Monthly Archives: September 2021

The chip crisis turned dire when the coronavirus hit. As demand for electronics was skyrocketing in the spring of 2020, manufacturers warned they were running short of semiconductors key components needed to make devices from smartphones to cars.

Theyhad good reasons: In the following months, the shortage forced factories to shut down assembly lines. Tech companies postponed product launches. Computers were delivered months too late.

Worried about the fallout, politicians from Washington D.C. to Berlin called up chip-manufacturing countries and asked them to help prioritize orders from their countries.

But there was only so much they could do: The chips, which are made by just a handful of firms, are notoriously hard to produce. And there just were not enough for everyone.

A year and a half later, the shortage persists curtailing, for example, the production of new cars.

That is why manufacturing more chips in Europe and the US will be high up on the agenda when top US and EU officials gather on Wednesday in Pittsburgh for the first meeting of the "EU-US Trade and Technology Council"(TTC).

"We commit to building a US-EU partnership ... to design and produce the most powerful and resource-efficient semiconductors,"the White House said in a statement.

Other discussions at the TTC will be about coming up with principles for artificial intelligence technology; how to boost cybersecurity in an increasingly unstable digital world; and how to push joint technology standards on the international stage.

The meeting will be co-chaired by the EU's digital chiefCommission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, as well asUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

The chip crisis was an eye-opening moment for policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic, illustrating how important access to technology has become for maintaining geopolitical dominance, according to conversations with US and EU officials involved in preparing the TTC meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential.

But finding common ground during the two-day meeting will not be easy.

Not only was the event overshadowed by news that the US had quietly negotiated a security agreement with Australia and the UK, wrecking a multi-billion-euro French submarine deal.

The EUs digital chief Margrethe Vestager and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis will co-chair the TTC meeting

The US and the EU have been at loggerheads over how to regulate new technology for years.

While Brussels is pushing for tough rules, arguing they are needed to protect the fundamental rights of Europeans, Washingtonhas mostly advocated a market-driven, hands-off approach, warning that too many rules could hamper innovation.

Finding a middle ground would help both sides, said Marietje Schaake, the policy director at Stanford University's Cyber Policy Center.

"If the US and the EU worked together better, that would actually be a pretty strong combination it would bring the geopolitical strength from the US to the EU, and it would bring the rights-and-freedoms strength from the EU to the US,"said Schaake, who served as a member of the European Parliament between 2009 and 2019.

"But it does require political agreement and so far, there has not been a great meeting of the minds."

The elephant in the negotiation room is how to deal with China.

In recent years, China's tech companies have grown into some of the biggest in the world. This has raised concerns in the US that Beijing could soon dominate certain sensitive technologies and use that as a strategic advantage and it has prompted some observers to speak of a "New Cold War."

The Biden administration, encouraged by widespread support for a tough stance on Beijing back home, has painted the new TTC as a platform where the US and the EU can combine their economic and political might to counter China's ambitions.

EU officials, meanwhile, have been eager to stress that the new alliance should primarily be about working together, rather than targeting one particular country. The bloc has so far taken a less confrontational course on Beijing, not least because some of its 27 member countries have close economic ties with China and remain divided over how to deal with the country.

But Beijing's increasingly authoritarian leadership style has officials in Washingtonand Brussels alarmed, said Stormy-Annika Mildner, the executive director of think tank Aspen Institute Germany.

"Both sides feel a greater threat from China, and a greater need to work together,"Mildner said, adding that this could set the TTC apart from previous trans-Atlantic efforts kicked off under George W. Bush or Barack Obama, which all started with similarly grand ambitions for trans-Atlantic cooperation but eventually led nowhere.

"The world around us is just completely different from back then,"Mildner said, "And China is one key reason for that."

One of the areas where both sides hope to close ranks is that ofproducing semiconductors. Manufacturing the tiny chips is extremely complicated. It includes hundreds of steps, takes months to complete, and requires factories worth billions.

Making the tiny semiconductors is notoriously difficult

China has declared it a top national priority to soon run that entire production process on its own territory something no country can currently do.

That is one of the reasons why US and European officials have been watching warily thatChinese-owned firms have been buying chip companies around the world.

At the TTC, officials will speak about how to deal with foreign investment in the semiconductors industry. They will also discuss how to coordinate their own plans for how the EU and the US can become less dependent on global supply chains.

And the US and EU should think about how to better collaborate in the research and development of new technology, said Jan-Peter Kleinhans, a semiconductor expert at think tank Stiftung Neue Verantwortung.

Kleinhans cautioned that when it comes to tackling the global chip crisis, there is only so much governments can do.

"Yes, public money, if spent properly, can help with building new production capacities,"he said.

But Kleinhans added that more is needed to tackle the current shortage such as making global supply chains more transparent or giving a halt to rising raw material prices that have exacerbated the crisis.

