Category Archives: Transhuman News

The United Nations announced on Thursday that Syria is set to be elected to a senior post on a UN decolonization committee charged with upholding human rights including the subjugation, domination and exploitation of people.

The Syrian regime headed by dictator Bashar Assad has waged a bloody civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since it started in 2011. The regime is believed to have committed widespread war crimes, including by using chemical weapons and barrel bombs against civilians.

Also on Thursday, the UN released a report that said actions by the regime during the war likely constituted crimes against humanity, war crimes and other international crimes, including genocide.

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Syria will be elected to the UNs Special Committee on Decolonization, a 24-nation body that aims to decolonize the US Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa, and other areas, according to the UN Watch NGO, which reported Syrias election to the forum.

Syrias new UN envoy, Bassam al-Sabbagh, is set to join the forum in June, the UN announced at its opening session.

The Special Committee will take up, at a later date, the election of the Special Rapporteur of the Committee pending the arrival in New York of His Excellency Ambassador Bassam al-Sabbagh, nominated by the Syrian Arab Republic, said Keisha McGuire, permanent representative of Grenada to the UN.

Al-Sabbagh was unable to attend the opening session of the forum, McGuire said.

A Syrian representative at the meeting said, My country has always supported the proceedings of the special committee, as well as the efforts of the committee to reinforce the right to self-determination.

The UN has brought up violence perpetrated by both sides of the civil war in Syria, but Russia, an ally to Damascus, has blocked many efforts to target the regime.

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Syria set to be elected to top post in UN human rights forum - The Times of Israel

Press Trust of IndiaFeb 24, 2021 19:29:20 IST

While Indian tigers have the highest genetic variation compared to other subspecies of the feline across the world, their populations continue to be fragmented by loss of habitat, leading to inbreeding and potential loss of this diversity, says a new study that may inform conservation strategies. "As human population started expanding, so also their signatures on the land. We know that some of these signatures would result in disrupting the ability of tigers to move," Uma Ramakrishnan, co-author of the research, published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, told PTI.

According to Ramakrishnan, molecular ecologist and assistant professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, this habitat loss from human activities leads to tigers being "hemmed into their own protected area."

"Now, they can only mate with the other tigers in their own population. Over time, this will result in inbreeding, they will end up mating with their relatives," she explained. "Whether this inbreeding compromises their fitness, their ability to survive, we do not yet know," the molecular ecologist added.

While genetic diversity across a population improves their chances of survival in the future, the study said population fragmentation of tigers can decrease this variation, and endanger them further.

Although tigers have received significant conservation attention, the scientists said very little is known about their evolutionary history and genomic variation, especially for Indian tigers.

With 70 percent of the world's tigers living in India, the researchers said understanding the genetic diversity of tigers in the country is critical to the feline's conservation worldwide.

The results of their three-year long study offer insights into genomic variation in tigers and the processes that have sculpted it.

Based on the results, the scientists believe there have been relatively recent divergences between subspecies, and intense population bottlenecks that may have contributed to inbred individuals.

According to the NCBS scientist, maintaining structural connectivity, enabling tigers to move between protected areas can help overcome these bottlenecks.

"This would require the right types of habitat between protected areas, for example having densely populated human settlements would not work. Further, there also needs to be functional connectivity, that tigers do actually move," Ramakrishnan added.

In the study, the scientists sequenced whole genomes from 65 individual tigers from four subspecies of the feline, and conducted a variety of population genomic analyses that quantify genetic variability.

They investigated the partitioning of genetic variation, possible impacts of inbreeding, and demographic history, and possible signatures of local adaptation.

Tiger roaming grasslands in the Bandhavgarh National Park.

While the total genomic variation in Indian tigers was higher than in other subspecies, the study found that several individual tigers in the country had low variation, suggesting possible inbreeding.

According to the research, tigers from northeast India were the most different from other populations in India

"Given our results, it is important to understand why some Bengal tigers appear inbred and what the consequences of this are," said Anubhab Khan, co-first author of the research.

The study showed recent divergences between tiger subspecies, within the last 20,000 years, which the scientists believe is concordant with increasing human impacts across Asia and a transition from glacial to interglacial climate change in the continent.

However, the scientists believe this finding needs to be investigated further with expanded data and analyses of more tiger genomes.

