SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS), a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, announced that the company is working with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and SGS to help advance testing of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology.

The three companies focused on test cases covering radio frequency (RF) and radio resource management (RRM) performance verification of devices used for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) deployment scenarios. The test cases, based on 3rd generation partnership projects (3GPP) Release 14 specifications, support C-V2X test plans prescribed by the OmniAir Consortium and the Global Certification Forum (GCF). In August 2020, SGS used Keysight's RF/RRM DVT & Conformance Toolset and the Qualcomm Snapdragon Automotive 4G Platform to verify initial test cases at the certification companys lab in San Diego. The Snapdragon Automotive 4G Platform is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Keysights collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and SGS will help accelerate timelines for the wider automotive industry to adopt reliable communications protocols and technologies, helping to shape the future of transportation, logistics and mobility, said Lucas Hansen, senior director at Keysight Technologies. Were pleased to support the C-V2X ecosystem with conformance test solutions that support both GCF and OmniAir validation criteria.

The automotive industry is in the process of implementing C-V2X technology to improve safety for drivers and passengers in moving vehicles, as well as pedestrians in transit.

As a result of the advancements in C-V2X tests and field trials, were witnessing a surge in the technology needed in vehicles that support real-time information sharing which is critical to deterring accidents, avoiding obstacles and broadcasting road-condition updates, said Prashant Dogra, vice president, engineering at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. The Snapdragon Automotive 4G Platform features integrated C-V2X and global navigation satellite system technology designed for precise timing and location.

These key working relationships, such as the one weve established with Keysight and Qualcomm Technologies enable SGS to deliver effective products and services that meet our clients evolving requirements, said David Chu, vice president for CRS Electrical & Electronics at SGS. As the first test house to complete initial C-V2X testing supporting both OmniAir and GCF test plans, SGS is well-positioned to serve an ecosystem of device makers with timely certification services.

Our members, including Keysight, Qualcomm Technologies and SGS, will contribute to the verification of new C-V2X test cases at the upcoming OmniAir Global Plugfest, to be held across six test laboratories in Europe, Asia and North America, from September 28th to October 15th, said Jason Conley, executive director of OmniAir Consortium. Towards the end of 2020, OmniAir will incorporate over three hundred test cases into a new, independent third-party C-V2X test and certification program.

Keysight's conformance test platforms enable hardware and software providers to validate compliance of C-V2X devices to standards set by 3GPP. Keysight's connected car solutions support a wide range of technologies, including 5G, C-V2X, DSRC and GNSS, to improve reliability, cybersecurity and safety in an increasingly complex world.

About Keysight Technologies

Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) is a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight's solutions optimize networks and bring electronic products to market faster and at a lower cost with offerings from design simulation, to prototype validation, to manufacturing test, to optimization in networks and cloud environments. Customers span the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics end markets. Keysight generated revenues of $4.3B in fiscal year 2019. More information is available at http://www.keysight.com.

Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.

Additional information about Keysight Technologies is available in the newsroom at https://www.keysight.com/go/news and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

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Keysight Works with Qualcomm Technologies and SGS to Advance Testing of Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything Technology - Business Wire

Ocutrx Vision Technologies Oculenz AR headset with rendering of Dynamic Opacity pixel occlusion

An alpha-matte layer containing pixels can turn varying degrees of opaqueness, much like an exterior shadow that is onto the AR lens. In other words, it puts a sunglasses type shade behind just the virtual image while leaving portions around that image see-through.

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocutrx Vision Technologies, LLC, an augmented/extended reality manufacturing company, announced today the issuance of its third and fourth awarded patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The third patent, titled System and Method for Correction of Vision Defects Using Augmented Reality Glasses covers the companys visual field perimetry testing technology. This eye examination takes place in the augmented reality (AR) head mounted unit (HMU) to detect damaged retinal tissue called scotomas existing in central and peripheral vision which may be caused by various medical conditions such as advanced macular degeneration (AMD).

The fourth patent covers what Ocutrx calls Dynamic Opacity titled Wearable Image Manipulation and Control System with Dynamic Opacity Augmentation in Augmented Reality Glasses a technology which is essential to the broader application of AR beyond gaming, and important to the AR industry as a whole. The patent covers technology which solves a common AR problem of being able to see projected virtual images or video in an AR headset in high-lighting conditions or daylight settings. An alpha-matte layer containing pixels, which turn varying degrees of opaqueness, are controlled to match, much like an exterior shadow, the reflected image the person sees inside the headset. In other words, it puts a sunglasses type shade behind just the virtual image while leaving portions around that image see-through.

We are incredibly pleased to add these important patents to our Intellectual Property portfolio and the value of our company. The allowance of these patents serves to affirm our belief that the technologies we are developing will transform the future of augmented/extended reality and expand the bounds of optical technologies as we now know it, said Michael Freeman, CEO/CTO of Ocutrx Vision Technologies.

The Visual Field Test patent teaches that by using a display controller in the headset to provide a visual field test to a patient, using both static and kinetic perimetry testing processes to identify the area of damage, medically known as a scotoma on the patients retina. As a result, the digital headset creates a retinal map of exactly where the analog retinal scotoma is located in a patients eyes as if it was projected onto the Oculenz display screen.

To aid AMD patients, the Oculenz then activates its two 4K cameras mounted within the device, taking video of what the patient should be seeing from the real world: real-reality (RR), Then, the software controller combines and modifies the RR streaming video buffering the frame-by-frame video images with the retinal scotoma map of each eye of the patient. Then, when the original video frames are displayed to the patient in the headset the buffer pixel-shifts the RR video to outside the scotoma, so that none of the information is displayed to the part of the patients retina where the scotoma exists. This permits a patient with AMD to see what would normally be hidden by the scotoma in their vision.

The head mounted visual-field test is a huge step forward because previously a patient had to go to an Ophthalmologists office and take the same test on a machine thats half the size of a refrigerator. Now, with the Oculenz HMU the test can be taken by the patient at home, as often as the patient needs to, with the results being instantaneously available to the patients physician for immediate interpretation and further diagnosis by the doctor. Alternatively, the algorithms measure each test and reports to the Ophthalmologist when the scotoma has enlarged, or a new area of defect is detected.

The fourth patent uses the method of putting an occlusive shadow behind the projected virtual image through controlled pixels which exist on an alpha-matte lens while the virtually displayed images are being reflected into the eyes. Each pixel can be controlled in varying degrees of opaqueness gradation which Ocutrx calls AR Dynamic Opacity (ARDO). ARDO is included in all the Oculenz headsets for patients, and in the ORlenz AR/XR headset for surgeons. The ARDO overcomes bright-light conditions by making the virtual image more visible than the RR in front of it.

Another feature of the fourth patent is a particularly important feature to the AR sector as a whole and involves the application of foveated rendering to AR visualizations. The part of the invention leverages the natural operation of the fovea in the human eye, with mechanical and software applications in the AR/XR HMUs to get the most out of the resolution of virtual images and graphics. The Ocutrx patent teaches a method where the optical engine mimics the attributes of the human eye concentrating the highest-resolution in the center of the eye-box and a lower resolution on the periphery. These elements work together to display a higher-than-native display resolution projected onto the fovea and macula, where most of a persons high-acuity vision exists, while the user sees the virtual images in the lens periphery in a lower resolution which matches more closely their own peripheral perceptual acuity.

Ocutrx Vision Technologies is transforming the way AR/XR can be applied in medical devices for surgeons and patients, alike, said Dr. Linda Lam MD, MBA, Chief Scientific and Strategy Officer at Ocutrx. Being able to match the resolution of the human eye with a symbiotic resolution in the headset is a major step forward in making augmented reality the most usable for medical applications.

The company plans to bring more pending patents to market once approved. Ocutrx currently has 4 patents awarded and 49 international patents filed and 20 US patents pending. Freeman, himself, has well over 60 patents awarded to his credit in seven different scientific sectors.

For more information about Ocutrx and its remarkable ARWear technology, please visit http://www.ocutrxtech.com.

