and relevant – questions about data ownership and ethics.

Chitra: You work with a lot of marketing leaders – how have you seen CMOs’ understanding of and response to the idea of Personalized CX evolve over the last several years?

Sean: CMOs are under more pressure than ever to provide the best possible experience to existing customers. To deliver on this promise of true 1:1 personalization and provide their customers with exactly what they are looking for, marketing leaders have become more highly attuned to the nature of how people interact and buy from brands. However, it’s clear that the industry still has some way to go before it can claim to have solved the issue of personalization. Marketers must first put themselves in the shoes of their customers and ask themselves whether their communication tactics are really meeting consumer expectations, to get closer to reducing the gap between aspirations and reality. Ultimately, the secret sauce is in how customer data is being handled. Given that we have moved beyond the human capacity to scale personalization, marketers are turning to automation techniques in order to overcome this challenge because they know that getting it wrong will alienate customers and irreparably damage the brand.

Chitra: In a related question, what’s your personal view on the way ‘the typical buyer’s journey’ is changing? Or is it just the way marketers look at it that’s changing?

Sean: The ‘typical buyer’s journey’ is greatly changing due to consumer access to an increased amount of available technology; customers can now dictate when, how and why they interact or buy from brands. This power shift from companies to customers underlies the new customer economy. Omnichannel marketing is providing a new wave of consumers who seek personalized experiences at every phase, namely the browsing phase where marketing strategies look to turn browsing customers into buyers; the cart phase where the customer is showing intent and needs a nudge over the finish line – a critical time in the purchase journey that sees roughly 76 percent of shopping carts abandoned; and finally the purchase phase which essentially marks the start of a new journey for the marketer – that of converting a first time buyer into a returning customer.

Chitra: How would you define the core and crucial components of Customer Experience? What pillars does it stand on?

Sean: Marketers must provide consistently great experiences for long-term loyalty. Three key reminders:

The consumer will always come first: The future of marketing starts with empathy. Every single interaction needs to deliver value to cusomers, not just be approached as a sales opportunity.

1-to-1 personalized interactions will be standard: But this is challenging as consumer touchpoints increase. Collecting, aggregating and turning this data into meaningful personalized interactions is a challenge.

Marketing ethics will be high on the agenda: From data privacy to the use of AI, the marketer/consumer relationship is at a pivotal point and needs total transparency.  

Chitra: Assuming customer data is one of those core components, what are the specific ways you have seen the nature of ‘customer data management’ shift in the recent past? For example, one of the trends I see is the shift in focus from third party to first party data. What else?

Sean: In addition to this shift away from third-party data, the nature of ‘customer data management’ will center on a greater overall sense of responsibility in the marketplace.

Two things explain this: the first has to do with public reaction to data governance. The 2017 State of Consumer Trust and Privacy Study shows that 68 percent of people don’t trust brands to handle their personal information. This type of public opinion will not fix itself. The second relates to the industry’s response. The recent TrustArc GDPR Compliance study shows that there is a push from inside the industry towards responsible marketing because trust matters. Furthermore, the report indicates that data compliance by businesses is motivated by value, customer and partner expectations then it is over the fear of fines. Bottom line is that data reform is about building trust.

Chitra: When it comes to B2C marketing, the complexities with data in an omni-channel environment are exponentially more. How can AI change the game when it comes to optimizing these multi-touchpoint B2C relationships?

Sean: By using AI solutions that can take over most of the tedious and time-consuming tasks that marketers struggle to deal with, marketers can better focus on optimizing their B2C relationships.

But the industry needs to help raise the entry point for users so that the implementation and adoption of marketing tech stacks is quicker. For example, Emarsys has done this through the introduction of verticalized platforms that automatically surface knowledge using benchmark best practices, saving marketers the chore of dragging and dropping data into cells for uncertain outcomes. This will enable brands to graduate faster from foundational marketing tools to more advanced ones, such as AI and machine learning. The Global Consumer Insights Survey 2018 reported that 10 percent of consumers around the world own an AI device such as a robot or an automated personal assistant, and one in three (32 percent) say they plan to buy an AI device. This represents a large opportunity for brands to use artificial intelligence marketing solutions to bridge the gap between data science and execution.

Chitra: What typical missteps or errors in judgement do you observe marketers making when it comes to building a sustainable marketing technology stack to execute their personalization strategies?

