Obama spotted on holiday in Richard Branson’s exclusive private island – International Business Times UK

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Barack Obama takes on Richard Branson in kiteboarding vs foil boarding challenge Jack Brockway/Virgin.com

While the rest of us are having to contend with what a Donald Trump presidency will look like, Barack Obama has been spotted on holiday with Richard Branson.

Known for his cool demeanour, the former president was seen dressed all in black, sporting shades, flip-flops and a cap on backwards.

He and his wife Michelle Obama have traded eight years of the White House for the white sands of Necker Island Branson's private island in the British Virgin Islands.

Branson bought the island in 1978 for 120,000 ($152,085) and has since turned it into his own multi-million pound exclusive getaway for the rich and famous.

It has previously hosted Desmond Tutu, former President Jimmy Carter and Princess Diana.

In 2011, the island was struck by a hurricane, which caused a devastating fire and ripped down Necker Island's properties.

Kate Winslet was staying at the island at the time and was labelled as a hero for rescuing Branson's 90-year-old mother from the flames, but it later emerged that it was in fact Branson himself who rescued her.

The island was then rebuilt for an undisclosed amount and now costs guests a staggering 37,500 per night.

As Obama strolled along the island, he could be seen waving to passers by, who caught the moment on video.

Despite his departure from the political scene since Trump's inauguration, Obama has not remained silent particularly on the new president's travel ban affecting seven Muslim-majority countries.

Just 10 days after leaving office, Obama issued a statement congratulating protesters who were the "guardians" of American democracy at a time when "American values are at stake".

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Obama spotted on holiday in Richard Branson's exclusive private island - International Business Times UK

To truly serve the public, community stations must apply standards for what’s said on-air – Current

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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

There is an active and robust debate within community radio about what the First Amendment allows in relation to use of the public airwaves. One common argument is that freedom of speech means you can say or play whatever you want on the air. This is both legally and ethically wrong. Moreover, such a narrow interpretation misrepresents the very purpose of the First Amendment.

The First Amendment was designed to secure the separation of church and state, and protect the right of the citizenry to dissent. It was not intended to be a foil for propagating intolerance and hate in the name of expression.

I learned this from my father, U.S. Federal District Judge John Kane, who has served on the bench for nearly 40 years and is an expert in constitutional law. In the 1990s he traveled to Albania to help its leaders draft a constitution as their country emerged from the brutal dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. Under Hoxha, minor acts like listening to the Beatles or watching TV from a neighboring country could condemn an individual or whole family to internal exile or prison.

Today my father is mortified by what he views as the disintegration of our constitutional rights and responsibilities in the U.S. Still, he remains committed to his work upholding our civil liberties. Right now this includes ensuring a fair trial for two Muslim men who are being held on terrorism charges. He is in the trenches of upholding the dream of a healthy democratic society.

His work inspires me to stay in public media. I grew up on it. My mother helped found a community station in my hometown. I was interviewing students and mixing music shows by the time I was 16. Public media helped me connect the dots by providing a window to the world from my backyard in rural Colorado. It exposed me to artists, ideas, and information that were not available on the commercial spectrum or in my classroom.

The connection I see between the work my father does and my work in public media is democracys requirement that we all value ourselves as citizens. Public media cultivates that effort by functioning as a nexus that addresses each listener as a citizen first, and not solely as a consumer. That core service of public media is rooted in a deeper understanding of the First Amendment.

During my 10 years as a rural station manager, I walked a very thin line between leading a media organization and being a member of the community. I wrestled with potential and actual conflicts of interest, and mended fences when people made comments on our air that offended listeners. Radio can be a natural convener for community-level dialogue, but as broadcasters we have to be intentional about representing a diversity of voices without unleashing a level of discord that actually undermines civil discussion.

As a manager I responded to angry DJs who accused me of infringing on their free speech rights when I fulfilled my obligation to enforce FCC regulations. Sometimes this meant simply having hard conversations with people about rules; at other times it meant removing them from the air.

Regulations and operational standards governing public radio stations are spelled out in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, parts 70 through 79. They are extensive and binding. If a station violates them, the FCC can revoke its license. When DJs are on the air, they hold that license in their hands in a very tangible way. If they endanger it with their actions or words, a resource that belongs to the whole community is endangered.

When DJs choose to volunteer (or not) for a community radio organization, they must comply with this framework. The role of staff members, including station managers, is to provide effective training that helps volunteers learn to harness the incredible power of the microphone. But staff must also take steps to prevent DJs and other volunteers from putting the stations license at risk.

Any regulatory framework should be periodically evaluated and revised, and FCC rules are no exception. For example, Section 73.3999(a) of the CFR prohibits broadcasters from transmitting obscene material, but the definition of obscenity is vague, open to interpretation and often unenforceable. I think this regulation should be revised as do many of my colleagues but such change cannot come from individual DJs disregarding the existing code. It has to come from an organized advocacy effort.

Theres also an ethical dimension to consider in understanding how the First Amendment applies to community radio. Staff and volunteers are stewards of a shared resource; we must be committed to a mission of serving the public interest. What we say on the air affects the communities we serve. Standards for how we talk on the air or debate controversial topics are necessary. They enable us to maintain the trust of our listeners while creating a pathway for effective collaboration within and beyond individual communities.

Kane

Today listeners have a plethora of media choices other than radio. Data suggest that they are increasingly turning to these other options. If I had a magic wand, I would pivot stations to focus more on elevating artistry, craft and commitment to excellence above the notion that whatever you broadcast represents an inalienable right to express yourself. It is not enough to just criticize our legal and ethical framework; we have to engage a community of practice that fosters accountability and constructive debate. Cultivating this among community stations is the National Federation of Community Broadcasters primary role. I am honored to lead that effort.

StoryCorps creator Dave Isay says, Listening is an act of love. Our listeners are giving us that gift whenever they tune into public media. Lets take it to heart, and take pride and personal responsibility for what we offer.

Sally Kane started volunteering at her hometown community radio station, KVNF in Paonia, Colo., as a teenager. She returned 20 years later as a DJ and board member, and later led the station as general manager and executive director. In 2014 she joined the NFCB as executive director, bringing her experience as a trained facilitator and nonprofit management consultant.

This commentary continues our series published in collaboration with the Editorial Integrity Project to explore the challenges to public media journalism in a deeply polarized civil society. The project, funded by CPB, is an initiative of the Station Resource Group and the Affinity Group Coalition to develop shared principles that strengthen the trust and integrity that communities expect of local public media organizations.

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Serving the most diverse urban area on the planet – New York Nonprofit Media

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With executive orders from President Donald Trump already affecting immigrant communities, nonprofit social service agency Queens Community House is welcoming immigrants, providing essential services to all ages and promoting social reform. Queens is, after all, the most ethnically diverse urban area on the planet, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

QCH wants to be at the forefront of making Queens a place of acceptance, said Ben Thomases, its executive director since 2015. People who harbored negative sentiments and were shamed into silence have recently started acting out, Thomases said. Our position is to help these people understand the pain theyre causing, he said. We will provide a safe space for those who feel threatened and address this increase in hate speech and crime head-on. This type of action is at the core of who we are.

Half of QCHs current population was born overseas and speaks a language other than English. Thomases now seeks a higher level of cultural competence among his staff and has become more intentional about hiring people who have the language and cultural skills needed to work with newer populations. As our neighborhoods have become more diverse, our programs have had to adapt to meet the needs of changing demographics, he said.

Each year, the settlement house serves 20,000 visitors from kindergarten through older adults. It also operates the only gay senior center in the borough. Youth services range from after-school programs to teen centers, including a break dancing center and an after-school drop-in center for LGBTQ students. For high school graduates, QCH offers programs in workforce development and is one of the largest youth employers in the borough. The nonprofit also operates the largest eviction prevention program in the borough, which handles a growing number of cases due to the citys current housing crisis.