About Ocutrx

With corporate headquarters in Irvine, Calif., and a research and development labs in Colorado Springs, CO and Tulsa, OK, and a new office in London, England, Ocutrx is a new breed of Augmented/Extended Reality manufacturing company focusing on the best-connected, lightest-weight, highest-resolution AR headset, housing the largest field-of-vision in the market. The Ocutrx AR headsets boast 60 pixel-per-degree resolution, which is the highest resolution the human eye can see at 20/20. Ocutrx is focused on AR/XR as a medical device for surgeons and patients alike to deliver an extended reality experience to both. At a time when worldwide applications for easy-to-wear and easy-to-use AR solutions are being touted as the next big thing after smartphones, Ocutrx is creating impactful, revolutionary ARWear for the medical sector.To learn more about Ocutrx and its ground-breaking technology, please visit the company website atwww.oculenz.com.

Media Contact:Brenlyn DAmore Bastion Elevate (for Ocutrx Vision Technologies)brenlyn@bastionelevate.com949-899-3135

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96a867c5-067a-48a1-bc16-0d0a37b8419b

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Ocutrx Vision Technologies Continues to Innovate in the AR Industry and is Granted Third & Fourth Patents for Visual Field Testing & Dynamic...

N13308_1200x628_Digital_LVH S AED donation to Boy Scouts2

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BY MICHAEL PECKMAN

It is a partnership that can save lives. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)Schuylkill has partnered with the Hawk Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America by donating four AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators) to the Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation.Health and safety officers will distribute these devices throughout the reservation in the event an emergency medical need arises.

In an emergency, there is no time to lose, says Bill Reppy, LVHSchuylkill President.The Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation provides services to so many from its remote camp location.We are very proud to be able to donate these devices to the Hawk Mountain Council to be used, should an emergency arise.

The Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation located in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, provides programming to almost 4,000 youth and adults on an annual basis.This includes weeklong summer camp, day camp, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs, school- based outdoor education programs, church retreats, weekend camping and more.Covering 743 acres, the Scout Reservation is a key to the Hawk Mountain Council providing leadership, character development, citizenship training and personal fitness programs to over 6,500 youth each year.

The Hawk Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America provides the nations foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be Prepared. For Life. The Hawk Mountain Council is composed of nearly 6,500 youth members between the ages of 5-21 and approximately 2,400 volunteers in Berks, Schuylkill and Carbon counties.

For more information on the Hawk Mountain Council please visitwww.hmc-bsa.org

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LVHSchuylkill Donates Lifesaving Technology to Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation - LVHN News

PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Bioclinica, an integrated solutions provider of clinical life science and technology expertise, delivering powerful insight into clinical trial development in bringing new therapies to people worldwide, today announced a strategic partnership with Daniel Mishkin, MD, and GI Reviewers, LLC to develop technology for the interpretation and analysis of colonoscopy videos in clinical trials of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease.

The partnership includes Bioclinca's acquisition of existing technology and intellectual property (IP) developed by GI Reviewers as well as a development collaboration to further extend the technology using machine learning/deep learning methods.

Clinical trials in IBD use colonoscopy examinations to identify the target patient population as well as to evaluate treatment efficacy. Many trials have been successfully completed using central reading of colonoscopy videos to more reliably assess study endpoints. Nevertheless, the variability of central reading can be high even when performed by expert readers.

"Based on our initial investigation, we believe computer automation has a high potential of improving the reliability of central interpretation of colonoscopy videos in UC and Crohn's disease trials," said Bioclinica's Chief Science Officer, Thomas Fuerst, PhD. "This can be done by both assisting expert readers with an enhanced reading environment as well as through automated computer-based assessments of disease severity that are objective and repeatable."

The exploding application of machine learning in medical imaging is transforming its use in both the clinical and research settings. Particularly in clinical trials, computer-based analysis and interpretation of images can greatly improve the accuracy and reproducibility of imaging endpoints used to assess treatment outcomes. Bioclinica's Chairman and CEO, Euan Menzies, said, "At Bioclinica we are making a large investment in the application of machine learning methods to the challenges facing our customers in the clinical trial arena. I am excited by the opportunities created by combining our imaging and technical expertise with subject matter experts like Dr. Mishkin and forward-thinking clients looking to bring novel methods to their research programs."

Bioclinica and GI Reviewers have collaborated to provide high quality central reading in IBD trials since 2012. "Given our common interest in improving IBD trials and ultimately helping patients, in addition to our long and successful collaboration, Bioclinica is the perfect partner to advance this research," said Dr. Mishkin, CEO of GI Reviewers. Bioclinica will continue to partner with GI Reviewers and their team of accomplished gastroenterologists for central reading services in clinical trials.

About BioclinicaBioclinica is an integrated clinical life science solutions provider, delivering powerful insight into clinical trial development, assuring greater client success in bringing medical therapies to market for people around the world. Through deep medical, scientific and technology expertise, we provide medical imaging and cardiac safety services; clinical adjudication; randomization and trial supply management and optimization; electronic and eSource data capture; site and patient payments; clinical trial management software; and drug safety solutions. Bioclinica's global team of life science experts serve more than 500 pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and device organizations including the top 20 biopharmaceutical companies and leading CROs through offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visitwww.bioclinica.com.

SOURCE Bioclinica

https://www.bioclinica.com

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Bioclinica Partners with GI Reviewers in Developing Advanced Technologies - PRNewswire

Home News CIA launches lab mechanism to drive technology innovation

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Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials said the department has launched its CIA Labs, its first lab mechanism designed to drive science and technology breakthroughs amid intelligence challenges.

Some phenomenal innovations have come from CIA over the years, and with CIA Labs, were now better positioned to optimize developments and further invest in our scientists and technologists, Dawn Meyerriecks, head of CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology, said. In an evolving threat landscape, CIA Labs will help us maintain our competitive edge and protect our nation.

The initiative integrates into a legion of more than 300 federal labs and establishes the CIA as a research partner for other labs, academia, and industry in disciplines spanning from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to quantum computing and advanced materials and manufacturing.

The effort also enables officers to obtain patents and licenses for intellectual property developed while working at the CIA and provides internship and externship opportunities.

Authorities indicated CIA Labs research areas would include advanced materials and manufacturing; artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics; bioscience and biotechnology; distributed ledger/blockchain-enabled technologies; virtual and augmented reality; high performance and quantum computing; future wireless and telecommunications technologies; and robotic, autonomous, and human interface systems.

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CIA launches lab mechanism to drive technology innovation - Homeland Preparedness News

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Beyond Limits, an AI provider that uniquely uses 45technologies developed at Caltech and NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab to providebusiness intelligence for healthcare raises $133M in funding.

Beyond Limits AI predictive model is helpinghealthcare professionals fight against COVID-19 including determining thepercentage of patients that may need ventilators and ECMO in the ICU anddialysis units.

BeyondLimits, an LA-based industrial and enterprise-grade AI technology company built for the most demanding sectors, including energy, utilities, and healthcare, today announced a milestone Series C funding round with $113 million closed and another approximately $20 million committed. This round is led byGroup 42, a prominent AI and cloud computing company, andbp ventures, an existing two-time investor and customer of the company.

BeyondLimits Cognitive AI applieshuman-like reasoning to solve problems, much like how humans form conclusionsusing inference and logic. This unique approach combines encoded humanknowledge with available data sources, allowing systems to adapt and continueto operate in situations where data may be in short supply or missingaltogether. As a result,BeyondLimits customers are able to elevateoperational insights, improve operating conditions, enhance performance atevery level, and ultimately increase profits as a result.

How Beyond Limits is Applying AI in FightAgainst COVID-19

The company recently built a Beyond LimitsCoronavirus Dynamic Predictive model to help healthcare and governmentalleaders predict the impact of COVID-19 on people, medical facilities, andregional recovery plans. The model enables planners to determine logisticalresponses at national, state, and county levels, as well as estimate theeffects of mobility on infectivity.

Beyond Limits collaborated with renowned medicalexperts from around the world combining their knowledge and expertise withadvanced AI technology and modeling/programming capabilities from the companysorigins at the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The dynamic Beyond Limits model leverages COVID-19 casedata obtained from a database compiled by the Center for Systems Science andEngineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, MD, USA. Thisdatabase is used to predict resource supply and demand; enabling planners todetermine logistical responses at national, state, and county levels. The modelpredicts infection rates, hospitalization rates, and the percentage of patientsthat will require ICU, ventilators, ECMO, or dialysis care.

