Daily Archives: February 21, 2021

Posted by Paul Moore on 20th February 2021

Mobilaris recently initiated a collaboration with Lule University of Technologys project Applied AI DIH North. The purpose is to identify, apply and demonstrate different AI methods regarding positioning information. The goal is to develop the ability and accuracy of the companys existing solutions for mining and tunnelling applications and look at how new services and products can be created. The collaboration will last for two years and is led by George Nikolakopoulos, Professor of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at Lule University of Technology.

The Applied AI DIH North project aims to create a strong innovation system for growth in the AI industry, a Digital Innovation Hub as a base, in collaboration, research, innovation, applied test-driven development, education and cluster formation. The project lasts for three years and is financed by the EUs regional development fund (Tillvxtverket), Lule University of Technology, Lule municipality, Skellefte municipality and the Norrbotten Region.

Daniel Enstrm, CTO at Mobilaris says: At regular intervals, there are technologies that not only simplify and improve existing solutions but that also open up completely new fields of applications that could not have been built before. AI is one such example and we at Mobilaris have it as a strong part of our future technology portfolio. The collaboration with the university is really excellent for us in this context. If we succeed, we will have several new applications we can productize and add to our portfolio with direct benefit for our customers. It is about both autonomous system monitoring and a new generation of positioning techniques. We really like the approach from the university, quick decisions, straight path to project start and focus on applications.

Finding discrepancies in distributed localisation systems will be part of the project. Deviations in this case would be, for example, unnatural movements for a particular entity or person that do not conform to natural behaviour. Obtaining positioning information on a global scale, based on sensors on a local scale or in existing infrastructure for positioning and communication has a growing demand. Many location algorithms designed for this purpose base their function on different types of built-in sensors and have been created in many different systems to provide location, such as WiFi, GPS, etc. However, these systems and sensors are vulnerable to variations in operating conditions and surrounding environments. There are many factors that can limit performance, eg inaccessible GPS environments or outdoor operations with poor GPS reception.

Michael Nilsson, Lule University of Technology Project Manager, says: It is great to start another sub-project with a business focus. We aim to become a strong region in applied AI and here we are now breaking new ground. Mobilariss focus and participation contributes to one of our goals, namely to become a European Digital Innovation Hub with a profile in the process and manufacturing industry.

Continue reading here:

Mobilaris & Lule University of Technology working together to improve AI-based positioning in mining - International Mining

Enlarge / The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, side by side.

Samuel Axon

Apple has posted multiple job listings indicating that it is hiring engineers to work on 6G technology internally so it does not have to rely on partners like Qualcomm as the next generation of wireless technology hits several years down the line.

The job listings, which were first spotted and reported by Bloomberg, include titles like "Wireless Research Systems Engineer - 5G/6G" and "RAN1/RAN4 Standards Engineer."

The roles are in the company's Cupertino headquarters, as well as in San Diego, where Apple opened offices specifically to focus on wireless and silicon technologies, with an apparent aim to snipe talent from Qualcomm's San Diego HQ.

Apple introduced its first 5G iPhones in the iPhone 12 lineup late last year, and those phones use Qualcomm modems. But recent reports have already revealed that Apple plans to design its own modems so it can drop the Qualcomm components from future phones, just as it is developing its own silicon for Macs now to ultimately replace Intel chips in most of the product lineup.

Total end-to-end integration of all parts of the hardware, software, and services in devices has long been both a key marketing point and an internal guiding principle for product development at Apple. The company says it believes this approach enables better products and experiences for users, but it also allows Apple to forge ahead with less and less dependence on other actors to achieve success.

Apple recently joined the industry group "Next G Alliance" with other companies like LG and Google to work together to define the specifications for 6G, which is nascent and not expected to reach consumers for many years yet. There are no details yet about either the timeline, specifications, or features of 6G. 5G is only just rolling out in the past couple of years, and the vast majority of the globe does not yet have access to 5G or the full capabilities thereof.

So when Apple joins groups like the Next G Alliance or hires for positions like these, it's not generally going to tell us much about near-future product plans. That said, reports of the company's progress on its own modems suggest that Apple is likely to reach that capability before 6G rolls out, so the first Apple-made modems will probably be 5G, not 6G.

In our reviews of the iPhone 12 lineup last year, we found that 5G had a significant negative impact on the phones' battery life. Future modem refinements may reduce that impact.

