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Web3 is expected to solve most of the shortcomings of Web2.

Privacy

Encrypted wallets protect your online identity.

Censorship

A decentralized database stores everything immutably and transparently.

Centralization

You get a real vote on decisions made by the networks you spend time on. More than that, you get a stake that’s worth something.

Most importantly, you are not a product, you are an owner.

According to Sharad Agarwal, Chief Metaverse Officer of Cyber Gear Dubai,  “The vision of Web3 goes beyond the read/write/own web. There is a major power shift happening from the big brands to ‘we the people’. In the near future, you and I will decide what we will shop, wear, eat, etc. Not the big brands. And in many ways, it will reduce wastage considerably and improve sustainability – Good for the Planet.”

A recent study conducted in the US by Momentive, (formerly known as SurveyMonkey), aimed to explore people’s perceptions of Web3.

According to the study, 27% of respondents had heard of Web3, and 8% of respondents claimed to understand it well. The study also found that support for Web3 was evenly split, with 43% of respondents expressing support for the technology, and 42% expressing skepticism.

When it comes to age groups, the study found that younger people were more likely to support Web3, with 49% of respondents aged 18-24 expressing support, compared to only 36% of respondents aged 55 and over.

The study found that familiarity with Web3 varied greatly depending on the respondents’ level of education. For instance, 44% of respondents with postgraduate degrees had heard of Web3, compared to only 21% of respondents with a high school education or less.

This Web3 guide prepared by Cyber Gear is periodically updated and will hopefully help more people understand all the important terms associated with Web3.

Free download is available at www.cyber-gear.io

The webinar will be held on 25 April 2023 at 9 am ET, 2 pm UK and 5 pm UAE.

According to Sharad Agarwal, Founder of ONLYwebinars.com, “These days all conversations are centred around Artificial Intelligence and its potential to transform how we interact with data and do business online. The convergence of AI and blockchain technology is opening up new possibilities. Experts predict AI will play a fundamental role in the evolution of AI-based Web3 technologies.”

Panelists

Dr. Christina Yan Zhang

Joti Balani

Lena Grundhoefer

Dr. Jacques Ludik

Francesca Tabor

Host

Sharad Agarwal

Link to register for this free-to-attend webinar is at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-G4GAn11SrKaGhWWNhTsgA

About ONLY webinars

ONLYwebinars.com was launched by Cyber Gear in 2020 to assist organisations to design, host, and promote webinars online.

Webinars have become the best way to reach and engage an audience. Over 60% of B2B Marketers are already using webinars as part of a lead nurture campaign. More than 75% of digital marketers believe that webinars are the most effective or among the top content marketing strategies available.

Webinars are ideal for boosting brand awareness and legitimacy, turning prospects into customers, and increasing revenue. Most businesses have turned to online platforms to communicate effectively with their stakeholders. All touchpoints of communication are becoming contact less and webinars offer a great way to promote products and services online.

Contact Information:

Sharad Agarwal

Founder, ONLYwebinars.com

Tel: +971506449103

sharad@cyber-gear.com

https://www.ONLYwebinars.com

The webinar will be held on 28 March 2023 at 8 am ET, 1 pm UK and 5 pm UAE.

According to Sharad Agarwal, Founder of ONLYwebinars.com, “We all love to attend Web3, Metaverse, and NFT events. Have you ever wondered what it takes to design, create and host these events?Join us as we talk to some industry luminaries who will share their trials and tribulations in organising these large-scale events that we all want to attend.”

Panelists

Edmund Howard

Melanie Mohr

Zoran Tadic

Caroline Johnova

Luke Reed

Link to register for this free-to-attend webinar is at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lEPsTj0kT8OgUPb5uXfrGw

About ONLY webinars

ONLYwebinars.com was launched by Cyber Gear in 2020 to assist organisations to design, host, and promote webinars online.

Webinars have become the best way to reach and engage an audience. Over 60% of B2B Marketers are already using webinars as part of a lead nurture campaign. More than 75% of digital marketers believe that webinars are the most effective or among the top content marketing strategies available.

Webinars are ideal for boosting brand awareness and legitimacy, turning prospects into customers, and increasing revenue. Most businesses have turned to online platforms to communicate effectively with their stakeholders. All touchpoints of communication are becoming contactless and webinars offer a great way to promote products and services online.

