Monthly Archives: August 2017

New Haven high schoolers develop tech skills in summer robotics internship – New Haven Register

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High school students develop tech skills in summer robotics internship

By Brian Zahn, bzahn@newhavenregister.com @brizahn on Twitter

Photo: Brian Zahn / Hearst Connecticut Media

ESUMS student George Shelton demonstrates driving the Yo(unity) Bot 3.0 from an app on his phone.

ESUMS student George Shelton demonstrates driving the Yo(unity) Bot 3.0 from an app on his phone.

New Haven high schoolers develop tech skills in summer robotics internship

NEW HAVEN >> Following five grueling weeks of developing a cost-effective robotics kit, 15 aspiring entrepreneurs presented and defended their product before investors.

Later this month, they return to high school.

Fifteen New Haven Public Schools students with an interest in engineering got this chance to be entrepreneurs as they were selected to partake in a paid internship program sponsored by the Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program, with financial backing by Liberty Bank. The interns, challenged to develop inexpensive robotics kits for middle school students, were compensated with $1,000 for the five weeks.

Each of the kits had to be acquirable for less than $55, the interns were told, with all the mechanical structures and electrical components needed to build a robot. One of the four teams, a public relations team, was also tasked with developing a manual for middle school students on how to use the kit.

What we want to see is an excitement and passion for STEM, said Sade Owoye, a project manager for CPEP.

Mikayla Osumah, a rising senior at Engineering and Science University Magnet School, said it was indeed her passion for STEM that led her to the internship. She said things clicked into place for her when she built a drone for a class project, and she began to realize several possibilities that could be explored through manufacturing and engineering.

Didacus Oparaocha, a teacher who leads and coaches the interns through the program, said he sees a direct benefit for the students, most of whom come from low-income families.

One of the main goals is poverty elevation, he said. I believe STEM is an answer to solving poverty.

As an employee at Sikorsky Aircraft, Oparaocha said he wants the students to have an even higher quality of life than he has, after moving from Nigeria to Italy and then to Michigan and Connecticut.

The CPEP staff said the program is meant to give students relevant work experience to prepare for careers.

We believe if you give students an opportunity for a real work opportunity, showing up every day on time and dressed professionally, it gives them chances to succeed as entrepreneurs, said Kathy Ciullo, CPEP chief financial officer and director of operations. Were trying to give them provable hands-on opportunities.

One of those opportunities was preparing a presentation during which they would ask CPEP Executive Director David Beam for the funding to carry out the robotics kit project.

Further, in addition to developing a prototype for an affordable robotics kit and considering the costs of materials and labor, students were made to practice communicating and explaining their work.

Were taking the proper steps to be professional, said ESUMS rising senior Donavon Chisolm.

Rising ESUMS senior George Shelton called it an internship you can take further in life.

Shelton said he would like to pursue electrical engineering and automation after he graduates from high school.

District officials said they believe the program offers practical applications for lessons taught in the classroom.

Kenneth Mathews, the school districts math curriculum supervisor, said he believes the interest in the program among students is tenfold its capacity.

The skills theyve learned will serve them throughout their lives, Mathews said. Many have shaped what they want to pursue in college.

After asking the interns approximately a dozen questions on the skills theyve learned from five weeks of work such as about whether any challenge is too difficult for them to overcome, about the value of teamwork or about whether a career can be fun were a few examples Beam said he has worked with engineers at all different levels, and he is certain all of them could have benefited from the type of early job training offered by the program CPEP has to offer.

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New Haven high schoolers develop tech skills in summer robotics internship - New Haven Register

The Whys and Hows of Becoming a Robotics Engineer – Machine Design

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In 2015, a poll of 200 senior corporate executives conducted by the National Robotics Education Foundation identified robotics as a major source of jobs for the United States. Indeed, some 81% of respondents agreed that robotics was the top area of job growth for the nation. Not that this should come as a surprise: as the demand for smart factories and automation increases, so does the need for robots.

According to Nearshore Americas, smart factories are expected to add $500 billion to the global economy in 2017. In a survey conducted by technology consulting firm Capgemini, more than half of the respondents claimed to have invested $100 million or more into smart factory initiatives over the last five years. The study concludes that at least 21% of manufacturing plants will become smart factories by 2022. This is especially true in areas of labor shortage like the U.S. and Western Europe.

The Kuka Official Robotics Education (KORE) certificate program offers professionals and students the opportunity not only to become certified in operating Kuka robots, but also to learn robotic engineering principles.

All of this will result in the addition of more robots to manufacturing sites. Over the past seven years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that companies added 136,748 robots to factory floors. But while the conclusion of many is to assume that jobs are disappearing due to automation, the opposite is proving true. The BLS also determined that while robots were being added to factories, 894,000 new manufacturing jobs were also created as a result of automation. According to the book What to Do When Machines Do Everything by Malcom Frank, Paul Roehrig, and Ben Pring, 19 million jobs will be lost due to automation over the next 10 to 15 yearsbut 19 million new jobs will be created due to automation.

In other words, the job market for robotic engineers is at a prime. For the engineer either in school or already working, there are numerous resources available for educating yourself in the world of robotics. Take advantage of them, and crest the next wave of jobs in automation.

The lack of robot education in high schools and universities is creating a large gap of skilled laborers for the future of automation. FANUC CERT program brings robot certification to all levels of education, including high schools, colleges, and vocational schools.

In April of this year, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) published awhite paper concluding that 80% of manufacturers report a labor shortage of skilled applications for production positions. This may result in the U.S. losing a staggering 11% of annual earnings. However, the addition of new automation technologies allows companies to increase productivity and create higher quality products. This allows them to grow their business and add jobs.

The distinction that has to be made is that while robots will automate tasks, they will not automate complete jobs. In the white paper from A3, it was noted that robots have been increasing labor productivity at the same rate as the steam engine: 0.35% annually. Amazon is a key example of how robots add jobs. In 2012, the online shopping giant acquired Kiva Systems, which became Amazon Robotics. By 2014, Amazon Robotics employed 45,000 full-time employees. Three years later, that number had doubled to 90,000, and the company is striving to break the 100,000 mark.

Machine Design recent reported that Amazon has launched 30,000 robots into service in conjunction with 230,000 employees across its fulfillment centers. The Kiva robots have led to higher efficiencies that have resulted in increased growth. Another example of growth due to automation and robotics is in the automotive industry. General Motors grew U.S. jobs from 80,000 to 105,000 from 2012 to 2016. This increase in jobs coincided with the addition of approximately 10,000 robot applications in GM plants.

The robotic engineer job market will grow between now and 2024. The BLS reports that robotics engineers, as part of the mechanical engineering field, will increase by 5% by 2024. The median annual wage for robotic engineers was $83,590 in 2015. If the rate of machines being added to factories remains consistent, then the number of skilled technicians needed to program, operate, and maintain those robots will also increase.

The Universal Robots Academy teaches you how to set up and program its collaborative robots online in six module training courses.

For the young engineering student looking to enter robotics, there are key areas of study that one should focus on to obtain the appropriate education. Robotics is truly an interdisciplinary career which combines several fields of engineering, including mechanical engineering, computer programming, and electrical engineering. According to Robotiq, a manufacturer of end effectors for collaborative robots (cobots), the core subjects for those at the high school level are mathematics and physics. These core areas of study make up the foundation of many robotic courses. If the student has the opportunity at the high school level, they should also take courses computing, programming, design, and extracurricular engineering electives like machine shop and manufacturing classes.