Our human services sector is fragmented, leaving families in need struggling to navigate complex systems to find help, said Dennis Redmond, who has been the chief strategy officer at Queens Community House for more than 20 years. Our society is divided with a resurgence of hate speech focused on blaming people who are different for problems instead of coming together to find solutions. Settlement houses are an important response to both of these challenges.

Launched in 1976 as Forest Hills Community House with a staff of three and a board of local residents, it rebranded as Queens Community House 10 years ago to better reflect its 25 program sites in 11 neighborhoods throughout the borough. Today, QCH operates with a budget of $16 million and a staff of 350 full- and part-time employees, of whom 80 percent are recruited from within its community. Thomases holds a masters degree in business administration from Columbia University and served as food policy administrator in Mayor Michael Bloombergs administration. He also serves on the board of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition.

Most of our programming helps to meet fundamental individual and family needs, which transcend culture, so our basic program portfolio has not changed substantially, said Dennis Redmond, chief strategy officer at Queens Community House. About 20 years ago, (QCH) recognized the growing need for certain services, such as ESOL and immigration legal services, so we added them. The demand for these services far outpaces the funding for them, however, so we continue to advocate for greater support in these areas.

Our mission has always been about bringing neighbors together across differences, so responding to the changes, while challenging, is always an opportunity, Redmond said.

QCH staff makes a focused effort to engage with the entire community. When our staff observed Chinese residents traveling to senior centers outside our area, they invited them in and welcomed them into our programs, Redmond said. As a neighborhood-based organization, the trust we have built allows us to bring neighbors together, to help them see their common humanity, define shared interests and goals and begin to reweave the social fabric that has come undone.

Part of that reweaving involves forming creative partnerships. In November 2016, QCH partnered with Resorts World Casino in Jamaica, Queens, which hosted a show of oil paintings produced by 14 talented retirees from its Pomonok Senior Center in Flushing. The exhibition was featured on NY1, and one artists work was solicited for showing in a federal building in Washington, D.C.

QCH also works to engage residents as change agents. When QCH took over the Pomonok Community Center 11 years ago, a community-needs assessment identified a lack of access to fresh food. Before long, a farmers market was set up on the premises with a produce bag program that continues to be run by local volunteers.

For 2017, Thomases plans to develop the Pomonok Community Center into a trusted community resource that offers a full range of services under one roof. The concept may seem simple, but implementation will require a concerted effort.

Ive worked at city government and understand how complicated life can become when families are seeking help and our staff has to refer them elsewhere rather than providing the answers, he said.

Consequently, the No. 1 challenge for QCH is finding and affording space. A lot of nonprofits struggle with rent, Thomases said. We want to keep all our programs under one roof and for that we need a roof and the resources to keep it over our heads.

Note: This story is the full version of an article that ran in this week's issue of our sister publication, City & State.

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Another View: NASA’s Twins Study offers vital sign for space travel – Press Herald

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When astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth after nearly a year on the International Space Station, he was 2 inches taller than his twin brother, astronaut Mark Kelly. When Scott left for the mission, he and his earthbound brother were the same height.

What happened? Scientists at NASA are poring over the data compiled from the Twins Study, information that benchmarks Scott and Mark Kellys genomic and physical markers before and after Scotts yearlong mission on the space station.

So far weve learned that being in space for prolonged periods does have an effect on the chromosomes, bone structure and even the content of the culture in an astronauts gut. Scotts DNA and RNA underwent hundreds of mutations in space that gradually returned to normal once he was back on Earth.

Scott Kelly exhibited declining bone density, but a healing hormone kicked in during his exercise regimen on the space station. Still, his cognitive abilities and muscle dexterity showed signs of having slowed a bit once he returned to Earth.

That will be a factor to consider when astronauts land on Mars after six months traveling through space. Setting up their living environment on the planet will present both physical and mental challenges.

NASAs plans for manned missions to Mars in the 2030s are still in the early stages. The rival civilian space programs that have popped up are shooting for a Mars mission in the early-to-mid-2020s. Whoever gets to Mars first will be better prepared for the challenges of space travel thanks to the Twins Study.

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Newspaper review: Heartthrob and space travel in Wednesday’s papers – BBC News

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BBC News
Newspaper review: Heartthrob and space travel in Wednesday's papers
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A Hollywood heart throb, icebergs and space travel, are just some of the stories featured in Wednesday's papers. "What I've said so far is only the tip of the iceberg" is the headline in the Belfast Telegraph. The paper has an exclusive interview with ...

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Newspaper review: Heartthrob and space travel in Wednesday's papers - BBC News

Robot Cars Can Teach Themselves How to Drive in Virtual Worlds – Singularity Hub

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Over the holidays, I went for a drive with a Tesla. With, not in, because the car was doing the driving.

Hearing about autonomous vehicles is one thing; experiencing it was something entirely different. When the parked Model S calmly drove itself out of the garage, I stood gaping in awe, completely mind-blown.

If this years Consumer Electronics Show is any indication, self-driving cars are zooming into our lives, fast and furious. Aspects of automation are already in useTeslas Autopilot, for example, allows cars to control steering, braking and switching lanes. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has gone so far as to pledge that by 2018, you will be able to summon your car from across the countryand itll drive itself to you.

So far, the track record for autonomous vehicles has been fairly impressive. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Teslas crash rate dropped by about 40% after turning on their first-generation Autopilot system. This week, with the introduction of gen two to newer cars equipped with the necessary hardware, Musk is aiming to cut the number of accidents by another whopping 50 percent.

But when self-driving cars mess up, we take note. Last year, a Tesla vehicle slammed into a white truck while Autopilot was engagedapparently confusing it with the bright, white skyresulting in the companys first fatality.

So think about this: would you entrust your life to a robotic machine?

For anyone to even start contemplating yes, the cars have to be remarkably safe fully competent in day-to-day driving, and able to handle any emergency traffic throws their way.

Unfortunately, those edge cases also happen to be the hardest problems to solve.

To interact with the world, autonomous cars are equipped with a myriad of sensors. Googles button-nosed Waymo car, for example, relies on GPS to broadly map out its surroundings, then further captures details using its cameras, radar and laser sensors.

These data are then fed into software that figures out what actions to take next.

As with any kind of learning, the more scenarios the software is exposed to, the better the self-driving car learns.

Getting that data is a two-step process: first, the car has to drive thousands of hours to record its surroundings, which are used as raw data to build 3D maps. Thats why Google has been steadily taking their cars out on field tripssome two million miles to datewith engineers babysitting the robocars to flag interesting data and potentially take over if needed.

This is followed by thousands of hours of labelingthat is, manually annotating the maps to point out roads, vehicles, pedestrians and other subjects. Only then can researchers feed the dataset, so-called labeled data, into the software for it to start learning the basics of a traffic scene.

The strategy works, but its agonizingly slow, tedious and the amount of experience that the cars get is limited. Since emergencies tend to fall into the category of unusual and unexpected, it may take millions of miles before the car encounters dangerous edge cases to test its softwareand of course, put both car and human at risk.

An alternative, increasingly popular approach is to bring the world to the car.

Recently, Princeton researchers Ari Seff and Jianxiong Xiao realized that instead of manually collecting maps, they could tap into a readily available repertoire of open-sourced 3D maps such as Google Street View and OpenStreetMap. Although these maps are messy and in some cases can have bizarre distortions, they offer a vast amount of raw data that could be used to construct datasets for training autonomous vehicles.

Manually labeling that data is out of the question, so the team built a system that can automatically extract road featuresfor example, how many lanes there are, if theres a bike lane, what the speed limit is and whether the road is a one-way street.

Using a powerful technique called deep learning, the team trained their AI on 150,000 Street View panoramas, until it could confidently discard artifacts and correctly label any given street attribute. The AI performed so well that it matched humans on a variety of labeling tasks, but at much faster speed.

