Category Archives: Technology

Developments in Washington, D.C., on Thursday include President Donald Trump saying he did not tape discussions with fired FBI Director James Comey, questioning why former President Barack Obama didn't stop Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Senate Republicans releasing their version of a health care bill for the country, as well as drone and technology experts at the White House.

Trump Tweets He Has No Comey Tapes -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he did not record his conversations with former Federal Bureau of Investigation chief James Comey. Comey has said the president urged him to curb the agency's investigation into Russia's meddling of the 2016 presidential election, which Trump denies. Trump wrote on Twitter: "With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea whether there are 'tapes' or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings."

Trump Questions Why Obama Administration Didn't Thwart Russian Election Meddling -- Trump is questioning why his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, and his administration didn't block Russia from meddling in last year's presidential election. In a Twitter comment Thursday, Trump posed a question: "By the way, if Russia was working so hard on the 2016 Election, it all took place during the Obama Admin. Why didn't they stop them?"

Senate Republican Health Care Plan Draws Criticism -- After weeks of closed-door negotiations, Senate Republicans unveiled a draft bill to overhaul America's health care system and replace Obamacare, drawing criticism from Democrats and expressions of concern from some moderates as well as conservatives in their own party. In what is seen as an attempt to make good on a longstanding Republican pledge to voters, the legislation would end the health care law's requirement that most Americans buy health insurance, phase out federal subsidies for purchasing a plan, and scale back funding for Medicaid, which covers health care costs for the poor and disabled.

Drones, 5G Internet Dominate Talks as Tech Execs Visit White House -- Ubiquitous drones and a faster Internet are coming sooner than you might think, and governments are staring into the unknown as they face the prospect of regulating the coming technological revolution in a way that fosters innovation, while at the same time protecting the often conflicting interests of consumers, entrepreneurs and the general public. Its Technology Week at the White House, and top industry executives huddled together Thursday with Trump to show off their wares and talk about what governments role should be in regulating, and at the same time encouraging the pace of change. The discussion was all about next generation lightning-fast 5G wireless services and the exponential growth of drone-related technologies.

New Trump Executive Order May Increase US Visa Wait Times -- The wait for visitor visas to the United States could get a little longer. White House and State Department officials said Thursday that a new executive order revoking an Obama-era guideline on processing times at consulates was made in the interest of "vetting" and national security. It was not immediately clear how much much longer the process will take for the millions of tourist, student, and business visa seekers who apply to travel to the country every year.

Trump Basks in Cheers of Iowa Supporters -- Trump Wednesday basked in the cheers of his supporters in the rural heartland of America. At a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Trump told the crowd of admirers, "Its always terrific to be able to leave that Washington swamp and be able to spend time with the truly hardworking people. We call them American patriots.

Minnesota to Still Engage With Cuba Despite Trump Setback -- Minnesota's government and businesses will continue to engage with Cuba in the areas they can, like agricultural trade, despite Trump's partial rollback of the detente, Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith said on Thursday. The first U.S. state representative to make an official visit to Communist-run Cuba since Trump's announcement on Friday, Smith said authorities there were worried about the setback to bilateral relations.

US, EU Urge China to Limit Food Import Control -- Food exporters including the United States and European Union are stepping up pressure on China to scale back plans for intensive inspections of imports that they say would hamper access to its fast-growing market. The group, which also includes Japan and Australia, sent a joint letter to Chinese regulators asking them to suspend a proposed requirement, due to take effect Oct. 1, for each food shipment to have an inspection certificate from a foreign government. They say that would disrupt trade and ask Beijing to follow global practice by applying the requirement only to higher-risk foods.

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DC Roundup: No Comey Tapes, Senate Bill, Technology Week at WH - Voice of America

East Room

11:04 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. Very nice to have you here. It's a great honor. So many of you I recognize, and others I do from reading business magazines and other magazines. You've done very well. You're very representative of your group.

And, Jeff, congratulations on a great career.