Expansion Plans

The $133M funding will be used to expandBeyondLimits business both in the United States and abroad, including the launch ofBeyondLimitsAsia, with regional headquarters in Singapore and operations in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Tokyo and further expansion across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The funding will also accelerateBeyondLimits Cognitive AI application development and SaaS product portfolio and fuel theBeyondLabs R&D program.

Today we are seeing unprecedented, world-wide demand for systems that gobeyondthe limitations of conventional AI, said AJ Abdallat, CEO and Founder ofBeyondLimits. Our cognitive software has the ability to understand situations and place problems in real-world contexts as well as to learn over time. Were excited to help more customers by applying our unique and powerful AI approach to solve some of the toughest problems facing industries and the world today.

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Beyond Limits Nabs $133M to Drive Global Expansion of AI Technology - HIT Consultant

The logos of the Chinese video portal TikTok and the US software and hardware manufacturer Oracle Corporation can be seen on a smartphone and screen on September 14, 2020 in Berlin, Germany.

Thomas Trutschel | Photothek | Getty Images

GUANGZHOU, China ByteDance will not transfer algorithms and technologies to Oracle as part of a deal announced over the weekend to keep social media app TikTok operating in the U.S.

President Donald Trump said heapproved a deal on Saturday that will see the creation of a U.S.-headquartered firm called TikTok Global with Oracle and Walmart taking minority stakes. Oracle will become TikTok's secure cloud provider and host U.S. user data.

But the deal does not entail any transfer of algorithms and technologies, according to a statement from ByteDance on Monday. The company said Oracle can instead check the source code.

"The current plan does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies.Oracle has the authority to check the source code of TikTok USA," ByteDance's statement said, according to a CNBC translation.

Source code forms the basis for applications and software. Allowing inspections of source code is common practice to address local data security concerns.

TikTok's recommendation algorithm has been a key driver behind its growth, helping to suggest other videos to users and keep them hooked within the app.

ByteDance also confirmed that it would do a small round of pre-IPO (initial public offering) financing. TikTok Global will become an 80% holding subsidiary of ByteDance as a result, giving it majority control. As part of the Oracle and Walmart deal, the companies said they would work toward a public listing in the U.S. within a year.

Over the weekend, Trump said the new TikTok Global will "have nothing to do with any outside land, any outside country, it will have nothing to do with China. It'll be totally secure. That'll be part of the deal."

Beijing-based ByteDance's majority ownership of TikTok appears to contradict that. But ByteDance is 40% owned by U.S. venture capital firms, so the Trump administration can technically claim TikTok Global is now majority owned by U.S. money.

Last month, as the TikTok deal appeared to be coming to a conclusion, China threw a spanner in the works byupdating its list of technologiessubject to export restrictions. One of the technologies on the list related to recommendation algorithms. After Beijing made this move, ByteDance said it would comply with the rules.

Washington claimed that TikTok represents a national security threat because it collects American users' data which could be accessed by Beijing. TikTok has repeatedly denied this and says it stores the data of Americans in the U.S. with a backup in Singapore.

In August, Trump issued an executive order that would have banned transactions with ByteDance and effectively shut down TikTok in the U.S. That was set to come into effect on September 20. But the Department of Commerce said in a statement that it has delayed that by a week.

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ByteDance says it will not transfer algorithm and technology to Oracle as part of TikTok deal - CNBC

Whatfix, the leader in Digital Adoption Solutions, announced a new offering that allows the integration of its platform with the technology solutions of Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), Whatfix for ISVs. Whatfix for ISVs is a Digital Adoption Solution built for the unique complexities of companies that make and sell their own software. With this new offering, ISVs can be confident that all their customers will be happy and productive from day one. Whatfix for ISVs provides digital guidance thats contextual, interactive, real-time and autonomous, assuring successful product on boarding, enhancing training effectiveness, and reducing the overall support cost of any ISVs suite of products.

Recommended AI News: HR Path Expands the SAP SuccessFactors Practice in North America

Integrating the Whatfix platform into our offering helps us drive digital adoption and improve engagement at some of the worlds largest companies by creating easy-to-follow, real-time, learn-by-doing onboarding experiences and providing self-help guided support, saidGeorge Painumkal, Director of Product Management at Icertis.

Whatfix for ISVs allows the ISV community to provide digital adoption strategies built specifically for them, such as Content Provisioning, KnowledgeBase Aggregation, and Whatfix Versioning to provide in-app help, manage learning-focused content, and successfully roll out feature upgrades and analytics. These new capabilities allow ISVs to easily deliver to their customers the benefits of Whatfixs leading Digital Adoption Solution improved time to value, enhanced training, and reduced support costs.

Our team at Whatfix has long recognized the importance and unique technology needs of the ISV community, saidKhadim Batti, CEO and co-founder at Whatfix. In a world where over 70 percent of digital transformations fail to launch properly, Whatfix for ISVs allows for the complete integration of their offerings with our unique approach to digital adoption and efficiency. The ultimate beneficiary is our joint customers, who will be able to achieve maximum output from their technology stack, with a shorter ramp-up period for their entire employee base.

Recommended AI News: Nomura SRI International Innovation Center (NSIC) Announced to Exclusively Service Corporate Japan

Digital adoption solutions can provide high value to an organization looking to improve adoption of existing tools. Performing tasks more quickly can enable new employees to become fully productive faster and existing employees to change rapidly as business processes change, per the Gartner Hype Cycle for the Digital Workplace, 2020 report*.

Digital Adoption solutions have become an increasingly standard expectation for major software deployments and technology implementations. In a recent survey of ISV professionals from over 100 companies, Whatfix found that:

Recommended AI News: How Coronvirus Could Knock Off All the Good Work of Global Fund Partnership

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Whatfix for ISVs Is Now Available, Helping Partners and Customers Accelerate Technology Adoption and Digital Transformation - AiThority

How can Japan remain a world competitor in Science and Technology?

For a resource-limited Japan (with a decreasing population) to maintain its international competitiveness and realise an innovative society and economy, it is vital that it leads the world in science and technology (S&T) capabilities. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is responsible for the science and technology policy in Japan. Lead by Minister Koichi Hagiuda, MEXT plans and formulates basic policies concerning S&T policy, produces concrete plans concerning promotion and research and development (R&D), and coordinates with government agencies in relation to promotion and S&T.

Policy and innovation surrounding S&T is administered in a planned manner following the Science and Technology Basic Plan, which is determined every five years. Originally established 20 years ago the current basic plan is Japans fifth, (2016-2021) and consists of four major objectives, each with its own targets:

Enabling technologies big data, artificial intelligence, bio- and nanotechnology Japan places the utmost importance on realising a super smart society. This consists of prioritising the development of cutting-edge IT and technology for IoT (Internet of Things), while also paying particular attention to other countries IoT-related technology promotion policies Germanys Industry 4.0, the United States Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, and Chinas Made in China 2025. Big data analytics, AI (Artificial Intelligence), cyber security and networking will also be promoted as the fundamental technologies necessary to build the super smart society service platform.

A number of numerical goals have been set by the Japanese Government, such as:

The number of researchers moving among universities, research institutes and commercial companies will increase from 10,000 in 2013 to 12,000 by 2020.

Increasing the proportion of full-time university faculty less than 40 years old to 30% or more by 2020 on a nationwide level.

The proportion of female researchers among new hires mentioned in the 4th Basic Plan (30% of the total in natural sciences overall, 20% in physical sciences, 15% in engineering, 30% in agriculture sciences, and 30% in medicine, dentistry and pharmacology combined), has not yet been achieved, and is now being pushed further.

Increasing the investment from commercial companies into university-oriented research projects from JPY 39 billion in 2013 to about JPY 80 billion by 2020.

Making the total public and private-sector R&D investment reach at least 4% of GDP (about JPY 26 trillion) by 2020 (this is a high-level goal.)

Concepts such as open science, networked science, and citizen science indicate a more inclusive approach to managing the countrys research and development. Increased participation between ministries, within ministries, and among funding agencies is also being prioritised. Small and medium-sized businesses will receive additional support regarding standardisation.

It is valuable to note that Japan currently has the worlds second-highest number of Nobel Prize laureates in the 21st century for natural sciences, which reinforces the countrys presence in science and technology around the world. This 5th Plan, however, stresses that this world standing in S&T is in decline and dropping in competitiveness, in comparison to other countries which are further strengthening their science and technology policies year after year. To combat this and remain a serious competitor in world Science and Technology, it is extremely important for Japan to foster and secure human resources in science and technology and promote its activities. MEXT is therefore currently working on comprehensive human resources development measures spanning everyone from children to leading researchers and engineers. MEXT is doing this by developing the talents and broadening the horizons of children who like science, fostering environments where diverse people including young, female, and international researchers can exercise their abilities, and promoting a professional engineer system.

