Category Archives: Technology

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Two Mid-South students were honored with prestigious achievements and awards for their work in the community.

For 14-year-old Johnathan Sherrill, it was about highlighting the injustice happening across the country. He and two other students came up with an idea to create an app allowing users to go through a day in the life of a middle-class Black man.

At the time there was the social injustice movement, the Black Lives Matter movement and we wanted to make an app for that, to explain it, he said.

The students are from CodeCrew, a non-profit organization serving underrepresented youth and empowering children and adults in the tech and innovator world.

I think its really important for people to know that even if you already have your own perspective, it is very important for you to step into another persons shoes to be able to better understand what it is that theyre saying to you, said Jayda Murray.

Sherrill and Murray were accepted into the Raising Good Gamers and Ted ED Talks program, one that supports students as they discover, explore and present their big ideas.

They are two of only 30 students worldwide to be selected in the after-school program. Its also an opportunity for recognition at the 2021 Games for Change Festival.

Sherrill, Murray and her sister Anaya also won first place in Tennessees Congressional App Challenge. This is the Murrays second win.

On their first win, Jayda and her sister submitted an app about campus safety for girls, giving them the tools to navigate from high school to college.

Theres some stats out there the Kaper Center put out a month ago that five percent of the workforce in tech is African American. Thats dismal, said CodeCrews Deputy Executive Director Kela Jones.

She said diversity in tech is a real, concerning problem. Its the result, she said, of students not knowing about the field and being exposed to it through school.

Those in CodeCrew are producers in technology. The organization has doubled its impacts since its start in 2015, serving hundreds of students in Memphis and across the country. Ninety-one percent of the students they serve are Black and Latinx, and ones with success stories or well on their way.

I wanted to graduate from a prestigious university, said Sherrill when asked about his future. I also want to diversify my portfolio by investing in bitcoins, stocks and becoming a successful entrepreneur.

I wish to be a game developer and a game designer, but I want to start my own company to be able to help other kids, added Murray.

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CodeCrew students honored for their work in the technology field - WREG NewsChannel 3

Finance teams are leveraging data to increase efficiency.

The future of work is here. Covid-19 accelerated mega-trends that were taking shape, like hybrid work schedules or virtual customer service. But a less discussed aspect of work is time utilization by high-skilled employees.

To find out more about this, I spoke with Efrain Rivera, the CFO of HR outsourcing firm Paychex, about how the Covid-19 pandemic has enabled remote work and leveraged data and automation to increaseemployee efficiency in finance. We also discussed the outlook for small businesses this year and beyond, and how finance leaders can help give back to their communities during a time of significant hardship.

Jeff Thomson: The Covid-19 pandemic has led to both a mass transition to remote work and substantial downsizing at many businesses. There will likely be long-term impact, even as the economy recovers. How are Paychexs products and services helping businesses navigate this accelerated future of work? What role does technology play in enabling businesses to be more remote and nimble, especially within the finance function?

Efrain Rivera: Paychex was well-prepared for the acceleration of the future of work. Years ago, we recognized a shift occurring in the workplace and invested in innovation to ensure we could meet those needs. Our Paychex Flex platform is a cloud-based SaaS solution. This, along with our 5-star mobile app and self-service functionality, allows clients and their employees to have access to our portal, along with data and reporting, from anywhere, at any time, and on any device. Some of our recent innovations, including HR Conversations and HR Connect, help clients to communicate and engage directly with their remote workforce. Finally, with more than 200 compliance experts and 600 HR professionals across the U.S., Paychex has the expertise and support needed to help clients navigate the business impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and accelerated trends in the workplace.

When thinking specifically about how technology has impacted the finance function, cloud-based technology allows companies to be nimble, providing faster and more frequent access to data across devices. Technology has also made it possible for finance professionals to analyze large amounts of data, offering insights that help businesses make strategic decisions. Using technology to automate more transactional tasks or data manipulation empowers finance professionals to spend more time on value-added work, such as analyzing the data and drawing useful insights.

Thomson: Automation and other technologies are viewed by many as job destroyers. But for the finance professional these technologies can actually liberate them to perform higher-level functions related to strategic decision-making and analysis. What role does your company play in assisting HR with redeployment of human capital?How critical is it for todays finance and accounting professionals to upskill in areas like data analytics, RPA or intelligent automation in order to stay relevant?

Rivera: At Paychex, our finance team helps to establish and track different productivity and efficiency metrics that can be used to optimize the use of human capital. We also utilize cost benefit models to evaluate scenarios. Were also focused on helping our business partners understand their organizations financial objectives and targets.

Skills in areas such as data analytics, RPA or intelligent automation are absolutely critical for todays finance professionals. Within the finance organization at Paychex, weve started to bring in analysts from outside of our functional area who have data analytics and technology automation skills. In addition to that, within our Risk group, which is part of my broader organization, we have a dedicated data science team that analyzes data and develops predictive models. Our finance and data science teams frequently partner.

Thomson: As the nature of work evolves, higher education is going to have to catch up, ensuring that students are learning the right skills for an age of software, automation and flexible employment. As a finance leader, what do you think finance and accounting programs should be emphasizing to the rising generation of professionals? What about traditional finance education is still valuable, and what is obsolete?

Paychex CFO Efrain Rivera

Rivera: Finance and accounting programs need to emphasize how to leverage data to gain insights.Every organization has data and the concept of big data is a hot topic. However, todays financial analysts need to be able to interpret the data to gain insights. Most organizations arent yet good at using big data to generate big insights. Analysts need to understand the business to know how to apply the data and leverage those insights.

