Newsletter 1.18.2024

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Masterminds Tampa Bay
January 30, 2024

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Today’s edition is brought to you by Flexsible - your go-to partner for turning ideas into reality and enhancing business KPIs.

Happy Thursday! This is Masterminds Tampa Bay - we’re like a cup of hot chocolate in this cold weather: it just hits the spot.

Here’s what we have for you today:

  • Hackers steal sensitive info from this Tampa Bay startup

  • VR Gaming at Westshore Plaza: The future of malls?

  • Tampa-based AI startup snags $1.6M in seed funding and secures Air Force contract

  • St. Pete startup creates AI Lie Detector 

FEATURED

Hackers Gonna Hack

There's this startup in Tampa called Chattr that got totally hacked. A couple of hackers, who go by MrBruh and Eva, were fiddling around with this tech tool called Firebase that Chattr uses for its AI-powered hiring chatbot. And bam! They managed to crack into the system. They even blogged about how they did it, which is pretty wild.

They uncovered confidential data from KFC and got full admin access to Chattr's platform which revealed a ton of sensitive information. Think about it: the hacker had the power to cause total mayhem. They could've approved every single job seeker for half the fast food joints in the US and messaged them all. Picture the chaos with hundreds of thousands thinking they've landed jobs that don't exist! Plus, they got their hands on all the application data, passwords included. The potential fallout from this is huge. Read MrBruh’s Epic Blog post about the whole thing here!

VR Gaming Company Reinventing Malls?

The Australia-based gaming company Zero Latency Virtual Reality, known for its immersive VR experiences, has launched a new outlet at WestShore Plaza in Tampa. This franchised location reflects the company's growth since its 2015 debut, now boasting over 80 outlets worldwide.

This move comes as tech giants like Meta, Apple, and Sony are pushing VR into the mainstream. Additionally, this new venture at the mall isn't just about VR; it's a glimpse into the ongoing transformation of Tampa's mall, aligning with its latest rezoning efforts to blend entertainment with emerging tech.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Tampa AI Startup Snags $1.6M and U.S. Air Force Contract

The Tampa-based tech firm Certus Core has successfully secured $1.6 million in seed funding. Additionally, they've landed a significant contract to collaborate with the U.S. Air Force's AFWERX on a generative AI data project. This partnership, under the federal Small Business and Innovation Research program's phase one contract, marks a key milestone for Certus Core, validating the potential of their Semantic Knowledge Graph software in a proof of concept. This phase one contract is a crucial step in demonstrating the software's value and applicability.

St. Pete Startup Creates AI Lie Detector

Despite being a relatively new field, AI technology is already making significant impacts, including in innovative applications like those developed by St. Petersburg's Deceptio.AI. This company has harnessed AI to create software that can analyze texts, emails, and statements for signs of deception.

Unlike traditional lie detectors, Deceptio.AI's platform focuses on identifying areas in communication where information might be withheld, using specific linguistic cues like the absence of common contractions or phrases like “I swear”.

Mark Carson, CEO and founder of Deceptio.AI, emphasizes the platform's user-friendly design, where users simply upload their content for analysis. The technology represents a nuanced approach to understanding deception, offering insightful results without overstating its capabilities.

TICKLE YOUR BRAIN

The Social Network 2010

A tech entrepreneur has three new startups but mixed up their names and sectors. The names are A, B, and C, and they work in Robotics, AI, and VR. Here's what we know:

If A is in AI, then C is in Robotics.

B is not in VR.

If C is in AI, then A is in VR.

Can you figure out which startup belongs to which sector?

(Pause for some deep thinking...)

MEME STREET

Here’s a Meme You Can Probably Relate To

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Brain Teaser Answer:

Since B is not in VR, B must be in either Robotics or AI. Let's assume B is in AI. Then from point 1, C cannot be in Robotics, so C must be in VR. This leaves A in Robotics.

So, the solution is:

A is in Robotics.

B is in AI.

C is in VR.

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