Daily Archives: May 19, 2020

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The law on medical assistance in death is slowly evolving. Thisyear, after a Quebec Superior Court found the current lawunconstitutional, the federal government introduced newlegislation: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistancein dying). But there is still a gap between what clients are askingfor in their end-of-life arrangements and what the law according tothe new amendments will allow, say estates lawyers.

Canada has moved in "baby steps" toward medicalassistance in death, says Matt Trotta, a Calgary-based tax, trustsand estates lawyer at Field Law.

"We're getting there slowly. We're moving moretoward what other countries have been doing for a while. . . . Ithink we're on the right track," he says. "And Ithink it's a positive change."

Section 241(b) of the Criminal Code makes it an indictableoffence to "counsel," "abet" or "aid"a person in dying by suicide. Section 14 of the Code makes it acrime for a person to "agree to have death inflicted onthem." Up until 2016, these provisions forbade medicalassistance in death.

But the year before, in Carter v. Canada, the SupremeCourt of Canada found these restrictions were contrary to s. 7 ofthe Charter, which provides for the right to life, liberty andsecurity of the person. The justices decided that denying acompetent adult who "clearly consents to the termination oflife" and suffers from a "grievous and irremediablemedical condition" the right to decide their fate affrontedtheir liberty by interfering with their "bodilyintegrity." Security of the person was compromised throughforcing terminally ill patients to undergo intolerable suffering,they said. The court also reasoned that the laws deprived somepeople of life by forcing them to take their own, prematurely,before their conditions worsened to the point that they'd beincapable of doing so.

The SCC decision was counter to its previous ruling from 1993 Rodriguez v. British Columbia which, thecourt in Carter said, upheld a "blanket prohibition" onmedically assisted death. The change was due to a shift in the"legal conception" of s. 7 including the advanceof the law relating to the principles of overbreadth and grossdisproportionality as well as a new "matrix oflegislative and social facts," said the SCC in the Carterdecision.

Carter forced the feds to act. In 2016, the Liberalgovernment passed amendments to s. 241, adding an exemption formedical professionals providing medical assistance in death. Sincethen, several Charter challenges have emerged contending aspects ofthe legislation and deeming it still too restrictive. On Feb. 24,the federal government announced the introduction of a billamending the law on medical assistance in death. The feds say theirproposed amendments stem directly from the September 2019 QuebecSuperior Court decision Truchon c. Procureurgnral du Canada.

In Truchon, the plaintiffs Jean Truchon andNicole Gladu had been denied medical assistance in deathbecause they fell short of both the federal requirement of having a"reasonably foreseeable death" and the requirement underQuebec's legislation that they be at the "end oflife." They argued that Carter did not require a person befacing imminent death to qualify and such a requirement was counterto their s. 15 right to equality and s. 7 rights. Justice ChristineBaudouin agreed, declaring the 2016 Criminal Code amendments of noforce an effect. Truchon and Gladu were given an exemption to thereasonably foreseeable and end-of-liferequirements.

In response to Truchon, among the proposed changes announced inFebruary is the removal of the requirement that a person be facinga "reasonably foreseeable" death to be eligible, as wellas the inclusion of a waiver of final consent for those near deathand at risk of losing capacity for consent.

"The situation that unfortunately I've seen a coupletimes is where you have a client that is seeking medical assistancein dying, they go through their assessment, they go through theirwaiting period and then, by the time it comes down to giving theirfinal consent, they're already too far gone to do that finalconsent," says Trotta.

He says the new legislation has provided some clarification tomedical practitioners.

"This new bill does have a waiver of final consent and atest on how that works. And I think that's a really importantaddition because it's a big concern for a lot of people who getdiagnosed with Alzheimer's or some sort of neurologicaldegenerative issue. . . . How long do I have to be able to makethese decisions? And what happens if I'm toolate?"

But for those who want to plan for the unknown, who may have afamily history of a degenerative illness but no personal diagnosis,the proposed changes still lack the provision of advancedirectives, says Trotta.

"I think I will have some clients that will be a bitdisappointed that it didn't go far enough and they didn'treally want to tackle some of the some of the bigger issues thatothers countries handle such as advanced decision-making," hesays.

Trotta says advanced directives will be the "nextbattlefront" in the fight for fewer restrictions in medicalassistance in death, noting that it's permitted in othercountries.

Torkin Manes LLP partner Risa Awerbuck says that, although notyet legally binding, she will put provisions in powers of attorneyfor personal care that indicate that, if the client is diagnosedwith an intolerable illness in the future, they want medicalassistance in death. She says she includes this in case thelegislation changes in the future, but at the moment it has nolegal effect.

