Picture the scene: you are in your front room listening to the Proms. The string section begins to play from your radio. Seconds later the brass starts playing from your laptop on the sofa across the room, joined by booming drums from your phone in your pocket.

This could be the future of music and drama from the BBC as Radio 3 unveiled its new immersive sound technology called Audio Orchestrator.

First piloted tomorrowwith a new radio series, Decameron Nights, the technology allows for parts of a play or music to be spread over multiple devices such as your phone, wallet, tablet or TV anywhere in the house.

The series debuting on Radio 3 is written by theatre company 1927, after its stage show of raw folk tales was cancelled due to coronavirus.

The re-imagined production for radio sees the new technology in full flow with sounds such as pianos, rivers and cawing crows able to be played from any device anywhere in home, creating your own lockdown theatre.

Radio 3 controller Alan Davey told the Telegraph: We've been experimenting with sound for many years even when we were in the early days with stereo and FM.

Playing around with sound is really important with us, so this new audio orchestration that we're experimenting with takes that a stage further where you can have lots of different sound sources that will really bring the play to life in a really discombobulating way - you can have things coming out of cushions.

"Most recently what we've been doing a lot of is binaural sound. A lot of the Proms that you can hear at the moment are available in that, so when you listen through headphones it's like it's three dimensional like you're in the Albert Hall."

When asked if we could see the Proms presented in a similar way in the future, Mr Davey said: "Yeah. You could do it for music, you could do it for string quartets, you could position the instruments how you want. Doing it like that might be quite complicated with one hundred different sound sources but theory is there.

We'll evaluate it and see how people get on with it, it is easy to use and I think the possibilities are endless - it really gives a different and added dimension to how we tell stories dramatically.

Available to listen using the new technology after its broadcast at 10:45 this evening, the writers of the production said that it helps bring the story to life in a way they would have done with their theatre shows.

It is a bit more playful, you can be more creative with it so it's not like this 'mega-tech' experience, it's quite mischievous and that's what appealed to us, director and performer Suzanne Andrade told the Telegraph.

If you have a cat purring in the story you can have that cat purring from one particular phone.

This is a funny piece as its constantly evolving and adapting. It came from a theatre show which is made up of folk tales, all pre-industrial passed down by word of mouth.

We know them to be sanitised and cleaned up but we've kept them as we'd imagined them in their original forms from the imaginations of ordinary men and women.

It's a bit of an experiment and we took sound effects, music, characters, voices and just played around with them being on different devices with the audience in the centre of the story.

The stories themselves are quite uncanny and what appealed to us is that it's also uncanny having all your phones and devices telling you a little creepy bedtime story.

It's quite subtle but it really places you somewhere. If you add in a few birds - we do like a crow - it's a giddy little thrill.

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BBC technology that turns your gadgets into speakers could be used for the Proms, says Radio 3 controller - Telegraph.co.uk

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Wolf to distribute $10.5 million in grants to career and technology centers - TribLIVE

A 4 million ($5.23 million) project in southwest England has secured funding to help pilot the extraction of lithium for use in technologies such as electric vehicles and batteries.

In a statement earlier this week, Cornish Lithium said the new funding would be used to support the construction of "Europe's first geothermal lithium recovery pilot plant." The amount of investment has not been disclosed.

Over the years, lithium has become an increasingly important cog in modern life: lithium-ion batteries, for example, are used in everything from laptops and cellphones to electric cars.

According to the British Geological Survey's Centre for Sustainable Mineral Development, MineralsUK, it can be extracted from two key types of deposits: minerals and brines. The methods used to extract lithium can range from the mining of hard rock deposits to, in the case of brines, pumping from wells.

Cornish Lithium's work is centered around the extraction of lithium from geothermal brines. It said its project would be trialing Direct Lithium Extraction, or DLE, technology and "its suitability to extract lithium from Cornish geothermal waters."

The company added that the "optimal DLE technology for Cornish waters" was still being selected, but said that "the processes being considered utilise technologies, such as nanofiltration, to selectively remove lithium compounds from the water, rather than relying on evaporation and other less environmentally friendly methods."

The scheme is a collaboration with Geothermal Engineering, a company developing geothermal facilities in the county of Cornwall. It will be located at the United Downs Deep Geothermal Project near the town of Redruth.

Described by the U.S. Department of Energy as a "vital, clean energy resource," geothermal energy refers to underground heat which can be used to produce renewable energy. The DOE adds that geothermal energy "supplies renewable power around the clock and emits little or no greenhouse gases."

The funding for the Cornish project comes from a larger 14.3 million pot of cash provided to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership from the U.K. government's Getting Building Fund, a 900 million initiative focused on job creation and the development of infrastructure and skills.

Famed for its beautiful coastline and picturesque scenery, Cornwall was once home to a large number of mines extracting materials such as tin and copper. The county's last mine shut in 1998.

Cornish Lithium is not the only company looking to extract lithium in Cornwall. Another firm, British Lithium, drilled six "exploration holes" in the area around St Austell last year. The CEO of Cornish Lithium, Jeremy Wrathall, said the newly announced funding would "significantly accelerate our work to demonstrate that lithium can be produced in a sustainable, zero-carbon manner and will enable us to fast-track similar projects in other locations across Cornwall once the plant has been completed."

"We believe that Cornwall has the potential to become the 'battery metals hub' for the U.K., thus continuing a 4,000-year history of metal production and industrial innovation."

Excerpt from:

Geothermal project in England secures funding to help pilot lithium-extraction technology - CNBC

World Bowling is set to launch an official application after signing a three-year partnership with Belgian technology company StriveCloud.

The worldwide governing body claim the app will "unite millions of elite athletes, participants and fans with vibrant competitions and immersive viewing experiences."

"This is a giant step for us as we start to break from traditional methodology to partner with experts in the esports community to bring together our sport, our athletes and our federations," said World Bowlings innovation and business development director Chris Neilson.

"Strivecloud will provide the core of our digital environment that allows us to build the platform and community along with QubicaAMF, Stack Sports, YBVR and future partners."

StriveClouds co-founder and head of customer development Freek Borghgraef said the organisation would help World Bowling with its ambition to become a more integrated and digitally connected sport.

"I was staggered to find out how data-driven the world of bowling is," said Borghgraef.

"Being able to track a broad set of statistics of almost any game of bowling played globally opens up a brave new world of possibilities to change the way the world consumes bowling.

"And that's exactly the ambition."

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World Bowling sign three-year deal with Belgian technology company to develop application - Insidethegames.biz

The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health crisis, but a socio-economic crisis as well. The global economy is projected to decline sharply this year, owing to the disruptions in global markets and value chains. The pandemic-triggered global economic recession will likely be the deepest one in advanced economies since World War II and the first output contraction in emerging and developing economies in at least the past six decades, according to the World Bank's latest Global Economic Prospects report.

COVID-19-related confinement measures such as nationwide lockdowns, travel bans, border closures, and social distancing have impacted every individual and organization, regardless of its size, in one way or the other. Overall, the crisis has changed the way we socialize, work, learn, and perform basic day-to-day activities.

Amidst all this chaos, Information and Communication Technology has emerged as the lifeline for the global community and has become more vital than it was before the pandemic. Today more than ever, we are dependent on a plethora of new and emerging digital technologies for the continuity of essential day-to-day tasks and they will play an equally important role in the aftermath of the crisis. Here are the technologies that will define the new normal in the post-COVID-19 world:

Recent developments have highlighted the importance of ubiquitous connectivity to keep things running smoothly during times of crisis. Telecom advancements have helped several countries in effectively responding to the pandemic and managing its socio-economic impacts. For instance, In China, high-speed 5G mobile connectivity, the fifth-generation successor to 4G network technology that promises to offer large bandwidth, lower latency, and 10 to 100 times higher speeds as compared to what the existing 4G LTE networks deliver, served as a critical enabler of services such as telemedicine, teleconferencing, and other information-based responses during the pandemic. 5G connectivity helped frontline hospitals in the Hubei and Zhejiang Provinces of China accomplish their critical mission of serving as fixed-point diagnosis and treatment institutions for coronavirus patients. In the Zhejiang Province, doctors used a 5G-powered robot to perform a remote ultrasound scan for cardiopulmonary assessment of a COVID-19 patient 700 km away in a makeshift hospital Wuhan, the early epicenter of coronavirus pandemic in China. Earlier generation networks would have difficulty performing such operations because of speed and bandwidth limitations. 5G connectivity has played an important role in China's response to the crisis and this is one of the reasons why China, despite the economic turmoil, is accelerating the development of new infrastructure, including the rollout of 5G. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China has over 200,000 operational 5G base stations as of mid-May and the country is expected to build another 600,000 5G base stations by the end of this year.

