Monthly Archives: February 2021

Since its launch in China in 2016, TikTok has become one of the worlds fastest-growing social networks. Its been downloaded billions of times and attracted hundreds of millions of users. Why? Because the algorithms that power TikToks For You feed have changed the way people become famous online.

While other platforms are geared more toward highlighting content with mass appeal, TikToks algorithms seem just as likely to pluck a new creator out of obscurity as they are to feature a known star. And theyre particularly adept at feeding relevant content to niche communities of users who share a particular interest or identity.

The ability of new creators to get a lot of views very quicklyand the ease with which users can discover so many kinds of contenthave contributed to the apps stunning growth. Other social media companies are now scrambling to reproduce these features on their own apps. Abby Ohlheiser profiles a TikTok creator who was surprised by her own success on the platform.

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10 Breakthrough Technologies 2021 - MIT Technology Review

February 24, 2021

While its guidance is voluntary, businesses would be well advised to follow NIST's lead, as it has become the gold standard for general Privacy and Data Security compliance in the United States.

Whether business leaders want to keep their regulators unconcerned, their clients happy, or their brand strong with regard to Privacy and Data Security, they'll need to know about NIST's new focuses.

NIST's first priority will be enhancing risk management, and there is a reason this is likely first: there is expected to be a lot of action in this space in 2021 based on recent events. NIST calling attention to enhancing risk management follows John Katko's, Ranking Member of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, call to revamp federal procurement and the government's approach to cybersecurity in the wake of the foreign espionage activity that breached government systems via a third party software provider serving as part of the federal government's overall technology supply chain. Another separate but similar breach has also been discoveredthis one likely orchestrated by malicious actors associated with a different foreign government.

Recognizing the political appetite for supply chain risk reforms and the necessity to avoid such cybersecurity breaches in the future, NIST is opening its Cybersecurity Framework for public comment and is proposing revisions to its Supply Chain Risk Management in Federal Information Systems and Organizations publication.

Businesses that participate (or want to participate) in procurement contracts with the United States Government should be proactive in both commenting on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and begin adjusting and aligning their technology supply chain operations to NIST standards.

NIST will also be redoubling their focus on Privacy. In 2020, NIST published its Privacy Framework to complement and supplement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. While the Cybersecurity Framework sets standards to prevent unauthorized access to information, the Privacy Framework addresses standards for the appropriate use and processing of that information. NIST recently released a crosswalk between the Privacy Framework and the California Consumer Protection Act.

The NIST Privacy Framework, like the Cybersecurity Framework, provides voluntary, self-regulatory suggestions and guidance regarding Privacy and Data Security. However, notably, the guidance is increasingly being incorporated into corporate contracts and other laws (e.g., the Federal Trade Commission looking favorably on the Cybersecurity Framework when assessing whether an organization had unreasonably weak cybersecurity protections).

NIST plans to further strengthen cryptographic standards and validation, our everyday encryption technology. These standards are incredibly important as they ensure the protection of valuable information and can, in most instances, help avoid triggering the notification requirements under most state data breach statutes.

NIST will also focus on cybersecurity awareness, training, and education. This is crucially important and one of the areas that can lead to significant liability and public relations disasters when not handled correctly. An example is the Equifax hack in 2017 that affected the sensitive personal data of individuals spanning multiple countries. Nearly half of the total US population was affected, and the total cost of the breach was over $1.7 billion. The causeaccording to the (former) CEO of Equifax when testifying before Congressof Equifax's security program failing was an individual employee in the technology department failing to "heed security warnings." This is an extreme example, but it puts a spotlight on the danger of employeeswhether from ignorance or malicenot acting in compliance with the business's Privacy and Data Security Policies.

Following NIST's advancements in cybersecurity awareness, training, education, and workforce development will likely weigh heavily in favor of allowing a business to mitigate and minimize potential legal repercussions while also protecting important business and consumer information.