"Most studies focusing on species of conservation concern use limited numbers of specimens to try to gain understanding into how genomic variation is partitioned," said Ellie Armstrong, co-first and co-corresponding author of the study from Stanford University in the US.

"It is clear from our work here, and a growing number of other studies, that it is crucial to increase our sampling efforts and use caution when interpreting results from limited sample sizes," Armstrong added.

According to Ramakrishnan, the genomic variation of Indian tigers continues to be shaped by the ongoing loss of connectivity.

"Population management and conservation action must incorporate information on genetic variation. I hope doing so will help India maintain the gains in tiger conservation achieved so far," Ramakrishnan added.

See original here:
Indian tigers losing their rich genetic variation, habitat loss and inbreeding to blame: Study - Firstpost

Frys Electronics, a big-box retailer that nurtured a generation of do-it-yourself tech fans and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, announced on Wednesday that it was shutting down operations, effective immediately.

The company, which is based in San Jose, Calif., replaced the contents of its website with a statement that said it had ceased operations and had begun winding down. The retailer, which built a cult following on the West Coast but was unable to compete with the rise of Amazon, blamed the shutdown on changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is hoped that undertaking the wind-down through this orderly process will reduce costs, avoid additional liabilities, minimize the impact on our customers, vendors, landlords and associates, and maximize the value of the companys assets for its creditors and other stakeholders, the statement said.

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on retailers, with restrictions meant to reduce the spread of the coronavirus causing foot traffic to nosedive. Several large retail chains, including Brooks Brothers, Neiman Marcus and JCPenney, have filed for bankruptcy since the pandemic hit. Macys, the department store chain with more than 700 stores, said on Tuesday that its sales last year plummeted 29 percent and that it posted a net loss of $3.9 billion, compared with a $564 million profit the prior year.

Frys has 31 stores across nine states and has been in business for nearly 36 years, according to the statement. Founded in 1985 by the three Fry brothers, the business was intended to provide a one-stop-shopping environment for the high-tech professional, the company wrote on its LinkedIn profile. The stores ranged in size from 50,000 square feet to more than 180,000 square feet, each stocked with an eclectic assortment of gadgets and parts.

The chain was famous for its elaborate store themes. Its location in Phoenix had an Aztec temple, for instance; its store in Burbank, Calif., was inspired by 1950s science fiction movies; and the Frys in Woodland Hills, Ca., was a page out of Alice in Wonderland, decorated with figurines as tall as 15 feet of the storys characters.

The retailer was particularly beloved by Silicon Valley executives, who found the stores to be a nostalgic haven and source of creative inspiration.

Going to a Frys store is entertainment in itself; for a geek, it could be recuperative, Jean-Louis Gasse, a former Apple executive, wrote in a blog post in 2019.

Fans took to Twitter on Wednesday to mourn the stores closing.

RIP Frys Electronics, wrote one user. u were my favorite Aztec-themed electronics superstore with a random movie theatre, and I will always cherish the memories of loitering there so me & my friends could play rock band after school.

It was a piece of heaven for me, wrote another fan. I was there for hours.

More here:
Fry's Electronics Is Closing, Another Retail Victim of Pandemic - The New York Times

Closed for good? Not so fast...

As we walk past so many stores with for lease signs in our neighborhoods, its tough to be optimistic about the future of retail. The slow, but inevitable erosion of traditional shopping experiences, aka the retail apocalypse, was long catalyzed by digital Darwinism. The consumerization of technology and its effects on consumer behaviors, preferences, and loyalty has been disrupting retailers going back to the 90s and the launch of Amazon.com. With every new digital trend, retailers and all players in the retail industry were forced to adapt or die. Unfortunately, many moved too slow or in unproductive directions, hastening demise rather than adaptation. Then came Covid-19.

Since the early days of the pandemic and the forced lockdowns of non-essential in-store shopping, retailers were dealt a blow that only deepened years of disruption. With the enduring outbreak, digital commerce soared, shoppers tended to stay home for their safety, and the rolling lockdowns only advancedthe effects of digital Darwinism. These disruptive factors not only curbed physical shopping behaviors, they birthed a new genre of digital-first, conscious consumerism, and opened the door to a new world of hybrid retail opportunities for a post-pandemic economy.

