Daily Archives: July 29, 2022

Pindrop is hitting the road this summer to reintroduce itself as a security company with a whole lot more to say.

Those in the Atlanta startup community know Pindrop for its voiceprinting and voice fraud detection platform that was an early cybersecurity darling. The team has raised over $200 million in venture funding to date from the likes of Andreesen Horowitz, IVP, Citi Ventures, and Goldman Sachs.

But as voice technology has expanded, Pindrop has also broadened its focus beyond fraud. The next chapter of Pindrop is about bringing voice authentication and security into IoT, consumer, and mobile spaces.

That expanded focus is on full display during Pindrops Soundproof Tour, an event taking the company across the country via RV to showcase Pindrops new technology and its updated brand. The tour kicked off earlier this summer in San Francisco at the RSA Conference, one of the largest cybersecurity conferences of the year.

This week the RV parked itself outside The Interlock, Pindrops new West Midtown office location, to give Atlantans a hint of what the late-stage startup is up to next.

Such a reintroduction is necessary for an Atlanta-based cybersecurity company that has expanded its focus so drastically over the last few years.

Pindrop was co-founded in 2011 by Vijay Balasubramaniyan, Paul Judge, and Mustaque Ahamad, two Georgia Tech PhDs and a Georgia Tech professor. The company has grown to nearly 300 employees, according to LinkedIn. One in four of those employees hold a Ph.D., Balasubramaniyan told Hypepotamus.

While at the Atlanta stop of the Soundproof Tour this week, Balasubramaniyan said that the voice technology sector has exploded since Pindrop first got off the ground. He said it took a long time to get early investors on board because there was concern that phone calls were going out of style thanks to text messaging and other digital forms of communication. But it only took six weeks to close its $90 million Series D in 2018, as voice authentication use cases have expanded well beyond just call centers.

Theres no way we could have predicted this growth, Balasubramaniyan said, referring to the rise of Alexa, connected devices, and the number of new paths for consumers to use their voice for identification purposes.

This means Pindrop has expanded its customer base beyond call centers and financial institutions and is now going after the larger voice-embedded world of televisions, cars, and smart devices.

Ben Cunningham, Director of Product Marketing, likes to describe Pindrops technology as a Swiss Army Knife for voice since it can help transform speech into a form of identity verification or into a method for more curated and streamlined customer experiences.

The last few months have been all about partnerships for Pindrop, spearheaded by work with Google Cloud, Amazon, Bandwidth, Verizon, and several large service providers. At the same time, the team shifted to a remote-first work model and moved its HQ to The Interlock in West Midtown, one of the popular new spots for technology-focused ventures.

Pindrops expanded focus makes it poised for further growth in the connected device space, Balasubramaniyan added. The team has been profitable over the last few years and hasnt needed to raise additional outside capital since 2018, which is somewhat rare for late-stage startups going after significant enterprise clients.

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With a Rebrand and an RV, Pindrop is Embracing New Voice Technology Opportunities - hypepotamus.com

Regulatory Developments

On July 25, the OCC is seeking academic and policy-focused research on the impact that fintech and non-bank entities have on the banking industry and markets for lending, deposit-taking and payment services through August 21, 2022. The OCC will then invite authors of selected papers to present to OCC staff and guests at the OCC Headquarters in Washington, D.C., to be held from November 7-8, 2022. These presentations are intended to serve as a platform for academic, regulatory and other industry experts to discuss research and expound on how the banking system, with specific focus on community banks, will leverage the technology associated with fintech and, in turn, respond to the influx of new banking services providers. The Call for Papers lays out the scholarship requested; interested parties are invited to submit papers to EconFINTECHSymposium@occ.treas.gov.

On July 18, the CFTC extended the deadline for the public comment period on an RFI on climate-related financial risk from August 7 to October 7. The RFI seeks public comment to better inform the CFTCs understanding and oversight of climate-related financial risk, which refers to physical risks characterized by harm caused by acute, climate-related events and transition risks characterized by stresses to financial institutions or sectors resulting from shifts in policy, regulations, customer and business preferences, etc. Climate-related financial risk may directly or indirectly impact CFTC-registered entities, registrants and other market participants, as well as the derivatives markets and underlying commodities markets themselves, including causing heightened market volatility, disruptions of historical price correlations and challenges to existing risk management assumptions. The RFI also seeks responses on questions specific to data, scenario analysis and stress testing, risk management, disclosure, product innovation, voluntary carbon markets, digital assets, greenwashing, financially vulnerable communities, and public-private partnerships and engagement.

Its critical that the Commission proactively understand how climate-related financial risk may affect the commodities and derivatives markets as well as our registered entities, registrants, and other market participants as they increasingly rely on the derivatives markets to manage their climate-change induced physical and transition risk.- CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam

On July 27, the CFPB published four new topics to its Debt Collection Rule FAQs: (1) Prohibitions on Third-Party Communications; (2) Electronic Communication; (3) Electronic Communication: Opt-out Notice; and (4) Unusual or Inconvenient Times or Places. Among the new FAQ responses, the CFPB confirms that nothing in the Debt Collection Rule requires a debt collector to communicate with consumers electronically, that consumers may limit debt collector communications through specific methods or mediums, and that all electronic communications or attempted electronic communications with a consumer in connection with a collection of a debt must contain a clear and conspicuous opt-out notice with a simple method (e.g., hyperlink, texting STOP or similar language) by which the consumer can opt out of further electronic communications by the debt collector at the specific electronic medium to which the communication was sent.