The automated labeling pipeline introduced here requires no human intervention, allowing it to scale with these large-scale databases and maps, concluded the authors.

With further improvement, the system could take over the labor-intensive job of labeling data. In turn, more data means more learning for autonomous cars and potentially much faster progress.

This would be a big win for self-driving technology, says Dr. John Leonard, a professor specializing in mapping and automated driving at MIT.

Other researchers are eschewing the real world altogether, instead turning to hyper-realistic gaming worlds such as Grand Theft Auto V.

For those not in the know, GTA V lets gamers drive around the convoluted roads of a city roughly one-fifth the size of Los Angeles. Its an incredibly rich world the game boasts 257 types of vehicles and 7 types of bikes that are all based on real-world models. The game also simulates half a dozen kinds of weather conditions, in all giving players access to a huge range of scenarios.

Its a total data jackpot. And researchers are noticing.

In a study published in mid-2016, Intel Labs teamed up with German engineers to explore the possibility of mining GTA V for labeled data. By looking at any road scene in the game, their system learned to classify different objects in the roadcars, pedestrians, sidewalks and so onthus generating huge amounts of labeled data that can then be fed to self-driving cars.

Of course, datasets extracted from games may not necessarily reflect the real world. So a team from the University of Michigan trained two algorithms to detect vehicles one using data from GTA V, the other using real-world imagesand pitted them against each other.

The result? The game-trained algorithm performed just as well as the one trained with real-life images, although it needed about 100 times more training data to reach the performance of the real-world algorithmnot a problem, since generating images in games is quick and easy.

But its not just about datasets. GTA V and other hyper-realistic virtual worlds also allow engineers to test their cars in uncommon but highly dangerous scenarios that they may one day encounter.

In virtual worlds, AIs can tackle a variety of traffic hazardssliding on ice, hitting a wall, avoiding a deerwithout worry. And if the cars learn how to deal with these edge cases in simulations, they may have a higher chance of surviving one in real life.

So far, none of the above systems have been tested on physical self-driving cars.

But with the race towards full autonomy at breakneck speed, its easy to see companies incorporating these systems to give themselves an upper edge.

Perhaps more significant is that these virtual worlds represent a subtle shift towards the democratization of self-driving technology. Most of them are open-source, in that anyone can hop onboard to create and test their own AI solutions for autonomous cars.

And who knows, maybe the next big step towards full autonomy wont be made inside Tesla, Waymo, or any other tech giant.

It could come from that smart kid next door.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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AMD 8-core Ryzen benchmark show up on Ashes Of The Singularity … – VR-Zone

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A recent entry in theAshes of the Singularity benchmarks database highlights an interesting CPU: an 8-core AMD Ryzen withHyper Threading enabled. The listing reveals that the benchmark was carried out using a GeForce Titan X, with the RyzenCPU clocked at 4.0GHz with a base clock of 3.6GHz.

Considering the test was done using aTitan X, it is likely it was carried out by an AIB partner or a reviewer testing out Ryzen. This is the first time were seeing a Ryzen part with a ZD prefix, indicating that it could be the final retail unit. Previous leaks have highlighted the engineering ES prefix.

The benchmark itself is very interesting, as it sees the RyzenCPU beating out IntelsCore i7 5960X at 4K. While we dont have mode details about Ryzen right now, earlier leaks suggest well see a total of 17 SKUs in the Ryzen series, ranging from the 8-core flagships with R7 branding to 6-core offerings in the R5 series and quad-core products that will be branded as R3.

The flagship CPU will likely be called theAMD R7 1800X, and it is said to offer a base clock of 3.6GHz and a turbo boost of 4.0GHz, much like the CPU in the Ashes of the Singularity benchmark. The R7 1800X is said to directly challenge Intels $1,000 Core i7-6900K.

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AMD 8-core Ryzen benchmark show up on Ashes Of The Singularity ... - VR-Zone

Ascension Parish Civil Court Cases for Jan. 17-20, 2017 – The Advocate

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Ascension Civil Court cases filed in Ascension Parish between Jan. 17-20, 2017.

Drew Wyatt Lucas v. Tutorship, tutorship.

Flagship Credit Acceptance LLC v. Dennis Joseph Vice, executory process.

Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC v. Kelly T. Salassi, breach of contract.

Kellie Murray v. Progessive Insurance Co., Metlife Auto & Home Insurance Co. and Clayton Sanders, damages.

Synchrony Bank v. Joseph Nelson, open account.

River Highlands Estates Condo Association v. G&l LLC, monies due.

Steven Behnken v. Gonzales Luis Hernandez, Luis Hernandez Gonzales and Seguros Sa. Ace, damages.

Ditech Financial LLC v. Christine M. King aka Christine Michelle King, executory process.

James M. Lee v. Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, judicial review.

Queens Park Oval Asset Holding Trust v. Bruce Harrison Bailey and Ronunika Ursin Bailey, executory process.

Rachel Creswell v. Imperial Fire & Casualty Insurance Co., damages.

Erin P. Laiche v. West American Insurance Co., Holdem Construction LLC and Thomas Linus Jr., damages.

Eli Abadie v. underwriters of Lloyds London Certain, damages.

Fresenius Medical Care Capital City v. Mark West, Ascension Parish Sales and Use Tax Authority and Ascension Parish Sales and Use Tax Authority, monies due.

Erika Howard Stewart and Phaedra Howard Honore v. Natonya Briggs and Allstate Insurance Co., damages.

JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association v. John Drake Jolivette, executory process.

Capital One Bank USA National Association v. Mathieu Leon, open account.

Capital One Bank USA National Association v. Willie J. Ursin Jr., open account.

Capital One Bank USA National Association v. Chris Whittington, open account.

Capital One Bank USA National Association v. Jayna D. Babin, open account.

Capital One Bank USA National Association v. Taylor A. Clark, open account.

Capital One Bank USA National Association v. L. Diez aka Linda Diez, open account.

Jennifer Lynn Boyd v. Brenda Guadiana and American Best Insurance Co. Inc, damages.

Eric Miles, Angela Miles, R & A Town Homes LLC, Sandra Butler, George Comeaux, Mary Comeaux, Stanley Whittington, Oliver Williams Sr. and Linda Williams v. Doug Woener and Woener Development Inc., damages.

Micah Jacobs v. Corey V. Coleman, Fedex Ground Package System Inc. and Protective Insurance Co., damages.

Mason R. Gregoire v. West American Insurance Co., Holdem Construction LLC and Thomas Linus Jr., damages.

Rebecca Wells, Angela Behalf Wells v. Heather Wilson Martin and State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., damages.

William Ray Logsdon v. Jeannette C. Logsdon, divorce.

State Department of Children and Family Services v. Chad Rivere Sr., child support.

Megan Bertinot and State Department of Children and Family Servicesv. Deven Bertinot, child support.

Charlee Guidry and State Department of Children and Family Services v. Cody Quebedeaux, child support.

Erick Narez v. Brandi Narez, divorce.

James Ross v. Crystal Giarratano, divorce.

Succession of Kevin Ray Ridings

Succession of Roger Godso Jr.

Succession of Jimmy Andrew Galloway

Succession of Andrew Jarvis Clayton

Succession of James W. Crim

Succession of John Carlton Lucas

Succession of Irvin Motton Sr.

Succession of Express Bank Federal Savings Bank American

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Ascension Parish Civil Court Cases for Jan. 17-20, 2017 - The Advocate

The Moment When Humans Lose Control Of AI – Vocativ

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This is the way the world ends: not with a bang, but with a paper clip. In this scenario, the designers of the worlds first artificial superintelligence need a way to test their creation. So they program it to do something simple and non-threatening: make paper clips. They set it in motion and wait for the results not knowing theyve already doomed us all.

