Monthly Archives: February 2020

Psoriasis Drugs Market Competitive Insights And Precise Outlook 2018 to 2025 – Galus Australis

Posted: February 27, 2020 at 1:38 am

The Psoriasis Drugs Market research report 2019 includes analysis of factual data that provides research results, vital recommendations, conclusions, and other important information to the readers, who in turn bases clients decision making on the content of the report. Psoriasis Drugs Market research report also highlights each of the prominent factors related to the growth of the market are: growing GDP, revenue, demographics, increasing purchasing power, increasing demand, government incentives, government policies, regulatory policies, product standards, and manufacturing standards(as per applicable).

The Global Psoriasis Drugs market size was valued at USD 11.3 billion in 2016. It is anticipated to post a CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period.

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Psoriasis is a genetic condition that may not be present at birth. The condition may be triggered by certain environmental and genetic factors. Changing lifestyles of people are leading to increased alcohol consumption and smoking, unhealthy diet, and sedentary living, which makes people more prone to this condition.

The major manufacturers covered in this report:

AbbVie, Amgen, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Celgene

Psoriasis Drugs Market Product Type:

TNF-inhibitors

Interleukin-inhibitors

Others

Psoriasis Drugs Market Applications:

Hospital

Clinic

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Geographical Regional Analysis of The Report Including Several Regions:

Geographical markets are covered separately within thePsoriasis Drugsreport that includes a competitive analysis on their market performance in the base year as well as predictions for the forecast year. Regions covered in the report such asNorth America(United States, Canada and Mexico),Europe industry(Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific(Southeast Asia, China, Korea, India and Japan), South America industry(Brazil, Argentina, Colombia),Middle East and Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa), South East Asia, Japan, China,andIndiaare also predictable to witness vigorous growth in their respective markets for GlobalPsoriasis DrugsMarket in the near future, states the research report. It focuses on the leading and the progressing countries from every region in detail.

Market Report has been studied and presents an actionable idea to key contributors working in it. The report integrates several drivers as well as factors that impede the growth of this market during the forecast to 2019-2025. An extensive qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving the market growth and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section.

Important Features that are under Offering and Key Highlights of the Reports:

Detailed overview ofPsoriasis DrugsMarket Changing market dynamics of the industry In-depth market segmentation by Type, Application etc. Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape ofPsoriasis DrugsMarket Strategies of key players and product offerings Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth

The market research reports also include detailed information about the major players. The information provides gross profit, revenue, business distribution, the share of the market, and etc. Along with the major players, the development of the market in the focused region is also tailored in the report.

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A thorough study of the competitive landscape of the GlobalPsoriasis DrugsMarket has been given, presenting insights into the company profiles, financial status, recent developments, mergers and acquisitions, and the SWOT analysis. This research report will give a clear idea to readers about the overall market scenario to further decide on this market project.

We also offer customization on reports based on specific client requirement:

1- Country level analysis for any 5 countries of your choice.

2- Competitive analysis of any 5 key market players.

3- 40 analyst hours to cover any other data points

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Psoriasis Drugs Market Competitive Insights And Precise Outlook 2018 to 2025 - Galus Australis

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Booming business of the booty-ful nut of the Seychelles – FRANCE 24

Posted: at 1:36 am

Au Cap (Seychelles) (AFP)

It is the world's largest seed, and with a shape suggestive of a woman's hips and myths of love-making powers, the coco de mer is an icon of the Seychelles.

With a 10-kilogramme (22-pound) coconut wedged between his feet, experienced nut cutter Christophe Bristol uses a mallet and wood chisel to extract the precious kernel from the shell in a warehouse on the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Every bit is valuable.

"The kernel is sold at a very high price in China," said Bristol, hammering at the curvaceous contours of the nut, which features on the Seychelles' coat of arms.

But on the islands, the "double coconut" is more commonly called in French "coco fesse", or the "coconut buttock".

For centuries, myths and mysteries grew up around the nut -- and it was exploited to the brink of extinction.

The impressive coconut palms grows only on two Seychelles islands, Praslin and Curieuse.

"People have a superstition; they grind it and put it in alcohol like whisky, then they drink it and it gives them strength," Bristol said. "That's the myth."

In the nut warehouse in Au Cap on Mahe, the main island of Seychelles, Bristol cuts through the outer shell of the seed.

Today, strict government rules mean that less than 2,000 nuts are harvested each year.

- Red List -

Preparing the nut takes time and skill.

"To open and empty a coco de mer takes around 20 minutes," said Bristol, explaining how the extreme hardness of the outer shell is a tough nut to crack. "It's much more difficult than a regular coconut."

To prepare it, the shell is cut in half along the groove giving it its unique shape, and then emptied of the pulpy kernel.

"Nowadays, we cut the coco de mer in two with a powerful electric saw -- but before, we did it with a handsaw, and (the shell) is so hard that it could take up to half an hour" just to open it, he said.

