Russia rebrands Wagner Group, expands spying operations
A rebranded Wagner group is offering 'regime survival packages' to leaders in Africa and Russia's spies are pursuing the destabilisation of European governments hostile to Moscow.
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Explore " gru" with insightful episodes like "Russia rebrands Wagner Group, expands spying operations", "Gru's Family prepares for a heist in first 'Despicable Me 4' trailer", "Battle Without Borders: Cyberwarfare and the Russian (Dis)advantage", "Recurrent Neural Networks: Harnessing Temporal Dependencies" and "Universal Studio's Minion Land" from podcasts like ""RN Breakfast - Separate stories podcast", "Sizzling Samachar of the Day", "The Slavic Connexion", ""The AI Chronicles" Podcast" and "A Dryer Dose of Disney"" and more!
Episodes (17)
Gru's Family prepares for a heist in first 'Despicable Me 4' trailer
The beloved Despicable Me franchise is making a return with Despicable Me 4, set to hit theatres on July 3, 2024. The newly released trailer showcases the familiar characters, including Gru voiced by Steve Carell, Lucy Wilde voiced by Kristen Wiig, and the mischievous Minions. In this instalment, Gru faces the challenge of balancing his anti-villain activities while navigating family dynamics, introducing his estranged twin brother and mother into the mix. The storyline promises a blend of humor, action, and family themes, with the Minions adding their trademark chaos to the adventure. Directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage, Despicable Me 4 aims to continue the franchise's success, with animation director Renaud returning after a decade. The film's screenplay, crafted by Mike White, suggests a potential infusion of unique humour into the beloved series.
Battle Without Borders: Cyberwarfare and the Russian (Dis)advantage
On this episode, cyber expert Gavin Wilde joined us to talk all things cyberwarfare. He defined the term and its distinction from information warfare; shared the reasons why he believes studying Russia is important for this complex, actively developing, and hard-to-measure battlefront; and touched on the differences between the US and Russian military cyber and information operations and structures. Follow Gavin on Twitter/X @gavinbwilde. Thanks for listening!
PRODUCER'S NOTE: This episode was recorded on December 2, 2023 during the ASEEES Convention at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.
Join us in Austin, TX for the 2024 #Connexions Conference, March 18-20, 2024, where we will be focusing on information warfare, cybersecurity, and extremism online. For more information visit https://connexions.ai.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Gavin Wilde is a senior fellow in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he applies his expertise on Russia and information warfare to examine the strategic challenges posed by cyber and influence operations, propaganda, and emerging technologies.
Prior to joining Carnegie, Wilde served on the National Security Council as director for Russia, Baltic, and Caucasus affairs. In addition to managing country-specific portfolios, he focused on formulating and coordinating foreign malign influence, election security, and cyber policies.
Wilde also served in senior analyst and leadership roles at the National Security Agency for over a decade, after several years as a linguist for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The insights he generated for counterintelligence, policymaking, and warfighting consumers included co-authorship of the Intelligence Community assessment of Russian activities targeting the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Wilde is a nonresident fellow at Defense Priorities and an adjunct professor at the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He previously assessed geopolitical risk for multinational corporations as a managing consultant at Krebs Stamos Group, a cybersecurity advisory. His commentary has been featured in War on the Rocks, Lawfare, Just Security, Barron’s, New Lines Magazine, and elsewhere.
Wilde holds a BA in Russian Studies from the University of Utah and graduated with distinction from the National War College with an MS in National Security Strategy.
If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on the show, please email slavxradio@utexas.edu and we will be in touch!
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Host/Assistant Producer: Taylor Helmcamp (@mashamashenka )
Host/Assistant EP: Misha Simanovskyy (@MSimanovskyy)
Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig (@cullanwithana)
Associate Producer: Sergio Glajar
Production Assistant: Faith VanVleet
Production Assistant: Eliza Fisher
Supervising Producer: Nicholas Pierce
SlavX Editorial Director: Sam Parrish
Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Alex Productions, Broke for Free, Joey Hendrixx, Cruxorium)
Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (@MSDaniel) www.msdaniel.com
DISCLAIMER: Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.
https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/9/9a59b135-7876-4254-b600-3839b3aa3ab1/P1EKcswq.png Special Guest: Gavin Wilde.