"That's something only companies can do,"he said. "And that's why no one truly knows when we'll be out of this crisis."

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Wary of China, US and EU forge alliance on technology - DW (English)

AUGA group, AB (hereinafter the Company) Europes largest vertically integrated organic food producer, has developed and presented the worlds first hybrid biomethane and electric tractor for professional farm use AUGA M1. This is the companys first step in offering technological solutions that will eliminate climate pollution throughout the food supply chain, from field to table, and allow food to be produced at no cost to nature.

We are ready to provide consumers around the world with food at no cost to nature. By eating such food, people themselves will make a positive impact on climate change daily. And we are sure that more and more people want to live like this, says Kstutis Juius, CEO of the Company.

According to him, the Company is determined to become a world leader in sustainable and organic food technologies.

Climate pollution will be stopped by technology

According to scientists, agricultural activity is responsible for almost a quarter of all greenhouse gas pollution in the world. A large part of the emissions is due to the use of fossil fuels in agricultural machinery.

According to the CEO of the Company, the technology developed in Lithuania will help to create a food production model around the world that will reduce damage caused to nature.

Three years ago, when we first calculated our emissions, we saw that as much as 30 per cent of them come from the use of fossil fuels on farms. There were simply no solutions to change it. That is why we have taken the lead in developing technologies that will allow us to create a new standard for sustainable agriculture and drastically reduce pollution throughout the food value chain. The first result of this work is a biomethane and electric tractor, says K. Juius.

According to him, the choice of biomethane as an alternative fuel was not accidental - it is one of the greenest types of biofuel. Methane, collected from livestock waste and converted to biomethane, offsets more emissions per unit of energy in its production and use cycle than it emits.

Story continues

Until now, sustainable fuel tractors delivered worldwide have not been suitable for professional farm work.

Our invention makes it possible to create a wide range of tractor applications and make it accessible to all farmers who want to work sustainably. We are not developing technology just to solve own emissions and deliver on the promise of becoming a CO2-neutral company by 2030. Our goal is bigger - we will strive to make this tractor and other technologies that are still being developed available to farmers all over the world and help solve the global problem of pollution in the agricultural sector, says K. Juius.

Solutions invented by Lithuanian engineers

According to K. Juius, the hybrid AUGA M1 tractor is unique because it solves two main obstacles that have so far prevented the worlds largest corporations from offering such equipment for professional use.

Our team of engineers has found solutions to solve the problem of refuelling and ensure uninterrupted operation of the tractor throughout the working day. Currently, biomethane-powered tractors are able to operate for only 2-4 hours because the gas cylinders do not physically fit into the tractor structure. However, farmers need agricultural machinery that can work for 12 hours or more. AUGA group understands this perfectly and has created a solution, says the CEO of the Company.

The company's patented design allows the tractor to accommodate larger biomethane gas cylinders. The AUGA M1 tractor uses a hybrid biomethane-electric fuel system. When the tractor is running, an internal combustion engine powered by biomethane generates energy and transmits it directly to the electric motors that spin the wheels. The companys patented design allows the tractor to accommodate larger biomethane gas cylinders.

When operating under normal conditions that do not require high power, the tractor stores the generated energy reserve in the batteries. Such a system does not waste energy in low load conditions, uses a relatively small but efficient motor and is able to extract tremendous power when needed. These solutions allow the tractor to work for up to 12 hours.

The second obstacle to the spread of biomethane-powered tractors is the underdeveloped biomethane refuelling station infrastructure. The Company solved this problem by offering quick and convenient gas cartridge replacement.

The change will be created by the community

According to the CEO of AUGA group, while implementing the global strategy of agricultural technologies (AgTech), more solutions will be presented in the near future, which will ensure the sustainability of the entire food chain. The companys specialists are currently developing other sustainable solutions for technologies that will eliminate carbon emissions from the soil and digestive process of cattle.

Our innovations will bring together a global community of responsible consumers, smart farmers and bold investors. It will ensure real change by creating an environmentally friendly food supply chain, and will allow to implement the vision of AUGA group - to become synonymous with sustainable food and lifestyle, says K. Juius.

You can see the full presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK_XmOeJ_gc

Contacts:Mindaugas Ambrasas, AUGA group, AB CFO Phone: +370 620 67296 Email: m.ambrasas@auga.lt

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AUGA group, AB presents the first technology for the green food chain - a climate-friendly tractor - Yahoo Finance

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It is virtually impossible to find a cutting-edge company today that doesnt claim to be built on artificial intelligence (AI) or use machine learning (ML) in some capacity. A lot of companies claim to be AI-driven platforms, but that can be misleading. The truth is, it is extraordinarily difficult to build an AI model that can be retrained, relearn and continuously updated, and most companies do not have that level of sophisticated technology. Even so, the uptick in use of AI is undeniable, and its useful to understand that the development and increased adoption of AI haven't occurred overnightor in isolation.