NIST will be improving the metrics and measurements around cybersecurity and privacy. NIST's efforts in these areas will help cross-disciplinary teams "speak the same language" and create a common dialogue that will improve policy compliance. Unfortunately, the silos of business operations can create scenarios in which professionals use similar words, but apply them with different concepts and meanings (e.g., authorized, incident, breach), resulting in inadvertent noncompliance or triggering of legal requirements. The development of these standards can help a business improve efficiency and effectiveness at the enterprise level.

Identity and Access Management will take additional prominence in NIST's guidance given current threats and recent events. Responding to needs felt during the COVID-19 pandemic, NIST will be providing guidance on identity and access management with an emphasis on remote work.

NIST will be focusing on developing methods for determining trustworthy networks and trustworthy platforms. The introduction of the fifth generation of wireless connectivity (5G) and the ever-present and growing Internet of Things industry has accelerated the need for Privacy and Data Security best practices around ascertaining and evaluating a system or platform's trustworthiness.

NIST will continue to focus on providing guidance around securing emerging technologies. Organizations seeking to be at the forefront of technology and proactive in its approach to Privacy and Data Security should start by reviewing the technological challenges catching NIST's attention.

It is important, however, to note that NIST is not the be-all-and-end-all of Privacy and Data Security. Regulated industries, such as Healthcare, Finance, or Education, may have their own sector-specific requirements. State governments each have their own privacy and data security regulations which are not obligated to give deference to NISTthough it is common for them to do sowhich is why NIST standards are so often utilized by businesses operating in multiple states. Any business with an international footprint is likely subject to international regulatory regimes not accounted for in the NIST standards.

For counsel on any steps recommended by NIST or other Privacy and Data Security compliance needs and best practices, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Privacy and Data Security team here at Ward and Smith.

-- 2021 Ward and Smith, P.A. For further information regarding the issues described above, please contact Peter N. McClelland, CIPP/US.

This article is not intended to give, and should not be relied upon for, legal advice in any particular circumstance or fact situation. No action should be taken in reliance upon the information contained in this article without obtaining the advice of an attorney.

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New Year, New Technology Priorities - Ward and Smith, PA

Recent developments in frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnology, have shown tremendous potential for sustainable development. Yet, they also risk increasing inequalities by exacerbating and creating new digital divides between the technology haves and have-nots. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed this dichotomy. Technology has been a critical tool for addressing the spread of the disease, but not everyone has equal access to the benefits.

It is time to ask how we can take full profit from the current technological revolution to reduce gaps that hold back truly inclusive and sustainable development. The UNCTAD Technology and Innovation Report 2021 examines the likelihood of frontier technologies widening existing inequalities and creating new ones. It also addresses the national and international policies, instruments and institutional reforms that are needed to create a more equal world of opportunity for all, leaving no one behind.

The report shows that frontier technologies already represent a $350 billion market, which could grow to $3.2 trillion by 2025. This offers great opportunities for those ready to catch this technological wave. But many countries, especially the least developed and those in sub-Saharan Africa, are unprepared to equitably use, adopt and adapt to the ongoing technological revolution. This could have serious implications for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Technology and Innovation Report 2021 urges all developing nations to prepare for a period of deep and rapid technological change that will profoundly affect markets and societies. All countries will need to pursue science, technology and innovation policies appropriate to their development stage and economic, social and environmental conditions. This requires strengthening and aligning Science, Technology and Innovation systems and industrial policies, building digital skills among students and the workforce, and closing digital divides. Governments should also enhance social protection and ease workforce transitions to deal with the potential negative consequences of frontier technologies on the job market.

The report also calls for strengthened international cooperation to build innovation capacities in developing countries, facilitate technology transfer, increase womens participation in digital sectors, conduct technological assessments and promote an inclusive debate on the impact of frontier technologies on sustainable development.

A key takeaway from the report is that technologies are not deterministic. We can harness their potential for the common good, and we have an obligation to do so. That is why I launched a Strategy on New Technologies in September 2018 to guide the United Nations system on how new technologies can and must be used to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the realization of the promise of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

New technologies hold the promise of the future, from climate action and better health to more democratic and inclusive societies. As this report highlights, the guiding principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind provides a compelling incentive for harnessing frontier technologies for sustainable development.

