Monthly Archives: July 2020

Broken teapots removed from Teapot Hill by concerned Chilliwack hiker – Chilliwack Progress

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Folks who hike regularly may be familiar with the advice to leave only footprints behind.

But the endless stream of teapots left on Teapot Hill in Cultus Lake Provincial Park are the exception to that golden rule.

A recent batch of broken shards were removed from Teapot Hill recently by a concerned local hiker and artist who was saddened by what she found.

I filled my backpack with smashed teapots hiking back from Teapot Hill, wrote Sylvie Roussel-Janssens in a Facebook post.

She said shed never seen such a mess on the hugely popular trail. She couldnt get all the intact or broken teapots as she could only carry out what she could fit in her backpack, and there are so many up there.

Lets take care of our parks, she gently urged fellow trail users. It is our common responsibility.

Of course the teapots could have broken from the repeated cycle of freeze-and-thaw of winter, and not be smashed intentionally, but its hard to tell.

COVID or not, pick-up a bit of trash, Roussel-Janssens said. You can wash your hands later of course. It is too late for adults if they do not know that it is our job to do, but kids are watching.

A lot of them saw me and noticed.

READ MORE: Teapots disappearing from Teapot Hill

People hiding teapots all over Teapot Hill is actually a relatively new phenomenon, said Rob Wilson, area supervisor for BC Parks and Protected Areas in the South Fraser area, in an interview with the Progress.

The area was logged around 1940, and they built what was known as Road 918, now the Cultus Lake Horse Trail, and the trail that leads up to Teapot Hill. During road construction, an equipment operator walked over to the hill and found a single teapot. Thats how Teapot Hill got its name.

In the decades since, park users started placing teapots in various spots on Teapot Hill for fun, like on rocks or in trees. Some make it a point to seek them out every time they come.

The contractor who maintains Cultus Lake Provincial Park however has been dutifully removing teapots especially the broken ones, upon the request of park management for safety and environmental reasons.

READ MORE: Rocks and debris near boat launch

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: jfeinberg@theprogress.com

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Broken teapots removed from Teapot Hill by concerned Chilliwack hiker - Chilliwack Progress

J.R. Smith Found Out He Didnt Pack Enough Underwear For The Bubble The Hard Way And Ive Never Related To An NBA Player More – BroBible

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The players inside the NBA bubble in Orlando have provided us with an endless stream of content ever since they began to descend on Walt Disney World Resorts a couple of weeks ago. With all of the excitement (and the bitching and moaning) surrounding their accommodations, it was almost easy to forget the reason they were there in the first place.

Its a little harder to do that now with exhibition games officially underway, and with the season scheduled tp officially resume in about a week, well have real, actual basketball to entertain ourselves with in addition to the shenanigans that unfold on the campus.

As I mentioned, there were more than a few guys who had a hard time adjusting to the incredibly rough existence that is an all-expenses-paid stay at a resort in Florida. Sure, it might not be ideal, but as Steven Adams noted, there are certainly worse places you could find yourself.

I think one of the biggest adjustments players had to make stemmed from the fact that they were confronted with a rare situation where they cant just whip out a credit card to solve any problem they encounter, as some of the things that are cramping their style are simply out of their control.

As a result, there was only so much they could do to make their stay as comfortable as possible. However, J.R. Smith recently encountered an unfortunate situation and had no one to blame but himself, as he shared he made the fatal and classic error of looking at his suitcase and thinking, Yeah, I definitely packed enough socks and underwear before learning the hard way that wasnt the case.

Seven pairs of underwear?Seven??? Come on, J.R. Thats a rookie mistake and youve been in the NBA for 17 seasons. You always have to pack way more underwear than you think youll need. Its the golden rule of packing.

Luckily for him, as he mentioned in the video, the laundry system in the bubble looks like a Tesla factory for clean socks and seems to be pretty efficient.

Seriously though, if Im working at an underwear company right now, my number one priority is sending J.R. a care package full of boxers and briefs. He just put out a marketing opportunity on a silver platter.

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J.R. Smith Found Out He Didnt Pack Enough Underwear For The Bubble The Hard Way And Ive Never Related To An NBA Player More - BroBible

Actress Daniella Monet on Raising Son Vegan and "Figuring It Out" – The Beet

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Insta-star, beauty entrepreneur, and former child actress, Daniella Monethas grown up in front of the camera and now that she is a mom to 10-month-old son Gio, her transition has been made easier by one enduring value, her vegan way of life. The natural beauty sat down with The Beetscolumnist,Elysabeth Alfanoto discuss her approach to food, healthy living, and raising herson vegan in a world where it takes a commitment to be vegan, chemical-free and cruelty-free.She is looking forward to teaching Gio about veganism, when he is old enough.

Daniella first appeared on our collective consciousness forher role asTrina Vega in Victorious,the popularNickelodeon show about theusual social upheaval and traps of high school. The show was canceled despite huge fan appeal after just three seasons but all of the major cast members (Ariana Grande, also a vegan) went on to enormous success.

Daniellasrecent stardom has come from her social media channels, especially Instagram, where she connects with millions of fans around the globe with her incredible candor and authentic approach. They love following herhealthy lifestyle, where she talks about being vegan, healthy, and kind whiletouting her boxes of vegan beauty products.

A vegan since her early teens,Daniella has parlayed her success as an actress and Instagram star into becoming an ethical and impact investor. She is one of the powerhouseinvestorssupporting vegan companies such as Outstanding Foods (they sell Pork-less Pork Rinds, or as they say: Pork rinds without the pig!). She also is a co-creator ofKinder Beauty Box, a monthly beauty subscription service delivering boxes of vegan cruelty-free, clean beauty, which she founded with her partner,Evanna Lynch, who most notably played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movies.

Daniellahas long been living out her vegan life on-line. Back in 2017, she launched her YouTube show is called "D Takes Your V-Card" to help others eat more vegan or plant-based choices. In the first episode, Daniella shows her younger cousin Shane howhe can choose toeat plant-based eggs for breakfast. The series was a modest hit, but it gave her a voice in the vegan food and ethical beauty space: She got her most watches when she shared getting her period and searching for vegan, cruelty-free, all-natural feminine hygiene products. It was at the beginning of her vegan beauty journey toward her latest venture, Kinder Beauty.

More recently, motherhood has given Daniellathe conviction to speak out about her vegan values, and she said she thinks that being pregnant instilled in her the strength and the platform to promote a vegan lifestyle. "Being pregnant has instilled a totally different level of strength in me. Ive always been empathetic and just generally very compassionate toward animals, but when it comes to mothers mother cows I feel a connection and a strength in me to provide a voice for them that I didnt even know I really had until being pregnant myself, she said in a video forMercy for Animals.

When asked whether she will raise Gio vegan, in an interview with Mercy for Animals' Compassionate Life, she said: "Nothing makes memore giddy than to imagine him growing up knowing this from birth. Something about having instilled this from infancy seems magical to me. And to be able to give that to him"She added:"Whatever he decides to do in his life... the best that I can do is shed light on the things that I think matter and speak the truth and watch him sort of run with it.

In this interview, Daniella and Elysabeth discuss how and why Daniella went vegan, how her relatives overcame cancer by doing the same, her favorite recipe, and her vision for using her platform for change in the world.Grab your plant-based milk and watch excerpts from Elysabeth and Daniellas inspirational, long-form conversation below.

Elysabeth: So how did you become vegan?

Daniella: Well, first I became a vegetarian at about five years old. Yeah, I was pretty young. I was also very inquisitive.

Elysabeth: Did you choose it or did your parents?

Daniella: I chose it. But I kinda I hate to say this but it really did choose me.I was in the right place at the right time. I went toa family dude ranch with my family and it was beautiful and everything, but there was one day where they did a rodeo on the property and the guys lassoed the cow's feet and legs together, flipped them on their backs and literally, it just sounds like the most dramatic fall ever. And then they score them with these horrendous torches to brand them and shortly after that, I think we were eating dinner at the dining hall, and they were serving these steaks and talking about their meats and how they raised them, and so on and so forth. I asked a lot of questions and I got really lucky because I remember my dad being really honest with me, and just saying this is what it is and that was it for me. I did not ever want to eat an animal after that, and I think as I got a little bit older, I learned more about veganism organically. My uncle was dying of cancer and I actually grew up near Follow Your Heart [the veganmayo and cheese company]. So, I was really fortunate.

Elysabeth: Oh yes, the company Follow Your Heart!

Daniella: But theres also a restaurant which is amazing. Its like a tiny little [lunch spot] and its been there forever since I was a baby. And so that was really the only experience I had with vegetarian and vegan food and my aunt when my uncle was struggling with cancer, decided to have a chef come over and I think they were related to Follow Your Heart because they were teaching us recipes that he could be eating while he was at home. So, she was like come on over, youre vegetarian, you might like this and I learned about veganism in that moment.

"I realized if youre struggling with cancer you need to get your health in check. Its important to take away the animal products and so that triggered it. And in middle school, in about 6th grade, so[when I was] about eleven or twelve years old, I read a book that was called Skinny Bitch, which is so weird that its called that, but its such an amazing, informative book about animal activism and about what really happens in the food industry. Its so old now but I would imagine its pretty relevant to even today because it talked about (it)- like that was the first time I ever heard about factory farming and what happens in factory farming, and that was it. I just knewI had already been vegetarian, mostly veganand when I was about eleven-years-old, I went completely vegan.

Elysabeth: How was the transition for you?Thats almost twenty years ago now so not many people were doing it, and then your folks were maybe on board or maybe they werent, or your friends at school, what did they think?

Daniella: Yeah I think Ive always just kind of been different. Like people would always say, Are you going to be okay? Are you going to be able to eat something? Or you know I made you this like people want to help you for sure. My family was pretty supportive Id say.

My grandma, I remember her trying to sneak meat into the tomato sauce because she was just worried, naive, and worried that I wasnt getting the right nutrients. But everyone at this point, like my parents both had cancer, at one point, and they both went vegan while they went through treatment. So, they actually came to me and that was a cool moment for sure.

Elysabeth: When you're busy, whats the go-to meal you can make every time? Its always good. Its super fast. Whats your go-to meal?