When thinking about a traditional finance education, its not so much that anything is obsolete, but rather that the focus has changed. Things are moving and evolving so quickly that the timeframe in which we look at the world is much shorter its more 2-3 years out vs. the traditional 5- to 10-year outlooks.

Thomson: Paychexs client base is comprised largely of small and medium-sized businesses, and Paychex, along with IHS Markit, maintains a Small Business Employment Watch index measuring employment and pay in this sector. The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a major toll on small businesses. What are your forecasts for this sector over the coming year and beyond? What insights would you have for CFOs and other finance leaders (or owners) of small and medium-sized businesses?

Rivera: Small businesses have been surprisingly resilient during this challenging economic environment.The government stimulus has helped many small businesses hang on. The economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic has played out differently than we have seen in prior recessions. We anticipate that small businesses will continue to recover gradually over the next several months as lockdowns ease and people return to work.

For finance leaders of small and medium-sized businesses, the past year has demonstrated just how imperative it is to have a playbook to execute on for different scenarios, including a macroeconomic shock or economic downturn.

Thomson: You serve on the board of two Rochester-based non-profit organizations, ESL Federal Credit Union, which works to economically empower upstate New York residents and Rochester Regional Health, which works to provide affordable healthcare to upstate New York residents. Can you discuss your strong connections to upstate New York and why you are passionate about economic empowerment and affordable healthcare for under-served populations? How do these volunteer roles make you a better CFO?

Rivera: I am fortunate that Paychex allows its executives to give back to the communitieswhere employees work. Western New York has immense challenges stemming from, among other things, income disparities. Western New York also has significant strengths. The organizations I serve on address those issues as part of their mission, they strive to make the community better and [they] are led by excellent leadership teams. I continually learn something new through my service and it helps to ground me and make me a better executive.

This article has been edited and condensed.

Originally posted here:

Technology And The Future Of Work In Finance: A Q&A With Paychexs CFO - Forbes

LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Options Technology, a leading provider of IT infrastructure to global Capital Markets firms backed by Abry Partners, today announced it had closed on its acquisition of Fixnetix, a DXC Technology Company (NYSE: DXC). Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Fixnetix provides outsourced front-office trading services to investment banks, hedge funds, proprietary trading firms and exchanges worldwide and was part of DXCs global banking and capital markets business. This deal supports Options growth strategy and combines two industry leading teams committed to optimising the service offered to their customers across the financial sector. As a result of the acquisition, clients can avail of the extensive market data footprint covering the US, European and Asian Markets alongside ground-breaking R&D capabilities, including industry leading automation, monitoring and testing competences.

We are excited to reach this important milestone with Fixnetix and view this acquisition as an opportunity to expand our service capabilities whilst providing further value for our customers and the overall market, said Danny Moore, Options President and Chief Executive Officer. Fixnetix and Options are highly complementary, and the deal combines Options comprehensive coverage in the US and Asia with Fixnetixs European offering, allowing us to provide existing customers with the agility they need to respond to rapid changes in market dynamics.

Tomer Yosef-Or, a Partner at Abry, said, We are delighted to be able to support Options in this exciting transaction. We continue to be impressed by the Fixnetixs teams capabilities and believe the combination, supported with our capital, will provide enhanced quality and breadth of services to existing and new customers. The collaboration we have already seen between the two companies gives us great optimism in the ultimate potential for the organization. We are excited to bring this transaction to a close and move forward together with the united strategy of building a leading and differentiated global IT Managed Service Provider highly focused on the financial services vertical.

About Options (www.options-it.com):

Options Technology is the No. 1 provider of IT infrastructure to global Capital Markets firms, supporting their operations and ecosystems.

Founded in 1993, the firm began life as a hedge fund technology services provider. Today, the company provides high-performance managed trading infrastructure and cloud-enabled managed services to over 200 firms globally, providing an agile, scalable platform in an Investment Bank grade Cybersecurity wrapper.

Options clients include the leading global investment banks, hedge funds, funds of funds, proprietary trading firms, market makers, broker/dealers, private equity houses and exchanges. With offices in 8 key cities; New York, Toronto, Chicago, London, Belfast, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand, Options are well placed to service their customers both on-site and remotely.

In 2019, Options secured a significant growth investment from Abry Partners, a Boston-based sector-focused private equity firm. This investment has enabled Options to considerably accelerate its growth strategy to invest further in its technology platform and expand its reach in key financial centres globally.

Options has been named among the UKs leading growth companies in the 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017 Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table.

For more on Options, please visit http://www.options-it.com, follow us on Twitter at @Options_IT and visit our LinkedIn page.

About Abry Partners (www.abry.com)

Abry is one of the most experienced and successful sector-focused private equity investment firms in North America. Since its founding in 1989, the firm has completed over $82 billion of leveraged transactions and other private equity or preferred equity placements. Currently, the firm manages over $5.0 billion of capital across their active funds.

Excerpt from:

Options Technology Announces Acquisition of Fixnetix from DXC Technology - Business Wire

DUBLIN, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Wireless Gigabit Market with COVID-19 impact by Product (Display Devices and Network Infrastructure Devices), Technology (SoC and IC Chips), Protocol (802.11ad and 802.11ay), End Use, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global wireless gigabit market size is estimated at USD 19 million in 2021. It is projected to reach USD 70 million by 2026; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 29.8% from 2021 to 2026.

The increasing need for faster data transfer, coupled with the advantages of the 60 GHz frequency band such as unlicensed availability, high-speed data transfer rates, and highly secure and virtually interference-free operations, is expected to drive the market from 2021 to 2026. However, the short operating range of wireless gigabit products could challenge the adoption of this technology.