From connected healthcare to smart mobility and remote working to industrial automation, this emerging technology will drastically change the nature of connectivity and service delivery in the post-pandemic world by unlocking new possibilities. It will be a critical tool to drive the next wave of digital transformation triggered by COVID-19 and could also help bridge the urban-rural digital divide exacerbated by the current crisis.

After the pandemic subsides, the world will become accustomed to the virtualization of essential services such as online learning, remote working, telehealth, to name a few. As the number of connected devices and services grows, a reliable and high-speed connection with minimal lag times will be central to meet the data demand. When it comes to providing ultra-reliable and higher-bandwidth networks, 5G is more capable than any other network generation.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a collection of smart interconnected devices. In simple terms, it is an ecosystem of internet-connected physical devices that interact and exchange information over the network. IoT can also play a major role in the fight against a global crisis like COVID-19. Smart connected devices in the IoT network generate a huge amount of data which helps in damage assessment and decision-making for an effective and inclusive response. For example, government and policymakers can use the transportation and mobility data collected from IoT networks and sensors to analyze pedestrian traffic, commercial fleets activity and to gain relevant insights into how the sector is rebounding post-crisis and accordingly implement more targeted recovery measures. Ontario-based Geotab provides datasets based on aggregated and anonymized insights from a base of over 2 million commercial vehicles worldwide to help governments and businesses make informed decisions.

Ranging from healthcare to mobility, IoT can catalyze growth and innovation across different verticals. Utilizing IoT technologies, authorities around the world are effectively dealing with the pandemic and the challenges linked to it. For example, for real-time tracking and identification of COVID-19 clusters, authorities are using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the most commonly used wireless protocol in IoT devices for connectivity. Drones and robots are being used to deliver essential supplies including medicines and food. The use of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) to address various challenges facing the manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare sectors during COVID-19 lockdowns have proved the capabilities of IoT in providing uninterrupted services.

In the post-pandemic world, the IoT market will witness a boom as all major verticals will look up to the smart connected services to recover from COVID-19 disruptions and futureproofing, with transport and healthcare sector being the most promising sectors for the growth of IoT tech.

Cloud computing, the on-demand delivery of computing services over the internet, has become an absolute necessity to sustain operations in times of this crisis and is likely to be the key to business resilience in the aftermath of the pandemic. Cloud-based solutions are experiencing unprecedented demand due to the rapid adoption of work from home (WFH), online learning models, digital finance, and remote medical consultations during this unparalleled time. One of the major advantages of cloud services is that they serve as a central hub for people to virtually meet and exchange resources and the ability to scale dynamically, both up and down, as needed.

Major cloud service providers including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, among others saw demand spikes during the crisis. For instance, at the end of March 2020, Microsoft Teams, a cloud-based collaboration software, witnessed a dramatic upsurge in demand as the world moved to remote work and learning models. Teams set a new daily record of 2.7 billion meeting minutes in a single day, while the number climbed to 4.1 billion meeting minutes in April. Similarly, AWS and other major cloud service providers experienced healthy growth during global lockdowns.

The pandemic has accelerated cloud migration in government organizations too. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is leveraging digital technologies, particularly cloud computing to enable teleworking and increase productivity during the pandemic. To support DOD personnel's transition towards remote working, the department has created a Commercial Virtual Remote (CVR) Environment based on the Microsoft Teams' cloud-enabled collaboration tool that facilitates collaboration from any location.

Cloud computing will likely become a must-have technology as remote work transition is accelerating across the board and organizations are struggling to adapt to the changing customer needs (e.g. people increasingly moving to online services including shopping, gaming) and market landscape. From reducing infrastructure costs to increasing operational efficiencies, cloud technology will help every enterprise sustain into the future.

Prior to the pandemic, the debate was raging over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation - a major use case of AI, on humans, but during this difficult time, the technologies are supporting humanity in conquering the deadly virus. From identifying infection hotspots to facilitating diagnosis and research, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a central role in tackling the pandemic. A host of industries including healthcare, automotive are deploying artificial intelligence systems to automate essential services.

In the long run, organizations will need to incorporate digital technologies like AI and machine learning into their business processes to adapt to the changing business landscape and improve their resiliency for future crises.

COVID-19 is expected to push a majority of industries into more automation in the post-COVID-19 world. In the foreseeable future, we will see large parts of our lives influenced by this revolutionary technology.

Read more: Automation Post-COVID 19: Narrative to change, adoption to increase

The immersive technology industry is one of the many industries witnessing a significant uptick in demand during the pandemic and as we navigate the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, the AR/VR technology is poised to gain momentum. The rapid shift to remote work, virtual learning, and online shopping in times of social distancing and lockdowns have given a significant impetus to the adoption and development of immersive technologies namely augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), subsequently stoking the interest of both consumers and investors.

The education sector, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, is harnessing immersive technology in several ways to deliver more interactive content and drive learner engagement. One such example is of the Case Western Reserve University where all the first-year medical students attended an all-online anatomy class via HoloAnatomy, a mixed-reality app that uses Microsoft's HoloLens to enhance teaching and research. Similarly in the healthcare sector, researchers and health experts are leveraging immersive real-time collaboration tools to better understand viruses or diseases like COVID-19 while hospitals and healthcare workers are using them to monitor coronavirus patients remotely.

The tech-driven future will see higher adoption of immersive technologies by businesses and organizations to enhance remote collaboration and workplace productivity, thereby accelerating the growth of the AR and VR markets globally. Virtual tourism and gaming segments will likely be the major adopter of immersive technologies once the pandemic subsides.

For more details, read- Immersive technologies during and after COVID-19

COVID-19 has created a lucrative environment for opportunistic cybercriminals who seek to capitalize on the mass anxiety, social and economic circumstances created by the pandemic. As more and more organizations are leveraging digital channels or services or adopting the work-from-home model to ensure business continuity, they have also become targets of cybercriminals. Malware, scams, ransomware, and phishing attacks have dramatically increased since the onset of COVID-19. According to the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), a 350 percent increase in phishing websites was reported globally in the first quarter of 2020, with hospitals and health care systems being the main targets.

The new normal of remote working and the alarming rise in the number of cyberattacks has prompted individuals and organizations to rethink their cyber defense strategies and ramp up cybersecurity spending to adapt to the new circumstances created by the pandemic. Adoption of sound information security strategy and policies based on the evolving nature of attacks will help organizations stand vigilant against future attacks. In the post-pandemic world, cybersecurity will remain a top priority for organizations embarking on a digital transformation and automation journey. A holistic risk-based approach to cybersecurity will be vital for them to address security gaps and maintain business continuity in the event of a similar crisis in the future.

Read more: Tracking Cybersecurity: Laying the groundwork for tougher regulations post-COVID 19

With the pandemic disrupting global supply chains and creating a shortage of essential products, 3D printing, aka additive manufacturing, has joined the medical community and the general public in their fight against COVID-19. By quickly scaling up the prototyping and production, the transformative technology is supporting the manufacturing of critical medical devices or equipment like face shields, test swabs, and ventilator components that are in short supply due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

For instance, 3D printing came to the rescue of a hospital in Italy, one of the worst-affected countries by COVID-19, when the original supplier for respiratory valves failed to handle the sudden upsurge in demand. In March 2020, Isinnova, an Italian engineering firm teamed up with another local 3D-printer company to produce 100 respirator valves in just 24 hours. Similarly, HP, an industry leader in 3D printing technology, said that it along with its global partners and customers has produced more than 3.3 million 3D printed parts for face shields, respirators, nasal swabs, and other medical items for hospitals.

The demand for advanced manufacturing technologies including 3D printing has increased exponentially across many sectors ranging from automotive to medical. As economies are opening up, the technology will help businesses bolster their manufacturing capabilities and reduce over-dependence on selected suppliers for critical situations like the present crisis. Overall, 3D printing has the potential to transform manufacturing and catalyze efforts to build resilient supply chains. To reap the true opportunities that this digital manufacturing technology can bring, policymakers and regulators will have to resolve some challenges including enabling regulatory environments.