At the university level, many educational institutions offer a robotics major as its own independent field of study. However, since the field of robotics is one under constant change, many professionals reach the robotic industry through different avenues. In the Robotiq guidelines, it is possible to break down the robotic field into three key areas:

According to GradSchoolHub.com, the top 10 universities with grad school programs in robotics are as follows:

NASA has alist of robotics programs at universities across the U.S.:

Robotic education in STEM is growing. In 2015, the government offered in $100 million in federal grants to support the growing workforce. The plan was to offer schools with the resources to introduce robotic education into the classroom, as well as to provide training and certification for those looking to enter the field.

The Nanodegree Robotic Program from Udacity is the first of its kind. It offers remote robot education sponsored by major companies, including Bosch and iRobot.

In recent years, many robotic companies have realized the need to create their own certification programs to help foster robot education. Several of them have created universities and training programs for professionals to become certified in their robotic platforms.

For the engineer looking to get started in robots, the number one resource is the Robotic Industries Association, an associated society of the Association for Advancing Automation. At its website, one will find a plethora of resources to help get started or advance their robotic education. You will also find a listing of safety standards, webinars, upcoming events, and integrator certification training. For those looking to get started, theBeginner's Guide is a good place to start:

Universal Robots is one of the major seller of collaborative robots. If youve attended any technical conference in recent years, youll have seen many of them gracing the booths of automation companies. Universal Robots has its own education platform, the Universal Robot Academy. The module breaks down into six easy learning modules:

This is the advantage of cobots. Since they have safety features built-in and operate in controlled environment, the learning curve is quickerone does not need to determine safety zones, light curtains, or cages.

For larger industrial robots, companies like Kuka and FANUC both offer certification programs.Kuka offers the Kuka Official Robotics Education (KORE) certificate program. The program is designed to be offered in high schools, community colleges, universities, and vocational schools. The program will teach basic robot programming and operation skills, centering around project-based activities that mimic real-world manufacturing.

FANUC Certified Education for Advanced Automation offers high schools, colleges, and universities training in automation techniques. TheFANUC CERT training not only offers education in robotics but also in CNC machining and robotic drilling. Both of these programs are also available to engineering professionals at certified training locations.

Lastly, for those that cannot reach a training location, there are several online courses that provide robotic training. One that is sponsored by the likes of Bosch, Kuka, iRobot, and Lockheed Martin, is the training offered by Udacity, the online education platform. Udacity is a new online learning platform that aims to bring affordable education to the internet. The education is created by educational professionals and sponsored by major companies in the industry. The Nanodegree Program offers a robotic education with hands-on projects in simulated environments. The course itself is a two 3-month terms and will provide instruction in kinematics, perception of objects, controls, and deep learning for robotics.

The resources of robotic education are on the risejust like the robot machines fueling the next wave of automation.

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The Whys and Hows of Becoming a Robotics Engineer - Machine Design

You’re heavy, and your doctor makes you feel bad about it. That’s not good. – Washington Post

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By Marlene Cimons By Marlene Cimons August 13 at 7:06 AM

Virtual reality in which people wearing headsets and other equipment experience computer-generated environments as if they were real is helping obesity researchers better understand peoples responses to their personal genetic information.

Its important to put people in a setting that is as close to real life as possible, says Susan Persky, a scientist with the National Human Genome Research Institutes social and behavioral research branch. For example, you really will feel much more like you are in a doctors office. You feel present within the system. At the same time, we control everything.

Persky and her colleagues have conducted several studies using VR to gauge how obese individuals react in clinical settings and at other sites when presented with genetic information about their weight.

In one, she found that telling overweight women about the likely genetic basis for their obesity reduced the womens feelings that they were blamed for their weight. Other research has found that women who feel stigmatized by their doctors may avoid medical treatment to the detriment of their health.

The scientists recruited 200 women unhappy about their weight and gave them a 10-minute appointment with a virtual doctor. The virtual clinician gave each woman one of four presentations. One stressed genetic factors, delivered in a supportive style. A second also emphasized genomics, but it was given in a directive, doctor-knows-best manner. A third was supportive but focused only on personal behavior. The fourth stressed behavior but in a directive manner.

Not surprisingly, the volunteers liked the supportive virtual clinician best, especially when the doctor also offered genetic information, saying this approach made them feel less stigmatized and better about themselves. People feel less blame when doctors talk about genetic factors, Persky says. In obesity, we find this idea of genetic predisposition resonates with people.

Researchers also looked at guilt among overweight mothers of 4- and 5-year-old children, providing information about the influence of lifestyle to one group and the effects of genetic factors and lifestyle to a second group. Mothers told about genetic factors felt guiltier than the others, presumably because they felt they were passing obesity along to their offspring.

The parents then were asked to select a meal for their children from a virtual food buffet offering choices that were more healthy (grilled chicken, steamed carrots, peas and green beans) and less healthy (chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese).

Why use a virtual buffet rather than a real one? Its an assessment of actual parent behavior that can be measured in the controlled, sterile lab, while it actually looks and feels like a real-world environment where parents actually make feeding choices, Persky says.

Mothers who chose the healthier options felt less guilt afterward about the possibility of passing down genetic obesity risk factors to their children, even those in the group who werent explicitly told about genetic influences, according to the study. Most parents have some sense that there are genetic factors involved in weight, Persky says. This isnt a totally new concept for them.

The findings suggest that parents are inclined to change how they feed their children thus feeling less guilt about passing on their genetic risks while still reluctant to change their own eating behavior. Parents are often willing to do things for their children that they wouldnt do for themselves, Persky says.

Read more

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Why you eat so much

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You're heavy, and your doctor makes you feel bad about it. That's not good. - Washington Post

Will virtual reality clubbing make staying in the new going out? – British GQ

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Nights out have certainly changed, as I found out a few months ago in a basement in London Fields. At 11pm, as the DJs were warming up, I saw a young lad tire of dancing, turn to his phone and open up Pokmon Go. He then spent most of the night trying, with little success, to catch a Pidgey by the decks.

Pokmon Go ruined many activities last year (shopping, walking, going outside generally), but clubbing's a new one - not that the augmented-reality game is entirely to blame for clubs across the country shutting down. Since 2005, the number of nightclubs in Britain has almost halved, down from 3,144 to 1,733.

Personally, I blame hygge. The Danish art of living cosily involves nuzzling in comfort and wellbeing, and I'm guilty of it too, sort of. Just instead of luxe Scandi design and Jo Malone candles, my nights have paid more homage to American entrepreneur and renowned recluse Howard Hughes - they involve seeing as few people as possible, while watching as many Netflix series as I can humanly manage. Which seems all well and good, but it does leave clubbing looking a bit neglected.

Boiler Room, the platform that live-streams DJ sets and gigs around the world, may have the solution as it launches the world's first virtual-reality music venue in London. The physical club, due to open this year, will be rigged with cameras, which will allow fans to watch gigs and go clubbing in real time, via virtual-reality headsets. In short, you'll soon be able to rave from your bedroom in a more immersive way than just turning the speakers up until your neighbour calls time on your homemade Haienda.