MR. IMMELT: Thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT: A great career. I was sad to hear it in one way, and in another way I said, boy, what a good job.

MR. IMMELT: Thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT: So I know whatever you're going to be doing -- that's a long time over there. I've known you a long time in that company. I've done deals with that company, and you were there, right? A lot of good friends like Dale Frey and John Myers. We had a good time at GE.

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here and for giving us a chance to see some of the really exciting new technology that you've pioneered that will help improve so many millions of lives.

I want to thank my Office of Science and Technology -- and this has been a great office; they have done such incredible work -- for organizing today's event and for bringing these wonderful business leaders -- and they are at the top -- together to talk about the importance of emerging technologies.

I want to thank Secretary Ross for joining us today. Wilbur, thank you very much. And we just got back from Iowa last night. A big speech in Iowa. That was an amazing group of people. Those people were excited. I guess most people saw it, but they were excited. Wilbur has done a fantastic job, and I want to thank you very much for it, Wilbur. Everybody understands it. Wilbur, as Jeff -- as you know -- Wilbur is known as just "Wilbur" on Wall Street. They dont even call him Wilbur Ross. They just say, oh, Wilbur is involved -- right? He's done a great job. Thank you.

And, Mr. Vice President, thank you very much for being here. We've had some busy schedules, and we have a thing called healthcare that you may hear is percolating in the outside, as we've discussed. And I think it's going to come out. Obamacare is a disaster; it's dead. Totally dead. And we're putting in a plan today that's going to be negotiated. We'd love to have some Democrat support, but they're obstructionists. They'll never support. We won't get one, no matter how good it is. But we will hopefully get something done, and it will be something with heart and very meaningful.

And, Steve, it's great to have you here, by the way. Really good. You've done a great job. I always say you got a hell of a lot of money for that sale. I dont think you've been given enough -- I mean, I dont think you were ever given enough credit for the deal you did for your shareholders. What a deal that was.

Too many years of excessive government regulation. We have had regulation that's been so bad, so out of line that it's really hurt our country. And as you see, on a daily basis we're getting rid of regulation. In fact, Dodd-Frank is now being cut and cut very substantially. We'll have tremendous safeguards, but we're going to have banks that are going to be able to loan money to people so they can open businesses and do what they used to be able to do in this country.

My administration has been laser-focused on removing the government barriers to job growth and prosperity. We formed a deregulation taskforce inside every agency to find and eliminate wasteful, intrusive, and job-killing regulations, of which we've had many.

We want our innovators to dream big, like the folks around me and surrounding me in this room. And we want them to create new companies and to create lots of jobs. Your industry has been incredible. Your representation of your companies -- is the reason you're here -- has been something that has created so many millions of new American jobs, and probably jobs in many other countries, also. But we're interested right now in America first.

We're on the verge of new technological revolutions that could improve, virtually, every aspect of our lives, create vast new wealth for American workers and families, and open up bold, new frontiers in science, medicine, and communication.

Today's conversation will move America one step closer to that bright future that we're all talking about and all longing for in your world. I would love to hear about the discussions you've had this morning with our team, the White House, and get your thoughts on ways government can help unleash the next generation of technological breakthroughs that will transform our lives and transform our country, and make us number one in this field. This is a very, very competitive field. You see what's going on in China and so many other countries. And we want to remain number one. We want to go to number one in certain areas where we're not number one. And we're going to give you the competitive advantage that you need.

So thank you all very much for being here. On behalf of myself and my great Vice President, it's been a meeting that we actually both looked very much forward to attending.

END 11:10 A.M. EDT

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Remarks by President Trump at American Leadership in Emerging Technology Event - The White House (blog)

Laura Seitz, Deseret News

FILE Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) researchers showcase their most exciting projects and emerging technologies at the 2013 Innovation Fair at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013.

SALT LAKE CITY A California tech company is moving its headquarters to northern Utah to partner with Utah State University researchers to develop better battery technology.

Electric Power Systems and USU recently became the newest recipients of a grant from the Utah Science Technology and Research, or USTAR, initiative through the Industry Partnership Program.