To see more detailed insights on the 3D printing technology, read- 3D printing and the future of manufacturing post COVID-19

COVID-19 has underscored the importance of advanced digital technologies to improve connectivity and strengthen resilience to effectively deal with the current and the next crisis down the road. Be it education, healthcare, entertainment, or finance, the pandemic has triggered an unprecedented demand for digital technologies in every industry and the trend will continue in the future as well. As the world eases lockdowns, technology will continue to play a critically important role in the socio-economic recovery process.

While technological innovation has the potential to amplify human potential and ease lives, it can also increase inequality and pose risks to individual privacy if not used safely and responsibly. To harness the true potential of technology, it's extremely important to ensure that it safeguards digital rights including the right to accessibility. Governments, policymakers, international organizations, and all stakeholders will need to collaborate to put forth proactive measures and standards covering both ethical and legal aspects to ensure inclusive, transparent, and accountable use of digital technologies during and after the crisis.

Technology can be a lifeline for everyone, it just needs proper regulation and responsible usage.

VisionRI's Centre of Excellence on Emerging Development Perspectives (COE-EDP) aims to keep track of the transition trajectory of global development and works towards conceptualization, development, and mainstreaming of innovative developmental approaches, frameworks, and practices.

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Technologies that will drive the 'new normal' post-COVID 19 - Devdiscourse

The following is the Aug. 4, 2020, Congressional Research Service report, Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress.

Members of Congress and Pentagon officials are increasingly focused on developing emerging military technologies to enhance U.S. national security and keep pace with U.S. competitors. The U.S. military has long relied upon technological superiority to ensure its dominance in conflict and to underwrite U.S. national security. In recent years, however, technology has both rapidly evolved and rapidly proliferatedlargely as a result of advances in the commercial sector. As former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel observed, this development has threatened to erode the United States traditional sources of military advantage. The Department of Defense (DOD) has undertaken a number of initiatives to arrest this trend. For example, in 2014, DOD announced the Third Offset Strategy, an effort to exploit emerging technologies for military and security purposes as well as associated strategies, tactics, and concepts of operation. In support of this strategy, DOD established a number of organizations focused on defense innovation, including the Defense Innovation Unit and the Defense Wargaming Alignment Group.

More recently, the 2018 National Defense Strategy echoed the underpinnings of the Third Offset Strategy, noting that U.S. national security will likely be

affected by rapid technological advancements and the changing character of war. New technologies include advanced computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, autonomy, robotics, directed energy, hypersonics, and biotechnologythe very technologies that ensure we will be able to fight and win the wars of the future.

The United States is the leader in developing many of these technologies. However, China and Russiakey strategic competitorsare making steady progress in developing advanced military technologies. As these technologies are integrated into foreign and domestic military forces and deployed, they could hold significant implications for the future of international security writ large, and will have to be a significant focus for Congress, both in terms of funding and program oversight.

This report provides an overview of selected emerging military technologies in the United States, China, and Russia:

It also discusses relevant initiatives within international institutions to monitor or regulate these technologies, considers the potential implications of emerging military technologies for warfighting, and outlines associated issues for Congress. These issues include the level and stability of funding for emerging technologies, the management structure for emerging technologies, the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining technology workers, the acquisitions process for rapidly evolving and dual-use technologies, the protection of emerging technologies from theft and expropriation, and the governance and regulation of emerging technologies. Such issues could hold implications for congressional authorization, appropriation, oversight, and treaty-making.

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Report to Congress on Emerging Military Technologies - USNI News - USNI News

MyFiziq Limited (ASX:MYQ) has signed a binding term sheet with BioMorphikk Pty Ltd, an Australian based behavioural change and technology company that has developed a medical health and wellness platform.

This platform is the bridge between medical and health/wellness. It aims to reduce health costs at all levels of society from the individual, to healthcare and insurance systems, as well as governments.

BioMorphik and MyFiziq will collaborate to integrate MyFiziqs body tracking application into all of BioMorphiks verticals, commencing with an initial integration into its pre-emptive health platform over the coming months.

BioMorphik has created a pre-emptive health platform founded on the basis that consistent and early management of health and fitness at younger ages has a compounding effect on health later in life.

Through smaller, constant, micro-interventions BioMorphik can drastically improve lifetime health, reduce the need for medical interventions, and save costs and resources for the user and health systems.

The goal of Biomorphiks pre-emptive health platform is to improve user quality of life, reduce spending on medical treatment, and reduce interactions with the medical system.

With global medical facilities and personnel stretched to their limits and further compounded by a significant worldwide economic downturn and job losses as a result of COVID-19, there should be significant demand for the groups product offering.

Biomorphiks solution is a well-designed platform with the intention to improve health outcomes, saving individuals, insurers and governments substantial costs, helping to reduce the burden on the global medical facilities and supply chains.

MyFiziq will be an integral part of the BioMorphik direct to consumer offering as the primary checkpoint of identifying and tracking the markers for chronic disease, as well as dimensional and body composition change.

As outlined in the binding terms sheet, the parties will work together to deliver a market-ready integration into the BioMorphik platform by the March quarter of 2021.

In parallel, the parties have agreed to conclude all formal agreements within 60 days of signing the binding terms sheet.

Under the terms of the agreement, BioMorphik has undertaken to deliver a minimum of 100,000 active users within the first 12 months of launch.

Commenting on this development and in particular its timing in the current environment MyFiziq chief executive Vlado Bosanac said, Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has experienced a surge in m-Health, telehealth, virtual care and preventative health investment.

This week alone, we saw Teledoc acquire Livongo for USD$18.5 billion.

BioMorphiks behavioural based program targets smaller interventions prior to current preventative healthcare solutions, which is unique and innovative in this urgently needed market segment.

With medical facilities and supply chains strained worldwide as a result of current pandemic, BioMorphik has identified, developed and entered the market with a dynamic and well-resourced offering.

I am pleased to be working with Nathaniel Peek (CEO BioMorphik) and the BioMorphik team to provide an urgently needed, unique behavioural based, pre-emptive health solution that focuses on reducing costs at all levels of the health, wellness and medical supply chain from the user/patient, all the way to the medical provider, insurer and even at government levels.

Endorsing Bosanacs comments and underlining the complementary nature of both technologies, Peek said, Through integrating MyFiziqs technology into our platform, we now have the capability to more regularly and cost effectively understand user and patient body composition information as well as their risks of chronic disease in real time, capturing their body scans from the privacy of their own home, significantly broadening our B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) customer reach.

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MyFiziq teams up with BioMorphik to share technologies on its medical health and wellness platform - Finfeed

Communication is about sharing information with others. The evolutions of communications technology has enabled us to be more connected than ever before, meaning that information can be shared anytime and anywhere.

In mobile communication, a business with a well-established global ecosystem, from equipment manufacturers to telecommunications operators, common rule is essential to keeping the ecosystem moving forward collaboratively. This is where the process of standardization comes in, which sets internationally agreed-upon standards to give users access to better products and services at lower prices. A representative example demonstrating the benefits of international standardization is the global roaming service, which allows users travelling to foreign countries to use their mobile devices as they are.

Standardization is one of main driving forces behind the growth of the mobile communication industry since a new generation has been introduced once every decade. Large-scale investments into mobile communication have been triggered when each new generation of communications is commercialized, explained Dr. Han. When certain countries or companies run their businesses with proprietary solutions, the risk of failure increases. This means that the chance of success can increase only when the stakeholders of the mobile communication ecosystem come together to define the most relevant technologies and discuss aspects like implementation early enough. Determining communications standards and developing products following these standards is an equitable process, noted Dr. Han. These standards are crucial.

Standardization is two-fold: the de jure standards obligated by regulators and the de facto standards established by the global communications industry which, while not compulsory, specify unified ways of operation for stakeholders around the world to follow. The Standards Research team of Samsungs Advanced Communications Research Center oversees both standards.

For example, in order to utilize the extremely high frequency band (mmWave) for 5G, de jure standardization is a prerequisite for the commercialization of any device using the band, which includes assigning a set of frequency bands to mobile communication, setting regulated conditions such as maximum transmission power and out-of-band emission, and ensuring its safety for the human body and existing devices, explained Dr. Han. We are also simultaneously developing protocol technologies and working on de facto standardization to include these technologies into the standards by participating in standards developing organizations such as 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Dr. Han emphasized that both de jure and de facto standards are equally important.

