Monthly Archives: September 2021

COVID-19 vaccination mandates are upon us. States, localities, and specific business sectors have created a range of approaches to combat the spread of the virus and protect their employees as they navigate evolving regulations around returning to work.

As of September 9, the U.S. government has stepped in, announcing that it will require businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested once a week. This mandate poses multiple challenges for organizations that need to respond immediately to avoid the risk of fines. Businesses are looking for robust solutions to facilitate the process of securely uploading vaccination and testing status data.

Agility and scalability are top of mind. With a pandemic that is constantly evolving, organizations need a configurable solution that can adapt as regulations change and scale as programs ramp up. At the same time, employees may have strong feelings about the mandate - and some may object. While compliance is a must, so is listening and trust-building. Organizations need a transparent and noninvasive approach to collecting data that helps generate employee buy-in.

SAP and Qualtrics have been helping organizations worldwide navigate the global pandemic and offer solutions to help with vaccine mandates. With powerful vaccination and testing management capabilities, organizations can meet evolving vaccination requirements and improve employee safety and well-being. The result is fewer regulatory, legal, and workplace health risks.

With Qualtrics Vaccination & Testing Manager, also known as an employee vaccine management system, organizations can more quickly and simply gather COVID-19 vaccination status and ongoing test results from employees, contractors, and on-site visitors and spot issues in real time. All relevant information is securely maintained, helping businesses to comply with requirements, reduce risks, and avoid fines.

Qualtrics Vaccination & Testing Manager also provides a critical tool for following through on the most important objective: protecting employee health and well-being. Data is managed in a more secure manner that helps protect employee privacy. And while employee perspectives on the mandate will likely remain diverse, the solution helps organizations better listen to employee perspectives as regulations evolve while enabling the transparency and insight needed to have honest and informed conversations moving forward.

Pre-built and run in the cloud, Qualtrics Vaccination & Testing Manager helps organizations get up and running in days - versus weeks to months with other solutions. It also uses a combination of mobile-friendly digital forms, automated workflows and reminders, and intuitive dashboards that have been designed to confirm vaccination status and test results more securely and at scale.

What sets Qualtrics Vaccination & Testing Manager apart from many other offerings is its breadth, agility, and intuitive use:

As for helping keep sensitive employee data secure, Qualtrics Vaccination & Testing Manager includes built-in features that maintain personal health information and vaccination data separately from employee records. In addition, the solution is ISO 27001 and FedRamp compliant and HITRUST certified, which means its technology platform provides customers the tools to manage HIPAA compliance if needed. Learn more about Qualtrics Vaccination & Testing Manager here.

For existing customers using the SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central solution, SAP also offers a health and vaccine tracking portlet free of charge.

Available through the upgrade center of the SAP SuccessFactors solution, this portlet uses the flexible metadata framework technology already built into SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central. Organizations can customize and extend the portlet to meet a variety of monitoring needs as vaccination and testing requirements evolve.

Additionally, the portlet can produce analytics to identify and support high-risk employees based on location, business unit, department, age, work area, and more. Businesses can use practical, real-time dashboards and reporting to safely bring the workforce back to the office. For more information about the portlet, read this article on Safely Returning to the Workplace with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central.

At SAP, we know that we're all in this pandemic together, and a big part of SAP's mission today is to help our customers make it through. These solutions enable organizations to tackle vaccination and testing requirements with confidence and without delay. They can get up and running more quickly with a cloud-based, pre-built solution that is intuitive, transparent, and flexible enough to adapt to change.

For a live demo, visit the SAP SuccessFactors booth at the HR Technology Conference September 28 - October 1.

Amanda Crittenden is global solution marketing lead for Employee Experience Management for SAP SuccessFactors.

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Employee Health, Corporate Compliance, and the New COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate: Are You Prepared? - Marketscreener.com

Bigg Boss 14 contestant Pavitra Punia said she prays Shehnaaz Gill returns to her normal life soon, as thats what even her late friend and actor Sidharth Shukla wouldve wishes for. Pavitra responded to queries around Shehnaazs current state of mind post the demise of her rumoured beau Sidharth earlier this month.

It is still very difficult to accept that we lost Sidharth. I spoke to Shehnaaz and I think she needs to be left in peace. To ask her if she is alright, well, we all know she isnt in a good state of mind right now and I dont think she can reply to anyone.

On being asked whether shes aware about the viral throwback videos of SidNaaz which fans have been uploading on social media to remember their favourite couple, Pavitra added, Im not aware about the video her fans have uploaded online but Im sure it must be something to motivate her and give her strength.