The program "promotes the development, acceleration and commercialization of innovative technologies by teaming industry and university research expertise to address specific technology problems or gaps identified by a company," according to USTAR's website.

EP Systems announced relocation to Logan specifically to take advantage of the Industry Partnership Program, as well as other state programs and opportunities such as working with scientists and engineers at USU, explained co-founder and CEO Nathan Millecam.

"Cache Valley was of particular interest to us because of the university there," Millecam said. "When we look at engineering talent, we generally look in software or embedded systems, mechanical aerospace engineering and power electronics. If we can find a school that hits on one or two of those, it's usually a good match for us. Utah State hit on all three of those."

The company develops high-performance, low-cost energy storage systems for high-reliability applications, specifically focusing on the aerospace sector. The partnership between EP Systems and USU aligns with USTARs mission to accelerate the commercialization of technologies to benefit the state, explained USTAR Executive Director Ivy Estabrooke.

This is a great example of the type of industry-university collaboration we hoped to see when the (Industry Partnership Program) launched, Estabrooke said. EP Systems will strengthen Utahs innovation ecosystem through its partnership with USU.

EP Systems presence in Utah will greatly impact the states established aerospace sector, she said, and production of two battery projects will bring substantial revenues to Utahs economy, along with an estimated 120-160 new jobs created over the next several years.

Millecam said Utah provides a very attractive recruiting ground for future employee talent, as well as talented professors with whom the company can perform advanced research. The state also offers a business-friendly environment that will allow the company to meet its long-term manufacturing goals in an economic and effective manner, he said.

The site of the new company facility will be near the Logan airport, where researchers and engineers can potentially do testing of their lithium-ion battery technology more readily, Millecam said.

"As batteries become higher capacity and higher voltage, the testing gets more and more challenging to do," he said. "This USTAR grant gives us and the state of Utah a strategic asset to emerge as one of the leaders in (developing) these really complex energy storage systems for aircraft and for (federal certification).

"This could open up some really big doors for us and the state of Utah," Millecam added.

The Industry Partnership Program is focused on creating pipelines between industry and academia by identifying technology gaps within a company that can be solved by researchers at Utah institutions of higher learning, Estabrooke explained.

USTAR acts as a matchmaker between the two entities and provides matching funds for the collaborative project, she noted. The relatively new program already has multiple participants across the state.

"What we see in this example is that (the program) is a great tool to attract companies from outside of the state to relocate to Utah to collaborate with the universities and take advantage of the business climate here in Utah," Estabrooke said.

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California company relocating to Logan to build better battery technology - Deseret News

Girls stand in monsoon rains beside an open laundry in New Delhi, India

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People take part in the 15th annual Times Square yoga event celebrating the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, during classes in the middle of Times Square in New York. The event marked the international day of yoga.

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Faroe Islanders turn the sea red after slaughtering hundreds of whales as part of annual tradition

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A firefighting plane tackles a blaze in Cadafaz, near Goes, Portugal

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A person participates in a journalists' protest asking for justice in recent attacks on journalists in Mexico City, Mexico, 15 June 2017

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Poland's Piotr Lobodzinski starts in front of the Messeturm, Fairground Tower, in Frankfurt Germany. More than 1,000 runners climbed the 1202 stairs, and 222 meters of height in the Frankfurt Messeturm skyscraper run

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A runner lies on the ground after arriving at the finish line in Frankfurt Germany. More than 1,000 runners climbed the 1202 stairs, and 222 meters of height in the Frankfurt Messeturm skyscraper run

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A troupe of Ukrainian dancers perform at Boryspil airport in Kiev, on the first day of visa-free travel for Ukrainian nationals to the European Union

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A troupe of Ukrainian dancers perform on the tarmac at Boryspil airport in Kiev, on the first day of visa-free travel for Ukrainian nationals to the European Union

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French President Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte Trogneux cast their ballot at their polling station in the first round of the French legislatives elections in Le Touquet, northern France