"It is harder than most types of wood."

The halves are then glued back together to be sold in souvenir shops, for prices ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 Seychellois rupees ($220-295, 200-265 euros), accompanied by a certificate.

The kernel can fetch up to $100 per kilo (90 euros), according to the Minister of Tourism Didier Dogley.

The coco de mer has been coveted for centuries.

Originally, nuts were found drifting in the open sea, or washed up on beaches in the Indian Ocean. Having never seen it grow on land, sailors thought it came from trees rooted in the seabed -- hence its name in French, coco de mer, or sea coconuts.

It was not until the 17th century that sailors found the trees where the unique nut actually grows.

For a while demand dropped -- not least because conventional coconuts have a sweeter taste.

But the coco de mer became popular again after tourism took off following the independence of Seychelles in 1976.

So much so, that the Seychelles authorities decided in 1978 to control the trade.

But the restrictions were ignored by nut poachers, putting the coconut palm in danger.

Since 2011, it has been put on the "red list" of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

- Nut buttock brandy -

The government finally succeeded in putting an end to poaching by tightening the surveillance of the areas where they grow, like the Vallee de Mai, a UNESCO world heritage site, and enforcing regulation of the trade.

"The coco de mer issue, I always compare it to what is happening with the elephants in Africa," said Tourism Minister Dogley.

Only four companies have a license to process and export the pulp, including Island Scent, where Bristol works.

Each nut is carefully numbered and weighed before cutting.

Bristol then separately measures the weight of the extracted pulp and records it in a notebook, checked later by the authorities.

He then cuts the large white pieces into very thin slices, which will be dried, packaged, exported and ultimately sold in Asia.

For the Seychelles, which relies on importing some 90 percent of its goods, the nut is a rare resource that is unique to the islands.

Wishing to capitalise on that, the authorities prohibit the export of non-emptied seed -- which could be planted elsewhere -- and encourage the processing of the pulp.

"It's about optimising the resource," said Dogley.

Liqueur, gourmet dishes, cosmetics -- the coco de mer is transformed in multiple ways.

The latest addition is an "island brandy" which was launched late last year and is sold for several hundred dollars per bottle.

2020 AFP

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PEACE cable to land in Seychelles in July 2021 – Telecompaper

Posted: at 1:36 am

A second submarine cable linking Seychelles to the rest of the world is scheduled to land on the island nation in July 2021, Seychelles News agency reported.The cable's landing is planned at Perseverance, an artificially created island on the northeastern coast of the main island of Mahe. The PEACE project is being implemented by the Seychelles Cable System Company at a cost of USD2 0 million.

Eric Delort of iXblue, which has been contracted to conduct the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment study, said the cable would "connect Seychelles to worldwide broadband internet via fibre-optic submarine networks, provide redundancy and security for connectivity and enhance Seychelles' economy". The cable comes from Pakistan, goes up to Europe and comes down to Africa. The branch connecting Seychelles, comprising 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, will come from Kenya.

Delort said that the landing of the cable will take into consideration major constraints including avoiding several areas which included sensitive zones of coral reefs, protected areas, rocky landing areas, anchoring zones for large ships, trawler fishing area and main maritime routes.

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PEACE cable to land in Seychelles in July 2021 - Telecompaper

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Binance Office Situated ‘on Mars’, Seychelles, Cayman Islands or Really in… – Coinspeaker

Posted: at 1:36 am

On February 21, the Malta Financial Service Authority made an official post about the Binance exchange office address. The cryptocurrency market received a hit.

A bunch of news media was referring to Binance as to Malta-based exchange. The fact is that nobody saw that office of Binance situated in Malta. Some crypto journalists like Cryptomedication were asking people in Telegram chats for months: Where is Binances office? So far, cryptocurrency enthusiasts had nothing to answer.

Despite the press refers to some office, they often just call it Binance office so you never ask yourself, where it is or whether it is real at all. And now, after the MFSA official statement, people honestly have no ideawhere the officeis.

What the public is certain about, is that its not on Malta:

Following a report in a section of the media referring to Binance as a Malta-based cryptocurrency company, the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)reiterates that Binance is not authorized by the MFSAto operate in the cryptocurrency sphere and is therefore not subject to regulatory oversight by the MFSA.

The Authority is, however, assessing if Binance has any activities in Malta which may not fall within the realm of regulatory oversight. Admission of virtual financial assets to trading and/or for offering virtual financial assets to the public in and from Malta requires an MFSA license in terms of the Virtual Financial Assets Act (CAP 590) of 2018.

Not sure, but it looks like Maltese authorities have decided to look into what property or assets does Binance holds on the possible local accounts.

