Category Archives: Technology

ST. CLAIRSVILLE The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lasting impact on the courts, with hearings as likely to be held via a screen as they are in person.

Going into 2022, many local courts have found there are advantages to using technology instead of in-person hearings, and that may continue beyond the pandemic.

Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said the need to continue conducting business as the pandemic raged led to adapting to new technology, but his offices upgrades have served the staff well.

Prior to any idea that the pandemic would wreak the havoc that it did, this office put in place in late 2018 a system where we could receive and catalog all of the criminal reports that were sent to us electronically, Flanagan said. By doing that, when the pandemic hit, we were in an incredible position to not only have some of our administrative staff members work from home, but they did so without missing a beat at all, because everything was given to us from law enforcement electronically. We were able to then generate criminal charges to get to the courts via the electronic system that we had in place.

If we were still operating under the old way it would have been very difficult to be able to serve the needs of law enforcement without having a computer-based filing system in place, he said.

Flanagan said using online meeting platforms and other technology, the sheriffs office no longer needs to transport an inmate from the county jail for every hearing. Instead, an inmate is led to a video room on the jail property to appear on camera.

It really did open our eyes to what is available when it comes to having, for instance, testimony to the court system via Zoom or some kind of video testimony. Though we had done that in the past, we didnt do it with any regularity, and so we saw through 2020 and 2021 this expansion of the use of video technology, and it actually is quite economical, Flanagan said.

Obviously for our trials and we have had many of them in 2021 the individual would have to be brought to trial. But for other, less important hearings, we have relied heavily on Zoom technology and video technology.

Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Frank Fregiato said the tools at hand have proven valuable.

The Zoom calls, appearances and things of that nature shall continue irrelevant and having nothing to do with COVID. Theyve turned out to be quite beneficial, and we are continuing with them for both the prison system and the jail system, he said.

Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra also said moving forward he will continue to hear as many cases electronically as possible, particularly in speaking to defendants at the jail and prison.

Weve been dealing with COVID for almost two years now, and weve certainly had to adjust many things, Belmont County Western Division Judge Eric Costine said. Its been a real learning experience trying to figure out how we would wade our way through that, getting through the shutdown and getting back to business as usual. Yes, we are still doing things differently. We do not have inmates transported to the court very frequently, at least not in my court. It seems to be working well and obviously saves the county on transportation expense.

Costine added that frequent transportation of inmates to hearings may not resume.

I dont anticipate were going to move backwards at any point and have to redo the way were doing things, he said. Well probably never get back to the old way. Thats my anticipation. Why do you go back to a system where a new system is working and actually saving money?

Costine added that even if some are not familiar with technology, staff members at the courts are able to help adopt and adapt to new tools.

The legal field is slow to change, he said. It seems most people in the legal field want to do things the same old way, over and over again, and were not necessarily receptive to change. But this has demonstrated definitely that we can do change, and that change isnt necessarily a bad thing.

There are things weve had to improvise with Zoom, Belmont County Eastern Division Judge David Trouten said. We do use that still, and it does come in handy for certain things, although for contested matters I think well have to have in-person for that, because its critical to actually be face-to-face in those situations. You have to be able to judge someones body language and that sort of thing, so I think with that regard its definitely better to be in person. Doing Zoom does slow things down. I prefer in-person, but well use the Zoom whenever we can because of COVID.

Belmont County Northern Division Judge Chris Berhalter said adaptations will continue into 2022 as long as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.

That keeps those inmates safe and not exposed. However once this pandemic ends, I believe that practice will be curtailed greatly. That they will be brought to the courtroom so they can be there right next to their attorney, Berhalter said, adding Zoom and other adaptations may still be used for pretrial hearings. That cuts down significantly on litigation expenses for attorneys having to travel to the courtroom. Weve also expanded the use of Zoom when weve had to conduct proceedings with individuals who are already sentenced and incarcerated in other facilities.

Where were at with the pandemic, I think well continue to see extensive use of Zoom proceedings, he said.

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Distance technology here to stay in courts | News, Sports, Jobs - Martins Ferry Times Leader

HONG KONG, Jan. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuaishou Technology (HK:1024) (the "Company" or "Kuaishou"), a leading content community and social platform, today announces that its board of directors (the "Board") has appointed Mr. Jin Bing as the chief financial officer of the Company (the "CFO"), reporting to Mr. Cheng Yixiao, the Company's chief executive officer ("CEO"), effective today. Mr. Chong Nicholas Yik Kay has announced the retirement from his role as CFO. Mr. Chong has been appointed as a senior advisor of the Company for two years, also effective today.