Daniella: Okay, well, if its not a salad, which I know sounds so boring, but I eat a salad like every day. No question. I just crave it. I usually make a stir fry.I always have San Marzano organic cento tomatoes, always. So Ill always have the tomatoes and Ill throw in any produce that I have, whether it be onions and garlic to start with, olive oil, kale, and then a bean of some sort like a white bean or cannellini or garbanzo, whatever I have. And then, gosh you could go anywhere from there like you could put roasted potatoes and make it more hearty. I mean thats my go-to.

Elysabeth: Rice and beans is itfor me. I mean, how easy can you get.

Daniella: And its a complete protein.

Elysabeth: Complete protein! Yeah, really wonderful.

Elysabeth: Do you have a favorite phrase that you live by? Ill give you a little example while youre thinking about that. I love to say, Nose to the grindstone, eyes to the sky.

Daniella: I got a tattoo about five years ago. It was my first tattoo and I thought about it long and hard and its going to sound really young initially, but it really means something to me. It says, You only live once and at the time everyone was saying YOLO, YOLO whatever. So, I just think to me if you really think about it broader, like your real true body, form, whatever you want to think after us, great. But as this person right now, like Im living once and Im going to take advantage of that. So, take adventures, like take risks, you know, especially when youre younger, you know. Set yourself up for the future so that you can really enjoy.

Elysabeth: Theres this expression I love: Todays the day. Your life is today, you just dont know about the rest of it, so todays the day. Todays the day to go get it, go after it.

Daniella: I love that.

Elysabeth: Yeah super helpful. Okay, so youve talked a lot about purpose...What would you like to be known for?

Daniella: I want to be known for being someone whos just a good person and a good role model. A role model for me has always been important, and I think being on Nickelodeon for twelve years, I grew up in a lot of families homes and I was babysitting then, as well. Like I still am very involved with a lot of kids in my family. Im the oldest of my cousins. I just want people to look up to me and think like, She may not be perfect, but shes doing the best she can and I just hope that people would call me a role model, you know?

Elysabeth: Thats wonderful and I think many do actually.

Daniella: I hope so. I have a lot to learn but Im willing to share along the way, you know? Im willing to figure it out at least.

Daniella, with 4 million followers, is so popular because she makes us all want to make positive changes and lives, and live our best liveswhile we "figure it out."

To watch the full interview, click here. To watch more Awesome Vegans Influencer Series, click here.

Elysabeth Alfano is a plant-basedjournalist covering plant-based health, food, culture, business, and environmental news. Follow her @elysabethalfano on all platforms.

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Actress Daniella Monet on Raising Son Vegan and "Figuring It Out" - The Beet

A National Crisis: The Imperative for Improving Civic Education – The Cipher Brief

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Ted McConnell is Senior Policy Advisor forCivXNow Coalition, and Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, is former General Counsel at CIA and NSA and is a member of the executive board of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law. @CivXNow

OPINION These are confounding and painful times. In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare a tragic divide in health outcomes among communities based on race, ethnicity, and wealth. And now, this problem which exists in every aspect of society and its opportunitiesincluding in education, housing, and employmenthas been further exacerbated by yet another example of the cultural disconnect between local police and the minority residents they are sworn to protect. The resulting outrage at the latest gratuitous killing of a Black man was predictable.

Long simmering grievances within the Black community about the governments historic mistreatment that has been enabled by a dominant white societys lack of concern have been worsened by the frustrating inability to effectuate real change. It has been gratifying to see how largely peaceful protests have brought these inequities so clearly and responsibly to the fore. At the same time, it is also troubling that some parties appear to view this tragedy irresponsibly as a way to stoke even greater anger and dissension and increasing polarization. Unfortunately, as recent experience teaches, they will not be alone. We must expect that some, among them hostile foreign actors, will take full advantage of the current crisis to amplify anger as a way to deepen the nations ethnic, racial, and income divides. As always, their goal will be to erode confidence in our democratic system and foster a sense of hopelessness about the possibility of reform and accountability.

Such foreign threats, well documented inrecent reports, are the topic of a subsequent blog post. What will be clear is that these efforts are designed to weaken the United States from within, encouraging internal dissension and undermining support for government institutions and civil society, particularlyamong those long marginalized. Such efforts end-run the historic U.S. national security posture of projecting force away from the domestic arena to keep the homeland safe. By operatingwithinthe United States to amplify domestic grievances, such attacks undermine national cohesionwithout the need for an external challenge. As such, they are as much a national security threat as would be an externally launched attack by a hostile armed force. These threats find fertile ground in the current outrage over police misconduct and the disparate impact of COVID-19 on our disadvantaged minority citizens.

While profoundly disturbing, the widespread protests and the outrage they reflect should not surprise us. They result from inattention to legitimate grievances of those who have long suffered from inequitable treatment based on race, ethnicity, and income. This situation is reflected in the sharp decline in public confidence in government and civil society which has been apparent for some time. In 2019, this lack of trust in the government was well documented by the Pew Research Center. The centersJuly 2019 reportdetails the loss of trust of Americans in the government, the news media, and one another. Perhaps most disturbing was the finding that almost half of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 fell into the low trust category, as compared to one-fifth of those over 65. Furthermore, [o]nly 17%of Americans today say they can trust the government in Washington to do what is right just about always (3%) or most of the time (14%). And last month,The New YorkTimesinterviewed a cross section of people and reached the same conclusion. In fact, thisreportingsuggested that the level of trust in the government to do the right thing may have actually declined below the troubling 17% reported by Pew.

The picture is bleak but not without hope. The Pew Research Center reported that more than 90% of those surveyed, regardless of political affiliation, believed it important to improve the level of confidence Americans have in government and each other. And an encouraging 80% believed such improvement was possible. Perhaps the deeply upsetting current crisis can nonetheless serve as a catalyst for change. If so, we dare not ignore this opportunity.

And so now, even in the midst of a singularly painful period of protests, a brief pause is in order. If we are to formulate an approach to addressing the current situation effectively, the first step must be to understand how we arrived at this point. Only then can we fashion a strategy to begin addressing what can be done in useful response to the outpouring of rage at the current state of affairs across a broad range of issuesissues that disproportionately impact the nations disadvantaged minority populations. Stated otherwise, the COVID-19 pandemic and protests about police misconduct have made clear the problems our democracy faces. The question that remains is how best to achieve lasting change. It is a question thateveryAmerican, white and non-white alike, must acknowledge and embrace. In the end, our democracy only works for any one of us if it works for all.

The answer begins with a truism. A democratic republic depends on a citizenry and an electorate that is informed about the issues and challenges of the day and is equipped to take advantage of the mechanisms of its government to achieve change. This is, of course, the fundamental premise on which our system of public education is based. Our schools are expected to teachallcitizens about their history and their government and, most importantly, to enable their effective participation. Indeed, one explanation for the outrage exhibited in recent demonstrations may be that those most directly impacted by unacceptable policies in policing, health care, education, and economic opportunity are frustrated by their inability to achieve lasting change. This may be because they have not received the civic education they need to empower them in managing the levers of public policy and government fundamental to achieving real change.

In fact, this analytical construct finds considerable support when todays state of civic education is considered. In subsequent blog posts, we will describe countless surveys that chart a decline in civic education and document the lack of understanding of all citizens about their government. The conclusion is unassailable: in recent decades there has been a precipitous decline in attention to civic literacy at all levels of the educational continuum, from secondary schools to college and graduate teacher education. Most recently, the Department of Education released the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) which documents the outcome of the 2018 Civics and U.S. History exams given to 8thgraders across the country. Considered the nations Report Card, theNAEP resultsshow that between 2014 and 2018, only 24% of respondents scored at or above the level of proficiencya dismal showing relatively unchanged for many years. Upon release of the results, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos candidlynotedthat We cannot continue to excuse this problem away. Instead, we need to fundamentally rethink education in America. It is the only way our nations students will be in a position to lead our nation and the world.

Even more significantly, this failure of civic education resulting from declining time and attention over several generations has likely contributed to aloss of appreciation for democracyas a system of government based on the rule of law. It seems equally obvious that the fall-off in civic literacy is part of the explanation for the current political dysfunction and loss of faith in our politics and government institutions. It may also contribute to the intense frustration of those now protesting a wide range of societal inequities from police misconduct to health, education, and economic disparities laid bare by COVID-19.

Yet despite the grave state of civic education today, efforts at reform are underway and have begun to show promise. The CivXNow Coalition has created a national movement to improve and strengthen state and national policies and practices in delivering civic education. These efforts have produced recent successes in several states which, among other things, have developed and implemented new learning standards, measures of assessment and accountability, and course and time requirements for civic education. These measures are designed to engage and empower students rather than to rely upon rote learning.

In the end, however, an even broader commitment to civic education reform and understanding, both in formal education and throughout society, is needed. Once again, there is hopeful news. In March 2020, reports by two commissions formed to address completely different challenges facing the nation found that improving civic literacy was a fundamental starting point. After two and a half years of review, the final report, Inspired to Serve of the congressionally chartered National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service (NCMNPS), concluded that to increase participation in a wide range of service activities it would be essential to strengthen and expand civic educationthe necessary foundation for developing a culture of service. Similarly, The Cyberspace Solarium Commission found that enhancing civic education and media literacy would be critical to protecting the nation against democracy-undermining cyber threats.

These developments should inform any response to the current tragic circumstances that have so galvanized protesters in countless cities around the nation. The slide into civic illiteracy disproportionately impacts those communities most in need of advocating for themselves, once again highlighting the divide based on race, ethnicity, and income. The lack of civic education available in these communities translates into reduced levels of political engagement. While overall voting participation by youth is poor, not surprisingly black and Latinx youth vote at even lower rates than their white counterparts. This adds to the dysfunction in our political and governmental systems todaythe heart of protestors concerns. To protect our constitutional democracy from internal and external threats, improved civic understanding and engagement across all parts of our society, in our educational institutions and beyond, are more than critical needs. In todays threat environment, they have become a national security imperative.

We hope this introduction will encourage learning more about the relationship among civic education, domestic tranquility, and national security at what may arguably be an existential moment in the history of our democracy.