The reason that AI is possible at all directly relates to the technology of neural networks, which experts are now realizing may hold the key to the future of AI.

There is nothing new about artificial-intelligence technology, which has in fact been around since the 1950s. Alan Turings mathematical research resulted in work that led to the possibilities of building intelligent machines, then testing the intelligence of those machines. The early development of AI wasnt just limited by the lack of computational power, but also by the fact that there wasnt nearly as much data as there is today. But one additional component, often ignored, contributed to the rise of AI: neural networks.

Neural networks are modeled after brain functions. Experts in the field sought to untangle the complex processes of the human brainand developed systems around the input and output relationships that occur neurologically. Artificial neural networks (ANN) are a key tool for machine learningand the perfect way to create meaning from data-hungry AI systems.

What AI must do, if it is to do anything well, is turn unstructured, raw data into something businesses can use. ANNs are the backbone of AI models that run personalized news feeds, autocomplete our emails, power Google Search and run autonomous vehicles.

Related:When Should You Not Invest inAI?

For small and mid-size businesses to thrive in a world increasingly dependent on AI, they have no choice but to adopt new technology. There are thousands of companies today that dont use AI or havent been using AIthat are still good businesses, even enterprise-level businesses. If they could apply AI, they could get exponential gains, but the adaptation has to happen fast if they want to retain a competitive share of the market.

If AI is going to outlast the current hype cycle, it needs a sure foundation. The brightest minds in this space see that foundation being neural networks.

In the 80s and 90s, there was a winter of AI, where these technologies were dropped. Then, when the internet boomed, the world began producing data at an unprecedented pace. Computers blew up, and all types of machines used more and more powerful chips. The combination of powerful chips and the fact that there was so much data brought about the resurgence of AI and neural networks.

Related:How Entrepreneurs Can UseAIto Boost Their Business

Companies like Google started using some of the vast quantities of collected data to train large neural networks to understand patterns and data. A simple but groundbreaking illustration is when researchers took YouTube videos with cats and found a way for the models to recognize catswithout ever identifying cats as such. Over time, the model simply learned how to recognize cats. Preliminary progress like that popularized neural networks.

In todays world, the AI models of any large company Netflix, Google, Facebook, etc. use neural-network techniques to extract intelligence from data. Outside of these companies, in late adopters, the use of neural networks is not as prevalent. This is largely due to a lack of talentand the misconception that only the largest data sets in the world are candidates for neural networks. In fact, more and more techniques have been developed by data scientists so that neural networks dont need so much data. Companies like Nike, for instance, can use the data they have and still extract quality intelligence from relatively smaller data sets.

The Googles, Facebooks and YouTubes of the world clearly dominate market share for big datasince their very function is data collection. So, where does this leave mid-sized companies? Scaling AI applications that leverage the best of neural-network technology is something being addressed by leaders in the industry.

Innovators are fashioning solutions that make AI accessible for smaller businesses. The idea is that a platform exists that makes it easier for companies of any size to create fully customizable deep and machine-learning systems. There are now world-class, cutting-edge ML infrastructures that can support businesses of any size in any industry, which is a truly democratic approach to developing this elite technology.

One keystone element is that a platform must use custom neural-network techniques to manage data, and the systems start performing right away. Many companies are limited because they don't have the capacity to develop true AI applications. When industry leaders commit to creating platforms that bridge this gap, the real competition in this space may begin.

AI isnt just about input: The ability to extrapolate action items from deep learning is the dream. The acceleration of AI models to react and continuously learn is made possible by neural networks, which means this technology is here to stay. Future use of AI in every industry from robotics to automotives to churn to personalization relies on neural networks. If done right, it may be possible for AI to be as intelligent as humans, and that level of capacity has infinite possibilities.

Related:HowAIWill Transform Software Development

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This Is the Secret Sauce Behind Effective AI and ML Technology - Entrepreneur

An effective technology-based method of incentivising consumers to charge their cars when it's windy or sunny locally may offer a helpful way of balancing the electricity network, according to a new ING report.

INGsDeveloped Markets Economist James SmithandSenior Economist Gerben Hiemingahave analysed theUK power price spikeandwhat it may mean for the UKs take-up of net zero electricity.

Echoing a Policy Exchange paper earlier in the year, the report highlights the importance of local power pricing.

"After all, rapidly rising sales of electric cars effectively provides the grid with a network of batteries across the country, and an opportunity to balance local grids," it states.

"The UKs current national electricity pricing offers few incentives for consumers to charge at times oflower local demand/higher supply though dynamic (national) tariffs with cheaper overnight costs are becoming more prevalent."

