Daily Archives: June 1, 2017

Voiceitt lets people with speech impairments use voice-controlled technology TechCrunch Voice-controlled technology like Amazon Echo, Siri or hands-free features in Google Maps are things we're starting to take for granted. But as Mary Meeker's 2017 Internet Trends Report noted, voice controls are changing computer-human interfaces, and ... and more »

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Voiceitt lets people with speech impairments use voice-controlled technology - TechCrunch

Financial Times

Gazprom Neft and Saudi Aramco discuss technology alliance Financial Times Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft is in advanced talks with Saudi Arabia's crude giant about possible sharing of drilling technology, in a sign that co-operation between Moscow and Riyadh on energy policy could soon be replicated at company level. and more »

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Gazprom Neft and Saudi Aramco discuss technology alliance - Financial Times

Tech can help give your events an extra spark, but its not the spark that got your attendees to the host city in the first place.

Thats the key idea of a new report from Imago Venues, a U.K.-based continuing education facility operated by Loughborough University.

The companys report raises a simple question: Is the meetings industry of today doing enough to inspire the business leaders of tomorrow? (The answer? They could be doing more, of course.)

The reportbased on survey results from 430 students, delegates, and event organizers, along with information gathered from focus groups and interviewsemphasizes that attendees go to meetings with the goal of gaining knowledge from botheducators and peers.

The report suggests that younger attendees, in particular, struggled to find encouragement to take part in the meetings they attended, despite going there with the goal of forging creative thinking by the sessions they attend and the people they meet.

The underlying message from our results paints a telling picture, the report states. Millennials want to learn something valuable and develop relationships that will benefit them. A meeting has to be linked to what they want to achieve, not the organization.

Often, technology is used for building such engagement, but the report makes the case that tech-based engagement has its limits. A key point: While technology should be used (and is favored by 77 percent of students and 75 percent of delegates), it must be done carefully to avoid becoming a distraction. Ultimately, the differentiator of meetings, according to the report, is the face-to-face engagement potential, which (unlike the tech in many cases) cant be replicated online.

Our respondents dont consider technological delivery of information as the most important driver of face-to-face meetings; that sort of information can be readily accessed by individuals online, the report states. They care far more about creating relationships and emotional connections that enable career progression and personal development.

The report makes the case that attendees are looking for a return on their investment of time, with a goal of personal development. The objectives of meetings for organizers get a bit more muddled in comparison.

In comments on the report to Incentive Travel & Corporate Meetings, Imago Venues Emma Boynton, who leads the organizations sales and marketing, suggested that the tech cant get in the way of the ultimate goals of the event.

Whilst it is important to recognize that there is a demand for a personalized approach with technology, event organizers should remember meeting attendees want to learn something valuable and develop relationships that will benefit them, and technology isnt always the way to achieve this, she stated.

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Does Event Technology Get Too Much Attention? - Associations Now

Arista Networks Inc (ANET.N) won a ruling on Thursday in its legal battle with Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) over networking device technology, setting the stage for Arista to undo a U.S. agency's order blocking importation of some of its products.

Arista had asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review the validity of a patent it granted to Cisco relating to network device security. The Patent Office sided with Arista on Thursday, invalidating key claims in the patent.

A week earlier, the Patent Office invalidated claims in a different Cisco patent on a way to improve processing in network devices.

San Jose, California-based Cisco and Arista are fierce competitors in the multibillion-dollar market for ethernet switches that connect computers and servers.

Last month, the U.S. International Trade Commission concluded that Arista's switches had infringed the Cisco patents and said it would issue an order banning Arista from importing the infringing products into the United States.

Arista general counsel Marc Taxay said on Thursday that the company "will now seek complete suspension" of the ITC's import ban, which is slated to go into effect in July.

Cisco did not immediately return a request for comment.

Thursday's ruling is the latest development in a years-long legal battle between Cisco and Arista.

Cisco brought multiple lawsuits against Arista in 2014, alleging it has a "culture of copying" Cisco's intellectual property. Arista has denied the allegations and accused Cisco of a smear campaign.

