AWS renews JEDI protest with a few twists – Washington Technology

JEDI

Amazon Web Services amended complaint in its lawsuit over the Defense Departments high-profile and highly-controversial JEDI cloud infrastructure contract largely reiterates what it has said before.

AWS continues to argue the Defense Department wrongly awarded the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract to Microsoft. Not just the first time in October 2019, but now a second time through a partial corrective action wrapped up in September of this year that saw Microsoft get selected again.

How that partial redo played out is where we can fast forward to in the new 175-page version of AWS' complaint filed to the Court of Federal Claims in October and partially unsealed with redactions Tuesday.

In essence, AWS says its revised proposal is now the lower-priced bid by a magnitude lower than that of Microsoft's bid in round two.

The Pentagon stuck with Microsoft after both companies were allowed to submit new bids in light of a judges finding that the online storage aspects in those proposals were incorrectly evaluated in favor of Microsoft.

The price AWS gave in its second proposal is redacted, so there is no official side-by-side comparison that can be seen yet.

But that still adds onto AWS longstanding bones to pick with DOD regarding JEDI: that actions from Trump administration officials swung the award to Microsoft through a series of errors in the procurement process, including the evaluations.

As part of that, AWS also continues to claim that DODs answers to the companys questions as part of the debrief are either unanswered or lacking in detail that would explain the decision.

Perhaps a third crux of AWS is its view of Microsofts ability to work on the JEDI project. In the amended complaint, AWS says Microsoft has never performed a cloud computing contract of this scale or complexity and the latters Azure offering did not pass the evaluation criteria, but that didnt stop DOD from being focused on affirming its prior award to Microsoft.

For its part, Microsoft is working toward getting accreditation from DOD to host data in the cloud at the top secret level. AWS is the only cloud provider with that official designation but Microsoft unveiled a new cloud service earlier this month to get to that point.

As yours truly was writing this for today (Wednesday), attorneys for the U.S. government issued their 34-page amended response to AWS complaint that pushes back against the claim of political interference.

A DOD inspector general report released last year said no evidence was found that actions from Trump administration officials weighed on the selection of Microsoft, though many of those asked to speak with the IG either did not at all or declined to answer certain questions.

Lawyers for the government reference that report in defense of DOD and essentially said that AWS should have raised any issues it had about the procurement process including bias allegations before the award.

How Amazon Web Services sees it

After the court rejected the flawed initial JEDI evaluation, the DOD spent over four months attempting to revive Microsofts non-compliant bid and reaffirm that flawed and politically-biased decision. As a result of the DoD fixing just one of many errors, the pricing differential swung substantially, with AWS now the lowest-priced bid by tens of millions of dollars, an AWS spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The fact that correcting just one error can move the needle that substantially demonstrates why its important that the DOD fix all of the evaluation errors that remain unaddressed, and ensure they are getting access to the best technology at the best price. We had made clear that unless the DOD addressed all of the defects in its initial decision, we would continue to pursue a fair and objective review, and thats exactly where we find ourselves today.

How Microsoft sees it

Amazon seems to be saying the only way they can ever lose is if the procurement isnt fair. But every month, the market tells them thats not true. Large and sophisticated customers regularly choose Microsoft over AWS. They do this because of the strength of our technology, our understanding of complex projects, and our overall value. As the losing bidder, Amazon was informed of our pricing and they realized theyd originally bid too high, Frank Shaw, Microsofts corporate vice president of communications, said in a statement.

They then amended aspects of their bid to achieve a lower price. However, when looking at all the criteria together, the career procurement officials at the DOD decided that given the superior technical advantages and overall value, we continued to offer the best solution. We also know what it takes to serve the DOD having worked with them for more than forty years. The DODs independent IG report found there was no evidence of actual procurement interference so it is time we moved on and got this technology in the hands of those who urgently need it: the women and men who protect our nation.

About the Author

Ross Wilkers is a senior staff writer for Washington Technology. He can be reached at rwilkers@washingtontechnology.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rosswilkers. Also connect with him on LinkedIn.

View post:

AWS renews JEDI protest with a few twists - Washington Technology

Reliq Health Technologies, Inc. Announces 15 New Clients with over 12000 New Patients in Central and North Texas and Puerto Rico – GlobeNewswire

HAMILTON, Ontario, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reliq Health Technologies Inc. (TSXV:RHT or OTCQB:RQHTF) (Reliq or the Company), a technology company focused on developing innovative mobile health (mHealth) and telemedicine solutions for Community-Based Healthcare, today announced that it is onboarding 15 new clients in Texas and Puerto Rico who will use its proprietary iUGO Care Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), Chronic Care Management (CCM), Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) and Telemedicine platform.

We are very pleased to have added fifteen new clients to our customer base in Central and North Texas and Puerto Rico, said Dr. Lisa Crossley, CEO of Reliq Health Technologies, Inc. These clients have over 12,000 eligible patients who will be using Reliqs iUGO Care Software and Care Management services, at an average revenue of $65 USD per patient per month. We have already begun onboarding patients for these new clients and expect to complete the onboarding over the next 4 6 months. The new clients include physician practices, home health agencies and a Medical Clinic with over 10 locations between Dallas and San Antonio, Texas. Patient onboarding continues to accelerate, despite the holiday season and the worsening global pandemic. The Company remains on track to achieve cashflow positive in Calendar Q1 2021.

About Reliq HealthReliq Health Technologies is a healthcare technology company that specializes in developing innovative software solutions for the Community Care market. Reliqs powerful iUGO Care platform supports care coordination and community-based healthcare. iUGO Care allows complex patients to receive high quality care at home, improving health outcomes, enhancing quality of life for patients and families and reducing the cost of care delivery. iUGO Care provides real-time access to remote patient monitoring data, allowing for timely interventions by the care team to prevent costly hospital readmissions and ER visits. Reliq Health Technologies trades on the TSX Venture under the symbol RHT and on the OTCQB as RQHTF.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDDr. Lisa CrossleyCEO and Director

For further information please contact:Investor Relations at ir@reliqhealth.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking InformationCertain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, are "forward-looking statements".

We caution you that such "forward-looking statements" involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual and future events to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to commercial operations, including technology development, anticipated revenues, projected size of market, and other information that is based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.

Reliq Health Technologies Inc. (the "Company") does not intend and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, technology development and marketing activities, the Company's historical experience with technology development, uninsured risks. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Reliq Health Technologies Inc.

Link:

Reliq Health Technologies, Inc. Announces 15 New Clients with over 12000 New Patients in Central and North Texas and Puerto Rico - GlobeNewswire

Evolve Manufacturing Technologies to Produce Rapid COVID-19 Tests in Silicon Valley – PRNewswire

FREMONT, Calif., Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Evolve Manufacturing Technologies - a leading Bay-Area contract manufacturer - announces a partnership with biotech company Nanmix to produce rapid antibody and antigen test kits in the fight against COVID-19. Months into the pandemic, long lines for testing as well as delays in getting results have hampered U.S. efforts to get the coronavirus under control. Now, this hand-held testing device will bring state-of-the-art technology from large laboratories into the palm of the hand.

This device reads and delivers the diagnostics in just 10 minutes at the very same place where people submit their samples. The system does not require advanced training and works with Bluetooth technology to quickly and securely deliver results digitally. This type of rapid testing is ideal for settings such as schools, hospitals and assisted living facilities where families need to know their COVID status as they enter the premises to visit their loved ones.

Nanmix CEO and medical industry veteranDavid Ludvigsonsays rather than sending manufacturing of the devices overseas, Evolve will produce these rapid point-of-care tests at its Fremont, California, facility.

"We struggled for nearly 12 months with our prior vendor trying to get the product on line, produced in the way and timeframes we wanted," Ludvigson says. "Evolve came in and has done all of that in a matter of a couple of months. We found a great philosophical match, less than a 20-minute drive from where we are. We've been getting our first sets of products off Evolve's production lines. And we're getting ready to go into higher-volume production shortly."

Producing the tests at the Evolve Manufacturing facilities in the heart of the Bay Area allows Nanmix engineers to work hand in hand with the factory, going through the assembly and quality control process.

"In my nearly two decades in this field, I have never been as proud as I am of our team's work in joining the fight against this devastating virus," Noreen King, CEO of Evolve Manufacturing Technologies, says. "One of our team members lost her mother to COVID-19 and wasn't able to visit her at the nursing home before she passed. Our mission now is to get rigorous and reliable testing systems in place so that no one else has to face these tragic circumstances."

Evolve Manufacturing Technologies Inc.is a contract manufacturer that offers innovative end-to-end manufacturing services for medical device and life-sciences companies. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Evolve operates a state-of-the-art 75,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. With a talented and diverse team of manufacturing professionals and strong core values, Evolve provides the expertise and capacity to meet market demand for high-quality production.

Nanmixis the leader in the development of mobile, affordable point-of-care diagnostics. The company's handheld testing platform and assays provide rapid, accurate, quantitative information for use in settings where time-to-diagnosis is critical for clinical decision-making and improved patient care.

CONTACT:SamuelBurkeEvolve Manufacturing+1-602-607-0004[emailprotected]

Related Files

Evolve2.jpg

Evolve3.jpg

Related Images

evolve1.jpg Evolve1 Evolve Manufacturing Technologies is producing a device that reads and delivers coronavirus diagnostics in just 10 minutes at the very same place where people submit their samples.

SOURCE Evolve Manufacturing Technologies

Follow this link:

Evolve Manufacturing Technologies to Produce Rapid COVID-19 Tests in Silicon Valley - PRNewswire

I started crying: Inside Timnit Gebrus last days at Googleand what happens next – MIT Technology Review

We had 128 citations [on that paper], and we sent our paper to many of these people that we cited. We were so thorough. I said, okay, I want to bucket the people that were going to ask feedback from in four buckets. One is the people who have developed large language models themselves, just to get their perspective. One is people who work in the area of understanding and mitigating the bias in these models. One is people who might disagree with our view. One is people who use these large language models for various things. And we have a whole document with all of this feedback that we were supposed to go through to address, and which I want to do still before we release this work.