Mr. Su Hua, Chairman of Kuaishou and Mr. Cheng Yixiao, CEO of Kuaishou expressed their gratitude to Mr. Chong in an internal emailto employees, for his more than five years of service and contributions, "We are pleased that he will realize his wish to reunite with his family and begin to enjoy his retirement." Also, on behalf of the Company, they welcomed Mr. Jin, and highlighted that he has profound professional capability and rich professional experience in diverse fields such as financial management, financing, investor relations, and mergers and acquisitions. "We are delighted to be able to work with Mr. Jin. Together, let's make the Company stronger."

Mr. Jin has solid experience and a diverse financial background. From August 2010 to March 2014, Mr. Jin worked in Citi's China Investment Banking Department. From March 2014 to April 2017, Mr. Jin worked at Credit Suisse, including as the Head of China Technology of Investment Banking and Capital Markets, Asia Pacific. From May 2017 to April 2021, Mr. Jin served as the chief financial officer of Joyy Inc. (formerly known as YY Inc., a company listed on NASDAQ with stock code of YY). From May 2021 to January 2022, Mr. Jin served as the chief financial officer of Zuoyebang. Before starting his investment banking career, he worked in areas including public service, consulting and corporate banking. Mr. Jin received his bachelor's degree in English from the Beijing Foreign Studies University, his master's degree in Pacific International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego, and his MBA degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

About Kuaishou

Kuaishou is a leading content community and social platform with its mission to be the most customer-obsessed company in the world. Kuaishou has relentlessly been focusing on serving its customers and creating value for them through the continual innovation and optimization of its products and services. At Kuaishou, any user can chronicle and share their life experiences through short videos and live streams and showcase their talents. Working closely with content creators and businesses together, Kuaishou provides product and service offerings that address various user needs that arise naturally, including entertainment, online marketing services, e-commerce, online games, online knowledge-sharing, and more.

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Kuaishou TechnologyInvestor RelationsEmail: [emailprotected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.Email: [emailprotected]

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Kuaishou Technology Appoints Mr. Jin Bing as Chief Financial Officer, reporting to Mr. Cheng Yixiao, the Chief Executive Officer - PRNewswire

This article features the top five technology stocks to buy and invest on January 17, 2022

The technology sector is composed of businesses that sell goods and services in electronics, software, computers, artificial intelligence (AI), and other industries related to information technology (IT). Technology stocks are ruling the stock market over the past decade. Tech investors have plenty to ponder as they head into 2022. Technology stocks are often a leading indicator for the economy and the stock market. Here are the five best technology stocks to buy on January 17, 2022.

Analytics Insight provides a list of the 5 best technology stocks, according to Yahoo Finance.

Current Price: US$136.88

Market Capital: US$165.298 billion

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. operates as a semiconductor company worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Computing and Graphics; and Enterprise, Embedded, and Semi-Custom. Its products include x86 microprocessors as an accelerated processing unit, chipsets, discrete and integrated graphics processing units (GPUs), data center and professional GPUs, and development services.

Current Price: US$269.42

Market Capital: US$671.395 billion

NVIDIA Corporation operates as a visual computing company worldwide. It operates in two segments, Graphics and Compute & Networking. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game-streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise design; GRID software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; and automotive platforms for infotainment systems.

Current Price: US$167.00

Market Capital: US$148.382 billion

Applied Materials is a leader in materials engineering solutions that are used to produce chips and advanced displays virtually around the globe. The companys expertise lies in modifying the atomic levels and providing the best services on an industrial scale.

Current Price: US$254.74

Market Capital: US$35.684 billion

Zscaler is an American cloud-based information security company headquartered in San Jose, California. Two of the products produced by the company are Zscaler Private Access which provides secure access to locally hosted applications, and Zscaler Internet Access which provides secure access to external applications.

Current Price: US$138.28

Market Capital: US$43.146 billion

In North America and abroad, Datadog, Inc. delivers cloud-based monitoring and analytics platform for programmers, IT operational processes, and business users. To enable real-time observability of customers technological stacks, the companys SaaS platform unifies and automates network monitoring, application performance analysis, log management, and security management.