The ITC ruled last year that Arista had infringed three other Cisco patents relating to managing and securing communications networks. Arista redesigned its switches, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in April that the company could resume importing its redesigned products.

Shares of Santa Clara, California-based Arista closed at $148.52 on Thursday, up 0.7 percent, after dropping below $145 a share earlier in the day. Cisco shares ended the day 0.9 percent higher at $31.82.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Noeleen Walder)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. A U.S. spacecraft set to launch next year will make a series of unprecedented dives into the suns scorching atmosphere to see how the star works and what can be done to better predict space weather events on Earth, scientists said on Wednesday.

COVENTRY, England Britain is moving towards creating a new national development hub for electric car batteries with officials setting out plans for companies to work together to improve the technology, possibly paving the way for large-scale local production.

TOKYO Western Digital Corp may join a consortium of Japanese government money and KKR & Co LP to bid for Toshiba Corp's chip unit, backing away from an earlier demand for an immediate majority stake, two sources familiar with the matter said.

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Arista wins round in Cisco patent fight over network technology - Reuters

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Technology is the best thing that has ever happened to the mortgage industry. Any industry, really. As mortgage companies consistently build and launch innovative tools and programs designed to gain momentum in market share, its clear that technology will continue to elevate the industry to new heights. From paperless mortgages to the increasing use of completely borrower-driven mortgage applications, the mortgage industry of tomorrow will be a night-and-day difference from the mortgage industry of today.

All of the tech advancements are perfect for consumers, who have shown a strong desire for the mortgage process to be made as fast, easy and streamlined as possible. Those kinds of advancements are great for the industry as a whole, but the fear is that it could one day put mortgage brokers on the outside looking in.

Were living in an era where people are using the Amazon app to shop instead of driving to the mall. The concept of working with a travel agent to plan a trip isnt nearly as popular as it used to be. And programs like TurboTax are preferred over visiting your local H&R Block. Along those lines, isnt there a real concern that the appeal of brokers could similarly fall by the wayside?

No, not at all. The concepts of working with technology and working with a mortgage broker dont need to be mutually exclusive items when it comes to buying a home. Even though technology is king across the industry, the mortgage business will always be a people business. The value of the human touch on important, high-involvement financial decisions will never wear off. The entire loan process can be automated, but there is no substitute for the sound advice a borrower can receive from a broker on the different kinds of products and pricing that different lenders can offer.

Thats why UWM brought Blink to market an all-digital, multi-functional loan portal that combines the expertise of a broker with the convenience of a mobile app. By using Blink, borrowers have the capability to start the loan application process, pull their credit, e-sign documents, verify assets, and track the status of their loans from anywhere.

It gives borrowers the option of completing the mortgage process on their own or to seek real-time assistance from their broker at any time. At any point of the process, if a borrower would feel more comfortable with the human-to-human interaction and guidance that brokers offer, they can still meet in person and complete the application online together.

Its not a matter of Brokers vs. Technology. The two go hand-in-hand and make one another stronger. Brokers are licensed gurus who singularly focus on things like rates, products and regulations on a daily basis. They are able to partner with lenders that are focused on staying in front of industry technology and new advancements. If consumers think that technology empowers them to find the best loan options for their specific situation, just imagine the high quality of products and rates could be discovered by professionals in the industry who know exactly what theyre looking for.

While an automated mortgage process is an attractive option for consumers, nothing about technology affects the pricing of a loan. Theres no question that borrowers can find the best deals by working with a broker not just because they have access to more lending options, but because they also have access to wholesale pricing that retail lenders just cant provide.

Tech-savvy borrowers interested in the simplicity that mortgage apps provide can experience the best of both worlds. They can do their own research on finding the perfect home, but let the expert find the right lender. Mortgage brokers can find the most favorable pricing and are a source of comfort for people making one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

Technology is unquestionably reshaping the way that mortgages are done making things easier, faster, hassle-free and more streamlined for borrowers to be self-sufficient. But the key to achieving the ultimate loan experience is in combining the expertise of mortgage brokers with the automation of technology.