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A Thai worker paints on a large statue of the Goddess of Mercy, known as Guan Yin at a Chinese temple in Ratchaburi province, Thailand. Guan Yin is one of the most popular and well known Chinese Goddess in Asia and in the world. Guan Yin is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism and also worshiped by Taoist

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A Thai worker paints on a large statue of the Goddess of Mercy, known as Guan Yin at a Chinese temple in Ratchaburi province, Thailand. Guan Yin is one of the most popular and well known Chinese Goddess in Asia and in the world. Guan Yin is the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism and also worshiped by Taoists

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem. An Israeli court has ordered a journalist to pay more than $25,000 in damages to Netanyahu and his wife Sara for libeling them. The magistrate court in Tel Aviv ruled Sunday that Igal Sarna libeled the couple for writing a Facebook post that claimed the prime minister's wife kicked the Israeli leader out of their car during a fight

AP

Parkour enthusiasts train on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Originally developed in France, the training discipline is gaining popularity in Brazil

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Volunteers spread mozzarella cheese toppings on the Guinness World Record attempt for the Longest Pizza in Fontana, California, USA. The pizza was planned to be 7000 feet (2.13 km) to break the previous record of 6082 feet (1.8 km) set in Naples, Italy in 2016

EPA

Jamaica's Olympic champion Usain Bolt gestures after winning his final 100 metres sprint at the 2nd Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica

REUTERS/Gilbert Bellamy

Usain Bolt of Jamaica salutes the crowd after winning 100m 'Salute to a Legend' race during the Racers Grand Prix at the national stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Bolt partied with his devoted fans in an emotional farewell at the National Stadium on June 10 as he ran his final race on Jamaican soil. Bolt is retiring in August following the London World Championships

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Usain Bolt of Jamaica salutes the crowd after winning 100m 'Salute to a Legend' race during the Racers Grand Prix at the national stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Bolt partied with his devoted fans in an emotional farewell at the National Stadium on June 10 as he ran his final race on Jamaican soil. Bolt is retiring in August following the London World Championships

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Police officers investigate at the Amsterdam Centraal station in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A car ploughed into pedestrians and injured at least five people outside the station. The background of the incident was not immediately known, though police state they have 'no indication whatsoever' the incident was an attack

EPA

Police officers investigate at the Amsterdam Centraal station in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A car ploughed into pedestrians and injured at least five people outside the station. The background of the incident was not immediately known, though police state they have 'no indication whatsoever' the incident was an attack

EPA

Protesters stand off before police during a demonstration against corruption, repression and unemployment in Al Hoseima, Morocco. The neglected Rif region has been rocked by social unrest since the death in October of a fishmonger. Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed in a rubbish truck as he protested against the seizure of swordfish caught out of season and his death has sparked fury and triggered nationwide protests

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A man looks on at a migrant and refugee makeshift camp set up under the highway near Porte de la Chapelle, northern Paris

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Damaged cars are seen stacked in the middle of a road in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood during ongoing battles to try to take the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters

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Smoke billows following a reported air strike on a rebel-held area in the southern Syrian city of Daraa

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Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures next to Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto during a welcome ceremony at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico

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Soldiers and residents carry the body of a Muslim boy who was hit by a stray bullet while praying inside a mosque, as government troops continue their assault against insurgents from the Maute group, who has taken over large parts of the Marawi City, Philippines

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Opposition demonstrators protest for the death on the eve of young activist Neomar Lander during clashes with riot police, in Caracas

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Neomar Lander, a 17-year-old boy was killed during a march in the Chacao district in eastern Caracas on Wednesday, taking the overall death toll since the beginning of April to 66, according to prosecutors

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Former FBI director James Comey is sworn in during a hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC

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Former FBI Director James Comey testifies during a US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC

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Usain Bolt of Jamaica trains at the University of West Indies in Kingston. Bolt says he is looking forward to having a party as he launches his final season on June 10 with what will be his last race on Jamaican soil. The 30-year-old world's fasted man plans to retire from track and field after the 2017 London World Championships in August

