Category Archives: Technology

Print this page

Defence Science and Technology (DST) and the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl) lead UKs involvement in all NATO science and technology activity, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and UK Government.

UK academia and industry, including small and medium-sized enterprises, are very welcome to engage in the many science and technology activities taking place in NATO, but their involvement must be coordinated through Dstl. Dstl chairs and runs various activities on behalf of NATO and need to act as sponsors for any UK entity that wishes to engage in NATO science and technology.

Contact Dstl at NATOAssistantCoordinator@dstl.gov.uk

The NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) aims to meet the collective needs of NATO, NATO nations and partner nations in the fields of science and technology.

The 7 STO technical panels manage collaboration across a wide range of scientific research activities:

These panels comprise national representatives as well as world-class scientists, engineers and information specialists. In addition to providing critical technical oversight, they also provide a communication link to military users and other NATO bodies.

In any given year, more than 3,500 scientists and engineers from NATO and its partners are working on approximately 140 research activities being conducted by these technical teams. These activities all result in the publication of highly valued scientific literature published by the STO.

Published 2 September 2022

Read this article:

UK involvement in NATO science and technology activities - GOV.UK

ADOS GmbHdisplayed some of their latest gas measurement instrumentation used for a variety of applications such as ambient air monitoring, biogas production, emission control and flue gas analysis at the recent ACHEMA exhibition in Frankfurt. ADOS instruments are used worldwide, the company has built on a reputation for manufacturing and servicing reliable, precise analysers from their location in Aachen in western Germany since 1900.

At this years ACHEMA, ADOS exhibited a selection of their time-proven gas warning systems.

Due to the higher demand of renewable energies the worldwide demand for ADOS BIOGAS 401 and BIOGAS 905 biogas has risen significantly. The gas analysis specialists have also seen a steady rise in the flow of enquiries from the hydrogen/electrolysis sector.

The FlexADOS 914 is widely used in applications such as monitoring and controlling hazardous substance in warehouses. ADOS EX-proof GTR 210 EX sensors are also ubiquitous for these types of monitoring tasks. Both devices are SIL1 approved.

The FlexADOS 914 family also includes the FlexADOS 914 CP and FlexADOS 914 LON, which are used primarily for CO detection in underground carparks.

The connection of the corresponding gas transmitters is carried out via 4-20mA (type: 592 TOX) respectively LON-Bus-Technik (type: TOX 914 CO LON).

The FlexADOS 914 MED and GTR 210 MED are enclosed in a rugged housing for operation in harsh environmental conditions and have the requisite approvals to be operated on ships or in LNG terminals.

These cutting-edge devices are supported by over a century of experience in industrial gas analysis and visitors to ACHEMA enjoyed the opportunity to learn how to improve their commitment to environmental compliance effectively and efficiently

Read this article:

World class gas analysis and monitoring technology displayed at ACHEMA - International Environmental Technology

Equitable access to reliable and cost-effective technology will go a long way to promote teaching and learning in a more sustainable manner and ensure than no one is left behind, the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana,Mrs Elsie Addo Awadzi, has said.

Speaking at the launch of the 25thyear anniversary of the University of Ghana, she said the pandemic underscored the importance of constant investments in the future to build resilience and strong safety nets in order to reduce inequities and exclusion from our socio-economic development efforts.

Emerging from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new emphasis on Nurturing resilience: Adopting technology, and embracing humanism, is welcome and in the right direction, she said.

Mrs Awadzi emphasised that technology enabled the adaptations that were necessary to reduce the fallout from the pandemic including the impact on teaching and learning, existing gaps in access to technology introduced disparities in the extent to which some were able to cope with disruptions from the pandemic.

We must modernize how we teach relevant subjects. What technological facilities can we deploy to teach them more effectively? How can we take advantage of technological advancements to provide relevant skills for students? How can we attract the best experts and practitioners from home and abroad to help with cutting-edge research and teaching in innovative ways? she stressed.

Mrs Awadzi said students who had no access to electronic devices and/or had no access to cost-effective and reliable internet connectivity to support their online learning were suddenly facing new hurdles in pursuing their educational dreams.

The Second Deputy Governor lauded the university for its recently launched One Student, One Laptop (1S1L) programme, where about 120 students had been provided laptops, deserves applause.

Mrs Awadzi entreated corporate bodies and well-meaning Ghanaians to support the initiative to ensure that all needy students received the support.

