Free Stanford AI course - LLM Evaluation & Scaling

 

If you’re looking to elevate your understanding of deep learning and neural networks, this YouTube playlist is an invaluable resource you won’t want to miss. Carefully curated to take you from core fundamentals to advanced techniques, this collection of expert-led videos breaks down complex topics into lessons that are easy to follow and rich in insight. Whether you’re a beginner just stepping into the world of AI or a seasoned coder aiming to sharpen your skills, this playlist has something to offer at every level. 

What makes this playlist truly stand out is its focus on clarity and depth. Each video takes the time to explain not just how algorithms work, but why they work — giving you a deeper intuition that goes beyond memorization. From learning the mathematical foundations of machine learning to exploring hands-on coding examples and real-world applications, the playlist builds your confidence step by step. The result is a learning journey that feels structured, supportive, and highly informative.

One of the biggest advantages of this YouTube playlist is its flexibility. You can watch at your own pace, revisit tough concepts as many times as needed, and integrate learning seamlessly into your schedule — no deadlines, no tuition, and no classroom required. Whether you’re balancing work, school, or personal projects, this on-demand format makes mastering deep learning both accessible and sustainable.

In today’s tech landscape, understanding deep learning isn’t just a bonus — it’s a superpower. From powering recommendation systems to enabling image recognition and natural language processing, deep learning shapes the future of technology across industries. This playlist gives you the tools and insight to stay ahead of the curve and apply these transformative skills in your own projects and career. Dive in today and take a significant step toward mastering the world of intelligent systems. 

Watch here:
👉 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoROMvodv4rObv1FMizXqumgVVdzX4_05 

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From the web: Microsoft Confirms It Can Share Windows 11 BitLocker Keys With Law Enforcement

Microsoft has basically confirmed that it can hand over BitLocker recovery keys to law enforcement if there’s a valid legal request.

BitLocker is the built-in disk encryption used on lots of Windows 11 machines, and many people don’t realize that the recovery keys get saved to Microsoft’s cloud by default — which means if the FBI or another agency gets a warrant, Microsoft can hand those keys over to help crack open a locked device. This hasn’t been widely known until recently, but reports say at least one case in Guam involving fraud investigations saw the FBI get the keys from Microsoft and use them to unlock encrypted laptops.

It’s stirred up a bunch of privacy debates because the whole point of encryption is to keep prying eyes out, and folks are pointing out that other tech companies design their systems so the provider can’t hand over keys even with a warrant. While Microsoft says key recovery is meant to be a convenience for users, security experts worry storing these keys in the cloud makes them a potential weak spot — not just for law enforcement access but also if hackers ever breach those cloud systems.

https://www.ghacks.net/2026/01/24/microsoft-confirms-it-can-share-windows-11-bitlocker-keys-with-law-enforcement/

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Why fiber rollout alone isn’t the answer

The Case for the Post-Install Check-In

Installing new network gear can feel like crossing the finish line of a marathon. The link comes up, the lights blink happily, and there’s a strong urge to declare victory and never look back. But that’s exactly why post-install check-ins matter. An install isn’t really done when the hardware is mounted and powered on — it’s done when you know it’s behaving itself in the real world, not just during that first five-minute victory lap.

In this case, I followed up on a Ubiquiti Wave Pro link after the install, fully expecting to see a calm, stable connection living its best life. Instead, I found the link hopping frequencies like it had too much caffeine. On paper, everything looked “up,” but under the hood the radio was changing channels far more often than it should. If I hadn’t checked back in, this would have quietly turned into intermittent performance issues and finger-pointing later on.

That’s the sneaky danger of skipping follow-ups. Many problems don’t show up immediately — they creep in once the link starts dealing with real interference, weather changes, or other radios in the area. A post-install review lets you catch these early warning signs while they’re still small and fixable, instead of waiting for a user to report that “the network feels weird sometimes,” which is never a fun troubleshooting starting point.

Following up also gives you a chance to validate your original assumptions. Maybe the spectrum looked clean during the install, but reality had other plans. Maybe auto-settings are being a little too enthusiastic. Checking back confirms whether the configuration you chose is actually the right one, or if it needs tuning. It’s like going back to tighten the bolts after a test drive — boring, but extremely effective.

In the end, checking on equipment after an install isn’t about mistrusting your work — it’s about respecting physics, RF chaos, and the fact that networks love to misbehave when you’re not looking. That quick follow-up on the Wave Pro link turned a potential future outage into a simple adjustment. And honestly, that’s way better than getting a call later that starts with, “So… this has been happening for weeks.”