"Based on how the legislation is drafted, you can't doanything unless you've been diagnosed," says Awerbuck,whose practice focuses on estate planning, including thepreparation of wills, powers of attorney and trusts and estateadministration.

Bruce Hallsor, managing partner at Crease Harman LLP inVancouver, says many of his clients are concerned with theirability to prevent an end-of-life scenario in which they languishin an institution, suffering for a long period of time with noquality of life and no hope for recovery.

"They want to be able to have control over that," hesays. "Obviously, as lawyers, we're always cognizant ofpeople with disabilities, especially mental disabilities and howmuch capacity they have to make those choices. I think most estatelawyers will have encountered situations where grandma's got alot of money, and the next generation wants the money more thanthey want grandma."

Estates lawyers always need to be vigilant against undueinfluence, says Trotta. The new legislation brings in the conceptof an "independent witness" which can be theperson's health-care or personal worker, hesays.

"There's always a risk and whether you're lookingat something like medical assistance in dying or you're lookingat estate planning generally, there's a lot of things that canhappen behind the scenes that people don't see. And it'svery difficult and it's always something that we have to bevigilant about," Trotta says.

1993 Rodriguez v. British Columbia:SCC dismisses application s. 242(b) of Criminal Code banning assisted suicide is invalid on Charter grounds.Medical assistance in dying remains illegal 2015 Carter v. Canada: SCC rules s.242(b) is contrary to s. 7 of Charter, protecting right to life,liberty and security of the person 2016 Parliament of Canada passes federallegislation allowing eligible Canadian adults to request medicalassistance in dying 2019 Truchon v. Procureurgnral du Canada: Quebec Superior Court rulesrequirement of a candidate for medical assistance in death befacing a "reasonably foreseeable death" wasunconstitutional and of no force and effect 2020 (February) Federal government proposes AnAct to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), tomake Canada's medical assistance in death lawsCharter-compliant.

Most common underlying medical conditions: #1: Cancer. #2:Neuro-degenerative illness. #3 Circulatory/respiratory illness.

Originally published by Canadian Lawyer May 5, 2020

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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In college and progressive working culture, we are told to never work for free, but unpaid internships have long been viewed as an essential bridge between the scholastic and professional worlds. These internships are considered by some, such as myself, to provide an unjust advantage to those who can afford to work without a paycheck. The majority of people are likely not in a position to choose a resume boost over an income, which rigs the game for all players.

Even as a college student, if I were to excel in a field such as writing, I could profit from my skill set despite my lack of professionalism. However, if I were a student athlete living within the confines of the NCAA and its amateurism rules, I could be the champion of my sport bringing in thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars to my collegiate institution and not be permitted to receive a legal dime.

A student athletes inability to profit from their name, image and likeness is the premier flaw of the billion dollar per year non-profit called the NCAA. But, to the institutions credit, the NCAAs highest-ranking governing body recently announced that it supports a proposal set to allow collegiate athletes to profit from their own enterprise, also known as name, image and likeness.

This new proposal would permit athletes to sign endorsement deals and get paid from other work. The only caveat is that players cannot receive payments from their respective universities, which is why alternative payments from outside sources would be allowed. In an advertisement, for instance, a player is allowed to mention their school, but university logos or other branding would not be permitted if these rule changes are implemented.

Now, as great as it is that the NCAA is finally modernizing its tactics and adapting to the wants and needs of everyone besides the NCAA, the athletes, politicians and advocates who have fought for this change deserve all the credit. The state of California likely motivated the NCAAs proposed changes by passing its Fair Pay to Play Act in September. Having to oversee potentially 50 different state laws and regulations is more challenging than creating new provisions that can be applied to every NCAA school in America. I do not trust the NCAA to properly create such a blanket set of regulations, but it is certainly a step in the right direction, albeit one that is long overdue.

There will undoubtedly be a rocky transition from the NCAAs current phase to the next. But these changes are inevitable, and a period of uncertainty and making the necessary adjustments are part of the process. Every new venture has looming obstacles, but the light at the end of the tunnel for student athletes and college athletics is overwhelmingly worth it. These changes will enhance the lives of young athletes and their families. Additionally, it will preserve the quality of college sports by creating another incentive for its most valuable members.

See the article here:

Sterling: The long-overdue evolution of the NCAA - Oregon Daily Emerald

New research suggests that a global cooling event that occurred 4200 years ago, led to the evolution of new rice varieties and its expansion across Asia.

The study was conducted by the NYU Centre for Genomics, using a multidisciplinary approach to trace the migration of rice across Asia and reconstruct the associated history. The researchers applied whole-genome sequences of 1400 varities of rice, including japonica and indica, two main subspecies of Asian rice coupled with geography, archaeology, and historical climate data.