Let us use them wisely, for the benefit of all.

Antnio GuterresSecretary-GeneralUnited Nations

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Technology and Innovation Report 2021 - UNCTAD

PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the last decade or so, technologies that didn't exist before, are now everyday items in most consumers daily activities. New phones, new tablets, and watches that do what phones and tablet do! Industry reports from experts predict that the next market with this same growth potential will be wearable technologies market. Wearable technology is an emerging trend that integrates electronics to the daily activities and fits into the changing lifestyles and can be worn on any part of the body. A reportfrom Mordor Intelligence projects that the Wearable Technology Market was valued at USD 27.91 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 74.03 billion by 2026 and work at a CAGR of 17.65% over the forecast period (2021 - 2026).The report published that the ability to connect to the Internet and establishment of data exchange between a network and a device is the driving factor that leads to wearable technology. The study considered several wearable technologies, including Smartwatches, Head Mounted Displays, Smart Clothing, Ear Worn, Fitness Trackers, Sleep Aides and wellness devices among others. The report tracks both the volume and value of these products at a global level and region level in specific. The wearable technology market has evolved owing to the emergence of sensors among other technology. Incorporating these sensors into a dedicated wearable device driven by the impact of smartphones being used daily, on the GPS, or the IMU (consist of accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer). These have helped the fitness tracking wearable to monitor body activities using these sensors. Active companies in the markets this week include Hapbee Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: HAPBF) (TSX-V: HAPB), GarminLtd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), KopinCorporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), Vuzix Corporation(NASDAQ: VUZI), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL).

TheMordor Intelligence reportcontinued: "The smartwatch category is also experiencing a rise, owing to the additional features, like the brand that suits the everyday lifestyle. Smartwatches are seeing a surge in new users, including the older population, because wearable makers, such as Apple and Fitbit, are adding health-monitoring features that appeal to older people and keep them updated about their health status in real-time. For instance, Apple features a fall detection app and an EKG monitor to the Apple Watch Series 4, while Fitbit added a feature to detect sleep apnea. In the completed the fiscal year 2019, Apple Inc. got nearly as much revenue from sales of its collection of wearable products and accessories as it arrived from selling its old Mac computers which appears well on its way to becoming its second most significant line of products after the iPhone and its third-largest business category overall after its smartphone and services segment. The company's booming wearables and accessories segment helped to make up for the declining iPhone sales. In the period, sales of wearable and accessories products grew 54% in the last quarter of 2019 compared to the prior year to USD 6.5 billion."

Hapbee Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: HAPBF) (TSX-V: HAPB) BREAKING NEWS: Hapbee Announces Marketing Agreement with Kion - Hapbee Looks to Make Further Inroads into Wellness and Fitness Influencer Communities - Hapbee Technologies, Inc. ("Hapbee" or the "Company"), a wellness technology company utilizing groundbreaking magnetic field technology in its Hapbee wearable, is pleased to announce it has entered into a marketing agreement (the "Agreement") with Kion, LLC ("Kion"), whereby Hapbee will be featured on the Ben Greenfield Fitness ("BGF") podcast and in online marketing materials distributed by Kion.

Consistent with Hapbee's D2C e-commerce strategy, which is anticipated to ramp up in Q2 of this year, the Company aims to enhance its exposure within wellness and fitness communities. Hapbee believes platforms such as the BGF podcast, as well as other social influencer and blogger channels, provide an ideal opportunity to connect with the Company's target audience while educating them on the potential benefits of the Hapbee wearable.

Ben Greenfield is a human performance consultant, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author and has been a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. A former bodybuilder and 13-time Ironman triathlete, Ben is also a co-founder ofKION, a nutritional supplements company.