Sidharth and Shehnaaz struck a deep bond during their stint in Bigg Boss 13. While Sidharth emerged its winner, Shehnaaz finished third. The two continued to remain close friends. Though Shehnaaz was also honest about her fondness for the Balika Vadhu actor, Sidharth Shulkla always called her his close friend.

Sidharth passed away on September 2, leaving the entire film and television fraternity shocked. His untimely demise also saw Shehnaaz in a state of shock. Infact, Shehnaazs brother Shehbaz was one of the first ones to arrive soon after the news of Sidharths death broke. He was also by his sisters side throughout the tough time.

Sidharth and Shehnaaz have a massive fan following. Their fans have been dedicating videos and picture edits for the two on social media ever since.

Pavitra concluded at the event, I pray that Shehnaaz gets back on her feet because Im sure Sidharth must be watching over her somewhere from up there wishing she gets back to normal life. And we are also waiting to see that.

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Hope Shehnaaz Gill gets back to normal life, Sidharth Shukla must be wishing the same, says Pavitra Punia - The Indian Express

In a collection of essays written during the height of the pandemic, English writer Zadie Smith describes the misery of lockdowns as very precisely designed, and different for each person. Often, it is art that rescues us from seclusion and reminds us of our connection to others.

Arlo Parks debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams which takes its title from a line in a 2005 novel by Smith does just that. Released in January, it is a perfect companion for these challenging times. Navigating weighty themes like loneliness, mental health and sexuality, the album is an exercise in vulnerability and introspection. Its sad, but affirming, like a late night heart-to-heart with a close friend.

Its so cruel / What your mind can do for no reason, she sings on Black Dog, a devastatingly poignant song about living with depression.

Those months (during lockdown) were some of the toughest that a lot of people have ever experienced, Parks said in an interview with the Star. It brings me comfort to know that my record was a sort of soothing balm for people.

Since Parks breakout in 2018, the 21-year-old artist has attracted an intensely loyal fan base and has become one of the defining voices in contemporary indie pop. Earlier this month Collapsed in Sunbeams was awarded the 2021 Mercury Prize for the best British album.

Now, after months of delays caused by the pandemic, shes finally embarked on a tour, which includes a stop at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto on Tuesday her first ever Canadian show.

There was definitely a sense of frustration, said Parks. But the way I chose to look at because its always about perspective is that when I finally did get to play these songs live, they would have grown deep roots in peoples lives. People would know all the words and it would feel even more special because it was something that we had waited so long for.

Born Anas Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho in West London, Parks grew up surrounded by music from Prince, to Miles Davis and Charles Mingus, music kind of infused the household, she said.

As a teen, after discovering indie bands and hip-hop groups like Odd Future, Parks started playing guitar and writing her own music. At first, her ambitions were limited.

I was not cool enough to be in any scene, she said. I was very much in my own room doing my own thing. Music is a very personal, internal, insular kind of thing. It was something that I did for myself, by myself. The idea of sharing didnt really occur to me until a bit later.

Eventually, she began uploading demos to BBC Music Introducing, a platform that supports under-the-radar U.K. talent. This caught the attention of the folks at Beatnik Records, who released her breakout hit Cola in 2018.

After releasing two EPs in 2019, Parks teamed up with songwriter and record producer Gianluca Buccellati in early 2020 to record her debut album.

Recorded in various Airbnbs throughout East London at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Collapsed in Sunbeams is a reflection of Parks increasingly eclectic musical taste. Over 40 minutes, the album borrows sounds from indie rock, alternative rock, trip hop and neo-soul.

Theres definitely some Radiohead and Portishead (on the album). But a lot of the influences for this record came from across the pond, she said. DAngelo and Elliott Smith, Yo La Tengo, Joan Armatrading; I guess Ive just taken tidbits from everywhere. I try to have a kaleidoscope, or a collage, of all the things Im interested in.

Lyrically, Parks has described the album as a series of vignettes and intimate portraits surrounding my adolescence and the people that shaped it.

An avid reader, Parks approaches her songs with a literary sensibility and a focus on storytelling. Specifically, she cites James Baldwins classic 1956 novel Giovannis Room a landmark exploration of queer sexuality as an inspiration for her debut album.

Theres something about the way (Baldwin) writes, I cant even quite describe it, but theres a sense of, like, humanity and patience. I feel like hes very wide-eyed when he writes and theres this attention to detail.