Over the five years I've worked as a DJ, I've seen a lot of things - from punters at the start of the night awkwardly stomping around as though they'd watched YouTube dance tutorials from C-3PO, then a couple of pints later swaggering away like Liam Gallagher listening to "Supersonic", to people vehemently refusing to leave until their record request gets a play (it never does) and grown-ups in the early hours having a bit of a moment to Toto's "Africa" (who hasn't?). I've played at venues about to crumble - one memorable December in Leeds, I spent an entire set with a portable heater next to my decks because the club's windows were smashed in as I attempted to warm up the frostbitten crowd with some Prince. I'm intrigued to see how any of that can be replicated.

At Boiler Room's headquarters in Hackney, I try out a few of the virtual experiences on offer - it isn't live and the technology has now been updated, but it's a rough guide to how it will be. The virtual-reality headset I try on is an older Samsung model that looks like a pair of futuristic ski goggles. It's heavy and bulky, almost like the VR equivalent of getting your first Nokia 3310 (I'm told that a good-quality headset is around 100, which seems quite pricey for the odd bit of bedroom dancing). When I pair the headset with some noise-cancelling headphones, I resemble a budgetBlack Mirrorepisode, or an early draft ofThe Jetsons.

I try out a VR club night with grime MC Kano, which feels a lot like being in the computer gameDoom. It's like a wonky Nineties video game, with Kano towering over me, shouting beats in my face. There's a DJ hovering over the decks looking incredibly serious; young kids are dancing - others bob their heads stoically - while a few are taking pictures on their phones. So far, so authentically east London.

I'm squashed in the middle of the crowd, without the sweat and beer flying around, unable to interact with anyone. It's quite cold and soulless, a bit like being inside a gif, and it leaves me feeling like a very sober voyeur intruding on a good night out. In reality, I'm swivelling around the conference room of a hip young company in unflattering apparel, trying not to knock coffee over expensive tech.

Like Glastonbury, the idea of watching the highlights from afar on a couch, with indoor plumbing, can be pretty appealing - smugness-inducing, even - when you miss out on getting resale tickets or you happen upon images that year of humans swallowed whole by mud - although it can never really replace the experience, long drops and all.

There's certainly an appeal to the virtual-reality venue. This could be the solution for when you can't make it to a night out (if you're full of cold, skint or just a bit lazy), a way for fans in far-flung places to watch their favourite DJs without having to spend a fortune. But then clubbing was never meant to be virtual, or even convenient. While virtual-reality clubbing is exciting and looks set to be the next best thing to going out, it's certainly no substitute for actually going out.

Clubbing (in real life) is the anti-hygge. It's cumbersome, an effort to get everyone out and, rather than revelling in warming Scandi accents, can feel more like having the flu: sweaty but somehow always freezing. And yet all these things are important, because you're young and things aren't meant to feel like a bubble. Everything as a twentysomething feels aspirational and unattainable - except for clubbing, which is real. And that's why it should probably stay exactly how it is. Like this? Now read:

GQ Rules for modern men: how to behave in a nightclub

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Best nightclubs in London, tried and tested

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Will virtual reality clubbing make staying in the new going out? - British GQ

Virtual reality headsets bring stories to life at San Jose public libraries – The Mercury News

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SAN JOSE As technology advances in the ever-changing Silicon Valley, citizens can now enjoy the thrill of virtual reality at the library.

At a launch event on Friday at Martin Luther King Jr. public library downtown, adults and teens were able to test out Oculus Rift Systems a headset combined with a virtual reality screen so passersby could see in 2-D what users in the headset were experiencing in 3-D.

I played a Haunted Mansion game that had surround sound, said San Jose 18 year-old Brandon Lau. It felt so real, it was scary but extremely worth it.

The San Jose public library is offering the virtual reality headsets through a state library grant. Virtual reality headsets are available at TeenHQ in the downtown library and at the Evergreen branch library. Its part of a partnership with the California Library Association and Oculus VR.

We want to be relevant and innovative, which means keeping up to date with technology, and we wanted to make it available not only to kids but to adults, said library spokesperson Nancy Macias. Digital inclusion is huge, regardless of age or background, VR should be available to you.

The headsets come with hand controllers so that users can actually grab and interact with objects in the virtual world.TeenHQ offers other forms as technology as well, such as a recording studio and 3-D printers.

We have a game where you can build sculptures in the virtual reality, said Cindy Ball, the program manager of Oculus Education, the company that provided the headsets. And with that design, here at the library they have 3-D printers, so maybe what you design in the virtual space you can actually bring to life with the 3-D printers.

The downtown library and Evergreen branch are two of ninety state libraries to launch virtual reality through Oculus VR and the California Library Association this year. The SPJL VR headsets are open to the public at no cost. Ball said Oculus hopes this initiative helps people who may not otherwise be able to experience virtual reality due to their economic and social circumstances.

We really want people who havent been able to experience VR before to use it for the first time, Ball said, so someday, people who are interested can move from being consumers to creators of VR.

Oculus provided 20 educational applications through the headsets, including an exploration of the International Space Station and a rock climbing experience.

On top of those games, the library has some applications that they downloaded themselves. Librarian Erik Berman said games are used to get teens at TeenHQ in motion through Fruit Ninja and sports games as well as learning about the world through explorations of foreign lands. He said he was excited to mix the virtual reality with the physical world through programs that expand on some of the experiences.

The VR is the gateway to learning about different things, Berman said. We have a French immersion experience that we actually will run programming around. We will show a documentary and then teach teens here about French culture in a program later on.

Berman said one goal of offering the virtual reality experience at TeenHQ will be to design their own such game at the library.

The first virtual reality open house will be held 3 p.m. Monday at TeenHQ at the downtown library. TeenHQ has programs and specific times when the virtual reality headsets are available.

Although the TeenHQ is only available to teens, adults are encouraged to use virtual reality headset at the librarys Evergreen branch. Seventy two year-old Judith Fields came to the launch with her friend 67 year-old Jackie Snell and were excited as they sliced fruit in Fruit Ninja, designed butterflies with virtual robots and visited national parks.

I loved experiencing Yosemite, it was my favorite, Fields said. I loved feeling like I was visiting and exploring the park it was beautiful.

Youre never too old to use VR, Snell said. Its actually easier, you can experience the world and you dont have to go anywhere you can check it out at the library.

More information on the SJPLs virtual reality collection can be found atwww.sjpl.org/blog/virtual-reality-library.

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Virtual reality headsets bring stories to life at San Jose public libraries - The Mercury News

Virtual Reality Science Lessons Now At Indy Charter School | WBAA – WBAA

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An Indianapolis charter school will be one of the first in the country to use a virtual reality program to teach science to high school students.

Hope Academy, on the citys far northeast side, is purchasing the software and curriculum from a tech-startup to supplement its traditional classroom teaching.

The software, designed by Iowa-based VitoryVR, offers middle school and high school coursework based on the NextGen Science Standards. The science curriculum currently offers 24 units, such as the solar system or Newtons Law of Gravity. In all, there are 120unique virtual experiences.

Principal Linda Gagyi says students will use the virtual reality classroom as part of their more traditional classroom learning based on Indianas academic standards.

Its amazing way to deliver standards and curriculum and the VR experience, she says.