Frequency bands are a limited resource. It is inevitable that different parties will clash over acquiring such an in-demand resource, which is why each frequency band is already allocated to a specific purpose, e.g. fixed communications, mobile communication, broadcasting, satellite, or other uses. The extremely high frequency band adopted for 5G was an unexplored territory from the perspective of mobile communication. When Samsung initially proposed it, there was pushback at first.

Standards experts are supposed to take the initiative of reserving such new spectrums for the mobile communication industry. By stressing mobile communications contribution to the economy, we managed to persuade the governments of each country, and attracted more supporters by showing them the feasibility of applying this extremely high frequency band to mobile communication, recalled Dr. Han. We actively presented many details to justify our claim, including the simulation results of a coexistence study. As a result, we were able to have this extremely high frequency band assigned to 5G.

There is no almighty judge when it comes to fairly determining which technology among many candidates should be selected as a part of the standard. Moreover, any technology has its own pros and cons, said Dr. Han. There is a decision-making process inherent to standardization. Proposals are first made by companies, intensive and technical debate on each proposal then follows, and participants finally build a consensus to reach a conclusion. We have to avoid sticking to our own interests. Instead, we are trying to communicate with other stakeholders to find the best way forward based on an understanding of the industry as a whole. When we take care of the ecosystem, proposals that we develop to make it healthy and sustainable will be supported by the majority as a result.

Similar to the role of the diplomat, standardization experts participate in global standardization conferences and will there represent their company or their country. They are expected to be the best in their own field. As we are contending at the forefront of these international discussions, technical competitiveness is the key requirement for Samsung delegates, explained Dr. Han. Therefore, in our projects, anyone who is most competitive in a certain area is designated as the champion of the area, regardless which team he or she belongs to.

4G is a communications technology designed to enable the wireless broadband service for smartphones. In particular, 4G as a universal communications platform aggressively adopted the Internet protocol that was popularly used in past wired packet communications. Therefore, many Internet-based services could easily migrate to cellular systems. 5G, then, is designed to expand its territory from the broadband service for smartphone users to vertical markets including the smart factory, automobile, healthcare, private network, smart city, and more. 4G as a universal solution led to a huge growth of the communications market. On the other hand, 5G aims to create new markets based on its new design principle of customizable networks to fulfill the specific requirements of a particular industry sector.

To realize the innovations that 5G has promised, Dr. Han and his team have been working on Rel-16, the second version of 5G. Rel-15, the first version of 5G, laid a new framework for the technology and focused on how to provide differentiated experiences to conventional customers, i.e. smartphone users, noted Dr. Han. We joined the global collaboration to develop Rel-16 in order to realize the 5G vision. Rel-16 introduces and enhances 5Gs features for vertical markets. For example, V2X1 is for connected cars, industrial IoT communications is for smart factories and the data analytics function has been improved for network AI.

Even though 5G has been commercialized, the standardization of 5G for further enhancements will never stop. Until the launch of 6G, the 5G standard will continuously evolve in order to improve and expand 5G. As soon as we concluded the development of 5Gs second version, we immediately began work on the third version, Rel-17, commented Dr. Han. We have discovered some areas to improve commercial 5G networks with, including coverage expansion and NR-MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output). These will be amended and enhanced in the upcoming versions. Furthermore, we will continue to discover new features to add in order to enable new 5G applications. Innovations we are looking at include media delivery for AR glasses-type devices and edge computing enablers for low latency services from cloud servers close to users.

Samsung is constantly pushing the boundaries of 5G in order to bring its unique experiences to users. One key characteristic of 5G is its ultra-low latency, brought about by its nine-tenths latency reduction in the radio access link between terminal and base station as compared to the previous generation. In order for users to experience the quality of ultra-low latency services, the end-to-end latency between the user terminal and the cloud server should be reduced. Samsung believes that edge computing will solve the rest of this puzzle, this being latency reduction in the backbone network, by placing the server closer to users. Thanks to 5G and edge computing, users will finally be able to enjoy 5Gs signature service on their devices.

The link between a device and its server was out of 3GPPs scope, said Dr. Han. But it is also hard for other standards organizations who are not experts in 5G to develop the standard for edge computing without a complete understanding of 5G systems. Due to this difficulty, attempts were made to develop edge computing-enabled communication using proprietary solutions which would lead to serious market fragmentation. Samsung initiated discussions on edge computing inside 3GPP and persuaded other participating companies. We are now leading the standardization effort for enabling edge computing in 5G systems as one of the key items of Rel-17.

In 2009, Samsung began the early stages of 5G research with the question of how can we improve cellular networks to be 10 times better than 4G LTE? Samsung will continue to develop further enhanced technologies for the future of 5G. Samsung plays various key roles in the influential standardization organization for mobile communications and leads those standards and related technologies, explained Dr. Han. Based on our perseverance for over 10 years in this field, we will overcome whatever obstacles we encounter and will make 5G a big success.

Dr. Han began working in this field because when he was a student, he was extremely curious about who made standard specifications, the ground rules that were akin to a communications bible. And today, he is leading the team shaping the future of communications with standards. What resolution has he set?

When we worked on LTE standards, we did not even expect that the term LTE, back then only used by selective standard engineers, would become a common and popular term, noted Dr. Han. This experience reminded me that the technologies we create can change the world and the daily lives of people. We are also aware of high expectation from 5G that we have developed. I firmly believe that our work will benefit the world.

Dr. Han is also working on promoting Samsungs 6G vision to inspire people in this field. In the future, the main customers in the communications market wont just be human, but will include robots and other machines, too, explained Dr. Han. People will start to enjoy hyper-connected experiences and be able to explore reality in a virtual world without temporal or spatial constraints. 6G will present fundamental technologies for such innovations. We will begin communicating with stakeholders as per Samsungs 6G White Paper, published on July 14. Our 5G experience and the insights captured in our 6G vision will help us prepare for the long journey toward another success story with 6G.

Moreover, the sustainable growth of society and the communications industry will be key considerations for shaping 6G.

1 V2X is a technology that supports vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications.

See the rest here:

[What's Next in Communications Technology?] Defining the Boundaries of Communications - Samsung Global Newsroom

Imagine calling your favourite business and it knows what you need without you saying a word. Ground-breaking intuitive technology recognises your phone number, remembers your name, your address, what you like and automatically predicts where to place your call. It can let a business know if you are a loyal regular caller or a pest caller.

This is the artificial intelligence that is revolutionising the telecommunications industry, according to telecommunications expert Mark Horwood.

Gone are the days when receptionists need to ask how they can best direct your call, Mr Horwood said.

You wont even need to press 1, 2 or 3 for different departments, or yell the same generic phrase into the phone over and over until the voice recognition finally understands you.

Artificial intelligence is bringing call times down and customer satisfaction up.

Mr Horwood said automatic call direct identifies new phone numbers as potential customers and directs them accordingly.

For customers that have called a business previously, data about their phone number, information and preferences are encrypted for privacy and stored securely on the Cloud.

Mr Horwood said telephone calls might seem old fashioned, but business owners should embrace the latest high-tech features for efficiency and to streamline their systems.

Calling on the telephone is still an important form of communication, said Mr Horwood.

There has been a slight decline in call numbers in recent years, but the importance of those calls had increased significantly, he said.

Many people call a business when its important or when they cant access help online or through an app.

This is why it is so important for businesses to prioritise and invest in their telecommunications systems, with a focus on making things easier on the customer as well as the business.

Mr Horwood said the evolution of telephony was exciting, but sadly most businesses were slow to adapt.

While this smarter technology is available, about 90 per cent of businesses have antiquated and outdated phone systems, he said.

They really are failing their customers who struggle to get through, experience long and boring on- hold wait times and often hang up in frustration.

Mr Horwood said the big utilities were the worst offenders, such as power and insurance companies. While smaller businesses like car dealerships embraced feature-driven telephony and customer experience.

Related: Bring developers into the fold: Blending business brains with IT intelligence

The smaller competitive industries are keeping up with technology, saving money and keeping their customers happy, said Mr Horwood.