Sean: The influx of consumer data over the past two decades has pushed marketers to become more data-driven in their strategies and tactics. Over time, ‘more data’ has turned into ‘too much data,’ and marketers turned to technology to help assemble the perfect tech stack for their organizations to get ahead of the competition.

Some marketers wear a complex, towering tech stack as a badge of honor – but it’s really nothing to be proud of. First, the costs of all those niche tools and point solutions add up and often means marketers lose or are forced to lose sense of some of the more human elements of the job role – the strategy, the content, and the creative elements – and instead focus on the machines: the tools, platforms, software and widgets. So, instead of being marketers, many have had to become technology integration managers or data facilitators first.

In addition, in this era of data breaches and hacks, many marketing leaders don’t often consider the risk these technology stacks introduce to their business. As new technology is brought in by the marketing team, it’s not always vetted by IT. Nor are the methods used to integrate it or the various data management systems and processes behind it all. This is Shadow IT, and it breeds vulnerability and risk for the organization.

Chitra: What trends are you personally tracking as we head into the next decade? What is exciting for you in marketing right now?

Sean: With customers now controlling their own relationships with brands, one of the driving themes in the next decade will be around who will now own the large amounts of data being produced. Consumers will soon demand control of their information. This is where blockchain will come into play. Blockchains provide both data security through encryption and a way for individual customers to control their personal data.

In addition, over the next decade we will see data become further democratized, resulting in the rise of companies that broker data to brands so that they can teach their AI machines how to analyze this information and act on the insights. As consumer demand for greater control over their data increase further, companies will no longer be the only ones determining what happens with that information, opening the door to revolutionary developments in marketing and data analysis technology.

Lastly, in the next five to 10 years, marketers will witness the large-scale impact that Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will have on e-commerce. AR will greatly enhance and personalize the online shopping experience for consumers.

More about  Sean Brady, President of Emarsys Americas

As President of the Americas, Sean Brady works to deliver the most innovative marketing technologies driving business results for organizations. In this position, he drives sales of Emarsys’ B2C marketing cloud across the U.S., Canada and Latin America. His U.S.-based team enables commerce-based businesses to grow their revenues by delivering multichannel data, real-time analytics and predictive marketing technologies to maximize customer value.

This article was first appeared on MarTech Advisor

[doctorwhonews]

Torchwood One: Machines (Big Finish)