But the way they [Google leadership] were talking to us, it wasnt like they were talking to world-renowned experts and linguists. Like Emily Bender [a professor at the University of Washington and a coauthor of the paper] is not some random person who just put her name on a random paper out there. I felt like the whole thing was so disrespectful.

I felt like there were prior instances where they watered down the research results a lot. People had conversations with PR and policy or whatever, and they would take issue with certain wording or take issue with certain specifics. Thats what I thought they might try to do with this paper, too. So I wrote a document, and I kept asking them, What exactly is your feedback? Is your feedback to add a section? To remove? What does this mean? What are you asking us?

This was literally my email on Friday after Thanksgiving [November 27, five days before Gebrus dismissal] because on Thanksgiving day I had spent my day writing this document instead of having a good time with my family. The next day, on Friday, which is when I was supposed to retract this paper, I wrote: Okay, I have written this six-page document addressing at a high level and low level whatever feedback I can gather. And I hope that there is at the very least an openness for further conversation rather than just further orders. I wrote that email. Like that. How does Megan [Kacholia, the VP of engineering at Google Research] respond to this email? Monday, she responds to it and says, Can you please confirm that you have either retracted the paper or taken the names of the authors out of this paper. Thank you. And can you please confirm after youve done this. Send me an email and confirm. As if I have no agency.

Thats not what they do to people whove engaged in gross misconduct. They hand them $80 million, and they give them a nice little exit. They dont do what they did to me.

Then in that document, I wrote that this has been extremely disrespectful to the Ethical AI team, and there needs to be a conversation, not just with Jeff and our team, and Megan and our team, but the whole of Research about respect for researchers and how to have these kinds of discussions. Nope. No engagement with that whatsoever.

I cried, by the way. When I had that first meeting, which was Thursday before Thanksgiving, a day before I was going to go on vacationwhen Megan told us that you have to retract this paper, I started crying. I was so upset because I said, Im so tired of constant fighting here. I thought that if I just ignored all of this DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] hypocrisy and other stuff, and I just focused on my work, then at least I could get my work done. And now youre coming for my work. So I literally started crying.

I dont know. Samy was horrified by the whole thing. He was like, this is not how we treat researchers. I mean, this is not how you treat people in general. People are talking about how, if this happens to somebody this accomplishedit makes me imagine what they do to people, especially people in vulnerable groups.

Continued here:

I started crying: Inside Timnit Gebrus last days at Googleand what happens next - MIT Technology Review

Governor Baker, regulating facial recognition technology is a racial justice issue – The Boston Globe

Despite our positions and profiles as professional athletes, we are not immune to racial profiling and discriminatory policing. Police violence and racism are unfortunately all too familiar for many players of color.

This bias against Black people and other people of color is baked into the criminal legal system, and its perpetuated at every level, including the tools that police departments use. Thats why we were disappointed to see that Governor Charlie Baker, in his amendments to the police reform legislation, removed the bills proposed regulations of government use of facial recognition technology. Bakers rejection is deeply troubling because this technology supercharges racial profiling by police and has resulted in the wrongful arrests of innocent people.

Studies confirm that face recognition surveillance technology is flawed and biased, with significantly higher error rates when used against people of color and women. The ACLU of Massachusetts tested a widely available face recognition application last year, comparing official headshots of 188 New England athletes with a database of mugshots. Unsurprisingly, 27 professional athletes, including two Celtics players, were falsely matched.

This has real consequences. One false match can lead to an interrogation, arrest, and especially for Black men even a deadly police encounter. Earlier this year, Detroit police arrested Robert Williams, a Black man, on his front lawn in front of his wife and two young daughters. He was locked up for nearly 30 hours. His crime? Police used face recognition software and erroneously matched Williams with someone suspected of theft more than a year earlier. The false arrest disrupted his family life, resulted in his unjustified jailing, and violated all norms of reasonable policing. The charges were eventually dropped, but Williams and his family were left traumatized.

Williamss wrongful arrest due to facial recognition technology made national news. But hes not the only Black man wrongfully arrested due to racially biased, unregulated facial recognition technology. Theres nothing to stop the same thing from happening again. In fact, it might already have happened; we dont know because facial surveillance is used in secret, without any oversight. Even defense attorneys dont always find out when its been used to identify their clients. Thats because police departments arent always required to disclose their use of the technology to criminal defendants.

Massachusetts lawmakers proposed regulations make sense for racial justice and public safety. By prohibiting government agencies from using face recognition technology to surveil people, it will prevent racially biased, discriminatory surveillance technology from being used to track us everywhere we go. In those rare situations where the technology might give police officers a useful lead in the investigation of serious crimes, the bill would allow them to get a warrant to compare images of suspects with images already held by the government. If police really think face recognition will help solve crime, let it go through the same process as every other invasive investigative tool. Section 26 of the police reform bill allows police to search images via the Registry of Motor Vehicles in serious criminal investigations and life-threatening emergencies to identify individuals suspected of a violent crime. This strikes the right balance protecting both our right to be free from unchecked government surveillance and the governments ability to investigate the most serious crimes.

Like policing itself, surveillance technologies are most often deployed in communities of color, severely diminishing peoples anonymity and privacy and putting them at potential risk.

We cant allow biased technology to supercharge racist policing in the Commonwealth. The Legislature should return these important regulations to the governor, and he should sign the bill.

Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams III, Daniel Theis, Semi Ojeleye, Jeff Teague, Javonte Green, Grant Williams, Carsen Edwards, Romeo Langford, Tremont Waters, Tacko Fall, Payton Pritchard, and Aaron Nesmith are basketball players with the Boston Celtics.

Read the rest here:

Governor Baker, regulating facial recognition technology is a racial justice issue - The Boston Globe

COVID-19 vaccines: The new technology that made them possible – Livescience.com

Days before her 91st birthday, Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials.

Keenan, who was sporting a polka-dot cardigan over a festive shirt, was given the first dose of a two-dose vaccine at the University Hospital Coventry in England, setting off the first mass vaccination effort against a virus that has now infected at least 70 million people worldwide and killed 1.5 million. An 81-year-old named William Shakespeare was next in line for the vaccine.

Keenan and Shakespeare are also the first humans, outside of a trial setting, to be given a vaccine that harnesses "mRNA" technology. This relatively new tech, which relies on a synthetic strand of genetic code called messenger RNA (mRNA) to prime the immune system, had not yet been approved for any previous vaccine in the world.

Related: Coronavirus live updates

But the COVID-19 pandemic served as an unexpected proof of concept for mRNA vaccines, which, experts told Live Science, have the potential to dramatically reshape vaccine production in the future. In fact, two COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, are 95% and 94.1% effective, respectively, at preventing an infection with the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19.

On Thursday (Dec. 10), a panel of experts voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grant emergency approval to Pfizer's vaccine, or permission for it to be distributed prior to full approval under emergency situations like a pandemic. The panel is set to assess Moderna's vaccine on Dec. 17. Healthcare workers and vulnerable individuals in the U.S. could receive the Pfizer vaccine as early as next week.

COVID-19 has really "laid the foundation" for rapid production of new vaccines, such as mRNA vaccines, to fight future pathogens, said Maitreyi Shivkumar, a virologist and senior lecturer in molecular biology at De Montfort University in Leicester, England. "With the technology that we've developed for SARS-CoV-2, we can very easily transfer that to other emerging pathogens."

Here's how mRNA vaccines work, and why they could make such a difference for vaccine development.

mRNA vaccines are inspired by basic biology.

Cells store DNA that holds coded instructions for making proteins. When a cell needs to make a protein, it copies the appropriate instructions onto a messenger RNA molecule a single strand of genetic material. A cellular machine called a ribosome then runs along this code, reads it, and shoots out the correct building blocks to make the protein. Proteins are the essential workers of the body, forming the structure of cells, making tissue, fueling chemical reactions and sending messages: Without them, everything would shut down.

Around three decades ago, scientists realized that they could synthesize mRNA in the lab, deliver it into human cells and use the body to make any protein they wanted, such as proteins that could help fight a range of diseases in the body from cancers to respiratory illnesses. In 1990, researchers at the University of Wisconsin and biotech company Vical Incorporated figured out how to make mRNA that could direct mice cells to create proteins, according to Business Insider.

In the 1990s, Hungarian-born scientist Katalin Karik started building on this work, but ran into major roadblocks, the biggest being that the mice's immune system would deem synthetic mRNA foreign and destroy it, sometimes even creating a dangerous inflammatory response. A decade later, while working at the University of Pennsylvania, Karik and her collaborator Dr. Drew Weissman, figured out that they could create an invisibility cloak for synthetic mRNA by swapping out a piece of the mRNA code for a slightly altered one, according to STAT News. That tiny edit allowed synthetic mRNA to slip right into cells without rousing the immune system, a finding that the researchers published in multiple papers starting in 2005, according to STAT News. These results caught the attention of two key scientists: one who later helped found Moderna and another who helped found BioNTech.

Neither company initially set out to develop mRNA vaccines against infectious diseases, but eventually started to expand into that field with mRNA flu, cytomegalovirus and Zika virus vaccines in development or clinical trials. But then a deadly virus presented a unique opportunity to test, in large groups of people, just how powerful the technology could be.

On Jan. 10, Chinese researchers first published the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus on a preprint online; within a week, Weissman and his team at the University of Pennsylvania were already developing synthetic mRNA against the virus and both Moderna and Pfizer licensed this team's formulation from The University of Pennsylvania, according to a perspective posted on Sep. 3 in the journal JAMA.

Within 66 days of the sequence being published, Moderna, in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, developed a vaccine and kickstarted the first U.S. clinical trial to test it against COVID-19.

