Category Archives: Technology

Progressus Clean Technologies Inc.

Progressus Clean TechnologiesTM announced as the new name and brand for leading green hydrogen company, AES-100 Inc.

New branding under the Progressus Clean Technologies banner a major first step towards successful commercialization of the technology

As development of innovative home power unit continues, new name will strategically differentiate product offering in eyes of consumers and new partners alike

TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Progressus Clean TechnologiesTM (Progressus), formerly AES-100 Inc., is pleased to announce its recent rebranding. The new name and brand marks a significant first step towards successful commercialization of its unique green hydrogen technology and continued vision in becoming a leading clean energy company.

Progressus is the latin word for advancement, and its suiting because our technology has the ability to transform the way our world uses green energy, said Channce Fuller, President and CEO of Progressus. Establishing a new brand and market presence is a key first step to the successful commercialization of our technology. This exciting milestone allows Progressus to pursue additional business opportunities going forward and brings us closer to providing green hydrogen power to residential homes.

Uniquely differentiated, Progressus owns the intellectual property for a world class proprietary system that enables lower cost hydrogen production with no greenhouse gas emissions. Further, Progressus technology does not rely on construction of new infrastructure, instead leveraging existing pipeline infrastructure to bring clean power to the doorsteps of common residential homes. The name change and new brand aligns the vision and mission of the company to transform the green hydrogen landscape.

In conjunction with the name change, the company also launched its new website with the most up-to-date information on technology developments as well as relevant market updates. The new website can be viewed at http://www.progressuscleantech.com. The company will continue to keep the market updated on the achievement of additional goals and milestones.

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ABOUT Progressus Clean Technologies

Progress Clean Technologies (formerly AES-100 Inc.) is a venture stage green technology company focused on the development of novel hydrogen generation and separation technologies. Progressus Clean Technologies owns the exclusive rights and intellectual property pertaining to the Advanced Electrolyzer System (AES) for the production of hydrogen from dilute syngas.

Progressus Clean Technologies Inc. is a private company with ownership held by PowerTap Hydrogen Capital Corp. (NEO: MOVE) (FWB:2K6B) (OTC: MOTNF), Aberdeen International (TSX: AAB F: A8H, OTC: AABVF) and a minority position being privately held.

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding AES-100; the AES technology; the Progressus technology, the home power unit, and the Companys future plans. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including risks inherent in the mining industry and risks described in the public disclosure of the Company which is available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at http://www.aberdeen.green. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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Investor Relations - Progressus Clean TechnologiesInfo@progressuscleantech.com403-464-7851

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Progressus Clean Technologies Announced As New Name and Brand For Leading Green Hydrogen Company, AES-100 Inc. - Yahoo Finance

Instllation view of "In Event of Moon Disaster," the centerpiece of an exhibition that explores the history of deepfakes on display atthe Museum of the Moving Image. Thanassi Karageorgiou / Museum of the Moving Image.

Think you could spot a deepfake? The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York, has a new exhibition that will put your skills to the test, according to Gothamists Jennifer Vanasco. Deepfake: Unstable Evidence on Screen looks at the technology of deepfakesdeceptive videos created using artificial intelligence and machine learningand how theyre used to manipulate viewers, reports Eileen Kinsella for ArtNet.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the video In Event of Moon Disaster, a six-minute film produced by the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality, which won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Media: Documentary this year, according to ArtDaily. Set in a 1960s-style living room replete with patterned wallpaper and two armchairs, the film plays on a vintage console TV, depicting the 1969 launch of Apollo 11, reports the Gothamist. Walter Cronkite helms the program, and news clips depict excited crowds, waving astronauts and a blastoff countdown. But the program cuts to static post-launch, returning with the image of Richard Nixon sitting at his desk in front of an American flag. Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace, Nixon says in the video. Its a line from a never-used address written by speechwriter William Safire in case the Apollo 11 team (who returned safe and sound) died during their mission.

We use Nixon's resignation speech as the original video that then gets manipulated, co-director Francesca Panetta tells Gothamist. The emotion in Nixon's face, all of the original body language, the page turning: all of that really is real. But we have overlaid it, manipulated it, with another very emotional speech.

There are some telltale signs: a sheen or shine to the cheeks and forehead, along with jittery movement between the head and neck, exhibition co-curator Joshua Glick tells Felicity Martin of Dazed. Also some shades in their eyes that dont necessarily blend, [and] a disparity between the lips moving and the words coming out of an individuals mouth.

Many of the deepfakes in the exhibition are relatively harmless in naturelike Queen Elizabeth dancing on top of her desk or a lampoon of former president Donald Trump withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. Modern concerns have arisen, however, over the potential sexual weaponization of deepfakes in porn, where theres a high demand to edit celebrity faces onto other bodies, reports the Gothamist. Others worry that deepfakes could be used to influence an election.