While the cost of wind and solar has fallen dramatically, its been replaced by other costs to account for the increased volatility that both renewables bring. Just over a third (35%) of the UKs wind power is generated in Scotland, and theres only so much grid capacity to move that electricity around the wider UK when supply exceeds Scotland's local demand, it notes.

The events of recent weeks are a reminder that price volatility "is going to remain a common feature" as the UK transitions to zero-carbon electricity, particularly from wind and solar, the report adds.July had the lowest monthly wind speeds this century.

"The good news, for now, is that the arrival of autumnal weather appears to be heralding the return of stronger winds," it adds. "But a key lesson of the past few weeks is that the UKs progress on decommissioning coal power, while clearly a long-term success, has also left the UK with fewer ways to substitute for poor wind and solar generation."

As in many other countries, the compromise of quick hydrogen deployment may well be that "not all of it is generated with green renewables". The alternative - so-called blue hydrogen - is produced from gas, with the resulting emissions captured and stored.

It warns that the current phase is unlikely to be the last time that power prices spike on unseasonal weather or volatility in gas supply and both hold the key to how serious the situation becomes this winter.

"Cost of living spikes will be a recurring risk though it goes without saying that the longer term impact of not taking action would be much greater than the near-term costs of the energy transition."

National Grid partners with Met Office

National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) has partnered with the Met Office on an innovative weather data project to help expand capacity on the electricity transmission network for wind and solar power.

The partnership aims to explore the value that can be derived from using higher specification weather forecasts to boost capacity on the electricity overhead transmission power lines, allowing more renewable energy to flow.

Currently, the electricity transmission system is limited by the individual power rating or capacity of the circuits connecting everyone across the country and, with the growth in renewable electricity generation,power flows across the existing grid infrastructure are changing, particularly at peak periods.

Historically, standard assumptions made for weather conditions have been conservative, therefore assets have operated at ratings lower than the actual capacity.

To expand capacity,the 545,000 project, funded through the Ofgems Network Innovation Allowance mechanism, looks to utilise significant advances in weather forecasting by assessing the feasibility of integrating a cloud-based weather forecasting service intoNGETs presentDynamic line rating (DLR) calculationmethodology.

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Use technology and think local to balance grid urges report - Energy Digital - Energy News, Magazine and Website

Were one month in to the blockbuster trial of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of blood testing startup Theranos, and it shows no sign of releasing its grip on the public imagination. Dozens of members of the media, myself included, have lined up each week since 31 August outside a crowded courthouse in San Jose, California, to bear witness to the justice process surrounding the company and its downfall which has been called Silicon Valleys biggest fraud.

Sign up to our weekly technology newsletter, TechScape.

And despite extensive media coverage of the rise and collapse of the blood testing firm starting as early as 2015, much of what we are learning at the trial is new, as prosecutors seek to answer a question central to the case: what did Holmes know, and when did she know it?

Here is what we have heard in court so far about Theranos and Holmes, who faces 12 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, from the testimony of witnesses. Holmes has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 20 years in prison.

How high-profile investors were allegedly fooled by Theranos

Theranos gained fame (and eventually notoriety) for the large number of high-profile and high-net-worth individuals the company attracted as investors, including the media mogul Rupert Murdoch and former US secretary of state George Shultz. The trial heard testimony from its first such investor this week when the former US defense secretary Jim Mattis testified on the stand.

Mattis told how he was taken with Holmes whom he called young Elizabeth in emails and revealed that he personally invested $85,000 in the company in January 2014. He said he was inspired by potential use of the blood testing technology for the military and on the battlefield.

However, Mattis ultimately lost faith in Holmes and Theranos after negative press about the company began to emerge. There just came a point where I didnt know what to believe about Theranos anymore, he said.

Lab workers say Theranos cherry-picked data

A number of lab workers at Theranos have testified thus far, including former lab associate Erika Cheung. She spoke about the large rate of inaccuracy in Edison devices, the flagship technology touted by Theranos, saying they regularly failed quality control analyses. Executives would then encourage scientists to cherry-pick and manipulate data to make the results seem more accurate than they were, she said.

Youd have about the same luck flipping a coin as to whether your results were right or wrong, Cheung said. It was concerning to see this degree of failure, this was not typical for a normal lab.

A star witness for the prosecution, Cheung became a whistleblower when she acted as a primary source for the Wall Street Journal story that first cast doubt on the companys capabilities in 2015. She has since been vocal about her experiences at Theranos, giving a Ted Talk on the topic and founding Ethics in Entrepreneurship, a watchdog nonprofit focusing on startups.

It was starting to get very uncomfortable and very stressful for me to work at the company, Cheung said. I was attempting to tell as many people as I could but it was just not getting through to people.

Cheung told the court that she raised concerns to Sunny Balwani, Theranos co-president and former romantic partner of Holmes, who pressured her to quit if she could not continue her role without speaking up about these issues. She also testified that she told Shultz, a former US secretary of state and Theranos board member, about her doubts.