Contact Information:

Sharad Agarwal

Founder, ONLYwebinars.com

Tel: +971506449103

sharad@cyber-gear.com

https://www.ONLYwebinars.com

ONLYwebinars.com hosted a webinar on 23 February 2023, entitled – Web3 Investment Trends. There were 5 panelists, Sophia Shluger, Chana Kanzen, Roberto Croci, Hassan Awada and Charlie Regis. The sixth panelist was an avatar of Jamie Brett powered by ChatGPT!

According to Sharad Agarwal, the Chief Metaverse Officer of Cyber Gear and Founder of Onlywebinars.com, “We created history last evening. This is the first time that an avatar powered by ChatGPT participated in a live Web3 webinar. AI and Web3 combined are an explosive combo. People can now create their digital twins that look like them, talk like them, yet they are not in the room!

ChatGPT is currently powered by some 175 billion data parameters and the next version is likely to be powered by over 100 trillion parameters. The future is exciting and at the same time somewhat scary!”

This experience was jointly created by MetaHub and Cyber Gear. Jamie Brett, Founder of MetaHub was excited about the prospects of AI tech in improving the quality of our lives. He stated, “We’re always trying to push the phygital boundaries. Stay tuned for more to follow.”

The on-demand webinar can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e1uo04C0Zk

The Podcast can be heard on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/episode/11cOvJDY4GPPp2VyUm19VT

Gulfood is the largest F&B sourcing event in the world. Over 5,000 companies from more than 125 countries, a line-up of industry thought leaders, and the world’s greatest chefs chart the way forward and inspire industry-wide transformation for the good of the entire ecosystem.

Sharad Agarwal, Chief Metaverse Officer of Cyber Gear, will be delivering a presentation on 23 February at 2.10 pm at Al Multaqua Hall in Dubai World Trade Centre as part of the Gulfood Inspire program.

The presentation topic is ‘Web 3.0 & Metaverse opportunities and initiatives for F&B businesses.’

According to Sharad Agarwal, “In the metaverse, customers can step into a virtual restaurant to browse menus, meet friends, and even order real food that will then be delivered to their door.I will be talking about:

• What are Web 3 and Metaverse anyway?
• YOUR BRAND needs to pay attention, or risk losing customers
• Examples of Metaverse in use for loyalty programs, brand building, and product testing.
• Metaverse of Senses

Visitors to the show can see how Starbucks, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Panera Bread, Pizza Hut, Flyfish, Budweiser, and Coca-Cola are using Web3 to promote their businesses globally.”

The growing use of virtual Visa corporate credit cards across the MENA region has been accelerating as companies adapt to the rising digital economy. Based on newly released data by Tribal Credit, a company that provides comprehensive digital financial solutions for companies at all stages of development, new virtual cards have increased by 126% between Q3 2021 and Q3 2022.

According to Tribal, a 360° financial digital solution for companies at different stages of growth, the use of virtual corporate credit cards increased by 91% in Egypt between Q2 and Q3 2022, 117.5% in Saudi Arabia, and 42.9% in the UAE.

Businesses in the Middle East are relying increasingly heavily on digital payments. According to the consultancy McKinsey, digital payments have been steadily increasing in MENA since 2014, and use was accelerated by the pandemic, with a survey suggesting that cumulative growth in digital transactions has exceeded 50% since 2020.

For example, according to McKinsey, Saudi Arabia saw a 70% growth in card payments between February 2019 and 2020, while consumer digital payments grew by more than 9% annually in UAE between 2014 and 2019.

Despite the rapid shift to digital payments, traditional banks have been slow to adopt them. However, payment fintech, such as Tribal, have emerged to provide services optimized for today’s business environment.

The number of digital payment solutions has increased significantly as companies shift to a digital economy. The issuance of new virtual cards by Tribal in Saudi Arabia increased by 157.4% from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022, reflecting the trend. In addition, it rose by 64.6% in the UAE and 263% in Egypt.

Tribal’s Visa Virtual Corporate Card product is among the latest generation of solutions geared towards digital payments. Security, centralization of expenses, control over payment permissions and users, and ease of handling are central to the product’s appeal.

Like physical cards, virtual cards include the user’s name, number, expiration date, and security code, but they do not require physical cards. With a virtual wallet, users can use their cell phone or digital watch to make purchases online or physically. As a result of this digital product, companies can now manage and monitor payments more effectively.

Virtual cards provide users with enhanced flexibility in the digital payments space. The single-use virtual card was designed so that companies can pay for an expense that does not repeat over time – for example, purchasing a plane ticket – and that, after being used, can be eliminated. With the recurring use card, it is possible to transfer funds monthly to pay recurring expenses.