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How to use intuitive technology to gain customers and keep clients - DynamicBusiness

After much deliberation and consultation with customers, attendees and industry partners, organiser the BTN Group has confirmed that Travel Technology Europe will now take place from 22-23 June next year. Europes leading travel technology event will also transition to a hybrid format for 2021, offering virtual content designed to engage more buyers than ever.

The travel industry has been one of the hardest hit by COVID-19, said David Chapple, Northstar Travel Group UK managing director. While there is no doubt this industry will make a full recovery, and we have already seen a resurgence in domestic and international leisure travel, by moving Travel Technology Europe to June, we will be able to support the industry at a time when there will be greater certainty and confidence.

Our mission has always been for Travel Technology Europe to be a truly European event, and that can be realised more easily through a hybrid offering. So, for 2021, engaging virtual content will be fully integrated across the entire event experience to benefit buyers attending the show and those unable to physically attend. This will allow more buyers to attend than ever before, and for our exhibitors, sponsors and speakers to reach a wider geographical spread of potential business partners.

Travel Technology Europe will continue to offer thousands of marketing and travel technology buyers with targeted business meetings, engaging features inviting them to discover innovation, and educational content that focuses on the hot button topics of the moment.

The 2021 edition of Travel Technology Europe will take place at ExCeL for the first time in the events history. The venue is once again fully operational as a state?of?the?art exhibition and conference centre, ensuring the organisers can deliver a COVID-safe event and deliver a first class visitor experience.

Link:

Travel Technology Europe supports industry with new dateline and additional virtual content - Travel Daily News International

Minnesota and surrounding states sold a record or near record number of fishing licenses this year. It seems that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven us to the water. People who have never picked up a rod and reel or cane pole have headed for the docks and boats on lakes, rivers and streams that flow throughout the countryside.

Kids are watching red and white bobbers with the hope that the float will slowly sink below the surface with something fishy on the other end of the line. It is a sport that is about as old as humans.

Technology entered the fishing scene many years ago. Starting with a bone hook and piece of mastodon sinew for line, the sport has progressed into the space age with uncountable "improvements" added to the tackle box. Sporting goods stores are full of the stuff.

One would think that trying to land a fish with a brain the size of a small pea would not require such advanced technology, but that evidently is not the case. No amount of money is spared to bring a bass to the net or a walleye to the table.

I've fished a number of fishing contests over the years. These were low profile contests where the first prize was a rod and reel or maybe a tackle box. Not to be compared to today's mega-fishing contests that feature boats that cost as much as a house and electronics that resemble the innards of the space station. Gadgets that all proclaim that by using them you can't help but catch a trophy.

And the professional anglers that inhabit those boat shrines are seen wearing garb that resembles a garish billboard. Every inch of their boat and their clothing is covered by some company's logo. I guess that's what it takes to make a living by fishing.

One of my ideas for one of these contests would be to hold a tech-free fishing contest. It would be interesting to see any of the contestants try to find fish without having eyes under their boats.

I remember the days when we would drag an anchor or weight to find a fish-able sandbar or rock reef. We would look for the change in color of the water as we tried to troll along a sandbar at the correct depth. Before depth finders became popular, it wasn't unusual to use a long cane pole to prod below the boat until the reef was detected.

No wonder there were more fish in the lake as a result of using those primordial angling methods.

Technology has changed all of that. I have become a user of technology in my fishing boat, although I don't have all the bells and whistles that are used by many anglers today. A simple depth finder is enough for me to figure out where a fish might be lounging. But, without it I feel blind, much like I did many years ago when I first cast a line into a Minnesota lake.

Technology doesn't always work though. The day I referred to at the beginning of this column was one in which my dad and I were fishing on the banks of the Big Sioux River in Iowa. I was given my usual cane pole and told to go fish near a sunken log along the bank. Dad's rig was a steel fishing rod with a gleaming Stanley baitcast reel attached.

I had admired his rig and I begged him to let me use it on that day.

He gave in to my pleading and took my cane pole and sat down in the shade of a giant cottonwood tree and I crawled out on the sunken log with his reel. My first cast resulted in a giant bird's nest backlash. While I was untangling the mess I heard splashing coming from my dad's direction. I then heard some yelling and I ran to see what was happening.

When I arrived at his spot I saw the largest carp I'd ever seen flopping on the grass. The cane pole technique had worked. I stood there with his rod and reel and bird's nest backlash and wondered how this could have happened. I had the better rig, didn't I?

Fishing has been rediscovered this summer. One good thing we can say actually happened as a result of the virus. Watch that bobber.

See you next time. Okay? Be safe!

See original here:

The Last Windrow: Fishing technology isn't always all it's cracked up to be - Pine and Lakes Echo Journal

Driver-assist systems such as lane-keeping assistance are becoming more common in new vehicles. While the features have moved into the mainstream, their reliability has lagged, a study released today by the American Automobile Association found. The systems in the five vehicles that AAA tested experienced on average one issuesuch as the need for the driver to act quickly to keep the vehicle centered in a laneevery eight miles.

The safety benefits of such systems, the study concluded, arent reliable. The systems become particularly dangerous when drivers over-rely on the technology and dont notice when the systems disengagewhich they often do with little notice, AAA noted. Of all of the errors that the systems made on open-road testing, 73 percent involved instances of lane departure or erratic lane position.

Manufacturers need to work toward more dependable technology, including improving lane keeping assistance and providing more adequate alerts, Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and industry relations at AAA, said in a statement. Active driving assistance systems are designed to assist the driver and help make the roads safer, but the fact is, these systems are in the early stages of their development.

The study tested five 2019 and 2020 vehicles equipped with the most advanced technology each automaker had to offer, including a 2019 BMW X7 with Active Driving Assistant Professional, 2019 Cadillac CT6 with Super Cruise, 2019 Ford Edge with Ford Co-Pilot360, 2020 Kia Telluride with Highway Driving Assist and 2020 Subaru Outback with EyeSight. All of these systems are regarded as Level 2 autonomous systems, meaning the driver is expected to remain aware while the system is in use.

In the study, the Cadillac CT6 experienced the fewest number of issues over the roughly 800 miles the vehicles each traveled, followed by the BMW X7, Subaru Outback, Kia Telluride, and Ford Edge. On the closed course portion of the test, the vehicles had difficulty when approaching a simulated disable vehicle, with a collision occurring two-thirds of the time.

We know human error contributes to 94 percent of all crashes, which is why we are focused on advancing driver assist technologies that can help significantly enhance safety, Wade Newton, the VP of communications at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, told C/D. However, as we integrate these increasingly advanced driver assistance features into more vehicles, it is critical that drivers fully understand the systems capabilities and limitations as well as their responsibilities.

AAA concluded that if drivers have bad experiences with less advanced systems, they may be less willing to accept more fully autonomous vehicles in the future. Ultimately, the association said that current ADAS systems are not capable of sustained vehicle operation without constant driver supervision; it is imperative the driver maintain situational awareness at all times.

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AAA: Driver-Assist Technology Is Not As Reliable As You May Think - Car and Driver

These are the retail tech articles that caught your fancy last week. Comet gears up for online return

Electrical retailer Comet will return to action as a pureplay this week, eight years after it folded.

RTIH takes a look at the retail technology space during July and rounds up the winners and losers.

Amazon is planning to open as many as 30 Amazon Go cashierless convenience stores in the UK.

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail technology deals, deployments and pilots from the past week.

Retail Assist has landed Slater Menswear as a client.

Slater will be onboarding its supply chain and merchandising management solution, Merret Pro, whilst also tapping into optimised store inventory management via the Merret Tablet Inventory application.

Retail automation startup Pixevia has bagged 1 million in funding from Iron Wolf Capital, Open Circle Capital, Practica Capital and Mantas Mikuckas (Vinted), Tomas Okmanas and Eimantas Sabaliauskas (Tesonet).

M&S has emailed its customers, informing them that on 1st September it will for the first time launch its full product range online.

Reliance Group is set to emerge as the leader in the Indian retail landscape, according to GlobalData.

These retailers are leading the way in providing technology and experiences that are one step ahead of their customers expectations.

Holland & Barrett this week previewed its new omnichannel experiences store concept.

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news and analysis for omnichannel retailers - Retail Technology Innovation Hub

New York, Aug. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Cloud Radio Access Network Market Research Report by Technology, by Component, by Network, by Deployment Area - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913866/?utm_source=GNW

The Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market is expected to grow from USD 718.96 Million in 2019 to USD 1,353.96 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.12%.