MEXT has recently published a brochure providing an overview of their initiatives against the COVID-19 pandemic in the field of education. First and foremost, MEXT promises to take whatever measures necessary to ensure childrens learning as much as possible, without anyone being left behind. To provide schools across the country with the necessary human and material resources for ensuring effective learning, MEXT has assigned large numbers of additional teachers, school support staff, funding, and more. The ministry is also providing all elementary, junior high, and high schools nationwide with funding to support school reopenings in the hope of taking quick, flexible countermeasures against COVID-19 and ensuring quality learning. Starting the GIGA (Global and Innovative Gateway for All) School Program will optimise learning by providing one computer per student and high-speed Internet for schools.

Alongside these measures, Japan is also preparing environments for home study using ICT. In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, integrated preparation of hardware, software, and personnel under the GIGA School Program will be accelerated and strengthened. The overriding aim is the early installation of these measures to maximise potential. Through these initiatives, it is ensured that all children can learn by using ICT even in emergency situations, such as temporary school closures due to natural disasters or infectious diseases in the future.

In terms of higher education, MEXT has allocated $95 million in the governments supplementary budget for support in preparing an IT environment that will enable universities to set up a system and equipment for conducting distance learning classes and to provide advanced education using digital technology. The ministry is also providing financial support to those most adversely affected.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, education was already driving forward science and technology in Japan. MEXT has been promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), a global, UNESCO-led initiative. For a more sustainable society, ESD aims to develop students values and behaviour, helping them to solve various issues. Commenting on this initiative, MEXT stated; in a world that will need to keep dealing with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, the importance of initiatives such as ESD is growing more and more apparent.

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How can Japan remain a world competitor in Science and Technology? - Open Access Government

The Germany Association for Sensors and Measurement (AMA), polls its approximately 450 members, about the economic development in the second quarter 2020. According to the AMA gathered data, the industry generated a drop in sales of 8% in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter. Incoming orders in the industry also developed negatively, falling by 13%. The share of AMA member companies that have registered short-time working rose to 55% in the second quarter.

AMA has stated that it is interesting to note that large and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) show similar sales trends, but expectations differ. While SMEs had predicted a 14% drop in sales in the first quarter, they generated a result less negative than originally expected, at negative 8%. The large companies expected a decline of only 3% and have to cope with a drop in sales of 9%.

For the current quarter, SMEs are expecting a 3% decline while the large companies are predicting a 1% decline.

Suppliers to the strongly sensor-driven automotive, mobility, mechanical and electrical engineering sectors suffered the sharpest falls in sales. Expectations for the current quarter are also clouding significantly in these sectors. Suppliers to the semiconductor and medical technology industries and to the companys own sensor and measurement technology sector are more confident.

The entire German economy experienced a significant decline in economic output in the first half of the year, says Thomas Simmons, AMA Managing Director. Subsequently, this development also pulled sensor and measurement technology into a downward trend. Weak demand from export markets is additionally flanking this sales trend. It is not yet possible to estimate quantitatively how severe the slump will be for sensor and measurement technology manufacturers.

For more information: http://www.ama-sensorik.de

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High quality laser scan system manufacturer SCANLAB GmbH of Germany has a new affiliate company. TecInvest Holding AG, the parent company of SCANLAB GmbH, is taking a 25 percent stake

The Shanghai Manufacturing Platform for Smart Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (SPSM) is committed to developing and advancing new manufacturing technologies. High-precision measurement technology plays a key role in its research areas

When a robot grasps a cylinder block weighing 50 kilos and approaches a saw or milling cutter, any vibration or sliding motion must be avoided. But deviations from target production

The BMW Group is using a new augmented reality (AR) application in vehicle concept and prototype engineering, speeding up the process by as much as twelve months, from individual vehicle

In recent years the concept of keeping a digital twin of a manufactured part has moved from being a concept in military aviation to a reality across many industries. The

Flexible, digital, efficient and sustainable: Factory 56 embodies the future of production at Mercedes-Benz and sets new standards for the automotive industry. With an investment of approximately 730 million Euros,

3D Imaging is Everywhere 3D point cloud image capture and RGB-Z color images are becoming indispensable tools for a wide range of applications. From Apples FaceID to industrial machine vision,

Manufacturing success has always required the careful collection and analysis of data. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, shops have been performing increasingly sophisticated

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German Sensor and Measuring Technology Association Report Q2 Business Decline Metrology and Quality News - Online Magazine - "metrology...

Like most people whove had a hip or knee replacement which replaces an arthritic or damaged joint with an artificial implant 60-year-old Walt Renton will tell you that he feels more mobile than he has in years.

Before Mr. Renton had the knee surgery, just walking up a flight of stairs was painful. Now he can walk up and down hills, chase horses, and get out and about and it doesnt hurt. In Mr. Rentons case, as in many cases, replacing a knee or hip especially using the latest techniques and technologies can restore the ability to get up and go.

Recent improvements in technology and surgical techniques have given us the ability to perform these kinds of procedures much more effectively. The latest advancements in joint replacement surgery have significantly transformed the way knee & hip reconstruction is performed.

Bingham Memorial Hospital, a member of Bingham Healthcare, was the first hospital in Eastern Idaho to offer knee and hip surgeries with the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System, and they are still the only team actively using the Mako in the region. Bingham is proud to have four extremely talented orthopedic surgeons who are trained on the Mako: David Peterson, DO; Nathan Richardson, MD; Benjamin Allen, MD; and, Nicholas Pearson, DO.

Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery has dramatically changed the way joint replacement procedures are performed by providing each patient with a personalized surgical experience based on their specific diagnosis and anatomy. Using a virtual 3D model, the Mako System allows surgeons to create each patients surgical plan pre-operatively, before the patient even enters the operating room.

During surgery, the surgeon can validate that plan and make any necessary adjustments while guiding the robotic-arm to execute the procedure exactly as planned. Its exciting to be able to offer this transformative technology to perform knee and hip replacements to the patients of Eastern Idaho.

Some of the other latest advances include:

Computer-guided surgery. Sensors are placed on the patients body and a computer assists with navigation so the surgeon can place the implant with greater accuracy and precision.

Minimally-invasive techniques. Using minimally-invasive surgical techniques today involves much smaller incisions, causing less muscle injury and soft tissue damage.

Material upgrades. Many of the advances in joint replacement result from the materials used to create the artificial joints. For example, hip replacements can be performed using components made of metal, ceramic or high-tech plastic, all of which can last 20-30 years or more.

Better fit. The companies that manufacture hip and knee replacement components today offer a broad range of sizes and shapes that fit almost anyone, which wasnt always the case. Many women used to experience discomfort after knee replacement surgerybut now dontbecause standard components often were slightly too big and hung off the bone a bit, causing pain.

Better pain management and physical therapy. Newer pain treatment options, such as nerve blocks, can help decrease the perception of painhelping patients participate more actively in the rehabilitation needed for a complete recovery. More aggressive physical therapy also helps patients get back to regular activities, even exercise, much sooner than in the past.

And thats not all. Bingham Healthcare Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is always looking for new treatment approaches, materials, and techniques, all of which help surgeons achieve the best possible results. In the early days of knee replacement, one-size-fits-all implants replicated a simple hinge. Now, more than 150 types of implants, constructed from durable materials like titanium and high-tech plastic, are made to accommodate patient characteristics and mimic the roll-and-glide motion of the joint.

New Knee or Hip, Pain-Free

Suffering from persistent knee or hip pain or both? Please feel free to reach out to one of our Mako-Certified Providers to schedule an appointment.

Benjamin J. Allen, MD

As an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Allen treats sports-related injuries and is Mako-Certified for joint replacement for the knee. He is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced fellowship training in sports medicine, and he covers the Idaho State University Athletics where he serves as the Head Team Orthopedic Surgeon.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Allen, please call (208) 239-8000. He sees patients in Pocatello, Blackfoot, and American Falls.