Rice is one of the most important crops worldwide, a staple for more than half of the global population. It was first cultivated 9,000 years ago in the Yangtze Valley in China and later spread across East, Southeast, and South Asia, followed by the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. In the process, rice evolved and adapted to different environments, but little is known about the routes, timing, and environmental forces involved in this spread.

For the first 4,000 years of its history, farming rice was largely confined to China, and japonica was the subspecies grown. Then, a global cooling event 4,200 years agoalso known as the 4.2k event, which is thought to have had widespread consequences, including the collapse of civilizations from Mesopotamia to Chinacoincided with japonica rice diversifying into temperate and tropical varieties. The newly evolved temperate varieties spread in northern China, Korea and Japan, while the tropical varieties and spread to Southeast Asia.

This abrupt climate change forced plants, including crops, to adapt, said Rafal M. Gutaker, a postdoctoral associate at the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology and the studys lead author. Our genomic data, as well as paleoclimate modeling by our collaborators, show that the cooling event occurred at the same time as the rise of temperate japonica, which grows in milder regions. This cooling event also may have led to the migration of rice agriculture and farmer communities into Southeast Asia.

These findings were then backed up by data from archaeological rice remains excavated in Asia, which also showed that after the 4.2k event, tropical rice migrated south while rice also adapted to northern latitudes as temperate varieties, said Michael D. Purugganan, the Silver Professor of Biology at NYU, who led the study.

After the global cooling event, tropical japonica rice continued to diversify. It reached islands in Southeast Asia about 2,500 years ago, likely due to extensive trade networks and the movement of goods and peoples in the regiona finding also supported by archeological data.

The spread of indica rice was more recent and more complicated; after originating in Indias lower Ganges Valley roughly 4,000 years ago, the researchers traced its migration from India into China approximately 2,000 years ago.

While the researchers had thought that rainfall and water would be the most limiting environmental factor in rice diversity, they found temperature to be the key factor instead. Their analyses revealed that heat accumulation and temperature were very strongly associated with the genomic differences between tropical and temperate japonica rice varieties.

This study illustrates the value of multidisciplinary research. Our genomic data gave us a model for where and when rice spread to different parts of Asia, archaeology told us when and where rice showed up at various places, and the environmental and climate modeling gave us the ecological context, said Purugganan. Together, this approach allows us to write a first draft of the story of how rice dispersed across Asia.

Understanding the spread of rice and the related environmental pressures could also help scientists develop new varieties that meet future environmental challenges, such as climate change and droughtwhich could help address looming food security issues.

Armed with knowledge of the pattern of rice dispersal and environmental factors that influenced its migration, we can examine the evolutionary adaptations of rice as it spread to new environments, which could allow us to identify traits and genes to help future breeding efforts, said Gutaker.

The research at NYU was supported by the Zegar Family Foundation and the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program (IOS-1546218).

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Changes in climate thousands of years ago caused the evolution of new rice varieties - HeritageDaily

From the creators of Rick and Morty comes Solar Opposites, a clever comedy about a family of aliens living on Earth. One of these aliens, the Pupa, has particularly caught the attention of the internet, but what is it?

Solar Opposites is an American animated sitcom created by Justin Roiland (Rick and Morty) and Mike McMahan on Hulu.

The series tells the story of a family of aliens from a better world who must take refuge in middle America. They disagree on whether this is awful or awesome.

Each of the extra-terrestrial group members are as unique as they are hilarious. However, one particular character, the Pupa, is causing a stir on the internet.

Here is everything we know about the Pupa from Solar Opposites.

We actually dont know what the Pupa is, but its definitely the cutest character in Solar Opposites; an adorable, squishy slug with the power to destroy worlds.

The yellow alien baby is the lynchpin of the groups mission on Earth which involves it terraforming the planet. When it reaches maturity, the Pupa will destroy Earth and rebuild it into the image of Shlorp the aliens home world.

The Pupa has some serious telekinesis and telepathy powers, but it has a particular love for eating gooblers and candy even though both cause it to vomit.

When the Pupa eats something orange, it turns orange. However, at the end of the season, the Pupa turns purple and none of the characters knows what this means.

For the majority of Solar Opposites season 1, the Pupa is voiced by co-creator Mike McMahans own son, Sagan.

However, in the season finale when in a telepathic conversation with his neighbour, the Pupa has a very different, much deeper vocie.

The Pupa in this episode is voiced by none other than Liam Cunningham. The Irish actor is best known for his role as Sir Davos Seaworth (The Onion Knight) in the HBO mega series Game of Thrones.

Cunningham has also starred in Clash of the Titans (2010), War Horse (2011), Doctor Who (2013) and Rick and Morty (2019).