Read more from the original source:

Apple is already working on developing 6G wireless technology - Ars Technica

Anderson Coach & Travel, located in Mercer County, has added technology to its fleet of tour buses that is said to nearly eliminate airborne viruses, including COVID-19."It's kind of like having a seatbelt and an airbag in your car," said Joe Urso, CEO of ActivePure Technologies, the technology installed on the nearly 200 buses used in and around Pittsburgh. The system is installed in a small section of the overhead compartment on the buses and operated by the driver. "Once I have the coach running, I come back and turn it on and up to full speed and the unit will run the whole time," said Dan Chornenky, who has been a bus driver for Anderson Coach & Travel for nine years.The addition of ActivePure does not change the mitigation efforts onboard Anderson Coach & Travel buses. Chornenky said he still wipes the surfaces by hand. He is still separated from passengers by plexiglass the front seats remain open to allow for distance from the driver and everyone on board is required to wear masks. Urso said the technology is designed to help and is proven to make a difference. "It originated in the NASA space program and we've developed it to a much more advanced stage where it basically eliminates airborne pathogens in real-time by using our special proprietary formula and it actually creates these from oxygen and humidity in the air," Urso said. "The technology, more importantly, is proven. It's proven by FDA testing, military labs and it has most recently been demonstrated to reduce 99.9% of airborne COVID in less than three minutes, with the very system that's being used on busses right there in Pittsburgh."

Anderson Coach & Travel, located in Mercer County, has added technology to its fleet of tour buses that is said to nearly eliminate airborne viruses, including COVID-19.

"It's kind of like having a seatbelt and an airbag in your car," said Joe Urso, CEO of ActivePure Technologies, the technology installed on the nearly 200 buses used in and around Pittsburgh.

The system is installed in a small section of the overhead compartment on the buses and operated by the driver.

"Once I have the coach running, I come back and turn it on and up to full speed and the unit will run the whole time," said Dan Chornenky, who has been a bus driver for Anderson Coach & Travel for nine years.

The addition of ActivePure does not change the mitigation efforts onboard Anderson Coach & Travel buses.

Chornenky said he still wipes the surfaces by hand. He is still separated from passengers by plexiglass the front seats remain open to allow for distance from the driver and everyone on board is required to wear masks.

Urso said the technology is designed to help and is proven to make a difference.

"It originated in the NASA space program and we've developed it to a much more advanced stage where it basically eliminates airborne pathogens in real-time by using our special proprietary formula and it actually creates these from oxygen and humidity in the air," Urso said. "The technology, more importantly, is proven. It's proven by FDA testing, military labs and it has most recently been demonstrated to reduce 99.9% of airborne COVID in less than three minutes, with the very system that's being used on busses right there in Pittsburgh."

More here:

Local buses equipped with technology said to remove 99.9% of COVID-19 from air - WTAE Pittsburgh

What happened

I think you've got to hand it to Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp. (NYSE:SFTW) -- yesterday was a great day to announce a space-related merger deal.

As you've probably heard, on Thursday afternoon, NASA announced the successful landing on Mars of its Perseverance rover and Ingenuity drone helicopter. And that was the same day that Osprey announced its plans to acquire "real-time geospatial intelligence, imagery, and data analytics company" BlackSky Holdings, reverse-merging it with the SPAC to take it public.

Shares of Osprey -- the shell company that will bring BlackSky public -- popped 27.5% on the news Thursday, and they were up another 10.4% as of noon EST Friday.

Image source: Getty Images.

So what do we know about this soon-to-be-public BlackSky? According to Osprey, it "is a first mover in real-time Earth observation leveraging the innovative performance and economics of small satellite constellations," and intends to eventually grow its orbital assets to "30 high resolution multi-spectral satellites capable of monitoring locations on Earth every 30 minutes, day or night."

Osprey hasn't revealed a lot about the company's financials, other than to say that it has a "pipeline of opportunities" that nearly tripled over the last 12 months to $1.7 billion.

I first heard of the company about four years ago, at which time it was a division of privately held Spaceflight Industries (that's the one that sold its satellite-rideshare business, Spaceflight Inc., to Mitsui early last year). According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, BlackSky remains a subsidiary of Spaceflight Industries, but there was no mention of the parent company in Osprey's press release.

Presumably, it has been, or will soon be, spun off from Spaceflight Industries.

