Monthly Archives: July 2021

SEATTLE, July 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DefinedCrowd, the one-stop-shop for high-quality artificial intelligence training data, today releasedthe first of a series offree Spanish-accented English speech datasets to allow AI developers totesthow well their speech recognition models understand nonnative Englishspeakers,a demographic represented by over 35 million people in the United States.

"There isan accent gap in speech technology. Research shows that speech recognition technologies are not nearly as accurate in understanding nonnative accents as they are in understanding white, non-immigrant, upper-middle-class Americans,"said Dr. Daniela Braga, founder and CEO ofDefinedCrowd.

It is not a surprising phenomenon; it is this demographic that had access to and trained the technology from the beginning. To address the bias present in speech recognition technology,DefinedCrowdhas releasedthe first offour sets of Spanish-accented English speech datasets, which developers can use to test or benchmark their models to identify bias and areas which need more training data.

"Unfortunately, it has resulted in models that are more useful to some people than to others. And that must change," said Dr. Braga.

However, many companies do not have the resources to train or test their systems withdifferentaccents, meaning that speech recognition systemsare likely to provide an unresponsive, inaccurate, and even isolating experience to nonnative English speakers.

This is clearly bad for business: according to the U.S. Census, over 35 million people in the United States are native speakers of a language other than English. Sixty percent of these people speak Spanish at home.

"For companies with AI solutions to compete in the large nonnative English-speaking market in the U.S., speech models need to be able to understand a wide range of different Spanish accents, originating from all the Americas," said ChristopherShulby, Director ofMachine Learning EngineeringatDefinedCrowd.

Thefirstdataset, released in two phases,includesSpanish-accented English data from the Americas, includingArgentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the United States,Uruguayand Venezuela.

Subsequent releases will include datasetsfromnative Spanish speakers fromaround the world, includingAustralia, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The datasets represent speakers aged from 18 - 40, with an equal distribution of male and female speakers.

To access the data, developerswill need to register onDefinedCrowd'sMarketplace here, after which they will receive a link to download the dataset.

Contact:[emailprotected]

Related Images

free-speech-dataset.png Free Speech Dataset

SOURCE DefinedCrowd Corp.

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Mind the (Accent) Gap: DefinedCrowd Contributing to More Inclusive Speech Technology - PRNewswire

Solar energy panel photovoltaic cell and wind turbine farm power generator in nature landscape for ... [+] production of renewable green energy is friendly industry. Clean sustainable development concept.

In the adoption cycle of any new technology, there is a tipping point that must be overcome before it cascades to mainstream use. This is the most difficult part of a company or markets growth. Enter, Geoffrey Moores Crossing the Chasm assessment.

Geoff Moore's Chasm Assessment

The adoption of clean technology is greatly accelerating toward mainstream adoption and large-scale usage. Software and smart technology eliminate cost and reliability concerns, allowing clean technology to disrupt the market. Its time for investors to put their money in companies with disruptive innovations, both to accelerate the adoption cycle, but also to maximize their own benefit on this substantial market opportunity.

Lets explore why.

Embracing Change

One major lesson we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is our capacity to adapt and innovate when needed. When circumstances drastically shifted, we embraced major changes in the way we operated and the technology we used in our daily lives. This power to embrace change was refreshing. In the post-pandemic world, one thing we can expect is for society to be more welcome to change, and more willing to adapt. This will result in more governments, companies, and consumers adopting smart, clean technologies and innovations earlier. With the substantial market potential, investors will quickly get on board.

The Disruptive Nature of Clean Tech

The key to a new technology being adopted at scale, as Jeffrey Bussgang notes, is its delivery of a major competitive advantage. With this competitive advantage, the technology can disrupt the traditional market structure. Clean technology provides this necessary advantage with smart software.

