Category Archives: Technology

Alon Alroy Co-Founder and Chief of Marketing Bizzabo

By now, every marketer has heard of marketing and advertising technology stacks, but the idea of an event tech stack is fairly new. As business-to-business (B2B) events and trade shows become increasingly digital productions, however, event technology is now required to help companies manage and measure them. Alon Alroy, co-founder and chief of marketing at event management platform Bizzabo, spoke with eMarketers Maria Minsker about the fundamental components of an event tech stack.

eMarketer: What is an event technology stack? What are some examples of key event technology?

Alon Alroy: When it comes to events, theres a whole world of technology involved. For example, theres website creation. An event website should perform like any good marketing website in order to attract the right people and convert them to registrants. Companies also need technology for email marketing, registration and event apps, as well as on-site tools to manage real-time surveys, check attendees in and monitor audience engagement during sessions.

Technology is also required to enable networking capabilities and to build a community around the event. Plus, a whole suite of analytics has to come into play to analyze data from all of the pieces I just mentioned.

Another big module is contact management, or a CRM [customer relationship management] system that can segment the event database into speakers, participants, exhibitors and sponsors. And of course, there are other pieces of technology needed for venue sourcing, vendor sourcing and travel.

B2Bs can run a successful event without mobile.

eMarketer: What are the challenges that come with putting together an event technology stack?

Alroy: One of the biggest challenges is that the market is still very fragmented, and there are many different tools to choose from. Plus, B2B marketers sometimes need 12 different tools to run an event, so gathering insight from these separate pieces of technology makes measurement a challenge in the end.

eMarketer: How does using an event management platform overcome some of the challenges?

Alroy: An event platform can collect all of the data in one place. It can combine registration data with responses to surveys or polls and pull in information on who the most popular speakers were. A platform can connect all of those pieces of data to make it easier to gather insight and draw conclusions.

Once the event objective is defined, B2Bs need to have technology in place to actually measure data after the event is over.

eMarketer: Is a mobile app a must-have for a successful B2B event?

Alroy: B2Bs can run a successful event without mobile. Companies should instead focus on creating an amazing experience at events, and realize that mobile is just a medium. Its just one way to create engagement and deliver the experience that you want to create. Rather than building their event around one channel, B2Bs should focus on the holistic experience.

eMarketer: How can B2Bs measure event success and return on investment (ROI)?

Alroy: Measurement requires understanding the business objective behind the event. Is it lead generation, brand awareness or something else? Once the event objective is defined, B2Bs need to have technology in place to actually measure data after the event is over. The key is knowing the goal before the event, and then being able to measure whether or not that goal was reached after the event.

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The Rise of the Event Technology Stack - eMarketer

July 5, 2017 Gold microchip. Credit: Lancaster University

Counterfeit products are a huge problem - from medicines to car parts, fake technology costs lives.

Every year, imports of counterfeited and pirated goods around the world cost nearly US $0.5 trillion in lost revenue.

Counterfeit medicines alone cost the industry over US $200 billion every year. They are also dangerous to our health around a third contain no active ingredients, resulting in a million deaths a year.

And as the Internet of Things expands, there is the need to trust the identity of smart systems, such as the brake system components within connected and driverless cars.

But researchers exhibiting at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition believe we are on the verge of a future without fakes thanks to new quantum technology.

Whether aerospace parts or luxury goods, the researchers say the new technology will make counterfeiting impossible.

Scientists have created unique atomic-scale ID's based on the irregularities found in 2-D materials like graphene.

On an atomic scale, quantum physics amplifies these irregularities, making it possible to 'fingerprint' them in simple electronic devices and optical tags.

The team from Lancaster University and spin-out company Quantum Base will be announcing their new patent in optical technology to read these imperfections at the "Future without Fakes" exhibit of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition.

For the first time, the team will be showcasing this new technology via a smartphone app which can read whether a product is real or fake, and enable people to check the authenticity of a product through their smartphones.

The customer will be able to scan the optical tag on a product with a smartphone, which will match the 2-D tag with the manufacturer's database.

This has the potential to eradicate product counterfeiting and forgery of digital identities, two of the costliest crimes in the world today.

This patented technology and the related application can be expected to be available to the public in the first half of 2018, and it has the potential to fit on any surface or any product, so all global markets may be addressed.

Professor Robert Young of Lancaster University, world leading expert in quantum information and Chief scientist at Quantum Base says: "It is wonderful to be on the front line, using scientific discovery in such a positive way to wage war on a global epidemic such as counterfeiting, which ultimately costs both lives and livelihoods alike."

Explore further: Invention of forge-proof ID to revolutionise security

More information: Optical identification using imperfections in 2D materials. arXiv. arxiv.org/abs/1706.07949

Journal reference: arXiv

Provided by: Lancaster University

Scientists have discovered a way to authenticate or identify any object by generating an unbreakable ID based on atoms.