The real home for innovations seems to be the Seychelles and Cayman Islands, according to the report by investigative outlet Decrypt published on February 13, 2020. Per the outlet,Financial Times already madepartial mention of the real Binance office location in their piece titled Crypto exchange Binance ordered to suspend operations in Japan back on March 23, 2018.

The title itself is very interesting. Japan is one of the best countries in the world regarding how to use and regulate cryptocurrencies without harsh restrictions. For the average person, there are no burdens to create a crypto venture in Japan. But if you try cheating, theyll kick you fast.

Changpeng Zhao, Binance CEO, was quick to respond via Twitter to the wall of questions that started surrounding the CEO.

Worth noting that CZ may face certain sanctions from any regulators who will consider re-checking their papers with Binance like the Maltese authorities did. Also, Binance Chief of Growth Ted Lin earliertold the Decrypt during an interviewthat the exchange has a spiritual office on Malta. The main one is, however, situated in another country:

We have offices in Malta for customer services, and some compliance people there, but its not the headquarters per se. Its the spiritual headquarters

What is a spiritual office?

So, Financial Times and Decrypt found that Binance is located on the Cayman Islands, as well as on Seychelles. But polls show that many of the market participants didnt know about this till today:

And heres the survey by Larry Cermak:

So, many people think that Binance had its office on Mars, or they have only partial information. Interestingly, back in September 2019, Binance madeinvestments in a Chinese company named Mars Finance. Do they have a spiritual office on Mars? Conspiracy theorists and mediums can draw shiny conclusions on here.

Jeff Fawkes is a seasoned investment professional and a crypto analyst covering the blockchain space. He has a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing and is passionate when it comes to how technology impacts our society.

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Binance Office Situated 'on Mars', Seychelles, Cayman Islands or Really in... - Coinspeaker

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President Danny Faure receives Vice-Chancellor of University of Botswana – Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

Posted: at 1:36 am

27 February 2020 | Education

The President of the Republic, Mr Danny Faure received the Vice-Chancellor of University of Botswana, Professor Davis Norris, Vice Chancellor accompanied by University delegation for a courtesy call at State House yesterday afternoon.

President Faure welcomed Professor Norris and his team to Seychelles and thanked him for taking the time to engage with prospective local partners in Seychelles, in line with further promoting greater cooperation between Seychelles and Botswana. He reiterated the countrys commitment at strengthening relations with the University.

Thank you for making the time to be here and I wish you and your team fruitful discussions during your visit. The Government of Seychelles remains committed and is determined to enhance our relations for the mutual benefit of our two countries said President Faure.

During the meeting discussions was focussed on the main existing area of cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development with the University of Botswana in the field of Teacher training. However, the meeting was also an ideal opportunity to initiate further discussions on possibilities of widening the areas of exchange such as potential specialised training in the field of Medicine for Seychellois doctors. Professor Norris also announced that in view of the outstanding performance of the former Seychellois Student Ms Tania Bellard, who was also Valedictorian and the overall best performer in her batch of Teacher returning graduates last year, will be awarded a full scholarship from the University for the upcoming intake in mid-2020.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Professor Norris described his discussions with the President as excellent and expressed hope that following this visit the relations is widened into new scopes.

Also present for the meeting was the Principal Secretary for higher education and human resource development DrLinda Barallon, the Chief Executive Officer for the Agency for National Human Resources Development (ANHRD) Dr. Nadia Lauricourt and Belonie Secondary Teacher Ms Tania Bellard, expected to undertake her Master in Education following the scholarship announcement today.

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President Danny Faure receives Vice-Chancellor of University of Botswana - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

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10 Breakthrough Technologies 2020 – MIT Technology Review

Posted: at 1:35 am

Here is our annual list of technological advances that we believe will make a real difference in solving important problems. How do we pick? We avoid the one-off tricks, the overhyped new gadgets. Instead we look for those breakthroughs that will truly change how we live and work.

This story is part of our March/April 2020 Issue

Were excited to announce that with this years list were also launching our very first editorial podcast, Deep Tech, which will explore the the people, places, and ideas featured in our most ambitious journalism. Have a listen here.

Later this year, Dutch researchers will complete a quantum internet between Delft and the Hague.

Yoshi Sodeoka

An internet based on quantum physics will soon enable inherently secure communication. A team led by Stephanie Wehner, at Delft University of Technology, is building a network connecting four cities in the Netherlands entirely by means of quantum technology. Messages sent over this network will be unhackable.

In the last few years, scientists have learned to transmit pairs of photons across fiber-optic cables in a way that absolutely protects the information encoded in them. A team in China used a form of the technology to construct a 2,000-kilometer network backbone between Beijing and Shanghaibut that project relies partly on classical components that periodically break the quantum link before establishing a new one, introducing the risk of hacking.

The Delft network, in contrast, will be the first to transmit information between cities using quantum techniques from end to end.