On July 20, the FDIC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (the Proposal) in the Federal Register to incorporate updated accounting standards in the risk-based deposit insurance assessment system. The proposed rulemaking applies to all large and highly complex insured depository institutions. The proposal would amend the assessment regulations to expressly include the new accounting term, modifications to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty (the Term), recently introduced by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), to replace troubled debt restructurings (TDRs) in the underperforming assets ratio and higher-risk assets ratio in the scorecards for large and highly complex banks. In addition, the FDIC Board and other members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council are planning to revise Call Report forms and instructions to include the Term as it will be defined in the Glossary of the Call Report instructions.

The Proposal would not affect the deposit insurance assessment system for FDIC-insured and/or FDIC-supervised institutions with less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets.

On July 25, the FDIC revised guidance regarding termination of consent orders and cease-and-desist orders under Section 8(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance (FDI) Act. Under the FDI Act, the FDIC has the power to issue cease and desist orders when an insured depository institution is conducting business in an unsafe or unsound manner, or is violating a law, regulation, or agreement with the FDIC. Under the new guidance in the Enforcement Actions Manual, cease-and-desist orders can be terminated when (1) the institution has come into full compliance with the order and has corrected the violations that led to the order; (2) the provisions the institution is not in compliance with have ceased to be relevant to the circumstances of the institution; or (3) new or revised formal actions have been taken against the institution by the FDIC. The Enforcement Actions Manual guides the FDICs staff in its interactions with all FDIC-supervised financial institutions.

On July 21, the SEC charged three individuals with insider trading of digital assets via a scheme to trade ahead of multiple announcements regarding crypto assets being made available on a United States-based digital asset exchange at which one individual was a former product manager. In the complaint, the SEC identifies nine crypto asset securities (the first time the agency has used this term) that the agency alleges are securities. The SEC also alleges that the individuals orchestrated the scheme more broadly on at least 25 digital assets 16 of which are not identified gaining illicit profits of more than $1.1 million.

Read the client alert to learn more about the case and its implications.

[View source.]

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OCC Solicits Research on Implications of Financial Technology for Banking - JD Supra

In the weeks before the House and the Senate ended 13 months of arguments and passed the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, Chinas main, state-supported chip maker cleared a major technological hurdle that delivered a bit of a shock to the world.

Experts are still assessing how China apparently leapfrogged ahead in its effort to manufacture a semiconductor whose circuits are of such tiny dimensions about 10,000 times thinner than a human hair that they rival those made in Taiwan, which supplies both China and the West. The Biden administration has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the highly specialized equipment to make those chips out of Chinese hands, because progress in chip manufacturing is now scrutinized as a way to define national power much the same way nuclear tests or precision-guided missiles were during a previous cold war.

No one yet knows whether China can exploit the breakthrough on a large scale; that may take years. But one lesson seemed clear: While Congress debated and amended and argued over whether and how to support American chip makers and a broad range of research in other technologies from advanced batteries to robotics and quantum computing China was surging ahead, betting it would take Washington years to get its act together.

Our Congress is working at political speed, said Eric Schmidt, the former Google chief executive who went on to lead the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which warned last year of the huge dangers of falling far behind in a foundational technology like advanced semiconductor manufacturing in a world of vulnerable supply chains. The Chinese government is working at commercial speed.

In China, the drive to catch up and manufacture the most advanced chips is part of the Made in China 2025 program. That effort began in 2015. While few in Congress want to concede the point, the technologies that the United States will be funding when President Biden signs the bill, as he promised to do on Thursday, largely replicate the Chinese list.

It is classic industrial policy, though leaders in both parties are avoiding the term. The words convey a sense of state-controlled planning that is antithetical to most Republicans and showers direct support and tax credits on some of Americas largest companies, which makes some Democrats shake with anger.

But 2025 isnt very far away, meaning the money will just get flowing while Chinese and other competitors move on to their next set of goals. Meanwhile, the American semiconductor industry has withered, to the point where none of the most advanced chips are made in the United States, even though the fundamental technology was born here and gave Silicon Valley its name.

None of this means American competitiveness is doomed. Just as Japan once seemed as if it was the 10-foot-tall technological giant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but then missed some of the biggest breakthroughs in mobile computing and Windows operating systems and even chip-making, China is discovering that money alone does not guarantee technological dominance. But it helps.

It has taken Congress far longer to come to the same conclusion. Still, China has turned out to be one of the few issues on which Republicans and Democrats can come together the bill passed the House 243 to 187, with one abstention, on Thursday. Twenty-four Republicans voted in favor, notable because G.O.P. leaders were urging their members to oppose the bill after the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, and Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia announced a surprise deal on climate, energy and taxes on Wednesday.

China immediately denounced the bill as an isolationist move by Americans intent on freeing themselves from dependence on foreign technology a strategy called decoupling that China itself is trying to replicate.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, told reporters in Beijing that no restriction or suppression will hold back Chinese progress, a clear reference to the American and European efforts to deny China the technology that would speed its technological independence.