Five of the vaccines currently in clinical trials are mRNA vaccines; though they are made from different recipes, they use the same underlying concept.

Both Moderna's and Pfizer's vaccines are made up of synthetic mRNA that carries the code for the spike protein. The mRNA is enveloped inside a fatty nanoparticle that acts as a Trojan horse, infiltrating human cells and delivering the spike-building instructions without awakening the immune system. Once cells have gotten hold of the mRNA, they create the spike protein, which in turn triggers the immune system to produce an arsenal of cells to fight the spike protein and thus protect the body against SARS-CoV-2.

The vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer are likely so successful because they're "mimicking a viral infection," by activating two major immune responses in the body, said Dr. Otto Yang, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases and of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The better-known response involves antibodies: The cells expel the spike proteins they make; these trigger the immune system to create antibodies against them, Yang told Live Science. Antibodies are found in blood, tissues and fluids but they can't access a virus that's already inside the cell, "so the immune system evolved a way to deal with that," Yang said.

Related: 14 coronavirus myths busted by science

That response involves killer T cells, also known as CD8 T cells. These killers scan cell surfaces cells display small pieces of all the proteins they make on their surface and destroy the ones that are infected by a virus. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines can also wave a warning flag for killer T cells: after the mRNA prompts cells to make the spike protein, cells display processed fragments of it on its surface.

This gives mRNA vaccines an advantage over more traditional vaccines such as those for flu or rabies, that are made from killed versions of the actual pathogen or their target proteins. Killed virus vaccines can't get into cells, so they trigger antibodies but not the killer T-cell response, Yang said.

But mRNA vaccines aren't the only ones that trigger both these immune responses; the University of Oxford vaccine, made from a weakened cold virus called an adenovirus that infects chimpanzees, also does, Yang said. This adenovirus is genetically modified to not be able to replicate in the body and to include the genetic code for the spike protein. These vaccines also prompt the cells to create the proteins themselves, rather than providing already-made ones; and because the cells make the proteins, they display fragments of them on their surfaces.

Vaccines like the Oxford vaccine also show great promise in the future of vaccine development, experts told Live Science. And such vector vaccines have been studied extensively when compared to mRNA vaccines, according to the JAMA perspective. But the Oxford vaccine, developed with AstraZeneca, showed less efficacy than the mRNA vaccines did; in late-stage clinical trials, the Oxford vaccine was 62% effective at protecting against COVID-19 in participants who were given two full doses and 90% effective at protecting those who were first given a half dose and then a full dose, according to findings published on Dec. 8 in the journal The Lancet.

It's not yet clear why, but one major possibility is that the Oxford vaccine could be overwhelming the immune system when people are given an initial full dose. In addition to the spike protein, the adenovirus also has its own proteins. Because all of these proteins are foreign to the body, the immune system creates defenses against all of them. "There's no way that the immune system has any sort of guidance that 'OK, I'm only supposed to make a response against spike,'" Yang said. On the other hand, the mRNA vaccines are more targeted, telling the immune system to respond only to the spike protein.

But before we can say that mRNA vaccines are fundamentally better than other options, Yang said, scientists need to see detailed data from the trials, rather than gleaning information from "snippets from press releases." It's also not yet known how long mRNA vaccine-induced immune responses will last. That being said, mRNA vaccines are the "first technology that allows us to [make killer T cell responses] without giving a whole live virus," Yang said. Though rare, live but weakened virus vaccines have a slight risk of causing a more serious disease, whereas mRNA vaccines, as far as we know, do not, he added.

mRNA vaccines do not integrate into our DNA (the DNA is stored in a cell's inner core called the nucleus, a place that the synthetic mRNA doesn't go) and the mRNA generally degrades after a few days, Shivkumar said.

In the first day that Pfizer's vaccine was administered to several thousand people, two people who had a history of severe allergic reactions had anaphylaxis-like symptoms, prompting the U.K.'s regulatory agency to warn people with severe allergies to avoid getting that particular vaccine. But experts say the general population shouldn't be anxious about getting this vaccine and it isn't totally unexpected as allergic reactions can occur with a number of vaccines, Live Science reported.

"I do not believe that mRNA vaccines pose any significant greater chance of a severe allergic reaction than other vaccines," said Justin Richner, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at the University of Illinois (who previously, as a postdoctoral fellow, collaborated with Moderna on their as-of-yet unapproved mRNA vaccine to fight the Zika virus), noting that the safety data from the mRNA vaccine trials looked very similar to other vaccines. "If anything, I would predict that there is less likely to be an allergic reaction in the mRNA vaccines as the production does not require eggs like other vaccines," he said. (Most flu-vaccines are made using eggs so they can contain bits of egg protein, according to the CDC).

Another huge advantage of mRNA vaccines is how quickly and easily they can be developed.

"The beauty of the mRNA platform is that you can easily swap out the genetic code," Richner said. In theory, if scientists know what proteins to target on a virus to stop it from infecting human cells, such as the spike protein for SARS-CoV-2, they can use the same platform that was developed for other vaccines such as the COVID-19 vaccine and just swap out the code for the spike protein with the code for the new protein.

The real problem lies in finding the correct target, Richner said.

Because scientists had previously conducted research on similar coronaviruses those that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) they knew early on that the spike protein was probably the optimal target, Richner said. But they may not get so lucky with other viruses, as previous failures, such as with HIV, have revealed.

mRNA vaccines are cheaper, easier and faster to develop, and in theory, scale up more easily when compared to traditional vaccines. That's because older vaccine technologies rely on growing the virus or the proteins in the lab, Shivkumar said. Traditional vaccines are often grown in eggs or cells and then weakened or killed.

"After obtaining knowledge of the pathogen," researchers can synthesize and have an mRNA vaccine ready for delivery in about a week, Richner said. "For traditional vaccine development, this process would take at a minimum one month and usually several months."

mRNA is a chemical that can be made in a factory setting (such as in a test tube or tank) "relatively easily" once a pipeline is established, Richner said. "Manufacturing is going to be a big advantage going forward." Pfizer recently experienced production delays, but those delays are only "because it's the first time making an mRNA vaccine to this scale," he added.

Still, this easy genetic swap isn't a sole capability of mRNA vaccines, as the adenovirus vector vaccines also have this advantage. "The Oxford vaccine is more traditional, but it is, again, slightly sort of a jump from the traditional ones because it has the same backbone," Shivkumar said. Prior to the pandemic, the group that was developing the Oxford vaccine was working on a vaccine against the coronavirus that causes MERS so "they actually just swapped in the SARS-CoV-2 sequence into that same backbone," she said. But with the adenovirus vector vaccines, scientists still have to rely on the slower biological processes, namely, growing an adenovirus in the lab.

Theoretically, mRNA vaccines can tackle any virus and one day, might even be able to tackle multiple pathogens at once, according to the JAMA perspective. But practically, we won't know how universal these vaccines can become when confronted with a variety of new viruses. SARS-CoV-2 is "not a particularly difficult virus," said Dennis Burton, a professor of immunology and microbiology at the Scripps Research Institute in California. There will likely be "more severe tests and then you'll be better able to judge how universal RNA vaccines could be. Still, there's "every chance" mRNA can be truly revolutionary, but we need more information before we can be sure, he told Live Science.

Either way, no matter how quickly genetic information can be swapped in and out of mRNA vaccines, "you can't skip all the safety data," Richner said. The "slowdown is always going to be the clinical trial," Richner said.

Despite their promise, mRNA vaccines still have some limitations. For instance, right now, Pfizer's mrNA vaccine must be stored at polar temperatures of minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 degrees Celsius). "Especially in developing countries and countries where it's impossible to have minus-80 freezers everywhere, I think it's still not ideal, so you would still need to rely on the more traditional vaccines," Shivkumar said.

Moderna's vaccine can be stored at freezer temperatures of minus 4 F (minus 20 C). The difference in storage requirements between the two vaccines likely comes down to the recipe that the company used to make them; the ultra-cold temperature may keep either the nanoparticle shell or the mRNA more stable, Yang said.

But if those mRNA vaccines could be stored and delivered at higher temperatures, with the impressive efficacy that they showed, "I can imagine that they will sort of be a game-changer globally," Shivkumar added. In the future, Pfizer may be able to improve their vaccine to be more stable at higher temperatures, Richner said.

Related: The most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates

In the past, mRNA vaccines didn't produce a strong enough response compared to more traditional vaccines, Shivkumar said. "Because with the mRNA you use such low levels and it degrades so quickly, the amount of protein produced will be relatively lower than if you were to be given either a protein or an attenuated virus," she said. But clearly scientists have figured out how to make mRNA stable enough to trigger a strong protective response. While this would need to be checked with every pathogen, it's clear the technology has "definitely improved," Shivkumar added.

"It's very exciting to have these mRNA vaccines," said Dr. Octavio Ramilo, the chief of infectious diseases at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. But "it will be good to have more than just one strategy," because you never know which one will stick, he said. Not all platforms will necessarily work as well for every pathogen, especially since each virus might have a unique strategy to hide from the immune system, he added.

It's also important to understand how these vaccines will work in children and the elderly, Ramilo said. Though many of the trials have included elderly participants, children have been absent. Children can respond to vaccines differently than adults, Ramilo told Live Science.

Especially babies' immune systems change "dramatically in the first year," Ramilo said. The flu virus tends to impact children and the elderly more severely than other age groups, Ramilo said. But vaccines don't work as well in those groups, he said. So having multiple platforms and understanding how they work "is going to be fundamental to leverage and to make them work in different situations," he added.

And if another new virus comes along years from now, we'll hopefully have learned lessons from 2020. The pandemic served as a "proof of concept" that mRNA experts had been waiting for, Yang said. The fastest vaccine developed to date prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was the Mumps vaccine, which took four years to develop and license it in 1967. Not counting the years it took to develop the vaccine, the Ebola vaccine was the fastest ever tested in clinical trials which took less than a year during the Ebola outbreak across West Africa. That is, until the world was faced with a deadly pandemic.