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New mortgage technology only enhances value of brokers - HousingWire

Financial Times

Emissions technology demand lifts Johnson Matthey Financial Times Strong demand for high-value emissions control technology lifted full-year revenues and profits at Johnson Matthey, the FTSE 100 specialty chemicals group. Despite European consumers moving away from the diesel cars that make up the bulk of its vehicle ... and more »

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Emissions technology demand lifts Johnson Matthey - Financial Times

Wireless charging startup uBeam has had a rollercoaster existence. University of Pennsylvania student Meredith Perry founded the company in a garage in 2011 and raised $26 million in funding from investors including Marissa Mayer, Marc Andreessen, and Mark Cuban, who referred to the concept as a "zillion-dollar idea." The company's sound wave-based tech remained secretive. Several investors admitted they'd never actually seen it in action, which fueled suspicion among industry watchers that it might not live up to Perry's promises.

All the while, Perry stood by her invention. "We've proved out the technology," she said at a conference in May 2016, "and we are on our way to deploying the product to the world."

Then, the company's former VP of engineering wrote a series of blog posts accusing the company, essentially, of being a fraud. Paul Reynolds, who has 20 years of experience with ultrasound, wrote last year that the company had overstated its technology's capabilities and wasn't close to delivering a working prototype.

This week, uBeam finally unveiled its technology. The company demonstrated its device for USA Today, according to a report published Thursday, and it worked almost as advertised. With no cables, the company's transmitter was able to charge a phone in a reporter's hand about four feet away.

The transmitter, a large white box that sits in the middle of a room or can be mounted on the ceiling, emits high frequency sound waves that aren't detectable to the human ear. Those waves are converted into power once they reach a phone, tablet, or other device enclosed in a uBeam case.

There are currently major limitations, though: The device must be held in the direct path of the sonic beam or it won't charge, and the waves can't pass through walls, people, or other objects, like a pair of jeans. The goal is to eventually be able to charge a phone while it sits in a person's pocket.

The company has created a second transmitter that uses optical lasers and can charge up to five phones at once, so long as they're held at a 45-degree angle. With both transmitters, the device to be charged must be within about 10 feet.

In February, Perry showed off the tech's charging capabilities at the Upfront Summit in Los Angeles, though from a distance. This time around, she gave a hands-on demonstration--and beforehand, took the reporter to a T-Mobile store to buy a new phone to prove it wasn't rigged.

While uBeam still has a lot of development work before it can produce a marketable product, the demo may help the startup get past the intense skepticism it faced just a year ago. Perry wouldn't make any predictions about when it might commercialize its technology, but USA Today reports that it's still at least a year away.

Perry was frank about how the criticism has affected her. "As a first-time founder and as a scientist, to have people question your integrity is horrible," she told the publication. "It was extremely painful."

"In that same week that all that stuff was being said about me, that I was a fraud, we had these big technological breakthroughs," she said. "So I just tried to focus on my team, to keep them going. So we could prove everybody wrong."

The Santa Monica-based company currently has 30 employees. There's a lot at stake: According to Allied Market Research, the market for wireless charging will be $37.2 billion by 2022.

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Mark Cuban-Backed 'Zillion-Dollar' Startup uBeam Finally Unveils Its Technology - Inc.com

In anticipation of the official opening of the new MIT.nano building which will house some of the worlds leading facilities supporting research in nanoscience and nanotechnology MIT last week officially launched a new center of excellence called SENSE.nano, which is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of research in sensing technologies.

Like the new building, which is slated to open a year from now, SENSE.nano is an endeavor that cuts across the divisions of departments, labs, and schools, to encompass research in areas including chemistry, physics, materials science, electronics, computer science, biology, mechanical engineering, and more. Faculty members from many of these areas spoke about their research during a daylong conference on May 25 that marked the official launch of the new center.

Introducing the event, MIT President L. Rafael Reif said that [MIT.nano] will create opportunities for research and collaboration for more than half our current faculty, and 67 percent of those recently tenured. In fact, we expect that it will serve and serve to inspire more than 2,000 people across our campus, from all five MIT schools, and many more from beyond our walls.