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Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Fontana, California, reacts after US President Donald Trump introduced himself before the Infrastructure Summit with Governors and Mayors at the White House in Washington, US

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Frenchman Alain Castany, sentenced to 20 years on charges of drug trafficking in the 'Air Cocaine' affair, leaves the prison in Santo Domingo, on his way to France, where he is being transferred for medical reason

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A woman reacts at the place where 17-year-old demonstrator Neomar Lander died during riots at a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela, June 8, 2017. The sign reads: 'Neomar, entertainer for ever'

REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

Frenchman Alain Castany, sentenced to 20 years on charges of drug trafficking in the 'Air Cocaine' affair, leaves the prison in Santo Domingo, on his way to France, where he is being transferred for medical reasons

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Queen Maxima of The Netherlands visits Tobroco Machines in Oisterwijk, Netherlands. The company is a manufacturer of machines for use in agriculture, road construction and field maintenance. Tobroco is winner of the 2016 Koning Willem 1 Award for entrepreneurship

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A family member of an inmate tries to stop a truck used to transfer prisoners, outside a prison where a riot took place on Tuesday, in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico

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An unconscious person is taken away on a motorcycle by fellow demonstrators after they clashed with riot police during a protest in Caracas, Venezuela

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Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's elementary teacher Sheron Seivwright poses with her students during a break at the Waldensia elementary school in Sherwood Content. Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter in history with eight Olympic golds, 11 world titles and three world records, will retire from international competition after the IAAF world championships in August

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This 1916 photo provided by the Archdiocese of Denver shows Julia Greeley with Marjorie Ann Urquhart in McDonough Park in Denver. Greeley, a former slave, is being considered for possible sainthood. In a step toward possible sainthood, the remains of Greeley were moved to a Catholic cathedral in Denver

Archdiocese of Denver via AP

US President Donald Trump, flanked by the families of business people he says were harmed by Obamacare, high-fives a young boy as he arrives to deliver remarks on the US healthcare system at Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio

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Alibaba's Jack Ma warns evolving technology could cause World War III - The Independent

Facebook has created new tools for trying to keep terrorist content off the site. Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

Facebook has created new tools for trying to keep terrorist content off the site.

Social media companies are under pressure to block terrorist activity on their sites, and Facebook recently detailed new measures, including using artificial intelligence, to tackle the problem.

The measures are designed to identify terrorist content like recruitment and propaganda as early as possible in an effort to keep people safe, says Monika Bickert, the company's director of global policy management.

"We want to make sure that's not on the site because we think that that could lead to real-world harm," she tells NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Bickert says Facebook is using technology to identify people who have been removed for violating its community standards for sharing terrorism propaganda, but then go on to open fake accounts. And she says the company is using image-matching software to tell if someone is trying to upload a known propaganda video and blocking it before it gets on the site.

"So let's say that somebody uploads an ISIS formal propaganda video: Somebody reports that or somebody tells us about that, we look at that video, then we can use this software to create ... a digital fingerprint of that video, so that if somebody else tries to upload that video in the future we would recognize it even before the video hits the site," she says.

If it's content that would violate Facebook's policies no matter what, like a beheading video, then it would get removed. But for a lot of content, context matters, and Facebook is hiring more people worldwide to review posts after the software has flagged them.

"If it's terrorism propaganda, we're going to remove it. If somebody is sharing it for news value or to condemn violence, we may leave it up," Bickert says.

The measures come in the wake of criticism of how Facebook handles content. Last year, for example, Facebook took down a post of the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of a naked girl in Vietnam running after a napalm attack. The move upset users, and the post was eventually restored. Facebook has also been criticized for keeping a graphic video of a murder on the site for two hours.

Morning Edition editor Jessica Smith and producer Maddelena Richards contributed to this report.

