Category Archives: Technology

Every year around this time we make our annual digital transformation predictions for the coming year, but this time its different as we have not only witnessed a global pandemic disrupting lives and upending industries, but also a wave of digital transformation like never before.

Businesses have fast-tracked their digitisation journey and operations by at least three years.

The digital economy triggered by the pandemic promises to bring in an unprecedented confluence of people, businesses, and things that reconstruct existing business models. There are six key trends that will define the future of the tech and IT industry.

Today the internet has become the core of everything we do and has become nothing less than a lifeline. Unfortunately, not everyone was privileged enough, as the pandemic put a glaring spotlight on the other half for whom access to the internet was a luxury.

In the coming year, the next generation of wireless technologies, including 5G and WiFi6, will help flatten the digital divide, as these will provide bandwidth, speed, and latency, and reach rural areas.

According to PwC, bringing the internet to those who are offline would add $6.7 trillion to the global economy, lifting another 500 million people out of poverty.

There is now need for a modern, agile network that facilitates safe and seamless reintroduction of workers to the premises. Companies need to ensure a safe and productive environment by providing touchless and intelligent experiences to their employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

Location technologies, and collaboration platforms like WebEx, will identify underutilised or overcrowded spaces, while monitoring room temperature, humidity, air quality, and light.

Business agility, flexibility and resilience have become necessities for organisations, so cloud-based technologies, security, analytics, and automation are all going to be crucial for organisations, to empower their employees, and thrive in the next normal.

The distribution of connectivity and the growth of multi-cloud networking will force many businesses to rethink their networks in favour of SD-WAN technology and secure access server edge (SASE), as it will enable networks to securely access cloud workloads and SaaS applications.

Businesses today must make every effort to keep pace with the evolving consumer sentiment. For brands, customer experience has always been an important differentiator, but now its about delighting the customer with a combination of immersive, intelligence-based personalisation and experience that will trigger a lasting impact on customers perception of trust and loyalty.

With the shift in the way we engage with each other, remote workers distributed across the globe, and cloud deployments, the traditional security perimeter has to be reformed, as the fundamental unit of access, is now identity. Organisations need to prepare for this inevitable shift, where users no longer rely on a traditional password as their primary method of access, instead look at adapting a zero-trust approach, with authentication and strong identity-focused technology.

Organisations have long invested in tech solutions where one had to pay for features they might not need. But today with the growing demand for everything-as-a-service consumption models, businesses have to rethink their models. Moreover, the flexibility and cost savings that pay-as-you-consume models provide to organisations are simply too good to resist.

Today, technology is becoming core to everything we do and consume, therefore, to emerge stronger out of this crisis, businesses will have to digitally disrupt themselves and push the boundaries of innovation.

As organisations try to pivot their portfolios in preparation for the next normal, the post-Covid world will witness the emergence of disruptive business models.

Shifts in consumer behaviour, new delivery models, and the remote workforce will influence the industry and form the crux of reimagining businesses in the future.

All these changes present a massive opportunity for technology providers and define the next normal.

The writer is Managing Director, Digital Transformation Office, Cisco India and SAARC

More here:

Technology trends to thrive in the new normal - BusinessLine

A Harvard professor named Avi Loeb, the chair of Harvards Department of Astronomy, believes the first sign we will get of an alien intelligence wont be spacecraft. Rather he thinks the first sign we will get of extraterrestrial life will be the civilizations trash. Loeb has a book being published on January 26 that lays out a case for why a bizarre asteroid that entered our solar system in 2017 was a piece of alien technology.

The object he is talking about was the first known interstellar object to enter our solar system and traveled to our solar system from the direction of Vega. Vega is a star about 25 light-years, nearby in the cosmic scale. The object entered our solar systems orbital plane on September 6, 2017. By September 9, the object, known as Oumuamua, made its closest approach to the sun, and by the end of September and it traveled past Venuss orbital distance.

It streaked past Earth at about 58,900 mph on October 7 and moved quickly towards the constellation Pegasus. The object was about 100 yards long and was cigar-shaped. The big splash the object made was that it was the first interstellar object ever detected in the solar system. Astronomers came to that conclusion after studying the objects trajectory. They found it was not bound by the Suns gravity, suggesting it was passing through our solar system.