As we prepare to start a year of much-deserved celebrations to mark this important milestone, it is imperative that we look into the future with new ways of thinking and pursuing our vision and goals, she said.

The Second Deputy Governor stressed The pursuit of world-class excellence should be a moving target, and as times change, that vision should be calibrated to deliver outcomes that keep this great institution relevant.

Mrs Awadzi said The pandemic taught us the benefit of resilience, preparation, and adaptability. Resilient organisations anticipate change, prepare for change by making adequate investments in systems that will help to deal with such changes, and adapt effectively to change.

She said the University of Ghanas Vice Chancellors bold and audacious vision to create a culture that promotes research, teaching and learning, administrative processes and extension activities driven by technology and anchored in humanism was commendable.

Mrs Awadzi commended University of Ghana for the role it had played in the countrys development, saying the University had produced academics who had contributed diversely for the country economic development.

View post:

Tertiary institutions urged to invest in technology to promote equitable education - BusinessGhana

Improved satisfaction for staff is linked to better technology adoption according to research from Netwealth.

The platforms 2022 AdviceTech Report, done in conjunction with CoreData,indicated that most advice firms use an average of 14 technologies in their practice, with most staff using it at least daily.

Around 78 per cent of those surveyed agreed that an integrated tech stack the seamless combination of related tech systems improves staff satisfaction.

Additionally, the research found superior technology is required for hybrid home-office environments, while training processes that include ample time to learn the software should part of any tech implementation strategy.

The aim of the study was to identify the impact technology has on staff, noting how entwined email, Microsoft Teams, investment platforms, payroll systems and customer relationship management (CRM) systems are on operations.

Netwealth managing director Matt Heine said technology isnt considered enough when it comes its impact on staff satisfaction.

When we think about improving staff satisfaction, our focus often turns to increasing pay, improving staff culture, giving more leave or providing other employee benefits, he said in a media release regarding the findings of the study.

Marketplace of ideas

While some technology (like Microsoft Office) is industry agnostic, advisers rely on job-specific platforms and CRM systems which often have their own pros and cons.

Recent research from Investment Trends found advice firms use an average of three platforms and industry feedback indicated there isnt enough standardisation to support using multiple systems.

Additionally, many tech players in the advice space have looked to M&A to build scale in an industry with tight margins, including Netwealth.

The Covid-19 pandemic has only heightened client expectations for technology due to other professions like doctors and accountants being flexible with their communication media.

Tech strategies

With the market in its current state, Heine said the research identified several tactics firms can adopt to improve their tech usage.

He noted firms should consider simplifying their core advice tech, use integration tools or even reducing the number of tools they use.

The first of these is for advice firms to consider supporting their hybrid working arrangements with the right technology, such as VPNs, as well as proper IT support.

The research found only 36 per cent of staff consider themselves masters of the tech they use while only 56 per cent feel they receive appropriate training.

The other obvious tactic is to give staff more training on technology, access to how-to videos as well as giving them just more time in their day to play around and learn about the tools, Heine said.

The report surveyed 303 advice firms between 13 April to 19 May 2022.

See the article here:

Better technology the secret weapon to staff happiness - Professional Planner

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Since the dawn of time, methods have existed for training employees to perform new or unfamiliar tasks. From facilitating mentorship between highly competent colleagues and other employees to developing user manuals for technical skills, most companies already have the resources necessary to train their workforce.

But the question arises: Why are companies now choosing to develop new-era on-the-job training programs?

Adaptability is crucial in the modern business world. New platforms, markets and technologies appear to emerge every quarter, making each new venture risky, because the environment is susceptible to change at any moment.

A rise in the number of employees working remotely or through a hybrid model has necessitated these rapid changes in the workplace and industries. Even if a company can adjust its goals and strategy to accommodate these changes, it is an entirely different challenge to ensure that its employees have the skills necessary to adapt rapidly.

Related: 6 Ways to Keep Your Employees Learning At Work

Companies incorporate technology into training programs in a variety of ways. Three of the most innovative include:

Opening up future-oriented education to all:

Offering free training via the internet is part of a larger movement to make information readily available and empower individuals to determine their futures. From Khan Academy to YouTube tutorials, it is evident that the internet is revolutionizing education, particularly skill-based education.

Companies have noted this change. They have begun offering skill-based training programs to talented individuals outside the organization.