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Top Five Best Technology Stocks to Buy for the Long Haul - Analytics Insight

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A man with ties to Massachusetts has been charged with conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods, technology, and services to end-users in Iran,including the government of Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to a statement from federal officials.

Kambiz Attar Kashani, 44, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, was arrested Thursday in Chicago, Illinois, according to the statement.

The arrest was announced by Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, assistant attorney general of the Justice Departments National Security Division, and Joseph R. Bonavolanta, special agent-in-charge of the FBIs Boston field office.

Kashanis arrest underscores the unrelenting resolve of this office and theDepartment of Justice to prosecute those who seek to profit by compromising our national security,Peace said.

Peace alleged that Kashani orchestrated an elaborate scheme to evade federal export laws and use the U.S. financial system in procuring U.S. electronic equipment and technology for the Central Bank of Iran, which has been designated by the federal government as acting for or on behalf of terrorist organizations, according to the statement.

According to officials, Kashani allegedly used two United Arab Emirates companies as fronts to procure items from multiple U.S.technology companies, including a company in Massachusetts.

We believe Mr. Kashani profited financially by strengthening the economy of one of the worlds most infamous state sponsors of terrorism, while circumventing critical U.S. lawsdesigned to protect our national security interests, Bonavolonta said.

As set forth in the complaint, according to the statement, Kashani conspired to illegally export goods and technology to the Central Bank of Iran.

The Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control has classified CBI as a SpeciallyDesignated National (SDN) signifying that CBI is acting for or on behalf of a terrorist organization, according to officials.

According to the U.S. government, CBI has materially assisted, sponsored, and provided financial, material, or technological support, goods, or services to LebaneseHizballah, a terrorist organization, and to the Qods Force of Irans Islamic RevolutionaryGuards Corps (IRGC).

The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian armed forces and represents the primary means of the government of Iran to direct and implement its global terrorism campaign, according to the statement.

Kashani allegedly perpetrated the illegal transshipping scheme through two separate United Arab Emirates (UAE) front companies for which he acts as principal, officials said.

From around February 2019 through June 2021, Kashani and his co-conspirators used the two UAE companies to procure electronic goods and technology from multiple U.S. technology companies for end-users in Iran, including CBI, without obtaining the required export licenses, according to the statement.

Officials allege that Kashani and his co-conspirators intentionally concealed from the U.S. companies that they intended to send the items to Iran, falsely claiming that the UAE front companies would be the ultimate end users.

The governments case is being handled by the Offices National Security and Cybercrime Section.

Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon andMeredith A. Arfa are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by TrialAttorney S. Derek Shugert of the Justice Departments Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant United States Attorney Shawn McCarthy of the Northern District of Illinois.

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U.S.-Iranian citizen accused of sending U.S. technology to Iran - Boston.com

The ancient Greeks lived from 700 to 480 BC and are known for the many breakthroughs they oversaw in the arts and sciences. Perhaps one of their lasting creations is what is known as the polis or city state, which became a permanent feature of Greek political life for hundreds of years. This period of time came shortly after the 'Greek Dark Ages', which saw people living scattered across the land in small farming communities.

But slowly, these villages grew in size, expanded, built walls and organised cohesive communities, later developing governments and drawing up what we today would see as a constitution or common set of laws.

A number of relics from this time have turned up across not only Greece but the wider empire, which at its peak included parts of modern-day Italy, France, Spain, Turkey and North Africa.

Many have left researchers awestruck, but none more so than the Antikythera: a 2,000-year-old hand-powered orrery a mechanical model of the Solar System described as the world's oldest instance of an analogue computer.

Archaeologists first found it at the turn of the 20th century, in 1901, off the coast of the Greek island Antikythera.

The device was found among a wider treasure trove which included marble statues, elegant vases, glistening jewellery and ancient coins.

The mechanism itself, researchers first believed, was some sort of corroded metal, perhaps an ancient dictionary, that no one knew what to do with.

In 1902, archaeologist Valerios Stais identified a gear inside the piece, but it was not until some 70 years later when Professor Tony Freeth and his team from University College London (UCL) conducted extensive research on the model and carried out its first-ever X-ray.

This decisive research suggests that the ancient Greeks would once have used it to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance.

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"It's brought back the history of technology to a much earlier time.