In the season finale, the Pupa seemingly develops into his next form, becoming aware of his abilities and using them for personal gain.

Then, at the very end of the episode, he turns purple we can assume this is his next stage of evolution.

Will the Pupa develop into a planet destroying, terraforming monster in season 2? Will he just evolve into his next stage but not destroy Earth? Could his powers become more prominent within the seasons story arc? All will be revealed in season 2 of Solar Opposites.

Season 1 of Solar Opposites is available to view right now on Hulu.

In other news, Netflix: Who plays Kika Calafat in White Lines? Fans of Shazam! will recognise Marta Milans

Original post:

Solar Opposites: What is the Pupa? Evolution, voice actors and possible story for season 2 - HITC

Image:A spatial tumour growth model. Source:Chkhaidze et al., Figure 1D

A computer model that uses the principles of evolution to map the growth of populations of cancer cells in tumours could help doctors choose where to take biopsies from tumours, improving decisions about treatment.

The model, which shows how cancer cells with particular mutations can spread through tumours, could more accurately reflect the genetic picture across whole tumours.

Doctors use tumour biopsies samples taken from cancer to learn about what is happening inside cancers and decide which treatments are likely to be effective.

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Doctors will often take several biopsy samples from tumours and use DNA sequencing to identify mutations that can be targeted for treatment.

However, biopsies do not always reflect the full diversity of mutations that make up a tumour.

Imagine trying to build up a picture of a dartboard, just from where your limited number of darts land. You could get a very different picture depending on where the darts land, which doesnt represent the true structure of the board.

In the same way, relying on a small number of biopsies may miss details and not reflect the full diversity of mutations that make up a tumour.

If researchers could better map the patterns of cell spread through tumours, doctors could take biopsies from tumour locations that best reflect the diseases biology.

The model, developed by scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London in collaboration with the Barts Cancer Instituteand published in PLoS Computational Biology, shows how populations of cells with distinct sets of mutations spread through tumours.

The model accounts for the presence or absence of selective evolutionary pressure in which conditions favour the survival of cells with certain genetic traits and the presence or absence of physical, spatial constraints in tumours.

The ICR scientists who co-developed the model are based in our Centre for Evolution and Cancer and are due to move into our new Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, where they will be part of the worlds first Darwinian drug discovery programme.

Our Centre for Evolution and Cancer, led by Professor Andrea Sottoriva aims to help us understand how cancer evolves and adapts, and to find more effective ways to treat it.

Find out more

The researchers model predicted that populations of cells with shared genetic characteristics grow in clumps or spreading out in strands, depending on the conditions.

These patterns look chaotic but they follows the rules of evolution, and importantly the models mimicked patterns of growth seen in real tumours.

The research was largely funded by the Medical Research Counciland the Wellcome Trust, with further support from organisations including Cancer Research UKand the US National Institute of Health.

Study leader Professor Andrea Sottoriva, Professor of Cancer Genomics & Evolution and Director of the ICR's Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the ICR, said:

Tumour biopsies tell us a great deal about the biology of a patients cancer, but evolutionary forces lead to differences in cancer cells across space and time, and biopsies only give an incomplete picture.

Our study helps to clarify the effect of evolutionary forces on the spread of genetic mutations across tumours. We hope, in the future, our modelling will help doctors to select the treatments most likely to counteract individual tumours, more effectively than they can with current methods to collect and analyse biopsies.

Read this article:

Mapping how evolutionary forces affect cancer growth could help doctors choose biopsies - The Institute of Cancer Research

Around 55 years ago, the concept of zone bandi existed with the APMC Act, 1963, forcing farmers to sell their produce to a market yard in their district only. But Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did an about turn on Friday when she announced a one nation, one market, which experts believe could take two-three years to materialise.

Commenting on the announcement, Siraj Hussain, former Union agriculture secretary, said, One nation, one market will take 2-3 years to take a final shape because farmers and traders are used to dealing in a certain manner, which has to change. This is time consuming. Relevant infrastructure is needed for implementing the new way of work a trader having a national licence, buying from a farmer in one state and selling in another, he added.

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The concept of one market already exists in India. Rajesh Sinha, managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of Neml (NCDEX E-market) operates an online state-level integrated mandi in Karnataka. Here all agricultural produce market committee (APMCs) are interlinked online with farmers and traders dealing there.

Farmers produce gets sold to the person who offers the highest price in any place in the state. The company has now linked Karnataka farmers with the national electronic mandi or e-Nam. Sinha said, All market participants in the country are doing things that are required for an online mandi. Traders are doing assaying and grading of produce farmers bring and there are financiers who pay to farmers. Sometimes, traders are the financiers.

According to Sinha, the role played by all these participants should be recognised and where needed, their skills must be upgraded. This will make it easy for them to deal with a national electronic platform.