Initially was believed to be an ordinary comet, but Loeb theorized that it could be discarded technology from an alien civilization. Several observations lead him to the conclusion. The first observation was that the cigar-shaped object was 5 to 10 times longer than it was wide, and scientists have never seen a naturally occurring space body look like that.

It was also unusually bright, at least ten times more reflective than typical stony asteroids or comets. The observation that pushed Loeb to believe it was a discarded alien technology was the way it moved. He said it had excess push away from the sun. He said typically, the suns pull will significantly speed up an object as it nears, then the object will slow considerably after it passes the sun and gets further away. However, Oumuamua accelerated at a slight but statistically significant rate away from the sun.

Loeb believes it was being pushed by force besides the Suns gravity alone. Loeb and colleagues looked at numbers having do with the shape and size of the object and concluded that it wasnt cigar-shaped but possibly a disk less than a millimeter thick with sail-like proportions. If it was a solar sail, which would account for his acceleration as it moved away from the sun. Not all scientists agree with this theory and will likely never know exactly what Oumuamua was.

Original post:

Harvard professor believes bizarre asteroid from 2017 was alien technology - SlashGear

An Irving technology company that provides business automation software to 60% of the nations Fortune 100 companies is hiring an investment banking firm to assist it in exploring strategic alternatives.

Exela Technologies Inc. said Wednesday that it has retained UBS Investment Bank for help in pursuing alternatives to strengthen its balance sheet and enhance shareholder value.

The disclosure comes two weeks after Exela secured a five-year, $150 million term loan that executives said improved the companys financial position. The loan was from global alternative investment firm Angelo Gordon.

On that basis, the companys previously announced strategic initiative to improve liquidity to approximately $150 million will be substantially achieved, Exela said at the time.

The companys debt totaled $1.477 billion as of Sept. 30. In November, Exela said it wanted to reduce debt by as much as $200 million, largely by selling off business lines. It had already sold its tax benefit group for $40 million in March and its physical records storage and logistics business for $12.3 million in July.

As part of its third-quarter financial report, Exela said it expects to make additional divestitures of up to $150 million.

In the companys quarterly earnings call in November, CEO Ron Cogburn noted the COVID-19 pandemics impact on Exela and its customers.

Throughout the pandemic, our dialogue with customers has increased as they analyze the best way to balance reopening physical office locations with enabling work-from-home solutions on a more long-term basis, Cogburn told investors.

We estimate that going forward, approximately half of our customers will remain and maintain some level of work-from-home environments, which we believe will drive greater need for Exela services, he said. ... They are also seeking greater cost efficiency across their organizations through increased automation.

Exelas third-quarter revenue of $305 million was down more than 18% from the same period a year ago. For the nine months ending Sept. 30, the companys revenue of $978 million was 16% lower than a year earlier.

Sixty percent of the companys revenue is derived from its 100 top customers.

With the remaining 40% of our revenue generated from all of the other customers, we are focusing additional sales and marketing attention on accounts that have the ability to expand significantly, Cogburn told investors and analysts.

Exelas 21,000 employees provide cloud-enabled services to over 4,000 customers in 50 countries. Its back-office software is used for information management, workflow automation and integrated communications, as well as industry-specific products for banking, health care, insurance and the public sector.

It was the regions 54th-largest public company in 2019, with revenue of $1.6 billion.

Link:

Irving-based Exela Technologies hires firm to help it explore strategic alternatives - The Dallas Morning News

ADA Century Technology Group LLC looks to reload by pursuing acquisitions of technology companies that it can grow.

The Ada-based company a family office for Grand Rapids businessman and entrepreneur Keith Harrold made two acquisitions in 2020 and is getting close on two more, one of which is under a letter of intent, President Dana Jacks said.

The company wants to acquire companies that are technology focused or can be bent toward technology or utilize some type of technology in their go-to market, Jacks said. Acquisition targets as well would have a strong, hungry management team that could use some rounding out or could use some help in certain areas, she said.

What were looking for is something that has good bones and potential. They have a value proposition that makes sense and that can evolve and grow if it were accelerated with some capital, and has a good management team and they want to build something, she said. We really want to grow stuff.

Century Technology Groups return to acquisition mode comes more than two years after the divestiture of its last prior portfolio company, Data Strategy LLC, to Miami-based private equity firm H.I.G. Capital in August 2018. Data Strategy originally founded by Harrold, Century Technology Groups CEO at the time had sales of more than $400 million, Jacks said.