Nicholas B. Pearson, DO

As an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Pearson specializes in arthritis and minimally invasive joint replacement for the elbow, knee, and hip, and is a Mako-certified provider. He is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in sports medicine.

He sees patients in Blackfoot and Idaho Falls. To schedule an appointment, please call (208) 524-9400.

David J. Peterson, DO

As a leading orthopedic surgeon in Eastern Idaho, David Peterson, DO, specializes in arthritis and minimally invasive joint replacement for the knee and hip. He is board certified in orthopedics and fellowship trained in total knee replacement.

Dr. Peterson sees patients in Pocatello, Blackfoot, and Idaho Falls. If you have questions about your knee or hip health, or are ready to find relief from constant knee or hip pain, call (208) 782-2999 to schedule an appointment.

Nathan Richardson, MD

Dr. Richardson has highly advanced training for shoulder and elbow surgeries and is constantly researching new treatment approaches, materials, and techniques, all for better patient outcomes. As a leading orthopedic shoulder surgeon in Eastern Idaho who is a Mako-certified provider, his reputation as an excellent and extremely experienced shoulder surgeon makes him one of the most sought after doctors in the region.

For more information about how Dr. Richardson can help you with your shoulder or elbow pain, call (208) 239-8000. He sees patients in Pocatello and Soda Springs.

Learn more about the Mako system or these Bingham Healthcare providers by visiting http://www.BinghamMemorial.org/Mako.

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Intelligent automation will play a critical role in shaping a new, technologically-enabled, post-pandemic future of work, according to new research by Pegasystems, the software company empowering Digital Transformation at some of the worlds leading enterprises. The global study, conducted by research firm, Savanta, surveyed over 3,000 global senior managers and frontline IT staff for their thoughts on technologys future role in a significantly altered business landscape.

The research found that preparedness for future pandemics or similar disruptions was still the main focus for many, with an overwhelming majority (84%) of respondents identifying it as a high priority an unsurprising figure when you consider that nearly one in three (31%) said they were either totally unprepared or not very prepared for the impact of COVID-19. It also found that intelligent automation has emerged as one of the key technologies used to future-proofbusinesses against disruptive events.

A total of 76% of respondents said the pandemic will cause them to increase their intelligent automation investment. Meanwhile, 74% of survey participants agree that further external shocks that temporarily remove people from the workplace will result in more intelligent automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment, while 76% also say that unpredictable mass illness and/or self-isolation will drive increased business demand for intelligent automation. Over half (51%) of respondents also said they would increase investment in AI and cloud solutions to guard against the business impact of future pandemics.

More broadly, the study found that technology will have a profound effect on the way we work in the future, with 86% of respondents expecting technology to either significantly change or produce quite a lot of change in the way people in their organisation work over the next five years. Tellingly, 0% of respondents said that technology would drive no change over that period.

Additional findings highlight how other types of technology could also profoundly change the way we work, our job satisfaction and who or what we work with:

We talked to the experts who offer their best practice advice on how automation can provide business advantages and how such capabilities are secure.

David Shepherd, Global VP of Sales Engineering at Ivanti: As the business landscape continually evolves, its important that enterprises can keep up and investing in automation is key to achieving this. The current global pandemic has placed more impetus on businesses to digitally transform in order to continue supporting their employees while they work from home, in the same way as they would be supported working on-premise. The shift to fluid working has increased the demand on IT and security teams, which they must continue to meet at the same level as before, even though they may have less resources available.

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the remote working shift and will likely continue to do so as the equilibrium between remote and office-based working is eventually reached. Remote working places much more responsibility in the hands of employees to protect their corporate networks, which has led to a rapid rise in cyberattacks an increase of 63% according to the Information Systems Security Association. Whats more, with cybersecurity pros moved from security onto other tasks, such as IT support to enable the smooth transition to remote working, this invaluable business practice risks being left to the wayside.

This is where automation comes into play. However, due to the current complexity and dynamic nature of IT and security, it needs to be taken further than basic workflow automation and conversational bots. Businesses should therefore invest in hyper-automation in order to secure their assets and infrastructure, which Gartner defines as the combination of multiple Machine Learning, packaged software and automation tools to deliver work. With hyper-automation, businesses will be able to self-heal, self-secure devices and self-service end-users proactively, predictably and continuously.

Promoting a shift-left approach with hyper-automation and moving problem resolution as close to the end-user as possible can do much for cybersecurity. At its peak, hyper-automation can enable devices to autonomously self-heal and will help businesses react more quickly to real threats. Hyper-automation means autonomous discovery can take place to continuously monitor for changes to the IT environment, giving security teams maximum visibility. Algorithms will then use this information to anticipate and prioritise threats responding to the most critical first and proactive and adaptive remediation will take place autonomously in response to this information.In practice, this capability can respond to a critical patch being released by identifying those devices that need it installed, prioritising it above other updates and proactively installing it before any vulnerabilities are exposed.

With the addition of hyper-automation, security teams can take advantage of automated and predictive analytics to keep on top of their business cybersecurity, despite battling with limited resources. Ultimately, this means security alerts will be responded to faster, and security teams will face less pressure as devices self-heal without alerts or tickets crossing the desks of staff.

Mark Anderson, Senior Director, Global Solutions Architecture EMEA, Equinix: Discussions around robots taking over human processes traditionally conjure up images of a dystopian world where machines reign supreme. While this may be the basis of countless Hollywood scripts and science fiction novels, the reality of using robotics to automate human processes is far more useful.

Machines that automate everyday processes today often focus on simple tasks like packing boxes and monitoring inventory. Because these robots are pre-programmed and assigned specific tasks, supply chain issues can arise when they encounter previously unseen variables. To embrace the next generation of robotics and machine automation, companies across the technology sector have been investing in the development of complex machines capable of leveraging applied sensor-based technology and AI capabilities.

Maximising the future of automation is dependent on a distributed, hybrid multi-cloud IT architecture with low latency and ultra-secure connectivity for the exchange of highly sensitive data. This type of infrastructure provides unrivalled computing power and storage resources to enhance autonomous machine capabilities far beyond the current level.

The term cloud robotics is often used to describe the technology that improves the core AI models in the cloud with insights gathered by connected robots at the digital Edge. This ultimately allows machines to offload all data-intensive tasks to the cloud including image recognition, mapping systems, Machine Learning and software updates. This convergence of IoT, AI and their supporting IT architectures can infuse greater intelligence into robots and will be vital in optimising the autonomous capabilities of machines and delivering better business outcomes.

Cloud robotics will be key in realising the true potential of Industry 4.0 (the next phase of the Industrial Revolution), which aims to improve processes via increased automation, machine-to-machine communication and Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. Ultimately, this maximises efficiency in the overall manufacturing process. The advent of 5G is set to accelerate the true realisation of Industry 4.0 as enterprises from a wide range of sectors look to take advantage of its increased download speeds.

Equinixs flagship cloud connectivity platform, Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric (ECX Fabric), directly, securely and dynamically connects distributed infrastructure and digital ecosystems on Platform Equinix. Via ECX Fabric, enterprises can quickly add connectivity to hundreds of cloud providers, network providers and other ECX Fabric participants, ensuring access to the systems and applications they need to remain competitive.

This solution also provides a superior level of security because it is based on interconnection the direct and secure transfer of data between businesses, away from the public Internet. The highly secure, scalable nature of interconnection will be fundamental in delivering the next generation of automation as companies look to move, store and process data at the digital Edge to bring about better business outcomes.

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Editor's question: What are the advantages of using automation technology and how are such capabilities secure? - Intelligent CIO ME

COSTA MESA, Calif., Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TOCA Football, Inc. (TOCA), the world's first soccer-focused and technology-enabled experience company, has appointed Abby Wambach and Richelle Parham to its Board of Directors.

"We are honored to have both Abby and Richelle supporting the future of TOCA with the invaluable experience and expertise they both bring to the table," said Erik Anderson, WestRiver Group (WRG) Founder and CEO and Co-Chairman of TOCA. "Our team is growing stronger by the day, and we're proud our board reflects the diversity we hope to see more of in the world of sports."

Wambachis a two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup Champion. She was the United States' leading scorer in the 2007 and 2011 Women's World Cup tournaments and the 2004 and 2012 Olympics. An activist for equality and inclusion, Abby is the author of the New York Times bestsellers "Forward: A Memoir" and "Wolfpack." She is co-founder of Wolfpack Endeavor, which is revolutionizing leadership development for women in the workplace and beyond through her champion mindset, individualized coaching and team-bound focus.