As part of a science lesson this year, senior Sofia Merrick can travel to New Mexico to check out a massive telescope or

To get there, shell just slip on an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. She tried out the program Thursday.

It just really brings you into it. Its like you are actually seeing it. The one I was doing it was the solar system. It was like, I was like floating through the solar system, Merrick says.

Steve Grubbs, founder of VitoryVR and former Iowa state lawmaker, says the VR curriculum was created to keep students engaged and allow them to experience virtual reality fields trips related to science topics.

Indiana state lawmakers Sens. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis) and Brandt Hershman (R-Buck Creek), and Reps. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) and Woody Burton (R-Whiteland) attended the demonstration.

Later this month a handful of schools in St. Louis, Des Moines, the Quad Cities area in northwest Illinois and southeastern Iowa, and Bermuda will start using the virtual reality software too.

Hope Academy is spending around $18,000 on four virtual reality workstations and licenses.

Hope Academy is for students in grades 9-12 recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Around 40 students are enrolled for the current school year.

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Virtual Reality Science Lessons Now At Indy Charter School | WBAA - WBAA

An AI Is Beating Some Of The Best Dota Players In The World – Kotaku

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OpenAI used the action at this years Dota 2 championships as an opportunity to show off its work by having top players lose repeatedly to its in-game bot.

Dotas normally a team game with a heavy emphasis on coordination and communication, but for players interested in beefing up their pure, technical ability, the game also has a 1v1 mode. Thats what tech company OpenAI used to show off its programming of a bot against one of the games most famous and beloved players, Danil Dendi Ishutin.

That mode has both players compete in the games mid-lane, with only the destruction of that first tower or two enemy kills earning either side a win. In addition, for purposes of this particular demonstration, specific items like Bottle and Soul Ring, which help players manage health and mana regeneration, were also restricted. Dendi decided to play Shadow Fiend, a strong but fragile hero who excels at aggressive plays, and to make it a mirror match the OpenAI bot did the same.

Rarely do you hear a crowd of people cheering over creep blocking, but thats what the fans in Key Arena did last night while watching the exhibition match. The earliest advantage in a 1v1 Dota face-off comes with one side slowing down their support wave of AI creeps enough to force the opponent farther into enemy territory and thats exactly what the bot managed to do within the first thirty seconds of the bout.

After that, things seemed to even out but Dendi, lacking a good read on his AI rival, played cautiously and ended up losing out on experience and gold as the bot was given space to land more last-hits. By three minutes in, OpenAI had already harassed Dendis tower and gained double the CS. The former TI winner suffered his first death as a result shortly after. At that point, with the AI unlikely to make a crucial mistake and Dendi falling further and further behind in experience points, the game match was all but over. The pro tried to change things around with last ditch attempt at a kill but he ended up sacrificing his own life to do it.

In a rematch, Dendi admitted that he was going to try and mimic the AIs strategy of pushing his lane early, explaining how the dynamic of a 1v1 fight in Dota is counter-intuitive since it relies on purely outplaying your opponent rather than trying to out think them. Switching sides from Radiant to Dire for game two, Dendi got off to an even worse. He and the opposing AI exchanged blows early, and within the first two minutes he as forced to retreat only to die along the way.

The OpenAI bot was trained, accroding to company CTO Greg Brockman, by playing many lifetimes worth of matches and only limited coaching along the way. Earlier in the week it had defeated other pros renowned for their technical play, including SumaiL and Arteezy, learning each time and improving itself. But these matches were more to test how far the bot had come than anything else. Self-playing was what got it to that point, with Brockman explaining in a blog post that the AIs learning style requires playing against opponents very close in skill level so it can make incremental adjustments to improve over time.

The company, funded in part by Elon Musk, is working on a number of different AI projects, including impersonating Reddit commenters, but games have always been an important part of designing and testing computer learning. From checkers and chess to StarCraft and now Dota, the well defined rule systems and clear win conditions are a natural fit.

And the 1v1 mode of Valves MOBA takes that logic even further, offering a way of limiting the number of variables operating in the form of other players. Rather than worry about what nine other people are doing and exponentially increasing the number of options and possibilities the AI has to contend with, 1v1 allows it to focus the games core elements, similar a beginner chess player practicing openings. The OpenAI teams ambitions dont stop there, however. The bots designers hope to see it perform in full-fledged 5v5 matches by next year.

You can watch the entire demo below.

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An AI Is Beating Some Of The Best Dota Players In The World - Kotaku

Elon Musk says AI harbors ‘vastly more risk than North Korea’ – CNET

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Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.

He's worried. Very worried.

The mention of several place-names currently invokes shudders.

Whether it be North Korea, Venezuela or even Charlottesville, Virginia, it's easy to get a shivering feeling that something existentially unpleasant might happen, with North Korea still topping many people's lists.

For Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, however, there's something far bigger that should be worrying us: artificial intelligence.

In a Friday afternoon tweet, he offered, "If you're not concerned about AI safety, you should be. Vastly more risk than North Korea."

He accompanied this with a poster of a worried woman and the words, "In the end, the machines will win."

The machines always win, don't they? Look how phones have turned us into neck-craning zombies. And, lo, here was Musk also tweeting on Fridayabout a bot created by OpenAI -- the nonprofit he backs -- beating real humans at eSports.

Still, Musk thinks humanity can do something to fight the robots.

Indeed, he followed his North Korea message witha renewed call for AI regulation: "Nobody likes being regulated, but everything (cars, planes, food, drugs, etc) that's a danger to the public is regulated. AI should be too."

Musk brought up this idea last month at a meeting of the National Governors Association. On Friday, he explained in the Twitter comments that AI really does pose an immediate threat.

"Biggest impediment to recognizing AI danger are those so convinced of their own intelligence they can't imagine anyone doing what they can't," he tweeted.

You really can't trust humans to do good, even supposedly intelligent humans.

Especially in these times when few appear to agree what good even looks like.

CNET Magazine: Check out a sample of the stories in CNET's newsstand edition.

iHate: CNET looks at how intolerance is taking over the internet.

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Elon Musk says AI harbors 'vastly more risk than North Korea' - CNET

AI, responsible sustainability, and my broken washing machine – TNW

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I had just sat down to work one Saturday afternoon, when the familiar sound of the clothes washer, starting its spin cycle like an airplane taking off, started humming in the background. It was that sort of familiar noise that was both comforting and quickly drowns out the background, allowing me to sink quickly into a nice flow with some engineering work.

Suddenly, with a loud thump, the sound of a rattle, and something too awful to describe, the spinning machine came to a dramatic halt. I knew immediately it was the washing machine, as that peaceful hum was no longer softly blanketing the background. An uncomfortable silence was left in its void.

I walked over to the machine and made a quick inspection. Sure enough, there was a dim indicator on the front panel that readErras my clothes sat in a soapy swamp. My first indication was to go online and seek some machine first-aid atifixit.com. As an engineer myself, its almost a reflex to begin the troubleshooting process, no matter the medium.

Down the rabbit hole I went, educating myself on condenser units, evacuation pumps, controller computers, and the impressive array of components used to assemble these machines. Eventually some sort of alarm went off in my mind, and I was hit with the heavy reality of having wasted several hours attempting to gain expertise in a field I barely knew. So, I called the repair line and booked a repair.