"It is completely astonishing that the ancient Greeks firstly had the conception of making this technology, and secondly the ability to actually physically make it.

"We've had to rethink the history of technology completely as a result of this single object."

While Prof Freeth's work has allowed researchers to understand the workings of the device, the 'why' question remains.

He believes the answer to this is that it was conceived in order to calculate the Greeks astrological theories.

While being able to predict the patterns of the night sky is today something taken for granted, Prof Freeth noted: "In those days, the idea that your scientific theories could be mechanised was absolutely astonishing."

Today, the Antikythera mechanism is kept in a museum in Athens and is split into 82 fragments with much of it missing.

On finding the inscriptions inside the device, Prof Freeth revealed a world of secrets: a "user guide" to the mechanism through instructions embedded into the folds of corroded bronze.

It is from this finding that nearly all subsequent research breakthroughs about the Antikythera mechanism have been made.

Prof Freeth and his team are now taking their theoretical model and will use Greek techniques to build a physical model of the mechanism.

It is hoped that modern technology added on top of this creation may reveal "more secrets" of the ancient world.

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Archaeologists stunned by Ancient Greek device: 'Have to rethink history of technology' - Daily Express

Quiet floors, a lack of international travellers and it all coming to close a day early due to the organisers facing pressures from travel restrictions and the Covid-19 crisis: is this really the same CES that dominated the worlds attention every January with the biggest tech show on earth? Well, the answer is no but for good and healthy reasons for the hotel technology sector.

Regardless of physical numbers many visitors and exhibitors opted to host or attend virtually the hardcore travel-sanction-avoiding tech ninjas among our community who were able to make the trip to Las Vegas last week were promised great things. And, we would argue strongly that the event delivered a true, somewhat stark, reflection of where hotel technology is heading.

Before we go into the physical robotics and telecommunication devices that hit and missed this year, to paint a clean picture, lets start by looking at some of the key movements that emerged to the surface throughout the show.

The most obvious trend was the lack of hotel tech. Dont be alarmed, though, as this was to be expected. For years, modern travellers have demanded for hidden tech within luxury and lifestyle hospitality. More recently, that demand has mutated into insistence for tech-free spaces, amplified somewhat by a rise in wellness trends. Given what was on display at CES 2022, I think its safe to say that tomorrows hotel will be judged less on the technology it offers and instead more on whether the hotel can support consumer software and hardware.

When it comes to buzzwords, there was one that roared loudest in Las Vegas in early January. The metaverse, which in its currently state is swinging somewhere between impossible and inescapable, is fast transforming from Mark Zuckerburgs dream into reality. For an industry like hotel design and hospitality that has long strived towards authentic, one-off travel experience, the thought of a 3D, interconnected virtual space that allows users to feel the real world is terrifying and seems equally unrealistic. However, so did Facebook once upon a time. If the metaverse does take off, which it looks like it will sooner rather than later, then it will undoubtedly impact the behaviours of modern travellers.

What hit and what missed at CES 2022?

The new era of hotel TV and projector technology HIT

Every year at CES, the latest TVs are unveiled, which is always met with a gasp from tech enthusiasts. 2022 lived up to the same expectation, with the likes of LG, Sony, TLC and Panasonic unveiling QD-LED, OLED Evo, micoLED and even miniLED. But, aside from impressive render displays, it was in fact a projector that stole the show. With its compact design that looks more like a spotlight than a portable screen, the Samsung Freestyle is a powerful and compact projector, smart speaker and ambient lighting device all rolled into one lightweight package that weighs just 830 grams. The product would be ideal for hotel guestrooms and suites, transforming F&B spaces into sensory experiences or for last-minute outdoor cinemas.

The space hotel HIT

With the increased awareness around sustainability and materiality, the days of pop-up hotel have somewhat been erased in hospitality history. However, when it comes to forward-thinking technology at CES, exhibitors have their vision fixed on the future. Looking the farthest forward by a long way this year was Sierra Space, which displayed a series of giant inflatable houses on the moon. It sounds far-fetched (and it is) but the launch of LIFE Habitat got us thinking about folded up hotels that could, if consciously designed, offer an extraordinary travel experience that can continuously evolve.