"Soccer is the most-loved sport in the world, and TOCA is on a mission to give players and fans alike a chance to practice and play in a truly unique way using its proprietary technologies," said Wambach. "I'm excited to be part of a company that's dedicated to sharing the joy of this sport with everyone, no matter their age, background or skill-level."

Parham is Managing Director at WRG where she leads the Experience sector. Prior to joining WRG, Parham was a partner at Camden Partners, a private equity firm focused on lower middle market growth stage investments, and she served as Chief Marketing Officer of eBay. Richelle's experience also includes serving in numerous executive leadership positions at Visa, Rapp and Digitas. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Best Buy, LabCorp and e.l.f. Beauty. Richelle has been named one of the "50 Most Influential CMOs in the World" by Forbes and one of the "Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company.

"The soccer industry has never seen a company quite like TOCA before, and that's why I am so excited to join its board," said Parham.

"TOCA is primed and ready for exciting expansion across the globe.We are honored to be advised by an unparalleled Board of Directors comprised of renowned leaders from the sport, experiences and technology industries," said Yoshi Maruyama, CEO of TOCA.

TOCA's Board of Directors include:

In addition, TOCA recently secured $15 million in a new financing facility. To date, TOCA has raised a total of $65 million in capital and is expected to release additional funding updates later in 2020. TOCA previously announced the closing of its Series D funding led by existing shareholders WRG, RNS and affiliated family office investors with roots in the technology sector.

TOCA was founded in 2014 by two-time U.S. World Cup and former MLS and English Premier League midfielder Eddie Lewis. Lewis led the development of TOCA's training platform, which employs a proprietary ball machine (the patented TOCA Touch Trainer), digitalized and integrated targets (the patented TOCA Smart Targets) and a data-enhanced app to track player progress, for players at every level. Young children play alongside top professionals in the company's growing number of purpose-built sport studios, where over 42 million balls have been delivered to date.

TOCA currently has 12 training centers throughout North America, including in Washington state, Southern California, Georgia and British Columbia, with an aggressive growth plan to open 300 more centers in the next 10 years. In addition, the company recently announced its newest concept TOCA Social, a gamified soccer-themed entertainment venue which will open at The O2 Center in London during summer 2021.

For more information on TOCA, visit http://www.tocafootball.com.

ABOUT TOCA FOOTBALLHeadquartered inCosta Mesa, California, TOCA Football, Inc. is a soccer-focused, technology enabled experience company that aims to transform the sports experience and to build communities that inspire everybody to play. TOCA provides an authentic soccer experience on demand, making players better and getting fans playing.This shared TOCA experience is the basis of a global, inclusive TOCA community in which we all share our love of the World's Game. TOCA is backed by more than$65 millionof capital raised through multiple fundraisings. TOCA was named to Forbes' list of Top 500 Startup Employers in 2020 For more information please visitTOCAfootball.comor follow @tocafootball on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Aaron Blank and Nikki Arnone, Fearey for TOCA[emailprotected]

SOURCE TOCA Football, Inc.

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COVENTRY, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Creavo Medical Technologies Ltd (Creavo), the medical device company developing innovative diagnostics techniques, has announced that it has appointed Martin Frost as Chairman of the Board of Directors. In this role, Martin will drive Creavos fundraising plans, and guide its strategy to scale the business and commercialise its diagnostic technologies.

Creavo has designed and built a platform device to map and analyse the magnetic fields of the heart. Based on this platform, the Company is developing Corsens, a medical device intended to be used by non-specialist staff to scan patients through clothing, at the point of admission to emergency departments. The non-invasive product has been designed to improve speed and accuracy in the ruling out of potentially life-threatening heart problems, to reduce patient anxiety and save hospitals valuable time and resource.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Martin co-founded CMR Surgical in 2014. As CEO of CMR he was recognised as UK Disruptor of the year in the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year awards, and Executive of the Year at the 2019 MedTech Insight awards, recognising his success in taking CMR from inception to global commercialisation with its surgical robot, Versius. To scale CMR, Martin raised over 250m, a record for any private European medical devices business. Previously Martin has held several C-suite positions including CEO and CFO of Sagentia, the leading technology development company based in Cambridge, which he listed on the London Stock Exchange. Martin qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant, graduated from Cambridge University, and is Chair of the Peek Vision Foundation.

Martin succeeds Robert Barr who has championed the technology with Creavo founder, Professor Ben Varcoe, since 2009 and has chaired the Board from company inception in 2014. Robert helped to successfully spin out Creavo from the University of Leeds through proof of concept studies to a point where the technology can be deployed into hospital trials.

Martin Frost, Chairman of the Board at Creavo, commented: I believe that the technology developed by the team at Creavo has the potential to make a substantial difference in emergency medicine, which is an area of urgent unmet clinical need. Creavo has every opportunity to become a significant UK medical devices company and I look forward to working with Steve and the Board on that journey.

Steve Parker, Creavo Medical Technologies Chief Executive Officer, said: I am delighted to welcome Martin to Creavo, particularly at a point where we are rapidly progressing towards commercialisation. His considerable experience in successfully growing medical device businesses will make a significant difference and add value to the company and for our shareholders. I would like to thank Robert for his commitment to Creavo and his guidance and support, which has enabled us to get where we are today.

For more information please visit: http://www.creavomedtech.com

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Tesla boss Elon Musk has downplayed hopes that the companys high performing and best selling electric cars will soon be delivering vehicle to grid (V2G) options, saying that the utility of the service is overplayed.

Vehicle to grid sounds good but has much lower utility than people think, Musk said in response to questions at the conclusion of the companys Battery Day presentation, which unveiled improvements that will lead to a halving in battery costs and a 50 per cent-plus improvement in range.

Musks line was basically this, that unless you have your power cut off at your home, then sending back energy to the grid is just creating a back-flow on the network, and while there were many who thought V2G could deliver essential services to the grid at times, it could restrict peoples ability to drive when they want.

People want the freedom to be able to drive, and charge at their house, he said.

V2G, or Vehicle to Home is seen as a major new development in the switch to a renewables-based grid because the amount of energy stored in a mostly electric transport fleet could be considerable.

Numerous trials are occurring in Australia and overseas to test the technology and how it would work, and grid operators are openly talking about how to plug in to that potentially massive storage capacity. Some car manufacturers, such as Nissan, are already rolling out V2G capable cars, such as the new Nissan Leaf.

Musk and Tesla have some reason not to be so enthusiastic about it, even if the new developments in battery storage technology deliver longer life batteries that may not be so impacted by the more regular cycling in V2G.

Tesla has a rival product the stationary storage units such as Powerwalls and also has grand plans for autonomous driving, creating a fleet of robo-taxis that will be in near continuous use, at least when they are not charging. That means it might come down to how much an EV is paid to provide services to the grid compared to operating as a transport service.

It will be problematic if you get to the morning, and instead of being charged, (the car) has discharged, Musk said. It will be better to have a Powerwall and a car operating separately. Then everything works.

The irony is that Musk suggested that providing the V2G in a Tesla EV could be as simple as updating the software. And he said it was offered in the companys first product, the Roadster but nobody used it (which is perhaps not surprising given the nature of the vehicle).

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid. He has been a journalist for 35 years and is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review.

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Musk downplays vehicle-to-grid technology: It has lower utility than you think - The Driven

NEW YORK, LONDON, DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesANDMEXICO CITY, Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Volante Technologies, the global leader in cloud payments and financial messaging, today announced that Volante has been collaborating with Goldman Sachs Bank USA ("Goldman Sachs") to provide the payments technology underpinning the bank's recently launched digital transaction banking service built entirely from scratch in the cloud, an industry first. Volante has also become a client of the platform.

The Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking Platformis designed to benimble, secure, and easy for the bank's corporate clients to use and for partners to connect to. The platform is fully API-enabled and incorporates rich analytics, liquidity management, virtual accounts, and payments. At the core of this platform is Volante's cloud-native VolPay, providing unified end-to-end processing of domestic and international payments, including foreign exchange/FX, across U.S. wires, ACH, SWIFT cross-border payments, and other payment rails.