Easy enough. In modern times, we have access to nearly immediate service only a phone call or screen-tap away. Though as I sat back down at my computer, I began to wonder if there was another, more efficient way to allow the manufacturer to diagnose and service my washer. After all, the selfish side of me reasoned it would save me, as the consumer, some additional TCO in the life of the appliance.

On the flip side, what if I wouldve just declared the device defective, irreparable, or obsolete? Would it have made its way to a recycling yard or trash heap as I enjoyed the delivery of a shiny new product? Appliance manufacturers are producing products withshorter lifespans than everand higher failure rates than their legacy counterparts.

This drives earlier whole-unit replacements and generates more waste. However, I would add that the millennial generation has a distaste for such environmental or corporate villainy, quickly sniffing out its presence and choosing the more sustainable option instead.

Consumer electronics are attractive, and the provocation of lust for the next best thing is always innate in their marketing strategies. However, what if we had another option where our devices could detect or predict failure, suggesting and even ordering replacement parts for us in the meantime? What if we could then be guided by the manufacturer through a mobile app, giving us the opportunity to save time and money by walking us through the replacement process?

If we were constrained for time, at least the manufacturer could realize savings, both environmentally and in labor cost, by invoking only one trip for the service technician. Even better, what if the device could fix itself?

Though the idea, at some levels, seems trivial, one critical piece to construct such a tool has been missing: visual cognition. Though computers have been getting better at recognizing individual parts, an ensemble of image recognition, cognition, and communication (chat-bot) are necessary for this type of automation.

Its at the intersection of these three that we can begin to create fully automated solutions where we can rapidly decrease our ejection of defective technology to landfills and simultaneously reduce our environmental impact, in the end saving money for both ourselves, and the producers of the products we enjoy.

Taking this one step further, with accurate failure reporting and detection, manufacturers can design products that perform their tasks more reliably and efficiently. Instead of ending up in the trash,as 70.8 percent of consumer electronics eventually do, fully functional hand me downs could enrich less affluent regions, with the maintenance cost also reduced through the above means.

Through I regularly defend the positive impact of AI to my friends who entertain a dystopian viewpoint, at the intersection of industries are possibilities that I gloss over on a daily basis. To a larger degree, even the receipt of defective machine parts for recycling could then be automated, allowing the return path to be optimized in a way that isnt currently possible.

My washing machine is now fixed, and I have some fresh, clean clothes. However, next time an appliance breaks and Im tempted to discard it, I would love to have Artificial Intelligence take care of the process, saving both environment and resources at the same time.

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AI, responsible sustainability, and my broken washing machine - TNW

AI Algorithm Remotely Monitors Sleep – Geek

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Sleep is one of lifes most precious giftsalong with scented candles, tacos, and Barry Manilow.

Yet millions of Americans lay awake each night, counting sheep and wishing for their insomniac hell to end.

Sure, you could attach a bunch of sleep-monitoring sensors to yourself, but those will probably do more harm than good. The best alternative, it seems, comes down to science.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) developed a way to remotely observe sleep stages, without applying any bits and bobs.

The device, mounted on a nearby wall, uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to analyze and translate radio signals around the user into sleep stages: light, deep, rapid eye movement (REM).

(Sounds like some kind of Voldemort-dark magic to me.)

Imagine if your Wi-Fi router knows when you are dreaming, and can monitor whether you are having enough deep sleep, which is necessary for memory consolidation, study lead Dina Katabi, the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said in a statement.

Our vision is developing health sensors that will disappear into the background and capture physiological signals and important health metrics, without asking the user to change her behavior in any way, she added.

Katabi adopted previously developed radio-based sensors, which emit low-power radio frequency (RF) signals that reflect off the body, as a novel way to monitor sleep.

The opportunity is very big because we dont understand sleep well, and a high fraction of the population has sleep problems, MIT graduate student and study co-author Mingmin Zhao said. We have the technology that, if we can make it work, can move us from a world where we do sleep studies once every few months in the sleep lab to continuous sleep studies in the home.

To achieve that, the team incorporated a proprietary deep neural network-based AI algorithm, which automatically eliminates irrelevant information.

Just mount and sleep (via Shichao Yue @ MIT)

The novelty lies in preserving the sleep signal while removing the rest of the unwanted data, according to Tommi Jaakkola, the Thomas Siebel Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

The resulting 80 percent accuracy, MIT boasted, is comparable to that of sleep specialists based on EEG measurements.

Our device allows you not only to remove all of these sensors that you put on the person, and make it a much better experience that can be done at home, Katabi said.

It not only makes the job of the doctor and sleep technologist easier, it also opens new doors for studying how certain diseases, like Parkinsons, affect sleep.They dont have to go through the data and manually label it.

Katabi and Jaakkola partnered with Matt Bianchi, chief of the MGH Division of Sleep Medicine, to present their findings in a paper co-written by Zhao and grad student Shichao Yue.

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FDA warns of contamination of multiple drugs, dietary supplements – Bucks County Courier Times

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Liquid vitamins for infants and children are among several supplements and drugs that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers and health care professionals not to use due to risk of severe infection.

The FDA is advising against using any liquid drug or dietary supplement products manufactured by PharmaTech LLC of Davie, Florida, and labeled by Rugby Laboratories, Major Pharmaceuticals and Leader Brands, due to potential contamination with the bacteria Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) and the risk for severe patient infection.

The drug and dietary supplement products made by PharmaTech include liquid docusate sodium drugs (stool softeners), as well as various dietary supplements including liquid vitamin D drops and liquid multivitamins marketed for infants and children.A lab test done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found a strain of B. cepacia in samples of the stool softeners.

B. cepacia poses a serious threat to vulnerable patients, including infants and young children who still have developing immune systems, said FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. These products were distributed nationwide to retailers, health care facilities, pharmacies and sold online making it important that parents, patients and health care providers be made aware of the potential risk and immediately stop using these products.

According to the CDC, B. cepacia poses the greatest threat to hospitalized patients, critically ill patients and people with health problems such as weakened immune systems and chronic lung diseases. The symptoms of B. cepacia infections vary widely from none at all to serious respiratory infections. It can spread from person-to-person by direct contact and is often resistant to common antibiotics.

Consumers, pharmacies and health care facilities should immediately stop using and dispensing all liquid drug and dietary supplement products manufactured by PharmaTech and labeled by Rugby Laboratories, Major Pharmaceuticals and Leader Brands.

This is not the first time the FDA has advised patients against using liquid docusate (stool softening) drug products manufactured at PharmaTech's Davie, Florida, facility. The FDA issued an advisory in 2016 after the products were implicated in the CDC's public health investigation into a multistate outbreak of B. cepacia infections.

The FDA encourages health care professionals and consumers to report adverse events or quality problems experienced with the use of drugs and dietary supplements products to the FDAs MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program:

Complete and submit the report online at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm; or download and complete the form, then submit it via fax at 1-800-FDA-0178.

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Editorial: Why taking supplements can be risky – San Francisco Chronicle

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Chronicle Editorial Board

Some of the dietary supplements Nicholas Chrysanthou takes to deal with his over 80 food allergies, on the kitchen counter of his home in Houston, TX, June 28, 2017. (Michael Wyke / For the Chronicle)

Some of the dietary supplements Nicholas Chrysanthou takes to deal...