This piece was first published by our friends at the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at The University of Pennsylvania

Read more expert-driven national security insight, perspective and analysis in The Cipher Brief

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A National Crisis: The Imperative for Improving Civic Education - The Cipher Brief

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Who is behind APT29? What we know about this nation-state cybercrime group – The Daily Swig

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APT29 has been accused of targeting coronavirus vaccine organizations, but this is not the first time the group has attracted global attention

In a July 2020 report, the UK and its allies publicly blamed cyber-attacks on organizations involved in coronavirus vaccine development on APT29, a hacking group linked to Russian intelligence agencies.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, blamed APT29 for an ongoing campaign of malicious activity predominantly against government, diplomatic, think-tank, healthcare and energy targets to steal valuable intellectual property.

Known targets of APT29 include UK, US and Canadian vaccine research and development organizations, according to a joint alert by NCSC and its intelligence partners in the Canadian Communication Security Establishment and the National Security Agency (NSA).

A full assessment (PDF) offers advice to potentially targeted organizations, as well as firing a shot against the bow of Russian intelligence by publicly calling the Kremlin out for what the NCSCs director of operations, Paul Chichester, described as despicable attacks against those doing vital work to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

But what do we know about this threat group? The Daily Swig takes a deeper look.

APT29 is a hacking group that western intelligence agencies and various cybersecurity firms have linked to Russian state intelligence agencies.

Hacked security camera footage allowed the Dutch intelligence service AIVD to link APT29 to the Russian Foreign intelligence service (SVR).

Security intelligence firm CrowdStrike attributed APT29 to either the SVR or Russias Federal Security Service (FSB).

APT in this instance stands for advanced persistent threat security industry shorthand for a state-sponsored threat group.

APT29 has been given various nicknames by cybersecurity firms, including Cozy Bear, CozyDuke, and the Dukes, among others.

As well as espionage around Covid-19 vaccine data, APT29 has been blamed for a number of other high-profile attacks over the last five years, according to analysis from FireEye Mandiant.

These alleged incidents include:

According to Symantec, APT29 has been attacking diplomatic organizations and governments since at least 2010, if not earlier.

APT29 Cozy Bear was implicated alongside another Kremlin-linked hacker group, Fancy Bear (APT28, widely credited as a unit of the Russian military intelligence directorate, GRU), in the cyber-attacks against the DNC during 2016 US presidential election.

The threat group is known to be interested in foreign intelligence, according to Finnish security firm F-Secure.

APT29 has traditionally focused on intelligence to inform national and security policy, rather than the theft of intellectual property, Calvin Gan, manager at F-Secures tactical defense unit, told The Daily Swig.

However, Covid-19 could be such a major national security priority for Russia that they need all hands on deck.

The tradecraft of APT29 is generally credited as more subtle and sophisticated than that of APT28, the even more infamous Kremlin-linked cybercrime group.

Ben Read, senior manager of analysis at Mandiant Threat Intelligence, told The Daily Swig: APT29 has historically targeted geopolitical intelligence, with a focus on stealing information.

They have not been linked to the type of disruptive operations that APT28 and Sandworm team have undertaken but have instead operated with much more discretion.

APT29 uses a variety of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) including spear-phishing and custom malware known as WellMess and WellMail.

According to Mandiant, APT29 is an adaptive and disciplined threat group that hides its activity on a victims network.

In the past it has communicated infrequently and in a way that closely resembles legitimate traffic, Mandiant explains.

By using legitimate popular web services, the group has taken advantage of encrypted SSL connections, making detection even more difficult.

APT29 is one of the most evolved and capable threat groups, according to Mandiants analysis:

It deploys new backdoors to fix its own bugs and add features. It monitors network defender activity to maintain control over systems. APT29 has also often used compromised servers for [command and control] communication.

It counters attempts to remediate attacks. It also maintains a fast development cycle for its malware, quickly altering tools to hinder detection.

APT29 has been known to switch tactics and approaches (notably between smash-and-grab and slow-and-deliberate) depending on the perceived intelligence value and/or infection method of victims, according to an ATT&CK Evaluations assessment by Mitre Corporation.

APT29 is known to employ a vast arsenal of malware toolsets, according to F-Secure:

The Dukes have engaged in apparently biannual large-scale spear-phishing campaigns against hundreds or even thousands of recipients associated with governmental institutions and affiliated organizations.

These campaigns utilize a smash-and-grab approach involving a fast but noisy break-in followed by the rapid collection and exfiltration of as much data as possible.

If the compromised target is discovered to be of value, the Dukes will quickly switch the toolset used and move to using stealthier tactics focused on persistent compromise and long-term intelligence gathering.

More details on APT29s alleged tactics can be found in a recent white paper on APT29 by F-Secure (PDF).

Patch management and other techniques can help to defend against APT29 and similar attackers.

APT groups typically update their arsenal fairly quickly and are customized to the target or environment that they are interested in, F-Secures Gan explained.

While EDR [endpoint detection and response] is around to spot for suspicious behaviors within the network, it is only one part of the defense strategy.

There are other processes and technologies that must be in place to minimize loopholes as much as possible. This includes patch management, as we have seen in the recent advisory of how APT29 purportedly gained a foothold through known vulnerabilities.

Tony Cole, CTO at Attivo Networks, added: Its unfortunate that an actor such as APT29 with such sophisticated capabilities is still able to simply scan targets for existing known vulnerabilities and then compromise with little effort or use phishing emails to obtain their initial set of credentials.

Organizations must step up their efforts to counter adversaries targeting them.

Read more of the latest cyber-attack news

Cole continued: Patching is an imperative that must be met. Instrumentation focused on detection and lateral movement inside the network perimeter and across all endpoints is another imperative since prevention often fails regardless of defensive spending.

Charity Wright, a cyber threat intelligence advisor at IntSights and former NSA Chinese espionage expert, told The Daily Swig: The Russian intelligence services are organized and deliberate about their targeting, missions, and toolsets. They adapt and overcome target defenses and typically go after strategic intelligence, military, and government entities.

She advised: Organizations should understand what valuable data they have, which state-sponsored groups would be likely to target them either for their proprietary data or to use them as a third party to pivot to their target, and be prepared to defend against those APTs.

Utilizing a threat intelligence service, creating intelligence requirements, and integrating tactical intelligence into their defense strategy is vital to protecting their assets. I would also encourage them to conduct threat modeling and purple team exercises to prepare for increases in attacks from nation-state cyber threats.

Russias basic stance is to acknowledge that cyber-attacks are happening but to deny any responsibility.

In July 2020, Russias Ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, gave an interview with Deborah Haynes, foreign affairs editor at Sky News, claiming that Russia itself was frequently targeted by cyber-attacks and calling for the creation of a convention on cyber-warfare.

READ MORE Russian national pleads guilty over involvement in $568m cybercrime operation

We would like to set up a normal order, under the UN auspices, probably a convention, which would provide for easily understandable rules of cooperation, Kelin said. Otherwise there will be a cyber chaos.

When pressed on accusations that Russias cyber activities pose threat to the UK, Kelin raised doubts about attribution.

The cyber world is extremely complicated, but attribution of cyber-attacks to the government of any country is very dubious, he said.

During the interview, Kelin went on to dismiss the latest, very specific accusation that Russian intelligence agencies as being behind cyber-attacks against vaccine research centers. Those accusations are about nothing, he said.

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Who is behind APT29? What we know about this nation-state cybercrime group - The Daily Swig

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Several streets in Karachi cordoned off reportedly due to terror threat – Outlook India

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Karachi, Jul 23 (PTI) Law enforcement personnel in Pakistan on Thursday sealed some areas and roads around foreign diplomatic missions in Karachi''s Clifton neighbourhood reportedly due to a terror threat.

Residents of the area were surprised to see blockades in many areas of the posh residential neighbourhood.

According to law enforcement sources, many areas in the Clifton neighbourhood particularly those around foreign diplomatic missions were closed down due to a terror threat.

Police sources said a security high alert has been issued for the city''s ''Red Zone''.

Some routes [have been] blocked as part of some extra security measures. Nothing to worry about," Deputy Inspector General South Javed Akbar Riaz said.

The heightened security measures come a month after four militants attempted to storm the Karachi Stock Exchange building.

All four terrorists were killed in the gun-and-grenade attack that also claimed the lives of four security personnel.

In November 2018, a terror attack on the Chinese consulate in Clifton was foiled by security forces in which seven people, including three terrorists, were killed.

PTI Corr NSA

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI

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Several streets in Karachi cordoned off reportedly due to terror threat - Outlook India

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Terraforming Mars on the App Store

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CREATE LIFE ON MARS

Lead a corporation and launch ambitious Mars terraforming projects. Direct massive construction works, manage and use your resources, create cities, forests and oceans, and set rewards and objectives to win the game!

In Terraforming Mars, place your cards on the board and use them wisely:- Achieve a high Terraform Rating, by increasing the temperature and oxygen level or creating oceans... Make the planet habitable for future generations!- Get Victory Points by building cities, infrastructure and other ambitious projects.- But watch out! Rival corporations will try to slow you down... That's a nice forest you planted there... It'd be a shame if an asteroid crashed right on it.

Will you be able to lead humanity into a new era? The terraforming race begins now!

Features:The official adaptation of Jacob Fryxelius' famous board game.Mars for all: Play against the computer or challenge up to 5 players in multiplayer mode, online or offline.Game variant: Try the rules of the Corporate Era for a more complex game. With the addition of new cards, including 2 new corporations, focused on economy and technology, you will discover one of the most strategic variants of the game!Solo Challenge: Finish terraforming Mars before the end of generation 14. Try new rules and features in the most challenging Solo mode on the (red) planet.

Languages available: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish

To find more information about Asmodee Digital, please go to http://www.asmodee-digital.com/

Having an issue? Looking for support? Please contact us: https://asmodee.helpshift.com/

Find all the latest news for Terraforming Mars on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asmodeedigital/Twitter: https://twitter.com/asmodeedigitalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/asmodeedigital/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/asmodeedigital

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Terraforming Mars on the App Store

Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child – Monitor

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Ramirez

A traffic stop by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper resulted in the rescue of a previously reported 14-year-old runaway child by the Brownsville Police Department, according to a news release.