There hasnt been a widespread usage in large-scale elections yet, but the exhibition wants to prepare [people], and cultivate a discerning community of viewers, Glick tells Dazed. There are practical steps that we can take as individuals, and things that we can do as a society. Social media companies can do more to curb the spread of disinformation on their platforms, and policy also has an important role to play.

Deepfakes can be used for good, Glick argues. A 2020 documentary,Welcome To Chechnya,which depicts the human rights crisis of theLGBTQ+ community in Russia,used the technology to protect the oppressed individuals identities in the film, per Dazed. Deepfakes can also be used as a means of satire and social critique to poke fun and expose figures in power, revealing how they manipulate people in their line of business or politics, adds Glick. He cites South Park creators satirical piece on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promoting inexpensive dialysis treatments.

While acknowledging concerns, the exhibition illustrates that deepfakes are just the newest version of a long history of editing moving images. The show places deepfakes within the context of other contested depictions throughout history, like Spanish-American War reenactments, Frank Capras Why We Fight, and the Zapruder footage of the JFK assassination.

What can you edit, what can you stage, how do you need to indicate that to people, what does consent mean in this case? Panetta says to the Gothamist. I think there is a desire to come up with a rule book really, really fast, because its really, really scary. But I also think it will be quite hard to have absolutes in the beginning, because the technology is developing very fast, and you dont know what all the uses are going to be.

Deepfake: Unstable Evidence on Screen is on view at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens until May 15, 2022, and is accompanied by the event seriesIrregular Evidence: Deepfakes and Suspect Footage in Film, which examines how evidentiary footage has been manipulated or staged in film.

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This Deepfake Exhibition Shows How Convincing the New Technology Can Be - Smithsonian

Today, President Joe Biden announced that Dr. Alondra Nelson will perform the duties of director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Dr. Francis Collins will perform the duties of Science Advisor to the President and Co-Chair of the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology until permanent leadership is nominated and confirmed. These appointments will allow OSTP and the Presidents Science and Technology agenda to move seamlessly forward under proven leadership.

Nelson currently serves as OSTPs Deputy Director for Science and Society. Nelson has directed priority efforts to protect the integrity of science in the federal government, broaden participation in STEM fields, strengthen the U.S. research infrastructure, and ensure that all Americans have equitable access to the benefits of new and emerging technologies and scientific innovation. She has played a key role in overseeing the implementation of the Presidents early directives on Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking and on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

Collins recently stepped down as the director of the National Institutes of Health, after serving as its Director for more than 12 years, under three Presidents. As the longest serving Presidentially-appointed director of NIH he oversaw the work of the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world, from basic to clinical research. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2007. He will continue to run a research lab at NIH, which he has run since 1993.

In the selections of Dr. Alondra Nelson and Dr. Francis Collins, President Biden has doubled down on science. The selections are responsive to the dual importance of a strong OSTP that can drive science and technology solutions to our greatest challenges and the very specific attention the President wants to give to the creation of a new ARPA-H research and discovery agency, the building of support for a Cancer Moonshot 2.0, the search for a new head of NIH, and the broad advisory work of PCAST.

Dr. Alondra Nelson, Deputy Director of Science and Society of OSTP and Performing the Duties of Director of OSTPAlondra Nelson, Ph.D., serves as the inaugural Deputy Director for Science and Society in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this role, she brings social science expertise, including attention to issues of social inequality, explicitly into the work of Federal science and technology strategy and policy. Dr. Nelson is also Harold F. Linder Chair and Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, an independent research center in Princeton, NJ. She was president of the Social Science Research Council, an international research nonprofit from 2017-2021. She was previously professor of sociology at Columbia University, where she also served as the inaugural Dean of Social Science. Dr. Nelsons research contributions are situated at the intersection of political and social citizenship, on the one hand, and emerging science and technology, on the other. Dr. Nelson connects these dimensions in a range of widely acclaimed publications, including, most recently, The Social Life of DNA. Dr. Nelson is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Philosophical Society, and the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Francis Collins, Acting Science Advisor to the President and Acting Co-Chair of the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is the former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As the longest serving Presidentially-appointed director of NIH spanning 12 years and three presidencies he oversaw the work of the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world, from basic to clinical research. Dr. Collins is a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project, which culminated in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book. Dr. Collins research laboratory has discovered a number of important genes, including those responsible for cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntingtons disease, a familial endocrine cancer syndrome, and most recently, genes for type 2 diabetes, and the gene that causes Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, a rare condition that causes premature aging. Dr. Collins is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Collins was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2007, the National Medal of Science in 2009, and the Templeton Prize in 2020.

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Before entering the courtroom, counsel relies on a courts technology to electronically file and serve documents and obtain court records. Once inside the courtroom, counsel, judges, and court staff rely on the courts technology when attending and participating in proceedings, such as hearings, trials, conferences, and other events, that are increasingly held remotely. Counsel must also leverage the courts infrastructure such as document storage and transfer to use exhibits and other materials during a proceeding.