Whoever owns BlackSky now, Osprey will own it soon -- and retail investors will be able to, too. Osprey predicts that when the deal happens in or around July, BlackSky will become a public company with a pro forma equity value of $1.5 billion. Add back $450 million in cash, and the targeted market capitalization of the stock looks like $1.95 billion.

When you consider that Osprey currently has a market cap of barely $605 million, this appears to suggest the stock will triple in value in five months. No wonder investors are excited.

See the article here:

Why Osprey Technology Acquisition Stock Popped Again Today - Motley Fool

RITs College of Health Sciences and Technology began the year under new leadership with Dean Yong Tai Wang.

Wang joined RIT in January from the University of Texas at Tyler, where he was dean and endowed chair professor of the Drs. Lee Roy and Lucy Mathis College of Nursing and Health Sciences. His research focuses on rehabilitative biomechanics related to wheelchair locomotion and Tai Chi exercise.

Now at RIT, Wang looks forward to connecting the health sciences and technology to create new health care solutions, and new degree programs. Here, Wang shares his ideas.

The reputation of RIT and the uniqueness of the college. There are not many colleges like this in the United States that combine health sciences and technology. I think the college has great potential to grow.

RIT is interested in developing a Doctor of Physical Therapy program, and Rochester Regional Health would like to provide the clinical site. It is one of the hot programs in health professions. The American Association of Physical Therapy required every Master of Physical Therapy program to convert to Doctor of Physical Therapy by 2020.

I was a professor of physical therapy for 16 years. I have experience through the whole process of converting the program from BS to Master of Physical Therapy, then to Doctor of Physical Therapy. I hope to develop a similar program at RIT in the future. The Doctor of Physical Therapy will be my first project.

Tai Chi is my passion. It is a mind-body exercise and a combination of breathing and graceful movement. In Tai Chi both hands are moving in opposite directions. Its called the yin and yang balance.

Tai Chi is one area of my research in the past 20 years. I taught Tai Chi as a therapeutic exercise for Doctor of Physical Therapy Students at Georgia State University. I measured students physical and mental health at the beginning and end of the semester and published the paper in the American journal of Chinese Medicine. It is one of the most cited Tai Chi studies.

Then I started to develop wheelchair Tai Chi with funding from Paralyzed Veterans of America and from the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitative Research. I think I am one of the leading persons doing wheelchair Tai Chi in the United States. Then I started to look at Tai Chi for cognitive issues, such as cognitive impairment or Alzheimers disease. We are also interested in exploring the effects of Tai Chi on people with Parkinsons disease.

I developed the Tai Chi Ball while at University of Texas at Tyler. It was the first patent for UT Tyler. It combines mind body exercise with weight training. Research from American College of Sports Medicine shows that strength training is crucial for older people. Even people 80 years old should do strength training. Tai Chi movement is slow and graceful and the Tai Chi Ball targets muscle groups they use in daily living.

The Tai Chi Ball is 3D printed. It is filled with bee-bees, and the weight is adjustable. Sometimes you put it together as one piece and handle it as one piece, sometimes we separate it in two like a yin and yang part.

My next focus is combining Tai Chi or wheelchair Tai Chi with the Tai Chi Ball for soldiers and veterans to prevent and treat neuromuscular disorders.

I am a dean and also a professor. When I was dean at the University of Texas at Tyler, I met with students several times a semester to hear what they needed to be supported.

The ultimate goal is student success. We talk about student success in terms of recruitment, retention, and graduation. I think we should add another one, as we did at UT Tyler, called job placement. We had a person in the college called a career success coach to help students prepare their resumes, prepare for interviews, and find jobs. I would like to do some similar things to help students.

I am learning from faculty and program directors. I am looking to increase enrollment with existing resources and to identify possible new programs we could develop. Doctor of Physical Therapy is a good example. It has community support.

Read this article:

Meet College of Health Sciences and Technology Dean Yong 'Tai' Wang - RIT University News Services

Trust is the backbone of the digital economy. When individuals trust the internet, they participate more freely. Building trust requires sustained efforts and is complex but can create immense value. Fostering trust, in the Indian context, has three key dimensions:

First, enabling Indias Next Half Billion (who mainly come from the bottom 60 per cent of the income distribution) to benefit from the internet to improve their lives. For this, we need to reimagine the internet to make it more contextual and relatable for them so that they build the trust and confidence to transact online. A related aspect is getting more women to participate in the internet. Protecting the next half billion from fraud and loss of data is crucial such incidents can materially undo progress in their internet journey and require disproportionate efforts to get them back online.