Jesus Arroyo Ramirez, a 22-year-old Mexican national, was arrested and charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle, failure to identify and harboring a runaway child all misdemeanors.

On Tuesday, a DPS trooper attempted to stop a vehicle traveling north on US 77 and Boca Chica Boulevard in Brownsville for a traffic violation.

According to the release, the driver, identified as Ramirez, didnt stop, which initiated a vehicle pursuit through city and residential streets which resulted in Ramirez crashing into a home.

With the assistance of the Brownsville police, the 14-year-old girl was released into the custody of a legal guardian after the trooper determined through investigative techniques, according to officials, the female passenger was reported as a runaway.

According to officials, an investigation into the relationship between Ramirez and the child passenger is being conducted with assistance from the Texas Rangers Division.

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Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child - Monitor

6 Virtual Creative Classes to Try This Summer – D Healthcare Daily

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Class: $55 | Kit: $65

This dreamy art studio in Denton has sold 50,000 of their beloved creative kits to date; now, theyre offering online classes to accompany them. Once you register for this hand lettering course, youll have lifetime access to online resources like video demos and written guides.

Class and Kit (Local Pick-Up): $55 | Class and Kit (Shipped): $65

Oil and Cottons approachable art classes will help you master the basics of watercolor technique. Each workshop has a different project; you might paint a rose garden, a Mediterranean landscape, or a Monstera leaf, to name a few.Have your kit shipped or pick it up at Oil and Cottons Oak Cliff location.

Class and Supplies (Free Delivery): $100

Luxury floral designer RAOFACTOR is now offering intimate virtual courses for just 10 students at a time. Youll receive 30 stems of bright blossoms and greenery to craft an avant-garde arrangement in real time over Zoom.

Class: $45 | Kit: $45

Gouache (rhymes with squash, if you were wondering) is like a combination of watercolor and acrylic, and Wildflower Art Studio says its a great medium for beginners. For your first project, youll paint a monarch butterfly that will be pretty enough to frame, whether youre a painting newbie or seasoned crafter.

Class and Supplies (Local Pickup): $75+

The Iman Projects workshops were created to give everyone a seat at the table, and though the events are now virtual, founder Bree Clarke still manages to foster a sense of community via video call. Sign up for a Wine and Design class to receive everything you need to design a bold bouquet, as well as a bottle of Texas-made Boca Chica Wine. Keep an eye out for The Iman Projects new national workshops. The suppliesincluding the live flowerscan be mailed, so the class makes a great gift for far-away family members.

Kit: $40+

Craft your own soy wax candle with these DIY candle kits. Choose from several types of vessels, from matte to metallic, then select an essential oil blend to add fragrance. Want to take your DIY-ing to the next level? The company also offers a deluxe starter kit with 12 vessels, 5 scents, and 5 pounds of wax.

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New Osteoporosis Recommendations From AACE Help Therapy Selection – Medscape

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Recommendations on use of the new dual-action anabolic agent romosozumab (Evenity, Amgen)and how to safely transition between osteoporosis agents are two of the issues addressed in the latest clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and American College of Endocrinology (ACE).

"This guideline is a practical tool for endocrinologists, physicians in general, regulatory bodies, health-related organizations, and interested laypersons regarding the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis," the authors say.

The guidelines focus on 12 key clinical questions related to postmenopausal osteoporosis, with 52 specific recommendations, each graded according to the level of evidence.

They also include a treatment algorithm to help guide choice of therapy.

Among key updates is an emphasis on the role of the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) in the diagnosis of osteoporosis in patients with osteopenia.

While patients have traditionally been diagnosed with osteoporosis based on the presence of low bone mineral density (BMD) in the absence of fracture, the updated guidelines indicate that osteoporosis may be diagnosed in patients with osteopenia and an increased fracture risk using FRAX.

"The use of FRAX and osteopenia to diagnosis osteoporosis was first proposed by the National Bone Health Alliance years ago, and in the 2016 guideline, we agreed with it," Pauline M. Camacho, MD, co-chair of the guidelines task force, told Medscape Medical News.

"We reiterate in the 2020 guideline that we feel this is a valid diagnostic criteria," said Camacho, professor of medicine and director of the Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease Center, Loyola University, in Maywood, Illinois.

"It makes sense because when the thresholds are met by FRAX in patients with osteopenia, treatment is recommended. Therefore, why would they not fulfill treatment criteria for diagnosing osteoporosis?"

An increased risk of fracture based on a FRAX score may also be used to determine pharmacologic therapy, as can other traditional factors such as a low T-score or a fragility fracture, the guidelines state.

Another key update is the clarification of the risk stratification of patients who are high risk versus very high risk, which is key in determining the initial choice of agents and duration of therapy.

Specifically, patients should be consideredat a very high fracture risk if they have the following criteria: a recent fracture (eg, within the past 12 months), fractures while on approved osteoporosis therapy, multiple fractures, fractures while on drugs causing skeletal harm (eg, long-term glucocorticoids), very low T-score (eg, less than 3.0), a high risk for falls or history of injurious falls, and a very high fracture probability by FRAX (eg, major osteoporosis fracture > 30%, hip fracture > 4.5%) or other validated fracture risk algorithm.

Meanwhile, patients should be considered at high risk if they have been diagnosed with osteoporosis but do not meet the criteria for very high fracture risk.

Another important update provides information on the role of one of the newest osteoporosis agents on the market, the anabolic drug romosozumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against sclerostin.

The drug's approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 for postmenopausal women at high risk of fracture was based on two large trials that showed dramatic increases in bone density through modeling as well as remodeling.

Those studies specifically showed significant reductions in radiographic vertebral fractures with romosozumab compared to placebo and alendronate.

Camacho noted that romosozumab "will likely be for the very high risk group and those who have maxed out on teriparatide or abaloparatide."

Romosozumab can safely be used in patients with prior radiation exposure, the guidelines note.

Importantly, due to reports of a higher risk of serious cardiovascular events with romosozumab compared to alendronate, romosozumab comes with a black box warning that it should not be used in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events or who have had a recent myocardial infarction or stroke.

"Unfortunately, the very high risk group is often the older patients,"Camacho notes.

"The drug should not be given if there is a history of myocardial infarction or stroke in the past year," she emphasized. "Clinical judgement is needed to decide who is at risk for cardiovascular complications."

Notably, teriparatide and abaloparatide have black box warnings of their own regardingrisk for osteosarcoma.

Reflecting the evolving data on osteoporosis drug holidays, the guidelines also address the issue and the clinical challenges of switching therapies.

"In 2016, we said drug holidays are not recommended, and the treatment can be continued indefinitely, [however] in 2020, we felt that if some patients are no longer high risk, they can be transitioned off the drug," Camacho said.

For teriparatide and abaloparatide, the FDA recommends treatment be limited to no more than 2 years, and for romosozumab, 1 year.

The updated guidelines recommend that upon discontinuation of an anabolic agent (eg, abaloparatide, romosozumab, or teriparatide), a switch to therapy with an antiresorptive agent, such as denosumab or bisphosphonates, should be implemented to prevent loss of BMD and fracture efficacy.

Discontinuation of denosumab, however, can have notably negative effects. Clinical trials show rapid decreases in BMD when denosumab treatment is stopped after 2 or 8 years, as well as rapid loss of protection from vertebral fractures.

Therefore, if denosumab is going to be discontinued, there should be a proper transition to an antiresorptive agent for a limited time, such as one infusion of the bisphosphonate zoledronate.

The authors underscore that in addition to communicating the potential risk and expected benefits of osteoporosis treatments, clinicians should make sure patients fully appreciate the risk of fractures and their consequences, such as pain, disability, loss of independence, and death, when no treatment is given.

"It is incumbent on the clinician to provide this information to each patient in a manner that is fully understood, and it is equally important to learn from the patient about cultural beliefs, previous treatment experiences, fears, and concerns," they write.

And in estimating patients' fracture risk, T-score must be combined with clinical risk factors, particularly advanced age and previous fracture, and clinicians should recognize that the absolute fracture risk is more useful than a risk ratio in developing treatment plans.

"Treatment recommendations may be quite different; an early postmenopausal woman with a T-score of 2.5 has osteoporosis, although fracture risk is much lower than an 80-year-old woman with the same T-score," the authors explain.

Camacho has reported financial relationships with Amgen and Shire. Disclosures for other task force members are detailed in the guidelines.

AACE/ACE Guidelines 2020 Update. Full text

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Be You: Jori Bercier created a community space where everyone is welcom – The Advocate

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Jori Bercier is the co-owner of Alexander Books. She bought the bookshop along with four friends when she heard it was closing. Jori obviously loves books, but she also had another motive for buying the bookstore it was part of her master's thesis Sense of Place as Positive Distraction." She knows that small, local bookstores are culturally important and provide community space that is vital.

Alexander Books is open (with social-distancing rules) at 2116 Johnston St. and you can also buy from them online at http://www.alexanderbookstore.com. If you visit them, be sure to look on the walls; they collect the little notes and photos they find inside secondhand books and display them because "they are the real stories."

What was your first job? Administration support at a medium size travel company.

Describe a typical day in your life. Wake up at 7 a.m. Grab a cup of coffee, maybe two and rest, check emails, etc. Complete tasks working at home for the bookstore, and meet others for meetings. Head to Cafe Cottage, or Carpe Diem for a sazerac and to complete more work. Head home to play video games, read a book and have dinner. Bedtime at 11.

What advice would you give the younger you? Go easy on yourself. Just live life. You are doing just fine.

What event in your life most shaped who you are now? I would say a trip I took in 2013 to Brazil, which allowed me to get out of my comfort zone, opened my eyes, and filled my heart with so much joy for other cultures. I learned the amazing healing that could happen in building close relationships with others.

What values do you live by?Be open to new things. Always be learning. Seek truth. Be authentic.

What do you most appreciate? I love deep discussions over a fire; it always causes me to sit back and appreciate the life I have.