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How Facebook Uses Technology To Block Terrorist-Related Content - NPR

BBC News

Imagination Technologies put up for sale amid Apple dispute BBC News UK chip designer Imagination Technologies - which is in dispute with Apple, its largest customer - has put itself up for sale. Shares in the company more than halved in April when Imagination said that Apple was to stop using its technology. The US ... UK's Imagination Tech up for Sale After Battle With AppleU.S. News & World Report Imagination Technology shares climb 20% after starting sale processFinancial Times Imagination Technologies Shares Surge After Apple Supplier Puts Itself Up For SaleTheStreet.com all 33 news articles »

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Imagination Technologies put up for sale amid Apple dispute - BBC News

This week, the White House Office of American Innovation launched the American Technology Council and held a summit with tech industry leaders to discuss modernizing government services. President Donald J. Trump and many of his senior advisors hosted 18 chief executive officers from major tech companies, 3 university presidents, and a number of other notable technology executives.

Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to the President, kicked off the event with remarks highlighting the private sector's role in solving some of the country's biggest challenges. By leveraging the latest technology, we have a tremendous opportunity to meaningfully improve the quality of citizen services delivered to the public. In additional remarks, the Office of American Innovations Chris Liddell emphasized the unique role technology plays in building a more efficient, effective and accountable government.

Attendees spent the afternoon in substantive breakout working sessions, focused on the overarching theme of modernizing the government. Topics ranged from building out cloud infrastructure, retiring out-of-date legacy systems, increasing the use of shared services, reforming the procurement process, and many more technical policy areas. One particular highlight was a discussion on ways to leverage big data to improve services, reduce fraud, and foster private-sector market activity.

In a second round of working sessions, attendees focused on ways to form better connections between private and public sectors in order to improve the objectives above. During a talent roundtable discussion, tech leaders and Administration officials discussed strategies to recruit, retrain, and retain the Federal workforce. In a meeting regarding partnerships, CEOs from top tech companies and leaders from top universities discussed ways to network between universities, the private sector, and the government in order to bring more innovative and modern systems to the American people.

After the breakout sessions concluded, President Donald J. Trump led a roundtable discussion on his priority to lead a sweeping transformation of the Federal governments technology. The President outlined the work the Administration is undertaking, including the modernization of Air Traffic Control and the standardization of electronic medical records between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. President Trump noted the gap in technological advancement between Americas public and private sectors, and reaffirmed his Administrations commitment to bridging that gap.

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The American Technology Council Summit to Modernize Government Services - The White House (blog)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. The grid is one of those catch-all terms that holds different connotations for different groups. Generally speaking, it refers to the power structure network of users and suppliers, and can be thought of in terms of the power infrastructure at the city, state and national level. To compensate for the ever-increasing demand on this steadily aging infrastructure, regulators and tech companies are coming together to see what can be done.

During a panel discussion on the ways technology can support an evolving grid at the Advanced Energy Economys Pathway to 2050 event on June 21, state Sen. Henry Stern called on the wisdom of the regulators and tech folks pushing the industry forward. Due to technological advances and the growth of Californias population, energy utilities are under increasing demand to make energy available at all times. This demand comes in waves throughout the day, often peaking for Californians in the afternoon and evening.

People have traditionally wanted two things when it comes to power, Stern said for it to be reliable and cheap.

It is hard to humanize what happens behind a light switch, he said. However, when the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility began to leak, and when kids start getting sick or pets die, you wake up," he added. "We start thinking about what happens behind that switch.

In the midst of an interesting moment in energy policy, it is hard to predict how the technology will grow and what market forces will look like. But decisions can be made about what we do know about the future and that's utilizing less fossil fuels and making distributed power grids more commonplace.

Part of the shift needs to be about how we think about energy, said Matt Duesterberg, co-founder and CEO of energy startup OhmConnect.

We traditionally think about energy in terms of a resource, he said. We probably need to start looking at this from a product-type perspective.

That includes looking at it in terms of data, of real-time capacity. We have no idea what the grid will look like in 2050, he added, noting that it is hard to guide how the grid will appropriate power.