In 2011 Marc Andreessen suggested that software is eating the world and predicted software would continue to transform and take over many aspects of the economy. Well, he was right, and smart software technology is giving cleantech firms a key competitive advantage. Smart technology allows companies to remotely manage and operate their solar panels and batteries, for example, efficiently. This enhances the reliability of the technology, while substantially reducing its costs. Considering that reliability and costs are the two main concerns contributing to renewable energy hesitancy (as was the case in the cleantech bubble of the early 2000s), eliminating these concerns through smart technology grants a competitive advantage.

This competitive advantage creates an immense opportunity for investors and will help cleantech disrupt the energy sector. By providing power reliably and at lower costs, more people will shift from traditional methods and adopt clean technology. Therefore, the disruptive potential of cleantech will lead to its adoption at scale.

Government Policy

Government policy has the potential to tip the scales in favor of clean technology. As mentioned in a previous blog post, President Joe Bidens climate plan will help accelerate the growth of clean technology and renewable power. As more governments push toward net-zero emission targets, cleantech will inevitably benefit from this. As of now, 132 countries have made pledges to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Policies like these will drive more consumers, and companies to adopt clean technologies early in their lifecycle, helping to cross the chasm.

More specifically, President Biden recently announced an ambitious infrastructure deal. The deal includes $73 billion to upgrade the electricity grid and improve access to clean energy. Although this is still a long way from being passed into law, its proposal inspires confidence for future investment and growth in the cleantech industry. Overall, the Biden administration aims to invest $2 trillion in clean energy to reach its decarbonization goal. Policies such as these will supercharge the adoption of clean technologies in mainstream society.

The Takeaway: A Major Market Opportunity

As suggested, the market potential for clean technology is immense. According to the Report from Canadas Economic Strategy Tables, the global market for clean technology is expected to reach over $2.5 trillion by 2022. While the clean technology market is made up of several sub-markets, this is an enormous, rapidly growing opportunity. As previously mentioned, there is untapped demand in the African telecommunications market. This presents a major opportunity for investors as Africas population is expected to double by 2050, and already 871 million people across Africa do not have access to the internet. Due to population growth, billions of people will likely need connectivity. By investing in cleantech early, investors can support bridging the digital divide, and help cleantech cross the chasm. In the end, they will be better off for it.

Ultimately, clean technologies are rapidly moving toward mainstream adoption. Our increased capacity to embrace change, the disruptive nature of cleantech, and the increasing green policies of governments are all influencing the diffusion of clean technology innovations. Also, there is immense market opportunity in clean technology. So, investors should invest more in early-stage companies with disruptive technology to accelerate the adoption cycle, as well as maximize their own benefit.

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Clean Technology Is Crossing The Chasm And Its Time To Invest In It - Forbes

Date/TimeThursday, August 19, 2021 2:00PMModeratorMichael Levans, Group Editorial Director, Peerless MediaPanelistsPatrick Kirbow, Vice President of Operations,Star Pipe Patrick Murray, Supply Chain & Logistics Manager,Skidmore Sales & DistributingRenee Rubino, Director of LTL Strategy, Banyan TechnologySteve Leggett Jr.,Solutions Engineer, Banyan Technology

Register Today!

As the carrier capacity crunch continues, more shippers are looking to the less-than-truckload market to transport their goods. 3PLs and shippers are wisely entering this space as well as in an effort to maximize shipments and visibility. In this webinar, Banyan Technology will lead an engaging, informational, and dynamic panel discussion on the strategies that shippers and 3PLs can implement to help them successfully enter the LTL market and create efficiencies that will improve their freight management processes and lower spend.

Moderated by Banyans Director of LTL Strategy Renee Rubino and Business Development Manager Steve Leggett, the panel will include experts across the supply chain/logistics industry representing 3PLs, shippers and technology providers.

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The Role of Technology in Managing LTL Freight Spend - Supply Chain Management Review

A Walmart customer verifies her order for curbside pickup using a portable scanner.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. Walmart is now offering its proprietary technologies and capabilities to other businesses and brands that also are working to better serve customers whether they are shopping online or in-store.