Market Segmentation & Coverage:This research report categorizes the Cloud Radio Access Network to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Technology, the Cloud Radio Access Network Market studied across Centralization Technology and Virtualization Technology. The Centralization Technology further studied across Layer-2 Cloud Radio Access Network and Layer-3 Cloud Radio Access Network. The Virtualization Technology further studied across Architecture of Virtualization Technology and Flexran.

Based on Component, the Cloud Radio Access Network Market studied across Services and Solution. The Services further studied across Consulting, Maintenance & Support, Planning & Implementation, and Training. The Solution further studied across Cloud Public Radio Interface - Radio Frequency Analyzer, Cloud-Based Test Management Tool, and Optical Time Domain Reflectometer Technology-Based Testing Module.

Based on Network, the Cloud Radio Access Network Market studied across 3G, 4G, and 5G.

Based on Deployment Area, the Cloud Radio Access Network Market studied across High-Density Urban Areas, Large Public Venues, Suburban & Rural Areas, and Targeted Outdoor Urban Areas.

Based on Geography, the Cloud Radio Access Network Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.

Company Usability Profiles:The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market including Altiostar, Asocs Ltd., Cisco Systems, Inc., Ericsson AB, Fujitsu, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Intel Corporation, Mavenir Systems, NEC Corporation, Nokia Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, and ZTE Corporation.

FPNV Positioning Matrix:The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Cloud Radio Access Network Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Competitive Strategic Window:The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.

Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments

The report answers questions such as:1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market?2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market during the forecast period?3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market?4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market?5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market?6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Cloud Radio Access Network Market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913866/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Cloud Radio Access Network Market Research Report by Technology, by Component, by Network, by Deployment Area - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative...

Employers in the healthcare industry are no strangers to change. After all, you are constantly adapting to cutting-edge medical technologies to improve and expand patient care, reform health inequities, advance care coordination and continuity, facilitate data analysis for diagnosis and treatment, and harmonize advanced levels of care across the country. Nonetheless, in hasty response to the pandemic, the industry is experiencing a profusion of advanced technologies now more than ever. These primarily include the unparalleled resurgence of telehealth as well as complex advancements to the nuanced roles of artificial intelligence, analytics, and biometrics to improve integrity of electronic health records (EHR), including migration to a cloud-based platform. In todays unpredictable and volatile COVID-19 environment, it is critical that you not only confront but embrace this advent of technology through continued employee education and training.

Of course, this is no easy task. In fact, the application of this technology to reality is wrought with challenges arising from providers legal duties and your moral imperative to safeguard patient privacy. It is incumbent for you to invest not only in the technologies themselves but in the continued education and training of employees to ensure patient privacy. Thus, it is also critical that you and your employees alike adhere to patient privacy laws, including HIPAA and other statutory obligations. To make matters all the more complicated, these obligations are currently changing, mirroring the volatility of the pandemics impact on the practice of medicine. Accordingly, this article seeks to educate healthcare employers as to the impact of these pioneering technologies on patient privacy laws and, despite the unpredictability of the current climate, forecast the staying power of telehealth and related evolving modalities.

Post-Pandemic Predictions For Telehealth Illustrate Need To Invest In The Technology

Given the current momentum of telehealth services, federal policymakers have enacted upwards of 30 changes to enable greater access to telehealth in the COVID-19 era. Driven by telehealths obvious unique ability to deliver contactless patient care, these changes include the relaxation of regulatory hurdles (specifically, the temporary lifting of penalties) by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) around HIPAA.

In mid-March, the OCR announced easement of restrictions on telehealth during the pandemic, including the temporary lifting of penalties generally imposed on providers who use non-HIPAA compliant virtual communications technology during the public health emergency provided such use is in good faith. By way of vague guidance, the OCR announced that healthcare providers seeking to use telehealth to reach patients can use any non-public remote communication product that is available to communicate with patients. . . This exercise of discretion applies to telehealth provided for any reason, regardless of whether the telehealth service is related to the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions related to COVID-19.

In its announcement, the OCR specifically recognized the essential link telehealth affords patients and providers while removing the need to travel to burdened hospitals. OCR Director Roger Severino stated, We are empowering medical providers to serve patients wherever they are during this national public health emergency. . .We are especially concerned about reaching the most at risk, including older persons and persons with disabilities.

Unfortunately, the vague relaxation of many regulations by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has left healthcare employers in the dark as to permanence. Concurrent with the introduction of a related bipartisan bill in mid-June and in response to the concerns of constituents largely made up of healthcare employers, senators from both sides of the aisle requested HHS and CMS provide a written plan for permanent changes to the rules around telehealth. The June 26 request specifically seeks guidance as to OCRs enforcement discretion of HIPAA compliance, including a security analysis of non-HIPAA compliant tools on which providers and patients rely during the current pandemic. While a formal response is outstanding, CMS Administrator Seema Verma acknowledged the importance of clarity for the future, stating that she cant imagine going back.

In response to the lack of guidance for healthcare constituents and in recognition of telehealths staying power, in early July, bipartisan legislation aimed at codifying clarity for telehealth regulations was introduced. Notably, the Exposure Notification Privacy Act would mandate that providers using telehealth services or other advanced modalities storing EHR to analyze patient data examples of which include patient data used in COVID-19 exposure notification systems obtain patient consent for specific utilization of said data.

The pending bills focus on preservation of patient privacy illuminates the significance of privacy. Echoing the publics concern, the American Medical Association recently released patient privacy principles warning that the government must not trade privacy for efficiency of telehealth. Accordingly, the importance of safeguarding patient privacy must remain at the forefront of healthcare employers minds when training employees on the provision of telehealth services as well as all tasks involving patient data stored in EHR.

Takeaways For Healthcare Employers

With the temporary relaxation of HIPAA penalties and other regulatory enforcement, providers have been afforded the unprecedented opportunity to offer telehealth without concern of major financial repercussions related to the technologys unique threat of exposure. In fact, many have touted the advent of telehealth amidst COVID as the unexpected experiment. Certainly, the value of telehealth services cannot be overstated and thus, the related investment in technology and employee training is pivotal.

However, with the hurried, en masse implementation of telehealth stemming from the pandemic, new challenges become evident. It is in this erratic environment that healthcare employers must function. To that end, as evidenced by public concern and thus forthcoming legislation, patient privacy and HIPAA compliance should remain of tantamount concern.

Ultimately, evidenced by telehealths vital role in evolving patient care, investment in the service is critical to continuing to operate as a provider in the 21st century. The question remains: to what degree? Nonetheless, from a legal preparedness and risk aversion standpoint, in continuing to utilize telehealth, healthcare employers should remain vigilant in the protection of patient privacy.

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The Intersection of Technology And Patient Privacy In The COVID-19 Landscape (And Beyond) - JD Supra

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Bioremediation Technology & Services - Global Market Outlook (2019 -2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Bioremediation Technology & Services market accounted for $9.13 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $17.53 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period.

Some of the key factors propelling market growth are augment the usage of fungus for treatment process of soil, increase in oil trading and enlarge in oil-contaminated sites. However, treatment time is typically longer are the restraining factor for the growth of the market.

Bioremediation is the procedure, which uses organisms to neutralize or take away contamination from waste. This technique works by providing microorganisms with dissimilar materials such as fertilizers and oxygen as well as extra conditions to stay alive. The significance of bioremediation is that it does not use chemicals and permits the waste to be recycled once the contamination is removed or neutralized.

By product, in situ bioremediation segment is expected to grow at significant market share during the forecast period due to clean up hazardous compounds there in the surroundings. In suit bioremediation is used to neutralize pollutants together with hydrocarbons, chlorinated compounds, nitrates, and toxic metals among additional pollutants through a different of chemical mechanisms.

On the basis of geography, North America is anticipated to hold considerable market share during the forecast period due to an increase in the number of companies present bioremediation services in the region. Presence of chief manufacturing industries, and augment in government funding for research & development activities in the bioremediation field are driving market growth in the region.