The technology relies on a quantum behavior of atomic particles called entanglement. Entangled photons cant be covertly read without disrupting their content.

But entangled particles are difficult to create, and harder still to transmit over long distances. Wehners team has demonstrated it can send them more than 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles), and they are confident they can set up a quantum link between Delft and the Hague by around the end of this year. Ensuring an unbroken connection over greater distances will require quantum repeaters that extend the network.

Such repeaters are currently in design at Delft and elsewhere. The first should be completed in the next five to six years, says Wehner, with a global quantum network following by the end of the decade.

Russ Juskalian

Novel drugs are being designed to treatunique genetic mutations.

Julia Dufoss

Heres a definition of a hopeless case: a child with a fatal disease so exceedingly rare that not only is there no treatment, theres not even anyone in a lab coat studying it. Too rare to care, goes the saying.

Thats about to change, thanks to new classes of drugs that can be tailored to a persons genes. If an extremely rare disease is caused by a specific DNA mistakeas several thousand aretheres now at least a fighting chance for a genetic fix.

One such case is that of Mila Makovec, a little girl suffering from a devastating illness caused by a unique genetic mutation, who got a drug manufactured just for her. Her case made the New England Journal of Medicine in October, after doctors moved from a readout of her genetic error to a treatment in just a year. They called the drug milasen, after her.

The treatment hasnt cured Mila. But it seems to have stabilized her condition: it has reduced her seizures, and she has begun to stand and walk with assistance.

Milas treatment was possible because creating a gene medicine has never been faster or had a better chance of working. The new medicines might take the form of gene replacement, gene editing, or antisense (the type Mila received), a sort of molecular eraser, which erases or fixes erroneous genetic messages. What the treatments have in common is that they can be programmed, in digital fashion and with digital speed, to correct or compensate for inherited diseases, letter for DNA letter.

How many stories like Milas are there? So far, just a handful.

But more are on the way. Where researchers would have once seen obstacles and said Im sorry, they now see solutions in DNA and think maybe they can help.

The real challenge for n-of-1 treatments (a reference to the number of people who get the drug) is that they defy just about every accepted notion of how pharmaceuticals should be developed, tested, and sold. Who will pay for these drugs when they help one person, but still take large teams to design and manufacture?

Antonio Regalado

The rise of digitalcurrency has massive ramifications forfinancial privacy.

Last June Facebook unveiled a global digital currency called Libra. The idea triggered a backlash and Libra may never launch, at least not in the way it was originally envisioned. But its still made a difference: just days after Facebooks announcement, an official from the Peoples Bank of China implied that it would speed the development of its own digital currency in response. Now China is poised to become the first major economy to issue a digital version of its money, which it intends as a replacement for physical cash.

Chinas leaders apparently see Libra, meant to be backed by a reserve that will be mostly US dollars, as a threat: it could reinforce Americas disproportionate power over the global financial system, which stems from the dollars role as the worlds de facto reserve currency. Some suspect China intends to promote its digital renminbi internationally.

Now Facebooks Libra pitch has become geopolitical. In October, CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised Congress that Libra will extend Americas financial leadership as well as our democratic values and oversight around the world. The digital money wars have begun.

Mike Orcutt

Drugs that try to treat ailments bytargeting a natural aging process in the body have shown promise.

Yoshi Sodeoka

The first wave of a new class of anti-aging drugs have begun human testing. These drugs wont let you live longer (yet) but aim to treat specific ailments by slowing or reversing a fundamental process of aging.

The drugs are called senolyticsthey work by removing certain cells that accumulate as we age. Known as senescent cells, they can create low-level inflammation that suppresses normal mechanisms of cellular repair and creates a toxic environment for neighboring cells.

In June, San Franciscobased Unity Biotechnology reported initial results in patients with mild to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. Results from a larger clinical trial are expected in the second half of 2020. The company is also developing similar drugs to treat age-related diseases of the eyes and lungs, among other conditions.

Senolytics are now in human tests, along with a number of other promising approaches targeting the biological processes that lie at the root of aging and various diseases.

A company called Alkahest injects patients with components found in young peoples blood and says it hopes to halt cognitive and functional decline in patients suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimers disease. The company also has drugs for Parkinsons and dementia in human testing.

And in December, researchers at Drexel University College of Medicine even tried to see if a cream including the immune-suppressing drug rapamycin could slow aging in human skin.

The tests reflect researchers expanding efforts to learn if the many diseases associated with getting oldersuch as heart diseases, arthritis, cancer, and dementiacan be hacked to delay their onset.

Adam Piore

Scientists have used AI to discover promising drug-like compounds.

The universe of molecules that could be turned into potentially life-saving drugs is mind-boggling in size: researchers estimate the number at around 1060. Thats more than all the atoms in the solar system, offering virtually unlimited chemical possibilitiesif only chemists could find the worthwhile ones.