The quantum internet, which connects particles linked together by the principle of quantum entanglement, is like the early days of the classical internet no one can yet imagine what uses it could have, according to Professor ...

Evident Technologies announced that it has received a Phase 1 SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant to develop advanced anti-counterfeiting materials based on its proprietary quantum dot technology. Work under the ...

Researchers from the Cambridge Research Laboratory of Toshiba Research Europe Limited and the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge will today present the world's most secure chat and video conferencing network ...

Bernard Naughton and Dr David Brindley from Oxford University's Sad Business School and Medical Sciences Division discuss the problems of identifying fake, substandard and expired medicines.

The first 3D barcode which can be built into products during manufacture has been developed by UK engineers.

(Phys.org)An international team of researchers has developed a new way to measure the mass of a proton and found the particle to be approximately 30 billionths of a percent less than previously thought. The group has written ...

Counterfeit products are a huge problem - from medicines to car parts, fake technology costs lives.

By combining graphene with another two-dimensional material, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have created a prototype of a transistor-like device for future computers, based on what is known as spintronics. ...

By gently prodding a swirling cloud of supercooled lithium atoms with a pair of lasers, and observing the atoms' response, researchers at Swinburne have developed a new way to probe the properties of quantum materials.

New research from a team of DU physicists has the potential to serve as the foundation for next-generation computer technology.

Researchers at the University of Southampton have cast doubt over established explanations for certain behaviours in pulsars - highly magnetised rotating neutron stars, formed from the remains of supernovae.

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A future without fakes thanks to quantum technology - Phys.Org

Some of the robots climb hills and others tell jokes.

Students at the Virginia Robotics and Cyber Academy used their new coding skills to program robots to do a variety of activities.

The five-day robotics academy, through the Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities, served 24 high school-age students from across Virginia. It took place at the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired in Henrico County last Monday through Friday, serving students with disabilities ranging from blindness and low-vision to autism spectrum disorders and learning disabilities.

Christopher Freeman, a recent graduate of Meadowbrook High School in Chesterfield County, programmed his robot to perform stand-up comedy.

Freeman, who is interested in information technology as well as animation, said he knew nothing past basic Java coding prior to entering the academy.

They teach you step by step how to (make the robot), said Freeman, adding that he enjoyed the hands-on approach at the academy.

Students were selected to participate in the program based on their knowledge of math and science. However, students were not required to be competent in computer coding.

Students worked from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., with lunchtime dedicated to listening to speakers from Capital One who discussed career opportunities in information technology.

At a Friday celebration, instructors talked to parents about ways students can prepare for good jobs, while students showed off their robots.

Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities hosts academies throughout the year to help high schoolers from across Virginia gain experience in fields such as technology and manufacturing.

Virginia received a $4.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2015 to help residents with disabilities gain skills and qualify for high-demand, high-quality jobs. It was one of four states to receive federal funding for this project. The others were Kentucky, Georgia and Nebraska.

We want to try to close the skills gap and create a pipeline of young adults with disabilities who are interested in working in the advanced manufacturing and information technology fields, said Emily West, project manager for Career Pathways.

The academies give the students a chance to see if they have the interest and aptitude in advanced manufacturing or information technologies, she said.

The five-year grant allowed the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to partner with the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired to create the Career Pathways for Individuals with Disabilities.

The robotics academy curriculum was developed by the National Integrated Cyber Education Resource Center in Bossier City, La., which is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create and distribute free cyber and engineering curricula to public schools across the country.

We are using content that was pulled from our high school material, said Charles Gardner, curriculum development specialist at the National Integrated Cyber Education Resource Center. These kids are learning exactly what their traditional high school peers are learning.

However, the format in which they learn differs from the standard. The material is presented in a less visual manner, relying more on motion and sound than sight.

We are hoping that the adaptations that we have made here for people with disabilities to participate can be generalized to other camps across the commonwealth so young people with disabilities can participate, said Raymond Hopkins, commissioner of the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired.

Students use speech software, allowing them to listen to the computer to understand what is happening on the screen.

As a result of grant funding, students took their specifically designed computers, as well as the robots they created, home with them at the culmination of the academy.

Students created and programed each Gobot individually. The robots functions were mostly sound-based, so students could learn together during programming stages.

It has not just exceeded our expectations; it has exceeded their expectations, said Hopkins of the robot academy.

All the teachers and students are great, Freeman said. I would recommend (the academy) to anyone if I could.

The Virginia Robotics and Cyber Academy is the first information technology and cyber technology academy hosted by Career Pathways. Programs are three to five days. Many involve manufacturing work.