Recurrent Neural Networks: Harnessing Temporal Dependencies
Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) stand as a pivotal advancement in the realm of deep learning, particularly when it comes to tasks involving sequential data. These networks are uniquely designed to maintain a form of memory, allowing them to capture information from previous steps in a sequence, and utilize this context to make more informed predictions or decisions. This capability makes RNNs highly suitable for time series prediction, natural language processing, speech recognition, and any domain where data is inherently sequential.
The Core Mechanism of RNNs
At the heart of an RNN is its ability to maintain a hidden state that gets updated at each step of a sequence. This hidden state acts as a dynamic memory, capturing relevant information from previous steps. However, traditional RNNs are not without their challenges. They struggle with long-term dependencies due to issues like vanishing gradients and exploding gradients during training.
LSTM: Long Short-Term Memory Networks
To address the limitations of basic RNNs, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks were introduced. LSTMs come with a more complex internal structure, including memory cells and gates (input, forget, and output gates). These components work together to regulate the flow of information, deciding what to store, what to discard, and what to output. This design allows LSTMs to effectively capture long-term dependencies and mitigate the vanishing gradient problem, making them a popular choice for tasks like machine translation, speech synthesis, and text generation.
GRU: Gated Recurrent Units
Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) are another variant of RNNs designed to capture dependencies for sequences of varied lengths. GRUs simplify the LSTM architecture while retaining its ability to handle long-term dependencies. They merge the cell state and hidden state and use two gates (reset and update gates) to control the flow of information. GRUs offer a more computationally efficient alternative to LSTMs, often performing comparably, especially when the complexity of the task or the length of the sequences does not demand the additional parameters of LSTMs.
Challenges and Considerations
While RNNs, LSTMs, and GRUs have shown remarkable success in various domains, they are not without challenges. Training can be computationally intensive, and these networks can be prone to overfitting, especially on smaller datasets.
Conclusion
Recurrent Neural Networks and their advanced variants, LSTMs and GRUs, have revolutionized the handling of sequential data in machine learning. By maintaining a form of memory and capturing information from previous steps in a sequence, they provide a robust framework for tasks where context and order matter. Despite their computational demands and potential challenges, their ability to model temporal dependencies makes them an invaluable tool in the machine learning practitioner's arsenal.
Kind regards Schneppat AI & GPT 5
"The AI Chronicles" Podcast
en-usNovember 01, 2023
Universal Studio's Minion Land
In this week's episode, Jared reviews Universal's newest land and tells us about the rides and what to expect.
Support the showA Dryer Dose of Disney has the top Disney and Universal tips and tricks and will make your vacation more enjoyable. Hosted by Jared Dryer, the Dryer family has over 100 trips to the Disney and Universal parks and they are experts in how to avoid the crowds, and the best paces to eat! They love to say "I Can Do This All Day" when talking about their love of the Disney and Universal Parks!
To Support “A Dryer Dose of Disney”, visit us at Patreon
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To bring the Disney or Universal Vacation Home with you, try the Magic Cand...
In Moscow's Shadows 106: The Spooky Side of Prigozhin's Mutiny
A shorter episode, because there is still so much about the causes, course and consequences of Prigozhin's mutiny that we still don't know. Instead, I focus in on the spook side: what were the FSB, FSO and GRU doing? To a large degree, the answer is> failing. Will they be taken to account? I doubt it, and this underlines the way that 'late Putinism' is characterised by its refusal or inability to reform.
The previous episode I mentioned looking at Russia's complex mercenary ecosystem is In Moscow's Shadows 98: Dogs of War (and Racoons).
The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.
You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right here.
Growth
Spring is upon us, which means a whoooole bunch of junk is going to start growing, such as flowers, grass, and little baby animals. So this week, Tangents is hacking into that growth mindset being displayed by mother nature to talk all about the science of stuff getting bigger!
SciShow Tangents is on YouTube! Go to www.youtube.com/scishowtangents to check out this episode with the added bonus of seeing our faces!
Head to www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!
And go to https://store.dftba.com/collections/scishow-tangents to buy your very own, genuine SciShow Tangents sticker!
A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Garth Riley, Mike A, and Tom Mosner for helping to make the show possible!
Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions!