I recently moderated a bar association panel, comprised of state court judges, on how best to use existing technology in state court proceedings. There were several key considerations that the panel discussed that merit further exploration.

Does the court have compatible systems for electronic filing and case record management?

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Electronic filing, while convenient, creates an element of uncertainty until counsel can identify a filing as accepted on the court docket, an uncertainty complicated by the risk of a technical issue with a submission. Counsel must be able to promptly determine from the court docket whether the court processed an electronic submission, or if not, they must be able to refile if necessary. Any delay in making this determination creates a risk that counsel misses a filing deadline.

Judges must also be able to access directly all electronically filed documents. Absent this access, judges run the risk of overlooking a key document or exhibit filed by counsel.

As a result, courts must use a comprehensive system that combines the convenience of electronic filing with real-time access to the courts records. A court should use a single case management and electronic filing system; or, if that is unavailable, courts should integrate their existing electronic filing and court records systems. Otherwise, the risks of an error exist, and counsel may opt to file in paper format (unless mandatory) to minimize potential filing issues.

Can counsel digitally submit materials in any format?

Court electronic filing systems typically require that counsel use PDF format to electronically file materials and to limit file sizes. However, PDF format is not always available for digital evidence because of the size or format of the material involved. For example, electronic filing systems often do not accept photographs, emails, text messages, and audio or video recordings in original format.

Counsel must determine in advance the best way and timing for electronically submitting materials to ensure proper consideration by the court. This requires counsel to inquire whether they can file materials using a thumb drive, CD, shared cloud drive, or other means. Counsel must also determine whether the court has compatible software or applications to access materials using counsels preferred file format and, if appropriate, to copy and edit materials. In turn, courts should have the latest software and applications to review, access, and use electronic submissions.

Even when a document is electronically submitted, is it accessible as counsel intended?

Counsel must understand in advance what happens to documents and other materials after filing them with the court. For example, counsel should understand the courts capabilities for whether documents retain color features after electronic filing and if the court can print any or all copies in color. If counsel electronically file lengthy documents or multiple related documents, counsel should understand how the documents appear to the court (such as linking related documents and numbering pages).

Counsel often lacks the ability to preview documents, using a courts electronic filing system, and see how their submissions will appear to the judge and court staff. To minimize these issues, counsel may need to provide courtesy copies of filed materials where color is relevant and independently mark page numbers of exhibits and other associated materials to ensure that a filing is complete and reviewable as intended.

Do existing courthouse facilities limit counsels presentation in a courtroom proceeding?

Counsel should survey the courtroom in advance to determine the available equipment and technology features. This is particularly important before trial, where counsel often must use exhibits and other materials to convince a judge or jury. Even as courts adapt to use electronic methods, their physical facilities can lag. Courtrooms do not always have sufficient existing equipment or capabilities, such as ample or nearby electrical outlets, display monitors, computer cables, or wireless internet access. The construction or location of some courtrooms may interfere with a cell phone signal to contact others or access the internet.

As a result, counsel must understand whether and how to address any shortcomings and develop a backup plan. For example, counsel must bring necessary equipment, such as power strips, cables, or a mobile hotspot. Counsel should also account for using traditional ways to present evidence, such as a whiteboard or using oversized paper versions of exhibits, especially if internet access is unavailable or unreliable or the courtroom lacks monitors.

Can the court conduct a complex proceeding remotely?

Many courts adapted to the pandemic by using videoconferencing to conduct a fully or partially remote proceeding. While a court may use a videoconferencing platform, this requires reliance on the courts existing infrastructure, which can present challenges unless the court has upgraded that infrastructure.

Counsel must determine in advance whether the courts technology places them at a disadvantage with a complex remote proceeding, such as a trial. For example, the courts videoconferencing platform may need to accommodate multiple participants (such as parties and witnesses), display sophisticated exhibits (such as high-resolution documents, videos, or simulations), and provide or sync to a means for recording the proceeding. This also may require the court, as a host, to have enough bandwidth to hold the proceeding and place sufficient cameras and audio equipment inside the courtroom to avoid putting any remote participants at a disadvantage. Otherwise, counsel may need to have any complex proceeding held in person.

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Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias. Thomson Reuters Institute is owned by Thomson Reuters and operates independently of Reuters News.

Brandon Moss joined Practical Law from Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, where he was a partner. His practice focused on civil litigation, appellate practice, employment law, and public law. He also served as a judicial law clerk with the Atomic Safety & Licensing Board Panel of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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The importance of modernized technology in court proceedings - Reuters

Welcome to war in the age of big data.

Readily available satellite images, alongside TikTok videos, Twitter and other social media platforms have taken much of the element of surprise out of warfare and preparations for war. Look no further than the tensions surrounding Ukraine as the world worries over the potential for a Russian invasion.

Russias buildup of around 150,000 troops on Ukraines borders was highly visible via satellite images. And videos and photos were widely disseminated, providing plenty of whats known as open-source intelligence to experts and amateurs alike.