Parks taps into the spirit of Baldwin on Eugene, a delicately rendered story about the narrators unrequited love for a straight girl. I had a dream, we kissed / And it was all amethyst, she sings over a bass line that would sound at home on the Radiohead album In Rainbows.

On the more upbeat Hope, Parks drops the details in favour of a more universal affirmation: Youre not alone, like you think you are.

Speaking backstage ahead of a sold-out show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in New York, Arlo Parks sounded exceedingly relaxed. Performing in front of a live audience, she said, feels like coming home.

Every performance has had this sense of safety. People are excited to see me and sing and dance. Theres just, like, a purity to the feeling.

Parks is tight-lipped about her plans for the future. I usually try to keep it a secret, she said. For the next two years, Im just touring and writing, and reading my books.

As a Mercury Prize winner, Parks joins the ranks of U.K. music royalty; James Blake, Skepta, Portishead, PJ Harvey and Anohni are among the previous recipients. But that doesnt seem to faze her.

I feel like with most prizes and external things, I see them as wonderful and special, but I try not to think about them too much, she said. You can never control what people are going to get out of the work; you can only control what you put in. So just continue making music that youre into.

Thats all I can do. So I guess thats what Ill do.

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Opinion | Rising indie pop star Arlo Parks discusses the influences that shaped her debut album ahead of her first Canadian show - TheSpec.com

Since its inception, Apple has always prioritized privacy and security. It is not satisfied with making best-in-class, best-selling smartphones and tablets, it also wishes its customer to feel comfortable using their devices. With iOS 15, Apple is bringing another layer of security to their devices, thanks to Child Safety.

Today, we will tell you pretty much everything you need to know about Child Safety and help you understand how Apple is bringing this filtering system on board. Now, without further ado, let us check out what Child Safety is and how it can impact your day-to-day life.

Child Safety is an iOS 15 feature that is meant to curb the distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and help protect children from predators who use communication tools to exploit them. Apple is set to roll out the feature first in the United States and then other regions would follow. It is a three-fold feature that has the potential to put the parents minds at ease. As always, this new addition is being implemented free of cost. The only pre-requisite being iOS 15.

Apple is working closely with top child safety experts to make the system as fool-proof as possible.

Related: The best Android games for kids [Age group-wise]

The Child Safety feature set was not built overnight; Apple has perfected it over many iterations. In its current form, Child Safety in iOS 15 is broken into three sections. The first part is communication safety in the default Messages app. The second one is CSAM scanning in iCloud Photos. And finally, the third part comes in the form of safer guidance in Siri and search. Below, we will learn what these mean.

The default Messages app in iOS is arguably one of the most compelling parts of an Apple device, which is why this filtering system has the potential to be particularly effective. Communication safety adds an added layer to your childs Messages UI. When they receive a sexually explicit image, the photo is blurred and they are told of the sensitive nature of the photo. If they still wish to continue, there is a provision to send an alert to parents or guardians. The same filtering system comes into play if the minors choose to send sexually explicit photos. The parents are alerted if their child chooses to ignore the warning and pressed send.

This feature is exclusive to accounts set up as families in iCloud in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey.

CSAM detection in iCloud Photos is the most widespread implementation of the Child Safety program. It affects every user who backs up their photos to iCloud, which has caused a bit of a ruckus in the media lately. To detect and prevent the distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Apple is making use of advanced cryptography techniques. After an image is detected and proved to violate the guidelines, iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 devices will report the instances to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC is the hub for all CSAM-backed reports and works closely with law enforcement offices across the United States to punish the offenders.

The scanning of photos might raise some red flags, but Apple ensures that it does not scan all photos on iCloud. It only scans photos that fit a certain profile. The profile is given by NCMEC and other child safety services. On-device machine learning plays a massive role in CSAM detection. It limits exposure and accurately analyzes sensitive photos to offer parents peace of mind.

Related: 26 Zoom Games for Kids

While CSAM detection in iCloud and Communication safety focus on shielding under-age children from exposure. Safer guidance in Siri and Search is teaching users about problematic behavior. If a user employs Siri voice search or regular Search to search for queries related to Child Sexual Abuse Material, iOS 15 intervenes with a warning message. The warning explains that interest in such topics is problematic and harmful. iOS 15 even provides resources to help someone with the issue.

Child Safety is inherently built into iOS 15. So, you cannot shrug it off for good. However, there are a couple of conditions that you must meet to keep the service working as intended. First, the Communication safety feature is exclusive to accounts that are set up as Families. Isolated accounts do not have this feature. Also, as of now, CSAM detection only comes into play in iCloud photos. If you do not have iCloud, iOS 15 will not scan your private library for CSAM.