Even with vaccines in circulation, an alternate retail universe continues to emerge and it represents a ctrl-alt-del moment for the future of retail. Whatever innovation plans that were in place prior to March 2020, are now outdated and irrelevant. The next normal as it takes shape will now solve the ills of retail that were long unfolding. In the U.S., for example, there was just too much square footage against too little differentiation and allure for an evolving customer. But, a unique opportunity exists now to get to know who your customer is becoming and innovate in a way that meets and exceeds their demands, online and in store.

The Future of Retail isnt What It Used to Be

The reality is that digital isnt new. Its been chipping away at traditional retail for over 20 years. The pandemic, though, forced 10 years of e-commerce adoption and consumer change in the span of just 90 days at the dawn of Covid-19 according to McKinsey research. And, according to Salesforce research, 88% of customers now expect companies to accelerate digital initiatives. Those that do not, will fall to digital Darwinism.

More than 60 percent of global consumers have changed their shopping habits, and they intend to ... [+] stick with them.

McKinseys research found that the pandemic is accelerating further disruption beyond store closures. Customers are, en masse, seeking better, more intuitive, and digital native experiences. Retention and loyalty are on the line now as never before. In the U.S., according to McKinsey, 73% of customers have tried new shopping behaviors. This includes shopping for new brands, sites, and retailers. Whats more, 75-83% report that they intend to continue their newly adopted behavior. This pattern is consistent in countries around the world.

The future of retail then comes down to 1) personalized acquisition and retention at scale, 2) continually earned loyalty, and 3) adaptability and innovation.

Those retailers who prioritize customer experiences over shareholders and quarterly performance can officially break the shackles that hold them to the past. Leaders must quickly learn how to organize around customers, shift how they understand and how they attract them, and uncover creative, modern, and experiential ways to shop and get goods into their hands.

Were talking about sweeping operational business model innovation and digital transformation for a new world. This takes creating a customer 360, data-driven culture to better understand shoppers as they evolve. It means empowering digitally-literate teams to reimagine physical, digital, and hybrid shopper journeys, and continually piloting promising experiences to learn what customers seek-out, time and time again.

IKEAs Chief Digital Officer Offers a Glimpse into Rapid Transformation and Innovation

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Umesh Sripad, Chief Digital Officer, USA of IKEA, at AppsFlyers virtual digital transformation series, Retail Rebooted (its available to watch on-demand).

IKEA is a global retail brand that was massively disrupted by Covid-19 and found a future forward through data and innovation.

Heres what I learned from Umesh...

Five steps toward reimagining retail innovation and customer experiences:

Customer-centricity, cultures of data and innovation, and the practice of creativity and discovery are critical enablers of a future of retail without using yesterdays playbooks.

The pandemics effects will be with us for quite some time. But digital Darwinism, too, will only persist with every new technology trend. Its never-ending. You can see it as disruption or as an opportunity to take this time when everyone is disrupted, and change the game moving forward.

The good news is that technology and innovation are already on your side to bring to life new experiences in store, online and in hybrid applications. It all starts with a customer 360 perspective, creativity and imagination, and the ability to test and learn.

Just look at the incredible list of disruptive technologies that are in play now, Edge computing, IoT and IIoT, 5G, computer vision, augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality, deep learning, real-time and predictive data analytics, AI, automation, cognitive computing, and modern CRM and cloud computing represent the future of retail and business, today. Imagine creating stores, sites, augmented and virtual experiences, and digital-first journeys that personalize engagement online and in the real world, every step of the way.

Its already happening. Now, imagine your role in shaping retails future.

Read the original post:
Ending The Retail Apocalypse And The Next Era Of Post-Pandemic Retail Innovation: Insights From IKEAs Chief Digital Officer - Forbes

Facebook said will invest $1 billion in the global news industry over the next three years but came out swinging Wednesday over its news blackout of Australia, which it reversed yesterday after Aussie lawmakers agreed to modify a proposed law.

In a blog post entitled The Real Story of What Happened With News on Facebook in Australia, VP of Global Affairs Nick Clegg blamed media conglomerates for trying to squeeze on Facebook to make up for losses created by the shift of advertising from print to digital that disrupted the economics of the news business. (Facebook, Google and Amazon make up about two-thirds of total U.S. digital ad spending.)

The [news] industry was forced to adapt. Some have made this transition to the online world successfully, while others have struggled It is understandable that some media conglomerates see Facebook as a potential source of money to make up for their losses, but does that mean they should be able to demand a blank check? he said.