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Virginia Robotics and Cyber Academy helps teens with disabilities gain technology skills - Richmond.com

How to value a sector with a mix of slowing growth, falling margins, fair valuations, steady cash flows and good managements? That is the predicament fund managers are facing these days as they sit down to assess whether it's worth investing in the information technology shares such as Infosys, TCS, HCL Tech and Wipro among others.

Prima facie, technology shares appear to be ripe picks at this juncture because of their underperformance in recent years. The BSE's IT index has fallen 2.3 per cent so in 2016 against the 17.2 per cent gain of Nifty. From January 1, 2016, the technology index has dropped 10 per cent, while the Nifty has gained 19.50 per cent in the period.

Given the liquidity sloshing around that has made its way to shares of various companies with questionable prospects, it would have been just a question of time before technology shares too rebounded. But, fund managers are still in two minds on whether to lap them up.

What is vexing them is whether the shares would be future winners or value traps at current levels. Considered the harbingers of India Inc's relatively late burst into global corporate scene in the '90s, technology companies are increasingly becoming pale shadows of their past.

The IT Index is trading at a price to earnings (PE) ratio - a widelywatched valuations matrix -of 15 times earnings. The total market capitalisation of the tech bigwigs - Infosys, TCS, HCL Technologies and Wipro - is roughly Rs 9.2 lakh crore, which is about 7 per cent of BSE's total market capitalisation.

Though the PE ratio is lower than its 10-year average of 19 times, various fund managers still do not consider these stocks cheap enough given the haze over their profitability. Analysts said the sector's growth is expected to slow to 4-5 per cent in the coming years from 7-8 per cent in 2016-17, forecast by Nasscom.

Various industry insiders and analysts have given their verdict that most of these companies, including the bigwigs, are unlikely to survive in their current form over the next few years. Automation is making several jobs redundant and clients are likely to squeeze technology companies further to cut margins.

This will force companies to bring down costs to survive. A rebound in the US economy is unlikely to be much of help either immediately.

Still, investors are not in a hurry to write off the sector. The biggest reasons for this are sound compa ny managements and steady cash flows -at least till now. These pa rameters are must-have boxes in the checklists of most seasoned in vestors while selecting companies.

The logic is that a good manage ment and cash will enable a smooth transition for a company in turbulent times. The top four technology companies had total cash balances of Rs 41,000 crore as on March 31, 2017, though there have been differences between managements and shareholders on how to deploy this money.

But, fund managers are not ruling out a brief rally in technology shares if the rupee weakens after the 4.6 per cent run-up so far this year. The rupee closed at 64.74 against the dollar on Tuesday. HSBC's currency strategists expect the rupee to fall to 66 by the year-end. Usually , when the rupee weakens, technology shares run up. But, a rally should not be construed as a turnaround in the fortunes of technology shares as the sector's prospects will remain fuzzy in the foreseeable future.

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Fund manager's dilemma: Is IT a future star or value trap? - Economic Times

Elise Zwicky of GateHouse Media Illinois

On any given day, up to 25 individuals with varied disabilities are hard at work in the EPIC Hub computer lab in Peoria, earning a paycheck and cultivating independence thanks to assistive technology.

The hub has a variety of adaptive equipment, including specialized keyboards and screen-reading software. Hub workers with disabilities design and print flyers, posters and calendars; create business cards; and even make and sell their own greeting cards.

Technology definitely helps them to work and live a more rewarding fulfilling productive life. Because a lot of them have those abilities; they just need a little bit of assistance, said Lauren Coyle, EPICs director of specialized programs.

Evolving technology is impacting millions of disabled Americans. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in five Americans about 53 million people has a disability of some kind. About 33 million have a disability that makes it difficult to carry out daily activities, which is where assistive technology comes in.

Kellie Branch-Dircks, a licensed clinical social worker who helps ALS patients, has seen first-hand how assistive technology can make a difference in a persons life. Most ALS patients experience difficulty with speech and movement and many completely lose the ability to speak and use their hands. Electronic communication devices can help restore a patients ability to communicate.

Communication is an element of quality of life, Branch-Dircks said. Communication devices allow patients to continue to express their thoughts and needs, even when their vocal ability is too compromised to be understood, if they dont have the stamina to speak or if they have no vocalization left at all.

Not being able to communicate would be devastating to patients, she added.

ALS robs patients of their voluntary muscle control but not their personality and thoughts, Branch-Dircks explained. Without the ability to communicate, patients would struggle emotionally with depression, hopelessness and anger more than some already do. Communication options are of value to the patients and the caregivers and family members.

Pekinite Perry Martin, who became disabled in a horrific work accident in 2008, said technology has played a big role in helping him overcome his disability.

My legs would be chattering nonstop if I didnt have a baclofen pump in me, he said. It delivers medicine right into my spinal cord that calms the nerve endings down.

Martin also has a specialized golf cart that allows him to play his favorite sport again.