Latest Review: Writers: Matt Fitton, Gareth David-Lloyd, Tim Foley Director: Barnaby Edwards Featuring: Tracy-Ann Oberman, Gareth David-Lloyd, Jane Asher, Adjoa Andoh, Daniel Anthony, Paterson Joseph, Nicholas Pegg Big Finish Release (United Kingdom) Running Time: 3 hours Released by Big Finish Productions - July 2018 Order from Amazon UK From 3D printers to 4D cinemas, from smartphones to smart houses, from HDMI to AI, the march of technological progress hastens by the day, presenting us inferior mortal beings with quite the existential dilemma all the while – give it another ten years and the human workforce might just find itself rendered obsolete. Admittedly long-running fans of Doctor Who’s longest-running spin-off, Torchwood, might justifiably expect the eponymous covert agency to remain steadfastly unfazed by such developments; surely after tackling extraterrestrial deities, zealous religious cults with aspirations to intergalactic stardom and even the odd “Cyberwoman” (good times!), humanity’s increasingly intertwined flirtation with artificial ‘life-forms’ would scarcely offer cause for concern? Well, they’re not entirely wrong – Big Finish’s latest foray into the organization’s past confirms that its London-based branch had no qualms about embracing this new era of mechanical innovation. Yet as just about any Gothic writer from Mary Shelly to Charlie Brooker will attest, that leap of faith can – and indeed does – soon prove deadly if the individuals responsible fail to understand its implications before leaving the ground. Indeed, as evidenced by the two century-spanning gap between Frankenstein’s publication and Black Mirror’s launch, there’s been no shortage of literary or screen contemplations on the man-machine dynamic over the years, so ever since its inception, Torchwood One: Machines faces such a considerable uphill battle to distinguish itself from the pack. While the Thirteenth Doctor sprints brazenly into the technological future with her Sheffield steel-clad sonic screwdriver in hand, then, let’s see whether Yvonne Hartman and company’s Earth-bound exploits warrant as much global attention as Season Eleven has received to date, or whether this ever-compelling Torchwood saga will soon join cassette players and dial-up internet connections as yet another relic of the past… “The Law Machines”: “Yvonne Hartman is dead? But she was required.” “Oh yes, by so many…” Had you asked Torchwood devotees which classic or modern Who antagonists they’d love to see the agency – in any of its endless guises – battle upon the show’s 2015 revival at Big Finish, chances are that WOTAN wouldn’t have come anywhere near the top of the list compared to Sontarans, the Master or proper Cybermen.  That said, Doctor Who’s HAL-9000 precursor proves an ideal narrative fit for Machines’ first instalment, the formless AI entity’s defeat in 1966’s “The War Machines” leaving its hardware susceptible to Hartman’s goals as she introduces a wave of seemingly hacking-immune robo-cops onto the streets at the Mayor of London’s cost-driven request. How could anything possibly go amiss? Laden with explosive setpieces across England’s capital and more quips about London life than commuters could imagine (look out for Hartman’s especially seething one-liner on the hindrance that empty Oyster cards pose in a hurry), “Law Machines” barely lets up for a second, introducing new players by the half dozen only to off plenty of them with scarce remorse over the course of its running time. Unfortunately, taking such a whirlwind structural approach does arguably limit scribe Matt Fitton’s capacity for intricate character arcs somewhat; Daniel Anthony’s intriguing tech whiz-turned-WOTAN disciple Julian, for instance, only receives scarce airtime to convey his basic plot purpose, despite the Sarah Jane Adventures star’s admirable efforts to imbue him with simultaneously endearing innocence and underlying sinister malice along the way, while the deliciously corrupt Mayor barely gets time to register either. What “Law” perhaps lacks in sophisticated characterisation, though, the opener more than compensates for with a sense of scale often absent from the franchise’s TV or audio outings. Whereas we only caught glimpses of how Miracle Day’s titular phenomenon affected the planet Earth at large via brief fictional news footage, Hartman, Ianto Jones and their comrades bear direct witness to WOTAN’s heartless rampage across London, the carnage unleashed by their hubris brought home as the sound design team depict shootouts, resultant demises and other terrors with brutal realism – no wonder Fitton peppers in the aforementioned moments of satirical wit to keep his script from feeling too morose. Nevertheless, his efforts (alongside everyone else working behind-the-scenes) to showcase the franchise’s grimmer tone certainly pay off in full force, hopefully encouraging more writers to follow his lead with mature contributions of their own going forward. “Blind Summit”: “Ianto Jones, my name is Yvonne Hartman – and I work for an organisation called Torchwood.” If there’s one area wherein Big Finish truly excel, it’s filling those niggling continuity gaps which Doctor Who and its various spin-offs never found time to properly address on-screen: just ask the Time War’s participants, the Committee, the Valeyard, Coal Hill Academy’s alumni network or Paul McGann for ample evidence. Sometimes these middle man storylines focus on long-awaited plot threads like those above, other times – as in the case of “Blind Summit” – the writer involved crafts connective tissue that catches us off guard, further enriching underappreciated constructs even when it appeared as if their journey had already played out in its entirety. This time around it’s the turn of Ianto Jones to plummet through the ringer yet again in a tale which (barring one or two modern interludes) occurs long before the days of WOTAN’s resurgence, instead chronicling his first meetings with Yvonne Hartman and the morally overwhelming transformation that these soon triggered. As if to answer the cries of anyone like yours truly for meatier character drama after “Law