Just nine months into the pandemic, the fact that new vaccines are already finished clinical trials "is pretty impressive," Yang said. "When you're talking about a vaccine possibly being FDA-approved only a few months after it was first tried in a human that is amazingly fast."

"I'm not sure that it could actually be much quicker than this."

Originally published on Live Science.

More:

COVID-19 vaccines: The new technology that made them possible - Livescience.com

Technologies Shaping the Face of the Marketing and Branding Industry – TechSpective

E-commerce sales are set to reach almost $4 trillion by the end of this year, indicating the extent to which cutting-edge technologies are vital for brands wishing to rise victorious over competitors. Some of the most important technologies ruling marketing and branding are artificial intelligence (AI), the use of multi-touch attribution models, and virtual reality marketing. How are these technologies changing marketing strategies, and how can you leverage their power to take your brand to the next level?

Companies across a wide array of industries are honing their digital marketing strategies through AI, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and big data technology. Dedicated software programs collect user information, gaining vital insights regarding customers product preferences, the type of content they wish to consume, their page preferences, and more. The data gleaned enables marketers to target content to specific customer groups, make key brand changes to their text and visual content, and address their audience in their preferred medium be it video, blogs, podcasts, or other modes of communication.

Virtual reality tools enable marketing teams to present their brand to customers in a more impactful way. The statistics show that investment in this technology pays off, since 62% of consumers surveyed said they would feel more engaged with brands that sponsor VR experiences. VR can be used to do so much more than show off an array of products or services. It can also help companies show target customers that they understand and share the same values.

In current times, for instance, e-brands that promote diversity are connecting closely to millennial and Gen-Z customers, who expect the brands they support to be purpose-driven. Cutting-edge marketing firms can rely on VR tech to publish content and images of people from various minority and diverse groups in an organic yet impactful way. Fighting bias and creating inclusivity are two areas in which e-commerce can play a leading role, and new technologies can help do so in an entertaining, dynamic fashion.

Multi-touch attribution is a marketing effectiveness measurement technique that studies all the touchpoints a customer hits on their journey, attaching fractional value to each touchpoint so that teams can identify the extent to which each channel has influenced a sale. For instance, if a consumer is buying a dress, they may first see a display ad, which they ignore. They may then see a native advertisement on their Facebook feed that captures their attention and drives them to the brands website.

They may not make the sale, however, until they receive an email offering them a discount for the relevant item or website. The marketing team behind the brand can use this information to see that the display ad was of no use to the sale, while the targeted email was highly effective. By analyzing various sales, they can plan their strategy and continue to measure and analyze the effectiveness of each channel.

AI, VR, and multi-touch attribution are just three technologies which are enabling marketing teams to make wiser branding choices. Relying on technology makes sense considering the major growth of e-commerce, which is only expected to become stronger in coming years. Marketing and branding spend is no longer a guessing game, thanks to technologies which are capable of analyzing millions of pieces of data, and of delivering accurately measured results in real time.

Read the original here:

Technologies Shaping the Face of the Marketing and Branding Industry - TechSpective

Patriot Bank Selects ZSuite Technologies to Grow Core Deposits with ZRent and ZDeposit – Business Wire

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Patriot Bank has partnered with ZSuite Technologies, a financial technology company offering digital tools that helps businesses and individuals automate collection of recurring payments and manage security deposits, to increase low-cost, core deposits and leverage digital channels. Through this partnership, Patriot Bank has become the first financial institution in Connecticut to expand its reach and digital footprint by offering ZRent and ZDeposit.

After the onset of the pandemic, many property managers and landlords struggled to meet in-person demands of depositing checks and managing tenant relationships. In addition, landlords often encounter issues with rent payments, such as invalid or bounced checks. To overcome these obstacles, Patriot Bank partnered with ZSuite Technologies to offer paperless technology that allows its account holders to remotely manage rent collection and security deposits while ensuring the validity of the payment.

ZRent and ZDeposit are long-term solutions that have and will continue to empower our customers and their financial needs, said Christopher Johnson, SVP and Director of Branch Banking at Patriot Bank. ZSuites easy-to-understand offerings have been an incredibly effective tool in making remote property management faster and more secure. Exceeding expectations through exceptional product capability and support, ZSuite Technologies has been a perfect partner for us. They have helped us reach existing commercial and multifamily real estate clients with immediate needs as well as attract new customers, both local and as far as 20 to 30 miles away from the nearest branch.

Born from a community bank, ZSuite Technologies was founded to help financial institutions compete in an ever-changing landscape. Instead of locking banks and credit unions into a one-size-fits-all platform, ZSuite builds products that strengthen customer relationships and provide coveted answers to long-standing issues. ZSuites all-digital solutions are exclusively available to banks and credit unions with the capability of individualized customization.

We are eager to provide optimal value as Patriot Banks customers use ZRent and ZDeposit to solve real, time-consuming problems, said Nathan Baumeister, CEO of ZSuite. By streamlining rent payments and security deposits, Patriot Bank is able to replace overhead intensive and manual processes as well as provide tools that help account holders run their businesses more efficiently.

Built for landlords, home-owners associations, property managers and other businesses, ZSuite Technologies mobile-responsive, SaaS solutions allow all parties to access and use tools with little to no friction. ZDeposit, an account opening online platform for security deposit collection and compliance regulation, and ZRent, a fully automated, online rent collection service, are actively used by hundreds of property managers and landlords. By targeting specific industry verticals, ZRent and ZDeposit satisfy the needs of niche customers while expanding their relationship within the financial institution.

About Patriot Bank

Patriot Bank, N.A., provides consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, professionals and municipalities in Fairfield and New Haven Counties in Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. Bank products include checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, time certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, and health savings accounts. The Banks lending portfolio is comprised of commercial mortgage and construction loans, commercial loans, SBA loans, home improvement loans, home equity lines of credit, and other personal loans. In addition, the Bank offers bank checks, money orders, automated teller machines (ATMs), interactive teller machines (ITMs), online and mobile banking, credit cards, and debit cards.

Patriot Bank, N.A., was founded in 1994 as Patriot National Bank, registering an official change of name in 2015, and the Company was founded in 1999. Patriot Bank, N.A. is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

About ZSuite Technologies

ZSuite Technologies is a financial technology company that aims to power banks and credit unions with differentiated banking solutions for profitable client segments. ZSuite's products; ZRent (zrent.net) and ZDeposit (zdeposit.net), streamline collection of rent, condo dues, storage fees and membership dues while automating the security deposit process and enabling state-specific security deposit compliance.

To learn more about ZSuite Technologies and how it can help your financial institution, please visit: https://www.zsuitetech.com.

Originally posted here:

Patriot Bank Selects ZSuite Technologies to Grow Core Deposits with ZRent and ZDeposit - Business Wire

End Of Year Office Technology Checklist by Drew Smith | Sponsored Insights – Greater Wilmington Business Journal

2020 is almost behind us, but before it settles into the ashes of history there are some things your workplace should think through. There is nothing like starting a new year fresh, especially after a year so tumultuous as this one has been. Lets take a look at a few ways you can ensure your office technology and related expenses are on track going into 2021.Access Control InitiativesIn an office setting where people are in and out and documents are constantly being emailed, printed, scanned and faxed, it can be hard to keep track of what all is being accessed and utilized. One good way to bring security and cost-saving measures into play is by implementing controlled access solutions to your fleet of office equipment.Whether you use printers, scanners, copiers or dedicated fax machines, putting in place a procedure for employees to authenticate at the given device to release their print jobs, access copying and scanning workflows and faxing can bring authority back to your company decision makers and IT staff. These controls are very affordable and can utilize existing HID cards (ID Badges) to save even more. Perhaps the biggest benefit of incorporating controlled access solutions is the security it brings your organization through audit trails on an individual user basis.Color Management SoftwareColor printing is a great tool for any office to utilize, thought if unmonitored, it often leads to wasteful behaviors. I once was at a clients office and while the CEO and I were in the copy room discussing their changing needs, out from the copier came a full page photo of someones baby. Needless to say this caught his eye which then led him to the pile of discarded papers that people had printed but not bothered to pick up. More color documents were in that stack of abandoned papers, but also found there was the realization a change in printing behaviors was needed.There are a variety of ways to control color output in your office and depending on your equipment you may even be able to utilize free software. One tool we use on Kyocera devices for clients is tiered color. This offering allows three prices to be used for color output based on the percentage of color on the page. The lower the percentage the lower the price and vice versa. One of the most common mistakes I see made by clients is documents that have a URL or a single highlight printed in color by accident. Depending on your contract, that could be over 8 cents for a speck of color. Determining how to address your color output organizationally is a great discussion to have with your office technology partner. One thing you can do today is have all devices set to default print in black and white. This will force users to make conscious decisions on whether color is essential to each and every document they print.Updated Faxing TechnologyIf you are like most offices that still utilize faxing technology, you probably have had a scenario where you faxed your documents at the copier and waited for a confirmation page with your fingers crossed hoping you didnt get a file size error or busy signal. Today there are new cost effective, convenient and secure ways to fax. In fact, you dont even have to keep that pesky analog phone line or need a fax board added to your copier. You can fax your documents from your desk or phone. Not to mention, establish audit trails for outgoing and incoming documents and do away with file size limits. Do yourself a favor and bring a refresh to your faxing procedures for 2021.Scanning WorkflowsAre you currently scanning to email or a folder from a shared copier? There are better ways. Many organizations are utilizing some form of cloud storage and the good news is you can integrate your office equipment with them! You can even browse folders and sub folders at the copier and in some instances add new folders from the touch screen of the device. This can bring back extensive amounts of time to your company versus users spending time finding documents they scanned, renaming them and then distributing them to the correct place.In addition, there are many times we see that users scan to emails outside of their organization from their copier. This can bring extensive security risks into play as there is not an audit trail configured because the email is coming not from a specific user (hint the need for access control) but from a shared device. By incorporating scanning solutions to your workplace, you not only allow your employees increased productivity and convenience, but prioritize document and data security initiatives. Having access controls in place will allow employees to sign-in to a device by badge or pin code and then have access to their personalized scanning workflows in programs such as OneDrive, SharePoint, or Outlook with an audit trail fully intact. Not to mention it is pretty handy for a user to have any emails shared from the device show up in the sent folder of their email.As you leave 2020 in your rear view and push forward to new possibilities awaiting you in the new year, make sure you set yourself up to succeed by taking a closer look at your office technology. We would love to help your organization chart a course towards increased productivity and security by examining your current infrastructure with a complimentary analysis. Schedule your appointment today with one of our sales representatives via our website or give us a call at 800-648-7081.Drew Smith currently serves as Director of Communications for Copiers Plus. The company specializes in modernizing office equipment and increasing efficiencies in workplace communications throughout the state of North Carolina. To learn more about how Copiers Plus is providing their customers with innovative document solutions and enhanced printing transparency, visitwww.copiers-plus.com. Drew would love to hear from you at [emailprotected].