The investment firm is now using the liquidity from the Data Strategy deal to pursue acquisitions of tech companies, Jacks said.

Century Technology Group has been looking at companies that typically have annual sales ranging from $3 million to $5 million, and will make investments in the Midwest with a preference toward West Michigan-based companies.

Right now our focus is mostly West Michigan. Thats where our roots are, Jacks said. As we reload were going to stay a little closer to home and build out from there. We understand the people, we understand the clients, and its our home. And the second time around as we go through this is not about us being operators anymore its about lifting and elevating management teams of the companies that are in our portfolio.

Century Technology Group presently holds two portfolio companies: Inno-Versity, an Ada-based company that provides customized instruction and training to clients; and Mutually Human LLC, a custom software and applications developer in Grand Rapids that it acquired in November.

At the time of the deal, Century Technology Group Executive Vice President Jason Kuipers said Mutually Human fits perfectly with our vision of growing a leading software development and application modernization services business and adds to our charter of investing in growth-oriented technology services businesses.

Jacks cites Inno-Versity, acquired in August 2019, as a great example of Century Technology Groups interest in companies that can be bent toward technology. Inno-Versitys custom learning programs for higher education and Fortune 500 companies have been adaptable to technology for remote learning.

Were introducing concepts such as ARVR (augmented reality and virtual reality) and gamification into what theyre doing, or helping them with the delivery of some of these custom-learning programs, Jacks said. Its really been fun to not only watch how theyve been able to evolve, but how theyre servicing their clients and the rejuvenated energy in the company. The sales team has more to sell and theres a lot more thought leadership coming from the creative side because they have more options to offer.

The technology sector that Century Technology Group operates in ranked as one of the top areas for activity in 2021 in law firm Dykemas annual M&A survey.

Technology ranked among the sectors where corporate executives and M&A professionals expect the most activity this year, behind health care and automotive and ahead of consumer products and financial services, according to the annual survey released in November.

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Century Technology Group leans on tech acquisitions to drive growth - MiBiz: West Michigan Business News

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2020 To 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market is expected to reach $420.97 billion by 2028 with 12.8% CAGR during the forecast period from 2020 to 2028. In 2019, North America led the anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market. The Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest-growing region between 2020 and 2028.

Counterfeit is an issue related to product security. Counterfeit product trade is over a trillion-dollar market. Counterfeit products have a huge potential to cause economic damages to any region or country. Rapid globalization along with reducing financial and custom control and liberating economies are offering a huge opportunity to this market.

According to the World Customs Organization, the trade of counterfeit goods to generate a value of over $650 billion, annually. Strong international trade, lack of trade regulations, and globally weak supply chains are some factors posturing a constant challenge to customs authorities around the world. The custom authorities strive to achieve a trade-off between regulating and facilitating trade, which in turn leads to the inflow of counterfeited products in the world economy.

Food & Beverages industry propelling the growth of anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market

Currently, Food & Beverages is one of the leading end-use industries by value, accounted for over 35% in 2019, and expected to retain its prominence with the highest CAGR throughout the forecast period. Counterfeit in the food & beverages industry includes product faking, product substitution, product adulteration, product copy, unauthorized refill, etc. The anti-counterfeit packaging technologies market is projected to witness robust growth in the food and beverages sector during the forecast period owing to an incessant demand for packaged food & beverages.

Coding & Printing technology segment identified as the dominant type in 2019

Coding & Printing technology accounted for approximately 35% of the anti-counterfeit packaging market in 2019 and expected to maintain its dominance during the forecasted period. Coding and printing can be used as both the overt and covert approach, which gives an edge to this technology over other technologies. Factors such as low cost, easy application, easy recognition, and incorporation of covert technology with overt are expected to propel the technology growth during the forecast period from 2020 to 2028. The coding & printing technology market was followed by holograms and security labels in 2019.

Rise in manufacturing sector propelling the growth of anti-counterfeit packaging technologies in the Asia Pacific

Asia-Pacific is projected to witness the fastest growth registering a CAGR of 15.1% during the forecast period from 2020 to 2028. This growth can be attributed to high economic growth, heavy investments in automotive & industrial and food & beverages industries, and a rise in the manufacturing sector of this region. Further, increasing demand for quality products, rising population, and growing end-use industries have led to innovation and developments in these industries, making Asia-Pacific a strong end-use application hub, globally. Asia has a majority of counterfeit products and expected to grow tremendously in the near future as per OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).

Key questions answered in this report

Key Topics Covered:

1. Preface

2. Executive Summary

3. Global Anti-counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market: Market Dynamics

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Market Dynamics

3.2.1. Drivers

3.2.2. Challenges

3.2.3. Future Prospects

3.3. Competitive Landscape: Market Positioning of Key Players, 2019

4. Global Anti-counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market Size (US$ Bn), by Type, 2018 -2028

5. Global Anti-counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market Size (US$ Bn), by End-use Industry, 2018 -2028

6. Global Anti-counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market Size (US$ Bn), by Geography, 2018 -2028

6.1. Overview

6.1.1. Market Share Analysis by Geography, 2019 vs. 2028

6.2. North America

6.3. Europe

6.4. Asia Pacific

6.5. Latin America (LATAM)

6.6. Middle East and Africa (MEA)

7. Profiles

7.1. Competitive Dashboard

7.2. 3M

7.3. Avery Dennison

7.4. Digimarc

7.5. Zebra Technologies Corp Inc.

7.6. Sicpa Holding SA

7.7. Alpvision SA

7.8. Applied DNA Sciences Inc.

7.9. Savi Technology, Inc.

7.10. Authentix, Inc.

7.11. E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

7.12. CCL Industries Inc

7.13. Other Notable Players

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ot50x.

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Global Anti-Counterfeit Packaging Technologies Market (2020 to 2028) - Featuring 3M, Avery Dennison and Digimarc Among Others - ResearchAndMarkets.com...

Dublin, Dec. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Autonomous Car and 5G Technologies" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Though never managing to successfully predict what each forthcoming generation of mobile technology should deliver to satisfy future users, the industry has nonetheless reached some consensus on the use cases for 5G communications. Machine to machine communications is one. 5G should enable the IoT, the future where all online-enabled objects will quietly pass on data to each other or to a central computer.

Facilitating the use of mobile networks by connected and autonomous cars, remotely controlled industrial robots, telehealth systems, and smart city infrastructure are also all expected to figure large in 5G thinking. There is a common notion the industry is hoping that 5G will solve problems we don't have today, but those that could hold us back years in the future - and one of the best examples to such a statement is a driverless car.

This particular report addresses the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) progress in reaching its ultimate goal - to make a car "intelligent" enough to safely drive without human participation. It also updates the status of driverless car development in connection with the transition to the 5G era: the industry identified driverless cars as the most viable form of ITS, dominating the roadways by 2040 and sparking dramatic changes in vehicular travel. The report discusses the specifics of the 5G era as they are seen by the industry at the present time with an emphasis on what 5G technologies can bring to the driverless car.

Such a car was considered by many as a scientists' dream only 10-15 years ago; now it is a reality and all predictions are that driverless cars will hit the roads in 6-8 years. The fully developed driverless car needs the support of communications systems evolving in the transition to 5G, and these two developments are interrelated - a driverless car becomes a 5G use case.

The report provides an overview of the current status of the driverless car development, pictures the future steps, which the industry is planning, analyzes roadblocks, and emphasizes the importance of standardization - several organizations are working in this direction. The analysis concentrates on the technological and marketing aspects of driverless cars and also on the status of the industry.

The survey of driverless cars projects currently underway is conducted; as well as the survey of related patents (2017-2020). Initial marketing statistics are developed.

The detailed analysis of two important parts of a driverless car - lidar (one of the main components of ADAS) and the communications gear - "connected car" - is performed. A survey of recent auto lidar patents is also performed.

The detailed analysis of connected cars specifics, standardization, technical characteristics, and economics are presented in this report. The companies - contributors to the connected car market development - are identified and their portfolios are analyzed.

The report also emphasizes the importance of 5G mobile networking as a basis for the driverless car ITS revolution. With "ultimate" ITS, it is expected that safety on the roads will be drastically improved and society will be free from the massive amount of injuries and deaths on the roads as well as from damages to the economy due to accidents and traffic jams.

A preliminary evaluation of the COVID-19 effect on the driverless car industry development is presented.

The goal of this report is to:

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. ITS: Roads to Perfection

3. Connected Car

4. Connected Car - Industry Groups and Standardization

5. 5G Era

6. 5G Technologies - Main Features

7. Evolving of Driverless Car

8. Lidar

9. Conclusions

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8x3qfk

About ResearchAndMarkets.comResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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5G Technologies and the Driverless Car - GlobeNewswire

Tucked away in a quiet part of East Sussex lies a radical Christian community called the Bruderhof.

There is no debt, no crime, no homelessness and everyone has a job - but none of them earn a salary.

Modern technology like television and computers are shunned and even rejected.

Residents don't even carry mobile phones, reports Mirror Online.

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Members of the 300-strong Darvell Bruderhof community have to ask for permission to begin courting a person of the opposite sex, divorces are banned, their jobs are chosen for them and they have no possessions.

In 2019, a documentary was given extraordinary access to the community, which has quietly existed in Britain for almost 50 years and allowed TV cameras for the first time.

The programme follows a number of members, including a young woman who has left the settlement and is questioning her future in the sect which refuses to join mainstream society.

Located ten miles north of Hastings since 1971, the near self-sufficient community (Bruderhof is German for "place of brothers") is in a converted tuberculosis sanatorium near the village of Robertsbridge.

The Bruderhof Christian movement is based around common ownership and was founded in Germany in 1920 by protestant theologian Eberhard Arnold.

The community was forced to flee in 1937 after refusing to join the Nazi Party, and many members moved to England.

But they left for Paraguay and then North America when members were threatened with internment in 1941, only to later return.

Living as disciples of Jesus, members give up all possessions, money and status when they take their vow of commitment.

Everything is provided for them - from groceries to clothing - and members run a farm, orchard, schools and a multi-million-pound business which makes childrens toys and furniture.

It's a simple way of life, based on early biblical text, which is similar to the lifestyles of the Amish.

There is a personal cost and sacrifice for residents, with strict rules and restrictions around same-sex relationships, divorce and what members wear.

Women avoid fashions of any sort, wearing modest clothing including headscarves, long plaid dresses and loose shirts. The uniform looks like traditional peasant dress.

Many decisions about the residents' lives are made for them, including where they live and the jobs they do.

Family live in shared houses with several other families, and most meals are taken with other residents in a large communal dining room.

Members are frequently moved between the other 23 Bruderhof settlements in the world.

There are just 3,000 members worldwide, and the other communities in the UK are in Nonington, Kent, and Peckham, south London.

Bernard Hibbs, 38, the communitys outreach director, is featured in the programme with his wife Rachel.

He said: "We have a different vision for our society.

"We dont proselytise, its unwholesome to try to make people become members.

"But we thought, 'Why not show people how we live?' When I go outside the community, people are interested in it.

"They worry about their kids and technology, and like the idea of sharing.

"So were showing what weve learnt. Its not perfect, but if we can encourage people to think about how they live, thats great."

Bernard, whose parents joined the community when he was nine, added: "This is about people living according to the New Testament.

"People loving each other, sharing possessions and supporting each other."

He rejected any notion that the Bruderhof is a cult, adding: "People who have never visited us sometimes imagine that we might be a cult.

"But when they come, they find we are far too normal to qualify - there are no UFOs, no weird rituals, no secret handshakes.

"People are free to come and go and nobody is compelled to think a certain way; we disagree amongst each other on almost everything, from Brexit to how often we should mow the grass.

"We are of course occasionally accused of being a cult, but that is to be expected.

"In our experience, if people visit and see for themselves those concerns are easily answered."

The programme also follows a young woman called Hannah, who wanted an experience outside Darvell and is now living at a Bruderhof site in New York after living in London.

The 18-year-old will soon begin her university studies to become a teacher before making a lifelong commitment.

She lived on her own, got her first paid job, played video games while working with youth at a Christian charity and wore "whatever was practical".

She said: "I was never really into watching a screen all day long - personal preference - I find it unproductive and unhealthy."

Original post:

Inside the radical community near Kent without modern technology and where nobody is paid - Kent Live

Quantum computers, once fully scaled, could lead to breakthroughs on many fronts medicine, finance, architecture, logistics.

First, its important to understand why quantum computers are superior to the conventional ones weve been using for years:

In conventional electronic devices, memory consists of bits with only one value, either 0 or 1. In quantum computing, a quantum bit (qubit) exhibits both values in varying degrees at the same time. This is called quantum superposition. These ubiquitous states of each qubit are then used in complex calculations, which read like regular bits: 0 and 1.

Since qubits can store more information than regular bits, this also means quantum computers are capable of processing greater quantities of information. Having four bits enables 16 possibilities, but only one at a time. Four qubits in quantum superposition, however, let you calculate all 16 states at once. This means that four qubits equal 65,500 regular bits. Each qubit added to the quantum computing system increases its power exponentially.

To put things in perspective, a top supercomputer can currently accomplish as much as a five- to 20-qubit computer, but its estimated that a 50-qubit quantum computer will be able to solve computational problems no other conventional device can in any feasible amount of time.

This quantum supremacy has been achieved many times so far. Its important to mention that this doesnt mean the quantum computer can beat a traditional one in every task rather, it shines only in a limited set of tasks specially tailored to outline its strengths. Also, a quantum computer still needs to overcome many obstacles before it can become a mainstream device.

But once it does, its computational power will boost science and industries that profit from it.

Large companies working on quantum computing in their respective industries include AT&T T, -0.49%, Google holding company Alphabet GOOG, +2.14% GOOGL, +2.30%, IBM IBM, +0.10% and Microsoft MSFT, +0.99%.

Here are a few industries that could benefit the most:

Quantum chemistry, also called molecular quantum mechanics, is a branch of chemistry focused on the application of quantum mechanics to chemical systems. Here, quantum computers help in molecule modeling, taking into account all of their possible quantum states a feat that is beyond the power of conventional computing.

That, in turn, helps us understand their properties, which is invaluable for new material and medicine research.

Quantum cryptography, also known as quantum encryption, employs principles of quantum mechanics to facilitate encryption and protection of encrypted data from tampering. Using the peculiar behavior of subatomic particles, it enables the reliable detection of tampering or eavesdropping (via the Quantum Key Distribution method).

Quantum encryption is also used for secure encryption key transfer, which is based on the entanglement principle. Both methods are currently available, but due to their complexity and price, only governments and institutions handling delicate data (most notably in China and the U.S.) can afford them for the time being.

Quantum financeis an interdisciplinary research field that applies theories and methods developed by quantum physicists and economists to solve problems in finance.This especially includes complex calculations, such as the pricing of various financial instruments and other computational finance problems.

Some scientists argue that quantum pricing models will provide more accuracy than classical ones because theyre able to take into account market inefficiency, which is something classical models disregard.

Quantum computing will also enhance analysis of large and unstructured data sets, which will improve decision making across different areas from better-timed offers to risk assessment. Many of these calculations will require a quantum computer with thousands of qubits to resolve, but the way things have been progressing recently, its not unrealistic to see quantum computers reach this processing potential in a matter of years, rather than decades.

Although still in the domain of conceptual research, principles of quantum mechanics will help quantum computers achieve a markedly greater speed and efficiency than what is currently possible on classical computers when executing AI algorithms this goes especially for machine learning.

Current computational models used in weather forecasting employ dynamic variables, from air temperature, pressure and density to historic data and other factors that go into creating climate prediction models. Due to limited available processing power, classical computers and even conventional supercomputers are the bottlenecks that limit the speed and efficacy of forecasting calculations.

To predict extreme weather events and limit the loss of life and property, we need faster and more robust forecasting models. By harnessing the power of qubits, quantum computing is capable of providing necessary the raw processing power to make that happen. Furthermore, machine learning provided by the quantum AI can additionally improve these forecasting models.

Despite its rapid progress, quantum computing is still in its infancy, but its clearly a game changer, capable of solving problems previously deemed insurmountable for classical computers.

This power will provide most benefits not only to science and medicine, but also to businesses and industries where fast processing of large datasets is paramount.

As a marketing specialist, I can see a huge advantage for my industry, but others, especially finance and cryptography, will undoubtedly find the quantum boost to their decision-making processes and quality of their final product hugely beneficial.

The real question is who will be the first to harness this power and use quantum computing as a part of their unique value proposition and competitive advantage? The race is on.

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Quantum computers' power will remake competition in industries from technology to finance - MarketWatch

This year, we turned Zoom into a verb, Airbnb into a pandemic refuge and watched as lawmakers accused big tech of illegally squashing the competition.

Facebook, Twitter, Apple and Google faced heated federal scrutiny in 2020. And now at least two of those companies, Google and Facebook, are the subjects of antitrust lawsuits from federal regulators and state attorneys general something Axios chief technology correspondent Ina Fried says hasnt been seen since the Microsoft trial two decades ago.

Rani Molla, senior data reporter for Recode, says the sheer number of cases filed so far signals significant changes may result from Washingtons renewed interest in antitrust. Three cases have been filed against Google, one against Facebook, and Molla expects Apple and Amazon will see charges filed against them in the future.

Alternatively, Congress could certainly pass legislation that could govern these tech companies a little bit more than we've been doing, Molla says.

These bipartisan lawsuits against Facebook and Google are also a sign that Democrats and Republicans have found some common ground in a year where partisanship was high, Fried says. However, lawmakers had differing frustrations with the companies, such as Republicans claiming anti-conservative bias in big tech.

Despite the legal challenges, big tech thrived this year. Fried says their banner year didnt come as a surprise.

Virtually connecting with friends and working from home are just two examples of how the internet made the pandemic somewhat bearable for some people, she says.

Just imagine how much worse this year would have been 10 years ago, 15 years ago, before we had video games, Minecraft, Roblox, Peloton all the things that enabled some semblance of normalcy or at least an alternative to the way we used to do things, Fried says.

Airbnbs Pandemic Success

Molla: I think it points to a fundamental thing about software companies and a lot of tech companies these days in that a lot of these companies don't actually own the thing that they're selling. Airbnb is the software that rents out people's rooms or homes, so they didn't have to suffer necessarily as bad. One of those flukes of the pandemic [is] that they're able to sort of pivot their site to gear it more toward, Hey, if I live in New York City, wheres a place in upstate New York that I could get out of my tiny apartment for?

Amazons Dominance And The Switch To E-Commerce

Molla: The move to e-commerce has been a decade long. This was just sort of one of those final pushes. It was harder to convince people to say, get their groceries online, but during the pandemic, that became a necessity for a lot of people. And I think once a large portion of the population has had exposure to buying things online, it's kind of hard to go back from there.

Fried: I would agree. I would just say that a little bit of a contrarian take on e-commerce is that really the traditional commerce companies, all the people that operate bricks and mortar, whether it's big companies or small businesses, had been sort of slowly suffocating, slowly seeing their business run off to Amazon and other e-commerce companies. The pandemic it took away all their business temporarily, not just what was slowly shifting to Amazon, but everything forced them to learn things like curbside delivery, taking orders online and fulfilling them locally. Those are actually skills that will benefit them. So I still expect Amazon to keep chipping away and taking more market share. But I do think there is perhaps a silver lining for retailers that they had to learn how to do some of their business online this year, and those skills may well serve them in the years to come.

How WeWork Could Bounce Back

Molla: This is another one of those just contrary stories that came out of the pandemic a company that actually did well. WeWork, to be clear, isn't doing super well. They're just losing less money than they used to. And all the real estate experts I've been speaking with think that this sort of space is going to be doing really well when the pandemic is over. And part of that is because companies that rent office space don't really know where their workforce is going to be. Many of us, especially if you have an office job, are working remotely. We might have moved. There's going to be a more dispersed workforce. So when your company doesn't know quite where your workforce is going to be, they don't really want to have these long term leases, you know, 10, 15 year leases on an office space. That's why things like WeWork and its competitors who offer month to month contracts for space may do really well when this is all over.

Social Media Platforms Take A Stand Against Misinformation

Fried: I'm going to say not yet. I'm going to say this was the year that the tech companies started to take it more seriously. But I don't think we've hit the turning point. I still feel like misinformation is spreading faster. Don't forget that the tech companies are labeling things, but often by the time they label them, they've already spread very widely. And also we've seen research that shows that just labeling content tends to reinforce people's already perceived impressions. So if they see the tech companies as liberally biased, a warning flag actually sort of feeds into that. So I still think there need to be more effective methods. We're losing the battle. We're having debates every day about things that should be just accepted facts. And I don't feel good about where we're at as a society.