Weve built new capabilities to serve the evolving needs of our own customers, and we have a unique opportunity to use our experience to help other businesses do the same, said John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S. Commercializing our technologies and capabilities helps us sustainably reinvest back into our customer value proposition.

Furner said that over the past several years, Walmart has built a world-class organization that has developed its own technologies and services to meet the rapidly evolving needs of customers at scale. These unique capabilities enable Walmart to better serve customers, create differentiated experiences and grow its business as digital shopping continues to increase.

As part of this effort, Walmart also announced a strategic partnership with Adobe to integrate Walmarts Marketplace, online and in-store fulfillment and pickup technologies with Adobe Commerce, a leading commerce solution for merchants and brands. Through the Adobe Commerce platform, retail businesses will be able to use Walmarts cloud-based services to offer seamless pickup and delivery to their customers.

Businesses will also be able to reach new customers on Walmarts Marketplace where they can leverage Walmarts Fulfillment Services to offer two-day shipping nationwide. Furner said that the partnership with Adobe to offer these capabilities will help businesses of all sizes to improve their customer experience while operating more efficiently.

The core mission of helping people save money and live better is at the heart of every idea including checkout technologies, AI-powered smart substitutions and pickup and delivery, said Suresh Kumar, chief technology officer and chief development officer of Walmart Inc. Combining Adobes strength in powering commerce experiences with our customer expertise, we can accelerate other companies digital transformations.

Walmart has continued to leverage its advanced technology, such as machine learning, cloud-powered checkout and pickup capabilities to offer more convenience and enhance the overall shopping experience for customers.

Excerpt from:

Walmart offers Marketplace technology to other businesses - Furniture Today

Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of Rolling Stone editors or publishers.

Unprecedented access to information, ideas and funding is leading younger generations to trust technology over institutions. The worlds population has an average age that is younger than 35 years old.

A phenomenon occurs when you hear or see something that catches your attention a word, an idea, or in this case, a statistic and then you start to notice it seemingly everywhere.

A scientific neurological explanation for this is reticular activation. Your brains reticular activating system makes a note of what you see and defines it as important or exciting and then creates a filter to seek out evidence confirming that information. As you go about your day, when something piques your attention and your brain creates a new filter for it, you will be alerted to affirming evidence more often.

In my case, what Ive been constantly reminded of recently is that much of the worlds countries have an average age that is younger than 35 years old.

I first heard this data point referenced when I listened to a forecast of our world economic position one year into the pandemic by Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times, London. When he quoted this statistic in a live YPO webinar, it caught my attention, and I have now seen or heard this same statistic mentioned no less than four times in the past few weeks.

Martin Wolf is one of a handful of economic commentators I follow, and I appreciate and agree with many of his insights. One point on which we disagree is cryptocurrency. While Wolf thinks that cryptocurrencies have no intrinsic value, I firmly believe the opposite. I submit that blockchain is one of a handful of exponential technology innovation trends poised to fundamentally change how we store and trust data in our world.

To me, the resistance to blockchain is born out of a dated world view. Central factors of these resistant beliefs have been disproved, such as the one positing the anonymity and currency associated with cryptocurrency innovation will largely be used to fuel illegal activities. The reality shows cash currency is far more abused in such situations. The beauty of blockchain and its successful application to cryptocurrencies resides in its unique distributed, peer-reviewed structure.

Younger populations worldwide have declining faith in government and higher institutions. They have come of age in a global world connected by technology that facilitates assumed, easy access to information, products and services with just a click. Article after article has data demonstrating that younger generations and developing populations worldwide have a strong tendency to put their faith in technology over governments. I believe these beliefs give rise to the future of cryptocurrencies. And yet, those setting our fiscal policies in developed countries are resistant to this shift of trust. As a generation, they have been steeped in blind government trust for decades. These blinders will likely cause blunders.

The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?

I also believe that many tech leaders and investors in the U.S. are also wearing what we could call bias blinders when it comes to sourcing innovation. For decades, companies and innovations in the U.S. have defined how populations worldwide interact with technology. This is due primarily to our first-mover status with technology and easy access to financial funding through the proliferation of venture capital and private equity firms in the U.S.