Read the original post:

End Of Year Office Technology Checklist by Drew Smith | Sponsored Insights - Greater Wilmington Business Journal

Clinical Trial to Study Impact of ActivePure Technology on Surgical Site Infections – Business Wire

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aerus Medical formally announced the start of a double-blind two-year clinical study to evaluate the impact the Aerus Medical Guardian with ActivePure Technology can have on reducing nosocomial infections, or healthcare-associated infections, also known as HAIs, from surgical operating room procedures.

Aerus Medical Guardian with ActivePure Technology, a U.S. FDA Class II Medical Device, reduces bacteria and viruses in the air by 99.99% within 30 minutes and surface contamination by more than 99% after several hours. The primary goal of the randomized trial will be to determine whether filtering and sterilizing operating room air with the Aerus Medical Guardian with ActivePure Technology air purifier reduces a composite of serious surgical site infections, infection-related complications, and death within 30 days after surgery. Secondarily, the trial will determine the effect of air filtration and sterilization on serious surgical site infections and on the cost of care.

HAIs are a significant concern that can have serious medical, emotional, and financial consequences. These types of infections cost the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAI.

The Aerus Medical Study will use 50 noncardiac, adult operating rooms at Cleveland Clinic. The trial will be restricted to adults aged 18 years or older, having surgery lasting at least one hour. Patients with present-on-admission infections will be excluded from the study. Operating rooms will be randomized in one-month blocks to Aerus air sterilization or conventional air handling. A minimum of 67,653 patients with a maximum of 86,639 patients will be needed for this study.

The trial is expected to begin this year and last approximately two years.

The Aerus Medical Guardian with ActivePure Technology is roughly the size and configuration of carryon luggage (26.5H x 11.5W x 21.0D) and weighs 48 pounds. It cleans 18,000 cubic feet of air per hour on its high setting. The system actively cleans the air with activated carbon, ActivePure Molecules, and high-efficiency particulate filtration.

The Aerus Medical study is sponsored by Aerus Medical LLC, the company that developed the surface and air purification unit Aerus Medical Guardian with ActivePure Technology.

ABOUT ACTIVEPURE TECHNOLOGY:

ActivePure Technologies, LLC is the global leader in active, continuous surface and air purification systems for health care, education, commercial and public facilities, hospitality and residential applications. ActivePure Technologies, LLC is the exclusive worldwide owner of patented ActivePure Technology, the most powerful surface and air purification technology ever discovered, and the only one in its class recognized by the Space Foundation as Certified Space Technology and inducted into the Space Foundation Hall of Fame in 2017. ActivePure Technology has been engineered based on technology originally developed by NASA. Evolving from early-stage NASA designs, ActivePure Technology quickly, proactively and continuously minimizes the number of contaminants on all indoor surfaces and in the air. The systems produce sub-microscopic hydroxyls and ions, ActivePure Molecules, that destroy contaminants on contact, reducing exposure to diseases, including RNA and DNA viruses, bacteria and mold. Independent scientific data repeatedly shows that the patented ActivePure Technology is the most powerful air and surface purification solution ever discovered, reducing over 99% of surface microorganisms and airborne contaminants. The ActivePure badge, displayed across the world, provides peace of mind that there is continuous 24/7 surface and air protection in the indoor space. In 2020, the Aerus Medical Guardian, with ActivePure, was registered and cleared as an FDA Class II Medical Device. Unlike many other technologies, ActivePure is safe to use in indoor spaces while occupied by people - quickly, continuously, and safely reducing exposure to pathogens. Patented ActivePure Technology is designed, engineered and manufactured in the U.S. and is a division of ActivePure Technologies, LLC. For more information, please visit ActivePure.com or AerusMedical.com.

See the original post here:

Clinical Trial to Study Impact of ActivePure Technology on Surgical Site Infections - Business Wire

Hyundai Motor Group renews its website to introduce future technology leadership – Automotive World

Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) today introduced its renewed Hyundai Motor Group Tech website highlighting the key technologies driving its future mobility vision. The new digital platform is available in Chinese, English, Indonesian and Spanish as well as in Korean.

The website provides a detailed overview of key mobility technologies as well as the Groups roadmap for technology development and deployment across a range of future mobility solutions. The site encompasses technologies used by the Groups automotive brands Hyundai, Kia and Genesis as well as those held by the Groups affiliates.

Reflecting preferences of website users, the Group has organized Hyundai Motor Group Tech website into six key sections, which are further divided into 25 categories. The six sections include Mobility Device, Mobility Service, Essential Performance, Electrification, Fuel Cell and Convergence, which play vital roles in Hyundais vision of future mobility.

The Mobility Device section covers Urban Air Mobility (UAM), Purpose Built Vehicles (PBV) and the Hub all essential to the Groups innovativevision for future citiesfirst introduced in January at 2020 CES.

The Mobility Service section explores the Groups vision of hyper-connected lifestyles, facilitated by innovations in infotainment and connected vehicle services.

The Essential Performance section highlights the Groups work in automotive fundamentals, such as powertrains, road-noise control along with Ride and Handling (R&H) technologies.

The Electrification section presents the Groups its current and future eco-friendly vehicles, along with its vision for sustainability.

The Fuel Cell section showcase the Groups vision for hydrogen energy and its applications, including a variety of fuel-cell electric vehicles as the group seeks to lead a paradigm shift toward clean mobility.

Lastly, the Convergence section details the Groups vision for smart factories, smart cities, AI and other innovations, raising expectations towards the upcoming future mobility era.

As a digital platform, the Hyundai Motor Group Tech website offers easy-to-understand definitions, descriptions and development history of each technology to guide customers who want better understanding of the Groups strategic direction and vision for future mobility.

SOURCE: Hyundai

See the rest here:

Hyundai Motor Group renews its website to introduce future technology leadership - Automotive World

Facial recognition technology and travel after COVID-19 – World Economic Forum

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on transportation companies, especially airports and train stations, because of the travel restrictions implemented by most countries around the world and passengers' growing fear of travel.

In the aviation industry, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passenger air transport measured as revenue passenger kilometre was down 94% year-on-year in April 2020, across all regions. Eurostat also observed a dramatic drop in demand for rail transport services. Compared with the second quarter of 2019, the sector experienced a 94% decrease in the number of rail passengers in Ireland, 78% in France, and 77% in Italy.

In response to the pandemic, transportation companies had to make immediate major operational adjustments, including limiting passenger capacity, introducing intensive cleaning and consolidating terminals. Yet there is also a growing acknowledgment that regaining passengers trust in the post-COVID-19 world will require significant investment in digital technologies to address health and safety concerns.

To this end, an increasing number of industry players are turning to facial recognition technology (FRT), which is perceived as an efficient means to ensure a seamless and contactless passenger journey while preventing virus transmission.

Facial recognition technology requires a robust governing structure

While the development of this technology creates considerable opportunities for the transportation industry, it also raises serious governance challenges for passengers and citizens alike. Indeed, its deployment may further undermine passengers' privacy, contribute to consolidating surveillance infrastructure and perpetuate systemic racism because of its well-documented bias issue against minorities.

To address these challenges, the World Economic Forum's governance framework is structured around two key components. Firstly, a self-assessment questionnaire that details the requirements organizations must respect to ensure compliance with the 10 principles for action, which define what responsible use of FRT actually means for this use-case.

Secondly, we recommend the creation of an audit framework, run by third-party certification bodies, that validates the robustness of the risk-mitigation processes introduced by transportation companies. As such, this initiative represents the most comprehensive response to the risks associated with FRT for flow management applications, led by a global and multi-stakeholder community.

Major industry actors such as Narita International Airport (Tokyo), NEC corporation have already tested the self-assessment questionnaire with great success. Also, their answers (available here) have convinced us that the framework is ripe for wider roll-out and adoption in the aviation industry. Now, other industry players are about to run a similar test.

Market forecast confirms that the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-term effects on the aviation industry, even in the hypothesis of a vaccine being globally accessible by the end of 2021. To recover and then thrive, airports and airline companies will need to adapt to the new normal. This implies addressing passengers increased concerns for health and safety through the deployment of facial recognition technology while effectively mitigating the risks associated with this emerging technology. To a lesser extent, the rail industry faces a similar challenge.

In recent years, public concerns about facial recognition technology have grown and civil society calls for stronger regulation of this emerging technology has intensified. As they rely increasingly on this technology to improve flow management, transportation companies need to adopt an appropriate policy response to maximize its benefits.

We argue that this can be achieved by adopting our governance framework. Indeed, taking the self-assessment questionnaire and going through the certification scheme, in collaboration with a certification body, is an agile and robust way to build trust with passengers, regulators and citizens.