Companies Mentioned

What the report offers:

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

2 Preface

2.1 Abstract

2.2 Stake Holders

2.3 Research Scope

2.4 Research Methodology

2.4.1 Data Mining

2.4.2 Data Analysis

2.4.3 Data Validation

2.4.4 Research Approach

2.5 Research Sources

2.5.1 Primary Research Sources

2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources

2.5.3 Assumptions

3 Market Trend Analysis

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Drivers

3.3 Restraints

3.4 Opportunities

3.5 Threats

3.6 Technology Analysis

3.7 Application Analysis

3.8 Emerging Markets

3.9 Impact of COVID-19

4 Porters Five Force Analysis

4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Threat of substitutes

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Competitive rivalry

5 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Type

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Ex Situ Bioremediation

5.3 In Situ Bioremediation

6 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Technology

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Phytoremediation

6.3 Bioaugmentation

6.4 Bioreactors

6.5 Land-based Treatments

6.6 Fungal Remediation

6.7 Biostimulation

7 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Service

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Wastewater Remediation

7.3 Oilfield Remediation

7.4 Soil Remediation

8 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Sales Channel

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Distributor

8.3 Direct Sales

9 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Application

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Commercial

9.3 Residential

10 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Geography

10.1 Introduction

10.2 North America

10.2.1 US

10.2.2 Canada

10.2.3 Mexico

10.3 Europe

10.3.1 Germany

10.3.2 UK

10.3.3 Italy

10.3.4 France

10.3.5 Spain

10.3.6 Rest of Europe

10.4 Asia Pacific

10.4.1 Japan

10.4.2 China

10.4.3 India

10.4.4 Australia

10.4.5 New Zealand

10.4.6 South Korea

10.4.7 Rest of Asia Pacific

10.5 South America

10.5.1 Argentina

10.5.2 Brazil

10.5.3 Chile

10.5.4 Rest of South America

10.6 Middle East & Africa

10.6.1 Saudi Arabia

10.6.2 UAE

10.6.3 Qatar

10.6.4 South Africa

10.6.5 Rest of Middle East & Africa

11 Key Developments

11.1 Agreements, Partnerships, Collaborations and Joint Ventures

11.2 Acquisitions & Mergers

11.3 New Product Launch

Here is the original post:

Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market Outlook (2019 to 2027) - Featuring Ivey International, Probiosphere & Regenes Among Others...

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Mixed Reality Market - Forecast (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Mixed Reality Market has recorded $1054.3 m in 2020 and it is estimated to surpass $9982.8 m by 2025 growing at an estimated rate of more than 73.2% during 2020 to 2025. Software and Hardware are witnessed as fast growing in the market with $718.5 and 336.5 million revenue with a CAGR of 69.1% and 81.4% respectively. Eye Glass Display Device holds $321.4 m in 2020 with 66.1% growth rate. Mixed Reality technology is going to uplift the market from infant phase to extreme extent.

Mixed reality symbolizes the controlled collision of the AR/VR and IoT trends. It is the merging of Real and Virtual worlds to develop new visualizations and environments in which both digital and physical objects and their data can co-exist and interact with each other. MR displays images on semi-transparent materials using a projector, then it will get reflected to the eye with the help of beam-splitting technology. MR is applied on various places like maintenance & operations, production, design & development, reporting & analytics, quality control and distribution.

This report incorporates an in-depth assessment of Mixed Reality Market by Technology, Display Devices, End-User, Application and Geography.

The various end-users assessed includes Maintenance, Defense, Archaeology & Tourism, Architecture & Construction, Interactive Product Content Management (IPCM), Simulation Based Learning (SBL), Navigation, Gaming and Entertainment, Medical and Education and Sports. Combination of augmented and virtual reality increases the productivity, accuracy and safety of maintenance. Much useful in military training and situational positions like in the battle field. Now-a-days populace are more engaged in gaming and entertainment which is soon going to boost the market in this sector.

The report incorporates in-depth assessment of the competitive landscape, product market sizing, product benchmarking, market trends, product developments, financial analysis, strategic analysis and so on to gauge the impact forces and potential opportunities of the market. Apart from this the report also includes a study of major developments in the market such as product launches, agreements, acquisitions, collaborations, mergers and so on to comprehend the prevailing market dynamics at present and its impact during the forecast period 2020-2025.

Key Takeaways from this Report

Key Topics Covered:

1. Mixed Reality Market Overview

2. Mixed Reality Market Executive Summary

3. Mixed Reality Market Landscape

3.1. Market Share Analysis

3.2. Comparative Analysis

4. Mixed Reality Market Forces

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Constraints

4.3. Market Challenges

4.4. Attractiveness of the Industry

5. Mixed Reality Market - Strategic Analysis

5.1. Value Chain Analysis

5.2. Opportunities Analysis

5.3. Product/Market Life Cycle Analysis

5.4. Suppliers and Distributors

6. Mixed Reality Market - By Technology

6.1. Hardware

6.2. Software and Algorithms

7. Mixed Reality Market - By Display Devices

7.1. Introduction

7.2. CAVE

7.3. Head-Up Display (HUD)

7.4. Head-Mounted Display

7.5. Personal Digital Assistant

7.6. Eyeglasses

8. Mixed Reality Market - By End-User

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Aerospace & Defense

8.3. Archaeology & Tourism

8.4. Architecture & Construction

8.5. Industrial & Manufacturing

8.6. Gaming and Entertainment

8.7. Medical

8.8. Government

8.9. Retail

8.10 Education

8.11 Sports

8.12. Others

9. Mixed Reality Market - By Application

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Maintenance

9.3. Military Training

9.4. Interactive Product Content Management (IPCM)

9.5. Simulation Based Learning (SBL)

9.6. Navigation

9.7. Others

10. Mixed Reality Market - By Geography

10.1. North America

10.2. South America

10.3. Europe

10.4. APAC

10.5. Middle East& Africa

11. Market Entropy

11.1. New Product Launches

11.2. M&As, Collaborations, JVs, Partnership

12. Company Profiles

12.1. Oculus VR LLC

12.2. Infinity Augmented Reality, Inc

12.3. Meta Company

12.4. Atheer, Inc

12.5. Vuzix Corporation

12.6. Canon, Inc

12.7. HTC Corporation

12.8. Daqri LLC.

12.9. Sulon Technologies Inc.

12.10. Lumus Ltd.

13. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gwb9j0

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Global Mixed Reality Market (2020 to 2025) - by Technology, Display Devices, End-user, Application and Geography - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business...

The world is increasingly banking on green hydrogen fuel to fill some of the critical missing pieces in the clean-energy puzzle.

US presidential candidate Joe Bidens climate plan calls for a research program to produce a clean form of the gas thats cheap enough to fuel power plants within a decade. Likewise, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the European Union have all published hydrogen roadmaps that rely on it to accelerate greenhouse gas reductions in the power, transportation, or industrial sectors. Meanwhile, a growing number of companies around the world are building ever larger green hydrogen plants, or exploring its potential to produce steel, create carbon-neutral aviation fuel, or provide a backup power source for server farms.

The attraction is obvious: hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, could fuel our vehicles, power our electricity plants, and provide a way to store renewable energy without pumping out the carbon dioxide driving climate change or other pollutants (its only byproduct from cars and trucks is water). But while researchers have trumpeted the promise of a hydrogen economy for decades, its barely made a dent in fossil fuel demand, and nearly all of it is still produced through a carbon polluting process involving natural gas.

The grand vision of the hydrogen economy has been held back by the high costs of creating a clean version, the massive investments into vehicles, machines and pipes that could be required to put it to use, and progress in competing energy storage alternatives like batteries.

So whats driving the renewed interest?

For one thing, the economics are rapidly changing. We can produce hydrogen directly by simply splitting water, in a process known as electrolysis, but it's been prohibitively expensive in large part because it requires a lot of electricity. As the price of solar and wind power continues to rapidly decline, however, it will begin to look far more feasible.

At the same time, as more nations do the hard math on how to achieve their aggressive emissions targets in the coming decades, a green form of hydrogen increasingly seems crucial, says Joan Ogden, director of the sustainable transportation energy pathway program at the University of California, Davis. Its a flexible tool that could help to clean up an array of sectors where we still dont have affordable and ready solutions, like aviation, shipping, fertilizer production, and long-duration energy storage for the electricity grid.

For now, however, clean hydrogen is far too expensive in most situations. A recent paper found that relying on solar power to run the electrolyzers that split water can run six times higher than the natural gas process, known as steam methane reforming.

There are plenty of energy experts who maintain that the added costs and complexities of producing, storing and using a clean version means it will never really take off beyond marginal use cases.