"Hapbee is an incredible technology for improving mental wellness," said Ben Greenfield. "It has benefitted me personally, and I look forward to sharing it with my audience." To read this and more news for Hapbee Technologies, please visit https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-hapb/

READ MORE DETAIL ABOUT HAPB BY VISITING: https://www.equedia.com/hapbee-the-netflix-of-feelings/

Other recent developments in the markets include:

GarminLtd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) recently announced results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 26, 2020. Highlights for fourth quarter 2020 included: Total revenue of $1.35 billion, a 23% increase over the prior year quarter, led by robust growth in the marine, fitness and outdoor segments; Gross margin of 58.5% compared to 58.0% in the prior year quarter; Operating margin improved to 27.5% compared to 25.1% in the prior year quarter; and Operating income of $371 million, increasing 34% over the prior year quarter

Executive Overview from Cliff Pemble, President and Chief Executive Officer:"In a year filled with unimaginable challenges, Garmin delivered record revenue and profits," said Cliff Pemble, President and CEO of Garmin. "Strong demand for active lifestyle products fueled our growth, and we expect these trends to continue into 2021. I am very proud of what we have accomplished in 2020 and look forward to the opportunities and challenges of the new year."

KopinCorporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), an innovator and developer of wearable display technology for surgeons, recently announced they have signed an agreement with a major medical technology company to design a precision head-worn display system, the device, based on Kopin's proprietary platform, will be integrated with the company's advanced surgical systems.

HMDmd, based in San Diego, is an early-stage company focused on bringing to market wearable display products, engineered and customized specifically for integration into advanced robotic and endoscopic surgical systems. Kopin, which has licensed its intellectual properties in wearable display technologies and systems for surgical uses, holds warrants for a significant minority equity position in HMDmd.The goal of the partnership is to develop a head-worn display system which allows surgeons to physically maintain a more comfortable position during surgery while accessing high-resolution real-time information such as video images from a camera in the surgical field, diagnostic images and patient-specific data. The system aims to reduce fatigue for surgeons caused by frequently lifting and turning their heads to look at conventional monitors.

Vuzix Corporation(NASDAQ: VUZI), a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, recently announced a strategic partnership withRods & Cones, a provider of a fully virtual surgical-collaboration platform. Rods & Cones will add the M-Series Smart Glasses as an additional video capturing device to support optimized remote interactions between surgeons and experts.

Rods & Cones provides an end-to-end surgery proximity platform to securely connect an operation theater with remote assisting surgeons, product specialists, or medical professionals anywhere in the world to support optimal collaborative workflow. This platform, which is compliant with GDPR and HIPAA regulations, now includes both the Vuzix M400 and M4000 Smart Glasses. Using the 13 MP phased detect auto focus camera providing full4Kvideo streaming on the Vuzix M400 and M4000 Smart Glasses, the Rods & Cones platform will let frontline workers in the operating room, ICU or other medical facility, including surgeons, instrumentalist nurses and other healthcare professionals, provide broadcast quality imagery to others while interacting with patients and staff from a safe distance. This will allow remote platform users to triple the number of surgeries they can attend in a single day. Other use cases include learning curve management, expert escalation, onboarding training of new employees and overall service level differentiation.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Developments: Fitbit has long gamified fitness by awarding badges, including lifetime ones, and trophies. The latest way Fitbit is encouraging users to move is a "Get in Your Zone Challenge" and is focused on Active Zone Minutes.

Update: The contest is now live with a new tile appearing on the "Today" feed after accepting. It opens a page that notes how much time is remaining and what badges you've earned. There's also a daily recap at the bottom that notes the total, while providing a Cardio & Peak versus Fat Burn breakdown.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated twenty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Hapbee Technologies, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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SOURCE Financialnewsmedia.com

https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/

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Wearable Technology Market Expected to Exceed $74 Billion By 2026 As Wellness Craze Kicks into High Gear - PRNewswire

SINGAPORE, Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (OneConnect) the leading technology-as-a-service platform provider and an associate of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An"), today said it had entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Singapore Exchange (SGX) to collaborate and build an environmental, social and governance (ESG) platform to facilitate and simplify the ESG disclosure processes of companies listed on SGX.

This collaboration is part of efforts to develop and promote a sustainable ecosystem by raising the quality of ESG disclosures and promoting the application and integration of ESG factors across capital market stakeholders in the long term. The collaboration places OneConnect as the ESG trailblazer of the Asia Pacific region, deploying a suite of tech solutions that establishes aframework and streamlines ESG reporting through specified standard indicators and templates.