Now machine-learning tools can explore large databases of existing molecules and their properties, using the information to generate new possibilities. This could make it faster and cheaper to discover new drug candidates.

In September, a team of researchers at Hong Kongbased Insilico Medicine and the University of Toronto took a convincing step toward showing that the strategy works by synthesizing several drug candidates found by AI algorithms.

Using techniques like deep learning and generative models similar to the ones that allowed a computer to beat the world champion at the ancient game of Go, the researchers identified some 30,000 novel molecules with desirable properties. They selected six to synthesize and test. One was particularly active and proved promising in animal tests.

Chemists in drug discovery often dream up new moleculesan art honed by years of experience and, among the best drug hunters, by a keen intuition. Now these scientists have a new tool to expand their imaginations.

David Rotman

We can now affordably build, launch, and operate tens of thousands of satellites in orbit at once.

Julia Dufoss

Satellites that can beam a broadband connection to internet terminals. As long as these terminals have a clear view of the sky, they can deliver internet to any nearby devices. SpaceX alone wants to send more than 4.5 times more satellites into orbit this decade than humans have ever launched since Sputnik.

These mega-constellations are feasible because we have learned how to build smaller satellites and launch them more cheaply. During the space shuttle era, launching a satellite into space cost roughly $24,800 per pound. A small communications satellite that weighed four tons cost nearly $200 million to fly up.

Today a SpaceX Starlink satellite weighs about 500 pounds (227 kilograms). Reusable architecture and cheaper manufacturing mean we can strap dozens of them onto rockets to greatly lower the cost; a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch today costs about $1,240 per pound.

The first 120 Starlink satellites went up last year, and the company planned to launch batches of 60 every two weeks starting in January 2020. OneWeb will launch over 30 satellites later this year. We could soon see thousands of satellites working in tandem to supply internet access for even the poorest and most remote populations on the planet.

But thats only if things work out. Some researchers are livid because they fear these objects will disrupt astronomy research. Worse is the prospect of a collision that could cascade into a catastrophe of millions of pieces of space debris, making satellite services and future space exploration next to impossible. Starlinks near-miss with an ESA weather satellite in September was a jolting reminder that the world is woefully unprepared to manage this much orbital traffic. What happens with these mega-constellations this decade will define the future of orbital space.

Neel V. Patel

Google has provided the first clear proof of a quantum computer outperforming a classical one.

Yoshi Sodeoka

Quantum computers store and process data in a way completely differently from the ones were all used to. In theory, they could tackle certain classes of problems that even the most powerful classical supercomputer imaginable would take millennia to solve, like breaking todays cryptographic codes or simulating the precise behavior of molecules to help discover new drugs and materials.

There have been working quantum computers for several years, but its only under certain conditions that they outperform classical ones, and in October Google claimed the first such demonstration of quantum supremacy. A computer with 53 qubitsthe basic unit of quantum computationdid a calculation in a little over three minutes that, by Googles reckoning, would have taken the worlds biggest supercomputer 10,000 years, or 1.5 billion times as long. IBM challenged Googles claim, saying the speedup would be a thousandfold at best; even so, it was a milestone, and each additional qubit will make the computer twice as fast.

However, Googles demo was strictly a proof of conceptthe equivalent of doing random sums on a calculator and showing that the answers are right. The goal now is to build machines with enough qubits to solve useful problems. This is a formidable challenge: the more qubits you have, the harder it is to maintain their delicate quantum state. Googles engineers believe the approach theyre using can get them to somewhere between 100 and 1,000 qubits, which may be enough to do something usefulbut nobody is quite sure what.

And beyond that? Machines that can crack todays cryptography will require millions of qubits; it will probably take decades to get there. But one that can model molecules should be easier to build.

Gideon Lichfield

We can now run powerful AI algorithms on our phones.

Julia Dufoss

AI has a problem: in the quest to build more powerful algorithms, researchers are using ever greater amounts of data and computing power, and relying on centralized cloud services. This not only generates alarming amounts of carbon emissions but also limits the speed and privacy of AI applications.

But a countertrend of tiny AI is changing that. Tech giants and academic researchers are working on new algorithms to shrink existing deep-learning models without losing their capabilities. Meanwhile, an emerging generation of specialized AI chips promises to pack more computational power into tighter physical spaces, and train and run AI on far less energy.

These advances are just starting to become available to consumers. Last May, Google announced that it can now run Google Assistant on users phones without sending requests to a remote server. As of iOS 13, Apple runs Siris speech recognition capabilities and its QuickType keyboard locally on the iPhone. IBM and Amazon now also offer developer platforms for making and deploying tiny AI.