In addition to Cheung, jurors heard testimony from former Theranos scientist Surekha Gangakhedkar, who said she quit the company over concerns it was rushing to launch a partnership with Walgreens without proof the machines actually worked. I was not comfortable with the plan they had in place, so I made a decision to resign and not continue working there, she told jurors.

Later, former lab director Adam Rosendorff also testified he quit the company in late 2014 because he felt pressured to vouch for tests he did not think were accurate, causing him a lot of emotional discomfort.

Former employees started preserving emails ahead of investigations

Rosendorff told the court that when he plotted his escape from Theranos he defied his non-disclosure agreement with the company to forward himself emails and documents. He said he anticipated a government investigation of the firm and wanted to protect himself against potential prosecution.

He was not alone. Gangakhedkar, another former scientist who testified at the trial, claimed she did the same after Holmes ignored her concerns about launching machines when they were still showing inaccurate results. I was scared things would not go well, said Gangakhedkar.

In addition to Mattis and the scientists, we saw the first testimony from a customer of Theranos in recent days a woman who the court heard was falsely told she was miscarrying due to an inaccurate Theranos blood test.

We are likely to see far more such witnesses as the trial goes on, as fewer than 10 of the 182 total potential witnesses listed by the government ahead of the trial have spoken so far.

About those texts

Perhaps the most salacious details to emerge this week were a number of text messages between Holmes and Balwani read in court. In some, Holmes appears to wax poetic to Balwani with whom she was romantically involved to which Balwani responds uninterestedly.

Holmes: You are the breeze in desert for me.

My water.

And ocean.

Meant to be only together tiger.

Balwani: OK

The text messages are just a selection from a large trove that have been submitted as evidence so far. In another, Holmes tells Balwani, Madly in love with you and your strength.

Romantic poems aside, the messages heart in court so far seem to paint a picture of partners who were both involved in the running of Theranos. Holmes is anticipated to lean on a defence that the fraud operations were largely driven by Balwani.

According to the messages heart in court, Balwani in April 2015 repeatedly stressed to Holmes that he was worried she was over-promising Theranos results without solid substance which is lacking right now.

It is most maddening there is no focus in any chem teams and no product coming out, he said days later, to which Holmes responded: I know.

With the bulk of Holmes defence still to come, theres plenty more to play out in front of an eager audience. The proceedings are anticipated to last through December 2021.

If you want to read the complete version of this newsletter please subscribe to receive TechScape in your inbox every Wednesday.

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TechScape: Elizabeth Holmes poetry steals the show at Theranos trial - The Guardian

by Joseph Harrison

Northampton, MA --News Direct-- Cisco Systems Inc.

Ayan Mohamed Said is a 37-years-old mother of three living in Togdher Region (Somalia). Drought-affected families like Ayans, who has lost all their livestock during the drought, will take quite some time to recover and get back on their feet again, but the cash assistance through mobile phones has been a lifeline for them. It addresses their basic needs with dignity and flexibility and also adds value to local trade in areas where markets were functioning, even during the drought. Photo: Abdulkadir/NRC

We have created a new blog series that will focus on how our nonprofit grant recipients are using

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an estimated 82.4 million people have now been forced to leave their homes, fleeing conflict, civil unrest, persecution, and areas devastated by climate change. This global community of refugees, migrants, and forcibly displaced families comprise one of the most vulnerable population groups.

Amidst a worldwide pandemic, dire circumstances become even more challenging. Many refugees live in under-resourced, urban areas or densely populated camps, making physical distancing difficult. A general lack of access to face masks, clean water, and soap increase vulnerability to COVID-19. Refugees have severely limited access to public health services in host nations where healthcare systems are already strained. Finding work to generate an income to afford medical services in an unfamiliar country is particularly complicated.

Refugee communities, like so many communities around the world, must also contend with an infodemic, when misinformation and disinformation spread like a virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an infodemic is too much information, including false or misleading information, in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. It causes confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can harm health. It also leads to mistrust in health authorities and undermines the public health response. An infodemic can intensify or lengthen outbreaks when people are unsure about what they need to do to protect their health and the health of people around them.

Partnering to offer critical resources

The Tactical Operations (TacOps) team, which is part of Cisco Crisis Response, builds networks in refugee camps to ensure displaced people have access to the information they need to survive and thrive. But access to the internet and the wealth of information available online is not enough. That information needs to be accurate, credible, and reliable as well as relevant to their unique circumstances.

Story continues

In the last year, Cisco donated US $3 million to nonprofit partners that work with refugee populations to ensure the most vulnerable people worldwide have access to the best public health information, including content relevant to the related shutdowns and services, available during this pandemic.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)s Signpost initiative, Norwegian Refugee Councils (NRC) Digital Community Hubs (DCH), and Internews Humanitarian Information Dashboard (HID) all work to debunk myths, identify and dispel misinformation/disinformation, and create reliable informational content for local dissemination. These truth-seeking groups leverage technology to transform communication in refugee communities.