There should be testing laboratories for farm produce, assaying, and collateral management, including providing facilities to finance farmers to hold or store commodities; all these have to happen now in a scientific and formal way with the required regulations followed at every level.

ALSO READ: WTO reforms have to factor in interests of all, says Suresh Prabhu

The Rs 1 trillion fund for agri infrastructure development is seen as a major push factor, which will also help expand infrastructure needed for a single national market.

Actually, e-Nam is the obvious platform for farmers but it hardly handles 10-15 per cent of the actual trading that takes place at the APMC.

This is despite around 1,000 APMCs linking with that platform electronically.

Sinha suggests that state-level trade, when allowed on a reciprocal basis, eventually will have a national arrangement. Then, storage facilities could come in. e-Nam allows farmers to deposit commodities directly in warehouses recognised in that network and respective states have declared warehouse as a deemed mandi. The proposed new central law may address this issue differently.

When a farmer finds more choices to sell his produce directly to the highest bidder and when he has the facility to put his goods in the warehouse to wait for right price, he will get a better price.

Read the rest here:

Evolution of farmer produce market from zonal to district, to national - Business Standard

This is part of a special report on life after coronavirus. Find more stories on what economic recovery looks like, how the fashion sector could emerge even stronger and tips for managing the remote workplace here.

The impact of COVID-19 on retail can be felt in all corners of the industry. Businesses that felt safe no longer do, and those that felt at risk after the devastating bushfire and drought season are no doubt fearing for their future.

Much of this is due to the rapid change in consumer behaviour. While footfall was already falling, many of the traditional customer touchpoints are irrelevant as many Australians are self-isolating at home.

And while it may be obvious that the best channel to focus on is online, players across the industry are handling this reality differently. Some are simply keeping up their regular online service, while others are putting in the extra effort to win over customers by experimenting with livestreaming or launching delivery services.

It is this second path that will reap the rewards, says Andrew Homan, creative director at digital agency Process Creative.

Frankly, brands cannot afford to be complacent, and theres a renewed focus on customer experience. Thats a great thing, says Homan.

I feel like in the past, a lot of bricks-and-mortar retailers have really wanted to drive people in-store and just viewed online as somewhat of a secondary sales channel.

As a result of the pandemic, many of those businesses have been forced into a rapid digital transformation. Retail was already transforming the virus has just sped it up.

Furniture brand Coco Republic has embraced this opportunity to try virtual design consultations, private appointments outside of regular trading hours and a redesigned online styling course.

Now more than ever, our homes are both our sanctuaries and places of entertainment they are our new favourite bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels, as well as our offices, says Anthony Spon-Smith, Coco Republics creative director and founder.

We can continue to deliver our signature design services to help our customers curate these spaces in their homes.

And with Australians currently stuck inside their homes and perhaps feeling inspired to give their interiors a makeover retailers have a unique opportunity to offer customers new homewares and furniture options.

In fact, data insight company Attentive released figures showing that online sales in home furnishings and supplies rose 28 per cent in March compared with February this year, largely driven by peoples need for home office furniture.

As such, while Coco Republic regularly relies on its large showrooms to connect with customers, the business has moved that experience online for the time being.

In addition to the virtual consultations, short showroom tours allow customers to view a range of furniture in various configurations and gather ideas from the comfort of their own couch.

If consumers are confined to their homes in a lockdown, then why not give them a taste of the showrooms from their homes, consult online and then let them buy online? Spon-Smith says.

And, according to Spon-Smith, the business online sales have doubled since restrictions began and these digital initiatives were put in place.

Similarly, in order to maintain an engaging customer experience throughout the COVID-19 crisis, King Living launched a mobile-friendly virtual reality showroom, where customers can interact with products, add them to cart and check out.

The actual experience has been designed to make you feel like you are in a retail store, says King Livings global head of brand, Natalie Culina.

A customer is able to walk around the product in virtual reality, look at the fabric watch a video to explain the product, and ultimately click through to the King Living website.

Other businesses are taking the opportunity to do something beyond recreating their physical experience in a digital format.

As part of Fashion Revolution Week, made-to-order clothing retailer Citizen Wolf, for example, recently hosted live classes on Instagram to teach customers how to create their zero-waste tote bag something that typically only happens in their Sydney factory.

The business sold the basic materials necessary and invited customers to watch one of several livestreams over the course of two weeks. Customers could sit at home and remain safe in isolation, but interact with the brand in a new and engaging way.

I think the world is going to come out changed, in some ways permanently. And for us, this makes a lot of sense, says Citizen Wolf co-founder Zoltan Csaki.

If we can deliver a workshop on Instagram Live to around 100 people, when we could only do it for around 10 people in our factory, thats a huge win.