Health-conscious people may want to think twice before taking dietary supplements. Researchers have found a significant increase nationwide in calls to poison control centers related to vitamins, herbs and other supplements. These calls have increased along with the growth of supplement sales in the U.S.

Between 2000 and 2012, there have been around 275,000 calls about over-the-counter supplement exposure. The most serious of the poisoning cases often concerned young children, stricken with breathing problems and seizures. The Journal of Toxicology report found ma huang, yohimbe and energy products were associated with the greatest toxicity.

Over-the-counter dietary supplements are not held to the same rigorous safety standards as medications or food products. The lack of oversight can lead products to be contaminated, mislabeled or of inconsistent quality.

Some embrace supplements as offering a last bastion of freedom over what goes into their bodies. Many patients turn to herbal remedies for a natural approach to health care and to avoid costly medications.

However, without clinical trials and other safety precautions, consumers cant know the potential side effects of certain supplements, particularly when taken with other medications. The study results indicate a need for stronger oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Politics has blocked that kind of oversight for years. So, at the very least, check with a doctor before deciding to be a human guinea pig.

This commentary is from The Chronicles Editorial Board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.

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DAVE HANSEN: Foxconn deal vs. automation trend – La Crosse Tribune

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Lawmakers will soon have an important decision to make that will have an outsize impact on our state for years to come: whether or not to approve a deal made by Gov. Walker that could send up to $3 billion in direct cash payments to Taiwanese-based Foxconn to build a manufacturing plant in southeast Wisconsin.

In my initial response to the news I urged my colleagues to proceed with caution. Not only is this an incredibly expensive offer (it could cost the average family in Wisconsin $1,200 and take 25 years or more before state taxpayers break even!) but it could set a precedent with how we approach future economic development at a time when more and more industries are moving to automation as a way to reduce labor costs.

Foxconn is at the forefront of this effort with its publicly stated goal of fully automating its manufacturing process to the greatest extent possible. Theyve already begun by laying off 60,000 workers in China who were earning $3.25 an hour and replacing them with robots.

This begs the question: If they are laying off workers to save $3.25 an hour, why are they willing to pay their workforce here in Wisconsin what appears to be five to seven times that amount?

Since Gov. Walkers initial announcement, Foxconn has already said their plan is to create 3,000 jobs rather than the 13,000 Walker claimed. They also said that manufacturing jobs would pay $13-$15 per hour, which is far less than the $53,000 initially promised.

So what to make of this deal? How does Foxconn plan to make the economics of this deal work for them if they are already replacing thousands of lesser-paid employees with robots? Is it realistic to think that any manufacturing jobs created at Foxconn will still be performed by humans 10, 15 or 25 years from now? It is likely that most of the promised jobs will be automated well before the 2043 break-even date.

According to Walkers plan, state taxpayers will pay to help Foxconn build its plant and local taxpayers will help pay for infrastructure improvements related to the plant. There is even $250 million in borrowing proposed to reconstruct I-94 between Milwaukee and Illinois despite the fact that the governor and Republicans cannot agree on a long-term fix for the billion-dollar deficit in the Transportation Fund.

This all amounts to potentially billions of state and local tax dollars being spent to help a foreign corporation build a plant in which the majority of jobs will likely be done by robots.

If that is the case, then its time we have a larger discussion about what constitutes a job for the purpose of providing economic development assistance and the impact that these new technologies will have on our workforce.

Recent reports suggest that 47 percent of all jobs in the U.S. could be lost to automation in the next 20 years. Those jobs range from manufacturing to retail to the legal and medical fields and beyond. According to a CBS report, even Wall Street is expected to replace nearly 230,000 jobs in the next eight years with machines.

Whether or not these new technologies lead to new jobs that provide better pay and benefits or to large-scale unemployment, one thing is certain: This change is coming rapidly and were not prepared to deal with its impact.

Regardless of where you stand on the Foxconn deal, their stated goal of full automation is not unique to the world we are now living in. It is time for the Legislature to take the issue of automation seriously and do what needs to be done to protect the best interests of taxpayers, our families and our workforce.

Democrat Dave Hansen, Green Bay, represents the 30th state Senate district.

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Securing Our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure Takes A Villageand Automation – CSO Online

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Huge malware and ransomware attacks often grab the headlines, with WannaCry and NotPetya as recent high profile examples. News cycles endlessly discuss who was affected, how these attacks occur, and what can be done about it. For many organizations and individuals, the loss of a network or the compromise of data is big news and really important.

At the same time, however, we tend to take the services provided by our critical infrastructure resources for granted. We flip a switch and the lights and air conditioning turn on. We turn the tap and fresh, clean water pours out. Goods are delivered, airplanes land on time, and the stock market hums along. But the risks and security of these critical infrastructure resources often flies under the radar.

We may sometimes hear about the targeting of an electrical grid in far off places, but the potential for high-profile cyberattacks on the 16 critical infrastructure sectors identified here in the United States, and the resulting ramifications, are not in the American publics psyche to the degree they should be.

Malicious cyber activity targeted at the nations critical infrastructure including water systems, transportation, energy, finance, and emergency services are particularly worrisome because the interruption of those services can have devastating effects on our economy, impact the well being of our citizens, and even cause the loss of life.

Hackers have a variety of motivations for cyberattacks mischief, bullying, and financial gain among them. However, for our critical infrastructure sectors, attacks can also come from highly motivated cyberterrorists or hacker groups affiliated with nation states or political factions looking to further their cause or establish a military or strategic advantage.

In some cases, these attackers might want to dramatically disrupt public services; in other cases, their goals are much darker, such as wanting consumers to lose faith in the nations financial sector.

There have been documented attacks on critical infrastructure, such as two successful efforts to disrupt the Ukraine power grid in 2015 and 2016. But such events have always seemed safely far enough away. However, this past July, the U.S. government warned nuclear power plants about escalated attacks on their facilities. Such warning ought to make people sit up and take notice. With critical infrastructures increasingly online, interconnected to other resources, and often in the hands of private industry, its time that we elevate this conversation.

The challenge, however, is that in many cases attacks on the critical infrastructure are less than obvious. Many of these intrusions are low and slow. These subtle attacks often resulting in incremental changes to the compromised system worry many security experts because theyre so hard to detect incrementally. Its relatively easy to recognize when major attacks happen, and the victims can then move to counter them. But sophisticated intrusions often subtly work together to eventually become a strategic liability to our country. Imagine a series of malicious activities that, once in place, are able to affect a regions ability to provide a reliable water supply, safely transport oil and gas, or provide timely emergency services.

So what can be done?

The United States critical infrastructure is owned and operated by thousands of entities, and the security problem is so interdependent and complex that were often paralyzed in determining where to start. To move forward, then, lets recall the Chinese proverb: The journey of 1,000 miles starts with one small step.

We need to start by getting security practitioners, critical infrastructure operators, and other groups to agree that securing these sectors is a 10-year problem, not a one-year problem.

Next, protecting our critical infrastructure requires a team effort. The Government cant solve the problem (critical infrastructures are primarily owned and operated by the private sector), and private companies cant be expected to take on other nations cyber militaries. By starting to work together in small ways, broadening security expertise, and conducting joint cyber projects, industry and government can begin to develop the muscle memory necessary to tackle bigger things.