“Whether single-use or recurring, virtual cards are secure and efficient solutions for digital transactions because they offer data encryption and, being digital, there is no risk of loss, making it difficult for companies to fall victim to cloning and identity theft for this reason. In addition, they allow companies to decentralize purchasing operations, making payment processes more efficient and increasing capability across the company. And finally, in the event of cloning or improper use, they can be deactivated in real time and reactivated if required”, commented Amira Fadel, regional manager for MENA at Tribal.

Online spending with Tribal was greatest for online advertising, freight and logistics, and technology and computer infrastructure – further highlighting how Virtual Cards are a valuable tool for companies at different stages of growth seeking to operate more quickly in the digitally enabled economy.

Virtual private networks are for many people a vital part of staying safe when surfing the net. Firewalls, VPNs, password managers, and malware protection, are only a few of the security measures that are commonly used today for online security.

VPNs themselves are highly popular, with around 142 million people using them in the US alone. Around 30% of internet users say they use a VPN daily for their browsing and online activity.

The global VPN market was worth $30 billion in 2020, and remote working and lockdowns helped to increase VPN usage by 27.1% that year alone. The VPN industry is now predicted to be worth in the region of $120 billion by 2027.

But, are they all good enough for their purpose, or should you be looking at other options?

How effective are VPNs at what they are designed for?

VPNs are used on computers and mobile devices for increased anonymity, and extra security. They offer some peace of mind when signing into banking online, or making any other financial transaction.

Typically, users of VPNs may conduct the following activities online:

• Banking
• Gaming
• Streaming
• Ecommerce
• Paying bills
• General browsing

One of the essential features of an ecommerce site is security, and a VPN adds an extra layer of this when a consumer makes a digital purchase. VPNs can also be used for fun activities such as streaming foreign content or playing games on alternative servers.

How effective a VPN is for these activities is largely down to the developer behind them. There are numerous free VPNs, and some very well-respected paid-for versions too.

The downside to many VPNs is the speed that they run at. Encryption slows down the transfer of data, and to gamers for one, this is not acceptable.

Is there a better option for anonymity and speed?

Another alternative to VPNs is to use a proxy. These are often used by businesses that are involved in scraping websites for data, as users can hide behind genuine IP addresses instead of one provided by the VPN. Many websites can recognize the IPs used by VPNs.

The benefits of a proxy are that they are faster than VPNs and less detectable depending on the type used. However, a proxy service may log all the activity of their users, whereas most VPNs have a no-log policy.

Another option is to stick with a VPN for protection, but use a faster one. A VPN with WireGuard protocol may be the answer as it promises increased speeds, but with security too.

What is WireGuard protocol?

When browsing the technical specs of any VPN you will see a protocol listed. The common protocols that you should see in any VPN details will be these below:

• WireGuard
• IKEv2/IPsec
• OpenVPN
• L2TP/IPsec
• SoftEther
• SSTP
• PPTP

The last two should be avoided, and any VPN that advertises these protocols should be shunned due to some serious security weaknesses. PPTP security flaws were discovered by security guru Bruce Schneier. Open VPN is often cited as being the standard that all protocols should match for security, but WireGuard is now being included in many popular VPNs.

The reason for this is that it promises to replicate the speed provided by some of the earlier VPNs. These apps were less secure than today, but WireGuard’s developers claim this VPN has increased levels of security.

How can you get a faster and more secure VPN?

WireGuard appears to be an option for anyone who requires a faster experience online with a VPN. Developers are always looking at ways to increase the speed of a website, and users also want loading times to be faster. But, security is a concern too, and this can end with something of a trade-off.

Free VPNs tend to be slow, and there is the possibility that security could be less than that of a paid-for app. Some free VPNs may also record your browsing history which takes away the anonymity you may be seeking.

To get a fast, secure VPN you will likely have to take out a subscription. This will ensure that you have one of the best protocols in place, a no-log policy, and high-speed servers in place to send and receive data.

The best way to find the right VPN for you is to use comparisons on the net, read reviews, and search for the best VPNs that offer free trials. Many even allow up to 30 days free for testing.

 

Summary

VPNs should be an integral part of every home computer user’s security setup. While they can occasionally cause conflict with certain websites, their advantages far outweigh any issues that may sometimes occur.

A good VPN will balance speed and security for an enjoyable online experience, and with the best encryption protocols in place, you can have peace of mind that your sensitive information is safe, and your activity is not being monitored by anyone.