The smart door MISS

Image credit: M-Pwr Smart Door

We are all for hotel concepts that challenge conventional approaches to hospitality here at Hotel Designs. And by our judgement of the smart door, we are not saying that we dont rate the contactless hotel we do! However, the idea of a smart door, for us, is one gimmick too far in an era when hoteliers and designers are striving for paired-back approach to technology. Having said that, we cant argue that the M-Pwr Smart Door is not a clever evolution from the smart doorbell.

Sci-fi baths HIT

Image credit: Kohler

Kohler is never a brand to disappoint at CES. Following the Amazon Echo shower that was unveiled a few years ago, the bathroom brand that is always ahead of the curve when it comes to hotel and bathroom technology, arrived at CES 2022 with its answer to the future of wellness in residential and hotel design. Available in a variety of sizes, the Infinity Experience Freestanding Bath comes complete with LED lighting effects, and relaxing fog that has been inspired by Japanese hot springs. The bath is surrounded by a hinoki wood base and uses PerfectFill technology that maintains the ideal temperature and water level.

Humanoid robots HIT and MISS

Image credit: Engineered Arts/Ameca

Robots have long been a contentious topic among hoteliers globally Aloft robot butler called Botlr that showed up in 2014 threatened taking away the human interaction in hospitality and therefore never really landed. Since then, other robots have tried and failed to takeover hotel technology. Challenging the opinion that robots will never replace face-to-face service is Engineered Arts. The company have launched a new robot called Ameca, which first made contact with the public at CES 2022 with its surprisingly vivid and emotive facial expressions using no less than 17 motors inside its head.

Ameca, with a grey non-human metal and plastic body that is deliberately genderless, has been designed with eerily lifelike mannerisms, but goes down as a miss from us as it cant yet walk or move around, making it null and void for todays hospitality landscape (phew).

In-room robot vacuums HIT

Notwithstanding our tasteful dissing of the hotel robot, one android we do believe has a place in at least the boutique hotel environment is the robot vacuum, which has developed extensively since becoming popular domestically in recent years. The S7 MaxV Ultra moves a step close to being sufficient. And with 30 per cent faster charging, reliable coverage, compact docking and detailed 3D mapping, the technology is becoming more and more relevant for hotel commercial use during a time when housekeeping is at a minimum due to social distancing.

The Amigami Ham Ham MISS

Image credit: Yukai Engineering

We seem to be the only media platform that is not giving its thumbs-up to Amigami Ham Ham, the cuddly animal robot that melted hearts at CES 2022 with its ability to nibble fingers (we are not making this up). The unusual product uses play biting as a method of providing comfort. If we are really pushed to offer some credit, we are impressed by the soft toys ability to automatically engage its motor and algorithm (or hamgorithm) so that no bite feels the same. Well leave how this would possibly be utilised in a hotel setting down to you.

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Main image credit: Engineered Arts/Ameca

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The technology products that hit and missed at CES 2022 Hotel Designs - Hotel Designs

When you think of tech innovations around the world, you think of global superpowers such as America and China creating the newest and highest quality technology for people around the world. While there is certainly some truth to that, it is often forgotten how many developing nations provide for the tech world. From iGaming innovations to other ways of changing the world, the hottest tech is coming from all corners of the planet. The scale of the gambling industry can be seen by the vast amount of sites offering slot games and other gambling services. However, trends and attitudes around the world towards igaming are certainly still mixed. Many developing countries are embracing gambling as a way to make revenue, and Turkey is a prime example of a developing nation that has done this. Esports and e-gaming have become a massive market in the country, and according to research from 42Matters, Turkish game publishers have an average of more than 796,650 downloads, despite only making up about 2% of the overall market. This is higher than the download average of all mobile games at only 483,320. Furthermore, Turkish publishers use a higher percentage of ads and in-app payments to increase their revenue. As mobile internet becomes more widespread across the globe, trends like this will continue, where the share could well be better spread across the globe.

As research in February from The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) showed, there are a few developing nations that are showing stronger capabilities to use and adapt what they call "frontier technologies" than their per capita GDPs would suggest, according to an index of 158 countries in UNCTAD's Technology and Innovation Report 2021. As they put it, "Frontier technologies are those that take advantage of digitalization and connectivity. They include artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things, big data, blockchain, 5G, 3D printing, robotics, drones, gene editing, nanotechnology and solar photovoltaic." In first place is India, overperforming by 65 positions, in second place is The Philippines. This is due to their high ranking for industry, as they have had high levels of foreign investment in high-tech manufacturing, mostly in the electronics industry. The country has strong supply chains, a lot of pro-business policies, as well as a network of economic zones and a fairly highly educated workforce. On 21 April 2021, The country celebrated its first National Innovation Day and in April 2019, they signed the Phillippine Innovation Act, which placed innovation at the heart of the nation's long-term development strategy. With these long-term plans to continue the nation's development through tech, we could soon be seeing The Philipines becoming a world leader on the tech stage.