IRCs Signpost makes information clear

Signpost refers refugee clients to a broad range of vital services and follows up on feedback about local services to strengthen accountability mechanisms for the community.

IRCs Signpost partners with organizations in a range of strategic areas: legal information providers and protection agencies, service mapping resources, organizations or spaces that provide access points to the internet, organizations that provide psychosocial support, and health authorities and agencies involved in the COVID-19 response.

IRC is also working with NetHope to install Wi-Fi hotspots in Kenyas Kakuma refugee camp. 46 locations have been identified for installation. This free internet access will be linked to Julisha.info. And, upon logging in, the users will be directed to their page, promoting access to the platform. Refugees and asylum seekers receive accurate information through the Julisha.info website and the Facebook page where topics such as COVID-19 vaccinations and mental health are available in English, Somali, Swahili, and Arabic.

Growing the number of Norwegian Refugee Councils Digital Community Hubs (DCH)

NRC channels the sense of urgency Covid-19 has brought to humanitarian organizations toward digital transformation in the last mile of emergency service delivery.

NRCs DCH enables two-way conversations with refugees through helpdesks where people can request and receive critical information they need to survive and thrive.

With funding from Cisco, over the last 15 months the NRC has expanded its DCH from two pilot countries (Afghanistan and Kenya) to 27 countries, by supplying country offices with innovation and design thinking training and expertise to implement their digital communication initiatives.

In Myanmar, NRC leads in Digital Service Integration: Improving beneficiary access to services through the integration of NRC Myanmars existing digital portfolio into one unified platform using a one stop approach. The approach strengthens NRCs accountability to the most vulnerable populations by embedding a community hotline for mainstreamed feedback and data management to ensure data rights protection.

Internews reliable Humanitarian Information Dashboard (HID)

Internews is an international non-profit that empowers local media to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect, and the means to make their voices heard.

Internews HID enables collection, tracking and analysis of community views and humanitarian-related data during crises, providing humanitarian responders insight into community information needs. Their global response to COVID-19 rumors and mis/disinformation in humanitarian contexts was supported with their use of HID, enabling rapid analysis of rumors collected from over 12 countries, helping them to identify global misinformation trends related to the pandemic.

Internews is an active partner in humanitarian coordination mechanisms, inter-cluster meetings, working groups, and consortiums. To ensure that accurate and reliable information gets to people fast before, during, and after a COVID outbreak or climate disaster, Internews forges agreements with local authorities and national governments, and local, national, and international humanitarian aid organizations such as the Red Cross, ActionAid, BBCMA, TWB, NetHope, Mercy Corps, UNHCR, WFP, and IRC.

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Cisco Crisis Response and our partners continue to work hard to stop the spread of misinformation that runs rampant alongside the COVID pandemic. But the devastating effects of COVID are only a small part of what impacts our most vulnerable populations. We would like to thank our partners for using technology in a way that benefits others, and we look forward to other ways that this technology can be used to make a difference.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cisco Systems Inc. on 3blmedia.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/how-humanitarian-organizations-are-using-technology-to-stop-the-spread-of-misinformation-420249706

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How Humanitarian Organizations Are Using Technology to Stop the Spread of Misinformation - Yahoo Finance

Micron Technology headquarters in Biose, Idaho, March 28, 2021.

Jeremy Erickson | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Check out the companies making headlines after the bell Tuesday:

Sherwin-Williams The paint company saw its stock fall 3% in extended trading after the company lowered its third-quarter sales guidance. "The persistent and industry-wide raw material availability constraints and pricing inflation we have previously reported have worsened, and we do not expect to see improved supply or lower raw material pricing in our Q4as anticipated," management said Tuesday. It also announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Specialty Polymers, a manufacturer and developer primarily of water-based polymers.

Micron Technology Shares of the semiconductor company fell 4% after it reported earnings and revenue outlook for the first quarter of 2022 that were below estimates. Micron reported fourth-quarter earnings of $2.42 per share, beating estimates of $2.33 per share, according to Refinitiv.

Lucid Motors Shares of the electric vehicle company got a 7% boost after it said production of its first car has begun and that deliveries are scheduled to begin in late October. Pricing for an entry-level version of the car starts at $77,400 and the company said it has received more than 13,000 reservations.

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Stocks making the biggest moves after the bell: Sherwin-Williams, Micron Technology and more - CNBC

There's a technological race going on: blockchain vs. quantum computing. Theoretically, major leaps in quantum computing could undermine the whole cryptocurrency industry -- just as that nascent blockchain technology is entering the mainstream. But crypto experts are already working on new coding that's quantum-proof.