Related StoryFacebook Lifts Australia News Ban After Tweaks To Proposed Law

Its like forcing car makers to fund radio stations because people might listen to them in the car and letting the stations set the price, Clegg lashed out.

It is ironic that some of the biggest publishers that have long advocated for free markets and voluntary commercial undertakings now appear to be in favor of state sponsored price setting. The events in Australia show the danger of camouflaging a bid for cash subsidies behind distortions about how the internet works.

Many in the industry, however, see a power imbalance. The legislation close to passage in Australia intended to tilt the field towards publishers by forcing Facebook and big Internet services to negotiate with them on financial terms for use of content. The proposal required arbitration if no deal could be reached and, among other features, allowed for collective bargaining by the publishers.

Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook reversed course on its news blackout and the standoff ended after concessions, including a shift to softer mediation to resolve any disputes with arbitration only a last resort.

Clegg said the blackout might have appeared sudden but that the company had warned of it six months ago and has been in discussions with the Australian government for three years.

He believes theres a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between Facebook and news publishers.

Its the publishers themselves who choose to share their stories on social media, or make them available to be shared by others, because they get value from doing so. Thats why they have buttons on their sites encouraging readers to share them. And if you click a link thats shared on Facebook, you are directed off the platform to the publishers website. In this way, last year Facebook generated approximately 5.1 billion free referrals to Australian publishers worth an estimated AU$407 million to the news industry.

The assertions repeated widely in recent days that Facebook steals or takes original journalism for its own benefit always were and remain false. We neither take nor ask for the content for which we were being asked to pay a potentially exorbitant price.

View original post here:
Facebook To Invest $1B In News Industry Over 3 Years, Slams Publishers For Demanding Blank Check To Help Ailing Business As Australia News Standoff...

We check out Amazons new smart home device, Airbnb adds flexible search and Hopin is raising even more money. This is your Daily Crunch for February 24, 2021.

The big story: We review the Amazon Echo Show 10

Brian Heater spent some time with Amazons new smart home device, paying particular attention to the screen that rotates based on the users location. He reports that the screen works smoothly and silently, but also feels unnecessary, and in some cases downright unnerving (especially from a privacy perspective).

Ultimately, Brian concludes that the $249 device is a well-constructed, nice addition to the Show family and one I dont mind moving around the old-fashioned way.

The tech giants

Airbnb plans for a new kind of travel post-COVID with flexible search The feature will allow users to forgo putting in exact dates when they look to book lodging on the platform.

YouTube to launch parental control features for families with tweens and teens YouTube announced a new experience for teens and tweens who are now too old for the schoolager-focused YouTube Kids app, but who may not be ready to explore all of YouTube.

Google Cloud puts its Kubernetes Engine on autopilot This new mode turns over the management of much of the day-to-day operations of a container cluster to Googles own engineers and automated tools.

Startups, funding and venture capital

VCs are chasing Hopin upwards of $5-6B valuation According to multiple sources who spoke with TechCrunch, the company may be nearing the end of a fundraise in which its seeking to raise roughly $400 million.

Primary Venture Partners raises $150M third fund to back NYC startups The firms portfolio includes Jet.com (acquired by Walmart for $3.3 billion), Mirror (acquired by Lululemon for $500 million) and Latch (which is planning to go public via SPAC).

Joby Aviation takes flight into the public markets via a SPAC merger Joby has spent more than a decade developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing passenger aircraft.

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch

Four essential truths about venture investing Observations from Alex Iskold of 2048 Ventures.

Dear Sophie: Which immigration options are the fastest? The latest edition of Dear Sophie, the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies.

Can solid state batteries power up for the next generation of EVs? For the last decade, developers of solid state battery systems have promised products that are vastly safer, lighter and more powerful.

(Extra Crunch is our membership program, which helps founders and startup teams get ahead. You can sign up here.)

Everything else

Europe kicks off bid to find a route to better gig work The European Union has kicked off the first stage of a consultation process involving gig platforms and workers.

The Equity podcast is growing More Equity!

Techstars Neal Sles-Griffin will join us at TechCrunch Early Stage 2021 to talk accelerators Neal has seen this industry from just about every angle as a teacher, advisor, investor and repeat co-founder.

The Daily Crunch is TechCrunchs roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If youd like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 3pm Pacific, you can subscribe here.

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Daily Crunch: We review the Amazon Echo Show 10 - TechCrunch