Tackling social concerns has been at the heart of Africa's tech innovations, and African nations are developing at an impressive rate. In the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, Solar-powered robots have been created to control traffic. In the city, the traffic was seen to be out of control, where pedestrians were in danger of being hurt and the rules of the road were often ignored. Industrial engineer Thrse Izay Kirongozi was hired to develop humanoid robots and the first appeared in 2013 to aid pedestrians crossing one of the main roads in the city Boulevard Lumumba. This first robot, which stands at two-and-a-half meters tall, raises one robotic arm to regulate traffic and bends the other to allow people to cross the road.

In Kenya, a new rugged tablet is helping children by giving them access to digital learning. BRCK, a company that gained widespread praise for its router designed to give Kenyans good connectivity, came back with the Kio Kit, a digitalised classroom all in one tough, weather-resistant box. The kit contains 40 Kio tablets and headphones and a BRCK connectivity device and can be charged wirelessly. An innovator at BRCK in the launch video for the Kio Kit said: "One lesson that we learned from our earlier design iterations is that the tablet charging connection is the greatest single point of failure for devices used by children. So, we engineered the Kio not to require a cable for charging." So that the Kio tablets are suited to schools' educational requirements, the innovators at BRCK collaborated with the digital content provider, eLimu, who developed resources such as videos and educational games to put on to the tablets.

Some Latin American nations have been leading the charge in developing nations innovation on the tech frontier. In Chile, a company called BabyBe has developed technology that sets out to shorten the hospital stay of premature babies. The tech includes a system that turns the mother's heartbeats and movement of their lungs into a sensorial feeling for the baby. The creators said: "It gives premature babies the capacity to feel like touching their mother from the incubation machine." This was developed because many mothers of premature babies have to watch their babies from inside an incubation screen, and both mother and baby can't feel connected to one another. The creator, Camilo Anabalon said: "not only entails sentimental and emotional implications but also physical in the baby's body."

In Mexico, a Guadalajara based company called Emiti has created a smartwatch that helps take care of the elderly, monitoring their health and reacting in the case of an emergency. The device detects falls, cardiac rhythm anomalies and it features an emergency button and was chosen to represent Mexico at CES. The company's product includes 24/7 assistance and care service which detects if the user has suffered an accident.

While we may see China, Japan, Europe and The United States as huge tech innovators at the centre of the tech world, the developing world is coming with all types of tech innovation, whether it be for entertainment, health or to tackle social issues. It is extremely exciting to see how these nations continue to develop tech and continue to close the gap between them and the wealthiest nations.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)

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How Some Developing Nations are Leading the Charge in Tech Innovations - Devdiscourse

Labour unions have always been at the forefront challenging the adoption of newer technologies on the grounds that they would lead to worker displacement. Take a simple example. As against one weaver working at a loom, the industrial revolution gave us power looms where one weaver could manage 10 looms. Employers fought the protests on grounds of productivity and sometimes even signed agreements with labour unions guaranteeing no worker displacement since the productivity gains more than compensated for the cost of carrying the labour.

Similar arguments at a macro level were provided by some economists who argued for and against the newer production technologies that were arriving at the shores of developing economies. Since many of the manufacturing plants are imported from the advanced economies, they come with a design that requires fewer workers. Certainly not appropriate for developing economies with surplus labor.

Apart from productivity, technologies that underlie machinery and plant design also address safety. For instance, workers close to chemicals, or heat generating activities are very susceptible to injuries and machineries that prevent these happening are to be welcomed.

This technological distinction was at the core of Gandhis attitude towards industrialisation. His Hind Swaraj makes his dislike for machinery very clear. He wanted the village to be self-sufficient, or at least self-reliant. One strain in his arguments was that large scale industrialisation was de-humanising. But the other strain was in the fine distinction he would make between machinery and technology that enhanced the human and supported the worker, versus the one that replaced or made the human irrelevant.