It has a seat that swivels and a big leather chest protector/holder that goes around my chest and a seat belt. A toggle shift stands you up in a standing position to be able to hit the golf ball. Theyre specially designed to be able to go right on the greens and put less pounds per square inch than a person does walking, he said.

Martin has seen many ways that technology helps disabled persons through his involvement in disability advocacy groups.

New things are being invented and discovered all the time. Its almost like if you can think of it, somebody can build it and make life better for people who have disabilities, he said.

Lauren Coyle said in the past people who had difficulty communicating might use an actual book they could flip through to point at pictures that depicted what they wanted to say.

Now we have so many technologically based communication devices that look like a little iPad or laptop that mount on their wheelchair. Of course, those are really expensive, so we do still have some people that use the books, Coyle said.

For more information or to volunteer at EPIC, contact volunteer coordinator Angela Anderson at 689-3606 by email at aanderson@epicpeoria.org. For more information about assistive technology, visit the NIH website at http://www.nih.gov.

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Assistive technology can help disabled individuals live more productively - Peoria Journal Star

July 4, 2017 Associate Prof. Barry Zink with (left to right) Devin Wesenberg, Alex Hojem and Rachel Bennett. Credit: University of Denver

New research from a team of DU physicists has the potential to serve as the foundation for next-generation computer technology.

In the quest to make computers faster and more efficient, researchers have been exploring the field of spintronicsshorthand for spin electronicsin hopes of controlling the natural spin of the electron to the benefit of electronic devices. The discovery, made by Professor Barry Zink and his colleagues, opens a new era for experimental and theoretical studies of spin transport, a method of harnessing that natural magnetization, or spin, of electrons.

"Our approach requires a fundamentally different way of thinking about the nature of how spin moves through a material," Zink says.

Computers currently rely on electrons to process information, moving data through tiny, nano-sized wires. These electrons generate heat, however, as they travel through the wires. This heat, along with other factors, limits computer speed.

Past research has successfully demonstrated spin transport using crystalline, or ordered, materials as magnetic insulators. In Zink's new study, recently published in Nature Physics, the team was able to demonstrate spin transport through a synthetic material that is notably amorphous, or non-ordered, both magnetically and structurally.

The discovery is significant because manufacturing this amorphous synthetic material, known as yttrium iron garnet, is easier than growing the silicon crystals currently used in computer processors.

"The existing materials known to have this type of spin transport are difficult to produce," Zink says. "Our material is very easy to produce, simple to work with and potentially more cost-effective."

Dean Andrei Kutateladze of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics emphasizes the significance of the team's findings.

"This spectacular result from the Zink research group amply illustrates the vibrant research environment in the division, where teacher-scholars create new knowledge working hand-in-hand with students," he says. "It also underscores the critical importance of support for fundamental research. Just as basic research in Bell Labs in the '50s and '60s paved the way for smartphones and other wonders of the current technological revolution, physicists such as Dr. Zink are building platforms for the next great technological leap."

The research team includes Davor Balzar, chair of DU's Department of Physics and Astronomy, graduate students Devin Wesenberg and Rachel Bennett, newly minted doctorate holder Alex Hojem and colleagues at Colorado State University. The scientists carried out their research using custom-designed micromachined thermal isolation platforms in DU's physics laboratories. The team's next step is to undertake more testing and verification.

"We're looking to see if we can reproduce this in different types of amorphous materials, as not a lot is known about such materials," Zink says. "Twenty years from now, they could be an important part of how computers work."

A core mission of DU's Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is to offer students unprecedented access to research opportunities. By working alongside distinguished faculty mentors in state-of-the-art facilities, undergraduates and graduates are able to apply their newfound knowledge to research that changes lives and challenges ideas.

Explore further: Spinning electrons open the door to future hybrid electronics

More information: Devin Wesenberg et al. Long-distance spin transport in a disordered magnetic insulator, Nature Physics (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nphys4175

A discovery of how to control and transfer spinning electrons paves the way for novel hybrid devices that could outperform existing semiconductor electronics. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at ...

An electron carries electrical charge and spin that gives rise to a magnetic moment and can therefore interact with external magnetic fields. Conventional electronics are based on the charge of the electron. The emerging ...

Modern computer technology is based on the transport of electric charge in semiconductors. But this technology's potential will be reaching its limits in the near future, since the components deployed cannot be miniaturized ...

Computers process and transfer data through electrical currents passing through tiny circuits and wires. As these currents meet with resistance, they create heat that can undermine the efficiency and even the safety of these ...

Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have made a discovery that could lay the foundation for quantum superconducting devices. Their breakthrough solves one the main ...

It doesn't happen often that a young scientist makes a significant and unexpected discovery, but postdoctoral researcher Stephen Wu of the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory just did exactly that. What ...

By gently prodding a swirling cloud of supercooled lithium atoms with a pair of lasers, and observing the atoms' response, researchers at Swinburne have developed a new way to probe the properties of quantum materials.