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Introduction: Moving Beyond Basic Benchmarking

For network engineers, relying solely on basic single-stream iPerf or simple ping output often fails to capture the true performance characteristics of a network path, especially under load. This is where FLENT (The FLExible Network Tester) comes in.

click on the image to read the article 

Cudy AX3000 Review - The Setup

 

Based on some limited research, I picked up a "Cudy AX3000 Multi Gigabit Dual Band WiFi 6 Mesh Router" from amazon.

https://www.cudy.com/en-us

I wont bore you with the whole 'unboxing' speech, but there's a lot to be said for a company that packages a product that doesn't

require a class in vendor unpackaging to get to the product.

It came with an installation card, ethernet cable and power supply.

Keeping in the spirit of your typical IT install, I chose to ignore the instructions and wanted to see how far I can get without having to resort to reading the manual. ;)

 

I connected the unit's internet port to my cable modem using the provided cable and plugged my laptop into the LAN port. After about a minute, I checked my and my address was on a 192.168.10.0/24 subnet with a default gateway of 192.168.10.1.

I figured I will try to access the internet and was a little disappointed that it it didn't work and I noticed the globe with the circle/line through it. 

This is important for me to know in case i consider this for some of my clients and friends who are further than a short drive away.

I figured I will just type the router IP address into my browser to see if I can access the router, or if I will be forced to download an app.  Cool, the browser loaded this page.

Its nice to see the vendor forcing you to change/create an admin password with some suggestions on creating a strong password.

I created my new password and was then prompted with a setup/captive portal.

Again, its important to me to know that until you create your password and go through the install screens, you will not have internet access.

Since my set up was DHCP based, I basically clicked by about half a dozen screens and completed the install.

As a side note, I found it interesting that the router had a few setup options that could help me out in the future.

Wireless access point in particular would be cool.  Currently, if I need a wireless access point and only have a residential router available, I disable DHCP and use the Lan port to connect to the current network.

After the install, I ran a quick Wireshark capture and noticed it was sending out IGMP packets.

I've seen IGMP enabled on a lot of residential routers and get annoyed when there isn't a way to disable IGMP. I figured "what the heck" lets see if Cudy allows me to disable it. I was pleasantly surprised when I quickly found the setting and disabled it.

The only other thing I did was change the SSID's and passwords.

Here's an interesting note: I chose to disable auto firmware updates so I could do it myself. I intentionally downloaded the incorrect firmware and was impressed that it did not blindly accept it. 

 The only thing worth noting was that after the firmware upgrade the password for my 2.4ghz SSID was a series of randomized characters, so I simply changed it back.  I only noticed because some IOT devices reported being offline after the firmware upgrade.

As far as WiFi performance goes, it did outperform my previous lab wireless router by 50 Mbps up and down as well as added some solid coverage to 2 spotty areas.

I tried to keep the first write up short and plan to do more based on different features and scenarios, so let me know if you like this format.  

For example, the next thing I want to set up is the various flavors of VPN server, VPN client and VPN tunneling, bandwidth control...

amazon.com link: https://amzn.to/3N7pooH

amazon.ca link: https://amzn.to/3YZoCg5

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Cyber Leaders Podcast

Free Stanford AI Course - Computer Vision (CS231N)

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If you’re fascinated by the technology that enables computers to “see” and understand images, this Stanford CS231n: Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Recognition YouTube playlist is a must-watch treasure trove of knowledge. This curated series of lecture videos brings to life one of the most influential deep learning courses ever created — the one that helped shape modern computer vision. Whether you’re a student, engineer, or AI enthusiast, you’ll find content that’s both inspiring and deeply informative. 

What sets this playlist apart is the balance of rigorous academic insight and hands-on practical examples. Taught by Stanford professors who helped pioneer the field of deep learning for vision, the lectures take you step-by-step through core concepts like convolutional neural networks (CNNs), image classification, localization, object detection, and much more. You’ll gain both the theory and intuition behind the models that power today’s advanced computer vision systems — from autonomous vehicles to facial recognition and beyond. 

One of the greatest benefits of this YouTube playlist is its flexibility. You can learn at your own pace, revisit complex topics whenever you need, and follow along with real code examples and visual demonstrations. There are no deadlines, no tuition, and no rigid classroom structure — just world-class deep learning instruction available to you anytime, anywhere. It’s like having a Stanford computer vision class on demand. 

In a world increasingly driven by visual data and intelligent systems, mastering CNNs is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. Whether you’re building your first project or preparing for a career in AI, this playlist gives you the conceptual foundation and practical confidence to succeed. Dive in today and explore the frontiers of computer vision with some of the leading minds in the field. 

Link to video

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HTTPS certificate industry phasing out less secure domain validation methods