The platform will help companies listed on SGX to efficiently manage and make their sustainability disclosures for possible benchmarking more transparent. This may help to improve the standard of overall ESG performance in the long run. The platform will also help overcome common challenges faced by companies and investors when dealing with ESG information. These challenges include lack of comparability, changing investors' demand, as well as the evolving business landscape and regulations.

Features of the platform will include workflow management systems, report and visualisation modules and an ESG disclosure framework mapping to meet listed companies' ESG reporting and data processing needs. The partnership will bring together relevant resources such as ESG datasets and domain expertise while adding new functionalities progressively to better serve companies, investors, research analysts and relevant stakeholders.

As an associate and the preferred tech partner of Ping An, OneConnect has teamed up with Ping An to deliver ESG solutions for companies outside of China. Ping Anitself is the first company in China to participate in the United Nation's Principles for Sustainable Insurance framework, and the first insurer in China to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. Ping An has leveraged its "finance + technology" expertise to develop the Ping An AI-ESG Platform to track, measure and monitor its internal ESG performance. Using artificial intelligence, natural language processing technologiesand other ESG tools including greenwashing detection and climate value-at-risk asset-repricing models, thePing An AI-ESG Platform captures and computes the five-year ESG scores of all Chinese A-share companies for its benchmarking and investment-decision making.

Ms Jessica Tan, Co-CEO of Ping An Group, said, "As a champion of ESG, Ping An believes in 'tech for social good' where technologies can aptly enable every company to become a responsible corporate citizen. With the development of Ping An's own artificial intelligence-driven ESG framework in China we see the synergy in sharing and integrating our expertise in ESG into a platform that can be adopted by other companies, thereby bolstering the ESG culture across Asia Pacific."

Ms Tan Bin Ru, CEO (SEA), OneConnect Financial Technology, shared, "With ESG taking centre-stage in the global scene, companies are increasingly subject to a set of non-financial reporting of ESG factors to meet investors' demands and regulatory requirements. This is an opportune time and an esteemed privilege for OneConnect to join hands to develop the ESG platform with SGX. This is a remarkable moment for us to be able to tap on our expertise and work alongside SGX in creating and implementing a robust platform for SGX-listed companies to better their journey on ESG reporting and strengthen their sustainability risk management."

Mr Michael Syn, Senior Managing Director and Head of Equities, SGX, said, "Investors globally are placing increasing importance on sustainability considerations, leading to significant growth in capital allocated to ESG strategies. As a result, both investors and issuers desire ESG data to be more transparent, standardised and accessible. The data and workflow platform will help SGX-listed companies report with more effective alignment to major disclosure standards. The focus is on a core set of indicators that are quantitative in nature and normalised for comparability. This complements issuers' materiality-based reporting that are highly specific to each listed company's business context. For investors, the benefit is more seamless integration of this core set of indicators into their investment strategies and capital allocation across portfolios, lowering the information friction they currently face."

SGX, as a front-line market regulator, has played an integral part in driving disclosures through rulemaking and capacity building. Mandatory sustainability reporting was implemented in Singapore since 2016. This has been an area of constant progress as international standards continue to be refined. SGX has also been making a bigger push in sustainability with a S$20-million multi-pronged plan to expand its ESG-focused products, services and platforms, as well as to build capacity for the financial ecosystem, strengthen internal capabilities and increase CSRcommitments.

About OneConnect Financial Technology

OneConnect (NYSE: OCFT) is a leading technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions. The Company's platform provides cloud-native technology solutions that integrate extensive financial services industry expertise with market-leading technology. The Company's solutions provide technology applications and technology-enabled business services to financial institutions. Together they enable the Company's customers' digital transformations, which help them increase revenue, manage risks, improve efficiency, enhance service quality and reduce costs.

Our technology-as-a-service platform strategically covers multiple verticals in the financial services industry, including banking, insurance and asset management, across the full scope of their businesses from sales and marketing and risk management to customer services, as well as technology infrastructure such as data management, program development, and cloud services.