TheSoul Publishing is an example of a company that has previously opened up its on-the-job training programs to offer educational experiences to everyone. It transformed its internal Boost Academy into three future-focused camps open to the public. This allowed TheSoul to provide practical training methods that have helped individuals learn skills such as social media management, animation and video production.

Immersive technology:

Immersive training utilizes the power of next-generation technology to develop human-centered on-the-job training programs. They are individualized and do not assume that all employees learn in the same manner and at the same rate.

Immersive technologies combine the physical and digital worlds, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). This technology enhances the elements of the most effective forms of on-the-job training, such as gamified online platforms and demonstrator videos aimed at particular skills.

Additionally, VR and AR experiences increase employee engagement to new heights. Employees participate in a hands-on, practical manner by manipulating objects in a digital environment. Thus, employees can perform tasks independently while being permitted to make mistakes from which they can learn and enhance their skills.

Remote onboarding:

A 700-page training manual with a mile-long table of contents may be exhaustive, but it is not engaging for employees.

Another complication is that it is becoming increasingly common for new employees to be onboarded without ever setting foot in a company's office if the company even has a physical office space. Companies have started re-onboarding employees in response to the rapid technological change occurring across all industries to ensure they can utilize the new technologies they have implemented.

Companies can make training significantly more engaging, exciting and digestible by leveraging the dynamic and integrated nature of the latest tools. Employers can ensure employees are truly absorbing and contextualizing content by incorporating entertaining and informative videos and gamification into their programs.

Related: Gamified Training: An Infallible Way For Employee Engagement

Workforces become progressively more flexible:

New technology permits the company-wide implementation of more effective training programs. Digital methods for teaching employees skills are significantly less expensive than traditional, pre-pandemic methods.

A workforce can become flexible and adaptable to whatever the business world throws at it if training is facilitated at the level of the individual employee and the entire organization.

When you have well-trained employees, the attitude that "this is not really part of my job" will disappear. Although you shouldn't train each employee to do everything, training can expand an employee's capabilities beyond the minimum requirements of their initial role. When it comes to unfamiliar tasks, the "no-can-do" philosophy disappears. Instead, employees ask, "Where can I learn how to do this?"

Then a new issue arises: Employees wonder, "Will my boss be upset if I take the time to educate myself?" Therefore, companies must foster an environment in which employees are encouraged and empowered to pursue additional on-the-job training so that employees feel comfortable acquiring new skills. It produces long-term benefits for both the employer and the employee.

Progress evaluation is streamlined:

When it comes to ensuring that employees comprehend complex technical procedures, adhere to essential guidelines and comply with health and safety protocols, companies must do more than simply provide lengthy documents and assume that employees will retain all the information.

This information must be assimilated thoroughly. Companies must determine whether employees have comprehensively understood the topic. Using technology's adaptability, companies can evaluate an employee's progress in real-time using multimedia tools such as games, quizzes and videos. The company can then determine if the on-the-job training was effective or if modifications are required.

Related: Where to Deploy Innovative Tech to Create a More Flexible, Engaging Organization

Employers must adopt the philosophy that if you continue to train, teach and develop your employees, you will always have the most qualified candidates in the roles this is especially beneficial if the company's industry makes it challenging to recruit skilled workers.

On the other hand, this type of philosophy is also attractive to potential employees who not only want to get paid, but also want to develop their own sets of skills via the on-the-job training opportunities the company provides. Improving and expanding access to skill-based training will always benefit both employers and employees.

See the rest here:

How Innovative Technology Improves On-the-Job Training - Entrepreneur

AUT has asked four faculties to reduce staff levels by between 30 and 50 each. Another 80 general staff are also set to lose their jobs. Photo / Michael Craig

Students and staff at Auckland University of Technology are anxious about their futures after the university proposed cuts to jobs and courses.

AUT has outlined plans to cut 150 academic staff and 80 general staff, with the changes taking effect in November.

David Sinfield, a senior lecturer in art and design, said he was "in the firing line" but would not know of his fate for at least four to six weeks.

"It's extremely stressful and worrying. Everybody that I know of at AUT other than the Deans and the VC office are all in the same position of not knowing whether they will have a job at the end of the year."

Sinfield, who is the AUT branch president for the Tertiary Education Union, had been at the university for 17 years, and said this was his third round of restructuring.