Signs of a buildup began last spring, triggering concern, but alarm bells began to ring around December when we started seeing things that were a little unusual relative to earlier activity, said Lukas Andriukaitis, a Brussels-based associate director of the Digital Forensic Research Lab operated by the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-based foreign-policy think tank.

It was clear that more equipment and personnel were moving into position, with the buildup of troops and equipment in neighboring Belarus, in particular, raising concern, Andriukaitis said in a phone interview.

Andriukaitis said it also pays to know where to look for other types of publicly available information. Though they were shut down as the buildup gathered steam, it was possible earlier to access public railway databases in Russia. Images of train cars with identification numbers could be cross-checked with the database to determine where they came from and what units or equipment they carried.

Open-source intelligence, often abbreviated as OSINT, isnt brand new. Bellingcat, which describes itself as an independent, international collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists using open-source and social media intelligence to probe a variety of subjects, has won accolades for its work tracking covert operations by Russia and other subjects since 2014.

The continued growth of social media, available satellite imagery and data sets in general have transformed the field and altered the calculus around war and diplomacy.

Contrast Russias buildup around Ukraine to the 1991 Gulf War, when the U.S. and its allies employed a left hook, a massive flanking attack against Iraqi forces near Kuwaits western border.

The Iraqis had no idea it was coming because they didnt have satellite images; so they didnt see that equipment out in the desert, said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif.

While deception and misdirection remain part of any military playbook, as evidenced by the confusion around Russias troop movements this week, operational deception on the scale of that used in 1991 could be impossible to replicate today, according to security experts.

It also means the public, which previously had to rely on government leaks and news reports, can see whats happening for themselves, in nearly real time.

Meanwhile, the availability of images via social media and the tools to verify them represent the other major change, Lewis said. Geolocation and metadata can be checked to confirm if images are what theyre purported to be.

Social media also provides a platform for open-source intel operators to share their work with the public.

A spotlight was on open-source intel Wednesday as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia was continuing its military buildup, in contrast with Russias claims that troops and units were returning to bases after participating in military exercises.

We have been very transparent. And the intelligence we are sharing is actually confirmed also with open sources, with the satellite imagery from commercial satellites, Stoltenberg said at a Wednesday news conference.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News Wednesday there were no meaningful signs of a Russian pullback and that the U.S. saw Russian forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border.

Cyberattacks on Ukrainian banks and government websites Tuesday also kept tensions elevated.

There are some potential signs of troop movement from the forward operating bases on the Ukrainian border, but we cant say for sure that these movements are actually happening and in which direction, Andriukaitis said via email.

Images and analysis tweeted out by widely followed open-source analysts sought to make sense of the latest developments. Confusion over what is happening on the ground also illustrated the challenge presented by possible efforts to misdirect observers:

The threat of a major European ground war has periodically rattled financial markets. Stocks tumbled and oil futures soared on Friday, prompting investors to snap up traditional safe-haven assets, including Treasurys, after the U.S. warned an invasion could occur any day now.

Read: What a Russian invasion of Ukraine would mean for markets as Biden warns Putin of severe costs

Markets steadied Tuesday, with equities rebounding sharply, after Russia said it was withdrawing troops, but investors arent sounding the all-clear. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.16% ended 54.57 points lower, down 0.2%, on Wednesday, while the S&P 500 SPX, +0.09% eked out a 0.1% gain. Oil futures CL.1, -1.84% rose 1.7%, with analysts looking for crude to surge above $100 a barrel in the event of a Russian attack.

See: Stock-market drops ahead of wars tend to resemble growth scares

So what does it mean when the whole world can watch as a country prepares for a potential, large-scale invasion? The Russians have attempted to misdirect observers over tactical details, but the task of building up and positioning more than 100,000 troops and the necessary equipment and supply lines makes it all but impossible to disguise the scope of whats taking place, analysts said.

And in the case of Ukraine, it appears Moscow wanted the world to know about its preparations as it also denied plans to invade. Indeed, the question may be whether Moscow is attempting to use the visibility of its movements to its advantage.

You have the opportunity to signal things because you know you will be seen, Lewis said.

All governments, including the U.S. and its allies, make decisions knowing that many of their actions will be visible. The fact that military movements on the scale of whats been taking place around Ukraine are costly and difficult mean that they also send a clear signal about determination and intent, Lewis said, which may be the part of the calculus when it comes to attempting to build leverage for negotiations.

Russia is using it to their advantage, rattling their sabers as loud as possible to provide themselves with better bargaining chips, Andriukaitis said, adding that there is little downside to the approach, because if Moscow proceeds with an invasion, such surveillance isnt going to affect their operations at the strategic level at all.

The time required to geolocate and verify videos, for example, means there will be a delay, which would prevent open-source intel from being able to get ahead of the action or make tactical predictions, he said.