But the big question is whether Congresss slowness to wake up to Americas competitive shortcomings has doomed the effort. While Mr. Biden and lawmakers tried to build support for the bill by describing the chips found in everything from refrigerators to thermostats to cars as the oil of the 21st century, the phrase was already hackneyed three decades ago.

In the late 1980s, Andrew S. Grove, one of the pioneers of Silicon Valley and an early leader of Intel Corporation, warned of the danger of the United States becoming a techno-colony of Japan.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company produces roughly 90 percent of the most advanced semiconductors. It sells them to both China and the United States.

And while Taiwan Semiconductor and Samsung are building new manufacturing facilities in the United States, responding to political pressure to address American supply-chain worries, the net result will be that only a single-digit percentage of its production will be on American soil.

Our dependence on Taiwan for the sophisticated chips is untenable and unsafe, the commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, noted last week at the Aspen Security Forum. With demand for more sophisticated chips growing every new generation of cars requires more and more semiconductors we dont have enough domestic supply.

The bills $52 billion in federal subsidies, she argued, would be bolstered by private money and turn into hundreds of billions in investments. She was essentially using the argument that the federal government has long used to justify incentives to defense contractors. Politicians knew that underwriting risky new spy satellite technology, or stealthy drones, was an easier sell in Congress if described as critical defense spending instead of industrial policy.

But now the logic is turned on its head. What the defense contractors need is the most advanced commercial chips not only for F-35s, but for artificial intelligence systems that one day may change the nature of the battlefield. The old distinctions between military and commercial technology have largely eroded. That is why, to get the bill through, the administration even brought Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III into the pressure campaign, arguing that he couldnt rely on foreign suppliers for the weapons of the future.

The bills authors say that while they are late to the task of rebuilding the industry, starting today is better than continuing to watch the American lead erode. Senator Todd Young said that while Chinas recent advance was sobering, he didnt think there was anyone that can out-innovate the United States of America if we mobilize our many resources.

Americas other advantage is our relationships, economic and geopolitical, with other countries, said Mr. Young, an Indiana Republican. China has no friends; they have vassal states.

Innovation has been an American strong suit; the microprocessor was invented here. But time and again, the American vulnerability is in manufacturing. And China isnt the only competitor. To extract cash out of Congress, Intel and others noted that Germany and other allies were trying to lure it to build fabs the airtight, spotless manufacturing centers for chips on their own territory.

But in the end it was China that drove the votes.

One of the first assessments of the new Chinese chip, made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, came from researchers at a firm called TechInsights.

After reverse-engineering the Chinese-made chip, they concluded that it used circuitry that was only seven nanometers wide. As recently as 2020, Chinese manufacturers had struggled to get below 40 nanometers.

Experts say the chip, made for mining cryptocurrency, may have been based on, or stolen from, Taiwan Semiconductor. For now, Taiwan Semiconductor remains the most important single manufacturer in the world, and its sprawling facilities near Taipei may be the islands greatest protection against invasion. China cant afford to risk its destruction. And the United States cant afford for it to be destroyed.

But that delicate balance wont last forever. So China has both a commercial and a geopolitical motive to make the worlds fastest chips, and the United States has a competitive motive to keep Beijing from getting the technology to do so. It is the ultimate 21st-century arms race.

In the old Cold War, the one against the Soviet Union a generation ago, the government could afford to sit on the sidelines and hope private industry would invest, Mr. Schumer said on Wednesday. Now, he said, we cant afford to sit on the sidelines.

Catie Edmondson contributed reporting.

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China Has Leapfrogged the U.S. in Key Technologies. Can a New Law Help? - The New York Times

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupted the transportation industry. During a time when many companies opted to hunker down amid great uncertainty, some saw this as the perfect time to try something new.

The pandemic challenges proved to be too much for the antiquated transportation management system that Concept Logistics had in place.

Desiring to better manage capacity with increased visibility and automation technology, the Buffalo, New York-based nonasset freight brokerage turned to the leading capacity management platform Parade and Tai Software to chart its digital future.

In a recent case study, Parade and Tai showcase how Concept Logistics perfected its technology stack during the height of the pandemic, proving that anytime is perfect for a technology upgrade.

Greg Finnerty, VP of operations at Concept Logistics, wasnt interested in making a lateral move with his next technology investment. Rather, he wanted a solution that would actually help the company reach its full potential.

I dont just want to automate; I want to elevate, Finnerty said.

Concept Logistics seamless transition to Tai TMS, a web-based transportation management system designed for both truckload and less-than-truckload shipments, immediately provided end-to-end automation from posting to booking and dispatching to tracking that the brokerage needed to navigate the changing freight landscape.

The timing couldnt have been better, as supply chain disruptions proved to be most turbulent from 2020 through 2021. Concept Logistics knew that through these uncertain times, the ability to maintain trust between its partners and customers would be paramount. So, in 2021, it added Parades capacity management platform to its tech repertoire to further automate the brokerages freight matching, carrier outreach, quoting and booking.

Brokerages have traditionally honed their relationships with shippers, but smart brokers know that strengthening ties with carriers is also important, as carrier relationships provide more access to capacity and perhaps even better rates.

The case study notes, [When] Concepts team can offer shippers better rates while delivering fair rates for their carriers, its a win for everyone.

With Parade and Tai, Concept Logistics has enabled one of its customers to be almost completely self-sufficient. An individualized client portal into the TMS allows shippers to book their own loads through Tai since available carriers are sent directly from Parade to Tai.