Explaining the impetus for creating this new center, Reif said that MIT is famous for making because we have a community of makers a concentration of brilliant people who are excited to share their experience and their ideas, to teach you to use their tools and to learn what you know, too. On a much bigger scale, this is the same magic we hope for in creating SENSE.nano. As MIT.nanos first center of excellence, SENSE.nano will bring together a wide array of researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs fascinated by the potential of sensors and sensing systems to transform our world.

The development of new kinds of connected, inexpensive, and widespread sensing devices, harnessing the power of nanoscale imaging and manufacturing systems, could impact many of the worlds most pressing problems, said Vincent Roche, president of Analog Devices, who gave the opening keynote talk. Such new technology has the potential to solve problems that have plagued humanity for millennia, including food and water security, health care, and environmental degradation.

The 200,000-square-foot facility, in addition to more than doubling the amount of clean-room imaging and fabrication space available to MIT researchers, also contains one of the quietest spaces on the eastern seaboard, said Brian Anthony, co-leader of the new center of excellence and a principal researcher in the mechanical engineering department, referring to an exceptionally vibration-free environment created on the new buildings basement level, where the most sensitive of instruments, that require a perfectly stable base, will be housed.

To show by example what some of that cross-disciplinary work will look like, several faculty members described the research they are doing now and explained how its scope and capabilities will be greatly enhanced by the new imaging and fabrication tools that will become available when MIT.nano officially opens for research.

Tim Swager, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry, described ongoing work that he and his students have been doing on developing tiny, low-cost sensors that can be incorporated in the packaging of fruits and vegetables. The sensors could detect the buildup of gases that could lead to premature ripening or rotting, as a way to reduce the amount of food wasted during transportation and storage. Polina Anikeeva, the Class of 1942 Career Development Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, talked about developing flexible, stretchable fibers for implantation in brain and spinal cord tissues, which could ultimately lead to ways of restoring motion to those with spinal cord injuries.

Others described large-area sensing systems that could incorporate computation and logic so that only the most relevant data would need to be transmitted, helping to curb a data overload; and sensors built from nanotubes that could be bent, twisted, or stretched while still gathering data. Still others described ways of integrating electronics with photonic devices, which use light instead of electrons to carry and manipulate data. Also presented was work on using fluorescing quantum-dot particles to provide imaging of living tissues without the need for incisions, and building sensors that can continuously monitor buildings, bridges, and other structures to detect signs of likely failure long before disaster strikes.

The future will be measured in nanometers, said MIT Professor Vladimir Bulovic, in a panel discussion at the end of the conference, moderated by Tom Ashbrook, host of NPRs On Point. Bulovic, who is the faculty lead for the MIT.nano building and the Fariborz Maseeh Chair in Emerging Technology, added, We are right now at the renaissance age of nano. He noted that devices all around us and in our pockets are constantly sensing, recording, and sometimes transmitting data about our surroundings.

We can access data on how the world around us really functions, and with that data, we can take the next step of influencing the environment to improve our health, protect our natural environment, and monitor our buildings, structures, and devices to make sure they are working as they should, he said. The opportunity is vast.

In his introduction, Reif also hailed the potential of whats sometimes called ubiquitous sensing: Tomorrows optical, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and biological sensors, alone and networked together, offer a huge range of new possibilities in terms of understanding and controlling the world around us. Sensors will change how we protect our soldiers and keep our bridges safe. How we monitor the polar ice caps, and monitor how children learn. Sensors will change how we keep our water clean, our patients healthy, and our energy supply secure. In short, sensors and sensing systems will be the source of new products, new capabilities and whole new industries. And we should not be surprised if some of them are deeply disruptive.

Disruption, of course, can be a two-edged sword. So, Reif said, one of the challenges facing those who innovate in this field, as technology races to the future, is how to help society navigate its unintended impacts. If we can make this a first concern, and not an afterthought, I have no doubt that this community will continue to be a major force in making a better world.

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New center will push frontiers of sensing technology - MIT News