What is your favorite journey? My favorite journey is, by far, traveling through Poland. It is honestly the most beautiful place I have ever been, both culturally, community wise, and of course in landscape.

Where is your favorite place to be alone? I love to be alone in my room in the morning, early before anyone is awake with the comfort of a good book and warm coffee.

What living figure most inspires you? There are quite a few who inspire me, but most of them are just ordinary people. They taught me in my college and grad school careers more than just how to write a thesis, or design a building. They were hard on me, and pushed me beyond my limits. They werent always my favorite during school because it was tough. However, now that I have graduated, there is a long list of people that inspire my day to day, you may even know some of them from the UL Architecture Department: Hector Lasala, Anika Miller, Kiwana McClung, Michael McClure, Sarah Young, all from UL. Janet Roche, Davis Harte, and Mary Jo Cooper at the Boston Architectural College. Each of these people has taught me perseverance, perspective and how to dream.

What was the best advice you were ever given?Just take the first step, everything else will fall into place.

What book would you tell everyone to read? I absolutely love "Jurassic Park." There are many other things that I would tell people to read, but the best that I could read over and over again would be "Jurassic Park."

What is the best thing about where you live? The best thing about where I live is the great outdoors surrounding me! I couldnt ask for anything more.

How do you "let the good times roll"? I let the good times roll by having a concert at the bookstore, with friends and great music! If you havent experienced one yet, when its safe, everyone should consider the amazing experience a concert at the store.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I actually always wanted to be a teacher. Still do. Working on that dream currently.

What is your motto? Just live.

How would you like to be remembered? I would love to be remembered for my acceptance of everyone, my love for everyone, and being a place of safety for anyone who needs ti.

What do you say to yourself when you doubt yourself? Just take the step, do the thing, even if its a mistake, it always turns out for the best.

What three things are vital to BEing YOU? Authenticity; love of research and learning; being adventurous.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Oh yeah, I bet. Sure, I understand, that makes sense." How do you feel about that?

What is your favorite word?Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, courtesy of my brother. It was his favorite word as a child, and now It is just fun to say.

What do you collect? I obviously collect books, but I also have a classic 1973 Karmann Ghia which I love.

What food could you live on for a month? Hamburgers

What would you change about yourself? I have severe social anxiety; every day I work to overcome it! It makes it hard for me to trust myself, and to do the things I love.

What literary, movie or cartoon character do you most identify with? I most identify with Phoebe from "Friends." She is a little chaotic, but full of fun.

Describe yourself in five words. Honest, loyal, ambitious, dreamer, friendly.

What is your idea of happiness? Living a life with no regrets, and seeking authenticity in all things.

What is your favorite movie? Ooh, definitely a tie between the Kiera Knightly version of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Mean Girls." What a contradiction, huh?

What music defines who you are? Absolutely, Indie music; it definitely makes me feel alive.

Who is your style icon? Im not really sure I have one. However, I do prefer the button-down, doc Martens look, for sure.

What do you most regret? I regret the times that I allowed fear of uncomfortable situations to make me shrink, to not be who I am, to not say yes and go for what I wanted.

What question do you wish I'd asked? Why did you open the bookstore?

What would the answer be? I bought the bookstore because I am a designer for human health, interested in how community spaces help to heal trauma and build stronger resilient cities. Thats why I opened the bookstore. I wanted to create a community space that allowed everyone to feel welcome, like they belonged, and like they have a home.

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Be You: Jori Bercier created a community space where everyone is welcom - The Advocate

Check Out These 20 Best Space Movies That You Can Stream Right Away – Mashable India

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Although Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson would like to tell you otherwise, the vast majority of humans will never go anywhere near space.

But that doesn't mean we can't experience it vicariously.

As well as tapping into a healthy dose of existential dread, space movies offer us a fleeting glimpse of planets and galaxies far beyond our wildest dreams, all from the safety of our own living rooms.

So, we've tracked down the best of them. The only rule? To make the list, the characters have to have actually travelled through space although Arrival is a great space-related movie, for instance, it doesn't make the cut because it's based on Earth; Contact, meanwhile, although largely Earth-based, does squeak in due to a bit of wormhole-based travel.

NASA, aliens, and journeys through wormholes.

Image: Wikimedia Commons / Netflix / 20th Century Fox / Paramount Pictures / mashable composite

From quests to reignite the sun to extraterrestrial struggles, and in no particular order, these are some of the best space movies out there...

Spoiler alert: some of these people don't make it.

Image: Fox Searchlight/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

With the sun dying, a team of astronauts attempts to save the planet by journeying through space to reignite it.

Why should you watch it?

Despite its stunning visuals and strong cast, Sunshine didn't do all that well at the box office. It was a bit of a flop, in fact. Danny Boyle's sci-fi thriller cost $40 million, and it only made $34.8 million when it hit the cinemas.

As is often the case, though, that's no reflection of the film's quality. The Trainspotting director's foray into space movies is an absolute beauty, with Alwin Kchler's blistering cinematography turning the film's lighting effects into a character in their own right (yes, I know that sounds like a slightly weird thing to say, but it'll make more sense when you see the movie).

At its fiery core, Sunshine has all the elements of a classic space thriller there's the mystery of an abandoned craft, a journey into the unknown, and the dawning realisation that most (if not all) of the characters probably won't be making it back in one piece. Also, you get to see a pre-Avengers Chris Evans, which is a nice bonus. Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Sunshine is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK and the U.S.

Sam Rockwell doesn't have an easy time of it in 'Moon.'

Image: Liberty Uk/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

A lonely astronaut working on the far side of the moon begins to suffer hallucinations.

Why should you watch it?

If travelling through space as part of a skeleton crew sounds like a potentially lonely task (which, if the other films on this list are anything to go by, it almost certainly is), then imagine how Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) feels in Moon. The poor guy is completely on his own mining helium-3 on the moon, with only a suspicious robot and a dodgy comms feed for company.

I absolutely love Moon. It starts off as a beautifully shot, psychological meditation on loneliness, then morphs into something else entirely as Bell gradually uncovers the secrets of the base he's working on. The end result is like a cross between the dystopia of Black Mirror and the movie Gravity (which we'll get to a bit later). S.H.

Moon is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, and stream on Showtime in the U.S.

Turns out there's some creepy stuff on one of Jupiter's moons.

Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock

What's it about?

A team of astronauts tries to find life on one of Jupiter's moons.

Why should you watch it?

On the surface, Europa Report has all the elements of a standard space horror hybrid: there's the voyage to find other life, a case of mysterious lights, and the rapidly-escalating tension that comes from realising things are about to go horribly, horribly wrong.

But despite all that, Sebastin Cordero's thriller doesn't feel generic. The film's found footage style gives it the same sense of realism that made The Blair Witch Project so creepy, and the central mystery of the lights coupled with a crew that keeps getting picked off builds a sense of suspense that ratchets up nicely as the film progresses.

Remember, just because something looks beautiful, doesn't mean it isn't deadly. S.H.

Europa Report is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, and stream on Hulu in the U.S.

What's it about?

Three Black women whose work made modern space travel possible.

Why should you watch it?

Theodore Melfi's 2016 film tells the true story of mathematicians Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Mary Jackson (Janelle Mone), and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), three Black women working at NASA during the space race. Despite their historic importance, none of the film's central women were household names, their story overshadowed by the racist era of the 1960s in which they worked.

The film even tries to sanitize this a little; Katherine's supervisor is painted as consistently benevolent, and Buzz Aldrin makes a cameo (played by an actor) in which he treats her with respect. But what makes Hidden Figuresshine so brightly is that for the most part, it keeps the focus on these incredible women. It does not ultimately give itself over to the white savior narrative or empathize with antagonists (see also: The Help) (to be clear: do not see it). It offers rich stories of Black joy, struggle, resilience, and triumph, with the sole goal of keeping these stories hidden no longer. Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

Hidden Figures is available to stream on All4 in the UK, and rent or buy from Prime Video in the U.S.

'2001' is packed full of so many memorable moments.

Image: Mgm/Stanley Kubrick Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

An astronaut travels on a mission to Jupiter with a sentient AI.

Why should you watch it?

Stanley Kubrick's first and only foray into space is over 50 years old now, but it's truly timeless. One of the most instantly recognisable science-fiction movies of all time, Kubrick's Academy Award-winning, sprawling exploration of artificial intelligence and human advancement is not only beautifully shot, it also comes packed full of the kind of grand images and ideas that have since permeated popular culture.

Even if you know very little about the film, you'll likely have heard of Hal, the red-eyed AI who comes between Dave and his planned opening of the pod bay doors, or maybe you'll have seen that famous image of a fetus floating among the stars. These, along with many other enduring moments, are thanks to 2001. You've at least heard the theme. S.H.

2001: A Space Odyssey is available to stream on NOW TV in the UK, and HBO Max in the U.S.

Sigourney Weaver with Yaphet Kotto and Ian Holm in 'Alien.'

Image: Robert Penn/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

The crew of a spaceship encounters an unknown alien species while investigating a strange transmission.

Why should you watch it?

Alien isn't just one of the best space movies of all time it's also one of the best movies of all time, full stop. Thanks to Ridley Scott's direction and visual design led by Swiss artist H. R. Giger, this science-fiction horror film is genuinely creepy and claustrophobic, taking our intrinsic fear of dark and narrow corridors and using it to masterful effect.

In a lot of ways, Scott's sci-fi behemoth set a template for future space movies. The sense of isolation, the rapidly-diminishing crew, the fear of AI, the body horror all of these are tropes we've seen cropping up again and again over the years, including in some of the other films on this list. And while many of these descendants deploy those ideas well, few have managed to make the same gory splash that Alien did. (As a side note, Aliens the second movie in the franchise is also very much worth a watch). S.H.

Alien is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, and stream on HBO in the U.S.

Sandra Bullock doesn't have a great time of it in 'Gravity.'

Image: Moviestore/Shutterstock

What's it about?

After their NASA space shuttle is damaged by space debris, two stranded astronauts must find a way to return to Earth.

Why should you watch it?

I get a little nervy when it comes to heights. Back when I was a teenager, in fact, I distinctly remember the sense of vertigo I felt sitting at the very back of the cinema while watching Vertical Limit on the big screen.