Concept Logistics reps can now interact with carriers more smoothly than before, as carrier profiling used to involve pen and paper and the strength of the brokers memory. But with Smart Rules, Parades automation makes it easy to keep track of a carriers preferences and networking capacity, allowing Concept Logistics reps to share carrier insights to help book better loads.

With the capacity insights that Parade funnels through Tai TMS, Concept Logistics reps have access to a broader view of capacity that allows them to cover loads earlier and keep more off the spot market. They can easily see rates from Parade in their TMS, allowing them to compare data between systems to find issues early to ensure each load is rated properly.

Rather than making 50 10-second phone calls to try to get a load covered, reps can make one 15-minute call where they connect with the carrier and learn where theyre going to have trucks later and not just right now, Finnerty said.

As a user of Parade, Concept Logistics can review its analytics to confirm its strategy is on track.

Recent data shows its reuse rate to be 60% over the past 90 days for carriers hauling more than four loads. Whats more, the brokerage has 746 carriers that take 20 or more loads per month.

Concept Logistics weathered the worst part of the pandemic well and has managed significant growth since, recording 54% growth last year alone.

Its cool to see the growth in shipment volume you get when you take an extremely well-run organization like Concept and add the innovative technology partnership of Tai and Parade to help maximize the in-house talent of their brokerage, said Sean McGillicuddy, Tais vice president of sales and marketing. Those guys have a great team; Tai and Parade together have empowered Concept to scale their most talented team members.

The brokerage anticipates 60% growth by years end, with similar results predicted in 2023 even as projections call for a softer freight market. Regardless of the ever-changing freight landscape, Concept Logistics believes it is well equipped to take on any freight challenge with Parade and Tai and perhaps strengthen broker-carrier relationships along the way.

Click for more FreightWaves content by Jack Glenn.

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Anytime is the right time to perfect your technology stack - FreightWaves

Backin 2020, KEF announced that its loudspeaker designers had been working with anorganization called Acoustic Metamaterials Group on a new engineering toolcalled Metamaterial AbsorptionTechnology, or MAT. The companyexplained that it would be using metamaterial in this case, anintricately-designed acoustical device to work as a sound absorber inside aspeaker cabinet on an upcoming product. KEF described MAT as a highlycomplex maze-like structure, where each of the intricate channels efficientlyabsorbs a range of specific frequencies. When combined, the channels act as anacoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound, eliminating theresulting distortion and providing a purer, more natural acoustic performance.At the time of this announcement, no hint was given as to which KEF productwould first be employing this breakthrough tech, but I assumed it would be thecompanys Blade speaker, which is a technological tour de force, and serves asKEFs de facto flagship design (even if the $225,000 Muon technically holds thetop spot). Or perhaps, I thought, KEFs venerable Reference series would befirst to get the metamaterial treatment. Instead, the diminutive and wildlypopular KEF LS50,along with its active, wireless/streaming counterpart, became the worlds firstspeaker to employ metamaterial. While I was surprised that a relativelyaffordable speaker was chosen over KEFs top offerings to receive such acutting-edge update first, I can understand why the decision was made. Theoriginal LS50 was such a ubiquitous, well-known speaker that it would be veryeasy for audio reviewers and potential customers to do a side-by-sidecomparison and hear for themselves the difference that metamaterial could make.Now that reviews of the LS50 Meta are plentiful (and overwhelmingly positive),the audio world knows that Metamaterial Absorption Technology isnt just a gimmick; its a realstep forward for loudspeaker engineering. With that established, the folks atKEF are ready to launch the latest update to their high-end Blade and Referencespeakers.

Thenew Blade and Reference lines have also been updated with KEFs other recentacoustic innovations, including a new high-end version of the brands 12th-generation concentric Uni-Q driver, which placesa 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter (with MAT, and KEFs proprietary tangerinewaveguide) in the center of a 5-inch aluminum midrange driver. For both series,the crossover has been fully reworked with new, low distortion components,according to the company. KEF says that the result of these innovations anddevelopments for both Blade and The Reference is that the Uni-Q with MATreproduces more transparent and life-like sound than previously possible.KEFs less expensive speakers, including the LS50 range, are made in China, butthe Blade and Reference rangesare assembled by hand in the companys Maidstone, England production facility,by master craftsmen. Impressively, each pair is measured to ensure that thespeakers match both to each other, and to the laboratory-maintained linestandard within 0.5dB.

TheBlade began as a concept back in 2006, but wasnt revealed to the public until2009. The final, market-ready Blade launched in 2011. The smaller Blade 2,which was scaled down in size but not in performance, came out in 2014. Now,just over a decade since the first Blade was released, KEFs engineers havemanaged to improve upon a design that was still considered state-of-the-art.The original Blade has been replaced by the Blade One Meta ($35,000/pair),which looks nearly identical, standing the same 62.5 inches tall, and weighingin at the same 126 pounds as its predecessor. (The slightly smaller Blade TwoMeta costs $28,000 per pair.) At $35K, The Blade One Meta is competing with thetop offerings from fellow British brands Bowers & Wilkins and MonitorAudio, newcomers like PerListen and PS Audio, and the usual suspects from Wilson,Magico, YG, and many others. To some people, this might sound like an absurdsum to spend on a pair of speakers, but its a popular and crowded segment ofthe high-end audio market. What sets the Blade One Meta apart from its rivals?At its heart, the Blade One is the most complete realization of KEFs SingleApparent Source technology, which extends the inherent point-sourcecharacteristics of the Uni-Q driver all the way down to the deepest bassfrequencies, while delivering immense dynamic output. As KEFs Head ofAcoustics Jack Oclee-Brown puts it, the whole audio spectrum appears toemanate from a single point in space.