Luc Teboul, Managing Director and engineering lead for the Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking platform, said, "In launching digital transaction banking for our customers, we needed both cutting-edge functionality and the agility to meet ambitious targets. At the same time, we always aim to collaborate with companies who have the desire to be long term partners. Volante met our top criteria for an ideal collaborator: modern cloud-native technology, deep payments and transaction banking expertise, and the ability and flexibility to deliver against aggressive deadlines. We welcomed them as a client very early on in our journey."

Uday Thakur, Co-founder & CTO, Volante Technologies, added, "We are delighted to be collaborating with an innovative and disruptive organization like Goldman Sachs. This is truly a two-way street: our payments solutions and know-how have enabled Goldman Sachs to rapidly launch a superior cloud transaction banking service, while they worked closely with us in the certification process with US domestic and cross-border payment networks."

Thakur continued, "We are excited about the platform we have built, and the proof is in our decision to become Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking customers ourselves. We look forward to extending our collaboration in both directions, helping Goldman Sachs evolve their transaction banking roadmap, while we benefit from their advanced payments, FX, and cash management services."

About Volante TechnologiesVolante Technologies is a global leading provider of technology and software as a service to accelerate digital transformation and modernization in financial services. Our clients include the world's largest banks, market infrastructures, exchanges, clearing houses, corporate treasuries, and card networks.

Volante's ecosystem of business services simplifies and automates complex systems and processes in payments, capital markets, and financial message integration. As a result, our clients are able to stay ahead of emerging market trends, become more competitive, deliver superior customer experiences, and grow their businesses through innovation.

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2001, Volante today serves as a trusted, strategic business partner to over 90 financial institutions in 35 countries.

For further information please visit: http://www.volantetech.com

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Blue World Technologies addresses the heavy-duty market based on market demand and a solid technology match, where the methanol fuel cell technology can contribute to the decarbonisation of a sector where direct electrification alone is not possible.

Electrification of road transport is gaining momentum as a solution for long-term decarbonisation of the global transportation sector is necessary. For passenger and light-duty vehicles direct electrification with batteries is a promising and energy-efficient candidate for reducing CO2 and other harmful emissions. For heavy-duty trucks with short-range requirements and frequent stops and starts operating in urban areas, direct electrification with batteries is a potential solution for efficient and sustainable transport of goods. However, for most heavy-duty freight transport, direct electrification with batteries is challenging given the energy storage requirements for long-range operations carrying heavy payloads.

Worldwide the interest in the green transition of the transportation sector has increased significantly within the past years, and the focus is going beyond direct electrification. For instance, it can be seen when looking at Power-to-X technology, where renewable electricity can be turned into liquid methanol as an alternative fuel to gasoline or diesel. Based on that, we see the heavy-duty market as a very promising market for us to address, says Mads Friis Jensen, CCO, and Co-founder at Blue World Technologies.

An alternative road for decarbonisation of heavy-duty freight transport is through indirect electrification with renewable liquid electro-fuels in combination with fuel cell technology or internal combustion engines. Liquid fuels, such as methanol (CH3OH), produced from renewable electricity are highly compatible with existing distribution and refuelling technologies enabling a cost-effective, safe, and flexible transition from fossil-based fuels to renewable and CO2-neutral fuels. The future of heavy-duty freight carriers is most likely to be a combination of different drivetrain technologies designed to meet specific demands and operations in specific areas.

Fuel cells is a prominent technology for indirect electrification through renewably produced methanol to overcome the inherent disadvantages of batteries in heavy-duty applications. A methanol fuel cell drivetrain is equipped with an onboard reformer converting the liquid methanol into a hydrogen-rich gas. The fuel cell converts the reformate gas into electricity powering the electric motors. The combination of onboard reforming and high-temperature PEM fuel cells creates a thermal symbiosis offering high electrical efficiency while eliminating NOx, SOx and particle (PM) emissions. Methanol from biomass and renewable origin also eliminates CO2 emissions from a well-to-wheel perspective and truly enables CO2-neutral mobility.

Methanol is a high-density energy carrier which is liquid at atmospheric pressure making it simple and cost-effective to refuel and store in large volumes onboard heavy-duty vehicles. Providing high vehicle availability, long driving range, and superior drivetrain energy density, methanol is comparable with diesel engine heavy-duty trucks and it exceeds beyond batteries and other renewable energy carriers. A high drivetrain energy density enables equivalent payload as todays diesel trucks is an essential element for transportation companies. Compared to hydrogen-powered fuel cells, a methanol fuel cell system eliminates some of the difficult challenges linked to handling and distribution, infrastructure investments, and low volumetric energy density.

Light and heavy-duty freight trucks account for 27.9% of all road transport emissions in Europe and in connection to the Paris Agreements goal of becoming climate-neutral in 2050, it requires fundamental changes to production and usage of transportation fuels to meet the goals. Methanol is already commonly used in the industry, and therefore widely available around the globe. Today, methanol is mainly produced from natural gas and coal, however, with the ongoing expansion of renewable energy production from wind and solar, the need for energy storage and Power-to-X solutions are on the rise and multiple businesses throughout Europe are already exploring the potential of converting different feedstocks, including renewable electricity, biomass and solid waste, into methanol. A complete map of activities related to renewable methanol can be found here.

The potential applications for renewable methanol are endless. Methanol is already used in maritime applications, light and heavy-duty transportation, passenger vehicles, and for stationary power generation. In China, Geely commercial vehicle brand has developed the worlds first pure methanol combustion heavy-duty truck providing significant reductions of CO2 and other tailpipe emissions. Methanol is a biodegradable and clean-burning fuel, and MAN Energy Solutions has developed a dual-fuel methanol engine to meet the stringent emission regulations in sea freight transport. Multiple countries, including Denmark, are exploring different blending strategies to reduce CO2 emissions from combustion engine vehicles. A methanol/gasoline blended fuel for existing gasoline vehicles is a cost-effective approach for achieving CO2 reductions while avoiding massive investments in new vehicles and infrastructure development, as methanol is compatible with the existing refuelling facilities.

SOURCE:Blue World Technologies

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We'll never see a year like 2020 again. Let's hope not, anyway.

We're barely halfway through the year, but it's been chock-full with once-in-a-lifetime or even once-in-a-generation events. We've experienced a pandemic, a major recession, street protests and the occasional riot in major cities around the world.

We've seen major sports seasons interrupted or delayed, only to resume without fans in the stands. Unemployment has spiked to levels of the Great Depression. The U.S. presidential election includes virtual conventions, social-distanced debates and uncertainty as to how ballots will be cast.

The world of technology has changed, too. Working at home is the norm, and we've seen cloud use spiking, buying patterns disrupted and face-to-face communication becoming rare.

Sports fans, economists and political junkies will probably never see another year like this, and they can't wait for life to get back to normal. But for the IT world, many changes will become the new normal.

Some modifications accelerated yearslong trends: a move to the cloud, smaller data center footprints, buying infrastructure as a utility or a service, and a greater emphasis on security and software. But the most sudden change is of a personal nature -- the way we interact. Besides prompting most meetings with co-workers to go virtual, the pandemic changed the way storage and other IT customers interact with vendors.

Call it software-defined sales, where Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack and streaming virtual events replace face-to-face on-site meetings and physical user conferences. Fast-tracked due to COVID-19, virtual interactions are the new norm and will only become more so in the coming years.

Gartner predictedthat only 25% of work meetings will take place in person by 2024, down from 60% at the start of 2020.

"We do not see this shift as temporary. In fact, we see the future of work changing permanently," said Nutanix CEO Dheeraj Pandey.

Pandey said the hyper-converged infrastructure vendor experienced no drop-off in lead generation after the first few months of remote work and virtual communications with users due to the new coronavirus. Other storage vendor executives agreed. While business may have suffered because of economic conditions, there has been no lack of interaction internally or between sellers and customers.

"I am remote, yet more connected than ever with a deeper sense of unity," Dell Technologies COO Jeff Clarke said during his company's first post-pandemic earnings call in May. "I'm not traveling, but I'm visiting with more customers, partners, suppliers and team members. And I'm busier than ever."

Pure Storage CEO Charlie Giancarlo said he talks to twice as many customers as he used to while working from home, and his sales team has been more productive.

"So, if anything, I expect that we're going to see sales in a B2B environment permanently take on more of a virtual digital technique," he said on Pure's May earnings call.