"I know many people that have been there for 20 years plus, so there's a lot of people that have given their lives and their careers to AUT. And to be treated like this is actually appalling, in my view."

He said academic staff had adjusted to increased workloads, online teaching and other pressures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"There are a lot of staff that are extremely exhausted from doing that over Covid. And to be faced with this now is really a kick in the teeth."

AUT Vice Chancellor Damon Salesa said yesterday that the proposed restructure was driven by a large fall in international student numbers, rising inflation and other economic pressures.

Universities New Zealand CEO Chris Whelan said New Zealand universities were facing the "perfect storm": flat domestic student numbers, hugely reduced international student numbers, and high inflation.

"Every university is balancing the same challenges right now wanting to retain as much of their workforce as they can for the time when we do get the students back but having to get through a period of time.

"We don't know whether it's three years, we don't know whether it's five years, we don't know whether it's longer, but basically reducing costs now, by a small amount, means that we avoid larger cuts later on."

The borders reopened on July 31, but it was not known how many international students would return or how quickly.

"We know that numbers are not going to be for 2023 anything like they were pre-Covid," Whelan said. "It's going to take time for students to come back in some cases just the flights are not available yet. There are countries like China, which have yet to fully open up and allow their students to travel."

Seven out of eight of the universities had already reduced staff by a total of around 700 during the pandemic, mostly on a voluntary basis. Massey University began a restructure in August which the union says could affect another 150 jobs.

Tertiary Education Union national president Tina Smith said AUT's latest restructuring did not necessarily foreshadow further, broader cuts across the university sector.

As a relatively new university, AUT did not have the same financial reserves as more established institutions, she said.

It also has a relatively high rate of international students, meaning the border closures have had a greater impact on its financial situation.

Smith said many students were concerned about the proposed cuts and were trying to decide what they would do next year.

"These moves to cut staff are not encouraging students to stay or go to AUT. It is such a lose-lose situation."

AUT has asked four faculties to reduce staff by between 30 and 50 members: Design and Creative Technologies; Culture and Society; Business, Economics and Law; and Health and Environmental Sciences,

See the rest here:

Auckland University of Technology staff and students in limbo as cuts loom - New Zealand Herald

Linklaters today announced that Nick Roudev will be joining the firm as Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) counsel in Dubai. Nick is an experienced commercial lawyer specialising in TMT, artificial intelligence, electronic payments and data privacy law.

Nick has over 10 years of experience practising across North America, Europe and Asia. He joins Linklaters from Simmons & Simmons, where he has been a managing associate in their Digital Business team since 2019. Prior to joining Simmons & Simmons Nick spent three years as a senior associate in the Allen & Overy TMT practice in London, preceded by four years in Toronto, Canada, as a technology lawyer with Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt, where Nick also completed his articling and was called to the Ontario bar.

Nick has extensive experience advising clients across the globe on various issues of electronic payments, artificial intelligence, telecom regulation, data privacy and intellectual property rights arising in the context of service and licensing arrangements, outsourcings, strategic collaborations, corporate M&A, digital wallets and acquiring and data commercialisation arrangements. Nick is recognised as an expert regionally, and has been most recently appointed to the technology and digital payments advisory group of the Digital Economy Courts in the DIFC.

Partner and Linklaters Asia Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Adrian Fisher commented:

Here is the original post:

Linklaters strengthens Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice in the Middle East with hire of Nick Roudev | News | About Us - Linklaters

Just a few years ago, no one would have called the vacant land underneath Miamis elevated Metrorail particularly inviting, let alone transformative. But today, the city is reimagining this 10-mile corridor as a dynamic linear park: the Underline. The park will feature walking trails, biking infrastructure, and local art while also providing approximately 250,000 residents and 9 million transit users with free and contiguous high-speed internet.

While people often associate parks and other outdoor public spaces with escaping technology, the Underline is part of a growing movement to leverage community-centered technology to transform public spaces into more accessible, inclusive, and responsive community assets, as well as provide the vital public service of free high-speed internet and technical innovations for more residents. In a city like Miami, where over 30% of households lack internet access, the potential of utilizing public space to bridge the digital divide is especially ripe.

The Underlines recent Phase 1 opening in the half-mile stretch known as Brickell Backyard offers important lessons on the role technology can play in transforming public spaces and encouraging more residents to take part in civic life.