TheBlades low end is provided by four side-firing, force-cancelling 9-inchwoofers. Two woofers are placed on each side of the speaker, allowing thedrivers to be braced against each other in pairs, thus cancelling out vibrations that would otherwise excite thecabinet. KEF claims that you can balance a coin on top of the Blades cabinet,and that it wont fall (or even move), no matter what ear-assaulting bass youpump through the speakers. Each pair of woofers is located in its own chamber,reducing the potential for interference between the drive units, while alsoreducing the need for damping, which can have a deleterious effect on bass quality. The woofers are positionedsymmetrically relative to the Uni-Q driver, and the crossover ensures perfecttime alignment. The result of this design is that low, mid, and highfrequencies all appear to radiate from one point, and all reach the listenersears at the same time. This makes the speaker incredibly coherent, with moreprecise imaging than other multi-driver speakers, according to KEF. The icingon this cake is the Metamaterial Absorption Technologybehind the Uni-Qdriver, which absorbs the tweeters backwave to prevent resonances that wouldotherwise color the sound. The massive, damped cabinet is formed fromhigh-density polyurethane (which, according to KEFs longtime brand ambassadorJohan Coorg, provides a huge sonic upgradecompared the composite of carbon fiber and balsa wood used in the earlyprototypes of the first Blade). The speakers unusual, sculptural shape employsparabolic curves to minimize diffraction. Although its over 5 feet tall, theBlade One Meta is only moderately large compared to some super-speakers, andlooks rather slender at 14.3 inches wide and 21.2 inches deep. But if thosedimensions wont work in your room (or if youre concerned that the Blade OneMeta would overload your smaller listening room with bass), you might insteadchoose the slightly smaller Blade Two Meta, which is designed to deliver thesame experience in smaller spaces. The Blade Two Meta employs 6.5-inch woofersin place of the Blade Ones 9-inch woofers, and its cabinet is smaller, at 57.5inches tall, 13.3 inches wide, and 18.7 inches deep. Both Blade models areavailable in four standard finishes:Piano Black & Grey, Arctic White & Champagne,Charcoal Grey & Bronze, and Frosted Blue & Blue.Fourspecial-orderfinishes are also available:Piano Black& Copper, Frosted Blue & Bronze, Charcoal Grey& Red, and Racing Red & Grey. KEF will be offering custom finishes aswell, starting in June.

Ifthe Blade is the result of KEFs engineers being given a clean slate, theReference series can be seen as the result of decades worth of audio evolution.The Reference DNA can be traced back to the Model 104, which was the first KEF speaker tocarry the Reference tag back in 1973. But it was the ReferenceSeries Model 105, whichdebuted in 1977, that really made waves in the loudspeaker industry, thanks toits radical-looking,form-follows-function design and its high standard of precision imaging andtonal accuracy. Not long after the first Uni-Q driver array appeared on KEFsC35 loudspeaker in 1988, the Reference Series embraced that technology, markingthe start of a new, modern era for the Reference. All of that was a bit beforemy time in the audio industry, but I remember very clearly reading JohnAtkinsons 2008 Stereophile review of the $20,000 KEF Reference 207/2, which hesaid was, to all intents and purposes, without flaw. These days, theReference speakers aim to deliver as much of KEFs engineering prowess aspossible in more traditional-looking (rectangular box) designs that fit wellinto contemporary home environments.

As with the new Blades, the new Referencespeakers feature an updated 12th-generation Uni-Qdriver, with a new motor system and spider to improve linearity, andMetamaterial Absorption Technology to absorb the tweeters backwave.Surrounding this is what KEF calls a Shadow Flare, which the company describesas a specially proled trim ring that extends the waveguide effect of Uni-Qdriver array, resulting in improved clarity, particularly when it comes to thesubtle nuances of plucked strings and other percussive sounds. It achievesthis by reducing the negative effects of diffraction, allowing Uni-Q todeliver a beautifully wide and accurate soundstage, according to KEF.Vibration is addressed with constrained layer damping, while tuned internalchambering prevents standing waves. Adjustable, flexible ports make chuffing athing of the past and allow the user to tweak the speakers bass to better fitthe room. The Reference speakers use more conventional front-firing woofers,with a massive, vented magnet assembly paired with a huge aluminum voice coiland a stiff, yet cleverly damped alloy cone (to ensure that) the Reference isfully capable of achieving pipe-organ depths.