Several innovative entrepreneurs focusing on this segment are addressing these issues through product and business design tailored for them. Technology-led models can help improve their lives by providing them access to basic services like education, healthcare, financial services, and transportation, as well as opportunities for employment and productivity.

Second, addressing broader concerns around excessive data collection, privacy and data security. These go beyond just the next half billion. Individuals prefer digital products they trust. Businesses can leverage privacy and trust as a competitive advantage. Also, for responsible data sharing, businesses need to acknowledge that the burden of proof on privacy rests with providers rather than consumers. It is unfair to expect consumers to have the time, knowledge and expertise to go through privacy policies, which are usually lengthy and complex. The onus must shift from over-reliance on informed consent by users to quality assurance by providers.

Third, tackling issues of misinformation and disinformation. With the democratisation of content-generation, especially due to social media, ensuring the authenticity of information online has become more difficult than earlier imagined.

Businesses need to meet the rising expectations from regulators and customers to be responsible stewards of data.

At a minimum, ensure compliance: So far, the issue of privacy and data protection has been addressed through a compliance lens. Businesses must comply with regulations and prepare themselves for increasing regulatory requirements, especially once Parliament passes the data protection bill. Globally, we are seeing regulators impose fines for poor data practices. In Europe, large fines have been imposed on Google, British Airways, and Marriott amongst other businesses. Several Indian businesses are exposed to regulations in Europe or the US, and India itself will soon have its privacy law.

Businesses also need to protect themselves against increasing online threats. India saw a 37 per cent increase in data breaches between 2019 and 2020, with over half of Indian companies in an IBM survey reporting a data breach in the past two years.

Trust as a business differentiator: Going beyond compliance, businesses can leverage privacy and trust as a competitive advantage. A recent study by the Centre for Social and Behavioural Change found that when customers understand a privacy policy better, they share more data. An experiment showed that they also share more data with businesses that had better privacy ratings.

Some immediate steps that businesses can take include having clearer privacy policies and collecting only as much data as they need. Starting with a better understanding of how customer data is collected, where it is stored and who has access to it most businesses do not know this today. Customers should also have the ability to delete their own data.

Business models that help build trust: Privacy-Tech is emerging as an attractive investment area, and has seen unicorns emerge in the US (One Trust), Israel (BigID) and several other countries. Globally, investments in privacy-tech have increased five-fold since 2011. We expect an acceleration in India as well.

The government must bring in the long-awaited data protection law. The current draft is with a parliamentary committee which is due to submit its report in April. A law will dispel the uncertainty and bring much-needed clarity. Further, the envisaged Data Protection Authority must be well-governed and adopt a transparent and consultative approach, since we are all still learning.

The government is also the builder and custodian of large scale public digital infrastructure as modular, open-source, interoperable systems. For these Open Digital Ecosystems (ODE), the tech layer alone is not enough. It is equally important to pay attention to the governance around these platforms and engage the community of developers, entrepreneurs and citizens around them. This would ensure that these platforms are leveraged fully, and meaningful solutions are built on top of them.

Regulatory bodies can step in to guide consumers. The food regulators food safety certifications have now become part of our everyday lives. Similarly, a privacy rating for apps can help individuals make more informed choices about their data. We also need new intermediaries that warn consumers about dangerous practices, represent them, and seek recourse on their behalf.

The widespread adoption of responsible tech practices inclusion, privacy, security, transparency and good governance is essential to building trust in technology and creating a thriving and well-governed digital society.

The writer is managing director, Omidyar Network India

Excerpt from:

Building trust in technology - The Indian Express

The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But on a lighter note, a good company can see its share price rise well over 100%. One great example is Guyoung Technology Co., Ltd (KOSDAQ:053270) which saw its share price drive 112% higher over five years. It's up an even more impressive 116% over the last quarter.

See our latest analysis for Guyoung Technology

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During five years of share price growth, Guyoung Technology actually saw its EPS drop 15% per year.

Essentially, it doesn't seem likely that investors are focused on EPS. Because earnings per share don't seem to match up with the share price, we'll take a look at other metrics instead.