Public spaces have always served as hubs for gathering, forming bonds with neighbors, and forging attachments to place. At first, these critical functions dont seem to align with the role of technology in todays digitized society, which is often seen as a driving force of social division and loneliness. Increasingly, however, philanthropic and government institutions are recognizing the potential of embedding technology within public spacesnot only to increase residents access to technology, but also to bring more residents into public spaces, and therefore into the civic life of their neighborhoods and cities.

Philanthropic organizations like the Knight Foundation have been champions of using technology to connect people and places and pilot new innovations around civic engagement, climate, art, and more in public spaces. In 2019, the foundation provided the Underline with a $925,000 investment to create a technology master plan and hire a chief innovation officer and a chief operating officer. The public sector has also been a critical partner, with Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami, the state of Florida, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and others providing funding for the Underline for construction, park amenities, and features such as drinking fountains, bike repair stations, column signage, and Wi-Fi facilities.

Public and private sector actors cite the benefits of embedding technology in public space as a way to:

Achieving the citys mission of transforming the Underline into a new kind of civic commons equipped with community-centered technology wasnt easy. The Wi-Fi infrastructure has to withstand harsh weather conditions in the free-standing outdoor space, and our fiberoptics technology partner, Hotwire Communications, had to install multiple different access points across the 10-mile linear terrain. After two years of construction, we were able to configure the first phase of the park with 11 Wi-Fi access points designed to provide coverage for as many as 200 people per point.

The parks first phasea half-mile segment called Brickell Backyardopened in February 2021, and has since hosted over 1 million visitors and more than 120 free community programs. Friends of the Underline has also identified additional ways to embed technology within the park, including a new educational mobile app, Dig & Learn (developed by Miami Dade Colleges Miami Animation and Gaming International Complex), that engages visitors to learn about the areas rich cultural diversity, history, and natural assets. Weve also hired a chief innovation officer for the park to provide additional capacity for advancing our technology master plan, which outlines forward-looking goals for using technology for climate resilience, arts engagement, and other critical functions.

Miamis journey to create a new public and virtual civic commons is just beginning. We anticipate adding more than 75 access points throughout the 10-mile outdoor space to provide ubiquitous high-speed internet access and reach many more residents and transit users. Despite initial hurdles, the Underline is proof that big ideas can be mobilized, funded, and implemented in a way that evokes positive transformation for both underutilized urban spaces and members of the surrounding community.

Photo credit: Sam Orberter 2022

Go here to see the original:

How Miamis new linear park is using community-centered technology to bridge the digital divide - Brookings Institution

Alan Towart reading I Will Always Be me alongside daugter Sophia.

If ever there was an accessibility-related project to demonstrate the power of user-led design and what can be achieved when major technology giants pool their resources together alongside patient advocacy groups then I Will Always Be Me is surely it.

Launched earlier this year, the collaboration between Intel, Dell, Rolls-Royce and the U.K.-based Motor Neurone Disease Association is an attempt to address one of the most heartbreaking and disabling symptoms of ALS the loss of ones voice.

As the paralyzing neurodegenerative condition which gradually deteriorates muscular nerve cells progresses, the vast majority of patients go on to lose their voice with around 80% of patients eventually relying on an electronic communication device and a synthetic voice.

Though voice banking for ALS, the practice of recording ones voice to construct a synthetic digital approximation, has been available for many years, traditional methodologies for doing this are not without limitations.

Key amongst these is the amount of time it can take the patient to read out a sufficient number of phrases to create a large enough database of words, sounds and vocalizations to enable the software to accurately replicate their voice.

This can run into the thousands and given the emotional and physical turmoil most patients experience upon receiving an ALS diagnosis allied to the requirement for specialist recording equipment it isnt uncommon for patients to take up to three months to complete the task.

I Will Always Be Me is an elegant attempt to overcome these barriers by condensing the target phrases into a 1000-word book of the same name enabling ALS patients to bank their voice within minutes from the comfort of their home via an online portal.

What sets I Will Always Be Me apart, however, is not simply the precious time saved for patients who tragically may only have a few years left to live but the power and significance of the words contained therein.

Older voice banking systems necessitated patients reading out meaningless words and phrases like red lorry, yellow lorry in order to create the custom digital version.

Instead, I Will Always Be Me achieves the same via a series of touching and beautifully crafted observations penned by #1 New York Times bestselling author Jill Twiss which patients read aloud to explain some of the changes and challenges they are likely to face on the difficult road ahead to their loved ones.