But the good news is that electricity itself makes up a huge share of the costupwards of 60% or moreand, again, the costs of renewables are falling fast. Meanwhile, the costs of electrolyzers themselves are projected to decline steeply as manufacturers scale up production, and various research groups develop advanced versions of the technology.

A Nature Energy paper early last year found that if market trends continue, green hydrogen could be economically competitive on an industrial scale within a decade. Similarly, the International Energy Agency projects that the cost of clean hydrogen will fall 30% by 2030.

VOESTALPINE

Green hydrogen may already be nearly affordable in some places where periods of excess renewable generation drive down the costs of electricity to nearly zero. In a research note last month, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote that locating green hydrogen facilities next to major wind farms in the US Midwest and Texas could make the fuel cost competitive within two years.

A June study from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory found it may be closer to the middle of the century before hydrogen is the most affordable technology for long duration storage on the grid. But as fluctuating renewables like solar and wind become the dominant source of electricity, utilities will need to store up enough energy to keep the grid reliably working not just for a few hours, but for days and even weeks during certain months when those resources flag.

Hydrogen shines in that scenario compared to other storage technologies, because adding capacity is relatively cheap, says Joshua Eichman, a senior research engineer at the lab and co-author of the study. To increase the length of time that batteries can reliably provide electricity, you need to stack up more and more of them, multiplying the cost of every pricey component within them. With hydrogen, you just need to build a bigger tank, or use a deeper underground cavern, he says.

For hydrogen to fully replace carbon-emitting fuels, wed need to overhaul our infrastructure to distribute, store, and use it. Wed have to produce vehicles and ships with fuel cells that convert hydrogen into electricity, as well as fueling stations along ports and roads. And wed need to stack up fuel cells or build or retrofit power plants to use the fuel to power the grid directly.

All of which will take a lot of time and money.

But theres another scenario that sidesteps, or delays, much of this infrastructure overhaul. Once you have hydrogen, its relatively simple to combine it with carbon monoxide to produce synthetic versions of the fuels that already power our cars, trucks, ships, and planes. The industrial process to do so is a century old and has been used at various times by petroleum-strapped nations to make fuels from coal or natural gas.

CARBON ENGINEERING

Carbon Engineering, based in Squamish, British Columbia, is developing facilities that capture carbon dioxide from the air. The company plans to combine it with carbon-free hydrogen to make synthetic fuels. The idea is that the fuel will be carbon neutral, emitting no more carbon dioxide than was removed or produced in the process.

In a presentation at a Codex conference late last year, Carbon Engineering founder and Harvard professor David Keith said that falling solar prices should enable them to bring air-to-fuels to market for about $1 a liter (around $4 per gallon) in the mid-2020sand that the price will continue to fall from there.

The big news here is that this could be done with commodity hardware starting soon, he said. You could get to something like a million barrels a day of air-to-fuels synthetic hydrocarbon capacity, I think, soon after 2030, and after that theres no obvious scaling limit.

In effect, the process provides a way to convert fleeting, fluctuating solar power into permanently storable fuels that can fill the tanks of any of our machines. This is about an energy pathway to deal with the intermittency problem and deal with it in a way that allows you to power high-energy density needs around the world; allows you to fly airplanes across the North Atlantic, Keith said.

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How falling solar costs have renewed clean hydrogen hopes - MIT Technology Review

(WXYZ) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, businesses are adjusting through new technology and trying to prevent the spread.

Washing your hands at Griffin Claw in Birmingham these days is a little more strategic. The microbrewery installed new faucets in the restrooms that make sure each wash is thorough killing germs.

Christopher Lasher, Griffin Claw's marketing director explained, "They're touch free sensors. They time the amount of time that the water comes out and the soap dispenses automatically, after five seconds of water and then there's a 20 second time period for lathering with just the soap."

And then comes the rinse which lasts for as long as your hands are underneath the faucet.

As Lasher explained, this isn't the first time Griffin Claw's made news for helping people keep their hands clean. In March, the business made use of its unique machinery and converted its operations to produce hand sanitizer during a national shortage.

"We gave free sanitizer with every carry out order. We were able to provide sanitizer to the state of Michigan and everyone else. So that was a source of keeping us going," Lasher said.

Right before reopening dine-in during the pandemic, Lasher says the business wanted the taproom experience to be a breath of fresh air.So the brewery installed three air purifiers that he points out will really come in handy in the colder months.

"In the summer, with the open air we can have large doors open. It's nice to get fresh air throughout the area but as far as our guests being safe and comfortable as well as our employees who have to be here all day... we want them to feel as safe as possible and actually be as safe as possible," he said.

"So it was just worth the investment to bring in these types of technologies," Lasher added.

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Local company uses new timed technology to fight spread of COVID-19 - WXYZ

With live game attendance yet to resume, tech firms are helping reshape the fan experience through online platforms|Rob Kruyt

Turn the TV volume high enough and perhaps even the faint echoes of the puck dropping at Rogers Place in Edmonton will be heard by Vancouver fans left with no option but to watch from home.

With the Canucks battling against the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs qualifying round in early August, the fan presence in the arena was as lacking as Vancouvers offence in Game 1.

But with COVID-19 restrictions leaving the stands empty, expect the role of social media to reshape fandom this season.

Weve always looked at sports on Twitter [Inc. (NYSE:TWTR)] as an opportunity for sports fans to engage as if it were a virtual sports bar, said Conor Clarance, head of sports at Twitter Canada. Its where you can go to find that niche conversation. You can find your Canucks fans, you can find your BC Lions or your Whitecaps fans outside of the stadium.

What weve seen now is that conversation has only grown as theres this potential for no fans in stadiums and how long is that going to last, etc., etc. So theres a ton of excitement around being a sports fan and having that ability to have that conversation and cheer on your team on Twitter. And that seems to only be growing as sports kind of comes back now in their new forms.

Hockey conversation on Twitter grew 114% upon the resumption of the NHL season during the first weekend of August compared with the last weekend before the pause to the season in March, according to data provided to BIV.

Clarance said it also helped that six out of seven Canadian NHL teams played over that August weekend.

Clarance, who works with leagues, broadcasters and publishers to help them connect with fans over Twitter, said the long absence of pro sports leagues in North American sports leagues has created pent-up demand for their return.

Major League Soccer (MLS) was first out of the gate last month, followed by Major League Baseball (MLB) the latter of which has seen COVID-19 outbreaks ravage teams as they travel rather than play in hubs like NHL and National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.

Twitter Canada observed a 58% year-over-year spike in baseball conversations the weekend games resumed in late July.

When you think about a Canadian audience that is predominantly fans of the lone Canadian baseball team [Toronto Blue Jays], thats a pretty sizable jump, he said.

What youre going to see is likely the largest month of sports conversation ever this September when you look at this sort of perfect storm we have of six major leagues NFL, NBA, MLS, NHL, PGA Tour [and MLB] all happening at the same time within the month.

Clarance anticipates the roar of the stadium crowds will ultimately transition to conversations over Twitter for now.

The communal aspects of sports are missing when you cant attend games, Andrew Selepak, a professor specializing in social media at the University of Florida, said in an email to BIV.

This is where the social media marketing for teams is essential, Selepak said. Social media accounts for professional sports teams need to provide not only the content that fans want, but the communal experience that fans crave.

He said it will be up to teams to encourage their fans to engage in second-screen experiences, with their TVs tuned to the game while they have their smartphones in their hand as they tweet, post to Facebook (Nasdaq:FB) or follow along with specific hashtags.

Teams could set up live feeds from the bench or get exclusive in-game interviews, hold online contests, post polls, request user generated content and so much more, he said. Social media is already about engagement, but with in-person engagement limited during the pandemic, this is when a teams social media has the opportunity to expand their role and get fans interested.

Meanwhile, made-in-B.C. technology has already been capitalizing on this transition.

Victoria-based SendtoNews Video Inc. is best known for its video distribution platform for sports highlights that are showcased within online stories for publications such as the Los Angeles Times or the Chicago Tribune.

Last month SendtoNews touted new Comscore Inc. (Nasdaq:SCOR) rankings that show the company attracted more than 47 million unique viewers responsible for more than one billion video views in May.

Three years ago thats what we did in a year and now we do it in a month, and we see that trend continuing, CEO Matthew Watson told BIV in July.

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Technology reshaping the field of sports fandom - Business in Vancouver