We doubt the modest 0.8% dividend yield is attracting many buyers to the stock. On the other hand, Guyoung Technology's revenue is growing nicely, at a compound rate of 8.0% over the last five years. In that case, the company may be sacrificing current earnings per share to drive growth.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Guyoung Technology's TSR for the last 5 years was 141%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

We're pleased to report that Guyoung Technology shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 114% over one year. And that does include the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 19% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Case in point: We've spotted 5 warning signs for Guyoung Technology you should be aware of, and 2 of them are significant.

But note: Guyoung Technology may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on KR exchanges.

PromotedIf you decide to trade Guyoung Technology, use the lowest-cost* platform that is rated #1 Overall by Barrons, Interactive Brokers. Trade stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds on 135 markets, all from a single integrated account.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. *Interactive Brokers Rated Lowest Cost Broker by StockBrokers.com Annual Online Review 2020

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

Read more here:

Guyoung Technology (KOSDAQ:053270) Has Gifted Shareholders With A Fantastic 141% Total Return On Their Investment - Simply Wall St

GENEVA & TYSONS, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) today announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Temenos (SIX: TEMN), the banking software company to accelerate the digital transformation strategy for DXCs large bank customers. The expanded partnership brings together the extensive cloud hosting, implementation and integration strengths of DXC with the power of Temenos industry leading banking software. The two companies will jointly offer large bank customers the optimal modernization approach to address competitive, regulatory, cost and innovation drivers.

Many large banks are having to contend with complex legacy technology stacks that can include multiple core capabilities, disparate systems and product silos. These banks are embarking on transformation projects to compete with fintechs and neobanks, whose agility allows them to rapidly launch differentiated products and attract new customers. DXC and Temenos are paving the transformation journey by empowering the banks to compete with challengers by quickly adapting their business models and offering differentiated services to their customers.

With the combined strengths of DXC and Temenos, customers can adopt a modern core banking solution, confident in their migration success and benefits of adopting a fully hosted and resilient solution.

Dmitry Loschinin, Executive Vice President, DXC Luxoft Analytics & Engineering: We are excited to strengthen our collaboration with Temenos, the market-leading, cloud-native, banking-technology provider. Core IT systems play a central role in helping banks innovate and deliver next-generation banking services to their customers. And like any major IT transformation, this kind of enterprise-level change needs to be undertaken with the right partners. Together with Temenos, DXCs world-class professional services and deep banking expertise will empower banking customers to begin their IT modernization journey, focusing on their core business strengths while we address the implementation.

Max Chuard, Chief Executive Officer, Temenos said: We are delighted to announce this strategic agreement with DXC, a proven partner for delivering strategic transformation of complex, mission-critical IT systems for financial services firms. This joint go-to-market strategy with DXC is a new channel to market for Temenos, which will accelerate our penetration in the large banks segment, notably with the U.S. market, representing approximately 60% of the total third-party market spend. Together, we seek to help larger banks with complex, legacy IT architectures break down silos, reduce IT complexity and costs, and gain greater speed to market. We can help DXCs customers accelerate their business transformation and provide outstanding customer experiences.

Ends

About DXC Technology

DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) helps global companies run their mission critical systems and operations while modernizing IT, optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and scalability across public, private and hybrid clouds. With decades of driving innovation, the worlds largest companies trust DXC to deploy the Enterprise Technology Stack to deliver new levels of performance, competitiveness and customer experiences. Learn more about the DXC story and our focus on people, customers and operational execution at http://www.dxc.technology.

About Temenos

Temenos AG (SIX: TEMN) is the worlds leader in banking software. Over 3,000 banks across the globe, including 41 of the top 50 banks, rely on Temenos to process both the daily transactions and client interactions of more than 1.2 billion banking customers. Temenos offers cloud-native, cloud-agnostic and AI-driven front office, core banking, payments and fund administration software enabling banks to deliver frictionless, omnichannel customer experiences and gain operational excellence.

Temenos software is proven to enable its top-performing clients to achieve cost-income ratios of 26.8% half the industry average and returns on equity of 29%, three times the industry average. These clients also invest 51% of their IT budget on growth and innovation versus maintenance, which is double the industry average, proving the banks IT investment is adding tangible value to their business.

For more information, please visit http://www.temenos.com.

Excerpt from:

DXC Technology Signs Agreement with Temenos, Enabling its Large Bank Customers to Reimagine Core Banking Transformation - Business Wire