All this could bring about many benefits. Existing services like voice assistants, autocorrect, and digital cameras will get better and faster without having to ping the cloud every time they need access to a deep-learning model. Tiny AI will also make new applications possible, like mobile-based medical-image analysis or self-driving cars with faster reaction times. Finally, localized AI is better for privacy, since your data no longer needs to leave your device to improve a service or a feature.

But as the benefits of AI become distributed, so will all its challenges. It could become harder to combat surveillance systems or deepfake videos, for example, and discriminatory algorithms could also proliferate. Researchers, engineers, and policymakers need to work together now to develop technical and policy checks on these potential harms.

Karen Hao

A technique to measure the privacy of a crucial data set.

In 2020, the US government has a big task: collect data on the countrys 330 million residents while keeping their identities private. The data is released in statistical tables that policymakers and academics analyze when writing legislation or conducting research. By law, the Census Bureau must make sure that it cant lead back to any individuals.

But there are tricks to de-anonymize individuals, especially if the census data is combined with other public statistics.

So the Census Bureau injects inaccuracies, or noise, into the data. It might make some people younger and others older, or label some white people as black and vice versa, while keeping the totals of each age or ethnic group the same. The more noise you inject, the harder de-anonymization becomes.

Differential privacy is a mathematical technique that makes this process rigorous by measuring how much privacy increases when noise is added. The method is already used by Apple and Facebook to collect aggregate data without identifying particular users.

But too much noise can render the data useless. One analysis showed that a differentially private version of the 2010 Census included households that supposedly had 90 people.

If all goes well, the method will likely be used by other federal agencies. Countries like Canada and the UK are watching too.

Angela Chen

Researchers can now spot climate changes role in extreme weather.

Yoshi Sodeoka

Ten days after Tropical Storm Imelda began flooding neighborhoods across the Houston area last September, a rapid-response research team announced that climate change almost certainly played a role.

The group, World Weather Attribution, had compared high-resolution computer simulations of worlds where climate change did and didnt occur. In the former, the world we live in, the severe storm was as much as 2.6 times more likelyand up to 28% more intense.

Earlier this decade, scientists were reluctant to link any specific event to climate change. But many more extreme-weather attribution studies have been done in the last few years, and rapidly improving tools and techniques have made them more reliable and convincing.

This has been made possible by a combination of advances. For one, the lengthening record of detailed satellite data is helping us understand natural systems. Also, increased computing power means scientists can create higher-resolution simulations and conduct many more virtual experiments.

These and other improvements have allowed scientists to state with increasing statistical certainty that yes, global warming is often fueling more dangerous weather events.

By disentangling the role of climate change from other factors, the studies are telling us what kinds of risks we need to prepare for, including how much flooding to expect and how severe heat waves will get as global warming becomes worse. If we choose to listen, they can help us understand how to rebuild our cities and infrastructure for a climate-changed world.

James Temple

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10 Breakthrough Technologies 2020 - MIT Technology Review

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How Technology Is Not Changing the Future of Higher Education – Inside Higher Ed

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Labs test artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other innovations that could improve learning and lower costs for Generation Z and beyond.-- The New York Times, "How Technology Is Changing the Future of Higher Education," Jon Marcus, Feb. 20, 2020

We should celebrate the efforts of colleges and universities to experiment with new technologies to drive down costs and advance learning.

From the perspective of recognizing the role that universities play in driving educational technologies, The New York Times article "How Technology Is Changing the Future of Higher Education" is a welcome development.

It is fun to read about technology advances in higher education. As original members of the HAIL Storm -- Harvesting Academic Innovation for Learners -- it is particularly gratifying to see this work called out in The New York Times. And many of the educators profiled in the piece are our friends and colleagues.

There is only one problem.

Technology, on its own, does not drive higher education change.

We are excited, like many, about AI, VR, AR and all the other emerging technologies that colleges and universities are experimenting with. In our roles on campus, we participate in and support this experimentation.

We invest in AI, AR, VR and other technologies with the understanding, however, that their development will not solve the pressing issues facing our sector. On their own, new technologies will not drive down costs, increase access or advance the quality of learning.

Instead, advances in technology need to be considered within the context of an interlocking web of trends and forces, from demographic drivers (not good) to levels of public funding (even worse). Demographic headwinds and funding shortfalls will swamp any impact of new technologies.

What also matters more than technology is ideas (and people to support them). The permanent scarcity that is now endemic to the postsecondary system has caused many to look to technology for economic answers. The vision of your teacher is a robot as the solution to higher eds cost disease is alive in those who wish to disrupt the postsecondary ecosystem.

This vision of lowering instructional costs with AI, however, only appeals if you think of learning as a transaction. In this model of learning, there are inputs (instruction) and outputs (assessments), all of which can be measured and tracked.

This conception of the learning process, however, is in reality deeply impoverished. Learning as a transaction takes the least impactful practices of higher education and elevates them to the primary goal of our colleges and universities.