Reference 1 Meta and Reference 5 Meta

Thenew Reference series comprises five models with easy-to-remember names: TheReference 1 Meta, The Reference 2 Meta, The Reference 3 Meta, The Reference 4Meta, and The Reference 5 Meta. But its not quite as simple as it seems. TheReference 1 Meta, 3 Meta, and 5 Meta are free-standing speakers, meaning theyare intended to be used in a stereo pair, away from room boundaries. TheReference 2 Meta and Reference 4 Meta are designed to be used as center-channelspeakers in home theater environments, or as left and right speakers wherebookshelf or cabinet mounting is required. Lets look first at thefree-standing speakers. The Reference 1 Meta ($9,000/pair) is a 3-waystand-mounted speaker that combines the Reference Uni-Q with a single 6.5-inch woofer in a rear-ported cabinet. Its fairlylarge for a stand-mount, at 17.3 inches tall, weighing 40 pounds each. The Reference1 is intended for use in smaller listening rooms, where they would benefit fromroom gain (and where larger speakers might produce an excess of bass). The new S-RF1($1,200/pair) is a dedicated floor stand for the Reference 1 Meta, featuringbolting points and cable management. The Reference 3 Meta ($15,000/pair) is thesmaller of two floorstanders, at 47.5 inches tall, and weighing a substantial113 pounds each. It employs a pair of 6.5-inch ported woofers, one above andone below the Uni-Q. As you might guess, its designed for use in medium-sized rooms.Larger spaces might be better served by the Papa Bear of the range, theReference 5 Meta ($22,000/pair), which places a pair of 6.5-inch woofers above the Uni-Q, and another pairbelow it, delivering an in-room bass response reaching down to 25Hz (-6db). TheReference 5 Meta stands just over 55 inches tall, and weighs about 133 poundseach.

Ifyoure an old-school 2-channel audiophile, you can stop there. But the hometheater crowd will surely be interested in the Reference 2 Meta ($6,000 each)and Reference 4 Meta ($8000 each), which will serve as center-channel speakers,or LCR speakers, depending on the requirements of the system and the room. Thedrivers in both of these models are symmetrically arranged, so that thespeakers can be used either horizontally or vertically with no change to tonalbalance and no undesirable effects. However they are oriented, these speakersare optimized for use either in free space or positioned close to roomboundaries, such as a wall or entertainment center. They include adjustmentsfor bass and treble balance to help compensate for changes in their sound thatmay result from proximity to the wall behind them, or from being mounted behinda projection screen. The Reference 2 Meta is a sealed-cabinet design, with asingle 6.5-inch woofer on either side of the Uni-Q. The larger Reference 4 Metaemploys a pair of woofers on either side of the Uni-Q, and is a ported design,so it does require a bit more clearance in order for the port to work properly.The Reference series is available in three standard finish options: SatinWalnut & Silver, High-Gloss White & Champagne, and High-Gloss Black & Grey. Thereare also two special-order options: High-GlossWhite & Blue, and High-Gloss Black & Copper.

Withthe addition of Metamaterial Absorption Technology, new drivers, and newcrossovers, this new generation of KEFs high-end offerings packs a lot ofengineering into familiar-looking packages that might easily be mistaken forthe older models. That said, both the new Blades and the new Reference speakerscan be had in a variety of extremely stylish color combinations, and thecompanys approach to industrial design makes sense to me. If you wantsuper-modern looks and extreme performance, go with the Blades. Meanwhile, theReference series offers nearly the same level of technology in a wider range ofsizes and configurations, all packaged in a more traditional design that willwork in more living spaces. Would you choose the flashy, hardcore Blades, orthe more timeless, elegant Reference speakers for your own system? Share yourthoughts in the related forum thread below.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.

gene posts on July 29, 2022 03:19

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Read: KEF Metamaterial Absorption Tech in Blade & Reference Speakers

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KEF Updates Flagship Blade and Reference Speakers With Metamaterial Absorption Technology - Audioholics

Its Time to End Spreadsheet Culture Heres HowThe investment banking front office needs technology partners that offer flexible solutions rather than one-stop-shop platforms.

By: Dean McIntyre

Bad technology breeds frustration and dissatisfaction at work. Nearly two-thirds of employees (62%) report the software they use at work prevents them from reaching their full potential, while one in eight say they have left a previous job over a software mismatch.

For the front-office workforce, spreadsheet culture the proliferation of manual spreadsheets is a symptom of software mismatch. Its a sign the platforms employees are using arent flexible enough to handle all the tasks they need to accomplish, resulting in lost hours spent managing spreadsheets.

At a time when employers are reassessing how and where employees work, you need to reevaluate your technology solutions to retain talent and remain competitive. Rather than relying on clunky one-size-fits-all systems and myriad spreadsheets, look to flexible analytics solutions and open workflows to level-up your operating processes.

Intelligent technology can streamline workflows across your organization, eliminate mundane tasks, and increase collaboration between teams delivering measurable improvements in both account performance and workplace culture.

A lot of our work wouldnt get done without spreadsheets, and theyll always have a place in the office. Theyre infinitely customizable, allowing us to analyze data to solve ever-evolving work challenges. However, spreadsheets inherent flexibility the reason we love and rely on them so much is also their Achilles heel.

But lets back up what led to spreadsheet culture in the first place? Financial technology and data companies love to tout one-stop shop platforms that can do it all. And to be fair, you need an easy-to-use tool that doesnt cost too much, so you sign the contract. But then you have a few years of growth and suddenly realize your asset and portfolio managers are drowning in Excel documents because that full-service solution couldnt keep up. It does most of what you need, but it leaves you on your own to fill in the gaps. Enter spreadsheets.