COVID-19 has affected the production capacities and financial conditions of the providers of wireless gigabit-enabled devices. The pandemic has resulted in a widespread health crisis, which is adversely affecting the financial markets and economies of countries and end-users. This is expected to lead to an economic downturn and negatively affect the wireless gigabit market in the short term.

The market for network infrastructure devices to witness high-growth potential during the forecast period

Wireless gigabit technology has gained significant importance over the past few years, especially for network infrastructure devices. The market for network infrastructure devices is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2021 to 2026. Market players such as Netgear, IgniteNet, Ubiquiti Inc., Siklu, and Aruba are offering 60 GHz wireless network infrastructure devices and solutions to grow their client base and business. The need for devices with high data throughput is likely to drive the wireless gigabit market for the network infrastructure devices segment during the forecast period.

The wireless gigabit market in networking end-use to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The market for the networking segment is expected to witness considerable growth during the forecast period. The major reason for this trend is the use of wireless gigabit technology for small cell backhaul applications. The emergence of 60 GHz FWA solutions is expected to eliminate the need for fiber deployments, especially in areas where infrastructure is poor. The rising demand for fiber-grade connectivity globally is expected to create demand for cost-effective FWA infrastructures.

North America to be the largest market for wireless gigabit during the forecast period

North America is one of the leading markets for 60 GHz technology in terms of R&D, network design/development, and the presence of key market players. Many areas in the region lack access to broadband internet. The 60 GHz mmWave technology holds considerable potential and is expected to be used to provide fixed broadband wireless solutions in the region. This is expected to drive the wireless gigabit market in the region.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the global supply chains, resulting in the slow growth of various display devices such as AR/VR headsets and smartphones. However, in North America, the pandemic has not shifted the outlook for FWA solutions significantly. The pandemic has created a demand for replacing the capacity lost in damaged networks and establishing new broadband connections to locations such as temporary hospitals in large convention centers and field hospitals in parks.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights4.1 Attractive Opportunities in Global Wireless Gigabit Market4.2 Wireless Gigabit Market, by Product4.3 Wireless Gigabit Market, by End Use4.4 Wireless Gigabit Market, by Protocol4.5 Wireless Gigabit Market, by Country

5 Market Overview5.1 Introduction5.2 Market Dynamics5.2.1 Drivers5.2.1.1 Benefits of 60 GHz Frequency Band5.2.1.2 Need for Faster Data Transfer5.2.2 Restraints5.2.2.1 Increasing Chipset Manufacturing Costs with Development of Complex Embedded Wigig Chipsets5.2.3 Opportunities5.2.3.1 Rapid Growth of Next-Generation Computing Devices5.2.3.2 Use of V-Band Mmwave for Last-Mile Connectivity5.2.4 Challenges5.2.4.1 Short Operating Range of Wireless Gigabit Products5.3 Value Chain Analysis5.4 Ecosystem5.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis5.5.1 Threat of New Entrants5.5.2 Threat of Substitutes5.5.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers5.5.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers5.5.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry5.6 Case Studies5.6.1 Pro-Data Service Installed 60 GHz Wireless Radio5.6.2 Ccs Provides An Ultra-Fast Fwa in Broadband in Soho (London)5.7 Technology Trends5.7.1 Virtual Reality5.7.2 Wireless Networking5.7.3 Fixed Wireless Access5.8 Pricing Analysis5.9 Trade Analysis5.10 Patent Analysis5.11 Market Regulations

6 Wireless Gigabit Market, by Product6.1 Introduction6.2 Display Devices6.2.1 Smartphones6.2.1.1 Smartphones Segment is Projected to Dominate Wigig-Enabled Display Devices Market During Forecast Period6.2.2 Laptops & Tablets6.2.2.1 Wireless Gigabit Technology Failed to Witness Adoption in Mass-Market Laptops and Tablets6.2.3 Others6.2.3.1 High Bandwidth, Low Latency, and Resistance to Interference Provided by 60 Ghz Wireless Connection Are Expected to be Beneficial for Vr Entertainment Systems6.3 Network Infrastructure Devices6.3.1 Routers & Access Points6.3.1.1 802.11Ad Routers Are Expected to Support Older Standards to Achieve Long-Range Wireless Connectivity6.3.2 Adapters6.3.2.1 Demand for High-Throughput Services Such as High-Resolution 4K Video Streaming, Wireless Docking, Virtual Reality, and Cloud Backup is Expected to Drive Wireless Gigabit-Enabled Adapters Market6.3.3 Backhaul Stations6.3.3.1 60 GHz is Likely to Become An Ideal Solution for 4G/5G Small Cell Backhaul Links Due to Cost-Effectiveness6.3.4 Docking Stations6.3.4.1 Docking Stations Are Likely to Help Transform Laptops and Other Mobile Devices into Fully Functional Workstations

7 Wireless Gigabit Market, by End Use7.1 Introduction7.2 Consumer Electronics7.2.1 Wigig Technology Has Limited Applications in Consumer Electronics7.3 Networking7.3.1 60 GHz Technology is Expected to Gain Widespread Momentum in Networking Applications During Forecast Period7.4 Commercial7.4.1 Wireless Gigabit Technology Can Offer Flexible Connectivity Between Devices and Peripherals in Offices, Classrooms, and Conference Rooms

8 Wireless Gigabit Market, by Protocol8.1 Introduction8.2 Ieee 802.11Ad8.2.1 802.11Ad Offers Advantages Such as High Data Rates, Low Latency, High Capacity, and Better Battery Efficiency8.3 802.11Ay8.3.1 Improved Transmission Rate and Distance Offered by 802.11Ay Are Expected to Improve Performance of Wireless Gigabit Devices