In this spirit, we encourage industry players, public actors, civil society representatives, certification bodies, policymakers and academics to join our initiative and participate in our open and experimental approach to strengthen this certification model and ensure its impact.

See the rest here:

Facial recognition technology and travel after COVID-19 - World Economic Forum

How Curtiss-Wright is bringing PacStar into the fold – Washington Technology

M&A

Pacific Star Communications journey began in 2000 as a reseller of military communications hardware and software, then the company applied lessons from that experience in its move to gradually become a maker.

That shift eventually led PacStar to start working with Curtiss-Wright on investigating new technologies and other applications of those tools. Then in November, Curtiss-Wright closed its $400 million acquisition of PacStar as part of the formers broader push into the defense technology landscape.

Curtiss-Wrights defense product line is centered on commercial-off-the-shelf models and subsystems, which then get integrated onto the platform. The company made one move into the data link and software landscape last year with its $50 million acquisition of Tactical Communications Group.

Where we dont have a lot of technology is actually in connecting the vehicles together and thats right in the heart of PacStars strength, said Chris Wiltsey, senior vice president and general manager for defense solutions at Curtiss-Wright.

Adding that capability is just incredibly obvious to us, Wiltsey added to me in a joint interview. The product line is complementary to us and then conversely the size of our catalog means we can apply PacStars technology and especially (their) IQ-Core Software to the large Curtiss-Wright catalog.

Peggy Miller, PacStars CEO since 2015 and hence leader of its shift, is staying with the business as senior general manager.

Those five years included wins that gradually grew in size, culminating with the potential $300 million contract won last year to supply wireless command post networking equipment to the Army.

Miller told me in the same interview that Curtiss-Wright was one of a number of strategic partners PacStar has worked with during this phase of growth, but felt that aligning with one was the next best step.

How did PacStar get to the point where a strategic buyer like Curtiss-Wright was interested in acquiring them? Miller mentioned how nearly one-third of PacStars 145 employees are engineers to check the technical expertise box, but then there is the customer knowledge aspect as well.

Miller told me that PacStar breaks out those engineers into three groups -- one on hardware and another on software, then a third as described below that links both the physical and digital.

One of the secrets is our network engineering group because you can have hardware and you can have software, but if you cant effectively connect to the networks that the military is deploying, then you really dont have something thats useful, Miller told me.

PacStars focus on smaller-form offerings as an alternative to those larger in size was another element that Curtiss-Wright was attracted to as customer requirements for in-theater technology evolve.

Think about especially an expeditionary force, where the configuration of the networked system is dynamic and changing, and the technology needs to enable that, Wiltsey said. It needs to allow the network to change and be very dynamic, and that can be difficult to do if you have a technical solution that is capable of doing that but cumbersome to use.

About the Author

Ross Wilkers is a senior staff writer for Washington Technology. He can be reached at rwilkers@washingtontechnology.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rosswilkers. Also connect with him on LinkedIn.

Originally posted here:

How Curtiss-Wright is bringing PacStar into the fold - Washington Technology

HITEC Recognizes the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology – PRNewswire

CHICAGO, Oct. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --HITEC today announced the 100 most influential Hispanic leaders in technology for 2021 - the HITEC 100. Click here to view the full list of the HITEC 100.

For more than a decade, HITEC has highlighted the value that Hispanic leaders create in technology. This is part of the organization's mission to celebrate and increase Hispanic representation, building stronger technology and executive leaders in the diversity-challenged technology industry.

"2020 has been a year of challenges and unimaginable global change. During these times, our leaders have worked to change the conversation, using technology to innovate and working to create meaningful impact," saidHITEC Chairman, Guillermo Diaz, Jr., CEO of Kloudspot.

"It is because of these leaders and innovators that businesses and families around the world have been able to stay connected, functioning and forging a path forward. It is an extremely proud moment for the Hispanic community and the tech industry to recognize and celebrate these leaders," said Diaz.

Nominations for the HITEC 100 are solicited from HITEC members, partners and the general public. Awardees are evaluated on their accomplishments in the ever-changing global landscape of technology and for their mentoring and professional development activities.

"With each passing year, the HITEC 100 continues to strengthen in caliber and representation at the highest levels of the Hispanic talent in the technology industry. This year, HITEC received a record number of nominations, which shows the growth in visibility and impact that HITEC has in the community. We continue raising the bar in a more challenging selection process," saidHITEC Board Member and Chair of the Awards Committee, Juan Carlos Gutierrez, Head of Latam Solution Architecture and Customer Success, Amazon Web Services (AWS).

HITECis the premier global executive leadership organization of senior business and technology executives. HITEC 100 awardees will be recognized virtually during the HITEC Awards Ceremony on December 8, 2020.

SOURCE HITEC

More here:

HITEC Recognizes the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology - PRNewswire

Robotics is Making Alliance between Employees and Technology – Analytics Insight

Traditionally, human beings design and construct robotics, and the use of machines to perform tasks. Robots are broadly used in industries such as automobile manufacturing to perform simple repetitive tasks. In such industries, work must be performed in ecosystems hazardous to humans.

Almost every aspect of robotics involve artificial intelligence (AI), robots may be equipped with the equivalent of human senses like vision, touch, and ability to sense temperature. Some of them are even capable of decision making. Todays research on robotics is geared toward devising robots with a degree of self-efficiency that will enable mobility and decision-making in an unstructured ecosystem. Current industrial robots do not resemble human beings.

Industries are using robots for stimulating manufacturing electric signals and designing biomedical equipments etc. Robotics requires a set of applications, including computer integrated manufacturing, mechanical engineering, biological mechanics, electrical engineering, and software engineering.

Nowadays, Automation and Robotics Engineering have been used to control systems and in information technology to reduce human work while producing goods and services.

Vice President, Product, Program, and UX Design forBrain Corp, Phil Duffy joined host Daniel Litwin to cover a broad critical topic in todays automated world. They are tackling how robotics is creating new bridges between employees and technology.

Brain Corp develops software forautonomous mobile robots(AMRs), designed for retailers and grocery stores around the world and counts several Fortune 500 customers among its client bases, such as Walmart, Kroger, Schnucks, Giant Eagle, and Simon Property Group.

Phil Duffy provided some essential insights from the front lines on how those customers and others are leveraging AMRs during the pandemic. He was trying to explore how the rapid growth of adoption of robotic solutions could continue into the new normal and beyond. He further emphasized the effect of robotics on daily operations during the coronavirus pandemic and into global reopening.

Duffy said, Weve known about robots in a warehouse and industrial setting for 20-odd years, but the robots that scale in open-to-public spaces are relatively a new thing.

He elaborated, Up until recently, customers have been nervous about the prospect of robots in open spaces. Whats happened during COVID-19 pandemic is that a lot of the customers we deal with in the robotics industry have recognized that theres an opportunity here to gain value.

That translates to robots potentially taking over dull and monotonous jobs, enabling human employees to take on cleaning of data and other important tasks during this unprecedented time of COVID-19.

The alliance between humans and machines will survive the global pandemic and set a new definition of work. Collaborating robots with employees can do physical work and provide real intelligence. Perception and ability of making decisions allow creation to grow in ecosystems that would be unsafe or unpleasant for human employees. Instead of being insecure, robotics is helping to build new bridges between employees and machines to get through the pandemic.

Read the rest here:

Robotics is Making Alliance between Employees and Technology - Analytics Insight

I got irritated by my dads cluelessness with gadgets but maybe it is the technology thats to blame – The Guardian

About 10 years ago, I moved into a fancy flat. I was looking forward to my dad coming to stay for the first time. He arrived at lunchtime, before I went off to present The One Show. He is really into music, so I enjoyed showing him the audio system, which could play more or less every radio station in the world and just about every piece of music ever made. I could even summon up a specialist jazz station in Los Angeles. Then there was the lighting, which could be selected to come on in different places at selected levels. Finally, there was the television and associated apparatus which, for convenience, could be operated by a single remote control sporting a little touchscreen. With a cheery wave, I bade him farewell, encouraging him to relax and enjoy himself.

It was eight oclock and night had fallen by the time I returned. The place was quiet and in darkness. I was terrified, frankly, that he had expired. Then I heard a tiny, tinny sound emanating from the big, open-plan living room. Dad? I switched on the light, selecting the brightest of the five available options, and there he was, sitting alone in the middle of the too-big sofa that could comfortably have seated 20 of him. On the coffee table in front of him was the small, battery-operated wireless he carried with him everywhere. On the television, an error message flitted around the screen. In his hand was a glass of wine. He looked resigned, but not unhappy. I tried, he said, but got nowhere with anything, so just gave up.

At the time, I was annoyed with him but, to be honest, 10 years on I am still grappling with the stupid lights, TV and sound system myself. In this and all things, my parents difficulties are becoming my own and I am furious with more or less everyone involved in the design of anything. Everything has become too complicated: cars, phones, computers, ovens, hobs, you name it. In the interest of greater functionality, everything is being overengineered to the point for many people of non-functionality.

This week, I was in my normal state of exasperation with my dad for not reading his gas and electricity meters, as asked to do by his supplier. I got on my hands and knees, only to find devices I didnt recognise. On them were tiny blank screens with a couple of buttons. I proceeded to do what I constantly berate my parents for doing: I pressed the buttons angrily and indiscriminately. Mysterious groups of numbers, letters and words appeared. I could just about read the tiny legend of the model number, so I looked up the instructions online and, I think, finally got a reading. I was later told by someone that the whole point of smart meters is that they send the data automatically. So why the request for readings? I emailed the company about this, but have had no reply.

The list goes on: Apple was very pleased with itself when it made the iPhone screen more touch sensitive, so you got one thing if you pressed lightly, and another if you pressed harder. For older people, whose drier digits dont work well with touchscreens, this exacerbates the problem. Getting nowhere with a light touch, my dad stabs harder, which then brings up something else, which, in turn, deepens his desperation. Voice activation and Siri are supposed to help him. To be fair, they might, but I may never know because, unable to understand them myself, I cannot be of any assistance.