Unfortunately, spreadsheets dont have built-in safeguards to flag errors, making it easy for small mistakes to balloon, especially in situations where youre creating new spreadsheets based on bad data from old files. Similarly, human errors copy-and-paste mistakes, typos, accidentally deleted cells are unavoidable in high-pressure, fast-paced industries like asset management, even for your star performers. As time goes on, it becomes impossible to backtrack and figure out where things went wrong.

Spreadsheets have a negative impact on company culture, too. Most people dont want to work in spreadsheets all day for the reasons listed above. Spreadsheet culture slows productivity, limits transparency, and hinders collaboration. Creating and maintaining spreadsheets is a labor-intensive process, and everyone has their own method. As a result, its difficult for team members to open a document and take over if needed, leaving individual contributors and teams feeling siloed.

When you have the right tools and processes in place, getting work done isnt a struggle its motivating. The change happens when you replace compartmentalized tech products in the front office with advanced workflow solutions that allow you to rely less on spreadsheets and share information seamlessly. The result is big-picture decision-making, more time for strategic thinking, and a workplace characterized by collaboration.

Here are four tips to help you get there:

Everyone knows technology platforms impact team culture and work performance. Thats why its important to future-proof your organization with flexible, forward-thinking trade lifecycle workflows so you dont fall into the spreadsheet culture trap.

Ultimately, technologies that support open workflows, interoperability, and automation will make your firm more productive and profitable and free up your front office teams time for more strategic and fulfilling work.

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The Meshing of Technology and Human Interaction - Benzinga

Fast Facts

U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses facial recognition technology for identity checks at some border locations. As of July 2022, CBP had deployed this technology to 32 airports for travelers leaving the U.S. and all airports for travelers entering the country.

We testified that CBP's privacy signswhich inform the public about its use of this technologyweren't always current or available where this technology was being used.

Our previous recommendations included that CBP ensure its privacy notices are complete and available at locations using this technology.

Example of cameras and display screens used for facial recognition at the Port Canaveral Seaport

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made progress testing and deploying facial recognition technology (FRT) at air, sea, and land ports of entry to create entry-exit records for foreign nationals as part of its Biometric Entry-Exit Program. As of July 2022, CBP has deployed FRT at 32 airports to biometrically confirm travelers' identities as they depart the United States (air exit) and at all airports for arriving international travelers.

Facial Recognition Technology in Use at an Airport

In September 2020, GAO reported that CBP had taken steps to incorporated privacy principles in its program, such as prohibiting airlines from storing or using travelers' photos for their own purposes. However, CBP had not consistently provided travelers with information about FRT locations. Also,, and CBP's privacy signage provided limited information on how travelers could request to opt out of FRT screening and were not always posted. Since that time, CBP has ensured that privacy notices contain complete information and is taking steps to ensure signage is more consistently available, but needs to complete its efforts to distribute updated signs to locations where FRT is used. Further, CBP requires its commercial partners, such as airlines, to follow CBP's privacy requirements and could audit partners to assess compliance. As of May 2020, CBP had audited only one airline partner and did not have a plan to ensure all partners were audited. In July 2022, CBP reported that it has conducted five5 assessments of its air partners and has three additional assessments underway. These are positive steps to help ensure that air traveler information is safeguarded. However, CBP should also audit other partners who have access to personally identifiable information, including those in other travel environments, vendors, and contractorscontractors and partners at land and sea ports of entry.

CBP assessed the accuracy and performance of air exit FRT capabilities through operational testing. Testing found that air exit exceeded its accuracy goals but did not meet a performance goal to capture 97 percent of traveler photos because airlines did not consistently photograph all travelers. As of July 2022, CBP officials report that they are planning to remove this requirementremoving the photo capture goal because airline participation in the program is voluntary and CBP does not have staff to monitor the photo capture process at every gate.

Within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), CBP is charged with the dual mission of facilitating legitimate travel and securing U.S. borders. In response to fFederal laws requireing DHS to implement a biographic and biometric data system for foreign nationals entering and exiting the U.S. In response, CBP has been pursuing FRT to verify a traveler's identity in place of a visual inspection of travel identification documents.

This statement addresses the extent to which CBP has (1) incorporated privacy principles in and (2) assessed the accuracy and performance of its use of FRT. This statement is based on a September 2020 report (GAO-20-568), along with updates as of July 2022 on actions CBP has taken to address prior GAO recommendations. For that report, GAO conducted site visits to observe CBP's use of FRT; reviewed program documents; and interviewed DHS officials.

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Facial Recognition Technology: CBP Traveler Identity Verification and Efforts to Address Privacy Issues - Government Accountability Office

WASHINGTON A Republican senator is trying to repeal a provision in the infrastructure law passed by Congress last year that would require a passive technology to prevent drunken or impaired drivers from starting their vehicles.

The infrastructure law orders NHTSA to issue a final rule by November 2024 requiring new vehicles to be equipped with an advanced drunken-driving and impaired-driving prevention technology. Once the rule is issued, automakers would have two to three years to implement the technology as standard equipment in all new light-duty cars and trucks.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. who previously sought to block the provision before the bill was enacted in November introduced legislation Wednesday to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and reverse the requirement. Rounds' bill is supported by Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Automotive News has reached out to the three senators for comment.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving slammed Rounds' effort to reverse the measure, calling it "ill-advised legislation" that would "result in thousands of preventable deaths and injuries every year."