Several critical infrastructure sectors need to start by developing better ways to automatically share threat and vulnerability information within their industries one mans detection is another mans prevention. While some sectors have made serious progress in this area, others have lagged behind. And as critical infrastructure resources continue to become interconnected, the weakest link problem becomes increasingly relevant.

Companies also need to focus more on exploring all dimensions of their risk; too often we focus only on Vulnerabilities and Threats. They need to also ask: What are the bad consequences Im trying to avoid? Consequence-based engineering, the practice of engineering out all the potential bad outcomes from the beginning of the system design process, needs to become the standard for the development of all critical infrastructure architectures, whether physical or virtual.

Finally, critical infrastructure operators need to increasingly embrace security automation strategies to complement their safety-oriented operational technology strategies. The best way find the incremental intrusions and respond in a coordinated and comprehensive fashion is through automation. Human eyes often cant see the low-and-slow attacks, and we cant respond fast enough once a breach has been detected.

Its well-documented that the IT industry is in the midst of a digital revolution that is impacting all segments of the economy, from how people work and interact, to how governments serve their citizens. But less appreciated is the fact that were also on the verge of a security revolution:

Security strategy is one of ubiquity, integrated to work as a contiguous system and powered by automation.

So, in a variation of the it takes a village to raise a family saying, developing a strategic approach to critical infrastructure security takes a critical mass of cooperating people who leverage the best of breed technologies and strategies to ensure our infrastructures not just survive, but thrive. At the same time, we need to better manage the problem of complexity so that it doesnt overwhelm network operators. Automated security systems, managed by a strong guild of security professionals who practice working together in times of non-crisis will be able to meet the needs of the villagers they serve - at digital speeds, and without compromising security.

Watch Phils recent video where he discusses the strategic nature of attacks against critical infrastructure and the actions necessary to bring focus on finding effective security measures.

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Securing Our Nation's Critical Infrastructure Takes A Villageand Automation - CSO Online

‘Barbershop’: A Roundup Of This Week’s Issues In technology And Culture – NPR

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'Barbershop': A Roundup Of This Week's Issues In technology And Culture
NPR
A Google memo spurs gender debates, Airbnb cancels bookings by users connected to the "Unite The Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va. and a DC man schedules six dates in one night and gets caught. Facebook; Twitter. Google+. Email. NPR thanks our ...

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Trump Administration to Begin Probe of Alleged Chinese Technology Theft – Wall Street Journal (subscription)

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Wall Street Journal (subscription)
Trump Administration to Begin Probe of Alleged Chinese Technology Theft
Wall Street Journal (subscription)
WASHINGTONThe Trump administration announced plans Saturday to pressure China over alleged intellectual property theft, adding the threat of trade retaliation to an ongoing campaign seeking greater cooperation from Beijing in the North Korean ...
Trump Administration to Launch Probe of Alleged Chinese Technology Theft -- UpdateFox Business

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Trump Administration to Begin Probe of Alleged Chinese Technology Theft - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Technology migrations are more painful, and cloud isn’t making them any easier – ZDNet

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These days, more often than not, typical migration projects mean moving applications or functions from an on-premises system to the cloud in some form or another. Migration has always been tough enough, requiring lots of pre-cutover planning and weekend work, coordinating a bunch of moving parts, as well as a lot of hand-holding for affected employees and executives. (Especially executives!)

Now, the direction of movement in many migrations is in the direction of the cloud, and despite all the talk of how simple and easy cloud makes things, it really doesn't make things any easier for the people overseeing the migration.

If anything, migration failures have seen a dramatic rise over the past few years, in line with the growing shift to cloud applications and services. A survey of 1,598 IT professionals, recently released by Vision Solutions, finds the incidence of "migration failure" rose 42% in the two most recent years the survey was conducted -- rising from from 36% of IT managers reporting failures in 2014, to 44% in 2015 and 51% in 2016.

So what gives? The cloud -- which gives everyone and anyone license to make their own IT messes -- has made things much more complicated, the survey's authors surmise. "Technology professionals are shaping and tiering the data center and want to make deliberate decisions about what software to move to the cloud," they state. "At the same time, business units maneuver around IT to gain more agile cloud-based applications, leaving companies vulnerable. But IT has to figure out the best way to inventory and manage these apps, rather than trying to root them out."

About 25% of professionals seem to be aware that business users run cloud applications outside the control of IT, while 33% admit they just don't know who uses what. Two-thirds of survey respondents now use cloud in one form or another, but managing these environments is still an inexact science. For example, IT professionals lack consensus about who is responsible for protecting data and applications in a public cloud, the survey finds. About 43% believe cloud providers are ultimately responsible, while 39% believe internal IT departments should be in charge.

At the same time, migrations -- cloud or no cloud -- have never, ever been easy. "Migrations often involve different types of hardware and software assets, planning, testing, staffing, and scheduling, so it's no surprise that they can fail," the survey's authors state.

The survey also finds largest companies (1,000 employees or more) were more likely to have experienced a migration failure (60%) versus 44% for all others. "No doubt, large organizations have more complex systems and are migrating many servers and databases, as well as applications," the survey's authors explain.

The biggest issues encountered with migrations include 44% reporting that their staffs had to work overtime (no surprise there!), coupled with system downtime (42%). How much downtime are we talking about here? The survey finds 83% of IT managers report having some degree of downtime due to a migration, and 58% reported migration downtime of an hour or more,.

Migrations often don't happen as planned, either. Two-thirds of the IT managers surveyed report they have had to postpone migrations, mainly due to concerns about downtime. The prospect of working overtime (read: weekends) also did not excite staff members for some strange reason. In fact, the majority of IT professionals worked an extra 25 hours or more during migration.

Of course, there are accompanying pains for the business, especially those still on outdated hardware and software: "performance degradation, operational inefficiencies, data loss, equipment failures or added costs as leases overlap," the survey's authors add.

The pain points cited in the survey include an inability to start applications on the new server in the required timeframe (60%), and a lack of testing resulted in late discovery of issues (39%).

"These findings indicate that the root causes of failed migration are likely poor, unrealistic planning and goal setting, and faulty testing procedures," the report's authors conclude. "While inadequate tools might account for some of these migration failures, it's clear that the human factor - including training and planning - plays a vital role." Organizations successful in their migration efforts "plans better, tests earlier, and has access to a migration tool that enables continuous uptime during migration."

And along with this advice, there's plain common sense: value everyone's feedback at all stages of the process, keep everyone in the loop and informed about what to expect, and commuincate how the new platform is going to improve their lives.

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10 Tips for Using New Technology to Benefit Your Business – Small Business Trends

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Technology is constantly changing the way businesses operate. And while thats a good thing, it can also be a bit tough for small business owners to keep up. But members of the online small business community know what its like to work with changing technology. Here are some tips theyve shared for keeping up.

Some businesses could benefit from using chatbots for certain functions like customer service. But its important to understand how exactly to use the technology before getting started. Marcia Riefer Johnston shares the how and why in this Content Marketing Institute post.

If you want to make more sales for your business, segmenting your audience using your CRM or similar tools can provide a major boost. In this Kissmetrics post, Anthony Capetola explains why youre missing out if youre not already segmenting your audience to increase conversions.