Meanwhile, the field, much like the world of big data, is constantly evolving, with data sources falling in and out of favor. Andriukaitis, a former officer in Lithuanias military, said that he enjoys the freedom to think outside the box offered by open-source intel work.

In the world of open-source intelligence, everything is on the table, he said.

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Here's the technology being used to watch Russian troops as Ukraine invasion fears linger - MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amplitude, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMPL), the pioneer in digital optimization, today announced new and enhanced integrations across the technology stack to empower organizations to better unify, analyze, and act on customer data. Amplitude now has new integrations with Adobe Launch, AWS Redshift, Google BigQuery, Google Tag Manager, and MailChimp as well as an enhanced integration with HubSpot. This adds to the more than 60 existing integrations that unlock actionable customer insights that fuel faster product innovation. The new set of integrations allows customers to seamlessly ingest data into Amplitude, reduce time to implement Amplitude, and create more customized marketing campaigns.

Amplitude takes an open approach to help customers move data to and from its Digital Optimization System. Through its growing partner ecosystem, Amplitude is able to ingest data through customer data platforms (CDPs), data warehouses, SaaS platforms, and Amplitudes own software development kits (SDKs). Nearly 600 organizations already use Amplitudes data warehouse and cloud storage integrations with Snowflake, Google Cloud Storage, and AWS S3, and now companies using Google BigQuery and AWS Redshift can export data from Amplitude as well. With simplified access to new data sources and destinations, teams can eliminate data silos, enrich data sets, and increase visibility into customer behaviors.

As the demand for digital optimization increases, organizations are asking for easier and faster ways to both import their data into Amplitude and export enriched data to downstream applications, said Justin Bauer, senior vice president of product at Amplitude. Data management is a huge challenge for many leaders, so the breadth and depth of Amplitude's technology integration ecosystem is a powerful differentiator for our Digital Optimization System. Were becoming the go-to hub for customer data, making it easier than ever for companies to understand their customers, create better product experiences, and ultimately grow their business.

Today consumers expect intuitive, customized product experiences, and organizations are realizing that surface-level web analytics are insufficient. Instead, teams need actionable insights into user behavior across all digital touchpoints in order to manage, measure, and optimize their digital products and customer experiences. With new integrations into Google Tag Manager and Adobe, businesses can now easily migrate data from these traditional web and marketing analytics solutions to Amplitude, drastically reducing time-to-implement from weeks to minutes.

By connecting key marketing technologies to Amplitude, organizations can also say goodbye to one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns and ensure customers and prospects are served the right messages every time. With new integrations into Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and Customer.io, Amplitude customers can deliver on a variety of marketing use cases such as data-driven personalization, personalized customer journeys, and campaign automation.

Its impossible to overemphasize the importance of self-service analytics at Kahoot! said Mart Colominas, head of data at Kahoot! With Amplitude's ability to connect out of the box with our technology stack, we are able to remove data bottlenecks to not only receive insights faster but also spark further curiosity and experimentation within the product to improve the user experience."

In a further expansion of the Amplitude partner ecosystem, the team at Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently announced Amplitudes designation as an AI for Data Analytics (AIDA) solution. The sole product analytics solution with the AIDA designation, Amplitude leverages AWS artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning services to take the complexity out of AI-based insights and personalization.

Learn more about Amplitudes Data Connections here or request a custom demo today.

About AmplitudeAmplitude is the pioneer in digital optimization software. Almost 1,600 customers, including Atlassian, Instacart, NBCUniversal, Shopify, and Under Armour rely on Amplitude to help them innovate faster and smarter by answering the strategic question: "How do our digital products drive our business?" The Amplitude Digital Optimization System makes critical data accessible and actionable to every team unifying product, marketing, developers, and executive teams around a new depth of customer understanding and common visibility into what drives business outcomes. Amplitude is the best-in-class product analytics solution, ranked #1 in G2s 2022 Winter Report. Learn how to optimize your digital products and business at amplitude.com.

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Amplitude Launches New Technology Integrations to Unify Data and Expand Customer Choice in the Digital Optimization Era - Business Wire

MILWAUKEE Milwaukee native Montreal Cain wanted to find a way to reach more people struggling with mental health after his own experience as a caretaker of a loved one with mental illness.

"There was a moment when I couldn't find them, didn't know where they were and my peace of mind was just all over the place. I decided, you know, I'm going to educate myself and I'm going to make sure, not only I never feel like this again, but no one else in Milwaukee does," Cain said.

That incident motivated him to get his masters degree in Christian counseling, as well as mental health first aid certified.

Cain also has experience working with apple as an Accessibility Champion, helping people who are hard of hearing, or blind, or autistic.

So he combined that background in assisted technology with his desire to help those with mental illness and founded MERA Cares. MERA stands for Monitor, Engage, Recommend, Advocate.

"If we put technology first, we can reach the masses," Cain said.

MERA is a website, and soon an app, that helps connect people to mental health resources like therapists or psychologists. MERA can also send notifications to designated caretakers and providers to help prevent a crisis.