These challenges aside, the book reminds everyone that a zest for life remains because, when all is said and done I Will Always Be Me.

The spark for the project came from Stuart Moss Head Of IT Innovation at Rolls Royce whose father passed away on Christmas day 2014 following a short battle with ALS or motor neurone disease as it is also referred to.

Witnessing patients struggling with older voice banking systems, Moss wondered whether he could help build a think tank comprised of major technology companies, the contacts of which he possessed through the Rolls Royce supply chain, and the expertise of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, to create something better.

The result of Mosss entreaties was the creation of the MND Association Next Generation Think Tank in 2019 with Intel, Dell Terchnologies, Rolls Royce and the U.K.-based charity as its founder members.

The involvement of the technology heavyweights opened boundless avenues of opportunity. It was, in fact, the creative agency representing Dell and Intel New York-based VMLY&R who came up with the idea of condensing the target phrases to be read aloud into a patient-centered short-read e-book.

The campaign promoting I Will Always Be Me went on to win the prestigious Pharma Grand Prix at this years Cannes Lions festival for the creative industries.

Dell Technologies assisted in building a network of technologists, creatives and speech therapists to assist in the venture as well as donating laptops to the MND Association to be given to patients to record their voices.

For its part, Intel was able to leverage its decades of experience working on the open-source communication system used by the late Professor Stephen Hawking, as well as being instrumental in bringing to the table a third-party assistive technology partner in the shape of U.K.-based SpeakUnique who specialize directly in voice banking systems.

SpeakUniques technology uses a machine learning algorithm to accurately replicate the readers voice in as little as 20 minutes.

At a later date, when synthesized speech becomes necessary, any sentence the user wishes to enunciate can be output to a communication device as a precise digital mirror, or perhaps more appropriately in this context, an echo of the original voice.

The speed of the process is achievable due to SpeakUnique already using a base voice trained from hundreds of hours of recordings of speakers of different ages and with different accents providing a platform to overlay the patient's voice and blend in the personalized variations.

The book, which additionally features illustrations by award-winning artist Nicholas Stevenson, is an emotional rollercoaster, not just for patients and their families but for any reader.

Quite simply, especially when listening to the recording on the website in which several patients read out different phrases it can be hard going with respect to fighting back the tears.

We don't know how fast my body will change. Sometimes our bodies feel very different very quickly. And sometimes, it can feel like nothing has changed at all. No one gets to decide how fast or slow changes happen, or which parts of our bodies will change first, while other parts are staying the same, reads one user.

We just don't know why this happened to me. Every so often, these kinds of changes run in families. But mostly, it's just something that happens and we don't know why. It doesn't feel fair. But that's the way it is, adds another.

The book continues with more observations on what a future with MND looks like:

I might not do all the things I used to do. I might not move exactly the same. I might not sound exactly the same. And we might not get to tell our stories and dream our dreams together as long as we want to.

But, right now, I am here with you which is my favorite place to be.

Yes, everything is changing, but I will always be me and I will always love you.

Beyond simply allowing patients to eloquently convey these complex feelings to their loved ones the emotionally charged nature of the phrases themselves serve a secondary purpose.

Explaining, in the campaign video, how this exquisite blend of art and technology manifests, Alice Smith CEO of SpeakUnique said:

The process of reading the book brings out lots of different emotions in people and having sensitive parts and humor and some questions means that you get more of your natural self coming through in the synthetic voice.

It is a point underscored by Nick Goldup, Director of Care Improvement at the MND Association, who admits in an interview, There was always that danger that we could have got this seriously wrong.

He continues, We could have created something that was too emotional and after all, the end goal was to record a voice. If somebody breaks down halfway through, we werent going to achieve what we wanted. But what we found is that you actually get a better recording by capturing those raw emotions of a person's voice.

Working continuously alongside patients and speech therapists within an iterative process the project is a triumph for user-led design.

Alan Towart (pictured) has been living with Motor Neurone Disease since 2017 and appeared in the campaign film.

He says, This project is important to me because one day I may need it to help me, and the previous technology available was slow and very time-consuming. For people with MND, you want to use the time you have left to do the things that you never got around to before it's too late and not be sat for hundreds of hours recording your voice.

Since its launch earlier this year, over 72% of patients newly diagnosed with MND or ALS have been using I Will Always Be Me to bank their voice but the technological collaboration will not end there.