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") is a world-leading technology-powered retail financial services group. With over 218 million retail customers and 598 million Internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Ping An focuses on two over-arching domains of activity, "pan financial assets" and "pan health care", covering the provision of financial and health care services through our integrated financial services platform and our ecosystems; in financial services, health care, auto services and smart city services. Our "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" transformation strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. In 2020, Ping An ranked 7th in the Forbes Global 2000 list and ranked 21st in the Fortune Global 500 list. Ping An also ranked 38th in the 2020 WPP Kantar Millward Brown BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list.

For more information, please visit http://www.group.pingan.com, and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN

About Singapore Exchange

Singapore Exchange is Asia's leading and trusted market infrastructure, operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards. It also operates Asia's only multi-partner, multi-asset exchange-led sustainability platform (sgx.com/first).

As Asia's most international, multi-asset exchange, SGX provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services, with about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore. SGX is the world's most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN and offers commodities and currency derivatives products. Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities. For more information, please visit http://www.sgx.com.

SOURCE OneConnect

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OneConnect Financial Technology and Singapore Exchange collaborate to address the region's ESG reporting needs - PRNewswire

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Self-driving cars that see through obstacles and maneuver accordingly. A sensor that scans a liquid for calorie count and dangerous or poisonous content. A drone that detects exact amounts of soil moisture while hovering above crop fields. All of these futuristic-sounding devices are moving closer to reality, thanks to research being conducted by Mahanth Gowda, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at Penn State, with a three-year, $250,000 National Science Foundation grant.

Gowda is using wireless technology to develop IoTScope, a new system that will identify the material properties of any object by analyzing reflected and refracted radio-frequency (RF) signals similar to ones used for WiFi and cellular communications. To understand how the technology works, Gowda recommends thinking first of how a camera takes a photograph.

Mahanth Gowda works with a graduate student in his lab.

IMAGE: Penn State College of Engineering

When a camera takes an image, its measuring the light that is reflected from the surface of an object, he said. But with sensing with RF signals, even though there are a lot of ambient electro-magnetic RF signals in the environment, they are typically not strong enough to capture and sense like the way we measure light off an object for a photograph. So, what we do here is generate our own RF signals systematically to illuminate the environment and sense it.

Two different methods generate these signals. The first is through a direct send, which occurs when the image of an object is taken through direct reflections. In this scenario, there are two antennas: one for transmitting and one for receiving. The transmitting antenna sends signals that illuminate the environment, and the receiving antenna captures the reflections from the environment. Properties of objects can then be measured by evaluating these reflections.

The second method involves passing a signal through an object to discern its properties.

Imagine that you have a transmitter on one side of an opaque water bottle, and a receiver on the other side of it, Gowda said. Since the water bottle is not transparent, light and visible signals cannot penetrate it, but radio waves can penetrate most non-metallic objects. By measuring the properties of the signals, like how much loss you experience in the signal, how much delay you experience in the signal, you can tell whether this water is, for example, contaminated.

Although Gowda has published preliminary results on the second method, it is still an active area of exploration and a key part of the novelty of his work. He explained that this method could improve the capabilities of self-driving cars.

Self-driving cars commonly use computer vision and sensors like LiDAR (light detection and ranging), he said. But the computer vision and sensors do not work well under adverse weather conditions poor visibility, a lot of snow or in low-light conditions. So, in those situations if we can use radar-based sensing like WiFi kind of signals, and sense reflections from humans and objects and other cars, we should be able to direct them. If you combine vision with signals from radar, you can improve the robustness and reliability of autonomous driving operations.

Gowda said he will use simulations, real-world experiments, data analysis modeling and machine learning approaches as he improves the IoTScope system. He hopes the next steps will be commercialization.

Theres a wide range of industries that might be interested in this kind of technology, he said. Most of the things we are working on very much have a real impact in life with respect to self-driving cars, airports and other types of security and health care applications.

Last Updated February 24, 2021

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Taking future wireless technology from science fiction to scientific reality - Penn State News

Led by founder and CEO, Tiffany Brown, 400 Forward was named in recognition of the 400th black female becoming a licensed architect in the United States. 400 Forward has embarked on a mission to seek out and support the next 400 licensed, black women architects.