The program can also connect to an Apple Watch to monitor heart rate. That can help then identify triggers and help identify when to practice mindfulness.

"It's important that we take mental health into consideration in every single thing that we do," Cain said. "Mental illness is anything that can impact your social ability to interact with individuals, your skill sets and your daily living."

He said he's especially focused on addressing stigmas surrounding mental health in underrepresented communities and utilizing creative methods to get people hooked up to resources.

"In some communities, especially the BIPOC community, it's taboo to have conversations about mental illness. But we all have cellphones, so what if we use music as a way to attract people to mental health? What if we use different therapist, or community resources? Or even spaces like the Sherman Phoenix perhaps to have conversations about mental health."

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Milwaukee innovator user technology to expand access to mental health care - WTMJ-TV

Virginia lawmakers are pursuing a bill which would allow police to use facial-recognition technology in certain cases, a year after the General Assembly passed a measure curtailing the practice.

The proposal cleared the Senate earlier this week. It would only allow police to use facial-recognition tech when investigating a specific criminal incident or citizen-welfare situation.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said evidence gathered from facial-recognition tech could only be used for exoneration, not for establishing probable cause for an arrest.

"You can't use it for broad surveillance or monitoring," Surovell asserted. "You have to have a specific case you're looking at, or you have to have a person in a hospital bed, and you don't know who they are, and you're trying to figure out who's there, or you have a dead body, and you're trying to figure out who that was and there's no ID on them or whatever."

Last February, the General Assembly passed a bill barring police from using facial-recognition technology unless they receive prior legislative approval, a measure The Associated Press referred to as "one of the most restrictive bans in the country." Opponents of facial-recognition tech, including many legislative Republicans, argue it's an invasion of privacy and prone to inaccuracy and abuse.

A 2019 report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology found Asian and Black people are far more likely to be misidentified by facial-recognition technology. The bill would require any facial-recognition tech used by police to be at least 98% accurate across all demographic groups.

Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, expressed concerns on the Senate floor Tuesday the tech could still be misused.

"In this bill, even with the policies and the restrictions in place, there are no penalties if you violate it," McDougle pointed out.

The measure also would require departments to log inquiries into their facial-recognition software, and then publish a public usage report at the end of each year. With its passage in the Senate, the bill now heads to the House and its committees for further deliberation.

Solitary confinement has been widely condemned by human-rights activists, and a new bill making its way through the Virginia General Assembly would restrict its use in the state's prisons.

The bill would limit the use of solitary confinement to 15 days, and set requirements before someone is placed in isolation.

Sen. Joseph Morissey, D-Richmond, the bill's chief patron, told the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee this month ending the practice has fiscal benefits, noting other states have eliminated solitary confinement and closed specialty facilities.

"Colorado closed a segregation facility built for 316 prisoners," Morissey reported. "After doing that, they saved $13.6 million in 2013 and 2014, without any negative impact."

The bill defines solitary confinement as isolating a person for 20 or more hours per day. The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) said it has ended "restrictive housing," another term for solitary confinement, in favor of what's known as "restorative housing," which offers people in prison a minimum of four hours out of their cell each day.

Kim Bobo, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, alleges restorative housing is yet another term for solitary confinement. Bobo's organization held a statewide series of prayer vigils this past Sunday in support of the bill.

"Whatever you call it, isolating people for long periods of time is torture," Bobo contended. "The DOC claims it has implemented new approaches for reducing the use of solitary confinement. Perhaps, but frankly, pastors and family members tell us different."

The bill passed the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee, and has been referred to the chamber's Finance Committee for further deliberation. A similar bill passed the Senate last year, but failed to make it to the House for a vote. If passed by the full General Assembly, it would take effect July 1.

Critics of Gov. Pete Ricketts' call for the Nebraska Legislature to fund a new prison argue the money would be better invested in programs with proven track records for reducing crime and preventing people from entering the criminal-justice system.

Fran Kaye, a retired professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a 25-year prison volunteer, said mental-health programs, addiction treatment and job-training programs can reduce crime and make communities safer.

"Prisons are really kind of an awful idea, when you come to think about it," Kaye remarked. "I mean, you don't want to be in a position where you're punishing people after they've done something wrong. You don't want them to do wrong in the first place."

Supporters say the proposed 1,500-bed prison, listed as a $240 million line item in an appropriations bill, will create jobs and is necessary to address the state's overcrowded corrections population.

Kaye cites research showing Nebraska can end overcrowding by limiting the use of stacked sentencing and getting more people back into communities through diversion programs and parole.

She added Nebraska is not a wealthy state, and only developers will benefit if lawmakers approve a project with a quarter-billion-dollar price tag.

"You get as much money for building a preschool as you do for building a prison," Kaye pointed out. "Why don't we build more treatment centers? You get as much money for building a treatment center as you do for a prison. Why don't we build more job-training centers?"