Does the smart in smartphone and smart TV refer to the brilliance required of their users? Smart televisions are definitely the worst of all. My parents have a Virgin box, the remote for which has 45 buttons. The remote for the Samsung TV has 44. Eighty-nine buttons to worry about, when they need, at most, about five of them. To make matters worse, in order to squeeze so many buttons on to the thing, the writing on them has to be squintingly small. Press Guide, I holler.

Cant see it, they yell back.

It turns out that I can barely see it either. On the Virgin controller, the word measures 1.5mm by 5mm. Guide on Samsung comes in at a comparatively generous 2mm by 8mm. Even worse are the symbols they otherwise resort to. Of the 89 buttons I am looking at now, I am completely clueless as to the function of at least 20 of them.

And symbols for words are a problem everywhere. To access the start menu on Windows 10, you no longer click Start; you click on a symbol of a window. Why? To forward an email on Gmail, you now have to click on three vertical dots and find the option down there somewhere. These may seem obvious, and I appreciate the need to make things accessible to those who dont speak English. I also know many elderly people will be comfortable with all this, but many seniors as I am sure they call them in Silicon Valley find it all contributes to the confusion.

This is not merely another case of twas ever thus. Yes, we are always going to be somewhat confused by the world as old age comes around. But this tech trouble goes beyond that and seems to get forgotten among the many other challenges to be confronted welfare payments, pensions, social care and so on. All that stuff is vital, of course, but these endless, daily tests and trials set by the march of technology are real breakers of spirit and unwitting tools of exclusion. The biggest tragedy is that so much of it could be so helpful for many more older people if only they were able to use it easily. The hard of hearing are so much better off communicating by text. And television on demand is a gold mine of entertainment, if a barrage of buttons does not discourage you. Computers are an amazing window on the world, something that must be of greatest benefit to those less able to get out in that world.

Those who design this stuff are plainly doing so for people close in age to themselves. But surely no harm would come from them considering whether their parents or grandparents would have any chance of fathoming out whatever new consumer electronics they are working on. As with all things concerning the troubles of the twilight years, it will be well worth them remembering that, one day, their time will come. I hope, uncharitably, that the thousand-buttoned remote controls for their celestial screens will leave them as baffled as my parents are.

Adrian Chiles is a Guardian columnist

More here:

I got irritated by my dads cluelessness with gadgets but maybe it is the technology thats to blame - The Guardian

TailorInsight Releases Report on ‘The AR+AI Interactive Video Technology of WIMI Promotes the Potential Power of the Hologram Industry’ -…

HONG KONG, Oct. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TailorInsight, the fintech market research organization, recently released a research report 'The AR+AI Interactive Video Technology of WIMI Promotes the Potential Power of the Hologram Industry'. Obviously, the current content and efficiency of e-commerce live broadcasting cannot match the rapid growth of the new market needs of the live broadcasting industry. The live broadcasting market is in urgent need of a new technology that can reduce costs, improve efficiency, enrich content, and improve the live broadcasting data instantly to facilitate the iterative upgrading of the e-commerce industry.

This is the AR/VR virtual live broadcasting technology which is side-by-side with 5G technology and has experienced several verifications in the e-commerce live broadcasting industry. Indeed, in the 5G era, e-commerce live broadcasting will be more and more interesting. Because of the high-speed information transmission of 5G, the anchors on the platform can present consumers with high-definition and high-quality pictures anytime and anywhere.

In recent years, virtual AR live broadcasting technology has gradually appeared in some of the top events and banquets. The AR live broadcast solution, based on the deep learning and stereo vision algorithm software, is adopted by WIMI. Meanwhile, it represents that the Chinese artificial intelligence and visual algorithm software science and technology enterprise's technical level has reached the world's leading level. The software algorithm can realize the production of AR live broadcast effects, which greatly reduces the engineering difficulty and cost, and improves the implementation efficiency. This means that AR virtual live broadcasting can be more and more widely applied to other fields except for top events and banquets.

The advantages of WIMI's AR+ live broadcasting is obvious, which can simulate any scene in a real way and reflect the application of the product in different real environments. It can show more complex products, so that the audience can more intuitively understand the internal structure and product details of the product. Break through the personnel limit, and at the same time, it can target the crowd for live broadcasting and precise delivery, which has a wider publicity effect. Online interactivity is stronger, meanwhile, guests and fans can interact during the live broadcast. Their questions will be screened and answered in real time. In addition, the complete set of videos can be obtained at the end of the live broadcast. These videos can be used for publicity in the first time without the need for post-editing.

Based on its mature visual design team, WIMI Hologram has deeply excavated the AR live broadcast technology and officially launched the AR live broadcast business, enriching its business structure, providing more services to customers, solving customer problems, and covering multiple industries and fields.

The WIMI's AR+ live system, in simple terms, is through the AR holographic technology, allowing the audience to watch the holographic characters or scenes with the naked eyes. The user experience can be described as stunning. WIMI combines the holographic technology with entertainment mode, which enables the viewer to become a character in the movie/stage and involve in the movie/stage pre-made environment and plot. The viewer can feel like a part of the movie/stage, or even the main character of it, allowing the viewer to continues to interact with the movie/stage content.

In terms of video technology, in addition to regular live video broadcasts, WIMI AR has also begun to get involved in some more "future" fields. WIMI is optimistic about the prospect of ultra-low latency video interactive technology in many fields such as entertainment, games, sports, education, medical care, VR, and AR.

VR/AR has broad application prospects in many industries such as culture and sports, transportation, medical care, education, public safety, real estate, news media, and advertising and marketing. Over the past few years, VR/AR has been tepid, with many of them remaining in verification application or demonstration applications, and there were few large-scale commercial applications. However, it can be expected that the commercialization of 5G will accelerate gradually, and VR/AR will become the "number one player" of 5G applications, opening a huge space for commercial imagination.

About TailorInsight

Tailor Insight provides easy and quick solutions that allow customers to capture, monitor, and audit market data from a holistic view down to an individual task on market research and industry trend insights. For more information, please visit http://www.TailorInsight.com.

Media contactAlex Xie, Senior AnalystFintech Research Team, TailorInsight Researchinfo@TailorInsight.comhttp://www.TailorInsight.com

Follow this link:

TailorInsight Releases Report on 'The AR+AI Interactive Video Technology of WIMI Promotes the Potential Power of the Hologram Industry' -...

Professors Embrace New Technology to Adapt to Online Instruction – Columbia University

As an unprecedented fall semester progresses, Columbia faculty members have been busy figuring out the most effective ways to adapt their courses to online and hybrid/HyFlex formats. Professors are exploring how to use technology intentionally to produce the best learning experience for their students.

The individual and collaborative efforts of faculty have been remarkable. All of us who are teaching this semester have felt some anxiety about relying on a virtual medium, and that anxiety has been channeled into wonderfully productive conversations about teaching, said Lisa Hollibaugh, Dean of Academic Affairs at Columbia College.

Many instructors have engaged with Columbias Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Between May 1 and August 31, professors had more than1,000 consultations with the CTL, and over 1,200 of them participated in the CTLs new Hybrid & Online Teaching Institute, which shows users how to adapt courses to online or hybrid formats.

Instructors are committed to creating community and connections with their students in totally new ways in order to sustain the kind of engagement that is at the heart of teaching and learning at Columbia, said Catherine Ross, CTL executive director.

Here several faculty members from around campus share their experiences shifting to online teaching and offer suggestions:

Annie Pfeifer, Professor of Germanic Languages

Instead of trying to recreate the physical classroom experience, think about ways you can provide a different kind of experience by using the features of Zoom, CourseWorks, polls, and even the chat function over Zoom. For me, teaching online works best when I stop comparing it to the real thing in person, said Pfeifer. In the CTL workshops, I learned about the multiple functions of CourseWorks, which make it easier to grade and keep track of assignments. I am also using the collaboration feature on Courseworks for sharing notes with students.

In terms of asynchronous coursework, Pfeifer aimed to rethink and retool storytelling in her class, Grimms Fairy Tales: Power, Gender, and Narrative, by asking students to transcribe and record their own fairy tales and post them online to create a kind of virtual storytelling community, where they can listen and engage with each other.

During synchronous class sessions, she took advantage of polls (especially Poll Everywhere) to stimulate class discussion. Since the polls are usually anonymous, they allow quieter or less vocal students to voice their opinions about a text or question in a lower-stakes setting, said Pfeifer. Right now, it seems like we have more class discussion and participation over Zoom than I often do in an in-person class. The key seems to be providing students with different forums to participate: breakout rooms, the Zoom chat function, and a discussion board. I also asked students to submit a voluntary technology survey, which alerts me to the challenges they might be facing with remote learning. Their responses often contain practical suggestions and feedback that I try to incorporate into my classes.

Sailakshmi Ramgopal, Professor of History

Ramgopal created a new interactive online mapping project for her undergraduate seminar, Mobility and Identity in the Roman World. The course focuses on the relationships between the migratory patterns of marginalized populations of the Roman empire and Roman law, society, and culture. The mapping project provides students with a hands-on opportunity to plot data from inscriptions and other sources related to migratory phenomena, and to explore the questions that arise.

The shift to remote teaching motivated me to develop this project so that students can learn the work that historians do outside of reading assignments and classroom discussion, said Ramgopal. This project allows for creativity and spontaneous exploration, which are fundamental to writing compelling, thoughtful history.

Thomas A. DiPrete, Giddings Professor of Sociology

In his undergraduate sociology seminar, DiPrete implemented simple yet meaningful ways to help students feel included and heard in an online arena.

In the first class, we discussed how to create an open, welcoming environment, particularly involving class discussion, which is an important component of the course, DiPrete said.