Building a website is now easier than ever thanks to nifty online website builder sites. Find out which of these are some of the best to use right now.

Website Creation Sites Worth Using

For a long time, the only way to get a website built was to either learn to code it directly or find someone who could. But things have changed in recent years, and it’s now possible to make use of a website creation site or website builder to build a website piece by piece, without any programming knowledge required.

This has dramatically reduced the barrier to entry in terms of who can create and maintain a website, allowing for hundreds of thousands of new websites to get built.

1. Wix

With more than 110 million websites having been built using Wix, it’s currently at the forefront of website creation for the average user. This website builder comes with a vast array of different tools and features that make it easier than ever to put an aesthetically pleasing website together in a short amount of time. It even boasts website creation tools that are powered by an AI, requiring very little effort on behalf of the user. It’s important to choose one of the Wix-specific lanes to maintain consistency throughout the site rather than having it look like it contains a number of different and counter-intuitive elements.

2. Weebly

Another big name on the market is Weebly, and while smaller in Wix in terms of the number of websites that it powers, it remains a solid choice for the average user. It’s as simple and straightforward as one could imagine, with instant access to a range of modern tools that make putting together a website incredibly easy. In fact, many feel that Weebly’s website builder tools are some of the most user-friendly right now, and combined with a multitude of various add-ons, it’s possible to have a great looking website up and running in less than a full day. Weebly is perfect for anyone wanting a person or business-related website as soon as possible.

3. WordPress

Most people have heard of WordPress, which has long been leading the pack for overall customisation. There are two different flavours of the service: the open-source software provided by WordPress.org, and more professional, automated tools provided by WordPress.com. The former is a better for those on a budget, but it does mean getting a bit more in-depth with the various tools that are provided. WordPress.com, on the other hand, is aimed at writers and bloggers, and while it’s somewhat limited compared to other sites, it still offers a great range of different tools that make website creation easier.

4. Shopify

Shopify is focussed specifically on making it easy to create and manage an online e-commerce site, and it can easily be bought after winning big using funds from an online casino welcome bonus or other means. It’s one of the most notoriously difficult things to do from scratch, which is a part of the reason that so many people turn to Shopify instead. It’s perfect for selling goods and services online, and it’s perfect for having an appealing e-commerce platform up and running as quickly as possible, with all the latest security and features one would expect.

Spacee, which provides the best computer vision and AI solutions to help businesses drive new insights, improve efficiency and boost revenue, launched HoverTouch™, the first plug-and-play solution transforming existing in-store surfaces, such as walls, glass or even cars, into interactive customer experiences that also enable clients to collect crucial data.

HoverTouch is designed to help drive in-store traffic and boost sales. Building on the success of Spacee’s previous interactive experience solution, Sense, HoverTouch adds significant new features, including:

• Hover technology – Shoppers do not have to touch the surface to interact with it. They can hover their hand over it to drive contactless interactivity. The customer experience is very similar to what a person might do online with a cursor, hovering over and clicking on items that interest them.
• HoverTouch Connect – A feature that gives retailers, consumer brands and their agencies full control over content, UX and device management while also providing actionable data. It also allows clients and their agencies to design content and deploy it in an HTML5-compliant media player. This means that virtually any content can run in the HoverTouch system, and retailers, brands and agencies are encouraged to reuse existing content. HoverTouch Connect also enables retailers to capture detailed data on customer interactions, on par with data collected during e-commerce interactions.
• Plug-and-Play installation with no manual calibration or tweaking needed

While HoverTouch can project to walls, glass or products, such as a car in a showroom, clients have the option to purchase a dedicated kiosk solution called ‘HoverTouch React’ with a projecting surface.

Audi Dallas, one of the top 10 Audi dealerships in the US by sales volume, was one of the first retailers to utilise Spacee’s HoverTouch. “Shoppers are back in the stores, and we want to give them an incredible experience,” said Tom McCollum, president and CEO at Forbes Todd Automotive Group, which owns and operates Audi Dallas. “We considered a number of options for interactive experiences and found that Spacee’s HoverTouch provided the best customer experience and was also the easiest to get up and running. We also love that there are no touchscreens that we’d constantly have to repair and replace. We are still early in the process but are already seeing double-digit in-store sale increases for the products we’re promoting with HoverTouch.”

Skip Howard, founder and CEO of Spacee, said, “Retailers are desperate for data, and HoverTouch can provide customer experience data on par with what’s collected online. We’re excited to bring this to the market and thrilled that clients already see a measurable impact on in-store sales.”