While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @im_sam_schultz Hank: @hankgreen
Sources:
[Trivia Question]
Nishinoshima meters of growth spurt in 2020
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146935/nishinoshima-belches-ash-and-lava
[Fact Off]
Jackalope myth from Shope papilloma virus
https://gizmodo.com/rabbits-with-horns-meet-the-human-papillomavirus-5795996
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Viral_diseases/Pap/Papilloma.htm
Electroculture: lightning strikes helping shiitake mushrooms grow
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6463/ab7627
https://phys.org/news/2010-04-lightning-mushrooms.html
https://physicsworld.com/a/artificial-lightning-strikes-encourage-growth-of-shiitake-mushrooms/
https://www.ishs.org/ishs-article/29_34
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2255657
[Ask the Science Couch]
Measures of growth in kids (bone age or bone plate closure, sugar preference)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.580314/full
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4397276/
https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/skeletal/growth.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2011/09/26/140753048/kids-sugar-cravings-might-be-biological
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2764307/pdf/nihms100732.pdf
[Butt One More Thing]
Bat guano pile growth over 4,300 years
https://news.agu.org/press-release/poop-core-records-4300-years-of-bat-diet-and-environment/
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020JG006026
O čem se mlčí - Miroslav Kříženecký
Stanislav Novotný se ptá Miroslava Kříženeckého na rozvědčíka Varšavské smlouvy Petra Pavla, agilního komunistu a agenta Pávka, protekčního synka obdivujícího Sovětský svaz, Jidáše, který falšuje svou osobní historii a s tímto neomluvitelným morálním pokřivením drze kandiduje na prezidenta
Movies, Pineapples and Money!
Maurice and Michael talk pineapples, movies and high prices in their quirky, conversation bumping heads at times.
Support the showThe Host That You Are
Julia and Miranda go through their coveted list of celebrities and decide who's fit to host an award show. Celebrities include Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Gru (Minions), Luca (Luca), Oscar Isaac and more. You're welcome!! Ep. Recorded on Apr. 12, 2022.
*EDIT: Julia finds it important to note that Giulia would love Phoebe Waller Bridge.
Episodi 72 - Digipesu
HelSec-tapahtuma marraskuussa
https://www.meetup.com/HelSec/events/281879992/
PWN2OWN-kilpailu ja F-Secure Labsin onnistuminen
https://twitter.com/thezdi/status/1456283862821220356?s=20
Pidempi video PWN2OWN-tapahtumasta
https://youtu.be/esYi4sYOxEk?t=4271s
Printer Jam
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x69j99c
Blackmatter lopettaa
DarkSiden nappaamiseen johtavista vinkeistä luvattu $10M palkkio
NSO Group laitettu USA:n mustalle listalle
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/03/nso-group-pegasus-spyware-us-blacklist
Ukrainan turvallisuuspalvelu julkaissut tietoja Armageddon-ryhmästä
https://therecord.media/ukraine-discloses-identity-of-gamaredon-members-links-it-to-russias-fsb/
Hyökkäjät käyttävät botteja MFA:n ohitukseen
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/09/the-rise-of-one-time-password-interception-bots/
https://www.esecurityplanet.com/threats/attackers-use-bots-to-circumvent-one-time-passwords/
Drone-hyökkäykset ovat riski
https://www.wired.com/story/drone-attack-power-substation-threat/
Facebook sulki kasvojentunnistukseen liittyvän järjestelmänsä
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-03/facebook-to-shut-down-facial-recognition-system/100589540
"Kun jumala sulkee yhden oven, hän avaa toisen"
https://twitter.com/sshell\_/status/1455699088867876864?s=21
Microsoft disabloi oletuksena Excel 4.0 makrot
Microsoft tuo Office-tuotteisiin JavaScript-tuen
https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/2/22759149/microsoft-excel-javascript-api-custom-data-types-feature
Microsoftin AMSI suojaa jatkossa XML-makroja vastaan
Halvar Flaken twiitti Exceleihin liittyen
https://twitter.com/halvarflake/status/1457060302009348104?s=21
On the Russian Psychological Warfare with Michael Weiss
In the latest General Talks podcast, Michael Weiss an internationally respected investigative journalist, discusses a new and groundbreaking Free Russia Foundation publication - Aquarium Leaks: Inside the GRU's Psychological Warfare Program. Listen and join the discussion about Russian psychological operations, disinformation and much more.
In Moscow's Shadows 30: The (Czech) Lion that Roared
A personal and unpolished snap response to the news that the Czech government is expelling 18 Russian diplomat-spies after an investigation linked the GRU's Unit 29155 - and the infamous 'Petrov and Boshirov' of Salisbury novichok fame - with the explosion at an arms depot in 2014 that killed two. And I touch on how this may help Prague adopt more of a leadership role in Central Europe, another of my hobbyhorses...