He got Maurice Frydman, the Polish engineer, to apply his skills to improve the charka, and praised the sewing machine. Gandhi would stress that the economy and technology should be focused on the human being and not on the product. JC Kumarappa, who built on Gandhis principles of satya and ahimsa stressed that an economic exchange should not be seen as a material but as a moral one. Thus, decentralisation and stress on local consumption become natural derivatives from this stream of thought.

Research published in 2020 by economists Daron Acemoglu and Pascual Restrepo would seem to partly support Gandhi. They examine the falling share of economic output that goes as wages to workers and the increasing expenditure on software and machinery. In their study of the effects of automation and introduction of robots in particular, they show that robots have negative effects on employment and wages.

Using US data, they show that one more robot per thousand workers reduces employment by 0.2 per cent and wages by 0.42 per cent. Thus, increasing wage inequality. In other studies, they have argued that technologies like self-checkout kiosks at stores, and automated customer service replace workers without increasing productivity.

In a developing country context, one wonders what the effect of the technology is? Recall that toll booths here require three people per lane one to direct the traffic, one to collect from the vehicle and hand it across the counter to the person in the booth! Is technology being adopted only because that is what is available, or for saving employment, or to raise productivity?

Developing societies, and labor surplus ones in particular, have already seen waves of technological activity since the industrial revolution. We have the data to study their effects on society, both in terms of employment and wages, as also income inequality, and humanity. The microprocessor revolution, hidden microscopically deep in the recesses of everything we use are not as apparent as large machines but with even more far-reaching effects.

We are on the cusp of the effects of artificial intelligence on our lives. Hence, the question of what technology is relevant is an important broad societal question.

At the micro level, business considerations must clearly drive the decision. At the macro level, society needs to debate about what technologies are relevant and how can government policies through subsidies and taxation nudge innovation and adoption in a societally appropriate manner.

The writer is an emeritus professor at Suffolk University, Boston

Published onJanuary 17, 2022

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Need to re-visit technology choice - The Hindu BusinessLine - BusinessLine

John Allman celebrated his retirement with the City of Brentwood at an afternoon event at the John P. Holt Brentwood Library on Friday, January 14, 2022. Allman was hired by the City of Brentwood in 1986 as a firefighter. He was promoted twice, earning the rank of Captain with the Brentwood Fire & Rescue Department. In 1996, while simultaneously serving as Fire Captain, he began overseeing the development of technology systems in city operations. Three years later, in 1999, he officially moved from the Fire Department to become the Citys first and only Technology Director, for more than the past two decades.

City Manager Kirk Bednar said, from being a firefighter in the very first days of the Fire Departments existence, to single handedly starting the Technology Department and driving the implementation and expansion of our entire technology footprint here with the City of Brentwood, Johns career in Brentwood has been far reaching. He has also been the driving force behind numerous intergovernmental initiatives benefitting all of Williamson County and beyond. His departure means the loss of one of our truly foundational staff members, and he will be missed.

Brentwood City Commissioner Anne Dunn, who could not attend Fridays event, echoed those sentiments at Mondays regular City Commission meeting. I never envisioned the scope of what the Technology Department would be today. I dont know that we can ever give him enough credit for how its developed over the years.

Some of Allmans biggest achievements while at Brentwood include launching the technology department, implementing the citys first email system in 1991, installing a fiber optic network throughout the city, and managing the technology design for the new 55,000 square foot police headquarters and 911 center. Allman also served as the technical lead for the joint radio system project between Brentwood, Franklin, and Williamson County. Other major accomplishments include being the first city in the southeast to install mobile data laptops in police and fire vehicles. Allman has also deployed several times on disaster response to help with emergency communications and has led the city with its efforts in cybersecurity. While with the Fire Department, he received two awards. Allman received a Life Saving award for helping save someones life and a Medical Service award in 1994 for another life-saving rescue. (Photo: Allman is far right, in the back)

Allman said, I am excited about slowing down and spending more time with my family, including my children and grandchildren. He also plans to spend more time at his church helping with the audio- visual systems and at the Williamson County Emergency Operations Center as a reserve EMA.

Brentwood staff hired a technology consulting company to help recruit a new Technology Director. Sarah VanWormer, from the City of Battle Creek, Michigan, will start with the City of Brentwood on January 31, 2022. She is an experienced government leader with more than twenty years of City IT and GIS experience.