Blockchain is the technology behind Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies. It works by breaking data into blocks secured by clever cryptography. That cryptography is what makes it possible to cut the middlemen -- banks and governments -- out of financial transactions. It's also what quantum computing might unravel.

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If you thought it was difficult to get your head around blockchain technology, quantum computing is a whole other story. It would be easy to say it could revolutionize everything because, well, it's quantum. But that's not totally true.

Quantum computing will be able to address certain issues really well -- as in millions of times faster than current computers. And the challenge for crypto is that quantum computers will eventually be really good at cracking cryptographic keys.

It isn't there yet. But it's estimated that in the next 10 years, quantum computers will be able to process data fast enough to solve the algorithms that keep cryptocurrency safe. Here are two of the big concerns:

It should be said that it's not only cryptocurrency that could be affected by developments in quantum computing. It could impact all kinds of data protected by digital signatures -- from government encryption to banks and your personal emails.

The good news is that this is a known problem. And it won't happen overnight -- quantum computers won't suddenly make the leap to cracking crypto. According to computing experts, we'll know well before it actually happens.

More importantly, as quantum computing is evolving, so is blockchain technology. Some developers are already looking at forms of post-quantum cryptography. This is enhanced encryption that can't be cracked by quantum computers, and specialists are pretty confident they'll succeed.

That said, one of the big selling points for blockchain is the almost impenetrable security it offers. The possibility of breaking that security is at best unsettling, and crypto investors should pay attention to quantum developments.

Individual cryptocurrencies may need to upgrade to post-quantum cryptographic solutions. It will be worth watching which digital currency projects stay ahead of that curve.

We'll also almost certainly reach a time when cryptocurrency investors will need to transfer their funds to more-secure wallets. And since data firm Chainalysis estimates that 20% of Bitcoin is currently lost or stuck in wallets people can't access, there's a chance these coins (which can't be moved) will be more vulnerable to attack.

If you keep your assets with a cryptocurrency exchange, it will likely help to manage the transition. But if you keep your crypto assets in a decentralized wallet, you may need to be more proactive.

We often talk about regulation as the biggest threat to crypto, but other technologies are a danger, too. Just as Bitcoin didn't exist 12 years ago, so other technologies could evolve that make blockchain obsolete. Or -- like quantum computing -- take the cryptography out of cryptocurrency.

Existing cryptocurrency projects already have plenty of problems to address, from scalability to sustainability. But, given the scale of the threat, the industry also needs to work now to ensure quantum computing won't undermine the very security that is its foundation.

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Is This New Technology the Biggest Threat to Crypto? - Motley Fool

BELMONT, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AnitaB.org, the global non-profit focused on intersectional gender and pay parity in tech, today recognized ADP, The New York Times Company, and Dev Technology Group as the winners of the 2021 Top Companies for Women Technologists, the only benchmarking program of its kind that specifically evaluates the technical workforce and awards companies that are making the most progress toward intersectional gender equity.

Participants of Top Companies for Women Technologists were evaluated based on data collected between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, based on the representation of women in technical roles in the U.S. and the rates of recruitment, retention, and advancement of such women. Companies were also evaluated and scored against their transparency and accountability, equitable hiring, caregiving support, pay equity, leadership and advancement, inclusion, and flexible work policies and offerings. This year's Top Companies for Women Technologists measured data from 56 tech companies and more than 552,000 technologists, making it the most rigorous report dissecting organizations' commitment to supporting a diverse technical workforce.

In addition to unveiling its winners, the data from this year's Top Companies for Women Technologists shows the total representation of technical women decreased by2.1 percentage from 2020 to 2021. Small workforces incurred the greatest losses, with an averagedecrease of 5.1 percentage points.

The report also found that women's representation within new hires increased in January 2021 (31% of tech new hires were women), continuing a favorable trend of the last five years. However, many companies instituted hiring freezes for portions of 2020, causing an overall decrease in tech new hires. Because hiring is the primary driver of increasing diversity, decreased overall hiring resulted in a decrease in the amount of tech women hired (18% fewer tech women were brought into organizations).

While there were fewer women represented in tech and fewer new hires, Top Companies for Women Technologistsfound that organizations made more strides to offer policies and programs that support women from formal career sponsorship programsto caregiver leave.

"While COVID-19 changed the way we live and work in nearly every way and in every part of the world, it will also be remembered for some remarkable strides made to advance gender equality and inclusion,"said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, President and CEO of AnitaB.org. "I am thrilled to honor this year's winners of Top Companies for Women Technologists for their ongoing work to advance intersectional gender equity. The data and insights provided by the winners and all the participating companies allow us to ignite much-needed conversations around diversity, and ultimately, serves as the fuel that allows us to cultivate a community invested in creating a world of inclusive technology."