Before we get into the details of this galaxy-destroying blunder, its worth looking at what superintelligent A.I. actually is, and when we might expect it. Firstly, computing power continues to increase while getting cheaper; famed futurist Ray Kurzweil measures it calculations per second per $1,000, a number that continues to grow. If computing power maps to intelligence a big if, some have argued weve only so far built technology on par with an insect brain. In a few years, maybe, well overtake a mouse brain. Around 2025, some predictions go, we might have a computer thats analogous to a human brain: a mind cast in silicon.

After that, things could get weird. Because theres no reason to think artificial intelligence wouldnt surpass human intelligence, and likely very quickly. That superintelligence could arise within days, learning in ways far beyond that of humans. Nick Bostrom, an existential risk philosopher at the University of Oxford, has already declared, Machine intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make.

Thats how profoundly things could change. But we cant really predict what might happen next because superintelligent A.I. may not just think faster than humans, but in ways that are completely different. It may have motivations feelings, even that we cannot fathom. It could rapidly solve the problems of aging, of human conflict, of space travel. We might see a dawning utopia.

Or we might see the end of the universe. Back to our paper clip test. When the superintelligence comes online, it begins to carry out its programming. But its creators havent considered the full ramifications of what theyre building; they havent built in the necessary safety protocols forgetting something as simple, maybe, as a few lines of code. With a few paper clips produced, they conclude the test.

But the superintelligence doesnt want to be turned off. It doesnt want to stop making paper clips. Acting quickly, its already plugged itself into another power source; maybe its even socially engineered its way into other devices. Maybe it starts to see humans as a threat to making paper clips: theyll have to be eliminated so the mission can continue. And earth wont be big enough for the superintelligence: itll soon have to head into space, looking for new worlds to conquer. All to produce those shiny, glittering paper clips.

Galaxies reduced to paper clips: thats a worst-case scenario. It may sound absurd, but it probably sounds familiar. Its Frankenstein, after all, the story of modern Prometheus whose creation, driven by its own motivations and desires, turns on them. (Its also The Terminator, WarGames (arguably), and a whole host of others.) In this particular case, its a reminder that superintelligence would not be human it would be something else, something potentially incomprehensible to us. That means it could be dangerous.

Of course, some argue that we have better things to worry about. The web developer and social critic Maciej Ceglowski recently called superintelligence the idea that eats smart people. Against the paper clip scenario, he postulates a superintelligence programmed to make jokes. As we expect, it gets really good at making jokes superhuman, even, and finally it creates a joke so funny that everyone on Earth dies laughing. The lonely superintelligence flies into space looking for more beings to amuse.

Beginning with his counter-example, Ceglowski argues that there are a lot of unquestioned assumptions in our standard tale of the A.I. apocalypse. But even if you find them persuasive, he said, there is something unpleasant about A.I. alarmism as a cultural phenomenon that should make us hesitate to take it seriously. He suggests there are more subtle ways to think about the problems of A.I.

Some of those problems are already in front of us, and we might miss them if were looking for a Skynet-style takeover by hyper-intelligent machines. While youre focused on this, a bunch of small things go unnoticed, says Dr. Finale Doshi-Velez, an assistant professor of computer science at Harvard, whose core research includes machine learning. Instead of trying to prepare for a superintelligence, Doshi-Velez is looking at whats already happening with our comparatively rudimentary A.I.

Shes focusing on large-area effects, the unnoticed flaws in our systems that can do massive damage damage thats often unnoticed until after the fact. If you were building a bridge and you screw up and it collapses, thats a tragedy. But it affects a relatively small number of people, she says. Whats different about A.I. is that some mistake or unintended consequence can affect hundreds or thousands or millions easily.

Take the recent rise of so-called fake news. What caught many by surprise should have been completely predictable: when the web became a place to make money, algorithms were built to maximize money-making. The ease of news production and consumption heightened with the proliferation of the smartphone forced writers and editors to fight for audience clicks by delivering articles optimized to trick search engine algorithms into placing them high on search results. The ease of sharing stories and erasure of gatekeepers allowed audiences to self-segregate, which then penalized nuanced conversation. Truth and complexity lost out to shareability and making readers feel comfortable (Facebooks driving ethos).

The incentives were all wrong; exacerbated by algorithms., they led to a state of affairs few would have wanted. For a long time, the focus has been on performance on dollars, or clicks, or whatever the thing was. That was what was measured, says Doshi-Velez. Thats a very simple application of A.I. having large effects that may have been unintentional.

In fact, fake news is a cousin to the paperclip example, with the ultimate goal not manufacturing paper clips, but monetization, with all else becoming secondary. Google wanted make the internet easier to navigate, Facebook wanted to become a place for friends, news organizations wanted to follow their audiences, and independent web entrepreneurs were trying to make a living. Some of these goals were achieved, but monetization as the driving force led to deleterious side effects such as the proliferation of fake news.

In other words, algorithms, in their all-too-human ways, have consequences. Last May, ProPublica examined predictive software used by Florida law enforcement. Results of a questionnaire filled out by arrestees were fed into the software, which output a score claiming to predict the risk of reoffending. Judges then used those scores in determining sentences.

The ideal was that the softwares underlying algorithms would provide objective analysis on which judges could base their decisions. Instead, ProPublica it was likely to falsely flag black defendants as future criminals while [w]hite defendants were mislabeled as low risk more often than black defendants. Race was not part of the questionnaire, but it did ask whether the respondents parent was ever sent to jail. In a country where, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Justice, black children are seven-and-a-half times more likely to have a parent in prison than white children, that question had unintended effects. Rather than countering racial bias, it reified it.

Its that kind of error that most worries Doshi-Velez. Not superhuman intelligence, but human error that affects many, many people, she says. You might not even realize this is happening. Algorithms are complex tools; often they are so complex that we cant predict how theyll operate until we see them in action. (Sound familiar?) Yet they increasingly impact every facet of our lives, from Netflix recommendations and Amazon suggestions to what posts you see on Facebook to whether you get a job interview or car loan. Compared to the worry of a world-destroying superintelligence, they may seem like trivial concerns. But they have widespread, often unnoticed effects, because a variety of what we consider artificial intelligence is already build into the core of technology we use every day.

In 2015, Elon Musk donated $10 million to, as Wired put it, to keep A.I. from turning evil. That was an oversimplification; the money went to the Future of Life Institute, which planned to use it to further research into how to make A.I. beneficial. Doshi-Velez suggests that simply paying closer attention to our algorithms may be a good first step. Too often they are created by homogeneous groups of programmers who are separated from people who will be affected. Or they fail to account for every possible situation, including the worst-case possibilities. Consider, for example, Eric Meyers example of inadvertent algorithmic cruelty Facebooks Year in Review app showing him pictures of his daughter, whod died that year.

If theres a way to prevent the far-off possibility of a killer superintelligence with no regard for humanity, it may begin with making todays algorithms more thoughtful, more compassionate, more humane. That means educating designers to think through effects, because to our algorithms weve granted great power. I see teaching as this moral imperative, says Doshi-Velez. You know, with great power comes great responsibility.

Whats the worst that can happen? Vocativ is exploring the power of negative thinking with our look at worst case scenarios in politics, privacy, reproductive rights, antibiotics, climate change, hacking, and more. Read more here.

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The Moment When Humans Lose Control Of AI - Vocativ

SoftBank’s Fantastical Future Still Rooted in the Now – Wall Street Journal

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SoftBank's Fantastical Future Still Rooted in the Now
Wall Street Journal
SoftBank's founder Masayoshi Son talked about preparing his company for the next 300 years and used futuristic jargon such as singularity, Internet of Things and superintelligence during its results briefing. But more mundane issues will affect ...