An alternative view is that learning is relational, iterative, recursive and constructed. This nuanced, complicated and human-centric conception of learning requires the active participation of educators.

We can look forward to a time when well-supported (and economically secure) faculty (including adjuncts) are given new AI and AR tools to aid in their teaching. These tools, however, will complement, not substitute for, the professors.

The narrative that technology drives higher education change, and that if we just get the technology right that we will finally fix what is wrong in higher ed, is a story with widespread appeal. We want to believe this story. Each article in publications like The New York Times adds to this belief of how higher education changes.

The question is, how can we shift this technology-first narrative of higher ed change while simultaneously making investments in educational technology research and development?

How do we celebrate technological experimentation in higher ed without succumbing to the belief that the solutions to our challenges will be found in technology?

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Can Your Technology Weather the Storm? – IndustryWeek

Posted: at 1:35 am

Once viewed as purely futuristic, immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are transforming manufacturing workflows as business leaders recognize the value of visualizing complex data dimensionally and supporting more information-rich experiences.

When talking about these three technologies, it is important to understand the differences between them. Virtual reality is a fully immersive technology in which the user only sees the digital content displayed by the device. With augmented reality, the physical and virtual worlds are combined by overlaying digital information into the users environment, usually through a 2D display. Mixed reality blends the digital and physical worlds and allows the digital content to interact with the real-world in 3D.

All of these technology innovations provide benefits such as increased productivity and reduced risk of error; however, they have mostly been used in the manufacturing world for visualization and communication scenarios. But that is changing.

Paradigm Shift

While the use of AR, VR and MR for communication and visualization is still important, the way manufacturers are taking advantage of these solutions has started to shift. Now more than ever, manufacturers are using AR and MR technology in production environments and bringing it to frontline workers to be used for more sophisticated and demanding tasks, such as quality control, production control and actual manufacturing in assembly lines.

This is especially true when it comes to mixed reality, where improved hardware and software capabilities enable hands free interaction and compliance with safety requirements. The main improvements on the hardware side compared to previous-generation devices include a wider field of view, better performance and better calibrated optics for improved alignment accuracy--a critical aspect when it comes to production. In addition, a specialized, production-targeted mixed reality device can address safety requirements like hardhat integration and bone-conduction headsets that keep the user aware of the surroundings.

Significant improvements on the software side include two-hands interaction as a natural, more efficient interface, eye tracking, and advanced features such as sequencing for improved context-based interaction.

The market has also matured to the point where technology is being more widely adopted and is expanding to the production floor. Until now, most digital transformation has consisted of changes in the office. Engineers have embraced 3D modeling solutions and mixed reality for the design and evaluation of projects and products in the office, but workers in the manufacturing facility were still using paper drawings or interacting with models or 2D representations on a computer screen for production. This painful gap motivated companies to look for solutions to improve efficiency by extending the use of mixed reality on the production floor.

Mixed reality can directly translate the time invested in the 3D digital content during the design stage to the production side to improve efficiency. Manufacturers can justify their investment by using the digital datasuch as 3D modelsnot just for the design phase, but also for the manufacturing phase.

New Use Cases

The combination of market maturity and technology innovation has enabled a new set of use cases for the manufacturing industry. including:

Employee Training: Rather than reading a set of drawings or flipping through a manual for passive learning, workers can immerse themselves in the training material while physically interacting with the assets needed for the job. This is especially useful with spatially complex products were traditional training methods take time due to the high cognitive load.

Visual Sequencing: Visual sequencing provides step-by-step instructions of an assembly process delivered to the line worker during assembly. For complex assemblies, 3D views of each step with accompanying instructions help even experienced workers to avoid potential errors. As an added benefit, the wearable devices allow them to keep their hands free while working. A concrete example for such a scenario is an assembly of rebar cages in a prefab factory. The ability to filter the displayed information based on production sequence helps both novice and experienced team members avoid costly errors.

Quality Assurance: Blending digital information into real world views enables on-site teams to validate the quality of their work, identify discrepancies in real-time, and benefit from a short communication loop with the office team. Mixed reality can help embed the quality assurance in the production process by enabling real-time visual analysis of the assembled product.

Production Control: Prefabricated construction elements are becoming more complex. Mixed reality provides manufacturers with the ability to monitor the production process in the context of the physical assembly and determine whether production is ahead, according, or behind schedule.

Look for integration of mixed reality with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, computer vision and machine learning to further increase its value.

Aviad Almagor is senior director of mixed reality and BCI at Trimble.

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New Technology at Logan Airport Will Improve REAL ID Screening – NBC10 Boston

Posted: at 1:35 am

The Transportation Security Administration at Boston's Logan Airport has installed new technology in preparation for REAL IDs which will be required of all passengers starting in October.

The 25 Credential Authentication Technology scanners, which were installed last fall and debuted to the public on Wednesday, will improve checkpoint screening capabilities at the busy airport, TSA officials said.