9 Wireless Gigabit Market, by Technology9.1 Introduction9.2 System on Chip (Soc)9.2.1 Soc Technology is Being Increasingly Used to Reduce Power Consumption and Improve Overall Performance of Wireless Devices9.2.2 Wigig Socs for Smartphones9.2.2.1 Benefits Associated with Soc Have Driven Their Adoption in Smartphones9.2.3 Wigig Socs for Adapters9.2.3.1 Soc Adapters Have Significant Potential and Are Expected to Provide Growth Opportunities to Market Players9.2.4 Wigig Soc for Backhaul Stations9.2.4.1 60 GHz Frequency Band is Viewed as a Primary Technology of Choice for Small Cell Backhaul9.3 Integrated Circuit Chip (Ic Chip)9.3.1 Majority of Gigabit Ic Manufacturers Are Tapping Ieee 802.11Ad Market Due to Increasing Need for High-Speed Communications

10 Geographic Analysis10.1 Introduction10.2 North America10.2.1 US10.2.1.1 US to Drive Wireless Gigabit Market in North America10.2.2 Canada10.2.2.1 Canada Holds Significant Opportunities for Wireless Gigabit Market Growth in North America10.2.3 Mexico10.2.3.1 Wireless Gigabit Market in Mexico to Grow at a Slower Pace Than in US and Canada10.3 Europe10.3.1 UK10.3.1.1 UK is Anticipated to Dominate Wireless Gigabit Market in Europe10.3.2 Germany10.3.2.1 Germany is An Attractive Market for Wireless Gigabit Products10.3.3 France10.3.3.1 France is One of the Fastest-Growing Markets for Wireless Gigabit in Europe10.3.4 Rest of Europe10.4 Asia-Pacific10.4.1 China10.4.1.1 China is the Largest Market for Wireless Gigabit Globally10.4.2 Japan10.4.2.1 Availability of Unlicensed 60 GHz Band in Japan Will Support Market Growth10.4.3 South Korea10.4.3.1 Extensive Research Activities and Strong Semiconductor and Electronics Cluster Are Likely to Drive Wireless Gigabit Market10.4.4 Rest of APAC10.4.4.1 60 GHz Wireless Can Potentially Reduce Costs and Speed Up 5G Small Cells Deployment10.5 Rest of the World (Row)10.5.1 Middle East and Africa10.5.2 South America

11 Competitive Landscape11.1 Introduction11.2 Revenue Analysis of Top 3 Companies11.3 Market Share Analysis, 202011.4 Company Evaluation Matrix11.4.1 Star11.4.2 Pervasive11.4.3 Emerging Leader11.4.4 Participant11.5 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Evaluation Quadrant, 202011.5.1 Progressive Companies11.5.2 Responsive Companies11.5.3 Dynamic Companies11.5.4 Starting Blocks11.6 Wireless Gigabit Market: Company Footprint11.7 Competitive Situations and Trends

12 Company Profiles12.1 Key Players12.1.1 Qualcomm Incorporated12.1.2 Sivers Semiconductors AB12.1.3 Intel Corporation12.1.4 Peraso Technologies Inc.12.1.5 Tensorcom Inc.12.1.6 STMicroelectronics12.1.7 Broadcom Inc.12.1.8 NXP Semiconductors12.1.9 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.12.1.10 Infineon Technologies Ag12.1.11 Blu Wireless12.2 Other Key Players12.2.1 Netgear, Inc.12.2.2 Ubiquiti Inc.12.2.3 Siklu Communication Ltd.12.2.4 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.12.2.5 Socionext Inc.12.2.6 Hisilicon (Shanghai) Technologies Co. Ltd.12.2.7 Asustek Computer Inc.12.2.8 Mikrotik12.2.9 Millitronic12.2.10 Airvine12.2.11 Lightpointe Communications, Inc.12.2.12 Pasternack Enterprises Inc12.2.13 Aruba12.2.14 Cambridge Communication Systems12.2.15 Wireless Excellence Limited

13 Appendix13.1 Insights of Industry Experts13.2 Discussion Guide13.3 Knowledge Store: Subscription Portal13.4 Available Customizations13.5 Related Reports13.6 Author Details

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v5at0t?

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [emailprotected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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Excerpt from:

Wireless Gigabit Market with COVID-19 impact by Product, Technology, Protocol, End-use and Geography - Global Forecast to 2026 - PRNewswire

The writer is chief investment officer at Invesco

The market consensus will tell you there is no technology sector in Europe. Sure, there is the odd global beacon in ASML, SAP or Spotify but they are exceptions that prove the rule.

If an investor wants technology, growth and innovation they go to the US or Asia. Europe is there in the minds of many investors to provide added cyclical spice at specific points within the economic cycle.

Technology is a broad church, however, and while social media platforms and much of the semiconductor supply chain are US and Asia dominated, there are vibrant technological subsectors such as fintech and healthcare where the field is far more open. And in the case of green innovation and technology, Europe has a genuine opportunity to lead.

The factors behind the establishment of the US technology hub, Silicon Valley, contributed significantly to its success, namely technical expertise, access to capital and political impetus. The region combined a skilled scientific research base in local universities such as Stanford, access to plentifulventure capital, and government spending focused on finding technological solutions to the global military/space race.

Similar ingredients exist in terms of Europes position in the environmental transition expertise from its engineering base, significant funding and the clear political will to drive change.

One could argue that the modern-day equivalent of the space race is the race to carbon net zero by 2050, certainly in terms of urgency.

No other region is so focused on that target as Europe. While Green party politics did not start in Europe (that credit goes to the United Tasmania Group of Australia founded in March 1972), Germanys Green political movement which fought its first federal election in 1980 was the first to gain widespread credibility and influence. As such, environmental considerations have had a seat at the political table in Europe for many years.