Researchers at the University of Southampton have cast doubt over established explanations for certain behaviours in pulsars - highly magnetised rotating neutron stars, formed from the remains of supernovae.

New research from a team of DU physicists has the potential to serve as the foundation for next-generation computer technology.

Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have designed a new nano material that can reflect or transmit light on demand with temperature control, opening the door to technology that protects astronauts in space ...

A new technique allows researchers to characterize nuclear material that was in a location even after the nuclear material has been removed a finding that has significant implications for nuclear nonproliferation and ...

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have demonstrated a way to detect nuclear spins in molecules non-invasively, providing a new tool for biotechnology and materials science.

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Physicists put new spin on computer technology - Phys.Org

Are tablets an asset in the classroom or a distraction? Photograph: Getty Images/Hero Images

From interactive whiteboards that aid language learning to virtual reality headsets that demonstrate Newtons laws of motion, technology has the potential to yield strong results in the classroom. And yet the benefits are far from universal. Some teachers struggle to get the most out of expensive gadgetry, meaning schools risk investing thousands of pounds in hi-tech apparatus that fails to deliver, as reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2015.

Meanwhile, school technology budgets are falling. The average ICT budget for 2017-18 is forecast to be 13,800 for a primary school, a 4% decline year on year, and 58,230 for secondaries, a 7% fall, according to the British Educational Suppliers Association (Besa).

So how should schools prioritise to ensure this money is spent on the most useful technology?

To discuss the way ahead, the Guardian held a panel debate, sponsored by technology provider Brother, called Technology: Money Saver or Money Waster? A panel of four experts in the field discussed the issue with an audience of educationists, teachers and technology specialists.

Weve gone through 10 years of device fetishism, said panellist Donald Clark, founder of technology in education company PlanB Learning. He said schools had been investing in tablets for their pupils, despite evidence indicating that they are poor teaching tools.

You have to look from a pedagogic and learning point of view, he added. Research shows that when children write on tablets they have a high error rate. It slows kids down, they resort to a truncated style and it is a disaster in terms of literacy also, you cant code. He said tablets should be seen as a consumer device rather than an aid for learning.

However, a member of the audience, art teacher Gill Jenkins, said she had successfully used tablets for an art project with year 10 pupils and they were really engaged in it.

Success depended on the context in which technology was used, said panel member John Galloway, an advisory teacher who used technology with children with special educational needs. If the iPad was used for the wrong activities such as writing or coding it would give poor results, he said. Used in the right way, however, it could be a powerful teaching tool. One of biggest barriers to technology adoption is teachers being given the time to be trained to use it, he added. Research published by Besa in January revealed that about 60% of teachers had made training in technology one of their key aims for this year.

Galloway added that some technology may not have worked originally but may yet become commonplace. Virtual learning environments (VLEs), for example, failed to take off in the UK when they were introduced 10 years ago but may have been ahead of their time, and Google Classroom has now picked up the baton.

Michael Mann, an educationist at the innovation lab at Nesta (formerly the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) a charity that promotes innovation believed educational technology was struggling to fulfil its potential. To address this, Nesta was giving grants to companies to measure the impact of classroom technology, and looking at ways to help teachers test out technology in their classrooms.

One of biggest barriers to technology adoption is teachers being given the time to be trained

Mann advocated small-scale trials of technology before making big investments. Do small-scale testing with a teacher passionate about it and they can show other teachers where it is relevant and where it isnt, he said. If they find out it doesnt work which is often the case a costly rollout can be avoided.

Naureen Khalid, a school governor and co-founder of @UkGovChat, a Twitter forum for school governors, said governors are demanding rigorous evidence before splashing out on new technology. Schools are poor and funding isnt going to get any better. We are custodians of public money and as a governor I cant commit to doing a trial and then writing it off.

The panel was split over whether teachers should be the arbiters of technology investment in schools. Clark argued against this, saying schools should rely on in-depth research into the educational effectiveness of the technology. If teachers tested out technology in their lessons, they risked wasting valuable teaching time and using pupils as guinea pigs. But others pointed out that much teaching was risky and experimental, with uncertain results, and technology was no different although more expensive if it failed. Furthermore, research reports may be paid for by the technology companies involved, making them far from independent.

From the audience, technology writer Terry Freedman doubted that research reports into classroom technology were much use for teachers, as they were often long, difficult to read and inconclusive.

Ultimately, anecdotal evidence is really good, he said. Teachers trying something in the classroom should ask what problem they are trying to solve, highlight the good bits and offer a five-minute evaluation.

Mann said Nesta was piloting an online funding platform called Rocket Fund, where teachers could pitch ideas relating to the use of technology in the classroom and connect with corporate and community donors. This was also helping to spread experiences and ideas among schools.