Gravity is like that, only 10 times worse. It's genuinely impressive how well director Alfonso Cuarn, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and special effects company Framestore have managed to recreate the dizzying endlessness of space in this film that horrible fear of falling, of tumbling backward through an empty black void, is constantly present.

Don't watch this one if you suffer from acrophobia. Do watch it if you're a fan of stunning visuals, Sandra Bullock, and the kind of tension that doesn't ever seem to let up. S.H.

Gravity is available to stream on NOW TV in the UK, and rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.

Carrie Fisher and Anthony Daniels in 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.'

Image: Lucasfilm/Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

A truly colossal, multigenerational space battle between good and evil.

Why should you watch it?

Make the jump to lightspeed into a galaxy far, far away, to a moment when a young, determined George Lucas had the audacity to start an empire at Episode IV. As Mashables Chris Taylor notes in his book How Star Wars Conquered the Universe (hey Chris!), youll be hard-pressed to find someone who hasnt seen Star Wars or at least knows about it as part of pop culture, whether they're Rebel scum or a scruffy-looking nerf herder.

First landing in 1977 and wrapping up in 2019, the series of films known as the Star Wars Skywalker Saga Episodes I to IX, but not released in that order has everything you want in a space movie: good versus evil, cool-jacketed heroes, well-caped villains, slim odds of success (just dont tell Han Solo), weird weapons, enviable vehicles, strange planets and moons (and not-so-moons) to explore all with their own populations, industry-leading special effects, stunts, and costuming, and furious space battles that truly stay on target. Plus, they (obviously) have everything that makes a Star Wars film: that opening text crawl, lightsaber duels, quotes to live by, an ever-present mysterious Force, MY president Carrie Fisher, Han Solos laser-brain wisecracks, Luke Skywalkers tolerance for blue milk, R2-D2 and C-3POs incessant bickering, Chewbaccas rumbling recognition of human inadequacy, Lando Calrissians swindling style, Salacious B. Crumbs soothing laugh, Yodas questionable stew and wise Jedi teachings, and questions that should never be answered.

Its worth taking in all 11 Saga films, from the polarising prequels with their roger, roger-fuelled trade federations and sand everywhere, to the Porg-peppered, Millennium Falcon-paced new trilogy, not to mention the A Star Wars Story series with Solo, Rogue One, and The Mandalorian (starring the best being of the decade). But the original trilogy Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi is where you should always start if youre yet to watch the films and boost your midi-chlorian count for a few hours. How has the Star Wars franchise managed to stand the test of time? Members of the Mashable team shared their ideas. Shannon Connellan, Mashable UK Editor

Star Wars is available to stream on Disney+.

George Clooney and Natascha McElhone in Steven Soderbergh's 2002 adaption of 'Solaris.'

Image: Bob Marshak/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

Following reports of some strange occurrences, a psychologist travels to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris.

Why should you watch it?

The first thing to make clear is that there are actually two movies called Solaris, both of which are based on the same 1961 novel by Stanislaw Lem. First, there's the 1972 film by Russian auteur Andrei Tarkovsky, and then there's the 2002 Steven Soderbergh adaptation with George Clooney (i.e. the one pictured above). Both of these films are great, and both deserve a place on this list. For the sake of room, (there are a lot of films to cover, after all), we've grouped them into one entry.

So, why should you watch them? Well, while both films have their own distinct style, they share the same compelling story: a slow burn mystery that's as much a psychological exploration of guilt as it is a tale about an unknowable alien planet. If you want guns and explosions, look elsewhere. But if you want creepy doppelgngers and a brain-melting final twist, this is the one for you. S.H.

Solaris (2002) is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, or stream on Hulu in the U.S. Solaris (1972) is available to stream on All4 in the UK, and rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.

America's dad, jetting off into space.

Image: Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock

What's it about?

Three men are trying to go to the moon, but thenthey have a problem.

Why should you watch it?

Nominated for nine Oscars and winning two, Ron Howards gleaming recreation of the doomed 1970 moon mission is a masterclass in merging Hollywood blockbuster tension and emotional stakes with painstaking attention to historical and technical detail. On the narrative fulcrum of one little accident and the second-most famous line ever uttered in real-life space (albeit slightly tweaked from reality), Apollo 13 pivots from the shining-eyed optimism of the '60s space program to an increasingly taut and literally suffocating scramble for survival. Years before Matt Damon scienced the shit out of some potatoes, a crew of some of the 1990s' most famous and beloved white dads (Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and an iconically shouty Ed Harris down in the control room) had to not only find a way to get themselves back to Earth, but also a way to tell that story accurately and compellingly. It could have had so many problems, but it doesnt its just stellar across the board.

Aside from That Quote, Apollo 13 also gave us Captain Mode Tom Hanks: Americas dad, capably but not quite stoically leading his crew through a crisis. Its the blueprint for iconic performances in Saving Private Ryan, Captain Phillips, Sully, and his latest, Greyhound. Caitlin Welsh, Mashable Australia Editor

Apollo 13 is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the UK, or stream on Netflix in the U.S.

What's it about?

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Check Out These 20 Best Space Movies That You Can Stream Right Away - Mashable India

Clinical collaborative research of CBHI and Hallym University on the bone density increase by SAC in postmenopausal women – PR Web

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CBHI and Hallym University Collaborative Research

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (PRWEB) July 23, 2020

Calcium and Bone Health Institute (CBHI, http://www.cbhi.info), a nonprofit clinical research institute in Canada joined hands with Hallym University in South Korea for a collaborative clinical "evaluative study of SAC (Sigma Anti-Bonding Calcium Carbonate) treatment effects in women with postmenopausal osteopenia." Professor Lee Sang-soo, the director of the Skeletal Aging Research Institute in Hallym University School of Medicine and Professor Ryu Ok-hyun will lead this research.

"We hope SAC calcium becomes a breakthrough treatment for patients suffering from osteopenia or osteoporosis for which most calcium remedies in the market had proven largely ineffective," said Dr. Paul Lee, the president of CBHI. "This collaborative research will be a huge milestone, giving confidence and hope for people suffering from this devastating degenerative disease. The scientific framework of how SAC works is already laid out in the book titled SAC for Calcium signaling (sold in Amazon.com) for those looking for a spoiler."

SAC calcium employs sigma antibonding in calcium carbonate molecules to give its unique physical properties. When ingested, it will have our body absorb calcium in ionic form without the help of peptides and vitamin D, causing a slight elevation of ionic calcium level in our blood, which triggers hormonal responses that restore calcium homeostasis and robust bone-building processes, all-natural and safe processes without side effects.

The preliminary animal clinical study (2011) on induced osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats delivered very promising results. Also, a decade long volunteer-driven bone density case studies conducted by CBHI has already shown that SAC calcium improves bone health significantly and also alleviates symptoms of various calcium-related diseases. Already approved as a dietary supplement by Health Canada, SAC calcium is being marketed through participating physicians as a part of a more comprehensive clinical study with consenting patients and has shown encouraging results.

CBHI said that this collaborative study with Hallym University would prove the effects of SAC calcium on bone metabolism and may pave a way for subsequent studies to scientifically specify the mechanisms and pathways of healing to prevent and to treat over 150 calcium-related degenerative diseases. The study will predominantly focus on combating degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis, which is becoming a huge health challenge with extended life expectancy, especially for postmenopausal women. CBHI also recently entered into clinical collaborative research on multiple myeloma with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in early June 2020.

About CBHICalcium and Bone Health Institute (CBHI) is a nonprofit scientific research organization based in Canada. With the invention of novel SAC ionic calcium carbonate, its primary research focuses on the role of ionic calcium in treating over 150 calcium-related chronic degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, Alzheimer's, metabolic disorders, etc. By conducting laboratory and clinical research, CBHI endeavors to find effective prevention and treatment options. CBHI collaborates with many research centers such as SFU, UBC, UC Davis, NSERC Canada, and BC Government to combine the research with fundamental sciences such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology. It held the first International Sigma Anti-Bonding Calcium Symposium (ISACS) 2019 in Vancouver, Canada, to discuss and share the knowledge of the various measures to develop healthy bone and to prevent calcium-related diseases. This year, CBHI plans to hold ISACS in Manila, Philippines, which is not confirmed yet due to COVID-19 pandemic.

About the Skeletal Aging Research Institute in Hallym University School of MedicineThe Skeletal Aging Research Institute was founded to contribute to medical improvement with the leadership role in the medical research field of the artificial joint, senior skeleton, and arthritis, operating molecular biological, biological, medical engineering, and medical research system for aging-related musculoskeletal diseases. In the fundamental research field, it conducts research on the reaction of biomaterial in vivo, the exploration of bone-building accelerator, and the development of arthritis medicine to overcome osteolysis after the artificial joint procedure. In the medical research field, it contributes to the treatment of skeletal diseases worldwide through the research of joint surgery technique improvement, the fundamental and medical training for developing countries, and the support of medical treatment system improvement.

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Clinical collaborative research of CBHI and Hallym University on the bone density increase by SAC in postmenopausal women - PR Web

How COVID-19 is Impacting the Service Desk Solutions Market by Industry Analysis, by Type, Application and Top Players:Samanage, Freshservice,…

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Note: Due to the pandemic, we have included a special section on the Impact of COVID 19 on the Service Desk SolutionsMarket which would mention How the Covid-19 is Affecting the Industry, Market Trends and Potential Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape, Key Regions and Proposal for Service Desk Solutions Market Players to battle Covid-19 Impact.

The Service Desk SolutionsMarket report is compilation of intelligent, broad research studies that will help players and stakeholders to make informed business decisions in future. It offers detailed research and analysis of key aspects of the Service Desk Solutions market. Readers will be able to gain deeper understanding of the competitive landscape and its future scenarios, crucial dynamics, and leading segments of the global Service Desk Solutions market. Buyers of the report will have access to accurate PESTLE, SWOT and other types of analysis on the global Service Desk Solutions market. Moreover, it offers highly accurate estimations on the CAGR, market share, and market size of key regions and countries. Players can use this study to explore untapped Service Desk Solutions markets to extend their reach and create sales opportunities.