He spoke with all the students individually outside of class, and discussed the pros and cons of the various ways of getting into class discussionsphysically waving ones hand, sending him a chat, doing an electronic hand wave, or just starting to talk, making DiPrete the gentle traffic cop to keep students from talking over each other. He also enters the Zoom room a few minutes before class begins in order to chat informally with students who have arrived early, and he stays online for a while after class has ended so that students have a chance to ask questions or share their thoughts with him.

Rym Bettaieb, Lecturer in Arabic Language, Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies

Over the summer, Bettaieb worked with the CTL to learn how to employ Courseworks and Zoom to transition her Arabic courses online.

Thanks to the CTL, I am able to upload teaching material for each day (handouts, videos, readings, homework assignments, quizzes, etc.) on my CourseWorks course page. I divide my time with students between Zoom on and Zoom off, said Bettaieb. During Zoom on, we go over class material together and correct drills they have worked on. During Zoom off, students study new material and prepare questions for Zoom on sessions. I always arrange for a short time between our Zoom on and Zoom off sessions in order to answer any student questions. I also hold an office hour with video that grants each student 10 minutes to meet with me individually.

The students were a bit nervous in the beginning of the course about the new online format and virtual mode of learning, said Bettaieb. However, they soon realized that they were not missing or skipping any aspect of learning a new language. All the skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening, and culture) were integrated into each class.

The online format also allows Rym to hold cultural events that would be difficult to organize in a physical classroom. Recently, her class hosted Farah Alhashim, a Kuwaiti-Lebanese movie director, after watching her movie, Breakfast in Beirut, on Zoom. Alhashim joined Bettaieb and her students from a small town in the South of France, where she was quarantined.

My students were very happy to interact with her, and felt close to her work and creative ideas despite the physical distance that separated us, said Bettaieb.

Laura K. Nicholas is communications and outreach manager at Columbia's Center for Teaching and Learning. Catherine Ross and Amanda Irvin assisted her with this story.

See the original post here:

Professors Embrace New Technology to Adapt to Online Instruction - Columbia University

Call me! How technology is changing our hand gestures – The Guardian

Name: Hand gestures.

Age: Older than language.

Appearance: Demonstrative hand signals encoding commonly understood meanings.

I dont follow you. Can you give me an example of what youre talking about? Certainly: placing a fist alongside your head, thumb and little finger extended, in the manner of a man trying to scratch his chin and his ear at the same time.

OK. And what does that mean? Cant you guess?

Does it mean: My ear and my chin both itch? No! It means: Call me.

What? How do you figure that? Its miming holding a phone the thumb is the earpiece, the little finger is the mouthpiece, and the fist is pretending to grab the long bit in between.

Youve seen a phone, right? I guess it wouldnt make much sense if youve only ever used a flat, rectangular mobile.

Youre correct, it wouldnt. Give me a better example. Fine. You pretend to write something in the air with an invisible implement.

Am I a teacher, scribbling on a virtual reality chalkboard during a lockdown maths class? No, youre asking the waiter for the bill.

The waiter? How did I even get to a restaurant? This is hypothetical. Youre just signalling your readiness to write out a cheque.

Write out a what? Or maybe youre telling the waiter to please tot up the final tally of the bill.

The bill is a computer printout. Are you being ignorant or just difficult?

I think youll find its my job to be both. Fortunately, linguists have identified your problem: Generation Z has no lived experience of the technology on which these gestures are based. Emblems that are specific to particular devices will only be recognised by those who are familiar with such devices, says the language expert Prof Vyv Evans.

Such as old people like yourself. Perhaps. Recently a TikTok video by New Yorker Daniel Alvarado went viral after he filmed his two kids using a flat palm to mime talking on the phone.

Things change, is what youre saying. Its a bit more complicated than that.

I dont think it is. The thing about gestures is that they are culture-specific and so mean different things to different socio-economic or generational groups, says Evans.

Thats just a more complicated way of saying it. One more: a police officer pulls you over, approaches your car and makes a cranking motion with one hand. Why?

I know this one: were playing charades, and shes telling me its a film. Thats exactly right good luck to you.

Do say: This is 2020, grandad. If youve got something to say, just text me.

Dont say: How many syllables, officer?

Continue reading here:

Call me! How technology is changing our hand gestures - The Guardian

Q&A: Cipher Skin and its technology for injury recovery – Med-Tech Innovation

Shaka Bahadu and Philip Bogdanovich, founders of Cipher Skin spoke to Med-Tech Innovation News about its BioSleeve technology, its current offering and future plans.

Tell us more about Cipher Skin, how did it all begin?

Cipher Skin began as an idea in 2012 when the third co-founder, Craig Weller and I were working in Baghdad together. I was trying to recover from significant injuries sustained during combat and Craig is a world class trainer. Over six months I lost weight, was able to sleep again, was running and able to walk without a limp. Most importantly I was out of pain. Ultimately this led to the question How do we put this experience in the pocket of every person on the planet? We solved the problem with our first patent in 2017, stood up a business and began building a proof of concept. Fast forward three years and eight patents later - Craig has moved on to write a best-selling book on training and continue to coach elite athletes while Shaka and I are scaling Cipher Skin; ushering in a new era of training, rehab and telemedicine.

Who would you target with your technology?

Cipher Skins long-term mission is to measure, visualise and understand the behaviour of any object in the physical world. Our goal is to ultimately build the largest data pool collected from objects in motion.

Our primary focus is to collect and store key data on the human body in motion providing unique insights and analytics to unlock the potential of human recovery and performance.

With the BioSleeve hardware and the Digital Mirror software application, we are able to visualise an extremely accurate, real-time 3D picture of the human body movement. The data thats being collected includes complex range of motion as well as key biometrics such as heart rate and dynamic O2 saturation.

Cipher Skin isnt marketing its products directly to consumers. Were geared towards healthcare providers (wellness and mobility providers, medical equipment providers, and hospital groups). Entire remote consultations, physical therapy and home exercise can effectively all take place through Cipher Skins devices.

Telehealth - Rehab and Recovery

Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy clinics

By automating data collection and providing highly accurate insights, our goal is to make the interaction between healthcare provider and the patient easier and more meaningful. Working seamlessly with the BioSleeve, the Digital Mirror is effectively used as a telehealth platform. Were actively working with practitioners in the rehab and recovery space who use it to remotely monitor their patients progress and conduct remote, real-time rehab sessions while having access to the data they need.

Performance and Training

Trainers and high-performance athletes

With the BioSleeve, athletes can track unique motion data, along with key biometrics, while performing in any environment, under any conditions no need for a laboratory, cameras or other cumbersome equipment. With real-time access to the athletes data, trainers can monitor workouts remotely and build optimised training and recovery programmes.

As part of a long-term partnership, Cipher Skin is actively working with the U.S. Department of Defense on Cipher-enabled, hyper-connected attire for the military personnel.

Hospitals Groups and Systems Remote patient monitoring

By measuring mobility and tracking vitals (e.g. pulmonary and respiratory vital signs), Cipher Skins technology can be used to remotely monitor patients with chronic diseases or going through post-surgery recovery. The BioSleeve is also an indispensable tool for elder care (e.g. retirement homes, assisted living, etc.).

Durable Medical Equipment Providers

Our technology was built for implementation across a variety of platforms. We work with medical manufacturers (i.e. knee/arm braces and tools) to help them take their devices to a new level of functionality through our retrofit kit and the integration of our technology into their equipment. The data and metrics that we collect from the Cipher technology significantly improves the performance of their devices and platforms.

Long-term developments industrial monitoring

Our technology can be used as a real-time, continuous monitoring solution for infrastructures such as pipelines, bridges or ships (breach/leak prevention and detection).

What do you make of similar offerings in this particular space?

Most of the motion tracking devices for people are camera-based. Developments in motion tracking over the last few years have been quite impressive, and some of these offerings are good. But a good image on a relatively static person is one thing, and a portable, rugged, wearable device that does the same task during complex motion is another.

Are you aiming to establish a presence in the UK & Irish markets?

Absolutely. We plan on establishing a presence in the UK and Irish markets in the next 12-24 months for our first product applications, the BioSleeve and Digital Mirror. We are looking for product and distribution partners there, starting Q1 of 2021.

Tell us a bit more about the technology that goes into making your product?

Cipher Skin uses a patented combination of repeating geometric patterns called tessellations and conductive materials to build flexible, modular computer systems that are conforming, thin and rapidly implementable. Cipher Skin has patented the core methodology for computerising clothing for the purposes of measuring motion plus other stuff at the same time. We are excited by the potential applications because stuff can be virtually anything - from heart rate and oxygen saturation to stress, impact force, swelling and torque. We can also provide direct user feedback like haptic feedback, and complex computations in the cloud in real time. The Cipher Skin BioSleeve comes with an ergonomic design to optimise user comfort, and a proprietary waterproofing solution that makes it washable and re-usable.

What materials are used in the development of the physical device used?

Our materials change as the use case changes. We are sensor, radio, and material agnostic. Currently, the materials we use are:

Youve listed athletics and patient monitoring as areas you can operate in do you see othermedtech-related areas to diversify into?

Hospital gowns. Our final bio-performance product application ~36 months from late stage prototype - commercial ready product is a long sleeve shirt that measures range of motion of the waist, trunk, chest, and arms. In addition, the sensor array will measure a 12 lead ECG, respirations, HRV, temperature, spinal column positioning, chest wall expansion and contraction.

Anything else youd like to add?

Cipher Skin is built on the idea that the right team, with the right knowledge, in the right space can come together and rapidly solve hard problems in a truly meaningful way. We have been very careful in assembling the best teams of engineers and leaders in this space, and built the culture to keep them here. Cipher Skin is on a mission to leave a Google-sized impression on the world.

Read the original:

Q&A: Cipher Skin and its technology for injury recovery - Med-Tech Innovation