He pointed to online learning initiatives such as Third Space Learning which connected primary school pupils with tutors in India and Sri Lanka to provide lower-cost online tutoring as one scheme that had worked well.

The panel discussed whether a centralised procurement approach whereby an overall body collected evidence on the educational benefits of different devices could help streamline the process. But concerns were expressed that some teachers might struggle to trust technology recommended by another teacher and would insist on trying it out themselves.

Control groups, where the results of a class using specific technology were compared to those of a class without the technology, were also discussed. But Galloway thought this would be a messy approach as much depended on the teacher, their relationship with the class and the engagement levels of the students involved.

And what of virtual reality? Clark pointed out that VR headsets could be effective in teaching Newtons laws of motion and demonstrating weightlessness, while Galloway said VR had huge potential for children with special needs: a child in a wheelchair could experience the top of St Pauls Cathedral or the bottom of a mineshaft; a child with autism could take a virtual trip around the British Museum to prepare them for the real thing.

Galloway also pointed to eye-gaze technology, which helped people control computers through their eye movements, as a technology with useful applications. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence was touted as a powerful technology for transforming the classroom, with applications in marking and exams.

The panel agreed that teachers could benefit from taking part in ResearchED meetings. The body, which was founded by two teachers, brings together teachers, researchers and policymakers to share information on technology teaching tools.

From the audience, Ahrani Logan, co-founder of Peapodicity, an educational technology studio specialising in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, said tech startups could run evaluations of classroom technology, since they excelled in analytics.

Sandra Crapper, education adviser at Onefourseven, an educational advisory service providing professional development to primary schools, said teachers could learn about technology from pupils. Our job is to analyse where it might lead them in a positive and productive way, she said. The panel suggested that teachers could make use of the smartphones most children brought into classrooms, although there were problems of security and behaviour associated with this.

As schools face yet more budget cuts, governors and heads will have to make some stark choices but technology is certain to play a part in the classroom of the future. And while there was much debate on how decisions should be made, it seems that finding ways for teachers to share information about what works will be key.

Kate Hodge (chair) Head of content strategy at Jaywing Content and former Guardian Teacher Network editor

Michael Mann Senior programme manager, education team, innovation lab, Nesta

John Galloway Advisory teacher for ICT/SEN and inclusion

Donald Clark Founder, PlanB Learning

Naureen Khalid School governor and co-founder of @UKGovChat

Follow us on Twitter via @GuardianTeach, like us on Facebook, and join the Guardian Teacher Network for lesson resources and the latest articles direct to your inbox

Looking for a teaching job? Or perhaps you need to recruit school staff? Take a look at Guardian Jobs, the education specialist

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Is technology delivering in schools? Our panel debates - The Guardian

The way humans perceive colour varies with the time of day, or rather the amount of sunlight falling on an object. And, unfortunately, current technology is as limited in color perception as the human eye.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers in Melbourne, Australia, has discovered that for bees, however, color perception is constant, no matter the light conditions, so they can get to the right flower.

If we could replicate the workings of bee vision, it would be possible to eliminate the problems associated with color vision in cameras, drones and robots.

Project coordinator Associate Professor Adrian Dyer said, "For a digital system like a camera or robot, the color of objects often change. Currently this problem is dealt with by assuming the world is, on average, grey. This means it's difficult to identify the true color of ripe fruit or mineral rich sands, limiting outdoor color imaging solutions by drones, for example."

Bees have three extra eyes (or ocelii) at the top of their heads which can sense the color of ambient light, thanks to a couple of color receptors. These ocelli are separate to the pair of front-facing compound eyes which detect flower colors.

Lead scientist Dr Jair Garcia from Melbournes RMIT University suggests that the sensing of the color of light by the ocelli could allow a brain to discount the naturally colored illumination which would otherwise confuse color perception. But for this to be true the information from the ocelli would have to be integrated with colors seen by the compound eyes."

Dr Yu-Shan Hung at the University of Melbourne corroborated Garcias statement by mapping the neural pathways from the ocelli and showed neurons did pass data on to the color processing parts of the bee brain.

The team has discovered the mathematical principles behind a honeybees complicated vision, which can then be programmed into a computer. This could completely revolutionise the camera systems in our smartphones, improving drone footage and making robots see better.

"We're using bio-inspired solutions from nature to tackle key problems in visual perception. This discovery on color constancy can be implemented into imaging systems to enable accurate color interpretation, Dyer added.

The results of this research have been published in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' (PNAS)

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Making a bee-line for new camera technology - TechRadar

Micron Technologies (NASDAQ:MU) stock has been on a rampage this year, outperforming all major market indices by far. Shares have more than doubled in 2016 and are up over 30 percent this year. The question now is whether this run still has legs or not to keep going.