Duesterberg gave an example of current efforts to build out electric vehicle charging stations in business parks and other public locations. This approach relies on the assumption that people will want to charge their vehicles away from home, he explained. But as electric vehicle batteries become more powerful and efficient, he cautioned that drivers may just charge them at home periodically. This model also does not take into account the possibility that autonomous ride-sharing fleets could threaten the model of personal vehicle ownership.

Expanding on this idea, Manal Yamout, vice president of policy for Advanced Microgrid Solutions, discussed harnessing power that grid utilities possess and how it can be transformed into value for consumers. Folks think that battery storage is the issue. It's not, she said, noting that batteries are just big dumb boxes. It's the software behind the batteries that can generate more value.

Some of the largest value lies in the possibility of aggregating battery storage units to store energy during off-peak hours energy that can then be redistributed to public utilities for use during times of high demand. This market is evolving very quickly, she said, adding that regulators need to work to help enable it, not restrict it.

She also shook off the notion that the state has to choose between clean energy and jobs. The idea that jobs and environment friendly energy are at odds with one another is disproven by the amount of capital and investment in broader market trends.

There is no silver bullet in terms of a future technology, at least I don't think there will be, said Duesterberg. But getting to energy efficiency is all about the small gains that contribute to larger, more challenging goals. While getting to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030 is an ambitious goal codified by California Gov. Jerry Brown, he said we all want that to increase to 100 percent and its going to take a lot of work.

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How Can Advances in Technology Contribute to Evolving Electrical Grid? - Government Technology

CEDAR RAPIDS Whether by coincidence or coordination, Gov. Kim Reynolds agenda for a meeting Wednesday with President Donald Trump in Cedar Rapids is on the same wavelength as the presidents Technology Week focus.

The president will visit Kirkwood Community College to see examples of technology that frankly, may not be at the top of your mind when you think about technology advancements in the United States, said Ray Starling, a special assistant to the president for agriculture, agricultural trade and food assistance as part of the White House Economic Council.

After the Kirkwood visit, Trump will have a campaign-style rally at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave. NE. in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Trump is visiting the college, in part, because it is home to one of the first programs in the country to focus on agricultural geospatial technology and precision farming, Starling said in amedia briefing. The program has been honored by the National Science Foundation.

Among the demonstrations Trump will see is technology that guides farm implements and allows farmers to collect data about pesticide and fertilizer needs, soil moisture and yields, Starling said. That takes on added importance this year because net farm income is expected to decline for a fourth year in a row, falling to half of what it was four years ago, Starling said.

Much of precision agriculture technology and other technology used on the farm and in rural American is dependent upon access to the web, he said. The president recognizes that the penetration of the availability of the web has obviously lagged in rural areas.

Connectivity is one of the priorities Reynolds will be lobbying the president on at Kirkwood.

We want Iowans to be able live anywhere in the state of Iowa no matter the size of the community or where it is located to have high-speed internet and connectivity where they can take an idea, create a business, grow it into a successful company and market their products to the world, Reynolds said at a news conference. Its really important that we continue to provide that level of high-speed internet to every single corner of the state.

At Kirkwood, Trump and Reynolds will be joined by Sonny Perdue and Wilbur Ross, secretaries of the Agriculture and Commerce departments, respectively, and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey.

It also will serve as a send-off for former Gov. Terry Branstad, who will leave Friday for China where he will serve as ambassador.

Reynolds also plans to lobby for White House approval of Iowas stopgap health insurance proposal to provide a coverage option for 72,000 Iowans on individual plans.

The plan, put forth last week by Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen, asks the federal government to approve a measure he hoped would both keep a statewide health insurer in the state and also lure others to the states marketplace. The measure contingent on approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would provide consumers with age- and income-based tax credits as well as use a reinsurance mechanism for costly medical claims.

In response to the Trump visit, a protest is planned from 5-7:30 p.m. outside the Cellular Center. And at 2:30 p.m., Linn County Democrats will be hosting a community conversation in Room A, Beems Auditorium, the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 5th Ave. SE. The event is open to the public.