Meanwhile luxury designer accessories retailer Loewe launched Loewe en Casa, a series of online workshops and events with artists, poets and writers through Instagram Live. The series, which ranges from poetry and book readings to studio tours, aims to provide customers and viewers with an injection of culture and inspiration rather than a hard sell.

Similarly, luxury brand Bottega Veneta launched its Residency series recently. Each week, the brand is handing the reins over to a different resident who will offer a curated range of music, art, food, film and more.

Creativity and strength lie at the heart of Bottega Veneta, explains the brands creative director, Daniel Lee.

In this highly distressing time, we feel a responsibility to celebrate those values and ignite a sense of joy and hope in our community and beyond.

Lingerie retailer Honey Birdette is also taking the opportunity to further the education aspect of its business, launching a new streaming service called HB Live.

The service allows customers to book spots in regularly scheduled livestreams that range from no-holds-barred sex toy tours and happy hours with its staff members, to a private pleasure party for a maximum of eight people.

While the restrictions put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 will inevitably be relaxed, customers will remember the level of service and experience they had online from retailers during self-isolation.

For many, there will be no reason why these service standards cant continue into post-virus life a new normal. And as customer expectations continue to increase, brands must rise to meet them or be left behind.

I think the horse has bolted. A lot of people who might have avoided online shopping have now familiarised themselves with the process and convenience, Homan says.

Theres undoubtedly a lot of businesses doing it tough, and its often difficult to think innovatively under such circumstances. But there is opportunity out there for businesses that arent afraid to try something new.

Not everything will work, but its about changing your frame of reference and adapting quickly to new market conditions.

Additional reporting by Heather McIlvaine.

This story is from the May 2020 issue of Inside Retail magazine. Subscribe here.

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Welcome to the digital evolution - Inside Retail

We've known for some time now that Apple is working on augmented reality glasses. Speculation on what these glasses will be capable of has varied wildly, from fully immersive experiences to little more than simple text on lenses. Prolific Apple leaker Jon Prosser has offered up some crystal clear details on these glasses, and when you put those details together it paints a fairly clear picture.

That picture may not be the cyberpunk fantasy headset so many seemed to think Apple was working on, but it's going to be impressive all the same.

According to Prosser, Apple Glass is going to look and feel very much like a "normal" set of glasses, with displays in both lenses coming together to form a display that floats in front of you. Prosser notes the version of the headset he saw was very early and made of plastic, but notes it's likely the finished product will be metal like an iPhone or Apple Watch. Charging will be done wirelessly through a custom dock, making it so you set the glasses upside-down in the cradle to charge. It's unclear if this will be an Apple Watch-like proprietary charger or something you'll be able to use with multiple chargers, but it's likely to be the latter instead of the former.

You won't be able to see what someone is doing with Glass just by looking at them from the other side.

You won't find a camera on this headset, which has been rumored for a while now. Apple's dedication to privacy and all of the concerns with the cameras baked into Google Glass and Snapchat Spectacles makes this pretty easy to believe, and if Apple were to make the camera on this anywhere near as good as one on its phones it would take up far more space than you have on a set of glasses like this. Instead, Apple's going to rely on LiDAR, which we'll touch on later.

One major detail we have on display Apple has chosen for these glasses is you won't be able to see what someone is doing with Glass just by looking at them from the other side. This reminds me of Focals by North, which similarly you can never really tell when they're in use. I'm a little concerned about how well it will work outdoors, though. Prosser noted Apple couldn't get its lenses to tint without having problems, which means there will likely be a sunglass attachment like we've seen with Focals by North. And like Focals, this could mean the display is easily washed out on a sunny day.

What will you actually be able to do with these Apple Glass? Processing will not be happening on the device, which means it will be first and foremost a heads-up display for your phone. Notifications will be able to appear in front of you, and you'll be able to interact with those notifications with simple gestures or with "Hey Siri" like you can on your Apple Watch.

Will the experience be just like the Apple Watch? That seems unlikely. Apple's come a long way since the original Apple Watch, which also did most of its processing on the iPhone, and it's learned quite a bit. Turn-by-turn navigation, either walking or driving, seems more than a little likely.

Starboard, the name of the UI for Apple Glass, is going to be Apple's biggest push into contextual computing yet. Apple Glass is going to suggest actions to you, rely heavily on voice and gesture instead of forcing you to pick up your phone, and communicate well with the rest of your Apple ecosystem. It's going to be less about what you can do with this new hardware, and more about how much easier Glass can make your day to day interactions with the rest of the world.