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Brentwood Technology Director Retires After 35 Year Career | News - brentwoodtn.gov

Agriculture doesnt have an innovation problem, says Mississippi producer Chad Swindoll. It has an implementation problem.

Digital information is a realm of genuine opportunity for agriculture, but the shine of a new digital product often dulls in the rows. Boiled down, many growers believe there is a gap between what is offered in the ag data market and what is needed.

The basic data framework is a company builds software and sells the product on a subscription, fee or standard one-time transaction. But for the grower at the end of the chain, the promises can be paralleled by pitfalls.

When the focus is on a tool, rather than a result, something is out of kilter, Swindoll says.

In Tallahatchie County, Miss., Swindoll grows corn and cotton and owns consulting firm J19 Agriculture. Prior to J19, he worked for several years as a field representative for a precision ag tech company and encountered a consistent request from growers: Can you help me with my data?

I turned down requests all the time, he says. They had been told or heard that data is useful, but just didnt know how or where to start.

Most ag data revenue models are built around products, and not customer success, Swindoll contends.

Its like being in a store, he says. You go in and buy a product and you pay the company; the deal is done. The problem for a farmer is not about a lack of tools. Instead, the problem is finding someone with a financial incentive to make the tools work.

In Bolivar County, Miss., Adron Belk grows corn, rice and soybeans. He gleans university data for management help but is resolute in obtaining data directly off his own ground.

For the past five years, Belk has placed 50% to 75% of his land in strip trials. He tests variety, fertilizer placement, fungicide, irrigation and more.

Belk generally runs three major company platforms, and the interchange can be a major tangle.

Crossing boundaries is not simple, he says. All three companies help me with their products, but the interchange is a different matter. At end of day, I want to farm not wrestle data.

Agribusiness and farmers are still discovering what data information is worth, Swindoll explains.

There remains a segment of growers who adhere strictly to farm history to interpret what happens in the rows. For example, Farmer Joe looks across a particular field and tabulates the oral traditions of his forefathers, along with his own field experiences, and accounts for all the good and bad spots. Therefore, the case is closed.

Summed from a slightly different angle: Knowledge of the gar-hole locations sustained his family in the past: therefore, the knowledge is ample for his family in the future. Swindoll dents the armor of the I-know-my-own-ground attitude with legitimate questions.

There is a world of difference between knowing something is bad and knowing precisely how bad it is, he says. Question: What is the exact impact of a gar hole? You cant force against a weve-always-done-it-this-way mentality, but you can ask questions that make people think critically.

Trey Brower grows corn, cotton, soybeans and sweet potatoes in Calhoun County, Miss. He is new to ag data analysis, and 2020 was his first year to get serious. The biggest data issues for Brower are implementation and compatibility.

Thats a big gap to me, Brower says. I know my good areas and bad areas of each field, but I want to know the why of what I cant see. I want to nail down exactly why and develop mapping data. Data is knowledge.

One of the best data actions a farmer can implement is the organization of field records. One of Swindolls go-to questions to ask a grower: Can you tell me what you planted on this field on this day population and variety? He often receives muddied answers.

Its 2022, and many farmers dont know the real numbers, he says. The information is being held captive on a computer in a tractor sitting on a farm lot somewhere. Nobody wants to say it, but weve got producers who dont know how to effectively use yield monitors because they havent been taught or taken the time to learn.

Despite the data hitches, the road ahead is wide open, paved with many high-performing products, Swindoll says.

Things will continue to get cheaper and improvements in cellular capability will take data from field to office at even more incredible speeds, he says.

No matter the future of ag data, a human touch will always be needed to weave the patchwork together.

People dont want to get a long chain of data; they want to know three things they can act on right now and why, Swindoll adds. Its like the old saying: Dont tell me how to build a watch, just tell me what time it is.

Swindoll frequently receives two blunt questions from farmers. The first: I use brand X software. It is good? The second: What should I buy?

His answer requires a peek over the near horizon: I tell guys, If it works for you, then keep using it, but you must have an exit strategy. Companies continue to get bought and sold at a fast pace, but if you ask almost anybody in farming, Will ag data will be more or less important in 10 years? Theyll answer: more. Therefore, we have to be more methodical on who we partner with to handle data.

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The Ag Technology Gap: When Promises Fall Short Of Results - Agweb Powered by Farm Journal