In my opinion, as long as Micron keeps posting spectacular earnings and growth, there is no reason to question the run. However, it seems like the market sentiment is quickly shifting to a bearish stance on tech stocks. People are trying to hedge their positions and reduce their exposure in the tech sector due to fears about valuations. A lot of people think that there is a bubble currently with tech stocks. Now, while it is true valuations are a bit stretched, there is no logical reason to sell a fundamentally solid company backed by strong earnings just because of the sector it is in.

On Thursday, Micron posted another quarter which outperformed analyst expectations across the board. However, shares were down over 5 percent the next day. I believe this is due to hedge funds and other institutions locking in gains and limiting their exposure to tech stocks - the selling pressure probably drove share prices down. This creates the perfect opportunity for retail investors, though, who have more freedom when investing compared to institutions to pick up some shares in a fantastic company.

No matter how you look at it, this quarter did blow out analyst expectations in every conceivable way. Micron reported an EPS of $1.62 versus analyst expectations of $1.51 and a quarterly revenue of $5.57 billion versus analyst expectations of $5.41 billion. I think it is important for everyone to realize that revenue is 20 percent higher compared to the previous quarter and 92 percent higher year over year. Strong cash flows this quarter also allowed the company to strengthen its balance sheet and pay down $1 billion in debt.

This is the 8th straight quarter where Micron has been able to exceed analyst expectations, and there is no sign that the favorable earnings trend will stop anytime soon either. All its business units posted record-breaking revenues this quarter, and revenue from cloud customers alone was nearly 4 times higher year over year. Micron also projects that strong industry demand will continue to remain healthy and persist into 2018, and the company's portfolio of innovative and high-value products will be able to benefit very much from increasing demand. So far, we can see that it is taking full advantage of this broad industry trend and will not suddenly stop doing so anytime soon.

MU Price data by YCharts

Unfortunately, the price action after this earnings report was negative, and Micron shares traded down over 5 percent the following day. There is most definitely a rational reason for this - it can all be explained by looking at the current market state. People are scared and are trying to protect their gains in a bull market that has lasted over 8 years, and tech stocks have gained the most in these 8 years and are being sold off. Nasdaq has fallen 2 percent over the past month and is taking the brunt of criticism by many market bears. People think valuations are stretched and that the run has gone on for too long.

This type of thinking is often what causes people to miss out on investing in fantastic companies - the bottom line is no one has a crystal ball to predict when a sudden stock market crash will occur. As long as you diversify your holdings and adjust your portfolio positions on a regular basis, you will be fine. You cannot time the market and predict when it will fall. Retail investors who sold Micron after its earnings report will end up buying back at a higher price.

However, it makes sense why you would sell if you were a hedge fund or any other money managing institution. Hedge funds and other institutions like mutual funds have investors they need to appease regularly. They manage a lot of money and need to book profits. A lot of the selling we are seeing in the tech sector in general is due to institutions locking in profits. Most hedge funds and mutual funds also have to show all of their positions to investors at the end of the quarter, and with all of the negative sentiment towards tech, it makes sense why some institutions would reduce/sell their positions to make it seem like they are not too exposed to the tech sector. With Micron stock performing so well in the past few months, people had to take profits eventually. Turns out, Friday was that day.

A lot of analysts also upgraded Micron stock following their earnings report. Deutsche Bank raised their price target on Micron from $35 to $37 while maintaining their rating, and Goldman Sachs upgraded Micron's price target from $30 to $33. Stifel Nicolaus maintained their current buy rating and increased their price target by 50 percent, from $40 all the way up to $60 a share!

The bottom line is that it makes no logical sense for everyday retail investors to sell right now. The company's earnings were stellar and exceeded analyst expectations. Real investors do not buy/sell stocks based on the price action of stock, but rather on the fundamentals and earnings of a company. Micron Technologies has solid fundamentals backed by fantastic earnings numbers. It makes no sense for a company to suddenly be 5 percent less valuable after reporting earnings which exceeded expectations. Some people are saying it's because of Micron's valuation, though it only takes a little logical thinking to completely debunk this idea. When you value a company, you do not just look at the present cash flows and earnings - you look into the future, you look for growth. Growth for this quarter exceeded expectations, reaffirming the positive trajectory the company is going in, and the recent analyst upgrades following the quarterly results support this idea. We give Micron Technology a Buy rating and a conservative $36 price target.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in MU over the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Micron Technologies: Be Thankful For The Dip - Seeking Alpha

The first of 7,000 Ford GoBikes waiting to be shared in downtown San Francisco.

Ford GoBike, a co-venture from Ford Motor Company and Motivate, last week launched the first phase of what will be the second largest bike share network in the US with a goal of 7,000 bikes in San Francisco and the Bay Area from Oakland to San Jose.

The service costs $3 per trip and monthly and annual passes are available plus it works with the Clipper commuter card used by millions of people on local buses and trains.