Pointing to the state's high recidivism rate, Kaye said Nebraska has done a poor job helping people who have served time heal and re-enter society as contributing community members. She believes building another facility will not make those communities safer, in part because prisons create an environment known to lead to violent behavior.

"Fear, shame, isolation, exposure to violence, powerlessness," Kaye outlined. "What do prisons create? Why in the world would we spend all that money on an institution that is best at creating violence, and is lousy at healing?"

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and combating the problem is especially important in Nevada, which is home to the largest commercial sex trade per capita in the country.

More than 5,000 people, mostly women and girls, are sold for sex in Nevada each month, according to a 2019 study from Creighton University.

Melissa Holland, executive director and a cofounder at Awaken, a Reno-based nonprofit that helps survivors of sex trafficking get their lives back, said the traffickers target local teenagers.

"Over the last four years," she said, "Awaken has seen victims come out of every single high school in Reno-Sparks and most of the middle schools."

All sex trafficking is illegal, online or otherwise, in Clark and Washoe counties, which include Las Vegas and Reno. But solicitation of an adult for sex is only a misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail. Brothels are legal in certain parts of 10 other Nevada counties.

Holland said she'd like to see the sex trade banned in every county - or at least, to have the penalty raised to what's known as a gross misdemeanor.

"We have a sex tourism community here, which unfortunately means this is where traffickers come to groom girls and to traffic them," she said. "Traffickers want to come to Nevada because the laws have done half the work for them, in terms of desensitizing people to prostitution."

Awaken and other groups like it offer transitional housing, a drop-in center and counseling, and make presentations at local schools. The Nevada Attorney General's website also has links to multiple agencies and programs designed to help victims.

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Virginia Bill Would Expand Police Use of Facial-Recognition Technology - Public News Service

Coloradolawmakers are seeking to restrict the use of facial recognition technology in the states government, law enforcement and schools with the introduction of a new bill.

If passed, Senate Bill 113 would establish several limitations and regulations for the use of artificial intelligence facial recognition services by government agencies and law enforcement agencies in the state. The bill would also completely prohibit the use of facial recognition technology in public and charter schools until 2025.

Bill sponsor Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, said the state needs to slow down and reevaluate its use of facial recognition technology due to disproportionate identification issues for people of color.

That, to me, is a signal that we need to use caution and proceed carefully here, Hansen said. Theres a lot of great things that this technology enables, but theres also some significant problems if you get false positives or false negatives. The error rates for the current technology is very high for people of color.

Multiple studies have found a racial bias in facial recognition technology. For dark-skinned women, the technology had an error rate of 34.7%, compared to 0.8% for fair-skinned men, according to a 2018 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Similarly, a federal study in 2019 found that Asian and African American people were up to 100 times more likely than white men to be misidentified by facial recognition technology.

Because of these issues, cities such as San Francisco, Boston and Portland have banned the use of facial recognition technology by police and local agencies. The proposed Colorado bill would not ban the technology, but it would establish strict limitations.

Under the bill, government agencies using facial recognition technology would have to notify a reporting authority, specify why the technology is being used, produce an accountability report, test the equipment and subject any decisions that result from the technology to human review.

Law enforcement agencies would be prohibited from using facial recognition technology to establish probable cause, identify an individual from a police sketch or create a record depicting an individuals actions protected by the First Amendment. Law enforcement agencies would also need special permission to use facial recognition to conduct surveillance, tracking or real-time identification.

Theres no prohibition here, but lets stop and take a good look at this technology before it has possible downsides, Hansen said. Lets look carefully at how its being used. Lets have human review of any results. And lets think carefully about how were going to use it in a public setting.

The bill would also create a task force responsible for studying issues related to the use of artificial intelligence, operating until September 2032.

The task forces findings would be used to help inform the use of facial recognition technology in schools after the bills ban ends in 2025, Hansen said.

While it is unclear whether any Colorado schools currently use facial recognition technology, nationally, public schools have used the technology for discipline, like identifying students seen skipping class or breaking rules in security footage.

Hansen said the bill has received little opposition from legislators so far. However, the Colorado Information Sharing Consortium a data privacy and data sharing government entity comprised of 86 Colorado law enforcement agencies said it strongly opposes the bill.

(The bill) would prohibit law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition technology to help identify persons who commit major crimes like those in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, said David Shipley, executive director of the consortium. It would also essentially prohibit use of facial and voice recognition technology in jails to help interrupt planning of future crimes or to help manage the inmate population.

Shipley said the consortium is working on potential amendments to the bill to protect civil liberties while serving and protecting the public. Jenifer Waller, CEO of Colorado Bankers Association, said her group is also hoping to amend the bill to ensure it does not hinder the investigation of financial crimes.

Hansen said he is working with the groups and expects to make a few amendments to the bill during the committee process. Nevertheless, he is confident that the bill will make it through the legislature.