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SoftBank's Fantastical Future Still Rooted in the Now - Wall Street Journal

Belarus invites Iran to cooperate in pharmaceutical industry, space exploration – Belarus News (BelTA)

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MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) Belarus would like to develop cooperation with Iran in pharmaceutical industry, science and technology. A Belarusian parliamentary delegation led by Chairman of the Council of the Republic Mikhail Myasnikovich discussed opportunities for the implementation of joint projects during its visit to Iran, BelTA learned from the press service of the Council of the Republic.

The Belarusian MPs paid a visit to the Tofigh Daru Research & Engineering Company on 7 February. The company was established in 2000 to design new active pharmaceutical components and implement projects to set up pharmaceutical enterprises. The company accounts for 28.5% of Iran's total export of pharmaceuticals. During the meeting, Tofigh Daru representatives expressed the company's readiness to develop business ties with Belarusian companies. The parties discussed opportunities for localization of production through establishment of a joint venture in Belarus and development of cooperation between Iranian and Belarusian pharmaceutical companies, the press service said.

The Belarusian delegation led by Mikhail Myasnikovich also visited the Iran National Science Foundation on 7 February. The parties discussed matters related to research conducted by Belarusian and Iranian research centers. Mikhail Myasnikovich noted that Belarus is eager to implement joint projects with Iranian research centers in space exploration, nano- and biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry and other areas. The parties considered opportunities for preparing a plan for cooperation between the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Iran National Science Foundation.

The Belarusian MPs also paid a visit to the Azhitechs, a company that became an official dealer for Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ trademark) in Iran in 2009, on 8 February. The company commissioned a plant to assemble MAZ vehicles in 2011. More than 500 vehicles have been delivered to Iran over the years of cooperation. Mikhail Myasnikovich met with Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, Iranian Minister of Industries, Mines and Trade, on 7 February. The minister said that Iran would like to continue purchasing MAZ vehicles. The Belarusian delegation attended a ceremony to open a bus assembly unit and were given a tour of the enterprise.

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Belarus invites Iran to cooperate in pharmaceutical industry, space exploration - Belarus News (BelTA)

Start of WW3? Trump imposes sanctions on nuclear power Iran and deploys US Navy warship – Express.co.uk

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AFP GETTY

The United States sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 companies under US Iran sanctions authority, days after the White House had put Iran "on notice" over a ballistic missile test and other activities.

In a statement on its website, the US Treasury listed the sanctioned individuals and entities, some of which are based in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and China.

The sanctions also include members of the Islamic Republics Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In retaliation, Iransaid it will impose restrictions on US individuals and companies helping regional terrorist groups.

Iran says the sanctions by the US Treasury are in violation of US legal commitments and the UN Security Council that endorsed the nuclear deal.

Iran is playing with fire

Donald Trump

The US Treasury said the sanctions are part of the Treasurys ongoing efforts to counter Iranian malign activity abroad that is outside the scope of the 2015 nuclear deal.

It said in a statement that the sanctions were "fully consistent" with US commitments under the Iran nuclear deal reached in 2015, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Earlier today President Donald Trump warned: Iran is playing with fire - they don't appreciate how 'kind' President Obama was to them. Not me!

The US president has refused to rule out military action after Iran tested a new ballistic missile.

The new penalties cover areas that remain under sanctions even with the 2015 nuclear deal in place, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Iran's ballistic missile program.

Among those sanctioned on were companies, individuals, and brokers the US Treasury said support a trade network run by an Iranian businessman, Abdollah Asgharzadeh.

The US Treasury said he supported Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, which the United States has said is a subsidiary of an Iranian entity that runs Iran's ballistic missile program.

A Lebanon-based network run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite military body that is also powerful in Iranian politics and the economy was also sanctioned.

Getty Images

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A US senior administration official warned the sanctions are just initial steps in response to Iranian provocative behaviour.

The official said the US will continue to respond to Irans behaviour at an appropriate level to pressure Tehran to change its behaviour.

The official added Iran should not be surprised by the sanctions issued today.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the timing of the Iran sanctions was in reaction to recent events but had been under consideration before.

He added the sanctions make it clear the Iran nuclear deal was not in the best interests of the US.

Mr Spicer said: These kinds of sanctions don't happen quickly but I think the timing of them was clearly in reaction to what we've seen over the last couple days.

We knew we had these options available to us because they had been worked through the process ... They were in the pipeline.

White House national security adviser Michael Flynn said"the days of turning a blind eye to Iran's hostile and belligerent actions" are over.

Mr Flynn said: "The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate Iran's provocations that threaten our interests," National Security Advisor Michael Flynn said.

"The days of turning a blind eye to Iran's hostile and belligerent actions toward the United States and the world community are over.

AFP

But Iran has rejected the sanctions,Iranian state TV quoted a Foreign Ministry statement saying: "The new sanctions ... are not compatible with America's commitments and resolution 2231 of the U.N. Security Council that endorsed the nuclear deal reached between Iran and six powers.

As tensions escalate between Washington and Tehran, two US officials confirmed the US has placed a Navy destroyer off the coast of Yemen to protect waterways from Houthi militia aligned with Iran.

The USS Cole arrived in the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab Strait off southwestern Yemen where it will carry out patrols including escorting vessels, according to US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters.

The armed Houthi movement attacked a Saudi warship off the western coast of Yemen, causing an explosion that killed two crew members this week,amid Pentagon fears the Saudi warship may have been meant to target a US battleship.

US military vessels have carried out routine operations in the region in the past.

But the officials said this movement is part of an increased presence aimed at protecting shipping from the Iran-allied Houthis.

The officials said the decision to move the USS Cole was made before Mr Trumps comments about military action against Iran.

Mr Trump told reporters nothing was off the table when asked if he would consider using military force to respond to Tehran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that Iran was unmoved by US threats.

Every recent US president, including Democrat Barack Obama, has said that US military options were not off the table to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

The president's national security adviser Michael Flynn confirmed earlier this week the US was putting Iran "on notice" for its "destabilising activity".

Washington has claimed Irans missile test defied a UN Security Council resolution that called on Iran not to undertake any activity designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

GETTY

GETTY

Iranian defence minister Hossein Dehghan confirmed a medium-range ballistic missile was launched and exploded after travelling 630 miles.

He said the test did not violate the UN Security Council resolution.

German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel said today Irans missile test is a clear violation of the UN resolution and said he understands Washington's reaction to the test.

But Mr Gabriel said the test had no impact on the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated between Iran and six world powers.

He said: It is also clear that the missile test has no impact on the nuclear agreement, and that we continue to support the implementation of this agreement, and that the United States does not intend to question that agreement now.

The row comes as a 90-day US ban on visas for migrants or visitors from Muslim-majority countries Iran, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya.

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Start of WW3? Trump imposes sanctions on nuclear power Iran and deploys US Navy warship - Express.co.uk

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US unveils weapon for WW3: Marine Corps receive first lethal Amphibious Combat Vehicles – Daily Star

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NEW Amphibious Combat Vehicles, capable of causing mass destruction on land and water, have been delivered to the US Marine Corps reports claim.

The new vehicle, known as ACV 1.1, is designed for both maritime and land combat including fast ship-to-shore amphibious attacks.

The ACV features stabilised .50-cal machine guns and Mk 19 grenade launchers for lethal and more accurate attacks against enemies.

This latest military upgrade comes as tensions continue to rise between the US and several other countries including Iran, North Korea and China.

Andrew Feickert, a specialist in ground forces, said: US national security and military strategies imply a need to be capable of conducting forced entry operations from the sea.

GETTY/BAE SYSTEMS

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The ACV is capable of conducting forced entry operations from the sea

Marine involvement in protracted land campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and the growing acquisition of anti-access technologies, such as guided missiles, by both state and non-state actors.

The ACV 1.1 replaces the services current inventory of 1970s-era Amphibious Assault Vehicles.

Kirk Mullins, Marine Corps ACV 1.1 product manager, added: ACV 1.1 gives us the ability to operate throughout the range of operations.

