Osmotic computing is a new paradigm to support the efficient execution of Internet of Things (IoT) services and applications at the network edge. This paradigm is founded on the need for a holistic distributed system abstraction enabling the deployment of lightweight microservices on resource-constrained IoT platforms at the network edge, coupled with more complex microservices running on large-scale datacenters. This paradigm is driven by the significant increase in resource capacity/capability at the network edge, along with support for data transfer protocols that enable such resources to interact more seamlessly with datacenter-based services. This installment of "Blue Skies" discusses osmotic computing features, challenges, and future directions.

The manufacturing industry is exploring the use of Internet of Things and cloud computing to enhance the efficiency of manufacturing plant operations, improve product quality, increase manufacturers' ability to respond to changing customer demands, and expand to new markets. Productivity, quality, safety, and the ability to respond quickly to changing conditions are essential to maintaining the industry's competitiveness.

The near future evolution of the cloud computing can be hypothesized in three subsequent stages: stage 1 "Monolithic" (now), cloud services are based on independent proprietary architectures; stage 2 "Vertical Supply Chain", cloud providers will leverage cloud services from other providers; stage 3 "Horizontal Federation", smaller, medium, and large cloud providers will federate themselves to gain economies of scale and an enlargement of their capabilities. Currently, the major clouds are planning the transition to the stage 2, but how to achieve the stage 3 is unclear because some architectural limitations have to be overcome. In this paper, considering a general cloud architecture, we highlight such limitations and propose some enhancements which add new federation capabilities. In order to address such concerns we propose a solution based on the Cross-Cloud Federation Manager, a new component placeable inside the cloud architectures, allowing a cloud to establish the federation with other clouds according to a three-phase model: discovery, match-making and authentication.

As cloud computing becomes more predominant, the problem of scalability has become critical for cloud computing providers. The cloud paradigm is attractive because it offers a dramatic reduction in capital and operation expenses for consumers.

This article discusses the main advantages and challenges of adopting microservices in cloud computing. The microservices architecture allows software developers to build a distributed application as a set of independent components that work together. This model isn't new, but, applied in cloud systems, it increases datacenter scalability and reliability. The authors discuss available technologies for deploying and controlling microservices-based application architectures in the cloud.

The rise of AI-generated synthetic media, or deepfakes, has introduced unprecedented opportunities and challenges across various fields, including entertainment, cybersecurity, and digital communication. Using advanced frameworks such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Diffusion Models (DMs), deepfakes are capable of producing highly realistic yet fabricated content, while these advancements enable creative and innovative applications, they also pose severe ethical, social, and security risks due to their potential misuse. The proliferation of deepfakes has triggered phenomena like “Impostor Bias”, a growing skepticism toward the authenticity of multimedia content, further complicating trust in digital interactions. This paper is mainly based on the description of a research project called FF4ALL (FF4ALL-Detection of Deep Fake Media and Life-Long Media Authentication) for the detection and authentication of deepfakes, focusing on areas such as forensic attribution, passive and active authentication, and detection in real-world scenarios. By exploring both the strengths and limitations of current methodologies, we highlight critical research gaps and propose directions for future advancements to ensure media integrity and trustworthiness in an era increasingly dominated by synthetic media.