We're still not sure what the future holds for in-person industry and vendor events. March and April were filled with decisions to shift vendor conferences to virtual shows. There was a spate of virtual conferences in May and June, while others moved to September and October. Going virtual deprives storage buyers of face-to-face meetings with peers and vendors, hands-on training and roadmap sessions.

We do not see this shift as temporary. In fact, we see the future of work changing permanently. Dheeraj PandeyCEO, Nutanix

However, more people can tune in without having to jump on an airplane and take time away from their day-to-day duties. Expect vendors to continue to tailor shows just as much to virtual attendees even as they ramp up conferences again in the real world.

Many found early virtual conferences had the feel of webinars more than events. Companies that have delayed their virtual shows until later in 2020 -- such as Dell and Nutanix -- have additional time to prepare and, hopefully, come up with more creative ideas.

"Overnight, we can make this a global event, instead of [a regional] event," Pandey said of the virtual .NEXT conference. "We can stream this to anywhere and everywhere. We're thinking real hard about being creative. Virtual doesn't mean copying what you did in the physical world."

Pandey said he didn't want to "spill the beans" about how creative Nutanix will get, but he gave some hints. He wants the show to have short, broadcast-quality sessions like Quibi or TikTok.

"It has to be engaging," he said. "You can stream it to people who don't want to fly to a physical event. You can get people [to watch] for five minutes, [so] it makes for a good break."

As for whether .NEXT and other conferences will go back to being physical events, Pandey said: "It's like public versus private cloud, onshoring versus offshoring. We know the pendulum has to come to rest in the middle."

The IT world pendulum will never swing back to the "old normal" of the pre-2020 world.

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World of technology changed forever by the pandemic - TechTarget

NEW YORK (AP) President Donald Trumps bans ontwo popular Chinese social media apps TikTok and WeChat are the latest moves in an escalating U.S.-China rift, and point to a future where technology and innovation are increasingly walled behind political barriers.

In China, the Communist Party has long limited what foreign tech companies can do. It blocks access to major U.S. internet services, like Google and Facebook, along with thousands of websites operated by news organizations and human rights, pro-democracy and other activist groups.

Those restrictions have helped nurture homegrown tech giants that in recent years have started expanding, and even dominating, outside China.

Now the U.S. and other countries are putting their own limits on China.

The executive orders from the White House are vague. But experts said they appear intended to bar TikTok and WeChat from the app stores run by Apple and Google when the orders take effect in 45 days. That would make them more difficult to use in the U.S.

This is a pretty broad and pretty quick expansion of the technology cold war between the U.S. and China, said Steven Weber, faculty director for the University of California, Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity.

The Trump administration has been hawkish against China. A big example is Huawei, the world's biggest maker of smartphones and network equipment, and Chinas first global tech brand. Washington has moved to cut off Huawei Technologies Ltd.'s access to chips and other technology, tried to push allies away from Huawei and barred U.S. government funds from being used to pay for Huawei equipment in U.S. networks, citing security concerns.

The Trump administration has also blocked Chinese buyers from acquiring U.S. companies.

Now it's going after popular services used by millions globally. The effort is driven not only by security concerns but also Trumps anger at Beijing, blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic and for hurting his re-election chances, according to two White House officials not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

We are entering an era of an increasingly bifurcated internet, where it may become more difficult for Chinese information companies to succeed outside of China, said Lindsay Gorman, a fellow specializing in emerging technologies at the Alliance for Securing Democracy.

China's so-called Great Firewall has allowed Chinese internet powerhouses like e-commerce giant Alibaba, social media company Baidu and WeChat owner Tencent, which makes most of its money from online games and entertainment in China, to amass hundreds of millions of users in some cases over a billion. For context, Facebook says it has more than 3 billion users across its various apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp and Messenger.

But Bytedances TikTok has run into obstacles outside China. In the U.S., where TikTok says it has 100 million users, it may have to sell to Microsoft because of the U.S. government's national-security concerns. China's authoritarian government can demand access to data from companies, a concern that has also dogged Huawei. TikTok maintains that it does not share user data with the Chinese government nor censor content at its request. It suggested it would sue to make sure it and its user were treated fairly.

WeChat, which has more than 1 billion users, is less well-known than TikTok to Americans without a connection to China. Mobile research firm Sensor Tower estimates about 19 million U.S. downloads of the app. But it is crucial infrastructure for Chinese students and residents in the U.S. to connect with friends and family in China, as well as for anyone who does business with China.

Within China, WeChat is censored and expected to adhere to content restrictions set by authorities. The Citizen Lab internet watchdog group in Toronto says WeChat monitors files and images shared abroad to aid its censorship in China.

A U.S. ban of on WeChat would deepen the split between the United States and China on a human level by removing the de facto channel of communication for the Chinese diaspora, said Gorman.

Tencent also owns Riot Games, publisher of hit video game League of Legends, and has a big stake in Epic Games, the company behind video game phenomenon Fortnite. It also has a streaming deal with the NBA.

It's not clear what will result from Trump's executive orders, how WeChat and TikTok users will be affected, whether Tencent's other operations are at risk, or whether there is legal authority for what Trump wants to do.

More actions against Chinese technology companies may be coming from the U.S. and other countries, analysts say. China has a reputation for economic espionage and China-backed hackers have been blamed for breaches of U.S. federal databases and the credit agency Equifax.

"I think well only see even further attempts by the U.S. to ban or prohibit Chinese products, services and investment, said Andy Mok, senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing. He noted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos statement this week of wanting aclean internetand networks free of Chinese influence.

India has also blocked a slew of Chinese services, citing privacy concerns, amid a border standoff. The U.K. reversed plans for Huawei in its new high-speed mobile phone network. It said U.S. sanctions made it impossible to ensure the security of equipment made by the Chinese company.

You start wondering what will happen in terms of globalization, both economically and politically, if we have every country having completely separate networks, with completely different technology economies, access to information and social spheres, said Tiffany Li, a visiting professor at the Boston University School of Law.

The Chinese foreign ministry accused Washington of political manipulation" but did not indicate how Beijing might respond. Still, the ruling party has used the entirely state-controlled press to encourage public anger at Trumps actions.

I dont want to use American products any more, said Sun Fanyu, an insurance salesperson in Beijing. I will support domestic substitute products.

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Technology, Innovation Walled Off in US-China Spat - Manufacturing.net

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH426 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT /8 PM EDT/ THIS EVENING FOR THEFOLLOWING AREASIN ILLINOIS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 18 COUNTIESIN CENTRAL ILLINOISLIVINGSTONIN EAST CENTRAL ILLINOISFORD IROQUOISIN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOISBOONE DE KALB LA SALLELEE OGLE WINNEBAGOIN NORTHEAST ILLINOISCOOK DUPAGE GRUNDYKANE KANKAKEE KENDALLLAKE IL MCHENRY WILLIN INDIANA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 5 COUNTIESIN NORTHWEST INDIANABENTON JASPER LAKE INNEWTON PORTERTHIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALGONQUIN, AURORA, BELVIDERE,BOLINGBROOK, BOURBONNAIS, BUFFALO GROVE, BYRON, CAROL STREAM,CHESTERTON, CHICAGO, COAL CITY, CRYSTAL LAKE, DEKALB, DEMOTTE,DIXON, DOWNERS GROVE, DWIGHT, ELGIN, EVANSTON, FAIRBURY, FOWLER,GARY, GIBSON CITY, GILMAN, GURNEE, HAMMOND, JOLIET, KANKAKEE,KENTLAND, LA SALLE, LEMONT, LOMBARD, MARSEILLES, MCHENRY,MENDOTA, MERRILLVILLE, MINOOKA, MOROCCO, MORRIS, MUNDELEIN,NAPERVILLE, OAK LAWN, OREGON, ORLAND PARK, OSWEGO, OTTAWA,OXFORD, PARK FOREST, PAXTON, PLANO, PONTIAC, PORTAGE, RENSSELAER,ROCHELLE, ROCKFORD, ROSELAWN, SCHAUMBURG, STREATOR, SYCAMORE,VALPARAISO, WATSEKA, WAUKEGAN, WHEATON, WILMINGTON, WOODSTOCK,AND YORKVILLE.

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Office Depot Unveils 'powered by CompuCom' to Provide SMBs with Scalable Technology and Service Solutions - Kankakee Daily Journal