There are previous articles of mine on the 2020 'ricin case' here and President Zeman's Russophilia here.
You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials right here.
[SECHebdo] 31 Mars 2020
![[SECHebdo] 31 Mars 2020](https://www.podcastworld.io/podcast-images/le-comptoir-secu-podcasts-1uq785dn.webp)
Nous venons de tourner un nouveau SECHebdo en live sur Youtube. Comme d’habitude, si vous avez raté l’enregistrement, vous pouvez le retrouver sur notre chaîne Youtube (vidéo ci-dessus) ou bien au format podcast audio:
Au sommaire de cette émission : Todo (00:01:30) { "options": { "theme": "default" }, "extensions": { "ChapterMarks": { "disabled": false }, "EpisodeInfo": {}, "Playlist": { "disabled": true }, "Transcript": { "disabled": true } }, "
Avsnitt 3: Kuppförsöket i Montenegro 2016
Tony & Magnus beskriver kuppförsöket i Montenegro 2016 och rysk underrättelsetjänsts inblandning i detta med särskild fokus på kontraspionage, säkerhetstjänst och hybridkrigföring.
Länkschema: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJp-MNtXsAYAC0K?format=png&name=small
Källor:
Bajrović, Reuf – Garčevik, Vesko – Kraemer, Richard, 2018. Hanging by a Thread: Russia’s Strategy of Destabilization in Montenegro. Philadelphia:Foreign Policy Research Institute, tillgänglig på https://www.fpri.org/article/2018/07/hanging-by-a-thread-russias-strategy-of-destabilization-in-montenegro
Bechev, Dimitar, 2018. The 2016 Coup Attempt in Montenegro: is Russia’s Balkans Footprint Expanding? Philadelphia: Foreign Policy Research Institute, tillgänglig på https://www.fpri.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BechevFinal2018.pdf
Cafe del Montenegro 2016 = ”Read the transcript of leaked Dikic’s phone call with his associates: If Milo claims victory, arrest him”, Cafe del Montenegro, 19 oktober 2016, https://www.cdm.me/english/read-the-transcript-of-leaked-dikics-phone-call-with-his-associates-if-milo-claims-victory-arrest-him
FBI 2019 = United States of America v. Defendant # 4 a/k/a ”Donald Howard Heathfield,” and Defendant # 5 a/k/a ”Tracey Lee Ann Foley”, United States District Court of Massachusetts. https://vault.fbi.gov/ghost-stories-russian-foreign-intelligence-service-illegals/documents/referrals-part-01-of-01/view
Grozev, Christo, 2017. Balkan Gambit: Part 2. The Montenegro Zugzwang, Bellingcat, tillgänglig påhttps://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2017/03/25/balkan-gambit-part-2-montenegro-zugzwang
Hopkins, Valerie, 2017. ”Indictment tells murky Montenegrin coup tale”, Politico, 23 maj 2017, https://www.politico.eu/article/montenegro-nato-milo-dukanovicmurky-coup-plot
Johnson, Robert, 2018. ”Hybrid War and its Countermeasures: A Critique of the Literature”, Small Wars & Insurgencies 29(1), s 141-163
Katehon 2019a = ”About Us”, Katehon, https://katehon.com/about-us
Katehon 2019b = ”Is White Genocide in our Future?”, Katehon, https://katehon.com/article/white-genocide-our-future
Katehon 2019c = ”London Sees a Huge Rise in Violent Crime”, Katehon, https://katehon.com/article/london-sees-huge-rise-violent-crime
Kommersant.ru 2019 = ”Совбезными усилиями”, Kommersant, https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3127397
Official Journal of the EU = ”COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 826/2014”, Official Journal of the European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/
Parker, Ned – Landay, Jonathan – Walcott, John, 2017. ”Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 US election – documents”, Reuters, 19 april 2017.
Underrättelsepodden
sv-seOctober 01, 2019
Harvey Ward urges 'no' vote on the GRU referendum
Gainesville City Commissioner Harvey Ward urges voters to say “no” on the GRU referendum on their November ballots.
Despicable Me 3 - Movie Review
The Vegas Film Critic reviews Despicable Me 3.