There is no distinct toggle to turn off the service, only indirect ways to disabling it.

No, Communication safety cannot be accessed by standard account holders. Your account is required to be set up as Family in iCloud settings before you can make the Child Safety feature work in iOS 15.

Apple is already facing a lot of flak regarding the photo scanning announcement. However, the company ensures that it has no intention of scanning all your photos and will not have access to any of your photos or messages. It will simply crosscheck your photos and messages with known CSAM profiles and report to the authorities if necessary.

No Apple will not scan all your photos in your iOS 15-powered iPhone. It will use on-device machine learning to cross-reference the photos you are uploading to iCloud, taking note of the suspected CSAM entries. If you do not upload photos to iCloud, the CSAM service is disabled by default.

CSAM detection applies to both old photos and new ones. If someone has media files that hint at sexual abuse of children, CSAM would notify the authorities right away and appropriate actions would be taken.

CSAM detection for photos in iCloud works by cross-checking photos with known CSAM images. If no matches are identified then the photo is given a green light. So, if you are worried about Apple reporting nude/semi-nude images of your children on your smartphone, rest assured that the company is working with multiple organizations to make sure no false reports are registered.

Apple has always been a vocal supporter of privacy, so much so that it prides itself as the most private company out there. So, when Apple came up with on-device scanning, alarms started to go off. Apple, however, has assured that the Child Safety system will not be used by the government or any other party to scan through users personal files. The entire system is completely auditable and there are many fail-safes to protect user data.

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iOS 15 Child Safety Explained: New and Top Features to Know - The Android Soul

In todays society, we are hearing many confessions from people who belong to both low and high-profile societies suffering from depression. Heck, I can even tell that some of you who are reading this article are currently undergoing some kind of depression thats eating you from inside.

People spend years in decline or disbelief that there might be something going on in their heads and the Cupertino California-based tech giant believes that iPhones could be used to detect depression, anxiety, as well as cognitive decline.

Apple plans on undertaking this task by using several digital clues and will also use health data collected from physical activity as well as sleep patterns. However, this may still raise yet more privacy concerns however, Apple is determined to offer this service to its users and has promised that all the diagnosis work will be carried out on the device without uploading any data on the server.

The report is coming from WSJ, and this is what it reads.

Apple Inc. is working on technology to help diagnose depression and cognitive decline, aiming for tools that could expand the scope of its burgeoning health portfolio, according to people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal []

The data that may be used includes analysis of participants facial expressions, how they speak, the pace and frequency of their walks, sleep patterns, and heart and respiration rates. They may also measure the speed of their typing, frequency of their typos, and content of what they type, among other data points, according to the people familiar with the research and the documents []

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The efforts spring from research partnerships that Apple has announced with the University of California, Los Angeles, which is studying stress, anxiety, and depression, and pharmaceutical company Biogen which is studying mild cognitive impairment. Seabreeze is Apples code name for the UCLA project and Pi is the code name for the Biogen project, according to the people and documents []

The extent of user tracking that may be required could spark privacy concerns. To address them, Apple aims for algorithms that work on users devices and dont send the data to Apple servers, the documents show.

Apple will undertake a UCLA study that will be tracking data for 3,000 volunteers starting this year and the Biogen study hopes to recruit 20,000 people to participate over the next two years, around half of which will have risk factors for cognitive impairment.

According to the report, the work is still in its very early stages, and there is a chance that it might result in nothing. However, Apple believes that things like depression and other mental illnesses lead to different smartphone usage patterns as shown in several studies however, the challenge here will create reliable algorithms that are reliable enough to accurately figure out the conditions because mental illnesses are still some of the most complicated forms of illnesses.

At the same time, Apple executives are said to be optimistic.

Even though the effort is at an early stage, top Apple executives are excited about the possibility. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, who oversees Apples health unit, has spoken enthusiastically to employees about the companys potential to address surging rates of depression and anxiety as well as other brain disorders, according to people who have heard him talk about the efforts.

Mental illness and depression are not something that we just lock in the corner of our mind and forget about it, it takes real courage and strength to accepts that there is something wrong in our brains. My advice, change the way you live, take a break from everything, especially from the people who always talk negatively and leach over you. Spend time with yourself, a change in scenery will help, and above all, start watching Anime, it cures depression, my advice, goes for Naruto and OnePiece, they will lift your spirits.

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Apple aims to cure depression, Anxiety, and Cognitive decline using its smartphones - TechnoSports