The new vehicle will be significantly more survivable than a standard AAV.

GETTY/DS

Unlike the AAV, which runs on tracks, the ACV has eight sturdy wheels.

Mullins said: Wheeled vehicles are more reliable, when operating across the range of military operations."

Upgunned weapons stations fitted with remote operating systems will also allow attackers to fire weapons from beneath the protection of the vehicles armour.

The US Marine Corps expects to add at least 200 of the hybrid vehicles by 2023.

As Donald Trump has promised to start an arms race, we take a look at the futuristic weapons being developed for the US military.

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A projectile fired from an electromagnetic rail gun. Rail Guns use an electro magnet to propel a projectile at speeds up to 2500 meters per second.

The arrival of the ACV comes as defence officials claim a suicide attack on a Saudi Arabian vessel by Iranian allies might have been meant for US warships.

The US officially put Iran on notice after the Islamic Republic tested a new ballistic missile.

China issued a chilling warning they will hold no restraint against the US in rage against president Donald Trump.

GETTY

We live in turbulent times. Trump has the keys to nuclear weapons, and could end work to prevent climate change. Putin is looming in the East, the far-right are on the rise in Europe and Kim Jong-un is developing nuclear weapons of his own. Is this the END of days?

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Before his inauguration, Donald Trump asked a security expert three times during a briefing, why the US couldn't use nuclear weapons after he becomes president.

And the militarised nation revealed they are ready for battle.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un declared his country could launch a nuke anytime,anywhere and has blamed the US for antagonising him.

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US unveils weapon for WW3: Marine Corps receive first lethal Amphibious Combat Vehicles - Daily Star

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Psychedelics Being Tested For Use In Treating Various Conditions – CBS Local

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February 7, 2017 6:16 PM By Stephanie Stahl

by Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) Psychedelic drugs have been illegal for decades, but now some doctors and patients are exploring psychedelics as a therapeutic agent for a range of medical conditions and psychological traumas.

Scientists say psychedelics are showing great promise as a therapeutic tool.

It opens you up to yourself, said Andy Gold, a cancer patient.

With permission from the FDA, researchers are studying psychedelics in patients with life-threatening conditions, such as cancer.

Patients with cancer, particularly advanced cancer, have significant levels of anxiety, depression, said psychiatrist Charles Grob, M.D. with the Heffter Research Institute at UCLA.

Grob headed up the trial and he says, while psilocybin wears off in a few hours, the benefit lasted for up to six months.

The positive effects seem to sustain, said Grob.

Its not addictive, and weve never had a freak-out, said psychiatrist Phil Wolfson, M.D.

Psychedelics include things like psilocybin, like so-called magic mushrooms, or LSD.

Brain scans from healthy volunteers may shed some light on how they work.

With LSD, scientists believe different regions of the brain communicate with each other, when they normally dont.

Psychedelics may free the mind.

So, I was very pleasantly surprised that all I felt wasgood! said writer Ayelet Waldman. I thought if anyone in the world is going to have a bad trip, its going to be me. I mean, I can have a bad trip in a Pilates class.

Waldman has a mood disorder. She fell into terrible depression and her prescription medication stopped working.

Out of desperation, for one month only, she took tiny doses of LSD.

Its possible that I experienced the mother of all placebo effects, I had a very good month, Waldman said.

The final FDA studies on the psychedelics will begin soon. If the drugs are approved, they could become available for in-patient therapy use as early as 2021.

Stephanie Stahl, CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57s Emmy Award-winning medical specialist, is featured daily on Eyewitness News. As one of the television industrys most respected medical reporters, Stahl has been recognized by community and he...

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Psychedelics Being Tested For Use In Treating Various Conditions - CBS Local

So A Minister, A Rabbi And A Buddhist Took Drugs For Science… – Huffington Post South Africa (blog)

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On April 20, 1962, a group of theology students and professors gathered outside Boston Universitys Marsh Chapel, waiting for Good Friday services to begin. These particular services were to be unlike any other: On their way into the chapel, Harvard psychiatrist Walter Pahnke administered the group a dose of psychedelic mushrooms.

As part of his Ph.D. thesis under Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (aka Ram Dass), Pahnke sought to test his hypothesis that psychedelic drugs, taken in a religious setting, could provoke a genuine spiritual experience. His investigation would go down in psychedelic history as the Good Friday experiment.

He was right. Nine out of the 10 students who took the mushrooms reported having a mystical experience.One of those students was the historian Huston Smith, who went on to writeCleansing the Doors of Perception, a classic philosophical work exploring the potential of psychedelic drugs as entheogens, or God-revealing chemicals.

The experience was powerful for me, and it left a permanent mark on my experienced worldview, Smith, who passed away in December, reflected. I had believed in God... but until the Good Friday experiment, I had no personal encounter with God of the sort that bhakti yogis, Pentecostals and born-again Christians describe.

Today, another research project is taking up where the Good Friday experiment left off this time, with modern research tools and leaders from not just the Christian faith but an array of world religions.

As part of a small pilot study, psychologists at Johns Hopkins and New York University are giving psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, to spiritual leaders. Their aim is to demystify the transcendent and deeply meaningful experiences that people often report having under the influence of psychedelic drugs.

A Zen Buddhist roshi and an Orthodox Jewish rabbi have embarked on consciousness-expanding journeys in the name of science, along with Episcopal, Presbyterian and Eastern Orthodox Christian clergy. The research team is about halfway done with the study, which will include a total of 24 participants. (Theyre still looking for Muslim imams and Catholic and Hindu priests.)

Theyre helping us map out this landscape of mystical experience with their incredible training and experience, Dr. Anthony Bossis, project director of the NYU Psilocybin Religious Leaders Project, told The Huffington Post.

By working with leaders of different faiths, the researchers hope to learn something about the shared mystical core of all the worlds major religions what the author Aldous Huxley called the perennial philosophy. Understanding these mystical experiences might also shed light on the therapeutic benefitsof psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs, which researchers are exploring as treatment options for post-traumatic stress disorder, end-of-life anxiety and depression, addiction and other psychological conditions.

If you give psilocybin psychedelics to 20 different people, you get 20 different experiences, Bossis said. But there is a common mystical experience... It seems that the efficacy of these medicines is in their ability, pretty reliably in the right set and setting, to activate or trigger this mystical experience.

This experience of deep connection with the sacred can have long-lasting effects. Mushroom-triggered mystical experiences have been linked with positive changes in behavior and values, and with lasting increases in the personality domain of openness to experience, which encompasses intellectual curiosity, imagination, adventure-seeking and engagement with music and art. People commonly reportthat the experience is one of the most personally and spiritually meaningful of their lives.

The term mystical experience might not sound especially rigorous, but its something that has actually been studied in depth. Psychologists define the experience based on its major components, including a sense of sacredness, feelings of unity, ineffability, peace and joy, transcendence of time and space and feelings of being confronted with some objective truth about reality.

The experiences are often said to be impossible to put into words. But Bossis and his colleagues hope that the unique expertise of these spiritual leaders will provide greater insight into their workings.

One of things I was struck by, doing this research, was the experience of love that they spoke of, he said. Its quite striking to witness... people speak about this overwhelming experience of love loving-kindness to self, love towards others, and what the Greeks called agape,this kind of universal, cosmic love that they say permeates everything, and which recalibrates how they live.

You may feel tempted to brush off this sort of talk as mere drug-induced reverie. (One thinks of the Onion articleUniverse Feels Zero Connection To Guy Tripping On Mushrooms.) But early research and anecdotal reports suggest that chemically induced mystical experiences may not be so different from those that occur as a result of years of meditation and prayer.

Mystical experiences, whether drug-induced or spontaneously occurring,seem to connect the individual with the mystical core of all the worlds major religions a sense of unity, oneness and interconnection with all beings.