Launched in 2011, Top Companies for Women Technologists helps organizations discover areas where they can improve and signals a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion that women look for in an employer. At a time when women, particularly women of color, are significantly underrepresented on teams that are building technologies that shape every aspect of modern life, Top Companies for Women Technologists helps point the way to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.

This year's report is the first time to encompass an interactive component, with a dashboard that allows anyone to drill down to more specifics based on technical workforce size. To further dissect the findings of Top Companies for Women Technologists and view how company policies and programs supported women in tech,click here.

About AnitaB.org

At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. We connect, inspire, and guide women technologists, and organizations that view technology innovation as a strategic imperative. For more than 30 years, this community has grown and changed to become the leading organization for women in technology. Today, AnitaB.org works with women technologists in more than 50 countries, and partners with leading academic institutions and Fortune 500 companies. For more information about AnitaB.org, visit anitab.orgor find us on LinkedIn at @anitab-org and on Instagram at @anitab_org.

CONTACT: Marlene Hollingsworth Phillip, [emailprotected]

SOURCE AnitaB.org

anitaborg.org

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AnitaB.org NAMES ADP, The New York Times Company, and Dev Technology Group as 2021 Top Companies for Women Technologists - PRNewswire

Can you imagine life without technology? Neither can we. Computers, smartphones, and the internet make the world go around, and the gaming industry is not an exception to its influence. Therefore, we present the greatest influences of technology on gaming.

Before 3D graphics came to the scene, game creators used 2D and text-based technology. However, the appearance of 3D, followed by the development of special effects, made video games much more realistic, putting a gaming experience on a higher level. Now, you can lose yourself in a perfectly designed world of Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, or Lost Judgement, and enjoy sceneries that look just as real.

Artificial intelligence has entered the gaming scene through the big door. It is one of those technological innovations that both game creators and players have welcomed with open arms. Video game studios today use AI, to create characters players can interact with or fight against, and they are fairly complex. These non-playable characters give players everything they need from contemporary games the touch of realism.

The development of virtual and augmented reality is one of the most significant technological innovations of our day. Unlike virtual reality, where we become part of a simulation that includes 3D photorealistic graphics, in augmented reality, we can use computer-generated images and impose them on the real world.

The gaming industry saw these two realities as an amazing opportunity for further development of video games. For instance, today, players can use VR headsets and enter the most fantastic gaming settings, experiencing what they could not or would not want to in the physical world.

The video game companies know that the future is now and that making the most out of technological innovations is essential to stay competitive in the market. Thats why some of the bravest and creative ones have already developed games that include hyperreality. Also known as location-based entertainment, hyperreality is the mixture of physical and virtual reality. Hyperreal games provide lifelike experiences, allowing players to gather in a physical space and join a specific virtual activity, such as a video game, using the required equipment.

It is interesting to know the difference between hyperreality and virtual reality. In virtual reality, for instance, everything is placed inside the goggles. However, in hyperreality, players use headsets and see the space they are playing the game in. Thats the beauty of hyperreality: you can walk around the room, reach some virtual object, and even feel them in their physical form. In fact, many will argue that hyperreality is the blend of virtual and augmented reality.

Many will not agree with this statement, but if we look at the broader picture, the invention of the computer and internet has led to the appearance of social media platforms, making it easier for people to connect. Now, you can play your favorite video games with other gaming enthusiasts all around the globe, and this doesnt only stand for games such as WoW, LoL or Dota, but for many other titles and genres as well.

For instance, the online space has become a piece of heaven for passionate casino players, too. Today, players can enjoy their favorite casino games from the comfort of their homes not only thanks to the Internet, but also thanks to renowned providers and platforms such as skycitycasino.com, which are making the best of it.

The reason why these online games have gained popularity is thanks to the possibilities they offer one of the most appealing is flexibility. It means you can play an online game anytime, anywhere. All you need is a stable internet connection.

Playing online games doesnt require sitting in front of your desktop computer or laptop constantly. In contrast, when we said you could play online games anytime, anywhere, we meant you could also play them on your smartphone.

In fact, online games have probably become even more popular now that we can play them on our mobile devices. Moreover, the number of gaming apps available on the market is beyond imaginable. And the best thing is, you dont have to be passionate about gaming or a pro to play mobile games because theres something for everyone.

The gaming industry is profitable per se, but in order to spin more revenue, merchandising has become an inevitable part of each game companys business strategy. So today, we have our favorite game characters on mugs, t-shirts, and even made as action figures.

Moreover, some leading game companies have created different publications inspired by video games, including comics and books. And thats not all; a few video games, such as Ubisofts Assassins Creed, were adapted for the big screen, and it is almost certain that we will see more video games made into TV series and movies.

Technology is both Beauty and the Beast. So, what it can turn into is yet to be seen. But, whatever happens, the gaming industry will surely follow it.

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The Greatest Influences of Technology on Gaming - Tech Guide