Now the acoustics and accuracy of the synthetic representation have been fine-tuned and finessed, attention will turn towards input speed with Intel in particular actively engaged in initiatives around touchless computing and language prediction.

Zooming out to view the bigger picture I Will Always Be Me shows what can be achieved when major companies, the third sector, creatives and medical specialists work together to solve a huge problem, albeit one affecting a relatively small number of people.

I Will Always Be Me is a great example of industry collaboration, which I believe is going to be vital for the future of making more inclusive accessible technologies, says Darryl Adams, Intels Director of Accessibility.

This is extremely important.

A major impediment to breakthroughs in assistive technology is that such medical-related issues are technically complex to solve but lack R&D investment due to not having mainstream applications.

Any supply chain, networking and investment heft that can be brought to bear by major technology collectives such as this is most welcome.

Other assistive technologies in dire need of funding and collaboration such as electronic sight enhancement glasses for people with low vision or the development of mechanized exoskeletons for individuals with spinal cord injuries could learn much from this ethos of partnership and co-design.

A future echo of this resonates in the words of Stuart Moss at the climax of the campaign film If we can harness what weve started the world can be different.

Follow this link:

Game-Changing Voice Banking Technology Ensures ALS Patients Maintain Their Individuality - Forbes

18 of the leagues 30 organizations rely on the companys connected camera technology and automated, multi-angle video platform for their practice and training needs

BALTIMORE, Aug. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Connexa Sports Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: CNXA) (www.connexasports.com) is pleased to announce further expansion within the National Basketball Association (NBA). PlaySights connected camera platform has become the standard for multi-angle practice and performance video throughout the league and across professional sports. After several new teams partnered with the company this past off-season, there are now 18 NBA organizations that rely on PlaySight technology for daily practice, scouting and player development video needs.

PlaySight has been building for technology since 2016, and the sport was the second market that the company entered after launching first in tennis in 2015. Over the past six seasons, the majority of the leagues teams have added PlaySight cameras, and in some cases installing up to seven cameras per court at their practice facilities. PlaySights platform also enables for seamless integration with other technologies, trackers and software, often working directly with teams for specific requests and needs that their coaching or performance staff may have. Many of the technological innovations driven at the professional level are available to PlaySights basketball clients at the collegiate, high school and academy levels as well.

PlaySight technology has enabled teams to be more efficient with their staff and coaching according to several of the companys partners. Prior to using PlaySight, we needed to dedicate a video coordinator to operate a handheld camera throughout practice, said Matt Reynolds, the Boston Celtics Special Assistant to the Head Coach. Having that extra manpower has allowed our video coordinators to be more active participants in drills on the court.

PlaySight has just made life so much easier. Were literally just pressing a button and its recording from nine different angles and six different baskets. If theres a discrepancy in practice, well go to the iPad and replay the play in real-time or after, said Ike Azotam, an Assistant Video Coordinator with the New York Knicks.

We acquired PlaySight for their proven tech, their reputation throughout sport, and their positioning at the leading-edge of sports tech innovation, said Connexa Sports CEO Mike Ballardie. The fact that so many NBA teams use them and rely on the tech daily is a testament to the technology and the talent on the R&D team.

-XX-

About Connexa Sports Technologies:

Connexa Sports is a leading connected sports company delivering products, technologies, and services across the Watch, Play, Learn commercial and subscription-as-a-service activities in sports. Digital disruption is restructuring how sports are enjoyed, consumed, and monetized, and Connexa Sports is well positioned to capitalize on this with its portfolio of brands: Slinger, PlaySight Interactive, Gameface.AI and Foundation Tennis.

With over one million users across its platform, Connexas mission is to reimagine sports.

Contact Information:

investors@connexasports.com

(443) 407-7564

http://www.connexasports.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include statements about our plans to obtain funding for our current and proposed operations and potential acquisition and expansion efforts; the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or any other health epidemic, on our business, our clientele or the global economy as a whole; debt obligations of the Company; our general history of operating losses; our ability to compete with companies producing products and services; the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our products and technology; the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; our ability to develop and maintain our corporate infrastructure, including our internal controls; our ability to develop innovative new products; and our financial performance. In addition, statements that we believe and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this press release, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements other than as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Read the original post:

Connexa Sports Expands its Technology Footprint in the NBA - GlobeNewswire