Weve reached a turning point in our technology and innovation dominance. Around the world, a vast majority of the population now has access to a mobile smart device, connecting them with virtually unlimited access to humanitys history of information and experience. There are intelligent, innovative people everywhere who now have access to technology and resources that were never previously available to them.

These mobile-connected, savvy device users have two advantages to displace U.S. dominance in technology and innovation. First, they understand the biggest problems facing their populations last-mile challenges, access to banking, healthcare, etc. far better than tech leaders in the U.S. do. Second, there is a predominance of and access to distributed gig-work and crowdfunding to fund their ideas and make them a reality.

Combining these two factors, the reality is clear: We live in the age of distributed innovation. If we keep these bias blinders on and ignore this new reality, the U.S. could lose its footing as a global technology and innovation leader.

To close, I would like to pose this question to all business leaders: How will you help your business tap into this unprecedented access to innovation and harness it for benefit?

My advice to leaders as they continue to operate in this age of distributed innovation is to ditch the status quo and think outside the box. Look to other sources for information. Consider hiring someone with a non-traditional background that excels in new technologies. Disrupt your traditional way of thinking.

First movers that tap into this type of innovation will be exceptionally rewarded, and laggers will fall behind.

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My Analysis of How Blockchain Technology Could Facilitate Citizen Disruption of Innovation - Rolling Stone

The Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica makes up less than a third of the global ocean surface, yet scientists believe it plays an outsized role in the climate system, according to a 2021 journal article in Geophysical Research Letters. Water and currents from other oceans meet here, allowing for heat and carbon transfer as this body of water connects the ocean and atmosphere.

Scientists have long believed the Southern Ocean to be a crucial carbon sink, but recent data is raising questions about whether the Southern Ocean may not actually be quite as much of a carbon sink as they once thought. To learn more and broaden their understanding, they are using new technology to collect additional data especially during the seldom-surveyed winter season.

The Southern Ocean is a really interesting place, says oceanographer Adrienne Sutton, who works for NOAAs Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. It covers only 30% of the global ocean surface but it represents as much as 75% of heat uptake and 40% of carbon uptake for the globe. So it plays an outsized role in climate, and thats why were really interested in collecting more data there.

Since the world and its systems are so interconnected, learning about the Southern Oceans carbon uptake is important in calculating global carbon estimates.

As we try to manage carbon we need to know the natural sinks, says Bronte Tilbrook, senior principal research scientist with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere in Australia. About half the carbon is currently taken up by natural sinks both on land and in the ocean. He points out that land sinks are very complex and difficult to quantify, so the ocean sinks atmospheric measurements are needed. In the ocean we have data that will allow us to get better ideas of how much carbon is going into the land, how much is going into the ocean, and whats remaining in the atmosphere from emissions, Tilbrook says. The ocean data is really critical for understanding the global carbon budget.

The waters off Antarctica are known for their brutal conditions, with ferocious waves and storms, and long, cold, dark winters when ships can become entrapped in ice. It all makes for a challenging place to get to, let alone conduct research. While some ships travel in the region during summer and retrieve data, winter measurements are scarce. To tell the complete story of the ocean, scientists need to know what is happening year-round in its vast waters.

Measuring the Southern Ocean in the winter can be so challenging that we have major gaps in our understanding because were just missing that season in huge swaths of the Southern Ocean, and so that was really our mission to collect data there, Sutton says.

To safely collect data from the Southern Ocean, a company called Saildrone developed a 23-foot-long, wind driven and solar powered uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) that can be controlled remotely. It has sensors and instruments to obtain a wide variety of data, and also has an array of cameras. Built specifically to handle the conditions of the Southern Ocean, it has already proven its durability, even surviving a collision with an iceberg. It is just one of the companys USVs, which are used for a variety of scientific projects ranging from collecting hurricane data to mapping the ocean floor.