Machines”, Gareth David-Lloyd – back on dual writing / performing duties after his stellar debut with The Last Beacon in April – delves deeper than ever before into Ianto’s psyche with a minimalistic yet extremely powerful script, unfolding hitherto unseen layers in the Torchwood Three agent’s past. Remember the strained father-son dynamic teased in Children of Earth? That’s explored in harrowing fashion, along with his consequential yearning for greater professional fulfilment and reckless willingness to thrust himself into unknown territory so as to achieve this goal, all of which the newfound writer handles with the utmost touching sincerity even as the threat of a deadly drug-testing company escalates over the piece’s second half. Better yet, David-Lloyd’s contributions clearly didn’t diminish in the slightest upon departing his office and entering the recording studio, his sizzling chemistry with Tracy-Ann Oberman proving equally potent whether they’re deciphering each other’s secrets over coffee, on the run from alien onslaughts or coming to terms with the personal demons that will ultimately define their partnership in the years ahead – for better or for worse. We’ll keep our take on Machines spoiler-lite as always to preserve your listening experience, but suffice to say that even the most hardcore Torchwood devotees won’t predict every emotional twist that “Summit” has up its spacious sleeve, not least thanks to David-Lloyd’s stirring performance as a far more vulnerable incarnation of his yet-to-be world-wearied butler. Never mind the 21st century as a whole – when it comes to re-visiting past Ianto-focused stories, “Summit” might well represent the moment where “everything changes” for your perspective. “9 to 5”: “See you in the morning!” “Sure, 9am – like clockwork…” Whilst robotics and pharmaceuticals mark some of the more tangible technical developments for society in recent years, there’s another aspect of mechanical ‘progress’ which has increasingly come to dominate the headlines of late – that of the corporate machine and its oft-exploited human cogs. One only need gaze at recent reports surrounding video gaming behemoth Rockstar North’s supposed enforcement of 100 hour weekly work cycles in order to wonder whether the situation’s getting out of hand in some circles, with the banking / legal sectors particularly notorious in this regard too, hence why the matter’s rife for contemplation in Machines’ aptly-titled final instalment, “9 to 5”. Returning us to the ‘present day’ (as much as is possible for a miniseries set years before the events of Torchwood Seasons One-Six), Tim Foley’s pertinent denouement depicts Hartman and Jones’ not-so-coincidental run-in with a temp-reliant firm that takes the term “worker drones” to rather horrific new levels. At first glance, those of us who’ve been around the block several times with the sci-fi genre might fret that we’ve seen it all before: secret agents recruit insider employee to unravel a mystery, employee gets in over her head then office-wide chaos ensues. But Niky Wardley’s dramatically charged performance as the manipulated employee in question, Stacey, easily keeps the format fresh enough to avoid fatigue, her relatable curiosity begetting her initial naivety such that we’re just as fascinated as her to discover the truth behind his latest temp employer’s true machinations (in every sense of the word), even in spite of the growing tension surrounding her fate as a result. That’s not to say “9 to 5” instantly courts consideration for the Big Finish Hall of Fame, however – as well as mostly conforming to the familiar story beats discussed above, Foley (perhaps at the studio’s behest) seems all too keen to tie together Machines’ various disparate plot strands as rapidly as possible come the third act, when in reality we’d have preferred a standalone affair which took its time in bringing events to a conclusion. Luckily the way in which he wraps up proceedings does still successfully deliver an inevitable yet undeniably impactful gut-punch that’s sure to stay with listeners long after the credits, but with Foley set to pen half of the War Master’s third boxset next year as well as further scripts for Torchwood: God Among Us, there’s still plenty of room for this promising writer to develop his skills ever further in the next 12 months. The Verdict: As ever, exactly whether Machines lies up your alley will depend on the extent to which you’re intrigued by the notion of exploring non-Cardiff Torchwood branches, particularly given the riskier investment of £20-25 rather than the £8-10 required for standalone monthly releases. Persevere through the mindless – albeit breathless entertaining – action of the London department’s clash with WOTAN, however, and listeners will reach two undoubtedly thought-provoking Gothic thrillers which intelligently investigate humanity’s obsession with technology to both hilarious and moving effect, echoing shows like Black Mirror but with Yvonne’s self-assured complacency adding a snarky, bitter-tongued edge in trademark Torchwood style. Sure, this latest boxset probably won’t garner awards come year’s end as this reviewer hopes Aliens Among Us Part 3 or Believe will, yet not every release needs to; with such remarkable consistency throughout the range’s 2018 output, what matters most is that there’s never been a better time for newcomers to hop aboard the show’s bandwagon. Next Time on Torchwood – In the absence of any further news on her prequel outings’ longevity, Yvonne ‘returns’ via her Pete’s World counterpart this month for God Among Us Part 1, wherein she’ll need to promptly dust herself down after almost being crushed in Season Five if Torchwood Three is to stand any chance of overcoming the titular immortal being presently besieging Cardiff. Look out for our verdict on Part 1 in the coming days, as well as our ongoing coverage of Torchwood in all of its forms as the monthly range returns (alongside Parts 2-3 and presumably other boxsets) next Spring… http://reviews.doctorwhonews.net/2018/10/torchwood_one_machines_big_finish.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr