Category Archives: Technology

(WWLP) The National Weather Service is making some major computer upgrades which will help improve weather computer models here in the United States.

The 22News Storm Team relies on a number of different forecast models from all over the world to help us forecast the weather.

NOAA just announced that they will be making a significant upgrade to their Weather and Climate Operational Super Computing System.

Other computer models in other countries have been getting faster than ours in the United States, Storm Team Meteorologist Nick Bannin explained. So by investing in higher resolution computer models, improved technology, better speed, [and] more accuracy, in the long term, well have a better idea what the forecast is going to be without having to look at some of those other computer models from other countries.

The upgrade will triple the computing capacity and allow for better, high-resolution forecast model guidance.

NOAA plans to start implementing the new computer model upgrades by early 2022.

See more here:

National Weather Service announces upgrades to weather forecasting technology - WWLP.com

Find all our Lessons of the Day here.

Featured Article: How Technology Is Changing the Future of Higher Education by Jon Marcus.

Labs across the country are testing artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other innovations that could improve learning and lower costs for Generation Z and beyond.

In this lesson, you will learn how they are trying to solve problems in higher education with solutions that sound straight out of a science-fiction novel. Then, youll come up with creative ideas of your own for improving your schooling experience.

Imagine you have the opportunity to join a team of innovators to shape the future of education. Your job is to dream up what school could look like in five, 10 or 50 years from now.

To do this, youll follow the process of design thinking:

Step 1: Empathize. What do students need? Make a list of all the things that help young people learn and set them up for success. And try to think beyond your own needs. What could be helpful for people of all backgrounds, places and abilities?

Step 2: Define. Next, youll have to define the problems in the current system that might prevent students from being successful in school. These might have to do with the structure of school. For example, some students might have a hard time just getting to the building every day or learning in a classroom with 30 other students. Or, you might identify problems with the curriculum, expectations or anything else. Make a list of at least three that you think are important.

Now, youll read an article about how one organization is trying to come up with creative solutions for how to solve problems like these in higher education.

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. What is the Sandbox ColLABorative? How does it imagine the future of education?

2. What does the current structure of higher education look like? Why do innovators see a need to disrupt that system?

3. William Zemp, chief strategy and innovation officer at Southern New Hampshire University, says one of the most important things the Sandbox ColLABorative does is disprove and dismantle ideas. What does he mean by this? Why do you think its so important to the work?

4. What problem does the college by subscription model aim to solve? How does the proposed model address this problem?

5. How might a virtual teaching assistant improve students educational experiences? What gaps in the current system is it trying to fill?

6. What are the issues with traditional academic transcripts? How is the interoperable learning record trying to address them?

7. Which of the innovations mentioned in the article are most intriguing to you? Why? Could you see potential challenges with adopting any of them?

Now that youve read about some of the ways innovators are trying to solve problems in higher education, youll continue the process of design thinking to come up with some of your own:

Step 3: Ideate. This is the fun part. What creative, out-of-the-box solutions can you come up with to solve the problems you identified at the beginning of this lesson? What would your ideal schooling experience look like? How could you restructure the school day, reimagine the curriculum or use virtual reality, artificial intelligence or even technology that hasnt been invented yet to improve education? Brainstorm a list of as many ideas as you can think of, no matter how impossible they may seem.

Steps 4-5: Prototype and Test. If you have time, you might imagine how you could produce a scaled-down version of one of these ideas. What steps would you take to test it out with real students? How might your proposal make education better for everyone? What potential challenges might you encounter when putting it into effect?

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Lesson of the Day: How Technology Is Changing the Future of Higher Education - The New York Times

PHOENIX, Feb. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MUFG, the world's 5th largest financial group with total assets of approximately $2.8 trillion and backed by 360 years of history and a global network of about 2,700 offices in over 50 markets with over 180,000 employees, expects to hire more than 500 technology experts and operations specialists in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area this year. This significant investment in talent, technologies, and tools is aligned with MUFG's expansion and growth plans and is a key part of the bank's technological and cultural transformation that is focused on putting clients and their changing needs first.

(PRNewsfoto/Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group,)

"We are adding to our talented workforce by building a team of experts in this location who are passionate about high performance and innovation, and always looking for the next great idea," said Scott Shane, Head of Talent Acquisition and Staffing. "In return, this talent will have the opportunity to use their knowledge to make an impact whilegrowing their careers."

This hiring comes on the heels of MUFG Union Bank, a member of MUFG Americas, announcing a cooperative agreement with global technology leader FIS to build a next-generation, cloud-based core banking platform.MUFG Union Bank is the first global financial institution to choose this new platform to drive innovation forward.

"As we transform our capabilities and enhance the user experience to create integrated digital and mobile banking tools, we are looking for strong technology professionals in the Phoenix market who have the technical experience to guide the bank on its journey to a cloud-first, microservice-based, real time platform," said Dave Harden, Head of Core Banking Technology Transformation. "Jobs will include cyber security, cloud, infrastructure, security, and data engineers, as well as analysts and application developers."

"With a rapidly growing tech sector, we have been hiring colleagues in the local area for the past several years and are committed to continuing our build out," Shane said. "We look forward to furthering our partnerships within the community and continuing to attract key talent to be part of our growing team."

The Phoenix metro area also continues to be a key hub for MUFG operations teams and is central to the group's location strategy. Opportunities are available with Core Banking Operations & Transformation, Retail Loan Processing & Underwriting, Fraud Operations, and Electronic Banking & Wire Services departments.

Interested candidates may register to attend MUFG's Phoenix Technology Hiring Eventscheduled for March 4th or apply to open positions online atMUFG Careers.

About Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.'s U.S. Operations including MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation

The U.S. operations of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG), one of the world's leading financial groups, has total assets of $343 billion at September 30, 2019. As part of that total, MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation (MUAH), a financial holding company, bank holding company and intermediate holding company, has total assets of $173.2 billion at September 30, 2019. MUAH's main subsidiaries are MUFG Union Bank, N.A. and MUFG Securities Americas Inc. MUFG Union Bank, N.A. provides a wide range of financial services to consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. As of September 30, 2019, MUFG Union Bank, N.A. operated 350 branches, consisting primarily of retail banking branches in the West Coast states, along with commercial branches in Texas, Illinois, New York and Georgia. MUFG Securities Americas Inc. is a registered securities broker-dealer which engages in capital markets origination transactions, domestic and foreign debt and equities securities transactions, private placements, collateralized financings, and securities borrowing and lending transactions. MUAH is owned by MUFG Bank, Ltd. and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. MUFG Bank, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc., has offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Canada. Visit https://www.unionbank.comor http://www.mufgamericas.comfor more information.

Press contact: Karen Johnson (213) 236-6110 karen.johnson@unionbank.com

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mufg-to-bring-hundreds-of-new-technology-and-operations-jobs-to-phoenix-in-2020-301012050.html

SOURCE MUFG

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MUFG to Bring Hundreds of New Technology and Operations Jobs to Phoenix in 2020 - Yahoo Finance

For those looking to find strong Computer and Technology stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Mellanox Technologies (MLNX) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of MLNX and the rest of the Computer and Technology group's stocks.

Mellanox Technologies is one of 630 companies in the Computer and Technology group. The Computer and Technology group currently sits at #3 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. MLNX is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MLNX's full-year earnings has moved 7.12% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that MLNX has returned about 3.47% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Computer and Technology stocks have gained an average of 3%. This means that Mellanox Technologies is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Looking more specifically, MLNX belongs to the Electronics - Semiconductors industry, a group that includes 37 individual stocks and currently sits at #31 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 3.89% this year, meaning that MLNX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

MLNX will likely be looking to continue its solid performance, so investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should continue to pay close attention to the company.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free reportMellanox Technologies, Ltd. (MLNX) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.

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Is Mellanox Technologies (MLNX) Stock Outpacing Its Computer and Technology Peers This Year? - Yahoo Finance

From the earliest days of mankind, the quest for a long, healthy, and fruitful existence has led bright individuals on the quest to discover the secrets to maintaining long-term health, developing preventive measures of protection against visible ailments, and treating symptoms through the most modern version of intervention available. From exploring rudimentary and experimental practices with available resources, to observing the ways in which the natural world heals itself, individuals interested in healthcare have fought to discover ways to aid humankind through medical intervention. Throughout generations, pivotal advancements in the realm of healthcare have allowed medical leaders to create vaccines, discover genetic markers, manifest preventative measures against diseases, and accomplish breakthroughs previously seen as impossible.

Within these medical advancements, technology has played a pivotal role in providing the tools needed to successfully marry brilliant thoughts, the scientific method, and forward-thinking experimentation. From these joint ventures, some of the worlds most remarkable health breakthroughs have been forged. With the global implementation of the internet, and the newfound global connectivity it provided, the rate of advancement within medicine has been vastly increased. As leaders from across the globe have garnered the ability to share information in real-time, and tech companies have focused on providing the most cutting edge materials required by the medical industry to thrive, the proverbial Golden Age of Technology has translated into a massively important time in the realm of medical advancement.

Dr. Tim Ioannides, and The Golden Age of Dermatology

Affected profusely by the vast medical advancements of the last two decades, the realm of Medical Dermatology has taken great strides toward generating positive outcomes for various dermatological concerns. Aided by technology, this medical niche has generated bold moves toward bringing a skin cancer vaccine to market, developing the most concise skin cancer surgery, and implementing an international campaign to raise awareness of various dermatological diseases.

At the helm of the Medical Dermatology field, Floridas Dr. Tim Ioannides has not only witnessed these great advancements unfolding within what he considers to be the Golden Age of Dermatology, but hes played an instrumental role in developing, researching, and implementing many cutting-edge practices in the forward-moving world of Medical Dermatology. As the CEO, owner, and Medical Dermatologist behind the ever-growing multi-location Treasure Coast Dermatology, Dr. Ioannides has loyally served Floridas Martin, Saint Lucie, and Indian River counties for many years. Driven by the innate desire to help his loyal patients maintain long-term health and dermatological wellness, Dr. Ioannides developed his practice to specialize in skin cancer treatment, skin related disease treatment, and preventative treatment, education, and empowerment. Unlike many Dermatologists, Dr. Ioannides has chosen to exclude cosmetically driven procedures from his practice, dedicating his medical prowess to the vast realm of Medical Dermatology.

Through his ongoing commitment to implementing the most advanced practices for the betterment of his patients, Dr. Ioannides has played an important role in the modernization of the Medical Dermatology field, and has been involved in many ventures aimed at increasing awareness, developing breakthroughs, and implementing technology to assist Physicians in implementing best care practices. For many years, Dr. Ioannides has helped to shape the future of the field by volunteering his time as a Voluntary Associate Professor at his alma mater, the University of Miami School of Medicine. There, Dr. Ioannides teaches courses related to dermatological surgery, and reconstructive surgery, implementing his expertise to inspire future leaders in the field of Medical Dermatology.

Skin Cancer Vaccine

Dubbed by Dr. Ioannides as perhaps the most significant breakthrough within the field of Dermatology in his lifetime, the Medical Dermatologist took part in a breakthrough study related to the development of a skin cancer vaccine. The research study, which took place roughly seven years ago, gained positive initial results, and was a beacon of hope against the ongoing worldwide prevalence of skin cancer.

While various dermatological conditions can potentially become lethal, skin cancer has predominantly been considered as the most dangerous skin related disease. With the prevalence of tanning bed usage, proverbial sun worshipping, and potential lack of insight related to the swift dangers of unprotected sun exposure, millions of people are affected by skin cancer annually. Though the death rate for Basal Cell Carcinoma, Malignant Melanoma, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma may have diminished slightly, the prevalence of the diagnosis rate has not minimized on a global scale. Without a proverbial end in sight, experts within the field of Medical Dermatology have dedicated vast time, energy, and resources into implementing breakthrough technology to create an effective skin cancer vaccine, a groundbreaking feat that would undoubtedly save countless lives.

For Dr. Ioannides, bringing an effective skin cancer vaccination to market would be a pivotal moment in the history of Medical Dermatology. Thus, he proudly took part in the research phases for the proposed skin cancer vaccination. Through the implementation of newly burgeoning technologies, leaders within the industry have begun to consider ways in which skin cancers behaves like an infectious disease. Previously unconsidered, this newly blossoming thought process, which aims to identify the expected behaviors of skin cancer by drawing a parallel to the normalized behaviors of infectious disease, was the basis for the proposed skin cancer vaccination. By pivoting the means of thinking, leading experts were able to generate a vaccine based on this new thought process. In turn, the vaccine has showcased considerable research success amongst trial participants, and could soon become a momentous breakthrough in the realm of Medical Dermatology.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Considered by industry experts as the most concise way to remove skin cancer, the successful worldwide implementation of the specialized Mohs Surgery has been a pivotal advancement in the efficacy of skin cancer treatment. Requiring special certifications, lab conditions, and education, Mohs Surgery is performed by skilled Medical Dermatologists, including Dr. Ioannides, who cites the procedure as the most effective way to ensure the most fruitful outcome.

Developed by Dr. Frederick Mohs at the University of Wisconsin, the comprehensive procedure not only successfully eliminates affected skin cells, but it allows Physicians the opportunity to immediately examine the removed tissue, in an attempt to eliminate all roots of the cancer. This all-encompassing methodology allows highly skilled Medical Dermatologists like Dr. Ioannides to provide the most comprehensive care of an affected area, effectively removing all dangerous and cancerous tissues, examining removed tissue for efficacy. As a result of this forward-thinking procedure, which relies on technologically-driven microscopic examination of removed tissue, Mohs Micrographic Surgery is widely considered to harvest the most effective outcome in skin cancer treatment across the world.

Highly localized, the procedure removes cancerous lesions or tumors, as well as potentially affected nearby tissue, where skin cancers roots have been traditionally left behind via mere cancer removal. These roots, in turn, have previously been able to manifest as cancerous re-growths. Thus, through the comprehensive removal of all roots, the skin cancers re-emergence rate has dramatically dwindled, proving the procedure to be highly effective. As Mohs Surgery is specialized, specific guidelines for practice exist, and only Medical Dermatologists who have met all guidelines are able to perform the intervention.

Due to the growing prevalence of Mohs Surgery, and the efficacy of the treatment, specialized training has become available throughout many Residency programs, specialized Fellowship programs, and intensive training courses. In addition to specialized training, Medical Dermatologists who perform Mohs Surgery must operate in surgical and laboratory facilities that meet the bespoke criteria for Mohs Surgery, and must be supported by a well-trained Mohs nursing staff, and histotechnological support staff. Through these bespoke guidelines and criteria, the industry has been able to successfully monitor, support, grow, and regulate a highly-specialized procedure that requires the successful marriage of medical skill, and technology. In terms of surgical skin cancer intervention, Dr. Ioannides cites Mohs Surgery as being an integral advancement in increasing the efficacy of skin cancer removal.

Tech and Self-Awareness

In the field of Medical Dermatology, patient self-awareness and autonomy are critical in terms of recognizing potential skin condition changes. Thus, championing patients to become thoroughly aware of their own skin is key in fostering a relationship conducive to allowing the patient to feel confident in reporting any perceived changes. While self-education and awareness has always been taught by Medical Dermatologists, alongside smart-sun practices, technological advancements have made it considerably easier for patients to take a proactive approach to self-monitoring. Through the widespread popularity of smartphones, patients are now able to regularly photograph all moles, beauty marks, and skin discolorations, tagging each photo with a bodily location and date. Forward thinking Medical Dermatologists like Dr. Ioannides encourage patients to catalog all skin related conditions, like moles, and to regularly recapture photographs, looking for changes. Similar to traditional mole checks, these digital versions allow patients to zoom in on particular facets of moles, or capture a good look at moles that may be in hard to see areas. In this case, technology has armed patients with the tools needed to accurately keep records of their moles, seek changes, and act accordingly.

Similarly, technological advancements have made it easier to implement technology for tertiary purposes related to skincare. For example, Dr. Ioannides encourages patients to regularly set alarms to reapply sunscreen, rendering the entire process of reapplying sunscreen totally automated, allowing patients to enjoy whatever activities they are partaking in, knowing they will still be practicing sun-safe interventions.

Tech Drawbacks In A Patient-First Industry

While technical advancements have certainly maximized what has become routinely possible, and have played pivotal roles in the modernization of the medical field, reliance on an overabundance of technology within a medical setting has also created a new set of very real concerns. As increasing numbers of healthcare professionals rely on electronic record keeping, and the assistance of technologically advanced tools throughout appointments becomes the norm, potential issues can arise in terms of effective communication, patient expectation, and the overall patient-doctor relationship. In many medical fields, including Medical Dermatology, the construct of patient reporting is crucial toward maximizing care. However, in order to generate an environment conducive to patient sharing, tech distractions can sometimes deter from the ambiance of a patient-first environment. With too many distractions, and limited eye contact, patients can sometimes leave visits feeling unheard, unseen, and most of all, uncomfortable.

Thus, in order to foster a proactive long-term relationship with all patients, Dr. Ioannides has enacted a tech-free policy throughout patient appointments. Without the need to constantly type notes while patients are describing potentially sensitive issues, Dr. Ioannides can focus his energy on not only providing extensive medial assistance, but also championing proactive communication that could ultimately become a matter of life and death. By encouraging patients to speak about any perceived skin changes, and following through on communicated concerns, Dr. Ioannides is taking proactive steps to ensuring that his attention remains on the patient at all times, a feat that is somewhat difficult to accomplish when looking at a screen throughout the majority of a visit. At Treasure Coast Dermatology, in lieu of typing patient notes throughout appointments, valuable face-to-face interaction is garnered through the utilization of audio recording via smartphone. This important dialogue is captured via audio, and then transcribed appropriately into patient charts, nursing notes, and other needed collateral to complete or update a patient profile.

By pivoting his in-visit use of technology to compliment the needs of patients, Dr. Ioannides is able to maintain a thoroughly modern practice, while seamlessly meeting the ongoing needs of his patients. This blending of technology, an focus on communication, allows Dr. Ioannides to capture the best facets of technology, without losing the personal touch that is absolutely necessary to maintain effective patient-Physician relationships.

Throughout his extensive career within the Medical Dermatology field, Dr. Tim Ioannides has witnessed various advancements in his niche field. From partaking in breakthrough skin cancer vaccine research, to implementing the most concise skin cancer surgery practices, Dr. Ioannides has embodied an effective example of an innovative Physician eager to propel his industry forward. Through the implementation of useful technologies, and the championing of groundbreaking products, Dr. Ioannides has played an integral role in the advancement of Medical Dermatology, and continues to strive to serve the needs of his community on a daily basis, as well as on a long-term scale.

Follow Dr. Tim Ioannides on Twitter and ThriveGlobal today.

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Dr. Tim Ioannides On Mohs Surgery, Technology, and Breakthroughs in Dermatology - HealthTechZone

The past decade was about the rise of digital health technology and patient empowerment. The next decade will be about artificial intelligence, the use of health sensors and the so-called Internet of Healthy Things and how it could improve millions of lives.

The cultural transformation of health care we call digital health has been changing the hierarchy in care into an equal-level partnership between patients and physicians as 21st century technologies have started breaking down the ivory tower of medicine. But these milestones are nothing compared with what is about to become reality.

With advancements in exoskeleton technology, AIs ever-increasing importance in health care, and technologies like 5G and quantum computing soon going mainstream, theres much to be excited about.

Here are the five biggest themes for health and medicine for the next 10 years.

Artificial intelligence in medicine

Developments in artificial intelligence will dominate the next decade. Machine learning is a method for creating artificial narrow intelligence narrow refers to doing one task extremely well and a field of computer science that enables computers to learn without being explicitly programmed, building on top of computational statistics and data mining. The field has different types: it could be supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised or reinforcement learning, among others. It has an unprecedented potential to transform health-care processes and medical tasks in the future and it has already started its invisible revolution.

If we consider how AlphaGo, the AI developed by Googles DeepMind lab, beat world champion Lee Sedol at the classic Chinese game Go by coming up with inventive moves that took experts by surprise, we can get a glimpse at what AI can hold for health care. Such moves were made possible by the combination of neural networks and reinforcement learning that this AI uses. This enabled the software to operate without the restrictions of human cognitive limitations, devise its own strategy and output decisions that baffled experts.

We can expect to see the same surprises in medical settings. Imagine new drugs designed by such algorithms; high-level analysis of tens of millions of studies for a diagnosis; or drug combinations nobody has thought of before. When applied to medicine, an algorithm trained via reinforcement learning could discover treatments and cures for conditions when human medical professionals could not. Cracking the reasoning behind such unconventional and novel approaches will herald the true era of art in medicine.

In global health, for example, an algorithm can provide a reliable map of future measles outbreak hot spots. It uses statistics on measles vaccination rates and disease outbreaks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as non-traditional health data, including social media and a huge range of medical records. Thats just one example, but the field is already buzzing with smart algorithms that can facilitate the search for new drug targets; improve the speed of clinical trials or spot tumors on computed tomography (CT) scans.

However, while experts believe that AI will not replace medical professionals, it also seems true that medical professionals who use AI will replace those who dont.

A myriad of health sensors

Medical technology went through an amazing development in the 2010s, and theres now no single square centimeter of the human body without quantifiable data. For example, AliveCors Kardia and Apple Watch measure electrocardiogram and detect atrial fibrillation with high sensitivity. The EKO Core digital stethoscope records heart and lung sounds as a digital stethoscope, while blood pressure is monitored with the Omron Blood Pressure Smartwatch, the MOCAcare pocket sensor, and blood pressure cuff, the iHealth Clear, the Skeeper, a pocket cardiologist, or the Withings Blood Pressure Monitor, and of course, dozens of traditional blood pressure cuffs.

There are dozens of health trackers for respiration, sleep, and, of course, movement. And while researchers cant decipher your dreams yet they are working on it, alongside figuring out all kinds of brain activity. For example, through EEG. Thats a method that records electrical activity in the brain using electrodes attached externally to the scalp. The NeuroSky biosensor and the Muse headband use it to understand the mind better and in the latter case allow for more effective meditation. As you see, theres not much left unmeasured in your body and it will even intensify in the future. For example, we expect digital tattoos to become commercially available within five years, which will not only measure the majority of the above-mentioned vital signs, but they will do so continuously. These tiny sensors will notify us when something is about to go wrong and we will need medical advice or intervention.

Moreover, with developments in 3-D printing as well as circuit-printing technologies, flexible electronics and materials, applying so-called digital tattoos or electronic tattoos on the skin for some days or even weeks became possible.

Made of flexible, waterproof materials impervious to stretching and twisting coupled with tiny electrodes, digital tattoos are able to record and transmit information about the wearer to smartphones or other connected devices. While these are only in use in research projects, they could allow health-care experts to monitor and diagnose critical health conditions such as heart arrhythmia, heart activities of premature babies, sleep disorders and brain activities noninvasively. Moreover, by tracking vital signs 24 hours a day, without the need for a charger, it is especially suited for following patients with high risk of stroke, for example. Although we are not there yet, there are certain promising solutions on the market such as MC10s BioStampRC Sensor.

Quantum computing puts medical decision-making on a new level

In 2019, Google claimed quantum supremacy and made the cover of Nature magazine. One example of how this technology will have a major impact on the health-care sector is quantum computing taking medical decision-making to a whole new level and even augmenting it with special skills. What if such computers could offer perfect decision support for doctors? They could skim through all the studies at once, they could find correlations and causations that the human eye would never find, and they might stumble upon diagnoses or treatment options that doctors could have never figured out by themselves.

At the very endpoint of this development, quantum computers could create an elevated version of PubMed, where information would reside in the system but not in the traditional written form it would reside in qubits of data as no one except the computer would read the studies anymore.

In addition, the applications of quantum computing to health care are manifold, ranging from much faster drug design to quicker and cheaper DNA sequencing and analysis to reinforced security over personal medical data. While the technology does hold such promises, we still have to be patient before practical solutions can be implemented in medicine. However, with continued progress in this area, even though quantum computing has been something from a science fiction novel, this decade will see the first such computer used in the clinical practice too.

Chatbots as the first line of care

Symptom checkers that function on the same principle as chatbots are already available, free of charge. However, these rely on the user inputting symptoms and complaints manually. We yearn for one that can make predictions and suggestions based on a users data, like sleep tracking, heart rate and activity collected via wearables. With such features, those bots can help users make healthier choices without having to drag themselves to their doctor.

There was a Black Mirror episode titled Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too that featured an incredibly smart and emotional chatbot that had human-like conversations with the character. Think about having a similar personalized chatbot thats accessible via your smart device and with additional health and lifestyle features. This chatty virtual being can wake you up at the appropriate time based on your sleep pattern and advise you to take your antihistamines as the pollen concentration is particularly high during your commute that day, before you even get out of bed. It can even recommend what you should consume for each meal based on your nutrigenomic profile. It could find the best words for you to motivate you to go to the gym. It could find the best jokes that help you get into a good mood. But would you rather bend to the rules of an AI, essentially forgoing your freedom of choice, than experience life based more on your own will?

5G serving the whole ecosystem of digital health

5G networks will enable data to be downloaded at more than 1 gigabit per second, allowing for downloads 10 to 100 times faster than the currently available 4G services. 4G networks can only serve around a thousand devices within a square kilometer, while 5G can serve a million. It will make the era of the Internet of Things (IoT) possible by connecting a huge amount of health trackers with laptops, smartphones and many more digital devices. There will be no connection issues or latency, as the trackers will be able to work in harmony while getting the most out of our data.

Such a boost will allow for more reliable communication, which is a must in areas like telesurgery, remote consultation and remote monitoring. With bigger bandwidth and faster connection, there might be a boost in wearables as health IoT networks become more stable and reliable, and further help with patient engagement in relation to their health.

Major applications of 5G are expected to be apparent starting in 2021.

Dr. Bertalan Mesko, Ph.D., is The Medical Futurist and director of The Medical Futurist Institute, analyzing how science fiction technologies can become reality in medicine and healthcare. As a geek physician with a Ph.D. in genomics, he is a keynote speaker and an Amazon Top-100 author.

The rest is here:

The top 5 technologies that will change health care over the next decade - MarketWatch

Business Wire

AI will cause a productivity boom

Erik Brynjolfsson, director, MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (USA)

Machine learning has advanced tremendously over the past decade, yet US productivity growth has fallen by 50% since 2004. Its not uncommon with powerful new general-purpose technologies to see first a dip in productivity growth followed by an increase. It takes time. With the steam engine, we saw the rise of industrialization. With electricity, factories were reinvented. Computers obviously changed many aspects of society, but e-commerce is still a minority of total retail trade, 25 years after Amazon was started. Likewise, machine learning is going to take a while to propagate through the economy. Whats needed is investments in new skills, and businesses that are willing to fundamentally rethink their supply chains, their relationships with customers, and the kinds of products and services they deliver. As they do that, the productivity is going to come online.

World Economic Forum / Boris Baldinger

Africa will be a test bed for human-robot coexistence

Wanuri Kahiu, science fiction writer and filmmaker (Kenya)

Just as Kenya has been a place where digital payment technologies took off, I think it will become a testing ground for how people interact with AI and robots. The barriers to entry are low and there are few laws or social mores around AI, so its like a blank slate for experiments in coexistence between humans and machines. In Kinshasa almost 10 years ago, they installed robotic traffic cops and people obeyed them more than the human police, because the robots were not corrupt. Theres lots of potential for localized AI applications that help Africa deal with African problems, which is important because by 2050, one in four people will be African.

World Economic Forum / Faruk Pinjo

Consumers will have more power and more protection

Helena Leurent, director-general, Consumers International (UK)

E-commerce is still a minority of total retail trade, 25 years after Amazon was started.

Consumers will be part of data trusts and cooperatives that can safeguard their rights, negotiate for them on how their data is used, alert them to how they are being watched, and audit organizations that use their data. As an example, consumers might want their respective data trusts to connect directly to farmers who guarantee to use sustainable growing practices. The consumers would get better prices and have more information about what theyre buying; the farmers could get data and guarantees about purchasing patterns and would be able to differentiate their products. This agricultural data commons could spark innovation in products and services that both give consumers more choice and lead to greater sustainability.

Courtesy Photo

The dollar will no longer be the worlds reserve currency

Michael Casey, chief content officer, CoinDesk (USA)

The dollar is the reserve currency because of its stability. If companies in two different countries sign a contract with payment due in 90 days, they set the transaction in dollars to protect against exchange-rate fluctuations. But when there are digital currencies with programmable smart contracts that can convert at an agreed rate and keep the payment in escrow until its due, they wont need the dollar any more. This means the advantages to traditional US companies will diminish, but innovative, decentralized, globally minded companies will succeed.

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Wikimedia

Well recognize the brittleness of 20th-century infrastructure

Genevieve Bell, director, 3A Institute and senior fellow, Intel (Australia)

Over the last six weeks my country has been on fire, and I think 2030 looks like the world Im now living in. One, the climate is changing faster and faster. Two, Australians are suddenly having to think much harder about how both their own personal data and government data is made accessible so they can get timely fire projections, evacuation requests, air-quality reports, and so onso the questions about data that only those of us at the forefront of technology were asking are now mainstream. And three, well have to contend with the fact that all the infrastructures of the 20th centuryelectricity, water, communications, civil society itselfare brittle, and this brittleness will make the 21st century harder to deliver.

Financial Times

Well grow plasticsand other materialsfrom plants

Zachary Bogue, managing partner, Data Collective Venture Capital (USA)

We need alternate modes of decent workchild care, health care, elder care, education.

For the last 80 or 90 years our innovation in materials has been driven by petroleumby recombining petroleum compounds into fuels, plastics, drugs, and so on. I think well look back on the 2020s as a decade of innovation driven by biology. Genetically engineering plants to synthesize chemical compounds opens up a design space exponentially larger than petroleum, to create new materials that will let us live more sustainably and propel the economy forward. Its already starting to happenone of the companies we invest in makes a microbe that produces a palm-oil replacement, for example. Whats enabling all this is massive increases in computing power and AI that make it possible to model and design the necessary metabolic pathways.

Wikimedia

Chinese phones will rule

Ronaldo Lemos, director, Institute for Technology and Society of Rio (Brazil)

By 2030 the most famous mobile-phone brands worldwide will be Chinese and they will run their own operating system, cutting the market penetration of Android in half.

World Economic Forum / Jolanda Flubacher

Global supply chains will crumble and poor countries will suffer

Sharan Burrow, general secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (Australia)

3D printing, automation, and robotics will cause massive localization of manufacturing. If I can go to my local shop and I say I want my jeans with four stripes and three pockets and I want them now, the fast fashion industry is at risk. Food production will become more local too, and efforts to reduce the carbon footprint will change consumption patterns. So the supply chains on which global trade is baseddehumanizing and exploitative though they currently arewill in large part disappear from the most vulnerable countries, leaving the potential for failed states and even more desperate poverty. What we need is alternate modes of decent work, like child care, health care, elder care, education. We need to invest in human infrastructure, in support and services.

Carlos Jones / Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Small businesses will use supercomputers

Peter Ungaro, CEO, Cray (USA)

For example, there are hundreds of companies that make components for automotive manufacturers. Today they use small computer systems to do CAD drawings of their parts and some simulations. In future, because of all the sensors that will be out there generating data, theyre going to have data sets 10, 100, 1,000 times bigger than today that they can compute on, changing how they model their parts. The technology theyll do that with will be like a mini supercomputer. Some places will have one on the premises, and others will just access it via the cloud. And it wont have to be one of these machines that today fill up two basketball courts and consume 30 megawatts. Well have it down to a single cabinet.

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Predictions for 2030 by people shaping the world - MIT Technology Review

Despite the mainstream mantra of print is dead, anyone who works within the commercial printing space in any capacity knows just how incorrect that statement is. It will continue to evolve and prosper, driven by technologies like inkjet printing on all kinds of substrates, interactive print, big data, and expansion into brand-new applications. It may change and adapt, but printing will never disappear.

As such, commercial printing will need leaders to help drive that change and spearhead the adaptations that will need to occur. As the next generation, those future leaders bring new energy, new excitement, and new ideas that can and will shape the future. But who are they? What are their backgrounds? How did they discover print?

To answer some of these questions,Printing Impressionsput out a call to the industry at large to nominate some Rising Stars in Commercial Printing. The eight people profiled are already making an impact, and have big plans for a long career in printing. Here is a closer look at one of the remarkable individuals still in the early stages of their career and where he plans to go next.

Alex Fechner

In 1923, Alex Fechners grandfather founded the letterpress shop that would eventually evolve into The Advertisers Printing Co. At the time, he notes, nearly all of the business came from a single client, producing electronic conduit circular labels. The business continued to grow, with first his grandfather, and then his father and uncle, taking over and evolving the business to its current focus on high-end projects and being positioned as a boutique print shop.

But Fechners path didnt lead directly to his familys business. He notes that both of his siblings found careers outside of the graphic arts industry, but he hadnt really found a direction for his own life as he started college. My dad had a candid conversation with me when I was around 20, and said that since none of us kids were interested in getting into the business, he would eventually sell it. We had been in business for more than 80 years so I realized it would be crazy notto continue the legacy and try to help grow it into the next century. So I thought. Ill take a shot, and started to learn how the process works.

While he had grown up in and around the business, this is the point, Fechner, now 34, says, where he got serious about it.He started in estimating, and moved into customer service soon thereafter. He spent time as a night foreman in the press department, where he had to okay every press sheet at night. He started to learn about digital, and was the driving force for Advertisers entry into digital printing, as well as the departments first production person.

I was very involved in the process of investing in that equipment, and launching that new department from scratch, he notes.From there, he went into operations, and learned more about the business from that direction, joining peer groups focused on those, like him, who were set to take over a family business, and how to reinvigorate and reinvent it for the future. Now I have a solid 10-year vision, he says, and all the steps on how to get there.

He recently stepped into yet another role in his family business business development, which includes managing both the customer service team as well as the salesforce. In that role, he says, one of his first goals is to acquire a wide-format company within the next five years, which in turn will help him reach a goal of being a $15 million revenue business with a 20% margin. He also sees the company evolving away from being a printer.

Direct mail is one of our main products, Fechner notes, specializing in omnichannel marketing campaigns with direct mail as a critical component. We can connect direct mail to seven other mediums, and provide a dashboard on how the entire campaign is going, the leads its generating, the clicks its getting, etc. And at the end, we sit down with the clientand come up with a strategy to get the highest ROI on the direct mail follow-up to tie it all back in.

I dont necessarily want to be a printer anymore. I want to be a marketing services provider, a strategic company helping businesses achieve their goals with print as one of many of our services.

Beyond wide-format and marketing services, promotional products is another major growth area in Fechners plan for the future. He believes that providing an all-encompassing communications experience for both clients and end users is the future of this industry.

Its all doom and gloom in this industry, and it shouldnt be, according to Fechner. With all of the technology, and all the things you can produce, the possibilities are endless. If youre staying ahead of technology, you wont just survive youll thrive. You can really change as a company and thus become more valuable to your customers.

That philosophy is turning his familys business which once relied on a single customer for more than 80% of its business into a multimillion-dollar marketing firm with a broad range of services and customers that cross multiple verticals and state lines. It is a transformation that many commercial print shops have considered, but Fechner is proving can be achieved with enthusiasm, hard work, and a love of what this industry is truly capable of achieving.

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Rising Star Alex Fechner Says to Stay Ahead of Technology to Thrive, Not Just Survive - Printing Impressions

A workshop about Water & Weather: Sustainable Irrigation Systems for Small Farms and Market Gardens, will be Tuesday, March 3, from 1 to 6 p.m. at 1912 Center Arts Room, 413 E. 3rd St. Moscow.

The goal of this workshop is to provide an overview of irrigation system technology and integration of weather data with soil/irrigation monitoring best practices.

The workshop will include irrigation scheduling software demonstrations, irrigation requirements for different crop and climate scenarios, an overview of irrigation sensors, discussion of different irrigation technology and how to collect and integrate weather data in your fields.

The instructors are Howard Neibling, UI extension specialist & water management engineer, Jason Kelley, assistant professor for soil and water systems, and Robert Heinse, associate professor of soil and water systems.

The workshop costs $10. Registration includes the workshop materials and refreshments. Register at https://water-weatherworkshop.eventbrite.com.

For additional small farm and ranch resources and to find out about upcoming courses, workshops or events in the area, sign up for the Cultivating Success e-newsletter.

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Small scale irrigation systems technology presented at workshop - Whitman County Gazette

Marketing, like many industries, is in the midst of a digital transformation. Analytics, emerging technologies and social media platforms have revolutionised the field, which today looks more Big Tech than Mad Men. But understanding the limitations of new systems and scepticism about some of the wilder claims will be essential to maximising returns.

Euan Davis, associate vice-president at technology consultancy Cognizants Center for the Future of Work, rebuts some of the wilder claims that surround the advance of digital automation in the sector and its threat to job numbers and human creativity.

It isnt all bad news, he says, arguing that while tasks such as email marketing are being taken over by robots, humans are still needed to impart flair. He cites social media marketers as an occupation that sits at the intersection between empathy, tech, intelligence and innovation.

Mr Daviss work has included a prediction of the 21 marketing jobs that might emerge over the next decade. Among the careers he sees becoming increasingly relevant is data ethnographer, who will tell stories from data concisely and clearly. Applicants will need a combination of analytical, people and digital skills, he adds.

At a strategic level, Mr Davis predicts ESG (environmental, social and governance) requirements and shareholder pressure are likely to give brand purpose a central role in marketing. In five to six years time we will be seeing the chief purpose planner, he says. This is how PR teams will begin to rethink their roles in companies.

Another predicted role is the Orwellian-sounding machine personality developer, whose job would be to fine-tune and personalise machines to establish a relationship with consumers making interactions with self-service checkouts, domestic robots or automated parking meters more authentic, for example.

Increasingly powerful technology is likely to be applied to new areas. Synthetic media, for example artificial intelligence-generated videos, audio and images are best known for their use in deep fakes of celebrities and politicians.

But Henry Ajder, head of threat intelligence at Dutch tech group Deeptrace, predicts they will find applications in marketing. Seamlessly dubbing an advert into multiple languages would be fairly simple, he says, and the technology to achieve that is becoming cost-effective and fast.

Yet he stresses that disruptive ideas need time to prove themselves. Synthetic media can create embodied chat avatars, for instance, giving virtual assistants such as Siri or in-app chatbots an on-screen personality.

Another growing niche in social media is virtual influencers digitally rendered humans who act out fictional narratives and showcase products. These have already become a fixture on visually led platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

While Mr Ajder believes synthetic marketing may be more effective for younger generations, he says the staying power of such esoteric approaches remains to be tested.

Andrew Stephen, professor of marketing at Oxford Sad Business School, echoes that caution. He says it is vital that marketers develop a baseline knowledge about technologys capacities and limitations.

While that does not call for entire firms to learn how to run models and code, he says, they should instead develop digital literacy to guard against hype. There is an increasing need for understanding [of] what the tools and tech can do for [marketers]...its not just about waving our magical AI wand, he says.

A lot of marketing chiefs who have gone pretty much all-in on influencer marketing...but we need better measurement

The same thinking applies to deciding where brands should invest time and money, says Mr Davis. While TikTok, the short-video app produced by Beijing-based tech company ByteDance, has become popular across the field, he cautions that platforms are often ephemeral and that crafting a message for different audiences can be difficult.

The question is, how do you begin building a brand that resonates with the image of TikTok? he says. The app is known for its often bizarre, irreverent humour, and a larger Generation Z demographic. Mr Davis says that even on more mature platforms such as Twitter, marketers can get it really wrong and really right.

Marketers investments in the $8bn influencer marketing business might also need to be re-evaluated, says Prof Stephen. A lot of marketing chiefs who have gone pretty much all-in on influencer marketing, he says, but we need better measurement.

While digital platforms have made it cheaper and easier to trial new techniques, brands still need to look at the data to see whether influencer marketing will work for their specific needs.

As with any marketing, Prof Stephen is clear there is no one-size-fits-all approach that guarantees success. For certain brands [influencers] can be pointless, he says, and for others it would be super valuable. Marketers need to be clear which camp they fall into.

Read more from the original source:

What marketers need to understand about their industrys new technology - Financial Times