Overshadowed Tech Stories

Fried: I think we're still, especially on the Congress and regulatory front, fighting the battles we can see, which obviously makes sense. You fight the battles you can see. But I think the invisible battle against algorithms that have bias is going to be increasingly more important. So I think the idea that decisions are being made by a set of characteristics that we don't really understand, whether that's getting a loan, getting a job, getting a house, all these things. And I think that's going to be a big issue for 2021 and the years to come.

Molla: One thing that was sort of highlighted this year was our access to broadband. It became so important that if we wanted to do anything, social life or work, we had to have fast internet. And I think because of the pandemic, the issue of inequality and broadband has really been highlighted.

Chris Bentleyproduced and edited this interview for broadcast with Todd Mundt.Serena McMahonadapted it for the web.

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Technology In 2020: Big Tech Goes To Washington; Online Shopping Gets A Pandemic Boost - Here And Now

The 2020 Netflix movie, The Social Dilemma, explores the growth of social media and the damage it has caused to society. It features interviews with many former executives and professionals from tech companies and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Apple who sounded the alarm on their industry.

The Social Dilemma asserts that tech companies exploit and manipulate their users for financial gain through surveillance capitalism and data mining. The movie is very thought-provoking and chillingly points out: Never before have a handful of tech designers had such control over the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives. It goes into depth on how social media's design is meant to nurture an addiction, manipulate its use in politics, and spread conspiracy theories. The Social Dilemma paints the picture of a dangerous human impact on society and the serious issue of social media's effect on mental health (including the mental health of adolescents and rising teen suicide rates).

In public education, online instruction is inferior to effective in-person instruction. Our fear is especially heightened with the younger students. Frank Ghinassi from Rutgers University suggested in USA Today that children most harmed being online are those who were already disadvantaged by food or housing instability, domestic violence, unsafe neighborhoods, fragmented families or absent role models. Yet, millions of students are now learning online, including thousands of students here in Tennessee.

Spiros Protopsaltis and Sandy Baum, both professors at George Mason University, issued a report observing that, Students in online education, and in particular underprepared and disadvantaged students, underperform and on average, experience poor outcomes, and that online education, does not produce a positive return on investment. Although like the authors, we share their optimism that technology has the potential to increase access to education, enhance learning experiences, and reduce the cost of providing high-quality education, in-person instruction will always be the preferred manner of instruction, especially for younger children.

We need more time and better evidence, including looking at best practices, before further implementation and expansion. The Center for Humane Technology suggests: Exposure to unrestrained levels of digital technology can have serious long-term consequences for childrens development, creating permanent changes in brain structure that impact how children will think, feel, and act throughout their lives. Due to COVID-19, and the rush to keep student instruction going, the process was rushed into existence---a forced necessity. In our haste to meet this need, the economics of scale, scope, and action could end up creating many unexpected consequences of not being properly scrutinized or implemented properly.

Educators have had to build the plane while flying it, with online K12 instruction. They should be commended and rewarded for their efforts. Standard implementation processes and systems were not followed. We need to analyze what went well and what went wrong---with the systems and the processes. We especially need to strengthen privacy laws and limit data collection, as well as addressing issues such as digital manipulation and boundaries of responsibility for algorithmic fairness.

In public education, we should ask if there is a correlation between rising concerns with social media and untested statewide online education? Will the next Netflix movie be sounding alarms on a dilemma with online education, or perhaps a dilemma that teachers themselves face in a virtual environment?

Overzealous data mining causes serious confidence in public education and creates privacy concerns if individual student data is compromised. Has anyone asked serious questions about what the contracts look like between those providing online education and the districts or state? What data is being collected? Schools have always collected data, but that information has been largely protected or ignored. That is now likely to change, and educational data will be captured, mined, and possibly manipulated.

Tristan Harris, featured in The Social Dilemma, writes in the New York Times: Simply put, technology has outmatched our brains, diminishing our capacity to address the worlds most pressing challenges. If Harris is as correct as he is persuasive, we have the power to reverse these trends. Will we exercise that power? How can we safeguard the beneficial aspects of technology while protecting individual privacy? We likely need additional policies and legislation to control and minimize the risks and propose necessary protections that empower the users of technology.

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Scott Cepicky is a State Representative of Tennessee in the 64th district. JC Bowman is the Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee

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Alarm Bells Ringing On Education Technology - The Chattanoogan