Logan was one of the first airports to roll out the technology, which TSA officials say can detect fraud in roughly 8 to 10 seconds.

"The technology enhances detection capabilities for identifying fraudulent documents such as driver's licenses and passports at checkpoints and increases efficiency by automatically verifying passenger identification," TSA's Massachusetts Federal Security Director Bob Allison said in a statement. "The system will also confirm the passenger's flight status in near real-time through a secured connection."

The law requires airline passengers to present a Real ID-compliant driver's license or ID card at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints in airports as of Oct. 1.

Those licenses require more proof of identification than regular licenses and are generally marked with a star on the top.

The IDs, which are required as part of a law passed by Congress in 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks, haven't been available in all states until more recently. The TSA is now urging people to get them as the deadline is quickly approaching.

"If you're going to wait until later this month into the spring, into the summer, go to the local DMV to get your compliant license my tip would be bring a snack because there will be a line and you will have a wait. So get it now, make that appointment," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said.

Since Massachusetts started to implement the IDs in 2018, 1.5 million people have obtained them but millions more have not.

"It's been a law since 2005 and states have a had significant amount of time to comply," Farbstein said.

While passengers can still travel domestically using a passport or military ID, the REAL ID will eventually replace the standard license at security checkpoints.

Some travelers at Logan Airport say they are not looking forward to making that appointment to get the new ID.

"It's just one of those things - it's a hassle," said one man at the airport Wednesday.

"I will need to do it. I am going to have to do it. I just need to commit - find time," added frequent flyer Lisa Kirlick.

Information on how to get a REAL ID can be found on the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles website.

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What technology professionals and employers are looking for in 2020 – TechRepublic

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Tech pros want opportunities for growth and a work/life balance, while employers say they face challenges finding skilled workers, according to the staffing firm LaSalle Network.

Technology professionals and the companies that employ them all have their own unique needs, goals, and challenges. Workers often face the question of whether they should stay with their current employer or explore opportunities elsewhere. And companies are often in need of skilled and qualified workers that they may not be able to find. Two new reports from LaSalle Network shed some light on what tech pros and employers both want in the year ahead.

For its report "What Do Technologists Really Want," LaSalle Network surveyed more than 6,000 tech professionals to find out what they're seeking in a company and career in 2020. Among the respondents, 83% said they're open to new opportunities, while 53% said they've received anywhere from one to three job offers over the past year.

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Asked why they're open to new offers away from their present company, those surveyed cited more opportunity for growth, higher compensation, and better benefits. The top benefits that tech pros want are a 401(k) match, paid time off, and an option to work from home. While respondents pointed to growth as the top motivation for seeking new opportunities, they cited a work/life balance as the main reason for staying with their current employer.

Next, the certifications that professionals most frequently seek are CompTIA A+, Network+, and Project Management Professional. Tech pros are also looking to beef up their skills in some specific areas. With cloud computing such a hot topic, 55% of the respondents said they want to improve their skills in Amazon Web Services (AWS), while 14% are looking at Microsoft Azure. Programming languages is another popular field as 38% said they want to improve their prowess with SQL, 25% with Java, and 25% with Python. Looking at software development, 66% said they want to enhance their skills in Scrum and 11% in Kanban.

On the flip side, employers have their own laundry list of needs. For its "2020 Hiring Challenges report," LaSalle Network surveyed 100 leaders in finance, operations, and human resources to ascertain their goals ahead. The economy and job market remain strong as 80% of the respondents said that the talk last year of a possible recession hasn't affected their hiring plans. A full 70% of those surveyed plan to add headcount this year, with 40% looking to fill IT jobs.

Beyond hiring more workers, employers are aiming to invest in other areas this year. Almost 40% of the respondents said that their company would make investments in technology in the next 12 months. Another area for investment will be training and development as companies realize that retaining skilled staff requires investing in them.

Automation is expected to expand further into the business world. Around 33% of the respondents said they automated parts of their workforce last year, a number that will rise over the next decade. And among the companies that have automated, 60% said they provided retraining programs to help employees stay with the organization.

Employers also face their own set of challenges. Among those surveyed, 71% cited the ability to find skilled workers as their biggest hiring challenge.

More specifically, the Society of Human Resources Management listed the top three missing soft skills in many job candidates as: 1) Problem solving, critical thinking, innovation, and creativity; 2) An ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity; and 3) Communication. Some of the hard skills missing in candidates include data analysis, science, medical, and engineering.

Identifying candidates who fit the company culture was another challenge, cited as a top one by 62% of those surveyed, up dramatically from 36% in last year's survey.

Finally, compensation requirements was the third-largest challenge among employers, listed by 58% of the respondents. Some 60% said they plan to increase salaries this year to remain competitive, while around 33% plan to add benefits.

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