As the software and technology partner for 400 Forward, GRAPHISOFT will empower the organization's chosen mentees with full access to an education version of Archicad and GRAPHISOFT Learn, the company's education and learning portal. Live, hands-on training with GRAPHISOFT experts on an on-going basis will strengthen the partnership.

"We are extremely proud to be involved with this effort. Our long-standing commitment to education could not be better served," said Tracey Gatland, General Manager, GRAPHISOFT North America. "Ensuring equal access to and proficiency with the latest, proven technology in use today in the fields of architecture and design will create a sturdy foundation for 400 Forward to succeed in its goal of empowering the next generation of black female architects."

"Our organization was born out of a realization that comprehensive programs that introduce black girls to architecture were lacking," said Tiffany Brown, 400 Forward Founder and CEO. "Technology resides at the heart of how architects coordinate projects. This partnership will help expand our outreach efforts and put powerful tools into the young hands that need it most."

In recognition of Black History Month and to kick off its partnership with 400 Forward, GRAPHISOFT hosted a discussion with Brown about black women architects, the importance of access to training and tools, and how the AEC industry can increase the number of women of color in leadership roles. The full interview can be found here.

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About 400 Forward

400 Forward's goal is to support the career development of the next 400 women architects, with an underlying focus on African American girls through exposure, mentorship, and financial assistance. 400 Forward has been launched as a comprehensive program that introduces young girls to architecture, provides scholarships and wrap around services to college students, and pays for study materials and licensing exams for African American women in architecture.

About GRAPHISOFT

GRAPHISOFT empowers teams to create great architecture, through award-winning software solutions, learning programs, and professional services for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry. Archicad, the architects' BIM software of choice, offers a complete end-to-end design and documentation workflow for architectural and integrated architectural and engineering practices of any size. BIMx, the most popular mobile and web BIM app, extends the BIM experience to include all stakeholders in the building design, delivery, and operations lifecycle. BIMcloud, the AEC industry's first and most advanced cloud-based team collaboration solution, makes real-time collaboration possible across the globe regardless of the size of the project and the speed or quality of the team members' network connection. GRAPHISOFT is part of the Nemetschek Group. To learn more visit http://www.graphisoft.com

SOURCE GRAPHISOFT North America

http://www.graphisoft.com

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GRAPHISOFT Empowers Mission of 400 Forward as Official Software and Technology Partner - PRNewswire

RESTON, Va., Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BetterWorld Technology today announced it has been named to CRN's Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list as one of the MSP Pioneer 250. The annual list recognizes the top technology providers and consultants in North America whose leading approach to managed services enables their clients to improve operational efficiencies, cut costs, get more value from their IT investments and successfully leverage technology to achieve a greater competitive advantage.

In today's world of outsourced IT, the expertise of MSPs has become increasingly important to organizations. The choices in technology procurement can be overwhelming. To help facilitate companies' selection and adoption of managed services and providers, CRN, the leading media outlet for technology solution providers, has identified the top 500 MSPs.

"It has been an honor to serve our customers over the past 15 years, delivering customized IT solutions for small to mid-sized enterprises, municipalities, and nonprofits as the MSP industry has evolved. Today, in the COVID pandemic era, BetterWorld's services are even more mission-critical than ever before, as trends such as work from home and the proliferation of personal and corporate device management and security have moved to the forefront. At the same time, we are proud to be a founding B Corp, solidifying our unique mission to make it a better world for both our customers and the communities we serve. Our motto has always been: Customer first, you outsource, BetterWorld manages and delivers!" said James F. Kenefick, Chairman, BetterWorld Technology.

BetterWorld Technology provides a growing array of managed IT services that are "always on, always ready", including hosted servers and co-location services, Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) hosted internet, voice services, cloud back-up, helpdesk, cybersecurity, and data center services.

The MSP 500 list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN and online at http://www.CRN.com/msp500

2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

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CRN Names BetterWorld Technology to 2021 MSP 500 List in the Pioneer 250 Category - PRNewswire