When Apple's LiDAR sensor made it to the 2020 iPad Pro, lots of folks thought it was going to be about depth data on the glasses. Fever dreams of being able to project an Augmented Reality game onto the coffee table in front of you and see it like a hologram projected by R2-D2 filled the world. But with no local processing and fairly limited displays, these glasses aren't quite ready to deliver such a futuristic experience.

All of this for $499? It seems too good to be true.

Instead, LiDAR is going to be able to deliver better gesture controls for Apple Glass. Instead of a touchpad for you to fondle when you want to drift through the UI, the LiDAR sensor will be able to "see" your hand in front of your glasses and let you make gestures to control the UI. It's not clear if the level of control will be similar to the bloom gesture in Microsoft's Hololens or if it will be more like simple hand waving, but the idea will be to wave your hands and make things happen on your Glass. It'll be interesting to see how this works in public spaces.

One final detail from Prosser, which got kind of glossed over in his video, "special" QR Codes from Apple that work with Glass. There's no camera on Glass, so how would this work? If the LiDAR sensor is good enough, the special thing about these QR Codes may be that they are 3D. Raised characters in places like retail outlets or sports centers could make it so Apple partners could deliver custom Glass experiences at these places just by having them walk in and look at the wall. That would make it something Apple Glass users could do that is unique and fairly painless, which will be good for everyone.

All of this for $499? It seems too good to be true, but Prosser's leaks rarely turn out to be terribly far off. I'm a fan of this Apple Glass future, especially if it's possible to use these glasses in unique ways without having someone nearby be concerned because you're wearing a computer on your face.

Here's hoping Apple feels comfortable enough with its current release cycle to share a preview with us this year.

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If the rumors are true, Apple Glass will be more evolution than revolution - iMore

Liverpool are no strangers to amping up the volume and intensity on their opposition, but the current climate could make way for a quieter melody with a congested calendar on the horizon.

It was Liverpools first competitive game for three months, their first since a defeat to a Spanish side. Jurgen Klopps team flew out of the blocks. They blew their opponents away with a burst of four goals in 18 minutes, the last scored by Sadio Mane.

It is a scenario many a Liverpool fan would welcome if and when football resumes, especially should the fixture list remain the same, meaning those next opponents are Everton. That situation is plucked from the past, not the imagination: rewind to August 2016 and Arsenal were beaten 4-3 with Mane capping his debut with what proved the winner.

Liverpool can be fast starters after a break. They scored four goals in their first league game of 2018-19; four more in their opener this season, all before half-time. They can return to football with freshness and a statement of intent. To put it another way, they can play heavy-metal football by starting off with a deafening anthem.

So perhaps Project Restart can be the same. After all, with five substitutions permitted until the end of 2020, as a result of Fifas emergency alteration to the laws, Klopp will have the chance to let more players run themselves into the ground and be replaced.

Given that there is a statutory substitution most games Roberto Firmino rarely conserves his energy with the 90th minute in mind he can make four more changes. Liverpools squad features plenty of players who could be eager runners coming from the bench: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Divock Origi, James Milner and Naby Keita are obvious candidates for a second wave of sprinters.

Or maybe not, though. Liverpool will not have their usual pre-season and not merely because this is actually mid-season. There will be no transatlantic jaunt, no friendlies to get them up to speed, no proper opportunity to finesse new tactics anywhere other than Melwood. Some of that training will be non-contact, abiding my social-distancing restrictions. The Premier League has speeded up in recent years which, in part, reflects the influence of Klopp. It is logical to expect it to be slower on its resumption; dictated by circumstances, not footballing philosophies.

So what Liverpool require instead is soft-metal football. Some might say that, as Klopp was once spotted at a Robbie Williams concert, that might be closer to his musical tastes anyway. But Liverpool dont need to batter opponents into submission. They dont have to deafen them with the ferocity of their onslaught.

Of everyone in the Premier League, they can adopt the quietest style of play. They need at most six points, and in reality probably less. A bunch of 0-0 draws would do it, even if it would be out of character for a team with 27 wins in 29 league games. Out of the FA Cup, out of the Champions League, they do not need to peak for a while, even if it ought to be a legitimate goal to secure the 19 points needed to overhaul Manchester Citys Premier League record of 101.

Instead, Klopp and Liverpools head of fitness and conditioning Andreas Kornmayer face a different and unique physiological challenge. Should everything go according to plan, should coronavirus not interrupt the footballing calendar again and should Liverpool progress on multiple fronts next season, they could in effect be playing a 70-game campaign, from June 2020 to May 2021. They do not want to burn themselves out in the first nine when their destiny, for 2019-20 anyway, is in effect determined.

Perhaps this can be Liverpools pre-season but in competitive games. If it can be used to test theories and combinations within a side, Liverpool have already transitioned from a heavy-metal side who one who rouse themselves for choruses.