The Green revolution is a huge task and extremely capital intensive. According to a report by the Energy Transitions Council, published in September last year, achieving net zero emissions by 2050 would cost an estimated $1tn-$2tn per year, or 1-1.5 per cent of global GDP.

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Rather than private VC firms backing the ideas coming out of a Palo Alto garage, this requires commitment at governmental level to drive the societal shifts required to achieve wholesale transformation; regulations to force changes in supply; subsidies to drive demand, and vast fiscal spending to create the infrastructure required to transition the economy from fossil fuels to renewables in the future.

It is no accident that Europes response to the Covid pandemic centred its 750bn fiscal European Recovery Fund on promoting a Green recovery, combining financial firepower with the full might of regulatory power in pursuit of moving corporates, institutions and investors towards that goal.

Political support for green solutions combines with the engineering skillsets embedded in the great corporate successes of Europe in industries such as chemical, automotive, power generation, industrial, construction and utilities.

Required changes include the mass electrification of power systems using renewable energy which will be the foundation of a net zero economy. Europe is home to leading wind turbine manufacturers (Vestas, Nordex and Siemens Gamesa) while its power generators include super major leaders in green production (Enel, EDP, Iberdrola and Orsted).

We want to hear from readers aged between 16 and 35 on what life is like, and which problems need fixing most urgently. Housing? Education? Jobs? Pensions? The environment?Tell us about your experiences via a short survey.

Hydrogen is a strongly emerging theme in terms of greening heavy industry and transportation. Sector leaders in Europe include Plastic Omnium, Elring Klinger and Burckhardt Compression. The region also has leadership in auto electrification with semiconductor companies Infineon and STMicro.

Technologies have been developed to reduce energy consumption in buildings and construction where Europe has companies such as Saint Gobain, Wienerberger and Signify. Europe also is home to worldwide leaders in the circular economy for waste and water management such as Veolia and Suez. And there are so many more across the market capitalisation scale.

Competition in this space will surely increase as the global political impetus and spend accelerates, notably in the US and China. But the growth on offer is an opportunity for shareholders and stakeholders to be truly aligned. European companies will be very much in contention.

View original post here:

Europe's chance to lead the green technology race - Financial Times

For the past year, the public has looked to the science community to develop countermeasures for COVID-19, from models of the virus structure and how it spreads, to novel tests and treatments. Researchers have risen to the occasion, as exemplified by vaccines produced at a speed faster than many thought possible. But our job is far from done. Americans will depend on scientists for new technologies to help us navigate this pandemic and recover from it, for innovations that can help our economy bounce back, and for solutions to other critical issues facing our country, such as racial equity and climate change.

We are on the precipice of revolutionary advances in science and engineering that will directly benefit the world. And now is the time for a new national commitment to invest in research that leads directly to major societal and economic outcomes. Such an effort will require strengthening our innovation networks at speed and scale.

Curiosity-driven, discovery-based explorations and use-inspired, solutions-focused innovations are indeed the double helix that makes up the DNA of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The scientific pursuit of knowledge and understanding cannot be separated from the development of new technological capabilities. And in turn, those new capabilities allow us to pursue new research questions that were either unseen or out of our reach.

For the past 70 years, NSF has made transformative impacts possible through strategic, long-term commitments to advancing the entire spectrum of research, and through partnerships to catalyze new ideas, new discoveries, and new technologies.

Decades of investment have positioned the U.S. as the world leader in curiosity-driven research and resulted in breakthroughs in emerging fields from renewable energy to quantum computing and artificial intelligence. These discoveries have also resulted in translation of those research and innovations that have changed the world from smart phones to 3-D printing and much more.

To accelerate translation of knowledge to innovation outcomes requires looking at all the components that make it possible partnerships, infrastructure and most importantly, people. NSF helps nourish scientific careers by providing the support needed for researchers to explore bold ideas. Take for example, the multitude of programs, fellowships and career awards NSF provides to strengthen pathways into STEM fields, increase diversity and expand our reach into communities where talent exists.

Or look to NSF Innovation Corps, an education program that endows researchers with entrepreneurial skills to take their research from their lab to the market, leading to the creation of nurse robots at hospitals, the ability to find victims of human trafficking using AI, a device that recycles waste carbon dioxide into chemicals and fuels, and air purification for clinical environments.

How do we scale the impacts of examples like these? We bring more people into the fold, from diverse backgrounds. And we break down barriers between academic researchers, industry, nonprofits, and state and local communities. NSF has experience in this area through the relationships we have built with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and efforts like the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, also known as EPSCoR, which increases research capabilities and capacity in targeted jurisdictions.We see the results in places like Alaska, where NSF has invested$20 million to support a research collaborationto produce improved models of how wildfires spread a critical local issue as climate change shrinks glaciers and creates new risks for forests.

Imagine the impact of creating engines of economic and talent development like these in every state, working on a range of crucial issues facing society and ensuring global competitiveness. Imagine networks of innovation that bring together people from a range of socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, to tackle such challenges. NSF is taking this model to the next level empowering regional innovation hubs across the country to cultivate the dynamic collaborations necessary to tackle 21st-century science and engineering challenges.

Our nation is at a tipping point. We have a choice to make. We can unleash the full power of U.S. innovation, or we can risk diminished relevance. The choice is obvious, but we need to make it now.

Together, we must leverage all resources to speed pandemic recovery, strengthen our economy, and respond to environmental challenges. We can face these grand challenges together and make incredible discoveries in ways we have never done before. NSF is well positioned and ready to be that catalyst of innovation to make all of this possible.

Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan is a computer scientist and engineer and the 15th director of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

See the article here:

We need to strengthen and accelerate US science and technology progress | TheHill - The Hill

There are thousands of distortion filters available on major social platforms, with names like La Belle, Natural Beauty, and Boss Babe. Even the goofy Big Mouth on Snapchat, one of social medias most popular filters, is made with distortion effects.

In October 2019, Facebook banned distortion effects because of public debate about potential negative impact. Awareness of body dysmorphia was rising, and a filter called FixMe, which allowed users to mark up their faces as a cosmetic surgeon might, had sparked a surge of criticism for encouraging plastic surgery. But in August 2020, the effects were re-released with a new policy banning filters that explicitly promoted surgery. Effects that resize facial features, however, are still allowed. (When asked about the decision, a spokesperson directed me to Facebooks press release from that time.)

When the effects were re-released, Rocha decided to take a stand and began posting condemnations of body shaming online. She committed to stop using deformation effects herself unless they are clearly humorous or dramatic rather than beautifying and says she didnt want to be responsible for the harmful effects some filters were having on women: some, she says, have looked into getting plastic surgery that makes them look like their filtered self.

Krista Crotty is a clinical education specialist at the Emily Program, a leading center on eating disorders and mental health based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Much of her job over the past five years has focused on educating patients about how to consume media in a healthier way. She says that when patients present themselves differently online and in person, she sees an increase in anxiety. People are putting up information about themselveswhether its size, shape, weight, whateverthat isnt anything like what they actually look like, she says. In between that authentic self and digital self lives a lot of anxiety, because its not who you really are. You dont look like the photos that have been filtered.

There's just somewhat of a validation when you're meeting that standard, even if it's only for a picture."

For young people, who are still working out who they are, navigating between a digital and authentic self can be particularly complicated, and its not clear what the long-term consequences will be.

Identity online is kind of like an artifact, almost, says Claire Pescott, the researcher from the University of South Wales. Its a kind of projected image of yourself.

Pescotts observations of children have led her to conclude that filters can have a positive impact on them. They can kind of try out different personas, she explains. They have these of the moment identities that they could change, and they can evolve with different groups.

But she doubts that all young people are able to understand how filters affect their sense of self. And shes concerned about the way social media platforms grant immediate validation and feedback in the form of likes and comments. Young girls, she says, have particular difficulty differentiating between filtered photos and ordinary ones.

Pescotts research also revealed that while children are now often taught about online behavior, they receive very little education about filters. Their safety training was linked to overt physical dangers of social media, not the emotional, more nuanced side of social media, she says, which I think is more dangerous.

Bailenson expects that we can learn about some of these emotional unknowns from established VR research. In virtual environments, peoples behavior changes with the physical characteristics of their avatar, a phenomenon called the Proteus effect. Bailenson found, for example, that people who had taller avatars were more likely to behave confidently than those with shorter avatars. We know that visual representations of the self, when used in a meaningful way during social interactions, do change our attitudes and behaviors, he says.

But sometimes those actions can play on stereotypes. A well-known study from 1988 found that athletes who wore black uniforms were more aggressive and violent while playing sports than those wearing white uniforms. And this translates to the digital world: one recent study showed that video game players who used avatars of the opposite sex actually behaved in a way that was gender stereotypical.

Bailenson says we should expect to see similar behavior on social media as people adopt masks based on filtered versions of their own faces, rather than entirely different characters. The world of filtered video, in my opinionand we havent tested this yetis going to behave very similarly to the world of filtered avatars, he says.

Considering the power and pervasiveness of filters, there is very little hard research about their impactand even fewer guardrails around their use.

I asked Bailenson, who is the father of two young girls, how he thinks about his daughters use of AR filters. Its a real tough one, he says, because it goes against everything that were taught in all of our basic cartoons, which is Be yourself.

Bailenson also says that playful use is different from real-time, constant augmentation of ourselves, and understanding what these different contexts mean for kids is important.

Even though we know its not real We still have that aspiration to look that way.

What few regulations and restrictions there are on filter use rely on companies to police themselves. Facebooks filters, for example, have to go through an approval process that, according to the spokesperson, uses a combination of human and automated systems to review effects as they are submitted for publishing. They are reviewed for certain issues, such as hate speech or nudity, and users are also able to report filters, which then get manually reviewed.

The company says it consults regularly with expert groups, such as the National Eating Disorders Association and the JED Foundation, a mental-health nonprofit.

"We know people may feel pressure to look a certain way on social media, and we're taking steps to address this across Instagram and Facebook," said a statement from Instagram. "We know effects can play a role, so we ban ones that clearly promote eating disorders or that encourage potentially dangerous cosmetic surgery procedures And we're working on more products to help reduce the pressure people may feel on our platforms, like the option to hide like counts."

Facebook and Snapchat also label filtered photos to show that theyve been transformedbut its easy to get around the labels by simply applying the edits outside of the apps, or by downloading and reuploading a filtered photo.

Labeling might be important, but Pescott says she doesnt think it will dramatically improve an unhealthy beauty culture online.

I dont know whether it would make a huge amount of difference, because I think its the fact were seeing it, even though we know its not real. We still have that aspiration to look that way, she says. Instead, she believes that the images children are exposed to should be more diverse, more authentic, and less filtered.

Theres another concern, too, especially since the majority of users are very young: the amount of biometric data that TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook have collected through these filters. Though both Facebook and Snapchat say they do not use filter technology to collect personally identifiable data, a review of their privacy policies shows that they do indeed have the right to store data from the photographs and videos on the platforms. Snapchats policy says that snaps and chats are deleted from its servers once the message is opened or expires, but stories are stored longer. Instagram stores photo and video data as long as it wants or until the account is deleted; Instagram also collects data on what users see through its camera.