In early 2019, scientists launched a Saildrone USV from Bluff, New Zealand, and it covered 13,670 miles before being recovered off Bluffs coast 196 days later. The journey was the first autonomous circumnavigation of Antarctica.

Along the way, it collected data every hour. Scientists have now analyzed some of that data, and Sutton, Tilbrook, and University of South Florida oceanography professor Nancy Williams published their findings about carbon flux in Geophysical Research Letters. They noted the importance of expanding a network of observations and of using a variety of tools such as USVs like the Saildrone, floats, ships, and other devices.

Before Saildrone, Argo floats collected biogeochemical measurements from 2014 to 2017. When analyzing this data, scientists found the Southern Oceans carbon sink may be much smaller than previously believed. A 2018 paper by Alison Gray et al. in Geophysical Research Letters found the floats recorded significantly stronger outgassing than was found through previous ship-based estimates.

[It was] a big discrepancy, Sutton says. There was a lot of debate in the community on is that because 2014-2017 were anomalous years? And they were kind of strange years compared to the Southern Ocean mean annual average, she says, noting some scientists concerns that there could also be an issue with the float sensors. They learned 2014 and 2015 were fairly anomalous years, off gassing much more CO2 than what they believed was typical. However, she says 2019, when Saildrone circumnavigated the continent, represented what they believe to be a more representative year.

The scientific community is still grappling with trying to figure out what is the true year-to-year variability in CO2 exchange in the Southern Ocean, Sutton says. Because what were finding with these new technologies between floats and Saildrone is that there is huge interannual variability that we are not capturing now with our traditional measurements.

Gathering more data, and making sure this data includes measurements from all times of year, is an important step. The 2018 report authors had written that Our current understanding of the distribution of oceanic CO2 sources and sinks may need revision and underscore the need for sustained year-round biogeochemical observations in the Southern Ocean.

As scientists learn more about the Southern Oceans carbon uptake, they can also begin to formulate answers to other questions. For example, if the Southern Ocean is a smaller carbon sink than previously believed, where is the carbon going instead? These findings could indicate larger sinks in other parts of the ocean or even a change in the land sink.

The best way to plan for the future is to learn more about whats going on currently. In 2022, two Saildrone USVs will be deployed to the Southern Ocean to gather more data, and Williams and Sutton plan to analyze that new data with a focus on how eddies impact the air-sea CO2 exchange. Tilbrook is also applying for refunding for Australias Integrated Marine Observing System to collect measurements beyond 2022 from Australian ships. While ship-based measurements are still vital to research, the researchers expect new technology like Saildrone to be a huge step toward learning more about the Southern Ocean and the global carbon cycle.

Tilbrook says traditional measurements, such as those recorded by ships, are still needed, but devices like Argo floats and Saildrones provide benefits because they dont require us to send people into hostile environments all the time.

We can now manage things better, he says, and we can get more data for less money, and its really a game changer, the technology developments that are happening due to the visions of a few people.

Also see: Things you should know about the Arctic and Antarctica

Kristen Pope is an Idaho-based freelance writer who frequently covers science and conservation-related topics.

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New technology offers insights on Southern Oceans carbon secrets - Yale Climate Connections

SPENDING

108 project proposals

NOTE: This story first appeared on FCW.com.

The Technology Modernization Fund is in high gear, meeting 10 hours each week to assess proposals and determine "from a top-down approach" which projects it could have the most impact on in terms of providing financial support, Federal CIO Clare Martorana testified at a House hearing on IT modernization on Wednesday.

Martorana, who serves as a chair of the TMF Board, told lawmakers on the Government Operations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that 108 project proposals have been submitted from 43 federal agencies following a $1 billion addition in funds included in the American Rescue Plan. That increase in capitalization to the revolving fund was accompanied by a relaxation of payback requirements that many agencies have found daunting.

Martorana testified that submitted projects so far exceed $2 billion, with proposals still coming in. At least 75% of the new project proposals submitted to the TMF Board focus on cyber, the federal CIO said.