Rewind to 2016-17 and they only scored 12 goals in the last 20 minutes of league games; they have 20 already in the current campaign. They have reined themselves in. Go by 10-minute sequences and Liverpool score most goals between 31 and 40 minutes and 81 and 90; they preserve energy in each half. They wear opponents out.

They can also afford to be less frantic. Arguably the day Liverpool stopped being a heavy-metal team was on January 1 2018: the minute, the one when Virgil van Dijk signed. With greater security and solidity and still more after Alisson arrived Liverpool have not needed to blitz opponents into submission.

Their impending coronation as champions will reflect their brinkmanship in scoring late goals, their nerve in prospering in matches decided by a solitary goal and their game management. Their identity has shifted: fervent gegenpressing has been mixed with patience.

The circumstances render intensity and collectivism harder to sustain. But if a more gentle and watchful approach is necessitated now, Liverpool can console themselves with the thought that they are better equipped to adopt one now than they were four years ago and that the league table means their requirements are lesser.

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Soft metal football: How Liverpools impending title triumph could alter immediate evolution - This Is Anfield

Al Castle

by Al Castle, Vice President, Product Development for Flowroute, now part of Intrado

The remote workforce has been a growing trend for the last decade; however, as external market factors and internal employee preferences change, the number of people working outside of traditional office settings have skyrocketed at an unprecedented rate.

As a new presence of distributed enterprises emerge, business IT decision makers and UC buyers have an opportunity to enhance their IT investments through adoption of VoIP and other cloud-based tools to ensure smooth operations across a distributed workforce.

VoIP and cloud-based tools are beneficial to businesses as they help facilitate agile connection and can be scaled as needs changes. These tools also support innovation and can improve existing service offerings; however, in this age of remote workers and increased mobility, most phone numbers are no longer tied to physical addresses.

Unlike landline phone numbers, which are literally wired to locations, VoIP phone numbers are more nomadic. Through VoIP, calls can be placed anywhere with an internet connection and as a result could come from an IP address associated with a call server located miles away from the call origin. This has created some challenges for first responders and dispatch operators. If an emergency occurs, it can be difficult for 911 operators and the network to know where to send the call and more importantly, where to send first responders.

Luckily, Enhanced 911 (E911) capabilities help mitigate these concerns for VoIP adopters and simplify how communication services providers (CSPs) automate phone number configuration and management. E911 deployed through telecom APIs automatically identifies the location of the VoIP phone number by providing a real-time address that can be validated and provisioned. This means that the physical address connected to a VoIP phone is accurate and will be dispatched to the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

E911 has evolved as telecom technology improves. As the industry innovates, CSPs and modern telco carriers are working hard to ensure they comply with the latest regulations to keep their customers and employees safe. One customer group leveraging the evolution of E911 are the enterprises and small and medium businesses embracing a new distributed and remote structure of work.

Measures are in place to ensure this security. For example, the FCC requires VoIP providers that integrate with the PSTN provide E911 to its customers. In addition, regulations such as Karis Law and Section 506 of RAY BAUMs Act are supporting protection efforts by ensuring enterprises and CSPs partner deliver alert notifications to a central location whenever a 911 call is made within the enterprise, and provide a dispatchable location with a 911 call to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). CSPs and carriers are also working with leading technology providers to integrate E911 support into popular collaboration tools. The combination of these efforts and tech innovations are delivering quicker, more accurate response times.

When evaluating how to support the remote workforce with E911, it is critical for businesses to understand how their employees are placing calls (e.g. from their personal mobile or through a company issued phone or server) and how their CSPs and careers are supporting emergency situations. Under E911 offerings, businesses and providers have the flexibility to manage emergency call capabilities directly from the interface where they manage all their phone lines, without having to invest in added hardware or tools.

If remote employees are using their personal cell phones while working, it can be difficult for enterprises to manage their location and provide support in the case of an emergency. Depending on the organization size and emergency procedures in place, it is a best practice to remind employees to update the emergency location associated with their cell phones, as well as verify device usage to determine if the employee is using a corporate phone or placing calls with a phone number associated with their workplaces physical address.

Enterprises that have employees using corporate VoIP devices and phone numbers should partner with their carriers and CSPs to take the proper steps to ensure their employees remote working locations are appropriately associated with the right 911 operator and PSAP location.

As the landscape of the workforce continues to shift to a distributed global setting, protecting employees remains a top priority. Leveraging VoIP communications and properly deploying E911 services can make the difference in emergency planning and response. With the help of innovative CSPs and carriers, enterprises can make sure their emergency tools are durable and can protect their employees regardless of their location.

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The Evolution of E911 and Protecting the Remote Workforce - Telecom Reseller