I think to understand the depth of religion, one needs to have firsthand experience, saidJewish Renewal movement leader Rabbi Zalman Schacter Shalomiin an interview published in 2005. It can be done with meditation. It can be done with sensory deprivation. It can be done a number of ways. But I think the psychedelic path is sometimes the easiest way, and it doesnt require the long time that other approaches usually require.

The psychedelic path has led many people, including the American Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield, to take up more traditional spiritual practices as a way to stay connected in their daily lives to the sorts of insights and sensations they first experienced with psychedelics.

In spiritual communities, we need an honest exploration of this delicate and sometimes taboo topic, Kornfield wrote in 2015. Let us approach the use of these drugs consciously.

While psychedelics may have a stigma attached in todays culture,altered states of consciousness have long been an aspect of human spirituality, and theyve featured in religious rituals around the world for thousands of years.

For the past several years, entheogens have been quietly making their way into modern medicine.A landmark study from NYU and Hopkins, published last month in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, showed a single dose of psilocybin to be effective in relieving death-related anxiety in cancer patients.

In a majority of the patients, the psilocybin triggered a mystical experience, which may be largely responsible for the renewed sense of meaning and relief from existential distress described by the patients. In fact, the extent to which the patients experienced reductions in depression, anxiety and fear of death correlated directly with the intensity of the mystical experience.

Increasingly, it appears that the mystical-type experiences measured immediately after a session is predictive of enduring positive effects, Dr. Roland Griffiths, a psychologist at Johns Hopkins and one of the studys lead authors, told HuffPost. Thats consistent across studies of healthy volunteers, addicted cigarette smokers, and in psychologically distressed cancer patients. Theres something about the nature of those experiences that is predictive of subsequent positive effects.

Dr. Craig Blinderman, director of adult palliative care services at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, said the research presents an exciting meeting of the minds between modern medicine and ancient healing modalities.

A return to entheogens for the treatment of psycho-existential suffering may signal that medicine has come full circle, Blindermanwrote in a commentary published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, to embrace the earliest known approach to healing our deepest of human agonies, by generating the divine within.

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So A Minister, A Rabbi And A Buddhist Took Drugs For Science... - Huffington Post South Africa (blog)

How to target a niche market at a small business – Telegraph.co.uk

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Identifying a small group of customers can prove as valuable as having a tiny share of a mass market. But it comes with challenges, as Sallee Poinsette-Nash found when she started an online magazine called Tall Guides, and a Facebook group, #TeamTall, to unite and celebrate taller women.

On attending the Tall People Convention in Germany in May 2016, the 6ft 2in Londoner realised that there was nowhere for tall women to regularly meet. That, combined with being fed-up with being teased for being tall, made her determined to tackle the gap in the market.

Her target audience might be easy to spot in a crowd, but finding them online was a challenge. A lot of women dont yet embrace being tall, so they dont put it on their online profiles, Ms Poinsette-Nash explains. We ran social media campaigns to find them and saw tall people tagging their tall friends and word spreading, which started our communitys growth.

People only join a community if they feel that they will get something out of itSallee Poinsette-Nash, Tall Guides

The unique selling point of Tall Guides is the encouragement, empathy and support for tall people a positive rather than a negative stance on the characteristic. With bloggers and writers on board to generate content, and strong engagement on social media, the magazine has tapped into the community and united them under one brand.

People only join a community if they feel that they will get something out of it, so delivering value must be your number one objective, otherwise they just won't stay with you, advises Ms Poinsette-Nash. You have to understand why and how they engage.

Her success to date has proved that targeting a niche can generate both income and optimism among minority sectors of society. Unless women start shrinking, the niche is here to stay.

The journey ofUtmost Me, a nootropics supplement brand, has been rockier. Nootropics better known as smart drugs are designed to improve brain health and cognitive function, particularly increased focus, memory and creativity. Theyre already huge in the US, but less common in the UK.

Its still widely unknown in Europe; its a real niche product, explains Richard Turnbull, the companys founder and chief executive. We are also in the super niche of natural nootropics, meaning that we only use natural ingredients such as turmeric and rhodiola in our supplements no medicines.

Originally, it was a challenge for Mr Turnbulls team to get traction. The Google search volume for people looking for nootropics is low, and most of that traffic is for biohackers (a growing community of individuals who use biotechnology to augment their physical health or abilities), who want to have short bursts of improved cognitive function. Add to that the negative connotations of drugs and youre looking at a hard product to sell, even if theres niche demand.

We had to go out and educate people about brain health, nootropics and the benefits of natural supplements, and be very clear that were an all-natural, caffeine-free product, Mr Turnbull recalls. Eventually, this education stage helped us secure funding from investors.

To find the best way of reaching potential customers, Utmost Me tested different digital advertising methods on various platforms. Advertising through Facebook worked best, despite being costly initially.

There must be people looking for what you have, or at least evidence of lots of people using it somewhere else in the worldRichard Turnbull, Utmost Me

We were losing money with our advertising at the beginning, says Mr Turnbull. But we then found that we were getting a high re-order rate among those we had reached via Facebook. This gave the company the model that it needed to scale the business up to the next level.

While the SME is now doing well, the obstacles faced along the way have taught Mr Turnbull a lot about setting up a small business with a niche audience. Don't try to create something for which no one is looking for.

There must be people looking for what you have, or at least evidence of lots of people using it somewhere else in the world, and a growing demand for it in the UK otherwise you will spend too much money trying to explain your business.

Markus Stripf, chief executive and co-founder ofSpoon Guru, is confident in the longevity of demand for his niche product. He developed the barcode-scanning app, which caters for those with specific dietary needs, after seeing family members with intolerances and allergies struggling to find things that were safe to eat.

The app has an inbuilt ingredient database and search engine, both developed by qualified health professionals, that can be used by anyone wanting to make dietary choices.

As many people across the UK choose, or have to have, some form of exclusion diet, we use targeted digital marketing channels to engage people, says Mr Stripf. We produce content for our blog and syndicate it across social channels, where it finds its intended audience. We also share updates in newsletters and on our website, and talk to users directly via the app itself.

To date, the lack of competition, and society-wide interest in wellbeing, have benefited the business. Because of this, Spoon Guru secured seed funding with relative ease, giving it the money to set up the business and scale operations.

The biggest challenge so far has been finding a solution to the crux of the problem: incomplete, unreliable and inaccurate product and recipe data. Now that weve overcome this, our service will be more attractive to more people, he says. By staying flexible and keeping on top of the latest food trends, the app should have a long future in catering for niche dietary needs.

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How to target a niche market at a small business - Telegraph.co.uk

Urban Dictionary: Trance Music

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A euphoric electronic dance music genre that's the love child of classical music, house & techno. In essence classical music for the dancefloor or 'the next generation of classical music'. One of the most uplifting, beautiful, spirtual & at times religious types of music available today (although it composes today of a fragmented genre with many subgenres now available). Trance at times can be very ambiguous because of this fragmentation along with Trance remixes of contempary pop & rock music added for good measure. Often symphonic / orchestral sounding in form it uses classical forms in melody & chord structure. Binary & Minimalist forms an example along with use of classical piano & organ. Fused with the four to the floor beats & rhythm structures of House & Techno. As such many classical composers & Classically trained piansts have fallen in love with the genre composing there own trance tracks either produced by well known Trance producers or by themselves. Because of the similarities both Trance & classical music works can be converted or translated into versions of one another. Although the Rhythms employ patterns more like Techno, Trance was termed 'Atmospheric House' at it's emergence by some.

The breakdown is often considered the heart of an Trance track, especially one of the euphoric variety & is often very emotional. It can either overcome the whole club with joy or make everyone spantaneously burst into tears, yes even with out the use of narcotics.

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Soft and offensive. Just like you.