Meanwhile, these companies continue to concentrate on AR. In a speech made to investors in February 2021, Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel said our camera is already capable of extraordinary things. But it is augmented reality thats driving our future, and the company is doubling down on augmented reality in 2021, calling the technology a utility.

And while both Facebook and Snapchat say that the facial detection systems behind filters dont connect back to the identity of users, its worth remembering that Facebooks smart photo tagging featurewhich looks at your pictures and tries to identify people who might be in themwas one of the earliest large-scale commercial uses of facial recognition. And TikTok recently settled for $92 million in a lawsuit that alleged the company was misusing facial recognition for ad targeting. A spokesperson from Snapchat said "Snap's Lens product does not collect any identifiable information about a user and we can't use it to tie back to, or identify, individuals."

And Facebook in particular sees facial recognition as part of its AR strategy. In a January 2021 blog post titled No Looking Back, Andrew Bosworth, the head of Facebook Reality Labs, wrote: Its early days, but were intent on giving creators more to do in AR and with greater capabilities. The companys planned release of AR glasses is highly anticipated, and it has already teased the possible use of facial recognition as part of the product.

In light of all the effort it takes to navigate this complex world, Sophia and Veronica say they just wish they were better educated about beauty filters. Besides their parents, no one ever helped them make sense of it all. You shouldnt have to get a specific college degree to figure out that something could be unhealthy for you, Veronica says.

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Beauty filters are changing the way young girls see themselves - MIT Technology Review

Image by Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels.

This article was posted as an April Fools joke.

Silicon Valley is disrupting travel with a groundbreaking new technology that could change the way the Washington region gets around.

The app-based travel platform, Chrak, is described as like your car, but better. Travelers on Chraks smart linear ticketed transportation experience will be able to get from one part of the city to another far faster than they would on the highway, all without the hassle of keeping their eyes on the road.

We really think this could be a revolution in the way people relate to their city, their country, and even the world, said Travis Horn, 24, who founded Chrak alongside his former Harvard roommate and self-described software ninja Chad Stephens, 23.

Horn said he was inspired to launch Chrak after looking at his parents daily car commutes with a software engineers eye, and finding them woefully inefficient. To save on fuel and avoid traffic jams, he decided to create a transportation method with room for multiple travelers in each vehicle. In a stroke of inspiration, Chrak was born.

An added bonus: passengers wont have to drive, allowing each Chrak car to become a dynamic multimedia experience. Passengers will be able to read, listen to music, watch TV shows and more, all from the convenience of their smartphones. To make it possible, Chrak will offer Wifi on each car, included with each ticket.

When innovation meets imagination. Image byJan VaekfromPixabay

For those who want a break from their screens, Chrak will post colorful advertisements around each car to look at (an added bonus: those ad sales will subsidize tickets).

So how will Chrak pull off lightning-fast transportation? Horn and Stephens have a (literally) groundbreaking idea: tunnels, deep underneath city streets, that will allow each Chrak car to bypass highway traffic. The tunnels will create a subterranean network, what Horn likens to a physical internet.

To give Chrak cars an extra boost of speed and safety, Chraks tunnels will be equipped with metal tracks (for which the company is named) that will carry passengers quickly from one point to another on a set schedule.

So when will Washington see this innovative technology? Well, time will tell. Horn and Stephens are still looking for financing for the more than $10 billion project, and approvals to dig tunnels under DCs busiest streets are still pending.

To help support that startup cost, Chrak officials estimate tickets will cost about $60 per trip but Horn and Stephens are certain that the time passengers will save by skipping highway traffic will be well worth it.

Asked about Chraks similarity to another, very similar transit system available in the Washington region, Horn said earlier transit methods werent built with the modern consumer in mind.

Were in the 21st century, and my generation doesnt just want to just take whatever transit method is available, Horn said. For the tech generation, its not about the destination, its about the journey.

Maggie Lev is a lightning-fast tech writer with an eye to the future. She has been a frequent guest in both the NBC and CNN lobbies. She is working on an anthology about ghostwriters called "Who did you say you were again?"

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Silicon Valley startup invents 'groundbreaking' new technology that could change the way we travel - Greater Greater Washington

COVID-19 has prompted greater adoption of temperature screening, health screening, visitor management and sanitation technologies.

Last year, organizations from all industries had to face their most significant challenge yet, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher education organizations in particular were forced to adapt rapidly, asmore than 4,000 colleges and universities had to end the school year early or shift to remote learning.

In October 2020, 44% of nearly 3,000 campuses were remote-only or primarily remote, while less than 27% reopened with primarily in-person or only in-person learning, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education. With these figures, its not surprising that the higher education industry like other industries has been experiencing financial challenges, as it struggles with enrollment and remote learning. This only enforces the need to prioritize safety technologies on campuses to ensure students feel comfortable getting back on campus.

Before the pandemic, campuses biggest safety concern was finding ways to keep their community and students protected from crime on campus and surrounding neighborhoods. But COVID-19 brought on new threats and challenges, forcing higher education officials to rethink protective strategies, including finding new safety tech to implement across their campuses. Pre-COVID-19, key safety tools included detailed record management systems (RMS) to help campus law enforcement determine hot spots for crimes in the area, computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems to help campus police respond to emergency calls quickly, and campus apps alerting students of local criminal incidents and allowing students to easily report and alert campus police of crime.

With the new threats presented by COVID-19, there has been an evolution to more robust and high-tech campus solutions, including:

Even though there has been a surge of innovative safety technology solutions to aid in the safe reopening of colleges, campuses are experiencing significant budget cuts and are not able to implement them all. According to the American Council of Education (ACE), the financial impact of the current pandemic is expected to exceed $120 billion, much of it due to low enrollment and tuition dollars. However, this only enforces the need for higher ed officials to adopt COVID-safety technology that helps ensure a safe return to schools for students, staff and faculty.