"I am so bullish on the Technology Modernization Fund," Martorana said. "Now that we're in a 2.0 phase with the $1 billion dollars in the American Rescue Plan funding, I see enormous possibility."

The hearing was held to assess progress on implementation of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act and share the results of the latest FITARA scorecard, which gives agencies letter grades for performance in areas covered by the legislation.

"Throughout this pandemic, we've come to realize how vital agile IT and strong IT governance are to the success of the federal government in meeting the needs of the people we all serve," Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said at the hearing.

The latest results from that scorecard showed most agencies were just getting by with a passing "C" grade. Only one, the General Services Administration, received a score in the "A" range, with the agency earning a top "A+" rating.

Only four agencies improved their overall cyber posture so far this year, according to the latest scorecard review, while two have seen their ratings drop. The Department of Justice currently has a "D-" rating, a full letter drop from the "C-" score it received last year, while the Department of Veterans Affairs dropped to "C+" from the "B+" rating it received in December.

The vast majority of agencies maintained their previous scorecard ratings, with 18 in total receiving the same evaluation they earned at the end of 2020.

There were some improvements: The Department of Interior and the Social Security Administration went up full points, receiving two "B+" ratings. The State Department also received a slightly higher score of "C" from its previous "C-" rating.

Carol Harris, IT and cybersecurity director for the Government Accountability Office, and another witness at the subcommittee hearing said her office would work with lawmakers to continue investigating new ways FITARA can be implemented to improve governmentwide cybersecurity efforts, including the possibility of creating a new scorecard solely focused on cyber.

EIS transition

The FITARA scorecard also noted progress on the transition of agency networks to the new, $50 billion governmentwide Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contracts and moving off the old Networx contract. Agencies are expected to have 100% of their telecom inventory under EIS at the end of fiscal year 2022. Networx is set to expire at the end of May 2023.

According to the scorecard, 10 agencies received "A" grades for their transition off Networx, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, Agriculture and Labor, the Social Security Administration and the Small Business Administration. The Office of Personnel Management and NASA were the only agencies receiving an "F" grade.

About the Author

Chris Riotta is a staff writer at FCW covering government procurement and technology policy. Chris joined FCW after covering U.S. politics for three years at The Independent. He earned his master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he served as 2021 class president.

Originally posted here:

Agencies propose more than $2B in TMF projects - Washington Technology

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington State Historic Preservation Office has been able to turn around information requests within three days, despite the fact that they had to switch suddenly to remote work. Because the information was digitized and accessible remotely, operations continued efficiently. Such responsiveness demonstrates how technology can help states provide critical government services in the midst of a crisis.

For future infrastructure investments to be successful, the federal permitting program must be ready to handle a flood of new projects as quickly and efficiently as Washington state does. It is critical to focus on three key areas:

1) promoting early planning and engagement

2) encouraging cutting-edge technology, like the use of digital data

3) investing in specialized human resources at all levels of government to ensure the effective implementation of new infrastructure projects

Federal permitting is often scapegoated as unduly delaying infrastructure development projects. However, robust permitting provides structure, certainty and accountability to the development process. The permitting process gives communities an opportunity to protect the historic and natural resources that define their communities. Special places, like historic downtowns, sacred spaces and areas of natural beauty, are what give towns their unique character and charm. Before breaking ground, developers must work with the community to ensure that there are adequate safeguards for the places that matter most in each town.

Critics of the permitting process use the small numbers of delays to argue that existing regulations should be abolished completely. They seek to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in the name of increased speed. But those laws are key to protecting our communities and giving the American public a voice. Neither law prevents development. Instead, both NEPA and the NHPA ensure that residents get information on the impacts that a proposed development will have on their community. Residents can then weigh the benefits of the new development against the possible drawbacks. Oftentimes, potential damages can be avoided by making changes to the original plan.

It is crucial to focus on early engagement with the community. Early negotiation helps avoid high-stakes clashes with the community and ensuing public relations disasters. Potential disputes are more easily avoided because early conversations improve the chances of community support. Planners can adapt a project according to feedback from the community. Changes are also less expensive to make earlier in the process.