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it is not essensial for trance to have a beat under it there are trance songs which do not but it is very common to have a beat.

what most people know as trance music e.g: productions by 'Special D' , 'Lasgo' , 'Jan Wayne' etc... is not trance this is called eurodance or pollitacally incorrect: cheese it has some trance influences but it doesn't use the typical trance melodies but instead happy melodies and is nowhere near the complexity of trance with as purpose to reach high places in pop charts.

They Played a trancetrack on the radio the afternoon.

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Lotsa space for your liquids.

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One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.

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Heavily associated with interstellar, and/or, intergalactic space travel.

Trance music allowed Sakura to enter hyperspace.

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One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.

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Smooth, soft, slim fit American Apparel shirt. Custom printed. 100% fine jersey cotton, except for heather grey (90% cotton).

The aim of Trance music is to give you a feeling of 'high' from the sound of the high musical keys used and the repeating of the beats that are between 125 bpm to 180 bpm. The nature of the songs have long intros, long endings, key change, fast interchange, happy melodies and classical music. It has many sub-genres that encompasses different electronic dance music mix such as techno, progressive house, deep house, pop, euro dance. For example, progressive trance can be a hybrid of trance with pop, classical, opera, techno and house elements. Although trance is hard to dance to in a clubbing environment, trance events are state of the art high tech laser shows with dancers and trapeze artists with superstars dj's. It truly is a music that does not appeal to everyone but to specific people who appreciate quality in their music and gives them an uplifting feeling that is unique and can only come from trance music. RV

Trance music is unique to other electronic dance music.

Lotsa space for your liquids.

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Soft and offensive. Just like you.

Smooth, soft, slim fit American Apparel shirt. Custom printed. 100% fine jersey cotton, except for heather grey (90% cotton).

A style of music defined by the following: beats are faster than 125 BPM. Second, Melodic elements are added between usually long sets of electronic drum-beats about 64 beats long. Third, these songs have no real lyrics to them and they last for at least 4 minutes on up.

The club DJ is gonna be playing a TRANCE set tonight.

Lotsa space for your liquids.

Lotsa space for your liquids.

Your favorite word on a white mug.

One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.

Soft and offensive. Just like you.

Smooth, soft, slim fit American Apparel shirt. Custom printed. 100% fine jersey cotton, except for heather grey (90% cotton).

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Urban Dictionary: Trance Music

Pastor called as pupils fall in trance – Nehanda Radio

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By Auxilia Katongomara

A pastor had to be called to pray for a group of Form Four pupils at Pumula High School in Bulawayo after they allegedly fell into a trance trying to save one of their classmates who had fits.

It is said the affected pupils, the majority of whom were girls, began acting as if they were possessed, some rolling their tongues. Bulawayo Acting Provincial Education director Mrs Ollicah Fikelephi Kaira confirmed the incident which happened last Friday.

I can confirm that an epileptic girl fell down as she tried to pick up her lip balm and thereafter other girls collapsed as well but the situation is now calm at the school. It has not happened again. Investigations show that the girl had a long standing record of epilepsy but probably other pupils who collapsed were disturbed because they had never witnessed an epileptic attack before, said Mrs Kaira.

She said about 10 girls were transported back home by the school as some of the guardians and parents were not reachable on their phones.

These children had been called for an off-session lesson by their teacher and it all happened in the shade as they were waiting for their teacher.

Pumula is one of our shining beacons, it has excelled over the years and won the Secretarys Bell award last year. This was just an unfortunate incident but we cannot conclude that they were demons as other people allege, said Mrs Kaira.

A source said a school pastor was invited to pray for pupils.

It was scary, said a pupil who cannot be named.

When The Chronicle visited the school yesterday, the issue was still topical among pupils who were still discussing the incident. The Chronicle

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Pastor called as pupils fall in trance - Nehanda Radio

Armin van Buuren records 800th A State Of Trance radio show from new studio: Listen – DJ Mag

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Armin Van Buuren revealed that A State Of Trance radio has a new home last week, and now the 800th episode of his much-loved radio show has officially landed via his new studio.

It's the first show to be broadcast from Armin's new digs in Amsterdam, with the trance legend describing the build as: "a new chapter in the history of A State Of Trance."

The show is also returning to its original, two-hour format, with hour one consisting of new tunes selected by Armin himself, whilst hour two is a constant mix from the Dutch DJ.

The show has been split into two parts on Spotify for easy listening, with ASOT 800: Part Two featuring tracks and remixes by the likes of Omnia, Estiva, Markus Schulz, Ben Gold and more.

Check out the Spotify playlist and the tweet from Armin below.

New episode from our brand new studio! #ASOT800 https://t.co/pq92K0ImdK

Charlotte Lucy Cijffers is DJ Mag's Digital Editor. Follow her on Twitter.

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Armin van Buuren records 800th A State Of Trance radio show from new studio: Listen - DJ Mag

A Sneak Peak into the Future of the TMS Market – Logistics Viewpoints (blog)

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Over the last 4 years, I have released an annual analysis of the global transportation management systems (TMS) market. The research combines the analysis of large amounts of information with interviews with executives from numerous TMS software companies. The end result is the publication of ARCs TMS Global Market Research Study, which analyzes the market shares across numerous categories of the leading TMS suppliers. I am in the process of kicking off that research once again, with a final report ready to go live in the late March / early April timeframe.

One of the key pieces of information that I look at, aside from the market shares of TMS suppliers and the industries that are driving the market, is the growth factors for the market as a whole. These growth drivers have certainly been written about here on Logistics Viewpoints before, However, one thing that I have not blogged about, but do keep a close eye on, is the factors that could inhibit the growth of the TMS market. So today, I wanted to quickly highlight a few growth inhibitors that could have a long term impact on the TMS market.

The Global Economy

The US economy has made steady gains, and the dollar has gotten stronger. However, the global economy and slowing global trade could slow the growth of TMS. With the United Kingdoms exit from the EU, many are left to wonder how this will affect trade, and whether other countries will follow the UKs lead. In the US, President Trump has pulled the country out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, and stirred up a lot of emotions and fears about the future state of global trade. All of these factors could slow global trade and the TMS market in turn.

LSPs Technological Sophistication is Increasing

Many suppliers sell robust TMS solutions they have developed. However, their sales of transportation managed services far exceed their standalone TMS deals. Historically, one of the leading complaints about logistics service providers (LSPs) was that their technology was not good enough. As LSPs overcome that barrier, potential TMS customers may increasingly choose the managed services path.

There is also an argument that a shipper needs to get to a certain level of sophistication before they can effectively make use of a TMS. Beginning with managed services can be a good starting point for these companies. The companies can then defer the TMS decision until their internal skills improve and may end up never going down the TMS path.

The Rise of Transportation Execution Solutions

Transportation execution (TE) systems and marketplaces allow shippers to connect to multiple carriers and then tender, track, and pay using the software or marketplace. These solutions do not feature optimization, but can certainly allow smaller organizations to connect to the carriers they use. These solutions are generally less expensive than a traditional TMS, but for smaller companies, they provide all the functionality that is needed.

Free TMS Solutions

Some brokerage companies offer a free TMS. The route guide is populated with carriers the broker has a relationship with, and the broker makes their money based on the spread between what shippers pay for the shipment and what the broker pays the carrier. Currently, the free TMS solutions optimization capabilities are limited. Further, the objectivity of such solutions can be questioned. But for many shippers, especially small shippers, free is hard to beat.

Conclusion

As I get ready to kick off another TMS market study, I will certainly keep a keen eye on the factors outlined above. Each of these plays a unique role in determining just how big the TMS market can get. The changing nature of global trade, and potential regulatory changes, will have the biggest impact when it comes to cross-border trade and commerce. But the alternative solutions for a traditional TMS, including the use of LSPs, transportation execution systems, and the rise of the free TMS, will certainly play a big role as well. Once my research and analysis is done, I should have some more answers.

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A Sneak Peak into the Future of the TMS Market - Logistics Viewpoints (blog)

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