Protecting your data should be a top priority for pretty much every small business owner. And Virtual Data Rooms offer a unique opportunity to keep data safe in the cloud. Ivan Widjaya elaborates in this SMB CEO post.

Additionally, there are a number of other security methods you should consider to keep both your businesss physical and virtual property protected. Sage Singleton lists some of those methods in this post on the CorpNet blog.

When hiring marketing agencies or professionals for your business, you need to be aware of some of the shams out there so you dont end up wasting valuable time and resources. In this Strella Social Media post, Rachel Strella details some of the most common types of shams. And BizSugar members sharethoughts on the post here.

Machine learning can provide some major benefits to businesses. But it can also complicate things when it comes to SEO. Learn more about using SEO in the machine learning world in this Search Engine Journal post by Dave Davies.

Through all the technological advances in recent years, email remains a powerful way for businesses to communicate with customers and prospects. If youre looking to nurture leads by email, take a look at the examples in this SUCCESS Agency blog post by Mary Blackiston.

With so much data out there for businesses to take in, it can be difficult to know where exactly to start. But having a strong starting point is paramount, as Stephen H. Yu outlines in this Target Marketing post. He also shares some tips for making informed data decisions.

Social media platforms like Pinterest have had a major impact on how people communicate and how businesses market their products and services. For more tips on how you can use Pinterest to gain more traffic to your website or blog, check out this MyBlogU post by Ann Smarty.

Of course, Facebook is another social media platform that is evolving rapidly with new technology. To keep engagement high, check out these tips from Rebekah Radice. Then see what BizSugar members are saying about the post here.

If youd like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: [emailprotected]

Future Tech photo via Shutterstock

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New technology will help TVF&R rescue victims in the dark – KATU

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With Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue's new FLIR technology, a person in the water can easily be seen. (KATU Photo)

Firefighters are using new technology designed to save lives in dark and adverse conditions on the water.

The technology by FLIR, a local company, allows rescuers to see in the dark, fog and wintry conditions.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue demonstrated the technology to KATU on Friday night from its new boat.

With a swimmer in the water to play the part of a victim, Capt. Jon Voeller explained how the technology works.

This is a grayscale, he said about a monitor showing a black-and-white scene on the river. What happens in the grayscale is any thermal difference anything thats warm is going to show white.

Out of the grayness of the riverbank and the water, the swimmer could be easily seen on the monitor.

Using the boats floodlights to aid in the search would actually hinder the effort. Voeller said they would make the scene in the monitor diffused and unfocused. And he said the floodlights wont work at all in the fog.

(The new technology) works great in the fog, he said. That thermal image will pop right out, right through the fog. This pretty much is a game-changer.

TVF&R paid $10,000 out of its own budget for the technology.

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New technology will help TVF&R rescue victims in the dark - KATU

32-year-old woman killed when car plowed into crowd near Unite the Right rally site – The Daily Progress

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Updated, 8:14 p.m.

Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas has been empowered to "regulate, restrict or prohibit any assembly of persons, or the movement of persons or vehicles" on any public property including parks, streets and sidewalks, according to a release from city officials.

The emergency ordinance passed City Council unanimously during an emergency meeting at the Albemarle County Office Building, according to the release.

Mayor Mike Signer was quoted in the release, "The Council's decision to give Chief Thomas the authority to enact a curfew as appropriate was made out of an abundance of caution.We did so, having full confidence in Chief Thomas and regional law enforcement's ability to make the final call.

Chief Thomas has yet to take any action, according to the release.

Updated, 7:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump has offered his condolences to the family of the woman killed when a car slammed into a crowd of pedestrians on the Downtown Mall.

"Condolences to the family of the young woman killed today, and best regards to all of those injured, in Charlottesville, Virginia," he tweeted. "So sad!"

BEDMINSTER, N.J. President Donald Trump on Saturday blamed "many sides" for the violent clashes between protesters and white supremacists in Virginia and contended that the "hatred and bigotry" broadcast across the country had taken root long before his political ascendancy.

Updated, 6:33 p.m.

Charlottesville police Chief Al Thomas says a 32-year-old woman was killed when a car plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters on the Downtown Mall. The death is being investigated as a homicide, and the suspect is in custody, Thomas said.

The identity of the woman is being withheld until family can be notified.

Thomas said 35 people were injured during the Unite the Right rally and protests, adding that none was caused by the police.

It is unclear if two deaths caused by a helicopter crash near Birdwood Golf Course are connected to the Unite the Right rally, authorities said, but The Associated Press cited officials in establishing a connection.

President Donald Trump in a tweet said two Virginia State Police troopers died. "Deepest condolences to the families & fellow officers of the VA State Police who died today," he wrote. "You're all among the best this nation produces."

Updated, 5:40 p.m.

The organizer of a rally that drew hundreds of white nationalists and other extremists to Charlottesville says he disavows the violence that eroded it.

Jason Kessler said in an interview Saturday evening that whoever drove a car into a group of counter-protesters did the wrong thing. He said he was saddened that people were hurt.

Kessler is a local blogger and activist who described the event as a pro-white rally. He planned it to protest the citys decision to remove a Confederate monument.

He also criticized law enforcements response to the event, which was dispersed before speakers could take the stage.

He said they did a poor job controlling the chaos to allow free speech.

- The Associated Press

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle reverses after plowing into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

This car, stopped on Monticello Avenue, was seen plowing into people on the Downtown Mall.

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Clergy members link arms in front of Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Members of Vanguard America stand at the edge of Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Militia members position themselves between people attending the Unite the Right rally and counter-protesters at Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Cornel West sings with clergy members outside Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

People attending the Unite the Right rally enter Emancipation Park before the scheduled start in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Counter-protesters arrive at Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Members of the National Socialist Movement arrive at Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

People attending the Unite the Right rally arrive at Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

People attending the Unite the Right rally clash with counter-protesters before the scheduled start of the rally at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Alt-Right protesters hold shields at the entrance to Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Alt-Right groups clash with counter-protesters outside Emancipation Park before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Jason Kessler walks with supporters to McIntire Park after the gathering at Emancipation Park was declared at unlawful assembly by police before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Augustus Sol Invictus walks with supporters to McIntire Park after the gathering at Emancipation Park was declared at unlawful assembly by police before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Alt-Right protesters arrive at McIntire Park after the gathering at Emancipation Park was declared at unlawful assembly by police before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Alt-Right protesters arrive at McIntire Park after the gathering at Emancipation Park was declared at unlawful assembly by police before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Police walk the Downtown Mall after the gathering at Emancipation Park was declared at unlawful assembly by police before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Police maintain a perimeter around Emancipation Park after an unlawful assembly was declared before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Respect, tolerance, peace and love are written in chalk on the steps of Emancipation Park which is empty after an unlawful assembly was declared by police before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

Counter-protesters march through the streets around the Downtown mall after an unlawful assembly was declared by police before the scheduled start of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

A vehicle reverses after plowing into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. Photo/Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress

This car, stopped on Monticello Avenue, was seen plowing into people on the Downtown Mall.

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

Protestors and counter protestors take to the streets after the Unite the Right rally was declared unlawful by Virginia State Police Saturday, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Photo/Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress

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32-year-old woman killed when car plowed into crowd near Unite the Right rally site - The Daily Progress