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Trump visit targets technology, politics - Quad City Times

A version of this essay was originally published at Tech.pinions, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.

One of the core premises of our research is to understand technology from a deeper human level. We too often get caught up in the technology itself, and may lose sight of the basic human needs or desires technology is serving. With all the tech of artificial intelligence, augmented reality and any number of other buzzwords, I sense that the human angle is again being lost while we chase technological advancements for the sake of the technology rather than the sake of the human.

The human angle is being lost while we chase technological advancements for the sake of the technology rather than the sake of the human.

To frame my perspective, I think it is helpful to use the idea of human augmentation as a basis for our understanding of how technology serves humans and will always do so. The core definition of augment is to make something greater by adding to it. Using this framework from a historical perspective, we can observe how nearly every human technological invention was designed to augment a fundamental weakness of human beings.

Tools were invented to augment our hands so we can build faster, bigger, more complex things. Cars were invented to augment the limitations of the distance humans can travel. Planes were invented to augment humans lack of ability to fly. The telephone was invented to augment the limitations of human communications. Nearly every example of technological innovation we can think of had something to do with extending or making greater some aspect of a human limitation or weakness.

This was true of historical innovation, and it will be true of future innovation, as well. Everything we invent in the future will find a home augmenting some shortcoming of our human bodies. Technology, at its best, will extend human capabilities and allow us to do things we could not do before.

While we can analyze many different angles in which technology will augment our human abilities, there is one I think may be one of the more compelling things to augment: Our memory.

My family and I recently took a vacation to Maui. It is always nice to get out of the bubble of Silicon Valley for a more natural atmosphere to observe human behavior and technology. Going to a place where most people are on vacation provides an even deeper atmospheric layer to observe.

One of technologys greatest values to humans is in the assistance of capturing memories.

On vacation, I saw how critical and transformative the smartphone camera has been when it comes to memory augmentation. Ive long thought that one of technologys greatest values to humans is in the assistance of capturing memories. For sure, this is the single driving motivation behind most people purchasing digital cameras and video cameras through the years. With most people in developed markets now owning a memory-capture device, and comparable apps on their smartphones to enhance these memories, observing memory augmentation is now a frequent activity.

It was fascinating to see the lengths people on vacation would go through with their phones, drones (I was surprised how many drones I saw), GoPros, waterproof smartphone cases and more to capture and preserve their memories.

I saw people climbing trees, braving cliffs and hiking extreme conditions with their phones to get a unique selfie. Flying their drone overhead as they jumped off waterfalls. Putting their phones in waterproof cases to get pics of kids snorkeling. And obviously, there were lots of uses for GoPros to capture unique photos and videos of undersea creatures and experiences.

The camera sensor is, and will remain for some time, one of the most important parts of our mobile computing capabilities.

As was often the case, most of the memories captured are designed to share on social media, but the point remains that these pervasive capture devices enable us to create and capture memories we would most likely forget, or have a hard time recalling if left to our memory.

Ive argued before that the camera sensor is, and will remain for some time, one of the most important parts of our mobile computing capabilities. The desire to preserve, or capture a unique memory will remain a deeply emotional and powerful motivator for humans.

Allowing technology to take this idea a step further, we have things like Apple Photos and Google Photos, which look over our memories and make short videos to not just augment but to automate our memory creation process. As machine learning gets even better, these technologies will make creating memories from moments even easier.

As technology continues to augment more and more of our human capabilities, my hope is that the technological tool or process involved will fade so deeply into the background that it nearly disappears. This way we can get the most out of our time whether at work, school, play or vacation, and spend less time fidgeting with technology. Ultimately we will be able to do more with technology, but also spend less time with the technology itself, and more time doing the things we love.

Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at Creative Strategies Inc., an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him @BenBajarin.

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Technology is created for the purpose of augmenting the fundamental weaknesses of human beings - Recode