It might seem strange to see Ford investing in bicycle sharing but the company sees it as a way of better understanding future transportation needs. Last year it acquired San Francisco based Chariot, which provides short route on-demand commuter services.

Ford is the sponsor but the heavy lifting is done by Motivate, a fascinating startup based in New York, which designs, builds and operates bike networks in nine cities and counting. The largest bike share network is in New York with 10,000 CitiBikes.

Motivate does far more than a typical Silicon Valley software startup. It not only develops the mobile app that users need to find and unlock bikes but also installs; thousands of bike stations; while dealing with city permits; and it also designs its bikes -- the San Francisco bicycles are made lighter and with gear ratios for the city's hills.

Cycling commutes...

Ford GoBike is aimed at the commuter: all trips have to be under 30 minutes; and the bike stations are located close to public transport. Building the outlying bike stations quickly is the challenge.

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My Test Ride of Ford GoBike

It's tough for me to get across town to San Francisco's CalTrain station without at least two buses so I was glad I had an alternative using the Ford GoBike service.

About a week ago I downloaded the app to my iPhone and it showed several bike stations close to my apartment.

It was the day after the official launch of Ford GoBike and I had to get to the Mission Bay district of San Francisco so this would be a perfect test of a multi-mode bus, bike, light rail and/or car-share route now made possibly faster.

I fired up the Motivate app but was disappointed there were no bike stations operational yet, near me. But there were plenty of bikes at the downtown stations.

I jumped on a bus downtown and walked a few blocks to find a bike station. No problem unlocking the bike with my Clipper card. Bike seat was very easy to adjust and the radial gear change was easy to operate.

Riding crosstown in San Francisco is not for the feint of heart. Roadworks and heavy traffic make space tight on the bike routes.

Arriving at the Caltrain station I was concerned because there were just four bike slots and each was full. Fortunately, someone unlocked one of the bikes so I was able to park and lock mine.

There was a crew of workers installing several dozen more bike slots. I stopped and chatted with them and they were very friendly. They said a lack of city permits were holding them back in some neighborhoods. I told them I liked the service so far based on one trip!

I've lost plenty of bicycles to theft over the years. Bike share networks outsource that risk for a very small price.

Public transport commutes are vulnerable to missed connections. It's here that a bike share network can make a huge difference to people's commute times.

However, riding is not easy or safe on the streets of San Francisco. The city pulled down its elevated crosstown freeways after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake forcing traffic onto the streets. This makes for very crowded roads at commute times and makes it more dangerous for cyclists -- potentially discouraging the use of Ford GoBikes.

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Espin electric pedal-assist bicycle

I recently had a chance to use a pedal-assisted electric bicycle made by a Bay Area company Espin, founded by husband and wife Josh Lam and Yina Liu, and I really liked it. Motivate should use these bikes!

The bike is large and heavy at about 50 pounds but with the pedal assist electric power boost they feel as light as a feather when riding.

This was my first time on such a bike and for about four days I rode it through some rugged urban terrain and along hard-to-pedal tidal beaches and came away very impressed.

I liked the fact that you have to pedal and that there is no free ride. If you stop pedaling the power assist stops dead so it's a very natural way of operating the bike.

The gears are selected as normal from the right handlebar while the left side selects five levels of power assist. Downshifting requires selections from both sides of the handlebar which takes a little practice.

The range is 25 to 50 miles from a powerful electric motor inside the back wheel and a lockable lithium ion battery. Commuters have been buying the bikes but also it's popular among gig workers for delivering food and packages.

The bike can quickly reach 20 to 25mph which builds a lot of momentum but with the excellent stopping power of the disk brakes I had no problem staying comfortably in control.

The Espin bike is a wonderful way to get around a city. The assisted power will take you from a stop to a fast start so there's less temptation to roll through stop signs.

And you can get places very fast. At 20 to 25 miles per hour you are moving faster than than the average speed of a bus in San Francisco at 8mph, or car at 12mph. Plus you arrive sweat-free.

However, if you want a work-out headed home you can simply switch off the assist. These bikes are great off-commute, too. With one of these I could keep up with some of my sportier friends.

Josh Lam says the Espin bikes are less expensive than many other similar bikes because they source their own components and design. The price is $1800 and gig delivery workers get a $400 discount.

Espin or Ford...

Espin is a great choice if this is can be your only way to get to work but for a patchwork commute that's typical of the Bay Area Ford's bike share is a more practical choice.

But until Motivate builds out the next phase of the San Francisco network the downtown areas are of little use because you are already at your destination. It will require building bike stations in the outlying neighborhoods (especially around Divisadero and Eddy 🙂 to test its promise.

Read more from the original source:

Technology and Commuting: Ford's 7000 bike launch in San Francisco; Espin is a new spin on eBikes... - ZDNet