The study encompasses profiles of major Companies/Manufacturers operating in the global Service Desk Solutions Market.Key players profiled in the report include:Samanage, Freshservice, ManageEngine ServiceDesk, JIRA Service Desk, Zendesk, Track-It!, BMC Remedy 9, Cherwell IT Service Management, Agiloft, Re:Desk, ServiceNow, GoToAssist, Spiceworks, EasyVista, Wolken and More

Get PDF Sample Copy of the Report to understand the structure of the complete report (Including Full TOC, List of Tables & Figures, Chart):https://www.marketinforeports.com/Market-Reports/Request-Sample/121619

Market Segment By Type:Cloud basedOn Premise

Market Segment By Application:HealthcareIT supportEducation

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The authors of the report have analyzed both developing and developed regions considered for the research and analysis of the global Service Desk Solutions market. The regional analysis section of the report provides an extensive research study on different regional and country-wise Service Desk Solutions industry to help players plan effective expansion strategies.

Regions Covered in the Global Service Desk Solutions Market: The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt) North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada) South America (Brazil etc.) Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

Years Considered to Estimate the Market Size:History Year: 2015-2019Base Year: 2019Estimated Year: 2020Forecast Year: 2020-2025

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Robotics in Construction: World Industry Review and Opportunity Assessment 2020 – GlobeNewswire

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Dublin, July 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Opportunities of Robotics in Construction Industry" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Autonomous and robotics technology has been undergoing major technological growth in recent years. This novel technology is playing a crucial role in the transformation of many key industries such as automotive, aerospace, warehouse, and logistics. With the advent of Industry 4.0 and smart factories, all industries across the spectrum are adopting advanced robotic automation solutions for varied applications according to industry requirements.

This research service reviews about the different robotic solutions, which are impacting the construction industry. A section of the study is also dedicated to the new growth opportunities related to robotics in the construction industry.

Key Questions Answered

Key Topics Covered

1. Executive Summary1.1 Research Scope1.2 Research Methodology1.3 Explanation of Research Methodology

2. Key Findings

3. Construction Robots - Industry Overview3.1. Inspection and Surveying Robots are Witnessing High Adoption Rates3.2. Autonomous Technology will Have the Highest Impact on the Industry3.3. Material Handling Solutions are Witnessing Significant Adoption Rate

4. Patent Analysis - Robotic Solutions for the Construction Industry4.1. 2018 Witnessed Highest Increase in Patents Related to Autonomous and Surveying Robotic Solutions4.2. China has the Highest Patent Filings Related to Construction Robotic Solutions4.3. Drones are Being Specially Designed for Building and Land Surveying Applications4.4. The US has Filed the Highest Patents Related to Drones for the Construction Industry

5. Notable Innovations5.1. Robotics Solutions Decrease Man Power Requirement and Increase Process Cycle Time5.2. High Implementation Cost is One of the Key Challenges Hindering the Adoption of Robotics Solutions

6. Growth Opportunities6.1. Construction Robots Successfully Address Key Industry Challenges in the Long Term6.2. Smart Manufacturing to Reap Highest Benefits of 5G Adoption in the Medium Term

7. Companies to Action7.1. Fully Autonomous Robotic Solutions, which can be Remotely Operated are Main Area of Focus7.2. The Requirement for Efficient Monitoring and Surveying has Lead to the Adoption of Drones Across the Construction Industry

8. COVID-19 on Construction Industry8.1. Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry

9. Industry Contacts9.1 Key Industry Contacts

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nbg6sn

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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Robotics in Construction: World Industry Review and Opportunity Assessment 2020 - GlobeNewswire

Apple Pi Robotics Wins Awards in Robots To The Rescue Design Challenge – Zip06.com

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The "Evergreen" elder care robot would help take care of residents in assisted living communities while reducing opportunities for COVID-19 to spread among patients, staff, and visitors. (Apple Pi Robotics )

Apple Pi Robotics

Published July 22, 2020

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Over the course of the last few months Guilfords own Apple Pi Robotics FIRST Robotics team of high school aged students from the shoreline, competed in Parametric Technology Corporations (PTC) Robots To The Rescue competition. PTC is a leader in computer aided design (CAD) software. All FIRST teams were challenged to virtually design a robot to solve a current real-world problem using Onshape, a web-based CAD Software that allows a group to access and edit documents at the same time. Starting on April 3, 2020, with a goal to continue innovating and working as a team during the pandemic, a group of students and two mentors from the team decided to take on the challenge. The first few virtual meetings were scheduled for brainstorming. Their preliminary thought was to design a robot that would benefit local businesses through the hard time of social distancing. Starting with many ideas and ending with two: the Bishop curbside delivery robot and the Evergreen elder care robot. Bishops Orchards, a major Connecticut shoreline provider of high-quality fruits, vegetables along with a range of grocery products, was a natural target for the team. Al Bishop founded the team in 2007, and there were team members currently working there performing curbside delivery. Having a robot perform the task would reduce contact, providing more safety for the employees and customers. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing, many businesses started implementing a curbside delivery system, which is a no-contact system where customers make orders online and pick them up at a scheduled time. Bishops Orchards system is very similar where groceries are scheduled to be picked up, customers pull into a parking spot at a specific time, and their groceries are placed into the trunks of their cars. During brainstorming sessions, our team quickly realized that this process could be easily automated without changing the mechanics to the curbside pickup system. By the second week of meetings, we had started designing a chassis --which was based on the designs of our current and previous competition robots-- and brainstorming different methods of carrying out the curbside pickup mechanics; including how the robot would hold groceries, use line following sensors and software to navigate through the parking lot, and deliver a basket of up to 8 bags of groceries to a stand adjacent to the customers car.The Evergreen Woods nursing home, a retirement and assisted living community, was another local business that was majorly affected by Covid-19. Home to around 250 residents, Evergreen Woods instituted many safety precautions because of the virus, including limited familial visits, resident to resident contact, and movement in and out of the community. The Evergreen elder care robot was designed to limit person to person contact to increase the safety of the residents as well as the nurses. A parent of one of the team members is a nurse there, and she was able to provide the team with a video of what the robot would need to do to execute the task. The robot is equipped to complete each daily procedure such as checking oxygen saturation, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, watching respiration rate, bringing in pills and daily groceries, and taking out the trash. They also designed a holder for a tablet so that nurses could video chat with the residents so that visits would be more friendly. The robot also uses line following technology that the team had previously developed, with the added twist that it had to operate elevator buttons to get to the residents floor.They submitted both designs on May 15 along with 152 teams from around the country. On May 29th PTC held a webcast to announce the award winners. The top 8 teams would receive cash prizes. At the end of the webcast Apple Pi received the 5th place for the Evergreen and 9th place for the Bishop. Along the way the team members learned new skills, and continued innovating and working as a team during the pandemic.Interested in knowing more about the team or more about the details of the robot designs? Visit their website at ApplePiRobotics.org for more information about the team.

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Apple Pi Robotics Wins Awards in Robots To The Rescue Design Challenge - Zip06.com

Robots are Coming- Top 10 Jobs in Threat of a Robotics Takeover – Analytics Insight

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AI powered Robotics has firmly established its reigns in the workplace, and many businesses have benefited from this rapidly evolving technology. The tedious, repetitive tasks which includes data entry and scheduling have now been streamlined.

According to economic forecast company Oxford Economics (OE), by 2030, robots will displace 20 million manufacturing jobs worldwide. The 20 million number represents 8.5% of the global manufacturing workforce. Analytics Insights compiles a list of 10 jobs that are under constant threat in the next decade with the advent of Robotics:

Telemarketers will be replaced by robots who would receive automated phone calls which are highly routine, repetitive, and predictable. Besides, receptionists are also expected to be replaced by robots. In fact, automated robots are already deployed in the hospitality industry to provide information, front desk services, storage services, as well as check-in and check-out services.

Robots will take over sewing, and assembling of clothes in factory assembly lines that are characterised by high volume production. One of the largest global takeovers the job of seamstress, where many companies are spending significant sums to train robots to operate sewing machines.

Another white-collar job, is the legal profession, which is at the ultimate risk to be replaced by robots and AI. The infusion of AI and Robotics helps legal professionals to spend much less time on tedious manual processes, such as reviewing and creating contracts, as well as identifying and classifying key clauses and other information from thousands of legal documents. This will further help the legal industry increase efficiency and save clients money, but this move could also mean job cuts.

The coronavirus pandemic has not only reinvented the current market, it is shaping the way it will look for many years to come. With everything from innovations in healthcare technology to social interaction protocols, the virus spared nothing in the public or commercial space.

The job at the janitors have now become a higher risk and using robots to handle the disinfection and cleaning of shared-environments and materials is not only a better option for the public health, but it is a perfect example what robots are made for dirty, dangerous, and dull work processes

Right now, self-driving disinfectant robots are being used in Chinese hospitals to combat the coronavirus while an MIT team, in collaboration with the Greater Boston Food Bank and Ava Robotics, developed a robotic system to disinfect surfaces using a UVC light thats built into the base of a mobile robot.

Among many other jobs, taxi drivers are highly likely going to be replaced by robots. There are already self-driving cars, also known as driverless cars on the road and it is just a matter of time before fully autonomous vehicles take over public transportation. Through advanced technology, it is also expected to transform many other modes of transportation such as trucks, tractors, ships, trains, and construction equipment.

While millions of transportation workers will lose their jobs through this new technology, there will be a positive impact as well. Driverless cars will come with the possibility of less expensive and convenient transport and will also help the poor, elderly and disabled have access to get around with its own smart user-friendly service.

Arnold Kravitz, Chief Technology Officer at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) in Pittsburgh, said heavy lifting performed by humans or teams using manual labour, mechanical and hydraulic lifts, pallet hand trucks, and forklifts will soon be done by robots. Besides they will also perform freight movement of boxes, crates, packages, and bulk items involves repetitive motion and subsequent lower back problems with a high frequency of injury.