Many business leaders and community advocates have already realized the benefits of cooperating in a proactive manner. For example,Leaders in Energy and Preservation(LEAP) is a coalition of energy companies and historic preservation groups promoting best practices for early planning that deliver efficient energy projects through responsible heritage management. LEAPs best practices and technological innovations help energy companies manage risk and plan successful projects that protect significant heritage resources such as archaeological sites, historic properties and sites of cultural importance to Indigenous people.

Digital tools also offer big opportunities to save time and money, but states vary widely in how much they are utilizing the technology. In some parts of the country, project planners must rely on paper records stored in government offices. In contrast, qualified users in Virginia can log in remotely to the states GIS map of cultural resources and study any area in the state. In neighboring North Carolina, the same person has to make an appointment for a 2-hour time slot to use the government computer in Raleigh. Ensuring ease of access to data will help developers incorporate the consideration of historic and natural resources into their plans right from the start.

Technological tools are only part of the equation, however. To handle a flurry of new infrastructure projects, the federal government, state and tribal historic preservation offices must have enough staff to review permit applications. Many offices are already stretched thin. Bringing in more staff will create jobs and help America build back better. Big investments in American infrastructure require investing in the workers who can make projects happen.

Congress is about to spend a lot of money helping America to build for the future. Lets ensure that communities have the tools they need to start building these projects quickly and efficiently.

KellyLizarragais the advocacy coordinator for the Coalition for American Heritage, representing the American Anthropological Association, the Society for Historical Archaeology,heritage professionals, scholars, small businesses, non-profit groups and history-lovers from across the country who support and promote our nations commitment to historic preservation.

This piece has been updated.

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Technology can speed permitting and reduce conflicts over new infrastructure | TheHill - The Hill

TOKYO Created by the International Olympic Committee in 2001, Olympic Broadcasting Services is responsible for providing the sights and sounds of the Games to billions of fans all over the world.

As the medal count climbs for Team USA, athletes are reaching feats of glory inside stadiums that are cavernous and nearly empty.

Everyone knows that a stadium without fans loses something, but we wanted to make sure we could do better for it, said Matt Millington, director of digital content for OBS.

Four months ago when the Olympics banned most fans, Millington hatched a plan to bring the roar of the crowd to the Olympics.

It allows fans from across the world to cheer for their country from a website and also upload selfie videos. These are projected onto the video scoreboards, Millington said.

The module called Cheer Zone, which is on the Olympics website, shows an interactive map displaying where the applause and video uploads are originating from in real-time.

Its not just about fans themselves, studies have shown that athletes also react to the noise and the support that a full stadium can generate, Millington said.

While athletes may be too focused during competition to notice, a personal touch may be enough to make them feel at home.

Well have their family ready and waiting on the TV monitor and theyll be able to pass along their best wishes and congratulations, Millington said.

With a virus distancing the world, the Olympics found another way to bring us together.

They must feel very, very removed (16) so to be able to get them to connect immediately after the event, it means a lot to them but it also means a lot to us, Millington said.

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Bringing the fans to the Olympics through technology - KXAN.com

Investors focused on the Computer and Technology space have likely heard of Microsoft (MSFT), but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Computer and Technology peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Microsoft is a member of our Computer and Technology group, which includes 630 different companies and currently sits at #14 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. MSFT is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MSFT's full-year earnings has moved 2.07% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, MSFT has returned 28.68% so far this year. In comparison, Computer and Technology companies have returned an average of 22.47%. This means that Microsoft is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Breaking things down more, MSFT is a member of the Computer - Software industry, which includes 38 individual companies and currently sits at #90 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 25.14% so far this year, so MSFT is performing better in this area.

Investors in the Computer and Technology sector will want to keep a close eye on MSFT as it attempts to continue its solid performance.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free reportMicrosoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research

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Is Microsoft (MSFT) Outperforming Other Computer and Technology Stocks This Year? - Yahoo Finance