Theres a bipartisan concern about privacy and misuse of technology, Hansen said. We can demonstrate that there are issues and that problems have arisen, so I feel really confident we will be able to successfully get this to the governors desk.

Read more here:

Bill seeks to restrict the use of facial recognition technology in Colorado - coloradopolitics.com

Imagine having headlights that dont blind oncoming drivers but that do a better job of showing whats up ahead, hopefully cutting down on crashes and saving the lives of people both in and out of vehicles.

Thats what a vehicle safety rule given the green light by federal regulators aims to do, and one that automakers, safety advocates and others are cheering.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announceda final rule on Tuesday to make new headlight technology, known as adaptive driving beam headlights, legal in the United States. The rule, which follows ayears-long process of information-gathering and discussions on the topic, amends the current federal regulation related to headlights to allow the technologyand make sure it operates safely.

The technology, which can use "advanced sensors, data processing software and headlamp hardware," to improve how headlights illuminate roads, other vehicles, objects, animals and pedestrians, has been legal elsewhere, but now its on track for use on newvehicles in the United States.

That could be key as the United States grapples with increasing crashfatalities, particularly among pedestrians and bicyclists. Road deaths, for instance, hit 38,680 in 2020 and could go higher for 2021 when the numbers are finalized, according to federal government data.

Steven Cliff, NHTSAs deputy administrator, said the agency is making the change for headlights to improve safety and protect vulnerable road users.

NHTSA prioritizes the safety of everyone on our nations roads, whether they are inside or outside a vehicle. New technologies can help advance that mission, Cliff said in a news release.

More: Death on foot: America's love of SUVs is killing pedestrians

Michael Brooks, chief operating officer and acting executive director for the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said the new technology is key because it doesnt require driver action and it also addresses the outsized role that night driving plays in crashes.

Its a pretty big deal, as it marks the first important step in allowing for advanced lighting that could prove incredibly effective at reducing crashes. About half of accidents occur at night, and only about a quarter of our miles are driven at night, so we are looking at a lot night crashes in the U.S., a portion of which would certainly be prevented or mitigated through better visibility, Brooks said.

The technology is significantly more advanced than automatic high beam technology currently availablein some vehicles here. Brooks noted that with regulatory certainty automakers will also be more inclined to invest in research, and he predicted that the technology would continue to improve.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, said shes grateful that NHTSA movedforward on the rule earlier than required as part of last years Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The rule change itself was mandated as part of the law, according to NHTSA.

This new rule will save lives and make our roads safer. Its a simple fix to help keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe, while also ensuring drivers have a better view of the road ahead, especially at night, Dingell said in a statement.

The move to allow this type oftechnology in the United States dates back more than a decade. Following discussions with NHTSA officials,Toyotafiled a formal petition with the agency in 2013.

Aaron Fowles, a Toyota spokesman, provided a statement to the Free Press, notingthe automaker's early push to allow the technology:

As the original petitioner, Toyota appreciates NHTSA issuing this final rule, allowing automakers to install adaptive driving beam headlights on new vehicles. We look forward to reviewing the final rule and continuously working with NHTSA and other stakeholders towards further improving motor vehicle safety.

The company offers the technology on vehicles sold in Europe and Japan.

More: Feds set small goal for road fatalities, but getting to that number would be big deal

Toyota isn't the only company that's been interested in developing more advanced headlights.

Stu Fowle, a spokesman for General Motors, said GM has been advocating for approval of adaptive headlight systems in the United States, noting that the company has sold vehicles equipped with such systems in both Europe and China.

Why were advocates has to do with the benefit not only for drivers, in terms of improved nighttime visibility, but for their benefit for oncoming traffic to not be impacted by high beams inadvertently left on. GMs adaptive headlight system uses 34 beam patterns to provide the benefits of high beams all the time, while placing shadows over oncoming vehicles. The camera technology that enables adaptive headlights is already in use in the U.S. today with our automatic high beams offered on a number of models; the adaptive headlight system would bring added benefits, Fowle said.

More: GM had most vehicles recalled last year; Ford had most recalls. Takata fueled both

Support for the technology was echoed by John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry group representing GM, Ford, Chrysler-parent Stellantis, Toyota, Volkswagen and others.

Research shows the safety benefits of this technology, which can help provide enhanced down-road visibility without increasing glare to oncoming vehicles. We are reviewing the final rule and look forward to continuing to work with NHTSA and other stakeholders on our shared priority of a safer transportation future," Bozzella said.

Ellen Edmonds, a spokesperson for AAA, said the group has argued in favor of the technology and thatresearch has shown its benefits.

"In 2019, AAA released research, which found that European vehicles equipped with (adaptive driving beam technology)increase roadway lighting by as much as 86% when compared to U.S low beam headlights," Edmonds said, describing the technology as the "the first real solution to providing more light for drivers at night."

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.Become a subscriber.

Excerpt from:

New headlight technology that improves safety, cuts down glare OK'd by NHTSA: How it works - Detroit Free Press