As college campuses across the nation felt the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing shutdowns and moving almost-exclusively to remote learning, the higher education industry has been forced to rethink campus safety strategies, including the implementation of new coronavirus-specific solutions. And, although the financial challenges brought on by the pandemic have made it difficult to determine which tech innovations to implement on campus, the need for these solutions is eminent in the safe reopening of campus, not only to protect against the threat of COVID-19 but future threats, as well.

Richard DeFranciso is Omnigo Softwares CEO.

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COVID-19 Has Forced an Evolution of Campus Safety Technology - Campus Safety - Campus Safety Magazine

The ability to perform together is imperative to any music school experience. So, what happens when a pandemic challenges students from sharing music in the same physical space? Over the last year, staff, students and faculty from The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music implemented innovative technology solutions to help keep everyone connected, despite physical distancing.

The big experiment says Luis Henao, director of Music Technology and Production at the School of Music, was how to play together, but to be safe at the same time. And, the only way to do that is to find technology solutions, which was a big challenge.

To overcome this hurdle, Henao and colleague Jose Carillo, assistant director of Music Production and Instructional Technology, researched various software that would allow students to play together from the safety and comfort of their home in as close to real time as possible. Commercial video conferencing software such as Zoom typically produce a lag time that prevents musicians from precisely aligning their parts. As a result, the technology team consulted with colleagues who were adopting similar technology at other music institutions. The technology team decided the best solution was to move forward with implementing two software programs called SonoBus and Jamulus, which provides low latency. In simple terms, this decreases the lag time for audio and live performance streaming to travel between musicians.

With solutions for remote learning and performing falling into place, it was also important that students and faculty know how to use them. The newly formed 2020-21 Graduate Council noticed the urgent need for technology training following the rapid change to remote learning.

Its a matter of equity, said Graduate Council Secretary Janet Kim. We didnt have any practical workshops in place for this new technology to allow people to understand how to use this software to have a better and more robust experience in a classroom setting. Therefore, the Graduate Council members contacted Inaugural Dean Eileen Strempel, who quickly connected them with Henaos team. The dean supported all of it, said Kim. Shes the one who got the ball rolling.

The outcome was the launch of virtual tech workshops on topics ranging from Digital Audio Workstations Production: Basics to Recording Yourself: Set-up, Hardware, and Connectivity to Telematic Performance: Jamulus, and more. 200 people attended the training boot camps, taught by experts and several members of the Graduate Council.

We wanted to give students and faculty a repository of centralized recommendations to say, Heres what could work very well for you, said President of the Graduate Council Anthony Constantino.

Henao and Carillo also offered customized one-on-one training sessions for students and faculty tailored to their specific needs such as how to install the software or how to connect their microphone for their particular instrument or combo.

As the School of Music moves toward re-opening for in-person and hybrid instruction this fall, upgrades to classrooms and other facilities will also be key to allowing students to perform together effectively and safely. Work has been ongoing behind the scenes to connect pairs of classrooms with low latency connections for real-time audio and video music sessions between those spaces. Henaos team set up six pairs of rooms in the spring of 2020, which will be used for lessons and other collaborations.

The paired classrooms are just one technical solution the team executed. Another, explains Henao, is to send audio through the local network that is called Audio over Ethernet. The same way you can use the local network to print something, you can use it to send audio. This technology allows students and faculty to connect from any room at the School of Music with a data port that delivers real-time audio using the correct hardware and software through the Ethernet. This will also make collaboration possible between multiple rooms.

Henao used Professor of Global Jazz Studies Arturo OFarrills Jazz Combos ensemble rehearsal as an example. Arturo can be in his own studio, and just needs to connect the microphone to the wall, using the data port where you connect your computer. Meanwhile, each student could play from their own classroom or practice room after connecting their microphone with their data port. Everybody can then listen to each other, so they can play together in sync through the local network.

Another vital component to the upgrades is livestreaming. While the School of Music already had the capability of livestreaming performances before the pandemic, all classrooms will now be able to livestream for hybrid classes in the fall.

Staying connected also means staying informed. Those returning to campus in September will notice new high quality digital signage in five locations throughout the School of Music. Monitors in the hallways will display messages about facilities, student services and campus announcements. A new screen in the Evelyn & Mo Ostin Music Center Music Caf will feature upcoming events and public announcements, and a kiosk in the lobby of Schoenberg Hall will show event promotions.

I think its going to be a great way to communicate with students in areas of the building where there is high foot traffic, and also share information with the general public, said Alex Echevarria, operations manager for the School of Music, who is coordinating the digital signage project along with Brian Runt, content marketing manager for the schools strategic communications and marketing team.

These forward-thinking technology solutions and upgrades represent the School of Musics continued investments in producing 21st century leading-edge work. As a result of being at the forefront of implementing low latency connection for the School of Music, Henao is now serving on UCLAs campus committee, which focuses on providing a consistent level of AV technology to all classrooms campuswide. With this swift shift in adapting to emerging technologies, students are also newly equipped with lasting benefits and skills.

After the pandemic is finished, I dont think these new demands for music and audio technology are going to be going away, said Constantino. As musicians, were still going to be expected to work in this way now. Kim seconded that, These are actual tools that are necessary during the pandemic, and moving forward, as students need to send out audition recordings or similar projects.

We are thrilled that our students are prepared to flourish in the ever-evolving musical landscape and look forward to enjoying the upgrades firsthand.

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Revolutionary Technology Upgrades to the School of Music - The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music - UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music