MADD National President Alex Otte said it's unclear why Rounds opposes the requirement and where the push is coming from.

"We know he filed an amendment before the IIJA was passed last year, and it did not move forward," she said in an emailed statement to Automotive News. "It's surprising that he would work against something with the potential to end drunk driving, especially when drunk driving deaths have spiked in South Dakota and 35 percent of all traffic deaths in his state are alcohol-related, which is higher than the national average of 30 percent."

Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said Thursday that her group "strongly opposes" Rounds' bill and that it would "halt progress toward requiring this lifesaving technology as standard equipment."

Alcohol-impaired driving deaths represent roughly one-third of all highway fatalities in the U.S. each year. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, alcohol-detection systems that prevent impaired driving could save more than 9,400 lives annually.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade association that represents most major automakers, said last year that the industry has long been committed to supporting public and private efforts to address alcohol-impaired driving.

For its part, the industry has been working with NHTSA to develop the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety technology, which features a breath- and touch-based system to measure a driver's blood-alcohol level.

"We appreciate the efforts of congressional leaders and other stakeholders to advance a legislative approach that provides NHTSA the ability to review all potential technologies as options for federal regulation," John Bozzella, CEO of the alliance, said in August 2021 before the infrastructure bill became law.

In June, an independent group composed of auto safety experts and consumer advocates formed to assist with the development of a passive technology that could prevent drunken or impaired drivers from starting their vehicles.

The technical working group is co-chaired by Stephanie Manning, MADD's chief government affairs officer, and Jeffrey Michael, a former associate administrator at NHTSA.

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Senator introduces bill to block rule on impaired-driving prevention technology - Automotive News

LAWRENCE, Kan. The Kansas Football program has added a valuable resource to its disposal with The Seeker, the worlds first robotic quarterback, kicker and punter.

The new on-field technology will allow Kansas players to train alone for the first time and receive a multitude of extra game-like reps throughout the calendar year. The Seeker, developed by Monarc, is the latest example of Coach Lance Leipold looking to improve the Kansas program in every facet.

Coach Leipold is always looking for innovative and productive ways for our team to improve, and The Seeker will be an invaluable resource for our players, Kansas Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. This will allow our guys to get on the field and get more quality repetitions and improve their skills. This is a tool that will help players in all three phases of the game and will have an immediate impact on our program. Were very excited to begin using it and see the impact firsthand.

The Seeker is the worlds first technology that allows footballs to be thrown to receivers without the help of someone feeding the machine constantly. The Seeker also has the capability to track athletes positions on the field and throw the ball at a specific speed, at a specific location on the field and at a specific position on the players body.

The speed of The Seeker can reach up to 75 miles per hour.

The tool has been helpful for players on offense and defense. It increases in-practice reps and has also increased interceptions for defensive players due to better ball-skills.

The Seeker has a touchscreen interface, along with a six-ball magazine that allows users to throw, punt or kick up to six balls in 12 seconds with pinpoint accuracy, which eliminates wasted reps and increasing practice efficiency.

The Jayhawks will use the technology as they continue to prepare for the upcoming 2022 season, which opens at home on Sept. 2 against Tennessee Tech. Single-game tickets are officially on sale, as our season tickets.

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Kansas Introduces Cutting-Edge On-Field Technology in The Seeker - Kansas Jayhawks

On the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, held every year on 30 July, the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) joins the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) in calling on State Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings to counter the increasing use of technology to recruit, advertise and exploit victims of human trafficking, and to harness the great potential that technology can have in countering this crime (see joint statement).

GRETA President Helga Gayer said: Countries monitored by GRETA have reported an increased use of the Internet and mobile phones for recruiting and controlling victims of trafficking. Building knowledge and capacity of law enforcement officials, labour inspectors, prosecutors and judges, and enabling cooperation at all levels, is a crucial part of the response to cyber-trafficking.

In March this year, GRETA released a reportdetailing strategies, tools and good practices for overcoming existing challenges and boosting responses to online and ICT-facilitated human trafficking. The report provides evidence-based recommendations on how to enhance the detection, investigation and prosecution of technology-facilitated trafficking, co-operation with private companies, and international co-operation.

The challenges posed by technology on the investigation of human trafficking cases include data encryption, large volume of data, lack of technical equipment and training, and inadequate legislative tools. This calls for investment in capacity building of law enforcement officials in the areas of Internet monitoring, cyber-patrols, undercover online investigations, and the use of Open-Source Intelligence, social network analysis and automatic searching tools to analyse evidence.

At the same time, the Second Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Cybercrime (Budapest) Convention, opened for signature in May 2022, provides new tools for enhanced co-operation and a framework for obtaining electronic evidence more effectively.

Co-operation with private companies is crucial for combating trafficking in human beings, and should involve the development of co-operation protocols and data-sharing procedures for requesting evidence and taking down content related to human trafficking.

Technology-based policies to combat human trafficking need to be designed and applied with careful consideration for human rights, including the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination, added GRETAs President. The best interests of victims should be at the heart of any action.

ICAT Statement on the World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2022(PDF 192 KB)

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights statement:In times of crises, states should step up their efforts to prevent human trafficking and protect victims

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GRETA calls on states, civil society and tech companies to counter the use of technology to recruit and control victims of human trafficking - Council...