Believe or not, one of the highly skilled professions like doctors can even be replaced by robots. Using its algorithms, IBMs Watson AI is transforming healthcare by recommending the same best cancer treatment as doctors. Although there are still many arguments between doctors and robots in the medical service, one thing we can be sure of is AI and machine learning algorithms help doctors with effective data collection and analysis. However, theres no doubt that cutting edge technology will have a big impact on medical services such as robots carrying out surgery.

Robots are being introduced to many restaurants for their endless energy to perform different tasks such as learning recipes, cooking, and cleaning up the mess. With the help of this new technology, restaurants can save on high labour cost and at the same time, provide the best and efficient service to customers by lowering waiting time. However, considering the highly sophisticated and creative level of work required in the culinary industry, it still seems to be limited to replace robot chefs from the human chef.

AI is already finding its way into high-end bars. For instance, a robotic bar can be found aboard Royal Caribbeans cruise ship Anthem of the Seas. Clients place orders on a tablet and the robotic arms can create any cocktail upon request.

Paradise Entertainment and Hanson Robotics have successfully launched robotic card dealers in Hong Kong and are currently marketing products in the United States. Named Min, Paradise Entertainments robot only has the ability to deal cards at the present time. Hanson Robotics product, on the other hand, is more interactive and has the ability to make facial expressions. The transition to robotic dealers is inevitable in the United States, where casino profits are down due to online gaming and increased supply of gaming opportunities driven by a growing number of states legalizing gambling.

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Robots are Coming- Top 10 Jobs in Threat of a Robotics Takeover - Analytics Insight

Dexterity Robotics Has a Light Touch for Food Packing (and $56M in Funding) – The Spoon

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Dexterity Robotics unveiled its new full-stack robotics solution for industrial applications like warehouses and supply chain management yesterday. In addition to taking the wraps off its product, Dexterity also revealed that it has raised $56.2 million, including venture investments and debt from Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Obvious Ventures, Pacific West Bank, B37 Ventures, Presidio (Sumitomo) Ventures, Blackhorn Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures, and Stanford StartX.

Part of Dexteritys pitch is that its grippers have enough sensitivity to pick up and pack soft, delicate items like bread. Jonathan Vanian over at Fortune got an early look at the Dexterity robots in action and wrote:

The robotic arms can figure out how much pressure is needed to apply to a particular object, which is helpful so they dont smash a spongy material like bread when they grip it. The software also helps the robot decide to gently lower the bread and other objects into a crate instead of dropping it carelessly into a container, which Menon described as a sort of Achilles heel for some pick-and-place machines.

Food is actually a good application to help advance the entire field of robotics. In addition to much of it being soft and malleable like bread, food is often irregularly shaped (produce) and delicate (eggs). Thats why Sony partnered with Carnegie-Mellon to develop food robots, and why researchers at MIT and Harvard developed an origami robot. Soft Robotics has also developed special octopus-like rubber grippers to handle food with odd shapes and textures.

The goal with all this is robo-development is to automate the repetitive tasks like packing boxes in large warehouses. Through computer vision and a soft touch, as it were, robots can accurately sort and pack items for shipment around the clock, ideally bringing more consistency and speed to the supply chain.

With a $56.2 million warchest, well have to see now if Dexterity has the agility to make an impact on the supply chain.

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Dexterity Robotics Has a Light Touch for Food Packing (and $56M in Funding) - The Spoon

Analytics Insight Magazine Names ‘The 10 Most Disruptive Robotics Companies of 2020’ – Business Wire

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SAN JOSE, Calif. & HYDERABAD, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Analytics Insight Magazine, a brand of Stravium Intelligence has announced The 10 Most Disruptive Robotics Companies of 2020 in its July issue.

The issue features robotics companies which have created a disruption globally with their unique set of products and services. Powered with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, robotics integrates innovative applications that translate to different business areas, playing a key role to channelize global industries.

Featuring as the Cover Story is Newmind Robotics, which converts any robotics idea into a robotics business by creating software, hardware, and the infrastructure needed for development. The companys core product is a robotics navigation app. Newmind Robotics is known for its unique robotics solutions, from fetching tennis balls to autonomously trimming plants to automating navigation for large vehicles.

The issue features Kiran Smart as Company of the Month. Kiran Smart is the first A.I. humanoid robot company in Kuwait. With a vast experience and technology know-how of robotic solutions, working with multiple robotic manufacturers and companies globally, the company has pioneered the robotics field in terms of robotic solutions for almost every industry today.

The issue further includes:

Forssea Robotics: A French underwater robotics and vision company founded in 2016, Forssea Robotics develops smart remotely operated vehicles (ROV) which can perform autonomous visual inspection while a network link allows real-time supervision from an onshore control center.

ForwardX Robotics: An award-winning developer of intelligent robotics, with a core focus on artificial intelligence and its successful application within Robotics. The company offers the worlds only visual autonomous mobile robot fleet for use in a wide range of business scenarios.

Moley Robotics: The company offers world's first fully-automated robotic kitchen unit, RoboChef that learns recipes, cooks them and clears up kitchen modules after cooking. With RoboChef, consumers and chefs can develop, demonstrate, share and sell their recipes on a cloud-based recipe-sharing platform.

PLEN Robotics: The company utilizes Robotics, IT, Artificial Intelligence, to produce IoT solutions that automize and streamline the hospitality industry. Its first product PLEN Cube, is a box-shaped AI assistant that uses face recognition and tracking functions to support operations and digitalization of the customers behaviour history.

UNISTA: The company is a specialist in the design of flexible packaging lines for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals from unscramblers and other alimentation machines to the end of the line. Together with its partner UNILOGO Robotics, UNISTA offers its customers a complete line of solutions.

XACT Robotics: The company is a pioneer in radiology, with the first hands-free robotic system combining image-based planning and navigation with instrument insertion and steering capabilities to democratize percutaneous interventional procedures.

Eleos Robotics: Eleos Robotics invented the RoboWeeder, an artificially intelligent weeding killing robot that sues patent-pending precision healing technology to control weeds organically and autonomously. RoboWeeder is fully maintained and monitored remotely in vineyards and berry farms.

Covariant: Develops a universal AI that allows robots to see, reason, and act on the world around them. The company offers the Covariant Brain to commercial viability, starting with the industries that make, move and store things in the physical world.

Robotics is a rapidly evolving technology. The convergence of robotics with AI, Cloud and IoT is a transformational technological development enabling greater autonomy and collaborative abilities. The emerging generation of robotics solutions powered by these technologies promise to transform industries with their ability to communicate and collaborate with the human, opening the way to greater innovation and productivity.

The selected companies help enterprises to optimize their processes, improve efficiencies, become more profitable, and solve labor challenges by offering the most innovative robotics solutions. Analytics Insight congratulate all of them for succeeding in making a huge difference in the industry, says Ashish Sukhadeve, Founder and CEO, Analytics Insight.

Read their detailed coverage here. For more information, please visit https://www.analyticsinsight.net.

About Analytics Insight

Analytics Insight is an influential platform dedicated to insights, trends, and opinions from the world of data-driven technologies. It monitors developments, recognition, and achievements made by AI, big data and analytics companies across the globe. The Analytics Insight Magazine features opinions and views from top leaders and executives in the industry who share their journey, experiences, success stories, and knowledge to grow profitable businesses.

To set up an interview or advertise your brand, contact info@analyticsinsight.net.

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Analytics Insight Magazine Names 'The 10 Most Disruptive Robotics Companies of 2020' - Business Wire

Robots Are Having a Good Pandemic – Barron’s

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Robots are weathering the coronavirus pandemic better than many these days. Recent robot-maker earnings illustrate the point.

Teradyne (ticker: TER) and ABB (ABB) both crushed second-quarter numbers. ABB shares, which trade overseas as well as in the U.S., are up 3.9% in recent trading. Teradyne stock rose 4% in after-hours trading Tuesday, following the companys earnings release. Its down 0.7% in recent trading.

Teradyne makes equipment to test semiconductors, but the company also sells cobots, short for collaborative robots. which are designed to work along humans, as well as autonomously guided vehicles for warehouses and manufacturing plants.

ABB is a Swiss giant, selling huge robotic arms to industry as well as other products. The company also sells controllers and software that integrate and control automation equipment on the factory floor.

Teradyne reported $1.33 in per-share earnings, above the highest end of the guidance range the company gave to analysts. Whats more, management guided to about $1.10 in per-share earnings for the third quarter. The Street estimates only about 64 cents in per-share earnings.

ABB, for its part, reported 22 cents in per-share earnings. Analysts expected 10 cents.

Industrial automation is one reason earnings remain strong at the companies. At Teradyne, automation sales increased throughout the second quarter, despite the fact that many industrial customers were struggling to stay open in the second quarter.

Industrial Automation sales, while down from the year ago period due to the global slowdown in business activity, improved monthly through the quarter, said Teradyne CEO Mark Jagiela in the companys news release.

At ABB, robot sales actually fell in the second quarter. The company sells a lot of those huge industrial robots to the automotive industry, which is struggling with lower volumes during the pandemic. Covid-19, however, is also accelerating trends benefiting the company.

We see more connected robots than weve ever seen before.... This is a drive that [our robotics division] have done also to make it easy to access, but also to monitor the robots externally, said CEO Bjrn Klas Otto Rosengren on the companys earnings conference call. There is a lot of discussions regarding digital solutions at the moment.... We feel pretty comfortable that the trend will accelerate.

Citigroup analyst Andrew Kaplowitz upgraded automation peer Rockwell Automation (ROK) to the equivalent of Buy from Hold Tuesday, raising his price target to a Street-high $252 a share. He cited accelerating factory automation trends, driven by reshoring and potential labor cost savings, in his report.

Reshoringbringing back manufacturing capacity to the U.S.is gaining steam, according to Kaplowitz, because of the multiple supply-chain disruptions that swept the globe as the pandemic spread to different places at different times.

Investors have taken some notice. Teradyne stock is still up about 31% year to date, far better than comparable returns of the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average, despite giving back the after-hours stock gains.

ABB shares are up about 7% year to date. And Rockwell shares are up some 11% year to date.

Write to Al Root at allen.root@dowjones.com

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Robots Are Having a Good Pandemic - Barron's